When we returned to Chengdu from Singapore on June 2 we decided to visit the office to say hello and to see if someone could help us understand why our phone wasn't working. Our office manager informed us that it was a good thing our flight had been delayed two days as the security police had paid a visit to the office earlier that afternoon. The purpose of the visit was to check the documents of 'foreigners' who work in the office. The officer implied that any foreigners working without a work visa could be fined and/or deported. Also the business and the manager could be fined or even imprisoned. From our understanding this is a 'tightening up' prior to the Olympics.
Since our 'boss' was not able to obtain a work visa for us, we had been teaching illegally, although we didn’t know there was a problem. We knew we were on shaky ground teaching about Christianity and praying with the students and staff, we were not aware that the English lessons and training of restaurant workers we were doing was in violation of the law. With about one month remaining of our planned six months of work we decided it would be best if we stopped working at the office, make plans to return to the USA early, and spend the remaining time as tourists.
In this amazing electronic age about one hour after we e-mailed our Grand Rapids travel agent he sent back a reply with our new itinerary.
We had already planned a trip to Xi'an to see the terra cotta soldiers and were able to do this the weekend before our return. It was good to be a tourist for a couple of more days. The city of Xi’an is a significant historical spot in China.
Two days after we returned from Xi’an we arranged to meet the staff and our students to treat them to a dinner at a small outdoor restaurant near the office. We arrived at the outdoor market area where the restaurant area was located a few minutes early. Shortly after the students arrived we all decided it would be best to wait for the office staff in the shade of some trees. As soon as we were settled in the shade three plain-clothes policemen appeared and began asking the students questions about the two foreigners. To say we were uncomfortable at the point would be a grand understatement. We decided that it would be best if the foreigners made a hasty retreat so the two of us left the students and walked to where we could intercept the office staff before they reached the restaurant. As we met a two of our office staff, a fourth plain-clothes policeman showed up, he had apparently followed us from the market area. We gave one of the staff members some money and told them to treat everybody to a grand meal and we continued our hasty retreat. Talking to other foreigners afterward we found out that none of them had ever experienced anything like that. This was an affirmation that we had made a good decision to leave China earlier than planned. We looked over our shoulders for someone following us until we reached Hong Kong.
Now that we're back in the states it is okay for us to be open about our trip. First, we are so grateful for the prayers that so many of you lifted up on our behalf. Not only during the difficult period of the earthquake, but, throughout the time of our stay we sensed, again and again and again, the protecting and providing hand of God. Thank you so much for praying for us. Again and again we sensed God’s protecting hand in our lives. From good health to safety, from someone who spoke English when we needed help to Christian friends God provided in abundance.
The highlight of our work was the time we spent with nine students being trained in a program designed to equip them with the practical skills required to be successful in the restaurant business. A key ingredient of the program is the study of the Bible and its practical application to being a person of integrity in the family, the workplace, and the community. The development of the curriculum, having it translated into Chinese and teaching it was a rewarding venture. Among other topics the curriculum we developed includes power points about marriage, finance, and relationships. Besides being used by the company we were associated with the curriculum will be used by a Chinese pastor and an American missionary who is trying to develop a family ministry for Chinese.
The nine students, five girls and four boys, came from Christian families from all over the country. Their knowledge of the Bible, their desire to study the Word, and their prayer life was, not only inspiring, but, humbling as well. From voluntarily spending three hours, three nights a week doing Bible study to spending what little money they had to help earthquake victims, these students were amazing.
There's an open spirit in Chengdu that is fostering the spread of Christianity. From house churches to meetings in restaurants to a government approved church that is building a new sanctuary to accommodate overflowing crowds, great things are happening. We both have a strong sense that there will be an unprecedented revival that will begin in Sichuan province, which is strategically located not only for China, but, as a gateway for the Back to Jerusalem movement.
Prior to May 12, and the Wenchuan earthquake, few people knew where Sichuan province was on the map. For the past few weeks it has had the focus, not only of the world's attention, but, also of the prayers of Christians globally. The words being used to describe the relief efforts point to the compassion, care, and love that reflect the character of God which is a part of all of us.
An incredible random event occurred as we were saying goodbye to the manager of the restaurant we’ve been working with. A man from Singapore was sitting near us asked if he could join us and talk. After talking to us for a bit, he began to explain what he was doing in China. “I’m a Christian” came out suddenly. When we shared that we were ‘like-minded’ the floodgates opened up and he poured out his life story to us. Making it short, he takes four or five trips to China a year and as he travels he tells his story and asks people if they want Jesus. He also makes motivational “steps to success” speeches in different cities and presents the Gospel every time. His prediction is that Premier Wen will become a Christian before he leaves office four years from now. Who knew?
Our return trip to the states began as we hailed two taxis to take us to the airport, (the small taxis would not accommodate our 4 large suitcases and 2 carry-ons). The expected 30 hour trip ended up taking 50 hours due to weather delays. When you start traveling at 11:00 P.M. on Friday night and you end at 2:00 A.M. Sunday morning, somehow you know you’ve been traveling for awhile. A few days later we’re enjoying the blue sky, (a rarity in polluted Chengdu), the quiet, and the fresh air. Adjusting to a new time schedule is challenging, but, in a few days we’ll be back at it and looking for our next adventure.
Thanks again for your partnering with us on our China Journey.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Home in Michigan
After 50 hours from the time we left our apartment in Chengdu until we arrived at our condo in Zeeland we are back in the USA. All four of the flights that we took were delayed which cause a chain reaction of events that added 20 hours to our expected travel plans. Oh well, we're home.
We're working on a major post that will explain more directly what we were doing in China and also will try to open up the blog for your comments. Thanks for sticking with us.
We're working on a major post that will explain more directly what we were doing in China and also will try to open up the blog for your comments. Thanks for sticking with us.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Coming Home
We received a couple of e-mails inquiring as to if we're okay. During the earthquake episode it seems like we were posting everyday. We haven't posted for awhile as we wrestled with the issue of leaving for the USA a month earlier than expected. Due to difficulties with our visa we've decided to head back for Michigan. We'll be leaving on the 14th of June and arriving back in Michigan at 8:30 A.M. on the 15th. Now that we've made the decision and we have our itinerary we're anxious to get going and see our family again.
After we return we'll post a more detailed explanation of what's been going on.
In the meantime we've just returned from Xi'an where we able to see the Terra Cotta soldiers. It's a holiday weekend and the flights were half-price. We'd never gone on a trip where we were met by a guide, had our own driver and everything was arranged. We couldn't have afforded this at regular price, but, it was great. One restaurant/theater we went to served us at least 20 different kind of dumplings. They'd explain, "This one has duck, this one pork, this one shrimp and cabbage, ...". Than they'd walk away and you'd forget and enjoy them anyway. We also took a kind of golf cart ride on top of a 9 mile long city wall that was built during some important dynasty a long time ago.
This week will be filled with packing, goodbyes and thinking about what we need to do once we return to Zeeland.
After we return we'll post a more detailed explanation of what's been going on.
In the meantime we've just returned from Xi'an where we able to see the Terra Cotta soldiers. It's a holiday weekend and the flights were half-price. We'd never gone on a trip where we were met by a guide, had our own driver and everything was arranged. We couldn't have afforded this at regular price, but, it was great. One restaurant/theater we went to served us at least 20 different kind of dumplings. They'd explain, "This one has duck, this one pork, this one shrimp and cabbage, ...". Than they'd walk away and you'd forget and enjoy them anyway. We also took a kind of golf cart ride on top of a 9 mile long city wall that was built during some important dynasty a long time ago.
This week will be filled with packing, goodbyes and thinking about what we need to do once we return to Zeeland.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Penang
Penang, an island off the coast of Malaysia, is not a place we ever expected to visit. But, here we are and it's been another great experience. It's very hot and humid and we are here at the beginning of the rainy season. We're experiencing the third downpour of the day right now. The locals tell us it will end soon, the sun will come out and the heat and humidity will return. An interesting thing we've learned is that the people from the mideast really enjoy the rain because they so seldom experience it. We're enjoying the 'downtime'.
Malaysia is dominately Muslim so we're having an interesting cultural awareness session. One is the call to prayer which begins at a minaret by the mosque and ends up being broadcast through speakers throughout the town. The first call is at about 5:40 A.M. and is loud enough to wake you out of a sound sleep. In each of the hotel rooms we've stayed in, (3 so far), there's been a small triangle placed on the ceiling which points to Mecca. Penang is also a tourist destination for mideastern people so we see many Muslim families. It's not uncommon to see a lady on the beach covered from head to toe in black with only her eyes showing. Seems like it would be unpleasantly hot.
We met a tour guide in the hotel yesterday. We were the first people he's met from the United States. The restaurants reflect the fact that this is not your typical destination for North Americans. Most restaurants feature foods the mideast or India as well as Malaysian foods. We did find "Mario's" which featured all of the above plus Italian foods. The lasagna we had last night was so good that we're returning again tonight.
If you're a bargain hunter Penang is the place for you to come. Everynight from about 7:00 P.M. until 1:00 A.M. the 1 and 1/2 mile long main street is lined with merchants selling all kinds of merchandise. From typical tourist t-shirts to fake designer watches and purses you can find it here and the rule is "bargain".
Tomorrow we're back on the bus headed for Genting, a mountain resort near Kuala Lumpur. The people who made the arrangements for this vacation did a first class job.
Malaysia is dominately Muslim so we're having an interesting cultural awareness session. One is the call to prayer which begins at a minaret by the mosque and ends up being broadcast through speakers throughout the town. The first call is at about 5:40 A.M. and is loud enough to wake you out of a sound sleep. In each of the hotel rooms we've stayed in, (3 so far), there's been a small triangle placed on the ceiling which points to Mecca. Penang is also a tourist destination for mideastern people so we see many Muslim families. It's not uncommon to see a lady on the beach covered from head to toe in black with only her eyes showing. Seems like it would be unpleasantly hot.
We met a tour guide in the hotel yesterday. We were the first people he's met from the United States. The restaurants reflect the fact that this is not your typical destination for North Americans. Most restaurants feature foods the mideast or India as well as Malaysian foods. We did find "Mario's" which featured all of the above plus Italian foods. The lasagna we had last night was so good that we're returning again tonight.
If you're a bargain hunter Penang is the place for you to come. Everynight from about 7:00 P.M. until 1:00 A.M. the 1 and 1/2 mile long main street is lined with merchants selling all kinds of merchandise. From typical tourist t-shirts to fake designer watches and purses you can find it here and the rule is "bargain".
Tomorrow we're back on the bus headed for Genting, a mountain resort near Kuala Lumpur. The people who made the arrangements for this vacation did a first class job.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Kuala Lumpur
We woke up this morning and checked the latest earthquake news to find that an aftershock of 6.0 happened last night. We emailed and skyped our friends in Chengdu and were glad to find they were okay. One of our American friends ran from his apartment and was not eager to get back to work today. We're glad to be away for awhile. The thunderstorm here seems pretty tame in comparison.
This morning we stood in line for 45 minutes to get tickets for the skywalk between the Petronas Towers. Those of you who are shoppers, (that doesn't include us), would be very content to spend time in the towers shopping. The bottom 6 floors are filled with prestigious shops from around the world. Most of them far beyond our league or pocketbook range. Because this is a major tourist spot for this part of the world we're experiencing the most multi-ethnic crowds we've ever been in. There are many people from India as well as people from the Middle East. Airports, bus stations and malls have prayer rooms for Muslims. Our hotel room even has an arrow on the ceiling pointing to Mecca. As Dorothy would say, "This isn't Kansas, Toto".
As we went to an ATM to get some local currency we realized that we would be carrying cash from four different countries. Keeping the exchange rates clear is a bit complicated. But, we're kind of figuring it out.
Tomorrow it's back on the bus for an hour ride to Penang where we'll be spending some time on the beach.
This morning we stood in line for 45 minutes to get tickets for the skywalk between the Petronas Towers. Those of you who are shoppers, (that doesn't include us), would be very content to spend time in the towers shopping. The bottom 6 floors are filled with prestigious shops from around the world. Most of them far beyond our league or pocketbook range. Because this is a major tourist spot for this part of the world we're experiencing the most multi-ethnic crowds we've ever been in. There are many people from India as well as people from the Middle East. Airports, bus stations and malls have prayer rooms for Muslims. Our hotel room even has an arrow on the ceiling pointing to Mecca. As Dorothy would say, "This isn't Kansas, Toto".
As we went to an ATM to get some local currency we realized that we would be carrying cash from four different countries. Keeping the exchange rates clear is a bit complicated. But, we're kind of figuring it out.
Tomorrow it's back on the bus for an hour ride to Penang where we'll be spending some time on the beach.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Singapore
After an hour delay our plane finally left Chengdu for Singapore. We were glad to get off the ground. Finding magazines and newspapers on the plane that were in English was also great. The stewardess gave us a copy of Newsweek to take with us.
After settling in to our hotel we finally turned out the lights at about 11:30. At about midnight the phone rang. We've been pretty jumpy for the past week and this put us out of sorts. It was the husband of the person we were supposed to meet at 10:30 in the morning to get our bus tickets to Kuala Lumpur. "Would it be okay if we met at 9:00 A.M. instead?" "Okay," was my reply and off we went trying to sleep. We slept some and did meet and we have our tickets. This was followed by the best breakfast we've had since we left the states. Omelets cooked to order, and all of the extras you can imagine. We had a feast and look forward to another tomorrow.
In the meantime we were working on a new problem that came up yesterday. The airlines called us and told us our flight back to Chengdu was cancelled. We were able to book a flight a couple of days later, but, this left us needing new plans for where we would stay, how we would get around, etc. By 3:00 in the afternoon we had finally gotten everything straightened out. This included phone calls, e-mails and a taxi ride to the bus station to get our ticket which brings us back to Singapore from Malaysia changed.
We decided to go for a bit of walk from the bus station as it looked like it was close to the water. It was and we enjoyed the long walk immensely. We watched 'dragon' boats practicing for the upcoming Dragon Boat festival in two weeks. These long narrow boats are paddled by 10 - 18 people and will be decorated like dragons for the race. These festivals take place all over Asia. As we continued our walk we watched a few ultralight single person planes flying around, it sure looked like fun. After walking a few kilometers we turned around and started walking back. Have you ever seen an ultralight crash? We watched as one of them began to spin out of control, finally lose all lift, and quickly plummeted into the water. Fortunately the dragon boats were not too far away and the man, along with his ultralight was rescued.
After that we headed for the hotel, at least we thought we were headed for the hotel. It didn't take long to figure out we were lost. We finally ventured into a large hotel and asked for a map which we took outside and pondered for awhile. We went back in and I, (Steve), had to admit that I had no idea how to get from where we were to where we wanted to be. The concierge was helpful and 15 minutes later we were in our room. Perhaps we should get some chalk to mark our path as we walk ... or maybe we just stay close to our hotel.
Two items of note. First, we haven't worried about tremors for 24 hours now. It's good to have ground you can trust under your feet. Second, pedestrians are respected here. It's been good to relax a little as we cross the streets. Make that three items of note. All of the signs are in English!
Tomorrow we head out for Malaysia.
After settling in to our hotel we finally turned out the lights at about 11:30. At about midnight the phone rang. We've been pretty jumpy for the past week and this put us out of sorts. It was the husband of the person we were supposed to meet at 10:30 in the morning to get our bus tickets to Kuala Lumpur. "Would it be okay if we met at 9:00 A.M. instead?" "Okay," was my reply and off we went trying to sleep. We slept some and did meet and we have our tickets. This was followed by the best breakfast we've had since we left the states. Omelets cooked to order, and all of the extras you can imagine. We had a feast and look forward to another tomorrow.
