Our first full day in China

Well because we were so tired from our travel, we got plenty of rest out first night and the whole day was good as far as jet lag. We started off the day with a big breakfast buffet and yes Megan and I had egg rolls for breakfast. Hey, we are in China why not. Where in the US will you get eggrolls for breakfast and good ones at that. We left aroung 8:30 am and headed to our first stop. We started off going to a Buhdist Temple, Nanputuo Temple, right by Xiamen University. Apparently it was a holiday, the Moon Festival. It was kind of rainy and when it finally stopped raining it got so hot and humid. It was so crowded at the temple but it was really neat to see. The next stop was where my grandfather went to college, Xiamen University. I think it is so neat to see where my grandfather went to school. Our next stop on our tour was a fort on Xiamen Island, Hulishan Fortress. It housed huge cannons to protect the water ways and could shoot over 10000 meters. Then it was off to eat once again. Although there are some things that are a little different, the food is pretty much like our meals in flushing. Everything has been really good so far.

Our afternoon trip was to Gulangyu island. This island is a small island off of Xiamen. It has been occupied by many different countries so the architecture is a mixture of a lot of countries. It was a very beautiful island. They don't let any gas powered vehicles on the island to preserve it. The people are definitely interesting. Very short and to the point about things. Some may call it rude and probably rightfully so. Also, Megan and I have seen multiple children peeing on the sidewalk. Gulangyu Island is also called Piano Island.

Then it was off to eat once again. We tried to eat at a place with an ocean view but our tables were not at the window so my family wanted to get tables next to the windows. An argument ensued in Chinese and we left the restaurant. But we walked down the road and had a very nice meal. We saw the biggest shrimp that we gave ever seen and they were such an interesting color as well. It was all very good and after dinner we were off to fly to Wuyishan and the Wuyi Mountain. One of Megan and I's favorite stops on the trip.

Our First Hotel in China

After dinner we head to the hotel, exhausted and ready for the bed. Riding up to the hotel we had no idea what to expect. Mom had told us that 5 stars in China does not mean the same thing in the US. As we were pulling up, we see a huge really nice hotel, Xianglu Grand Hotel. I tell you what, 5 stars in China is pretty close to 5 stars in the US. Megan and I were really excited to take showers and hit the hay for our first full day in China (specifically in Xaimen). Here are some pictures of our room and the view from our room.

The Asian Party Bus Begins

And we finally arrive at Xaimen, China and boy are we are tired. As tired as we were, we boarded the party bus and went to go eat as is custom in the Liu family to do. Here is a pic (sorry it's a bad one) of the party bus.

On our way to China

Well I am sitting on a plane that we will have been on for 16 hours. Here are some pics of our home in the sky. It really hasn't been that bad because of all the entertainment available.

So China...

So yeah, I was talking to my dad today about random stuff, you know hurricanes, flight plans, electical outlets and what not and realized that in a week Megan and I are going to be off to China.  So much has been going on with Megan starting work and the college ministry at Shandon being in full swing.  I knew that things had changed when I left home at 6pm and did not get back until a little after 10pm.  So China, hadn't really thought a lot about it but it is coming and it is coming quickly.  My family is celebrating my Grandmother's 90th birthday, yeah count 'em 90 years, by taking a family trip to China.  I am talking uncles, aunts, cousins, the whole shabang.  It will be like the "Asian" party bus to our wedding except on a plane for 16 hours to China.  Megan and I are really excited about going and the best part about it is that we will see it with my family.  People often ask us are we going to see the Great Wall, Bejing, etc...  Well we aren't and though a part of me is bummed, I am excited about seeing the China my family knew.  We are going to see where my Grandmother and Grandfather lived, where my mom was born, you know family stuff.  As being the first born in America, sometimes it is hard for me to relate to my heritage, and I am hoping that this trip will connect me a little more to it than I was before.  So pray for us as we prepare to travel half way around the world to a place we have never been and where Megan will tower above everybody!  :-)  7 days to go!

Go USA!!!!

Eric and I have been looking forward to the Olympics for quite some time and unfortunately with our busy schedules we have not been able to watch it as much as we would like to. Well, last night around 11pm we finally got in bed and were both about to fall asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow. We had the t.v. still on and noticed that the men's 400m free style relay was about to begin. So, with one eye open we decided to watch. With in no time we were both sitting straight up and yelling, " faster, faster", "Beat those Frenchmen!". By the end of the race Eric and I were literally standing on top of the bed giving each other high fives as the USA team won another gold medal!!!! It was the best swimming race I have ever seen!!!!It was amazing how fast Eric and I woke up to cheer for our country.

After that we turned off the t.v. and it took Eric no time at all to begin snoring in my ear and it took me forever to calm down and fall asleep!

Go Team USA!!!!!

It pays to be a little OCD!!!

I have gotten used to people making fun of me for wanting to have my checkbook balanced to the penny, but I am so thankfully that I am obsessed with doing this becauase it has paid off...literally!!!! Eric and I used to use our debit card for everything and about two or three times I found that the online banking had made a mistake, so from then on I have been very concerned about making sure that my registry matched up with the online banking. Well, recently Eric and I decided to start using our credit card as our debit card to earn points for airline tickets. I began keeping record of everything we purchased on the credit card just as I would the debit card. I sat down the night before last to balance everything and something just wasn't working out. I worked on it for about 2 hours and became so frustrated that I decided to put it aside and let Eric take a look at it tomorrow. So last night he sat down and found out that the credit card balance on the internet was charging us about $25 more dollars than I had recorded and $25 more dollars than their list of transactions that were posted added up to. Eric called the credit card company at 5:30pm to find out what was going on and at 7:30pm he and the supervisor of the company came to the conclusion that it was a computer error. So after much frustration we earned a $40 credit because of their "error".

This goes to show that you should not always just rely on what the computer says, because they can make mistakes too! Had Eric and I not noticed this error we would have been paying $25 more dollars than we needed to and I doubt we would have ever seen that money again. Who knows how much "extra" money we have been giving the credit card for the past couple of years.

Here we go....

Okay, so I always thought that we wouldn't start one of these blog thingys until we had kids, but I came home tonight from walking with the dog and Eric had started one, so here we go:) So, tonight Sadie and I are enjoying a nice walk around the neighborhood and all of a sudden I noticed these three little boys, somewhere between 5 and 7 years old,  in the wooded area in between two houses. One was obviously being held hostage against a tree while the other held his blue, plastic, water gun against his chest. I am assuming the third was the ring leader instructing them on what to do next. All of this is happening with their backs facing me. Well, apparently they all needed a break because the gun went on the ground, the hostage was released and down went the zippers to their shorts and they began marking their territory on the tree. I thought I was going to die laughing. I guess they heard me snicker because one turned around and they all started laughing like little girls. It is moments like these that I sometime feel the Lord telling me...."Megan, one day I am going to bless you with ALL boys." Oh dear!!!

Sadie's New Cousin

So the weenie dog movement has begun! As you all know we love our dog Sadie and our obsess... I mean love for her and her kind has spread. Our good friends the Yangs have adopted a beautiful Dachshund named Bliss and she is precious. So let us, the
Soong's, welcome you, Bliss, to our extended family!