Tag Archives: Yueyang

Changes…

Posted on by
5

There is a new mode of transportation in town, and we are pretty excited about it!

When I first moved to Yueyang (about 9 years ago) there were two ways to get to this city from the closest city with an airport.  The ‘highway’, which took 3-4 hours in good weather and the train which was a pretty consistent 2-2.5 hours.  Then the ‘super highway’ opened up and you could ride a bus in about 2 hours and then take a taxi from the bus station into town in another 40 mins to an hour.

Those of you who have braved the trip to come and visit us can testify to how getting to us was not an easy task!

But things have changed.  On December 26th, the day after we celebrated the birth of Christ, the high-speed train started operating.  It’s amazing (it’s the fastest train in the world with an average speed of 350 Kmph and a high speed of 400 Kmph)!  It will take us to the capital city of our province in just 30 minutes!  The city to the north of us, which used to be 3.5-4 hours away, is now only 50 minutes! This has potential to change things in a big way.

We are hoping to ride it soon – when we do, we’ll be sure to share the story and post some photos!

Starbucks in Hunan – Sorry, No Listing

Posted on by
9

Oh Starbucks, when will you come to Hunan?  I would love it if you would come to Yueyang, but I realize that’s not realistic, so Changsha will do.

After all, you have about 2 billion Starbucks in the rest of the coffee drinking world, so why not come to Hunan?  There are 65 million people here who don’t even know yet that they love coffee.  You need to do your humanitarian service and open a coffee shop or two.

Oh, don’t misunderstand me, there IS coffee in Hunan already.  But by-and-large, it’s gross and overpriced.  The beans are usually burnt and stale, then when they brew it, they murder the taste.  After all that, they want $4+ for a thimble sized cup.  It’s sad, very sad when the best cup of coffee in town, at the best value (outside of my personal kitchen,) is obtained at McDonalds…

In the spirit of full disclosure, I also have to tell you, a couple of weeks ago,shortly after I returned to China from several months in Texas, I was making my way through one of the three grocery stores here in Yueyang that sometimes have ‘imported’ goods and I saw the logo that my oldest daughter, Elizabeth, can spot even in the most crowded of strip malls in Texas or shopping centers in Hong Kong.  It was the round and green STARBUCKS logo on a bottled Starbucks Frappuccino.

The price was high, very, very high.  It didn’t matter, I was in shock – I bought two.  (One for me, one for my wife Erica who actually likes Frappuccinos more than me.)  Could this be true, Starbucks in Yueyang?  Who cares if it comes in a bottle and was made three months ago… it’s Starbucks in Hunan!

Starbucks on the Great WallHowever, since that fateful day, there has not been a Frappuccino in sight, nowhere.  (I wonder who in the world bought all of those other bottles in just two short weeks?  Did I mention earlier that they were EXPENSIVE?)

There are places I can go within the vast borders of China to obtain a Grande Peppermint Latte or sometimes a Hazelnut Latte.  In the picture on the left, you can see me enjoying a beautiful cup of coffee on the Great Wall of China!

However, there is nothing nearby.  Not even close.  So I call out to Starbucks…

Please open a Starbucks in Changsha!

Would This Stress You Out?

Posted on by
7

The following video is just a small glimpse of what it’s like for us when we venture out in public with the kids.  Basically, the kids are rock stars.  Everyone with a camera phone within a 100 yard radius immediately begins to take photos (what do they do with the photos?)

Some especially bold people try to grab them pick them up or pose them for their camera phone photo shoot.  (They don’t like that AT ALL!  fyi)

Take a look;

 
A Night At The Square from Steve Webel on Vimeo.

We are trying to help the kids navigate this very difficult situation.  It’s stressful for them to get so much attention, but it’s a reality of our life in China.  The only way to avoid it would be to make the kids into hermits and keep them in our house during normal waking hours.  (That’s not gonna fly!)

For now, the tactic is to try to always keep moving, never stop in any one place for very long.  With exceptionally ‘bold’ people, we might have a word or two with them about giving the kids their space.

I do have to say, by and large, most people here respect us and our kids immensely and treat us with nothing but extreme politeness and hospitality.  These people almost all have less than we do (worldly wealth wise), yet they would give us anything if they thought it would help.

It’s one of those realities we face because we live where we do.  Please remember our three kids (TCK’s) in your prayers, ask that this difficult cultural reality will be used as a positive in their lives and will not turn them off to the Chinese people.