Goodbye (sniff)

Well, I write with mixed feelings tonight. This will be our last last blog from the great land of China. We have been sight seeing this week to a place called Longqing Gorge and also the Great Wall (Badaling), and are leaving tomorrow for our last trip to Shanghai, Suzhou, and Hangzhou in Central China. When we get back, we will have two days to pack, clean, and get everything squared away before we leave next Thursday.

Longqing Gorge

The Great Wall of China

We have truly experienced the summer of a lifetime and hope that we can return someday. I wish I could describe in words all that we have seen, experienced, learned, and felt during our stay here. This blog was my attempt to convey some of those feelings and for me to have a "journal" of our happenings. My last blog is sort of a tribute to China. There are so many images, people, and places I want to remember...but I have a camera to capture those memories. But, it's the small, quirky things about this country that I want to also remember. So, what better way to write them down and share them with friends and family!

Things we never did get used to here and/or will not miss about China...
1. The masses of people everywhere you turn
2. People constantly spitting loogies (even women)
3. I might as well mention farmer blows and nose picking as well
4. Split pants on toddlers (I'm still shocked)
5. Humidity (you wonder why you always see my hair slicked back in all of the pics)
6. Stares (I mean, come on, as I'm jogging down the street, are they staring because they are fascinated by the white chick or because they think I am a freak of nature???)
7. Driving conditions (we have seen three people either on foot or bike get run over by a car).

While I had to add the not-so-great list, our list of great things far outweighs the bad. Here are the things we love and/or will miss about China...
1. Wonderful friendly people...they LOVE our kids, are so willing to help, and are always trying to have an English conversation if they can
2. PARKS...oh, how I will miss the beautiful parks...my very favorite thing to do was go to any of the parks in the morning or evening and watch the many, many fascinating activities going on...dancing, singing, martial arts, tai chi, mahjong and chess games, hackey sac, ping pong, and massive kite flying. Kaleb and Barrett love the parks as much as I do...we get right in there and dance along with the rest of them! I swear, I must have taken a million pictures at the parks...here are some of the things we might see while strollilng through a park in China...








































3. Shopping....duh.
4. Food...yeah, I thought I might be coming home looking anorexic and/or malnourished because I didn't dare eat the food. Yeah right, I wish. If I've put on a few, I'm totally blaming it on the Pockies, oh, and the Pretz, and the food at a little restaurant by our apartment, oh yeah, and the daily ice creams from the road side freezers. Believe me, we haven't struggled in the eating department!
5. Everything is so CHEAP...I don't know how I am going to have to go back to paying U.S. prices!
6. Beautiful landscapes and scenery
7. The laid back lifestyle...we love to walk along at night and see everyone just hanging out with family and friends playing games or just talking on the side of the street.
8. The quirky little things see and love to laugh about...karaoke, dancing in the streets, old men with their birds in cages and/or crickets in their pockets, cutting hair in the streets, people sleeping on the side of street, the style of clothing (or lack thereof), etc.















9. Most people are such hard workers...and for what seems like so little. We totally respect that.
10. The deep culture and history
11. Kaleb and Barrett are free for everything...yeah!
12. I LOVE it that people don't care what others think about them. They don't try to impress anyone. What a great attitude...I wish I could be a bit more like that.

Oopsie, I was going to stop at ten, but you get twelve. Well, there you go...there is our little tribute to China. Thanks for blogging with us this summer! I know you are freaking out, wondering if the blog will shut down. Dry your eyes, because we will still post updates and random pictures of the boys every once in a while. Hee hee, I'm such a geek. Good-bye all...or I should I say HELLO in a week or so! We are SOOOO excited to see everyone!!!