I ❤ #China! Driving down the street, ran across this gorgeous old #gate. So beautiful!
Country Life
This sight will always remind me of my life here in #China. One of the #values important to the Chinese is making sure everyone has access to a #job so they can survive. So instead of using big machines to sweep the highways and streets, they pay the older people a small amount to do the job. It’s not ideal, but it’s enough to live on. They are very proud of the parts they clean. And the street sweepers are able to use empty plots of land by the roads to grow Food and Vegetables.
So every day in my small village (Ok, 600,000 people- but That’s a Farming village here. . . .) you see the elderly driving by on these tuk-tuks with brooms they made by hand. Really sweet picture in my memory bank!
Baker & Spice
Beautiful, Peaceful #cafe in the heart of #Beijing!
Had to visit the US Embassy (a mess – the guards don’t speak English and sent me through the mile long Chinese line getting VISAs. The head guy found out and came to get me 😜 Soaking Wet!💦Gave them my appoinment sheet and it crumbled😂 Anyway, now just waiting before I brave the 1hr subway to the #train.
Stopped at Baker & Spice here at Liangmaqiao station. The #food is delicious! So many choices and #bread loaves! Got my mom a Walnut Bread and me a#Chocolate #cupcake. The cupcake top inside was a surprise – completely filled with chocolate mousse!!! So delicious!!! 🍴
Go to Liangmaqiao Station, Exit B.It’s right there.
The Grand Summit, Club Building, 19 Dongfang Donglu
东方东路19号外交公寓B区会所
Last Day!
#LastDay at Hammond Hall (Building 15) here in my university in #Zhengzhou #China. Taught here for 3 years – 8am Monday my first semester to 10am Monday my last semester 😭❤ I’ve had so many beautiful, kind, wonderful #students here and made the best kind of #memories.
This summer, I intend to move to a new #province and a new university. 😃 Sadness today, but great excitement for the future!
#Emoji Economics!
Lol – explaining MRTS and upper level economics theories to a student via emoji and wechat messenger. 😂
The ways we adapt to the ESL academic class!
#TBT (Ancient Style)
This is how we do homecoming in China! We go WAY back to the ancient alumni era 😜
Door to the Past
There were a few hundred of these lovely doors (each painted a different way on top). The middle class and nicer neighborhoods in town are still in the old kinda #Traditional style with a big front Door to the courtyard and small rooms for the Family off the center. Very Awesome! And Beautiful artwork!
Happy Dragon Boat Festival!
Happy Dragon Boat Festival! Today in #China we are celebrating the Duanwu #端午 festival! It’s been a Holiday here for more than 2000 years!
It celebrates the Famous #poet #quyuan. Devoted to #China 🇨🇳, he wrote beautiful poems about its history, nature, and people. When the invading Qin armies approached, he chose to drown himself rather than see his beloved country fall. Although they sent out many #dragon boats to look for him, they could not save him in time.
So to commemorate his memory, every year they eat #粽子 (aka Zongzi), a sticky #rice #treat wrapped in banana leaves. And the big cities send out Dragon #boats for big battles and races on the lakes and rivers! Cool!
#Stewed Iron Eggs
Stewed Iron Eggs – everypne’s favorite food! It even comes #SPICED! As my ESL students say – ‘have a try!’
Notice the star #anise on the picture (tastes like licorice – often poisonous here in #China since the legit anise stars go to theraflu factories). Can only imagine that added to stewed egg flavor!
Whistling Through the Vines
Gongyi is home to the Kang Family Mansion – a Ming Dynasty mansion still preserved centuries later. Also called the KangBaiWan Mansion 河南巩义康百万庄园. It is #10 on China’s list of famous mansions! A truly beautiful place filled with all sorts of ancient buildings and gardens. At one time, he was apparently the wealthiest businessman in China. The family was famous be being good and virtuous, so much so that the emperor wrote them a poem just for them after 8 generations of wise and honorable leaders in a row. Wish I could have met them!
A Life Savored 