We’re Coming Home!

China Time:  Friday, December 31 8:20 am

Guangzhou

Today’s the day!  We’re finally heading home.  It’s a mixed blessing.  We can’t wait to get home, to return normality (what little you get with my family) into our lives.  But we also don’t want to leave China.  It is so amazing here.

At ten, we leave the White Swan for good and head to the airport.  Our flight leaves at 2 so we have a long time.  Then in Beijing we’ll, hopefully, we’ll meet up Lia and Julie.  We have a four hour layover and then we take flight and go all the way to LA!  We meet up, again, with Russell and Jamie and then head HOME!  We will arrive at 6:45 am on January 1, 2011.

I will update you soon.  Talk to you later.  Happy New Year!

God Bless,

~Kristen

Finally at White Swan

China Time: Wednesday, December 29, 2010 11:00 pm

Guangzhou

Today we finally arrived in Guangzhou.  We have been waiting so long to be here.  First reason, we’ve heard about the Swan for 6 years and couldn’t wait to see it for ourselves.  Second, our parents have been telling us not to buy anything until we got to Guangzhou so we didn’t have to carry it around.  This means that now, we can shop!

Today was easy.  A little bit of shopping in the afternoon and meeting up with Addy’s family before bed.  Tomorrow we’re going to the American Consulate and then a TON of shopping.

Sorry I don’t have much to write about.  Nothing really happened today.  Dad’s still feeling bad and Jai had another meltdown tonight.  Hopefully I’ll be able to tell you more tomorrow. 

Have a good day.  See you in less than a week :D

God Bless,

~Kristen

XiXi’s Day

China Time: Tuesday, December 28, 2010 11 pm

Qinzhou

Today was a pretty easy day.  We went to visit XiXi’s orphanage and then went to see the place where she was found.  Afterwards, we had a brief rest at the hotel and then went to the beach.  At the beach, we decided to go on a dolphin watch.  It was all amazing.

Like I said, first we went to XiXi’s orphanage.  It’s about 5 minutes from our hotel.  There, we got to meet the director, XiXi’s nurse, and XiXi’s foster parents.  She had really wanted to meet her foster parents, but once we got there, she wanted nothing to do with them.  I’m not sure what happened.  She really wasn’t herself.  Then, to top it all of, she got a nosebleed right in the middle of it all.

Even though XiXi wasn’t happy, the entire trip was made worth it during that meeting.  First, the director gave us baby pictures of XiXi.  Most of you know that when we adopted XiXi she was almost five years old.  Because of this we don’t have baby pictures of her.  Well, that can’t be said anymore.  Once we get home, I will scan them on to the computer and put them on Flickr so you can all see.  The second thing that made this whole trip worthwhile was when they gave us information so that we could contact Shu Shen (I’m not sure if that’s how you spell her Chinese name.)  Shu Shen was XiXi’s younger foster sister and she used to talk about her all of the time.  We have had no way to find out whether or not she had been adopted or where she was.  Today they told us that she had been adopted and was living in America.  They were able to give us her address and the names of her adoptive parents.  XiXi is so excited.

After the visit, we went to lunch and then back to the hotel.  We had a two-hour break at the hotel.  Most of the girls played, but Dad and I slept.  It was very relaxing.  After our break we headed to the ocean.  There were many, many rocks that the girls could climb on and they had so much fun.  Amby told us that there was a boat ride we could take out to see dolphins.  They had told us there was a 50-50 chance of seeing the dolphins and the boat ride was pretty costly.  I didn’t think it was worth it and neither did Mom.  But, the girls really wanted to go, so we did.  Dad stayed back to rest, though, because he’s still a little out of sorts.

The boat ride was amazing.  I can’t believe I had thought it wasn’t worth it.  It wasn’t like the dolphin watches I’ve been on in the US for several reasons:

1.      The boat was just a little motorboat, not a “dolphin cruise” like home.

2.      The dolphins here are white, not black.

3.      The boat gets really close to the dolphins

4.      The dolphins play tricks on you

What I mean by “play tricks on you” is that they’ll be swimming right to the boat and then they’ll go underwater so you can’t see them.  You look towards the other side of the boat, expecting it to swim under.  Then, all of a sudden, you see it on the first side swimming the opposite direction.  Or one will pop up in front of the boat, about ten yards away, so you turn to get a picture.  Next thing you know, there’s another one behind, 4 feet from the boat.  I was so much fun and I got so many great pictures.  My only regret is that Dad didn’t feel up to coming with us.

With the dolphin watch finished, we headed back to the hotel.  For dinner, we were all too lazy to go out to eat.  So, instead, Mom, L and I walk 2 blocks to McDonald’s again and then brought food back.  It was nice to be able to lie around for a while.  I was able to watch a movie and do all of this on the computer.

