Everything

This experience, this two week experience that seemed more like two months, is now apart of what makes me, me. The people I met there, the absolute beauty of their history, of their diverse culture, and the impossibility of past tradition clashing and coinciding with modern capatilism, created a country I know I will return to. Everything, down to the bolws of rice, and up to the great wall was infused with the warmth of the country. There were always smiles, always laughs from the waiters, store venders, and random curious people on the street, as we spoke the few phrases we knew ' I like girls ' being one of our favorite. And the people, you could get lost in the people. But always in a good way, you WANTED to let yourself go, let the crowd take you, let the city mix you up with everyone else. Yet then you had the country, and the second you walked into one of the villages, you immediately felt yourself find a niche with the people. You could find everyone there, in these small islands, and you wanted to be found. At the dinners, you wanted to let everyone know you were there, having the time of your life, and you wanted them to join in. Wanted to let the whole village in, let them know their kindness and hospitality was the reason you were laughing so hard tears were streaming down your face. You became apart of that village and apart of the life there as much as you became apart of the city, as much as you yearned to get lost in that city. It was all so addicting, intoxicating, and wonderfully open to us. Its actually scary how attached we got within just two weeks of visiting those places, that country. So many opened up their homes to us, and in turn, without thinking, we let ourselves mold into everything layed before us, and in turn opened ourselves up to the people, the culture, the country and city.
It was amazing how easy it was. How they welcomed us, and we suddenly found a common language in smiles and friendly gestures, laughes, and food. Haha the food!! If there's one metaphore for China, its the diversity of the food, the subtle different tastes, things you might not notice at first-cant even tell the difference from- but stay there a week, and suddenly you recognize all the sublte differences. Its not just all one people, one culture, one history and it hits you all of a sudden. Like those ridiculously hot peppers you sometimes got a hit of, the ones that made the side of your mouth go numb. Haha
Those were the best though. Those peppers. They always made everyone else laugh and suddenly it was dinner and entertainment for the group. And a new awareness to look a little harder in the dish you were eating. That's what China did though. It made you LOOK. You became aware of everything and everyone. Hyper sensitive. I'm now hyper sensitive, even back in the US, you come back just a little more focused on the little details, on everything.
Its still a little scary, how attached I am to the country, how much I feel it still. We all still do-in the jet lag-haha- in the endless stories we keep telling, explaining, remembering, and in the phone calls and texts we make to one another, day in a day out. Who knows how long it will take for us to fully get back to California time, or Jersey time, or Wisconsin time-we are all still on our own clocks. That's okay with me though, I like my mind still being half in China :)
The country will always be my first outside the US, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

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Last day

Not enough. This trip was not long enough to let me cope with the fact that I'm leaving these people I now consider my family behind, or the fact that I'm not going to be seeing everyone in school when it feels like they've been childhood friends all my life. Its not fair!!! I don't want to leave!!! I love this country soooooo much, its already ingrained into my skin, and I swear I'm leaving my heart in China. It feels like we've literally been here for months, like we belong here now, our disfunctional family has made its mark here permanently, and I don't want to leave any of it behind. But what I most love about this experience is the fact that China was the first country I visited outside the US. -and I wouldn't have had it any other way, I would never change that, and I can assure you I'm coming back to this mesmorizing, astounding, breath-taking, surreal yet familiar beauty of a land. Who could want more? Two weeks here was more like two months, days went by like weeks, and it says something when nobody can remeber what day it was. - like me who guessed that it was thrusday when it was actually sunday. -yea wayyyy off. Haha but that's what I absolutely love and adore about this place, time moved slowly. It had to, there is no other way around it when a country is so full of culture and diversity that it practically hangs in the air and sinks into your pours the very first day you arrive. I want to marry this country :) it would make it easier for me to cope leaving it. Leaving a new family, new life long friends who know all the inside jokes on Riley, Shuan, Smiley, Johnny-Baby, and on and on. It scary how close we got to all of them, our guides, the staff-Jimbo, Cory, Steph- and how extremely and unbreakably close us students became with each other. There will be tears in the morning, we all can tell. The duck dinner is easily by far one of the best meals I have ever had. Not just because th duck was amazing, the scorpion nice and crispe, but because the company was some of the best anyone could get. I love these guys and will never let this trip go. Reuion BABY!!

