tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78315845361529569492024-03-05T00:55:36.280-05:00. : . . : . . : .Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-20022524033756177042011-01-20T23:31:00.002-05:002011-01-20T23:32:19.845-05:00SamoasDo you loooove Girl Scout cookie Samoas, and miss them all year? If so, try this.<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/01/04/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-samoas-or-caramel-delites/">http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/01/04/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-samoas-or-caramel-delites/</a><br /><br /><br /> I haven't tried it yet, but I am expecting great things!!Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-8318540087200407382010-12-19T20:50:00.013-05:002010-12-19T22:13:52.634-05:00studyingI started studying for the CPA exam on November 29th. I'm using the Becker Review course materials, and the self study plan (as compared to classroom or online class). If I stick to my current plan (to.the.day.) and pass all four parts on the first try, I will be finished on 8/22/2011. So, realistically, I would just like to be finished anytime before 2012. After passing the first section, I have a rolling 18 month window to pass the other 3 or I lose credit. <br /><br />I started with FAR (Financial Accounting and Reporting) which contains the most study material, and is supposed to be the toughest section to pass. After conquering that (hopefully - passing grade is a 75%) I will move on to REG (Regulation), then AUD (Audit), and finally BEC (Business Environment and Concepts. <br /><br />The first week was ok, but now I'm several weeks in and I am already feeling discouraged - mostly because it looks like a mountain in front of me, and I've basically taken 2 steps. I've questioned why I am even putting myself through this, and I cleaned my apartment spotless just to procrastinate studying - I even ironed. The other day, I spent 20 minutes online reading articles about procrastination (yes, I was procrastinating). By golly, what do you think I am doing right now??<br /><br />This is one of my Becker instructors (Peter Onlinto) giving a pep talk. HAH<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxurvsjFDMg&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxurvsjFDMg&feature=related</a><br /><br />As this endeavor progresses, I'm hoping I'll get into a study groove and just accept it as what I am choosing to do in life right now. Right at this very minute, though, I need another pep talk and something to look forward to.Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-64236115827582640032010-12-13T01:33:00.004-05:002010-12-13T01:36:53.890-05:00funny!This is a video of Tim Hawkins talking about Hand Sanitizer - HAHAH<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzxlv5vdN9I&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wzxlv5vdN9I&feature=related</a>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-34812466962545519222010-07-06T00:02:00.002-04:002010-12-19T21:19:55.003-05:00updateAn update on life is in order.<br /><br />I did get a rabbit (see post below), and I’ll share a funny story. I bought cute matching ceramic bowls for his food and water, thinking it would make his cage look nicer. Unfortunately…rabbits don’t care much about aesthetics. He thought they were fun to tip over, and he had a ball knocking them over and scooting them around. I’ve resorted to a water dispenser, and an old cottage cheese container, which is pinned in a corner with two twisty ties. As soon as I set the new food bowl in his cage, and before I had even touched the twisty ties, he had the whole thing upside down, with food all over the floor inside and outside the cage. I was like, “you have got to be kidding, Woodrow” but he just looked up at me with his cute bunny ears, and little brown eyes.<br /><br />Now that I have prevailed, at least for now, in the war against dumping the vita vittles, I will write about something else.<br /><br />Nah.<br /><br />I'm currently watching Woodrow take a nap (do rabbits ever shut their eyes?) in his litter box. Whatever, do what you want Woods’, it’s your decision where you want to catch some Zzs. I think that was my cue to stop with the blogging and go to sleep. Goodnight then.Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-1113505977502453802010-06-30T22:45:00.002-04:002010-06-30T22:59:22.933-04:00Nom nom nom<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTGeqAErEHWHIdsw3NJ8wD0XdrTgIyeYEdxoFYEZVdUC481jG1Ro9GBtIMLzD7wDjmPHElqMjtJ3cTlA_Gpjr6iYFMcre7giXINbG3Nm6wpruoB1-XInxW0ZLuhAinr3JhpO_Vhu4pIM/s1600/DSCN2526b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTGeqAErEHWHIdsw3NJ8wD0XdrTgIyeYEdxoFYEZVdUC481jG1Ro9GBtIMLzD7wDjmPHElqMjtJ3cTlA_Gpjr6iYFMcre7giXINbG3Nm6wpruoB1-XInxW0ZLuhAinr3JhpO_Vhu4pIM/s400/DSCN2526b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488763679609320002" /></a><br /><br />Say hello to Woodrow. He came home with me on Saturday, from the Tipp City Artisan Festival. He is a sweetie, and he loves kisses on the nose. He also loves running in circles on my screened/glassed in patio, and chomping on carrots like there is no tomorrow.<br /><br />I'm not even kidding - Woods' is litter box trained! One of the corners of his cage has a triangle litter box, and he knows just what to do. He is a really curious little guy, and I'm excited to have him around!Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-6715410649770229342010-04-09T12:23:00.004-04:002010-04-09T12:37:32.715-04:00desktop backgroundI'm one of those people who changes my desktop background all the time. Here is the latest, just as a little memory for those who miss reading about my adventures in Hong Kong, and because it is a wicked awesome picture. yes, I just said that.<br /><br />Jordan Hart -I am now talking directly to you - did someone take an infrared photo, you think? Or, is this the result of the shutter being open for a long time at night, and the city lights are glowing on the mountain...and someone enhanced the colors?<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZkejB1KRuFL8Bad0wjeXgFvAHmG3aIdK-T9SAKwOnZo1nmGI8NX_qfL9dPVm-qXnoJ0SgRuQDjpr4JLppHdOGl_VbWRNAu_x4_U3gs7WUWmMNiTrt5zQ89XPTNbE_dEEKptGJjvBECU/s1600/Hong+Kong+at+Night.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6ZkejB1KRuFL8Bad0wjeXgFvAHmG3aIdK-T9SAKwOnZo1nmGI8NX_qfL9dPVm-qXnoJ0SgRuQDjpr4JLppHdOGl_VbWRNAu_x4_U3gs7WUWmMNiTrt5zQ89XPTNbE_dEEKptGJjvBECU/s400/Hong+Kong+at+Night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458176168990537410" border="0" /></a>http://library.thinkquest.org/07aug/01297/index.htmlWhitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-90793192359359105272010-03-16T13:34:00.008-04:002010-03-16T18:49:19.205-04:00Counting Down33 days of actual class left. 53 days until graduation day. Just sayin'<br /><br />Spring Break was glorious. I hung out with my relatives, laughed a lot, and dissected a pig. I suppose I could explain myself on that last one, but I like the shock effect. It really did happen, though.Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-82272745482634913532010-02-11T21:07:00.003-05:002010-02-11T21:25:35.627-05:008 minutesSo, I have this aerobics DVD. There are three different types of workouts, and each type has three ten-minute workouts. The idea is that you can mix and match any of the workouts into a custom routine. You get to create your plan, which is kind of fun.<br /><br />The only problem is that I never make 30 minute workouts. I go to the custom option, and select one ten minute workout. Since the DVD lets me do what I want...I do. What is <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> great is that the first minute and the last minute are basically spent stretching to get ready for the exercise, and then cooling down. That means I actually get my heart rate up for about 8 minutes.<br /><br />I've decided that it works for me. Typically, I pull it out when I feel like I've been sitting still for too many hours. Usually it's dark outside, so I can't go for a walk. If my goal was to burn calories, it would be pretty lame, but the 8 minute sessions work for me. One final note - I have no idea what compelled me to write about that in a blog, other than the fact that I just burned, like, 4 skittles doing a workout.Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-58266630293645078862010-01-26T00:00:00.008-05:002010-01-26T00:19:48.335-05:00The MTR songI thought I'd add this to my blog - it's a good memory. My dorm was a 15 minute walk from the Kowloon Tong station...where the green crosses the blue.<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Stwb7KmfQ"><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Stwb7KmfQ</a>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-63361265290891513672009-12-14T13:32:00.005-05:002009-12-14T14:59:22.209-05:00My MasterpieceThursday's essay test in my business capstone class? Bring it on! You can't tell from the picture, but every new topic begins with a bold title. All I need to do is draw some charts at the bottom, label topics in the margins, and maybe do some color coding with highlighters. Six point font is very readable..and I am happy that all I needed from 6+ chapters fit on my allowed "one-sided cheat sheet." Thank you, Dr. Pinto, for being nice to your seniors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxQ0rqrELD0m_thtV3UfOYfcQ_T3ToTr7Eq6kHXsiJtpuOY0J9vtw8zeE0DcQrDhFXrtuDZ-dTljtaEOvEsp5g2lbl2yjmHGKXCa68Kw9kto5r9pOQSMeBx3R-oBxXjfteDbgRpQJf_U/s1600-h/DSCN2459.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxQ0rqrELD0m_thtV3UfOYfcQ_T3ToTr7Eq6kHXsiJtpuOY0J9vtw8zeE0DcQrDhFXrtuDZ-dTljtaEOvEsp5g2lbl2yjmHGKXCa68Kw9kto5r9pOQSMeBx3R-oBxXjfteDbgRpQJf_U/s400/DSCN2459.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415161837404787042" /></a><br /><br />Now I just have to get ready for the other finals. All of this test taking really adds up...I have been evaluated by spitting information out on paper for about 15 years. I agree with a comment in my friend Liana's last post. To paraphrase what she said, I am thankful for the opportunity to get an education, and want to continue to learn throughout life, but I'm happy to be almost out of the cycle of (learn, hw, exam, project, exam, final)x5. Christmas break is going to be glorious.Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-19575934312609401222009-12-05T22:50:00.004-05:002009-12-05T23:49:08.524-05:00What I want for Christmas!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A0enPWWXCyNTv8hQM_F-L5ZaoazC5qIqpd3m6b7MkUJ2UU0hbMFysRnZKb-lcW7PQ_y15j_0jhh2oDd1LSLA6fSQjB9wI1VWBuxT2oWn10esrbOpywvRLdsH4-izO7vTJFO0I9RmMEQ/s1600-h/labradoodle_wilson.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A0enPWWXCyNTv8hQM_F-L5ZaoazC5qIqpd3m6b7MkUJ2UU0hbMFysRnZKb-lcW7PQ_y15j_0jhh2oDd1LSLA6fSQjB9wI1VWBuxT2oWn10esrbOpywvRLdsH4-izO7vTJFO0I9RmMEQ/s400/labradoodle_wilson.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411979166332614770" /></a><br />A labradoodle!<br /><br />Ok, maybe that wouldn't be the best choice right now, considering I live in an apartment where animals aren't welcome, aaand I don't have a job.<br /><br />But my parents didn't ask what I needed/what was practical, they asked what I wanted! :)<br /><br />Anyways...I am thinking of blogging again. After I returned home from Hong Kong I took a 7 month break from it, because I didn't know what to say. My "travel blog" froze when I walked off the plane, but it's thawing out! I took the world clocks off, changed the picture, took off the cheesy name, and picked new colors. Ah, there we go, not all posts need to say "Fun week in Beijing" now, they can say "Fun week in BG." It's pretty much the same title, anyways...just a little abbreviated. :)<br /><br />Christmas break is 12 days away, and I'm ready to bake some cookies, relax, and read some books. I'll also probably update my resume and think about getting serious about finding a job for when my education chapter closes this May. <br /><br />That's all for now, I shall end with another picture of a labrador + poodle. These are images from google, btw.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHCkIDA5cVmj81YMuzmzjBStnKAXH3p8xUSEDi50ng3-nkL8vLifDhAQKJqzthYfgJ539ITFk1lcYGoXz9pzihtRqClmIeZSsLncVQArpEPcvOw1RsY4fDFGtm5o9VjYtyoIprx7gtG8/s1600-h/1198067584australian_labradoodle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHCkIDA5cVmj81YMuzmzjBStnKAXH3p8xUSEDi50ng3-nkL8vLifDhAQKJqzthYfgJ539ITFk1lcYGoXz9pzihtRqClmIeZSsLncVQArpEPcvOw1RsY4fDFGtm5o9VjYtyoIprx7gtG8/s400/1198067584australian_labradoodle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411973064548044802" /></a>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-29214763014511171542009-05-17T11:38:00.005-04:002009-05-17T12:10:12.577-04:00Going HomeWell then, I guess that about wraps things up on this continent--Finals are over! Between the library and a silent study area on the 19th floor of my dorm, I have been sitting still a lot lately! <br /><br />Speaking of the 19th floor, what’s up with people leaving their stuff unattended? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerfUVe2XEewCAHWV0rFmB_8-HzspFHgExgOVDMDdYPN72OYmicn0ttTcf-2SNCPWYOB_daAQl48BpOWhzaePIelCXa0ygEB2RgdSCLLoasajGhSfFl_SgIMtK3gMLuoZCF-9JTZCTdwQ/s1600-h/DSCN2301.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerfUVe2XEewCAHWV0rFmB_8-HzspFHgExgOVDMDdYPN72OYmicn0ttTcf-2SNCPWYOB_daAQl48BpOWhzaePIelCXa0ygEB2RgdSCLLoasajGhSfFl_SgIMtK3gMLuoZCF-9JTZCTdwQ/s400/DSCN2301.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336819744829674450" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GE5KR_d09lVfSn_FhwGfvJyNctMssrsc5Lj8aQrBws3E4n9ge8mOC91Cqj3dxI6a4QpJClE1sf0_A8eoH5WOGfS-BqMuarcpTfe78VgURjZsFzwEGUZYcYrpZUp-DGDptQ8Xh-bGKmw/s1600-h/DSCN2300.