西安: Bread, History, and Walls... Oh my!!

October means many things to us--changing leaves, cold weather, and pumpkin spice EVERYTHING. But over here in China, none of those things seem to be the case (it's supposed to get back up to 80 degrees next week). Instead of October being filled with all things Halloween, the red and yellow Chinese flags appear everywhere, airfare rates get jacked up, and schools close for National Day. Similar to the 4th of July, National Day this year celebrated the 65th anniversary of the communist party's rise to power in China. Since I am not a communist, this meant little to me... Instead, I could think of only one thing: VACATION!!!!!!!!

Last year, the Adams and I journeyed up north to Qingdao and Dalian (read about that adventure here) and it was a week long adventure that took me to cities very different from Hangzhou. Originally, Adam and I had plans to ride camels through the Gobi Desert but because this is one of the craziest times to travel in China, train tickets were sold out within the first five minutes of them going on sale so we decided to go with our Plan B: Xi'an (西安).

Xi'an is one of China's oldest cities with more than 6,000 years of history. At one time, it was known as Chang'an and was the capital of a united China and remained the capital through several dynasties, including the golden Tang Dynasty (618-907AD). Because the Chinese are so good at building walls, there is a wall around the old downtown area first built in 194BCE and the one that still stands today can be traced back to 1370. It was the start of the Silk Road that connected Asia to the Middle East and Europe which dates back to the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) and ran 4,000 miles long. It is also home to Hua Shan and the mysterious and ancient terracotta army. This city is just dripping with history and I love it.

The China of the Tang Dynasty... much different from what it is today!

The blue was the water trade routes and the red was the Silk Road where goods like silk from Hangzhou were brought to Xi'an and where then brought to India, Persia, and Europe.

 With such a long and rich history in just a single city, it is easy to understand why so many people--both Chinese and foreign--decide to make Xi'an a stop on their tours of China. There is a very specific culture to the city; it is a border town where the East meets the West, traditional Chinese foods, language, styles, and customs diffuse with the food and culture and religion of the Middle Eastern inspired West. This spicy and interesting twist on the traditional Chinese culture has made Xi'an a comfortable spot in my Top 3 Cities in China.

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I worked until 4:40pm on Tuesday, September 30th--the day before National Holiday. Throwing my bag on my bed and picking up my backpack, Adam and I turned around and hopped on a plane that took us from the very Chinese town of Hangzhou to the very Middle Eastern town of Xi'an. We arrived in downtown Xi'an around midnight (because it is an unspoken law that no flight can leave on time in China) and began our search for our hostel. If any of you have ever traveled and stayed at a hostel instead of a hotel, you know that they can be a bit difficult to find... We spent almost three hours walking around downtown Xi'an in a three block radius in the rain, walking past the actual hostel twice until we finally found it. Off to a rough start.

The first thing we made sure to see in Xi'an was the Muslim District. Just like when you visit New York City and make your way to Chinatown or Little Italy, you find that small neighborhood for special foods, souvenirs, and a chance to meet people from a different country. You walk through a green archway with Arabic written across it and the Chinese translation underneath. Beer is  no longer available in stores, you see bright colorful scarves wrapped around the ladies heads, and all of a sudden you're seeing different foods that you have never seen in China. If you can push your way through the crowds, then you are in for a treat (both literally and figuratively).

Tarts, cider, bread, meat, pastries. So many foods that you associate with halal foods and other parts of the world have found their way into the very heart of Xi'an, one of the biggest cities in the Chinese Interior. Meet stuffed into flaky buns. Pomegranate juice made from freshly squeezed pomegranates. Sticky rice on a stick, painted rice patties. Turkish ice cream and bread that actually tasted like bread--not the crumbly, sweet stuff they try to pass off as bread in Hangzhou but real, dense bread (and sometimes with curry mixed in). Needless to say, we ate our way through the Muslim District!

Another part of Xi'an that we knew we had to visit was the wall surrounding the city. Just outside our hostel across the street, was the wall so we were nice and close! Paying 54元 (太贵了！), we went through the North gate (which is, ironically, in the south of the city) and began to make our way along the uneven cobblestone path. The wall is so wide that it doesn't seem too crowded. You can take a trolley car or rent a bike to help you make your way all around the wall. Sadly, Adam and I only made it halfway in about four hours before we decided that we were too tired to keep going!

Always touch the doorknobs for good luck!!

