We have had the most taxing day for the children in China yet, ushering them right the way through the entire Forbidden City, the former residence of Ming and Ching dynasty emperors on a mildly hot and extremely sunny day. It is only when one goes about Beijing with young children that one realises how much there is really to walk, even from one corner of Tiananmen Square to the other. They have indeed done well, being cajoled with frequent moments of rest, rolling bottles of mineral water down the slopes of the palace buildings and indirectly discovering how rain water is drained, through hundreds of stone-carved hornless dragon outlets. They used the side of palace building stairs as slides and chased sparrows during spare moments, and we had a lengthy discussion between me and the 5 year old on politics. Here were some of the things we talked about:
Why do the people no longer want an imperial system and an emperor nowadays?
Why is it important not to run away but to defend one's land?
The importance of a country's defence ability
What is a good emperor/ruler as opposed to a bad one
It seemed to me that the size of the palace highlighted the ridiculousness of a country focussing so much on one person in the past. Louis XIV springs to my mine though - the heavenly realm 天朝大國 needed an imposing residence to assert its importance.
Sent from my iPhone
14.9.12
Travelling with the brood on the high speed train to Beijing
We woke up nice and early by our current jet-lagged standards, insisted packing and made the 11 o'clock high speed 高鐵 train from Shanghai to Beijing. Thanks to the hospitality of well connected friends we have been chauffeured around Shanghai for the past week and today is the first time we are sharing public transport with our compatriots. Frankly reading this week's Xinmin Weekly of Shanghai (新民周刋) made me glad of this little privilege. Beggars readily exposing their maimed limbs for sympathy, rubbish and children weeing on the Shanghai metro as mentioned in their feature article 公共空間誰的地盤 (Whose space is public space?) do not entice me to take two under sixes on the Shanghai metro by myself, least of all jet-lagged and at rush hour, when my better half is at work meetings.
I may be somewhat ashamed of myself for being timid and over-protective of my children in their education about China, but I reckon these things have to be taken slowly but surely. Coming out of their relative cocoon of extremely educational and child-friendly museums and summer holiday entertainment, children can be over-excited about a country that may under-deliver touristically day-to-day basis. I wanted to see Shanghai Art museum, my 5 year old wanted to go back to the hotel for his holiday daily swim. Hubby wanted to see Shanghai Museum, yet the boys were yearning for a playground, hard to come by in central Shanghai. You want to show them the bund? They'd rather go back to he hotel to watch Madagascar.
China has a great deal to offer and I have forgotten that this is the first time we are here with children. There will be a time for them to rough it with the rest of the Chinese people, but for the time being, small to medium doses of Chinese culture coupled with a little of what they fancy is what we need.
The advantage of taking the high speed train to Beijing is the ability to watch the changing landscape as we race northwards, while marvelling at the speed display at each end of every train compartment. Being with other ordinary Chinese locals on our first high speed experience merits a day in itself.
Sent from my iPhone
I may be somewhat ashamed of myself for being timid and over-protective of my children in their education about China, but I reckon these things have to be taken slowly but surely. Coming out of their relative cocoon of extremely educational and child-friendly museums and summer holiday entertainment, children can be over-excited about a country that may under-deliver touristically day-to-day basis. I wanted to see Shanghai Art museum, my 5 year old wanted to go back to the hotel for his holiday daily swim. Hubby wanted to see Shanghai Museum, yet the boys were yearning for a playground, hard to come by in central Shanghai. You want to show them the bund? They'd rather go back to he hotel to watch Madagascar.
China has a great deal to offer and I have forgotten that this is the first time we are here with children. There will be a time for them to rough it with the rest of the Chinese people, but for the time being, small to medium doses of Chinese culture coupled with a little of what they fancy is what we need.
The advantage of taking the high speed train to Beijing is the ability to watch the changing landscape as we race northwards, while marvelling at the speed display at each end of every train compartment. Being with other ordinary Chinese locals on our first high speed experience merits a day in itself.
Sent from my iPhone
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