Xie Xie + Zài Jyèn (thank you + goodbye).

A peaceful garden just outside the Forbidden City.

I hope you have enjoyed this look into China, the red star rising. It has certainly been a pleasure to experience and share with you. I would like to say Xie Xie (thank you) to AJ for coming to DC a day early so we could hang out before i left, to Sarah for allowing me to borrow her mandarin books, to Annai for use of his phrasebook (it proved invaluable), to Brad and Sarah for being so good to me in Beijing, to Swan for the translation assistance, to Simone for his insights on China and women, to Mom for never missing a beat, to Sochieta for her inspiration, to Dave for showing me the real BJ nightlife, to Karl and Amy for being so awesome, to Cassie for being such a good commenter, and last but not least.. THANK YOU for reading!

Before i let you go, i'd like to share a few verses with you from my favorite book and regular source of inspiration, the Tao te Ching.

~ verse 6 ~

the Tao is called the Great Mother;
empty yet inexhaustible,
it gives birth to infinite worlds.
.
it is always present within you.
you can use it any way you want.

Offerings to the Gods at the altar of a Taoist temple.

~ verse 33 ~

knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.
.
if you realize that you have enough,
you are truly rich.
if you stay in the center
and embrace death with your whole heart,
you will endure forever.

Modernity towers over tradition in the coastal city of Qingdao.

Expat Life.

My awesome Australian friends and i outside the swanky Q Bar.

ex·pa·tri·ate • \ěk-spā'trē-āt'\ • noun *1. a person living outside his or her own country

Living in Beijing is awesome. I think the one thing that i did not expect was the thriving expat community. There are so many expats from other countries that have come to China to study, work, and live. Considering the rapid pace of activity and blossoming economy, it should not be a surprise that Beijing is such a happening place.

Dancing at my favorite spot - Suzie Wong's.

A Suzie Wong's special.. good times!

I found the expat community in Beijing to be generally very welcoming. I met people living in Beijing who came from all over the world: Australia, Hong Kong, Italy, Russia, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., and even Kansas. It is natural for expats to gravitate towards one another, as we all share something major in common.. we are all foreigners here. We can share our frustrations, with the language, the food, the pollution, the bureaucracy.. but we also can share our successes.

Soccer teammate and Italian friend, Simone.

Playing soccer under the lights.

It didn't take long for me to make friends and fit in to the community. In fact, it is kind of surprising to me how quickly i left my old life behind in the States and began anew. Before leaving Beijing, i had made a number of new friends, joined a soccer team, improved my language skills, knew my way around the city, and even had a few regular hangouts.

Enjoying one of my favorite beers for the first time in years, a Kilkenney.

Dave, Brad, me, Amy, and Karl.

On my last night in Beijing, several friends came out to wish me well. We all agreed that my time in China had gone by way too quickly, and i really felt sad to be leaving this new life behind. But as quickly as it had come, my life in Beijing would be no more. However, the weeks i had there were fantastic and the awesome people i met will remain as friends.

Romaine, Brad, and i ready to rock lady's night at Suzie's.

Several friends helping to celebrate my last night in China.

Dave and i living it up in 'the Jing'.

1000 words, or more. (an image collage)

Three men resting inside the Forbidden City.

A picture is worth 1,000 words, right? Well, i took several hundred photos in China and while i won't bore you with them all, i did want to share a few that didn't fit in any of the other posts. Enjoy.

This giant mask is installed outside a gleaming office building. I liked it.

This Taoist monk taking a nap in the courtyard of the White Cloud Temple.

Five newly married couples flock to the beach in Qingdao for photos.

Modern Chinese Art. (watch out for the hand)

More traditional, revolutionary Chinese art.

A street market in Xi'an.

Flowers being planted outside the Temple of Heaven.

One of my favorite buildings. Yes, this is new China.

A street stall selling sweets.. which would you choose?

This guy wanted to take my picture.. so i took his.

And this girl wanted a photo with me.. so i got one too.

Mao's face on just about every yuan bill.
And i thought Washington's face was on a lot of $1 bills!

A rather intimidating sculpture of a very powerful yak.