Xi'an is also quite a religious city, despite the fact that China is an agnostic (or even atheist) country. Taoism and other ancient Chinese religions have a strong influence not only in Xi'an but in the region as well with the holy Mount Hua (华山) about 75 miles away. There are several churches and a heavy Islamic influence with seven mosques in the city. There are also several Buddhist temples within the city walls and without. There are two Buddhist pagodas just outside the city walls--either a short metro ride or a long walk away--called the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Adam and I approached the question of which one to go see with, "Go big or go home," so we took the metro outside the city walls and made our way to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.  Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the original pagoda was built during the Tang Dynasty in 652AD but was rebuilt in 704AD and has survived several devastating earthquakes (even though it does lean to one side now). Today it is surrounded by a flea market, people trying to take photos of you in traditional Tang Dynasty outfits, a huge fountain, and girls dressed in Communist uniforms (complete with a Chairman Mao bag) selling green tea ice cream.

Our feet tired from the walk to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, I decided to take Adam to something that is a must if you ever visit any Asian country--the Kissing Fish Spa. I first heard about these "spas" in Japan where you would go to the "fish doctor" and submerge your entire body into a warm pool where little fish would eat the dead skin off of you. Apparently, these spas are all over Asia, though most of them just focus on your feet. I visited a kissing fish spa in Yangshuo during Spring Festival in January (which you can read about here) and loved it so when I saw one in the Muslim District, I knew I wanted to take Adam there. His reaction was similar to mine: panic, shock, and then nervous laughter as the fish swam between his toes. We sat back for the next half hour and just enjoyed the slightly masochistic sensation of fish eating the skin off our feet.

Right across from the Kissing Fish Spa, was the Great Mosque, the largest mosque in Xi'an. Since Adam's interest in Islam has been heightened since his visit to Turkey, we knew we had to go in and 25 元 later, we realized that the Great Mosque looked nothing like what a mosque would generally look like. It appeared to be just another Chinese temple with a single arch with Arabic written across it. A bit disappointing but sadly expected. We just need to get out west to Xinjiang to see actual mosques in China!

There are some delicious foods that you must have when you are in Xi'an and the Shaanxi province in China. The first is kind of like a hamburger--meat stuffed into a flaky bread bun (I ate WAY too many of these). They are known for their dumplings as well as a fat, flat noodle called biangbiang and a delicious curry/mutton/noodle (because China always needs a noodle or rice)/super thick, dense bread soup called Yangrou Paomo that is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten in China. Where the food in Hangzhou is like white Wonder Bread--boring, flavorless, and flat--the food in Xi'an is like a multigrain pita--thick, dense, filled with different tastes and textures. 

Adam in his happy place.

Biang noodles  and the character for biang noodles with 58 strokes... CRAZY!!

 You rip the thick bread apart yourself and then they add the magic to the bowl!

 The holiday in Xi'an was relaxing, enjoyable, and showed me a city that I really had little desire to go see but one that I quickly fell in love with. The different people, faiths, food, and language make it a fascinating place to visit. It is a mecca for history buffs and a gateway for thrill seekers... Nearby was the ancient terracotta warriors and the sacred and holy Mount Hua... 

Stay tuned for those adventures!!

国庆快乐!!

Happy National Day!! 

Until Next Time,
Amanda

A Walk in the Clouds

A new year in China is upon us and that is time for new classes, new friends, new experiences, and new adventures! Originally, Adam and I had planned to travel out to the western province of Xinjiang on the border of Pakistan and India! It is the home of the Uyghur people and has a huge Middle Eastern influence which is why Adam dreams of getting out there. With our stay in America extended longer than we had planned, we realized that we wouldn't have time to get all the way across China before school started so Adam and I decided that our September trip would be a bit closer to home. After tossing around a few ideas, we decided on 黄山(pronounced Huangshan), the Yellow Mountain.

The trip out west would have taken us DAYS.

Yellow Mountain is a bit closer--just a three hour bus ride.

If you are someone who loves natural beauty over architectural beauty, this is definitely a place to visit in China. I've been to a few different mountain ranges now since visiting China--the Himalayas during Spring Festival which you can read about here and ZhangJiaJie in May which you can revisit right here--but I seriously never get tired of seeing mountains. When you look up at them you can't even begin to imagine how old they are... hundreds of millions of years old--they have seen more in their magnificent lives than we ever can. They stood strong at the birth of man, they were there when the Egyptians built the pyramids, they were there when the Vikings pillaged and plundered Europe, they were there when America was forming as a nation, they were there when the atom bomb was dropped, and they will continue to be there long after we are gone. We are just a tiny blip at we gaze up at their existence, a part of their story for just an instant... and if that is not incredible, I don't know what is!

Today, Yellow Mountain is one of China's biggest tourist attractions and a UNESCO World Heritage Site but it has a long and colorful history.

Formed over 100 million years ago, it was originally called Yishan 宜山(Yi Mountain) but in 747AD the name changed by imperial decree to the name that we call it today Huangshan 黄山. With mountains that are so incredible and prehistoric, of course there are legends that surround the mountain!

