Sweeping the Tombs in Beijing

Well, I'm off to Beijing. Friday is a Chinese holiday, translated as Tomb Sweeping Day. It's a sort of Chinese Memorial Day in which you're supposed to pay tribute to relatives that have already passed away by placing flowers on their graves or by "sweeping" their tombs. Since Friday classes are canceled and I usually have a free day on Thursday, I decided to make a personal get-away to Beijing. I want to do some shopping at the Pearl Market and the thought of having three days to just sit at Starbucks or an English bookstore, reading and sipping coffee sounds like heaven. I'm also going to see a few friends up in Beijing. I'm excited about my little retreat and having some alone time. While I don't actually plan on visiting any graves, I do plan to bury away several lattes, some Coldstone Creamery ice cream concoctions, and some really good pizza. I'm heading to the train station in about an hour.

Happy Tomb Sweeping Day to everyone!