China Romance
All About China => Your trip to China => Topic started by: Voiceroveip on February 06, 2010, 09:16:08 pm
-
So here we are yet again :P This trip number 3 for me in the quest for happiness, if you want to read about the 2 previous ones and find out why they did not work out, have a look here (http://www.chnlove.info/showthread.php?tid=1399), it's a long thread though. In short, failure was due to the dating model through a third party inherent to Chnlove.
Why reloaded? Because I prefer to draw a parallel to "The Matrix" movie, the matrix being played by Chnlove, me being Morpheus (because of the haircut), Ted in the role of "The one" defeating the Matrix hehe.
So I arrived in HK and transferred with a shuttle to Guangzhou, shuttle cost 230RMB and 3 hours time. Next time I might transfer just to Shenzhen Luohu and take the train, that might be faster.
I'm looking forward to meet Ted and his wife today.
The hotel I am staying at is the Guangzhou hotel, the rooms are a bit run down but the service is good, I slept well on a not too hard bed and had dinner in the 3rd floor restaurant which proved good and the place was crowded, me being the main attraction :D Breakfast is entirely Chinese but quite good, they do have coffee. Oh and Internet here is fast, PPS is no problem in my room.
More later of course ;)
-
Frank,
Have a fun & eventful trip. On the way back to HK, you can take the train from GZ which will bring you to the "Hum Hong" MTR in Kowloon HK.
-
Wish you luck Frank. I hope it works out for you Keep up the posts, we (the little old ladies over the fence) really enjoy them. lol ( the older guys from the facebook days will remember that one.) For the rest, there was once a member that said that we were all like little old ladies hovering over the fence and gossiping. We had no masculine impulses, we were just old women. We needed to man up. He didnt stay around long. lol
Sorry Frank I didnt mean to Hijack, I was just reminded of that.
-
Good Luck Frank..
-
I met Ted and his wife, not only are they a lovely couple who seem to be very happy together, but we had a nice time in a coffee shop about 50m from my hotel which Ted discovered and which will be my second home: good coffee and bagels and wifi haha! I enjoyed our conversation very much, I hope Ted did too hehe. My god how much did we smoke Ted?
Back in the hotel I had a lovely chat with lady #1, I really hope she works out, I'm even crossing my toes because our exchanges are so nice, I wish I wish I wish ... :heart: I'll see her Tuesday, tomorrow is guy's day with Ted who kindly offered to show me around :blush:
-
i think we smoked to much and it bothered Sisi but as usual she was a trooper and didnt
complain. i had a good time and tommorrow we will have some guy fun and see if we can stay out of trouble
hahahah
hey Frank dot forget to return that umbrella to that sweet young lady at the coffee shop.
that was really nice of her to offer that not knowing if she would ever see it again hahahah
its just how they are here in China when in need they offer to help
-
Chong, thanks for the info, Jim, you'll love this:
I met with lady#2 today, and the surprise factor was huge :D She was supposed to pick me up at my hotel around 12:30. She calls and says it will be 1:00pm, then she arrives at 1:45 after calling me again from her car, I had been waiting in the lobby already. So she has a share in her own company, a car, has traveled the world, good English, ... too good to be true? Well a car drives up to the hotel park which is fairly busy since it's in the middle of GZ, a lady at the wheel and she smiles at me, I smile back, it's raining but I think it could be her. As she reverses into a parking spot I see her better through the door window (it's raining) and no, it's not her, she looks like past 40 and chubby.
Of course you guessed that it is her ... I'm not impressed. Her photos on CHN are sweet and gorgeous, so sweet that I can only imagine that they took her face (from 10 years ago?) and photoshopped it onto a model's body. In the pic she has nice hands and graceful arms (can't see the legs that much, but her real self is rather stout and her taste in clothes was not my cup of tea, no way the body on the pics is her's, and the face could be, but boy did they work it. She is from the Guanghzou Daniel Agency if you care to know, this is fake advertising as good as it gets. But what do you do, say sorry not interested (we talked a lot on the phone, nice conversations too). She is a nice person but not my type, regardless of her looks too, not as chirpy and fresh as I thought she was on the phone. So we go for lunch, she's not from GZ so we get lost a couple of times but finally manage to find the restaurant recommended by reception, and the food was delicious ... it was the kind of place where you pick up your dishes yourself, they stamp a card for every dish and you pay after the meal. She decides to get the food, I watch the bags :angel: The place is crowded so we share a table with some other people, this is just as good as it gets right? SHe brings back some food and probably thinks her laowai does not enjoy Chinese food, she brings some sweet milky stuff, the simplest dumplings and some other basics. We eat that and then I decide to get myself some real food :icon_cheesygrin: and bring back some more exotic dishes, a pile of veggies and she tells me I chose too fatty foods (yes haha, and too fatty girl too). Now the food is delicious and her English is good so we actually had a decent time. Then on to Beijing lou although the rain cut our expedition short. I won the competition for a taxi and we got home with AC and I thought this would be a good time to end the encounter, but me always too polite end up in a place across the street drinking something with her and we only part at 8pm.
I will write her an email to say sorry not interested when I finish posting here. This proves again that CHN are selling mutton as lamb, I really wish I had avoided that website altogether, what a waste of time and energy, and the lady will get hurt but at least she knows about her pics, but what was she thinking?
Two sides to every coin: The good part of the day was a bit later, I met Ted and his wife, not only are they a lovely couple who seem to be very happy together, but we had a nice time in a coffee shop about 50m from my hotel which Ted discovered and which will be my second home: good coffee and bagels and wifi haha! I enjoyed our conversation very much, I hope Ted did too hehe. My god how much did we smoke Ted?
Back in the hotel I had a lovely chat with lady #1, I really hope she works out, I'm even crossing my toes because our exchanges are so nice, I wish I wish I wish ... :heart: I'll see her Tuesday, tomorrow is guy's day with Ted who kindly offered to show me around :blush:
Back in 2000 I was taken by that oldest trick in the book too, my friend, which is why I am now very good at recognizing photoshopped pics. That was even worse... the "gal" was in her 40s, but she looks hotter than Angelina Jolie in Beowulf. They deserve a special award for Best Special Effects, and also to be incinerated by a firebreathing Dragon. But all in all, it was, shall we say, "a very educational trip" :blush:It ain't over til the fat lady sings ! :icon_cheesygrin:
-
Frank, Your fairly new here but somewhere in the depths of the posts here I explained all they do or can do with a photo. Lightening the skin tone, stretching the body to make it thinner. If the head looks to big for the body that's a sure thing they did. They can also enlarge things so the proportions are exaggerated usually the breasts. They are good at it, aren't they? Hope the other woks out.
-
Vince,
I use Photoshop so I'm aware of many techniques, but in this case they placed a reworked face into a whole different body, quite impressive. I've already done that with myself for fun and it's not easy at all. This is more than stretching and shaping, different hands, arms, neck, hair (hair quality). It must have taken a skilled photographer to start with, getting the lady to pose so that her face could be perfectly integrated into existing pics of some other model.
The only thing vaguely recognizable was her smile and nose, and then you have to have a very creative mind.
Now do you believe it's 6:24 am here and I already did my 30 minutes morning exercises, walked around the block and made 2 hotel bookings for the coming days? Bloody jet lag, I think I slept less than 12 hours total the last 3 nights and I'm starving, breakfast only opens in another hour :P
Frank
PS: saved by the bell, breakfast opens in 30 minutes hehe, where is MY COFFEE? :D :D
-
Gotta have my coffee. I drink it all day long. :icon_cool:
-
Gotta have my coffee. I drink it all day long. :icon_cool:
Drinking it as I'm writing this ... mobile Internet is free on China Mobile prepaid? Or included with the 5 rmb / month IP service I guess. I even get 3G sometimes, I love China :d
PS let me correct that, data is charged per usage, I just got a 1 rmb bill for 71kb, if I understand the SMS correctly.
-
When talking to my girl I half jokingly said there has to be coffee nearby or I won't come. She said she didn't drink coffee only tea but there was a Starbucks near. So if she can't find me that's where I'll be? Next time on the phone she said wait. wait, I drink my coffee. It was her way of telling me she's trying it out? What a girl huh? I might get a prepaid when I get there just incase.
-
thats what is so so special about these ladies Vince.
my wife goes with me to the grandveiw mall and we
sit outside i have coffee and we chat. once in a while
she tries something you know one of the fluffy drinks
but for the most part she just goes with me to be with me
while i enjoy something i enjoyed back home.
can you imagine a woman in the usa? she would say ok
bye have fun drinking your coffee uless of course she
wanted you to buy her one of the fluffy special drinks they have.
-
[attachment=1495][attachment=1496]
Vince,
I use Photoshop so I'm aware of many techniques, but in this case they placed a reworked face into a whole different body, quite impressive. I've already done that with myself for fun and it's not easy at all. This is more than stretching and shaping, different hands, arms, neck, hair (hair quality). It must have taken a skilled photographer to start with, getting the lady to pose so that her face could be perfectly integrated into existing pics of some other model.
The only thing vaguely recognizable was her smile and nose, and then you have to have a very creative mind.
