Hello everyone.  I think I should warn you that if you're planning to visit our yahoo albums -- please be prepared-- we took a lot of pictures from China.  Thanks to our current technology, 1Gbyte of digital memory - it gives you the ability to take about 6 thousand pics- but no, we did not take that much -- only about a thousand :-)

Anyway, here's the short (well, not so short) synopses of our trip:

Day 1 - We left Guam at 3 a.m., had a 4 hour stop at Seoul, Korea then made it to Beijing, China.  What can I say about Beijing? Modern, crowded and polluted.  However, you can almost feel its richness in history, culture, traditions and beliefs. Spring has only begun, thus, the weather was cold, and dry-- very dry.  But no complaints from us - coming from Guam - where it's hot year round.

Shortly after we checked in, we started our tour with the Temple of Heaven.  If my memory serves me right, this is where the Emperor conducted his prayers for a fruitful harvest for the year.  From there we went to The Red Theater and watched a Kung Fu/Martial Arts Show.

Day 2 - Amazingly, we are not tired at all.  We started our day with a tour of the Jade Factory.  Yes, we got sucked in and bought me a Jadite bracelet - Jadite is the hardest form of all types of jades - didn't know there were several types and colors (pink, purple, white and of course, I chose green).  The dark green jade in the US is much darker than the ones from China - so if you have bought some jade jewelries, better have it checked out.  They said that if you place your jade jewelry in direct light (bulb), you should see cloudy substance.  If it's clear, then it's glass. By the way, they said Jade is good for the skin......and brings you luck.

After the Jade Factory, we then continued to visit the Great Wall of China. My first sight of the great wall made me speechless.... WOW...... This is one of our best once in a lifetime experiences that we will forever cherish.  It will truly make you wonder how the Chinese people built it.... it's beautiful, long... and steep-- very steep! Please make sure to check all our pics in our yahoo album.  We climbed the wall but eventually gave up... it just kept on going on... (duh?)

Here we had our first experience of the "squat toilet." 

Next was Ming Tombs - one of the 13 tombs in Beijing.  We went down about 9 floors deep - and saw the Emperor's and Empress's wooden tombs.  No dead bodies though....  of which I was glad for.

After our tours, we then checked in to a hot spring resort - hot spring bath- GOOD FOR YOUR SKIN.... as they say.  It was a nice relaxing bath, but it was very cold the second when you got out of it.

Day 3 - After breakfast, we then went to an indoor ski resort.  Sam and Greg did wonderful -- not me with my big, beautiful behind, I fell a few times, and gave up on it.  Sam, on the other hand was brave enough to go on a slope without her poles.  Greg tried a higher one too.  Too bad they didn't allow cameras inside.

After that, we then visited the Silk Factory - we almost bought a bed cover, but didn't get sucked into buying this time. Oh yeah, the Chinese people believe that Silk, much like Jade, is good for the skin too. I've always known Chinese people are business minded people (my mom is one).... but geez louis... they will bargain your ears out until you give in and buy it just to make them stop.  However, you know you've reached their min selling price when they finally start to walk away from you.  We didn't buy anything, but we had fun bargaining just the same.

 After the Silk factory, we then went to visit Hutong (one of China's oldest town). Hutong was fun.  We rode a rickshaw - a little 2 person carriage pulled by a bicycle driver -- nope, no longer on their feet. Can you imagine them pulling me and Greg??? Hahahaha!  Even with the bike, we made sure that we were on separate rickshaws.  We rode around the town, and visited a "real Chinese family's home."  They paid a family to show their home. I wasn't too impressed as they expected ... why? their house was bigger than ours when I was young - and they only have one child.  There were 9 of us in my family.... that will is another website story.. :-)

Speaking of one child, there still is a one child rule in China. But some people have chosen to have at lease a couple.  Not to mention, people are a little bit ok now with having daughters, instead of just wanting a boy.

Next is Dr. Tea --yes, we got sucked into buying different types of tea. We bought a lot of them - and Greg and I have been drinking a lot of tea since we got back. Can you believe we spent about $200 on teas and cups.... yes, won't say anymore about that... Tea... good for the skin too, according to our Dr. Tea sales person  (are you getting the pattern here?)  Chinese people are all about taking care of their skin -   very common mentality.  Can't they just accept the fact that they are lucky to be born with such beautiful skins?

Anyway, we then finished our night with an Acrobat show.

Day 4 - Did alot of walking today.  We visited the Summer Palace, Tian Namen Square then the Forbidden City.  Summer Palace - no need to explain...right?  This is like the Martha's Vineyard for the Emperors.

