Greetings guys,
Well this is exciting I have to say hehe. My lady has asked me to come to china for her vacation, so I am leaving Canada sept 5 and returning sept 20. She has some out of town business to take care of after the 20th and I had to grovel at work to get the time.
Yes its really short notice but also really exciting hehe. So the plan is a few days in Beijing, then off to Handan to meet her friends and family and her son. Both her parents are passed so its her brother and sister and their families to meet.
So its all very sudden, we had originally planned for me to go in October for her birthday but someone else at work has already booked the time off from Oct and Nov and both of us cannot be gone at once. So the plan changed to end sept. However my lady told me she has her vacation from end Aug to sept 20 so off I go .
I leave Edmonton at 8:30 am on Sat the 5th travel to Calgary then San Fransisco, then off to Beijing, arriving at 6pm on Sunday the 6th. My birthday is Monday the 7th so its gonna be the best birthday for me to have her beside me.
I think I am going to buy a netbook before I go so that I can keep everyone here posted as to how things go and also to store all my pictures on. My plan is to leave the netbook there with her so that we can webcam whenever we wish instead of her going to the agency.
Can anyone recommend a decent electronic translator to buy? We will have a translator from the agency for the first two days at 300 rmb per day but after that we will need an electronic one. Also if anyone can recommend a few things to see in Beijing and area for a few days that would be great.
Before I can go I have to drive to Calgary to the chinese consulate their to get the visa. Apparently they can rush it same day if I apply before11 am so that is my plan. Go and stand in front of them until they give it to me hehe.
As for our relationship, well we have sent emf's daily back and forward sometimes two per day both ways!! We also have spoken on the phone and webcam. We know many things about each other and both of us feel very comfortable with the other. It seems we even think the same, like the same things same movies, same music etc. We even like the same breeds of dogs hehe.
So as for the relationship, well I think we are both at the ready to commit stage, the only thing we are waiting for is the sparks from a face to face, if that goes well then I am sure by the time the trip is over there will be another brother and his lady engaged.
Oh and for all you dumpling lovers once we reach Handan its of to sisters to make dumplings heheh, I will be sure to let you know how they taste. I have also spoken to the son on the phone although very briefly but apparently he wants to meet me too, so a positive sign there.
Her English is as bad as my mandarin, but with an interpreter for two days and the electronic translator I think we will be fine.
So my brothers any advice you feel you wish to give please do so, I already have the 24 hr rule implanted in my brain, so no worries there. I do not know how to blog or facebook (banned anyway right?), so I will try to follow the excellent examples by the other recent journals and give long detailed reports of happenings in the east.
Oh also she knows about my divorce status and she has said she will wait as long as it takes for me to be free. The plan is for me to go teach there until her son is finished in school and then we can come to Canada. The govt types here should have less issue of maybe she is a visa hunter if we have lived there for several years first.
Anyway seven days and a wakey and of I go.
Regards,
Brian