We are home safe!

Sunday, March 24 -- We made it home safe. We arrived at our house at 12:30 am Sunday morning. We went to bed at 2 am, woke up at noon, picked up Sarah, took a nap at 4:30 pm, woke up at 8 pm ... this must be jet lag. Sarah is doing fine since her return home. She was a good house guest on her vacation and hopefully she is glad to be here in our much-less-exciting condo.

What a great trip! We spent some time today talking about all the incredible things that we experienced. I enjoyed seeing the temples and the mass amounts of incense burning (pictured here). I liked the hutong tour in Beijing. The hutongs are old, old neighborhoods in Beijing. It was interesting to see the culture as we toured in the pedestrian taxis. We laughed about our Peking Duck experience in Beijing--Troy can tell you what happens when you eat too much duck skin. We also laughed at how the tour guides in Beijing and Shanghai called us "big potatoes." (Hoping she meant something like "big cheese" and not "couch potato.") Did you know the slang word in Mandarin for Americans is "big noses?" Apparently they think our noses is big.

And yes, we did buy a knock-off Prada from a vendor in a small hidden room off an alleyway. I didn't want to put that in the blog since blogs are apparently censored in China. After my submission about Mao while we were in Beijing, I could no longer access my blog. Fortunately, I could publish to it but I could not view it. It is working fine here in the US so I think I used the magic combination of words that caught the mechanical censors in China. Fortunately, I made it out of the country.

China is a country that is set to explode on the world scene. I don't have enough knowledge to make any predictions about what their impact will be, but my guess is that my children will be learning Mandarin and English. Learning the language would be the best investment a person could give themselves.

When we toured the Great Wall, we learned that the Wall was constructed as a communications system for the military, and, it was constructed to keep the Mongolians out of the country. If we build a wall at our border, I wonder if people will tour it someday like we tour the Great Wall.

On a sidenote, we also liked the public transportation in all 3 cities--subways, buses and taxis. I wonder how our lives would change if public transportation was the primary vehicle for people.

We are thankful for our week together in Hong Kong and we so enjoyed our time with the SMU group in Beijing and Shanghai.

We don't know how many people read our blog but we are thankful for those who did and kept us in their prayers for safe travel. The prayers worked and we are glad to be home and glad to have had such an amazing opportunity for travel. We will keep publishing photos from the trip on this blog over the next few days.

The End of the Day

Friday evening, March 23 -- I am so sorry to report that it has been an incredible day and I have not taken one picture all day! I have to admit, I felt a little lost after my traveling buddy, Anita, left for an early flight. Troy had class until noon so I did some things around the hotel. I took a short trip to a government-sponsored silk goods store then walked around the mall next to the hotel. Troy and I went with some of the students to the Yu Gardens Bazaar (the picture you see is of a famous teahouse in the center of the Bazaar.) When we returned from the Bazaar, we walked the main promenade by our hotel, did a little more back-alley shopping (which Troy stated that at any moment we have to climb stairs he was out of there) and then we hit the big pearl market in Shanghai. SMU hosted a dinner for the students tonight at the hotel. We sat at the table with Randy and his wife, Mikey, and Lynn and his son who is a college student at my undergrad...MSU. Great conversation, good food and lots of good joke telling. Randy told a story about a custom during a time in China's history when there was a great deal of starvation and hunger. Instead of asking someone, "How are you?" they would ask each other, "Have you eaten?" and even if they haven't eaten, the person would responde, "I will eat soon." I found this to have some theological meaning and will be spending a little time with this slice of Chinese culture. It was a lovely dinner and now we are beginning the end-of-the-trip packing adventure. We will start our journey home tomorrow.

There have been so many things to see, do, taste, hear, smell and touch here in China. I hope that I have given you a glimpse into life here on the other side of the world and I highly recommend you to take a trip to China, even if it costs all the tea in China! :)

Watches, Handbags, Gucci...look

Friday, March 23 -- Just so we could say that we had the experience, we followed a street hawker back to her shop to see her handbag inventory. A little tiny shopfront story with hardly any stock. We stood there for a few minutes, then a man opened a door at the back of the shop. We entered that door (it was locked behind us), and then the man taps on the wall then begins pulling back fake wallpaper exposing a second door. He opened that door and there was a closet-sized shop full of handbags and watches. We entered into that little room, again, the door locked behind us and we got to see all of the "A" quality stock. Did we buy anything? Of course not, knock-offs are illegal in China and people don't break the law here....Obviously, no picture attached to this blog entry.

