Wang Fei Ran

Nihao to my new friend in China: Wang Fei Ran and her family,

I stayed with them a couple of nights ago and enjoyed them very much. Wang Fei and her family are so friendly and hospitable. Wang Fei, I will post pictures of my stay when I can have more time, but thank you so much for the visit.

I am in Xian now. All the group is pretty exhausted from the home visit, the train ride and our day in Xian, so I came down to this internet place to post a letter. Hopefully, while we are here I can get to a group computer to post photos. At least here, I did not have to show my passport, but it is so dark in the big place I can't see a thing. Today we visited the 'Forest of Stele", old books in stone from thousand of years ago, quite a heavy library, I tell you. We also had a nice lunch buffet and then visited the Shanxi Historical Museum.. We were less than impressed (and very hot and tired), so we headed back to our hotel for a siesta.

Tomorrow we visit the NW University and willhear some talks on the history of Shanxi and the development of the Western Provinces. It's hot here, but drier. After that we will do some sightseeing of the 'Terra Cotta Warriors' and the HuangPu Springs and the Banbo ?? something... I forget.

Kristi, Thanks so much for the update on Mika, I do miss her so. I'm glad you're looking out for her. Has Katie showed up? She should be at my house this week and through the month. How's Cap't Jack? Matt, when will you write to me?... Oh, I can't view any comments from the blog, but I do get them on my email...damn Chinese Gov't. They are soooo invasive into people's personal lives, you really couldn't imagine.

Gail, yes, thanks for writing. I'm glad to know that people are reading what I'm writing. It's really interesting to finally understand the long history of China and how the culture has developed so differently from our own. We, in the US would NEVER allow the gov't to control our daily personal lives like people do here. Though, I think things will be changing with the next generation. The personal freedoms of the US and Europe are becoming more and more pervasive. Hopefully, the young people will be able to make a change in their society. What is left of the history is being preserved more and more, though alot has been lost during the 20th century. CHina is in quite a flux, I do tell you.

Anyway, I must find my way back to the hotel now and get ready for the next few days. Check back in a couple of days for some more photos. Kristi, thanks again so much. Give my darling girl a kiss and hug for me. Matt, WRITE to me!!!

Love, STeph

Home Stay

WangfuJang Street, the 'Times Square' of Beijing.









The young man who tried to scam us for $$ for his supposed trip to the US next month.





The Great Dragon Wall in Beihai Park. A really great park across the street from our hotel.





Bridge at Beihai Park.





Great dumplings for lunch.




We couldn't stomach scorpions and sea horses for lunch, though.





This was a wonderful library at the Center for foreign Studies.





Starbucks in Beijing. They don't open till 10:00 AM, so we don't get to have our morning coffee very often.
Nihau to all,

Last night we went to a wonderful acrobatic show! The acts were really amazing, way better than you would see in the States. Let's see, most of this week has been spent in lectures and driving around on the bus going to different restaurants. Today we are packing up for an evening home stay. I'm taking a personal day tomorrow (we're allowed one during the trip), After my home stay, I'm going out to the Summer Palace instead of a day of lectures. Tomorrow night we take a night train to Xian. Prof. Rick & Ming are not sure about internet connections in the hotel, so it amy be a couple of days before I can write more. I am ready to leave Beijing, it is really interesting, but now it's time for a new place. One night a few of us went out for Outback cheesy fries ( I know, I'm weak), then we walked around Tianemen Square at night, very cool, lots of fountains and lights. Of course, I forgot my camera!!!

Yesterday we had a free afternoon and a few of us went to the 'Times Square' of Beijing. We had a nice walk around, saw some kids on a field trip enjoying a McDonald's lunch, and I had a scrumptious frozen berry ice cream sundae at Haagendaas! We thought about a snack of deep-fried scorpions, but decided to pass that tidbit up.

While we were looking for a taxi, we got scammed by a student artist. He was very friendly and personalble, talked with us for several minutes and then invited us to see his art at the exhibit. We went and looked, he asked which we liked the best, etc.. We knew we were being scammed when another young man came in with another group of tourists and started the same spial. We high-tailed it out of there pretty fast.