It is believed that the name Yellow Mountain is not because of the color of the mountains (though they are, indeed yellow) but rather, Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor, who is believed to be the legendary ancestor of the ethnic Han Chinese. Tradition and legend claims that he ruled from 2697-2597BC before ascending into heaven at the Yellow Mountain, hence the range is named after him.

黄帝, Huang Di, the originator of the centralized state, a cosmic ruler, and ancestor of the ethnic Han Chinese.

The fun thing about myths and legends is that no one can ever disprove them and they always add a bit of spice and personality to a location and Yellow Mountain is certainly a place that has personality. It simply captures your imagination. If you ever see old Chinese paintings of mountains shrouded in mist, you're probably looking at Yellow Mountain--it is the epitome of what foreigners think China looks like.

Two paintings from the 1600s depicting Yellow Mountain

Knowing this was probably one of the most beautiful places in China to visit, and encouragement from Other Adam, we decided to make Yellow Mountain our first stop on our year long tour of China!

With this weekend being a holiday weekend (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!!), Adam and I went into town on Wednesday to buy our bus tickets to leave Thursday 9/4 early in the morning... 7:40AM early. The bus ride to Yellow Mountain is a little over three hours, taking you out of Zhejiang province and into Anhui province. The bus was completely filled with adventurers, both young and old, ready to conquer the mountain on their holiday weekend. 

We drove through the rolling hills of Zhejiang province and at about the three hour mark, I began to notice that the hills and mountains had disappeared and it was disturbingly flat to be near Yellow Mountain. Eventually, we arrived a little after 11AM in the town of Tangkou (which not so conveniently calls itself Huangshan as well) and--behold!--there were the mountains. We hopped on a smaller shuttle bus that took us high up into the mountain (because nobody wants to walk up the entire mountain!) and we were off on our adventure. 

Following the advice from Other Adam, we hopped into the cable car that took us up into the mountain range. Now, when Other Adam was describing Yellow Mountain while we were all visiting ZhangJiaJie together, he said that you are above the clouds when you are at Yellow Mountain. I thought he was exaggerating! I don't think I was above the clouds when I was hiking in Nepal, how could we be above the clouds in China? I am happy to say that I was wrong... Very wrong.

The cable car might have been my absolute favorite part of the entire trip. It was about a five minute ride up into the mountains and, indeed, we hit the clouds, the sun disappeared, and we could barely see anything! Occasionally, another cable car would appear in the mist and pass us by and sometimes we would spot a looming mountain through the window. It was incredible and we really were up above the clouds.

Notice how it is nice, clear, and GREEN in the first two photos and then nothing but white and a dull silhouette in the last one... Gorgeous!!

 We arrived at the White Goose Ridge Station (seriously, these names rock my world) and it was foggy and about 20 degrees colder. Donning our hoodies, we hoisted our backpacks back up onto our shoulders and began our trek through the Yellow Mountain--our goal was to see it all in less than 24 hours. 

Despite the fact that the bus was completely packed from Hangzhou to Tangkou and then from the base of the mountain up to the cable car, the minute we reached the clouds, everyone seemed to disappear (and not just because it was so cloudy). It was the first time that I visited a tourist attraction in China and I was not immediately bombarded by a sea of humanity. I loved it.

Adam and I walked for a bit, constantly stopping to gaze out at a mountain peeking out at us through the mist. Our first stop was the Stalagmite Peak and behind it was the Fairy Maiden Peak (I told you the names were awesome). We had a difficult time seeing everything clearly, but when a mountain appeared before you out of nowhere whenever the winds seemed to shift even the slightest, it truly was awe inspiring. 

Adam the Explorer, figuring out a game plan to conquer the Yellow Mountain.

Seriously, I feel like I just fell into "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!"

We walked and we walked and we walked and we walked. One thing you should know: when you think you are going to go hiking or visit anything "natural" in China, be prepared to climb nothing but stairs. It seems like the Chinese have never heard of just using natural paths or just slopes. There is nothing but stairs at Yellow Mountain--supposedly, over 60,000 stairs and, after that hike, I might actually believe it! Supposedly some of the stone steps carved into the side of the mountain are over 1,500 years old! We climbed higher and higher and each time we stopped to catch our breath, we were able to gaze out at some incredible sights (even if they were hiding in the clouds).

We had made it to the Pen Rack Peak, Beginning to Believe Peak, The Flower Grown Out of a Writing Brush Rock, the Monkey Watching the Sea, the Beihai Hotel, the Shilin Hotel, and the Xihai Hotel (yes there are at least five hotels on top of this mountain that you can actually stay at). We stopped at one of the rest stations that sell overpriced water, snacks, and canes (you know, instead of actual walking sticks) to figure out what we wanted to do. There was about 4 hours of daylight left and we were planning on spending the night here on the mountain. Aside from the overpriced hotels, you can also camp at Yellow Mountain but you have to do it at designated hotels for about 180元 (that's about $30). However, we have had a collection of expats visit Yellow Mountain before us--Olivia, Other Adam, and Hannah R--and each of them spent the night camping on the mountain and none of them paid; it was like a challenge we had to complete: find a way to spend the night on the mountain without having to pay for it.