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3GE5KR_d09lVfSn_FhwGfvJyNctMssrsc5Lj8aQrBws3E4n9ge8mOC91Cqj3dxI6a4QpJClE1sf0_A8eoH5WOGfS-BqMuarcpTfe78VgURjZsFzwEGUZYcYrpZUp-DGDptQ8Xh-bGKmw/s400/DSCN2300.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336819742517018946" /></a><br /><br />I mean, more than just a textbook and binder….we are talking cups, snacks, bags, sweaters, calculators, etc. I saw a sign on the door to the room that said “Please do not leave items unattended for more than three days during the exam period.” Really? This is one of the many things this semester that has been so different from what I’m used to. I took this picture pretty early in the day, not many people, but the room really fills up from about 7:30pm to 1 am!<br /><br />The view from my room sure has transformed during the last four months. I started out watching dump trucks carrying away dirt, and look at the progress! The bamboo scaffolding is going strong, and the crane is hard-core. Hearing construction everyday has certainly been a trial, and I’ve learned a lot of tolerance, but I’m happy that there is only one more morning of it! I think that the new building is going to be some part of the university, possibly a visual arts building…something like that. Bummer for the future kids who are going to lose the view! I know my roommate came in multiple times at night to find me sitting on my desk and staring out the window…I just couldn’t help it. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2BFQnL1FS9MLjR2mkVIEWiVmbLBZXvhaq-TCHwIh4BjX6RXM_4no0lENjKcV5Wxwx5eQyFBQ_gV-OJxRjZ0gV2vzg4Xg0URgCXLGfZW6Q5pSLO1PW_FbMOJTTX1mcTypO3lVWn4nE5U/s1600-h/DSCN2307.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2BFQnL1FS9MLjR2mkVIEWiVmbLBZXvhaq-TCHwIh4BjX6RXM_4no0lENjKcV5Wxwx5eQyFBQ_gV-OJxRjZ0gV2vzg4Xg0URgCXLGfZW6Q5pSLO1PW_FbMOJTTX1mcTypO3lVWn4nE5U/s400/DSCN2307.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336819752017931122" /></a><br /><br />This morning was the last church service with the people I love in Hong Kong. I am sure going to miss this bunch, they made me feel so welcome. These folks are so sweet, and I will cherish the memories.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypoUx53IBTc3Gz4_A2zimlr2l2gaiwENzn2Z5lDcErvUKQoiflCBtafeJ9JRA2xZBlWWvTTNvH454BO8FwHsMmTGZdE9L2GJHm-WXe_tFL-WuIdHHzpzONLCUmVgscmKW3_LdHgqMP3A/s1600-h/DSCN2311.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhypoUx53IBTc3Gz4_A2zimlr2l2gaiwENzn2Z5lDcErvUKQoiflCBtafeJ9JRA2xZBlWWvTTNvH454BO8FwHsMmTGZdE9L2GJHm-WXe_tFL-WuIdHHzpzONLCUmVgscmKW3_LdHgqMP3A/s400/DSCN2311.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5336819755289844930" /></a><br /><br /><br />One more little topic to add…<br /><br />My parents got an email from my home university, basically letting them know what I might act like as I “re-acclimate” to life in the USA. You know, wanting to make sure the memories live on by talking about them, feeling frustrated that my international experiences have no role in my day-to day-life, or being depressed that I am reverting back to my old self after a period of growth and change. Some students might even feel condescending towards norms in the US. I’m not a psychologist, but I certainly can see how students that go abroad might encounter these feelings upon return. <br /><br />However, I don’t think it will be too much of an issue for me. I had a nice time, don’t get me wrong, but I’m ready to be home sweet home. I’m sure it will help knowing that the best friend I made will be in Cleveland all summer, and I can always go visit her and revive some of our stories. Hmm..Perhaps I will go on about how amazing the MTR is, or how I really miss all the tea options. Hahaha, we shall see. If I do, just smile and nod, maybe add a couple uh-huhs in there somewhere and all will be well. I don’t foresee there being too much of a reverse culture-shock in my circumstance, but if I’m wrong, don’t say I didn’t warn you. :P<br /><br />THANKS for following my travels—sharing made me feel less far away!Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-76005296831284254552009-04-29T09:49:00.012-04:002009-04-29T11:01:14.449-04:00Ocean ParkThe semester is winding down! In an effort to have one more fun day before studying completely takes over, Liana, Sophie, Anne, and I went to Ocean Park. It’s an amusement park, but the major lure is the Panda’s and ocean life. We had a really good day, and I took some fun photos of God’s AMAZING creatures. The colors were so vibrant, and I was especially captivated by the Jelly Fish exhibit. <br /><br />Before the Ocean Park pics, two others need space in the bloggersphere...I Finally made it up to Victoria Peak on a clear night. It was quite a view!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgP77F58P7bcdPGcroEajShwykVkRgNQcF-1_IVP46v5plcOdBs8YDsuRQBK-iiwFJIBjh0FHi6HNIm_MnqsADkCtrFtGRsJOUifgiIbVxdAzF7rAy57YYpdVvFahjDhsQzkLrG6vXic/s1600-h/DSCN2120.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgP77F58P7bcdPGcroEajShwykVkRgNQcF-1_IVP46v5plcOdBs8YDsuRQBK-iiwFJIBjh0FHi6HNIm_MnqsADkCtrFtGRsJOUifgiIbVxdAzF7rAy57YYpdVvFahjDhsQzkLrG6vXic/s400/DSCN2120.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330120668392926690" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7CnQWYMkNMZLdfr-QVwxfkWCLf0PIx9taygbOIk5S4UQQesHJKLAJ-wTr3GhFofsUIDufvbRuvLzG4lrpXRkxGvRrfWgBAr6A4OjOVpoAwMvhn8cQtD8hKPPjQ1IURzI7AHPSE4CuAE/s1600-h/DSCN2129.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7CnQWYMkNMZLdfr-QVwxfkWCLf0PIx9taygbOIk5S4UQQesHJKLAJ-wTr3GhFofsUIDufvbRuvLzG4lrpXRkxGvRrfWgBAr6A4OjOVpoAwMvhn8cQtD8hKPPjQ1IURzI7AHPSE4CuAE/s400/DSCN2129.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330120660735436882" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cpKbQPlP3dsBelzjV7CjRNGaVoOw2_6BF0WnSNg0YRfMWIwof_LKtU16XafKHyCGKOaxPnQmFADjHDuLyYAR1tF9aRIJ3w5I3-rEoEmZiSo4VNJpdxhQ06H5ycIs-yVYRLQfN5ZISFM/s1600-h/DSCN2175.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cpKbQPlP3dsBelzjV7CjRNGaVoOw2_6BF0WnSNg0YRfMWIwof_LKtU16XafKHyCGKOaxPnQmFADjHDuLyYAR1tF9aRIJ3w5I3-rEoEmZiSo4VNJpdxhQ06H5ycIs-yVYRLQfN5ZISFM/s400/DSCN2175.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330120364700769538" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zwRU4fLFtmI69VDWj18bCL4B7Zclhk5clbVqwFPpKrnxFaCprqN9arHYy3iq1JnHX3mrbIosvq5iVTux10Xv4tcOG0s6-8oMapuqvJIUWuZrCuttEQVuPzVohYPGbyo4Iz9bpd0cvvc/s1600-h/DSCN2185.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4zwRU4fLFtmI69VDWj18bCL4B7Zclhk5clbVqwFPpKrnxFaCprqN9arHYy3iq1JnHX3mrbIosvq5iVTux10Xv4tcOG0s6-8oMapuqvJIUWuZrCuttEQVuPzVohYPGbyo4Iz9bpd0cvvc/s400/DSCN2185.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330120361154193746" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTmUVvdRHMbEO37Lxw9xBloc_y3CN4taRBQGg7wS-zQ-BINxNBlG2pp8L3eyiemfdszZAatlcFtzcIX7jc0PUudw8xZU_-DYoHjIUmoKciA_vTjbjXuBnphtbluiom-yHbVlW_unbCPk/s1600-h/DSCN2195.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTmUVvdRHMbEO37Lxw9xBloc_y3CN4taRBQGg7wS-zQ-BINxNBlG2pp8L3eyiemfdszZAatlcFtzcIX7jc0PUudw8xZU_-DYoHjIUmoKciA_vTjbjXuBnphtbluiom-yHbVlW_unbCPk/s400/DSCN2195.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330120356921275586" /></a><br />My radiant friend, Liana!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7_9An7Q8410Je1e3ULHunC00xrfL6-zThvNA5kRSb9HPNPopdyPqkpYvrqwbSJSvAAJa3Nlem33E-T0lM-ik4JOJEJWD01zf3UiHf_OdiJnhC1XbpcWom6E0iWqQXo-QweIB21tCdJA/s1600-h/DSCN2200.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7_9An7Q8410Je1e3ULHunC00xrfL6-zThvNA5kRSb9HPNPopdyPqkpYvrqwbSJSvAAJa3Nlem33E-T0lM-ik4JOJEJWD01zf3UiHf_OdiJnhC1XbpcWom6E0iWqQXo-QweIB21tCdJA/s400/DSCN2200.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330120354465292626" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyLTlzsesQgdkRwVA5IGIuQnx2m0kkt6qD0rHYaRKPk7rAbEkUB6x5fl9lnDld_rBC8n0c7HkeVDVeJW5Cpr0JSP2m65PA7suABES2r7jeWgRYs-6uxGGgHMH4fongZErT5Wgj8-J4AU/s1600-h/DSCN2213.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyLTlzsesQgdkRwVA5IGIuQnx2m0kkt6qD0rHYaRKPk7rAbEkUB6x5fl9lnDld_rBC8n0c7HkeVDVeJW5Cpr0JSP2m65PA7suABES2r7jeWgRYs-6uxGGgHMH4fongZErT5Wgj8-J4AU/s400/DSCN2213.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330120346549800178" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Z-ZaD6pc4h2j_Q8jozxyfnG8Wi4NqVF7qR7TyUS8HD_Dz_ZXLDdxcEdT3K6hKetZ64JTXw8kOes0lHyd5mnpbTvmIChaocNwgu1Z5Q4Bi9QTH4WFiZsBmM3BtFy681tqrsiPGBSeSwQ/s1600-h/DSCN2216.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Z-ZaD6pc4h2j_Q8jozxyfnG8Wi4NqVF7qR7TyUS8HD_Dz_ZXLDdxcEdT3K6hKetZ64JTXw8kOes0lHyd5mnpbTvmIChaocNwgu1Z5Q4Bi9QTH4WFiZsBmM3BtFy681tqrsiPGBSeSwQ/s400/DSCN2216.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330119979608613346" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkzY0bUlcI4tMe14ig4cYf3zzuQ9FIOlMTvvszj0QDvci_Z00TqsLwCmPAbYc2nq2oKorTHygcmupSK4ZxVR5pWPWlKOy8NjW9o8GdYV2RyaiD_hiMFAYsw4yBvcOHVybIMZvhyQCBbs/s1600-h/DSCN2223.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkzY0bUlcI4tMe14ig4cYf3zzuQ9FIOlMTvvszj0QDvci_Z00TqsLwCmPAbYc2nq2oKorTHygcmupSK4ZxVR5pWPWlKOy8NjW9o8GdYV2RyaiD_hiMFAYsw4yBvcOHVybIMZvhyQCBbs/s400/DSCN2223.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330119975987019074" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguofY0pJSkxJz73e2G52oLAZP3kCx6HGzpIJwiMkP01EaTMZRYnXeX907Vpb2Jh_68Y4fSmPTIQzXUGiJC-1Jv_bJAX6__R-FUHrA0aGu1lwxE3EZZkrB0JH0Ia6jme2B5jSbQOjPCKBc/s1600-h/DSCN2230.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguofY0pJSkxJz73e2G52oLAZP3kCx6HGzpIJwiMkP01EaTMZRYnXeX907Vpb2Jh_68Y4fSmPTIQzXUGiJC-1Jv_bJAX6__R-FUHrA0aGu1lwxE3EZZkrB0JH0Ia6jme2B5jSbQOjPCKBc/s400/DSCN2230.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330119968618674258" /></a><br />It seems that all clown fish have been permanently named Nemo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMen0A-rYOkgQqklJ2Nas7wBAGFL7w2vkDuiVqk9d2ZKIusoihQs3e22RbDiS_mDD8vHfvgeQOGfIlANtp_eab4bKS_JqSraaP9nMOmqs_4lYb2ZHh9SkiIhyhbJkVQU0SJVzVSd-Cww/s1600-h/DSCN2234.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMen0A-rYOkgQqklJ2Nas7wBAGFL7w2vkDuiVqk9d2ZKIusoihQs3e22RbDiS_mDD8vHfvgeQOGfIlANtp_eab4bKS_JqSraaP9nMOmqs_4lYb2ZHh9SkiIhyhbJkVQU0SJVzVSd-Cww/s400/DSCN2234.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330119964224121298" /></a><br />This was a four story, viewing aquarium simulating an atoll reef. Liana said all the fish are very well fed in aquariums like this, which makes sense so that they can coexist more peacefully.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gSIlHjswfihX8A8qG9IHvFT9xUqYgxSF7nC0l2xyB0KGnnYUvWsNmu5YN787lu0WJI8RlB1Lns-dgrCx9w67cOhft04tLSbFct7bp8t8kD8yM4DlO5qWsAlqW328W6uV_eAteCrvd2Q/s1600-h/DSCN2245.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_gSIlHjswfihX8A8qG9IHvFT9xUqYgxSF7nC0l2xyB0KGnnYUvWsNmu5YN787lu0WJI8RlB1Lns-dgrCx9w67cOhft04tLSbFct7bp8t8kD8yM4DlO5qWsAlqW328W6uV_eAteCrvd2Q/s400/DSCN2245.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330119517818999618" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPKciJyM7pwn5glt9VzUbsL69mJlKofSNiWSge16bKeHXPzuQhd1pFck3WMMksPbOKq-JeTH4ZBR6GrEWHC30hFW3KUO88CxJ7EoqVliAKtjPQk3nXP544XSNaG3jHWdzk9u8QO4QRDA/s1600-h/DSCN2263.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPKciJyM7pwn5glt9VzUbsL69mJlKofSNiWSge16bKeHXPzuQhd1pFck3WMMksPbOKq-JeTH4ZBR6GrEWHC30hFW3KUO88CxJ7EoqVliAKtjPQk3nXP544XSNaG3jHWdzk9u8QO4QRDA/s400/DSCN2263.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330119511465440162" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpweFFpZmwWB6y1RwBLGV7GfhfIZAo_d6LpKy0Bf257Htw4JikTlHGiIvbMIdkJKNKK0knsW0BDp_7KXKe5grXo0u0m1YLO_F7MOLt_9XBE_W26-1p_2WKMezKjoeUH3BY2S_9xgm7eFA/s1600-h/DSCN2281.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpweFFpZmwWB6y1RwBLGV7GfhfIZAo_d6LpKy0Bf257Htw4JikTlHGiIvbMIdkJKNKK0knsW0BDp_7KXKe5grXo0u0m1YLO_F7MOLt_9XBE_W26-1p_2WKMezKjoeUH3BY2S_9xgm7eFA/s400/DSCN2281.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330119507807105890" /></a><br />Quote of the day: “He has fish in his purse”<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OzYfTnX6fRs78-WBuzXcSQui8QWmYXGTqVryIken-2VEEZpGhKjxZbhnmvwhnV21h1tXgUwVMJCmpEcYCWAOv8rLLnPc-PZnb2jOeXZGLZ-LGE-pMGwxSxOrFR5c54-aEcHACfsH3Ig/s1600-h/DSCN2289.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4OzYfTnX6fRs78-WBuzXcSQui8QWmYXGTqVryIken-2VEEZpGhKjxZbhnmvwhnV21h1tXgUwVMJCmpEcYCWAOv8rLLnPc-PZnb2jOeXZGLZ-LGE-pMGwxSxOrFR5c54-aEcHACfsH3Ig/s400/DSCN2289.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330118977695937602" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9xzArtylDieRbUgQ6dTkdeapunQb2mfQjC4SPfBO-p-N1cZ8bOP0fDTwKistxYwyhqgLCAYXkIGUJgsfLHHVvgBxSYic1geXpCGqNATOzPHzNl4aJP6D5aUPY1gbdS9_LKo62vebMZ8/s1600-h/DSCN2291.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB9xzArtylDieRbUgQ6dTkdeapunQb2mfQjC4SPfBO-p-N1cZ8bOP0fDTwKistxYwyhqgLCAYXkIGUJgsfLHHVvgBxSYic1geXpCGqNATOzPHzNl4aJP6D5aUPY1gbdS9_LKo62vebMZ8/s400/DSCN2291.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330118975936251938" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jAyjCmSx47b4-AYJ9bFXO3cdrfVlrd3oImUFxMLq9aFXDfKnBkb3wl6Hemo5pe3GjXCxmlsNnLOAVOVJbg4B6819AVsfZEm7c4TTkfe-PotWtes4fPTe_LO_VZgN9UOOIC6JT6E9tjY/s1600-h/DSCN2292.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jAyjCmSx47b4-AYJ9bFXO3cdrfVlrd3oImUFxMLq9aFXDfKnBkb3wl6Hemo5pe3GjXCxmlsNnLOAVOVJbg4B6819AVsfZEm7c4TTkfe-PotWtes4fPTe_LO_VZgN9UOOIC6JT6E9tjY/s400/DSCN2292.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330118969301188306" /></a><br />the new home for the Panda's...opening soon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IvND4Rf8OgHbZH3of5anvphyphenhyphenkxI-bLYG_RtG-6U9K4k7x-w8M7KMjPp_LpUke7vhu7GAqeUDbgJCSIfLrlvkspH2G1hOpznMfBlqfSGXI6qNyRnE5hPgoW2E7VMgaMZtHlBYQHAfqU4/s1600-h/DSCN2297.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IvND4Rf8OgHbZH3of5anvphyphenhyphenkxI-bLYG_RtG-6U9K4k7x-w8M7KMjPp_LpUke7vhu7GAqeUDbgJCSIfLrlvkspH2G1hOpznMfBlqfSGXI6qNyRnE5hPgoW2E7VMgaMZtHlBYQHAfqU4/s400/DSCN2297.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330118966197876482" /></a>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-20004033089706660862009-04-19T13:29:00.016-04:002009-04-19T15:35:50.653-04:00BeijingAfter taking about 240 pictures while in Beijing, I picked my favorite 60 for facebook, and then further reduced them to 30 for blogger. So it’s safe to say this is just a recap of the highlights, and if you’re interested I have a bunch more pics that can be viewed at a later date! After a week off school for the Easter holidays, I am in Hong Kong for 4 more weeks and then it’s back to the USA.<br /><br />So lets see where to begin…I went to Beijing with 5 other students from my home university. Dr. Bennion, a Bowling Green professor (who has been the overseer of our program) met us there and planned two days of tours for the group and a meeting with the American Embassy. Three of us opted to take an approximately 3 hour flight, and the other three chose to take the train for about 25 hours. My group included Melissa, Liana, and myself. To insert an interesting point, the stewardesses came around and collected all foreign newspapers before we landed, because they are not permitted in China. We got in pretty late and needed to change a small amount of Hong Kong money into RMB for the taxi ride to our hotel downtown. <br /><br />I hope the next two paragraphs are not a bore, but I have to tell the money story, as it was my first experience in China. Here goes…None of us had notified our banks about our travels, opting rather to take sufficient HK$ and just exchange at the hotel for an almost non-existent fee. Well, all the currency exchange places were closed (after midnight) and we were about to just go ahead and get money out of an ATM and then call our banks when we spotted a currency exchange machine—woohoo, right? Well…turns out, after we stepped up to the machine and touched “English”, a guy in a blue suit stepped up and said he would help us, as he worked for Travelex (the company of the machine). At this point we didn’t really need the help, but he seemed determined. I was fishing my wallet out of my bag and he was clicking some things on the screen when he announced that it was temporarily broken. What, it was fine a minute ago??<br /><br />The man said he would take us to a Travelex booth and exchange the money himself, and we decided to followed him back past customs (showing our visas and passports again) in desperation. Along the way he said there would be a commission fee. Being skeptical, I ensued a series of questions about why the machine quit working? Why we had to pay commission when the machine we wanted to use was out of service? Finally, after he said the machine charges commission too, I had to give up and just be thankful we weren’t going to be stranded at the airport for the night. Poor guy, I was definitely giving him a hard time and a suspicious look.<br /><br />When we finally made it out of the airport we got a taxi and were on our merry way to the hotel. I have to say I felt extremely comforted driving on the right side of the road! It was an enjoyable 30 minute ride and traffic was really light so late at night. Ok, now for some pictures!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaJs9qY15maPkTlgxyXoHxwbVfuXsf_ymua3aIThcjnHEyNxVCfVW1T1G1uBWqw6KeErglwDEMObWLCiIWeeF1qmlcTADPBnJ5xZj9DJoXyB2UwU8MMJtRie2tuEv9NB1K17O4_YrEFQ/s1600-h/DSCN1878.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaJs9qY15maPkTlgxyXoHxwbVfuXsf_ymua3aIThcjnHEyNxVCfVW1T1G1uBWqw6KeErglwDEMObWLCiIWeeF1qmlcTADPBnJ5xZj9DJoXyB2UwU8MMJtRie2tuEv9NB1K17O4_YrEFQ/s400/DSCN1878.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326461374618476162" /></a><br />Noodles in the park..delicious.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVa61OCDi6s5hKb8EJT7OoE_xdoinfrvkgcUXHf1nVEOKH-wSpA6X1dGzLUQeE9KQYQEOEtD3OAranlaNz9va-iqO9lCbh8nU6BF_PKg7vaDQ1vt215gzY8XsNktmtNsSMWkwZDnv3gM/s1600-h/DSCN1885.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVa61OCDi6s5hKb8EJT7OoE_xdoinfrvkgcUXHf1nVEOKH-wSpA6X1dGzLUQeE9KQYQEOEtD3OAranlaNz9va-iqO9lCbh8nU6BF_PKg7vaDQ1vt215gzY8XsNktmtNsSMWkwZDnv3gM/s400/DSCN1885.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326461373113834210" /></a><br />Intricate designs on the ceiling..at all the temples and parks!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27RTeoZKEnyxW04xlGyedDXwE8q5W8DTXviObhHU6uXxvYqg8GIB10Y-Qq8n2KtWoNsfm-4P3E4ivO-mu2PUzDE8WmHwg9JpY4F-kcbcRTDyqFGPlGFMshzskrQwKWVvwr3b2ynYxRyk/s1600-h/DSCN1890.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27RTeoZKEnyxW04xlGyedDXwE8q5W8DTXviObhHU6uXxvYqg8GIB10Y-Qq8n2KtWoNsfm-4P3E4ivO-mu2PUzDE8WmHwg9JpY4F-kcbcRTDyqFGPlGFMshzskrQwKWVvwr3b2ynYxRyk/s400/DSCN1890.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326460301599055154" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXlipH6cokgRoq7JNmRGnASSVUkxSyU6D_RNIg3Qy2augzksLxqEyK7KX4fn_o5L5TGGKqfen9rwnCNlPmQtDQIy04oe_Mnul9igpd3mlrvKwmrBown-iA1Zyku5v_ZTJ-sn3U44Wpcc/s1600-h/DSCN1893.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtXlipH6cokgRoq7JNmRGnASSVUkxSyU6D_RNIg3Qy2augzksLxqEyK7KX4fn_o5L5TGGKqfen9rwnCNlPmQtDQIy04oe_Mnul9igpd3mlrvKwmrBown-iA1Zyku5v_ZTJ-sn3U44Wpcc/s400/DSCN1893.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326460297790411394" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOXGiQ-4ksrwKu2CopXIpz3Z7XIY242XPcGUhLI3nj9_yuGfh4lo9mUxo397NoymHmKRQ0o0p_E9mX9ll8lscBBUPPtJmRjokKl8kclLYpLSOZo0Opkoru_4v79hEPzSOHJkZUxkWA2M/s1600-h/DSCN1901.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOXGiQ-4ksrwKu2CopXIpz3Z7XIY242XPcGUhLI3nj9_yuGfh4lo9mUxo397NoymHmKRQ0o0p_E9mX9ll8lscBBUPPtJmRjokKl8kclLYpLSOZo0Opkoru_4v79hEPzSOHJkZUxkWA2M/s400/DSCN1901.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326460294861417346" /></a><br />Outside the forbidden city--that mote is 3,800 meter long!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgru5ojvlC3XYulSfTwt5V_eLg7yQpaerXtW85JPnYnFFEdMR9z38vF68zxwf8uXl2mDWM-DUgtR_zzw7fv1Oac5tExDH3KHT6Md8NYSOja0_gU29msl_ryHbaDSERcDapobBMTd_jrVyc/s1600-h/DSCN1918.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgru5ojvlC3XYulSfTwt5V_eLg7yQpaerXtW85JPnYnFFEdMR9z38vF68zxwf8uXl2mDWM-DUgtR_zzw7fv1Oac5tExDH3KHT6Md8NYSOja0_gU29msl_ryHbaDSERcDapobBMTd_jrVyc/s400/DSCN1918.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326460287731421842" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHittUZiwdDiO0zOrU7vzHsHPug9LKLjYPw97igXf0ScRzGIiGlGWVIoGnvVyTjyTlSAeeUJkyROCm7t4tkTz0I_VJZO_hM_bMHfrZdYX9oZIlSDellW279kP3wrZr0d4gfs32nCjWS8/s1600-h/DSCN1919.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuHittUZiwdDiO0zOrU7vzHsHPug9LKLjYPw97igXf0ScRzGIiGlGWVIoGnvVyTjyTlSAeeUJkyROCm7t4tkTz0I_VJZO_hM_bMHfrZdYX9oZIlSDellW279kP3wrZr0d4gfs32nCjWS8/s400/DSCN1919.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326460281718915778" /></a><br />Scorpions and seahorses on a stick…the scorpions were still squirming. The guy would cook them up fresh for those interested. No thanks!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmnhp2Bxp4t7LO-wygFz8wxfyu9EV5mJdOUS3cOdB0P86xc7EY-PO1T9uPFBDb6jf_esYBFIJrmPGJPjcJ2rq3LWjJzPHAZollrohvQoLNNGNmGejuz-NQuxTBEIoLH84f0eN36xMqrU/s1600-h/DSCN1920.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmnhp2Bxp4t7LO-wygFz8wxfyu9EV5mJdOUS3cOdB0P86xc7EY-PO1T9uPFBDb6jf_esYBFIJrmPGJPjcJ2rq3LWjJzPHAZollrohvQoLNNGNmGejuz-NQuxTBEIoLH84f0eN36xMqrU/s400/DSCN1920.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326459811981676034" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjymA1cF9udN-6U6tnITZDW6FII9-yI8BNZJ3c6gkS7lHcLm0ZbqpgYRQ8QuBcrHktaojxHeV0MAzeyHeMDbuMD0GG5NmhSwajiShNCenmEXAdKegTMvvKoG9yXhE-YXweicdHlcrQLsM/s1600-h/DSCN1925.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjymA1cF9udN-6U6tnITZDW6FII9-yI8BNZJ3c6gkS7lHcLm0ZbqpgYRQ8QuBcrHktaojxHeV0MAzeyHeMDbuMD0GG5NmhSwajiShNCenmEXAdKegTMvvKoG9yXhE-YXweicdHlcrQLsM/s400/DSCN1925.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326459808072982866" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ09IHpD3Kkl6Mzy1_gd_Q7ixR055kyQCtf3iIxRIfrsClKaAF-jpqTK7cZibLlvv0CZQxmJff2P8JamDf28calQ369dR475BbrQbG7jPqJXDLninrj2Vz_U-5WIGSyZP1_9Fst7IN1hI/s1600-h/DSCN1929.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 290px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ09IHpD3Kkl6Mzy1_gd_Q7ixR055kyQCtf3iIxRIfrsClKaAF-jpqTK7cZibLlvv0CZQxmJff2P8JamDf28calQ369dR475BbrQbG7jPqJXDLninrj2Vz_U-5WIGSyZP1_9Fst7IN1hI/s400/DSCN1929.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326459803513729538" /></a><br />Outside the entrance to the Forbidden City. Most people use the other entrance, and it was nice going against the tourist crowd…smart tour guide.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguURPLDEYxLueiJ-PCxeVeBYYt2fyvuCBUl_uUapK6TriCRXlG3pwNXbkr43_MCxzI_6EmDPexqyKHFFndIzeL9oIBBokx1WNbIbC206ov62eJ35aAEMcUqFxrGaOg4O9w5TrqojBpR0/s1600-h/DSCN1935.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguURPLDEYxLueiJ-PCxeVeBYYt2fyvuCBUl_uUapK6TriCRXlG3pwNXbkr43_MCxzI_6EmDPexqyKHFFndIzeL9oIBBokx1WNbIbC206ov62eJ35aAEMcUqFxrGaOg4O9w5TrqojBpR0/s400/DSCN1935.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326459800664484962" /></a><br />Intricate carvings in stone between two sets of steps<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IpD3Z0YgIKx4APlx8U1qXUJ3W8_OCg6CnDnPMbjBQ4QOSbTRlkf4UPOR5IHbEGiWrCCWFFPiGq55KVX6est8XcGTrVccubHG7Don8n_HjiKYVgULeCGTASKVQcQomIfutuYowYQFnG8/s1600-h/DSCN1958.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IpD3Z0YgIKx4APlx8U1qXUJ3W8_OCg6CnDnPMbjBQ4QOSbTRlkf4UPOR5IHbEGiWrCCWFFPiGq55KVX6est8XcGTrVccubHG7Don8n_HjiKYVgULeCGTASKVQcQomIfutuYowYQFnG8/s400/DSCN1958.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326459795748694050" /></a><br />The Forbidden City<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhQQIzORg7A-qc2ozkfifL-CvF65YlhMbmYNwcKg5C5NfniI4CGwo405ebbs0xS70Fgkbcefc9Av7rgzWZnbl2hc2aJIFVVksxFKhKDYsI7hCLHeG_fN4pt-JtsbY3IO188KRK1rUOHQ/s1600-h/DSCN1967.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGhQQIzORg7A-qc2ozkfifL-CvF65YlhMbmYNwcKg5C5NfniI4CGwo405ebbs0xS70Fgkbcefc9Av7rgzWZnbl2hc2aJIFVVksxFKhKDYsI7hCLHeG_fN4pt-JtsbY3IO188KRK1rUOHQ/s400/DSCN1967.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458527014960498" /></a><br />The other entrance (our exit) with Mao Zedong picture…facing Tiananmen square.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOlrTXvq8u2x9ldFdxn_p_bsPJkiOk4RISn33-kRZBzJrK_kFrM8N-M7sv3QPCD7ESvT6z9zMRb-A-3Xg792LhPyVQwHx78_sR2DCoMRzgGPdN4i7oOwX3WSFbvPJEhBR8tL0HEBy_yY/s1600-h/DSCN1972.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOlrTXvq8u2x9ldFdxn_p_bsPJkiOk4RISn33-kRZBzJrK_kFrM8N-M7sv3QPCD7ESvT6z9zMRb-A-3Xg792LhPyVQwHx78_sR2DCoMRzgGPdN4i7oOwX3WSFbvPJEhBR8tL0HEBy_yY/s400/DSCN1972.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458522727668002" /></a><br />Tiananmen Square<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2esf4M_IvOw6Ng1LrdNLdG4gEoGCxhRwiFejI4wDNTxMwoBb4tE_UCZDC5SuC7aekPJGGsV8k1FBXJoAyM_FL2Mj66tR-zac_72vsHQZRlTzGGgZ6uzalB1Gwj1KyWzbZ3vSJrbFHzmQ/s1600-h/DSCN1994.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2esf4M_IvOw6Ng1LrdNLdG4gEoGCxhRwiFejI4wDNTxMwoBb4tE_UCZDC5SuC7aekPJGGsV8k1FBXJoAyM_FL2Mj66tR-zac_72vsHQZRlTzGGgZ6uzalB1Gwj1KyWzbZ3vSJrbFHzmQ/s400/DSCN1994.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458519231930994" /></a><br />Temple of Heaven<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofDahgecADDDgm65XUX401kK8rFDmIxH-aJYAtosC5tOWNgqfbek2XvatnlhannwtpQhym8COJ1RZyJO1-ciAbAaLhdqhRRMpo_fv4IxYnGw5DzaAxb_t3bv7SBvYNzfpvcdb5JAHFD0/s1600-h/DSCN1999.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofDahgecADDDgm65XUX401kK8rFDmIxH-aJYAtosC5tOWNgqfbek2XvatnlhannwtpQhym8COJ1RZyJO1-ciAbAaLhdqhRRMpo_fv4IxYnGw5DzaAxb_t3bv7SBvYNzfpvcdb5JAHFD0/s400/DSCN1999.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326461368097468962" /></a><br />Andrew and some ladies that wanted their picture with him. This happened sooo many times! People who probably hadn’t seen many westerners wanted pictures with us. Some even took our pics while we were weren’t looking. It was crazy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmPg4WmgVqBpmUmnYTCP-xLq6wkpg6DzZtZ8MynmaSQEy1GF6PeZjF1AWdHH8lqc6jdG2YoBonm4lFv2v8WsBU_FMHXE12n6k8pOHI-AF-_U9kjCO4g7pnw0hyphenhyphenjK13iFmiLJ1iR5pOjQ/s1600-h/DSCN2003.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmPg4WmgVqBpmUmnYTCP-xLq6wkpg6DzZtZ8MynmaSQEy1GF6PeZjF1AWdHH8lqc6jdG2YoBonm4lFv2v8WsBU_FMHXE12n6k8pOHI-AF-_U9kjCO4g7pnw0hyphenhyphenjK13iFmiLJ1iR5pOjQ/s400/DSCN2003.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326461361535068930" /></a><br />Olympic Park from the window<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeHE9tZpAr5J8X0wPvVLPlcRHMf90t4eZ2vy97tdaKOGyFxCenr0T0-sWPL8gffskP6N6ACggGoZkjDVRgJ0pSacAawsX77MhQsn-On3TCu0Rrt1AGspXTFtScFKGfmsPPLZuefpjcIU/s1600-h/DSCN2004.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeHE9tZpAr5J8X0wPvVLPlcRHMf90t4eZ2vy97tdaKOGyFxCenr0T0-sWPL8gffskP6N6ACggGoZkjDVRgJ0pSacAawsX77MhQsn-On3TCu0Rrt1AGspXTFtScFKGfmsPPLZuefpjcIU/s400/DSCN2004.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326461352862943490" /></a><br />We took a tour of a Cloisonne Pot factory, which I really enjoyed. Cloisonné, an ancient metalworking technique, is a multi-step enamel process used to produce jewelry, vases, and other decorative items. (from Wikipedia, of course :)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-txTnhNPP8iVjS5BYckrihrhbz2fdfz3hYqO0yf8SPnvApyMU6lUTRKPg5yixR4WU1WwQz1r5QViXFebgcR7eZ3n4HSe5LumzUC6lvIGmnXOpYIMys7n4-8WPdP4WAFMYkK0CI8KI9w/s1600-h/DSCN2015.