The most obvious thing I've noticed here is the modern & ancient together. Along with the beautiful new cars, roads, & buildings, there are donkey drawn carts and venders selling from their bicycle/carts.

It's also interesting to see how curious the people are when they see us, and how many seem pleased when we say, "Hi", after catching their eye.

I was told that the Chinese young people are very respectful of the elderly. I have a funny story to share about that playing out.

Lanaea, 15, and I were in a little stall at the Market place in Beijing. We were in the middle of bartering for various items. I was sitting on this tiny stool that was a criss-cross thing with a metal seat that was not attached. Each time I got up from this stool, my legs would stick to it, and it would fall off and the whole thing would crash to the floor. SO, I started to get up very slowly and carefully in order to let the stool un-stick from my legs before I got too far off of the stool. That way, it stayed put. At one point, we were talking, and showing family pictures, and they asked how old Lanaea was. Lanaea told them, and then offered the information about how old I am.,...much older than most most moms. (Grandma-age older!). When Lanaea said that, both of the girls gauked; eyes widening. The very next time I had to get up from the stool, (slowly..to keep it from falling over), both girls quickly leaned over and held my elbows to help me up. I recognized immediately what was happening, and had to laugh inside because at home, I ride my bike 10 times up a steep hill in Dishman Hills just to be cardio-fit, spending almost 1 and 1/2 hrs. doing it. I probably could have run circles around them, yet they were so precious to "help the elderly woman up out of her chair".

Celeste