With a relaxing morning, due to our trip to the kindergarten class being cancelled, we had plenty of energy for the busy afternoon. In the morning, the girls ventured down the street to look through small shops and find some lunch before heading back to watch some tv and nap. It's funny to watch the Chinese soap operas and try to make predictions about what is going on. We can often get the gist of it through the music and facial expressions. 

The afternoon seminar was entitled: Understand China, History Matters. This seminar was quite engaging due to its freshness to me. Students here know quite a bit about American history so I feel better knowing a little of theirs. It makes it easier to put myself in their shoes and, most importantly, for us to try and understand each other. It is very important to have some background knowledge on other cultures to give you a better understanding of different lifestyles, ways of thinking, and personal experiences. I took good notes if anyone is interested and here is a small recap of this interesting seminar:

       - China has over 5000 years of civilization and in those years there have been great Emperors such as: Emperor Qin Shihung (Qin = China), Wudi the Great, Emperor Li Shimin, Emperor Zhao Kuangyin, and Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang. These emperors have unified china and brought prosperity and stability. There have also been negative Emperors who hesitated to strengthen the country and are remembered as corrupted and incapable. "The Great lesson" was that only through consolidating the central power and promoting one orthodox state could a strong and prosperous China be built. China is very diverse now but they appreciate unity. 

On the way to the Financial firm we stopped to pick up our dresses and when we finally got back we were eager to try them on! Everyone's looked great and each one was unique. The tunnel we traveled through on the way today took us 3:45.8 minutes to go through driving at about 60 mph. Once we arrived in the city it was rush hour and cars, buses, motorcycles, and people were everywhere! Motorcyclists have to be very daring to squeeze between large buses and maneuver around cars. At the Financial firm we were warmly welcomed into a building that houses more than 40 businesses. The company is called CZC which stands for Cai Zhi China (meaning- fortune and wealth). They gave a presentation of their company and we presented them a brief overview of USI. We then traveled to Chongqing's 2nd largest shopping center for a very satisfying dinner with our hosts. It was pretty neat to be able to exchange questions with these prominent business men and women. 

Things I learned today: 
- A red ribbon tied to a cars mirror means they are willing to give you a ride.  
- The lines between business and personal are blurred. Businessmen often give out social networking numbers to clients. 

I don't even know where to begin with today! There was way too much for me to take in and I couldn't get enough of each location we went to! We traveled to Ciqikou, Downtown Chongqing, and the Three Gorges museum. I guess I'll start with a little information about our travels. We have passed through many tunnels on our road trips, almost falling asleep because it is dark for so long. Out of curiosity I decided to time how long it took us to get from one end to the other. Traveling at about 65-70 mph it took us 3:22.4 minutes to get through one of the tunnels. If you're reading and good at math/science you should calculate how long the tunnel is! 

Our first stop was Ciqikou. It was a combination of several streets lined with shops, people, food, and located near the river. Right off the bat we found ourselves in an artists shop bargaining for paintings. Jessica and I bought a set of four painted by a 96 year old Chongqing man before moving on. Further down we found all sorts of things being sold. Shops sold jewelry, food, stuffed pandas, fans, scarves, pictures, artwork, clothing, traditional pieces, and a lot more. It was hard to keep everyone together because we all wanted to look at everything and the weekend crowd was there. It overwhelmed my senses! We ate a very unique restaurant near the pier. Inside musicians played some of the Chinese instruments we leaned about in a previous seminar. They welcomed us and played Jingle Bells in our honor!  

The second stop was the Three Gorges Museum. Neighboring the museum was a gorgeous structure. It was an enormous, traditionally built building with an ornate rooftop. I didn't catch the name of it but it was definitely a sight to see! It is actually what I expected most buildings here to look like before I realized everything is more modern. The museum was also neat to see and enormous! For an hour and a half we browsed through exhibits and took lots of pictures. Some of the information I took in included: a gorge is a natural rock/river formation, Ba culture is the root for the regional culture of Chongqing, large stones were used to make prints, and the land where some of the cultures rooted from is now under water. 