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-txTnhNPP8iVjS5BYckrihrhbz2fdfz3hYqO0yf8SPnvApyMU6lUTRKPg5yixR4WU1WwQz1r5QViXFebgcR7eZ3n4HSe5LumzUC6lvIGmnXOpYIMys7n4-8WPdP4WAFMYkK0CI8KI9w/s400/DSCN2015.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458514156002578" /></a><br />All of us and The Great Wall of China!! We were pretty excited.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsrbrTvrMHaHvGI2-apaNGKE_BtIRXCcAOOOSqbDzb1tEjeEqN04vq1w-z3VPG9F8mNPyY3B35G8y36YBycEaU1lAoEn61sgde-6H_R__dlnOoPZzcvsQD_VPBkHKrBN5bxuNgHRypNI/s1600-h/DSCN2027.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsrbrTvrMHaHvGI2-apaNGKE_BtIRXCcAOOOSqbDzb1tEjeEqN04vq1w-z3VPG9F8mNPyY3B35G8y36YBycEaU1lAoEn61sgde-6H_R__dlnOoPZzcvsQD_VPBkHKrBN5bxuNgHRypNI/s400/DSCN2027.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458512454246498" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1ixwPTSCjes-mR0jdwjYMo7JpDcPF90v0Gt0M9d0MoywsaD0funB0iH8puPJVMHgRWK9AFr9jS1de_w02hQqwla9yYhTVCz2FcOMeT7bIERkP1LEfrb4oEr22NXnvbVR3ewQeDH_-xA/s1600-h/DSCN2030.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1ixwPTSCjes-mR0jdwjYMo7JpDcPF90v0Gt0M9d0MoywsaD0funB0iH8puPJVMHgRWK9AFr9jS1de_w02hQqwla9yYhTVCz2FcOMeT7bIERkP1LEfrb4oEr22NXnvbVR3ewQeDH_-xA/s400/DSCN2030.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458075243587442" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0oQuF6OUAR92lTLNGkKgfzoD52DQwSYW8jd1lRNJ3Rz4ajOK2tqQvhf9LSMOjKJNh_Qll-Y1Xow2wirogqs04WweGFa1A3UbKuWjG_En1ydfGjzSVhuE-ltIQ0hOV6C1omPWeO0QTFg/s1600-h/DSCN2038.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt0oQuF6OUAR92lTLNGkKgfzoD52DQwSYW8jd1lRNJ3Rz4ajOK2tqQvhf9LSMOjKJNh_Qll-Y1Xow2wirogqs04WweGFa1A3UbKuWjG_En1ydfGjzSVhuE-ltIQ0hOV6C1omPWeO0QTFg/s400/DSCN2038.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458073499685810" /></a><br />Our tour guide Jamie<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumpV84FfZEIJdnUMJ9-8DN0TRAAWEOnrJLjro-0bktlqbuuFkEwnHR7X9q6zRbr62N7O7ZxCVFAyknPxShN6MVHKmMdpxyFkB7N61g2La2PM-vMQ1P9VMBgV82KgMLXdL-UEw-Ru0o6M/s1600-h/DSCN2045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumpV84FfZEIJdnUMJ9-8DN0TRAAWEOnrJLjro-0bktlqbuuFkEwnHR7X9q6zRbr62N7O7ZxCVFAyknPxShN6MVHKmMdpxyFkB7N61g2La2PM-vMQ1P9VMBgV82KgMLXdL-UEw-Ru0o6M/s400/DSCN2045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458066487599586" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkj-KzCfoAJt1HQGRwmFhzgx0760Jvf5kwnteQCOUEBSUrISrk90weo9RL_ufXbuPPCEZ-HJUFVDbqFtf4fY9Dha7TnBRUufPjqcRJqvxvttWJiO1ouVrA3u7jwz3SgPVYchR8eaU3Hbk/s1600-h/DSCN2047.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkj-KzCfoAJt1HQGRwmFhzgx0760Jvf5kwnteQCOUEBSUrISrk90weo9RL_ufXbuPPCEZ-HJUFVDbqFtf4fY9Dha7TnBRUufPjqcRJqvxvttWJiO1ouVrA3u7jwz3SgPVYchR8eaU3Hbk/s400/DSCN2047.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458062818135442" /></a><br />That was 454 steps, in case you were wondering :D<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnZ_QtzS7bwOq6KEFpjul0qgQdPuD-A4PvF4d3OINMjDAAdWoD_SCNCP5daMiC5NvBTtRDaQO87c2yqhOajgfrIam92-9hX8m60d9yYjHJ42aGAc6akugWCUbR0gCRXK5A-HQIguyWtA/s1600-h/DSCN2061.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxnZ_QtzS7bwOq6KEFpjul0qgQdPuD-A4PvF4d3OINMjDAAdWoD_SCNCP5daMiC5NvBTtRDaQO87c2yqhOajgfrIam92-9hX8m60d9yYjHJ42aGAc6akugWCUbR0gCRXK5A-HQIguyWtA/s400/DSCN2061.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326458054505583586" /></a><br />Our fancy restaurant dinner on Thursday. Peking Duck with Liana’s roommate, Sophie, and her mother. They live in Beijing and very generously took us all out to eat and taught us about all the dishes on the table. Sophie’s dad couldn’t make it due to work, but it was great meeting her mom (who doesn’t speak English) and a few of her friends.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3v0QKdzBm_16GhQDH65f0ZE4ctegSIlaCd9IZAXWiHDxsXA88hTCmBJiDwJgIxd6g-DmTj06IkW0SCxl2YDf3gxt-9rAgbWuhaRX2hZ-azpv5bI3_EF-4OFvS3JyLzu9JAOyKbC6AHk/s1600-h/DSCN2063.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3v0QKdzBm_16GhQDH65f0ZE4ctegSIlaCd9IZAXWiHDxsXA88hTCmBJiDwJgIxd6g-DmTj06IkW0SCxl2YDf3gxt-9rAgbWuhaRX2hZ-azpv5bI3_EF-4OFvS3JyLzu9JAOyKbC6AHk/s400/DSCN2063.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326456621609287986" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8ohTlplUgttmvxNhRsWrkCBQlTKX4sdIHBc18RZI_dy5R6GZLg55q8D9p1NaZJqPjxwyaTmMDnAI9Mj_5lElW8JU3niNz0yrxcGlx2oAtI3jlxb2klnpbY0LehfERGwc41nojcwP2Fc/s1600-h/DSCN2064.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8ohTlplUgttmvxNhRsWrkCBQlTKX4sdIHBc18RZI_dy5R6GZLg55q8D9p1NaZJqPjxwyaTmMDnAI9Mj_5lElW8JU3niNz0yrxcGlx2oAtI3jlxb2klnpbY0LehfERGwc41nojcwP2Fc/s400/DSCN2064.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326456618629831026" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrJwCqtPrJhWoPNjK4MwXCEk1LJURSEfjZD4fEss3zUmUw6CG5kgpk3l2uyDd9f0qfEFEiYujC4HESJQRc9X4QFOCAegaX6sO2RAmY18ZfP3Q_yCzffb2IF-fFnkEjkVkqffHYaM_9Z4/s1600-h/DSCN2083.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRrJwCqtPrJhWoPNjK4MwXCEk1LJURSEfjZD4fEss3zUmUw6CG5kgpk3l2uyDd9f0qfEFEiYujC4HESJQRc9X4QFOCAegaX6sO2RAmY18ZfP3Q_yCzffb2IF-fFnkEjkVkqffHYaM_9Z4/s400/DSCN2083.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326456612167558594" /></a><br />The Summer Place. It is a huge garden/lake place where the emperor would retreat in the summer. Absolutely gorgeous. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYSKmtgltHBYshNyHhp-pwwpiFiDgEGB5YnOr5k2yI5-NRXRkM8e-UhFUZPWpOkNSlDalnPPKzkbYPh90HWmm6SnN-EndIgChuwYdyRClcf6ZU70QIqGE-heIqG_6zU9dxQyn_bxP9fA/s1600-h/DSCN2090.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhYSKmtgltHBYshNyHhp-pwwpiFiDgEGB5YnOr5k2yI5-NRXRkM8e-UhFUZPWpOkNSlDalnPPKzkbYPh90HWmm6SnN-EndIgChuwYdyRClcf6ZU70QIqGE-heIqG_6zU9dxQyn_bxP9fA/s400/DSCN2090.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326456610075725314" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpadrWFO2G2_9MZLLlh4rtnIw0W1NijRP6SxZpzUqlZAuHfTPnh0ol0RHeAh7s4D8MgQVxOf1wpdqqI2-5Zg1oq1pWHx9FjJ36s6E_EQcTCNc9IkurICzLoL5KuzbFh0XHsZmXl7Ypc0/s1600-h/DSCN2096.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpadrWFO2G2_9MZLLlh4rtnIw0W1NijRP6SxZpzUqlZAuHfTPnh0ol0RHeAh7s4D8MgQVxOf1wpdqqI2-5Zg1oq1pWHx9FjJ36s6E_EQcTCNc9IkurICzLoL5KuzbFh0XHsZmXl7Ypc0/s400/DSCN2096.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326456604643735842" /></a><br />Blurry, but for all my Troy readers—HOBART!! This company started in my hometown.<br /><br />Well that’s it for the pictures. I can’t do the trip justice with a blog entry of course, but it at least shows a bit of the experience. We had great, clear weather for sightseeing, which Jamie said is not usually the case. One place I didn’t get a picture of was the silk factory we toured. It was interesting seeing how silk is made, starting with the silk worm, and moving through a series of phases. Did you know that the little strand of silk on one cocoon can stretch longer than a mile!<br /><br />It was strange not having a working cell phone and Internet connection. For some reason calls to the US didn’t go through, even on Melissa’s calling card. I definitely realized how much I like being able to contact those I care for, and it was a long time without talking to my mom. :) We managed to get to an internet café to check our emails and let our parents know we had arrived safely, so we all felt a little better after that. It only cost 3 RMB for an hour! That’s about 44 pennies US$. For a little info, the Chinese Yuan is also known as Yuans, and RMB. It was weird getting “change” in bill form. For instance, if you pay with a ten you might get 2 fives back. The fives are smaller in size, and represent half a yuan, but it definitely had me confused at first, especially because coins are used too.<br /><br />It was neat being able to recognize that the language is different in the Mainland than in HK. Granted, I still have no idea what is being said, but I could recognize that it sounded a bit different. HK has 2 official languages, English being one of them, so it's pretty easy to get around. However, in China, that is not the case. All of us felt a little more challenged than usual in the communication department. While traveling back to HK, we were excited to return to a place where we feel comfortable..or at least familiar.<br /><br />Hmm, what else to share... I can’t think clearly because I stayed up way too late trying to finish this post. I may write a follow up blog if enough things come to mind that could be added, but I guess I’ll go ahead and call it a night. Thanks for reading!Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-25159212756525243172009-04-06T10:46:00.009-04:002009-04-10T11:38:54.333-04:00Coming Right UpIt will be weird missing Easter at home. It is a special time, and I'm used to spending most of it with my church. But rather than just sitting around campus (we don’t have classes all week), I’ll be flying up to Beijing on the 13th and returning to HK on the 18th! I picked up my mainland China visa at the Chinese consulate in Wan Chai a few days ago, and I’m looking forward to seeing the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. I’ll save the blogging for afterward!<br /><br />I’ve reached a point where the end is in sight, but it’s still far away..43 more days. In an effort to put some of the thoughts drifting through my brain down on paper, I have started several lists. Keep in mind that some things are really random, and that the items are not in any particular order.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What am I looking forward to at home? </span><br />*Being with my family/friends<br />*Charlie- I always miss my favorite k-9 when away.<br />*Seeing grass instead of concrete<br />*Driving places<br />*Being inside a house, an actual solid house with a front door. I haven’t been in one since the morning I left Troy! (Only the really rich live in houses here, due to the high population.) <br />*Homemade Lasagna/homemade banana bread/random fruit smoothie concoctions in the blender…fooood in general.<br />*Being finished with dorm life forever (although this entire year has been free from kids being immature—still happy it’s over)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What will I not miss when I leave?</span><br />*Rice-at least for a while<br />*The construction outside my window<br />*Crossing the streets!<br />*Noise, noise, noise. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What will I miss? </span><br />*My new friends and acquaintances<br />*Hearing my roommate talk in her sleep, in Cantonese! haha..It always amazes me that people are dreaming and thinking in different languages.<br />*Hopping on the MTR and going places<br />*Pacific Coffee Company (I don’t know for sure, but this company may have more market share in HK than Starbucks)<br />*Church and fellowship with the Ralee family and others<br />*My potted plant (I don’t think customs would appreciate me bringing soil back)Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-18139917639513029762009-03-28T11:13:00.017-04:002009-03-29T03:51:43.998-04:00Visitors in Hong KongThis past week has been quite different from the usual; Jordan and Luke were in HK! <br /><br />On Sunday evening, Liana went with me to the airport to meet J&L. They got octopus cards for riding the MTR, and then we headed to their hostel in Tsim Shau Tsui so they could get checked in. They stayed in the Chung King Mansions on Nathan road, near quite a hustle and bustle of activity and a few minutes walk from Victoria harbor. Liana and I went inside with them, and lets just say we both vowed to never set foot in that place again! I’m glad Luke and Jordan felt safe, and I’m glad they made it through the week without getting anything stolen. I’m sure they will include some more detail about their hostel experience in their blogs, so I’ll just mention that there were hawkers on the lower level harassing people to buy tailored suits or handbags, and crazy packed elevators that only hit the even floors or the odd floors. eek. My roommate, Yuen, lent them an extra phone for the week (since the bandwidth is different here) and they just had to pick up a local sim card at 7-eleven, so that worked out great. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJyUySMTtAVl00slHcQjrqyCJ_J9smN5oqWJhGkFabY7-rKSUlOE3r7SJ72KKkLKnIdI8IZg6ujdxVpK75ymSpetevjQa_dqu3R8CnkK2aBzdUaChTOTSAFTR_PhcZ14LMi193FGpoy8/s1600-h/DSCN1646.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJyUySMTtAVl00slHcQjrqyCJ_J9smN5oqWJhGkFabY7-rKSUlOE3r7SJ72KKkLKnIdI8IZg6ujdxVpK75ymSpetevjQa_dqu3R8CnkK2aBzdUaChTOTSAFTR_PhcZ14LMi193FGpoy8/s400/DSCN1646.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263444110537762" /></a> <br /><br />On Monday, I decided to skip my international business class and go to Lantau Island with J&L. I hadn’t missed a single class, and it is a lecture class that sticks closely to a power point, so I wasn’t too concerned. The big Buddha was hiding in the mist, but he said hello for a few minutes here and there. While on Lantau we hiked the wisdom path, and it was one of the coolest things I’ve done so far in HK. The wooden poles are laid out in the shape of an infinity symbol, and it seemed mysterious with the fog. We also stopped by the Po Lin monastery (pictured above), and then took a bus down the mountain to the fishing village of Tai O. There were stilt houses, old bridges, and some great views from the pier!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG0s0wLlEbMq_hbQmjL83XPS7ywWrr89vml4MpiukNazF_ahOMzlHjdI48GZ4LPM69y5FxDm4b7PpOHi9Y7W69MfBFiHSBEqM9BI_5l7vkC94uP1-FvLuDx7cvTrJovk1-HHxFR8dxmE/s1600-h/DSCN1657.