The Medical Leader

This past week, the members of the Pikeville Delegation to China were very proud to serve as witness as City Manager Donovan Blackburn and Ankang City Mayor Fong Wi Fung signed the Sister City agreement documentation to signify that both delegations from both cities wished to move forward with this global relationship.  “We are now family,” Mayor Fong said after signing.

“We are pleased to welcome you from the other side of the ocean,” Mayor Fong added. “After several days of visits and seeing the sites of our culture and country, I hope that the Ankang people have made a deep impression on you all.”

Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn responded by stating, “It has been our pleasure to be invited to your city.  It is a blessing and honor to learn from your people in your culture.  We look forward to making our relationship stronger, helping us both to grow.”

“We hope to develop more mutual understandings,” Fong said. “Ankang is a very beautiful place in the south of Shaanxi Province.  We have the Chivi Mountain Range and the Bashal Mountains, with a river that runs through it.  Our land is 80% mountain and 20% land, but our province is growing faster than any province in China.”

Both delegations agreed that developmental land is a problem for both areas.

The delegations discussed natural resources.  While our resources are mostly coal, natural gas, and some lumber, the Ankang government stated that their area is rich in Selenium (a cancer preventative substance or herb), agriculture including rice, wheat, Selenium water, and sweet potato; and Ankang has a silk industry that has been in existence and working to perfection for the past 2,000 years.  Over 3,000 tons are produced in silk products every year in Ankang.

Because of our talks regarding coal, the Ankang government is interested in exploring providing electricity by clean coal technology.  The hydro electric power is not enough to produce the amount of power needed for the growing rate of Ankang.  This is an area in which they have asked advice from their Sister City of Pikeville.

Like Pikeville, Ankang is also working to develop a local airport.  The delegation had to drive 3 hours to the nearest airport, just like we would to get to Lexington.  “We are going to build an airport in the coming years,” Fong added.  “We hope to develop better community exchanges.”

Speaking on behalf of our city was Donovan Blackburn and former Governor Paul Patton.  The two explained about our area’s natural resources, healthcare, education, and other ways our Sister City relationship can develop “There are many ways we can benefit from our relationship,” said Patton.  “You should be very proud of your community and your country.”

Blackburn answered some other questions about the city manager form of government and questions about legal issues.  The mayor was very curious about lawyers, law suits, etc.

Overall, the meeting was very successful.  Mayor Fong closed: “Through our short, warm talks, we have laid a solid relationship for our bright future.”  Then, the agreement was signed.

Gifts were exchanged among both delegations.  A banquet was held at the end with a great amount of entertainment, food, fun, and laughter.  I always pictured the Chinese as serious people, but they like to have a lot of fun.

This will be my last blog from China because I am on my way home now.  I cannot wait to get to Kentucky.  Though China has been a wonderful experience, I am ready to get home to my soft bed and American food.  The first place I’m going?  El Azul or Hobert’s Pizzeria in Prestonsburg.  I can’t wait!

I would like to end my blog on what was the most important issue to me to learn about while in China and that is religion. I have questioned many of our Chinese Delegates from Ankang City because I was curious about religion in China.  They are reluctant to talk about it.  As I understand it, if you are a member of the Communist Party, you cannot claim a religion.  You are not allowed to worship any God or have any ties to any religion.  I assume that the reason for this is so that any energy that would be given to spirituality is given to the Communist Party, or maybe you are to worship the Communist Party, President, etc.  I am not sure.

Before I left for China, I listened to their national anthem and was going to learn it to sing it in honor of our delegation, but I was uncomfortable with it because it was almost like a praise or worship song but instead of praising God, it was praising a country.  I did not learn it because I did not feel right singing it.

So… maybe your “religion” is the communist party.  Please note… I did not do any formal research on this, just observation.  If you are a member of the Communist Party and you are a Christian, you must worship in secret or the punishment could be severe (loss of job, etc).  You can choose not to be a member of the Communist Party and you can claim a religion… Christian, Muslim, Buddhism, Daoism, etc.  However, if you are not a member of the Communist Party, you cannot ever hold a position or job of any great responsibility.  There is no voting, of course, and all leaders are chosen by leaders higher up than them and they all work their way up the ladder.

That is the saddest thing to me… just thinking about more than a billion people who live there who are not allowed to worship freely or go to church to worship their Lord.   I took a Bible with me and decided to give it away while I was there.  I did give it to someone I met who became my friend.  It is only one Bible and in my heart, I wish I could give millions more.  I hope someday that all Chinese will have freedom of worship.

Well, I have enjoyed blogging.  It has been a true task, coming back to the hotel from an exhausting day to write a couple of hours, but I hope that for those that have read, it has been enjoyable.  My dad told me over the phone that Christ Central students were even using the blog to assist them in their studies of China.  I have learned so much and have truly been given a blessed gift from God by visiting there… it was a chance of a lifetime.

What is the worst thing about China (in my opinion)?  Having no religious freedom, THE FOOD, and squatty potties!

What is the best thing about China?  The amazing history, the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Soldiers and Horses, but most of all… the people… especially the children.  I love them and will pray for them.

A smile speaks more than a thousand words and a smile is universal across any culture.   I smiled more in China than I have in a long while… I would smile at people and they would always smile back.  My time in China will always be remembered as a “smile” in my life.  I will never forget and will always thank God for this amazing experience.

P.S.: At the time of the printing of this blog, the delegation has now made it safely home.  Through a very difficult 15-hour flight over a typhoon near Japan, the flight often felt like a roller coaster, but we made it safely to Chicago for an unexpected 7-hour layover.  It was a good naptime for all of us.  Kim Carter found that she had the talent of sleeping sitting straight up, head straight and all.

