What's Making Me Happy!

  • 106 replies
  • 29815 views
*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #15 on: July 03, 2020, 02:28:30 PM »
PANDAS

PANDAS

PANDAS

PANDAS
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com

*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #16 on: July 06, 2020, 06:24:13 PM »
Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were spent running around the countryside to schools and students houses.  Some of them are a couple of hours outside of town.  I got to see 4 of my sponsored students  ajajajajaj ajajajajaj ajajajajaj ajajajajaj, the last one at a dinner at her high school - where I had to give an unplanned speech. aqaqaqaqaq

One small thing worth noting on Tuesday was that (just after passing it, so no pic llllllllll) the driver noted that a particular home belonged to someone quite special.  The charity's founder has sponsored 3 girls who went to nursing school.  Only one passed.  She later went to Hubei at the height of the outbreak to help in one of the cities there.  In the charity, we hope that the students grow up and do good things.  Heroism is a lot more than we expect.  She exceeded all expectations.  I asked if I could meet her.  A few phone calls later determined she was out of town. ananananan

Another bit of fun on Tuesday was a small . . .  civil disturbance at one school where I was mobbed by a few hundred students.  This happened at  different school last time.  That time, they wanted autographs and were all shoving pens at me.  This time I was prepared, with a self-inking chop, so I should have no problems.  ababababab  This time they didn't want autographs. kkkkkkkkkk

After a few minutes, I was dragged to the relative safety of one of the vehicles.  Then they all wanted to shake my hand.  It's a bit disturbing to extend a hand and have 5 different kids each grab a finger.  I counted twice to make sure I still had a full set. ahahahahah

Eventually the bell rang and most of them went back to class.  That let me come out and deal wih just the sponsored kids and do a quick visit to one classroom.

Let me elaborate a little on the Pandas. ahahahahah

PANDAS!!!! akakakakak akakakakak akakakakak

FengHuang has a new (actually, still under construction) panda facility, currently housing 8 pandas.  It's so new that some of my FengHuang friends didn't know about it.  I had no clue about this until one of the local charity members (sponsored when he was a student) shared a video.  I tried to see if anyone else who was free on Thursday could go.  No one was available, so I was 50 meters from entering Old Town when I got a voice chat call.  The charity's founder had arranged for one of his students (now enrolled in a university) to take me to visit the pandas.

A few of them were hidden away, but I got to see either 5 or 6.  My lovely tour guide and I weren't sure if one we saw walking into an outdoor enclosure was one of the same pandas we'd already seen inside or not.  Sadly, petting pandas wasn't on the agenda, but one got close enough for some good pics and videos.

I'm looking forward to returning when the weather is a bit cooler for a more extended visit.

In the meantime, all I can say is PANDAS!!!!!


Then there was The Southern Great Wall.  It's like the Northern one, only not so massive.  It's not as tall, not as thick, and is supposed to have been approximately 120 km long when completed.  I'm still trying to get more information about it, but there's very little information available about it in English.  Unlike on prior trips, I finally managed to tour the restored section.

Although visiting the Wall was on my agenda, my original plan for Wednesday was to visit some more schools with the group.  For some reason, the founder seemed like he didn't want me on the school trips that day.  My best guess was that he decided that one civil disturbance per charity trip is the the quota.  Then things got weird.  No one was responding to messages, and other than a couple of photos taken early in the morning, no one was posting anything in the WeChat group created just for the trip.  I finally had to resort to messaging my wife and having her contact a couple of people to make sure they were ok.  Finally someone sent me a message about where and when to meet everyone for dinner.  Even then, the WeChat group which was normally full of pics and comments was silent.

I got to dinner and only a few people were there, including a retired government official I'd met at dinner the previous evening.  Finally, everyone else showed up, along with an absolutely lovely girl I guessed was about 25 or so.  This was normal, since students and former students often join at various times during these events.  She wasn't just any former student.  She was THE nurse.

It turns out that wherever the group was that day, they were close enough to collect her and bring her along on school visits.  In order to make sure no one accidentally shared anything that might tip me off, they went silent on the group.  Only later did I see pics of her at several of the schools visited that day.

It's rare for me to meet one of my personal heroes, so I don't always know how to react.  I can say it took considerable willpower not to kowtow.  I got to sit next to her at dinner.  I had some help from a couple of people translating, but also made use of WeChat and translation apps.  Her personality was every bit as lovely as her face and her selfless actions fighting the virus.

akakakakak akakakakak akakakakak akakakakak akakakakak akakakakak

Lots more happened, but those are the main highlights.

I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com

*

AMonk

  • *****
  • 7817
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #17 on: July 06, 2020, 09:39:37 PM »
 agagagagag akakakakak agagagagag akakakakak

Absolutely wonderful adventure.  Thank you for sharing.
Moderation....in most things...

Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #18 on: July 07, 2020, 08:25:36 PM »
EL, you are so fortunate to be having such great experiences. I really like hearing what you are doing. I think it will take me a while to come out of this lock down. bibibibibi

*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #19 on: July 08, 2020, 05:17:39 PM »
Hang in there GM.  It may look bad, but Austalia never really had it bad compared to a lot of other places.  These extra precautions aren't designed to control the disease.  They are designed to eradicate it.
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com

Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #20 on: July 09, 2020, 08:00:24 PM »
EL, you are right! The only state that has had and is still having problems is Victoria. alalalalal I went to the "Den" today, so I hope nothing was floating in the air. I hope to go to the movies tomorrow. The first time in about 15 weeks. agagagagag

*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #21 on: July 14, 2020, 08:51:47 PM »
How was the movie? agagagagag
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com

Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #22 on: July 15, 2020, 01:16:48 PM »
"The Personal History of David Copperfield"was the movie. It was not a bad start to my going to the movies again. I'm off  to the movies this morning to see "Love Sarah". bfbfbfbfbf

*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #23 on: July 23, 2020, 09:40:40 PM »
China's Mars probe successfully launched!  btbtbtbtbt akakakakak btbtbtbtbt akakakakak btbtbtbtbt

Everything's fine so far.  It's already in an Earth-Mars transfer orbit.  The mission - look for signs of life.  xxxxxxxxxx
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com

*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #24 on: December 06, 2020, 04:14:07 PM »
Once, I got on an airplane.  It was a very long flight.  Then I got on a bus that took me to a place I fell in love with.

That place was Dongguan, China.  I arrived on December 6, 2006.  14 years ago today.

akakakakak btbtbtbtbt akakakakak btbtbtbtbt akakakakak btbtbtbtbt akakakakak btbtbtbtbt akakakakak btbtbtbtbt akakakakak
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com

*

AMonk

  • *****
  • 7817
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #25 on: December 06, 2020, 11:08:42 PM »
agagagagag Happy (landing) Anniversary akakakakak cecececece
Moderation....in most things...

*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #26 on: December 09, 2020, 06:41:13 PM »
And today is the 14th anniversary of meeting the Cantonese twins.  They took me out for wonton soup after my first English Corner.



Sadly, only one of them could make it to visit today, but the other one made it into town is here for lunch.
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com

*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #27 on: February 24, 2021, 08:16:15 PM »
In my honeymoon blog (from 2011), there were some Gilligan's Island references.  Since my wife didn't understand them, I threatened to make her watch the whole series (for cultural education of course  ahahahahah ahahahahah), but didn't have a copy.  A few years ago, I got one.  I showed her the original pilot as well as episode 1, and she said it was too silly.

TOO SILLY!  There's no such thing as too silly! ahahahahah

Two days ago, I convinced her to watch one episode a day.  She's trying to resist, but I caught her laughing a few times.

She's already asked why everyone didn't just get together and murder Gilligan. ahahahahah
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com

*

AMonk

  • *****
  • 7817
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #28 on: February 25, 2021, 04:39:55 AM »
 axaxaxaxax

It's because he's the star .... Gilligan's Island agagagagag
Moderation....in most things...

*

Escaped Lunatic

  • *****
  • 10845
  • Finding new ways to conquer the world
    • EscapedLunatic.com
Re: What's Making Me Happy!
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2021, 03:46:58 PM »
I also pointed out that killing Gilligan and getting rescued would have resulted in a much shorter and less amusing TV series.


And in other news, on this date in 2010, I crawled off an airplane in HK, got wedged into a van, and headed north with only one plan.  Staying forever.

btbtbtbtbt   :candyraver:  vvvvvvvvvv   :candyraver:  btbtbtbtbt
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
EscapedLunatic.com