The ISI conference in Beijing
After our hard work and our success and failure, we needed a break. We decided to go to the World conference of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) in Beijing, not so much for the conference but for the sightseeing tours organized for the participants of the conference.
The ISI had organized a sight-seeing tour in China on the way to Beijing and after the conference a visit to Tibet. This sounded very interesting. We had booked these trips. Our friend Albert Satorra was also planning to go to the conference and we expected to see each other on the Tiananmen Square.
The ISI had organized a sight-seeing tour in China on the way to Beijing and after the conference a visit to Tibet. This sounded very interesting. We had booked these trips. Our friend Albert Satorra was also planning to go to the conference and we expected to see each other on the Tiananmen Square.
Hong Kong
We had booked a flight to Honkong where we were confronted with an impressive light show but we were also overwhelmed by the density of the population, everywhere crowds of people. It seems that there was no space left for us to walk. Fortunately we met there a niece of Willem. She was working there for a textile firm. Her task was to organize the production of clothes for women in China. We met her in a restaurant floating in the harbor. This was a nice place. It relaxed us a bit and it was interesting to hear how she could manage this work in this completely different world although she was just 20 years old.
We had booked a flight to Honkong where we were confronted with an impressive light show but we were also overwhelmed by the density of the population, everywhere crowds of people. It seems that there was no space left for us to walk. Fortunately we met there a niece of Willem. She was working there for a textile firm. Her task was to organize the production of clothes for women in China. We met her in a restaurant floating in the harbor. This was a nice place. It relaxed us a bit and it was interesting to hear how she could manage this work in this completely different world although she was just 20 years old.
Guangzhou
The next stop was the city Guangzhou, the former Canton. When we arrived there by train a man of the hotel was waiting for us to bring us to our hotel.. Arriving there just before dinner, we went to the restaurant of the hotel, which was empty, except that some waitresses were standing along the walls. They offered us the menu card which was only in Chinese. We asked them for an explanation but nobody of them was speaking any English. The only solution was that we just ordered something by indicating it on the menu card. We did not know what we had ordered. When they brought the food with chopsticks, we did not know what to do. We had never eaten with chopsticks. The waitresses were all standing at the side giggling, what would happen. I did my best with the sticks and learned how to eat in this way but Irmtraud could not manage it and asked for spoons. This was a special event to start with.
The next stop was the city Guangzhou, the former Canton. When we arrived there by train a man of the hotel was waiting for us to bring us to our hotel.. Arriving there just before dinner, we went to the restaurant of the hotel, which was empty, except that some waitresses were standing along the walls. They offered us the menu card which was only in Chinese. We asked them for an explanation but nobody of them was speaking any English. The only solution was that we just ordered something by indicating it on the menu card. We did not know what we had ordered. When they brought the food with chopsticks, we did not know what to do. We had never eaten with chopsticks. The waitresses were all standing at the side giggling, what would happen. I did my best with the sticks and learned how to eat in this way but Irmtraud could not manage it and asked for spoons. This was a special event to start with.
The highlight of the tour: the river Li
The next day the tour started. We went by plane to the airport of Quilin. Around the airport one already could see the hills that were so typical for this area. Most spectacular was the boat tour on the river Li with the hills at both sides and fishermen on the water with their birds. This tour was at least as impressive as the tour on the Nile we did after the former ISI conference in Cairo. On the boat they offered us also a specialty: an alcoholic drink in a bottle which contained a snake. We skipped this delicacy but the normal food was already enough that Willem got stomach problems.
The next day the tour started. We went by plane to the airport of Quilin. Around the airport one already could see the hills that were so typical for this area. Most spectacular was the boat tour on the river Li with the hills at both sides and fishermen on the water with their birds. This tour was at least as impressive as the tour on the Nile we did after the former ISI conference in Cairo. On the boat they offered us also a specialty: an alcoholic drink in a bottle which contained a snake. We skipped this delicacy but the normal food was already enough that Willem got stomach problems.
The terracotta Army
The next attraction of the tour was in Xi´an: a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.
Because we had to look at them from quite a large distance and it was quite crowded there, we could not appreciate the craftsmanship so much at that moment. When some of them were presented in the Forum (2004) in Barcelona, we were more impressed because we could see all the details of the statues.
More impressive was the fact that in one of the main streets many people had made small fires on which they were preparing food. How they could live from this business, we couldn´t imagine.
