1/11/2007 3:15 pm Thursday

This is a joint message from Randal and me about the party we hosted for the boatyard workers. Sorry, still no photos.

As their boat nears completion, it has become an informal tradition among new boat owners to host a "thank you" party for all of the boat yard workers. Randal wanted our "thank you" to be something special that everyone would enjoy and remember. January 7, 2007 Randal and I hosted our dinner party for the boat yard workers, our hotel’s staff, our new boat friends and even a few local dignitaries. It truly was a wonderful evening. Randal had put a great deal of thought into planning an evening the workers would enjoy. Judging from all of the many smiles, Randal succeeded.

Stella, Jane, Henry, and "Driver Boy" of Seahorse Yachts all helped with the restaurant and transportation arrangements. Jane and Henry would help translate for all of the Chinese workers and guests. (During the evening Fido, Stella, and our friend Raisin, an xpat from New Hampshire, translated also.) Lillian and Ricky (our hotel’s manager) coordinated the invitations to the hotel staff and their transportation to the dinner. Randal planned to use his computer to show photos of the boat yard workers he had taken during the past month and also some photos of his "2000" bicycle trip so the restaurant arranged for the use of an LCD projector. The images would play continually through the evening. After dinner Randal would give a brief talk about his bicycle trip. Then he would answer any question the workers might have. Randal created an agenda to keep the evening on track. And for the most part it went off without a hitch.

But Randal didn’t tell anyone his "special surprise." For most of his adult life, Randal has created his own destiny and believes anyone who wants to, can. He has tried to inspire that belief in all of his employees and all people who are employees. He taught that to his daughter Kim. His teaching methods are quite ingenious and usually include rewards. Last night he wanted to make the point that employees who are where they should be, work hard and don’t waste their time or talents will reap the benefits. His plan; at each table pick 4 of the ten chairs and tape money (hidden) under the seats. There were 130 guests, lots of tables so lots of winners! They had chosen to work for Seahorse, they had chosen to attend the dinner and they had chosen their seat. The right choices lead to rewards! And some good luck too! Luck and Pluck!

Randal and I had gone to the restaurant early to hide the money. The restaurant staff came to watch and the manager looked askance. I pointed to the word "hide" in my dictionary, but I think she thought we wanted to hide our money for it to be safe, something that alarmed her. Then I thought to throw up my arms and yell, "Surprise!" and they understood and everyone helped tape money to the seats. If they thought we were a little crazy they also thought we were very kind.

About 4:30 (dinner was planned for 6:15ish) Jane, Natalie, Gerry and Henry came. Randal had ordered hundreds of American flag bandannas, red, white, and blue with stars and stripes and also hundreds of small round compass key chains. One of each was placed on every chair. Party favors! Actually, who actually helped isn’t so important as that everyone offered to help when it was needed so all the preparations were done right and on time!

Next is Randal’s "report" of the dinner, but first, my favorite story of the evening. 3 year old Brandon, son of Dennis and Caroline Mok, watched Randal’s bike trip photo presentation and noticed Randal was in many of the photos. So when Brandon saw Randal’s photo of Michelangelo’s David, he innocently turned to his parents and asked why Randal wasn’t wearing any clothes! Now there is a compliment if you have ever seen the David!

Randal’s Story

We had our dinner party last night with 130 in attendance. Before and during dinner I let a slideshow of worker pictures loop on the restaurant LCD projector. When everyone had finished eating I read an opening statement and Jane from the boatyard interpreted. Afterwards there was a Q & A session that was very interesting. At this time Fido was helping to interpret.

(All of the interpreters tried, but some thoughts just don’t translate so well as I found out later. Ru)

I was asked about the Vietnam War and I replied that I was a marine who had served in Vietnam and I knew the war was wrong then. I said that peace was better than war. I was asked why Americans kissed and hugged so much while Chinese did not. I replied that if the Chinese did not kiss and hug how come there are so many of them? Fido didn’t seem to want to translate my answer, but I insisted.

