Travel Journal 8

February 10, 2013  -  Sunday

Fireworks started up vigorously at 6:00 AM – made it hard to sleep!  It’s unbelievable and hard to describe, but they’re constant!  And loud!

I got up and washed then helped make a new batch of dumplings for breakfast!  When Deb got up, we ate breakfast:  dumplings with carrot and cucumber strips!  Then we made nice phone calls to Liz Sargent and Rhoda Swartz.  It was so nice to hear familiar, English-speaking voices.

It’s a strange Sunday morning for us.  There are no English worship opportunities in this city since there are so few ex-patriots here.  Randy and Jessica are focused on family time, so we’re having our own time for worship.  I’m going to go out for a long walk later and do some talking with God.  We’re missing the kind of rich fellowship that we’ve been accustomed to all our lives! 

It was a lazy day.  I wrote our 25^th support team letter and managed to get it sent by 6:00 PM.  The internet seemed a bit crowded today.  We had a lovely dinner with many of the same dishes but this meal included small, breaded pieces of fish – very good!  Debbie and I have each volunteered to do the dishes several times.  Everyone pitches in with preparation and clean-up of meals.  Everyone at one time or another sweeps the floor.  It’s a communal culture!  J

We’re both reading now.

February 12, 2013  -  Tuesday

We were all up a little earlier today since it’s our departing day.  Apparently the Chinese tradition is to have jiauzi when company arrives and also when they depart!  So, R was up at 3:00 AM starting the filling.  I got up at 6:00 AM along with Randy to help actually make the dumplings.  R’s husband and Jessica were also involved.  Many hands make light work! 

Then, of course, we had a huge breakfast of dumplings!  Oh my!  So good!  We had all packed at that point and the picture taking began!  Lots of pictures and expressions of affection were exchanged.  R presented us with a container of walnuts that she had cleaned the night before! 

                       Lao, R, Samson (Panda Pan), Peter (Pan), and Evalene

         

                                                         All the men  

                                                          

All the women

 R and Lao accompanied us by bus to the train station and then said a tearful farewell – especially between R and Jessica!  Jessica shared her faith vigorously with R again during this visit.  She holds loosely to Buddhism, but we are praying that she will – in time – turn to Christ!

Samson and Evalene are also Buddhist, but they seem interested in reading the Bible.  Debbie had them read a portion of the love chapter and they were very impressed with it!  We’re praying for them.  

We had an hour to wait at the train station.  That’s where we gave Hannah her red envelope for Chinese New Year’s!  She was very excited when she discovered the contents!  She’s a wonderful little girl and we were pleased to make her day!  She felt significantly ignored for the last two weeks with Peter getting most of the attention!

We boarded the bullet train for an eight hour ride to Guanzhou, which would have been a 24-hour trip by regular train!  Still, eight hours was a long trip!  We all had weary behinds by the time we arrived.  The train was hot.  The cool evening air of Guanzhou was refreshing.  We rode two subways for a total of forty-five minutes.  Then, our host loaded us in his car and brought us to his apartment where we met his wife and eleven-year-old daughter!  They shared refreshments with us and he led us in a Chinese Tea Ceremony that was quite interesting!  After that we went to bed. 

 

Part of their Spring Festival tradition is to have a mandarin orange tree.  

                 Another southern tradition is to decorate the home with sugarcane.

Debbie and I have a lovely bedroom with a very firm bed.  We are assigned a bathroom on the veranda with a squatty potty and a shower, but no sink.  In China, we’re finding that the shower is often the whole bathroom, rather than a designated space like we’re accustomed to in America.  It works!  Unfortunately, we have not been given any towels, so we haven’t enjoyed a shower yet!  It seems that’s something we should have brought with us;  they were scarce at R’s place, too!

This man is near retirement and is selling off three businesses that he has owned;  so, I think they must be pretty wealthy.  They have a really nice golden retriever.  When I got up at 1:00 AM to go to the bathroom he thought I was an intruder and began to bark loudly and aggressively.  I was not afraid, but I was embarrassed.  Of course the whole household woke up!  Then - our bathroom being on the veranda - when I turned on the light, another dog (outside) also began to bark aggressively, waking up the whole neighborhood!  When I crawled back into bed, I whispered to Debbie:  "Well, that went well!"  We laid there and quietly laughed for a long time!  Oh boy!

