On The Road

Bringing It All Back Home

Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:34:18 GMT

Hey everyone.
I am happy to say that I am back in Tampa, safe and sound after 2 1/2 months of misadventures. I arrived here on Monday morning instead of Sunday night, due to plane delays. The delays provided me a day-long sightseeing trip to the international terminal in the Beijing airport and a free night's stay at a hotel in Chicago. All in all, it wasn't terrible, but I really just wanted to be home.
And now I'm here. It feels really weird blogging from the U.S., considering last time I did this, I was at a computer lab in Beijing.
My last few days in China went well. I graduated, actually doing a little better grade-wise than I expected. I went to a graduation party, which was fun. It really was a great program, with a great teacher and great classmates. I'll miss everything and everyone.
The follwoing morning, I went to Beijing and saw the Summar Palace (amazing) and Chairman Mao (which was actually a little creepy). I also said my goodbyes, and vowed to come back to China someday, but I don't know when.
Now, I'm hope and I find myself unable to sleep. I don't know it it's the jetlag, the excitement for being home, or the adrenaline for all of the things I need to do. The only thing that seems to help me sleep is watching Star Wars on DVD. Just putting it in and pressing play leads to snoozing.
I'm really happy to be back in Tampa. I just saw Josh (my nephew) who has grown a lot over the last few months, and I've jsut finished unpacking and re-packing. I'm off to Atlanta tomorrow.
But, before I head back to slumberland, let me give you my last set of Asian photos. Enjoy.

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=499161124185534745/l=57045803/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

- Dave

Graduation

Fri, 12 Aug 2005 07:15:06 GMT

Hey everyone.
So, I just stumbled through my final exam, and now I am looking at the end of my Nankai experience.
It was great. And although I did poorly on the final test, I was very happy with the oral test and with how much I've learned in just six weeks. I've also gotten better at negotiating prices, but I still don't enjoy doing it very much.

Not much to report. It's mostly just been studying and hanging out with my classmates. Tonight, we celebrate. First a banquest with the President of the program. Then, off to a nice bar with a good Western rock cover band. It should be very fun. Tomorrow, I'm going to see The Summer Palace in Beijing. Sunday night, I'll be back in Tampa.

I'm mostly packed up, and I'm ready to come home. Not sure what I'm going to do first when I get there. Probably sleep and then sleep some more. I'm happy to say that moving looks like it's all working out, and it's just a question of time before I'm an Arkansas resident (actually, I have already started paying for a place there). A million other errands to do once I arrive in Arkansas, including getting a new cellphone. It also may be time soon for a new computer and t.v. Wow! So materialistic. I am also really looking forward to seeing everyone during my road and plane trip. A classmate asked if my girlfriend was picking me up at the airport, and I replied "eventually". He was puzzled until I explained that she will be when I fly to MI, but not when I fly to Tampa.

I really wish I could sum up my entire trip in a few simple words of wisdom and insight, but I can't. All I can say is that living in a country and (barely) speaking the language is a great way to learn and experience. China is amazing, and I think it is poised for even more growth.

I would gladly come back, but first I want to go home.

See you soon,
Dave

Final Countdown

Mon, 08 Aug 2005 08:07:12 GMT

Hello again. So, I have one week to go, and it looks like it will be a race to the end on homework. I've fallen pathetically far behind but, on the plus side, I'm happier than ever with how much Chinese I can say. I realize that I could converse even more if I studied more, but somehow, I'm having trouble motivating.

I've been using my spare time sightseeing in Tianjin and getting over the last bit of a cold. I have a few photos, but I want to wait for a few more before I post them. Tianjin is not a bad city, but it is a bit dull. At least I got to meet a few of my Dad's business contacts for some pleasant conversation and good meals.

Off to Beijing on Saturday. I hope to see the Summer Palace, Mao's Mausoleum and also get in some karaoke before I fly out on Sunday afternoon.

I've also been hard at work on my return plans. Moving is getting quite complicated and involved. In fact, it's been downright hectic, but it looks like it will all work out. I'm particularly happy that I will be able to visit friends and family in Michigan, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, albeit briefly.

I can't believe how quickly time has flown. I mean, I've been here for five weeks (nine if you include the total time out of the U.S.), but it seems like much less time. And although things seem pretty comfortable and routine at this point, I still remember when I arrived. I'm not very homesick, but there are moments when I wish I was at home. I really miss sandwiches for some reason. That, and I really wanted to see Howl's Moving Castle (an animated Japanese movie). Reethi in particular is a huge fan of the book, so she's been really hard up for it. She's bought 3 different pirated copies, but all three have English subtitles that are actually from some very explicit gangster (or war) film. It's very strange to see cute animation coupled with intense profanity.

I also miss getting new music. I just picked up another copy of the latest Gorillaz album, just so I can at least have 1 cd over here. I wonder what I'm going to do for rock concerts while I'm in Bentonville.

I don't miss eating meat that much. I thought I would miss it more. I probably won't stay a vegetarian, considering the food options in Bentonville and the fact that I'm a big chicken fan, but I may cut back on red meat even more than I did before. No all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouses in my near future.

It's weird that I'm finally coming to the realization that I will be LIVING in Bentonville. It's far away and not that hip (especially compared with Atlanta, Ann Arbor or even Tampa). But, I just spoke with my new boss, and I really am excited about the new job. Thanks everyone who has sent me all of the pro- and con- Wal-Mart articles over the course of this summer. I really appreciate it.

Thanks everyone for all of the e-mails and support over the summer. I couldn't have done it without you. It has been an amazing trip, and I am very happy that I had the opportunity to go.

But for now, I will make another attempt at homework and then head out for some vegetarian noodles. It's a good life.

See you soon,

Dave

Shanghai

Wed, 03 Aug 2005 11:26:03 GMT

Hey everyone.

