Contrast of old and new It has been nine years since we were in China, but things were happening very fast then, too. It was interesting to me to see how the new was leaping ahead, but the old was still in evidence. There would be huge machines building a new road, and old women with brooms sweeping the dirt off the newly paved section. There would be a fancy new house just like one in America in a village where all the others were small and shabby and chickens and pigs roamed freely. As my eyes opened to these contrasts I became more and more aware of pace of the new, but the reality of the old.
Exhilerated and Exhausted? John, your senses must be on overload with all you are experiencing and doing. Thanks for letting us in on your adventures. Marsha
catching up on news hello john - can't believe how time has gone since fairbanks....just read your whole site for the first time. as usual - amusing, wry, engaging and a window on another world. what a trip and good on you for taking the less travelled way once again. summer is splendid here and everything is in shades of emerald. veges leap from their seeds almost overnight! i'll email later with all my news - there is quite a lot since we last spoke.
love
t
listening Good story, John,
The most pleasant way for me to learn Norwegian when I lived there for a year was to take a modern dance class and a scuba diving class which were both taught in Norwegian. I learned some phrases without translating into english since they pertained to the body. When the teacher said "Strek armene" and did it (stretch the arm), I learned what to do by example, and it stuck. Maybe you could sit in on some yoga classes taught in chinese. Are there any CD's of yoga in chinese?
namaste, teri
hey john
hi john..... your stories are great to read.. especially since winter is well underway here, enough snow for x-country skiing already and the north wind is blowing... i was surprised that diwali is celebrated there too... some friends here in whitehorse organized a diwali party this year at a small community hall just outside town, i ate way too much..... and there were some great fireworks.... they're illegal pretty much everywhere in canada now because they're too much fun... but the kids sure like them
take care, dave
hey john hi john... great to read your stories and surprised to see that diwali was celebrated there.. some friends here in whitehorse organized a diwali party in one of the small community halls outside town.. i ate way too much... there were some great fireworks which of course are illegal pretty much everywhere in canada since they're too much fun.. but the kids sure liked them.
take care, dave
Having Fun Oops don't hit "Enter". John, you always know how to have fun! Some of the American culture is really good to share....way to find one of the best. Bet it was hard to explain Mischief Night. Maybe not the fireworks in the mailbox part, but soaping windows? TP-ing? Here it poured rain so I had to eat all the candy myself. Oh well. I will get to make pie, though.
cooking pumpkin John, you don't need an oven, you could cut the pumpkin up into pieces and steam it until poking with a fork reveals it is done. Then you could salt and butter it and eat as chunks, or smash/puree and make it into a soup or casserole-type dish (bet you don't have any little marshmallows, hmmm).
Way fun! Sounds like a swinging party!
best,
lj
Thank you! Oh, John - I can tell already this is going to be an amazing experience for you - how wonderful you can share it with us through this blog! I look forward to each chapter to come, and Steve and I send you warm hugs from the frozen north. Hurry and write more soon! Love, Joyce p.s. We miss you!
Travel is like life, it isn't always comfortable. Like yoga, it gets us out of the comfort zone. As a traveling yoga teacher/handyman, I've not had a permanent home for some time now, preferring to try and get comfortable with the discomfort of rootlessness. In the last few years, I've lived in Fairbanks Alaska, Paris France and Byron Bay Australia. This blog started when I lived in Hangzhou China. From there I migrated to Shanghai. Now I live in Sydney Australia. In all my blogs, I try to provide you with a laugh, get you thinking and maybe help you make peace with discomfort. ... full info
Rita
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Contrast of old and new
It has been nine years since we were in China, but things were happening very fast then, too. It was interesting to me to see how the new was leaping ahead, but the old was still in evidence. There would be huge machines building a new road, and old women with brooms sweeping the dirt off the newly paved section. There would be a fancy new house just like one in America in a village where all the others were small and shabby and chickens and pigs roamed freely. As my eyes opened to these contrasts I became more and more aware of pace of the new, but the reality of the old.