Yan'an: Mao's Stomping Grounds

I have fallen two weeks behind- and this time its not because of a lack of interesting things to write about! So, I'm going to be posting several times this week to get you caught up. I hope its not too overwhelming but there is a lot of cool stuff that has been happening!

Roadtrip!

Ever since my trip to Thailand that ended in the beginning of February, school has been a constant with no breaks. Being here in the big city day after day, week after week, month after month- the gray of the sky and the tall buildings became all too familiar. My world was a viewed through a gray filter. Needless-to-say, when the opportunity came to get out of the city and visit some fellow 外国人 (foreigners) in the city of Yan'an, I gladly excepted!

I was packed Thursday night and left right after school on Friday. Ty, Cari, myself and four other familiar faces loaded onto the bus and headed North. It was a 5 hour ride and from the view I immediately noticed the fresh air and green colors I had been missing. Most of my bus ride was spent reading the novel "Marley and Me."


After several rest stops, we arrived in Yan'an at night. We were trying to get there by 7:00 pm for an English Corner at the University, but did not make it in time. Ty and I were sharing "unique" hotel room for the weekend. It was on the fourth floor of the hotel and the third floor had a karaoke bar... I was very thankful to be a heavy sleeper.

Saturday was an eventful day full of excitement! We started bright and early heading to one of the many mountains in the nearby areas. After a sixty minute bumpy ride, we arrived to the base of a mountain and began climbing. The scenery was breath-taking! The air was so clear I could see for miles! The rolling mountains (actually just large hills)reminded me of leaving the Cascade Mountains and driving to East Washington. We spent the morning and into the afternoon breathing fresh air and taking in the beautiful scenery.



After our climb, we visited the nearby 'tomb' of Mulan- the legendary heroine of Ancient China who joined an all-male army; a sort of Joan of Arc of Asia. This popular story was made into a Disney cartoon. You can be the judge on Disney's job recreating Mulan:

After hiking the mountain, we spent the evening at English Corner. Much like the English corner I am a part of here in Xi'an, we spent time talking with students from the university in Yan'an about everything and anything- helping them practice their English. One major difference was the Yan'an English Corner had their own cafe with chairs and tables- it was nice to be able to sit!

The students loved the opportunity to practice their English with so many native English speakers. There were nine foreigners there and each one had at least 10 students talking with them. We finished the evening singing some of the same songs that are a hit at the Xi'an English Corner; Hey Jude, My Heart Will Go On and Can You Feel the Love Tonight? just to name a few!

It was an incredible weekend in a unique city of China. You can feel the slow pace of Yan'an's history as a farming city yet development in Yan'an, like anywhere in China, is growing and a break-neck pace. The landscape is so earthy and you can sense the history of this place as you see the cave homes lining the slopes. As we visited the sites of the city, I reflect upon the significance this area played during second half of the twentieth century as Chinese Communism started to grow from the very ground I walked on, it was enough to give me goosebumps!


Other News

Since I'm two weeks behind, I'll be updating again soon with some of these stories:

• My First Trip to a Chinese Hospital (AKA Ty's Accident)
• May Day Holiday
• Amazing Race: Xi'an

And now, the COUNTDOWN!

Ty and My Move: 15 Days? (I recently heard this date might be pushed back)
Last Day of Class: 35- Wow!
Trevor's Arrival: 42 Days
Mom and Dad's Arrival: 60 Days
Departure for the United States: 79 Days!

Last but not least: HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOMMY! I LOVE YOU VERY, VERY, VERY MUCH! You are the best Mommy ever! TJ and Dad- take very good care of mom on her special day. You'll have to be giving 150% in my absence!

Love this picture- although I have no idea what was going on!

Mommy giving me some much needed support during the last bit of the marathon!

Aunty Gayle and Aunty Karen, another pair of great mothers, have a great Mothers day!

Also, a very Happy Mothers Day to you, Grandma/Great Grandma Jo and Grandma SaLeal! You two did soooooooooo good raising my parents!

Three mothers (two are grandmothers, one a great grandmother), two sons
And all the newest mothers of the family; Leah, Dana and soon-to-be, AMANDA! (sorry cousins, no picture on my computer!)

Thanks for Reading!

Found this wild horse on the mountains of Yan'an... oh yeah, I tamed it!