The view from my hotel room isn't a lot to talk about but in today's Beijing, it's pretty typical......

This is pretty much Beijing in the year 2006--construction literally everywhere--especially upward. This pit is the foundation for what will be an 88-story hotel/office building being prepared for the 2008 Olympics. That is the big topic over here and China is anticipating massive growth after the games.

Unfortunately much of this construction and progress is being fueled by coal-generated power thus the terrible pollution. My Gulf Coast sinus' cleared up in cold, clear Australia but this morning were acting up again so I guess I'll go back on Clarinex tonight.

A couple of notes on yesterday's trip to Tiananmen Square: It is listed as the world's largest outdoor square and I believe it. Again, the pollution blocks the image but the building is the Great Hall of the People. This is where Chairman Mao would review the October 1 Revolution parades that would march in front of the building 100 soldiers across and and as deep as you could see and they would parade for as long as six straight hours. Thousands and thousands and thousands of Red Army Guards--my Fordor's guide book says as many as 600,000 soldiers in one parade. What better way to let the people know you can crush them.

And in June 1989 this square was the scene of massive civil unrest and protests that culmunated in the killing of hundreds of students and bystanders. You've probably seen the footage--the tanks rolling in the streets and demonstrators lying down in front of them. CNN coverage was literally jerked from the air when the army moved in and disconnected their power generators--setting into play a series of events that have resulted, in part, in this blog and others being banned from the Internet in China.

Today things are a lot quieter and the biggest activity in the Square now is kite-flying. Literally hundreds of kites fill the space above the square.

On another side of the Square, Chairman Mao's mausoleum is located where his body can be viewed. It is only open in the mornings and I will probably try to visit--call it morbid curiosity or whatever.....

Something I found curious was the fact that street hustlers sell everything from paper kites to postcards but some of the most bizarre items were "Chairman Mao watches" with his photo on the face of the watch. I'm tempted to buy one just to say it came from Tiananmen Square but it seems very strange to me that a Communist icon would be promoted in such a blatant capitalist venture. But China, from what I've seen, is just that type of strange mixtures.

My first day at work here went very well--I have four students who seem to be very good and three of which speak very good English so the fourth will have the benefit of several translators. When we went driving on-road today I did get a good dose of Beijing traffic which has been characterized as the worst in the world. It isn't--but it's plenty bad. Still, it was a good day.

Until later.....