So, I will write when I can with more photos. Matt, still waiting to hear from you. Kristi & Dad, Thanks so much for taking care of Mika and the cats!! It helps to know that they're doing OK. I do miss them...and all of you also.

Steph

Dandelion Middle School and Chicken Heads

Traffic is bad in Beijing, we spend too much time on the bus. Oh, well...





One cook with three helpers cooks lunch in this area for 500 kids.



The library!!!







Typical of the poor cats I've seen around the city.







Again, the library...





Students from Dandelion Middle School.




This is where the students stay during the school week. They go home Friday evening, but many return on Saturday for English classes.








Chicken head lunch






Sue is the brave one.








This is Clare & Nicole. We are at the Silk Market enjoying a coffee and people watching.


Well,

A very interesting day today...we had chicken with the head still on for lunch (they did, not me) and then went to Dandelion Middle on the outskirts of Beijing. This is a school for migrant worker kids. There is a very strange system in the Chinese schools. When a child is born they are registered in the town or village wheree they were born, they have rights to a free public education in that town. But if they leave or move to another place, they are 'migrants' and are not entitled to the 'compulsory' K-9 education in that area unless they pay a fee, which most of them cannot do because that's why they moved in the first place. Their parents are doing the construction (lots in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics), working in the fields or other menial labor that city people don't want to do.

So today we visited this migrant school that is run on charity & donations. You can see how poor it is, but the students were delighted to see us. The two boys were practicing English and asking me about where I lived, what I did, etc. The teachers and principal are angels. They work in overcrowded, very, very hot conditions, with students who are very low academically ( smart, but little education in their background). They also live at the school and get paid very little. Angels, I tell you!

We ran into the Chinese Language Fulbright group at the school and spent a few minutes talking with them before the lecture and tour. When we left on our bus, we all applauded Prof. Rick and Wei Ming, because Prof. Rick is so much easier and much more democratic when it comes to making decisions..." OK, it's time for a group decision". And he is teaching Wei Ming these elements of participating in group decisions, rather than, 'Count off, one, two, three...Let's Go, hurry, hurry, etc., etc".
We all feel very lucky, though we will see in a few minutes, we have a group meeting....maybe someone will get voted off tonight!!!

So anyway, I skipped another Chinese meal to do this, but must go attend the group meeting. What else? We went to the Olympics Planning Building today & learned about the preparations for next year's games. Tomorrow, we learn about Chinese Art and ...something else... must sign off for now..

Please post comments.....

Steph

Happy 4th

Hi there,

Hope you're all hanging out by the pool and staying cool. Can someone please check on my tomatoe plants in the back & make sure they have water? There's cat & dog food in the shed and also in the house. Katie should be coming to stay on Monday, but I'll email her today to make sure. How's Mika darling doing? I hope she's hot & tired so she staying close to Kristi's.

Let's see, Professor Rick let us sleep in today! We are leaving in a couple of hours for a lectue on the Beijing Olympics coming next year. Yesterday we had a lecture on the serious environmental issues in China, Water, air & too many people. Then we went to the Beijing Capital Museum and out for another big meal! But I don't like alot of it so I'm not eating all that much. We all had a free afternoon and evening the other day, guess where everyone stopped for dinner? McDonald's!!

The bus guide yesterday was giving us info about property and one child policy yesterday, just briefly, if a couple has one child and then the wife is expecting another, if she keeps the child, she can lose her job!! It's that controlled.

About the land, all land is owned by the gov't. People in the cities can lease their apartments for 70 years, but soon, the gov't is going to impose a property tax on them, even though they don't even own the property! She was pretty ticked about that one! They are so controlled and restricted...it's just really wierd for us.

Anyway, be careful with the fireworks. Matt, enjoy your nice Seattle day off today & write to me!! Kristi & Dad: please take a peek for my cats and the garden.

Oh, the comments: Sign in as an anonymous commenter. You should get a verification screen that shows a password, this protects from lots of spam. Be sure to sign your name at the bottom of the comment so I know who is writing.

