Where Are They Now?

LGUHS

ASOP

FREEMAN

Tomorrow, Tomorrow . . .

Good morning everyone!

T-minus 1

Well, here we are, ONE MORE DAY! Hard to believe, isn’t it? Remember a month ago, before the start of the journey and you were wondering what this whole experience was going to be like? Now you know! That was easy, right? And it was nothing short of incredible, either.

Just take a moment and think about all of the things these guys have done for the past month. This is no walk in the park, folks. These guys have been going at it every day, non-stop, for a month! On days when they get to sleep in, it means be in the lobby at 8am! They fill each day to the brim and live life to the fullest As much as these guys miss their families, they would love to keep this journey rolling along.

We do have a variety of photos in and around Beijing, some of the kids, most of people, places, and things, for you today. And (drum roll please) the time has come for your JE2010 quiz. That’s right, everybody. The only way out of here is to take the quiz and get all the answers correct! We shall see if you really have been paying attention.

So let’s get out on the streets and see what’s happening:
 

No, seriously, what is it?

Let’s continue our tour around the city:
 

The kids watch in amazement as Jenny sings out a high C!

Yesterday and today, the group visited the Forbidden City (group photo at top), Tiananmen Square (this is an amazing panoramic view of the square), and the Temple of Heaven. And the last event of the journey was a visit to the Pearl market. The shopping experience at the Pearl Market is highly anticipated by the kids and should be a fun way to put an end to the journey.

This has been one amazing journey, hasn’t it? The pictures and reports have given us small windows into the magnificence of this journey. When the group returns (tomorrow!), we can look forward to hearing and seeing the details of a voyage that we have been privileged to see only from afar. I would guess this group (collectively) has taken more than five thousand photos to help tell the story!

These kids have been on a most ambitious and energetic 29-day journey. Once the “buzz” from being back home wears off, they’ll try to resume what we consider a “normal” life. This may not be easy for some of the kids, so be patient as the kids transform back from being “Chinese” for a month to being your kids again. As we have mentioned several times throughout this experience, these are not the same kids we knew a month ago. And as for parents, you are not the same either. 

We hope to get reports and photos from the last full day in China, but it is possible this is the last of it. For a look back, the photo to the right is one taken when the gang visited the Great Wall nearly a month ago. Little did they know what was ahead of them. Oh, the places they did go . . .

By the time you read this, their day is over and they are all busy “trying” to pack a month’s worth of memories into their bags!

The group heads to the airport tomorrow morning (yea!), leaving behind a significant part of their life (past, present, and future). And while they may be leaving that part of the world physically, they will never leave it emotionally or spiritually.

Okay, so now it’s time to see if you have been paying attention, or sleeping in class. Below, you’ll find the Journey East 2010 Quiz. The answers will posted at a later date. 

So enjoy this day knowing that tomorrow you’ll have your kids and spouses “back home again.”

We might get some more photos in before the gang heads off to the airport in a few hours, so stay tuned.

Tomorrow, tomorrow . . . won’t be just any day!

Journey East 2010 Quiz

1. The group visits five major cities. What are they?
2. How many hours difference is China from us? Ahead or behind?
3. What is the basic monetary unit of China?
4. Qufu is the birthplace of whom?
5. Can you name the three chaperones of JE 2010?
6. How many official nationalities are there in China
7. What famous museum, named after a general, do they visit in Chongqing?
8. What is the majority people group in China?
9. What sports did the group engaged in during their stay in Qufu?
10. Can you name (first name only) all of the kids of this journey? (10,000 bonus points)
11. What did the group plant in the final days of the journey?
12. What is the name of the choreographer the girls all found adorable in Hohhot?
13. What is “hot pot?”
14. The group eats at three American fast-food places. Can you name them?
15. How many (total) photos are found on this journey’s web site? (if a photo is used twice, it still counts.) (5,000 bonus points)
16. What Chinese year (hint: name of a famous golfer) is 2010?
17. They visit a sea of a different color. What color is the sea and why is it that color?
18. Who said “A picture is worth a thousand words?”
19. Hohhot is often referred to as “what?”
20. Someone makes a trip to the hospital during the journey. Who was it?
21. What kind of bears did the group see in Chengdu?
22. Name three major sights seen in Chongqing.
23. Can you name at least five “old friends” the group met during the journey?
24. Some of the kids are invited out to a nightclub to hear a friend play in a band. Who is that friend?
25. The kids learn a love song in Qufu. What is the name of the song?
26. How tall is the Leshan giant Buddha?
27. Throughout the site, there are references to song titles. Can you name at least ten?
28. The group takes a river cruise in Chongqing. What is the name of the river?
29. By touching the gnarly trees in Qufu, one its supposed to regain what?
30. Are one hump or two hump camels found in Asia?
31. Tom and Jenny have a son visit while in Hohhot. What is his first name?
32. What is the symbol of Hohhot?
33. How do you say “hello” in Chinese?
34. The Gobi Desert is also know as what?
35. What is the name of the sacred mountain the group visited?
36. How many steps to the top of Mt. tai?
37. What is Confucius’ surname in Chinese?
38. In 100,000 words or more, tell us about your favorite part of the 2010 Journey East.

Good luck!