Harvest Season

HAPPY HARVEST EVERYONE!

This harvest has been VERY exciting for me for a couple of reasons:

• I am the farm manager for the first year of Triple L Farms (40 acres of corn and 40 acres of soybeans)
• I have had lots of time to help with harvest as my "real job" has been slow this year
• I learned to operate the combine, harvesting both corn and soybeans!

THE COMBINE LESSON: Dad was less than chipper when he taught me to run the combine and after some "I'm not yelling, I'm talking so you can hear me" and "If you don't stop yelling at me I'm going to punch you in the ****" I was off and running SOLO... YOLO? Later that evening dad admitted that he gave me the same lesson that was given to him... these buttons do this and that, figure everything else out yourself. And I did. After finishing the bean field with only one little miss (something happened with the GPS guidance and I had to go back and pick up a little patch of beans) I was proud to say I didn't spill any grain while unloading on the go and I didn't break anything!

BUT that came back to bite me while harvesting the corn field. I was doing great, picking corn while unloading on the go into the auger cart when suddenly one row began to bunch/clog. Naturally I panicked. My first instinct was to stop the combine, which I did, but, of course, the auger cart kept going and before I could shut off the unloading auger on the combine, I spilt some corn on the ground! It was maybe two bushels, but there goes my spotless record right out the window! Turns out it wasn't a clog but a busted gathering chain and after a quick parts run and some time in the shop with a cutting torch and impact wrench we were back at it again. Thanks Wayne for coming to the rescue!

I really enjoyed combining, though stressful, it was empowering! I'm beginning to think I really can be a farmer! It feels good when you get home and have to shower to wash off the dirt of a hard day's work.

After harvest is over I'll share some final yield figures. Today is test plot harvest day! Remember when we planted the 2013 Test Plot?

Corn Appraisals

Harvest is quickly approaching and the last week of 90+ degree days and the flash drought we are experiencing in the mid-west is strengthening the pace. I've been working silage appraisals in Benton County, IN all week and am so lucky to get to continue through this Labor Day Weekend (thankfully they will NOT be chopping on Sunday).  I'm just taking a little break while the choppers open up another field.

In the crop insurance world we appraise corn using a weight method. Basically, we measure out 1/1000th of an acre (17.4 feet in 30 inch rows) and weigh all the ears from that length of row. We also work up something called the shelling factor (to account for the weight of the cobs) and test for moisture. After plugging the weight, shelling factor, and moisture into a formula we arrive at an ESTIMATE yield in bushels per acre. The whole process is very simple but it does take time and man power.

Weighing Samples

Testing for Moisture

While taking my break from work I decided to do some yield checks on some of our own fields. I am very surprised with what I found. In an ideal case, I would have taken multiple samples from different sections of the field for an average but since it's 90+ degrees and high humidity, I only took one random sample in each field. Below are my findings. I'm excited to see after harvest how "off" I will be from the actual yields. Let me stress again, this type of appraisal, or any appraisal for that matter, is an ESTIMATE!

Triple L Farms (I am the current Farm Manager of this 40 acres of corn)

This sample was taken from a dry hill straight west of the F8 windmill. I was severely disappointed with the size of the ears, they seemed small in diameter but each ear was fully pollinated and filled all the way to the tip. We had a good stand with 31,000 plants per acre. We usually plant at a 32,000-34,000 rate.

The one sample I weighted was 15.1 pounds with a moisture of 29.0%. Perfectly dry corn should be 15% moisture but we will start harvesting at anything less than 20%.

The yield for this sample was 179.6 bushels/acre.

31 ears in 17.4 feet = 31,000 plants per acre

The best and the worst of the sample

South Farm

This sample was taken directly east of the corn crib and seemed to be much better corn than Triple L with much larger ears. BUT, once I shucked all the ears I found that many of them had "tipped back" meaning they did not fully pollinate. Another good stand with a 33,000 plant population.

This sample weighed 17.3 pounds with a moisture of 29.1% and averaged 205.4 bushels/acre.



33 ears in 17.4 feet = 33,000 Population

Tipped Back Ears

I will be back after harvest to let you know how the yields turned out!

Day Fourteen - Traveling Home (a little late)

I've been home for six days and am now just finding a moment to wrap up my China trip! You know how it is when you get home from a long trip... laundry, visiting with family, and catching up on work... tons of emails! Anywho, our last day in China was mostly uneventful.

We didn't have to leave the hotel until 10:30 so we got to sleep in a little, take our time having a good breakfast, and pack our bags. I bought a tote bag in the shopping district the day before so I had plenty of space to pack up all my dirty laundry (which seems to take up more space that clean clothes) and souvenirs/gifts. We had lunch at a restaurant out of town. We were early and ended up being the only group there. No one was very hungry as we had just had breakfast but in true fashion we all had beer. I mean, we all had shandies... the Brits got us hooked. It's 3/4 beer and 1/4 Sprite... very delicious!

