Hans - Hans J. Schneider

After 38 years as a Foreign Language Teacher and Foreign Language Dept. Chair at Coral Gables Sr. H.S., I have left Florida in June of 2006, where my home is in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. I have just signed a third year teaching-contract with Taizhou Teachers College in the city of Taizhou, located about 3hrs north of Shanghai in Jiangsu Province in CHINA.

I thought it would be informative for others and rewarding for me personally, to log the progress of my efforts from beginning to end as a Travel and Photo Journal. I appreciate greatly the TravelBlog web-site, which has given me the means to stay in touch with my family, friends, students, and colleagues.

Since I have already visited China via Airline several times, I have been searching for alternative future ways to travel between the USA and China. Two options continue to be my favorites and will explore them further in the future:

1. Via Ship-Freighter from East Cost of US through Panama Canal to Korea to Shanghai to Hong Kong. :)
2. Via Trans-Siberian-Railroad from London to Brussels to Cologne to Moscow to Beijing to Hong Kong/Guilin :)
(3. Via American Airlines from Miami to Chicago, and direct flight on to Shanghai, :)

So for now and the future, I will continue my work as a teacher and continue my travels in this amazing country of China, and collect the memories with this incredible new Technology, making it possible to communicate from anywhere in real time. I hope many of you will join me in this late-life adventure, teaching English at Taizhou Teachers College in China, in the small and rural city of Taizhou, in Jiangsu Province of China.

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Joined on: December 26th 2005
Last Login: November 5th 2009

Blog Entries: 116
Photos: 5802
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Blogs & Travel Journals

by Hans, order by Date newest first.

By Hans
September 20th 2009

#119 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China (Part 2,The Silk Road near DUNHUANG, Gansu) Asia » China

The main portal of the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang, Gansu
Within this sandstone mountain, in the middle of a desert oasis, 735 Buddhist shrines have been carved into its bowels. The caves have been excavated since the time a travelling monk, Shamen Lezun, ... [more]

***** "It is with deep sadness, that I heard of the recent events and tragedy at my former school in Miami. From so far away, in Taizhou, China, I wish to share in your pain and suffering, that must be overwhelming you, my dear friends and collegues and students at Coral Gables H.S. My memories of almost 20 years with you were of great joy and satisfaction, and I wish I could be there with you to offer my love and some comfort in person. We can all hope, that time will become the healer of this painful memory. My heart [View Full Entry]

The mountains holds more than 1,600 years of Buddhist history.

Part 1, The Mogao Grottoes. A creation, that came from LOVE!

By Hans
August 28th 2009

#118 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China (Part 1,The Silk Road near Urumqi/Turpan, Xinjiang) Asia » China » Xinjiang » Turpan

Silhouette of the "Imin Ta Mosque" of Turpan, Xinjiang
The graceful Imin Ta Minaret and the Iranian-style mosque in the "Silk Road" town of Turpan in the N.W. province of Xinjiang, China has invited the faithful travellers for almost 250 years. With the... [more]

The summer of 2009 will be the one I remember with special affection, for it took me to places that have long been in my imagination and in my dreams. These summer travels and experiences also remind me of the diversity and vastness of this amazing country called China. Much of the thanks for my unique summer adventure is offered to my wonderful College, Taizhou Teachers College, it's genteel and respected President, Mr. Xu, my dear friend, Mr. Lee, and three other travel companions, representing the college administration, Mr. Yang, Ms. Yang, and Mr. Huang. Each added so much to this [View Full Entry]

Like a chimney, though so very graceful.

Geometric patterns are created with the use of yellow clay-bricks.

The simple interior of the Imin Ta Mosque.

By Hans
July 19th 2009

#116 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ( Wuxi and Yixing ) Asia » China » Jiangsu » Wuxi

The Amazing Bronze Lingshan Buddha of Wuxi, Jiangsu.
Towering almost 170 feet, the recently constructed bronze Buddha captures the imagination of every visitor to Wuxi, at this great Buddhist World Center.

