道可道,非常道,
Dao Ke Dao, Fei Chang Dao,
名可名,非常名;
Ming Ke Ming, Fei Chang Ming.
无名,万物之始;有名，万物之母；
Wu Ming, Wan Wu Zhi Shi, You Ming, Wan Wu Zhi Mu;
故常无欲以观其妙，常有欲以观起徼；
Gu Chang Wu Yu Yi Guan Qi Miao, Chang You Yu Yi Guan Qi Jiao
此两者同出而异名，同谓之玄，玄之又玄，众妙之门。
Ci Liang Zhe Tong Chu Er Yi Ming, Tong Wei Zhi Xuan, Xuan Zhi You Xuan, Zhong Miao Zhi Men.
Roughly this means.
What is truth?
The truth that can be spoken is not the truth.
The truth is what you feel in your heart.
If you can come up with a better way of saying this; comment it here.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
I Back in Contact!!!
I have access to my blog again and I have lots to update. Including that I got married. So stay tuned.
Friday, July 10, 2009
I'm Back
After a two month absence I am writing in my journal again. Unfortunately, beginning in May, Googles Blogspot could not be accessed in China. So even though everyone outside of China could see my blog, I could not.
I am back in St Louis for the month, readjusting to life in the good ol' USofA.
More to come.
I am back in St Louis for the month, readjusting to life in the good ol' USofA.
More to come.
Friday, May 1, 2009
On A Clear Day
Lately the weather in Nanjing has been gorgeous. Normally there is a grayish brown haze in the air; the downside effect of all of the growth going on in China. The main culprit of this haze seems to be cement dust from all of the new building for housing, industry, transportation and entertainment. This especially true in Jiangsu Province, which Nanjing is the capital of, and Shanghai, the economic capital of China.
So when I look up and actually see blue skies or when I go up in a tall building in the center of Nanjing and I can see the mountains that surround it; it is almost magical. Add to this spring flowers, green plants and budding trees and it is very pleasant right now. the other thing that is nice is hearing the birds; especially when I run to Zhong Shan Li (Nanjings main park)in the mornings.
I have been going to parks and walking around the JIETT campus taking pictures. Here are a few from Yuhuatai Scenic Area, the Botanical Gardens at Zhong Shan Li and the school I teach at JIETT.
So when I look up and actually see blue skies or when I go up in a tall building in the center of Nanjing and I can see the mountains that surround it; it is almost magical. Add to this spring flowers, green plants and budding trees and it is very pleasant right now. the other thing that is nice is hearing the birds; especially when I run to Zhong Shan Li (Nanjings main park)in the mornings.
I have been going to parks and walking around the JIETT campus taking pictures. Here are a few from Yuhuatai Scenic Area, the Botanical Gardens at Zhong Shan Li and the school I teach at JIETT.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Salsa in Hangzhou
"There is Heaven in the sky; on Earth there are Hangzhou and Suzhou", or so the saying, in China, goes. Both of these cities are places you should not miss if you visit China. They are places you should also visit with someone from China; so you can understand their beauty, history and culture. I visited Suzhou last March and a few weeks ago I finally visited, Hangzhou; in style.
I have been taking salsa lessons here in Nanjing; which is a story for another post. The teacher, Samba, who is a very charismatic teacher and a great dancer; decided to organize a trip to Hangzhou, to sight see and of course dance. Even though I am not too good a salsa; I couldn't pass up a trip to Hangzhou, with a new group of Chinese and International friends.
I couldn't have made a better decision. Hangzhou is a great city to visit; it is beautiful, cultural and accommodating to visitors. The highlight of this trip was seeing Xi Hu or as people kept saying Xi Hu lake, which would translate to West Lake lake.
The lake was beautiful, since the trees were just beginning to flower and the weather was cool but sunny. The lake also had a bridge called Broken Bridge on it, which has a story about a snake who changes into a woman. During a rain, she meets a man who offers her an umbrella. Soon after they fall in love and live happily ever after. So I thought I would give it a try and took an umbrella with me, but alas no women took the offer.
