Friday, January 22, 2010
I have been staying busy and the electricity was off Wednesday noon until Thursday noon. The temp. has stayed below 25 deg. F all week, so a lot of the time is consumed dancing up and around trying to stay warm! Bill Teeter & Andres Manon-Ramos (the other westerners) have left for Shanghai today. Andres is headed for the U.S & Bill is going to India & Dubai, the coming back here.
We toured the duck plant before they left and the de-waxing was certainly a process I was unfamiliar with. I will have the weekend on my own, though I have Lucas' number to call if I get in a bind!
I will try to get some pics downloaded that I tried to for the previous writing. This one is another poor one of ladies playing badmitton in the marketplace.
I will try to get some pics downloaded that I tried to for the previous writing. This one is another poor one of ladies playing badmitton in the marketplace.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Many of the restaurants have their food choices set out an you make selections. 6-8 dishes, or even up to 12-13 are served. The tables have 'lazy susans' and everyone digs in family style. Not unlike a roulette table. A young girl uses some kind of data collector to note your table's choices and they bring them as they are ready. Duck blood and fishheads are common & plentiful.
The markets are intriguing. Fresh, if not sanitary, meat display for your selection. These merchants are parked within feet or other merchants selling the same cuts. This undoubtedly promotes discussions and better deals.
Shoe repairmen and mobile bicycle repair shops are readily available. Older men gather on streets and play cards or Chinese chess, with non-playing guys surrounding them, somewhat shielding them from the wind. Since the shops and buildings are not heated, they usually have their door wide open for full view of their wares. Some shops may sell pots & pans; others brooms and plastic dishpans. The brooms all look to be homemade and are basically the same whether used for street cleaning or in households. These stores are like 8' X10' or 12' in size. Entry doors are open everywhere, I guess if there is no heat it doesn't really matter. Everything seems to be concrete, granite or marble so it won't likely warm until mid-summer.
The small children/toodlers have hoods on their coats with floppy rabbit or other animal ears. They are bundled up to where they move robotically. Most are shy, but parents encourage them to interact and Lucas carried someone's child up a couple of flights of stairs Saturday. The parent was aware and had another child in tow, but did not have a problem with him touching/carrying the 2nd kid. He was playing with the child-something that would maybe bring a bear out of a U.S. parent.
Being a small town (relatively, at 450,000) many or most have not seen Americans or English speaking people. Elementary age kids like to use their English skills or at least their parents often encourage them to do so. Almost all speak English very well. the schools have made it part of the cirriculum in the past 5, or so, years. They are very good with it.
Lucas is insistant that I learn some Chinese words. Nee-hao is like hello, meaning 'you good', Xie-xie, (pronouced shhee-shhee) is thank you. Many young adults can read though not readily speak English.
A few department stores are around, but one would not know from the outside except for the heavy flow of people into a double doorway. They have plastic strip curtains hanging in the doorways to hold back the wind. Some have thick, padded army green curtains which look like 4' X 8' army coats hanging in their doorway, insulating from the weather. These stores have clerical help all over the place. Some ladies have vests with 'promotion' on the back. As best I can tell, these ladies are provided by the department store venders, like Sam's in U.S. has venders hire people to hand out samples (JoJo's blue-haired ladies in U.S.) & etc. If a customer going through checkout needs a different one of something, one of these ladies get the replacement article and sprints to checkout. The unemployment numbers push performance and effort here!
Sweet potato-cooking guy and the #1 cobbler are some of my favorite people. When I made motions that I wanted to take the cobbler's picture, he proudly pushed his chest out and provided a smile. The sweet potato cooker is genuinely making something out of nothing.
I am having trouble gertting the pics on here, but will get them on later.
The markets are intriguing. Fresh, if not sanitary, meat display for your selection. These merchants are parked within feet or other merchants selling the same cuts. This undoubtedly promotes discussions and better deals.
Shoe repairmen and mobile bicycle repair shops are readily available. Older men gather on streets and play cards or Chinese chess, with non-playing guys surrounding them, somewhat shielding them from the wind. Since the shops and buildings are not heated, they usually have their door wide open for full view of their wares. Some shops may sell pots & pans; others brooms and plastic dishpans. The brooms all look to be homemade and are basically the same whether used for street cleaning or in households. These stores are like 8' X10' or 12' in size. Entry doors are open everywhere, I guess if there is no heat it doesn't really matter. Everything seems to be concrete, granite or marble so it won't likely warm until mid-summer.
