news

Missing our family and friends

想念我们的家人和朋友们

We all have faced challenges and hardships because of COVID, some more serious than others. While Jeanee and I have persevered here in China, we have not been able to see our two boys and family for over two years. We speak by WeChat and live vicariously through their messages and photos.

Some people ask if we are bitter because of decisions we have made that physically divide our family. If we were pursuing our lives apart solely for financial reasons, we may feel frustrated and depressed. However, because Jeanee and I continue to believe that we are making a small difference in our efforts to bridge an increasingly large cultural divide between our nations, we still are proudly dedicated to our mission.

China has embraced us like family, and we are daily spending time with hundreds of people who remind us that they believe we are making a difference.

Yes, we deeply miss our family, but the warmth of our neighbors and friends has made our global lives rewarding.

因为新冠疫情的影响，我们面临了各种各样的挑战和困难。虽然珍妮和我在中国坚持生活，但我们已经有两年多的时间未能与两个儿子和家人团聚了。我们用Wechat视频聊天，通过他们发来的消息和照片了解彼此的生活。

有人问我们，是否会因为家人不在一起生活而感到痛苦。如果我们仅仅是因为经济原因而分开生活，或许我会因此而沮丧。然而，在中国和美国文化鸿沟越来越大的当今社会下，珍妮和我在中国努力贡献自己的一份力量，我们对自己的使命感到自豪。

中国就像家人一样拥抱我们。我们每天都在这里与数百人共度时光，他们也相信我们在弥合中美两国关系上发挥着作用。

是的，我们深深地想念我们的家人，但邻居和朋友的温暖让我们在他乡的生活变得更有意义。

Another Rural Education Project in the Works

一个正在开发中的乡村教育营地

Our new site in the Shibaoshan National Park is nestled in the mountains alongside two ethnic villages, one Bai and one Yi. The Bai are indigenous to the Dali region and have a total population of nearly 2 million. The Yi are found throughout Southwest China and number over 9 million.

In the Bai village, we will be restoring and repurposing the old city hall (first photo below). It will now serve as an education center for students. We will have accommodations for 25 students and 5 teachers, classrooms, exhibition space, dining room, and a student-run coffee and tea shop open to the villagers.

In the Yi village, which is situated at 9,000 feet above sea level, we will be restoring an old courtyard home and farm (second photo below), turning the site into an agriculture experiential learning center. Jeanee has always wanted a farm, and she will now be able to raise her own animals and grow her own crops. Jeanee looks forward to working with the villagers and friends to turn it into a beautiful and vibrant place for young and old alike.

We will be working on the project from August through early autumn and hope to receive our first group of guests/students by the middle of October.

我们在石宝山国家公园的沙溪夯土酒店坐落在深山中，附近有两个少数民族村庄——白族和彝族。白族是大理地区的土著，彝族则遍布中国西南地区。他们的总数超过 900万人口。不过我们邻近的村庄生活着600名白族人和不到100名彝族人。

在白族石龙村，我们将修复和重新利用旧的村政府 (上图)，它将成为学生的教育营地。未来的宿舍可以容纳25名学生和5名教师，还有教室、展览空间、餐厅以及一个向村民开放的学生经营的咖啡茶店。

在海拔9,000英尺的彝族村里，我们将修复一个古老的四合院和农场(下图)，将场地变成一个农业体验学习中心。珍妮一直想要一个农场，现在她可以自己饲养动物和种植庄稼，与村民和游客分享她的经验。

我们将在八月至初秋期间开展该项目，并希望在十月中旬之前接待我们的第一批客人/学生。

A peek into our lives in Stone Dragon Village

瞧瞧我们在石龙村的生活

We are regularly hosting social media companies at our various sites. Recently, we had the honor of spending a few days with one of the leading foreign social media celebrities in China, Raz Gal-Or. Raz operates the Foreigner Research Institute, also known as Y-Platform, a social media group that documents the lives of foreigners in China.

Raz and I spent time in our new home- the Shilongcun Village of Shibaoshan National Park. As you can see from the video, the villagers have embraced us like family, and we are daily humbled by their hospitality and support.

Please spend nine minutes with us in our mountain top home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ius-G4Wy4qA

Hope that you enjoy a slice of our lives in rural Yunnan.

我们定期在喜林苑的不同门店接待各种媒体和采访。最近，我们有幸与中国著名的外国社交媒体名人之一——高佑思(Raz GalOr)在沙溪石龙村共度了几天时光。 高佑思是“歪果仁研究协会”的创始人，一个记录外国人在中国生活的社交媒体平台。

高佑思和我在我们的新家——石宝山国家公园的石龙村度过了一段美好时间。正如您从视频中看到的，当地村民将我们视为家人，我们每天都因他们的热情好客和支持而感动。

请在我们山顶的家中与我们共度九分钟。

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1TQ4y197qH

希望您能享受我们在云南农村的幸福生活，感谢