Ocean Park with Val & E Chin - Visiting the Panda's

Me, E Chin and Val arriving at Ocean Park. E Chin and Val are my friends in Hong Kong - they are also my Auntie Laura's friends too!

First we meet the talking tree that told us about recycling.
Next it was off to the trains then the Panda - go -round
We were sure to get a thrill way up high on the Frog Hopper






WOAAAAHHHHH!

To get to other parts of the park we had to take the cable car - Wow look at the view of Deep Water Bay on the back of Hong Kong Island

(L - R) Jia Jia, Ye Ye and Li Li are Panda's from China now living at Ocean Park.

High Tea Hong Kong Style

High Tea is a custom in Hong Kong introduced by the British. High Tea starts at 3pm till about 5:30pm. High Tea is a hot drink with small sandwiches - smaller than the ones I get in my school lunch from Mama! Plus lots of good sweet things like pie, cake and mousse (but not the animal kind) it is like soft pudding. Mama does not give me these sweets in my school lunch.

Me, my Auntie Laura and Grampy enjoyed High Tea so much that we had to skip dinner because we were so full!

Big Buddha

OH MAN MORE STAIRS!!! I climbed 268 steps just to reach the Buddha. The Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island in the Hong Kong SAR is one of the largest bronze Buddha's in the world.

My Grampy, Auntie Laura and me next to the statues offering gifts to the Buddha.

"Friendlies" 2008 Beijing Olympic Mascots

Huānhuan (欢欢) the Olympic Flame

Yíngying (迎迎) a Tibetan antelope.

Jīngjing (晶晶) a gaint panda

There are 5 Friendlies: Beibei, Jingjing, Huanhuan, Yingying, and Nini. Something way cool is when you say the names together, they sound almost like the Chinese saying "北京欢迎你" ( Běijīng huānyíng nǐ) which means "Beijing Welcomes You".

Interviewing Professor Ding - teacher of painting to farmers in Xian

The bright colors on the paintings outside Professor Ding's workshop caught my attention. When I went into the workshop I also learned that he is a FAMOUS teacher of art to farmers in China. He has traveled all over the world to show the farmers work and to teach. I asked him to come to the Batch to show us and he smiled - so maybe he will come!

He autographed his book for me and showed me so many news and magazine articles of people telling about his work in different languages - I could only read the English ones.

To learn more about Professor Ding and his importance to Chinese culture visit: http://silkroadproject.blogspot.com/2007/02/shaanxi-province-art-for-people.html

Playing in Xian, Shaanxi

In Xian I went on walk through the neighborhood to see if I could find some kids to play with ...











Many people have birds for pets in China!

I even tried to play Chinese Chess with the adults! But I couldn't quite get the game right but at least I tried!!














I and my Aunt Laura talked with some kids I learned that they like pizza just like American kids. Some of the kids spoke English really good they said that they study at school. Some kids like did not know baseball or even the RED SOX but many knew about basketball. We also played "Duck Duck Goose!" It was a fun as they did not know how to play before we showed them.

Terracotta Army

WICKED COOL! These soldiers were buried with the Emperor when he died. They are to keep the Emperor company when he is in heaven.

They are made from clay.

There are horses too!

There are rows and rows of the army all lined up. Every one is different no two look the same.

Video of Chadem at The Great Wall of China!

If you click the link below, you can watch my Jig! Sorry for the sideways view, I am only 7, I can't figure everything out!

Chadem_In_China_748.avi

The Great Wall of China

Can you believe this??? I'm on my way up to The Great Wall of China at Mutianyu! Did you know that The Great Wall of China is the only man made thing the astronauts can see in outer space and is the longest thing ever made by man!!

I'm riding with my friend Michelle, whom I have known since I was about 3. She worked with my Auntie Laura at Peking University. Look how high I am!


What a picture! Can you see the forts where the soldiers lived on the wall. The wall was built to protect the Emperor.



I'm actually trying to look out at the view!




I hope this picture gives you an idea of the actual amount of stairs I walked up!


I brought this book that teachers from my school had made for me. In the book there are pictures of me with my friend Connor and my principal Mr. Killeen. HAHAHA, now I can say I brought them to The Great Wall of China! HAHAHA!


A group photo! From L-R is Michelle, ME, my Grampy and my Auntie Laura, taking a rest while at The Great Wall of China!

Another Emperor's Palace

The Emperor has another Palace that he goes to just in the summer called 'The Summer Palace' with a GIGANTIC lake and tons of buildings, bridges and gardens. I took a peddle boat around the lake. Some people went around the lake in the dragon boat.



This is the highest point at the Palace. It is a place where the Empreror must have come to pray to Buddha. To get to the top I had to climb more than a 100 stairs!

Also, my new friend who I met at Beijing University was also there visiting!

Pedicab & Chinese Acrobats

Beijing has so many pedicabs which are motorbikes with a little house on them for passengers to sit. Mr. Huang took me on a ride around the city. He was a safe driver and I didn't have to wait in any traffic. He gave me his army hat to keep and a pin for good luck.

Went to go see a way cool show with Chinese Acrobats (http://www.china-acrobatic.com/English/cn.htm)! Acrobats is sort of like gymnastics but more stuff. The girls are turning the plates at the top of the sticks and riding the bicycles while throwing bowls onto each others heads.

The Emperor's Palace

Visited The Emperor's Palace - did you know that the guards watching the palace stand straight in the same spot for more than six hours a day! At least they can move their head to look around.

The man in the picture is not an Emperor his name is Mao Zedong he was a government leader when there was no more Emperor. People here really like him because his picture is everywhere like on the money and watches.



The Emperor's Palace is HUGE - the last Emperor was Pu Yi. He was a kid like me when he became the Emperor. I think that he may have used a map to help him find his way around the 9000 rooms of the palace.

The Emperor's army had different color clothes. The officers of different rankings wore colors based on their ranking.

I even had the chance to climb inside the palace because some places are really steep and high.