 John McWhorter - Hangzhou Johnny | All Comments |
« back 1 next »
Comments | |
| 15th December 2007 sanjay | yog sadhna - From: Yoga as a Full-time Job hai, i m teaching yoga in india, i think yoga is not only a job its comleat sadhna marg. pls visit. www.foundationoflife.net thanks sanjay |
| 30th September 2007 grareen | welconme - From: Ozillations Mate...if you only get one go of living outside your own space - let this be it! |
| 7th March 2007 Phillip | Missing a teacher and friend - From: Diamond Dancing When are you going to be back this way? |
| 12th January 2007 David | huzzah - From: A Christmas Miracle Hang ten, Hangzhou J.! Glad to see you carry the travelblog over Stateside. No sledding in Shanghai, of course, but it has been chilly enough to snow lately (though it hasn't), and with all the leaves off the plane trees in our (and your old) neighborhood, you can see the buildings all the better. They're looking good. I'll pull an extra-good downward facing dog and dedicate it to you. Shanghai misses you but it sounds like the snowbound neighbors of Denver need you. Carry on. Cheers, David |
| 1st January 2007 teri | great hearts - From: A Christmas Miracle Your hearts have wings to match the flying runners of your sleds. Your connection with humor and resilience transformed disaster into community bonding. I am grinning from my core. hugs, teri |
| 30th September 2006 Joan | on transitions - From: Dog Gone It Oh John, the beauty and depth of your and Sven's thoughts touch me deeply. It is through loss that we often times recognize how important it it to live fully. Many years ago I lost my brother, Paul, in a tragic way. I was so unprepared for living my life without his guiding and loving presence. He had taught me so much about how to be in the world and so, for nearly a year, I felt as though I no longer wanted to be in a world in which he was so painfully absent. The most amazing truth, however, evolved within me as I regained my will to live. Eventually, I arrived at Paul's final lesson for me. The first part is life is too short to be spending time in an unhappy state of mind (and here, the words such as discontent, dissatisfied, angry, bitter, etc. can fill in the blank). The second part is that I am the only person who can "fix it." Yes, those surrounding me can provide love, support, guidance; ultimately, though, it is up to me to engage with and move through that which is difficult. And always, I have discovered, I am richer in mind and spirit for having embraced the conflict. Each September 18th, the anniversary of Paul's death, I move into a reflective frame of mind. Am I living with joy and intention? Do I appreciate the many blessings in my life? Do I challenge myself? Am I kind to others? The many questions on this special day remind me to make the necessay adjustments and to truly live fully. How fortunate we all are to be reminded of the richness of our lives by those who chose to move on before us. |
| 4th August 2006 Sophia | it made me smile - From: Love in the Time of War thanks for brightening up my day with this story! it really made me smile :) tell your mom thanks for sharing it with everyone. |
| 22nd July 2006 Karen Wilhelm | Fruity tomatoes - From: A Priceless Lesson You'd have to ask Mom, but seems like she told me once that they put sugar on their tomatoes back on the farm in Nebraska. Dad used to put salt and pepper on cantaloupe. Next time you go somewhere that you can buy handcrafts, see if there are any beads for sale. I've been making jewelry using improvisational beadwork techniques. Love from your sis, Karen |
| 27th June 2006 Karen Wilhelm | Value - From: Scam-a-lama-ding-dong In what we call "lean" business thinking, we are supposed to produce "value" that the customer is willing to pay for. I think John did a good job getting his $12 worth - letting a girl feel like she's getting pretty good at her job, a meditation on stealing and cheating, a chance to redeem himself for his $1 he owed UNICEF, a good story and a blog post. As a customer, he might not want to spend $12 every day pretending to be gullible, but it wasn't a bad deal today. And at the same time, there's the consciousness that we are extraordinarily priveleged to have access to money, education and friends who can help us. I was in downtown Detroit yesterday at the baseball game - I try to go to one at least every 30 years - and saw a variety of methods for pan handling. My thought every so often is to buy a bunch of McDonalds coupons and give those instead of cash. Would the person use it for food? Sell it to someone else? Throw it back in my face? Sad to say, I just walked by as though I couldn't even see them there. So John - thanks for getting us another look inside the world. (with love from your big sis) |
| 18th June 2006 John Creed | Enjoyed Your Interesting Post - From: The Quest Congratulations in your new job, John. It's a big step, but with your will and intelligence and experience and confidence, you surely will succeed. John Creed Fairbanks, Alaska |
| 12th June 2006 Serene Li (INTOUCH) | Cool idea - From: Xi Hu Salon How nice it would be if we have more salons here in Hangzhou like this. |
| 10th May 2006 LJ | good stuff, thanks for sharing - From: Old & New Thanks, John, many keen and interesting observations here. Do I take it that you can't read your hotmail account? I sent you an article yesterday about expats in China... Snow is almost all gone but mud remains. No leaves yet, but any minute... I am flying to L.A. Sunday to drive up the Alcan with Matt. House purchase not complete yet but should be this week. Cmcmt this Sunday. The world here continues in your absence--amazing, isn't it! Thanks for enriching mine from there... |
