Enjoying Our Time on a Beach in Zhuhai, China

J was tired and was sleeping late today. We all were on holiday, so we took it easy and let him sleep till whenever he was ready. S. and I went to explore the neighbourhood ourselves and discovered many restaurants not too far from our hotel. One thing for sure, in China, there were no lack of eating places. We would always find eating places no matter where we went. We were happy to come across a Vietnamese restaurant. Having had Chinese, spicy good in particular in Yunnan for the past two weeks, we were ready to enjoy soemthing different and milder in taste.

  We went in the Vietnamese restaurnat and ordered something we were familiar with for lunch. Since it was after the rush lunch hour, the restaurant was not too busy and we had a good chat with the manager. He was very kind and we learnt from him more about the city of Zhuhai and the history of the area. It was always interesting talking to the local people and finding out more about them during our travels.

  By the time we took food back to J, it was well after 3pm. We took a cab to the famous Fish Girl statue and stayed around in the beach area. We were pleasantly surprised to discover a beautiful beach in Zhuhai as I didn't remember this part of the city at all when we visited here more than thirty years ago with our young children.

We were amazed at the clean beach, smooth and soft sand under our feet, beautifully and creatively designed new buildings in this area with majestic palm trees lining the streets along with some different Europen sculptures. It was nice and breezy as it was dusk and the sun was going down. There was no hot sun beating down on us and we were not sweating like pigs. We removed our shoes, laid on the beach enjoying this wonderful tropical moment in southern China.

  What a delightful beautiful scenery! Kids and their parents trying to fly their kites on the beach while other kids were trying to catch some small fish or toads in the shallow part of the water. Pretty girls posting for selfies while some young men vying for good angles to take their girlfriends' pictures. Instead of seeing the images of poor Chinese people in their deprived state from the main stream media, it was so refreshing to witness first hand that there were many Chinese people, families, young and old, enjoying lives with their loved ones just like we are here in North America!

  Father and son enjoyed their cold beer on a patio table outside an Italian restaurant along with many other visitors and locals to the beach. I was busy taking pictures of this beautiful waterfront area. Looking at the pictures I took and If I didn't tell you that this was in China, you would never be able to guess it!

  RT, Zhuhai, China 08232023

A Memorable Visit to a Mural Village and Zhuhai, China after Three Decades

J. had an appointment at 6pm today. I got up early, did two loads of laundry and organized his closet for him. I prayed that the holy spirit will guide him, help him to be more organized and that he would see the importance of it and be willing to spend time on doing his organization. 08212034 We took the fast train to Zhuhai which was only an hour long ride. As always, the train ride was pleasant and comfortable.

J. was good at purchasing the train tickets n booking the hotels via the apps on his cell. While on the train ride, I was busy looking up on what were some nice things to see in this city which we last visited more than three decades ago. I couldn't belive the beautiful Zhuhai station and the huge mall existing underneath it. It was very hot in the afternoon so we went in a restaurant in the mall to enjoy the air conitioning n had some lunch there. While relaxing in the restaurant, I searched online and found two interesting things to see in Zhuhai. One of which was the

What I liked most was the artists painted their artwork and integrated their paintings into the existing building elements of the apartment buildings. For example, they painted awnings above the window cages and painted shutters besides these windows making them looking as if ther were really parts of the buildings. These paintings added interesting architectural designs and some vibrant vibes to the entire neighbourhood making it a more desirable and beautiful place to live.

