Gregoire's Ray + Tina

Thank you, Raymond, for taking me to China. I didn’t want to go, but it was fabulous.

I woke up this morning (afternoon?) and tried to remember what part of China I was in. And…surprise…I was in Redmond Ridge. Then I realized that I was in the southern part of the Vancouver SAR (Special Administrative Region). The Vancouver SAR is similar the Hong Kong SAR, except that the US doesn’t formally recognize Vancouver (and Seattle) to be the western-most province of the People’s Republic of China. (This is a joke…sort of.)

Anyway, here’s a list of things I will never take for granted:
Standardized electrical outlets
Water which can be consumed without boiling
Overhead lights
Clean air
Pedestrian right-of-way
Food items labeled in English AND Spanish
Starbucks stores with bathrooms

And, here’s a list of things I miss already:
Silk
Chopsticks
Lazy Susans
Spicy Chinese Mystery Food
Tall buildings
Neon
High speed trains
Lost tourists (our group)
Water buffalo
Bellboys with round caps and white gloves
The Jimmy Award
Efficient baggage handlers
The energy of Shanghai and Hong Kong
Ancient bricks inscribed with names
Calligraphy
Laundry on the 50th floor