feels like home

monday, even though we didn't leave until 12, was a flurry of semi-panicked activity--packing, laundry, ATMing, getting lunch... sometimes getting 10 people coordinated and out of the house is like herding cats! :) Everyone converged in time, we made our bus and headed off to huang ping.
sadly, the camera does little to capture the beauty of the countryside, and the angry gray clouds didn't help much. and even though we are in china, we can't help but feel at home in the mountains with clouds of mist. . . ahhh. . . there's even the orangey-red clay!! no kidding!
we arrived in huang ping with all of our fillings intact. . . no small miracle after enduring the bumpiest three hours of twisting through the mountains. and best of all, no motion sickness!! apparently, this is a common ailment among asians, because the bus driver passed out little plastic bags to everyone on the bus.
we walked from the bus station to the hotel--basically a parade of foreigners through the major streets of hp with our backpacks and rolling duffles in tow.
we ate dinner at the couch restaurant (we named it for the couches around tables, but the actual name is even funnier. . . go home!) which was just as delicious as we remembered.
after dinner we gathered at the basketball court for dancing, which happens every nite it's not raining. the students we know aren't all about dancing in the square because they say it's an old person's activity, but our team loved it! it's almost like jane fonda, chinese style. people spread out all over the court, music plays, and there's an understood pattern of moves that goes with it. it wasn't too hard for our girls to catch on (i was a different story, let me tell you! dancing is NOT one of my gifts!!) and they danced until it was over. we met several students there to sit and hang out, and it was nice to have a relaxed atmosphere to make introductions and chat.

for dan, chelsey and i, this was like coming home. . .