Living in China 1994 June - December

June 1 International Children’s Day. Go to Dongxi’s kindergarten to attend a celebration.

PM

Pick up Dongxi’s visa at the Canadian Embassy. Tian Zhong imploding? Adjust summer travel plans. Hongyu will go to San Francisco while Dongxi and I go to Newfoundland. Talk to Mr. Xu in Hefei. June 2 Very good discussion with Head of Dongxi’s Kindergarten. Good meeting with Li Ying and ___ about the kindergarten, only a few small changes remaining. He Ping Men, work on building for southeast corner of site. June 3 He Aiyi very dizzy. Took her to Roger Hinson’s clinic (met Sun Li Bo there). Took her to Tian Tan Hospital for CT. CT showed no problem.

PM

Talk with Adam in Chongqing. He received a very disappointing (insulting) offer from Qinghua. Hongyu suggested he accept the salary but negotiate a lower work load. Use it as an opportunity to work in Beijing. Fax came from Mr. Shen in Anhui. English Teacher project is on! Ruby Fuller will help find teachers. June 4 Meet with Li Ying, Liang Liang and teacher from Shan Ying’s school to discuss Nan Mo Fang Elementary school design. I wanted feedback from a real teacher. She made some very good, practical suggestions, for example, add sports storage for outdoor play near west exit. Send fax to Alan Fryback re Anhui English teachers. Lunch with Jian Ning and Sun Li Bo. Meeting with Hongyu, Yu Miao, and Gao Xiao Hui architectural design about fee distribution. In our Peugeot car on the way home, we stopped to buy watermelons near An Ding Men. Several street vendors were lined up along the sidewalk. I was waiting in the car while Hongyu went shopping. The car door was open to catch the breeze while I waited. Someone tried to cheat Hongyu (or she thought so?). A flying piece of watermelon hit the car door. Hongyu and vendor were smashing, throwing watermelons.

EVE

Visit Fei Lu Lu, Dongxi sang for her. June 5 Xiao Dong and her daughter Xiao Miao visit our home. PM Buy glass tops for the tables in our home. Start to put all my architectural designs into an A4 book.

Xie Xiao Dong

Go to pick up Hongyu at our new Ya Yun Cun (Olympic Village) office. Our car broke down in the parking lot. Xie Xiao Dong, music pop star, who lives upstairs, helped us jump-start our car by putting his SAAB nose-to-nose with ours. He had cables and took the time to help us. Our car started. I was wearing a 1992 flood disaster-relief concert T-shirt. He said he performed at that concert; he is from Beng Bu in northern Anhui. While we worked there, sometimes we would hear him practicing singing. June 6 At home working on my Concept Design (Fang An) book. Lunch with Jian Ning. He revised the little consultation book, lots of mistakes. Pollution is heavy in Beijing.

EVE:

He Aiyi: “Dongxi, do you want to go out and play?”

Dongxi: “Mama, Goodbye” (Mama, zai jian). June 7-17 Work with Hongyu at Bei Chen (Ya Yun Cun) office on He Ping Men and Cai Shi Lu. June 7 Visit Beijing 2000 exhibit. Met Professor Jiang Zhong____ from Jian Gong Xue Yuan. Hadn’t seen him since RAIC days. Good feeling. Xiao Xu called to say English teachers project can go ahead. I put him in touch with Ruby Fuller. June 8 Lunch with Hongyu’s clients Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim, Mr. Kim and Mr. Aum from the Kun Young Co. of Korea. Zhang Long said corrections to “China: Towards a New Balance” translation are half done. Will finish this weekend. June 11 Take Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). Buy gifts to take to Canada. Supper at Ritan Park courtyard restaurant. Discuss forming Joint Venture to do design and property development consulting with URDC (Zong Heng). June 14 Lunch with Bijan Farid. Meet with Zhang Long; she had completed corrections to “China: Towards a New Balance”. Letter from Sun Hua Sheng about comprehensive planning for Qingxi, a suburb of Dong Guan near Shenzhen.

EVE

See slideshow about construction projects on the on Mt. Carmel in Haifa presented by______. Hongyu came; challenge for her to watch. June 16 Evening: With Finneas and Arlette (friends of Adam). I had hoped Chen Yi Yun Laoshi would be my main assistance to Arlette. Arlette is a dancer and wants to go to the The All-China Women's Federation (I forget why). Unfortunately, Chen Laoshi left Beijing today and won’t be back until after Arlette and Finneas return to Chongqing. June 17 Li Ying came to Bei Chen, spent three hours talking about the elementary school design. Prepare He Ping Men, Cai Shi Lu and Nan Mo Fang pubic buildings (Gong Jian) for 5:00 pm supper meeting with Liu Qi, Xin Xing staff, and architects. Later that evening another meeting with Zhang Qi at Wen Cai Ge to talk about an apartment tower design. Everyone is getting into real estate. June 18 AM Pick up Arlette and Finneas at the Beijing Hotel. Go to All China Women’s Federation (Fu Lian) Headquarters east of Jian Gua Men. Fu Lian shows interest. Lunch at Big M. Dongxi is with us; he is charming and patient; I‘m very proud of him.

