Introductions

well ... I totally missed this bit ... thought there must be an introductory thread somewhere ... but then again ... until yesterday I was blonde ...

I've been to China twice ... and find it is like an infectious disease that you cannot get out of your system. Every time I leave there is this longing to get back there, to see more, to learn more.
I'm also taking a course in mandarin. distance learning in South Africa. very painful.

Welcome VoiceWithin.  We're going to need a nickname for you.  Do it yourself or they'll do it to for you.  I believe we've met, back when you were blonde.  Unfortunately, I'm still blonde.  I'm pretending to study Mandarin since I live here for the time being.   We can see who gets further in a year.  At least you'll have to learn to decipher what gets posted.  But I digress, and I just woke up. 

So, a tequila for you, and when we find Stil he'll give you the rest of the introductory tour.  Sit back and enjoy the show.  I'm sure you're going to fit right in.   

Indeed folks, VoiceWithin fits right into this motley crew gang we have at the saloon and is a very dear friend of mine! so we're rolling out the not-so-red carpet and bringing out the finest moonshine of the joint for the welcome party..

salud!
 

And don't ask why the carpet is not so red - you REALLY don't want to know!

Welcome aboard, Voice. Any mate of Noles is immediately regarded as dangerous a mate of ours.

Hallo, Voice! 

Hi all,
   New here. Introduced by Dragonsaver. I have been living in Lanzhou for about 10 months working on an international development (CIDA) project. Not alot of ex-pats in the circles I travel in so it is nice to be introduced to the group.

   I am over here on my own, well not entirely, I brought my Golden Retriever, "Jenny" with me, an adventure in itself, but she is great company.

   I came here from Canada  , west coast. I have a hard time with that question, 'so where is home?'. I used to answer it by saying home is where my kids are sleeping tonight (can you tell we moved a bit?). However now that my kids are in their 20's I REALLY don't want to know where they are sleeping on a day to day basis so home maybe where I am sleeping I guess. Stuff in Canada in storage, living out of a suitcase a bit, who knows where home is.

   I have muddled my way through not badly on life in China and have had some great adventures. Unbelievable food, far too many banquets, way way way too much beer, and admittedly even some KTV. Have not had alot of time for those Chinese lessons I keep saying I will do, between my teachers schedule and mine we seem to not see each other, only one lesson since spring festival, me bad. I am still subject to that white woman with minimal chinese tax at the markets, so of course they love me.

   If by any chance anyone wants to know about Lanzhou, other than the pollution, I am becoming familiar. I certainly know my way to the airport as I seem to be somewhere else at least once a month as I also look after the project in Shaanxi so I go to Xi'an and then on to Chengcheng county. Limited time always in Xi'an so mostly I know the walk through the Moslem market from the Grand New World Hotel (which has a great pool) to the Starbucks between the Bell and the Drum towers.

   Coffee, well real coffee, is sadly lacking here. I mean there are coffee shops, like the ones in the airports, where it is mostly bad, even more over-priced than starbucks and NO ONE will sell you the coffee or the beans. Oh yeah, as well as my dog I brought a burr grinder and expresso machine. I have lived overseas before, I know that I will do anything for that morning latte hit, well almost anything. As I explained to Raoul, I declined the membership condition about being his sex slave and allowing him to deal on the open market selling my organs.

  So open to questions here, though as I told Raoul, I may put in the same conditions as he did, depending on the question.  .

   Looking forward to some virtual meetings, and maybe some f2f stuff in my travels as well.

Cheers

Welcome, welcome and welcome. 

Glad you joined. 

George, he is the one with the dancing chicken (duck)chook.
Next time you need to go to Jilin just send him a message and he will tell you where to go.  He might even meet up with you   

We have some great members in Xi'an and they would love to meet up with you when you are passing through.

This Xi'an member will second that invite. 

Welcome Canvet ... you will have to pick up some coffee on your travels. It is hard to survive without that first cuppa of the day.
I'm not the newest one in the introductions thread anymore. ... like a piece of furniture around here now ... (ooh, I think I'll be the pool table)

Always a shot of tequila.

Welcome, Canvet

Welcome aboard, Canvet! Nice touch, bringing your dog. You won't starve when times are tough!! When next you go to Jilin, don't bother looking for me...I won't be there. DS is getting old and forgetful. Wo shi Jinanren!

I don't know if DS meant Jilin or Jinan, I read Jinan because that's what I expected to see, but I'm in Jilin if you come here.  Please give me a shout.  Welcome to the Saloon.  The (sort of) red carpet is still out, so mind your step.  I know ETR is on vacation, so maybe George will slip on the qipao and get you a drink on ETR's tab.  Later, when you get to the Ladies Lounge we can do better than that.  The cabana boys don't have chicken legs. 

welcome fellow canuck.  get thee to Yunan for some palatable coffee and some cool scenery. What exactly is your CIDA sonsored role?  There was a CIDA man during my Inner Mongolia posting, he was an agricultural advisor and had just renewed his contract for a third year.  I think it's pretty cool that you managed to get your pup here.  Sadly, I'm on my way home but I'm sure you'll find this place perfect for hanging your hat.

Well Hidy Ho Kind Neighbours.
Xi'an for company, Hunan for coffee, Ladies Lounge for hot cabana boys, all sounds great. What is really wonderful is people within the same time zone to communicate with .

My project is Livestock Health Extension. We are training trainers to train small farmers and animal health workers. Also because China just joined the OIE (World Animal Health Organization, yeah I know that doesn't anacronym to OIE but it is a long story) we are facilitating accrediting veterinarians, establishing traceability systems and way too many things for the number of people on the ground. We are in IMAR sort of but have never had permanent staff there, just training. There have been alot of Dairy projects and grasslands projects there though. CIDA will not be doing another Agriculture project in China (so they say now but a world shortage of food could change that) and IMAR is not on their friendly list as alot of money has been spent there and with few sustainable results. Sustainability, public health and zoonotic disease are the rallying call currently.

WEll just finishing a glass of the good old local Mogao Red which went well with my italian chicken cutlets and I am off to bed. Lovely walk along the Huange today and got my apartment almost cleaned up after the sandstorm friday night. I will be venturing over to the food discussions and hope to see you over there. I will be in Xi'an betweent he 19th and 28th of this month, then over to Chengdu if any of you are there, for a day then back to home base. Will have to wait for that Yunan coffee and continue to make due with the Starbucks.



Happy Trails