Traveling The World- A Summer Assignment

Egypt 2

2005-08-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,
I never imagined what the great pyramids at Giza would look like. They were so beautiful that they took my breath away. They were built more than 4,500 years ago, and are the largest of all pyramids. They were the most carefully built, and are best pyramids preserved. Khufu's Great Pyramid is made of more than two million blocks of stone, and was completed near the end of his 23 year reign. That means that everyday 285 blocks, each weighing 2.5 tons, were smoothed, cleaned, and transported to the site of the pyramid. Inside the pyramid was the queen's chamber, the Chamber, the grand gallery, a new passage, and an underground passage. Inside, with the body, was a wooden boat, furniture, gold, and personal stuff of the king's, It was a magnificent site, that I will never forget. While there though, I learned a little bit about how they made the pyramids. Once the stones were dug and cut, they were brought to a site to be quarried. They were cleaned up, and put on boats to be taken down river to the site of the pyramid. Once the blocks were on land, they were put on rollers, and rolled to the pyramid. After the base had been completed, ramps were built, so the granite and limestone could be hauled up for the next layer. Then once the core was built, the outer facing was put on. They worked from top to bottom on the outer facing, so that the ramps could be taken off after each layer was completed. After years of hard work, the tomb would be ready. Once the coffin had been brought to the burial chamber, the entrance was blocked and hidden. It was an amazing process, that took a very long time, and patience was required. I wonder what it would be like, to build something like that following those steps. I don't think I would be able to do it. The pyramids were amazing, and I can't believe how magnificent they were.

2005-08-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,
Today I arrived in Cairo, Egypt by plane. I took a bus to my hotel and got settled in. Then I went outside to explore. Walking down the street, I saw buses, cars, trucks, and motorcycles. I saw pedestrians, bicycles, and even donkeys and carts! All around me were modern buildings, crammed together. Shoppers came out of stores looking happy with bags in their hands. Most people wore western style clothing, although a few wore head coverings from the middle east. Reading up on books before I came, I learned that Cairo was the largest city in Africa. It had more than 6 million people living within the city limits, and was actually over populated. Before going back to my hotel, I stopped in a little shop to have lunch. I had dried meats and imported fruits and vegetables, some cheese and a nice glass of water. After that, I headed back to my hotel to nap. When I woke up, and went out a did a little shopping. I bought souvenirs and postcards, gifts, and necessities. I bought a lot of stuff. I then headed back through the crowded streets of Cairo to my little hotel. I then ate dinner, and went to bed early, because tomorrow I was heading out to Giza.

Jordan 2

2005-08-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,
I woke up this morning and had a nice meal of yogurt, grapes, and cheese. After getting ready and packing up all my stuff, I took a taxi to the local bus station, to get on a bus to Jerash. While I waited around for the bus, I noticed that most people were wearing western style clothing, but a lot of men also had cloths covering their heads called kaffiyeh's. It was a nice temperature out, because it was spring, not too hot like the summer's and not too cold like the winter's, just right. Finally the bus arrived, and I put me and my belongings on it. About 31 miles later, I was in Jerash. Jerash was a nice town that had to be one of the best examples of a Roman provincial city. From the bus station, I took a taxi to my hotel, checked in and headed back out. I was on my way to the ruins of Jerash. The ruins of Jerash were magnificant. They are one of Jordan's biggest attractions. There were hundreds of towering colums, and stone avenues. There was intricate little details, still visible from about 100 A.D. It was all old and very impressing. After that I went back to my hotel and decided to the traditional Jordanian dish mansef. It's made of lamb cooked in yogurt and served on rice. It sounds gross, but it was delicious. I then decided to go checkout the Temple of Zeus, and see what that was like, and then move on to the South Theatre. Everything was very interesting and beautiful, but after a long day of walking, I needed to go to bed.

Jordan

2005-08-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,
Today I am in Amman, Jordan. After leaving my hotel, I went down the street, until I could find a taxi. I said I wanted to be takem to the Roman Theater, and off we went. When you get to the Roman Theater, you see this beautiful second century Roman temple. You walk in the entrance, and on your right is the Folklore museum and on your left is the Traditional Jewels and Costumes museum. They are both rather small, but worth a visit. The Folklore museum is filled with beautiful artifacts from the traditional Jordinian life. It has wonderful costumes, clothing, and furniture. Amazing instruments and handicrafts. I enjoyed every moment of it. The Traditional Jewels and Costumes museum is also wonderful. It is lined with marvelous jewels and costumes, from many, many generations back. The jewels shine perfectly, and the costumes look like they are in perfect condition. It was all worth it. I also went to the Jordan Museum of Popular Traditions. It had beautiful costumes and jewelry, most over a hundred years old. It had amazing ceramics and mosaics from Jerash and Modaba. All of the museums were alike, but yet unique in different ways. After that I went out to lunch at a little resturaunt, and had some meat, and fresh fruits and vegetables grown right in Jordan. It was all delicious. I then went back to my hotel, and turned on the telivision because I wanted to see what was happeneing with the local government. The media was talking about the inadequate supplies of water, oil, and other natural resources. It was also talking about how Jordan was dealing with being a member of the World Trade organization, and signing the free trade agreement with the United States. It was all interesting, but I decided I needed a nap, and drifted off to sleep.

