Today was sooooo frustrating. The internet is really slow, and I was looking online for some materials for class. The wait while web pages loaded was interminable. Finally, I gave up, and headed toward Sanlitun. We need ink cartridges for our printer, and I wanted to check out some things at Yashow Market next door.   I found the ink, walked through Yashow, fending off the aggressive sales people, and then walked over to Homeplate BBQ. I decided I owe myself something special to eat, and I really like their BBQ chicken.

Some of the Xmas deco at Sanlitun

Judy has a haircut after school, so she taxis to the Hilton for her appointment. The traffic around the 3^rd Ring Road has been brutal the last several months, morning and afternoon. It could take her 15 minutes for the commute, or it could take as long as an hour. Today’s commute took 45 minutes. On the plus side, she did remember her purse today!

Rested and refreshed, we’re ready for new week. Judy has a choir performance Thursday evening at the Beijing Capital Renaissance. It’s the annual tree-lighting ceremony for the hotel. Making sure everything is in place and ready to go (buses, lists, notes, etc.) will occupy most of her free time this week.

I spent my time this afternoon looking for a “Table Tennis Boutique”, and an indoor table tennis club. It’s cold today, right around freezing, and the wind is blowing, so it’s the first time this year I’ve regretted being outside. I saw the boutique and the club listed on my Apple Maps app. I couldn’t find the shop. It’s probably closed and gone away. I found the table tennis club, but it was outdoors. It was another of the local park table tennis areas. It’s an enclosed area, but not covered, so the wind is knocked down a little, but it’s still really cold, and no one is playing.

On my way back to the apartment, I stopped in at the local tea market. I drop by every couple of months. They are eager for me to try their different teas. There is a lot of culture surrounding the tasting and selling of tea. I enjoy watching the numerous steps and traditions involved in brewing and drinking the tea.

Back at the apartment, I tried to stay out of Lilly’s way while she finished cleaning. Later, after she left, as I was putting some things away in the back room, the door opened and Judy came running in, in a flurry. She starts asking for cash. It turned out she had walked out of school and climbed in a taxi, without her purse, containing her money, and her phone. She had her school bag with the computer and iPod, but no cash, and no way to call me, or tell the driver. When she pulled up to the apartment building, she tried to explain to the driver what had happened (I wish I could have witnessed that). She convinced him to wait, ran to our apartment building, up the elevator, grabbed the money, back down the elevator, and back out to the taxi. He had waited, and received a sizable tip for his patience. Judy was still gasping for breath when she finally got back to the apartment. This was a first!!!! It’s probably her biggest fear in China,…..stuck in a taxi, with no money, and no ability to communicate with the driver, or anyone else.

FRIDAY, 11/28/14

Judy heads off to BISS, and I’m not too much later heading out to BHSFIC. Classes go well for me, finishing off at 11:30. I put away my computer and all the cords, chargers, etc., and then head down to lunch. After lunch, I go upstairs to the teachers lounge to talk to a few of the faculty, eventually leaving, and arriving at the apartment around 2:00 pm. I usually take Friday afternoons to close out my notes for the past week, and put together my ideas and plans for next week’s classes.

Christmas mall decorations, Beijing style

Judy gets home around 6:00, puts her stuff away and we head out to the nearby Marriott. We have a certificate at this hotel for a free buffet for two. The deadline for usage is Nov. 30^th, so we’re taking advantage tonight. The food is really good, and there’s turkey and dressing! Judy gets a little Thanksgiving food sampling, after all. Of course we ate too much, but what a great night!

SATURDAY, 11/29/14

Today is one of the all-day rehearsals for the musical at BISS. It runs from 10:00 to 3:00. The attendance is great. Judy’s been having fun with the group of students this year, and the day is really productive.

I took care of the grocery shopping. I’m trying to buy enough to get us up to the Christmas break. Judy comes in around 4:00, pretty pumped up about the rehearsal. We have another certificate for a free buffet at the JW Marriott (a different hotel). It’s another really good meal.

