Lua in China

dos and don'ts

2008-02-07T20:47:00.000+08:00

What not to do: buy shoes, paints, or books, wash the hair, sweep the floor,
What to do: open windows, eat sweets, wear new slippers (hey, we have the same in Brazil), something nice, since what you do in the first day will reflect the other days of the year.....

Welcome, year of the Mouse!

2008-02-07T20:41:00.001+08:00

that is it...

2007-12-11T04:35:00.001+08:00

I know, i didn't show up here for a long time, i was "enjoying life" back in Germany. I had thou still many things I wrote and wanted to post. So here they are. And i also had selected some pictures.
Tomorrow i will be especially remembering the time in Shenyang, since i will give a small talk with pictures (more pictures than talk) in the Christmas Party in Weimar.
I probably will show up (and post) here sometimes, but for now, that is it......

ok, some more.....

2007-12-11T04:32:00.001+08:00

Some more pictures...........

2007-12-11T04:26:00.001+08:00

the Great Wall

Some pictures...........

2007-12-11T04:20:00.001+08:00

Sommer Palace and Forbidden City

the last days in Sy

2007-12-11T03:46:00.000+08:00

20th of November 2007
ICE 1645 - From Frankfurt-Airport to Erfurt. Home finally!

The last days.
After arriving from Beijing on Wednesday (14th) i had a lot of ................................(things to do, and nice moments, or whatever, i don't even remember it now, less than one month later)

Friday
Saturday. Lecture. Dinner with Prof. Li Rudong, Prof. Raninger... Very delicious. Traditional Chinese Duck. Beer at the pie, with Chinese people, including the sweet Alice and King and
Prince. At home, just watched Laurence of Arabia and slept with the load of my head on my hand, had to scream with the pain when i woke up....
Sunday.No electricity in the morning. Changed the room back to the initial configuration and started packing. Last lunch in the University restaurant. Went to the "small town" to upload my phone card (all stores around the campus were closed), and to meet Alice and King at KFC, for changing the small presents. They are really very sweet and kind. Went to the lab, and worked with Zhang, compiling her data, accompanying some CG measurements and so on. At home, beer with the Russian girls, then finished the movie. Not so good sleeping, already anxious.
Monday is a good day for goodbyes. What a Monday. Computer decided not to work (now it is working again, who can understand?!?!). Solved last problems at the University: pay the rent for the days i had to stay longer (got a good discount! with my new strategy!). Met Matt to had on the chocolate and wine i had for him. Then went to Lab, no internet connection, also good. Just saying goodbye, and waiting for time to pass (and for the Prof. to finish the documents going to Germany with me...and also for martin, who wanted to show up to say good-bye, in the mean while, just wrote a text on the lab´s computer...) (ops, need to find it.....)

(the last day in Sy)

------------------------------------------------------------------
snowing in Shenyang right now.
soft and white.
it is Monday, and in a little bit more than 24 hour i will be home.
finally.
everything will be normal again.
life needs routine sometimes.
i have had a very very interesting time here.
things are beautifully and at the same time sadly different.
met many many nice people. and i am just so happy about it.
somethings didn't work as i wanted.
but that is also part of the deal.
i learned, indeed, a lot. And i recognize in myself
a wish to work with people.
years ago i thought i would be a scientist. a laboratory rat.
but human beings are the best lab.
i want the contact, the interaction.
so one thing i am really sad about, is the fact i was not able to
learn more Chinese. there were many reasons, lack of time.
lack of motivation sometimes. it is kinda difficult for me.
maybe i do not have the talent for this language.
but anyway, it is important to have it,
if i am going to work here.
i do want to learn it someday. as i do want to come back
to China in the future.
there is just so much to be done here.
it is challenging.
at the same time i feel strange, because i also
want to do something for my country. we also have many problems,
but we are just 10times less people than here, and changes
done here in China would affect and improve the
situation of much more people................
well, well, well, enough with wondering.
time to solve last details.

(Sy. 19 of November 2007, 12.21)
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It snowed and snowed, when i went to take the bus, everything was white.but no blue sky, gray smog. quite cold. windy. for some reason the bus stopped after 2 min, and everybody had to go out. It seemed traffic was going to be chaotic, decided not to wait for the next bus, luckly could take a taxi right away. Took me much longer
to arrive at the place as usually. what place? Police! Yeah, i had to go, and then first wait in the waiting hall for aliens.

had my passport with a visa until the 21st of November, finally. Good to have the passport back. Not to good to have to move from A to B with the snowy windy weather Shenyang reserved for my last day. But these time i took the bus (hey, next time in Sy i can try to use more bus, if i am not worried about saving time, it is much more interesting....and cheaper - 1RMB - 10 cents of euros!, sure. oh, well, maybe next time i can use the subway anyway, hopefully it will be ready...) to the north train station, and waited for Dolphin who was coming from Beijing.
Amazing to observe the people in places like train station. Most of the mass arrive or leave with these huge rice sacks with -i don't know what- inside, and they don't look so happy. In the waiting halls, almost no place to wait, sacks and people on the ground, waiting.
Waiting to go home or to go visit their beloved, or to go to work. Huge waitings halls, but anyway not big enough.not very comfortable chairs, hot water near the toilette available for the basic things: drinking and making the instant noodles everybody always eat. It is a meal which cost from 2 to 5 RMB, 50 cents. I am always a good "attraction" for these poor and not so poor people (it depends on which waiting hall you are). They look, and look
again, i always smile, they are surprised about that, some of them really look at you from bottom to top as if you were a alien. (ha, this time a real "alien"). People try to talk to me, and i am so embarrassed that my Chinese is so poor. I sometimes just guess what they might be asking, and answer something. (I should have had more of these conversations (also with taxi drivers), but i was just to lazy, since i kinda always forgot the correct pronunciation
or even the entire phrases. I should have made more "help notes" with the usual dialogs...should have had more courage.....) So, spent sometime there, observing people as subtly as possible, and being obviously observed. Dolphin arrived and together with her husband we went to my favorite restaurant in Shenyang. Guo Fu Beef. Last time hotpot (at least until i buy one of the special cookers - really want to eat this at home). We had a great time. Had to go to the pie,
for a last beer with Martin. And then back home, knocking on everyone's door at the dormitory to say goodbye. Second time last beer with the girls. Back to the mess, finished cleaning, oli called. this and thats, at the end it was almost 2 in the morning,
and i had to wake up at 5. 00am, now i do feel the tiredness. "Checked out" of the apartment at 5.50 (lady taking her time to check everything in the room), thought that i would have a taxi waiting outside, but, no one answered at the hot line. Walked with my 2 heavy backpack to the small town, cold and white are the last memories. Well, also some
problems in between. First thing, just when i got a taxi, there comes another one just behind, and it could not turn left to the road because my taxi was blocking the passage. I was just a question of 2 minutes until i got the bags in the car, but no, they are always in a hurry,
the stupid guy kept horning uninterruptedly. I had to show the dirty finger, just wonder if they understand. So, traveling with lower speed because of the snow. Freezing in the taxi with heating off. So, almost there, toll gate of the highway closed, highway blocked. Took another way, which in fact was the same distance, but even slower, and to complete, on the way, an accident with a big truck. Police already around taking
pictures. When i was thinking i would still take some time we arrive. The last thing was the small fight with the taxi driver. The taximeter was showing 90, he wanted 180. How come? Gave him 110 and said i would give no more. Dunno why they do this. Anyways, at the end i didnt care, i was just happy to arrive at the airport. Check in with no problem. More waiting. I was so hungry, but they only gave us something to drink, i really thought we would get breakfast.
Naja, transit in Beijing with no problem (except for the fact that i didn't had the departure card, since the lady didn't want to give it to me in Shenyang. It is amazing, if you know you have to do something, just, don't believe anyone....). Still some time to walk around at the aiport in Beijing, Bought an interesting book about China. Then the flight. Oh. Even an upgraded class, much more space for the legs. Everything very normal, good lunch. Slept a bit, then a bit bored, making pictures of clouds. Then time decided to pass slow, read a bit, thoughts and music. Then dinner, and the new Mr Bean movie. And then, arrived. Home "sweet" (not so sweet, cold) home. Home. Such a good feeling to understand people speaking.To be among the different-looking people around, to understand all signs and so on.......Could not manage the train at 5, waited for the one at 6.11, and here i am, just gained 7 hours, that means, it is time for
dinner again. Thou i would be time for bed, my eyes cant do it anymore.
So, will also take a break and enjoy the movements of the train, trying to sleep. In hour i will be arriving in Erfurt............huhuhuhu,
back to normal life.

things that happen 2...........

2007-12-11T03:40:00.000+08:00

Beijing, 12nd of November 2007

What seemed impossible became true!
Can you imagine?? The men showed up at the bus station with my passport, at 9 in the morning today, just before i was about to enter the Brazilian embassy. Dolphin said she still have to tell me the story. I will not be able to meet them, since they are not
in Shenyang anymore. So, i also was kinda lucky today, like something related to good timing. I arrived at the embassy at 8.45 (surprised with my good orientation, i just needed to look up twice in the map, after going out of the metro station). There are already people waiting. I checked the block, embassies only, the one from the kuait was the nicest, not bad. Waiting outside in the cold, until i was the next in the line. Then a couple, he brazilian, she chinese come in just like this, without waiting in the line. Hum, actually after that i figured out, i am at the Brazilians embassy, i am brazilian, why do i have to be waiting with the other chinese applying for visa, when my issue is with the passport section anyway. So, if i was half an hour faster in entering the embassy, i would probably just have signed the document of lost of passport by the time i receive Dolphins call, with the good news.
Hey, what a history, kinda unbelievable. It was a bit late, but not to late, since i saved some money anyway, and a good amount of bureaucracy work.
Could only buy a ticket to Sy on Wednesday, the fast train, didn't want to take bus or slow one. Would be doing some sightseeing, but it is gray and raining outside.
So, will write some emails, and relax for the moment. Then work later.

things that happen....