Japan 2

2005-08-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

May 3
Dear Diary,
Today is Constitution Day!!! We woke up and had a hearty breakfast of Miso (soup made of soybean), rice, and eggs. After cleaning up and getting dressed, we left for the local public school, because they were teaching the kids about Japan’s Constitution. We filed into an auditorium, and took our seats. We sat on plain wooden benches in rows. The speakers started off by introducing themselves, and showing pictures of what the constitution looked like. The Constitution of Japan has been a legal document since 1947. It provides Parliamentary Government, guarantees fundamental laws, and states that the Emperor of Japan is the head of state, but only ceremonial reasons. Before the Constitution of Japan was written, the country was governed by the Meiji Constitution (Constitution of the Emperor of Japan). The Constitution of Japan was then written under the supervision of General Douglas MacArthur (my great-great-great uncle!), and the occupational forces. Milo Rowell, Courtney Whitney, and Beale Sirota drafted most of it. The Constitution has approximately 5,000 words. It has a preamble and 103 articles grouped into eleven chapters. They are:
1. The Emperor (1- 8)
2. Renunciation of War (9)
3. Rights and duties of the people (10- 40)
4. The Diet (41 – 64)
5. The Cabinet (65 – 75)
6. Judiciary (76 – 82)
7. Finance (83 – 91)
8. Local Self-government (92 – 95)
9. Amendments (96)
10. Supreme Laws (97 – 99)
11. Supplementary Provisions (100 – 103)

I also learned a little about how Japan’s government works. There’s the Legislative Branch, the Executive Branch, and the Judicial Branch. The Judicial Branch is made up of the Supreme Court. The Executive Branch is made up of the Emperor and the Prime Minister. The Legislative Branch is made up of the Diet. Lots more information was crammed into my head, but there’s too much to write down. We then left the children at school for the rest of the day. Before we left though, I met their teachers, and they were very polite. Their classroom was decorated with their work, and it looked like a cozy environment. Mr. And Mrs. Wong and I went home and had lunch. Mr. Wong left for a sudden business meeting, and I took a nap. When the children got home from school, I played with them. Shu Fang, taught me how to fold some origami, and Xun showed me his comic books. When Mr. Wong got home, we went to the Puppet Theater. The story was about a heroic battle to save the emperor. One person, who changed tones depending on the characteristics of the puppet, narrated it. The puppets were about four feet tall, dressed in lively clothing, and operated by puppeteers dressed completely in black. The story was beautifully done and it got a lot of applause. On the way home, the Wong’s let me stop to pick out a kimono for my self. I chose one that had an assortment of colors and patterns, and it pleased me. We went home, had dinner, and went to bed. I drifted off to sleep thinking of the beautiful Japanese Gardens Mrs. Wong and I would see tomorrow while the children were at school, and Mr. Wong was at work.

Japan

2005-08-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,
Today I arrived in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. After going through customs and getting my luggage, I went to wait for the family I was staying with to come pick me up. I was just about to sit down, when I suddenly see four people holding a big poster board with my name on it. They were wearing western clothing (like me), and all looked slightly similar. I waved my hand, and they came towards me. A middle-aged man and his family stood in front of me looking at me. I asked if this was the Wong family, and the man answered me (in surprisingly good English) “Yes, I am Wong Yi Min, and this is my wife Wong Jia Li”. A fair-skinned, small, and slender woman stepped forward. She had straight, black hair and dark brown eyes, on a soft and comforting face. Wong Shu Fang, their ten-year old daughter looked like her mother, but with her father’s eyes and nose. Wong Xun, their six-year old boy, had browner skin, black hair, and some of his baby fat still left. I shook their hands, and they picked up my luggage, and we walked towards the door. We stepped outside, and we were greeted by a wave of hot, humid, heavy air. We started to walk towards the train station, and Mr. Wong told me to hold on to my luggage tightly. At first I wondered why, but then I saw the reason. Men with white gloves on were pushing the people into the train, so the doors could close.

* * *

We finally got to their small, but sweet home. We walked into a little hall, where the shoes and coats were kept. We took off our shoes, and changed into slippers called surippa’s, because the Japanese never wear shoes in the house. The hall then opened up into the kitchen, with some rooms following that. There was a living/ bedroom/ dining room, a toilet room, a bath room, and another room or two. All of the rooms were small and simply furnished with a few cushions, a table, flowers, or straw mats called tatami’s. The walls usually had a picture or scroll hung up somewhere, and huge scenic windows. It was a nice little home.

* * *

After getting settled, the Wong’s wanted to take me out to dinner. We left their house and walked down the busy street. We finally stopped at a small restaurant. Once seated, we ordered Udon (thick wheat noodles), sushi, seaweed, tofu, and pickled vegetables. We also ordered the typical rice and green tea. It was really good. After that, we walked home slowly, admiring the few stars we could see. That night, I experienced my first Buddhist Ceremony. I got to offer rice to the gods, and deceased relatives. The Wong’s had their own little alter to put the sacrifices on. It was a very interesting night. Then we went off to bed exhausted. We slept on futons with light sheets over us, and the last thing I remember was listening to the breathing of Shu Fang and Xun.

My Introduction Paragraph

2005-06-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

This is my introduction paragraph. I'm learning about blogs. It is fun I guess.