Downtown Chongqing. Wow. The third destination of the day was very comparable to New York City! In fact one of the skyscrapers says New York, New York in Chinese characters. We arrived in a large square with a monument in the middle, surrounded by large stores housing big name brands such as Gucci, Armani, and Louis Vuitton. This monument used to be the tallest structure in the city in the 1980s but now it is surrounded by skyscrapers and so much growth for a short period of time. Apparently there are 6 of these large squares in the downtown area now. We explored one of them and hardly broke any ground in the two hours we were there so you can imagine how huge it is! There were large malls next to large malls, tall business buildings, fancy restaurants, and some of the most expensive products I have ever seen! The mall I went into had 7 floors of name brand designer stores. It was fun to look and see how the other side lives but there was no way you could buy too much there!

Our fourth and final spot was the Chongqing tourist center. This encompassed beautifully built traditional buildings, a small water fall, a pirate ship, shops, restaurants, statues, carvings, and of course tourists. My dad always jokes and says my mom and I can find a Dairy Queen no matter where we are and I found one! I enjoyed a nice kiwi blizzard while taking in the wonderful view of the city and rivers. The point where two rivers converge was insight and you could faintly see the difference in the colors of the rivers as they met. We also saw several large opera houses, and a temple where the famous Chinese movie, Crazy Stone, was filmed. 

I could have spent a day at each location separately and still have not been satisfied. There was an immense amount to see! An hour later and we were finally back to the Univeristy to get ready for another long day! Tomorrow we visit a kindergarten, have a seminar, and travel to a financial firm. It should be another day of learning!

Things I learned today: 
- KFC still tastes Chinese. 

Our day trip to Dazu Rock Carvings was great! Along the route you can see cities being built up with cranes on practically every building, travel through long tunnels, and of course see the beautiful mountains. In smaller towns restaurant workers stand outside motioning people in cars to come eat, people gather to celebrate events, and workers go about their day. 

The rock carvings and the surrounding area are very beautiful. We were lucky to have a tour guide and each of us were given headphones to listen. The stories behind each piece are very fascinating and make me want to do some more research on Buddha. For instance, did you know that Buddha was born out of his mother's armpit or that there are 18 levels of hell! (You'd better behave!) The carvings are very intricate and well designed. Some were very colorful and others were solid. It is pretty awesome to be able to see a part of Chinese history first hand and experience it! I can't wait to share with everyone at home! 

Just like any other tour they ended and left us in a gift shop! And right outside the gates are rows of shops with all kinds of stone carvings and traditional gifts. Owners approach you trying to sell their product and are very persistent. I tried my hand at bargaining and I brought one lady down 200 yuen! I was happy with my success and I think my family will be too! 

We ended the night with some Muslim food in Chongqing which was very good! The potatoes and noodles reminded me of home cooked food. On TV Jessica and I found Chinese Idol and the movie Hop. In the previous nights there has been an English movie playing (Finding Nemo, Alvin and the Chipmunks) but tonight's movie was in Chinese. 

Things I learned: 
- Chinese parents can interfere with marriage, careers, and schooling. 
- Politics (Who you know) is very important in finding a job.

Time was the subject of study today in language class and it has made me realize how fast our time here is going. It's hard to believe we only have week and two days left in Chongqing! We also went over our interviews we conducted yesterday. Everyone shared some unique information. 

For lunch five of us ventured out on our own and went back to a restaurant we ate at a few days ago. The owner immediately recognized us and knew what we wanted to order. I've always wanted to walk into a place and have the worker know my order so that was fun. Across from the restaurant is a small coffee shop which makes wonderful vanilla milkshakes for dessert! After all the food we hit up the bank and the grocery store. I found out you have to be quick in the grocery store or you will be cut by an old lady! It's not uncommon to cut in line here in China and you have to be fast with what your doing so you don't get in the way!

The afternoon seminar has been my favorite so far because it was very hands on. We learned about Chinese paper cutting and knot making from a very experienced artist! Art has always been one of my favorite subjects so I especially enjoyed these activities which allowed us to express our creative sides. She showed us some of her wonderful handmade pieces and I was in awe! Paper cutting and knot making is one of UNESCO's recognized heritage/traditional practices. Each design has its own meaning. The first one we made was very symmetrical and can be found at weddings. We ran out of time to make bracelets but in Chinese history every girl wore one for protection and good luck. Instead we made small key chains which were very complicated to make! 