When I got home, I was so happy to be welcomed home by my family.  There is nothing like family and it should be cherished.  My cousin, Sara Sanders Castle, from Atlanta (originally from Pikeville) and her husband were there to greet me as well as my beloved Aunt and Uncle.  We are pictured from left Steve and Sara Sanders Castle, Brad, me, my Aunt Beverly Sanders, Uncle Johnny Sanders, and my baby cousin, Hadley Castle, Sara’s daughter.

I cannot even begin to describe this day.  It truly was one of the most wonderful days of my life.  I know that ever delegate was affected emotionally and spiritually, but I can only describe the events of today from my perspective.  Today was the day we visited the educational facilities of China’s Ankang City and saw what a rural Chinese school is like.  We visited three schools today: Ankang University, Ankang High School, and Ankang’s Sunshine School for the deaf, blind and mentally impaired.

Ankang children go to school 7 days a week, for at least 8 hours daily.  All college education is paid for, so most every student goes to college.  For every minute that a Chinese student is late for school, they must stand in the hallway for an hour per minute.  If the student is continually late, their parents are called to the school and must stand with them.  Students are expected to be there every day, but if a student is ill, they can be excused.  Some exceptions are made for students who are disabled or mentally impaired, and that is where I will begin my story… at The Sunshine School for the Blind, Deaf and Mentally Impaired.

The Sunshine School was an experience of my life that was difficult to surpass and filled with happy tears.  When we drove up to the Sunshine School in our bus, I was not sure what to expect.  Each school is gated with security guards, so the gate was opened for us and when we rounded the corner, we saw hundreds of children who had disabilities waving palm leaves up and down and shouting “Welcome! Welcome!” in Chinese.  Those who could see (who were not blind) were waving as if we were famous people.  They were SO excited to see us.  They had never seen an American or people who were so diverse - with different colored hair and different colored eyes.  When we walked through the line of children chanting and waving the leaves, it was as if we were Hannah Montana walking into an American elementary school.  We would touch their hand and they would squeal with excitement.  Some would just hug us.  Many of us, of course including myself, began to cry seeing these children.  The emotion was overwhelming and they were so welcoming and so amazed to see us.

We then toured the Sunshine School and saw all the various classrooms and how the deaf, blind, and mute children were taught.  Some of the children were just slower learners or may have dyslexia or some other learning disorder.  Deaf children were learning music by feeling the loud rhythms of drums; the vibrations of the bass.  Blind children were learning dancing by feeling the music.  We visited the testing and learning labs in the Sunshine School where the children were tested for hearing impairment.  A deaf child was learning how to speak using a computer program with a microphone that reminded me of the computerized music editing programs that I see in recording studios or at the radio station.  Using an equalizer that the child can see on the screen, they are able to “see” the sounds they are making and the inflections of their voice.  The children are also taught sign language.  Children who had a learning disability were in a different area where they were learning life skills and how to maintain a job such as massage therapy or hair dressing.

We then visited an area where the students had displayed their art… including origami, paper cutting, and painting. In China, these are also skills for which a person can earn a living.  Many of these art works were better than works I have seen from children who did not have disabilities.  After the art display, we were treated to a performance by the school’s music students, which was impeccable for students who have disabilities.  And then… the most remarkable part of the visit occurred… the “Welcome Performance” by the school’s children.

How can I even put into words what we saw? Child after child: blind, deaf, learning disabled, mentally impaired… performing musical pieces, dances, stories and songs, short plays set to music, Latin dances, etc.  I was absolutely amazed.  Working with children in the performing arts, I cannot even imagine the number of hours it took to get that performance together.  I have not been able to achieve such quality with our children at home who do not have disabilities, but I am sure that this performance took hundreds of hours to perfect.  The performance was framed by a backdrop that said “Warly Welcome Pikeville Delegation Welcome Performance.”  It was so sweet.

A group of 6-8 year old blind little girls performed an interpretative dance to a beautiful song that said “Though we cannot see, we can only imagine what you look like.  Though we cannot hear, we can still feel the music.”  I was sobbing… I mean a flood of tears flowing!  How they all learned the moves to the music, I will never know, but it was immeasurably beautiful!

Following the performance, we walked back to the bus, with all of the children lined up to tell us “goodbye,” they were all touching our hands, hugging us, and many of them were crying because we were people unlike any they had ever seen.  To them we were very special.  When we left, we were all in tears at the beauty of that experience.  Other than the day I became a Christian and my wedding day, it was the most beautiful, emotionally moving moment I have ever experienced.  I will cherish those hours forever.

As the bus pulled out, the children surrounded the bus, waving and waving continually as we waved back through the windows.  They waved so hard - as if their little arms were going to wave away. The children were crying so hard.  We were crying so hard.  When the bus pulled away, there was complete silence in our bus.  No one spoke.  We were all in awe of what we had just seen, heard, and experienced.

Having worked in elementary, high schools, and on the collegiate level of education, I do feel that our American schools can learn a lot from Ankang in regards to the educational training of children with disabilities.  Their facilities to help students with disabilities were impeccable and remarkable. I have a blind student who is a 13 year old singer and she is AMAZING.  However, once monthly, her parents drive her to Louisville to the school for the blind.  But, what if her parents could not afford to take her?  She would not be receiving the life skills she needs. This is one area that I hope we can benefit and learn from our Sister City.

We also visited Ankang High School.  This school is an Advanced Placement School that children must be tested to get into… so they are all very intelligent.  We began the tour on the school’s beautiful track and astro-turf soccer field.  The Chinese love soccer and are disappointed that they do not do well in the Olympic Games.  Our tour guide said, “In a country of 1.8 billion people, we can’t find 11 who can play soccer well enough to compete in the Olympics, but we always win in Table Tennis.”  Table Tennis, or Ping Pong, as we like to call it, is one of their greatest sports… so much so that the high school has a Ping Pong training area and teacher.  Jimmy Carter took on a game with the Ping Pong teacher.  He did not win, but he held his own in the game!  We also visited a room where they teach the Chinese children how to play checkers… no wonder they are so good.  At least 30 stations of checker boards were in the room and on the chalk boards were written many mathematic formulas for game strategies.  None of us even had a chance against the Chess teacher… no wonder the Chinese are so good at chess!

