Yeah we went and saw something yesterday. It is a very quaint and nice town. I will have to go into the shops on Wed as there is a fancy dancy dinner and I brought nothing to wear.............I know shocker but the truth. So I will report how fancy and expensive the shops are.

We went to the Opera house yesterday..............13 officials in there trying to be proper.........not so much. Very nice and old and the people were very understanding of our misgivings.

Floating restaurant was something. Something that you will never see again in a lifetime. Something is wrong with the fact that I was walking 2 feet above very fast rushing water. To think you can eat in there as well as relax with coffee. Wild.

Wednesday we will be walking up the side of one of their mountains. Very famous landmark here. “Scholzenburg” something sounding like that, say that word real fast with spit in your throat and you it will sound like where we are going.

Enjoying the time better now that I have had my mental meltdown along with some sleep................ thanks to Mister Tylenol PM.

It has been 37 days and I broke the mental block of.......................................RICE. Yup had it tonight, somehow it tasted different accompanied by schnitzel, and mixed with peas. I am still hear though. The desserts and the chocolates are top notch, have to say it might have been the coffee that kept me up the other night. SO I have put a curfew on the coffee. After noon NO COFFEE! AINT NO DUNKIN that's for sure.

Games tomorrow and more sights Wed, so till then only rink news and I will report if something exciting happens.

One thing is that I NOW realize just how much I took and saw in China and just how neat and special that trip was.

3:12 AM.......this is the last time I saw the clock last night. It was mental, I wanted to jump out the window.........so frustrating not to be tired and I should have been. I was up for practice at 6:45am. Bummer and we are off to sight see in the car for 2 hours, I am praying that I do not doze off on the ride but I will I am sure. Hopefully I get to take some photos to post. I am pondering if this is all worth it as I travel this far to sit 12 hours in a rink and not see anything else. China was eye opening but man, there was alot to absorb..............boring ole Europe, well just like America just more polite and "uptight." Just joking. I am here for a reason, do not know why but I will find it and make the most of it and enjoy the experience. I do enjoy it, maybe it is the jetlag talking.

Hey peeps, nothing really exciting to show you today and speak about..............unless of course you want to hear about the great food, people of of course beverages................none of which I can have as we are supervising ALL day long and then when it is time to have a beverage it is WAY TOO late and then we have to ve up for ice practice at 7:15. It is 12:30 at the moment so. I sould not have had the coffee tonight for dinner. Goodness, this blog is way more boring as this is nothing report, ie : bathrooms, taxi rides or the "dirt" factor. #1, bathrooms ACE, #2 No taxi private car/bus whenever we want and #3 Dirt Factor....nope none zero, zilch, country smalls and looks great. We have a day off tomorrow so we will travel outside the city to some countryside winery and JUST look and sniff..........Hopefully we will have some photos to share then...ALL GOOD HERE!

OK peeps, believe it or not, I ate at Hooters tonight, salad and wings. I was starved and now very tired. I am 1 Nyquil tablet gone and heading to the mini bar.............I mean mini bed. It is so small, and not as hard as rock by any means.
I am not sure how many photos I will take as I think me stint here will be in the rink ALL DAY, and 1 of the days off is Sunday, and these Austrians do it right. Everyone has a day off on Sunday. Funny thing a rest day,....hmmmmm. I am trying to set up a country drive to a coffee house or pub. OK I am off to sleep hopefully I am not up at 3am on the treadmill. Night

Wow that was a short flight, It was like 9 hours shorter................It was a good flight, small plane, 2-3-2 across and the first hour it was filled, I mean filled with bumps and lumps. Scary at times. Almost had a fight with the man next to me, he wanted to window with his wife. I was bad and did not give it up, because I really needed to sleep..............long story short, he never spoke to me and I never slept................so bummer. I made it to the hotel, nice and quaint and CLEAN! People are great all set up with the internet and converter. Because when I got here the old one was fried from China, must have been when I blew up my dryer, and the smoke bellowed out...oh well.......ooooppppssss. I am going to go rest and shower as I will have to meet with the coaches/committee at 5pm. Nothing really exciting to report yet. But I will have stories to come for sure.

March 30th....................................3 days in counting. Austria is just around the corner, and I am actually excited about the thought of traveling there. I have nothing packed or organized, but did grocery shop today. All good, I bought my oatmeal and bars along with my wheat thins. Hopefully I will not have to use any of it, but I am prepared. I have extra room this time, no TP needed...............BONUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I leave Thursday and arrive Friday, so some time on Friday I will hook up and let you know what be happening there. Chat to you then unless I have something burning to say before I leave.

