Amoy Wanderings

I took a walkabout today and encountered some very interesting sights. I'll try to give some commentary, but mainly I'll let the pictures speak for themselves since I don't know a whole lot about the area and I was just discovering it by myself. Enjoy the pics and feel free to ask questions in the comments section. My walk began at the North Train Station and it's surrounding garden. I really didn't know what I would find, so I was delighted when I happened upon a traditional Chinese theater, or at least that is what I think it is. There were many Chinese tourists there, and I just wandered around and took a few photos. The rest of the pictures are just from various things I saw including an open sewer, a few horses (a rare sight especially when they are in good condition), and an open market. And, a bonus to the day, I got a picture of the saxophonist who regularly plays in the underground walkway outside o...

When we left for China, we had some idea as to what possible living situations we might face, but we knew that Chinese standards and western standards can differ drastically. For example, we were told we would have a furnished apartment and told not to bring too many household items. When we arrived at 11:30 pm, we were shown into a clean, furnished apartment. We were impressed with the general cleanliness of the apartment and with made beds; we were surprised and disappointed with the lack of toilet paper (there was none) and potable water (can't drink from the tap here), and the local store had closed long before we arrived. But we were so tired that we just fell into bed, planning on dealing with those issues in the morning. Fortunately, I had exchanged some currency before the trip and the next morning was able to go out and buy us breakfast and some basic necessities. Other things that surprised us (well at least me) were that the kitchen had nothing in it aside from the sto...

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...