Next they drove us back into town to catch the Maglev Train. It's a high speed train direct to the airport. We ended up going 300 kilometers per hour! That's about 186 MPH! Woo, it took us 8 minutes to get to the airport and cost about $4.00.

The bus brought us our luggage at the airport and we checked in for our flight. Of course, Dede used her elite status to go straight to the front of the line. We also got passes to the Chinese equivalent of the Admiral's Club. They had free water, soda, beer, wine, and liquor as well as a variety of snacks including Lay's potato chips and peanuts. We also got free wifi there. After stuffing our bags full of bottles of water and potato chips we headed down to the gates to do a little last minute shopping and spend what was left of our Yuan. Dede and I had no trouble accomplishing that. I got a cute blue and white tea pot and some matching tea cups. Dede got a tea steeper to match her kitchen. Tom and Dede had requested an upgrade to Business Class again but didn't get it. They said all the seats were full. James and I were giving them a hard time about having to sit back in steerage. Our seats are by the chickens so they must be sitting near the cattle. Ha.Ha.

Our plane was originally delayed 30 minutes but we ended up taking off 2 hours after scheduled, sitting on the tarmac for over an hour. The flight was direct to Chicago, thank God! James and I sat right behind Tom and Dede. Their overhead lights and video screens weren't working. Dede was getting upset so James and I switched with them. We both had tablets to entertain us. No big deal. I ended up getting that restless leg thing and had to stand up for about 30 minutes during the flight. While I was up walking around I noticed an empty seat in Business Class. Dede asked a stewardess about it and she said actually there are two empty seats in Business Class. Wow, that made Dede even more upset! We joked that she will have an appointment with the president of American Airlines on Monday morning in Dallas. I maybe slept for an hour. Our flight was technically over night. We left Shanghai around 6pm Saturday evening but arrived in Chicago around 6pm Saturday... only it was a 12 hour flight... so 6pm in Chicago is actually 7am Sunday in Shanghai. Did you follow that? Ha.Ha.

I was so happy to be home. We went straight to the lake, with one small stop at McDonald's for a cheeseburger and coke, then I went straight to bed. When I did emerge in the morning I had a big tall glass of ice cold milk. Gosh, I love AMERICA! Had a wonderful trip but, so happy to be home! I'm still trying to figure out what time it is...

I had a chance to look over my previous blogs and noticed I made a lot of typos! I'm going to go back and edit them and also insert some photos. I also plan to write a summary blog of the trip highlighting some major themes and topics. Hope you all have enjoyed reading about my trip!

Day Thirteen - Shopping & A Show

First thing this morning we went to the Shanghai Museum. They showcase famous and antique pieces of jade, lacker furniture, calligraphy, art, and bronze. We had a good tome leisurely walking through the exhibits.  I loved the white pottery with blue Chinese designs on it as well as the old costumes. Photos to come later! Dede and I of course went to the gift shop. I got some more postcards and a gift for dad. Hope he likes it. Tom found is in the gift shop... he was not surprised. After the museum we went to Mo-gan-shan Art District. We just walked in and out of the art galleries. Some highlights were a sculpture of a man with a dragon for an ummm... you know. Also a painting of two guys about to kiss and one of a couple in a compromising position. There were also beautiful works of art featuring the cherry blossom and some great photography of the Shanghai skyline at night. We found a small food and drink vendor and sat in the shade with an ice cold 4RMB beer... That's only about 65 cents!

We had lunch and then headed to the Yuyuan Garden. At this point it was just another Chinese garden. The four main elements: water, stone, plants, and buildings. We spent a little too much time here but only because I knew right outside was a shopping street where we expected to get out last minute needs/gifts. We were told the whole trip that Shanghai was the place to buy everything. We did get about an hour to shop but I was a little disappointed with the goods. The whole area was really busy. The streets were confusing and the sales people would not leave you alone. I did manage to get a few things and a bag to get my stuff home but I'm not totally satisfied with the shopping. Bummer. I was hoping for a knockoff bag but I didn't find anything. The negotiating was really fun! Dede was impressed with my skills. I end up with two pairs of Ray Ban sunglasses only $8.00 each and a little Pichu (the money animal) figurine.

Next was a very short stop at Hengshan Road. No one really understood why we went there. It was developed by the French and had some nice sidewalks, trees, and architecture. We stopped at the first bar we saw to have a quick beer but got ignored by the staff. We only had about twenty minutes and ended up just walking around before getting back on the bus and heading to dinner through a lot of traffic! Woohoo. 

Dinner was by far the worst. It was very touristy, grimy, and the same old Chinese food. If it was the first Chinese I'd had in a few weeks I may have felt differently about the restaurant but after having pretty much the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the last two weeks I was a bit judgmental. If I never see a bowl of white rice again that will be just fine. Bring on the steak and mashed potatoes!!!