CANES. Canes EVERYWHERE.

The map never seemed to match the signs...

We had spotted a few places a bit of the way off the trails to set up camp but me being the pathetic rule follower that I am had no desire to get caught so we continued to try and find the perfect place to hide away for the night. 

Enter the Purple Cloud Peak.

We hiked up the stairs for about 20 minutes before we came to this sign:

Yes sir! That is a CLOSED sign.

At first we were annoyed that we had hiked up all that way just to be told that the mountain was closed (how the heck do you close a mountain, anyway?) but then we noticed that the gate (and by "gate" I mean barbed wire, some chicken wire, and some plastic) was wide open. If people thought that the mountain was closed, that might mean that no one would find us up there (at least that's what Adam thought... me being the rule follower didn't want to go a step further)! Adam fearlessly led us onward through the open gate and up even more stairs. After another minute of climbing, I was ready to call it quits and suggest that we head back to one of the other locations we had spotted along the trail but Adam passed through another gate (this time a legit iron gate) and I hopelessly followed behind him, stopping to close the gate behind me to stop anyone from coming up. 

The top of the Purple Cloud Peak was, indeed, vacant and there was a perfect spot to set up our tent we had brought with us. I was still a bit nervous all night but after Adam discovered a small path that led to the very top of the peak that looked out over the cloud covered mountains, I decided to throw my inhibitions to the wind and simply enjoy the sunset and our celebratory dinner of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches <-- one of my favorites!!

We just sat there on the rocks watching the clouds slowly blow by, sometimes obscuring our vision of the mountains and sometimes granting us a fleeting peek at the rocks and trees all around us. The sun slowly dipped behind the clouds before we could watching the sky change colors in the sunset. It got cold and as the world was doused in the blue hour, we changed into our warm clothes and burrowed in our sleeping bags in the tent to see if we really could make it through a night at Yellow Mountain without getting caught.

I've slept outside before... many times. I grew up camping, I used to do Sleepout for the Homeless in high school, I've been backpacking with my dad, and I even slept outside in a pagoda on Easter this year (you can read about that crazy experience here) but the night I spent on top of the Purple Cloud Peak at Yellow Mountain was the craziest night I have ever spent outside. 

The tent was pretty warm at the beginning of the night but eventually the cold night air got to me and I had to pull a blanket over me; there was nothing to stop the cold coming up from the rocks beneath us (you can imagine it wasn't very comfortable). At one point in the night, I woke up from the roar of the wind. I laid in my sleeping bag just listening to the wind soaring between the hundreds of mountain peaks of Yellow Mountain, almost sounding like thunder. It would be distant, hidden behind the sound of a nearby waterfall and grow louder and louder as it grew closer and just when I thought it couldn't get any louder, the wind would hit our tent and shake it back and forth. There were times that I was actually a little nervous--Olivia, Adam, and Hannah had all been down on the ground during their nocturnal stays... We were at the very top of a pretty impressively high peak... Not the best decision we ever made...

Despite the uncomfortable bed, the cold, and the wild wind, we made it through the night like champions and we crawled out from our tent to find that some of the clouds had let up to reveal to us our surroundings for the first time in over 12 hours of being on the Purple Cloud Peak.

Look! There are actually mountains there!

With the sun (kind of) shining down on us and at least a few more hours of hiking to get back to a cable car station, Adam and I ate our breakfast and took down our camp, congratulating each other on a successful illegal camping trip.

Yes... that is the edge of the mountain...

As we were walking down the path we had climbed up the day before, we heaved a sigh of relief when we saw that the gate that I had closed the day before were still shut but not locked--we were free to continue on! Ah, but things could never be that easy, now could they? Remember: there were two gates we passed through. As we made our way down to the second makeshift gate, I noticed that it was now closed and my stomach dropped. Uh-oh... I hadn't been able to close it the day before because the hinges were so rusted. As we got closer, we realized that not only was it closed but thick wire coils were knotted around to keep it locked shut. Definite uh-oh.

I noticed a small hole along the ground next to the gate and, using my boots, I pushed some of the barbed wire aside to try and make an opening big enough to crawl through. I made it through fairly easily, the hood on my sweatshirt catching for only a second and then it was Adam's turn. I'll leave the sight of Adam crawling through a tiny hole through barbed wire to your imagination... all I'll say is that he made it through unharmed. 

Yes, THAT is what we had to crawl through!

