The group arrived safely in Kunming. We are all checked into our hostel and just had our first meal of traditional Yunnanese dishes. The students are off to get a good nights rest before visiting a Traditonal Chinese Medicine hospital tomorrow and then cotinuing with orientation.
The above is a post from the group who arrived safely in Bejiing. Here’s a post from Jag he posted on the Yak Board where students are to post things about the trip, read on…..
My name is Jagger Fugate, I am in the 10th Grade, I have attended V.M.S. for three years now, and I have been taking Mandarin for two. As we have begun to embark upon our journey to China, I have been thinking a lot about what exactly this all means to me, and why. I see this trip as a wonderful opportunity to expose myself to a new and very diverse culture. That does tie into why I want to go, but the reasons for that are much more vast. I have traveled the World before, yet to no place such as this. The more I researched, and the more that Mr. Hustad told me about his travels in China, the more curious I got. Although videos and peoples reports on China are interesting, I believe that nothing could beat the real thing and that I would have to experience it for myself.
“A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent upon arriving.â€
When I had first read this quote, it had reminded me of peace. Normally when you think of travel you normally shift towards the trend of a strict schedule, order, and a set agenda. But what this quote offers is something different, it allows the traveler to enjoy the journey, not setting expectations for one’s trip; but allowing oneself the leniency and freedom to live for the experience. Even so, traveling to a new place can be scary; and even with all of the freedom that this may offer, there is a double-standard of responsibility. Whether that means respecting the new land, peoples, customs, and cultures; or taking it upon yourself to find happiness in the Chaos, and help lead others to a way of acceptance. For me personally, I would like to carry this quote with me through my travels to China, in all of the aspects that I have listed above. Not setting expectations, but taking pleasure in the fact that I have this opportunity, and doing my best to make sure that I can make use and worth of my time in China.
-Jagger Fugate
He writes pretty well, right! He’s the tall one, ha ha. They arrived around 2:30 Mountain time after a 13 hour flight, and then hung out until their flight south to Kunming about 5 hours later. He texted that he did sleep which is good. Meanwhile Ty went with his friend Tegan and his Mom after school to her house in Glenwood Springs and will be home this afternoon. I did a bunch of laundry, made it to the gym for a good 90 minute workout and did some work until I picked up Lori around 5:20. We were headed to Denver today for Lori to get her hair done but will wait until tomorrow as we’re supposed to get a fair amount of snow. The sky is grey right now but so far, no snow. You can smell it in the air though.
I’m back on the 8/16 eating plan. All it means is that you can eat for 8 hours of the day and you can’t for 16. So if you start taking in ANY calories at 8am, you’re done by 4, no exceptions. I go from about 10-10:30 until 6 or 6:30. You’ll be amazed how healthy this is for you and how the weight will just fall off. The premise is that your body starts using your own fat stored for its energy and it really does work. It just takes a few days to get in the groove as you’ll be a little “hangry” (hungry and angry) when you first start it. We all eat too much in the Western World as it is. Our portion size is about twice what it should be. Anyhow, not preaching, just sharing. Again, diets don’t work, lifestyles do.
Guess I’ll run, more to come from China as we get it. It just started snowing, really hard! They say we can get a foot. Have a good weekend and God Bless.