(The translation brought laughter and clapping! Ru )

There was a lot of hand clapping and I believe everyone really appreciated the dinner. In my opening speech I said I had been a worker just like them. I wanted someone to ask me how I could afford to buy a boat but no one did. I was just going to say I had been very lucky.

Before dinner, after everyone was seated, I took the microphone and with Stella interpreting, told them I wanted to share a lesson with them that I learned many years ago. I said I wanted to say how important it was to be in the right place at the right time and avoid bad places where there was trouble. I asked everyone to stand up. Then I asked them to look under their chairs. Ruth and I and the restaurant staff had taped 50 bills ranging from 10 to 100 RMB (7.71 RMB = $1 US) under some of the chairs before anyone got there. They were really surprised and immediately put the money in their pockets. I said not all of you had money under your chair but all of you had that chance but would not have, had you not been here.

There were eight staff members from the hotel and two guests. Both guests are from the crew of a big yacht being built in a nearby yard. One was the captain and one was the engineer. The wealthy German owner will be here this week to participate in sea trials. There were a number of executives from that boatyard as well. Stella sure is well connected here. The mayor of Doumen dropped by for a visit during the party and there were three people from a local magazine including a photographer and writer who took many pictures of Ruth and me and of the event. I understand an interview with me is to follow via email. There were other dignitaries there as well and some vendors who supply the boatyard.

Me again. . During the Q and A Randal was asked who were the most beautiful women in the world. His answer was "the Chinese." Lots of applause. Chile came in second. I was asked if I had any doubts about our voyage. My convoluted answer was to quote Ruth from the Bible, explaining while she was speaking to her mother-in-law,Naomi, I would take the statement which is "where ever you go I’ll go" but be speaking about Randal. It not only lost something in translation, no one who understood English really understood. But Fido must have told them something resembling the thought because there was applause and smiles.

I have many wonderful photos from the evening and eventually will send them. I surprised Natalie, Connie, Jane, and Grandma with knitted scarves, and the photos of 90+ year old Grandma being wrapped in the huge creation are some of my favorites. Photos of Bill Kimley walking among the tables and toasting the guests are neat too and the hiding of the money and a photo of the newspaper photographers! Someday you’ll see them.

Ruth and Randal

1/6/2007 9am Saturday

I am finishing the school visit story. I wanted to include more photos, but these will have to do. I may have sent some earlier. Zoey and BoBo are great company and I have enjoyed all of the time spent with them.

Ru

School Visit Part 2

On December 25th I went with Lillian to visit BoBo and Zoey at their school, He Feng Middle (also a high school. He Feng means mild breeze and silent drizzle. I found a Chinese tv transcript on the internet from the school’s renaming ceremony 2 years ago.) The school is in the Town of Doumen. It is called the Town of Doumen because there is a business/shopping center and a school so the whole area is called a town. It is located in the larger area of Doumen, hence "Town of Doumen." (our hotel is in Jiangan, also within Doumen.) Lillian and I took the 609 bus, the same one the girls take and the same one we took to visit the temple and pick strawberries. The school is further away than the temple, but maybe a 20 minute ride including a few stops. The "girls" make this trek once every 2 weeks and are at school having classes and studying Sunday through Saturday all the rest of the time. That’s right, one day off every 2 weeks and the rest they are in school. They wake at 6 am and go to sleep about 11 pm. From about 6:30 till 8 am they read and have individual study. Then they are in class from 8am till 11:30 with a short exercise session squeezed in. From 11:30 ~ 2:30 they eat lunch in the lunch room and then may rest in their dorm. (The dorm is kept locked hours when the students are supposed to be in class.) 2:30 ~5:30 more classes. 5:30~6:30 is dinner. After dinner they study until 11 pm. Everyday, Sunday through Saturday for 15 days straight! During the first 2 hears of high school they had one day each week to go home. Middle school is like our 7th, 8th, and 9th and high school is 10th ~ 12th. Also, the students remain in the same room and teachers move about the school. So in Zoey and BoBo’s class there are mostly girls because boys have chosen to focus on sciences or maths and the girls seem to focus on history and English or Chinese. Like the USA. I asked if they used computers much and was told they had no time because of school work and studying. Every student had mountains of books on his/her desk and most learning is done from these books or from the teachers. There are lots of hard copy periodicals in the library and some books. If a book isn’t available the librarians will try to get it for the students. Both girls and Lillian said that younger grades learned how to use computers, but studying for college entrance exams took most of the high school time. Zoey said that she especially liked her English and Chinese classes and both girls are focusing on history and I think that’s how they met. They do not share a dorm room, but each girl is in a room with at least 9 other girls since rooms have between 10 to 12 students. The students stay at school to avoid wasting travel time. This option is only available to the high school students and lower grades travel home each day. If a student lives close by, they may also go home at night. Students who stay on campus may only leave with special permission and BoBo and Zoey had to have permission to go off campus for lunch and a stroll during our visit. The students wear uniforms; grey track suits. I didn’t think to ask if they liked or disliked that. I think they can pick their shoes because I seemed to notice shoes were different among the students.

