Interesting Travel Stories

Well.. I have a little time. So here's a real update.
Finishing teaching was really sad. My students did great on the Final Exam presentations, and it was easy to see how much they grew this year in their English speaking and their thinking process. It's just such a rewarding job. I will miss my students dearly. It's nice to walk into a classroom and have your own automatic 45 member fan club. They laugh at your jokes, and love you instantly. I love it. I am thankful that I am going to still be near enough to see them.

Then I got all moved to Hangzhou and worked for a little over a week. I got a whole lot done before I took 2 1/2 weeks off to travel with Mom and Dad. I picked them up in Shanghai and it was so wonderful to be enveloped in hugs and be given a snickers and a Dr Pepper. :) We spent the night in Shanghai and then we came to my apartment in Hangzhou. I showed them around a little while they got over jet lag. It wasn't that bad coming over here, but I hear it's hitting hard now. Anyways... after a day in Hangzhou.. we flew to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Soldiers.. after one day we moved on to Beijing to see the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, WangfuJing street, and the wonderful Silk Street. Silk Street is a complete Chinese culture experience. It's basically booth after booth of knockoffs. You bargain hardcore and end up with amazingness. I got a couple little bags and a few wallets for extremely cheap. I love it!!! Dad didn't really like when the guy was grabbing him trying to bargain more. As long as I stayed with him and did the bargaining.. it was OK.

The history in Beijing is deep.. and it's surreal to be there after I've read so much about China, and learned so much about how China has formed and changed so much. This country truly is an amazing place... with a long long history.

After some time in Beijing we flew to Ningbo for me to get the rest of my money for finishing my teaching contract.. then we took the bus to Hangzhou. We rested in Hangzhou for a little while and then the next day we flew to Bangkok, Thailand. I love love love Thailand. I was truly excited to get to go back and explore the culture a little more. Once we got to Phuket we found a place to stay on the beach, and I crashed. I was truly finally on vacation. So I slept the entire night and into the next morning. I got up and went and laid on the beach. Well... my skin doesn't get much sun here in China.. so I fried. I was beat red, but man did it feel good. The next day we shopped and stayed out of the sun.. then a monsoon came. So we enjoyed the sunshine on Racha Island. Google it.. phenomenal place. Then we flew back to China and went into Hong Kong for about 24 hours.

Hong Kong is one of the most cultural cities I've been to.. besides Bangkok. I love it. It's like going to America for me. It was british for so long that it's civilized... beautiful... and everything is available. I found so many English books. Living in China.. I starve for new books. I can only bring 2-50 pound suitcases to China.. and I have to bring everything.. So i end up with like 10 books. Well, when I got to Hong Kong.. I get to buy more. I have read all 10 original books before the first 2 weeks is finished and then I have a year with nothing. So... Hong Kong. I bought about 2o books. I love love love browsing the book stores. Then we eat American food.. California Pizza Kitchen, Burger King... etc. I can also find Turkey Sandwiches. It's wonderful. It's just so much like getting to be in a real place.. Everyone speaks English and there are people from all over the world there.

Funny Story: I was getting out of the elevator in Hong Kong.. and I hear my name. Someone yells.. Heidi!! What are you doing here?! I look up.. and there is Angus. He's my best Chinese friend who is studying in England right now. He was on holiday in Hong Kong! It was so wonderful... So that night he came up and visited for a few hours. I miss him so much.. and still daily wish we were still in Hangzhou near each other. I just haven't really found that friendship with any other Chinese people. He's so great. It was such a blessing to get to see him in a completely random place!

Then it was back to Hangzhou for a day.. and then to Shanghai to take Mom and Dad to the airport.. I was really sad to see it go so quickly. I was not ready to say goodbye. 16 days a year with my mom is just not enough.. it's tough to be so far away, but it's OK. I love my new job, and I know I'm where i'm supposed to be. I am so blessed to have been provided a job with an income and where I can still do DAD's work. It's wonderful.

Then I had to go back to Hong Kong to get my new visa.. that was an experience. Mostly I just stayed in my hotel room and read.. and then bought a bunch of other books. I'm almost finished reading most of them.... hahaha. oh well. I just love love love reading. If you haven't ready Jean Sasson's Princess series... go find it right now and read it. It's such a window into the Muslim world. You'll learn so much about such a secretive part of our World. I have a new passion for working in the 10/40 window.

Well.. with all of that. We took 3 trains, 3 busses, 9 airplanes (2 delays and 1 cancelled flight), and a bunch of taxis and cars... The Asia tour. Anyone else ever want to make the tour.. please use my travel agent services. I know all the secrets for doing it pretty cheaply.

I miss you all and love you! It looks like I'll get a holiday in American around Christmas. I am so glad i'll get to be home for Christmas this year. We'll see. Now daily work is going to be interesting.. so I"ll have lots of funny stories for you. Blessed day!