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    tickle's Avatar
    tickle Posts: 23,796, Reputation: 2674
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    #41

    Aug 26, 2012, 05:16 AM
    Actually don't know what she meant by CDN style, must be something new! My style is over easy cooked with butter! And as for cheese, well we are one of biggest exporters in the world of any kind imagineable!

    Big hug to you !
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    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
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    #42

    Aug 26, 2012, 06:13 AM
    Her style was too much grease, cheese not melted good and no salt.

    But that was good compared to the coffee.

    OK, not my best meal of the day,
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    #43

    Aug 27, 2012, 02:24 PM
    Ok it is official, my first real Asian toilet. Lady Toni said I could not frame a photo of it, for the wall.

    We did all of the normal tourist things yesterday, Saw the Great Wall. And I can fully understand how that would have stopped a army. That was huge.

    Went to the Forbidden Palace and saw some of the Government buildings down town.
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    #44

    Aug 27, 2012, 02:31 PM
    Here is a few of the photos.
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    #45

    Aug 27, 2012, 02:38 PM
    And we felt like movie stars at these places, Chinese tourist would come up and hug us, and others come up with cameras to take our photos, they wanted to start next to us and have their photos taken. Actually Nate and Lady Toni were more popular than I was to get photographed.

    Some of the larger differences I have seen, there are clerks in all the stores, every isle or at least every two isles has a clerk there to help you. None of them speak English of course but if you speak Chinese they are there to help you.

    There are more coffee shops here than in the area where I live. So who ever told me I would not find coffee was trying to scare me.

    American Food ( not doing it right now) but there are McDonalds every few miles. Subway and KFC seems to be on almost every corner. Ice cream shops are common.

    Many ( a lot) of the teenage kids and even adults are all wearing T shirts with American wording, they think it is better and prettier writing than Chinese to show off on shirts. And a status that you can afford an "American" brand shirt.

    Worst, Hello Kitty, OK, maybe just me, but one can only do so much Hello Kitty,
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
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    #46

    Sep 2, 2012, 01:56 AM
    Well here I am at Zhengzhou and getting settled in. We are in a temp housing till our apartment gets ready. We are living in a traditional Chinese apartment now but will get an american style one in a couple weeks.

    They don't have soft matress like we do, it is about a one inch hard mat on a wood frame. The stove is one burner, all food is done in one dish or in a rice cooker.

    We were told how lucky we were, we got a washer and "dryer" the washer you have to turn it by hand from wash to rinse and guess where the water goes, unto the bathroom floor, which is also the shower, You can use the toilet, show and watch the washer rinse at the same time.

    The dryer is nothing but a spin cycle, but here on campus all of the students basically wash their clothes by hand.

    But this is fun, the markets are unbelievable, and while we are eating the same foods everyone else does, for now, everything you want is here.
    Just sometimes slightly different, miss butter and cheese the most since they are too costly to get a lot of.

    But there are KFC ( and fake KFC's) there are McDonalds and fake one, we ate at a McDove a couple nights ago for Nate.

    Buying meat is interesting, you can pick your own chicken, duck or fish out, still alive and they kill and prepare it for you right there. Plus things like squid and ell are all fresh. Veggies come in every day and you can get to the market early and get them off the trucks.

    Eggs are a laugh, every type, size you can think of.

    I will have some photos here of the markets latter with a hidden camera, they did not like me taking photos there.

    But here is a gentleman teaching me to squat properly, that is very important when you use the toilet here ( or should I say hole in the ground)
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    J_9 Posts: 40,298, Reputation: 5646
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    #47

    Sep 2, 2012, 07:12 AM
    Wow, this is all so very strange, yet so very interesting. Please keep us updated.
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    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
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    #48

    Sep 3, 2012, 06:27 AM
    Some things the same, some different.

    Did not eat there today but about 3 blocks up from the Apartment is a KFC, they are big over here. Can't go a few miles without seeing one. Plus of couse almost every block has some sort of "chicken" to eat.

    But some things a little strange also, here is a photo of either peas or lima bean pop cycle. ( they had both and appear to be popular)
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    #49

    Sep 3, 2012, 06:42 AM
    If anyone has any questions about life here, please ask, I post some as education of the difference in culture, so many things about the same, but others so different.

