Pictured Past

I had some problems uploading my most recent post yesterday due to having a new laptop, can't figure out why. So, on my older computer am attempting here to put some photos to give the "flavor" of a trip to SW China. Enjoy!

(And by the way, the woman in the photo is Miss Chen, the principal of the school where Bridgett will give her lectures; the man hitting the bell is her boss, Dr. Feng who coordinates a number of schools in the megalopolis of SW China...a great man of great action. The Yank is myself at a glorious temple outside Zhaoqing, along with some beautiful mini scuptures on rooftops and entryways inside the temple. A BAT is a sign of good luck in Chinese culture.)

Return to China Once More 2011

October 17, 2011 Well, it is almost the 24th. of October when we are scheduled to leave once more for China. I say "we" because for the first time another special educator and teacher of the deaf will accompany me to China to do presentations there. Such a presenter is referred to as a "foreign expert" and one gives "lectures". So, off we go to the cities of Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Huaiji and Zhaoqing. I will accompany Bridgett to Huaiji to get her settled for the first few days and then leave for the University of Zhaoqing where I will give my two week course on the subject of special education and deaf education. Bridgett IS a real expert on early education and will present her work at Dr. Feng's school in Huaiji, a small city of a million people or so. It has been great coordinating with her. She has recently launched her new curriculum site "Carousel Curriculum" where her curriculum packages can be viewed and purchased, check it out. Bridgett also presented in Fiji last February for a month at the Gospel School for the Deaf there along with a number of other colleagues we have all worked with. It feels like we've all come "full circle" on this curriculum venture. This will be my sixth trip to China, I cannot believe it. It's been a lot of work but it will have benefits. We will return on November 15th. after three weeks in China. We hope some will check in on the blog. No need to leave a message, just check up on our progress should we have opportunities to do some postings there. I am bringing my brand new laptop computer so it should run a little more smoothly than before. Luggage weight has certainly been reduced as much of my work is now digital and I can leave many of the heavy papers at home. Will however continue to distribute books to needy kids and classes there and they do take up space and weight. Also, have developed some dynamite lessons to share with my students who will be seniors soon to go out on their internships. Timing is everything. Till we meet or communicate again soon, thanks for checking in on this old blog I've had going since 2007! Zai jien, good bye for now. Frank and Bridgett p.s. in case you were wondering, the picture at the top is not China! I just received it from a photographer friend in VT. It's not VT either, it is Petersburg, NY, one of the bordering towns to VT. She travels back and forth to VT from the City frequently. Thought it was timely to receive it today, such a serene scene. Enjoy!

May 22, 2011 continued

Welcome, and hope you enjoy the postings. I've done a few in the last week or so, make sure you see all of them! Zie Jian. Frank

If you wish to leave a comment I think you have to open an account with this blog. It is easy, but you don't have to. Bye for now. Frank Redmond, aka "Hong Qin Fen" (my Chinese name). SMH, LOL, ROFL. Enjoy!


I think this was a picture of an ice breaker with another group. Note the dark, long sleeve shirt I was wearing in a room that had to be 95 d. F., on the sixth floor, no elevator, well, actually there was an elevator but it was mostly locked when I arrived. It all gave new meaning to the Yiddish word "schvitzing".......sweating. Had to drink lots and lots of shway (H2O).



The guy on the left, named "Lemon" (English name), wants to be a special education teacher and was very enthusiastic about the new concepts I was presenting. He also assisted me to get to the bus station on the day that I left for the plane in Guangzhou. We continue to correspond.

Portia on the left, and Snow on the right were two of the translators / student assistants who helped with the course at Zhaoqing University. They are both sophomores and very very hard working.

Bonne was one of my translators at the Zhaoqing University for the course on special education / deaf education that I gave.

Found: One big American in an ocean of preschoolers. It was a fantastic day and experience!

Dr. Feng and I shaking hands for all the world to see. He is a Ph.D. and has written nine books. He gave me a copy of his latest, autographed in Chinese of course. He also directs four different schools, three preschool / kindergartens and one middle school. He was extremely friendly and has invited me back to provide more directions with curriculum.

I just had to have a picture of these hand - chairs. They gave one an uplifted feeling and new meaning to the expression "Slap me five!"

Miss Chen, assistant principal on left, Miss Kathy, head teacher on the right assisting me to tell the Story of Ping at the Huaji preschool / kindergarten.

"down the hatch"

Dr. Feng on the right, Miss Chen on the left...he is treating his bad cold with a specially mixed potion made just for him. A votre sante, gam bie! to your health.

Dr. Feng had a bad cold, so he, Miss Chen and I stopped at a Chinese apothecary store so he could get a mixed brew to treat his cold. I felt bad for him, but he seemed happy to get the potion and drank it right there. This young woman is using a hand held scale to measure out the ingredients. It seemed to be an old family business and a great experience for me to see the actual process of Chinese medicine in practice.