Now do you believe it's 6:24 am here and I already did my 30 minutes morning exercises, walked around the block and made 2 hotel bookings for the coming days? Bloody jet lag, I think I slept less than 12 hours total the last 3 nights and I'm starving, breakfast only opens in another hour :P
Frank
PS: saved by the bell, breakfast opens in 30 minutes hehe, where is MY COFFEE? :D :D
Haha guys, now if Neil can get his face grafted onto that body, maybe David will marry him? :icon_cheesygrin: And BTW, there is this very innovative website where half the "working ladies" of Hong Kong advertise their wares.... the photoshop work is even FAR superior to CHN's. The major works involve rebranding mainland Chinese prosties as Jap or Korean part-timers (who charge a lot more). And they get to cut out the pimps to boot (wish we can cut out the translators likewise, eh?) by posting their addresses (even photos of the place), working hours, charges for different "jobs", etc. Quite droolworthy, haha... Luckily it also comes with a forum similar to this one, where "sexperienced members" initiate noobs as to the pros & cons (pun intended):angel: Boy, if the evil agencies ever get their hands on THOSE pics, many more poor "laowai" will fall prey to them, that is why I cannot & will not post the link here. However, samples follow :icon_cheesygrin:
-
Samples of nice photoshopped pics... whoa hold your hormones !!! haha
Notice #3 is definitely a face graft, and the face is typically enhanced towards the "anime look" that Asians go gaga over, and is supposed to pass off as Korean or Jap. This is the type of enhancement done by the Changsha agency, but with less flair, hehe. A sexbomb is way more dangerous than any WMD eh? How many times have we wasted "just a coupla EMFs" "to test the waters" on such "hotties"?
-
This I posted a while ago. It's from some website I caught.
http://www.chnlove.info/showthread.php?tid=1039&highlight=photoshopped
007 those photos aren't as photoshopped as they are professional. Pro models for soft porn? or whatever.
-
This I posted a while ago. It's from some website I caught.
http://www.chnlove.info/showthread.php?tid=1039&highlight=photoshopped
007 those photos aren't as photoshopped as they are professional. Pro models for soft porn? or whatever.
Oh Vince they are professional alright - prostitufessional I mean :icon_cheesygrin: and the website needs no translators, all phone numbers, vital stats, pricing are helpfully provided... even ratings, loool. The enhancements on #1 & #2 are very subtle, you will still recognize them if you bump into them when you roll over in bed. Not the case for #3.
-
thats what is so so special about these ladies Vince.
my wife goes with me to the grandveiw mall and we
sit outside i have coffee and we chat. once in a while
she tries something you know one of the fluffy drinks
but for the most part she just goes with me to be with me
while i enjoy something i enjoyed back home.
can you imagine a woman in the usa? she would say ok
bye have fun drinking your coffee uless of course she
wanted you to buy her one of the fluffy special drinks they have.
Well you found a real perl Ted, you should listen to her, she's a good Chinese teacher :icon_cheesygrin: I guess I'll have to tell you more about Sisi when we had time to do some QQ'ing :icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin:
Tomorrow I'm off to see #1, I'm a little anxious, I think she is even more ... plan is dinner and Avatar in 3D, then I'm off to Shenzhen the next day, at least that's the plan.
No face graft here at least, this I know. Wish me luck,
Frank
-
Hope you find "it" Frank Good Luck
-
Good Luck Frank enjoyed the posts
-
thats what is so so special about these ladies Vince.
my wife goes with me to the grandveiw mall and we
sit outside i have coffee and we chat. once in a while
she tries something you know one of the fluffy drinks
but for the most part she just goes with me to be with me
while i enjoy something i enjoyed back home.
can you imagine a woman in the usa? she would say ok
bye have fun drinking your coffee uless of course she
wanted you to buy her one of the fluffy special drinks they have.
That is so true
Frank
Sorry to hear about the plump woman. It happened to me a year ago. I learned to ask for as many natural pics as I could get. I've been pretty lucky so far since then.
Hope it works out for you, and get your butt to Shenzhen we have a little drinking to do. Oiler that goes for you too. Can't remember exactly when you will be here.
-
Today was adventure day, I took the bus from Guangzhou east railway station to Jiangmen, and the start was a bit hard. I told the taxi that took me there that I wanted to go to the bus station. He drops me off and I go in and queue for a ticket. No English anywhere :P I realize there are at least 3 different types of waiting lines and pull my trusted Besta to interrogate my queue neighbor. He tells me after 2 or 3 tries that the line I am in is for phone pre-orders only, I need to change lines. Standing there waiting, I look around and see a train schedule on the wall, not only wrong queue but wrong building too, so I exit and ask a policeman after Ted's advice. He points me to the opposite direction of the complex and I roll my case for about 250m and arrive ... in the local bus network hall. Again with the help of my Besta, I interrogate successively 2 people and I walk about 500m to the real long distance bus station, confirmed by a lonely sign in English. I get chatted up by a youngish man who speaks some English, and he goes all the way with me (does he want my money?). Turns out he's a college student and works as security there, he just wants to practice his English and does all the finding and ticket buying for me, a real nice guy, we exchanged QQ details and I'll coach him in English a bit.
The bus ride to Jiangmen took about 2 hours, comfy bus with AC for which I was grateful, it was warm today and very humid (90%), I was sweating like a pig after the trek around the station with my big and heavy case. The view on the road was splendid, I think I'll do this more often to discover the quieter and less developed areas some more.
Jiangmen is a smallish town by Chinese standards, I didn't see much yet but the center is nice, and I would guess about 1 million people. I must be the only Laowai here and get many many looks, but much friendlier than in the large cities, people smile, say hello, ... I didn't feel strange one minute. I'm staying in a nice hotel 5 taxi minutes from the center, neat room 4 star standard for 300 RMB, and a bathtub, finally! The reception staff have bits of English and are very friendly, I'm popular with the ladies and think I could have made easy contact, but that's not why I'm here.
I am here to meet lady number 1, the one I booted after 2 EMFs thinking it would not work out and being more attracted by a couple of other ladies, of which number 2 on which I reported before. I had QQ contact with #1 and even explained to her that I was more attracted by someone else, I think she did not understand fully but invited me to continue writing anyway. I discovered on out exchanges that she is really sweet and nice, we have many things in common and I started to look forward to every session with her, I even took my mobile with QQ out to be reachable for her, and of course absolutely had to meet her.
We were supposed to meet at 6pm for dinner and a movie. I told her to SMS an address in Chinese so I could show the taxi where to take me, she texts me 25 minutes late and says sorry but I should wait some more. At 6:45 I decide to go down to reception and maybe drink something, and as I get out of the lift I get another text asking me to come to reception. Hehe I was there and walk towards the lounge area. I only see one girl, her profile and look around thinking can't be her, she's not that pretty on her Chnlove photos, but she turns her head and smiles at me, it is her. She is gorgeous, my god, my chin drops to the floor ... wow. I ask her if she wants to keep distance, shake hands, ... and she grabs my hand with a big friendly smile, she seems happy to see me to, or still happy after having seen me:icon_cheesygrin: I tell her she's gorgeous, she accepts without blushing, thinks it might be a joke, but I tell her again. And my god she is, she's 32 but looks 20, she is a simple and pure beauty ... haha ok I'll stop drooling now.:p
We had dinner in a small but nice place and talked as good as we could, using the Besta when a blocking point appeared, and after a while she tells me to stop talking and start eating, and to stop smiling all the time. I can't, I'm in awe, and she is smiling too, but I eat obediently as I'm starving having skipped lunch.
We half walk and half taxi to the movie theater, drink something, I'm enjoying a relaxed and friendly conversation with her the whole time, she is exactly like on QQ, so sweet and such an angel. She does notice that other girls notice me and might have been a tiny bit jealous but I think I said the right things to make her feel better. Then it's movie time, Avatar in 3D (I had seen it in 2D and on DVD, not in 3D yet, haha Jiangmen is the place!). After 30 minutes of movie I can't take it anymore, I feel pheromones flying both ways, grab her hand and ask her if she minds, she doesn't :heart:. From then on we never let go of each other, her head on my shoulder for the rest of the movie, and then walking hand in hand to get a cab. Again, people notice but are really friendly, quite amazing. They all just seem happy to see me. The taxi dropped her off at her place and I moved on to my hotel, I did not get a kiss but was told "next time", and we met again on QQ, she knows I'm happy, I know she's happy.
I'm leaving Jiangmen tomorrow, I can't believe that ... but that's the plan, I'll be back in Jiangmen Thursday or Friday for most of the rest of my stay, I can't wait to get that kiss and give her a hug. I'm trying hard not to fall in love but I think I've struck gold, it's hard to resist.
So cancel all the other ladies, I think I'm crazy saying this but I think she's the one I was looking for.She's just like I thought from our extensive QQ sessions, namely wonderful, she is exactly my type and I don't expect any surprises. :angel:
So haha, wow, hurray !!!
-
You should have gone in numeral order, 1,2,3, Then you would of met her first. See? you never know.
-
Frank--- why are you leaving there??? have i not taught you anything?? kids just dont listen to their elders.
HAHAHAHAAHAHA well i am glad it looks like it might workout well but i would have stayed. skip the
others. anyway thats what i would have done. you know we are expecting pics here in Guangzhou
to see. i guess i am back to square one with the 3 ladies i am trying to find someone for. :icon_cheesygrin:
-
Frank--- why are you leaving there??? have i not taught you anything?? kids just dont listen to their elders.
HAHAHAHAAHAHA well i am glad it looks like it might workout well but i would have stayed. skip the
others. anyway thats what i would have done. you know we are expecting pics here in Guangzhou
to see. i guess i am back to square one with the 3 ladies i am trying to find someone for. :icon_cheesygrin:
Good morning Ted! Yes sorry the three will have to wait a bit I'm afraid, I'm glad we didn't setup meetings yet or they would have been disappointed.
I'm coming back in a few days, she works and went to bed at 3am last night because of me, she'll need a rest, it's only fair.
