Day 6 in Beijing

Yesterday was China's National day celebrating 61 years since the Founding of the People's Republic of China.  There was a very calm and almost solemn event at Tiananmen Square where tons of government officials from all over China attended.  I wasn't brave enough to check it out live so I just watched the ceremony from my tiny apartment. I did brave it out of the apartment to see a couple of lawyer friends in the Russian section of Beijing.  It was the perfect day for having lunch overlooking the park.  After lunch, my friend, Russell and I passed buy the Catholic church in Wangfujing on the way to buy a printer.  Mom will be happy to know that I went to church in Beijing... sort of.After we got the printer we jumped back onto the subway at... peak hour.  I didn't understand why the train was so packed since it was a holiday in Beijing and no one was working.  There were actually workers wearing red armbands whose job it was to shove and pack people into the subway, packing their limbs, clothing and bags in as the doors closed on them.  I'm so glad I'm tall in China.  It helps get a bit more breathing space when you're all packed in like sardines. Surprisingly, the Chinese folks were all in very good spirits about it all, laughing while shrieking as they got shoved around and no one got agitated about being packed in like sardines.  It's a good example of the attitude that a lot of Chinese take on in cases like these, "no sense in getting upset when you can't do anything about it."  Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPcYm_aWPtM My friend, Flora, took me to an amazing party last night at the Beijing Film Studio.  It was a birthday party for an expat couple hosted by a wealthy Chinese businessman and there were no expenses spared.  The setting was in an old fashioned courtyard of a Chinese set and the dress was "anything Chinese".  Of course I didn't know that until Flora told me about the party only an hour before so I didn't have the proper attire, but she was kind enough to bring me a halter top that had a Chinese flare.  Would like to have had something to cover up my butt though.  Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l7lpZkjfzgWe left the party early and entered my worst nightmare... karaoke.  The Chinese are very big on karaoke, dare I say, even more so than Korea or Japan.  The room we were in was huge and lavishly set up with a wait staff of two tending to our every need.  Still, I refused to sing anything but I did get up and shake my booty to some Lady Gaga.  It was a super fun night.