Sunday, July 19, 2009 11:32AM EST
OK,
So, I did get a chance to get out today. It just so happened that the storm moved completely out at about 6:30 and I caught up with some other group members in the hotel lobby and we decided to go to the night market, which was awesome. So, we took the subway, which was super easy and arrived at this huge street market that sold EVERYTHING! We had soooooooooooooo much fun, and my mind was taken from wanting to go home so much. So, thanks again for all of the support and enjoy the pics. This really will be the last email because my internet access will run out shortly and I refuse to pay 15 more US dollars for another day. :) Talk to you soon in AMERICA!
Tamara
Sunday, July 19, 2009 02:34AM EST
Well folks,
This is the last email that I will be sending out to you. We have to pay $15 USD daily for internet access here at this hotel, so I will only be doing that for one day. Today makes an official month that I have been away from home. The typhoon was of no effect. It was mostly heavy rain and a little windy, but that is about it. Today is a free day and yet I am in my hotel room writing to you. That and it's rainy and windy outside. I still can't believe that I will be home in approximately three days. I am very ready to come home to see my family and friends and share even more of the things that happened over here that I was not able to share through the emails:)! It has been such a priviledge and an honor to experience this with you. I'm sorry that I have no pictures of Hong Kong, but there is really nothing to show right now. The weather however has not stopped some of my trip mates from venturing out, but I will not be joining them them for a day of fun in the rain. Well, we have two more days of meetings and a few excursions. So, I will try and enjoy these two days and not think about home so much! Anyway, I will be talking to you all soon and please pray and send your good thoughts for all of us to return to the US safely with all of our luggage. Thank you for the emails and a special thank you goes out to John Downs for creating and maintaining my blog! Well, I will see you all and talk to you soon!
Sincerely,
Tamara
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Changzou
Sunday, July 19, 2009 02:11AM EST
July 17, & 18 2009
Well, these past two days have been quite eventful. The 17 th was an excursion day and we really enjoyed it, minus the 104 degree weather. It was the hottest day of our trip so far. We were dripping sweat without even moving. Our clothes were drenched with sweat before 12:00. That lets you know how hot it was. We were able to see a little taste of old China yesterday. We went to a little river town called Jingxi. It was really nice. We went for a boat ride, sort of like a gondola and then we went through the little alleys and walked throughout the rest of the town. It sort of felt as though we went back in time. After that we went to a few other places and then we headed back to the hotel to meet up with our host families, and oh what an experience. I was paired with the sweetest girl. We left from the hotel to go to her home. We took a taxi, which felt like forever and we arrived about 30 minutes later. Her parents prepared a very nice meal for us, which included pork chops, a nice surprise and deviation from the typical types of food that we have been eating. We sat and talked and looked at pictures until about 11:00 p. m. Then I was led to my room, which was really nice, with my flat hard bed to sleep. I woke very early to go back to the hotel and we parted. It was one of the best experiences that I have had since I’ve been here in China. We then parted from China to go the the Shanghai Airport for our flight to Hong Kong. Did you know that Hong Kong is not a part of China? It was a commonweatlth of Great Brittain, but has since gained its independence. Many people speak English and there are many Brits that live and work here. It’s quite different from China, but there are also striking similarities. Well, the flight was very easy and there was no drama at the airport. However, we learned upon looking at the news that there is a typhoon (Hurricane) on its way. It’s not supposed to be serious and according to the news it should be here and gone mostly by Sunday morning. So, that’s about it for now. And, I’m ready to come home. J
Tamara
Thursday, July 16, 2009 09:08AM EST
Hello all!
Today we had the most boring lecture since we've been here in China. Now you know me folks. I can pretty much find interest in just about anything that people care to explain to me and I can pretty much follow any presentation, but this one! Even our director was struggling. Now that says something. We seem to think that he was unprepared and he was searching for things to say. He repeated himself quite alot. For example, for example we are going to talk about education education. See what I mean? Now the whole lecture was like that. We really did try. And I felt bad, because he was such a nice guy and so grateful for the gift that we gave him afterwards. But, what can I say. After that we went shopping, did lunch, and went to some tourist sites, and then back to the hotel for another fabulous Chinese dinner :(. And you'd never guess what we saw when driving. PAPA JOHNS PIZZA! Right here in Changzhou! We practically begged our director to eat there, but to no avail our attempts failed :(. We came back to the hotel defeated and had our last meeting, which took FOREVER! I think that much of our patience is running thin now. Tomorrow is actually the last day for about 4 people in our group. They opted not to do the Hong Kong extension, so they will fly out Saturday morning. As for the rest of us, we will be doing a home stay with a Chinese family tomorrow night and we will then return to the hotel on Saturday morning for the bus to the airport to fly out to Hong Kong. I'm excited to do the homestay, but I'm also a little apprehensive. I don't know what their toilet facilities will be like, but I guess at this point it doesn't matter. I don't know what their AC situation will look like, and I guess that I will definitely find out. And, I don't know what their living situation will look like. One past participant at our orientation said that she had to take a 1 hour long bus ride, and a 45 minute walk uphill to get to the house of the student that she was to stay with. Then, there was no air, no running water, and she had to sleep on a slab of concrete. But, that was in another city. I did say that I would like to see how "the real" Chinese live, but I think that will be a little too real for me. Nevertheless, I'm open to the experience. It's only for 12 hours, and in a situation like that people live that way for years, and are usually happier and healthier than the people who have far more than that. So, I will not expect the worse and I will be open to learn from the experience. I should have plenty of pictures for you all to see after that experience. With that said, I am going to finish packing and go to bed. I have to be perky and talkative for my Chinese family, even after a long day of excursions from 7:30-5:30. What I really want to do is be in a dark room, by myself, in a big bed, with cool air and plushy pillows, and sleep without interruption for about 12 hours. But, in due time!
Tamara
Wednesday, July 15, 2009 09:00AM
Hello all!
Today was a good day. We first went to visit a high school here in Changzhou. This was no ordinary high school. This was an arts-based high school. There were kids who specialized in sketching, painting, calligraphy, acting, singing, piano, etc… They were excellent. We got all kinds of presentations. One student even sang Michael Jackson’s “You are not alone”. It was great. And, they all knew English. Before they presented each student said something about wanting to improve themselves. Can you imagine if our students all had this mentality. It’s on the walls of just about every school. Self-improvement, etc… I think that it’s part of the motto of the Chinese Ministry of Education. And, the teachers really enforce it. Anyway, the kids were great. After this we had lunch of course, and then we visited another Special Summer School for gifted youngsters. These kids were AWESOME!!! There were 8, 9, and 10 years old kids who specialized in just about any kind of art that you can imagine, and they even have an orchestra that has played throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. It makes me want to show the kids back home that if you practice, study, etc… then you can achieve the same level of greatness. We were amazed at the talent of these kids. Now sure, we know that this is only a small population of the student population of China, but just about every school that we have gone too, special or not, the kids and teachers had a very good grasp of English. And guess what, most of them have never even been to an English Speaking Country!!! They have taught themselves English, mostly with no influence of English speakers. This is amazing!!! Most Americans will tell you that once they went abroad they were able to grasp the language, but most of these people that speak English have never stepped foot out of China! That says something! Now, of course they speak proper English, and it is not without mistake, but it’s pretty good for not having an experience abroad. The work load over here is also astounding. The students and teachers have anywhere from 2 to 5 hours of homework a night, every night to do. These are very disciplined people here folks. Just imagine how much we as Americans can improve ourselves academically, intellectually, etc… if we put that kind of time into increasing our knowledge! Well, anyway I am sooooooooooooo impressed. Tonight we had our banquet, which is always long. But, we always have to sing songs and recite poetry and tell stories to entertain our guests. They also do the same for us, and so it is always very amusing. And here I am, soooooooooooo ready for bed. My roommate and I were able to catch a few English movies today with Chinese subtitles. One was a Denzel Washington movie, and the other was Braveheart. That made our day. We have been starved for English-speaking television. And, now we’ve gotten a little bit. I think that that will tide me over until I get home. Well, until next time. Enjoy the pictures.
Tamara
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 05:40AM EST
Hello all,
What a hot and humid day today, again. It feels like beach weather, except there is no water to get into. Although a few of the girls are thinking about going to the water park here. Yes, there is a dinosaur themed water park. Who would have guessed it? Well, this morning we started the day off with a visit to the tallest Buddhist temple in the world. It was huge and there were little Buddhas everywhere. They were in the grass, and all along the square, inside the temple, engraved in the walls. Everywhere. We even had a chance to see people come and worship the Buddha. There were little places in the inside with shrines to a specific Buddha with knee rests for bowing and praying. There was also a money box where you could offer money to, I guess the Buddha. It was quite interesting. What I didn’t know was that there are different Buddhas. I thought that there was only one, but there are many. And, I’m still confused about the ones that they explained to me. But anyway, it was a very unique cultural experience. We got an opportunity to climb up to the top of the temple and got a breathtaking view of the city, which I thought was small. But from the view, it was huge. The way that people describe it is that it is a relatively small city. But small for them is like 4 million! I don’t even know the population of Winston-Salem, but I’m assuming that it’s somewhere between 800,000 and 1,200,000. It does feel like a smaller city though. There isn’t as much traffic, and the air quality is slightly better. Also, we don’t feel as rushed as we did in other cities, which is always a plus. And our hotel is right in the center of the city and very close to the places that we are scheduled to go, so we have walked everywhere up till this point. There is a nice breeze blowing through the city now, so that helps cool us down from the high heat and humidity. This afternoon we had another lecture on religion in China, which was quite interesting. From the way that the professor explained it, there is no God to the Chinese, although there is heaven. And, a person is living his/her life in a way that he/she will get to heaven one day, I think. I didn't really get the details. He talked about Confucius and some other philosophers. Confucius supposedly spent his life roaming and teaching disciples for 13 years. Which, of course if you are Christian like me you will instant think of Christ, which he mentioned as well. The teachings of Confucius and Christ are strikingly similar, from the way that it was explained to us. When we asked the professor if he was a practitioner of Daoism, Confucianism, or some other religion, he said that he was not a practitioner of any, which we found surprising. He also mentioned that the Buddhist, Daoist, and Confucianist principles are more a way of life than religion for most people. It was quite an interesting conversation. This evening after dinner we went for a stroll in the park. It is a beautiful park with a boardwalk, a lake, and a bridge. There are lights around that light up, which make it very beautiful. It's something that many people do here so there are couples, friends, and even families. This city feels so much safer than the others, although I still know to always be aware of my things and to keep my important things locked up in my suitcase. So, today was a good day. Well it’s about that time. Until tomorrow!
Tamara
Monday, July 13, 2009
Train Ride to Changzhou...
Hello all,
I haven't written in two days so I'll tell you about the last day in Xian. It was lovely. It was a complete excursion day. We went to museums and historic and cultural sites. We also went shopping. Surprising?! It was a good day. And then, THE TRAIN!!! Well, let me tell you that the train station was jammed packed with people. And, the bathrooms were horrible. And, it was hot. And the train! My, my, my. Well, I can say that we made it, ALIVE. Well, OK, let me not put it like that. The train wasn’t too bad. It was tight though. We were packed in there like sardines. There was air though, but people were also smoking. ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, it seemed as though they were in the same cabin with you. And, how about using a squat toilet on a moving train. And, let me tell you, this moving train moved. It was not an altogether smooth ride. It was bumpy, but not for most of the trip. And, we were on this train for fourteen hours, with each other, in tight quarters, and after a certain period of time the water was turned off. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhgggggggggggggg! And, our guide almost had a fit because we only had between 3-7 minutes to get off the train and so we were made to move all of our luggage to the door thirty minutes before we pulled in to the station. We were rolling over people and taking up all of the space. We even got some dirty looks. We had to line up outside of the bathroom, which of course, because there was no water, was not so fresh! But, I’m over it now. We are now in our excellent hotel with all of our belongings, which I can say makes up for the train. We have all showered and put on a fresh set of clothes and now have on our happy faces once again, although this city is the hottest and most humid city out of all of the places that we’ve been to in China. I’m still smiling. We now have 9 more days left, and even though I have enjoyed China tremendously and still feel so blessed to have had this opportunity, I’m ready to come home. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are still some things that I’m excited to see. I’m excited to see Hong Kong, and this new city. And, if I were afforded some of the luxuries that we have at home here, then I would even be willing to stay longer and do more things and see more places. But, since those options are not available to me, I can now say that I have enjoyed this cultural experience and that I’m content and looking forward to coming home to be in my room, with my bed, and my things, with my bathroom with my western toilet, with my family, and my television, eating my food that does not make me nauseous at times, and in my air conditioned home. I’m telling you, you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s taken away from you. We have sooooo many options in the states and most of the time people will accommodate you. But here, there are no accommodations. It’s either do this or you won’t get to do this. Plain and simple. Use the squat toilet, or make yourself sick from holding it. Eat this, or go hungry. We are so spoiled in America!!!!! People here are desperate to get there, students, teachers, families. We are soooooo privileged!!! Well, I will end this one for now before I start writing a book. Until tomorrow!
I haven't written in two days so I'll tell you about the last day in Xian. It was lovely. It was a complete excursion day. We went to museums and historic and cultural sites. We also went shopping. Surprising?! It was a good day. And then, THE TRAIN!!! Well, let me tell you that the train station was jammed packed with people. And, the bathrooms were horrible. And, it was hot. And the train! My, my, my. Well, I can say that we made it, ALIVE. Well, OK, let me not put it like that. The train wasn’t too bad. It was tight though. We were packed in there like sardines. There was air though, but people were also smoking. ALL NIGHT LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And, it seemed as though they were in the same cabin with you. And, how about using a squat toilet on a moving train. And, let me tell you, this moving train moved. It was not an altogether smooth ride. It was bumpy, but not for most of the trip. And, we were on this train for fourteen hours, with each other, in tight quarters, and after a certain period of time the water was turned off. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhgggggggggggggg! And, our guide almost had a fit because we only had between 3-7 minutes to get off the train and so we were made to move all of our luggage to the door thirty minutes before we pulled in to the station. We were rolling over people and taking up all of the space. We even got some dirty looks. We had to line up outside of the bathroom, which of course, because there was no water, was not so fresh! But, I’m over it now. We are now in our excellent hotel with all of our belongings, which I can say makes up for the train. We have all showered and put on a fresh set of clothes and now have on our happy faces once again, although this city is the hottest and most humid city out of all of the places that we’ve been to in China. I’m still smiling. We now have 9 more days left, and even though I have enjoyed China tremendously and still feel so blessed to have had this opportunity, I’m ready to come home. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are still some things that I’m excited to see. I’m excited to see Hong Kong, and this new city. And, if I were afforded some of the luxuries that we have at home here, then I would even be willing to stay longer and do more things and see more places. But, since those options are not available to me, I can now say that I have enjoyed this cultural experience and that I’m content and looking forward to coming home to be in my room, with my bed, and my things, with my bathroom with my western toilet, with my family, and my television, eating my food that does not make me nauseous at times, and in my air conditioned home. I’m telling you, you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s taken away from you. We have sooooo many options in the states and most of the time people will accommodate you. But here, there are no accommodations. It’s either do this or you won’t get to do this. Plain and simple. Use the squat toilet, or make yourself sick from holding it. Eat this, or go hungry. We are so spoiled in America!!!!! People here are desperate to get there, students, teachers, families. We are soooooo privileged!!! Well, I will end this one for now before I start writing a book. Until tomorrow!
Monday, July 6, 2009
XIAN
Saturday, July 11, 2009 10:26AM
Hello all,
Today was a great day. We visited different institutions, and surprisingly we had to do an individual presentation, which we didn't know about, to a class of about 40 teachers about K-12 Education and American Culture. There were two 1 hour sessions. Talk about overwhelmed! Well, we first got over the initial shock and I think we did pretty well. Of course afterwards everyone wanted to take pictures of all of us. They even asked us for our autographs, which was a little weird. But, we did feel extra special. This lasted from morning till afternoon. Then we had the rest of the day off. I went shopping with a few of the girls from the program, and afterwards we went to Pizza Hut for dinner! What a welcomed change. I am almost to my limit with Chinese food. I don't think that I'll want it again for at least a year after we return, or maybe more! Well, tomorrow is the big day for our train ride. Our director told us that we only have two minutes to get off of the train after it stops, so we're not too happy about that. We also have to keep our luggage in the car with us and there is a possibility that we will not be in the same car. And, people supposedly smoke, drink, and walk around scantily clad in the cars. And, there is a possibility that there will be men in some of our cars! I don't like the sound of that, but I'm hoping for the best. Well, I'll try to write again in about two days. I'm sure that I'll have some interesting stories for you about the train. We've already been briefed about the toilet situation, which I will not mention right now. Well, hasta luego!
