BEIJING: DA WALL, DA BIRDSNEST, AND DA WATER CUBE

WE'RE BACK LATE TONIGHT -- MIDNIGHT.

BUT EXCITED TO BLOG BEFORE BED. MORE TO COME.

WE HAD A BLAST ON A SIMPLY WONDERFUL TRIP.
WE ARE HOME SAFE ON THE FAST BULLET TRAIN WHICH WENT OVER 100 MILES PER HOUR.
WE SAW LOTS OF SIGHTS AND SCENERY.
WE HAD A GREAT TIME. WHAT A TRIP!
IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK SAFE.
HOPE ALL IS WELL AT HOME.

LEAVING FOR THANKSGIVING IN BEIJING

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

DANA'S GOOD FRIEND DR. TRICIA TAKES HER BY THE HAND AND LEADS TO TO QUICK AND APPROPRIATE MEDICAL CARE. TRICIA IS A MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO HAD MADE HOUSE CALLS AND WALKS US THROUGH THE MAZE OF HOSPITAL, DOCTOR AND PHARMACY NEEDS. SHE IS VERY KIND AND GRACIOUS. WE REALLY APPRECIATE HER. DANA HAS NOW JOINED THE HAND HOLDING CULTURE SHE DID NOT PREVIOUSLY UNDERSTAND. ALL THE GIRLS DO IT!


DON'T WORRY ABOUT US, WE ARE JUST FINE....AS WE NOW HAVE OUR PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS FILLED, BP'S TAKEN AND SOME BLOOD WORK FOR ANALYSIS AND SOME REAL GOOD MEDICAL ADVICE ON HOW TO STAY HEALTHY -- THE CHINESE WAY. PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS ARE QUITE CHEAP EVEN AS WE PAY FULL PRICE IN THE PHARMACY. HOSPITAL VISITS, DOCTORS APPOINTMENTS AND MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS ARE FREE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

IN THE MORNING WE ARE ARISING AT 5:00 AM AND HEADING FOR THE BULLET TRAIN STATION. WE LEAVE AT 7:00 AM AND SHOULD ARRIVE IN BEIJING AT 10:00 AM. WE ARE PACKING A LUNCH.

WE WILL BE IN BEIJING FOR 4 DAYS AND RETURN SUNDAY NIGHT BY 10:00 PM. WE PRAY FOR A GOOD TRIP.

LIFE IS GOOD. WE HAVE OUR LITTLE CONCERNS EACH DAY WITH A FEW LITTLE PICKY THINGS, BUT WE ARE REALLY HAPPY AND GIVING OF OURSELVES HERE. WE ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND TAKEN CARE OF.

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT US, BUT PRAY FOR OUR SUCCESS. THANKS AND HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.

JAY & DANA THELIN,
SHANDONG UNIVERSITY,
JINAN, CHINA

WHY ARE WE HERE?

ENGLISH TEACHERS RULE!

We are advanced English Teachers in China. We are called Foreign English experts.

Our title: English Professor

Good reasons we are here often appear in Chinese culture. We are in China to help people learn to speak and write English. Here are some good examples of why we have come to China.

SPELL CHECK...

There are two spelling errors in the photo above, one is on the green jacket. (Seasom should be Season and PMUA should be PUMA) When I showed this to my graduate students, they said that they thought the company did this on purpose in order to be different and thereby sell more product. I said "NOT!"

Jay was following these two guys down the street today as he walked home from class. He noticed a nice leather jacketed man walking in front of him and could not resist this photo.

It is clear that this jacket is in a class of it's own, very new, nice and unique, but it is probably supposed to be a "Classic" leather jacket, except for a simple spelling error during the production process.

I wonder if they use "spell check" in their factory.

Does anyone know how to spell check on this blog?

I make some mistakes at times too and I should not publish those.

I don't want to get fired as a First Year, China Foreign Expert, English Teacher.

JAY DRESSES UP -- CHINESE

NEW CHINESE HAT AND COAT:

JAY BOUGHT A NEW HAT AND COAT FOR THE COLD WINTER WEATHER WE ARE EXPERIENCING AND FOR OUR TRIP THIS THURSDAY TO BEIJING. HE WALKS TO WORK AND BACK EACH DAY, IN THE COLD.

