From Yulin

[Randy W]

It was interesting the other day watching a four year old discovering that he may be facing a lifetime of school work that he can't get out of - I heard a loud crying, "Nai nai" ("grandma"). When I came out to see what was going on, he was alone in the living room and the hallway dark. I picked him up and carried him down the hall, crying and sobbing with his voice quavering - he had obviously been severely traumatized and/or tortured.

 

I heard the door unlock as we approached the bedroom. Nai nai came out, and set him down again in front of his school work, and put the pencil in his hand. She moved his hand through the mtions of drawing a row of '6's - I sat there and watched while he feebly drew one '7'. I pointed to the page, and said, "ni de" (yours), but he was hardly moving a muscle (although he was still sobbing and his voice was still quavering).

 

I didn't know much of what was going on, since they talked in Chinese, but found out later that he's been spending his time in school (actually day care) talking with his friends, while the others did their own work. He's apparently since come around and started doing his work, so hopefully that puled him out of the 'school drop-out' track..

 

But his parents have divorced recently, with his mother heading to Guangzhou for the job situation there. She's already returned (after one week) because of the conditions there.

[Randy W]

Our own little road to hell - this was on the way to the Detian Falls, along the border with Vietnam

 

This guy went first. The right side had bumps big enough that I figured we might bottom out. The left side had ruts deep enough that we'd have gotten stuck

 

 

 

This guy came along - he was smaller than us, so I decided to let him go first. He didn't hesitate, so I just went where he did. No problem

 

Edited September 16, 2013 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

This guy set up a mobile noodle shop for the Mid-Autumn Festival in front of our building. He makes them with the machine on the back of the truck, and packages them into the bean bags on the right.

 

[Randy W]

New advertisements in our elevators - you too can park your Mercedes, Lamborghini, or Bughatti Veyron in our parking lot for only 30,000RMB DOWN (or $4900USD)

 

 

(That's for the parking space, NOT the car)

[Randy W]

Now this has to be a first - the mother-in-law came over while my wife was still out from taking the grandson to school. She waited in the living room, and asked me to turn on the air conditioner! We're basically seeing more humidity than anything else from the typhoon.

[Randy W]

Looking from China over to Vietnam

 

[Mick]

Really beautiful countryside, Randy. Thanks for posting.

 

I imagine there was a time that locale was off limits, back when China and Viet Nam were going at it.

[Randy W]

. . . and this is where they went at it through - Youyiguan (Friendship Pass), near Pingxiang - most of the Chinese soldiers passed through this gate.

 

It seemed like the really pretty scenery was closest to the border, but the wife put the skids on driving along the border highway (because of what she heard about road conditions), which I wanted to do

 

This is from the side facing Vietnam (the picture looks back toward China)

 

 

and this is from the China side

 

[Randy W]

Meanwhile, back at the hotel - there's always some Man Good Dew in stock for when you might need it

 

 

"Magic Grease Gives You More Happy More Excitement"

[Randy W]

Guigang Nan Shan (South Mountain)

 

 

 

My wife tossed this guy the last of my ice cream. He caught it in mid-air, but then couldn't figure out how to get the cup into the cage. Fortunately, he realized the spoon was still in the cup

 

[Randy W]

So we ordered my new visa (at two years for 400RMB each), bought some grapes for wine-making (take it easy on the sugar, and NO ONIONS this time, PLEASE), at they opened a new RT-Mart here in Yulin just a few blocks away

 

RT-Mart beats Wal-Mart in China

 

 

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-sunart-china/chinas-sun-art-beats-wal-mart-with-political-savvy-idUKBRE90R0G620130128

 

Sounds good to me - maybe we can check it out tomorrow. The few times I've been to a Wal-Mart, they seem to just carry the same stuff at similar prices as the regular Chinese stores.

[Mike and Yan]

So we ordered my new visa (at two years for 400RMB each), bought some grapes for wine-making (take it easy on the sugar, and NO ONIONS this time, PLEASE), at they opened a new RT-Mart here in Yulin just a few blocks away

 

 

Which did you use to place your order:

A) phone call and credit card or

B) internet and Chinese similar to PayPal ? ? ?

[Randy W]

 

So we ordered my new visa (at two years for 400RMB each), bought some grapes for wine-making (take it easy on the sugar, and NO ONIONS this time, PLEASE), at they opened a new RT-Mart here in Yulin just a few blocks away

 

 

Which did you use to place your order:

A) phone call and credit card or

B) internet and Chinese similar to PayPal ? ? ?

 

 

 

For the visa? Probably paid cash, unless they accept credit cards. Jiaying uses her Chinese credit card everywhere she can.

 

Ordering stuff by phone or Internet (e.g. Taobao) can be done by Chinese credit card or bank draft.

 

American credit cards that I've tried have VERY low acceptance, and usually charge a foreign exchange fee - no thanks.

 

But Discover Card can be accepted anywhere you see the Union Pay logo, I believe with no conversion fee - I don't have one myself.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Randy W]

I always like these trees where the roots grow into rocks like this

 

[Randy W]

Some more from Guigang

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/gallery/album/672-guigang-nan-shan/