tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83810269718739007582023-11-16T04:59:30.352-08:00Our Trips To China - Dec. 2009 and April 2010Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-2885668691302276832010-04-28T08:39:00.000-07:002010-04-28T08:59:04.713-07:00Days 16 and On - The End of This TripI arrived back in the good ole' USA yesterday (April 27) afternoon thanks to two wonderfully comfortable Korean Air flights (connecting in Seoul, South Korea) and an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Portland. As usually happens, the last few days of the trip get shorted when it comes to the blog details -- and that's what I'm going to do this time too! However to summarize the last few days:<div><br /></div><div>On Saturday, April 24 I got up early at the hostel to catch a cab to the Xi'an airport to fly to Guangzhou (a little over two hours -- like flying from Seattle to San Francisco), taking an airport bus from the beautiful airport to the Guangzhou East Railway station, taking the train to Shenzhen and then a city bus to the district of Yantian where I met up with Staci/Martin and 3 other couples -- fellow English teaching program friends. This connection allowed me to join in with the four couples in birthday celebrations for all the girls, staying the night in one of the couple's apartment, enjoying some great meals and fun (karaoke, bowling, drinking/eating on the street at 2am in the morning) and seeing a little more of Shenzhen. All was great fun -- and a few of the many photos I took are posted <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010EndOfTrip?feat=directlink">here</a>. In addition, Staci wrote more about the weekend in her blog posting <a href="http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Guangdong/Shenzhen/blog-493413.html">here</a>. As you can tell from the photos -- I had an absolute blast hanging out and getting to know the core group of "family" that Staci/Martin have enjoyed during their China experience. </div><div><br /></div><div>There is always more I could write -- but I could never capture all of the wonderful experiences I enjoyed on this trip to China. It was truly a "trip of a lifetime" with my daughters -- and another fantastic experience to enjoy more of the life/food that Staci/Martin have enjoyed during their stay there. I have truly fallen in love with traveling to China -- and even as the planes brought me back to the US -- I was already thinking about when I might go again. I've already added another trip to China to my bucket list -- and am keeping in mind that Staci and Martin are still there until July -- and my Visa doesn't expire until October! Hmmm -- I'm already hoping air fares stay cheap -- so stay tuned -- and don't be too surprised if I restart this blog with yet another trip to China in the not too distant future!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-59688759124452958752010-04-26T06:09:00.000-07:002010-04-26T06:15:48.483-07:00Day 15 - Friday, April 23 - Xi'anIt was nice to have a day with no schedule to meet, not even a “must-do” attraction – and it made for a very relaxing day and since I'm writing this while waiting for the plane out of Xi'an, I have some extra time to do a bit of education as well as musing.<br /><br />I think it is worth knowing that the city of Xi'an is where China began some 6000 years ago. It was here that the warrior emperor Qun Shi Huang (of Terracotta Army fame) rule began when he was 13. He united much of China by conquering and uniting six kingdoms, standardizing money and writing, and created a centralized government which would be the model for later dynasties. On the flip side, Lonely Planet advises that he was the sort of tyrant who gives tyrants a bad name because he had such disdain for Confucianism that he outlawed it, ordered all written texts to be burned and was said to have buried 460 top scholars alive. Again, lifting from Lonely Planet: Xi'an was the center of Chinese civilization long before anyone heard of Beijing.<br /><br />The size of the Xi'an former glory becomes most apparent when visiting the restored city wall that now encompasses 14 of the original 83 square kilometers. And while those numbers may not mean anything, walking the entire distance of the wall today takes 4 hours. Since the hostel was located directly next to the city wall and it was a spectacularly beautiful day, I decided to travel the top of the wall – however, being the lazy sort I am, I opted for the hour long ride in a touristy golf cart for 50 Yuan (around $7.32 USD). It was money well spent as I not only got to enjoy wonderful views of this megametropolis but I also was a fellow traveler with some Chinese tourists who couldn't have more friendly even though we only shared a few common words (once again my maps helped make a connection between where they were from and where I was from and broke the ice for friendliness).<br /><br />I've come to treasure and protect my Lonely Planet Guide as much as I do my USA passport – because it contains such valuable information including Chinese characters for destinations. So, armed with only a bus number and the Lonely Planet guide, I set out on a city bus to visit the “Big Wild Goose Pagoda” somewhat south of the walled part of the city. It turned into a wonderful visit on a beautiful day – and somewhat because it wasn't just a big pagoda but also an amazing park with a large display of water fountains – definitely a tourist attraction for Chinese citizens. I had some interesting contacts with other visitors – some just wanted to take pictures with me in them, others actually wanted to practice their English.<br /><br />After the bus ride back to the city, I enjoyed an interesting stroll through the Muslim quarter – found a Muslim noodle place for lunch and then made it back to the hostel in time for a free dumpling making lesson and some fun conversation with backpackers from around the world including one guy from Holland who had been all through SE Asia and now China on a six month journey.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010XiAn?feat=directlink">Here</a> are a few photos from the day.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-45257659644065053982010-04-23T08:04:00.001-07:002010-04-26T06:20:47.749-07:00Day 14 - Thursday, April 22 - Xi'anAs I noted in yesterday's posting, I arrived at the train station shortly after 5am and immediately got some breakfast at the McDonald's across the street. What I forgot to mention is that before I caught the hour-long bus ride to the Terracotta Army, I visited a nearby “internet cafe” listed in Lonely Planet. It was another unusual experience to walk into the dimly lit cafe and find around three dozen computers with larger flat screen where most all of them were occupied by persons either using the provided headset to make a call or playing shoot-em-up games. This was 5am in the morning and the place was busy. I purchased an hour from the attendant after noting they didn't offer wireless for my computer and I checked in online. Thereafter I caught the bus.<br /><br />I arrived at the Terracotta site about the time it opened which gave me the opportunity to visit the site with very few other people. The site is definitely set up to handle crowds but I felt unrushed. I was able to get some other visitors to take my picture a few times – including one that cost me 10 Yuan (a little over $1 USD) in amongst fake soldiers – just for the photo-op! I've posted the photos <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010Day13TerracottaArmy#">here.</a><br /><br />A fascinating place to be sure as I contemplated whether in it's day (220 BC) it was created as a public works project or a misguided, extraordinary ego by China's First Emperor. It's easier to understand an the Emperor's acquisition of concubines and luxury places to reside while living – it's impossible for me to understand an elaborate burial site with 8000 full size soldier replicas placed in battle-ready positions.<br /><br />Upon exiting the museum/grounds, I was approached by a local “guide” who was engaging and fun to converse with – so I was happy to give him 50 Yuan (about $7.50 USD) to give me a guided tour of the nearby Tomb of the Emperor. The tourist site itself wouldn't have been worth a stop if I hadn't enjoyed the delightful conversation with the guide – who suggested, at my prompting, that my Chinese name could be “Dong Lai Fu” which he interpreted to mean “East Comes Happiness” and gave me the Chinese characters for it. He said that be picked this name because I had explained that I loved visiting China. For those of you who may not be aware, most english speaking Chinese choose “western” names to make it easier for us “foreigners.” It had been a topic of conversation with the factory sales reps I met with – who said they would also suggest a Chinese name for me. We'll see what they come up with, but I was impressed with my $7 guide's fast thinking – and I'll check out his claim when I next meet up with Staci/Martin's contact teachers.<br /><br />The guide directed me to the local bus to return to the city – and that proved to be an interesting trip where the female toll taker on the bus got off at each stop and rounded up folks who were headed back into the city. After arriving back at the train station, I walked through the city to get to my hostel. It was a much longer walk than I expected from looking at the map – but I enjoyed every minute of it as I came to appreciate the fact that Xi'an really is a city of 4.5 million – and I think I saw them all on my walking route. Many of the streets are so busy that pedistrian underpasses are the only way to get across traffic.