Matt's Adventures!

11 months late!

2011-10-30T12:47:00.000-05:00

So I'm a bit behind (11 months) so here's a brief recap in 100 words or less. Moved back to Missouri. Attending school at MSU Sprigfield Mo. Working 4 jobs: Hollister, Big Cedar Lodge activities coordinator, Ozark mountain Gymnastics teacher, and Disney represetative. Will graduate in May and plan to move to Florida.:) Can't wait!!!!

Christmas In November!

2010-11-17T14:57:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Minnie Mouse, Danielle, and I

Christmas Parade

Dreams Do Come True!

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider

Princess Belle!

Sword in the Stone- Fantasy Land (where I work!)

My friends and I after the Firework show

The Golden Princess Cruise

2010-11-11T16:04:00.000-06:00

The Golden Princess Theater!!! One Day.. My dream will come true..!

The Atrium

Dinner On-Board the Golden Princess

Flowers, Franny, RIGHT, K-1

2010-11-11T01:01:00.001-06:00

Brandon Flowers Concert- Pomona, CA

Brandon Flowers Concert!

Opening Singer- Fran Healy!

Price is Right!! My friend in bottom right of this photo WON!!! WATCH ON DEC 20!!! I'm wearing pink and orange plaid and will DEFINITELY be on TV!!!

K-1 Racing 1st Place!!

California Adventure

2010-11-11T00:54:00.000-06:00

Mator and Lightning Mcqueen!

...and Grizzly Run

Screamin

Toy Story!

GoldenGate!

4th Annual-Haunting in the Hollows-2010

2010-10-30T02:33:00.000-05:00

Zoe and Layla-Setting up for the Haunting

Decorating the Bridge

Decorating the Pirate Bridge

Amelia and Dave positioning the pirates

Haunting in the Hollows of Galloway Park

Mrs. Diaz and I

Grandma Dorotha and I.

Owl from Dickerson Park Zoo

My neighbors!

"Friends from China" station

Hillbilly Joanna and family

Layla and I making Cotton Candy

Sara and Joanna playing at the Cake Walk

Roastin Giant Marshmallows

My Awesome Pals!

Week 9 in CaliFoRniA

2010-10-11T17:28:00.004-05:00

KristaRose and I-Going to Disneyland!

Aliddan on stage- AMAZING

Haunted Mansion

California Adventure- Flying Away

NewPort Beach in Oct. much WARMER than in Aug.!!

I don't land on my head anymore!

Missouri->California->Mexico->Disney

2010-10-06T23:35:00.034-05:00

I'm currently living in California for the semester participating in a college internship at Disneyland! I drove to California in August with my dad, so I've been here for about 2 months now and WEWHEW it has been A LOT of fun!

LOWES CONCERT!

The Lowes came to Manhattan Beach and performed on their tour!! Their the best!!

My friend Jerome.. My beautiful Lowes sisters. . and ME

Trip to see Bruce!

My Best friend Bruce, Carla and I in Venice!

DISNEY

My first friend! Maddie! sorta like my name. and from MO!

My Disney Bedroom. (top bunk)

My Roomies.

My Disney Friends!

Two of my friends from Fantasyland : )

This is Princess Sleeping Beauty's Castle

My friend Minnie Mouse and I

I love... The BEACH!!!!

In California by myself for my B{ir+d@y. : (

Layla sent me my favorite for my birthday! S'more Cookies!!

Music Video Shoot

Spontaneous trip to Mexico!

making me some necklaces. .

She had one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard in my entire life!

Driving to CALI with my Dad
and look what I found...

Taylor

Swift

Grand Canyon

ROMEO

Romeo

BIG CEDAR LODGE

3 of my best friends this summer at Big Cedar!

Another one of my best friends at Big Cedar!

Pirate Scavenger Hunt. rrrRRR.

Tubing with friends :D

Emily's 21st Birthday PartAY

Thank You

2009-02-16T16:26:00.000-06:00

Dear Friends,

It's been over a month since I was in China and have updated my blog. I added one more post from my last week in China that I didn't ever get around to until now. I miss all my friends so much and I can't wait to see them again. I had the best experience I've ever had while in China, and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity. During Spring break, I will travel back to China, and hopefully again this summer!! Until then, I hope that you have enjoyed my blog and laughed at my funny stories. I have had fun sharing my adventure with you, and I look forward to adding more pictures from my future trips to China!

Thanks,

Matt Evans

The last night I was in China, I had a going away party at KTV!! (karaoke- very big in China)

My friends the night before I went home.

Amelia, Delia, Sara, and Alice all helped me pack my stuff the night before I left. I couldn't believe how many gifts I had picked up for people back home!

