Kevin's China Tour

Week # 38 in China- GOODBYE

Work-
This is it. My last week in China. It has been one of the most rewarding productive assignments I have ever undertaken. I think I did my company right by my time spent in China. It started as a 6 month assignment and ended as 9 months of enjoyable work. The staff in our China office is world class in personality and ability. it has been a true pleasure and treat to work side by side with colleagues in China. THANK YOU!
Personal-
WOW! What a voyage this has been. I would be lying to you if i told you that i wanted to come back to the USA. Being able to have my children join me was what made this whole time fly past so quickly. i think i would be homesick much more had it not been for knowing they were coming or they were here. I miss my family and great friends back in the USA. that is no doubt, but i now have families on both sides of the globe. THANK YOU!

I LOVE CHINA!, and yes, I can say that in Chinese

Farewell Dinner

It was my turn to be roasted and toasted as the guest of honor at a company farewell dinner. Here are some pictures of a very bittersweet night for me.

Week # 37 in China

Work-
Henry and I had to go to Chongqing this week for a couple days to look at candidate factory locations and to meet with some government officials regarding tax incentives in Chongqing.
Personal-
Started the week on vacation in Xi'an and ended in Chongqing for business,, but go to do a little sightseeing.

Business Trip to Chongqing

On the way back from our vacation in Xi'an, we stopped in Chongqing. Henry and I had some business to do, but we took an evening to go on a dinner boat tour and a half a day to look at some rock carvings that are carved right into the cliffs. Chongqing is a city with a population of only 31 Million people. Its abbreviated name is derived from the old name of a part of the Jialing River that runs through Chongqing and feeds the Yangtze River. Just a 1/2 day drive down river from Chongqing is the 3 gorges Dam.

Another Subway. In Chinese the name Subway translates to "100 times better".

Vacation in Xi'an

We travelled to Xi'an on Saturday morning. Xi'an is in west Central China and is a very historic city in China and home to Milestone's Director of Asia Operations- Henry. Xi'an is know for it's buried Terra Cotta Warriors; however, the history that leads to those warriors is even greater. The unification of China in 221 BC under the First Emperor Qin Shi Huang (or Shi Huang Di) marked the beginning of Imperial China, a period which lasted until the fall of the Qing Dynasty in AD 1912. The Terra Cotta Warriors where buried to protect the First Emperor of China in his afterlife. They were discovered in 1974 by 5 local farmers digging a well. They stood beneath the ground for almost 2200 years, undiscovered. Xi'an was also the Capital of China until it was moved to Beijing. By the way. The population of China at the time of unification was only 40 Million people.

Henry and one of his nieces and nephews

Henry's Brother owns a Xi'an street BBQ restaurant. The food was great. We ate there twice!

One of the three surviving farmers who discovered the Terra Cotta Warriors

The process of piecing the damaged warriors together is immense

There were 3its or warriors. @ were discovered by the warring generals after the emperors death and damaged. One went undiscovered and is in pristine condition.

The bronze chariots were buried in another portion of the area surrounding the Emperors tomb.

A hot spring built for a King, his Queen, and his concubines.

Xi'an is also the only city in China where the city wall is still entirely intact. Here is the old city entrance covering the moat.

The old watch tower bell!

I had to look inside too!

Kalya laughed at me for looking at the inside, then what?

Who is that in the bell?

History is everywhere in Xi'an. Also still standing in perfect condition are the Drum and Bell towers. These were uses in the early AD years to tell the residents the time.