Tomorrow we head to Guangzhou, where we will meet up with Addy and her family.  In order to do that, though, we have to get up pretty early.  So, with that, I’m heading to bed.  When I talk to you tomorrow, I will be in Guangzhou.  So have a good day.

God Bless,

~Kristen

Reliving the Past

China Time: Monday, December 27, 2010 11:50 pm

Nanning and Qingzhou

My dad got e-mail from my grandmother today.  She asked if I could put the town we are in up at the top of the post because it was confusing sometimes.  Sorry if that’s true for you as well.  I will do that from now on.  By the way, love you, Grammy!

Well, today was a fairly simple day.  First, we slept in.  Not a lot, but more so than we have been recently.  We left the hotel between 10 and 10:30 and headed down to the People’s Park.  This park was the place where Mom and Dad first connected with XiXi.  We went down into the park and just looked around for a little while.  About 15 minutes after we got there, the girls spotted rides.  We rode a pirate ship, a rollercoaster that spins as you ride it, and one that takes you upside down.  When Mom said it was time to leave, Xi was not happy in the slightest.  By the time we were finished with the rides we only had a few more minutes before we had to be back at the hotel to meet Amby, our new guide.  In those few minutes, we went down to where Mom and Xi had fed the fish 4 years ago.  We have the cutest picture from back then.  We went down and found the exact spot the picture was taken in and took a new one.  I will have them both up on Flickr soon.

After the picture, we went back to the hotel to meet Amby.  We checked out of 2 of our 3 rooms because Dad hasn’t been feeling well, so he stayed and slept while we went out to eat.  I think this was the funniest restaurant we’ve been to so far.  Amby said that this was the first time our waitresses had seen westerners and they were extremely excited.  They continually giggled and laughed. It was so much fun to watch them.  The actual meal was good.  Not the best, but we certainly ate our fill.

When lunch was over, we went to the registration office in town.  We got to see the very room where Mom and Dad first met XiXi.  Again, we had a picture from that room of Xi on a green horse in front of a black couch.  We found the horse and the couch and took another photo.  Then, we went out to the back courtyard and played on the playground equipment for about half an hour.

After visiting the office, we headed back to the hotel to pick up Dad and to check out.  Then, we went on a 2 hour-long car ride to Qingzhou.  And now, here we are.  We took some time to check in and get settled, but then Mom and all of us girls went out shopping.  It wasn’t personal, though.  We went shopping for clothes for the orphanage kids.  It took us hours!  Then, after we had picked out a bunch of clothes, we headed up to the cashier.  Mom’s credit card wouldn’t work, of course, so she had to go and get money.  She and L left while the rest of us stayed with the stuff.  It took them at least 45 minutes because they couldn’t find an ATM that would work so they had to go all the way back to the hotel.  The whole thing was a mess!  Thank goodness it’s over.

We had a nice little dinner at McDonald’s because it was the closest thing there was.  Now we’re all back in the hotel and much happier.  No more arguments at the moment and everyone seems in a better mood.  It’s a wonder what a little taste of home can do.

Pray for Dad.  He’s really not feeling well and I’m afraid he’s going to miss out on tomorrow.  We don’t think it’s anything serious, but he’s missing out.  Mom says he’s allergic to China because he’s gotten sick every time they’ve come.

Well, I’m heading to bed. Tomorrow we will be visiting Xi’s orphanage, so wish us luck.  Have a good day.  Be safe and trust in the Lord.

God Bless,

~Kristen

Pandas and Shopping and Flying, oh my!

China Time: Sunday, December 26, 2010 11:20 pm

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas yesterday.  I thank God for sending us his son so we may one day spend eternity with him.   I want to here all about your day.  What did Santa bring you and your family?  Did you spend your day with relatives or just your immediate family?  I’m curious.  Of course, I would love to have spent mine with my grandparents and cousins, but spending it in China with my immediate family was a pretty awesome experience.  Our Christmas present this year is coming here (surprise surprise J,) but Santa did bring us each a little something.  The three older girls got a $25 iTunes gift card.  Cait got the Harry Potter Lego DS game and the Harry Potter Lego set.  The little girls each got a DS game and a Claire’s gift card.  The girls are all really enjoying their games and I’m sure the iTunes will be used shortly.

Today was fun but sad.  We began our day by going to the panda-breeding center.  Then we traipsed off to the local market street to do some shopping.  After that, though, we had to say goodbye to our friends as we headed to the airport.

