http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Hans/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Hans en-us Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:04:38 +0000 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:04:38 +0000 MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009 AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 In China the Spring Festival will honor it as The Year of the TIGER 2009 IS MY 4TH CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY SEASON IN CHINA AND THE TIME AT TAIZHOU TEACHERS COLLEGE IS JUST AS EXCITING AS DURING MY FIRST YEAR. I WISH ALL OF MY FAMILY MY FRIENDS MY STUDENTS AND COLLEAGUES past and present AND THE HUNDREDS OF READERS OF MY TRAVELBLOG FROM SO MA http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-459843.html 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 y http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-432283.html 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 an http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Xinjiang/Turpan/blog-429903.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Wuxi/blog-392294.html The Spring 2009 Qintong Dragon Boat Festival Extravaganza attracts visitors from near and far and they witness one of the great colorful outdoor 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-392869.html 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 uplo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-392601.html 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 TIMEPERIOD 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. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-386673.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-361754.html THIS IS PART TWO OF MY 2009 WINTERVISIT TO HARBIN THE FROZEN CAPITAL OF HEILONGJIANG THE NORTHERN MOST PROVINCE OF CHINA MY PRIMARY REASON FOR BRAVING THIS 24 HOUR TRAINJOURNEY FROM TAIZHOU TO SUBARCTIC 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 ICECARVING http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Heilongjiang/Harbin/blog-361358.html The crowded and long train left my home cold Taizhou Jiangsu at 602pm and 24 hours later arrived in what is known as the coldest city of China bonechilling HARBIN the capital of China's most northern province of Hailongjiang. The province of Hailongjiang has its borders with arctic RussianSiberia and HARBIN looks more like an EasternEuropean or Russian city than a Chinese city. What d http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Heilongjiang/Harbin/blog-358088.html 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 CHINAIT IS TIME TO BEGIN ANOTHER YEAR OF LIFE. THIS PRESENTS THE SATISFYING OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE FOR T http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-357217.html ANOTHER CHRISTMAS HAS ARRIVED AND THE NEW YEAR 2009 IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. FEW EVENTS IN ONE'S LIFE OTHER THAN A BIRTHDAY REMIND HOW QUICKLY TIME AND THE YEARS PASS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THREE YEARS IN MY SECOND HOME TAIZHOU TEACHERS COLLEGE IN TAIZHOU CHINA THE YEAR OF THE PIG THE YEAR OF THE RAT AND SOON TO BE THE YEAR OF THE OX. AS ONE'S AGE ADVANCES IT IS TRUE THAT TIME SEEMS http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-355263.html There is no more doubt that winter has arrived in Taizhou. Students are huddling and holding each other for warmth as they rush to their early morning classes. The students now sport their downwinterjackets in all the most fashionable colors but their smiles are more temporary as they pass me on their way to whereever. These colder months begin the time when I miss the warm Florida wea http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-347461.html For the past weeks I have been dealing with writer's block and hundreds of photos began to accummulate in my Blog as I was trying to overcome my daily anxiety dealing with the 2008 Presidential election in America. I have now survived the strain and the stress of the daily English news about the direction and conclusion of the election on China's television CCTV9 and the internet coverage http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-334014.html One of the important Blogs I have neglected to publish earlier this year 2008 concerns our school's evaluation by the Education Department of the Province of Jiangsu China. It is a process that is mandated for the provincial educational institutions every 5 years and Taizhou Teachers College was ready for this rigorous examination of its academia and facilities. I observed the faculty and s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-203784.html One of the most surprising experiences for a first year student during college and university life in China has little to do with academic endeavor or performance. The Chinese college freshmen who usually arrive 2 weeks after the classes for the upper classmen have already begun must first participate in compulsory and strenuous two to three week military training. That national practice wi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-328390.html Over 5000 years of history the Chinese have created a brilliant and vibrant culture and at the same time they have formed their own moral code that has played an important role in Chinese social development and progress. The moral code' is based what are called Traditional Virtues which still have great significance today. Their values to the development of human civilization have also http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-320678.html My visit to the LU SHAN Mountain Retreat and LU SHAN National Park in China's province of Jiangxi became the most strenuous journeys during my time in China. I made my first visit to the Province of Jiangxi this summer wishing and dreaming to experience the natural beauty of one of China's most fabled natural regions. Poets and painters of every one of China's Dynasties have eulogized this co http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangxi/Nanchang/blog-321172.html It has been sometime since my last entry and much has happened in my life here in China. I am trying to gather my thoughts and compile them and all of the hundreds of pictures of my past eventful weeks into my computer for a next series of TravelBlogs. It will take me some time and I hope to become more prolific in presenting you so many of my joys and adventures in China from this past summe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Yangzhou/blog-262275.html One of the most joyfull days during my teaching assignment at Taizhou Teachers College came on Monday May 26th 2008. The Olympic Torch Run through China was about to reach the city of Taizhou. There had been a delay since China was still deep in mourning on the 23rd of May the day originally scheduled for the presentation of the Olympic Torch Run in Taizhou. Taizhou the City of the Phoe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Taizhou/Taizhou-Teachers-College/blog-282394.html