2007-12-11T03:35:00.000+08:00

Sy, 10th of November 2007

There are moments in life, when you feel strange, i mean, it is something good and bad at the same time. It is difficult to describe. I dont even wish i could. I just feel it.
So, i am still here in China. I think someday i will laugh about this, because, somehow, it IS funny. It is nothing "serious", it is just that, without a passport, anyone more or less becomes no one. At least you cannot travel anywhere. On Monday, the 5th of november, a gray day over here, i lost my passport. Everything began really early.At 6 am we took a taxi in the south gate of the school, that was supposed to bring us to the long distance express
bus station, where we would take the bus to Dan dong. Well, as the taxi driver brought us to the wrong bus station, and as he just didnt want to understand that we wanted to go to the other one, near the train station (damm, i have tried to explain it, but well, my language knowledges are definitelly not good enough, and, he was not smart enough to find himself in the map we were showing), i got kinda upset and left the car without noticing that my passport just had
felt down from my bag. I know, i know, i know, i should have been more careful, and so on. I am, always, careful with documents. It is the first time i lose a document. The thing was, as i put the pass inside the chinese book, and i didnt expected to need it. So, when i was trying to talk to the taxi driver, i had to take to book, and i just forgot to put the passport in a safe place inside my bag. Well, whatever, i doesnt matter now. Anyway, we took another taxi to go to the other station, and could even manage to get the bus at 7 to Dandong. Inside the bus
i start checking my bag, and, surprise, pass is gone. First difficult moment: the bus driver didnt want to stop the bus, so we could get out. After 10min trying to explain it, saying that
we had to go out to find my passport, and they just always saying, they just can not stop the bus, what do they ask me? if i could show my passport!! well, i thought it was a joke, but it wasnt.
No one had understood anything, and after almost not believing we would get out of the bus, the "stewardess" of the bus had make some calls, and the got "permission" to stop the bus.
Well, the first thing i did was to call the only person who could really help us, and start to search for the lost document. It is such a strange feeling, 3 days before going home, to realize what you will have to go through, without the piece of paper used to prove that you are you, so you can travel through borders. At the first bus station (the wrong one), we had the luck that people were really trying to help. So, we explained everything again,
people laugh, i don't know if they really think it is funny, or if they dont realize the seriousness of the situation. So are the Chinese, they are always under controll, they never show any sign of being nervous or whatever. Well, the police showed up and the bus station staff explained the situation to them, in the mean time we had some radio broadcasting the lost, so if taxi drivers have found it, they could know where to send it. At some time, just when i had lost my nerves and had let some tear out, someone come and say, oh, we found your passport. Too good to be true. To bad no to speak the language. At the end what was the deal: yes, someone had found it, more precisely 2 migrants from the countryside that came to
work, probably in the many constructions sites. How did they figure that out? Well, they showed my pass to the lady in the luggage store, and asked what to do. She just said she didn't know what it was, and what to do with it. That would be expect to much, i guess?
So the workers left their 2 bags there, and payed in advance for 2 days, until Wednesday at 16.30. We asked them to check the bags, in case they hat put the pass inside, they didnt want, and after, they just said they checked and found nothing, and the lady
(she had silver shoes) just said she saw that the workers took the pass with them. Oh God, what a fate. So there they are, two of the thousand migrants from the countryside that everyday try their luck in the city, there is enough work anyway. Waiting is the most difficult things in these situations. I had hope (i still have!) they would show up sometime. And that they would have
the pass. Times passes, you keep thinking positive, but also start to take the necessary measures for the worst case. You dont sleep, and if, only nightmares.
Who knows where these people is right now? Who knows what they might have done with my pass. Days passed and i tried to solve the things, reported the lost to the police (normaly it takes 1 week till the can give you a certificate of lost) changed flight, contacted embassies, bying tickets to Beijing and so on. The Brazilian embassy said they can give me a new passport quite quickly, and the problem is now the visa to Germany. Jesus, this is a torture.
Also the Chinese police responsible for foreigners wants a new visa. So, having a passport is not the most important thing, you have to have the right stemps inside. Ha, this is the world.
The other "funny" thing: It was Oli´s last night here, and there was a blackout. We woke up next day early, still not electricity (and no water, and no heating). Taxi to the airport, Oli checked in. I went back by bus very sad, just wishing i could be going home as well. Going back home, i feel like being in a movie. The day was so gray, smoggy and it had been raining for hours, not pouring, just nisseln. It seemed like the end of the world. And still no electricity.
Spent the afternoon reading, and trying to work a bit. It is amazing how dependent we are on energy. There is nothing to do, i dont even had warm water to make some tea. At least later on, i could buy some beer at the restaurant, when i receive Oli´s call that he was still in the airport in Shenyang. All flights cancelled, because of the weather. That is it, even having a pass and a ticket, sometimes you just can not move nowhere. Oli came back to the school, and we had candle light dinner, and watched movie with the last two hours of my computers battery.
Next day started good again, despite the fights and long phone calls with people from the flight company (air china), he had electricity again. Also again with the right help we could manage to get a ticket for today, the saturday. Some more this and thats to solve, day still gray, but less than the day before. Now Oli is gone, and i am here trying to work, or not to go crazy. It is good that i know i will be able to solve things in the next week, and it is good
to have a flight back. But i just didnt need all this right now, still so many things to do for the winter term, and i am not even there yet. I just hope, when i am back home, that also the "Gluck" is back for me. This feeling of atrackting everykind of unluck is not good.
Time for a break now .

friday again!

2007-11-16T18:52:00.000+08:00

Working hard day. Cold. Went for dinner with Hailian just near the west gate. Our dialog:
me: (while looking to the food pictures on the wall and trying to recognize some of the signs on the menu) "I will miss the Chinese food!"
hailian: (looking at me with her sweet way of looking) "Oh, i will miss you!"

It was nice to hear that, never thought she would be so open! I will miss her too. I will miss many things, indeed. Some others not so much.
But i right now i just miss home (both German and Brazilian one....)

delayed

2007-11-12T21:53:00.000+08:00

hey there everyone in Germany, i was supposed to be home now, but China did not want me to go. i will be there soon thou, everthing is fine. tell you all about incredible stories later.

soon....

2007-10-22T16:22:00.001+08:00

(near the north train station in Shenyang)

On Saturday i will be heading Beijing! Huhu, sightseeing and fun with my husband, i almost can not wait anymore......

"carbon laundering"

2007-10-22T09:30:00.000+08:00

Quarter of China's Carbon Emissions Due to Exports
@ http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/- Who Owns China´s Carbon Emissions.

blogs and more blogs....cold and more cold.....

2007-10-22T09:08:00.000+08:00

http://www.lifeclever.com/

http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/
(check this: 7-little-known-ways-to-drastically-improve-your-learning)

did i mention i love Mondays?!?! ;-/
It is cold, but sky is blue.

Have a meeting with my Prof.tomorrow, but i still didn't get the data from last weeks about the waste collection. Well. I wanted/needed everything, to finish all diagrams and discuss/compare the results. But, "This is how it works, it feels a little worse...."

Today's featured picture - from Wikipedia

2007-10-20T22:31:00.000+08:00

This Chinese child soldier, age 10, with heavy pack, is a member of an army division returning to China following the capture of Myitkyina airfield, Burma, under the allied command of US Major General Frank Merrill in May 1944. Chinese and allied troops had earlier crossed through the treacherous jungle of the Kumon Bum Mountains Japanese troops to the south. A number of international conventions have since come into effect that try to limit the participation of children in armed conflicts. However, according to Human Rights Watch, as many as 300,000 children remain direct participants in war in over twenty countries around the world today.

Source: U.S. Army Signal Corps

i hope she does not mind....

2007-10-20T22:10:00.000+08:00

....for a little bit of relaxing in this cold and boring Saturday night (reading stuff about landfill gas and planing the trip to Beijing), i just read some funny things from this girl website:
- Nothing supports the notion that life is serious.
- The real trouble with reality is that there's no background music.
- War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who's left.
- Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies.
- Your conscience may not keep you from doing wrong, but it sure keeps you from enjoying it.
- Life is short. Don't be a dick.
- Life and everything in it. Yes, that includes the platypus.
- The only substitute for good manners is fast reflexes.

bikes

2007-10-17T20:46:00.000+08:00

mine is the one in the middle ...

ain't they cute?

2007-10-17T14:15:00.000+08:00

my "babies", love this girls, just wish i could speak Russian.....

bad working conditions.....

2007-10-17T14:00:00.000+08:00

October is said to be the worst month in the fall/winter season, since it is still not allowed to heat, but it can be really cold, with temperatures falling to lower 0! Oh, God, it is so cold in this room, it is not possible to concentrate....

Plastic Bags

2007-10-17T13:09:00.000+08:00

Once upon a time, in my first studies (Materials Engineering) I focused on subjects about polymers (structure, properties, characterization, production). Polymers are not only about
"plastic", there is much more involved around this class of natural and synthetic material. Polymers are, indeed, fascinating (well, all materials are fascinating...)
Their application and use is everywhere, probably many people would say, it is not possible to live without polymers.
However, there is one special kind of polymeric material causing a great damage to the environment, because of its wide use. Plastic films used for manufacturing bags, used for transporting and containing goods (mostly food). These material, because of its already low/restrict properties is, in general, not suitable for recycling (material recovery). The reuse option is given (e.g use the bags for toilet bins), but the amount generated is much higher then the demand for reusing.
Because of their low density, they are responsible for increasing the volume of waste being generated in our society. A common fact in developing countries in the large use and undiscriminated disposal of plastic bags.(So called "plastification" of landscapes). Since the environmental awareness is anyway low in this countries, people just litter these bags everywhere. The decomposition time of these films is low (hundreds of years), and eventhough
the approach of using biodegradable materials is an option (price is high, low market share), there is still a really big problem to be solved in what concerns the amount of plastic bags being generated worldwide.

Chinese people also would say they cannot live without polymers, especially plastic bags. For me the most striking situation here is to see people carrying their take-away food inside this bags, all the time, everything, even soup. At the university restaurant first they take the rice in one small bag, then each of the dishes in another one, then the bread, and so on. (if you ask why there are no other more appropriate plastic recipients for transporting the food, the answer is, it is because it is expensive, and its ok so, since its use would also mean more resources use and, at the end, resource waste as well). So, after a first sorting analysis of the waste generated by the students, it is estimated that, by volume, at least one third of the amount comprise plastic bags.

What to do about it?
One option would be the energy recovery, but for that bags would have to be source separated and some additional steps (cleaning/drying) would be need before they could be used, e.g, as RDF, or even recycled.
The waste hierarchy is clear - reduction! That is what i do everyday:
- Use my trendy fabric bag for carrying supplies. People at the supermarket always look at me as if i were from another planet, when i refuse the plastic bags. The tellers at the counter always talk about me, and they even call other people to show "the girl who does not like plastic bags". I just wish i could explain them why i do this, but at least they get the chance to think about it.
- I always have some Tupperware with me, especially when i know i will get some take-away food. The same happens here, people staring and laughing at me when i order and give them the recipient.....

