Category Archives: Jack

Photography and comments by Jack Porter of Guiyang (site administrator).

Massage Therapy

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I have had low back trouble for many years, kind of a misaligned disk, which is usually livable, but acts up periodically. I went to a local massage a couple days ago and got a pretty good half hour massage that helped. It wasn’t enough. So today I went to the massage hospital, populated by blind doctors.

China has a policy of training many of the blind in medical massage so they can find work. They know where the trouble is by touch. Today I got a nice lady named Su Ye. She was absolutely tiny, but what a grip. When I walked into the massage room there was a woman working on a woman that was laying down. She was pushing her around pretty good. I laid face down on the next bed and Dr. Su began work. She was talking to the other doctor and I was getting one hell of a massage. Both ladies were joking and I realized that I had more than two hands on me. I looked up and both doctors were massaging my legs and were joking about how strong (maybe how fat) I was. The lady that had been getting the prior massage was standing there watching me and saw me smile with I looked up and saw the second doctor. Everybody laughed.

Anyway, I was amazed at the power that little Doctor Su has in her hands and elbows. She took care of the back, and the arthritic left wrist and I walked out of there feeling like I had been in a hell of a fight. Anyway, my back and wrist both feel really good now. If you have muscle pain or an injury, these people really seem to know what they are doing. I’ve been there several times and have never been disappointed. Some are better than others, and Doctor Su is exceptional. She told me that it is very difficult to massage a person so big that doesn’t speak the language well.

This place is located across from the Hunter Plaza at Dongmen. It’s just below the Rooftop Cafe (see: http://www.tourguizhou.com/archives/10713 )  It’s on that little hill across from the City Mall (Zhiryue Jie). It is on the 4th floor and looks like a hospital from start to finish. No tea is served. The cost for the massage seems to vary from 60 to 68 RMB for a little less than an hour (about $10 USD).

 

English Corners

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It is Saturday afternoon on October 8, 2016 and I am at the Guizhou Provincial Library. We have English corner (Yingyujiao) here every Saturday from 2:30 to 4:30. It is located on the 4th floor of the Beijing Lu library, foreign language reading room. It is across the street from the Guizhou Park Hotel.

Other English corners that I visit are Monday Evening at the CShop on Mingsheng Lu (7:30pm)  and at the Rooftop Cafe on Tuesday evening (7:30pm) see http://www.tourguizhou.com/archives/10713 .

Another  English corner are on Tuesday night in Dayingpo at the Zhongda Shopping Mall. It is at Baker’s Pizza or Starbucks Coffee. The formal address is Zhonda Shopping Mall Building A2 on the fifth floor.

I want to add more locations for English Corners, so please write me at johnsporter@gmail.com if you know about others.

Finding the PSB (Revisited)

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Last year I posted detailed instructions, with colored glossy photos explaining how to take a bus to find the Public Security Bureau, more specifically the Exit and Entry Administrative Service Bureau ( Original Post  ). So I should have been able to find that place fairly easily. WRONG!

If you go to the Bureau, you will find it behind the Walmart as described in the post, however, when I went there on the 14th of this month (Sept 2016) there was massive construction on the southwesterly side of the shopping center, completely blocking the access to the rear of the building. I am ashamed to admit that I flagged a taxi and had to pay 10 rmb to find the place.  Even then, I didn’t have the correct verbal and I had to use a picture.  If you go there, it is a good idea to have the picture of the building: PSB Building Picture . You can put it on the computer screen and snap a picture with your cell phone. Then show it to the taxi driver after you get lost.

In retrospect, the construction makes a mess out of the directions. Going there from the bus station you walk through the center of the shopping center on a diagonal. Pass by the Walmart on your right and just go straight (westerly) toward the big clock. Pass by the clock in the center of the shopping center and walk out the back of the shopping center. Should see the big (massive) rock to the west of the shopping center and the PSB is behind that rock. Go to the second floor and you will find the Entry and Exit Burear area . . . it is labeled “Hong Kong, Macao . . . ” something. You will find the police there who can answer your questions.

