A Few Fun Facts For You

OK, it's 3:30 am and Dad's watching ESPN, and I thought of a few more things, now that I am somewhat not exhausted!
1. When you enter your hotel room, there's a slot that you have to put your room key into to turn on the lights. Dad and I spent 15 minutes trying to figure that one out. Then we broke down and asked!
2. There are 13 million (official count) to 18 million people (unofficial--includes students, foreigners, etc), 3 million cars, and 8 million bikes in Beijing.
3. It is unwise to drink the water, but a bottle of Nestle water costs about 40 cents.
4. I have seen lots and lots of young people, and not so many older adults--yet.

We're Here! May 25, 9:35 pm

We made it...and no, we didn't get two middles. We arrived at the SF airport at 10:30 AM on May 24. We were 9th in line for the Air China ticket counter. They were supposed to open at 11...no, 11:30...no, they finally opened at noonish. We ended up with an aisle and a middle in a 3-4-3 configuration. The flight left 30 minutes late. Neither Dad or I slept at all...we arrived at 5:45 PM on May 25. We met a few other people on the tour, met Sunny, our tour guide, at the gate, collected our luggage, cleared Customs, took an hour bus ride to the hotel! Phew! But Dad is endless in his quest for adventure, so we went out and walked a bit in the big city and had some dinner (Spring Pigeon soup--complete with a full leg in the broth!) and stir-fried vegetables. Now, here's the really interesting thing--I told Dad that I was going to Blog before bed, AND! the blog instructions are in Chinese! I had to remember by position and symbols how to get in, sign in, and create a new post, or we'd be quite empty on the information highway!

Arrival in San Francisco

The alarm went off at 4:30 AM as scheduled. I said my goodbyes to Jeb, and we drove to the airport in the rain, where I said my goodbyes to Hubby! The flight was uneventful, although as we were landing, all I could think about was that the length of that flight was only 25% of what we have to do to get to Beijing! After a little confusion about where to pick up the shuttle to the hotel, I walked into the lobby to see Dad waiting for me. (Yes, this is a father-daughter experience, although Dad is both blog & camera shy). We went to eat lunch (Mexican!), walked on the waterfront trail, caught up with one another and checked in on vaious members of the family. We still don't have seats for the 12 hour flight tomorrow, which is making both of us quite nervous (what if we get two middles?)

Preparing for Departure

Sounds a bit like a Disney ride, doesn't it..."please keep your hands and feet inside the ride. We are now preparing for departure from the gate..." Only, wow! How much better is this? The alarm is set for 4:30 AM, everything's packed except for my toothbrush, I have "away" messages on my phone and email, and peanut butter is stashed away securely in my luggage. I can't wait to learn more about older adults...and myself. Here goes!

It Can't Be Just Two Weeks Away!

Anticipation is a great thing. This is NOT it.

The future is now only two weeks away. Small details keep coming up, demanding attention...things like the need to break in a new pair of shoes, or finding out if peanut butter is allowed (travel snacks are a necessity!), or discovering the difference between an adapter and a converter (both are required, apparently). Then there's the big things, like making sure that my husband has a copy of my passport and knows when to pick me up at the airport! Am I missing something? Who knows? Do you? If you have any suggestions for this soon-to-be traveler, please post them!

Seminar in Aging: Beijing, China

The American Society on Aging (ASA) is hosting its 6th Seminar in Beijing this summer. The Seminar brings together 22 people from across the nation with an interest in global aging (including a total of 3 from Kansas). We will leave from San Francisco on May 24 and return on May 31, 2007.

Here's a preview of future blog entries:
05/22: Preparing for Departure
05/23: Arrival in San Francisco
05/24: Fly Away
05/25: Arrival in Beijing
05/26: Aging Issues: The Government's Policies and Dilemmas
05/27: Overview of Public Healthcare for the Elderly
05/28: Cultural Exploration
05/29: Visit to Dongzhimen Chinese Traditional Hospital
05/30: Visit to the Senior University of China Railway Ministry
05/31: Fly Away (The Sequel)
06/01: There's No Place Like Home

Just four weeks until departure...