PM

Go to Beijing Dance Academy and met a very cold official from their Foreign Affairs Office. She agreed to let Arlette attend a modern dance class next Thursday. Have supper near our home that evening at the “hole in wall” restaurant on Nan Lou Gu Xiang. This north-south road close to our home is called Nan Lou Gu Xiang. It has only a few tiny stores where old couples sold candy, soy sauce and cigarettes. The restaurant we named “Hole in the Wall” had only a door open to the street. Inside, the restaurant had windows that opened onto a courtyard. Dongxi (la duzi) had diarrhea, too much ice cream. June 19 Letter to Sun Hua Sheng. Calulate Nan Mo Fang division of fees. Go to Fang Zhuang to pick up He Ping Men drawings. Take Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). June 20 Go to Fu Cheng Men Bomb Shelter office. Give He Ping Men site plan to Bao Feng the model-maker. Work on Nan Mo Fang public buildings. Gave typed, revised “China: New Balance” to Zhang Long. June 21-27 Work on revisions to Nan Mo Fang public buildings (Gong Jian). June 22 Pick up money from Nation Fender Architects (NFA) at bank. Zhang Long makes last adjustments to “China: New Balance”. Take it to typist/printer. Supper: Hongyu Dongxi, He Aiyi, Hu He, Roger, Finneas, Arlette. June 23 Work on He Ping Model, Finneas helping. Peter Newman joined us for supper. Went in evening with Finneas, Arlette, and Hongyu to measure some of the buildings beside the He Ping Men site. June 24 He Ping Men, Finneas still helping. He is happy, an architect, we talk of collaborating. Rural University, fax from Alan Fryback. June 25 Pick up Chinese and English “China: Towards a New Balance” from printer. [Note from 2021: This ‘book’ was a dry run of a later version that was published, with the help of Jian Ning, in 2009 called “Some Thoughts on China and the New World Order”.] Finneas and Arlette joined Dongxi and I to send He Aiyi to the airport. It was He Aiyi’s first time flying. Although nervous about it, she appreciated how little time it was going to take to get home. We paid for her flight. Talk of her coming back, but I think it is unlikely. June 25 Take Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). Jiaozi for dinner with watermelon. June 27 Lunch with Bijan Farid and John Magnan. Gave them copies of “China: Toward a New Balance”. June 28 Meet with Xin Xing Development Company leader, Zhao Cheng, to talk about Cai Shi Lu. Some small changes. He Ping Men Model 95% complete, recalculate areas. Will do individual building design while I am in Canada. Fee distribution issues settled in meeting with Liu Qi, Hongyu, Gao Xiao Hui, and Yu Miao.

Cai Shi Lu Planning Concept

Cai Shi Lu Planning: Housing Zones 1,2,3, and 4 are arranged as a pinwheel around a central green space. Housing Zone 5 is north of the Elementary School. The Kindergarten is north of the green space. Parents can use the central green space as a meeting place when they drop off or pick up their children. In China this space is very animated especially at the end of the day when many parents arrive a little early and have a few minutes to socialize. The green space can also be used by the kindergarten during the day as an outdoor play space. Children can go to the Elementary School without crossing any big roads. The same concepts were used for the Nan Mo Fang Housing District.

Cai Shi Lu Housing District in Beijing (2020 Image)

The housing is 6 storey walk-up apartments with two or three apartments per staircase. The deciduous trees in the gardens and along the roads are about the same height as the buildings. They provide valuable shade in the summer and allow solar insolation (passive solar heating) in the winter.

Cai Shi Lu Housing District in Beijing.

Most of the apartment blocks are aligned east-west and face south. The top of the image is north. The red colour indicates housing aligned north-south (facing east). There is a strong preference in China for housing that faces south, but I wanted at least some to face east. It boosts the FAR, gives some enclosure to the garden spaces and helps define some north-south street-scapes. June 29 Give copy of “China Balance” to Chen Yi Yun Laoshi. She gave me a copy of Hossain Danesh book, “Psychology of Spirituality”. Get ready to go to Canada. Hongyu concerned her papers might not be in order for her to leave China. She went to police station to check. She found out she had to let go of her Beijing Registration (Hu Kou) because she has Landed Immigrant Status in Canada. She canceled it. Now Dongxi is (hu zhu) “Master” of our house.

PM

Go to Canada. June 30 - July 6 Ottawa. Dad meets us at the airport. Its been two years since we were here. July 6 - 11 Dongxi and I go to Newfoundland. At the same time Hongyu went to San Francisco to visit old friends. July 12 Hongyu, Joe and Dongxi all return to Ottawa. July 13 My brother Tom comes from Vancouver.