Some Reasons I like China

2008-12-21T11:19:00.000-06:00

FRIENDS!

On my way to Pizza Hut, I found Liz walking down the street.

ALICE, DELIA, and SARAH TOOK ME OUT TO PIZZA HUT

Delia and Alice laughing at Sarah.

Sarah is so funny

Waiting in line for the Sky lift.

Bruce and I!

Two of my Korean Friends.

I made it down the mountain!!!! and then fell. hahaha

After we were finished.

Then.. we went to the beach!

It was like ice.

Having Fun with my Friends

2008-12-18T23:57:00.000-06:00

Our Trip to Golden Beach!!!

We took an hour long light rail ride to Golden Beach and found it that the tours were over. But the guy said he would take us on a private bus ride!!

The beach was so crowded.... haha

It was beautiful to see the sun set.

Steph and I found an abandoned ship, so we invaded it!

Paul, Jill's Fiance, taking over the ship.

Look closely at this picture and you can see people walking in the water and picking up stuff. It was freezing outside, and the water was even colder!! I have no idea what they were doing.

A pirate ship!!!

This water was really clean and clear.

Jill and her fiance.

sooo pretty and blue.

...and then the man started honking at us to come back. the sun was almost gone.

I went with Adrian to KaiFaqu for the weekend, and he downloaded Twilight for us to watch on t.v.!!

The ladies were working on my jacket. So nice!

lalala.. and these are a few of my favvvvorite foods.

hahahahah! the biggest bag of oranges I've ever seen!!

DAIRY QUEEN CAKE

Steph and I had been planning on getting a DQ cake the entire semester, so we finally got one. A huge Santa one!!

The candles were a little ridiculous. They were like torches!

I stuck the cake in the refrigerator...The next morning, I saw this pink liquid on the floor.. I was like... "huh??"

I forgot it was an icrecream cake, and it all melted!!! Well, excpet part of his face. hahah!!!

The last night with John. He stayed up ALL night working on his homework so he could leave straight from school to go back to Korea!!

John getting ready to fly back to Korea. I was so sad to say goodbye.

I went to the airport with Stephanie to see her off. It was really depressing. :'(

Li Laoshi took me out for dinner. There was A LOT of good food there and I even ate chicken heart and cow tongue!

Sarah, Delia, and Alice

We played Hide and Seek, and I couldn't ever find Alice!!! She was in my closet. hahahah!

The school is decorated for Christmas!!

Linda and I

Elay gave a presentation and I was in part of it! "My favorite Chinese food."

My group preparing for our speech.

Picture day in my public speaking class!

Fish at the cafeteria!!

Snow and Dandong and North Korea O My.

2008-12-09T08:22:00.000-06:00

The path to college every morning is so beautiful.

Steph and I went to the Dentist!

I was a bit frightened.

Bruce and his friends took me to KTV.

Bruce can really sing!

Bruce and I went to Victory Square to shop again.

This is in one of the "back rooms" that sells watches and stuff.

It snowed one morning, and I go outside to see this man killing a chicken right out front my apartment!!!!!! goooollly.

Bruce took me out to dinner with his friends!!! and we had duck head... =-|

I even ate the brain. =-/

Bruce and his Uncle took me to an Anti-American Museum in Dandong... quite interesting...

This is the section of the bridge leading to North Korea that America destroyed!!!

...and over here is North Korea!

It was freezing, so Bruce and I were almost the only ones on the entire bridge!!! It was awesome!!! but SO cold.

This is the bridge China built to North Korea but no one hardly EVER uses.

On the other side of this fence... North Korea...

The sun setting in Dandong.

Bruce's family had a Welcome Party for me!

This is one of Bruce's Aunts.

This is Bruce's other Aunt.

This is Bruce's Mother!

... and this is Bruce's cousin.

This is Me with Bruce and his father.

This is Bruce's family.

This is Bruce's grandparents. They were so sweet to me.

Bruce's cousins and I. It snowed so much while I was there, and we went for a walk through his town.

Bruce bought us popcorn!! It's so delicious.

Bruce and his mom before we ate SEAFOOD!

I haven't ever ever ever eaten seafood, so I was quite.. excited..

o yummmmmmm.... and there went the rest of the crab. They had already given me the insides of the crab to me to eat. so great.

Bruce and I on the bus back to Dalian.

I got home and realized my fish hadn't been feed for the weekend!!! The bowl was very brown and dirty, and this fish was floating on top!!! :O I scooped him up, and he started to wiggle!!!!!! Then, I quickly cleaned out the fish bowl, but kept him in this small bowl until he had strenght to eat and recover. The next morning, I heard a strange sound in my kitchen.... I went in to investigate and my fish was GONE!!! I was like... "O NO!" I looked for him, and he was laying on my countertop... I wasn't sure what to think... I scooped him again and dropped him into the bowl and watched.... LOOK AT PICTURE BELOW!