At the panda-breeding center we got to see most of the levels of a panda’s growth.  First, we saw adult pandas.  They were cute but wouldn’t even acknowledge us. They can get up to 300 pounds because all they do is eat and sleep (just like Americans.)  Then we went to the cubs.  A panda cub is somewhere between 1 and 4 years old.  They are not quite as big as an adult, but they’re about 150 pounds and follow the same living habits.  After hanging with the cubs for a while, we went to see the yearlings.  A yearling is a panda that is less than a year old.  They are so cute!  The trainers were in there with them and the pandas would come up to them and ask to be held.  Then the trainers started to run around.  It was adorable because the pandas followed.  They were the cutest things ever.  I have a video up on Flickr (or it will be soon) so you can see it.

At the center, we also saw peacocks, red pandas and swans.  The cool thing about the swans is that they were black.  Black swans are really rare and aren’t usually seen in America.  I was fun because you could feed them.  I put some feed on my hand and they ate right out of my palm.  It was a great experience.

After a quick lunch, we headed to the market.  I didn’t get anything because we’re waiting until Guangzhou to get most of the stuff so we don’t have to lug it around all over China.  I did, though, get a sucker made of hand-blown sugar.  It was shaped like a snake and was AMAZING.  It lasted forever, even with my sisters’ help.  Walking around the market was fun.  We got to see all of the different kinds of things they make and sell and it was really cool.

Unfortunately, after we left the market, we headed back to the hotel.  There, we had to say our goodbyes.  Luckily, we will see both families again soon.  Addy and her family are coming to Guangzhou and will be staying in the White Swan Hotel with us.  That means we’ll see them in 3 days.  Lia and her mom are heading to Shanghai but live in Ohio.  We found out they we fly the whole trip together from Beijing to LA and then from LA to Cincinnati.  I’m already missing them.

Being away from home is definitely taking its toll on the family.  Today at the breeding center, Jai broke down and started crying.  She said she wanted to go home and couldn’t be comforted.  She also had a melt down tonight and because of that, Xi started to get irritated with her and threw her own fit.  Arguments are not occurring as often as they do at home, but they’re starting to show up more and more.  The little girls (including Cait) are ready to go home.  I think Meg is too.  I’m starting to miss my friends, but I’m not sure if I’m ready to leave.  I will be so glad to see them when I return home, but I could stay in China forever.

Well I’m heading to bed.  Have a good day.

God Bless,

~Kristen

Merry Christmas!

Chinese Time:  Saturday, December 25, 2010 9:45 pm

Merry Christmas to all! I kind of hope you aren’t reading this today.  Instead, I hope you are spending this wonderful holiday celebrating the joy of Christ’s birth with your family and those closest to you.  God has given my family so many blessings this year, too many to mention.  I hope He has done the same for yours.

Today was a traveling day.  No one was really looking forward to spending Christmas on a plane, but at least it was only an hour-long flight.  It was really funny on the flight because the plane took off at 10 and they fed us lunch.  In the USA you would never get fed on an hour flight, and definitely not to the extent we had today.

When we got off the plane, we met our new guide, Rebecca.  She is very nice and I’m sad we won’t be spending more time with her.  Rebecca took us to a local restaurant where we had an amazing lunch. The table centerpiece was extravagant, easily $300 in the US.  The food here is a lot spicier than it has been up to this point.  Even so, I’m really liking it, which is a surprise because I HATE spicy.

After lunch, we headed the local People’s Park.  It was really cool.  The first thing we saw inside was a little amusement park.  Of course, it was for younger kids, but it was still cool.  Right beside the rides was a little booth.  The lady inside was making animal suckers out of sugar.  You would give her 3 Yuan and then spin the spinner.  Whatever animal it landed on was the one you got.  Throughout the day, we bought TONS of these.  Xi and Jai got the first ones.  Then L and Meg shared one.  Then Cait and I got one each.  On the way out, we bought a bundle of little sugar suckers for all of us to share.  The animal suckers were also teaching tools.  While Cait and I were getting ours, a group of Chinese children gathered around the group.  They all had their own suckers.  My dad sat there and pointed to each of the animals and told the kids their English names.  It was very cool and the kids seemed to enjoy it.

The parks in China are not like they are in the US.  Well, in design they are, but not in content.  Besides an amusement park and the usual play equipment, they have singing and dancing.  It’s like a festival, but the thing is it takes place every day.  It was really cool to see.  There were, also, men going around the park writing poems and characters in oil on the pathway.  The whole experience was so much fun.  I wish we had something like that in America.

In the park there was a Tea House.  We all sat down there and were served tea or lemon water.  We laughed and carried on lots of conversation.  Then, after Ann was done with her tea, I took it and read her tealeaves.   Okay, okay.  I pretended to read her tealeaves.  I told her I saw a moon and four corners.  The moon signified a clear journey and the corners signified strength.  In my reading, these signs meant that she had a clear journey ahead of her and that she would be strong throughout it.  It was so much fun to just joke around with everyone.

