shushuweiwei

Dylan, I think you know that we're going to have to check with Wendy on that. Joe Well, I can't take all the credit, Wendy and I worked together to make the file. So, that means we are both total tards. I hope Wendy will share her opinions of this thread (and your IQ) with us!

Dylan, I think you know that we're going to have to check with Wendy on that. Joe

I read it this morning and it's stuck in my craw all day. The 'village idiots' indeed... What really sticks the most how some westerners can waltz into another country with such a condescending and uppity attitude towards another's culture. Instead of embracing all that is hers, he did the opposite. What happened to the fantasy trip? Nary any mention of a love story... I just don't get it... Oh well, guess it's not for me to 'get'. Thank you, ID. Well said, as usual. (Sorry, I tried to restrain myself. I really did.) You didn't think it was a compelling tale of the lone civilized American braving the dangers among the savages, overcoming their strange customs and poor sanitation and, through his incredibly unique American charm and ingenuity along with his threatening American scowls, bedding the barbarian princess? Why he even had to brave the mongol hordes! It's a wonder he made it back alive! I was in Beijing about the same time sleeping in a soft bed with loads of hot water and a Starbucks downstairs. I feel like such a wimp! I'm hoping the next installment is "When I told my fiancee that I bragged on the internet, for all the Chinese women and men with Chinese wives at CFL, how her family delivered her to my bed before they even knew me, my lovely bride said...." (speaking of face) I personally really loved how he presented it as if her family, seeing this glowing Adonis emerge from the train and offer his American blessings, were just were compelled to go against all tradition and offer their daughter in sacrifice to the (gasp) American! Maybe Wendy or Amanda can stop by and tell us how a "Chinese girl" might react to that! That would be very interesting!! (I do apologize for my use of correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation by the way.)

Right, I almost fell out of my chair laughing when I read: "I am generally one of the most accepting and laid back people you will ever meet in your life time"... I'd chime in but I've already been chastised by Mr. Shade O Gandhi!

My weiwei brushes a lot too. I know she and the lil' rabbit are Liaoning girls. I don't want to generalize but do you think northern girls treat the teeth different from the southern girls? I heard once that Guangdong people think differently about tooth care but I ignored it as a probable prejudice. Is there really a dental difference between the provinces?

Yeah, bad gums can lead to bigger problems down the road. Hopefully the female dentist can convince her that something needs to be done. Best of luck. Yes, chronic gum infection increases risk for heart disease, if that helps.

Hey Tom! That's great! I hope the rest of the way is smooth!! We left NVC 10 days after you. I can only hope we're on the same slippery slope. Did the box you thought you were in get delivered? Was it under 3 lbs.? Is it possible you could get in a small box with an expidited case and end up getting into the consulate sooner? I better get to work in case we get the same luck! Other Joe Hello The Other Joe, I look up Tom stuff based on his date and DHL deliver it 8/27/08. I just wish I was that lucky. Joe Not the other Joe, Man! That Tom is living a charmed life. (We gotta find out who he paid!) The original other Joe

Hey Tom! That's great! I hope the rest of the way is smooth!! We left NVC 10 days after you. I can only hope we're on the same slippery slope. Did the box you thought you were in get delivered? Was it under 3 lbs.? Is it possible you could get in a small box with an expidited case and end up getting into the consulate sooner? I better get to work in case we get the same luck! Other Joe

Hello Smitty, I think if you read the links, and their content carefully, you will see what the critics are saying about the movie, JLC, or Joy Luck Club. The premise of the criticism surrounds the stereotyping of the Asian people and Asian culture. I'm sorry that I'm having a hard time following. You're saying that one couldn't make a movie about Americans who had extremely difficult lives or you'd be stereotyping all Americans as having that difficult life? You'd have to somehow insert other people with other experiences into the story just to show that the story doesn't represent all Americans? You also seem to be saying that if you hadn't experienced the difficulties that the characters faced that you would be unable to empathize or identify with the difficulties those people faced? Your inability to identify with it invalidates that aspect of experience in some way? It would seem that if someone watches a movie about a handful of Chinese people (out of billions) and thinks it somehow represents "Chinese people" that the problem is not with the movie. I'm sorry if I've misunderstood your posts but I did read them several times to try to understand your point.

