Author Topic: A Southerners continuing journey in China  (Read 40938 times)

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Offline Voiceroveip

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #270 on: September 27, 2009, 11:14:57 am »
Lol, she's a brat but a witty brat ^_^
Go deep or don't go

shaun

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #271 on: September 27, 2009, 09:09:58 pm »
Jim,

Don't mention it, please.  I can give bad advice anytime. :icon_cheesygrin:

Hope all works out well.

Shaun

Offline Buzz

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #272 on: September 28, 2009, 08:26:38 pm »
Hey Jim,  Buzz here from Greensboro, will be going to Beijing end of November.  We are of the same age, similar background, so if you want I can stop by the step-daughter and remind her that she is the daughter and help remind her of her place in the family.  On a serious note, I know my lady would be interested in meeting your wife and discussing the good, bad and ugly of cross-culture relationship.   I am a nurse here in the states and my lady is a retired physican. I would invite Willy but I don't need the older guys hanging around.  
By the way congratulations on the twins.  My oldest daughter is expecting her first child in march.  Do have grandsons in San Diego.  

I admire you in how you have adapted with all the changes during this trip.  You have shown us all that success is possible only by remaining true to your core beliefs.  

Thanks,

Offline JimB

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #273 on: October 03, 2009, 12:04:16 pm »
Thanks, Buzz.  I asked my wife and she said she would gladly meet with you two.  So just let us know when and we can make arrangements.

I havent posted anything in a few days because it has been kind of dull.  But yesterday seemed a bit more exciting.  First off to start the day we decided to go to the olympic village.  Interesting but if you need to miss anything while visiting here, this would be one of those places to pass by.  There was still a very large crowd there.  We took a Golf Cart stretch for the tour.  I have a few pics of it and will post.  There is also a carnival next to it.  So of course my step daughter had to go there.  I like the big rides myself.  Sort of expensive for here.  But she bought her own first batch of tickets and even got me into the bumper cars with her.  She was a good sport.  I admit I took a bit of aggression out on it.  slammed her pretty good then let her get me back so she was happy.  The nwe hit the con games.  While she bought the tickets she asked me to play the games.  I really did not want to do it knowing if I missed it would be over for the day.  However, I was on my game.  Got her three big stuffed animals out of 4 games, so she was delighted.  I was relieved.  I really hate i have to be this way with her, worrying about how she will react to anything wrong.  Oh well, just a few more days and I will get a break.
Now we head for dinner downtown to the best Peking Duck I have ever had.  I talked about he place in the other thread so dont need to go into it here except to say a great meal.
I have been taking taxi's 99% of the time here.  it is pretty cheap and quick.  There drivers always cut people off, swing around traffic go down one way the wrong way, skip traffic lights you name it.  They use their horn just to warn people that they are coming, not in anger as we do. I still have a difficult time with them.  I constantly wince and hold on tight and have yet to get into an accident with them.  Miraculously . well today the driver cut a man off in a big Toyota.  It actually pissed the man off as he cut around us started yelling out his window at me.  I was in the front passenger seat.  I put my head back against the head rest so he could actually yell at the driver, but he kept looking at me.  He gave ME the bird.  Now I started laughing.  That was the wrong thing to do.  He actually came right at us to try and hit us, our driver slipped away and got in front.  Now her was pissed so he kept the guy behind us, every time the man tried to get around the driver got in his way.  The guy was using his horn like crazy, his head out the window and was really in a road rage.  Frankly I am really surprised this doesnt happen all of the time here.  Anyway the guy finally gets beside us.  In the back seat was Granny, she must have been at least 100, she rolls down her window and flips me the bird.  ME. I pointed at my driver.  My driver didnt even look, he just kept driving cutting the man off again.  Now I was starting to get a little nervous.  I have my wife, step daughter and her best friend in the car at at the rate this guy was going he really might cause a nasty accident.  I had not said anything to anyone in the back seat because I did not want them to worry.  the idiot is behind us, my driver just slammed on his brakes, then takes off again.  I tell him to cool it for the obvious reasons.  Now my wife asks what is going on.  i tell her and she starts yelling at the driver.  He just ignores everyone.  I am looking back and this guy you can tell is about to have a heart attack he is yelling and screaming so much.  But at least he is keeping a little distance between us.  We are in the heart of downtown Beijing, traffic is bottled up and we have to stop.  Now I see this guy getting out of his car.  My driver sees it to and slides around two cars, I really do not know how he made it.  I look back and see the guy jump into his car.  now his car is a lot bigger than the VW.  he doesnt make it, he hits two cars.  he still tries to go through but the drivers of the two cars get out and block his way.  The last I see of him he is screaming at the guys that he hit and pointing at us.  Now all of this time, my driver never lost his cool or even made any kind of expression that he was concerned in any way.  He got us to our destination without any kind of expression.  I got out, paid him making note of his taxi number, knowing I will never get in his cab again.  To him I guess just another day at work. I wonder what happened to the guy in the other car. I can laugh at it now but at the time I thought I was going to have to defend myself against a 100 year old woman.  lmao.

