http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , China , Jiangsu , Zhenjiang en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:52:22 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:52:22 UTC I'm fed up with this TravelBlog. I can't upload pictures anymore and I could never get the private feature to work for all of you. So I'm moving back to jessicalpayne.blogspot.com I may not be able to consistently get on there but I think it will still work better. See you all there http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-298158.html My blog is having issues. This is just one of the many reasons I haven't updated it lately. There actually aren't that many reasons. I just lied there. But I will update this as soon as I can get somethings working. But in a side newsa Chinese guy thought I was 2425 years old Yeah yeah At least someone in this world doesn't think I look like a freshman in high school. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-296569.html I really don't have the time to write much but I went to Beigushan about a week ago. This is just about a twenty minute walk from my apartment. These pictures don't do the river justice. There was such a beautiful view of the Yangtze River and it was really peaceful. A picture is worth a thousand words right http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-291521.html I took these a while ago but I'm having some major picture problems. Andrewyour help would be greatly appreciated Enjoy http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-291483.html The school I teach at on Fridays is in such a nice area and has all of these old Roman and French looking statues and what not. Very peaceful there. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-290988.html Being that my birthday was on Monday here in China it was just very mellow. I honestly forgot about it throughout the day since I had to teach and I was quite nervous to teach the teachers for the first time. But I opened my cards in the afternoon and had an oreo box cakepie. It wasn't bad for a box. That night I treated myself to my favorite street dinner. And that was my day. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-290750.html So I read this book about a guy's journey walking around the Baja pennisula and it in he talked about this cactus fruit called pitaya. He said it is better than strawberries. Thus I've wanted to try it for quite some time. My first trip to the RT mart I noticed it there and later came back to get one. But it was gross. It was completely sweet. Yuck. There are other variations ones with http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-290678.html I've been extremely busy with choreographing and teaching dance routines teaching extra teaching extra participation going out with people which I feel obligated to do if I have any spare time and trying to see China when I can. I have lots of cool pictures and stories to tell you guys and hopefully I will be able to post them all soon before I forget. But until then I'm in Shanghai and goi http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-289865.html I'm trying to catch up on my blog. Before I went to Nanjing I did two things I wanted to share. One of my classes had their grandmas or mothers come and teach them how to make rice dumplings. These are famous during the festival that was coming up. I just realized I don't know where all my pictures from this day went. The two will have to do. On that Friday as well the other teachers invited me http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-286483.html Some of you have asked many times what my scheduel is so you when I can talk. Well here it is for youAll in China timeThis is when I'm teachingworkingeating lunchMonday800101510351105112011401230133015001610Tuesday800940103510501120114015001610Wednesday80010301120114015001610Thursday8001015103511051120114015001600Fridays80094010101150 http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-286010.html Some of you may be curious as to where I am. Some of you could care less. But for those who are interested I will tell you or more so I will copy and paste some explinations for you about my cityZhenjiang. Zenjiang not to be confused with Zhejiang is located on the south bank of the Yangzi Yangtze River Chang Jiang 200 km 120 miles northwest of Shanghai and 60 km 40 miles east of Nanjin http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-284299.html Last Sunday I found this Cemetery. It was a nice quite Sunday activity. There weren't many people there and it was up this hill so I got some quite. Everything was in Chinese so I didn't learn much. But I was thinking did these people die fighting for communism Ha http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-283558.html Zhenjiang is located on the southern banks of the Yangtze River. I went down there Monday during my lunch break. I hadn't seen a horizon since coming here so I was starting to get a bit antsy. It may be brown water and still smogy and of course there is some trash but it was still beautiful. I loved the green on the otherside. I wish more of China was left like this. My pictures aren't great but http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-283554.html So my first whole day here I was walking around trying to get acquainted with the area and what not. While doing so I came upon this sign and stoped dead in my tracks. Someone of you that are fimilar with this may be thinking the same thing I was. A 24hour Fitness in China It would have been my lucky day. But no sadly it was just a 24 hour bank. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-283538.html Yesterday I got my self lunch all on my own. The guy selling the dumplings knew no english and I know no Chinese but I did it. And it was yummy. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-282357.html I got into Zhenjiang Friday around six pm maybe. It was quite sureal. Most know I love the amazing race and it is a lot like the show when they are in some big citydeveloping country. Drivers are crazy tons of people and smog galore. Nothing like what I had seen before. And then there are the stares at me. It isn't common to see an Americ as I have heard myself being called in Zhenjiang. I wen http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-282182.html Zhenjiang is famous for vinegar and pickles in China. Apparently you're able to smell this fact when you enter the city. I couldn't. I just took the guidebook's word for it. My first impression of Zhenjiang was that it was rather drab and industrial. Zhenjiang's other claim to fame was unknown to me until very recently when Jessica picked up a book at a Library stock clearance sale. The book was http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-160601.html Donderdag 5 april. Zhenjiang werd gesticht in 545 v. Chr. maar heette toen Guyang. Toen het Chinese rijk na zijn eerste eenmaking weer uiteenviel werd de stad onder de naam Jingkou letterlijk lsquoToegang tot Nanjingrsquo de hoofdstad van het koninkrijk Wu 220 280. De stad kreeg in deze tijd ook een stadsmuur. De verdere ontwikkeling van Zhenjiang kan worden toegeschreven aan de openi http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/China/Jiangsu/Zhenjiang/blog-154642.html