We shall provide details a we can.

Details to follow.

We celebrated the arrival of 2007 asleep in two of the more firm hotel beds of our experience, safe from the 20 below zero (centigrade) outdoor temperatures of the city of Harbin, in China’s cold northeast.

On the evening of December 30, after a visit to an ornate Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Harbin, we spent a chilly but wondrous two hours wandering wide-eyed through a city of ice, part of Harbin’s annual Ice Sculpture Festival. In the center is a multi-color lighted Lighthouse, standing something over ten stories tall, with a rotating beacon at the top. It is surrounded by magnificent churches with stained ice windows, temples, stairs, igloos, ice slides and statues of every conceivable size and description. A Chinese Junk watercraft, almost 50 feet in length, towered over one part of the ten-plus acre park that is the setting of the principal point of the festival. Even as we toured, workmen were busy creating snow sculptures of two traditional dragons, each some 20 feet high and 150 feet long.

All of the buildings had neon lights embedded in the ice, creating an incredible winter wonderland.

The morning of New Year’s eve found us in small busses, roofs and sides reinforced with strong steel bars, creeping slowly through the Harbin Tiger Preserve, home for over 700 (the number is correct) tiger cubs, young, mature and “senior” tigers. One of the options available to visitors to the preserve is to pay a small additional sum over the admission fee, in exchange for which the park rangers will come near the bus in a heavily caged vehicle, and throw fresh chickens to the tigers. It is a bit awesome to witness the great beasts leaping effortlessly onto the roofs of the bus and the feed truck, almost dwarfing those vehicles by their size. Interesting to watch, too, was how, once a tiger got possession of the bird, his or her claim was honored without protest by the others in the pride. In the compound were also a few lions, a beautiful pair of white Siberian tigers, panthers, leopards, and cheetahs, and, for Napoleon Dynamite devotees, even a compound for ligers. It was the experience of being within one or two feet of the massive tigers that will remain in memory. I opened the bus window to take photos of the great beasts, and quickly closed it as one of their number began a quick approach toward my face!

From the Tiger Preserve we went to a different part of the Ice Festival, where all works were carved from snow. We entered the park onto the main street of a Canadian Village, complete with store fronts, signs, and entryways. The street, and the hundreds of snow sculptures in the park, including many memorializing the advent of the lunar new year, pales, however, when compared in size to the life-size snow sculpture of Niagara Falls! We rode in a two-dog sled along the base of the falls, on the surface of a river that is now six feet of solid ice.

Our next stop was along another shore of the river, where we shivered while a couple of dozen crazy people dove into a 25 foot by 30 foot cutout in the ice of the river. We all joked nervously about how sorry we were that our swimsuits were left at home.

Pictures will be posted at www.base.com/caljimw in a gallery titled “HARBIN”

The remainder of New Year’s Eve was spent roaming the cobble-stoned and ice sculpture decorated downtown of Harbin, eating a forgettable Russian meal, and returning to our hotel board, er… bed early, choosing to forego the Hot Chocolate celebration at a nearby McDonalds, planned by some of our group, to toll in the new year. By 8:30 AM on January 1, 2007, we had said our goodbyes to our 37 traveling companions and were on our way to the Harbin airport and twelve hours of transportation (and awaiting transportation) back to our Xi’an apartment.

Last Friday at 10:00 AM, as class was about to begin, my students suddenly bolted from our 5^th floor classroom, and out onto the atrium hallway, laughing excitedly and extending their arms to catch the fall of the season’s first flakes of snow. The flurry lasted less than five minutes, and I don’t think any survived all the way to the ground. Yesterday, we had perhaps ten minutes of flurries, and finally, at 8:30 this morning, the first “real” snowfall began. As this is written, barren pomegranate tree branches and evergreen needles are getting their first light dusting, and the red and yellow winter roses outside our window are surrounded by a thin blanket of white. Quite a pretty sight!

2007 marks the Chinese lunar Year of the Pig. Those born under the sign of this auspicious animal (1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, and 1983) are reputed to be blessed with the following characteristics: “A person born this year is likely to be a good parent. He may be easy to anger, but he is intelligent, courageous, completes projects, gallant, and sincere. People born in these years are honest and straightforward. They can be relied on to see things through. They tend to be popular and make lasting friendship and are good neighbors.”
Albert Schweitzer, who dedicated himself to the principle of reverence for life, was born in the year of the pig, I was not.
2006 was a year filled with new wonders, new experiences and new friends.

