I Grew My Boobs in China by Savannah Grace Page B

weeks earlier, my head would’ve exploded at even the prospect of using coins in a machine to do my laundry. Never once in my cushy life had hand washing crossed my mind.
    The majority of the buildings were concrete blocks with white tiled fronts and grey tile roofing. Wet, brick-strewn alleyways led us to our hotel at last. Shiny, golden gates encased the doorway where two large, captivating lions stood guard in typical Chinese style. Their round heads featured snarling red smiles.
    “If you need anything, you ask for me. My name is Larry,” our escort said before letting us go.
    Sneaking up behind Ammon at the small reception desk, I asked the question that was always foremost in my mind when it came to our accommodations, “Do they have Internet?” A man came out from behind the desk to show us that the Internet was at the bottom of the stairs. My heart leapt with joy at the news that guests were allowed one free hour a day per person. This was one bit of happiness I felt I could freely show. This would be the first time, aside from the quick note on our family blog at the airport, that we’d get to read and send emails, and I had so much to share. It had been one very long week, and I’d often wished that Terri and the others could have been there. My mind couldn’t stop spinning words around, trying to pick the ones that would best describe our experiences thus far. Not that I wouldn’t have traded them in a heartbeat to be back in my room at home with my friends, but brilliant, stunning, and gorgeous were the words that came immediately to mind.
    We were shown to our room on the fifth floor. I sure would’ve appreciated an elevator, and felt just a tiny bit irritated at how effortlessly the little reception man climbed all those stairs. My preoccupation with the prospect of Internet access dulled the pain surging through my body a bit. My jellied legs were wobbling under the heavy, book-weighted backpack; they felt as if they’d been carrying two libraries. But our room was big enough to give me some hope that maybe, just maybe, I wouldn’t be sleeping partly on my backpack for the whole year! In comparison to Hong Kong, I was totally impressed.
    Ammon saw the surprise on my face and had a good laugh at my expense, “Hey I didn’t say anything. I just let you draw your own conclusions.”
    “Oh you did not! You purposely let me believe the rooms were going to get smaller! I don’t know how I could’ve fallen for that.”
    Our room had three beds with a bathroom and was less than half the price of Hong Kong’s closet, but of course, it was I who would be sleeping on the floor. Now I knew for sure they were out to get me as, once again, the dubious benefits of being the youngest were hammered home. Why should I be the one to go bedless? Surely my whining had caused them enough pain to have earned some comfort for a change!
    Had I bothered to voice that argument, Mom would surely have responded, “And that’s exactly why YOU got the floor!”
    Suddenly, I noticed Bree’s absence. “Where the devil?” and then it hit me. Mom was already busy claiming first shower, and that was fine by me; all I wanted was the Internet! I was halfway down the staircase before she’d even opened the bathroom door and caught sight of Bree’s long ponytail around a corner of the open stairwell. She was already two flights closer to the computer, but I was gaining on her!
    “You can NOT do this to me,” I commanded, flying in right behind her on the main floor.
    “Hey, first one gets dibs. I won it fair and square.”
    “You are such a loser!”
    “Oh poooor baaby,” she rubbed it in gleefully.
    “Please Breeeeeee?” I begged, using my helpless baby sister voice and bouncing anxiously.
    “Oh, okaaayyy,” she laughed and scooted over to make room for me on the rudimentary, wooden chair. “You write down what you want to say before you do it while I’m checking and then while I’m planning how to respond, you