In the meantime we were working on a new problem that came up yesterday. The airlines called us and told us our flight back to Chengdu was cancelled. We were able to book a flight a couple of days later, but, this left us needing new plans for where we would stay, how we would get around, etc. By 3:00 in the afternoon we had finally gotten everything straightened out. This included phone calls, e-mails and a taxi ride to the bus station to get our ticket which brings us back to Singapore from Malaysia changed.
We decided to go for a bit of walk from the bus station as it looked like it was close to the water. It was and we enjoyed the long walk immensely. We watched 'dragon' boats practicing for the upcoming Dragon Boat festival in two weeks. These long narrow boats are paddled by 10 - 18 people and will be decorated like dragons for the race. These festivals take place all over Asia. As we continued our walk we watched a few ultralight single person planes flying around, it sure looked like fun. After walking a few kilometers we turned around and started walking back. Have you ever seen an ultralight crash? We watched as one of them began to spin out of control, finally lose all lift, and quickly plummeted into the water. Fortunately the dragon boats were not too far away and the man, along with his ultralight was rescued.
After that we headed for the hotel, at least we thought we were headed for the hotel. It didn't take long to figure out we were lost. We finally ventured into a large hotel and asked for a map which we took outside and pondered for awhile. We went back in and I, (Steve), had to admit that I had no idea how to get from where we were to where we wanted to be. The concierge was helpful and 15 minutes later we were in our room. Perhaps we should get some chalk to mark our path as we walk ... or maybe we just stay close to our hotel.
Two items of note. First, we haven't worried about tremors for 24 hours now. It's good to have ground you can trust under your feet. Second, pedestrians are respected here. It's been good to relax a little as we cross the streets. Make that three items of note. All of the signs are in English!
Tomorrow we head out for Malaysia.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
May 22
Just when we thought things were slowing down we've had three more aftershocks in the last 24 hours. The last one found us working in our 15th floor office. Some offices in our building are still closed. Up to the point in the day our office had been very productive, a quiet place where people were catching up with what was missed last week. After the tremor work basically stopped for the afternoon and people spent the rest of the time socializing, telling stories and laughing.
A common experience for all of us is to think we feel another tremor. You look around at other people and see if they are reacting and, if not, you keep quiet. As I've said before we can't begin to imagine how the people who were in the heart of the quake last Monday react to the tremors.
In this large growing city there is an incredible amount of building going on. Most of the buildings we see going up are in the 25 to 40 story range and will be used for offices and apartments. There are some places where you can stand and see 20 or more of the cranes used to bring materials to the top of these tall buildings. Those cranes must have been one of the scariest places to be in this city during Monday's quake. Most of the construction workers are migrants who come from villages to work. Each large construction site has one or more dormotories to house the workers. Since the earthquake the construction sites have been idle for two reasons. One is for safety and the other is due to the workers heading home to their villages to help their families.
As I'm writing this I've just been interupted by a convoy of 26 ambulances, sirens blaring, lights flashing going down the road below our apartment. This is the first time we've seen so many and the only time we've seen them going by our abode.
Today Kathy and I sent our students out with some cash and the challenge to use it in the most effective way they could to help the victims. When we return from our trip to Singapore we'll get a full report from them. Normally they would be working at the restaurant this weekend but they are not scheduled due to the slowing down of business in the past days. They'll do a good job, much better than we could.
We had no idea that the trip to Singapore would be so timely. We are very anxious to get out of here for the next week and not have to debate whether we should sleep with our pajamas on or fully clothed and ready to run. Hopefully the quakes are over and things will settle down. We'll try to post during our trip. In the meantime we appreciate your concern beyond measure.
A common experience for all of us is to think we feel another tremor. You look around at other people and see if they are reacting and, if not, you keep quiet. As I've said before we can't begin to imagine how the people who were in the heart of the quake last Monday react to the tremors.
In this large growing city there is an incredible amount of building going on. Most of the buildings we see going up are in the 25 to 40 story range and will be used for offices and apartments. There are some places where you can stand and see 20 or more of the cranes used to bring materials to the top of these tall buildings. Those cranes must have been one of the scariest places to be in this city during Monday's quake. Most of the construction workers are migrants who come from villages to work. Each large construction site has one or more dormotories to house the workers. Since the earthquake the construction sites have been idle for two reasons. One is for safety and the other is due to the workers heading home to their villages to help their families.
As I'm writing this I've just been interupted by a convoy of 26 ambulances, sirens blaring, lights flashing going down the road below our apartment. This is the first time we've seen so many and the only time we've seen them going by our abode.
Today Kathy and I sent our students out with some cash and the challenge to use it in the most effective way they could to help the victims. When we return from our trip to Singapore we'll get a full report from them. Normally they would be working at the restaurant this weekend but they are not scheduled due to the slowing down of business in the past days. They'll do a good job, much better than we could.
We had no idea that the trip to Singapore would be so timely. We are very anxious to get out of here for the next week and not have to debate whether we should sleep with our pajamas on or fully clothed and ready to run. Hopefully the quakes are over and things will settle down. We'll try to post during our trip. In the meantime we appreciate your concern beyond measure.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
May 21, 2008
By what we’ve been able to determine there hasn’t been a tremor for the last 34 hours. That’s been the longest span of time since last week Monday. We didn’t even feel that one so we’re beginning to feel relieved.
We are back in our 15th floor office today and it’s gone much better than Monday. Our staff is much more relaxed and seems much more productive. Perhaps having Tuesday off was a good thing. Mike, our translator, told us that he had listened to two earthquake experts on a television interview last night. Both of them live in Chengdu and feel very confident that they are safe in their buildings. Unlike many other residents they have spent every night sleeping in their own beds. This gave us a bit of confidence as that’s exactly what we’ve done.
After posting yesterday we met up with a friend from Louisiana for some pizza, (think ‘comfort food’). It’s good to spend time talking to someone that’s easy to understand, particularly after a stressful time. Walking back to our apartment we noticed that the streets were lined with cars and there were many more tents set up. It was much like the night of May 12 when very few people wanted to be in their apartments. Many of the tents are made from a frame of light pvc conduit and a sort of heavy duty woven plastic. According to our Australian friends the frames and plastic were being sold near the university gate very inexpensively. I’m guessing that most of tent-dwellers will return to their apartments tonight. Of course, this is an entirely separate group from the earthquake refugees.
Last week we downloaded Google Earth to our computer. It was helpful to give us a better picture of where all of the earthquakes were happening. As we explored we found a picture posted that had to be taken right from our apartment building, perhaps 100 feet west of our own humble abode.
This morning we spent a few hours with our students sharing the experiences of the past week. We hadn’t seen them since the morning before the earthquake and were eager to hear some of their stories. 6 of them had spent time helping in Mianyang and in some of the smaller villages further north. They brought supplies; helped clear areas for tents to be set up for refugees; cooked food; cleared up trash; and listened to people’s stories. They have also spent some time helping in local hospitals. It was good for us to hear the firsthand accounts. We’re a bit frustrated at ourselves as to how to help but glad that our students have been able to do some good. We’ll spend this evening doing the laundry and other routine activities. Our lives seem to be returning to a more normal style and that’s great. Our day, however, has been filled with reminders of the tragedy that has happened in this province. From the tent communities to the constant sound of sirens, from the looks on people’s faces to the pleas for contributions we’re very aware of the struggle going on all around us. Just moments ago a text message from the government asking for volunteers to drive vehicle to the quake areas came to our phone. It will be good to get on the plane for Singapore on Friday afternoon
We are back in our 15th floor office today and it’s gone much better than Monday. Our staff is much more relaxed and seems much more productive. Perhaps having Tuesday off was a good thing. Mike, our translator, told us that he had listened to two earthquake experts on a television interview last night. Both of them live in Chengdu and feel very confident that they are safe in their buildings. Unlike many other residents they have spent every night sleeping in their own beds. This gave us a bit of confidence as that’s exactly what we’ve done.
After posting yesterday we met up with a friend from Louisiana for some pizza, (think ‘comfort food’). It’s good to spend time talking to someone that’s easy to understand, particularly after a stressful time. Walking back to our apartment we noticed that the streets were lined with cars and there were many more tents set up. It was much like the night of May 12 when very few people wanted to be in their apartments. Many of the tents are made from a frame of light pvc conduit and a sort of heavy duty woven plastic. According to our Australian friends the frames and plastic were being sold near the university gate very inexpensively. I’m guessing that most of tent-dwellers will return to their apartments tonight. Of course, this is an entirely separate group from the earthquake refugees.
Last week we downloaded Google Earth to our computer. It was helpful to give us a better picture of where all of the earthquakes were happening. As we explored we found a picture posted that had to be taken right from our apartment building, perhaps 100 feet west of our own humble abode.
This morning we spent a few hours with our students sharing the experiences of the past week. We hadn’t seen them since the morning before the earthquake and were eager to hear some of their stories. 6 of them had spent time helping in Mianyang and in some of the smaller villages further north. They brought supplies; helped clear areas for tents to be set up for refugees; cooked food; cleared up trash; and listened to people’s stories. They have also spent some time helping in local hospitals. It was good for us to hear the firsthand accounts. We’re a bit frustrated at ourselves as to how to help but glad that our students have been able to do some good. We’ll spend this evening doing the laundry and other routine activities. Our lives seem to be returning to a more normal style and that’s great. Our day, however, has been filled with reminders of the tragedy that has happened in this province. From the tent communities to the constant sound of sirens, from the looks on people’s faces to the pleas for contributions we’re very aware of the struggle going on all around us. Just moments ago a text message from the government asking for volunteers to drive vehicle to the quake areas came to our phone. It will be good to get on the plane for Singapore on Friday afternoon
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
One Day at at Time
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
After a good supper of baked potatoes, apples and bread we decided to go for a walk to check on our friends who work at one of the western style restaurants. We were hoping for some apple pie ala mode, but, settled for a brownie sundae which was very good. For some reason we’re finding ourselves enjoying comfort food. The restaurant is located on the second floor of a large shopping mall/office building. I’m hoping to post a picture of what the ground floor looks like when I make this posting. As of 4:00 P.M. it has become a sort of refugee center with people setting up mats everywhere. Because of our language barrier we’re not sure if these people are refugees from the quake areas or people from Chengdu who are either one of the 250,000 here who have become homeless or are choosing to stay out of their apartment for until the aftershocks are done.
We’ve spent every night in our apartment except for a short part of last night. At midnight our phone rang. A friend who works with us called to tell us that she had heard that there was an earthquake predicted in the 6-7 magnitude range and advised us to get outside. We stayed inside until about 4:00 A.M. when we received a text message from our office manager telling us that there really was a prediction. We got dressed, took our loaded backpack and headed outside. We found a bench near our building and settled in for about 20 minutes. The bench wasn’t much harder than our mattress so we weren’t terribly uncomfortable. However as we were stretched out there we kind of thought we’d be just as safe in our apartment so we decided to head back upstairs. After preparing a food and water supply in our bathroom, (small with supporting walls), we climbed in bed and after a short time we both fell into a sound sleep. We woke up at about 6:30 to a text message informing us that work was called off for the day. We stayed in bed sleeping off and on until 8:30.
Those of you who remember the time after 911 will recall how it was difficult to get much done. You found yourself kind of riveted to the television in a sort of hypnotic state. That’s what we’re experiencing today. Kathy keeps up on the television news and Steve searches the internet for any information that might prove helpful. It’s really interesting to use the USGS website to check up on earthquakes. We find they’re posted about 15 minutes after they occur.
After spending the morning in our apartment we finally walked over to Carrefour, (French supermarket), to use the ATM and look for a whistle which we’ve been told is a good thing to have if you’re stuck in a building. No whistle so we walked to IKEA for cheap ice cream cones and to visit Decathlon, a French sporting good store. Still no whistle so we walked back to Carrefour and purchased a bicycle bell that has a pretty loud signal. Our hope is we’ll laugh at the purchase later as you can probably understand.
The IKEA store is also becoming a sort of refugee camp as you’ll notice in the picture I’ve hopefully been able to post. Also, since IKEA has many bedding supplies many people were purchasing mats and blankets to send to the quake zones. One person from the USA purchased what looked like 150 thermal blankets.
I’m looking forward to the time when I’ll feel like posting translated signs that are a bit confusing. Right now, on this day, it just doesn’t seem appropriate. In the meantime we’re grateful for our safety and the ability to communicate regularly with our family via Skype and all of you via our blog. Those of you who have our e-mail, feel free to contact us, just keep politics and religion out of the message.
After a good supper of baked potatoes, apples and bread we decided to go for a walk to check on our friends who work at one of the western style restaurants. We were hoping for some apple pie ala mode, but, settled for a brownie sundae which was very good. For some reason we’re finding ourselves enjoying comfort food. The restaurant is located on the second floor of a large shopping mall/office building. I’m hoping to post a picture of what the ground floor looks like when I make this posting. As of 4:00 P.M. it has become a sort of refugee center with people setting up mats everywhere. Because of our language barrier we’re not sure if these people are refugees from the quake areas or people from Chengdu who are either one of the 250,000 here who have become homeless or are choosing to stay out of their apartment for until the aftershocks are done.
We’ve spent every night in our apartment except for a short part of last night. At midnight our phone rang. A friend who works with us called to tell us that she had heard that there was an earthquake predicted in the 6-7 magnitude range and advised us to get outside. We stayed inside until about 4:00 A.M. when we received a text message from our office manager telling us that there really was a prediction. We got dressed, took our loaded backpack and headed outside. We found a bench near our building and settled in for about 20 minutes. The bench wasn’t much harder than our mattress so we weren’t terribly uncomfortable. However as we were stretched out there we kind of thought we’d be just as safe in our apartment so we decided to head back upstairs. After preparing a food and water supply in our bathroom, (small with supporting walls), we climbed in bed and after a short time we both fell into a sound sleep. We woke up at about 6:30 to a text message informing us that work was called off for the day. We stayed in bed sleeping off and on until 8:30.
Those of you who remember the time after 911 will recall how it was difficult to get much done. You found yourself kind of riveted to the television in a sort of hypnotic state. That’s what we’re experiencing today. Kathy keeps up on the television news and Steve searches the internet for any information that might prove helpful. It’s really interesting to use the USGS website to check up on earthquakes. We find they’re posted about 15 minutes after they occur.
After spending the morning in our apartment we finally walked over to Carrefour, (French supermarket), to use the ATM and look for a whistle which we’ve been told is a good thing to have if you’re stuck in a building. No whistle so we walked to IKEA for cheap ice cream cones and to visit Decathlon, a French sporting good store. Still no whistle so we walked back to Carrefour and purchased a bicycle bell that has a pretty loud signal. Our hope is we’ll laugh at the purchase later as you can probably understand.
The IKEA store is also becoming a sort of refugee camp as you’ll notice in the picture I’ve hopefully been able to post. Also, since IKEA has many bedding supplies many people were purchasing mats and blankets to send to the quake zones. One person from the USA purchased what looked like 150 thermal blankets.
I’m looking forward to the time when I’ll feel like posting translated signs that are a bit confusing. Right now, on this day, it just doesn’t seem appropriate. In the meantime we’re grateful for our safety and the ability to communicate regularly with our family via Skype and all of you via our blog. Those of you who have our e-mail, feel free to contact us, just keep politics and religion out of the message.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Back to Work
Monday, May 19, 2008. Today marks the first day of our return to work, one week after the earthquake struck. We began our day an hour earlier, as we usually do on Mondays, taking time to sing some songs of praise and spend some time ‘thinking’ with our staff. Asked to share a few words, Steve, struggled through tears to encourage and console the Chinese people, (more like family than co-workers), we work with. Some of them have lost relatives and friends and the grief was very visible. They all were in the office on the 15th floor when the quake struck. Unable to walk, convinced they were going to die, they spent the longest few minutes they’ll remember huddled under a table. How fortunate for the two of us to be on the second floor at that time.