Shanghai Sites -- At Night

A view from the promenade on the Bundt at night.

More Shanghai Sites

A shop in the French Concession..."Living My Life, My Way"

Shanghai Sites

A small street in the French Concession area...notice the tree...

Walking the French Concession

Friday, March 23 -- It's 9:40 am Shanghai time and the students just got off for their last company tour of the trip. They will tour Citigroup this morning and be home by noon. The students have the afternoon off and then there is a SMU reception this evening for the students and SMU alumni in China.

Yesterday was a great day. Anita and I followed a walking tour of the French Concession. It was a very charming area of Shanghai and for the most part, it was free of sidewalk solicitations for Gucci purses. We ate from a local street vendor (pictured here), toured a "wet market" with snakes, frogs, turtle, live chickens, butchers, vegetables, noodles and tofu. We found a quaint street with artists boutiques before we hit the main upscale shopping street. The gods looking down on us favorably as we both found some beautiful gifts and souvenirs. In the afternoon, I walked down the main promenade from our hotel that eventually leads to the Bundt water walkway. It's hard to describe how many people are here....crossing streets is a dangerous game between the cars, bicycles, mopeds and masses of people. We had a great Thai dinner at the Xin Tiandi (a French-quarter-like area) then we came home and crashed for the night.

Anita went home today so I feel a little lost this morning without my travel pal but I'm sure I will still find something interesting to do....more later!

The Times Square of Shanghai

This is a blurry picture, but outside our hotel is a main promenade in Shanghai,

known as the Times Square of China.

The Best Dumplings

Anita and Kathryn with our wonderful dumpling maker.

Playing Hackey-Sack in a Temple with a Monk

Wed., March 20 -- Choosing today's highlight is very difficult because it was an amazing day in Shanghai. But I have to say my most favorite time was when I played hackey-sack with a Zen Buddhist monk inside a temple. This experience came at the end of a great walking day in Shanghai. Anita, the wife of a classmate, and I set-out for a 90-minute walking tour of the Old City. The walk turned into a 4-hour "cruise." When we completed the walk, we mastered the subway system in China to take the subway to the Jade Buddha Temple, one of the largest temples in Shanghai and it has a giant buddha carved from one block of jade. It was close to closing time at the Temple and we made one final pass through the main Temple area. There was a monk playing with this Chinese hackey-sack like we had seen at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. So I motioned to him to kick it to me. And he did. Of course, my hand-eye and foot-eye coordination is not the best, so it took a few rounds before we could get it going. I overshot one time and sent it over his shoulder and almost straight into an altar area. Another time I almost got it in the chandelier. It was great. All three of us laughed and laughed. (See us in the picture...the hackey-sack has feathers on top weighted down with something close to washers. That golden statue behind us...that's almost what I hit with my toss.)

Another favorite moment of the day...our walking tour took us into "real" neighborhoods where you are not asked by anyone if you want to buy a Gucci bag. Anita saw a woman making dumplings in this tiny stall and suggested we stop and try them. She had a tiny seating area so we got 2 trays of dumplings for 4 yuan (1US=7.7yuan). She had such a sweet spirit and good energy and just kept smiling and every so often, pointing at my eyes. Her grandson was making the dumplings with her. It was such a beautiful moment in the day...and yummy too.

We capped the day off with dinner and then a walk along the Bundt (the promenade overlooking the river) with Anita and her husband, Brian.

Anita and I enjoyed our walking tour so much today that we decided to try another one tomorrow. We are going to get an earlier start so that we can see and experience as much as possible. Troy and Brian enjoyed their tours and they have another full day tomorrow. SMU did not give them much free time in Shanghai.

I'm not sure why, but I cannot view my blog here in China. So I'm hoping these posts are getting to you. I don't know if I wrote something that set-off the China internet sensors, but it's very odd that I can log-in to blogger but cannot view my blog. If you are leaving comments on the blog like "Get me a Gucci bag while you are there," then send me an email.

Hi, Mommy & Daddy,

Here I am under Husband & Hostess's bed...a favorite resting place of mine. Well, Marty came along a gave me a 'snuffy-lick.' He's a good friend.

