THE FACES OF ASIA

Hello again and for the last time for this blog. As I mentioned, the trip was once in a lifetime, great memories made and ones that we hold dear.  We are most grateful for the many blessings we have been given, the opportunities born of good health and the ability to put one foot in front of the other.   We met and made many new friends along the way, and for them, we are thankful for your gift of friendship.  Many of the faces that I am about to include, haunt me.  The 81 year old man at Nagasaki, who survived the blast; the elderly couple on board the ship, who danced til the dawn, holding each other like it were the last time they might gaze into each others' faces; May, who sat at the table next to us and who held me tight like I was her child, and lastly, the children, smiling and hopeful of a new world where peace reigns. 

I said I wanted to present the "faces of Asia".  Actually, most of them are of the children.  But I did have a few faces along the way that I thought had "character". 

Here we go:

Nagasaki's 81 year old expert in residence at Peace Park.

What a warm, friendly smile!!

Bangkok boat lady selling her wares.

Vietnamese lady selling hats on the street corner.

Busan lady sitting on steps taking a break.

Muroran lady doing the drum dance at sail-a-way.

Little boy walking on highway while we were stuck waiting for the fog to lift going to Great Wall.

Little boy riding horse in Dalian Park

Dalian child gazing into her mother's eyes.  Gorgeous.

Another child in the Dalian park.

Vladivostok, Russia - baby in carriage at park.  Just look at those baby blues.

Brother and sister at bikers' rally in Vladivostok.

Dalian child in park. Could not get her to smile.

Dalian lady walking in marketplace. What a look of determination on her face.

Macau children outdoors having a lesson.

Muroran at sail-a-way.  They look like best friends sharing a secret. Gotta love the hairdos.

Muroran girl with new "do".  And what a smile.

Muroran boy Ninja.

Muroran school girl dancing.

Muroran young teenage girl ready to give flowers to ship's Captain.

Vietnamese girl on way to work.  Get a load of those shoes.

Nha Trang fan lady.  See that big smile after selling some fans.

Nha Trang fan lady "but lady, I need to sell fans to feed my children".

Old lady making conical hats in Nha Trang village.

Young happy boy in Nha Trang.

Vietnamese orphanage.  Little girl with warm sweet smile for me.

Boss-lady Nun receiving gifts at orphanage.  Was she serious!!

Happy girl in marketplace in Xian.

At great wall girl drinking coconut juice.

Monks at Grand Palace in Bangkok

Nha Trang lady in pretty hat.

Sisters at Nha Trang restaurant.

Pretty school girl at park in Dalian.

Boy in Shanghai gardens out for a stroll.

Her face was haunting.  Will anyone buy my food?  I was on the backstreets in Shanghai.

Little boy from Switzerland with his parents on Yangtze River.

May with her adoring husband, Bill.  Married 60 short years ago.

Husband and wife.  They danced every night to the music of Maurizio. He is 88 and she is 86.

"I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance."