Ted's Travel Blog

Hong Kong is awesome!

2010-01-29T05:04:00.001-08:00

I'm enjoying a night out eating Mexican food with friends. The weather is great, and the atmosphere is wonderful.

-- Post From My iPhone

French Bakery

2009-04-22T03:49:00.001-07:00

In my wanderings today I found a little French bakery. I stopped to enjoy a croissant and a small slice of cake. I enjoyed the patiseries in Paris, and certainly this bakery has captured the spirit of Parisian excellance.

-- Post From My iPhone

Bank Guards in China

2009-04-16T11:15:00.000-07:00

Bank guards in China patrol the ATM machine lobby in most banks. They are decked out in light body armor, helmet, and a nightstick made of metal with protruding spikes. No guns, because they are banned in China. Here's a picture.

-- Post From My iPhone

Forbidden City Concert Hall

2009-04-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

I had a chance to visit the concert hall inside the Forbidden City for a concert performed by the International Festival Chorus last Saturday. See if you spot any familiar faces in the soprano section?

-- Post From My iPhone

Sing in the 'Jing

2009-03-27T08:11:00.001-07:00

My friend Naomi likes to sing. A lot. So, a week ago, a friend and I went to hear her sing with some of her expat friends at a popular bookshop across town. It was a musical evening, with those attending being predominately European. And, I will admit, it was nice to hear the sound of German music again. Here's a picture from the event...

-- Post From My iPhone

Marching Home and Safety Hats

2009-03-24T09:39:00.001-07:00

Children at my school don't just leave school by running through hallways and out the door. No, they line up in formation, by class, and march out the front gate of the school. When they get to the gate, they often say a chant, something about Good Night Teacher, before walking across the street to waiting parents. Cute! But the best thing of all is their matching yellow safety hats - it helps them be seen by the legions of taxi drivers, bicyclists, or other drivers on the road. And, in large numbers, they look like a sea of yellow, bobbing up and down as they walk. Such is the experience of teaching in China!

-- Post From My iPhone

Lorum ipsom dollar!

2009-03-22T05:01:00.001-07:00

I was walking through a trendy retail complex filled with Western name-brand stores. I was shocked to see a display through the window that had a whole block of English words that is just filler text. I got a good laugh, and continued walking.

-- Post From My iPhone

Visited the Great Wall last week

2009-03-12T09:37:00.001-07:00

You can see a video of me with my friends discussing historical events that happened on the section of the Great Wall that we visited.

Great Wall History

Breakfast

2009-03-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

What do you eat for breakfast when you live in China? Friends, I present to you...Chinese Chalupa! What is this that I am holding? It starts with a small round piece of dough, fried in corn oil. Then, one side is scraped out into small depression, and an egg is cracked and scrambled into it. The bread is flipped over and the egg is cooked. The cooked egg/flatbread is taken off the griddle, and placed in a basket to cool. When a customer comes, they use a brush to coat the bread surface with a sweet sauce, then a spicy sauce. Finally, a piece of lettuce is placed inside. You can choose to have only once piece of bread, or if you're hungry, like me, choose 3 pieces of bread. Multiple pieces of bread are layered with lettuce and seasoning sauces. All that is left is to carry it away in the plastic bag it is wrapped in, and eat it! This breakfast as pictured costs about $0.65. Add a bottle of orange juice drink, and the meal adds up to $1.00!

Atypical China Shipping

2009-03-10T20:53:00.001-07:00

So, I was out and about a couple weeks ago, and happened to see a large, $4000 wide format inkjet printer that was being transported. In America, this would be a job for FedEx Ground, and a pallet jack. In China, apparently the best way to send a giant box (with it's own wooden pallet attached to the box) is to balance it on the back of a freight tricycle and peddle it along the road.

Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore.

I'm getting used to the differences here in China - different food, different language, different way of shipping things. I miss some things about the US, but not as much as I might of thought a month ago when I left.

New Blog

2008-11-11T16:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Sarah started a blog today. I've decided that today is the day that I, too, resume from my 3 year hiatus from blogging. Besides, I've always tried to stay one step ahead of Sarah and her husband Steve when it comes to technology, so I am doing this partially to stay caught up with them.

I'll post some pictures of my most recent trip to Florida and North Carolina soon!