The most expensive breakfast EVER and XXXL dresses!

Even though this blog will encompass a lot (be prepared to sit a while), I wanted to have a catchy title. In fact, we couldn't wait to get back to share this with you all, if any one reads. First of all, I know Shane sent out an update of my health (again). I am feeling better enough to write this email, and am grateful for the somewhat settling effect of pepto bismal. Today has been quite horrid for my health, but I continue to ask for strength and a positive attitude. On the good side, when I felt well enough I got to read a lot of a fabulous book called "When Sinners Say 'I do'". Highly recommended! I'm not sure what I"m supposed to learn from having constant health struggles here, but it is definetely refining. LouAnn- you said there'd be moments when we would need our conviction that this is where we should be, and I am glad to have it. Between the constant health issues and the culture shock, If i didn't have that conviction I would be in deep regret. I am grateful for the advice of an old spanish teacher on having an opening mind with culture shock (she told us this when we went to spain).: Some girls were complaining that Spaniards were rude because they didn't say excuse me when they bumped into you. The teacher, after acknowledg this observation, accounted how she thought Americans were rude when she first arrived in the US, because they would asked "how are you" and obviously not really care. Though I didn't have culture shock in Spain, her words have served me well here. When I am tempted, yet again, to irritation or even anger with the constant pushing and shoving, the exorbitant prices they give foreigners, the feeling of being cheated (like this morning when our taxi driving withheld some change of our fee for no reason) and most especially the lack of functional lines, I take some wise advice (thank you louann and paul) "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whwatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things." I think about how helpful individuals are here- how when we were lost in Shanghai one college student walked 25 minutes to show us how t get there, and he wasn't even going there! Or how 2 students here came to our apartment for 6 house to make our computer in english- and we didn't even know them! they were a friend of a friend! I think about LeighAnn back in the US and what a kind and generous person she is. That helps.

On to Shanghai updates: I must start with the breakfast. My wonderful husband/provider is continuosly shrewd and looking for ways to earn discounts or free stays to restaurants/hotels. One such thing is points on our Hilton Credit card. Through spending and taking surveys, he earned enough for us to stay two nights in a 5 star luxury Hilton in Shanghai. I've never stayed somewhere so beautiful! Located downtown and our 19th floor suite overlooking the jing'an buddhist temple, it was a great spot. I could go on and on about how nice it was, but lets get to the breakfast: So the hotel reminded us to come in the morning for a continental breakfast. When we went through the buffet line (omelets, crispy bacon, real us bread with chocolate nutella, fruit galore, meats, cheeses, etc), I came back to the table and told Shane I was having "heart palipitations" because of all the glorious food. He said, "Get ready to have another one," and handed me the bill- 423 yuan for breakfast!!! (Obviously we had 2nds, and 3rds, etc). All we could do was laugh and be glad we had brought enough money. This is around $70 US, which is still crazy for breakfast- but remember that our dollar to yuan earning is almost the same, so to us thats almost like a $423 breakfast! We paid 240 for our stay at another hotel, to put it in perspective.

Shanghai was a good experience, and I'm glad we went. I'm also glad we took a friends advice and only went 3 days. There were neat things to see there, such as the Jade Buddha temple (which had mohagany carvings dating from 200 ad), the Oriental Pearl Tower (the largest TV tower in China and overlooking at night a beatufiully lit up city on the water), the Shanghai Museum (my favorite, Shanghai's history in wax),The Bund, older commercial Shanghai with walkways on the water, and the Yu Gardens (created in the 16th century) which are surrounded by adorable traditional chinese buildings with bargaining shops. The Jade Buddha temple was a good and difficult experience for me. It is the first time I have physically seen multitudes of people bowing to worship statues of gilded stone, and my heart was broken. Of all things Shanghai, I most appreciated the English signs (which are generally lacking in Changsha) and especially the Western Food options. Although I think it was the ceasar salad my last night that has come back to punish me. These things are all interested and certainly if one is in China, they should go. We knowingly choose a crazy week, so often we were walking as if herded cattle. Imagine your worst crowd on a warm day at Disney World- then multiply it by 10 and make it last 3 days instead of 10 minutes. I am intensely grateful neither of us were robbed or separated from each other.

If my mom comes, I'll have to take her bargaining cuz I am just not good at it. I keep worrying about hurting peoples feelings, as if I'll insult their product by giving too low a price. We did get a few things though. - I tried to buy a beautiful Chinese dress and after the lady commented," big, big, big, you need larger" and motioning to my hips, she put me in a XXXL dress. Great one for the self esteem:) lol. So I bought a similiar looking "silk" shirt instead. Of course we got "real jade" turtle chopsticks for decoration. Again, I am grateful to be able to sit this long to write this email, thanks to many things including the creation of pepto finally kicking in. Peace out and hope to hear from you all!!