Note: various links or
other references may be mentioned below that no longer apply.
Sorry for the
inconvenience.
February/March 2010 update (February 3,
2009)
Well, I
don't really have anything interesting to say. Vivian is in the US at the
moment, so Andrew and I are just staying busy with various computer
projects (and home schooling for him). We come out of our little worlds to
eat together, and watch a movie in the evening. It is currently almost 3
a.m. Andrew went to bed a few hours ago, but I'm often working until the
"wee hours." What have I been working on? Well, you'll see some of it in
the "What is new"
section below. It probably won't look like much to you, but (if you
don't run your own website) you wouldn't believe how long these things
take!
Other
projects involve converting audio- and video-tapes into computer files,
and scanning papers and pictures (two more time-consuming activities).
Basically, I'm doing this so that I don't have to take bulky cassettes and
heavy papers with me when we return to the US next summer. We don't know
yet if this is a permanent move or just for a year, but in order to give
Andrew the best chance at getting a college education, it really will be
best if he finishes high school (next year is his last) in the US.
In
mid-February, Vivian will join us in Hong Kong for the annual Jian Hua
conference for professionals working in China. We always enjoy these
conferences, so we are looking forward to the week-long event.
We'll be back before the new
KMU semester starts
in March. Like last year, half of my students will be grads and half will be
undergrads.
There are
many pages on this website that need attention, and many more I'd like to
add, but I just don't see where I'll find the time. Nonetheless, be sure
to look at "What is new"
whenever you visit, just in case I squeeze in the time to add or update something.
Wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year,
Michael Krigline for the family
[PS, March 15: In March I've had a terrible time
uploading this website. Whole rows of sub-pages have disappeared, and
sometimes it takes many weeks of trying to upload before MS Frontpage software--which I use for this
website--tells me "web site published successfully." So, pardon us if
something is incomplete or out-of-date. As a part-time webmaster, I often
find many aspects of web maintenance beyond my control!]
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March/April
2010
update (March 27, 2010)
As our departure from China (in July)
inches closer, it seems to get harder and harder to find spare time. Of
course, my students come first, and I'm enjoying the spring term. I spend
two days each week on the Cheng Gong campus, teaching about 75 grad
students and 80 undergrads. I hope to have new class photos posted on line
soon. As in previous years, my sophomores have been reluctant to speak in
front of so many classmates, but every week a few new people summon up the
courage to open their mouths--which I'm always happy to see. We have been
using an exercise focused on "Improving your
study skills" and there is a video, role plays and an Easter skit in
the near future. Meanwhile, my grad students are enjoying the book
Great Ideas, and will soon get the chance to
discuss "Mindyburg Paradise Park." All of
this variety keeps me busy!
Also coming up, Andrew will soon take the SAT--America's college entrance
exam. That same weekend (May 1), Vivian and I will fly to Beijing to
attend a former student's wedding and to say goodbye to some old friends.
We also have a trip planned in April to participate in our final Board
Meeting for the
Yunnan orphanages overseen by the
Jian Hua Foundation. While it is hard to say goodbye, it has been an honor
to be involved with this wonderful project for many years.
On top of all that, there is now a wooden crate in our living room--a
full-size reminder of the task ahead to sort through what we have
accumulated over the past decade. Some things we'll ship to the USA,
others we will store in Kunming (somewhere--until we decide what our next
step will be), and many things will be sold or given away. If you live in
Kunming and are interested in some used furniture, let us know and we may
be able to help you out!
Well, I'd better close. There is always more to do than I have time to
finish, so I don't expect to make many "big changes" to our website in the
next few months, but whenever you visit be sure to check the
"What is new"
section below--and of course, there are over 150 pages to explore already!
Enjoying Kunming's dry, warm spring,
Michael Krigline for the family
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May 2010 update
May 10 update: The Beijing wedding was wonderful, though
traffic congestion made us so late that we missed the "ceremony" part.
Still, we had a wonderful weekend. Unfortunately, I'm too busy with my
teaching to deal with photos, but I have taken the time to describe an
unusual "adventure" that took place just before we headed for the Beijing
airport. Click here to read about "The Day a
Wall Became a Bridge." Also check out our "items to sell"
before we move to America in July.
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June 2010 update (June 5)
A number of action verbs come to mind as I write this update:
traveling, teaching, scanning, sorting, deciding, parting, testing,
and looking.