I continue to eat, sleep, walk, and play well...and once in a while get to play on the floor with Hostess. She's pretty good at it and big hugs, too!

I love you and miss you and the dog park...but condo life is going to be an adjustment when we go home. You should really think about a yard for us someday! *Nuzzle-licks* ~ Your Sarah

Beijing versus Shanghai

March ... hmmm... what is today, the 19th or 20th? -- Whatever the date, it's Wednesday morning here in Shanghai. We had a 2-hour flight from Beijing to Shanghai yesterday...uneventful and fairly easy. We were at the hotel by 2 pm. SMU arranged our hotels in Beijing and Shanghai and both have been really beautiful places. This hotel in Shanghai is exceptional. It opened in Sept. 2006 and is located right in the heart of the No. 1 mall in China...which means more shopping. We spent the rest of the day walking around and visiting with Troy's classmates. We ended the evening at a bar at the top of the hotel that has a bird's eye view of the Bundt and river (pictures for you on the next post...sorry, I'm having technical difficulties with the blogger right now....not sure but I'm wondering if my blog has been censored somehow, someway.)

There is a night and day difference between Beijing and Shanghai. Beijing was very cold and gray and heavy--the trees were still hibernating. Shanghai is a little warmer than Beijing, and its energy is completely different. There are green trees, tall buildings, lots of people...if Beijing was depressing, then Shanghai is good therapy.

I'm off to do some shopping with some of the women today. We hope to hit an antique store that was suggested. Thursday will be historical sightseeing then Friday...not sure. The students are off to visit some factories today.

Temple of Heaven

Monday, March 18 -- What a great, cold day in Beijing. Troy had his first day of SMU classes so the spouses had the day alone. I trekked through the Temple of Heaven park with Anita this morning.. The Temple of Heaven itself is located inside a larger public park in Beijing. People from the community go there every morning to do Tai Chai, Chinese aerobics and ceremonial singing. It was a really neat slice of Beijing life to see and hear. The entire complex told the story of the more "spiritual" side of Emperor life. The emporer fasted in one temple, then went to another temple to choose the sacrificial animal, then went to another temple to sacrifice the animal, then another temple to present it to the gods. Really fascinating. It was such a beautiful park with amazingly old trees. The Temple of Heaven is connected to smaller temples via walkway. On the opposite end of the Temple of Heaven is a large circular stone where the Emperor would offer the sacrifice (animal, not human!) to the gods.

In the afternoon, we hit the Silk Markets again, Anita, Noel and myself. Knock-off designer jeans for 7US is unbeatable! This evening, a small group of us had great conversation over a Chinese dinner then we capped the evening off with foot massages! It was a great day of friendships, good conversations, and amazing sights.

And now, we are off to Shanghai in the morning. Just a few minutes ago, Troy said our time in Beijing has been way too short. Totally agree. I haven't even told you about the Olympic stadiums that we saw yesterday. Beijing will host the 2008 Olympics. Troy's architectural eye tells him they have a long way to go to get the Olympic sites completed...this city will change drastically in the next year with all of the pre-Olympic construction. The traffic here now is not good; I would not want to be here when the Olympic world descends upon Beijing. Good night -- Sleep in heavenly peace.

Hi, Mommy & Daddy,
Wow! You sure are visiting some incredible places...hostess says to take good notes because someday she wants to take a similar trip. She says she
looks forward to talking with you about what your tour guide said about Mao.
It reminded her of a young tour guide she met in Lenningrad (now St. Petersburg) in 1987. The tour guide referred to St. Isaac's Cathedral as a 'museum.' Hostess told her that it might be used as a museum, but it was still a church of God. The tour guide was adament that it was a museum...hostess replied, "I don't care if you tear it down and build a gas station on it, this ground has been consecrated and will always be a sacred place of God." Tour guide didn't talk much to Hostess after that. I wonder if the people who want more than 1 child or wish to practice their faith feel the same way about Mao? Just a thought...
I love you and miss you...the big boy gave me a good, long walk today...of course we did gardening, too!
*Sniffy licks!* Love, Sarah