Not much work got done this morning. We’re all stressed and feeling tired and a bit concerned about aftershocks. One was felt at 2:06 P.M. that had most of the staff on their feet. Being on the 15th floor is not exactly where we want to be today. We were actually looking forward to a long taxi ride to the NW side of the city to teach English this afternoon. Classes were cancelled so the business could catch up with work they missed last week, so here we are on the 15th floor.
Normally the two of us eat some fruit for lunch and take it easy. Today we went with five of our friends to a small restaurant behind a building. The seating is simple and covered by a couple of canopies. The seven of us had a feast of rice, a sort of grated potato, egg plant stew, sweet and sour chicken, and a couple of other dishes that were not recognizable nor recommended to our non-spicy palates. Claiming to be their adopted parents we paid the bill, a whopping $60 RMB, (about $8.40 US).
The government is using text messaging to let people know what’s going on and it seems to be very effective for most people. For us, well, we need to find a Chinese friend who speaks English to help us understand. One of the messages was a call for doctors to report to a local hotel which was offering 200 rooms to be used as a sort of hospital. Stories of generosity and kindness abound. So many people have gone to the hospitals to help with injured children that at one point each child had two people assigned to take care of them.
At 2:28 P.M. today, one week after the earthquake struck, the entire country spent three minutes mourning. Sirens wailed and horns on cars and trucks blew for three minutes while we stood silently with our staff. It was a moment we’ll not likely forget.
Not much work got done this morning. We’re all stressed and feeling tired and a bit concerned about aftershocks. One was felt at 2:06 P.M. that had most of the staff on their feet. Being on the 15th floor is not exactly where we want to be today. We were actually looking forward to a long taxi ride to the NW side of the city to teach English this afternoon. Classes were cancelled so the business could catch up with work they missed last week, so here we are on the 15th floor.
Normally the two of us eat some fruit for lunch and take it easy. Today we went with five of our friends to a small restaurant behind a building. The seating is simple and covered by a couple of canopies. The seven of us had a feast of rice, a sort of grated potato, egg plant stew, sweet and sour chicken, and a couple of other dishes that were not recognizable nor recommended to our non-spicy palates. Claiming to be their adopted parents we paid the bill, a whopping $60 RMB, (about $8.40 US).
The government is using text messaging to let people know what’s going on and it seems to be very effective for most people. For us, well, we need to find a Chinese friend who speaks English to help us understand. One of the messages was a call for doctors to report to a local hotel which was offering 200 rooms to be used as a sort of hospital. Stories of generosity and kindness abound. So many people have gone to the hospitals to help with injured children that at one point each child had two people assigned to take care of them.
At 2:28 P.M. today, one week after the earthquake struck, the entire country spent three minutes mourning. Sirens wailed and horns on cars and trucks blew for three minutes while we stood silently with our staff. It was a moment we’ll not likely forget.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Latest Update
The last couple of days you could sense people wanting to return back to what is a more normal life. In the morning we took a 40 minute walk to IKEA, (yes that IKEA), and bought a couple of bags of coffee and had an ice cream cone which cost 1 RMB (about 14 cents). In the afternoon we took a bus ride to the large shopping area in the center of our town to check up on our friends that work in a restaurant there. The mall was packed with people much like it would be at a busy sidewalk sale in the states, perhaps not quite as many people as a normal Saturday, but, busy. We walked from the mall to meet a friend who had invited us to eat at an outdoor restaurant near her office. During our meal we saw many convoys of ambulances headed for the nearby hospitals. Sirens are pretty normal in this city and often don't mean anything at all, but, they have increased in number and now seem to have more significance.
Everywhere in this town of 11 million there are people collecting donations, food, water and clothing to send to the disaster areas. People are using there private vehicles, businesses are using their trucks, and the government is using all their force to bring the goods to where they are needed. We've been told there's quite a traffic jam on the highways headed north. Of course the biggest difficulty is the roads in the mountains that are ruined. Also we've seen many people sleeping in tents in parks, on the sidewalks and any open area they can find. Some of them are from Chengdu and others are refugees. It's not easy for us to sort it all out because of the language difficulties.
Last night we decided it would be okay to sleep in our pajamas instead of fully dressed and ready to run as we had the previous nights. We've kept a backpack, a bag with shoes and food at our door all week ready to grab and go. Anyhow, at 1:08 A.M. our bed began to shake, there was a rumbling and we were wide awake, very wide awake. This was followed by strong winds, thunder, lightning, and rain. We quickly got dressed but decided to stay in our apartment. According to the earthquake website we check often, last night's quake was 5.7 and about 100 miles away from us. By the news we're hearing there were no new casualties from this tremor.
We are scheduled to return to our office tomorrow morning but are very hesitant. For some reason working on the 15th floor of an older office building just doesn't appeal to us right now. In the afternoon we're scheduled to teach English at a petro-chemical research building and that will be fine as the 'classroom' is on the second floor. It's where we were when the 7.9 earthquake hit on Monday. We'll see what happens.
A month ago we schedule a vacation trip to Singapore and Malaysia to begin this coming Friday. We're anxious to get out of here for a bit, now much more than we were before. In the meantime we're getting along fine.
Everywhere in this town of 11 million there are people collecting donations, food, water and clothing to send to the disaster areas. People are using there private vehicles, businesses are using their trucks, and the government is using all their force to bring the goods to where they are needed. We've been told there's quite a traffic jam on the highways headed north. Of course the biggest difficulty is the roads in the mountains that are ruined. Also we've seen many people sleeping in tents in parks, on the sidewalks and any open area they can find. Some of them are from Chengdu and others are refugees. It's not easy for us to sort it all out because of the language difficulties.
Last night we decided it would be okay to sleep in our pajamas instead of fully dressed and ready to run as we had the previous nights. We've kept a backpack, a bag with shoes and food at our door all week ready to grab and go. Anyhow, at 1:08 A.M. our bed began to shake, there was a rumbling and we were wide awake, very wide awake. This was followed by strong winds, thunder, lightning, and rain. We quickly got dressed but decided to stay in our apartment. According to the earthquake website we check often, last night's quake was 5.7 and about 100 miles away from us. By the news we're hearing there were no new casualties from this tremor.
We are scheduled to return to our office tomorrow morning but are very hesitant. For some reason working on the 15th floor of an older office building just doesn't appeal to us right now. In the afternoon we're scheduled to teach English at a petro-chemical research building and that will be fine as the 'classroom' is on the second floor. It's where we were when the 7.9 earthquake hit on Monday. We'll see what happens.
A month ago we schedule a vacation trip to Singapore and Malaysia to begin this coming Friday. We're anxious to get out of here for a bit, now much more than we were before. In the meantime we're getting along fine.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Day 4
After a quiet night we spent a good portion of the morning catching up on laundry and doing some cleaning. We were also able to talk to quite a number of our relatives back in the states. Using Skype has made it so much easier for us to get along.
We really feel that things are returning to normal although everyone is understandably a little jumpy. We do hear and see many ambulances coming from and going to the north where the damage you are probably seeing on television occured. Chengdu is the largest city in the province and is well equipped to deal with the crisis. There is a large medical university here with a hospital that has 6,500 beds, imagine the logistics of a hospital that size.
Relief efforts remind us what happened in the states after Katrina. There are many collection points for food and other supplies all over the city and, just like in the states, people are donating generously. We met some students from Israel who organized a campaign of their own to help out with supplies at the hospitals. We've also seen several army convoys and also some heavy equipment heading north.
We're doing well but are very tired, a bit stressed, and a little on the jumpy side. We did take a long walk to a department store that has a wonderful bakery that makes raisin bread as good as we've ever had. We'll probably eat them over the next few days.
In the meantime we appreciate your concern and are grateful to be able to communciate in this way.
We really feel that things are returning to normal although everyone is understandably a little jumpy. We do hear and see many ambulances coming from and going to the north where the damage you are probably seeing on television occured. Chengdu is the largest city in the province and is well equipped to deal with the crisis. There is a large medical university here with a hospital that has 6,500 beds, imagine the logistics of a hospital that size.
Relief efforts remind us what happened in the states after Katrina. There are many collection points for food and other supplies all over the city and, just like in the states, people are donating generously. We met some students from Israel who organized a campaign of their own to help out with supplies at the hospitals. We've also seen several army convoys and also some heavy equipment heading north.
We're doing well but are very tired, a bit stressed, and a little on the jumpy side. We did take a long walk to a department store that has a wonderful bakery that makes raisin bread as good as we've ever had. We'll probably eat them over the next few days.
In the meantime we appreciate your concern and are grateful to be able to communciate in this way.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Water Problems?
How things change in a few hours. Yesterday's report about contaminated water turned out to be an internet hoax. Three men have been arrested. We received a text message from our phone company late at night telling us all about it. Since the message was in Chinese we didn't understand it anyway, and it was the middle of the morning before a friend translated the message for us. As was mentioned in the last posting the rumor of water being shut off caused massive overbuying all over the city. We were convinced that there was a problem as we heard it from a friend who was told by the German Consulate and also it was announced on the English television news. We're grateful that there is no problem. Now, what to do with all of the water stored in buckets, the wash machine, and all of the pots and pans.
Life seems to be returning to normal in a slow fashion. We're not returning to work until Monday, or, perhaps later. Most businesses seem to be open although we're not sure about the offices in the high rise buildings.
he news we watch of the rescue efforts and the damage reminds that our problems are so small in comparison with those not to far away, again, we are grateful.
Life seems to be returning to normal in a slow fashion. We're not returning to work until Monday, or, perhaps later. Most businesses seem to be open although we're not sure about the offices in the high rise buildings.
he news we watch of the rescue efforts and the damage reminds that our problems are so small in comparison with those not to far away, again, we are grateful.
Earthquake News 3
Given a choice, Kathy and I have decided we’d much rather go through cold weather or a blizzard then an earthquake. We’re not talking about a major quake, we have no concept of what’s going on just 30-50 miles away from us, we’re talking about 6.2 on the Richter scale while the major quake was 7.8 (I think). Today we experienced a couple of minor tremors but in the back of your mind you keep wondering if there’s another big one coming. If we knew what was going on in our city it would really help but there just aren’t many sources that speak English. We quite stressed and have lost our appetites.
Yesterday’s joy for Steve was a bout with Montezuma’s Revenge, better known as the Cramps of Confucious. A very difficult thing to deal with when there’s no bathroom available. Fortunately our apartment was given the all clear and by morning he’s feeling better and very grateful for PeptoBismol.
The word from our friends is that the water is going to be turned off for a few days. Apparently the water supply was contaminated with some chemicals from a couple of industrial plants … at least that’s what we’ve heard. The rumor that this was going to happen has caused container we have with water, some boiled for cooking, some just for basic hygiene, we decided that we should get some water ourselves so we walked the 25 minutes to our local supermarket to find it more crowded than it was during the New Years festival. We went to a couple of other stores and found that their supplies of water and juice were completely gone. Off we went to the fruit market to get some apples, oranges and bananas knowing that we could get some liquid from them. As we returned to our apartment lobby we found an SUV delivering bottled water wrapped in packages of 24 to the small, (think walk-in closet), convenience store located there. We were able to buy a package at what was probably a premium price based on supply and demand and possibly that we are foreigners. What does it matter, the water, which we feel we really needed was delivered to our front door and we’re now set.
Another trip to another supermarket for bread found the shelves empty. However we were able to buy a couple of packages of rolls that were fresh out of the oven. They were being grabbed up as fast as the two clerks could put them in packages. You would have been amazed at Kathy’s boldness.
We’ve been told that we will not be working at our office tomorrow, however, we will leave our selves available to travel to the company where we teach English. If they want us we think it would be good to have something to do and also to share the common experience we had during the quake on Monday. After we eat some supper we’ll be heading out to take some pictures of the tents and shelters around the community. Many people are not going back into their apartments yet. I would guess that on Monday night more people slept in parks and on the sidewalks than slept in their own beds. Those people that have cars slept in their cars. We have been sleeping in our apartment but have an emergency kit ready at hand in case we need to evacuate.
Thursday Morning: when we returned to our apartment after a long evening walk we were surprised that the gas had been turned back on and we were able to take our first warm shower in a couple of days. During the night we did not feel any tremors. Also we are hearing more airplanes landing and taking off and are hoping that the airport is open to commercial traffic again.
Yesterday’s joy for Steve was a bout with Montezuma’s Revenge, better known as the Cramps of Confucious. A very difficult thing to deal with when there’s no bathroom available. Fortunately our apartment was given the all clear and by morning he’s feeling better and very grateful for PeptoBismol.
The word from our friends is that the water is going to be turned off for a few days. Apparently the water supply was contaminated with some chemicals from a couple of industrial plants … at least that’s what we’ve heard. The rumor that this was going to happen has caused container we have with water, some boiled for cooking, some just for basic hygiene, we decided that we should get some water ourselves so we walked the 25 minutes to our local supermarket to find it more crowded than it was during the New Years festival. We went to a couple of other stores and found that their supplies of water and juice were completely gone. Off we went to the fruit market to get some apples, oranges and bananas knowing that we could get some liquid from them. As we returned to our apartment lobby we found an SUV delivering bottled water wrapped in packages of 24 to the small, (think walk-in closet), convenience store located there. We were able to buy a package at what was probably a premium price based on supply and demand and possibly that we are foreigners. What does it matter, the water, which we feel we really needed was delivered to our front door and we’re now set.
Another trip to another supermarket for bread found the shelves empty. However we were able to buy a couple of packages of rolls that were fresh out of the oven. They were being grabbed up as fast as the two clerks could put them in packages. You would have been amazed at Kathy’s boldness.
We’ve been told that we will not be working at our office tomorrow, however, we will leave our selves available to travel to the company where we teach English. If they want us we think it would be good to have something to do and also to share the common experience we had during the quake on Monday. After we eat some supper we’ll be heading out to take some pictures of the tents and shelters around the community. Many people are not going back into their apartments yet. I would guess that on Monday night more people slept in parks and on the sidewalks than slept in their own beds. Those people that have cars slept in their cars. We have been sleeping in our apartment but have an emergency kit ready at hand in case we need to evacuate.
Thursday Morning: when we returned to our apartment after a long evening walk we were surprised that the gas had been turned back on and we were able to take our first warm shower in a couple of days. During the night we did not feel any tremors. Also we are hearing more airplanes landing and taking off and are hoping that the airport is open to commercial traffic again.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Earthquake News 2
We slept in our apartment again last night, a bit better than the night before. There were several small tremors through the night and one about 8:00 A.M. Nothing noticeable after that. We've been told that we will not be working tomorrow, (Thursday) and are not certain about Friday. We just walked to the grocery store and were amazed at the number of people. After investigating we found that there is a problem with the water in town and it may be shut down for as much as three days. As a consequence we are busy boiling and storing water as fast as we can.
We're a bit stressed, but, that's to be expected. We certainly are much more fortunate than the people not to far away who have lost everything. We'll try to keep you posted.
We're a bit stressed, but, that's to be expected. We certainly are much more fortunate than the people not to far away who have lost everything. We'll try to keep you posted.
Earthquake News
In a short 4 months we've been through the coldest winter in the last 50 years and now we've been on the edge of the largest earthquake in 30 years. It's been an experience. We were teaching English at a petroleum company when all of a sudden the floor and building began to move and rumble beneath our feet. We ran down the stairs and out of the building and waiting for things to quiet down. It was interesting, two foreigners and about 200 nationals all wondering what to do next. Since we were 35 miles from the epicenter the damage was not great in our town and it didn't take long for traffic to be on its way. We quickly boarded a bus and headed for home. Since every building and every business was evacuated and people were sent home for the day the normal bus ride of one hour took over two hours. Standing on a crowded bus for two hours wasn't what we'd planned for the day.
