Friday, November 16, 2007
Two amazing weeks in China
I have just returned from a life-changing experience volunteering in China for Children's Hope International. The trip was organized through the Children's Advocacy Group, which is part of the Bank of America Chicago Diversity network. I went on the trip with colleagues from three other cities. We were responsible for all of our expenses, including travel and hotels. I had sent e-mails home and to Bank of America Chicago associates (who signed up to receive them) throughout my journey. Here is the text from those e-mails.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Final Volunteering Day
Today was bittersweet, as we had to say goodbye to the children. We didn't get as much time with them as planned due to a glitch at China Construction Bank, ironically enough. (The Bank has a 9% share in CCB.) We're supposed to be able to use our Bank of America ATM cards, but the slow machine timed out on Karen, yet indicated she had withdrawn 1000 RMB. The bank management said they would check its balances at the end of the day and issue a credit. The money was needed because we wanted to pay the orphanage for the lunches they served us all four days, plus the transportation provided for tourism here. We now plan to pay the CHI contact in Beijing; the CCB ATMs worked fine for us there.
We were allowed to visit some of the children we had not yet seen. These children are in the same buiding we've been in all week. There is another building that we were not allowed into. We saw about 50 or 60 kids. Most seemed to have some form of mental disability, which I think included Down's Syndrome and autism. It was sad; I would doubt any of these children have hope for adoption. But their caregivers seem very devoted, as do all the workers we've seen here.
We again distributed sweet rolls to the pre-schoolers, which is a rare treat for them. We also left them cookies for future treats. We hugged and high-fived them goodbye. And then we were off to the top floor to see the teens again. We got to enjoy the music practice of some of them. And I forgot to mention yesterday, but I brought my iPod and let the kids listen to the music. They seemed to really enjoy the music, and said, "you like rock music." They were not familiar with Madonna, whose songs they heard.
We gave the teens candy and talked in English and took many photos. We have really bonded with a lot of these kids. Michael, the English teacher from NYC, said we can mail him letters and photos for the kids. That makes leaving a little bit easier. I gave Danielle some hair conditioner, lip gloss, hand lotion and a black PAWS Chicago t-shirt, and the other volunteers gave away their red Bank of America volunteer t-shirts. Clothing is appreciated here; a lot of the kids wore the same clothes every day. But that could also be due to the laundry issues. I also let Danielle chose a photo of me with my dog Sammy to keep. One of the students gave Chung the pin he had received for doing well in school. We saw a young girl hard at work on her English lessons.
We were told that middle school students have class six days a week, that high school students have one day off a month. Students also frequently have night classes and stay overnight in the schools; many of the kids live far away. The orphans walk to their school.
I also forgot to mention yesterday that the orphanage did the nicest thing for us. They presented us each with a beautiful painting created by the students. The one we opened is of red flowers. We plan to look at the others after dinner tonight. What a stunning memento.
We toured the Longman Grottos later this afternoon. They are the most intricate chiselings of Buddhist statues carved into the cliffs on both banks of the Yi River. The grottoes began in the fifth century and continued 400 years. There are more than 10,000 statues in 2,300 grottoes. It is really amazing.
Tonight we will have dinner and pack. Tomorrow will will visit another temple in the morning, then fly to Beijing in the evening. Chung leaves Sunday night and the rest of us Monday evening.
I'm not sure I'll be able to write again. The connection in Beijing was slow and unstable.
I have learned and experienced so much on this amazing journey. I am very thankful for this wonderful experience. I thank all of you for your interest in learning more about China and its fantastic children. Take care,
Chris
We were allowed to visit some of the children we had not yet seen. These children are in the same buiding we've been in all week. There is another building that we were not allowed into. We saw about 50 or 60 kids. Most seemed to have some form of mental disability, which I think included Down's Syndrome and autism. It was sad; I would doubt any of these children have hope for adoption. But their caregivers seem very devoted, as do all the workers we've seen here.
We again distributed sweet rolls to the pre-schoolers, which is a rare treat for them. We also left them cookies for future treats. We hugged and high-fived them goodbye. And then we were off to the top floor to see the teens again. We got to enjoy the music practice of some of them. And I forgot to mention yesterday, but I brought my iPod and let the kids listen to the music. They seemed to really enjoy the music, and said, "you like rock music." They were not familiar with Madonna, whose songs they heard.
We gave the teens candy and talked in English and took many photos. We have really bonded with a lot of these kids. Michael, the English teacher from NYC, said we can mail him letters and photos for the kids. That makes leaving a little bit easier. I gave Danielle some hair conditioner, lip gloss, hand lotion and a black PAWS Chicago t-shirt, and the other volunteers gave away their red Bank of America volunteer t-shirts. Clothing is appreciated here; a lot of the kids wore the same clothes every day. But that could also be due to the laundry issues. I also let Danielle chose a photo of me with my dog Sammy to keep. One of the students gave Chung the pin he had received for doing well in school. We saw a young girl hard at work on her English lessons.
We were told that middle school students have class six days a week, that high school students have one day off a month. Students also frequently have night classes and stay overnight in the schools; many of the kids live far away. The orphans walk to their school.
I also forgot to mention yesterday that the orphanage did the nicest thing for us. They presented us each with a beautiful painting created by the students. The one we opened is of red flowers. We plan to look at the others after dinner tonight. What a stunning memento.
We toured the Longman Grottos later this afternoon. They are the most intricate chiselings of Buddhist statues carved into the cliffs on both banks of the Yi River. The grottoes began in the fifth century and continued 400 years. There are more than 10,000 statues in 2,300 grottoes. It is really amazing.
Tonight we will have dinner and pack. Tomorrow will will visit another temple in the morning, then fly to Beijing in the evening. Chung leaves Sunday night and the rest of us Monday evening.
I'm not sure I'll be able to write again. The connection in Beijing was slow and unstable.
I have learned and experienced so much on this amazing journey. I am very thankful for this wonderful experience. I thank all of you for your interest in learning more about China and its fantastic children. Take care,
Chris
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Luoyang volunteering day three
What a full and amazing day we had today. We arrived to find the lobby full of the 15 washers and 15 29-inch TVs we bought yesterday. Children's Hope International had stickers made with our names and the company logo, and of course we took many photos of it all. Later in the day, a three-month supply of laundry detergent that we also bought was delivered.
