CHINA

China was pretty much, well amazing. What I learned:
-It is possible to fly for almost 14 hours straight and live.
-The Chinese are still working on some of their translations of English. (See picture)
-The palaces are amazing. In the Forbidden City they built thresholds on every door because they believed that the
ghosts couldn't jump over them.
-There is no such thing as personal space, and I mean none.
-When you see the animal's head on the plate, it is time to stop eating.
-I am normal height in China.
-Pretty much any sign somehow stands for good luck.
-Crossing the street is a form of bravery.
-When a man can balance his body on a spear, lay on a bed of nails, and have a block broken on his stomach, you know
you are at a real Kung Fu show.
-If you want compliments go to the markets, all you will hear is “Pretty lady, pretty lady come look."
-Bargaining is an art, and you know you have made it when you give your final price, walk down the hall, around the
corner and they run to find you and concede defeat.
-At every palace or tomb everything stands for something, the color, the design, the animals. It all has some
special meaning.
-There is no singing, dancing, or signs allowed on Tiananmen Square, period. (If you want to try it, ask our tour guide
about the Texas dancers, not an amusing experience.)
-Pretty much everything is about Feng shui
-Looking out on The Great Wall of China is unbelievable. (If I don't have your address, email it to me, because you are not going to want to miss me and my acrobatic Great Wall christmas card)
-The Great Wall is about 3,700 miles, I did 1,785 steps to the ninth guard tower and let me tell you, whoo, it is not as
easy as it looks, all of the steps are different sizes.
-The word Olympics and Beijing are on every street corner, and wait till you see the Olympic buildings, amazing.
-Toilets are different in China, and you hope for a toilet that is “western style.” the other option is not pretty.
-The history of emperors and revolutions is fascinating.
-My laminated traveling companion Flat Stanley, given to me by a third grader for educational pictures, was a hit with
the locals.
-Cooked veggies, rice, noodles and meats should not be breakfast items or on the same table as breakfast items.
-Fruit is the favorite and only dessert served after a meal.
-Ballroom dancing, fan dancing, tai chi, singing, sword fighting, jazzercise, dominoes, and cards all come together
every morning at the local park.
-Being sick on a plane over the ocean for 10 hours is probably one of the worst forms of punishment for any person.
-Jet lag can help you accomplish much in the middle of the night, but it makes for a very tired morning.
-An open mind is important
-“There are always two sides to every story.” David ( our Chinese tour guide speaking of the Western world’s view of
China’s past.)
-The world is a big place.
-China is amazing
-We are blessed to live in America.
If I see you at Christmas or before I'll show you my pictures. They are super cool.