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PROFESSIONAL
DELEGATION TO THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA |
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A delegation of professionals specializing in multicultural education participating in bilateral exchanges with their
professional counterparts in China, under the auspices of
People to People
Ambassador Programs. |
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| Friday,
Dec. 2, 2005 Day 1: New York (depart at 9:20 pm EST) , Los Angeles or San Francisco to Beijing New York Departure - Leave JFK Airport at 9:20 pm, Friday, Dec. 2, 2005 on Cathay Pacific #CX889 |
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Saturday,
Dec. 3, 2005 Day 2: En Route - Cross the International Date Line |
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Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005 - arrive Sunday, 11:20 AM China time
(Saturday, 10:20 PM EST) Presidential Plaza Hotel 9 Fuchengmenwai Road Beijing 100037 People's Republic of China Tel: 011-86-10-5858-5588 Fax: 011-86-10-6800-3308 Day 3: Beijing - Beijing is not only the political and administrative center of the People’s Republic of China, but also China’s single greatest repository of monuments and treasures from the imperial era. It is the second largest and fastest growing municipality in modern China, the home and workplace of 12 million people. |
Journal:
Friday, Dec 4, 2005.
There are six adventurers on this trip. Claus Reschke, a world traveler from Texas, has gone ahead and will be in Beijing for two days before we get there. Martha Kermott has taken an early flight and will arrive Sun around 6 am. Rita Becker and Cathy Van Lierop are traveling straight from LA to Hong Kong and then Beijing. Nelly McFeely left LA and will meet up with those of us traveling through Vancouver.
It is cold as I take a cab at 11:30 am from my house in Glastonbury CT to the Hartford CT train Station. At 12:30 we leave in a “limo,” which is actually just a big van. Our driver Joyce is a terrific driver and keeps us in good spirits as we make 4 stops to pick up other passengers. Among us, one person is flying to India, one to Paris, two to London and me to China. It is indeed a small world. WE are greeted with huge snowflakes the size of silver dollars in Waterbury, CT but they soon go ahead and it turns icy cold with big winds.
I arrive at Kennedy Airport, meet with other People to People Travelers from other delegations. There are 270 total in 12 delegations going to China for this convention. There are about 130 delegations from China who will join us. Some of the delegations are very big, like History with 40 people. Ours is the smallest with just 6, but we are just as excited as the others and look forward to having a chance to get to know each other better. Most have not been to China and since we are almost all teachers (some are bringing family members) we are all thrilled to be traveling to such an historic country.
The trip from New York to Vancouver is uneventful. It is 5 hours but it readies us for the longer ride. We leave around 10 pm Friday night EST and arrive in Vancouver Canada 5 hours later which is about 3 am on the Pacific coast. The food and service on the plane is excellent. We eat several meals and snacks and have our own TV set in front of us so we can watch whatever movie we want, watch TV programs like Friends and Monk or just listen to music. There are Chinese movies, TV shows and music channels too. I watch Batman begins, Cinderella Man, Zorro returns and All People Love Dogs (?). They all have either Chinese subtitles and some you have the option of listening to the English version or one dubbed in Chinese. Kind of funny to hear Zorro speaking in Chinese. We land in Hong Kong about 7 am China time (13 hours ahead of east Coast time) and then switch to Dragon Air to fly to Beijing. Rita Becker, Cathy Van Lierop and I all meet on the plane foe the first time. We are all exhausted but thrilled to be here. Arrival in Beijing is about 10 am or 10 pm Saturday night in CT. We have been on a plane for about 24 hours.
Going through customs is easy and we meet all our people to People Hosts to are carrying flags and wearing the same name tags so we can find each other. Outside is very cold, just under freezing but the sun is brilliant. Beijing is actually in the desert so it very dry here. Men take our luggage for us so we do not have to drag them to the hotel A bus goes ahead with our luggage to the hotel where they will check us all in too. They think of everything to make life easy for us. People are actually giggly with excitement (teachers!). Several can’t stop saying “I can’t believe I am in China or I am half way around the world!!