Once we left the park, we headed back to the hotel to rest and get cleaned up for dinner.  For the first part of the break, Dad, Meg, L and I went out to do some shopping in the local market.  Then, we headed out to a hot pot Christmas dinner.  I must say that I don’t really care for it much.  It was very good, but not something I would eat a lot.  During dinner, we had these two little kids that kept running into the room.  They were so cute.  I don’t know what they were doing, but it was funny to see.

Well, now were back at the hotel and heading to bed.  Tomorrow we are visiting the panda breeding center and then flying to Nanning.  So, I’m hopping into bed.  Merry Christmas.  May the Lord bless you and your family this holiday season.  Be safe and have fun.

God Bless,

~Kristen

Christmas Eve

China Time: Friday, December 24, 2010 11:00

Hey guys.  Merry Christmas Eve!  I hope you all are enjoying getting ready and spending time with your family.  Our Christmas Eve was extremely full and so much fun. It was also white and freezing!

This morning we met the group at 8:30 and headed to a “little” village outside of Xian.  There are quotation marks because their definition of little is less than a million people.  Anyway, our first stop of the day was the terracotta factory.  While we were there, we learned how the Terracotta Warriors were made and the kids got to make one of their own.  There were places you could buy the replicas of the Warriors and other terracotta products.  Jai bought a small 4-piece replica set, but no one else got anything.

Next, we had lunch at a local hotel.  The food wasn’t as nice as we were used to, but the experience made up for it.  While we were at the hotel, they taught us how to make dumplings.  It was fun for all of the kids, especially when they brought them out for us to eat later in the meal.  Connected to the hotel was a small market.  L, Meg and I all bought knock-off North Face backpacks for a very reasonable price.  I also got a calligraphy set and a book that shows me how to make the characters.

After lunch we headed to the Terracotta Museum.  This is where they keep the Terracotta Warriors.  It is located on the original site and all of the warriors are where they would have originally been placed.  Not all of the pits have been fully excavated.  Actually, none of them have been to their full extent.  They are waiting on newer technology to help them keep the relics safer and in better condition.

Our last stop of the day was the city wall around Xian.  The original plan had been to bike on the top of that, but it was too cold today.  Instead, we just went to the top and walked around a bit.  It was very cool to see, but it would have been a lot better if we hadn’t wanted to get back in the warm bus so badly.

Christmas Eve dinner was funny.  Our original plan had been to just stay in and order room service, but they weren’t offering it tonight.  So, Dad, L and Meg went to the supermarket down the road and brought back ham, bread, orange candy, potato chips and pop.  It was a crazy dinner.  Grandma Jean provided us with a round of hot chocolate that everyone loved and the TV was playing back-to-back English Christmas movies. 

After dinner and a movie, everyone gathered in Mom and Dad’s room and read the Christmas story.  Then we watched a video on GodTube about how the Christmas story would look like if it was modern day and being played out on Facebook.  It was eye opening but cool.

Now, everyone is asleep or getting there.  We get to spend our Christmas Day on a plane heading to Chengdu.  Luckily, it’s not that long of a flight.  I hope you all enjoy you day.

Merry Christmas and God Bless,

~Kristen

Sorry!

Chinese Time: Thursday, December 23, 2010 11:15 pm

Sorry I haven’t written in a while.  Tuesday night I fell asleep before I could write and last night I didn’t have Internet.  Anyway, we’ve done a lot in those three days.

On Tuesday, we went to the Great Wall.  It was so amazing.  Afterwards we went to the jade museum.  I never knew there were so many different kinds of jade.  There’s dark green, light green, yellow, and jadeite (it’s white with green inside.)  We were able to look at the pieces.  Some of them were huge and extremely elaborate.  Our family didn’t buy anything, but some of the others did.

On Wednesday, we headed to the Huntong.  The Huntong is the “Old Beijing.”  Most of them have been torn down and made into apartments of office buildings.  While in the Huntong, we had lunch with a local family.  I think it was my favorite so far.  Then we also went to a local kite maker’s house.  Here, he taught us how to make a kite and we got to decorate our own.  Afterwards, we headed to the Temple of Heaven where we were going to fly our kites.  Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed.  Then we headed to the train station where we said goodbye to Nancy and hopped a train to Xian.

