Blogs from Ji'Nan, Shandong, China, Asia - page 6

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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 isn’t too terribly hard (the easy way). It doesn’t 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 me having 40 coins! The excuse was Grace has no electricity, so it was getting hard to see—excuses, excuses! I’m going to have to play again before my time is through. After Mahjong came dinner and KTV (karaoke). Thankfully, the first 2 songs I choose didn’t have word (so sad!), so I sang one. Grace added in a few more English ... read more

If there’s but one thing I’ve learned in China, it’s 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 wouldn’t in a million years eat, just smile and eat. And, when plans change for the 3rd-5th time, just run with it. So, instead of going to another city and doing testing for discus (whatever this means), we toured around the city and headed home (Jinan—quite all right with me). It was freezing (literally 0 deg. C) and windy and cold, and you’d have thought I’d never lived in a place like WY. After breakfast we did what any good graduate student (and professor not too far removed from her graduate school days) would do—headed to the brewery! Tsingtao beer is a ... read more

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 “It is very small. It has only 10,000 students.” Hmmm…again, 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 athletes housed nearby) or are PE majors. I changed hotels in the afternoon, otherwise I would have went to see their Ping Pong center and weight room—it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Unfortunately no pictures today, but maybe tomorrow. I met the graduate students this morning, and we trudged on over to their office. When we arrived, the students said, “Here is your office.” It was really a cubicle, ... read more

Everything and everyone is cool. There are no problems and peace reigns supreme. I am happy, and everyone else is happy. There is no conflict. There is no tribulation. Harmony has been achieved. No one complains and there is no reason to do so. People everywhere have everything they want and no one is wanting for more. The weather is perfect. Nobody is too hot nor cold. Everybody has enough to eat, but never eats too much. The leaders are honest and accessible, twenty four hours a day. Corruption does not exist. People work for the greater good rather than to become wealthy. Teachers are paid more than sports stars and politicians work for free. I wake up.... read more