She will probably come to GZ with me on Feb 20, you'll see her with your own eyes :D
-
Amazing story, keep it up. I am very happy for you. It sounds like bells have gone off in your head (hey this is the one). So
concentrate on this one, and forget the others as you just may have found your ms right. Sometimes the one that is right for
us is just under our nose and we are so much in a hurry, that we can't see the forest for the trees.
-
I like your style of writing Frank. It sort of flows off the page. I enjoy reading your imput.
Keep up the good work!!!
In Jiangman you are just a 20 rmb bus ride from me in Zhongshan. If the girls are that pretty there I may go for a ride!!!!! Or maybe if you had a loose end when she is working we could meet up.
Willy
-
ok frank see you and her on the 20th looking forward to it
-
Great work Frank.. Should we change you from single to engaged soon ? :icon_biggrin:
-
Peter, we're not engaged yet, although I wouldn't mind :icon_cheesygrin:
Rocky, hehe yes, we say you don't see the forest because of all the trees hiding it.
Willy, I thought about you as my bus was passing the Zhongshan sign on the highway ... you're coming on the 20th right? She's off work on Friday when I go back to Jiangmen, and we might travel around a bit after the festivities ... I have a care package for you so don't miss the 20th !!!
3am and we're just off QQ, hehe haha wow :heart: ... I am meeting her brother tomorrow for lunch ...
The trek to Shenzhen went without any issues and I'm in a funny hotel, the Haifu in Luohu, quite cheap around 25O rmb, nicely designed room, the hotel is a 2 and 4 star mix, no restaurant, but flat screen on the wall, kind of boutique interior design, just a bit noisy with the big road outside.
I met Jeffm in the late afternoon, a real pleasure, and we later had dinner together with Chen Yan, a real pleasure as well ... finished the night raving about Chinese women until Starbucks closed at midnight.
I don't have any clean clothes left to wear, well almost, and there is no laundry here so hmmm I have a project for tomorrow morning. I hope my maybe future brother in law will not find my clothes too horrible.
I'm cancelling booting blocking anything else, no point at all at all. :icon_cheesygrin:
More when it comes,
Frank
I
-
the hotel can do your laundry for a small fee. just ask at the front desk Frank.
during my travels thru china i did that on quite a few occasions and the price
was very cheap or so to me. no luandry mats in china hahahaha are you taking
pics while your there? we need some pics of this adventure at least of the ones
without me as i dont like to get my pic taken:icon_cheesygrin:
-
Hmm yes normally they can. Here they sent me to a laundry shop which I couldn't find, then a reception guy walked me there and they were closed at 9:30am, both of them. So I came back at 10:30 and avoided a "missige" and asked another shop owner when they open. They're gone for the New Year :s I think I'll just buy a couple of T-shirts and pants and get it all sorted in the next hotel tomorrow, I'll be clean again on Saturday. :P
-
Talk about being taken to the cleaners :icon_confused:
At least you are there for the Spring festival celebrations - happy sweating :icon_cheesygrin:
-
Chinese have been doing laundry for a long time.
"No tickee...No laundyyy"
:icon_cheesygrin:
-
saturdays a long time to get clean or did you just mean your clothes frank:dodgy:
-
Is it Saturday yet....
Frank, let those clothes walk by themselves over to the laundry....:icon_cheesygrin:
-
Frank, When I see you I know you are favourable by Chinese women ,see how the waitress smile to you.
Just keep your big smile ! And look forward to meeting your angel someday.
-
if they only new the real story frank hahahaha just joking
-
Ted, still no clean clothes, I guess I am stuck until Saturday...
Thank you Yan, did you notice that too? :icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin: I can return the compliment, you could have an army of Western followers if you wanted too :icon_biggrin:
Quick update:
So I met her brother and his wife for lunch, casual Taiwanese food .... his English is pretty good and his wife's written English is excellent, she just doesn't understand or use oral English much, the Besta came in handy for her once again. The brother is a nice surprise, we got along well from the start and maybe we'll do some business together in the future. He did point out that he was meeting me as a friend and not to check me out, but in the course of the conversation he made sure I was a suitable partner for his sister all the same. I learned some things too about her, and they are all good as far as I am concerned. At the end of lunch he tells me he is very happy with me and asks when I would go to Jiangmen, ... Friday was the plan and he said he was going in a few hours (Thusday), would I go with him. I didn't hesitate long and said yes, he walked me back to the hotel and waited with his wife for me to pack (I had not unpacked, arrived the previous evening) and check out of the hotel and off we went.
Surprise he has a nice German car, I feel at home! :icon_cheesygrin: His wife is staying in Shenzhen because she is working next week, we drop her off and talk all the way to Jiangmen, but he has to focus on understanding me so misses a turn here or there haha, we had a good laugh anyway and en enjoyable chat on the way. I think we could become good friends in the future. I'm back in the same hotel in Jiangmen around 5:30pm last room was #1234, today it's 1232 next door. After dropping my bags be went downtown to wait for my sweetheart, and she appears about 10 minutes later. I think from only sleeping 4-5 hours per night my vision is a bit soso these days. I see her coming and think is tat her? Wow she she's cute, and of course it is her. Brother is there so we vaguely brush hands and shoulders (not that we ever kissed yet), and get into the car for dinner together, she sits behind me and "keeps in touch" hehe, I'm happy :icon_cheesygrin:. Dinner actually had an awkward moment, she apparently told her brother a lot about me and he's talking straight about her moving to France, visas etc ... I explain the possibilities, he translates (wrong I guess) and she says we just met, is it not early to talk about marriage. Conversation cools down and both suddenly make serious faces. I picked up the subject from the start, meticulously and made sure she understood it right this time, smiles are back ... but tension is there, even the brother feels he is the 5th wheel on the cart at that moment, and he pays and takes off while we go for a shopping stroll, hand in hand, then en-laced, every occasion to stop and get closer is used, I feel like a teenager again :icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin:.
Shopping is unsuccessful and it suddenly got really cold, so we get the Besta in my hotel and end up in a cozy coffee shop and pick the most private booth to sit. Wonderful quiet moment except for the curious waitresses who came to peek from time to time :icon_cheesygrin:. We get thrown out sometime past 1am and take a cab to her place where I think I will drop her off and go back to my hotel, hoping I can maybe steal a first kiss ... but she says I should pay the taxi and see her to her door. Well I did not see her place and what happened between that time and 3:30am is top secret, let's just say that my day's objective is accomplished :icon_cheesygrin:
Today we're driving on to Zhanjian (spelling?? no time to check) with her brother... All I can say is :heart:
I hope they do laundry there ...
Frank
-
And it's still not Saturday....:s
-
Way to go Frank...You must be in 7th Heaven...
Nice story my friend:icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin:
-
Guys guys.... are you forgetting something?
Looooooooooong before washing machines were invented, God invented Eve to do things like that while Adam watched football & drank beer :icon_razz:
My dear ex actually volunteered to do it for me....
-
Time for an update? Well why not:
I have to thank Ted for waking me up at 9:30 am, I went to bed at 4:30am, I hope I didn't sound too garbled, or did I Ted? :icon_cheesygrin:
Now I didn't really want to get up that early but since I was up I went to breakfast which I missed on the previous stay at this hotel, it's a 5 star and quite impressive, I'll review it on Ctrip once back home, a decent deal at 328 with nice rooms and excellent service. Breakfast buffet was humongous, lots of choice including egg station and some Western things which I did not need, friendly service and the coffee was actually very good, way better than your standard hotel coffee in the West, so I had half a dozen cups I think :icon_cheesygrin: Then it was time to get ready for the trip to Jiangmen, I am being picked up for lunch and then we'll hit the road, about 450km drive to the west.
I don't know how she does it but her timing is always perfect, we seem to be synchronized. While I walk to reception to check out I get a text, saying they are on their way to pick me up, and as I sip the last drop of espresso which I had just after check out, she appears, beautiful as ever, big smile and we brush hands and shoulders, I realize her mom and her niece are in the car outside with her brother ... Lunch happened in a typical cantonese restaurant, not posh, not cheap but probably a reasonable choice, brother orders, she feeds me (I love that :icon_cheesygrin:) and we hold hands under the table although she gets more comfortable than me and shows her affection in front of the family. Her mom doesn't say much but she does invite me to eat more and try this and that.
Now every time I eat with new people I get interrogated on how I learned to eat with chopsticks, last night brother actually ordered knife and fork for me even though I thought I manage quite well. My darling showed me a different way of holding the sticks, it was hard to change my grip to the new one but it is more comfortable and I still manage to pick up 2 peanuts at once which seems to be a decent performance, and in a race to pick up as many peanuts as I could, I was only beaten 6:8 by my sweetheart. The food is getting a bit weird, but it's always tasty. We then drop off mother in her apartment together with the little niece (wow she is so cute at 2 years old, calls me uncle ... :heart:). Mother insists that I come inside, we were going to stay in the car while brother got his bag, so I get offered some hot water and a mandarine which I share with (my?:icon_cheesygrin:) little niece, and off we go.
Our chauffeur in front, us in the back, we cuddle up nicely for the first bit of the drive, she falls asleep in my arms, everything feels so normal and natural. After about 300km we take a little break and ... I get asked to drive as brother is tired. Traffic was quite bad on the highway, it seems all of Guangdong is heading to Zhanjiang at the same time and unfortunately we got out photo taken by the police for overtaking on the emergency stop lane on the right :icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin: I believe the fine is 500rmb for that, and brother swore in Chinese with the occasional f**k thrown in which was priceless. No licence? No problem, the police don't stop you on the highway he says. I'm always up for an adventure so off we go. Chinese highway driving is not that scary, you just avoid the people walking there, slalom between cars and buses somehow stuck on the left lane and use the emergency lane when needed. After 20km it felt no different than at home. We talk about speed limits in Germany and he asks me how fast I drive etc ... then he says there are no more radar traps until Zhanjiang and that I could go fast, actually he wanted to know if his car could do 200km/h, so I tried a few times but the little 2.4 engine needed a good distance to achieve that speed so we never passed 190, Zhanjiang arrived really fast however :icon_cheesygrin: We switched places after the toll exit, you never know, a policeman could be hiding at every corner ... oh and we passed a radar trap, but luckily traffic was not that fast just then ...
