In Nanjing

I like it. Our hotel is in a great spot. Let me phrase, a dangerous spot. Not because of the crime, but because there are markets all around.

I've learned enough chinese to ask how much something is. But not enough to understand their response. And when I ask how much something is, they assume I speak Chinese and start up a whole conversation which I, of course, don't understand because I don't speak Chinese.

A few of the Asians I have talked to here speak English with a little bit of a British accent. Turns out their English professors were British.


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BTW

McDonalds taste better in China, too.

Not because they use better quality meat or do anything particularly special. But after so many chinese meals that filling but necessarily satisfying, a double cheese burger, with fries, tastes really, really good and completely hits the spot. I'm telling you McDonalds never tasted so good.



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Today...

...was a beautiful day. Overcast and breezy. We took advantage of it and went to the beach.






And now it's rainy a beautiful rain. I would love more days like this one.

Not very many Chinese swim and even fewer lay out. They like their white, noncancerous skin.

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rain or shine

It's like walking down a victorian street with all the ladies strolling with their fancy parasols. Everyone here, especially the women, walk with umbrellas, rain or shine. Mostly it is to protect their skin and keep them fair. But also because it is a few degrees cooler with an umbrella. And that makes a huge difference.








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Imported from www.sarahhintze.blogspot.com

What's for lunch

Fresh from the sea everyday. Welcome to Xiamen.

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Mom, this is for you

Today we went to the piano museum on the island of Gu Lang Yu. There are over 200 pianos. Many of them from the 1700s and 1800s. I wished you were here with me because photos weren't allowed. But I snuck a few for you because I love you.
















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Chinese food is better in China

Before arriving in China I practiced eating with chopsticks so I would be prepared when I got here. I usually made it through half a meal before my hand cramped up and my chopsticks stopped working.

The first day in China we went out for dinner. Some how I managed to order something that looked edible and recognizable. Cabbage, pork, and red peppers. Similar to a skillet at Applebees, it came out still sizzling because it had a flame still burning underneath it.



Determined to eat as the Chinese I grabbed my chopsticks and got to work. I was feeling pretty proud of myself because I was getting most my meal to my mouth. I looked over at the Chinese man next me only to find him him using a spoon to eat his vegetables and beef. What?! Still determined I pressed forward with my chopsticks. About half way through, as is expected, my hand started to hurt and I wasn't doing as well. A server noticed me in my struggles and brought me a spoon.

The Asians are very nice.

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every excursion I have gone on...

...I have dutifully bought the recommended medications for the anticipated tummy issues, rashes, and other ailments that could come with being in a foreign country....Just in case. And everytime I have returned home with as many pills and creams as I left with, seals unbroken. Believe me, I am an adventurous eater. But I have never had any issues (with the expection of pink eye in Peru) and these perfectly good medications expire before they are put to good use. So I've been thinking...do I bother...spending the money on medications for China...just in case. I probably wouldn't except it is six weeks...And it would be a bit more difficult to fake the language in China in order to find what I need...if something does happen...which chances are slim...but it is bit more foreign than other places I've been. Fine...I'll do it...but just the minimum.   

did I tell you…

…I’m on a kickball team?

Jiminy Kick it. We were undefeated...until yesterday. :( Good times.

bind me not to the pasture

A few lines from Marta Keen Thompson's Homeward Bound that I feel I can relate to, are...

Bind me not to the pasture
Chain me not to the plow
Set me free to find my calling

Except for me it's..

Bind me not the office

Chain me not to the computer

Set me free to find my calling

It's so good to remember that I am not eternally bound to office work. I'm grateful to have the work and I enjoy it, but it is not my calling in life. I find comfort in knowing that if not in this life, in the next I will leave the office behind for a grander calling.

One other line I'm still contemplating is...

When adventure's lost its meaning 

 Will it? What do you think this means?