Travel Updates

(A view of Changsha's walking street)

Although I am already back in the States, I want to post some more photos from the rest of our travel in China. After Yangshuo, brother Shane and I headed to Changsha (the provincial capital of Hunan) and hung out with the lovely Addingtons and Smiths. The Addingtons are friends of mine from my second year in China when we were on a team together. The Smiths, (Rachel Addington's parents) have also been in Changsha this past month, helping out, experiencing China, and spending time with their family. It's refreshing to hear their positive perspective on Chinese culture.

Drew and Rachel

We all went out to a Xinjiang restaurant. Because a lot of people from Xinjiang (a province in China) are Muslim, traditional Xinjiang food does not have any pork in it. Instead, they cook with a lot of beef and lamb and are famous for their meat kebabs. (I always think of chislic whenever I eat Xin Jiang food.) They also have some special baked bread that reminds me of topless pizza.

On Sunday morning, I went out to play with the Addingtons for a bit before we left. I admire the way they have raised their children in another culture. It is not an "us" and "them" mentality. It is a "we are all at the same place in life, why not learn from each other" mentality.
I felt sad to say good-bye to the Addingtons, but excited for them as they are staying on in China and passionate about the work.

This is their oldest boy Titus. When I said good-bye to him, he gave me a big kiss on the cheek that melted my heart.

For lunch one day in Changsha, Shane and I ate at a little coffee shop / restaurant that one of my Chinese friends introduced me to. I remembered very specifically that this coffee shop had the best ribs I had ever tasted. We ordered some. Do they look a wee bit spicy? Those are Hunan style ribs, spicy and delicious! Although I might have complained sometimes about the lack of variety in Hunan food, I am really going to miss it. As I was eating plain salsa this evening at the restaurant, I couldn't help thinking, "It needs more kick."