Happy New Year

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and peaceful 2009.

Art by Adidas.

Pandas

I found this video on NPR about the Panda Research Center that our intrepid travelers visited in Chendu. These young pandas are so cute! (The video is about a minute and a half long).

If you haven’t already, go to Jim and Dick’s blog to see the photos of our group holding and petting the giant pandas and red pandas.

Xi’an

The intrepid travelers had a great time in Xi’an. They told me that the Terracotta warriors are amazing and indescribable. There are airplane-hangar sized buildings full of them, and still much more excavation to be done (it’s done at night). The main tomb hasn’t been excavated yet.

They rode bikes around the city wall. Spragoon was the first to complete the circuit.
For the photos, you will have to go here.

When you see the boys, make sure you ask them about “Lucky Boy.” But don’t say that I told you (tee hee).
Yesterday, they flew to Chengdu. The hotel pool wasn’t open so they played snooker. Apparently, it is quite different than 8-ball, and was a challenge. They will go to the Panda Preserve on Thursday. If they are lucky, they will be allowed to “pet the pandas.” The health of the pandas is paramount, so not every tour group is offered the opportunity.
Here is their hotel in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. The hotel’s website claims that Chengdu is the oldest established city in the world.

Spragoon Strikes!

Spragoon, the ever vigilant photographer, managed to snap a couple of pictures of Adidas unawares.

Adidas has his soccer shirt on (from home) and his Olympic Mascot Fuwu by his side.

Understand, this was the ONLY photo I got from Monday, when the group visited the Summer Palace, the Drum Tower, and who know what other wonders in Beijing, China. I guess they had a good time, good enough to tire them out, at least.

Head on over to Fun with Dick and Jim to see a short video of a VERY RAINY Sunday at the Forbidden City and the rest of the Beijing activities.

I Love Skype

Thank you Jim!

It makes calling China really cheap, and I haven’t had any problems yet (knock wood) getting to the hotels. Plus, I get to video chat! Here’s Spragoon (with Uncle Dick) on Sunday morning:





The way I captured it is low resolution, but believe me, when it’s live, it’s actually quite good.

Adidas’ Photos from Beijing

I got these pictures from Adidas, for his journal. They came without any captions or explanations, so that is how they are presented here. The first, a photo of himself on the Great Wall, was an assignment from his Spanish teacher, Senora Seltzer (pardon me for not including the tilde: I don’t know how).

Saturday, April 19 in Bejing

I can’t say it any better than Jim and Dick did. The travelers were quite tired Saturday night. They all got to see the Great Wall, and as Adidas would say, we have some pretty good walls here in the US, but no Great Walls. Apparently Spragoon and Adidas had a race to the top of one of the towers (many, many steps). Jill and Spragoon were both fascinated by the cloisonné factory, and if Jill doesn’t come home, I’ll know she’s found a job there. But do go over to Jim and Dick’s blog.

Arriving in Beijing – Friday 4/18

I had a brief call with Joy and Jill this morning, which was Friday evening for them. They were checked into their hotel, which is a new Days Inn near the Forbidden City:

They also had time to do a little shopping at the Olympics Store, and got some “Fuwu” mascots, of which I found the following generic picture.

Saturday will be their first tour day!

And…. Theeeeeeey’re Off!

They have left for China! They will be there around 1 am, Friday, which will be 1 pm Friday in Beijing.

Here is their route:

The morning was rather chaotic. We were supposed to wake up at 7, but I think everyone was up well before that. There was time for last-minute computer configuration (including a futile trip to Staples):

Breakfasts were rather rushed (although it turned out there was plenty of time, so maybe this picture was posed):

Then, there were the goodbyes. Adidas said goodbye to Tai Shan:

He will see lots of real pandas in China, so no need to bring the stuffed one from the National Zoo.

Adidas and Mom:

David and Joy — David, alas, has to stay home to work.

Me and Mom – Mom is going back to Massachusetts with David:

Mom and Spragoon:

Mom and the neices:

OK – from here on in, the photographer (me) must have been getting a little bit too emotional, because ALL of the rest of the pictures look like this:

You will have to take it on my word that there were lots of hugs and a few tears. All piled in the big white van, and it was off.

Then I sat watching the Continental Airlines website, helping the plane get off the air and on its way to China safely. Bon Voyage!

D minus 2

Well, I hope your household is calmer than ours is at the moment. Lots of last-minute things to do.

I wanted to include a link to the Children’s Social Welfare Home of Zhuzhou in Hunan Province, China. This is the orphanage where Adidas lived until 2000 when he came to live with us.

Since the website is down as often as it is up, I’ll include a picture of the main building here.