Finally we had some spare time to have a night out with our language partners! They treated us to a wonderful meal (the spiciest one we've had yet) and accompanied us as we browsed through some shops. I was able to talk with a lot of the girls and ask some questions. We talked a lot about relationships and weddings as most girls would do! I didn't know very much about Chinese weddings but I found out they only need a wedding certificate to make it official which is received from the civil administration. They have a ceremony but no one is in charge like a religious pastor. Afterwards they take a lot of pictures and have dinner with friends, family, and teachers. They have a party, sometimes at the parents' home. This all sounded very similar to weddings in the US. They told me about how a couple of students have gotten married on campus and traveled around on the school bus to show their joy and happiness. I was also surprised that women have to be at least 20 and men have to be at least 22 to get married in China. Divorce is also frowned upon and divorced single mothers are discriminated against. 

It was interesting to hear and learn that I have a lot in common with many of the girls. One girl likes to joke around with her friends like she saw me do with Isaac and Tiffany. Another girl shared my feelings on the seriousness of relationships. I have heard almost all of them talk about how fast school is going by which is a sentiment I have. They worried about security on campus just as I do (they look for lighted streets and like to have a guy walk with them). It is cool to see how much we are alike even though we live thousands of miles apart; we still have similar thoughts and feelings! 

This weekend we are off to explore downtown Chongqing and the Dazu Rock Carvings! 

Things I learned today:
- Many adults study at the university but they are in separate classes pursuing different degrees. 
- There are more men who cut hair (barber) than there are women who cut hair. 

We had two doses of Chinese language class today so we hit the streets to practice our skills for the afternoon session. The task was to interview 5 strangers on the streets and use the questions we learned to gain as much information as we could. Tiffany and I worked together to find friendly people who weren't too busy to share with us. The people we interviewed were very nice and seemed happy to help us when they realized we were beginners. I think they were so nice because we are making an effort to learn their language and more about them. One even wanted us to teach her a little English! This was a fun task and allowed us the opportunity to speak with native speakers and hear their tones and different dialects. 

On our walk back from lunch, after our interviewing, we took a few minutes to look around the park. There were benches to rest, statues, many trees and plants, and a few pieces of playground equipment. The equipment for the children all seems to serve a purpose for exercise and each piece is designed to work a specific area of the body. One piece allowed you to rotate and twist your hips while another allowed you to work your legs and looked like exercise equipment you'd see in the US. It is cool to see how eager the children are to wave and say hi to us; they are always full of smiles. 

I participated in the daytime rest period but instead of napping from 12-2:30 during the normal resting hours, I took a nap from 5-6:30. I can see how the rest times are needed here with the early mornings and late nights. Everyone is so busy and working hard so the designated time to relax and reenergize is appreciated. I was able to learn some more about the Chinese culture tonight when we attended our language professors class. The class is one he teaches a couple of days a week for his Chinese students who are studying to become English teachers. We did a question and answer session and both parties were able to share and inquire. Some of the things I learned included:

- The campus is broken into two large sections the North and the South. It is also divided into 5 different areas of housing which are named after gardens. (Ex: orange garden, peach garden)
- The month of May is the singing month and there are a lot of competitions.
- The students have a very open attitude towards dating. One girl described it as wonderful and romantic while a boy described how couples are important and make a difference. Couples go to the movies and hang out like Americans do. The students are accepting of gays and lesbians. 
- Their biggest challenge when learning English was learning the grammar and being able to comprehend long papers. They have been studying the language for more than 10 years. 
- There are varying reasons for why they are going to be teachers. Some had no choice, were influenced by parents, or didn't receive high enough test scores to be in the major they wanted. While others really enjoy working with children and love education. There are two advantages to being an English teaching major: 1. Teaching is a combination of many jobs like psychology, etc. 2. You have a lot of choice in what you want to do with your major (be an editor, a mother, researcher, etc.)
- The tuition is only 4000 RMB and housing is only 1200 RMB, totaling 5200 RMB ($838.71) for one year, plus some students receive 600 RMB a month for living expenses.
- They are accepting of the censorship placed by the government on Internet use and understand why it is needed. Some believe it has prevented them from having a "lost generation." They also think things might progress too quickly and chaos will erupt. They would like to be more in the middle of the spectrum (china is on one end with censorship and America is on the other with none). They like how China is continually developing and advancing. 
- The key universities in China are located in the developed cities like Hong Kong and Beijing.
- Students need 165 credits to graduate (classes are 2, 3, & 4 credits). 
- 18 weeks is one semester. 
- They have too many national heroes to talk about in just one class period. Out of the thousands they have in their rich culture and history they provided examples of: Lin Ze Xu, Cau Xue Qin, and Bruce Lee. Their heroes are people who have defended against enemies and saved the nation or who have protected the culture. 