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG0s0wLlEbMq_hbQmjL83XPS7ywWrr89vml4MpiukNazF_ahOMzlHjdI48GZ4LPM69y5FxDm4b7PpOHi9Y7W69MfBFiHSBEqM9BI_5l7vkC94uP1-FvLuDx7cvTrJovk1-HHxFR8dxmE/s400/DSCN1657.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263438184083650" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnAd7takSlJICyPosmAAttp2jV8U2lzFlLhha66AleKGdate9QMEiGgEValL3LZeV67epNwvWUrFpqaRpfAVLx0Q3Ti5g8q1XorksSAeJWC6QjeWDtt2zFGJTxgu7HM7eUQTS8Xq_amw/s1600-h/DSCN1691.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnAd7takSlJICyPosmAAttp2jV8U2lzFlLhha66AleKGdate9QMEiGgEValL3LZeV67epNwvWUrFpqaRpfAVLx0Q3Ti5g8q1XorksSAeJWC6QjeWDtt2zFGJTxgu7HM7eUQTS8Xq_amw/s400/DSCN1691.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263082031022914" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYpdwAuJ88v08MBGmDLuW_XLvg6cOeDDWBt-g-AY-rq0jiYKrjB7RXpZKSPOxB8GN1p1j6vFPXiFUZtrU21Khet8q6cDigunLfs3dIB_xfHrNHLJg5RcaEOGKSWKCBKW0pDv55KrGITI/s1600-h/DSCN1701.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYpdwAuJ88v08MBGmDLuW_XLvg6cOeDDWBt-g-AY-rq0jiYKrjB7RXpZKSPOxB8GN1p1j6vFPXiFUZtrU21Khet8q6cDigunLfs3dIB_xfHrNHLJg5RcaEOGKSWKCBKW0pDv55KrGITI/s400/DSCN1701.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263077027017602" /></a><br /><br />Tuesday rolled around and I went to class, and then Liana and I met up with J&L to head to Sha Tin and see the temple of 10,000 Buddha’s. Overall, that place was weird. Too many statues and too many Buddha’s--strange indeed. Next we went to Diamond Hill to see the Nan Lian garden and Chi Lin nunnery. I mentioned in a previous post that I missed the nunnery last time. Well, funny story, I got a little closer this time by reaching the area out front with lily pads, but the nunnery closed at 4:00 and it was 4:30. Maybe next time—third time’s a charm? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilgPpEQbqm3bOUGbncSLqTxll5e5ojjO33U44hyuA5INR8SwHYq7PV9_2pF1VrOL-sCAE0Rg0xHg9sqlKVjmA2OTZ1zLxqXO_tJAnyPP3lQXYo25p4U3ChqSDdi1gaVMJ3UrzSJuadgU/s1600-h/DSCN1717.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjilgPpEQbqm3bOUGbncSLqTxll5e5ojjO33U44hyuA5INR8SwHYq7PV9_2pF1VrOL-sCAE0Rg0xHg9sqlKVjmA2OTZ1zLxqXO_tJAnyPP3lQXYo25p4U3ChqSDdi1gaVMJ3UrzSJuadgU/s400/DSCN1717.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263073062614498" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsL9wy7Lsp9ibesoQZRvrrx0WWrbVpsNULJh5-ymUX01aepua5u1LSrUluFpKxUbBjzAaS9sL3mwWLmAHySLtLBjC-8WKoG1lvwft8O0sChi50ZESAbA-kYfEAIiVuyra0lSYG0jpnPTA/s1600-h/DSCN1721.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsL9wy7Lsp9ibesoQZRvrrx0WWrbVpsNULJh5-ymUX01aepua5u1LSrUluFpKxUbBjzAaS9sL3mwWLmAHySLtLBjC-8WKoG1lvwft8O0sChi50ZESAbA-kYfEAIiVuyra0lSYG0jpnPTA/s400/DSCN1721.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263066858450146" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgN8Jq2QVz01N0_MlMB3OrJb5qddpzbOJ6UIh2Hv7HR2HeFehhKQ04v3LTm_lSLkWMflaUbIQJ86SwVYZ5iXGahsoVw3_kTnYXnfRkV-vrZQnHLtQRaYch9ltqaddq6kfu0K0RXVc7wOw/s1600-h/DSCN1726.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgN8Jq2QVz01N0_MlMB3OrJb5qddpzbOJ6UIh2Hv7HR2HeFehhKQ04v3LTm_lSLkWMflaUbIQJ86SwVYZ5iXGahsoVw3_kTnYXnfRkV-vrZQnHLtQRaYch9ltqaddq6kfu0K0RXVc7wOw/s400/DSCN1726.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263061107463090" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pH4vlHYvIjInWXtcayzpP8Vk3oFAkavSApSqsuWpgnJJ1Py-TO9kgYVk2v-R5vEsKeOkZ_WQs2Mh5lPVDPuRlLAna5-oTWYboXDytnRtNIyiEV7-WyorXBLap_HDak7P5XkjPY7aIIY/s1600-h/DSCN1729.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pH4vlHYvIjInWXtcayzpP8Vk3oFAkavSApSqsuWpgnJJ1Py-TO9kgYVk2v-R5vEsKeOkZ_WQs2Mh5lPVDPuRlLAna5-oTWYboXDytnRtNIyiEV7-WyorXBLap_HDak7P5XkjPY7aIIY/s400/DSCN1729.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318262564959617314" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LF4z2WXV60GHsTQ9N_CW48clARw8V8XbyKK4-WTuRRfqfNHyWZbYqowOsByy_MbWDo-drOHjy8r-F1zVpAY_DYGe0s4tGOWubit7S0ZHy2F3KoCbyGHPQYDY53baw5ijDnHovy084Rk/s1600-h/DSCN1748.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8LF4z2WXV60GHsTQ9N_CW48clARw8V8XbyKK4-WTuRRfqfNHyWZbYqowOsByy_MbWDo-drOHjy8r-F1zVpAY_DYGe0s4tGOWubit7S0ZHy2F3KoCbyGHPQYDY53baw5ijDnHovy084Rk/s400/DSCN1748.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318262553580383682" /></a><br /><br /><br />Liana and I parted ways with J&L and headed back to campus for a group project meeting, and then scheduling classes for next fall in BG. The minute my time slot opened up I added 3 with no problem. I had to email the head of the accounting department back home and request that he have his secretary add me to my fourth class, since I’m in the last pre-requisite right now and it isn’t registered in the system at the moment. To send some good PR out about Bowling Green, he responded to my request and had me enrolled in the class within 45 minutes of my email. Sigh of relief! I’m really looking forward to the layout of classes next fall. I start every morning at 9:30 and then I’m finished with class at either 11:30 or 12:45. It doesn’t get much better than that!<br /><br /> Ok, next day…Wednesday. After my class I met J&L at their MTR stop and we took a bus to Aberdeen and then a ferry to the Jumbo Floating restaurant for dim sum. This is a must for visitors, and we had a fun time trying to figure out what food corresponded to what we actually ordered. With the way “dim sum” works, basically 3-5 small portions come for each item that is ordered, and then everyone at the table shares the food…very traditional style of eating in the eastern parts of the world. After Jumbo, we went to Central and ended up getting visitor’s passes and going up to the 55th floor of the International Financial Center 2! It was pretty funny getting into the elevator we were directed towards, because the only buttons to pick from were G and 55. Apparently that is the only option for people not in business attire =). The view was towering over most of the other buildings around, and there was a little library and lots of info about the money and banking system in HK…pretty interesting stuff.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmqqzdCX41j2Im8W2k8gboxQujm-3q-bFskhtzpCVxKBrgdQ9_d31LmhzelRLnTWHv8Y090qBCKmSEdbq50Y2r8XUQaVG4GHDDhmyShhDOn9or_7D96azl9vBQxxv1_aJVdddDVwghTI/s1600-h/DSCN1760.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmqqzdCX41j2Im8W2k8gboxQujm-3q-bFskhtzpCVxKBrgdQ9_d31LmhzelRLnTWHv8Y090qBCKmSEdbq50Y2r8XUQaVG4GHDDhmyShhDOn9or_7D96azl9vBQxxv1_aJVdddDVwghTI/s400/DSCN1760.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318262546245401042" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsBSiUHGyN1duGQwxPjrf0ct37uL6Hy5-J0Yll1tzjJSt_rWN62rMfZK1zkQtphxeXkRZUzi657Q-GIEscG9BEc3b2ckYJ-eMrq9yOCN9Htov_BQQ18FQlrPgVT-6NiIyfUKguMNeXS4/s1600-h/DSCN1764.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMsBSiUHGyN1duGQwxPjrf0ct37uL6Hy5-J0Yll1tzjJSt_rWN62rMfZK1zkQtphxeXkRZUzi657Q-GIEscG9BEc3b2ckYJ-eMrq9yOCN9Htov_BQQ18FQlrPgVT-6NiIyfUKguMNeXS4/s400/DSCN1764.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318262545217020418" /></a> <br />I'm the last door on the left..<br /><br /><br />Wednesday was an eventful day. After the IFC2, we headed to my campus and Luke and Jordan checked their emails in the coffee shop, and then we left for Kwun Tong and dinner with the Ralee’s. I’m glad they got to meet my HK “family”, as I have come to think of Bro. Rodney, Sis. Grace, and the kids. We got extreeeeemly authentic food, as Sis. Grace actually went out in front of the restaurant and pointed to the live seafood in buckets, which eventually ended up on our table. <br /><br />What day comes next? Thursday? J&L spent most of their morning traveling around and visiting places like Stanley market and the Jade market, and I stayed around campus and did some essential schoolwork and went to class. Liana and I met up with them and we saw the Light show from the harbor, and then my friends Brendan and Kelly met us and we walked to Ebeneezers—my favorite Indian restaurant here…(well the only one I’ve been to).<br /><br />Neither Liana or I have class on Fridays, so we all met up fairly early and went to Lamma Island for a good hike. We took the ferry for about 30 minutes and then started hiking with a loop from Sok Kwu Wan. When we got back to where we started we took the path towards the other side of the island--Yung Shue Wan. It was sprinkling for the first half of the hike, which was kinda nice, but then the rain picked up! I’ve never had a problem hiking in my Chaco sandals, but I now know that hiking for a long period of time when they are completely soaked can lead to a blister on the top of my foot...that’s gonna last for at least a week. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwi0sELpJt0Qio8fADoBi-gyBiGYm2lNYXb5pxeqIniJ2vIclQF_m87ar9ibM-0AxJHpNEPqCD3AbVa3Irmiznv5dHLPf1huf2T8hijZTqD3usTJq3_1VUNl24tpfwdR475ZnUy9kTUs/s1600-h/DSCN1795.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 342px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfwi0sELpJt0Qio8fADoBi-gyBiGYm2lNYXb5pxeqIniJ2vIclQF_m87ar9ibM-0AxJHpNEPqCD3AbVa3Irmiznv5dHLPf1huf2T8hijZTqD3usTJq3_1VUNl24tpfwdR475ZnUy9kTUs/s400/DSCN1795.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318262532908303362" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbQYCGaBmHDZUjHCvHCT16gM8Zs281mUXTsAa6rAXARdjfo_tPWeTr7tifqHYZWxAbJ1LTry6wyXTRCSTvvMTXNvPQW4wM-nlQTWlP_LvFwWsxV97SZNlyHhyphenhyphenAc2dkgSTz3rLKtghpDY/s1600-h/DSCN1802.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibbQYCGaBmHDZUjHCvHCT16gM8Zs281mUXTsAa6rAXARdjfo_tPWeTr7tifqHYZWxAbJ1LTry6wyXTRCSTvvMTXNvPQW4wM-nlQTWlP_LvFwWsxV97SZNlyHhyphenhyphenAc2dkgSTz3rLKtghpDY/s400/DSCN1802.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318261865807071634" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3_jeDqRaMdDfsENB0heItCO19gu5WZtiHK9hiR_5YQZ_SIgp6794drzh7uoaAQSCG7A7wVTMbd0dTLAISjtDKU_7d1Woe_xhZYrC9Igcoe8gLdwRJabCZhf6UulVP8WfItZXzLadP-w/s1600-h/DSCN1803.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU3_jeDqRaMdDfsENB0heItCO19gu5WZtiHK9hiR_5YQZ_SIgp6794drzh7uoaAQSCG7A7wVTMbd0dTLAISjtDKU_7d1Woe_xhZYrC9Igcoe8gLdwRJabCZhf6UulVP8WfItZXzLadP-w/s400/DSCN1803.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318261861234349218" /></a><br />toxic tide from algae or dinoflagellates. I Learned about this in Marine Bio, don't eat the shellfish!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhlD45cZYcnuQOMChmEVyG7_pGWzrQHZrZxqmGo3ONVvRn8f-lzuKrK2ZhXUaCEM5cr424ETgv0B440-YwXwtiKoE6m3JE2ho0Rio0OzOsHRvllvkQx8DCsB0X5Lf3iCs1C_l-i0mb08/s1600-h/DSCN1804.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhlD45cZYcnuQOMChmEVyG7_pGWzrQHZrZxqmGo3ONVvRn8f-lzuKrK2ZhXUaCEM5cr424ETgv0B440-YwXwtiKoE6m3JE2ho0Rio0OzOsHRvllvkQx8DCsB0X5Lf3iCs1C_l-i0mb08/s400/DSCN1804.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318261856670899426" /></a><br /><br />We finally made it to the place where a ferry runs back to HK, and we were completely drenched! Liana was the only one with an umbrella; the rest of us just had “water resistant” rain jackets. We were famished so we decided to stop at McDonalds after the ferry ride (they had already experienced enough traditional food at this point). When Jordan was waiting in line a worker came right up behind him and put a “wet floor” sign up by the small pool of water that he was creating. Oooops…hahahahaha, what are ya gonna do. <br /><br />We all met back up later that night for a trip up the Victoria peak tram to see the city at night, but all we saw was mist…again, what are ya gonna do. I have to admit, I was a little jealous saying goodbye and knowing they would be in the US a day later. I enjoyed having company, and I know they got a cultural experience in the city where the east meets the west! <br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwL-DxKt3CGLTj0J6aiATdd50os9InMsogmHivJI_AqN6lLUMFlM3CnOPqGD8nw6i6UUTNMyRlUFQ49DHLYaG1kCOFjtAUys2j0qGrzdopDOL2WMYIEwNpXbxBsPw54PU94wSORZuWjHE/s1600-h/DSCN1812.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwL-DxKt3CGLTj0J6aiATdd50os9InMsogmHivJI_AqN6lLUMFlM3CnOPqGD8nw6i6UUTNMyRlUFQ49DHLYaG1kCOFjtAUys2j0qGrzdopDOL2WMYIEwNpXbxBsPw54PU94wSORZuWjHE/s400/DSCN1812.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318261848227030274" /></a><br />Bank of China on the left<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlXDjrhzOclLHs21rnIPBnA0FEF1z-UovWX15-9rh6tCCrqGUA4jcNgEjNoeMBNWyMLmJSzWhJnQD_Dt6dzYw2r6MnTnTOQH3b2_vsnDHbxjRdBRJu3Un5dATrdByiyAsNuVjp-zsUMM/s1600-h/DSCN1817.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlXDjrhzOclLHs21rnIPBnA0FEF1z-UovWX15-9rh6tCCrqGUA4jcNgEjNoeMBNWyMLmJSzWhJnQD_Dt6dzYw2r6MnTnTOQH3b2_vsnDHbxjRdBRJu3Un5dATrdByiyAsNuVjp-zsUMM/s400/DSCN1817.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318261847788721442" /></a><br />Peak TowerWhitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-85484632159282357902009-03-15T11:43:00.010-04:002009-03-15T13:18:14.928-04:00Westerners and Diamond Hill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh-MnvXPpYBbiwAgn2wbJrbWGlQXMg2rJcGRXh7i-QP5xHsUD_oXQC_e40KpOlVi9bb6R3vc3_-4T84KVsHZoUFg1BJ7s5w84D75zD7A8Js1pDiPVSfPhwuzUszJJoaPwZAeD08IUI0I/s1600-h/DSCN1585c.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 298px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPh-MnvXPpYBbiwAgn2wbJrbWGlQXMg2rJcGRXh7i-QP5xHsUD_oXQC_e40KpOlVi9bb6R3vc3_-4T84KVsHZoUFg1BJ7s5w84D75zD7A8Js1pDiPVSfPhwuzUszJJoaPwZAeD08IUI0I/s400/DSCN1585c.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313446108068214946" /></a><br />Say hello to my friends! Jerusha is seven and her brother, Joshua, is six. They speak English with each other and their dad, and Cantonese with their mom. (She speaks wonderful English, too) We can’t forget Mandarin though, Sis. Grace’s cousin is teaching the both of them this third language! To clarify--Mandarin is the official language in the PRC (People’s Republic of China), and Cantonese is the Chinese dialect used in Hong Kong. I’m impressed by all the bi-lingual/ tri-lingual children and adults.