It's been a long time since my last update. I'm sorry for that. The computer lab has been closed, so now it's a 5 minute taxi ride each way to the Internet cafe. Add in that I'm hopelessly behind on homework and coming down with a small cold (which I hope will leave soon), I've been busy. Of particular concern, I've been trying to work out all of the stuff I need to do in the U.S. related to moving that I've put off until now. It's going to be quite a busy time when I get back. But, before I digress into that, let me tell you a little about Shanghai. First, there are way too many pictures at...

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=137311122874608394/l=55440246/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

I traveled with my classmate Tong. This is my first trip in China without Reethi, who went to Beijing instead. Tong is an MBA1. Very cool guy (into Anime and Sci Fi). And although he is in my intro to Chinese class, he's light years ahead of the rest of us as his mom spoke Chinese to him growing up. On the big plus side, it made navigating Shanghai very easy. On the minus side, I didn't practice much Chinese. I did get to practice ordering food and negotiating for goods. I still need to practice directions and times.

Shanghai was great. Very different from Xi'An, Beijing, Tianjin and Harbin. It's a very cosmopolitan city, with big beautiful buildings and a nice river. It's pricey, and there are tourists everywhere. It was a nice change from the other cities, but it looks like Xi'An may win for my favorite (great sites, fun city, etc). We had 2 1/2 days in Shanghai. One of the days we left town to go to HangZhou, often referred to as "Heaven in Earth". I think the title was a bit of an exaggeration, but it was highlighted by a great boat trip and a visit to a temple with a 70 (?) foot tall Buddha.

While in town, we spent some time wandering the big, big shopping street called Nanjing Liu. Surprisingly, we didn't buy anything, but it was a fun walk, and there were good restaurants and tourist-watching opportunities. actually, we wound up for one lunch at an amazing vegetarian restaurant. My favorite was the tofu spare ribs, with a veggie that took the place of the bone. The tofu eel was also fun. We bumped into other MBAs at the restaurant. They were from INSEAD. Two of them were from South Africa and were Jewish and were facing the same dietary challenges as me. It was interesting to hear their story. They were in Beijing and Shanghai for a week, and because they were ordering vegetarian, they kept getting the same Chinese broccoli dish over and over. It made me feel better, because I also constantly got that on my first week, until I got a little better at ordering. I'm really enjoying the practical applications of my language skills.

Also in Shanghai, we went to YuYuan Park, visited the huge Shanghai Museum, stopped by the famous jazz club at the Peace Hotel, and possibly my favorite, we took a boat trip down the Huang Pu River. The view is spectacular. Unfortunately, that evening it decided to pour buckets, so we had to watch most of it from inside the boat. Even then, it was great.

What else? Back in Tianjin, I went with some classmates and tutors to karaoke, and I visited Meida, who make products for my family's business. I also got a chance to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Shaolin Soccer. Both are great (very fun and very weird). I still want to see War of the Worlds, and I've got a lot of music cds to catch up on when I get back. I'm also now re-reading A Confederacy of Dunces. But, much of my energy has been spent working on moving plans. I'm excited about driving from Tampa to Arkansas, but I hope that jetlag doesn't ruin things. I'm also anxious about moving my stuff in a UHaul from MI to Arkansas. At least I get to spend some time with Jennie in MI before the move, and my dad will be joining me for the drive. As I said, it'll be busy. I miss Jennie, b-school and Ann Arbor. I knew I would. It's also weird to think that I will be LIVING in Bentonville soon. I am optimistic about it, but I wish it wasn't so far away from everything and everyone. I hope to visit NY soon with Jennie, schedules permitting.

I was glad to finally get a round of karaoke in. I hope to go once more before I leave. When we went, after my first song, one of the tutors we went with said, "Your singing makes me feel better about my singing." Reethi, Brian and I subsequently brought down the house with a very loud rendition of Blondie's "Call Me."

Overall, China has been amazing! One and a half weeks to go, and a lot left to see and do. In particular, I've got some more sightseeing in Tianjin, and then when I get back to Beijing, I hope to make it to see Chairman Mao or to the Summer Palace. But first, I need to get back to do some homework and sleep off this cold.

Happy trails,
Dave

Great Wall Photos

Mon, 25 Jul 2005 09:21:56 GMT

O.k. gang. The photos of the Great Wall are fianlly up.
Take a look at...

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=635241122270617090/l=54719827/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

O.k. Now I really, really will get back to homework.
- Dave

Week 4

Mon, 25 Jul 2005 06:36:52 GMT

I can't believe I'm halfway through my trip to China. Reethi said it first, but I agree with her, "I feel like I'm living here." I'm amazed how well I can get by day-to-day: ordering food, going to school, etc.

But, things do get a little more complicated when I leave town. This past weekend, we went to Beidaihe and Shanhaiguan. They are 4 hours North by the slow train (or many more, as you will see). It is where the Great Wall meets the ocean. It's very nice, and it's interesting to see that the city wall is incorporated into the Great Wall.

We left Saturday morning, and everything pretty much went according to plan. I've come to expect that everything just takes longer, especially related to traveling. But, we got there, had a great vegetarin noodle dish (at a Muslim restaurant), and saw the sites. I've got some great photos to share, once Snapfish starts behaving again.

As a brief aside, the photos also include my trip to Wal-Mart and my trip up the TV Tower (a very, very tall building in Tianjin). We had to wait for a smog-free day to go to the TV tower. So far, over the past 3 weeks, there have been 2 smog-free days. It's also been brutally hot. Wal-Mart was also very interesting. A lot like Carrefour here, but a little more upscale. They had perfume counters and wide aisles! It is like an upscale Target and then some in contrast to other Chinese supermarkets. Not too crowded, but good prices and a great floor full of food options. We could have gotten the live fish or tofu, but we settled for the beer.

Anyway, back to the Great Wall. So, it was great. I liked this section a little more than the section I visited last year. It was a little more remote (a little less crowded), a little better kept and just a little more awe inspiring.