It has been some time since the last TravelBlog, though the photos are accumulating by the hundreds. The neglect is in part due to a lack of time, the insane slow speed of the Internet in my apartment here in China, and some other personal events, with which I don't wish to depress you at this time. I hope, that at some point I can catch up with all of the experiences and travels I have been able to document with many colorful photos. I am still very happy with my life here in China, though some personal injuries have made [View Full Entry]

A visit to the Lingshan Buddha near Wuxi, Jiangsu

Lunch in the Fan Gong Palace near Wuxi, Jiangsu

By Hans
May 1st 2009

# 115 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China (The Dragon Boat Festival of Qintong, Jiangsu) Asia » China » Jiangsu » Taizhou » Taizhou Teachers College

The 2009 Qintong Dragon Boat Festival in Taizhou
Over a hundred thousand visitors annually make their way to the Qintong Water Park near Taizhou, Jiangsu to enjoy one of China's great spectacles, the Dragon Boat Festival.

The Spring 2009 Qintong Dragon Boat Festival Extravaganza attracts visitors from near and far, and they witness one of the great colorful out-door spectaculars in the Province of Jiangsu, only an hour from my home in Taizhou. This Dragon Boat Festival has become one of those special cultural highlights, most unique to China, a presentation I wish never to miss. I truly appreciate the efforts my friends at Taizhou Teachers College, Arthur and Susie, have made for me again this year, as they surprised me with a VIP ticket, and these passes are very difficult to obtain. Everyone who is a [View Full Entry]

The Dragon Boat Festivals are usually celebrated during April and May in many part of China.

The Dragon in China is of great significance.

The Dragon Boat Festival has enjoyed success for thousands of years.

By Hans
April 21st 2009

#114 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ( Re-posting of Photos lost in TravelBlog #113 ) Asia » China » Jiangsu » Taizhou » Taizhou Teachers College

A Walk through the Parks of Taizhou, Jiangsu
Photo 29

I am sad to report, that the TravelBlog site has had another problem, and many of my photos from TravelBlog #113 have been wiped out and lost. It is a frustrating experience to have spent hours upon hours to prepare an entry, only to see the efforts disappear. I am sorry that you were not able to see many of the "Taizhou Spring 2009" photos posted with my last entry, and so I will attempt to upload some of them again, but without the comments. It just takes too long to do it all again, and has strained some of the [View Full Entry]

The Beautiful Parks of China are made ready to display their Spring Colors, 2009.

The Spring Colors, 2009 in Jiangsu, China.

By Hans
April 15th 2009

#113 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ( Pure Brightness Festival/"Shangfen" and Spring 2009 in Taizhou) ) Asia » China » Jiangsu » Taizhou » Taizhou Teachers College

Spring 2009 in Taizhou, Jiangsu
Peach blossoms have been celebrated in the muses of China throughout its 5,000 year history. It is easy to understand the reason. Few colors can paint the arrival of spring more beautifully.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THE TRAVELBLOG SITE MANAGER HAS NOTIFIED ITS CONTRIBUTORS, THAT MOST OF THE PHOTOS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED ON THIS AND ON OTHER ENTRIES DURING A SPECIFIC TIME-PERIOD HAVE BEEN LOST. I AM SO SORRY. I HAVE TRIED TO POST MOST OF THE LOST PHOTOS AGAIN ON THE NEXT TRAVELBLOG #114. AFTER READING THIS ENTRY, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT TRAVELBLOG #114. ********************************************** It seems as if the world has changed since my last TravelBlog entry, and I am still catching my breath. There is my joy of the inauguration of President Obama an [View Full Entry]

Different varieties display their unique blooms and colors.

Spring-colors as far as the eyes can see

Poets of Taizhou have been inspired by these blossoms.

By Hans
January 19th 2009

#112 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ( Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao Festival ) Asia » China » Jiangsu » Taizhou » Taizhou Teachers College

The Lantern Festival ends the Chinese Spring Festival.
The Lantern Festival dates back thousands of years and the shapes and sizes and colors of the beautiful lanterns are only limited by the imagination.

In China, the preparations for the Spring Festival (2009), in anticipation for the "Year of the Ox", are nearly completed. This year it falls on January 25th. Our excited students, teachers and staff from Taizhou Teachers College are heading home, to spend this "most important festival" in China with their families and their friends. Another group, an army of migrant workers, are also returning to distant provinces, expecting to be with their loved-ones. They may have not seen their families for a long time. It is now a time, when all of China seems to be on the move!! Public [View Full Entry]

PHOTO JOURNEY #1:For the average person, these are the most common, mass-produced shapes.

