Note: various links or
other references may be mentioned below that no longer apply.
Sorry for the
inconvenience.
February/March 2010 update (February 3,
2009)
Well, I
don't really have anything interesting to say. Vivian is in the US at the
moment, so Andrew and I are just staying busy with various computer
projects (and home schooling for him). We come out of our little worlds to
eat together, and watch a movie in the evening. It is currently almost 3
a.m. Andrew went to bed a few hours ago, but I'm often working until the
"wee hours." What have I been working on? Well, you'll see some of it in
the "What is new"
section below. It probably won't look like much to you, but (if you
don't run your own website) you wouldn't believe how long these things
take!
Other
projects involve converting audio- and video-tapes into computer files,
and scanning papers and pictures (two more time-consuming activities).
Basically, I'm doing this so that I don't have to take bulky cassettes and
heavy papers with me when we return to the US next summer. We don't know
yet if this is a permanent move or just for a year, but in order to give
Andrew the best chance at getting a college education, it really will be
best if he finishes high school (next year is his last) in the US.
In
mid-February, Vivian will join us in Hong Kong for the annual Jian Hua
conference for professionals working in China. We always enjoy these
conferences, so we are looking forward to the week-long event.
We'll be back before the new KMU semester starts
in March. Like last year, half of my students will be grads and half will be
undergrads.
There are
many pages on this website that need attention, and many more I'd like to
add, but I just don't see where I'll find the time. Nonetheless, be sure
to look at "What is new"
whenever you visit, just in case I squeeze in the time to add or update something.
Wishing you a Happy Chinese New Year,
Michael Krigline for the family
[PS, March 15: In March I've had a terrible time
uploading this website. Whole rows of sub-pages have disappeared, and
sometimes it takes many weeks of trying to upload before MS Frontpage software--which I use for this
website--tells me "web site published successfully." So, pardon us if
something is incomplete or out-of-date. As a part-time webmaster, I often
find many aspects of web maintenance beyond my control!]
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March/April
2010
update (March 27, 2010)
As our departure from China (in July)
inches closer, it seems to get harder and harder to find spare time. Of
course, my students come first, and I'm enjoying the spring term. I spend
two days each week on the Cheng Gong campus, teaching about 75 grad
students and 80 undergrads. I hope to have new class photos posted on line
soon. As in previous years, my sophomores have been reluctant to speak in
front of so many classmates, but every week a few new people summon up the
courage to open their mouths--which I'm always happy to see. We have been
using an exercise focused on "Improving your
study skills" and there is a video, role plays and an Easter skit in
the near future. Meanwhile, my grad students are enjoying the book
Great Ideas, and will soon get the chance to
discuss "Mindyburg Paradise Park." All of
this variety keeps me busy!
Also coming up, Andrew will soon take the SAT--America's college entrance
exam. That same weekend (May 1), Vivian and I will fly to Beijing to
attend a former student's wedding and to say goodbye to some old friends.
We also have a trip planned in April to participate in our final Board
Meeting for the Yunnan orphanages overseen by the
Jian Hua Foundation. While it is hard to say goodbye, it has been an honor
to be involved with this wonderful project for many years.
On top of all that, there is now a wooden crate in our living room--a
full-size reminder of the task ahead to sort through what we have
accumulated over the past decade. Some things we'll ship to the USA,
others we will store in Kunming (somewhere--until we decide what our next
step will be), and many things will be sold or given away. If you live in
Kunming and are interested in some used furniture, let us know and we may
be able to help you out!
Well, I'd better close. There is always more to do than I have time to
finish, so I don't expect to make many "big changes" to our website in the
next few months, but whenever you visit be sure to check the "What is new"
section below--and of course, there are over 150 pages to explore already!
Enjoying Kunming's dry, warm spring,
Michael Krigline for the family
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----------------------
May 2010 update
May 10 update: The Beijing wedding was wonderful, though
traffic congestion made us so late that we missed the "ceremony" part.
Still, we had a wonderful weekend. Unfortunately, I'm too busy with my
teaching to deal with photos, but I have taken the time to describe an
unusual "adventure" that took place just before we headed for the Beijing
airport. Click here to read about "The Day a
Wall Became a Bridge." Also check out our "items to sell"
before we move to America in July.
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June 2010 update (June 5)
A number of action verbs come to mind as I write this update:
traveling, teaching, scanning, sorting, deciding, parting, testing,
and looking.
In April, all three of us traveled to a village
where we got to deliver crates of water to an elementary school. In this
photo, you see Andrew doing his part (the bus couldn't navigate on the
narrow country lane, so we had to carry the crates a few hundred meters to
the school). The drought in Yunnan has been the worst experienced in
decades, so it was a privilege to play a tiny part in helping people
through it. The trip was arranged by our university's Foreign Affairs
Office (for all foreign staff and students), and it also included a visit
to a provincial scenic spot called the Sand Forest.
We also traveled to Beijing
in May, to attend the wedding of a former student (from my years of
teaching in
Xi'an). Unfortunately, the traffic was so bad
that we missed the beginning of the festivities, but it was still a great
treat to participate.
While in the capital, we also got
to share a meal (and ride to the airport) with Lei (above), Michael's best
friend from
Xiamen University days (1985). To top it off,
another former Xi'an student (Rock, below with his girlfriend) took us to
the Great Wall. It is always a delight to see former students, and it is
humbling that these smart, gifted people still want to spend time with us,
even after many years apart.
The trip was great, and I even had
the chance to act neighborly with some Iranian men on the morning
we left; click here to read about that unusual story: "The
Day a Wall Became a Bridge."
"Traveling" is also related
to why I also thought of many of the other verbs (teaching, scanning,
sorting, etc.). Early on July 9 we will travel by air again, first
stopping in Shanghai to visit the World Expo for two days (just enough
time to scan major pavilions, but it will be fun anyway); then
we'll fly back to the US (for at least a year, and perhaps for several).
Because of this impending departure, and in addition to my normal
teaching duties, we've also started to teach our neighbor how
to care for our
dog--they have graciously asked to care for her
while we are away.
Vivian, Andrew and I are also
spending much of our spare time scanning old documents, resources
and photos. Paper is heavy, and so far we've reduced our load by about a
suitcase! Meanwhile, we are sorting through ten years of
accumulated boxes and bookshelves, deciding what we are keeping,
and what we are parting with. This has led to the creation of two
web pages, dedicated to selling second-hand items that we would rather not
ship to our next home. (Click
here to see the bargains available to Kunming
locals.)
While Vivian and I were
traveling to Beijing, Andrew was being tested in Kunming (he
had to take the US College Entrance Exam; this photo shows him studying
diligently in our home). The results came back last week, and he did
exceptionally well! We're very proud of him, and know that these scores
can lead to great university opportunities. This, of course, is the main
reason for our return to the US. Andrew needs to finish high school in
Ohio next year, and we will also use this year to evaluate and apply to
universities and to look for scholarships. And speaking of testing,
I give my last tests of the semester in about a week, which just shows how
close we are to the end of our time here.
And this leads me to the final
verb: looking. As we look ahead to our departure, the
sadness of leaving friends (including past and present students) is mixed
with looking forward to helping Andrew find and succeed in a great
university, paving the way to a useful adult life. We are also excitedly
looking forward to becoming grandparents in December, when our
daughter is scheduled to become a mommy! We are glad that we'll be in the
US for the big event, instead of being 12 time zones away. We are also
looking forward to living with my parents in Ohio, and to reconnecting
with old friends we haven't seen in far too long.
Well, with all this traveling,
teaching, scanning, sorting, deciding, parting, testing and looking
forward going on, I doubt that I'll have the chance to add much to our
website. I also fear that I won't be able to continue uploading to my ".cn"
website from abroad (so check out
www.krigline.com
if this page looks really old!). And we also hope you will
stay in touch with us in the year/years ahead, whether we are living
nearby or half-a-world away.
Sincerely,
Michael Krigline for the family
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Here is Gimli, next to the empty crate in our living room.
In June, this will fill up with things being stored in Kunming while we
are in the US for a year. After that, we'll come back to get Gimli and our
things, and take them to wherever we have decided to move (which we will
probably decide in the spring).
-------------------
July
2010 update (July 8)
In a few hours, we say goodbye
to Kunming for at least a year. The furniture has been sold, the
apartment has been returned to our landlord, and a kind friend has let
us store two cubic meters of things in a local warehouse. The future
looks like this: during the 2010-2011 school year, Andrew will finish
high school in Ohio (where we'll live with Michael's parents); after
that, we are not sure where the road will lead. (You can see a few more
details on our FAQ page.) Sometime (probably fall of 2011) we will visit
Kunming to get our dog and to ship our things to the next location. If
you want to see us during that short visit, then simply stay in touch!
We'll keep you posted by email (which you can also find on our home
page).
Finally, since uploading a China-based website from
abroad will probably be difficult, this page (and this site) may not
change until the summer of 2011. So, if you want more current
information, and whatever "new" things I add, then visit
www.krigline.com (not ...com.cn).
So, GOODBYE to Kunming and our
friends here; we'll miss you!
Michael for the family
August
2010 update (August 17)
We have been in the US for about a month, but we have
been "on the road" (mostly in South Carolina), and thus have not had
consistent access to the Internet. We also sold the computers we used in
China to check email! So, pardon us if we haven't answered your email
(we probably haven't seen it yet), or if this page is out of date. I
plan to buy a new laptop and I hope that I can devote more time to
updating Krigline.com once we get settled in Ohio (in September).
Andrew now has a "student driver" permit. Ohio law
requires that he drive for at least 50 hours with one of us in the car
with him, and we've already let him begin his driving lessons. We were
in Ohio for a week or so before heading south. While there, we got him
registered for high school (which is free in the USA), and he also
attended a camp for "third culture kids" (i.e., young people like him
who have grown up in another country). After a "boring" week in SC,
listening to us talk about China, he flew up to the Washington DC area
to be with his cousin (for some fun before starting his senior year).
We'll all be together again in Ohio soon.
Our time with friends and family in South Carolina has
been sweet. We've seen a lot of folks that we haven't seen in many
years, and I got to meet my new son-in-law (who seems like a nice
addition to the family!). We've eaten a lot (the best place to get
reacquainted is a restaurant!), and put a lot of miles on our car (which
Mom and Dad have lent us for a year). We've also made some new friends
as we've had the chance to talk about our work in China on several
occasions. Americans seem to be very interested in what it is like to
live and work in China, so we hope to get many more opportunities to
share in the months to come.
Well, I need to close and get back to my car, so I'll
end here. Look for another update sometime next month!
Back in the USA!
Michael Krigline for the family
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----------------------
September
24 (note)
I'm traveling again, mostly in South Carolina and later
to Philadelphia, so I'm again away from consistent Internet access.
Thanks for your patience with my limited ability to check email or
update this website! --Michael
October
2010 update (October 19)
Ohio is beautiful this time of
year, with maple trees catching the sun in their gold and orange autumn
leaves. (The photo to the right shows our neighbor's awesome tree.) We
have seen many beautiful hillsides (as well as a variety of roads,
lakes, parking lots, cityscapes and rainy vistas) as we logged over 9000
miles in Mom/Dad's car since we returned to the US in July. I also
recently added up the total number of appointments we've kept; they
include 45 meals with friends, 48 meetings, eight medical appointments,
and a host of other things like high school football games, laser tag,
birthday parties, college visits, date/movie nights, helping at a soup
kitchen, and a funeral. I hope, therefore, you'll forgive us for not
having time to keep this page (or website) up to date! However, you will
find some new wallpaper on our wallpaper page (click to check it out!),
including shots of hot air balloons and carved pumpkins. You can also
read an article (about Michael) recently printed in Eastern University's
newspaper.
Busy as ever,
Michael for the family
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PS: If you are new to www.krigline.com, we have been "teaching and
learning" in China since 2000, but are spending 2010-11 in the US,
mainly so that our son Andrew qualifies for lower tuition and more
scholarships when he goes to college (2011). We are also spending time
to catch up with friends and relatives, and look forward to the birth of
our first grandchild in December! We flew back from China in mid July
(2010), and plan to return to Asia in the summer of 2011.
----------------------
November/December
2010 update (Dec 15)
The
biggest news is that we are now grandparents! Vivian has been in South
Carolina for over a week, preparing for the event; Andrew and Michael
will drive south to meet the new relative once Andrew's school lets out
for the Christmas two-week break.
To summarize the past half year, we stopped at the International Expo in
Shanghai on our way back to the US from China in July 2010. We sold most
of our possessions before leaving Kunming, not quite knowing what to
expect for the months and year(s) ahead. Now, Michael has started
applying to universities, seeking a full-time job starting fall 2011,
while Andrew completes high school and applies to American universities
(mostly in Ohio where we are now living).
Christmas is always hectic in
the US, and since it is fast approaching I'm too busy to thoroughly
update this page. However, I've place photos on this "update page" to
show you the home we are living in (Michael's parents' home), after the
first snowfall. Next we zoom in to the porch to see Mary and Joseph
(from the Christmas story) joining the rest of us in waiting for
Christmas! (Also notice the icicles.) The window sign is a decoration
Michael made many years ago, which says "Jesus is the Reason for the
Season." The photo on the right shows the tall Christmas tree at
Michael's parents' house--but it was sad not to have our usual "Tree
Decorating Party" with students this year!
That's all for now. Be sure to check back soon, because
I'm pretty sure "Grandma Vivian" will be sending more baby photos before
the month is out.
Wishing you a merry Christmas,
Michael for the family
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Don't forget that Vivian has several photo pages to her scrapbook website. They are more elaborate than the
simple photo pages on krigline.com, so they load slowly in China, but you
might enjoy seeing her nice pictures. Click here to start your journey:
www.scrapbookflair.com/China_Doll