<br /><br />The hostel was like the ones I stayed at in Beijing and Wuhan, providing a western oasis of fellow travelers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-80330083346153540592010-04-22T07:52:00.000-07:002010-04-22T08:34:13.763-07:00Day 13 - April 21 - A 14 Hour Train Trip to Xi'anI never did get a roommate at the Wuhan hostel and awoke to the sound of heavy rain. However, the first challenge of the morning was my first ever experience having to use a squat toilet (assessment: not as difficult as I expected thanks to some helpful pre-trip tips from Staci).<br /><br />The rain proved more challenging as I began the mile long walk back to the downtown “Wachang” train station without an umbrella that I left at Staci/Martin's. I quickly learned why many serious backpackers use weather-proof packs – and realized that the jacket that I thought was waterproof, or at least water resistant, was neither.<br /><br />I kept my growing panic under control as I scanned every store stall for an umbrella and alternated between wanting to take a bus or taxi (afraid my lack of language skills and any pointable papers would make those impossible) and finding an umbrella. Luckily, just when I thought I should make another choice/plan, I happened upon a stall where a woman was selling umbrellas – 40 Yuan (about $5 USD) and I was good to go. Of course by this time I was not far from the train station AND AFTER I bought the umbrella, there were plenty of street hawkers wanting to sell them.<br /><br />The train station was, well, overwhelming. Large numbers of people in 24 different lines waiting to buy tickets – and not one indication of any “foreigner” window or non-Chinese speaking person. I collected myself and my “pointable” paperwork and kept my desperation in check with my favorite “what's the worst that can happen” mantra. I felt I was making progress as I pressed my Lonely Planet book against the ticket window while pointing to Xi'an and then pointed to another page with “soft sleeper.” However, my heart sunk when the ticket teller left the window unexpectedly – but calmed again as I noted he was bringing another person to speak with me. Unfortunately the new person seemed to better understand what I want – but it was clear that she didn't know enough english to get some needed directions to me. Just when I felt like giving up, a kind Chinese gentlemen from the large line now behind me came forward and asked if he could help. I was, once again, rescued with kindness and left the ticket window knowing that the only train to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi">Xi'an</a> with a soft sleeper was leaving from the new station I had arrived at the day before – an hour away.<br /><br />I reversed my route from yesterday (hopped the local bus) and upon arrival at the Wuhan Rail Station, was helped by a person who spoke a little english. I was able to reserve a “soft sleeper” – one bed in a private compartment of 4 beds for the 14 hour train journey to Xi'an, home of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army">Terracotta Army</a>. Having been through the preparation drill on the train trip from Beijing with Staci and Debi, it was easy to set about collecting the necessary food for the ride but there wasn't enough time to do anything else.<br /><br />The train was on time whereupon I met my roommates for the next 14 hours – two guys in their 30's/early 40's (they didn't know each other) – but they spoke the same amount of english as I did chinese – none! Using my maps I was able to convey where I was from and we each pointed to where we were headed, but that ended the ability to communicate – though later I was able to use my IPOD translator program to explain that I loved visiting/seeing China – and I could tell they understood. One even repeated my use of the word “beautiful.” Their warm smiles made me know the trip would be comfortable. I had a bottom bunk in the sleeper and it was comfortable and quiet – and I turned in early knowing that I'd be getting off at around 4:30am for arrival in Xi'an. You might find it interesting that the sleeper only cost 379 Yuan (about $50 USD) to travel 14 hours. Also, I wondered why Amtrak doesn't have such nice/inexpensive sleepers – could it be that Americans refuse to sleep with strangers in the same compartment?<br /><br />I was awake before having the car attendant wake me – and we arrived in Xi'an shortly after 5am. I proceeded to a nearby McDonald's for coffee/breakfast/etc (yep, another squatter - I couldn't help but think that my only objections now are mostly culturally induced) before finding a bus for the hour trip to the Terracotta Army.<br /><br />This <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=29.113775,112.456055&spn=12.804809,28.081055&z=5">link</a> will take you to a Google Map of my train route over the past two days. You might be interested to know that China's rail system is reported to be the most complex and busiest in the world -- and holds the record for transporting the most people in one day -- 6.5 million! Also, I found these <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1238496/Unveiled-Chinas-245mph-train-service-worlds-fastest--completed-just-FOUR-years.html">awesome photos</a> of the inside of the Guangzhou station and high speed trains that I wrote about yesterday.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-10895739345104137552010-04-20T08:12:00.000-07:002010-04-20T18:44:33.299-07:00Day 12 - April 20 - A Solo Adventure BeginsThis morning I was up early with an incomplete plan for a solo adventure – to see how far I could get in my hope to experience the fastest train in the world. Incomplete both because of the lack of time to plan and because there was little information available on the details for these trains that just opened for operation on December 28, 2009 and new stations that were just opened in January 2010.<br /><br />Called the Wuguang Passenger Railway, the Chinese Government spent around $15 billion USD and 5 years completing the first 600 mile stretch of a high speed railway that has reduced travel time between Guangzhou and Wuhan from 11 hours to 3 hours. This is the first section of what will be in 2012 a 1300 mile high speed connection between Beijing in the north and Guangzhou in the south. The train has a “maximum in-service speed” of 244 mph and an average speed of 194 mph besting a record average of 173 mph by a train in France.<br /><br />It was truly a day of adventure as I took (1) a bus to the Shenzhen airport, (2) the 7:45am bus to the Shenzhen Rail Station, (3) the 9:20am bullet train between Shenzhen and Guangzhou, (4) the Goungzhou subway/metro to an yet to be documented stop to catch a (5) connecting bus to the new and amazingly beautiful Guangzhou South Railway Station where I caught the 12:17pm high speed train to Wuhan. At each step I needed a ticket and sometimes directions – mostly done by pointing to Chinese characters on papers I had printed out from the internet. At every junction I was lucky to be helped by kind people who mostly spoke no english. I'd like to claim that I have perfected the “please help me” look – but the truth is that I just think there are an abundance of wonderfully helpful and kind Chinese who are willing to help this “foreigner.”<br /><br />The day was full of fun encounters from a smiling 3 or 4 year old Chinese girl who took time for her chatter with her mom to recite her “A,B,C's” in english loud enough so I could appreciate – to some cleaning ladies at one station who just observed me searching my pockets for my briefly lost ticket I needed at an exit – and without one word offered me a clean spot to set my backpack and, noticing my flipping the huge China volume of the Lonely Planet guidebook, took the book and shook it upside down as a more efficient way. They celebrated with smiles and happy looks and obviously happy, but unknown Chinese words, when I finally found the ticket in a small Chinese language book that I had been studying on the train.<br /><br />The easiest part of the journey was when I arrived at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou_South_Railway_Station">beautiful, new Guangzhou station </a>and was able to purchase my ticket for the high speed on an ATM-like machine that had an “english” button! Similarly, the train was as nice as the nicest airplanes I've ridden in – with helpful and thoughtful attendants.<br /><br />The train didn't stop very many times, but the few stops it made were all at beautiful, new stations – as the entire route had been specifically built for these trains – with bridges and tunnels totaling 2/3rds of the entire length (a reported 684 bridges and 226 tunnels) – traversing beautiful country side. It remains surreal to have seen farmers still plowing with water buffalo while speeding by in the fastest train in the world.<br /><br />Upon arrival at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=wuhan,+china&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=23.345009,56.162109&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Wuhan,+Hubei,+China&ll=30.600094,114.345703&spn=12.61707,28.081055&z=5">Wuhan </a>(also a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuhan_Railway_Station">beautiful new station</a>) – a city of 4.5 million – I proceeded to the ticket window to inquire about continuing onto Xi'an (home of the Terra Cotta soldiers). A kind woman behind me in line helped with her few words of english when the ticket seller understood no english – and I quickly determined that an onward journey required a change in train stations to another one across town and the Yangzi River (at rush hour). The woman gave me the bus number to get to a third rail station which I had determined was about a mile from the Lonely Planet recommended hostel. The bus trip took about an hour or more – and deposited me at another massive train station in the heart of the city – whereupon I guessed at my personal compass by seeing where the sun was setting and walked the mile to the hostel. Probably only those of you who have been in China can appreciate the fact that walking across streets in a Chinese city is incredibly dangerous as drivers here do not recognize any pedestrian rights and largely ignore all traffic signals and lane restrictions. Wuhan, like Shenzhen, is obviously a city of traffic lawlessness.