There are three bus loads of us that leave for the hotel. Louie Niu is our guide and interpreter on the bus. He is a young, good looking man who speaks perfect English. Louie was born and raised in Beijing so he gives us many insights into the city. We pepper him with questions. Among the things he tells us are:
> The Chinese money is called YUAN (YOU – ON) and 100 Yuan equals about $12 US dollars. There are many McDonalds around and a Big Mac costs about $1.2o cents US, a lot of money here in China. A snickers bar in the hotel gift shop was 6 Yuan – about 74 cents US.
> You can take pictures of anything and anybody, as long as they don’t mind. Louie advised us not to take pictures of soldiers and police officers.
> Beijing used to get a lot of snow but not anymore – maybe pollution.
> We should only drink bottled water. They will give us each two bottles a day. Even in the hotel, they provide us with bottled water to drink and brush our teeth. All the eating places we will go have all been checked out so the food and water will be fine. This is just a precaution for any traveler to any country until you get used to the local germs.
We arrive at our gorgeous 5-Star Presidential Palace Hotel which is in a business district near the center of the city. Our luggage and room keys are waiting for us. Six PM we all eat one of the hotel ballrooms where it is our first Chinese feat – yummy. We found out they consider beer just like soda so we can order beer. Wine is extra. We are all so tired we just drink soda or water 9which comes warm out of the kettle). This meal, like most of our meals are included in our fee. All tips are included too which is great.
Tomorrow – Monday, the convention starts. We get a wake-up call at 6;15 am, eat in the restaurant and leave on three chartered buses with a POLICE escort to Beijing Normal University. It will be nice to see everyone after we have all had a good night’s sleep.
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Monday, Dec. 5, 2005 |
Journal:
We left the hotel for Beijing Normal University at 8 am China
time in 8 beautiful chartered buses, lead by a police escort to help
with traffic. We had a great one-hour briefing lead by Leonard Lee
of People to People Ambassador Program. We learned:
> There are 1.3 billion people living in China. Efforts
are underway to reduce the population size, since the country
cannot support such large numbers.
> China is the 3rd largest country in the world, in terms of
land mass, after Canada and Russia. It is 3.7 million square
kilometers. About 43% is mountain, 33% plains. China holds 22%
of the world's population.
> There are 34 provinces and administrative areas.
> The 1980's was a great period of economic and social reform.
> The 56 ethnic minorities were recognized as having a higher
level of autonomy. There are 13 major ethnic group areas of
China with 150 dialects. About 99% speak Mandarin. There are TV
stations devoted to specific dialects.
> The four main religions are Buddhism, Taoism, Islamic and
Christian.
> Saving "face" is a critical element of Chinese culture. Some
would rather lose their lives instead.
> A three person family is the norm, with mother, father and
'the little emperor."
> Arranged marriages are no longer common.
> July 1, 1921 - the Chinese Party was founded. About 60
million people (5%) are members.
At the university convention hall there were 270 U.S. and 130 China delegates. We wore headsets for simultaneous translations. Dr Yvonne Chan of the U.S. and professor Lao Kaisheng from China both gave speeches about the education system.
At lunch we walked about 10 minutes in bitter cold (but sunny) weather a restaurant for a Chinese Buffet lunch. just before this all 400 of us posed for a group photo outside.
The afternoon, Bill Howe from the U.S. and Ao Junmei from China
both gave presentations.
Professor Ao Junmei, multicultural education
professor from Beijing Normal University (BNU), became the first
NAME member from the People's Republic of China. Professor Junmei
introduced herself as one of China's 56 ethnic minorities. Her
research focuses on the recruitment of minority teachers in China.
In a ceremony held at BNU, Professor Junmei was presented her
membership by Dr. William Howe, Past President of NAME.
We then proceeded to Tiananmen Square and the great Hall of the People where we had a huge banquet. Different delegations offered to entertain the group.
The delegations take turns entertaining
those present. Liu Ping, the Star Professional General Manager leads
a group of Chinese delegates in singing a very moving song to the
rest of us:
I BECOME A TEACHER LIKE YOU WHEN I GROW UP
When I was little, I believed that you were very beautiful,
you led us to fly freely back and forth.
When I was little, I believed that you were very wonderful,
every word from your mouth could shake heaven and earth.
When I grew up and became a teacher like you,
I realized that you made hopes fly like birds from that classroom,
while you were always the one safeguarding the nest, the birds'
home.
When I grew up and became a teacher like you,
I realized that what you wrote on the blackboard were the truths
what you wiped out were the personal material gains.
When I was little, I believed you were very mysterious,
you made all the difficult subjects interesting ones.
When I was little, I believed that you were very powerful,
you always liked to hold us highly up.
When I grew up and became a teacher like you,
I realized that what you drew by the chalk in your hand were
rainbows,
what fell down from the chalk were teardrops.
When I grew up and became a teacher like you,
I realized that you were always giving but never taking,
When I grew up I became a teacher like you,
I became a teacher like you,
I became a teacher like you….
You have to see the pictures of Rita Becker, Martha Kermott, Nelly McFelly and Cathy Van Lierop doing the hokey-pokey in the Great Hall of the People!!! How many people can say they did that!!!
We got back to the hotel about 9 pm where I am sure most of us just went straight to sleep. It was an exhausting, but thrilling day. We are still a little jet-lagged.
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Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005 Day 5: Beijing: Conference Program Day Two Delegate Presentation: Dr. Claus Reschke, Retired Professor, Texas Topic: Multicultural Teacher Education in the U.S. Delegate Presentation: Ms. Martha Kermott, History Teacher-Brentwood School, California Topic: Comparing/Contrasting Chinese and American Education |
Journal:
All 270 of us eat together in one of the hotel restaurants each morning. The buses arrive about 7:45 am each day to take us to BNU. We no longer have a police escort, not sure why because the traffic is busy all the time. Several different tables of international food. My favorite is the Japanese congee with pickled vegetables. Of course I add bacon, eggs, pancakes, dim sum and fried rice to that. The coffee is actually quite good and the croissants are excellent. Somehow the weight scale in my hotel rooms says weigh 20 pounds less than in the US so I love it here. Our group is Bus #2. There is a sign on it with my name plus the names of the other two delegations who travel with us. We are easier to keep track of for attendance.
This morning, Liu Jia is back with us as our interpreter. Claus and Martha both do an excellent job with their presentations. About 12 people from other delegations have come to hear them. Claus offers fascinating detailed comparisons and analysis of the two countries. Martha delights the Chinese delegates by speaking in Chinese at the beginning. They call out that her pronunciations are perfect. We also here from Laoshi Hua and Laoshi Soong, who both talk about how multicultural education is integrated into their schools. Laoshi means "teacher" in Chinese.
Ao Junmei wants to just give out her handouts and ask that I (Bill) speak again. I know she is being very deferential and respectful, since she is young and with my grey hair, I am viewed as a respected elder. I decline by saying she is too modest and I insist that she tell us more about her work. She is fascinating and I note later that we both share multicultural education and gender equity as key interests in our work. She studies the relationship between minority females and their educational culture. She wants to know how minority females can be recognized by their society and thrive in China. She is concerned with the plight of Muslim girls and the culture influencing their education.
In the afternoon, after lunch, four of us organized our own cultural tour to the hutong or ancient part of China. You can see from the pictures, that we spent time along some narrow streets admiring the architecture plus the crafts being sold. The artisans of China use this hutong as their focal point of classic art work. There are also amazing book stores. We are treated to to the sight of a van picking up money from a bank. We almost ran into them parked in the narrow street, but it was heard to not miss the armed soldiers carrying extremely large guns. I fought the inclination to take their picture.
Dinner
is again terrific - I think Shanghai style in a hotel. We talk 10
minutes to a theatre to see a Kung Fu show which turns out to be
amazing powerful and entertaining. You need to see Rita Becker
striking a Kung Fu pose with the actors after the show. They are all
actually highly skilled martial artists who put their work to music.
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Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2005 Day 6: Beijing - Today delegates will have the opportunity for site visits in both the morning and afternoon. This will provide the opportunity to observe Chinese professionals in their own element and setting. A farewell banquet on the final evening in China will give delegates and guests a chance to recap their People to People experience. |
Journal:
We all met for breakfast together since we had to coordinate the gifts that we all brought for the two schools we are visiting today. People were very generous so the schools should be pleased. Each day as we board the bus now there are hawkers selling fake rolexes, furry hats, silk purses. They surround us as we leave the hotel doors but the hotel staff shoo them away. Many people buy things anyway. At one point today the staff wrestle one of the more persistent hawkers to the ground in an effort to get him to not be too pushy. All the others scurried away like mice to the other side of the street. We feel sorry for them but the hotel is trying to protect us from the bad ones in the group. No one feels unsafe, in fact they enjoy the "bargains." This group loves to shop.
Morning visit to
Beijing
Middle School #123
We have our own private bus today - just the 5 of us plus Liu Jia
(Jessica),
our interpreter. The junior high we visit is fascinating. We got to
see a lot of teaching. Each classroom we entered they applauded us
and said hello. The students are actively engaged. Hallways are very
cold since their is no central heating. Classrooms are war. All
students wear colorful uniforms - like track suits. Teachers wear
casual business attire. When we enter a classroom, most often the
class spontaneously applaud us, which is a customary greeting. We
applaud in return. It seems they all know how to say HELLO in
English, just like we have been taught to say Ni Hao (hello) and Xie
Xie (thank you). Each more they have a 20 minute exercise
period outside, set to music. Then they all do elaborate eye
exercises to relax eye strain and release tension. Perhaps this is
who so few Chinese wear glasses. I remember my Dad teaching me
similar exercises as a child.
Afternoon visit to Wuyi Primary School
We are now combined with the art teachers so we are a big group
again.
This is a rebuilt school that just opened in Sept and it is
gorgeous and state of the art. Neither school has central heating so
the hallways are cold. In both schools the student wear uniforms. We
are treated to an art class where they are taught about the Beijing
Opera Masks. The children then make copies and give one to each of
us. Plus they are scrolls to give away too. We tour some of the
state of the art school. In one music class the teacher invites a
young 3-4 grader to come up and sing Country Roads( by John Denver)
for us. He sings the verses in Chinese and we join in the chorus
singing in English. It was a great moment.
In another class. the teacher sings several songs and then has then
stand at attention as they sing the Chinese National Anthem, which I
have always found moving. You can hear and see the words here -
http://www.geocities.com/ccparty2002/patriot.html
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The Chinese
National Anthem
Arise, |
Throughout our visits we are entertained frequently with Edelwiess and Red River Valley, which they must determine are popular songs for us.
Supper is at a famous Peking Duck Restaurant. Many wear the "TANG" jackets that we were all given. Food is again incredible. After we go for a foot massage. Most of us had never done it and it is fabulous. We left feeling light-footed. It was included in our program but if we go back it is only $15 US.
Note : you must see the photo of Rita Becker eating a scorpion
at the Peking Duck Supper. Also see 5 of us getting a foot massage
together. Martha Kermott has been invaluable since she speaks some
Chinese and helps us whenever we do not have Jessica or Lucy with
us. She knows the customs too and gives us insights. Cathy reports
back to us each day about her great cultural events. She is so happy
to be here to experience this. We all miss our families but this is
a lifetime event. Claus has turned out not only to a knowledgeable
world traveler, but has a great sense of humor that we all enjoy.
Nelly is like a sponge absorbing and observing everything. We are
all getting along very well and watch out for each other. Liu Jia
(Jessica) is very attentive to us and always makes sure we are well
taken care of us.
We will all miss not having her with us for the
rest of the trip.
Lucy Li, our other interpreter has been terrific. We all love her.
She teaches us how to say "I love you" and "Merry Christmas" in
Chinese.
