Blogs from Taizhou, Jiangsu, China, Asia - page 9

It occurred to me in the past week or so that it’s been nearly 3months since I last posted a blog! With the demands of a new semester, ongoing issues with uncooperative computers and slow internet connections, a broken camera and an increasing social life outside of this campus, there never seems to be quite enough time to do all the things I’d like- including updating this blog! It took the realization that Xmas was just around the corner to finally put fingers to keyboard! EXCUSES ASIDE, I DEDICATE THIS XMAS BLOG TO MY FAMILY AND MY MANY FRIENDS, BOTH OLD AND NEW, AROUND THE GLOBE. I ANTICIPATE WITH RELISH MY RAPIDLY APPROACHING “WINTER BREAK” IN AUSTRALIA. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHOM I WON’T SEE SO SOON, MAY YOU HAVE A JOYFUL FESTIVE SEASON AND MAY ... read more

The colder weather is making the nights at Taizhou Teachers College certainly more challenging. In Miami Beach, I had forgotten what "chills" are all about, and here it has now become a daily reminder. Many years have passed since I have had to be-deck myself with so much clothing. What I have been able to loose in body-weight, has now been replaced by many additional-pounds of layered clothing. There is no more doubt, that winter is just around the next corner. The foreign teachers' office and my apartment are cozy warm, but none of the classrooms have the luxury of heat. My students are huddled in their winter-clothing, searching for warmth, holding hands and hugging their classmates, the boys no exception. Despite taking class-notes in "Michael Jackson Gloves", where finger-tips are cut open, their efforts of ... read more

Qintong Town, 15 km north of Jiangyan City (Taizhou Prefecture) in Jiangsu Province, is located in an area criss-crossed by waterways. Qi Hu (Lake) is found on the outskirts of town about a 20-30 minute ride by car east of our hotel. This particular visit we were the guests of Taizhou City itself. It was an opportunity to show their “foreign friends” the ongoing efforts to not only boost economic growth in the area but as a mark of an increasing awareness of the importance of protecting the environment that so often suffers when rapid urban growth occurs. To mark the “auspicious” occasion we were inevitably tagged by a team from Taizhou Television and a number of their family members. We were also accompanied within the reserve by a young tour guide called Crystal. She was ... read more

The documentation as a legal resident in China has now been resolved, and we have learned, that " red tape" in China is just as complicated and cumbersome as it is in America, especially when it comes to immigration-issues. After several visits to their office, Taizhou's local authorities have been quite helpful in issuing the new resident visa, with some slight penalties. It permits my stay in China until the summer of 2007. Once again, we will depart for Beijing this coming Monday evening on the overnight train, leaving at 6 p.m. from the new Taizhou train station. We will arrive in the Capitol of China at 7 a.m. Tuesday morning. With Arthur's connections, we were able to secure two tickets, one in the "Soft-Sleeper" compartment, and the other in the "Hard-Sleeper" compartment. He offered me ... read more

For the students of Taizhou Teachers College in Jiangsu Province, China, the long awaited summer holidays have arrived, and let me tell you: "These are indeed HOT and HUMID summer days"! The graduates are receiving their diplomas and wonder, what will await them on the outside world, now that their undergraduate-studies are successfully completed. I see them walking the school-campus excitedly, wearing their holiday best, bound document in hand. None look much older than one of our typical high school students, and it is difficult to think of them as new teachers. It will now be their responsibility to pass on recently acquired knowledge to China's future leaders. Some are unsure of their fate, most might never see each other again. This is a College, think of it, and dating is understood as a serious distraction. ... read more