It's been several days now, and he is fine!!!! I have named him Fighter.

This is the lady who I always go to and buy movies from.

They also help me buy my movies. They may be her daughtors... I dunno.

Thanksgiving & Enjoying Every Moment Possible!

2008-12-03T08:05:00.000-06:00

Getting ready for the holidays.

A whole lot of people. I had to walk through that long and dark tunnel.

Ah.. and a police car squeezing through.

My teacher Ly Lǎoshī took my friends and I out to KTV.

I had such a good time.

My friend who sits by me in class.

I went to the taylor to have some more clothes made!

This is one of my favorite things about China. hahaha!

Lauren's friend, Dina, came to visit this week.

THANKSGIVING!!

I finally got to eat TURKEY!!!

We went to I-55.

gaaaawwwwwwlllyyy.. I love Dessert... or really anything with sugar in it.

I have recently been buying this giant yellow fruit ever since my friend gave me a piece. I asked my friend what it was called, and she said "giant orange"...I think it's actually a grapfruit, but I don't like grapefruit. I think it tastes like a giant blackberry, and I love it!!

Shopping for movies. hmmmmmmmm
Another one of my favorite things.

I went with my friends to buy Christmas decorations!

Jill's stocking says "Meey Christmas"

... and then we had to carry it all back! hahaha

hahaahhaha now I'm really in the Christmas spirit.

It's like a little Charlie Brown tree.

I want everyone to know, espeically Linda, that my fish are still alive!

This is my friend Erin, at Kun's Birthday party.

This is my friend Chris, who is about to eat a clam.. yuk!!

This is Kun and one of his friends. It was his Birthday, and now he's 21 in American years and 22 in Korean years.

Kaifaqu

2008-11-28T21:51:00.001-06:00

Jill's first doughnut in China!

A Chinese girl and I were modeling... if u notice... Coach purses for Jill.

A giant Marbles game.

We were stuck in the middle of the highway, so we decided we might as well take some pictures while we waited. Hahaha!

Haha and Jill's turn.

This is Bruce's dorm.

My friends painting.

A somewhat abandoned street at Kaifaqu.

Bruce and I climbed the stairs to the spiral slide, but we decided it looked too dangerous and rusty to slide down.

Bruce and I are both born in the year of the dragon, except I don't understand how that is a dragon.

One of my new friends that lives in the dorm with Bruce.

Bruce and I waiting for Jill at the train station.

She made it!

Bruce took us to the UFO tower.

The UFO tower sits at the top of a mountain over looking the entire city and the sea.

We went hiking on a trail through the mountain but got lost in the woods. Hahahahah

We found the trail eventually and this awesome bridge that Jill was enjoying crossing!

We were coming to the end of the trail.

The last picture I took was of a lighthouse barn by the lake, and then my battery died.

Friends, Packages, & Nunchucks

2008-11-28T20:53:00.000-06:00

This is my friend Bruce and I at Tiger Beach.

"Bruce Lee" in front of a Chinese battle ship.

Bruce knows how to fight with nunchucks!

.. and he's teaching me how!!

I made some American popcorn for Bruce, and he loved it!

Bruce and I took a train to Kaifaqu and he showed me his dorm.

Bruce loves Bruce Lee, and it's no surprise because they look exactly alike and they both fight!!

...and then he showed me where they all do their laundry.

It was so cold, so Bruce put on his mask. haha

Bruce and I at Victory Square.

I got a package in the mail from my Aunt and cousin from America!

The package was kind of falling apart. I fit my hand in the hole and pulled out a bag of Funyuns.. Yum!!! I hope nothing fell out though!!

They really thought of everything. It was one of the happiest days of my life. hahaha!!

One day I accidentally locked my keys, computer, phone, and every other important thing I own in the college, so my friends invited me to stay with them at their dorm. I have the coolest friends in China.

...the next morning, it was snowing!!! My friends said I brought them luck. Hahaha

This is what we did in Chinese class one day!!

Most of my Chinese writing is really sloppy, but at least I am learning!!

This is Elay and I dressing in warm clothes because it felt like -30 degrees outside.. The glasses are to protect my eyes from the wind. Hahaha!

Candy loved my hat and glasses. I think she looked like a pilot.

A day or two later.

My friend Amelia took me out for dinner. Yummmy! We had rice with something in the middle all wrapped in seaweed!

these people have a little stand set up really close to where I live, and I buy all kinds of fruit from them...even sugar cane!! which you can see in the back right of this photograph. Delicious!!

