My fourth Trip

[maxx]

Sarge I hope everything turns out allright.

[Martin]

Hiya Sarge...I hope everything turns out for the best.

[shaun]

Jim your mother has my prayers and your family on both sides of the ocean.

[JimB]

Thank you for all of your prayers and thoughts.  We are still waiting.  I asked my sister whether I should come home now.  She said I should wait for all of the test results which will be in on Monday.  I still think i should head home now but she is the one on the scene.  Mom is stable right now so I think I will wait for Monday, but I will go home then.

On the brighter side, my Chinese family decided on my Chinese name.  I had not had one before just my wife called me her Panda, for obvious reasons. hehe  But Mama said because I have brought so much happiness to my wife and now the whole family my name is Shi Ja Foo.  As she says it means bring joy and happiness to the Shi family. ( At least I hope it means that.  It could mean suckered by the Shi family.)  I am not sure of the spelling either as mama wrote it in Chinese. Anyway, I thought it a pretty good honor by her.
Today I videotaped her making dumplings for me.  We spent a couple of hours doing this.  I only taped the different sections.  The longest obviously is the stuffing of the dumplings as she made a ton.  I helped do that part.  I am getting better at it this time. At least this time they look like dumplings and not some roll. hehe.
I really have had a good time with them.  it is relaxed fun.  None of the forced gaiety that you sometimes do in these situations.  I really feel a part of the family now.  Being the oldest male has its priveleges.  I get seated first, I eat first, they wait on me hand and foot.  I do not fill myh plate, they do it and if anything needs to be cut or peeled my wife does it for me.  
As I said before I have been teaching them English and Suzie Q has really picked it up fast.  Last night my brother in law, his wife and Suzie Q had a dinner with one of the big shots at  his new hospital.  He didnt know that they did not speak Chinese and he does not speak Russian.  But the English I taught them came in handy as they spoke it.  They asked ZhouZhou her name and she replied without hesitation, Suzie Q.  The man looked at my brother in law and asked why he did not give her a Chinese name, all he could do was laugh and explained that I had given it to her and in speaking English that is her name.  And Suzie Q actually helped them translate so they were very happy with me for that.  They are leaving for home in Wuhan tonight.  They are taking the sleeper train as it is 8 hours.  I will miss them.  So tomorrow we move to a hotel again as her room mates are all coming back from their home leaves.

more later, It is dumpling time!!!

[Neil]

Shifu was the teacher in Kung Fu Panda.  I think Shifu means master...so good name.

[Martin]

I am curious as to the meaning of Jia Fu.  My wife's cousin's husband has this same name.

[maxx]

Martin my wife says it means.The rule of the house. Example when you come in the house you need to take your shoes off.That is my wife's and mother inlaws rules in there houses.

I asked her if it meant ruler of the house she said.No just rules.Of the house.

[Willy The Londoner]

I am curious as to the meaning of Jia Fu.  My wife's cousin's husband has this same name.

Not sure about Jia Fu bu Jie Fu is the husband of an elder sister!

Willy

[JimB]

How I thought it originally meant was:   JA FU or Just Another Fu__ Up

[mustfocus]

There are numerous combinations of characters and meanings...  Here's a possible combination...

Shi (?) teacher/master/expert
Jia (?) home or family
Fu (?) husband/man

I'll let you guys draw your conclusions from this (assuming it's right).

[JimB]

I asked my brother in law again.  to make sure.  He told me it is Jia Fu.  Shi Jia Fu.  Shi is the family name, Jia is the soul or the inner core of the family and in that context Fu is happiness of the soul of the family.  So to them in Wuhan it means happiness to the soul of the family Shi.  I will accept that meaning.  that is what they meant and that is how I will take it.  I am happy with that.  I am honored with that meaning.  So anyone can take it or leave it or make anything else they want. End of discussion.  The end result is that I have been completely accepted by my Chinese family, I have brought happiness to them and they have brought happiness to me.  that is what I care about.  Any other translation is meaningless to me.

[ttwjr32]

but post 56 was funny jim at least you have a sense of humor :icon_cheesygrin:
and congrats on the family saying your the soul of the family good honor

[JimB]

My mother is stable, they did a test on the lump and it came back benign, but her heart is still a problem.  
they are going to do more tests but next week, so I can be home for them.