After dinner we went to Tiannemon Square.  There was still about 100,000 people there.  All of the floats were still there. A pretty awesome sight.  I am putting some pics up in a little bit on my photobucket sight. Last night Qingqing decided I was her favorite person again.  So most of the night she and I walked arm in arm and hand in hand around the square while my wife and her best friend walked behind us.  Quite honestly I felt uncomfortable as I really wanted to be there with my wife.  But anything to keep the peace and build up my image with Qingqing.  Later my wife asked me if I saw the two policeman following us around.  I told her no, but I was not really looking.  She said they saw Qingqing and I together started pointing and laughing saying I must be a really rich American to have such a young beautiful girlfriend.  They followed us around to make sure nothing happened to me.  My wife overheard them.  She started laughing but let them follow us to be on the safe side.  I knew we were getting looks but I get a lot of stares here so by now I pretty much ignore them.
Sometimes I want to wring this kids neck and other times she can be the sweetest kid you ever want to meet.  She went out tonight and bought me a shirt, just because she wanted to.  it was with her own money even.  Then she bought me a chocolate eclaire.  She said she wanted me to go home as big as I came here because she did not want anyone to think her mother mistreated me. LOL.  Then we are sitting on the couch, she halfway finished her desert, then handed it to me and told me to put it away.  NOt asked but told me to.  Of course I told her no, she got it out out so she could put it away.  Then she handed it to Mama and told her to.   I again said no.  She threw it down on table.  I told her she needed to pick it up and put it away.  Of course she said no.  So i picked it up and threw it in the trash.  She screamed that she wasnt done with it, I told her of course she was.  No one here is her servant.  So she went into her room and slammed the door.  That was just about 20 minutes ago.  I am really just trying to pass the time so I can leave in peace but I cannot go back on my word or she would never respect it again.  My wife did not say a word.  so neither did I.  We will see about it tomorrow.
Maxx's 24 hour rule, learn it, live it.

Scottish_Rob

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #274 on: October 03, 2009, 01:05:09 pm »
This is exactly what we mentioned Jim, BLOODY TEENAGE TANTRUMS...now that you dealt with it, ignore it or you/it will fester and get you feeling bad again...:huh:

Offline JimB

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #275 on: October 03, 2009, 01:13:33 pm »
Rob, I am done feeling bad about it.  Now I am just going to deal with it.  She came out a few minutes ago.  We are in our bedroom with the door closed.  She knocked on the door and said good night.  I opened it and gave her a kiss on the forehead.  then closed the door.
Maxx's 24 hour rule, learn it, live it.

brett

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #276 on: October 03, 2009, 04:12:13 pm »
Wow, the angelic Qingqing :angel:. Teenagers are a nightmare though, I got the schoolbus home on Friday night and it was full of nightmare kids sprouting all kinds of rubbish. I thought an Asian kid would have better manners though. I remember being in a train full of Japanese schoolgirls (that's a journey I'm never going to forget :blush:), and they were so well behaved it was incredible.

shaun

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #277 on: October 03, 2009, 05:09:15 pm »
Jim,

It working other wise she would have never came out and said goodnight.  You are doing the right thing and Mrs. Burk is supporting you.

Shaun

Offline Rhonald

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #278 on: October 03, 2009, 05:10:40 pm »
Quote from: 'JimB' pid='18786' dateline='1254590013'

 then closed the door.


