Energy Boost

I need an energy boost big-time today... Hubby gave me his cold as an Easter gift. (Gee, thanks.) My throat is so sore that orange juice actually stings... Lovely. Hope this goes away quickly.

But really, the energy boost I'm referring to is that Hubby & I watched a GlobeTrekker DVD on two regions of China over the weekend with one of his co-workers & her husband (who will also be doing some sight-seeing in China). We started to get really excited about our trip. One of the programs went from Shanghai to Suzhou and Xi'an, which are three places I'd really like to see. We need to borrow the Beijing program from the library, since that's the other place we're planning to go. It was great to see these places in living color, as opposed to still pictures - they seem so much more real & alive to me now.

One thing I find really interesting is that I've always thought of the modern Chinese government as very oppressive against any form of religion, and yet it appears (according to the programs) that there are religious elements in much of Chinese life. For example, Shanghai's patron god is the god of money - and I assume other cities have gods as well. There's also a large Muslim community in Xi'an (over 35 million people!); and I'd never have previously associated the Muslim religion with China. I'm sure this just shows how little I know about the East, so I'm using this whole trip as a way to broaden my horizons - both in terms of passport stamps and personal knowledge!