Teach.Travel.Find.Design

Things always seem to come full circle and that was certainly the case in this latest adventure in China. It seemed like ages ago that we were in a taxi with Professor Rhea headed from the Shanghai Pudong Airport over to Hongqiao Airport to catch our flight to Guiyang and it was decided that the driver would cruise through downtown to show us the Bund. First glimpse of The Bund A little taste of Shanghai and a glimpse of what was yet to come, I was hooked and looked forward to our last days in China simply because they involved exploring one of the world's largest cities that I knew was full of art and wonder. Shanghai's famous skyline  Lizzy's friend, Melissa, graciously invited us to stay in her apartment and I looked forward to reuniting to rehash our weekend at the Miao Village as well as commiserate with teaching stories as Melissa was an English Teacher at a private school.   We landed in Shanghai and had no trouble finding a taxi to Melissa&#

From Beijing, we boarded a flight back to Guiyang to pick up our larger luggage and say a proper good-bye to our cooperating teachers, Principal Wang, Headmistress, Mrs. Li, and the friends we made during our time in Guiyang. Last Day at Guiyang No. 4 Experimental Primary School Last night in Guiyang The students at No. 4 were not aware that we would be back for a day.  Lizzy and I sat on the playground and waited for recess to begin.  You should have seen the students' faces when they realized we were there.  They ran full-speed and gave us hugs and had us sign more autographs, of course! 3rd Grade Pile-up! During our final days in Guiyang, we were treated to a good-bye lunch from our friends Jen and John and a good-bye dinner hosted by a friend we met through Professor Li.  The days flew by and were bittersweet. Farewell Lunch with Jen and John I left with the hope that one day I'll receive word that one of former students or friends will be visit

Lizzy and I took the high-speed bullet train from Xi'an to Beijing and it was fabulous.  We were able to take in the countryside as we whizzed along the track with a top speed of about 315 km/h or 195mph!!! After taking the subway from the high-speed rail station, we found ourselves unable to snag a taxi to our friends Evan and G.P.'s apartment and decided to cram into a tuk-tuk, a motorized rickshaw. Lizzy and I sandwiched into the back of the tuk-tuk!  Our fearless tuk-tuk driver Being in Beijing reminded me of how much I adore large cities.  The Beijing subway system was easy to navigate and you can beat paying between 2-4CNY ($0.32 - $0.65) for a one-way ticket! The main thing I liked about Beijing was wandering through the Hutongs.  A hutong is an old neighborhood, created by a series of alleyways lined with traditional residences.  Many hutongs have been torn down in order to build more modern structures.  Recently, several have been designated as protected

Lizzy and I spent four days in Xi'an, allowing plenty of time to explore the city and take-in Xi'an's rich history.  Xi'an is the current capital of Shaanxi Province but it is also one of the four ancient capital cities of China.  Xi'an also marked the beginning of the Silk Road. I was most excited about visiting the site of the Terra Cotta Army. First view of Pit 1, Terra Cotta Warriors In 2009 when I lived in Washington, D.C., I was met with perfect timing:  The Terra Cotta Warriors were being exhibited at the National Geographic Museum and my roommate was a Chinese historian giving the tours.  I remember looking at pictures of pit 1, not able to comprehend the enormity of this archaeological discovery and wondering if somehow, someday I would ever find myself in China and view the Terra Cotta Warriors for myself.  Grounds of the Terra Cotta Warriors As I have learned time and again, life is full of surprises.  Thanks to this student