In the morning we had a nice breakfast together!  It included a bowl of rice porridge (with little bits of pork) and she had made a round loaf of sweet-bread that was delicious.  They put a jar of peanut butter out, but only Debbie used it.  They also poured several saucers of condensed, sweetened milk to use as a dip for the bread.  Oh my!  It was a treat. 

After breakfast we walked through a local market to buy vegetables and supplies for our stay.  We were amazed at the beautiful vegetables available here due to the warmer climate!  It was apparent that only a portion of the regular number of vendors were open for business;  this would be because we are still in the Spring Festival Days! 

         

Guanzhou is about an hour from Hong Kong.  Our hosts live in a seventh floor apartment that is very nice!  We took a long walk Wednesday morning to see a rose garden.  The owner gave Debbie a bouquet of a dozen beautiful fresh-cut roses!   

We walked through a large, irrigated, farm area and saw leachy trees growing;  they produce the fruit we’ve come to know as ‘dragon eyes’.  We also saw huge fields of strawberries;  we stopped and picked some.  The girls also found some wild elderberries and picked them.  We also saw broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, lettuce, cabbage, onions, kale, and red cabbage.  Along the way we saw small areas along the road where people were growing peas and beans.  We saw several small trees that were loaded with papaya.  We also saw an orchard of pomegranate trees. 

When we returned from our walk, they served us some light refreshments and he performed the tea ceremony again!  We had home-made fortune cookies, a sugared-dried-vegetable treat, prepackaged cookies and candy, and left-over bread from breakfast.  Very nice!  We're going to work together in an hour to make dumplings for our supper!  Been eating a lot of them lately.  I'm getting pretty good at making them!  :-)  I LOVE them;  it's usually the only thing on the table! 

Our host, his daughter, Randy, Jessica, and Deb and I played Uno all evening.  They have some unique rules.  Almost every round we would learn a new rule.  It was fun! 

Although outside temperatures were warm today, the house is quite cold!  We slept under the quilt all night!

I'm Leaving My Wife!

I know - it's shocking!  I'm sure that some of you are terribly disappointed; but I'm unbelievably excited!

This is something I've been looking forward to for many years!  I'm finally going to do it!

One year from now, I expect to leave for Georgia and put my feet on the Appalachian Trail!  Woo Hoo!  I can hardly wait!

This dream formed in my mind when I was 20 years old and first heard about a hiking trail that extended from Georgia to Maine!  Hardly a day has gone by that I haven't thought about it.  And now, it's finally on the calendar!  (Giggle, giggle, giggle!!!!)

I've been gearing up for years with the help of family and friends.  This summer/fall I'll be doing several 'shake-down' hikes to check equipment and supplies.  I still have a few important pieces of equipment to buy, but most of it is in hand.

I expect to hit the trail in early March and hike north with the spring.  I'll travel through parts of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine!  It's about 2,200 miles.

To be honest, I'm not sure I can do it.  Many drop out for a range of reasons: boredom, finances, time and injury.  By beginning early in the season, I won't have to feel rushed and can pace myself comfortably.  I'll give it my honest, best try!  If I make it - GREAT!  If I don't, hopefully I'll have fun while I'm out there and come back with a bunch of good stories and new friends.

Meanwhile, Deb will remain my wife and will pick up the added responsibility of sending me supplies.  I invited her to go, but she passed.  :-)

I'll be recording some of my experiences right here in this blog - so, if you want to travel along digitally, you can.

Very excited - can't wait!

Pets

I've had quite a few pets along the journey of life!

My first was a dog named Patty.  She lived in a small house in our back yard in New Brighton [this was common at that time].  I would let her loose and play with her in the backyard.  It was my responsibility to feed her and make sure she had water.

