Excursion to Sichuan

This past week was the Chinese National Holiday, so pretty much everyone in China had the week off. We decided before that a group of 9 of us were going to take a train to the Sichuan province, the province next to Tibet, so across China. It was a 36 hour train ride but, basically, it was awesome. On the train ride there we had a dance party with the 50+ year old older women in the aisle of the train. We had them jumping around and waving their hands in the air to Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Enrique Iglesias, and Queen. It got kind of awkward when the ringleader of the old women started spooning me while we were dancing with them (it was a tight space). Once we actually got to Sichuan we went to a place called E Mei Shan. We went hiking there for three days, which hiking in China means stairs. We climbed an altitude of 8,800 ft while hiking the stairs and then went back down. The two nights on the mountain we stayed in Buddhist Monasteries. When we woke up at the first one there was a clan of monkeys taking over the place. Two monkeys climbed on one of the girls in our group and pantsed her. It was pretty cool. After the hiking and many sores muscles, we went back to the city, got stinking cheap massages (not quality but price ($1.50 for 50 minutes)), and had some famous spicy food (Sichuan is famous for having some of the spiciest food in the world). It numbed your mouth as soon it was in there; a weird sensation to say the least. The last day we went to the Panda Reserve; Pandas are only native to the Sichuan Province in China. That night we got on the train and came home. Sorry this was a long post but a lot happened. These are the pictures of my excursion:

There was a shortage of beds on the train so Ray and I had to share...It was tight! This is the calm part of the trail and me with my pancho.

Most of the hike we were in the clouds so we saw the "cloud seas" the entire time. These are those monkeys.

These are our humble accommodations in the Buddhist Monasteries. The sun finally broke through the clouds and the trees near the top.

The giant golden Buddha at the top of the mountain. The view from the top.

The waterfall, stream area we found on the way down. The splash I made after jumping off the rock into the pool and a random picture.

The pandas going to town on the bamboo and me advertising for AH Plumbing. Ray and I sporting our new panda hats.

Yellow Mountain

I just got back from a two day trip to Yellow Mountain. Yesterday we saw two old villages, parts of which are 600 to 700 years old and the movie Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was filmed at one of them. Today we went up to Yellow Mountain. It was breath-taking. They say that once you've seen Yellow Mountain there is no need to see another mountain again; I think I might believe it. Hopefully this isn't too many pictures:

I Can Post in China!!!!

I just found out that I can post blogs here in China; I just cannot view my blog (a huge relief to Elizabeth) but I still can't see comments. So now I'm going to put more pictures on so you can see more: (by the way, I'll be posting more often now that I know I can!!)

Each stone sculpture is 600 to 700 years old and carved from one rock.

One part of downtown Shanghai

Halfway Around the World

Sorry that it has taken me so long to post on my blog. I don't have access to my blog here in China so Elizabeth is kind enough to post these for me. Well, I have been here in CHINA for almost three weeks. The plane ride was a little on the long side (12 1/2 hours) but we got here safely and stayed in Shanghai for the first night. We (my roommates Ray, Josef, and I) made it here to Nanjing safely and went to a realtor and found an apartment 10 minutes from campus. Classes are going well and I'm having a blast. This past week we went to the Founding Father of China's, Sun Zhong Shan or Sun Yat-Sen, Mausoleum. The scenery was gorgeous. This weekend we are going to Yellow Mountain for some major hiking. Next week we have another vacation planned for a 33 hour train ride across China. And, yes, we are studying hard. Our teachers are native professors teaching us Chinese. The whole experience is phenomenal. If you have any questions, just email me (socdile@gmail.com) or post them and I'll answer them for you. The pictures are the adventures I've had thus far:

My Twin????

My cousin Marsha's son, Luke, is on a mission in Costa Rica. We have been told for many years we look alike; I think I met him once over 12 years ago so I never knew what he looked like. Marsha sent this picture to my mom yesterday and I put these two pictures in a side by side window and was amazed by the similarities. Which one's me?

TAGGED!!!

This tag is 7 things you

don't know about me:

#1: One of my pet peeves is squeaky door hinges. There was one time I couldn't find any WD-40 so I used Pam Cooking Spray because I could not handle the squeaking.

#2: Another one of my pet peeves is when the toilet paper is turned the wrong way in the dispenser. It's OVERHAND not underhand!!!! I'll even change it in other people's homes. (#1 and #2 can probably be classified OCD as well)

#3: I don't care for TV. Sports, News, Sitcoms, Educational, Reality, etc ... I would rather read a book than watch TV any day. When/If I get married/move out on my own, I would rather not have a TV in my house but just a projector to watch movies, which I love.

#4: I like to bake/cook. Before my mission I just liked to bake all kinds of desserts but since I've been home, I have started cooking, even having a few Chinese food feasts.

#5: I'm a closet Celine Dion fan (well, maybe not so closet now). I have always loved her voice.

#6: I am totally attracted to straight, white teeth. It's the first thing I notice in the opposite sex. This other one's kind of weird but... I also like very defined neck lines/collar bones.

#7: I absolutely DESPISE onions. They are the fruit of the devil. The bane of my or anyone's existence. It doesn't matter what kind or how much; if they are in anything, that's all I taste . Euhh!!!

I now tag: whoever reads this!!!!!!!!