This was the end of the tour. Now we went to Beijing for the conference.
The next attraction of the tour was in Xi´an: a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE with the purpose of protecting the emperor in his afterlife.
Because we had to look at them from quite a large distance and it was quite crowded there, we could not appreciate the craftsmanship so much at that moment. When some of them were presented in the Forum (2004) in Barcelona, we were more impressed because we could see all the details of the statues.
More impressive was the fact that in one of the main streets many people had made small fires on which they were preparing food. How they could live from this business, we couldn´t imagine.
This was the end of the tour. Now we went to Beijing for the conference.
Beijing
When we went in the conference hotel where we had booked, the first person we met was our friend Albert Satorra. This meeting was too early because we planned to meet each other on the Tiananmen Square, therefore we decided, after checking in, to go together to the Square. On the middle of the square a Chinese young boy contacted us and explained us that China was not as nice as we might think. He suggested us to go to a specific street to see the real China. Albert, who was, at that time, quite leftish oriented, was not immediately convinced that this socialist system may not be perfect.
When we went in the conference hotel where we had booked, the first person we met was our friend Albert Satorra. This meeting was too early because we planned to meet each other on the Tiananmen Square, therefore we decided, after checking in, to go together to the Square. On the middle of the square a Chinese young boy contacted us and explained us that China was not as nice as we might think. He suggested us to go to a specific street to see the real China. Albert, who was, at that time, quite leftish oriented, was not immediately convinced that this socialist system may not be perfect.
We went to the specific street and we saw how the people lived in these small streets with their small houses. A lot of these streets were removed and substituted by big buildings because China wanted to give a positive impression. Nowadays, Beijing is really looking very different. Whether these narrow streets still exist I don´t know.
However what I know for sure is that also in Barcelona such “ Chinese streets” exist, even now. Close to our house several of such streets and houses can be found. Therefore I show here a picture of one of these streets
However what I know for sure is that also in Barcelona such “ Chinese streets” exist, even now. Close to our house several of such streets and houses can be found. Therefore I show here a picture of one of these streets
A professional robbery in China
It is also interesting to mention that in that year, 1995, the main streets were full of people on bicycles. One day, I hired a bicycle to go to the temple of the Moon and went through the town with 3 or 4 people next to me on bicycles. Irmtraud took as usual a taxi. We decided first to sit down in the park next to the temple. There happened the impossible in a communist state.
It is also interesting to mention that in that year, 1995, the main streets were full of people on bicycles. One day, I hired a bicycle to go to the temple of the Moon and went through the town with 3 or 4 people next to me on bicycles. Irmtraud took as usual a taxi. We decided first to sit down in the park next to the temple. There happened the impossible in a communist state.
We witnessed a professional robbery. By accident I have made a video of this event which is shown at the side. With this video I went to the girls and indicated what I had seen so that they could go after the robbers. We left the scene because we did not wanted to be involved in this matter. You never know what could happen to us. So we went to the temple.
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The palace of the wife of the Emperor
The palace of the Emperor's wife was transformed in a nice restaurant in the old fashioned style. Therefore we made an appointment to go there for diner together with Karl Jöreskog , Fan Yang and Albert Satorra. The dinner was also very special. Fan Yang, being Chinese by birth, could explain us a lot of the special dishes we have been served. It was a very nice evening like always with this company.
The palace of the Emperor's wife was transformed in a nice restaurant in the old fashioned style. Therefore we made an appointment to go there for diner together with Karl Jöreskog , Fan Yang and Albert Satorra. The dinner was also very special. Fan Yang, being Chinese by birth, could explain us a lot of the special dishes we have been served. It was a very nice evening like always with this company.
The Conference
Some people may wonder how the conference was. Well this conference was as good as the earlier ISI conference in Cairo: The conferences are in nice places but there are only very few good lectures. To be honest, statisticians working hard to provide us with the necessary statistics of everything, therefore they need occasionally, once in the four years, a little reward.
After the conference we went on a tour to Tibet. This was also a very special event but I don´t want to report about this tour here.
Some people may wonder how the conference was. Well this conference was as good as the earlier ISI conference in Cairo: The conferences are in nice places but there are only very few good lectures. To be honest, statisticians working hard to provide us with the necessary statistics of everything, therefore they need occasionally, once in the four years, a little reward.
After the conference we went on a tour to Tibet. This was also a very special event but I don´t want to report about this tour here.