Logic and critical thinking are subjects very dear to my heart. Some would say I think too deeply about such things so excuse me if I ramble. I think that you may have lumped more than one "problem" into a single category. I don't think the Chinese lack imagination. Their imagination has different constraints than ours, but ours definitely has its own constraints. The group vs individual thing isn't neccesarily a problem of logic but of a difference in underlying assumptions that cause the same logic to return different results. I find the best solution there to be aware, as much of possible, of the assumptions she's working from. Usually, you'll have to ask as they won't be apparent to you. Then you can more reliably (though never perfectly) predict her responses. Another difference that comes into play is that western thinking tends to be much more linear. If we can go A--B--result, we will. Eastern thinking tends to be less linear so it may resemble A--W--B--C--Y--result. Why? It was just an interesting path with side thoughts about interconnected issues. Sometimes, our western mind can be impatient. Why are you not at the result in 3 steps?! When we see what we consider wandering off to C and Y we think the person can't solve the problem but in fact, if given enough time, they may produce the same or an equally workable result. Of course, one thing that we all forget (me especially) is that human beings are not logical creatures by nature. The science of logic has been a way to constrain the bizarre way that we as humans make decisions. It was definitely not derived from observing human behavior but by trying to correct it. We all get frustrated when we expect people to be logical, but its not a reasonable expectation. One way our western minds make the path shorter is by filtering out ambiguity. The eastern mind (all of this is in general, of course) can hold the ambiguity and then there are more possibilties to consider. Western minds tend to force things into clear categories, then make decisions based on that. As an example, Is communism/socialism good or bad? The more eastern your thinking the more likely you are to reply "both", as you would for capitalism as well. The western mind would create the dichotomy communism/capitalism and asign one to good and one to bad, then choose. In the example above the path from A to B may be clearer to us in part because we've filtered out the ambiguity and narrowed the possibilites. I think it is good to try to be aware that our cultures think differently and factor in those differences. You may have to wait longer for a result. You may have to consider a result that your direct path did not produce and ask if it is actually wrong or just different. If you present western thinking as good and to be emulated and eatern thinking as faulty and to be corrected (not suggesting you did) you will probably not have a willing student. If you are willing to lay out your thought process (because after all, it isn't going to display on our foreheads ) and be willing to listen to hers, you will both learn something. All the while you'll be fighting the western urge to assign one as right and one as wrong, one good and one bad. Both ways of thought have their advantages. The western way has the advantage of speed over accuracy. The eastern way has the advantage of a wider range of correct solutions to choose from. In the end, you may find that there are times when you would be better off taking the eastern route and times when she'd be better off taking the western route. If you can be as interested in hearing about the steps and assumptions she used to get her solution as you are in detailing the steps and assumptions to your solution, then you'll both have new tools to solve problems, IMHO. On the other hand, if you just want her to think like a western person, you may have to enroll her in Kindergarten and in about 13 years your wish will come true!

