Mug Shot

Tomorrow the beard comes off! I kept telling him that you can't hunt deer in China, but he wouldn't listen.

The International Team vs. The Flips (funny little island people)…and they are funny!

It was the best out of three with five bowlers per team. The stakes were high. The losers pay for dinner, drinks and bowling. Fair enough. Now let me introduce you. From left to right we have; Phil, Napoleon, Ritchie, Renato, Danny, Jenny, Klynt (the bearded wonder), Eric, me and Nilo.

Now despite losing, we had a blast! Yes, our Filipino friends managed to win…barely. There have already been talks of a rematch. Better bring your wallets Flips! I’m just sayin’.

*****

11.10.08

The sun is shining and I couldn’t be happier! The past few weeks have been incredibly dreary. I was beginning to think the weather would stay this way forever, and for a girl who thrives on sunshine, life was looking a little bleak. Okay, okay, not too bleak, ‘cause in about two weeks I, Dana Baker, will be on the tropical Hawaiian island of Oahu. Twelve days! I am looking forward to twelve days of blue sky and sunshine, palm trees, sandy beaches, scenic drives, good food and catching up with friends. Oops, I almost forgot about shopping, and there WILL be shopping! Klynt likes to randomly call me with updates. “We only have twenty days, nine hours, twelve minutes and thirty-one seconds left!” I think working sixty hours per week and most weekends has really taken its toll. He also likes to remind me that Hawaii is one of the three States he has never visited. Yes, he has been to forty-seven out of all fifty States. Until recently, I barely made it out of Michigan. Well, look at me now.

Apple Pickin'

*****

Nope, I didn’t take these. My little sis sent ‘em to me and I decided to share them with you! You’re welcome! Jena and the boys recently spent an afternoon at an apple orchard. That’s her up top pictured with Kaleb, Jacob is next and then there’s Noah. I don’t know about you, but it sure looks like a perfect way to spend the day to me!

Hangzhou

Yes, we visited Hangzhou two weeks ago. Yes, I was slacking off and just got around to downloading the photos from off my camera. You don’t have to look if you don’t want to!

West Lake was our first stop. The pagoda, hills and distant city were muted backdrops thanks to a hazy, grey sky. This is just a sample of the many boats that toured the lake that morning.

At our second destination we saw quite a bit of these guys. All throughout the garden there were various carvings, similar to the ones pictured above, tucked away in the rocky landscape.

Burning incense and offering up prayers.

One of the two temples that were home to a giant, golden Buddha. No photos were allowed to be taken inside.

The third stop was a quick one. We walked in, snapped a few photos of the enormous pagoda and marched ourselves right back out.

Finally, we visited a green tea farm. We got the lowdown on growing, harvesting, drying, quality and such. Neither of us are big tea drinkers but found the tour pretty interesting. :)

The Devil Went Down to...

...Suzhou...or Georgia. Rumor has it they both get fairly hot!

Along the lake (of fire) there are a few small booths and many peddlers (pictured) that sell items like these. Often you see little children wearing them as well as adults, even grandparents. Once, I saw an entire family of devils. Oh and just the other night, five scooters passed by and yes, they all were wearing these. If I only had my camera!

Apparently I don’t need a pair ‘cause Klynt told me I already have my own! Well ain’t that nice? What a swell guy!

Lessons-Learned

1. Just because the brochure states the tour guide speaks English, doesn’t really guarantee that you will, in any way, be able to understand what he is saying. These are the five words I was able to salvage from the day; Buddha, temple, pagoda, dragon and phoenix.

2. While the road may look like your normal, run-of-the-mill, two-lane highway, in China it is more like four…maybe even closer to five. Of course, if you factor in the occasional scooter or bicycle weaving their way through traffic, the possibilities are endless.

3. The Koi in Hangzhou look eerily similar to the Koi in Suzhou.

4. Holding someone’s baby with a bare bottom NEVER gets any easier!

5. The price of tea in China is outrageous! Forty-five USD for 250 grams of Green Tea! I must have had a stamp somewhere on my forehead that I forgot about!

6. Riding in a bus all day that was built for tiny people can be difficult. C’mon, we all know where Yao Ming came from!

7. A day shared with someone you love, is a good day indeed.