A Year From Now...

Ann Arbor Fall Colors September 30, 2012

Near our condo, the trees explode in beautiful colors. マンションの近くに美しい木々は火のような色が落ちる.

Father Son Run ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ Jinqiao

珍しい経験だので、昨日マーティンとジョナは近所の回りに多少のキロを走りました。一緒に始まったが、ちょっと違うの歩調です。もちろん違うの種類の走ることをします。ジョナはクロスカントリーレースをしてので、マーティンはトライアスロンのトレーニングをします。でも、面白い父息子のすることでした。所で、ラーニングしたながら、靴をはいたので、ジンチャウにはだしは危ないと思います。

A rare opportunity, Martin and Jonah got a chance to run around the neighborhood together for a few kilometers yesterday- at least they were together when they started... Yes, they do a different type of running, Jonah does cross-country racing, and Martin does triathlon training.  Still, it was a neat father-son activity.  By the way, this is after they came home and took off their shoes.  They did not run around Jinqiao barefoot.  LOL  That would be very dangerous.

Weekend Sunrise, Jinqiao

A beautiful Shanghai sunrise greets us at 5:35 AM. 

午前５時半に、きれいな上海の日の出が来ました。

      Two weeks ago today, Martin completed his first full length triathlon, at Murakami, Japan, then came here to Shanghai.  Barely had he arrived, and he was off to Beijing, and more, doing interesting work with batteries and automotive electrification.  He did spend a good bit of time here, which went by too fast, and this morning he flew away again, back to Michigan.  

今日には、二週間前に、マーティンは最初のトライアサロンを終わったので、村上の日本にで、上海と言うここに来ました。直ちに、ずっとにペキンに行ったので、面白い仕事は車の電池についてプロジェクトをしています。一緒にの時間は全然十分だから、今朝も飛行機に乗って、ミシガン州に途中に行きました。

Yesterday, Martin tried to post this photo, but I've been having all sorts of trouble with this website, and it wasn't behaving properly.  Now I think I've fixed it, so that everyone can enjoy an unusually pretty Shanghai sunset.  You may notice that I have inserted Facebook "Like" buttons on the individual posts, as well as a "LIKE" button on the sideboard, which should give you new postings in your newsfeed.  Go ahead, try it!

昨日マーティンは上の写真を撮ったので、ここに載せてみていたが、最近私はたくさんのインターネットの問題があったから、無理です。よく努力をしたから、たぶん直しました。全部のポーストはＦＢのライクのボットンを着いたので、本のブローグもライクのボットンがあります。そうすると、好きだったら、やってみてください。

Travel in China September 2012

Very interesting　work in China last week. We traveled from Shanghai to Hangzhou on a high-speed　train named "Harmony" 和谐.

先週に中国で面白い仕事でした。上海から杭州まで電車”Harmony”でいきました。

Later, we flew　to Beijing.  The CCTV building is very　cool.  Too bad the air is so darn polluted.

あとで、飛行機で北京へ行きました。CCTVビルを大好きだけど、空気はすごく汚染されている。。。大変です。

Interim commences ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ China

At 5 AM this morning, while it was still dark, Toby and I left the apartment with Jonah and his suitcase and backpack.  It usually takes me twenty minutes to walk to the school, but today we were moving quite fast.  Jonah had a plane to catch, and the bus to get him and his group to the airport would leave right on time.  23 groups of high school students, and about 50 adults started their Interim programs today, traveling throughout China to do service, learn, and adventure for a week.  Jonah's group flew to Hainan Island, which is far, far to the south, more than 1000 miles from Shanghai.  There they will do service work at a school and at an orphanage.  They will probably also do some teambuilding and enjoy the beach.  What a great opportunity for all these kids.  今朝５時に、トビとジョナと学校に歩きました。今日は特別日ので、高等学校の学生とか先生皆は中国の中に色々所に、学んで、お世話をして、遊びに行きます。ジョナのグルプは南の島に行って、孤児院で手伝うつもりです。すごい機会と思います。

I am so impressed with how this huge program is organized.  To think of the logistics, of sending all these groups out to have meaningful experiences all over China, plus one of the groups goes to Hiroshima in Japan.  All of the teachers also go, plus many of the other adults connected with the school.  They even have two students from the US, who won a contest to participate.  The students choose their trip, and have many preparation meetings over several weeks.  Three days ago, they collected the passports, two days ago, they issued Interim shirts in different colors, and this morning, when I saw that several buses were leaving at about the same time, I understood the shirt thing.  After it is over, there will be all manner of projects to be done, so that the learning doesn't end with their return.  あのプログラムはとても面白いです。学生の皆は四つトリープを選んだので、好きなことをすると思います。一つグループは広島も行きます。沢山準備をしたので、皆は同じグループの中に、皆は同じ色なＴシャツを着ます。今朝たくさんグループは集めたから、シャツの色の理由を分かりました。

Something smells ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Shanghai

In 2001, with my brand new passport, I took my first international flight, a looksee trip to Tokyo, where we ended up living for over a decade.  During that time, I spent at lease a few weeks in America each year, and had the good fortune to visit several other countries in Europe and Asia.  While in Japan, I worked hard to learn the language, made many local friends, and had come to think of myself as fairly culturally sensitive.  But its true what they say, the more you learn, the more you realize you don't know.  I admit it, I do not understand China.  Not only that, I really have to struggle to be culturally sensitive here.  I observe, I listen, I try to keep an open mind, and I wonder:  How can they stand the smells?!