Zhanjiang is a smallish city on the coast, about 1.2 million people, it looks much like Jiangmen with big roads downtown and lots of shops, maybe a bit dirtier than Jiangmen but by no means horrible. Brother's friend organized a hotel for me, 5 minutes walking from his home, on the main street of Zhanjiang so I know where to find coffee and stuff if needed. The hotel is 178rmb a night, brand new, really nice and quiet, 4 stars except for the missing robes, but then they are shrimp size here and I never use them anyway. Oh, on New Year's day the rate is doubled ... We pick up brother's friend and WE CHECK IN :icon_cheesygrin: I am asked to bring my laundry as the hotel service does not operate over the new year weekend. Then we pick up the friend's wife and son and go on laundry hunt but the 2 first ones we find all close the next day so no dice. I tell them not to worry about it and go for dinner as planned, but they all insist my laundry has to get done (Brother says worst case I should give my laundry to my girl, she could do it for me :s although they have a washing machine ..) But we are in luck and the 3rd cleaner is ok to do it for tomorrow, so I'll be presentable for the family New Year dinner to which I have been invited.
We then head to dinner and it's brother's friend who is treating us in his cousin's restaurant, so I am told there is no Mai Dan ... to which I reply we should come back tomorrow which causes a good laugh (after translation for those who need it), I think I'm beginning to grasp their humor a bit more. Brother then tells a story about my Karate lessons I had shared with him during the drive, My teacher wanted me to hit him with all my strength and not stop my effort just as I was about to hit (I feared I would hurt him). So I hit him with a rotating high kick on the shoulder and he takes off and flies about 3 meters before landing on all fours haha, he asked for it. He showed me a wonderful purple bruise on his shoulder the week after, and now I am allowed to moderate my hitting hehe. My sweetheart almost choked on her food laughing ... a very cheerful moment for everyone. The host treats me like the guest of honor, serves me the new foods as they arrive and always gives me the best piece, I knew this could happen but my god are they nice. I feel totally spoiled as my sweetheart feeds me ... we have lacquered pigeon, porc toes (they're good!), crab porridge, shellfish soup, delicious veggie soup and some other vegetables, a wonderful meal. Although the conversation is in Cantonese, they always make an effort to include me and translate or ask me things, I don't feel strange or left out which is nice. Once the food is eaten I thank the host profusely, all along the dinner everyone teaches me Chinese, my sweetheart does the most as usual, and she always tests me the next day to see what I have learned ...
We end up on our own at last, go back to the hotel to pick something up and hmm enjoy the privacy for a few minutes, but the hotel room is clearly not acceptable so we leave and find a coffee shop where we continue what we had started, she is not shy at all in public, of course everyone looks at us but she doesn't seem to care and neither do I, we occasionally drink something until the place closes. I drop her off and am now back in the hotel, mesmerized. Even got an SMS from her to check if I arrived well, same as last night.
I will be introduced as a customer/friend of brother to the family as our relationship is not confirmed yet but I am heartily welcomed, and I think I will be introduced as the boyfriend to her father at least.
I've traveled a lot, met many people, amongst them many very nice people, but I have never been made so welcome, they bend over backwards to make me comfortable. I hope I can repay them some day, especially brother I feel deeply in debt but am grateful to be accepted like this so soon, and even before any decision about our future has been discussed, they all know it's way too early.
But I have to say, she is a dream come true. I'm sure she loves me, I'm sure I love her ... this is looking so good and I feel very lucky. It is all very comfortable and natural, the only thing that seems to be on her mind is why and how my relationship in Shenzhen didn't work out and ended, maybe she is worried that this might happen to her. At the same time I think she would have climbed inside me if she could today, she is always in as close contact as possible, I can't remember ever having been hugged so much in my life ... and I love it hehe, and everything else too of course, it's all so natural.
So yes I am in cloud seven but my logic is still there, I don't feel like head over heels at all which I don't really understand. I love her for sure, but it's a reasonable and comfortable love rather than wild, passionate and mindless. I've never experienced that and it has me thinking sometimes. Maybe I am just more mature?
Wan an for now, tomorrow is party day and clean clothes day!
Frank
-
One word for this post Frank AWESOME
Congrats my friend:icon_biggrin:
-
Frank,
so i woke you up? no wonder i didnt understand a word you said :icon_cheesygrin:
looks like it is working well for the two of you. usually the wild,passionate,mindless
love goes away and then you find out it was nothing more than that. looks like and
sounds like you two get along well. and there are the feelings for each other which
is what is needed for success. oh and thanks for the advice you gave Sisi, yesterday
she came home from the vegetable market with 3 banannas, she said Frank said they
are bad for you and will make you fat:dodgy: really appreciate that my freind hahaha
you do know crash diets are no good and you usually pick it back up. i am on a very
strategic plan 1 or 2 kg's a month and in 30 years i will be at my ideal weight hahahaha
haha just kidding maybe only 10 years :icon_cheesygrin:
-
Frank,
so i woke you up? no wonder i didnt understand a word you said
Just wondering what language did he speak when you woke him?
-
Frank , I wonder if your Lady is the long lost Sister of my Wife ? The way things repeat themselves is amazing . Now all we need , is some Photo to verify this .:icon_cheesygrin:
-
Yeah Ted, was I speaking Chinglish? SOrry about the bananas ...
I keep forgetting my camera but I still have 7 days with my sweetheart so we'll see ...
Happy New Year to you all! Mine is already happy, there have been some new developments in the last 12 hours ...
First of all I would like to do Zhanjiang justice, n the morning it is fairly clean, I guess the cleaning squads operate during the night and my first impression of the town was in the evening. We did a bit of walking, the roads are nicely planted with palm trees in vast numbers, it's funny though that you walk under coconut trees, I wonder how it feels when one of them decides to land on your head. I spotted some military ships and learned that Zhanjiang is the second largest naval base in China after the one in Shandong, all the same it is quite sweet and must be a nice place to live.
My baby called me just a minute after I woke up around 9:30, remember what I said about her timing? We seem to be perfectly synced. The plan is to meet up in a little while but I tell her to spend some time with her dad and rest of the family if she wants to, after all she does not see them that often. I'm not hungry but dying for coffee and there is none to be had in the hotel so I walk about and get one in KFC, horrible coffee but better than nothing I guess, I'll try Macdowlow next time since I have one right next to me, actually everything is right next to me, my hotel is in the largest central street of Zhanjiang.
Tomorrow is Valentine's day and I wanted to get her something, I think I have reached the conclusion that she is the one, so it should be something nice. There is a jewelry shop in one of the malls and I start examining necklaces and pendants as Brother's friend's wife walks in with their 4 year old son, he says "hello uncle", and his mom, explains she is sorry not to be able to spend the morning with me because she is busy, but still hangs around and "helps" me choosing a heart shaped pendant and a necklace in white gold for my Valentine. Obviously she sees the price ... I hope she won't tell on me, actually I'm sure she will :D. I draw enough cash to pay for the gift and get it nicely packed, the shop assistants are super friendly and put together something really nice. Remember the timing? Just as I leave the shop I get an SMS from my sweetheart saying she's in the lobby, about 200m away, I tell her to come and meet me half way which we do about 2 minutes later, but she is not alone, brother is with her as well as her half sister, a lovely girl just finishing her tourism major in college and she has excellent English, no wonder as daddy was an English teacher and apparently forced her to learn English with military discipline. We take a bus to go to lunch, there are only few taxis on duty and the car is being used by brother's best friend to run some errands. Food is excellent as always, we enjoy it in a Western style coffee shop and have a lot of fun conversing. My sweetheart gets a little left out because most of it is in English and she has the least of it, but she is patient and doesn't seem to mind. They all teach me Chinese all the time, it's like a family project, I feel so bad when I can't remember certain things but they are all very patient. As the ladies go to powder their noses at the end of the meal, brother speaks a serious word with me. He told his father I was a customer/business friend but says the story will not hold up because of all the sparks flying between me and his sister, so he wants to discuss this with me and her and devise a strategy. Miraculously we manage to get a cab, pick up my laundry (hurray !!) and go to a hairdresser for the ladies, except that they are busy and have tripled their prices so we cancel that idea, the ladies will dress their hair themselves and brother and me go get his car which is available again. I get introduced to another friend as this happens, super friendly again, these people are so nice it's almost unreal. I change into something fresh in the hotel and when I come down, brother's friend, wife and son are in the car and we go to buy New Year fruit for 3 families, basically a boot full of boxes, mainly apples and oranges in luxury packaging special for the festivities. In the car, brother's friend's wife takes my QQ number, I will practice her English with her, and she wants to introduce me to an English teacher who could teach me Chinese. We drop off the first load of fruit at the friend's mom's place who happens to walk by and says a friendly hello to me. When they return, the friend's wife hands me a package with food that her mother in law made herself and gave her for me ... they are so nice, my god this is getting overwhelming. We then drop off the friend's family and go close to dad's place and drink some iced tea waiting for my love to turn up to discuss our strategy for introductions to the family. Brother asks me how I feel and remarks that we seem very happy together. As he asks my eyes get cloudy because I realize how deep my feelings are for her, I sort of knew but his question prompted a clearing up in my mind, I have no doubts. I confirm and tell him that I was certain about her, and that I would not mind making it official if she agrees to this. She arrives a few minutes later. We have not really talked about our future together, so I don't officially know what she thinks although I know she loves me, but maybe this is a bit fast. It seems crazy for me but again, it feels right. He asks her how she feels about our relationship, doesn't tell her what I told him. She answers without hesitation that she is sure about us and brother tells me ... and then says that he is really happy for us and I know he means it, we have talked a lot the last few days and have started to know and appreciate each other, I think we will be great friends, in a way we already are. So we decide to introduce me as the official boy friend in view of marriage. Now that this is decided we head to dad's house for the official introduction.
