Yichang

The time's they are a'changin' in Yichang! Over the past 2 1/2 years Yichang has developed before our very eyes. There was no Pizza Hut when we arrived, no International foods section in the supermarkets. Frozen chicken was hard to find and there was no diet Coke! But now we have all these things and more. When we first came to Yichang, we had to walk to the West end of campus to eat at "Snack Street" (home of our beloved UpDown Restaurant). Last year they put up a wall closing off Snack Street, "remodeling" for an unknown period of time. Meanwhile the school opened up a new Sogo eating and shopping area just seconds from my house...much more convenient. So now Snack Street has reopened. Where previously vendors popped up everywhere with tents or carts or stands and sold whatever they could dream of making up, now everyone must be in a concrete block. Sure it looks nicer, but I miss the old Snack Street.


Snack Street when we first arrived...















Snack Street now...



















And now, Yichang is really on the map. We have a walking street! For those of you who don't know, a walking street is a nice shopping area, usually with International stores, a little ritzy. It's blocked off from cars so people can stroll around and shop. Before Wuhan was the only city nearby (5 hours) with a walking street. We'd heard rumors and saw construction in our Yichang, but didn't think we'd see it happen. But it did! (For you Yichangren, it's near Jie Fang Lu close to the White Market.) Brad and I were just shocked as we walked around. We could have been anywhere in the world!