Today, we arrived in Xian at 8:30.  After a brief breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the local history museum.  There was a time line of all of the Chinese dynasties that included artifacts found from the time periods.  It was extremely interesting.  If you ever want to learn and study Chinese history Xian is the place to go.  It was the capital city for most of China’s history and people have to be careful when they dig because of all of the artifacts.  After the history museum, we were on our way to an art one.  Here we were taught about the history of Chinese art and then the reasons for Chinese characters.  After a long lecture, we sat down and did our own Chinese calligraphy.  According to the teacher, I’m really good :D When we were through with that, we went on our way to a puppet theater where we got to see our first shadow-puppet theater performance.  For the end of the night, we split up.  Mom, Julie, Lia and I went to a dumpling dinner and show while the rest all went back to the hotel and swam. The show was cool but long.  All of the dumplings were amazing as well.

Well it’s late here.  I’m sorry it’s not long tonight, but I’m extremely tired.  I’ll try to be more punctual in the future.  Good night.

God Bless

~Kristen

Sight Seeing

Chinese Time: Monday, December 20, 2010 10:30 pm

So today was our first day of sight seeing.  First, we headed to Tiananmen Square.  Then, on to the Forbidden City.  After a nice lunch (not the best, though) we visited the Olympic Outdoor Stadium and Aquatics Center.  Last, we had dinner with the group at a small restaurant call the Chinese Lantern.

This morning, we headed down to the lobby at 9:00.  There, we met up with the two other families who we will be with for the next to weeks.  Julie and Lia were already down there by the time we arrived and Jean, Ann, Ron and Adriana soon followed.  Everyone is so nice and fun.  I know we are going to have a great time.

Tiananmen Square is okay.  I mean, it’s a public square.  How exciting can a bunch of buildings and brick be? But, I did learn a few things.  First, there used to be nine gates into the square, but during the revolution 7 were burned down.  Only 2 remain: the Front gate and the gate in the Great Wall.  Second, Tiananmen Square was not open to the public until after the 1940s.  Before then the Emperor and military officials only used it.  Third, the portrait of Mao Zedong that hangs on the gate is replaced every year right before National Day.  And fourth, almost none of the common people in China know about the massacre that happened on May 4, 1989.  I tried to look it up on Google and Yahoo, but it doesn’t let me.  The government totally erased it.  Ok, not totally.  Somehow I was able to find the famous picture.  You know, the one of the man standing in front of the tanks.   That surprised me so much.  Even our tour guide didn’t know, or if she did she didn’t mention it.

Next was the Forbidden City.  There are 9,999.5 rooms in the entire palace.  The outer palace is for the officials to live and for meetings to be held.  The inner palace is for the royal family.  There are rooms for everything.  There’s a room for the Empress’ birthday party and the wedding chamber.  There are also two who buildings just for the Emperor’s concubines.  Inside the Forbidden City, there are a lot of superstitious things, like the fact that men have to step over the threshold with their left feet and the women with their right and that if you touch all nine of the golden nails you will have lots of luck.

Then we got to go to the Bird’s Nest.  For those of you who don’t know, that’s what they call the Outdoor Olympic Stadium in Beijing.  It’s so cool because during the spring, summer, and fall it is used for sports, but during the winter it is turned into a winter wonderland.  Inside is a snow mound, a castle playground, a skating rink and a bumper car rink.  It was all so cool to look at.

After that we head toward the Water Cube (the Aquatic Center.)  There, they have the actual Olympic pool, which is closed to the public (in swimming aspect.)  The training pool, though, is open and used by local swim teams.  There is also a water park they built inside.  It has a wave pool, about 6 slides, a kiddie pool and a water jungle gym.  It is all so cool!

After we arrived back at the hotel, we went with Julie, Lia and Jean to the Chinese Lantern.  The food was good, but the conversation was better.  Lia, who is 14, and I have gotten to know each other and are quickly becoming friends.  Meanwhile, Julie and Mom are also talking a lot.  L has taken Adriana under her wing and it making her feel at home with us.  The little girls love both of them.  I have a feeling that Xi and Addy will soon be close and I know for a fact that Lia and I will.  It feels good to be able to hang out with other people for a while.   I love my family, but sometimes you just need someone else. 

Sorry I’m not going into much detail today.  I’m extremely tired and most of the stuff we learned was just things you had to be there for.  Hope you guys are all well and that life is full of God’s unconditional love.

God Bless,

~Kristen

A Tribute to Jimmy

China Time:  Sunday, December 19, 2010 9:00 pm

I think I’ve mentioned that our guide’s name is Jimmy Gu.  If not, I really need to slap myself silly.  Anyway, Jimmy was our guide while we were in the Chongqing region.  Today was our last day with him.  After we left for Beijing, Jimmy was flying to Hong Kong to meet another tour group.