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You had me at hello

Today = kung fu, kung fu, kung fu. We got up, kung fu'ed, ate, kung fu'ed, ate, kung fu'ed, ate and kung fu'ed our little butts off. Boo yah! Certificates baby!!!
The best part about today though was getting the monks to smile :) they opened ip so much! Us american girls and our 'directness' has no equal. Not even kung fu masters stotic faces, or monks quietness. We know how to work past the language barrier and work our magic :) don't mess. Haha Smiley-our main kung fu master who was with us from day one really warmed up to us and by the end of the night his grumpy face had completely vanished and he was making heart shaped signs with his hands. <3
The monks really seemed to like us though. They spoke pretty good english-something us girls didn't figure out till after we embarassed ourselves by saying they were cute, to their faces- and had the guys in stitches by the end of the night. One even had a facebook! - we named him Andy :)
Oh and half of us are in love or getting married to one of these guys. Haha 'you had me at hello' :) -we kinda scared them away I think. Oh well, win some, lose some. Hahahaha
Overall I think we kicked butt.

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Tuesday

Kung fu = hard, painful, intense, and extremely fun. We definately caused a few laughs to go around the kung fu school and caused even more shakes of the head from our martial arts teacher. The upside- we finally got him to smile and stretch that grin of his as well as loosen him up when we did something wrong. Instead of just shakes of the head and strong hand corrections, we made him smile, laugh, and even play around with us-scaring Emilie for starters.
After the intial hour and a quick break, we started up the next session with shakey quads and damp t-shirts. Corey, our camera guy, was going nuts with all the fun shots he was getting , and Jimbo our video jockey was having an equally good time. All of us were making what I can only guess were contorted faces, but I can't really complain because it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. We can totally kick butt now :) watch out Jackie Chan.
Overall the kung fu school was the most amazing part of my day. The shaolin grand music ceremony was definately a close second though. Pretty lights :) it was like a play but sooooo much better. I would not mind seeing one of those every now and then from now on. Lovely and breath taking all in one.

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Lunch

This was our yummy meal yesterday. With the stuff that looked like brains :)

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Monday

Today was amazing :) singing journey in the bus " Don't Stop Believing! " We could be professionals I swear. The main journey today was to the Shaolin temple and I have no clue what happend. One second we walked in- I felt fine right-suddenly the master monk starts talking in this melow, calm, soothing voice that suddenly made my eye lids lead. -no joke. It was like a spell. It was making me feel really worried. I started suddenly falling forward and I was FIGHTING to keep my eyes open. I knew they were glazed over and I was trying to keep them from rolling up into my head. I was drugged I swear! Monk voodoo!! Haha just kidding. But all of a sudden my head drooped and I was out for a second before I snapped my head up and was WIDE awake. Spookey. Haha it was so much fun though. So deep. Half the stuff he said made you want to go huge everyone around you and say I Love You! :) it was fun. Me likey. The girls were great and we all goofed off today as usual. Girls night again and of course were gonna bond over today. Sean is a ninja under cover agent we decided-one of our guides. And riley our main guide is a panda :) we love our staff and are gonna kick sdome butt at the kung fu school manana. Wacha!!! Watch out warriors, here we come!

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Pictures!

We haven't had much chance to connect to the internet but we finally got it working tonight. Here are a couple pics.

1. We challenged a Tai Chi master to see if we could push him around.

2. Me, Tiffany and the New Jersey girls at the market.

3. Cooking class at a Du Wong restaurant. This top chef in Beijing took us to the market to see where chefs shop. Then we went to his restaurant and back into the kitchen where we learned to cook.