Dad is not well unfortunately, he suffers badly from Parkinson's and can barely move or speak. Nevertheless I am greeted with a warm smile, he does not let go of my hand until eventually he invites me to sit down, in English! Brother does the introductions, I am nervous to be honest, dad never takes his eyes off me but keeps smiling and approves our relationship after a few minutes. His wife also greets me with a warm smile, she is an angel and has taken care of dad and his illness the last 20 years, family really means something here. With this accomplished, we load everybody in the car and go to New Year's dinner in a Hotel also frequented by Deng Xiaoping, and I am coached on how to act with the family, we will be a total of 15 at dinner, the head of the family being an 84 year old uncle who lives in Canada but is over every year for Spring Festival.
Dinner is in a private room with a humongous table and rotating glass platter. I say hello from far first, am invited to sit by the head of the family who hands out red envelopes to the younger and single family members. Once everyone is there, I am prompted to get up and greet everyone individually in the order of rank (age) which I do, with a big smile which is the polite thing to do. During the dinner, the uncle interrogates brother about me, he is concerned but seems to accept things in the end and smiles and invites me to take the first bite of the first dish, which I am told I should serve him to show respect, which I do of course, except that I fumble with the larger chopsticks ... which draws general laughter. Family discussions go in Zhanjiang dialect but I am surrounded by my English speaking team and they make sure I am always included in the conversation. Half sister teaches me customs and tradition, we chat about this and that and the dinner is very enjoyable thanks to the excellent food and company. Of course I am being observed by everyone with great curiosity, but in a friendly way, and I get complimented on the use of my chopsticks, again everyone is really nice and slowly my nervousness fades.
The food is outrageously good and keeps coming, we ate fish, shrimp, sand-worm (delicious although scary), shark fin soup, abalone, marinated chicken, fish stomach, sea cucumber (delicious), a collection of vegetables dishes, French croissant, sweet rolls, some rice of course, and the meal finishes with a dessert, 3 white sweet balls in a sweet sauce, the roundness of the balls symbolizing family reunion and I am told that the fact that I am getting them means I am accepted in the family. My sweetheart, brother and half sister all serve me in turns, I almost never got a chance to serve myself. I notice that the hierarchy plays a role for the most exquisite foods, the younger women only eat one abalone, I get two and the elderly get three ... Uncle doesn't like smoke or alcohol it seems, we all drink tea and brother takes me out for a quick smoke but makes sure we are not gone more than 3 minutes, I guess that would be impolite. The dinner ends at 8pm and uncle pays between 4 and 5K RMB, and we exit the restaurant, a quick friendly goodbye is spoken, I thank uncle for the dinner and we are back in the car drop off dad and head into town. Brother leaves us to play mahjong and we go to the hotel for a rest.
Around 11:30pm, I give my sweetheart her present and we go out to watch some fireworks. It sounds like Zhanjiang is at war, explosions and chain guns everywhere, we walk for about two hours and manage to have a good talk without the Besta, she is learning fast and still continues to teach me Chinese now and again. We discuss marriage and whether it would be reasonable to decide so fast, we agree that it's not reasonable but that it feels right, so I think to myself: what the heck? I ask her in Chinese, studied that one hard but it takes 4 or 5 tries before she understands :P She tells me she will consider it, but she is playing, I know the answer is yes... I guess I should have bought a ring instead of a necklace, but I will do that outside of China, I hope I can finalize by coming April, either she will come to me, or I will return to China yet again.
Our stroll ends at her dad's house and we say goodnight. I manage the 10 minute walk back to the hotel without getting lost and even find a shortcut, this is all becoming way to familiar and I am enjoying it a lot.
So I guess we're engaged, have family approval and are hopefully on the way to a bright future together. My fiancée is wonderful, her family is wonderful, I feel like the luckiest man in the world!
Frank
-
Awesome Frank...Congratulations my friend...:icon_biggrin:
-
great story Frank, looking forword to meeting her on the 20th when we all have dinner
hold on to her as you found someone to put up with all your smoking hahahahaha
-
Hey Frank, congrats! What a way to start the new year!
-
You Da Man Frank. Her mom must have told her about the neckless, or it was leaked (you know how mom and daughter are) I am so
glad for you. Time to shop for rings now. Do you know her ring size? You really can't ask her as she will catch on fast, better to ask
the brother.
WOW, you have a family now, guess it's going to be that spring travel to China every year. Congradulations Frank !!!
-
Hmm ring buying, I think I'll do that it the West, we'll go have a look at rings together so I get an idea what she likes, I'll figure out her size while we're doing that, I'm sure her brother has no clue and she doesn't seem to wear any rings.
Yes she puts up with my smoking, she even tasted a couple of drafts to see what it was like ... she is so easy going in all ways it's complete bliss. Now she is used to my gentleman behavior, she let's me open doors for her, help her put on her coat, serve her tea or other drinks. I love being a gentleman and well, things are different here so she had to learn to give me that space, but she loves it, the smiles I get are payback enough.
Remember the timing thing? This morning I woke up late, eventually crawled out of bed and into the shower, and just as I am getting dressed there is a knock on the door and there she is ... she says she brought me breakfast but it's a actually a gift for me beautifully wrapped by herself, we forgot to pick it up last night.
We walk down the main road here with the intention of getting some coffee but the crowds are unreal, the waiting lines ridiculous anywhere, so I skip coffee and we head to the jewelry shop to exchange the necklace I chose, it turns out I bought platinum instead of white gold, and she finds the necklace too fragile to sleep with it, so we get an exchange, and she sees the price so there is no secret to it anymore. I pay a little premium because there are some fractions of a gram more in the new choice, and she rechecks the amount to be sure what they charge is correct. Then we attempt to go to lunch but all places are completely overloaded, we end up buying KFC and eating it in the close-by hotel room. Then we're off to the seaside for a walk, I think we walked about 4 hours and I got a load of pictures of her, she is naturally good looking on photos, wow I am in awe :P We return to the hotel by motor trycicle and just as we stretch out our legs after the tiring walk, brother calls and wants to take us to dinner.Somehow there is a bit of tension between brother and sister, I am not certain but maybe the fact that we were in the hotel together could have been the cause, or maybe it's something else, I really don't know. This fades quickly anyway and we're back to joking and laughing and havinga good time. Same as before, all the restaurants are crazy busy and brother lacking patience because he has a Mahjong game later, we check 4 or 5 places and finally get a table in a Cantonese restaurant. Dinner is good, he pays yet again, he absolutely won't let me pay anything since we are here. He leaves us for his game and we go shopping for dad and his wife, a jacket and a sweater to which I will add some fruit and some Belgian chocolates as they seem to be extremely popular, I am invited to have home made lunch tomorrow, and we will have morning tea with brother, he wants to make me taste Kung fu tea, apparently a concentrated and powerful version.
The hotel room really seems to be a no no and I don't mind at all, so we finish the evening in a coffee shop, she falls asleep in my arms and later we give the guests there a demonstration of kissing techniques, lucky we are not the only ones but we do get noticed, so far the only laowai I have seen in Zhanjiang was a guy in my bathroom mirror :D Chinese lessons are still continuing, she makes me ask for the way to the sea, back to her place, call the waitress ... my progression is slow but it's coming (she cracks up because of my pronunciation but people start to understand me), and I now understand numbers when I Mai dan which is Hen Hao I think.
We'll spend one more day here and then return to Jiangmen on Tuesday morning, a five hour bus trek. My sweetheart's friend wanted to talk to me on the phone today, with about 3 words of English ... now apparently I will meet some of her friends in Jiangmen, the news that she has a laowai boyfriend has spread like a wildfire and they all want to check me out it would seem :D I think it will be fun!
I want to give a red envelope to my future half sister in law, she is studying and has no income, and maybe one for brother's 2 year old daughter, if you have suggestions on appropriate amounts I would really appreciate, and do I need to do a lucky bill combination or do I just hand out 100's?
More later,
Frank
-
I'll figure out her size while we're doing that,
Ask her the size because you are thinking of buying a present for your Mother/fav Aunt/Neice/Daughter and they are about the same size as her...
-
Hi Frank,
A real fantastic story. BTW, if you thinking of taking her home, I can confirm that family reunification accordingly to the EU rules works fine. My wife just received her resident permit for the next five years. :icon_cheesygrin:
Happy new year! ???!
-
Just so happy for you Frank ! You know that makes " US " three happy German's here ... that found happiness from a far away place .
You , Hajo and Me . Good to hear from Hajo again and glad his Story is all coming together quite well , of which we are sure to like to hear more of . Hint ...hint !
-
Wowowow! Congrats to the luckiest man in the world !
-
I'll second the wow.
That was fast, but I guess you know when you know. Congratulations!!!
I don't know if I ever could do it that fast. No on second thought I KNOW I couldn't do it that fast.
-
I'll second the wow.
That was fast, but I guess you know when you know. Congratulations!!!
I don't know if I ever could do it that fast. No on second thought I KNOW I couldn't do it that fast.
Jeff, if you meet the right girl, you can do it very fast. Believe me.
Arnold, I got your hint..hint. I hope Irish has enough space on the server. Its going to be a long story, :angel:
-
Haha fast? Hajo thanks for the info, I'll most certainly use it when that time comes, but I will try and get a tourist Visa first for her, see how she likes life with me in my house and with my family ... although again I'm sure it will work out great.
Jeff, I know it sounds crazy, I thought date a few months, think about it well and weigh the pros and cons ... but I don't see any cons, she exceeds all my ideas of the ideal woman, we love each other like crazy and she has the same view as me even though she is still "considering" officially:P But the family introductions are done, approval was obtained, and she told me today she is glad she made that decision ... We took a pile of pictures the last couple of days, and had many taken of us and they all speak bliss, people have commented about what a nice couple we make, so sweet and romantic :angel:and today the question came from a friend's girlfriend, "When is the wedding planned?" Haha ... But seriously, I think I can make her happy, those who met me can testify that I smile a lot, yet I smile even more now, she makes me happy and everything feels comfortable and right, all her family are really nice people which also gives me confidence.
Hope you guys will behave well on the 20th, she will be there with me ...
Now a quick update, her aunt (daddy's wife) made a special lunch for me, 8 different dishes and really delicious including sand worms in garlic sauce which they had noticed I liked, I think I committed sand worm genocide today :D I was warmly welcomed when I arrived, dad greeted me in English and got up for that bearing a big smile, he truly seemed happy to see me and I think he is happy for us. Before lunch was gift time, a jacket for dad, a sweater for auntie, a red envelope for her sister and some Belgian chocolates (Sorry Willy, these were meant for you but I heard that dad and brother like chocolate so I won't be adding to your waistline this time, my apologies, but I'll be sure to bring you some on the next occasion :blush:). Everybody takes care of me all the time, even the conversation is primarily in English, my sweetheart is loading my bowl with food and pays attention to my every needs even before I know about them myself, I am constantly pampered and spoiled. Its a wonderful lunch in a warm and wonderful family.
After lunch we picked up brother's best friend and wife, bought some fireworks (enough to start a war) and went to visit the Zhanjiang Volcano park with its crater lake below sea level, it was a bit cold but good fun all the same. We visited the Buddhist temple there and my girl and I burned some humongous incense sticks and prayed to Buddha, and then to a Chinese goddess of fertility. Will I be daddy soon? With such a wonderful mom at my side? I certainly hope so. Brother keeps paying for everything and I am starting to feel bad, he even paid for tomorrow's bus tickets to Jiangmen, my stay is certainly punching a hole in his savings.
Then we went to barbecue style dinner and headed to the beach to shoot some fireworks, scary business as most don't seem to do what they're supposed to :D.Nobody got burned anyway. KTV was next on the program with a bunch of brother's friends, I did some singing (my first KTV) and it was fun, again this was organized for me ... Around 11pm we have late night dinner, again this was brother's idea for me, he must have noticed that I lost a little weight the last few days and is probably worried, so I end up being stuffed like a goose. We then separate, my girl and I head off to our favorite coffee shop and give the waitresses kissing lesson number 3 while brother and his friends go to play Mahjong again. We get kicked out of the place at 1 am and walk home, a good excuse to spend some more time together although the weather is now really fresh and drizzly. As per a miracle I find the way without getting lost although I had my doubts at times, this was quite a walk and through streets that we had never used before. I dropped her off at her parents house, we had a hard time splitting up but now I am in the hotel tired and happy.
Tomorrow we hit the road to Jiangmen, it will be an occasion to meet her friends and get to know her mom and little niece some more. I will give the niece a red envelope to compensate her father's spending somewhat, and I still have to find a gift for mom ...
Life is beautiful!
Frank
-
Life is beautiful !
Yes Frank ... it certainly can be ! Wonderful to read your Story .
-
sounds great that it has worked out so well for you on this visit Frank,
and yes i think we should ALL be on our best behaviour on the 20th. or
at least who shows up:icon_cheesygrin:
-
Frank, you've got me worn out, so much traveling and meeting people, think I'll crawl off to the lazy boy....:icon_cheesygrin:
-
Frank I can't say I wouldn't do the same. It it's right then it's right. Why wait? I'm happy for you, and when we met I could see that you sensed she was the one.
Sometimes you think and sometimes you KNOW and you know this one Frank. Congratulations!!!
-
Haha fast? Hajo thanks for the info, I'll most certainly use it when that time comes, but I will try and get a tourist Visa first for her, see how she likes life with me in my house and with my family ... although again I'm sure it will work out great.
The tourist visa is a good idea. We did it too. The tourist visa is valid for up to 3 month. Then she has to wait for another 3 month before she can enter the Schengen countries again.
Glad to read that you are having a great time! Keep it that way!
-
Ok super fast update, we arrived in Jiangmen after a 5 hour bus ride through which we mostly slept latched onto each other. Brother spoke a serious word to me just before we boarded the bus, reiterating family approval and pointing out that they are a good family, I will be proud to have them as my own, and I thanked him for being such a wonderful host and told him I wished that we would be good friends in the future, we certainly got along well and both had a tear in the corner of our eyes when saying goodbye. I miss him already.
Once in Jiangmen, we had a quick dinner and met one of my girl's friends, she approved of me too :P, I think she might be jealous actually. Today we spent most of the day indoors as the cold is creeping into our bones, we only left here for dinner with her niece and mom, after which we went for a stroll and returned here once again. Tomorrow I am meeting another friend of her's and I hope I can get some hotel laundry done, I have nothing left to wear :D My sweetheart is making quick progress in English, we pull the Besta on occasion but our overall conversation is fluid and I learned to simplify my vocabulary so she can understand me more easily, so even that is going great.
Maybe no update tomorrow, but I'll see some of you in GZ on Friday ...
Frank
-
Frank, only 3 more days till Saturday, can you wait that long...:icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin:
-
Frank--- call me when you get into GZ
-
I will Ted, this PM ... we'll leave in a couple of hours, staying at Yu Feng Hotel as planned :D
-
Ok Frank - I see you are staying at the same hotel that I stayed at in December.
Can you do me a favour and check on room 603.
I dropped a 1 yuan coin there and was running late for the bus when I was leaving so did not have time to look for it properly. Any chance of having a search for me!!!
Willy
-
Ok Frank - I see you are staying at the same hotel that I stayed at in December.
Can you do me a favour and check on room 603.
I dropped a 1 yuan coin there and was running late for the bus when I was leaving so did not have time to look for it properly. Any chance of having a search for me!!!
Willy
hahaha Just like an Englisman..tight git...hahaha
-
Ok Frank - I see you are staying at the same hotel that I stayed at in December.
Can you do me a favour and check on room 603.
I dropped a 1 yuan coin there and was running late for the bus when I was leaving so did not have time to look for it properly. Any chance of having a search for me!!!
Willy
[
/quote]
hahaha Just like an Englisman..tight git...hahaha
Tight Git married to a very careful Chinese woman - lucky we are past the age to have kids - can you imagine just how frugal they would have been!!!!
Willy
-
Tight Git married to a very careful Chinese woman - lucky we are past the age to have kids - can you imagine just how frugal they would have been!!!!
Willy
hahaha Willy...it doesn't bear thinking about....Hahaha
-
so Frank are you heading back or already back? how did the rest of the trip go?
-
As Frank has not posted for a few days I would think that having such a beautiful companion he has not surfaced from the hotel!!!
Sorry I could not make it to GZ, Frank and Peter and Ted but at least I have got the money situation sorted now.
Willy
-
we had a good time without you Willy hahahaha
we just needed your bank card for the bill hahahaha
just kidding
-
hand-me-downs willy, now that's frugal (tight git in english)...
-
hand-me-downs willy, now that's frugal (tight git in english)...
HAHAHAHA....HE KNOWS WHAT THE WORD MEANS MATE, IT'S HIS MIDDLE NAME.....lol
-
Hi from France!
Pity we did not get to meet Willy!
I arrived back yesterday after a 31 hour trip, I started out from Jiangmen at noon on a bus to Hong Kong, crossed the border in Shekou (Shenzhen) and got back on the same bus on the other side and later got dropped off somewhere in Hong Kong, had to figure out the MTR (lucky I had some HK dollar coins) and caught the Airport Express which got me to the airport at 4pm, take off was at 6:50 pm to Doha. 9h15 flight and I slept some, then about 1 hour in Doha and another 6h45 flight to Paris. I slept some on the first leg and most of the second leg so I'm almost jet lag adjusted. I got out of Paris airport around 7:30am and took the train to Paris ... I stopped for coffee twice which made me miss a train to my home so I had to wait 90 minutes in the station :s Total of 31.5 hours door to door.
Quickie on Qatar: I'm not doing that again if I can avoid it, although their service is friendly, the return flight time totals 16 hours versus under 13 going direct, my rear end was sore after 4-5 hours as their seats are not on par with Swiss' or Cathay's. Entertainment was exactly the same on all 4 flights so I ran out of things to watch on the last leg, even with 2 weeks between the flights. Their service is decent but strange, they serve breakfast 2.5 hours before landing when I would prefer to sleep, 45 minutes before landing you're already in crash landing position and they collect the blankets way too early, interrupt the AVOD a lot during the end ... give me a break and respect your customer, it does not cost anymore to let me sleep 90 minutes longer, and I know I'm on Qatar airways so don't show me a 15 minute advert about your company, instead impress me with your customer service and consideration. I also lost my seat bookings on the first Paris-Doha flight because I checked in a little late (because of their waiting line), so I got the last row center seat ... had I missed the plane I would have had to buy another ticket, so keep my seat please! Drinks service is too light, on Cathay you get some water every 20 minutes if you're awake, on Qatar it's mostly DIY. Oh and Doha airport will stick in my memory as the Mirage airport, you see the terminal about 500m away but the bus never gets to it, seems to drive around it in circles, the transfer takes 15 minutes or so, who planned this? If their tickets are a lot cheaper than the competition, I might go for the savings. Other than that I will prefer their competitors who really do provide excellent service.