<br /><br />The Ralee family (I go to their house for church) asked how I felt about being so different in appearance from most of the other approximately 7 million people in the city. It is interesting, and the curious looks definitely come my way, especially when I am farther from a tourist attraction or the college campus. How do I feel about it? Hmm..nothing really defined. The only time I even think about it is if I'm alone, which is basically only on Sundays. I catch mostly older people eyeing me inquisitively, and they have every right to think, “Huh, wonder what she’s doing here.”<br /><br />To throw in a bonus fact, since this post is leaning towards the details--Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, with an overall density of some 6,303 people per square kilometer. (Taken from the US Department of State) Wow.<br /><br />Ok, back to the original topic. The family has been to the US, Ohio actually, and Jerusha has good memories and a pen pal. During our conversation over lunch she sighed contently and said, “I love westerners.” Her dad was cracking up, we all were, it was just so funny the way she said it. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi8WPkVeH9ICMBGi4T9f869A8ig3YWs94Lk9o4kuQdi81723AUMsLTu6I2Pm1Lda0yao_AwP4T797DALHIUANvVmq9o6k-IjXratBTrOUYsvXnjLzV00eIZP9KIUKzL1ceTmb9xfmaPs/s1600-h/DSCN1594.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVi8WPkVeH9ICMBGi4T9f869A8ig3YWs94Lk9o4kuQdi81723AUMsLTu6I2Pm1Lda0yao_AwP4T797DALHIUANvVmq9o6k-IjXratBTrOUYsvXnjLzV00eIZP9KIUKzL1ceTmb9xfmaPs/s400/DSCN1594.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313446125564366258" /></a><br />minibus stop after church<br /><br />I stopped at the Nin Lian garden in Diamond Hill on the way back today..and apparently managed to completely miss the attached Buddhist nunnery. The pamphlet I picked up was in Cantonese, and by the time I actually looked at it I was around a couple bends and twists in the path. I knew there was a nunnery from a sign near the MTR, but I didn’t know the bridge at the top of the "picture" led straight to it until after returning to campus. Go figure. So that ones back on the list.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguW5_qld0-o5TcC65nWE38nMF4Ag3sjCzFbxeuggNth8TN861liHyvoSqHCZgYGveoYUMTJO87M3CO9hwWkoFYlyqjHrjlRT5k1AVNmQjvTGLF-j0owMcoEvRnshVg2bmMI-1cuKse_bM/s1600-h/DSCN1619.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 283px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguW5_qld0-o5TcC65nWE38nMF4Ag3sjCzFbxeuggNth8TN861liHyvoSqHCZgYGveoYUMTJO87M3CO9hwWkoFYlyqjHrjlRT5k1AVNmQjvTGLF-j0owMcoEvRnshVg2bmMI-1cuKse_bM/s400/DSCN1619.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313447338790710290" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZJhnL5ovMNSvDl5l6xTwkwa63YHcFWN94aCtj32Wme4j91fx1xINada8xyseFrgMEoG2wX8SaJA5p0zEcSckmVv6c8EYqRb8D9vzShuqzzescdj80RKszes9peBF_5xfuegI7AwZPx4/s1600-h/DSCN1609.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZJhnL5ovMNSvDl5l6xTwkwa63YHcFWN94aCtj32Wme4j91fx1xINada8xyseFrgMEoG2wX8SaJA5p0zEcSckmVv6c8EYqRb8D9vzShuqzzescdj80RKszes9peBF_5xfuegI7AwZPx4/s400/DSCN1609.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313447336661208194" /></a><br />very man-made but still serene <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc0zxd8kAT1bHxEJytXk2TzCgbxWRskVhpB-nCJFEM6Qd9AqKcCUn40Ep-d5qfUOK9soJIN0YgZid26Oyw_QYNnaeKwdEHVbhahccDP0VY6ZPSjmWiZ3YLlsjL13ywoNckOV21Ie7BEE/s1600-h/DSCN1606.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc0zxd8kAT1bHxEJytXk2TzCgbxWRskVhpB-nCJFEM6Qd9AqKcCUn40Ep-d5qfUOK9soJIN0YgZid26Oyw_QYNnaeKwdEHVbhahccDP0VY6ZPSjmWiZ3YLlsjL13ywoNckOV21Ie7BEE/s400/DSCN1606.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313447322394629346" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3ydVpEe6T6UF2zbXJswXm71gnyyTsWqAMllG0t2bgrXoVIodjgzIi6sPsyCjRvLNBHjJj3x8XXULk-WxSLX-SFlTCBbiAsZ3at6EDjNe9nmnxkiWdDVE9VdDGX_YCXpzfrwjkVg0T4o/s1600-h/DSCN1605.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3ydVpEe6T6UF2zbXJswXm71gnyyTsWqAMllG0t2bgrXoVIodjgzIi6sPsyCjRvLNBHjJj3x8XXULk-WxSLX-SFlTCBbiAsZ3at6EDjNe9nmnxkiWdDVE9VdDGX_YCXpzfrwjkVg0T4o/s400/DSCN1605.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313447311112217826" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDuDvRtMyZXgG6jg37DIu0L25glvOk9P-R-0q-ICyivfDwhi_UhlNs7eCwpbPjG5sO3wphBHB3kOhIJLmuCZ6lPsve40wJygOwOeH5UQUjAmuvQFW2ftZqqi70l52WaNezAbd8RMUqP8/s1600-h/DSCN1632.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDuDvRtMyZXgG6jg37DIu0L25glvOk9P-R-0q-ICyivfDwhi_UhlNs7eCwpbPjG5sO3wphBHB3kOhIJLmuCZ6lPsve40wJygOwOeH5UQUjAmuvQFW2ftZqqi70l52WaNezAbd8RMUqP8/s400/DSCN1632.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313449145622357186" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5L3JeW5rskkG0aDQmeGetGErK7V2sXpuKoQjZ8wGrWHn5p8V3Kw9MDexUXdR09kL7NXdyjPZ1ZQRCSkXcf3t1zjU5ya6RrhBhwhdQTeit-NmOgEKhcZ94fInAdkLnsNXWgSMSOySfnxA/s1600-h/DSCN1631.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5L3JeW5rskkG0aDQmeGetGErK7V2sXpuKoQjZ8wGrWHn5p8V3Kw9MDexUXdR09kL7NXdyjPZ1ZQRCSkXcf3t1zjU5ya6RrhBhwhdQTeit-NmOgEKhcZ94fInAdkLnsNXWgSMSOySfnxA/s400/DSCN1631.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313449135637322578" /></a>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-14058640050063173672009-03-08T04:53:00.016-04:002009-03-08T09:34:33.948-04:00Ebeneezer's KebobFor starters, Indian food is delicious. Amar India and Jeet are my favorite restaurants. For those not from around the Dayton area/not familiar, both of these restaurants are owned by the same family and are equally delicious. So, that being said, I was happy to read reviews of Indian restaurants in HK, and try something new. Ebeneezer's Kebob may be the best food I’ve had since arriving in Hong Kong…except it was a little spicy!<br /><br />Liana and I got off the MTR at Central, took exit D2, and turned left. It only took a few minutes to find the open front, hole in the wall, Indian restaurant! I ordered my favorite, chicken tikki masala, and Liana ordered a “wrap” something or other. She is extremely intelligent, and she fit the word “mild” into her order. I, on the other hand, was expecting the spiciness to be bearable. Now I can’t remember whether I order a level two or three spiciness back home, on a scale of five. Hmm, probably a two..<br /><br />It was really casual dining, where they call numbers and you return to the counter for the tray, and sit on a stool at one of the high tables. I think most people choose the take-out option. For a split second I thought, “wow—this tastes exactly the way I expected it to.” And then it hit me, I am burning…Aaaahhh! After putting out the initial fire, I cautiously tried again.. <br /><br />Here’s the part were things got out of hand. I was wiping a tear from my eye, when Miss Liana said “Oh No.” She sticks her shoe out from underneath the table and says, “Look.” Her lovely white tennis shoe had a new decoration, an orange spot. These shoes have a history, and in the middle of the new spot, there is already a smaller brown mark from another mishap this semester involving chocolate ice cream. At this point I was crying, trying to swallow rice, and laughing hysterically. She needed a tide-to-go pen. <br /><br />Since we were already at Central on Hong Kong Island, we decided to kill some time at the IFC Mall, and stay for the eight o’clock Symphony of Lights show from another perspective. The skyline is more impressive when looking towards HK Island, but it was neat to see what the Kowloon side looks like across Victoria Harbor. <br /><br />Here are some pics from the day:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCmgh1nNtpF5mwyU1M-izbtcKwwZtP4nRygSm2Q00-mzEIdPbnqkeZYb1Qis_UPB6FyUJJQsp4eHrsUdU3mdxWUgtmdfRjrtUECVQ2e_KytKxzD4A9rElcNpcu-wVoYVcvyV7nblpsXI/s1600-h/DSCN1466.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSCmgh1nNtpF5mwyU1M-izbtcKwwZtP4nRygSm2Q00-mzEIdPbnqkeZYb1Qis_UPB6FyUJJQsp4eHrsUdU3mdxWUgtmdfRjrtUECVQ2e_KytKxzD4A9rElcNpcu-wVoYVcvyV7nblpsXI/s400/DSCN1466.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310740345168054482" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMI2sKNjdkGkHG7Ythea-EeP6VNDrJ4yQKl_k55vE5ImnziAxDqvp4rjLSiyjwPQ7wQchelyvLidrs448_aAhvia2_DFtJ602Y5AF-1xy2KTVHo73JfKefrT3AfG1yBSJPzGA2V9-oIA/s1600-h/DSCN1496.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMI2sKNjdkGkHG7Ythea-EeP6VNDrJ4yQKl_k55vE5ImnziAxDqvp4rjLSiyjwPQ7wQchelyvLidrs448_aAhvia2_DFtJ602Y5AF-1xy2KTVHo73JfKefrT3AfG1yBSJPzGA2V9-oIA/s400/DSCN1496.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310742634989955986" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FSj85GmKEdXliuTh9XqGw-FtzP-5k_ztCjgY6R9ZS17WpfSDTi74DGuD9a2d8iVEf521nDggxjv79JSeCb0AzaSDE7uJqs-h1lUOfbDaqNdXZLk3ZD8oHn8txnFJAaywE-1O_ShWdZ0/s1600-h/DSCN1499.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FSj85GmKEdXliuTh9XqGw-FtzP-5k_ztCjgY6R9ZS17WpfSDTi74DGuD9a2d8iVEf521nDggxjv79JSeCb0AzaSDE7uJqs-h1lUOfbDaqNdXZLk3ZD8oHn8txnFJAaywE-1O_ShWdZ0/s400/DSCN1499.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310745656444525570" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk48UIqPUhboJaAOr3EMtbUBlSNrm3QjeplKfP3qwjXe8o5NemUBXAAsBqKjAP1Xdtbdyp0JwfwZYvZPidXNrcMxlFyicLlqWpch_Jy_0Cqramn9NmeRl8uB2pFg5EpOjXizWAtR4z0Go/s1600-h/DSCN1467.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk48UIqPUhboJaAOr3EMtbUBlSNrm3QjeplKfP3qwjXe8o5NemUBXAAsBqKjAP1Xdtbdyp0JwfwZYvZPidXNrcMxlFyicLlqWpch_Jy_0Cqramn9NmeRl8uB2pFg5EpOjXizWAtR4z0Go/s400/DSCN1467.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310740346970021922" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2ij8CDD6Z6eVMRuwgPd7Lip4dOZzYt5mcWhzVk8L5CzSyHMgu1FONen4HDOeq0lY97AVYZEOe-FWzjV_Gm0HcuzMDvzEpRhdV8h6bz9HyOgiZv2Yx-NpNAzO8pCHk7bcXbY5aXB8MsQ/s1600-h/DSCN1568.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2ij8CDD6Z6eVMRuwgPd7Lip4dOZzYt5mcWhzVk8L5CzSyHMgu1FONen4HDOeq0lY97AVYZEOe-FWzjV_Gm0HcuzMDvzEpRhdV8h6bz9HyOgiZv2Yx-NpNAzO8pCHk7bcXbY5aXB8MsQ/s400/DSCN1568.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310745140144221602" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoGl_zj9hglmomaN0ZArkeMqa0R0GFf14bbQvbkfa2UGgM-pYWuaq47HAuWjeNBRc9QVv-WF7N2Kb1xRw-8VO2kvYKFYZLt1lmETYC3GhfiHJyOYMu6-e6f-9KEx4FdFTTapaoLPpeFc/s1600-h/DSCN1574.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoGl_zj9hglmomaN0ZArkeMqa0R0GFf14bbQvbkfa2UGgM-pYWuaq47HAuWjeNBRc9QVv-WF7N2Kb1xRw-8VO2kvYKFYZLt1lmETYC3GhfiHJyOYMu6-e6f-9KEx4FdFTTapaoLPpeFc/s400/DSCN1574.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310743656401263010" /></a><br />This is called a junk<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg6L7YLWVFCdAwIS4Qa35WXKHKnFUDvi09Djdt_tuO0Klajk2pTCz0BFEt0liicnmkivdhmCIj8DEyTvkoulQ6Wgut3t2qQVamCDZ-rh29g935Mdf7QDkciqUKat0s7qg93fCj4uvx1A/s1600-h/DSCN1551.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbg6L7YLWVFCdAwIS4Qa35WXKHKnFUDvi09Djdt_tuO0Klajk2pTCz0BFEt0liicnmkivdhmCIj8DEyTvkoulQ6Wgut3t2qQVamCDZ-rh29g935Mdf7QDkciqUKat0s7qg93fCj4uvx1A/s400/DSCN1551.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310743647998420114" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQR8fBCtB0uTsgHuOYBJax_zp4keooScjxf30Jdb4S7qBiGxye2NXegy_fXktdCumM7rJbOPMyRgguFGIVR9iTfW7QF5lUl4gvY_EhPfPA1XcI8CtUtZ1vo_80d4_rR_Wr1ntTuAghKg/s1600-h/DSCN1536.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQR8fBCtB0uTsgHuOYBJax_zp4keooScjxf30Jdb4S7qBiGxye2NXegy_fXktdCumM7rJbOPMyRgguFGIVR9iTfW7QF5lUl4gvY_EhPfPA1XcI8CtUtZ1vo_80d4_rR_Wr1ntTuAghKg/s400/DSCN1536.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310742645051106898" /></a>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-8123380009894306812009-03-03T09:44:00.003-05:002009-03-03T10:10:20.451-05:00Thai fruit carvingEvery Tuesday night there is a Thai fruit carving class right in my dorm. Basically, it is equivalent to a "residence life program," as we call them in Bowling Green. I didn’t make it last week for the tomatoes, or the week before when the apples transformed into swans. When I saw a picture of the swans, I decided to show up for class!<br /> <br />Here is what we did--carnations out of carrots. It seemed that the people with the thinnest slices of carrot had the best results. Mine sort of fell apart after I took a picture, but it was a hoot!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s_53hB3_DtdmpczFHqckKySbcHSCWYMfB1G33ljfET-w7a-Mv0y0C99NFiaxfPF1CBkscQzHRF1fS9F3T0miyXh8bucyscFcINjod5Ff9DLxI4K2bzSEFEutYeNNU_-B64KVI1k0vcw/s1600-h/DSCN1463b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3s_53hB3_DtdmpczFHqckKySbcHSCWYMfB1G33ljfET-w7a-Mv0y0C99NFiaxfPF1CBkscQzHRF1fS9F3T0miyXh8bucyscFcINjod5Ff9DLxI4K2bzSEFEutYeNNU_-B64KVI1k0vcw/s400/DSCN1463b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308977433144244466" /></a>Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-42416179762046968192009-02-27T23:50:00.005-05:002009-02-28T00:41:45.193-05:00home away from home...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjddzqFiq91yICRSpIba5lA4hJA797EAqx_BhLU4FhviBIWTyMU07Xv9LrmzNgo-xjBdYECWr__Tr481AdK-_zCaSY2wdBkMqg6DYHzp4hZ0c3zJpqyDQbuUb8IWPEF5GTftivMCrgRo/s1600-h/DSCN1433.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjddzqFiq91yICRSpIba5lA4hJA797EAqx_BhLU4FhviBIWTyMU07Xv9LrmzNgo-xjBdYECWr__Tr481AdK-_zCaSY2wdBkMqg6DYHzp4hZ0c3zJpqyDQbuUb8IWPEF5GTftivMCrgRo/s400/DSCN1433.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307706917821845730" /></a><br />under the south tower, looking towards the north tower<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dx24EhJnsk9AU8vcCfYcH5LXd-2WvsiQ2G9Wd_HI1Eu32fl623y_JQRVekluxnQsWTMnLSdC6XksuW1qWfMPKqxilziT16xkH2PTDv7MQjtDc6qvM-_NrS1KqwOy_jGWfmpRQ8H_jSU/s1600-h/DSCN1436.