| 7th May 2006 hopeful Wilmington traveler | Pugnacity and Language - From: Shoeshine You've got guts HJ, getting into a near fight with little more than non-verbal communication to defuse it, should events go that far. I've always been content with bu hao, or just a vigorous head-shake; but maybe I'm a coward at heart??? My imagination leads me to 'the fight,' 'the ambulance,' ' the hospital where no one speaks English,' and so forth --- besides --- i'm the visitor; it's their country and they have to survive in it long after I'm gone. As the one to two to three week 'observer' I just hope to survive until the next trip, almost always to a different country.--DLS |
| 12th April 2006 DeAnne | where was I? - From: Xi Hu Salon Was I there, or does it just feel like I spent an interesting evening with you and your friends? Thanks, I enjoyed it, either way. |
| 12th March 2006 julie | - From: Scottie Boy good on ya mate! |
| 4th March 2006 Hans | Wonderful commentary - From: Scott's visit Since I will be teaching in China beginning June '06, I really enjoyed your entry. I look forward future observations. When I visited Taizhou/Nanjing/Guilin this past summer, it became the adventure of a lifetime. I have also maintained a photo-blog of this visit, and of my preparations for my stay at Taizhou Normal College, about 3hrs north of Shanghai. I wish you continued exitement, Hans Schneider www.Travelblog.org/Bloggers/Hans Maybe your maid has a friend in Taizhou?? |
| 16th February 2006 anonymous | hunting - From: Bargaining with the Devil Now that you no longer eat meat, you can gracefully turn down the invitation. Good one. |
| 8th February 2006 Don | Colonics - From: Slow Fast Easiest place near US for colonics is Tijuana -- however! be warned -- my local health food guy says that you can get seriously dehydrated from colonics - don't know if this is true, but if so, it is life threatening. |
| 6th February 2006 Phillip Potter | - From: Slow Fast This sound like something I need to do. Any idea about were is the states I can find the info on this, or were to go. Thanks again for another wonderful insight to a different place in this world (physical and spiritual). I need and miss your guidance. Thanks again! |
| 5th February 2006 yukon dave | hey john - From: Slow Fast hey john i was at lamai beach many years ago and mostly what I remember was the decadence... there were the constant offers of sex (for cash of course.).. i had no idea at the time about the whole sex tourism thing and it was quite an eye opener... it sounds like your experience was quite different... are you really "not shitting" us about the worms... that's freaky, glad you're enjoying yourself so much.. quest starts next weekend and I'll be thinking about you, although I won't be on the trail myself this year, it sounds like it will be a great alaskan vs german run. dave c |
| 25th January 2006 Sara | tea jars!! - From: Food and Water hey john- i'm loving reading your excerpts. so much of what you talk about reminds me of my time in china. speaking of that, my glass tea jar with the screen and lid broke and i'm distraught. can't find one ANYWHERE, not even internet. if you happen to run across a glass tea jar with a screen in one of the markets, could you PLEASE pick me one up. i still have plenty of RMB to bribe you with :) keep on having fun! hope to get out there before october! Sara |
| 19th January 2006 Jeff Haseltine | Love your writing - From: Chinese New Year John, I love reading your stories. You should combine them all into a book and have them published. You could be the next Bill Bryson. And I'm not taking the piss, as they say here in New Zealand. |
| 25th December 2005 Kazumi | Hello! from Japan - From: It's Electric It was interesting to read what the life in China. So... you enjoy living there? It is very cold in Japan, now. I cought a cold... Take care... Have a wanderful X'mas & a happy new year!! |
| 20th December 2005 LJ | - From: Christmas Party John, all I can say is "awesome." In some ways sounds so much like some encounters I had in the Phils. Just awesome! Wish the heck I coulda been there! :-) |
| 19th December 2005 Hangzhou Johnny | Cold? Fuggaboudid. - From: What I Teach Hi Maria - Don't let the cold stop you. It didn't dissuade Ernest Shackleton and he spent nearly two years on an Antarctic ice floe. Seriously, it's no colder than Philly and you can always buy some long underwear or a coat. Do drop in! - John |
| 12th December 2005 lorac | Christmas... - From: Christmas Crap My company also got two Christmas trees up a week ago and i did some decoration for the trees...which is really fun.lol.:) Actually sometimes Chinese dealers consider foreign festivals more important than the traditional festivals..which is bit weird and a pity... Well back to the point..more festival more fun...xixi |
| 10th December 2005 Maria | Challenges! - From: What I Teach You have an incredible set of daily challenges. I have a regular yoga practice here in Philly (We were fortunate to have Duncan Wong here for a week earlier in the year!)and I'm wondering how my upcoming "Asia trip" of some two months will be. I really enjoyed your detailed description of your students in Hangzou; Funny how the students in my Spanish classes are quite similar. I will be in Hong Kong early Feb, and was thinking of flying to Hangzou, but I fear it will be brutally cold in Feb. What are your thoughts on the matter (especially since I'll be coming in from much more temperate S. India). If I make it to HZ, I will certainly visit Y+! Thanks for the insights. |
