Stories for my Children

Saturday, November 29th, 2025 10:31 AM GUIS, Nansha, China (Talking about Thursday) I love having Google Suite again. I have decided not to think too hard about what it means that I am so reliant on it and that so much of my internet access relies on access to Google as well. ANYWAY, we had a bigger group today, with 3 new people joining us -- Madison, a 7th grade Math & Science Teacher at High Tech Middle Mesa, Nuvia, a director at the High Tech High Graduate School of Education, and Nuvia's husband Jim, an author. On the way down to breakfast, I was in the elevator with several other Chinese people and then a white guy from either England or Australia. At one point, the elevator doors open, and the only thing that comes in is a robot that seems to specifically be used for room service. I started laughing, and the white guy kind of just shook his head and told me "you never get used to it." After breakfast, we get back in the van and head into the city to go to a par...

Saturday, November 29th, 2025 9:34 PM GUIS, Nansha, China (Talking about Wednesday) A hotel buffet in China is expansive. There's traditional Chinese breakfast, such as four different types of congee (traditional, with pork, with seafood, and oatmeal), with toppings you can add to it (chives, egg, soy sauce, chili peppers). There's dim sum. There's pastries. Cheong fan eggs, fried eggs, and an omelette bar. A won ton soup station. Cereal. Black tea. Coffee. Hot water. Fruit (including dragonfruit!). It can be overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you want? I got about 4 cups of black tea with some congee and pastries, and then I made my way downstairs. I was wearing my new shirt from Hong Kong, which was pretty exciting (for me), but the tour guide told me it would get cold at night so I needed to grab a sweatshirt. Thus began our hour drive into the city. I was in a van with the tour guide (English name: Shadow), Ben again (Chinese name: Xiaolei), Maria (a Brazilian wo...