Day 9

Day 9 – Friday, November 27, 2009

 

 Oh yeah, I forgot about the pollution.  I've heard it is terrible, but you really have to see it to understand.  It really is bad!  You can tell from some of the pictures- it has not been cloudy the entire time we've been here- the pollution is so bad that it constantly looks hazy and foggy- all day.  I hope they can do something to fix that soon.  There's so much to mention—the spitting, the split pants, the bikes, the traffic, the cigarette smoke- China is definitely an experience!  I kinda wonder if the Chinese people from home are able to use the 'scary floor potty' when they come back for visits.  I will be asking Lao Shi about that.  =)  It is very odd to be 14 hours ahead of home!  'I'm in the FUTURE!'  HAHA! 

 

So, they took my hairspray at security, even though it's been in my carryon all along.  I will have to go on a crusade to find hair spray.  The plane was a bit delayed taking off and there was lots of confusion getting the Americans on board (so many strollers!)- so they just let all the Chinese people go in front of us, and then made us check bags when they ran out of carryon space.  Go figure.  Oh well.  Ying was pretty good on the flight, we kept her entertained with food and toys and she got to sit with daddy most of the flight. The seats are pretty small on these planes.  I found the flight excruciating.  I slipped in the shower and felt pretty useless the whole day.  I had to pick Ying up and hold her while she bawled when Jason left to check the luggage.  She cried the entire half hour too, and afterward my back was KILLING me.  Sitting on the plane was not fun either. Or the bus.  LOL.  I had high hopes for the White Swan, that the beds would be soft and perfect… no such luck!  The beds have been progressively harder.  Jason loves them, and I'm in agony after hurting my back.  If I hadn't hurt it, I'd be fine.  But, it is just like sleeping on the floor.  Even the pillows are hard- how they manage that I don't know.  Ying is a complete Daddy's girl.  We will have to break her of that when we get home.  We came in very late to the hotel, so didn't get to go to sleep until after midnight.  Ying, for some reason, was fighting going to sleep too.  She cried for several minutes before settling down finally (I think daddy picked her up).  And of course, they start us right off with an early morning.  =)

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--"We never touch people so lightly that we do not leave a trace"