My mom sent fingernail polish and lip gloss for all my Chinese girl friends.

Steph and I went shopping for bread, fruit, and a plant for our friend who was really really sick.

Another Crazy Week in China!

2008-11-09T03:51:00.000-06:00

The shoemaker, me, and one of my new shoes!!

Man... I love China.

I was a host at the "Welcome Freshman Show."

Our new shades!! Now, people don't EVER stare at us!

Three different types of water. Clean water, my old fish tank water, and the new water I was going to put my fish in. The water in the fish bowl came out of my faucet!!

I saw these ladies on the sidewalk jammin' away.

Me trying to stage a picture in front of Labor Park... but then I fell!

I was born in the year of the Dragon. So, here me and a Dragon!

...and Steph and a Rat.

A Giant Gold Buddha at Labor Park!

... and THIS is Labor Park.

Golly, we were walking through the park, and they just flew up to us!

I'm PRETTY sure the birds thought my fur was a nest!

Ah!! ....And they wouldn't get off!

Stephanie really wanted to swim, but I finally talked her out of it!!

A hobbit door.

He is the cutest little monkey. I felt bad for him because it was so cold, but I let him sit on my knee, and I fed him some pistachios.

Hahaha! They didn't get along very well.

He was so hungry and cold!! I didn't want to leave him.

He's so cute! It was sad to say good bye. I will be back to see him before I go home!!

Friends from America!

2008-11-09T03:42:00.001-06:00

Chancellor Bennett, his wife, and Lacey came to China for a few days to visit! I met them at the airport.

I gave them a tour of my apartment.

I took Lacey to a carnival by the sea.

AND... to buy movies!!

My Halloween Party in China

2008-11-01T08:40:00.000-05:00

I had a Halloween party for all my friends at the college. Many of them haven't ever celebrated Halloween, so it was a great experience for all of us! The party was awesome!!

I stayed up until 2 am carving these pumpkins!!!

I carved this on the back of the dragon pumpkin.

Some of the students even carved pumpkins!

...and we had cakes!

She painted my face for me.

My friend Candy and I.

My friends Alice, Sarah, and Delia, and I.

My good friend Shirley and I.

China Week 11

2008-11-01T08:16:00.001-05:00

A couple days Before Halloween, I decided to search for a pumpkin, and my friend told me a place where I could fine one. He didn't, however, tell me what I was getting myself into!

Fish... EVERYWHERE!

... and what ever this used to be...

oink oink no more Mr. pig... :(

I seriously almost threw up a few times walking down this street. The smell was unbearable, BUT I had to find a pumpkin!!

Yuck.

I'm pretty sure this is the sea cucumber, which is a delicacy.

I dunno what this is... But I didn't try it to find out.

I made a fire with my amazing Boy Scout skills!!!
Steph said that we looked like homeless people... haha!

Then, we roasted Chinese marshmallows!!!!! I had a lot of fun, and it reminded me of back home.

My Trip to Beijing

2008-10-31T23:34:00.000-05:00

After a 12 hour train ride, we finally arrived in Beijing!

We had to cut across a construction area.

The Great Wall of China!

We had to ride on these toboggans to get to the starting point.

I made it to the Great Wall!!

There were hundreds of people there!

My friends and I; and a woman who decided to pop into our picture!!!

The stairs disappeared and it became smooth.

Half way done.

yeah... we walked all that!

The wall became very steep!

We walked so far.

Steph, Lauren, and I sitting in the windows in a tower on the great wall.

We survived!!!!

Cramped together in the subway.
Lots of fun!

A few bicycles on the sidewalk.

Sarah, Delia, and Alice playing with my souvenirs.

The Bubble Building.

My Friends and I in front of the "Birds Nest."

"The Bubble Building."

The side view of the "Bird's Nest."

Wesk and I in front of the "Birds Nest."

I took everyone to Pizza Hut!

Me in front of "Tienanmen Square."

"Tienanmen Square."

Wesk, Sarah, Alice, Delia, and I in front of "Tienanmen Square."

Sarah, Alice, and Delia had to catch the train to go back to school.

These are some new friends I made at "The Forbidden City."

Wesk took me to a park.

...and there was a huge wall with Dragons on it!

This bridge led to gazebos that were over the "ocean."

I became the emperor!

Wesk and I went on a boat ride.

Lilly pads in the water.

Wedding pictures in front of "The Forbidden City."

A Catholic Church.

I even made time to go to the Eiffel tower again!

Sea Horses on a stick!

