Dad’s turn, or...Lauren, what did they say? Or...Lauren’s not here, what do we do now?

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June 18th, 2008

If she lets me put this on her blog site, this is my turn to talk about our trip to see Lauren and a world that is like no other that one can imagine. This trip gives a whole new definition to “Lauren in Charge.” Where does one begin on a trip like this? It actually started three years ago at Indiana University’s orientation for new students. Lauren called Bonnie and I at breakfast and said she had to register for classes. “Mom & Dad, instead of Spanish, I’m thinking of taking Chinese. Wouldn’t that be better for me with the way the business world is going?” From that conversation we are now on a trip of a lifetime, visiting a country that Craig describes as “an alternate reality world.” Or as Bonnie says, everything is bigger than anything you have seen and then the next day something else is bigger than that. Ian is in “question heaven” since there is nothing we can understand about anything. My proudest moment this week was the day Lauren had to work and we went to the CCTV Tower and to Tiananmen Square by ourselves, and we got back to our hotel by ourselves.

We saw the Forbidden City, stood on Tiananmen Square (a little nerve racking), climbed the Great Wall, and sat under an 800 year old tree. We stared at a large Jade Pot that was carved 900 years ago and was lost for 200 years in between. We ate at nice restaurants and in an alley lined with 10’ X 10’ cafes. We saw Cloisined Pottery in the making and learned about the culture of tea in China. The beauty of the Summer Palace and Bei Hai Park is incomparable to anything we have seen. When we think of the age of our country and then we see buildings that were restored in the 1700’s, it puts their country in perspective. The city is modern with more buildings going up everywhere and then you turn a corner and you are looking at an older section of the city that is the everyday China.

I can’t describe the trip or the city any better than Lauren has already in her blogs. I just wanted to be able to say thank you to my daughter for giving us the opportunity to do something that we will never forget. It was a trip of a lifetime. Ten years ago this summer we traveled to England and Scotland and as a family we stood on Hadrian’s Wall, the end of the Roman Empire. This trip we stood on the Great Wall of China, in incredible part of the history of China. As a family it was a wonderful time. As a dad, it was a memory that only the parents reading this can understand.

I have included some pictures that will show what we did better than I can describe them. I hope all of you reading this will someday get a chance to come and see this wonderful country and friendly people.

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Photos

At the Forbidden City
Parental Units (it's probably obvious that Lauren is writing the captions because Dad didn't include them....ugh, nuisance)

Summer Palace
Ok, I would NOT have posted this...Dad, you owe me big time...I'm wearing the awkward, Chinese shorts.....

Our Tour Guide
Ok, that's what Dad wanted it called...in reality, a tour guide probably shouldn't be making fun of people and I may or may not have been doing that when this was taken...

You Paid Too Much
hahahahaha

Bird's Nest
At the Olympic Stadiums...none of us were ready for this picture....Mom, blame Dad, not me.

Taxi Ride
Dad didn't stop taking pictures in the car

Stepping off the Plane
From here on, they're my pictures, not Dad's.

Hey Mom, what do your jeans say?
Haha, so Mom's pants had Chinese-looking characters on them which was HYSTERICAL when all the Chinese people were trying to read them....they don't say anything.

Cool Street
This is the street that we went into the alley to eat dinner and then also ate Beijing Roast Duck on the normal street.

Ah, Beijing...
Notice the crazy people biking between the buses and cars....
...I hope that this picture suffices, Mom.

Swimming Stadium at Night
.....awesome

Ian Gave Up...
...and used the spoon.....

Batavia Bulldogs in China
Ok, it's kind of blurry because we were driving, but that is the Batavia Bulldog on a Chinese car....