Howdy Y'All -I have bcc'd everyone (ever since a friend reproved me for including him on a distribution list). Just a note to say that we made it to Beijing safely. We arrived last night about 9pm. It was after midnight before we went to bed and although neither of us had slept for a day and a half, we were up before six. Today we drove to Lulu's old college so to finish some paperwork so she can officially be recognized for her master's degree in China. Then we went to a photo place of the school's choosing so that she could get her photo taken, which they will send on to the college. Their diplomas have photos on them. Then we had a nice lunch consisting of six different dishes of lamb. It is a Muslim restaurant where they do not serve pork and are well known for their lamb. Then we did some shopping where I bought an Italian suit by Lozio (74/14/10 wool/cashmere/silk) and a pair of blonde wing tips. Actually, Lulu's parents refused to let me pay for them. I don't think that clothes are cheaper here - if anything, more expensive (at least for the nice stuff). But we had a lunch with six entrees for four people and lots of leftovers for $25. I was once a driver in downtown Los Angeles and I am telling you that driving here is much scarier. Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way and there a lots of people and bicylces and in order to merge you just have to pull in and force someone to hit the brakes. If you don't get aggresive you will never get out. Suprisingly, I only saw cars pulled over for one accident (which involved 4 cars). The speed limit is 120 Km/hr which would be 6.4X12 (76.8mph), but I don't think the traffic will allow it. Today was very smoggy, but it is hotter here right now (tomorrow will be high 80's and it has not rained recently) After it rains, the visibility should improve. There is lots and lots of construction going on - probably in anticipation of the olympics. Tomorrow we will return to Lulu's school to submit some paperwork, maybe do some shopping and later we will go out to eat with Lulu's mother's side (Her mother's family is from Beijing and her Father's side from Zheng Zhou (jung-jo). In a few days we will take a train to ZZ for a cousin's wedding. Well, the plan was to take a slow train and sleep during the night (about an 8 hour trip) and then, after the wedding, take the bullet train back (about three hours). Today we found out that there may not be any tickets available for the return trip on the bullet so...things may change. We'll see. We did not get much sleep last night because of the jet lag, so we had a two hour nap this afternoon and now it is going on 1:00am and we are not that sleepy - of course, it is lunchtime in Alabama. >>>Robert
Hello Everybody,
I am taking Tina's advice and will keep you updated via this blogspot. Probably tonight I will have pictures to download. Yesterday we had corn soup for breakfast (like cream of wheat or soupy yellow grits. There were also assorted breads, cakes fruits and veggies...and you wouldn't believe how many variations there are on tofu. I am really starting to like certain types of tofu. Anyway, we traveled back to Lulu's graduate school "The Chinese School of Mining and Exploration," and she submitted the final forms for official receipt of her Chinese master's degree. Since coming to America, she has had to earn her American master's degree (or the equivalent thereof) before completing her Doctoral dissertation. Next, we went to a Mall and bought my mother some Silk PJs for her Birthday coming up on May 28th (She and Grandma Bisbee have the same Bday). From there we had a lunch at a Food Bizarre where you buy a ticket and then shop at all the different food stands for whatever type of food you want - It is very similar to a place that my Dad Ray took me to several times in Chaing Mai, Thailand. After lunch we came back, freshened up and then took an accordion bus (double length) for about 40 minutes into the heart of the city, past Tianenmen square, the Vice Chairman's (one of them) compound to a high-priced clothing store to redeem to coupons for shirt's that were given to me by one of Lulu's Aunts. Each coupon was for a shirt up to 800 Yuan - If you go over, you pay, but if you go under, you forfeit. Each coupon could be used for only one shirt and could not be combined. So the objective was to maximize the purchase. I really think that when they gave the coupons (this is something obtained from an employer, either by winning a prize or perhaps some type of bonus or reward) they set aside the only two shirts that were priced at @800 Yuan (799). They are nice shirts, basically white with some colored striping. I really wanted some plain shirts because it is much easier to match ties. So I was willing to take a couple of solid shirts in pink and light lavender (some new colors for me) at 628 Yuan and forfeit the rest. However, and this is my one complaint so far, China has a funny way of sizing shirts. The neck size determines the other dimensions. A shirt that fits my neck for ties is too small. Since I could not have a shirt that fits my body and my neck I bought the two striped shirts for 799 each. I don't always wear a tie to work, so these will be great for "business casual" days. The exchange rate right now is @7:1 so these shirts are over $100 each. Like I said, nice clothes are not cheap here.
From there we took a taxi home. (For the ride there, we walked to the bus stop and were the first people on a fresh bus, so we had seats - on the way back, we surely would have been standing the whole way). Gasoline is almost $3/gal here, but the taxi ride home was @4.5 dollars and nobody tips taxis or waiters here - So, taxi rides are pretty reasonable and there are LOTs and lots of taxis. We dropped Lulu and her mom so that Lulu could get her hair cut and her Dad and I walked home and had a nap. The Ladies were soon to follow. I napped from around 2:30 to 4:30pm and then we all got ready and went to a most fabulous dinner where we were the honored guests. There were about 20 people there, Lulu's family on her mom's side and two cousins on her Dad's side. One cousin already graduated UAH with a PhD. in Civil Engineering and works in Beijing and the other has been accepted to a University in St. Louis, MO. for a Ph.D. in Chemical Science. We will meet the rest of her Father's side her Cousin's wedding in Zheng Zhou. Okay - Back to the dinner...We had no idea that this was a dinner to celebrate our engagement. Now I have heard of seven-course meals, but I lost track after about the tenth plate. This was a restaurant that is famous for "Peking Duck." So Duck was the main entree, but there was such a variety of meats, vegetables and fruits that I can not begin to list them. The duck was excellent and we ate the traditional way where you put some duck, sauce and green onion slivers on a rice tortilla and make like a little burrito. The carver cuts the duck into exactly 108 pieces - I have no idea why. Lulu and I had to stand up and go around to each family and say a toast and then say, in Chinese, "Thank you all for coming" or something like that. There were lots of pictures and salutations, etc. After all the courses, there was dessert consisting of one sweet, one salty and then platters of various fruits. Afterward we came back to her grandparents, visited with one family and then walked to another family's house until about 11pm. Everyone has been showering us with gifts - I feel like a celebrity. So far the various families have had there questions and they have all said that they like me. We had a real serious chat with her parents night before last and that went well - I will have to pass one final grilling from her grandparent's on her father's side (who raised her until age five). Her parents were very busy starting their careers at that time so after 3 months of parental bonding, she went to her grandparents and her parents visited on the weekends for five years - this is very common in Chinese culture and better that daycare, in my opinion. Her parents only asked that we would buy a house with an extra bedroom in the states and that we would plan to invest, if necessary, in a larger house in Beijing where we and our children(?) could stay at times in the future. They have a couple of places now, but none would be large enough for a brood - we'll see...I am all for it, if the Lord sees fit. This morning we had a black rice soup (did you know there was black rice?) it is just like creamy rice in a black broth. Into that we added shredded cucumber and various fried tofus. We also had assorted Bao Zi pronounced BOW-dzuh - they are like rice flour biscuits with different fillings (pork w/veg, shrimp, beef, etc.) very good. Now we are off to visit the summer palace - Ciao!!!
