Niki's Notebook

The End Is Nigh

2009-07-18T07:48:00.003+08:00

Hi All,

Finally I have access to this site after a long absence. I have posted some photos from the last couple of months to catch you all up. Elephant bathing in Nepal and trekking to see Everest, dress up on the North Korea border, a day in Ying Kou with my friend Angela and the M party! I am still in China for the moment, but leaving very soon. I seem to have been really busy with packing up and finalising things. I have been trying to get around and see the last little bits of Shenyang and spend time with friends who I may or may not cross paths with again. Work has been keeping me busy with summer classes on top of my usual schedule. The weather has been unusually humid and rainy, which is a little depressing when you come from such a sunny city as Perth. And speaking of my hometown, I will be back there in the last week of August for an extended visit. The tone of this post may be bordering on melancholy, but it's only because I have been reflecting on my time in China and I think it has somehow penetrated my heart. I will miss this place, the good, the bad and the ugly. To have stayed here for two and a half years is just incomprehensible to me, I have learned so much and experienced so many amazing things. Thanks go to all the new friends I have made and all my old friends who have supported me throughout this odyssey.

Post Birthday Rap

2009-03-22T22:33:00.005+08:00

And so another year has past and I find myself again questioning where I am and where I'm going. What have I accomplished and what has been left undone? Overall I feel satisfied and can't wait to see what 2009 will hold for me. My birthday was celebrated with friends at a Western style restaurant bar in Shenyang (one of the best I have seen in China!). The picture you can see shows me sandwiched between Jake and Mike, two foreign teachers with the lovely Christie (a teaching assistant and Jake's girlfriend). I even kicked on with the group to KTV (karaoke, which is hugely popular here). I duetted on "I Got You Babe" with Jake, for once I believe it wasn't totally ear-shattering!

In the past couple of months I have been laying low, have not ventured too far a field. That should be rectified in the coming months with many trips and outings planned. I have also decided that I will return home to Australia for a short visit in September. After that am hopeful of finding another teaching gig in a new country.

I will keep you posted with all my latest as it comes to hand. In the mean time, check out the links below for more photos. Love and God bless!

Imperial Palace, Shenyang

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=100541&id=590780568&l=e982ab17b7

Chinese New Year 09

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=98961&id=590780568&l=a7c8c04d7d

Qipan Mountain, Shenyang

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=99789&id=590780568&l=d4edbcb5fe

Antique's Market, Sheyang

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=100554&id=590780568&l=e3aa9c6899

Heavy Snow

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103174&id=590780568&l=8eece124a2

Shenyang TV Tower

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=108478&id=590780568&l=5a42b66de4

Shanhaiguan and Snow

2009-01-10T21:48:00.007+08:00

Shanhaiguan is an out of the way kind of town, which famous for the section of Great Wall that meets the sea! It's a gem of a place, lots of the wall explore with the ocean and mountains as it's backdrop.

For more photos go to

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90839&l=f7bdd&id=590780568

We had some snow here recently, was hoping for a White Christmas but it arrived 2 days late! Ah well, better late than never. I get excited every time it snows, so pretty and the air is so much cleaner! Just a couple of happy snaps posted here of the experience.

Pickles, Pinenuts and A Polar Bear

2009-01-10T21:14:00.003+08:00

The cryptic title of this post refers to my purchases during my recent trip to Harbin (a plush toy polar bear I should add). This city is in the far north-east of China, and is close to Siberia. Every year at this time they host a snow and ice festival. It is freezing, around -25 degrees celcius but a really wonderful experience! I've posted a few photos here, but for an expanded look click on the links below for an expanded look. The architecture has lots of Russian influence and there were plenty of Russians still around town. I visited Sun Island which plays host to some very impressive snow sculptures. Zhaolin Park showcased the ice lanterns (ice sculptures illuminated with coloured lights) and the Siberian Tiger park has a very successful breeding program. I enjoyed the sights and some Russian cuisine during my three day visit. Harbin is a truly unique city!