Suddenly, Patty was pregnant!  That was exciting!  She had a litter of about seven puppies.  They were born in our basement;  that was quite an education!  One of her pups intrigued us;  no one could tell us for sure if it was a boy or a girl.  You guessed it - it was a hermaphrodite;  the vet told us there were less than eight in the country at that time!

My Dad told me I could keep just one dog.  That was tough!  I had fallen in love with a brown puppie that I had named Brownie (really creative with names, huh?).  But when it came time to take Patty to the pound, I couldn't do it.  We kept Patty and gave all the puppies away.

I also raised hamsters and guinea pigs.  One hamster stood out among the rest.  His name was Chippy (no laughing - I was just a kid).  My folks had gotten new carpet in the living room.  I always laid on the floor to watch TV. After the new carpet, my Mom made me lay on a sheet so I wouldn't make a dirty spot on the carpet.  One afternoon (probably while watching "The Three Stooges") I wondered if I could teach Chippy to stay on that sheet? Thousands of times, I would pick him up and put him back on the sheet!  It took weeks, but finally he got it.  I could even leave the room and he would go right to the edge - but not off the sheet!  :-)

I carried Chippy around as a young-teen in my shirt pocket.  When I would stop and talk with someone it was fun to see their reaction to my pocket moving!  Then, suddenly, my beady-eyed friend would pop his head out of my pocket.  Ha ha ha ha ha...

He was great entertainment at Family Camp.  Me and Bobby Edenfield would sit on opposite ends of a pew and Chippy would run back and forth to get sunflower seeds!  I used to love giving him cheese curls!  He would stuff them into his cheek pouches until his head was bigger than his body!  :-)

When we lived in McClellandtown, we had a little black dog that we named Chapoo - supposedly, he was a cross between a Chihuahua and a Poodle?  He was a fun dog.

I also had a blood hound that I named Rock!  One night I took him hunting down in the woods across from our house.  I let him loose and heard him working circles around me in the darkness.  When the circles were big enough, I couldn't hear him anymore.  I sat with my 22 across my legs - trying to stay warm.  After an hour-and-a-half, I decided to go home.  I went to his box to throw my coat down so he'd stay when he came home.  That was when I noticed that he was in his box - sound asleep!

When we moved to East Liverpool, Ohio, my secretary, Shirley Sparks, gave me her Cocker Spaniel, Tiffany.  She loved to chase tennis balls in our back yard.  But the children were little and kept getting bit by fleas, so we gave her away!

Then, a few years later, I got a pound puppy for our kids.  He was a Collie-Husky mix and we named him Keeto.  He also lived in an insulated house in the backyard - except for cold winter days when he came into the house.  Poor Keeto!  We also had several rabbits in a hutch about six feet away from him! He was on constant ALERT by their hopping around!

Keeto was lively and fun and loved to run circles around the kids in our back yard.  He knew how to run past little Tracie and Troy and bump them with his rear-end just enough to knock them down.  They would get SO ANGRY with him - it was hilarious.  We loved Keeto; he was a great family friend.

When the kids got older, we lived in a house we called 'Maniac Mansion'. Travis was already driving at this time.  He and Troy decided to get me a dog for Christmas!  They found a puppy that was supposed to have some wolf in him along with Alaskan Malamute.  Their youth pastor, Raeanne Thompson, kept this rolly-polly pup for them.  One day, she actually brought it to church and I saw it,  I told her it was ugly!  :-)  I was quite surprised when it showed up at my house on Christmas morning!  I named him Pooch!

Pooch walked almost daily with me and became a good buddy.  He lived in our fenced in back yard that had a sidewalk along it.  This was in downtown East Liverpool.  There were people walking by at all hours of the day and night.  He loved to lay in wait and then leap at them barking and sounding ferocious!  He had become a big, strong dog by this time!

One hot summer night, he kept barking.  We were laying in an upstairs bed - unable to sleep because of the heat and humidity.  I would hear someone walking up the front of our house.  When they would turn, I knew what was going to happen.  Repeatedly, I got up in the window and hollered:  "Shut up, Pooch!"  After repeated vignettes, I heard footsteps again (it was 1:00 AM); then soon the barking.  I rolled over to get up and then heard a man's voice holler out:  "Shut up, Pooch!"  I never did figure out who it was, but you could hear laughing up-and-down our street.  Unfortunately, somebody eventually fed him some antifreeze.  Sad!

