Wow

Now I can see what you've been doing while you've been having a hard time sleeping. I've had a chance to talk to most of you one-on-one, but it was helpful to have everyone's name and interests in one place so that I can understand more about your backgrounds and interests. The first couple of days of the trip have seemed like a whirlwind so far--it's a big adjustment for all of us. So far, everything has gone smoothly and you seem to be settling into American life just fine. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help--as I've told some of you, for me, the answer is "Yes"--all you've got to do is ask the question.

I enjoyed the zoo yesterday; it had been a long time since I visited. One of the best things about traveling with you is that you ask me questions I don't anticipate. I also find myself looking at things in ways I'm not accustomed to: an example would be that I noticed how many Americans have tattoos while we were walking around yesterday. I'm going to level with you: I don't usually drive a van or take Chinese students to the zoo, so it's a new experience for me, too. I think my favorite part was the flying foxes--I'd never seen bats that big before. Usually, when I see bats, it's getting dark and they're flying around eating mosquitoes, so I can't study them closely. At the zoo, they were still and close-by. I noticed that their faces looked a little like my cat, Six.

Best,
Pete