RETURN HOME:
OK I am home now, I apologize for not getting on here for the last few days. For some reason the hotels Internet would not let me log on. Anyways finished up the last days at the rink. Happy to do so. It was an adventure of a lifetime, and as they say....(Who are they?) but it has changed me forever. I am not really sure of how or when but I do see things here a bit different. Wait , I have been unable to go out here, as we have 6 inches of snow.....................real white shovelable snow here. Goodness the winter weather followed me. Unreal..........It was to flippin cold to snow there ; and when it did there were "volunteers" there to scrap the roads. We never did look up the definition of volunteer in Chinese language. We all have our thoughts, the first being "slaves." It was not the best 18 days of my life, but definitely the most memorable days of my life. I hope that makes sense, and you do not think it is the jet lag. I am doing good on that, except last night and this morning as by the time of entry. 7:35pm bedtime, 4:00 am wake-up. Not too bad it will get better.
This is all for now. I am going to keep this blog, and my next trip is April 1st, not an April fools joke. I am off to Austria this time. I will figure out how to post back by then, just could not figure it out this time. So stay tune for my adventures on the blog. Once I get the photos downloades I will add different ones to this page. I look forward to hearing from everyone in Austria in a few weeks. Lets just pray Grammy and Papa come back, I think the children wore them out, but 3 weeks will be a good recovery time. There might be more trips down the raod as well stay tune. Again thanks for all the support, reading the comments each day gave me a little smile each day.

Day #11
Top 5 scary thoughts to me today.(I am bored at the rink; 10-0 game just finished)
#5 I will welcome the traffic in Short Pump
#4 McDonald's is no longer on the NO EAT list
#3 Chen's IS on the NO EAT list
#2 2 of my top 5 things I have seen or done in my lifetime occur ed in China
AND THE #1 SCARY THOUGHT IS..........................

I am Missing Richmond

Yes I said it, no need to re-read that sentence

Nothing new to report, except I ran out of oatmeal and moved onto to bread and peanut butter for breakfast this am. Yum Yum. I am 6 chocloate chip cookies into the day, with about 12 cups of tea/coffee

At the rink all day and I have a relaxing am tomorrow followed by the Bronze and Gold Medal Games in the afternoon/evening. I am sure I could round my morning off with another shopping expedition somewhere. I did get paid yesterday and for one time in my life; I am a Millionaire -A Chinese one that is and this is official, along with the empress status as well..............Iwill exchange the RMB's I have and I have alot of them and it will come out to like $12.00.

Paula asked me what will be the first thing I will do...........I will sit at JFK with a REAL cup of Dunkin Dognuts coffee in hand with bagel beside me and sit and just ponder the fact that my personal space has returned. First meal will be a salad, without half eaten produce. View photos of the grocery store.

OK I must run and try to pretend like I am important, because the people here think I am!

Day #10 LONG ENTRY SORRY!
Hey peeps, sorry it has taken me a few days to get back to you. I have been busy eating, shopping and taxi riding;Chinese Style. It has been an adventure to say the least. I have loved each and every moment . It is hard to have a difficult time being surrounded by the Chinese People.
Lets see I will round out the last 3 days.
Monday - nearly died in a taxi, wait that is the risk you take each time we step into a taxi. There is a concept I need to introduce here, drivers education............To sum it up........Judy you know how you use the analogy of the drivers in the USA using the lines on the road as reference point that people just know to stay on the right side of the road, and you believe that they will do so............................well if you used the analogy here, the people would look at you like you had 5 head. NO NO NO, no such lines exist here. Frightening
So back to Monday, went to the local market place to swing deals. There were so many people there and yes all looking at us as if we were out of place. Oh wait we were. So picture this, you all have seen the movie Happy Feet. Where Happy Feet is in the zoo and looking out to the people trying to communicate, well market day was kind of like that. 7 White women walked in the market and things STOPPED! Completely. I loved that day and we had so many laughs. Of course I forgot the camera, so when I download the photos from Kate I will share.
Monday Evening - Went to see the Ice Lights. Most amazing thing I have ever seen, OK 2nd. Wall was on the top of the list. I need to get out more, my two top things I have seen are in China........scary........Huge city all made out of ice, made in 22 days. Slides and events to do all through the city. One slide in particular - huge slide all of ice, you slide down it on a 2.00 RMB walmart sled, converted it is $.005 US. You go so fast and hit a snow wall to stop. Yes, probably should have thought of how I was going to stop before I went down the slide. Fastest, Stupidest thing I have ever done.
Tuesday - Met the mayor of Harbin and the President of the World University Games. President - Most exciting. An old, cranky type from........ of course none other than USA. Completely blamed myself(USA Hockey) that we did not have team representing the US. Obviously he does not know I only have pull in China. I am the next empress! I gave him a big hug and kiss and we move our relationship on from there.
Tuesday evening - finished the games and went to another "Mob" like dinner, great food, weird conversations and rubbing elbows and such. Wow it would suck to be important everyday, 18 days I can handle.
Wednesday - hold onto your chopsticks.........I ate at McDonald's here, yup and had a spiderman happy meal. Did not care today. It was great and the soda was sweet! Went to a grocery store, and now that I visited it ; I will officially go on a hunger stike until I leave. Forgot the camera, getting those photos as well real soon. Would not believe it, all meat in open air for people to touch pick up and spit on. Wait not the best, as I was turning away from that spectal I looked to my right and witnessed for real .......wait you know how we ALL try the grapes before we buy at the store, well not customary here..............they instead take a huge bite from the produce(huge pepper like thing) and if NO LIKE, they will return it to the bin. No joke. I will not even tell you about the peeping in the streets, dogs peeing in the mall, and donkeys in the streets. Thats for another day.
Sorry it is a long entry, just think how many stories I have for you when I come home.