Had dinner with the General and his wife last night. (I am really unsure of posting his name anywhere, at least until I know him better)  For those who dont know or remember, when I came here to marry my wife, I had lunch with My wife some people from her work, friends and the Generals wife.  She was a patient and became friends with my wife. (That seems to happen a lot with her) i am proud of her for that. anyway, while eating lunch the generals wife said that she was going to introduce Gina to an officer that she had picked out, kiddingly I picked up the knife from the table and told her she was taken. she said, I have a gun and know how to use it. I returned to her and said so do I and I have used it a lot have you?  She put her chopsticks down, came around the table and gave me a hug saying I was alright.  we have been friends ever since.  I had never met her husband until last night though.  we did not get into any details about what he did, but for sure he was not a troop commander, he just does not have the presence so I am guessing he was either in logistics or intelligence probably logistics as his wife is very brash and speaks her mind so I dont think he would have made it.  Her father was also a general and I expect that is why he made it like he did.  Of course this is all speculation.  we are having lunch with them tomorrow so I will find out more because it will be in their home.

I still have a damn cold, it got down in my lungs so gina is bringing home IV's to give me every day for 3 days to help knock it out.  I adore my wife.  She is so great.  Always thinking of me first no matter what we do.  At times I get embarrassed about it.  The other night, she clipped my toenails, fingernails, cleaned my ears and trimmed my mustache.  When I protested, she said it was her job to take care of me.  I honestly do not know of a western woman who would do that without an ulterior motive or lose a bet.  Speaking of which, she has beaten the crap out of me in gin Rummy.  it has been too cold and with my cold she wont let me go outside if we dont have to.  So we have been playing a lot of Gin.  we play for massage time. Every game is 20 minutes.  My hands were dog tired the other night.  Of course the massage has other benefits also as does staying in. Besides I have seen most everything in Beijing anyway.  So all in all it has been a very good trip.  Only have 5 days left.  This month has just flown by.  However, I do miss the warmth of Savannah and next month it will be time to get the bike out.  My first summer that I am not working, so I should have a lot of time to ride.  I do want to find something to do a couple of days a week.  I am going to do volunteer work at my granddaughters school 1 day a week.  
I do plan on taking Gina when she gets here in the fall and do the four corners of the US on the bike.  Quite honestly she is not really excited about it, but, once we get started she will be great.  If not I plan on taking it easy, then maybe trailering the bike and touring once we get to an area.  I do want to visit some Bros on the trip and she is excited about that.  But that is for later.  First she has to get here and Bobby needs to get home from Afghanistan.

Jia Fu and YunXiang

[ttwjr32]

sounds as though everything is going terrific there
she will like the bike she is probably just basing it on
how they drive here:icon_cheesygrin:

[JimB]

Had lunch at the generals house today.  He seems to be very old school.  Doesnt care much for Americans.  He has been nice but barely, if you know what I mean.  He welcomed us in the house, then went into his bedroom until lunch, then came out to eat.  I tried a couple of times to get him into a conversation, but he would not really respond.  After lunch he said he was taking a nap.  then when he got up he went out.  I asked him what he did in the Army and he just bypassed it like I never asked. When I asked his wife, she did the same thing, so I guess it must have been intelligence or he just didnt want to tell me.  She is very talkative.  I taught her Gin Rummy, but she cheated the whole game.  Looking into the others hand to see what not to throw away.  trying to play out of turn, when she wanted the card.  I really didnt like that. So we played just a few games.  I mean not a bad afternoon but could have been better.  She made us feel right at home.  Her whole family is/was in the army. Her three sisters and brother.  Mother and father both also.  He retired a general and she retired a nurse. The odd thing is that her mother died last year because of a mistake by the hospital that no one caught until it was too late.  All of the females retired as nurses, I had no idea what the men did.  Not one of the children are or are going  into the army.  Not one of her nieces or nephews either.  One more way that China is changing.  Better opportunities outside of the government.
The more I am with Gina the more I see that we are alike.  yet there are cultural differences as you would think.  she wants to learn and is trying really hard.  She says after I leave she will go to English class every night to try and get better.  i can see a difference from when I got here.  So I know she can do it.  Of course Qingqing hasnt even tried.  I just cant see her making it in the US.  I give her 6 months and she will want to go back.
I leave in four days, dont even want to think about it.Everyone has taken to calling me JiaFu.   Even Gina does now.  Sometimes it takes me twice before I realize she is calling me.

We had freezing rain this morning.  Decided to stay in bed until about 10:30 before we left for the generals house.  I love the cuddle time.  I am going to miss that a lot.