I just received the news through an online reading of the Clarion Ledger that Gale Denley, longtime newspaper publisher has passed away. During my years growing up in Bruce and on into adulthood, I always enjoyed reading his columns in The Journal.
Mr Denley was a man who loved to laugh and always had a smile when you saw him, even in his later years when his health began failing. My favorite column of his was written just after an ice storm where he wrote about the cat burning its tail in a lit candle while the electricity was out. I believe they were eating supper at the time and he commented that the smell of burnt cat hair made them all lose their appetites!
I will also never forget his column on the power of prayer he wrote several years ago. It was obvious that he was a man who loved his Lord, his family, and his community. When I was just a high school student Mr. Denley took time out to help me when I was seeking for what to major in during my college years. According to comments on the Clarion Ledger, mentoring students was one of the things he did best.
Mr. Denley will be missed by many. I am thankful to have known him.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Olympic Baseball Game...
In what turned out to be one of the most violent baseball games I have ever witnessed, the US beat China by 7 runs. What was violent about it? A US player knocked over the catcher when running into home base, this led to a lengthy argument between players, officials, and coaches and the Chinese pitchers kept hitting our players with balls when they were up to bat. It was an interesting sight!
On another note, the game was a lot of fun. My coworker Zach from Oregon attended along with Chris from Oklahoma, a college student who bought my extra ticket through an online ad I had posted. Chris showed up in American flag face paint. The game went on rather slowly with China not scoring until the 9th inning, and that was home run! The only home run of the game. Since these tickets were purchased in China, we were on China's side. This was interesting; in the midst of the crowd shouting "Zhong guo" (China) over and over, we chimed in with "Mei guo" (America) This brought us many polite laughs and some good natured ribbing (in Chinese, I think it was good natured, they smiled when they did it) from people sitting near us. We even attracted quite a few Chinese cameras. If this had been Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss knives would have come out instead of cameras. People are going to be talking about these three "laowai' (foreigners) across Beijing whenever they pull out those pictures!
I hope to have more pictures later when I can get some from Zach's camera, but here are a few:
Wukesong Baseball Stadium
The Olympic Cheerleaders
Go Mei Guo, thanks to Chris for lending the flag.
On another note, the game was a lot of fun. My coworker Zach from Oregon attended along with Chris from Oklahoma, a college student who bought my extra ticket through an online ad I had posted. Chris showed up in American flag face paint. The game went on rather slowly with China not scoring until the 9th inning, and that was home run! The only home run of the game. Since these tickets were purchased in China, we were on China's side. This was interesting; in the midst of the crowd shouting "Zhong guo" (China) over and over, we chimed in with "Mei guo" (America) This brought us many polite laughs and some good natured ribbing (in Chinese, I think it was good natured, they smiled when they did it) from people sitting near us. We even attracted quite a few Chinese cameras. If this had been Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss knives would have come out instead of cameras. People are going to be talking about these three "laowai' (foreigners) across Beijing whenever they pull out those pictures!
I hope to have more pictures later when I can get some from Zach's camera, but here are a few:
Wukesong Baseball Stadium
The Olympic Cheerleaders
Go Mei Guo, thanks to Chris for lending the flag.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Olympic Opening Ceremony Party...
Lastnight was the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. We celebrated the way the Chinese do best: with food! Two of our students organized an opening ceremony banquet at a local restaurant called The Ant's Nest. Here is a picture of the group:
Only three of the foreign teachers attended, Nadine from Germany (girl in pink on left), Laurie from the U.K. (center in gray), and myself. The rest are all students of ours at the EF school.
We ate a variety of dishes including a delicious beef with carrots in a red wine sauce, some very spicy shrimp and potatos that rival anything you will get in Louisiana, a spicy chicken and peppers dish, among some other stranger dishes: cow's tail, tofu soup (I abstained from these two.), potatos cooked in coffee (quite good actually), and of course there was mi fan (white rice). I also enjoyed unlimited coca cola and some partook of unlimited Nanjing Beer. The Chinese really like their beer, but you know what, I have not yet seen a single one of them drunk. The grand total for this massive feast for 22 people? 770 yuan. (112 dollars).
