You are the man = "knee hun le high"

Today began our trip within a trip as we woke up at 5 am to make our flight to Xi'an. We had to wake up at 5 so that we all could shower, eat breakfast, and be on the road by 6. We had to take a cab to the bus station to take a bus to the airport. It is too expensive to take a taxi all the way to the airport because even the Nanjing airport is like 45 minutes away in a car. When we made it to the airport it was very calm and many of the people flying that day were not there yet because it was so early. As we waited in line to check our luggage and get our tickets we ended up seeing a person we had met in the shopping mall the day before. It was really strange because the first day we walked around Nanjing Max took us to the underground mall I had previously mentioned and we looked in this cool shoe store. The next day we went back and looked around again seeing the same guy working the store. It was a cool guy around our age and he was really friendly but spoke very little english. He was really helpful and it turns out he was flying out of Nanjing to make some business deals for his store today. So when he was walking through the airport he noticed the only 1/2 black person he probably has ever seen in real life (Gordon) and made his way over to say HI. Once again he was really friendly and this time gave us his card. Max talked to him for a minute and he had to go catch his flight, but it was really cool to see him because this makes the third day in a row and we have made a true native friend besides Max.


As we waited in line we actually came across some trouble. There was a large group of women that were flying that day and the way you check in is you can give all of the pass ports or ID's to one person and they can collect the tickets for all of the people in the group. So for us we gave all our passports to Max's dad and he was in the front of all of us in line waiting to get to the desk and get our tickets. Well as we were waiting there was one girl in front of him just waiting in line like normal, but as she got to the front, all of a sudden 15, and im not kidding 15, other women come to the front of the line and expect to barge their way in front of us. All 5 of us have been waiting in the very slow line for probably 30 minutes and now all of a sudden 15 more women come expecting to just jump in line as this other women dumps her whole purse filled with passports out. She literally cannot fit them all in her hands. Now for Gordon George and I we really dont care that much because we have plenty of time before our flight and we dont really ever know whats going on here, but out of nowhere Max starts freaking out and yelling and his dad who is laughing sarcastically become frustrated with the women. The whole scene becomes ludicrous and Max's dad jumps to the front of the line and the guy taking the passports begins scolding the women as if they were crazy for thinking they could just jump us all at once without having to actually wait in the line, and having so many people in their group.


So we end up getting our tickets fine and making it through security with ease. The flight was about 2 hours and they even served us lunch. Everything was pretty swift when it came from the airport to the hotel because when we landed in Xi'an our guide and driver were there and ready. One of the things I was actually surprised about was how fast we were able to pick up our luggage. Usually it takes at least 30 minutes to get your checked luggage on any flight especially domestic, but in Xi'an we got our bags within 10 minutes of getting to the baggage claim. So we hopped in the mini van and our driver, who happens to be our personal driver the whole time we are in Xi'an, took us to our hotel. After we checked in, our guide had a special lunch planned for us at a restaurant what prepared special food that was traditional to the province. Lunch was delicious and it seems like every meal keeps topping the last. One of the peculiar things about this lunch was that the restaurant was in a predominately muslim area, so where we were typically having pork dishes in Nanjing, the Xi'an dishes were the same, but with duck and lamb instead. This was pretty neat because it was obvious the differences, but both were very good.


After lunch we went to the Shaanxi History Museum, which is a museum of basically all of the past dyansies of chinese history that there are records of. As we walked in and George and I got the English audio tour guides, the first thing we saw were skulls of the first homo erectus asians. So the history of this museum is literally as far back as it can go. The museum itself focused on the impressive artwork, and tools of the times. It was really cool because we saw some of the first tools used by these men as well as some of the first money, and first artwork. The artifacts that we saw were very impressive to think that people that long ago could have achieved some of these things. It makes you feel proud to be part of such an amazing species, to know that some of your ancestors were so clever when there was no precedent to learn from. After the museum we just walked throught the city taking pictures with some of the statues in the main square and some of the traditional buildings. Xi'an is a very historic town as it was the capital of china and home to many emperors of many dynasties throughout the history of China. By the time we got through the museum and were finished walking around town it was already time for dinner.


