August 25th to 27th, 2012 -- Commencing the Adventure

Alas, one week until I leave on another journey, this time to the Northern Capital – Beijing!  While this will be a return trip to China for me, it will be different as I will be residing and studying in Beijing for roughly ten months, and I will be on my own once the plane lands on Monday, August 27 at Beijing Capital International Airport （北京首都国际机场；Beijing Shoudu Guoji Jichang）.  As for my studies, I will be attending Beijing International Studies University (aka Beijing No. 2 Foreign Studies University*), where I will be taking courses in Chinese language.  As I have never been to Erwai* or Beijing before, I have heard from friends who have studied there as well as Chinese students I have met at NAU that it is a good and exciting place in which to live and study Chinese.  Also, as this is the first time I will be setting foot in China on my own, I have had to plan more accordingly in terms of knowing how to go through and get out of the airport, get to the university, and to get around the city more than I did when I was in Suzhou.  Therefore, in the following entries I intend to document my studies of the Beijing airport, getting around Beijing, and of course reading into the many Beijing tidbits and history prior to my visit, so stay tuned. 

Travel Itinerary:

                On August 25th, 2012 at 5:29 PM I will be departing Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and arriving at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) at around 7:00 PM.  Following a six hour layover I will embark from LAX at 1:40 AM and will arrive at BCIA on August 27th at 5:20 AM. 

Above: those lights are people trying to escape the heat that is Sky Harbor

 

Following this, I will fly from LAX to Beijing Capital International on Air China, leaving at 1:40 AM on Sunday the 26th and arriving a day later at 5:20 AM. 

The Terminal:

The terminal designated for international flights at Beijing Capital is Terminal 3, the map pictured below:

Instead of boring you with someone else's photos, I will instead write for awhile in order to finish this post and take a rest before the wonderous bit of jet lag I am sure will ensue after my flight come Monday.  As for entering the airport after arrival, one would exit the plane and gate, go through Immigration services to get their visa stamped.  After this, you can either catch an automated train or walk to baggage claim and then from there go to customs and after this, I at least, plan to catch a taxi and proceed to my destination as planned.