This was on the train back to Dalian.
I was on the top bunk bed in a room with 5 Chinese people! hahaha!

Bin Hai Road

2008-10-31T21:47:00.000-05:00

We took a taxi to Bin Hai Road... Good thing we weren't in that one!!

It was very foggy the day we went to the sea, but SO beautiful!

This was a huge tree on Bin Hai Road.

A ship in front of the sea.

We went to Bin Hai road so my friend Stephanie could see this huge turtle she had heard about. After hours of research trying to figure out even if the turtle exists, we found the turtle under a construction zone and weren't allowed to enter!! poor poor Stephanie.

A giant shell on Bin Hai Road.

...and a giant boot.

We went on a boat ride around Bang Chui Island.

They were getting there wedding pictures taken and laying on the dirty wet sand!!

Steph, Lauren, and I at the top of the mountain.

Lauren, Steph, and I at the sea on Bin Hai Road!

We made a friend!

The water is much clearer than the other beaches I have been to in China.

Look close and you see two men on the top of the mountain. They're fishing!!

This is Dōng Hǎi Gǒng Yuán... I think... It's at Tiger Beach... Very fun place!

Me skating at Xing Hai Square.

Me with a horse at Xing Hai Square

China Weeks 7-9

2008-10-31T21:05:00.000-05:00

These cars are on the sidewalk!

A couple of kittens in the garden I walk through to school.

I got my ballot in the mail!

I finally got to eat a cheeseburger at the Swiss Hotel!! It was delicious!

My friend Shirley and I on a carnival ride.

This is a beautiful castle... o wait.. No, it's a shell museum!!

I took Shirley to eat pizza for the first time in her life!! :O Unfortunately, she didn't like it.

I bought these on the street. I thought they were marshmallows until I took a bite... definitely wasn't marshmallows!!!!

This was one of the bugs that was in my bed!!!

Alice took me to a store to buy pearls, and Mickey Mouse was there!

Some friends of mine at the writing center.

A lot of dogs on the courtyard in front of my apartment.

The "Haunting in the Hallows" radio interview.

Trip to the Zoo

2008-10-31T20:39:00.000-05:00

I went to the zoo with three of my friends; Alice, Sarah, and Delia!! The zoo is across several mountains and so it is very large. For the first hour of walking through the zoo, we only saw dinosaurs. haha

Then. we finally saw some animals!!

Sarah with a T-Rex

Read the yellow sign.

Me feeding a monkey.

There were hundreds of birds, and they would fly right onto your hands!

The birds sometimes looked sickly, but we washed our hands later. haha

The monkeys were my favorite part of the zoo. They would follow me around and smack the glass for food.

I got kissed be a seal!!! aw man.. my first kiss. ;)

We got to climb up the side of a small mountain holding on to a chain. There wasnt anyone there to stop us if we fell, but it's not dangerous right.

I love monkeys, so I was really excited to take a picture with one. However, I put my arm on the monkeys soldier, and he smacked me in the chest! hahahaha! So although this a really sweet picture, I was very afraid. haha!

Delia, Alice, and Sarah pretending to be monkeys!

First Days in Korea

2008-10-01T03:38:00.000-05:00

John and I went to Korea for our break!

We went to a palace and they dressed us up in traditional Korean outfits.

This is a mound of rocks that people used to build for good luck.

These things are supposed to keep away the demons

We had to do this really fast because John was afraid we would get in trouble

These huts were everywhere.

People were having picnics in all of them.

There was a chalk festival and people were drawing all over this fountain.

They came up to me and asked me to play rock paper scissors. I played them and I beet them, so they reached in their bag and handed me two chicken eggs for my prize... :-S

I was shopping for gifts for my family when we heard music playing outside. There was a parade!

This is honey wrapped in something white.. They wind it over and over until it gets as thing as hair and then roll it up.

The oldest church in Korea.

Lotte World

2008-10-01T03:18:00.000-05:00

John, Hane, and I went to Lotte World in Korea! It is sort of like Walt Disney World except half of the park is inside, other other half is on an island, and it's not as big.

Hane, John, and I in front of the Magic Castle.

We rode the hot air balloon in the inside part of the park.

I got to be the driver of the Safari ride. It was like riding me Jeep again!

It was a huge Halloween party there!

Hane bought me a waffle. The lady poured syrup on it and then spread a thick strawberry cream over that. Then, she folded the waffle in half. It didn't taste like a nomarl waffle, but it was so good.

They even had a Halloween Parade.

China Weeks 4 and 5

2008-09-20T08:09:00.000-05:00

Everyday I walk to school, they are marching and chanting, "yi ar ye" "Yi ar san si"

John and I pretending to be soldiers.

Even girls!!