Dinner this time was pretty special because we had some special dishes to the Xi'an province and the restaurant was once again top of the line. When we walked into our private room for dinner there were pictures on the wall of very important government officials writing calligraphy for the restaurant in the ancient chinese style. When we walked into our room it was the actual calligraphy on the wall with the signatures of the government officials. The table we sat at was just as big as the other dinners we have had and the middle of the table was the spinning glass so that all the dishes could be passed around. As we move further inland into China, the traditional food of the provinces become more and more spicy. For me this is a good thing because I love spicy food and tonight the dinner was phenomenal. I love the food, but only because it was just spicy enough, as we move further inland over the next three days I am a little nervous as to if I will be able to handle the food Max puts on my plate. Tonight though, was perfect. We ate with our guide and some of his employees, but because he was the boss they all seemed to be kissing his ass the whole dinner. It was really weird tonight because we got a big helping of the actual chinese etiquette that we dont know about in america. For instance there is a distinct hierarchy at a table. The Head of the table picks where each person should sit, usually in a descending order of rank. The guests of the table are treated with the most hopsitality and can basically do whatever they want, but they should still be as respectful to the head as possible. It is common to fill someone elses cup when they finish a drink, and if you are lower in the hierarchy you should stand when you fill their cup. If you want to make a toast, which are very common, you should stand and you should finish your cup with the person or persons you toast. Then if someone gives you a toast, it is proper to give them a toast back, like if they ask you to drink with them, then you should ask them to drink with you. There are also very peculiar rules about who starts a dish, but we are still kind of unsure of those rules because they are not really spoken about and Max just tells us to do whatever we want because we are guests and if something we do is really outlandish everyone just laughs anyways. Meals though are a very special time and a great time for conversation and friendship. Max told us tonight how some of the dishes are very meaningful because there was a noodle appetizer that he said symbolized long lasting friendships that our host picked out specifically. The dinner though was a very cool learning experience.


By the time we were done eating, it was time to head back to the hotel. Our day tomorrow will start at 8 am and we are going to see the terra cotta warriors. We are going to delve into more of the extremely plentiful history of Xi'an tomorrow with one of the most famous attractions of all of china. With much needed sleep in mind I am going to bed.


Goodnight,
Marty

A Chill Day

Today was our most relaxed day so far. We slept in today more than before now that we are getting more adjusted to the jet lag. For breakfast we had a traditional chinese breakfast of what tasted like a giant cucumber shaped funnel cake thing dipped in a hot soy milk with sugar. Also we had some other pastry type things to go with it that have been common at all our meals so far. The pastries and things are starting to show a theme in their texture and taste. Most of the pastry dishes and sweets are much different than in America. Here a common pastry will be made with a biscuit type crust and a plain sugar inside, where in america a pastry will normally have a fruit filling with a sugar syrup. Also most of the sweets here are made with vegetables that would never be thought of as sweets like green beans or seaweed, but they actually are pretty good with enough sugar.

After breakfast we hung around the house for a little while and showered and took our time getting ready, basically until lunch. Max had to run a few errands and Gordon George and I just watched TV and chilled. When Max was ready we went to lunch in a Japanese noodle shop, but Max insisted that the restaurant was owned by chinese that it was just a franchise that he liked and wanted us to try. The noodles we tried were really good and the ones I had were really spicy.
After we finished lunch Max took us to the museum for the rape of Nanjing. This was a museum built in honor of the victims of the attack of the Japanese on Nanjing in 1937. This museum was a dramatic change in mood but really enlightening to understand why Max feels the way he does towards the Japanese. The museum itself is very impressive and well built as a structure but the content is disturbing. As soon as you walk up to the building there are statues on the outside that have some very scary quotes and graphic images people running from the japanese plane bombings. When we walked through the doors the first thing you see is the different languages in giant letters saying 300000 for the number of people killed during the attack. All throughout the museum the signs had the chinese letters above an english translation so we were able to read all of the signs on each exhibit as we walked through. some of the stories were very saddening but I think the most sad part about it is that many people had no idea. I know that I would have never known about that attack at all had I not met Max because I definitely dont remember reading about it in our history books. Just because it was caught up in the WWII hype and over looked because of the Nazi Holocaust not many americans have heard of this attack. It all started in august of 1937 when the Japanese first attacked Shanghai as part of their plan to take over Nanjing which was the capital city of the peoples republic of China at the time. The Japanese took Shanghai easily and made their way to start a 3 front attack on Nanjing in a matter of days. The city of Nanjing faught as much as they could, but were no match for the advanced planes and machine guns of the Japanese. While the Japanese had fighter planes made of metal with guns and bombs, the Chinese had the double winged wood planes we normally associate with the Wright brothers. This major disadvantage led to the city being taken and the slaughter of over 300,000 people in a matter of 6 weeks. Now if it were just a matter of the chinese losing a battle during WWII then some people might just think, so what. The problem is that Nanjing did not have 300,000 soldiers meaning many many of the people the japanese were killing were unarmed civilians including women and children. The museum had records of many disturbing testaments of cases where the Japanese soldiers were known for raping the women and mass killings by lining people up in front of the machine guns. Some of the instruction from the high up Japanese military generals included killing all of the people of Nanjing including the women and children with their justification being just to eradicate communism. Some of the worst cases were stories of survivors such as a girl who was captured as a POW but was raped 7-10 times a day where she contracted at least 3 major STD's before she was saved by some Chinese soldiers and sent to a church safe zone. Another story included a girl who played dead as she watched her family be murdered and her mother and 4 year old younger sister be raped before killed. The stories were extremely brutal and it all broke the laws of war set after WWI. There were some stories of repentance by Japanese soldiers afterwards but it is still amazing that this story is overlooked by most of the world except those who were victims. There were some war crime trials held afterwards as well, but how could something like that be justified. The museum was a great memorial for those who were victim to the attack and serves as a really nice monument for the city to never forget what happened.