It was hard to leave my love, of course it was, I miss her and she misses me but I miss her in a peaceful way because I know we will be together soon and because I have full confidence in our feelings for each other. This feels so right it's almost like a dream, but I know I won't have to wake up because it's for real, I feel so lucky! Time for me to get up to speed at work again, investigate the administrative route for my single certificate and then it's marriage time :icon_cheesygrin:
Frank
-
Congratulations Frank! I'm very happy you had a successful trip.
-
Nearly a completely successful visit Frank. Just needed to meet me to have completed a perfect spell away from France!!!!!:icon_cool: Maybe catch up next time or maybe come to the marriage feast. Just have to check with my social diary secretary as soon as we have the date!!!
On qatar I always put the blanket under the seat belt - let them dare wake me to get it back!!! Done 6 flights with them - no leg room but cheapest rate of all.
Willy
hand-me-downs willy, now that's frugal (tight git in english)...
HAHAHAHA....HE KNOWS WHAT THE WORD MEANS MATE, IT'S HIS MIDDLE NAME.....lol
If you see me on webcam will you let me know if my eyes are becoming a little slitty - maybe at the corners???
I am starting to think like a Chinese person maybe start to look like them.
I am even cheering on Wang Bingyu in the ladies Curling team - or maybe that is just because I have got the 'hots' for her. Type grip on the handle and then a gentle slow release of the stone. woah lets go and have another cold shower!!!
Willy
-
LMAO about the coffee run and missing your train. I guess you weren't kidding when you talked about how important your coffee was.
Really happy for you. Keep us posted on how the paper goes.
-
Not to sound stupid (ok mabey it is)
1. Where is Doha
2. What kind of plane is 9h15?
3. Who is Qatar, and where is the company out of (india?)
Sorry about your Butt, that is a long trip, specially with all the transfers.
Glad, you and your lady are getting along so well and all is good with you.
Perhaps it's a good thing you didn't see Willy, you would have
ended up with a suitcase full of eggs....:icon_cheesygrin:
-
Rocky,
Doha is the capital of Qatar (a middle eastern country)
9h15 is the flight duration from HK to Qatar (seems a bit long though)
Qatar airlines promotes themselves as a 5 star airline (if you watch BBC World or BBC America, you should see their ad maybe two or three times an hour). Along the same lines as Cathay and Singapore Air...
-
Rocky,
Doha is the capital of Qatar (a middle eastern country)
9h15 is the flight duration from HK to Qatar (seems a bit long though)
Qatar airlines promotes themselves as a 5 star airline (if you watch BBC World or BBC America, you should see their ad maybe two or three times an hour). Along the same lines as Cathay and Singapore Air...
My Opinion is that Five Star Airline bit must apply to First Class Passengers only because it is non apparent on the economy section. And last time I travelled with them they made me sit near the front. I also sit in the rear line of seats! (Ever heard of a plane tail diving - no always nose diving!!!)
Willy
-
I think 5 star applies to certain things like the overnight kit, frequency of meals, entertainment, online checkin and express luggage drop off ... they're better than Air France, no doubt about that, but their seats are not as nifty as Cathay's where the sleeping position is really almost as good as older business class seats, just not as wide. Cathay also provide power plugs for laptops, constantly offer drinks and snacks and you are actually invited to use the call hostess button if you need something where other airlines try to avoid you using it, Air France hostesses actually think there must be some medical emergency for you to use that button. Downside for me with Cathay is that they don't offer express luggage drop off in Paris and I found their waiting line too long for check in, the best there were Swiss, and their service is so good you don't need to use the call hostess button although you still have to pass security in Zurich again, no biggie I guess, the trip takes 2.5 hours longer in total than with Cathay but departure times are better, you don't waste most of the day for the flight on either side where you do with Qatar and mostly with Cathay as well. Oh and Cathay operate 747 on that route, which I hate personally, too noisy and too many people. Swiss and Qatar operate Airbus 330 or 340 which are quieter and less crowded and I had no babies on Swiss.
The HK to Doha flight took so long because of headwind, but that seems to be normal, I think it's between 7 and 8 hours in the other direction as you're flying against Earth's rotation. Paris to HK direct is about 12 hours, and 13 hours coming back. Both directions were on mostly empty planes, quite unusual, only Doha - Paris flights were fullish.
Willy, in front it's quieter, and less noise from kitchen/WC + you exit faster except with Qatar in Doha as all of economy exits through a single rear door :dodgy:
David, Yes coffee is important, especially after a 30 hour trip, and my butt is still a little sore ... the coffee didn't help there :icon_cheesygrin:
I just learned that my son will be with his mom for a full 2 weeks in April, sounds like that would be a wedding opportunity window, I really have to get on top of this paperwork stuff quickly :icon_cheesygrin:
Frank
-
I have full confidence in our feelings for each other. This feels so right it's almost like a dream, but I know I won't have to wake up because it's for real, I feel so lucky!
Frank,I only see this key words from your long post....That's the most important!
-
I have full confidence in our feelings for each other. This feels so right it's almost like a dream, but I know I won't have to wake up because it's for real, I feel so lucky!
Frank,I only see this key words from your long post....That's the most important!
Chen Yan I thought you was talking to me until I saw Franks name:huh::dodgy:
Willy
-
Yan, yes and they are still the same ... but I miss her more and more, even the hours we spend on QQ and on the phone don't help, the pain is growing and it's hard for both of us ... probably just one month to wait but it hurts.
I can't wait to be united with her.
Frank
-
What about me Frank??? You dont miss me????
Wow meet a woman and forget about your freinds.
i need a drink
hahahhaha
Willy,
Chen Yan is to young and beautiful for you lol
Ted
-
Wow....
Congrats for your lovestory and your future wedding, so ;)
when will it be, so?
Will you go there ASAP?
Because if so, I would like to know which is your bank, as I see you travelling so fast in China, when you come back, you just want to go there again on the following month... :D
But I can understand ^^
I wish you all the best, I really enjoyed reading your story ;)
-
Willy
I dont want to rain on your parade....but most modern airliners crash tail first....!!!
At the speed they travel...about 0.85 Mach (speed of sound) the major hazard to flying is called a "jet upset"...because they are so high and the air is so thin that the stall speed is very , very close to the cruising speed.
If the Driver or the computer gets it wrong then the whole kit and kaboodle falls out of the sky !!! At that altitude, profile drag does not figure in the equation and she usually comes down flat or slightly tail down....due to the C of G being behind the centre of aerodynamic pressure........that is, if it stays in one piece !!!
With a "T" tail configuration (Boeing 727 style) , she will be in a "deep stall" and be very definitely seriously tail down. So much so, in fact that there is zero control available from the elevators, because they are in the disturbed air from off the wing surface that is stalled. So the Driver cant do anything at all about it anyway......
However, if any of this should happen, it matters little where you are seated....just put your head between your knees and kiss your A** goodbye :icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin::icon_cheesygrin:
David
ps..Statistically, if you were born on an aeroplane and flew non-stop, 24/7, you would not have an accident until you were 167 years old. How about arranging to be born on an aeroplane and getting off at 166 years...what an interesting life :icon_cheesygrin:
-
I am very envy you,Frank. I guess you already show her photo to your son,and he nod his head said I also like this lady to be my step mom.
Here is totally different situation I heard from one of my friend just start a relationship with his lady.I ask how do you feel these days.He replied me clamly :we are good. I asked why I donn't feel you feel exciting.It should be excited when you find the right one,isnn't it. He still replied me clamly:that is because I donn't want her to feel big drop after marriage. We have a long way to go.wow,what a rational man!I do know many woman complaint about the drop after marriage.So he was just try to tell me "love me little ,love me long".
-
now Yan dont you think all men are rational:dodgy:
please dont comment on this hahaha
Ted
-
Wow it seems I'm late ... busy with paperwork and accounting, both are progressing slowly but the paperwork sure isn't the easiest thing I've ever done. But I think I figured out how to proceed and am about halfway to getting my single certificate equivalent. Monday it's back to Paris again to retrieve the legalized documents from the Chinese consulate, I'll Fedex them to my love, she has to get them translated and then check if they will accepted as they are by the civil office in her hometown ... the Chinese consulate seem to think it's ok what I have produced, but their French is as good as my Chinese so I am prepared for a surprise or two still. Then we have to get her paperwork so our marriage documents can be accepted by the French consulate in GZ, which would allow an immediate (I hope) issue of a 3 months spouse visa, which will be extended into a 5 year residency permit once we're back in France ... so it seems anyway. Thanks to Hajo I am aware of the EU citizen advantages in a foreign EU country, I am so glad I never changed my nationality to French, otherwise we would be in paper war for 6 months... If all goes to plan, she could come back to France with me in April, wouldn't that be something?