With that inconvenient obstacle out of our way, we were back to innocently hiking through Yellow Mountain, trying to appear as not guilty as possible! We planned out our course of action to try and find the cable car: travel down from the Purple Cloud Peak, to the Flying Over Rock, to the Brightness Top and the Steelify Mite Peak (I have no clue what they were trying to say there), up to the highest peak called the Lotus Peak, and then down and out at the Jade Screen Pavilion. It looked all downhill on the map and we figured, how hard could it be? The answer: HARD.

It was almost entirely uphill. The only other person who knows how much I cuss when I am sweating and forced to travel uphill is Hannah R from our time hiking in Nepal; I am not good at it and I hate it (it is two days later and my legs are still in pain). We stopped often to catch our breath, drink some water, and blame one another for forcing us to come to Yellow Mountain. We were also very mature and stopped to test the amount of echo the Yellow Mountain gives off. It turns out, it is quite an impressive echo. 

As we continued to hike down from our camp site and continued onward to the Brightness Top, the cloud/fog/mist became ridiculously INSANE. We could not see anything beyond the trail--no trees, mountains, monkeys, or birds. Even along the trail the mist was so thick that other hikers would just pop out of nowhere just a few feet head of you. The pines were dark and looming, the mist cold as it wrapped around you, always moving slowly. 

You always hear the expression, "The Mists of Time," and I seriously feel like I was trapped inside the mists of time. You lose track of time, the day could have been the morning or the afternoon. There was really no sense of time or space, just your own personal journey. The mists would keep the mountains hidden until just the exact moment when the clouds would lift the veil for just a moment, just for you to gaze upon the magnitude of the Earth, and then just as your eyes are beginning to adjust and take in the sight, the mist takes the mountain back as if it was all theirs to keep. 

I know I was in the middle of China (believe me, every time I saw someone on their cellphone, talking or I heard the oh so annoying and ear piercing chatter of a tour guide reminded me of that constantly) but occasionally, we would be walking along a narrow path, nothing but pine trees around us and the clouds blinding us and I couldn't stop myself from feeling like I had taken a wrong turn back at the Immortal Overturns the Desk Peak and I had landed in Transylvania and I had to watch out for strigoi, vampires, and werewolves. 

Seriously! Spooky!!

 We got painfully lost a few times, thinking that we were close to the cable cars (seriously, China needs to learn how to put signs at forks in the path) and always climbing up stairs (so many stairs!!). We finally arrived at the Brightness Top where Adam and I decided to get medals to boast our accomplishment (we had gotten similar ones at ZhangJiaJie so it seemed appropriate).

Ignore the dog on the left... that is what sleeping on a mountain and not showering for three days will do to you...

Praying that we were close to the exit (I felt like that kid in The Pagemaster), we continued on once more, up and down the stairs. We kept passing hikers that still looked fresh and happy--they must have just arrived meaning we're close to the cable car... Right? Wrong!

We continued to wander, reached way too many signless forks in the path and had to guess which way to go off of the map that was almost 10 years old and far too artsy to actually be functional. Since we were so tired, we decided that we didn't have to go to the highest peak... we had nothing to prove... Until the path we were on brought us to the Ladder in the Clouds which lead directly up 1864.5 meters (luckily we only had to climb about 20 meters) to the highest peak. We had no choice but to bite our tongue from screaming, take a deep breath, and dig deep, crawling our way to the top of the Lotus Peak, the highest part of the Yellow Mountain.

As we reached a rest area about 10 meters away from the top, we were greeted by a chorus of excited, "Oh laowai!" (AKA: foreigners). We sat to catch our breath for a minute before our pride got the better of us--we had made it this far, we were going to reach the summit of this peak if it killed us, dammit! Leaving behind the tour group at the little snack stand, Adam and I marched up the final staircase leading to the top of the Lotus Peak... Only to be slapped in the face with yet another CLOSED sign.

Curses! The government has blocked me again!!

In the end, we pushed ourselves as far as we could. Even though we technically didn't make it to the summit of the highest peak at Yellow Mountain, we still pushed ourselves pretty hard. We survived the hoards of Chinese tour groups, survived a night on top of the Purple Cloud Peak, and eventually found our way out of the park... without ever wanting to push each other off a cliff!!

The Great China Tour 2014 Part 1: SUCCESS

First trip as an engaged couple ♥

We ended up unofficially banding with a group of four guys who seemed just as lost as we were and rejoiced just as much as we did when we spotted the sign for the cable car which was still ridiculously hard to find because, again, no sign at a fork in the road! Adam and I grabbed a celebratory Fanta (that was all I was craving during the entire hike) and we rode the cable car down the mountain, leaving the misty clouds high above us and returned to the sunlight below.

Once we arrived back at the tourist center in Tangkou, Adam and I sat in cushioned seats, relaxed, breathed deeply, ordered a couple of Huangshan beers, and ate the most delicious dumplings I have ever had in my life (all I had to do was climb a mountain to earn them)!

