David's Big Adventure in China

It’s now summertime in Nanning and the weather is hot and humid, Florida style. I’m so happy I have good air conditioning in both my office and home. I visited my girlfriend’s dormitory at the school for the first time a few weeks ago. She has 1 large room plus a bathroom with a very small washing machine inside. Otherwise, she has almost no comforts – no air conditioning or heat, no tv, and no refrigerator. She does have a slow internet connection. When she’s not working she normally stays with her mother and her mother’s place also does not have heat or air conditioning. These Chinese are tough! I’m a spoiled American…….I have to have heat and a/c.

Bonnie (my gf) has specialized in what’s called simultaneous interpretation which is doing oral translation as the speaker speaks. This is what you see on tv when at the United Nations someone is speaking in their native language and you hear the translated version of it in your language. Because of her skills in this area she often has part time jobs doing this for international meetings that are held here in Nanning. She can make more in a 2 day meeting doing this than she makes for her normal monthly salary. Normally she would spend 2 or 3 days preparing for a meeting like this, reviewing presentations in advance and learning any specialized vocabulary required. This week she is working as part of a 3 person management team overseeing the grading of the English portion of the gao kao (university entrance exam) for the 285,000 students who took the exam in Guangxi province. There are 200 English teachers grading the exams over a 9 day period and each exam must be graded at least twice. I have written about the gao kao before and its importance to a Chinese student’s future.

Well enough about her work and now for news about my job. I’ve agreed to continue working full time for at least another year at this job. It’s been a challenge and mostly fun so far. It’s gotten easier recently with having a full staff and getting them up to speed. I was in Shanghai with my boss visiting another division of the company 4 weeks ago then after I came back to Nanning, went to Dahua the next day. Of course Shanghai is very developed and has many western things. Dahua is where we have our pig farms so it’s a small town/rural area with no western restaurants. Quite a contrast between those two places! I’m looking forward to another break soon as I’m going to the states in July for my nephew’s wedding in Boston and to visit family/friends. Until next time………

I had a great time showing my parents the highlights of China over a very busy 12 days. We met in Beijing where we saw/did the following in 4 days:
1. Had Beijing roast duck at the most famous roast duck restaurant.
2. Went to the Forbidden City (aka Imperial Palace or Palace Museum)
3. Went to Tiananmen Square.
4. Went to Lama Temple (biggest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing).
5. Climbed the Great Wall, visited Ming Tombs and drove past the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube.
6. Went to the Summer Palace.
7. Went to the zoo and saw the Pandas.

We then had a sleeper cabin on an overnight train to Xi’an where we went to see the Terracotta Warriors and the old city walls. Amazing, be sure to check out the pictures! Then we flew to my home in Nanning to visit Emperor David’s palace for a couple days and took in some of the local sites. Included in our Nanning stay was a Chinese foot massage and a Traditional Chinese banquet in a private room (only thing missing was officials getting drunk…lol). We boarded a train for a 6 hour ride to Guilin where we spent one night before heading on to Yangshuo via a 4 hour river cruise. Yangshuo is famous for its limestone mountains scenery and river show. We spent 2 nights there and enjoyed the famous show using local villager performers that was produced by the same guy that did the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony (Zhang Yi Mo). We also enjoyed a demonstration of using Cormorant birds to fish. The birds go under water and catch the fish with their mouths but can’t fully swallow them because of a string tied around their neck. Then the fisherman lifts the birds back onto the raft and forces the birds to spit out the fish. Mom spent some time shopping and haggled like a pro.

We then took a bus back to Guilin for one last night before Mom and Dad’s early flight the next day. They’re safely back at home now resting from their whirlwind trip of China. My translator Audrey went with us the first week to Beijing and Xi’an (she shared a room with Mom and I bunked with Dad) and my girlfriend went with us to Guilin/Yangshuo.

Yes, I have a girlfriend now. Last October I decided to try having a girlfriend here in China and that relationship lasted until February. Then in March, a lady that I had expressed interest in 1 and ½ years ago finally agreed to start seeing me as perhaps more than a friend and is now my girlfriend. Her English name is Bonnie and she is an Associate Professor of English at the university here where I taught for two years. I met her in the cafeteria there one day and we became good friends taking many evening walks together. For a long time she said she didn’t want a foreigner boyfriend or husband but it seems my charms have convinced her to give me a chance and I’m happy for that. Until next time……..

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