The highlight of the day was the ERA Shanghai Acrobatic Show.  We were all pretty skeptical after the other shows we have seen in China but this was China's version of Circ De Sole. There were some very talented performers that could bend their bodies into the oddest of positions. Every act was entertaining and unbelievable but the most notable was the one with all the motorcycles. They drove them on the inside of a metal cage sphere in circles and upside down. Thy kept adding a motorcycle in the sphere until there were seven driving all at the same time. It's amazing that they didn't crash. If one person didn't do exactly as they were suppose to they all could have had one nasty accident! Dede slept through most of the performance, go figure. She don't get her usual bus or airplane nap in today. The show was a great way to end our adventure in China! Tomorrow we leave the hotel around 10:30 and head to lunch, then to the airport. Our flight leaves at 4:30 pm Saturday and we arrive in Chicago at 4:45 pm Saturday. Only a 15 minute flight? No, wrap your head around this one... We leave, fly about 13 hours to get there only 15 minutes later. Mind. Blown. 

I do believe it's time to go home and eat nachos and pizza and a big tall glass of ice cold milk!!! 

Day Twelve - Silk and Shanghai

Our hotel last night was really beautiful. It is set right in the center of the city and has very traditional Chinese architecture but it did not have great Internet access. We got up and headed to the silk factory first thing. It's not really a factory. It just had a few machines in the lobby area to show us how silk is made. We learned about the life of a silk worm and how it spins a cocoon which the workers later unwind into thread used to make silk apparel. Then we got the sales pitch. They had silk comforters, duvets, shams, sheets, and pillows. The whole set was about $800 for a queen bed. I didn't buy. Upstairs was the clothing and scarves. This is where I spend a little bit of money. I got a scarf for me and some other scarves as gifts. We had lunch in the same building up on the 4th floor. It was buffet and just so so. In Chinese so so is Ma Ma Hu Hu (Mama Who Who). Ha. Ha. Another bus ride to our final city of Shanghai. Only two more nights in China! 

We checked into the hotel, I Face Timed with mom, and then we headed out to explore the city of Shanghai. Tom, Dede, and James met up with Alan, Michael's roommate from college at Columbia, for dinner. He is in Shanghai visiting his fiancé's parents. I wanted to see the city instead! We went to The Bund first. It's a stretch of walkway on the river where Europeans had some of the first international businesses. The architecture is very European. There were tons of people walking around. We kept getting our picture taken by the Chinese. They love American girls, especially Kate because she is so tall and blonde and beautiful! We next went to the pedestrian shopping street, Nanjing Road. It has mix of traditional high in stores and what I assume is the equivalent in Chinese brands. We just walked around, window shopped, and people watched. We had McDonalds French Fries with ketchup for dinner before the evening cruise on the Huangpu River. The river was busy with tour boats and also barges both full and empty. The barges were in a steady stream going both directions. Imports and Exports must be booming in this city. The view of the skyline was magnificent and the weather was great; not cold but nice and breezy, a huge change from the last few days of extra hot and humid! When we got on the boat it was still daylight outside. We got to watch the skyline go from day to night. The Chinese love neon lights!!! Some of the buildings lit up as billboards advertising things like Samsung. They also displayed I❤SH for I love Shanghai. We had a great time and a beer.  Another wonderful day in China. Tomorrow is our last full day of touring, I'm headed home soon and soooooo ready for some American food!

Day Eleven - China Sex Museum

This morning we took a 2 hour bus ride to Tongli Town, a beautiful water village. There are walkways through town and canals for streets. There were shops, vendors, and restaurants up and down the canals. It was a quiet neighborhood only a few people walking around and working. We rode in a little boat through the canals along residential areas. The homes we very modest and definitely old world style. We walked by a food vendor cooking something that smelled like an elephant ear which made me think of Indiana Beach which made my mouth water for Beach Tacos!!! 

Warning! The following is not for children! 

We had thirty minutes of free time so of course a group of us went to the China Sex Museum. It cost us 20 RMB which is about $3.20 totally worth it! We learned a lot! For example having more sex can improve the weather. Also China has no history of discrimination against homosexuals. We saw a lot of penis sculptures in varying sizes and situations as well as a sculpture of two rats fornicating. We got a lot of laughs and had fun taking photos! 

Next we drove another hour to Suzhou where we are staying the night. The city is only medium sized with a population of 3.2 million. It is known as the Venice of the East because of its over 1,000 kilometers of canals connecting the city. The city has no record of any natural disasters. No flood, drought, earth quake, or famine. We visited a beautiful garden with traditional Chinese garden styles as well as a bonsai garden area. We enjoyed watching a local girl sing and play the pea pot, a traditional Chinese instrument. Another girl played some kind of lap stringed instrument. I took a video I will post later.