Whatever comes in 2007, it should be exciting.

Enjoy!

We are in the winding down days of our third semester of teaching in Xi’an. This week and last week were notable for the Christmas parties we held in each of our classes. Students watched “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” sang Christmas and Chinese New Year songs, played games and ate popcorn and sunflower seeds (a favorite snack), and were told about the origins of the Christmas traditions in the West. Last year, four of our grandchildren did a reenactment of the Nativity. Students in my classes watched a power point presentation of their performance while “Silent Night” was played in the background.

Last weekend, we traveled with other teachers to the nearby city of San Yuan, to visit the Temple of the City Gods. This is a concept that each city is protected its own cadre of Deities, some of whom are graceful and others vengeful. A few pictures of each are posted at www.pbase.com/caljimw in the San Yuan gallery.

Following a luncheon of local delicacies, most of which were unrecognizable, but quite tasty, we were bussed a short distance to the point of the geographic center of China. The site is somewhat isolated, accessible by a side road and through a family graveyard that appears to have been in place for many generations. That it is not a major tourist attraction is evidenced by an absolute absence of souvenir vendors of any kind, not even a “gift shop” on the premises. It is, in fact, a point of reference for all cartographic endeavors for this nation. While I have an antipathy for transporting my not insignificant frame up narrow stairwells, I heard the Sirens singing from the top of the six story observation tower that stands at the exact center of China (The Chinese name for this country is Jung Guo – the center place; therefore, by their definition, this is the center of the center place of the world) . The view from the top is not spectacular; flat farmlands in every direction, punctuated by a few residential and industrial buildings and a graveyard to the north. In the compound are seven concrete marker, containing precisely set metal points used for plotting purposes. Even though they were strictly utile in shape and in their relationship to one another, I still thought of Stonehenge and other similar ancient astrologically based formations.

A few minutes were spent inspecting the adjacent cemetery. There is great ritual associated with burials in the countryside of China (Cremation is mandatory in cities).

The graves all contain an arched opening, through which communication between the living and the dead takes place. For a period of time following burial, meals are taken to the doorway, and left there for the spirit’s nourishment. The period of mourning for a deceased is three years. On the anniversary of the death, the family makes a visit to the gravesite, where joss is burned and prayers for the dead are uttered. Twice a year, summer and winter clothing is taken to the arch of the burial mound and burned, so that the spirit of the deceased will have appropriate clothing for the season. In the photos you will see evidences of ash at the opening. The large “floral” piece above one grave is made of crepe paper, and serves the purpose of a wreath from western culture.

Janet has been busy this last part of 2006, supplementing her teaching assignment by knitting scarves for the homeless of Xi’an. She has, thus far, knitted about 30 scarves, most of which have already been gratefully claimed by those whose lives expose them to the vagaries of the weather the greater part of their days and nights. We have been thrilled that all of our children and grandchildren chose to forgo receiving gifts from us this year, opting rather that we find ways to help some folks here in China. They, in turn, are doing things in their own communities of a similar nature. It has, in a somewhat magical way, made the family seem much closer together this season than a map would indicate.

It has been said that relief from stress is an efficient antidote for many physical ails. That has certainly proven true for us. Except for a few days of discomfort at the end of our trip home last summer, the inevitable sniffles have been no more than minor inconveniences. The doctors did a pretty thorough examination before giving me a clean bill of health. In sum, we have been greatly blessed.

We wish too, for all of you, great blessings.

Enjoy!

Turned out I was the only non-Asian photographer on the course. The other pros spent the minutes between photographing the race action taking pictures of me taking pictures of the race, or wanting to be photographed with me. It was a fun morning. We ended the events of the day being treated to a nice buffet meal including a feiry seasoned hot-pot.

Janet was an official entrant in the 5k, She finished 13th, only scant moments behind her friend Kay, who placed a slightly more respectable 12th place. It was fun to witness the look of accomplishment on her face as she crossed the finish line.

As usual, photos will be found at www.pbase.com/caljimw.

