You have to understand that Wayne and I have yet to set foot in Mainland China, partly because of the somewhat pricey visa for Americans, partly because we were waiting for the right occasion -- which is coming up, by the way. But the point is that China is still very much terra incognita for the two of us.
Because Elder Brother was in class (on a Saturday afternoon!!! Things are definitely different in China), the Kid was going to have to figure out his own way from the Beijing airport to the university area where Elder Brother was providing him with a couch (but the Kid was supposed to bring his own pillow and blanket, which he did).
The meeting place was going to be the KFC near the university, so we downloaded sheaves of bus schedules and maps (in both Chinese and English) hoping the Kid was going to find both the right university and the right KFC. We bought a new SIM card for use in China, but had trouble getting it to work.
His anxious father kept plying him with more money as he left, as we imagined more and more scenarios where he might have to pay for a hotel and/or a looong taxi ride.
The good news? A delay in Ningbo meant that Elder brother was able to pick him up at the Beijing airport after all.
So both boys should have a good time spending all that extra "emergency money" this week. God bless 'em.
For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone. -- Psalm 91:8-9
Very fun to see your pics from Beijing. We were there in Oct of last year, and I sooo remember those scorpions on sticks. eeeeewwww!
ReplyDeleteI work with a Somali family in Milwaukee: have been for the last 6 years. Experiences in China gave me such a renewed appreciation for the progress they HAVE made in USA. Plunk me in a foreign place like China (like SomaliI would not be able to speak the language, read a sign, or navigate public transportation, much less earn a living. Credit to your kids in "getting along" so effectively. I AM glad that plane was delayed and they were able to rendez vous AT the airport! It would have been really hard to find his way from airport to University- at least for me!
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