This is China

Last summer at our training seminar we were warned that some days we would turn up at class and find out that no-one had let us know there were no classes that day. Well yesterday I went to the other campus for my 4:00 p.m. class and someone else was having a class there. He looked at my schedule and said there must be a mistake and since there were no students waiting for an English writing class I figured he must be right. After a half hour of phone calls back and forth with my contact for the department I found out that my class had been the day previous. I had missed two classes.

Last Saturday evening the four couples on our China Teachers program decided to go out for supper. Originally the plan was to go to Salsa (a Mexican restaurant) but it had closed down. We heard it had moved but couldn't find out where. Plan B was to go to "Hamburger Place" so we met there and it was closed. There was a Chinese restaurant a few doors down from Hamburger place and it looked very busy. We went there and were pleasantly surprised. We enjoyed the meal.

These past two weeks we have had rain and more rain. Friday and Saturday it cleared off but by Saturday evening the rain was back. One day it was clear in the morning but suddenly it was very dark out. There was loud, loud thunder the rest of the day. The students said there was hail on the other campus on Wednesday but we didn't get it.

Here in Nanjing people ride bicycles and electric scooters and the rain doesn't stop them. They have interesting raincoats that cover the handlebars of the scooter or bicycle. I have tried to get a picture of the raincoats on the following video.

Regular Routine

We started back to classes this week. I only had two classes and the students that I had were all students I had last semester and to tell the truth it was good to see them again. Bob had his English class this morning.

Bob's schedule has been changed and he has all his classes Thursday and Friday. Next week I start the full schedule. I have three writing classes with 40 students each in 2 of them and 30 in the other. My Oral English classes have 19 and 31 students respectively.

Here is a picture showing the thermos bottles lines up outside the cafeteria. They are each about 18 inches high. In all the staff rooms at the teaching building they keep a couple of these filled with boiling water. We have two of them in our apartment but have never used them. I used to wonder what all the thermos bottles were for, but I have come to the conclusion that since the dorms don't have hot water, the students get them filled at the cafeteria and leave them outside while they eat. The Chinese don't think it is healthy to drink cold water. I really feel sorry for the students living without hot water. They are allowed to go to the bath house once a week for a hot shower. We often see them coming out of the bath house in their pjs with a towel wrapped around their head.

Here is a picture of a bicycle cart. We often see ones with much bigger loads.

Spring Semester Begins

On Friday I received my schedule for the semester that started yesterday. I have 5 two-hour classes (one less than I had last semester). Four of the classes are on Thursday and one is on Monday evening. Last semester when I had three classes on Thursday I had a hard time, so I don't know what I will do this semester. Thursday will be a long day. I will have to leave in the morning at 6:35 a.m. and will return at about 10:00 p.m. Only two of the classes start this week as the other three are electives and don't start until the next week.

Three of my classes are writing classes and two are oral English. I am happy that the students in my Oral English classes are students I had last semester. I have such a hard time getting to know who all the students are and I will have a head-start this time.

Bob also received his schedule. He has classes on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday so far. He has four classes (one a half-semester). Only one of his classes starts this week. He has two law classes, one English class and the half semester course is shared with an American and they are teaching Introduction to Contemporary Issues in Canada and the United States.

Last Thursday it was 28 degrees above, but a cold front came in on the week-end and now it is about 20 degrees colder. The trees and bushes have started to blossom.

Bushes Beside the Outdoor Basketball Courts

Today when I walked past the basketball courts there was no-one playing basketball. It is only the second time I have gone past the courts when no-one was there - even at 10:00 pm at night in the dark. The other time there was no-one there it was pouring rain. I am wondering why no-one was playing today. Is basketball season over? There were people playing badminton on one of the squares.

A Tree on Beijing Lu
(Lu means street or maybe avenue)

Back in Nanjing

Last Tuesday evening we arrived back in Nanjing after a long day of traveling. We left the hotel in Ho Chi Minh City about 5:30 am and after flights to Hanoi, to Kunming and finally to Nanjing we got to our apartment about 7:00 pm.

Campus was very quiet and is still quieter than normal. Today is Lantern Festival which is a festival but not a holiday. There have been fireworks sounding continually since we have returned. Last night was especially noisy - fireworks still going off after midnight and starting up again at 7:00 this morning.

Hopefully the university staff have gone back to work today and we will soon know our schedule for the coming semester.

