happy (belated) 64th birthday, China!

this is my 5th year in China celebrating their national holiday (almost like our 4th of July but no picnics or anything) and it's one of my favorite holidays because it's a week long and perhaps the only week long holiday we get here. it's generally a good time to rest, travel, hang out with friends, and shop... but so far i've only done the first. this holiday hasn't been so exciting because i got sick (again) 5 days ago and i'm still fighting fevers, chills, earaches, and the whole she bang. i guess the father had other plans for us this holiday other than going to Samson's old city, even if we don't know what it is! thoughts would be greatly appreciated!! :)

in a more historical and modern note, here's an excellent excerpt from someone who has a wealth of knowledge about China and Chinese culture since she's lived in and studied it over the past 20+ years!

China may be an ancient civilization, but today (October 1), it celebrated its 64th birthday. It was on this day in 1949 that Chairman Mao stood atop the Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) and declared the founding of The People’s Republic of China.
 
The holiday is called National Day, and it marks the beginning of what has come to be  known as “Golden Week.” Basically, the entire nation has a 7 day holiday. The logic behind the holiday is not so everyone can spend a week basking in the glories of Communism, but so they can spend money.

LONG LIVE CHAIRMAN MAO; NOW GET OUT THERE AND SHOP!!
DOWN WITH CAPITALIST ROADERS….NO, WAIT…GET OUT THERE AND TRAVEL!!
SERVE THE PEOPLE WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND SOUL….WHICH REMINDS US…DON’T FORGET TO PACK OUT THE RESTAURANTS!!

At the end of the week, the government will announce how much money was pumped into the economy. No doubt it will be a glorious amount.

i love reading her blog and learning more about China, her stories, experiences, and knowledges :) check it out if you ever want a good China blog read: http://joannpittman.com