Today we leave Henan Province for the last and final leg of our adventure, Guangzhou. Everyone in our group is excited to leave behind the bone chilling temperatures of the North for the warmer climate in the South and looking forward to a much more relaxed pace. Although I am terribly homesick and anxious to get home to Emmett, our time here in Henan has been memorable and this place will continue to play a big role in our lives as we take a little piece of it with us, named Liam.
The little guy continues to surprise us more and more each day. He charms those he meets with his perfectly English sounding Hello and spontaneous bursts of song (usually ee-i-ee-i-oo from Old McDonald). We are noticing a mischievous side and he is running and jumping and acting more like the care free 2 year old boy he is. He also dislikes walking and has Jerry carrying him most places. So far we've only seen touches of the grief he must feel, at night in the form of nightmares the last two nights.
Our visit to Henan Province has been the China I envisioned in my minds eye. A total mixture of contemporary bustling metropolis with vintage surprises at every turn. As you walk through the streets a sparkling new Audi might be parked next to a man dressed in traditional Chinese garb selling baby chicks out of baskets hanging on a bamboo pole that sits atop his shoulders. You may find a McMcDonald's next door to an open air food stall displaying fried chicken feet, duck head, scorpion and other Chinese fast food favorites. We are often given side ways looks by people and the non Chinese kids in our group still have rock star status, but overall people are respectful, friendly and wish us the best with the newest members of our families. They often approach us to practice English and take pride in sharing information about their country. Chinese grandmother types won't hesitate to stop you and reprimand you if a little hand is missing a mitten or a head is without a hat. They are stern but good natured.
Here in Zhengzhou City we've also gotten a sense of the Chinese importance of shared community and family. Walking through parks you see friends sharing games of marjong at every turn, gathering for jam sessions of traditional Chinese music, and practicing tai chi. School buses are far and few between and instead Chinese grandparents ride their grandkids to and from school on bicycle.
In addition to strolling about town and filling out endless amounts of paperwork, we did do some more traditional sight seeing. We visited the Henan Provincial Museum which houses some amazing collections. Henan Province was the cradle of Chinese civilization as early as 6000 BC. It is home to some of the holiest Daoist and Buddhist temples, including Shaolin Temple known for it's warrior monks who began the practice of Kung Fu. Tsingtao beer also comes from this province and is a beverage we now have new appreciation for. Without potable water the occassional beer is refreshing after your 20th coca cola of the day.
We are headed out for one last stroll about town before our 3:00 departure for the airport.
Zaijian Henan
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