Closing Ceremonies and Back in the USA!!!

Closing Ceremonies.....Wow, just as great as the opening! However, there was a bit of craziness to start out. You see we took 2 cabs and we got separated. Normally this wouldn't have been a big deal, except that one cab was short one ticket to get in. Not good planning on our part. We did, eventually get everyone in, but it did make for a stressful start.
We made it home safely, but it was a long ordeal. Our flight to Korea was uneventful and we had a 4 hour lay over with Kim and Shane. We all wandered the airport for a bit and then ended up stopping to get something to drink and chat about the trip, David and what we plan to do when we return to the "real world." This was nice and made the lay over go by quickly. So, I have to say thank you to Kim and Shane for that.....it was great to get to know the 2 of you during our adventures in China and even better to debrief in Korea.
The next leg of the flight went on for what seemed like forever and then once we were in Seattle it got worse. One of our bags was delayed....not sure what it is about that bag. We spent over 2 hrs in customs and thought we were going to miss our connecting flight to Portland. Needless to say we were getting very cranky......thank goodness the flight to Portland was behind schedule, by about 10 minutes. We landed safely in Portland and is was so good to breath in clean air....even out on the tarmac the air seemed cleaner than in China.
The jet lag has gotten to me and I think I still am on China time......waking up way too early and wanting to sleep during the day. Hopefully, I will get back on track or this next week will be a long one. It will be nice to share my adventures with my students and staff and show them what an amazing thing the Paralympics are. Maybe in 4 years more people will be aware of what these athletes do and hopefully there will be some TV coverage so everyone can watch and be inspired.
Although there were days with a lot of frustration and confussion, I will never forget this trip, the incredible people I met, and watched who inspired me, as well as the true appreciation of what it means to be an American. It truely was an awe inspiring trip with amazing people.

One last day in Beijing.

Yesterday was Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City. Tian'am'nmen was closed for some type of ceremony, so we missed the great displays for the Paralympics. That was a bit sad, but ok. The Forbidden City was much, much larger than I thought it would be. We had a guide who wanted to practice his English.....we paided his way in and then tipped him at the end. We were very thankful to have him. It probably would of taken us all day if he hadn't been with us. He was very knowledgeable and spoke pretty good English. It amazed us all how full of yourself you would have to be to be the emperor.....not something we could totally relate to. We did enjoy the history, the colors, and such. It is a very beautiful place right in the middle of Beijing.
After that we had a relaxing afternoon at the hotel and then dinner across the street from the hotel. Not a bad day and it was nice to have a little down time. We will be seeing you all soon....I believe we all are getting ready to come home to the USA. Good air, food, our friends and family are all missed. Oh, I almost forgot, I miss my chai!! :-)

Paralympic Village, Night Market and crazy food!!!

Yesterday David took us on a tour of the Paralympic Village. It reminded me of a really nice college campus or resort: 50 meter pool, arcade, basketball courts, TV & movie room.....all the bells and whistles. It's really nice to see these athletes get first class treatment at least during the Paralympics. They all work very hard and rarely get this type of treatment.
After the Village we met with Kim and Shane down near the Night Market. We shopped and wandered the area as the market didn't open till 5 pm. That is when all the craziness started. All these vendors with scorpion, silkworm larva, lizard, chicken heart, etc on a stick. They fried them up, right there for you to eat. Not this girl!!!! However, Tracey, David, Shane, Kim, and Randy did their fair share of sampling......I was the photographer!! I think I had the better job. Tracey started with scorpion...."not bad, just crunchy." David tried the silkworm larva....that was a kick as he tried not to make a face so Shane would try it as well......it was not a popular one. They both spit it out pretty quick. The other item that seemed not to be very popular was sea urchin....they all said it was to slimmy. It was pretty crazy. After sampling the local flavor we headed to the Pearl and Silk Market to barter for more souvenirs. I will post some pictures later, as I am out of time. Today we are heading to the Forbidden City.

Gold in Doubles, Bronz in Singles!!!

If you have been following our other blogs you may already know that David beat Nick for the Bronze medal in Singles. It was a bit tough watching the US play one another, but it definitely wasn't hard to cheer for David. He played a great match.
In the doubles match against Israel they came out really strong winning the first set 6-0!!! Israel took the second 4-6 and then the US came back in the 3rd to win 6-2!!! It was a great match. Afterwards was the medals ceremony. That was really great to watch in person.....yes I had tears......but wasn't the only one.

David and Nick win Doubles match

David is playing well. Today he and Nick won their first match in the doubles tournament. It was a great match, a bit nerve racking, but good. I gave up on pictures because I was really getting into it. The other great thing is that the Brits lost their doubles match!!!! We are all loving that.
Last night we ventured over and got to watch swimming. That is really unbelievable. I am so amazed at these athletes. Their determination and attitude is totally an inspiration. We also watched several medal ceremonies and that is even more moving in person. I had to fight the tears a few times.
The venues were great......we hadn't seen them at night yet. I can't describe them and I am sure the pictures will be cool, but won't really do them justice. You really would have to see them, just like you really would have to be here to get the whole feel of what it is like. I just keep telling Cathy, "I am so glad you convinced me to come!"

David wins!

It was a tough first match for David. He went up against Sarah Hunter from Canada and went 3 sets: 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. He got to play on the main court, which was really cool.....specially for us!!! It did make it a bit more stressful for him being on such a big court, but he did win and that is what counts.
After the match he got us passes and took us on a tour of the athletes area......locker rooms, staging area, underground tunnel to the courts, etc. We also were able to eat with him in the athletes dinning area. It was nice to have a regular meal with food we recognized and weren't afraid of eating.
To end the day we went over to the Birds Nest and Cube area to explore, as we haven't been able to see it other than on the way to Opening Ceremonies. It is such a big area and there are still places to explore.
Tomorrow David plays again....think good thoughts, and then we have tickets to swimming in the evening So, check back and let me know if you are reading this please.

We have Tickets!!

Today we finally found tickets.....at least we are set for tennis!!!! We also have one set of swimming so we all feel much better now.
This morning we went to The Great Wall. Unbelievable! We rode the gondola up and then walked around for about 1 hour, and then rode back down. After that we were bombarded by shop owners trying to get us to buy things......they were very persistent. We did do some bartering as we had Shane there and he loved doing it.
After the wall we went for lunch and had Peking Duck. It was really good.....some of the other items weren't as good or were a bit scary to try. It was, however, a good adventure and I would recommend the duck.