Dan R

It is quite common in China for companies to give a two hour lunch break. This makes the day like a split shift when working 10 -11 hours which is actually 8 or 9. In the U.S. it is usually .5 to 1 hour off for lunch (Labor law requires .5 in the U.S.). This time allows for lunch, nap, socializing, shopping, etc. THe biggest complaint I heard from people who work at companies bought by American companies was, that the first thing done to boost efficiency was to shorten lunches to .5 hours. (usually keeping at least a 9 hour work time). Next are the layoffs. Europe use to have a standard 2 hour mid day break but changed in the 80's for efficiency in international competition. I remember a foreign student from Italy in 1967 who was amazed that everything here didn't shut down for mid day "siesta". Six years later in a letter she said that her town was now open all afternoon and lunches shortened to 1 hour. America is the most efficient country. One reason is that we actually work more of the work day. This is in relation to white collar jobs though since blue collar is often time regulated by the nature of the work. Such as factory line work. But we invented the assembly line (Henry Ford took it from the dissaembly lines at a slaughter house). Prior to that blue collar work which was mostly cottage industry which was self determing in hours and production. Very inefficient. Some contend that efficiency is simply the degree to which a job is dehumanized. WE'RE NUMBER ONE!

She can sleep anytime she is tired and then keep going way into the night. This makes keeping my work schedule which is not flexible difficult. And they wonder why I get tired at work now

These are my real feelings, but I would be in Beihai, a small city. It would be convienant as i could see some of the countryside, but I must say I'm scared as heck to do so. I'm a good driver, but people turning and doing as they feel is scary.... my nightmare, I will be stuck in an intersection, FROZEN and afraid to move. Having driven in Japan, New York and Tijuana, I'd drive in China. The new law is great news. David can't you put that info into the FAQ?

A better car than Luli

Poor poor Trigg. I took mine out on the freeway while she was getting lessons. Neither of us nor the 16 wheeler driver were injured. Now she drives very well. Good luck Grand Master! You too can survive this.

Now that is one of the best analogies I've heard

And they will try to sell some jades which are overpriced. Don't trust places which the tour bus take you. Actually we were able to bargain down a good price for a very dark green clear bracelet. But you better know your jade. The best buys are colors that are popular and command a high price in the US but are undesirable in China. These you can find for under 25% of the US wholesale if you go to a carver that sells only Chinese.

This is about immigration reform which is sorely needed. Everyone shopuld be in the streets telling Congress to stop politics and fix a system that puts our national security at risk and does not recognize facts about our economy. Congress needs to do their job then no one needs to march! Secure Borders Strict Enforcement Guest Workers (not like the current one that allows someone with a specialized skill proven by fake documents to immigrate to the U.S.. We need unskilled low level workers like every other developed nation does) Amnesty (Put it behind us that government failed to enforce the laws and go forward) All are needed to clean up the mess our government made.

Bitter melon and winter melon are different. A winter melon looks like a large honeydew and quite mild. Here is a description of a bitter melon: http://www.thaifoodandtravel.com/features/bitterm.html Yup that's the bitter melon and they mention all the properties I said above. Good article. For the record the soup is medicinal and very bitter but is a great cleanser and immunity booster. For flavor I like winter melon much more. I regard bitter melon strictly as a medicinal.

I've often had bitter melon. It is sold in the Asian markets here and many restaurants serve bitter melon soup. In Chinese medicine it is used as a treatment for diabetes. Recently it is being used against AIDS. Good for the liver and aids women to get pregnant.

Sounds good. I like duck. Turkey necks are good too. Ostrich necks are a good ox tail substitute. Actually necks of whatever are very tasty.

And of course Trigg it is all your fault

More on Jade Imperial Jade commands the highest price.

Jealousy abounds perhaps even more in China then in the U.S. For someone to go out of their way to ruin something for someone else it is almost sure to be jealousy. Unless there is something to be gained by someone else by ruining the marriage. As for sacred, your marriage should be sacred to you, it is not of much concern to others. until recently marriage in China was strictly a civil arrangement not religious. Use reserve in calling things in China sacred.

Generally the darker the jade the better the qality in China. This jade is said to keep the skin young looking. It has even been made into drinks to keep young. White jade is not common and is especially desirable for Buddhist figurines. Chinese speak of old and new jade determined by hardness with old being more valuable. The test is that the edge of old jade will scratch glass like a diamond. Water Jade comes from the Northeast of China and is actually a serpentine stone. It is softer, cheaper and easy to carve, making it the most common for necklaces and plaques. Composition of things called jade differs. The most common trait of jade is that most of it is green and is cold in relation to the environment. It will warm very slowly in your hand.

Darn Tony is she putting health before expense? The expiration date is the date it is to be pulled off market shelves. It is not the day it magically becomes harmful to eat. For many foods it is simply the date that it starts losing flavor. Most companies testing food spoilage will get the shortest test result. They back off by 20 % and that is the time the market has to sell it from production. You then have the 20% margin to safely use it. good info understanding expiration If you keep products stored as recommended by the manufacturer and the sell by is 20 days from pack then you can be pretty sure of having 4 more days. If she tosses everything at expiration, how about taking it to a nearby charity?

