So much history, so much future

Welp, it's finally here - and it's gonna be short and sweet because (once again) I'm feeling rather lazy and have waited too long to write. But, on the other hand, that's a great thing for anybody who might read it because you're going to get the important stuff and not the fluff (: Of course, I have pictures of the trip, conveniently split up into two albums of awesomeness: AWESOME #1 and because you can't get enough, AWESOMER #2.

So, here's what I think is worth mentioning:
1) China is really cool. I went to Beijing for most of the time, and then on the last day there went to Xian (pronounced "shee-an") to see the Terracotta Warriors. Which is cool, except China is HUGE so I really want to go back to see more... to see the "real" China.

2) While we were in Beijing, they were of course preparing for the Olympics... emphasize, if you will, the PREPARING. There was still a lot of incomplete construction, which had been halted so as to reduce the pollution before the games.

3) Even though they were working on reducing the pollution, there was still a distinct haze in the sky that was REALLY noticeable when you were in a plane going through it.... it was a cloud that surrounded the city so that once you were above it you couldn't see anything below.

4) In preparation for the Olympics we noticed that Beijing had put new, pretty walls around the old, "ugly" parts of the city that they didn't want visitors to see. You can see examples in the slideshow link posted above.

5) The social customs there permit men to walk around without shirts when they are hot, or at least to lift their shirts up exposing their bellies... and yes, all the guys who exposed themselves were the ones you least wanted to do so.

6) All you hear about China these days is how much their economy has grown and how big of a world player they are. But they have SO MUCH MORE growing to do, and I can guarantee that they will once again be the world's superpower in a very short amount of time. I have resolved, after being there, that my kids will grow up speaking Chinese one way or another (if it's not mandatory to learn it in school by then - which I think would be a GREAT idea). Seriously, China is going to wreck shop.

And that about sums it all up. The pictures show more than I could say, and provide more mental stimulation anyway :p

To close here is "one of the most moving one-minute videos you will ever see", and it's less than 2 minutes long so you have no excuse not to watch it!