Dongxi, Hongyu and Joe at Si Ma Tai section of Great Wall
January 1
Saturday: He Aiyi still not well. Hongyu very patient with her.
EVE
Supper with Bijan and Sheedvash Farid. Dongxi very happy playing with their children (wanr feng le).
January 2
At home work on English version of the Beijing Real Estate Guide.
Play computer game called SIMCITY.
Dongxi said before he was in Mama’s stomach. And before that he was in our hearts.
January 3
Finish concept design for Nan Mo Fang southwest zone.
Fax from Adam Robarts.
January 3-9
Worked on a site plan for Chao Yang Gardens (Hao Yuan). I gave the design to Zhang Xi Min to start a 1:500 plan. The project came through Xiao Yu (Zhang Jun Yu). She comes from a prominent Chinese military family and is involved with real estate development. We never know, or ask for, details about her background. She calls my design “da ge da”, a name for the original large mobile phones. The term “da ge da” was coined to refer to anyone rich and powerful, and the name migrated to the phone as well - perhaps because only the rich or powerful could afford to have one. The footprint of my buildings looked like the side profile of the phone.
Da Ge Da Mobile Phone
January 4
Work on Nan Mo Fang elevations and sections of northwest zone.
January 5
Meet with Wang Tian Hui about translation of my LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping).
January 6
Meet with ETON Properties about the Central Academy of Sciences (CASS) site at Jian Guo Men. Hongyu and I were introduced to them by Xiao Yu. URDC signed a contract to gather information about the site, look at financial feasibility, and do a land use analysis. They asked, “How much to do the report?”. I had no idea how much to ask. Hongyu answered, without hesitation, $15,000 US. Their representative replied, also without hesitation, “OK”. That money paid for our new car. We bought a Beijing Jeep.
January 7
CASS Site. Start a conceptual site plan at 1:2000. At this scale the whole site fits on an A3 page; it’s easier to see the larger relationships.
Continue to polish the English text of the Beijing Real Estate Book.
In SIMCITY I survived an earthquake. Population now 80,000 people.
January 8
Go and look at the Jian Guo Men site with Hongyu.
Bring Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia).
January 9
Sunday. Slept in until 11:00 AM, a new record.
Work on real estate book.
Dongxi, three-and-a-half, likes our flashlight.
January 10
Visit UNDP Office re Anhui/Jiangsu Women and Children Health Clinics and Schools project.
Revise Mi Yun attic unit design. The apartments are too large and would be difficult to sell.
Letters to Hossein Amanat and Jan Ghanetabrizi.
January 11
Work on Mi Yun Housing and the Jian Guo Men Site.
Tao Tao gave me the translation of the “Consultation” article. [Note form 2021: later this became a chapter in my little book “Some thoughts on China and the New World Order”. The text was mainly written by Elizabeth Rochester. When I said I wanted to use it, she said - out of modesty - “Don’t put my name on it”. ]
Li Pei De came to talk about working with us at the Bomb Shelter.
January 12
Mi Yun client chasing us for updated design.
Work on Jian Guo Men Site.
Dongxi has throat infection.
January 13
Ritz Carlton Hotel, meet John Neils, Currently Vice President, Design Management and Technical Services at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, to discuss the property development process in Beijing.
Wang Tian Xi almost finished translating LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping).
Work on Jian Guo Men Site.
EVE
Review Anhui construction drawings sent by UNDP. Various small towns that had flood-damaged Women and Children Health Clinics and Schools applied for subsidies to build new structures. Germany was a major donor to the reconstruction fund. Each applicant had to have their design approved by a foreign architect in order to qualify. I was the foreign architect. For the review I received some help from the young architects at the Bomb Shelter. The most common issue was the need to add another fire stair.
January 14
Jian Guo Men Site 1:2000
UNDP Review Anhui construction drawings.
January 15-31
Prepare two designs for Jian Guo Men Site at 1:1000 with physical models.
Jan 18
Richard arrives, agrees to do a design for the Jian Guo Men Site.
January 24
Dongxi: “Baba, wo yao niao niao!” (Baba, I have to pee!”)