During our visit we met the Headmaster Mr. Shun Shong Qing who kindly gave us bottled water and told us to explore where we wished. We also met 2 school librarians Ms Lixian Liang and Mr.Cheng Qin Yu. Through Lillian we were able to talk about their brand new library, dedicated a few days earlier, libraries and life in general. They asked about my life and our planned travel. I told them I knew I was very lucky to be able to do such a thing. I really wish everywhere in the world we all spoke the same language because I wanted to know more about them and their lives, but without lots and lots of time it’s just not always possible. We did all speak "librarian speak" so that made conversation easier. I was sorry when finally we had to leave. But Lillian had to get back because after this busy day she still had to work from 4 pm until midnight!

Another building, after lunch the area was filled with typical teens

December 31, 2006 10:01 am

Jin Tai Zi Hotel Jingan, Doumen www.jtzhotel.com Golden Prince Hotel ( I think this is correct) 

Doctor Visit

I have had a mild sore throat, and then a real sore throat with stuffed ears and stuffed nose and headache since last Sunday. Advil and Tylenol, tea and oranges, and some additional rest weren’t fixing it. By Thursday morning I was worried that I would end up with strep or a sinus infection since it involved stuffed ears, nasal pressure and a sharp headache. Sleeping was very uncomfortable, lying down stuffed up my nose and made my throat and head ache. You know, I had a cold. But a cold at home, when you can roam the drug store aisles, and read the boxes, and medicate yourself to get you through the common cold isn’t so easy here. Yesterday I walked into 2 shops and pointed to the phrase “I have a sore throat” conveniently connected to the word sore in my dictionary and bought what they gave me. But last night I was miserable, had taken some of one tablets and some medicinal teas I had bought and added Advil and Tylenol to the mix and some of Randal’s left over drops from his ear infection and was afraid of how my system would react from that overload.

And none of it seemed to be helping, even all of it together!