When you walk into the grocery store the first time, the second time, the third time, etc, etc, the odor nearly knocks you over.  I thought I would get used to it, which hasn't happened yet, but I have hope.  I thought it might be chicken blood, and I didn't want to buy any food there, but, even though there are piles of birds and meat without wrappers, that's not it.  It is the durian.  Now I am very curious.  How can this fruit emit such a putrid stench?  And why do they have it in the store when it is obviously an olfactory troublemaker?  And how can they possibly buy it and take it home, knowing it will stink up not only their own home, but the whole neighborhood.  Nevermind what might happen when they cut it open?  See what I mean about being culturally insensitive.  I need to work on this, I know.

Okay, so at least I have a choice about whether or not to buy the durian and take it to my home.  The deal about odor is that it really hits home when it... hits home.  At my last apartment, there was such a bad issue with the plumbing, mostly in the kitchen, but only some of the time.  I would call the landlord and they would send someone up who would tinker around, sometimes replacing pipes or gaskets.  It didn't seem to make any difference.  And then it would go away for a few days or weeks.  And then come back.  I moved to this apartment, and thought I had escaped it, but no, it happens here sometimes too.  I just need to be LESS sensitive to it, I guess.  

But here, the washing machine has a very strong smell of mildew.  I have tried to clean the parts that I can get at, but to no avail.  So, I asked the landlord office to try to help, the girl was real nice, came up and took a whiff... no, she doesn't smell anything.  I'm thinking, "What?! Impossible."  Yeah, right, she probably thinks durian smells like perfume.   So I tried a sudsy treatment that didn't really help.  Oh, well.  Enough on this topic.  It stinks.

十年間以上前に、最初の国際の飛行機を乗りました。日本に行ったので、長い時間住んでいました。そして、あの時間に、毎年にアメリカに行ってので、色々国も訪問しました。私は色々国に行ったら、違う国の文化を感受をやってみるが、中国のにおいはとても難しいです。そして、この物語は悪臭においについて、特にドリアンとか、白カビとか、鉛管は悪いにおいです。

Thanks Coach ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Shanghai

Last spring when Jonah participated in track, he had a great coach, Mrs. Bishop.  She really encouraged him as he tackled the sport of long distance running.  This summer, he often went running, wherever he happened to be, and continued to improve his skill while trying to prevent injury and deal with the inevitable issues like shin splints and managing nutrition while training.  When school started, Coach Bishop encouraged Jonah to join the Cross Country team, and, along with her assistant coach, Mr. Zielke, helped him improve his endurance and his times.  Jonah trains with a great group of kids from the high school, and it's really too bad that they can't all go to the Championships being held in Guam next month.  

What I think is really neat is that training for Cross Country has given Jonah a chance to practice and hone his leadership skills among his peers, as well as giving him practice at certain life skills that will be especially useful during his senior year and in college, such as planning, persistence, and follow through.  Congratulations, Jonah, on being chosen to go with your team to APAC.  Keep it up.  This is only the beginning.  

前の春に、ジョナは学校のトラックチームに参加しながら、いいコーチがありました。いつもがんばったので、ジョナは好きです。ジョナのイベントは３０００ミ-タ-を走りました。そして、夏に何回もどこでも走ることを練習しました。早くなってみて、忍耐もよくやてみます。怪我予防してみるといろい問題扱いします。８月から、新しい学校年は始まったから、コーチはまた激励くれて、ジョナはよくなりました。全部のチームはたくさん学生があるので、少しは来月にグアムの選手権に行くできます。ジョナは選ばれたが、全部のチームは良いと思います。  

特別いいことは、ジョナのために、走ることはチームの中に、リーダーになるので、一人で走ることはとてもいい考えているの時間です。今年や未来の大学校のために、計画を作って、根気を得て、達成も学べます。ジョナがんばって、今は始まったです。

Seoul September 2012

Ah...back to Seoul from Daejeon via KTX.  Excellent and interesting work - extremely technical and esoteric.  Nice to see Namsan in the evening.

Barefoot Frisbee in a Cloudburst ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Shanghai

All day, it looked like it would rain.  Then, on the way to school for Ultimate Frisbee, it started to sprinkle.  Then, CLOUDBURST, just when they got started playing.

一日中、雨が降ってそうだので、ウリチメートのフリースビークラーブをしに行って途中に、少しの雨が始まりました。でも、試合は始まった時に、豪雨だった！

So, after awhile of slipping and sliding in the wet grass, they all took off their shoes and played barefoot in the rain.  そして、ぬれたの草から、よく滑ったので、少しい時間後に、靴をぬいて、雨が降りながら、はだしで、遊びました。

Nashville Wedding - Doug & Kat

It has been two weeks already, but seems like yesterday - an excellent event in Nashville!

A beautiful venue on Cannery Row.

Shakin' and groovin'

Great friends for life!

See More Pictures from Doug & Kat's Wedding  HERE.