Tamara
Hello all,
Today was a great day. We visited different institutions, and surprisingly we had to do an individual presentation, which we didn't know about, to a class of about 40 teachers about K-12 Education and American Culture. There were two 1 hour sessions. Talk about overwhelmed! Well, we first got over the initial shock and I think we did pretty well. Of course afterwards everyone wanted to take pictures of all of us. They even asked us for our autographs, which was a little weird. But, we did feel extra special. This lasted from morning till afternoon. Then we had the rest of the day off. I went shopping with a few of the girls from the program, and afterwards we went to Pizza Hut for dinner! What a welcomed change. I am almost to my limit with Chinese food. I don't think that I'll want it again for at least a year after we return, or maybe more! Well, tomorrow is the big day for our train ride. Our director told us that we only have two minutes to get off of the train after it stops, so we're not too happy about that. We also have to keep our luggage in the car with us and there is a possibility that we will not be in the same car. And, people supposedly smoke, drink, and walk around scantily clad in the cars. And, there is a possibility that there will be men in some of our cars! I don't like the sound of that, but I'm hoping for the best. Well, I'll try to write again in about two days. I'm sure that I'll have some interesting stories for you about the train. We've already been briefed about the toilet situation, which I will not mention right now. Well, hasta luego!
Tamara
Friday, July 10, 2009 04:52AM EST
More China News
Hello all,
I just learned that there was an earthquake in Hunan Province yesterday that killed many people and destroyed almost 10,000 homes. DON'T WORRY!!!! That is far away from us, and we are not going to go there. It does seem that everything happens in China, but China is huge. It is a little bigger than the U.S, so just imagine being in N.C. and there being an earthquake in Las Angeles. It's the same sort of comparison. We are in a very mountainous region and away from the coastline, so there are no big faults and there is not a potential for some kind of typhoon (hurricane) or another. Today was a relatively easy day. We went to a little village about an hour and a half away from our hotel. It was quite quaint. It was a village of artists. Painters, sculptors, food artists. We visited an art gallery of a world renown painter. I forgot her name (I have her card) but she was awesome. One of our members bought about six paintings. She also did a demonstration for us while we were there. She actually painted a picture in front of us. It is the picture of the panda bears. After that we had lunch in the home of one of the food chefs. She gave us a tour of her home, which by Chinese standards was a nice home. The beds are flat and hard. Actually it's a raised platform, of wood and brick. And, there's a compartment underneath the bed for hot stones or brick to keep the bed warm. The bathroom also had a western toilet, which we loved and there was no shower. The bathroom was the shower. There was a showerhead hookup on the wall. I have included pictures for your viewing pleasure. After the tour she made us lunch. Let me tell you, you have not had noodles like the ones that this lady prepared. I didn't know noodles could taste that good. She made them. FROM SCRATCH! She rolled out the dough, cut them, boiled them, right there. It was so interesting. I thought that I may be able to do that at home, but I think that I'll leave that to the professionals! :) And so now, we're back at the hotel awaiting dinner and preparing for our next destination. We don't leave until Sunday night, but the train service is coming to get our bags tomorrow, so we have to pack tonight. You know how I am about my bags. I need some of your prayers now, that we arrive safely and that all of our things arrive safely with us. Well, I'll end this one for now. Until next time.
Tamara
Thursday, July 09, 2009 07:56PM EST
More China News
Hello all,
I just learned that there was an earthquake in Hunan Province yesterday that killed many people and destroyed almost 10,000 homes. DON'T WORRY!!!! That is far away from us, and we are not going to go there. It does seem that everything happens in China, but China is huge. It is a little bigger than the U.S, so just imagine being in N.C. and there being an earthquake in Las Angeles. It's the same sort of comparison. We are in a very mountainous region and away from the coastline, so there are no big faults and there is not a potential for some kind of typhoon (hurricane) or another. Today was a relatively easy day. We went to a little village about an hour and a half away from our hotel. It was quite quaint. It was a village of artists. Painters, sculptors, food artists. We visited an art gallery of a world renown painter. I forgot her name (I have her card) but she was awesome. One of our members bought about six paintings. She also did a demonstration for us while we were there. She actually painted a picture in front of us. It is the picture of the panda bears. After that we had lunch in the home of one of the food chefs. She gave us a tour of her home, which by Chinese standards was a nice home. The beds are flat and hard. Actually it's a raised platform, of wood and brick. And, there's a compartment underneath the bed for hot stones or brick to keep the bed warm. The bathroom also had a western toilet, which we loved and there was no shower. The bathroom was the shower. There was a showerhead hookup on the wall. I have included pictures for your viewing pleasure. After the tour she made us lunch. Let me tell you, you have not had noodles like the ones that this lady prepared. I didn't know noodles could taste that good. She made them. FROM SCRATCH! She rolled out the dough, cut them, boiled them, right there. It was so interesting. I thought that I may be able to do that at home, but I think that I'll leave that to the professionals! :) And so now, we're back at the hotel awaiting dinner and preparing for our next destination. We don't leave until Sunday night, but the train service is coming to get our bags tomorrow, so we have to pack tonight. You know how I am about my bags. I need some of your prayers now, that we arrive safely and that all of our things arrive safely with us. Well, I'll end this one for now. Until next time.