Our interaction with the kids began with us returning to the preschool class of four- and five-year olds. We will have spent the majority of our visit with these children. We played with the kids, and they especially loved spinning around while we held their hands. I think we get dizzy before they do. We were able to bring some sweet rolls and breads from the hotel for the kids, and this made the children very happy. We also helped with their English lessons, using flash cards to introduce some words. We then passed out the flash cards and let the kids select the cards for the word being spoken. We also had small oranges for them, which they received after saying the word "orange."
After lunch, we went to the outdoor play area. We met older boys, and also reunited with many of the teen girls we met yesterday. We passed out mints, gum and red licorice, which they really enjoyed. We mostly talked in English, and it was so nice to learn that many of the girls want to become English teachers. The maturity, friendliness, gratitude, happiness and politeness of these kids is absolutely astonishing. They love to say, "hello, how are you?" and "I am good, thank you." And the girls really like touching my hair, saying it is very smooth. I don't think they have conditioner for their hair.
The final portion of our day was a field trip to a park with 17 preschoolers. The children were very happy to ride the bus to the park and enjoy the beautiful weather. (It seems about 65 degrees here, and is sunny.) Several staff members accompanied us. The children had fun climbing up animal statues and seeing animals in the zoo there. And the most amazing thing happened when Karen bought ice cream for the children. We only bought enough for half, and the children shared an ice cream cone in pairs. They were so good about it, immediately offering the cone to the other child after taking a bite.
We visited a wonderful shop next door to the orphanage, where crafts made by the children are for sale for bargain prices. Other items also are available, and all benefit the facility. After shopping, a reporter from the local paper asked Rich some questions about our visit. The reporter apparently checks in with the orphanage quite often. We took more photos, and were able to include boys in many of them.
We also met a frequent visitor to the orphanage, a native New Yorker who is working in Luoyang teaching English. Michael has visited the orphanage for a year and never seen the 400 children we also have not been allowed to view. He thought the 60% number of the Luoyang orphans having Cerebral Palsy probably is accurate, and also said that Luoyang is unusual for the high number of boys - about 60%, I believe. He also said this orphanage is very well run; many Chinese orphanages unfortunately have lots of corruption.
The director of the orphanage and a few other key employees took us out to dinner at an amazing restaurant. I can't remember the exact number, but some 20+ dishes were served, with soup for each new course. The restaurant is more than
100 years old, and we had our own private room up on the fourth or fifth floor. The food was absolutely delicious, as has most of our food here been.
I plan to try to research some of the questions that have arisen on this trip both among the volunteer group and from those reading the messages. We have heard that on average, it's about $25,000 in total costs to adopt from China/many foreign countries, and that the number includes fees to the local governments. (I think there is a federal tax credit and also some reimbursement from Bank of America for adoptions, to help with the costs.) I want to know what the Cerebral Palsy rate is for China and how it compares to other countries. As for the age limit on adoptions, some have said that China considers age 14 to be an adult. I am hoping that we can find some answers through our Children's Advocacy Group, which Maureen
McDonald is now leading. Keep in mind that while Rich can translate a lot and we have met people who speak English, there still is a large gap in the language and thus communication.
Tomorrow will be hard, as it will be our last day with the children. I truly hope to visit Luoyang again. This has been a life-changing experience, and for that I am so grateful.
I'm also so impressed with the kindness, compassion and creative thinking of my three wonderful colleagues on this trip. I can't imagine having a better group for our inaugural volunteer trip.
Good night.
Chris
Our interaction with the kids began with us returning to the preschool class of four- and five-year olds. We will have spent the majority of our visit with these children. We played with the kids, and they especially loved spinning around while we held their hands. I think we get dizzy before they do. We were able to bring some sweet rolls and breads from the hotel for the kids, and this made the children very happy. We also helped with their English lessons, using flash cards to introduce some words. We then passed out the flash cards and let the kids select the cards for the word being spoken. We also had small oranges for them, which they received after saying the word "orange."
After lunch, we went to the outdoor play area. We met older boys, and also reunited with many of the teen girls we met yesterday. We passed out mints, gum and red licorice, which they really enjoyed. We mostly talked in English, and it was so nice to learn that many of the girls want to become English teachers. The maturity, friendliness, gratitude, happiness and politeness of these kids is absolutely astonishing. They love to say, "hello, how are you?" and "I am good, thank you." And the girls really like touching my hair, saying it is very smooth. I don't think they have conditioner for their hair.
The final portion of our day was a field trip to a park with 17 preschoolers. The children were very happy to ride the bus to the park and enjoy the beautiful weather. (It seems about 65 degrees here, and is sunny.) Several staff members accompanied us. The children had fun climbing up animal statues and seeing animals in the zoo there. And the most amazing thing happened when Karen bought ice cream for the children. We only bought enough for half, and the children shared an ice cream cone in pairs. They were so good about it, immediately offering the cone to the other child after taking a bite.
We visited a wonderful shop next door to the orphanage, where crafts made by the children are for sale for bargain prices. Other items also are available, and all benefit the facility. After shopping, a reporter from the local paper asked Rich some questions about our visit. The reporter apparently checks in with the orphanage quite often. We took more photos, and were able to include boys in many of them.
We also met a frequent visitor to the orphanage, a native New Yorker who is working in Luoyang teaching English. Michael has visited the orphanage for a year and never seen the 400 children we also have not been allowed to view. He thought the 60% number of the Luoyang orphans having Cerebral Palsy probably is accurate, and also said that Luoyang is unusual for the high number of boys - about 60%, I believe. He also said this orphanage is very well run; many Chinese orphanages unfortunately have lots of corruption.
The director of the orphanage and a few other key employees took us out to dinner at an amazing restaurant. I can't remember the exact number, but some 20+ dishes were served, with soup for each new course. The restaurant is more than
100 years old, and we had our own private room up on the fourth or fifth floor. The food was absolutely delicious, as has most of our food here been.
I plan to try to research some of the questions that have arisen on this trip both among the volunteer group and from those reading the messages. We have heard that on average, it's about $25,000 in total costs to adopt from China/many foreign countries, and that the number includes fees to the local governments. (I think there is a federal tax credit and also some reimbursement from Bank of America for adoptions, to help with the costs.) I want to know what the Cerebral Palsy rate is for China and how it compares to other countries. As for the age limit on adoptions, some have said that China considers age 14 to be an adult. I am hoping that we can find some answers through our Children's Advocacy Group, which Maureen
McDonald is now leading. Keep in mind that while Rich can translate a lot and we have met people who speak English, there still is a large gap in the language and thus communication.
Tomorrow will be hard, as it will be our last day with the children. I truly hope to visit Luoyang again. This has been a life-changing experience, and for that I am so grateful.
