Fu Lai

I've been revising our trip plans after looking at tourist maps (haha) and we leave tonight. Very excited. Tomorrow (Weds) we will be tramping around the restaurant and shopping streets obviously eating seafood and buying trinkets. Then off to see the Tulou housing on Thurs, Gulangyu on Friday, gardens and temples on Sat, finishing Sun with other tourist things plus a big Italian dinner to celebrate our marriage. Today is the first vacation day for my girl (I started vacation yesterday) so we are ready to ditch town and lounge as freebirds. Incidentally, after getting a gift of Italian linguine from my work, she surprised me last night with a spaghetti dinner! Wow! She and (her son) my stepson asked me if Italian food was popular in the USA... omg yes I said. Spooling is a major thing in the States, not to mention all the other dishes. My girl is a great cook and her first Italian effort was delicious. mama mia I showed them how to spool with forks, they loved it. Now in Xiamen I will treat her to some real Italian cooking. She is very curious and there is a great place there where they allow the Chinese folks into the kitchen to ask the chef questions, La Bettola. This was the thing that made it our choice over Tutto Bene, Portofino and Greg's. And it was a tough choice because there are so many notable Italian restaurants there.

I've experienced the "you look young for your age" remarks since I was in my twenties and still being carded at night clubs.Then the next three decades it continued until at this time I think I have caught up with my years. So I am now learning how to be an older guy and really kind of liking it. I am going to play it for all it's worth!

Yeah, China's YouTube and when you register (free) it provides a built-in download so you don't have to get a separate browser plugin!

Saw this

Maybe old news here but this is a report about the Wuhan progress: http://laptop-adapter-battery.com/wuhan-bus-free-wifi-pilot-each-users-4-million-online/ Very nice!

We are going March 15-17 (plane tickets bought) and I really am anticipating seeing the terracotta warriors! "Today the walls of the Ming dynasty and the Tang palace walls hint at the Xi’an’s glorious past. Stare in awe at the Terracotta Army, 7,000 terracotta statues of Qin Bingmayong Bowuguan warriors and soldiers. Dating from 210 BCE, they were discovered in 1974 and are still being excavated. Don't miss the Shaanxi History Museum or a chance to heat up at former imperial bathing spot, Huaqing Hot Springs." So what are the essential things to do all in a weekend's time? hahaha Obviously, some choices have to be made... Popular Xi'an attractionsThe Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and HorsesXi_an CircumvallationXi'an City Wall (Chengqiang)Ancient Wall of South Gate of Yan'anTomb of Emperor Jingdi (Hanyangling)Shanxi History MuseumDayan Pagoda Northern SquareBig Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayanta)Forest of Stone Steles MuseumDayan Tower Cultural and Leisure Scenic ResortEastern Royal Tombs of the Qin Dynasty of Xi'anCuihua MountainQujiangchi site ParkXi'an MosqueBeiyuanmen StreetXi'an Bell TowerTang ParadiseXi'an Museum & Small Goose Pagoda (Xiaoyanta)Drum Tower (Gulou)

My girl is back from her work trip to Guilin. They didn't see any tourist spots but she did manage to hit the Wa Yao International Tourist Merchandise Wholesale Market for some shopping. She bought four embroidery pieces for framing (soooo nice), a couple refrigerator magnets, some famous Guilin noodles, a Guilin-themed deck of cards, a Li River boat model, a pack of Guilin post cards and a couple new year's lanterns. We plan on making the tourist visit at a later date.

very good!

I think they are performing... acting etc. for a show

oh my freaking gawd!!! They are in training to be waitresses and the woman in black is their teacher... YouKu Video

congrats

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=2013.1.0.188.5bMOCc&id=15982134988 http://img06.taobaocdn.com/bao/uploaded/i6/T1xT5CXe46XXXEVBbb_124736.jpg_310x310.jpg Y1.5

Thanks!!!! Revised - this is for next week! TUES Arrive at night WEDS: SIGHTSEE AND SHOPPING DAY - Ride the #2 bus around and sitesee restaurant and market streets THURS: TULOU DAY - daytrip to Tulou FRI: GULANGYU - Piano Museum, watch the sunset and night cruise SAT: GARDEN/TEMPLE DAY - meander around Xiamen University, gardens, Nanputuo temple, bike around SUN: SITESEE DAY 2 - Hulishan Fortress, Sunlight Rock, special "splurge" dinner, depart at night

any additions to this itinerary: DAY 1: Ride the #2 bus around and sitesee restaurant and market streets DAY 2: daytrip to Gulangyu until after dark DAY 3: go to Nanputuo temple, bike around DAY 4: meander around Xiamen University DAY 5: daytrip to Yongding, Tulou DAY 6: Piano Museum

Hot News * Who has stolen our air quality? LOL! Related ReadingBrown skies obscure 'beautiful China' ambitions Cold front to clear Beijing air Light snow eases air pollution in Beijing, more or less China orders more air quality early warnings

couldn't see the city or the lake from my window today... it is bad!

it is funny because the Chinese do not like to let on that they know English, don't want to lose face, but the older folks know a bunch including most of the 50 and younger crowd. Just ask. under 30 and they should know it fairly well. All of the 20+ year olds I teach have been studying it for 10+ years.

Agreed. I am on the faculty of a top 10 Chinese University in a top 5 Chinese city and they laughed when I asked if there were restrictions like curfew etc. So location may be everything. hahaha

Still trying to get this thing worked out using Paypal and Unionpay ... newbie lol!

While I am not into western restaurants (my girl says I have a Chinese stomach), I will check out at least one Italian one there though, I am so looking forward into vacationing in Xiamen.

Your per diem will be fine for you my friend. In fact you should be quite comfortable with it. Lunch fine for Y20 and dine for Y50... you can do cheaper too... welcome to the Middle Kingdom

You're speaking about your school, and your experience at that school. It is not that to which I disagree. I have met dozens of Western teachers in China, most of whom have moved on or gone home. Some have stayed. Most all agreed in unison that living on campus was not a free thing, not fun, and if given the choice, none would do it. They did it because they were not provided a sufficient salary to choose an alternative. Two of the single teachers I talked to were fired for having overnight guests. Another for disobeying some unwritten campus rule. She debated the ruling, but in the end she lost the debate and her job. I will agree that working as a university employee means you accept a code of conduct, whether it is in the USA or China... especially when you are a teacher. You are an extension of the university. I cannot imagine why the people you mention felt a lack of freedom. They accepted the role so that is that. As for teachers dating students, that is not accepted in the USA either. In China the teachers are held to a level of respect so if that is breached then I can imagine a job may be lost.

Oh well, it's China, they'll get around to fixin' the problem...just like we did. Exactly. In perspective China began all this industrialization post-WWII and the USA began it about a hundred years earlier. Considering how fast the Chinese have caught up I expect they will have this cleared away as much as the USA and probably more so fairly quickly. People shouldn't see China as a USA threat, just a world leader as they have always been for thousands of years.

Hilarious... AIRPOCALYPSE - this is the kind of thing the govt is well tuned-in to addressing

Yes, we foreigners are noticed. It is a given. But if you are just living your life within the law then no big deal. Where I came from in the USA there were cameras on every corner and everywhere else. Internet, telephones, and just about everything is monitored. So it is just a fact of life these days that we have little real privacy.