So today, Jimmy took us to the Chongqing Zoo.  We got to see hippos and panda bears and tigers, oh my!  We also got to see regular brown bears.  The pandas were really cool because there were three generations in the zoo.  You’d think seeing the brown bears wouldn’t be a big deal, but it was so fun!  Meg brought a bottle of Mountain Dew and the bears would do tricks for a drink.  The spun in circles and waved.  It was so sweet and cute!

After the zoo we went to Chongqing Eling Park.  In the park was a museum on the Three Gorges.  Inside was a 100-meter mural of the Three Gorges area.  The mural also showed how high the water rose after the dam was built.  Sometimes, the water covered whole villages, like Fengdu, and the people had to be relocated.  Fengdu was special.  It was the only village big enough to rebuild.  The rest were all moved to different towns because they were small.  Think about it.  All of these villages had between 10,000 and 100,000 people living there.  They were considered too small of towns to rebuild.  It’s amazing.  Could you imagine the government saying they were going to expand the Scioto River (remember this is hypothetical, I don’t think the Scioto would have anywhere close to that sort of impact.)?  In order to do this, they had to flood all of Chillicothe.  Everyone who lives there has to move to somewhere else because the town is too small to bother rebuilding.  How crazy is that?!

Also, while we were at the park, we decided to take a family photo with Jimmy.  We asked a Chinese visitor to take the picture.  After he took one of just us, the group he was with all started crowding around us to take pictures.  It was so funny.  Unfortunately, the lady who had my camera came into the group picture, so I don’t have a picture, only Jimmy does L

After the park, we headed back to the restaurant from yesterday for another lunch.  It was just as good, if not better.  Then, we had to say goodbye.  We drove to the airport where, after checking our luggage, we had ice cream with Jimmy.  But after a half hour, we had to part ways.  We will certainly miss him and I hope he enjoys Hong Kong.

Two hours later we arrived in Beijing.  This time our entire luggage arrived safely J We met up with Nancy, our new tour guide, and headed to our hotel.  There, we met up with Adriana, Ann, Ron, and Grandma Jean.  Tomorrow we will get to meet Julie and Lia.  It is exciting to finally get to meet them and to finally speak real English with someone other than family.

Tomorrow is exciting.  We will be heading to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.  We will also be visiting the Olympic Stadium.  So that means it’s time to head to bed so I’ll be ready for tomorrow.  Hope you’re all doing well.

God Bless,

~Kristen

The Ghost Town

Chinese Date: Sunday, December 19, 2010 2:30 am

Ok, so we found a channel here that plays “So You Think You Can Dance.”  I was watching it and fell asleep.  My alarm (set for 10:15) woke me up (for some reason my phone stayed on LA time so now I have to calculate the time.)  Well, I realized I didn’t update my blog, so I thought I’d do that since I can’t go back to sleep.

Yesterday, we went to Fengdu’s Ghost Town.  This is the place the Chinese believe spirits go after they die.  There are three different divisions in this “town.”  There is the Palace of Gods and Ghosts on Mt. Shuanggui, the Jade Emperor’s Sanctuary on Five Fish Mountain (under construction), and the Gate of Judgment on Mt. Mingshan.  We went to the Gate of Judgment.  In this part of the town, the spirits come here for judgment.  The good are rewarded and continue on into paradise; ghosts punish the bad.  There are 15 different ghosts: drunk, greedy, naughty, and others but I don’t remember them all.

Many people go up to the Ghost Town to say goodbye to their deceased relatives and to get blessings.  One of the buildings is the Temple of the 100 Children.  Parents visit this temple to gain a blessing, only one, for their child.  There are three different gods.  One is for wisdom, one is for a good personality, and the other is for good health.  There are 3 cushions in front of the gods.  You crouch on whichever one matches the god you want a blessing from.  You pay them, and then bow three times.  You also have the King and Queen of the Hill who you can also go to for a blessing.

To get up to the Ghost Town was a really long climb up Mt. Mingshan.  There were a ton of temples that we passed, but most of them were under construction so we couldn’t go in.  I really wanted to go to the Palace of Gods and Ghosts and the Jade Emperor’s Sanctuary, but we didn’t have time and there are 300 steps up the mountain to the Sanctuary (that turned me off quickly.)

After we were done at the Ghost Town, we headed back to Chongqing.  There, we had another hot pot lunch.  Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday that I am now, officially, a master at chopsticks.  Anyway, after lunch, we went to a silk shop.  We originally went there because Jai has a silk baby blanket that Mom and Dad bought her when they were here 6 years ago.  Well, the silk insert got destroyed, so we needed a new one.  The whole conversation with the ladies was very confusing J In the end, they showed us these silk pillows that unfold to become a blanket.  They were about the same size as Jai’s blanket, so Mom had the idea to buy the pillow and use it as an insert.  Well, XiXi wanted a silk blanket and Mom and Dad let her pick out one.  She was going to get a single size blanket, but then decided on the pillow/blanket.  Because this cost less than half of the single, Mom and Dad let Cait get a pillow to. 