Tamara
Thursday, July 09, 2009 07:56PM EST
Major Eathquake in China
Hello all!
I hope that you all are doing excellent. I can’t complain. Today was an adventurous day. We began the day with a bike ride around the city wall. It was a loooooooooooooooong way, about 7 miles. It was fun though. It brought back childhood memories. We were like little kids on those bikes. We then went to a little shopping area and bought a few things. The area was really nice and the people that were selling things didn’t hassle us at all. Usually we’re bombarded by people and we can’t get out, or we have to push the vendors out of the way to move on. But they were like ok, if you like it you buy and if you don’t it’s ok. You would not imagine the things that we have to go through at most markets to buy wares and things. After that we came back to the hotel for lunch, and then a few girls and I went to the town square for a little free time. Oh, what an adventure. We first went to the post office to mail some things back home, which I did not but I’m kicking myself now because my bag is extremely heavy. After that we broke off and three of us went to Starbucks. It was sooooooooooooooooo nice and cool. And, the bathroom had toilet paper and it was a western toilet and not a squat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh we were in heaven. After that we went to the Muslim quarter, which was really interesting. There were signs in both Arabic and Chinese and women wearing head scarves and men wearing their Muslim hats (I forget what they’re called). It was quite a cultural experience. There was also a mosque there. It was definitely a different culture within a culture. Soon after, we went to McDonald’s, which was a welcome change for all of us from Chinese food. We then proceeded to take a taxi back to the hotel, which was a task in itself. Firstly, we waited for about 10 minutes politely. But when people started jumping in front of us to steal taxis we had to be a bit more aggressive. Soon, we caught on and jumped in front and made our way into one. The driver was not so happy when we showed him our hotel card. I was yelling at us to get out of his taxi, but we refused to move. Eventually he took off and screamed and yelled things at us, and at people in the streets the whole way back to the hotel. It’s a good thing that we didn’t know Chinese because I’m sure that we would have gotten an earful. He got over it though was we kept on talking and didn’t pay him any more attention. What an event. We made it back safely to our hotel and he actually smiled and waved us goodbye. Talk about multiple personalities. A few minutes earlier he was Dr. Jekyl and then all of a sudden Mr. Hyde. (That may be reversed, but you know what I mean.) And that was my day. Pretty eventful, huh. Oh, and another thing that was brought to my attention when I called home the other day was the Uygur situation. Let me tell you how while in China, you only know about the good things that are going on. We don’t see at all what you see there, so we have absolutely no idea of how serious things are. We have seen bits and pieces of things on T.V. and have seen a few things in the paper, but it is not presented as this huge thing. Actually, the way that we see it, is that it is no big deal and that the Chinese government is in control and things will be resolved quickly. Strange huh. And, consequently, I guess, J facebook, all blogspots, google, and a fair amount of other websites have been shut down here. Hmmmm. Also, a few of the girls were watching T.V. two mornings in a row and when the newscasters began to comment on the Uygur uprising the screen went black for about 15 seconds, BOTH TIMES! Coincidence? You be the judge. And, the other night some of the girls went close to the Muslim qtr. and they were asked for their passports by the police. Luckily, one of our guides were with them and he could vouch for them. I find it all very interesting. Well I won’t say anything else about that. It’s time for bed so I’m going to skidaddle. Don’t worry, we are doing fine and no one is being either detained or quarantined. Until next time!
Tamara
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 07:46PM EST
Hello all!