The small children/toodlers have hoods on their coats with floppy rabbit or other animal ears. They are bundled up to where they move robotically. Most are shy, but parents encourage them to interact and Lucas carried someone's child up a couple of flights of stairs Saturday. The parent was aware and had another child in tow, but did not have a problem with him touching/carrying the 2nd kid. He was playing with the child-something that would maybe bring a bear out of a U.S. parent.
Being a small town (relatively, at 450,000) many or most have not seen Americans or English speaking people. Elementary age kids like to use their English skills or at least their parents often encourage them to do so. Almost all speak English very well. the schools have made it part of the cirriculum in the past 5, or so, years. They are very good with it.
Lucas is insistant that I learn some Chinese words. Nee-hao is like hello, meaning 'you good', Xie-xie, (pronouced shhee-shhee) is thank you. Many young adults can read though not readily speak English.
A few department stores are around, but one would not know from the outside except for the heavy flow of people into a double doorway. They have plastic strip curtains hanging in the doorways to hold back the wind. Some have thick, padded army green curtains which look like 4' X 8' army coats hanging in their doorway, insulating from the weather. These stores have clerical help all over the place. Some ladies have vests with 'promotion' on the back. As best I can tell, these ladies are provided by the department store venders, like Sam's in U.S. has venders hire people to hand out samples (JoJo's blue-haired ladies in U.S.) & etc. If a customer going through checkout needs a different one of something, one of these ladies get the replacement article and sprints to checkout. The unemployment numbers push performance and effort here!
Sweet potato-cooking guy and the #1 cobbler are some of my favorite people. When I made motions that I wanted to take the cobbler's picture, he proudly pushed his chest out and provided a smile. The sweet potato cooker is genuinely making something out of nothing.
I am having trouble gertting the pics on here, but will get them on later.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Changyi cool
I am on live!
The weather here is freezing, even when it is near the temperature in NW AR, it is colder. The buildings are not heated, so I think one never gets warm. I am warm-natured, but cold.
We changed hotels yesterday because they were having a government convention of some sort and it was noisy. We found out there is a nice, new 15 or 16 floor hotel in town --that no one knew about. It is slightly more per day but if we had committed to staying they would have knocked more off. We each got a suite for approximately $45 a night which is a little more (roughly $4- $5) than the older Changyi Hotel. Changing hotels was quite a deal and I think the ladies at the Changyi Hotel were very attentive-5 of those young ladies came to my room and helped me pack and carry my stuff out. They adamantly refused to accept tips. The moving was a true Chinese fire drill
The new hotel gives 2 free breakfast coupons in case you have an overnight visiter. I think I'll give mine to Lucas if he can get over here in time to eat. His favorite food is broccoli. I doubt he has had much, if any, ice cream or that would surely change. He eats and sleeps with the workers in the dorm, unless he eats with me-which is what I try to do. No one will really say what the workers get to eat or what their meals are.
There are hostesses in the office area who serve the meals and make sure hot water is always available. This hot water drinking is their secondary drink. Nescafe 1 + 2 is the hands down favorite. There is an instant coffee mix with sugar & cream that I see everywhere. Not being a coffee drinker, I do not see the attraction.
With the cold, the government has cut back on some industrial use of energy. Plant #1 isn't killing on Monday or Tuesday the rest of the month due to lack of electricity. If they cut the 220 v in half and used 115 v like the US does, would that give them a better plan (like 2X) ? I'll suggest it.
We had 12 different plates at lunch yesterday. They go around on a lazy susan. One was a fish with head still on, about 18-24" long. I passed on it as I am not much of a fish eater. Today there was no fish. One of the FP plants makes this bread shaped like a chocolate drop and one was served with the lunch today. We eat lunch at the office on most days, which makes sense because they have the cafeteria fixing for the workers too.
The weather here is freezing, even when it is near the temperature in NW AR, it is colder. The buildings are not heated, so I think one never gets warm. I am warm-natured, but cold.
