Back in Harbin

On Thursday evening we had a special service by our organization to properly send us on to our teaching sites.  It was a meaningful evening for all of us.  Friday morning our team was met by the provincial director who overseas our program at the government's end who took us around Beijing to see a few more sights.  We experienced the Summer Palace (along with about 50,000 other people), the drum tower in old Beijing and traveled through a hutong (look it up).  Our last trip of the day was a 90 minute flight to Harbin.  We couldn't believe we were in Harbin as we drove past "Car Row" with all its vehicle dealerships.  New and improved roads were everywhere.  Skyscrapers now dot the city.  Most of the buildings in the area we are living are at least 24 stories tall.  There are some even bigger than that in the distance.  

When we arrived last evening, we discovered our rooms were not ready so we were placed in other (single) rooms on a different floor.  What that means is that Rollin and I are no longer roommates.  We were told that our rooms would be ready today, and after lunch we moved our luggage to a "holding" room until our new rooms were ready.  We will not have a double room available until July 16 so until then we will simply be visiting each other in our separate rooms.  This country has changed in so many ways and yet.......not so much.

Tomorrow we will be going to the university we taught in during the 1989-90 school year.  That school will be holding a 60th year anniversary.  We drove past it today and it is all decked out for the celebration.  We know we will see at least one person we knew during that school year with the hopes others will be there as well.