"Oh no one knows what goes on behind closed doors" :icon_cheesygrin: care of Charlie Rich

Best wishes with the rest of your trip.
« Last Edit: October 03, 2009, 05:11:14 pm by Rhonald »
Life....It's all about finding the Chicks and Balances

Arnold

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #279 on: October 04, 2009, 07:17:59 am »
Ah ... the exciting Family Life . Every Parent's dream " The Teenager " . Haha
I admire your handeling of it all Jim . Good Man and a good Father figure is most important . Qingqing has both in you . Maybe she needs some good glasses to see it ?:icon_cool:

Offline JimB

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #280 on: October 04, 2009, 09:12:37 am »
Thank you all for your support.  i never had this trouble with my daughter.  Of course we had her whole life together.  One minute i want to hug her and the next want to wring her neck.  We have a little game, when the elevator door closes and we are the only ones in it, I reach over and hug and kiss my wife.  Qingqing started to kiss her mother also.  I started to reach over and kiss her cheek but she would pull away.  I kept it up.  tonight she actually came over to me when the door closed and put her arms around me and hugged me tight and kissed me on the cheek.  I hugged her back and picked her up making a little game of it. So she would not feel self conscious.  Either she is really coming around or she is setting me up for something big.  The only other thing I  can think of is that her birthday is coming up next month so she wants a big present.  that is probably the case.  She told her mother the other day that she wants a diamond ring for her birthday.  At least a 1/2 carat.  Mama said no.

Anyway thanks for all of the support.

Now lets all support Michael and Zhou and the kids.  For those who do not know, go to missing members.
Maxx's 24 hour rule, learn it, live it.

Offline JimB

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #281 on: October 11, 2009, 10:07:44 pm »
Well, I am home.  Have been since Thursday.  Spent the first two days trying to get myself in a proper sleeping pattern again.  Then went to my daughters in Savannah.  To hug them and spend time.

Now I am back home and while I am really glad to be here.  I miss my wife something terrible.  Even more than before.  She is having the same problem.  Not being able to sleep at night without me there.  It seems so unfair that our system is such that we have to be separated for this long a time.  I am planning on going back in February but that does not alleviate the misery now.  Many of you all know what I mean.  This is your wife, not just some person.

Anyway, I came back to a real mess.  The power company screwed up and turned off my power for two days.  Everything in the freezer thawed.  Half a cow, smelling up the place like you cannot believe.  Secondly, the cable company did not turn off the system like they said they would and sent me a bill for three months for over $400.00.  Luckily, I wrote down the mans name I called and they have since corrected the bill, but I did not have any cable or internet until they did.  Thirdly my cell phone was turned off, because my son did not pay the bill like he was supposed to and fourth, my son has now moved back in having lost his place due to lack of work.
That will teach me to go away for that length of time.

I need a few more days to put everything in perspective to tell what  I learned from this trip.  I also need to try and get over some of this feeling of loss now that she is not with me.  I am not ready to jump on a plane and go back, I want her here.

Thanks for all of the support while I was there.  I meant/means a lot.  Although we may have been taken in by someone, I hope we do not lose the trust and faith we have with this site.

Jim
Maxx's 24 hour rule, learn it, live it.

Vince G

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #282 on: October 11, 2009, 10:47:42 pm »
Welcome back Jim. Sorry you came back to a little chaos. Things will settle down soon.

shaun

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #283 on: October 11, 2009, 10:58:51 pm »
Welcome back.  You just got back in time for a couple of days of heat.  But is is cooling off tonight.

Arnold

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RE: A Southerners continuing journey in China
« Reply #284 on: October 11, 2009, 11:23:04 pm »
Welcome back Jim . Looks like your Return was equally exciting as mine was . No matter how many times you call People and tell them your going to be gone , they alway's make mistakes and not do what you want them to do . It's like you talk to the Phone with nobody on the other end . I've have also learned to ask for Names like you did ... because of all this . Like my $230 + 12 min. phone call to my Wife . I tell you , how many are NOT doing their Job  .
Anyway Jim , get your Rest :sleepy: and take one thing at a time and spend some time with your Family at Home and then get on the PC and start talking to your sweet Wife ... as four month's will go by quickly . Us married ones did it , some are still doing it ( seven month's even ) you will get passed it too . :-/