7 November 2013



We are feeling more comfortable in China with each passing week.  When we first came, the subway system seemed like an impossible puzzle to me.  Now it is part of our routine to travel by subway several times a week.  We now eat often at the student cafeteria and enjoy good food at a very low cost.  We keep trying new food items.  Some we like and some we don't like as much, but it is all part of the experience. 

 

One thing I cannot get comfortable with is being a pedestrian.  If I did, it would be hazardously to my health.  Pedestrians share walking space with bicycles and scooters, mostly electric scooters that are silent and appear from nowhere, or so it seems.  The goal is to be a predicable pedestrian and not make unusual moves. If the scooter riders can predict where you are going, you are safe.  On occasion, I have lapsed out of my alert and aware zone and meandered when I should have been looking behind and in front before changing pedestrian lanes.  I have then quickly been brought back to attentiveness when a scooter has passed me too close for my comfort.

 

What is really worth celebrating is our teaching experience.  I recently gave two midterm exams.  I am impressed at how well the top students do in a second language.  I included essay as well as objective test questions and many students responded well to challenging problems

 

 

 

The pictures deal below deal with a variety of topics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the sports complex on the campus where we live.  Marilyn and I walk around this track for exercise several times a week.  A few weeks ago a student, who appears to be an American student, began leading aerobic dance activities to lively music.  At first, the participants were mostly foreign students.  Now as many or more locals are part of the group and all seem to be having a great time.

The new campus, where Marilyn teaches all of her classes and where I teach one of my classes, is spacious with all new buildings.  Construction still seems to be continuing.

 

This is the library on the new campus.  It is spacious with a pleasing appearance inside.  A student told me that the architectural design is supposed to suggest an open book.

This is the view from the library looking towards classroom buildings.

 

 

These characters were drumming up interest for a Taiwanese business display and were willing to pose with anyone.

 

 

This is part of a park by a lake that we visited.

 

 

This is the entrance to the park.

We have seen a lot of rock formation exhibits in China.  Marilyn is with Helen who has shown us some of the sites.  Helen is a very patient woman.  I know this because she is trying to help us learn Chinese.

 

This elephants appear to be covered with growing grass.  I expect that they are green in the summer.

There were many of these miniature displays in the park.

 

There were an amazing number of chrysanthemums on display with different colors and shapes.

 The park had a peaceful atmosphere.  There were not many people there and we had great weather.

 

Helen took us to where the real shops are.  We went down some back alleys to this place.

 

These are fresh fish.

 



We bought some vegetables here and found them to be a better quality and less expensive than what we find in the supermarkets.

A typical view once you leave the main streets.

 

A meat vendor near the vegetable vendor.