We've been able to get in and out of our apartment sometimes with and elevator sometimes without. (Why did we choose to live on the 8th floor?) We've plenty of food and water, and the electricity has been on all of the time. We spent the night in our own bed interuppted by a couple of aftershocks and two phone calls. Needless to say we're looking forward to a solid night of sleep.
A blessing was that we were not in our regular office building. Our office is on the 15th floor and our colleagues tell us it was awful. The swaying was so bad they couldn't walk so they huddled under tables until the tremor stopped.
We're hoping that it's all over for now. Thanks for thinking of us.
We've been able to get in and out of our apartment sometimes with and elevator sometimes without. (Why did we choose to live on the 8th floor?) We've plenty of food and water, and the electricity has been on all of the time. We spent the night in our own bed interuppted by a couple of aftershocks and two phone calls. Needless to say we're looking forward to a solid night of sleep.
A blessing was that we were not in our regular office building. Our office is on the 15th floor and our colleagues tell us it was awful. The swaying was so bad they couldn't walk so they huddled under tables until the tremor stopped.
We're hoping that it's all over for now. Thanks for thinking of us.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Life in the Future
Visiting Beijing was a great break from the routine of life in Chengdu. With the plane leaving on time and uneventful flight we were happy to reach a destination which we really hadn’t expected to visit in our lifetime.
The terminal in Beijing just opened within the past two months. From our understanding it’s the longest building in the world. It’s enormous. In order to save money we took a bus from the airport to the train station, (at least that was the plan). A man who spoke English advised us to get off at a different bus stop as the train station would be packed with Chinese tourists and it would be difficult to catch a taxi. We got off and were offered a ride on a three-wheeled passenger bicycle which was powered by a combination of leg power and the smallest little gas engine you can imagine. Kathy advised against it and wanted to find a regular taxi. We took the bicycle.
Our understanding was that the ride would cost us about 50 RMB, (close to $7 US). When the ride was finished I handed the ‘driver’ a 100 RMB note expecting him to give me 50 back. With great indignation he told me the price of the ride was $50 US. Since the taxi ride from the airport would have been about $20 and he had only taken us a couple of miles I was upset. Eventually he gave me some change, (not enough), and I was reminded to listen to the wisdom of my wife once more. Some people take longer to learn.
Our hotel was a short walk from the Forbidden City and we looked forward to getting up in the morning, going to the breakfast buffet and beginning our tour. An important part of this trip was connecting up with some friends from the Holland area who are studying English in the Beijing area. We called, we called, and we called … no contact. By morning, after making many calls we had about given up when our phone rang, it was one of our friends and we made arrangements to meet him in Tiananmen Square after breakfast. The breakfast buffet was Chinese in style, but, we found plenty to fill our plates. Off we went to find our friend.
What we didn’t know was there were roughly half a million other people also wanting to visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City at the same time. First we had to walk past the wall of the Forbidden City to get to the other end of it where the Square is located. We had to call our friend twice just to figure out how to get to the square. When we finally saw the square we were on the wrong side of an extremely busy road with no visible place to cross. Finally we walked through the crowds and found a tunnel that led under the road. Along with several thousand other people we crossed to the other side. One more call and we found our friend.
It was a great day of getting to see two significant historical significant sites. It was also special because we got to share it with 1000’s of other people. In the evening we took a subway to Friday’s where we met up with another couple from China and had a great time enjoying western food and telling stories.
The next morning we, (our friend from the day before), hired a van to take us to the Great Wall. Again, we shared the experience with thousands of others. After a long, tiring climb up the mountain we were filled with amazement at the effort involved with building a defensive wall that spreads over 4000 miles. Although it was overcast and visibility was very limited, we did take many pictures. Getting down was an adventure also. We rode down on small ‘toboggans’ on a sort of bob-sled run. We returned via a country road, often on the wrong side of the double yellow line to get around traffic jams, and arrived back in Beijing in time to catch the subway which took us to a spot near a Sizzler’s restaurant where we enjoyed the best salad bar we’ve seen since we got here.
The return trip was uneventful and we were happy to return to our ‘home’ in Chengdu.
We’ve had some difficulty with banking here for the past few months. But, with the help of our son and emails to the bank they’ve been solved. Yesterday I was checking my bank account in Zeeland using the internet. Attempting to figure out the latest information I changed the date on the activity page to the current date. The computer came back with the reply that they could not show record from the future. So here I am, living in the future and enjoying it very much.
The terminal in Beijing just opened within the past two months. From our understanding it’s the longest building in the world. It’s enormous. In order to save money we took a bus from the airport to the train station, (at least that was the plan). A man who spoke English advised us to get off at a different bus stop as the train station would be packed with Chinese tourists and it would be difficult to catch a taxi. We got off and were offered a ride on a three-wheeled passenger bicycle which was powered by a combination of leg power and the smallest little gas engine you can imagine. Kathy advised against it and wanted to find a regular taxi. We took the bicycle.
Our understanding was that the ride would cost us about 50 RMB, (close to $7 US). When the ride was finished I handed the ‘driver’ a 100 RMB note expecting him to give me 50 back. With great indignation he told me the price of the ride was $50 US. Since the taxi ride from the airport would have been about $20 and he had only taken us a couple of miles I was upset. Eventually he gave me some change, (not enough), and I was reminded to listen to the wisdom of my wife once more. Some people take longer to learn.
Our hotel was a short walk from the Forbidden City and we looked forward to getting up in the morning, going to the breakfast buffet and beginning our tour. An important part of this trip was connecting up with some friends from the Holland area who are studying English in the Beijing area. We called, we called, and we called … no contact. By morning, after making many calls we had about given up when our phone rang, it was one of our friends and we made arrangements to meet him in Tiananmen Square after breakfast. The breakfast buffet was Chinese in style, but, we found plenty to fill our plates. Off we went to find our friend.
What we didn’t know was there were roughly half a million other people also wanting to visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City at the same time. First we had to walk past the wall of the Forbidden City to get to the other end of it where the Square is located. We had to call our friend twice just to figure out how to get to the square. When we finally saw the square we were on the wrong side of an extremely busy road with no visible place to cross. Finally we walked through the crowds and found a tunnel that led under the road. Along with several thousand other people we crossed to the other side. One more call and we found our friend.
It was a great day of getting to see two significant historical significant sites. It was also special because we got to share it with 1000’s of other people. In the evening we took a subway to Friday’s where we met up with another couple from China and had a great time enjoying western food and telling stories.
The next morning we, (our friend from the day before), hired a van to take us to the Great Wall. Again, we shared the experience with thousands of others. After a long, tiring climb up the mountain we were filled with amazement at the effort involved with building a defensive wall that spreads over 4000 miles. Although it was overcast and visibility was very limited, we did take many pictures. Getting down was an adventure also. We rode down on small ‘toboggans’ on a sort of bob-sled run. We returned via a country road, often on the wrong side of the double yellow line to get around traffic jams, and arrived back in Beijing in time to catch the subway which took us to a spot near a Sizzler’s restaurant where we enjoyed the best salad bar we’ve seen since we got here.
The return trip was uneventful and we were happy to return to our ‘home’ in Chengdu.
We’ve had some difficulty with banking here for the past few months. But, with the help of our son and emails to the bank they’ve been solved. Yesterday I was checking my bank account in Zeeland using the internet. Attempting to figure out the latest information I changed the date on the activity page to the current date. The computer came back with the reply that they could not show record from the future. So here I am, living in the future and enjoying it very much.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Want to Buy a Vowel?
Yesterday we visited a travel agent to pay for our trip to Beijing. While we waited for her we took a look at some travel brochures. One of them had a long list the hotel rates if you visited a particular city. In the making of the brochure someone had left out a vowel.
It looked like this:
Hotel Rats
Summer 60 Winter 32
I'm not sure if the rats are migratory rats or they just spend the winter months somewhere else in the hotel.
The travel agent invited us for tea which turned out to be coffee and brownies ala mode. We enjoyed her company and also a new restaurant.
Using Skype to talk to our family has been great. After talking to our brothers earlier this week we decided it would nice to call some friends of ours who live in Seattle. Oops, forgot about the difference in time. It's never good to receive a call at 5:00 AM is it? They were gracious about our error, (okay, it was really Steve's mistake), and relieved that the call wasn't bad news. It's sometimes difficult to remember that we're twelve to fifteen hours ahead of the USA. About the time we've got it figured out we'll be headed for home ... isn't that the way of life?
It looked like this:
Hotel Rats
Summer 60 Winter 32
I'm not sure if the rats are migratory rats or they just spend the winter months somewhere else in the hotel.
The travel agent invited us for tea which turned out to be coffee and brownies ala mode. We enjoyed her company and also a new restaurant.
Using Skype to talk to our family has been great. After talking to our brothers earlier this week we decided it would nice to call some friends of ours who live in Seattle. Oops, forgot about the difference in time. It's never good to receive a call at 5:00 AM is it? They were gracious about our error, (okay, it was really Steve's mistake), and relieved that the call wasn't bad news. It's sometimes difficult to remember that we're twelve to fifteen hours ahead of the USA. About the time we've got it figured out we'll be headed for home ... isn't that the way of life?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friends
As we walk around this city, go shopping, or eat at a restaurant we often meet ‘foreigners’. Frequently a conversation begins about life in China. Everyone we talk to seems to really enjoy this city. We’ve met people from around the world.
This week we’ve made friends with a man from Texas who is working with a company that makes parts that will be used on the redesigned Boeing 747. He’ll be here for four months. Another couple we met is from France. They’ve lived in both Shanghai and Chengdu. They like it here better because it is much more relaxed. She is publishing an English language magazine about what’s going on in Chengdu, (one of several), and he works in real estate. One of our favorite new acquaintances is a dynamic 70 year old from Australia.
Although she speaks very little Chinese, she’s lived off and on for the past 6 years in China. Working as an English teacher she has made more friends and acquaintances than almost anybody we know. She is currently looking for a part-time job so that she’ll be able to stay for a longer period of time. Would that when we’re in our seventies that we’d have the energy and desire to look for employment so that we could live in a different culture . Tomorrow morning she’s taking us to her favorite place to get a massage.
Next day. We’ve had the massage and it was great. It took us about 40 minutes to walk to our friend’s apartment and, of course, 40 minutes back. However, during the walk back we stopped at a restaurant to spend a couple of hours with a friend from the states. After cleaning our apartment and doing the laundry we took off on another exploration to find a new way downtown. Another long walk brought us to the restaurant we’re working with. We sat down at an outdoor table for our usual ice cream and coffee and were joined by the chef, Peter. After a half-hour of great conversation our time was stopped by rain. Since we had to walk to catch a bus we decided to leave. Before we left we exchanged email addresses and phone numbers, a very common practice here.
The most difficult challenge of living in this city is dealing with traffic. Like many cities the growth has exceeded the city’s traffic infrastructure. We’ve heard that somewhere between 300 and 800 new cars are added to the traffic every day. In a city that has seen it’s population increase from 2 million to 11 million in just ten years traffic is only one of the many problems being dealt with by the people. From what we understand the growth will continue for some time to come.
We’re looking forward to traveling to Beijing next week. We’ve been warned that during the three day holiday there will be thousands of people traveling at the same time because it’s a 3 day national holiday. We’re hoping to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Also, we’re hoping to connect with some friends that are living there. We’ll post the results of our trip when we’re able.
A pleasant surprise happened this week at the local fruit market. As we were wondering about the three different prices on the pineapple a young lady interrupted us, and, in excellent English explained what the differences in the pineapple were. We decided to buy one and were bringing it to the cashier when a man working in the store indicated we were to give it to him. He took a cleaver and a special knife, faster than we could imagine he had the pineapple peeled and ready for consumption. Check out the picture.
This week we’ve made friends with a man from Texas who is working with a company that makes parts that will be used on the redesigned Boeing 747. He’ll be here for four months. Another couple we met is from France. They’ve lived in both Shanghai and Chengdu. They like it here better because it is much more relaxed. She is publishing an English language magazine about what’s going on in Chengdu, (one of several), and he works in real estate. One of our favorite new acquaintances is a dynamic 70 year old from Australia.
Although she speaks very little Chinese, she’s lived off and on for the past 6 years in China. Working as an English teacher she has made more friends and acquaintances than almost anybody we know. She is currently looking for a part-time job so that she’ll be able to stay for a longer period of time. Would that when we’re in our seventies that we’d have the energy and desire to look for employment so that we could live in a different culture . Tomorrow morning she’s taking us to her favorite place to get a massage.
Next day. We’ve had the massage and it was great. It took us about 40 minutes to walk to our friend’s apartment and, of course, 40 minutes back. However, during the walk back we stopped at a restaurant to spend a couple of hours with a friend from the states. After cleaning our apartment and doing the laundry we took off on another exploration to find a new way downtown. Another long walk brought us to the restaurant we’re working with. We sat down at an outdoor table for our usual ice cream and coffee and were joined by the chef, Peter. After a half-hour of great conversation our time was stopped by rain. Since we had to walk to catch a bus we decided to leave. Before we left we exchanged email addresses and phone numbers, a very common practice here.
The most difficult challenge of living in this city is dealing with traffic. Like many cities the growth has exceeded the city’s traffic infrastructure. We’ve heard that somewhere between 300 and 800 new cars are added to the traffic every day. In a city that has seen it’s population increase from 2 million to 11 million in just ten years traffic is only one of the many problems being dealt with by the people. From what we understand the growth will continue for some time to come.
We’re looking forward to traveling to Beijing next week. We’ve been warned that during the three day holiday there will be thousands of people traveling at the same time because it’s a 3 day national holiday. We’re hoping to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Also, we’re hoping to connect with some friends that are living there. We’ll post the results of our trip when we’re able.
A pleasant surprise happened this week at the local fruit market. As we were wondering about the three different prices on the pineapple a young lady interrupted us, and, in excellent English explained what the differences in the pineapple were. We decided to buy one and were bringing it to the cashier when a man working in the store indicated we were to give it to him. He took a cleaver and a special knife, faster than we could imagine he had the pineapple peeled and ready for consumption. Check out the picture.
Friends
As we walk around this city, go shopping, or eat at a restaurant we often meet ‘foreigners’. Frequently a conversation begins about life in China. Everyone we talk to seems to really enjoy this city. We’ve met people from around the world.
This week we’ve made friends with a man from Texas who is working with a company that makes parts that will be used on the redesigned Boeing 747. He’ll be here for four months. Another couple we met is from France. They’ve lived in both Shanghai and Chengdu. They like it here better because it is much more relaxed. She is publishing an English language magazine about what’s going on in Chengdu, (one of several), and he works in real estate. One of our favorite new acquaintances is a dynamic 70 year old from Australia.
Although she speaks very little Chinese, she’s lived off and on for the past 6 years in China. Working as an English teacher she has made more friends and acquaintances than almost anybody we know. She is currently looking for a part-time job so that she’ll be able to stay for a longer period of time. Would that when we’re in our seventies that we’d have the energy and desire to look for employment so that we could live in a different culture . Tomorrow morning she’s taking us to her favorite place to get a massage.
Next day. We’ve had the massage and it was great. It took us about 40 minutes to walk to our friend’s apartment and, of course, 40 minutes back. However, during the walk back we stopped at a restaurant to spend a couple of hours with a friend from the states. After cleaning our apartment and doing the laundry we took off on another exploration to find a new way downtown. Another long walk brought us to the restaurant we’re working with. We sat down at an outdoor table for our usual ice cream and coffee and were joined by the chef, Peter. After a half-hour of great conversation our time was stopped by rain. Since we had to walk to catch a bus we decided to leave. Before we left we exchanged email addresses and phone numbers, a very common practice here.