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

On the weekend of October 28 and 29, we traveled on a four hour bus journey with several of the foreign teachers from XISU (Xi’an International Studies University) northward to the border of Shaanxi Province, to the mountainous Xun Yi County. The trip was a cooperative venture between our school and the government of that county, who wish to promote more tourism and “make the world more aware” of their part of China and the World. The majority of the trip was traveled on roads that could be gently described as “deteriorated washboard.”

At one point about 45 minutes out of the city of our destination, our buses pulled to the side of the road in response to hand signals from one of several men in black suits, standing at the roadside. We were asked to exit the bus. As we did so, we found ourselves shaking the hands of the Governor of the County, and other County officials, with a record of our arrival being made by two well-equipped photographers and one videographer from the County Television station. After the greeting, our hosts led our caravan another 45 minutes through endless apple orchards and past mountains of newly picked apples awaiting packing and shipment, to our hotel.

The County, it turns out, deserves a measure of fame. It annually produces in excess of 2.4 Billion apples, which are shipped all over the world. And China is now the leading producer of apples in the world. One premium variety of apples is grown and packed especially for the highest levels of Government in China. As each of these apples ripen, it is exposed to the sun through cut out appliqués, resulting in an image on the skin of the ripened apple with a Chinese character that might be the personal stamp of the official receiving the apple, or might be a more generic character for “Longevity,” “Peace,” or “Happiness,” etc. As guests of the government for the weekend, we were sent away with a box of eight of these “monogrammed” apples as a gift. We felt important.

The principal city is also called Xun Yi. Its population is about 250,000, and it has very much of a small town feel about it. There is a single tourist-class hotel, which provided very adequate accommodations, including daily plates of bananas, Clementine oranges and, of course, apples. The apples have very much the consistency and taste of Washington Delicious, with a Yellow to Red skin.

We were treated to four meals while there, which included Rabbit, Beef, Fish, Mutton, and, yes, dog. Several of the vegetables were unique to the region, and included a very tasty green leaf vegetable, each leaf slightly larger than a bay leaf. It is said to grow only in that region during the fall of the year, and is considered a delicacy. To answer the obvious question, dog does NOT taste like chicken. But it wasn’t bad, either. Lest you have further wonder, we found it was dog after I had eaten a piece. Janet was wiser than I; she eats nothing until she knows what it is.

After our first luncheon, we boarded our busses and were driven two blocks.

We exited our bus, and walked to a combination park/student playground area which included the city museum. The museum displayed (I am dead serious) the full skeleton of a prehistoric mastodon, another very large creature that strongly resembled a horse with a saw like spine, and a giant crawfish. Oh, and a slab of rock that bore footprints of a prehistoric animal.

Nothing else.

From the museum, we walked through the park to visit a school. Although it was styled a “middle school,” it appeared to serve students from elementary to high school age. We met and enjoyed talking to several of the students. When we arrived, there was an assembly in the school square of all the students attending a concert of choirs contest. We were asked as a group to sing a song in English. We selected and did our best at “You are my Sunshine,” to loud applause from all assembled. They are very polite.

As we left, I think each of us must have shaken hundreds of outstretched hands. For a moment, I thought they had mistaken me for Brad Pitt. As you will see from the pictures at www.pbase.com/caljimw they enjoyed being included in photos with foreigners. We spent a very fun afternoon with the kids, and a few formal minutes with the school administrators, who served us a snack of . . . apples.

Then it was back on the bus to visit a modern farm village. There are villages like this now all over China. The housing is more than adequate, it is attractive, sturdy, and built around a village square, with a meeting and athletic facility, a small store and medical facilities. From the village, the farmers go daily the short distance to their acreage, where they use a combination of ancient and modern equipment to work their farms. It is a fascinating anthropological phenomenon. We were greeted with smiles and warmth by virtually everyone we met, and especially by the village children.

After returning to the hotel and dinner, several of us went for a walk along the main street of the town. We were greeted along the way with friendly smiles, stares of curiosity, and many “Hello’s” (which is the extent of English language known to many of the people). We walked into a small department store, where Janet found a rack of attractive warm jackets of her size. As she tried them on, she was receiving help and suggestions from not less than ten citizens, while an equal number crowded around the remainder of our group and tried their best to communicate with us.

