My Christmas Wish

Alright, so most of you know or at least you should know that I am currently in China.  Personally I consider where I am to be my worst assignment by far.  I would take swamps and Louisiana heat over this crap.  At least the food is delicious down there.  And I bet being in Poland right now would be kinda nice, I mean it isn’t home but it would be better than here.  There I would feel right at home, go to church, celebrate Advent.  Eat my usual Christmas Eve meal (pierogies and other Eastern European goodness)…  I am really hoping that I will be home for Christmas.  I would be ecstatic if I was on a plane by Christmas Eve.  Last Christmas I didn’t get to go home either, and spent my time in Texas helping people out of ditches.  I can’t express how happy I would be to spent time with my whole family.  My entire family hasn’t been together since Easter.  That is the longest we have ever gone I think.


Anyway, my goal is that this project is complete by Christmas.  I sincerely hope that isn't wishful thinking... 

A Quick Trip to Beijing

Sorry I've been neglecting my blog.  I realize that it has been a month since I've updated, but I have been pretty busy with work.  Sadly we are not even half way done with the project, but the pace has picked up some and I'm hoping to make it back for Christmas.  But I won't hold my breath.  I'm thinking more like January...

Last week on my couple days off I went to Beijing for a break from the north.  It was wonderful!  I had a cheeseburger (I miss western food), Starbucks and ice cream!  There were malls every where.  I got to shop for gifts for people.  And best of all I spent all of Thursday doing touristy sight-seeing activities.  I went to Ming Tombs, which is where the emperor's from the Ming Dynasty are buried.  I went to a jade factory and got to watch people make sculptures and jewelry out of jade.  I taught a bunch of foreigners how to use chopsticks at lunch.  That was interesting...  They called me the expert because I knew how to deal with a traditional chinese lunch where you share all of the dishes and take what you want.  The Danish guy sitting next to me was complaining about the quality of the beer... Ha!  I don't know what he expected...

We also went to the Great Wall.  It wasn't the nicest day out - very smoggy and hazy, but I tried to take some pictures.  I'll have to upload those later - my internet connection is not cooperating.

After the Great Wall we stopped at the Olympic Village from the 2008 Olympic games.  And then we made our way to a Tea House where we got to partake in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony.  It was really neat and everything was a really nice break from work.