Next was a tour boat ride through the canals to see the old and the new canal life. All the buildings were recently painted white with brown trim and roofs. Of course the government paid for that. It's all about appearances! The ride was fun; I took a ton of photos. 

Our local tour guide told us this story:

A father try's to teach his son about politics and says: I work and bring home the money so I'm the capitalists. Your mother is in charge of the money and makes the rules. She is the government. Our nanny takes care of you an your baby brother. She is the working class. You my son, are the people and your baby brother is the future.

The boy wakes that night to hear his baby brother crying. When he goes into his room he finds the baby has soiled his diaper badly. He goes to his parents room to get some help and finds only his mother sound asleep. He goes to the nanny's room and finds the door shut so he peeks through the key hole and sees his father in the nanny's bed. He is very upset but goes back to sleep. 

In the morning the boy finds his father and excitedly says he now understands politics. The father says ok put it in your own words. The boy says: When the capitalist is screwing the working class, the government is sound asleep, the people are ignored, and the future is in deep shit. Ha.Ha.

On our way to dinner we got caught in a Chinese traffic jam... Total gridlock. We ended up walking to the restaurant about 4 blocks, not a big deal. We had dinner and then headed back to our hotel were we are staying just for tonight. Tomorrow we will visit the silk factory, do some shopping, and then head to Shanghai!!! Our tour guide said in China if you sleep very well you say you slept like dead pig. Hope I do! 

Day Ten - West Lake

Today we toured the city of Hangzhou, population 12 million! Just a medium sized city... Ha. Ha. Hangzhou is famous for the West Lake. It's the center of the city, surrounded by gardens and trees. There are 3 man made islands and 1 natural island in the lake. You can rent bicycles or paddle boats to tour around the lake. We took a tour boat around for a half hour. From the lake you can see the two main pagodas in the city. One is over 1,000 year old. The other was rebuilt in the last 100 years in the spot of an original pagoda that fell down. We visited the new one where you take an escalator up the hill to the base and an elevator up to the top of the pagoda. The view was magnificent from the top.

After lunch we visited a local tea farm. The farm grounds were beautiful. Terraced rows of tea bushes contoured along the rolling hills. We had a tea sampling where they told us about the different qualities of tea. They begin picking tea leaves in March and finish in early May. The leaves picked in the first few weeks are the best quality and called Emperor Tea which id not exported. The leaves picked later in the season are graded A and B. Any tea leaves that are broken are considered tea bag tea... What we get like Lipton's. Of course we got a sales pitch about all the health benefits. You should brew green tea leaves with warm water, not boiling water and drink it 30 minutes after you eat. Green tea dissolves fats an oils which can help with weight loss. It is good for preventing cancer and is treatment for high blood pressure and diabetes. I bought a tin of the Emperor Tea and got some smaller tins to divide it up and share. 

We then went to visit the riches man in the Ching Dynasty's home. It was built around 1850. The man had one wife and 12 concubines (women). He had 19 children and over 100 servants. The home reminded me of Hurst Castle a bit in that it was huge with many ornate decorations. There were many rooms to the two story compound. In the center was a beautiful garden with walk paths and an opera house. I especially liked the blue glass windows but found out they were restored recently. The glass came from Germany or something... 

We had dinner. Same old same old. Nothing too exciting. I hadn't exchanged very much cash at the first hotel and was glad I was able to get some more cash out of the ATM. 

We convinced the tour guide to take us to the downtown area after dinner so we could experience the night life. We walked along the river. Saw a light water music show and took in the night life. There were people singing karaoke, line dancing, and playing instruments. It was so interesting to see how busy thugs were on a Tuesday. Also, how dressed up all the women were for a Tuesday night. 

Another great day. Heading to a new city tomorrow. 

Day Nine - I Love You Day 5/20

Today is May 20th. The way you say five two zero is very similar to the way you say i love you in Chinese so, today is a lovers day in China. I love you all!

This morning we took a tour boat to see the Giant Buddha. It's carved into the side of a cliff right on a river bank. The river (I think it's the Ming river) is extremely polluted. It has a dead fish smell and the current was very strong. If you went overboard I'm not sure anyone would be able to rescue you. None the less, we all had life jackets on. The boat ride was not very long. We were gone for maybe an hour max. Some other tourists were able to get off the boats and climb up the side of the Buddha. The walkway looked very narrow, glad we didn't do that. 

We had a two hour ride back to Chengdu with a pit stop at a rest area were they sold snacks and more importantly tea! I bought some wheat tea. It comes in granular packets that have to be steeped so I got the tea caddy as well. It's a plastic contraption that allows you to put loose tea in a basket and pour hot water over it to make the tea. I'm sure it's made in China. Ha. Ha. 

