The second day Dorothy and I woke up early and went on a hike through a bamboo forest and on a cliff hike. It was so beautiful. We were almost brought to tears several times just by how beautiful and enchanting the clouds were. Then we went to see several waterfalls (we were able to walk behind one). Then our guide took us to a mountain top temple and we climbed thousands of stairs. The temple was very colorful and beautiful and well worth the climb. By this time we had actually run out of money, and Dorothy accidentally got blessed by a monk who asked for a donation afterward- she guiltily opened her purse and tried to give them all her change, but they just told her not to bother. We ate a fitful lunch, ... read more

February 6 was the last day of Chinese New Year and I celebrated it at my Modern Chinese History professor's house. Then Dorothy and I found a coffee street full of small coffee houses that were full of thoughtful Chinese students studying. We enjoyed milk tea and terimesu. I will be blogging about this coming weekend trip when Dorothy and I plan to visit the Sichuan Bamboo Sea!... read more

I now know how to make dumplings! My professor of Modern Chinese History invited me to a family dinner at a former classmates house. There were four families there, and the conversation proved very interesting (even if I did not understand half of what was being said because it was being said in Chinese). We played monkey in the middle outside for a while (which I dominated at... not because of my athletic ability but because of my foot advantage).... read more

In Chengdu people are pretty polite about checking out the foreigners. I can occasionally (okay more than occasionally) hear the term "white foreigner" thrown around (one of the first Mandarin words I learned). However, when we decided to venture further from Chengdu the looks got less and less subtle. Normally people just stare. Perhaps point a little bit. But in this small town people followed us. When I walked out onto the street- people literally stopped and beckoned for their friends to look at this tall foreigner. We heard the word for "tall" so many times today I would be rich if I got a penny for each time. Child reactions were most epic. They would yell out "Tall!!" to their parents who would also be standing out in the street. It was quite the experience- ... read more

What have I been up to in Chengdu, China so far? Well I have been sampling some of the spectacular food. My personal favorite has been a Tibetan restaurant (partially because it had the cutest kids). The sweet milk tea is to die for! I have also been attempting the language. I should emphasize the word attempting... But because of helpful and clever new friends I soak up a new phrase after saying it incorrectly the first few thousand times. I have also been freezing. I know Grap has been pretty cold too, but the sharp cold of Michigan is different than the lingering wet cold of Chengdu. It is a sort of cold that creeps up the edges of your coat and gobbles up your fingertips. My classes have been interesting, and my professors enthusiastic. ... read more