We are having a great time on our trip. We finally get Jade today. (we found out she's called LanLan by her foster family) That should be tramatic for all of us :-) Since we haven't left to do that yet, I thought I'd post a quick list of observations.
1. The women here have a thing for outrageous shoes.
2. The Chinese people love their pets - dogs, pigeons, crickets-which they keep in cages just like in Mulan.
3. The drivers are crazy with a capital C and the pedestrians are even crazier-they have no fear.
4. Jay walking across a five lane road is no problem, because street vendors have taken over at least two of those lanes.
5. Chinese people are as interested in seeing their historical and cultural sights as foreigners.
6. Everything is big-buildings, monuments, crowds- it's all on a grand scale.
7. The younger generation - at least - really believe that Chairman Mao and the communist government made China a better place for the Chinese people.
8. Feng Shue (sp?) is practiced in China and taken very seriously.
9. I think that Chinese people drive nicer cars than Americans.
10. The Chinese people want the world to know they aren't poor and behind the times anymore.
11. I haven't had to use a squatty potty yet but I have found out toilet paper can be really hard to find when you need it. Always carry Kleenex.
12. I haven't seen any soy sauce yet but I have seen Tabasco sauce.
13. A child with red hair in China will be treated like a celebrity. Everybody wants to touch them and have their picture taken with them.
14. Very few phone lines to be seen. EVERYONE has a cell phone. Most are nicer than mine.
15. Apartments are in short supply, but they are building thousands of high-rises that look like dominoes stacked up. Looks like a scene from a Sci-Fi movie. No wonder prices on building supplies are up world-wide.
16. They are tearing down the old cities so they can build the new one a few miles down the road.
That's just a few of our observations so far. I'm sure we'll make a few more.
Matt and Melissa
I know you guys are so busy, but thanks for keeping us posted. I will probably never go to China, so I'm living through you as well!
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