As you may have noticed from my previous blog posting, we will be returning to the U.S. following our 2 year language and culture studies in China. In fact, our departure date is today! While it would be foolish to believe I can anticipate exactly how reverse culture-shock will impact me, there are several things I “think” will be true. Here’s my best estimate for a Top 10 List of…
Read MoreSpringtime in Dali!
After a long, cold winter, there really is nothing quite like the explosion of vivid cherry blossoms and the beautiful scenery that unfolds here each spring. Please enjoy these photos – gathered over the last couple of weeks from our University, our neighborhood, and Dali’s Old Town. No explanation required! Copyright © Kevin Beaty, YUNEV and “Feet on the Ground…”, 2016. All rights reserved.
Read MoreVillage New Year Preparation
Ever wonder what life is like in a remote Chinese village? We had the privilege of visiting a village in the mountains last week. It was just a few days before the Chinese New Year and the day when most families in the village kill a pig in preparation for the new year. Our host (George) is from this village and we were invited (along with several other friends) to…
Read MoreMighty Ducks!
No, I’m not referring to Oregon’s football team or Anaheim’s hockey team! I’m talking about real ducks! I recently traveled to Tengchong, the last real Chinese city before reaching Myanmar on the Old Burma Road. Tengchong’s ancient town is less commercial than Dali or Lijiang and it’s a great place to visit. To get a feel for how simple and quiet this ancient town is, check out the video (above) of…
Read MoreSpring has Sprung!
Wow, the beauty of spring in Dali is just spectacular! These photos were all taken within the last week and they speak for themselves…enjoy! BTW, all of these photos are untouched (raw files “as shot”, with no enhancements)…except one. Can you guess which photo is enhanced?! There is a poll at the end of this blog – be sure to vote on which photo you think is enhanced! Remember, there is only…
Read MoreHigh Maintenance Horticulture
Have you “wrapped” your Ficus today? Ficus trees are very popular here. Not just as indoor plants, but also as outdoor trees along boulevards and in parks. It’s interesting for me to see the effort and attention to detail that goes into caring for these trees. As these photos illustrate, these trees are wrapped in an elaborate and carefully applied organic fabric at the beginning of the “winter” season here.…
Read MoreEternal Spring
Cherry blossoms in December?! The Chinese word for “Yunnan” is literally “clouds-south” which means “South of the Clouds”. Yunnan Province is also known throughout China as the land of Eternal Spring. Our introduction to this land of Eternal Spring has included seeing fresh new cherry blossoms alongside the fall color and falling leaves of other trees here in December. Living cross-culturally means living in the midst of many paradoxes, and this…
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