"We often think of the intersections in our lives, those that are planned, those that occur by chance. Some encounters we hope for, particularly love, and alas, some meetings never happen despite what we wish. I think of how those intersections have the potential to change us, our character, our circumstances, our hopes. We think about how they add to the unfinished story of our lives"...(Amy Tan, Mei Mei, 2005) Chinese folklore speaks of invisible red threads that connect a newborn child's spirit to all the people who will be important in the child's life. As the child grows, the threads shorten, drawing closer those people who are destined. We anxiously await this special meeting, a life changing intersection which will soon take us to China to bring home our little daughter, Cali Griffin.

March 26, 2011

The Tourist

Our first full day in China was insane...we started our day coming off of just a few hours of sleep and sought fuel from our local Starbucks, only to find out that it doesn't open until 8 am...seriously? Sherry, our tour guide, had us on a whirlwind schedule which began with a walking tour of Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City, we then headed to the Summer Palace and The Imperial Garden. We took a break from sightseeing for a Chinese lunch and then on for some shopping at The Pearl and Silk government factories, which included very interesting demonstrations and facts about the products and production. We moved on for a brief viewing of The Olympic Village....Bird's Nest and Cube (due to some technical difficulties, our photos are currently limited). Our day ended with a visit to a Tea House with tea tasting and demonstrations and then, lastly, to a Chinese Peking duck dinner. We landed back at the hotel very tired from an incredible day, super intrigued by Chinese culture and history, and a little bruised from the intensity of the sale.

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