WE ARE LEAVING EARLY AT 6:00 AM AND LOOK FORWARD TO TRAVELING 3 HOURS ON THE FAST "BULLET TRAIN" TO THE 2008 OLYMPIC CITY. WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE COUNTRY SIDE AND SCENERY. SHOULD BE FUN IN BEIJING.

It is Monday morning and Jay has left for school, and my first class isn't till 1:30 pm and the students are coming to our apartment. It is a small class of 20 with only 2 boys in the class. I thought while Jay was gone I would write something of our experience in China inregards to Jay and I. We do a great many things together. In the USA going out to eat was a major hobby. That is not the case is China. Jay has come to like the real Chinese food I am learning to like all their wonderful fruits and vegetables and some Chinese foods.

Our second hobby was watching TV, after 2 months that doesn't happen very often. The word never applies here. We did learn how to use our DVD player on Sunday and I watched MacArthur, -- not a movie to show my Chinese students. After a little while we found ourselves back on ourcomputers listening to a streaming movie. So our new hobby has been walking and finding exciting places to see.

Jinan is such as large place, it will take a long time to do that. Jay has been really patient, as I have had this need to make our apartment our home. On Saturday when we went to this amazing shopping center, 2 miles long, I thought, "I don't need anything else. The windows all have new curtains. The furniture is like I want it and the only room left to paint is the bedroom – perhaps a new throw carpet in there would be nice. The kitchen has every convenince and that I need. I realized that I didn't need all the things that I thought I needed. So it is now time to settle in. I mentioned that to Jay this morning and he said, "I am so grateful, I was wondering when you would be finished with your nesting." Of course rearranging furniture and rooms is still possible.

Part of the reason I fixed the apartment up is that I wanted to have all our students over during the year. What I have done isn't professional, but it is "me" and I feel comfortable with it.

Now about Jay, that is the funniest part of being here. When he was at BYU he loved his students, but the last few years he was so pigeon holed that he did not have as much opportunity to relate with them as in the past.

Now he has 250 graduate students whom he enjoys and loves and they love him. He goes out to lunch with them. They plan tours and activities to take him to and try to make sure I am included. However, I didn't go to the soccer game with them. They also email him letters of appreciation and occasionally ask him for help in editing and improving their English writing applications and resumes (which is he very good at).

They come over to the apartment to visit and talk English. All these things makes him feel of great value now . His Chinese is getting quite good and he works on it every day. He is a very caring person and to be able to use his educational skills to help others has been a great blessing in both our lives. We get blog comments that we really look happy. Like I tell Jay, we don't put in any of the pictures showing us as a little upset, but 98% of the time we are very happy and grateful that we have been chosen to come to China and are having this marvelous growing experience.

We are looking at coming back next year. After our China experience we will be on to other adventures, but for now this is were are supposed to be. We truly have been blessed and are grateful to our children for their support and encouragement in this exciting adventure on the other side of the world.

Where we are located in Jinan China, the time is exactly 14 hours before your local time there in Utah.

So, if you want to know what will happen there or in the world in the next few hours, just email us and we will tell you what is going to happen... LOL

UNO ENGLISH CORNER AT OUR APARTMENT

TURKEY IS IN CHINA!

SMOKED TURKEY LEG FOUND IN CHINA -- AT WALMART. YES, AFTER SEARCHING FOR DAYS, JAY FOUND A SMOKED TURKEY LEG FOR SALE. WE WILL NOT GO WITHOUT TURKEY THIS THANKSGIVING AFTER ALL.

CHINESE PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE TURKEY AND FOR THAT AND PROBABLY SEVERAL OTHER REASONS, THEY DO NOT RAISE TURKEYS IN CHINA. GREAT LUCK THOUGH EH? IT MUST HAVE BEEN SOMEONE'S PET.

ANDY, MY GRADUATE STUDENT PRETENDED TO EAT IT, BUT AFTER A LITTLE SLIVER, OF A SLICE, HE SAID THAT HE DEFINITELY DID NOT LIKE TURKEY.

WE PLAYED AN ENERGETIC CARD GAME OF UNO. GREAT FUN, AND THE LOSER HAD TO SING A SONG OR TELL A JOKE. THAT WAS FINE UNTIL THE CHINESE JOKE CAME....TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, IT JUST DID NOT MAKE IT VERY WELL. BUT AFTER AN EXPLANATOIN, I LAUGHED.

