Living in China 1993

1993 January 1 Our family is at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily (inside the People’s Daily compound). [Note from 2021: The People’s Daily is a typical large work unit including places of work, housing, printing, some commercial space, a park, etc., all on one piece of land. Tianjin and Qinghua Universities had all of the above plus an elementary schools, a kindergarten, theater, and a clinic. These compounds coincidentally satisfy our more modern concern for walkability and mixed use.]

Ren Min Ri Bao

January 2 KK, a Baha’i from Taiwan, joins us for chair-sliding on the ice at Shi Sha Hai.

Dongxi and I sliding around at Shi Sha Hai on a chair with blades. You move it with ski poles.

January 3 - February 4 Work on refinements to Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng) design. January 7 Hongyu’s new company ‘Zong Heng’ found an office space in a bomb shelter, three floors underground at Fu Cheng Men on the West Second Ring Road. A few light-wells go up to the surface and give the rooms some air and a little bit of daylight. The doors down below were 30 cm thick, and bomb resistant. AM

Go to Kuan Jie kindergarten (Beijing No, 1). Feels OK for Dongxi. I had lunch with Gao Hong Wei, a woman who worked at the Bomb Shelter and who was interested in Kindergartens. January 9 Work on a paper for the Royal Architectural Society of Canada about China/Beijing Housing. January 10 Go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. Sometimes Dongxi gets so angry; not sure why.

Menacholy Dongxi

January 12 Supper with Husayn Anwar, Dongxi, Hongyu, and He Aiyi. Dongxi getting better, not so angry. He made his hat into noodles (la mian). January 14 Working on an axonometric of Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza Give some Baha’i books to Jiang Ping for her husband, Jian Ning. He had expressed interest. January 15 Lunch with Jian Ning at Gong Zhu Fen. January 17 Sunday. Very tired. Sleep. Play with Dongxi and Hongyu. January 18 Finish axonometric of Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza. January 19 Begin work on Qingdao Fu Han Bay planning for the Dong Bu Development Company.

Fu Shan Bay is the fourth bay over from the bay at the old city.

Fu Shan Bay is No. 4 on the map above.

January 20 Phone call from Wang Xiao Tong. I met her at Tianjin University in 1985, now she is in the US.

Wang Xiao Tong in 1985

January 21 Things are slowing down for Spring Festival. PM

With Bob Nation and Richard Chiu. [Note from 2021: Later Bob returned to Australia and was at one time President of the Australia Institute of Architects. Richard stayed in Bangkok and opened his own office.] They were two foreign architects who had worked together in Hong Kong and had set up an office in Bangkok. Bob was from Australia and Richard was from the US. Although Richard was of Chinese background he spoke no Chinese. They were exploring work possibilities in China and were happy to meet Hongyu and I.

Bob Nation

January 22-23 Spring Festival at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. January 25 Lena and Jerry Mindes and son Benjamin, Husayn Anwar, and Wang Xiao Tong came for supper.

Jerry Mindes

[Note from 2021: Jerry served as a consultant to multiple organizations, including UNDP China (1990-1994); Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, Special Olympics International, Academy for Educational Development; DT Watson Foundation, and the Pressley Ridge Schools.

January 26 Go to Di Tan Temple Fair (Miao Hui). Big happy crowds.

EVE

Huang___, Liu Yuan and her daughter, Yi Fan, came for supper. Yi Fan and Dongxi enjoyed playing together. January 28 Meet with Hongyu and Xiao Wei at Bomb Shelter to discuss design of a new small office building at Fu Cheng Men that will be above ground. January 29 Work at Building in China. Lunch with Liang Liang, my sister-in-law, and Shan Ying, her daughter. January 31 Air-conditioned hamburger with Husayn Anwar. February 4 Qingdao client, Tian Jian, came to Zhing Jing and took a copy of the Coloured Cloud Plaza concept design. February 6 The China Antaeus Co. is interested in the northeast corner of the “round” plaza of the Yantai Colured Cloud Project). Give them a 1:500 plan. February 7-16 Work on Qingdao Dong Bu Planning 1:5000. I took my cue from the old German part of the city where where buildings define streets on their outside and courtyards on their inside. I also assumed the developer wanted to maximize the building area. I imagined three or four story structures at the block perimeters. It would produce sufficient area but not be too high. Taller buildings to the north could still have views of the sea. The client is a city government developer. They did not give me any density, height, set-back,or functional requirements. I extend the axis of the proposed new government center out into the water and placed on it a new island. This larger island was connected east and west with a walkway composed of bridges connecting a necklace of smaller islands.

Fu Shan Bay Planning

February 9 Lunch with Sun Li Bo.

Sun Li Bo (2021)

With Bob Nation. February 10

Journey between Home and Office (Zhong Jing)

From Chrysanthemum Lane (Ju Er Hutong) I ride my good bicycle to the Andingmen (Stability Gate) Subway Stop. Leave my bicycle at the bicycle parking lot. Pay a small fee to a kind old man who takes care of all the bicycles. We exchange a few friendly words. Take subway to Gong Zhu Fen Subway Stop (Princess’s Tomb). Change subway trains. Take subway to Wan Shou (Long Life) Subway Stop. I unlock my second bicycle from a fence at the southeast corner of the Wan Shou Lu intersection. I leave it there overnight. This bicycle was old and ugly, not likely to be stolen. I ride to the Zhong Jing architecture office at the Military Logistics Academy (Hou Qin Xue Yuan). In the evening I did the process in reverse.

One day on bicycle No. 2, I saw my colleague, Su Jia, ahead of me on her bicycle. She was wearing a long white winter coat. That was the first time I saw a white coat in China. Clothing so far has all been dark colours. In 1986 everyone wore dark blue or military green. Then a few red coats appeared. Now white. Bob Nation and Richard Chiu were invited to give a presentation of their work at Zhong Jing. Because I work at Zhong Jing, I have a special pass. Normally, foreigners are not allowed inside our work place. Yan Xinghua arranged for a car to pick us up. We could not drive through the large well-guarded front gate, so we smuggled them in the back gate. They ducked down in the back seat of the car as we passed the guard. EVE

Supper at our favorite Ri Tan Park courtyard restaurant. February 11 Working on an article for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada about housing in urban China. 90% complete. February 14 Buy a new washing machine for our home. February 17 Spend happy day with Dongxi. Take him to see Wang Tian Hui and Zhang Long at Building in China Magazine office; then to see Liang Liang and Shan Ying for lunch at their home; then to see Dai Dehua at their new office. He, like many young people, were setting up their own firms. The last stop was a place near the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) to buy a pipe for the new washing machine. Dongxi told the taxi driver that Gu Lou was old and being repaired. No pipe at the store! Go to Di An Men, to a new food market, buy some oatmeal. Dongxi hungry, buy him some Lamb Kebab (yang rou chuan) and oranges. Walk home, eating. February 18 Visit Great Earth (Da Di) architectural office with Wang Quan. He has a friend who works there. Da Di was the first independent architectural design office in China. The founder, Peng Pei Gen, is a Canadian. Have lunch with Wang Quan and Sun Li Bo. Leigh & Orange refused my offer to be their representative in Beijing; my proposed fee was too high. PM

Yan Xinghua called a big meeting. He said he will “tui yi bu”, step back a little, and let the Vice-Manager, Chen Zong do the hands-on management. Shen Zong came out of the hospital (still wearing pajamas) to attend the meeting. Something wrong with his lungs. Yan Xinghua said he hoped the 'birds that flew away' would come back. The birds include: Dai De Hua, Wang Song Qing, etc, young architects with leadership ability who had left to form their own offices. February 19 Yan Xinghua called another “Da Hui” big meeting. Shen Zong is out! As soon as he got into power he started to push Yan Xinghua out. He told Shen Zong to go home! Again he invited the birds that flew away to come back and share some power. Continue work on Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. No news about Yan Tai Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng). February 20 Take Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. I noticed some parts of Abdu’l-Baha’s book, The Secret of Divine Civilization, could also apply to China. I made an ‘excerpted’ version (most of the book) with China in mind. Hoped it could be translated. February 21 Work on large mixed-use center at 3rd Ring Road and Qianmen South. Write letters to Ann Wilson and my ex-wife, Cathy Ferri. February 22 Work on Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning 1:1000. February 23 Hong Yu and I fly to Chongqing to attend a conference on housing co-sponsored by a university in Chongqing Jian Gong Xue Yuan and McGill. February 24 Housing Conference begins. Meet Adam Robarts. I knew his grandparents, John and Audrey Robarts, in Montreal, Quebec. John was called a “Hand of the Cause” in the Baha’i Faith. Adam had just arrived in China and was teaching at the Chongqing School of Architecture (Jian Gong Xue Yuan).

