HELLO FROM GUILIN, CHINA

We received an email today from one of my fellow teachers at the Shiyan University in ShuangTaShan, Chengde City, China. Her name is Belinda Bu and she is currently on holiday (vacation) in Guilin, China after experiencing some personal health concerns. Belinda sent us several photos from the Guilin countryside and nearby village areas.
She, her husband Dave and daughter Sunny, became my very good friends while I was living in China. They also became my unofficial tour guides whenever I wasn't teaching class or tutoring some of the University staff. Mr. Bu was a great host, a wonderful friend and made certain that I received the royal treatment whenever and wherever I traveled with them.

It's always great to hear from these very, very special friends in China. Several of my students have also kept in contact with us via emails, text messages and even an ocassional phone call. They remember well - and often remind me of - the times when Lynne would call me while I was teaching a class. I would put my cell phone on speaker and let her talk to the class. They would shout back to her in English and Chinese. . .some of them were confident enough in their English that they spoke to her directly on the phone.

They were fascinated. . .and it was a great time for them - and for Lynne. On more than one ocassion, they would hand the cell phone back to me and ask, "Doesn't your wife speak English? I am not understanding all of her words." This, of course, due in large part to Lynne's honey-warm, smooth but sometimes deliciously molasses-sweet southern accent.

Also because Lynne has a tendency to use such phrases as . . "ever li'l whip stitch" . . ."rippin' and runnin'" . . . "grabbin' and snatchin'" . . . "oh, bless your heart" . . "y'all are just sweet as the dickens" and the ever famous "y'all hug up on my hubby and give him a squeeze for me"! That last one particularly mortified some of them (especially the girls) when I translated it from southern speak to English and subsequently into Chinese. We still get a good laugh when we talk about it and Lynne loves to tell the story.

I really 'miss the dickens' out of my friends, associates, students, fellow teachers and the Chinese people in general. . . and we look forward to going back for a visit soon. Lynne is even more eager and excited to go after watching the Olympics and several documentaries/specials on Discovery Channel Atlas, etc. We hope you enjoy these photos from Guilin and can begin to experience, in even some small measure, the love we have for this very beautiful place and its people.