Before I get started today, I want everyone to know I am blogging on my iPhone through this weebly app. It doesn't catch spell check like iPhone usually does, and the auto correct is horrible. I'm will try to catch most mistakes after thoroughly checking, but I hope you can figure it out if I miss some. It is hard to type, but easier for me to upload my pics straight from my phone. Btw, my iPhone took some pretty pics, but I can't use it to iMessage or FaceTime. Some apps work perfectly fine, and others don't. My Titi Evy gave me a Tmobile phone and it working perfect (she will be happy to read this part as we always debate about Sprint vs. Tmobile). So I've been carrying around two phones, but it gets the job done. Also, this app isn't very good at integrating pics and text, so I will try my best.
Here we go! First day included the following: Beijing Zoo to see the Panda, a pearl jewelry store to learn about pearls, Olympic Park, Dr. Tea to sample and learn about Chinese teas, Old Beijing (aka Hutong) tour by Rickshaw, and Buddhist Lama temple to learn about the Buddhas.
The tour guide decided to show us the pandas first. Great decision! I have a liking for pandas because of my fiancé. His nickname Pandy originated because he favored a panda when he was younger. I learned that pandas eat 14 hours a day, and consume 20% of their weight. They are vegetarians, and mainly eat bamboo. They have six fingers, but only use five. The sixth finger is known as the false thumb. Here is the first set of pics from the zoo.
Next, we went to the pearl store. We couldn't take pictures inside, so I will talk about the experience. I learned there are two types of pearls: freshwater pearls and ocean pearls. Freshwater pearls are cheaper because they are easier to find. Inside a freshwater oyster, you can usually find a lot of pearls. The pearls can be white, black, purple or pink in color. Ocean pearls are harder to find, so they are more expensive. Inside an ocean oyster, there are usually only three or four pearls. These pearls are white, black, and gold in color. The gold pearls are rare and more expensive. The quality of the pearl depends on the shape (the rounder the better), the size (the bigger the better), and the look (the shinier the better). You can check if pearls are real by rubbing two pearls together. This will produce a powder, and it will not damage the pearl. The powder should be white no matter what color the pearl is. You can run the powder on you hand to see the color.
I like pearls, and I always wear pearl earrings. I buy my pearls at Forever 21. I get a pack for about $3. On the other hand, my brother, Miguel, bought me a pearl set for my birthday one year. I was wearing the pearl earrings from the set. Before I reveal if they are real or not, I have a disclosure: I wouldn't be mad either way, and I thought they were fake. Well, I took the two earrings off and rubbed them together. They produced the white powder! They are real! Thanks Miguel and Jenn for the earrings. I love them even more now. Lol.
Then we stopped at Olympic Park. The Olympics were held in Beijing in 2008. Not much to talk about here, but I have pics. The first picture includes the morning walk (at least that's the name I got from the tour guide, but it might be wrong), which is the path directly in the middle. In the past, only emperors were allowed to walk this path. If anyone else stepped on it, they were killed.