Monthly Archives: September 2004

Leaving Chongqing tomorrow

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We will be leaving this huge city tomorrow, either in the a.m. or in the afternoon, we still await final word on the time.

I’m finally getting comfortable here, I’ve learned a few words and a few tricks that help me to communicate. Not being able to communicate has been the hardest thing for me personally. I communicate, it’s who I am, it’s what I do. Except here. And getting through a few instances where my communication attempts worked were highly rewarding.

I’ve determined that two weeks away is alot longer than it seems. Until this trip, time has been flying for me. I wonder where the hours, the days, the weeks, even the months are going — I blink and they disappear. Here, without my family, without my work, without my routine, time seems to stretch far and thin and linger leisurely. It already seems like I’ve been away a month.

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Mobile society in person

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Before coming to China, I read quite a bit about the growth of mobile and the push to increase that use by the mobile companies.

Now that I’m here, mobile phones are EVERYWHERE! And I thought Americans were bad about their mobile phones going everywhere.

Part of me stands out because of my european features, but I think not having a cell phone around my neck or on my hip makes me even more of a minority in this city of 30 million!

I think one of the best pictures I can paint is the one I saw two days ago… There were three young girls crossing a busy street, with their arms locked at the elbow and all three of them were on their individual cell phones.

These “best friends” were physically together, but talking to what I must assume was someone else while together.

After talking to our guide, I learned that the goverment sponsors the growth of the coverage areas here, that all of Beijing is covered by cell towers, and that 15-20% of an individual’s income here goes to a cell phone bill.

No wonder the market is growing for mobile web and cell service at such an incredible rate in this country. And with the population here, those figures must be staggering.

Gottcha Day

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Today we picked up Maddie from the Civil Affairs office here in Chonquing. She is a beautiful baby. She’s happy, and even laughed with Jane within the first hour. She loves having her picture made, grinning and chomping her four existing teeth. She has three others threatening to come in on the top and is chewing on EVERYTHING.

Jane is in heaven and the baby is a good-tempered young lady. She’s sitting up, but not terribly efficiently yet. We made a few Gottcha Day pictures that we hope to post when we return to the states.

She’s a beautiful little girl, with a personality that is as sunny and fair as she is.

Jane says that today is the happiest day of her life, and the best. She also giggled (this woman who has been uptight for days — for some reason!!) and said “You know, nothing else really matters anymore.” It made me laugh. Funny how becoming a Mom can change everything about your life in a matter of seconds, isn’t it?

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Left Beijing tonight

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After a day that was FULL of activities, we have settled in for the night in Chongqing. The hotel here is lovely — which is especially nice following the most gruelling airplane flight of my life. It was long, it was sweltering hot and it was stuffy. But, this city is amazing by night and I can’t wait to see it during the day.

The population here is 30 million — yes million! Inside the downtown area are over 7 million alone.

This hotel has a 24 hour business center (which is why I’m in here at 12:35 a.m. Kentucky time, updating the blog.)

Tomorrow is “gottcha” day, and I don’t know if I’ll have time to write with the new little one with us.

We should meet Maddy tomorrow at 2 p.m. local time. Jane is quite excited, and it all came home to her, I think, when her room contained a crib. She literally squealed. LOL.

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Arrived in China

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It’s 4:30 a.m. Kentucky time, and it’s 4:30 p.m. Beijing time. We arrived just after 2:30 arriving in the biggest city I’ve ever seen (our guide says over 13 million and growing).

I felt quite the Kentucky chick when I looked at the plane for the trip from Chicago. It was honestly the largest plane I’d ever seen. After 13 hours on board, I decided it was entirely too small. :O)

Tomorrow we will see the Great Wall of China (I saw it from the air as we passed over) and we will visit the Forbidden City.

After that, tomorrow afternoon, we will be boarding yet another plane for inner-country flight. That one should be only about 2 hours, but I’m not sure I’ll be ready to get back on a plane at that time. We shall see.

Tonight … err this afternoon, I’m just trying to stay awake to make sure I sleep tonight. Staying awake until 2 a.m. and leaving at 4 a.m. for this was, … well… not the smartest thing I’ve ever done.

I really thought I’d be able to sleep on the plane. Ha. LOL. I should sleep like a rock tonight though.

Headed to get a bite to eat and go for a short walk, there are shops all around the hotel. After the taxi ride in, I’m ready to go see some of this architecture up close.

More later.