Very interesting thread. Many of you who have Christian/Buddhist mixes may enjoy Thich Nhat Hahn's book, Jesus and Buddha as Brothers. We are both Buddhist so that makes for a point of understanding and connection. I am a non-theistic Buddhist, while she has more theistic leanings but that hasn't been a problem. She likes to worship and I'll do it with her even if our focus is different. Pusa is still something we have in common, although I'm sure even she gets tired of my pusa stories when we face a challenge. Of course, I've also had to get used to calling the Buddha pusa! I was raised Catholic and I am very sympathetic to Walter Wink's views on the importance of challenging the "powers" in Jesus' ministry. It seems that the tables have turned and the faith that bears his name (well, not his name actually but his title Christos) has become one of the powers rather than the antidote. But that is just my very humble opinion. It's also interesting in the post how often our cultural assumptions creep in (not excluding myself) when we say things like she believed in a god even though never introduced to Christianity. Whatever story we've decided to go with we treat in our mind as truth, while we can recognize that other religions/cultures made up a story. As someone also interested in the neuroscience of the subject it is remarkable to me how easily our mind smooths over that contradiction. Pusa stressed that he was not a supernatural being although many have chosen to forget that. He also had the best system (in my opinion) to insure that no one ever claimed to be the second coming, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." As I've posted elsewhere the essence of Buddhism for me is compassion and this quote from the Buddha: Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. So I take my Buddhism lite, no supernatural beings included. B)

Interesting concept about "only real option(s)" My wife and I used (twice) a Chinese Travel Agent from North Carolina, or Atlanta or some darned place. Nothing to do with LA. But, the prices are still, generally, lower. We flew Tampa-Detroit-Japan-Guz. Haven't tried Newark yet. We have lots of options, I guess. Your right, let me further clarify what "only real option" means to me. I personally want as few stops as possible, the more stops there are the more of a possibility for delays and missed flights, or lost luggage. On my first, and to this point, only flight to China was to meet my (then) girlfriend for the first time, and I wanted to get there as easily as possible with the least hassle. This I accomplished on the Continental flight from Newark to Beijing. While searching for flights I found nothing from Florida that offered just one stop for less money, and the same or close flight time. Plus there were others (on CFL) that recommended the Continental flight as being a good one, and having made that trip I agree it is a good flight, as good as it can be for being in an airplane for 12 hours, save being in first class for an additional $9000. I hope to return this November, and would welcome an alternative if someone can suggest an agent to book through. Richard Richard, I agree with you about that Continental flight from Newark. It's direct. I've used it twice and I like the 777 plane instead of the worn out 747's United uses...but I had a short hop from my home airport at Dulles International to reach Newark. United has a direct flight out of Dulles (IAD) that I've used twice, now. I like being in Beijing 13 hours from take-off....I HATE 20 or more hours flying around the countryside trying to get to Beijing...or spending the night somewhere to reach China. I will back up and say, if price is the only motivation, then by all means, check out those Chinese Travel Agents...me? I'm just going to AAA here in Bedford, Pennsyltucky, getting all the arraingements done at one place, driving to Dulles, gettin' on that United flight and landing in Beijing 13 hours later. I've flown way too many times to need to take the "scenic route" to China with 2,3,or 4 stop overs and 20-30 hours to get to Beijing, then another hour to Shenyang and my sweet baby's arms.... I want to get there while I'm still young. tsap seui I'm in this group also of wanting a direct and convenient flight that I can count on getting me there at the appointed time. I can only make short trips (10 to 14 days) to China because of work and I don't want to spend more of it traveling/delayed. I usually drive to Newark, long term parking is $15 a day or to a relative nearby and they drop me off. That Continental Flight has a great ontime record, the food is good ( I get vegetarian so I can't really vouch for the other food), the entertainment system (especially the new one) is great, the planes are comfortable. My last two flights were brand new planes. One of the things I also consider is that making an 8,000 mile trip frequently can rack up the miles. At Continental you get bonus miles for booking online and once you have enough miles to put you in the Elite program your miles per trip increases. Also, once you are in the Elite program, you check in with first class, which avoids the only problem I've found with that flight-the long line for coach check-in. Your bags also get a priority tag and that group of bags comes out first, which is good for me because I'm always very anxious to get out to see that beautiful woman that is waiting for me. If you take whichever airline is cheapest at the moment you may not accumulate your miles in one place. For thos going south Continental also has a direct Newark to Hong Kong and they've applied for Newark to Shanghai. I've already made one free trip on miles (out of 4 trips to China with some bonus miles for helping sick passengers so it would have taken 5 without that), so one would have to get their ticket at least 20% less at another site or agent to do as well as that. I looked at booking a flight in November and it was about $900, so that means you have to get a ticket for $720 or less to offset the free trip. I still have 36,000 miles in my account and, especially for Richard!, it is only 15 to 20 K miles per ticket to upgrade to first class. They have priorities based on whether you are Silver, Gold, or Platinum Elite but but they have said that they will take into account a special circumstance (like bringing your bride home) if you call the upgrade desk. You can also purchase miles if you are a little short and still pay far less than buying first class. That is my plan with my remaining miles, to upgrade two tickets home to first class for my princess to be treated in style for her trip home. I do plan to show her coach and tell her not to expect to be in front all the time! If you have to save the most money right now because funds are tight then discounters are probably the way to go. I think that in the long run accumulating miles can save you more and offer you more conveniences. Another factor is length of trip. Since I can only go for 10 to 14 days, 24 hours spent flying (plus another 7 spent driving to and from Newark) is already a big chunk of my trip. Increasing time in the air and layovers would represent big percentage increases in non-weiwei vacation time. If I was going for a month or more, I could be more flexible about increasing non-weiwei time. For obvious reasons, maximization of weiwei time is an important consideration. B) Joe

