It was simply wonderful to travel to China with a group this time and make NEW friends!Fifteen of us were participants in this experience of a lifetime.
Not only did we travel in planes, but also in boats, trams, taxis, buses, subway systems and no one ever got lost --- for long, that is.
We sometimes went out in big groups, and sometimes split off into smaller groups.
Here we are shown in one of our more formal sessions visiting a "State" company.
Not only did we make NEW friends, but were able to RENEW some friendships that we had made on our previous visit. Shown here L to R: Tammy, Jimmy, Wes, Katie, Mark.
On our first night in Guangzhou, we were reunited with two young friends, Susan and Jack.Many sweet times were spent with them in 2010 as they were our unofficial chaperons as we navigated this huge city with NO Chinese communication skills. We introduced them to peanut butter sandwiches (one "thumb's up" for Susan and one thumb's down for Jack) and Cheetos.
They introduced us to many new foods ordered in restaurants.
Here Wes is reunited with a former MBA student, Fen, and her family. They entertained us in their home and their daughter, Cindy, entertained us with her playing of the ancient instrument, the Chinese Shoo Konghou. Fen went all out in the meal preparations with oysters in the shell, clams, forest fungi and squid in vegetables!! We even had "Apple Pie" which turned out to be pineapple!
Janice, above, came to a field location just to see Wes.
Teresa and her husband and daughter treated us to a wonderful "hot pot" lunch where mutton was served. The precooked vegetables that went inside the pot to cook were cut to look like works of art - curls of celery and flower designs etched in the mushroom caps.
On the last night, Wes went out alone with these three: Fen, Rose and Vivian. Coming back to our hotel room, he told me they were waiting to see me in the lobby. It was obvious they had treated him like a respected, beloved professor!
New friends and renewing friendships...that's really what this trip was all about to me.
2 comments:
Deb- this 2nd trip to China seems like tons of fun! Love the pictures!
I agree - the pictures are great! How fun it is for you guys to get to meet new friends and keep the old. Who knew that the place in which you could do that could be China?
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