Email from Bill from China

Great Wall of China

"Bu yoa!" my brother-in-law Bill on visiting China and Shanghai

Last week I shared an email from my sister Betsy on her travels in China with her husband Bill and their son Kenny, who's attending the University of Beijing. Here's another email, this time from Bill.

Bu yoa, bu yoa, bu yoa. It means in Mandarin, "Don't want!." We scream it. Kenny bellows it. It's the only way to get through the street vendors in Shanghai. It gets really hairy when they grab you, especially when they grab the arm of Betsy's bad shoulder.

We couldn't be having a more fascinating, wonderful time. Betsy and I leave tomorrow. Kenny on January 10. We will miss that little sprite, but he is embarking on the journey of his life, having crossed halfway around the world to take the first step. He is deeply committed to learn conversational Mandarin to complement his understanding of world economics. The future just may belong to him.

Yesterday we went to the Badaling section of the Great Wall. Incomprehensible!!!! My first trip there. Betsy and Kenny had been to a different section of the wall before my arrival. Very crowded, but well worth it.

Everyone warned us about the water and the food. Water: right (a few drops and runny runny for days); Food: wrong (wonderful and cheap as hell.) Dinner last night for 4 with beer was 102 yuan or $12.75. Filled us all up (I think Betsy was hungry a half an hour later but she is keeping the weight off (looks great, especially her never-ending smile.)

We are on our way up to U of B today to get Kenny situated before our departure. Will drop off his 2 immense duffels and blend back into the 16,000,000 souls who reside here.

With the Olympics 2 years away, the city seems to have taken on the character of one large welcoming committee, except, perhaps, for the 12,000,000 of them who seem to live in a parallel universe of poverty and bad smell. Love, Bill

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PS from Betsy

OK - it's smiley old me only to reiterate what equally pleased old Bill has said... whew... what an experience. We will, of course, really miss not only seeing Ken, but not being able to talk whenever. However, we so get what's happening, we'll deal. This will be the last email from here. Wonderful as the trip has been, I am actually eager to get home. I miss too much and I HAVE to get in gear for school. Love you all, Betsy

See some amazing pictures of their adventures in China here.