Sorry Ted, I miss my fiancee, she's a little cuter than you :icon_cheesygrin:
Yan, don't envy me, you'll find your luck soon, I'm sure of that! My son already chatted on QQ and webcamed with her, he does approve so far, he thinks she is very pretty (very important to him apparently) and really nice, so we'll see :blush: It's funny because I think I am very down to earth in general, and even with this new found love, there is a lot of reason in me. I am not afraid of the drop after marriage, there will not be one becase we somehow skipped passion and started with love first. Sure there is some passion now and sure it will maybe fade with time, but love will remain. If I have learned anything at all in my past experiences, it's that it is easy to maintain a loving relationship as long as one is aware that maintaining it is required. I know my fiancee will take care of me in a way I have never experienced before, and our relationship is so natural that it's almost too good to be true. I will work to keep the fire going, and she does not need to do much in that field, just her smile is enough for me, everything else is a bonus ... Of course nobody can predict the future, but this relationship is not built on passion, so I am not worried.
Sylvain, my bank? Hmmm I don't go there in person anymore, it's surely not easy financially with so many trips in a short time (and my business closed while I'm gone), but I manage so far. My best selling season is the summer, I'll make sure I sell as much as I can then to compensate for lost revenue the past few months. You probably guessed that the wedding will be ASAP !!! and I surely hope to spend Easter in Guangdong to get this done. But the paperwork might say otherwise, so wait and see.
Back to my slave work now ... if this all goes after plan, I will write up the entire administrative procedure in the appropriate forum section, just in case another expatriated EU citizen in another EU country has the same issues.
-
Wow, a good trip report :icon_cheesygrin:.
I wouldn't recommend Air China - the in flight entertainment was ancient movies or Chinese opera lol. Very nice air hostesses though (as you'd expect). On the way back my seat was broken. Cathay are great. Virgin so-so, JAL quite good (if they're still in business).
Expedia seem to be featuring aeroflot a fair bit these days :dodgy:.
-
Hmm Aeroflot on Tupolevs? :angel: I'm kidding, they are good planes actually, and Aeroflot are not all bad, neither is the Moscow airport ...
-
Frank, thanks for the update. Well, 'seems like you don't want to go to your bank, but it is strange that nobody knocked at your door so or that you don't have any "cupid note" from your bank... haha ^^
Good luck for the papers, I wish to do same too :)
and if you marry soon, and if you come both back in April, then, it is very "close", as date:)
-
sounds like it is rolling along Frank
soon her new life in france will be a
reality
-
Hi Ted, yes, things are rolling!
I'll be back in China in 2 weeks and guess what, we're getting married !!!!
The info the Chinese consulate provided on getting married in China for foreigners is right, my fiance got my documents translated after I got them legalized by the French Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Chinese consulate in Paris, and showed them to the marriage office today, they say everything is ok to get married :icon_cheesygrin:
She had to take a trip to GZ for the translation, and she found a better deal than the initial 950 RMB quote from the first office, although I don't know what it cost in the end ... but I sent her plenty anyway :angel: She was extremely efficient in getting everything sorted, I am full of admiration because she started from scratch ... I at least have been around and worked with the French Government so I am used to the administrative messing around.
The other good news is that once we are married (no wedding ceremony now, we'll do that later), she will get a 3 months Visa to Schengen in 48 hours in the French Consulate in GZ, I already verified that with them. It is quite handy not to be French in France in this situation, if I was the procedure would have been more cumbersome and taken much longer. I need to figure out how to get our marriage recognized in the EU, but that shouldn't be too hard, I guess notarized, legalized and translated. My future wife can then apply for her 5 year residency permit (which has no conditions except proof of marriage to a EU citizen), then in 5 years for a 10 year card. We'll probably be based in China by then but will keep a foothold here for medical/retirement benefits and her resident's card, easy enough.
Now I have to find a decent price plane ticket for her, ideally coming back with me on China Southern (she has taken a plane only once in her life), but she'll have to look into that with a local travel agent tomorrow, even a one way fare is higher than a rountrip bought from France, completely ridicolous ... I can get a round trip for 600€ on the same flight for her, a one way is 780 ...??
And guess what I'm doing? Buying a nice engagement ring, wedding rings, gifts, her birthday is coming up too ... So I'm accepting donations, I think I'll be broke by the end of April and my business is slow as hell, so if you have some change to spare, let me know :angel:
All the same, I'm a happy camper ..., married in 2 weeks and 3 days!
Frank
-
All the same, I'm a happy camper ..., married in 2 weeks and 3 days!
Frank
17 days and counting - happy trails fellow adventurer and best wishes for a safe journey.
-
well Frank thats great news i hope you look us up when you
arrive here in two weeks. what hotel will you be staying at??
-
Hi Ted, of course I will, things permitting ...
For the moment I am staying in Jiangmen, don't know about GZ yet but the hotel close to you is a good choice :)
-
Frank, please let me some place beside you in your next flight for China :blush:
or bring me back Liyan ^^'
-
Sly, I think I'll be loaded with things to bring back for my soon to be wife, but did you ever consider UPS? :icon_cheesygrin:
-
Hello Frank, I have learned from you that to be a happy person all the time can bring you the luck.
I enjoy your story and donn't forget to keep updating.
I hope I can learn more about somehow skipped passion and started with love first ^_^
-
Yan, your desires are orders!
We got married last Monday, the paperwork required was sufficient even though we both worried that it would not be, but we have our red books. We then went to GZ to the French consulate to apply for a Schengen Visa for my wife. The phone info I got was not correct unfortunately, red books + passports and residency proof were not enough, we need a notarized wedding certificate ... so we went back to Jiangmen and and luckily got that yesterday in Chinese and English (Ted, sorry no time to meet up with you and Sissy, we were running all the time in GZ and using the car with my brother in law did not help, we wasted a lot of time in traffic).
We're really tired from having little sleep and running around for all the paperwork and wedding bands, but we have most of it now and plan to rest tomorrow Sunday. Then on Monday it's back to GZ to get the certificate legalized. And hopefully get the Visa sorted on Tuesday. More later ...
-
well congrats Frank
-
Congratulations Frank
-
congradulations Frank best wishes to you and your new wife.
-
Congraz Frank may you 2 be hapy for ever...
-
Also my Congratulations to you Frank and your new Bride . Running a Marathon for a wonderful chinese Wife is nothing ... Right ???
-
Congratz Frank.
-
everythings going pretty fast for you. soon she will be
in France
-
And before you know it there will be Little Frankinese running around.
Willy
-
Huge congratulations Frank, may you and your new wife have many happy years together.
Don't be a stanger here once you bring her back to France! I for one would love to know how a Chinese lady finds living in a European country to be like.
-
so when is the big day fr you and sunny irishman??
-
Greetings Brothers,
Well Frank that was a really excellent read through this thread. Sounds like you had the best of luck in pretty much everything. Let me also say congratulations from Zhen and I on your marriage.
One thing I have to say that has been said in many other such stories.... WHERE ARE THE PICS?
Just kidding.... not!! we all would like to see some pics of that beautiful lady of yours, you can even include yourself in one if you like hehehe .
Anyway we both hope you have a wonderfull life together and hopefully we will hear more your your adventurse when your lady gets to France.
Congrats again!!
Zhen and Brian
-
i was wondering the same pics????
-
Frank , bitte einige Bilder dazu legen . Ich danke Dir voraus .
Guy's , one must just know how to ask nicely for Pictures .:blush:
-
Wow, thank you all for the congratulations! Yes I am Happy, blissfully happy to be precise, and I can't wait for my wife to arrive here, 48 hours and counting :icon_cheesygrin:
I arrived back in France yesterday after a 24 hour delay due to the volcano cloud over Europe, not so bad considering my son was delayed a full week in Ireland, and it only took one phone call (in English) to China Southern to sort out. Then at the airport yesterday, they had scheduled a second flight to Paris which left a bit earlier than my planned one, they put me on that one and to convince me, they updgraded me to business class :icon_cool: The flight was very comfortable as a result and I slept a full 8 hours, maybe I'll fly China Southern again after all ... upon landing the weather was simply beautiful, mild and sunshine, looks like all the signs are right.
The French consulate in GZ proved to be a bit more difficult than initially expected and we had to go there 3 times to finally get the paperwork accepted, they kept changing their requirements at every meeting, even calling the German consulate for advice, and were obviously not happy that a German could get his wife into Europe so fast when a Frenchman has to be much more patient. Then when they were told they had 48 hours to issue the Visa as previously promised on the phone, they grimaced again but complied. Since my flight was delayed, we picked up her Visa together on Friday and met a family friend to discuss business opportunities. It turns out I have quite a lot of family in Guangzhou on top of the ones in Jiangmen and Zhanjiang, and it's interesting to see how they all want us to live close to them when we move to China, I was even shown a brand new appartment in GZ by one of my new uncles, very nice place in European standard with 2 bathrooms, nice western style kitchen ... and even though the wedding party is not going to happen for a good while, we already got some red envelopes and jewelry for my lady. So many new connections ... I think it will be easy to setup a business once we settle down in GZ, looks like we can even get some party help, maybe even investors as some are quite wealthy and keen for business opportunities, not to mention family friends.
Now we have to figure out how to celebrate the wedding, we'll most probably have to host 2 parties in China and then maybe another one in France, but though I thought China would be too far for people who have never been there and it turns out it is not when I talk to them, so it could well be that most of my close friends and family will join us in Jiangmen for the main event :icon_cheesygrin: and we could possibly skip the French party.
48 hours,
Ingmar
[attachment=2044]
-
Terrific photo Frank , and congrats on your speedy visa approval , regards Robert .
-
thats great just 48 hours to go
-
Great Photo Frank !!!
Are you sure you're not related to Martin . Both of you look like Brother's ( by size and looks ) .:icon_cheesygrin: