A Sort of Homecoming

Hi, ni hao! This may be my last post from China because all we're really going to do tomorrow is drive to Guangzhou  and maybe buy some more souvenirs. Then we'll spend another night at ANOTHER hotel and then it's off to the airport to fly home. Today we went to my orphanage!

We bought some little toys last night to give to the kids. I finally got to meet one of my nannies! Mrs. Deng was really nice and we kind of (kind of) got to talk to each other. Our guide translated what I said to her in Chinese. She says that I am tall and pretty and that she remembered me when I was a baby. (I still can't believe that everyone in China says that I'm tall for my age and in America I'm considered really really short!) She asked me if I remembered her as a baby. Well, in my defense, I was only one.

Anyway, when we got to give out toys and lollipops to the  kids, they seemed really happy. They were all very eager to start playing with their new toys. There were two kids that were still there from when I was. After giving out stuff, we took a little walk around the streets. People were selling almost everything you could think of, from live doves to chickens. I don't think that the doves and chickens were for pets sadly. But we got to try some new fruits that I had never seen or even heard of. Dragon eye fruit was a new experience, it was pretty good!

They welcomed us with jasmine tea, dragon eye fruit and bananas. Everything was tasty. It's their custom to always welcome people with tea and some kind of food. At lunch, my nanny was always filling my plate with the rice and noodles I love. She also showed me how to master my chopsticks! Lunch was good, even if I couldn't try some things due to my shellfish allergy. We also visited the place where I was found. Unfortunately, the building that was originally there was replaced by a Honda dealership. I was more curious than emotional. Where was the exact place I was found? How long ago was it? My mind was slightly focused on something else though. I had lost my wiggly tooth about five minutes ago. I had to hold a napkin

there to staunch the bleeding.

Today was quite a bit more interesting than just looking around a city and lazily lying around in the hotel. I finally got to see my nanny and learn exactly where they found me. I'll blog when we get back to the U.S.A. Talk to you when we get back home! Bye!

Lots of Pandas!

I know I haven't written in a couple of days, but that's simply because of lousy wifi. Well, two days ago we went to see the giant pandas and got to be like the keepers. We got to clean out their enclosures, make food for them, and feed them. I learned that when you feed them, their caretakers make them put their paw onto a little shelf. I also learned that giant pandas need a ton of work but it's well worth it. On the second day, we got to go to the panda preserve where they had a three-day old baby panda and two three month olds. We got to see six red pandas too!

That night we went to the Chinese Opera with all sorts of entertainment that included shadow puppets! The shadow puppeteer could make his hands into birds, rabbits, and a whole bunch of other animals! He told stories that you could easily understand, even if you didn't speak Chinese. Next we saw seven masked people that when they turned around, their masks suddenly changed! It took a while for me to catch on how they did it. There in Chengdu, everyone loves spicy foods. They served us dumplings, and my tongue was set on fire and had to be extinguished by some water and sprite. But I still ate all my dumplings.

I was really sad after the show because I learned that we would be leaving early the next morning. Now we would be traveling alone, I had gotten used to going around in a big giant group. All my friends were as sad as I was, but maybe we'd get to visit each other after we all get home. My friend, Martina and I promised to keep in touch.

We got up really early this morning and ran to the airport (well, not really; my back would break if I ran too long with my luggage) and boarded a trip Guilin. Our plane was called Air China, earlier on our travels I had seen a plane called Air

Berlin. We visited Reed Flute Cave, Pearl Factory, and the Elephant Trunk Hill. The Reed Flute Cave is amazing, there was even a natural rock formation that looked exactly like a lion! At the Pearl Factory, Mom bought a pearl necklace and a matching bracelet and I bought an everyday necklace. Elephant Trunk Hill was just as peaceful as in the pictures with the bright green grass and the ancient pagoda. We also got to see a local fisherwoman with her cormorants. (they're a kind of bird that people use to fish, look it up)

I've seen so much in only three days and my big adventure's not over yet. I promise, I'll keep you updated!