Our bags are packed with only a few last minute items to toss in tomorrow morning, but I’m still working on my “To Do Before the Trip” list.  That is now longer than my “Don’t Forget to Pack” list.   I’m working on the important things first and I’ll see about the stuff at the bottom of the list (like clean the toilets).  Either the boys will do those things or ignore those things.  Which ever, I’m not going to even think about them after I walk out the door at 4:45 AM.  Vacation begins!
I’m praying that two weeks from now we return to a country heading in the right direction.  I hope our citizens vote to save the family, save marriage, save democracy, save faith and freedom. Yes, the economy is in serious straits but we need to look down the long road.  We must choose to save the values that this nation was founded upon so that the Lord will keep His hand of blessing on our land.

The Bible teaches that the “Eye of the Lord” is on us, and I’m grateful for that.  His eyes are upon us no matter what part of the planet we are on.  We are now also under the watchful eye of the U.S. State Department.  Citizens traveling abroad can register with them we just found out, and so we did.  And there are about a quarter of a million closed-circuit television cameras in the city of Beijing alone, so Big Brother will be watching, too.

Seems like every week I learn about something else that I am ignorant about with regard to international travel.  This week it’s Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.  When an American citizen comes back to the U.S. after traveling abroad, s/he must clear customs. One of the stops is filling out one or more entry forms.  You need to declare everything that you have purchased on your travels and pay import duty tax on those items.  If you have new items that you don’t have a receipt for, you must pay the tax whether or not you owned those things before you left the U.S.  For example, John bought a mini laptop and a digital camera several weeks ago.  To avoid the tax on items already owned, he must complete a Certificate of Registration (CBP form #4457) and submit proof of purchase to the CBP.  The items on the certificate must be physically verified by a border agent.     So on our short layover in Atlanta on our way to China, we need to find Border Protection and get our proof of ownership paper certified.   Before being cleared to board our aircraft, we could also be selected for a random search of our luggage or even a personal search by Border Protection — not counting searches by the TSA (Transporation Security Administation).  Well, at least now we have a heads-up and won’t be totally shocked if we are chosen for that experience.  And I guess it will be preparation for lack of freedoms in a non-democratic land.

The freezer is now stocked with fifteen TV dinners for the boys’ dining pleasure while we are in China.  But these aren’t the Swanson aluminum tray meals of the 1950’s that I remember with the processed meat, fake mashed potatoes and tiny green peas.  With names like Cavatappi Bolognese and Ravioli Pomodoro, there are some interesting choices which also include lasagna, scalloped potatoes and meatloaf, and vegetable lo mein.  They’ll be on their own for breakfasts and lunches, but, at least after a long day on campus, dinners will be more than sandwiches, cereal, or, more likely, granola bars.  While John and I are feasting on baked snake or fried silkworms, they’ll probably be more than happy to eat something that they recognize.  Their palates aren’t quite as adventurous as ours!  I hope to sample as many as possible of the Eight Great Traditions (regional cuisines of China) plus the local foods.