Left to right: Joe, Tom, Mark, Chris

July 24

Joe, Hongyu, Dongxi drive to Quebec. Night in Montreal with Pieter Sijpkes on the way back. July 27 Hongyu goes back to Beijing. July 28 One day trip with Don Johnston and Dongxi to Montreal. July 29 - August 1 Dongxi and I go to Toronto on the bus. Visit Ginny Rochester and Ann Wilson. August 5 Return to Beijing. August 8 Jet-lagged. Dongxi and I up in middle of night, playing, working. August 8 Drop Dongxi off at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). Lao Ye (Grandpa) did very thorough, careful improvements to my Letter to DXP. He said this theme is now a subject of discussion by top leaders. Meeting with Xin Xing Development Company. Work on Nan Mo Fang colour scheme. Pick up Dongxi. What is the future of URDC? August 9 Up very early. Dongxi and Hongyu still sleeping. Quiet moment, baby crying downstairs. Which way to turn? Work on He Ping Men housing design at west side of sight. August 10 Nan Mo Fang site visit. Had a salad near Jian Guo Men, Sai Te and got diarrhea. August 11-12 At home, sticky hot, give Dongxi a bath, feel so groggy, no air-conditioning. He Ping Men planning is urgent. Trying to draw, sleepy, clean up cluttered house, not getting some important work done, not getting “Thank you”s written for Canadian friends’ hospitality. The fax number I gave everyone in Canada has been cut off. August 14 Sunday: Take Dongxi to Bei Hai Park. I love these outings. It’s often just the two of us. I enjoy Dongxi enjoying. I can be a kid again. The city is our playground. Just inside the north gate of the park they sell bread. We buy some, break off small pieces and toss them in the water. Soon the fish - orange, white and black - converge and churn up a froth of feeding. We stroll toward the small amusement park on the east side of the lake. On the way we watch a man with a pointed wet mop writing graceful characters on the concrete paving blocks under our feet. Each block a word, evaporating slowly as he moved along. A poem from the Tang Dynasty - evanescent and permanent. Our bravest ride is what I call the Loop-the-Loop. Back-to-back, two-seat capsules are at either end of a large arm that pivots in the middle. The machine started up. The large vertical arm rotated and we with it. Shoulder and waist straps stopped us from falling out. We sailed up in the air and then sped toward the ground. Circle, circle. Each capsule also rotated on its axis. We circle and torque upside down and downside up. Oh! Hey, was that fun! August 15 Dongxi 4 years old. In English he said, “Thank you Baba you make this castle (Lego) to me.” Some of Hongyu’s URDC clients are Korean development companies. She helps them with feasibility studies of sites in Beijing. They remarked when she met with them that it was unusual for to meet with a woman. One of people she met with was a young man we called “Didi” (little brother). We both liked him and ate together several times; sometimes we brought Dongxi with us. The Lego was a gift from Didi. Long letter to Hossein Amanat re Joint Venture. August 16 Meet with Xin Xing Development Company at their new offices in Fang Zhuang. Bring Dongxi, well-behaved…fun. August 16 to October 17 Work on Nan Mo Fang non-residential Public Buildings (Gong Jian), including Buildings 21 and 22. Slowly finish designs. August 17 Supper with Didi from Korea. Hongyu and I are wondering about the future. We are too tied to the Xin Xing Development Company. August 18 Hongyu crying. URDC is failing. Beijing Real Estate market over-supplied? What should we do? We brainstorm. Start a furniture factory? A Kindergarten? URDC collaborate with the Badi Foundation? Open a restaurant? A Senior Citizen’s Center? Volunteer Work? August 19 Still writing “Thank you” letters for our summer holiday. Lunch with Jian Ning. He plans to publish what he calls a magazine, called “0” (zero). He wants it to include a mystical writing of Baha’u’llah called “The Seven Valleys”. August 20 Go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). Dongxi angry and kicks everyone because he can’t watch cartoons. August 22 Dongxi refuses to eat lunch, crying. Zhou Hai agrees to translate Seven Valleys for “O”. Supper with Liu Qi. Expensive: 4,400 yuan supper for 10 people. Dongxi came with us, excellent behavior. August 23 Hu He and Roger come for supper. Hu He is pregnant. They are leaving in mid-September for the USA. She agreed to translate soundtrack of a videotape about Rural University in Columbia. August 24 Lunch with Xiao Xue. He invites me to be part of Tian Zhong. I propose a Tian Zhong /URDCJoint Venture. He says “Women yanjiu, yanjiu.” (Let’s look into that.) A non-committal answer. August 25 These days, Dongxi does something, daily, that makes me lose my temper. He is rebellious, refuses to eat food. I took Dongxi for an early visit to the kindergarten to awaken his interest and to find out exactly when school will start. Dongxi said, in English: “How about let me help you? Me saw you working very hard. Let me help you.” Delivered letter to Ambassador Bild about offering my services; I had dreamed the night before about working at the Embassy. August 27 Saturday. Give Hongyu flowers for her (36th) birthday. Hot days, easy to feel tired. Dongxi refused to brush his teeth, made a fuss. I said no watching “Wizard of Oz” until Monday. He cried for half an hour, so angry! Hongyu depressed about our ambiguous situation. Is Dongxi’s mood an extension of ours? August 28 Sunday. Go with Dongxi, Hongyu, Liang Liang, and Shan Ying to the zoo. August 29 Letter to Urbis Travers Morgan, a construction engineering and landscape architecture firm with an office in HK. Inquire about work. I am 47 years old. I do not have great professional experience in Canada, a few projects in Newfoundland. I don’t know how to use computer drawing software. And, I am not very experienced (at least not yet) in China. Who would want me? When we were in Canada, I bought movies for Dongxi to watch. Recently, he watches the Wizard of Oz every day. He asked about why it changed from black and white to colour part way through. I wanted him to figure out the answer to that question by himself, so I told him the world used to be black and white and then it changed to colour. Lunch with Bijan Farid, Kang and Gordon. August 30 Liu Qi accepts idea of Joint Venture of Tian Zhong and Joe Carter Hongyu bought bigger flowers, mine were too small. These hot days, at home with Dongxi, feel so unfocused…looking for something. LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping); Hongyu almost finished reading it and then felt it’s too bad. A tension we can’t solve right now. August 31 Lunch with Jian Ning. Postcards from David and Joan Rendell in Shanghai. September 1 Dongxi is back at kindergarten. Going there he was a little afraid, half-asleep. When I picked him up in the evening he was happy. When I asked him what he did, he said “Drink water, pee pee (sa niao), sleep and eat”. “Nothing else?!” I went to the Nan Mo Fang construction site to look at exterior wall colour samples for the Kindergarten and Elementary School. Xin Xing will pay URDC for conceptual design. September 2 Dongxi second day at school is OK. Go to Beijing Book fair. There is a Baha’i Booth. Meet some Baha’i friends. September 3 Sunday, wash upstairs floors. Dongxi angry because someone ate a piece of watermelon that he had identified as his. He went to his room crying. I grabbed him, showed him there was lots more watermelon left in the fridge. Just before leaving home he was folding the binding on one of his Tin Tin books completely backwards. I showed him how that hurt the book. He kept on doing it. I said, “Not good”. He sulked.