Ice Lanterns

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94725&l=6c079&id=590780568

Snow Sculptures

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94726&l=a9c27&id=590780568

Siberian Tiger Park

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=94721&l=553fd&id=590780568

Harbin City Sights

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=95403&l=36cde&id=590780568

The Residence and The Return

2008-11-18T09:26:00.009+08:00

The cryptic sounding title of this month's blog refers to my home in Shenyang and my trip back to Beijing. You can see by the pics that the apartment is very bright and colourful (the heritage left by the previous tennant). I am slowly re-arranging it and getting settled. I am very happy at home and at work currently, such a peace and feeling of contentment here. My apartment is only a 5 minute walk to work and only one flight up, the other residents are older folk, families and some students.

The return trip toBeijing was a chance to do a spot of shopping and get a look around the Olympic sights. I had just over 24 hours there, it was a great little getaway. The train trip only takes 4 hours from here, and it's not too expensive. The interior shot is of Shenyang train station while the exterior shot of the train station is at Beijing. Cheers till next time!

Beijing Photos 2

2008-10-14T08:36:00.015+08:00

Our four day trip was rounded out by taking a short but sweet look at the Birds Nest, pity it was so foggy. A trip to the Summer palace was interesting but way too crowded with tourists, I've never quite seen so many tour groups in one spot, just crazy! The sign tickled my fancy, never quite seen low season expressed this way! Our last night dinner was Beijing duck, the traditional way to eat it in China is to wrap a small piece of duck meat in a thin pancake with a little veg and sauce, delicious! We were all pretty worn out by the last night but had a few drinks to celebrate our time in Beijing and unwind. I am hoping to get back to Beijing in another couple of weeks and do things at a more leisurely pace, and go exploring on my own. Stay tuned for more updates coming soon. xo

The Great Wall

2008-10-14T08:17:00.009+08:00

What can you say about the Great Wall that has not already been said, I guess to sum up ... AWESOME! We had a limited amount of time on our visit, but it really is an incredible experience and well worth climbing. It is always exhilarating to come to these much beloved landmarks. I enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and touching the ancient stones , while running amuck with the rest of the crew from the school! The bears in these photos are an exhibit at the entrance to the Great Wall, they were a lovely surprise which just added to an absolutely awesome day!!

Beijing Photos Part 1

2008-10-14T07:30:00.008+08:00

The trip I took to Beijing was sponsored and provided by the school I am now working for. A group of about 35 of us took off for 4 days on a bus tour of this amazing city! I really love Beijing, so much to see and do, here you will find pictures of the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Tiananmen Square and some of the parks. The early morning photo with the guard was taken at the flag raising ceremony in Tiananmen Square and shows me with my colleague Sharon, a fellow Aussie teacher. As you can see there were some delicacies on offer and I had a nibble on a centipede, very crunchy with little taste!

Shenyang Structures

2008-09-08T11:32:00.006+08:00

Had a week off when I first arrived due to the school taking a short break during their summer program. It was a great opportunity to go exploring and get some photos of my new home town. The Mao statue is in the centre of the city and it is massive! The TV tower is very close to where I am staying as is the park with the ferris wheeel. I had trouble getting photos from the ferris wheel as there was mesh on the windows, but it kind of makes for an interesting shot. The statue I standing next to is one of the Qing emporers, there is a set of about 12 of them. The unusual building is in the CBD and is quite impressive. I am sure to have loads more photos to share as I have only scratched the surface of this marvellous city!

Shenyang Sights

2008-09-08T10:53:00.010+08:00

This new post has been a while coming as I've been settling into life here in Shenyang. Time seems to be rushing by at a fast pace even though life in this north eastern city is fairly sedate. I have to say at the outset I absolutely love this place! The atmosphere is one of community and harmony. I have been staying at the school apartment but should be moving into a one-bedroom apartment next weekend. Work is busy but quite satisfying and I am working with a great bunch of locals and foreigners. Lots of Brits and Americans with a few Aussies aswell. The group shot of some of the aforementioned was taken at an Indian restaurant which serves amazing food! The watermelon seller plies her trade outside my apartment building and the street artist was painting this mural just up the road. The city played host to some Olympic soccer matches so the parks have been cleaned up and Olympic motifs added. The photo of the horse and cart in the city was a clash of old meeting new, lots of similar sights abound. Finally the fire in the street was the night of the Ghost Festival. People burn fake money either to accommodate their ancestors in the after life or appease the spirits, never did get a clear answer as to why. I am keeping well, had a cold for a week or so but nothing serious. I've started learning Mandarin at long last. My school provides lessons free so it's a great opportunity. I hope to have lots more photos and stories to share soon. Till next time, God bless!

