Celebrity Sighting?!

Wait. Don't contact PerezHilton just yet. We didn't see David Beckham or Michael Phelps. Nope, not Yao Ming or Lebron James either. The truth is... WE are the celebrities (or so it seems). Since we've arrived in Beijing, we have received star treatment.

 

The Olympic Committee provided us with a three-day, all expenses paid tour of Beijing and the surrounding areas. Our itinerary included visits to the summer palace, winter palace, Ming tombs, and the Beijing Opera. We also experienced Beijing's finest cuisine. And as if that wasn't enough, we had police escorts to lead the way.

 

Even beyond the three-day tour, around Beijing we are kind of a big deal. Several of our students have been interviewed or photographed by the media in relation to their work with the Olympics. One of us actually participated in a press conference.

 

And it's not just Olympic-related. Even the Chinese citizens are looking our way, eager to snap a photo of or with us. When we were climbing the Great Wall, I saw a Chinese father hand his baby over to an American girl and step back to capture the moment on camera. We were visiting one of China's most amazing landmarks and he was more fascinated with the blond American student (I'm assuming that picture will go in the baby book).

 

It has made for an amazing first week in China. However, I'm anxious to see whether our star treatment will continue when the real celebrities (athletes, journalists, etc.) start to arrive. But for the next few weeks I'm going to enjoy my 15 minutes of fame!