Articles Tagged ‘china’
Saturday, September 2nd, 2023
This morning Emily and I visited a small market near our home. We just moved into this area. We are slowly finding our way around, and this morning we went to a market about three kilometers from the new apartment. At first it looked like just a few sellers selling vegetables and fish which is cool.
Then we found a doorway somewhat Narnia-like and entered a large market with certainly more fruits and vegetables, but also a fair amount of meat, chicken, and fish. Emily was very happy. The small stores near our new home have a surprising amount to offer, but the variety is limited.
As we made our way around the stalls and tables, and dodged the ravenous hoards of seniors looking for bargains, we located the area selling fresh chicken and duck.
It was a little fresher than I expected. Emily does most of the shopping, so the idea of picking live animals isn’t new to her. When I go with Emily I’m generally there in my capacity of general labour. Emily shops, Wayne carries.
Posted in About Me, China, Community, customer service, Duplessis, Family, Fresh Market, Ingredients, Jiangsu, Morning Market, overseas living, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, Zhenjiang | Comments Off on Visit to a small market
Wednesday, August 16th, 2023
On June the 16th, 2021 we arrived in Hangzhou. After a long day, and a short flight, we arrived.
Here it got difficult.
They separated everyone, except mothers and children.
Like any family, we pack our suitcases with what we need. It’s not separated into hers and mine. Suddenly we had to organize the bags to prepare for our two weeks apart. Now we’d communicate through WeChat and Whatsapp.
Oh, everyone in their own room? That sounds like fun.
Had we known beforehand we could have prepared ourselves, logistically and mentally. Then there’s the financial burden of paying for two rooms.
We had no idea. Emily was pretty shaken.
We accepted that we couldn’t convince them to change the program. So we resolved to get through the next couple of weeks.
I taught. Emily chatted with our family.
A lot of blocks were in place, and the VPN wasn’t working.
There seems to be little concern for anyone’s mental or emotional state.
What doesn’t kill you … isn’t trying hard enough.
As long as the VPN was working we could open most sites. Emily was doing well. I was able to talk her through getting the VPN up and running on her phone and tablet. She could watch church services, participate in her fellowship, stay in touch with family, and watch Korean and Chinese dramas … so that’s good.
What am I doing with my downtime?
Watching movies, teaching (although this week has been mostly downtime) chatting with Emily, Wyatt, Adryan, and Grace.
I napped, which wasn’t usually planned. Sat on the bed to play solitaire and the next thing I knew, I was rested.
I started watching Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
It’s not a happy tale, but it’s engaging.
They’ve pulled the threads of a lot of different comic stories together, and it works.
If I wasn’t worried about Emily and our family, being isolated wouldn’t be so bad.
I spent the 2nd-week teaching and struggling to complete government-mandated health apps. The isolation has been taxing. Thankful for social media, but hate it at the same time.
The last few days were stressful. Lots of paperwork, real and virtual.
We had blood tests, and nasal and throat swabs last night. Nothing says romance like an extra-long Qtip.
Last Wednesday was our last night in quarantine.
On Thursday morning we were released. It was a bit more literal than expected as we had to wait in our rooms to be escorted to the elevator.
Emily called up to my room to ask where I was. I put a cheerful voice on to tell her I was waiting for my escort. My cheer became a bit forced in successive texts over the next hour.
Finally, at about 11:00am, I stepped into the hallway to see my Knight in Shining Hazmat about to release me from the Tower. I’d given up hope of staging a Rapunzel-like escape.
We’re in Shenzhen now. Enjoying the freedom of a morning walk, and being able to walk into a shop.
Our freedom is underscored, mostly by worry about family and friends back in Indonesia. Indonesia is currently undergoing a steadily worsening lockdown.
Posted in APTTI, Asia, Aspirations, Canada, China, Hangzhou, Hotel | Comments Off on Quarantine … keeping you close to nobody
Wednesday, August 9th, 2023
On Thursday, June 10, 2021, we went to the National Hospital and did a test. On Friday the results came back negative. We arranged the tickets, packed our bags, and tried not to forget too much.
Friday was filled with classes ...
[Continue reading this entry] Posted in Asia, Canadian English Course, China, courage, deal with it, dining, Duplessis, Education, esl practice, Expats, Family, futility, Hangzhou, Health, lawrenceduplessis, leadership, Love, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, wayneduplessis, writing | No Comments »
Saturday, June 23rd, 2018
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="160"]
Key to Your Future[/caption]
APTTI offers a wide range of teachers training courses, keeping in mind the need of all teachers. We help teachers qualify for ...