We had two options for lunch. Either the traditional Chinese food we have been eating or famous Chinese snacks. We chose the snacks which turned out to me quite a large meal. There were dumplings, lots of sweet sticky rice things, and the best was smoked duck. It was still on the bone an oh sooo delicious. Even though it was duck is was the most American thin I've eaten in a week! Yumo! 

We did some shopping on a famous Chengdu street after lunch. I bought a few gifts and also a pair of cute flats with flowers on them... They were 10 bucks! 

We learned more about our tour guide after Bill had a little chat with her. Turns out she's only 23 and we were her second tour group ever. Bill encourages her to tell us more about herself and about her lifestyle because we find that even more interesting than looking at giant Buddhas all day. Most of the people in her family are teachers. Her dad still teaches but will retire when he turns 50. Her mom stopped working a few year ago and now "does nothing" but go to the park and play games with the old people. She is the oldest and because they live in the country and she was a irk her parents were able to have a boy 4 years later. Her brother is studying in France right now. She hopes to go visit him next year. She studies hard in high school but didn't do well on the college entrance exam so she could only go to a 3rd level school. It cost her family 4 times as much money to send her to a 3rd level university than it would have I she would have done better on her exam and gotten into a 1st level college. In America is the opposite. If you only go to a community college you pay much less than an Ivy League school! The 3rd level schools are more trade schools. She studied English and Hospitality Management. Now she is a tour guide and lives in the city of Chengdu in a two bedroom apartment with 4 girls that are also tour guides. Two girls share one bed because the apartment came furnished. She told us the rent is about $200 per month and they all split it. Also Internet is only $64 for a half of a year. This seems really cheap but she said the average salary in Chengdu is about $500 per month. She only gets paid when she works and there was an earth quake in this area that caused lots of tourists to cancel their trip. She has had nothing to do for about a month. She told us its very hard for young people to save money because it is expensive to live and eat in the city. A few year ago her family moved to a bigger home on the Ming River in a town I can't pronounce or spell or remember. He said things are getting better, the economy is getting better. She has a boyfriend that she met on the Internet. He is a subway engineer; not the driver but an engineer working on building new subways in these huge cities. He wants her to go back to school to get a better degree but I think she would like to do nothing like her mother. Ha. Ha. 

Next we flew to Hangzhou. The flight was about two hours. I'm totally grossed out! A Chinese man sitting in my row on the plane spent about 5 minutes picking his nose, like really going to town, digging for gold. Then he'd wipe it in the seat in front of him. The isle seat that everyone grabs to get out of the row!!! Gross!!!! They just have no concept of germs or person hygiene or personal space. They cough without covering their mouth. They "wash" their hands without soap. They hack up huge spit balls and just spit them anywhere on the street. It's no wonder they have terrible disease outbreaks. Until the government launches a campaign to help them understand these germ spreading habits thy will continue to have issues. But then again, the society as a whole doesn't have a strong regard for human life. If a few hundred people die it's really no big deal because they are so over populated. Now, individually yes, they care about their neighbor. In fact Kate, our tour guide, said that crime is pretty low. She doesn't know anyone that's in prison. 

Another busy day tomorrow. We have a new tour guide Alex. He will be with us for the rest if our trip. 

Day Eight - Top of the Mountain!

While traveling to the mountain we drove through the countryside. We saw many farms along the highway. Lots of rice patties, grape vineyards, and lotus fields. People here like to eat the lotus blossoms and roots. We also saw some small patches of corn. Occasionally a few rows planted in between patties or small plots the size of our sweet corn field. There were farmers in the fields working all by hand. All the fields are very small in comparison to Illinois. The guide told u that all the homes along the highway were painted and fixed up by the government for appearance sake. They want the tourists to believe all the farmers live in relatively nice homes but actually their homes are much worse. Farmers don't own any of their own land. The government allows them to farm the land. The amount of acreage is based on the population of the family. 

Rural residents are allowed to have more than one child. If their first born is a boy they can't have any more. If their first born is a girl they can try for a boy 4 years later. So all families either have 1 boy, 1 boy and 1 girl, or 2 girls. 

The soil here is really red and appears to be a clay. They plant with lots of terracing to help with erosion control. The tea trees are planted this way. 

We took a tour bus up the mountain and rode around hairpin turns for 2 hours. I did really well, was afraid I'd be sick. At the top of the mountain was a 48 meter high gold Buddha. It was really beautiful. Under the Buddha was a round room/temple. It was very calming inside. The view down from the mountain was incredible! The most interesting was the temperature change. When we left it was about 80 outside. At the top if the mountain it was 50 with a little breeze. 

Another great day if touring and I think I'm allowed to say now that I've been here over a week... I'm sick of Chinese food!!!! Jumbo burger anyone???? 

