Category Archives: Jack

Photography and comments by Jack Porter of Guiyang (site administrator).

Living in China – Flag Day Update

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I talked to some kids in a countryside school and offered to help them learn English:

In order to give that talk, I had to drive for three hours on an expressway, stay in a hotel, and then have breakfast (in the hotel). The trip down was fine, and the hotel looked normal.  It was a free breakfast, but I came prepared. When I go to a small countryside place I always take my bottle of instant coffee. I was ready for this trip.

The tea pot had a short cord, so I had to plug the pot in beside the bed, on the bed-stand.  Unfortunately, the TV in the hotel didn’t work, but I got up a couple hours before my little talk and played with my cell phone while laying in bed. When I finally got the coffee done I put it on the bed-stand with the tea pot, cell phone, etc. Sharing the electric for charging phone etc was awkward and as I moved on the bed the pillow fell on the coffee and tipped the cup over, almost drenching the cell phone . . . I moved fast. I avoided the worst of it and, in my stocking feet I went to get a towel from the bathroom. I got the towel wet in the sink, but the sink leaked, and I soon found myself standing in water in my stocking feet. I wrung out the socks, cleaned up the coffee and got out of that funky room and down to breakfast . . .

Fortunately I had plenty of coffee that morning, and together with the annoyance of the wet socks I had no problem waking up. The breakfast was typical cheap, elaborate Chinese breakfast. As expected, no coffee. There were noodles and a sauce with precious little meat. There were eight or ten different shaped pastries, all of which seemed to be made of the same sweet bread dough (yuck). Anyway, the smokers at the next table didn’t bother me much and the hard boiled eggs were done just the way I like them. Breakfast was OK, EXCEPT I kept hearing coughing and sneezing. 

It is my experience that I shouldn’t look at the people coughing or sneezing. Gross. It was very close to me and I decided to look up. I was relieved to see the guy holding a big napkin and I figured that maybe I was safe from air-born germs. WRONG. I looked up and noticed that he was sneezing and coughing without covering his mouth, and then he used the napkin to wipe his nose and mouth after sneezing and coughing. I hurried out of breakfast and went to the school assembly.  I had volunteered to talk to a class or two, but this turned out to be the my biggest group since visiting China. I tried to talk in Chinese, but it was suggested that English would have a better chance of being understood . . . 

http://www.tourguizhou.com/archives/10613

Guiyang Black Taxi Blues

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Recently I got two painful reminders about black taxis. They are not professional and don’t know that moving a seat can hurt people.

The first one was when I was maneuvering my ample buttocks into the front seat of a black taxi.  The seat was pulled all the way up, but I thought I  could get in.  In the middle of the process, the driver pulled the lever which freed the seat to slide back about a 18 inches. I simply fell into the car and got hit in the back of the head by the top of the car. It was a big ouch.

The same week, I got in the back of a black taxi and the driver, again without warning, slid the passenger seat backwards and nailed both of my shins.  Remember. black taxis are driven by amateurs. Be careful of that front passenger seat.  Also, don’t hang your arm out the window. Drivers often close these windows without notice.

Jack

Massage

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One more photo of Chang Mai, Thailand.  I didn’t have time to do all the things I wanted to do while I was there. The price works out to between 5 and 6 dollars for one hour.

dav

dav

China Green Card will be Easier ?

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See Washington Post China Permanent Residency

A current Associated Press report is copyrighted, but is reporting that the government is interested in having more foreigners move to, reside in, and work in China. It is considered a way of improving the economy.  This is extraordinary news.

My British friend and I have both tried to stay in China, with significant resistance from the authorities.  I am only able to remain in China as a tourist, with a ten year tourist visa. It requires me to leave the country every 60 days to avoid violation.

My British friend is only able to get a 30 day visa to accomplish the same goal. It kind of takes any financial incentive out of trying to stay here. So if the government is planning a change, it will have to happen pretty soon to save two of us.

I’ve been supporting Guizhou Province people in my own way for nearly 25 years. I welcomed the students from Guizhou when they attended Oakland University (Michigan) in the 90s. I trained teachers in Guizhou in 2000 under Oakland U’s Summer Institute, and have taught English to Guizhou People for nine of the last fifteen years. After teaching at Guizhou Normal University for four years, my contract ended without renewal last August. I never received a warning of my demise or coherent explanation.

Now at age 65 I can’t get that “Expert Certificate” that  I had received nine prior years as an English Teacher. I don’t regret my service to the Guizhou People. It’s still the poorest province in China, except for Tibet. I am, however, looking forward to seeing this new enlightened policy in action.

Thailand Trip – Elephant Island

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Koh Chang is called Elephant Island in the Gulf of Thailand. It is accessed by modern ferry and has a small townish feeling to it. We went on a snorkel trip with www.scubadawgs.com. I visited my old teacher, Cao Laoshi and we took a couple of his students to this island resort. We stayed Cao and I had one tent and the students had another.

Officially Retired from Guizhou Normal University

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As of August 31, I am retired from service to Guizhou Normal University. Looking to the future, I’ve recently been back in the United States. I find the following article to be cogent:

http://www.echinacities.com/expat-corner/5-Reasons-I-am-back-in-China-Reverse-Culture-Shock-is-Real%5D2015

One item in the article above is the feeling of safety in China that we don’t experience in the USA. I am neither pro or anti gun, but rather think that personal choice is the most important factor in this decision. Gun culture, a big deal in the USA, is simply missing in China.

It remains to be seen whether I continue on in China or seek employment elsewhere. One thing is for sure. I view the world differently, more so than can be attributed to a normal aging process. I’m almost 65 and have been coming to China since age 50. More on this later . . .

 

Saving a Library

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Ever since Alexandria, we in the West have had a thing for libraries, those depositories of human knowledge.  I recently joined a group of those that have saved a library. When Ray caught TB, he had to make a quick escape, leaving his library behind him.  I’ve estimated about 100 boxes and about a ton of books.  That may be a biased figure.

After two moves, the books are now safely housed in a warehouse situation at a cost of 160 rmb/month. I’ve learned a lot about employing Chinese labor during these two moves, with the last move, up one story from my apartment, costing 160 rmb.

dav

dav

dav

dav

 

Hooray Guizhou

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Guizhou Province ended up in World Press for about thirty photos of a father and son. It is really cool.

http://www.yourdailydish.com/galleries/father-and-son-take-the-same-photo-every-year-for-30-years/?utm_source=Taboola&utm_medium=ydd_mobile_End_Gallery_Infeed&utm_term=slot-3&utm_campaign=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yourdailydish.com%2Fend-gallery%2F&utm_content=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.yourdailydish.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F09%2FFatherSon110-150×150.jpg