After dinner, we travel to the new JW Marriot Hotel Central Beijing. We have a free night in the hotel. Gotta use as many certificates as possible. The room is gorgeous, and we thoroughly enjoyed the evening out in Beijing.

SUNDAY, 11/21/14

After a really lazy night in the hotel, we’re moving slow today. The pollution level was really high when we went to sleep. This morning as we leave the hotel, the wind is blowing hard. It’s a sure sign the pollution level is about to drop again. We get a taxi back to our apartment, not sure about our plans for the rest of the day. We end up eating some left-over pizza from yesterday’s musical rehearsal, and topping it off with some chocolate chip cookies. We discussed going out for some random shopping, but it’s so cold today, we decided to stay in and finish work and planning. There will be other shopping days.

As usual, my Thursday classes are early. It’s really dark when I leave at 6:30 am. The trains are not too crowded this early, which is great. When I go in a little later on Fridays, it’s “prime time”, and there are always big crowds.

Classes go well, and I finish at 9:40 a.m. I work until lunchtime at 11:30 and visit with everyone until 12:30. Between 12:30 and 4:00, when the Orchestra Club meets, it’s tough to stay busy. I’ve got a lot of my materials collected for the semester, and it takes some time organizing it, but overall, I’m not that busy. I’m done with my arranging projects until after Xmas. If the internet were working better I could find a few things to do, but it’s so slow these days, even at school, it’s frustrating to try to use it.

I try out my new arrangement with the Orchestra Club students after school today. It’s been “forever” since we last met, so attendance is really poor, but the students who showed up had a good time. When we finished, they didn’t want to leave. I was trying to get out in a hurry to join some of the faculty for Thanksgiving Dinner. The main group left school about 45 minutes ahead of me.

I finally got out of the building and on the train, headed to Tim’s Texas BBQ. My destination is about 8 stops down Line 1, consistently the most crowded line I ride. I avoid it whenever possible. 13 or 14 BHSFIC faculty are already “chowing down” when I arrive. The restaurant has been advertising a traditional meal, and they don’t disappoint! It’s a huge plate of food (ham, turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, corn casserole, rolls, etc.). There’s even a choice of apple pie or pumpkin pie at the end. Judy had already decided it was too far from her school, and too late for her to join us. It’s a shame. She would have enjoyed it.

I met Brad at his hotel and we headed back to “Eyeglass City” to pick up his 3 pair of glasses. When we visited last Saturday, we stumbled on the Panjiayuan Antique Market nearby. I had heard about it and always wanted to visit, but just hadn’t done it. We went back by today and spent more time wandering around. Brad had seen a few items he thought he might like to take back to the US. He ended up purchasing a small birdcage with a windup bird that moved around inside the cage.

One small section of the Panjiayuan Antique Market.

The upper area is a bike and cart parking area. The lower area was all books.

We were wondering how some of these items were 

Row after row of vendors.

This is one of the antique bird cages, similar to the one Brad bought to take back to the US.

After he picked up his glasses (really great job on the lenses he thought), we went to the Silk Street Market, where he bought two watches on Saturday. One of the wristbands had come loose, so he wanted to let them fix it. They took care of it quickly. Unfortunately, while I was waiting, I started looking at “Rolex” watches and ended up buying one.

After the Silk Street Market, we were hungry and Brad was ready to try some “local” chinese food, so we took a taxi to the small neighborhood restaurant near Judy’s school. I knew the food was good, and also how to order what we wanted. As we got out of the taxi and it drove away, Brad realized he couldn’t find his phone. After scouring through all his pockets and bags, we realized it must have slipped to the floor of the taxi when we got out. By the time we got where we could call his phone (US number, I don’t have international service on mine) it had already been turned off by someone. Either the driver or his next passenger is now the owner of a new (10 days) iPhone 6+. Ouch!

After the realization the phone was gone, there was nothing else to do but finish our sightseeing plans. We ate lunch (it was great), and then headed up to the Olympic Park. We had a nice visit, walking through the Water Cube, and then out and around The Birdcage. After the Olympic Park visit, jet lag was beginning to get to Brad so we headed back to his hotel.

Brad Barnes at the Beijing Olympic Park, in front of the Water Cube.

The Birdcage is still lit up for APEC

We had a good two days of seeing Beijing. He had seen it when the weather was great and pollution was low (around 75 on Saturday). He also saw it when the pollution was terrible (it was over 400 today). “Apocalyptic” was the word he used. When we left his hotel this morning it was around 260, but got worse with each hour. We visited areas of Beijing I hadn’t seen before, and I’m sure I’ll be taking Judy back to them in the not too distant future.

Since I have plans with Brad Barnes tomorrow, I have to make sure everything is ready for my classes. I’ll be too tired when I get home Wednesday night to do anything but sleep. I spent most of my time finishing up an arrangement for the Orchestra Club. After I get the parts finished, I put together an accompaniment on Garageband. It always takes me longer than I think it’s going to, but I eventually get it finished.

One of the signs around the apartment complex

Lots of babies looking for a little sunlight!

After visiting the eyeglass market with Brad Barnes on Saturday, I find myself motivated to find a new market area for toys. It’s Christmas shopping time and I’ve heard there is a big toy market, so after a little research, off I go. The market is only one block from a train station, so it’s a fairly easy trip. I find the toy market, and it is big. There are rows and rows of vendors selling all manner of toys. I had my usual fun time, checking out the items that appealed to me, and eventually trying to settle on a price with one of the vendors.

I found some good items, and after I make the deal, the vendor helps me pack it so I can easily transport it on the train. That’s something I’ve noticed before. Because most of the people in Beijing have to walk long distances, the vendors know the best way to put several boxes together with tape and sacks to make it easy to load it into a taxi, or carry it on a train.

Back home later, I have to get everything out of the boxes, test it, make sure I have batteries, and then pack it again so we can get it home in a suitcase. Sometimes that’s easier said than done.

The BISS Choir has a big performance today. The Beijing Rotary is holding a holiday bazaar in the Conrad Hotel, with lots of booths, etc. The students’ parents are delivering them to the hotel, and taking them home when they’re done.

Judy has to get 8 large IKEA bags full of sacks. Every sack is individually labeled for each kid (around 45 students). The sacks contain a student’s vest, reindeer ears, jingle bells, etc. On stage, the kids have their own sack, pulling out whatever they need for the piece they’re about to sing, and then placing it back in the sack when they’re through. At the end of the performance, they replace their sack into the IKEA bag for their grade level, and they’ll be prepared for the next performance.

The trick is getting all the bags to the hotel. Shannon meets Judy and me at the apartment gate, and we taxi over to BISS. We get the 8 bags and load them into a van (with a driver) chartered by the school for the day. We travel to the hotel, arriving around 12:45 for the 3:00 pm program. The students start showing up around 2:00. Judy gets them organized and they hit the stage right on time. My singular job is to make sure the music is cued up, and then start and stop each piece as needed.

The program is great (of course)! The kids look cute, and perform really well. Judy’s experience putting together programs like this pays off. The transitions from one piece to another are quick and problem-free. There is lots of variety in the music and the props the students are using (sunglasses, jingle bells, antlers, flashlights, etc.) The individual sacks really helped “the flow”, and at the end of the program, back stage, it is all put away into the IKEA bags very easily, ready for the next program.

Judy and Shannon, backstage after the program with the students, bragging on them!

After all the students are picked up by their parents (just like the US, it takes longer than one would expect) we load up the van and head back to BISS. Back home, we decompress. It was a great day with few problems and many happy parents and Rotary members.

Hey!  I have a visitor from the US today.  Brad Barnes helped us out at Martin HS with the marching band for several years.  His “real” job is working for DeMoulin Uniforms.  He transferred to Georgia (his hometown area) several years back, and I hadn’t seen him since.  I was scanning Facebook a couple of days ago, and he was talking about packing for a trip to China.  Someone asked him where he was going and he said “Beijing”.  I messaged him, giving him some contact info.  He messaged back and we’re meeting this morning to see the city.

While I’m getting ready to leave, I saw some Facebook posts from Martin HS folks about being enroute to Wichita Falls for a football playoff game with Amarillo High.  I sent a message to Dave Carbone, the MHS director, telling him to give a shout out to Bruce Collins and the other AHS directors.  I’ve known Bruce for years, and he’s a great friend.  Dave sends back a picture with he and Bruce.  Technology is crazy!  Also, Dave was the guy who knew Brad Barnes and convinced him to help us.  They’re friends from way back!  No contact with either of them for a long time, and now I’m trading messages with one, and hanging out with the other one, IN BEIJING, CHINA.  Freaky!

Before we meet, Judy and I travel to the Conrad Hotel to meet the sound guy for the program tomorrow.  We need to make sure there are no surprises when the BISS choir shows up tomorrow to sing.  Gotta make sure our cords will plug in, etc.  It all works great!  Judy heads over to Sanlitun to meet some people, and I head out to my appointment.

I meet Brad at his hotel on the opposite side of Beijing.  It takes an hour and a half with a combination of walking, subway, and taxis.  He decided to take a vacation and wanted to see Beijing, so here he is.  He wants to visit “Eyeglass City”.  It’s one of those areas in Beijing with buildings lined up, full of shops (hundreds) of whatever you’re looking for.  Sure enough, there are hundreds of glasses shops.  We select a shop, walk in, and after a lot of bickering and bargaining, Brad settles on 2 pairs of frames and prescription lenses to go in them.  He also purchased a pair of prescription sunglasses.  He ended up with 3 pair of prescription glasses for a little of $200. 

This is one hallway on one floor of four. They’re all full of eyeglass shops. There are probably seven or eight buildings in the vicinity just like this one.

Which shop do we pick?

Our next stop was the Silk Street Market.  It’s notorious for “knock-offs”, and Brad is looking for some Tag Heuer watches.  He finds what he wants and the bargaining process begins.  The problem with this is that you know these guys are experts at this, and do it everyday, all-day.  If you make a deal with them, I always have that thought in the back of my mind that they would have gone lower if I had been tougher.

After we finish Brad’s buying spree, we take the train to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City for some pictures.  We walk around, enjoying the evening, eventually getting on the train to travel to an area with a better chance of catching a taxi.  I made a bad choice about the right station for a taxi.  None came by that were empty.  We waited for 45 minutes, moving from one corner to another before a taxi finally pulled up.

Back at Brad’s hotel, we make a plan to meet again on Wednesday.  He has a tour of the Great Wall tomorrow.  Monday and Tuesday, he’s traveling to Seoul for some touring.  I head home eventually, trying to decide if maybe Judy or I need some cheap glasses?

School runs very smoothly today, for both of us. Judy has a musical rehearsal after school. As it works out, two of the faculty helping with the musical are setting up for another activity, and a third member of the group has a doctors appointment, so Judy and David are left to get some good out of the rehearsal, by themselves.

I taxi over the BISS with Dom (Shannon’s husband), and Scott (Alexis husband) around 5:30. The three couples are participating in the BISS Quiz Night. There’s a catered meal, followed by a quiz competition. Teams for 4 different international schools are attending. This is a first for Judy and me.

The meal is good, and then it’s off the next room for the competition. Each team is seated at it’s own table (six to a team). There are around 18 teams. The first quiz is sort of a history quiz, and we score a perfect 20. The next best was 19. The next round (can’t remember the subject area), and we missed a few, but so did everyone else, so we’re still in first. Our first place held up through the 3^rd round, but we had misses, and the scores were tightening up. We bombed round 4!   It was a page with pictures of 10 flags of countries in Asia (Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, etc.). We had to correctly identify the country and also select the name of their currency from a list we were given. I think we got 5 out of 20. Ugh!

Rounds 5 & 6 were a series of flops until the seventh round and our group (I mean to say Scott), nailed all but one. It was the a “drop the needle” for 1-2 seconds on pop music. He must be encyclopedic. The music would be played, then we had to name the title, and the group that popularized it. Scott was amazing. We didn’t pull up enough to win, but we finished 5^th (I mean Scott finished 5^th).