<br /><br />Thankfully the hostel had a room (squat toilet only) that I may have to share (no room mate has shown up yet as I write this (10:30pm). I briefly checked out the room and proceeded to the lounge to get internet access. There I happened to encounter a woman who upon exchanging the briefest of greetings and “what are you doing here” type conversation, she noted that she had gone to Reed College (in Portland) when I mentioned I was from the Portland area. Then she gleaned enough information from my description of my daughter working in Shenzhen to say that she had emailed with Staci because they happen to use the same blogging site and she was in China teaching english (but on individual contract rather than program). Another crazy moment to be talking to someone who knows Staci after a day of seeing but a scarce few non-Chinese in all my long travels.<br /><br />Not exactly sure what tomorrow holds – I'm making this trip up as I go – which is partly required because of the very unusual way in which train seats have to be purchased when not planned several weeks ahead of time. A local museum has the “largest musical instrument” in the world here – so that might tempt me to stay another night – or I might try to head off to Xi'an. I'll probably let train availability help decide tomorrow. Right now I'm ready to crawl in after a fun-filled and exciting day of travel challenges.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-19264576980337417452010-04-20T08:09:00.000-07:002010-04-20T08:41:48.066-07:00Day 11 - April 19 - Factory Tour and Happy Birthday StaciThis wasn't an ordinary “factory tour” – this was the real deal. Allow me to explain.<br /><br />After our trip to Shenzhen in December 2009, I had an opportunity to attend the annual trade show/convention of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) in Anaheim – where all the musical product distributors display their products for retailers. At the convention I happened to notice several vendors from China including the cities we had visited: Shenzhen and Guangzhou – and initiated several conversations with their China-based sales staffs who were uniformly excited to know that this American had visited their home cities. From those contacts, I emailed with a few regarding their products – and when I explained that I might return to Shenzhen, they offered visits to their office/factories.<br /><br />With some email coordination and challenging logistics (even the staffs couldn't point any internet-based map that showed their location – and many street addresses in China are only available in Chinese characters), I visited one of the factories today and got a behind the scenes personal tour of the assembly area (around 100 workers assembling electronic parts – tuners, metronomes, amplifiers). In addition the sales representatives treated me warming with tea and product demonstrations (and samples to take home). It was so very interesting but I did not request permission to take any photos – feeling it might embarrass or offend the workers.<br />It was an interesting experience that gave me the opportunity to explore some of the challenges and details for arranging to import products for sale in the USA.<br /><br />In the evening, Martin, Staci and I went out to dinner in their local village – and enjoyed yet another wonderful meal – this time in celebration of Staci's 24th birthday. A few photos taken at dinner are available here: (to be added as soon as photos uploaded).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-44253301122210511812010-04-20T08:05:00.000-07:002010-04-20T09:17:12.552-07:00Days 9-10 Hong Kong - Saying Goodbye to DebiThe whirlwind trip continued as we enjoyed touring Hong Kong for a full day and a half before accompanying Debi to the Hong Kong airport for her flight home on April 18. I didn't take time to blog about all our activities, but hopefully photos will help tell the story.<br /><br />After seeing Debi off – we proceeded back to Staci/Martin's school where they accomplished another first since being in China – having food delivered to the school, thanks to assistance they got from one of their contact teachers.<br /><br />Photo Link: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010Days810">http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010Days810</a>#Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-46662403518131534272010-04-16T17:34:00.000-07:002010-04-16T17:42:12.544-07:00Days 3 to 8 - Beijing, Shenzhen, Hong KongI have had no time to write as we continued our exploration of Beijing -- then took a 24 hour train ride to Shenzhen -- explored there and attended Staci/Martin's classes -- and then off to Hong Kong by ferry. Such a fun trip with lots of laughs. For now, all I've had time to do is add these additional photos. Details will have to be added another time: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010Days3To8#">http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010Days3To8#</a><div><br /></div><div>This is only a small sampling of the photos -- as we have 3 cameras going (Staci/Martin's, Debi's and mine -- so these are only from my collection). Each photo has a story...but those will have to wait as well.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-72484272873724306102010-04-11T17:45:00.000-07:002010-04-11T18:00:36.083-07:00China 2010 - Day 2 - The Great Wall - April 10With the hostel provided internet, we were able to determine that today's expected sunshine (high of 60) would be the better day to visit the Great Wall as rain was forecast thereafter. We had explored several options for getting to the Wall and had some discussions about which section of the Wall would be best to visit.<br /><br />There were many options – including a hostel organized 4+ hour hike (around 200 yuan a person), a private car tour (600 yuan for all), and a tourist bus (100 yuan per person). Because we knew we didn't want to commit to another day of strenuous walking that the hike would require and we procrastinated organizing a car tour, at breakfast we hatched a plan to take the the tourist bus. However when we approached the hostel staff about cab directions to the bus tour starting point, the desk clerk recommended what she said was a better option – taking a regular, express bus for 12 yuan each. The clerk provided her own handwritten note (in Chinese characters) to show the cab driver and get us to the boarding point. The bus option turned out to be a wonderful adventure amongst Chinese tourists headed to view the Wall on this spectacularly beautiful day.<br /><br />As with all non-tour controlled travel, the experience is not just about the destinations – but also about successfully resolving every challenge that is forced upon you as you venture outside the comfort of routine and familiar. I've often said that if one wants to have a totally relaxing travel experience they should take a cruise where your mind can escape every challenge and your every need is resolved by a simple choice on a schedule of your own making. Traveling like we are here in China is the exact antithesis – where nearly every moment is filled with decision making – where/what to eat, where are toilets when you need one, where and how to go for every moment. Of course, it is the fun and the challenge of such travel – and here in China the obstacles of language (nearly no one, including cab drivers, read/understand English) and unfamiliar food make those challenges even more intense – and might I say, more rewarding when successful.<br /><br />I'm out of time to finish this day's entry -- but hopefully the photos will tell the story as well as we continued the adventure from the Great Wall to a street market where we stepped outside our comfort zone to try some different foods including silkworm cacoons.<br /><br />This <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010Day2TheGreatWall#">link</a> will take you to some photos of our visit to the Great Wall and night market.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-32940196876082004932010-04-11T17:44:00.000-07:002010-04-11T17:56:14.443-07:00China 2010 - Day 1 - The Forbidden City - April 9We were up early, enjoyed the hostel provided breakfast and began a day of walking to the Forbidden City/Palace Museum, Tiananmen Square and nearby parks.<br /><br />Here is a <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/noeltog/China2010Day1TheForbiddenCity#">link</a> to our photos for the day. <br /><br />I haven't taken the time to write the details of our day -- suffice to say it was a wonderfully, fun day of exploration where we pushed our walking legs to their limits.<br /><br />Just before crashing our exhausted bodies into a night of wonderful slumber, we hatched a plan to allow tomorrow's weather to dictate whether we headed to the Great Wall or the Summer Palace.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-61168227581855065592010-04-10T02:25:00.001-07:002010-05-04T16:30:27.167-07:00Getting To Beijing - April 7 & 8, 2010From decision to departure, the days flew as I successfully procrastinated many of my preparations. But with the help of the excellent China Lonely Planet guide, Staci reserved our accommodations and we prepared an itinerary that fit within the constraints of unchangeable flights and Staci's work obligations.