The Week After

I've been back one week. Sorry for the delay in posting pics-I
promise I'll have some more up soon. The photo gallery beside me is
the first glimpse of some of the pictures I took.

Off to Beijing

Well, I've packed my pack again and I'm about to jump on a overnight
train to Beijing with my parents. Apparently the train experience is
one I must have in my time here. I've gotta admit, I'm pretty excited
about the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and maybe even the Olympic
stadium. Enjoy the pics of Suzhou, they are the only ones I can
upload so far. Later...

Not so much Tourism, Jet Lag, Food, Picsand lots of Stares

So, I haven't updated in about a week, and the simple explanation is
that I have been pretty busy. When I arrived last Wednesday night, I
was almost immediately hurried off to a massage-which I would
recommend to anyone who flies for 15 hours straight.....and for $20
per hour, who can argue with that? Afterwards, we enjoyed pizza from
a place named Marios-good stuff. The panoramic picture at the top of
this page was taken from just outside the restaurant.
The next morning I accompanied my mom and her group of
volunteers to an orphanage just outside of Suzhou-what a way to start
my vacation right? 20 something kids, ranging from newborn to 20
years old, most abandoned for no other reason than having a simple
physical flaw. The state gives the orphanage 400RMB per child per
month, and at the current conversion rate, that is about $60US.
Shocking, but revealing, considering I spend that much per month on
dog food. After the orphanage, and a quick shower, my mom and I were
treated to authentic Chinese from one of the students that she teaches
English to. Really good food, if you throw out the two dishes of tofu
and jellyfish!!!! The rest of my week was spent seeing the local
sites, which I'll post pictures from soon, eating at my parents
favorite local venues, watching my dad haggle prices for everything,
and getting stared at by the locals. Apparently 6'1" men with lots of
facial hair are pretty seldom seen around here......
After my jet lag crash on Friday night, which I slept for about 12
hours, my dad and I played golf. Good times. The rest of the
weekend was spent doing more sightseeing, and getting introduced to my
parent's friends. This place is unbelievable. I'll update some more
tonight, and hopefully get the pictures uploaded soon too. Off to
some more sightseeing.

Landing in Shanghai

So I have landed in Shanghai, ridden in a car with a driver who speaks
no English for 2 hours, and settled into my parents condo. Now it's
apparently time for a massage and pizza. What a welcome. On the
drive from Shanghai to Suzhou, since the driver didn't speak English,
and I don't speak Chinese, I attempted German with him-----why?
Anyways-I'm here, I'm safe, and I'm tired..

Wireless in Chicago

Got off the plane, went to update the site, and find out i must pay
for the WiFi in Chicago.....Thanks O'Hare

The Great Indoors

It is ironic that I love the outdoors so much, yet I spend the
majority of my time inside air conditioned buildings, around computers
and technology. Even if I am outdoors, with rare aception am I
without an arms reach from my trusty iPhone, which connects me to the
world and beyond. Maybe I'll take a break from this plugged in
lifestyle and free my mind to wander the great world outside a little
more..

China Trip Looming Close

So, I've got a great trip planned for me in about a week. After spending the first 25 years of my life on a single continent, and the majority of that time in the SouthEastern United States, I'm going abroad. Not for too long, but pretty far considering I've never had a passport until today. I'll be visiting my parents in China for about two weeks! I hope to post more via email, and if your reading this blog, you probably already know that. Check out the pics and stories as I travel to Shanghai, Beijing, and Suzhou.