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Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005 Day 7: Beijing - In the morning, delegates and guests will visit the Forbidden City (Imperial Palace), whose massive stone walls were once the residence of Ming and Qing emperors. This afternoon visit the Great Wall of China, from whose high vantage points visitors enjoy breathtaking views of the sections of the wall that meander through the mountainous landscape. |
Journal:
We visit the Forbidden City in the morning, followed by a trip to the Silk Factory located next to the 2008 Olympic Park. We can see progress being made on the Olympic buildings. It is about 30 minutes to our next stop which is the Friendship store near the Great Wall where we have lunch - and shop more. At the Great Wall Nelly, Cathy and Bill take the steeper route to the top and Martha and Rita take the other route. The day is cold in the morning but warmer at the Great Wall in the afternoon.
L-R: Rita Becker, Nelly McFeely, Martha Kermott, Claus Reschke, Bill
Howe, Cathy Van Lierop.
Our
merry little band has a farewell supper together at the hotel. This
has been a great group and we will miss each other. Only Bill is
going on the extension trip. Martha goes to Shanghai for a few days
to visit the school where she used to teach, Claus goes on to
Nanjing where he will deliver two more presentations.
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Friday, Dec. 9, 2005 Day 8: Beijing to Los Angeles or San Francisco |
We have a sad farewell with
Lucy Li, our guide and translator, whom we have grown to love.
Optional Extension to Xi’an and Guilin
At one time the
largest city in the world, Xi’an
is an excellent example of imperial splendor and served as the
capital of 11 dynasties. The 1974 discovery of the astonishing
burial site of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi (third century B.C.),
made Xi’an world-famous and is now a must-see cultural landmark.
Revered by China and the rest of the world for its mystic
landscapes and magnificent geologic
features – including the meandering Li River, natural stone
towers and rolling, green
plains – Guilin has inspired poets and artists for centuries.
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Friday, Dec. 9, 2005 Hyatt Hotel 158 Dong Da Jie Xi'an 710001 People's Republic of China Tel: 011-86-29-8769-1234 Fax: 011-86-29-8769-6799 Day One – Arrive in Xi’an - You will have the chance to view a vast array of notable objects, from ancient sandstone and granite animal figures to Neolithic pottery and jewelry. |
Journal:
We arrive in Xi'an around 1 pm.
Xian is flatter and more industrialized and smoggy. We meet Richard Chen, our local Guide. Louie Niu has accompanied us for this leg of the trip. Richard tells us he was in the TV show The Amazing Race where he is shown wearing armor standing next to a Terracotta solider. Richard shares with us that China's one child rule has raised a generation of children who are not used to sharing and taking turns. We go straight to the Tang Dynasty Theatre Restaurant where we have another huge meal and are treated to a supper show. Gerard Shi is the other guide. We are in two buses A & B, each with about 35 people.
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Saturday, Dec. 10, 2005 Day Two – Eternally at Attention - A morning excursion will take you to the site of the famous Qin terra cotta warriors. These 6,000 life-size statues of soldiers and horses perpetually stand guard over the tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of a united China, and face east in preparation for battle. After a refreshing lunch, view the Wild Goose Pagoda and the Drum Tower. Built in the early eighth century, the pagoda is considered one of the city’s most distinctive and outstanding landmarks. |
Journal:
We have a 7 am Wake-up call and then buffet breakfast at the hotel. Xi'an is the ancient capitol of China and we are located in a downtown section of the city. By 8:30 am we are on our way to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. After the Pagoda visit we go to the Xi'an Jade Carving Center where we are treated with a history of jade.
The Big Goose Pagoda is fascinating but the real treat are the Terra-Cotta Soldiers at the Terra-Cotta Warriors Museum. In 1976, four farmers digging for water uncover the site. We are scheduled to meet personally with one of them but he is ill today. He has autographed a book about the site, which many of us buy. We are now allowed to take pictures inside. This was forbidden before because the color on the soldiers - which used to be vibrant - are now faded away. The soldiers are amazing and alone worth the visit. (See Picture)
That night supper is on our own. Teresa Burke and I walk the narrow streets
where the local shops are. Many of the shops are small restaurants with 3-4
tables in the open air. Food is cooked in walks right on the street or in the
back of the little "stall." It is fun to walk among the local folks, even though
Parkson's, a major department store/food store is located on the corner across
from our hotel. The weather is cool, but not uncomfortable. Few people wear hats
or gloves.