Day Seven - Pandas!!!

We had an early morning flight followed by a bus ride to our hotel in Chendu. We have a new tour guide Kate. She's younger and not as good as Connie!

We have wifi in our rooms!!! Now I'm feeling the upgrade they keep talking about. We had about an hour to relax before we went to lunch. Lunch was pretty good. Still very similar dishes as we have been having. Next to us in the restaurant a large group of people were celebrating the birthday of an older woman... 70 or 75 maybe. One of the little girls got on stage with a microphone and sang happy birthday. It was very cute! 

After lunch we were off to the Giant Panda Research Center. We toured the beautiful research grounds. They were extremely clean and beautifully landscaped. The air seemed so fresh and clean compared to the air we have been breathing in the polluted cities. The pandas were mostly sleeping but occasionally they would get up and move around to eat or poop. Ha. Ha. We also saw red pandas that look more like a red raccoon. They were much more active and seemed to pose for photos. There is a lake at the center that is home to thousands of coy or big goldfish and also black swans. They were beautiful to see. We spent all afternoon walking around and watching the animals. I got some great photos and videos. 

We had a special hot pot dinner were they put a pot of boiling seasoned broth in front of you and you cook your meats and vegetables sort of fondue style. Dinner was a total bust. Our tour guide is not very good. We had no idea what the foods were that they were putting in the pot and Kate didn't do a good job of helping us to understand. Nothing was particularly good. Two thumb down. For sure the worst meal of the trip (that includes airplane food and boxed breakfasts). Hoping tomorrow is a better food day! 

Day Six - RAIN!

Today it rained ALL DAY! We went to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum outside the city but of course we made a pit stop at a local artisan shop beforehand. They make lacker furniture and also replicas of the Terra Cotta Soldiers. The shop was nice and as Uncle Tom put it, "you have a genetic weakness" so, I bought a red wood lacker bangle. Shopping is just part of my DNA.

The Terra Cotta Warriors & Horses Museum was by far the coolest thing we have seen in my opinion. They were created from 220-206 BC during the Qin Dynasty but were not discovered until the 1970's. Many of the clay soldiers were still intact but most of them were in pieces and had to be repaired. There are 8,000 soldiers, one for each in the emperors army. 

We had lunch at the museum. It was actually pretty good. A noodle making station was at one end of the room. The noodles are made fresh and cooked in boiling water. They then put them in a bowl with broth and other cooked vegetables and meats. I prefer the thin noodles over the thicker ones.

After lunch we toured the museum some more and then headed into the country to visit a farmer's cave home. As you walk in the home you see there are actually three homes in one. Each section of the home is separated by a doorway and a courtyard. The front section is brand new and still being built for the son to live when he gets married. He is only 10 years old now. The next section is made of wood beams and has a thatch type roof.  This is where the parents live. The third home is were the Granny still lives inside the cave. Her bed is made of hard stone and is hollow. In the winter they put burning cole underneath to keep warm. It is all very simple in design, functional, quaint, and not particularly clean. 

We got stuck in Chinese traffic on our way back to the city. There was some kind of accident in front of us. Connie said in Xi'an there are 1,000 new cars on the road everyday! We didn't sit very long but we were already running behind on time. 

The Muslim Quarter was next on the list. We walked down two long streets, in the rain, where vendors were selling everything from Prada to pickled peppers and chicken feet to Chanel. Way in the center of all this craziness was a mosque. We didn't spend much time here but the courtyard I'm sure is beautiful in the sunshine. Once unside you do not feel like you are in the center of city with 8 million people. Dinner was at a Chinese Muslim restaurant. Food was good but still very similar to what we have been eating. We had some kind of stir fried cauliflower that was delicious.  

Connie said that Xi'an people love days when it rains because it clears the air and washes away all the dust. The city is very polluted and over populated. She also said that because of energy usage in her neighborhood they turn off the electricity one day a week during working hours. They also turn off the water one day a week during sleeping hours. Can you imagine if they decided to do that in America? 

Another big day tomorrow. We have an early morning flight to Chendu to see the Pandas!!!!

Day Five -Xi'an (she-on)

We woke up early to fly from Beijing to Xi'an. It was a two hour flight that went by quickly. They served us a breakfast of rice goo that is similar to oatmeal but with no flavor. We also got a bag of apple chips and a cheese, mayo, and cucumber sandwich on white bread.

We had to keep traveling after we landed and made it to the city in time for lunch which was buffet style in a nice dinner theater setting. We didn't see a show. The food was FINALLY significantly different. We had noodles! They were delicious! 

After lunch we visited the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It's a famous Buddhist temple. We learned about the history of Buddhism, got to rub the Happy Buddha's belly and learned more about our birth year animals. I'm a Dragon year baby so everyone was calling me the Dragon Lady. She was a famous emperoress who ran the show behind her weak minded husband emperor. 

