It's Friday the 13th and we are in Yanji

We have arrived safely by plane to Yanji. What a change in weather, and no pollution! It's been a couple of days since I was able to update you so let me catch you up.

Li and Zhao welcomed me into their home. They are a young Beijing couple. Both are teachers and have PhDs in biology.

On Wednewsday, July 11, the group had a very informative lecture at the Ministry Of Education in Beijing follwed by a trip to the Capitol Museum. Both were wonderful. That evening was the highlight. We went to the Poly Theatre to see the Taiwan Dance Company called Cloud Gate. It was truly amazing. These talented dancers combined the beautiful music of Asia with modern dance. My favorite was this one dance called "Spring." At the end of the dance, little pink showers of flowers dropped from the ceiling onto the stage. Truly a wonderful way to end the day.

On Thursday we went to the American Embassy. We didn't get to see anyone famous but did learn about the role the Embassy plays in China, specifically with visas and cultural education. That evening I had a home stay. Dr. Huan Zhao and his wife Dr. Xu Feng Li were my hosts. They are both biology teachers at the middle school level. A young couple living in a beautiful flat near the 2nd Ring Road in Beijing. When I arrived at their home they asked what I would like to do with them. My request: Live a night as if I was a Beijing resident. They did just that. We started at their favorite restaurant and had "real"Beijing food. It was really good but they were unable to translate the names for me. I did not particularly like the seafood tofu but I did give it a try. After dinner we walked for about an hour and ended up at this amazing park. We had so much fun talking about schools and teachers. We watched many senior citizens exercising and walking. They got me to get on some of the park equipment as well. It was really fun. I was very tired so it was a treat when I heard we were taking the bus back to their house. That was interesting. I got quite a few stares being the only Westerner on the bus. Chinese people like

Our arrival in Yanji. Given all of our luggage, they had to send a bus for the group. It was like a clown car at the circus trying to get everyone in with all their luggage.

to look at American "big noses." Back at their home we sat together and continued to share stories. When it was time to go to bed I was amazed at how much bigger the home was than I could see. I had my own room and my own bathroom with a shower and a Western toilet! We slept with the windows open and the breeze was refreshing.

I am now in Yanji. Yanji is on the northeastern part of China near South Korea. We had a delicious welcoming banquet. Okay, I didn't taste the rabbit, sea cucumber, quail eggs, cow stomach, or spicy food but I did try some other good food. Tomorrow we are off to the Changbai Mountain. It is about 3.5 hours away and on top we can see Korea. We have fabulous hosts and I am looking forward to this place!

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[Joey]

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