But then, there was the way back. To make a very long story short, we wound up on a 5 hour bus to Beijing followed by a 1 1/2 hour train to Tianjin. Overall, it was still worth it, but the travel time was a real drag. The photos don't do the sections of the wall we hit (we reached 3) justice, but they give the flavor of the grandness of the scale. And, just like last year, student groups stopped to ask to take photos with me. I don't know why, but I find it very flattering, considering how few strangers ask to take photos with me in the States. It was kind of fun being one of the very few foreigners, and with the exception of working out train and bus schedules, our broken Chinese got us through. In particular, Reethi is picking it up well. I'm piecing enough together to get me what I need, but I still lack the fluency and charm of someone who is more comfortable with languages.

I'm meeting up with some business contacts within the next few weeks. Should be good. Also touring Tianjin a bit more and Shanghai a little. I'm loving my time here, but I am also looking forward to coming home. I've got a lot to do once I get there, most notably working off the jetlag and moving to Arkansas.

Anyway, back to doing some homework before I meet up with my language partner Nicholas. He's helping me review my lessons in exchange for learning slang from me. It's fun, and it also gives me some insight into Chinese lifestyles. I'm amazed how sheltered Chinese are in some ways, in particular, in relation to "going out". It was funny having Reethi ask, "Where do you go?" to the Chinese students and getting blank stares. It's not just a lack of bars, but a lifestyle difference. From what I can gather, most Chinese students study a lot and hang out at the pond or at friend's houses. The notions of coffee shops and bars and nightclubs are relatively "foreign" in every sense of the word.

And that's it. Expect the photos later.
- David

Xi'An, The Book and Aging

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 08:58:44 GMT

I've got about 15 minutes before I meet up with the rest of the MI group for a Wal-Mart run. It will be interesting to compare it with Carrefour, and I've been asked to "take notes" for the Wal-Mart Asia Internal Auditors, but I'm not sure what that means.

Xi'An was amazing! I didn't know what to expect, but it's a great city with great sites to see. I took the tour out to the Terracotta soldiers (see my last posting for the photos). They took us to three very good sites, and three straight up tourist traps, with astronomically overpriced souvenirs. The city of Xi'An also had great sights to see including a huge museum, a bell tower, a drum tower, a wall around the city, and a great bar street. And then there was the food. So many vegetarian options. So greasy! Most of my classmates backed out, opting instead to go to Beijing. We have another 3 day weekend in 2 weeks. I recommended Xi'An to them over Shanghai, even though I haven't seen Shanghai yet. But, I'm excited about heading to Shanghai.

While in Xi'An, I picked up the new Harry Potter book. We were staying next door to a foreign language bookstore. I chalk this up to coincidence, but knowing Reethi, maybe it wasn't. It was nice to get the British pressing, and to get bragging rights that I was able to get it a few hours before the midnight sale folks in the U.S. I heard it sold 7 million copies in the U.S. in the first weekend. I liked it a lot, with some mild nit-picks. I definitely liked it more than the last one, but 4 is still my favorite. I'll wait until everyone reads it before I discuss further. It was nice for a brief connection to America (even if the book is British) by reading the book. However, it has set me a little further back on the mounting homework. It's not looking good for me on Chinese character recognition. I asked if the book was available in Chinese (you know, for practice), and the store owner gave that chuckle-head-shake that I've seen before (roughly translated into "silly foreigner".) I've got a big test on Wednesday. I expect I will do spectacularly mediocre, but I'm still excited about all of the words I've learned in the past two weeks.

And then there's the topic of aging. I've realized over this trip that I'm getting older. I guess people get older every day. But still, it is interesting being in a university surrounded by college kids, and realizing that you are not one of them. In Ann Arbor, we were much more insulated, so it was less of an issue. I'm not sure if aging is all bad, even if I do miss some of my hair, and I got a pinched nerve while jogging (my tai chi instructor took a day off). I'm glad I can still get my occasional Harry Potter respite in, as well as this trip, before I return to the working world. Speaking of which, I'm meeting up with some business contacts here and I'm doing the aforementioned Wal-Mart trip, so I guess work never stops. I'm also going to resume reading "In Search of Excellence" now that Harry Potter is done. Good book, but a bit dated and much of what it foretold has now become de rigeur (or however you spell that).

Back to it.

- Dave

Xi'An Photos

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 06:53:04 GMT

Hey gang. Here are the photos from my amazing Xi'An trip.
Expect an update soon about the trip and about the new Harry Potter book (finished reading it yesterday, but now I'm really behind on homework).

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=458171121669433155/l=54047223/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

- Dave

Now With Photos

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 12:39:34 GMT

So, it's been a long day, but a good one. We just spent two hours putting on and taking off Beijing Opera make-up and costumes. It was fun. I played the role of the advisor (or, for you b-school types, the consultant). I've attached the link for the photos. Yes, I know there are way too many, but I took photos for the other attendees too, and they are a lot of fun.

I had some trouble getting the eye make-up off at the end. I have no idea how some women do make-up every day. After playing dress-up, we went to dinner.

Anyway, without any further ado, here are the photos...

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=163131121258269548/l=53615424/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Art and Culture Corner

Wed, 13 Jul 2005 05:32:35 GMT

Hello again. So, in addition to our regular classes, we have 6 Calligraphy classes, 2 Peking Opera classes, 2 Chinese instrument classes, and 2 Chinese dancing classes. Add in my Tai Chi classes every morning, and my scheduled travel (Beijing, Xi'An, Shanghai), I am happy to say that I am gaining a pleasant introduction to Chinese culture. I've got a Peking Opera class this afternoon, and we're going to get in the costumes and face paint. It should be fun.

While on the topic of culture, I present the following cultural tidbits...

First, a poem that we studied (and translated) today in class.
The Building Near The Yellow River
by Wang Zjijuan (Tang dynasty)

White sun going down by a mountain,
The Yellow River is flowing into the sea.
If you want to see more,
you must climb up the building.

Actually, it sounds better in Chinese. What is interesting is that in Chinese, it is also a metered poem, with 4 lines of seven syllables.

Next, Tai Chi...
I now realize that many of the Kung Fu movies use a lot of Tai Chi, and my guess is that Tai Chi is a basis for Kung Fu moves. In particular, the training scenes in many Kung Fu movies (especially Drunken Master) are basically Tai Chi routines. It was exciting to do tai chi, but it requires balance and coordination.

Next, movies...
American cinema rules here. Yes, there are other Asian films, but there are many, many US films here. Some are dubbed, but many are subtitled. It was weird to watch Mr. and Mrs. Smith and hear the audience laugh a few moments after the lines were said (because they had to spend the time reading the subtitles). It is also interesting to note that there is a limit on the number of films that are allowed over here, and many of the films are edited. However, after seeing Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I am increasingly understanding why all foreigners consider Americans to be sex-crazed gun nuts, and that's not a commentary on just that film, but on all of our action films in general. All that said, I'm still very interested in seeing War of The Worlds and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. And speaking of American culture, is the new White Stripes album any good? I can't get much American music here, but I'm setting up a shopping list for when I get back.

Last, and this one's a brief one...
We were studying characters, and Nattapong (a classmate) gave me an insight into the movie Hero. For those of you who haven't seen Hero this is a mild spoiler. Anyway, in one scene, the hero goes to a master swordsman to get him to write the mysterious 20th way to write the word sword. That much can be deduced from the film. But, what we missed was that the character he wrote contained a symbol on top which meant together (or under one sky) which reflects that character's opinion on China.

And that's it for culture corner. Off to lunch.

- David

Tuesday

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 10:43:55 GMT

What a busy day. WEll, actually yesterday was crazy busy, and today is just spill-over.
Let me see, where to begin...

We got tutors. My tutor is a guy named Nicholas. Really nice guy, but a bit hyper. After spending some time with him teaching / learning slang, we met up with another tutor, Tiger, who went with us to Carrefour. At Carrefour, we made purchases for an upcoming party. In particular, we bought a DVD player (so Reethi and I could play DVDs and CDs) and a lot of pijiu (beer). Beer is mainly available in 1 liter bottles, designed for sharing. A four pack of Asahi is $1.80. A Heniekin liter bottle is $1. Suffice to say, we did well with $40, and we expect it will be a good party.

And then there's the DVD player. We're not sure when / if we're going to find time to watch movies, but at $25 for the player (and $1 for pirated DVDs and $2.50 for real ones), we couldn't say no. I spent a little time DVD shopping yesterday and today, but now I'm going to take a break from it, and head back to working on homework. Speaking of DVDs and things American, it looks like it won't be too hard to get Harry Potter here in English. Again, not sure when I'll find them time, but I'll make time.

What's keeping me busy? There's classes, culture lessons (currently, we're learning painting and opera), tai chi, tutor time, and a lot of homework (about 3 hours a night). Add in travel, and things are very busy. Speaking of travel, I'm headed to Xi'An this weekend to see the Terracotta Soldiers. Should be great. I'll take lots of photos. Working out how to get there was a samll nightmare, but I guess learning about bureaucracy is also a way of learning. We wound up with tickets from Tianjin for $200 round trip. Not bad. A little pricey, but I'm not sure when I'm going to get another chance to go.
As for classes, things go well. Again, it's busy and hard, but I really feel like I'm learning a lot, and I'm greatful when I can accomplish basic communication with the natives (mostly still involving hand gestures and basic words). I've also obtained a Chinese name, Dan Dawei. Dan (pronounced Don), is actually an approximation of my last name, and it means red. Well, actually it means more of a crimson and also ties in to the trait of honesty. Dawei is pronounced Dah-Way and the Da means big, and the Wei means protector (or soldier). Put together, it's the crimson big protector, or as Reethi says, The Big Red Goon.

And that's about it. Back to work.

- David

Back in Beijing

Sun, 10 Jul 2005 08:47:21 GMT

First, the new photos...
http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=358101120983702922/l=53250077/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

Next, the anecdotes...
I actually have a lot of stories from Beijing. Although we were there this time for just under 48 hours, it was a very good experience. In particular, I felt a sense of accomplishment and nostalgia at the same time.

It's amazing experiencing the Forbidden City for the first time, but I found it a little more heartwarming and comfortable the second time. Remembering instead of experiencing. That is not to say I'm anywhere near an expert on The Forbidden City, but it was just that every sight helped remind me of last time, like I wa checking in with an old friend. We even found the same vegetarian restaurnat that I loved last year. I ordered the tofu duck. Amazing!

Couple that experience with my slight increase in confidence in my Mandarin skills. Although I'm only 5 classes in, and I'm in terrible shape on my characters, over the weekend I was able to ask in Chinese for vegetarian dumplings and green tea, ask where the 9 dragon wall was, ask which way was South, tell a native that I was an American student at Nankai, say "excuse me" a lot, ask where the bathroom was, etc. Definitely confidence building.

We (there were 4 of us) also took in Wanfujing (a big shopping street), hot pot, a bad karaoke bar, a little beer, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. We also discovered that we are probably going to be able to find Harry Potter in English on the same day as the rest of the world.

Overall, that makes for a pretty great weekend. Probably headed to Xi An next weekend, to see the Terracotta soldiers, but first I've got to get some homework in.

Back to it.

- Dave

Thursday

Thu, 07 Jul 2005 08:29:55 GMT

Hey again.
So, life is much improved now that I have moved from the run down dorm into a guest house. First and foremost, I have unpacked for the first time in over a month. It is also well air-conditioned, and it has cable. However, the cable only has a few channels in English. Fortunately, one is BBBC news. And oddly, the other one is HBO Asia. HBO Asia is a strange thing. For example, Sgt. Bilko (a terrible Steve Martin movie from 5 years ago) was on last night, and the big Saturday movie will be Gothika. It makes me glad that I definitely won't be watching TV. Actually, I'm headed to Beijing with my MI classmates this weekend. Nathan and I just heroically purchased the train tickets (1.5 hour train ride) using our broken Mandarin and heavily relying on the Rough Guide appendix as a crutch.