Some food pictures:
Spicy Chicken And Peppers
Potatos And Coffee- Strange... and Magical!
One of my favorites- mushrooms with cabbage.
Cow tail for everyone, cow tail party... Who has money?
As far as the ceremony goes, it was amazing. It was very surreal to watch the ceremony knowing it was actually happening just a short taxi ride away. My friend Josh Maze has spoken recently on Facebook about the idea of a global community. I must say lastnight really felt like that. We had four nationalites gathered around the table and we were all cheering for each other's countries as our teams entered the stadium. To describe the ceremony, I really can't. You will have to watch it for yourself. Think of it as a China themed Cirque du Soleiel. The most amazing thing was to see the pride in the faces of the Chinese people as they observed what their country had accomplished. Don't believe the hype put out by the Western media. The Chinese are a very happy people and are very proud of their country. The tears in their eyes as the torch was lit proved that.
One of the Olympic clocks around town.
If you would like more information on what the ceremony was like, here is a link to an article for The China Daily, the country's only English language newspaper:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-08/09/content_6918885.htm
Only three of the foreign teachers attended, Nadine from Germany (girl in pink on left), Laurie from the U.K. (center in gray), and myself. The rest are all students of ours at the EF school.
We ate a variety of dishes including a delicious beef with carrots in a red wine sauce, some very spicy shrimp and potatos that rival anything you will get in Louisiana, a spicy chicken and peppers dish, among some other stranger dishes: cow's tail, tofu soup (I abstained from these two.), potatos cooked in coffee (quite good actually), and of course there was mi fan (white rice). I also enjoyed unlimited coca cola and some partook of unlimited Nanjing Beer. The Chinese really like their beer, but you know what, I have not yet seen a single one of them drunk. The grand total for this massive feast for 22 people? 770 yuan. (112 dollars).
Some food pictures:
Spicy Chicken And Peppers
Potatos And Coffee- Strange... and Magical!
One of my favorites- mushrooms with cabbage.
Cow tail for everyone, cow tail party... Who has money?
As far as the ceremony goes, it was amazing. It was very surreal to watch the ceremony knowing it was actually happening just a short taxi ride away. My friend Josh Maze has spoken recently on Facebook about the idea of a global community. I must say lastnight really felt like that. We had four nationalites gathered around the table and we were all cheering for each other's countries as our teams entered the stadium. To describe the ceremony, I really can't. You will have to watch it for yourself. Think of it as a China themed Cirque du Soleiel. The most amazing thing was to see the pride in the faces of the Chinese people as they observed what their country had accomplished. Don't believe the hype put out by the Western media. The Chinese are a very happy people and are very proud of their country. The tears in their eyes as the torch was lit proved that.
One of the Olympic clocks around town.
If you would like more information on what the ceremony was like, here is a link to an article for The China Daily, the country's only English language newspaper:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2008-08/09/content_6918885.htm
Monday, August 4, 2008
Wow, I really am in China...
Today I headed out to do some sightseeing. I caught the subway over to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Up until this point, I never really felt like had gone to another country. China is so full of western culture, especially where I work, that it is very easy to forget that this is not an American city. In the building where I work, I can have breakfast at Starbucks, lunch at KFC, see an American movie in the afternoon, and then pick up some ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery before heading home. Tiananmen is the number one sight to see in the city to see the China that has been portrayed in history books and movies (well at least Big Bird Goes to China).
Once stepping off the subway into the massive public square, you immediately see this:
This is the entry to the square. The portrait is Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China and once chairman of the China Communist Party. The Chinese people greatly respect and revere him. His preserved body is enshrined in a mausoleum and you can walk through and view it. I skipped that exhibit but it is undeniable the effect this man had on modern China.
Here are some facts about the Square:
It means gate of heavenly peace.
The square covers 100 acres.
Most people outside of China know it as the site of a tragic riot in 1989.
Just beyond this gate, lies the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Now, it is the palace museum. For 100 yuan (about 15 dollars) you can tour the palace. For an additional 100 yuan deposit, you can get an audio tour guide that is gps enabled to go on and off when you pass certain historical sites within the palace compound. After returning this, you get the deposit back at the end of the tour.
