525,600 minutes in China (1 year)

Well as of June 24th I'll have been here in Changxing China for one year.
And what a year it's been!
I've been to a lot of exciting places.
Met a lot of wonderful people.
Ate a lot of strange food.
And learned what it's like to live in a different country with a different culture.
You don't learn as much about a place just visiting it for a couple of weeks.
You live there for a year and you become part of it.
It will be interesting to come back to America and have to get used to certain things.
I'll probably have a bit of culture shock.

Not much going on around here...just raining a lot.



I'm going to post some pictures from the past 525,000 minutes that I've been in China.

My favorite monk.


My favorute Ma-La-Tang shop owner.


My favorite Muslim noodles.


I don't know this guy...It's just one of my favorite photos.


Favorite Mad-Max vehicle.


My favorite teacher...Forest on the left.
He's been a HUGE help here!


Dog stew...not my favorite...didn't even try it!


Aaron and Adam...two of my favorite American foreign teachers.


This is a class of kindergarten students that I taught out in a small village outside of Changxing.


Nanjing


Nanjing street food.


A little rough, but good.



Nanjing night life.


Aaron, Adam and myself.


One of my favorite basketball players here at Changxing Experimental Middle School.


A hazy day in Shanghai.


New friends in Shanghai.



A clearer day on the Bund.


Shopping in Shanghai.



New friend Cay from Shanghai.


Kai and his girlfriend.


Sunny Shanghai


I don't know this guy...just like the picture.


My basketball team...who says Chinese are short?


Early morning in Yang Shuo.




Gloria and the cormorant fisherman.


Fisherman's home.




Ok..Ok...I love water buffalo.


Sunrise in Yang Shuo.


Funeral in Yang Shuo.


Little old lady making fun of me in Yang Shuo.


Gloria and me on our way to Xi'An by train.


Bell tower in Xi'An.


My Chinese brother Jerry,


Terra cotta soldiers in Xi'An.



Bell tower at night.


Cormorant fisher man in Guilin.


Small village in between Guilin and Yang Shuo.


Gloria on boat ride from Guilin to Yang Shuo.


We made a stop along the way for a snack.




Cormorant lady in Xing Ping.


Old man in old village.


The group we toured with in Xi'An.


Another old man in another old village.

Me on boat ride to Yang Shuo.


More old men in yet another old village.


Medicine man.


Terra cotta soldier Gloria.


Buddhas carved in mountain in Hangzhou.


Shanghai at night.



Bike ride around Xi'an on wall.


Visit to Kung Fu school.





A helping hand from a friend...Ouch!


Canadian Paul in Hainan.


Claudia and myself having lunch by the beach in Hainan.


Scuba diving in Hainan.


Clowning around with the owner of the best hostel in China.


Claudia shopping for fruit in Hainan.


A day on the beach in Hainan.




Fishing boats in Hainan.


My Ma-La-Tang buddies.


Sushi in Hainan.


Beach shot in Hainan.


Local market in Hainan.


Looking at baby ducks.


Owen, Jaer and myself in Houghuo.


Sunset from my apartment.


My hostess cooking dinner in Shwei Cuo.



Harry the photographer in Guanzhuo.


My friend Bills father.


Kobe in Yang Shuo.


Lunch at Drifters Cafe'.


Worlds largest bamboo flute.(Maybe)


Kobe asking for directions in countryside near Yang Shuo.




Me and Denise in Yang Shuo.


American Denise and Chinese Denise in Xing Ping.


Denise and old Chinese lady at Moon Hill.


Denise in Xing Ping.


Some great folks in Yang Shuo.


Old tribe in Shangri La.(Theme park)


Meeting local kids in old village.



Weaver in Shangri La.


Another old man in another old village.


Practicing my Chinese with local man in Xing Ping.


Denise and myself on top of Moon Hill.


Dragon bridge in old village.




Great view in Yang Shuo.


Bringing home dinner.


Pork stand at local market. Makes my want to wash my hands just looking at this picture.


But I did buy some fruit.


When you don't have a sink...you still have a river.


Me in old village, somewhere China.


Our tour guide in Shangri La.


On top of mountain in Long Shen.


Clowning with our guide.


Real animal abuse!


Monkey Bar Buddies in Yang Shuo.


I bought this gourd flute for my mom.


Shangri La dude.


Chinese new years day.




Mom says," Go say hello the the foreigner". That's why you took those English classes!
I taught him,"Gimme Five."


Denise and me during cooking class in Yang Shuo.


Mmmm...Bamboo rat.


"I'm not gonna eat that!"

What's China without fireworks?


I had a great hot-air balloon ride in Yang Shuo.

WOW!








Goat stampede in an old village.


Girl playing with fireworks.


Mountain biking in Yang Shuo.




Busy day in Yang Shuo.


Local Long Shen ladies taking a walk. That dog looks nervous!

Hiking in Long Shen.




Denise, hiking in Long Shen


He was such a character!


Flute salesman in Yang Shuo...I loved hearing them play as they walked around..It really set a great mood about the place.

One day it rained upriver and the water level raised 2 feet over night.


I bought some necklaces from this old gal.


Yang Shuo was the only place in China where I felt safe eating the street food.
Mmm, mutton and onions in a hot pita bread.


I found some fake Tony the Tiger frosted flakes In Guilin.
They just weren't the same.
But I was excited to see my old friend Tony!


Temple shot in Guilin.


Old woman with water buffalo in Xing Ping.


After the cooking class in Yang Shuo.


Bamboo boats in Xing Ping.




Claudia and Chinese girl in Wu Shi.



Ferry to Fairy Island.



Me and Claudia on the ferry.


Young Toaist monk.

Looks like a good place for a nap!



My friend Irene, she is from the Philippines...She teaches English at the Kung Fu school.


She's so small!

This is where I bought my pet birds...Ying and Yang.



I'm still looking for a good home for them.
Some people suggest I set them free.
They are domestic birds and wouldn't last a week out in the real world.

Jim