We changed hotels yesterday because they were having a government convention of some sort and it was noisy. We found out there is a nice, new 15 or 16 floor hotel in town --that no one knew about. It is slightly more per day but if we had committed to staying they would have knocked more off. We each got a suite for approximately $45 a night which is a little more (roughly $4- $5) than the older Changyi Hotel. Changing hotels was quite a deal and I think the ladies at the Changyi Hotel were very attentive-5 of those young ladies came to my room and helped me pack and carry my stuff out. They adamantly refused to accept tips. The moving was a true Chinese fire drill
The new hotel gives 2 free breakfast coupons in case you have an overnight visiter. I think I'll give mine to Lucas if he can get over here in time to eat. His favorite food is broccoli. I doubt he has had much, if any, ice cream or that would surely change. He eats and sleeps with the workers in the dorm, unless he eats with me-which is what I try to do. No one will really say what the workers get to eat or what their meals are.
There are hostesses in the office area who serve the meals and make sure hot water is always available. This hot water drinking is their secondary drink. Nescafe 1 + 2 is the hands down favorite. There is an instant coffee mix with sugar & cream that I see everywhere. Not being a coffee drinker, I do not see the attraction.
With the cold, the government has cut back on some industrial use of energy. Plant #1 isn't killing on Monday or Tuesday the rest of the month due to lack of electricity. If they cut the 220 v in half and used 115 v like the US does, would that give them a better plan (like 2X) ? I'll suggest it.
We had 12 different plates at lunch yesterday. They go around on a lazy susan. One was a fish with head still on, about 18-24" long. I passed on it as I am not much of a fish eater. Today there was no fish. One of the FP plants makes this bread shaped like a chocolate drop and one was served with the lunch today. We eat lunch at the office on most days, which makes sense because they have the cafeteria fixing for the workers too.
Monday, January 11, 2010
news from China
[Editor's note: Dad has been unable to access the blog site from China. At this point in time, his posts are routed to me via email. His internet connection must be all right since he has been able to send photographs of Asian toilets. -Mal]
When we (Bill Teeter & I) arrived they had a lunch prepared at the plant. Bill is here for about 2 weeks. The food was better than I had presumed or expected. We also went to a fancy restaurant for dinner tonight.
Though English has not been totally absent, the hotel apparently does not have English speaking personnel. At least it appeared so. When I got back from dinner, I asked about an iron since most all of my clothes are mashed and creased in multiple directions. After much giggling an hand motions from each of us, the clerk wrote 6019 on a paper for me. I understood to call the number.
When I called it I had no idea what the conversation on the other end was about and then the phone went dead. Shortly thereafter, 3 young, uniformed ladies (~16 y.o.?) knocked on the door and one asked if they could help me. Together, they giggled and each tried to ask about what I needed. Finally one of the girls got a notepad and gave it to me to write 'Chinese' on. I made a weak drawing of an iron and they giggled and cut up some more, then made motions and hand actions which I may have understood and maybe just thought I did, but I think they got the message that I did not need them washed, just ironed.
Then we got down to when I would get them back. One wrote 7:40 on a notepad, but then a 2nd girl wrote 10:00. I got it over to them that 10 would not work, but 7:40 would.
Working at the hotel, they are obviously employed by the government. They must be in some program and learning English. They learned the written part, but were not confident in the speaking part. Unless I find out tomorrow that they did not have a clue to what I thought we visited about tonight!
Interpreter is named Lucas. Young man about 20 from somewhere down south. Born and raised in China, never been outside the country. Says he self taught himself English mostly from listening to BBC radio. I do not know what to think of his story, mostly because he does not speak with an English accent. He speaks with very little accent of any kind. 2 + 2 = ?. Nevertheless, seems to be a very nice young man & MOST importantly, appears to have a sense of humor.
China has a cartoon character who does ads for H1N1 on the video screens on airplanes and is on posters on the planes. He is a pig. They are making a very strong effort to educate their public on this matter.
Congratulations to Jamie [nephew] on finishing the marathon, but now the bad news. He's about to turn 40!
Offices are unheated, with everyone wearing winter coats and drinking hot water. Hot water is a common, or popular drink, for warming. There is a young lady at the office who has the task of refilling your hot water drink if it gets low or cools off.