Later we visited the Xi'an History Museum. In the front of the museum is a huge bronze lion that was made during the ruling of the only female emperor. During her 15 years of rule she had two lions made to guard the tomb of her mother. Only one has been found. They were there to represent girl power so all the women on the trip had their photo taken in front of it. 

We were scheduled to climb the city wall but everyone was pretty tired so we changed our plans. #gofigure #imseeingatrendhere We will do that tomorrow. Instead we checked into our very nice hotel (still insanely hard beds) and changed for the dinner theater. Dinner was even better than lunch. We had about 10 different kinds of dumplings, beer, and wine. Can't ask for much more than that! The show was actually really entertaining; traditional Chinese music and dance from the Tang (tongue) Dynasty. Back to the hotel to sleep and prepare for another big day. #imseeingatrendheretoo They are calling for rain. Hope that holds off for our touring!  

Day Four - The Train Drama

Today was quite eventful. We had the usual touring I will discuss later but the big drama of the day was a conflict with the tour company. Our contract reads and we paid for a soft sleeper train but at about 2pm our tour guide told us we are booked for a hard sleeper. The difference in sleeping conditions like bed and sheets is not much but the privacy and safety is much different and some concern. Our group luckily is sting minded and stood up to the company. This change just will not do. After much "discussion" and many phone calls the company conceded and got us a hotel room for the night and a early morning flight. Thank goodness. I was excited for the train ride but not willing to make any concession when it comes to my safety. They have a saying in China that things happen and then they are over... In America we say Shit Happens! 

Ok, back to what we saw/did today! In the morning we toured the Summer Palace taking a boat ride across the lake and walking around the Dragon Lady's courtyard. It was a beautiful garden landscape and a gorgeous day. 

We also went to a traditional neighborhood and learned to make dumplings. While in this neighborhood we took rigs haws from place to place and had a great time. Later in the afternoon we stopped at Beijing's equidistant of 5th Avenue. Instead of shopping we found an outdoor bar and had a few beers. 

Overall today was nice. The touring was easier and I'm less exhausted at the end of the day. Looking forward to a week plus of more touring! Of to Xi'an in the morning! 

Day Three - Great Wall Etc...

Our morning started a bit earlier today since we had to travel outside the city. Our first stop was the Jade Factory. It's government owned and operated as such, or so they say, all the jade is real. All real jade must be made in this factory so any that you buy on the street is more expensive... So they say. Anyway Dede and I did some major shopping and played our part in helping out the Chinese government. I did end up with some great pieces that will last my lifetime. We did jew them down on the price. Jade bangles are to be worn on the left wrist (close to the heart) of a woman and are to help with blood circulation and good health. The jadeite is a more precious jade and a harder jade for durability. It can and should be worn all the time. Jade is a living stone and will grow a darker color green as you wear it. The healthier you are the faster the jade will change colors.

The Great Wall was next! We had absolutely beautiful weather! Sunshine, blue sky's, and a wonderful breeze. The climb was quite challenging with many uneven and broken steps, all different heights and depths. The view was amazing. We spent about 30 minutes just taking it all in before we headed back down. The way back was physically less challenging but mentally more challenging because of the steepness and hight. According to someone's pedometer we took 1,200 steps. Those who went a bit further were closer to 5,000 steps. You MUST climb the Great Wall while in China!  I bought a Chairman Mao hat, military style with the China red star on the front but I swear I'm not a communist. 

Lunch was at a fancy truck stop. Food was fine, bathrooms smelly, and banana ice-cream on a stick delicious.  

After lunch we went to the Ming Tomb sight. We didn't actually go to the tombs as they are scattered throughout the mountain side. We just walked the sacred path to the tombs. It's a beautiful garden walk way flanked with trees, shrubbery, and stone sculptures. At the end of the path is a structure that houses a mythical creature know to be the baby of a dragon that closely resembles a turtle. It is said that touching the head of the animal will give you no worries and touching the behind promises a long life. I did both of course! 

We also toured the site of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I'm not very interested in sports etc. so this stop was a bit dull for me. We walked A LOT and saw the inside of the Bird's Nest where the opening ceremonies were held as well as the track and field events. It's a massive structure but didn't look any different from any other arena I've been to. We also saw the outside of the Water Cube where all the water sports were held. The building is made out of a kind of plastic, but is still very strong. The highlight was seeing a maybe 4 year old boy poop in the street while his mother held his diaper. Dinner was the same as our other meals only this time I drank more beer and ate less food. Good thing breakfast is good! 

FaceTimed with Mom, Dad, and Jessica (Cody also made a brief appearance) tonight. Can't believe all that we've seen. Just hope I'm taking it all in and that photos and this blog will remind me! 

I'll be a few days behind with my blog as tomorrow night I "sleep" on an overnight train! Hope I can get some sleep. 