<br /><br />To get to Beijing, I was booked on Korean Air because they had the cheapest fare ($752) at the time of my initial plan for a solo trip; Debi was on United because she was able to obtain her ticket using mileage benefits; and, Staci was booked on Air China. Each of us were arriving in Beijing at different times over a 4-5 hour period from 3:15pm to 8pm at two different termianls. So our planning included necessary meeting points in a country where only Staci would have a working cell phone (Debi and my Verizon phones don't work in China – or most of the rest of the world for that matter) so we arranged meeting places: no easy/foolproof task at an unknown, massive airport. Thereafter Staci coordinated with our accommodations who had offered inexpensive transport from the airport.<br /><br />Debi and my flights half the way around the world were pleasant. And to answer a frequent question, the actual flight from the west coast of the United States to Beijing is about 12 hours non-stop where one arrives in Beijing having “lost” an entire day. For example, Debi's nonstop flight from San Francisco departed around noon on April 7 and arrived 12 hour later in Beijing where the time was around 3pm on April 8. But the common question: “How long does it take to get to Beijing?” is actually more complicated because most flights departing from Portland require a connection in either San Francisco or Seattle. Similarly the less-expensive flights often require a stop someplace else as well – for example, both of my trips to China required in Seoul, South Korea. This time I was on three different planes, from three different airports that took a total of 19 hours from departure in Portland to landing in Beijing (not including the extra hours to arrive at the airport prior to flight time). Good fortune allowed me to move up to an early flight to San Francisco – so Debi and I were able to coordinate a lunch meeting at the airport there before we again when our separate ways to our separate flights.<br /><br />My flights went quickly as I ended up with some pretty interesting seat-mates. Coming out of Portland I sat next to a man who appeared to be in his 30's who was from Tibet. He left Tibet without a passport or a birth certificate – and was now making a special trip to the Chinese consulate in San Francisco to try to convince them to give him a twice-denied visa to visit his dying mother in Tibet. Then out of San Francisco, I sat next to two men (not traveling together) – one a 66 year old OB doctor from California who was headed to Thailand to marry a young bride with whom he had very limited contact (3 week visits a few times a year) – and the other guy in his early 50's had met, through internet connections, a Chinese “girlfriend” who spoke no English (arranged and interpreted by another). It was fun to have an opportunity to get a first hand look and have conversations with the type of guys that I had seen during my earlier trip to China – older American guys with young Asian girlfriends.<br /><br />All meet-ups in Beijing worked as arranged – and it was exciting to be greeted by my daughters in Beijing and begin this adventure together. The driver whisked us to our accommodations – a “backpacker” hostel recommended by Lonely Planet – and we were very pleased to find the place to be very nice with 3 single beds in a spacious, private room/bath. Cost per night for all three of us: $270 yuan – the equivalent of about $45 USD breakfast included. As we learned during our previous trip, China hostels are a wonderfully inexpensive alternative for people like us who don't require more than a clean, private room/bath – and many, like this one, are located in wonderfully close-in to city centers and/or attractions. In this case, we are walking distance from the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square – our planned destination for the morning.<br /><br />We celebrated our successful first two days of our adventure with a shared a Tsingtao beer – and were in bed by 11 pm local time with our bodies reminding us that they knew we had stayed up all night (we had only slept briefly on the planes) – it was 8am back in Portland and we had been awake/on the move since 4am the prior morning.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-48079823660722845142010-04-04T19:37:00.000-07:002013-08-28T18:31:33.885-07:00A Father/Daughter Trip - Ready for DepartureWhen my daughters/son were in elementary school, we participated in what was then known as the YMCA Indian Princess (daughters) and YMCA Indian Guides (son) programs that were wonderful father/child programs involving monthly meetings to build/assemble various craft projects and regular campouts with similarly situated dads/kids. Since that time the program has gotten more politically correct and <a href="http://www.ymca.net/downloads/ag_comparison.pdf">removed the "Indian" connection</a> -- and is now called the <a href="http://www.ymca.net/adventureguides/ag_what_is.html">YMCA Guide Program</a>. Many wonderful memories/experiences were created during those times with each child under the mantra of "Friends Always." I will forever hold those shared moments with each of my children as special times of adventure and fun! Fast forward to today -- when on Wednesday I depart for Beijing on what was initiated as a solo adventure -- but which has become an opportunity to have an adult version of the special father/daughters experiences.<br />
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I have already relayed how my oldest daughter Debi (now age 30) surprised me with her interest/commitment in joining this trip to China. As we developed travel plans, my younger daughter Staci (age 24 this month) was able to arrange her schedule to also come to Beijing (some 1300 miles from Shenzhen) to join Debi and me for our visit there and our planned 24 hour train trip to Shenzhen.</div>
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I feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity to have a very unique, trip of a lifetime, "friends always" father/daughters experience in this newest adventure to China. Debi and I are set to depart Wednesday, April 7 and Staci will meet us at the Beijing airport.</div>
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In our preparations for the trip, Debi came across a public library offering of a two-DVD set (4 hours) entitled "The People's Republic of Capitalism" narrated by Ted Koppel and produced in 2008 on the <a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/koppel/china/field-dispatches/john.html">Discovery Channel</a>. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to understand more about today's China. For those of you that may be Netflix subscribers, you can find it <a href="http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_People_s_Republic_of_Capitalism/70117089?strackid=53b257a486a7e168_0_srl&strkid=1255099087_0_0&trkid=438381">here</a>. Much of it confirmed what Debbie and I learned during our Nov/Dec 2009 trip to China -- but there was plenty that was new (did you know that "Buick" cars are the most popular/prestigious cars in China?) Similarly, we ran across a 6 part BBC series called "Wild China" that provides some wonderful background on the culture/wildlife in China. It too is available through Netflix <a href="http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/Wild_China/70099791?strackid=db8f5f648d5b144_0_srl&strkid=679553153_0_0&trkid=438381">here</a>.</div>
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In addition, I FINALLY got around to organizing and selecting a representative sampling of photos from our Nov/Dec 2009 trip to China. Those photos are <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/113465355496130033566/albums/5456353245380919761?authkey=CODq_Nz2iKji3AE" target="_blank">here</a>. In preparing the photos for uploading, I separately arranged all the photos I took of some the food we ate. Those photos are <a href="https://plus.google.com/photos/113465355496130033566/albums/5456371751227330465?authkey=CMuGwt-B8OKNrQE" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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I am very excited to know that departure is just days away!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-83878008092440597192010-02-24T14:06:00.000-08:002010-02-24T15:14:05.170-08:00I Loved Visiting China - So I'm Going Again -- With A Different WomanI still feel badly that (1) my prior posting was so negative, (2) I never finished this blog and (3) I have yet to organize/post the photos for sharing. But you certainly will understand that even though the one posting was negative (or, in my view/style, bluntly honest) -- I truly loved visiting China. In fact, I loved it so much that I've decided to go again for another 3 week trip -- this time adding Beijing to the journey. It's good that I didn't wrap up this blog -- because I intend to revive it so that it will cover this new additional adventure. And with this second trip in the planning stages, I've found renewed energy to finally organize and post the photos from the first trip -- and will soon provide a link.<div><br /></div><div>A little background on the new trip: The trip was planned and tickets purchased as a solo trip because Deb had already, long ago, planned and reserved flights to travel to West Virginia and Virginia to visit her dad, her sisters and our son/daughter-in-law (in Williamsburg, VA). I knew Deb was less interested in traveling to China a second time -- so it seemed like a natural to travel there while she was on her trip to the east coast. I, on the other hand, thought there could be no better time to visit again than while Staci (our youngest) and Martin (her husband) were still there.