The Medical Leader

PIKEVILLE – Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) has announced new hours of operation for its Regional Flu Center. Effective November 26, the center will be open from 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.

“The Regional Flu Center has been a tremendous success, but we are seeing a slowdown in the spread of the virus in our region,” Pikeville Medical Center president and Chief Executive Officer Walter E. May said. “If the virus escalates, we stand ready to meet any challenges that may arise.”

The Regional Flu Center is located on North Mayo Trail in Pikeville beside Advance Auto Parts in the former Free Screening Center location. Since opening on Nov. 2, the Regional Flu Center has treated more than 1,700 patients.

Operated by Pikeville Medical Center and its Family Practice Clinic, the Regional Flu Center is fully staffed by physicians, nurses and other health care professionals. The center also provides complete testing, lab and x-ray services.

For more information, call the Regional Flu Center at (606) 218-4855.

Laura Ford Hall

Terra Cotta Warriors

The Delegation of Pikeville to China had a very eventful day including historical visits and foreign affairs.  The day began with an hour long trip into the countryside in Shaanxi Province, outside of Xi’an to see the Museum of the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses.  I was more excited about seeing this “eighth wonder of the world” than any other site in China because my mother, Janice Beeler Ford, who (I will mention again) was an art professor at Pikeville College for 41 years, taught me about the Terra Cotta Warriors since I was a little girl.  My mother studied art all over the world, and more than the Mona Lisa, she first loved Egyptian Art, followed closely by art from the Roman Era, Michelangelo, and then she would talk about Chinese and Asian art.  She talked more of the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses than she did of any other work of the Chinese, and it is truly an extravagant work of art.  In its sheer magnitude, the over 8,000 visible statues are overwhelming to the eye.  Again, I began to cry as I walked in to see this wonder.

Laura at the Terra Cotta Warriors

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses were built in late 3rd Century B.C. for the Tomb of Emperor QinShihuang, the first Emperor in Chinese History.  Emperor Qin (for short , much like the Pharaohs in Egypt, wanted to take all of his belongings with him into their afterlife.  But, Qin wanted to take this practice a step further… he was going to have all of his soldiers, wives, and concubines buried with him, even if he would’ve been burying them alive.  This very terrible, morbid idea was rejected by the Emperor’s people and one artist, a sculptor, came up with the idea of, rather than burying people alive, constructing sculptured statues to protect the Emperor in his after-life.  Over 700,000 artists and other workers worked for over 15 years to build thousands and thousands of statues of warriors, generals, officers, and horses to put in the Emperor’s tomb.  Although there are so many statues, no two are the same… facial features or hairstyles are each different.  The uniform denotes the officer’s rank and the soldiers were flanked as if they were ready for battle.

Greg and Menette May

Although the tomb had been there for thousands of years, it was not found until 1974 by a farmer who was on his land digging a well.  He dug several feet and no water, dug again… still no water, then he began to dig deeper and deeper and then dug into the tomb.  The farmer’s name was Yang Xin Man.  Previous to his find, he was an unknown farmer who could not read or write, but after his discovery, he got a new profession.  For the past 20 years, since the museum has been open, he sits in a special room every day where he charges for autographs and photos.  He learned to write only his name and it is the only thing he can read or write.  With nearly 2 million tourists annually, charging $30 U.S. per autograph and photo… well, he is now rolling in the dough.  Jimmy and Kim Carter had their photo made with Farmer Yang.  I believe Farmer Yang is to the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum what Miss Billie Jean Osborne is to the Mountain Arts Center (the founder and heart at the center of it all).

After leaving the museum, the delegation boarded a bus to travel to our Sister City of Ankang, stopping at a restaurant that only had a “squatty potty…” we elected to pass on the restroom use and pulled over again at a hotel to use the restroom that had three “western toilets” as the Chinese refer to them.  So far, I have not had to use a “squatty potty” which is VERY good!

Ankang Mountains

Our ride to Ankang City was by bus on a new highway that was just opened this past May 28, 2009.  It is 179 miles long… beautiful highway with mountainous scenes that make our mountains look like hills.  Rather than cutting through the entirety of all of the mountains to get to Ankang, the government chose to build tunnels.  We went through 181 tunnels to get to Ankang City… two of the tunnels were over 11 miles long.  Some of them were very short.  The tunnels have solar powered lights with solar panels on top of the mountains that produce light inside the tunnels.  Some of the tunnels have beautiful neon lights and trees that do not need light to grow for decoration.  It is very apparent that the Chinese love neon lights.  They are everywhere, on nearly every building.  It is very pretty at night, and I have petitioned Donovan Blackburn and City Commissioner Jimmy Carter to get lots of neon lights in Pikeville.

