Good to be home!

One of the neatest experiances of my life. China is this little secret wonder that I wish the whole world could know. Their culture is so rich and deeply rooted. The people so genuine, sincere, and hospitable. They have a true understanding and sence of brotherhood and concern for the whole. I have never felt so loved! I started making a list the other day of "Things I learned In China" The list could go on forever, the way they live their lives is just like us, but so dynamically different. I am so grateful for the experiance.

It is also so good to be home. I enjoyed a wonderful visit with Scott and Laura and their 3 darling girls! It was the best thing to come home to. It was good to catch up with them and get some much needed rest and relaxation. Not to mention, WA is BEAUTIFUL! I am instantly in love with that place. Scott did and great job at trying to sell me on it while I was there. It wasn't too hard to do, I hope I can go back and visit again soon! If not just live there, no seriously... I am in love with that place.

Stealing Pens Cannot Be a Sin

Today, my pen saved my life!

We were working on our composition finals, and the studio was too crowded, so I went out into the hall, and told one of the girls in our group to come and get me in the hall. So I was involved in my work and then, I thought I should go check on the class to make sure they were all there still. But, to my surprise, the room was full of Chinese students, so I checked a few other studios, only Chinese students everywhere. I ran down stairs to see the clock that read 4:15. Yes, our bus was leaving at 4pm. But multiple students knew where I was and we count off every time we leave, except for today, they forgot...! Thus, they also forgot me dancing away upstairs.

So there I sat on the steps of Houhhot, in the middle of Inner Mongolia, surrounded by only Chinese who speak only Chinese! I just laughed at myself and said a little prayer of how best to get home. I wondered if they might come back, or if I was off on time and they might be coming, so i waited for a little while, then I decided every man for himself. So I figured I would just take a taxi. But I couldn't speak Chinese to tell him where to go. (We've ridden the taxi before and Jiamin would just write out in Chinese on a piece of paper where to go and give to the driver.) That is where the pen came in...! I took out the pen from our room that said Kingston hotel in English and Chinese, so I waved down a taxi, jumped in and just pointed to the pen and smiled. He smiled, and nodded. Then I fastened my seat belt and he just laughed at me. But I smiled, feeling a lot more comfortable with my seat belt fastened.

As we drove, I kept thinking, this is kind of crazy, I am across the world with some crazy china man driving a taxi, trusting that I will magically show up at my hotel, even though I didn't even tell him where to go. But, things just work out right! I was glad that he took me right to my destination. I went up stairs to let our director know I was back, she and many students apologized and where just glad that I made it back. What an adventure!

Well, that was the excitement of the day. This weekend we had a fun tourist time. I will just have to send pics. We went on a rode trip out to the desert and saw the tomb of Gangus Khang. It was so neat and so peaceful to be away from the city. Then the next morning, we go to go to the sand dunes, it was a full on real desert, it was so beautiful.

Love you all tons, hope you are all well. Only one more week of China!!! So sad, but I am excited to see clean bathrooms and American food and family!!!!!!

Coley :)

I feel like so many things happen that I want to tell you all about, but there is just no way I can share them all now! And I am just too darn tired to type it all, we have been doing so many good things, but wow I am pooped. These 12 hour days are intense. Today, was a funny sight, walking in the dance studio and seeing everyone asleep on the floor. As we came in one by one, we all just plopped on the floor. We just have so much to do and see, and dance all day in between, it's so fun though.

Well we have arrived safely in Inner Mongolia (it is a city still in china, but bordering the country of Mongolia, kind of like how New Mexico isn't really in Mexico, but may the culture rubs off) It is a whole different culture here. It really was a miracle we made it here, as we rode the bus to the train station, there was this crazy rain storm. I thought New England knew how to rain, my goodness, the cars all had wakes there was so much rain! There were waves in the streets, and everyone was just pulled over with their emergency lights on. So sure enough, we said a prayer and the buckets of water poring, completely stopped so we could get to the train station. Heavenly Father is so aware of us.

We enjoyed a lovely train ride over night and arrived at our beautiful classy hotel. It is sooo nice here (white fluffy robes included- we feel so spoiled). Well the city and campus are still filthy, but at least we have somewhere clean to come home to. They call it the "grasslands" here, there are mountains and the sun shines here, it isn't as polluted which is refreshing. Today we got to skip class to go to an art museum that the university had on display, it was so beautiful to see art through the eyes of the Chinese. I will have to send more pictures later, but I wanted to let you know I am here safe and I can occasionally get Internet.

A couple cools things, this past weekend, we went to the summer palace- favorite tourist site so far, if you want to google it. It is China or Beijings largest park. We got to go on a boat ride, oh, it was heaven sent. Water and nature are one of my comfort zones.. so peaceful and healing! The boat ride felt just like riding the house boat across the main channel at Powell, Oh i was so happy! A good city escape.

