For my friends in China

So many people have asked me about China and my experiences there. I always tell them the first thing that the people are so generous and loving. Then I start my stories about the school, the shopping, the food, and the trips I took. It feels like it was yesterday but it was actually three years ago.

MEMORIES AND A FEW PICTURES FROM CHINA

The school. where I tought for three months was in the Guan Dong province. It was a dormitory school for children of Taiwanese businessmen who came to China and create factories in the early 1990's. The school was 5 buildings, all 5 stories, made of cement. Much thought went into designing the school. It was not square but rather had elegant curves and easy access and protected play areas.

The teaching staff were all young (except me).  Half were Taiwanese and the other half American-Chinese or Chinese and 3 Americans. We worked long hours and all followed the same book because we taught classes jointly with a Taiwanese teacher.

The classes were from kindergarten to tenth grade but I also taught a group of teachers.

Wayne	10th Grade

We took a wonderful trip to Hainan, the southernmost island. And to a retreat for monks and writers. There Martin and I got our fortune told.

Martin & I had our fortunes told

Religion everywhere, winding passageways and friendly people. Even a McDonald's.....

Temple	Winding Passageways
Granny & Me	Couple out for a "drive"
McDonald's

Nancy, who became a good friend, asked me what snow was like. It was fun thinking about it. So I will include here what I wrote and a few pictures I took of the snow here. Then I will put some pictures here that I took of you. OK? And I would appreciate some email sometime!!!!  I know…I have been lousy and not written those whom I perhaps owe the most.  Forgive me.

Snow is not just a lot of ground up ice! It is a whole new medium. Imagine walking 2 or 3 feet above what you walk on every day. I prune Snow is not just a lot of ground up ice! It is a whole new medium. Imagine walking 2 or 3 feet above what you walk on every day.

Snow lights up from behind as well and I get more depth. It is more than that too. Little flat places or hills I never knew were there are suddenly radiant white behind the trees or up on the hill. Once early in the morning as the sun was just coming up, I was on a walk and rounded a corner. The whole little mountain in front of me was lit up and glowed. The moon was reflected on the snow.

The snow is silent, unlike rain. It evens seems to create silence. The swirling snow is like the foam on the ocean, constant movement with no way to know where the next swirl will come.

It settles on trees and makes the branches look like lace. Crystal patterns are frozen onto windows from the snowflakes individually or the frost that forms on the glass. Crystals form on little puddles of water formed by yesterday’s melting snow. You can even see them in the mud. Different bird calls come as it gets warmer, coming from everywhere in the trees. And if you have lived here long enough, memories come with each different bird call.