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Jill Kamp's Teaching Adventure in China - Page 1 - Next Home: greenlightwrite.com featuring |
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February 15, 2007: Nancy's Note - Jill came home from her semester in Europe because she had to. She had a wonderful time, learned a ton, and grew up. But she needed to finish her degree at the University of Oklahoma - double majors in economics and marketing - and we were/are out of money. That didn't stop Jill from investigating new opportunities, and she settled on visiting China before buckling down to graduate school. May 15, 2007: Nancy's Note - OU's graduation was a two day event featuring a speech by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City that was practically free of quotes from Will Rogers and had the best fireworks I've ever seen. Naturally, Jill did not have possession of the full academic regalia to which she was entitled, but we're still proud. We don't know exactly where Jill will go in China, but preparations are under way. July 18, 2007: Nancy's Note - Jill has been getting shots and shopping in preparation for her August departure. Her new shoes (Clarks' flats) hurt her feet more than the needles in her arm. Since every destination is different, check with the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control about medical preparations for your own trip. Jill leaves OKC on August 22 for JFK Airport (NYC) where she'll spend the night at an airport hotel. She has an early flight the next morning for Dulles Airport (Washington DC). (Don't ask.) From there, her group flies directly to Beijing for a short tour. Then, Jill and friends will fly to Shanghai. July 31, 2007: Nancy's Note - The minutes until Jill's departure are ticking away and she, of course not ready. Hopefully, Jill's visa will be in hand by early next week. She should have taken care of this already, but Passport Woes (scroll down to the July 18th weblog entry) indicates document control is a skill she still needs to work on. Last night, Jill and her dad booked a room near JFK Airport, so she can get some rest on the night of the 22nd. August 12, 2007: Nancy's Note - Jill is stuck in Dallas with a dead car. Perhaps it will be an easy and quick fix. Of course, if she'd listened to her mother ... There is China stuff everywhere. It will be interesting to see how it all comes together and meets airline regulations. August 22, 2007: Nancy's Note - Last night's packing chaos went on for hours. When everything was done, we discovered a bent wheel on a large suitcase and had to rush out to buy another at 8:04 p.m. Fortunately, we were home at 8:26 and packing recommenced. Lessons:
Jill had to pay $50 to take all her luggage with her after we unpacked and repacked at the airline counter. She will have to pay again tomorrow when she boards her actual flight to Shanghai. [Don't take makeup mirrors or four sets of multiple skirt hangars - especially when you aren't taking 20 skirts. (Listen to your mother.)] Jill took a luggage tote instead of a purse and a backpack as her carryon items because her friends in Europe travel with backpacks instead of wheeled carryons, and she thought it might be simpler. She took prescription medicine for illnesses she hopes not to get as well as disposable needles in case she needs a shot. Only the needles went into the checked luggage because of security issues. Her $250 in yuan, obtained from a local bank at a confiscatory exhange rate, was very bulky. She put it into a security neck wallet, but no one who knows her thinks she will wear something the size of a large grapefruit under her clothes. We do recommend these wallets for extra credt cards, large bills and secondary ID. Wear them diagonally under your arm. August 25, 2007: Nancy's Note - Jill called last evening while I wasn't home. Here's what she told her dad: She paid $50 for her single overweight bag - she had a lot more in her backpack for the final leg of her journey. The United Airlines flight from Dulles Airport to Beijing served two meals. Jill slept through the first and doesn't recommend the second. They had daylight all the way, passing over the North Pole or pretty close, Siberia, the Gobi Desert and the Great Wall. They could see the last three from the plane. The flight arrived early-mid afternoon, Beijing time. It took several hours to get luggage, clear customs and get to the Xiyuan Hotel. (Hotel transfer are part of her arrangements.) Jill and friend Julia are sharing a room in a modern, business-oriented neighborhood. They had to insert a card to turn on the electricity. Jill's sunglasses broke during her travels, so she and friend Seth set out to buy some. She found a pair for $80 (in dollars) and ended up paying $30 for them because that's all the cash she had. That probably makes them worth no more than $15, but the sun is hot and fierce in August in Beijing. Her first impression is delight. Her part of the city is clean, and the air doesn't seem to be polluted. There are many signs in English. August 27, 2007: Nancy's Note - Jill called again this morning. She's been using an inexpensive calling card.
doorway to a hutong, a tradional extended family Chinese home - hutongs growing scare as the need for land for moderization takes precedence
entrance to Prince Gong's Garden
Their group has been all over the Beijing area including the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and a hutong or old neighborhood. They went to the Great Wall at the Badaling section, the most touristy of the three access points near Beijing. There is stiff, almost vertical stair climb there and the wall is, well, great, as in much bigger than you might expect. This is the most famous section of the wall and was restored from a Ming Dynasty upgrade.
Great Wall
Ming Tomb near Badaling - tours to Badaling usually include a stop at the burail site of 13 Ming emperors
camel from the Sacred of Spirit Way at Ming Tombs
They were unable to see the body of Chairman Mao at Tiananmen Square because the display / exhibit is being redone in preparation for the Olympics and will reopen next year. Today, the group is going to the Beijing Zoo, which is very near their hotel.
giant panda
lemur
sea lion show
zoo sign
In a brief e-mail, she said she was learning Chinese. "'Thank you' is the hardest word." Thanks to roommate Julia's abilty to write in Chinese characters, they were able to leave a note for the maid to refill the bottled water.
signage a store in Changzhou
The food to date has been good, although Jill does not enjoy bean popsicles. Jill will take classes in Chinese ASAP. September 9, 2007: Nancy's Note - Jill sent several e-mails and called a number of times (thanks, Skype!) in the last week. Jill, who does not need to lose weight, was nevertheless planning on a healthy case of dysentary to jump start her unnecessary diet. Instead, she's fine and can even brush her teeth with the water in Changzhou, though she says it doesn't taste particularly good. Apparently, the drinkability of the public water supply varies from city to city. She has been enjoying street food by sticking to the rule that if there are a lot of customers ahead of you, it's probably fresh and good.
"Street food is good." - the meat is lamb, chicken feet, octopus
She does not recommend public buses. They are very crowded and contribute to "inappropriate touching." Julia's bike was stolen the first day she got it because she left it unlocked outside. Jill said she buys an unfamiliar food each time she goes shopping. Her favorite discovery: little pork dumplings dipped in soy sauce.
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Books we've been reading about Americans in China: Cary and I heard Rob Gifford, author of China Road, describe his experiences in China on NPR. NPR didn't fail us. This book is an absolute must read, contrasting brief portraits of individuals with true insight into the future of China. Gifford weaves his main theses, China has never had democracy and is never likely to have it, and pollution is really bad and its control is not as important as feeding the economic growth dragon, with history and philosophy and stories of donkey noodle meals. Whether you plan to visit China or not, China Road is an important book to read - hey, I did it in less than two days. It's that good. Nancy
Foreign Babes in Beijing, by Rachel DeWoskin, is the very readable story of a young American woman in Beijing in the early 1990s. China is changing but it's still CHINA and I found the book to be helpful. And Rachel's story was fascinating. Nancy
Jill and I were reluctant to read a gung ho martial arts tale, but American Shaolin is exact;y like its subtitle and more: American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China. Don't miss it if you want to more about the China experience. Nancy If a book you're looking for is out of print, click on any link to Amazon Books Home Page, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, or Alibris to find out if it is available as a used book.
Let the US government know you'll be residing out of the the country - just in case you need assistance. Our link failed, so go to the US State Department website to do this.
Changzhou Restaurants
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