Day Two - Beijing City Tour

Running on about 7 hours of sleep for the past 48 hours, we jetted off to see the major highlights in Beijing. First was Tian-an-man Square. A huge city square lined with important government buildings. I enjoined the people watching more than anything here. There was a young (but in China everyone looks young) father with his maybe 3 year old son. The father had a ribbon on a stick and was twirling it around while the youngster danced and tried to catch it. Proof that children can be adorable in any country. Also, not the greatest manors/hygiene. Check out one of the first photos I took in China... man picks his nose. Ha.Ha.

We kept walking (south I think) to the Forbidden City. The front gate had a huge picture of Chairman Mao staring at you. There was also a water and music show a la Las Vegas. We entered the gate and saw a beautiful courtyard surrounded by ornately painted buildings. Then through another gate to another courtyard and another gate to another courtyard before we even reached the Forbidden City. It seemed to go on forever, each courtyard a bit more detailed and interesting. The last courtyard before we exited was a very nice garden with old cyprus trees and peonies at the end of their bloom. 

We hopped on the bus to go to lunch. It was served family style on a Lazy Susan. We had a mixture of cooked vegetables and meat dishes as well as duck soup, beer, and green tea. The meal was sufficient and worked well for a group of twenty (ten at each table) but nothing to write home about... Haha get it? 

After lunch we toured the Temple of Heaven. In the garden area we met with a TiChi Master. She was at least 60 years old and didn't speak English. She taught us some of the moves. I got a thumbs up... Does that make me a master too? We visited the temple used to pray for a good harvest. Just as we were about to walk up the steps we were directed down. The temple was closed to visitors at that time, for no apparent reason, except a possible private group showing. We saw men in white shirts going up the steps as we were leaving. None the less we enjoined our time there and got some great photos of the pagoda without any people around it which is a rarity.

Shopping was next along Qian-men Street. They had a Saphora, Zara, and H&M. Again, I enjoined people watching. There is some very strange fashion here. Tights with cat faces on the shins, book bags with big lime green spikes on it, and a faux Burberry plaid short suit. Photos to come!

Dinner was a big letdown. It was the special Peking Duck meal but was actually identical to lunch plus some roasted duck, pancakes, and plum sauce. It was good but not great. After dinner we went to a KungFu show which was entertaining and very interesting but the venue was HOT! Whew we were all sweating and so happy to get outside to the beautiful cool evening breeze.

I'm so enjoying learning more about the culture and taking in the architecture of China. Oh, almost forgot... Kate and I often get our photo taken as we walk by the Chinese. We were even asked to take a photo with a young Asian girl, maybe Japanese? Too funny. We are the first American girls they have ever seen. I feel the need to dress better to better represent American women... Sorry if I let any of you down! 

Another big day tomorrow! Great Wall climb and a visit to the Beijing Olympic site. 

Day One - Travel

Mom picked me up in the morning to head to the airport. Two pit stops along the way; Panera for breakfast and a bagel to go for later and also to pick up Tom and Dede. We found Lew and Chantel right as we walked in, checked in, and headed to security. No problems there except they wanted to take a closer look at Toms bag. It's well known that in China they don't have/use toilet paper. Tom is adequately prepared with his Costco sized pack of wipes. Just a bit suspicious...

We headed straight to the Admiral's Club to relax for an hour or so. Had a couple of free sodas and ate my bagel. I was feeling pretty uppity there with all the business people. Bathrooms were clean, could be work being in the club just for that! 

Headed back down to the terminals, bought a $3.00 bottle of water and boarded the plane rather quickly. While James and I sat in "Economy" Tom and Dede upgraded to business class. James said we got to sit with the animals in the back of the plane right next to the chickens! Oh chickens, hope someone is doing chores for me while I'm gone, more on that later. We took off on time but the captain said we have a strong headwind that will delay out arrival by about 20 minute. We were cruising at a cool 34,000 feet and will cross over Canada, Alaska, and the International Date Line on our way to Narita, Japan. 

We were served three meals and a snack which was actually too much. Also got a turkey and cheese sandwich and pizza and fruit. It was all mediocre at best but hey, it's airplane food. 

We chased the sunset our whole flight. It's tomorrow already and we didn't see darkness at all. 

We landed safely in Japan only a few minutes late. Had to go through security again before getting to our gate. We had just enough time to refill water bottles and use the bathrooms (they were NOT western style). May have peed a bit on my shoes... Practice, I have a feeling, will make perfect. We got another meal on the Japanese flight to Beijing. I was less than impressed but it did come with ice-cream. 

Found luggage, exchanged some cash, met our tour guide Eddie, and boarded the 40 minute bus ride to the hotel. The rooms are nice and clean. Bathrooms have everything you need and beds are hard as rocks.