We visited a dance studio in the school equipped with mirrors and laminate flooring.  Governor and Mrs. Patton did a BEAUTIFUL four-step ballroom dance to American music they played especially for one of us to dance.  We were very well represented in this area as the Patton’s are EXCELLENT ballroom dancers.  It was absolutely wonderful to watch them.  In a piano lab of approximately 30 pianos, their most advanced pianist was playing a tune when we walked in.  The Vice Mayor invited me to play a song and so I played “Blessed Assurance.”   I just wanted to bring a bit of Jesus into China.

Then… we went to some classrooms where the students were studying various subjects.  All of the students wore the same uniform: white jacket with white pants.  They were all perfectly clean.  Most of the students spoke fairly good English.  Governor Patton addressed the English class and asked how many were planning on going to college, and they all responded that they were all going to college, without question.

We visited a computer lab where a 15-year-old student very shyly asked to speak to me.  She said, “I have never spoken with a foreign person before.”  She paused.  “My English is not good.”

“My Chinese is much worse,” I responded.

“This is best friend,” she said. “We think you are very beautiful.”  I thanked them very much and then she said, “You have yellow hair.  I want yellow hair, but mine is black.”

“You have very beautiful hair,” I said.  “You are very beautiful.”

She told me her Chinese name but said her English name was Lucy.  She explained that each Chinese parent chooses an English name for their child as well that they stick with all of their lives.  That way, if they ever run into foreigners or correspond with them, they have a name that can be pronounced and understood in other languages.  Brad, my husband, had some Kentucky Lapel Pins that he gave to the three girls and they received it as if it were gold.  I asked to take a picture with them and we exchanged email addresses so we could keep in touch and I could send the photo.

Before I left, Lucy said, “What is your Chinese name?”

“I don’t have one,” I said.  “You give me a Chinese name.”

She replied, “Piaoliang Geng Duo.” She said it means “More Beautiful.  Because you are more beautiful than any person I have seen.”  I began to cry again, for Lucy was more beautiful than many people I have met.  Her sweet spirit radiated from her and I will pray for her that the Lord will allow her to be touched by someone who can show her the spirit of our Lord at some point in her life.

After this, we visited their physics lab and then we had our photos made with the faculty and some students.  Maybe they were honors students, I am not sure.  Debbie Blackburn was handing out lapel pins to the students and they swarmed around her, again, as if she were passing out a precious jewel.  The students were in awe at us and we were in awe of them.

I have included a photo here of the students as we pulled out from the high school.  As you can see from the photo the students lined the outdoor walkways waving and watching us and waving and waving.  We waved and waved back until the bus pulled out.

The delegation also visited Ankang University.  The Delegation visited the University’s library and had tea.  They also visited the science and genetics lab where the students were working on perfecting the area’s silk production.  Silk is one of Ankang City’s most coveted natural products.  Governor Patton, who is now the President of Pikeville College, met with the President of Ankang University.  “The meeting was very productive,” Patton said.  “We discussed that we would be interested in hosting Chinese students at Pikeville College to give them an educational opportunity to learn the English language and culture. We agreed to continue the discussion to make it a reality in the future”

While the other members of the delegation took the college tour, I had the privilege of lecturing to all of the students in the Music Department.  I did not know prior to my arrival in Ankang City that I would be teaching, however, after being invited, I decided to deliver a lecture on the history of music in America because I was told that these students do not ever receive any information or education on this topic.

I was picked up in a car by the Dean of Music and my Interpreter who took me to their best music hall, which might remind us of a room in a building that had been built in 1950 with no updates or repairs. When I walked into the Music Hall, I did not expect the reception I received.  I was told that they were excited to have me, and when I walked in the lecture hall, I had not even done anything and the students rose to their feet and yelled and clapped in an ovation like none I had ever received.

Having only brought two songs with me by chance, I opened the lecture by singing “Because You Loved Me” by none other than universally known Celine Dion!  My favorite singer ever!  While I was singing, many students were filming me with their cellular phones.  After the song, they rose again.  Then I began my lecture.  I started with American music in the 1700’s and went through current times.  I had a power point production of slides, and I was very pleased that the University had Microsoft Access.  During the lecture, none of the students knew any of our early American artists.  Later on in our history, not many of the students knew Elvis or Britney Spears, which surprised me.  Most of them knew Madonna.  But, when the slide of Michael Jackson popped up… a roar of “Ahhhhh” rushed over the crowd of over 120 students.  I closed the lecture with another song “The Sweetest Thing” by Juice Newton to another standing ovation.  After the lecture was over, I was bombarded by students wanting autographs and pictures.  I took about 80 photos with Ankang students.  I kept saying “I’m not famous.  I’m not famous.”  But, maybe in their minds, because I looked so different, they thought I was.  My husband Brad, Menette May, and Kim Carter went to help me and they handed out Kentucky lapel pins to all the students in the room.  Brad said “They were rushing at me screaming ‘Me! Me!’ and I handed out all the pins that I had”

I think they were just not used to seeing foreigners.

Each Chinese child is very important to their parents because they are only allowed to have one child.  The government provides free birth control to every woman and man.  If a woman has had one child and accidentally becomes pregnant, she is forced to have an abortion, also paid for by the government.  Therefore, every person born after 1978 (the year of my birth) is an only child and has no brothers or sisters, meaning that eventually Chinese people will have no aunts, uncles, or cousins.  This makes children VERY important to their parents because if they were to lose that child, they could never have another one.