January 26
Richard Chiu faxed his sketch idea.
January 27
Fax to Richard. Respond to his idea.
January 29
Conceptual planning for the Fu You Jie district jsut west of Nan Hai where all the high leaders live. Client basically agreed with our proposal. I retained an existing angled small block in the middle. City planners want to straighten out the ‘crooked road’. I feel it’s these small occasional deviations from the main pattern that create opportunities to make the city more interesting.
January 30
Sunday: Prepare for meeting tomorrow re Jian Guo Men site.
January 31
Presented conceptual design ideas for Jian Guo Men site to Eton Properties at Jing Guang Hotel. We used 1:2000 white plastic foam massing models to illustrate strategies for site development. The client was basically pleased. At one point the President of Eton Properties, from the Philippines, said my design needed windows. He stuck a very sharp lead pencil into several places in the walls of my foam model to make windows.
February 1
UNDP assignment, leave early for Nanjing. Dongxi still asleep.
In Nanjing, I was met by the officials from the Provincial Department of Health (Wei Sheng Ting).
February 2
We drove north about 160 km to Hong Ze and stayed overnight in Huai An.
February 3
Stay in Da Feng overnight.
February 4
Drive southeast of Nanjing to Li Yang. Arrive around 4:00pm, visit site, have a banquet, receive a wood carving as a gift, and drive to Nanjing.
February 5
Report to Provincial Department of Health (Wei Sheng Ting).
PM
Fly back to Beijing
February 7
I have a strong feeling I want to change my work situation, but don’t know how. I reach out with letters to Hossein Amanat, Fariborz Sahba, Adam Robarts and Richard Chiu.
Zhu Gong, a kindly older woman who came from Zhong Jing with Lin Yue from the bomb shelter, was unhappy and unburdened her heart. There are problems with some relationships among the staff.
Work on the Beiijng Real Estate Guide.
Feb 8-25
Jian Guo Men site, revise design.
February 9
AM
Meet with Ma Qing Yun of KPF (Kohn, Pederson, Fox). He became one of China’s most important architects.
[Note from 2021: Wikipedia. Ma Qing Yun “Born in 1965, he was 29 when I met him. He became close to Rem Koolhaas on the first Harvard Project on the City, which he organized resulting in the book “The Great Leap Forward”. In 1996, Ma founded MADA s.p.a.m. The architectural firm has to date built over 1,204,000 square meters. In 2000, MADA s.p.a.m. formally established itself in Beijing, moving to Shanghai the following year. Among MADA s.p.a.m's works are Qingpu Community Island in Shanghai, the Centennial TV and Radio Center in Xi'an, and Tianyi Square in Ningbo. He taught architecture in China at Shenzhen University, Tongji University, and Nanjing University; in Europe at the Berlage, the ETH, the Ecole Speciale d'Architecture in Paris and in Germany; and in the United States at Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University. Ma was the Dean of the University of Southern California School of Architecture from January 2007 through June 2017.]
February 10
Liu Qi asked us to make some revisions to the Fu You Jie design and feasibility report.
Supper with Richard Chiu.
February 11
Lunch with Richard Chiu. He stayed at the Holiday Inn close to the Bomb Shelter. We were saying goodbye after lunch at the entrance to the hotel. The doorman came up to Richard, who is of Chinese background, and asked him in Chinese whether I (the foreigner) needed a taxi. Richard didn’t understand. I explained to the doorman, in Chinese, that this foreigner, Richard, needed a taxi, not me.
February 12
Work on Chao Yang Garden Residential Area site plan. Meet with client.
February 19
Dongxi at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia).
Hongyu and I work on the Beijing Real Estate Guide.
February 22
Pick up plane tickets to Anhui from the UNDP office.
Letters to Qiu Jiang, Michael and Elizabeth, telegram to Jian Ning.
February 25
Lunch with David Covo, Hongyu, Dongxi, Andre Casault, and Jesus.
Consult with Ruby.
Review drawings of Anhui schools and clinics. I would visit these projects later.
February 26
AM
Fly to Hefei. Stay at the Anhui Hotel.
PM
Review drawings with _______+_______.
