Winding down in Dongguan

Last full day in Dongguan,  Time to visit Li Hong:…and other friends in the area ….

Team Dinner

James arranged our first Team  Dinner: Our WuXi based team, we have just enough for a soccer team. James !!!! NO Crazy Fingers la  

Waterways are pervasive in this area

Here in SuZhou, much revolves around the lakes and interconnecting water canals, Adjacent to the commercial barges, residential waterways service private homes and the temple grounds., People + Water equal Tour Boats!

Moving up in latitude, Central East China

Saturday Morning, along with a few thousand friends, I practiced Full Body Contact Temple Visiting. Bus loads made the most of the last weekend before children go back to school.

Reading from Right to Left: Mountain Village GateOn to a less congested area …I can't see the little girl hiding behind the plant .. can you?  Nice to see some traditional building skills being used. Not up to standards seen in Japan, but enjoyable to see. Most of the fascination with these calligraphy panels is in enjoying the hand carving with character variations .. This one is machine generated, and lacks impact, the price of proliferation in the name of progress.

Marina District

A very short 6 days in Singapore are winding down, a full day today, Thursday, complicated by the YOG, Youth Olympic Games, closing events. Then the first flight out on Friday heading to MLC.

All built on earth barged in over many years, the original Seafront has expanded, new development continues to provide Singapore its own unique skyline. On the left, the temporary stadium for the Youth Olympics closing ceremonies.

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel ..

World Wide Update: Thailand and So. Cal

From my friend in Thailand:

Hi John,

Yes, all is well here in Thailand despite some heavy rains that are causing flooding in some areas but nothing directly at where I live (a little in a few streets nearby) or where the wife and daughter are. Just last night it rained very hard here in Lamphun which is about 30km from where I live but Lamphun is where the Industrial park is located for the CM I work at. Anyway I guess the dorm area was flooded from the heavy rain last night. Attached are a few pics of many I have.

Singapore huh, too bad I'm not heading that way any time soon or we could hook up. Have safe travels my friend.

Funny you should ask about Dan, great timing as I just received an email from him last night. I'm sure he would enjoy hearing from you and the supplier as well.. I have attached his email address in the CC area so the two of you can connect..... but let me warn you, don't listen to any of his shit of how good the CU Buffs football team is as that's just a past dream he's living.....LOL

Take care and keep in touch,

Rick

A some news on a happier front ..Ben and Ashley spend the day at our home with Auntie Robin:..

Hi John, Robin, and Heather, wanted to share the cute pix from today.  I had sooooo much fun with the kids, they were great.  Ashley helped sew her scrunchy after watching me top-stitch the suit.  Ben also helped cut threads and asked great questions.

Love to all… Robbie

 

Singapore day 2 & 3: Sunday - Monday

The Youth Olympics are in full-swing here .. The bicycle road was held here in the Marina Square area .. an early morning stroll I managed to avoid the congestion.A wall of water: One of the many new exotic buildings. Sunday evening was filled with past memories when we joined; Peter and Tina for dinner, Japanese style, then later in the evening HB Chan stopped by for drinks. HB, now retired, is a legend in Singapore for his ability to start up company operations from Zero to full production in short order, during the glory days of High-Tech Mfg. in S’pore. Talk about a small world, HB’s son, now married, and living in USA-Colorado, only a few miles from our Colorado home. (now sold)

Monday brought on a full day, a heavy rain shower in the late afternoon forced us into a shopping center .. a serendipitous occurrence. In Marina Square the First Day opening for: Long Run Tea .. a lone TEA voice in the Singaporean addiction / love affair with coffee.Not quite ready prim e time, I’ll find time to stop by later in the week.  First impressions .. Favorable in that they carried more Pu-Erh than any other tea .. the prices: Truly Singaporean. At first, only used to seeing Pu-Erh priced in RMB, then Matt reminded me this was Sing-Dollars… Ouch.

A perennial favorite: The MERLION draws a group of onlookers:…

Singapore .. Day 1

After a few hours (days) at 30+k feet I arrived in Singapore on Saturday Noon.  Staying in the Marina Square. Near the Old Raffles'. Much has changed over the years. Singapore looks and feels like a modernized Hong Kong.

On Saturday evening, Matt and I met up with my very good Friends; Simon Choo and Peter Kwang (wedding day 1987 !!!) how time flies.Peters wife, Tina, went to the Casino, while us boys got caught up on old times. The heavy influence of Mainland China is to be see all-around. Much more “mandarin is spoken, restaurants styles and much of the staffing in the service industry is Mainland Chinese.

… Here is my handle .. but! where is my Spout?

Not one, but TWO Handles .. Ok! but where is that spout?
The calligraphy is to: Attract Big Fortune   A clue revealed .. a Beveled and Lapped surface exposed when the lid is removed. The lid has a Matting Beveled Lip .. when mated, an air tight seal is formed.
The Base also has a Lapped sealing surface
All is exposed .. the bottom of the Pot has a mating surface that seals on the base .. in the center: ....
"THE SPOUT"  Flow is controlled via the Air Hole in the Lid, as with a drinking straw etc.

New stuff makes a début

Only a few short weeks at home and its time to head back to China.  This time a couple of side trips to Singapore, but that's a few days off.
I barely had time to unpack my treasures, but I did mange to get a few things squared away in the tea-room
On a 2nd; Tea-Table (茶几 Cha Ji) a new tea set takes center stage. (Teapot, Serving Jug & 4 Cups) 
On close examination you may notice that the Teapot has No visable spout! (more later)

Tribute Tea, three years on

A small chest of": “Tribute Tea, Fit for the Palace of the Emperor”  Lucky for me I picked up this chest before it went north.  Link 2007 post
I tasted this tea back in May 2007, as an eight year old.  I’ve opened this a few times to allow air to interact with the tea.  Now as an eleven year old, loose sheng pu, it makes the “First 15”

Time to replenish my Caddies with loose Pu-Erh. Four out of the five all but empty. Now filled, the chest has approx 2/3 of its treasure left, I’ll let the tea air for a few days before an infusion.