Recent message from China Jonny:


Howdy! We haven't moved yet to Nanjing, I was just there for work purposes.
Will be moving there in late August (probably August 23-25). It's been
rainy/cloudy here in SE China for the last three days, a wonderful respite
from the furnace like heat of the past six weeks. The countryside from
Shanxi all the way down to Jiangsu province was choked with varying shades
of green. Even Shanxi province has received some rain this summer; this
helps mitigate the effects of a three-year drought they've suffered through
recently.

Had a good 4-day weekend in Taiyuan. We had a big dinner party for Ai Ping's

father on his 65th birthday. This party also served as mini-wedding
reception for us and the Shang family's close friends. Both of Ai Ping's
parents are from Henan province. One of Ai Ping's uncles works for her
brother in the steel business. Essentially, he's a good-hearted,
hardworking, farmer from the Shang family's ancestral home village. Northern

Chinese peasants are world famous for their ability to drink gallons of rice

liquor, and I was witness to a fascinating display of this sort. The uncle
must have consumed about a liter of various alcohols including the local
moonshine, a bottle of Jim Beam that I brought, and lots of Qingdao beer.

He was the king of China for an hour; people were rolling on the floor with
his antics. The wait staff of the restaurant even stopped working to observe

him bouncing off the walls in drunken glee. He drank two large whiskey and
cokes within minutes and stated,"It's just like drinking a cool glass of
water!" to the delight of the revelers. Of course, disaster eventually
struck. He hadn't eaten enough food, and his poor liver couldn't process the

tidal wave of booze. First, his head went bonk onto the table. People ran
for cover expecting the worst. He wretched under the table. Ai Ping's
parents were obviously embarresed, but didn't lose too much face because
everyone was friends or family.

We're hoping to make a trip back to the USA in early October if all goes as
planned. Is this a good time for your guys? China has its National Day
holiday (one week) in the first week of October. We would leave China around

the 29-30th of September and make it a one week trip back to the states. The

Wuxi school is obligated to reimburse me for two, round-trip plane tix. I
need to use them before I lose them. This summer's work schedule didn't
allow me any time off. Let me know if this is a good week for you guys.

Dad, we'll need your assistance in obtaining a tourist visa for Ai Ping. You

and Mom will need to write a "letter of invitation" for Ai Ping explaining
the reason for her travels to the US (ie. an Iowan wedding reception). The
person who invites the Chinese national to the US must also do one of two
things according to the US Embassy's website in Beijing: either provide tax
information from the last 2-3 years OR fill out and sign the I-134 form
which guarantees your economic situation. Unfortunately, you're going to be
involved in some more beaurocratic bliss in order for us to get Ai Ping her
travel visa. My sincere apologies. We've begun collecting documents here on
the China side for the same purpose. I'll do some more net research
concerning this issue, and try to provide you with more info. However,
please start preparing these documents if possible. Once Ai Ping is issued a

tourist visa to the states, travels there, and returns she'll have a much
easier time obtaining the next visa in the future because she'll prove to
the INS that she's not an immigration threat. Thank you for your assistance
in these matters.

That's all for now. Will write again in near future with more info. Hope all

clan members are healthy and in good spirits...

Love,

Jon


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