On the way out he did not say hello to the neighbours. We went for a Sunday drive to Tan Zhe Si and Jie Tai Temple in the Mentougou mountains to the west of Beijing, Jie Tai Si was first constructed in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Hongyu and I are inspired by its beauty, including magnificent old tress that seem more holy than the temple. On the way back, I hit the breaks because a truck nearly hit us. No seat-belts in the rear of the Jeep. Dongxi fell on the floor, not hurt. He was angry at us. I stopped the car; I was angry at him. I said, “It’s not fair to blame us for an accident”. At home he refused medicine, refused a bath. I feel angry, I told him I didn’t like him. We had had a beautiful day in the hills especially Jie Tai Si; it had a statue of Ah Mi Tuo Fu (Maitreye), the Future Buddha. September 6 Dongxi doing well at school these days.

EVE:

He said “No” to a bath, just as he was getting into it. The rebelliousness and irrationality of it make me angry. I force him into the water. He went wild with rage and tears. I told him he could find another father. Lately, he has dreams in which he sees monsters…. then he moves to our bed. September 7 Wake up feeling very sad about Dongxi and I. I took him to school; he seemed fine. No emotional “leftovers”.

Dongxi playing with his friends

September 8 Work on polishing the English in an article by Wang Yu Kun about the city of Zhu Hai (opposite Macau) . Dongxi willing to go to school; he seems to like it. Me: “What did you learn?” Dongxi: “Everything”. Me: “Tell me one thing”. Dongxi: “I forget”. September 9 Worked half day on Wang Yu Kun’s article and then lost it in the computer. September 10 Dongxi not willing to go to school. He stays up late at night. Evening dinner party at Bijan and Sheedvash’s place. Hongyu brought a salad and enjoyed herself, told a joke. Dongxi didn’t get a second helping of ice cream and was angry and rude for the rest of the evening. I felt embarrassed and disappointed. September 11 Sunday: We all drive to Tong Xian, in the East of Beijing, to see Mao Mao in the Tuberculosis hospital (Fei Jie He Bing). The air is better out here. September 12-13 I have a cold (gan mao). Revise LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping). September 14 Finish proof-reading English version of “Urban Governance and the Zhuhai Experience” by Wang Yu Kun. September 15 Fax to Lori Noguchi re visit by the Canadian artist, Don Rogers visit. He’s also a Baha’i.

EVE:

Hongyu put Dongxi to bed. He said, “No! I will push you, throw you out the window”. Rage and tears. He kicked Hongyu. September 16 Site visit to Nan Mo Fang Elementary School. Meet with construction company. Hongyu working on a Joint Venture proposal to Liu Qi.

PM

Hongyu went to a parent’s meeting at Dongxi’s Kindergarten. Police dropped in to our home. The leader of the Local Police Station (Pai Chu Suo) came, and the policeman we already know. Friendly chat, I thought. I’m the only foreigner that I know of living in their ward. September 18 Sunday: Go with Dongxi, Hongyu, Liang Liang (Hongyu’s sister) and Shan Ying (Liang Liang’s daughter) to Si Ma Tai Great Wall. Beautiful day. Met boy on wall who lived nearby. From his village, he travels two hours by bicycle each way to school on the weekend. He stays in a dormitory during the week. On the weekend, he makes a little money for books and pencils selling bottled water to thirsty people climbing the Wall. September 19 Ate something bad yesterday; I’m erupting at both ends. September 20 Hongyu takes my design for Nan Mo Fang Building 21 to Liu Qi and Meng Qiao. They are happy with it, ask for a few small changes. Dongxi at home today, with me, he has a cough. September 21 At home with Dongxi. In a fevered, sleepy condition he peed on the coffee table in our living room. I don’t know how deliberate it was; I didn’t punish him. These days Hongyu is attending an International Housing Conference, helping with translation. Supper at a restaurant behind the old Exhibition Hall beside the zoo, with Richard Groves from Birmingham and two of his colleagues. Liu Qi is the host. Also some Housing Reform Office (Fang Gai Ban) staff. Dongxi joined us; his behaviour was excellent! Liu Qi introduced me as his best architect. At home, I accidentally plugged in our 110V printer directly into a 220V outlet. Damaged it. I want to write a letter on behalf of Mrs. Chen Yi Yun. At night, in his sleep, Dongxi said “I didn’t mean to do it.” September 23 Evening: with Marc Choco, his wife Michelle, Mr. Chen, Mr. Liu, Natasha from Russia, and Dongxi. Public manners not so good, but he warmed wonderfully to Michelle. Xiao He is moving to Bei Chen. It seems we are the only ones who brings a child to these dinners. He is always welcomed, and he usually enjoys it.