What else could i do, more than giving my example? My plan would be, actually, if I was to prepare a Waste Management Concept for the entire university, propose some changes. Everybody should just pay maybe 0.1 Yuan for plastic bags (this is the selling price for the bottles), everywhere. Unfortunately it is the only way to achieve some changes: to make people think about ways of saving money. The university could merchandise
fabric bags, Tupperware and cups. Corporate identity! There would also be a visible reduction in waste amount/volume to be disposed of, meaning economical and environmental benefits.

And everybody would live happy forever! ;-)

Procrastination

2007-10-16T13:42:00.000+08:00

Some time ago I was indeed planing to write about this word. It sounds bad, but somehow i like it. Ok, but i do not like the meaning. Anyway, i know i am not the only person in the world procrastinating right now...
And by the way, i found a really interesting blog entry about it:
how-to-unschedule-your-work-and-enjoy-guilt-free-play

Blog Action Day

2007-10-15T18:04:00.000+08:00

Today is Blog Action Day, and before i finish using the internet for today while sitting here in this really cold office room, i think about what should i write about.
Where should i start? Let´me see.....I will just let words come out....

I am 28 years old, born in Brazil but living in Germany for the last 5 years. Currently i am spending some time in China, as a part of my studies/research on my second graduation course ("Master" in Infrastructure and Environment). After studying Materials Engineering and working with research and development in the area of Materials Science, i decided i wanted to do something different, where i could use my skills to work with something related to environment protection.
One thing I am quite sure is that we, human beings, are changing this EARTH we live in, and that was given us for free, in such a way (not sustainable!) that probably the great children of my great children will never get to know anything of this planet as it once was.
Oh, maybe I am being to fatalist and pessimist. But i do believe things are unfortunately changing too fast, and that some changes (climate) are REALLY serious!
Well, what else, I do also, thou, believe in these human beings, I believe we can change, we can make thing happen, we HAVE to. Maybe sometimes I do doubt on that, but at
least I really want to believe. And the thing is, I want to change somethings, and I am doing my part. I have been doing what i can in my daily life to help protecting this planet since i realized how important IT is to me. And I want to work with this topic, especially with Solid Waste Management issues.

Being in the most populated country in the World is quite an experience. Many issues i could talk about but the most impressive one: ya, there are soo many people. And they are generating sooo much waste. Despite a relative low per capita generation, when compared to developed countries, at the end of the day, the amount is huge anyway. And this challenging situation will become even more difficult by 2050, when, according to estimatives, 70% of the Chinese population will be living in cities. There is a lot, but really a lot of work to be done here, for sure not only in this area, but, in providing infrastructure in general, water and energy and tranportation.......

Well, I am cold and hungry, I need to go.....
Last words: I don´t know what the future has planned for me, but i just know I have to continue having faith in the human beings, and especially in myself, I want to be good enough in my work and with my good examples for people around me, to help CHANGES to take place!!

We only have this Earth, do you part, take good care of it!

so true.....

2007-10-15T15:52:00.000+08:00

"But pleasures are like poppies spread—
You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed;
Or like the snow falls in the river—
A moment white—then melts forever."

"If there's another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this."

Robert Burns

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Album of the month: Spoons - Wallis Bird.
-
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in China....

2007-10-15T10:53:00.000+08:00

Die Geschichte vom wahren Kommunisten Ma (in German)
Umsiedlung durch Umweltgewissen? (in German)
A Garbage Collector Transports Plastic Bottles for Recycling (picture)
China May Expand Environmental Watchdog Early '08

- Blog Action Day -

2007-10-15T10:48:00.000+08:00

http://blogactionday.com/

Nobel Peace Price

2007-10-15T10:44:00.000+08:00

Nobel Peace Price 2007 shared by the IPCC and Al Gore.
"for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change"

already some time ago.....

2007-10-15T10:41:00.000+08:00

Picture at Dolphin´s Place, for the occasion of the moon (mid autumn) festival.

Check this!

2007-10-11T11:12:00.000+08:00

idealist.org

Action without borders.

.night and day

2007-10-08T10:31:00.001+08:00

day and night.

Autumn

2007-10-08T09:45:00.000+08:00

The Autumn has arrived now for sure. September was great, some warm days....
After the rain, here we are, sunny weather with min. of 2°C and max .of 14°C.
Hands were freezing while biking work today, and it was hard to get out of the warm bed...

Waste Management at the SYIAE

2007-10-06T17:45:00.000+08:00

First thing, sorry for the fact that the pictures are dated. I don't like the date on pictures, and even more if it is the wrong one. Well, i have a new digital camera, and in the beginning i forgot to shut this feature off.
Both pictures are a very common situation of the waste management here: everyday there is people taking/buying the plastic and glass bottles or papers/cardboard. Everybody takes this materials, which are, in fact, not waste, from the waste stream, and sell them for recycling. Well, not the foreign students, there the cleaning ladies take them from their waste, and i think she might be very happy with the many plastic and beer bottles and cans.....
The other picture show this blues house i mentioned before, used for waste storage. This is the one near the dormitory building.

Social life.....

2007-10-06T17:28:00.001+08:00

Working is good, especially if you like it, but there is so much more than that, isn't it? So, i take myself the time to go out, meet people, for dinner, karaoke, even discos.....

It is raining.....

2007-10-06T16:44:00.000+08:00

....cats and dogs here, it is now only a drizzle, but, well, water coming from heaven the entire day.....

And this is just the perfect weather for the last preparative procedures all around the campus. :-S
The evaluation kick off meeting is tomorrow. What is really impressive is to notice the changes taking place everywhere. What was all unfinished and unready, is now almost perfect...and they did most of the things really last week, and i wonder, if there was no pressure because of the evaluation, how long would it take, for them to finish everything.....
Well. Not of my business anyway. There is one thing i might learn here: don´t try to understand Chinese people, and the way they do things......

My situation is quite strange, time is passing by so quickly, and i see that i wont finish everything, and i even got an idea of starting another project, something more concrete. But i am leaving in one month, and i still have also to plan our trip.....well, let´s see. Damage control.

In order to relax a bit right now, Katie Melua. There are nine million bicycles in Beijing....

coincidence

2007-10-05T09:09:00.000+08:00

Hello World! I am doing fine, pretty much to do here.....but after staying in front of the computer the entire day, in the evening i decide to change a bit, and stay in front of TV, watching movies.. Yesterday watched Painted Veil, great movie, and i could even understand Edward Norton speaking Chinese....Naomi Watts is really one of my favorite actress. Then decided to watch another one: October sky (with Jake Gyllenhaal- Donnie Darko). So, the coincidence is the fact that, the launch of the Sputnik I, which was the inspiration of the whole thing, is this memorable event that happened exactly 50 years ago, October 4, 1957.....

And since is October, i have a perfect song for this moment.
( I'm moving in circles, I'm trying to come in)
And after enjoying it with coffee, staring the gray sky outside, work starts.

by the way....

2007-10-01T17:32:00.000+08:00

....talking about the National Day. So, millions and millions of people are "moving" these days. They say it is worse than "hell" to travel, what i could imagine, and, lucky me, that don't have to do so. Someone mentioned the fact, for example, of people having to travel by train 2 days without sitting! dude, can you imagine that? without sitting would also mean without really being able to move! You stay inside the train as, literally, sardines in cans......well, maybe this is not worse than hell, but it is bad enough.....

National Day

2007-10-01T17:04:00.000+08:00

On this day....

1949 – Chinese Civil War: Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

It is a holiday in all China, but here at our University they had to postpone the free week because of an important evaluation (i think it is because they are supposed to be granted a higher status) taking place next week. It seems everybody should be more worried about this fact, but i have heard the opinion of someone (foreign teacher living here since 4 years) that people is really very relaxed. So, maybe the results of the evaluation are now already decided, so that is why they don't worry.....(i wonder if someone will think i shouldn't be writing this here, the big "Big Brother".....)

Anyway, did i mention that the there are no more students walking around with their camouflage clothes?! I think i have to correct some previous statement, the freshman were not being "domesticated" by the senior students. That was a military training they are obligated to do when entering the university, to be in condition to serve their country in the case.....well, the 3 weeks training provided are, as i was told, not really a help if they really have to put hands in gun or somethings like that. But at least, none of them has to worry about their military obligations anymore. It was, anyway, very interesting to observe the "troupes" marching and singing some songs....

Did i mention that sometimes life here seems like a video game? Or something called real time strategy games, or whatever.... It is funny to see the masses moving to here, than there, all at the right time, time to wake up, to go to classes, to go to lunch, to take hot water, to go for a walk, time for music or advertisements to be transmitted in the entire campus through the speakers all around. Indeed, things are different here.......just different.......

again.....

2007-09-26T15:57:00.000+08:00

i know, i shouldn't be, but i am, bored, again. it is gray outside. i need some urgent help from Mr. Luo, but he seems to forget me sometimes. Well, he is always very kind and helpful, but today i had an appointment with him, and he is not there. So, still can not understand the data......
Reading is boring. My assimilation capacity is slowing down......

Sound trek of the moment:
The Cure (is there a Cure?) - In between days.
Go on go on | Just walk away | Your choice is made |
Go on go on| And disappear | Go on go on| Away from here

Sooo big....

2007-09-26T15:46:00.001+08:00

It is somehow still now so strange for me to live in such a big city!!!
PS. Dont have the source of this picture right now, need to check it!

zhōng qiū jié

2007-09-26T13:06:00.000+08:00

Two special occasions during this mid-autumn festival:

On Tuesday, party at my office building with all the international students and teachers. some of them did great performances, and after that had a look at the American pie with Matt, Thomas, Alina, Mita and Aryuna.
Yesterday, the real "moon-party", sky bit clouded, but the moon was just the way i love to see it, so round and powerfully bright. So the very special thing about this night was that me, Julie, Florian and Steven were invited to join the typical celebration of this evening together with a Chinese family. The tradition is to be outside, praising the moon, and eating (also moon cake) and drinking. We were at Dolphin´s house, with her parents and brother, and we had barbecue.
(Oh my God, do i have to mention the fact that we had to eat as if we were going to war, they prepared too much food, and i almost exploded)
Her father is a great singer, and he sang a traditional "love" song normally sang in this evening. It was really really something special and interesting. And at home, i could not avoid to further stare at the moon....