I'm also so impressed with the kindness, compassion and creative thinking of my three wonderful colleagues on this trip. I can't imagine having a better group for our inaugural volunteer trip.
Good night.
Chris
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Luoyang Orphanage Day Two
We found out today that we're only seeing about 200 of the orphanage's 600 children. The rest are considered not healthy enough to be with volunteers. We've been told that 60% of the 600 children have cerebral palsy.
In the morning, we visited the four-and five-year-old special education class that we met yesterday. We had so much fun with the kids. We brought crayons, and they wanted suggestions on what to draw. We asked for flowers, and they asked us to also draw some. The kids also enjoyed putting Bank of America hats on themselves and us. Barrettes, hair clips and nail polish were a bit hit with the little girls, who proudly showed off their new accessories.
The students return to the orphanage for a mid-day school break, so we'll have the chance over the next few days to meet children attending regular school. English is mandatory in middle school, so it was wonderful to talk with the young teen girls we met during their school break. We could communicate pretty well. The two girls in the photo with Chung and Rich are Ellen, 12, and Danielle, 13. They are best friends, as their matching haircuts may show. They both love the color black and
reading as an activity. They were so kind, friendly and polite. They also liked touching my hair, which I found so sweet. I found this to be the most emotionally-wrenching part of the visit. Because while all of the circumstances of orphans is quite sad, these young girls have lived there most of their lives, and probably will not be adopted. China does not allow adoptions after age 14. We gave the girls Connect Four, several English books, nail polish and chewing gum. One of the girls in turn popped a piece of gum in all of our mouths.
We comparison shopped for TVs and washing machines in the shopping district near the orphanage. I will get confirmation, but believe webought 15 washing machines and 15 27-inch TVs for the equivalent of $5,000 US. There will still be money to buy soap, medicine, cream and diapers. These items are really important for the orphan's quality of life. We kept seeing (and slipping) on water in the hallways from the very old washing machines, and the kids have very little in the way of entertainment. I also want to clarify that the approximately $5,650 the orphanage has received for these purchases from Bank of America associates came from Boston and Jacksonville. I think Chicago raised at least another $1,500, and New York will be continuing its fund-raising efforts. Donations should be ear-marked "Bank of America Luoyang Orphanage." We are hopeful that more money will be raised to help buy additional electrolysis equipment for the CP children. A machine would
cost about $5,000 USD.
We'll be back at the orphanage tomorrow.
In the morning, we visited the four-and five-year-old special education class that we met yesterday. We had so much fun with the kids. We brought crayons, and they wanted suggestions on what to draw. We asked for flowers, and they asked us to also draw some. The kids also enjoyed putting Bank of America hats on themselves and us. Barrettes, hair clips and nail polish were a bit hit with the little girls, who proudly showed off their new accessories.
The students return to the orphanage for a mid-day school break, so we'll have the chance over the next few days to meet children attending regular school. English is mandatory in middle school, so it was wonderful to talk with the young teen girls we met during their school break. We could communicate pretty well. The two girls in the photo with Chung and Rich are Ellen, 12, and Danielle, 13. They are best friends, as their matching haircuts may show. They both love the color black and
reading as an activity. They were so kind, friendly and polite. They also liked touching my hair, which I found so sweet. I found this to be the most emotionally-wrenching part of the visit. Because while all of the circumstances of orphans is quite sad, these young girls have lived there most of their lives, and probably will not be adopted. China does not allow adoptions after age 14. We gave the girls Connect Four, several English books, nail polish and chewing gum. One of the girls in turn popped a piece of gum in all of our mouths.
We comparison shopped for TVs and washing machines in the shopping district near the orphanage. I will get confirmation, but believe webought 15 washing machines and 15 27-inch TVs for the equivalent of $5,000 US. There will still be money to buy soap, medicine, cream and diapers. These items are really important for the orphan's quality of life. We kept seeing (and slipping) on water in the hallways from the very old washing machines, and the kids have very little in the way of entertainment. I also want to clarify that the approximately $5,650 the orphanage has received for these purchases from Bank of America associates came from Boston and Jacksonville. I think Chicago raised at least another $1,500, and New York will be continuing its fund-raising efforts. Donations should be ear-marked "Bank of America Luoyang Orphanage." We are hopeful that more money will be raised to help buy additional electrolysis equipment for the CP children. A machine would
cost about $5,000 USD.
We'll be back at the orphanage tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Hope and Heartbreak in Luoyang
I cannot imagine a more heart-breaking yet inspiring experience in my life than today's visit to the Luoyang Orphanage.
The assistant directors of the Orphanage and the Children's Hope International representative from another orphanage welcomed us with fruit, bottled water and tea this morning, while giving us an overview of the facility and its children.
The 600 children who reside here range in age from one-month old to 18 years. The children attend regular school with non-orphans. Special education programs also are available for those who need them. The government supports each orphan
with 150 RMB a month. In China, children are only eligible for adoption until age 14, but they can continue to live at the facility. Children who cannot function independently as adults are allowed to continue to stay at the orphanage. Volunteers to the orphanage include college students.
About 50 children from the Luoyang orphanage facility find homes each year. Many adoption agencies facilitate these adoptions, including Children's Hope International.
When touring the facility, the happiness and friendliness of the children was just amazing. We were constantly greeted with "nee hao"s and hand waves, and the children love to flash their fingers in vees and also give high fives. Many of the older children greeted us with "hello." I have never seen more beautiful children. Their spirit is absolutely incredible, and these are very happy kids..The orphanage truly functions as a family and community. Older children help take care of the younger ones. It was very clear that every staff member, including the director, truly loves these children and gives them excellent
care.
I was struck by how many boys there were; I had an impression of Chinese orphanages being filled with girls because of the one-child law. But many children including boys are given up because of medical conditions. We saw a boy with a black birth mark covering half his face. He has already undergone two laser treatments. One boy was deaf, another was an Albino and a baby girl was blind. Many of the children had scars from brain surgery or cleft lip and palate. Many babies still have cleft lip and palate; they will have their surgery when they reach a certain age or are healthy enough for the surgery. We met children in wheelchairs and others using walkers or crutches. Several have cerebral palsy, Down's Syndrome or autism. One toddler
rocked side to side constantly, but stopped for a good 20 seconds when I showed him his photo from my digital camera.
The Chinese have a different system for toilet-training children. The babies and toddlers do not wear diapers when awake. Their pants have openings, and each room has several small pails that they go sit on.
