Trip to Mt. Tai in Tai'an

We recently took a one day trip to Tai'an by bus and hiked most of the way up Mt. Tai which was very beautiful.  It remined us of the Uintahs in a way and was a wonderful experience getting up high enough to enjoy the cooler air than what we are beginning to have again here in Jinan.  We waited in long lines for a cable car ride up the steepest part of the mountain and then again to descend via the same means.  There were lots and lots of people there that Saturday.

Susan is also enjoying tutoring two young children in English (lower left) with Lowell's assistance twice a week and enjoys the gifts her students bring her when they come for the near weekly English hour at our apartment.  Several of her married students brought her the bouquet of flowers just prior to Mother's Day.

We are soon to be home and will miss all of these people and this scenery.

Weifang and Shouguang

We recently took a two day trip to Weifang (City of Kites) and Shouguang (City of Vegetables) where we viewed some interesting things.  The Kite Festival was over the preceeding week so we missed the crowds there and didn't see any kite competitions, but did see a lot of intesting kites.  The vegetable exhibition was in full swing and we were in the midst of the crowds there (seemed like millions of people).  We enjoyed the sculptures made of vegetables and seeds (like the bulls and elephant above).  The cart and donkey were intesting only because of the front and back "catchers" for anything the horse might lose along the way.

Things We've Done Recently

We have been tutoring two children (top center) ages 4 and 5, had a lunch with some former students (lower left), had a birthday celebration,  judged an English speech contest (lower right) and climbed Thousand Buddha mountain recently.