http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Jody-Riskowski/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Jody Riskowski en-us Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:00:58 +0000 Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:00:58 +0000 Most of the day was spent sightseeing. We went to Confuciusrsquo birthplace and his tomb. Grace and Song had said the driver is generally very talkative but he had never actually talked to me. Today he didmdasha first The other first of the day I finally used a Chinese toiletmdashyikes If yoursquove not seen them they are basically a hole in the ground a trough. Irsquod sho http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qufu/blog-353367.html What a day what a day. Yes I do believe the folks here in China do try to overbook our day We started out the morning visiting a biomechanics class here at the Institute. It looked very similar to the classes we saw at Wuxi just a lot of lecture. I didnrsquot hear a student speak once during the class. But it was interesting to watch the students. Some feverishly took notes those in http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-352750.html Ah life back at the cubicle. After a rousing weekend it was time to return the grind. Saturday we learned the easy way to Mahjong and it actually isnrsquot too terribly hard the easy way. It doesnrsquot have betting involved but you do have to give money to the winner. I was down to about 4 coins after starting with 20 all of a sudden I figured out how to play and we finished with http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-352422.html Finally a free morning and night here in Jinan City of the Springs Jon the man with the moneyhellipthe PI of the project funding this experience came yesterday while I was out in the city but we met up for breakfast. He came in yesterday and apparently had time to read information about our hotel. It is funded by ShanDongrsquos Ministry of Prison Management which explains all the po http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-351536.html If therersquos but one thing Irsquove learned in China itrsquos to stay flexible and that is not just because I'm studying with a Tai Chi master. When folks put on your plate things you wouldnrsquot in a million years eat just smile and eat. And when plans change for the 3rd5th time just run with it. So instead of going to another city and doing testing for discus whatever this http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-351226.html We were at the lab part of the day just working on a manuscript for another graduate student but that stuff really isnrsquot the good stuff. It was everything else that is more fun. We left for Qingdoa today which is the hometown of the professor Irsquom working with here in China. Qingdao is along the Pacific Ocean and is also where the sailing portion of the Olympics was held. There we http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Qingdao/blog-350941.html Itrsquos day 2 at Jinan and the ShanDong Institute of Sport Sciences and I had to give two presentations. Both were translated which I felt bad for the students but I think they kind of enjoyed. Translating it just makes it that much longer. For me it feels like a tennis match. I talk and all eyes are on me and when I finish the eyes shift to the translator. And back and forth we go. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-350610.html Today I went to the ShanDong National Sport Science Institute which is where I will be working for the next two weeks. They call it an Institute because ldquoIt is very small. It has only 10000 students.rdquo Hmmmhellipagain my definition of small and big is not the same. All of these students are either study Sports Science i.e. training to coach or do analysis of their Olympic athle http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-350606.html Irsquom leaving Nanjing today to head to Jinan which is kind of like stepping into a black hole. The group is separating. For the most part wersquoll all be in China but wersquoll all be in different parts. Irsquom in Jinan ShanDong Jill in Beijing and Ming somewhere I wonrsquot even try to spell. At the Nanjing airport I was in gate 30 the last gate which also happened t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shandong/Ji-Nan/blog-349953.html Our last day in Nanjing together was spent shopping I didnrsquot really buy anything but it was an experience nonetheless. I was even able to bargain with people which is fun and not fun. Fun because itrsquos always fun to see if people with lower their price not fun because you realize that for many people this is their livelihoodmdashall their money goes to living not to a big corpo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Nanjing/blog-349952.html Herersquos two days wrapped in one. Thanksgiving we were quite busy nonstop actually which we should be accustomed to now but sometimes you forget I guess. The morning started out touring. We were all kind of grumbling going there because we just wanted some time to ourselveshellipthen we got there and it was amazing. I donrsquot know the name of it in Chinese or English but it was r http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Nanjing/blog-349311.html Whoa what a day. I think the title says it allhellipLost in translation. I know for myself some of the science words are not typically words that English learners would learnmdashfulcrum mechanical advantage efficiency. So I had to give my lesson today and many of these words were lost or some Irsquom told. It certainly was interesting. When I went to give my lesson about 23 m http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Wuxi/blog-348762.html The morning started off with us Andrea and I discussing with 39th grades students 2 girls 1 boy all 16 years old about their lives. Very fascinating stuff It could have be a typical middle class student in the US. We asked if they had cell phonesmdashyep 23 did. They have been to Disneyland in Hong Kong they had teddy bears they like to hang out with their friends. Favorite ac http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Wuxi/blog-348466.html Irsquom not sure where to begin today was just so jam packed with stuff I will try to make it as coherent as possible but it will most likely be a very nonlinear path I will take. Just a quick story on breakfast to start. I went over the carb area grabbed a sweet roll and headed back to the table. At first I thought the topping was cinnamon which I thought this is perfect sweet roll a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Wuxi/blog-348164.html So here I am off in Nanjing. We got in last night about 9 pm their time on Saturday. It was good to see all everyone. Flights and travel was uneventfuljust how I like it The only challenge was in Beijing I had to transfer to get on a local flight all by myself I just about messed this up in Denver so I was a little timid. I asked the shuttle bus guy To China South my airlinefa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Nanjing/blog-347708.html