The most difficult challenge of living in this city is dealing with traffic. Like many cities the growth has exceeded the city’s traffic infrastructure. We’ve heard that somewhere between 300 and 800 new cars are added to the traffic every day. In a city that has seen it’s population increase from 2 million to 11 million in just ten years traffic is only one of the many problems being dealt with by the people. From what we understand the growth will continue for some time to come.
We’re looking forward to traveling to Beijing next week. We’ve been warned that during the three day holiday there will be thousands of people traveling at the same time because it’s a 3 day national holiday. We’re hoping to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Also, we’re hoping to connect with some friends that are living there. We’ll post the results of our trip when we’re able.
A pleasant surprise happened this week at the local fruit market. As we were wondering about the three different prices on the pineapple a young lady interrupted us, and, in excellent English explained what the differences in the pineapple were. We decided to buy one and were bringing it to the cashier when a man working in the store indicated we were to give it to him. He took a cleaver and a special knife, faster than we could imagine he had the pineapple peeled and ready for consumption. Check out the picture.
This week we’ve made friends with a man from Texas who is working with a company that makes parts that will be used on the redesigned Boeing 747. He’ll be here for four months. Another couple we met is from France. They’ve lived in both Shanghai and Chengdu. They like it here better because it is much more relaxed. She is publishing an English language magazine about what’s going on in Chengdu, (one of several), and he works in real estate. One of our favorite new acquaintances is a dynamic 70 year old from Australia.
Although she speaks very little Chinese, she’s lived off and on for the past 6 years in China. Working as an English teacher she has made more friends and acquaintances than almost anybody we know. She is currently looking for a part-time job so that she’ll be able to stay for a longer period of time. Would that when we’re in our seventies that we’d have the energy and desire to look for employment so that we could live in a different culture . Tomorrow morning she’s taking us to her favorite place to get a massage.
Next day. We’ve had the massage and it was great. It took us about 40 minutes to walk to our friend’s apartment and, of course, 40 minutes back. However, during the walk back we stopped at a restaurant to spend a couple of hours with a friend from the states. After cleaning our apartment and doing the laundry we took off on another exploration to find a new way downtown. Another long walk brought us to the restaurant we’re working with. We sat down at an outdoor table for our usual ice cream and coffee and were joined by the chef, Peter. After a half-hour of great conversation our time was stopped by rain. Since we had to walk to catch a bus we decided to leave. Before we left we exchanged email addresses and phone numbers, a very common practice here.
The most difficult challenge of living in this city is dealing with traffic. Like many cities the growth has exceeded the city’s traffic infrastructure. We’ve heard that somewhere between 300 and 800 new cars are added to the traffic every day. In a city that has seen it’s population increase from 2 million to 11 million in just ten years traffic is only one of the many problems being dealt with by the people. From what we understand the growth will continue for some time to come.
We’re looking forward to traveling to Beijing next week. We’ve been warned that during the three day holiday there will be thousands of people traveling at the same time because it’s a 3 day national holiday. We’re hoping to see the Great Wall, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Also, we’re hoping to connect with some friends that are living there. We’ll post the results of our trip when we’re able.
A pleasant surprise happened this week at the local fruit market. As we were wondering about the three different prices on the pineapple a young lady interrupted us, and, in excellent English explained what the differences in the pineapple were. We decided to buy one and were bringing it to the cashier when a man working in the store indicated we were to give it to him. He took a cleaver and a special knife, faster than we could imagine he had the pineapple peeled and ready for consumption. Check out the picture.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Meet me at the 'Gate'
It’s been quite a week of new beginnings for us. After almost three months of preparation which included the writing of a curriculum, transferring that curriculum to Power Point Presentations, having the presentations translated into Chinese, and reviewing and revising the presentations after translations, Steve finally is teaching the students in our program. Each morning from 9;00 A.M. until about noon he’s been busy teaching.
It’s been interesting to learn a new style of teaching. Whatever is said has to be translated from English to Chinese and from Chinese to English. The busiest person in the room is the translator, Mike, who needs to carefully listen to all of the conversations. Steve, on the other hand, is able to focus on what he’s going to say next. The students laugh often and are learning to participate more often. Steve’s teaching style is a bit different than what they are accustomed to, but, in a couple of weeks they’ll be adjusted, hopefully Steve will be able to keep up with them.
Kathy has begun teaching English to the managers and chef at the restaurant we work with. A bus ride downtown and a walk through the outdoor mall and she and her partner, Crissa, are at the restaurant. The restaurant is located on a quiet alley off the mall. Thousands of people frequent the mall daily, but, the walkway where the restaurant is situated is a quiet retreat. We’ll post some pictures so you get the idea. A ‘perk’ of teaching the chef is that he likes to feed people. Waffles were served on Wednesday along with the offer of free coffee or soft drinks. Since Steve didn’t have to teach on Friday the offer of free coffee brought him along to the restaurant. The chef made waffles, pancakes and special recipe orange juice. All of that with the excellent coffee made the bus ride worth it. The orange juice was served hot with a tiny bit of salt added. It tastes a lot better than it sounds. Because Steve mentioned that he enjoyed the dumplings that were served at the Spring Festival party held at the restaurant we’re guessing that next week Friday that’s what we’ll be served.
We’re off this afternoon to make plans for a trip to the Great Wall during the early May holiday and also a required trip out of the country at the end of May. (Later that day), with our plans now completed we’re looking forward to a couple of days in Beijing and at the end of May visiting both Singapore and Malaysia. We’re not sure about cost but, we were advised that the bank would charge 4% if we used our Visa card. Off we went to our friendly ATM to get some cash. To our consternation the ATM would give us no money, in fact we got a message that our account had nothing it at all. Since we had checked the balance earlier in the day via the internet and knew that there was plenty available, we were put into a bit of a panic. Two days later all is well. Apparently this kind of think happens occasionally and is no great cause for panic.
Friday night we ate at a small open air restaurant in a back alley with one of our Chinese staff. Sweet and sour chicken, tomatoes cooked with eggs, and cooked spinach along with all the rice you could eat. It was delicious and more than we could eat. Total bill for the three of us, about $4.00 US, less than the local Starbucks charges for a latte.
On Saturday we followed our usual routine of calling home using Skype, doing the laundry, cleaning the apartment and shopping. After doing the chores, we rode a bus downtown and explored in a direction we hadn’t gone before. We returned to our apartment to meet our neighbor at 4:00 P.M. in order to go out for some Chinese food. His text message had said he would meet us at the gate. Being typical foreigners, we were there 5 minutes early. We waited, we waited and finally thought, “Maybe the gate we’re supposed to be meeting at isn’t outside, but, the ‘gate’ is actually our door.” Sure enough there was our friend waiting at our apartment door.
He told us that we going to visit a tourist spot followed by a trip downtown to have Peking Duck. At the tourist spot we could not get by the food court. “You have to try this, very delicious”, he would say, and we would try them. One of the delicacies was “Three Bang Bombs” , a sort of rolled up rice dough that is covered with brown sugar. The name comes from the process of making the rice ball. After the rice ball is rolled in the sugar the cook bounces the ball off a large metal circle making a sort of drum sound, the ball bounces off the circle into the cooking material. Don’t ask what the rice was cooked in, we didn’t and we’re not sure we want to know. We were thinking that if we keep on eating at this place we won’t be hungry for the duck. However, we enjoyed the duck which was served sliced on a platter. To eat the duck you’d take a slice, put it on a crepe like pancake along with some sauce and vegetables, roll it up and pop it in your mouth. We had an interesting time learning more about the culture from our friend as we ate “real Chinese food”.
It’s been interesting to learn a new style of teaching. Whatever is said has to be translated from English to Chinese and from Chinese to English. The busiest person in the room is the translator, Mike, who needs to carefully listen to all of the conversations. Steve, on the other hand, is able to focus on what he’s going to say next. The students laugh often and are learning to participate more often. Steve’s teaching style is a bit different than what they are accustomed to, but, in a couple of weeks they’ll be adjusted, hopefully Steve will be able to keep up with them.
Kathy has begun teaching English to the managers and chef at the restaurant we work with. A bus ride downtown and a walk through the outdoor mall and she and her partner, Crissa, are at the restaurant. The restaurant is located on a quiet alley off the mall. Thousands of people frequent the mall daily, but, the walkway where the restaurant is situated is a quiet retreat. We’ll post some pictures so you get the idea. A ‘perk’ of teaching the chef is that he likes to feed people. Waffles were served on Wednesday along with the offer of free coffee or soft drinks. Since Steve didn’t have to teach on Friday the offer of free coffee brought him along to the restaurant. The chef made waffles, pancakes and special recipe orange juice. All of that with the excellent coffee made the bus ride worth it. The orange juice was served hot with a tiny bit of salt added. It tastes a lot better than it sounds. Because Steve mentioned that he enjoyed the dumplings that were served at the Spring Festival party held at the restaurant we’re guessing that next week Friday that’s what we’ll be served.
We’re off this afternoon to make plans for a trip to the Great Wall during the early May holiday and also a required trip out of the country at the end of May. (Later that day), with our plans now completed we’re looking forward to a couple of days in Beijing and at the end of May visiting both Singapore and Malaysia. We’re not sure about cost but, we were advised that the bank would charge 4% if we used our Visa card. Off we went to our friendly ATM to get some cash. To our consternation the ATM would give us no money, in fact we got a message that our account had nothing it at all. Since we had checked the balance earlier in the day via the internet and knew that there was plenty available, we were put into a bit of a panic. Two days later all is well. Apparently this kind of think happens occasionally and is no great cause for panic.
Friday night we ate at a small open air restaurant in a back alley with one of our Chinese staff. Sweet and sour chicken, tomatoes cooked with eggs, and cooked spinach along with all the rice you could eat. It was delicious and more than we could eat. Total bill for the three of us, about $4.00 US, less than the local Starbucks charges for a latte.
On Saturday we followed our usual routine of calling home using Skype, doing the laundry, cleaning the apartment and shopping. After doing the chores, we rode a bus downtown and explored in a direction we hadn’t gone before. We returned to our apartment to meet our neighbor at 4:00 P.M. in order to go out for some Chinese food. His text message had said he would meet us at the gate. Being typical foreigners, we were there 5 minutes early. We waited, we waited and finally thought, “Maybe the gate we’re supposed to be meeting at isn’t outside, but, the ‘gate’ is actually our door.” Sure enough there was our friend waiting at our apartment door.
He told us that we going to visit a tourist spot followed by a trip downtown to have Peking Duck. At the tourist spot we could not get by the food court. “You have to try this, very delicious”, he would say, and we would try them. One of the delicacies was “Three Bang Bombs” , a sort of rolled up rice dough that is covered with brown sugar. The name comes from the process of making the rice ball. After the rice ball is rolled in the sugar the cook bounces the ball off a large metal circle making a sort of drum sound, the ball bounces off the circle into the cooking material. Don’t ask what the rice was cooked in, we didn’t and we’re not sure we want to know. We were thinking that if we keep on eating at this place we won’t be hungry for the duck. However, we enjoyed the duck which was served sliced on a platter. To eat the duck you’d take a slice, put it on a crepe like pancake along with some sauce and vegetables, roll it up and pop it in your mouth. We had an interesting time learning more about the culture from our friend as we ate “real Chinese food”.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
You have to appreciate a culture’s rules when they are written the way they often are here. As we were traveling on the bus from teaching we were able to see the “rules” posted near the exit door. The English translation for ‘No Smoking’ was my favorite. It reads, “Cherish the hygiene on the bus. No Smoking”. What a pleasant way to state a rule. It made me think of a road sign we saw last spring in Missouri, “Drive Friendly”, a request that could definitely be of use in this city.
An unexpected day off on Friday due to a national holiday to honor the dead allowed us to check out a bus route Kathy will be using next week as she travels to the restaurant we’re associated with to teach English. Hopefully I, (Steve), will be able to join her on Friday mornings, not for the teaching particularly, but as a chance to work in a different location and also enjoy a great cup of coffee. Next week marks the beginning of my teaching the trainees in our program. After working on the curriculum for the past couple of months I’m anxious to see how it all works out.
We walked to a new mall on Friday evening to eat at the first ‘Papa John’s’ pizza restaurant in town. The first two floors of the mall were primarily clothing stores with international designer clothes that were far beyond our price range. The top floor was all restaurants that were very busy. Papa John’s was so busy that there was a long waiting list. However, all was not lost, as there was also a Dairy Queen in the mall and we enjoyed a pre-dinner dessert, (shouldn’t desserts always be first?). As the DQ is in China we could have opted for the Green or Black Tea Blizzards, but chose the Georgia-Mud instead.
On Saturday our neighbor asked us if we would like to be introduced to some of the town. We agreed and had a wonderful time. He and his wife “introduced” us to shopping places, parks, government buildings, and a local smoothie restaurant. The number of new buildings and the unique architecture was one impression from that journey. Another was the wonderful warmth and kindness of the people.
One of our responsibilities is to meet with our group of trainees once a week. During that time Kathy meets with the 5 girls and I meet with the 4 boys. With the help of an interpreter we try to get an understanding of how things are going, what problems they are having and what we can do to help them. We’re kind of feeling like “Mom and Pop” with this group of 18-32 year olds who are far away from their homes. One of the young men shared with me that he had worked in a restaurant for 16 months and had some experience. Upon questioning it turned out that he had worked 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, (no time off), for the equivalent of 28 cents an hour. One wonders how he feels working in a city where Audis, Mercedes, and BMW’s are common place and it’s not unusual to spot Maseratis, Porsches, Bentley’s and an occasional Rolls Royce.
An unexpected day off on Friday due to a national holiday to honor the dead allowed us to check out a bus route Kathy will be using next week as she travels to the restaurant we’re associated with to teach English. Hopefully I, (Steve), will be able to join her on Friday mornings, not for the teaching particularly, but as a chance to work in a different location and also enjoy a great cup of coffee. Next week marks the beginning of my teaching the trainees in our program. After working on the curriculum for the past couple of months I’m anxious to see how it all works out.
We walked to a new mall on Friday evening to eat at the first ‘Papa John’s’ pizza restaurant in town. The first two floors of the mall were primarily clothing stores with international designer clothes that were far beyond our price range. The top floor was all restaurants that were very busy. Papa John’s was so busy that there was a long waiting list. However, all was not lost, as there was also a Dairy Queen in the mall and we enjoyed a pre-dinner dessert, (shouldn’t desserts always be first?). As the DQ is in China we could have opted for the Green or Black Tea Blizzards, but chose the Georgia-Mud instead.
On Saturday our neighbor asked us if we would like to be introduced to some of the town. We agreed and had a wonderful time. He and his wife “introduced” us to shopping places, parks, government buildings, and a local smoothie restaurant. The number of new buildings and the unique architecture was one impression from that journey. Another was the wonderful warmth and kindness of the people.
One of our responsibilities is to meet with our group of trainees once a week. During that time Kathy meets with the 5 girls and I meet with the 4 boys. With the help of an interpreter we try to get an understanding of how things are going, what problems they are having and what we can do to help them. We’re kind of feeling like “Mom and Pop” with this group of 18-32 year olds who are far away from their homes. One of the young men shared with me that he had worked in a restaurant for 16 months and had some experience. Upon questioning it turned out that he had worked 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, (no time off), for the equivalent of 28 cents an hour. One wonders how he feels working in a city where Audis, Mercedes, and BMW’s are common place and it’s not unusual to spot Maseratis, Porsches, Bentley’s and an occasional Rolls Royce.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Hong Kong
Getting up at 4:30 in the morning to get to the airport on time to fly to Hong Kong was not the best of experiences. We made it in plenty of time and off we flew to Shenzhen, a Chinese city near the border. After landing we purchased tickets for a bus ride across the border.
