Game we made up in China - may be a good one for MMS 2008

There are a lot of touristy spots in Beijing.  For the better part of 2.5 weeks, we didn't see anything like these, in Kunming, the Himalayan mountains, Wuhan, ZhengZhou, etc.  But, we spent the last 4 days in Beijing, which was a bit of a culture shock after traveling the other, more authentic areas China.

So, after spending a lot of time doing serious work and traveling, we were ready for some fun.  So, we made up a game. 

Our goal was to be in as many of *other* people's pictures as we could.  We would sneak, slide, crouch -- whatever it took be included in other "tourists" photos.  You see, there are good number of people in Beijing who are tourists, and most of them are actually Chinese people.  In the past, the Chinese have rarely traveled more than 10 miles their entire life.  But, because of China's boom in economy, more people have money, so more people are traveling.  It's just like here in America.  How many people can say they've been the Grand Canyon?  I bet a good majority have not.  And, when we visit a landmark like this, we take photos like it's our job.  Same thing in China.  The majority of tourists at the tourist sites like the Great Wall, The Shaolin Temple, The Forbidden City, etc. are Chinese people.

So, anyway, it would break down like this. (click on the images for a larger view)

A sneak attack, like the following picture, is worth 50 points (at the Forbidden City)...

A full-frontal assault is worth 100 points (at the Forbidden City)...

Yet, another full-frontal...

And, if someone actually asks you to be in the picture with them (which happened pretty regularly in China because we were foreigners), that's worth 500 points (this is at the Shaolin temple)...

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, too.  Once, I was trying to get in a picture where a boyfriend was trying to take a keepsake picture of his lovely girlfriend in downtown Beijing.  He realized before snapping the picture, got mad, and waved me off angrily.  Oh well.

Another time, we were at the Forbidden City and a Chinese girl was trying to take a picture of her friend.  I "sidled" up beside her, and got in the picture before they realized what was happening.  One of the Chinese girls turned to me and said in a plain but gruff English voice "So, do you want to be in our picture?"  I said, "Yes!"  I stood beside the supposed Chinese girl and had our picture taken for real.

The Chinese thought we were superstars.