After leaving the store (wearing her purchase), we walked on for only a few more minutes before we were met by a teacher from the school we had visited earlier, and who invited us to view “the loveliest view of our city.”

How could we refuse? We walked a few blocks, accompanied by a cadre of young boys, high school students, girls and young women, plus the teacher and her husband. We were taken to the city lake, which was nicely lighted at night, with two nearby pagodas outlined in neon tubing. It was a lovely scent, and one which I only captured with my camera moving while the lens was open. Thus you will see one “artistic abstraction” among the photos.

You will also see photos of our little army, among who were those who either spoke enough English or were sufficiently patient with us to enable us to understand the gist of our conversational efforts. We spent about an hour walking and talking with them on that clear, autumn-chilled night.

There is a Chinese pagoda-style gazebo near the front of our hotel. As we approached it, one of the young men, a senior from the school we visited earlier, asked us to “please wait a minute, I’ll be right back.” And he ran off into the darkness. We were seated in the gazebo and chatted with the remainder of the group for a few minutes, and then the young man came running back. He had two wooden flutes in his hand. After regaining his breath, he spent the next fifteen minutes proving his very substantial skill on his instruments, to our great delight.

After breakfast Sunday morning, we boarded the bus again, and traveled to the very ancient Tang Family Village in the mountains above Xin Yi. The Tang Mansion, as it stands today, is composed of approximately 600 rooms. It is now only a fraction of its original size of over 3000 rooms. Surrounding the mansion is a village for the peasants, farmers and families of the servants of the Tang Family. A short walk from the mansion is the family burial ground, and features a gateway presented to the Tang Family perhaps 1000 years ago by the Emperor of China. It is something of a miniature of the Qianling Mausoleum of the Tang Dynasty. Much of the rich ornateness of the mansion remains, but one wing of the mansion was redesigned during the revolution, and displays in diorama fashion, scenes from the revolution, representing hardship, struggle, starvation and hope for the future. It stands in stark contrast to the opulence that surrounds it.

Our final destination before lunch and our homeward trek was to a paper-cut museum. Dedicated to the work of an artist of the village who died in 2005, the museum displays much of her finest work, which consists of layers of multi-colored papers joined together in some truly lovely works of art. One of her works a “tree of life with butterflies” is depicted in the photos.

We would have been content with the experiences of the past 24 hours, but on the road home, one more great surprise was awaiting us. We pulled to the side of the road and stopped by what looked like a very ordinary orchard and garden area. We left the bus and walked perhaps fifty feet off the road toward what at first glance appeared to be a mine pit. On approaching it, however, we were surprised to look twenty feet to the bottom of the pit and see a living compound composed of eight caves carved into the walls of the pit, and a tunnel entry from a nearby road sufficiently large to permit a vehicle to enter the pit. We were invited to go into the pit, and to walk through the rooms. Each room was in the shape of a half-dome, with the ceiling about 8 feet at the center. Rooms were used for storage, cooking, housing of domestic fowl and beast, and living (They had electricity for a sewing machine, clothes washer and a TV). A rain drainage system was so designed that the water would flow into a cistern, with the water being stored and used for watering the animals, washing of clothes and body. Drinking water was acquired from outside sources. We learned that generations of the same family had occupied this cave for over 100 years.

We could observe other caves along the roadway leading to the one we visited, and learned that many families occupied similar dwellings along that road.

Because Halloween is upon us, the last picture happened to be the first one I took on the trip. As we paused for a restroom break, I stepped from the bus and discovered we were stopped by an ancient cemetery. The morning mist added the right touch for the season.

Happy Halloween.

Enjoy!

