2010-06-28

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This will be my last blog from China. We have to get up at 3:30 am to be ready for a 8 am flight. We will land in chicago aobut 7:30 am. We will get our day back that we lost on the way over. I'll be back to Bryant about 1:30 on Sunday afternoon. I'm ready for some Mexican food and to sit in my red chair. Of course to see all of you too. Very exciting night on a street like Times Square. Lights, people. One of our girls was almost arrested as she shopped because she didn't realize how the store worked. Today was the big conclusion to our trip with a visit to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. I know I haven't done a good enough job explaining the vast size of everything in China. This plaze is massive. They have a very modern performing arts center. Pics to follow soon. Government buildings. Mao's tomb. Its open for three hours each morning to veiw and then dropped back into refrigeration for the rest of the day. On to the big gate where Mao declared a New China in 1949. Through those gates to the Forbidden City. It's called that by the people because no common people were allowed behind the gates. We have been to palaces all over China made like this, but WOW. All 18 million Beijing residents and thier families and friends decided to come today. It is 1,000 acres big. No trees because noting living could be taller than emperor. It was built in 1420 for the Ming and Oing dynasties. Emperors lived here until 1908 when the last Emperor ruled China. There are fifteen layers of bricks under the grounds to keep people from tunneling in. The throne was massive he sat on. The place for the Emperess and his concubines was open for us to see. There were outer courts for ceremonies and inner ones for living. It was soo crowded and the hottest day we have had. It drained me of energy, but of course a must see on a visit to China. Our leader a Chinese history professor from Colorado gave us several brief run downs of what all went on there. We have rested this afternoon and have time for one more trip to the baazar and 300 yuan still to spend. What an experience. Everyone of you should plan a trip to China, they are open and ready for tourist. I'm ready to see everyone and getting going on Cally's wedding.Love ya and see ya in Bryant.

Great Wall

We rode for two hours outside the city to the Great Wall. One of our teachers Cindy was born in Shanghi and left 11 years ago to marry her husband. She is a teacher at Crystal Hill in NLR. Today was her birthday. Cathrine had gotten her a cake and she was so excited. This has been a great trip for her to travel all over her native country. She has been a major help to us, with our communication problems. The Great Wall is 400o miles long and a wonder of the world. We rode a cable car up the mountain. It is like the pyramid when you wonder how in the world they built this. It was built during the Ming Dynasty. Very hot, but I had my pink umbrella. We got back to town and went to the Olympic villiage. Still two years later thousands of people there looking around. We saw the Water Cube, home of Micheal Phelps 8 medals and the Birds Nest. Very cool to see them up close. The plazas were soooo very big. Chinese are amazing architects. Cool buildings every where you turn. Ok, I'm going out for you Drew. Andrew the guy that eats weird food, went to the street we are going to. They went last night and got scropions, and saw all kinds of crazy food to eat. Sheep testicals, a penis of something. Its the second buisiest street in Asia. The first i was on in Shanghi, a life time ago it feels. I dont' know if I will try the food or not. See ya soon

Heifer Village

After I've processd my trip to Heifer Village I realized why it mean so much. Wayne died 20 years ago this october. Then weekend before he went on the hunting trip he drove all our youth from church on the Bus to the Heifer project in Perryville. I was in charge of the children program at the time. Cally was 5 and Drew was 2. We had a fair planned for later that month for the kids to buy animals to send to people in under developed countries. Lynda Boone took over the running of the fair and so many people bought animals in Wayne's memory to give to others. I realized that Wayne's memory was living on in that villiage and will forever because Heifer's goal is for within 10 years you must then give an animal to another family so they can built their income. What a day. That you Jesus for bringing me to that point today. Yesterday we were in the capital city of Beijing. We went to one of the great architectural wonders of the world with the Temple of Heaven. The Emperor would go their twice a year and pray for good crops for the people of China. I stood in the place he stood over 600 years ago. This place went on and on. We bought lots of cool stuff. I wish everyone could see all the stuff others have bought. We went to another pearl place. I bought my hot pink wedding shoes yesterday for $40. or 269 yuan. I'm getting good at this money thing. Last night we had a meeting with the director and talk about current events in China for two hours. I'm going to do a project on tourism in china that I will present at the ArkansasCurriculum Conference in November. We then went on to our Peking Duck dinner. What a lay out. Then our travel director gave out gifts and spoke to each of us about a quality she had seen in us that benifits children and others. Of course you can guess mine!!! That I speak out loud what is on my mind, and its what others are thinking but afraid to say. in other words I think out loud. She wants me to kept talking and figuring China out and to share it with my students. Today we ride 2 1/2 hours outside of town to go the the Great Wall. Tomorrow is Forbidden City home of the Emperor and then its home sweet home. We leave at 8 am and get back to Little Rock at 1 pm. but its a 24 hour deal. so we get back the day we lost on the way over. See ya soon. Love ya.

