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April 20, 2005

The Acrobats of Hunan Province

Thursday April 14, 2005
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During the last half of my Level 4 adult class (that I started teaching two days after my arrival in Changsha), a new student attended. She introduced herself as Lei and I asked her if she was a student at the university. She said no……..then proceeded to tell me what she did for a living. With some translating through the other students we found out she was an acrobat. She had a friendly and outgoing personality. During breaks she performed parts of her act to the amazement of her classmates.

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Posted by Janice at 02:25 PM
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March 25, 2005

Mr. Bean Does Hainan

Thursday, February 24, 2005
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We were up and at ‘em early by way of a wake-up call. We had one hour to pack and get out to the parking lot. That was just enough time for my morning coffee and a quick shower. I took a picture by the pool which was surrounded by beautiful flowering bushes. Too bad we didn’t have time for a quick dip!

It was a beautiful sunny morning and not too hot, but it would be scorching by noon. I dressed in shorts, t-shirt and sandals, knowing it would be my last day to indulge in summer attire. Tonight we would be flying back to the cold, damp weather of Changsha.

As we loaded onto the bus, this dog wandered by and hopped on the bus much to the delight of most of the people. He then refused to leave and could not be coaxed off. Finally with a little persuasion via Jurgen’s feet, he left and we were on our way to the first stop of the day.

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Posted by Janice at 05:32 PM
View/Add Comments (8) | Category: Hainan - Day 4

March 21, 2005

The Ladyboys Show

Wednesday, February 23, 2005
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(Chinese staff left to right: Cleaner Lee, Betty, Cathy, Cathy's husband, Michelle, Dancey and Cleaner Lee's mother. Missing from photo: Nancy)

This morning we were leaving Sanya to travel to the northern part of the island toward Haikou, the capital city of the Province of Hainan. Miscommunications once again led us to believe we were to get up at 7:00 am and would leave at 8:00 am. Our wake-up call came at 7:20 followed by a knock on the door to tell us the bus was leaving in ten minutes! Our Chinese staff (pictured above)was already on the bus waiting for us…….didn’t they notice we were not up and about when they left? Their rooms were next to ours on the same floor. I had packed most of my stuff the previous night and had only to wash and dress……….no shower, no coffee this morning! We made it down to the lobby but it was close to 8 am. Maybe that was their plan………to get us there for 8am on the dot.

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Posted by Janice at 09:00 PM
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March 08, 2005

Many,Many Places To Buy Many, Many Things

Tuesday February 22, 2005
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(View from hotel in Sanya)

As agreed the night before, we slept in. Neither the Chinese people nor the tour guides had the insight to cancel our wake-up calls the night before. So once again I woke up to the recorded telephone voice tell me “It’s time to get up.”

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Posted by Janice at 12:59 PM
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March 03, 2005

Hainan Or Bust!

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From Let’s Go Travel Guide:

Praised for it’s legendary beauty, Hainan is China’s smallest, southernmost and newest province, boasting lush tropical forests, hot springs and gorgeous beaches. Part of Guangdong until it became a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 1988, Hainan province officially encompasses the isle of Hainan and the South China Sea archipelagos of Nansha, Xisha and Zhongsha-although China’s claims on all but Hainan are hotly disputed by a host of neighbors. But why bother with these reef bed islands when you have Hainan, which boasts some 1500 km of glittering beaches stretching as far as the eye can see. The city of Sanya – so far south that it is know as the “end of the Earth” – attracts countless Chinese tourists with its’ promise of sandy bliss.

While most of Hainan’s residents are Han Chinese, the island is home to three other large minority groups, the Li, Hui, and Miao. Many Li continue to live in the thatch-roofed, mud-walled cottages that dot the highlands around Tongza. With such diverse cultures and natural splendour, it’s no wonder why some people call Hainan Island a paradise.

Breezy, balmy Haikou is the unofficial gateway to Hainan [and the capital city]. Haikou’s recent claim to fame is as the home of the Chinese air base that hosted a US spy plan for several months in 2001, after it collided with a Chinese jet fighter near it’s coast, killing the Chinese pilot, and emergency landed there. For a while, the incident made Haikou and Hainan the focus of international politics as the US government negotiated with the Chinese to release the plane and it’s flight crew.

Sanya is known as the “Hawaii of the Orient” and the moniker is appropriate. Fringed by kilometre after kilometre of sublime white sand that fades into crystal-clear turquoise ocean, the city is a top tourist destination year-round. All the trappings of resort living are here: golf courses, tennis courts, saunas, and swimming pools, not to mention scuba diving, deep sea fishing, windsurfing and parasailing. Try hard enough, though, and you can escape – or ignore – the sun-seeking crowds and enjoy poor man’s pleasures like swimming and street side seafood. Sanya just might be the perfect place to dig your toes into some toasty white sand, lie back and enjoy the sun.

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Posted by Janice at 10:19 AM
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February 09, 2005

Chinese New Year !

February 8, 2005

The Chinese people believe that you light firecrackers and the loud “bang” will ward off evil spirits and bring you good luck for the coming year. Since our western Christmas and New Year’s Eve in January, firecrackers have been heard intermittently any time of the day or night. I have seen people light firecrackers in galvanized buckets on street corners during the day. And the night sky will light up with actual firework displays throughout the city at any time. This is a normal occurrence. But I was not prepared for what happened on their New Year’s Eve…………February 8th this year according to the Lunar Calendar.

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Posted by Janice at 05:21 PM
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Pretty In Pink

February 6, 2005

Bella was going for her “glamour” pictures on Monday and wanted to get her hair and nails done. We all jumped on the bandwagon. When I heard about the head and face massage I was in!

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Posted by Janice at 05:12 PM
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Bowling for Columbine? No, Just For The Fun Of It!

February 5, 2005

After two weeks of Winter Intensive courses and teaching full days Monday to Friday we were invited to Emily and Waynes for a celebratory dinner to mark the beginning of our Spring Festival vacation. Nine days off!

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January 20, 2005

I'll Take That One To Go! Can You Kill It For Me Please?

January 20, 2005
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This morning I was invited to go to the Traditional Chinese Market with Emily (Wayne’s wife from Indonesia) and Bella (new teacher from Iran). We left at 9:30 and walked up the alleyway behind our apartment building. I was expanding my horizons again! The walkway was adorned with pillars, gardens, arrangements of bonsai plants on top of the walls and palm trees. (Can’t wait to see it in summer!) It was raining too hard to take pictures and with the chill in the air my camera batteries say “low” and it keeps shutting off. I guess they perform better in warm temperatures too..............

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January 14, 2005

The Year Of The Rooster

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December 30 – January 3

Many thanks to Liz for permission to use her amazing photos taken on the Yangtze River Cruise of the Three Gorges and various pics of Changsha. You can view her complete photo gallery at: http://datigz.fotopages.com

After teaching regular classes on Sunday December 26th and my evening classes Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, it was Thursday and I was looking forward to four days off and spending them with Liz, my niece from Tokyo, Japan. She was in China on a sight-seeing tour and due to arrive in Changsha that evening. I had been anticipating this visit since before I left Canada!

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Posted by Janice at 05:09 PM
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