Actually according to many news articles in China, women I asked and photographer's ads it is a popular trend in the twenties crowd. They are something done mostly as a momento of ones youth and later shared with a husband. It is common to take a trip to another city for this so parents don't find out. Close girl friends may know of it. Some women like to make photo books each birthday. It is a story of their beauty and how life reflects in their look. Usually a semi nude or full nude is part of this collection these days.

Yup it started in 1889. Walter Camp, "The Father of American Football," first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp - a former Yale University athlete and football coach - is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. Football as opposed to Soccer (known everywhere else as football) is an all-American game. But the idea that there is an All American Boy was the product of a popular Radio show JACK ARMSTRONG One of the first and most memorable juvenile adventure shows, Jack Armstrong, The All-American Boy was created in Chicago by the advertising agency Blackett-Sample-Hummert and writer Robert Hardy Andrews. Broadcasting the show from WBBM/Chicago, CBS launched Jack Armstrong on July 31, 1933. The show centered on Hudson High School student Jack Armstrong and his friends Billy and Betty Fairfield. From 1933 to 1950, the trio joined Billy and Betty¡¯s Uncle Jim for a series of globe-trotting adventures. During the 1950-51 season, Jack became a government agent and the show was renamed Armstrong of the SBI. Sponsored for many years by Wheaties, Jack Armstrong transformed the ¡°Breakfast of Champions" into a major marketing phenomenon. Uncommon objects which figured into the show¡¯s current storyline would likely be offered as a "premium" to listeners who mailed in a dime and a Wheaties box top. Six different actors played the title role of Jack Armstrong, including Jim Ameche (1933-38) and Charles Flynn (1939-43 and 1944-51). The program's best-known announcer was legendary Chicago voice Franklyn MacCormack, who delivered his commercials with the help of an a cappella quintet. Jack Armstrong, The All-American Boy was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1989. http://www.radiohof.org/adventuredrama/jackarmstrong.html All-American also was a term fitting the patriotic spirit of America in the late 1800's as Hearst fanned anti Spanish sentiment with the start of Yellow journalism. The Spanish American War is often termed the first war started by the media. McKinley felt trapped by the media to declare war or have his party lose at the polls.

Seeing this video again reminds me of what was going on at the time. Laopo, who you see at the very end, was telling the sales manager in the black shirt, that we would have to istall a RAILING... in front of the big curved glass window because otherwise one day she would be standing there and faint and fall through the window and down 13 stories...splat...I thought this was quite comical until I realized...SHE WAS SERIOUS...Over my dead body will we be putiing up a railing to spoil this view... Trust me on this one guys... I'm going to win this one... NO FREAKING RAILING WHILE I'M AROUND... Roger I think the last words on that video were, "We'll have it put in as soon as he leaves". Why not compromise and have a net hung below the window

Darn Roger you sure make Yunnan tempting. Just ride down to Vietnam for real Vietnamese food. There is a tip of India that reaches Yunnan too. How long would it take to get there for a Garam Masala Chicken dinner? Now if they could just hold off on the rebelions in a couple of the countries you pass through while the train passes. I'd hate delaying everyone's trip because some Lao or Myanmar rebels stopped the train to haul away an American hostage.

A college star football player. Joe College A male or female USC who exhibits the American ideals associated with their gender. Yes it is still gender specific. This is generally for men an athlete who is also well learned, honest, kind natured and reliable. For a woman it still includes a homemaker who is now able to balance a career. She looks cute and healthy but is not promiscuous. Ok if you didn't want an answer you could have deleted your post ²»¿ÍÆø

Some time back there was a discussion about cold drinks. Many countries people shun cold drinks and for good reason. They are a major cause or agravator of acid reflux. Controlling Acid Reflux "An important step to control acid reflux is eliminating the consumption of ice-cold liquid or desert before meals, with meals and within 2 hours after meals. Ice cream is the worst desert you can eat after meals for the reason that not only it is cold, but it also consists of abundance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate which would put a further burden on you digestive system with inadequate gastric acid and enzymes. Drink only warm liquids such as tea or soup/broth before or with a meal and avoid drinking excessive amounts of liquid with meals." Sudden downing of iced drinks repeatedly can cause damage to the tissue of the esophagus even nerve damage. The chilling of the upper palate can be felt as a "brain freeze" literally.

Well the next time you are offered a Durian save it for me. I regularly must go to the Vietnamese market for my fix. The scent makes me hungry knowing how good it tastes.

As Omnivores humans can eat about anything. So what makes it weird? Your experience and perception that is all. Most items named I have had but really wouldn't call them weird. Most of them I have had in the U.S. Frogs, snakes, rabbit, snails, sea cucumber, eel, live shrimp, dog, horse, whale, silk worm pupae, fermented and dried fish innards, pug intestine, diniguan, and much more. Some I like and would repeat others I don't and would rather avoid. I mostly eat vegetables with a bit of meat. Perhaps the thing I most avoid is chodofu. I can't get enough of pitan or Japanese natto.

Eligible for citizenship 3 yrs from the date of the GC. SOoooooooo, WTF is and I-175?? Does ya means I-171???????? OOooops