All for Ron & Ron for All : Meeting up with "The Three Blogeteers"

[Rhonald]

TRIP 七 (Think of the 7 Dwarfs eating cheese & drinking tea ..... Chea)

Since I have ventured forth this path many a time, it was with calm assurance instead of the typical butterflies that many of our members write about feeling, that I departed upon my seventh trip. After all, I am not a newbee, but  a have been, so with this wealth of experience I embarked on my latest expedition to the land of Cathay.

My goal was to meet up with fellow members who have contributed to this website's success, and establish if in fact they were real and not created by the Mods to generate this false wealth 

I arrived in Hong Kong at 3:45 pm local time after being awake for 20 hours. My body desired sleep but I ignored its pleas as I had other plans to consider. First, of course, was that magic of embracing my wife after a five months absence. After $250 Hong Kong dollars ride to the Hotel, I showered, freshend up, felt awakened, rekindled passion, .....censored......, then got ready to meet the first legendary blogeteer of this forum - No other then The Count of Monte Cristo, the inspire of The Three Musketeers ... oops I mean the Count of Hong Kong - Philip. His real name is Alex but not Dumas  , so I was mistaken that he was not that famous French writer - although he does own property in France 

We met up with Alex and his lovely wife for supper by taking a mini bus to his area of operations in Sai Kung. It was a cool damp quiet night. Just the right environment for our furtive encounter. After all, Alex is on loan from the Home Office in order to keep tabs on Hong Kong as it has been relinquished back to Mainland China from Her Majesty's control. Alex knew my desire to yell out
Rule, Britannia!
since I had just arrived from the colonies with fresh Maple syrup in tow. He need seclusion, thus led us to a discreet dinner where we would partake of discourse entwined with fine sea food. Although the food was very tasty, it was listening to his pleasent,  English accented voice that I relished the most. We talked about our many trials and tribulations that had brought us to this little corner of the world, sharing beer, food and tall tales.

My main regret is that I could not spend more time with Alex. A couple of hours spent with him did not do justice. Because the cool damp night was the perfect foil for his eloquent words and sagely wisdom as we dueled using our rapier wits & cutting insights.

We departed at the Sai Kung bus depot with Alex and his wife of the infectious smile  waving goodbye. Soon the damp nightly mist hid this romantic couple from our view and I parted with good memories of meeting a new friend.

First meeting accomplished as Alex would be my first of the three Blogeteers I would meet on this trip. The others will follow in my future tales of "THE THREE BLOGETEERS"

[RobertBfrom aust]

Our wordsmith is off and running , we look forward to reading about all of your exploits , regards Sujuan and Robert .

[Scottish_Robbie]

nice one Rhon or will this be 'Doc'

[Philip]

I met him on a Tuesday and my heart stood still,
Was it you Ron, Ron, Ron, was it you Ron, Ron?
Somebody told him that my name was Phil,
They were wrong, wrong, wrong, they were wrong wrong,
Yeah, we shared the bill,
Yeah, my name isn't Phil,
And though we talked so much,
it wasn't enough,
English or Dutch.

Thanks Ron, you are a true gentleman, as eloquent and erudite in life as you are on this forum. Although you hide your literary light under a self-deprecating punning bushel, you should accept your calling as a writer and find a vehicle for your punarama of talents.

I hope to meet you again.
Alex

[Martin]

WOW...Rhonald is infectious.

[Rhonald]

Chen Yan meets my Ziyan

With first getting permission for my mission of meeting Chen Yan, going through proper channels as in asking my wife, I emailed Chen Yan my last trip for setting up a meet and greet. Unfortunately, she never logged on and replied to my query until I had returned to Canada. But she had said that next time I was in Shenzhen to give her a call.

So "Holla back Girl" I did. Before leaving for this trip I sent her a PM to see if she still wished to meet us. I also checked to see if she was up to meeting my friend Guang Han. When Chen Yan was expressing interest in signing up with one of the local Chnlove matchmaking services, I had Guang Han write her an informative message to express his experience on her remote chance of success for such a  venture. You see my friend Guang Han, also use to Moonlight as a former translator for such a Chnlove agency, so he could give her a better idea of the challenges that would face young Chen Yan.

Guang Han was disheartened by some of the practices he saw. He had been my wife & my translator during our 5 months of EMFs, after he soon left the agency to pursue other dreams. When I had heard about his resignation in June of 2009, he wrote me a letter and his last paragraph touched me dearly, showing that he too was an eloquent man:

"So far I don't anticipate I will return to the trade, maybe partly because of you two. ^_^ In China we have a saying which can be put into English this way, "one who has seen the ocean thinks nothing of mere rivers." I was lucky to have been the bridge to help you two get together; afterwards I never got really touched by echoes between any pairs of correspondence. Maybe true love is not commonplace seen everywhere, love is miracle, and I am blessed to witness and participate, to some extent, in one!"

My friend Guang Han thought that it was quite Ironic that it would take a Westerner to be the facilitator for a meeting of two people already living in Shenzhen: for me, I did not feel any doubts, after all - I Ron needs - company stranged as I can be   

When I finally got to meet Chen Yan I can say - only to be twenty years younger - but then if I was twenty years younger, then my wife would also be twenty years younger!  Well.....Fate the dictate of life only gives glimpses into possible alternatives, knowing all the time how fragile are the cumulative build up of emotions hidden  in a dream of cumulus clouds. As can be seen by the pictures, Chen Yan has an enchanting smile that makes the heart sing. Her English was quite good and I enjoyed talking with her. I presented her with a Dream Catcher ( an Indian folklore craft) in hopes to help her achieve her dreams.