While we were there, we also got to learn how silk was made.  The worms spin it like a cocoon.  The silk makers soak the cocoons in water and then let them sit for 30 minutes.  After they sit, the makers start pulling the silk apart into a square.  In the end, the silk is extremely stretchable and can stretch to be the size of a king size bed.  The silk inserts are made with thousands of these silk squares stacked on to of the other.  Weaving hundreds of dyed silk strings together makes the silk covers.

After the silk shop, we took the metro to the home Joseph W. Stilwell.  He was a famous American General who came over to China to help during WWII.  During WWII, Japanese fighter pilots were bombing the Chinese. Stilwell came over and built a road to get supplies from Burma to Chongqing.  He was in China for 2 years and helped a lot.  The Chinese people consider him a hero.  Stilwell, though, had many disagreements with the Chinese general, Chiang Kai-shek.  Stilwell believed that Chiang Kai-shek was keeping supplies sent by the US in order to help the nationalists fight off the communists.  He tried to convince Chiang that the enemy now was the Japanese and that they needed every Chinese citizen, whether nationalist or communist, to help fight them off.  Chiang would not listen and this eventually led to Stilwell’s departure.

After seeing Stilwell’s home, we took the metro to People’s Square.  Here, they have the People’s Hall and the Three Gorges Museum.  We were unable to go into either building, but they were very pretty on the outside.  The People’s Hall is where the people have meetings to discuss laws and other things.  Supposedly, Hu Jintao, the current political leader of China, listens to what the people say and takes it into consideration.  I don’t know if that’s true, but who knows.

We left the Square on a public bus and went back to our hotel.  First, though, we went to the McDonald’s across the street.  It was the same thing we have here, which was nice.  It’s hard to eat exotic food you’re not used to for every meal.  Then, we went to find Mom some Mt. Dew, which we did!

All in all, yesterday was amazing.  It was the first day we saw stereotypical Chinese buildings.  I have to say; Chongqing looks more like New York than what most people think.  Jimmy, our guide, says that there is a building in the central part of town that they call New York, New York because the top looks like the Empire State Building.

Today, we are going to the zoo, then the park.  At 3, we say goodbye to Chongqing and hello again to Beijing.  When we get to Beijing, we will finally meet up with the two other families on the trip.  We will stay in Beijing for a few days and then head to Xian.

Ok, I’m going back to bed.   Have a good afternoon.  I’ll talk to you all tomorrow.

God Bless,

~Kristen

Fengdu (Jai’s Hometown)

Chinese Date: Friday, December 17, 2010 5:00 pm

Today we visited Fengdu.  This place is so amazing!  It is considered a small town but is almost 3 times as big as Columbus.  We left Chongqing at 9 and drove for 4 hours.  As you can probably guess, almost all of us took a nap.  When we arrived in Fengdu, we met up with the director of Jai’s orphanage.  She was extremely nice.  We went to a hot pot restaurant where we had green tea, peanut milk, lamb, beef, and chicken.  Some of it was spicy, but most of it was pretty good.

After lunch, we went to the orphanage.  It was so sweet.  We got there and all of the orphanage workers came out.  One of us said “Hi” to them and they said it back.  They were so excited because they had learned some English.  Then, the director took us up to the nursery where Jaidyn would have stayed.  There were 8 toddlers and one newborn baby.  6 of the toddlers had some sort of sickness or disability.  The newborn had just arrived and was only about 2 days old.  We got to talk with them and play with them.  I have pics of them up on Flickr.

Then, the orphanage director took us to her office where we gave her some presents for herself, the workers, and the children.  And then, of course, we took pictures.  First, we took pics of her and Jaidyn in her office.  Then, we went outside to the old gate.  The old gate is where they found Jaidyn almost 7 years ago, right on the steps.

The orphanage director wanted a digital camera so they could take pictures of the children, so we went to the local shopping district to buy one for them.  It took forever!  But that was okay because there was a playground, an outdoor exercise area, and people were standing in the street dancing.  I know that sounds weird to us, but it’s totally normal for them.  They have an outdoor exercise/dancing time at least twice a day.  You just walk down the street and there they are.  Not only was that cool to watch, but we got to have a taste of what it feels like to be a celebrity.  Everyone was starting at us, and not discretely like in the US.  They were flat out staring.  It was hilarious!  A little girl followed us around the whole time.  She finally got brave enough to say hi to Lauren, but that was it.