Till next time,

Steph

Photos

Rick and Ming tobogganing down from the Great Wall.






Dinner with Wu Ching, the political activist for women's rights in China. We all hung onto every word she had to say.







Tianemen in the rain!









Tianemen with no rain.









Famous Mao photo hanging at the gate of the Forbidden City in Tianemen Square.











A martial arts demo at Peking University. This is David M., who has kindly shared his computer to get these photos up.






Peking University Campus.












Getting ready for a lecture at Peking University.









This is the Olympic Stadium for 2008 under construction. It's known as the Birds Nest.











Hiking at the Great Wall.









And this is one of their pet crickets!




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The older man in the back is the hutong home owner who invited us to share lunch in his home. He was very pleased to have us.








A Hutong Home where we were served a wonderful lunch. The best food I'd had since being here!










Beiging hutong area where many poorer people live. This is taken from the Ancient Drum Tower.











This is the lake down the street from our hotel. Lots of little shops around it and a park area where people hang out and do ballroom dancing in the evenings.









The Starbucks in the Forbidden City...we were so lucky to find it!











Wet and wandering in the Forbidden City. This is where the Emperor and his family lived and were catered to.










The Temple of Heaven





The Temple of Heaven, where the emperors would go to pray for good crops.

Professor Rick and WeiMing, our Chinese guide. We are at the Ministry of Education

Happy Birthday, John

Hi John and all,
Hope you have a good birthday and 4th of July. Well, we finally have a free afternoon and everyone has gone their own ways, some shopping, some to massages, some to who knows where. So, I was able to finagle a computer from the group. I hope to add some photos to this post.

Last night we went out to a Peking Duck restaurant (Yuck! and it was), all I could eat was some shoestring fried potatoes and sweet potato fries. They brought out a cooked chicken still with the head on : (, gross. I am getting pretty good with chopsticks, though I cannot figure out how to eat a soft-fried egg with them. But we did have an excellent speaker, Wu Ching. She is a 70 year old activist for women's right and minority rights here in Beijing. She spent her early years in the US, but she did live through the Cultural Revolution and remembers the horrors of that time. Her mother is a famous Chinese author. She was fascinating. I'll post a photo of the group sitting spell-bound listening to her insights on the country.

This morning we spent the morning at Peking University. We had an intro to Chinese martial arts with a charismatic young man who has spent many years studying the art and has also traveled to Canada, so he spoke English very well. This afternoon we went to the American Embassy and were able to ask questions about the relations between China and the US.

Thanks, Matt, for writing!! I'm glad to hear that the animals are all well. Kristi or Dad, can you make sure they have plenty of fresh water and that the cats have food on the deck and in the shed, please? Katie should be there on Monday, but I know it's going to be very hot there this week. It's so muggy here! The temp is up in the 90's and today it's spitting rain, which I really prefer to the blazing hot sun.

So, I'm going to try to post some photos. let me know what you think or if you have any questions.. Steph

great Wall

Hi All,

Thanks for the emails! It's nice to hear from everyone. Matt, where are you?? Glad to hear my animals are all good. Looks like it will be hot there for the 4th! Very hot and muggy here yesterday and today after the big rainfall. Yesterday we went to the Great Wall and spent several hours hiking around it. Lots of vendors as you're going up to it from the small village. Even worse than Mexico!! I have some neat photos and now that the computer people in the group are up I should be able to post photos soon. Last night we went to the Peking Opera for a show, fabulous costumes and singing, though I don't know what they said.
Today, we are on our way to a teacher college to meet with people there & this evening we will be going out for Peking Duck (Yuck!). Tomorrow afternoon & eveing is free, so I hope I can sang a computer in the evening and figure out how to upload photos.

Nic, thanks for the info. I'll use it if I need to. Gail, thanks for writing, you can checkout my blog at http://pioneerinchina.blogspot.com, should get some photos up soon.

We are a pretty cohesive group, everyone is very helpful and friendly and Prof. Rick is great. check back soon for more updates & keep writing, OK

Steph