Welcome in Ankang

Once we arrived to Ankang City, the welcoming party was glorious.  Our bus first stopped at the City Gate where City Manager Donovan Blackburn and his wife Debbie Blackburn were escorted off the bus and were greeted by two beautiful children holding flowers as well as the Vice Mayor of Ankang and two city officials.  We were then lead into the city by a police escort and went to our hotel.  We had to prepare, in a short time, for a banquet where the Mayor of Ankang City and Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn met and the Mayor delivered a welcome address.

“The city of Ankang welcomes the American Delegation from Pikeville, Kentucky,” Mayor Fang said.  “Our cities are alike in many ways.  They are both located in a valley.  They both have a major river running through them.  They both are making progress.  Our towns are similar and we have much to share and much to learn as Sister Cities.”

Welcome Banquet

The banquet was very special and was the first step to becoming Sister Cities with the city of Ankang in China.  Many toasts were made to the City of Pikeville.

For my final thought today, I would like to say that I feel so proud to be from Pikeville and Pike County and proud to have our city be only one of four Sister Cities with China’s Shaanxi Province.  We have a wonderful city and county that we should all take pride in.  Over the next two days, we will visit the hospitals, schools, and factories.  I am most excited to see the schools.  Former Governor Paul Patton, now President of Pikeville College, will get to meet with the President of Ankang College.  Walter E. and Pam May are very excited to be able to visit the hospitals.  And I have received the privilege of being invited to lecture on American music and perform for all of the music students enrolled in Ankang University.

Laura Ford Hall

Laura Ford Hall

(Day 4 was a travel day, mostly spent in the air)

Today, the Pikeville Sister City Delegation to China had a busy day in Xi’an (pronounced “she-ahn”) in the Shaanxi Province of China.  China’s provinces are similar to the states in the United States.

On Wednesday, the delegation arrived to Shaanxi Province, the state where our Sister City of Ankang is  located.  The City of Ankang and the Shaanxi Province have gone to great lengths to honor the delegates from America.  We have found that in the Chinese culture it is extremely important that their guests be very pleased.  Two government officials from Ankang have traveled with the Delegation, introducing them to the culture of China and allowing them the once-in-a-lifetime experience of visiting some of the greatest landmarks of Asia, including the Great Wall.  This introduction to the Chinese culture and history will only help to further the formation of a strong Sister City relationship.  When the Delegation from Ankang arrives in the U.S., they will not only visit Pikeville but also places such as Washington D.C. and New York City in order to be introduced to American culture before coming to Pikeville.

The introduction to the culture and the knowledge of the history of China has been very beneficial as the days have progressed throughout our visit.  Our new-found knowledge and experience came in to play today as the Delegation met with the Foreign Affairs Department and the Secretary General of the Shaanxi Province.  The meeting took place at 10:30 a.m. at the Xi’an Foreign Affairs Building.  Complete with interpreter and presentations of gifts, the meeting was very fruitful and meaningful to developing our Sister City relationship.

Secretary General Wang Yousheng spoke on behalf of the Province as Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn and Governor Paul Patton spoke on behalf of our city and state.  Mr. Wang (in China, the last name goes first) said he was honored and excited to have our delegation visit and many topics were discussed between the Chinese and American parties.  It was so interesting being an observer.  I felt as if I were very important to be privy to an international meeting and that our city was progressing in ways beyond what I thought imaginable being a lifelong citizen of the city.  To have Pikeville be recognized on a more global level made me very proud to be from Pikeville.

Pictured is the Delegation with the Shaanxi Province Foreign Affairs Department and Secretary General: From left: Hobart Clay Johnson, Pam May, First Lady Judi Patton, Kim Carter, Jimmy Carter, Donovan Blackburn (back), Debbie Blackburn (front), Shaanxi Province Secretary General Wang Yousheng, Walter E. May, Former Governor Paul Patton, Greg May, People's Government of Shaanxi Province Foreign Affairs Sister City Department Director Zhou Bin, Dr. Bill Booth, Xu Tongwu, Laura Ford Hall and Brad N. Hall.

