Meet my friend Lisa…
No, this isn’t Lisa … but she did take this sweet picture. She and her husband Glen are residing for the next year in the town of Pinghu, China. They are teaching at St. Mary’s, an international school that is housed within the grounds of the Pinghu high school. Their living accommodations are on the campus and they were happy to find them quite adequate…a modern bathroom and a washing machine making up for the lack of a stove or oven !
Lisa and I became friends about 7 years ago. She is a nurse (as well as a teacher) and was working at the Free Care Clinic where I volunteer. We found that we had many things in common… from our taste in books to politics and, despite the fact that she no longer lives near me, we have kept our friendship alive.
She recently sent me some pictures that I thought I would share with you…starting with these silly painted faces on display at the Mid-Autumn Watermelon Festival…
Somehow I never imagined watermelons in China, much less holding a festival for them. I would have expected something more exotic, such as elaborately decorated gourds.
However, the following pictures that Lisa sent seem to portray the China that I envision…
posted by Ginnie at 4:05 PM
7 Comments:
What a wonderful life experience and how great you have maintained the friendship!
I have retired friends who did two teaching stints over there. Obviously, they liked it well enough to do a second tour of duty.
If we don't get to travel, it is almost as good to have friends that do. China has always fascinated me. Hope she is no where near that awful smog.
China is still a mystery to most of us with it endless variety and many ethnic and cultural groups.
I had an uncle who was born in China. His parents, Flora and Faucett Olsen were missionaries. He always insisted he was white Chinese, I think it was a private joke for him, but he was barred from getting into the US at the height of the cold war. Frankly, I think he was a bit of a racist. He always spoke of the "yellow hordes" and how they would eventually take us over. He died many years ago, I often think of him with the large numbers of asians now in Canada. In face, Vancouver should be considered an Asian city. I am sure he would want to say, "I told you you so." I suspect he envisioned peasant Chinese while our immigrants are wealthy people, sadly our conservative government is not very interested in poor people and tradesmen.
My nephew went to China to teach English for a year. Incredible place according to him, but he was very happy to return home. Lucky you to have a friend sharing her experiences. Dianne
Wonderful photos! I hope to visit China one of these days.
Lovely photos of a land I'll never see, but would love to.
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