Amoy Wanderings

Xiamen University of Technology is a 300 acre campus located on the outskirts of Xiamen near some small mountains. For having 21,000 students and 1,000 faculty, it is a surprisingly quiet and peaceful campus. Yes, it is busy around lunch hour and there always seems to be some event going on, but one is not inundated with noise just by stepping on campus--and this one is very pleased with that. From the outside, the buildings appear quite modern, and some of the structures are very interesting with winding staircases behind glass walls. Once inside, the appearance is a bit more stark and utilitarian--especially in the classrooms which all have the same basic appearance: seating for 70 in paired tables; a lectern complete with computer, projector, and microphone; a whiteboard or chalkboard (I thought I was done with those long ago); and two large A/C units--for which I am most grateful. Although the students are obviously very limited in their English ability, they ...

Part of the adjustment to a new culture is learning how to adjust your expectations to places and situations that appear familiar, but really aren't. When one goes to an unfamiliar event--for instance an open market (which is basically your fresh produce and meat market open for business every morning on the side of the road)--there is no adjustment of expectations since there is no real cultural connection to the event. It is still shocking to see how the meat is prepared (choose a chicken, duck, or pigeon and have it slaughtered for your there--how's that for fresh meat?) and the variety is strange at times, but you know this is a cultural experience. However, go to the supermarket, and now there are all sorts of expectations. We went to a supermarket last night which could best be described as a small Walmart that emphasized the food. Aside from all the Chinese, it was an adjustment just to understand how the store was arranged, but we managed fine. From a general overview...

The past few days have been a blur of activity and experiences. It is incredible how much learning a new culture drains and excites at the same time. We have ridden multiple city buses , taken several cab rides, eaten out countless times (food is cheap and we just got pots, pans, and dishes -- sort of important before you cook) and walked...and walked...and walked. It is so different living in a big city with inexpensive public transportation...and no transportation of your own. But since my head is still reeling from all the events of trying to achieve some form of normalcy in life, I will just take some time to share some more photos of the sights of Xiamen. The first few photos were taken from us bus while we were on our way to a medical examination which is required of all foreigners who are establishing some form of residency. Guess what has made it over to China? There is a Walmart as well which we visited already to pick up many necessities. T...

 We have spent the last few days just trying to orient ourselves to a new climate, culture, living situation, language, and environment. Aside from that, we have had little to do other than try to set up a house that is furnished with furniture only. It has been a little draining, but also very exciting. So, here are some photos I have taken and I'll give a little commentary on each. This is an outside view of our apartment. We are living in a large apartment complex with about 20 apartment buildings in it surrounded by a fence (with electric fencing as well) and with guards at the entrances. We live on the 12th floor, and, surprisingly, there is relatively little noise (aside from the jackhammering from remodeling) for living with a few thousand other people nearby. Most of the rest of these photos are from my sightseeing and won't have much commentary. This is a local school with a soccer field. Some flowers nearby our complex. There are many trees, plants, and ...

When I purchased our tickets to Xiamen, I couldn't believe how inexpensive they were. I reasoned that it must be because it's the off-seasonand they were trying to fill planes. Well, either I was wrong about the travel season or their strategy really worked because the flight to Shanghai was packed. When the airline agent asked if we wanted to sit together, I was a little bewildered, but not as bewildered as she looked when she attempted to fulfill my request. Eventually, she did and we were soon boarded and on our way. We had three of the four seats in the center aisle. The fourth was occupied by a young man named Kent, a native of Fujian province -- the same province Xiamen is located in. After we figured out the seating arrangement, we got to talking with him. It seemed we were on opposite pathways, he visiting his homeland and we leaving ours. We had quite the interesting time -- he practicing his English and we brushing up on our Chinese -- but we learned quite a lot...

Weeks of stress, sweat, and labor have culminated with a relaxing seat listening to the peaceful droning of jet engines. The journey has begun. The caterpillar of pressure and burden has morphed into a butterfly of anticipation and -- yes, I will be honest -- a tinge of anxiety.  The adrenaline rush of takeoff cannot dispel the sorrow we feel at leaving so many loved ones behind, but a task beckons as a new life awaits us. We are leaving good memories and pleasant places… and many loving, kind people -- people who have encouraged us, worked with us, supported us, loved us, and cried with us -- people without whom this journey would not have begun. For all of you, we are grateful. Our day began at 4:00 am after a busy night (ending at midnight) of repacking luggage to avoid that tyrannical 50 lb. limit. We were blessed by along the way, though: first by my parents who stayed at the hotel with us and accompanied us to the airport, tipping the driver and helping with heavy bags ...

This is where our journey begins, a large brown house nestled among peaceful oaks. And for most--and almost for us--this would probably be seen more as a destination than a starting point. But, much like Bilbo Baggins, we had a wise friend come along and nudge us out of our comfortable surroundings with promises of adventure and treasure. But, unlike Bilbo, we weren't quite so reticent to go though we had many more preparations to make. At present, we are standing at the edge of the journey, gazing on the landscape before us, imagining what great adventures await us. We will be launching out on September 7, 2017 for the south eastern coast of China, for Xiamen--or more traditionally--Amoy (but more on that later).