In April, all three of us traveled to a village
where we got to deliver crates of water to an elementary school. In this
photo, you see Andrew doing his part (the bus couldn't navigate on the
narrow country lane, so we had to carry the crates a few hundred meters to
the school). The drought in Yunnan has been the worst experienced in
decades, so it was a privilege to play a tiny part in helping people
through it. The trip was arranged by our university's Foreign Affairs
Office (for all foreign staff and students), and it also included a visit
to a provincial scenic spot called the Sand Forest.
We also traveled to Beijing
in May, to attend the wedding of a former student (from my years of
teaching in
Xi'an). Unfortunately, the traffic was so bad
that we missed the beginning of the festivities, but it was still a great
treat to participate.
While in the capital, we also got
to share a meal (and ride to the airport) with Lei (above), Michael's best
friend from
Xiamen University days (1985). To top it off,
another former Xi'an student (Rock, below with his girlfriend) took us to
the Great Wall. It is always a delight to see former students, and it is
humbling that these smart, gifted people still want to spend time with us,
even after many years apart.
The trip was great, and I even had
the chance to act neighborly with some Iranian men on the morning
we left; click here to read about that unusual story: "The
Day a Wall Became a Bridge."
"Traveling" is also related
to why I also thought of many of the other verbs (teaching, scanning,
sorting, etc.). Early on July 9 we will travel by air again, first
stopping in Shanghai to visit the World Expo for two days (just enough
time to scan major pavilions, but it will be fun anyway); then
we'll fly back to the US (for at least a year, and perhaps for several).
Because of this impending departure, and in addition to my normal
teaching duties, we've also started to teach our neighbor how
to care for our
dog--they have graciously asked to care for her
while we are away.
Vivian, Andrew and I are also
spending much of our spare time scanning old documents, resources
and photos. Paper is heavy, and so far we've reduced our load by about a
suitcase! Meanwhile, we are sorting through ten years of
accumulated boxes and bookshelves, deciding what we are keeping,
and what we are parting with. This has led to the creation of two
web pages, dedicated to selling second-hand items that we would rather not
ship to our next home. (Click
here to see the bargains available to Kunming
locals.)
While Vivian and I were
traveling to Beijing, Andrew was being tested in Kunming (he
had to take the US College Entrance Exam; this photo shows him studying
diligently in our home). The results came back last week, and he did
exceptionally well! We're very proud of him, and know that these scores
can lead to great university opportunities. This, of course, is the main
reason for our return to the US. Andrew needs to finish high school in
Ohio next year, and we will also use this year to evaluate and apply to
universities and to look for scholarships. And speaking of testing,
I give my last tests of the semester in about a week, which just shows how
close we are to the end of our time here.
And this leads me to the final
verb: looking. As we look ahead to our departure, the
sadness of leaving friends (including past and present students) is mixed
with looking forward to helping Andrew find and succeed in a great
university, paving the way to a useful adult life. We are also excitedly
looking forward to becoming grandparents in December, when our
daughter is scheduled to become a mommy! We are glad that we'll be in the
US for the big event, instead of being 12 time zones away. We are also
looking forward to living with my parents in Ohio, and to reconnecting
with old friends we haven't seen in far too long.
Well, with all this traveling,
teaching, scanning, sorting, deciding, parting, testing and looking
forward going on, I doubt that I'll have the chance to add much to our
website. I also fear that I won't be able to continue uploading to my ".cn"
website from abroad (so check out
www.krigline.com
if this page looks really old!). And we also hope you will
stay in touch with us in the year/years ahead, whether we are living
nearby or half-a-world away.
Sincerely,
Michael Krigline for the family
(back to top)
Here is Gimli, next to the empty crate in our living room.
In June, this will fill up with things being stored in Kunming while we
are in the US for a year. After that, we'll come back to get Gimli and our
things, and take them to wherever we have decided to move (which we will
probably decide in the spring).
-------------------
August
2010 update
By August 2010, we will have moved back to America. Since
it may be difficult to upload changes to my ".cn" website, there may be
few or no updates for a while. Please check
www.krigline.com for the most
up-to-date information, pictures, and resources.
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----------------------
September/October
2010 update
----------------------
November/December
2010 update
(back to top)
Don't forget that Vivian has several photo pages to her scrapbook website. They are more elaborate than the
simple photo pages on krigline.com, so they load slowly in China, but you
might enjoy seeing her nice pictures. Click here to start your journey:
www.scrapbookflair.com/China_Doll
You can also see some of
Andrew's artwork at the
Deviant Art website.
