Sunday, July 26, 2009

Home on the Range

Beautiful Washington beach sunset!
I got to go to a Mariner's game with the the whole Brown/Paskett family! Mariners vs. Indians--we lost really badly, but it was so much fun!
Grandpa was at the same game and got to meet the Browns!
Daft Punk laser show in Seattle!

Got to see JESSSSS!
Grandparents came for a visit!
Midnight Harry
La Palmara with amazing roomie (who is now hitched..)
Conference crew at Denny Creek!!
Game night at Carly's

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Beijing in real time.

Face mask (Swine Flu protection) goes sleep aid.
China hard seats are hell.  I puked twice and two of the girls were so sleep deprived they curled up on the floor (where people spit) so they could sleep.
798 is  famous art gallery for Beijing universities. 
outside the gallery
never figured this out one,,
We don't question Whitney
I love the Chinese children.


The next few pictures were taken in a Beijing Hutong, which is known as "real China".
bricks hold the roof on

A Chinese construction site.
Hutong hoodlums

After walking through the Hutong, we finally reached our destination! The Underground City!!  But this tiny little notice informed us the city had closed.


He was the nicest taxi driver.

Chinese women love light skin, so they use umbrellas on sunny days to protect.
Stretchy mirrors at the Natural History Museum
cute or cheesy..
Fake rhino, totally jumped in the exhibit, had to be ushered out...but I got my picture..


The Hall of Prayers at the Temple of Heaven, Becca was enjoying the lilac trellis.
The Temple of Heaven is to the left. 
I love taking pictures of all the cute children in China...
Temple of Heaven
Our group before our hike.
The Great Wall of China!
Che Xui Li and Ai Mei Li :)
There were some intense stairs to climb.
Keirsten and I on a nicer part of the wall.
Rubble windows.
Little old ladies carry bags with cold drink, shirts and picture books up the wall.  Each one finds a tourist to latch on to and "befriend"  they'll help you climb the wall by holding your hand and telling you you are so beautiful the whole hike in hopes you'll buy things from them.  This is Kiersten with her little buddy.
The Great Wall is huge.  Inner Mongolia to the right and China to the left.

Rubble wall.
There was cool lighting inside the watch towers.
gorge-ma-porge (momma :))
10K Great Wall Hike.
It was so beautiful (I hiked that whoop whoop!)
The windows all over were pretty.
We hiked the section of the wall that is not restored and not very touristy (Simitai), definitely worth the extra long drive out.
A watch tower.
Ladies like this were all along the wall selling "cold wata, cold beer, cold coka, cold tea and ice cream"- tons of em'.
After the long hike we got to zip line down the Great Wall, it was really close to my favorite part.

After the Great Wall adventure, this lady and her husband took us out to a really nice dinner at a famous restaurant in the city, it was very fancy, please note her attire...
Peking duck was pretty good
there was some delicious cashew chicken that was my favorite part....wow we ate a lot on this vacation!!
everyone at dinner!
Okay...we found Subway.....
Tuna melt bliss right here.
America needs this kind of service.  Seven workers=speed
Then we found Cold Stone, I think we were in Westernville....From the ghea to the stone!  Till ice cream drips down my cone, till all these flavas known...till all these flavas known....fun job.
Green Tea Cold Stone?  Bizaar.
Mudpie Mojo my only addiction-satisfied.  Cold Stone is international.
Outside the Silk Market.
This kid was seriously peeing in a crack in a parking lot....
Two little bargain busters!
Watches up the ying yang.
I got my jeans altered at the Silk Market and it looked like a little sweat shop in the corner of the shopping center-but they did an excellent job.
One of the chaotic shopping aisles.
A purse stand-she models her pouch so well!
Giuli and I outside the Forbidden City which was-just for the record-a complete let down.
Monks visit the Forbidden City on holiday-JUST LIKE YOU!

One of the hundreds of temples inside the Forbidden City.
Random day, middle of the week and there are still floods of people visiting.
The Water CUBE!
FYI the Olympic mascots are creepy and they grab you hard and don't let go.
The diving podium inside the Cube.
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Then we headed to Wanfujing Street, AKA snack street, there were many strange things to behold.  Like this slimy octopus...
a mountain of someone's intestines....gag....
silk worms... woof
Tree ear (jelly fungus) on a good day..
testies from some animal...
testies from some other animal-4 on one kabob!  Can you believe it!
fruit kabobs-delicious..and normal!
kabobed snake
kabobed dog weenie
Sea urchin...how would you eat this.....??
Starfish...and this....
and shark?????
Black scorpians
smaller scorps
gross bug
okay and then I ate three scorpians.