First stop was at the Chinese border where our passports were checked after which we got back on the bus and traveled to the New Territories checkpoint where once again our travel documents were checked. Back on the bus again we traveled to a train station where we got on a taxi which took us to our destination. We stayed at a compound in a small village about 30 minutes from Hong Kong. Most of the houses could only be reached by walking as the pathways were, at best, 4 feet wide. The nearest city was about a mile away. It was very quiet, quaint and peaceful. After living in a city of 11 million for the past couple of months we really appreciated the quiet.
The four of us who were traveling together staying in a second floor apartment which was sparsely furnished, but, adequate and besides who complains at $10 a night? The bathroom left a bit to be desired. Smaller than most half-baths you’re familiar it was also the shower room. As you showered the sink, the commode and most anything else in the room got wet which made getting dried off and cleaning up the room afterward quite a challenge. Interestingly enough, the shower water drained through the floor, through the exterior wall and down on the sidewalk below. In addition to the joy of the small bathroom the only beds were narrow bunk beds which had mattresses that had been made in the Stone Age and over the years had become fossilized. We also are still bearing the scars of the several insects that looked upon us as an unusual food opportunity, (I felt like part of the menu in a foreign restaurant for bugs).
The first afternoon we did not have time to visit Hong Kong so we went to a small satellite town nearby of about 250,000 people. One of the first things we noticed was that the drivers in this town had great respect for pedestrians. This was refreshing as there is no such concept in Chengdu. In Chengdu you cross a street with great caution, looking in all directions and constantly expecting the unexpected, consequently a city where walkers were safe was great. However there was still a big problem in crossing the streets. The cars, buses, trucks, and bicyclist all travel on the left hand side of the road, (Think British influence here). We’d get ready to cross, look to the left to see if any vehicles were coming and, whoosh, sure enough they were coming , but, from the right, how uncivilized … After a few close calls we got used to it.
Traveling to Hong Kong from the compound was another experience. We went back to the train station, bought an “Octopus” pass , kind of a pre-paid credit card which would allow us to ride trains, buses, and ferries while in Hong Kong, and off we went. A 25 minute train ride and we were in Hong Kong. The train/subway terminals were modern, clean, large and not unlike many airports. You could shop, eat and travel without ever leaving the train system.
We met a friend at a coffee shop and went out for hamburgs at a Canadian place called “Triple-O’s”, I think. Those of you who know me are aware that this is as far as I needed to go. Life was good, I was content, (they even had Heinz Ketchup), and I needed no more. Later we even found a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop! Of course, being in Hong Kong, it was not to be that I would spend my day rotating between lattes, burgers, and doughnuts, as there were significant areas of shopping that needed to be conquered by the 3 ladies that were with me.
Those of you who have been to this area of the world will understand the terminology, “Squatty Pottie”. A device not designed for those of use with weak knees and weary muscles. We found in many bathrooms there was one stall labeled, “For The Weak”, which contained equipment that was more to our liking. It’s amazing how quickly you can lose your strength in certain situations.
Kathy and I went for many walks around the small village we were staying in. One night we decided to explore a road that led out of the village. We walked about 100 yards and were feeling a bit insecure and alone. It was one of those dark, quiet spots that just didn’t seem right. We turned around and walked towards the village. About halfway back we noticed a large group of people turning into the same road coming toward us. Now we were really wondering. That is until we approached closer and saw one man holding a flag in the air, leading what turned out to be about 150 people into the ‘unsafe’ place we had just left. Turned out there was some kind of tourist spot down the road and this was a group of local tourists making a visit. I’m sure they wondered about the two foreigners.
The return trip was uneventful. The border crossing back into China was easier than almost any border crossing we’ve made. The return to our temporary home was great.
First stop was at the Chinese border where our passports were checked after which we got back on the bus and traveled to the New Territories checkpoint where once again our travel documents were checked. Back on the bus again we traveled to a train station where we got on a taxi which took us to our destination. We stayed at a compound in a small village about 30 minutes from Hong Kong. Most of the houses could only be reached by walking as the pathways were, at best, 4 feet wide. The nearest city was about a mile away. It was very quiet, quaint and peaceful. After living in a city of 11 million for the past couple of months we really appreciated the quiet.
The four of us who were traveling together staying in a second floor apartment which was sparsely furnished, but, adequate and besides who complains at $10 a night? The bathroom left a bit to be desired. Smaller than most half-baths you’re familiar it was also the shower room. As you showered the sink, the commode and most anything else in the room got wet which made getting dried off and cleaning up the room afterward quite a challenge. Interestingly enough, the shower water drained through the floor, through the exterior wall and down on the sidewalk below. In addition to the joy of the small bathroom the only beds were narrow bunk beds which had mattresses that had been made in the Stone Age and over the years had become fossilized. We also are still bearing the scars of the several insects that looked upon us as an unusual food opportunity, (I felt like part of the menu in a foreign restaurant for bugs).
The first afternoon we did not have time to visit Hong Kong so we went to a small satellite town nearby of about 250,000 people. One of the first things we noticed was that the drivers in this town had great respect for pedestrians. This was refreshing as there is no such concept in Chengdu. In Chengdu you cross a street with great caution, looking in all directions and constantly expecting the unexpected, consequently a city where walkers were safe was great. However there was still a big problem in crossing the streets. The cars, buses, trucks, and bicyclist all travel on the left hand side of the road, (Think British influence here). We’d get ready to cross, look to the left to see if any vehicles were coming and, whoosh, sure enough they were coming , but, from the right, how uncivilized … After a few close calls we got used to it.
Traveling to Hong Kong from the compound was another experience. We went back to the train station, bought an “Octopus” pass , kind of a pre-paid credit card which would allow us to ride trains, buses, and ferries while in Hong Kong, and off we went. A 25 minute train ride and we were in Hong Kong. The train/subway terminals were modern, clean, large and not unlike many airports. You could shop, eat and travel without ever leaving the train system.
We met a friend at a coffee shop and went out for hamburgs at a Canadian place called “Triple-O’s”, I think. Those of you who know me are aware that this is as far as I needed to go. Life was good, I was content, (they even had Heinz Ketchup), and I needed no more. Later we even found a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop! Of course, being in Hong Kong, it was not to be that I would spend my day rotating between lattes, burgers, and doughnuts, as there were significant areas of shopping that needed to be conquered by the 3 ladies that were with me.
Those of you who have been to this area of the world will understand the terminology, “Squatty Pottie”. A device not designed for those of use with weak knees and weary muscles. We found in many bathrooms there was one stall labeled, “For The Weak”, which contained equipment that was more to our liking. It’s amazing how quickly you can lose your strength in certain situations.
Kathy and I went for many walks around the small village we were staying in. One night we decided to explore a road that led out of the village. We walked about 100 yards and were feeling a bit insecure and alone. It was one of those dark, quiet spots that just didn’t seem right. We turned around and walked towards the village. About halfway back we noticed a large group of people turning into the same road coming toward us. Now we were really wondering. That is until we approached closer and saw one man holding a flag in the air, leading what turned out to be about 150 people into the ‘unsafe’ place we had just left. Turned out there was some kind of tourist spot down the road and this was a group of local tourists making a visit. I’m sure they wondered about the two foreigners.
The return trip was uneventful. The border crossing back into China was easier than almost any border crossing we’ve made. The return to our temporary home was great.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Du Fu's Thatched Cottage
If you research tourism in Chengdu you'll see that Du Fu's Thatched Cottage is featured. Saturday we took the bus to an intersection near the site and walked until we found the gate. We'd been told the park was free ... not so ... it was about $8 US each. What a great experience for a couple of reasons. First, it was the most peaceful spot we've visited since we arrived. The park had many quiet and secluded walks and benches as well as streams and a small lake. Visiting his cottage as well as many buildings that featured the history of Tang dynasty poetry was informative. Spring flowers were everywhere and it was the first really warm day of the year. Our students have great knowledge of the Tang Dynasty poets and appreciate our efforts to gain understanding.
Of course someone with a beard got on the wrong bus headed home. Fortunately we didn't get too far away before we realized something was amiss. With our Dutch background the biggest problem was having to pay the extra fare.
We're headed for HongKong in two days. We'll fly to a city in China. Get on a bus for a two hour ride to the border, go through immigration and be in Hong Kong. Another hour bus ride will actually get us to our final destination. Everyone we've talked to has told us that Hong Kong is a wonderful place to visit. We'll post a report when we return.
Of course someone with a beard got on the wrong bus headed home. Fortunately we didn't get too far away before we realized something was amiss. With our Dutch background the biggest problem was having to pay the extra fare.
We're headed for HongKong in two days. We'll fly to a city in China. Get on a bus for a two hour ride to the border, go through immigration and be in Hong Kong. Another hour bus ride will actually get us to our final destination. Everyone we've talked to has told us that Hong Kong is a wonderful place to visit. We'll post a report when we return.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
March Madness
I just realized we're missing all of the 'hype' about the FINAL FOUR. Admittedly I enjoy the games, but, all of the analysis and 'hoopla' is overdone. The last few nights we've watched a contest program that features choral groups. After a performance the groups are rated and eventually a winner is announced. The quality of the performances is equal to the finest you'd hear anywhere.
We're hoping to visit a couple of tourist spots this weekend which are a bit further away then we've traveled. We plan to use the bus system, our trusty Chinese/English dictionary, and a map to find our way around. In the meantime we're busy at the office working on English and character lessons and enjoying one full week of not feeling cold!
We're hoping to visit a couple of tourist spots this weekend which are a bit further away then we've traveled. We plan to use the bus system, our trusty Chinese/English dictionary, and a map to find our way around. In the meantime we're busy at the office working on English and character lessons and enjoying one full week of not feeling cold!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Adventure In Utility Bills
Now, with a trip to Hong Kong in the works, we hear that the schools there have been closed for two weeks because of a flu that has been the cause of 3 children’s deaths. This is not what we were expecting to hear. Hopefully there will be no problems. We will probably have to make a similar trip at the end of May if we haven’t received our work visa by that time.
Last night we went to Pizza Hut for the first time. Although we enjoyed it, we’ll probably not return. The pizza was good but twice the price we’d pay at most other restaurants in our area. Interestingly enough they were having an Arabian food promotion. The waitresses were wearing accessories with an Arabian motif and there were several Arabian style items on a featured menu. So here we are in China, in a USA chain restaurant, being served by Chinese waitresses in a sort of Arabian costume, eating a food that originated in Italy but has been changed to meet the Asian taste. To cap it off we went to the Swedish furniture store, IKEA, for a 15 cent ice cream cone. Of course, this morning we shopped at Carrefour, a French store similar to Walmart.
This morning we also went through the adventure of paying our monthly utility and apartment fees, an adventure because no one in the office speaks English and we weren’t sure what to expect. We went to the office prepared with the readings from our gas and water meters, (the electrical meter’s location is a mystery). We also brought along our trusty Chinese/English dictionary, a calculator and what we hoped would be the proper attitude. Both the secretary and the maintenance man were behind the desk when we arrived. After a few minutes of trying to figure things out the secretary finally wrote some numbers on a couple of receipts and showed us the total. We were expecting something in the range of $100US and were pleasantly surprised that the total was about $27US. Since we had used our electric space heater a lot during the past month we’re feeling pretty good about what the cost of living is going to be for us. Also were able to arrange getting a key to access our mailbox. We weren’t expecting any mail but could see that the box was full and felt we should empty it out. The secretary called our friend Charley and explained the problem. Charley called the landlord and called back to the secretary. An hour later the guard at the entrance to our complex waved us over as we walked by and gave us the key. As I’m writing this Kathy is going through the mail and finding that life here isn’t much different than back in the states. Advertisement after advertisement and it even looks like there might be a credit card offer.
It’s raining today but it’s warm enough for us to enjoy walking. We’re planning on walking to Sabrina’s, an import shop, and look for something easier to spread on bread than the butter we’ve been buying, (a New Zealand product). We’ll also head for the university book store looking for a guide to the bus routes of the city. If it keeps raining we’ll probably go to a coffee shop somewhere with a good book to read.
Last night we went to Pizza Hut for the first time. Although we enjoyed it, we’ll probably not return. The pizza was good but twice the price we’d pay at most other restaurants in our area. Interestingly enough they were having an Arabian food promotion. The waitresses were wearing accessories with an Arabian motif and there were several Arabian style items on a featured menu. So here we are in China, in a USA chain restaurant, being served by Chinese waitresses in a sort of Arabian costume, eating a food that originated in Italy but has been changed to meet the Asian taste. To cap it off we went to the Swedish furniture store, IKEA, for a 15 cent ice cream cone. Of course, this morning we shopped at Carrefour, a French store similar to Walmart.
This morning we also went through the adventure of paying our monthly utility and apartment fees, an adventure because no one in the office speaks English and we weren’t sure what to expect. We went to the office prepared with the readings from our gas and water meters, (the electrical meter’s location is a mystery). We also brought along our trusty Chinese/English dictionary, a calculator and what we hoped would be the proper attitude. Both the secretary and the maintenance man were behind the desk when we arrived. After a few minutes of trying to figure things out the secretary finally wrote some numbers on a couple of receipts and showed us the total. We were expecting something in the range of $100US and were pleasantly surprised that the total was about $27US. Since we had used our electric space heater a lot during the past month we’re feeling pretty good about what the cost of living is going to be for us. Also were able to arrange getting a key to access our mailbox. We weren’t expecting any mail but could see that the box was full and felt we should empty it out. The secretary called our friend Charley and explained the problem. Charley called the landlord and called back to the secretary. An hour later the guard at the entrance to our complex waved us over as we walked by and gave us the key. As I’m writing this Kathy is going through the mail and finding that life here isn’t much different than back in the states. Advertisement after advertisement and it even looks like there might be a credit card offer.
It’s raining today but it’s warm enough for us to enjoy walking. We’re planning on walking to Sabrina’s, an import shop, and look for something easier to spread on bread than the butter we’ve been buying, (a New Zealand product). We’ll also head for the university book store looking for a guide to the bus routes of the city. If it keeps raining we’ll probably go to a coffee shop somewhere with a good book to read.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Confession
Okay, a little confession to make here, the Pennas are becoming regulars at the local McDonald’s. Often during our lunch break we’ll walk the few blocks to the landmark Golden Arches where we will get a coffee and a hot chocolate to go. We bring the drinks back to our office and enjoy them as we start our afternoon. Today, when we walked through the door, the girl behind the counter recognized us and immediately poured the coffee and began the machine making the hot chocolate. We didn’t even have to ask. For people who seldom have darkened the door of a McDonald’s for years this is a bit embarrassing.
We were delighted to spend some time over the weekend with Jake and Rain, Chinese friends we met last summer. We were treated to a 5 course Chinese meal , (eating corn with chopsticks is still quite a challenge), and enjoyed great conversation as we renewed our friendship. The bus ride back on a 1 quai bus also gave us a story. (FYI – there are two levels of bus service 1 quai and 2 quai. A quai is worth about 14 cents. The two quai buses are air conditioned in the summer and make fewer stops; the 1 quai buses make more stops and are not air conditioned). Anyhow, we got on the bus and it wasn’t long before a man indicated that people should give up their seats for us. Since we had heard, in Chinese and English, the recorded announcement that they play on buses, “Please give up your seat for the disabled, the pregnant, and the elderly,” we weren’t sure whether we were being honored as foreigners or pitied because of our age. We’ll let you decide.
The change in weather, (it’s spring here), is appreciated. Think May in Michigan and you’ve got a good idea of what’s going on here. The flowers are beginning to bloom and the temperature varies between cool and warm each day. Last night we were able to sit at an outside table at our favorite restaurant, “Peter’s TexMex”, and use our computer to call our grandson and wish him a happy birthday.