WE ALL MADE CINNAMON ROLLS TONIGHT AND BAKED THEM IN OUR LITTLE OVEN. S
SATURDAY NIGHT, JUST LIKE WE USED TO DO AT HOME IN A NORMAL SIZED OVEN.

THEY REALLY LOVED THE CINNAMON ROLLS AND TOOK HOME A PLATE FULL EACH TO FEED THEIR ROOMMATES.

SQUID EATER OR OCTOPUS?

DANA EATS SQUID OR -- OCTOPUS!

YES, IN THIS PHOTO DANA HAS ONE ON THE WAY DOWN THE HATCH. SHE DID EAT IT.
THINKING IT WAS A BABY OCTOPUS, SHE DOWNED IT AND THEN GRABBED THE WATER GLASS FOR SOME COMFORT. WE ARE ALL SO PROUD OF HER. AFTER THIS HAPPENED, IN ANALYZING THE PHOTO, IT IS CLEARLY BABY SQUID, BUT NO MATTER, IT WENT DOWN THE HATCH, THE WHOLE SQUID.

SHE IS A TRUE BLUE, BONEFIDE, ADVENTURER AFTER THE TUNE OF THE "CROCODILE HUNTER"

THEY SAID IT WAS OCTOPUS, BUT DID NOT REALLY KNOW IT'S ENGLISH NAME, OR KNOW ANY MORE THAT IT SIMPLY SQUIRTED BLACK INK OUT WHEN DISTRESSED.....SO.....?

THEY LOOKED SO APPETIZING IN THE VEGETABLES. WE FOUND OUT THAT THEY COME FROZEN IN THE SUPERMARKET AND ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. OUR HOSTS WERE SO GRACIOUS AND WE HAD SUCH A FUN TIME WITH THEIR FAMILY.

WE SANG, PLAYED HARMONICA, ATE, AND TALKED. THEY ARE A GREAT FAMILY AND HAVE TWO NEW CARS AND A GORGEOUS APARTMENT ON THE 6TH FLOOR. THE MOM IS IN DANA'S ENGLISH CLASS. SHE IS A SURGICAL NURSE IN THE HOSPITAL NEARBY. THE FATHER IS A PROFESSOR AT SHANDONG UNIVERSITY AND THE 15 YEAR OLD SON IS A CONCERT PIANIST AND PLAYED FOR US, AND IS A REAL NICE GUY.

WE ENJOYED THEIR BIG BANQUET THAT THE HUSBAND COOKED FOR US. HE IS A GREAT CHINESE CHEF IN HIS OWN RIGHT. HE REALLY COOKED A LOT OF DIFFERENT DISHES: PORK ROAST, SHRIMP, TOFU, ETC...AND SOME WERE REALLY DELICIOUS. JAY LOVED THE DESSERT: SWEET CHINESE DUMPLINGS, DANA DID NOT!

THE DAD LIKED THE DRINKS HE HAD LAID OUT AND DISPLAYED FOR US AS WELL AS HIMSELF, BUT AFTER WE EXPLAINED OUR "WATER IS THE ONLY THING TO DRINK" POLICY, HE MANAGED TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OF IT HIMSELF. SO THEY BROUGHT OUT "HOT", YES, HOT WATER. AND WE DRANK THAT. HOT WATER IS THE CUSTOM HERE.

WE HAVE LEARNED THAT COLD WATER IS NOT GOOD FOR THE BODY OR FOR GOOD HEALTH. HOT WATER IS.

MAILMAN & BULL NUTS

YOUR LOCAL MAILMAN...in the SPOTLIGHT.

ON THE WAY HOME JAY PASSED A MAIL CARRIER AND STOPPED TO TAKE THIS PHOTO . THIS BOY WAS DELIVERING ALL SORTS OF MAIL IN HIS BIKE BAGS. HE WAS ON HIS WAY INTO LARGE PHARMACY SCHOOL TO DELIVER THE MAIL. HE LOOKED EXCEPTIONALLY COOL. GOOD JOB FOR YOU TANNER, WHEN YOU ARE A LITTLE OLDER AND CAN AFFORD A MAIL TRUCK LIKE THIS ONE, YOU CAN ALWAYS GET A JOB IN CHINA DELIVERING THE MAIL.