Most designs are missing a second fire exit.
[Note from 2021: The relationship between UNDP and China was managed by the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE). It was established under the Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade (later renamed the Ministry of Commerce) to contribute to China’s socio-economic dEvening:lopment by promoting economic and technical exchanges between China and the rest of the world. CICETE serves as a specialized international assistance executing agency that coordinates cooperation between China and UNDP, UNIDO and UNV.]
UNDP Anhui/Jiangsu Flood Recovery Program: Map of 1994 visits in Anhui Province.
February 27
Sunday Drive west of Lu An to Jin Zhai County.
County Secretary Cao (Shuji) waited for three hours at the county boundary to meet us.
In Jin Zhai, look at school site for No. 1 Middle School (Di Yi Zhong Xue).
Lunch. Visit hospital site. Visit large Russian-designed dam (overflowed in 1991) and site of another school built with UN funding.
One of the local officials accompanying us was a man with a short thick neck. It looked like his head joined directly to his shoulders. He said his nick-name was Mei Qi Guan (gas bottle). We met to discuss the designs with the local architect and leader of the vocational school. I said they needed to add second exit stairs.
EVE:
I walk alone in the street. The town had been flooded up to the second story windows. Dragon dance, fireworks, lantern festival.
Later, the Head of the vocational school gave me a copy of revised plans showing a second stair. Now I can recommend all three projects in this area.
I test out some “development” social-principle ideas; polite response.
A Volkswagen Sultana car costs 220,000 yuan. A local English teacher’s one-year salary is 24,000 plus a transportation subsidy of 10,000, and a living allowance 36,500 yuan. A total 70,500 yuan. One car = annual income of three teachers.
I stayed in Room 303 in the Jian Guo Lu Guan.
Diarrhea (La Duzi).
February 28
Radio broadcast in street as we left.
Drive to Huo Shan County, south of Lu An.
Met at county border by Assistant County Leader.
A 25-meter high reservoir overflowed in 1991.
First visit Fo Zi Ling Hospital. It had received UN assistance, recently opened.
Hospital leader had very warm eyes. New hospital was built on higher ground.
PM
Go to Fo Zi Ling Middle School, 52 students per class.
School had been flooded.
They agree to add a stair in the design for the new school.
Drive to Yue Xi Town (Xiang) in the mountains, 400,000 people. Arrive 5:00pm.
Meet Leader Mr. Xu Xian Zhang, Mr. Yu County architect, and Ni Dai Ming, Education Department (Jiao Wei) leader.
Yue New middle school, 12 classrooms, 600 students; 250,000 yuan from UNDP, 350,000 yuan from the government. Goal is to have nine-year compulsory education. Listen to report from Education official. Listen to report from health official. Clinic severely damaged in flood.
Huang Wei Xiang X-ray machine was destroyed.
Go to Yao He Xiang, northern part of Yue Xi County. Middle School destroyed in mudslide. New safer location. Leave Yao He Xiang around 4:00pm. Met Mr. Chu Yao Hua, leader of Yao He. Discussed possibility of helping them find English teachers. Enthusiastic response from everyone except county Education Department leader.
A very kind old man was their only English teacher. As I left I rolled the car window to say goodbye. He put his hand on my arm and said in English, “Go slow. Go slow.” This is a direct translation of a common Chinese way to say good bye, “Man Zou. Man Zou.”
March 1
I celebrated Ayyám-i-Há in room 311 of Government Guest House, Yue Xi County.
A quarter of all county school buildings (2000 rooms) were destroyed in flooding.
AM
Received corrected drawings from county design office before we left.
Yue Xi Cui Lan Tea. Visit cannery; kiwi fruit.
Lunch in Yue Xi Xian then drive to Qian Shan Xian (pop. 500,000). This is the home town of my friend Jian Ning.
Da Chong Buddhist Temple
Inside Qian Shan Xian, stop at site of Tian Zhu Mountain, Tian Zhu Shan Zhen, meet county officials and architect. Schools damaged by severe rains and high winds. After meeting, go to Buddhist temple. Meet head monk. He gave me some books; said he would be happy to receive books from me.
