China

Last night we went to see one of our favorite bands, Linkin Park, at Hongkou Football Stadium. It was very close to one of the campus's I teach at. We had been inside before when we watched the US women's soccer team play Nigeria.

This was our first concert in China. There were a few differences between concerts here and concerts in the states. For one - instead of bouncers guarding the stage, there were about 100 chinese soldiers standing in a straight line, in full military attire (not BDU's, but the formal wear). The second difference was that there was no "mosh pit area" to stand.

After the show there was mass chaos - imagine 20,000 people all looking for taxi's at once because the trains were not running after the show was finished. A mile and one hour later, we eventually got one.

with hit bands, broadway shows, and other western influence, Shanghai is starting to resemble Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul more and more.

Today I had my mid-term exam. It was a good thing I had been studying for weeks, because it was one of the tough.

这个星期一我们一起去杭州，邵兴，朱家角。杭州，邵兴，朱家角 都很漂亮。在杭州，我们除茶馆儿。杭州的茶很好喝。杭州有很多商店，还有很多便宜的酒吧。我的朋友住在杭州。他也是MICHIGAN人。他去我们的宾馆。在绍兴，我们散步，坐船。在朱家角，我们买东西

This past Monday we went to Hangzhou, Shaoxing, and Zhujiajiao. They are all very beautiful. We visited a tea house and drank tea. Hangzhou has very good tea. Hangzhou has many stores, and also many cheap bars. My friend lives in Hangzhou. He is also from Michigan. He met up with us at our Hotel. In Shaoxing, we took a walk and went for a boat ride. In Zhujiajiao, we bought many things.

Kid Castle went all out for Halloween for our students. It was a lot of fun. We decorated the school and had Halloween games, a haunted house, and lots of candy. We had a good time dressing up too. Erik went as a masked Viking and I bought facepaint and become a vampire. Here's some pictures of our party and some of my kids!

Here is a picture of Amara at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hong Kong:

We were able to get Amara's Visa. After that, we were free to explore the city. It was amazing. Never have I seen so many skyscrapers in one place! The first night we were there, we watched the infamous "symphony of lights" show - buildings light up with beautiful neon lights, lasers, and spotlights. The lights were also accompanied by music. It is of no suprise to me that it holds a guiness book of world records for the largest permanent light and sound show.

The second day, we travelled to another Island to see the Hong Kong's famous "Bronze Buddha." The island was also very beautiful, very scenic (very different from Hong Kong island).

No trip to Hong Kong is complete without a trip to Nathan Road. Along with the usual designer stores and top-of the line restaurants, this street is also known for having cheap electronics. Off of Nathan Road we visited a famous night market.

Erik here.
We are busy busy busy as we get closer to November. My class has started to get very challenging, and it is often difficult to manage work, school, and play. Amara is also doing well, she is enjoying her job at Kid Castle. Yesterday, we threw a halloween party for the kids. I was in the haunted house (jumping out and scaring the kids), and amara was in the photo booth. Her costume was quite frightening. Unfortunately, we have no pictures.
On Monday we will travel to Hong Kong for a couple days. None of us have been there, and we are very excited. Amara got a free ticket and hotel from her company so she can get her work visa. So we promise lots of pictures when we get back.
A week after Hong Kong, we will travel to Hangzhou with my college. They were gracious enough to let Amara come along. We have a friend we studied abroad with that is living in Hangzhou now, and we are excited to see him.