Beiling Park, Shenyang

2008-09-08T10:29:00.007+08:00

Went for a stroll around this park which houses the tomb of one of the original Qing dynasty emporers. I was amused by the sign, an unfortunate coupling of words, as is typical here in China!

Olympic Soccer 2008

2008-09-08T09:57:00.005+08:00

My new school secured tickets to the Olympic soccer matches held here in Shenyang. I got to watch Holland play Japan with the Dutch winning 1-0!

Splendid China

2008-07-27T09:57:00.007+08:00

A few pics from my trip to a theme park in Shenzhen called Splendid China. It's a mix of miniature Chinese tourist attractions and exhibitions/shows displaying the different ways of life of the 56 ethnic minorities. As you can see I even got to take part in one of the shows!

Goodbye Shenzhen, Hello Shenyang

2008-07-25T16:24:00.007+08:00

As most of you are probably aware by now I am on the move again. I have exactly one week until I leave Shenzhen for Shenyang. I know the difference in the spelling of the cities is remarkably similar but I assure you they are miles apart and from what I can tell very different. Shenyang is in the north-east corner of China, heading towards North Korea and Mongolia. I have secured a twelve month contract and hope to obtain the elusive work visa soon after my arrival. Shenyang is very a central place to step off and check out the rest of northern China, so I am looking forward to getting to lots of different places up that way, including Beijing which is about 5 hours on a train. So farewell to Shenzhen, thanks for the memories, the laughter and tears. Will miss my fave haunts (the cake shop on Xue Fue Rd, the Beijing restaurant, Shirble - my local supermarket for my entire stay) and will miss the friends and faces that have become so familiar. I recently made a new friend Lynda, who took me to her home town of Guangzhou (new name for Canton) last weekend. I've posted some photos of my short jaunt there,including some pics of Lynda and her family. Zaijen till next time! xo

More Vietnam Pics

2008-07-25T08:35:00.005+08:00

A few more photos of me from my trip to Vietnam. Thanks to Sue and Robert for snapping these!

Fabulous Forty's Furlough In Words

2008-06-30T20:37:00.003+08:00

I realise that the photos this time around maybe a little dizzying but it kind of reflects my whole trip to Vietnam. The two weeks spent with Sue and Dorian (UK) and Robert (Holland) was jam-packed and fun-filled. The main reason for our vacation was to celebrate the fact that Sue, Robert and myself all turn 40 this year! We arrived in Hanoi and spent quite a lot of time walking the streets and resting at Bia Hoi (the place to find cheap beer and good company!). We had 3 days and 2 nights at Halong Bay, did lots of cruising, visited an awesome cave, got in some kayaking and swimming. Our next destination was Sapa, far north Vietnam (only a few hours from the China border!). This area is still fairly untouched by modern conveniences, we visited the colourful markets to check out the local handicrafts and livestock for sale. We also did a trek to a some villages that belong to the hill tribes, the black H'mong and the red H'mong (easy to tell apart, as each has a head dress to match the colour of their tribe). The people were warm and friendly all over Vietnam but especially so in and around Sapa. Our guide Chau (seen drinking with us, blue shirt) was a local girl who had learned English from tourists, and she was amazing! The rural setting was lovely, lots of rice paddies with the residents working the land the old fashion way with ox and plough. After another brief stop in Hanoi we boarded a train for Hoi An, via Danang. We didn't stop in Danang but had just enough time to check out China Beach (yes it actually exists!) where I had my picture took. Hoi An was brilliant, lots of UNESCO world heritage sites and also a great beach where we toasted our celebration at sunset with a good old bottle of Aussie wine! The next day saw us hire motorbikes to take us 30 km up the road to My Son. This place is incredible, it's another world heritage site back from the 4th century and all that remains of the Champa civilisation. The ride out to the site was the best way to see the countryside, saw lots more rice paddies, old houses and water lilies. Sadly all good things come to an end and so it was that we spent our last day in Ho Chi Minh City, checked out the local tourists traps and ended our time together with one last meal then cocktails at the roof top bar of the Rex hotel. Thanks to Sue, Dorrie, Robert and all the locals for making it such a fab trip! Will update soon on my normal comings and goings here in Shenzhen, ciao till then!!

