everyone loves a Chinese baby!

This is a picture of a Chinese baby that we saw and giggled with at a Chinese restaurant that we ate in right after having hiked up a very famous mountain in Changsha where scholars used to teach at.This baby was adorable and was laughing and pointing, encouraged the whole time by our large group of Americans. It can be absolutely adorable to see some of them with their little fuzzy hair and riding the little tyke cars and all.

We have even seen these wooden/woven baskets that some women wear on their backs that the babies stand in. Kinda cool looking. Whatever works right? We haven't had too many of them run up to us and point and say: wai guo ren, which means foreigner. Or lao wei, either one. The one funny thing though is that many of them have holes in the back of their pants, so depending on how many babies you see, you can end up seeing a lot of cheek! They don't wear diapers. They just have the hole there so they can pee/poop whenever/wherever they need to! :)

There was a little school girl that just decided to come over to us while we were eating at one of the dining halls on campus and just stand/ sit near us. She would just kind of twirl and try to get our attention by dancing and all that. (She did end up telling me that I had a big nose!) But, the school children like her all, along with college students all have a two hour break in the afternoon. Almost like a Spanish seista. So, you may just end up seeing some of the little elementary kids hanging out in the dining hall in the afternoon.

Speaking of the dining halls though, you definitely DO NOT want to go there around 12 noon! It is absolutely crazy. I seriously walked into one and then walked right out. There was no way that I was going to deal with the mad house in there. The dining halls are only open on this campus at certain times, and so all of the students, especially the freshman when they had finished their military training all swarm there. And, they just don't have lines. It is basically a system of crowd around, squish into each other, get in front of each. Basically whoever can get there first and get their order for rice (fan) and then whatever food you want to accompany it. I got kind of irritated with people getting in front of me as I was trying to order a dish. (Be prepared if I arrive back home and just go directly for what I want. It's a survive policy here in China!)

The streets and driving work the same where. You just go whenever and wherever you want. And, their isnt' really a rightaway for anything. It's just basically whichever vehicle is the largest and will win. You feel somewhat safe (as far as surviving) when you are in a bus. (gong gong qi che= public public gas vehicle) However, the taxis really are crazy. I mean, we were going into on coming traffic and then back over again and all sorts of stuff. Crazy stuff.... It's like you are on a go-kart track and can do whatever you want. Surprisngly though, all of the cars that I have seen are clean on the outside (you wouldn't think so with the acculumating dust) and don't have any dents on them. Most of them are newer. (They probably don't last long with the crazy traffic) The most part though, are the motorized scooters. Those are really beginning to bother me. I suppose several years ago there were just bikes. But now those little boogers drive EVERYWHERE. You will be walking along, and then suddenly get honked at and have to move out of the way so you don't get hit. People (since there are so many don't have the right-a-way.) It is given to the bigger, faster moving vehicle that is baring down on you.