Thanks, Buzz. I asked my wife and she said she would gladly meet with you two. So just let us know when and we can make arrangements.
I havent posted anything in a few days because it has been kind of dull. But yesterday seemed a bit more exciting. First off to start the day we decided to go to the olympic village. Interesting but if you need to miss anything while visiting here, this would be one of those places to pass by. There was still a very large crowd there. We took a Golf Cart stretch for the tour. I have a few pics of it and will post. There is also a carnival next to it. So of course my step daughter had to go there. I like the big rides myself. Sort of expensive for here. But she bought her own first batch of tickets and even got me into the bumper cars with her. She was a good sport. I admit I took a bit of aggression out on it. slammed her pretty good then let her get me back so she was happy. The nwe hit the con games. While she bought the tickets she asked me to play the games. I really did not want to do it knowing if I missed it would be over for the day. However, I was on my game. Got her three big stuffed animals out of 4 games, so she was delighted. I was relieved. I really hate i have to be this way with her, worrying about how she will react to anything wrong. Oh well, just a few more days and I will get a break.
Now we head for dinner downtown to the best Peking Duck I have ever had. I talked about he place in the other thread so dont need to go into it here except to say a great meal.
I have been taking taxi's 99% of the time here. it is pretty cheap and quick. There drivers always cut people off, swing around traffic go down one way the wrong way, skip traffic lights you name it. They use their horn just to warn people that they are coming, not in anger as we do. I still have a difficult time with them. I constantly wince and hold on tight and have yet to get into an accident with them. Miraculously . well today the driver cut a man off in a big Toyota. It actually pissed the man off as he cut around us started yelling out his window at me. I was in the front passenger seat. I put my head back against the head rest so he could actually yell at the driver, but he kept looking at me. He gave ME the bird. Now I started laughing. That was the wrong thing to do. He actually came right at us to try and hit us, our driver slipped away and got in front. Now her was pissed so he kept the guy behind us, every time the man tried to get around the driver got in his way. The guy was using his horn like crazy, his head out the window and was really in a road rage. Frankly I am really surprised this doesnt happen all of the time here. Anyway the guy finally gets beside us. In the back seat was Granny, she must have been at least 100, she rolls down her window and flips me the bird. ME. I pointed at my driver. My driver didnt even look, he just kept driving cutting the man off again. Now I was starting to get a little nervous. I have my wife, step daughter and her best friend in the car at at the rate this guy was going he really might cause a nasty accident. I had not said anything to anyone in the back seat because I did not want them to worry. the idiot is behind us, my driver just slammed on his brakes, then takes off again. I tell him to cool it for the obvious reasons. Now my wife asks what is going on. i tell her and she starts yelling at the driver. He just ignores everyone. I am looking back and this guy you can tell is about to have a heart attack he is yelling and screaming so much. But at least he is keeping a little distance between us. We are in the heart of downtown Beijing, traffic is bottled up and we have to stop. Now I see this guy getting out of his car. My driver sees it to and slides around two cars, I really do not know how he made it. I look back and see the guy jump into his car. now his car is a lot bigger than the VW. he doesnt make it, he hits two cars. he still tries to go through but the drivers of the two cars get out and block his way. The last I see of him he is screaming at the guys that he hit and pointing at us. Now all of this time, my driver never lost his cool or even made any kind of expression that he was concerned in any way. He got us to our destination without any kind of expression. I got out, paid him making note of his taxi number, knowing I will never get in his cab again. To him I guess just another day at work. I wonder what happened to the guy in the other car. I can laugh at it now but at the time I thought I was going to have to defend myself against a 100 year old woman. lmao.
After dinner we went to Tiannemon Square. There was still about 100,000 people there. All of the floats were still there. A pretty awesome sight. I am putting some pics up in a little bit on my photobucket sight. Last night Qingqing decided I was her favorite person again. So most of the night she and I walked arm in arm and hand in hand around the square while my wife and her best friend walked behind us. Quite honestly I felt uncomfortable as I really wanted to be there with my wife. But anything to keep the peace and build up my image with Qingqing. Later my wife asked me if I saw the two policeman following us around. I told her no, but I was not really looking. She said they saw Qingqing and I together started pointing and laughing saying I must be a really rich American to have such a young beautiful girlfriend. They followed us around to make sure nothing happened to me. My wife overheard them. She started laughing but let them follow us to be on the safe side. I knew we were getting looks but I get a lot of stares here so by now I pretty much ignore them.
Sometimes I want to wring this kids neck and other times she can be the sweetest kid you ever want to meet. She went out tonight and bought me a shirt, just because she wanted to. it was with her own money even. Then she bought me a chocolate eclaire. She said she wanted me to go home as big as I came here because she did not want anyone to think her mother mistreated me. LOL. Then we are sitting on the couch, she halfway finished her desert, then handed it to me and told me to put it away. NOt asked but told me to. Of course I told her no, she got it out out so she could put it away. Then she handed it to Mama and told her to. I again said no. She threw it down on table. I told her she needed to pick it up and put it away. Of course she said no. So i picked it up and threw it in the trash. She screamed that she wasnt done with it, I told her of course she was. No one here is her servant. So she went into her room and slammed the door. That was just about 20 minutes ago. I am really just trying to pass the time so I can leave in peace but I cannot go back on my word or she would never respect it again. My wife did not say a word. so neither did I. We will see about it tomorrow.