 

The Peace Corps and Tourguizhou.com

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The purpose of the Peace Corps is:

The Peace Corps Mission

To promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:
  1. To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained Volunteers.
  2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
  3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

This blog,  www.tourguizhou.com was started four years ago in an effort to promote the above concept and understanding among all cultures. The focus of this blog is to show the human interest side of foreign countries, particularly Guizhou Province of Southwest China. Learning about other cultures is always interesting and Guizhou is rich in cultures. There are many kinds of peoples, from remote minority villagers all the way through the very high tech techies.

So if you have a story to tell about Guizhou, or helpful information for English speaking people in Guizhou, please contact me at tourguizhou@gmail.com .  You can support this project by contributing your story, linking, and letting other people know about us.

If you really are interested in making an impact, come and take a teaching job, or come as a tourist and look around.

Feel free to contact me at tourguizhou@gmail.com if you have questions.

Jack

CNN Highlights Guizhou

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Click on Link to see full story: Fanjin Mountain Feature Photo Cover

June 15, 2016 by CNN

“(CNN)Home to sheer limestone peaks, dramatic gorges and cascading waterfalls, Guizhou is a mountainous and largely undiscovered province in southwestern China.
Until recently one of China’s least accessible regions, it hasn’t yet seen the mass tourism that’s crowded Yunnan to the southwest — a popular destination for domestic travelers . . .”

GuizhouMap

Guizhou is isolated by mountains and was a preferred retreat of Mao during the Long March, and the defence industry during WWII. Difficulty of transportation protected Guizhou from enemies, and development. Aggressive transportation construction including trains, highways, and airports has connected Guizhou to the outside world. Those of us visiting Guizhou over the last fifteen years have seen massive changes in development, but the rural minority villages and landscapes are still a large part of this culture.

Jack

Technology – Arduino Unboxing

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The Arduino project puts low cost advanced technology in the hands of children and their curious adult friends. These are literally PLCs, Programable Logic Controllers that are used to make lego toys work or model trains. The same principles are applied in advanced technology systems.

Guizhou recently hosted the “Big Data Valley” concept at a Big Data Conference. Guizhou is pushing technology and this project is intended to help begin the education process.

The Arduino Unboxing video is an inspection of all the parts in a good Arduino Kit, together with projects. We simply open the box and talk about the parts that we received. Some simple technology language is used, along with text to help the student look up the various terms in use:

CLICK HERE –> Arduino Unboxing

Colorful Guizhou Helicopter Rides

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Chishui is located in the extreme north of Guizhou Province. It has beautiful bamboo forests, rivers, mountains and waterfalls. The helicopter ride cost 400 rmb to 1200 rmb per person and is unlike any other tours in China. The helicopter can take three passengers at a time. Tours can last from five minutes to more than twenty minutes.

Chishui is shown in the video, but tours are available in three other beautiful locations in Guizhou . . . Libo, Huanguo Shu Waterfall, and Du Shan.

For further information call Robin at 15597701004 or send an email to 247819328@qq.com. You can also contact tourguizhou@gmail.com .
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTU5ODExNjA0OA==.html?from=s7.8-1.2&xbox |

The Rooftop Cafe of Dong Men

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View from the patio.

View from the patio.

The Rooftop Cafe is located directly across the street from the Starbucks coffee house and Pizza Hut, and is near the Hunter Plaza. Walk down the hill from the Dong Men bus station about fifty yards and turn right. You climb the stairs and turn left at the top of the stairs, walking through a steel door into a large lobby area. Go to the elevators on the far side of the lobby and go up to the 30th floor. The room number is 3004. The Café is located on three levels, literally a rooftop garden.

The The Rooftop Café has four meeting rooms including the third level floor which is a private area which might be called  the building’s 32nd floor. There are panoramic views of the city from all three floors. The cafe is decorated with a local Guizhou wood, which appears to be cedar, very warm wood walls and floor. The furniture is also wood.

The Cafe mainly serves coffee however it has fruit juice, cocktails, beer, and some desserts. Prices are very competitive, particularly in this neighborhood. The manager’s name is Shadow and if you have questions, or if you have a group that needs a meeting room, be sure to call her at 1-398-411-3214.

Getting There