Heavenly Peace...Tian'an Men Square

March 18, 2007 -- Beijing is a fascinating story. Its geography is flat. Its colors are muted. Its temperature is cold. Its history is rich. And maybe history is what is most apparent in this city. If history is owned by the winner, then this morning's journey is Olympic gold. As we were walking to Tian'an Men Square, I asked our guide Miranda about Chairman Mao. I told her that I was confused because my impression had been that Mao's reign was violent and harsh to the Chinese people. Miranda with her sweet smile said that many people in the West have misunderstood Mao and have a wrong idea about him. She said he made a few mistakes but overall he was very good for China. Hmmm....I don't know enough Chinese history to make an informed statement about her opinion but it did make me wonder about the power that winners have in writing history. Maybe all things bear out with history...and maybe not....Tian'an Men means "Gate of Heavenly Peace." We entered the Forbidden City through this gate. It took about 2.5 hours to walk from one end of the Forbidden City to the other. You can't see much inside the buildings in the city with the exception of a few of the Halls. We did see the Emporer's quarters where we learned about how the Emporer's mother literally ruled from "behind a curtain."

Lunch was great in a very local spot. We shared a meal with another couple and 4 people ate for about 11US, that included 2 beers, 2 cokes, soup for everyone, dim sums, pancakes and spring rolls. Yummy and great price. In the afternoon, part of the group toured a "hutong," which literally means "alleyway" but is referring to neighborhoods. These are neighborhoods that were built about 600 years ago and people still reside in today. We also climbed 69 steep steps to see the Drum Tower. We capped off the day with a live show at the Chinese Acrobats theater. And to squeeze the most in the day, Troy and I trekked to the Silk Market for some more bargaining.

It's late and we are both tired. Troy has "class" tomorrow so he will be gone during the day. I will probably have more to say about Beijing tomorrow...but for tonight, goodnight....sleep in heavenly peace.

The Great Wall of China

Here it is....really amazing...read the post below for further details about today.

The Great Blonde of China

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Today was our first outing with the SMU group. We are now officially part of a "tour group" with all that being in a large group of Americans wandering around China entails. Our morning began with a great breakfast at the hotel, then off we went in 3 charter buses to the Great Wall of China. We went to the most tourist-oriented section of The Wall at Badaling. We took gondolas from the "tourist base camp" to The Wall at 10:30 am. Once at The Wall, you could walk for as long as you wanted to walk, up to 2,000 miles either direction, as long as you were back at the tourist base camp by noon. Troy and I walked about 20 minutes in one direction, then about 20 minutes in the other direction, then we stopped and people-watched.

What surprised us the most is that while at the ancient and historical Great Wall, the tourist attraction wasn't The Wall...it seemed to be my blond hair and blue eyes. Several of my Asian brothers and sisters stopped me to take a photo with me. One family stopped me and asked if I would hold their baby while they took a picture. (See the photo?!?) Troy quickly wanted to turn me into a money-making machine and wondered if he could collect on every photo....but, before we arrived at The Wall, our tour guide encouraged us to be good sports if people wanted to take photos of us, so, we were good sports. (Troy just asked for an editorial note that he REALLY wasn't serious about collecting money on my blond hair...)

After The Wall, our entire group had lunch at a great restaurant where we ate yummy Chinese food family style. Then, those not suffering from jet lag, hit the Silk Markets for the afternoon. Wow...you could buy anything and everything knock-off. I almost got a pair of 7 jeans for 7US but you couldn't try them on and wasn't worth the risk. Troy bought a knock-off watch and we got Rev. Doug Meyer's souvenir among the watches, too. (Have to wonder what it is, Doug...)

As we boarded the bus at 5:15 pm to leave the Silk Market, I noticed a level of energy and excitement in my fellow busmates' voices that was different from when we left The Great Wall. People were all abuzz with the different "deals" they made on ties, purses, pearls, jeans and watches. When we left The Great Wall, we had spent a total of 2 hours from start to finish. When we left the Silk Market, we had spent a total of 3 hours. When we left The Great Wall, no one asked for more time at The Wall. When we left the Silk Market, the bus was trying to figure out how to make it back there tomorrow or Monday. History versus knock-off Gucci....God bless the USA.

It's now about 7 pm and Troy and I are about to leave for dinner, or, maybe hit the Silk Market again, who knows! :)

Tomorrow is the Forbidden City, a tour of a Chinese neighborhood called a "hutong" and then the Chinese acrobats. A busy day!

