Summer

Hello! Lots of posts today. Scroll down to see them all. I'm trying to catch up on the massive amounts of back photos I have. We've been very busy this summer, traveling all over the country. I must say, there's a lot of beauty and interest to be had here, and a lot of culture and history. And, of course, some awesome views of these Eastern Skies.

You know, a lot of people don't think the sky has much to offer around here, but I beg to differ. Of course, I do live in a place known for its clear and beautiful skies. The weather this past week has been the best we've ever experienced--definitely better than when we arrived a year ago!

It's been a year, can you believe it? School starts again in less than two weeks, we go in a week before that, but for now, I'm going to squeeze every last drop out of my remaining vacation. Here's a few pictures of the past year that I don't think I've posted before. Enjoy.

Laoshan

Last fall, we went out to a place called Laoshan. Some of us decided to cycle there. It's about 30 miles away over some rugged mountains. Cars can take a tunnel through the mountain, but bikes aren't allowed, so they have to go over. But, hey! One of the guys had heard about a shortcut, so we decided to try it.

In retrospect, we like to say that we invented a new pastime: the Hike'n'Bike. See, sometimes you're biking like you'd expect, sometimes you're pushing your bike up steep, underused footpaths, sometimes you're team carrying bikes across ravines, over boulders, and through old, washed out riverbeds, and sometimes (all too rarely), you're flying down the side of a mountain, bouncing over rocks, dodging trees and peasants, and trying not to fly over the front of your handlebars. The Hike'n'Bike. Try it today!

In the end, we made it to our destination, and it was worth it. Enjoy the pictures below. I didn't take all of them, but I thought they were worth posting nonetheless.

Spring Trip!

From 7th Grade Spring Trip 09

Every spring, our school sends grades 6 through 12 on trips around China in order to learn more about Chinese culture and deepen the students' appreciation for their host country. This year, we went with the 7th graders to tour Shandong Province.

From 7th Grade Spring Trip 09

We stayed overnight at Weifeng in a nice hotel with an attached amusement park. From there, we headed to Zibo where we explored a cave, visited an aviary, played on a ropes course, hiked up a hill, and stood on a piece of the Qin Dynasty wall (kinda like the Great Wall, but smaller).

From 7th Grade Spring Trip 09

Next, we headed to Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius. We stayed two nights there and saw his home, his grave, and the temple dedicated in his honor. Later, we played Capture the Flag between the outer wall of Qufu and its moat.

From 7th Grade Spring Trip 09

From there, we headed to Taishan, the holiest mountain in China. We climbed to the top, ascending about 3,000 steps along the way (we started halfway up the mountain), reaching a final elevation of over 1500 meters. We stayed overnight at the top of the mountain, then headed home the next day.

From 7th Grade Spring Trip 09

The trip was a blast and the kids were great! I can't wait for Spring Trips next year. Enjoy the pictures. :-)

Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving from Hong Kong!

More Travel

Greetings from sunny Tianjin! We decided to take a long weekend and get out of our city for a while to visit some friends. It's been cold (lows around 0C--that's about 32F), although it did heat up yesterday. We thought it'd be a lot colder here, but so far it actually seems warmer.

We took the fast train, which takes about five hours, and our trip was quietly uneventful. Be looking for pictures of this fine city to grace the blog soon.

Wei Hai

A few weeks ago we traveled to a small resort city by the sea. Pictures are forthcoming, but here's a little something to whet your appetite.