Firecrackers or Gunfire?

Year-Round Firecracker Weddings

Seldom does a week go by that we don't hear the explosion of firecrackers announcing that there is yet still another wedding inprocess.  The sound is such that one would think it were gunfire rather than just firecrackers.  We recently got an up-close view as someone living above us was obviously going to be married that day.  Some of the revelers brought two large rolls of firecrackers and unrolled them in the entry way to our building.  The photographer was ready (left) and after it was all over, someone (blue coat, right) went through to step on any that had not gone off (of which there were several).  The couple to be married, not yet dressed for the wedding, left in a car decorated with flower sprays to go to the official ceremony and the awaiting guests.  I tried to load a video of these two long rows of firecrackers going off, but I guess it was too lengthy.

Bao Tu Springs in the City of Springs

Jinan is known as the City of Springs. Bao Tu Springs is located just a short walk really from our campus and in fact our campus on Shandong University is sometimes referred to as the Bao Tu Springs Campus. We finally decided to visit the actual springs and even though the temperature was about 32 degrees F, we found we were not alone on a Saturday---just the only foreigners there. We recently also enjoyed a Valentines dinner (lower left) with the other BYU couples from our city at an Italian restaurant.

Tour Through Southwest China

We left our seminar in Hong Kong and immediately began a tour of Southwest China including Guilin (pictured above) viewed from the Li River. The scenery was stunning and our guide said we were lucky the day was overcast and rainy because it produced the mist which shrouds the mountains in a mystic aura.



We then flew to Kunming where we visited the Stone Forest and an expansive underground cave. We were able to see some of the Sani minority group (lower right) and also the Naxi people (upper and lower left) as well as learn about the Dongbe (Shaman) pictured sitting upper right of which there are currently only 65 still living who continue to read and write the history of this people. These minority groups are all required to learn Mandarin in school but continue to communicate with each other in their own language.



We subsequently went to Lijiang where we visited the Black Dragon Pool Park (not pictured) and from there to Dali where we saw a cultural performance by the Bai people (upper left and center) and viewed the 3 Pagodas complex which was recently further developed as a Buddhist temple complex costing approximately US$30 million to finish. It was never-ending and truly amazing! From there we returned via Kunming home to Jinan where we began teaching another semester of college students.

Trip via Hong Kong Home for a Wedding

We made a week-long stop in Hong Kong on our way home to help with a daughter's wedding. In Hong Kong, we attended the temple (lower left), attended a friend's wedding (upper left) and visited with friends (upper center). Back in Utah, our oldest daughter, Kristen, married Dayne Peterson from Wyoming (lower center) and we enjoyed having most of the family together for the occasion (Kristen and her four brothers appear lower right), all except Amy, who is serving a mission in Hong Kong.

Christmas Service

We had two opportunities to "carol" for Christmas. One was in a Protestant Church in Jinan (lower right) which was packed with Christians. We were amazed how many filled the church. We sang a medley of Christmas hymns on their program Christmas Eve as did some other groups. We sang carols on a square near a Catholic Church on Christmas afternoon and attracted quite a group of picture-taking spectators.



We also had the opportunity to visit a couple of schools in a somewhat remote village near Qingzhou, about a two-hour drive from where we live. We took athletic equipment, notebooks, pencils, erasers, etc. and candy to a school for the deaf (upper right) who invited us to share lunch (upper left) with them and to a school which has both a kindergarten (note the beds for naps, lower left) where the 3 to 5 year olds were warmed by one small coal stove in the room (lower middle) and an elementary school through grade 6 where students sang and performed for us in gratitude for our donations to them.

It was a nice way to spend the Christmas holiday and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas.

Lots and Lots of Students!

Fortunately, a couple of my students wanted an individual picture taken with me which facilitated making a better collage of the eight classes I have taught this semester. Most of these students are post graduates in some field of medicine. They come from all over China. Shandong University is a rather prestigious university and all are quite thrilled they were accepted here. Many have already been here for 5 or 6 years.


They will all be taking a final exam from me next week, right after Christmas. I have 280+ students. Susan has close to twice that many. Most of them wear their winter coats in the classroom during this colder period but it is quite comfy for me without mine on. We have had a wonderful semester together and I will miss crossing paths with them on campus because supposedly next semester I will be teaching on one of the university's other 5 campuses while Susan remains on this one. The commute for me will be about 45 minutes one way by bus.