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China time and date:
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One . . . More . . . Week!
Yeee-haaa! Congratulations to you all! You have succeeded in making it to the last of the major checkpoints. Listen to me carefully . . . One - week - to - go! That’s right, everybody, seven days. Count ‘em. Each day now will be the last of that day of the week. In other words, tomorrow will be the gang’s last Friday away. Feels good, doesn’t it? You now have permission to begin the welcoming home preparations. Get those signs and banners made this weekend! Yeah . . .
It is hard to believe this is the 24th day of the journey. Remember waaaaaay back to the first week? So long ago . . . Well, the group had a very busy day, spending most of their day with their Mongolian friends. We’ve got today’s report from Landis Field, along with a ton of photos. First, some photos of the college’s expansion. Here’s Tom to explain:
The college is building a new campus. It will be huge, combined with some other schools in the same area about twenty minutes out of town. Massive construction site, obviously. [Tom]
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Ever-expanding College
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The gang began their day visiting Mengniu, the largest dairy in north China (they have a fun games page on their web site). The company is a leading manufacturer of milk, yoghurt and other dairy products in mainland China.
 The JE gang then went on to visit the Helin County park displaying large stone sculptures of coins from different periods of China’s past.
Here is a magnificent photo looking through one of the stone sculptures. It looks like a painting on a wall. Hey, wait a second! Is it a painting? No, wait, it is a opening in the coin! Amazing!
Here are photos of the group “hanging out.”
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Hand-in-hand. These photos show the close bonds the kids are making with their new friends. So cool. Here’s Tom again:
[After we] visited with students from the Middle School [we] performed with students in the afternoon at the Helin International Hotel. There are many foreign investors in Mengniu including Tetra Pak from Sweden, I believe; Swiss, German, Japanese and American, among others. The hotel is new and is used by the people coming in from these global conglomerates that are involved in this joint venture. [Tom]
Let’s hear what Landis Field Has to say about the day’s adventures and performance: Landis,you’re up!
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Landis Field, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia 4/16/08
 Today we found ourselves in a milk factory staring out over a sea of stainless steel pipes. As we walked around in our little blue shoe covers reading the quotes and guidelines on the wall, questions ran through my mind. What are the meanings of these quotes? Do the employees actually follow the ones about work and succeeding? I think, would then inspire me or would I just read them and brush  the deep thoughts from my mind. It seems to me that the words or the way that someone writes them can alter lives and send them spinning down a different path.
Every time we take a picture smiling blindly into the camera, I realize that the photo can capture the scene and the expressions but it cannot capture the smell or the breeze tickling the back of my neck. I’d rather throw my cheap camera away and spend time taking in every taste and tingle around me to be able to revisit it in my head. But no, I take shots and shots to show my adventures in China and help broaden the minds of the people back home.
We rode electric carts in mid-morning up a windy mountainside, sitting next to our new found Chinese friends. When we reached the top I stood in the middle of a tranquil scene, towering mountains dotted with trees stretching far. One of my friends gave me a coin to throw into a large replica of a seashell coin from an early dynasty. I tossed it lightly and heard the satisfying clink of the coin falling in; she smiled at me and said “Now you will have good luck.” Everywhere we visit there is something like that; “touch this tree and it will bring you eternal youth.” “Do this for good luck.” I suppose it give hope to not only the less fortunate but to all who need it.
Our performance was nothing special. [Tom: I don’t think we were watching the same show. The performance was hot and the audience, although very shy, loved it.] The stage was large and carpeted. The audience was very quiet and didn’t seem to show much enthusiasm. [Tom: these were middle school students who were marched in by their teachers in groups. quite a different environment than some of the audiences that we have had. They were quiet but appreciative.] Landis again – “We pulled it off anyway, which we always attempt to do, made it special in our ways, applauding and screaming for each other to make up for the lack of audience inspiration.”
Dinner was the highlight of our day, star-shaped chandeliers illuminating the grand staircase leading up to the Shangri-La. I took one step into the room and felt like I was walking in a cloud. It was a buffet fit for a king and no one else. I filled my plate with pizza, shrimp, noodles, salad, fruit, bread, sushi, meats, rice, veggies, spaghetti and more.
The dessert offerings will be remembered. Fondue fountains of white, dark and milk chocolate; fiver different kids of ice cream with yummy toppings and whipped cream. They made crepes right in front of you and explained the contents of rows and rows of little cakes and delicacies. We cherished this because we knew that people have never seen a place like this before and never will. I sat here feeling very full but not content at the end of this meal. Here I was, stuffing my face, surrounded by all of this food that was way too much for these people and I was thinking that I could walk outside and find an undernourished beggar on the street wishing for a full stomach and never having the chance to taste filet mignon.
An intriguing part of the people in China is that if they have a job where they are here to serve, they do it well. I have not found a moment where I doubt their dedication. They take your bags into your rooms for you in hotels; smile and open the door for you at every opportunity and, if you make a mistake, they apologize. I’m sure that this is not always how it is, but the people here seem more courteous.
We are now on the bus to the Gobi. Out here, closer to the desert, the land gets barren and brown. Many of the houses, in contrast to the ones we have seen, are made of mud brick, crumbling with the wind and the weather. This is what we see when we drive on these roads. This is what gives us a perspective on our lives and what we have; that which we take for granted.
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And now, once again, ladies and gentlemen, I bring you, performing (to a quiet, but enthusiastic audience) on center stage with a great group of Mongolian performers, your JE 2008 troupe!
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They never cease to amaze!
Here’s Tom to finish up the day:
 You have, no doubt, heard of the Shangri la Hotel chain. We really hit the high rent district last night as we were hosted by Mr. Wang Rong, the leader in the Art Department at dinner in the dining room of the hotel. Some of the best sushi I have ever had and more delectable treats that you could shake a stick at. The kids went wild with the choices. World class operation. I couldn't believe we were there.
Wang Rong, [shown with our kids in the photo above] stayed with Mimi and Rip when he was in Vermont.
  Mr. Yiruletu, [left and right] is an incredibly gifted calligrapher; his "hobby." He has a great display of his work in the Inner Mongolia hotel and we enjoyed seeing his art.
The gang is off to the Gobi desert today. Looking forward to that adventure! “Lawrence! Lawrence!”
On their way out the door, Tom said:
 As the group boards the bus and heads off to their next adventure, they’ll be thinking about their return to Vermont where they will try to tell everyone about this amazing experience. We’ll have some idea of what they did, where they went, and who they met, by having watched them through this web site. However, no matter how hard they try, no one will know what it was really like. You simply had to be there. Journey East veterans will smile and nod. They know, we will want to know.
The LGUHS Asian Studies/Journey East 2008 program returns in 2010. If you are interested, or have child who might be interested in becoming a part of the next program, be sure to stay tuned to L&G's Journey East site for more info.
This place is cool . . . no, it’s Hohhot!
Hohhot (Huhehaote)
Okay everybody. it’s been another great day. looking forward to much, much more!
Enjoy the beautiful day!
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