PS.I have tried different kinds of moon cake but, hum, always no luck, couldn't enjoy it.

Sing a song.....

2007-09-24T13:29:00.000+08:00

.....in Chinese??? We learned today: And my witness is the moon (or, yuè liàng dài biâo wô di xin - the moon that represents my heart).
Specially for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

International Day of Peace

2007-09-21T14:59:00.000+08:00

Today is the International Day of Peace.
Very good, but what we need is: peace every day!
"All you need is love [and peace]"

Chinese Sayings

2007-09-21T14:32:00.000+08:00

Dolphin, the Chinese teacher is really great. Like her a lot! Because of her interesting way to conduct classes, the daily 3 hours always fly....
She told us already about two sayings in China:

- zài dà dà bú guò tiän. *
meaning more or less like no one is bigger than the sky! The interesting thing she explained about this saying relates to the characters for sky - tiän and big - ta (hum, which is actually somehow not in the sentence....ps. dugh....yes, it is in the sentence, it is not ta, but dà!!!!). Well, for explaining it, i need to write (or should i say draw) the Chinese characters.....so, explanation comes later......

- bú dào chàng chèng fèi hâo hàn.
meaning you are not a hero if you didn´t climb to the top of the Great Wall! So, in the touristic points of the wàn lî cháng chéng you can buy a special souvenir, a "certificate" that you are a hero. Well, i don´t need the certificate, i just want to go there. And yes, i am going, in the end of October!!!!

*attention! i can not type the accents of the first and the third tone, so for the first i will use the two points, dunno what is it called - the eyes of the fish! - and for the third i will use the same sign for the third tone, but in the upside down version â.

Sorting Analysis

2007-09-20T17:32:00.001+08:00

Shenyang, 15th september 2007.

Sorting analysis of the municipal solid waste and of the source separated bio-organic and rest waste in the districts of Beifangyiyuan and Quanyuan.

For the third time in my life i could observe and participate in a waste sorting analysis. First in Brazil, then Germany, now here in China. Most of the people i know would never imagine doing this, but well, someone has to do it. It is not so bad, i keep saying to myself! And anyway, if you want to understand the waste and the problems related to it, you better know with what your dealing.....
The day began early on that sunny Saturday. After a relatively long ride with the taxi we arrived at the Quanyuan district (south of Sy). Met the workers of the project in that area. One of their tasks is to control the amount of the separated waste which is being delivered everyday by each household. Each household receives plastics with the number of their household, black for the bio-waste and blue for the rest, and they bring them down to the collection area near their building. (I was told that, normally in China people take their waste out in the morning, when they go out.)

After collecting the waste, i guess we had maybe 60Kg, we took a cab, and i wonder if the driver knew about the content of the bags, anyway, the black plastics bags sometimes do not really retain the leachate....

So, we had our samples, and we had much work to do, but before, some "shopping". Here i am again, buying things which i don't know how to bring home. But i just loved this vase...... ;-P

And also, what could not be missing: EATING. This was a special restaurant for eating bones (need to check the Chinese name), but we had bones, eggplant, tofu, potato salad, and fried rice and noodles. It was, like usual, a way too much food! And imagine, everything for only 4 euros. Fact: the restaurants give their waste food for animals feeding. So, what we don´t eat, the pigs eat, and then we eat the pigs....

So, after a small rest, we got started. This was the team (and myself), 3 master students Zhang Hailian, Liu Xiansong, and the other guy i forgot the name, since i never saw it written.....buh, so difficult to remember the names of the people....(Check references for the international standard for waste sorting analysis)

The hard work. The sorting table consists of a screen, so that the fine fraction (smaller than 10mm) is separated. The different fractions are then sorted into the categories: plastic, paper, glass, metal, hazardous (serynges, batteries), complex (plastic with different layers), textile, wood/bamboo and the organic itself.

But we are laughing, and somehow, even having fun!!! Well, here i think we were laughing because we were, after 3 hours, almost finished.....

The sorting analysis is done once a month, and the bio-organic waste is used for the anaerobic fermentation and composting (and the MSW for the landfill reactors) experiments.

So, i still need to confirm if the waste which is being separated goes together with the normal non-separated waste to the landfill. But i think so, which is a pity!

Waste Management in Sy

2007-09-20T17:13:00.000+08:00

Warm Lousy Bad

2007-09-20T17:09:00.000+08:00

So, i did steal it from somewhere.....but it is different, warm head, lousy weather, bad mood. Oh, if only knew where i should start writing.......

The fall arrived suddenly here in Shenyang. Just because i was so happy about having warm days in September. It is indeed quite cold now. Who cares?!?! 8-P

September 18

2007-09-19T14:32:00.000+08:00

Forgot to tell about it:
Yesterday at 9.18pm the city (all this north region) stopped for 3 minutes, and sirens rang. This was to remember the Mukden Incident (1931) - that gave Japan the pretext to invade and occupy Manchuria.

2007-09-19T13:36:00.000+08:00

Today is 13th. September. this last days have been quite hard, many activities, small talks and somehow not so productive work.(well, this is another problem) Monday evening: beer drinking and talking, almost philosophizing (?), well indeed, talking about some serious things like the nature of men (ps. i mean human beings...), moral values and expectations, problems the future will reserve us and so on. Interesting. For me it is all about trying to change people around a little bit, if they at least start thinking about things....The day before (12th), excel tables. well, what can i say, the data i need ist actually incomplete, so, let´s see if there will be a way to solve this. Had dinner near the old campus with some of the English teachers. Nice place, hot pot, native English speakers, sometimes difficult to understand, but indeed the best opportunity to practice the language.

So, 5 days later, here i am, 18th of September, the time is just flying, fact that makes me nervous sometimes. Well, and i kind lost the pace of writing every day, and indeed, i kind forget all the details of daily life, which might also be not so bad, since i must be boring you with all my stories......anyway, there are some things to tell..... New things/old things i forgot to talk about:
- Have a kind of a mountain bike now, so i can go much faster to the places, thou it is not really a bike for serious riding, quite old, a monster bike....i hope it just don't get broken...
- The other language i am kind practicing for fun is French (i can understand quite a lot) since i sometimes hang up with some of the 24 aeronautical engineering students which arrived from Paris IPSA. Well, they are all as old as my sisters, and by spending time with them, i always have to think about the time when i was 22......well, sometimes i feel like it.....

- So, since last week i am attending Chinese Classes, and i hope now i manage to learn it more structurally. But as someone said: it is bloody hard work.
- Had some "small talk" with the 3 sweetest girls ever, from Russia. They are 17, God, THIS good times ware long time ago for me, dude, feel so old sometimes......the other day they went to the disco and came back at 6.30 in the morning....well, i promised them we would go out together sometime.....
- The poor freshman, you see them with this camouflage clothes all around, they have to wear it for 1 month, and they do some hard training everyday beginning at 6 in the morning. Much hard then the treatment we got from our senior students back in my college times.....

- There are also a plenty of beautiful Stewardesses walking around, they do some of their training here.
- All around the campus you can find speakers, and during lunch, in the morning and the evening the play music or do some advertisement or whatever. So it would not be so bad
if i hadn't one of these speakers just in front of my window. And the people in the building besides mine (we share the same wall) are always so loud, so sleeping well is becoming more complicated.
- It was middle of September, and we had a day, it really looked like summer, it was so warm...............is it climate change? (hey, now i can use wikipedia again,with Anonymouse.org)
- Did i ever mentioned the aircraft models the Chinese students are building in the first floor? so, every day when i come to work, i go have a look, and, they are quite interesting. And then when it gets really loud outside, i know they are trying to get the things to fly, or most of the time, they are testing the motor, so, they burn some fuel for half an hour and make a noise which makes quite nervous, but hey, what can i do?!?!?

- The first time i saw one of the models flying (and trowing fireworks) was at the sport event from Sunday. Kind of "gincana" (what is the English word??), and some athletics, and soccer game, the French guys against the Chinese teachers.

- Today i finally met the head of the ICEEE. And today my internet decided to stop working, no one could help me until now. So tomorrow. The other thing definitely not working anymore is my dvd. Well, my notebook is almost 3 years old, i think it is already kinda sick.......

- Internet working again, as you might notice, since i am posting...rainy, Chinese classes were good today, work is going, still didn´t get the data.... :-(
-This is more or less (in fact, i think it is more crowded) how it looks like at noon, when classes finish and everybody goes for lunch.....

- Next post will be about work, cause maybe someone is thinking i do nothing besides having fun....well, not that work isn´t fun..... :-P

World on Fire....

2007-09-17T13:48:00.000+08:00

Sometimes i come to work, and i feel depressed, or, lost, dunno, something bad in my heart. then a listen to this song, and it gives me strength.

have to find some time to write here, sorry....i hope i will soon have internet in my dorm.
but anyway, i am doing good, miss you all! talked to oli and to my family this weekend, and this is always soooo good......

So, by the way, talking about songs, the other one which i have been listening quite often is this here: Regine Spektor - On the radio.

that is quite sad.....

2007-09-12T12:06:00.000+08:00

China's suicide rate among world's highest

("Here suicides are more often spur of the moment.")

2007-09-11T11:22:00.000+08:00

I seriously have to be less soul and more reason soon. Too much philosophy is also not good, said the doctor. Am I Homesick? "Tomorrow will take care of itself".
"I am not arguing that with you!" (From the movie Joe versus the Volcano, liked a lot)
Finally got the DATA i need to analyze, so, let us go, work and work. By the way, i got a job offer the other day. Quite interesting: just because i was giving them some ideas and hints, they offered me to be a co-manager of this place The American Pie. Hey, do i ever dreamed about having such a job? ;-)

Anyway, i just wanted to optimize their cash flow, and if had the time, i would like to organize/create a database for the almost 7000 movies they have. Well, this would be really interesting, since i love movies, but i guess Waste Management is a more urgent question right here right now!!!!! :-P

Yesterday (Sunday) was an interesting day, we went shopping! With Steve and Martin @ DVD´s paradise. It is quite well hidden in a huge electronics store. 5th floor, i should remember that. Got like some 120 of them, and next time i just have to be more patient while choosing. After 1 hour there, you just wanna go out. Well, i bought a Martin Scorsese and Wim Wenders Collection, and many precious things i always wanted and many i´ve never heard about.... :-P
!!!! One has to stop sleeping to do work, learn Chinese, AND watch movies. No time at all!. hum......(and do sightseeing, and write this blog.....i need another one of me.......as everybody does, i guess.....)
So Saturday was also very nice, spent the day with my Prof.s family, and i just felt in love with his daughter, she is amazing. We visited interesting places, for example a nice restaurant (so here we are, eating again...) in old farm stile.