Overall, language lessons are slow going. It's impressive when I think I've only been here four days, but it is a big struggle. I am having a lot of trouble remembering words, which don't sound like anything else I know. Also, the four tones thing is making it rough. Reethi and I have had the occasional breakthrough in ordering vegetarian, and every day we add to our veggie vocabulary. A little surprisingly, vegetarian life isn't that bad, even if my options are limited.

We met our tutors, or more appropriately, language partners, but it looks like we won't be meeting very often. We're going shopping with our tutor to buy a dice game that everyone's playing (along with a Mah Jong set and a DVD player). I've picked up Howl's Moving Castle, but I think it's in Japanese with Chinese subtitles. I've also picked up Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and I may pick up Shaolin Soccer, but I'm very unsure about the language and quality of them.

My Fourth of July was very interesting. I spent the evening on the roof of one of the dorms with the other international students. The fireworks and beer were weak, but the company was good. I was a little surprised to discover that they were all undergraduates, and all were a few years into their language program. I think us MI folk are the only grad students and among the few with no prior language experience. That said, homework beacons.

- Dave

Brief Update

Wed, 06 Jul 2005 08:19:08 GMT

Hey everyone.
I've moved into my new apartment (less than a block away from the old one) and it's much better.
Classes are very hard, and I'm making slow progress, but then again, it's only day three.
I don't have much time today, but I just wanted to write to say that I have a great Internet connection now, and I've uploaded some new photos. I've lost most of the Vietnam potos, but here are what I've got from the tail-end of Vietnam and a few days in Beijing. Enjoy.

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=33261120637488020/l=52828299/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

- Dave

Ni Hao

Tue, 05 Jul 2005 10:50:02 GMT

Hey everyone,
Just a brief update.
It was a busy day today. Minor breakthrough in classes, as I learned the phrase "I want." Couple that with "vegetarian" and I'm now in for culinary delights. But, it's still been a big struggle.
Also did Thai Chi this morning, and took my first calligraphy class this afternoon. My Thai Chi skills make me feel better about my Mandarin skills, and I don't mean that as a compliment to my language skills.
Off to dinner, more homework, and then maybe playing an Asian dice game.
Moving tomorrow to the nicer apartments, and also probably getting on-campuis internet access. Reethi and I may spring for a DVD player to play cds and dvds. My group may also go to Beijing this weekend, to spend some quality time at the Forbidden City.
And that's my story.
Later,
Dave

Happy 4th of July

Mon, 04 Jul 2005 06:03:19 GMT

So, the program at Nankai started today. Wow! Mandarin is hard!

We have four hours of classes every day. Every other day also has one hour of culture (calligraphy, opera, music, etc.). For the truly gung-ho, there's also tai chi at 6am every other day. It looks like it will be busy.

I'm back at the crummy little internet cafe. I hope to be at the big lab tomorrow, so I can upload my photos. I really can't complain about the little cafe, considering it's $.30 an hour. Many people in here are smoking and watching movies or playing Worlds of Warcraft. The occasional fly whizzes by my feet.

The dorm room is so-so. We're upgrading to slightly nicer dorms in two days. The new dorms have fridges, which is critical ro keep the beer cold. Bottles of beer (one liter) run about $.80. Out at the popular bars, they run closer to $5.00 a pint. I'm not sure how much I'll be drinking at the rate that the class is going (or conversely, it may lead me to drink more). I want to do karaoke someday soon.

Overall, things are going very well. I'm slowly learning menus, but it is very tricky to order vegetarian. I've decided to add fish to my diet, and that paid off with a great fish last night that we had the option to pick out of the aquarium.

Tianjin seems to have some tourist attractions, but not many. I have heard the park is beautiful, and I hope to check it out soon, but otherwise, envision a very large industrial town. Lots of smog and traffic.
We hit a little row of shops, and we also went to Carrefour. Wal-Mart is a little further away. They will be interesting to compare. Overall, Carrefour has a few differences from a Wal-Mart in the U.S. In particular:
- There is no pharmacy department, but there are other pharmacy stores in town.
- It has two floors. One floor is food, complete with a very large selection of live fish and fresh cut meats.
- There are demonstration people throughout the store, including people demonstrating Carlsberg Beer, complete in funky uniforms.
- In an effort to combat pirates, cds and dvds are dirt cheap. CDs cost about $1, and DVDs cost about $3. However, on the street, pirated dvds are 1 - 3 for $1, so it's an uphill battle. Reethi and I bought Howl's Moving Castle, but we don't have a DVD player, and it's probably not subtitled.
- The store wasn't that crowded. I don't know if we picked an unpopular time, an unpopular store, or if the super-store concept jsut isn't catching on here.
- You can't buy much if you don't own a car.
- Many of the big name brands were available.

I hope to meet with Wal-Mart people on my trip, after I settle in more. I also hope to meet with my family's business contacts while I'm out here.

The other people on my program are very nice. There are a total of 6 of us. There are other people from other schools, but they are all undergraduates, and they are in a different program that started beofre ours. That means, we only have 5 people in our class (one of the 6 of us is in level 2 of the program). It's very exciting to have a program with such a limited class size.

Not sure how much travel time I'll get. I will definitely get back to Beijing, and I will most likely make it to Shanghai. Xi An (where the Terracotta Warriors are) also looks likely. Hong Kong looks unlikely, and Japan looks remote.

I've begun to think about my return to the U.S. A lot to do when I get back related to the move and starting work. It's going to be busy, and I'm going to be very jetlagged.

What else? I think that's about it. I've got to get back to my room to start studying soon. I've got to learn the 4 tones, and how to count to five and say hello in Chinese. The second tone is giving me trouble.

Have a great 4th of July!

