I'm sitting outside. It is the second sunny day in a row after many days of being in the clouds…it has been chilly in the 40’s… not my idea of a winter getaway such as a tropical island…but everything here is still green for the most part and we are in the mountains. This is my view from where I'm sitting right now.
So much has happened in the last two weeks I haven't even been able to barely process it let alone talk about it…initially the transition with jet lag to a new culture with so many new things…the transition of the thoughts of not being home with the ones that I love the most, the possibilities of making big decisions to live somewhere for years to take on a big project… a project that is a dream and at the same time it is on the opposite side of the world. How can I make a decision to live in a strange place for years away from all that I know and love and at the same time how can I make a decision to not take on this fantasy of someone building aquatic bodywork pools to our specifications in a beautiful location?
We are at a place called Yashan eco-resort in the mountains in Jiangxi province. All in all it is perhaps a day's travel from Hong Kong. (for those of you that like maps https://goo.gl/maps/SfXDdepaRX82 ) It is mountainous and beautiful… the resort itself is on the luxury side, not something we're used to but we don't mind being here. Vegetables are growing everywhere… in the middle of the courtyard of the hotel, on the sides of the hills, they also have orchards and raise some of their own animals as well. Mr. Tang the owner was originally from this area and does a lot of work to support the area and the people that live here. He has a poverty alleviation program for the farmers that live there. Many of the staff are young people and he requires them to learn how to perform, dance, sing or play an instrument to better themselves, so we are constantly seeing beautiful performances.
There is something for everyone here. It is an interesting place…you can walk long distances on boardwalks or do nature walks, you can play on playscapes made out of recycled tires and ropes challenge courses, you can do BMX bicycling and ATV racing off-road car driving, you can do calligraphy, you can play in the water park and swim and try challenging activities, and of course various locations to do karaoke!
We have been very warmly welcomed and treated as VIP’s which we're not used to. I can see why some expats might like to come to places where they are a star although for us it's a little overwhelming. Really we’re just regular people just like all the rest of the workers except that we just came from the other side of the world.
We have just started to settle in these last few days because they have kept us so busy with meals and field trips and banquets and events and traveling to the nearest city, that we haven't had much time to ourselves. Even just a small details as shopping for warmer clothes and getting a SIM card were challenging and we were glad for the help of Iris Academy. Linda Lee is the owner of Iris, which is an English school in the nearest large city of Ganzhou. She got Parick here this summmer to be with the scouts, where he met Mr. Tang, showed him a video of aquatic bodywork, and with the offer to build us pools, here we are! Anyway grateful to the English teachers from Iris who helped us navigate crazy systems, go shopping, translate and sing karaoke!
It sounds cliche but I will talk about food because it is so different here in general. Of course at a resort we are eating top-level, high-quality, beautifully presented food. We also ate in many restaurants in Ganzhou. Some of the things I have tried are coagulated blood, arteries, cow's stomach, viscera, large and small intestines, pigs ears, and donkey! One night they asked us if we wanted dog…we passed. This is beginning to change as more middle class people have pets. They serve all of the meat just cut up with the bones and skin on them and the head is even on the platter sometimes. I actually I think this is a much more healthy way to eat, but as I tell them, it's just not my custom! Many places in the world are much more in touch with what they are eating…you see the animal versus just seeing a small piece of meat that could be anything with no connection to the real animal. Many other parts are healthy to eat, but this is also tough for someone who prefers to eat more vegetarian than not.
The staff here have been super kind and friendly to us which is been great to combat feeling homesick initially…there is an especially sweet young man who is 16 who goes out of his way to hang out with us. Many times we end up just feeling awkward between us not speaking the language and other people either not speaking any English or feeling very shy about their level of English. We frequently use a translation tool on the phone to talk back and forth to each other which can end up being hilarious when the phone hears you wrong and is awkward in its own way with many pauses and is a great practice of patience. Of course it is nothing like a real conversation but I am glad that we can communicate and I appreciate it.
We have started learning Mandarin but whoa. Today I taught yoga and learned words like inhale, exhale, rest, change sides… I hear it is one of the most difficult languages to learn but if we're going to stay here we need to work it. We do get concerned about trying to do business without a regular translator here but he seems to want us here nonetheless. He seems like a genuinely kind and good man.
