Day 1 – We sucessfully booked the show of May 19.   Well, it was expensive online. they agreed to deliver the tickets to our hotel, my wife was not sure if it would be safe for prepaying tickets online by paypal.    The hotel staff gave us a big envelope when we checked in…The tickets of Impression Liu Sanjie!

Day 2 – a telephone call waked me up in the morning.  Who is calling at this time?  It was Lisa, the girl who helped me to book the tickets, the show would be canceled!   Because of the flood!  The theatre is open-air!

How can this happen?  our 9-year son has been waiting for this show for half year!  I do not like the 100% refund…

More informations of Impression Liu Sanjie…

24 Aug – 10 am get on board at the entrance of Henxiang Garden, 1 hour drive to Guban Village in Putao, 20 minute walking to the Li River, about 40 km south of Guilin. Free time in the afternoon at the riverside. Stay overnight at Laozhao’s Family Inn.

25 Aug – 5 am get up to climb up the Hebao mountain (30 minutes climbing) to the mountain top, bird eye view of the Li River and sunrise (if weather permits). Go down the mountain for breakfast at Laozhao’s home. Continure to trek for 2 hours to Xingping Town. Take bus to Yangshuo (40 minute). Free time in Yangshuo. We have a bike club in Yangshuo….Take bus back to Guilin in the late afternoon.

sunrise on Mount Hebao, photo by Foring, Aug 2005

Cost: sponsored by Sinoway Travel

Aready signed up:
BILLY, LISA, CATHY, EILEEN, JULIAN, CINDY, FORING, ZOE

If you want to sign up, do it now! The van can only take 12 persons…

Things to prepare:
extra T shirt, nice shoes, cap, sun cream, swimming suit, mosquito spray (Otherwise I look like Cindy last time…like an onion-pie)

We are heading for Yangshuo by taking public bus. Never know that at 8:30 there are already so many people are going for the same place for fun!

The weather is perfect for a bike ride, we are cheering up for riding along the trails through rice paddies, till we turns into the muddy mountain road. Here comes the trouble time. Up up the mountail, all the way, after we think that we have reached the summit, make a short turn, another mountain show up.

The countryside is quite pretty, rice paddies are green, ready for the first harvest in Mid July. Women are playing cards, kids are playing around, animals are huntings for foods everywhere. It must a long time ago for us to see cooking smoke from the roof of a shaddy cottage, make us feel that we should belong to this place for centuries, and eventually in the near future.

There is no road sign at the crossroad, and it must be definite that we have make a wrong choice. We ride directly into the village, have a tea break here. Stewart plays table tennis with kids, and Major is sewing his second coke, bought from the local shop! We have not seen any young men in the village, and somebody tells us that most of them works in the city, only come home for family gethering on special public holidays.

I have trouble for cramped leg, rest for simple treatment by Leo. It is lucky to bike with these people, I am sure that they can handle any difficult situation.Now I have to push my bike to climb up the mountain, riding a bike for 5 hours on mountains is too much for me.

It is so good to ride on the mountain top. The river is 500 metres down the valley, the cruise we have taken for many many times, but never know that we can ride a bike on the top of all this beautiful mountains!

When they are speeding, squealing, rushing down the hill, it is the most exciting time for everyone. And we meet the Li River on the other side of the hill, the lovely cold water of the river, wash away all the hard journey today

The sky was white-washed blue, and the rice fields a rich green on  our way to the village.  In the bus, the atmosphere was exuberant as different educational methods were discussed and debated, ensuring that the field-trip lesson was going to be special and interesting.

An hour later, we arrived at the village surrounded by fertile green fields and mountains.  The village elder told us that the villagers who live in the mountains are qumquat farmers, enjoying a better life than those who live by the Yu Long river near Yangshuo, who have a more difficult life as they are surrounded by limestone mountains and have to rely on rice crops.   We could hear the laughter of children even before we arrived at the elementary school. It was break time, and the children were playing in the school yard under the shade of a pair of banyan trees. The three-story shooldhouse was new, built with donated money the year before.  The headmaster gave us an overview of the school, 200 students, 12 teachers.  Our American friends easily interacted with the children who in turn were surprised that they have such distinguished visitors at their village.

At the sound of the bell, the children returned to their classroom and we all went up to the 3rd floor with the headmaster.  Their English teacher awaited us outside of the classroom.  We entered to see 31 students stand up and bow to the teacher, then sat down and quietly watched us with rounded eyes. The English teacher told the students about the visiting teachers and what to expect during their visit.  Our team leader went up to the podium and wrote down the names of the visitors.  He told everyone how happy they all were to be there and how happy the American students were to provide the lesson for that period.  He wrote 3 sentences on the blackboard: We come from the United States.  Where are you from?  What is the name of the village?  He asked who understood what was written and two students responded.  One student stood up and translated.   The team leader said: Yes, we are from America and you are from China but I hope to become good friends and today we will learn English together.

Janet divided the students into nine groups, with each of the nine American students heading each group of three to four kids.   All the children looked so happy and excited, and looked to their group leader with wide-smiling eyes.  You can even tell the shy ones were happy and excited too!   The American teachers first introduced themselves and then gave the children a turn and taught the children how to introduce themselves in English; some of the Americans teachers also picked English names for their Chinese students; and some taught simple words and sentences.

The atmosphere of the classroom was so pleasant and very active.  We could frequently hear light laughter.  Mr Rong, the English teacher of this class told me he was so happy and surprised to see that his students are so confident and he regrets that they will not often have opportunities such as the one today to practice their English.   The principle of the school also spoke with emphasis and feeling on how devoted all their teachers are to the kids, hoping that education could change their students’ lives and their home village.

When the bell rang, it was ignored by both the students and teachers. They all had so much fun together.  Everyone took photos, talked about their families, and it didn’t seem like there was much of any language obstacles.  As always, time is too short, when a song broke out, I realized it was about time to leave.  ” Row row row your boat gently down the stream, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream” This little song was taught in each group first, but the kids were fast learners and they all sang it together in the end.