The museum took up the majority of our day. Afterwards we took a cab back to Max's house and put on the movie "the Book of Eli." Max then went to pick something up from the mail which turned out to be a Hill China flag he had made so that we can take pictures with it on the rest of our trip and send to the Hill Alumni association to have posted on the Hill School website. After the movie it was just about dinner time and tonight Max's mom was cooking for us. This was our first home cooked meal that Max always raved about missing while in the states. All his praise of his moms cooking ability definitely met expectations because this meal was probably my favorite of all. She cooked about 7 dishes total including a fish, a nanjing style roast duck, a cabbage soup, and tomato eggs. The food was all delicious and I know my dad is sitting there thinking that I would never have eaten cabbage in the US and he is right, and I still wont because here it smells and tastes much better. But this meal was very nice because it was really laid back with just the 4 of us and Max's parents again just sitting around his house talking and enjoying each others company.


When we finished dinner we decided to take it easy tonight because tomorrow we have a flight from Nanjing to Xi'an to see the terra cotta warriors. Xi'an will be the first stop on this little mini trip because the next 9 days we will spend traveling the Sechuan south western and more inland parts of China that many tourists are not able to see. The Xi'an part is very touristy but after that Max's dad was able to talk to one of his friends at the TV station to get us connected with people in the rural areas to show us around. Also because Max's dad does so much backpacking he is able to show us the areas many people are not able to visit.

Even though I have only been here a few days it seems like a really long time. It might just be because I'm really tired, but the welcoming his family has provided makes it feel like I've been here forever. Our flight leaves at 8am so I am going to bed now but I will have my computer with me and hopefully will have internet for this trip within a trip. For now goodnight.


Marty

Nanjing Celebrities

Today begafn with a bit of a slow start. Max took Gordon to the bank to take out cash and George and I watched the begining of kick-ass. When we were all finally ready to start the day after showers and little errands we had lunch with Max's dad and friends from work. This was really nice because we got to meet Max's dads best friends and they treated us to a very nice lunch in a 4 star hotel. The meal was delicious and we once again expanded our pallets by trying pigeon, which turned out to be baby George's new favorite dish. Another dish we were able to eat was a roast pork famous for being the way Mao's favorite. Max told us that one time when the nation was in a repression Mao told the people that because the country was so poor he was not going to treat himself to his favorite pork, and because Mao wasn't doing that, all the people of China did not eat that pork until Mao did again. The lunch was great and we learned a chinese tradition that when you make a toast you are supposed to stand and finish your drink with the people toasting. This was exciting because we were drinking beer and Max's dads friends were really excited to meet us so there were lots of toasts.


After lunch we decided to do a little shopping. We went back to all the stores we had picked out the day before and bought some of the gifts and souveniers we planned on bringing back to the states. This also made for another day of walking around 5 miles total. This walk was nice and the exchange rate makes for many things worth buying. Walking around from about 12-5 in combination with the still overwhelming jet lag made for Gordon George and I to be dead tired right when it was time to go to dinner. Completely worn out we all passed out in the car ride on the way to dinner by the river in Nanjing. This dinner was really nice because it was smaller and more subtle but still really special. It was nice and quant because it was just the 4 of us and Max's parents. The cool part about dinner was that Max's mom worked out reservations with some of her government friends so we ate in a private room in a very nice restaurant looking right out over the oldest main river in the city called the qinghuai river. As we were being served our appetizers and main course there were women playing very traditional chinese music for the table. The first musician played a chinese guitar that sounded exactly like the stereotypical ancient chinese music and the following musician for the main course played a bamboo flute that is usually known as the chinese flute. The food was very good but we were all tired and worn out from a long day of walking. The restaurant his parents chose for us was one of the most famous of all of Nanjing and they said that any celebrity, even Obama, that comes to Nanjing would be eating that same meal that we were.


