April 21, 2011

Zoe

Definitely a birthday I will never forget.  Today was incredible.  Yet
again I have gone places that I never imagined existed.  First off we
visited a Buddhist temple. I saw people practicing their faith: I saw them
kowtowing, lighting incense and giving offerings with a lookof certainty
in what they believed. Religion is beautiful, even if I am not a part of
it and the beliefs and feelings and love and faith that was surrounding me
at this temple was something new and magical.  You could feel the faith in
the air along with the pungent smell of incense. 

After a delicious lunch we all set off to another seemingly impossible
place. The stone forest was, exactly as its name states, a place of
stone trees.  Rocks reaching high above ourheads and carved through with
paths of various size.  Sometimes we would have to duck to get through and
other times out entire group could walk through in a line without touching
either side.  The crowds were ridiculous but the sights were well worth
it. At one point we hiked up (more) stares to a small temple-like building on the top of one of the stones.  We could see everything.  The rocks standing amazingly tall, often looked as if they were about was the girl (Ashima) with the flower basket on her back and the man and thewomen hugging.  An eagle formed naturallyof a gigantic stone.  The paths throughout the stone pillars were slippery from all of the people walking on them and the stone that was considered lucky to touch(with your left hand) was smooth from the amount of hands that had swept over its surface. 

Dinner was another delicious and unique experience. Today it was potatoes (actually it turned out to be eggplant—who knew you could get the two confused) but there have definitely been more interesting dishes. And I love it all. American-Chinese food just does not compare. 

I also, as a birthday treat, got to try out a Chinese tradition—long life noodles.  These were super delicious and made even more so by the meaning that Chinese culture puts with them.  The noodles are long as a way to
hope for a long life and many more birthdays!  After dinner we went back to
the hotel and yet again I had a birthday surprise.  Ms. Green, Mr. Blomgren and Ms. Simpson had presented me with a delicious (Hello Kitty) birthday cake complete with a hair band made of oranges and delicious chocolate whiskers. With all of us sitting together in the hotel room eating cake, I had a wonderful, unique, super fun day, I know for sure that
this sweet sixteen can’t be beat!