We earned our lunch!!

I've only been in China for a week now and I've already managed to travel somewhere new. I always love going on adventures and visiting new places and coming into contact with new people--even if it's just the girl who helped us buy our bus tickets back to Hangzhou or the kids who asked to take a photo with us as soon as we got off the cable car. I saw things that I have never seen before--clouds wrapping around mountains, trees, and even me. I slept on the edge of a cliff, hundreds of feet off the ground, with the wind whipping around me. I became a part of Yellow Mountain's story--a story that is millions of years old--even if my part of the story was only an instant.

I live for moments of feeling so small and insignificant and yet so infinite and unstoppable, too. I hope you have moments like that in life as well.

It was a good return to China and here's to many more adventures in the Middle Kingdom. 

中秋节快乐!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Don't forget to eat a mooncake!

 

 Until Next Time, 

Amanda

Just the Beginning

For those of you who are friends with me on the Book of Faces or followers of this blog who read my post a few weeks ago found right here, know that this summer has been anything but relaxing. I arrived from China just two days before my brother's high school graduation where I surprised him. Then, I flew to Minnesota to be with Adam and meet his family and travel around the Midwest. Then we took a train, stopping in Chicago to visit New York. Things changed a bit and instead of going to New York City like originally planned, we learned that my brother had cancer. Of course, no one likes to hear that sort of news at any point in life--it was a bit of a downer but we were determined to make the best of it. So, because we have been looking on the bright side and trying to remain positive, I won't say that this summer wasn't fun--far from it!! It was filled with family, friends, holidays, adventures, and a plot twist in our stories... I think when I look back to this summer, I will consider it fun and stressful at the same time.

I knew once the summer was up I would have to leave Jed and the rest of the family and return to China. I put off my departure twice, one time Adam deciding to stay as well and the second time, I had to send Adam back to China for another two weeks, alone. When the end of August came, it was so painful to leave Jed as he continued to sit in the hospital (I do not joke when I say it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life). I was sad to leave New York but I could not wait to be back with my main man and my partner in crime!

After a 14 hour flight (which I managed to sleep for 6 hours!), I arrived in Shanghai to the chaos and insanity that is China. I never like arriving at the Shanghai Pudong Airport because after you get off the plane, go through customs, and get your bags, you have to maneuver your way through a ridiculously long walkway, zig-zagging back and forth all the while people are asking you if you need a taxi or a cell phone while you are desperately trying to searching through the sea of people to find the person you really need. I thought it would be easy! How many tall, bald, white guys are there waiting to pick someone up in Shanghai? The correct answer is five. Each time I saw a pale bald head, my heart fluttered thinking it was Adam... only to find that it was a man covered in tattoos or a man easily in his fifties. I continued to zig and zag my way through the crowd until I finally spotted Adam, standing beside a terrifying panda mascot (seriously terrifying). I did my little scamper happy dance as I leapt up into his arms.

We sat through the three hour bus ride from the Pudong Airport to Wulin Square in downtown Hangzhou and from there, it was still a super sketchy illegal taxi ride that took about an hour to get back out to the little suburb of CangQian. 18 hours of travel time... Uffda!! I was tired but so happy to be back and walking around the campus.

As I made my way up to the 14th floor to my little rinky dink apartment, Adam opened the door for me and I stumbled into my room calling out, "Hello, apartment!"

It was dark in the room so Adam turned the light on for me. As I looked into my room, I saw a box of birthday cake Oreos sitting on my bed next to two wrapped packages. I must have said something excitedly (Adam remembers it all much more clearly than I do!) before I noticed something strange... my map of China was missing from my wall! In it's place was THIS:

"Oh my God!" I almost screamed as my hand flew up to cover my mouth that was hanging open in shock. My stomach started to dance a little jig and my heart was pounding so fast, I thought it would break through my chest! I spun around to look at Adam (I WISH I could have seen my face!!) and there he was on one knee... a ring in his hand (a ring he had been carrying in his pocket ALL DAY sitting right next to me).

And YES! Of course I cried...

We'll get nicer photos taken... This is what we had to work with at the moment. The greatest "That's What She Said" ever!!

I won't say it came as a complete surprise--Adam and I had been seriously talking about marriage since after Spring Festival in February and we had even done a bit of planning over the summer (one of the reasons why it was so busy!). I knew I wouldn't be surprised that he was proposing, but the when, the where, and the how would be a surprise for me and I was certainly surprised!!

Secret planning over the summer:

Dress shopping with Aunt Sue, Ashley (my Maid of Honor), and the mama!!

Asking my theatre girlfriend, Megan, to be a bridesmaid (the only one I could actually ask in person...)

Adam not sure what he's gotten himself into... Food tasting!! Mmmm.....

One of my favorite pics from the summer... cake shopping mixed with a frosting facial.

It was a year ago today that Adam and I hung out for the first time with Other Adam and DH--my first day I moved into my apartment and my first day in CangQian. It was almost exactly a year. Some people might think, "You've only been together for a year! Slow down a bit!" And I honestly, can't argue with those people. It has only been a year but it's been a year of good times, bad times, adventures, laughter, tears, and we've managed to come through pretty unscathed and even more awesome than before! When you know that you have found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, why wait?

For me, it's hard to think that I have reached this point in my life. If you have known me for some time, you would know that I have been painfully single my entire life. A few dates here and there, some crushes... but I don't think I ever experienced "love." At 23, I was ready to spend the rest of my life traveling the world with my cats and my books, alone. No one had ever wanted to be with me and I had never really had a deep desire to be with anyone in particular either, up until that point. I was not necessarily "single and loving it" but I was certainly content with my life. My life had been one adventure after another.... But now I am thrilled to go on my next big adventure with the man I love (now I get to travel the world with my cats, books, and [soon to be] husband)!

For a girl who's life has never really been touched by romance, I am amazed at what life has brought to me. In this big, bright, beautiful world and in the insanity that is China, I have found the love of my life, my best friend, and a partner in crime. It is crazy to think that my coming to China led me to the rest of my life--oh what serendipity--and here I am, engaged to such an amazing man after having come through a veritable wasteland of love for 23 years.

My life is amazing. I wake up every day, thankful for what I have been given and for the choices that I have made. Of all my adventures in life, thus far, I think this one that I am taking with Adam, might be my favorite... And it's only just the beginning of a lifetime of adventures!!

Until Next Time,
Amanda

There is a Season

Those of you who know me personally have most likely heard the shocking and unfortunate news that my brother, Jed, has been diagnosed with cancer. It has been a whirlwind of events and emotions over the last few weeks but I think we are starting to find our footing and map out the best course of action that will lead to a speedy victory.

Many people have asked if I will blog about my brother's battle with this tumor just like I blog about my time in China. To that, I will give an official NO. It is difficult when someone has cancer and they are not a child. Many parents in the pediatric ward have Facebook pages and blogs dedicated to their child and updates on them; a few months ago, a young boy from the Buffalo area named Ben Sauer was battling a tumor in his brain and his mother blogged about it all along the way making his story known to the masses. It's a lot harder when your child (or, in this case, my brother) is not eight years old, but 18. He wants his privacy and I will give that to him.

So, this will be the only post on my blog about Jed and his fight.

For those of you who do not know Jed personally, he is 18 years old, an Eagle Scout, and a life guard who dreams of joining the Coast Guard someday (or running his own fishing charter down in the Florida Keys). He is one of the sweetest, most kind hearted people you will ever meet and he never thinks badly of others (he has yelled at me on many occasions when I bitch and moan about people I don't particularly like). He is a giant and yet so gentle and he will always be my baby brother. So to have someone like him--someone who is so GOOD and so HEALTHY--be diagnosed with cancer was a bizarre and cruel slap in the face.

When this all started and we began piecing the unfortunate puzzle together--there was a mass growing in his chest, then it was cancer--it was amazing how alone we felt. No one could ever possibly understand what we were thinking, what we were feeling--we were an island unto ourselves... No one could possibly know what was happening to us... No one. But then the messages began to come in almost instantaneously--the texts, the emails, the PMs, the phone calls. Suddenly, we realized that we were not alone in this--we were not an island, drifting lonely through the sea. The news of Jed having cancer affected our friends just as much as it affected us.

I speak of friends and phone calls and suddenly not feeling so alone; I speak of support. The amount of support that we have received is overwhelming. In this whirlwind of thoughts and events and emotions, my exhausted mind goes back to one of my favorite classic movies, It's a Wonderful Life. In the story, Jimmy Stewart's character of George Bailey learns in his most crucial hour of need just how many lives he has touched in his forty some-odd years. I am amazed that in just 18 years of his life (and let's be honest, most of that time was spent with him running around with band aids on his knees, playing with bugs and Hot Wheels), Jed has been able to touch the lives of so many people around him--family, friends, and even strangers have rallied behind him. He has been able to touch the lives of more people in 18 years than many of us will do with the 40 years that George Bailey has. At the end of the movie, George's guardian angel (second class), Clarence, says the words, "No man is a failure who has friends," and this rings true for Jed and his story too. No man--or 18 year old boy--is alone when he is surrounded by so much love. Love from his family, love from the Ghostlight Theatre, love from his classmates, teachers, and staff at Tonawanda High School (that's including the freakin' school superintendent), and the love from the entire community of Tonawanda.

