Beth and Debbie's Visit!

I know this is late in being written but oh well, what else am I gonna do!

Beth and Debbie came for one week! It was wonderful to have them here. I set them up with a friend of mine in Beijing so they could see the Great Wall during their layover. Monday night I picked them up at the airport in Xiangfan and we drove (2 hours) home to my apartment on campus. They fell asleep in the car, so when we arrived we were all wide awake. For me it was the excitement of having family here! I made them some (authentic) Chinese food to eat while we talked and watched a movie. During this time I opened "my" suitcases of gifts from the states! They had brought one and a half suitcases full of stuff for me! Not only gifts for me but also over 430 plastic Easter eggs and American candy to put inside each one. (I used the eggs in my classes - as part of Culture I taught them about Easter and gave them each a gift - an egg - for Easter!) They enjoyed it, especially since I also read a book about the meaning of Easter my mom sent along! It helped them understand!

Calling mom on my computer to tell her they arrived safely!

Tuesday I took them into town, by bus, to the market and supermarket. They were able to experience what I go through to buy food. We walked around for a bit and then headed back home to make lunch. That evening we made dinner for 4 of my students who joined us.

Wednesday we spent the morning at Wudang Mountain (the birthplace of martial arts and where Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was filmed).

Since they had just "climbed" (literally) the Great Wall two days prior they were sore and we were unable to hike the mountain. Instead we took the cable car up and down. The bus from the bottom to the cable car and back was not one we ever wanted to experience again! It was such a winding road that there were no less than 3 people throwing up each time. It was disgusting! And the smells, oh the smells!! Blech!

The view was incredible! It was a remarkably clear day (at least for China!)

The signs and line for the cable car going down was ridiculous.

By the way if you suffer from giddiness you cannot ride the cable car!!

Thursday morning I went to my classes, we had lunch with Jessi, Rusty, and Brittany, then headed to Xiangfan to hop on board a train to Xi'an (home of the Terra Cotta Soldiers)! We arrived in Xi'an early Friday morning and proceeded to buy returning train tickets first, then get a taxi to our hotel. When we arrived at the hotel we showered (a must after being on a Chinese train for 10 hours or so even in a soft sleeper - private room with a door and 4 beds - softer than mine!!) and got a car from the hotel to take us to... STARBUCKS!!! YAY!!!! After Starbucks we spent a few hours at the Terra Cotta pits learning about its history and went shopping at a market. Xi'an is a beautiful city! Of all the cities in China I have been to, Xi'an is definitely one of my top 2 (Hangzhou being the other)! It has everything you could need (Chinese standards - even for a foreigner!) We enjoyed our time shopping (market and Super Walmart) and then went to eat dinner at the Hilton!! It was one of the best meals I have had in 8 months!! We were well fed!!
Saturday morning we got up early to hit Starbucks one last time on our way to the train station. When we arrived at the train station we started running because our train was on the platform and we did not want to miss it! This train trip was in the hard sleepers and all day long. It left about 8am and we did not get into ShiYan until about 5:30ish. On the train we listened to our iPods, chatted, and played games. Not only did we entertain ourselves but also other people on the train! We played a dice game, Farkle, and then played a card game, SET. Since hard sleepers are open (no door), everytime someone would walk by they did a double take or would stop and stare. While playing two men came over and treid to learn to play by watching. Debbie and I tried to teach him. I think he was a bit confused but in the end understood. It was pretty comical! (BUT - a special THANKS to my mom for getting me a little Mandarin Chinese Translation Pocket Guide - it has proved EXTREMELY useful this year - THANKS MOM!!)

In ShiYan we also stopped at McDonalds for dinner (where Debbie used her first ever squatty potty!! I haven't had it since Thanksgiving. "Beef" hit the spot!

Sunday we met with my group of friends and chatted for a little while. We spent the rest of the day shopping in town and hanging out! It was definitely needed!!

I was sad to see them go, but Monday I had to take them back to the airport. I know they were glad to have the experience and ready to go home. It was certainly my pleasure to entertain them while they were here! I hope they enjoyed their time as much as I did having them!! IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!