Marc Choco

[Note from 2021: Professor, author, lecturer and curator in the field of poster and graphic design Marc H. Choko is professor emeritus at the School of Design of the University of Quebec in Montreal, where he has taught since 1977. He was director of research at the National Institute for Scientific Research (INRS) Urbanization, Culture and Company from 1985 to 2005. From 1999 to 2008, he directed the Design Center of the University of Quebec in Montreal. A graduate in architecture from the University of Montreal (1973), he also holds a master's degree in planning from the same university (1976) and a doctorate in urban planning from the University of Paris VIII (1981). Marc H. Choko is the author of numerous reports, articles and books on urban development and housing issues, nationally and internationally - notably in China, where he was a consultant and associate professor from 1991 to 2000. Passionate through posters, he collects them since the mid-1960s, then undertakes research, particularly on their production in Quebec and Canada. He began to organize exhibitions, including several as a curator, and to publish numerous works from the beginning of the 1980s. - Member of the Visual Arts jury, Conseil des arts de Montréal (2016-2018) - Knight of the Order of Academic Palms (France, 2016) - Honorary member of the Society of Graphic Designers of Quebec (2013).]

September 24 Noon birthday party at Farid’s for Amelia (Milly) who we refer to as “Yi Lang Jie Jie”(Iranian Little Sister). Dongxi joined a party of strangers - Milly’s kindergarten classmates - like a fish in water. The Farid’s lived in an apartment just behind the Agricultural Exhibition Center. Later, at home, he was lying on his stomach on his bed with his face propped up on his hands. “I sad and angry”. “Why”, I asked. He said, “I want to play at Milly’s home”. September 26 Wang Quan came for supper. “How are you doing?”, I asked. He answered, “Ma ma hu hu” (马马虎虎) (mǎ mǎ hǔ hǔ). This is a Chinese idiom. Word-for-word translation is “horse horse tiger tiger”. It is used to describe something that is neither outstanding nor terrible, fair to middling. Depending on the situation, it can mean ‘not so bad’. Sun Li Bo agreed to coordinate Don Rogers’ visit inside China. September 27 Hongyu very depressed, Liu Qi will not use her for the He Ping Men Project.

AM

Meet Mr. Li, President of Chong Gu Co. at Capital Mansions; he likes the furniture idea. We are thinking of doing that as an alternate livelihood.

EVE

Liu Zhi Yu and Li Gui Lin (Religious Affairs Bureau) came to visit our home. Dongxi did not say hello to them, not polite. Liu Zhi Yu likes the furniture idea. Hongyu now enthused about it. I left a message with Fainula at UNDP. I hope I can do more work in Anhui. Help Qiu Jiang with Arthur Erickson’s visit to Beijing. Reading “Sir Wifred Laurier” biography by Schull, and “World in the Balance” by Al Gore. September 29 Dongxi came home with a Chinese flag he had made in school, singing a song about the flag. October 1 National Holiday Hongyu feels Liu Qi must keep her at a distance to subdue gossip about his relationship with URDC. Go to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). October 2 Go to Peach Valley (Ying Tao Gou) near the Fragrant Hills. Dongxi, Liang Liang and Shan Ying come along. Lao Lao and Lao Ye are in good spirits. We have picnic in a grassy area and then walk a path up a beautiful valley with many trees in flower. We drink tea at a beautiful tea house with an outdoor terrace under trees on a path by a stream.

One of the most beautiful walks in Beijing is along Cherry Valley Ying Tao Gou to the west of the Reclining Buddha Temple (Wofo Si). The temple is is located near the Beijing Botanical Garden 20 kilometres from the center of Beijing. The temple is the location of a recumbent Buddha sculpture, created in 1321.

October 3 Hongyu hired a Driver/Assistant called Chu Shifu. “Chu” is his family name. “Shifu” means “master”. October 8 Saturday Go to Si Ma Tai Great Wall with a group from City Research Center (Cheng Shi Yan Jiu Zhong Xin) and stayed overnight. Dongxi had a great time. He asked, “What does ‘study’ mean?” He shared some aspirations: “I want to grow up to be Batman.” I want to grow up to be a Messenger.”

Joe, Hongyu and Dongxi at the Si Ma Tai section of the Great Wall

October 9 Come back to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia) for supper. October 10 Feel a little lost. I’ve worked at home since coming back from Canada this summer. I have no office, no real employer, no clear sense of direction. Printers, both of them, are broken. Portable telephone hard to use. Easy to feel discouraged. “O God! Guide me.” Last night I dreamed about setting up working relationship with Richard Chiu. Lunch with Bijan Farid. Fax from Adam saying he was accepting a work offer from Qinghua University Department of Architecture. He will start teaching in February 1995. Hongyu said Liu Qi wants me to form quickly a Joint Venture with Tian Zhong. He asked Hongyu how long we planned to stay in China. She said at least five years. Prayers being answered? Oct 11 Hongyu off to Qin Huang Dao for two days. Dongxi wet bed every night for three nights. Teachers at school say he’s “nei xiang”, like a girl, shy, doesn’t run around. I visit the computer company where Hongyu is doing a study of Beijing overpasses. Help them define our Jian Guo Men project in their computer model. Lunch with Sun Li Bo and Wang Quan. Wang Quan willing to join Tian Zhong/URDC/Joe Carter Joint Venture. Will it happen? Sun Li Bo will take care of arrangements for Don Rogers’ visit. Evening supper at Big M at Long Fu Da Sha. I bought an Au Te Man action figure for Dongxi. He had seen them on TV. I saw him enjoying it. In the movies they are men with thick rubber suits; not very scary.