JAY WAS AT THE OUTDOOR MARKET AND THE PEANUT DEALER HAD THESE FUNNY LOOKING THINGS IN HIS CART BESIDE THE OTHER PEANUTS. JAY HELD ONE UP AND INQUIZITIVALY INQUIRED IN HIS BROKEN CHARADES CHINESE, ABOUT THEM? THE VENDOR REPLIED AND SAID TRY ONE AND BROKE IT IN HALF. SURPRISINGLY, IT HAD WHITE, JUICY MEAT INSIDE AND HAS A SIMILAR CONSISTENCY TO COCONUT. IT TASTED A LITTLE LIKE COCONUT BUT VERY BITTER/BLAND, SORT OF A SEMI SWEET BITTER COCONUT. THEY ARE ABOUT 3 INCHES FROM HORN TIP TO HORN TIP. THERE WAS A BIG NUT INSIDE A THIN HORNY BLACK PEAL. SEE THE PEELED NUT MEAT AT THE LOWER PART OF THE PHOTO.

(CLICK ON PHOTO FOR CLOSEUP)

DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THIS STRANGE NUT IS? WE ARE CALLING THEM:
"HORNY CHINESE BULL NUTS" UNTIL WE FIND OUT THE REAL NAME IS. PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS ON WHAT YOU THINK THESE ARE.... WE HAVE TO KNOW IF THEY ARE JUST "HAND CARVED KNOCK OFF NUTS", FAKE NUTS OR REAL NUTS.

THEY REALLY LOOK ALIEN TO US...FROM ANOTHER PLANET. PLEASE LET US KNOW.

ONE OF MY CHINESE ENGLISH LANGUAGE STUDENTS SENT ME THE INFORMATION I ASKED THE CLASS FOR: HERE IT IS.... THEY ARE WATER CALTROPS OR WATER CHESTNUTS. SEE THE LINK BELOW FOR DETAILS.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_caltrop

OH FUDGE!

AFTER OUR TWO HOUR BLOCK TODAY, WE WENT TO RS. HOMEMAKING IN ONE OF THE HOTEL APARTMENTS. WE MADE FUDGE, TWO KINDS, CHOCOLATE AND PENUCHE. I LOVE PENUCHE. IT WAS FUN TO BE IN RS. WITH THE SISTERS.

WE ALL ATE SOME AND TOOK SOME HOME. IT WAS SWEEEEEEEET.

1ST DOCTORS VISIT, AND THE HEAT IS TURNED ON

THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE.

JAY'S FIRST VISIT TO A CHINESE HOSPITAL AND MEETING WITH A DOCTOR. HE NEEDED TO GET HIS MEDICATIONS RE-FILLED AND SO WITH THE KIND HELP OF ANOTHER MEDICAL DOCTOR WHO DANA HAD MET, HE WAS ABLE TO GET IN AND REVIEW MED'S WITH A DOCTOR. THE PRESCRIPTIONS WILL BE FILLED NEXT WEEK. THESE PHOTOS ARE OF THE ACTUAL APPOINTMENT.

IN THE EXAMINATION ROOM, THERE WERE THE DOCTOR WITH THE MASK, THE DR'S ASSISTANT WHO INPUTS EVERYTHING INTO THE COMPUTER, OUR DOCTOR WHO IS HELPING US, AND A LINE OF THREE "NEXT TO BE SEEN" PATIENTS. THESE PATIENTS IN LINE, WERE VERY INTERESTED IN MY CASE AND HUNG OUT WITH ME, SO WE ALL TOOK A PHOTO TOGETHER. IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL FIRST VISIT. SOME MEDS WERE STOPPED, AND A MONTHLY BLOOD TEST WILL BE TAKEN TO INSURE THAT THAT DECISION WAS THE RIGHT ONE FOR WHAT AILS ME.

THIS IS MY CHINESE DOCTOR. SHE IS WISE.

COST: TO REGISTER TO SEE THE DOCTOR WAS 6.00 YUAN OR ABOUT .85 CENTS. AFTER THE APPOINTMENT ON THE WAY OUT, I ASKED OUR HELPING DOCTOR WHAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE DOCTOR AND SHE SAID YOU ALREADY PAID 6.00 YUAN, LIKE I WAS CRAZY FOR ASKING. YOU SEE I WAS WORRIED BECAUSE WE DID NOT GO TO THE THE ON-CAMPUS CLINIC, WHERE AS FOREIGN EXPERTS, WE HAVE EMPLOYEE MEDICAL INSURANCE.