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, with little thought to the details of the trip -- and only the general sense that if I was going to return to China a second time, I should also plan a visit to Beijing and see some of the country between there and southern China, I purchased my tickets departure from Portland on April 7 to Beijing and my return from Hong Kong on April 27.</div><div><br /></div><div>I purchased the ticket on February 22 and let our kids know of my plan. By the evening of February 23, I got a call from Debi Anne (our oldest child) inquiring about my plans and my willingness to have her come along on the trip. As you might imagine, I was delighted -- I had even briefly thought about inviting her but quickly dismissed the thought as unworkable given her employment and the busy life she and her husband have raising our two grandchildren (ages 6 and 3). Debi (note the different spelling from my wife "Debbie" -- yeah, we hadn't anticipated the confusion when we named her!) had already begun to address the work/child rearing issues and was getting encouragement from her husband (who had the opportunity to visit China while in college) and her friends. In short order and with coordination around the globe with Staci -- Debi now has tickets to join me for the first 10 days of the trip.</div><div><br /></div><div>I truly feel blessed to be making this dad/daughter trip. I've changed the title of this blog to fit the fact that it will now cover both Debbie and my November/December 2009 trip and Debi/my April 2010 trip. More postings to follow.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-57321524795724688582009-12-23T12:01:00.000-08:002013-05-06T09:26:31.543-07:00Home Again - Reflections On What We Didn't LikeWhere did the 21 days go? Here I am sitting comfortably back at home reflecting on the wonderful adventure of China. We continued to keep so busy that I had no time to add to this blog -- so I'm going to take a few minutes now to recap some observations. And, while the great majority of the trip was absolutely fantastic -- I'm going to divert this one posting to divulge some less-than-fun moments during the trip:<br />
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1. <b>Hong Kong is NOT China: Our Scariest Moment:</b> China uses the expression "one country, two systems" to describe its unique reacquisition of Hong Kong -- but it is my observation that there is very little similarity between Hong Kong and the part of mainland China that we visited. And, the border crossing of having to process out of one and then into the other makes it clear that China and Hong Kong are still completely separate entities. For while the border crossing entering mainland China had gone quick and routine when we arrived, our departure from mainland to Hong Kong was anything but routine -- giving us the scariest moments of our trip. We arrived at the border crossing and became part of a mass of people both ahead of us and behind us that we're crossing into Hong Kong. We never did learn why the processing backup occurred -- but we had gotten to about midway in the crowd when, again for unknown reasons, the crowd began to rush the doors. We had already known that the Chinese people do not seem to have any regard for queue jumping (<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6351667.stm">see this article</a> ) in our experiences on the buses, trains, stores, restaurants, etc. But, now, the mass of people just pushed the queue barriers out of the way and forced ahead. We were caught in the middle. We didn't want to disobey the orders of the yelling/indeed screaming officers who were in hand-to-hand fisticuffs with some at the door but we also couldn't stop the crushing crowd as we were moved along against our will. About the same time that we feared that the officers would pull weapons -- the crowd surge paused and we had a-way-too-close view of officers yelling all kinds of demands (none of which we understood -- but we could tell the crowd wasn't responding the way they wanted as they began to get physical with a few).</div>
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It was an experience I'd rather not have again. The border crossing that day -- both out-processing from China and in-processing to Hong Kong -- took us 5 hours. It was no fun and left us with more questions about China, its people and government. It is still hard to reconcile in my mind what we had learned about the school systems apparent focus on teaching obedience first -- with the apparent disrespectful -- survival of the fittest -- type behavior demonstrated both by their lack of queuing etiquette and crowd rioting at the border crossing. </div>
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2. <b>What We Liked the Least - Toilet Smell, Spitting, and Driver Behavior:</b> First off, toilets: It's pretty well known that China has historically used "squat" toilets rather than the "western style" sit-down type. We knew that and we knew the kids had regular "western style" toilets. We also quickly learned that we could find "western style" toilets for handicapped or elderly (sometimes marked in English "for week" (misspelling for "weak" that was also common). So, the squat toilet really wasn't a huge issue. The real issue became the unbelievable stench in almost every room that had toilets. First I thought perhaps it was because the plumbing can't take paper, and so the used toilet tissue is deposited in a waste basket. That was sometimes a contributing factor, but not often because the wastebaskets frequently had foot operated lids. Then I thought it was just general lack of cleanliness. That too was also sometimes a contributing factor, but not often because even those restrooms with full time cleaning attendants present (and many had them) stunk. I finally came to my own unprovable theory that Chinese plumbing systems are missing the simple U-shaped water trap that keeps the the septic odors from re-entering the room. I obviously don't know if my theory is right -- but I do know that the smell of China's toilets is disgusting.</div>
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Second, spitting: One of the many challenges the <a href="http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/64853.htm">Chinese government is trying to address</a> is the anti-civilized cultural behavior of spitting by a large portion of the population. When Staci/Martin first told me about this -- I was somewhat dismissive of the notion that the problem might be as widespread as they had observed. I couldn't have been more wrong. While it's clear that there have been successes: I saw/heard no spitting in the nice, new metro systems where apparently laws are clear and there is adequate on-site law enforcement to catch offenders. On the street is a whole different story. And, disgustingly, I'm not just talking about a simple, move to the curb and spit. What is common is to have people walking nearby <a href="http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-it-mean-to-hock-a-loogie.htm">hocking a loogie</a> with seriously startling sounds. And, given their population density (it's easy to understand why they don't have the same personal space assumptions that we take for granted) -- that nasty sound is often offensively close.</div>
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Again, it was hard to wrap my head around the observation that about 10% of the general population and a majority of the government officials continue to wear surgical face masks at all times to protect against H1N1 but the hocking and spitting continues.</div>
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Third, driver behavior: It is impossible to adequately describe the experience of being both a pedestrian and a bus user in China. I can not ever imagine wanting to personally drive there. As I previously described, China's drivers demonstrate chaotic lawlessness where the pedestrian has no rights, the drivers make a habit of honking their horns constantly without regard for whether the honking really serves any useful purpose, and with same disrespect for space and sharing demonstrated at the border crossing -- driving is the wheeled version of survival of the fittest -- the ultimate game of automotive "chicken."</div>
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Here again, I continue to have great difficulty in understanding why the Chinese government employs a reported 30,000 to monitor and control what its population can see on the internet (even this google blogging site is restricted) and yet it seems to have almost no law enforcement of basic traffic and public sanitation laws. </div>