After dinner we walked around the river area and Max explained how this was the biggest tourist attraction of Nanjing because the river was very popular long ago. Nanjing actually used to be the capital of China before the communist party of China took over and moved the capital to Beijing. When Nanjing was the capital the emperor and many other important people would all come to the river and eat in these fancy restaurants as well as see shows performed on the river. When we finished eating we were able to have a private boat tour of the river that included one of those famous shows. Becuase Max's mom pulled her government strings the other chinese people were crammed into boats while we were sitting comfortably in a private boat drinking tea and listening to our private harp player. The river was beautiful with flowers along the banks and lights everywhere. The buildings were all lit up like las vegas and the boats were lit like floating christmas trees.


During the boat ride we stopped when the sun went down at this theatre on the river. This was really cool because there was a crowd with lots of seating where we sat in a roped off VIP area and we were even the top of the VIP's as we got front row seats with not even another person within two rows. Then directly in front of us was about 50 yards of river bank with penninsula stage and giant screen behind the water. As well as getting the best seats in the house, it was like they waited for us to start because everything was timed so perfect. As soon as we finished dinner the boat was ready and waiting, as soon as we took the boat to the middle of the river the show was about the start. So as soon as we took our seats and had a chance to look around the sun was setting and the show began.


The show was amazing. It was a traditional chinese performance that was something similar to what the emperor might have seen hundreds of years ago. There were singers and dancers and it seemed like our own little private olympic opening ceremony. The show told a story of chinese traditions with a love story, and poets, and dancing waiters, and even the arrival of the emperor. It was really cool to see the traditional chinese dress with lots of silk and bright colors along with some martial arts dancing and flips. There was ballet during the love story and crazy dragons like you see on TV with the people underneath waving the kite like dragons. The water in front of the stage made the show really cool because they had people on the boats that would float in front of the dancers while singing or waving to the crowd. The boats would drive back and forth letting actors on and off the stage and between each act the giant screen would give little details about the cities history of the river. In one of the last acts of the show these two people in bright gold silk dresses were escorted from the stage like royalty and Max told us that those people represented the emperor and empress. The two people then got on one of the boats and floated over to dock right in front of the crowd. When the boat docked a man and a few of the escorts got off the boat and walked up to the crowd throwing little gifts into the crowd as little asian kids scrampled next to our roaped off area to get closer to the emperor and empress. The man that got off the boat then called a girl out of the crowd and asked her a question about the history of the city like a game show host. When the girl got the question correct he gave her a big prize of nice liquor and the crowd gave her a nice applause. She then went into the crowd and the man began to speak again this time staring straight at me. I had no idea what he was saying and was hoping to God he was actually looking at Max who was sitting next to me. But of course he was calling on the next contestant on his chinese history game, the one of 3 people in the crowd who had no clue as to what he was saying. So Max insisted I stand up and go while he sat in his chair with too much distance to translate anything the man was saying to me. I stood in front of about 100 chinese people not knowing anything that was being said to me being expected to answer a question about the history of China when first of all I could never know the question, and second of all I could never communicate an answer if I knew. But the man proceeded with the show and managed to ask me in English the few words he knew, "Do you speak Chinese?" To my reply with a mic shoved in my face, "umm no." Then followed a bunch of gibberish that I couldn't understand and a loud burst of laughter from the crowd. He then managed to get out the words "then you just repeat after me. Okay?" to my, with the mic again shoved in my face, "okay." Now the next parts I couldn't repeat again if my life depended on it because I couldn't even repeat him a first time. The phrases he expected me to repeat were not mere one word answers, He expected me to repeat paragraphs of ancient text about the history of China. It would be like me asking you to repeat word for word this entire paragraph you have just read, it aint gonna happen. So I did my best to repeat as much as I could and guess at the rest and the crowd loved it and laughed and the guy quizzing me seemed to agree with the crowd. I was so nervous because I didn't know what was going on or what I was doing and saying, but the guy ended up dressing me up in one of the silk outfits and giving me a crazy hat. Max later told me that the character they were dressing me as was a very special person who was chosen once a year in all of China as the smartest person in the country to be able to meet the emperor and the empress. Then Max George and Gordon came with me onto the boat and we became part of the show. It was really bizarre and a very lucky accident to be pulled out of the crowd but I also got the prize of nice liquor and even got to ride on the boat with the emperor and empress. We rode around the back of the stage on the boat with the assistants, game show host, emperor, and empress and Max was able to translate for me this time where the game show host and one of the assistants were very nice and talked about how we knew each other and where we were from. We got them to take a few pictures and they then dropped us off just to the side of where we were sitting before. And even though I was off the boat and off the stage it took a while for me nerves to settle. That little ride was a once in a lifetime event even for the people of Nanjing. There were tons of little chinese kids and just as many other chinese people shoving at the ropes to be chosen by this guy and I was the lucky paleface he thought would make a good show. By the time we got back and in our seats the finale to the show was starting and I was still in awe. I thought the show itself was great but to be pulled into it was incredible.