JAY IS TAKING HIS CLOTHES INTO A TAILOR TO HAVE THEM TAKEN IN ABOUT 4-5 INCHES. THEY ARE BAGGY & JUST TOO BIG. I GUESS ALL AMERICAN CLOTHES ARE LARGE. CHINESE CLOTHES ARE SMALL. WELL, WHEN IN CHINA...

TEA POTS ARE USED IN VARIOUS WAYS I HAD NOT EVEN THOUGHT OF. THEY ARE NOT ONLY FOR TEA AND HOT WATER.

WINTER IS HERE. IT IS STARTING TO GET A BIT COLD. THIS KIDS HAT STORE WAS SO COLORFUL AND FULL OF FUN HATS. (CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE CLOSE UP)

THE HEAT IS TURNED ON...

HOORAY, TODAY IS NOVEMBER 15TH AND THE GOVERNMENT DECREES THAT THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE CENTRAL HEATING WILL BE TURNED ON. THERE WERE A FEW PROBLEMS...LIKE A LEAK IN THE UNDERGROUND STEAM HEATING LINES. I GOT A PHOTO OF ONE OF THE LEAKS WHICH WAS COMING OUT OF ALL THE MANHOLES IN THE DISTRICT. IT JUST KEPT GOING FOR THE TWO HOURS WE WERE SHOPPING THERE.

DRAMA IN ENGLISH CLASS

HOLLYWOOD:

STUDENTS WROTE AN OUTLINE OF THEIR PLAY AND THEN PUT THEM ON FOR THE CLASS. THIS FIRST PHOTO IS OF A STUDENT DIEING OF SARS AND THEY ARE OPPERATING ON HIM WITH A PUTTY KNIFE AND A FLASHLIGHT.

THE PLAY ABOVE WAS ABOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE, THEY WERE DECORATING.

MANY OF THE PLAYS HAD A MORAL AND A GOOD MESSAGE...OR JUST A HUMOROUS STORY.

WELCOME TO HOLLYWOOD--CHINA.

ADVANCED ORAL ENGLISH: 10 - 12 AM, BUILDING 1, ROOM 415, SHANDONG UNIVERSITY, JINAN, CHINA.

JAY'S ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDENTS PUT ON PLAYS, WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY THE STUDENTS THEMSELVES. JAY BROUGHT BAGS OF ITEMS FROM HOME. EACH GROUP LEADER SELECTED A BAG OF ITEMS. THE ACTORS HAD TO USE EVERY ITEM IN THE BAG AND USE EVERYONE IN THEIR GROUP IN THEIR PLAY .

AS A SMALL GROUP, THEY DISCUSSED WHAT TO DO IN THEIR PLAY. THEY REALLY HAD FUN CREATING IT. THEY WROTE AN OUTLINE, LISTED ALL THE ACTORS NAMES AND TURNED IT IN. THEN THEY PERFORMED ON CENTER STAGE, ONE GROUP AFTER ANOTHER.

THEY DID A GOOD JOB ACTING, BUT EVEN BETTER, THEY WERE LEARNING ENGLISH BY HAVING FUN PRACTICING ACTING SKILLS AND SPEAKING PARTS IN THEIR PLAY THIS GROUP WAS SUPERIOR TO OTHERS AND DESERVES A HOLLYWOOD OSCAR IN RECOGNITION.

REMEMBER THE SINGER (Lee Han or something like that) ON STAR SEARCH WHO MADE IT BIG? THESE GUYS ARE JUST GREAT AND THEY MAY END UP IN THE MOVIES OR ON STAGE IF THE OFFER IS RIGHT.

HOPE YOU ENJOY THEIR THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE IN ADVANCED ORAL ENGLISH CLASS TODAY.

NOTICE: NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES, I TRIED TO LOAD AND POST THE VIDEO CLIPS OF THESE PLAYS, THEY WOULD NOT LOAD....TOO BIG! SORRY. TRIED TO SEND GMAIL TO BEVERLY WITH VIDEO CLIPS, BUT IT WOULD NOT SEND THAT WAY EITHER, SO ENJOY THE STILLS OF THE PLAYS.