For dinner, we went to a workers restaurant for dinner and took pictures with the big Mao statute. After dinner, we strolled along the waterfront and admired the quiet, calm and beautiful night scene by the water. There were not a lot of people around. We stayed for about half an hour and called for a taxi to go back to our hotel where we stayed in a one bedroom loft room for the next 2 nites. 08222023

Women Taking a Leadership Role in Churches in China

No matter where we travel in the world, we try hard not to miss the Sunday service on Sundays. We looked up the closest church and went to a Sunday service in the Hai Zhu area at 12pm. I was glad J. came with us. Unfortunately, J. couldn't understand much of the sermon in Mandarin but he was patient enough to sit through the entire service. We have been in China for more than three weeks now and attended three Sunday services. I noticed three interesting things: 1. This was the third church we attended and it was the third women minister preaching. Women leadership seemed to be prominent in Chinese churches in China! 2. We went to a Cantonese service. The songs were shorter and the choir was less energetic than the minority group church services we attended. 3. Not a lot of young people attending the Sunday services. It was mostly old folks and we didn't see any children at all.

I never expected there seemed to be more women ministers than men in China. The women minsters we met on this trip were confident, articulate and they delivered inspiring messages to their congregations. I do hope that the church will grow in China adn that more Chinese will be able to hear the gospel and be saved within mainland China! But at leaast from what we saw, people were free to attend church service if they wanted to in China. We were never questioned or harrassed while attending any Sunday S ervice on this trip to China. .

After church, J. took us to his usual lunch place for lunch before his soccer game. I remembered my mom always mentioned her most favourite food in Guangzhou - fried fish skins. I ordered that and it was delicious! After our delicious local lunch, we went to watch J. playing his weekly soccer game practice and we met his soccer teammates. I was glad to see that J. took part in a organized sport game regularly.

We stayed and watched for a little while and went to Shamian, not far from the soccer field.Shamian is a beautiful place with many well kept old buildings with European architectural designs. Many buildings used to be occupied by Europeans and used as their ambassy offices and business addresses in China. Nowadays, the buildings have been turned into modern , upscale shops, cafes and restaurants.

We Went into a coffee shop operated within a 100 year old buulding. Young girls dressed in their various costumes waited patiently for a spot to have their pictures taken by professional photographers. The owners of the coffee shop had rules clearly posted on the wall prohibiting professional pictures being taken within the premise as this would interfere with the operation of the business. However, we saw a few groups of people just doing that. Girls donned their period costumes with the professional photographers taking their time and occupying a number of spots in the cafe creating lineups for other people. I kind of told a group taking commercial pictures off as it was not allowed. It was the teacher in me that acted up again. Rules are rules and we need to follow them. We ordered a coffee n watched the actions all around us. RT, Shamian, China 08202023

Helping to Decorate Our Son's Place and Receiving a Friend from Canada in Guangzhou, China

Shopping at IKEA, China J. went to Guiyang to hang out with the new friends he met there. We went to Ikea ourselves taking a taxi there but the taxi driver dropped us off at the old Ikea site. We walked around the mall a little, had dinner, then took the subway to the new Ikea location. We bought a few things to help furnish J.'s place. One of the reasons we wanted to be in China was to help him a little. Having moved into his own place not long ago, he needed a few things. Therefore we went to IKEA and bought a few dishes, racks etc for his place to make it more functional. We were happy to get these things for him. But after shopping at IKEA, we had a problem letting the taxi driver know where we were supposed to be dropped off. It took a little while but we did manage to get home! 08152023 Tbe fridge from Walmart arrived today and we were very excited! We actually wanted to buy a dryer for our son's apartment. But we couldn't find it in any Chinese stores in Guangzhou including Walmart. I guess that was becasue Chinese people usually dry their clothes by hanging them from their balconies or hanging them by the windows. Without consumer demand, therefore, stores are not selling them. But we did get a fridge for J. as a housewarming gift for his new home. As a mom, I wanted to help my son and made his life easier. Therefore, we tried to clean up and declutter the apartment as much as possible before J. came back from Guiyang. HelpING him to get rid of lots of stuffs WAS something that needed to be done. The final cleaning was the balcony and those big plastic storaage boxes which took up a lot of space. It took me a whole day but I was happy about the result. S. worked hard putting together the IKEA drying rack which fit perfectly over the washer. It would create more space for hanging clothes to dry. 08162023 Since I didn't sleep well last night, I got up around 6am and did two loads of laundry for J. While we were in China, I tried to help him organized as much as possible. After my bible devotion, we went for a massage by two blind massagers in the neighbourhood. I really enjoyed that as the massager did a great job on my muscle pain! We also went for some medicinal Chinese herbal teas in the neighborhood shop. I made some lunch and shared a brief passage about the story of David and his friend in the B book with J. In the late afternoon, we took the subway train to meet up with Darrell who recently moved from Canada to China. It was good seeing him, J. and Darell hit it off well nd they kept talking and exchanging their life experiences in China. We walked around in a new area of the city and enjoyed a dinner together. After dinner, J, invited Darrell to his apartment for dessert and play a board game. J. showed Darrell how to use the Chinese app to order food and for getting deliveries in a cab. I am constantly amazed by the efficiency of the private delivery system here in China. Our snacks arrived within less than 30 minutes. We played the Catan game, enjoyed some desserts, great conversations with good friends and had a really nice time togerher. The young people need good company. It was good to see that they could have a great time just being at home playing some board games, interacting with real people in person without gluing to their cell phone or spending time in a bar drinking. What a refreshing change! Darrell is easy going, gets along well with J. I pray that these two young men will become good friends and can regularly share their unique experiences in China togerher. RT, Guangzhou, China 08192023

