All's quiet on the Asian front-

Greetings,

Sorry, but back to Curt...
In honor of the family being back in the US, I have attached a few pictures of them as I think about how much I still wish they were here... The first is of Sam and Aly doing what they do best. We were in Shanghai, and they were starving, so we had to stop for noodles and Dim Sum from a street vendor. (Sam forced us to go back twice for more, so it's no wonder Americans get a bad rap for overeating.) The second one was taken in a fishing village in a small island called Lantau south of Hong Kong. The third was in Shenzhen at Sunset before we had dinner, and the final one was the day before they left in Dongguan. That day, we scheduled a "fun" day at sea, with little to nothing scheduled, but somehow those can often be the best, especially after the last few weeks.

As disappointed as I'm certain most of you are, the family has returned to the states, and not only have I had to go back to work, but the blog duties have returned to me. After Abbey, Sam, and Aly left, I was astounded at what celebrities they had become. Around the hotel, and different areas here in south China, I have been stopped asking about the "Dragon and Phoenix". While the communication was not always clear, I could interpret through motioning with their hands and holding up "2" and holding their hands around Sam and Aly's height. It has been much more quiet, and tough for all of them to be back home. However, I know that they were anxious to be back in the states with family and friends. We did have an incredible time, and Abbey has committed to posting her "observations" from travel around China in the next week or so.

In the last few weeks, Sam and I (and also Abbey and Aly) had become frequent visitors to the the Asian Spas. The Saunas are quite popular, and definitely a different experience from what I have had in the US. I had my first one today without Sam, and it just wasn't the same. As I looked around the room at a bunch of naked Asians, I was wondering what I had been enjoying...Aside from the language barrier, several had an annoying habit of throwing more water on the coals and then leaving. Since the room was already 110, this served to crank it up to 120, so as they were relaxing in the shower, I was passed out in a puddle on the floor-

Today I rented a bike and spent the afternoon touring markets, shopping areas, and found the Starbucks! Seriously, this may have been one of the better ways of sightseeing so far. The bike gave the freedom to duck down side alleys, and thoroughly explore areas I might not have set off on foot. I found several neat fruit and produce "alleys" where stands lined both sides for at least 3 or 4 city blocks. There was also fresh meat, fish, and assorted poultry (not all recognizable) available. When I say fresh, whatever was purchased was killed prior to being packaged and for the customer. Apparently, most Chinese do not generally prefer to ever purchase frozen or previously deceased meat . The only way to ensure it is fresh, is to witness it-

As usual, I'll try to send an update at least once a week.

Lonely in China, but having a ball-