Blog for zhouq

Eventually I arrived in Virginia safe and sound. The flight was indeed tiring. Eat, sleep and then eat again. That were almost all one could do on the plane. Richmond is beautiful. Hope it will be an incredible summer.

After a meeting this morning, we went to have pizza for lunch. It was good. We'll going around Richmond by bus this afternoon. I am now really excited about my new life here. It is some kind of completely different life style here in America and I love it!

I have had three lectures by now on American history. Quite interesting. The content was almost the same as what I have learned in China, but was interpreted in another style. I am looking forward to having more on different subjects such as politics, literature, acting and art. I know that VCU's art department ranks high in the U.S, so I really want to find out more about it.

I really miss the food in China. Tough I like pizza, burgers and hotdogs, I always prefer rice. I bought some eggs and bread from Wal-Mart yesterday and decided to cook in the dorm. I found out something interesting that the fresh food in America is more expensive than those packed ones and that fruit as well as vegetables also cost more than meat. It seems like that it is expensive to eat healthy in the U.S. Food in America contains too much fat and oil. It is bad news for someone who is on a diet like me. But I do love those salads here.

Shoppping malls here are nice. Some items cost less than they do in China. Clothes here are comparetively less expensive . I went to a shop named Claire's and got some really nice earings. But all of they are made in China. It seems that Chinese items here are popular and I take pride in it.

I just found out that I had made a really stupid mistake. I've finished five blogs already yet published none. Not until Harriet told me that my blog was still blank did I realize that I only saved my blogs, not published them. Sorry for the delay.

That was indeed an incredible trip. We tried all the clssic games there. Some of them are really scary. I love the strawberry icecream. It was a little expensive but surprisingly impressive.

There were people in those historical beautiful dresses there. Really impressive. It is a peaceful town.It is also the nation’s largest living history museum. All buildings,homes, stores and taverns are reconstructed and restored to their 18th-century appearances.

I live near to the sea. Every year in summer times, my families will go and stay by the sea for several days. I am familiar with the sea. I can smell its scent from the wind. The Virginia Beach reminds me of my hometown. I guess I love the sea.

It is really incredible. So grand and magnificent. I love those windows painted with colorful pictures. It is a sacred palce and gives people a peaceful mind. My grandmother was brought up in Macau and she is a Catholicist. So I love churches.

I bought two international calling cards for ten dollars. But it seemed that they didin't work well. When I made the first call to China, the operator told me that my funds enabled me to talk for over nine hours. However, when I made my second call, the operator told me that I could only talk for an hour also while my first call merely lasted for about ten minutes. I felt I was cheated. I've run out of money in both calling cards and was only able to talked to my families for about twenty-five minutes also. I really feel bad about it!

We visited the family of Ms. Babara Robinson. She adopted a Chinese girl ten years ago. The little girl was cool and shy. She didn't talk much. Ms. Robinson was very friendly. She took us to an ice-cream shop first and for dinner to a Chinese buffet. I ate a lot there. It was a fun day. I got to know more about the American family.

Maybe I was the only one who went hiking with bare feet. Fortunately, I am still alive. It was really hard. But my habit goes like not to give up on half way. What made you nearly die but not makes you stronger```

Home of the founding father of the United States of America. Very large and grand. Jefferson is a great man in the US history. He is also known as the founder of the University of Virginia. Jefferson considered gardening to be a fine art. The Flower and Vegetable Gardens at Monticello were a botanic laboratory of ornamental and useful plants from around the world.

The city is known for Jefferson's Monticello, his renowned mountain-top home which attracts tens of thousands of tourists every year. Fortunately, it was spared the brunt of the American Civil War. The Downtown Mall is one of the longest pedestrian malls in the United States. Though things are very expensive there, I enjoyed the tour all the same.

Like many ethnic cuisines, the true essence of Chinese food is healthy and low-fat. However, some of the most healthful elements of Chinese food – lots of vegetables, light sauces, wok cooking – have been adjusted to accommodate American preferences. The result? Many dishes now found in Chinese restaurants in the US are a caloric nightmare. I have put on a lot of weight here...