CHINA - The New Face of China

Beijing is not at all what I imagined it to be (or studied about). There are no collectivized farms or people proudly displaying their red badges; rather it’s a thriving city with grand boulevards, glass and stainless steel buildings, and a consumerism culture that is alive and well (Beijing is also where the world's biggest Mickey D's is located). As I walked down Chongwenmenwai Dajie, a street known for its great shops and restaurants, I noticed people going about their business, chatting on their cell phones and shopping for the holidays. In spite of all this progress however, there is a very visible and imposing police/government structure in the city. Video cameras and police officers (lots of them) are always around you; I even had an encounter with an officer in Tiananmen Square…