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Posted in affordable, Alumni, APTTI, Aspiring Professional Teachers Training Institute, BA, Bachelor, Bachelors, Canada, Career, Certification, China, College, communicate, Community, competition, consider, Degree, degrees, Duplessis, Education, ESL, esl practice, India, Indonesia, Lamar, Lamar University, lawrenceduplessis, leadership, teacher training, Teaching, teaching in Asia, tefl, Tefl Indonesia, Tefl International, tesol, Tesol certification, Thai, thailand, United States, University | Comments Off on Teacher Training Course with AP Teacher Training Institute
Thursday, March 22nd, 2018
https://duplezwrites.wordpress.com/2017/11/07/arriving-in-wuhan/
Posted in About Me, China, requirements, Write, Writer, writing, Wuhan | Comments Off on We arrived, and have mostly thrived …
Monday, March 19th, 2018
We returned to China on Halloween. Sorry to say, it wasn't too scary.
[caption id="attachment_1779" align="alignnone" width="768"]
Waiting[/caption]
The flight was delayed. No one was ...
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Posted in About Me, China, Duplessis, Education, Family, Flight delay, Hong Kong, Hubei, Life outside of work, Living the dream, overseas living, Surabaya, Travel, Uber, Write, Writer, writing, Wuhan | Comments Off on Back in China
Tuesday, November 7th, 2017
We arrived in Wuhan on Halloween at 11:30pm. We had a great flight from Surabaya to Hong Kong.
My wife Emily, and our youngest son Wyatt have been preparing for our return to China since April 2017. In Indonesia, the ...
[Continue reading this entry] Posted in China, difference, dining, Family, flight attendant, Write, Writer | Comments Off on Living in Wuhan
Friday, August 18th, 2017
If you march under a flag of hate, you cannot ask for understanding. If you march to support intolerance, hatred, segregation, genocide or fear you cannot claim to support freedom. If you choose to justify the indefensible, or attempt to ...
[Continue reading this entry] Posted in abuse, Abusive, American, Art, Asia, Budget, Canada, China, deal with it, exist, repair, requirements, resolution, responsibility, United States, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, wayneduplessis, Write, Writer | Comments Off on When you march …
Friday, April 7th, 2017
http://indonesia.affordabledegreeoverseas.com/
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Affordable Degrees[/caption]
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Posted in A lasting gift, About Me, affordable, Africa, Alumni, American, Amsterdam, Argentina, Art, Asia, Aspirations, At the office, Atlantic City, Australia, Avenger, Baba Ghanoush, Bali, Bangkok, bar, BBA, beach, Beer, BGS, bottle, Bridges, Bruce Wayne, Budget, business, Business Administration, Cambridge, Canada, Canadian English Course, Career, CEC, Certification, Charity, Cherry, China, Cita Hati, Classroom, Cloze passage, cohort, College, communicate, Community, competition, Conversation, courage, customer service, Debate, decency, Degree, degrees, Depression, Destinations, Development, difference, dining, discussion, Documentary, Double Degree, Duplessis, Education, employee relations, England, ESL, esl practice, essays, European, excelsior, exist, Expats, Family, fitness, futility, gap-year, Germany, graduation, Guru, Health, humanity, Humility, IELTS, Independence Day, Indonesia, Intercultural, International, International English Language Testing System, International Schools, Java, Lamar University, Las Vegas, lawrenceduplessis, leadership, Les Privat, Life outside of work, Links, Living the dream, Locals, Longevity, Love, Macau, Madura, Mariposa, Marketable, Masa Cerah Depan, Merdeka, Mexican, Monte Carlo, Muay Thai, Municipal, Networking, Ontario, organization, Organizational, overseas, overseas living, Passport, private, Private lesson, public trust, quality, Rating, re-invent yourself, Reconstruction, Renaissance, repair, requirements, resolution, responsibility, revenue, school, Schools, Sheraton, Siam, Siam Institute, Siam Technology College, Stand, Storytelling, Surabaya, teacher training, Teaching, teaching in Asia, Technology, tefl, Tefl Indonesia, Tefl International, tesol, Tesol certification, Texas, Thai, thailand, TOEFL, Top Ten list, Top Ten lists, traditional, training, Translation, Travel, Truth, TV, United States, University, USA, vacation, video, Vocabulary, Water, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, wayneduplessis, Write, Writer, Youtube | Comments Off on Improving your life shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg
Saturday, December 31st, 2016
Happy New Year.
May the year ahead offer health, happiness, prosperity, purpose and fulfillment.
All the best, Wayne, Emily, Adryan and Wyatt
Posted in A lasting gift, About Me, Africa, Amsterdam, Art, At the office, Bacon, baked, Bali, bar, Beer, Birgit Steffan, Bridges, CEC, Certification, Changsha, China, competition, customer service, Depression, Destinations, dining, Drink, Duplessis, Education, Elly Hunara, ESL, Expats, Family, fitness, Groundwater Replenishment System, Health, Hope, Humility, Natural, Netty Poerrnomo, Networking, nightlife, Ontario, Renaissance, requirements, restaurants, Schools, Sheraton, Storytelling, Surabaya, tefl, tesol, Tesol certification, Top Ten list, Translation, Travel, Water, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, Write, Writer | Comments Off on Hope for the Year Ahead
Wayne