IllinoisDave

And this'll probably be relegated to Ye Olde Junk Heap.

Someone should alert the Chinese gov't to the "Little Boy Who Cried Wolf" story. They react with the same vehemence and rhetoric to everything that comes out that's even slightly critical of their human rights record, whether it's a UN report or a Guns 'n Roses album. The rest of the world stopped taking their angry denials and howls of bias and slander seriously a long time ago. Even if they're making progress in human rights now or do so in the future, there'll be a long lag time before most are ready or willing to give them the benefit of the doubt IMHO.

Bob... this is good. Although I have been here before, its always good to get a refresh course on whats going on in China! Well...um...yes...It's always good to check out the OFFICIAL version of things...There's Xinhua, China Daily, Beijing Review, etc, etc...They report widely on the news in China and internationally... Yep...emphasis definately on OFFICIAL and VERSION. Every government has one, including the US. This is true. http://www.usa.gov/ But the US version doesn't try to pass itself off as a news source. It's intended as a sort of one-stop spot for all things relating to government information as far as I can tell. The Chinese site is also very informational for what it's trying to do. I'd take issue with it being a fair and balanced perspective of the news in China however. It is what it is and nothing we say here will change things. Not trying to change things. Just trying to keep them in perspective. B) But did you ever notice that a persons perspective changes based on where they stand? Or what they're able/allowed to see from where they're standing.

Just catching up after a few days away. Wow! Great pics you guys. Thanks. The NanJing Road and Yu Yuan Gardens area pics bring back especially fond memories. Thanks again.

Bob... this is good. Although I have been here before, its always good to get a refresh course on whats going on in China! Well...um...yes...It's always good to check out the OFFICIAL version of things...There's Xinhua, China Daily, Beijing Review, etc, etc...They report widely on the news in China and internationally... Yep...emphasis definately on OFFICIAL and VERSION. Every government has one, including the US. This is true. http://www.usa.gov/ But the US version doesn't try to pass itself off as a news source. It's intended as a sort of one-stop spot for all things relating to government information as far as I can tell. The Chinese site is also very informational for what it's trying to do. I'd take issue with it being a fair and balanced perspective of the news in China however. It is what it is and nothing we say here will change things. Not trying to change things. Just trying to keep them in perspective.

Congrats Tsap.

Bob... this is good. Although I have been here before, its always good to get a refresh course on whats going on in China! Well...um...yes...It's always good to check out the OFFICIAL version of things...There's Xinhua, China Daily, Beijing Review, etc, etc...They report widely on the news in China and internationally... Yep...emphasis definately on OFFICIAL and VERSION. Every government has one, including the US. This is true. http://www.usa.gov/ But the US version doesn't try to pass itself off as a news source. It's intended as a sort of one-stop spot for all things relating to government information as far as I can tell. The Chinese site is also very informational for what it's trying to do. I'd take issue with it being a fair and balanced perspective of the news in China however.

Bob... this is good. Although I have been here before, its always good to get a refresh course on whats going on in China! Well...um...yes...It's always good to check out the OFFICIAL version of things...There's Xinhua, China Daily, Beijing Review, etc, etc...They report widely on the news in China and internationally... Yep...emphasis definately on OFFICIAL and VERSION.

You expected maybe something about breathing?

I'm a dog lover and also think it's great.

Will it lead to substantive change in the way business is done in China or not? Time will tell. It's a helluva price to pay either way. B)

A variation on the typical Chinese woman's desire to be sure...but one that screams out FREAKISH much, much more loudly... Ditto on that.

CONGRATULATIONS!! November is sizing up to be a very PINK month.

Did you guys take a river cruise or was it too chilly?

I don't see any issue at all other than a nervous fiancee. My wife's hukou was in Shanghai. Like scores of other people in China she moved to another city, in her case Shenzhen as well, for work. It's not a problem.

Ahhhh...the memories. The sky looked exactly the same the day we went. Still a pretty spectacular view. Thanks for posting them. Keep up the fun and the good work.

Wow! Busy month. Good luck y'all.

Welcome home to both of you Charles. It's been a long difficult journey but you both stuck it out and persevered. I can't tell you how happy Christine and I are for you. Now let the fun begin!

Nice write-up. You definately don't want to be bashful about getting your picture taken together. They could come in handy for the interview. We would usually try to find younger looking folks who might be less leary of a "foreigner." BTW, if you can find a Cubs shirt for Ting to wear in the pics it could help your cause.

Congrats and best of luck.

Keep 'em comin. Been to NanJing Rd. yet?

You mean in twenty years there's gonna be guys in moon suits scraping soy out of buildings all over the country?

Congratulations to you both. And thanks for the detailed write-up. There's some very useful information in there for folks with that part of the process still to come.

If you eat fast food in sufficient quantities, which kids in China and the US are obviously doing, no amount of exercise/activity will prevent ALL the related effects such as high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. Yes, you can ward off obesity with proper exercise. But the other health problems can be present without the obesity. And yes, much like the tar and nicotine in cigarettes, it's the additives in fast food that are the real problem. But, just as tar and nicotine need a delivery system, aka cigarettes, so do the additives, aka Big Macs. You don't buy tar and nicotine or additives in their raw form. You buy the delivery system. Both industries have utilized multi-billion dollar marketing campaigns to get people to buy billions of them. Both have targeted the young to get them hooked on what they hope will be a lifetime habit. And both have been very effective.