Beijing Day 2 - PICTURES ADDED

Updating on 12/20 to add some pictures

Ni Hao.

Hope all are well. This is day 2 in Beijing - just as
wonderful as day 1! One more family joined us at
dinner last night as they had been delayed by a night
in Tokyo - so we are 5 families strong now with I
think 3 more to be added in Nanning tomorrow. We are
leaving for the airport at 10:30 am and I believe our
flight leaves at 1:00 pm. When we get to Nanning we
are supposed to go to the department store to buy
pre-baby stuff and then get Gianne the next day - not
sure what time but I think it was set up for the
morning.

Today was the Jade factory, Great Wall, Summer Palace
and the Pearl Market. Patsy has been a spending
maniac! She took a "break" at the Pearl Market to go
outside for a smoke and came back in with 2 Gucci
purses - She was laughing so hard about it that she
was snorting! The vendors were in the parking lot and
got her (or should I say "saw her coming").

We got to the Wall today and Joe said go left for the
"easy" way and go right for the "hard" way - we went
left and it was way too easy (basically went around in
a circle but didn't go "up" anywhere - bee-U-Tee-Full
views but no "up"). So we went back and started to
climb - the Patsy-ism of the day was when mom looked
up and said:

"Geez, I thought this was going to be a leisurely walk
up the great wall, I didn't realize they would have
all these STEPS!". She is so funny!

Chloe is much better today. She slept all the way
through the night last night -went to bed around 8 I
think and didn't wake up until I did at 5 am - mom
woke up at 3am again but I think that we will all be
over this by tomorrow morning.

The bfast buffets here have been really, really good -
salad, vegetables, salmon, brie - the best coffee in
the world (mom mentioned buying one of those one cup
machines for her apartment! - hint hint for xmas
maybe). And of course the lunch and dinner food
continues to be really good. It seems there are many
more vegetables than last time - not sure why.

The smog is very, very heavy - we aren't really
feeling it but it is definitely noticeable by sight.
Joe took us past the auditorium that was built for the
Olympics - wow is that something - looks like a large
birds nest. It is very, very obvious that they are
extremely busy - construction wise trying to get
everything ready. I can't wait to watch the opening
ceremonies next year. Speaking of the olympics, we
are having a heck of a time finding Olympic stuff - a
few things here and there but nothing to speak of - I
really, really wanted a Beijing 2008 baseball hat
(since I live in these now) but they are all the goofy
high forehead ones and I am picky about my hats.
And kelley - I have seen no TEA anywhere - can you
believe it? Things are just so different in 2007 vs.
2002 - even Joe said that things have really changed
in even 4 years.

Going to the Summer Palace, etc reminded me of going
to Jamaica with all of the vendors - seriously. Mom
kept asking - "What are we supposed to say again?" -
BOO YOW!!!! She learned Chinese pretty quick! Chloe
was laughing so hard at all the vendors - some of them
got pretty testy and were literally yelling at us - it
was all pretty funny.

Love ya.

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