After moving to Spencerville, Maryland, we got a Chow mix from the pound and named him Cheer (he always seemed to be smiling).  The neighbor's dogs tormented Cheer and he refused to restrain his dogs.  One day, (knowing this history) Troy coaxed one of his dogs up to his bedroom window - and then shot it between the eyes with his BB gun!  That kept him away for a while!  :-)

When we moved to Akron, Ohio, we weren't allowed to have dogs because of the work we did:  we ran a licensed home for behaviorally challenged kids in Summit County.  But we did have some parakeets!  I loved to hear them singing.  We would let them fly around our bedroom - until one day someone left the sliding doors open.  From then on, I had to listen to them sing from a distance!

Then, we moved to New Middletown, Ohio.  Debbie Jordan hooked us up with a Border Collie during Family Camp one year!  He was a great hiking buddy. While backpacking on the North Country Trail, my first night out I camped on a power line clear-way.  After eating, it started to get dark.  Collar (he had a white collar around his neck) just stood and stared into the woods on either side of the clearway.  Eventually, I crawled into my tent and zipped it shut. Collar lay outside whimpering until I gave in and let him in.  He laid beside me trembling and growling.  It made me wonder what he was hearing that I wasn't?  So, I rolled over, put my good ear down and went to sleep!

And now, Debbie got Gabe!  He was born last October and came to live with us at six-weeks-old!  He's house-broken now and has earned the right to be in the living room from time-to-time.  He's full of life and can't leave Shadow (our cat) alone!  Poor Shadow!

That reminds me:  we've had lots of cats along the way, too:  Ditto, Buttons, Sweetie, Lucky, Pursis, Reeces, Inky, Morrison, Saucipater, Peaches and Shadow!

Pets are a good thing!  I'm excited to know that there'll be animals in Heaven!

Travel Journal 7

February 9, 2013  -  Saturday  -  Chinese New Year’s Eve!

Friday was a day of walking!  R’s husband took Randy, Jessica, Hannah, Deb and I down the street where we caught a bus.  We rode it a good ways to a National Park on the outskirts of San men xia.  We walked into the park and saw a couple of famous sites.

         

This tower is over 1,000 years old!

Then we walked a long way and dropped down to the Yellow River again.  While there, a man brought some horses to near where we were.  Jessica and Hannah rode one and Debbie rode the other!  

          

Then we walked on to an area where there was a large flock of swans – much closer than we had seen days before! 

         

 Then, to our surprise, we walked home!  It was a long, long walk.  At one point, we crossed the river again to walk up the other side.  Then at the Rainbow Bridge we crossed back over and completed the walk.

R had dinner ready when we arrived home.  It was boiled pork ribs and what I thought were potatoes, but were actually something else (again, as before, the ribs were bony cuts of meat – delicious, but not much of it).  Also a cauliflower dish, sugared fresh-sliced tomatoes (which we LOVE!), and a cucumber and dofu noodle cold salad. 

We played some Monopoly Cards with Randy and then ‘Up-the-River-Down-the-River' with Randy, Jessica, R, and Samson.  After trying (unsuccessfully) to call Tracie, Deb and I did some reading and went to bed.

SATURDAY

This morning, we stayed in our room reading.  We skyped with Tracie and the kids from 8:30 – 9:00 AM.  They are in the middle of a blizzard, but are comfy and cozy.  It was so good to see and hear them.

We joined breakfast a little late.  They served a bowl with little doughballs in water.  They were filled with ground peanuts and sesame seeds.  They had a very soft texture and were sweet!  I ate one and chose a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!  Pickled garlic were also on the table (R’s pickled garlics are almost raw and I’m not as fond of them as my own).  Occasionally raw garlic is served with a meal – that’s a bit of a challenge for me.

After breakfast Debbie had a nice long conversation with Cindy Marchese.  Then, we washed some clothes out by hand – boy the water is cold!  We seem to be in an e-mail lull right now.  The family went out for a walk together (minus Randy).  They’re back now.  It’s apparently a spring like day again!   Debbie and I took a walk and bought pastries, fruit and candy.  Jessica made some popcorn today! 

