My family makes customized hiking poles and equipment for people with knee problems. We have had the joy of testing these products with international students visiting Reno through our international houses ( www.renoihouse.org and www.summerstayusa.com )
February 17, 2015
Final Asia 2015 Pictures
Friendship, encouragement, and sightseeing China, Korea and Taiwan. God allowed us to contact and meet with 32 friends and their families over the course of 3 weeks. In addition to business factory scouting, and following up with returned Reno friends, my friend Scott and I learned about the history and future life of our international friends in East Asia. The entire trip was finished with an strange learning experience about my flight itinerary coming back home to the States.
Most interesting experience: Ice bicycling at Hohai park in Beijing China.
Most beautiful place: Shanshan park platform, overlooking Taipei, Taiwan
Best food tasted: Persimmon pancake in Xi’an, China
Worst experience: Last day at the airport, a conflict with my flight itinerary. Followed by my most joyful time later that day.
What I learned: I learned much about the struggles that my young career-oriented friends face after finishing college throughout Asia. Many had issues with money, materialism, lack of purpose, debt, marriage (lack of), shaky cultural identity, stress, overwork, disillusionment, high costs, as well as some good things too. It was a blessing to encourage them, and see what God is doing in many of their lives, even in this stage of life.
In addition, we learned much about the history, hopes, and politics of this region.
Where next? Likely, Japan, then Brazil. Within the next few years.
July 28, 2011
Final Videos of East Asia Trip
Here are some more videos. Showcasing Hong Kong, Taipei, Shanghai, Korean folk fashion, and the old streets of Beijing.
Be sure to see the next page at the bottom. I hope you enjoyed this blog.
I will be doing a mission summary of the trip on the night of August 1s for church friends and volunteers. Contact me if you’re interested.
July 26, 2011
Videos of Guilin China
The first video shows a brief shot of the mystical landscape of the Guilin mountains. The second video shows a Chinese market at our destination town of Yangshuo after the river cruise. The third is a bike ride through the rice paddies. The fourth is observing the street commute of this inland Chinese city of Guilin.
July 26, 2011
More Pictures of Korea
Scenes of wandering of the streets of Seoul, and visiting the southern city of Busan. Reuniting with long-time friendships. God blessed this segment of the trip with many relationships.
July 23, 2011
Homelife in Korea
My time in Korea was full of meeting people . . . friends who used to live in Reno, and now have moved back. It was a joy to tour the nation through their help. Without them I would not have seen the details of life in Korea. I got to see the countryside (and a restored folk village), Seoul, and Busan.
I was blown away by the hospitality of my host family, they made me feel at home and part of the family immediately.
Life in Korea is high paced and competitive. Technology and modern living are engrained in everyday life (even more than the USA). High-speed trains, touch screens, toilet seat heaters, urban lifestyle.
Korea is a word leader in shipbuiding, and shipping container logistics. The famous company of Samsung seems to be involved in every industry there: clothing retail, construction and of course, electronics.
Christianity along with traditions borrowed from Confucian philosophy and Buddhism are all influencers in the culture. Church buildings are almost on every block.
Fashion, materialism, and entertainment seem to be the upcoming inflluencer.
It is not uncommon to have a sales presentation for panty hose or hats on the subway. (it helps pass the long commute bye). I was also surprised with the over abundance of coffee houses and corner bakeries.
The people of Korea are warm hearted, family oriented, and show great respect for their elders.
And of course the food is some of the best I’ve ever had. There are more pictures to come soon.
July 19, 2011
Building Bridges in Beijing
My time in Beijing was marked with surprises, culture shock and open and closed doors from God.
What gave me the most joy was meeting with returned student friends of mine. One of them lived in the International House as a visiting scholar several years ago. I met his family, helped his daughter practice her English, and finished off the day with a delicious meal of traditional Peking Duck.
Another friend I met originally in Reno. He was different than many Chinese students I have met, as he enjoyed the practice of playing Blues and Jazz electrical guitar. In his short time in Reno, he joined a band, held regular gigs, and gave and artsy impression of Chinese culture. Upon his return to China, he took his skill to to market an has started music related businesses. I was happy to see artistic and entrepreneurial passion in my friends.
I also had the privilege of meeting many new people who are studying English in various universities in Beijing. They took me to many of the major sights in the city as well as sharing conversations about life. The five or six students grew close with tea and much time. Together, we started building key connections between Reno and Beijing. This leg of the trip not only was fun, but very fruitful.
On a tourist note, I got to see: Tienamen Square, Forbidden City, Olympic Plaza the Hutongs, Hohai, universities and the Great Wall of China.
The Good: The Great Wall is truly a historic masterpiece. It was hard to believe this wall was built 2000+ years ago. Although there were signs of restoration, you can see the original bricks in many spots. The Hutongs are a must-sea, as well as the nightlife in the Hohai area, a lake surrounded by bars, restaurants, shops, karaoke, and more. Also, I liked the street selling, from BBQ to cheap shoes. It makes the streets feel convenient, fun, and active. It is so different than the USA. I tried several local dishes including Zhong Ja Mea (a delicious cold noodle dish with sauces, vegetables and meat), Mongolian dumplings, and Beijing’s local favorite: Bao du; this was the strangest food I ate on the trip . . . it is goat tripe with cilantro, sprouts, and various salty/sweet sauces. Weird, but tastes good.
The not-so-good: Although the Forbidden City and Tienamen Square are full of history, it was unfortunate that I had to travel there in the summer. There were so many tourists (nearly all from other parts of China), that the groups, confusion, heat, sun, yelling, and bullhorns made for a not-so-fun experience. However there is a beautiful park with excellent views of the whole city on the back side of the Forbidden City. I would have liked to have spent more time there.
Also, a warning for future travelers, if you go to the Great Wall, be wary of tour trips that are extremely cheap. You get what you pay for. For 90 yuan (about $15 usd), we went on a tour that advertised the Great Wall, lunch, Ming Tombs, Olympic plaza and many other sights. I had a feeling there was a catch. Sure enough, we only had 40 minutes given to us for the Great Wall, with a lunch consisting of mushy rice and stale vegetables, followed by “visits” to souvenir shops and jewelry stores, finishing with being dumped off a mile from Olympic Plaza and being told to find it on our own. I had to laugh at the whole experience. It actually is a good deal if you can endure the shopping stops.
Beijing is a little different than Shanghai, in that its layout is more spread out. There is lots of space, but it makes it take a long time to travel anywhere in the city. It is massive, with many “downtowns”. The city has 1500+ years of history, but most of the original city has been destroyed and built over. Overall, my time in Beijing revealed the vast economic and social changes going on in China.
East Asia Trip 2011 