Anyway…so much more to say, but if I don’t stop here, it will never get out. More to come plus photos…lots of love.
So much has happened in the last two weeks I haven't even been able to barely process it let alone talk about it…initially the transition with jet lag to a new culture with so many new things…the transition of the thoughts of not being home with the ones that I love the most, the possibilities of making big decisions to live somewhere for years to take on a big project… a project that is a dream and at the same time it is on the opposite side of the world. How can I make a decision to live in a strange place for years away from all that I know and love and at the same time how can I make a decision to not take on this fantasy of someone building aquatic bodywork pools to our specifications in a beautiful location?
We are at a place called Yashan eco-resort in the mountains in Jiangxi province. All in all it is perhaps a day's travel from Hong Kong. (for those of you that like maps https://goo.gl/maps/SfXDdepaRX82 ) It is mountainous and beautiful… the resort itself is on the luxury side, not something we're used to but we don't mind being here. Vegetables are growing everywhere… in the middle of the courtyard of the hotel, on the sides of the hills, they also have orchards and raise some of their own animals as well. Mr. Tang the owner was originally from this area and does a lot of work to support the area and the people that live here. He has a poverty alleviation program for the farmers that live there. Many of the staff are young people and he requires them to learn how to perform, dance, sing or play an instrument to better themselves, so we are constantly seeing beautiful performances.
There is something for everyone here. It is an interesting place…you can walk long distances on boardwalks or do nature walks, you can play on playscapes made out of recycled tires and ropes challenge courses, you can do BMX bicycling and ATV racing off-road car driving, you can do calligraphy, you can play in the water park and swim and try challenging activities, and of course various locations to do karaoke!
We have been very warmly welcomed and treated as VIP’s which we're not used to. I can see why some expats might like to come to places where they are a star although for us it's a little overwhelming. Really we’re just regular people just like all the rest of the workers except that we just came from the other side of the world.
We have just started to settle in these last few days because they have kept us so busy with meals and field trips and banquets and events and traveling to the nearest city, that we haven't had much time to ourselves. Even just a small details as shopping for warmer clothes and getting a SIM card were challenging and we were glad for the help of Iris Academy. Linda Lee is the owner of Iris, which is an English school in the nearest large city of Ganzhou. She got Parick here this summmer to be with the scouts, where he met Mr. Tang, showed him a video of aquatic bodywork, and with the offer to build us pools, here we are! Anyway grateful to the English teachers from Iris who helped us navigate crazy systems, go shopping, translate and sing karaoke!
It sounds cliche but I will talk about food because it is so different here in general. Of course at a resort we are eating top-level, high-quality, beautifully presented food. We also ate in many restaurants in Ganzhou. Some of the things I have tried are coagulated blood, arteries, cow's stomach, viscera, large and small intestines, pigs ears, and donkey! One night they asked us if we wanted dog…we passed. This is beginning to change as more middle class people have pets. They serve all of the meat just cut up with the bones and skin on them and the head is even on the platter sometimes. I actually I think this is a much more healthy way to eat, but as I tell them, it's just not my custom! Many places in the world are much more in touch with what they are eating…you see the animal versus just seeing a small piece of meat that could be anything with no connection to the real animal. Many other parts are healthy to eat, but this is also tough for someone who prefers to eat more vegetarian than not.
The staff here have been super kind and friendly to us which is been great to combat feeling homesick initially…there is an especially sweet young man who is 16 who goes out of his way to hang out with us. Many times we end up just feeling awkward between us not speaking the language and other people either not speaking any English or feeling very shy about their level of English. We frequently use a translation tool on the phone to talk back and forth to each other which can end up being hilarious when the phone hears you wrong and is awkward in its own way with many pauses and is a great practice of patience. Of course it is nothing like a real conversation but I am glad that we can communicate and I appreciate it.
We have started learning Mandarin but whoa. Today I taught yoga and learned words like inhale, exhale, rest, change sides… I hear it is one of the most difficult languages to learn but if we're going to stay here we need to work it. We do get concerned about trying to do business without a regular translator here but he seems to want us here nonetheless. He seems like a genuinely kind and good man.
Anyway…so much more to say, but if I don’t stop here, it will never get out. More to come plus photos…lots of love.