 For the 27 years I lived in Roanoke I went to see Dr. Ward or one of the nurse practitioners maybe 3 times for cold symptoms. When I did go I would always feel better just because someone I trusted told me I would not get worse and would feel well soon. I think the trust went a long way to curing me, even more than the medicine and the rest and liquids. I think most of us feel that way about “our” doctor and his/her staff. But finally this morning I told Randal he would have to go with me to the clinic and we would take the dictionary and point. We knew we could call Stella to speak with the doctor if we had a problem. Lillian and May were both working the hotel desk so I really didn’t want to try to have either of them come with us. When we checked with her about the clinic to use, Stella said that she would go with me because the language would be a problem. A doctor looking at your throat, nose and ears is pretty universal, everything else, registering, getting meds, etc would have been much harder if not impossible without Stella’s help. Stella helped me fill out the registration’s few questions: name, sex, birthday, and marital status. Not the reams of paper like at home, but at this point they may have known from the first interview with the “greeter” that mine was a minor ailment. Stella kindly paid the registration money and took the papers and we went up to the second floor and saw Dr. Anna (how Stella pronounced her name.) No waiting or anything. I sat in the examination chair and Stella explained my problems. Dr. Anna immediately picked up something long and told me to say ahhhah. And I honestly tried. But I have always had a horrible gag reflex that no American doctor could breach. Somehow I was able to make her understand and she smiled and took the long thing away. Then she checked my nose and ears and said they were clear. My throat was the issue. She wrote up prescriptions and gave them to Stella and said if I didn’t feel better in 3 or 4 days to come back. (I’m typing this 3 hours later and I feel better already!) I instantly liked and trusted Dr. Anna. Some doctors are just like that and they make the cure come faster with their concern and empathy. When the exam was done Stella and I went to the 1st floor to the Chinese and Western pharmacies. Stella had to go with me to both so when they called my name I would know. My name in Chinese sounds like Luceh or Lucy; fitting since my first traveling friend Martha and I used to refer to ourselves as Lucy and Ethel when we would go off on our biking and hiking adventures. So anyway, we got the Chinese pills and the western pills and checked on how to take them; with food or not, etc. Then Stella went off to the ferry and back to Seahorse and I went back to our hotel to rest and take my meds. The hospital was just a 10 minute walk from the hotel.

Costs: Registration cost 10.50 rmb (same yuan) I think, since Stella kindly paid it. The doctor visit and meds were 39 rmb, $5.00 US. Even adding the 10.50 registration makes the total $6.30 US. The 2 receipts I have are for 23.25 and 39 and included the meds and the doctor. At least I think this is correct. I know I only paid 39 rmb and saw the doctor and got the meds. (( This isn’t an editorial comment at all. I would have paid lots more to have been able to see Dr. Ward. Seeing the doctor you know has medicinal qualities you can’t get at any pharmacy for any price.)) On my way back to the hotel I stopped at a bakery for some taro cakes and some take away food at the corner restaurant. At the restaurant I pointed to the takeout boxes and then to some greens and waited while they tried to guess if they knew what I really wanted. The owner filled my box with lots of rice and greens and then pointed to all the meats and fish and waited. I tried to say that I didn’t want anything else, but that was so odd to him that I wasn’t succeeding. So I pointed to the mushrooms and he emptied the tray of mushrooms filling my box of rice and greens to overflowing with them. All of that food was 5 rmb or less than $1.00. I took it to the room and put some of it into a bowl and added boiling water to reheat it and made soup. It was quite good. The soup cure, though not so good as the soup Lillian made for me yesterday to help my cold.

I have spent the afternoon resting in our room. I’m really not a good rester, especially when the sun is shining and there are interesting things to do outside. But I really do want to get better, so.. I did just come back from a visit to the hotel lobby to talk with Lillian and May about the lozenges that I was given this morning. They taste really terrible, really really terrible! I thought I had misunderstood and I was to take them like a pill. But Lillian and May just smiled, recognizing the main ingredient as something as children they had been made to take and hated. They reassured me that it was a lozenge and that it did indeed taste terrible. Lillian suggested that I suck it as long as possible and then swallow it with water. I’m not sure what I’ll do. Even the pills don’t taste as “good” as those from home. I think our medicine must come “sugar coated” or with some kind of taste enhancements so we’ll actually take it. I’m just hoping that taking all of these meds won’t send my stomach off the deep end, but they most likely will. But I have meds for that too. I bought those after our summer trip here when things didn’t always agree with my stomach.

 Since Dr. Anna said I was ok, then I’m ok and will go back to being my old self…tomorrow. Today I’ll rest up, drink plenty of fluids, take my meds and email you in the morning (or whenever we can email again after the earthquake disruption) That was written on the 29th.

I have tried to include a picture of all of my meds and herbs for tea, but the connection is too slow. I wish I could give more details and tried to look up the hospital on the web, but couldn’t find anything. Stella did say the hospital where the Dr Anna’s office is located is connected to a university and is also a teaching facility. Trying to translate the Chinese names to English seems possible, but often doesn’t really work.

So that’s it.

Ru