The children listen to music and dance, including the Hokey Pokey and Chicken dance. We saw children receiving physical therapy, and having electrolysis to stimulate their muscles.
While the children napped, we ate lunch, then sorted all of the items we brought with us for the orphans. We are so grateful to everyone at Bank of America who donated during our fund-raising drive. We brought three large suitcases of clothing, toys, books and supplies with us. The orphanage was especially appreciative for the several tubes of diaper ointment, Vaseline, formula and fleece baby blankets. There are many boxes of donations still in the US. There was some difficulty with the government allowing the shipments, but the Jacksonville office has sent some boxes as a test. Federal Express is donating the shipping cost.
Some $5,000 in cash donations have been collected for the Luoyang orphanage. We have asked the orphanage director to prioritize what is needed most for the children's benefit. New washing machines and electrolysis equipment probably will top the list.
Karen and Rich are sick with bad colds. The orphanage staff gave them vials of a bitter herbal medicine to take after meals.
We had a few hours to play with the children this afternoon. Karen brought many small bottles of bubbles, and they are a huge hit with the kids. Some toddlers like to hold our hands and walk. The babies enjoyed being held. A few children cried, being faced with strangers, but later warmed up to us.
We are uplifted but exhausted. It is very hard to take in the reality of the challenges of these children's lives. But the happiness the kids exude is truly inspiring. The next three days will continue to be just amazing. I am so glad I am here, and I hope other bank associates will volunteer next year to keep this effort going and perhaps even organize two trips. CHI also has facilities in Ethiopia that desperately need help.
I also hope associates will consider additional donations to Children's Hope or another adoption charity. The work these groups perform is so wonderful. http://www.childrenshopeint.org/ Earmark it "Bank of America Luoyang orphanage"
I'm downloading nearly 1,200 photos from my full photo card and will send some later. Take care.
The assistant directors of the Orphanage and the Children's Hope International representative from another orphanage welcomed us with fruit, bottled water and tea this morning, while giving us an overview of the facility and its children.
The 600 children who reside here range in age from one-month old to 18 years. The children attend regular school with non-orphans. Special education programs also are available for those who need them. The government supports each orphan
with 150 RMB a month. In China, children are only eligible for adoption until age 14, but they can continue to live at the facility. Children who cannot function independently as adults are allowed to continue to stay at the orphanage. Volunteers to the orphanage include college students.
About 50 children from the Luoyang orphanage facility find homes each year. Many adoption agencies facilitate these adoptions, including Children's Hope International.
When touring the facility, the happiness and friendliness of the children was just amazing. We were constantly greeted with "nee hao"s and hand waves, and the children love to flash their fingers in vees and also give high fives. Many of the older children greeted us with "hello." I have never seen more beautiful children. Their spirit is absolutely incredible, and these are very happy kids..The orphanage truly functions as a family and community. Older children help take care of the younger ones. It was very clear that every staff member, including the director, truly loves these children and gives them excellent
care.
I was struck by how many boys there were; I had an impression of Chinese orphanages being filled with girls because of the one-child law. But many children including boys are given up because of medical conditions. We saw a boy with a black birth mark covering half his face. He has already undergone two laser treatments. One boy was deaf, another was an Albino and a baby girl was blind. Many of the children had scars from brain surgery or cleft lip and palate. Many babies still have cleft lip and palate; they will have their surgery when they reach a certain age or are healthy enough for the surgery. We met children in wheelchairs and others using walkers or crutches. Several have cerebral palsy, Down's Syndrome or autism. One toddler
rocked side to side constantly, but stopped for a good 20 seconds when I showed him his photo from my digital camera.
The Chinese have a different system for toilet-training children. The babies and toddlers do not wear diapers when awake. Their pants have openings, and each room has several small pails that they go sit on.
The children listen to music and dance, including the Hokey Pokey and Chicken dance. We saw children receiving physical therapy, and having electrolysis to stimulate their muscles.
While the children napped, we ate lunch, then sorted all of the items we brought with us for the orphans. We are so grateful to everyone at Bank of America who donated during our fund-raising drive. We brought three large suitcases of clothing, toys, books and supplies with us. The orphanage was especially appreciative for the several tubes of diaper ointment, Vaseline, formula and fleece baby blankets. There are many boxes of donations still in the US. There was some difficulty with the government allowing the shipments, but the Jacksonville office has sent some boxes as a test. Federal Express is donating the shipping cost.
Some $5,000 in cash donations have been collected for the Luoyang orphanage. We have asked the orphanage director to prioritize what is needed most for the children's benefit. New washing machines and electrolysis equipment probably will top the list.
Karen and Rich are sick with bad colds. The orphanage staff gave them vials of a bitter herbal medicine to take after meals.
We had a few hours to play with the children this afternoon. Karen brought many small bottles of bubbles, and they are a huge hit with the kids. Some toddlers like to hold our hands and walk. The babies enjoyed being held. A few children cried, being faced with strangers, but later warmed up to us.
We are uplifted but exhausted. It is very hard to take in the reality of the challenges of these children's lives. But the happiness the kids exude is truly inspiring. The next three days will continue to be just amazing. I am so glad I am here, and I hope other bank associates will volunteer next year to keep this effort going and perhaps even organize two trips. CHI also has facilities in Ethiopia that desperately need help.
I also hope associates will consider additional donations to Children's Hope or another adoption charity. The work these groups perform is so wonderful. http://www.childrenshopeint.org/ Earmark it "Bank of America Luoyang orphanage"
I'm downloading nearly 1,200 photos from my full photo card and will send some later. Take care.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Wonderful Xi'an
It was another incredible, jam-packed day, but what wonderful things we experienced. Anyone who visits China MUST see Xi'an!
Our first stop was the Terra Cotta Warriors, often regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World. It consists of three pits displaying the amazing reconstructed warriors. As mentioned yesterday, China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, ordered the construction of an army of 8,000 life-sized terra cotta warriors to protect him in the afterlife. The attention to detail on each statue is just
mind-boggling. From the lines on the palms of hands, to facial expressions, to lines on the bottoms of shoes, each statue was life-like. We saw a short film about the Warriors' history before seeing the exhibits, and learned that invaders had crushed many of the statues and set them on fire. They survived. The statues originally were colored, but exposure to oxygen wiped away the paint. About 2,000 pieces have been restored. They were generals and soldiers of all kinds, and many had openings in their hands for weapons. Horses and chariots also were recovered in the pits.
