Blogs from Henan, China, Asia - page 11

Again with the typing in the dark. I wonder if I can do this at home. I feel pretty calm. Jin is, as usual, attached to Allen's hip and they are out for a walk. Bao is sprawled out on the bed. Now he has an eye infection. We are so hopeful that it is isolated from the eye injury as it is in the same eye. Still, he was the first one in the play room both days, and they are notorious for pink eye germs. Luckily, we have eye drops and again will have to wait and see. Bao is deep in sleep after the traumatic cleaning and reapplying of the bandage at the hotel doctor's office that took place earlier today. Fortunately, the doctor has a really big fish in a fishtank and ... read more

Okay, am starting to see what people mean when they say that when you have one child, the parents can still control. When you have two, it is really more like twelve. We took the boys downstairs to breakfast this morning, which began in a general atmosphere of peace and calm. How quickly it degenerated. Bao insisted on taking his milk in a coffee cup which means that the chair he was sitting in (because he refused the highchair) got most of the milk. Jin decided today to toddle around the breakfast area and show all of the diners the egg in his mouth. Bao ran between a waiter's legs while he was attempting to balance a number of trays. The entire area dissolved into chaos within, what seemed like, mere seconds. And am so embarrassed ... read more

Hi All, So we're here in Luoyang for a few days. Not much to see in the city really. We went and had a walk around the old city. We're off to the Longmen Grottoes tomorrow. Enjoy the photos Jah Bless ... read more

It is 5 a.m. and I am writing in semi-darkness. Bao is still asleep and has been so since 5 yesterday. Today is the day. Am trying not to have too big of an expectation regarding the much anticipated first meeting of Bao and Jin. Yesterday at the airport while waiting for flights/bags/etc., I tried to talk to Bao about getting a brother. I asked him what he will do when he sees him. I said that Jin is waiting for Bao. Bao said "Hit Jin", swatting at the air in front of him. Then I asked him what he will say when he sees him, and he said "Sorry" which means that he is still planning on the hitting. Then someone else asked Bao about getting a brother, and he said "Go away Jin" and ... read more

The Quest Goes South, and Other Tales from the Middle Kingdom The festival of DuanWuJie is a time for racing dragon boats and eating zongzi - nuggets of rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. Alas I didn’t achieve the first, but I did achieve the second on my trip to Zhengzhou. I took the trip 700km south of Beijing to Henan province to visit a friend, and to see the sights the province (which has a larger population than Germany) has to show. Kaifeng After I had arrived by overnight train to the bustling station at Zhengzhou we took a morning bus for a day trip to Kaifeng. Kaifeng is an old capital of China - centre of the Northern Song (Bei Song) dynasty a thousand years ago. Though it was built 25km south of the yellow ... read more