- Dave

A Brief Update

Sun, 03 Jul 2005 08:54:40 GMT

Hey everyone.
So, I'll do a big update later, with new photos. But, for now, I just wanted to say that I'm in Tinajin now with 5 other MI MBAs and we'll be starting our language program tomorrow - quite a 4th of July. I will get a student i.d. soon, and then I'll be able to e-mail from the lab at school. Until then, here's the short version...

The last few days in Hanoi went well, but I do miss Jennie. Reethi and I spent some time with Ho Chi Minh, who was on display at the mauseoleum, and went to some museums. After that, we went to Beijing and then to Tianjin.

The most complicated thing about not speaking Mandarin is ordering food. Reethi is vegetarian, and I am giving vegetarianism a try for the next 6 weeks. I may do fish, but I haven't yet. We know the word for vegetarian, but it's an uncommon idea in China - vegetables, in a non-meat sauce? Crazy - but we've done o.k. so far.

Another highlight is that Reethi and I took a break from all things Asian and saw Batman Begins. Fun film. We may catch Mr. and Mrs. Smith on DVD later.

And that's about it. Gotta go.
- Dave

Hanoi

Tue, 28 Jun 2005 07:21:26 GMT

Hey everyone,
It's been a while since I last updated. The time has been filled nicely with many exciting activities.
But first the bad news (and it's only a minor mishap), but I lost the memory card for my camera. That means, I have no Vietnam pictures, except the ones Jennie and I took on a little disposable camera when in the Haolong Bay. On the plus side, my camera was on the frizt, but it looks like it'll be fixable with just a change of batteries.
So, what have we been up to? Well, since last we spoke, I was laying low in Hoi An. It's a tiny little town, pretty and near the beach. It's famous for made to order clothing, but I became enraptured in the artwork. They have a saying there, "Same same, but different." And that applied to all of the souveneir stands. They were all selling the exact same stuff. At least there was some variation in the clothes and paintings, but overall it was very tough to shop for gifts.
We stopped briefly by China Beach. Beautiful, clean and quiet. Actually deserted. The other beach we went to was slightly more occupied, but we were reminded that we are definitely here on the off season.
Hanoi is a big city, but it definitely has a different character than Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Lots of traffic, a good backpcker town with plenty of cafes, etc. After dropping our bags, we went on a two day Haolong Bay trip. That was very fun. Kayaking, visiting caves, boating past beautiful islands.
And now, we're back in Hanoi, or I guess I should say I'm back in Hanoi. I just put Jennie in a taxi towards the airport about an hour ago. I can't believe it's been an entire month. We were commenting on how long ago Thailand was. Pretty amazing time. If you have the opportunity to travel around the world with Jennie, I highly recommend it.
I struggled to find highlights from the trip because there were so many. Truly an action-packed spectacle. Jennie's headed back to start her new job. Part of me misses the U.S. (in particular, the drinking water and air conditioning), but I'm glad that I still have an opportunity to travel. A month and a half in China starting in two days. Reethi fihishes up her Haolong Bay trip today, and we're meeting up this afternoon. Tomorrow, we may hit a museum.
Been through 7 books so far. It's good to be reading again. Also following the news (particularly flooding in China, bird flu, and the death of one of Sam Walton's heirs). But, overall things look safe and sound.
What else? I don't know. There are a lot of subtle details that I can probably never get down in type. I guess in conclusion, I will say, make Thailand a must visit, and Vietnam a good second-tier visit. A few great sites, some great food, nice poeple, but Thailand just has it a little beat (for now). As for Cambodia, it is not an also-ran, but it is definitely the hardest to trek through.
Back to getting camera batteries, power napping, and waiting for Reethi to show so we can go to dinner.
Have a good one.
- Dave

hanging in Hanoi

Fri, 24 Jun 2005 12:53:31 GMT

We are in Hanoi, having just spent a couple of days in Hoi An. Hoi An is a very chill little town (really little, as in 4 blocks in size), and there was much chilling by the pool to be done. We also did a day trip to the Marble Mountains, hills with delusions of grandeur but pretty nonetheless, dotted with some stunning pagodas, cave shrines, and beautiful vistas. The temples within the caves were the coolest part - and in some cases, involved some scrambling around. I guess you could say we did some spiritual spelunking.

We also checked out China Beach (pretty but unremarkable) and a museum in Da Nang, which I regret to say I cannot pronounce without slipping into the SNL cadence of "Da bears".

Anyways, on to Hanoi - we arrived here in time to make it to the beautiful Ngoc Son pagoda, which is on an island in a lake in the middle of Hanoi. Tomorrow, we're off on a day trip to the famous Perfume Pagoda.

We had trouble with the internet in Hoi An, so hopefully we'll get pics downloaded now that we're back in the big city. Stay tuned...

-Jennie

p.s. Random anecdote of the day: If you want to store luggage at the Saigon airport, you don't shlepp all of your gear down an interminably long terminal to the Services desk, which is clearly marked with the words "Luggage Storage". You actually go to Lost and Found. Especially if everyone in the airport, including the Services desk attendant, is absolutely insistent on this point. Learn from our mistakes, kids.

El Scorcho

Wed, 22 Jun 2005 06:56:09 GMT

Wow! So much to say. It's been an action packed few days in Vietnam. I don't know where to begin.

First, let me begin by saying that photos may be a few days away. It's amazing how dependent I have become on reliable access to the Internet and a USB port (which is how I upload photos). Hoi An has neither, and I have yet to find a place that will let me upload photos. Oh well. They'll be up later. O.k. Now onto the interesting stuff.

We were in Ho Chi Minh City (which everyone still calls Saigon) for just under two and a half days. It is interesting to compare it with the other places we've been. It is a big city, full of neon lights and activity, not too different from Bangkok. Fewer super-tall buildings, but very heavy traffic, especially motorbikes. It also has a slightly more Chinese feel than Thailand and Cambodia. I don't know if that's due to cuisine or look or what, but I just felt a very subtle shift in that direction. Many people also speak some English, and both dollars and dong are acceptable currency.

