TootTaLu

I bought a TOSHIBA K690KA DVD Player for about $50USD new online. Its "Multi-Reigeon" (Plays all DVDs)AND 'Multi-System"(Can be used in any country on any TV 110/220v). It actually came with two different electrical plugs. I brought Chinese DVDs to America so my lovely wife could watch Chinese TV series and movies. At first,most of them played on my CHEAP DVD player,but when I bough a newer machine nothing would play on it. This TOSHIBA multi reigeon DVD player works GREAT. It was cheap but much higher quality that anything sold in WalMart for a similar price. I read 'negative reviews' online about this DVD player,but I bought it anyway based on ONE positive review. If you are STUCK with unwatchable DVDs,then you should buy this DVD player. Ive had it for several weeks and its working fine.

I walked across the street today by myself! I recognized the walk signals too! I did feel a little bit lonely though without some to hold my hand. How does Africa strike you? Uganda, Kenya, Rhodesia, Namibia, Egypt, Morocco, Chad, Sudan and Nigeria strike your fancy? 47 countries under my belt, wars in 6 of them, to add to my travel plans Man! Toot, I wish I could have covered 48 states. I'm so jealous of you! BTW lived in Korea for 9 Years, two ex-Korean wives, speak, read and write Korean. Anyong-hae-cashipso, or is said in Japan; Sayonnarha = Please come again. BTW, I did want to ask how did you take no plane to Japan? I was a bit slow in Geography. The last time I looked Japan was surrounded by water. Ohhhh! I got! A slow boat from China, merchant Marine, or you were a sailor! Did you enter China where you met your wife the same way? Toot; I may believe that you are pushing the envelope a bit for CFL members. There are many that have traveled as much as I have traveled and definitely more than you, and used aerospace. I know that I have 47 countries under my belt, in six continents. I haven't made Antarctica yet. May I ask politely what is your point? Are you endorsing sea travel, taxi, or other cost efficient means of travel? Or perhaps there is another point that myself and I'm sure others, are missing. Would you elaborate? Here is a good question for you. Travel is nice. How many have you lived in on the ground so to speak? Dave I went to all those places in about a 6 year period. Spent a lot of time in China and South Korea. When traveling in Asia,you meet lots of Europeans. Thats how I ended up going to all those Europe places to visit people I met traveling in Asia.

My experience is similar to yours. After you get married,you'r wife will do what she wants about her son. If she wants,SHE WILL DECIDE to bring her kid here or not. My wife has taken up with a lesbian who adopts Chinese babies,and my wife thinks that lesbian friend is going to get her son here faster. My wife needs to convince her ex-husband in China to give permission to let the boy go. I dont concern how honest or nice this lady is. No matter what she is telling you,once she gets to America ITS UP TO HER what to do about her Chinese child. Also,IT DOES NOT MATTER that you like this child. If she finds another way to get her kid over here YOUR FEELINGS are in the toilet.

Ive been to all 48 US States,all Canadian provinces,Mexico,Aleutian Islands,PuertoRico,Azores,Morocco,Russia,Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan,Japan,Korea,Mongolia,Laos,Burma,Thailand,HongKong,Macau,Portugal,Spain,Italy,France,Slovenia,Slovakia,Hungary,Romania,Croatia,Poland,Austria,Germany,Netherlands,Belgium,England,Lithuania,Latvia,Finland,Estonia and China. No airplanes.

Nope. Its safe I tell you. Safer than walking down to the corner store to buy a quart of milk. You can certainly be cheated out of money,or lied to about 'we will fix your visa' over and over again. Anybody looking to spend 3 to 6 months in China can do a bit of English teaching in a small town or village,just throw a dart at a map. In larger cities you can get $10 or $20 for hour long private tutoring sessions if you are good at it. This is small change. My Mexican friend has NEVER BEEN TO AMERICA,yet he told them he was a 'native English speaker',then led DIRECTLY to a classroom full of students. Of course thats the extreme. Its very safe,even for a college age single young woman to backpack alone just about anywhere in China. Nobody likes those filthy dreadlock hippy backpackers,usually found in SE Asia,but the backpacker style travel books are used by all kinds of people. Even stupid people can travel safely in China if they just follow their travel book. "Independent Traveler" can be used if you feel ashamed to call yourself a 'backpacker'.