The other place of note was Lingyin Temple. I have no idea how many Buddas I saw carved in the stone cliffs and caves, but it was wonderful to see.
Of course I went to Hangzhou for the salsa dancing. Unfortunately, this didn't go so hot for me; the floor was too crowded for a beginner like me and I kept bumping into people and loosing concentration. So I watched more than I danced. The main regret I had was as usual, when I travel places, I had too little time to spend in Hangzhou.
Even better was the chance to get to know my salsa classmates. As you can see I was in great company and of course Samba was a great hostess. She has the ability to make everyone she meets feel special and brings out the best in people. Also special thanks to Peter for taking care of the logistics and for making sure I try to dance, when we have dance parties.
I have been taking salsa lessons here in Nanjing; which is a story for another post. The teacher, Samba, who is a very charismatic teacher and a great dancer; decided to organize a trip to Hangzhou, to sight see and of course dance. Even though I am not too good a salsa; I couldn't pass up a trip to Hangzhou, with a new group of Chinese and International friends.
I couldn't have made a better decision. Hangzhou is a great city to visit; it is beautiful, cultural and accommodating to visitors. The highlight of this trip was seeing Xi Hu or as people kept saying Xi Hu lake, which would translate to West Lake lake.
The lake was beautiful, since the trees were just beginning to flower and the weather was cool but sunny. The lake also had a bridge called Broken Bridge on it, which has a story about a snake who changes into a woman. During a rain, she meets a man who offers her an umbrella. Soon after they fall in love and live happily ever after. So I thought I would give it a try and took an umbrella with me, but alas no women took the offer.
The other place of note was Lingyin Temple. I have no idea how many Buddas I saw carved in the stone cliffs and caves, but it was wonderful to see.
Of course I went to Hangzhou for the salsa dancing. Unfortunately, this didn't go so hot for me; the floor was too crowded for a beginner like me and I kept bumping into people and loosing concentration. So I watched more than I danced. The main regret I had was as usual, when I travel places, I had too little time to spend in Hangzhou.
Even better was the chance to get to know my salsa classmates. As you can see I was in great company and of course Samba was a great hostess. She has the ability to make everyone she meets feel special and brings out the best in people. Also special thanks to Peter for taking care of the logistics and for making sure I try to dance, when we have dance parties.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Foshan
When I decided to visit Foshan, I choose it because it is a short bus ride from Guangzhou and the Zu Miao Temple sounded interesting. The Zu Miao Temple is where Wong Fei Hung taught and after whom many kung fu movies were based on.
At first the temple was a little disappointing. On my way to the temple, I was besieged by beggars (this is topic I will have to address some day) and one very persistent con-artist dressed as a monk. Once inside the temple compound I found my timing was off. Many of the building were either being repaired or in needed repaired and the lion donce had just finished. Luckily the next day they were performing as I was walking pass a big hotel; so I got to see some of the dance. It is very acrobatic; with lots of jumping, lifting and balancing by the two performers in the costume.
If you are into martial arts and martial arts movies, this is the place to go, though. There was a lot of information on martial arts and martial art movies. Wong Fei Hung wasn't the only famous name connected with the temple Bruce Lee's teacher was from there.
If kung fu is not your thing, another part of the temple is given over to great teachers such as Confucius. It was in this section that I met a Chinese college student who was waiting for her boyfriend to get off work and was a little bored. So she was happy to practice her English and try to explain some of the exhibits to me. Her spoken English was not great and of course my Chinese is terrible but it was fun trying to figure out what the other was trying to say.
As luck would have it just a we had run out of exhibits it was time for her to meet her boyfriend at a garden in Foshan and the Nanfeng Kiln where I wanted to go was in the same direction. So we got on a bus that would take us to our destinations, unfortuneatly we got on the wrong bus and had to switch buses. But luck was still hanging around because as she was telling the driver where to let me off, another passenger, Christina, said she was going in that direction. So I found a new guide.