I went to the movies and Shrek was there!!

This is New Mart. I went here to buy a bicycle and spent over 2 hours looking.. It was awful.

John was looking for an ear ring.

These are the brooms that the people use to clean the streets!!!!

This is my new scooter!!!!! I have been wanting to get one since I got here but have just been too scared.. It's really fun to ride, but I drive at night when it is not very busy so I will get better.

Robin was asking about Powder Keg in Branson!! It was in his school book.

This picture is hanging in the school. It's Josh Cotter!!

Vivian and Snoopy took me to the sea and I swam in this!!! It was so dirty.. Cigarettes, plastic, rope, leaves, and trash were floating all around me. It was fun though.

A had a little free time one night and made these!

Dan

Steph

Me

Kristin

Dave

I named this dog Simon. He lives by my apartment.

This dog is also on the street I live on.

This is my next door neighbors dog. He barks constantly.. :S

I tried to feed him my Mooncake!! I guess he doesn't like them either.. :S

The path to the campus.

Cats are everywhere!

It was the Mid Autumn Festival last week and everyone eats Mooncakes.. There are tons of different flavors like nut, grape, meat, egg, pineapple, sugar, etc.

I eat this almost every single day

My last tootsie roll.. :(

But I went to the store and I bought this! I even found TANG

This is Red Bean ice cream.. It sounds so sick and it really has beans in it, but it's my favorite one!

We had a Tug a War Contest!!! It made me sore and my arms almost bleed!!! :O

Squid!!!! I just can't get myself to eat it..... :-O

This is the before and after.

I can't believe I ate it!!!! It was awful.

o it looks so disgusting!!

Shirley and I have a competition to see who can get the highest score on "Simon" She's beating me.

John was sick so he wore this all day.

This is my friend, Candy! She's very friendly.

Robin and I got cotton candy! It's very sticky, evaporates very quickly, and tastes very funny.

I went back to English Corner again. I brought my friend, Robin with me. It takes forever to get there!

These were two people from English Corner. We played this game where you listen to music and pass the hat around. When the music stops, the person with the hat has to tell about their favorite snack. I didn't ever get stuck with it.

They are two of the waiters that help with English Corner.

This is Annie and ... oops i cant remember!

Those are my friend Vivian, Snoopy, and another friend I made.

This is a group picture of the friends I have made at English Corner.

They had these pets for sale on the street. I decided to get the gold fish!!

I still haven't named them yet. I'm not sure how long they will live.. :S

These 3 plates of food are some of my favorite meals! They are all chicken and rice but they all taste different.

This is Squid Pizzaa.. :S you can see that we didn't each much of it.. :-/

My friend, Kon ordered this but I think it looks gross

I haven't tried these yet, but I heard they are good!

So Many People

2008-09-06T05:21:00.000-05:00

Waiting in line for the bus.
A street.
A very crowded and smelly market. Smells come and go so quickly. One second you will smell bread or corn, and the next second you will smell dead fish, something rotting, or any other many unimaginable things
... another market

MSU

2008-09-05T12:20:00.001-05:00

This is the school.. but it is not pronounced ANYTHING like that.

Read this sign VERY carefully!!

Preparing for the new comers.... ME

The MSU Van

This May Look Familiar!!

2008-09-05T12:11:00.000-05:00

It's KFC

Super 8!!

...and Subway!! The hard part is ordering... :-/

My New Friends

2008-09-05T11:49:00.000-05:00

This is Dan, and he loves Starbucks!

This is Shani. We went to her work and she gave us popcorn. It was GOOD

It's ice cream and fruit!! Very Delicious

We were at a place called ECHO.. It's a tiny restaurant with books and we got to make clay pots!

This is at Crazy Ladies. Very very good

Shirley and I. She is very friendly and she helps me with my Chinese.

This is my new friend,MJ. She is from Korea and is also very friendly.

English Corner

2008-09-05T11:44:00.000-05:00

Steph and I traveled about an hour on two different buses to go to English Corner. We were the only Americans.. Everyone was very friendly and asked so many questions. It is easy to make friends here!!

Me, Steph, Sunshine, Linda, Snoopy, and Vivian

They also wanted Steph and I to talk to them about Coffee in the USA and tell them how we drink it.. I don't even drink coffee!!! I said that mainly old people drink it and when they asked if I liked coffee or tea better, I said... Water, and they all laughed!

My New Home!

2008-09-05T11:42:00.000-05:00

Here it is.. It is actually much nicer INSIDE the apartment. The place I will be living for 6 months.. The first window on the left is my bedroom and the other window you see is my kitchen.

I sucked the air out of all my clothes.. It was like a brick!