I stayed in Room 319 of the government guest house. Met Qian Shan architect and engineer Yu Jie Han and Dong Cheng Ming.
Yuan Tan Zhen, Hospital. In 1991, heavy rain and ice balls, 2 cyclones. 1700 mm rainfall in two months, 128% of typical annual rainfall. Hospital had 40cm of water covering the ground floor, 820m2 were damaged. One of 7 hospitals in the county. Hospital has a service area of 98KM2, serves 80,000 people. Fifty-four staff of which 48 are medical; 36 beds.
Ground for new hospital 2 meters higher than former one. Building area 1166m2. An amount of 140,000 yuan was the local input.
Huai Ning County, belongs to An Qing City on the Yangtze River.
Whole town is being moved gradually to a new location closer to the new railway line.
New hospital will serve 380,000 people
Shi Pai Zhen was flooded. Build new hospital in Gao He Zhen (6 meters higher).
Mr. Huang Feng, An Qing Design Institute designed the hospital.
March 2
Return to Hefei. Stay again at Anhui Hotel. Called Hongyu. She says Dongxi often angry, went back to school after Spring Festival. I feel very concerned about him.
Workshop in Qi Yun Shan Zhuang Hotel.
March 3
Fei Dong County Hospital, in an eastern suburb of Anhui.
Visited Dian Pu Zhen, meet with officials.
New hospital will be one meter higher than the original, on same site.
Better water management for the whole city is now in place, flooding less likely.
Population 1 million.
Part of nearby river made deeper and wider to absorb sudden amounts of water (flood retention).
Ding Yuan County, 1 million population, farming, lack of industry, people poor.
Meet officials. They said, in 1991, from May 18 to July 10, 1355 mm rainfall, 400 mm more than annual amount. About 20% of all houses collapsed; 50% of schools damaged.
Original school, Zhi Gong Xiao Xue, built in 1960s, was of low quality.
School is located on a branch of the Huai He River.
The architect told me they made the drawings for the new school in three days. Proposed plans need no revisions.
EVE:
Dance party. I felt I was with family; Everyone was sincerely warm. I hope I can re-connect with this place.
Another school we saw had built a small factory to make silver foil paper. The business expanded into another factory on a larger site. Management was hired by the school. Some of the profit goes to the school. The factory built a hotel, Qu Yang Lu Guan, where we stayed. Hotel profit in 1993 was 150,000 yuan.
March 4
Visit Liberation Army test track with banked corners. I drove one of the cars around the track. They said it’s the first time a foreigner drove a car in Ding Yuan County.
Visit Ding Yuan County Middle School. Small mound is remnant of old city wall. Meet with school leaders. I spoke in Chinese about education, women and development. As we descend the mound after a group photo, I have strong feeling of deja vu.
Xu Xiao Lin thinks this would be a good site for a summer English teachers training course. We shared the idea with county and school leaders and they responded positively.
Visit a government factory.
Lunch included chicken feet, mud fish, and dog meat.
PM
Pass through Fei Dong Xian on way to Hefei. Pick up revised hospital drawings.
Return to Hefei.
TABLE of 27 PROJECTS (UNDP February-March 1994)
Site visits to 11 of them. (Add later)
March 5
AM
Meeting in Hefei with representatives of 11 more projects.
For the five remaining projects, I indicated required changes on submitted drawings. These will be included in letters from Jing Mao Wei to the five counties. I will approve them after I see the changes.
March 6
Rest.
March 7
Fly to Beijing. Nice reunion with Dongxi and Hongyu.
March 8
Write Anhui/Jiangsu Report for UNDP.
Call from Qiu Jiang in Shanghai about collaborating.
Proof-read English version of “Real Estate Guide to Beijing”.
March 9
Fax to Qiu Jiang about the Jian Guao Men project.
Fax to UNDP re Anhui/Jiangsu.
Discussion with Gao Xiao Hui about the future.
March 10
Work on design of Nan Mo Fang Elementary School.
Lunch with Jian Ning. He gave me a copy of his poem to Baha’u’llah.
March 11
Work on design of Nan Mo Fang Elementary School.