This Province is a sister city to the state of Minnesota.  As cities are paired with foreign cities, states are paired with provinces.  A delegation from the Shaanxi Province will be coming to America soon and we have invited them to make a stop in Pikeville during their visit.  The Shaanxi Province of China is the fastest growing province and that has been made evident by the massive amount of construction going on in this “small town” of 8 million people.  A new subway system, many roads being widened or expanded, and buildings under construction at every turn shows that this is a city in an extreme growth period.  The exchange of knowledge between Pikeville and both provinces and cities of China could lead to much opportunity for Pikeville in this new global market.

As for some final thoughts, I am still suffering on the China Diet.  I suspect now that I have lost about 6 pounds.  Though rice is very filling, it must be a good diet food.  The plates that are given to you in Chinese restaurants are very small… like the size of one of our dessert plates or bread and butter plates at home.  So, the portions are very small as well.  Though, at our hotel in Xi’an, they did have room service with American food.  This included spaghetti and garlic bread.  It cost me $147 yuan… about $25 U.S. dollars, but I didn’t care… I ordered it and I was in Heaven. :  )

Also… the bed in our hotel in Xi’an is very, very hard… almost like sleeping on the floor.  I am told this is customary for the Chinese people to sleep on a very hard bed.  Well… it was not for me.  I kept thinking, “Laura, there has to be a solution to this problem!”  So, I called housekeeping and ordered 12 pillows… that’s right, they thought I was crazy!  I laid them all on the bed in a row and made a “pillow top” mattress… not the best, but better than sleeping on a “wooden bed.”

I was also thrilled to get to sing a mini-concert with a Bulgarian pianist.  The Ankang Government officials found out that I directed music at a college, and I have since been booked for four performances in China… I guess it is something neat to add to my resume. It was fun.  For singing, I was given a bottle of wine by the hotel for which I was performing!  Though a nice gesture, I have never had a drink of alcohol, so now I am trying to figure out how much I might sell this bottle to get some yuan or American dollars for it… I hope someone buys it. LOL.

For my final thought of the day… the biggest cultural difference for me is that the Chinese do not use diapers for their children and that they are allowed to potty on the streets, with their parents holding them as they potty.  I have seen this over and over and it is just the strangest thing to me.  I can’t imagine that happening at home, but we are in a different culture.  Though I do not have children yet, it makes me very thankful for diapers.

Tomorrow we will visit the museum of the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses and then will travel on to Ankang for more Government and Foreign Affairs Meetings.  I am not sure I will have Internet access there, but will do my best to blog if possible.

Laura Ford Hall

Pictured is the Delegation with the Shaanxi Province Foreign Affairs Department and Secretary General: From left: Hobart Clay Johnson, Pam May, First Lady Judi Patton, Kim Carter, Jimmy Carter, Donovan Blackburn (back), Debbie Blackburn (front), Shaanxi Province Secretary General Wang Yousheng, Walter E. May, Former Governor Paul Patton, Greg May, People's Government of Shaanxi Province Foreign Affairs Sister City Department Director Zhou Bin, Dr. Bill Booth, Xu Tongwu, Laura Ford Hall and Brad N. Hall.

Laura Ford Hall

Getting ready to climb the Great Wall of China.

AMAZING!!!!!!!

That is the word of the day.  We actually climbed the Great Wall of China!  I would have never believed that I would ever be at The Great Wall, much less climb it!

The day started with breakfast in the hotel lobby and today they had TOAST!  That’s right, toast and strawberry jelly.  Suddenly Handel’s Messiah came to my head and I literally sang “Hallelujah, Hallelujah.”   A few Chinese people looked at me, as if my blonde hair was not enough, I had to start singing from the Messiah, but I couldn’t help it… it was bread!  So, the day started off wonderfully.

We then took an hour-long bus ride outside of Beijing to The Great Wall.  The Wall came into view and all of the members of the delegation began taking photos from the bus windows.  We were in awe of being there.  Governor and Mrs. Patton had been there before, to a different section that was less touristy and had walked part of the wall, however, for us, it was the climb ahead that awaited.

From left: Laura Ford Hall, Menette May, Greg May

Several decided to stay at the bottom of the wall and enjoy the view, but eight of us took off… to make the trek up to the top: Jimmy and Kim Carter, Donovan and Debbie Blackburn, Greg and Menette May, and Brad and myself.  Figuring we would never be back again, we were gave it our best shot.  Well, the other day, when I blogged about the plane ride, I said I was happy to be 5’1″, but NOT today.  The Great Wall, built in Third Century B.C., is over 1,500 miles long, is an average of 25′ in height and width, and took 700,000 people to build.  To say the least, the steps are very uneven, with some steps higher than the length of my legs, which made the climbing very difficult.

