Beijing - Part II

We returned to Beijing in February.  We are on Tiananmen Square in front of the Sheath like structure dedicated to fallen soldiers.  Our ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ would be a comparable memorial.

We are standing in front of China’s People’s Congress building with the Gordons and their son Jake and his wife Heidi. We enjoyed their youthful energy.

Jolly was our marvelous guide.  We met her during our first Beijing visit and asked her to guide us through these important locations. 

The tortoise with the dragon head is a sign of longevity.

The crane is also a sign of long life.

Rick stands at the entrance of the Forbidden City.

The lion sculpture on the right side of the building entrance represents the male with one hand on the world.  The lion on the left side represents the female with one hand on the offspring.

The Forbidden City was vast.  It is one kilometer in length.  The buildings and courtyards continued on and on.  Jolly kept us informed of the customs and Chinese traditions that made this city so significant.

This structure marks the end of the Forbidden City.  

We enjoyed a rickshaw ride in an old, residential part of the city.  Wow, the “driver” certainly had strong legs.

The rickshaw was our transportation to this woman’s home.  She prepared our marvelous lunch.  We returned by rickshaw.

Rick cooked our meat and vegetables at this Korean BBQ restaurant.  He is turning the eggplant and sweet potatoes.  Everything was delicious.

Dipping sauces and leafy vegetables added to the tasty entrée items.

We visited the pearl market.  The bargaining was particularly aggressive here and at the silk market, too aggressive for my comfort zone.  I mostly looked because one touch draws salespeople like flies and I was held physically against my will at a few shops.  This behavior is so un Chinese.  

We returned to Beijing in March to visit Kari Gali and her father Mr. Basa.  We enjoyed a delightful evening as they endured jet lag preparatory to starting their tour of China.  We were so refreshed by those beautiful faces from home.  

Spring Semester

We were genuinely excited to see our students again and begin the new semester.  I don’t post much about school, which is the reason we are here.  I’m including a few photos of our students, some of the greatest youth in the world.

My students are waving to you, convincing themselves they are happy to back for Spring semester.

This is another class setting goals (New Year Resolutions) for the semester.  They are not quite as animated as the first group.

Mia and Wade (our Chinese daughter and son) treated us to a Korean dinner.  They are both excellent students and have very busy schedules this Spring.

Mia was chosen to MC the school of Physics talent show in the Fall.  She was marvelous and so beautiful in her rented gown.

I was honored to be invited.  It was my treat to appear backstage for photos with this very popular MC.

Two of my students asked to interview Rick and me about American traditions in raising children.  We had a delightful time and laughed about our cultural differences.   Ray, standing next to me, lived in Salt Lake City for six weeks one summer while studying English. 

Rick often meets his students when we are on a bus for a Saturday outing.

It happened again!!  These students are part of the medical campus debate team.  We thought of MaryAnne and her many debate tournaments on weekends.

This man is our favorite parking attendant on the medical campus.  He always smiles and asks, “Is it cold?”  “How are you today?”  “Hello there.”  He smiles and laughs every time we meet him.   He is a bright spot on every teaching day.  In fact, I’m disappointed if I don’t see him.   

Lantern Festival

The Lantern Festival signals the end of the New Year celebration.  We visited Baotu Springs for the big event.  Remember, Jinan is the city of natural springs.  Many traditional stories were told through lighted displays.  The Disneyland parade would be a similar comparison.

Rick is posing with the “qiezi” sign.  It sounds like “cheese” but means eggplant.  The Chinese always use that in photos.

Cristal Gordon and I are in front of another story display.  The lights are not yet illuminated.  Notice my Chinese haircut, or rather, scalping.  It may take four more months to see hair again.  I’m afraid the gray is here to stay.

Masks are an important part of the celebration.

The displays are beautiful.   There must have been one million people there that night who would also agree.

The heart shaped walkway was spectacular!

The fish/dragon is an important symbol for any year in China.

These artificial, lighted birds also “sang” throughout the evening.  The real birds left their mark.  One such mark was on Rick’s coat.

This traditional money bag presented a stunning scene as it reflected in the natural spring.  What a sight!

Every scene is better with Rick in the picture.