Anyway, we’re at the hotel now where we will be for the rest of tonight.  Tomorrow we will visit the Ghost Town (I’ll tell you all about that tomorrow) and then head back to Chongqing.  We will spend tomorrow night in Chongqing and then fly back to Beijing on Sunday.  I’ll talk to you guys tomorrow.  Have a good day!

God Bless,

~Kristen

P.S.  Sorry about all of the typos yesterday.  I was SO tired.

Across the Pacific

At this moment, we are sitting at Gate 27 at LAX. We have another hour and a half before we are scheduled to head to China! Meg, L and I went to get cards so that's what we'll be doing while we wait. This is all so exciting! Everyone is ready to get on the plane, mostlybecause we all want to sleep.

We had a great time hanging out with Russell, Jamie and Jamie while we were here. We went to a restaurant called Encounter. My dad said it looked like a building from the Jetsons. It was cool but retro looking. I'll have pics up as soon as I can. I don't have wifi right now (I'm posting using 3G on my phone) and I won't until we get to China. But I promise to put them up as soon as I get the chance.

So another hour and a half in the airport then a 16 hour flight over the Pacific Ocean and we will be in China. After we land in Beijing, we have to get our luggage and go through customs. Then we check them again, go through security, and back on to a plane to head to Chongqing.

Well, I'm going to go read a book for school :( Next time I blog, I'll be in China! Talk to you then.

God Bless,
~Kristen

On To LA

We are finally on a plane!  Yep, I am updating from over 1000 ft in the air.  It is so exciting.  XiXi has the window seat to my right and Meg's on my left.  We are all so happy to finally be on our way.  It was so funny to listen to Xi and Jai as we took off.  Both been on a plane before, but the last time was when Xi was 4 and Jai was 2.  They don't remember anything about it, so this is a completely new experience for them.

The flight to LA is about 4 hours.  Once we land, we have a 6 1/2 hour layover.  While we're there, we will meet up with Russell and Jamie.  I'm really looking forward to seeing them.  It has been forever!

I will talk to you guys later.
God Bless,
~Kristen McKell

On the Road

We're finally on our way! Mom and Dad just picked us up from school and now we're starting the first leg of the journey. So, the next two hours will be stuck in the car. No one had lunch at school so we are all hungry. Wish us luck as we get stared. I'll le you know when we get to LA!

God Bless
~Kristen

Last Night

I'm finally heading to bed for the last night in my house until next year.  It is so exciting and at the same time nerve-wracking.  In less than 24 hours, we will be on a plane heading towards China.  I keep looking around my room and thinking, "I won't see this place for three weeks.  I am going to be traveling around China, something I've dreamed of for years."  Finally, that dream is coming true.  And not only am I traveling through China, but my entire family is with me.  This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I don't think that's really hitting me until now.  Even so, I don't think it will all truly seem real until I get on the plane, or maybe not even until we land in Beijing.  This is so totally AMAZING and I'm so happy that I can share it with all of you.

Next time I post, I will be on my way to China!!!!

God Bless,
~Kristen

Snow Day!

Today we were lucky to have a snow day.  It gave us much needed time to finish packing.  I think almost all of the kids are packed.  My mom's out at the store right now getting a few last minute items.  She and Dad still aren't packed, but hopefully they will be soon.

We are all so excited to leave.  I'm actually counting down the hours :) Right now we have 22!  Its so exciting to think that at this time tomorrow we will be arriving at the Cincinnati airport to head to China!!!!!!

Thank you all for the prayers and the good luck wishes.  I hope you all have a merry Christmas and are safe, whether your traveling or staying home.

God Bless,
~Kristen

Only 2 Days Left

Saturday was a busy day.  Meetings, basketball games, homework, and a Christmas party.  The plus side of the day is the fact that most of the house is now clean ;)  Anyway, two more days! We probably really need to start packing.

Talk to you guys on Tuesday morning,
~Kristen

Just 4 Days

So today is Friday, 4 days before we leave.  The plan is to leave Chilli at noon and drive down to Cinci.  It is so exciting!  I just hope these next few days go by quickly.

We still have a TON left to do, although most of it is my parents' job.  Everyone still has to pack and we're trying to squeeze in last minute Christmas parties.  This weekend is going to be extremely busy.  I have a meeting Saturday morning in Portsmouth, then we're having a family dinner party for Christmas that evening.  Sunday, my dad has a meeting in Waverly and I'm going to go spend time in Lucasville.  Monday is school and last minute packing.

Everyone is so excited to be going, let's just hope we make it through the plane trip ;)  Anyway, talk to you guys soon.  Have a great weekend!

Love,
~Kristen