I hope this works.

Wow, everything in my browser is in Chinese. Okay so, when I typed out my journal to add here, the browser closed and I lost everything I had typed. So I am going to add things here that Im not putting in the journal, and then I'll add the journal when I get home to a familiar computer.

Today (Sunday) we flew from Beijing to Changsha. It was so beautiful flying over china. The mountains looked like they were covered in wrinkled suede. Oh, when we got on the plain, Joanie and I could not buckle our seat belts. When we asked for seat belt extenders, they moved us to the back of the plain. It was very embarrasing for all of those around us to know that we could not buckle our seatbelts, but the benefit was having an entire row to myself for the flight.

We walked about three blocks to the grocery store today. The traffic here is terrible. The people just walk and ride their bikes out in the road, weaving in and out of the swerving cars. Until this trip, I never knew you could fit so many bodies or so much stuff on a bicycle. So many of them, and so many cars. To avoid crossing the road on major intersections, there are stairs that go down into a tunnel that runs under the street and then stairs up again. It is like an underground cross walk. Very nifty. But, in the one we went in today, there was a begger boy that grabbed Joanies shirt and would not let go of her. There are beggers everywhere in Changsha. It just breaks my heart, and it scares me too.

The other day we ate in a Thai restuarant. The table had one of those disks in the center that spun the food around to everyone. They put all kinds of things one it and we tried a little of each thing. I really liked the duck, of all things.

Im having so many new experiences here, but they are good. THe culture shock did not set in until Changsha. Beijing is just so modern, much like an American city. I am most impressed by the conservation effort here. They conserve, save, recycle, everything. It is amazing and I think we have a lot to learn from them.

Well, if I say much more, there will be no need for the journal. When I add that, I will have a day by day list of events.

Until then, know that I am safe and happy and having a great time. I would love to hear from you if you want to drop me an email or a comment.

Goodbye and Goodnight. (Or goodmorning for you!)