As for war, there aren't really any traces in the city. It's mostly business as usual. It wasn't until we got to the war museum that things got a little weird. I have heard "history is written by winners" and it is very true. The war museum was extremely biased, and it was interesting to navigate the bloody history of this war with a broken compass. I will admit that I have very little knowledge from the U.S. side of the conflict, and the side they presented, about the peace-loving freedom fighters (Viet Cong) against the evil, imperialist U.S. forces was definitely skewed, but did paint an interesting view that has a lot of truth in it. Our visit to the Cu Chi tunnels echoed this stance, showing us a propaganda film from the late '60s, where peace and unification loving Vietnamese planted land mines to stop the evil tanks from Washington, DC (I wish I was exaggerating, but this is pretty close to how they phrased it). Needless to say, the experience was eye opening.

But, where things get more interesting is not the past, but how the past interacts with the present. The war in Iraq has some very similar overtones, as does the situation in North Korea (which started at a very similar place to the North vs. South Vietnam situation). If Iraq proves successful, what will Iraqis say? If it proves unsuccessful, what will they say?

An even more interesting thing to see is Vietnam's communism. Much like China, Vietnam is a communist country, but much like China, that seems to be more so in name and in ruling party than in execution. In other words, has communism evolved into capitalism? I'm not sure if I'm painting too broad a stroke, especially with my limited knowledge of this country's political structure, but I will say that there was a Pepsi stand inside the war museum (I've got a picture to prove it).

It is hard to gauge the current Vietnamese sentiment towards the U.S. The people we have met have been friendly, and the vendors aggressive. But, the official line (based on the museums) is that the U.S. did a very bad thing, and killed many, many Vietnamese and ruined many, many lives. I am not arguing this, but I feel a weird sense of guilt for something that happened before my lifetime. It is harder still without having a context for the U.S. actions (were we really that afraid of Communism? How dangerous and evil were the Viet Cong?)

O.k. Off the topic of war. The food was good (but not as good as Thailand). The hotel was plush. Then, when we got our fill of Saigon, we went to Hoi An. It's a quiet little resort town, with a nice beach (two, if you count China beach). We'll be relaxing here for a few days, possibly getting in our souvenir shopping (but I'll probably pass on buying a tailored suit, which the town is famous for).

Back to the beach party,
Dave

Cambodian casinos and other wonders of the world

Thu, 16 Jun 2005 11:00:19 GMT

Well, we made it to Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was a pretty arduous journey - 4.5 hours by bus to the Thai side of the border, an hour to make it through immigration stuff, a 1-hour+ wait in a Cambodian casino for our ride (THAT was wacky), and a 4.5 hour trip by taxi over some of the bumpiest roads í've seen this side of africa. but eventually, we got to Siem Reap, the gateway to the Cambodian archaeological site of Angkor Wat. It's described as one of the wonders of the world, and it deserves the title. It's a vast complex of ornate temples, some of which require quite a bit of steep climbing to summit. My favorite, of course, was Ta Prohm, which is the one they used to film Tomb Raider. Good stuff.

We're both beat after all our clambering around today, despite the fact that we were driven from site to site in a hired tuk-tuk. For those of you not familiar, a tuk-tuk is a small open-air carriage that's attached to a motorcycle. we had a wonderful driver, Kao, who took great care of us all day.

On a somewhat bizarre note, apparently a hostage situation took place at a children's school in Siem Reap today while we were out sightseeing. But it's over. And I found out about it on CNN, the same as you.

Tomorrow, more sight-seeing and a visit to the market. Photos are up -
http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=176161118918812002/l=51052747/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

-Jennie

Life ater SCUBA

Mon, 13 Jun 2005 13:35:38 GMT

We are back in Samui after a nice sojourn in Koh Tao. Koh Tao was great, lots of good Scuba and hanging out. Dave completed his Scuba Diver certification (I already had mine) and we went Scuba-ing yesterday off the coast of Koh Tao. Saw some pretty sting rays, porcupine fish, a "Nemo-fish" (they just don't call them clown fishes anymore) and some other good stuff.

We decided that we'd had our taste of Scuba and were ready to head back, so we came back to Ko Samui a day early. Once you're done with Scuba, there's just not a whole heck of a lot to do on Koh Tao. Unless I rented a scooter again, and I'm pretty sure that would have resulted in a parental lecture. So we got back to Ko Samui this morning, and spent the afternoon hanging from the treetops in a jungle canopy tour. It was loads of fun - they strap you into a harness (after you hike straight up to the first tower for what seems like forever) and send you careening down a wire to the next tower station. We had four descents, the last one being a really long, really fast zip line that ended next to a pretty waterfall. We got some nice shots, though they're a bit blurry. Should've switched the camera to fast-action mode.

Tomorrow it's back to Bangkok. The next day, we head overland for Cambodia. We'll be able to update when we get there - apparently the Cambodian town of Siem Reap, where we'll be staying, has become one of those classic backpacker havens of internet cafes and British pubs. Bangers and mash, anyone?

- Jennie

I took to Scuba diving like a Jew to water. Once I got down there, I had a good time, but I will never admit to being graceful. It was very fun, and I'm glad I did it. Jennie and I were able to dive together on the second day, which made it even better.

We're back at our beautiful resort in Koh Samui. It's got a waterfall shower. The boat ride back to Samui was brutal. It's only an hour and a half, but I had to recover for almost an hour due to the choppy waves. Fortunately, Jennie nursed me back to health (plenty off liquids and a nap) and I was ready for more adventure.

I also learned to really like the canopy tour. Again, not customary Dave activities, but worth a try. I definitely am going to pass on bungee jumping for now (and sky diving is right out).

Off to bed, and then beach bumming and jet skiing tomorrow. Life is good.

