First Impressions of Beijing

Quiet airport. Keith and I are taller than everyone. smoggy haze. smell of coal. loaded down bicycles. plush high rises. gray, apartments. lots of them.

I looked out of our bus window as our representative George told us about his hometown of Beijing, trying to take in as much as I could. He told us that there are 18 million people and 5 million cars here and called Beijing a parking lot. We drove into the city as the sun was beginning it's descent and saw the orange ball surrounded by the haze of coal smoke. There were bicyclists peddling beside the airport expressway loaded down with all varieties of things. And then there were the high rises (including a Wal-Mart Supercenter) in the thick of downtown.

Are we really in China? It seems hard to believe. Thanks for praying for our flight. We were graciously given exit row seats that Keith and I were very grateful to have. Also, we both were able to sleep more than I ever remember sleeping on an international flight. You all were praying and we appreciate those prayers very much.

The lovely flight attendant that sat right there near us suggested Peking Duck as a good option for my birthday out with Keith and so we are headed down to our hotel lobby to celebrate Thanksgiving and my birthday, Chinese style. [We were served chicken and stuffing last night on the flight, so I guess we did get a little Thanksgiving already, hmmm.]

Nathan, we are here in your beautiful country and closer to you than we've ever been before. What a grand place this is...full of so many amazing people and such old history. We're very excited to be in your homeland and are trying to soak in every detail we can so that we will have many stories to tell you as you grow older!

Tomorrow we tour the Forbidden City and Tian'an Men Square.