I hope that you all are doing excellent. I can’t complain. Today was an adventurous day. We began the day with a bike ride around the city wall. It was a loooooooooooooooong way, about 7 miles. It was fun though. It brought back childhood memories. We were like little kids on those bikes. We then went to a little shopping area and bought a few things. The area was really nice and the people that were selling things didn’t hassle us at all. Usually we’re bombarded by people and we can’t get out, or we have to push the vendors out of the way to move on. But they were like ok, if you like it you buy and if you don’t it’s ok. You would not imagine the things that we have to go through at most markets to buy wares and things. After that we came back to the hotel for lunch, and then a few girls and I went to the town square for a little free time. Oh, what an adventure. We first went to the post office to mail some things back home, which I did not but I’m kicking myself now because my bag is extremely heavy. After that we broke off and three of us went to Starbucks. It was sooooooooooooooooo nice and cool. And, the bathroom had toilet paper and it was a western toilet and not a squat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh we were in heaven. After that we went to the Muslim quarter, which was really interesting. There were signs in both Arabic and Chinese and women wearing head scarves and men wearing their Muslim hats (I forget what they’re called). It was quite a cultural experience. There was also a mosque there. It was definitely a different culture within a culture. Soon after, we went to McDonald’s, which was a welcome change for all of us from Chinese food. We then proceeded to take a taxi back to the hotel, which was a task in itself. Firstly, we waited for about 10 minutes politely. But when people started jumping in front of us to steal taxis we had to be a bit more aggressive. Soon, we caught on and jumped in front and made our way into one. The driver was not so happy when we showed him our hotel card. I was yelling at us to get out of his taxi, but we refused to move. Eventually he took off and screamed and yelled things at us, and at people in the streets the whole way back to the hotel. It’s a good thing that we didn’t know Chinese because I’m sure that we would have gotten an earful. He got over it though was we kept on talking and didn’t pay him any more attention. What an event. We made it back safely to our hotel and he actually smiled and waved us goodbye. Talk about multiple personalities. A few minutes earlier he was Dr. Jekyl and then all of a sudden Mr. Hyde. (That may be reversed, but you know what I mean.) And that was my day. Pretty eventful, huh. Oh, and another thing that was brought to my attention when I called home the other day was the Uygur situation. Let me tell you how while in China, you only know about the good things that are going on. We don’t see at all what you see there, so we have absolutely no idea of how serious things are. We have seen bits and pieces of things on T.V. and have seen a few things in the paper, but it is not presented as this huge thing. Actually, the way that we see it, is that it is no big deal and that the Chinese government is in control and things will be resolved quickly. Strange huh. And, consequently, I guess, J facebook, all blogspots, google, and a fair amount of other websites have been shut down here. Hmmmm. Also, a few of the girls were watching T.V. two mornings in a row and when the newscasters began to comment on the Uygur uprising the screen went black for about 15 seconds, BOTH TIMES! Coincidence? You be the judge. And, the other night some of the girls went close to the Muslim qtr. and they were asked for their passports by the police. Luckily, one of our guides were with them and he could vouch for them. I find it all very interesting. Well I won’t say anything else about that. It’s time for bed so I’m going to skidaddle. Don’t worry, we are doing fine and no one is being either detained or quarantined. Until next time!
Tamara
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 07:46PM EST
Wow! Today we went to the Terra Cotta Warriors museum. What an awesome sight. You have to google this if you don’t know about it. This is a very famous excavation that is still in progress. I believe that it has been in progress for about 40 years or so, but don’t quote me on that. We also went to the place where they make replicas of Terra Cotta warriors. That was pretty fun. We got to take pictures without Terra Cotta heads to make it look like we were the warriors. Today was a good day. We also went to a University for a tour, which was no fun because it was raining. We drove for about an hour and we only stayed for about 30 minutes or so. It was uneventful. But after that, we did come back to the hotel for dinner at around 6:30, and we had a free evening. I’m glad that we’re getting more time lately. More of us are getting sick. I hope that I am not next. Well, there is another Fulbright Group here that just arrived yesterday. We will both be staying here together for about 3 days. Well, guess what happened to them when they arrived in Beijing? QUARANTINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, three of their members were QUARANTINED for SEVEN77777777777777777 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you imagine? They said that they were in a 105 degree room, because the Chinese officials believed that if there is no air ventilation then the SWINE FLU cannot spread, and they had no interaction with anyone except for health officials. I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GLAD that that did not happen to us! It was sort of a running joke for us, but for this new group it was a reality! Although we knew that it was a possibility, we didn’t really think that we would be affected. Oh how things are not what they seem. Well, I’m glad that we dodged that bullet. Anyway, enough of that. We’re here now and past that, unless the U.S. begins to quarantine people coming in that display symptoms. J Well, I’m off to bed. Tomorrow we go to ride bikes on the city wall and we are also going to the city square, the famous drum tower is there. Have a good day all.