After the show we had a nice boat ride around the rest of the river in our private boat again where we talked about what had just happened and let it really sink in. The river was gorgeous at night and we saw some really cool sculpture and carvings along with some walls that were over hundreds of years old that set out the city limits, literally the city walls. We then made our way back to the car and eventually back to Max's apartment even more exhausted and amazed. Once again I have no idea what to expect for tomorrow.


Marty

Meeting the Family

Today was Sunday June 27th our first full day of China! We began around 9 in the morning with showers and getting ready to get breakfast. Our first full meal in China was a breakfast in this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that max took us to right down the street from his house. I had no idea what to expect because when people would always ask Max what people eat for breakfast in China he would always avoid the question with "I don't know how to say that in English." The breakfast was really delicious though. The food was steamed in this cool wooden pot that they serve the food in also. The actual dish was like a pork filled wonton with soup inside. They were extremely good but difficult for chopstick amateurs to fully enjoy because you were supposed to bite a tiny whole, suck the soup out, and then dip the wonton in a vineger based soy sauce to eat. Well the dipping and not breaking the wonton to spill the soup was difficult with the chopsticks. Then after a full entree of those we had regular wontons in a soup with seaweed, which was also delicious but so filling I wasnt sure if I would be able to walk at all.

After a short break we took off on a walk around the city first stopping for drinks in a grocery store right down the street. It was a bit strange because we didnt have drinks with our breakfast but we were able to get whatever drinks we wanted at the grocery store because the prices are so low with the exchange rate. We then walked around the city probably totaling 5 miles. We saw many stores, people (not white people), and cool buildings. One of the first places Max took us was the Nanjing Normal University which is a local college called "Normal" because it specialized in educating teachers. The campus was beautiful and walking around the city was awesome because even though it is a big city the size of Philly and one of the top 3 hottest cities in the whole country it was a cool walk because there were trees lining the roads that shaded all of the streets and sidewalks. After the University we walked through the city and stopped at what looked like a park for kids with a play place, but it turned out the play place was for old people and it was a little public work out place. The things were cool and Gordon managed to hit his head on one of the spinning ab things. After the park we walked around some more and saw some government buildings guarded by army men in air conditioned glass boxes along with undercover army officers Max pointed out .

We continued our walk around the city into some of the shopping malls. We first walked through some of the bigger ones that looked alot like Macy's or JC Penny. We decided that make up and women's shoes were not our first interest so Max took us on the subway to a place that was a little more appropriate for us. The subway was really nice. It was very clean with food stands and shops around the stations and the cars themselves were bright, airconditioned, and had TV's in each cabin. They also were not too crowded and were very easy to use. The shoppes we ended up going to were really cool. They were underground streets probably 5 feet wide with small stores on either side completely packed with shoppes and people. These stores were similar to a place I have been in New Orleans, but I'm not exactly sure what the place in New Orleans was called, I want to say a boardwalk or something, but I'm not sure. The shoppes though in China were really cool because they were dark with neon lights and trendy urban stores. There were also little toy stores and trinket shoppes with food every so often and really weird bathrooms. George with his continuing going problem stopped in a bathroom, but its a good thing he didnt have to go #2 because apparently you're supposed to bring your own toilet paper. The bathrooms were freakishly open with really no door on the guys bathroom and the girls room right past. also there were no actual toilets, they had urinals but the "toilets" were just holes in the ground where it would really take some skill to pop a squat.

