Eastern Religion

Buddhism is the largest and fastest growing religion in the Asian country I visited. I was struck by how broad and pervasive its influence is. The mythical story of the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, is very interesting. If you have the time, google Buddhism. Click on the link religioustolerance.org/buddhism (third from the top when I googled it). Look under "A brief overview of the Buddha's life." It will give you a brief outline, according to tradition, of the events of Siddhartha Gautama's journey. I look forward to understanding the basic tenets of the Buddhist faith, that I might converse better with the locals. On the left is a Buddhist shrine at a tourist attraction we visited. On the right is a "prayer wheel." Worshippers believe that by grasping one of the attached handles and walking three times around clockwise they will receive blessing on their lives and good fortune.

Bon Apetit!

We ate at restaurants quite a bit during our stay. It was very inexpensive. Eating was a relational experience. The rotating server is placed in the center of the round table. Dishes are brought out one or two at a time, and you take food from the plates and deposit it in your bowl. So sharing is the name of the game. Surprisingly, rice was one of the last things brought out to the table. Also, the only beverage served is hot tea. We had to ask for any other beverage, such as soda. After working hard at eating with chopsticks for 20 minutes or so, I felt full enough to cease consumption. I ate less than normal on the trip. The center dish is called squirrel fish. They cut the fish and fried it like a "bloomin' onion" from a steakhouse. Then they add sweet and sour sauce. It was one of my favorite dishes. Watch out, though. Officially, the fish is deboned. But small bones were present as we got to the bottom of the dish.

Connecting in Guangzhou

Upon arrival in the Guangzhou airport, my friends and I went through a lengthy customs process. But before we knew it, we were into the main body of the airport. Immediately upon leaving baggage claim, several men in white shirts and slacks aggressively offered to help us find where we needed to go. Fortunately, a friend had informed us that we would be offered "help", with the expectation of compensation. Upon realizing that these friendly gentlemen did not speak English, and feeling reasonably confident that we could find the terminal, we set off on our own. The left picture is of our connecting flight from Guangzhou. The right picture is of the main hall leading to our departure gate. It was quite large. After another security checkpoint, we made our way to the departure gate, where we caught a bus directly to our connecting flight.

Home!

Well, I'm back from my trip to Asia. I left the Atlanta airport on September 5th at 4:50 PM and arrived in Asia on September 7th at 11:00 AM. It was my first lengthy overseas flight. A few lessons: Bring deodorant, a toothbrush, an extra pair of socks, and hydrate frequently. I look forward to sharing with you journal entries about my trip over the next couple of weeks on this blog site. I will spend several sleepless nights sharing if I don't pace myself. Thanks to all for remembering me as I traveled. Gracy and Caleb did well, though we missed each other terribly. Her mother was a big help. This is me departing from Los Angeles International Airport.

Pop-sackle!!!!

Caleb has already developed a great love for "pop-sackles." Our challenge now to teach him moderation with sweets. Unfortunately, that is something his daddy often struggles with. I love Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream. If I only eat two pints a month, isn't that moderation? Anyway, here is a picture of Caleb enjoying a pop-sackle. Even though sugar isn't great for him, it sure is fun to watch him enjoy it on occasion.

Dried up contact lenses and dehydration

I depart for Asia on Tuesday. It will be a long flight, approximately 24 hours from the time I leave Atlanta until the time I arrive (this includes layovers). I've been warned that my contact lenses will dry up and I will tend to dehydrate. I will be there for about seven days. I'll be checking out apartments and other living considerations in preparation for our move this summer. I expect this will be a profitable trip, though I wish Gracy was going as well (she would notice many things that will evade my notice).
Be thinking about us during this time. Gracy is still not well, and is often fatigued from the pregnancy. We're very thankful for the help we've received from our mothers. My mom came down from North Carolina for four days to help recently, and Susan (Gracy's mom) have been a constant aid.