Tamara
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 07:13AM EST
Hello all,
Things are going well. We are still having a good time. Today was a lecture day, so nothing really exciting happened. Just a bunch of information. It was interesting though. And, we only had two lectures today, so we had the evening off, which we loooooooove. And guess what I'm going to do on my evening off. Yep, you're right. SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't had a good night's sleep in sooooooooo long. We've been getting 5, 6, and sometimes 7 but never more than 8. So, hopefully tonight I can get 8. I would feel so much more energetic. Well, that's about it. Oh yeah, we can see the sky today! Oh, maybe I didn't tell you about that. In Beijing and here in Xian there was and is terrible pollution. On many days you can't even see clear to the sky. But today, we can see clouds and a slightly blue sky. Yeah, I know. It's really crazy. It's sunny, but you just can't make out what's going on up there on some days. OK all. Talk to you soon.
Tamara
Monday, July 6, 2009
Things are going well. We are still having a good time. Today was a lecture day, so nothing really exciting happened. Just a bunch of information. It was interesting though. And, we only had two lectures today, so we had the evening off, which we loooooooove. And guess what I'm going to do on my evening off. Yep, you're right. SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven't had a good night's sleep in sooooooooo long. We've been getting 5, 6, and sometimes 7 but never more than 8. So, hopefully tonight I can get 8. I would feel so much more energetic. Well, that's about it. Oh yeah, we can see the sky today! Oh, maybe I didn't tell you about that. In Beijing and here in Xian there was and is terrible pollution. On many days you can't even see clear to the sky. But today, we can see clouds and a slightly blue sky. Yeah, I know. It's really crazy. It's sunny, but you just can't make out what's going on up there on some days. OK all. Talk to you soon.
Tamara
Monday, July 6, 2009
Hello everybody,
Yesterday was a travel day and we went straight to bed after we arrived at the airport, checked into our hotel, and ate dinner. We've had a little time to process everything, so here we are in Xian. Wow! I like Xian. What a fantastic place. Xian is huge. We were driving north for about one hour and we were still in Xian. It is very interesting because it is a mixture of old and new. There is a wall that goes around the city. It is an original wall that was built during the time of the Ming Dynasty about 500 years ago. There is so much history here. There are also tons of shopping malls and historic places to go to. This is the city where we will see the Terra Cotta warriors. We are all very excited about that. This is also the city that the drum tower is located in. I have an excellent picture of that. This morning we went to visit a local primary school. It was excellent. I needed to see some little kids. They were sooooo cute. They had a little parade for us welcoming us to the school. There was a band and everything. They also presented us with gifts. They told us things like, "You are very beautiful", "I love you" and "I will miss you when you go". At first I was extremely moved, but after about the fourth or fifth time from different students I realized that it was a part of the script, which made all of us laugh. But, they were still sweet and cute, and I think genuinely happy to see people that they had never seen before. Little children just brighten up anyone's day. Good little children that is :). We then went to an amazing vegetarian lunch. I must say that the food here is excellent. It's the best that it has been since we have arrived in China. It's not at all extremely spicy and dangerous looking. Although there are still different dishes, you don't feel like you could possibly be sick. The food here is really savory. It's very similar to te food at home actually. After lunch we went to a Chinese Herbal Medicine Museum. It was fascinating. We learned about the different herbs and roots and barks, etc... that the Chinese have been using for years to treat, aid, and heal all kinds of ailments and diseases. The guide said, and I don't know this to be fact, that Licorice Root is proven to reduce the chance of contracting HIV by 98%. I thought that was interesting. After the museum we then went to dinner, which was at the most famous restaurant in Xian. It was a dumpling restaurant. Let me tell you, these dumplings were delicious!!! They're not at all like the dumplings that you taste in Chinese restaurants at home. They were homemade, steamed, real deal dumplings with all kinds of fillings. We of course were served about 17 different kinds (it wouldn't be China if we didn't have a bajillion courses). We then walked around the sqare a bit, which we later found out was the roof of an underground mall! This city is really beautiful at night. All of the historic buildings are lit and of course the modern buildings have huge time square looking screens on them. And, the hotel that we are staying in is FABULOUS! And, that brings us to now. Which, you guessed it, I'm tired, dog tired, but content. So, with that said, I'm going to end this one for now. Actually, I'm going to go to the gym and try to work off some of those dumplings. Wish me luck!
Tamara
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