CHINESE NEW YEAR!

Today is a very special day in China;  it’s New Year’s Eve!  Fireworks have been going off for several days, however, they’re going off a lot today!  Many small stores are already closed.  There were not many people on the streets.  Many stores will be closed for a whole week;  others will only be open for limited hours. 

I’m told that today is the big celebration day (the biggest of the whole year!).  Then tomorrow is more of a laid-back kind of day.  The following Spring Festival Days are for the enjoyment of one’s family!  Spring is beginning in the southern provinces, but it is still two or three months away for Changchun!

I understand that some gifts are given today, especially to children.  Grandparents typically give their grandchildren a red envelope today with money in it.  Although we’re not her grandparents, we’re giving Hannah a red envelope tonight with 500 yuan in it!  I’m certain that Randy and Jessica will help her to spend it wisely;  I’m betting a huge amount will be put away as savings!  J I also bought R a Dove candy bar and a pack of gum that I saw her eyeing up at the store the other day.  We bought everyone else some special pastry tarts that they seem to be quite fond of! 

In a short while we’ll be eating the big holiday meal with R and her family!  It’s been such a privilege and honor for us to spend these weeks actually living with a Chinese family! 

The meal included many dishes that have previously been described, but included a fish as the centerpiece.  It was served head to tail and was delicious.  The only other new dish was a plate of chicken wings – very similar to what we would eat in the US.

Debbie and I took a walk this evening across the river and back.  Fireworks are constantly going off! It was a beautiful evening!  Once back home, everyone is just enjoying themselves doing different things.  At 8:00 PM a national, government special program will be on and I’m told that almost everyone watches it.  We watched something similar on New Year’s Eve, December 31^st. 

At 8:00 PM the national program came on and almost all of the fireworks stopped.  At 9:30 PM R brought out the makings for jiausa or dumplings.  R, Lao, Randy, Jessica, and Debbie all jumped in to help with the project.  

At 11:30 PM we ate some.  We’ll eat them again for breakfast!  Fireworks got really loud at midnight!  I’ve never heard anything like it!  It’s 12:30 AM and I’m going to bed!  Just sent Happy New Year’s greetings to my kids and siblings!  Good night!

Eating Among the Chinese

Having lived with a Chinese family for several weeks and having mingled with Chinese for nearly half-a-year, I will share some observations.

Meals are a community experience.  Tables are always small so that everyone can reach every entrée.  In our present situation, where there are ten people eating together in a home, two tables have been pushed together.  Every entrée is placed (on two plates) one on each end of the table so that everyone is able to reach it.  In many restaurants the table will include a round glass that can be turned.  The entrees are placed on this rotating table which is turned continually throughout the meal to accommodate everyone! 

You will usually only be given a bowl of sticky rice and chopsticks.  Occasionally if a soup is involved, a ceramic spoon is provided.  In some case you will also be provided a small plate.

It is acceptable to reach across the table as often as you like.  It is acceptable to eat or sip from your bowl.  Most Chinese people actually hold the bowl in their hand as they eat.  It is common to bring the bowl to your mouth and use your chopsticks to sweep food into your mouth.  You may sip liquids from your bowl.  In restaurants, a bowl of hot water may be served;  this is your beverage – feel free to drink from it.  It may even be slightly flavored as a broth. 

Beverages beyond water are rare.  If alcoholic drinks are included in the meal, it is common for Chinese people to offer toasts and to want to touch glasses before drinking.    

If you come across bones or other waste, simply put it on the table near your bowl.  As the meal draws to a finish, you may scrape the final ingredients from an entrée plate into your rice bowl.  I find this to be a great treat with many meals for the sauces are loaded with favor and are delicious with rice! 

Conversation flows freely during the meal and often becomes loud and animated!  It is acceptable to get up and go to the rice cooker and serve yourself more rice! 

Do not expect dessert!  Occasionally a sweet entrée will be included, but ending a meal with something sweet is not a Chinese value.  

