Some Randomness...

It's a pretty typical fall day here in Seattle...gloomy and rainy.  Nothing special to report in this little corner of the planet, so today's post is a little random.  I'm wearing a repeat today...my beloved acting out skirt with the field game cardigan.  I call this my power outfit!  I feel so authoritative in it.  :)

Last August, Chris, my parents and took a trip to China for three weeks.  It was my dad's first time back since 1989 and it was Chris' first time in my home country.  I thought I'd share some of that experience with you all:

This is a very busy shopping district in my home town, Shenyang.

Apparently we went to the wrong part of the Great Wall.  The area we went was FULL of tourists and I was told that there is a better area just down a bit where there's hardly anyone! 

Olympic Bird's Nest!  A total tourist trap now.

This is my cousin that I was the closest to when I was a kid.  My parents used to dress us alike and people thought we were twins.  She was so kind and hospitable when we were there.  I miss her so much.

Ahh...of course we had to stop at Starbucks.  The blended drinks are so much better there because they use a different chocolate and milk mixture.  A typical drink like this is quite steep for the regular Chinese person.  If you work as a waitress or any blue collar job, a cup of frap will cost you a day's pay. 

Peking duck!!!  Did you know there are only two places in Beijing that serves authentic Peking Duck?  The rest are just copy cats.  We, of course, hunted down the real thing near the Forbidden City.

Big Mac's in China tasted less fattening to me.  But like Starbucks coffee, not everyone can afford something like this.  Going to McDonalds for most people probably means a special occasion. 

Ahh...amazing terra cotta soldiers. 

Being from the Northwest, we see moutains, trees, and totem poles all the time.  But in China, it's rare to see something as beautiful if you've lived in your city your whole life.  Thus, when you have scenery like this, it costs an arm and a leg to get in.  We had to pay several day's worth of pay of a normal person to actually go into this park to look at scenery we see for free in the US.

There are a bunch of Chinese herbal "pharmacies" around town...and these drugs don't require a prescription.  I love the English translation of different sections within the drug store.  I have no idea what these sections were...but they are sure hilarious. 

Use to Stick a Cream Outside.  I'm a little scared of this one.

The Facial Feature is Internal Use...hmmm...I thought facial features were external?

The Gynecology is Internal Use.  I wonder if there is an External Use section.

The Day Turns Thing...hmmmm.  Maybe if you don't use it, it turns you into a pumpkin at night?

And a trip to China wouldn't be complete without a trip to Walmart.  The dollar signs look the same but you'll find all sorts of goodies here.  I found Peking Duck flavored Lay's Potato Chips.  Yum!