Sichuan Province roads, except in the largest cities, are two-laned. They travel through mountainous regions of the province. There are wondrous sights to be seen in Sichuan (Szechwan), but one must navigate their roads to see the wonders. Also, because of nature’s spectaculars, one must be content to share those roads with tens of thousands of others wishing to explore the beauty of this stretch of the earth. And, one must be sufficiently stoic to recognize the need for roadway maintenance and improvement. This stoicism has been tested in significant ways in the past seven days, as we traveled the two lanes of highway, and sat for hours in traffic, as opposing lines of vehicles were shuttled by highway work crews through the only available lane on roads that dropped off precipitously into deep chasms or into the rushing water s of the Min Jiang River, with the roadway edge sometimes mere centimeters from the tread of the bus tires. There was one other negative to the journey; little more than an irritant, really. The Tour Guides in China are not selected by the customer, they are assigned by the local government Tourism office. The one assigned on our tour was more interested in the economic advantages potentially to be derived from a bunch of elderly foreigners (all of whom, he assumed, had “sucker” written on their foreheads), than in providing the guide service for which he was engaged. He became angry and petulant to the point of non-communication when he realized he was host to ”veteran China travelers,” little inclined to line his pockets as a reward for his wiles. He found himself without support even from our Chinese Tour Organizer who has provided many years of tour service to the BYU Teachers in China.

Please note that nowhere in these curmudgeonly evocative remarks will you find any negatives about our traveling companions. A more enjoyable and companionable group of travelers you will not find. All of us had spent considerable time in China. Perhaps some of the inscrutability of the more mature populace of this nation has rubbed off on us. Also note the absence of negatives about Mr. Hu, the driver of our bus. I considered his skill and professionalism to be superior to any driver before seen in China. We marveled at his ability to smoothly cope with hundreds of “close calls” that seem to be a natural part of mountain road travel in China.

So, now that the downside of “Incidents of Travel in China” have been explored, it is time to revel in the memory of the true wonders which aroused and excited our sensibilities.

Our October 1 Flight from the busy Xianyang Airport was delayed by fog. By the time we left the terminal to board our plane it was standing room only in the terminal. But this was not a serious setback, since the “official” tour was scheduled to begin on Monday, after our fellow group members arrived from six different cities around China.

Our first day of travel took us on a one-hour flight to Chengdu, the seven million population capital of Sichuan, and to comfortable accommodations in a pleasant hotel in a quiet part of town not far from the city center. After a restful night and very adequate western style breakfast, eighteen BYU teachers, our guide and tour organizer boarded a bus for an eight hour drive to the remote mountains of the Min Shan chain, and to the largest panda reserve in China. The preserve was uncrowded, probably because the roadway was very poor, and in the midst of a major construction effort to widen the road to be completed within the next one to two years (before the 2008 Olympics). The preserve has many separate fenced areas for pandas of varying ages. We were fortunate to see most of them at a time of day when they were actively moving about. I did not count, but there were at least fifty pandas, from day old infants to very mature “seniors” in various groupings.

Highlights of the afternoon included entering into a cage and petting a panda,

observing what we are told is a rare view of the “courtship” of two adults, who became so careless in their amorous dance that they fell off the edge of the rolling hill and into a ditch surrounding their compound (followed by a playful chase of one by the other), and the real highlight: seeing five baby pandas, one only hours old and about six inches long, with no body hair, and others only days or weeks old. All were in a nursery, equipped in the same way a modern neonatology nursery might be, complete with incubators and an on duty nurse to monitor the young cubs.

The next day, after another eight hours on the bus (and an overnight stop), we traveled over a 13000 foot above sea level summit (from which we looked up to over 16000 peaks around us) to the Yellow Dragon Nature area, where calcium rich waters have created a series of beautiful waterfalls and crystal clear miniature lakes. Then followed another long ride to our next overnight destination at the gates of Jiuzhaiguo.

We spent an entire day enjoying the scenery of this natural wonderland. I believe the valley containing these wonders is twenty or more miles long. There were tens of thousands of visitors to the park on a misty, overcast day. The park as established an internal transportation system of wonderful efficiency. It is very easy to get from one viewpoint to another within minutes, and rarely having to wait more than one or two minutes for the next bus to arrive. Crowd control is achieved by using men clad in China Army Dress Greens as attendants at the bus stops. Each bus has a hostess to explain (unfortunately in Chinese) the sights on the way and available from each stop.

In the center of the park is a cafeteria that serves all of the hungry visitors. The cafeteria style service did not diminish the rather high quality and tastiness of the dozens of vegetables, rolls, meat and fungus (mushroom) dishes available. Like the bus system, it was very efficient. Characteristically, in order to gain access to, or to leave from the cafeteria, it was necessary to pass through a gauntlet of hundreds of booths of sellers of scarves, necklaces, hats, carved wares, brocades, and “souvenirs.” Not all or our group made it through their maze with the contents of their wallets intact.