As it turned out by the time we got to the place for us to change buses it was close 5pm and there wouldn't be enough time for me to see much of Nanfeng kiln. So Christina invited me to see her office. She works for a company, Kinsyoma, that makes and sells ceramic and glass tiles for indoor use. In fact Foshan seems to be the ceramic tile center of China. Kinsyoma is expanding its operations, so the building was still under construction, and the showrooms were not finished yet. But next to the sales office was a large room where they had the tile samples laying on the floor.
I was surprised at the variety of types of tiles. Along with single pattern and mosaic patterns Kinsyoma also had tile pictures that could be applied to walls.
The other product that interest me was Kinsyoma's glass tiles. If I every get around to tiling my kitchen, I will have to see if they can produce tile for me. To top things off Christina gave me a CD of Kinsyoma's catalog to show anyone I know who might need tiles. So now I am a tile sales person.
At first the temple was a little disappointing. On my way to the temple, I was besieged by beggars (this is topic I will have to address some day) and one very persistent con-artist dressed as a monk. Once inside the temple compound I found my timing was off. Many of the building were either being repaired or in needed repaired and the lion donce had just finished. Luckily the next day they were performing as I was walking pass a big hotel; so I got to see some of the dance. It is very acrobatic; with lots of jumping, lifting and balancing by the two performers in the costume.
If you are into martial arts and martial arts movies, this is the place to go, though. There was a lot of information on martial arts and martial art movies. Wong Fei Hung wasn't the only famous name connected with the temple Bruce Lee's teacher was from there.
If kung fu is not your thing, another part of the temple is given over to great teachers such as Confucius. It was in this section that I met a Chinese college student who was waiting for her boyfriend to get off work and was a little bored. So she was happy to practice her English and try to explain some of the exhibits to me. Her spoken English was not great and of course my Chinese is terrible but it was fun trying to figure out what the other was trying to say.
As luck would have it just a we had run out of exhibits it was time for her to meet her boyfriend at a garden in Foshan and the Nanfeng Kiln where I wanted to go was in the same direction. So we got on a bus that would take us to our destinations, unfortuneatly we got on the wrong bus and had to switch buses. But luck was still hanging around because as she was telling the driver where to let me off, another passenger, Christina, said she was going in that direction. So I found a new guide.
As it turned out by the time we got to the place for us to change buses it was close 5pm and there wouldn't be enough time for me to see much of Nanfeng kiln. So Christina invited me to see her office. She works for a company, Kinsyoma, that makes and sells ceramic and glass tiles for indoor use. In fact Foshan seems to be the ceramic tile center of China. Kinsyoma is expanding its operations, so the building was still under construction, and the showrooms were not finished yet. But next to the sales office was a large room where they had the tile samples laying on the floor.
I was surprised at the variety of types of tiles. Along with single pattern and mosaic patterns Kinsyoma also had tile pictures that could be applied to walls.
The other product that interest me was Kinsyoma's glass tiles. If I every get around to tiling my kitchen, I will have to see if they can produce tile for me. To top things off Christina gave me a CD of Kinsyoma's catalog to show anyone I know who might need tiles. So now I am a tile sales person.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Hong Kong
When I was deciding where to travel, during my holiday break, I asked people what I could do in Hong Kong. Everyone excitedly replied shopping. Shopping did not get me too excited; one because I am not independently wealthy and two because I don't need a lot of "stuff" cluttering up my life. Not to mention I can always go shopping in Nanjing, Shanghai or St Louis. So I almost did not go to Hong Kong.
But I knew there had to be more to this city; especially considering it modern history as a link to Mainland China. So I asked two people who had lived there and they told me about other things to do in Hong Kong besides shopping. Hong Kong (HK) sounded more interesting then. so off I went to see if it had more to offer than stores offering high priced goods.
The main thing I enjoyed was how easy it was to get around the city. Both of my friends had suggested that I purchase an Octopus card (HK's metro transportation card). That was a great suggestion because HK has a great mass transit system. It has 7 to 10 train lines, I have no idea how many buses and an outdoor escalator for pedestrians to take up a very steep hillside.