Travel Journal 6

 February 7, 2013  -  Thursday

It was a fasting day for me.  I took a loooong prayer-walk down the other side of the river and back on this side!  The other side of the river has a much wider park area that goes on-and-on.  It was very enjoyable and spring-like with sunshine.  I got back after noon.  When lunch was over we left for another long walk, then caught a bus that took us to a large, long bridge that crosses the Yellow River into the next province.  

We walked across the bridge and then down under the opposite side to put our hands in the river.   Then after crossing the bridge again, the group had lunch in a noodle shop.  We caught a bus back to town and then went through the market again before another long walk home. 

We played some cards in the evening and then R’s son (Samson) and his wife (Evalene) arrived with their one-and-a-half-year-old, Peter Pan (Pan is the family name - yes, they were aware of the humor!). [Samson, Evalene and Peter are, of course, adopted English names]  After meeting them, we headed off to bed.

I rose early on Thursday and then had to stay in our room since R and her husband are now sleeping in the living room.  Eventually I came out and joined Hannah to read.  Soon, breakfast was served;  Deb, Randy, Jessica and I ate at the coffee table.  We had a rice dish, a plate of cucumbers, celery, carrots, and beans in a vinegar and sesame oil mix;  also some sections of corn and steamed bread.  It was a wonderful breakfast – topped off with some eyeball fruit, a banana, and a few Oreos.  J

I went to our room to check email and catch up on this journal.  I discovered that Ray Diddle had died, so sent a note of condolences to Jeff.  I had also sent sympathies to Rick and Joan regarding the death of Martha Anderson;  and Janice Kelly regarding the death of Margie Mitchell;  and Bob Cowsert regarding the death of Louise Cowsert.  Jennifer Barrett led me to believe that my note may have been shared at Martha’s funeral.  It’s especially hard to be so far away when so many of our family and friends are suffering these losses! 

Debbie and I had thought that we would move to a hotel when R’s son and family arrived.  However, Jessica implored us to continue to stay, explaining that it would be more awkward if we left and then returned just for meals.  I consider this another lesson and an opportunity to learn.  Living in a Chinese home for two weeks is most interesting.  We’re getting a feel for the way they eat and interact.  R and her husband have been gracious hosts and will hardly let us do anything.  We find ways to help:

o   I insisted on paying for groceries the other day.

o   Debbie is making donuts today (using lard – no shortening available in this city).

o   We sweep the floor from time to time.

o   I provide Oreos for everyone at least twice-a-day!

But essentially we are experiencing unmerited grace!  R insists that we are family!  We are accepted as an aunt and uncle would be.  Although our privacy is compromised during this time, we are becoming increasingly comfortable with the arrangements.  I have recorded the food we eat for educational purposes and also so that I can refer back and try to make some of these dishes in the future! 

Deb made her donuts;  38 donuts and holes were gone by 6:00 PM!  I think they liked them!

Deuteronomy 3:26 (ESV)

[Moses speaking]  But the LORD was angry with me because of you and would not listen to me.  And the LORD said to me, “Enough from you;  do not speak to Me of this matter again…”

I remember being young and having my father say to me, “That’s enough!”  I knew better than to push any farther!  He had reached his limit with me and this warning meant it was time for me to back off! 

It may be surprising to us to learn that there are times when God deals with us in the same way.  Notice that God stopped listening to Moses’ prayers!  Hmmm.  Are there times when God also stops listening to my prayers.  Moses had persistently asked for something that God had clearly denied;  Moses wanted to go into the Promised Land.  But God had already ruled on that and the answer was “No!”.  So, Moses kept asking, but God stopped listening.

Then, in His grace, God spoke to Moses and essentially said, “Quit wasting your breath!  I said no and I meant no!  You are not going to set foot in the new land!  Don’t bring it up again!”

Sounds harsh, huh?

Yet in the next verse God instructs Moses to go to the top of Mount Pisgah and gaze on the beauty of the Promised Land!  Moses is permitted to view what he cannot inherit!  The grace of God is always a source of comfort to those who yield to His will and His way!