For supper we decide to try a local, non-tourist restaurant. The hostess at the
door opens the door for us and nods when I ask if they have an English menu. The
menu they bring us is handwritten in Chinese and English on notepaper, probably
done just for non-Chinese speaking tourists. hey seat us by the window where we
can see the sights and be seen. I try to order Beer in Chinese but we do not
understand what the waitress is trying to ask us. Finally she brings over an
ornate gold box - probably a higher end expensive beer? I shake my head "no" and
she comes back with another similar box. I indicate "no" again. Maybe they are
trying to sell us expensive wine? Teresa suggests that maybe if I go over to the
bar I can point out what we want. The restaurant is very nice and modern and has
about 10 tables. At the bar, they hold up a bottle of Budweiser beer. I say in
English that I wouldn't drink that, even in the U.S. They do not have Tsingdao,
a popular brand. They note my grimace and show me a traditional, local
Chinese beer, which I accept.
The waitress brings over a quart bottle of the beer. We order corn soup, fried vegetables and a sweet and sour-like pork ribs dish. The corn soup on the trip has been excellent and we look forward to it. Our eyes bulge when they bring over a huge tureen of soup that could feed ten people. WE dig in but it is not very flavorful. I use my English/Chinese translation book to show the waitress that we want salt. They bring it in a small dish. Teresa notes that, unlike back at home, we have never seen soy sauce, or friend noodles with dishes of mustard and plum sauce served at any meal. I note too that they do not give our fortune cookies, which were invented in San Francisco.
The fried vegetables turn out to be stir-fried, but they are delicious, as is the pork dish. Later, I use the universal sign for "check, please" by pretending to scribble on my hand. The check comes to 60 yuan - about $7.43 cents American and tipping is not a custom!!!! We could live like Donald Trump here.
Teresa wants ice-cream so we go to Parkson's, but the Haagen-Dazs is $4.00 U.S. for what is about two ounces of ice-cream. We are not adventuresome enough to try to buy ice-cream on the street from a vendor. I look for red bean cream-cream, my favorite, but do not recognize in the outdoor cases.
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Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005 Sheraton Hotel Bin Jiang Nan Road Guilin 541001 People's Republic of China Tel: 011-86-773-282-5588 Fax: 011-86-773-280-5440 Day Three – Arrive in Guilin |
Journal:
Our wake-up call is 8 am with breakfast in the hotel. By 8:30 we put our luggage
outside our rooms where the bellmen will pick it up and then take to the bus for
us. By 10 am we are checked out of the hotel and head to the Shaan'xi History
Museum. Buffet lunch is at the Xi'an Hotel. The hotels are decorated for
Christmas and we hear Christmas songs being played. This is just for the
tourists since the Chinese do not celebrate the holiday. Chinese New Year is the
next big celebration in January. Christmas eve however is a big night out for
families to eat. Restaurants have to be booked weeks or months in advance.
After lunch we visit the City Wall of Xi'an, which is an immense wall about 50
feet maybe. It used to protect the city. Several of us rent bikes to ride
around the wall. Other elect to ride a golf cart. Teresa and I rent a tandem
bike for 30 yuan - about $3.71 U.S. The ride around is one of the highlights of
our trip. It is very sunny and temperature is very comfortable. We have a
birds-eye view of the city. We make the 5 miles around just in time to catch the
bus - about an hour or so in time.
We fly out of Xi'an in the late afternoon for Gulin. Guilin has got to be one of the most gorgeous cities in China - tree lined streets along the River. We arrive late in the afternoon. Stewart Shen is the Bus B guide, Fran Mo is the Bus A guide. They are both locals and very proud of their city. The city has cleaner air and is much warmer.
