I LOVE the U.S. of A.

Happy 4th of July. This day took on new meaning 18 years ago, my first 4th of July outside of the United States. It took on even greater meaning in 1995, my first 4th of July in Beijing, China.



China has changed SO much since we lived there. In 1995, it was common to see people still wearing "Mao" suits. The street sweepers literally swept the streets with hand-made brooms made of sticks.

I remember the hospitals and clinics so vividly. In downtown Beijing, in the bigger hospitals, there were special elevators labeled "For Foreigners." It always made me wonder what was behind the elevators for the locals.

I remember one of the medical clinics I saw one day in the country. There were no doors---only large, vertical pieces of thick plastic, cut about 4 inches in width, that you passed through as the "door." It reminded me of the long vertical things you see in car washes here.

Needless to say, I felt we were very blessed not to have any medical issues while we lived there. The medical care was better in Taiwan where Elizabeth and Michael were born, but it is NOTHING like the care we get here in the U.S. I will NEVER forget being in labor with Elizabeth, trying not to choke on the unusual smells in the hospital and seeing a cock roach run gleefully across my hospital room....

Another thing I really appreciate about the United States are the beautiful surroundings--grass, flowers, trees. Taiwan is very much a "concrete jungle" and Beijing, when we lived there, wasn't much different. I remember in Beijing we had a little patch of grass out front. The workers were able to "mow" the grass by using some large scissors!

I am grateful for the easy access to all the things we need and a million other things. Now there are some WalMarts and other stores that make shopping much easier. Not so when we lived there. It took hours each week to go shopping because I had to go to different markets for everything--meat market, fruit/vegetable market, imported things etc. It was always an adventure! Shopping at the State-owned/run stores was interesting as well. You looked at the things available (there wasn't much to choose from), stood in a line for a ticket to buy a particular item, stood in another line to pick up that item, and then stood in another line to pay for the item. It would be like having to shop at a place run like our DMVs. Believe me, we NEVER, EVER want any government run stores. Chinese Meat Market

I was never brave enough to buy meat from an outside market like this---I bought our meat from a German meat market. I did buy our fruits and vegetables from an outside market.

On this 4th of July, Matthew is in Shanghai, China on a business trip. Today, China is a different place than when we lived there. Free enterprise has done so much for so many there. Their lives have improved greatly. I hope that continues.

Shanghai, China

I hope we have another chance to live in China. It is a fascinating place with an unbelieveable history.

So, from one who LOVES LOVES LOVES the United States of America,

Happy 4th of July!!!