ANCIENT CITY

CJ and I left for Chongqing on Tuesday after his class. Christina had been there since Friday for training for her job. I had to go to the airport on Thursday for my flight home so we got to do a few things before we left. Christina met us at the bus station and went back to the hotel where we were going to stay.  We then went for dinner and I was soooooo glad to get to go to a Pizza Hut.  I had eaten enough oily fishy stuff and wanted something more normal.  That really tasted great. It is a little different than the Pizza Hut here. They have a few other things on the menu and Christina ordered a fruit salad. It was more like a salad with fruit in it.  There was a bowl of lettuce leaves and it was filled with cucumbers, tomatoes, apples and peaches and had a sweet dressing drizzled over it.  Then next day we took a subway ride to see the Ancient city.  It is  a very old city with narrow streets and there are shops of all kinds.  This is more of a tourist area and  the place I found some great things to bring home. 

 

This store was selling fried bread.  There is a big mound of dough in the container in the front of the store and this old man had a big wooden pole and he was mixing or kneading the dough.

 

 

 

 

This lady painted Charles and Christina's name in Chinese and talked about what the other symbols were as she was painting. Of course she did it all in Chinese so I didn't understand a word she said but it was still cool. Then she put it in a frame and a little box. It only took her a couple minutes to do the painting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After that we to a taxi to another part of the city.  There is an interesting little park here.. This is standing inside the building that had a little open restaurant that over looked the park.

 

 

 

This is standing inside at the restaurant area and looking out.

 

 

Behind this building is a waterfall.

Walk down the steps and through here.......

and come out behind the waterfall.

Go through the next tunnel and down some steps and cross this little bridge....

 

 

and it brings you down to the bottom....

I rubbed the Buddha's belly for good luck.  at least I think it was his belly....why is he smiling?

They were getting ready for the Autumn Festival...but I thought it was interesting that they had mums, and poinsettias together on the display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE CHINA LIFE

So I wanted to tell more about life in Wanzhou, China. 

      Most people don't have a washer and dryer. Some have washers in their apartments, which CJ did. You fill the one side with water from the hose and let it wash, then put it in the next side and spin it and then put it back in the first side and fill it again and let them rinse and then back to the other side and spin again. If you don't have a washer, then everything is washed by hand and hung out the window to dry.  If you are lucky you can get a dryer like this one. Looks like a big old fashioned hair dryer and the principle is the same.  You hang your clothes in it, zip it up and there is a motor on the bottom that blows hot air which comes out the holes on the top.

There is always something going on at night.  You may see a group of singers and musicians and people standing around listening to the music.  You will also find a group or two doing Tai Chi or even a form of line dancing.

 

 

 

 

The streets are filled with stores of all kinds. Most of them are just small spaces and sometimes they pull things out to the curb and just sit there and wait for people to buy something.  I also thought it was very interesting that I heard music blaring from some of the stores as you walk by. I was amazed to hear Eminem, Lady Gaga, Adelle and of a few times I heard Louie Armstrong and some other very old tunes playing.

 

Besides the farmers that come in from the country and bring their  grapes, apples, nuts and other things I never saw before, in baskets that hang from ropes on either side of a board that they carry  across their shoulders, to sell as they wander from place to place aong the streets, there are also food stands everywhere.  They also pull there equipment out onto the sidewalk and cook it right there.  So many of the places to eat have tables and chairs right on the sidewalks and they are usually all filled but you can walk through the kitchen to other little rooms that they will have tables and chairs in there too

 

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I actually thought it would be a lot easier in China being a vegetarian.  Rice, vegetables and tea.  I found out that wasn't the case.
There are a lot of hot pot restaurants and they all seem to serve any kind of meat, chicken feet, cow stomach and intestines, squid and fish heads along with the rice.  I also would like to know who drank all the tea in China. Every restaurant would serve hot water in little glasses or bowls. I did try a few things like cooked radish and lotus root.

WHAT I GAINED IN CHINA

 

 When I was getting ready to leave  China and was talking to Christina's parents before I left and thanking them for everything her dad's reply was, "there is no need for thanks, we are now family" Later I thought about that and realized how profound that was. Since I was in the 3rd grade I had always loved everything about China, the architecture, the paintings, the cutest babies and thought I that would be one place I would love to visit one day.  I never thought I would ever get the chance until 4 years ago when CJ went to a University in Beijing to study Chinese.  I figured this was the perfect chance to get to go, I had a place to stay and an interpreter.  I never dreamt I would get to go again.  Only this time the best thing happened.  I gained a new family.  Amazing, I now have family in China..who would have thought??? On September 26th I went with CJ and Christina and watched them be married.  They are such a happy couple and so much alike. The sign at the center said marriage and adoption services and I said to Christina, "maybe it would be easier if I just adopted you". She said wouldn't go for it. 


Signing the papers.

 

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They do things a little differently in China too.  We had the wedding pictures taken first. Then they went and got married.  Sometime next year before their apartment is finished they will have the "ceremony" which I guess is more on the lines of what we consider the reception.  They would like me to be there for that and I am going to try depending on when it is. Then next September they will be coming back here and we will have a wedding and reception for them. I will let you all know the date when we figure it out.

Congratulations CJ and Christina!!!

and I now have both of my sons married off and have 2 wonderful daughter in laws!!!