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8dx24EhJnsk9AU8vcCfYcH5LXd-2WvsiQ2G9Wd_HI1Eu32fl623y_JQRVekluxnQsWTMnLSdC6XksuW1qWfMPKqxilziT16xkH2PTDv7MQjtDc6qvM-_NrS1KqwOy_jGWfmpRQ8H_jSU/s400/DSCN1436.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307706915183042738" /></a><br />north tower-dorms<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsbravANo-7zkDRm8lBUmFX42N9OJ_D-_dx5Si8PFME_V26Qm1KXCguw5F6bwIWSNQ0LeFKdwbUf5GFEXgiZvyLujSuvji8dgjD4rP3cjxnncZEwYxxbjCzSawVOwqzp_br-hx2ygkN8/s1600-h/DSCN1431.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIsbravANo-7zkDRm8lBUmFX42N9OJ_D-_dx5Si8PFME_V26Qm1KXCguw5F6bwIWSNQ0LeFKdwbUf5GFEXgiZvyLujSuvji8dgjD4rP3cjxnncZEwYxxbjCzSawVOwqzp_br-hx2ygkN8/s400/DSCN1431.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307706912509322322" /></a><br />view from south tower-19th floor balcony<br /><br />“A tree trunk the size of a man grows from a blade as thin as a hair. A tower nine stories high is built from a small heap of earth.”<br />Lao TzuWhitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-16201794982715656022009-02-24T11:37:00.012-05:002009-02-24T12:31:40.914-05:00Upgrade<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-n01a8aMcrTCJWd4HndJ1fz3uucec7_jAeMVqpTKJXZ1NtEMvDPBfR_PFEIWnNstyB8dMWAeIj62oRGrfwta5dVAiJTNwl_-8l3nAe72-ykOfCgP5hn5kRakzznvan25xJ7SGyEPISUk/s1600-h/DSCN1411b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-n01a8aMcrTCJWd4HndJ1fz3uucec7_jAeMVqpTKJXZ1NtEMvDPBfR_PFEIWnNstyB8dMWAeIj62oRGrfwta5dVAiJTNwl_-8l3nAe72-ykOfCgP5hn5kRakzznvan25xJ7SGyEPISUk/s400/DSCN1411b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306416203178713682" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzyWO86ozubWDEqM0KGD48xf1ykV7ApTGUt1GqSQDrO7wmHCLgBcTiB7hKw033urVKTz7A6i4E249XUk8X2nsNpQgcHSHgZ5a4PcQSyj9AbEjmmUUUmsdzv2OIOpu3llw6ex1X_EUC7w/s1600-h/DSCN1414.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMzyWO86ozubWDEqM0KGD48xf1ykV7ApTGUt1GqSQDrO7wmHCLgBcTiB7hKw033urVKTz7A6i4E249XUk8X2nsNpQgcHSHgZ5a4PcQSyj9AbEjmmUUUmsdzv2OIOpu3llw6ex1X_EUC7w/s400/DSCN1414.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306405283661874754" /></a><br /><br />I took these pictures on my way to pick up my student Octopus card for riding the MTR. Students get every single fare for half the price, which really adds up, and we have picture identified cards. I don’t mind if anybody knows I went from Kowloon Tong to Tsim Sha Tsui, but it's interesting how much data in general could be tracked. Seeing the MTR headquarters (which was a different occasion) made me think about IT on the planet Camazotz. <span style="font-style:italic;">A Wrinkle in Time</span> sure was a great book. Hehe, food for thought.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44BZ6GaKjQ6d3OLJ3Bmk8gEOeVHhDqhHzinTUFnkN3JR_KhGY_gn0p-GCL4sSaaIY7huje5NjlsOEf2a7CTvb1G0sD2nxUvrdpAGuxj9sv2NkclS_i8HqChrMqKwivr6xH9CViP6iL-c/s1600-h/DSCN1404.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44BZ6GaKjQ6d3OLJ3Bmk8gEOeVHhDqhHzinTUFnkN3JR_KhGY_gn0p-GCL4sSaaIY7huje5NjlsOEf2a7CTvb1G0sD2nxUvrdpAGuxj9sv2NkclS_i8HqChrMqKwivr6xH9CViP6iL-c/s400/DSCN1404.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306405288833483650" /></a><br /><br />It has been really hazy here the last few days..and it sure is getting humid!Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-10021170017972803792009-02-19T10:48:00.013-05:002009-02-19T20:43:32.404-05:00The case of the yuanxiao dumplingNot too much new to report here...I was a little lethargic last weekend due to feeling a bit sick and a book that sucked up my attention. It all started after eating a sesame filled dumpling in red bean soup--called a yuanxiao dumpling or 粽子. We had a floor party celebrating a holiday for the mainland students, and this was the traditional snack served.<br /><br />Basically, we’re talking black sesame powder inside of sticky rice flour, all floating in a bowl of red bean soup. Here is a photo I found online...looks appetizing, huh? <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLAXMyvH2pWxRG0-1sVk6cH29E8XyaIKhKvHtO91I3ZNIXfB9neMlu7uC85DBT0Rmt3VD57yA7H4hn1QkYAZIrOGMjGFoCxWzL8-aoJIKTLjQU1aEqdx1K6PjwUHE4l5ucsr7cYh83IA/s1600-h/59933_1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLAXMyvH2pWxRG0-1sVk6cH29E8XyaIKhKvHtO91I3ZNIXfB9neMlu7uC85DBT0Rmt3VD57yA7H4hn1QkYAZIrOGMjGFoCxWzL8-aoJIKTLjQU1aEqdx1K6PjwUHE4l5ucsr7cYh83IA/s400/59933_1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304536822470396962" /></a><br /><br />Here is the recipe if you actually think so:<br />http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesenewyear/r/yuanxiao.htm <br />(sorry, dear reader, I tried and failed to insert the link properly)<br /><br />Thankfully, both the nausea and the book are history..hahaha. So maybe this weekend will yield greater returns. Oh no, that phrase made me think of accounting--midterms in 2 weeks! <br /><br />Well, there are two new photos to share:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczP0bVwnr2RdfoFTB32U0XadUGsqmpKMDf3RwiTpdOUKZl8SviHRDVc1j0X5QK0tfkyxmPreamHu0g_bwTc9rAQfVR6bRehwGbYklLZuI6PjGDZAqQ17H4FpIhQi_RcjIDULVmHYuaS8/s1600-h/DSCN1410.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczP0bVwnr2RdfoFTB32U0XadUGsqmpKMDf3RwiTpdOUKZl8SviHRDVc1j0X5QK0tfkyxmPreamHu0g_bwTc9rAQfVR6bRehwGbYklLZuI6PjGDZAqQ17H4FpIhQi_RcjIDULVmHYuaS8/s400/DSCN1410.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304537942151593602" /></a><br />Inside Kowloon City Plaza<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mr_MMa7eapf5b8du1Id1xNmUn2UlSuhmQggK-08hTEy9YjVanFs4RxS8a7ruoirs8LdoADtQ3fFItFXbwqtwtbCzftIsy8oWiBEFqAeWg-efejl9GL78Vx9zkQA27R05Kap4P6tOImI/s1600-h/DSCN1407.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mr_MMa7eapf5b8du1Id1xNmUn2UlSuhmQggK-08hTEy9YjVanFs4RxS8a7ruoirs8LdoADtQ3fFItFXbwqtwtbCzftIsy8oWiBEFqAeWg-efejl9GL78Vx9zkQA27R05Kap4P6tOImI/s400/DSCN1407.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304537285492814866" /></a><br />I know I already posted a pic from my room, but the sky was purple!Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-59056975244453194852009-02-08T02:00:00.012-05:002009-02-08T03:21:05.011-05:00MacauWith the weather still being cool, and a free day to make plans, Liana and I decided to take the one-hour ferry to Macau and see what we could see. Technically speaking, we left Hong Kong (passport stamping involved). Upon arrival we found a tourist information center and picked up a few pamphlets to browse though and plan our day. I’m pretty sure half of Liana’s info ended up being in Portuguese, which was humorous. <br /><br />We decided on 5 spots that looked interesting, and got on bus 28C. This one looked like it would go near the Templo Kun Iam, which was the first place on our list. Here is the thing about the buses. Even if you know where you want off, it’s basically impossible to know the number off stops the bus will make first, and when is the right time to ring the buzzer and get off in the desired location. Only the main stops are listed, and there are tons of little stations everywhere. We basically just guessed and got off. After lunch at an unnamed restaurant franchise that is the epitome of globalization, we found some street signs and navigated our way to the temple. I was surprised to walk under the incense coils and see that they were actually burning on the ends.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyAymobwAQffRt0trc4YXd-vhdNnvwwwB6QcGdrvGV3sD4XbCJvXWsjnFii6aWh85MbGHktbyZhCYI9X8f_QlUo5u8lhxm8wCbKkyospeobrto0E_paPyApBuKN3tS06CuwClyz0a64c/s1600-h/DSCN1290.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsyAymobwAQffRt0trc4YXd-vhdNnvwwwB6QcGdrvGV3sD4XbCJvXWsjnFii6aWh85MbGHktbyZhCYI9X8f_QlUo5u8lhxm8wCbKkyospeobrto0E_paPyApBuKN3tS06CuwClyz0a64c/s400/DSCN1290.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300320994930064530" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU4Y4JoZWJ2WyUilsr9boV51_mffbKZhobck5zloeHqA9qAdJ1miAWrZztCQucSVa4aVebqqZ2Np12DORmHJ0g5hiyn20UHaacHP2mr2NS4pGIIJnorQRfCqz7TqkPSCV-HLyugOWXFg/s1600-h/DSCN1295.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrU4Y4JoZWJ2WyUilsr9boV51_mffbKZhobck5zloeHqA9qAdJ1miAWrZztCQucSVa4aVebqqZ2Np12DORmHJ0g5hiyn20UHaacHP2mr2NS4pGIIJnorQRfCqz7TqkPSCV-HLyugOWXFg/s400/DSCN1295.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300320988347355170" /></a><br /><br />We decided not to brave the bus again, and walked to the next destination, Jandim Lou Lim Ioc. This was a lovely garden in the city, and certainly a haven for those who live in the hustle and bustle every day. I saw several people meditating and making the most of the atmosphere. This was my favorite stop of the day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoP8z_PMkHf08It9bDJ4tmGhEWPz2KBHuH7_GGMUzHTuigoL01bXeJMos3fwBTN_OHCzy_BYdVKZjZ1nKImBqQmnHvw-ylZqvM8cdWCwbuA9BQYGt6yQ-fXOoUBInhRAMSHZmXSgkIo_0/s1600-h/DSCN1309.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoP8z_PMkHf08It9bDJ4tmGhEWPz2KBHuH7_GGMUzHTuigoL01bXeJMos3fwBTN_OHCzy_BYdVKZjZ1nKImBqQmnHvw-ylZqvM8cdWCwbuA9BQYGt6yQ-fXOoUBInhRAMSHZmXSgkIo_0/s400/DSCN1309.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300320983676306210" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1hE_G7GL9KiHsaJ72ym0tsSgUucXIPjS9xyW-tDbiCSRPClzTKeIHojbokVn8sayIGrmInSexzHxAfEBy2CeE6DJmN6KVtILhX_fibDbIbSAwj38zA-nlyqDcUGO5pCFtPqNmIuUCPQ/s1600-h/DSCN1317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ1hE_G7GL9KiHsaJ72ym0tsSgUucXIPjS9xyW-tDbiCSRPClzTKeIHojbokVn8sayIGrmInSexzHxAfEBy2CeE6DJmN6KVtILhX_fibDbIbSAwj38zA-nlyqDcUGO5pCFtPqNmIuUCPQ/s400/DSCN1317.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300320982143805234" /></a><br /><br />Next, we walked to the Guia fortress, near the center of the city. The view was spectacular from the top. We sat down for a minute to look at the map and decided that the next stop looked a bit far away, and that some of the streets were not labeled. We decided a taxi ride would be nice, and I proceeded to hail a taxi for the first time ever. The map I had was nifty because I could point to the destination in English, and the Cantonese version was right next to it. The driver took us to the Ruin’s of St. Pauls Cathedral. This was an interesting stop, and there was a room underneath called the Museum of sacred art that struck my fancy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNgwQJCXL1ocmHrMfb3QIiXdBO0viTwepgdw_QKqj0EMEgurNYWE3EJlWoNMiN9qvxmT_M8Uk0kXNZ-R7whg1XgUPi5pSnSxmDfkS1AE1AvFWADNx1PQ4_N_RKOz1w71D4GD8TuLF7hw/s1600-h/DSCN1330.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNgwQJCXL1ocmHrMfb3QIiXdBO0viTwepgdw_QKqj0EMEgurNYWE3EJlWoNMiN9qvxmT_M8Uk0kXNZ-R7whg1XgUPi5pSnSxmDfkS1AE1AvFWADNx1PQ4_N_RKOz1w71D4GD8TuLF7hw/s400/DSCN1330.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300319982972286562" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2WlyOPNl-sQVptLd3l98vVpw52rNfKq819PZfck66Lyo1V7wwGjXoV7jUPMDNn4RRtpbyKMNv0I8KPikxDGQyfJr3a6TGX_N-pZkQzTs152b_mOac8Tibq-kNvIE-3ZdEv7vTCaUvwo/s1600-h/DSCN1343.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR2WlyOPNl-sQVptLd3l98vVpw52rNfKq819PZfck66Lyo1V7wwGjXoV7jUPMDNn4RRtpbyKMNv0I8KPikxDGQyfJr3a6TGX_N-pZkQzTs152b_mOac8Tibq-kNvIE-3ZdEv7vTCaUvwo/s400/DSCN1343.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300319984597452658" /></a><br />View from the ruin's of St. Paul's<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55k29f1TpjsZ3jDbRkSNufDwUV66CMq5FbtHXE8mW2NSk1qYiNrSgW5voDZCoHdMlqr6X2ge8n7UPwmNVmRVhIyb3FEW-k56uZAZ3g9ixSdZG7UWRguc8mYq7e_ujTb95FEhK_V9VTe8/s1600-h/DSCN1345.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55k29f1TpjsZ3jDbRkSNufDwUV66CMq5FbtHXE8mW2NSk1qYiNrSgW5voDZCoHdMlqr6X2ge8n7UPwmNVmRVhIyb3FEW-k56uZAZ3g9ixSdZG7UWRguc8mYq7e_ujTb95FEhK_V9VTe8/s400/DSCN1345.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300319977787665010" /></a><br /><br />Liana and I were able to continue on the walking journey, and we arrived at Senado Square, a very popular tourist attraction! I bought a tea (no idea what it was called) and it tasted like rose water, which surprised me…I think I liked it? A group of kids asked if they could interview me for a class project, and we had a little chat about the Chinese New Year festivities. Will I celebrate the New Year back home?? Well yes, but I doubt I will get any red packets…<br /><br />The light was fading and the twinkle lights over Senado square where pretty grand. I have always been a fan of twinkling ambience. We stayed for a while and then decided that we were ready to find our way back to the East side of Macau for the ferry terminal. This meant another bus ride, but we picked the right one and our location was really easy to spot, so everything went fine. A very enjoyable day!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqKiRo75kFuI_GN0yRzXfYG0gZZNzFCPYl8ZKsv68G9nw_fAezhv0R3qsO7ecEjp2iXndC1HnQm8jW3PwI6KWksyJKajsQlt6CkmWnWzFxPAboA87TcOLsPs-IN4Al5fW9F0SfV-lxDQ/s1600-h/DSCN1373.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqKiRo75kFuI_GN0yRzXfYG0gZZNzFCPYl8ZKsv68G9nw_fAezhv0R3qsO7ecEjp2iXndC1HnQm8jW3PwI6KWksyJKajsQlt6CkmWnWzFxPAboA87TcOLsPs-IN4Al5fW9F0SfV-lxDQ/s400/DSCN1373.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300319976582050226" /></a><br />Kung Hei Fat Choi!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-_dv-4Vb9aWcG3jBEiIOHIxT95daV0mC1knVZmSFt31_-uP_MNNsu7_PMiCYXNv8w5KeOP9Zt9KT5nMoSzcwh4OjV0VqWmwahoer16dYDiEq36Kt218qN15_2_ejASUiX-WZQPXOaRo/s1600-h/DSCN1368.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-_dv-4Vb9aWcG3jBEiIOHIxT95daV0mC1knVZmSFt31_-uP_MNNsu7_PMiCYXNv8w5KeOP9Zt9KT5nMoSzcwh4OjV0VqWmwahoer16dYDiEq36Kt218qN15_2_ejASUiX-WZQPXOaRo/s400/DSCN1368.