We were very fortunate that the farmer digging the well who discovered the warriors was on hand to autograph the books we bought. One of the pits is currently closed for renovation, but several of its objects were moved to another hall.
We had an exotic experience at lunch today, tasting tiny glasses of very potent pomegranate and also snake wine (I passed on the latter, which was housed in a jar with a deceased snake). The restaurant was part of the museum.
We then journeyed to the East City Gate and had a wonderful Feng Shui lesson. Most of us broke down and bought statues for good fortune, family, luck and love. These statues are created by Feng Shui masters and benefit the Gate. We then had a lot of fun bicycling along the wall for an hour. The wall is quite wide in some - about two city lanes of traffic. The road, however, consists of bricks and is quite bumpy in some parts. So it was quite the wild ride. I then had the very humorous experience of a Chinese man requesting to have his photo taken with me. Must have been the highlights that gave me away as a Westerner.
Then, we were off to a massage parlor for some pampering. Two of us found it quite painful, while the other two really enjoyed it. And then we were off to dinner and a show at the Shaanxi Grand Opera House. Dinner consisted of 19 dumplings. I had vegetarian while the rest had many different kinds of meats and fish, with many shaped into fun designs including ducks, monkey faces and baskets. The entertainment featured a most beautiful display of dancing, music and singing, with gorgeous costumes and backdrops. The Masked Warriors, Spring Outing, the Quarrel between Ducks (with a man doing the most wonderful duck impressions), the Great Tang Rites and Music, and the Feather Dress Dance were among the performances.
We have a very long day tomorrow, needing to be checked out of our rooms by 8 a.m. We will visit another museum and the Wide Goose Pagoda, then take a 5-hour train ride at 3:30 p.m. Our next destination, Luoyang, will feature an intense stretch of volunteering, with several days spent at an orphanage.
The hotel here, the Bell Tower of Xian, is very modern and located in the heart of shopping and many street vendors. Very long kites, consisting of mini kites that seem to stretch for miles, are a common sight. Karen and I visited the Starbucks across the street tonight, and were very happy to have cappucino, a latte and delicious but very different desserts. Her dark chocolate eclair did not taste like the kind at home, and I had a green tea coconut treat. BTW, McDonald's and especially KFC seem to be everywhere in China.
Yao Ming is on many billboards in both Beijing and Xi'an, and some of the clothing stores here have live models in their windows. And Olympic fever is everywhere; Beijing hosts the summer games in 2008.
I don't think I've mentioned that Children's Hope International (CHI) has been fantastic about providing us guides and transportation throughout our visits. We also had the great coincidence of traveling on a tour bus Saturday with a family who is here to adopt their second Chinese daughter through CHI. The family lives in Vernon Hills, IL, and adopted Hannah in 2006.
She is a beautiful, energetic and extremely happy 4-year-old, and getting an older sister.
And finally, I know a lot of you were wondering if I'd have any issues with the treatment of dogs here. Every dog I have seen looks very well fed, even the strays. Beijing had many dogs being walked, and I also saw a lot of pet supply stores for them there, too. I have seen a few stray cats, but they also look to be in decent shape. So far, so good.
I hope the internet connection is good in Luoyang, but we'll have to see. Hope to write tomorrow night. Take care.
Chris
Our first stop was the Terra Cotta Warriors, often regarded as the 8th Wonder of the World. It consists of three pits displaying the amazing reconstructed warriors. As mentioned yesterday, China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, ordered the construction of an army of 8,000 life-sized terra cotta warriors to protect him in the afterlife. The attention to detail on each statue is just
mind-boggling. From the lines on the palms of hands, to facial expressions, to lines on the bottoms of shoes, each statue was life-like. We saw a short film about the Warriors' history before seeing the exhibits, and learned that invaders had crushed many of the statues and set them on fire. They survived. The statues originally were colored, but exposure to oxygen wiped away the paint. About 2,000 pieces have been restored. They were generals and soldiers of all kinds, and many had openings in their hands for weapons. Horses and chariots also were recovered in the pits.
We were very fortunate that the farmer digging the well who discovered the warriors was on hand to autograph the books we bought. One of the pits is currently closed for renovation, but several of its objects were moved to another hall.
We had an exotic experience at lunch today, tasting tiny glasses of very potent pomegranate and also snake wine (I passed on the latter, which was housed in a jar with a deceased snake). The restaurant was part of the museum.
We then journeyed to the East City Gate and had a wonderful Feng Shui lesson. Most of us broke down and bought statues for good fortune, family, luck and love. These statues are created by Feng Shui masters and benefit the Gate. We then had a lot of fun bicycling along the wall for an hour. The wall is quite wide in some - about two city lanes of traffic. The road, however, consists of bricks and is quite bumpy in some parts. So it was quite the wild ride. I then had the very humorous experience of a Chinese man requesting to have his photo taken with me. Must have been the highlights that gave me away as a Westerner.
Then, we were off to a massage parlor for some pampering. Two of us found it quite painful, while the other two really enjoyed it. And then we were off to dinner and a show at the Shaanxi Grand Opera House. Dinner consisted of 19 dumplings. I had vegetarian while the rest had many different kinds of meats and fish, with many shaped into fun designs including ducks, monkey faces and baskets. The entertainment featured a most beautiful display of dancing, music and singing, with gorgeous costumes and backdrops. The Masked Warriors, Spring Outing, the Quarrel between Ducks (with a man doing the most wonderful duck impressions), the Great Tang Rites and Music, and the Feather Dress Dance were among the performances.
We have a very long day tomorrow, needing to be checked out of our rooms by 8 a.m. We will visit another museum and the Wide Goose Pagoda, then take a 5-hour train ride at 3:30 p.m. Our next destination, Luoyang, will feature an intense stretch of volunteering, with several days spent at an orphanage.
The hotel here, the Bell Tower of Xian, is very modern and located in the heart of shopping and many street vendors. Very long kites, consisting of mini kites that seem to stretch for miles, are a common sight. Karen and I visited the Starbucks across the street tonight, and were very happy to have cappucino, a latte and delicious but very different desserts. Her dark chocolate eclair did not taste like the kind at home, and I had a green tea coconut treat. BTW, McDonald's and especially KFC seem to be everywhere in China.
Yao Ming is on many billboards in both Beijing and Xi'an, and some of the clothing stores here have live models in their windows. And Olympic fever is everywhere; Beijing hosts the summer games in 2008.