The Changyi Hotel is government owned and their firewall may be the problem with accessing the blog. The room is clean, just 1950-ish with apps! There was quite an animated conversation between the Tyson local mgmt & the hotel mgmt about ensuring I had heat on demand, not just during the heat hours.
I can stay here (much less than 5 star) and have a 5 minute commute or in Weifang and commute (at best) 45 minutes to an hour each way. This will likely be best.
They charged me for 30 days up front & gave me 1 free breakfast ticket. What a deal.
4 clothes hangers & 2 are for bath robes they provide!
I also have pics. 1) Japanese airport toilet. Toilet I encountered at Tokyo stopover. The Japanese don't let their feet dangle.
2) Lela's oatmeal raisin cookies she sent with me are now a loaf.
3) the bunny humidifier I have in my room
4) my room's fresh water jug'-with both cold & hot water (hot water is preferred here)
5) my toilet here at the Changyi Hotel-it almost takes a pilot's license to use it!
Looks like a 5 star toilet!
When we (Bill Teeter & I) arrived they had a lunch prepared at the plant. Bill is here for about 2 weeks. The food was better than I had presumed or expected. We also went to a fancy restaurant for dinner tonight.
Though English has not been totally absent, the hotel apparently does not have English speaking personnel. At least it appeared so. When I got back from dinner, I asked about an iron since most all of my clothes are mashed and creased in multiple directions. After much giggling an hand motions from each of us, the clerk wrote 6019 on a paper for me. I understood to call the number.
When I called it I had no idea what the conversation on the other end was about and then the phone went dead. Shortly thereafter, 3 young, uniformed ladies (~16 y.o.?) knocked on the door and one asked if they could help me. Together, they giggled and each tried to ask about what I needed. Finally one of the girls got a notepad and gave it to me to write 'Chinese' on. I made a weak drawing of an iron and they giggled and cut up some more, then made motions and hand actions which I may have understood and maybe just thought I did, but I think they got the message that I did not need them washed, just ironed.
Then we got down to when I would get them back. One wrote 7:40 on a notepad, but then a 2nd girl wrote 10:00. I got it over to them that 10 would not work, but 7:40 would.
Working at the hotel, they are obviously employed by the government. They must be in some program and learning English. They learned the written part, but were not confident in the speaking part. Unless I find out tomorrow that they did not have a clue to what I thought we visited about tonight!
Interpreter is named Lucas. Young man about 20 from somewhere down south. Born and raised in China, never been outside the country. Says he self taught himself English mostly from listening to BBC radio. I do not know what to think of his story, mostly because he does not speak with an English accent. He speaks with very little accent of any kind. 2 + 2 = ?. Nevertheless, seems to be a very nice young man & MOST importantly, appears to have a sense of humor.
China has a cartoon character who does ads for H1N1 on the video screens on airplanes and is on posters on the planes. He is a pig. They are making a very strong effort to educate their public on this matter.
Congratulations to Jamie [nephew] on finishing the marathon, but now the bad news. He's about to turn 40!
Offices are unheated, with everyone wearing winter coats and drinking hot water. Hot water is a common, or popular drink, for warming. There is a young lady at the office who has the task of refilling your hot water drink if it gets low or cools off.
The Changyi Hotel is government owned and their firewall may be the problem with accessing the blog. The room is clean, just 1950-ish with apps! There was quite an animated conversation between the Tyson local mgmt & the hotel mgmt about ensuring I had heat on demand, not just during the heat hours.
I can stay here (much less than 5 star) and have a 5 minute commute or in Weifang and commute (at best) 45 minutes to an hour each way. This will likely be best.
They charged me for 30 days up front & gave me 1 free breakfast ticket. What a deal.
4 clothes hangers & 2 are for bath robes they provide!
I also have pics. 1) Japanese airport toilet. Toilet I encountered at Tokyo stopover. The Japanese don't let their feet dangle.
2) Lela's oatmeal raisin cookies she sent with me are now a loaf.
3) the bunny humidifier I have in my room
4) my room's fresh water jug'-with both cold & hot water (hot water is preferred here)
5) my toilet here at the Changyi Hotel-it almost takes a pilot's license to use it!
WSunday, January 10, 2010
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