Hello from China. We made it safe and sound.  Our first day was long and uneventful.  We landed on time with one small glitch. Some of our luggage took time to retrieve but once our luggage was in hand Dr. Shang and our guide named Tiger were waiting for us. We went to dinner and had our first lesson in using chopsticks. Some of us were more proficient than others. We then headed to the hotel where we had a much needed rest. Today starts the Beijing tour of the Forbidden city and Ti’an men square. We are very excited to start seeing some Chinese culture.