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Those are my rants for today. I share them so that you might get a more complete picture of our experience -- but don't think for a moment that these less-than-best experiences seriously detracted from the wonderful adventure we enjoyed in China. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-5208347677224169182009-12-13T19:37:00.000-08:002009-12-13T19:51:56.102-08:00The Weekend In GuangzhoWe just returned from spending Friday and Saturday nights in Guangzhou (pronouced Gwawng-joe) the capital of the Guangdong province in which Shenzhen is located. To and from we took a 55 minute ride to go about 85 miles on a "bullet" train that reached speeds of about 125 mph. The trains were modern and plush -- and the cost was the equivalent of about $10 each way.<br /><br />The province of Guangdong holds great significance in China both (1) historically: origins of contact with the outside world that reaches back to the second century AD and origins of revolutionary politics that has guided the direction of China; and (2) culturally: origins of Cantonese and their world-respected cuisine. Guangzhou is a city of about 11 million people.<br /><br />The weekend was filled with fascinating exposure to the city, its people, food and history. We enjoyed long walks through major city parks which gave us lots of opportunity to see families at play and exercise, and visited one history museum and several historical monuments. Surprisingly, the city traffic was less crazy than Shenzhen -- even Lonely Planet guidebook says that the city enjoys "tougher traffic law enforcement" -- and the city seemed better equipped for English-only speakers with more dual-language signage. The subway/metro was most similar to Shenzhen in that it was modern and beautiful.<br /><br />We exhausted our bodies -- but envigorated our spirits as there was so much to be interested in and learn about. We had many fun encounters with students collecting money for charity, random Chinese tourists who just wanted to put us in their photos, and locals who wanted to teach us their activity with a ball/paddle. We also enjoyed lots of wonderful food.<br /><br />Upon returning to Shenzhen, we visited their spectacular concert hall and library -- and had a random encounter with a local resident who saw us sampling food from various street vendors and just wanted to converse in English. We chatted for quite a while -- and exchanged email addresses -- so we can keep up the contact.<br /><br />It is impossible to adequately explain all the wonderful contacts, food and experiences -- but I've put together these two photo collages that will give you the flavor of our wonderful weekend.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414933979045015522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidvK2Fwqu54X75G8WBHo87cMTUGoEq1xAD49jxdCwIRXqa28i7xwWYJ6-sbDnhWJvU9m0PAL-MGN1dEmBsLnC4AE7S25by7cgoTuGyTrDyn2ctCeuh8ADQyWgPb4Jw0JmOFzb-jBv3MtE/s400/Captured_Videos.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5414934364948908882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjP3JfIEld3nm1kZQMWB-mTbAdSI9anXWSHqXmLhGivnRAzAJ8RZs0GVRRmIBnDFE8yRgDtfiAQy68FJbUHyi8qNXi6Fcz9Ba-iBm0khIohEVcC-7Kuf_ay5loiPZS8pi8SEbFETkoHQI/s400/10picturesforyou.jpg" border="0" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-44350515998204588082009-12-10T20:16:00.000-08:002009-12-10T20:31:55.427-08:00Monday to Friday - Dec 7-11 - Part IWow! The time is flying and we've been super busy -- and either too busy or too tired from being busy to keep up a daily posting. I have a bit of time now -- so I'll post a few thoughts -- and add to them when I get a chance.<br /><br />As we often say about life itself -- we wonder where the time has gone and we feel like time is running out too quickly on all we want to experience and learn. It has all been fantastically interesting -- such that our learning continues after our daily experiences, late into the evening both from conversation with the kids and from reading from the many books the kids have here. In addition, we've eaten in the high school cafeteria several times this week that has allowed us to enjoy enlightening conversations with the kids' "contact" teachers -- one in his mid-30's who has been teaching 14 years and the other, age 24, who just started teaching last year. It's been so interesting to be able to learn from them about all aspects of Chinese life, education, food, culture, attitudes.<br /><br />Rather than writing a daily journal for the week, I'm going to just highlight some of our activities and summarize a tiny bit of what we have learned/experienced.<br /><br />I'd never even heard of Shenzhen until just a few years ago when our daughter-in-law's brother was here participating in the same English teaching program that the kids are doing. I still remember seeing him on the video-chat program (Gmail Talk) and contacting him for a brief conversation. Now that I've had a first-hand look for myself, allow me to share some background and personal observations (a little of this repeats what I posted previously -- but is helpful to understand what follows):<br /><br />Shenzhen (pronounced Shen-Jen) is a mega-metropolis just north of the Hong Kong territory that is home to 12 to 14 million people. However, just 25 years ago, it was just a small fishing village. In the 1980's it was designated by the Chinese government as one of the "Special Economic Zones" where capitalism was encouraged and government assisted. Today it ranks in the top of first-tier cities in China along with Shanghai and Beijing and is said to be the number-one Chinese city for quality of life and the richest city in China.<br /><br />Shenzhen is comprised of several "districts" just like any large US city -- and a new and growing underground metro subway system that appears to be as good as, if not better,than the newer ones in the US like in Washington, DC and Atlanta and far superior to the aging ones in Chicago and New York. Like US big cities, it has huge, mega-destination shopping malls packed with high-end stores that I could never afford to shop at -- as well as the typical big box stores familiar in the US: IKEA, Sams Club, WalMart and electronic/computer/camera stores on a massive scale that I've never seen in the US.<br /><br />Like all big US cities, it has destination tourist attractions, massive traffic problems (though on a scale and with a seemingly chaotic lawlessness that I've never seen before -- where pedestrians appear to have no right-of-way even in cross walks), seemingly unlimited places to eat and shop, and a wide diversity of income and quality of life for its residents. Like all major US cities, there is clearly many who have little amongst many who have it all.<br /><br /><br />With that background, I want to explain that the Staci/Martin were assigned to a school which is outside the "Special Economic Zone" of Shenzhen in an "outer district" called Bao'an" (pronounced Bough-On") where they have gotten to experience all of the diversity of Shenzhen. Their nearest "shopping" is truly a rural village which is a 25 minute walk or the equivalent of about 30 cent bus ride away. It has one main, smaller grocery store but lots of crowded stalls and street vendors, and many eating opportunities including a few nicer restaurants (table cloths!) and many "hole-in-the-wall" type diners. One of the nicer restaurants cost us the equivalent of under $15 for all four of us and one of the diners cost us the equivalent of about $5 for complete dinners (four plates of different items plus rice and tea). Yes, that's right -- not $5 each, $5 for all of us. Both served incredibly delicious food -- the diner gave us the opportunity watch them make the spaghetti like noodles that were hand-stretched to the perfect size.<br /><br />The following picture is our $15 meal (not pictured are two beers, tea and rice -- all for $15)<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413828573108869058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLWTuhTm7xqQDZuYbJ2CGbF-S4uT-CddpaW1QIxA8jJTUHg989srS9AXJtBlk_62yT5eEsvuucWaNMKDlE1qU-K1al0pBAe0KxAewJcK6FlKviRLQ34Jhp_Jl_y6bhZzowepSqpLjR0WE/s400/DSC06934.JPG" border="0" />I'm out of time right now -- and we are headed on a bullet train out of Shenzhen for two nights (more on the trip later) -- so I'll add to this later as well.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-77494876201278287082009-12-08T17:47:00.000-08:002009-12-08T18:23:38.124-08:00Traveling to Staci/Martin's China Home - Sun - Dec 6Another gorgeous day in Hong Kong -- but it was time to begin our trek to one of the "outer districts" of Shenzhen. The city of Shenzhen is directly north/northwest of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong (specifically the part known as the "New Territories") but, as Staci/Martin had advised, it is very different than Hong Kong. One of the first signs of the many differences was the formidable border crossing to get from the Hong Kong region into Shenzhen.<br /><br />We were sure glad we had Staci and Martin to guide us to get to their school accommodations because it would have been a huge challenge to try it by ourselves. Getting to the border crossing would have been the easiest part because in the Hong Kong region, all signage is<br />duplicated in English -- and this involved only taking the subway to its termination and transferring to an above ground train to Shenzhen. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413055137928335266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-izbf6vBawAs2EmHHAA7dKE2UQdma83i9amD9GVY_KJ_e1p6IWCzWmYJ3xtDkJy2Y2TiBlYDcH9B8XSL-9VPv8T4WQpIi7HhahCsVUxW43uqF7mmppoYd-4DpaIie8h03o8Tj5ktAK9k/s400/DSC06872.JPG" border="0" />Even the border crossing was pretty typical immigration/customs processes with an additional/preliminary stop and form processing with Chinese government health officials. After leaving the border station -- we proceeded onto the new and nice Shenzhen subway to its northern most termination/stop. Here is where the trip got complicated as we were in a very different environment where we were the only non-Chinese persons to be seen and signage was only written in Chinese. Getting to the school from here entailed finding a rather obscure bus stop for express transit to the Shenzhen airport (a very new, modern and busy airport complete with a Starbucks), then finding the right local bus to a non-descript stop along side of an expressway and walking about 1/2 mile to the school.