I don't think I've mentioned that Children's Hope International (CHI) has been fantastic about providing us guides and transportation throughout our visits. We also had the great coincidence of traveling on a tour bus Saturday with a family who is here to adopt their second Chinese daughter through CHI. The family lives in Vernon Hills, IL, and adopted Hannah in 2006.
She is a beautiful, energetic and extremely happy 4-year-old, and getting an older sister.
And finally, I know a lot of you were wondering if I'd have any issues with the treatment of dogs here. Every dog I have seen looks very well fed, even the strays. Beijing had many dogs being walked, and I also saw a lot of pet supply stores for them there, too. I have seen a few stray cats, but they also look to be in decent shape. So far, so good.
I hope the internet connection is good in Luoyang, but we'll have to see. Hope to write tomorrow night. Take care.
Chris
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Temple of Heaven and Xi'An
The Temple of Heaven was built in the 15th century as a sacred site for Beijing. The emperor would visit to pray for good harvest by "fasting" (a vegetarian diet was consumed) and having an animal slaughtered. The Temple has several buildings. Today much of it is used as a park, where locals buy annual passes and practice Tai Chi and play cards and other games, and sing.
The weather was very warm Saturday - at least 65 degrees. It should be warmer yet in our next stops, which are further south.
Saturday night we flew to Xi'An on Hainan airlines. It was very efficient, and all of our bags were available very quickly. Xi'an is geographically half the size of Beijing, and has a population of 8 million. It was very quiet at first, with very little traffic on the road. But then we arrived in the bustling city center. Our hotel is located across the street from the Bell Tower, which was built in 1384, then moved to its new location at the heart of the city in 1582. It is very well preserved. Xi'an is surrounded by an ancient city wall, which is the most complete city wall that survived in China. It was builint in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). We will see the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horse this morning. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered the construction of 8,000 life-sized Terra Cotta warriors, which were buried with him as protection. The site was discovered in 1974 by famers
digging a well.
The weather was very warm Saturday - at least 65 degrees. It should be warmer yet in our next stops, which are further south.
Saturday night we flew to Xi'An on Hainan airlines. It was very efficient, and all of our bags were available very quickly. Xi'an is geographically half the size of Beijing, and has a population of 8 million. It was very quiet at first, with very little traffic on the road. But then we arrived in the bustling city center. Our hotel is located across the street from the Bell Tower, which was built in 1384, then moved to its new location at the heart of the city in 1582. It is very well preserved. Xi'an is surrounded by an ancient city wall, which is the most complete city wall that survived in China. It was builint in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). We will see the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horse this morning. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered the construction of 8,000 life-sized Terra Cotta warriors, which were buried with him as protection. The site was discovered in 1974 by famers
digging a well.
Friday, November 2, 2007
The Great Wall and More Volunteering
Today was a fantastic day. We climbed - and yes did we really climb - the Muytianyu section of the Great Wall. It took about two hours, and we climbed hundreds and hundreds of steps and even a ladder to make it to the end of the available section. We all made it. We were urged to dress warmly, but the temperature did heat up a bit, so we had layers to shed. The wall is incredibly impressive and awesome. It was first constructed in 220 B.C, and the Muytianyu Great Wall has the largest construction scale and best quality. It also is a bit less touristy than other sections. We took tons of photos, but alas, the internet connection still won't allow for downloads. I'll keep trying, and will share photos online once back in the States, if that is what it will take.
We had another enjoyable time with the orphans at The Hope Center. This time, they were awake when we arrived. Karen had brought bubbles that don't break easily, so the kids had fun chasing them around. We played with the toy slide and a large ball with them, as well as glow sticks. And the kids were highly amused by our empty water bottles, pretending they were bottles. Our digital cameras continued to be a big hit. Xing Lin, the little boy with severe vision problems, was out with the Hope Center Director and her son of Xing Lin's age for most of our visit, but was able to spend the end of our visit with us. It was hard to leave them; today was our last visit.
We finished up our day with dinner next to the Beijing Opera House, and then two half-hour performances of the opera itself. One had only two characters, a woman and a fisherman, and involved lots of singing and talking. The second performance had very little singing, but was a very lively acrobatic and dueling sequence involving the story of the Monkey King.
Saturday we will tour the Temple of Heaven and shop at the Pearl Market before flying Air China to Xi'An. Xi'an will strictly be a tourist stop; Children's Hope International has no facilities there. We are all looking forward to the famous Terra Cotta Warriors There. Monday will be another travel day, with a five-hour train ride to Luoyang. Luoyang will involve the most volunteer work, as we will spend four days helping out at the orphanage there.
I'll send updates as I can. Take care.
Chris
We had another enjoyable time with the orphans at The Hope Center. This time, they were awake when we arrived. Karen had brought bubbles that don't break easily, so the kids had fun chasing them around. We played with the toy slide and a large ball with them, as well as glow sticks. And the kids were highly amused by our empty water bottles, pretending they were bottles. Our digital cameras continued to be a big hit. Xing Lin, the little boy with severe vision problems, was out with the Hope Center Director and her son of Xing Lin's age for most of our visit, but was able to spend the end of our visit with us. It was hard to leave them; today was our last visit.
We finished up our day with dinner next to the Beijing Opera House, and then two half-hour performances of the opera itself. One had only two characters, a woman and a fisherman, and involved lots of singing and talking. The second performance had very little singing, but was a very lively acrobatic and dueling sequence involving the story of the Monkey King.
Saturday we will tour the Temple of Heaven and shop at the Pearl Market before flying Air China to Xi'An. Xi'an will strictly be a tourist stop; Children's Hope International has no facilities there. We are all looking forward to the famous Terra Cotta Warriors There. Monday will be another travel day, with a five-hour train ride to Luoyang. Luoyang will involve the most volunteer work, as we will spend four days helping out at the orphanage there.
I'll send updates as I can. Take care.
Chris
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Breakfast of champions
Green beans sauteed in garlic
toast with strawberry jam
potatoes with vinegar and red pepper (cold)
tofu skin (my new favorite)
coffee
orange sections
I also had an apple and green tea in my room when I woke up a few hours ago. I'm finally sleeping in a bit later or can fall back asleep when I do wake up at 4 or 5 a.m.
And yes, I'm pretty skillful with my chopsticks now, too, although silverware is always offered to us.
To those of you who've written back, thanks so much! It is wonderful to hear from you.
It also looks like another clear day here. The smog was awful the first day, but it did seem to keep the temperature warmer. I don't think it's been warmer than 45 degrees in the day.
I also just successfully asked the housekeeper for more toilet paper. They don't give you any spares, and you have to bring your own to the public restrooms. Thankfully, I've been able to find toilets so far, but I have seen the ones that are just a hole in the ground.