Today, August 19, 2014, was officially Red for Jed Day (no lie! The mayor actually declared it so!). Even though Jed was in the hospital with a fever, he was still loved and supported by so many people donned in any article of red clothing we could find (if I'm being completely honest, my dad and I had to run out and buy red shirts today because neither of us own anything red!)--my dad and I were there to accept the proclamation in Jed's honor, our aunt and uncle were there, friends from all over where there, and strangers who had heard of Jed and his story were there... all dressed in red and all there for Jed.

During times like this, people always say, "Let me know if there is anything I can do to help." If I am being honest once more, no one ever knows what to say in response to that. There is so much that we would like to ask for but we never will. During times like this (for anyone) you are in need of so much that you don't even realize--food, money, someone to go grocery shopping, gas, someone to do laundry or clean, or just someone to pass you the tissues. People never want to ask for these things so you simply smile and say thank you... what more can you do? However, despite the fact that we don't know how to respond, we have been blessed with people bringing over fully home cooked meals, gas and grocery store gift certificates, and most importantly, prayers.

Whether you believe in God or not, lifting up a single person in your thoughts and wishing healing, strength, courage, and blessings upon them is a mighty powerful thing. Team Woomer is a firm believer in the wonders that prayers can do and we were so blessed when we learned that there are hundreds of people praying for Jed all around New York, all around the country, and all over the world (no lie--I have friends in China, Japan, Germany, and Nepal praying for him). We believe that God is healing Jed. He is healing Jed through the doctors and their knowledge and the medicine (even if it will make him lose his gorgeous hair). He is healing Jed through giving him a peaceful sleep at night. And He is even healing Jed through miraculous wonders that our minds cannot even fathom. How do I know this?

1. The first few days of Jed's hospital visit, he was connected to a bag of morphine 24/7, giving himself a concentrated dose every 15 minutes. On a scale of one to ten, his pain was an eight. After his first day of chemo, he was off the morphine and his pain was down to a one.

2. Less than a week after his first batch of chemo, Jed was back in the hospital because of a strange pressure on his chest when he was lying down. The doctors were a bit concerned and took an X-ray only to find that the chemo had already begun to substantially shrink the tumor.

3. Over a week after the doctors were supposed to call and tell us the result of the bone marrow tests, leaving us all tortured and concerned, they told us that his bones were healthy and completely clean... Ewings Sarcoma, which is a bone cancer, was nowhere near his bones... making it a much easier cancer to treat!

So you see, those prayers--those quiet little well wishes that you whisper when you're alone or as you fall asleep at night or as you drive to work in the morning--are already working... keep them coming!

One thing that I find interesting is that along with the prayers and messages and support shown, a campaign called Red for Jed was started. Now we all know that the color red was chosen because it rhymes with Jed and everyone loves a good rhyme, but colors do have a special meaning all their own. In America, red can be connected with two different things--blood and violence or romance and seduction. However, in China, the color red is very lucky; it is believed that your year (like this year, 2014, is the year of the Horse... my year!!) is very lucky but it is even more lucky if you wear red everyday (which I am proud to say I have thus far!). But for the rest of my life, when I think of the color red, I will not think of blood or love or even luck. From now on, red is the color of courage and determination and strength. It's the color of Jed... it's the color of a hero.

I don't throw that word around lightly--hero. I have very few people in my life that I consider to be a hero. Jane Goodall is my hero. The Dalai Lama is my hero. Walt Disney is my hero. Poppy is my hero. And I am now thrilled to add a fifth person to that list--Jed is my hero.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Like I mentioned earlier, this is the only time I will write anything about Jed and his battle with cancer on this blog in order to respect his privacy and his wishes. If you are interested in staying up to date on Jed's story or if you would like to get involved, there are two Facebook pages that have been created.

The first is called "Go Team Woomer" and it is a personal page that gets updated fairly regularly and it can be found right here. 

The other is called "Go Red for Jed" and it is more focused on fundraising efforts and that is over here.

Cancer is exhausting physically, mentally, and (unfortunately) financially as well. Please consider visiting Jed's fundraising page at Give Forward right here... no seriously, click the link and check it out! As of midnight on Red for Jed Day, $525 have been donated to help lessen the burden and defray the cost of the medical bills. We have a crazy, ultimate goal of $5,000 and we can only reach that with your help! Please consider donating... $50, $20, $10, even $5 can help! I know it's not as exciting at the Ice Bucket Challenge but you can help out a friend and someone that you know personally--you'll be able to directly see the effect your money has on Jed's battle! I don't know what could be better than that.

I want to thank everyone for their help so far. People who have come to visit Jed, people who have donated money, people who have brought food to us, and people who have been praying. This is going to be an eight month journey but a journey that I know Jed will come out victorious!! We all have a part to play in this battle--Jed is fighting lying in a hospital bed, and we need to fight on our knees, praying.

Keep positive. Keep praying. Keep smiling.

Until Next Time,

Amanda