Auteman 奥特曼

Visit Sheedvash Farid. She agrees with Hongyu’s plan for an art class for children.

Talked on the phone with Dr. Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian. [Note from 2021: Dr. Abdu’l-Missagh Ghadirian is a Professor at McGill University Faculty of Medicine and an Emeritus Physician of McGill University Health Centre. He is a Fellow to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is also Chairman of the Scientific Committee, American Psychiatric Association’s Quebec and Eastern Canada District Branch. He has spoken in academic conferences and lectured in several universities in North, Central and South America as well as in Europe, Asia, and Australasia. He is a former Director of Medical Education of the Montreal World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health. He has done extensive research and published over 130 peer-reviewed articles in scientific and other academic journals and media. He is the author of several books, including “In Search of Nirvana”, “Aging: Challenges and Opportunities” and “Environment and Psychopathology” (co-edited with late professor Heinz Lehmann) and more recently “Alcohol and Drug Abuse – A Psychosocial and Spiritual Approach to Prevention” (George Ronald, Oxford UK 2007). Some of his works have been translated and published in English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Persian, Russian, Chinese and French. His most recent book is Creative Dimensions of Suffering, published in 2009.] October 13 Discuss 1995 Women’s Conference with Chen Yi Yun Laoshi. Pick up Dr. Ghadirian at his hotel, pick up his ticket to Haerbin at travel agent located on Qian Men East Alley almost out to Chongwenmen. Good talk in the car. Bring him to meet Chen Yi Yun Laoshi. While they talk I pick Dongxi up at his kindergarten. We have supper at Long Fu Da Sha Big M with Dr. Ghadirian.

Photo of Dr. Ghadirian, me, Dongxi, and Ronald McDonald

EVE

Exhausted, play with Dongxi. October 14 Take Dongxi to school extra early, because today they all go for Qiu You (Autumn Outing). Last night he wet the bed again. In the middle of it we carried him to the bathroom. He had such a frustrated, disappointed look on his face. Supper with Peter Wang (Vancouver) and his family. October 15 Dongxi so well-behaved today. He saw bananas and asked first if he could have one. Before we went out shopping, he asked for more new toys. We told him he had received several lately. He didn’t raise the subject again. We bought a new red leather jacket for me. Loathe to spend money on new clothes, but it’s useful to look presentable. October 16 Zhou Aiyi came today from Lao Lao Jia to help with housecleaning. Before going to bed, Dongxi said “Today was a happy day!” “Why, Dongxi?” “Because Zhou Ayi came.” We visited Liang Liang (Er Yi Ma) at her place. Dongxi not very interested. Almost ran when it was time to go. He refused to eat his supper; we wouldn’t let him eat anything else. October 17 I’m working at home on Nan Mo Fang Public Buildings. Hongyu goes out to work. I’m taking Dongxi to school. Before we go he said, “I want to say goodbye to Mama”. He gently hugged her and said goodbye.

October 18 Evening walk with Dongxi. We like to explore the neighbourhood. Many stores on the main streets have stairs, three or four steps high, that stretch across their whole facade. The steps of one store butt against the steps of their neighbours. Dongxi like to walk along these steps and see how far he can go before he is forced to come down to the sidewalk. October 19 Continue work on LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping).

PM

Called to meeting with Gui Hua Ju about He Ping Men. When we arrived at the Planning Bureau, I was not allowed to enter the building because I was foreigner. Liu Shao Shi, the Planning Bureau Head, had to come downstairs to meet me and bring me up to the meeting. They loved our design! Liu Shao Shi, said it was the best planning for the old city he had ever seen. Meet with Xu Ping Bo and Structural Engineer re Nan Mo Fang Bldg 21 (Northwest corner of site). I feel they have strayed far from my design. October 21 Go with Hongyu, Liu Qi, and Liu Zhi Yu to look at a site in Mi Yun for a recreation/ vacation/ hotel center downstream from the water reservoir. Meet with the County Head (Xian Zhang). Beautiful site with birch trees.

EVE

Buy LEGO toy at Yan Sha Department Store as Xmas present from Mom and Dad for Dongxi. October 22 Saturday at home with Dongxi. Write letter to Mom and Dad. October 23 Sunday: Take Dongxi to Wu Ta Si just north of the zoo, and then to the zoo. Happy!! October 25 Finish further corrections to He Ping Men Planning. Dongxi gets dressed, washes, eats raisins, listens to wake-up stories and prayers. He sits on the back of my bicycle and I take him to the kindergarten. I drop him off. I come home, boil water for thermoses, and make oatmeal for breakfast. Lunch with Sunli Bo. He gave me a copy of a compilation called “Baha’i Marriage and Family Life”, half translated into Chinese. Meet Cecilia Milwertz from Kulu, Denmark at Chen Yi Yun Laoshi Family Research Center.

October 26 Lately, Dongxi very well-behaved; still going to bed late, getting up too late. Meet with Bijan Farid and his niece re Chinese NGO. October 27 Meet Chen Yi Yun Laoshi re her 1995 Conference; she called it “Women and Spiritual Civilization”. Hongyu said Qi Hong gave credit for Real Estate Guide to his company without mentioning her. She’s very disappointed. I help Qiu Jiang prepare the Arthur Erickson exhibit at China National Gallery. October 29 House-cleaning. Dongxi wet his bed twice today. Looked for Roger LeBlanc at Lao Dong Da Sha; he had already left. Hongyu looked beautiful today. October 31 Review 1995 Conference proposal with Mrs. Chen. She made some small changes and signed her name to the covering letter. November 1 Give 1995 Conference proposal to Bijan Farid and the half-translated “Baha’i Marriage & Family Life”.

