Himalayan Mountains

Ni ho from Lijang in the foothills of the Himilayan Mountains. Look for me on the map by burma and Tibet. Iwas to tired to email yesterday. Everyday I think is the best and it keeps getting better. I wish I could tell you all details from how I sleep to how we eat to how we go to the bathroom. It's all completely different and wonderful to experience they differences, but to see how freiendly the people are here. Yesterday we had a mix up and got to the airport for a 9 oclock plane to find out we didn't leave till 2:30. The beauty of that is that I wasn't in charge, being a teacher and single parent its so nice to not have to be in charge of anything. They took us to a Buddist temple and we sat in the tea garden and got zen for awhile. Lucky me got a window seat to fly over mountains. Neat to see rice paddies from air. We landed on tarmac and had to walk to airport much smaller city only ! million. Way down from 20 illion. We could see blue skies for the first time we had been here and WOW clean air. Didn't know I missed it so much. This is home to the Na Xi people one of the oldest and best kept ethnic groups in China. Our guide is NaXi and so cute. If Cally didn't have Cory I would be bringing him home with me for her. They have never had war in these area and just believe you should enjoy live. I can see why people from all over China are now flocking here for vacation. We are staying in Old Town. 1200 years old. FANTASTIC> The most peaceful place I've ever been even tought I'm with millions of people. I love the food here, more like what we think of Chinese food. Everytown is different. SHopping is so great I can't think of an adjective to describe it. I've gone nuts and you bargin also, so it makes it so much fun. Today we went to NaXi village, I got to see them making silking weavings. Since I love needle crafts it was for me. Then they told me the one I picked out was plum blossoms that stand for a strong personality I knew it ws made for me. It blooms in winter when others don't, My favorite expression has alwasy been Bloom Where You ARe Planted. So I love it. Thanks mom for giving me the money to buy it. Then we climbed a mountain. Oh yeah. it 7,000 ft. here so alittle light headed and tough. We climbed to see a 500 year old tree. Great story. When the Red Army came in to destroy eveything. This man stood in front of this tree and wouldn't let them take it. For the last 50 years he has lived by the tree and taken care of it. We got to see him 94 years old. Now the Chinese government has given him a pension for saving the tree. I have so much more to tell butno time. We are going to a manison and then to dinner. and of course more shopping. I've bought a new bag to bring it home. mainly textiles. I know it won't mean as much to others, so I will show, but its mostly for me to remember this great experience. Part of this program is to teach Arkansas about China, even our commounity. So I wish I had more time but must get ready to go eat again. Love to all. I miss my family, writing this makes me feel close to you. See you soon.

Panda

Fun experience seeing the Panda's Homeland. We went to the Chengdu's Panda Breeding Research Center. I've seen panda's before at the Washington Zoo and the Memphis zoo. These were so lively and happy. They were busy eating their morning bamboo. We saw about 20 of them. There are only 1,300 left in the world. They have been around since the wooly mammouth, but they changed their habit and went to being a veggie eater and it saved them. They are changed again and they is why they are endangered. Many Many interesting facts about panda's learned today. I may be begining to speak Chinenglish. You must work hard to understand what they are saying, but they are always smiling as they are trying. We went from there to another new experience. I didn't like the food at all but enjoyed the experience and knowing what these people are famous for. It's called Hot Pot. We sat at a bar and had a small conveyor belt running by in front of us. We had our own pot of boiling soup with a divider one half mild and the other spicy. You then would take small plates off the conveyor belt of all kinds of fish heads, livers, kidneys, brains, ells, stomach lining. gizzards, squid, and thank goodness shrimp. you would drop it in the hot pot and let it cook and then dish if out with your chopsticks, I mainly ate watermelon and cookies, but it was a neat experience to see. If you go with two or four you just sit at a table with a hot pot in the middle. Oh another thing was chicken feet. Now this was a very nice place and they are famous for it. Sorta like fondu. Just not for me. We went to another museum, it was great I'm learning so much and each place just reinforces it. We got home aobut 4 and went straight to the KFC. Sorta like home, just sorta. We have to be up super early to fly to Lijiang. We are suppose to see blue skies for the first time.

Having a Blast!

I have so much information, but please make plans to visit China. It is a very colorful country so different , but they are happy to have people visit. I have to say I haven't seen the sky since I've been here. Totally smog covering everything. I thought at first it was big city. But even now we are in a smaller city only 5 million. We drove out of the city yesterday and saw rice paddies for the first time. We still couldn't see the sky. When we go to That L word place I've told you about. we will be in the mountains with clean air. I'm off to an exciting day.

Ni Hao

Ni Hao, from Chengdu, China, home of the Giant Panda. I will get to see the panda tomorrow but it cost 150 to hold and since animals aren't my thing I doubt I do it, would rather have shoes. Lots of fashion over here just wAY to small. Today was great again. We went out to another city, with a history of 5,000 years to visit another school. They were so excited to have us as guests. They had been working on their speeches for two weeks. I cried when the middle school girl talked about her dreams of seeing the statue of liberty. They had gifts and food for us. We talked and asked questions for some time. Then went and saw the 50 students who had come in on their holiday to show us a class in action. They did a whole English lesson on Father's Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. Wonderful and then we had time to talk. Dr. Morton loved the video so much she wanted to make sure they saw it, so the teachers from our group, their teachers and the students got to see it. They loved it and made all the work seem so worth it. Some of the kids were already singing the song before we left. They then took us to a great great lunch, I mean at least 25 dishes. We sat at a table of ;men teachers and our bus driver helped us talk with them. We then had a wreck to deal with and had to drive two hours out of the way. We then went to a tibetian museum. Get stuff. Dinner was awesome, I can sorta eat with chop sticks. This part of the world eats spicy food, much better to me. The on to the Sichuan Opera, we saw puppets, shadow figures, wonderful and beautiful dancers and acrobats, fire breathed and world famous changing masks opera. Loved it. Now back to crash at the room. Tomorrow is the panda visit, but it's 150. On the next day we fly to Lijiang, this will be in the foothils of the Himilyan mountains. I'm so excited to add these mountains to the list of the ones in the world I've been to. We will be very close to Burma/ we may be out of contact with the rest of the world for awhile, not sure yet. I'm off to bed. Love to all.