Here are some pictures and information:
The stairs lead up to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, one of several throne rooms. And no, it isn't raining. It was actually a very sunny day. Don't know why this picture looks that way. The umbrellas are actually for the sun.
A closer view of the previous picture.
A lion statue. Lions are symbols of good fortune, which is why you often see replicas of these statues outside casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada to attract the Asian gambler.
One of the throne rooms, you couldn't actually go inside. You had to stand behind a rail outside the room. I believe this was in the palace of heavenly purity.
Any guesses what these big bronze cauldrons are? They are fire extinguishers. They were positioned outside all the major buildings of the palace. During the time of Imperial rule, these would be filled with water so that if a fire broke out, soldiers could quickly extinguish it. During winter, to keep the water from freezing, charcoal was burned underneath them. My question was, what if the charcoal was what caused the fire?
The final section of the tour was the Palace Garden. The emperor would often use this area to write and relax.
This manmade mountain was a spot that the emperor and empress liked to climb and enjoy the view.
So there you go, a Chinese history and culture lesson. Tune in next month for a visit to the Beijing Zoo.
Once stepping off the subway into the massive public square, you immediately see this:
This is the entry to the square. The portrait is Mao Zedong, founder of the People's Republic of China and once chairman of the China Communist Party. The Chinese people greatly respect and revere him. His preserved body is enshrined in a mausoleum and you can walk through and view it. I skipped that exhibit but it is undeniable the effect this man had on modern China.
Here are some facts about the Square:
It means gate of heavenly peace.
The square covers 100 acres.
Most people outside of China know it as the site of a tragic riot in 1989.
Just beyond this gate, lies the Forbidden City, the Chinese imperial palace from the mid-Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Now, it is the palace museum. For 100 yuan (about 15 dollars) you can tour the palace. For an additional 100 yuan deposit, you can get an audio tour guide that is gps enabled to go on and off when you pass certain historical sites within the palace compound. After returning this, you get the deposit back at the end of the tour.
Here are some pictures and information:
The stairs lead up to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, one of several throne rooms. And no, it isn't raining. It was actually a very sunny day. Don't know why this picture looks that way. The umbrellas are actually for the sun.
A closer view of the previous picture.
A lion statue. Lions are symbols of good fortune, which is why you often see replicas of these statues outside casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada to attract the Asian gambler.
One of the throne rooms, you couldn't actually go inside. You had to stand behind a rail outside the room. I believe this was in the palace of heavenly purity.
Any guesses what these big bronze cauldrons are? They are fire extinguishers. They were positioned outside all the major buildings of the palace. During the time of Imperial rule, these would be filled with water so that if a fire broke out, soldiers could quickly extinguish it. During winter, to keep the water from freezing, charcoal was burned underneath them. My question was, what if the charcoal was what caused the fire?
The final section of the tour was the Palace Garden. The emperor would often use this area to write and relax.
This manmade mountain was a spot that the emperor and empress liked to climb and enjoy the view.
So there you go, a Chinese history and culture lesson. Tune in next month for a visit to the Beijing Zoo.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Put Back The Stars...
I saw stars tonight for the first time since coming to Beijing. If you have been following the news media recently, you have probably heard about the pollution levels in Beijing. While I would say they are exaggerated (good old American media!), there is quite a bit of pollution here. Efforts have been stepped up to ensure clear skies for the upcoming games. It is evidently working. I looked up and saw stars tonight. From what I have been told, that is a rare thing in Beijing. It may sound weird, but for me seeing the stars when I am away from home has always made me feel a little closer to home. Just knowing that the same stars that I am looking at are the same stars family and friends can look up at see has always been very comforting to me.
What is coming up in the next few days?
I am reading scripture and leading prayer at Congregation of the Good Shepherd on Sunday.
Next Friday is the Olympic Opening Ceremony. EF is closing early on that day.
I am going to Tianemann Square and The Forbidden City on Monday. It dawned on me the other day that since I have been here I have been so preoccupied with getting settled in, that I haven't had time to "see" China. I think this will be very refreshing.
Then on August 18- It's the US vs. China for baseball:
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