Memories and more!

First, I want to start with the thank yous. Thank you so much to San Yi, Shao Yi and Mom for all their time and energy in sharing the Sung family history with us. A BIG thanks to San Yi for treating all of us with the trip of a lifetime, spoiling us with 5 star hotels and providing guides and private buses all the way through Huangshan. Thanks to Maya for taking time out of her very busy schedule and Mom's surgery to take us shopping. And thanks to everyone for making it such a fun and rewarding trip...I'm so glad our family travels together so well.

As with so many things, it is hard to fully appreciate something until you have experienced it. Over the years, we've heard stories of Grandpa and recently we've been blessed to be able to read the book on his life (thanks San Yi, Shao Yi and Aunt Chinnie). Being able to go visit the original factory site, see the pictures and read about the history was very meaningful. Being able to visit Song Village and see the houses, farmland and cemetary was very sobering. It clearly took a lot of determination and hard work for great Grandfather to find success from such a humble beginning.

Seeing the Textile museum outside of Tianjin was a real eye opener for me. With Grandpa being the only one with his own room, it was clear that he was a most important and influential person in the history of the Chinese textile industry. It made me proud to read and hear about his many charitible activities, his business savvy and innovative managing style. Being one who has worked in a large company for many years, I've worked for a lot of different managers (mostly bad) and wish that I could have worked for someone like Grandpa. Managers who you admire and respect are very very few. The perfect example of how loved and respected Grandpa was is the example at the train station when the guards changed their minds and let us keep the swords as soon as they found out that we were his descendents. These guards were probably no older than their 30's and Grandpa left China 60 years ago. so these guards weren't even born, yet, when Grandpa was still in China. So they know about Grandpa only by reputation and by hearing stories. That only happens with great people.

I was so happy to be able to go into the house that Mom, San Yi and Shao Yi grew up in. When we went 3 years ago, we were only able to see the house from the outside. Hearing all the stories, many funny, of life growing up in that house was great. Never realized how mischevious everyone was (and still are).

I have a new favorite city in China...Qingdao. Very picturesque..."a very very pretty city". I definitely want to visit there again. And speaking of picturesque...Huangshan. We were so lucky to have the clouds part just as we were leaving. Words and pictures are not enough to properly describe the views...you just have to be there and see it yourself.

And I'm very thankful for the opportunity to travel with and get to know cousins Steven and Daryl much better. We are all going to have to make a bigger effort to get together more in the future.

The trip was awesome, rewarding, educational, fun, entertaining, humbling, exciting, breathtaking...and much more! Hard to imagine a vacation topping this one!