Risking My Life to Play Tennis

2008-09-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

First, we walked for over a mile just trying to find the entrance to the courts...
\
We found it!!

It's a tiny little ledge with a huge drop off!!

The gate to the Tennis Courts. Only people who don't have a fear of heights can play.

Stephanie climbed through a hole in the fence

These Chinese people yelled at us because we were being too loud!! We were just talking!! They said. "Hey Foreigners, be quite we are in competition!!"

Dogs

2008-09-05T11:16:00.000-05:00

The dogs are so cute!! I can't believe they would eat them...

This is John and a puppy.

His name is Lucky, and he runs around this restaurant called PoPo's.

This puppy was only 7 American dollars!!

Here you go Dave!!! The dog you want!

Steph and I...

2008-09-05T11:03:00.000-05:00

Steph and I ran into these people on the way to buy MORE peanut butter and jelly!

Stephanie loves Chinese people.

Me with this guy.

Steph and the fat man.

Yummmy!

2008-09-05T10:22:00.000-05:00

Well... I don't know what it ss, but it didn't taste too bad!

The Fruit is wonderful!!! It is so fresh and sweet. I especially love the limes. They are orange in the middle!

This is very spicy kong pow chicken and is very very delicious!! It made me a bit sick afterwords though..
...and this is some more chicken and rice... I think... It was very tasty. Only 4 yuan.
This was more chicken and RICE.. I loovvve rice.. Very hot and spicy!!! 15 yuan
These were free because we went to English Corner and made friends with many Chinese people.

What Was I Thinking...

2008-09-05T10:12:00.000-05:00

I gave in to peer pressure... :-(
They braided her hair for 10 yuan!
They are bleaching my hair!!
It took about an hour, and it cost 25 yuan. My hair turned white on the top, but an almond color on the sides... I think I will let my hair grow back to normal after this experience!!

... On a Stick

2008-09-05T10:04:00.001-05:00

What ever you want... on a stick!!
My friend John said this is called "cock on a stick"... looks tasty huh?!
Squid... :-S
Of Course.. Fish sticks!!
I think this might be more squid.. :)

My First Motorcyle Ride!

2008-09-05T09:34:00.000-05:00

My friend John from Korea and I took my first motorcycle ride for only 6 Yuan!! It was very fun! a bit scary... and so much faster than a taxi!

Making Friends

2008-09-05T04:29:00.000-05:00

This lady was selling maps at Victory Square.
These guys were playing cards in the park. They were starring at us so I decided to say hello.
This lady was playing this instrument at the restaurant Angel's family took me.

Is That What I Think It Is?!?!

2008-09-05T04:14:00.001-05:00

Whenever there isn't a western toilet, this is what you use.. And there isn't any toilet paper, so you better have brought your own!!!
There are many older Chinese people that sweep sidewalks and collect trash all day. Even when it rains.. :-(
This bucket is filled with huge fish and the smell is awful.

This spider is about 2 inches long and was right outside the college.

This is on the sidewalk near where I live!!

How Much?!

2008-09-05T04:14:00.000-05:00

My friend Stephanie and I played this game where you shoot these guns at balloons on the wall and win a prize. The lady told us it would only cost 2 yuan. 2 yuan is very cheap so we decided to play! We shot for about 5 or 10 minutes and I even ran out of bullets so they handed me another gun. We were being pretty loud and having alot of fun. A big crowd of people began crowding around us and watching. We finally stopped because all of the balloons were almost gone. She pushed some buttons on her calculator and turned it to us. It said... 380!! Then, she handed us one of those stuffed fish in the picture... First of all, I was upset because I didn't want to pay that. Second, I definately should have gotten something bigger than that fish. We tried to explain to them that we were not going to pay them again. By this time, there was a huge crowd of people watching. Somehow, we didn't have to pay the entire amount, but we had to give them the fish...
I learned a very good lesson though. I have to be very careful with what I get myself into here. I could have been much worse!

This is them a couple weeks later...

American Food

2008-09-05T04:04:00.000-05:00

SUBWAY!!! This was the first place I ate when we finally got to China during our 30 hour trip!!
I ordered a pizza sub and he put a few drops of sauce and lettuce and tomatoes!! :-[ It actually wasn't too bad.
I was very happy to find out there was a McDonalds!! If you aren't paying attention, people will cut in front of you.. They also have an English menu that they hand to people like me!

I haven't eaten here yet, but I am glad it's here!
This place has some of the best pizza I have ever tasted!! It's not like Pizza Hut in America. It is very nice and fancy inside. It's almost like a Fazolies.

Dinner!

2008-09-05T03:31:00.000-05:00

How ever will I decide?!

fish... eel??