We found the children of China to be very precious as well.  I wanted to bring one home with me.  I know this has been my longest blog yet, but even the words cannot be descriptive enough to explain the joys of this day. As the Master Card commercials would say, this day was “priceless.” I hope that you will find the photos enjoyable.

Laura Ford Hall

The Pikeville Delegation to China arrived in our sister city of Ankang, China. Though we have only been here one week, to me, it feels like we have been here a month because we have been so busy. Every minute of the day has been planned. I am not sure about the other delegates’ level of tiredness, but we have been working so hard to learn about the culture and develop a relationship with the people that the amount of work has caused us to need a good rest.

Today, the delegation visited several areas of Ankang City. Like Pikeville, Ankang is a mountainous region. Though their mountains are much higher, they are located in a valley like Pikeville, and they also have very little land to develop. They cherish the land they do have, so they first took us to see their industrial park. With a good piece of flat land to develop, their plans, unlike what we would have in mind for an industrial park, are more for retail rather than for factories, etc. Also a part of their industrial park was a medicinal factory where they make herbal medicines from the plants grown in their area. The labs in the medicinal factory were not what I had pictured in my mind as a medicinal lab. Though, I am sure herbal medicine is made differently than medicine made in America at a large pharmaceutical company.

In many ways, it seems that China is ahead of us technology, but in many ways, they are much more behind than we are. They have so many people and many factories. I have never visited an area with such smog. It is difficult to breathe the air sometimes.

Next, we visited the Ankang Regional Hospital. It was made clear early on that one of the main areas that Ankang feels it can benefit from its Sister City relationship with Pikeville is in health care for its people. Because China is a communist country, health care is free to everyone, though some fees do have to be paid up front. When you walk in, there is a cashier area that must be visited first. The lobby of the hospital resembled the lobby of an old hotel, open to the floors above with railing; you could see patient rooms from the lobby. Their hospital has 800 beds and 1,200 on staff and they serve an area of 2 million people. As I understand, I believe Pikeville Medical Center has over 250 beds and over 1,600 staff to serve our surrounding area of around 75,000 people.

Walter E. and Pam May were very interested in the workings of the hospital and as they walked through, they took in everything and made many compliments on the hospital, especially on their colonoscopy center, MRI area, and their sterile areas. The staff at the hospital seemed hard at work.

The first building of the hospital (there were 3 buildings in total with a courtyard in between) reminded me of photos I had seen of the old hospital on Pikeville College hill that is now the library. In some of the rooms, there were 5 or 6 patient beds and the rooms had no bathrooms. I only saw one patient hooked up to an IV and they were in the Intensive Care unit, which appeared to have 3 beds per room. However, the look of the building may not denote the quality of care. But, I was surprised because I believe in America we take for granted our beautiful, updated buildings with shiny floors, many elevators, and the conveniences we need.

As I viewed this Chinese hospital, I was thankful for our beautiful hospital Pikeville Medical Center. Having passed 22 kidney stones, I have been a frequent visitor. My husband also had surgery for his thyroid cancer at PMC, done by Dr. Gregory Hazelett. The care could not have been better. My mother was also cared for at PMC for the terminal cancer she had and all of her needs were met. I was so thankful for her nurses and doctors. Dr. Lela Maynard and Dr. Bagrath were both wonderful to her. The night of her passing, the staff in the ER, including Dr. John Fleming and nurse Bobby Norman did everything they could to help her. I was so thankful that she was with people she knew and she felt secure.

I am so thankful for Pikeville Medical Center and for Mr. May and all of those who have worked and continue to work daily to improve our quality of care for our town. You have no idea how blessed we are.

Sometimes, when I have family in the hospital or I am in the hospital with a kidney stone, I will complain about not having a private room, but NEVER again! I could not imagine 5 or 6 to a room. I did feel bad for the patients who were in such rooms.

The Mayor of Ankang City wants more for their hospital and wants to especially correspond with Pikeville regarding health care and ways to improve their health facilities. He was very interested in this area in particular and realized their need to better their facilities for their people. He said he had been in the hospital himself and was unable to get a private room or a room with a restroom and knows that this area needs to be addressed.

The people of Ankang City are in a rural area of China and many have never seen a foreign visitor with “yellow hair.” Kim Carter, Judi Patton, and I were constantly getting compliments on our “yellow hair” which is envied by Ankang children. People would stare and could not remove their eyes from us… young and old alike. We would smile and say “ni how” (pronounced nee-how) and they would often smile or laugh back. When we left the hospital, many patients got out of their beds and were waving at us from the windows… doctors and nurses were as well.

After the visit to the hospital, some of the delegation visited Ankang’s Ying’ma Lake, which was very beautiful with a small knoll with a Chinese tower in the center of the lake. Following the lake, a banquet was held.

As for my Chinese Diet… I still believe I have lost 11 or 12 lbs. with a new addition to their diet regime… walking everywhere when they are not riding a bicycle. The China Delegation would wish to take us somewhere saying “it is just a short walk” that might end up being a mile or two, but to them, that is a short walk. We have really gotten the exercise!

I am greatly enjoying my time in China but look forward to coming home… especially to the food and to my work with my students at Big Sandy Community and Technical College. I am missing my Singers and my dad. It will be good to be back home in the town I love: Pikeville.

Laura Ford Hall

The Delegation of Pikeville to China had a very eventful day including historical visits and foreign affairs.  The day began with an hour long trip into the countryside in Shaanxi Province, outside of Xi’an to see the Museum of the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses.  I was more excited about seeing this “eighth wonder of the world” than any other site in China because my mother, Janice Beeler Ford, who (I will mention again) was an art professor at Pikeville College for 41 years, taught me about the Terra Cotta Warriors since I was a little girl.  My mother studied art all over the world, and more than the Mona Lisa, she first loved Egyptian Art, followed closely by art from the Roman Era, Michelangelo, and then she would talk about Chinese and Asian art.  She talked more of the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses than she did of any other work of the Chinese, and it is truly an extravagant work of art.  In its sheer magnitude, the over 8,000 visible statues are overwhelming to the eye.  Again, I began to cry as I walked in to see this wonder.