I think I will try to post more than 5 pictures this time.

Third post, May 22, 2011

I just love this picture of Miss Chen. She is the assistant principal of the preschool where I was giving presentations. The preschool is only two months old and has 100 students. The plan is to build up to 500 students as well as open two other schools in the district. I've been invited back for more presentations. I loved the light, the setting and the subjects during the visit to the temple / pagoda in Huaji.

I took this picture in the fashion of our friend Connie who does all sorts of photography. It was on the wall of a temple we visited in Huaji...iconographically beautiful in its one-ness.

This little girl is the daughter of the head teacher at the preschool / kindergarten I gave presentations to in the city of Huaji (hwah-gee). She was very funny and animated in the restaurant and put on a command performance for all of us.

The charge of the light brigade.

These kids just came charging down from a high hill out of nowhere. See the other pictures for explanation. I had a "Lord of the Flies" feeling when I took in the whole experience.

Second Post of the Day, May 22, 2011

One of the joys of childhood I guess......being one with Nature.

These kids with the leaf crowns were so cute I had to have a picture taken with them. It was a "zen" moment for me for sure and hopefully for them meeting a big foreigner such as I.

This was one of the most ethereal experiences I've ever had inside an enormous cave near Foshan, Guangdong Province P.R.C. I took lots of pictures and it was tough picking the cave ones for the blog as I was totally on visual overload with this cave. I've been to Carlsbad Caverns in the USA and some in Ireland which were way underground. This one was so different as you were inside and seeminly outside at the same time it was so huge. Definitely one of the highest highlights of my trip. Wish you were there.

Closeup of the "shaman" in the temple outside Zhaoqing.

This picture on the left is a close up of the man at the temple who is kind of like a "shaman". Dr. Feng had some personal questions about homebuying and he paid this man to do a reading of some kind. He posed the question, Miss Chen, I and Dr. Feng went to tour the temple which included burning of a huge paper lantern in the ovens and setting off a very long string of firecrackers to ward off evil spirits and finally to burn some large incense in honor of their ancestors. The "shaman" was a heavy smoker as you can see from his stained fingers. Nonetheless, he was very nice and we all enjoyed some refreshing tea while waiting for his suggestions to Dr. Feng. I absolutely loved the experience as I felt they kind of let me in on some very intimate Chinese folkways / customs. (checked it off my bucket list!)

Only three weeks after returning from China, attempts to upload more pictures!

This is an example of Ancestor Worship, one of the major spiritual exercises in China such as Daoism, Taoism, Confusianism, Buddhism, etc. etc. This was at a wonderful temple outside Zhaoqing where there is a story about a mother and her two daughters afloat on a river in China. I did not completely understand the story, but she garnered great reverence from all who were visiting. I was able to say to Dr. Feng "Ta shir ma ma de Zhong Guo" and felt good about that. He agreed.

Part of an icebreaker using toilet paper...must tell something interesting about yourself for the number of sheets you take, e.g. three sheets = three interesting things about you.

I know, the same 3 translators, bu this time in class. See Frank, see Frank sweat. It had to be 100 degrees in the classroom but somehow got through it. Each book except for Miss Nelson Returns is part of my presentations in one way or another. Work, yes, fun, yes!

We stepped outside for a picture with bamboo background I liked. Thumbs up for all of us!

After at delightful farewell lunch, the three translators wanted a group picture. The tall girl named Kah Kah was not a translator however, but all wonderful young women (sophomores).

Despite the mic being "in my face", I thought it was a cute picture from the presentation at the "Number One " middle school in Zhaoqing. You know, 15 mins. of fame!

This is not going well. I will attempt again today to upload some pictures. I will do five at a time and then start a new "post" and will try to annotate each picture. Here goes........

These three lovely Chinese sophomore students at Zhaoqing University were my translators for the two week course as well as other activities. Their names are Portia, Bonne and Snow. They were a tremendous help to this old mei guo ren.

David in above picture is from Mexico City and got us all up dancing as this class at Nanjing University was learning about Central and South America(s). He did a great job.

Well, here it is two weeks after returning from this China trip and I can finally upload some pictures. The chip in my camera was not cooperating so had to try a different method with my son in law's equipment. I was gone from April 12th. until May 3rd. and took a lot of pictures, some I will share here. They range from Nanjing Universityhttp://nanjing%20university/ to Zhaoqing Universityhttp://zhaoqinguniversity/, a preschool in the city of Huaji http://huaji%20china/ chinaand a middle school in Zhaoqing called the Number One Middle Schoolhttp://number%20one%20middle%20school%20zhaoqing/. Hope you enjoy, and I will try to annotate a bit here and there. Thanks for looking!