My dad first did not want me to go to China for a full two months. He was convinced that I would soon be bored. After all, in the past my visits had only been for a few weeks. However, I was a typical stubborn child and retorted that being in China would be less boring than being stuck at home.
In the end? Yes, there were times that I was bored. That is inevitable for any long-term trip. Non-stop action and adventure would be exhausting. Yet I also had many fun and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. In the past two months, I've...
2. Watched a fiery stunt performance during my trip to the ancient Phoenix City...
3. Visited the mountains that they used for the movie Avatar...
4. Touched a tree that Mao Zedong planted as a seedling on my trip to Xi'an...
5. Eaten enough delicious mantou (steamed bread) to last me a lifetime...
So the story of how I got this particular bag of mantou is kind of embarrassing. See, everyone in China made fun of me because I preferred mantou to rice, which to them was a foreign concept. I was at dinner with a large tour group. At one restaurant the mantou was served at the meal like bread would be in the states. At the end of the meal there was still a lot of mantou left. The other diners at my table saw how much I liked the fluffy bread and insisted that I take the rest with me. This caught the notice of the other fellow travelers in our tour group at other tables, and they insisted that I also take the leftover mantou at their respective tables. I was very red-faced but, being familiar with Chinese generosity, decided that it would cause less of a scene if I just accepted the mantou quickly and gratefully.
6. Soaked my feet in snake venom after an arduous, dangerous mountain climb. Apparently it has properties that are good for you? Hey, at least I still have full use of both feet. I do have a picture but I thought I would spare you.
7. Seen the first telephone in China. It was in the Forbidden City in Beijing. I'm so glad we have sleek, convenient cellphones now!
8. Learned to write Chinese calligraphy from my grandfather. He's incredibly skilled at calligraphy.
9. Shopped at many markets for fresh, cheap produce (just be sure to wash it thoroughly!)
10. Spent precious time playing with my adorable cousins!
Oh, can't forget little Jackie! He's the only boy in our whole extended family.
I am going to miss them!
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