The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses were built in late 3rd Century B.C. for the Tomb of Emperor QinShihuang, the first Emperor in Chinese History.  Emperor Qin (for short :-), much like the Pharaohs in Egypt, wanted to take all of his belongings with him into their afterlife.  But, Qin wanted to take this practice a step further… he was going to have all of his soldiers, wives, and concubines buried with him, even if he would’ve been burying them alive.  This very terrible, morbid idea was rejected by the Emperor’s people and one artist, a sculptor, came up with the idea of, rather than burying people alive, constructing sculptured statues to protect the Emperor in his after-life.  Over 700,000 artists and other workers worked for over 15 years to build thousands and thousands of statues of warriors, generals, officers, and horses to put in the Emperor’s tomb.  Although there are so many statues, no two are the same… facial features or hairstyles are each different.  The uniform denotes the officer’s rank and the soldiers were flanked as if they were ready for battle.

Although the tomb had been there for thousands of years, it was not found until 1974 by a farmer who was on his land digging a well.  He dug several feet and no water, dug again… still no water, then he began to dig deeper and deeper and then dug into the tomb.  The farmer’s name was Yang Xin Man.  Previous to his find, he was an unknown farmer who could not read or write, but after his discovery, he got a new profession.  For the past 20 years, since the museum has been open, he sits in a special room every day where he charges for autographs and photos.  He learned to write only his name and it is the only thing he can read or write.  With nearly 2 million tourists annually, charging $30 U.S. per autograph and photo… well, he is now rolling in the dough.  Jimmy and Kim Carter had their photo made with Farmer Yang.  I believe Farmer Yang is to the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum what Miss Billie Jean Osborne is to the Mountain Arts Center (the founder and heart at the center of it all).

After leaving the museum, the delegation boarded a bus to travel to our Sister City of Ankang, stopping at a restaurant that only had a “squatty potty…” we elected to pass on the restroom use and pulled over again at a hotel to use the restroom that had three “western toilets” as the Chinese refer to them.  So far, I have not had to use a “squatty potty” which is VERY good!

Our ride to Ankang City was by bus on a new highway that was just opened this past May 28, 2009.  It is 179 miles long… beautiful highway with mountainous scenes that make our mountains look like hills.  Rather than cutting through the entirety of all of the mountains to get to Ankang, the government chose to build tunnels.  We went through 181 tunnels to get to Ankang City… two of the tunnels were over 11 miles long.  Some of them were very short.  The tunnels have solar powered lights with solar panels on top of the mountains that produce light inside the tunnels.  Some of the tunnels have beautiful neon lights and trees that do not need light to grow for decoration.  It is very apparent that the Chinese love neon lights.  They are everywhere, on nearly every building.  It is very pretty at night, and I have petitioned Donovan Blackburn and City Commissioner Jimmy Carter to get lots of neon lights in Pikeville.

Once we arrived to Ankang City, the welcoming party was glorious.  Our bus first stopped at the City Gate where City Manager Donovan Blackburn and his wife Debbie Blackburn were escorted off the bus and were greeted by two beautiful children holding flowers as well as the Vice Mayor of Ankang and two city officials.  We were then lead into the city by a police escort and went to our hotel.  We had to prepare, in a short time, for a banquet where the Mayor of Ankang City and Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn met and the Mayor delivered a welcome address.

“The city of Ankang welcomes the American Delegation from Pikeville, Kentucky,” Mayor Fang said.  “Our cities are alike in many ways.  They are both located in a valley.  They both have a major river running through them.  They both are making progress.  Our towns are similar and we have much to share and much to learn as Sister Cities.”

The banquet was very special and was the first step to becoming Sister Cities with the city of Ankang in China.  Many toasts were made to the City of Pikeville.

For my final thought today, I would like to say that I feel so proud to be from Pikeville and Pike County and proud to have our city be only one of four Sister Cities with China’s Shaanxi Province.  We have a wonderful city and county that we should all take pride in.  Over the next two days, we will visit the hospitals, schools, and factories.  I am most excited to see the schools.  Former Governor Paul Patton, now President of Pikeville College, will get to meet with the President of Ankang College.  Walter E. and Pam May are very excited to be able to visit the hospitals.  And I have received the privilege of being invited to lecture on American music and perform for all of the music students enrolled in Ankang University.

Laura Ford Hall

(Day 4 was a travel day, mostly spent in the air)

Today, the Pikeville Sister City Delegation to China had a busy day in Xi’an (pronounced “she-ahn”) in the Shaanxi Province of China.  China’s provinces are similar to the states in the United States.

On Wednesday, the delegation arrived to Shaanxi Province, the state where our Sister City of Ankang is  located.  The City of Ankang and the Shaanxi Province have gone to great lengths to honor the delegates from America.  We have found that in the Chinese culture it is extremely important that their guests be very pleased.  Two government officials from Ankang have traveled with the Delegation, introducing them to the culture of China and allowing them the once-in-a-lifetime experience of visiting some of the greatest landmarks of Asia, including the Great Wall.  This introduction to the Chinese culture and history will only help to further the formation of a strong Sister City relationship.  When the Delegation from Ankang arrives in the U.S., they will not only visit Pikeville but also places such as Washington D.C. and New York City in order to be introduced to American culture before coming to Pikeville.

