Wow... Aaaaand we're back.  After a long hiatus due to VPN issues the Far Easy is ready to go and chalk full of things to show you.  I've decided to just post things in the order of which they happened, so lets all hop in a time machine and go WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY back to the beginning of October.  In China, the first of October coincides with what they call "National Day" and a moon festival.  National Day is basically the Chinese equivalent of the Fourth of July... Not necessarily their independence day or anything, but a day to be with family or friends and celebrate being Chinese.  During the Moon Festival you are supposed to light lanterns and... eat moon cakes?  I guess?  Moon cakes are these bland, dense "sweets" in China.  I say sweets because nothing here is sweet, its why they are all so thin.  Its like sugar doesn't exist unless its in a foreign product like skittles.  During this festival my friend James, his girlfriend Xiao Hui and I went to a place called ShiDu to spend a couple of days.... Here are some pictures from that trip.

                                                                                                                              

Lighting a lantern... first time ever, pretty fun

me and a monk friend of mine

Poling around a lake... kind of boring actually

The monks family owns a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant

And thats about it....











Wait!















Did I mention....





I went....












Bungee jumping?

I've also got a video of it, but the internet is too slow here to upload, especially through a VPN.

Stay tuned for future posts.... On tap I have Vietnam, and Chinese New Year, among other things not quite as exciting.  Good to be back!