In our English teaching we’ll be using a poem by the famous poet Du Fu about spring to encourage discussion. Almost everyone in this country has considerable knowledge about the poets from the Tang dynasty and are often able to recite many from memory. It’s a great source of discussion in our office to bring up one of Du Fu’s poems. One of his poems, “Welcome Rain on a Spring Night” was written in Chengdu, the Brocade city. You can find it on the internet.
It looks like we’ll be making a trip to Hong Kong at the end of the month due to a problem with our work documentation. Currently we are allowed to remain in the country 60 days after our entry date. Leaving and returning will give us another 60 days. We may have to leave again at the end of June if the papers are not forthcoming. We hadn’t planned on this but will enjoy it anyhow.
We were delighted to spend some time over the weekend with Jake and Rain, Chinese friends we met last summer. We were treated to a 5 course Chinese meal , (eating corn with chopsticks is still quite a challenge), and enjoyed great conversation as we renewed our friendship. The bus ride back on a 1 quai bus also gave us a story. (FYI – there are two levels of bus service 1 quai and 2 quai. A quai is worth about 14 cents. The two quai buses are air conditioned in the summer and make fewer stops; the 1 quai buses make more stops and are not air conditioned). Anyhow, we got on the bus and it wasn’t long before a man indicated that people should give up their seats for us. Since we had heard, in Chinese and English, the recorded announcement that they play on buses, “Please give up your seat for the disabled, the pregnant, and the elderly,” we weren’t sure whether we were being honored as foreigners or pitied because of our age. We’ll let you decide.
The change in weather, (it’s spring here), is appreciated. Think May in Michigan and you’ve got a good idea of what’s going on here. The flowers are beginning to bloom and the temperature varies between cool and warm each day. Last night we were able to sit at an outside table at our favorite restaurant, “Peter’s TexMex”, and use our computer to call our grandson and wish him a happy birthday.
In our English teaching we’ll be using a poem by the famous poet Du Fu about spring to encourage discussion. Almost everyone in this country has considerable knowledge about the poets from the Tang dynasty and are often able to recite many from memory. It’s a great source of discussion in our office to bring up one of Du Fu’s poems. One of his poems, “Welcome Rain on a Spring Night” was written in Chengdu, the Brocade city. You can find it on the internet.
It looks like we’ll be making a trip to Hong Kong at the end of the month due to a problem with our work documentation. Currently we are allowed to remain in the country 60 days after our entry date. Leaving and returning will give us another 60 days. We may have to leave again at the end of June if the papers are not forthcoming. We hadn’t planned on this but will enjoy it anyhow.
Monday, March 3, 2008
English Lessons
What an experience! Last night we went to Sichuan University to take part in English conversation with students. We didn’t know what to expect. When we arrived at the location, a large open area in front of a sports arena, we sat down on the edge of a large sort of platform. Within minutes we both had a few students conversing with us. The questions began to fly. Within a few more minutes both of us had a dozen or more students listening to us. We talked about everything from evolution to marriage, sports team to politics, and food to pollution problems. Two hours quickly went by. This was one of our most exciting evenings so far. We’re looking forward to going again this coming Friday.
During the weekend we walked to the IKEA store twice, once on Saturday and again on Sunday. Each time we walk there we try to find some new streets to follow. This time we walked along what’s called the Third Ring Road which is an expressway that circles the entire city. The number of new buildings going up on the south side of the city is impressive. No matter where we looked we saw sky-cranes being used to build apartment buildings. An interesting aspect of the construction industry is that the workers often live in a barracks type building right on the site. Many of the laborers are from the country to work.
Yesterday we began teaching English for a large Petrochemical company. Our students were engineers and research chemists who are trying to improve their English skills in order to be able to communicate with the many foreign customers who visit their company. On our first day on the job we probably learned more than they did as we weren’t quite certain what to expect. Working at this company will also force us to get used to the bus routes. A taxi costs about $5.oo for a one way trip, a bus costs about 15 cents. Of course riding in a taxi is more direct and comfortable, but, the round trip cost is quite different.
A recent noon hour exploration through the neighborhood around our office led us to a narrow street we hadn’t been on before. One of the restaurants along the street had large jars in the window filled with something. Being curious we walked up and checked them out. The jars are filled with snakes being soaked in some solution. Those of you who know Steve will probably understand why this restaurant will not be high on our list of ‘’can’t miss’’ opportunities. We are very grateful for the number of restaurants we’re finding that serve food we’re familiar with.
During the weekend we walked to the IKEA store twice, once on Saturday and again on Sunday. Each time we walk there we try to find some new streets to follow. This time we walked along what’s called the Third Ring Road which is an expressway that circles the entire city. The number of new buildings going up on the south side of the city is impressive. No matter where we looked we saw sky-cranes being used to build apartment buildings. An interesting aspect of the construction industry is that the workers often live in a barracks type building right on the site. Many of the laborers are from the country to work.
Yesterday we began teaching English for a large Petrochemical company. Our students were engineers and research chemists who are trying to improve their English skills in order to be able to communicate with the many foreign customers who visit their company. On our first day on the job we probably learned more than they did as we weren’t quite certain what to expect. Working at this company will also force us to get used to the bus routes. A taxi costs about $5.oo for a one way trip, a bus costs about 15 cents. Of course riding in a taxi is more direct and comfortable, but, the round trip cost is quite different.
A recent noon hour exploration through the neighborhood around our office led us to a narrow street we hadn’t been on before. One of the restaurants along the street had large jars in the window filled with something. Being curious we walked up and checked them out. The jars are filled with snakes being soaked in some solution. Those of you who know Steve will probably understand why this restaurant will not be high on our list of ‘’can’t miss’’ opportunities. We are very grateful for the number of restaurants we’re finding that serve food we’re familiar with.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Warmer Days
Today was the first day we really felt warm outside in the sunshine. As we walked from the hospital after picking up our official Health Examination Records we took off our coats because we were too warm. Hurry Spring!
Today, if all goes well, I’ll post a picture of another sign which. This one is from a restaurant nearby. In the meantime, here’s the explanation of “Deposit the Beard Know”. Apparently the symbol for beard also is the symbol for belongings or items. The sign might better be interpreted, “What you need to know , or, here are the rules, if you want to deposit your items while you are shopping.”
The translator has been working on interpreting the presentations we’re working on. It’s amazing how fast he works and pretty cool to see what we’ve written transformed into Chinese characters. Our training schedule has been postponed a week which is a bit disappointing because we’re anxious to begin that part of our work.
Today, if all goes well, I’ll post a picture of another sign which. This one is from a restaurant nearby. In the meantime, here’s the explanation of “Deposit the Beard Know”. Apparently the symbol for beard also is the symbol for belongings or items. The sign might better be interpreted, “What you need to know , or, here are the rules, if you want to deposit your items while you are shopping.”
The translator has been working on interpreting the presentations we’re working on. It’s amazing how fast he works and pretty cool to see what we’ve written transformed into Chinese characters. Our training schedule has been postponed a week which is a bit disappointing because we’re anxious to begin that part of our work.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
What Size Was That?
How about a new experience in shopping for Kathy? We decided it might be practical to shop for a dark colored winter coat that wouldn’t show the dirt as much as her light colored one. Since they are going on clearance in town it seemed like a pretty good idea. We found a style that she liked and thinking that sizes run a bit different here Kathy decided to try on a large, (those of you who know Kathy might be wondering about now). No go with the large so she decided to go for broke and tried on a 2XL. You probably guessed it, the 2XL was also too small. Later at another store we were delighted to find a 3XL, delighted that is until Kathy tried it on … too small. She’s decided maybe we’ll get the coat cleaned as soon as it warms up and she no longer needs it.
After teaching writing for the last 35 years Steve is actually applying some of the skills that he tried to impart to his students. Most of the last week and a half were spent writing Power Point presentations that will be used with the class of students we’ll be working with for the next several months. The company we’re working with trains people to work in the hospitality industry in a combination classroom and work experience. What Steve is working on is the development of a curriculum that can be used by other presenters in the future. As the presentations are completed they will be translated into Chinese. We’re looking forward to what the final product will look like. Most likely the majority of Steve’s time will be spent on curriculum development and presenting.
Kathy has been very busy working on English lessons to use in several settings. She and her partner, Crissa, will be teaching English to the restaurant staff we’re associated with, to a group of managers from a local industry, and to the students that are going through the hospitality training. Both of us are looking forward to the time when we actually start working with students.
Saturday gave us another adventurous day. Of course, Saturdays start with a walk to Peter’s for coffee and cinnamon rolls and a chance to talk to our family back in the states using Skype. It’s really great to be able to see and talk to them and the cinnamon rolls would be a favorite at any restaurant. We returned to the apartment to give it a Saturday cleaning which doesn’t take long when you live in an efficiency apartment. After that it was off to uncharted territory.
We’d seen a map that showed an IKEA store was just a few miles from where we live. With a general idea of where it was, a map copied from their website stored on my Palm, off we went. It took quite awhile to get there but we sure enjoyed walking through the store which wasn’t much different from the IKEAs in the states. Of course we had to eat Swedish meatballs with French fries in the cafeteria, the busiest spot in the store. After IKEA we went to Decathlon, a large chain sporting goods store. This was followed by a visit to a supermarket that was new to us. It was by the far the nicest one of the four we’ve shopped at. Our afternoon walk took us about 4 ½ hours to complete and we’re a bit weary.
This morning, Monday, we went to the hospital for a physical exam we’re required to take if we are living in the country. Thankfully we had an interpreter with us to guide us through the procedures. You’d like to be able to get as complete a physical as we had at the cost. For about $42.00 we got all of the following: blood test; urine analysis; ekg; chest x-ray; ultrasound of intestines; and, eye exam. This was all done in a little over two hours. Not bad!
After teaching writing for the last 35 years Steve is actually applying some of the skills that he tried to impart to his students. Most of the last week and a half were spent writing Power Point presentations that will be used with the class of students we’ll be working with for the next several months. The company we’re working with trains people to work in the hospitality industry in a combination classroom and work experience. What Steve is working on is the development of a curriculum that can be used by other presenters in the future. As the presentations are completed they will be translated into Chinese. We’re looking forward to what the final product will look like. Most likely the majority of Steve’s time will be spent on curriculum development and presenting.
Kathy has been very busy working on English lessons to use in several settings. She and her partner, Crissa, will be teaching English to the restaurant staff we’re associated with, to a group of managers from a local industry, and to the students that are going through the hospitality training. Both of us are looking forward to the time when we actually start working with students.
Saturday gave us another adventurous day. Of course, Saturdays start with a walk to Peter’s for coffee and cinnamon rolls and a chance to talk to our family back in the states using Skype. It’s really great to be able to see and talk to them and the cinnamon rolls would be a favorite at any restaurant. We returned to the apartment to give it a Saturday cleaning which doesn’t take long when you live in an efficiency apartment. After that it was off to uncharted territory.
We’d seen a map that showed an IKEA store was just a few miles from where we live. With a general idea of where it was, a map copied from their website stored on my Palm, off we went. It took quite awhile to get there but we sure enjoyed walking through the store which wasn’t much different from the IKEAs in the states. Of course we had to eat Swedish meatballs with French fries in the cafeteria, the busiest spot in the store. After IKEA we went to Decathlon, a large chain sporting goods store. This was followed by a visit to a supermarket that was new to us. It was by the far the nicest one of the four we’ve shopped at. Our afternoon walk took us about 4 ½ hours to complete and we’re a bit weary.
This morning, Monday, we went to the hospital for a physical exam we’re required to take if we are living in the country. Thankfully we had an interpreter with us to guide us through the procedures. You’d like to be able to get as complete a physical as we had at the cost. For about $42.00 we got all of the following: blood test; urine analysis; ekg; chest x-ray; ultrasound of intestines; and, eye exam. This was all done in a little over two hours. Not bad!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Weather Update
Yesterday was cold, rainy and overcast. Visibility seemed to be about 1/4 mile or less. Working on the 15th floor gives us the possibility of great views when the weather is clear. Not yesterday. We're expecting temperatures in the high 50's by Friday! Believe me we're looking forward to it. A great find at the supermarket was a video set of the first 10 years of Mr. Bean. Since it was cold and unpleasant outside last night we watched the first of 6 discs.
We do have a television but the only English channel consists of mostly documentaries about China and some news. We're learning a lot about China and find it interesting. Several of the American restaurants in our area have lending libraries of books in English. We'd rather be reading than watching television so this is good for us.
We're having a great time getting to know our fellow staff members. There's a lot of laughter and talking all through the day.
We do have a television but the only English channel consists of mostly documentaries about China and some news. We're learning a lot about China and find it interesting. Several of the American restaurants in our area have lending libraries of books in English. We'd rather be reading than watching television so this is good for us.
We're having a great time getting to know our fellow staff members. There's a lot of laughter and talking all through the day.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday
After a few days in the office trying to figure out exactly what it is we’re doing here, (still haven’t got it all nailed down yet, but we’re working on it), it was good to have a Saturday. We rested well last night after a great meal at an Italian restaurant, Casa Mia. Steve’s pizza and Kathy’s lasagna cost a total of about $5.60 US. Not bad considering that Kathy’s lasagna portion was so large that we’ll be able to make another meal out of it. The food situation is much better than we anticipated. While shopping today we found some frozen vegetables that looked like they came from home. A treat today was finding some green seedless grapes that were just the way you’d want them to be.
The mystery sign I mentioned the other day actually reads, “Deposit The Beard Know”. Think about it for awhile and you’ll be no closer to understanding than we were. If I’m able I’ll post a picture of the sign and you’ll be able to figure out from the Chinese characters nearby. We’ll explain the meaning in a later posting.
Our Saturday was spent much like one at home. After a cinnamon roll at Peter’s and talking to our son’s family over the internet we returned to our apartment and did a laundry and cleaned. We are really appreciating the smallness of our living quarters, especially when it’s time to clean the floors.
Here area few things we’ve observed. The escalators that serve the first three floors of the building we live in only start running when you approach them. As soon as you’re off, they stop. What a great energy saving device. Most restaurants and many offices such as banks and realtors will offer a glass of hot water to drink to their customers. The hot water is appreciated when it’s so cold. Some of our friends who visited their families during New Year’s Festival were happy to return to their city apartments. Apparently many of the homes in the countryside have no heat at all. We’re not sure if we could tolerate it. Finally, we’re getting to use to the traffic. There seems to be no rule about turning right when you have a red light … just keep on coming, don’t even stop. Pedestrians had better be alert because no one is stopping. At the same time bicycles, electric scooters will be coming from either direction. Somehow it all runs smoothly, seemingly like a tapestry being woven.
The mystery sign I mentioned the other day actually reads, “Deposit The Beard Know”. Think about it for awhile and you’ll be no closer to understanding than we were. If I’m able I’ll post a picture of the sign and you’ll be able to figure out from the Chinese characters nearby. We’ll explain the meaning in a later posting.
Our Saturday was spent much like one at home. After a cinnamon roll at Peter’s and talking to our son’s family over the internet we returned to our apartment and did a laundry and cleaned. We are really appreciating the smallness of our living quarters, especially when it’s time to clean the floors.
Here area few things we’ve observed. The escalators that serve the first three floors of the building we live in only start running when you approach them. As soon as you’re off, they stop. What a great energy saving device. Most restaurants and many offices such as banks and realtors will offer a glass of hot water to drink to their customers. The hot water is appreciated when it’s so cold. Some of our friends who visited their families during New Year’s Festival were happy to return to their city apartments. Apparently many of the homes in the countryside have no heat at all. We’re not sure if we could tolerate it. Finally, we’re getting to use to the traffic. There seems to be no rule about turning right when you have a red light … just keep on coming, don’t even stop. Pedestrians had better be alert because no one is stopping. At the same time bicycles, electric scooters will be coming from either direction. Somehow it all runs smoothly, seemingly like a tapestry being woven.
