Travel Blog » Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

Danyang Travel Blogs

Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, his successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight.

China

Map of China

China's Flag

Hostels in China
Latest Danyang Blog Entries
Danyang Photos

By GypsyKing
December 7th 2009

Last minute photos before we say goodbye... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

Shopping in southern China...

With some trial software I put together this panorama view from right outside of our fifth story apartment (that's 80 stairs up and 80 stairs down) here at the school campus. Not much of a view, but many days and nights have been spent just looking out over our school campus, listening to the dull roar of the students as they take their ten minute breaks, the rattling and pounding of the cafeteria right below us, along with the occasional barbecue on the balcony and more than a few glasses of wine, just taking it all in. One night while barbecuing [View Full Entry]

This is seafood...specifically - jellyfish!

By GypsyKing
October 7th 2009

We love a good parade... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

Go China, Go!

Chinese National Day Our students were giddy and down right rambunctious last week as our school, and the entire nation, prepared to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China on October 1st. Our kids knew the facts (the PRC won the revolution and the losers limped over to Taiwan and started their own government there), knew the reason (Mao is very much a hero over here much to the chagrin of anyone who knows history and how many people he killed with his insanity), and also knew they were getting an unprecedented vacation from school - eight days [View Full Entry]

By GypsyKing
September 23rd 2009

Schooldaze are here again... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

Still Humming About Tibet Hey! everyday the power of the internet and blogs continues to amaze me. After my blogs on Tibet I received comments and messages from people all over the world expressing their gratitude (you are welcome, Becky), and their outrage (most were Chinese and not well-informed). Anyway, thank you everyone for your heartfelt messages and if I did not comment on your comment, rest assured it's not because I've been too busy, it's because my ethics, morality, and good old sense of right and wrong will not be compromised, and the Delete key is soooo close. : [View Full Entry]

By GypsyKing
July 23rd 2009

Trekking Over China... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

Check out the map above. We are using it to show our travel plans starting from our home city, DanYang, and then four to five weeks of trains, planes, taxis, trikes, and just plain walking. Itinerary Zhenjiang (Jiangsu Province) From our city, DanYang, we are starting with a fast train to Zhenjiang (because DanYang is so small we can't get to our first stop, Jinan, from here). Then we hop on another train that travels all night and Friday morning we will be arriving in Jinan. Jinan (Shandong/Henan Province) Only in Jinan for a few hours but we are coming back [View Full Entry]

By GypsyKing
July 22nd 2009

The Big "T"... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

Before moving to China in January, 2009, a year of researching taught me there are two issues not to be broached over here in the Middle Kingdom. All of the foreigners on all the message boards and websites call them The Big T’s; Tienanmen Square is one, and Tibet the other. For weeks after my arrival I danced around these issues when they came up. I remained polite and servile, wanting to be the good tourist, an Ambassador from the USA. But afte [View Full Entry]

By GypsyKing
July 14th 2009

Good times for Gypsy King and Monkey Girl... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

Small, but surprisingly powerful

Hello from the thriving metropolis of DanYang, China. It's early Tuesday evening here, pouring rain right now, mixed with some small hail, which is not unusual for this place and time of year. It is in the mid-90's during the day with high humidity and it does not cool off in the evening but just like Tampa, Florida, we get some great storms here! Me and Monkey Girl (they have a children's TV show here called the Monkey King and that nickname cracks her up!) are in the last week of teaching Summer Camp at my high school, Sheng Dan Zhong, [View Full Entry]

By GypsyKing
June 22nd 2009

Schoooooooools Out For Summer!! Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

Class 3, Last Day before Summer

Went out for a nice meal this evening for our once a week date night :), and although at 6:00pm, it was a balmy 94 degrees here in DanYang, the #1 bus offered us a nice breeze and for 1 yuan apiece, you just can't beat the scenery, the smells, the immersion deep into everyday life here in central China. We love taking the bus these days basically because a cab gouges us for 6 yuan (about .60) but the bus takes us to the same place, albeit with a little xtra diesel fuel for flavor, and costs only 1 yuan [View Full Entry]

By GypsyKing
June 13th 2009

All Quiet on the Eastern Front... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

I almost ran right smack into her, which would have been awful because like most of the Chinese students here, she is barely five feet tall and I doubt she weighs 100 pounds soaking wet. With Audioslave blaring in my iPod, and sweat dripping off my bald head and stinging my eyes, I was on my 2nd lap around our high school track in the middle of the day. It's hot here now, so hot the surface of the track seems to stick to my running shoes just enough to pull me back and make me feel sluggish, as if I'm [View Full Entry]

By GypsyKing
June 4th 2009

A dark anniversary leads to a silver lining... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

All is well in the Land of the Misinformed and Comfortably Protected, namely mainland China. Today marks the 20th anniversary of the Tienanmen Square protests and for obvious reasons I'm not saying much about what this government does or does not do in response. I'm not on anybody's radar and I want to keep it that way. In the back of my head I keep hearing Dana Carvey's deadly accurate impression of George Bush on SNL, with the President at the microphone addressing reporters, "It just wouldn't be prudent. Nope. Not Prudent." If you want to read about how China is [View Full Entry]

By GypsyKing
May 24th 2009

Class Trip with the English Club... Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang

DSCN3079

Along with the sixteen classes I teach each week here at my high school (55 kids per class = around 960 kids), I agreed to also teach an additional two classes on Wednesday afternoons for a group of bright, motivated kids for an English Club (EC). They asked Jenny to help me (thankfully!) so we both get together and teach thirty-two of the top English speaking students at my school and we really enjoy these kids because they can express themselves in English fairly well, even though they are in their first year, Grade 1, of high school English. The English [View Full Entry]

Travel Blog » Asia » China » Jiangsu » Danyang