| 8th December 2005 teri | music - From: Cool day WOW, the adventure continues with you! Is your Christmas party going to be in your apartment or at the yoga studio? Do they celebrate Christmas in China? Singapore sure made a big deal of it.. giving equal time to the other major tradition's holidays. Have you learned anything about Chinese music? We miss you, Teri |
| 5th December 2005 Bill & Laura | We enjoy your journals. - From: Cool day Laura and I have been trying to follow your updates and we really enjoy your commentary on the adventures of Hangzhou Johnny. We are glad to see that you are settling in your new environment and, as always, we are amazed at your resilience and sense of adventure. Keep those "cards and letters" coming. Best wishes from your sister and brother-in-law. |
| 30th November 2005 Rita | Contrast of old and new - From: A Simple Dream It has been nine years since we were in China, but things were happening very fast then, too. It was interesting to me to see how the new was leaping ahead, but the old was still in evidence. There would be huge machines building a new road, and old women with brooms sweeping the dirt off the newly paved section. There would be a fancy new house just like one in America in a village where all the others were small and shabby and chickens and pigs roamed freely. As my eyes opened to these contrasts I became more and more aware of pace of the new, but the reality of the old. |
| 17th November 2005 Marsha | Exhilerated and Exhausted? - From: What's in a Name? John, your senses must be on overload with all you are experiencing and doing. Thanks for letting us in on your adventures. Marsha |
| 16th November 2005 teresa | catching up on news - From: What's in a Name? hello john - can't believe how time has gone since fairbanks....just read your whole site for the first time. as usual - amusing, wry, engaging and a window on another world. what a trip and good on you for taking the less travelled way once again. summer is splendid here and everything is in shades of emerald. veges leap from their seeds almost overnight! i'll email later with all my news - there is quite a lot since we last spoke. love t |
| 15th November 2005 teri | listening - From: What's in a Name? Good story, John, The most pleasant way for me to learn Norwegian when I lived there for a year was to take a modern dance class and a scuba diving class which were both taught in Norwegian. I learned some phrases without translating into english since they pertained to the body. When the teacher said "Strek armene" and did it (stretch the arm), I learned what to do by example, and it stuck. Maybe you could sit in on some yoga classes taught in chinese. Are there any CD's of yoga in chinese? namaste, teri |
| 6th November 2005 yukon dave | hey john - From: Suppressing the Photo hi john..... your stories are great to read.. especially since winter is well underway here, enough snow for x-country skiing already and the north wind is blowing... i was surprised that diwali is celebrated there too... some friends here in whitehorse organized a diwali party this year at a small community hall just outside town, i ate way too much..... and there were some great fireworks.... they're illegal pretty much everywhere in canada now because they're too much fun... but the kids sure like them take care, dave |
| 6th November 2005 dave croft | hey john - From: Suppressing the Photo hi john... great to read your stories and surprised to see that diwali was celebrated there.. some friends here in whitehorse organized a diwali party in one of the small community halls outside town.. i ate way too much... there were some great fireworks which of course are illegal pretty much everywhere in canada since they're too much fun.. but the kids sure liked them. take care, dave |
| 4th November 2005 Diane | Having Fun - From: Halloween Oops don't hit "Enter". John, you always know how to have fun! Some of the American culture is really good to share....way to find one of the best. Bet it was hard to explain Mischief Night. Maybe not the fireworks in the mailbox part, but soaping windows? TP-ing? Here it poured rain so I had to eat all the candy myself. Oh well. I will get to make pie, though. |
| 4th November 2005 Diane | Having Fun - From: Halloween |
| 4th November 2005 Karen Wilhelm | See the world - From: A Big Day Out John, Once again you take us to a new place and show it to us with new eyes. I am continually astounded. Love from your big sis, Karen |
| 3rd November 2005 LJ | cooking pumpkin - From: Halloween John, you don't need an oven, you could cut the pumpkin up into pieces and steam it until poking with a fork reveals it is done. Then you could salt and butter it and eat as chunks, or smash/puree and make it into a soup or casserole-type dish (bet you don't have any little marshmallows, hmmm). Way fun! Sounds like a swinging party! best, lj |
| 31st October 2005 Jen vdB | chance - From: A Big Day Out Go, John! |
| 30th October 2005 Joyce in Delta | Thank you! - From: A Big Day Out Oh, John - I can tell already this is going to be an amazing experience for you - how wonderful you can share it with us through this blog! I look forward to each chapter to come, and Steve and I send you warm hugs from the frozen north. Hurry and write more soon! Love, Joyce p.s. We miss you! |
« back 1 next »