Today we hiked up into the mountain that lies next to our campus. After a good hike we arrived at an area that is hard to describe but spectacular nonetheless. There were lakes, old architecture, statues, and lots of cool things to see. We bought some fish food to feed to the multitude of coys swimming underneath us, and then walked past the lake where we noticed a zip line that went from the trees out over the lake to the other side. For a little over a dollar, we rode the zip line and then walked the rope bridge back across the lake.
After that, we walked up a grueling set of old cobble-stone stairs, probably over a thousand steps through the woods to the top of the mountain where a beautifully designed 6-story pagoda sits perched atop the countryside looking out over campus, the Han river, and downtown Xiangfan.
After the long hike, I'm going to get some sweet and sour chyeah chicken
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
First Few Days in China....
I am loving my time in China so far. After a long day of three flights, several trams, busses, and car rides we arrived at Xiangfan University. There is about 10 American guys and one English bloke here, so there is a cool group of people to hang out with. The first night we picked keys randomly to select our apartments, and I got lucky. I have a huge pad with black leather couches, a flatscreen tv, king size bed, office, laundry, kitchen, a junk room (what? nobody has a junk room), dart board, water jug machine, but at the same time, China is still third world so the place is not the ritz but it is pretty sweet. The first few days we got cell phones, necessary goods at Wal Mart, and toured the city. Xiangfan has an amazing wall and old part of the city which is very old.
Our first meal was McDonald's, and it's the same crap here as in the states, although Pizza Hut here is 5 star quality and considered a nice restaurant. Every meal since then has been excellent Chinese food. The Chinese love hot spices, and sharing tons of dishes. The last two meals we ate with the group seemingly dish after dish comes to the table, which is pretty amazing, not to mention puppys and other animals walking around the restaurant. We've tried lots of different stuff from duck to tofu to things I don't know what they were, ordering by sight off street vendors. Sometimes you order food by just pointing to something and going with the flow of what you get.
The traffic here is the craziest I've seen, crazier than Ghana, Ecudador, and Mexico. Scooters, pedestrians, busses, etc, oh and more scooters cover the roadways going in all lanes, against traffic, on the sidewalk it doesn't matter. My leader definitely almost got nailed by a quiet electric scooter the first day, and cabbies definitely dont stop for you in a crosswalk, you have to play frogger and dodge everything.
We went out on the town the second night, and had fun drinkin with locals who love to take pics with us and talk to us about anything. The clubs have locals performing american pop tunes and dancing. We met a local dude whose dad is a govt. official so he has money, and he took us to a late night bbq place and treated us and drove us home in his nice Buick drivin like Michael Schumacher.
Today we got back from Wuhan, China's largest inland port on the mighty Yangtze river. The city is a bustlin mess of construction, skyscrapers, people, food everywhere, demolition from buildings turned down, etc. There are tons of lights everywhere you look and lots of people out at night in the markets and restaurants and bars. The craziest thing I have seen is all the infants have holes in their knickers so they can just go to the bathroom wherever, and they do, their moms just hold them up and they do their business on the street in front of everyone.
Tomorrow we start orientation. I am going to be teaching fine arts which sounds like everything from logo design to oil painting. I am picking up bits of the language, but it sure is tough. It will be interesting to teach students. We met some cool students tonight in the music building who played for us and we talked about Kobe and the NBA.
More to come.....Dan
Our first meal was McDonald's, and it's the same crap here as in the states, although Pizza Hut here is 5 star quality and considered a nice restaurant. Every meal since then has been excellent Chinese food. The Chinese love hot spices, and sharing tons of dishes. The last two meals we ate with the group seemingly dish after dish comes to the table, which is pretty amazing, not to mention puppys and other animals walking around the restaurant. We've tried lots of different stuff from duck to tofu to things I don't know what they were, ordering by sight off street vendors. Sometimes you order food by just pointing to something and going with the flow of what you get.
The traffic here is the craziest I've seen, crazier than Ghana, Ecudador, and Mexico. Scooters, pedestrians, busses, etc, oh and more scooters cover the roadways going in all lanes, against traffic, on the sidewalk it doesn't matter. My leader definitely almost got nailed by a quiet electric scooter the first day, and cabbies definitely dont stop for you in a crosswalk, you have to play frogger and dodge everything.
We went out on the town the second night, and had fun drinkin with locals who love to take pics with us and talk to us about anything. The clubs have locals performing american pop tunes and dancing. We met a local dude whose dad is a govt. official so he has money, and he took us to a late night bbq place and treated us and drove us home in his nice Buick drivin like Michael Schumacher.
Today we got back from Wuhan, China's largest inland port on the mighty Yangtze river. The city is a bustlin mess of construction, skyscrapers, people, food everywhere, demolition from buildings turned down, etc. There are tons of lights everywhere you look and lots of people out at night in the markets and restaurants and bars. The craziest thing I have seen is all the infants have holes in their knickers so they can just go to the bathroom wherever, and they do, their moms just hold them up and they do their business on the street in front of everyone.
Tomorrow we start orientation. I am going to be teaching fine arts which sounds like everything from logo design to oil painting. I am picking up bits of the language, but it sure is tough. It will be interesting to teach students. We met some cool students tonight in the music building who played for us and we talked about Kobe and the NBA.
More to come.....Dan
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
At the Airport, Waiting to Take-off
Well I'm at Seatac now, waiting for my departure and not even nervous surprisingly. I am excited and feel good about this and know it's gonna be a great experience that will be beneficial for a lifetime. Looking forward to learning a new culture, undertaking a new job and teaching students, meeting new friends, trying new foods and learning first-hand about other religions, and traveling to many different destinations. I wish all my friends and family the best of luck and a great year while I am gone. Take care and come visit in China! Just do it! Later for now.
Monday, August 23, 2010
First Post...Leaving Tomorrow
Hello everyone! Time has been flying and I leave tomorrow on my 10-month (for now) trip to China to teach Fine Arts at Xiangfan University. I will be posting on this blog weekly so please check back often for updates, as well as check out my website danfenstermacher.net, facebook, and flickr, flickr.com/photos/dmacher. Also, please add me as a skype friend. My skype name is danfenstermacher. Wish me luck and see you soon!
Dan
Dan
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