The Chinese have interesting ways of hauling loads around. We see many bicycles with large loads but in southern China we saw this method of hauling things.

Ho Chi Minh City

We spent the last four nights of our trip in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The hotel was certainly a come down from our Cambodia hotel. The room was small and spartan.

We got to HCM in the afternoon and after registering at the hotel we went on a boat trip on the Saigon river where we were served supper. The girl in the picture is serenading us with oriental music during supper.
New Years entertainment was presented on the corner of our hotel while we were waiting for our bus -

complete with oriental dragons and . . . .


We had a tour of the museum which used to be the president of South Vietnam's residence and the government offices. It was gorgeous.


I don't know what building this is.
We visited the Cuchi Underground tunnel, a battle field in the Vietnam War. We saw the bamboo traps and other traps that the Viet Cong used against the Americans. They have enlarged the entry way to some of the tunnel so that tourists can fit in. Bob went through part of a tunnel.

The entry way to the tunnel!

Glad I wasn't a soldier in Vietnam

We also visited the MeKong Delta with yet another boat ride

and a ride through the jungle.

We stopped at an island, toured a coconut candy enterprise and had lunch. The water buffalo below never moved the whole time we were there. Only his head is visible.

We spent some time at the War Museum in Saigon and had one free day. I had come down with a very bad cold, so I spent the day in the hotel room.

Vietnam is a land of scooters.

Chong Khneas - Tonie Sap Lake

On the 30 January, our last day in Cambodia, we visited the floating city of Chong Khneas. Following is some information about the lake and the floating city.

The Tonie Sap is is the largest lake in SE Asia. The Mekong starts its journey in the Himalayas, flowing through China, Laos and Cambodia before discharging into the sea at its delta in South Vietnam. The Mekong Delta cannot absorb all the river water; so in May, the river reverses its normal seaward flow and begins for flow back up the Tonle Sap River.The 160km long lake fills with water and, expands to 250kms long by up to 100kms wide over a period of 3 months. The lake rises and progressively floods the surrounding forests and rice fields. The people who live in simple shacks along the Causeways and rivers; move up towards the shore. As the water retreats, and the rainy season approaches; the floating villages move inland to take shelter along the river banks.

Chong Khneas is where the ferries from Phnom Penh and Battembang dock. There are well over 5000 people living over 1300 houseboats. Houses, shops, schools, gas stations, flower and fruit gardens all float on the serene lake water (they even raise farm produce on these floating structures). When lake’s water level rises the village also rises along with; when lake recedes the vice versa! No flooding of homes or farmlands because all float.

The residents of Chong Khneas and other floating villages are mostly Vietnamese and Cham People. The Cham People are considered to have descended from Malay and Polynesian stock; they are a part of the 7^th to 15^th century Champa Kingdom which existed in the present Vietnam. The language they speak is called Cham. It is needless to say their main occupation is fishing but bamboo basket making and catering to the needs of the numerous tourists who visit their village also is a source of income. Large fish traps floating houses, schools, farms, and gas stations dot the entire village.

They live in various sized houses:

Here is a school complete with playground.


Enjoy lunch in this outdoor restaurant.
We liked the name of this boat.

Cambodia 2

When we arrived in Cambodia I was sorry that I hadn't packed away my North Face jacket. It was very hot and humid.

The children in Cambodia were beautiful. However, I certainly felt sorry from them. The ones we saw were peddling all kinds of crafts and goods. They swarmed the bus whenever we arrived anywhere.

One sad sight each morning was the block long lineup at the hospital for children. When we returned in the evening there were still people waiting.

The first night we were in Siem Reap many of our group climbed Phnom Bakent to watch the sunset. Bob made the climb, but not me. I was glad I hadn't gone up because it was rather hard to come down in the dark.


Our hotel in Siem Reap was wonderful - big rooms, beautiful hardwood floors and furniture. Below is the swimming pool at the hotel.
We visited more temples the second day we were in Cambodia.




The thing that I liked best about Cambodia was the foot massage that I had. The massage extended up to my knee and the fellow seemed to manipulate the bones in my knee. I have had a bad knee for at least five years and I noticed the next day that I could climb stairs without my knee hurting and it has been good every since. I hope it continues.

The last night we were in Cambodia we went to The Pizza Company for supper and had the best pizza we have had since last August. It was very good.