The introduction to the culture and the knowledge of the history of China has been very beneficial as the days have progressed throughout our visit.  Our new-found knowledge and experience came in to play today as the Delegation met with the Foreign Affairs Department and the Secretary General of the Shaanxi Province.  The meeting took place at 10:30 a.m. at the Xi’an Foreign Affairs Building.  Complete with interpreter and presentations of gifts, the meeting was very fruitful and meaningful to developing our Sister City relationship.

Secretary General Wang Yousheng spoke on behalf of the Province as Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn and Governor Paul Patton spoke on behalf of our city and state.  Mr. Wang (in China, the last name goes first) said he was honored and excited to have our delegation visit and many topics were discussed between the Chinese and American parties.  It was so interesting being an observer.  I felt as if I were very important to be privy to an international meeting and that our city was progressing in ways beyond what I thought imaginable being a lifelong citizen of the city.  To have Pikeville be recognized on a more global level made me very proud to be from Pikeville.

This Province is a sister city to the state of Minnesota.  As cities are paired with foreign cities, states are paired with provinces.  A delegation from the Shaanxi Province will be coming to America soon and we have invited them to make a stop in Pikeville during their visit.  The Shaanxi Province of China is the fastest growing province and that has been made evident by the massive amount of construction going on in this “small town” of 8 million people.  A new subway system, many roads being widened or expanded, and buildings under construction at every turn shows that this is a city in an extreme growth period.  The exchange of knowledge between Pikeville and both provinces and cities of China could lead to much opportunity for Pikeville in this new global market.

As for some final thoughts, I am still suffering on the China Diet.  I suspect now that I have lost about 6 pounds.  Though rice is very filling, it must be a good diet food.  The plates that are given to you in Chinese restaurants are very small… like the size of one of our dessert plates or bread and butter plates at home.  So, the portions are very small as well.  Though, at our hotel in Xi’an, they did have room service with American food.  This included spaghetti and garlic bread.  It cost me $147 yuan… about $25 U.S. dollars, but I didn’t care… I ordered it and I was in Heaven. :  )

Also… the bed in our hotel in Xi’an is very, very hard… almost like sleeping on the floor.  I am told this is customary for the Chinese people to sleep on a very hard bed.  Well… it was not for me.  I kept thinking, “Laura, there has to be a solution to this problem!”  So, I called housekeeping and ordered 12 pillows… that’s right, they thought I was crazy!  I laid them all on the bed in a row and made a “pillow top” mattress… not the best, but better than sleeping on a “wooden bed.”

I was also thrilled to get to sing a mini-concert with a Bulgarian pianist.  The Ankang Government officials found out that I directed music at a college, and I have since been booked for four performances in China… I guess it is something neat to add to my resume. It was fun.  For singing, I was given a bottle of wine by the hotel for which I was performing!  Though a nice gesture, I have never had a drink of alcohol, so now I am trying to figure out how much I might sell this bottle to get some yuan or American dollars for it… I hope someone buys it. LOL.

For my final thought of the day… the biggest cultural difference for me is that the Chinese do not use diapers for their children and that they are allowed to potty on the streets, with their parents holding them as they potty.  I have seen this over and over and it is just the strangest thing to me.  I can’t imagine that happening at home, but we are in a different culture.  Though I do not have children yet, it makes me very thankful for diapers.

Tomorrow we will visit the museum of the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses and then will travel on to Ankang for more Government and Foreign Affairs Meetings.  I am not sure I will have Internet access there, but will do my best to blog if possible.

Laura Ford Hall

AMAZING!!!!!!!

That is the word of the day.  We actually climbed the Great Wall of China!  I would have never believed that I would ever be at The Great Wall, much less climb it!

The day started with breakfast in the hotel lobby and today they had TOAST!  That’s right, toast and strawberry jelly.  Suddenly Handel’s Messiah came to my head and I literally sang “Hallelujah, Hallelujah.”   A few Chinese people looked at me, as if my blonde hair was not enough, I had to start singing from the Messiah, but I couldn’t help it… it was bread!  So, the day started off wonderfully.

We then took an hour-long bus ride outside of Beijing to The Great Wall.  The Wall came into view and all of the members of the delegation began taking photos from the bus windows.  We were in awe of being there.  Governor and Mrs. Patton had been there before, to a different section that was less touristy and had walked part of the wall, however, for us, it was the climb ahead that awaited.

Several decided to stay at the bottom of the wall and enjoy the view, but eight of us took off… to make the trek up to the top: Jimmy and Kim Carter, Donovan and Debbie Blackburn, Greg and Menette May, and Brad and myself.  Figuring we would never be back again, we were gave it our best shot.  Well, the other day, when I blogged about the plane ride, I said I was happy to be 5′1″, but NOT today.  The Great Wall, built in Third Century B.C., is over 1,500 miles long, is an average of 25′ in height and width, and took 700,000 people to build.  To say the least, the steps are very uneven, with some steps higher than the length of my legs, which made the climbing very difficult.

Jimmy and Kim Carter and Donovan Blackburn made it to the first tower.  I went on to the third tower, which was very difficult, and when I got there, I cried and everyone was looking at me, even Chinese asking if I were ok, but I was just overwhelmed that I had just climbed very high onto one of the seven wonders, looking out onto God’s creation of the surrounding nature, and wanting to pick up my cellular phone to call my mother to tell her that I was on top of the Great Wall, but unable to because of her passing.  I could not help but cry.

And then, there were the final four and ½ who made it all the way to the top of the fifth tower: Greg and Menette May, Debbie Blackburn, and Brad Hall (I am counting myself as the ½ because I made it almost there… I just couldn’t go anymore).