Everything we learned was either a personal view or group opinion. Most was personal preference and will vary. That was just a two hour class and we gained quite a bit! 

Things I learned:
- Friends (girls) walk hand in hand or arm in arm. 
- Alway bring a laptop so you have something to connect to the Ethernet cord for Internet; otherwise you have to pester others to use theirs. 
- Couples meet on the football field to sit at night and hang out (they bring blankets to sit on and the field will fill up). 
- Many people will go out of their way to help you and make you feel more at home. 

Ahh! We ended the night on a scary note when a cockroach tried to accompany Jessica in the shower! She was very brave; I would have been out of there in a heart beat! The boys came to the rescue and removed it for us. It's a good thing we work so well as a group! The rest of the day was on the other end of the excitement spectrum. We had a very relaxing, much needed day to recuperate and rest. 

We started the day with language class and as usual I took a lot away from it. It is progressively getting harder but I like the challenge and find most everything useful. The weather took a dramatic turn and it was quite chilly today with some light sprinkles. I should have listened to my mom and packed an umbrella but I hope in the days to come I can find a fancy one like all the girls carry here. I really like the ones with lacing around the edges. If I find one for rain and sun I will fit right in!

We are lucky and keep finding delicious new foods that tend to hit the spot. Fried rice and sweet and sour pork filled our bellies today for lunch and kept us energized for the afternoon seminar on Chinese music. We listened to a variety of traditional instruments play some beautiful songs then the rest of the day was ours to explore on our own, find food, and bargain for goods. 

After going out a few nights, I have noticed that on a typical night you will see adults dancing on the streets. It's like line dancing where steps are synchronized and people follow along. Mainly elders participate but it is fun to watch and many couples can be found hand in hand with a partner. I think this would be fun to do at home! It's a very wholesome activity and is done for exercise. You will also see a lot of street venders. Most items being sold are necessity items like socks, underwear, fans, vegetables, fruit, and other small, easily carried items. Clothes, jewelry, and shoes are laid out on blankets or small carts are full of miscellaneous items. Venders sell food under small tents or on a cart. Street food can also be found in small shops with a few tables inside and out. We have only seen a few franchises like McDonald's, KFC, and a drink shop. For the most part, local individuals sell food.

Most of the people you will see are very fashionable in their heels and dresses. Many wear nice clothes for a night out for dinner or shopping. The people maneuver around each other easily and travel at a relaxed pace. Its customary here to arrive anywhere from five minutes early to ten minutes late. I'm starting to learn where all the nooks and crannies are on the sidewalk. Trees, branches, people, steps, animals and other random things all present obstacles on a daily basis. You never know what you'll find happening on the streets in Chongqing and you have to embrace all the stares you get! 

I'm getting used to the early mornings and late nights here in Chongqing. The pace of our language class is just right for me and my knowledge is growing every day. We had our first homework assignment which reinforced my recognition of some of the characters. Today during break us girls decided to relieve some stress and play a game of Ninja! It was a good break from all the new stuff I've been cramming in my mind. It's a lot of fun trying out my new words on the street and with our group. It gives new meaning to what I've been learning and makes it that much more important. 

Lunch on the street was delicious! I devoured some steamed wontons and Tropicana orange juice. I'm glad we are exploring and finding new favorites! It's also a good way to interact with the people of the city and its good exercise walking on the streets. Afterwards was the perfect time for a refreshing nap before our exciting kungfu class. 

Kungfu class was pretty cool. We watched a video about different forms of kungfu and then focused on learning a little tai chi. Tai chi is very relaxing and is a great form of exercise. It reminds me of some of the yoga series I have done with the tennis team. It'll be fun to share what I've learned with them. 

In the late afternoon we visited some clothing shops and are having some dresses and suits hand made for us. We picked out a fabric and design and they took our measurements and told us they'd be done in a few days. There were so many fabrics to choose from and decisions to make!  I am anxious to see the final product! 