EVE Dongxi said, “Baba, I want to hug you”. “OK, Why?” “Because I like you…….and I like Mama too.” November 4 Site visit at Nan Mo Fang. EVE

Attend performance by Toronto Dance Theater at Poly Plaza. Christopher House, the director, was from Newfoundland and was an old friend of my first wife, Cathy Ferri. November 6 Attend evening opening of Arthur Erickson exhibition. He was there. I told I him I met him when I was 22 and spent two days in 1969 cleaning out his office basement. November 7 Attend Arthur Erikson lecture at Arts and Crafts Institute on the East Third Ring Road (Gong Yi Mei Shu Xue Yuan). Met old Tianjin Professor friend, Zhang Wen Jun. On my first visit to China in 1985, he taught us about Chinese Gardens. November 8 Go with Korean Co., K-Young, and Albert Reichmann to look at a few sites in Beijing, including our Jian Guo Men site. At one point he jumped off the bus because the sun had set and he was not allowed to be in a vehicle.

Albert Reichmann

Supper with Richard Bernstein (AWA) and Qiu Jiang. Renew effort to find a project for Arthur Erikson. November 10 Hongyu and I decided a Joint Venture with Tian Zhong was not a good idea. There is no strong interest in design excellence. Decide to focus on URDC instead. November 11 Writing a lot of letters, reaching out. Lately, loving Dongxi so much. I had a dream last night. I saw a boat that floated off a huge waterfall by sprouting a white umbrella-like sail at the last second. It flew overhead, caught by the wind. Then flew off (fell) down and down and down. Then I woke up. Hongyu dreamed Dongxi was not allowed to go to regular elementary school. November12 Birthday of Baha’u’llah. Didn’t join friends today, felt sad. Didn’t tell Hongyu what day this was. Told Dongxi. Work continues to be unstable. We flirt with huge projects. November 13 At Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). Mao Mao was reading something about Buddhism. Evening SNOW!!! Dongxi and I make a snowman in our yard. November 14 We get up and see that someone had destroyed our snowman. I feel like a foreigner here. Tian Zhong feels distant. Visited Bijan. He is so busy. I felt disappointed he hadn’t looked at, or forwarded, the proposal for the 1995 conference. November 15 Wrote fax to Adam Robarts about a Joint Venture with URDC. November 17 Continue work on LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping). Package Christmas gifts for Canada. Qiu Jiang came to visit. He has leads on five projects, four in Shanghai, one in Beijing. He invited us to join him to meet the Beijing potential client. November 18 Li Gui Lin said no one contacted her with information about the Baha’i situation in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau. I felt embarrassed and upset that she was not helped. I invested a lot in connecting her to friends in HK and Macau and then nothing happened. There may things I don’t know. Working at home feels temporary. Where am I going? No health insurance. No steady work. My visa expires in four months. HELP! November 19 At home with Dongxi (Leo). Lunch with Hongyu and Qiu Jiang. Spent afternoon talking with him about possible collaboration. Dongxi played with Qiu Jiang’s nephew. Supper with Dan Abramson and Hao Xin. See their new daughter, Rachel. November 21 Work on brochure for URDC. Lunch with Jian Ning. He says “O” magazine is coming along, hopefully before next Spring Festival it will come out. November 22 Lunch with Joerg Wuttke. Fax from Adam Robarts. He is enthusiastic about a Joint Venture with URDC. Disc with “Baha’i Marriage and Family Life” has virus that even the ‘KILL’ program can’t kill. ‘KILL’ is made by the China Security Bureau (An Quan Bu). November 23 URDC brochure Lunch with Sun Li Bo. He will ask Charles Bau about killing the virus on the disc. Mi Yun hotel-resort project is dead. Planning Bureau will not allow development so close to, and downstream from, the reservoir. Close to a village called Beibaiyan. November 25 AM

Attend parent/child activity at Dongxi’s school today. He asked us to dress beautifully for the visit. At one point he stood up when his teacher asked for volunteers. He said, in Chinese, holding a big stick, pointing at the brown colour, “I will use the brown colour to draw a tiger”. Teacher very encouraging. I was very proud of him.