The place we went to dine was recommended by my wife's son Weiwei. On one side is a mini supper market where you take a basket and select the uncooked meat and vegetables you wish cooked. Then after purchasing the items, you are taken to a table where a hot pot boiler is placed upon a burner and you cook your own food. One side of the pot has a spicy liquid while the other is non spiced. I guess the restaurant is shrewd, because if any food poisoning, they then can deflect the blame back onto the cook, as the customer cooks the food themself.  ....I wonder if they have any goose meat to cook....? 

[shaun]

Is this going to be the birth of the Ronzhou Punatarium and Marriage Company? 


Great story by the way.

[Arnold]

Rhonald always has a great Trip
that never has to include a Tip

Meeting some of our Friends
that are spread around the World
with most of them living in nice Tent's

His Journal is second to none
but his Journey is long not done

So , we all wish him good luck
that the text time
he will have his sweet Wife
side by side and start the new Life

[Rhonald]

Then there was One....aka Willy Wonka:

I, D'Artagnan, had challenged Athos in Hong Kong, Aramis in Shenzhen and finally the last Blogeteer Porthos, to duel with steak knives at the Grand Venice Steakhouse. That is if he would care for MEATing me  . Being the seasoned warrior poet that he is, Willy took me under his wing and soon peppered me with many questions and Ripostes that I could do naught but parry until disengaged.

I have to thank Willy for meeting him. I felt that I owed him an apology in person because of a slight I did to him, thus my journey to Zhongshan. For my humbleness I gained a friend and my first evidence of being able to enjoy a great steak in China. This restaurant prides themselves in serving certified grade A American Beef. I have eaten steak at other so called Western styled outlets such as U.B.C. but never did enjoy any steak so far. I do not really enjoy Chinese food too much as coming from cowboy country, I enjoy my meat and potatoes. So it was a pleasant treat and surprise meeting Willy for Meat.

My wife and I planned on going to some Hot Springs near Guangzhou, and while we waited to meet Willy, we investigated a travel agency for booking a trip from Zhongshan to Guangzhou. The lady recommended a Hot Spring about 30 minutes away from Zhongshan. So we thought it was the better price not needing to do a bus excursion so decided to visit the place on Sunday. When we told Willy about or plans, he mentioned that he had visited the Hot Spring near Zhongshaun. So in true Blogeteer spirit he decided that he could miss his Sunday's Solemn church service in-order to accompany us in a dip into Holy S..T! this water is hot.

It was a relaxing afternoon for about 600 rmb entrance fee that included food for the six of us, as my wife's son and Willy's wife niece also joined us. I think Willy paid 200 rmb for the taxi ride there and back, so all in all, a fair price to get wet behind the ears 

Willy and I were amused by the wayward wandering of my wife circling the resort looking for her son while minutes later her son would wander by asking if we had seen his mother. Willy's wife was occupied taking care of her niece who had a splash playing in the children's pool. So us old timers got the chance to relax and trade stories and viewpoints of our different journeys that brought us to this meditative resting place: An Oasis in of all places.

As we were leaving the Spa to await our taxi ride back, Willy was approached by a small group of Chinese Spa visitores wishing to have their pictures taken with Willy. He explained to me that it happens quite regularly for him. Since no Frenchman was near by, I didn't have the gall to tell him that his covert retirement was not that secretive. Many Chinese people have heard about that once most secretive agent "ling ling chi" 零零七

Dis guy is Wonka, Willy Wonka, James Bond in disguise

[David E]

AHA !!!!

So Willy IS real...and not an urban myth 

I can sleep better now...........

[Neil]

Ah, Rhonald, you're having a great trip.  I'm loving reading these stories.  I wish I was there. 

[RobertBfrom aust]

Another great read , it comes to me that as our forum grows we can wander all over the globe including China , meet up and have a terrific time , now if only my better half would stop working and making money we may have time to spend some ha ha , regards from Sujuan and Robert .

[Rhonald]

Ah, Rhonald, you're having a great trip.  I'm loving reading these stories.  I wish I was there.

Sorry Neil,  all my trip stories are told Post Depart Him Depression 

I use my time back home, when missing my wife, to recount my latest exploits. Also time gives me the better ability to weave the story's fabric into my own special yarn. The only problem I have had is that many of my started stories tend to run out of steam. I think a few I never did stitch that final posting to end the thread.

This latest story I am encouraged by Arnold's & Philip's artistic contribution as their own inspired muse have amused me as well.

[Willy The Londoner]

It was a real pleasure to meet up with you Rhonald and your charming wife.

Your online elequance is matched by your natural abilty to converse.   The only problem you are too damn good looking.

But then when the photo opportunity came outside teh hot springs I became first choice. Or was it because they thought I had escaped from the watery depths.

A very pleasant weekend altogether.

At least I got to eat at The Venice two days running.  and then low an behold the following weekend I met up with Brett at the same place. 

We all remember Brett do we not.   Well whatever we may have said about him he sure had a beautiful woman with him.

Hope the pic comes out OK.

See the springs did not destroy my dye.

Willy

[chen yan]

Ronald, Thanks for bringing your happiness to us. The smile on our faces told this.
The harmony between your couple impress me despite there is still some language barrier .

Guang Han also told me that the effort your wife made to try to learn more English is very active for the relationship and your patience and understanding made you two become a good couple.
You gentlement and gorgeous wife are such a good match.

I wish your family could be reunion in Canada soon.