Educational Shows That I Want To Watch

If someone would have told me that when I reached my mid-twenties that I would be tuning my satellite TV, that I got after seeing these http://www.directstartv.com/direct-tv-business/bars_and_restaurants.html, into educational shows daily, I would have scoffed and walked away. Shows that considered themselves educational used to be bland, low budget setups that I was forced to watch back in school. Professors droning on and on about pyramids and castles could not be anymore boring. These are not the shows that are on today though.
Quite a few people have hyped up 'shark week' and I attempted to stay out of it for as long as possible. I finally decided to check it out in its third year to see what the buzz was all about and could not be more surprised. These action packed documentaries had the most thrills of nearly any show I have ever seen on TV. Watching fifteen ton sharks flying fifteen feet into the air in an attempt to catch prey had me hooked instantly. This eye-popping footage was only the start, there was shark-themed show after shark-themed show with shark behavior that was unbelievable. Educational shows are no longer the painfully dull programs that substitute teachers forced us to watch. I am now a proud fan of shark week and a handful of other phenomenal learning and educational shows.

ANSHAN

I ARRIVED IN ANSHAN IN JUNE 2008. I HAD ANOTHER INVITATION FROM A WONDERFUL LADY TO SEE HER THERE WHERE SHE LIVES. IT WAS ONLY A SHORT FLIGHT FROM BEIJING. I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. I HEARD THAT ANSHAN WAS A MANUFACTURING CITY- I EXPECTED A NOT SO CLEAN PLACE WITH LOTS OF SMOKE AND FACTORIES- I WAS REALLY  PLEASANTLY SURPRISED. ANSHAN IS A MEDIUM SIZED CHINESE CITY WITH BEAUTIFUL STREETS AND PUBLIC PARKS. IT IS EXTREMELY CLEAN.

MY LADY MET ME AT THE AIRPORT. WHILE IN ANSHAN- WE ENLISTED A INTERPRETER FROM THE AGENCY AS MY FRIEND HARDLY SPOKE ANY ENGLISH.
OUR GUIDE WAS WONDERFUL AND SHE MADE  COMMUNICATION SO MUCH EASIER.

DURING OUR STAY IN ANSHAN- WE WENT TO A NUMBER OF WONDERFUL PLACES- BUT

ONE PLACE THAT STANDS OUT WAS THE TEMPLE OF THE JADE BUDDHA. THIS BUDDHIST TEMPLE HOUSES ONE OF THE LARGEST STATUES OF THE BUDDHA IN THE WORLD. IT IS AROUND 8 METERS HIGH, WEIGHS AROUND 260 TONS AND IS MADE OF GREEN JADE. I WAS DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE BEAUTY OF IT. A PHOTO IS SHOWN ABOVE
THE BUILDING THAT HOUSES THE BUDDHA IS 33 METERS TALL- REPRESENTING THE 33 LAYERS OF HEAVEN IN BUDDHISM.

MY LADY FRIEND AND I SAID PRAYERS AT THE INSIDE OF THE TEMPLE GROUNDS. IT WAS A VERY MOVING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. IF YOU ARE IN ANSHAN- YOU MUST VISIT THIS SACRED PLACE- A VERY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE INDEED.

ANSHAN HAS WONDERFUL SCENERY. THERE ARE MOUNTAINS NOT FAR FROM THE CITY ACCESSIBLE BY BUS. WE DID NOT GO TO THE MOUNTAINS BECAUSE IT WAS JUNE AND THE WEATHER WAS HOT. I TOOK A RAINCHECK- MAYBE SOON.

NEXT STOP- ANSHAN

WHEN I CAME BACK FROM CHENGDU- I STAYED IN NEW YORK FOR A FEW MONTHS- I HAD MANY THINGS I HAD TO CATCH UP ON.
I RETURNED TO CHINA AGAIN IN JUNE- 2008. THIS TIME I WENT TO ANSHAN. I WOULD NOT HAVE CHOSEN THAT PLACE HAD I WENT THERE ALONE- BUT AGAIN I WENT THERE AT THE INVITATION OF A LADY WHO I HAD A FRIENDSHIP WITH ONLINE. I WAS GLAD I WENT THERE- IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MEANINGFUL TIMES OF MY LIFE.
MORE ON ANSHAN TOMORROW IN MY NEXT POST.

TO THOSE OUT THERE WHO ARE HOPEFULLY  READING MY BLOG- SORRY I CANNOT POST MORE THAN ONCE A WEEK. I AM CURRENTLY TAKING A TESOL COURSE- TO TEACH ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE. I WILL FINISH THE COURSE IN A FEW WEEKS AND THEN I HOPE TO TEACH ENGLISH IN CHINA BY THE END OF THE SUMMER.
I HOPE TO TEACH THERE FOR ONE OR TWO YEARS. MY FIANCE IS IN XIAMEN, CHINA- I HOPE TO BE WITH HER THERE.
MORE TOMORROW.