Beside the mechanized transportation system HK is also a very pedestrian friendly city. When I first ventured into the downtown part of the city, I couldn't figure out where all the people were. Which was strange in one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Then I found the elevated walkways. It was great! It keeps pedestrians and automobiles out each other paths and gives people a nice view of the city.
The other thing that made HK so people friendly, was the parks. There seemed to be scores of little green spaces everywhere and unlike Mainland China they were free and had lots of places to sit. Which was good because before I discovered the hillside escalator I had walked all way up to a zoo on top of one of the hills. It was a pretty good climb.
The other thing I liked about HK was the architecture and public art. It has some pretty cool big tall building; which light up at night. Yes I know those lights waste electricity; but I am a sucker for flashing colored lights. Also unlike mainland China, cement is not the most prevalent building material. So buildings don't seem to deteriorate as fast and there is not a haze of cement dust in the air and covering every surface.
Some other things that I liked about HK was how international it was and the variety of restaurants to be found. English and Chinese are the most prevalent languages but I must have heard a half dozen languages being spoken the day I walked through HK proper; not to mention the number of accents I heard.
Eating is another global experience. The street were I had dinner at; hosted a United Nations of small restaurants. An "Italian" restaurant I eat at, Solemio, was was staffed by people from Nepal (yes, I asked where they were from). The people eating there were also from all parts of the globe(no I did not ask where they were from). At $HK300 ($US42), which includes wine and tip, the meal was a little pricey. But I had a great seabass dish.
The overall thing I liked about HK was that they seem to have actually planed things in the city and then actually followed the plans. It was nice being in a well planned city. My main regret now is that I only spent one full day and two half days in Hong Kong.
Here are a "few" photos from my brief stay.
But I knew there had to be more to this city; especially considering it modern history as a link to Mainland China. So I asked two people who had lived there and they told me about other things to do in Hong Kong besides shopping. Hong Kong (HK) sounded more interesting then. so off I went to see if it had more to offer than stores offering high priced goods.
The main thing I enjoyed was how easy it was to get around the city. Both of my friends had suggested that I purchase an Octopus card (HK's metro transportation card). That was a great suggestion because HK has a great mass transit system. It has 7 to 10 train lines, I have no idea how many buses and an outdoor escalator for pedestrians to take up a very steep hillside.
Beside the mechanized transportation system HK is also a very pedestrian friendly city. When I first ventured into the downtown part of the city, I couldn't figure out where all the people were. Which was strange in one of the most densely populated cities in the world. Then I found the elevated walkways. It was great! It keeps pedestrians and automobiles out each other paths and gives people a nice view of the city.
The other thing that made HK so people friendly, was the parks. There seemed to be scores of little green spaces everywhere and unlike Mainland China they were free and had lots of places to sit. Which was good because before I discovered the hillside escalator I had walked all way up to a zoo on top of one of the hills. It was a pretty good climb.
The other thing I liked about HK was the architecture and public art. It has some pretty cool big tall building; which light up at night. Yes I know those lights waste electricity; but I am a sucker for flashing colored lights. Also unlike mainland China, cement is not the most prevalent building material. So buildings don't seem to deteriorate as fast and there is not a haze of cement dust in the air and covering every surface.
Some other things that I liked about HK was how international it was and the variety of restaurants to be found. English and Chinese are the most prevalent languages but I must have heard a half dozen languages being spoken the day I walked through HK proper; not to mention the number of accents I heard.
Eating is another global experience. The street were I had dinner at; hosted a United Nations of small restaurants. An "Italian" restaurant I eat at, Solemio, was was staffed by people from Nepal (yes, I asked where they were from). The people eating there were also from all parts of the globe(no I did not ask where they were from). At $HK300 ($US42), which includes wine and tip, the meal was a little pricey. But I had a great seabass dish.
The overall thing I liked about HK was that they seem to have actually planed things in the city and then actually followed the plans. It was nice being in a well planned city. My main regret now is that I only spent one full day and two half days in Hong Kong.
Here are a "few" photos from my brief stay.
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