We ended the night with a little Karaoke at KTV. KTV has many private rooms of all sizes and each room contains a large tv, many songs to choose from, comfy seating, and a fun atmosphere. We enjoyed ourselves while participating in something many Chinese people really like to do. Some of our new friends joined us and sang some songs in Chinese while we sang the songs in English. It was cool to hear both languages being sang. The storm hit while we were mid song and knocked the power out a few couple of times but other than that it went great! We had to catch a cab and fight the weather a bit to get back. Everyone was trying to jump into the cabs and get out of the weather. Street venders close up for the day when the weather is iffy so not many people were out.

I feel like the whole world has been opened up to me this trip; everything seems so much more possible. I would like to do some more traveling in the future. I think it'll be very useful when I am teaching. I have already bought some books I'd like to share with my future class and I have learned a lot about the culture that students would be interested in. 

Today was a very relaxing but very hot day. Our first seminar was canceled so we had the morning to debrief about our experience in the schools. It was good to get everyone's input and see their outlook on the trips. We ventured out onto the streets for lunch and had time to explore the streets to do a little shopping before meeting up again. I waved down my first taxi as we traveled down to the largest hospital in northern Chongqing where two doctors gave us a very informative tour. They explained the technique of acupuncture and some other traditional Chinese medicines. Some of us even acted as genie pigs for them to demonstrate their talents. After a quick diagnostic of my pulse and tongue I was told I am in good health! I was surprised because I was dying from the heat! 

After riding in the taxi and traveling in other cars during this trip I've made the relation of traffic here to traffic after a big event in America. You are trying to pull out of the parking lot but there is a lot of traffic lined up so you eventually just have to stick the front of your car out and make your way into the flow of traffic. People here do just that; they navigate around others and flow together, unafraid to jump out in front of someone else. Everything has a unique way of working together. 

Laundry was today for Jessica and I! We utilized the small washing machines and hung our cloths up to dry. (When I say "up" I mean up! Clothes are hung from the ceiling using a hook and rod.) It all smells nice and fresh thanks to Tide! 

I am getting better at communicating with every day! Tonight I was able to pick out my own food from a vender and I found a wonderful lemon juice drink that tastes like a shake up at another. The lemon juice and the English music we heard in the stores tonight makes me realize all the little things I miss from home. I hadn't realized how much I miss some of the little things from home because we have been experiencing so much but it felt good to have something more familiar. In the store I learned how to ask how much something is and the store owner understood me! Everyone seems very friendly and happy to help. 

Tonight was a chill night to walk around and see some of the city. Its always interesting to see how the people interact and go about their night. I'm am getting closer to my team through this time and getting to know them on a whole new level. Each day I am learning more and more!

Things I've learned: 
- we have no room to complain about having a roommate when students here often times live with 6 others in a dorm with no air conditioning! 
- we saw a commercial for a cream that is advertised to make your skin lighter! 

What a day! It feels great to be back in Chongqing, our "home away from home." But this morning I had a wonderful time working with the preschoolers and their charming teacher. They were a delight to be around and behaved like most children of that age would! I taught them songs like "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" and "Open, Shut Them." The latter of the two is one I hadn't heard before but the teacher chose it out of my book of rhymes and songs because it was simple to follow along. I made up movements for them to do so it was very interactive and of course "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" went great! I just had to slow the song down at first and teach one part at a time but they were quick learners. I also did a simplified version of the "Hokey Pokey" and she had me teach some new words. Luckily the words had to do with sports! It was definitely interesting trying to come up with a technique to teach when I don't speak their native language and have little way to communicate. They had a break for exercises which is like dancing and I was able to join in and follow along! :) I decided to leave them with my book which contains a lot of rhymes and songs I grew up with, including some of the ones I taught today, and the teacher was very happy. 

I learned a lot this weekend about ways to show respect in China and about some of the cultural practices. During the meals we were shown how to give a proper toast, we have seen how important gift giving is, and heard how "no" doesn't also mean "no." We were given very nice gifts upon leaving the school and in turn we gave them a letter of thanks. There are so many things about the Chinese culture that fascinate me! One of the things that I didn't realize before is that people from this area have a hard time handling cold food. Most items are served either hot or warm because cold items can make them feel ill. One thing I really miss from home is a nice cold bowl of cereal! It is all definitely interesting! 