From left: Greg and Mennette May, Debbie and Donovan Blackburn

Jimmy and Kim Carter and Donovan Blackburn made it to the first tower.  I went on to the third tower, which was very difficult, and when I got there, I cried and everyone was looking at me, even Chinese asking if I were ok, but I was just overwhelmed that I had just climbed very high onto one of the seven wonders, looking out onto God’s creation of the surrounding nature, and wanting to pick up my cellular phone to call my mother to tell her that I was on top of the Great Wall, but unable to because of her passing.  I could not help but cry.

And then, there were the final four and ½ who made it all the way to the top of the fifth tower: Greg and Menette May, Debbie Blackburn, and Brad Hall (I am counting myself as the ½ because I made it almost there… I just couldn’t go anymore).

From left: Laura Ford Hall, Greg May, Menette May, Debbie Blackburn

After the climb of the Wall, we visited the Summer Palace of the Emperor Qui, which was first built in 1100 A.D.  We had a community and idea exchange with our Chinese counterparts, which included talk about garbage services, drug problems, roadways and highways, and health care and cancer survival rates.  During the talks, we found that we had much in common with our Sister City, but many things are different.  Some of the differences included garbage pickup, which is only allowed during the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. so garbage pickup trucks are never seen.  Like eastern Kentucky, the Chinese also have a drug problem in their area but not with prescription medication, rather they mainly have trouble with cocaine and opiates… and this is mainly in the cities and among the high school and college student population.

Regarding health care and cancer survival rates, we learned that over 300 million Chinese are claimed smokers.  There are no smoking bans in China whatsoever, including no “smoking” or “non-smoking” sections in restaurants.  Lung cancer kills a significant amount of Chinese people, followed by esophageal cancer due to the hot temperature of their foods… it damages the esophagus.  The Chinese government has recognized that America has the greatest healthcare, especially when it comes to cancer and the country cannot even touch our “five-year survival rate” that they are striving for.

Beginning on Friday, even more business talks will take place, and when we arrive in our Sister City of Ankang, the business leaders will sign the Sister City agreement and discuss all various areas of the economy, coal mining, crime rate, etc.

However, tomorrow, we head out by plane for a 2 hour flight to Xi’an, China to see more of the country… I am especially excited to see the terra cotta soldiers and horses at the Emperor’s Tomb because my mother, who taught art at Pikeville College for 41 years, taught me about these amazing statues from the time I was a young girl.  I brought copies of all of her textbook notes with me so I could be reminded of all of the information my mother taught me and have a part of her with me, as I know she would have loved to be there.

Finally, the closing thought of the day is another addition to the China Diet… climbing the Great Wall.  If the Chinese do this often, it will DEFINITELY help them to stay slim.  Climbing to the third tower was the most difficult physical thing I have ever done in my life.  If I continue to eat only rice and my occasional sneaky Nutter Butter or Pop Tart, and if I continue to walk the amount we have been trekking across China, I am sure to come back at least 15 pounds slimmer from my China Diet.

The worst thing about today… as I was struggling up the stone steps complaining about my legs, two approximately 90-year-old Chinese women with white hair passed me as if I were the tortoise and they were the hare.  Even more proof that the China Diet does work!

Laura Ford Hall

Laura Ford Hall

Today was another busy day for the Pikeville Delegates to China.  The Chinese government and our Sister City of Ankang, has treated us royally, allowing us the privilege of taking in all of the wonderful things that China has to offer.

Living in a country that is just over 200 years old, I think some Americans take for granted the historic value of buildings, architecture, places where important events took place.  Today, we were able to see some such sites, including our first stop in the very middle or inner circle of Beijing, the Forbidden City.

The Forbidden City

Much like New Circle Road in Lexington, Beijing has 6 “rings” and in the center of all of the rings is The Forbidden City.  Built in 1406, the city, or complex, consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 rooms and covers 7,800,000 square feet.  We walked into the first section of the city and thought, “this is beautiful and amazing,” but we kept going through tunnels and doorways and the city seemed to go on and on forever.  It is easy to see why it was called a “city.”  I felt like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider… going through level after level in the ruins to get to the end of the game.  It took quite a bit of time to walk the distance from the entrance of the city to the exit.