Soon these red and gold lanterns will decorate the doorway of a Chinese home.

The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the First Lunar Month.

By Hans
January 14th 2009

#111 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ( HARBIN: Part 2, World of Ice & Snow, Stalin Park, Buddhist Temples and Confucian Temple!) Asia » China » Heilongjiang » Harbin

Harbin: The Big World of Ice and Snow
Every year, Harbin creates a fantasy "World of Ice and Snow". Visitors and tourists are dazzled and overwhelmed by the size of the architectural and imaginative creations. These fantasy buildings ar... [more]

THIS IS PART "TWO" OF MY 2009 WINTER-VISIT TO HARBIN, THE "FROZEN" CAPITAL OF HEILONGJIANG, THE NORTHERN MOST PROVINCE OF CHINA: MY PRIMARY REASON FOR BRAVING THIS 24 HOUR TRAIN-JOURNEY FROM TAIZHOU TO SUB-ARCTIC HARBIN IS THE ANNUAL "ICE AND SNOW FESTIVAL", WHICH INVITES VISITORS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, DURING THE MONTHS OF DECEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY, TO ONE OF THE GREATEST SNOW- AND ICE-CARVING EXTRAVAGANZAS ANYWHERE ON EARTH. IN MY LAST TRAVELBLOG #110, I SHARED WITH YOU SOME PHOTOS OF THESE SPECTACULAR STRUCTURES OF ICE, ALONG WITH PHOTOS OF THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. SOFIA, THE ARTISTI [View Full Entry]

By Hans
January 8th 2009

#110 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ( HARBIN, Part 1: Ice & Snow Extravaganza, and St. Sofia Cathedral ) Asia » China » Heilongjiang » Harbin

St. Sofia Church in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
St. Sofia Church is Harbin's landmark and dates from 1907. It's Byzantium architecture covers some 720 square yards of land and has been turned into a city museum, though its interior has been sadly ... [more]

The crowded and long train left my home, cold Taizhou, Jiangsu, at 6:02pm and 24 hours later arrived in what is known as the "coldest" city of China, bone-chilling HARBIN, the capital of China's most northern province of Hailongjiang. The province of Hailongjiang has its borders with arctic Russian-Siberia, and HARBIN looks more like an Eastern-European or Russian city than a Chinese city. What drives people from around the world, including myself, a tropical Floridian, to visit this deep-freeze, provincial capital in the middle of the harsh winter, where temperatures can reach below -22 [View Full Entry]

St. Sofia Church in Harbin, Heilongjiang, Photo #9

The Church of St. Sofia is a splendid Byzantine-style church in the center of the old Harbin.

A Fairyland of Ice: The primary reason for me to visit Harbin during it's arctic winter.

By Hans
January 1st 2009

#109 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China (2009-Happy Spring Festival and Happy Chinese Lunar New Year, The Year of the Ox !) Asia » China » Jiangsu » Taizhou » Taizhou Teachers College

2009 in the Chinese Lunar Calendar is the "Year of the OX"
The OX symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. Those born under this sign are fortunate to be stable and persevering. The typical Ox is a tolerant person with a strong character. Ox pe... [more]

TO MY LOVING FAMILY, TO MY WONDERFUL FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD, TO MY FORMER COLLEAGUES AND STUDENTS AT CORAL GABLES SR. HIGH SCHOOL, THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, AND REVERE HIGH SCHOOL IN BOSTON, AND TO MY CURRENT, KIND COLLEAGUES AND SWEET STUDENTS AT TAIZHOU TEACHERS COLLEGE IN CHINA: IT IS TIME TO BEGIN ANOTHER YEAR OF LIFE. THIS PRESENTS THE SATISFYING OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE FOR THE BLESSINGS OF SHARING A LIFE WITH SOME OF THE MOST WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. I AM REACHING THE AGE, WHERE EVERY YEAR IS A GIFT FROM GOD, PROVIDING VALUABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENRICH [View Full Entry]

A whole herd of Oxen for the Lunar New Year (2009).

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