The other day....

2007-09-08T11:11:00.000+08:00

....this week, i think it was Tuesday, i went downtown to get money, since i did not had enough to pay the rent. and then, it is always like, at least 2 hours lost, bus 141 or 255, than change to bus 138...... So what happened, when i got at the bank i realized i had the wrong card with me. My credit card looks just like the Miles & More card, and well, i wish i could have converted some miles into money not to have made the trip for nothing, in vain.
Well, i could make some pictures, finally, of these red sculptures....

days rushing.....

2007-09-06T13:47:00.000+08:00

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday

Literature research. Well, you might ask, what do i need to research so much? Everything! I decided also to create a database with all the articles of the most relevant peer reviewed journals in my area. I already have some 13000 references. Scopus and endnote rule! I am getting a bit worried. Things are going quite slow here, and there is still some more exact tasks missing. I hope it gets better soon. So there is this problem, i should get some previously collected data about the source separation project, and analyze them. I already asked 4 times, and i don't know if they don't understand me, or if they don't want to give me the data. Hum, the climate chamber experiments are also not really working, there is still no gas being produced. Who knows!
Anyway, i have, like i said, been working in the database, and while i import/export all the many references, i just listen to i tunes U (podcasts and other stuff from American universities like Stanford, Yale or MIT). Sunny day again outside, i would like so much to bike.......

Monday - Upgrades

Mondays sometimes turn to be quite stressful here. So this time they surprised me, i thought that would never happen, since it was already taking so long. I moved to the foreign students apartments. Dude, it is a way much better, and i am really happy.Things are much easier now. Still have a room for myself, at least twice as big and much brighter. The bed is not so narrow, and not so hard, and they even provide the blankets, pillow, and so on.
I have Tv and fridge in the room. Having a fridge is ok, although i could really survive without. The Tv is a bit useless, since there is no channels available, and i can only connect the
computer and watch movies on it.Computer room and ping-pong table.
The laundry in big and i dont even have to buy any marks for the washing machine, and indeed there is always one available. There is a kitchen, uau, there are 6 microwaves and no stove or oven. There is a shower room with dividing walls (oh, i guess i will miss shower with all the other girls!), and i the bathroom, guess what, real toilets, so that i don't have to cower anymore. (which is good, since i got again my left knee aching from jogging....)
3 things, until now i don't know how to shower with warm water, i already asked, and even turned the boiler by myself, but, it doesn't work. there is a quite annoying noise from some electrical or whatever what installation in the corridor. Doors are closed at 10pm, instead of 10.30pm like in the normal dormitory.Nothing is perfect. But it is really much better. I was told that the university makes good money with the foreign students, the room costs 900 RMBs per month.
Wanna know what the Chinese students pay? 100/month, well, no wonder, they don't have a fifth of the comfort. Did i mention that the students are obliged to live inside the campus, in the dorms? It is amazing, they always find some way to control everything. So the official reason
is that the students are much safer here than outside, the unofficial, just calculate how much money the university would lose not having the students here......
Well, it is how things work. So, not to forget, the semester began this weekend. It is really so many more people now. Masses moving all around.

Sunday

At the lab, doing this and thats. In the evening: American pie. The place is really so nice. They have like more than 5 thousand movies, there are also many interesting books and games. And
all the hats and masks you can wear if you are feeling like doing it. You can also write on the walls. Cool people!

Saturday

"sightseeing", north pagoda and a war cemetery.

Tried one of the hairdresser here at the campus, almost 2 hours and only 10 RMBs later, i got a new hair! amazing, it has never been so smooth and waveless....
Tired, decided to skip the dinner with the other westerns near the old campus. There will be other opportunities.

Friday

Nothing different happened, not so productive, things going slowly....watched movies.

Thursday

Unusual lunch "outside". Hot pot. Huoguo. Interesting talks about Chinese culture and
traditions. Corrected Oli´s article. Some literature research. At home, wanted to watch
natural born killers, but the dvd was not working. :-( Oh, it is almost weekend again.

Wednesday

Talked with Dr. Gehring, the other CIM specialist here in Sy. Normal day, finally i have internet.
Went with the girls to visit the Sy Normal University (hey, do you ask yourself if my only sightseeing are universities?!?!) Huge, bigger than the other two.

Lots of girls, they have music, cinema, business, arts courses, and it is also not so old campus, 5 year or so.Had dinner in one of the 5 restaurants from the campus, and walked back to the lab. hey, i bought a plant, still don't know if i keep it here in the lab, or take home!

Still lazy....

2007-09-05T10:02:00.000+08:00

to report last events, sorry.

Some news: Wood-hunger, renewables, Climate Change,

one of them....

2007-09-04T14:51:00.000+08:00

is that now i have lots of movies to watch, since it is really, guess what, cheap here! (one also need some free time ....)
Stranger than fiction | Head in the Clouds | A guide to recognize your saints | The Devil wears Prada | Roger Dodger |

(just got them borrowed, but i need to buy some!!!)

Isn't he lovely?

2007-09-04T14:45:00.001+08:00

Last weekend visited the North Pagoda of Shenyang. More pictures later, i still dont have picasa running stable in my computer. So, today i am pretty lazy to write!
But many nice things happened, i got some UPGRADES in my life here....

Plantation

2007-09-04T14:38:00.000+08:00

I call this "Building Plantations". They are, as you may think, everywhere! Really, it is amazing. I started counting, lost the figures......

Nice butt, what?

2007-09-04T14:30:00.001+08:00

So, watch your step, watch also your head, otherwise you might hit something like this!

Eating....

2007-09-04T14:27:00.000+08:00

...here with the girls, hot pot.
(still no wikipedia access :-( !!)

The blue houses & co.

2007-08-30T17:30:00.000+08:00

There are many blue small houses all around the campus, and i was wondering what they were for. So now i know, they put all the waste from the campus in there. It is maybe 2m^3 full with this unsorted waste (most organic), that someone has, after the house is full, to drag out. Not such a pleasant work. And after they pile it on the small truck which is already
overloaded, there is some remaining trash all around the house and on the walking way. Many insects and well, bit smelly! Hum, not the best way to deal with this problem.
So by the way, the Waste Problem: you might know that it is very common to have a quite big amount of waste pickers and scavengers in developing countries. So for me it is very common
to see some in Brazil (mostly collecting Aluminum cans), or even in Germany (collecting glass or other bottles which they just change for money in the supermarkets machines) sometimes.
But this poor people here, i was reading there should be millions of them. And i see many around. The other day, shopping, someone distributing advertisements here, and 10m ahead, someone collecting them back from the people.
On the town nearby, i think the waste collection does not work that efficiently, and going for dinner somewhen, on the side road of a very busy street/pedestrian way, there it was the waste bin, and the many opened plastic bags of waste around. They were opened because a very old lady, with bare hands, was searching for some paper, metal or plastic (and the thing is, first there is not so much left, since people already sell what is valuable, and there is so much organic, it litters, it stinks....).
I am always deeply sad to see these things, but here i guess nobody seems to care about it. So asked when the waste was going to be collected/sweeped, no one knew.
Anyway, i am still sorting my waste, even though i really don't have so much, some plastic wrapping and tee bags and a few other organic. (and hair and dust!)

The main point here which would solve some problems (or at least contribute to it) is source separation. It should not be so difficult to teach people that, is it? It is also necessary to think about solutions including the waste pickers and scavengers, they depend on the waste of other people, this is sad, but it is the reality.

days passing by....

2007-08-29T20:49:00.000+08:00

Tuesday

Early in the lab, nothing different: still no internet (even thou Mr. Luo is trying hard! somehow they say it doesn't work on my computer because of the operational system?!? huh? i am
not even using Linux, and besides that, i worked before in the other room just with another cable! well, it would be nice if they had wireless, and it would be nice to have this problem solved
soon. Lunch with Miss Yuan Hongshu. Still need to upload money on the student card, so that i don't have to take another line to buy the receipt.
Snap and lab again. Today finally met the girl Wu Xiang (all the previous me, we had dinner - one of my favorite food until now, huoguo. It is quite difficult to understand her English, but i can tell, she can spell words really fast. Walking around the campus, and observing the moon eclipse. Relaxing at night again with some movie: The 13th. floor. Simulation of the simulation!

Monday

What i thought it would be a real productive working day (i was at 7.30 at the Lab), turned out to be a shopping day, (or walking day). The girls said that there would be
some sold out in the biggest walking/shopping street in Sy, and we should go there. Changed buses once, and almost two hour later, there we were. Big and crowded, what could i expect. i was not really in the mood for shopping. Just bought some supplies and one new bag where i can also carry my laptop. Got at home so tired, dinner, shower, some time in the lab, bed.

Sunday

So, if yesterday there was no sightseeing because it was too warm, today´s reason was the rain/fog. Hum, maybe i complained to much. Anyway didn't move my ass from the sit, besides for going out to eat something. Dont have to say what i did all the time: reading. God, so much information, my head is blowing up......
When i thought that i could start reading an interesting master thesis about CDM policy and implementation in China (from Lei Zeng), the other girls (Hailian´s classmates) showed up, inviting me to go to their dormitory. So kind, the prepared a table of sweets and snacks, and we chatted a bit, or i was pretty much the only one talking, need to think about some more interesting conversation topics.... They want to improve their English, and are not so skilful in dialogging, and sometimes i am not sure if they understand what i talk about at all. Anyway, lovely girls, Yuan Hongshu, Tian Xuehui and Li Guirong. Too late and tired, just decided to watch Ladies in Lavender. (With Daniel Bühl one of my favorite German actor)

Saturday

So funny to wake up alone before the alarm rings, and to manage to get up with no putting offs. Did some laundry and cleaned the room. Met the folks and we visited the Liaoning Universtiy - across the big street. Well, i am very impressed, it is huge, and it looks much noble than
the Hang Kong University. It was so hot over here, that we every now and again stopped by some shadow and took a rest. Walked for more than one hour. Then, some time in the lab, lunch, lab again.
At night, more reading at home, and relaxing with The day after tomorrow (and beer/chips, the junk combination!). All you need for a happy Saturday, even though it would be nice if the girls weren't so loud all the time. :-P
By the way, about the movie, i thought it was a shame i had never seen "THE MOVIE" about the effects of climate change, since i am so interested about this topic. Well, now i realized i wasn't missing so much of a thing!

only now....

