In Nanjing

On Saturday, Caroline Pederson (an exchange student at Nanjing normal university) and I went to the Sun Yatsen Mausoleum in on Zijin Mountain in Nanjing. It was a cool, cloudy day, and the Mausoleum was packed with tour groups in matching hats following banners. Sun Yatsen is considered the father of modern China and his casket is at the top of the memorial, reached by climbing 392 steps! (I didn't count, my Lonely Planet travel guide says so.) He unified China, overthrew the Qing dynasty, and preached the "Three Principles of the People": nationalism, democracy, and people's livliehood. In addition to his Mausoleum, we visited a memorial hall where various paintings illustrated important moments in his life. The plum blossoms were in bloom--lovely.
Saturday night, Caroline and I decided to go to Fuzi Miao, a Confucious temple. After trying to catch a taxi in the rain for a few minutes during shift change, we decided to eat first, and then go. We ate Kung Pao chicken (we had it bu la, not spicy), noodles and fried rice. We ate and then found a taxi. This taxi driver was HILLARIOUS.

"Welcome to my taxi. Two beautiful girls," was his greeting. He told us he was studying English online and by listening to tapes every night.

He said, "I know I cannot ask you how old you are," and then paused expectantly.

He must have told us three times that we had to try a certain food. He asked if we were students and I told him that I was a "you er yuan lao shi" or kindergarten teacher. He asked what the English word for kindergarten was and then tried to pronounce it and stumbled over all the syllables. Then he hit his head and said, "I am stupid, stupid, stupid." Caroline and I assured him that he was not stupid, that kindergarten was a hard word and not even really English! Then he asked us if we knew any Chinese songs. I said, "so-so." He then began to sing for us, first in Chinese, and then in English, quite dramatically. "I love you..."

It was so funny. When we arrived at Fuzi Miao, Caroline and I had a good laugh.

Here is the Nanjing International Branch Relief Society. We took this picture after church on Sunday. They are really great women and I had fun getting to know them at a triple baby shower on Saturday afternoon and during the potluck lunch after church. The potato salad was delicious and reminded me of Grandma Joyce!

I love you all. Please keep the people of this wonderful country in your prayers and read President Monson's opening remarks from last General Conference. Thank you for all the emails, letters, packages, and support--I couldn't do anything without y'all. :)