LONG Day

It was a long day yesterday and it seems a lifetime ago. We woke up in Shagri la and it took until 2:15 in the morning to get to Beijing. Long delays and a two hour wait in a HOT airplane. Boarded and reboared. Crazy, but a safe flight here. We are in a 6 star hotel here. WOW top notch. We had to be ready for heifer villiage at 10. I had no idea when I got on the bus how my life was going to change. I won't be able to tell you in words and my pictures won't express it, But it was a life changing day. I don't remember the last time I've been so emotional. We rode for 3 hours outside of the city and then stopped for lunch. We saw lots of farming of wheat going on with machines this time. But very interesting they lay it on the roads to thrash. They don't mind if cars or buses run over it, then they scoop it into bags. We ate a great lunch. I'm getting so good at chopsticks and using eastern bathrooms. I'll have to adjust when I get home. We then rode for another hour. We kept going through what we thought was a viliage. But they would get smaller. Our guest from Heifer works at a university and in her free time donates to Heifer, we picked up a man at lunch that is a vet that also volunteers fof Heifer. We changed buses to make it down the road. The bus barely could and they are so proud of the paved road. Heifer started working with this villiage in 2007. We were just sitting there and all of the sudden we hear a band playing. The whole villiage has turned out to meet the Americans who have come to see what they have done with Heifers help. I burst into tears. There were about 20 women dressed in their red and green costumes dancing as four men played cymbols and drums. They held fans. They had us walk into town as we headed the parade. People were lining the streets and were so happy to see us. They danced for 20 minutes, we gathered under the trees in their town square where their community center has been built. The head leader had written a speech and he was so nervous to read it for us. Everyone had come in from the fields to greet us with their children. We gave them our gifts and then we made our way to the school. Another wow. All the child were lined up to meet us and were clapping as we walked into the school grounds. These familes live on about 150 per year. Which is about 1000 yuan, This school is for grades K-4. If they go to high school it cost the family 10,000 to send them. There were about 40 kids and 4 teachers. I was so moved I can't even begin to tell you. We gave them some sports equipment and the faces lit up. They then marched to their rooms and we got to go in and see what they were learning. Precious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone wanted to shake our hands and hug us and get their picture made with us. We then were marched through the villiage in a parade to see the sewing shop Heifer helped them start. They had about 20 machines and they are making down coats to sell. Great set up. We then went to visit two homes to see how the animals Heifer gives them can help. This is such a small space to tell you the impact this day had on all of us. I'm having to pay to type this and must go, but believe me you will hear more about Heifer and this villiage. I'll never eat another walnut without thinking of them. Great day.

Shangri la

Great day in Shangri la, China. I had a little altitude problem of sick stomach and head, but it has gone away. We went to Guishan national Park. I felt like I was in Yellowstone, but with Chinese trees and animals. It was so funny this morning to stop and wait for pigs to cross the road. We got up close with the Yaks. We did a 3 miles walk around a lake that was totally peaceful. Our bus ride was so scary. The views were spectacular. Pictures won't do them justice. Wonderful park. Then on to monastry. Its a Tibe

Funny Story

I just saw Cally in her wedding dress and I cried. She picked it up today and sent me a picture. I have to start with a funny story from last night. They have paid for all our meals, until last night. So several people gathered at an outdoor place around the square. Mellisa and Amy ordered fried shrimp and onion rings. You should have seen their faces when this plate full of shrimp arrived. They were the size of houseflies, but they had huge black eyes. They were wild river shrimp and they lived up to their name of shrimp. Another night three girls ordered pizza a 24 in. Well it was 24 in around. smaller than a salad plate. On to today. First off remember my spelling is bad when I am not in a hurry and tired, but I'm both all the time on this trip. Today set a record for the best day. We faced a 7 hour bus ride through the Himalayas. The road was narrow, winding, steep with small guard rails. There were hundreds of buses on this road to Shangri la. We could see why right from the begininng. It was the most beautiful sceneryI've ever seen. My pictures won't do it justice. I didn't want to close my eyes and miss a thing. I tried to take it all in. The terraces where they farm were perfect and all done by hand. Their fields were artwork. People were working with their baskets on their backs. Yaks, cows, pigs, sheep and goats were roaming and they were herding them. So many different styles of homes. One stop was the bend of the Yaneze(sp) river, this is the start of the river which is so important to them. Then on to Tiger Leaping Gorge. We walked 5K to the rapids, they had to blast out the mountain to make walkways. Have I told you how many people stop us and want to have their picture made with us. We are like rock stars. They love Melissa our youngest member. She has curly hair and big cheeks and they love her. Also, all women carry umbrella's young to old. They work so hard to keep their skin light and we pay to tan, How crazy is that. Ok, I'm just now starting to get a handle on all these ethic groups. 56 in the country. The main one is Han. We were with the Naxi in Liliang and we moved through another group today and on to the Tibetian group. Each group has their own language. The main language of China in Mandrian. More on all this after I get home. Our guide now is Tibetian. Their are 6 million in China. They changed the town name to Shangri la in 2007 from Zhangdian. So after all these villiages we were expecting to arrive in a hut to stay in, but we have a great hotel. We quickly moved in and met for dinner, and then on to a show. We had Tibeitan food. Yak cheese and sugar to dip it in, raw barley grains, soybeans, barley wine, yak butter tea. Then our guide took barley flour and mixed it with his hand with yak butter tea. WE then took a scoop and rolled it into a ball and rolled in sugar. He says they eat it everyday here. Then they put on a Las Vegas Show. The costumes were great. In the end so young Tibetian guys sang Tibet pop. We loved it. They guys are good looking. Last year in russia we didn't see 10 good looking guys in a month. Asian men are very nice looking. By the end of the show we felt like we were in Branson. Oh yea they brought out cooked pig and we pulled off pork and dipped it in some spice. China has got the tourism thing under control. We are going to a national park tomorrow. Oh yea its really cold here, I'm using one of the scarves I bought. This was an indesribable day. I loved it.