I think these are egg pancakes..

Ya.. I'll have one bag of squid please.

Why would anyone ever eat these...
This was some of the food I had with Angel and her family. It is fish on the left and chicken on the right.. I think. It was my favorite.
This is a duck! I asked Angel if we had to eat the head and she thankfully said "No". She said it's there to prove it is a duck!! I was relieved.
I found these at the check out isle in the underground Wal-Mart! I don't know what's in the bag on the left, but I think the one on the right is chicken feet. yummmmmyy

Just pick one... Ha ha just kidding
This was lamb and beef.. They brought is to us raw, and WE had to cook our OWN food!! I wasn't very hungry.
I don't know what that is!! fingers......?
These are crabs... They are still alive!!

A Very Kind Chinese Family

2008-09-05T03:25:00.000-05:00

I have a good friend who lives in West Plains named Joanna. This is her aunt, uncle, and cousin, Angel. They picked me up in a car! Angel spoke English but her parents did not. They took me to a very very nice Chinese restaurant and they ordered me so much food! In China, the food is put in the middle of the table and everyone shares. I had like 15 different plates of food to choose from. I told them I liked watermelon and so we all drank watermelon juice the rest of the night!!! I was really nervous about eating some of the food, but I really liked most of it! They were so friendly and we took many pictures.
Later, they took me around Dalian. They took me to the sea and to Xing Hai Park.

Olympic Square

2008-09-05T03:18:00.000-05:00

This is me at Olympic Square!! Underneath me is another world cramped with hundreds of stores.

Orientation

2008-07-24T23:15:00.001-05:00

This is my very first time every doing this kinda stuff, but my sister is making me, so I hope I do this right.

Today my mom and dad drove me to Springfield, Mo for my shorts and my orientation. I had to give swimming lessons for a couple hours this morning, but got home around 11 and we left about 11 30. My appointment for my shots was at 2 o'clock, but we were just a little late. Right as my mom finished finishing my paperwork, they called my name and I left with the nurse. She weighed me, took my blood pressure and I waited in two different rooms until finally the doctor came to see me. Come to find out, I was already up to date with all my shots, and only have to take medicine for Typhoid!! The doctor was friendly and after looking over some of my paperwork, he said, "well how bout that, I know your father!" It's a small small world!! Well, about an hour later, we left the hospital and walked to Carrington Hall where I met with Tami Sutton for my orientation. She was very nice and I found out a whole lot of stuff for my trip. She told me that the time difference is 13 hours, and I would fly out of Springfield to Chicago and then to Beijing. Once I get to Beijing, I will fly another "one hour" flight to Dalian, China. She talked to us for a really long time and discussed everything that I would need to know and anything that I had questions about. She said that I would be living in a pretty nice apartment with 2 other roommates about 8 minutes away from campus. She said that I would have a bathroom, water (I can't drink it and I have to brush my teeth with bottled water) and internet. I asked her about my laundry, (mainly because I don't know how) and she said that I could have someone do it for me!! :D She said that i would need to be sure and take comfortable shoes with me because it would be really hard for me to find shoes in China that would fit me. She told me that there would be so many things that I could buy for very cheap, such as pearls, bags, clothes, food, and pretty much everything else except electronics. I can take 1 large piece of luggage, a carry on, and a special item (my laptop probably)

She was telling me about the food and how it usually is served in the actual animal form. She said that the fish were served whole, crab shells were decorated, sea worms, and even scorpians. She also said that if I see any pets such as cats or dogs, do not touch them because it isn't safe. She also said that they eat them. I told here that I was a picky eater and she said that the fruit is really good! They have really good watermelon, strawberries, and grapes. She said that they have good broccoli, but I don't like hardly any vegetables. She also said that they have Mcdonalds, and the BEST Pizza Huts she has ever tasted in her life! I asked here if they had cashew chicken, because that's the only Chinese food I really like, and she said NO!

After she finished going over the huge packet of papers, it was time to talk about my flight. I have until Monday to decide the exact day that I will leave and come home. I will probably leave for China on August 23 and get there on the 25th, and come back home on either Dec 23 or Jan 9. my flight on Aug 23 leaves at 6 am, which means I would leave West Plains at about 2 am and get to the airport at about 4 am. Then, I would fly to Chicago and wait for a few hours, switch planes and fly to Beijing, then switch planes again and fly to Dalian.

Well this basically sums of most of the stuff that happened today regarding my trip to China. I will try to keep up with this blogging stuff as much as I can. I will probably not write much on this any more until I am in China, so until then, I hope that you have enjoyed reading this and will continue to keep in touch with me and here about all of my stories and adventures!