2007-08-27T20:30:00.000+08:00

i discovered this really interesting "Daily guide to helping the Planet" -
www.planetark.org
Some news about China:
Climate, Biofuel New Challenge to Poverty Alleviation
China Starts Building First Northern Nuclear Plant
Environment Vs Growth Debate Heats Up in China

Student's life

2007-08-25T17:02:00.000+08:00

Who said that student's life should be good?!?! A bit of a hard time is always ok, but i am happy i had to undergo other circumstances than the ones here. Students have to have a lot of discipline. And not so much of freedom.
The small dormitories are for 2 or 4 girls. (i am lucky i am alone). The guys are never allowed to come in.There is place only for bed, table and a small wardrobe. Two collective washrooms for a entire floor (something of 60 rooms), with 6 toiletts each (and always at least 1 or 2 of them is broken), and 2 big washing basins, 8 water taps at all, where you are supposed to do everything: laudry, washing dishes (thou you are not supposed to cook - which means boiling some noodles - everybody does it!), washing hair, "shower".
There one or two washings maschines in these rooms, but they are not working, because it is vacation! (i still have to figure out how to use them!)
The electricity of the dormitory is turned off at 11pm (lucky me again, until now this not apply to me!), the main door of the dormitory building is closed at 10.30pm.
Hot water has to be collected (that's why the big thermic bottles..) from a room nearby, and this can be done only in some specific time during the day (from 11 to 12 if i remember well, since i never do this). And the shower room is only open from 12 to 18.
Good things: there are supermarkets, beverage stores and hairdressers inside the campus.

Week II - part II

2007-08-25T16:42:00.000+08:00

Friday (24.08), decided to stay at home, doing guess what? Reading. Very interesting papers, but some with quite a strange english. Strange was also the fact that someone called on my cell phone, and I couldn't, obviously,understand him, so there came messages, which i also could not read! After i wrote that i can only understand english, then the questions came: my name, how old, what i do, where i am from. So first i asked where did he get my number, and i answered some of the questions. Somehow maybe he lost the interest, and didn't call or wrote anymore, which is pretty much ok for me. It is nice that people want to make friendship, but i don't feel confortable about so much encroaching......
In the evening went with Mr. Luo and Miss Zhang for dinner, had delicious dumplings, and this special chinese salad. When we got out of the restaurant, i could observe other similarity to Brazil: the party is outside! Tables on the walksides, people talking loud and drinking beer, and eating. Eating eating eating, this is something really people do here. (Another observation is that they discuss a lot when they are ordering the food, maybe like, asking how it is prepared, or if everything is really everything fresh, i don't know...). After that i managed to convince the students to come to this pub with me (was it warm beer, louzy food, bad movies!).We were the only guests, it is not really typical for people here. Well, and the prices are also more closer to the American/European standard. Ah, Closer was the name of the movie we could choose to watch! Special service. Liked the movie, made me think a lot. And, after some beers and still full (chi bao le!) from dinner, just gave up going back to the lab. While reading in bed i felt asleep with the book in my face!
Wednesday and Thursday (22-23.08), some routine is always good. Reading a lot, doing some literature research, finishing writing the report about the scientific research from last semester.
Thuersday, had dinner in the other restaurant of the campus. Also went "outside" (this means cross the big road) to copy some articles and parts of books. Had the courage to eat something from these food sellers on the street. Very good actually, made of eggs, looks like a "hamburger", and then, while preparing to cross the road (i always hate that), big surprise: almost stepped at huge rat. So again, always watch your step here! Evening in the lab doing this and thats.
Wednesday, finally got to walk a bigger round in the campus. Big and still many things being constructed. One interesting thing: you don't see so many cars, in fact there are not so many parking places as well. There are at least 15 bike-parking places, and there are maybe 1000 bikes all around. There is also a relatively big stadium, and many many playgrounds. If you ask if people is playing ping-pong, no, they are playing basketball. They seem to like it a lot here.

Week II - part I

2007-08-25T15:52:00.000+08:00

Tuesday (21.08) evening. After a long day in front of the computer, here i am again, not feeling keen to continue working right now, need some break, and while i drink some beer and listen to music, to try relax a bit, i can dedicate myself to these memories a bit....So, just had some "hot" noodles at the restaurant. Somehow i am not so lucky with the dinner "upstairs". It works like this, in the first floor there is always rice or steamedslu bread with many different dishes, with meat, tofu or only vegetables. Upstairs they have noodles and some fried rice. It is definitely better to eat downstairs, but the point is, at 6 there is sometimes no food anymore. Normally the students go to the many small restaurants around, and it is not so much more expensive, maybe we should that as well. But it is necessary to plan some more time, since you have to walk some more meters. (i wanna a bike.....)

Today was a special day, wanna know why? I realized i was wrong about the shower. I tought there was no such a thing here, but, indeed, there is. It was just not working, because it is vacation now. (like many other things, there is no reason to keep things running for the few remaining students, they should find some other solution!). So, back to the shower, it is a HUGE shower room, like those we see in the movies where the prisioners shower all together, and then something happens...there is place for probably 100 girls. And it is not so far away from the dormitory. Marks are bought with some guy who looks like a gangster, one costs 3 and 10 for 25 RMBs. I would never do this, but it is pretty easy to fake them! Bad news are, they shower only work from 12 to 16, day yes day no. Well, one can not have everything! But the water is warm. What else...

So, yesterday (Monday 20.08), since there was no electricity in the laboratory from 9 to 16 (it is also quite normal, sometimes they let you know it, sometimes not) me and Hailian decided to do some SSS (sports, shopping, sightseeing!). We went to the Beiling Park, and to get there, interesting walking under the bridges.

The park is amazing. So many people, mostly the elderly and some handicapped, doing exercises. Also people sleeping in some shadow, biking or doing tai chi chuan ('Supreme Ultimate Force') or playing this tipical chinese instrument (i wish i knew the name).

This is the biggest park around, and here i think most people can really forget that outside the city is big, loud and sort of polluted. It is a world for itself, with many specialthings, not easy to describe, and not possible to see all them in 3 hours.

Walked and walked and walked, and we haven"t been everywhere. In the middle of the park is the Qhing Zhao Tomb, Unesco patrimony. Fried noodles for lunch in on of these very tiny restaurants where you have to go through the kitchen. I have to get used to the fact that when i ask for water, i get warm water.

After some rest, visited the Hang-kong University old campus. Well, it is old, but it has something. I liked it a lot, with the many trees and other green areas, the uncountable round tables everywhere, where the students probably could play cards or eat during the breaks or in the evening. There are even some of them under the grape trees. The buidings are much more closer to each other, and you have everything you need in the blocks around. In fact, it would be much better to be living there, speacially because of the park, which is on the other side of the street.

By the way, streets. There are plenty of big avenues, with 6 railways, and it is everytime an adventure to cross them. And the shopping was afterall reduced to visit some 2RMBs store. Yes, this stores i also know from Brazil, where you can buy 200 different products, that you probably dont need, for only 2 RMBs. I tried to be moderate and bought only 5 things. One of them was a set with these magic metal puzzles......Almost melting and tired from the day, we took the afternoon off. I did some literature research/reading in some books/proceedings from Hailian while we cooked soup at her dorm.

In the evening i tried to learn some Chinese. I figured out i really need to be more consequent in studing it. "Fleissarbeit". Learn, write, repeat, repeat. The four tones are just SO IMPORTANT. I also need to get used to the word order in the phrases. It is quite simple and interesing. The question pronoum always come at the end, you dont say what do you like, you say _you like what_?I am very glad that the grammar is not difficult at all, i just need to understand better how it works with the "particles".

Sunday (19.08) after my last post, we went for dinner nearby, something different. Huoguo- chaffy dishes. Delicious, i ate a way to much. Observations from restaurants until now: people is loud. And they drink a lot of beer. It is nice to see that it works just like everywhere, in one table the "women", end of 30ies, maybe single, having fun. In the other table the men, maybe collegues from work, all with a cigarret in the hand, and don't even start with beer, but with these strong wine. In the other table 2 couples, the guys maybe talking about cars, the girs about their dress. People is people everywhere! :-) (dughhh!)

Had a funny "accident" when going back to the lab. Since it rained some days ago, and the road is not asphaltiert, and what i tought it was dry, showed up not to be. Famous Feet in the mud. At least i was wearing my flipflops, and the other students could laugh a bit. Digestion while watching Bourne Ultimatum. Good programm for a hot sunday evening.

Continues later!

PS. Hey, i did wash my feet just right after the accident!

China's GHG Emission

2007-08-22T16:51:00.000+08:00

There is this website called science and development network - www.scidev.net, and they have a special Chinese regional gateway, where it is possible to find all kinds of "news, views and information about science, technology and the developing world".
The bad news: China's total GHG emission have, according to Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, already surpassed the USA's one.
So the question is, will this situation change with the introduction/transfer of new technology? Some points here.

-> I have been reading a lot, need some time to digest all the information. And as soon as Prof. Raninger is back i should discuss with him about the structure of the work.......
More about daily life soon. :D

Second Weekend!

2007-08-19T14:43:00.000+08:00

Thursday evening 16-08-07

-War-

I have tried everything, i burned this smelly sfuff, i fixed the door net, i was careful not to open the window without the net, i fighted them everyday and night, and for sleeping, i covered myself until the hair,and they were always there. Bastards! They even bite me on the nose! urghhhhhhhhhhh....................

So today i came earlier than usual, cause I wanted to finally work on the 2 pending works for Weimar. I sit on my table, make a coffee, prepare everything, and when i look up to the ceiling, i see them, the enemy! I don't know where they come from, but there are least 30 of them, some are quite big! I declared war! If someone could see me, would probably thing that i am completely crazy.I climbed the window and the bed to kill them, i was throwing things
against the walls, and finally, i guess i got them all. Now i have all these dozens spots of
blood and dead mosquitoes sticked on the walls. My goblet! Two hours of my precious time later, i am tired and irritated. I was possessed about killing all them, and i will kill them again tomorrow. But there must be an easier way.Hum, it also be good if stops raining. :-(

Maybe i should just stop complaining and go sleep. Tomorrow is brand new day, perfect to start being more effective with my tasks!