Everything I have learned in language class this past week has been put to use out in the real  world and it has so much more meaning now. I can easily recall the words and phrases we have gone over thanks to the practice and real world situations were I was able to apply what I had learned. It is helpful to be immersed in the language you are trying to learn. 

After a long weekend of lots of food we decided to stick with a simple peanut butter sandwich for dinner, and then we attended a dubbing competition on campus. Dubbing is when you take out the words in a movie and replace them with your voice. Students took movies in English and used their English skills to be the voices of the characters. It was awesome to see the students having fun and putting their skills to the test! They study very hard and this was a chance to relax and have a good time with what they have worked so hard on. It was a privilege to be invited to attend and see the students showcase their talents. They did a wonderful job and I was thoroughly entertained! I think this would be a fun activity to do back home! 

Tomorrow we are back to the classroom with a seminar in the morning and then we hit the streets with a visit to a traditional Chinese hospital in the afternoon. It should be a good day full of information. 

The days just keep getting better! We were treated to an all you can eat breakfast and headed out to Shehong Tuo Pai Experimental School to teach and test English skills. My group was in charge of testing the 9th graders on their English. Isaac and I were in charge of reading a passage to the students as they answered questions then we individually tested each student. The students did a great job and I was very impressed with their skills! It was funny to watch them cram like a typical student would right before the test! They had workbooks out and you could see their mouths moving as they reviewed the words and phrases. I now understand why teachers get so bored with testing; it is very repetitious! It was apparent when a student was very good because they would think outside the box and give an answer I hadn't heard yet. :)
 
For lunch, once again we were treated like royalty with about 23 different dishes! We were treated to some local delicacies including fish and turtle! My grandma told me stories of when my grandpa and uncles would go turtle hunting and how they would eat them for dinner when they were successful. She told me they were very good but I could never wrap my mind around the idea of eating a turtle. I was brave today and I discovered she is right! They are very tender and kind of taste like beef. So far we have had chicken, beef, fish, rabbit, pork (pig intestines today!), and turtle. It was interesting to see men spit on the floor during lunch, it is just the usual to do so here but its very gross! When we left the restaurant we got to see how good of a driver you have to be to live here. The bus driver maneuvered the bus in an alley way around cars and other obstacles coming just inches away from them! I would have panicked in that situation! 
 
One thing is for sure, even though the clothes make you feel big, the people, especially the students, make you feel great with their compliments! I have lost track of the amount of times I have been told I have beautiful eyes and that I am very beautiful. You can get a big ego here!

Afternoon class was very enjoyable. Going through worksheets was boring but by asking questions, drawing pictures, and sharing stories intermittently the lesson spiced up a bit. I had the 9th graders for three class periods so the last one we decided to play some games and I let them ask me questions. We took a group photo and I was able to see a lot of personality come out from each of the students. The class was very kind; a couple of students sang me a song, and one showed me his artwork. It was great practice for the future. I was given a workbook, told what lessons to do, and set free with a full class! I had to figure out what worked and what didn't work, and had to think on my feet! The communication barrier was also very tricky! 

By now we should be used to it but I was amazed at dinner yet again. Over 25 dishes including exotic dishes such as: lobster, duck, and eel! Then they took us on a tour of a winery with a 600 year history and ties to the Han Dynasty. We were able to go into one of the buildings where fermentation takes place and tour some of the other buildings. There was a very distinct smell in the atmosphere and the wine we taste tested was more like hard liquor! Unfortunately the tour was all in Chinese so I couldn't understand but it was fascinating to see everything.  

After a long week and with full bellies we decided to treat ourselves to a full body massage in the hotel. The hotel has mahjong rooms, karaoke, a restaurant, massage area and I'm sure there's more we haven't seen! The massage was very rough but super relaxing. It was a great way to relieve all the stress and end the night. :) Tomorrow marks another yet another busy day of teaching! I will be on the other end of the spectrum working with kindergarteners. It should be a busy day and I'm sure we'll have our hands full!

Things I learned today: 
- always watch your step! (You might step on a dead mouse! Eeew!) 
- sometimes the bottom part of a tree is painted to keep the bugs away
- dress code in the school and other rules are very flexible 
- it is customary to decorate your car in red ribbons and bows for weddings
- always have an umbrella!