The square transformed into a maze of beauty ranging from models of famous sites (all within the district of Beijing, one would only have to walk 10 minutes down the street to discover most of what was displayed on the square) and dancing fountains surrounded by brightly spray-painted flowers.

During dinner time at my homestay, the TV substituted most conversation as a good part of the events within the hall were broadcasted, much as we see on CSPAN, as people cast their votes, chatted, listened to Hu JinTao and his new economic reform policies, and names were listed of everyone in the Central Committee. My family happily admitted that they do not associate with the Communist party (please don't tell anyone!) and that they consider themselves to be "free people" (probably an insufficient translation provided by my fancy electronic dictionary purchased locally for very little money), but that this was still a very exciting event as, we have all witnessed in the States, China is the fastest growing economy in the world.

After that very distracting week, IES broke up into five groups of 20 people and went on a long weekend trip to different places with different exciting themes. I was torn between a weekend of archaeological digging and Buddhist enlightenment, and chose the latter so as to supplement my trip to Tibet this December. Traveling with IES is always a mixture of fatigue and excitement, but this trip was worth the long train and bus rides, as well as the little free time to explore.

We first visited the hanging temple and the Yungang grottoes in Datong then took a train to Wu Taishan (literally "Five platform mountains") which is a very important pilgrimage site for Mahayana Buddhists. Aside from the many temples that we visited and the trek up the smallest mountain, which still took two hours to climb, the most exciting aspect of this trip was our opportunity to hear one of the masters explain their version of Siddhartha's story and then answer questions.

We also had the opportunity to learn how to meditate and I must say it seems like it will take me years to perfect the sitting position which involves both flexibility and outstanding back muscles to keep my back straight. I definitely learned a lot about Buddhism but must mention how incredibly shallow our understanding will remain with such a short experience. The history, stories, and different sects span many years and countries, making it overwhelming to explore!

This is at Tiananmen Square during the 17th National Congress, you can see how much of an attraction this event was for Chinese people all over. The place was packed so I was lucky to get a clear shot of some of the glorified models of popular tourist sites in and around Beijing. This is supposed to be a section of the great wall, although I don't remembering it being this colorful in real life.

This is a model of the Temple of Heaven, which in reality is very close to the square, relatively accurate depiction though.

This is the Hanging Temple in Datong on our way to Wu Taishan. A really exceptional place, and seemingly unsafe, but this mountain has protected the wooden structure for many years. It is constructed on the south side facing the north so sunshine hits it for only four hours each day and very little rain can reach it it this dry region, which is why it is still so well preserved today.

This is my friend Terra sitting amongst the fluorescent Tibetan prayer flags during our third trek up a mountain. This was the shortest hike, but had the most amazing view of the small village of Wu Taishan.

I didn't miss out on Halloween! In fact, this was the best celebrated Halloween since I have been a Bucknell student. The biggest challenge was finding a costume, but my friends and I fashioned our own costumes and went as the seasons. The kid in the middle went as our modernized version of "Mother Earth," but most would say he looked like a pimp. From left to right- Fall, Summer, Mother, Spring, and Winter.

My Baba has been teaching me how to cook real Chinese food and thought I looked fantastic in this apron/smock thing (he is too kind really) so he demanded a picture. We have a lot of fun together and I feel a lot of love coming from this household! For example, I was out for this past weekend staying at friends houses and when I returned on Sunday they all claimed to have awful headaches. When I asked how come, they responded, "Well, because we didn't see you all weekend!"

I discovered this lovely sight one morning as I was reaching for a bowl and almost flung the porcelain into the air as some of the fish flinched. Few live ones remained swimming amongst their deceased comrades in our kitchen sink, but I guess this is just one custom I'll have to get used to.

My life here is still wonderful and exciting, and my Chinese has improved greatly, but it will be nice to return to a small town again where peace and quiet can be found almost anywhere. Don't underestimate the advantages of small-town living!