The Adventures of Troy the Navigator

We're here in Beijing, fresh off the clueless boat. The ride from Hong Kong was very nice and I would recommend DragonAir to all. The Beijing taxi drivers are great... as long as their passengers show them where to go. Doh! We got a bit nervous when our driver pulled out a map and handed it to me. I quickly flipped through my guide book and travel notes as I examined the map. I pointed to what looked like our hotel and the driver give me the thumbs up. The adventures just keep rollin in, I love it. Also, our driver was quite the character. A very jovial budda looking fellow who apparently loves his beer and knows all the American cars. Interestingly, he also listens to the english radio station in an effort to learn the language. We listened to a program about hair on the way to the hotel, he's going bald and kept pointing to his head laughing hysterically. He also chuckled as I tried to pronounce the names of the buildings and streets we passed. A very funny guy. Our hotel is quite nice and I've seen a few of my fellow students milling around so at least I know I'm in the right place. Beijing is a bustling city with lots of people on bikes. I'm really looking forward to the next few days of exploring. I will forever say that I'm thankful for traffic in Dallas. The bikes, buses, and other drivers are crazy here with countless near accidents and fender benders averted by inches. Watch out Beijing... the Ransdells have arrived! PS: Sarah, you be nice and remember what I told you about the drool and ... well, tummy issues...

I've got a fancy picture, too!

What a fun time with Marty! This is a picture of how we usually spend the late afternoons after playing 'chase and chew' - that's running around with garden twigs in my mouth. I've even had a great time running in wet grass after a rain storm Wednesday morning..no tiptoeing around - it's a new treat with the wet slapping up on my legs. Hostess dried us both off with old towels before we were allowed in. Not quite a 'paw massage', like you & Daddy have gotten - but close enough!

Hostess wanted me to tell you that she's really glad you warned her about my...uh, um, 'smellies.' My stomach has been fine, though, and I have been eating a full 1 1/2 cups of food twice a day and lots of fresh water. (I get at least 3 workouts every day, and I've been starved!)

I love you! Have fun in Beijing 'cause I'm having fun here on my vacation - and yes, I do miss you and look for you...but hostess and the smaller-blonde-one are generous with the hugs.

*Lick, lick, lick...lick, lick!* Sarah

Hong Kong--one of our favorites!

Thursday, March 15, 2007

In the middle of our day, Troy announced that Hong Kong is on the top of his "favorite cities" list. This has been a great city, from the kindness and friendliness of the people, the cleanliness of public areas, the ease of mass transit, and the variety of things to see and do. Tomorrow, we leave for Beijing and we know that we have only had a taste of this incredible city. I think it would take years to experience all that Hong Kong has to offer.

We began the day with a trip to some of the more obscure markets...the jade market...the flower market...the goldfish market...and the bird market. The bird market was our favorite. It was also a bird sanctuary. And, it was a bird park. Bird owners in Hong Kong bring their caged birds to this park so that their birds can get a little sun and fresh air! It was so peaceful sitting in this garden and listening to the beautiful chirps of all the birds. We met a bird that spoke Chinese! Lunch was at a random restaurant with no English speaking waiters so we basically had one of everything they offered.

After lunch, we returned to our favorite foot massage place. As we were sitting with our feet soaking in a bubbly bath, I realized that for those reading these posts in America, you may get the wrong idea about what is happening in these establishments and why we are frequenting them. It was exactly what you thought--pure heaven of 55-minutes of foot massages for about $12. You would be there too!

We returned to our favorite tailor, Mr. Lo, and picked up our new threads....came back to the room, freshened up, and then went out for a night at the top of the Hong Kong outlook. This was great. We had a wonderful meal and I ate everything except the sea cucumber.

Our bags are packed...Troy is already almost asleep...and our day starts early for our trek to Beijing. It's been cloudy, warm and humid here in Hong Kong. We think it will be cooler in Beijing.

Friends...or Food?

March 15, 2007 -- This one goes in the "billboards you don't see in the US".... We spotted this billboard in a subway station today for a fund to help tortured animals. The dialogue bubble on the right says, "Don't eat me!" and the comment on the left asks, "Friend...or food?"

