-
Fjorde and Stavkirke
This was the morning (4:47 a.m.) view from the balcony of our hotel room. It’s located on Aurlandsfjord in the town of Aurdal. We’re in Aurdal having finished our time in Oslo. Highlights included seeing the painting “Scream” by Edvard Munch (circa 1893) and watching Ellie eat the biggest cotton candy twirl ever! Today we…
-
Norway as a people
Today was our first full day in Norway. Which, in turn, was our first day in Europe. I have been to Europe before (I did a German exchange program in high school). But this was different. Norway’s culture is just so special. One day, I asked my mom what country she thought “did it best.”…
-
GO BIG or Go Home
A few short decades ago, Dubai was a dot in the desert. Then its leaders launched a plan to become a global tourist destination. In other words, Dubai decided to “go big.” In 2025, it boasts the tallest building in the world. And the largest shopping mall in the world. And because there’s no snow…
-
116 Degrees… But It’s A Dry Heat
That was the “feels like” temperature in Dubai yesterday, July 2. (The actual temperature was only 104 F. ) It was 96 F when we got off the plane at 4:00 a.m. yesterday morning. Yes, it’s hot! Yesterday was full: walking around Dubai, ATV driving and camel riding in the desert, dune busting in a…
-
Goodbye China!
With this being our last day in Guangzhou and our last day in China, I was tasked with authoring today’s blog post. With this sabbatical trip’s theme being about going back to our roots, of course going to China was for me. I got to see and hear how China has changed, developed, industrialized, and…
-
The Winds of Change
Have you heard of Nanchang? As the capital city of China’s Jiangxi Province, seventeen years ago it was not an international city. To say the least. This is what it looked like in 2008. It still looks like this today…on one street. Our guide, Lucy, took us to the “old street.” It looked familiar. The…
-
Back to the Beginning
Today we made our way to Bo Yang city. As some of you may know, Bo is my middle name. My parents chose it because when I was living in China for the first 10 months of my life, my Chinese name was Bo Tong (波彤). Between the time of July 30, 2007, and May…
-
Farewell to Chengdu
Today we bid farewell to Chengdu, China’s fourth largest city with a population of 21 million. Our tour guide, Celine, gasped when we told her Granger’s population was roughly 30 thousand! This led to a conversation about xiaoqu. A xiaoqu is a grouping of residential high-rise towers. According to Celine, each xiaoqu can have up…
-
Xi’an! And other Chinese things
As a Chinese adoptee raised by white people, I was cultured as much as I could have been. I was taught the basics of my heritage, while still having a love for a good ol’ american cheeseburger too! I remember as a kid, learning about the Terracotta Warriors and thinking they were real people stuck…
-
Goodbye Beijing
Over Peking Duck tonight, I posed the question: What’s one thing you have learned over the last five days? Ellie said she learned how to use a “squatter” toilet, say “watermelon” in Mandarin, the best way to eat Peking Duck, and all about Chairman Mao (who still lies in state in Tiananmen Square). Brad said…
Wander Tales by PC, PB, and Ellie
A Journey Rooted and Grounded in Love
Wander Tales by PC, PB, and Ellie 