Yesterday while we were walking we saw forsythia beginning to bloom.  We wore light jackets.  Now, it’s snowing!  Typical of late winter/early spring in central China.  

Travel Journal 5

February 5, 2013  -  Tuesday

Breakfast was pan-toasted toast;  R had purchased peanut butter and jelly for us.  It was good.  Finished off with some boiled fermented rice. 

After clean-up, we all headed out to a market nearby that reminded me of the Roger’s Sale!  It was a huge market with venders selling clothing, vegetables, fruit, meat, dofu, and prepared foods.  It was a massive area, partly under roof and partly out in the open.  It was very crowded.  Shopping this week in China is like shopping on the night before Thanksgiving Day in America.  People are supplying up because most stores will be closed for a week to allow workers to travel and celebrate the Spring Festival!

We came home and had a wonderful lunch:  rice, a pork and pepper dish, broccoli, and a zucchini-ginger-onion-garlic dish!  It was all wonderful. 

After a brief rest, Jessica and R took Deb shopping and I tagged along.  I’m so glad I did!  It was fun.  We walked about a mile away to a large, large store.  Along the way, we stopped in a number of small clothing stores.  At one point, we entered a doorway that opened to a huge department store of many private vendors.  Deb stopped repeatedly to look at new coats.  I would find a place to stand as out-of-the-way as I could.  Invariably, I would become a focus of attention as people would stop and stare at me.  Some would wave and say, “Hallo!”  A few younger people tried out their English on me;  several asked if they could take their picture with me;  once this starts, it’s hard to get it stopped!  Hahaha

Deb also stopped and bought an apron and some gifts for friends at home.  Then we walked on and crossed a huge public area that was already being decorated for the Chinese New Year!  On the far side we descended some long steps and entered another massive shopping area that was under the public area!  After finding a locker to stash our backpack and bags, we entered a huge store that would compare to a WalMart.  It was jammed with people!  We picked up food and supplies – including Oreos and Coke – and then headed for checkout.  On the way, I found a 20 ounce bag of Lays potato chips!  That’s the largest bag I’ve seen in China – so, of course, I bought it!  J  I miss my popcorn on this trip, so it’ll give me a salty option!

While we were out both times today, I was reminded just how many motorcycles there are over here!  It’s mind-boggling!  Everywhere you look, you see them!  I’ve seen families of four on them many times.  I frequently see three people riding one.  Girls are adept at riding them side-saddle!  You rarely see helmets! 

                                      (Left pic) This line goes on forever in both directions!                         

(Right pic)  A different spot where they go on forever!

We got home and Randy, Hannah, and I watched the movie Babe.  Then supper was served:  a large, vegetable wrap that had been steamed before serving.  It included onions, Chinese chives, dofu, cucumbers and other assorted goodies.  I broke out some Oreos for dessert!  J 

Hannah headed off to bed.  Deb is reading.  I’m journaling.  We played some cards.  Then, at 8:00 PM, R announced that the building would have hot water for two hours.  We didn’t realize it before, but there is an open shower in the bathroom, so we all took quick showers!  Then I watched two Monk episodes with Randy and Jessica.  Heading to bed now – 11:00 PM.

Travel Journal 4

February 3, 2013  -  Sunday

Today we plan to view Xi’an’s famous wall (which happens to be one block from our hotel!).

                                                                                                                    

John Dwyer in High Road To Tibet, writes of it:

“I wanted to walk on the grand walls that surround the city.  Xi’an’s ramparts are rare as most city walls were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.  I accessed the walls via some stairs near the South Gate.  From the top, the wall was as wide as the main streets below, and people used bicycles and motorized buggies to navigate its length.  Xi’an’s city walls are over thirteen kilometers long and a marathon is run on it every year. 

The (restored) walls were over seven hundred years old and had been started when Xi’an rivaled Rome as the greatest city on earth.  Each ancient watchtower along the way had been thoroughly converted into a souvenir shop or calligraphy store.  It was a novel experience to be walking on the mighty walls of an ancient city but after thirty minutes, it just got monotonous and boring.  Much of old Xia’an had been torn down by now so, as the writer Colin Thobrun noted, the walls were like the armor casting for a soldier who has long since passed away.” 