After the climb of the Wall, we visited the Summer Palace of the Emperor Qui, which was first built in 1100 A.D.  We had a community and idea exchange with our Chinese counterparts, which included talk about garbage services, drug problems, roadways and highways, and health care and cancer survival rates.  During the talks, we found that we had much in common with our Sister City, but many things are different.  Some of the differences included garbage pickup, which is only allowed during the hours of midnight and 6 a.m. so garbage pickup trucks are never seen.  Like eastern Kentucky, the Chinese also have a drug problem in their area but not with prescription medication, rather they mainly have trouble with cocaine and opiates… and this is mainly in the cities and among the high school and college student population.

Regarding health care and cancer survival rates, we learned that over 300 million Chinese are claimed smokers.  There are no smoking bans in China whatsoever, including no “smoking” or “non-smoking” sections in restaurants.  Lung cancer kills a significant amount of Chinese people, followed by esophageal cancer due to the hot temperature of their foods… it damages the esophagus.  The Chinese government has recognized that America has the greatest healthcare, especially when it comes to cancer and the country cannot even touch our “five-year survival rate” that they are striving for.

Beginning on Friday, even more business talks will take place, and when we arrive in our Sister City of Ankang, the business leaders will sign the Sister City agreement and discuss all various areas of the economy, coal mining, crime rate, etc.

However, tomorrow, we head out by plane for a 2 hour flight to Xi’an, China to see more of the country… I am especially excited to see the terra cotta soldiers and horses at the Emperor’s Tomb because my mother, who taught art at Pikeville College for 41 years, taught me about these amazing statues from the time I was a young girl.  I brought copies of all of her textbook notes with me so I could be reminded of all of the information my mother taught me and have a part of her with me, as I know she would have loved to be there.

Finally, the closing thought of the day is another addition to the China Diet… climbing the Great Wall.  If the Chinese do this often, it will DEFINITELY help them to stay slim.  Climbing to the third tower was the most difficult physical thing I have ever done in my life.  If I continue to eat only rice and my occasional sneaky Nutter Butter or Pop Tart, and if I continue to walk the amount we have been trekking across China, I am sure to come back at least 15 pounds slimmer from my China Diet.

The worst thing about today… as I was struggling up the stone steps complaining about my legs, two approximately 90-year-old Chinese women with white hair passed me as if I were the tortoise and they were the hare.  Even more proof that the China Diet does work!

Laura Ford Hall

Today was another busy day for the Pikeville Delegates to China.  The Chinese government and our Sister City of Ankang, has treated us royally, allowing us the privilege of taking in all of the wonderful things that China has to offer.

Living in a country that is just over 200 years old, I think some Americans take for granted the historic value of buildings, architecture, places where important events took place.  Today, we were able to see some such sites, including our first stop in the very middle or inner circle of Beijing, the Forbidden City.

Much like New Circle Road in Lexington, Beijing has 6 “rings” and in the center of all of the rings is The Forbidden City.  Built in 1406, the city, or complex, consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 rooms and covers 7,800,000 square feet.  We walked into the first section of the city and thought, “this is beautiful and amazing,” but we kept going through tunnels and doorways and the city seemed to go on and on forever.  It is easy to see why it was called a “city.”  I felt like Lara Croft in Tomb Raider… going through level after level in the ruins to get to the end of the game.  It took quite a bit of time to walk the distance from the entrance of the city to the exit.

The city was “forbidden” because it was built for the emperor and was only used for himself, his servants, his concubines, and the ceremonial and political center of Chinese government. The emperor had 3,000 concubines… can you imagine financially supporting 3,000 women?

The Forbidden City served as the imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty… for five centuries.  Commoners were not allowed into the Forbidden City unless they were on trial.  The emperor served all of the following roles: Supreme Legislator, Commander of the Army, Moral Leader, hierarch, Supreme Judge, Patron of Learning, Chief Examiner, Chief Administrator, and Chief Bureaucrat.

When I walked into the Inner Court of the City, I recognized it from many movies such as Bruce Lee’s “Enter the Dragon” and “The Last Emperor,” filmed in 1987, was the last movie that the Chinese government allowed to film there.

After visiting the “Forbidden City,” our very tired delegation visited the Fu Rung Restaurant for lunch where, we were again, served on a round, lazy-Susan type table.  During lunch, ideas were exchanged among city officials and leaders.

After lunch, we went to the Temple of Heaven.  This was my personal favorite spot of the trip so far.  The reason is because that the Temple of Heaven is where all of the Chinese go to “hang out.”  You could see their culture so clearly.  People playing instruments, choirs singing… all in unison, no harmony, and instruments I had never even seen before, but it was so very interesting to me (especially the music).  The Temple of Heaven was beautiful and is where the people of the Dow religion would go to worship the god of Heaven.  There are many gods in that religion including god of Heaven, Earth, rivers, wind, etc.  This temple was built up high to worship the god of Heaven.  It was very beautiful, and what made it even more special were that two weddings were taking place at the Temple while we were there.  It is apparently, a special place for weddings for the people of Beijing.

After this, we went to The Pearl Market… where we were BOMBARDED by sales men and women… especially me because of my blonde hair.  They would yell “blonde hair! Blonde hair!” They would pull my arms, my clothes, touch my hair and get right in my face… “Come buy a bag… you need a bag.”  “Come in to my shop, just come and look around.  I’ll make a special price for you because you are beautiful!”  Well… they made me feel good anyway, but with hundreds of salespeople trying to beg you to look at their merchandise… I was about to have an anxiety attack.  Though, the upper levels of The Pearl Market are very respected, visited by the wives of U.S. Presidents, the top floors sell the “greatest pearls found in the world.”  And, as we were waiting to leave, a caravan of black cars pulled up and the wives of the Pakistan leaders were escorted up to the top level of the market to shop for the finest jewelry.

Dinner was not wonderful… now I will return to the subject of the China diet… ok rice everyday on a small plate, no bread, no desserts at all… no wonder the Chinese are skinny.  But, I do have to add an element to the China diet… bicycles… everyone has them and they ride them everywhere.  Also, there are scales in the hotel room.  This is the first hotel I have been to that had scales to weigh yourself.  I barely ate anything, and neither did anyone else.  I actually snuck Nutter Butters into the restaurant and Greg and Menette May snuck in a Snickers bar.

