Better Late Than Never, Right? Here is a very tardy post of our wonderful visit with the Hutchinsons last November.
What a treat it was to be able to spend time with Brett’s parents, his brother Cory, and beautiful Kara here in Beijing. There are just some things that cannot be expressed through words or photos – which is why we love visitors. It actually enables us to really show what our life is like in this crazy, polluted, overcrowded…but still pretty fascinating foreign land.
Unfortunately, their visit fell on an extremely busy week for Brett (which I think the majority of you, through deductive reasoning, will be able to tell by the absence of him in the photos below) which left us all missing him and forced the Hutchinsons to see China through the eyes of a Blonde in Beijing. I am hopeful that a good time was still had by all!
In addition to celebrating Brett’s Big 4-0 at Maison Boulud, we were able to show them quite a few of the sites – The Olympic Village, The Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Wangfujing Snack Street, Tea Street, and The Forbidden City. And of course – we made sure that they tried all the top foods – Beijing Duck, Din Tai Fung dumplings, and don’t forget the street meat. (Okay – I don’t think Donna actually tried this…but Cory & Kara braved a variety of interesting delicacies – i.e. scorpions, silk worms, etc.)
As their tour guide for the week, I did my best to document the trip for them (a service I only provide for true VIP visitors!) Here are some of my favorites…
This would be a fantastic Christmas card if Cory was their only son! The Great Wall Mutianyu – November 2011
Tom & Donna Hutchinson. The Great Wall – November 2011
How cute are they? Seriously. The Great Wall – November 2011
Tom with his D-in-L’s. The Great Wall – November 2011
Kara & Cory – The Great Wall.
Perhaps I got a little camera happy with the happy couple….
Up, up, and away! Riding the chair lift to the top of the wall.
Kara cruising down the slide. The best part of visiting the wall at Mutianyu!
Quite possibly my favorite picture of the trip. Clearly, Cory is not pleased with Tom’s choice of speed. His face is the physical definition of boredom.
Tom and Donna in front of The Bird’s Nest. Olympic Village – Beijing.
Brett finally makes it! Family dinner at Mao’s Red Capital Club. This restaurant, hidden in an ancient hutong alleyway, serves tasty food – but the main reason to visit is to step back in time and soak in a bit of “Mao’s China”.
Walking into the gardens surrounding the Temple of Heaven. We were so lucky to have such a beautiful Beijing day. A rarity to say the least.
Donna, Cory & Tom at the Temple of Heaven. Beijing – November 2011
Temple of Heaven – Beijing
I would say I was trying to be artistic…but perhaps Cory is just too tall! I still like it though. Temple of Heaven – Beijing, China.
A tiny Donna at the Temple of Heaven. It is terribly difficult to capture an image with no other tourists. I didn’t crop the original for this very reason. I love the emptiness of it. Temple of Heaven – Beijing, China
The beautiful and extremely old Cypress trees in the grounds that surround the temple. Temple of Heaven – Beijing, China
Tree Gazing. Temple of Heaven Grounds – Beijing, China
Another potentially great Christmas card if Tom and Donna only had one son and also decided to adopt a random blonde from Murray, Kentucky… Temple of Heaven Grounds – Beijing, China
Old school online dating?? We stumbled upon a mass of middle-aged, local Chinese men and women in the gardens surrounding the Temple of Heaven with dozens of papers like these taped to the ground. After chatting with a few of them, who were actually willing to talk with me in Chinese – I was able to learn that they were all there to find mates for their children. These “papers” are actually dating profiles including personal details such as height, age, and occupation. Some even go so far as to say if they are home or car owners. Amazing!
Okay…so this is obviously Cory, not Brett. But for those of you who truly know Brett…you know that this is an impersonation of his “intense face”. Complete with the drumming of the fingers. Nice tribute, Cory.
The Forbidden City – Beijing, China
Kara & Cory – Forbidden City, November 2011
The Forbidden City – Roof Tile Detail.
The Forbidden City – Beijing, China
Tea Tasting on Tea Street. Somehow I didn’t snap a picture when they put Kara to work separating proper tea leaves from the bad ones…what a missed opportunity. I have a feeling that her daily wage might be more than they are used to paying.
This is the coup de gras of photos from the trip. Apparently, my harassing comments to Tom about the fact that of all things to bring to Beijing, he packed his “Turkey Trot 1997” t-shirt hit a nerve. His response to my torment was to jokingly wear it under his sport coat for Brett’s birthday dinner and party at Maison Boulud. Loved it. He did change – although I think I would have preferred him like this.
A Blonde in Beijing 
Love seeintg the rest of “our family”. I need to talk to your mother about when she and Joe are planning to visit.I mught want to send Olive something.