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300320974652653394" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqmG38_HG_qK33LY8RjCmC4eDybvlgmBftle8EvKZ3HSW6-moMnkpNZUWcHotzaBdGcRVM5cR6_1IVqPBje9Hd2_FrmgZW9caUjmI0Um29HzH7fJJRvWu_wa67vOWZ-QMEjSRe_cWC2g/s1600-h/DSCN1396.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqmG38_HG_qK33LY8RjCmC4eDybvlgmBftle8EvKZ3HSW6-moMnkpNZUWcHotzaBdGcRVM5cR6_1IVqPBje9Hd2_FrmgZW9caUjmI0Um29HzH7fJJRvWu_wa67vOWZ-QMEjSRe_cWC2g/s400/DSCN1396.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300319970474351522" /></a><br /><br />As an addition to make this post even looonger, I enjoyed going to Bro. Rodney and Sis. Grace Ralee’s house for church last Sunday. My friend Wendy (from HK and currently living in Ohio) knew them and gave me the contact info. Hong Kong is surprisingly safe, and I knew I would be just fine on a Sunday morning with angels by my side, but it still took me a while before I felt comfortable enough to travel there alone. I rode the MTR and then took a minibus to get there. Bro. Rodney told me in his email where to get off, and I searched online to see exactly what stops I would be skipping (a bit easier in HK), and the approx. time of the drive. You can never be too prepared, right? <br /><br />We sang Amazing Grace and a few other songs, and Sister Grace played the piano beautifully. The Ralee’s 6 year old son sat in the front and changed the power point words while singing with enthusiasm, and his 7 year old sister sat beside him and kept looking over at me. It was cute. During the sermon, Brother Sam stood off to the side and translated into Cantonese. <br /><br />After church everyone was sweet and hospitable and they said typically they serve lunch, but the kids had a Tae Kwon Do performance that afternoon. After fellowshipping for a while, Bro. Ralee walked me back to the bus stop and waited till I was safely on my way, which is always a good thing. The Ralee's are currently out of town for two weeks, but now that I know how to get there, I want to go back!Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-57352304014333594742009-01-31T10:31:00.026-05:002009-01-31T12:22:12.346-05:00Lantau Island<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe7jrct0hKNLofqKrY9eQFW6m2GX5td7QomlZY1x-xYycL59fyj9YcfBjGKjycHwqZLdZJevK1TUvamm6rbE1NpNklrT_5VbUQb4_d4Fp0qoURsRPLFMdtnDwULsg_8V1UOm1SLkeF_w/s1600-h/DSCN1137.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe7jrct0hKNLofqKrY9eQFW6m2GX5td7QomlZY1x-xYycL59fyj9YcfBjGKjycHwqZLdZJevK1TUvamm6rbE1NpNklrT_5VbUQb4_d4Fp0qoURsRPLFMdtnDwULsg_8V1UOm1SLkeF_w/s400/DSCN1137.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297490551863254562" /></a>Yesterday, Liana and I decided to explore Lantau Island and finally see the “Big Buddha.” We got all the way to the Island riding the MTR and then headed right around the corner from the station to get in line for the Ngong Ping Cable Car ride. This was a 25-minute ride over beautiful scenery up into the mountains. (Your computer screen isn't dirty, it was the glass window =)The 85-foot high Tian Tan Buddha statue appeared in the distance and we were soon back on solid ground and ready to explore. After some spaghetti, which was delicious by the way, we followed the crowd and started ascending Buddha’s steps.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCNo7hRFTxwXPq9T5z76EHK_Y8rN0JJ1U3eeA7kVSH8F5vbXE7oh_1LV41S821ibqKSoQISD-DxV0t3Gi6_GUSz5v1em5jzXH4uuqbh-6-AKP2Ttl16NKG3oKeCDaGM9UJ90D4Ye38j0/s1600-h/DSCN1165.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 285px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCNo7hRFTxwXPq9T5z76EHK_Y8rN0JJ1U3eeA7kVSH8F5vbXE7oh_1LV41S821ibqKSoQISD-DxV0t3Gi6_GUSz5v1em5jzXH4uuqbh-6-AKP2Ttl16NKG3oKeCDaGM9UJ90D4Ye38j0/s400/DSCN1165.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297490228045237106" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWxg_81d-a4fl0-qjN6RYGw3cW-6Izjls7zvqHlLVDTenmYuBK8cJC561BL8A3Nngl9zUOSbMFMfpYNR6Be6p0j06DaSZsKG9tBgxpVC1IxeAotRru1rj2FXSeWcSazhzzt9hzIISNec/s1600-h/DSCN1186.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghWxg_81d-a4fl0-qjN6RYGw3cW-6Izjls7zvqHlLVDTenmYuBK8cJC561BL8A3Nngl9zUOSbMFMfpYNR6Be6p0j06DaSZsKG9tBgxpVC1IxeAotRru1rj2FXSeWcSazhzzt9hzIISNec/s400/DSCN1186.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297488132642688786" /></a>My final paper in a “history of architecture” class entailed researching "ascendance" in both the ancient and modern world. I was definitely aware of the effects of such a grand staircase while I was the little tourist climbing up. Besides the function of being stairs, there was aesthetic and religious meaning embedded in the journey.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozsZi-Q-ed6s9QcPlRk-YmucI9sKUtRBFK4l7BMI62latUZ9JzGfoF6kNOPs89fNEE7h7qRIpsdBYxZzzkyY6ag8M7DLQRbol4e4mZ3FfEqy2yBbshJknzFvBBFe2OZINvYwmVHelcC8/s1600-h/DSCN1205.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjozsZi-Q-ed6s9QcPlRk-YmucI9sKUtRBFK4l7BMI62latUZ9JzGfoF6kNOPs89fNEE7h7qRIpsdBYxZzzkyY6ag8M7DLQRbol4e4mZ3FfEqy2yBbshJknzFvBBFe2OZINvYwmVHelcC8/s400/DSCN1205.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297486828190563026" /></a>The view from the platform at the back of the statue was stunning. The South China Sea was in the distance, and little islands appeared in the haze as the horizon faded into the sky. I had one of those moments where everything sort of stops, and I just stood there and took it all in. Truly Beautiful.<br /><br />We also went to the Po Lin Monastery and checked that out, but I can’t really think of anything to blog about for that stop… <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONXLP9xelk1UzHamBMNkiWTvgK1jmIPRwrDv4dmJl-b1jSTyJLqdg2m9zq-Zlidt6YYmZOjVN-Xo54BaaosobLBk7XXaeS2WVU966v-TtdCXXH4VPjDtNromsaeDdY72zFkX7ms9-mfs/s1600-h/DSCN1228.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONXLP9xelk1UzHamBMNkiWTvgK1jmIPRwrDv4dmJl-b1jSTyJLqdg2m9zq-Zlidt6YYmZOjVN-Xo54BaaosobLBk7XXaeS2WVU966v-TtdCXXH4VPjDtNromsaeDdY72zFkX7ms9-mfs/s400/DSCN1228.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297496219914043474" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1Ad-ATeAC9BPR9dEedxmhSMMj0TFyLWGC1RsD2ABtVXLdGrHe-nyli7wL4SwRDlY_QxXfur2WR1iOgO8Kea0ehrlIfawL0m6fhxEL6j8p24UWuCHbS2gB_1DbXnFc2I5iUIARDEN5PM/s1600-h/DSCN1235.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1Ad-ATeAC9BPR9dEedxmhSMMj0TFyLWGC1RsD2ABtVXLdGrHe-nyli7wL4SwRDlY_QxXfur2WR1iOgO8Kea0ehrlIfawL0m6fhxEL6j8p24UWuCHbS2gB_1DbXnFc2I5iUIARDEN5PM/s400/DSCN1235.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297496216654890930" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXFTwvkhy1i-UG5M6649QQ8lsRy5d8imCp6EDmukv65xFZcYRfNqr3bP5zTTHnz5jSPXLIBioe_Gm8QisK_ANmQ-51QsziNIyWAP-XjwDlLmW1Xy5sDS05N7LkZsS2a4O-OY2AeAEOxs/s1600-h/DSCN1238.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZXFTwvkhy1i-UG5M6649QQ8lsRy5d8imCp6EDmukv65xFZcYRfNqr3bP5zTTHnz5jSPXLIBioe_Gm8QisK_ANmQ-51QsziNIyWAP-XjwDlLmW1Xy5sDS05N7LkZsS2a4O-OY2AeAEOxs/s400/DSCN1238.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297496210356043058" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09ZP2MO-AVdERApcsxc1LJftdK2r65_6ricjPPgKHWSzKqq8MVjNU9QZhkkfs_BTYhqjHVtkPTFVhwQ4BpFi4b6GAxjKjwgI2XEec4gUvG8F0i66ryafS2koHsvf8MPRX3Cw7VYge6cw/s1600-h/DSCN1242.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09ZP2MO-AVdERApcsxc1LJftdK2r65_6ricjPPgKHWSzKqq8MVjNU9QZhkkfs_BTYhqjHVtkPTFVhwQ4BpFi4b6GAxjKjwgI2XEec4gUvG8F0i66ryafS2koHsvf8MPRX3Cw7VYge6cw/s400/DSCN1242.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297496204822692130" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnXYUnMEvIP_C_VeB5dXqSr6-HjrX_W1onsfXZrFifXSCyACdzsHpZpG8w05qONAZrahXfZ7_sg8FrP5bGPf3aVJM-sXpdmaI7coUS5a4MkBci969VrnMVXd5g9eObfwWouF8AHREbL4/s1600-h/DSCN1255.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLnXYUnMEvIP_C_VeB5dXqSr6-HjrX_W1onsfXZrFifXSCyACdzsHpZpG8w05qONAZrahXfZ7_sg8FrP5bGPf3aVJM-sXpdmaI7coUS5a4MkBci969VrnMVXd5g9eObfwWouF8AHREbL4/s400/DSCN1255.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297483430055182162" /></a>When we were ready to return to Tung Chung on the cable car, the line wrapped through the street and a sign at the end said, “approximate queuing time from here to boarding--60 minutes.” We got in line and pretty soon after a guy walked by with a sign for the express line, where you volunteer to stand up for the whole ride. The wait time was 5-10 minutes!! After a wee bit of coercion I convinced Liana that it would be totally worth it, and it was! <br /><br />We didn’t get a chance to go to Tai O, on the NW side of the island. This town is famous for being a fishing town with a bunch of stilt houses. So, we have a reason to go back to Lantau Island!<br /><br />As a small edit to a previous blog...there are no llama's on Lamma Island. I spelled it like the animal =DWhitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7831584536152956949.post-28754476554063127312009-01-27T10:14:00.016-05:002009-01-27T11:17:12.868-05:00The year of the oxMy friend Celia is one of the student ambassadors for HKBU who picked international students up at the airport, and helped us feel welcome. She sent a text to some of us yesterday, and it reads:<br /><br />Happy Chinese Lunar New Year! “Kung Hei Fat Choi” is a phrase that we use to say to each other most frequently in the new year, it means “Hope you can be rich in all aspects”, now I give this phrase to you with my best wishes =)<br /><br />So there you have it, “Kung Hei Fat Choi.” If you fold your hands together in front of you and raise them slightly up and down while saying the phrase, you can pull it off. Traditionally, little children are given small red packets with a newly minted coin inside. I was given two!! Although, my coins were chocolate=)<br /><br />Last night I went to the Chinese New Year parade. I read online that a front row viewing requires a 2-hour early arrival! My group got there about 1.5 hours before the parade, and I was in about the fourth row, give or take some elbows. By the time the parade started, there was a sea of people and I had been standing on the same little square of concrete for what seemed like a very long time. My last memory like this was when our 43rd President stopped in the Troy square and said hello during his “four more years” campaign. After an hour and a half of parade viewing (we are at 3 hours here folks) Whitney was ready to call it a day AND talking about herself in third person. Crowds have never been her favorite way to pass the time.<br /><br />The parade started from the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and ended up at the New World Centre, which she was directly across from. Ok, ok, I’ll stop that. There were some cool drummers that marched by, and quite a few interesting floats and such. <br /><br />Tonight continued the festivities with fireworks near the harbor. Again, there was quite a crowd, but not as crazy as the night before, since people weren’t pushing to see. I am still not used to the aggressive ways of the city. People walk straight towards me and I feel like I am always getting out of their way. Some has to yield or there will be a collision!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEW6F_eaBjDFs6xtx9R7HMFq6o2Hn30O02YeDdr_0Of-r5xyK4p39am6SHvko6hVx3B50kt3gdmhS3wjjNuj0-Qkj3G7dAV9yh_1NcXFlO5Xq4ffNcXTooHzGKmd_C3MII_I4g-F_cZU/s1600-h/DSCN0982.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEW6F_eaBjDFs6xtx9R7HMFq6o2Hn30O02YeDdr_0Of-r5xyK4p39am6SHvko6hVx3B50kt3gdmhS3wjjNuj0-Qkj3G7dAV9yh_1NcXFlO5Xq4ffNcXTooHzGKmd_C3MII_I4g-F_cZU/s400/DSCN0982.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295994125808982946" /></a><br />The rows behind me at the beginning of the parade.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vvnaThfls51ere88CN1miREzRnlFhbnBTvVG-Y229J7cS2XVL6TvyY7WgDtzmJWfGByBLAOfj03Q7QpRIT6p7xRFEu5d-ayVOGXt5ePlda_Yx7Mixh89SyUbIVnnNb6N2l-3idtSjlI/s1600-h/DSCN1032.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0vvnaThfls51ere88CN1miREzRnlFhbnBTvVG-Y229J7cS2XVL6TvyY7WgDtzmJWfGByBLAOfj03Q7QpRIT6p7xRFEu5d-ayVOGXt5ePlda_Yx7Mixh89SyUbIVnnNb6N2l-3idtSjlI/s400/DSCN1032.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295994142120243426" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jzJq2JPvHL5s-FU7OXCoJC7sb3bskPKJwr0SkrxZGQxDoW1URHNOUhi7SzLM9TZ1AaE5TIgsyKQvQddUm7wct6c0nKp_Jcgb11cfveB3zhZ5LhUhOoWBsfTAK3rP8WyDg8xe1Ti4k6Y/s1600-h/DSCN0998.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2jzJq2JPvHL5s-FU7OXCoJC7sb3bskPKJwr0SkrxZGQxDoW1URHNOUhi7SzLM9TZ1AaE5TIgsyKQvQddUm7wct6c0nKp_Jcgb11cfveB3zhZ5LhUhOoWBsfTAK3rP8WyDg8xe1Ti4k6Y/s400/DSCN0998.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295994132946827970" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnea89FNhTGa3M5ZyZaDcBzKR6MkuWgRz7HtSboAoYAdEcW1UiI6HLCHz-HkwUmjYyCyNQOlZECSjwq-BxaHCYTKFq6wLJrzqTPWrwcEaXVnwkbiHDal8586uPm6ap_-u6dy3QWjwtHk/s1600-h/DSCN1091.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnea89FNhTGa3M5ZyZaDcBzKR6MkuWgRz7HtSboAoYAdEcW1UiI6HLCHz-HkwUmjYyCyNQOlZECSjwq-BxaHCYTKFq6wLJrzqTPWrwcEaXVnwkbiHDal8586uPm6ap_-u6dy3QWjwtHk/s400/DSCN1091.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295997163346684610" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PsBUHl3h_TPSod0EVu_ddPPig1JBOHhZaxADZb3tirs4mXIxO6zUnPtU9Pd4ptYlzjVbDVXPo2P5SkeD66LTPXuUsKU6XiusDwX38V_VajV3Eo1xgsVRRwB9B7hcpXWCzTk3ANCxTfQ/s1600-h/DSCN1098.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PsBUHl3h_TPSod0EVu_ddPPig1JBOHhZaxADZb3tirs4mXIxO6zUnPtU9Pd4ptYlzjVbDVXPo2P5SkeD66LTPXuUsKU6XiusDwX38V_VajV3Eo1xgsVRRwB9B7hcpXWCzTk3ANCxTfQ/s400/DSCN1098.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295997167967489522" /></a><br />Herding into the MTR station after the fireworks.Whitneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17007940305802020958noreply@blogger.com5