Deliver my short article about “Consultation” for typing.
Receive copy of Religious Affairs Bureau book from Liu Gui Ling.
March 12
Work on Nan Mo Fang Elementary School.
March 13
Sunday at home, organize photographs and name cards from UNDP trip. When it is time to eat, Dongxi says, “Qing”, inviting me to the table.
March 14
Pick up “Consultation” from Hu He; she had made some corrections. Gave her a copy of a compilation called “Baha’i Marriage and Family Life”. Work with Wang Tian Hui on “Towards a New Balance”, latest iteration of my LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping). Ask He Jian Qing to translate Baha’u’llah and Buddha.
For UNDP, I copied the Jiangsu blueprints and reduced them to A3 size.
March 15
Fly to HK. Then go to Macau. evening with friends from Macau. Give them my copy of “Comparative Survey of Religions”. Good talk with Alan Fryback about Rural University, and about English teachers for rural China.
March 16-20
Arrive in HK. ETON properties is our host for the Jian Guo Men project.
I was starting my breakfast in the hotel when with the President of ETON Properties sat down beside me. He said he had just flown in from Manila that morning. He had come on short notice. I asked, “Did you have trouble getting a seat on the plane? He said, “I own the airline (Philippine Airlines).”
March 20
Evening: Attend Naw Ruz celebration at Holiday Inn in Hong Kong.
March 21
Return to Beijing.
March 22-25
Write report for UNDP.
March 24
First draft of little book, “Consultation”.
March 25
Hand in UNDP Report to Fanula Rodriguez (related to Alvaro Rodriguez, UNDP Head?).
March 26
Give “Consultation” to Zhou Hai, student of the El Hadis, for proof-reading help.
Our He Ping Men Site Plan was approved with some small changes.
Nan Mo Fang Elementary School conceptual design is urgent!
Adam Robarts wants to move to Beijing.
March 27
At Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia).
March 28
To stay or not to say with Liu Qi and the Tian Zhong Design Office? Hongyu found the Jian Guo Men project through Xiao Yu. But URDC ‘belongs’ to Liu Qi. He will stop URDC work on the project. Hongyu is very hurt.
March 29-30
Nan Mo Fang School and Kindergarten.
March 31
Meet with Du Zong from Yantai. He gave me a copy of an award given for the Coloured Cloud City (Cai Yun Cheng) Design.
Lunch with gang from Zhong Jing. Nice chat with Chen Feng.
Dinner with Xiao Yu, Mr. Peng, Hongyu, Dongxi and others at Karaoke Bar (Ka Le OK) near the Beijing Hotel.
April 1
My Nan Mo Fang Kindergarten Design is based on the un-built design I did at Zhong Jing a couple of years ago.
Nan Mo Fang Kindergarten Concept Design
April 2
Saturday
AM
Leaving home for work, Hongyu sees the book I made for Dongxi in He Aiyi’s hand. Hongyu is very upset but doesn’t interfere. And we don’t talk about it.
April 2-29
Work on the five public buildings for Nan Mo Fang: Recreation Center, Shopping Center, Kindergarten, Elementary School, Office Building. Zhu Jian comes to help draw them.
April 4
Lunch with Li Xiao Dong, He Jing Hua’s friend.
April 5
Lunch with Bijan Farid, discuss work with Badi center in Beijing.
Evening meeting with Liu Qi re office restructuring.
April 7
Sketch of a stylized ‘Han Dynasty Tower’ for corner of Building 21, Nan Mo Fang.
Dongxi went on an spring outing (Chun You) with his classmates.
He is in the front row, second from the right.
April 8
Lunch with Todd Main at MacDonald’s. He’s a Baha’i from Alaska, working for Microsoft in Shanghai. He told me about something called a search engine. It’s name is ‘Google’.
April 9
Sunday. Go to Summer Palace (Yi He Yuan) with Bijan, Sheedvash, Sona, Hongyu, He Aiyi, Dongxi. Go out in boats on the lake.
April 11
Sketch of Building 21. Zhu Zhen will draw three of the five building for 2500 yuan. Will finish on April 18.
