Repatriation

We are back in the good old US. The weather has been great with blue skies and fluffy clouds and nice humidity levels (low). I took one spin on the bike with EF and did ok. I did pick up a summer cold rather quick after returning. BF is continuing her calligraphy at the home. We are back with family which is really nice. We are back to celebrate our parents 50th wedding anniversaries>>>

I am wishing all our friends in Beijing all the best and stay in touch. We really hope the Olympics are a great success for China. I am confident they will put on a great show.

What a wonderful time we had in Beijing. Clearly very memorable event in our lives that we are sure has changed us in one way or another.

This concludes the Life In Beijing blog. It has been a wonderful chronicled adventure to be cherished for ever. Thanks for reading............

Graduation Day

MF graduated from Loyola College in Baltimore, MD. He graduated in four years with a BS in Finance. We spent the weekend with him in Baltimore for the Baccalaureate Mass at the Reitz Arena on Friday the 16th and Commencement Ceremony at the 1st Mariner Arena on May 17th. Lesley Stahl from 60 Minutes was the guest speaker.

Spring Break

It is spring break back in the US for many colleges. Both EF and MF are on vacation from university. AF will get a break later in the month (march 31 to April 11).

While MF had an exciting winter break visiting South America, EF is visiting the Middle East for school for Spring Break. EF will be gone for 16 days and actually miss a little school. I know she felt a little stress with mid-terms before the break and will likely feel some when she comes back.

She is leaving JFK on a red-eye, February 29th and flying a little over 11 hours to Amman, Jordan.

• She will have dinner after arriving around 5pm on March 1st and get some rest.
• On the 2nd she leaves for a full day of sight-seeing: Amman’s Citadel and Amphitheater, Madaba, Mt Nebo, and finally proceed to Petra.
• On March 3rd she will spend the whole day at Petra.
• On March 4th, they will go to the Dead Sea to swim and then back to Amman.
• On the 5th she has a little free time in the morning before traveling by air to Cairo, Egypt.
• On the 6th she will see Cairo sights (not sure what).
• On the 7th she is off to see the pyramids and Giza then off to Aswan by sleeper train.
• On the 8th visit in the morning the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, and Philae temple. In the afternoon sailing by Felouca to the Botanical Garden.
• On the 9th a drive to Luxor with on the way visits of Kom Ombo and Edfou.
• On the 10th morning visits of Kings and Queens valleys, Nobles tombs, Hatshepsut temple, and Memnon colossi. In the afternoon a visit to Karnak and Luxor temple. In the evening a sleeper train to Cairo.
• On the 11th some more Cairo sightseeing before checking into hotel for Model UN competition.
• The Model UN competition is from the 12-15th.
• Finally, after a long trip and lots of traveling, she is flying back to the US from Amman on the 16th to finish the school semester.

Lots of Air Miles

MF left for a school program to Chile and Argentina on January 2nd. He sent an email to say Chile is beautiful and a hot 90 degrees. He will fly back to the US just before school starts.

AF flew to Scotland on Saturday the 5th. She will be getting ready for final exams. For her semester in break she will be coming to China.

TF flew back to Beijing to begin work on Monday. There is a lot to do just prior to the Chinese New Year so time will fly quickly. BF will be joining TF in Beijing after seeing EF and AF off to school. The 3 of us are trying to visit Harbin Ice Festival the third week of January and then to Viet Nam for the Chinese New Year the first week of February.

EF is getting ready for a school program during her winter break for a model UN course in Egypt and Jordan late February.

All Good Things Come to an End

It was nice being back in the fresh air and spending time with family together in the US.

BF and TF arrived in the US a little late and then the first and last bags off the belt were ours. We did not get to bed until late Friday night. We said hi to MF and EF and then in the morning we drove to pick up AF at Newark Airport as she was arriving from Scotland. We got there late due to traffic but all worked out. We then drove to NY to see my family for Christmas. We visited with friends and family, played some games, watched some movies, shared some gifts, definitely ate and drank well, and we even saw the priest who married us 26 years ago (he is retiring in January so was a nice surprise to see him at all).

We then returned back to our home in PA. It was good to have the whole family together plus our house guest family. As usual something at the house needed fixing (par for the course). We had a relaxing time and got some supplies for back to school and for China.

Home for the Holidays

BF and I are back home in the US to spend time with our kids. They are all back from university and it is so nice to be with everyone again. Absence really makes the heart grow fonder. We wish everyone a happy and safe holiday.

US Trip in November

BF went to the US to be with MF for his knee surgery. He is getting to be very experienced with joint surgeries (just had shoulder surgery last Christmas). He is going to a Baltimore doctor and hospital as opposed to Philadelphia this year (proximity to school). Surgery during the Christmas break was out this year as he needs to attend class in South America to satisfy his graduation requirements during the Winter break. His on November 8th went well according to his surgeon. Now he needs to undergo physical therapy.

I love the "yes" handwriting on the left knee and the "no" handwriting on the right knee. Better safe than sorry.
While in the US, BF had an opportunity to spend time with EF and celebrate her 20th birthday. Happy birthday E. (although, I know you do not read this blog)! ! !

The Girls Return to Civilization

EF and AF returned to civilization and broke radio silence today.

I can't tell you how hard it was not being in communication with the girls and not knowing what was happening. It was a very helpless feeling (the distance in China doesn't even create that feeling since we are only a call away). They had little time to talk but just wanted to say they are healthy and will be able to call tomorrow with more information.