Kunming''s Beautiful Park , China's Military School, Ancient Village

After staying in Chuxiong, the Fire City in China, for three days, we started our joureny home towards southern China. One of the cities we wanted to spend a little more time there was Kunming. A beautiful city with lots of history and parks and natural beauty. There were many places to go and lots of things to see therefore we only focused on three things that were close by and interested us the most.

One of the places we enjoyed visiting a lot on this trip were the parks in China. Parks are favourite places for CHinese people who gather there for various activities such as exercising, dancing and meeting friends. I have found that parks in China are usually quite huge and spacious, often with winding paths, lined with huge mature trees, some are over a few hundred years old.

We visited the Jade Park in Kunming. On the afternoon of our visit, there was an elderly gentleman, looking fit and strong, standing at the entrance to the park and conducting a phathom orchestra. He set up the sound system playing some nice classical music which we could hear about half a mile away. He was directing the invisible orchestra with such enthusiasm and strength that he drew quite a crowd gathering around him. We stood there enjoyed this free concert for sometime. From what we could oberve, Chinese people are quite free to do what they want to do in their daioy lives as long as they are not doing something illegal. Life is China is not as opperessive as what we think.

We aslo visited China's first Military College which is located just across the street from Jake Lake. I learned a lot about Chinese history and some of their heroes who fought valiantly for their country during the wars.

We visited our third minority tribe ancinet town on this trip in Kunming. At the beginning of our China trip, I used to think the ancient towns were some rare towns discovered and preserved for Chinese people and visitors to visit. Having visited three of them, I realize it is the CHinese government policy to promote racial harmony and unity among the 56 different tribes of people within China as well as using this Minority Tribe Village concept to promote understanding and respect OF the minorities' cultures/ customs and thereby also promoting tourism and creating jobs for these communities and lifting these sometimes backward tribes out of poverty. What a smart idea and great way of creating jobs and helping with the tribes' economy! Keep up the great work! RT Kunmin, Province of Yunnan China

Experiencing A Fire Festival Firsthand in Chuxiong, China

We were supposed to be in Chuxiong which we picked as a random city to visit in China. Having learned about the annual Fire Festival being held here for the weekend, we decided to extend our stay here to a 3 day visit. Today was our third and last day of our visit to Chuxiong, China. We stayed at two different hotels. The first night we stayed outside the ancient town and the next two nights we were right inside the Yi Tribe ancient town.