Friday 17-08-07

Reading:

Books:

- Solid Waste Management for Economically Developing Countries, by L. Dias et.al

- Municipal Solid Waste Management, by C. Ludwig et.al

- Integrated Solid Waste Management, Tchobonoglous et. al (i am planning to buy this one here!)

News on the web:
-Chinese Environmental NGOs Called on to Play a Bigger Role

-SEPA Calls for More Public Involvement

-China Sets Renewable Energy Target

- Carbon Challenge

And literature research
@ scopus/science direct and scholar.google.
Found some interesting peer-rewied articles, just need to get to them!!!!!

Saturday, 18-08-07

Non-scientific reading.

In the Frankfurt airport there were not so many good options for English books. Among Danielle Steel, Tom Clancy and Dan Brown, i chose Paulo Coelho, The Zhair. Shame on me?!?! It took me two evenings to read it, and I am glad i had finished. Now i can buy some of the English books sold in the bookstores here, Hesse, Kafka, Hemingway. And for 1/5 of the price.

Lunch and walking around the town near the University Campus (Zheng Liang Cun). Checked prices for sending packets to Germany. Discovered an interesting Pub - American Pie - Warm beer, cold food, lousy movies, in this town, which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Should go there someday, not because of food or beer, but the movies they show for free everyday at 7pm.
Ordered new glasses, since i didn't bring mine, and i did start to have some headache because of so much reading. A perfect service, very simple store, but the offer you some fruits, then they measure your diopter (thanks God it was the correct one), and they say they call some hours later. In fact, they come to your place to deliver the product! And it was also possible to handle a bit, from 190 to 150 RMBs. Good good deal.

Then we wanted to download some movies from the internet, but there was no electricity at the lab. This fact is quite very common. It is just bad, e.g, for the experiments, since the online measurements and the stirring stop.

Again some more walking around, had my hair washed and cut, very interesting experience. The drying was not so effective, and my hair had more volume than before. They like this here, and i would die to have the waveless Chinese hair. I also noticed that most of the hairdresser here are men, not women as i am used to.

Bought some more small things, basically "plastic stuff" (chopsticks, plates, cups, and so on). Went to KFC and had coffee. Hum, not good at all, but it was also nice to observe that people, even thou they have so many nice restaurants around they go to this, that is per se "the" fast food chain in China, even stronger than Mc Donalds. Like people say, taste you can't discuss, you lament.

Sunday, 19-08-07

Prof. Raninger was planing to go to a beach down to the south, and would call me, but i guess he probably gave up. Slept until late, but could not stand the "workers" laud noise outside anymore. So, on friday, when i open the door, there is a role in front of it, i still don't what they had to fix, but it was in almost the entire first floor. They worked yesterday and today, and thou everything is still a mess on the corridors, it is finished. I have heard a very
interesting phrase: In China, everyday is a working day. There is no such a thing as weekend, not for most of the working people. Amazing. The country that never stops!

So, since today is Valentines day in China, e got my husband some presents:

He is a geologist, and likes stones! I thought he might like these ones, still don't know how to take them! :)

Here you can read some interesting story about the origin of this Double Seventh Festival.

This and thats again.....

2007-08-16T17:28:00.000+08:00

tuesday, 14-08-07
Busy day, meeting with Prof. Raninger and some definitions of theproject tasks. Mainly i will work on 4 different topics (more about that later), which makes the work really interesting and not boring at all!I already have 100Mb in collected literature and other readings. If you think it is not much, wrong, it is a lot. I read 2 papers today, and i need to be getting faster!Problems still not solved: internet connection in my office and money withdrawning from the credit card. [:(]

Pleasant dinner in the evening with collegues. Really nice and traditional restaurant downtown.(Forgot the name!). Had these delicious dumplings, also some lamb, calmari and special chinese salad. Also some beer and green tee.
(hum, bad, i had all the names in pinyin, but since i am not using my computer, the text editor here does not recognize the accent characters, so i will have to write it again later.)

So the typical aquarium in the restaurant, where you can choose your food, and the typical architecture.

It is interesting to observe the similarities, in some sense, of some aspects of the daily life of people here and in Brazil. I somenow imagine myself leaving here for a longer period of time..........

We talked a lot about China and some problems it is facing this evening. There is just not words to describe what is going on in this country. Well, you probably all know well, but it is somehow different when you feel it here. People work hard, they destroy in on day and rebuild things in the other day. Countryside is migrating in mass to the cities.
It is soo many people, for example, as i was told,waiting in lines of 2-3 hours to get a place at a restaurant, or, not being able to get a taxi, because they are all busy, or, facing shopping center so crowded, that they have to struggle to come in a store, and fight to get to buy something! They are building, everywhere, in the highs and towards the countryside, expanding, taking people their home for few money, to replace forstores, shopping center, offices. And everyday more and more people come to the cities, to try a betterlife. And related e.g. to these facts (more people living in cities, construction and production fever) there is always a greater and greater energy hunger, and, there is always more big piles of waste being generated. And all in all, this is all taking China to invest in renewable energy (in 2006 NDRC approved the Renewable Energy Law), and biomass has a great potential in this mix. Waste is here considered a biomass, and the perspective is that many anaerobic digestion plants for the generation of biogas will be constructed, also with the good deal of CDM financing and CERs trading. I am very curious and anxious about how things will develop in this sector here, since it is also known that sometimes and in some regions it takes too long for decision makers and stakeholders to put their hands on work and really make things move. In this case there is still a lot of knowledge to be transfered.

Anyway, after the nice dinner, we did some joyride, not so long, but it was possible to take a glance at Sy by night. It is beautiful, with all the lights and buildings, colours, sounds and smells and so many people around, in the squares and other public spaces, in front of the small restaurants and bars, in the cars, also spinning around (and indeed, driving like crazy and honking all the time). Again, more about the places later.

Wednesday, 15-08-07

Reading and reading. For those who think i only write on this blog, it is not true, i do work!
It is still bad not to have internet in my room.

In the late afternoon - further talking with the Prof. More infos....

Dinner in one of the many small and cozy restaurants around the campus. I learned that there are more than 3000 medium and big restaurants in Sy.
And maybe 3 times more of the small ones !!!!

Hey, these is what you might find on your way home:

Thursday, 16-08-7
soo many things to do, one week that i am here!
Had to take the time to go downtown, and finally i could get money at the Bank of China. 2 hours and 4 RMBs later, finally got to the university.
Rainy day again, and foggy/smoggy. Visibility something like 10 meters!

Chinese characters

2007-08-15T21:17:00.000+08:00

I am getting more and more fascinated about the chinese language!
The characters....it is just soooooo interesting.
I always take some advertisement or some other pieces of paper and i keep looking to them for minutes and minutes....

I am trying to learn at least the most simple ones, so i started drawning them in a list, and then i ask someone to translate it. So i exercise trying to recognise them in other contexts, but then i got fascinated with other different characters.

Did you know there are like 100.000 or so such amazing drawning....But they only use 4000!
Here a good internet source for learning!

Food!!!!

2007-08-15T20:58:00.000+08:00

So, as they say here, the food to be a sucess has to first, look good, further smell good, and finally taste good! What a wisdom! And indeed, it always do! Delicious!
Maybe I am eating a way to much, and i will finally manage to put on some weight! :P
Unfortunately I gave my up my vegetarian attempt, but basically i am eating a lot of tofu and vegetables! And I am, don't know why, always not in the mood to make pics of the food.....maybe it smells too good that you only what to eat, and you forget that it also looks good....

Chinese Food Information
Chinese Cuisine, Features, Local Styles, Medicated Diets

People! Get prepared when i come back, i will cook you real chinese food.....

One more day - reading day!

2007-08-13T21:21:00.000+08:00

Sunday finished with rain, while i was fighting with t mosquitoes, killed like 10 of them, but after reading, when i went to sleep, there were still 3 survivors teasing me. I will get a net, for the sake of my blood.
Monday: Reading-day, many interesting articles from Chinese researchers, and also from some well known german experts in waste management. Later in the afternoon i started searching/reading about the Approved Methodologies related to Landfill gas (LFG) project activities. (under the Clean Development Mechanism approach of the Kyoto Protocol). Actually it is all about the ACM0001 (Approved Consolidated Methodology) which includes the approved methodologies number 2, 3, 10 and 11.
The applicability is given in this cases: [UNFCCC]
This methodology is applicable to landfill gas capture project activities, where the baseline scenario is the partial or total atmospheric release of the gas and the project activities include situations such as:
a) The captured gas is flared; or
b) The captured gas is used to produce energy (e.g. electricity/thermal energy), but no emission
reductions are claimed for displacing or avoiding energy from other sources;
c) The captured gas is used to produce energy (e.g. electricity/thermal energy), and emission
reductions are claimed for displacing or avoiding energy generation from other sources.

I also took the opportunity to briefly check the Carbon Expo presentations from 2006 and 2007. Need to go back to this later someday.
Anyway, i also started to make some thoughts about the second part of the work, which first will need an analysis of Sy in its urban, social and economical structure. Will definitely need some help with this.

After dinner with the colleagues (today i tried the steamed bred!), we went for a walk around the campus. Nice, and, as they said, really empty. Let´s see how does it look like in 3 weeks....Made some pics. ........

Back to the lab, upset because the trick with the zeros together with my normal 4 numbers password didn't work, no idea what to do now. I guess i can only try another bank, maybe one where i can go to the counter.
I was showed how the CH4 content measurements work, and also the computer monitoring of the anaerobic digesters. Nice nice! Also started collecting maps of Sy, with the help of Mr. Luo. So, late now, have to go! Did i tell you that they close the door of our residence at 10.30pm, and we don´t have any key! Ha, i was also told that they turn the lights off at 11pm, but i never noticed! ;-)

Tomorrow will finally meet Prof. Raninger, and will try to solve the 2 problems, first one with internet access in my room, and with the money!

Rainday

2007-08-12T18:49:00.000+08:00

The Friday night was normal, after dinner at the refectory, tried to watch movies with Hailian, but they were all in German, so decided to show her some pictures. Read a bit and Oli called later on.
Saturday started early, met at 8.30 (with the 2 master students) and they helped to try to get some money. Only to try, because it didn't work. Apparently a 6 numbers password is needed to withdraw money from the credit card, but i only have one with 4. Got some money borrowed. We took the bus 255 from the bus station and a after more than one hour driving through Sy (very interesting to observe the places and people from the bus*) we arrived at the Tàiyuán street, the shopping street, crowded, but no car or bikes, therefore, very comfortable.