Oh yes,I agree with you. Your reply has merit. Really a lot of people here dont know that side of China travel. "Fiance Visa" travel and "China Backpacker" travel are two totally different worlds. Before I began participating here,I had been posting at several "Backpacker" style message bords,like www.lonelyplanet.com I posted a few questions there about 'Fiance Visa' but nobody really had a clue. They know everything about China,but not 'fiance visa'. So when you post something here about independent traveling in small town China you cant expect many American people here to relate to that.

Now I have a digital camera. Im thinking about buying a laptop for burning photo cds and MP3s. I carry a MiniDisc Player to record natural sounds,so I can download that stuff to a computer also. I will need to email stuff like photos. A place to store photos/MP3s. It would be fun to be able to record directly off of Chinese TV (Local Ethnic Minoriety News Reports,Beijing Opera,etc.) and make a DVD on the computer. Also,Id like to have a Drum Machine/Synthesizer Sequencer built in. (Not for 'Home Recording",rather,a real "Sequencer Synth" for live performance sequenced Drum Patterns.) I will have a permanent place to keep my computer in China,so if I can put this together IN China very cheap,then thats what I want to do. Is the savings worth it,or should I go ahead and buy an economy price laptop here in America before I travel?

My friend wants to travel in China anyway,doing the backpacker thing. Ive just suggested teaching English casually is a great way to extend a trip like that and get close to the 'real' China. Im not sending anyone to teach English in Beijing. I have had groups of Chinese people with English books in hand CLAWING at my door begging me to sit and teach a bit of English to their kid. Roll in to a place that has never seen many foreigners,and check in to one of those 'Chinese only' $2 motels or 'LuGuan'. Next thing the laoban has informed the entire neighborhood that a 'laowai' is staying in his LuGuan,so they all come running with their kids. Unfortunately Im not any kind of English teacher,so I just talk with them and answer their questions. Also on any train ride you are likely to encounter a student on their way to visit their home town,and thats usually good for an English teaching invite. I meet lots of people of all ages doing this all over China. Most people going to China to meet their internet girlfriend's rarely venture past their hotel lobby or inlaws house,or some famous tourist spot. Real travelers try to find ways to get the most out of their travel time and money. If you really want to see China you need to stay there a few months,even if you teach English for free. Its not always about making money.

teflonline.com.............great course!! Super.

I know a young American woman who wants to teach English in China. She wants to travel to China,so I told her its easy to pick up CASUAL teaching jobs for 'extra pocket money'. I told her that she does not need to be a 'real teacher' (she has no college),only take some kind of course over the internet,then go to China where she could get further 'on the job training'. I told her not to expect to earn a lot of money,but its a great way to extend a visit to China and see the 'real' China. Where's the best place to start,for internet course? Bump

Bump

That's really a nice axe man. Wouldn't want to lose it and I shore would hate to see what someone who stoled it would do with it. Chawls They would chop it up and Bar-B-Q their lamb kabobs over it. I weep at the thought...TootTaLu, sometimes you leave me ThreadBare, I tell ya. Chawls, that shifty land baron is a powerful and fearful man, budda only knows what he's up to next. tsap seui My friend has a "Warmouth" bass,a custom made copy of a Fender Jazz Bass. This thing weighs about 200 pounds! Great wood for B-B-Q Lamb Kabobs.Mmmmmm.

I know a young American woman who wants to teach English in China. She wants to travel to China,so I told her its easy to pick up CASUAL teaching jobs for 'extra pocket money'. I told her that she does not need to be a 'real teacher' (she has no college),only take some kind of course over the internet,then go to China where she could get further 'on the job training'. I told her not to expect to earn a lot of money,but its a great way to extend a visit to China and see the 'real' China. Where's the best place to start,for internet course?

That's really a nice axe man. Wouldn't want to lose it and I shore would hate to see what someone who stoled it would do with it. Chawls They would chop it up and Bar-B-Q their lamb kabobs over it.

I forget what you call it. That colored "tissue paper",different colors,we used in school when we were kids. Kind of like the paper you find in a shirt box. Very easy to glue this kind of paper together and its very light. Put a very thin piece of wire at the bottom and attach an ALCOHOL SOAKED COTTON in that wire to fuel the balloon.