When we left those shoppes we made our way back to Max's house for a game of UNO before we went to his Aunt and Uncles house. Now when we heard he had an Aunt and Uncle we were confused at first because with a 1 child policy it would be wierd for either of Max's parents to have a brother or sister, but the one child policy was only implemented in the 1980's after his mother and her brother were born. So Max's mothers brother is whose house we went to, where we met Max's cousin, aunt, uncle, and highly anticipated dog. His dog was a big Doberman that he always talked about so much named "Kaka" after the brazilian soccer player. His family was very nice and they even have a back yard to their house. To have a back yard in the city is extremely rare and it makes it possible for his horse of a dog to live a happy life. It was really nice to meet Max's cousin because she is learning english and hoping to go to college in the US like Max. She was a bit shy at first and her english was not as good as Max, but she was very friendly and with a little push from the chinese speakers, she was friendly and provided another person we could actually communicate with.

After Max's aunt and uncles house we went to eat dinner and meet both sides of his grandparents. The place they chose for our dinner was a big Ramada Inn of Nanjing and they had a private room just for our dinner. It was very nice and the meal was HUGE. The waitresses would bring out dish after dish until the giant spinning glass table was completely filled. When we first met the grandparents it was very overwhelming because we wanted to talk so badly but the tretorous language barrier got the best of us as Max was busy helping his dad which left us completely baffled as to anything that was going on. Max came back shortly and their family toasted us for taking care of him in the US probably 6 times to show their gratitude. The food was unlike anything in the US, but was pretty similar to what I had seen on TV. We even had the fish with the head still attached and the chicken feet. The meal was really good with the only complaints being all the toasts left georges baby bladder in the bathroom all night and Gordon's stomache filled too quickly to handle the "smelly tofu." His family was very gracious and the meal felt like we were really part of the family. It was very nice and an awesome welcoming to a country half way around the world. They also insisted that the meal we were eating was the exact same as if even President Obama were to come to Nanjing that same day, which was also funny because as soon as Max's uncle saw Gordon, the first thing he says was "OBAMA."

After we ate dinner we decided to walk home and try and walk off some of our newly filled stomaches. The jet lag had really taken its toll on us at that point and pretty soon after we got home we were all passed out. I didn't feel that tired until I sat down on the couch and instead of watching the England vs Germany soccer game at 10pm like Max and I had planned I passed out on the couch at like 9:45, while Gordon and George had already checked out for the night a half hour earlier. Needless to say I hadnt gotten around to writing this blog until this morning. we are all eager to find out what is in store for today, so I will see you again tonight.

Marty

Next Stop China

So today began a long time ago in a land far far away. The driver arrived to take Gordon, Baby George, and I to the airport at 11:00 am in New Jersey. The driver was a really nice guy from Istanbul, Turkey. When we got to the airport we really knew that our trip had begun because the number of white people dramatically decreased with the closer we got to the China Eastern Airlines check-in desk. The airport was surprisingly smooth. We found our gate with plenty of time and even had time to eat lunch. The plane was then delayed and our flight ended up being about 2 hours later than we expected. Other than the delay our flight was very smooth. Baby George's bladder managed to shrink to 1/4 the normal size as soon as he stepped foot on the plane and of course he had an inside seat so Gordon had to get up every one of the 9 times george had to use the bathroom during the flight. The plane itself was an airbus and the seating was 2 by 4 by 2 in each row of the plane. Gordon then George then I were all in the inside column of 4 with a very friendly Chinese man from Shanghai to my right. He told me his name when we first sat down, but for the sake of not butchering his name I'll just refer to him as the guy I sat next to on the plane. Like I said he was very friendly and provided many tips for our trip as he told us that Nanjing was one of the hottest cities in all of China and was sympathetic when we told him we would be there for the next 3 weeks. He also laughed in my face when I asked him to teach me Chinese because he didnt think the 15 hour plane ride was enough time to learn the language. So with my enthusiasm for learning a new language crushed we decided to listen to music and sleep and for Baby George, read and pee. The flight was smooth, the landing was great, and the on flight food was actually pretty good. Completely surrounded by people speaking in what sounds like gibberish the flight was quite peaceful. Long, but peaceful.


