GPC in China: Day 2 (cont.): After Tiananmen Square, we drove to the Imperial Gardens that are on a hilltop that overlooks the Forbidden City. The gardens and the little mountain "Jing Shan" that lies within it were a nice change from the typical topography of Beijing (the city lies on a broad plain and is the landscape is quite flat). On the hilltop, we enjoyed some cool breezes, great views, and some fine ice-cream. About these two guys in the photo with me, I have really been enjoying getting to know Nicholas (on my right) and Brian (on my left). Nicholas is a cool hand, a pretty good Chinese speaker, and also knows his way around Bangkok--always a plus in my book. Brian is new to speaking Chinese, but his pronunciation is good, and he is a hit with the ladies here--I predict he will have a Chinese wife in the future!