Hi everyone:
Well. mother taught another day and I went to the market. On my way I had to go down the one way street the wrong way again. There was no other way, as there was a large barrier going down the center of the road. Well anyway, here comes a guy on a bike and isn't looking. I honked and pulled over as close to the fence as I could. He still didn't see me. Just at the moment of collision he looks up. Poor guy. He tries to move but too late. He crashes into me. No big deal, my bike weighs 300 pounds, he is on a bicycle. He goes for a tumble. He gets up and mumbles something that did not sound complimentary and takes off. So I take off also. On the way home, I see an ambulance going my direction in the bike lane. He has his siren on so I get behind him and he creates a path for me to go as fast as he goes. I am going top speed, about 20 MPH. All of the sudden he decides to stop. He stops faster than I do. I came a gnat's hair from rear ending him. I had to go to the left side of him to keep from hitting him. To make matters worse, he makes a left hand turn and almost runs over me. Well, I guess if he had hit me, I could get a ride to the hospital.
Mother has gone to the Police Station with some dignitaries to get a lecture on how to conduct ourselves in China. She told the leader that I was the one that should go to the Police Station because I have more problems that she does in how to conduct ones self in China. I conduct myself very well, but there are a whole lot of Chinese who could take a lesson from me. At the BYU training they told us not to try to change China, because it would not happen. Well, I'll just do
the best I can to survive.
Speaking of survival, today I cooked up a pot of hamburger soup. It was very good. There is enough left for a few more meals. I went to the cleaners and also to the tailor. These are little back yard shops, but they get the job done.
Mother has a day off tomorrow and I have the next two weeks off, so we will do something, not sure what yet. I think that President Obama must be running this country because i get paid for the month of September, just by being here and I don't start until the first of October. Not a bad deal, kind of reminds me of Lyndon Johnson's great society.
I went to the bank yesterday to draw out some money, but my debit card was missing. The last time I used it was the last time I went to that bank. I took an interpreter with me to tell the teller of my misfortune. He pulls out a whole pile of credit cards and asks if any are mine. I see mine of top. Apparently if you don't take your card out of the machine within 15 seconds, the machine takes your card. Well, I tell him which one is my card. He says prove it. He wants to see my passport. I go get it and show it to him. He says OK, we will now put your card back into the machine and you put in your pass word and try to get some money out. I say OK and do so. I draw out 1000 yuan. He says OK and gives me my card. I was just happy to retrieve my card.
I went to the print shop a few minutes ago to run some copies off for mother. She needed 70 copies. They ran them off for me, the cost was about a dollar. America could take a lesson from the Chinese.
I have had to re get use to all of the Chinese customs. Chinese are the biggest crowders in the world. While at the market, at least 17 people cut in line in front of me. I wasn't in a hurry but if I were it would have made no difference. While at the market, one person saved a place in line for five others. When we get to the front of the line, 5 people come running with their carts She let's all 5 of them cut in front of me. She smiles and so do I.
On the way to the market, there were at least 500 bikes in front of me and they were going very slow. Finally, I get into the traffic lane. It moves about as fast as my electric bike will go. I just stay in the line of traffic and pass all of the bikes and finally get to the market. A lot of cars and buses honked their horns, so Just waved at them and smiled. Just another day in China. I love you all.
Dad
Well. mother taught another day and I went to the market. On my way I had to go down the one way street the wrong way again. There was no other way, as there was a large barrier going down the center of the road. Well anyway, here comes a guy on a bike and isn't looking. I honked and pulled over as close to the fence as I could. He still didn't see me. Just at the moment of collision he looks up. Poor guy. He tries to move but too late. He crashes into me. No big deal, my bike weighs 300 pounds, he is on a bicycle. He goes for a tumble. He gets up and mumbles something that did not sound complimentary and takes off. So I take off also. On the way home, I see an ambulance going my direction in the bike lane. He has his siren on so I get behind him and he creates a path for me to go as fast as he goes. I am going top speed, about 20 MPH. All of the sudden he decides to stop. He stops faster than I do. I came a gnat's hair from rear ending him. I had to go to the left side of him to keep from hitting him. To make matters worse, he makes a left hand turn and almost runs over me. Well, I guess if he had hit me, I could get a ride to the hospital.
Mother has gone to the Police Station with some dignitaries to get a lecture on how to conduct ourselves in China. She told the leader that I was the one that should go to the Police Station because I have more problems that she does in how to conduct ones self in China. I conduct myself very well, but there are a whole lot of Chinese who could take a lesson from me. At the BYU training they told us not to try to change China, because it would not happen. Well, I'll just do
the best I can to survive.
Speaking of survival, today I cooked up a pot of hamburger soup. It was very good. There is enough left for a few more meals. I went to the cleaners and also to the tailor. These are little back yard shops, but they get the job done.
Mother has a day off tomorrow and I have the next two weeks off, so we will do something, not sure what yet. I think that President Obama must be running this country because i get paid for the month of September, just by being here and I don't start until the first of October. Not a bad deal, kind of reminds me of Lyndon Johnson's great society.
I went to the bank yesterday to draw out some money, but my debit card was missing. The last time I used it was the last time I went to that bank. I took an interpreter with me to tell the teller of my misfortune. He pulls out a whole pile of credit cards and asks if any are mine. I see mine of top. Apparently if you don't take your card out of the machine within 15 seconds, the machine takes your card. Well, I tell him which one is my card. He says prove it. He wants to see my passport. I go get it and show it to him. He says OK, we will now put your card back into the machine and you put in your pass word and try to get some money out. I say OK and do so. I draw out 1000 yuan. He says OK and gives me my card. I was just happy to retrieve my card.
I went to the print shop a few minutes ago to run some copies off for mother. She needed 70 copies. They ran them off for me, the cost was about a dollar. America could take a lesson from the Chinese.
I have had to re get use to all of the Chinese customs. Chinese are the biggest crowders in the world. While at the market, at least 17 people cut in line in front of me. I wasn't in a hurry but if I were it would have made no difference. While at the market, one person saved a place in line for five others. When we get to the front of the line, 5 people come running with their carts She let's all 5 of them cut in front of me. She smiles and so do I.
On the way to the market, there were at least 500 bikes in front of me and they were going very slow. Finally, I get into the traffic lane. It moves about as fast as my electric bike will go. I just stay in the line of traffic and pass all of the bikes and finally get to the market. A lot of cars and buses honked their horns, so Just waved at them and smiled. Just another day in China. I love you all.
Dad