When we arrived in Shanghai everyone didnt exit the plane in an orderly fashion like typical US flights, or that of a Hill School Chapel service. On this flight it was every man for himself when it came to getting off that plane. It was like all the peacefulness while in the air was just rage being stored for when we landed because as soon as the fasten seatbelt sign came off that bell was more like the starting gun at a track meet. While Gordon, George, and I packed our in flight entertainment back into our carry on bags, the 10 rows of people behind us were already waiting in the isles in front of us to get off. Luckily we managed to get off the plane without being trampled and followed the crowd through customs and to baggage claim, but if it werent for the crowd there was no telling where we might have ended up. Officially in China there was very little english and no other white people to be found.

So we picked up our bags and walked through the last gate only to see the bright and shining smile of our dear friend Max. As soon as Max spotted us his face light up and his hands flew in the air like he had just won the lottery, and while Max became so excited to see us his Dad grew just as excited and they took off to meet us at the end of the roped area. Max's Dad and Max could be identical twins if they werent seperated by a few years of age. They have the exact same manerisms only differing by ones ability to understand anything we say and the other understanding none of it.


We then took off on a 3 hour car ride in the government buick mini-van back to Max's apartment. Max lives in the middle of Nanjing which is the equivalent to the city of Philladelphia to the US. Nanjing has really tall buildings and dispite it being at night still looked really nice. We settled in and Max's mom made us some REAL spring rolls and this really good dessert dish that doesnt have an english name. She also cut us a really cool Yellow Watermelon which is a really rare fruit but taste much better than a normal watermelon like in the US. His apartment is a really nice 3 bedroom 1 bath place with a nice living room and a balcony right in the middle of the city on the 3rd floor of a big apartment building. We settled in and decided to go try and find the USA vs Ghana soccer game at a sports bar so we could cheer on the USA but the bars we went to were closed because it was 2 in the morning here when the games started. Instead we just drove around the city for a bit and ended up watching the game at his apartment. After a long day of travel and a very exciting arrival we are dead tired and halfway around the world. We dont really know what to expect for the rest of the trip but are very excited to get started tomorrow. For now its time to try and adjust to the time difference so goodnight.

Marty

Baby Georges Arrival

So we are now t-minus 15 hours from lift off and an additional 15 hours from landing half way around the world. The last troop for the trip has arrived in Baby George meeting up with Gordon and I this afternoon. The day itself though began with a lovely trip of Gordon and I having a cute lunch date at IHOP before he gave me the grand tour of Rutgers University. The IHOP was tasty but the service was terrible as the waitress managed to not offer refills, bring the wrong eggs for Gordon, and take what felt like as long as the flight from Raleigh to Philly between each visit to the table. After IHOP we had a couple hours to kill before Baby George was getting here so Gordon showed me all of Rutgers. This was actually pretty cool. The lack of students because its summer was probably deceptive to my first impression, but I still feel like I have a good idea of what the school is like based on Gordon's unique descriptions of campus life (which is not very similar to Wilmington at all).

After the tour of Rutgers Gordon and I made it back to the house in perfect timing because Baby George pulled into the driveway no more than 2 minutes after we walked into the house. With the wolf pack nearly completed we decided to go see a movie the movie of choice being "A-Team." The movie was actually pretty good. For a shoot-em-up movie it really seemed to hit the spot with a slight love story and some well timed comedic relief as well as a not too predictable plot I would actually recommend seeing "A-Team."

When the movie ended we were all starving, so we decided to have our last meal a place where we could practice our chop stick technique without being completely embarrassed like IHOP this morning when I used the chop sticks my little brother Sam lent me, and probably in the process unintentionally caused the waitress to avoid our table from embarrassment. So we decided to eat at a Thai restaurant called Four Seasons which Gordon insisted was the best Thai food around. The food was actually really good and the hole in the wall restaurant actually was a diamond in the rough that would take locals to know about.

So with a delicious meal in our bellies we made it back to Gordon's house to relax and hang out, while we continued to catch up and prepare for the unpredictable adventures that Max has planned for us TOMORROW.

Itinerary from Max

Dear parents,

In two days, your sons will be on the plane to China. First of all, on behalf of my entire family, I would like to thank you for letting your sons to come here to China. I understand that when they are in college, you don't get to see them that often, and letting them leave home for 21 days must be a sacrifice for you. Thank you again!