April 12
Meet with Li Gui Lin (Religious Affairs Bureau).
April 13
Lunch with Zhang Hong Lin re Chao Yang Garden Residential Area.
Dinner with Mr. Zhu of the An Le Company.
The English version of the Beijing Real Estate Guide is published.
The Beijing Real Estate Investment Guide
Li Gui Lin delivered 20 copies of World Religion Book.
April 14
Evening at Hu He and Roger’s home. Hu He gave me final corrections to “Consultation”.
April 15
EVE:
Supper with Dan Abramson and Hao Xin.
Pick up LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping) in Chinese from Wang Tian Hui.
Lunch with Jian Ning about the translation of ‘Secret of Divine Civilization’.
April 16
Arrange time for Adam’s talk at Qinghua.
Zhu Zhen showed his work for the public buildings at Na Mo Fang (Gong Jian). Not finished yet.
April 19
Lunch with Sun Li Bo.
April 20
Pick up Adam Robarts at Airport.
April 21
Ridvan. Talk with Adam.
April 22-27
Adam is a great help working on the public buildings (Gong Jian) for Nan Xin Yuan (Nan Mo Fang), polishing, improving.
Make 20 copies of “Consultation”.
April 22
EVE:
Go to Beijing Hotel to Xiao Yu’s office for the Jian Guo Men Project. Hongyu was angry because the staff at Xiao Yu’s office treated her so badly.
April 26
Lunch with Wang Quan, the architect from Zhong Jing who could speak English.
Adam gave a lecture at Qinghua; they offer him work.
April 27
Evening: dinner with Hongyu, He Aiyi and Dongxi at McDonald’s.
Learned later that I could have seen Ruhiyyih Khanum. She was in Beijing.
April 28
Adam leaves.
Lunch with Sona and Candy.
April 29
Lunch with Wang Quan.
Gave designs for five public buildings at Nan Mo Fang to Gao Xiao Hui.
Consultation with Gao Xiao Hui. He thinks Tian Zhong should have contractual (chengbao) relationship with the Urban Research Center (Chengshi Yanjiu Zhongxin). He would like to look after public relations and let someone else look after internal management to produce drawings.
April 30
Saturday. Go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia).
May 1
We go to Long Qing Xia, in Yan Qing County, north Beijing’s. It’s a beautiful place in the northwest hills that resembles Gui Lin. Dongxi rides a horse with me; he is not afraid.
May 2
Take Dongxi to Bijan and Sheedvash home to play with their children. Candy and Sona looking after them. Bijan and Sheedvash are in Mongolia. Dongxi instant friends with their children.
Hongyu and I write introductory text for the Nan Mo Fang five public buildings.
May 3
Long discussion with Liu Qi and Gao Xiao Hui about the future of Tian Zhong.
Deliver English and Chinese version of LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping) to Zhang Long for comment.
Mongolia now has a Baha’i National Assembly.
Evening at Charles’ place.
Dongxi has wet his bed the past two nights.
May 4
Fax to Adam about ballooning in Anhui.
May 4-5
He Ping Men Site Plan, 1:1000. Revise design.
May 5
Meet with Liu Qi, Lin Yue, and Zhu Gong about Tian Zhong.
Go with Liu Zhi Yu to Fang Zhuang to see his friend’s restaurant and talk about renovations.
Evening: Go to Olympic Village (Ya Yun Cun) to discuss consultation.
May 6-10
Chao Yang Garden. Prepare 4 sketch ideas.
May 7
Meet Dr. Gary LeCompte and his Chinese wife at People’s Hospital (Ren Min Yi Yuan). Gary wants to start a Western clinic at the hospital.
May 9
Dongxi’s teachers praised his behaviour.
EVE:
Supper with Ruhiyyih Khanum.
May 10
Chao Yang Garden Residential Area: Show client four ideas; we will develop one of them.
May 11
Draw 2 ideas for Chao Yang Garden Residential Area.
Book tickets for Canada.
May 12
Lunch with Sun Li Bo
Draw a 1:50 plan for Gary LeCompte’s clinic at Ren Min Yi Yuan. Meet with M&E Engineers.
Ask them do a conceptual layout.
Supper with Xu Yong Sheng.
May 13
Work on Chao Yang Garden Residential Area.
Supper with Hongyu, Eric Frost, Hu Ming, Roger Hinson and Hu He.
May 14
Chao Yang Hua Yuan
Supper with Hongyu, Ruby Fuller, Bijan and Sheedvash, and Chen Yi Yun.
May 15
Sunday, Chao Yang Garden Residential Area.
May 16
At Tian Zhong, Gao Xiao Hui and Lin Yue are at war.
Phoned Elizabeth Rochester. I changed my booking to Canada so I can attend the Baha’i Summer School in Newfoundland.
May 17
Gao Xiao Hui made a decision, unilaterally, about new people to work at Tian Zhong. Relationship with Lin Yue at “hate” level. Lin Yue did not come to work today. I think this is the end of my relationship with Tian Zhong.
Gao Xiao Hui helped me move my sponsoring Work Unit out of the Plywood Memorial Society.
Mailed letter to Jiang Wen Ming in Nanjing.
May 18
Nice meeting with Wang Quan.
Arrange my residents permit (Zhu Liu Zheng) with ETON Properties, with their Beijing Rep. Office.
Friendly fax from Richard Chiu.
He Aiyi is often very dizzy, her bed is flying, she went to the hospital. We are going to Canada soon; she will stay in Beijing and be separated from Dongxi, so she is more upset.
May 19
Meet Gare LeCompte about his proposed clinic for foreigners at Ren Min Yi Yuan.
Meet Tian Zhong M&E engineers.
Liu Qi decides to close Tian Zhong. Fights break out about how to divide fees.
May 20
Revise Cai Shi Lu Residential District planning and He Ping Men planning.
Call from Adam Robarts.
Call from Xu Y….re Anhui English Teachers Project. Looks possible.
Lunch with Jian Ning. He says he wants to start a magazine called (“0”) “Ling” and publish Seven Valleys in it.
May 21
Tian Zhong Design Office imploding.
Meet with Li Ying, new architect, who will do the working drawings for the Nan Mo Fang five public (non-residential) buildings.
May 22
Sunday. Go with Hongyu and Dongxi to Fragrant Hills. Dongxi happy climbing the hills. At one point he introduced a statement by saying, “Wo fa xian…”. (I discovered, or … I realized…)
May 23
Declaration of the Bab.
Pick up renewed Resident’s Permit (Zhu Liu Zheng)!!!
Pick up application for visa for Dongxi to enter Canada.
Phone Wang Gong at Zhong Jing about division of bonus money for the working drawings of Coloured Cloud City (fen qian de wenti).
Give Chen Yi Yun a letter for Hossain Danesh.
May 24
Visit Wang Gong at Zhong Jing. Discuss fee distribution (fen qian yanjiu).
Meet with Li Ying about drawings for school and kindergarten at Nan Mo Fang.
Hongyu and I discuss life.
May 25
Meet with Gao Xiao Hui about dividing fees for Nan Mo Fang. I will ask Liu Qi to attend a meeting with all involved.
Apply for visa for Dongxi at Canadian Embassy.
Go to airport customs to pick up spare part for our car. They refused to give it to me. Wasted trip.
May 26
Caught a cold (Gan Mao).
Upset over Tian Zhong imploding.
Lunch with Zhang Long re: China; Towards a New Balance. "Do you really think Chinese people are that good?", she asked.
May 27
My cold continues.
Meet with Zhao Cheng and Meng Qiao from the Xin Xing Development Company, and with Li Ying and structural engineer to discuss Nan Mo Fang school and kindergarten.
Li Ying made some adjustments to my design according to the building code.
May 28
Make changes to kindergarten design.
Send Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). He agrees to stay overnight without us.
May 29
Sunday at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia).
Work on Nan Mo Fang kindergarten.
May 30
Revise Nan Mo Fang kindergarten and school.
Revise He Ping Men, now version number six.
May 31
He Ping Men Planning, discuss with Zhao Cheng.
Lunch with Farzam Kalamabadi and Marsai.
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