CHINA: The Beginning

I have been meaning to sit down and write about China, but it is a bit overwhelming since there are hundreds upon hundreds of pictures and too much to stay. So I thought I'd break it up a little and see if we can make this a little more interesting.

But before I get into China, let me explain how it came to be. The story begins a year ago when, randomly and quite last minute, I went with another law student (Matt) out to NYC for a few days. We met up with Bethany there and the three of us realized we were made to be travel companions.

The following month Matt mentioned to me that he'd be working in Hong Kong that summer and we should come out and travel around China with him. Bethany and I thought about it and realized that it is not very often that a mandarin speaking tour guide offers their private services to you and your best friend for a two-week long trip to China. So we got tickets and went. And it was an adventure.

I kept an incredibly sporadic journal while there (more to come about this later, but my journal is a book called "The Princess Story: I'm Your Princess Cat/I'm Your Lover." Bethany and I saw it and laughed and bought all of them), but to give you a taste of things to come as I try to remember and document China, let me share an entry:

August 19, 2008

I love this book. I had been in China for a week and a half, regretting that I had nothing to write in. During a quest for the third installment of the Twilight series in an English bookstore in Guangzhou, Bethany stumbled upon this gem. We laughed. Hard. I will give our China trip this: I have laughed as hard on this trip as I have in my life, given the mingling of exhaustion and silliness.

And here I am--four days from home and my legs look like I have the chicken pox they are so covered with bug bites. I think I counted thirty on the front half of my right calf alone.

Today Bethany was offered candy by the front desk employees at our hostel in Sanya. The lady told us that after about ten minutes she would feel really relaxed. Well, turns out it was a mild hallucinogenic similar to LSD! BETHANY TOOK DRUGS IN CHINA!

So much has happened since we arrived here...we have encountered crazy bus drivers who broke every traffic law and had me crying I was laughing so hard just to make sure we made it to our train on time. We experienced the awkwardness (and hilarity) of mixed company staying in a hotel with a glass bathroom! I spent the first week of the trip realizing that my body HATES China. And on top of that they have THE grossest bathrooms here--so much that I have come to prefer the squatters, because though equally gross at least I don't have to sit on anything! ha!

China is the craziest place with the nicest people and the funniest T-shirt translations. Of course, the main unifying theme of our China adventures has been Edward. Nothing shocks Chinese youth on a sleeper train like telling them the book you are so into is a love story about a vampire! We've all read it on this trip, and we're all hooked (though Matt tries to deny it).

Sometimes--though not often enough--I step back with wonder and think of how lucky I am to be traveling around China with Bethany and Matt.