不到長城非好漢 -- 毛澤東

The home of the 2008 Olympics. The capital of several centuries of Chinese emperors. The birthplace of 北京田鴨。 When astronaut John Glenn first orbitted the earth, he saw two things from space...one of them being the Great Wall of China, located north of Beijing on the border of Mongolia. Joycie and I were planning to go to Phuket, Thailand for the second leg of our honeymoon. We even packed all but shorts and t-shirts. Huda guessed instead of travelling to 80 degrees weather, we'll be going to 20 degree weather. But God was watching out for us and preparing us every step of the way. Climax of our trip to Beijing came on day 3 of 5. Our bus arrived at the Great Wall of China. As we stepped off the tour bus..I uncontrollably started weeping and humming 中華民國頌 (much to Joycie's annoyance).

中華民國頌
青海的草原 一眼看不完
喜瑪拉雅山 峰峰相連到天邊
古聖和先賢 在這裡建家園
風吹雨打中 聳立五千年
中華民國 中華民國 經得起考驗
只要長江和黃河的水不斷 千秋萬世，直到永遠



But I couldn't help it. This was the main reason we chose Beijing. To be at the very place that our forefather's labored so intensely for the protection of the rest of China. Someone shoulda told them to build it not just North, but on all four directions. China finally fell to the Invasions of the Eight Nations - but we'll leave that for the history books.




Then the next day, we went to Tiananmen Square, the place where so many students were massacred for the price of Freedom and Democracy. There happened to be a bunch of students there on a field trip. I looked upon them and imagined this square, the world's largest square. Filled with students. It's not hard to imagine why Deng Xiao Peng ordered troops upon them. If the students decided to start an uproar, with their size and their heart, there was no telling what they could've done. Despite the melancholy, I was standing in the center of the captial of my mother country. I haven't even been to Washington DC!!! But here I was, in between the Tomb of Mao, the Great Hall of the People, the Beijing Museum, and the Forbidden City. I couldn't help but whistle and hum the Chinese National Anthem. I surge of national pride came pouring out of me.

Press me!!

中華人民共和國國歌
起來﹗不願做奴隸的人們﹗
把我們的血肉，築成我們新的長城﹗
中華民族到了最危險的時候，
每個人都被迫著發出最後的吼聲。
起來﹗起來﹗起來﹗
我們萬眾一心，冒著敵人的炮火，前進﹗
冒著敵人的炮火，前進﹗前進﹗前進﹗進﹗

Most imporantly, Beijing is a place full of evilness and temptations. PCS definitely was able to prepare us for this sin-filled place. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we were capable of protecting each other. A very curious thought of what the 1 Billion Chinese people are doing in their ignorance... my heart grows sad.