I've liked it. It at least gives us a shared experience while apart. There is a nice lady who acts as a tutor for Chinese who is helpful. You can correct each others exercises however and I think that can help to give each other some confidence. There are written lessons after each unit and spoken ones. Only problem I had was with one stalker, but it was a guy who kept looking at my lessons and giving me long critiques of how poorly I spoke Chinese. Then he would offer to chat because he thought he could REALLY help me speak correctly. I took a break for a while and he seemed not to come back. Tony's got 2 hot Chinese girls chatting him up and I've get a guy who wants to be my friend and correct my pronunciation.

YES ! Thanks! I can find something else to obsess about now!

You're listing the packages to Hong Kong. Are our petitions shipped to Guangzhou via Hong Kong?

Congratulations! I hope you don't sweat on the visa and smudge the numbers!

The date they gave you was Friday. The date it is actually picked up by DHL is usually a couple of days later. So that would be this Tuesday at the earliest. Thanks, Randy!

My K1 went to NVC on the 26th, approved on the 28th and according to the lady at NVC "mailed" the 29th. I know one can't be sure which box their petition is in, and that the "mailed" info doesn't necessarily correspond to the date it goes out but I'm a little perplexed. I checked every day of last week on DHL website and NVC sent packages all over the world but not one to Guangzhou. Anyone know why that might be? I had 2 thoughts/conjectures. 1) Do they ship less frequently to Guangzhou because they know they are just going to sit on it for a while anyway? 2) There were several packages sent to Hong Kong during the week. Could they have started shipping it through Hong Kong? Any ideas/comments appreciated. Thanks for indulging my obsessive compulsive personality disorder (that doesn't make this whole thing any easier!) Joe

I don't see how the construction (weight) of the dam could cause this and besides if I remember correctly this is an earthquake zone. There was a geologic study done a few years ago after a quake in India that strongly suggested that the weight of the water behind several dams had been a key factor in initiating the quake. Yes, it's an earthquake zone, but that just means there are faults and abutting tectonic plates. It doesn't mean that we can't do things that effect the movement of the plates and initiate more events. Activist geologists in China have cited the Indian incident in their pleas to the Chinese govt to stop the rapid dam building. By the way, it may not be 3 gorges but the river running through the last quake zone is the most heavily dammed river in the world, I believe. The geologists had cited that river as an area of concern for dam activity initiating quakes. I find this very interesting Joe. Thanks!! Yes interesting and I would love to see some info on this theory that that the weight of the water behind the dams could be the cause of additional earthquakes. If the weight causes additional earthquakes then the fault line must be more fragile than thought. Also how close is the three gorges dam to these recent earthquakes? Is it even finished and up and running? It's the same river......the Yangtze River. It's a smaller river that runs through the epicenter of the May quake that is the most heavily dammed. I will try to find the name when I wake up.