Fabulous 40's Furlough In Pictures

2008-06-23T17:05:00.030+08:00

Sharing and Bearing

2008-05-29T19:05:00.008+08:00

Seems like this time in my life is all about sharing, sometimes it's not so easy as you can summize from this month's title. But I won't bore you with the details, like to try and stay upbeat and focus on the good stuff! Plenty of that around too, am off to Vietnam on Sunday 01 June for 2 weeks with some lovely friends. I thought I should write a short note before I go and let you know I was not anywhere near the earthquake zone and did not know it had occurred until my family got in touch to check I was ok. I have felt connected to the people of China through this tragedy and am trying my best to be supportive of the efforts others are making here. I keep praying for the survivors and the rescue workers, the country has really become united through this and it is gratifying to see. On a lighter note I went to a pretty place about a week ago, Fairylake Park. My good friend and ex-student Geminy took me there to show me around and I have posted some photos of the day. We took a paddle boat out on the lake, had a big picnic lunch and I followed Geminy around the temple as he offered his prayers. I offered my own prayers, but to my God, Father of Jesus and my Father in Heaven. Have finished up with my university students and will complete work at the kids school and kindergarten when back from holidays. Am hoping to be on the move to Northern China by August, will let you know more when I know where I'm going. In the meantime, bless you and ciao till next time! xo

New Friends and Old Rockers

2008-04-29T16:54:00.005+08:00

Again the time here in China seems to be flitting by very quickly indeed, and I find myself playing catch up. Things seem to have settled down for the moment but there is lots of stuff coming up that requires planning and co-ordination. For now I can advise that I am well, over a bout of cold and flu and got my head above water in terms of sorting out a new passport and visa. I lost my wallet around the same time as I was renewing my passport and visa, which added to my stress levels. I can happily report though that I was able to replace most of the contents apart from some cash and personal papers. But on to more pleasant news, as you can see from the photos I have been out and about of late. I visited Macau, Hong Kong and Guangzhou all in the space of a week! No photos of Macau here, as it was a rainy day and I have posted some pics in an earlier post. The Guangzhou trip was to meet up with an American family who have adopted one of the kids from Boa'an orphanage here in Shenzhen. The group I am standing with is of the orphanage volunteers who met the family, as we visted Dr Sun Yat Sen's Memorial Hall. There is also a pic of the family with their new addition, after only a few days they seemed to have bonded and were very much enamored with one another! My last trip to HK was extended due to changes to visa processing laws with the lead up to the Olympics. The photo of the buddha was taken in Stanley, Hong Kong, which I visited with my new friend Danny (there's another pic of him here in his baseball cap). We met at the hostel I stay in when in HK and became fast friends, after discovering we were both Aussies with time on our hands! We spent Sunday traipsing around Stanley market and had a lovely time. On the Saturday night I had gone to see Duran Duran at Pop TV Arena, an outdoor venue in Kowloon. I wish I could share some pics with you but stupidly I didn't take my camera, not realising it would be easy to snap some shots, or that I would be standing about seven people back from the stage! It was a wonderful stroll down memory lane, the boys are still in fine form and played lots of their hits, encoring with one of my faves, Rio! It did rain a little but that just added to the fun!! The photo you can see of me at night was taken in Lan Kwai Fong in Central HK. I met up with a friend of a friend for dinner and it was fab! The bridge photo is of the Shenzhen Bay bridge that I travel across to get to Hong Kong by bus. It's a new bridge and was unveiled around the same time as the 10 year anniversary of the Hong Kong hand back to China last year. That brings me up to date for the minute, as I said lots of stuff coming up and will be kept busy for the next couple of months. Ciao until next we meet! x