Walter and Pam May at the Forbidden City

The city was “forbidden” because it was built for the emperor and was only used for himself, his servants, his concubines, and the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. The emperor had 3,000 concubines… can you imagine financially supporting 3,000 women?

The Forbidden City served as the imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty… for five centuries.  Commoners were not allowed into the Forbidden City unless they were on trial.  The emperor served all of the following roles: Supreme Legislator, Commander of the Army, Moral Leader, hierarch, Supreme Judge, Patron of Learning, Chief Examiner, Chief Administrator, and Chief Bureaucrat.

When I walked into the Inner Court of the City, I recognized it from many movies such as Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” and “The Last Emperor,” filmed in 1987, was the last movie that the Chinese government allowed to film there.

After visiting the “Forbidden City,” our very tired delegation visited the Fu Rung Restaurant for lunch where, we were again, served on a round, lazy-Susan type table.  During lunch, ideas were exchanged among city officials and leaders.

The Pattons and the Blackburns

After lunch, we went to the Temple of Heaven.  This was my personal favorite spot of the trip so far.  The reason is because that the Temple of Heaven is where all of the Chinese go to “hang out.”  You could see their culture so clearly.  People playing instruments, choirs singing… all in unison, no harmony, and instruments I had never even seen before, but it was so very interesting to me (especially the music).  The Temple of Heaven was beautiful and is where the people of the Dow religion would go to worship the god of Heaven.  There are many gods in that religion including god of Heaven, Earth, rivers, wind, etc.  This temple was built up high to worship the god of Heaven.  It was very beautiful, and what made it even more special were that two weddings were taking place at the Temple while we were there.  It is apparently, a special place for weddings for the people of Beijing.

After this, we went to The Pearl Market… where we were BOMBARDED by sales men and women… especially me because of my blonde hair.  They would yell “blonde hair! Blonde hair!” They would pull my arms, my clothes, touch my hair and get right in my face… “Come buy a bag… you need a bag.”  “Come in to my shop, just come and look around.  I’ll make a special price for you because you are beautiful!”  Well… they made me feel good anyway, but with hundreds of salespeople trying to beg you to look at their merchandise… I was about to have an anxiety attack.  Though, the upper levels of The Pearl Market are very respected, visited by the wives of U.S. Presidents, the top floors sell the “greatest pearls found in the world.”  And, as we were waiting to leave, a caravan of black cars pulled up and the wives of the Pakistan leaders were escorted up to the top level of the market to shop for the finest jewelry.

Dinner was not wonderful… now I will return to the subject of the China diet… ok rice everyday on a small plate, no bread, no desserts at all… no wonder the Chinese are skinny.  But, I do have to add an element to the China diet… bicycles… everyone has them and they ride them everywhere.  Also, there are scales in the hotel room.  This is the first hotel I have been to that had scales to weigh yourself.  I barely ate anything, and neither did anyone else.  I actually snuck Nutter Butters into the restaurant and Greg and Menette May snuck in a Snickers bar.

Brad and Laura Ford Hall at the Olympic Site

After dinner, we visited the site of the 2008 Olympics… a beautiful site to see.  The architecture of The Birds Nest and The Water Cube were amazing.

Two major cultural differences to note today both have to do with restrooms.  In China, the toilets we know… the ones with the seats… they can’t be found.  In their place are “squatty potties,” at least that is what we have termed them.  Also, bathrooms do not provide toilet paper.

To close today, I just would like to say that I am very thankful for the Kellogg’s factory in Kimper.  I brought 3 boxes of Pop Tarts with me on this trip and because of the Pop Tarts, I will survive.  I know Jesus went 40 days without food, but I do believe that was divine intervention and I thank the Lord for all of my food… especially Pop Tarts at this time.  Though, they will have to be rationed and though I am a giving person, I have a VERY high price on my Pop Tarts right now.  I think I will start at $50 a pack… I have already had some offers from members of the delegation. :  )

We are truly enjoying ourselves.  It is a new culture… across the world.  I look forward to The Great Wall of China tomorrow and am in awe that I am blessed enough to get to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Laura Ford Hall

Man playing a Sheng at the temple.

Grandfather and Child

Laura with Ankang Officials Mr. Woo and Leia

Chinese Wedding

(See below each post for larger photos)

Laura Ford Hall

First of all, I must say that I cannot believe I am in China… I never dreamed I would be across the world in such a different culture.  Though I have been out of the country, I have never experienced anything quite like China, and the trip getting here was long and tiresome.

