What are we up to?

Still trying to get the hang of this "blogging" thing...so we apologize if you guys have been anxiously awaiting our next post. 

We are starting to settle into 'normal' life here in Nanjing, China. Lars' class schedule is being finalized and I am just doing my own thing, (I guess that could be a post by itself but not today:)

We have the opportunity, through the Flagship program, to go on field trips. Our first one was to the Purple Mountain just outside Nanjing to visit Sun Yat Sen and Ming Xiaoling's Mausoleums. It was really neat because the city is, well a city but once you enter the park - Nature how I've missed you:) I would love to take morning walks/runs all over this mountain if it weren't for the distance just to get there. We plan on going again so more pictures will be coming of the pure beauty, (couldn't capture it very well from the bus).

Just off the bus at the entrance to Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum I see this.

I haven't seen hair that long since Sister Spangler (Elkhorn Ward, Milwaukee South Stake) back in the 90's. THAT takes dedication!

You'll see this kind of thing EVERYWHERE. Guys and girls, guys and guys, girls and girls wearing the same shirt on the same day! It's so bu xing (not okay) in America but here, if you and your friend are shopping and like the same shirt why don't you both buy it instead of one friend having to sacrifice for the other just because it's more socially acceptable?!

Another example inside the police station. We had to give them a copy of our rental agreement to prove where we would be staying and for how long.

So, what is the importance of this Chinese guy, Sun Yat Sen. Lars described him to me to be a hero in The People's Republic of China AND Taiwanese eyes as being their founder...Interesting.

Entrance Gate

The Woman and sister/daughter in the background is adorable:)

The Chinese LOVE white children! This is Dave Farley with his wife, baby boy Benjamin and daughter Hannah. The Chinese gentleman Hannah is holding hands with...no idea! The Farley's get flogged whenever they go out to eat. 

Later when they were sitting on some steps to rest, Chinese people would sit their kids next to them and take so many pictures! 

Handsome Lars and another gate, there's usually a few.

This is a good one of Jonathan, Trevor and Lars at the bottom of the main hall of Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum. 

FACT: The staircase behind them in 480-meters long, 50-meters wide and has 392 steps leading to the vault, as they call it.

Half way up the stairs... I swear, I can't take him anywhere:) 

Lars was also seeing how few steps he could take to get up each set of stairs...

At the top!!! 

The view was well worth it:)

I didn't take any pictures inside the mausoleum, because they told us not to, but they had some pretty gardens in the back.

Total Bonsai Tree

Look at all the Laowai (foreigners:)

Didn't have a lot of time so we booked it back to the bus to try and hit the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum as well.

This is Lars booking it down the stairs.

Ming Xiaoling was the founder of the Ming dynasty who ruled China from 1368 to 1644. It is said that the Ming Dynasty was "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history."

Again, we didn't have a lot of time (and my camera was acting up) so this might feel rushed.

When we first entered the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum grounds (beautiful) I see this girl drawing the two pillars. Since you can't see it in the picture I will tell you that it was a good drawing too:)

There were two paths we could take. One to the right and one to the left. So, because everyone chose the path to the right, Lars and I decided to take the one to the left to be different. If you want to see what was on the path to the right, check out our friend's blog.

http://chrisandlauramiller.blogspot.com/2010/09/sun-yat-sen-mausoleum-and-ming-tombs.html

I was thinking Lars should come and kiss me in this very picturesque spot:) But then who would take the picture?

"These generals of stone have been standing here for centuries to accompany His Majesty beneath."

And I lied, Aaron and Crystal King came along the left path with us, for a little bit at least. We kind of lost them:( or they got stuck kissing at the very picturesque spot above:P

Don't know what this says...

The ground was pretty cool looking.

Outside Gate

Tortoise are a popular funeral "decoration". We found this one and our friends said that there was another one down their path and I hear that there is supposedly a third tortoise that was found in a nearby ravine. Historians don't know why it was abandoned.

These seemed to be everywhere.

There it is. This staircase was pretty scary as our daylight dwindled...

Cool decorative pattern on these inclines.

After we looked around Ming Xiaoling's Mausoleum, which was closed because we took too much time at Sun Yat Sen's Mausoleum, Lars noticed that the stairs kept going higher up the mountain. Yep, we started up them but me being the responsible one:) knew we didn't have enough time to investigate (supposed to meet back at the bus in 5 minutes and knew I didn't have enough energy to run up who-knows-how-many more stairs if I'm going to be running back to the bus to not make everyone wait - again. So I waited for Lars on those steps in what felt like the middle of nowhere as it got darker and darker and creepier and creepier. And how long do you think Lars took? 10 minutes I kid you not! I was SO FREAKED OUT! We're told not to be by ourselves and I was and I was hearing things and I'm in the woods and I don't even hear Lars' footsteps anymore (maybe something happened to him) and I know there were other (scary) people somewhere out here...

Hey look, a slug.

Anywho, Lars did FINALLY return, after going as high as he could go, and save me from going down the ridiculously dark stair case pictured above, alone.

And we ran along a beautiful path like good obedient children back to the bus. Even though we wanted to do another detour to visit this place.

This was how dark it was as we were running.

Definitely need to go back. So much to see!

And for an extra little something -

TAH DAH!!!

 Someone wearing previously mention Koosh Ball shoes:)

Spring