I don't see how the construction (weight) of the dam could cause this and besides if I remember correctly this is an earthquake zone. There was a geologic study done a few years ago after a quake in India that strongly suggested that the weight of the water behind several dams had been a key factor in initiating the quake. Yes, it's an earthquake zone, but that just means there are faults and abutting tectonic plates. It doesn't mean that we can't do things that effect the movement of the plates and initiate more events. Activist geologists in China have cited the Indian incident in their pleas to the Chinese govt to stop the rapid dam building. By the way, it may not be 3 gorges but the river running through the last quake zone is the most heavily dammed river in the world, I believe. The geologists had cited that river as an area of concern for dam activity initiating quakes. I find this very interesting Joe. Thanks!! Yes interesting and I would love to see some info on this theory that that the weight of the water behind the dams could be the cause of additional earthquakes. If the weight causes additional earthquakes then the fault line must be more fragile than thought. Also how close is the three gorges dam to these recent earthquakes? Is it even finished and up and running? Like I said, I don't think it's 3 gorges that is implicated in the recent quakes. I think the water behind these large dams represents an enormous load. I'm not sure that the faults would have to be considered fragile to be moved by such a massive weight. Do you realize how much the water in the reservoir behind 3 gorges will weigh when it's full? The water only needs to initiate a slip it's not supplying all the energy for the quake. The phenomenon has a name and an acronym RIS, reservoir induced seismicity. "A recent article in Scientific American, explained that the reservoir sits on two major faults: the Jiuwanxi and the Zigui¨CBadong. According to Fan Xiao, a geologist at the Bureau of Geological Exploration and Exploitation of Mineral Resources in Sichuan province, changing the water level will strain the fault lines. "When you alter the fault line's mechanical state it can cause fault activity to intensify and induce earthquakes," he said. Engineers in China blame dams for at least 19 earthquakes over the past five decades, ranging from small tremors to one near Guangdong province's Xinfengjiang dam in 1962 that registered magnitude 6.1 on the Richter scale¡ªsevere enough to topple houses. Since the reservoir began to fill in 2003, the Three Gorges dam has induced seismic activity within the reservoir area. The respected 21st Century Business Herald reported in 2003 that, according to Xu Guangbin, director of the Hubei Seismological Monitoring and Prevention Centre, "as many as 1,000 micro-earthquakes have occurred in the Three Gorges reservoir area since June 7, with the biggest recorded at 2.1 on the Richter scale," but that "these minor tremors have had no significant impact on the dam or reservoir, and have caused no damage." from http://www.probeinternational.org/catalog/...09&cat_id=7 "No one knows how local seismic faults will react to the incredible mass of water behind Three Gorges Dam. Like heavy snow on an overloaded roof, the weight of water blocked by dams can cause existing cracks in Earth's crust to slip, resulting in earthquakes. Faults tend to slip more often when a nearby giant reservoir is filled with water. The largest was a magnitude 6.5 triggered by the Konya reservoir in Turkey. That earthquake killed 200 people in December 1967. " from http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF14/1465.html "The researcher says there have been recorded cases in several countries of dam construction causing earthquakes. Large-scale mining, he believes, can sometimes produce the same result. ... "There's no question that if you dig a big enough reservoir, you're going to get earthquakes. "The Three Gorges Dam in China is going to be a big problem," he told BBC News Online." from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1974736.stm

I don't see how the construction (weight) of the dam could cause this and besides if I remember correctly this is an earthquake zone. There was a geologic study done a few years ago after a quake in India that strongly suggested that the weight of the water behind several dams had been a key factor in initiating the quake. Yes, it's an earthquake zone, but that just means there are faults and abutting tectonic plates. It doesn't mean that we can't do things that effect the movement of the plates and initiate more events. Activist geologists in China have cited the Indian incident in their pleas to the Chinese govt to stop the rapid dam building. By the way, it may not be 3 gorges but the river running through the last quake zone is the most heavily dammed river in the world, I believe. The geologists had cited that river as an area of concern for dam activity initiating quakes.