Let me know show you the big picture of this trip I have arranged for them. First comes first, my dad and I will be picking them up at the Shanghai airport at 7:30 pm June 26th (6:30am June 26th EST). Then we drive back to Nanjing (my home). It is going to be approximately an 3-hour-drive. So they will probably be home at around 11:30 pm. I didn't arrange much for that night, since the boys must be tired after the long plane ride. Therefore, the boys will go to bed after settling down, and try to adjust to the time difference.

The next day, the boys will have a nice sleep in, relax. We will prbably go to my aunt and uncle's house that afternoon to relax. That night, my family will have a big welcome banquet for them. Lots of family will be there: me, my parents, my cousin, aunt and uncle, both pairs of grandparents, etc.

The day after, I will take the boys to some places of interests in my city.

After that, we will set off for Xi'an. It is one of the four historic cities in the world. We are going to see the terra cotta warrior (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army) and some other historic places.

After Xi'an, we will fly to the nation's capital: Beijing. We will probably stay for couple days, since there's a lot fo see in Beijing. I will take the boys to see the forbidden city (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_City), the great wall, and stadiums for the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Bird nest, watercube). And of course, we will eat the real Beijing Roast Duck.

After Beijing, we will fly back to Nanjing, rest for one or two days.

The next place will be Shanghai, which is 2 hour bullet trainride away. I will take them to the World Expo. We will probably stay there for 2 to 3 days.

Out next big route is Yunnan provice. Yunnan province is in the southwest of China. My dad will take us to this one reserve where there are different minority groups. We will stay with the local natives as well. I would like to show the boys the most original way of living of the people.

After that, we will be back to Nanjing, probably go to some near cities or just hanging out in Nanjing, depend on the schedule.

The boys will stay in China for 21 days, therefore, I would like to make the most of the 21 days and show them different sides of China, different ways of lives, and show them something they've never seen before.

Will the boys be able to stay in touch with you? Of course! I have this calling card that the boys will be able to call you. In fact, after I pick the boys up, on the way home, I will make them call you just to let you know they are safe and sound :)


Again, my entire family are very very happy that the boys are coming. They have heard a lot about them and they are eagle to see them. We will try our best to make them feel at home and make it an enjoyable trip and unforgettable experience for them.


Sincerely,

Max Zhang

Assembling the Wolfpack

So today the trip actually began. I made it to Philly today with Gordon waiting at the baggage claim around 4pm. After waiting at least a half hour for my bag to arrive after me Gordon and I headed down the road into Jersey and straight to his hockey game. The timing worked out well because with the delays of traffic and the luggage we were able to make it to his game with just enough time to grab a bite to eat before his game. Gordon ended up winning his game with an easy 7-0 victory in what I would say is the best Adult Hockey league I've ever seen. Although the hockey was pretty good I have gained a new respect for all hockey parents as watching hockey without being able to play sucks. The rink was probably 40 degrees colder than the extreme heat outside and my clothing was not accommodating for the climate change. Other than that it really was just a tease because my chances of playing hockey in the next 20 days are as likely as the E-Trade baby would say getting mauled by a polar bear and a regular bear in the same day.

The other activites we will be doing in China, however, will be keeping us plenty busy. I think my hockey tease tonight will quickly be forgotten when we begin the amazing itenerary that Max sent out today. According to the plan we will see terra cotta warriors, the water cube, and the forbidden city to name a few, but most anticipated are the things that Max talked about the most, his family, dog, and the food.

Baby George will arrive tomorrow around 3pm and then our wolf pack will be ready to meet our final wolf that waits half way around the world. Its going to be tough, but I'm going to try and go to sleep now. Maybe tomorrow I'll take some pictures... yeah I think so.

Day Before a Journey

Its the day before my flight to Philadelphia and my trip to China actually begins. I haven't finished packing and don't really know how ready I am. Ill start with two days in New Jersey with Gordon and Baby George at Gordon's house. We will then go from New Jersey to New York to fly from New York to Shanghai. After a 15 hour flight I will be half way around the world finally getting to see where my brother Max has grown up and lived his whole life as well as meeting my long lost chinese parents that I won't be able to communicate a single word with. While I still have the rest of the day and morning to finish packing and running the final errands before my big journey begins the rest of my thoughts will swell....

A few days later and putting the final things into bags for this trip, I'm about an hour away from leaving. I'm getting really excited about getting there as I finish the final errands for the trip like registering at the US Embassy in Shanghai as well as calling the bank about using my debit card in China. My final e-mails from Max before leaving are very exciting and I can't wait to get on my way. Be ready for pictures and updates soon. Hopefully future posts will have more substance, this time is just rushed to get out the door.