Today (Sunday, Oct. 11), the Sister City Delegation from Pikeville made the trek across the world to China to meet with officials and visit our Sister City of Ankang, China.  Somewhat like an exchange program, the Sister City program allows business, city, economic, and industrial leaders in a community to visit a community in another part of the world that has many similarities.  During the visit, the delegation will share ideas with the leaders from the Sister City and will hopefully gain knowledge and build relationships to make our global community stronger.  Ankang is a coal mining community much like Pikeville, similar in size, etc.

The Pikeville Delegation includes (pictured in the group photo) Governor Paul Patton and First Lady Judi Patton, Greg May and wife Manette, Walter E. and Pam May, Hobart Johnson, Debbie and Donovan Blackburn, Jimmy and Kim Carter, Brad and Laura Ford Hall (I am not pictured because I was taking the photo).

The day began as we left from Downtown Pikeville at 5:30 a.m., to board a plane in Lexington at 9:30 a.m. From Lexington, we flew to Chicago on a 90-minute flight.  Then, after a short stop at the Chicago O’Hare Airport, we boarded a Boeing 777 for the 13 hour and 34 minute flight across the globe to get to China.  Though I have flown many times, it amazes me that I was flying over Alaska, Russia, Siberia (see Siberian photo).  WOW!!!

Flying over Siberia

The plane ride was tough.  After about 9 hours, everyone was getting very tired.  Wishing I could afford first class (rumored to be $15,000), I was stuck in economy… this is the only time I am happy to be short.  Being 5-foot-1 is fine during times like these.

When we got off of the plane in Beijing, our temperature was examined, but we all successfully made it through the Health and Customs Inspections.  We were picked up by the Mayor of Ankang and a representative of the Ankang Government in a nice tour bus.  While riding along, I learned two very important things: I was glad I was on a big bus because there are no road rules in China except this… the bigger the vehicle you have, the more right-of-way you have.  I definitely learned that the more you honk the horn, the better off you are… if you are a big bus, you’ve got it made, if you are in a small car… watch out, if you are on a bicycle… well, I wouldn’t even chance it!

On some roads, there were some guide lines (similar to our double yellow lines), but on many roads, there were no lines and people just drove wherever, trying to maneuver in and out of the way.

One exit we stopped at was crowded because it was the end of the work day, and because of the traffic jam, I noticed people just getting out of the car and talking to one another… especially taxi drivers.  This was very weird to me.  We were stuck in traffic, but instead of waiting patiently and listening to music, drivers were just getting out of their cars, socializing, smoking a cigarette until the traffic started moving again.

When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by a welcoming party of very nice guest associates.  Our rooms are beautiful and more high tech than any hotel I have stayed at in America… everything, including the “Do Not Disturb” notice or “Please Clean My Room” notice is controlled by buttons beside the door that light up outside and notify the front desk.

All lights come on and off when you enter or exit a room.  Quite disturbing, however, were gas masks found in the hotel closet.  I am not sure why we have those, but I was alarmed to see them.  Quite surprising and wonderful was I found a Bible in our hotel room.  I was told that I should not bring a Bible into the country.  However I “snuck” one in only to find a beautiful leather bound, silver lined Bible in Mandarin Chinese and English.

Once we got to our rooms, we quickly changed to go to a Seafood Restaurant… I do not know its name, but I do know that what I had heard was true… the food is brought to you live and cooked in front of you.

Tanks of fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, shark, and other swimming creatures I had not seen before were in beautiful aquariums.  I felt like I was at Seaworld, only to realize that the poor things were there for people to select to be eaten.  Now, I am not a vegetarian in America… but for the next two weeks, I definitely am… we were all sent to beautiful round tables where we were brought dish after dish placed on a round table that we would rotate from person to person.  We had no idea what we were eating, so I was able to use the most important word I had learned in Mandarin Chinese “Rusu” (Roo-soo) which means “I am a vegetarian.”

So, I have concluded so far that China is beautiful… all of the buildings are decorated so artistically with bright and beautiful colors.  I can’t wait to see more.  The flight was long, but I believe it was worth it to get here.  Although, for my last thought of today, I must say “China is a lot like weight loss camp.”  :  )

I believe I will come back about 20 pounds skinner, which is fine with me.  I’ll let you know how my “China diet” progresses.

Laura Ford Hall