I threw away most of the medals they gave me for flying combat in Vietnam...guess I'm safe to keep flyin' the friendly skies I did put one of my air medals for combat flight time in my checked in luggage so I could give it to my fiancee's father as a gift from my heart. It made it all the way to Chinatucky and now sits with all his Chairman Mao buttons and pins from the sixties. tsap seui I think tsap will enjoy this one... Last time flying out of Beijing I waited as long as I could before saying goodbye to my sweetheart so I was feeling a little rushed through security, etc. I had done the onebag.com thing and was careful to have all my liquids in "legal" containers and they all passed muster leaving NY. Security was "manned" by 5 attractive Chinese females. They apparently had a problem with a liquid of a personal nature, even though it was in an original container of less then 3 oz. They removed it from my ziplock and 3 of the girls on the backend of the line discussed it for several minutes. Then They called over a 4th girl to discuss it further, while I'm sweating, mainly because I'm cutting it close on time. Mind you, an entire security line at Beijing is now at a standstill over this slippery situation. As I looked back at the people delayed in the line, the women looked pissed and the men looked like they were trying not to laugh at the 4 pretty Chinese ladies huddled around my tiny bottle of clear liquid, deep in conversation. Finally the 5th young lady who was helping people load the belt came over to see what the delay was. Finally, after some more discussion, they finally broke the huddle and formed a line, with the young lady in the center holding my little bottle like she was the company spokesmodel with all eyes suspiciously fixed on me. Obviously concerned about what my intentions were in carrying this dangerous item, the spokesmodel said, "We think you can't take this on plane." The 5 of them looked so serious that I had to take a deep breath to keep from laughing and the guy right behind me let out a little chuckle. (thanks, buddy) The 4 other girls flanking her all nodded and made "en" sounds to show their unanimity in this important security decision. I said, "No problem! You keep!" They all nodded again with another "en!" The spokesmodel said in a very serious tone, "Yes! We keep." Then my tiny bottle was placed, not in the trash but in a place of honor next to the CRT by the scanner so that all could see the dangerous contraband that was being confiscated by this crack team! If you came through Beijing the same day, maybe you saw it there! A monument to the safety of air travel! And you know what, I don't care if you find my story on Scopes! It really happened to me!

Tsap is the man. The dalai lama of CFL. But he must also have some Irish in him because it's our people who start everything with "May the.." May Guangzhou rise to meet ya May the blue slips be always out of site May the lord reverse your color-blindness long enough that ya can see the pink And may the wee folk carry your visa to China Post in a day an keep it safe! May they not ask... What's an american breakfast? What does your fiance have? Good Luck to all! Joe

Re: your point 2: I have my Chinese licence (took the test) and drive daily in Chongqing. The drivers' code is remarkably similar to ours in Canada, and is summed up (in the manual) with the words: "Drive on the right side, stay in your lane, and do not impede the progress of others." Hah! 'Tis to laugh! I used to get really angry at their antics, but now I just shake my head and chuckle. Needless to say, I do a lot of chuckling. Even more chuckle-worthy is the traffic in the human mind, making that U-turn from stereotype A to stereotype B, leaving reality lying bloodied in the crosswalk. Ooops! Didn't see her!

Darnell It sounds like you are describing a peri-rectal abscess. They can cause a lot of problems. If you google peri-rectal abscess for more info. They should open it (lance it) to relieve her pain, then put her on antibiotics until a surgeon can go in and be sure the whole thing is drained and there are no fistulas. Especially if the abscess is in the anterior perirectal space you want to be sure the procedure is done by competent hands to avoid leaving any rectovaginal fistulas. Joe