We also saw all the Olympic sites- very neat, impressive, and cool. I got some good pics of that.

We had a picnic with our Chinese friends here and played some games with them. This was new to them. They had never had a picnic before. We found some bread and pb and j to bring and they brought some Chinese treats to share, it was a fun exchange! They loved it!

Then we went to the Beijing zoo, and it happened to be National Childrens Day- it was packed! Yet, that is the most Chinese children I will ever see at one time, there aren't a lot of little kids here. It was fun. Oh man, I have to get to bed, good night!

Well, more to come later hopefully, but for now, tzi xyen!

coley

Hey fam!
Just thought I would send a little note this afternoon. We've enjoyed another great Sunday, the Beijing Branch was great(consisted of people from Idaho, Texas, Utah, Germany, china, Korea, Philippines, Hawaii, etc, the diversity is so fun!). Sundays are the best, we enjoyed a little picnic in our room (that was one of the pictures I sent once, when we were huddled with all the food on our beds), then of course a nice Sunday nap. After a few long days, I am feeling so much better. I still feel a little weak, but I am grateful to be alive to the world again.

This weekend, we went to see Tienanmen Square (its kind of like the equivalent to DC National monument, a bunch of important buildings in this giant gathering place with lots of people) I love seeing the guards everywhere we go, all dressed up in uniform. (They even have them all over campus, at most of the entrances to the buildings and dorms) Sometimes they carry the big guns, but usually they just stand there all dressed up in their uniforms. Then we went to the forbidden city which is where the emperor lived, it is huge! You start outside and go to the inner court, then more gates, and more inner courts, then more gates and more inner courts, it looks just like where the emperor lives in Mulan.

Then we went to this big tourist restaurant and there was another American group sitting near us, so we asked where they were from, they were another tour group from BYU! We were pretty shocked to see each other. It was the Engineering group. The coolest part was seeing one of my friend's Karen. She took my aerobic class at BYU years ago, she is a professors wife so she just takes fun classes for free! We would stay after and talk sometimes because she is just a neat lady, we kept in touch over my mission and ran into each other on campus after my mission. Her husband was one of the teachers leading the BYU engineering group to China, so she got to come along and there we were in the same room eating the same food at a restaurant in China! So neat! She really does have the neatest life, I think I must marry a professor! It made us both so happy to see each other.

Anyway, that afternoon, we went to the Silk Market. I don't know if any of you have heard of it, but it's like barter central! It was crazy! Most shops are outside on the streets, but this is 7 floors of tiny shops, each maybe 10 square feet. Think of the part in Aladdin when Jasmine finally escapes and she goes down the street, and they guy is like "FRESH FISH!" "Pretty necklace, for a pretty lady" ... that is exactly what it was like. The bartering was so fun, it is more a sport than anything. But as with most sports, I am more of a spectator sportist and I just enjoyed watching everyone barter and working to get the price down. We had a great time, but mom, I am sorry I did not inherit your shopping genes, I am pretty sure I was the only one in the group who came home empty handed. We are going back again and I may get a couple things, but you know, you only need so many pairs of chopsticks once you get home :) It was a fun and we were pooped. (sorry Scott, i didn't see any Netbooks, but you never know, maybe next time...I'll keep my eyes peeled ;) )

It's kind of like having 20 sisters here (except for 2 of them are guys, but you know, they are dance majors) and it is so much fun. This morning was hilarious as everyone was getting ready for church, people running from one room to the next, up and down floors, can I borrow your hair dryer, are you wearing that cardigan, can I borrow those shoes with my new dress. This is quite a unique experience, but I love it. My first roommate in Xi'an was Annie, we were in the same ward before my mission and both hoping to go to China 2 years ago, but both ended up serving missions instead, then we both still ended coming this time. She is so much fun, now my roommate is Kennedy, she is so incredibly nice. She is the saint that often lets me borrow her computer to email or web cam. I got really lucky, she is one of the neatest girls, so giving and nice, she would bring me orange juice and food from our meals when I was sick. We are usually with the whole group all day anyway so we get to know each other quite well.

It sounds like the blessing is off due to the annual Baird Puking Fest. I hope you are all feeling better, but I have to confess it was comforting to know that you were also all lying in bed sick across the world, we endured together! Also, happy birthday to everyone in May, I am not even going to attempt to redeem myself for this month, but for the masses of May birthdays...I love you all!
Have a great day!
Wei Nee :)
coley

P.S. Hey dad, the temple pres. and wife of the Hong Kong Temple and past mission pres. wife of Hong Kong spoke at church today! Cool, it made me think of you. It was pretty neat to hear their conversion stories. I feel grateful that I get to experience the closest thing to your mission. It is easy to see why you are so kind and generous, if you weren't before your mission already!