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Monday,
Dec. 12, 2005 Day Four – Li River Cruise - A leisurely cruise on the Li River winds past remarkable rock formations such as the Lotus-flower Crag and Elephant Trunk Hill. The uniquely shaped karst rock formations and solitude of the villages lost in green bamboo groves give one the impression of a living scroll painting and make the excursion a memorable experience. Explore the town of Yangshuo en route back to Guilin and polish off the trip with a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Enjoy an afternoon excursion to the Reed Flute Caves, some of the most famous in Guilin. The caves are so vast, up to 1,000 people can fit inside one of its underground grottos. A 500-meter trail snakes through unusual formations, which under colored lights resemble coral, agate, amber and jade. |
Journal:
Wake-up is 6:30 this morning, as we have a full day. As we depart from the hotel in our two buses, we follow along the Li River for a while and see people swimming in it in the early morning, even though it is cold. The river cruise is gorgeous and we see geese, ducks, water buffalo, maybe a goat or two. Bamboo trees line the river. We can see crops - fruit - still growing. We pass old villages as well as big, new homes. Men in long bamboo rafts - called bean pods, I think - come up to the boat. They hitch on and have wares to sell. Many of us buy bracelets, fans and other crafts. We feel we are helping out the local economy. They cook lunch for us at the kitchen in the back of the boat and we have a delicious buffet lunch. Many of us will go back a little heavier.
We disembark in the village of
Yangshuo,
which has great shopping. I help Teresa bargain a
gift from one of the vendors. She is so kind-hearted that at one
point I am talking the man down on the price, and she is actually
offering him higher. We meet us buses there and head to the
Reed Flute Cave
(see
picture) and then to the Guilin Art
Gallery.
We have a very impressive last supper than night in the Ronghu
Hotel, known as a state guest house. In the banquet hall we
see a black and white photograph of Richard Nixon's visit to this
same site.
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Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005 Day Five - Depart for the United States Fly back to New York City today via Hong Kong. |
Journal: Since we cannot fly direct to Hong Kong from Guilin, we must first take a flight to Guangzhou, and then from there to Hong Kong. Being in Guangzhou, even at the airport was very moving for me, since this is the province where my parents were born. I get a picture taken of me standing in the airport. All the JFK folks are lead to the front of the group since we have an earlier flight out. Some of the others have a 10 hour layover. Teresa was thinking of going into Hong Kong to do some sight seeing. Louie is great as our Nation Guide and has things working like clockwork. We are all saying we will miss having Louie take care of us.
Want to
come with me to South Africa - Fall 2006? Go
Here
If you would like to apply
for the program but do not have an invitation code you can obtain
one by calling the office. 1.877.787.2000 or
509.534.0430. Indicate you are interested in the
Multicultural Education Professional Delegation
to South Africa
The Weather
Clothes to Bring
The Chinese Language
Website on China
Chinese Education System.
Photo Gallery - click on date to see pictures
Sun. Dec. 4, 2005
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Sat. Dec. 10, 2005
Sun. Dec. 11, 2005
Mon. Dec. 12, 2005
Tues. Dec. 13, 2005
Want to go to South Africa - Fall 2006?
Go
Here
If you would like to apply
for the program but do not have an invitation code you can obtain
one by calling the office. 1.877.787.2000 or
509.534.0430. Indicate you are interested in the
Multicultural Education Professional Delegation
to South Africa
The Delegates
Dr. William A. Howe
Consultant for Multicultural Education
Connecticut State
Dept of Education
Hartford, CT
Email:
bill@billhowe.org
Rita Becker
Hilton Head SC
Hilton Head Preparatory School
Social Studies Coordinator
Martha Kermott
History Teacher
Brentwood School,
Los Angeles CA
x
Dr. Nelly McFeely
New Haven USD
Oakland CA
Cathy Van Lierop
Tech Writer Consultant
Bellevue KY
Dr. Claus Reschke
Retired Professor
Temple TX
copyright 2006 billhowe