Happy 4th of July and 400 Days to Go

It is Independence Day in the US and just another normal day in China. SL brought in an American-made US flag. We just had to hang it and take a picture.

We did have a nice hamburger at Friday's during their "I Love NY promotion". Not quite a picnic on the 4th of July, but a good substitute.

We also stopped at DQ for a Blizzard (wanted to expose our Chinese co-workers to some more American "culture"). We talked about all the different kinds of candies and cookies you could get mixed into the ice cream. Good idea but JLo went with the Green Tea flavor (mixed in "green" powder).

It has also been 50 days since I reported on "the Countdown". The Beijing Olympic countdown clock is now at 400 days. Another counter we are keeping from the local paper is the number of week (57 more weeks). So what has happened over the last 50 days?.................... There are so many things:

• We enjoyed the graduation of our last child, albeit in China (fabulous ceremony including fireworks...can you imagine that in China).


• Both of our current college students were able to visit us in Beijing. We really enjoyed sharing our temporary home with them.


• We visited Tibet which was a once in a life experience that we will never forget in our lifetime.


• BF, AF and MF were able to go back to the US to enjoy a wedding for BF's niece in Milwaukee.


• AF went on a great school trip to Guilin, PRC (BF and I hope to visit sometime while in China.


• We have become empty-nesters (this is a big change and is especially hard being in a foreign country, sorry BF).


• From a work perspective, there have been many changes to the organization back in the US.

"Empty-Nesters"

Today BF and I officially became empty-nesters. AF and EF left Beijing today to go back to the US. They are getting ready for their Outdoor Leadership month-long adventure in the Pacific NW. It was a very sad day.

Tibet "A Place Like No Other"

The four of us and friends (a couple from apartment building) visited Lhasa Tibet over a long weekend. We went during one of the best times of the year, the other being September. The girls were going to take the train but no tickets were available. Train tickets are only available 4 days in advance. You have to have a travel permit to Tibet and a guide on the other end to go there.

EF and AF in Barkhor Square

Tibet is a really a foreign place. I thought Beijing and China (ex-Tibet) was pretty foreign to us westerners. The first thing you experience is the beautiful mountainous scenery. We went by plane from Beijing to Chendgu, Sichuan then to Gongkar County, Tibet . It is a 100km ride to Lhasa (.4 million people) which is the capital of Tibet. Our guide Nyima from Lhasa and his driver met us at the airport to take us to the hotel. The area is on a huge high plateau at 11,975 feet. The mountains are completely barren of vegetation but the plateau has plenty of water and trees. The stone building architecture is unique and interesting.

We were a little concerned about the altitude adjustment. Most of us faired pretty well but it did take some serious adjustment. Breathing was labored and it was easy to get a headache and a queasy stomach. Sleeping at night was a little tough.

We stayed at the Dhood Gu Hotel which was very much a Tibetan building from the inside decoration. It was certainly not a luxury hotel but it did the trick. The rooms were a little small and worn but they were very clean. The location was great as it was in the old Tibetan section near the Jokhang Temple. The breakfast tasted so-so but the staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. Everything tasted a little strange including the bread toast. I made the mistake of asking for two eggs over hard (I got two boiled eggs). I learned to ask for sunny eggs which were fried with sometimes the yoke soft and other times hard. The girls usually had scrambled eggs which is hard to go wrong.

The hotel also had a rooftop bar (how funny it was actually a roof top enclosure that did in deed have tables and a bar to put alcohol but was being used to hang all the hotel linens for drying. We used it anyway to play some mahjong.

From our room we could see a glimpse of the Potala Palace (ex-home of the 14th Dalai Lama) but more importantly the roof top of a local resident family across the alley that had a huge incense burner. We left a small window open to our room while sightseeing. We came back and the entire room was filled with juniper incense from the apartment across the alley. Yuck I hate the smell of the incense it gave me a headache.

We visited the Potala Palace, Sera and Ganden Monasteries, Jokhang Temple, Barkhor Street, and a nunnery:

www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/potala.htm

www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/sera.htm www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/ganden.htm www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/jokhang.htm

www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/tibet/lhasa/barkhor.htm

The buddhist religion is very mystical and interesting from the pilgrims who walk around the Jokhang Temple on Barkhor Street either by foot or full body prostration in a clock-wise route with prayer wheels and adorned in crimson/purple robes. To the smell of yak butter and juniper incense (I will never get those smells out of my system). Then the mandelas, the protectors, the stupas, the monks, abbots, and huge number of Buddhas.

The people on the street were interesting. I think the pilgrims from the countryside had never seen westerners before. We received an unusual amount of attention, especially with open palms asking for money. The kids were the most relentless beggars.
The food was pretty good but I have had my fill of yak meat and yak milk tea. Some of us even tried yak butter tea that the monks drink (yuk, they can keep it). Yak butter is everywhere as people buy it to bring and add to the large tubs of butter that are used to burn candles in the temples and monasteries.

For my fellow bikers at Chase in DE who are getting ready for the Ride for Andrew. I am sorry that I won't be there with all of you. I am with you in spirit B+. I know the weather will be great for everyone. Dave C. you are an animal, your next adventure is to take two wheels and go from Xinjiang to Lhasa (2500km and 56 days from Gobi desert to the Himalayas).