October 24th already!

Hello,
I am again at the Nokia store in Zhaoqing, the only place in the last 14 days that I've found that will open this blog. It has been extremely frustrating to say the least. I cannot view what I am writing, so just trust that it will be posted.
Here goes...China has been so much fun. The university housing where I live has some really nice people. The "canteen" food is ok, and not too expensive. For lunch today, I had nice greens in a light sauce, lots of rice, tofu in a great sauce and soy milk to drink..all for about sixty cents US. Never thought I'd like soy milk so much,but it really is good.
Events: met Fr. John Wotherspoon last Sunday and went to Mass at his church, a most charming one in Zhaoqing. He's been here 6 years and works very hard between his teaching position at the Canadian American School and his street duties as well as running the Matteo Ricci Ctr. which acts as an outreach to the poor. I believe a number of students from his well to do school come and do neat things with the poor folks. Also he runs lots of English corners and is known for his "one minute English" phrase which I believe he coined. He, Claire from So. Africa and I visited a mental hosp. and took one of the patients he sponsors there for a walk. It was great fun and she responded well. Claire, Fr. John and I went to a Muslim restaurant and had some deliciously flavored shoe leather (beef) dishes, the soup was great and the place was clean and very reasonable.
Have been back and forth to the school for the deaf. We are attempting to obtain amplification and testing equipment for this very needy school. As beautiful as the campus is, I am told that it does not have much money, so the students do not have amplication, nor does the staff have testing equipment and maintenance equipment to keep the aids performing well. Siemens Co. has offered some help and I am being the liason for that.
Yesterday was the BEST day. My interpreter, Fu de Ming aka JEFF, and I spent the day together: a.m. meeting with the principal, then off for breakfast, pick up pastries in a local store as well as chestnut candy from a street vendor, then onto a "boneshaker" type bus to go to DING HU mountain. A DING is a large cooking vessel that wealthy families would have in ancient times during the bronze age, also known as the Zhou and Shang dynasties, circa 5000 BC to 1000 BC. When I say large, a ding is about four feet tall and 3 feet wide and could cook enough for 1,000 people I am told. Ding Hu Mountain has the most beautiful Buddhist temple, c. 1633; the climb to it as well as the paths along rushing streams was just breathtaking. The swimming hole at the top, just below about a 200' drop waterfall is where Sun Yat Sen, the leader who dethroned little Pu Yi in 1911 liked to swim. I was so hot Jeff had all he could do to hold me back. Climbed some more and passed two hundred year old "strangler" trees as they send out parasitic roots that strangle anything in their way, thus, the age I guess.
On to the very top, past Sky Lake with its butterfly museum and exhibit on a small island in the middle of Sky Lake and then on to the "ding" park where there were many reproduction type dings that showed what they were like and the periods they were from as well as when they were unearthed and where the originals are (in museums all over China). There was one I must have seen last year in the Shanghai Museum on the trip sponsored by the Freeman Foundation.
After Ding Hu Mtn. Jeff and I headed for his office at the Open Campus college where he works; we went for a meal in a great reasonably priced restaurant, the bill came to about $ 4.00 US for both of us. And then, because we were so sore and weary, we headed for the massage parlor for a wonderful steam sauna and full body massage. It was about $6.00 US each for everything including tea and bananas as a repast between sauna and massage and after massage. We then strolled around Star Lake Park and viewed that beautiful lake in the middle of Zhaoqing. I could see the outline of the Seven Crags on the opposite shore. Saturday, Jeff and I will climb them. As we crossed the park where senior citizens were dancing to the oldies, I saw a big Pabst beer can advertisement and informed Jeff that the Pabst family lives in the next town to me in VT--- Manchester, VT. He was very impressed.
For the rest of the week: Dinner out with Jeff and his family Thursday evening, the climb of Seven Crags on Saturday ,and then off to Hong Kong on Sunday to stay over one night and take the plane Monday to Boston via Los Angeles.
I will sign off here as I am in a Nokia Store using their computer and have been here for about an hour, so Zie Jien, good bye for now. I am off to the "night market" across the street to pick up some postcards and souvenirs. You all take care and drop me a post if you have chance. Thanks! Frank