Bain Family Visit

Andrew and I were fortunate to have his mom visit for a few weeks in May. We had a great time hanging out in Dalian, and sightseeing in Xi'an & Beijing. Andrew's brother Travis and his girlfriend Kerstin joined us in Beijing and Dalian for a few days as well. 


Deborah was a trouper, quickly adjusting to the way things work in China. She even conquered the squatty potties, something not all can do. I think the thing that surprised her the most was how chaotic the roads are. She quickly learned that you can't trust the walk sign and a lot of Chinese drivers don't follow all of the driving laws, e.g. you can't drive on the sidewalks, you shouldn't drive the incorrect direction on an exit ramp, you shouldn't stop in the middle of the highway and take a pee, etc.


Having family visit makes you realize how much you miss family, friends and "home" when you live so far from where you previously considered home. (I now refer to Minnesota, Arizona and China as my "home.") Although we miss the comforts of the U.S. (and the food), we miss our family and friends the most. It's difficult to miss out on a lot of celebrations, parties and everyday life with family and friends. There are definitely sacrifices, but most days we think it's worth it.


Here are some photos from Deborah, Travis & Kerstin's visit:

Deborah playing mahjong with the ladies.

Deborah & I overlooking the sea in Dalian.

Visiting Andrew at Intel.

Celebrating Cindy's Birthday with the girls at our apartment.

Touching the bell at the Xi'an Bell Tower for good luck.

Family photo at the Terracota Warriors in Xi'an.

Delicious traditional jaozi (dumplings) meal.

Deborah using chopsticks. 

Deborah & the boys at the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Deborah & I at Tian'anmen Square with Chairman Mao in the background.

Traditional Peking duck dinner.

Travis with a large box of fireworks.

Andrew & Travis attempting to light the fireworks with a laser.

Deborah with her boys.