Off to the great wall in a few minutes. I am wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt, sweatshirt, hooded sweatshirt, jacket and gloves.
TTYL
Chris
toast with strawberry jam
potatoes with vinegar and red pepper (cold)
tofu skin (my new favorite)
coffee
orange sections
I also had an apple and green tea in my room when I woke up a few hours ago. I'm finally sleeping in a bit later or can fall back asleep when I do wake up at 4 or 5 a.m.
And yes, I'm pretty skillful with my chopsticks now, too, although silverware is always offered to us.
To those of you who've written back, thanks so much! It is wonderful to hear from you.
It also looks like another clear day here. The smog was awful the first day, but it did seem to keep the temperature warmer. I don't think it's been warmer than 45 degrees in the day.
I also just successfully asked the housekeeper for more toilet paper. They don't give you any spares, and you have to bring your own to the public restrooms. Thankfully, I've been able to find toilets so far, but I have seen the ones that are just a hole in the ground.
Off to the great wall in a few minutes. I am wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt, sweatshirt, hooded sweatshirt, jacket and gloves.
TTYL
Chris
Day Two Beijing
Today we met with 10 children currently receiving care at the Hope Center in Beijing. They were napping when we arrived, so we got to hear their stories. They are heartbreaking.
Xing Lin, 7, was abandoned at age 6. He was already blind in one eye, and seemed to have had one unsuccessful surgery to restore sight in his other eye. His pupils are too small for the necessary tools to operate to fully restore his sight.
He can only see a few feet in front of him.
Yuan Yuan has a very large head due to too much water in her brain. She is four months old and has an American foster family. She has already had spinal surgery and will need brain surgery.
Jin Jin also has a large head, again due to water on the brain. She can’t use nor feel her legs due to a puncture made on her spine during surgery. She is 1 year and 4 months old.
Xiao Bai, 2 ½ , was born with a cleft lip and palate and will need additional surgery. He cannot speak yet, but will soon have surgery. He will be available for adoption very soon.
John is nearly 5, but only the size of a toddler. He came from the Luoyang orphanage and has had heart surgery. He will not grow to full size as an adult.
Peter is nearly 4 and has had several unsuccessful surgeries to try to repair the inside of a cleft lip and palate defect. He cannot speak yet, but he loves to be held.
Xiao Ling, 4 ½ has found a family and will be adopted at the end of November. She has had several illnesses, including water on the brain, an injured leg and heart surgery.
Yang, 8, has parents who could not afford surgery needed to amputate part of her leg, so CHI sponsored her surgery. She will be returning home to her family when healed.
So after hearing all of these stories, and reading a note on the wall that said the children may be shy to strangers at first, it was a delight to have the children greet us warmly when they walked into the play room. Many approached us with arms wide open. Peter let me pick him up and would not let me put him down for the entire visit. John quickly approached Chung’s video camera and digital camera, and immediately began using them correctly. Xiao Ling also was fascinated with the video camera and enjoyed seeing herself on the monitor. Karen played with several of the toddlers. It seemed like our visit was over
all too soon. We all are very much looking forward to seeing them again tomorrow.
The tours of the day including the massive and impressive Tian An Men Square in the a.m., the Hutong district by rickshaw, and lunch at a local family’s home. The food was again amazing, and our hostess was charming and answered all of
our questions. I have forgotten to mention that Rick speaks Mandarin, so he’s been a very helpful translator.
After the Hope Center visit, we enjoyed an acrobat show, then walked around the hotel neighborhood. We found a great food courtyard to eat, then visited a 7-eleven.
Friday we will see the Great Wall, visit the Hope Center again, and see the Beijing Opera.
PS MANY computer problems both with the hotel and bank network tonight! Aargh - took at least an hour to get connected to finally send this.
Xing Lin, 7, was abandoned at age 6. He was already blind in one eye, and seemed to have had one unsuccessful surgery to restore sight in his other eye. His pupils are too small for the necessary tools to operate to fully restore his sight.
He can only see a few feet in front of him.
Yuan Yuan has a very large head due to too much water in her brain. She is four months old and has an American foster family. She has already had spinal surgery and will need brain surgery.
Jin Jin also has a large head, again due to water on the brain. She can’t use nor feel her legs due to a puncture made on her spine during surgery. She is 1 year and 4 months old.
Xiao Bai, 2 ½ , was born with a cleft lip and palate and will need additional surgery. He cannot speak yet, but will soon have surgery. He will be available for adoption very soon.
John is nearly 5, but only the size of a toddler. He came from the Luoyang orphanage and has had heart surgery. He will not grow to full size as an adult.
Peter is nearly 4 and has had several unsuccessful surgeries to try to repair the inside of a cleft lip and palate defect. He cannot speak yet, but he loves to be held.
Xiao Ling, 4 ½ has found a family and will be adopted at the end of November. She has had several illnesses, including water on the brain, an injured leg and heart surgery.
Yang, 8, has parents who could not afford surgery needed to amputate part of her leg, so CHI sponsored her surgery. She will be returning home to her family when healed.
So after hearing all of these stories, and reading a note on the wall that said the children may be shy to strangers at first, it was a delight to have the children greet us warmly when they walked into the play room. Many approached us with arms wide open. Peter let me pick him up and would not let me put him down for the entire visit. John quickly approached Chung’s video camera and digital camera, and immediately began using them correctly. Xiao Ling also was fascinated with the video camera and enjoyed seeing herself on the monitor. Karen played with several of the toddlers. It seemed like our visit was over
all too soon. We all are very much looking forward to seeing them again tomorrow.
The tours of the day including the massive and impressive Tian An Men Square in the a.m., the Hutong district by rickshaw, and lunch at a local family’s home. The food was again amazing, and our hostess was charming and answered all of
our questions. I have forgotten to mention that Rick speaks Mandarin, so he’s been a very helpful translator.
After the Hope Center visit, we enjoyed an acrobat show, then walked around the hotel neighborhood. We found a great food courtyard to eat, then visited a 7-eleven.
Friday we will see the Great Wall, visit the Hope Center again, and see the Beijing Opera.
PS MANY computer problems both with the hotel and bank network tonight! Aargh - took at least an hour to get connected to finally send this.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Very Full First Day in Beijing
It's been a very long and busy day, so I hope I make sense and include all the highlights. The good news is that I have very little jet lag. I napped a few hours after arriving Monday evening, and then decided just to go to sleep instead of having dinner because there was so much food on the plane. So despite having only slept 10 minutes on the 13.5 hour flight to Beijing, I feel good today.
