New Friends and the Count Down

Well my time here in China is just about up.
I haven't got an official day as to when my last class is, but I just take that in stride...China you know.
Anyway, I am looking forward to coming home.
It's been one of the most interesting years of my life, to say the least!

Last week when I was in Huzhzuo, I bought a DVD called "The Painted Veil."
http://wip.warnerbros.com/paintedveil
It takes place in China in 1925 and was filmed in Guilin, one of my favorite cities in China.
It's one of the most picturesque places here in China.


Last week a Chinese friend of mine introduced me to an artist friend of hers.
A few weeks ago, during dinner one evening, I explained to her what it was that I did before coming to China (Sculptor).
She mentioned that she knew a sculptor too and would see about introducing me to him.
His name is Jun Li, and he is a great sculptor.
He had one or two pieces in his office to show me.
He sculpts them here in Changxing and has them cast in a foundry in Shanghai.


A really talented guy who is also doing some designs for Home Depot and Wal-mart.
He has several studio's around town and maybe next weekend I will go visit one of them and see what else he is working on.


Here is one of those things I'm gonna miss when I get back to America...That and the donkey meat for dinner.
How do you honk the horn on this thing?


I also saw a few street performers last week.
This little girl couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old.
I've seen similar girls like her. They stand in the street and do back-flip after back-flip and when they stop their little heads just keep rolling around like they just cant stop.Then they have this little tripod thing that they grab onto with their mouths and then flip their legs over their heads and spin themselves around and around.

I've seen similar girls and boys in every city in China.


She also had this metal tube that she would do the splits through.


I'm not sure who this gal was but she did some tricks too.


I went to the park last weekend. I broke down and bought a badminton set.
My new friend Susan and myself went and knocked the birdie about a bit.
You can buy a baby rabbit for about $2 just about anywhere in town. These guys sit with their little rabbits in little cages anywhere you find kids. Usually just outside the KFC and parks.
(bottom right side of photo)


We also wandered past an art supply store that teaches art classes.
This guy goes to my school.

Oh yes..by the way...meet Susan. She is a high school student here in Changxing.
We met one day while I was having a Tang Hu Lu(candy covered strawberries) in town.
Her mother owns a restaurant near Thai lake.
She invited me to have dinner there one evening last week.
I took some pictures....
This is Susan.....PEACE.


I told her I was going to put this silly picture on my blog...she didn't believe me.
Believe me now?

Brick houseboat.


As we walk down the street I looked back to see all the people coming out to watch us.
Never seen a foreigner around here before!


These kids were having fun playing on the pile of gravel...been there, done that.
(I was young once too)


This is Susan's mother taking our order.
I'm not too big on the freshwater fish here in China.
But I did find a fish that looked like a cross between a catfish and an eel...very tasty!


These little "fish on a stick" were pretty good too!


This fellow joined us for dinner.
He was actually a cab driver that was waiting to take us back into town.


Okay, okay....PEACE

This is Susan's little sister...yes, a real sister.
Many times here in China someone will introduce someone as their brother or sister. In fact, they may be just a close friend or a cousin.
China has a one child policy and most people don't have more than one child. Usually they are fined a pretty hefty fine if they do.
Unless you live in the country, then you are allowed to have another child if your first one is a girl. Boys make better farm hands.


Yep...real sisters!


And so the countdown has begun.
Even though I don't officially have a count "TO" date.
I'm guessing..."End of June!"

Jim