Jouzhaiguo is translated as “Nine villages in a valley,” so named because there are nine ancient Tibetan villages located along the valley floor. One or two have been reinvented as tourist sites, with rich shopping opportunities. We are the proud owners of a quite lovely hand made tablecloth from one of the villages.

The natural wonders included wide vistas of calcium riverbeds with the incredibly clear waters swirling around growths of trees and bushes, seemingly endless small to huge waterfalls, small and large lakes, some as deep as 300 meters (almost 1000 feet). What we did not see were much in the way of fish or water creatures. This is because of the very high levels of calcium in the water that builds within fish and essentially ossifies them. It is the same calcium that has over thousands of years created the fairyland like vistas that are found in so many places throughout the park. It is a place to which I would like to return and spend two or three days, more casually exploring its wonders.

That evening, another couple joined Janet and me in viewing a performance displaying the music, dance and costuming of the Tibetan, Han and Qing ethnic groups common to the area. As an aside, that may be of interest to you, the Qing ethnic minority has a custom of placing a single white stone on the top floor of their homes. The stone is blessed by a holy man, who also supervises the periodic cleaning of the stone. It remains untouched except by the holy man, and is said to provide protection and wisdom in the home. In the Quian villages through which we passed, we noticed two objects of worship on the tops of their houses: one the white stone of which I just spoke, the other a pure white parabolic television dish. Cable does not reach these villages.

Thursday morning began our “longest day” aboard the bus. A scheduled eight hour trip to our next overnight stop became a twelve hour test of patience, caused by roadwork, holiday traffic volume (we were in the midst of a combination the end of China’s three-day Independence Day holiday on October 1 and the annual Harvest/Moon festival which began on Friday. “Sightseeing” was limited to a ten-minute stop at the ancient walled city of SongPan. It’s claim to fame was an ornate gate in the still standing part of its ancient city wall, and a flock of white pigeons delighting in alighting on the arms and heads of travelers. We also bought small, warm loaves of a delicious home baked bread from a street vendor, and truly delicious fresh oranges, apples and bananas to tide us for the remainder of our vigil.

Friday took us to visit the 2000 year old water conservancy project at Du Jiang Yan.

This project was created through the genius of a father and son, who devised a way of collecting silt along the waterways to prevent the clogging of the maze of canals feeding the fields and cities of the Chengdu plain. A series of levees and moveable gates divert the water of the Min River into one of two main channels; when silt accumulates to a predetermined level in one channel, the other is opened, and the silt is removed from the first. This process ensures a reliable and continual flow of water through controllable canals throughout the plain area. It is amazing the the original design continues in its efficiency for two millennia, aided now by the advantage of modern technology at the critical points in the flow pattern.

Our final evening in Chengdu before the flight home was a performance of the Sichuan Opera, elaborately costumed and masked, with top quality performers. The highlight of the evening was, without doubt, the “Changing Faces” performance. In this performance, masked dancers (six plus a three-foot high hand puppet) each wearing up to ten masks , carry out a performance where the masks are changed before the eyes of the audience, but in such a manner that the change appears to be instantaneous. Even the puppet’s face masks are changed in the same manner. We were told that the “trick” is an official secret of the Chinese government, and that the only ones who know how to do it are those actors sanctioned and trained in government sponsored art and dance academies.

We are back to teaching, and dreaming of our next adventure, probably in Beijing.

A selected few pictures of the trip may be found at www.pbase.com/caljimw

Enjoy!

Jim and Janet Wright

September 24, 2006

We are back in Apartment 34 of the Xi’an International Studies University Foreign Teacher’s Building Number 2. It is the third day of autumn. Our neighbors are two couples from the BYU China Teacher’s program. One couple is from Northern Utah, the other from a small town near Austin, Texas. They have already become good friends.

We had anticipated with trepidation the September summer days, expecting they would be a repeat of what we had experienced last year; near 100 degree days of humid, smoggy skies, continual overcast, nights of uncooled stillness. We have been surprised.

Instead, most days have brought bright mild temperatures, blue skies dotted with billowing clouds, light breezes, a few light, air-clearing showers and pleasantly cool nights.

