We are off to China... again..

We managed to book a cheap enough flight to Beijing. Given we have done Beijing pretty well we will use it as a base to travel. Grandpa wants to go to Shanghai to visit the Music Street (a whole street dedicated to music shops). We may also visit our sponsored Tibetan students in Qinghai province but need to check a few basics such as weather, altitude, accomodation etc. This may be grandpas last trip overseas so we have been guided by where he wants to go. Another alternative would be Mongolia but the weather may be an issue at that time of year and given it is North of Beijing. If we can meet the lady who found Charlotte we may do that as a side trip quickly but we will see. Shanghai also has an underground Childrens clothes shopping area that is across from the Museum/park area. It is walking distance from the Bund but quite a walk. Taxis in Shanghai were pretty good last time we were there, especially as compared to Beijing where the Olympics seems to have spoiled them. We will stay at the same Hutong in Beijing as last time and may look to do Xian and/or Suzhou as side trips but it will depend on the Qinghai option. The students keep saying to visit and apparently English is their hardest subject. The welcome when other caucasians have visited looked unbelievable especially given how limited the means of the people are. There is still the boy who sits on the shared list in Charlotte's SWI... I would LOVE to organise a hearing aid for him but it could take a while to get him tested etc etc. Hoping that a travelling family will get updates when they travel shortly. If only our department here would allow out of birth order.....