Okay so our final day in Xian, we met up with our friend Yuanmin. Yuanmin used to work at our university, but a few months ago her husband moved to study in Australia. She is currently in the process of moving. We thought it would be a good chance to spend some time with her before she left. So we met our sweet friend and her nephew at the south gate of the old city walls.
Once climbing the stairs (everything has stairs you know...) we rented bicycles. Yuanmin was very excited and showed it over and over again. Amy though was a little nervous because she had not ridden a bicycle since her childhood. (You know that saying "it's like riding a bicycle" well sometimes it does not come back so easily...) Anyways, for over an hour and a half, all five of us biked all the way around the city on the wall. Even the last 10 minutes were a little torturous to me because I just climbed a mountain the day before. I was so proud of Amy because she really looked fear in the face. I was also relieved that we had gotten there early. When we first got on the wall, there was hardly anybody. By the time we left though, the masses had arrived.
After our bicycle excursion, the five of us headed off to Muslim Quarter to have lunch and do some shopping. Amy and Brad practiced their new Chinese phrase ("I will not pay anything over 1 dollar." Yuanmin had some good Conversations. I was particularly fascinated by the caged cricket (think Mulan...) We all bought some good Thoughts written in Chinese calligraphy.
So how could one end such a good day? With a good cup of coffee. This time we went to a new Starbucks. This particular shop had a huge window where you could look out on the Bell Tower and watch the busy streets of Xian. It was so packed that it was not as enjoyable as the Starbucks sanctuary we had found earlier in the week. Alas, it was Starbucks and we don't have one in Yichang. It was the first Starbucks experience for Yuanmin and her nephew so that made it also worth the trip. Introducing Father and good coffee to the world... That should be my aim in life...
Just to let you know that I enjoy reading your blogs and the "work" that you are doing in China. I had a former student that was over there a couple of years ago. You are in my "thoughts."
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