<br /><br />I was overwhelmed with happiness to be walking onto the beautiful campus <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5413054697160122546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiby4E0zUxkCmNSlCnamFDFPmFZjCb-uskmINjmPIL4j5Om6d9js1OjLOKwJdS7deUys_UVeAGnlUFltJJBlblNY-fpUNxkHBld_xKVRtO5gX83bit_4iFri5nOrcYeZDq7fn2QZBpOTws/s400/DSC06875.JPG" border="0" />which had been home to Staci/Martin for the past 4 months -- and which I had only seen from the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=116290453566433877504.000478b466f7b0e8fc475&ll=22.648477,113.836384&spn=0.00252,0.004812&t=h&z=18">satellite view of Google maps</a>, a few photos and through the computer web cams with which we frequently video-chat. It was fun to get a first-hand view of our accommodations for the next couple weeks (the two dorm rooms the kids have on the 6th floor of one of the three large housing complexes), their private office (on the 4th floor of the main classroom/administrative office building), the cafeteria and the massive gym/sports court/field. The school is a highly regarded senior high school where the 4000 students reside on campus during the weekdays.<br /><br />Staci/Martin gave us a "home-cooked" meal -- and we filled the evening with lots of conversation about their life and experiences here.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-61518292401802600222009-12-05T17:07:00.000-08:002009-12-05T17:14:29.324-08:00With Staci and MartinFriday and Saturday have been a blur of activity and conversation with Staci and Martin here in Hong Kong. They arrived at our hostel on Friday morning as neither of them had classes to teach on Friday. It was wonderful to be able to hug them again after 4 months separation. We had great fun catching up and were soon back out on the streets and subway playing tourists together. With both the kids' knowledge of the area (they had visited Hong Kong twice before) and our trusted Lonely Planet guidebook -- we've been on the go experiencing Hong Kong, its neighborhoods, markets, sights and food.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We started our sightseeing in Kowloon where we first went to retrieve the kids' repaired Nikon camera (they had left it there a month before). Thereafter we pushed our bodies, both our feet and our senses, to their limits by taking in as much as we could. Peaceful walks through an amazingly beautiful park (Nan Lian) and Buddhist nunnery (Chi Lin) were followed by visits to crowded and loud street markets (jade, Temple Street, Nathan Road's "Golden Mile") mixed in with local food -- ending the night watching the spectacular "Symphony of Lights" from the Kowloon waterfront. The "symphony" involves the pulsating lights of 44 highrise, waterfront buildings set to music and put on at 8pm each evening. </div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQWWwCu4YUEriBtJUpmlyLDDrcVHWu7o0ZUBZWWRPFo6hOhOp2MJEKB7_uJFi6kwNseU-SqHj66ADGZrdtoQNEUdrzUlSupzNl-RUMzfclGoYREjO6B7ws_u-YGum2XDZDuijY1qAYXw/s400/DSC05055.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411924348313041234" /><div> The display we watched was accompanied by a flotilla of illuminated boats and special musical presentations in celebration of the opening of the 2009 East Asian Games that were opened on Saturday. About the time our feet were telling us that they would take no more abuse for the day, we returned to our hostel to continue our conversations over some supermarket beer and cheetos/snacks.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Saturday, we renewed the assault on our own bodies/stamina with similar intensity. We started by taking the the streetcars (double decker trams that have been in operation since 1904) </div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpIL_xem1zmczcaSCCjtLjZ2g4uKnisrJP-WlGv3x8smnaYNeFojBtY4KSSntyPtFRKVf0aIbHWDT9xaVKoNRZZjbI4HfKvJDvEZn3Dsx5BVrZDNBg7PTq-d1hqnLhiPAFzLMOEEsFNE/s400/DSC06856.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411924143231322946" /><div>to more markets in the central districts of the city followed by taking the longest series of escalators up the hillside to the zoo/botanical gardens. Again we were fascinated with everything -- and sought out and happened upon many interesting and fun sights -- from the many ginseng merchants to an elaborate wedding that was going on at the cathedral. </div><div><br /></div><div>Another <a href="http://mikesglobaladventure.blogspot.com">blog</a> I follow of a guy traveling by motorcycle from Seattle to the tip of South America describes the best moments of travel as "the in-between parts": "They are genuine moments that occur without the direction of guidebooks or behind the guise of local attractions." I agree with him -- and today was full of them as well. But the guidebooks are essential in setting the course for the "in-between parts." And, this afternoon we had just enough information from the guidebook (some city bus route numbers) to get us headed on a curvy, mountainous road to the southern coast of Hong Kong Island with a destination of "Stanley Market." The ride, on an upper level of a city bus, took us along some of the most beautiful beaches and waterfront residential areas -- to another busy market set in a lovely seaside resort.</div><div><br /></div><div>Following the return ride, we found a local place to try our luck on ordering food -- and ended up with some pretty delicious dishes -- and only one marginal one. Eating is always an adventure of travel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Walking back to our hotel was an another adventure all to itself -- because it was Saturday night and the city had become swarmed with people -- a density that one must experience to understand. It was interesting -- fascinating even -- but we were also delighted to finally reach the tranquility of our hostel rooms (with a few more beers and snacks -- to fuel our own assessments of the wonderful day in Hong Kong).</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomorrow we head to the "real" China as we head to Staci/Martin's school. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-30427545504690024562009-12-03T14:21:00.001-08:002009-12-03T14:38:01.430-08:00Day 3 - Sightseeing Hong KongDeb and I like to use tripadvisor.com's top rated attractions as a beginning point when we get to explore a new city -- and today was no exception. Our first destination was the spectacular views of Hong Kong from Victoria's Peak -- which can be climbed by a historic tram. We opted to walk the distance of two subway stops so that we could enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of the awakening city -- and we were glad we did. Along the way we happened upon Hong Kong park -- a forested escape from the shopping malls and skyscrapers that surround it. The Park was full of interesting places and plants -- and we were especially delighted with the free and lovely aviary that is home to over 600 birds of 90 different species.Victoria's Peak did provide the promised panoramic views of the city and harbor on a perfectly beautiful day except for the smog that I mentioned in my last posting. <img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISCBlL8whg3uRX-8eY9PJeV96MD6C9lD_PyzsfhBtCie40N4tv1fPCOIU2SMwrDVgu-ytJlYcb36S9HnE_4Rr6IqUyaHWni49Zx-vNKw47c2RrRIgjv59VMy_8JRx6Xb6hyphenhyphenrsldIcMwA/s400/DSC06767.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411142493557148850" />Thereafter, we strolled through more significant buildings -- and beautiful fountains/parks to get to the famous Hong Kong institution of some 120+ years -- the Star Ferry boats that carry passengers to Kowloon (once the only way to cross -- it now is more of a respected historical attraction as there has been a cross-harbor tunnel since 1978 and the MTR rapid transit crossing since 1980).<div><br />We took the ferry to Kowloon -- and followed the crowd into yet another high-end shopping mall. Just to give you an idea of the size of this mall, I should point out that it had 4 separate Starbucks locations. We only stayed long enough to note that shoe and clothing prices were about the same as in the USA. We then took the MTR to another busy district, Mong Kok, known for its large number of computer and electronic goods vendors.</div><div><br />We made our way back to our hostel by MTR -- to rest our very weary feet for a while -- and make contact with Staci/Martin to coordinate our get together tomorrow. When night fell, we headed back out onto the streets and found a very authentic Chinese noodle house (only one English menu in the place)<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpCqGXVQiDZt-pOzxh3jEhilwwFuay-Abn8brAG5EpYJnf2x_Le9TgdCiPAuH9LYXRUQSzGPMFrt4W1IIX395iuXFPXmCq-dFJOOxCzBcd9BTN6qwOoUq-F7JW0cuVJvBde3nh-apNRK0/s400/DSC06793.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411142084548197762" /> -- and tried some dishes that we just guessed at -- including fish balls. Eating noodles with chopsticks challenged us -- but we slurped like we saw everyone around us doing -- and filled our bellies, albeit more slowly than those more skilled with chopsticks.<br /><br />Crowds of people filled the streets this evening -- most smartly dressed and the stores seemed loaded with shoppers. I marveled at the amount of wealth on display here -- as the stores seemed filled to the brim -- especially the high-end jewelers and clothing stores. I made a mental note to do some internet research on average salaries of Hong Kong residents and tourists -- as it has been clear from all our days' activities that this may be ground zero for conspicuous consumption. Also, it is worth noting that while Hong Kong is smaller in square miles than the city of Los Angeles -- it supports about twice as many residents -- some 7 million. By comparison, the city of San Francisco has a population of about 3/4 of one million -- and the city of Portland, Oregon, only 1/2 million. The skyline of Hong Kong makes it easy to understand why it is considered one of the most densely populated areas in the world.