EVERTHING

Hey everyone, I can't read my previous blogs because I'm having to send them to Cally to cut and paste to my blogs. I still haven't finished our time in Shanghi, but I want to tell about today,because I'm getting behind. Everyday is filled with so many new experiences that I want to write down to remember what I've done. Today we left the hotel at 7 am to fly to Xien. I mean EVERYTHING in Shanghi was new for the World Expo. This plane we flew in was super new. The meal was quite different on the plane. It was warm rice cereal, pigeon eggs, bean shoots, a roll with fish cheese and thank goodnes for watermelon. We knew we had changed cities as soon as we got off the plane. This was the China I thought I was going to. Xien is a city of 9 million. It is the start of Chinese history, where the first dynasty started. Where the silk road began 2500 years ago. We saw mounts in the distance of tombs that they havne't excavated yet. Archiology (bad mispell) is new to this country.Most things only started around 1978 at the end of the cultural revoluation. We went to the sister city to a museum--it was great like a peaceful garden-lovely plants and trees. The best part was people watching out in the streets. Everyone loves looking at us. You can tell not many Americans come to this town. The street was tree lined with bicycles, mopeds of all sorts, carrying people, vegatables and objects, small vans, cars all mixed in together, I have NO idea how they keep from killing the bicycle and walkers in this country. WE had the best time talking with the school children as they walked by. One boy had his nephew in arms. He had on the baby clothes they wear with no behind cover. Old men were on the streets playing a game like dominoes. We had fun buying ice cream and trying new flavors. On the hour bus ride into the city I rode in the front seat and was totally entertained. There are No lines for traffic, just move in and about how every you want to, big buses, small cars, people walking and bikes. Wild. We have a great hotel, 4 star. I took a nap and then we went on the crowded streets of the busy city. Much dirtier.

I am a rockstar!!

Now I know what its like to be a Rock Star. We were treated that way on our school visits yesterday. They met us at our vans, snappiing pictures and cheering. The first school had a professionally made banner WElcome Arkansas Teachers to Chendug No 20. Teachers and students went over the top. First we met with principals and teachers and exchanged gifts. They told us about their school. They showed us a video and then I showed them our school. I made sure they understood it was for fun, not daily activites. They loved it. Amy filmed their reactions. Marha loved it also, she thought we had made it just to showcase our school for this trip. She insisted I showed it at all the school we went to. next they took us up to room and 6 kids playing incrediable instruments, then an accoridion player, a dancer, then a group of dancers. WOW. T^hen we went next door and they taught us to play the instruments. Then down stairstairs where they had centers set up. I've never felt so much love being thrown at me by kids. They were painting tshirts, doing oragami, calligraphy and making red knots. We joined in the girls and boys wanted to speak English with us. SOSO SO FUN> They had to pull us away to put us in the van for the next stop. We went to two more schools during the day. Next stop three 8th grade guys took me on a tour of school and we exchange so much information. They bought me a gift with their own money. Wishing me luck and to make much money. Last school it was just teachers we met with and saw more of classes. all three different and wonderful. You mind in going in all directions and you are rethinking every teaching philosphy you have ever had. Great experience. We went to a Cheap Cheap market that was WILD. I bought 10 braclets for about 11,00. Things we would pay 10, a piece for at BJaxx's. Now I know where they get them. We ate at Pizza Hut. Listen my friends. I'm so happy to know I have stock in Mc Donalds' and listen to my advice. Go get KFC, McDonalds and Pizza Hut stock. There are MILLIONS of people here and they love those three place. Love to all. Bye. Byew

Chendug

We are now in Chendug I have no idea if I spelled that correctly. It's in the mountains, but there is so much smog I can't see down the street. There are 5 million in city and 20 million in the area. This is home to the panda. I don't know if you remember the earthquake that hit here two years ago, but it destroyed many peoples homes in the villiages about 50 miles from here. Their leader was killed and they are aftraid it will effect the people and they won't retain their culture and langauge. From what I understand there are 56 spoken languages but only one written language. Today we are visiting three different middleschools. This is their Dragon Boat festival week. There is a story, just like their are millions of stories about the Dragon boat, but most people are on vacation for a week. There are special boxes of food being sold. I'll learn more later. The school are getting together to meet with us on their vacation. Wow. We are excited. WE have brought all sorts of gifts for the schools to show case arkansas and our schools. I brought copies of the DVD so they can see American schools and teenagers. We visit schools and a university on Tuesday. Wednesday we go to a Panda research center. We will get to hold one, I'm sure it will be a highlight. We are off to schools and its 7:00 am. Talk with you soon. Love ya.