Day #7
I am still craving for a meal, but not starving.......plenty of snacks and coffee. I think coffee suppresses the hunger in you. Instant coffee is the best. I sit in the office at the rink, and dream of my cup of Dunkin Dognuts in my hand.
Anyways it could be much worse. Myself andthe people are still smiling. Leann's English is getting so much better. Of course it is, she is hanging with me.
We went to the tigers yesterday. I was too cold to purchase a live cow, so all we could get it the dead meat. It was so neat to see so many tigers in one spot. The thought of buying a real live animal and having those tigers tear it to shreds is a bit disturbing. It is China, just smile and nod.
Now lets talk about the taxi ride last night. I wanted to stay a bit longer at the hotel before going to the mens rink. So Stacey thought it would be a good idea to get a taxi to the rink. Hmm lets think, taxi +China.........no so good idea, (that is what Leann would say). So an hr later and a phone call later. I arrived at the right rink. 1 hr drive cost 31 RMB's, like $4.00 US. The poor man was so embarrassed to ask for that amount, but I gave it to him with tip....no tip but did anyways......and left with a smile, when all I wanted to do was scream. 1 hr Taxi ride in China compares to me sitting a Mary Kay Party at Dee's house.........love ya girl. So that is all from here. 1 more game tonight...............then plywood bed here I come.

DAY#5
Opening ceremonies were last night. I tell you what I am so glad that they were inside the figure skating rink. It was unbelievably cold outside last night. I think -30, no joke. The kind of cold that freezes your lungs and jeans within seconds. It has been a long time since I felt cold like that. It was cold. It is unthinkable to think we might have been outside for them.
Harbin is bidding for the 2018 Olympics. I am finding that website and “X'ing” that fantasy of theirs when I get home. I can not imagine sitting in a stadium for that opening ceremony. The death rate would raise during those days, a way to control the population though huh. But they do know how to put a show on. I was impressed. Really neat things they did with the song and dance.

Philosophy so far in Harbin:
1 Trip to China $2000
Plate of pigs feet $2.00
Drinking Instant coffee $.50 AND Leann making it
Special K bar/Wheat Thins Dinner last night
Chinese People taking care of me PRICELESS
Staring and drinking way too much bottled water, but having a great experience that I will never forget!
1:30 am NIGHT

DAY #4

would like you all to meet, Leanne. Mom I think you are right, I will try and fit her into my suitcase. She is ace. She brings me coffee, lunch, and snacks, but not quite understanding that I need some chocolate. Yes sweets, I am dying here. No candy or sweets to be found. Well I guess you can say I would be able to find them atop of a dumpling or something. Man I bet she is good at laundry and babysitting too........ Kids meet your new Nanny
Games started today. 8Am start and 6pm finish. I really do not think any other tournament will be like this one. I even get the VIP treatment for seating as well. Sat right next to the big wig organizing the whole event, and what is even stranger is that he knew my name...........No he was not looking at the credentials. So we are “tight” now................
Talk about VIP treatment, I found a real toilet in the rink. BONUS. I have gone long enough without showing all of you the photo of the common potties here, so here it is. Brace yourself. So needless to say I will not be using that thing again, and will no longer pray that the oatmeal WORKS in the morning before I come to the rink. That is all for tonight, I must go sleep on my plywood bed and dream of sheets that smell and feel Downy Softness.

PS I know the girls here are reading this, so they better bring me some suck up food tomorrow to the rink.

I have been asking for my most excellent photos, so here is a website you can view the photos at. I have to include a disclaimer, because the girls I am with, this is their website and I no longer have control of the photo content that might be displayed. They now are with 8 other officials here, and that mixed with Chinese Saki......aka JET FLUE!.........bad combo! www.picasaweb.goggle.com/connolly.kate

“You come here, you sit here, no you are go here.” This what I hear each day now. I just am smiling and nodding with great ease. The Chinese are wonderful accommodating people. It will be hard to meet a nicer group of people.
What has happened since I last wrote.