    These three photos show some of the same but different.

    We were told we were so lucky we were getting a washer with a dryer.
    Yes it is a washer, you have to go and turn the water on to fill and then turn the water off. You wash, then you have to go and turn it to drain, ( which it does onto the floor of the bathroom which which is OK, since the toilet and sink and shower all share the same space)

    Then you fill the water for the rinse and then turn the button for the drain.

    The dryer is of course not a dryer but a spin dry, and then you hang the clothes all around the apartment to dry. I can't figure out how to reach the rack outside of the window without half climbing out the window.

    But on campus most of the students all go to the room where large sinks where they wash all their clothes by hand and then hang them outside on long lines ( we could take ours to the long lines too but it is about a block away.

    The streets are keep very clean, as are the very very few public bathrooms I can find.
    But they have people that actually go out and sweep the streets by hand. They hand make brooms from limbs. I sat and watched a older lady making brooms for the street crews the other day. This is her showing me how to use the broom.

    The next is one of the market areas ( not during a prime time) and I will show the better market with live animals in a day or two.
    But this is how I shop, who wants to go down this street with me?
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    #50

    Sep 3, 2012, 06:53 AM
    There are security guards at the front of almost every apartment complex. Here on campus there are guards at each of the four gates, three gates close at night. But there are guards setting every few blocks. But on the street, every major intersection has 4 to 8 traffic guards ( or police) and there are obvious police every few blocks also. Now I am only a few blocks from the main government center so this may be part of it, but it seems to be about the same no matter where we go.

    The people are wonderful, OK sometimes almost too wonderful, stores have clerks in every isle, sometimes two clerks who want to show you every product, help you make chocies and more. " I DON"T WANT" was the second Chinese phrase I learned.
    But we have bought phones here ( since US phones are locked) Lady Toni bought a new guitar plus many household items we needed.

    Unlike the stories we have heard, we have found milk, ice cream, cheese and almost anything you want. Coke products are big here , almost every store has them, and cheaper than the US, so the blogs we read about all of that just are not true.

    My first morning here was a surprise, there were doing college student military drills on three sides of me. So to walk outside and find people in military uniforms surrounding your apartment can be a little unnerving till I found out that all college freshment are required to go though some military training. ** not really like our ROTC but the closet thing I can compare it to.
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    #51

    Sep 3, 2012, 06:59 AM
    These pics are really amazing. Please keep them coming. It's really interesting to learn about different cultures.
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    #52

    Sep 3, 2012, 07:07 AM
    I'm still thinking about the toilet.
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
    Fr_Chuck Posts: 81,301, Reputation: 7692
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    #53

    Sep 6, 2012, 07:25 PM
    Sorry I have been off line a bit, seems that down loading all of the Chinese programs into my US computer made it have some issues, so it crashed.

    I had to get a new operating system, and yes all in Chinese. Have a wired interent but still can not seem to get wireless in my apartment.

    Well Toni got her teaching schedule today, she will be doing part time here at the College. I don't start working till the 24th so I have not gotten my schedule yet.

    We got moved into our new ( well new to us) it is a two bedroom. It has a better water supply, a two burner stove and move pots and pans. It also has a working home phone and a working TV.

    On the down side, of course computer crash, and my US cell phone crashed. I had a older US cell phone, it would never text ( could not understand Chinese) but it did call but would drop all the time. So I bought a new cell phone last night and working fine.j

    Lady Toni got a new guitar, we did not try to bring hers over.

    People are still stopping us on the street to get their photos taken with us.

    This weekend we are going to a anceint temple and the Old China Capitol. That the college is arranging for us. I will attach a few photos but was busy getting moved

    One of the photos shows some local housing. Another a busy street with parents waiting for their kids to get out of school. The other is a local laundry with clothes on the line, but the funny thing is the duck walking around under the clothes
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    tickle's Avatar
    tickle Posts: 23,796, Reputation: 2674
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    #54

    Sep 7, 2012, 05:28 AM
    I guess the duck will be someone's dinner in the near future !

