Thinking about China

So I've been thinking a lot about China today and my time there and what not. When I moved there I really did not want to be there, but as I look back on it now, I am so grateful my parents made me move there.

I was in Chinese today and on MWF, we only speak Chinese in class (or are only spoken to in Chinese) and its crazy for me to think that 3 years ago, I couldn't speak a lick of Chinese, and now I'm getting so much better and I am even beginning to read and write. I was thinking on the first thing I learned in Chinese (other than ni hao) and it was my address. It was a simple phrase, and it took Noelle and I all day to learn it. We were going to meet up with a family in the branch who were going to a museum that we wanted to go to. Our branch president offered to have us dropped off by his driver on his way to work. He tried so hard for the 30 minutes we were in the car to teach us Jingshan bie shu yi bai er shi san hao (Jingshan Villas #123) That was it. But it took Noelle and I forever to learn it! And now, looking back, I think it was so funny that that seemed so hard!

Another reason I have been thinking about China lot is because of what has been in the news. As some of you may know, I visited the most western province in China, Xin Jiang, almost 2 years ago, and now that area that I visited is becoming a war torn area, and the historic areas of it are being destroyed. I absolutely loved that area, and it was by far one of my favorite trips. As I have been seeing pictures of them tearing down this beautiful area to build high rises is so sad to see. I wanted to post a few pictures so you all can see what it looks like there. Most of the people there are Uighers and are from Arab/Russian/European descent, so they don't even look Chinese.

It was so beautiful here!

Now living in Utah, this isn't such a rare scene (desert front, snowy mountains in the back) but at the time, I was fascinated by it and it still is beautiful!

This is by far one of my most favorite pictures ever. This little man has on aviator goggles and is ridding a motor bike.

This is the inside of a house we ate at. Their attention to detail is superb and they have so much color and everything is so ornate. I had the thought that the government is tearing these houses down.

This is a Uighur man. He doesn't look Chinese at all, but ethnically, he is.

The best food ever. Lamb Kabobs.

A beautiful Muslim mosque. I hope they don't start tearing these down too.

This is where the farmers go to sell/trade their animals. There was a picture in a news article that was taken at this place. It was so neat to visit this.

There was another picture I was looking for but I couldn't find it. Anyways. There is my update for today =] Even though it is more of a flash back.

-Andrea