Jan's work assignment in China

A good friend of our company is currently working in China for 6 months helping to get her company ready for a new diesel engine launch. She has a great interest in travel, especially China. In fact her first trip to China occurred back in 1989, I believe.

I just recieved a mail from her and she reports the following:

One night in Wuhan this week, I watched a powerful movie on the Chinese Television Movie Channel, CCTV6. The title and director & actor names were in both Chinese and English so I thought it might have English subtitles. It didn't but it was so well done I watched the whole movie anyway. It's called THE ROAD. I don't remember the director. It's about a bus driver and a young girl who takes the tickets - it starts in the 50s and follows their lives into the 21st century. If you can find this it is well worth watching. It includes the cultural revolution and the opening up. It's a tragic love story - and either propogranda or irony.
We finally had some discussion about the cultural revolution over a dinner the other night. One woman had volunteered to go to the countryside. The other had an older brother who spent 4 years on a farm. Their discussion and the movie both confirmed the RED AZAELA. Still hard to imagine the sacrifices families made - and for what? that must be the hardest.
I also talked to one of the German owners of a company here - he said China now reminds him of Germany after WWII - re-using every scrap to rebuild - cleaning the bricks from torn down buildings, scavanging all the doors and windows, pipes and tubing. And rebuilding frantically!
I'm going out on the road again next week - including Saturday and Sunday - working days so we can have a week off for the Labor Holiday. For the vacation, I'm going with a group of friends to Shen Long Jia - the start of the silk road. We are leaving from Xiangfan - so I'm not really sure where I'll be. Out in the boonies, somewhere.
Here's a photo for you - this is in Wuhan, from an elevated sidewalk. I'm still trying to explain to people about crossing the streets here - this is the best I've captured so far of how people, bicycles, cars and busses all jockey for position.
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Oh, I also finally hit bottom on hotels - some town 3 hours north of Wuhan - they wouldn't take credit cards - not just international credit cards, Chinese ones either. And they charged $50/night. No internet, no English language TV, and doubtful plumbing. A very bleak restaurant. I was actually glad to get back to Wuhan. And I had my first sleeper train ticket - from Wuhan to Nanchang. Only 4 hours but it was nice to stretch out.
Stay in touch. My adventures end in a couple months. Went to the fabric market yesterday and ordered bunches of new clothes. Realized time was running out.