    Wonderful news from you, keep it coming we miss you !
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    #55

    Sep 7, 2012, 05:46 AM
    No, I think the duck is a college mascot or a dorm mascot of some sort.

    All of these photos are from college campus.

    We moved about two blocks off campus yesterday. We live in a regular apartment ( older) and everyone in our unit ( 10 apartments in our unit and total of 60 in the building) are all local Chinese from best I can tell.

    We wanted to live basically the same as almost everyone else in China to shop and live like they do. Only way to learn the culture.

    Things I really miss?

    A mattress on the bed. Only have basically a bamboo mat on plywood, and covered with what I would call a thick blanket.

    Butter, they have it, but it costs a lot.

    Wireless internet ( OK that we should get at some point,) but still can't get it fixed by any of the local shops.

    A oven, don't exist in most homes, ( you can get a small toaster oven but they are costly)

    What we love.

    The people, so friendly

    The food, fresh foods on push or peddle carts along most side streets.

    What surprised me the most?
    The food is nothing like the Chinese eating places in US. At least the food the common people eat every day.
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    #56

    Sep 7, 2012, 06:07 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck View Post
    No, I think the duck is a college mascot or a dorm mascot of some sort.

    All of these photos are from college campus.

    We moved about two blocks off campus yesterday. We live in a regular apartment ( older) and everyone in our unit ( 10 apartments in our unit and total of 60 in the building) are all local Chinese from best I can tell.

    We wanted to live basicly the same as almost everyone else in China to shop and live like they do. Only way to learn the culture.

    Things I really miss?

    A mattress on the bed. Only have basicly a bamboo mat on plywood, and covered with what i would call a thick blanket.

    Butter, they have it, but it costs a lot.

    Wireless internet ( ok that we should get at some point,) but still can't get it fixed by any of the local shops.

    A oven, don't exist in most homes, ( you can get a small toaster oven but they are costly)

    What we love.

    The people, so friendly

    The food, fresh foods on push or peddle carts along most side streets.

    What surprised me the most?
    The food is nothing like the Chinese eating places in US. At least the food the common people eat every day.


    Cool!

    I think the hardest part for me would be learning the language. All in all I think it would be really neat to learn another culture that way. Would love to see more pics come soon!
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    #57

    Sep 8, 2012, 07:15 AM
    Did some tourist things today, There was a conference on grain storage attended by people from all over the world, Africa, Asia, Europe so I went with them to the Millennium City Park, it is a ultra large theme park basically based on Chinese culture from 1000 years ago.

    In one photo, you see me petting a cow, all of the teen Chinese girls were scared to go up to the cow, So being from the farm, I held the cow while they got to get her.
    JudyKayTee's Avatar
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    #58

    Sep 8, 2012, 07:40 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck View Post
    Did some tourist things today, There was a conference on grain storage attended by people from all over the world, Africa, Asia, Europe so i went with them to the Millennium City Park, it is a ultra large theme park basicly based on Chinese culture from 1000 years ago.

    In one photo, you see me petting a cow, all of the teen Chinese girls were scared to go up to the cow, So being from the farm, I held the cow while they got to get her.

    Don't you tower over just about everyone? I'll guess you are easy to spot in a crowd.
    Fr_Chuck's Avatar
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    #59

    Sep 8, 2012, 08:30 AM
    Well not everyone, there is a 7 foot student who plays basketball ( of course)

    And many that come close in the younger kids. But yes I am taller than most likely 80 percent of the crowd.

    But being American is like being a rock star almost. I was asked three times today to take photos with various people.

    And the young girls just love Nate, I think I could arrange a marriage for him easily.
    JudyKayTee's Avatar
    JudyKayTee Posts: 46,503, Reputation: 4600
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    #60

    Sep 8, 2012, 08:41 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck View Post
    Well not everyone, there is a 7 foot student who plays basketball ( of course)

    And many that come close in the younger kids. but yes I am taller than most likely 80 percent of the crowd.

    But being American is like being a rock star almost. I was asked three times today to take photos with various people.

    And the young girls just love Nate, I think I could arrange a marriage for him easily.

    Laughing...

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