Well lets just say I attended to Chinese version of a “Godfather” dinner last evening. It was neat. Sitting around a huge round table in soft cushy chairs having a meal with the head of the Chinese Ice Hockey Federation. Meal starts and he raised these tiny white glass for a toast. Not kn owning that it was a high octane “Jet fuel” liquid. So down it goes and the fire starts in the mouth ALL the way down to the gutt! When in China do as Chinese. Oh my word. Only pretended to drink it after the 1st. Just raised he glass, smiled and nodded. It is the experience after all right........All good from there, after the 4th toast they never even realized I was lifting the glass, oh well. Meal was great, could not identify half the items but they good none the less.

Awoke to the craving of my lucky charms. Goodness, would love them right now. Made the trek to the dinning area to have coffee, lets just say dunkin Dog-nuts would be good with the "charms." Nothing for breakfast I could see, but did “borrow” a spoon for my oatmeal I brought. YUM YUM, love that oatmeal. Thanks to Robin I had some left over staring at me in the pantry, took that at the last minute, good call.
Morning skate at 10:00, and had a meeting at 1pm. Rushed to a meeting that was suppose to start at 4pm, but it is really 6pm. WELCOME TO CHINA! No new photos today, forgot the camera; but here as some from the 1st few days. Enjoy!

P.S. I got my own personal "follower" ie. girl following me around to ensure I have everything I could possibly want- think she would do my souvenir shopping for me?

DAY #2

Flight to Harbin this am from Beijing was brilliant. Seat TV's and sweet chairs to relax in. Now the airplane food, yup just like lunch. Have no idea what the sandwich was they served, just passed on it and went for the Sprite for the flight.
Once we landed the royal treatment was kept up. 2 ladies met us AT, yes AT the gate along with 3 police officers; (not sure that was for our safety or the safety of the people from the CRAZY AMERICANS) whisked to the belt for our bags and then passed to others to load our bags and IN the "shaky-old-rickety van." Granted it was a van and we did not have to walk in the -20C, so all good. Packed in the van and going 90MPH, (not exaggerating) with people in streets, bikes in the streets and other cars. I do not think they get the concept of lines in the road, why do they have them? Matt said that they only got a street light about 10yrs ago. It is a big city, it is not a village......but not high priority on driver safety, and if you are a pedestrian; forget it, sign your death certificate.
The new photos are of the ice scultures all over the city and the other is Harbin's form of snow plows, no joke. It is Crazy. Driving down the road, 90MPH and people are sweeping the streets with wicker brooms!
I have a meeting with the officials at 5pm, and then have ice tomorrow and games will begin Wed. Hope you are enjoying a little part of chiona with me.
PS ate rice and beans today washed down with water!!!!!!!!!NO DUCK ANYTHING!

Where do I start First of all 2 entries on this in 1 day........miracle!
We set off to the wall and passed all the Olympic stuff on the way, cool. Then drove further; saw the wall in the distance. Still looking like it did in the text books. Paid to get in and there it was right in front of us.
This thing was huge, you would never do it justice until you are standing in front of it. Step after step we climb and climbed and climbed. Talk about training for the next walk, I found it. One of the best things I have ever seen in my life. Hard climb but worth it every step. Photo at the bottom to prove it.
Then off to Mings Tomb, very cool to go under ground and see a city. Tons of traffic and near death driving experiences. Goodness, not so good drivers.
Then lunch, lunch, lunch. Still thinking about it. A true local restuarant where the other girls tried duck feet, not so much me but could not avoid trying the whole chicken fried on a plate and the pork intestines........I am so eating rice for the rest of the time.
Off to the Forbidden City and ended in T. Square for a stroll. Then awwww. back to the hotel to feel a bit like and American before tomorrows journey deeper into China. I bet there is tons of duck feet there!

I made it, yeah. That was the longest oplane ride of my life. Worth it though. Thanks to my traveling husband that we are on the executive floor, getting for sure the royal treatment. American breakfast, Great wall tour and a personal tour guide. Does not get any better than this. Oh yeah, and internet. Talked to the kids and grammy and papa already along with mom and dad. I am signing on to talk to my 90 yr. gramma tonight, she will be well imporessed. Off to the Wall and see some of Beijing. Very sunny and a bit cold, but it will be fun. Have a great Sunday

12 hours until I leave, yup almost packed. The lack of sleep is catching up with me, guess that is what the flight is for. I did want to thank everyone that has supported me in this venture and look forward to my next adventure.........oh yeah April 1st Austria. Next time I will be writing is with a full belly of rice. Love to everyone!

One night left and can you believe it, I actaully made a real live blog. Of course thanks to Kate. Peace Girl. Seeing if this works and I will add more tomorrow. Must go get something done