Hong Kong!

From culture shock to culture shock. Our next stop was Hong Kong. If anyone has visited this amazing city they know how is unlike any other city it is. We meet up with the Wus and went on a Gondola ride to a big Buddha. The Gondola was amazing and it was fun to meet up with those crazy kids.



We did a little exploring in the city seeing the sites and enjoying the food.


Then later we meet up with the rest of the my former team Siping.... and went to Disneyland!!

Xian

Well part 2 and 3 of trip 2008-2009 are now finished I am currently waiting in a coffee shop in Kunming with some friends who teach in Wuhan. I am drinking some Yunan coffee and just finished my apple pie... with raisins... why not? Anyways, Part 2 of the trip was to Xian. We actually stayed in the Tibetan Minority College outside of Xian in a city called Xianyang. Good news though... they had the terricotta soldiers, only they were much smaller.



Apparently they found these about 10 years before the real soldiers and are actually older. Apparently these were from the dynasty prior to the Qin and were taken over by the Qin.

We did spend a day or two in Xian checking out the Stone Forrest of Steles. The highlight was the Nestorian stone from 635 AD. Later that night we visited the Big Goose Pagoda and checked out the fountain show. A must see in Xian.



From there we were were off to Hong Kong.

The village of Zhen Jia, Qinghai Province

As we bounced around the dirt road I knew I was getting into something I had never experienced before. As we got out of the black Chinese car I got some dust all over my bag and black coat... a bit of foreshadowing of what was to come. Ganzang's town was something out of an ancient travel magazine. The walls of all the houses were made of dried dirt and reminded me of something I read in history class or my Hebrew History class in college. We were met by Ganzang's sister-in-law and escorted into our home for the next week. It was unlike anything I could have imagined...



A week of eating obscene amounts of meat, drinking obscene amounts of Amdo black tea was to follow.



Some of the highlights of the week away from reality were:
1. the amazing Amdo bread awaiting me as I woke up
2. moto crash, sounds more exciting then it actually was.
3. Riding a Yak
4. Visiting the Yak - the outdoor restroom (or hole) was behind the family's yak. So visiting the yak has a whole new meaning
5. Archery - apparently it is all the rage in Qinghai villages.
6. Amazing family - they shared so much with us and really made us feel at home.
7. a change to experience life in a whole new way. - no accessories, but so much I may never see again
8. His beauty, everywhere. The stars never looked so bright, the fields were breathtaking and the mountains powerful

As I type this in the warmth of the apartment of a fellow teaching in Xianyang, just outside Xian I am so greatful for the experience and chance to be a part of our friend's family for a week in Zhen Jia.