Photos are up...
http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=895141118744382327/l=50874138/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

- Dave

Sat, 11 Jun 2005 14:06:25 GMT

There's a lot to catch up on, blog-wise. The day after we left Kanchanaburi, we flew to the island of Ko Samui for my birthday. We stayed at an amazing bungalow on the beach, with a private deck overlooking the ocean and a bathroom to die for. The shower was an actual waterfall. I think I took about 4 showers in 24 hours. But I digress. We hung out on the beach, took in some nightlife, and it was a wonderful birthday.

The next morning, we hopped a high-speed catamaran to the island of Ko Tao, where we are now. We'll be spending the next few days here. We've got a simple, beachfront bungalow right on the main drag of Mae Haad beach. Dave is getting his Scuba certification. I tagged along today, just for fun, to snorkel while they did the lesson. Saw some great fish - some of the best snorkeling I've done. Barracuda, every kind of parrot/angel/zebra fish etc, and a huge trigger fish that was chomping up coral and spitting it out. I didn't find out until I got back in the boat that they can be aggressive - I was giving it a wide berth anyways, but that is definitely filed away for future reference.

Dave had his academic class in the morning, so I rented a scooter and went scootering, if I may coin a term, around the island in the a.m. Saw some great views, and scouted out some nice restaurants, and just generally enjoyed the ride - had the road to myself, and it was a beautiful day.

-Jennie

It's been a great past few days. Adventure during the day, and my sleep schedule has resumed something resembling normal (i.e., getting up at 7 am).

Jennie actually understated the Koh Samui resort. It was breathtaking. The room was perfect, as were the service, the pool and the location (remote, but not too remote). Koh Samui is a party island, but as it is off-season, it was pleasantly quiet (or more like a dull roar). We had drinks on a patio overlooking the main strip while we celebrated Jennie's birthday.

SCUBA diving was fun. It's definitely an odd experience to get used to, but well worth it once fish are in sight. I didn't see the trigger fish, but I got in quality time with an eel and some coral reef. Also, no sharks.

I can't believe how fast this vacation has moved, considering that we've been moving at only a moderate pace. It's been very hot, but thankfully rain free the past few days. A few more days here, including some more diving, and then it's back to bigger islands.

Back to vacationing,
Dave

Kanchanaburi Notes

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 12:37:20 GMT

So, the photos are still uploading as I write this. I've put a handful of new photos at the end of the Bangkok folder (please refer to a previous link to get to those) and now I'm uploading the Kanchanaburi photos. It's a 45 minute process for 60 pictures. At $1 per hour, it's not expensive, but I've got better things to do than babysit a computer.

I'm looking through the photos now,and I think I'll provide this quick narrative. Kanchanaburi is just a pretty, sleepy little village. The only historical thing that happened was the Death Rail. It was a train route devised by the Japanese during their occupation in World War II to connect Thailand to Burma. The train trail comes through Kanchanaburi, across the River Kwai and through a mountain. The mountatin had to be carved out, and is called Hellfire Pass. POWs and imported labor were used to do the construction. It proved deadly for many of the workers. The first photo is me at a POW cemetery.

The next dozen or so photos are from the boat trip down to the bridge on the River Kwai. The next few shots are us on the bridge. We refrained from whistling.

From there is more travel shots, and then shots of us at Hellfire Pass. Jennie is holding an umbrella because it was pouring buckets. It added atmosphere to the experience.

Back at our floatel, we laid low, then went on a one hour elephant tour. Very fun.

A shot of me getting a thai massage (it's like paying someone to beat you up). And then a few shots of our other hotel, this one wasn't floating.

Off to a nearby cave with a lot of bats. The tour guide kept putting the flashlight on the bats to show them to us. I was very much a fan of leaving well enough alone. Yes, we had entered bat country. And more importantly, they were there first, so why not let them be?

Back to our hotel, which had a huge butterfly garden. Back on another boat, and now we're back in Bangkok.
I'm going to find an ATM, and then we're going to find some dinner. But first, I have to wait for these photos to finish uploading.

Having an amazing time, and looking forward to scuba diving soon. I'm hoping Jennie's hope to see a shark (from the last post) was more of a joke than the truth.

O.k. Here's the link. Enjoy.

http://www.snapfish.com/share/p=37681118234047839/l=50337519/otsc=SYE/otsi=SALB

- Dave

back from the jungle....rafts, that is

Wed, 08 Jun 2005 11:16:50 GMT

Well, we're back in Bangkok after a couple of days fighting off savages in the jungle (as Jason would say). I lost an eye, and Dave a leg, but otherwise we're right as rain.

So we spent the last 3 days in Kanchanaburi province, which is the area containing the famous River Kwai of mis-fated bridge endeavors. We spent one night at a place called the Jungle Rafts, which is a curious collection of floating hotel rooms. It was quite peaceful falling asleep to the sound of rushing water, and quite daunting contemplating a midnight trip to a slightly rocking bathroom. The Rafts are pretty posh, and there was something pretty cool about navigating through a bamboo raft complex by lantern. We spent our days there riding a rather lugubrious elephant, checking out the local Mon tribal village (where I bought fruits and veggies, and managed to get my hair caught in some kind of banana hook, much to the amusement of the locals), floating down the River Kwai on a bamboo raft, and lounging in hammocks.

We also checked out Hellfire Pass, which is a part of the "Death Railway" that POWs were forced to build during WWII. It's now a memorial museum, and the actual pass, which was hollowed out through years of POW labor, is still there even if the train tracks are gone. We happened to visit during a monsoonal downpour, looking like a couple of drowned rats. See photos. It actually looked amazing in the rain - I think it added something to the just-out-of-a-war-movie aura of the place. Kelly, you would have loved it.

The second day, we transferred to the slightly downstream Resotel, which is land-based and quite nice. They fed us extremely well. We did a nice trip to Lawa Cave, which has fabulous formations, even if the cave is all touristy and electrically-lit. Many, many bats.

Tomorrow, it's off to Ko Samui and then on to Ko Tao for some scuba diving. I'm kind of hoping and yet not hoping to see a shark. A baby shark would be nice. Or maybe a really old one with no teeth.

- Jennie