Our teaching assignments have been received. I am teaching in the Business Department 16 hours per week; THREE different Oral English and English Listening courses (Thus THREE separate lessons per week to prepare), to Freshmen and Sophomores. I am in the fourth week of classes for the Sophomores, plus having been called upon for four “special” speaking presentations.

Janet will be teaching 14 hours per week, preparing ONE lesson per week for all Freshmen Students in the English Department. Her teaching schedule begins on October 9.

But I am not complaining……..no, no, really. It’s OK.

In fairness, you should know that Janet spends a great deal of her time gathering new material in preparation for the classes. I unashamadely take advantage of her preparations, borrowing liberally from her materials for my classes. Her students last year loved her. She is poised for a repeat of that experience.

Janet is leaving today, with several other teachers, for the neighboring province of Shanxi. There she and her traveling companions will receive VIP treatment as guests of a small city having an early Autumn Festival celebration.

They will be housed in a nice hotel, showered with regional gifts, treated to multi course luncheons and dinners, and serenaded by bands, dancers and performers, as they sit as guests of honor at the Festival parades and activities.

I will be staying home, teaching classes.

But that’s OK….honest.

The week commencing October 1 is China’s National Holiday, commemorating the formation of The People’s Republic of China. There are no classes during that week.

Next Sunday, we depart for a seven day adventure to the Sichuan Province, where we will visit Jiozhaiguo (Nine Villages in a Valley), said to be one of the most beautiful scenic areas in China, with waterfalls, crystal clear lakes and streams, flowering valleys and multi-hued rock formations. Another day will be spent at the Wolong Panda Preserve, where we will have an opportunity to be up close with Pandas of all ages. I confess to a childlike excitement about this particular part of the journey; pandas are still something like magical creatures in my mind.

I may take a few pictures.

I have told you before about Amanda’s Orphanage. In the future, it will be referred to as Amanda’s Foster Home, to conform to cultural norms observed here. You may recall that in September, 2005, Amanda DeLange, a South African lady who has spent many years in China, became a foster parent to six infants with extreme medical needs.

In the intervening year, three significant changes have become part of her experience:

· All of the original six have had their medical needs met, and are thriving. Amanda has found doctors to provide surgeries, donations to cover the costs, and funds to pay for child care assistance.

· Two of the original six have been processed for adoption, and will leave Amanda’s care within the next month, to take their places with their new families in America.

· As of September 23, the number of children in Amanda’s care has grown to seventeen; all of whom came to her with special medical needs.

If you would like to see the children (The last three arrived yesterday, so their photos are not available yet), there are several photos posted at www.pbase.com/caljimw

under the category: AMANDA’S ORPHANAGE

Enjoy!

June 27^th Mark and Traci arrive from America.

June 28-July 2 Seeing in and around Xi’an

July 3 Fly to Beijing –Howard Johnson Paragon Hotel 010-6526-6688

July 5 Board Train #3 (Trans-Siberian Express)

July 7 Stopover at Irkutz Russia and Lake Baikal 3952 334290

July 9 Board Train #9 (Trans Siberian Express)

July 13 Arrive Moscow -Zarya Hotel (Emergency Contact +7-4954534368

July 16 Golden Ring Tour Train #62 to Vladimir/Sudzol (rail and bus)

July 17 Board Train #59 to St Petersburg

July 18 Arrive St. Petersburg Home Stay

July 20 Leave St. Petersburg (Air France via Paris)

July 20 Arrive LAX

Classes ended for us last week, with administration of final exams. The students were very kind to both of us, insisting on giving small, thoughtful gifts, and wanting to have their pictures taken with us.

The Legal English class was assigned a mock trial using the OJ Simpson case as a model.

It was a surprising pleasure to watch the students, in a scant 40 minutes, present a credible prosecution and defense of the case, and to watch the “jurors” discuss, and change each other’s minds, in reaching not guilty verdicts. Virtually all of the students had found great treasures of supplemental materials beyond what I provided, including transcripts of testimony of all key witnesses, the opening and closing arguments, and key evidentiary rulings. They brought out facts I had either forgotten or never known, which they discovered in the records they examined. Their final grades reflected my satisfaction with their grasp of legal terms, procedure, and evidentiary relevance.

We hope to be seeing many of you soon!

Enjoy.

Jim and Janet Wright