This is the place where people with greater economical power come to consume! And i tell you, they are really buying. The shopping mall was just like the ones i know in Brazil. Some products are really cheaper than in Europe, some other things are almost the same price. Walked and walked. I bought a pair of flipflops, a t-shirt and 2 science books in English. I have to be very careful when going shopping, cause it is really tempting.
Mr. Luo bought us some lotus (lìanzi), and this was the first time i ate it. And i liked!

We had lunch in another shopping center, a huge amount of food for only 6 RMBs.
We also went to a supermarket, and it was a very big one, with too many options! It is already difficult to decide what to buy, and the great amount of choice just make it more complicated. Anyway, the two were very patient, and i was glad that they also bought something. Had 4 bags full of things (and i have to notice, here is just the same as in Brazil, the supermarkets give you the plastic bags for free, next time i have to take my textile bags with me!) and it was only about 100 RMBs. Back to the bus stop, back to the traffic. As i wrote in the beginning,
i thought the streets were not so chaotic. Well, i was wrong, maybe because it is Saturday, it is really loud and busy! And the air is just terrible, you feel the dust going into your lungs. I was so tired that, as soon as i got a place to sit, i closed my eyes and slept a bit. The rest of the "trip" i could further look from the window. This are the times you wish you could make movies with your eyes, in some sense we do it, we just cant reproduce it. I didn't want to take pics, in order not to be indiscreet, or to attract attention. But maybe i should it, since i attract attention anyway! People sometimes look with some strange face at me, and at least the kids laugh back when i smile! I saw no other "foreign" on the streets, but i am sure there are some of them!
Arrived home and took a "shower". If you can call it a shower. Oh ya, i forget to tell, there is no such a thing like a shower room. You use the washstand in the toilette to clean yourself. I took me 2 days to understand that. It is not so bad, we are only girls in the students residence, and it is not that difficult to use a basin for washing. You can also do the laundry at the same time. It would be nice to have warm water. Specially for washing the hair. Calm Saturday evening, we had dinner and came to the lab for some internet use. Read and tried to work on the reports for Weimar, phoned with Oli and went to sleep. The night was not so warm, and i forgot to burn the mosquitoes thing. So in the morning i realized that i had a lots of bites in my hand and arms. :-(
Today, Sunday, should be renamed to Rainday. It started raining in the night, and it is still raining until now. In the morning it was pouring, so that i could not go for my walk around the campus. Well, next time. Anyway, i woke up too late, it was 10.20 am, and i started cleaning up a bit. Had noodles with Hailian at her dorm and then started working (on the computer). Suddenly someone knock at the door, it was Wu Xiang, a really sweet computer science student from my residence, who wanted to practice some English. Well, first she taught me some Chinese, and it is getting better, i can recognize and speak (still not perfect, sure) the four tons. She also showed me some of the characters. So much for the rainy Sunday, had dinner and came by the lab, to check mails and observe Hailian with some experiments. My parents just called me, and we talked a bit. I just realized that it is not possible to access wikipedia, or even blogspot from here. Well, everything is controlled here, and i remember that these websites were blocked. Hopefully i can further use google....
Tomorrow my supervisor Prof. Raninger will be here, and i hope i can get a better idea about my work.
(* About people and places: more about that soon!)

2007-08-11T19:24:00.000+08:00

Shenyang, Friday 10th of august.

It´s probably 30°C outside, and now that i have internet access, i feel that i have really arrived. So i can start telling some of my first impressions.
From the beginning, i left the station in Erfurt with my more than 20kg backpack, and i thought i was taking too much.

Well, it was maybe not that much, but it was heavy. And i know i will need the warm clothes in the last month. :-) In the check in they said that i can take 30kg anyway!
Train trip was ok (luck me that there was no strike), and waiting in the airport was boring. Bought books and magazines, read a bit, tried to learn some Chinese.
Flight for the first time in a 747 with a second floor. Tought it would be quite empty, but it was not. Nice service, the stewardesses were very much relaxed, and there was no crying baby or people doing party (like the last flights to Brazil).
Had a place by the window, and could observe, when not sleeping, the view outside. Big cities at night are so amazing. And also very impressive was to Gobi desert. Could not see so much from Beijing.

While almost melting in the 35°C, just worried that there would be any problem in the pass control, i did the transit to the other machine, which was also full. I was indeed very tired, and could sleep the in the last hour of the trip. 14.30, just as said, we were landing. Colleagues were waiting for me in the airport, and, we had to go up and down looking for my backpack.Until now i don't know what happened, just that the luggage was not where it was supposed to be, and nobody knew about it. It comes to be really interesting when there are discussions in the Chinese language. We took a taxi from the very south to the very north, and i could get an idea of how big Shenyang (Sy) really is. More than 7.000.000, way too big for me, but, i guess i will survive. Anyway, streets are clean, the air is a bit muggy. The transit seemed to be not very chaotic. After more than one hour in the taxi (for 110 Yuan), we got in the university campus, almost in the rural area. Another master student was waiting for us, she had the keys of my dormitory. Unpacked, and we went eating. Well, i was afraid it would always be like this, a way to much food, and very spicy. My nose was saying thanks, than, indeed, it was good for cleaning!
We bought some stuff, a sim card for my cellphone, locks for the closet and some smelly incense against mosquitoes & co. There are really nice insects down here.

Could sleep the first night very well. Even had dreams. Met Miss. Zhang and we came to the lab: new and big, and really nice. There are some fermenters for anaerobic digestion experiments, and other measuring equipments. There is also the climate chamber for the landfill gas formation simulation and there are also two big
pilot plants. Pictures come later.
I got some literature to read, the proceedings of the 1. ICEEE (Institute of Clean Energy and Environmental Engineering) Conference which happened last year. The facts about waste management in China are quite impressive: only 30% of the population is served by collecting system, and this represents 155 Million tonnes waste every year. And only the half of this is treated (most in uncontrolled landfilling, some composting and incinerating). And i ask myself, first, what about the waste of the other 70% of the population? And, what about the other half of the collected waste, where does it go to?
Reading all morning, then lunch at the refectory. Good food, maybe some dishes with too much oil, but the rice is always good, and i am getting better with the chopsticks. The food costs between 2 to 8 Yuan's (20 to 80 cents), and the restaurant is like 24/7, almost all day open, the entire week. People here normally eat a hearty meals for breakfast as well. And guess what, after lunch i could even take a snap. They do so in summer here. But here an advice: not to sleep longer than 30min, otherwise you will be sleepy the whole afternoon.
So much for the first 2 days. Let´s see what the weekend will bring.

Last time

2007-08-08T17:39:00.000+08:00

posting from Germany, leaving soon to take the train to Frankfurt. Write you as soon as possible from the Zhōngguó, the Middle Kingdom, das Reich der Mitte.

The most beautiful Landscapes....

2007-08-08T00:05:00.000+08:00

I friend of Oli lent me a book from the Chinese National Geography, with the most beautiful landscapes of China. Really amazing. From the most impressive mountains, lakes, islands, up to caves, beaches, waterfalls and so on. Now the list of the locations i can try to visit near Shenyang.

- Changli
- River Liao Delta
- Heaven lake
- Benxi watercave
- Steppe Xilin Gol

SYIAE´s Motto

2007-08-07T23:39:00.000+08:00

24 hours left, "almost" everything ready. Yesterday i was in Weimar for some last meetings. It was good that i called this colleague of mine, then he really was able to get some Yuan's for me, and to pick them up, i could also make a last small biking tour in Weimar. I probably will miss biking a lot.
Right now i was just earthgoogling a bit, and i am not sure if i found the university campus where i am going to live (maybe the pics are too old, and therefore i cannot find the airplane). But i found the University´s Motto: Virtuous, Capable, Brave and Perseverant.

Nice, hum?

The airplane:
I checked that it is quite warm in Shenyang these days, 35°C. Almost like home! It seems there is a sport facility at the campus, and the library has a amount of 72,4052 volumes. I can hope it is not too warm inside.

About eating and other stuff...

2007-08-03T19:42:00.000+08:00

For German readers, "Reis mit Sch.." in Fichtners Tellergericht.

So, eating well is really one of the favorite activities of Chinese people. (well, at least and specially the ones who can afford fancy restaurants!). And what you can eat in China is nothing compared to what is served in most restaurants here. Only the fact that, over there, you first go to the aquarium to choose your main dish, that is quite impressive.
The good thing is, as the author refers in the article, an entire life would be needed to taste all the vegetarian dishes the Chinese kitchen has to offer! Uff! Maybe I can eat fish sometimes! :-)

All you need to know about Chopsticks

2007-08-01T17:38:00.000+08:00

7 days to go! Still need to finish some assessments, but i can already start getting prepared for the traveling. Today i cooked myself some noodles, and guess what, i just ate them with chopsticks.
I do have some experience using these eating utensil, but i need to get faster! It is not so easy, specially when the food is almost finishing.

Did you know that?
> Chopsticks should not be left standing vertically in a bowl of rice or other food. Any stick-like object pointed upward resembles the incense sticks that some Asians use as offerings to deceased family members; certain funerary rites designate offerings of food to the dead using standing chopsticks.
> Chinese traditionally eat rice from a small bowl held in the left hand. The rice bowl is raised to the mouth and the rice pushed into the mouth using the chopsticks. Some Chinese find it offensive to scoop rice from the bowl using a spoon. If rice is served on a plate, as is more common in the West, it is acceptable and more practical to eat it with a fork or spoon.
> In China alone, an estimated 45 billion pairs of disposable chopsticks are used and thrown away annually. This adds up to 1.7 million cubic meters of timber or 25 million fully grown trees every year. Uau!

Still here!

2007-07-21T15:47:00.000+08:00

Hello there!
Since in 19 days I will be traveling to Shenyang, in China, i decided to create this blog, so i can write about my experiences, impressions and everyday life in the 3 months i am going to live there.
I am starting to get really excited, but, as it is the end of the summer semester, there are still a lots of tests and assessments, and i guess i won´t have so much time to think about the jimjams.
Anyway i hope i find some hours to get a bit prepared, specially to learn a few words and expressions in mandarin.