#97 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ("Tropical" Island of Hainan, China's smallest Province)

Asia » China » Hainan » Haikou
April 1st 2008

Published: March 31st 2008

In ancient China, the southern Island of Hainan was known as the "end of the world". It is the place, to which many brave dissenters and critics of China's Imperial Dynasties and its emperors were exiled. One of the most outspoken critics of the Song Dynasty was China's ancient, grand poet Su Dongpo, who was exiled to Hainan between 1097 A.D. and 1100 A.D. by the Song Dynasty emperor. He descri... Read Full Entry

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Hans J. Schneider

Hans

After 38 years as a Foreign Language Teacher and Foreign Language Dept. Chair at Coral Gables Sr. H.S., and A.J. Professor of German at the University of Miami, I have left Florida in June of 2006, where my home is in Miami Beach, Florida, USA. I have just signed another year's teaching-contract (my 8th year now) with Taizhou University in the city of Taizhou, located about 3hrs north of Shanghai, in Jiangsu Province, 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 Jo... full info

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The floors of the homes are made of earth, stomped hard by human and animal feet.

Another curious look into the small compound of a village home. The walls are of volcanic stone, while the roofs are supported by wood.

In honor of the village-deceased.

In the center of the village we are invited to visit the interior of this shrine, which houses the record of every deceased villager. The records are on wood and fill the altar-like stand.

A village-elder

It is amazing, what sharing a cigarette can do. Sharing a cigarette quickly makes friends of strangers in China.

Waiting to pick the Jack-fruit crop.

While the young-men pass time near the local village playground, we could hardly see a woman having leisure time.

Prosperity in the village has made it possible to create paths of concrete, for easier transport of the village-harvest.

The woman of the village carry heavy loads of suggar-cane and wood, and seem to do most of the heavy labor.

A proud Grandpa shows of the family's pride and joy.

As in most of China, here in this village also, grandpa takes care of the child, while mom and dad are hard at work earning the house-hold income.

Concrete paths make it easy to ride a bike, even in the rainy season.

Concrete walk-ways makes it easier to travel the village. Good Jack-fruit harvests, and a demand for the sweet fruit around the world, have paid for this luxury.

Billy-goat eyes us curiously.

Black goats are the predominant, domestic animals in the village, and share homes not much different from the villagers.

A small herd of goats is not comfortable with our visit.

The black goats quickly depart and seek shelter within their compound. I'm not sure if it was from the rain or from the visitors.

What a lovely good-bye.

Leaving the village, this little girl sneaks a quick look from behind the door. Her plastic, red rain-coat reminded me of "Little Red Riding-Hood". The red paper on the door lists names and their donations for a visit from a troupe of Beijing-opera performers.

I hope these chicken were not meant for my dinner table.

As I made my way back to our little bus, this proud owner of a new electric motorcycle passed me. I noticed a number of live chicken "strung" on the handle of the bike, fearfully heading for the local market.

Millions of bicycles are up-graded to electric-motor bikes.

China's new transportation, for the ever more affluent lower-class, are sold by the thousands every day in the streets of Haikou.

Safety-helmets in every color.

To accessorize the new moped is the obligatiory safety-helmet.

Mangrove surround the Island of Hainan

Similar, but much greener than those of South Florida are the mangrove, in which the ancient Li People have many villages. Here they can be found still in a primitive life, cultivating and fishing.

Tropical Safari Park #1

Braving the rain and mud, the Elephants at the Tropical Safari Park outside of Haikou enjoyed the suggar cane offered them.

Tropical Safari Park #2

The lions sit in the rain, and view us as their potential dinner. We were reminded to keep our RV windows shut tightly.

Tropical Safari Park #3

The ostrich too complained about the miserable weather, but thanked us for our visit. The one in the back gave himself a needed mud-bath.

Tropical Safari Park #4

The dining room of this park is sadly empty of visitors. The restaurant has also endured the consequences of China's bad winter of 2008, no travelers!

Tropical Safari Park #5

A wet Giraffe is waiting for her "daily bread"

Tropical Safari Park #6

Not the most pleasant weather to greet the visitors.

Tropical Safari Park #7

Monkeys roam freely among the few visitors of the day, in fact they almost seemed surprised that a few visitors came to see them.

1st April 2008

JIAXI
non-member comment

What a wonderful journey!
You had a colorful journey,but you still missed something!hadn't you?

1st April 2008

Danny
non-member comment

HI
Glade to see that

3rd April 2008

winter
non-member comment

A father looking
when i looking at those words and pictures , i just be shocked by them what you record ,it your china history of you !!!!

25th May 2008

david
non-member comment

great
hello, Hans. you are a good teacher and good traveler, you have done very wounderful, I can imagine that you are nice guy with warm heart. I will visit here often future, to see other great things. yes, I like traveling also, and I have been to Miami on business travel, I am an engineer. I can travel a lot. it is a great work for you to do that, thank you, it makes me happy. please take care. david

21st October 2008

Henry
non-member comment

Invitation to a second visit to Hainan
Hi Hans, unfortunately you did not have a memorable visit to Hainan due to your unfortunate physical conditions and contant rain.I sugest a return visit to Sanya,the southern resort city of Hainan where most tourists visit when they are in Hainan.

25th October 2008

june
non-member comment

recall the cold
Hi, Hans, I was out of breath as I read through the story about your sufferings. You are brave and frank to share a common embarresment which everyone would have experienced in life. That is only natural and normal, but, when I told the others about my own simílar story, they just burst out laugh! The beginning of 2008 in southern China was unusually cold and dismal. I was shivering in the flat while standing on the floor of paved marble feeling the chill came from beneath the foot. That was early Feb this year and finding warmer sandles in the city Shenzhen was just un easy. However, the weather turned suddenly dry-hot after 3 weeks and the metropolis was shrouded in heavy mist under the blazing sun and I suffered from a sever chest infection. The holiday resort Longmen Iron-spring was a nice place to go. It´s not far from Shenzhen and the price was reasonable. Lying in the hot spring under those banana trees was quite a kind of "Geniessen".

10th November 2008

bukit
non-member comment

Translation problems
a. "End of the World " ? The southern tip of Hainan Island was described by poets as " Tien Ya, Hai Jiow" , not the " End of the World ". In fact Hai Jiow means a corner of the sea. The phrase probably means " this is the end of the land and the start of the sea with the horizon far beyond ". b. " Dissenters and Critics " ? In history, Su Dong Po was a poet, never a dissenter or a critic. During those days, there were no lawyers to defend you. Dissenters will lose their lives and critics will get punished. There were no records, in fact, to show Su Dong Po did anything to get himself into the black book of the Emperor. Probably he offended the Emperor after having too much of the alcohols and got himself banished because the Emperor did not want to see him anymore.

18th July 2010

xxx
non-member comment

Hainan is a very great place to visit, especially due to its natural environment. It will be best for you to even check out corners like Wenchang for chicken rice. Lifestyle there is really different but special. And seafood is really cheap. Hope that you will visit Hainan again to see more since i think you have missed most of the wonderful things there. ^^

5th September 2010

patrick gleeson
non-member comment

teaching english
i would like to teach english in your college i am australian 66 in very good health love china and the chinese people i have my masters and bacheolars degree i look forward to your reply patrick patrickgleeson@live.com

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#97 Teaching at Taizhou Teachers College, China ("Tropical" Island of Hainan, China's smallest Province)

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