My search

[maxx]

Best of luck.Have a good time.And a open mind.With a open mind and a positive attitude.You will do Just fine.

[shaun]

Have a great time.

[Arnold]

... I would add to your "Do Not Eat List" .. Dog and Rat if I was you Jim!

Stay calm, go with the flow and yes... Enjoy China and your Girl!

[JustJim]

Hi Everyone - I am sitting in the Hong Kong airport waiting for my connecting flight.  it is just as beautiful and modern as you said it was Mike.

Other than the fact that I jumped the George Washington Bridge toll booth my trip has been excellent.  I am sure they will send me a fine.  Not quite sure what happened there.

The ticket agent upgraded me and I got the seat right behind the emergency door.  It was nice because I - and my row mates - could get up and stretch our legs any time we wanted to - without disturbing the others.  The gal who was next to the window had the best of the three seats as she could put her legs up.  I will try to get that one the next time.  The guy on my left was a young American - originally from Thailand.  He spoke Chinese and English very well, and on a few occasions translated for me.  We talked a little - but it was an overnight flight - so mostly I slept.

I tried to acclimate myself to the change in time over the last few days but I think it was a bust.  Jury is still out on that one.  I will see how I am now that I am here.

It is very early and all of the airport stores are closed so I haven't seen any phones yet.  I just might wing the whole trip without one.  I left my phone with my daughter - and she has Mei's number - so if she really needs to call me she can get a hold of me.  I told her NOT to call me...

I have two hours until my next flight - but that is all that I have to tell you all right now.  I will try to write when I have more to report...

[LP]

Now the fun began,did you see some soldiers walking around in the airport?

[Willy The Londoner]

Now the fun began,did you see some soldiers walking around in the airport?

At the time he wrote he was still in Hong Kong airport so he will not have the delights of a Chinese Airport yet.

Willy

[Neil]

I saw armed guys in the Hong Kong airport once.  They were wearing blue uniforms with sub machine guns.

[JustJim]

Hi everyone - Guangdong airport was fine also - I don't remember if I saw any soldiers.  It probably would not have made a difference to me - I was in the army for two years in Germany.  I think I got used to expecting some sights.

Anyways, I have to be honest.  I came here 50 % expecting to be disappointed.  Well, that hasn't happened.  Instead I am amazed.  Mei is much more than I had hoped that  she was, and China is a lot more interesting than I realized it was going to be.

The only struggle right now is the language barrier - and perhaps that I am going out again tonight to a restaurant (third one today)- and I cannot keep up with these people!  They eat like it's their last meal.  The waitresses are constantly bringing food and Mei will not let my plate go empty or my tea cup be even one sip below the brim.  Oh, and no one will let me pay and the language barrier is so big that even to offer would just be an invitation to misunderstanding.

I don't mind being treated like a king - actually, I do, I am quite independent, but I am relaxing and letting her treat me like she wants.  She hasn't started cutting my food yet, and I make sure to do little things that remind her that I am a man, not a boy.  Anyways, no complaints here.

Now about the language barrier...  Mei bought a Casio I Can't Remember the Model Number...and at lunch one of her friends, who does speak a little English, checked it out and said that it is not good as a translator - it is more for a student wanting to learn English.

She does have an Iphone ( more on that in another post) and that has a translation app but we have to have internet access to use it.

Does anyone know of a good translator? and where I might look to buy one?  I am in Shunde, which is Foshan City.

Like I said before, China is amazing.  There is splendor and squalor right next to each other, and the traffic is SICK!!  Willie, I would be glad not to be allowed to drive here.  In that regard, Mei has a car and I now know that it is possible to do a U-turn across four lanes of traffic using only your horn!

I do not know why her car doesn't have any dents in it because she yields for no one...   actually they all drive like this and it's just amazing...

Last night we went to a park and I saw five hundred people all doing a sort of dance class...  Then there was a smaller group doing Tai Chi...

The spirit of the people is something I have never seen before.  It is like there is this symbiotic relationship going on.  It is like the movie Avatar.

Oh, one more note on the translator.  I might as well go ahead and try to learn Cantonese.  I have heard it is harder but so far the only person I met who speaks Mandarin ( other than Mei ) is the friend who advised me on the Casio (and he said that he often feels as lost as I do when it comes to understanding the conversation at the table).   

At least this way I might be able to converse in some fashion with her friends and her family.

I will write more when I get a chance.  Thanks everybody.  I would not be here having the time of my life if it wasn't for all of you guys...

[Arnold]

  ... reading your post, reminds me of how I was "Tortured" one my first Trip!

Looks like your not only falling for your "Mei" but also for "China" and believe me... there is much to love. You only scratched the surface.

[IrishGuy65]

Jim, my girl Lisa is also in Shunde.  Where are you staying?

Yes, they eat and eat and eat.  I was over 200 pounds when I got there, and my 120 pound woman made fun of me because she ate more than I did.  It's like they have a second stomach or something, LOL.  Since she is an English teacher at Shunde Polytechnic, I didn't need a translator, so I can't offer advice.  I think there was a thread here somewhere that had some advice on translators...

[maxx]

Hi Jim Welcome to China.Now you know why the veterans are still hanging around. Everytime one of the new guys post about there first trip. We live it all again.We don't get as much out of it as you do.But it is still pretty cool.We are going to need to see some pictures.To get the full effect.

Pocket translators are a good tool.and they can be allot of fun to work with. With your girl.My wife has a Besta pocket translater.We bought it at a electronics store in Zhuhai.And I have seen them in other electronic stores in China.They are fairly common and not hard to come by.I think I payed 50.00 dollars 7 years ago.So they are probably around 100.00 by now.Have your lady take you to a electronic store.Let her pick out what she wants.That way the learning curve is not to difficult for her.

After you buy the pocket translater.You get to learn how to speak Chinglish.That's a whole different language in its self.It will make things easier.

[Willy The Londoner]

You all know that I am learning Chinese with a lesson every week day.

One of the aids I use to help me with my homework and to get the sound right is Google Translate.
 
You type in the phrase. It gives it to you in Chinese and and you can also listen to it and now it also shows it to you in Pinyin.

The beauty is that you can print it all out. and make make up your own personal phrase book to carry about with you.

As Maxx says also a lot use the Besta translator.

Willy

[IrishGuy65]

http://www.jusco.com.hk/eng/store/china_shunde_shoppingcentre.htm

This is the shopping center I went to a couple of times.  She says this is probably a good place to get one.  Also, she suggests the Walmart on Dongle Rd and Xinhua Bookstore, Qiaozhu Alley in Shunde

Finally, she says there is an app called YouDao.  No internet needed and it's free.  In Chinese: 有道词典

Good luck!

[JustJim]

Hi everyone...thanks for the responses.

Irishguy...what a small world!!  We drove by Shunde Polytechnic the first night I was here.  Thanks for the link on the shopping plaza.  We are going shopping today.  I am going to get that guitar I wanted. 

Tell you what - I will PM you some more info on me and Mei.

Thanks guys - and yes I plan on posting some pictures - but I am one of those guys who feels that I should ask my gal...we are all different

talk to you all later...

[RobertBfrom aust]

Jim , yes Maxx is right , we love to read about the opening of Westerners to China , the amazing thing is does not matter which city you visit they are all different in food and culture and everything building wise changes very quickly , great to hear you are enjoying yourself , regards Sujuan and Robert .