Bye, bye Miss American Pie

Wed., March 14

We started off the day with coffee at Starbucks then headed towards the northeast part of Hong Kong via the ferry. We walked around the Hong Kong Convention center (read here that I followed an architect around a building while he examined design details) and then we headed towards the Wan Chai area. Troy likes walking through the fresh fruits, vegetables and meat markets so we walked through these markets this morning. After Wan Chai, we traveled to Causeway Bay and looked around that part of the island. It was a yummy food day...We sampled our first dim sum from a street vendor, ate lunch at the American Peking Restaurant (they named it American to fool the American sailors) and then finished the day with some Irish food capped off with a great piece of apple pie and real cream.

The people here are very nice and kind and we are so enjoying our time here in Hong Kong. We have found people being patient with us "tourists" as well as kind in explaining things to us. We have felt safe as we have walked in different parts of town. The vendors have had good spirits as we have bargained for the right price. We hope we have been gracious guests to people who have been gracious hosts to us.

This afternoon, Troy begged and begged to go and get another foot massage. He just wouldn't quit begging so I said, "Okay, I will go with you to get another foot massage if I can also get a facial." See, I've learned how to bargain while here in Hong Kong. We found a place with great karma with glass floors covering aquariums.

We ended our day by going to the Temple Street night market and doing a little more bargaining for some US coins for my dad. We had success at the market, then walked home by a different street, and even thought about stopping off for an evening snack of fried fish bladders, but Troy is watching his figure.

What an incredible city!

We discovered the northwest part of Hong Kong today, across the harbor from Kowloon. This is the main business sector of Hong Kong...it was full of people, outdoor markets and interesting sights and smells. We walked through the fruit and meat market today...if we only had smell-o-vision for computers then this photo would come to life.

We rode the world's largest escalator as we made our way through this part of the city. Troy examined the HSBC headquarters through his architecture eyes. It is a beautiful building with lots of glass and aluminum.

Some moments of beauty today....an elderly woman on the subway held a red pinwheel (it looked like the kind we kept seeing at the temples). She had the most beautiful smile and gentle laugh as air was spinning the pinwheel...our hotel, the Salisbury YMCA, has a kindergarten and as the kids left school for the day, a group of the girls stopped to smell a beautiful arrangement of Easter lilies...and beautiful flowers in the flower market.

We had a reflexology foot massage today--wow, our feet (and our internal organs) were sore! We also visited Raymond Lo, a tailor, recommended by Larry Phillips. His shop was only a block away from our hotel.

Oh--and we saw people walking their dogs today. We also saw two dogs asleep on a porch as we winded our way through the outdoor fruit and seafood market. Probably pets, but if I were them, I would be a little nervous! The SPCA is alive and well here in Hong Kong. They had a table in one of the shopping areas we visited so we made a contribution in honor of Sarah and Sarah's host dog, Marty.

We may have found a deal on old US coins in one of the markets. Per an email conversation with my dad today, we are going to try to find the dealer tomorrow and buy some additional coins for my dad's coin collection. We are having a great time enjoying each other and enjoying this incredible culture. A little tired, but that's okay.

Found in China

5:30 pm Monday, March 12
Troy and I just returned from our all-day trek around Kowloon. The Hong Kong subway system is similar to its ex-parent's, London, so I quickly figured out how best to make our way through it. Some neat things we did this morning: walked around an open-air temple that was filled with so much burning incense it was hard to breath (pictured here), then we walked through the palm readers' stalls where I learned to bargain for a palm reading (the reader confirmed it: this is a prime childbearing year for me), and then toured a beautiful nunnery with stunning altars that reminded both of us that compassion and wisdom are good virtues to attain.

About noon, Troy said we needed to eat even though I was not hungry and felt more like going to bed than eating a big meal. The easiest food option was a mall and inside the mall, Pizza Hut looked very tasty to me. I had heard Pizza Hut was an "upscale" experience in China so we ate there. Half-way through our meal, a waitress came over and asked if we were from Europe. We said, "No, United States." She asked if we were on holiday. We said yes. She then said, "Then why are you eating here at Pizza Hut?" Good question. We decided that she was the voice of reason and adventure so we vowed to no longer play it safe and instead take the leap and do the "point and hope" method of ordering at restaurants.

