The time is getting close, two weeks from today I will be starting my tasks in Central Asia and am very excited about the trip. However, I must say it is a bit unnerving to think about being in a major city and airport where English is not the language of choice. Once I have done it I will be fine as with most things. I have had several financial donations which is very helpful and a real answer, thanks so much to those who have donated. The one that was fun was a friend gave me a handful of foreign currency, which is exactly what I needed. In fact I will be going to the bank to pick up a currency order I placed last week. Now, as I mentioned in my last post I have a few more fun facts, enjoy.


China is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and the U.S.). It has an area of 3,719,275 square miles (slightly smaller than the U.S.) and its borders with other countries total more than 117,445 miles. Approximately 5,000 islands lie off the Chinese coast.

One in every five people in the world is Chinese. China’s population is four times that of the United States.

Fortune cookies are not a traditional Chinese custom. They were invented in 1920 by a worker in the Key Heong Noodle Factory in San Francisco.

China is also known as the “Flowery Kingdom” and many of the fruits and flowers (such as the orange and orchid) are now grown all over the world.