TianNamen Square - remember that ever popular student who was part of the protest and stood in front of a military tank?  Well, because of that, the Chinese Government has blocked the streets around the square, and it's highly guarded.  Mao's pic is still there.  They also have a big countdown clock for the 2008 Olympics - of which I think the whole China is preparing for.  Lots of construction.

Next is the Forbidden City - can you guess why it's called that?  Here the Emperor used to house the Empress and his concubines.  Hmm, that idea will not work with me.... sorry Greg.  Anyway, it was very interesting to see their little rooms/sleeping quarters.  Made me wonder why the concubines put up with it. 

Day 5 - We took an early flight and went to Xi'an - it took about 2 hours to get there. Xi'an is more concentrated on the Tang Dynasty.   

After lunch, we first visited the White Goose Pagoda - one of the largest Buddhist temple in China.  It was interesting to learn about Buddhism, but I tell you, I'm more confused than ever. How many buddahs are there?  Is a Buddah like a Greek God?

After the Buddhist temple, we then went to a small Tang Dynasty museum.  It showed different hair dos for concubines and emperors, and how they mark their forehead if they are ready for him.... ???  Oh by the way, to those that are on the skinny side, it was the emperors preferred thicker women...back in the days, the plumpier the Empress and concubines are, the more desirable it is for the Emperors.....  I say let the Emperors rule again!!!!!! -- without the concubine idea of course.! 

We also walked on the City Wall -- that's just exactly what it is, a wall surrounding a whole city.  And on top of that, you can ride the bike - going through the whole city will take about 1 1/2 hours.  More excercise for us on top of all the walking we have done??... naaah.  We passed on that.

Day 6 -  Another WOW experience - the Terra Cota Warriors - each warrior is unique and not one has a similar facial features-- supposedly.  There are about 6-8,000 warriors of various soldiers.  The TC Warriors were made to protect China's first emperor's tomb.  Why did they think that? They're made of clay - so, how can it protect the first emperor's tomb?  Anyway, it was still very nice to visit the museum. 

Then off to another emperor's hot spring palace.... by this time, the Chinese  buildings and architecture are all starting to look alike to me.

Day 7 - unfortunately, time to pack, and go.  Wonderful time, but 7 days were not enough.  I really didn't get to go shopping... really!!

Other info about China:    Language barrier for the tourists traveling aone would be a big problem.  Our fees included our own driver, van, and tour guide -- we probably paid more, but it was very organized.  Yes, almost everything seemed cheap, but we are converting $ to yuan. Pollution is a big problem, so is over crowding.  We saw a lot of people standing around, waiting for jobs.  BICYCLE is a wonderful thing in China, and they use them for various ways - water delivery, recycle, basked holder, and most importantly transportation to work/school.  There were lots of buildings... but not so much of the old Chinese archtectures -- you'll mostly see them in the tourist spots..  OHHH.. In case you haven't seen the picture, there also have the squat toilets-- quite an experience with Sam.  Some facilities have adopted to the western toilets.  Not a whole lot -- but I thought it's still so unique and wonderful that they stick to their culture - even if if the toilets get very stinky and unsanitary in some cases.

OH and there's Feng Shui - I'm more confused about that too.

I hope you found this "short" synopses enjoyable.  If not, I did - helped me recall our trip...... 

:-)  love you all.... Christy

 

October 30, 2005

WARNING:  If you are going to view our pictures we took from Sydney (Albums 15-20), you may want to view it as a slide show.  WE took A LOT of pictures.  I mean a lot!!  So take your time, don't do it all in one day.  We just don't want you to get tired of us.......... :-). 

Hello family and friends!! I know, I'm a little bit late in updating this website.

Hmmmm, what can I say about Sydney?  Well, I fell in love with Sydney, so much so that I would consider moving there if given a chance.  Sydney is very metropolitan. It's like Chicago and San Francisco downtowns combined, but very relaxed, and it not as crowded.  October was spring time at Sydney. So, the weather to me was perfect - it's cooler than Guam. We had a couple of days when it was sunny and comfortable, and the rest of our time was a little cold with a few showers - but I didn't mind that at all.

Sam and I arrived two days earlier before Greg did.  I was first scared traveling without Greg, but I took on the challenge and I'm glad I did.  But before we left for Sydney, I spent hours preparing myself and learning about the city and its public transportation, booked our guided tours, and made up a list of spots I wanted to visit.

When we first got there, I immediately felt comfortable and safe, and was even brave enough to take Sam to the city. Luckily, Sydney has a very organized bus system that made it easy for us to get around. 

Sam was first hesistant to go to Sydney, was thinking that we would be leaving Guam for good.  It didn't take long for her to like it that on our second day, she expessed that she would also love to live there permanently.  But then again, she got to skipped school for 4 days, so I'm sure that's another reason to why she liked it so much. 