<br /><br />Tomorrow we meet up with Staci and Martin who are joining us here in Hong Kong for a couple of nights before we head to their school/current home!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-52917123690741946752009-12-02T03:15:00.000-08:002009-12-02T03:23:58.476-08:00Our First Night And First Full DayArrival into Hong Kong was ontime and immigration/customs processing was fast and easy. We quickly found an ATM and got our first Hong Kong Dollars -- which are currently exchanged for just under $8 Hong Kong Dollars for $1 US Dollar. It was a little odd to have the ATM spit out HK$800 while only reducing my account by US$103. We then waited for the hotel shuttle for a few minutes. The first night we arranged to stay in a nice hotel about 2 miles from the airport because of our late arrival time.<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The hotel was super nice with a view out to the popular "cable car" "Ngong Ping" sky tram to one of the largest Buddha statues in the world -- a destination attraction for our first full day. We quickly crashed into the comfortable bed -- about 11:30pm local time but our bodies knew we had been up all night because of the time/date change.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The next morning we had a video chat with Staci/Martin to let them know that we arrived safely and had an extra suitcase full of stuff for them including six pounds (2 Costco boxes) of Cheez-its and 5 lbs of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar (two things Staci/Martin haven't been able to find in China and which they are craving). The suitcase also contains four pounds of Jelly Bellies and four pounds of individually wrapped Lifesavers (for classroom treats) as well as various clothing Staci wanted and some homemade cookies from Martin's dad, Randy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>We leisurely got our first day in Hong Kong started and left our suitcases with the hotel so we could venture out on the nearby sky "cable car". The walk to the cable car took us through a high-end shopping mall that was attached to the hotel -- that reminded us that high-end shopping malls all look the same, with the same stores regardless of country. Thankfully, the food court had unusual local fare and we enjoyed getting reacquainted with chopsticks over lunch.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The cable car ride was fun -- and that's an amazing admission from someone who doesn't like heights -- but the area smog/fog didn't lend itself to amazing photos. At the end of the 30 minute ride we hiked the 260 steps for an up close visit to the Buddha -- and wandered around the nearby monastery and "village."</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRXp4TRHmF2kEy5Cj2MLQ51WW1OpVmBmHVz0ytmGOI0KZGotWvlmebz_ZIINB_FaL4jedu163z8-nQkQ-z1xEBaqINhY8U_Hxz1MKluIVQAFfQwomxchWjssn1RgfXUM0c98K9Pj-NYaE/s400/DSC06713.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410596850258765138" />After collecting our luggage, we made our way on Hong Kong's extensive metro/subway -- called the MTR -- to downtown Hong Kong where we had two nights reserved at the very inexpensive but perfectly located Hong Kong hostel. The private room/bath is rudimentary -- but we could stay here for 4 nights for less than what one night cost us near the airport. It's our kind of place -- the kind of place that allows us to stretch our traveling dollars. Free wi-fi is a bonus!<div><br /></div><div>We made our way out tonight to find some dinner -- and enjoyed one of our favorite past times when traveling -- checking out the local supermarkets. I had to take a picture when I saw where their apples were from!</div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQHZANnOddF_C9s1tk-fAbEBjZB3yAyObnJ8Ov9JPD8l36r9kfMevXcBaIyR4yYGuWLuLnfQOwAvtZCRwf0DQBKeB1CvTMr6vmZsY3NTJ2m1jIohwu_hiLDcwo13FYx2FWyFcWjFmM7M/s400/DSC06734.JPG" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410596588352967794" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-66788622931768967912009-12-01T17:00:00.000-08:002009-12-02T13:58:03.997-08:00And We're OffWhen I was making the reservations for this trip last August, I noted that departing from Portland would require connecting through Seattle and about $200 per person extra plus the dreaded United Airlines baggage fees -- so we decided to proceed by car to Seattle and leave from there. Thankfully, Asiana Airlines -- the top ranked national airline of South Korea -- offered some great fares ($707 round trip including all taxes/airport fees) from Seattle to Hong Kong with a change of planes in Seoul, South Korea.<br /><br />So, we drove to Seattle on November 29 -- spent the night and Martin's mom drove us to the Seattle airport this morning for a 1:25pm departure. I am writing this posting from the second leg of the trip -- after having flown 10 1/2 hours from Seattle to Seoul. This flight from Seoul to Hong Kong will take another 3 1/2 hours.<br /><br />I can't say enough nice things about Asiana Airlines -- the friendly, attentive service reminds me of what flying USED to be like in the USA. We just finished our third full meal (all free - 2 on the first flight to Seoul along with a "snack") and unlimited, free wine and no baggage fees. I don't know what the ratio of flight attendants to passengers is, but it is apparent that it is much higher than USA carriers.<br /><br />The Seoul airport was beautiful -- though a little confusing as we had to go through yet another security screening to get to our departure gate even though our departure gate was directly across from our arrival gate. Oh, well, better to be more secure and safe.<br /><br />For those of you who may be interested, by the time we arrive in Hong Kong, we will have "lost" 16 hours of our lives! That's the time difference between west coast USA Pacific Standard Time and Hong Kong time -- as we crossed over the international date line. Our arrival time in Hong Kong is 10:30pm on December 1 even though it will only be 6:30am on December 1 in Seattle. So, you can figure out what time it is in Hong Kong by adding 16 hours to the USA Pacific Standard Time.<br /><br />For our first night we are staying at a hotel within a couple miles of the Hong Kong International Airport -- where sleep should come easy as we have been up all night. The airport, new 11 years ago, is on a man-made island called Chek Lap Kok off the northern coast of the island of Lantau.<br /><br />A quick geography lesson: The Hong Kong territory is made up of 4 main areas: (1)"Hong Kong Island" is but one island among 234 others; (2) "Outlying Islands" -- all the other islands including Lantau which is where we stayed the first night; (3) "Kowloon" - the southern tip of the penninsula directly north across Victoria Harbor from Hong Kong and (4)"New Territories" on the mainland adjacent to Kowloon.<br /><br />A quick political history lesson: Until 1997, the Hong Kong territory was under British rule and so its history is quite different (capitalist system) than that of the People's Republic of China (socialism). In 1997, it was turned over to the People's Republic -- but because of its unique history, it remains politically unique. The Chinese catch phrase for this unique arrangement has been "one country, two systems." Hong Kong is now considered a "Special Administrative Region" of China.<br /><br />The practical side of traveling to Hong Kong and mainland China: Because of the unique "two systems," a USA passport is all that is required to get into the Hong Kong region however in order to travel into mainland China (where Staci and Martin are working), required us to get special tourist visas -- $130 each for the visas but with special processing fees that resulted in a total cost for both visas of about $325. Interestingly, these visas MUST be obtained before leaving the USA -- as they are unavailable to USA citizens who arrive in Hong Kong without them.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8381026971873900758.post-63037593008192783402009-11-18T23:03:00.000-08:002009-11-20T00:33:21.731-08:00A Little Background On This Trip/This BlogIn August 2009, our youngest daughter (Staci) and her husband (Martin) embarked on a 9-month adventure teaching English in China. The program in which they are participating is described on its <a href="http://www.chinaprogram.org/">web site</a> and provides accommodations, a monthly stipend and reimbursement of air fare. They were placed at a senior high school in the outlying area of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenzhen">Shenzhen</a>, a city of upwards of 14 million people, in southern China directly north of Hong Kong. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=116290453566433877504.000478b466f7b0e8fc475&ll=22.52778,114.095764&spn=1.032548,1.399384&z=10">This google map link</a> will help you understand the geography of their placement -- you can use the controls to change to satellite view and to get a closeup view of Staci/Martin's campus. The school houses about 4000 students who reside at the school on weekdays. <div><br /></div><div>Staci and Martin have been having an incredibly wonderful experience with lots of opportunity for travel -- and have been keeping us informed with their <a href="http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Staci-and-Martin/">own blog - linked here</a> and frequent Google video chats (they have a private office at the school with computers and high speed internet). </div><div><br /></div><div>Shortly after their placement, we made plans to visit. We depart November 30 and return on December 21. We will be using this blog to give more details about our planning for and accomplishing this next adventure.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1