Living Room and View

This is a huge apartment, I feel guilty having so much room. When I lived in Korea my apart ment for Dell and I was about the size of just the couch. Here is the view out the apartment window, downtown is in the background. I have my first day of clases tomorow!
J. Bob

Easy Rider in China!

This photo is for Alexis; she wanted an action shot of the bike. I don't know how the other teachers got along without an electric bike! It is so easy to cruse the neighborhood. I can get to school in five minutes! I have been lost twice already.
J. Bob

Waiting for students

All posters are up and supplies stocked. I went to the store and purchased supplies for seven lab groups. There will be five students per group; I have the tables arranged accordingly. At the stationary store I acquired compasses, protractors, meter sticks, colored pencils, scissors, and tape. Classes start Friday. My schedule will be three or four classes each day. I will teach six sections and see each three times a week. I will send pictures of students soon!
J. Bob

Going Mobile

Here is a picture of my new blue electric bike! It is the one that the man in the tan shirt is holding. This will be a great way to get to school and explore the neighborhood. The battery lasts about a week then you just charge it in the apartment.

First meal on my own

I went out exploring the neighborhood and stopped in this restruant for lunch. I had dumplings stuffed with something tasty. The cost was 3 RMB or about 37 cents. There is a welcoming dinner tonight, Cathy will pick me up at 4:00. We are going to have a look at my classroom then head out to dinner.
J. Bob

Labor of love

Here are all 35kg (75 pounds) of rocks and minerals, safe and sound in Chengdu. Great fun was had in all airports. I got stopped at security in Phoenix, L.A., and Beijing. There was not a problem, the samples showed up opaque and security just wanted a look. There was a welcoming lunch today and the food was superb! I can tell I am going to love the food here. That's all for know since I have been up for thirty hours.
J. Bob

Two more minerals

These minerals have a mass of .6 kg. Graphite is the mineral found in pencils. It is not lead!

Minerals

Here are most of the minerals I will be taking. These samples have a mass of 6.2 kg. In book order the minerals are microcline, potassium feldspar, amazonite, quartz, muscovite, fluorite, calcite, pyrite, kyanite, tourmaline, talc, galena, and garnet. The muscovite was collected by my fifth grade students in April of 2005. We collected the samples near Cleator, AZ. Some of the kids on the field trip were Maddie Tuton, the Ghelfi boys, Team Rucker, Not Bob, Max "Jacob" Baum, and Nicole Bassoff.

Igneous Rocks

These are the rocks formed from cooling magma and lava that I will take to Chengdu. Their mass is 3.3 kg. As Marie Bippus would advise you "read them like a book". The rock names are obsidian, scoria, pumice, basalt, andesite, rhyolite, gabbro, diorite, and granite. The gabbros came from the train tracks near “The Strip” in Pittsburg, the obsidian came from Parks, AZ, and the pumice came from Los Conchas beach in Puerto Penasco, Mexico

Sedimentary Rocks

Here are the rocks formed as particles settle out of water. These samples have a mass of 5.26 kg. Clockwise from upper left are coal, gypsum, rock salt, conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone, shale, fossiliferous limestone, and coquina. I picked up the coquina from the beach at low tide if front of Manny's in Rocky Point, Mexico. The rock salt was a gift from Mesa Community College.

Metamorphic Rocks

These are the rocks formed by heat and pressure that I will take to China. They have a mass of 2.7 kg. Clockwise from upper left are schist, gneiss, marble, slate, and quartzite. The slate comes from the roof of Dave and Kim fyock's barn in Evans City, Pennsylvania. I also found coal and fossiliferous limestone on the farm. Thanks Dave and Kim!