Before I talk about what happened in the afternoon, let me tell you about early this morning, about 4 am, when neither one of us could stay in bed any longer, we had a power crisis: my hair dryer and my flat iron blew the circuits in the room leaving only the in-room hairdryer that couldn't even dry a bad comeover. My hair dryer and flat iron are not just comforts, they are necessities for me. After I reconciled myself to having "naturally-dryed hair" throughout this trip, I thought that at least I still have my third comfort, my laptop. Troy went downstairs to buy our internet pass while I opened my backpack. I found one laptop but no power cord. I left it at home! Still exhausted from the trip and it being 4 am and my hair is a mess and I'm hungry like it is 6 pm...let's just say I wasn't the most charming soul. Troy told me not to worry, we will blog at internet cafes and who knows, maybe we will find a Dell adapter somewhere in the market. Guess what--in the afternoon, we found a Dell power adapter in the electronic market for 28US!!!! (Normally $143US). And it works. Now I can write, keep this blog and post pictures all from the comfort of my hotel room. Thank you God for allowing at least 1 of my 3 comforts.

The afternoon was filled with markets and markets and more markets. We saw all kinds of raw meats, cooked meats, stores that sold unidentifiable and smelly dried goods, and even a store that was selling live chickens (thought of you on that one, mom.) Troy bargained successfully for a tie, I didn't do too bad on a pair of sandals, and the greatest treat of the day...Starbucks tastes like Starbucks on this side of the world. We are now resting for an hour or two, then we are going out for the night to the Temple Street Night Market.

We were both touched today by the sincerity of the people praying at the Temple and the Nunnery. I'm joining them in prayer this week that I practice more compassion and wisdom in my life today.

5:52 am Monday morning in Hong Kong

It's 5:52 am in Hong Kong. We made it here safely. Of course, we have been up since midnight Hong Kong time since our bodies think it is the middle of the day. Our room is great -- a view of the Harbor. We arrived last night just in time to see the light show over the Harbor. It was great! It seems we remembered everything except the power cord to my laptop, which means we may be using internet cafes to update the blog. The flight was good, long, and uneventful. We flew straight north to the North Pole (pictured here). We tried looking for Santa but think we were too high overhead. Then we went straight south to Hong Kong. It was beautiful and yet strange to see a sunrise when my body felt like it was night.

For my nephews, Drew and Aaron: It was so neat to fly over the North Pole. Too bad we didn't have your early Christmas lists to drop off for you! We tried our best to see the castle, but I think we were just too high in the air. Even though we could not see Santa's castle, it sure did feel like there was something extra special in the air. I think all the love and joy that comes from Santa reached all the way to us high in the sky in the plane.

It's a dog's life

The day-before the day-before-you-leave has been a productive day. I walked into Target and handed them my wallet and said, "Take all you want." In exchange, I heeded the advice of travel planners and purchased one of everything that you "might need and should have on hand" while out of the country. Things like band-aids, sinus medicine, cough medicine, cold medicine, allergy medicine, benadryl, tylenol pm, anti-diarrhea medicine AND the "opposite-case" medicine, neosporin, LOTS of travel wipes (no "tp" in China), and LOTS of hand sanitizer (back to the no "tp" in China). As I was packing all these items, I could not help but to remember that there are differences between boys and girls. Will the contents of Troy's suitcase be able to meet the medicinal needs of a small Chinese village while simultaneously using "awesome orange" hand sanitizer? I think not. Women will be the ones to save this world.

Speaking of women, an incredible woman volunteered her home and her family to be the caretakers of Sarah-the-dog while we are in China. For security reasons, we cannot disclose Sarah's location. We would not want a long line of cars to be filing past the "house where Sarah is." (Although that would be a good t-shirt business.) Because Sarah considers herself a permanent resident of our bed and occupies 1/2 of it on any given night, we bought her a doggie bed while she stays in her Country-Club home. You can see that this bed is just right for our little Goldilocks.

Our good fortune: No "la"

We are traveling to China in March for a much-anticipated celebration of two major events in our lives: our marriage, and, a 2-year-MBA program about to come to a conclusion in May 2007. Our good friends and retired missionaries to Hong Kong, Rev. and Mrs. Ken and Iweeta McIntosh, invited us to dinner to discuss what to expect, see and do in China. We could have discussed with the McIntosh's what we must see while in China or we could have debated great issues of economics and government considering their vast experience with the country spanning five decades. Not us, though. Our most pressing question of the evening: How do we make sure our food is not too spicy? Iweeta's reply, "No la!" (At least, that's what we think she said is the word for "spicy" in Chinese. If not, whatever "la" means in Chinese, we will not be having any of it on our trip.)