I really count on photos to carry me along on the blogging, and today I missed the camera when Michael and I went out for a walk this morning with Sophia to find the Dongyue Daoist temple. I learned more about Daoism in the 90 minutes we spent there than all the books I have scanned this year...
It was very visual, but the big impression was a world view of heaven as a very organized place, with departments to oversee every aspect of human conduct, and deliver consequences to evildoers (such as, I'm afraid -- the Department of 15 Ways to Die a Violent Death). It seemed a stern cosmology to be sure, but colorful and interesting in its detail. The temple is quite old, but has not been used again for worship until quite recently...anyway we enjoyed it. Our hosts from whatever department they are from ( you know the US government - I can't keep the acronyms straight) arranged for the children to ice skate at the China World Mall and I tagged along to watch -- Helen had the best time with one of the staffers as her partner on the ice the whole time. Thomas spent most of his day with his friend Tal and his family on the Great Wall. This evening was a reception at the residence of a high ranking embassy fellow (sorry -- I am really bad a remembering these positions) which was interesting -- everyone was very up on Xiamen because of its strategic importance with Taiwan...I was told that the US hopes to open a consulate there. I was glad when it was all over and time to head back and relax a bit.
Tomorrow Michael has meetings all morning and I have to bail my camera out and I am hoping to get to a good English language bookstore...and maybe a Starbucks?
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