The Best Place on Earth (almost)

Ohio gozaimaaaaaassssssssssss!!!!!! Is what I heard after I ordered my first White Mocha Frappaccino in a month. Those words, make your heart so happy. I heard them every morning for five weeks. That and "good murninnnnnggggggg Kenna!" Ohio gozaimas is equivalent to the English Good Morning in Japanese. Ohio means hi. Japan is a wonderful place. They have a 7-Eleven on every corner, without the gas, and its filled with amazing foods. Especially desserts. The Japanese know how to make some desserts and have the best Ice Cream ever.

Yes, I ate an ice cream bar everyday. Yes my host mother fed me enough for two every meal, because its the "American Way" but I do not regret any part of it. What I ate was amazing. Well, everything but the eggs with baby fish in them. Japan is probably one of the cleanest places on Earth. They have recycle bins everywhere, recycle bins are their trash cans. They have three separate ones all but together, and you sort your trash as you go. Their is never trash on the ground, and you would be amazed in a big city, how clean the streets and sidewalks are.

Japanese people are so nice and polite. It's amazing. While we attended Ibaraki Christian, we had a lot of classes that discussed how different we are, and how they are just naturally quiet, we summed it up as, they are silent leaders. They bow in Japan, and yes its a little awkward, but just do it. It's just like them shaking our hand, they don't do that. My first bowing experience actually happened in China, and a girl on my trip and I were walking out together, and kind of freaked out, and when we went down to bow we actually bowed into each other. It was disastrous.

2 weeks at Capital Normal University

So, how would you feel if your University sent you and 23 other fellow students from Oklahoma Christian to Capital Normal University in Beijing, China, Offended? Relieved? The only thing that got offended in my life was my bank account. Oklahoma Christian didn't send us because we are "a different kind of bird" or just a little "left of center" they sent us because we were willing to cough up all the change we had, and pay them for a trip of a lifetime titled Pacific Rim. We well, traveled the Pacific Rim for 3 months, it honestly was the best thing that I ever did for myself.

Our first stop was Beijing, China. We stayed at Capital Normal University, in the dorms there. It was quite different because boys and girls are allowed to stay in the same dorm, but unlike the ones I am familiar with that have 2 doors, one you have to use your student id and pin number to get through, and a million cameras, and a testosterone detector on the handle. Wego to stay in the same hall, and were actually allowed to go, are you ready for this, we got to go INSIDE of their rooms, and NO curfew. Who knew? That is probably one of the best ideas to let us all stay together, we had some great bonding time, and it was good we were all together.

If you EVER get to go to Beijing, please eat at Cat's Eye. Its wonderful pizza. Oh my goodness, its such a great escape from food you do not know the name of or what is in it. I miss it, I probably ate there oh, 5 times at least. Also, on any menu that you are looking at (hopefully it has pictures) and pick out what looks most like sweet and sour chicken, and bet your bottom dollar it is, because sweet and sour chicken is bomb there. There is also this one dish, that is fried tofu (I think) and is spicy. Its really good. Also, there are these green bean/asparagus sticks with spicy crunchy batter on them, AND there is pumpkin sticks with this sweet cinnamon powder on them. SO good. Chinese food staple is duck. yuck. Try it, but just get ready, I hated it. So much. Also, drinks you should consume since water there is not good for you, don't drink it, get Pocari Sweat, awesome, I miss it. Also, I got grapefruit minute maid everyday. Its so good, it tastes like you are bitting into the fruit. All of the minute maid drinks are so good. (just drink the water out of water bottles)

One of the best things I experienced in China is the Great Wall. Oh boy, its so tough to do, you are doing a StairMaster with uneven steps for 2 or 3 hours. Up and down. Wear tennis shoes, shorts, and bring a light jacket, iPod, and Sigg Bottle (filled with Pocari Sweat) .Prepare to sweat, and breathing get harder since you are getting higher and higher (its on a mountain) Its really hard to do, but its so worth it. It is so beautiful all around , and it truly is unbelievable, that they were able to build this, and that it has stood the test of time. Each step of my journey has made me into a new person, a better person, and I do believe that climbing this was a huge step, no pun intended, in transforming me.

Other things you need to do while in China is, Tianamen Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, other shrines that they have, and Bar Street. Summer Palace was one of my favorites, its by water, and has trees everywhere and the gardening is fantastic, let alone, the buildings are so beautiful. The architecture of them is so intricate and beautiful. Granted, all the buildings resemble each other, but they are still beautiful. Bar Street, is exactly what its name is, but it was a lot of fun when we went, they have vendors on the side that try to sell you a ton of different gadgets, and on the other side, all the vendors are different types of food. I did not partake in this part, I will not eat scorpions, baby birds, lamp genitalia, and "chicken". No thank you.