After dinner, we visited the site of the 2008 Olympics… a beautiful site to see.  The architecture of The Birds Nest and The Water Cube were amazing.

Two major cultural differences to note today both have to do with restrooms.  In China, the toilets we know… the ones with the seats… they can’t be found.  In their place are “squatty potties,” at least that is what we have termed them.  Also, bathrooms do not provide toilet paper.

To close today, I just would like to say that I am very thankful for the Kellogg’s factory in Kimper.  I brought 3 boxes of Pop Tarts with me on this trip and because of the Pop Tarts, I will survive.  I know Jesus went 40 days without food, but I do believe that was divine intervention and I thank the Lord for all of my food… especially Pop Tarts at this time.  Though, they will have to be rationed and though I am a giving person, I have a VERY high price on my Pop Tarts right now.  I think I will start at $50 a pack… I have already had some offers from members of the delegation. :  )

We are truly enjoying ourselves.  It is a new culture… across the world.  I look forward to The Great Wall of China tomorrow and am in awe that I am blessed enough to get to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Laura Ford Hall

(See below each post for larger photos)

First of all, I must say that I cannot believe I am in China… I never dreamed I would be across the world in such a different culture.  Though I have been out of the country, I have never experienced anything quite like China, and the trip getting here was long and tiresome.

Today (Sunday, Oct. 11), the Sister City Delegation from Pikeville made the trek across the world to China to meet with officials and visit our Sister City of Ankang, China.  Somewhat like an exchange program, the Sister City program allows business, city, economic, and industrial leaders in a community to visit a community in another part of the world that has many similarities.  During the visit, the delegation will share ideas with the leaders from the Sister City and will hopefully gain knowledge and build relationships to make our global community stronger.  Ankang is a coal mining community much like Pikeville, similar in size, etc.

The Pikeville Delegation includes (pictured in the group photo) Governor Paul Patton and First Lady Judi Patton, Greg May and wife Manette, Walter E. and Pam May, Hobart Johnson, Debbie and Donovan Blackburn, Jimmy and Kim Carter, Brad and Laura Ford Hall (I am not pictured because I was taking the photo).

The day began as we left from Downtown Pikeville at 5:30 a.m., to board a plane in Lexington at 9:30 a.m. From Lexington, we flew to Chicago on a 90-minute flight.  Then, after a short stop at the Chicago O’Hare Airport, we boarded a Boeing 777 for the 13 hour and 34 minute flight across the globe to get to China.  Though I have flown many times, it amazes me that I was flying over Alaska, Russia, Siberia (see Siberian photo).  WOW!!!

The plane ride was tough.  After about 9 hours, everyone was getting very tired.  Wishing I could afford first class (rumored to be $15,000), I was stuck in economy… this is the only time I am happy to be short.  Being 5-foot-1 is fine during times like these.

When we got off of the plane in Beijing, our temperature was examined, but we all successfully made it through the Health and Customs Inspections.  We were picked up by the Mayor of Ankang and a representative of the Ankang Government in a nice tour bus.  While riding along, I learned two very important things: I was glad I was on a big bus because there are no road rules in China except this… the bigger the vehicle you have, the more right-of-way you have.  I definitely learned that the more you honk the horn, the better off you are… if you are a big bus, you’ve got it made, if you are in a small car… watch out, if you are on a bicycle… well, I wouldn’t even chance it!

On some roads, there were some guide lines (similar to our double yellow lines), but on many roads, there were no lines and people just drove wherever, trying to maneuver in and out of the way.

One exit we stopped at was crowded because it was the end of the work day, and because of the traffic jam, I noticed people just getting out of the car and talking to one another… especially taxi drivers.  This was very weird to me.  We were stuck in traffic, but instead of waiting patiently and listening to music, drivers were just getting out of their cars, socializing, smoking a cigarette until the traffic started moving again.

When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted by a welcoming party of very nice guest associates.  Our rooms are beautiful and more high tech than any hotel I have stayed at in America… everything, including the “Do Not Disturb” notice or “Please Clean My Room” notice is controlled by buttons beside the door that light up outside and notify the front desk.

All lights come on and off when you enter or exit a room.  Quite disturbing, however, were gas masks found in the hotel closet.  I am not sure why we have those, but I was alarmed to see them.  Quite surprising and wonderful was I found a Bible in our hotel room.  I was told that I should not bring a Bible into the country.  However I “snuck” one in only to find a beautiful leather bound, silver lined Bible in Mandarin Chinese and English.

Once we got to our rooms, we quickly changed to go to a Seafood Restaurant… I do not know its name, but I do know that what I had heard was true… the food is brought to you live and cooked in front of you.

Tanks of fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, shark, and other swimming creatures I had not seen before were in beautiful aquariums.  I felt like I was at Seaworld, only to realize that the poor things were there for people to select to be eaten.  Now, I am not a vegetarian in America… but for the next two weeks, I definitely am… we were all sent to beautiful round tables where we were brought dish after dish placed on a round table that we would rotate from person to person.  We had no idea what we were eating, so I was able to use the most important word I had learned in Mandarin Chinese “Rusu” (Roo-soo) which means “I am a vegetarian.”

So, I have concluded so far that China is beautiful… all of the buildings are decorated so artistically with bright and beautiful colors.  I can’t wait to see more.  The flight was long, but I believe it was worth it to get here.  Although, for my last thought of today, I must say “China is a lot like weight loss camp.”  :  )

I believe I will come back about 20 pounds skinner, which is fine with me.  I’ll let you know how my “China diet” progresses.

Laura Ford Hall