One of the most enjoyable experiences we had in Chuxiong was watching the light and firework show at the waterfront park here in the Yunnan province! There were a number of free activities planned throughout the city to celebrate this annual festival. We went to the park where the show was supposed to take place. But after a walk around the park for thirty minutes, we arrived at the gate and were informed by the personnel at the entrance gate that the tickets were sold out for this evening‘s performance but tickets were avialable for the next few evenings. J. told the staff that this was our last night in the city and that we would not be able to watch the other evening shows. The staffer was very kind and accommodating. She called her supervisor and got permission to sell us the three tickets!

We got in and were seated at the VIP seats with excellent service from the staff. With the ticket we purcahsed, we were served with fresh frutis and nice desserts laid out beautifully in a buffet style. This was served to all guests with tickets which was 165 yuens each with no discount for seniors. What an evening! What a spectacular show with real performaers singing and dancing on a stage built in the middle of the lake. The program was followed by a laser show and firework display accompanied by beautiful music! Absolutely first class entertainment ! I always enjoy shows with an educational component. This show was informative regarding the history and achievement of the Yi people. A wonderful show indeed! For people who didn’t get tickets or could not afford them, they could still watch the show by the water’s edge. I think socialism works in China. Whether you are rich or poor, you can still take part in the celebrations with the more well to do having a better seats while the less affluent population would not be deprived of the festivities.

After the light show, we walked out of the park by the lake and came to a main street. Most of the street was blocked off with many huge fire bowls set up on stands. Kids and young people were walking around with lit torches which they could buy at a nearby stand set up for that purpose. It was something I NEVER SEEN BEFORE. People swinging fire torches around them, unreal! Then come pouring rain and we had to run for cover. We huddled under a bus shelter with many people. Rain kept getting heavier and we were soaked, with lighting and thunder, we were afraid that we could be hit by lightening, It went on for almost 30 minutes and I kept praying for God's protection. I have never experienced such heavy rainfall for such a long time. It didn't seem it would ever end. We were soaked to the bones. The only good things was that the temperature was not cold. Otheriwse we would have been frozen to death. Finally it died dwon a little and we walked in the light rain into a billiard hall for cover. While We were waiting for a cab for almost an hour, J. and Dad played a game of billiard for about 45 minutes while waiting. I couldn't remember the last time father and son played a game together for this long. An excellent bonding activity for the two of them! It was an exciting adventure! RT, Chuxiong, China 08102023

Meeting Some Very Honest People in CHUXIONG, China

We learned that we were in Chuxiong just in time for the annual Fire Festival, therefore we decided to extend our stay from a day to three days so that we could participate or join in the fun festivities. We moved into the next hotel which was right inside the old town, how convenient was that! After breakfast, we went to the train station and have our tickets refunded and purchased new ones to Kunming. J. wanted to pick a random village to visit in order to experience the real rural life of the farmers in China. So we did.

We went to this village randomly picked out by us. We walked around the small village with just a few houses, bought a snack at the only convenience store and then visited the roadside market with fresh produces being laid out on the ground sold by the local farmers themselves. We saw some nice pears and asked them how much, replied the farmer:" 3 kgs for 10 yuens!" Unbelievable price! Since we were travelling, we didn’t want to carry a heavy bag of fresh fruits so we dropped off 10 yuens and took about 2 kg of pears.

But the farmer insisted that we took the full 3 kg weight before letting us go. How honest was this person? We were willing to pay full price for less but he would not allow that. He must sell us the full weight of what we paid for! We tried to have an early dinner by 5 or 6 pm so that we would not go to bed with a full stomach. We picked a restaurant close by a small river flowing through the old town and had our dinner there. We learned that there were a few programs planned for the Fire Festival in Chuxiong. But in order to control the crowds, some of the activities charged an admission. Tonight the celebration at the Old Town charged 150 yuens, but for me and Stan, it was free as we are seniors. There were singing, dancing, fire swallowing performances as well as the MC inviting participants to join in the fire walk around the stage they set up in the Yi Village. I learned that the Yi people worship the fire God so I didn’t want to go forward and danced with them. We stayed on the side and watched the performaces for a bit and soaked up the atmosphere. RT, CHUXIONG, CHINA 08092023