PM

Pick up Joint Venture info from Beijing Bureau of Commerce (Jing Mao Wei), across the street from the Foreign Affairs Bureau (Wai Jiao Bu), old location. Supper with Dr. Gare LeCompte. The Ren Min Hospital Clinic project is still alive. November 26 Take Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). He will stay overnight. November 28 Go back to Beijing Bureau of Commerce with more questions about Joint Ventures. Work on URDC brochure. November 29 Supper with Gare and _____his Chinese wife. She really likes Dongxi. She gave him a pair of Spiderman pajamas. November 30 Write long letter to Adam re Joint Venture. Qiu Zhang called asking for info re China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). We phone the EU office in Beijing. They give us CEIBS info and invite Hongyu and I to look at the renovation of the EU headquarters in Beijing. I told Dongxi the mermaid turned into an air spirit and brushed the Prince’s cheek, but the Prince didn’t know. Dongxi was wide-eyed. December 2 Letter to EU in Beijing. Continue work on LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping). December 3 Saturday Took Dongxi with me to Fang Zhuang to meet with the Xin Xing Development Company. He likes to play with He Gang, the driver. Once when our Peugeot broke down, He Gang came to help tow us to a repair shop. His tow rope was long and as we passed in front of the Agricultural Exhibition Hall, another car slipped into the space between us. I was terrified. I honked my horn madly. Fortunately, the intruder did not run over our tow rope and exited in time. We received a notice from the Post Office that a parcel had arrived from Canada. Such parcels were rare and we knew a Christmas package was on its way. I put Dongxi on the back of my bicycle and we wove through the hutongs to the Post Office on the street leading south from the Drum Tower (Gu Lou Nan Da Jie). The brown paper package tied up with string was taken home and opened right away. The virtue of waiting until Christmas was too difficult to explain. The joy was not in the objects sent, it was the excitement we had riding together to receive them; and the love (especially from my father) put into the gifts, the wrapping, the cards, the name tags…evanescent and permanent. December 5 Letter to the National Assembly of the Baha’is of Canada. I am anxious these days: future? Resident’s Permit? December 6 Call from Li Gui Lin (Religious Affairs Bureau) and from a Canadian, Mojnan____, coming to Beijing. December 7 Dongxi has San Xian Yan (腮腺炎), parotitis, an acute inflammatory process of one or more of the salivary glands. It is contagious, so he can’t go to school. I will stay home with him while Hongyu goes to work. December 8 Print 6 copies of LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping). Dongxi said this morning he really likes Mama and I because we look after him when he is sick. Took him to McDonald’s. Actually, nothing there is good to eat. A lady who knows Dongxi said he should drink lotus root and reed soup. I bought the ingredients and Hongyu made the soup. Dongxi liked it. She also said he should eat lots of Xin Jiang raisins. December 9 Very unemployed, very worried. Taking care of Dongxi at home. He is so good these days. When Hongyu came home and felt depressed about our situation and cried a little, Dongxi concentrated on cheering her up. My Resident Permit expires on April 1, next year. December 10 Saturday. With Dongxi at home. December 11 Take Dongxi to Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). Letter to Adam about setting up a Rep Office in Beijing. December 12 Meet with Bijan Farid; give him latest version of LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping).

PM

Meet with Hyundai Co. re their search for land in Beijing. Pick up Dongxi at Mao Mao Jia (Home of Mao Mao, Hongyu’s eldest sister). December 13 Start Children’s Education compilation. Husayn Anwar called. December 14 Doctor said Dongxi is well enough to go back to school. December 15 Fax to Lee Lee, Counselor, re 1995 conference. Supper with a Korean Co. that wants to make a Joint Venture with Hongyu and I. Hongyu’s clients paid her in cash. One day I put $32,000 USD in the Bei Xin Qiao bank. Stares from others in the line-up as the money was counted. Talking with Adam Robarts about a Rep. Office for Alex Rahimi. December 17 Take Dongxi to Mao Mao Jia. Lately, he and Mao Mao are very good friends. Writing an article called “Going to School”. Hard to sleep at night, I feel so anxious. December 18 Sunday, pick up Dongxi at Grandma's house (Lao Lao Jia). Dongxi very happy and well-behaved these days. December 19 Snowstorm. Called KL re 1995. Mail copy of Beijing Real Estate Guide to Don Johnston. Don was my McGill classmate, now working at Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in Ottawa. December 20 Lunch with Sun Li Bo. Hongyu says a Mi Yun project doesn’t want URDC to do a feasibility report for a resort. URDC is not strong enough. They want Liu Qi’s Urban Research Center (Cheng Shi Yan Jiu Zhong Xin) to do it. December 21 Work on diagram called Map of Human Maturation; a circular time chart with the present in the middle.

Map of Human Maturation 2007

December 22 Lunch with Bijan Farid and Shane Tedjrati. Discuss Badi Foundation.

Shane Tedjrati

December 23 Mail out 20 copies of URDC brochure looking for work….not much hope. Pick up Christmas package from my brother Chris at the International P.O. near JIan Guo Men. I asked Tanya Nelson to ask her friend in Hebei to read a Chinese script onto tapes for Rural University video. December 24 Hongyu is learning to drive the car. She’s going to a driving school where they use old army jeeps to practice. December 25 Went to Fang Zhuang, Fang Gai Ban office to phone Mom and Dad to wish them Merry Christmas. Dongxi said “Castle” in English. Mom and Dad are a font of toys. In the car yesterday, Dongxi said he did something wrong this morning. “What?” I asked. “I put dirty marks on the back of the chair with my feet”. December 27 Gave Tanya Nelson the Rural University package. She works in the UNESCO Office. December 28 Letter to Lee Lee. Mrs. Chen’s daughter died, electrocuted in the shower. December 29 Hongyu passed 2nd last stage driving test! Found Chinese word for “podium” for Mr. Takei at UNESCO. Zhang Long finished translating half of new version of LETDXP (letter to Deng Xiao Ping). URDC is not working. Hongyu feels isolated; Liu Qi not allowing cooperation. December 30 Take our resumes and URDC brochure to the UNESCO Office. Made date to meet Li Dao Zeng, Hongyu’s old professor, January 5. We want to explore work possibilities. Tanya said UNESCO could help support “Women and Spiritual Civilization Conference” in 1995. December 31 Dongxi stayed overnight at Mao Mao Jia. Hyundai Construction asked Hongyu to do a small job. Food shopping at the Drum Tower (Gu Lou) market. Dongxi bought a picture for Lao Lao. The plaza between the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower is a large farmer’s market where we do most of our food shopping.