Final Entry of a Father-Daughter Adventure

Farewell, China!

Well, we did arrive safely back in Saskatchewan, and made it through security without the appearance of rubber gloves. I thought we'd spend the night in Saskatoon, but Crystal whisked us back to the acreage that night.

It took a few days to adjust back to home life; partly the difference in the weather, partly the food, but mostly it took a while getting used to not being the centre of attention. Sky Ann, on the other hand, seemed to have no problem at all. One of my favourite compliments while in China: You are a handsome man and a satisfactory father. 

A month has passed since we returned home. I am so glad I had this opportunity, and especially thankful for Sky Ann. I used to love traveling alone, but it would not have been the same without her. Thanks to her, I was able to experience everything not only through my own eyes, but through hers as well. It was also very special to know that there were friends and family back home thinking about us. We especially missed Crystal and Grayden, and were glad they had such as wonderful summer as well.

What was the most memorable experience? On our last day, as we drove to the Changsha airport, I wrote a sort of a poem in the notebook of a new friend who asked me to put down some of my thoughts before we parted. She emailed it to me a few days after we returned home, translated into Chinese as well. Here it is. If it is followed by a string of little boxes, it means your computer cannot display chinese characters.

PS To begin at the beginning, if that is what you would like, you have to scroll down to the last post, which was the first post.

T.I.C. (This Is China)

when I first arrived in Beijing with my daughter

and saw the ambitious architecture

and preserved hutongs of the Capital,

I thought,

So, this is China.

when we walked along the spine of the Great Wall

twisting through the mountains like an ancient dragon,

allowing us to cross time and space

I thought,

So, this is China.

when we reached Tian'anmen Square

and flowed through the Forbidden City,

engulfed by history and tourists,

I thought

So, this is China.

when we spent fourteen days together

sharing the sweltering food and air of Hunan

Friends, Canadian and Chinese together,

I knew.

This. Is. China.

中国之行

当我第一次和我女儿来到北京

看到了气势磅礴的建筑

以及首都仍然保留着的胡同

我想,

原来，这就是中国

当我们沿着长城一路走时

长城就似一条古老的长龙穿过群山

这使我感觉自己正跨越时间和空间的距离

我想

原来，这就是中国

我们来到了天安门广场和紫禁城

这里布满着历史和游客的足迹

我想

原来，这就是中国

当我们在夏令营中共度十四天

加拿大朋友和中国朋友

一起享受湖南的新鲜空气和特色食物时

我知道 这就是中国