We all got together and had rice crispy treats while Randy went out and bought umbrellas!  We left our hotel in a steady drizzle and walked across the street and through a park, then across the moat and up into the old part of the city.  We eventually located an access to the wall, paid our fee and climbed many stairs to its top (Deb, Hannah, and me).  We walked along the top of the wall for over an hour gazing at the old city to our right and the new city to our left!  It was an amazing contrast. 

Some places on the old-city side are obviously expensive apartments and homes!  We saw a number of roof-top restaurants and gardens.  Some homes were quite opulent!  The outside of the wall features a moat with a city park between the moat and the wall.  It was beautifully kept and cared for and featured exercise equipment and ping pong tables.  In nice weather this would obviously be a wonderful area for walking and leisure.

The wall is massive!  It’s top is like a huge highway!  It was obviously prepared to be a defensive stronghold!  It is immaculately kept.  We were almost alone on the wall due to the rain.  At certain points, massive arches release city traffic to the outside of the wall.  These areas tend to be metropolitan areas with shops and restaurants and parks.

     

The moat continues the whole way around the city. The upcoming Spring Festival Days - anticipated.

           Every so often there are buildings on the wall.   You could drive five trucks side-by-side up here!

The old city side…                                                           The new city side… 

Capitalism at work on the wall – rent a bike? 

We met up with Randy and Jessica again and they took us down an interesting street in the old-city section.

         

Arch at the entrance to the street-mall.  A historical tower in the same area.

         

Debbie found a fan shop and – with Jessica’s help – bartered the woman from 95 yuan to 30 yuan per fan!  Gifts for her sisters and sisters-in-law are now in the bag!

Next, we walked about ten blocks in hopes of seeing a famous bell tower, but it was closed for repairs.  I was disappointed.   [The picture is from the internet.]  It’s in the center of a very busy traffic circle!  There are three levels of shopping beneath this intersection!  All pedestrian traffic is routed underground to reduce congestion on the busy intersection.

It was built in 1384 during the Ming Dynasty and is constructed of timber and brick.  It includes several large bronze-cast bells from the Tang Dynasty! 

NOTE:

China is adept at handling pedestrian traffic.  We often see pedestrian bridges in center-city areas.  Several times we have seen massive round pedestrian bridges that cover an entire traffic circle, thereby keeping traffic flowing. 

Crossing intersections is very dangerous here.  Motorcycles and bicycles and motorbikes and carts and three-wheel-taxis along with buses, trucks, and cars are all fighting for space!  Often, pedestrians will clump together for safety and then just cross the street with horns blaring their anger for this intrusion! 

Then we bought subway tickets to take us back to the train station.  We had a long wait and enjoyed some KFC French fries and Dunkin Donut treats while we waited.  Hannah and I took a walk.  While we were gone, Randy, Jessica and Debbie moved to another seat and enjoyed watching our reaction.  It went on a little too long for Hannah;  when we finally located them, she was overcome with tears.  L

Finally, we boarded our bullet train and enjoyed a warm, fast trip back to R’s city.

Sanmenxia had received several inches of wet, slushy snow!  Two bus rides delivered us back to her apartment where she had been working hard on our supper of jiaozi (dumplings).  Today is a mini-holiday that precedes the big Spring Festival.  It is traditional to eat dumplings on this day!  They were delicious – as always! 

         

This dear lady has treated us like royalty and she doesn’t even know us.  Unfortunately, we can’t speak with her without Jessica’s help!  She and her husband have given us a place to stay and are feeding us all of our meals.  They are not Christians yet, but we hope that through Randy and Jessica’s ongoing interventions, they will someday come to know the Lord.  Randy prays before every meal;  they sit quietly as we do so.  It’s amusing to me because Randy prays right out for their salvation!  Of course, they can’t understand, so they have no idea what is being said!  J

 I spent the evening working on the day’s journal entries.  Deb, Randy, Jessica and R played games.  

[Footnote:  A little over a year later, Jessica led her sister and niece to the Lord!!!!]