This hilarious display depicts a boy lighting fireworks.  Notice he has one eye closed.  Fireworks frighten away the evil spirits that would afflict the new year.  They are a very important part of the celebration.  I have never seen/heard so many in a two week period.

Chinese New Year

We attended the New Year festival at Daming Lake in Jinan.   Fireworks and firecrackers erupted from everywhere on New Year’s Eve  (February 7).  They started at 5:00 PM and ended around 1:00 AM.  They continued every night for the next 10 days.  The Chinese people celebrate big for this holiday.  It is comparable to our Christmas break.  The first few days are designated family days.  

The park was very crowded.  It was a beautiful day and many took advantage of the favorable weather to celebrate with family.

The lanterns are a huge part of the celebration.  I would like to bring some home.

The lantern festival is the final holiday concluding the New Year celebration.  Every business hangs red lanterns and other décor for the event.  The city was truly festive.

 This is a potato – thinly cut in a spiral fashion, placed on a skewer, fried, and drizzled with Ketchup.  Delicious!!

Daming Lake is a beautiful, serene spot in the middle of the city.

This is an interesting carnival game depicting the old Chinese money.   Throw the ball through the center of the coin.  An Asian twist on an old carnival idea.

Downtown decorations.  This décor usually has an historical story accompanying it.  I just don’t know all of them.    

This man is making small dumplings.  First he spins the small “dough balls” in flour, then rinses them in water, they drain and then the whole process is repeated.

Notice the multi-colored-flavored marshmallow treats. 

Rick sampled the orange flavored treats.  Yummy!!

Familiar Sights

KFC is EVERYWHERE!  I believe there are more in Jinan than in all of Utah.  We’ve not yet dined here.  It is a little pricey and we’ve heard there is no white meat to be found in any menu choice.

Burger King is not as prevalent but there are a few in most cities.

The golden arches are everywhere also.  We’ve only sampled the ice cream here.  Rick didn’t eat at McDonalds in the USA, I don’t expect it will be his choice in China.

Unimart is China’s version of 7-11.

These beautiful shoppers just left RT Mart.  It is comparable to Kmart.

There are many different banks.  Every transaction requires a copy of our passports, photos taken of us, carbon paper forms, and a lot of patience.  Our shortest stay in the bank has been 27 minutes.  We are learning how to work with the Chinese system of endless paper shuffling, but for several months “bank” was a four-letter word.

The Chinese Walmart is so much fun, craziness beyond measure.  We buy all our snacks here as well as several necessities.

The frozen chicken breasts at Walmart are kept of ice.  Use the tongs and fill your plastic bag.

These fish are not as fresh as the ones in the tanks.  They must be fresher when you can buy them still swimming.  I’ve not had much appetite for seafood here.

Everybody’s favorite – chicken feet!!!  This is a true delicacy.  I’ve not yet tried them.  All our Chinese friends claim they are delicious.  What is there to eat on these skin-covered, strange looking bones?

There is a wide selection of dates, dried fish, and several unidentifiable foods.  The aroma is most unusual – I can’t even place it in a category.  Shopping is truly an adventure.  Let me know if any of these items make their way to Walmart in the USA.

Hong Kong 2016

The Hong Kong Bay light show happens every evening at 8:00.  What a beautiful sight!

Here is view of one regular street in Hong Kong.  The congestion was amazing.

The ferry was a major source of transportation to and from events.

We took a bus above the city to Stanley.  This is a beautiful view of the bay.  It is on one of the high hills above Hong Kong.  There were several shopping areas also, I did score a great find. 

The Peak is another “high” spot that provides a splendid view of the city.  The refreshing walk was a welcome activity on this rainless day.

We took these double decker buses to all the city sights.  Imagine sitting on the top level while driving up the winding hills to reach “The Peak” and “Stanley”.  Now, imagine the trek down with speedy bus drivers.  No need to visit Disneyland Hong Kong with adventures like that.

The red brick building with the steeple on top near the bay is the Church’s office building in Hong Kong.  There are also meeting areas inside.  It is a multi-use building, just like the temple.  We visited two other churches for our workshops and meetings.  This is an important place for a gospel hub.

Visiting the Hong Kong temple was a highlight for me.  This beautiful structure is located in a residential type area of the city.  The multi-purpose use of the building was fascinating.  The temple workers were FABULOUS!!  I felt immediately at home.