Adam Robarts

Hong Yu translated for the various foreign speakers at the conference. The Indian speaker’s accent was a challenge. He also said some words Hongyu did not know. When he talked about digesting manure to make methane, he referred to “cow dung”. Hongyu didn’t know what “dung” meant. I had to shout “cow poop” from the audience so she would understand and translate correctly. The foreigners were expecting the space to be heated. It wasn’t. They were all shivering. I asked one of the host team to go out and buy a lot of long underwear which was then passed out to the frozen foreigners. David Covo gave his name card to the Brahmin from India, and then, on purpose, to the Brahmin’s servant. February 25 Evening talk on campus by Don Johnston to 350 students. I translated. February 26 AM

Hong Yu and I went with Adam to his class to talk about Prof. Dai’s projects. All of his students are being used as labour on his projects.

Visit housing project in Chongqing.

EVE

On a street downtown, Adam and I used a phone booth to make an international call to Canada to Audrey Robarts (Adam’s grandmother). February 27 Went with a small group to Da Zu Xian (Big Foot County) in a van to see stone carvings. Happy trip. On the way stopped for lunch. In the street a funeral procession went by. Lots of music and everyone dressed in white. Bumpy roller coaster ride back in the dark. Flat tire changed in a small night village. February 28 We all fly back to Beijing. Restaurant supper for all the Canadians who attended. March 1 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan planning. Recycle old dry docks as industrial preservation site and retrofit old ships as a restaurants and hotels. Sea wall is at elevation 7.7 meters.

Fu Shan Bay Planning: Recycled dry docks near center of image.

To the left of the dry docks is yin-yang (island-water) park.

March 2 Spend day with Don Johnston. Visit Building in China and Ye Yaoxian at China Building Technology Development Center. Their work is similar to Don’s at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in Ottawa. March 4 Continue work on Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. March 5 Spend day at Hong Yu’s office looking at a He Ping Men planning project. March 6 Last night Hong Yu dreamed one of her classmates dove under the ocean while she was with a group of friends at the seaside. She never came up. Everyone looked for her. They saw her walking around on the bottom, but she had been transformed (like a ghost). My brother Chris and Vicky are parents! Baby Joey. March 7 Work with Wang Quan on Mu Xi Yuan at 1:1000 scale. It is a 450,000 m2 project.

March 8-9 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. March 10 AM

Finish shortened version of RAIC paper for use in Chongqing.

Went with Dongxi and He Aiyi to the Canadian Embassy and then to the zoo. March 11-13 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. March 14 With Dongxi at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. He has a throat infection. Start work on He Ping Men Planning for Hong Yu’s office. I’m transitioning from Zhong Jing to Hongyu's Zong Heng consulting office. March 15 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. Meeting at Zhong Jing about Design Development (DD) for Yantai (Coloured Cloud) Cai Yun Cheng. I feel a bit left out as others take over my design. The DD stage integrates structural, mechanical and electrical requirements with the Conceptual Design (CD). March 16 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. Give some Baha’i materials to Sun Li Bo at lunch hour in park at Gong Zhu Fen.

EVE

Air-conditioned hamburger with Husayn Anwar. March 17-18 Go to Hong Yu’s new bomb shelter office. Still dusty from renovations.

Work on He Ping Men Planning project. March 18 Husayn and his sister Samin came to visit. March 20 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning 1:2000. Mail design to Tian Jian at Qingdao Dong Bu.

At bomb shelter, work on He Ping Men Site Planning. March 21 Husayn Anwar hosted a lunch at Guo Mao for a few friends breaking the fast.

EVE

Take train to Yantai for Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng) Project.

Husayn Anwar

March 22 Meet Du Zong, architect of Real Estate Development Company (Kai Fa Qu Fang Di Chan Gong Si). March 23 Discuss Coloured Cloud Plaza design with client. Look at site, photograph model. Later go downtown to photograph seaside as reference for Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning.

EVE

Play cards with Yang Gong, Ding Ding, and Wang Tian. March 24 AM

Discuss structure of Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng) with client.

Discuss fire safety with head of Xiao Fang Bu

EVE

Banquet with Du Zong. He is a very good singer. After the banquet, I went alone in a taxi to the old part of Yantai. Walked from south to north through old dark streets. Up ahead a hill, with a light house on top, surrounded by a park. Climbed up, stood under the tower, looked out to sea and sang a prayer. March 25 Meet with structural engineer who had worked on a 38-story tower near our site.

Fly back to Beijing.

EVE

Meet with Richard Chiu and Sunny of NFA at New World Hotel to discuss joining forces. March 26 Take Leo to hospital for “drip”, intravenous antibiotic. He threw up.

Take him to Temple of Heaven Park (Tian Tan).

Dongxi blowing bubbles

March 27 Take Leo again for “drip”. Doctor says he needs two more times. Gave Husayn a fax to send to Elizabeth Rochester. March 28 Sunday. Go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. Work on proposal for joint venture with NFA. March 29 Woke up with fever, throwing up. March 30 Work on Yantai elevations at Zhong Jing.

Take Peugeot out for gas. March 31 Take Dongxi to hospital for a health check and then to a nearby kindergarten. This kindergarten feels better than the one I saw last week. Here they want 145 yuan/week and a 6000 yuan deposit that is good for three years. April 1-2 He Ping Men planning for Urban Rural Development Company (English name for Hong Yu’s consulting company). April 3 Work on Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng). April 4 Sunday lunch at the El Hadis. Supper with Ken Naslund. April 5-7 Yantai. Try to improve north elevations. Client wants Zhong Jing to do the working drawings for 2,500,000 yuan (about 20 yuan/m2). April 8 Meet with He Hongyu and Don Hinrichsen (UN Consultant). [ Note from 2021: Don worked as a public relations consultant for the UN Population Fund, where he stayed for 20 years. There is a beautiful article about him in the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/05/don-hinrichsen-obituary ]

Don Hinrichsen 1947-2019

EVE

Dongxi moves the bowl from the floor to the table. April 9 Meet Xiao Wei re small office building at Fu Cheng Men. Supper with Ramin and Navid. April 10 Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng) Design Development April 11 Go with He Hongyu, Dongxi, Mao Mao, Lao Lao, and He Aiyi to Zhi Wu Yuan in Fragrant Hills. April 12 AM

Go with Dongxi and He Aiyi to Mian Au Kindergarten near our Ju Er Hu Tong home. The Head started talking about wanting more money than she had agreed to with Hong Yu earlier. Perhaps seeing a foreigner influenced her. I immediately grabbed Dong Xi and walked out. Never went back.

Work on Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza April 13-15 Others in the office are working on Yantai Design Development. No role for me. It hurts to be left out. April 16 Work on Qingdao 1:2000 Dong Bu Planning. Tried another kindergarten near Nan Lou Gu Xiang. Take Dongxi on my shoulders. He was crying all the way. April 17 Elizabeth Rochester, a friend from Newfoundland, Canada, and Adam Robarts, from Chongqing, arrive at the airport in Beijing at the same time. Coincidence. I had driven out to pick up Elizabeth. Bring both of them into town.

Elizabeth Rochester

Chen Yi Yun Laoshi invited us to attend a televised singles club activity in a large hall at Ya Yun Cun. Elizabeth and I were “speakers”. Adam came along and was interviewed as well. Elizabeth thought it strange to be on national TV as soon as she stepped off the plane. April 18 Meet with Elizabeth at her courtyard hotel room near Dengshikou to help her make plans for her visit. I made a chart version of the consultation process. She was happy with it. She will help Chen Laoshi apply the principle of consultation to the counseling work at her Family Research Center.

Go with Dongxi, He Aiyi, and He Aiyi’s friend to the Fragrant Hills.

EVE

Meet with Elizabeth. April 19 After a long wait, my visa application to re-enter China has still not been stamped by Zhong Jing. I told them I would have to quit Zhong Jing in three days if it was not stamped.

EVE

Meet with Elizabeth. April 20 Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng) 1:200, aiming for completion of DD by June 25. April 21 Lunch with Elizabeth, Sun Li Bo, and Wang Quan. April 22-3 Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza DD. April 22 Eve with Elizabeth, He Aiyi and Dongxi. Got my re-entry visa application stamped by Zhong Jing! April 23 Go to Security Bureau (Gong An Ju) Foreigners Section (Wai Guo Chu) on Nan Chizi Road. They accepted my application; pick up visa on Monday. Relief. Without a visa I can not stay in China. Meet with Gao Xiao Hui, Richard Chiu, and Hongyu. April 25 AM

Elizabeth came to our home to work on our computer.

Send her to Peace Hotel to meet the El Hadis. April 24 AM

Consult with Elizabeth about my “layers of stress”. 10% of pain is source, she says, and 90% is reaction.

Help He Hongyu with her UNDP Report.

EVE

Supper with Richard, Vincent (Friendship Store), He Hongyu and Dongxi. April 26 Go to Gong An Ju, pick up my Visa! One layer of stress relieved. Supper with Elizabeth at Chen Yi Yun’s home. April 27-28 Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza DD. April 29 At Building in China, Zhang Long and Wang Tian Hui want to give up the magazine. Lunch with Elizabeth, Zhang Long, Wang Tian Hui, and Dongxi. Dongxi went to sleep. He had played so happily all morning with Wang Tian Hui.

We visited Fei Lu Lu, an 80-year-old lady who lives across the street at number 23, high-end Gan Bu housing. She agreed to take us to a visit a reform school next Wednesday. Received letter from Cyril Boone in Yantai. April 30 Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza DD. May 1 Organize our photos with Hong Yu.

Bei Hai Park

May 2 The family, except Lao Lao and Lao Ye who are traveling in the south, went to Bei Hai Park. Dongxi very excited. He wanted to go to the top of the hill at the foot of the Bai Ta on the island in the Park. He hopes there is a way to go inside. Letter to Cyril Boone. May 4. Qingdao client wants Fu Shan Wan design done at 1:2000 by May 10. Zhang Long agrees to accompany Elizabeth tomorrow.

EVE

Gao Xiao Hui, Hong Yu and I talk about forming an architectural design company. May 5 AM

Work on Yantai and Qingdao projects. Elizabeth with Zhang Long.

Go with Elizabeth and Fei Lu Lu to see Gong Du Reform School near Chang Ping. Hong Yu joined us after supper. May 6 Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng). Client came to the office. EVE supper with Zhang Long and Li Rui Hua. May 7 Work on Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza. Eve supper with Elizabeth, He Hongyu…..good talk. May 8 Work on Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. May 9 Get sandals out. Work at home. Visit Elizabeth, invite her for supper. Dongxi wants attention. We all watch TV. May 10 Qingdao/Yantai Phone Mom in Ottawa, Happy Birthday! (a little late) Eve with Joerg Wuttke. He is an executive at ABB.

Joerg Wuttke

May 11-12 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. Finish 1:2000 design My Children’s Palace in the plan is based on Luo Cheng Village in Sichuan.

Luo Cheng Village, Sichuan

Fu Shan Bay, "Fish"-plan Children's Center

Inspired by Luo Cheng Village

May 13 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. Add color to plan. Three of us working together. Give Elizabeth copied of the diagram I made about consultation for her work with Chen Laoshi. I asked her to give Mrs. Chen some of my writing and compilations. May 14 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. Meet Queek Swee Kee and Dong Mei for supper at Hai Tian Hotel in Qingdao to meet Norbert Meyer from Calgary and his friend from California. May 15 Fly to Beijing. Send Joerg Wutke the business card of Mr. Qin Yuyang. Go with Dongxi to see Hong Yu at work. Talk with Huang Wei. A few times when we are in hotels she sees me glued to the TV. Only there can you watch English foreign TV. A satellite dish for TV is being installed at our Juer Hutong home, a gift from Hong Yu so I can watch BBC.

EVE

Great talk with Hong Yu. May 16 Go to Mu Tian Yu Great Wall with Hong Yu, Dongxi, and He Aiyi.

EVE

Visit at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily May 17 Work on Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza. May 18 AM

Take Elizabeth to airport. On the way she me told stories of her father’s and Jesse’s death.

Work on Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza. May 20 Work on Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza at Zhong Jing. Bob and Richard came. Gao Xiao Hui, Hong Yu and I agree on a proposal for a new company. Have supper together. May 21 Little girl downstairs rebellious about something. Work on Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza. Qingdao Fu Shan Wan: Wu Zong at Zhong Jing says the client wants us to do the children’s center. May 22 Work on Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza. May 23 BBC now clear on our TV! Work at home on He Hongyu housing and write letters. Watch Saturday morning children’s programs with Dongxi. We love it! [Note from 2021. These satellite dishes for home use were later banned.] May 24 PM Meeting in Bomb Shelter Office about our new company office URDA (Urban Rural Development Associates). We’re still experimenting with the name; sometimes it’s URDC (Urban Rural Development Consultants). May 25 -26 Write English introduction for Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning Project. May 27 AM

See Y.C. Lee architecture exhibit (from Malaysia).

Draw Tong Xian Villas for Hongyu.

EVE

Dongxi made a train out of chairs for us to sit on. May 28 Ask Mao Mao to add one sentence to article she wrote about me for the Economic Daily

(Jing Ji Ri Bao), where she works. May 29 Work on Qingdao Children’s Center. May 30 Sunday Hong Yu went to Yantai. He Aiyi and Dongxi went to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. I am home alone. I rest; what luxury! Supper time at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. Dongxi very angry with me because I stop He Aiyi from coaxing/placating him. In Chinese it’s called 哄一哄 (hong yi hong). May 31 Qingdao Children’s Center. Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza. Working to meet June 25 deadline. June 1 Bring Dongxi to Zhong Jing and then to Liang Liang’s for lunch, then to her office, then to Zhang Long’s office and then to Wang Tian Xi’s office. Everyone is happy to see the young visitor (almost three years old). He Hongyu back from Long Kou, near Yan Tai. June 2 At home work on Hongyu’s URDC Tong Xian Villas. June 3-4-5 Qingdao Children’s Center. New idea: use “participation” concept to program and design the center. June 4 Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza (Cai Yun Cheng) Fees: 2.5 million yuan for Design Development. Sid Rasekh called. I met him when he was a young architect in Montreal after I went back to school in 1971. June 6 Go to Bangkok to spend time with NFA. Met Sammi Smith, Husayn Anwar’s sister. Bought some good books at an English book store. Except for Hong Kong, there are none in China. June 12 Return to Beijing. June 13 Go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. Mao Mao said her article about me appeared in the Economic Daily. June 14 Go to URDC Bomb Shelter Office. Talk with Xiao Wei about his building. Go to arrange my visa. June 15-16 Work on Qingdao Children’s Center. These days I’m transitioning from Zhong Jing to Hongyu’s circle. June 17 Half-day with Joan and David Rendell. Together with Dongxi we visit Yonghe Gong, the beautiful Buddhist Temple on the north Second Ring Road. It is dedicated to the future Buddha. David took a picture of Dongxi feeding the Buddha.

Dongxi feeding the Buddha

Half-day work on Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. June 18 AM

Work on Long Kou Seaside Resort Planning for Hong Yu. Lunch with Behruz Jamshidi.

Interviewed at Wen Cai Ge by BTV. Very disappointing, my Chinese was not good enough. June 19 AM

Work on Long Kou Seaside Resort

Meeting of URDC June 20 Supper with Wang Qun, Tan Ting, Dan Abramson, Hao Xin, lady from McGill, man from Australia. [Note from 2021: Dan and Hao Xin became our close friends for many years. They met while they were students at MIT. His degrees include a B.A. in History from Harvard University; dual masters in Architecture and City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and a doctorate in Urban Planning from Tsinghua University in Beijing. He was the first American to earn a degree in urban planning from a Chinese university, and possibly the first American to earn any mainland Chinese graduate-level degree.]

Dan Abramson

June 22 AM Work at Bomb Shelter on Long Kou Seaside project. PM Work at Zhong Jing, Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. June 23 Work on Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. Lunch with Sun Li Bo and his wife. I gave him a copy of a book of prayers and a story, “Ios, the Shepherd Boy”, that I made for Dongxi. They have a young son. June 24 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning.

At Bomb Shelter, work on Long Kou Planning. Dongxi drew a bird on the headboard of our bed. June 25 Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning. June 26 Sick at home with Gan Mao. Evening go out for supper with Ma Xiao Dong, her son Niu Niu, He Hongyu, Dongxi and He Aiyi. I gave Ma Xiao Dong a copy of Part Three of my CIDA Report about community participation. She was doing research for a Ph.D. in Boston related to the role of women in society. June 27 Mao Mao (Hongyu’s eldest sister) says recent developments in the countryside imply a dark near future for China. June 28 He Ayi goes back to Chong Qing. Sent letters with her for Adam Robarts. Go again to No. 1 Kindergarten near Kuan jie. They agree to take Dongxi. We must decide whether he will go as a foreigner or as a Chinese person. Yan Tai Coloured Cloud Plaza project. Sign last of the working drawings. Ke Lei came back from Qingdao. She said my planning concept for Fu Shan Wan was not accepted by the Planning Bureau. It was too dense; they want small buildings in a park. I had made a town with people-scale streets. Our client “Dong Bu” did not make this requirement clear at the beginning. Perhaps they were hoping for higher density. All that work for nothing?

Qingdao, Fu Shan Wan: my proposal overlaid on the current city

As actually built (Qingdao, Fu Shan Wan) 2020.

I wrote letters to Ruhiyyih Khanum in Haifa and to the Canadian Baha’i National Office. June 29 AM I went to Kuan Jie Kindergarten and registered Dongxi for September. June 30 Long Kou Planning July 1 My visa runs out in 30 days. Work on Long Kou Planning. Dongxi came with us to work at the Bomb Shelter. Take Zia Ahmad, Husayn Anwar, Gao Hong Wei, KK, and Peter Neuman out for supper. Later have watermelon at our place. Husayn feeling great discomfort after being “investigated” by the government (Security Bureau?) Dongxi feeling some stress from change in living pattern. He’s now going to kindergarten and He Aiyi is gone. I have become the ‘Aiyi’. July 2 I’m at Zhong Jing wrapping up Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning.

He Hongyu got my application for a resident’s permit stamped by Ying Zheng (Xue Yan Sheng) and by Beijing MOFERT. Yong Zheng was a Hong Kong Company we knew that had an office in Beijing.

[Note from 2021: Ying Zheng agreed to let me be under their organization so I could apply for a visa. MOFERT is an acronym for the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade. This is the former name of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. MOFERT was created in 1983 with the merger of the Ministry of Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Foreign Economic Liaison, the State Import and Export Regulation Commission and the State Foreign Investment Regulation Commission. ]

July 3 Get letter from Zhong Jing saying I have finished my contract there.

Pick up check for Fu Cheng Men Concept Design from Xiao Dai. Go to Beijing Hotel for opening ceremony of a BIADR and CHI-AM joint venture. July 4 Good talk with He Hongyu. Dongxi at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. Evening bring him home. July 5 I’m at the Bomb Shelter working on Long Kou Planning.

Go to Gong An Ju. They ask for certification (zheng ming) about me from the Beijing East District (Dong Cheng Qu) Police. He Hongyu nearly loses control. July 6 Qingdao Fu Shan Planning: Revised plan arrives from client. They want a lot of changes. I think I have been used by Dong Bu to get as much area as possible on the site. Criticism of their requirements and my interpretation are all directed at me. It’s difficult to know what is happening. I absorb the flack. Cyril Boone (friend from Newfoundland) phoned. Qingdao Dong Bu land for sale at 1.5 million/mu (2250yuan/m2). July 6 AM

Evening with Cyril Boone. July 7 AM

I took Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. I had tried last night to leave him there, but he got very angry, lots of tears. I took him home. July 8 Bomb Shelter, work on He Ping Men Planning, 1:000. Try to save some old courtyard houses. July 9 Go to Canadian Embassy with He Hongyu and Dongxi re He Hongyu citizenship and Dongxi passport. Then to UNDP.

With Dongxi at home. Police from the East City District came to visit ‘to see if it’s safe for me to live here’. I knew what time they were coming and I asked Hongyu not to be there. I was afraid she would lose her temper and make matters worse. They gave me a form to fill out which probably needs a stamp from Ying Zheng HK co. I felt we had a friendly visit. I returned the stamped form to the police on Tuesday morning. If they put their stamp on it, I can take it to the city level police station and continue my application for a resident’s permit. The stress is making me sleepy. July 10 At Zhong Jing, work on Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning 1:2000. July 11 Sunday at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. Leave Dongxi with Mao Mao. Buy new glasses on Wang Fu Jing; sore eyes. July 12 At Zhong Jing, the Qingdao Fu Shan Wan Planning is finished. Lunch with Liu Yan, supper at Qinghua University. July 13 Go to the East District Police station. They stamped my form. They agree I can live at Ju Er Hu Tong. I take Hongyu and Dongxi to the Holiday Inn at Fu Cheng Men to meet Liu Yan and her daughter Yi Fan, and take them to the zoo. He Hongyu and I go to the Municipal Security Bureau (Gong An Ju). They agree to receive my application. Good sign! They said to come back on July 17. I paid 1300 yuan for a one-year multiple entry visa. Lunch @MacDonalds. Hongyu and I bought a drawing cabinet on Wang Fu Jing. Go to Holiday Inn to pick up Dongxi. He and Yi Fan are jumping on the bed (Wanr Feng Le: play crazy).

EVE

Supper at the Gou Bu Li Baozi (Dogs Don’t look at Dumplings) Restaurant at Di An men. July 14 I’m 46 today. My first full official day at the Bomb Shelter. I work for URDC and for Tian Zhong. Tian Zhong is a design office founded by Hongyu’s boss, Liu Qi, as part of the implementation of the Housing Reform Policy in Beijing. I start work on He Ping Men Planning 1:000 scale. July 15 Meet with Liu Qi, He Hongyu, Xin Xin Development Co., and Man Xue (Tian Zhong) to discuss He Ping Men Planning. Agreed to make an improved drawing to show the Beijing Planning Bureau to ‘solicit their opinions’ (zheng qui yi jian). A good way to avoid misunderstandings. One of the young architects working with us is called 'Man Xue'. She was born on the night of a big snow storm. Her family name is ‘Man’. It is a homonym for ‘full’. Her given name, ‘Xue’ is ‘snow’. When you hear her name it sounds like ‘full of snow’. It’s a beautiful two-character picture poem. July 16 Show revised He Ping Men Plan to Liu Qi. He agrees. July 17 Saturday Meet Liu Qi, revise Cai Shi Lu, Ma Jai Pu, and Nan Mo Fang Housing District Designs. Make small changes. July 18 Spend day with David and Joan Rendell. July 19 AM

Go with Li Rui Hua and Gao Xiao Hui to visit Normal University Middle School (Shi Fan Zhong Xue). The head of the school is a friend of Li Rui Hua. They need some expansion site planning done. Agree to do a concept design.

Go home, very tired, do a lot of housekeeping. July 21 Tour of Shou Gang, Beijing, an industrial, iron manufacturing center in the west part of the city.

EVE

Supper with David and Joan, Meng Dong and his wife, and Chen Yi Yun Laoshi. Chen Yiyun is a professor at the China Academy of Social Sciences that I met through Hossein Danesh. July 22 Work on He Ping Men 1:1000 planning July 23 Xin Xing is the real estate development company founded by Liu Qi as part of the program to implement the national Housing Policy in Beijing. We review my drawings of a small new building at Fu Cheng Men, to be built above the Bomb Shelter. July 24 All day with Dongxi. July 25 Sunday, go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily July 26 Tax office refuses to let me pay tax on my car until I pay all my income tax.

Foreign experts paying tax in Canada do not pay tax in China. Bump in the road. Work on Ma Jia Pu and Mi Yun Housing District concept design. July 27 Normal University High School (Shi Yan Zhong Xue). Draw three planning concepts ideas for campus at 1:100.

Take Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. Today he is angry and unwilling to go but finally accepts.

EVE

Work on Mi Yun Housing July 28 Normal University High School (Shi Yan Zhong Xue). Meet with He Yong and Lu Xiao Qing about a project in Mi Yun. Pick up Dongxi at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. July 29 Mi Yun Housing. Two new people in our office: Hu Wei and Qi Gong. July 30 Mi Yun, draw elevations and unit plans. Xiao Lu, Xiao He, Man Xue and Xiao Guo start on working drawings. July 31 Go to Zhong Jing for last time. Uneventful goodbye. Several people took my telephone number, interested in working with us at the Bomb Shelter. Wang Gong, in charge of Yantai Coloured Cloud Plaza project, said he had included me in the contract ‘cheng bao’ agreement. Employees contracted work from the company (Zhong Jing) and received a percentage of the fee. But, he said, Yan Xinghua had reneged on the cheng bao agreement. He wanted employee’s 14% to be based on half the fees not all the fees. Wang Gong was very upset. I gave him a copy (in Chinese) of the Peace Message. August 1 Lunch with Husayn Anwar and Liu Li Jun from Canada. Have been getting up very early every morning recently to revise paper about Community Participation…a social curriculum to support development. August 2 Flood at Bomb Shelter office, about 20 cm of water everywhere. Carpets ruined. Work on Tong Xian housing units. I typed the children’s story (IOS) and prayer book into computer and stored it on a floppy disc. August 3 Still confusion from Bomb Shelter flood. Agree with Gao Xiao Hui and Hu Wei, we need two more people.

Pay tax for our car. August 4 He Ping Men, more detailed design. Man Xue and Xiao Guo helping.

Go to Mi Yun and bring Dongxi with us. August 5 Go to the City Planning Bureau to meet with Liu Shao Shi, the Chief Planner. At the entrance they will not let me in; I am a foreigner. They inform Liu Shao Shi of my arrival. He came down in person, to bring me inside. After the presentation, he said it was the best planning he had ever seen for the Old City. He agrees with our He Ping Men proposal and asks us to continue. At the left center of the site is an ‘embassy’ (Hui Suo) for the city of Ningbo in southern China. It is frame in red in the images below. It is one of many that were in Beijing for hundreds of years. The Hui Suo were centers (clubs) where people from other cities could gather, meet friends, hold events, do business, and socialize. They were hubs of networking for the city that built it. The first one I saw was in 1985, the Guangdong Hui Suo in Old Tianjin.

Existing Conditions: Site in 2001 (oldest available Google image). My design was done in 1993, but the site had not changed much by 2001.

1993: My design. Preserve original main road locations inside the site. The housing with gray roofs is much like Ju Er Hutong where Hongyu and I live.

He Ping Men Planning

2002: Demolition by another Development Company

2002-3 Design and Construction by other companies

August 6 Friday. At home with Dongxi. Take him for passport photographs at the Chocolate Building (Qiao Ke Li Lou). Send him to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). August 7 Saturday, revise Tong Xian Shopping Street design. August 8 Work on my Letter to DXP. [Note from 2021: I imagined writing a letter to Deng Xiao Ping (DXP). The writing I did eventually turned into a book published in China in 2009 called “Some Thoughts on China and the New World Order”.] Now working full time at the Bomb Shelter. August 9 He Aiyi is back! Her arm is healed. Give Tong Xian Housing design work to Man Xue and Xiao Guo. August 10 Tong Xian Working Drawings for housing. Xiao Lu is working on the small apartment building aligned north-south with angled units facing southeast and southwest. I’m working on the Shopping Street (shang ye jie) 1:500. August 11 Same as yesterday. Dongxi is here today, playing with blocks on the floor (now dry after the flood). He piles them with amazing speed. August 12-13 Tong Xian Early mornings, finish a draft of Let DXP. August 13 I have Laryngitis. August 14 At home with a cold. Work more on Let DXP, make 10 copies at printer near Bei Xin Qiao (southwest corner). August 15 Dongxi’s Birthday. He’s three years old. He’s a bit cranky. August 16 Tong Xian Housing. Print drawings for meeting with client today.

Client generally agreed with our conceptual design. They will get back to us with a detailed list of comments. Man Xue revising He Ping Men. August 17-18 No electricity at the Bomb Shelter. Go to Canadian Embassy to submit application for Dongxi’s first passport. Work on Tong Xian Shopping Street, Mi Yun County, and a 6-story housing project for Xin Xing. August 18 Upset stomach. August 19 Home with sick stomach. Finish drawings for KK; she wants to open a fashion boutique on the bridge at the International Trade Center (Guo Mao). Tong Xian agrees with our last presentation, asks us to continue. Xiao Guo continues to stare at the drawing board. August 20 He Ping Men Planning 1:1000 revise plan. Cai Shi Lu Housing District 1:1000 plan Man Xue works on Tong Xian DD. August 21 He Ping Men Planning. The Xin Xing Development Company, who wants to develop the Heping Men site, wants to present two proposals to the Planning Bureau for the alignment of the main east-west road that cuts through the site. The city requires a wider road. The existing road has old tress on its north side that must be preserved. One option is to add a new lane to the north of the trees. The trees would then be in the middle of the new wider road. Another option is to widen the existing road in the southerly direction. The later scheme will do less damage to the Ningbo ‘Embassy’ (Hui Suo). August 22 At our home workmen are enclosing our outdoor balcony with windows above the guardrail. Below the guardrail will be a wall of bricks, with a square opening left for an additional window so three-year-old Dongxi can look at the Date Tree just outside. [Note from 2021: Around 2015 he wrote a story about this tree.] Supper with Vincent of Bangkok Land at the Holiday Inn on Wangfujing just south of the National Art Gallery (Mei Shu Guan). August 23-25 Tong Xian Residential District DD. Ba Bao Shan Housing revise concept design. Add more units per floor. August 25 Pick up Dongxi’s passport from the Canadian Embassy. Take Dongxi to Kindergarten; he likes it, doesn’t want to leave. August 26 Finish Lu Gu (Ba Bao Shan). He Ping Men, revise 1:1000 fang an. Tong Xian, meet with structural engineer (friend of Zhang Ping, Gao Xiao Hui’s wife). August 27 Revise He Ping men area table.

Go to Xie He Hospital, where Dongxi was born, to get a health check. Driver’s License Office says, to get my licence, I need the health check stamped by my present work unit (danwei) and by my former work unit as well. August 28 Saturday Tong Xian. Lunch with Hormuz Bastami. August 29 Sunday Work at home. August 30 Lunch with Chen Yi Yun Laoshi and Sun li Bo. August 31 Revise Tong Xian Site Plan. Get it ready for Tong Xian Planning Bureau (Gui Hua Ju). August 31 Tong Xian Housing, who's drawing what: Man Xue: Type A, typical floor plan Xiao He: Type A, 6th floor plan Xiao Guo: Type B, Basement and typical floor plan Xiao Zhang: Sections

Meet with client. September 2 Tong Xian, revise site plan Man Xue: Nan Mo Fang Housing District Site Plan. ‘Nan’ means ‘south’ and ‘Mo Fang’ means ‘mill’. There used to be a mill on this land. This is a new project for our office located in the southeast part of the city outside the Third Ring Road. The land areas is 10.3 hectares. September 3 Nan Mo Fang and Tong Xian September 4 Saturday Tong Xian

National Games Opening Ceremony

EVE

Go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily, stay overnight September 5 Sunday. At 8:00 am we set out for Ping Gu, two and a half hour drive in a small bus. Whole extended family plus He Aiyi goes. I’m the driver. On the way back we are pulled over by the police. I told everyone as I stopped the bus, “I’ll take care of it.” The policeman looked at all of us sitting inside. He looked at me and then told us to move on. September 6-9 Tong Xian Housing September 6 Dongxi's first day at kindergarten! (half day) This year I take him to the kindergarten on the back of my bicycle and pick him up in the late afternoon. September 7 Lunch with Jian Ning and Jiang Ping. September 9 6:30 Get up 6:30-6:45 Prayers. 6:45-7:00 Eat alone and read 7:00-7:12 With Dongxi, pray and read 7:12-7:30 Make breakfast for Dongxi 7:30-7:40 Send Dongxi to kindergarten on the back of my bicycle for his first full day. I was standing in the yard looking like a confused parent hanging on to his child’s hand, wondering what was supposed to happen next. One of the teachers came over and swooped Dongxi away like a small bag of potatoes. Under her arm, he disappeared. Leo was as stunned as I was, as he was swept into the whirlpool of children. 7:41-7:45 Ride bicycle home, air cooling my tears. 7:50 Back home. Go to work with He Aiyi. Tong Xian concept design is finished. September 10 Nan Mo Fang 1:1000 site model Tong Xian, Print drawings

Infection on my tongue. Wrinkled, concave gray spots. September 11 Sick September 12 Sunday. Getting better. September 13 For URDC, revise Qingdao Hai Guan Concept design as a concept for Jian Guo Men.

Offered it to a South Korean Company, Chong Gu.

Talk with Lin Yue (architect at Zhong Jing) about joining us. She agrees to come. September 14 Meet with Liu Qi to discuss the Nan Mo Fang Housing District Concept design. Liu Zhi Yu requested info about the Baha’i Faith in HK so his wife, Li Gui Lin, can meet them next month. She works for the China Religious Affairs Department. During lunch hour I study Qi Gong with Zhang Xi Mu.

Meet with Li Pei De about working with us. Tong Xian client came to pick up drawings. September 15 Revise Nan Mo Fang Concept design. Write letter to NFA (Nation Fender Architects). I think I should form a company in Canada that would be half of a Canada-China Joint Venture. Dongxi received birthday gifts from Canada from Mom and Dad. He was very pleased. September 16 Client now pleased with Nan Mo Fang design. September 17-18 Nan Mo Fang September 19 Write letter in Chinese to Chen Laoshi (my old teacher) in Tianjin. September 20 Send Dongxi to kindergarten then go to Fu Cheng Men Bomb Shelter.

He Hongyu and Meng Qiao take our Nan Mo Fang design to Xin Xing (our client) to discuss the design. They say there is a new regulation; towers must be as far apart as the width of the tower. September 21 Revise Nan Mo Fang. Must lose one tower to satisfy the distance requirements. Still studying Qi Gong with Zhang Xi Mu. Beijing found out they did not get the 2000 Olympics; very disappointed. September 24 Tong Xian Housing. Client came and told us to go ahead with Working Drawings. September 25 Sent fax to Universal House of Justice re delegation to HK. Prepare Nan Mo Fang design for Xin Xing Development Company to show to the Municipal Planning Bureau. September 26 Sunday. Go to Natural History Museum with He Hongyu, Dongxi, and He Aiyi to see the dinosaurs. Bought bird whistles at the Xi Zhi Men Bird Market. Hongyu unhappy. September 27-29 Ma Jia Pu Housing Planning September 29 Meet with He Hongyu and Bob Duncan of CMHC. They are interested in demonstration project using Canadian products. Supper with Bob Duncan. September 30 Meeting with Bob at Ministry of Construction Tech. Development Section, Heating and Window experts. They could cooperate with the Beijing Engineering Construction Co. in a demonstration project. Bob will arrange for them to get names and addresses of their counterparts in Canada. Moon Festival supper at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. October 1 Holiday Lunch at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. We all go to park west of Diao Yu Tai. October 2 Go to Tianjin. See Chen Laoshi. He Hongyu has doubts about the future of URDC. Supper at McDonalds (Wang Fu Jing). October 3 Clean up office, set up new computer. October 4-5 Ma Jia Pu Planning. October 4 Fax from Mr. Sahba. Xiao Zhang came to our phone and installed Word Perfect in our computer. October 6-14 Nan Mo Fang and Ma Jia Pu. October 10 Start “Children” file in computer October 14 Lunch with Jian Ning. October 15 Richard Chiu from NFA came to our bomb shelter office. Meeting at MOC and Qinghua design institutes re cooperating on design of new Friendship Store. Walk after in Yuan Ming Yuan Park October 16 Take Richard to the Planning Bureau. October 18 Visit Qinghua Habitat-Women & Development Meeting.

Write introduction to Nan Mo Fang Housing District design. Write letter to Adam Robarts. Meet with structural engineer for Tong Xian Housing.

EVE

Supper with Richard Groves and Liu Qi…agree our office can be part of Urban Research Center Richard Groves, University of Birmingham, UK, Urban and Regional Studies in the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies.

Richard Groves (1948-2013)

[Note from 2021: Our colleague Richard Groves, who has died of cancer aged 65, made an enormous contribution to housing and environmental health for more than 40 years. He developed and led teaching on housing for environmental health officers. He was director of the centre from 2005 to 2008. He was also instrumental in establishing Community Forum, a powerful voice for local people affected by the shift in policy from slum clearance to the improvement of older housing. Rick was greatly respected by the many groups he worked with both directly and through Community Forum. He spearheaded an approach to housing renewal that was far ahead of its time, in which local communities played a central role in determining what should happen to the places where they lived. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/feb/19/richard-groves-obituary ]

October 19 Lu Gu elevations, Cai Shi Lu Attend cocktail party at Canadian Embassy. One man came up to me and said, “Hello, I’m Alberta Gas”. Supper at El Hadis with He Hongyu. October 20 Birth of the Bab

Work on Cai Shi Lu PM

At home work on “children” file. Dongxi has a throat infection. October 21 Cai Shi Lu, Nan Mo Fang. Lin Yue starts on the tower design for Nan Mo Fang. Meet with Chen Guang’s (from Zhong Jing) younger brother. Revise Cai Shi Lu design. October 22 Cai Shi Lu revisions 1:1000 plan

EVE

Call Liu Xiao Shi, Chief Planner (no answer) October 23 Saturday Sharam called. First draft of “children” almost done. Update CV for UNDP. October 24 Typing “children”. Work more on paper called “China: New Balance”. October 25 Delivered my CV to UNDP for the Anhui/Jiangsu Flood Recovery consulting job. He Hongyu submitted final materials required for her Permanent Resident Status in Canada. Dongxi continues to have a throat infection October 26 Cai Shi Lu. Jiang Ping came by for a visit. Bijan Farid called asking help to buy an apartment. October 27 Cai Shi Lu. Meet with Chen Hong from Planning Bureau. Will incorporate his suggestions. Hu He worked for Husayn. She helped revise my “Children” collection. She is the wife of Roger, the chiropractor. They are both Baha’is. October 28-30 Cai Shi Lu Planning October 28 Supper in our home at Ju Er Hu Tong with Bijan, Sheedvash, Amelia, May and Saman. They are happy playing with Dongxi. He Hongyu gave Bijan the information about a courtyard house for rent. Photocopy latest draft of ‘Letter to DXP’. October 30 Hu He finished translation of IOS story. Wang Tian Hui agrees to translate 'Letter to DXP'.

Meeting with Bijan. October 31 Sunday AM: Vegetable shopping at Gu Lou. The plaza between the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower is a large market.L

unch at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily.

Dongxi resting at Grandma's house

Late PM

Help Bijan buy material to get a wool coat made at the Friendship Store. He Hongyu says I am not interesting. She talked so much at her parent’s home today because she didn’t talk all week. November 1

Work on Tong Xian Housing At lunch time I joined Bijan and Zhang Ning Ning to look at a Courtyard House in the Old City. They want 3,300,000 yuan. (In 2015 they cost 30, even 100 million). November 2 Work on Nan Mo Fang. Lunch with Sun Li Bo. Typist working on IOS Story. Gave Letter to DXP to Wang Tian Hui. November 3 AM Meet with Kong and Hou Chai. Kong said my China Balance (LETDXP) paper might be useful in the Baha’i - China Academy of Social Science Association. Letters to Mom and Dad, and to Sharam Noorgostar. November 4 Prepare He Ping Men, Nan Mo Fang, and Ma Jia Pu for meeting tomorrow. November 5 Meet Beijing Planning Bureau Nan Mo Fang towers, still too many. November 6 Jia Zhang Hui (Parents Day) at Dongxi kindergarten. Dongxi and I carry bean bags on our heads and run around a small track.

Dongxi's with his teachers and some classmates

Introduce Sheedvash and Amelia to Mrs. Gao (Yuan Zhang). Work on LETDXP. November 7 Draw pictures for IOS.

Sample pages from 'IOS, The Sheppard Boy'.

Printed on A4, folded in half, and bound into a book.

November 8 Mi Yun and Tong Xian Housing November 9 Nan Mo Fang. Discuss with Xin Xing how to reduce the number of towers. Last night Dongxi did not wet his bed. November 10 Nan Mo Fang Meet with Liu Qi and decide on ratio of apartment types in the mid-rise (duo ceng) apartment buildings: 1B, 10%, 45m2 2B, 70%, 60m2 3B, 20%, 75m2 Last night Dongxi did not wet his bed. November 10 Make two sketch versions of revised Nan Mo Fang site plan. Zheng Qiao and Lin Yue take them to Planning Bureau tomorrow morning.

EVE

Visit with Bijan and Sheedvash, bring Dongxi. November 11 Hongyu met a women through Liu Qi called Zhang Junyu. She was involved with property development and asked us to look at a site in Beijing they called Chao Yang Park (Hua Yuan). We call Zhang Junyu, “Xiao Yu”. Lin Yue works on Nan Mo Fang Site Plan, 1:1000 November 12 Work on Chao Yang Hua Yuan. November 13 Finish revisions to Nan Mo Fang Housing District. The room I work in at the Bomb Shelter office looks like girl’s video parlor: everyone sits at a monitor, rock music plays on a ghetto blaster, and all the mouses are tapping. November 14 Hong Yu was angry about our ground floor neighbour. They blocked the southern exit of our stairwell; now the only choice is to go out by the north. They felt more secure if there was only one way out. I didn’t mind the change. Hongyu said she saw a big hole in the ground. Sunday go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. We had a long talk that night. November 15 Take gas bottle to depot to exchange for a full one. We don’t have piped gas to our unit; we have to fetch tanks of gas at a place on Ping An Da Dao. [Note from 2021: Piped gas to our housing district was installed in 2019.] Take Dongxi to hospital. Throat infection (Qi Guan Yan). November 16 Work on Chao Yang Garden site plan. Richard from NFA came to visit. Help him with Friendship Store site plan 1:500. Visit Prof. Li Dao Zeng and Prof. Hu at Qinghua University. Nan Mo Fang Planning: Zhao Cheng reported good visit at Planning Bureau. We should modify our plan slightly. Still need two comparative plans to help make a final decision. November 17 Nan Mo Fang: Give Zhao Cheng three revised plans, printed and colored with area calculations. Dongxi still at home with throat infection.

EVE

Beautiful meeting at El Hadi’s with Dr. John Fozdar. [Note from 2021: Dr. John Fozdar served as a Baha'i Continental Counsellor in Asia from 1980 to 1995.]

November 18 Take Richard Chiu to Fragrant Hills Hotel. Fu You Lu Residential District, start 1:1000 site plan. Cai Shi Lu Residential District. Planning Bureau approved our plan with some small changes. Tong Xian working drawings are complete. November 19 Help calculate heating, water, sewage, electrical loads for four projects: Ma Jia Pu, Cai Shi Lu, Nan Mo Fang, and He Ping Men. Big snow-fall today; Dongxi very excited. Beijing Real Estate Guide, proof-reading English. Liu Qi says we need a guide for foreign investors in property development in Beijing. Hongyu was author of part of it and coordinated the project. Revise Cai Shi Lu Site Plan. Nan Mo Fang, Cai Shi Lu: Prepare mid-rise unit plans for consideration by Xin Xing Dev. Co. He Hongyu completes a Friendship Store site plan. Fu You Jie site plan first draft ready. November 20 The Chinese version of the Beijing Real Estate Investment Guide is published. Work on proof-reading the English version. Concerned that Dongxi sometimes likes to cry to ask for something; doesn’t come out with statement or question. Sometimes he is rude to He Aiyi; answers back. Is this coming from the kindergarten? He Hongyu asked me whether Husayn Anwar and I have secrets. November 21 He Aiyi slipped on the ice and broke a wrist bone. I take her to the hospital. Her greatest pain is having someone serve her. November 22 Work on Beijing Real Estate Guide, proof-reading English. November 23 Visit Fu You Jie site with He Hongyu and Lin Yue. Nan Mo Fang mid-rise ratios. November 10 Nan Mo Fang Mid-rise Buildings: meet with Liu Qi and decide on apartment type mix, and their respective floor areas: Change from: 1B, 10%, 45m2 2B, 70%, 60m2 3B, 20%, 75m2 to 1B, 6%, 49m2 2B, 80%, 68m2 3B, 14%, 80m2 Bater (18 years old) came to our home to play games on our computer. November 26 Work on Ma Jia Pu Housing District mid-rise unit plan design. November 26 Write letter to Nation-Fender Architects. All our computers have problems. We bought cheap local machines. November 27 Work on Ma Jia Pu Residential District. November 28 Sunday at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. He Hongyu accepted to listen to my prayer before going to bed. Part of it says, ”O Lord, enlighten my sight by beholding Thy lights in this dark night, and make me happy by the wine of Thy love in this wonderful age. O Lord, make me hear Thy call, and open before my face the doors of Thy heaven, so that I may see the light of Thy glory and become attracted to Thy beauty.” November 29 Work on the commercial buildings for the Tong Xian Housing District. November 30 Letter to NFA re Friendship Store. Evening supper with Eric Carlson. Dongxi has a cough. December 1 Work on Beijing Real Estate Guide, proof-reading English. My children’s book almost ready for photocopying. December 2 Work on Fu You Jie Planning. For the He Ping Men project, the Planning Department responded to our conceptual design with some specific requirements. We will prepare a more detailed plan. Xin Xing Development Company can now look for investors. EVE

Supper with Husayn Anwar. December 3 Work on Tong Xian commercial buildings. December 4 At home, work on Beijing Real Estate Guide, proof-reading the English version. December 5 Sunday at home. Clean up house. He Aiyi can’t do much with her broken arm. On-going study of Chinese sacred literature (lately, Zhuang Zi). He Hongyu likes him. Compare with Baha’i Faith. December 6 Make revisions to He Ping Men site plan. For the Ma Jia Pu Housing District, calculate potential housing area on site. Last night Dongxi said something like, “You are a naughty ghost” to He Aiyi. She cried for two hours. Dongxi finally said “dui bu qi” (I'm sorry). First try of children’s book with Dongxi. He likes it. Pass! December 7 Work on Beijing Real Estate Guide, proof-reading English, at home. December 8 Take children’s book original to printing shop, make 20 copies.

Meeting about Nan Mo Fang Housing District site plan with Liu Qi. He is a very good chairperson. He often says, “Shi Shi Qui Shi” (Seek Truth from Facts). That was the name of the theater on the campus at Tianjin University. December 9 The “girls” at the Bomb Shelter are still working on the drawings for the Tong Xian Housing District. December 10 Fu You Jie, revise conceptual plan. Richard Chiu arrives; talk of working together. Lunch with Ruby Fuller and her daughter Serena. December 11 Work on Fu You Jie. Richard joined us for supper. We ate at the Fujian restaurant inside our Chrysanthemum Lane (Ju Er Hu Tong) Compound. December 12 Sunday Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily. Santa Clause at the Canadian Embassy. Fred Bild was Santa Claus. He asked me beforehand what Dongxi would like to receive as a gift. Indian supper with Richard Chiu. December 13 Give Fu You Jie plan to client. Share first copies of children’s book. December 14 Meet with Liu Qi about Nan Mo Fang.

December 15 Prepare video about Dongxi for Mom and Dad. [Links] Richard Heddleston will take it to Ottawa. Discuss He Ping Men Site Plan with Zhao Cheng and Lu Xiao Qing. He Hongyu gets angry with water on the ground at the front door of the Bomb Shelter Office. December 16 NFA/Friendship Store Project. Nan Mo Fang Mid-rise conceptual design. December 17 Nan Mo Fang continue design 1:100 unit design and 1:1000 site planning. Zong Heng (URDC) moving to a new office (above ground) near the Asian Games Village, just north of the Fourth Ring Road. December 18 Work on Nan Mo Fang. December 19 Sunday, take Dongxi to National Art Gallery. December 20 Give copies of children’s book to Tao Tao, Husayn’s wife. Work on Nan Mo Fang. Take Richard Chiu to Qinghua University School of Architecture. December 21 Phone Mom and Dad. They know the ‘Dongxi’ tapes are in Ottawa. Richard Chiu is sick. December 22 Work on Nan Mo Fang Housing District. Finish latest revisions to site plan. Our Nan Mo Fang Project was given a name “Nan Xin Yuan” (South New Garden). This was the first Housing District to come out of the Liu Qi’s Beijing Housing Reform Office. The first commercial private property since before the Revolution. Liu Qi had founded all the agencies needed to translate this project from policy to market housing; a bank mortgage system, a design company, a property development company, and a property management company. Forty percent of the housing on the site was sold at a lower than market price. Eligible buyers were selected from applicants who had less than 4 sq.m. of space per person in their current housing. If the owner of such a property later sold their unit, a capital gains tax was levied that recouped most of the original subsidy. The municipal government inhibited ‘flipping’, and deferred its tax income.

Construction Area: 220,000 m2. Site Area: 10.3 hectares Plot Ratio: 2.16 No. of apartments: 2620 Population Density: based on estimated number of occupants/site area = 777 people/h. Estimated Population: 10.3 x 777 = about 8000 people Social Infrastructure (school, kindergarten, etc.) had to be provided by the developer. The municipal government had a table of how much building area and land area should be provided per 1000 people. For example, the area for a kindergarten is about 300m2/1000people. Our site has 8000 people so the developer had to build (300m2 x 8) = 2400m2 of kindergarten. This building area was close to the area of the kindergarten I had designed at Zhong Jing. That one was never built, so I adapted it to this site.

In 1993, heating systems for such housing developments came from coal-fired central heating plants that served whole city districts. The upper right corner of the site was one such plant with a 100-meter smoke stack. [Note from 2021: Coal-fired heating plants were banned in the city area in the 1990s. They switched to natural gas.] The street pattern is a pinwheel designed to discourage through traffic. [Note from 2021: Soon after it was built, the property management company closed the perimeter road access except at the north where they installed a gate and a guard.] Friendship Store, fax to Sunny re alternatives proposed by Li Dao Zeng. December 23 Bought sweets yesterday for Dongxi; his contribution to a children’s party at his kindergarten. My friend, Lin Zhi Chun, the housing expert, died. Nan Mo Fang: Print 15 sets unit plans and site plan. He Ping Men: Print and colour site plan/give to client. December 24 Visit Qinghua with Richard re Friendship Store. Lunch and supper at Wang Fu Jing MacDonald’s. December 25 Spent day with Dongxi. Take him to the office, take him home for lunch.

At Farid’s place. He Aiyi has stopped talking to us. December 27 He Aiyi stays in bed all day. AM

Phone Mom and Dad from the Post Office, Dongxi said “Merry Christmas” to everyone. Visit Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) at People's Daily Learn to play SIMCITY on computer. Fun. Hong Yu and I talk about writing a book. She is repelled by the book I made for Dongxi. December 28 Do simple Friendship Store 18,000 m2 concept design. Work on Nan Mo Fang: Do initial layout for Public Buildings, everything on the site that is not housing. Tension in office between Lin Yue and Gao Xiao Hui. Supper with Qiu Jiang, old friend from Tianjin University. December 29 AM

Attend Memorial Service at Ba Bao Shan for Lin Zhi Qun. [Note from 2021, Wikipedia: The Ba Bao Shan Revolutionary Cemetery (Chinese: 八宝山革命公墓) is Beijing's main resting place for the highest-ranking revolutionary heroes, high government officials and, in recent years, individuals deemed of major importance due to their contributions to society. In Chinese, Ba Bao Shan literally means "The Eight-Treasure Mountains". The cemetery is located in the Shijingshan District, a municipality located in western Beijing.] December 30 Work on Nan Mo Fang elevations Lunch with Chris Anderson. [Note from 2021: Was this Chris Anderson (born 1957) the entrepreneur (36 years old in 1993)? Curator of TED, a nonprofit devoted to sharing valuable ideas, primarily through the medium of 'TED Talks' -- short talks that are offered free online to a global audience? Or, Chris Anderson (born July 9, 1961) a British-American author and entrepreneur. (32 years old in 1993)? He was with The Economist for seven years before joining WIRED magazine in 2001, where he was the editor-in-chief until 2012. He is known for his 2004 article entitled The Long Tail; which he later expanded into the 2006 book, The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. He is the co-founder and current CEO of 3D Robotics, a drone manufacturing company. ]

Living in China 1993

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