Friday, February 15, 2008
A Taste of Italy
Yesterday seemed to be one of the coldest days we've spent in the office. Our feet were painfully cold. Somehow it doesn't seem quite as bad as when we first got here, perhaps we're getting used to it. Last night we went to an Italian restaurant, Casa Mia and were thrilled with the warmth on the second floor. We actually got down to a couple of layers of clothing instead of our usual 4 or 5. The food, a small pizza for Steve and a huge order of lasagna for Kathy was very good. We'll heat up the remaining lasagna
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Picture Day
Looks like there might be a couple of pictures posted today! I hope you're able to see them.
Valentine's Day wasn't much different here than in the states. Flowers and Candy everywhere. Many vendors were along the streets and offered curbside service. We planned to eat at an Italian restaurant we had heard about but were surprised with a special Valentine's menu which was beyond our budget. Settled for good old baked potatos and sweet peas at our own apartment. Familiar foods are very comforting.
This morning we added several miles to our walk to work because we had to deliver a key to a friend's apartment. We're really enjoying the exercise. This afternoon we're going to visit the US Consulate and get registered as residents of Chengdu. We walked by it yesterday and were impressed with the security. Hope all goes well.
Yesterday I changed some dollars to RMB, (Chinese denomination). I was surprised in the afternoon by a call from the teller. He had forgotten to make a copy of my passport and was wondering if I could return to the bank. The grateful smile on his face was worth the return walk.
Valentine's Day wasn't much different here than in the states. Flowers and Candy everywhere. Many vendors were along the streets and offered curbside service. We planned to eat at an Italian restaurant we had heard about but were surprised with a special Valentine's menu which was beyond our budget. Settled for good old baked potatos and sweet peas at our own apartment. Familiar foods are very comforting.
This morning we added several miles to our walk to work because we had to deliver a key to a friend's apartment. We're really enjoying the exercise. This afternoon we're going to visit the US Consulate and get registered as residents of Chengdu. We walked by it yesterday and were impressed with the security. Hope all goes well.
Yesterday I changed some dollars to RMB, (Chinese denomination). I was surprised in the afternoon by a call from the teller. He had forgotten to make a copy of my passport and was wondering if I could return to the bank. The grateful smile on his face was worth the return walk.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Valentine's Day
Yes, it's celebrated here also. This morning as we walked to work we saw many bicycle/carts loaded with flowers for those husbands who forgot, (kind of like the states, huh?). A big find was a can of imported Hunt's spaghetti sauce. Last night's meal was great. Did you know you can make spaghetti in a microwave rice cooker? Turned out to be delicious.
It's been very cold and damp, but, today we are at the beginning of a warm front which should bring temperatures in the 50's by next week!
We're becoming 'comfortable' living and working here. It's difficult not being able to communicate, but, we're getting along just fine. Kathy, with her gracious smile and loving spirit is a great ambassador, you would enjoy her interaction with young children and their parents. What an adventure!
We're hoping that we'll be able to post a picture or two today.
It's been very cold and damp, but, today we are at the beginning of a warm front which should bring temperatures in the 50's by next week!
We're becoming 'comfortable' living and working here. It's difficult not being able to communicate, but, we're getting along just fine. Kathy, with her gracious smile and loving spirit is a great ambassador, you would enjoy her interaction with young children and their parents. What an adventure!
We're hoping that we'll be able to post a picture or two today.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Springtime?
We're in the midst of the New Year and Springfest holiday. For two weeks most of the country is on vacation. You probably saw the news about all of the snow and the problems it caused for travelers. Fortunately we were spared having to deal with snow ... cold, that's another problem. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of warm. The weather report states that there's a warming trend coming in about a week. Believe me, we will embrace the warmth. Never thought that I'd be wearing long underwear with three other layers all day long. Many stores and offices are not heated so you wear your coat all day long while you work. The only really warm time is in bed, (we bought a heavy comforter to supplement our blankets).
The Chinese Lunar New Year's - Spring Festival is still going on for a few more days. We're still hearing fireworks, but, not throughout the entire night. On New Year's eve the fireworks started early and lasted throughout the night. We didn't get much sleep. Because it's a holiday and most businesses were shut down it was easy for us to move to our apartment because it was easy to catch a taxi. A problem with the holiday is it was difficult to change money to pay the six months rent plus deposit required to rent our apartment. At the seventh bank we tried they told us that we could go to the main office, downtown and they would take care of us. We, along with our friend Charlie, got on a taxi and off we went. When we got to the 8th bank we were told "Yes, we can change your money,but, our computers just crashed." With only an hour to go before we were to meet with our landlord, we were worried. After a quick trip to the WC, thinking this could be fixed, indeed it was, we changed the money and went victoriously to sign the rental contract. Out landlord is a gem. He supplied us with many of the items we needed to cook and eat as well as a microwave and a small automatic water purifier which boils about 2 liters of water at a time.
For those of you who were with us last summer we are settled in about 10 minutes from Peter's TexMex restaurant which is becoming our retreat. It's warm, has food we recognize, (no pig's intestines with peanut sauce here), has wireless access, and most of the waiters speak English. We're posting this from Peter's as we have outstanding cinnamon rolls. Another landmark you'll remember is Carrefour which is about 20 minutes from our apartment.
Our apartment is an efficiency unit similar to a hotel room on steroids. The price and location were right, it's quiet and clean and we've able to get it relatively warm after we finally figured out the controls. When we take a shower the whole bathroom gets wet, a common occurence in this country.
We've found several good shopping places that are similar to Meijer's or Walmart although the meat department isn't even close. From squid to pig's hides, from shrimp to internal things we won't mention, the meat department is interesting to say the least.
Someday we'll post some pictures.
The Chinese Lunar New Year's - Spring Festival is still going on for a few more days. We're still hearing fireworks, but, not throughout the entire night. On New Year's eve the fireworks started early and lasted throughout the night. We didn't get much sleep. Because it's a holiday and most businesses were shut down it was easy for us to move to our apartment because it was easy to catch a taxi. A problem with the holiday is it was difficult to change money to pay the six months rent plus deposit required to rent our apartment. At the seventh bank we tried they told us that we could go to the main office, downtown and they would take care of us. We, along with our friend Charlie, got on a taxi and off we went. When we got to the 8th bank we were told "Yes, we can change your money,but, our computers just crashed." With only an hour to go before we were to meet with our landlord, we were worried. After a quick trip to the WC, thinking this could be fixed, indeed it was, we changed the money and went victoriously to sign the rental contract. Out landlord is a gem. He supplied us with many of the items we needed to cook and eat as well as a microwave and a small automatic water purifier which boils about 2 liters of water at a time.
For those of you who were with us last summer we are settled in about 10 minutes from Peter's TexMex restaurant which is becoming our retreat. It's warm, has food we recognize, (no pig's intestines with peanut sauce here), has wireless access, and most of the waiters speak English. We're posting this from Peter's as we have outstanding cinnamon rolls. Another landmark you'll remember is Carrefour which is about 20 minutes from our apartment.
Our apartment is an efficiency unit similar to a hotel room on steroids. The price and location were right, it's quiet and clean and we've able to get it relatively warm after we finally figured out the controls. When we take a shower the whole bathroom gets wet, a common occurence in this country.
We've found several good shopping places that are similar to Meijer's or Walmart although the meat department isn't even close. From squid to pig's hides, from shrimp to internal things we won't mention, the meat department is interesting to say the least.
Someday we'll post some pictures.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Still Settling In
Surprise! We've made a connection to Prairie Grass!
We're finally over jet lag problems and getting settled in. It looks like we'll be moving in to a 10th floor studio apartment sometime this week. It's small but will suffice for our stay. We're making some great discoveries: Pizza Hut and Subway across the street from where we work. Peter's TexMex Grill about a 10 minute walk from where we plan to live. We've found a couple of large stores that are similar to Walmart that seem to have just about everything we will need.
You've probably heard about all of the snow in China. Fortunately we only experienced record colds, no snow at all. We've been watching the China news stations and are glad that we're not stuck in the middle of all of that. The local people tell us that the government is doing a very good job of responding. Speaking of cold, that's the one thing that we were probably not prepared for. Today is the first day that we're not wearing our coats in the office. We bought a couple of small heaters, one for home and one for the office to blow some heat at our feet.
Tomorrow begins the New Year's celebration. From the amount of fireworks we've already heard it promises to be quite an event. New Year's is followed by the Spring Festival. Many people are going home for two weeks of visiting with family. We'll probably just go to work at the office for something different to do.
We're finally over jet lag problems and getting settled in. It looks like we'll be moving in to a 10th floor studio apartment sometime this week. It's small but will suffice for our stay. We're making some great discoveries: Pizza Hut and Subway across the street from where we work. Peter's TexMex Grill about a 10 minute walk from where we plan to live. We've found a couple of large stores that are similar to Walmart that seem to have just about everything we will need.
You've probably heard about all of the snow in China. Fortunately we only experienced record colds, no snow at all. We've been watching the China news stations and are glad that we're not stuck in the middle of all of that. The local people tell us that the government is doing a very good job of responding. Speaking of cold, that's the one thing that we were probably not prepared for. Today is the first day that we're not wearing our coats in the office. We bought a couple of small heaters, one for home and one for the office to blow some heat at our feet.
Tomorrow begins the New Year's celebration. From the amount of fireworks we've already heard it promises to be quite an event. New Year's is followed by the Spring Festival. Many people are going home for two weeks of visiting with family. We'll probably just go to work at the office for something different to do.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Elephants on the Street
One thing we've been amazed at is the number of opportunities for people to work in China. Whether you're in business or want to work with children there's a place you can work. Something to think about, especially now with the Olympics happening. People from all around the world are coming to work all over the country.
A visit to a restaurant last night was interesting, to say the least. We couldn't decide between the cow stomach or the fish stomach so settled for sweet and sour chicken instead. The lemon juice sounded wonderful, it was ... sort of. Cold, wet and salty, very salty so we chose not to drink it.
As we walked later in the evening we were surprised by an elephant walking along the street carrying his master on his back. Since it was night time the elephant had one of those little red flashing lights you see on the back of bicycles attached to his tail flashing away.
Meeting a young girl, with a fine Dutch name,who lives about 15 miles away from our home in Zeeland was also a special time. We had lunch with her and enjoyed talking about home.
Dead battery on the camera makes it a bit difficult to take pictures. Hopefully we'll be posting some pictures next week, or the next, or the next ...
A visit to a restaurant last night was interesting, to say the least. We couldn't decide between the cow stomach or the fish stomach so settled for sweet and sour chicken instead. The lemon juice sounded wonderful, it was ... sort of. Cold, wet and salty, very salty so we chose not to drink it.
As we walked later in the evening we were surprised by an elephant walking along the street carrying his master on his back. Since it was night time the elephant had one of those little red flashing lights you see on the back of bicycles attached to his tail flashing away.
Meeting a young girl, with a fine Dutch name,who lives about 15 miles away from our home in Zeeland was also a special time. We had lunch with her and enjoyed talking about home.
Dead battery on the camera makes it a bit difficult to take pictures. Hopefully we'll be posting some pictures next week, or the next, or the next ...
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Chaing Mai
After a delayed flight in Chengdu, a night (very short) in a hotel in Bangkok, we finally made it to Chaing Mai for the Family Conference. Kathy calls it the "Land of Warm Feet" because at last our feet are warm. When we get back to Chengdu one of the first things we'll purchase is a small heater to put by our feet when we are home and at work. Hopefully the cold weather will break soon. I just read in an information sheet that spring comes early to Chengdu, tomorrow would be about right for us.
We ate a Thailand Mall food court today. Very interesting. From the Amazing Fish Plate to Fried Rice with Barracuda, from things that we didn't recognize to things that we wouldn't want to eat, it was unique. Not as interesting as the food bazaar outside our hotel last night. The most interesting table of food consisted of plates of deep fried cockroaches, grasshoppers, bees, grubs, beetles and small scorpions. We also passed on that.
We ate a Thailand Mall food court today. Very interesting. From the Amazing Fish Plate to Fried Rice with Barracuda, from things that we didn't recognize to things that we wouldn't want to eat, it was unique. Not as interesting as the food bazaar outside our hotel last night. The most interesting table of food consisted of plates of deep fried cockroaches, grasshoppers, bees, grubs, beetles and small scorpions. We also passed on that.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Chengdu Chill
We've spent two nights here and it's been cold. It's snowing for the first time in three years. The heating unit in the apartment where we are guests is definitely not up to the task. We're glad we heeded advice and brought long underwear. Hopefully it will warm up soon.
We'll probably be struggling with jetlag for a couple more days. The 13 hour time difference hasn't been easy to adjust to.
It looks like we'll be getting an apartment in the downtown area. The area is a few miles from the office where we will be working. Near where we will settle in is a French store, Carrefour, that is similar to a Walmart with Chinese influence. We spent some time there last night just to warm up. We were pleased to find a wide variety of foods that we enjoy as well as most of the items we'll need when we get our own apartment.
A highpoint of the morning was seeing and talking to our family in Michigan over the internet. We're amazed at how well this web communication works.
Right now we're on our way to a conference in Thailand. At least we're in the airport waiting for a flight that's been delayed two hours. We've informed we will most likely miss our connecting flight in Bangkok and have been assured that if we do we will be provided with a room in a 5-star hote for the night ... we'll see.
We'll probably be struggling with jetlag for a couple more days. The 13 hour time difference hasn't been easy to adjust to.
It looks like we'll be getting an apartment in the downtown area. The area is a few miles from the office where we will be working. Near where we will settle in is a French store, Carrefour, that is similar to a Walmart with Chinese influence. We spent some time there last night just to warm up. We were pleased to find a wide variety of foods that we enjoy as well as most of the items we'll need when we get our own apartment.
A highpoint of the morning was seeing and talking to our family in Michigan over the internet. We're amazed at how well this web communication works.
Right now we're on our way to a conference in Thailand. At least we're in the airport waiting for a flight that's been delayed two hours. We've informed we will most likely miss our connecting flight in Bangkok and have been assured that if we do we will be provided with a room in a 5-star hote for the night ... we'll see.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Departure Day
It's finally here, the day we've been anticipating for several months. We're pretty much packed, we've weighed the bags, and we're finishing up all of the last minute details. We're leaving Grand Rapids at 3:35 P.M. (Monday) and will be arriving in China on Wednesday at 1:30 A.M. (1:30 P.M. China time).
Just looked at the weather in Chengdu, 32-45 degrees for the next couple of weeks with some snow predicted. Not exactly what we were hoping for, but, we'll do fine, especially since it's been so much colder in Michigan the last couple of days.
We'll post again when we get a chance.
Just looked at the weather in Chengdu, 32-45 degrees for the next couple of weeks with some snow predicted. Not exactly what we were hoping for, but, we'll do fine, especially since it's been so much colder in Michigan the last couple of days.
We'll post again when we get a chance.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Preparations
There are so many details to take care of, sometimes it's overwhelming. Today, January 8, we began making arrangements to stop various services such as telephone, cable, etc. People we talked to were very helpful, in some cases a bit too helpful. The phone company assured us that they would cancel our phone service, as directed, on January 22. Ten minutes later our phone went dead. Reaching customer service on the cellphone, (press #1 to pay bills; press #2 for repairs; press #3 for inquiries; press #4 to listen to music and advertisements while you wait for what seems eternity to talk to a real person who will probably connect you to someone else), anyhow, we did reach customer service and were told they had already realized their mistake and would fix it, however it would take a couple of hours. Four hours later and we're still waiting.
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