I met the rest of the Bank of America group at 9 a.m. this a.m. in our lobby of the Chongquing Hotel. We had to take two cabs to get the four of us to the Beijing Zoo for a few hours. Some cab drivers are very particular about the number of passengers. The zoo was a bit disappointing. There were only two Giant Pandas on exhibit, but we took many good photos of them. Most impressive was the attached aquarium, which had many amazing exhibits, including sharks and giant fish. We watched a sea lion and dolphin show. We could only stay a short time, as we were to meet a rep from Children's Hope International (CHI) at our hotel at noon.
We walked over to a restaurant across the street from the CHI office and were treated to the famous Peking Duck, which is supposed to be very tender. The chef slices it at your table, and you dunk it into a sauce, then add it and sliced scallions and cucumber to a very thin tortilla-like food. As the group's vegetarian, I was able to enjoy very delicious sautéed broccoli, rice and eggplant.
We next visited the CHI offices, and met the director and several staff members. The office is two levels in a combination residential/office building. We saw some heart-breaking photos of children with cleft lip and palate, who they are trying to place. Many of those children will receive their surgeries before being placed into their new homes. CHI adopted about 160 children to US families last year. We also found out that the director was going to the Luoyang orphanage this evening, and she was able to take our three suitcases full of donations for the children at that orphanage. My suitcase of CHI donations collected in Chicago weighed about 45 lbs., and we still have more supplies that we are trying to ship into China. The Chinese government threw up some roadblocks initially, when we were going to have Fed Ex ship it for free.
We then had quite the adventure taking three subway trains to the Wang Fun Jing Street market. Thankfully, we had an English-speaking guide with us, or we would have gotten lost trying to figure out which direction to take. Each train was progressively more crowded, and the guard at the last stop literally shoved a few of us onto the train, which was wall-to-wall people. The market has both malls and street shops. We spent at least an hour shopping in the official 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics store. Hats, t-shirts, pens, pins and more were to be found, and prices seemed reasonable. The system is a little different. You collect paper slips from the clerks with item numbers written on them, and they package the items for you. But you have to pay first, then bring the paid slips back to the merchandise location to collect your packages.
We tried some of the food from the street filled with food vendors. I had a wrap with bean sprouts, carrots, other vegetables and lots of red pepper - very spicy. Chung tried the lamb and scorpion on a stick. He enjoyed both, but felt a little weird a while after eating them. The malls were very modern, with many American stores and restaurants: Starbucks, Benetton's, McDonalds, KFC, Canon, etc. Traffic in the taxi ride back to the hotel was very jammed.
Today's weather was remarkable for two reasons - the heavy smog (resembling fog) of yesterday was completely gone, maybe due to the extremely fierce wind that came in. Wind is supposed to be rare here. The day was very sunny, but also
very cold. I don't think it was warmer than 50 degrees, and this evening it was brutally windy and cold. Winter coats would be appropriate.
Thursday will be a very full day, with Tian An Men Square, lunch with a local family and volunteering at the CHI Hope Center in the afternoon. This is where the children recover from surgery. We will also see an acrobat show at night. So, it's not even 8:30 p.m. here, but I will go to sleep soon.
Hope all is well in Chicago! Take care.
I met the rest of the Bank of America group at 9 a.m. this a.m. in our lobby of the Chongquing Hotel. We had to take two cabs to get the four of us to the Beijing Zoo for a few hours. Some cab drivers are very particular about the number of passengers. The zoo was a bit disappointing. There were only two Giant Pandas on exhibit, but we took many good photos of them. Most impressive was the attached aquarium, which had many amazing exhibits, including sharks and giant fish. We watched a sea lion and dolphin show. We could only stay a short time, as we were to meet a rep from Children's Hope International (CHI) at our hotel at noon.
We walked over to a restaurant across the street from the CHI office and were treated to the famous Peking Duck, which is supposed to be very tender. The chef slices it at your table, and you dunk it into a sauce, then add it and sliced scallions and cucumber to a very thin tortilla-like food. As the group's vegetarian, I was able to enjoy very delicious sautéed broccoli, rice and eggplant.
We next visited the CHI offices, and met the director and several staff members. The office is two levels in a combination residential/office building. We saw some heart-breaking photos of children with cleft lip and palate, who they are trying to place. Many of those children will receive their surgeries before being placed into their new homes. CHI adopted about 160 children to US families last year. We also found out that the director was going to the Luoyang orphanage this evening, and she was able to take our three suitcases full of donations for the children at that orphanage. My suitcase of CHI donations collected in Chicago weighed about 45 lbs., and we still have more supplies that we are trying to ship into China. The Chinese government threw up some roadblocks initially, when we were going to have Fed Ex ship it for free.
We then had quite the adventure taking three subway trains to the Wang Fun Jing Street market. Thankfully, we had an English-speaking guide with us, or we would have gotten lost trying to figure out which direction to take. Each train was progressively more crowded, and the guard at the last stop literally shoved a few of us onto the train, which was wall-to-wall people. The market has both malls and street shops. We spent at least an hour shopping in the official 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics store. Hats, t-shirts, pens, pins and more were to be found, and prices seemed reasonable. The system is a little different. You collect paper slips from the clerks with item numbers written on them, and they package the items for you. But you have to pay first, then bring the paid slips back to the merchandise location to collect your packages.
We tried some of the food from the street filled with food vendors. I had a wrap with bean sprouts, carrots, other vegetables and lots of red pepper - very spicy. Chung tried the lamb and scorpion on a stick. He enjoyed both, but felt a little weird a while after eating them. The malls were very modern, with many American stores and restaurants: Starbucks, Benetton's, McDonalds, KFC, Canon, etc. Traffic in the taxi ride back to the hotel was very jammed.
Today's weather was remarkable for two reasons - the heavy smog (resembling fog) of yesterday was completely gone, maybe due to the extremely fierce wind that came in. Wind is supposed to be rare here. The day was very sunny, but also
very cold. I don't think it was warmer than 50 degrees, and this evening it was brutally windy and cold. Winter coats would be appropriate.
Thursday will be a very full day, with Tian An Men Square, lunch with a local family and volunteering at the CHI Hope Center in the afternoon. This is where the children recover from surgery. We will also see an acrobat show at night. So, it's not even 8:30 p.m. here, but I will go to sleep soon.
Hope all is well in Chicago! Take care.
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