Here's a short synopses of our trip:

Day 1, Monday, Oct. 10th - After getting settled in our hotel, Sam and I took the bus to Bondi Junction and went to the Westfield Mall - guess they have taken over the world's malls.  We then took the explorer bus to get to the Circular Quay (pronounced as KEY) and walked around the Sydney Opera House. We didn't do much, just walked around and watched some of the street performers.   

Day 2, Tuesday, Oct. 11th - We went to the the Blue Mountains and the Jenolan Caves.  We took the guided tour to the Blue Mountains, Scenic World and saw the Three Sisters, and then headed to the Lucas Cave (one of the Jenolan Caves). For more information on the legend of the Three Sisters - click on this link:  http://www.bluemts.com.au/tourist/thingsToDo/threeSisters.asp.  It took approximately 1.5 hours from Sydney to the Blue Mountains.  The view was spectacular and breath taking!!  I don't think my camera captured the true beauty of Australia.  I guess that's why I took so many pictures.

Day 3 - Wednesday, Oct. 12th - Greg and his coworker/friend Mary arrived and we did more city tour, visited the St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney tower and had a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House.  Words can not express how beautiful the Opera House is.  If you are amazed by the outside architectural design, you will be more amazed inside. 

During our tour,  we had a chance to listen to the Sydne's Symphony  Orchestra.  Just hearing the instruments made me feel that I have made it to heaven.  It was so wonderful that we jsut had to buy tickets for the Thursday show.  After the tour, we then walked to The Rocks and had a wonderful dinner at one of the local restaurants.

Day 4  Thursday, Oct. 13th - While Greg and Mary attended the first day of the Nurse's Conference, Sam and I went to the Sydney's Taronga Zoo.  We took the bus to the Circular Quay wharf, then a ferry to get to the zoo.  To me, our overall experience was a little bit disappointing because they were missing a lot of animals.  And I guess since we used to live in San Diego and had been to the most famous San Diego Zoo, I was a little bit biased.  But thankfully, our private tour of the zoo made it up for Sam.  She was able to feed the local animals such as the Wallabys (the Kangaroos did not want to cooperate), Quokas, yellow glider, etc.  She did not get to cuddle or pet the Koala since it had a baby in its pouch.  But overall, she had a blast.

At night, we watched the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.  They played some Elvis songs, Mozart, Beethoven, etc.  Needless to say,  Greg and Sam both fell asleep.  But not me.  I did not want to miss any of that special experience.  The orchestra was great and there were also  segments where the choir sang with the musicians, and a couple of solo numbers with an opera singer.  I felt really blessed to have gotten the chance to experience it all.  It felt like I was surrounded by angels playing all sorts of intruments.  It was wonderful!  I wished my dad was there since too since he loves orchestraic music.

Day 5 Friday, Oct. 14th - This was a very relaxing day.  I'm glad I didn't book any guided tours for I had the pleasure to meet with a long time friend Hyacinth.  She and I attended St. Joseph's Academy in Las Pinas, Manila, Philippines.  We haven't seen each other in about 25 years.  She looked the same as I remember her and as beautiful as ever.  She took us to Chinatown and treated us to a wonderful lunch - Yam Chow.  Although we didn't have enough time to spend catching up with each other's lives, it was very nice seeing her again! 

At night, we took a Dinner Cruise.  It was wonderful to see a different view of the city, with the city lights and all.

Day 6 - Anothere relaxed day.  Sam and I went to the mall, but didn't do much shopping.  I forgot to mention that things are expensive in Sydney.  I didnt' have enough time to really look for the bargains, etc.  At night, we went back to Chinatown for dinner.  Afterwards, we sadly had to pack up and get ourselves ready to come back home.

Day 7 - Sunday.  We checked out of our hotel early so we can do a last minute harbor cruise/ morning tour of the city.  We also went to the weekend market at the Rocks. It's kinda like a flea market, but better.

I hope you'll get a chance to view our pictures (see link - top of this page).

Thanks for visiting our website.

 

August 30, 2005.

     Samantha is turning 8 years old in September.  Time truly flies!!!  She is currently in the second grade at McCool Elementary School - a DOD school in Santa Rita, Guam.  Sam has grown so much taller and is now up to my chin.  I'm sure she will tower over me in a couple of years.

     Greg is currently working on his Master's Degree through the University of Phoenix online courses.  He hopes to get this done in a couple of years.  After Guam, he has one more tour duty (back in the states... whoohooo!!!) and hopefully retire from active duty.

     As for me, I am starting my CPA review in mid September.  Last year was a frustrating year for me, but I thought I'd give it another try.  Aside from obtaining my CPA license, I would like to continue to pursue a Master's Degree Specializing in Tax - someday.