Fabulous 40

2008-03-15T17:20:00.005+08:00

I can now finally say that my life has started, well according to the old saying that is, life begins at 40! I celebrated my big day on February 27 here in Shenzhen surrounded by friends who made the occasion extra special. There were 3 celebrations in total, the kindy I work for took me to lunch and gave me a cake. The ladies from the orphanage visits came to my lunch, and I went to dinner with some new and old friends. The photos have been posted here, so you can share in the festivities. My friend Bonnie was in town for a couple of days so she was able to spend some time celebrating. The pearl necklace I am sporting was a generous gift from her! I also welcomed a new housemate Eve into my apartment. She is the Western lady sitting next to me at my dinner. Everything is going well, work is keeping me busy and the weather is warming up. Until next time God bless, ciao! xo

About Town

2008-03-02T10:26:00.006+08:00

Here's a collection of images from around Shenzhen. Some photos of street vendors selling everything from roasted sweet potatoes (which are incredibly yummy) to fresh fruit on a stick or traditional Chinese remedies using snake! There is also some architecture from around these parts and things I generally found intriguing. I hope you enjoy them!

Tai O And Other Tales

2008-01-19T13:23:00.001+08:00

It has been such a jam packed month, I am a little uncertain as to where to begin. I guess everything kind of kicked off with Christmas. I went to a lovely Christmas Eve party with colleagues from the kids school I work for. Then on Christmas Day I went to the orphanage and played with the kids. The week prior our group had an afternoon of packing goody bags for the kids and then handing them out. We are only allowed to take things to them on a few special occasions, so it was a wonderful opportunity to get them some much needed fruit and veg and sweet treats! Christmas night I was invited to a dinner party by my friend Sandie (an American ex-pat), we had turkey with all the trimmings! I thoroughly enjoyed the food and company! On the down side my laptop died on Christmas Eve. After a thorough investigation it was decided that a new computer was the best option. I made a hurried trip to Hong Kong on New Year's Eve with William, to purchase a new one. It had been a hectic week over Christmas/New Year as I was still working, even on Christmas morning! I went to a party for NYE with some colleagues from my old school. Too much champagne was consumed but it was fun never-the-less! I had two short trips back to Hong Kong and decided to go have a look around one of the sleepy fishing villages dotted around Hong Kong. I made for Tai O, which was a short metro and bus ride away. It was lovely and peaceful after the craziness of my life recently. You can see from the photos that the people there adhere to a more traditional way of life. Some of the houses are built on stilts over the water, the main income for the inhabitants is fishing and tourism. They make a shrimp paste which they sun-dry in large flat baskets. The smell was overpowering but it was intriguing to look at. As you would imagine in a fishing village there were many resident cats, all very well fed! I returned to Shenzhen with a visa to stay another 3 months, will go back to Hong Kong in April to extend my stay further. The school term has ended but my work continues with winter classes for the next week and half. After that it will be Chinese New Year, I'll have a few weeks to relax and possibly travel. Will update you again soon!

Magnifico Macau!

2007-12-18T19:16:00.001+08:00

After having been in China for almost 12 months, and living only 1 hour from Macau by ferry, I decided it was time for a look-see. I had few and low expectations, so therefore I had a wonderful time and spent a blissful 24 hours exploring this compact city. I arrived in the evening and after booking into my low-rent hostel went for a wander. I discovered the town square all lit up for Christmas, the shopping district in full swing and the bright lights of the casinos. Macau for me was a little bit Vegas, a little bit China and a little bit Portugal. The Portuguese left in 1999 after their lease ran out, but they definitely left their mark. The cathedrals, tiled footpaths and cuisine reflects their influence. I've added some photos of this intriguing place, the ruins of St Pauls Cathedral (it succumbed to a fire), the pretty parks and gardens,the tacky yet somehow mesmerizing casinos and some other interesting bits and pieces. I hope you enjoy this little meander through Macau. Love to you and yours for Christmas and 2008!! xoxo

Cool and Cruisey

2007-11-08T12:43:00.000+08:00

The title for this post refers not only to the weather but also my new schedule. After returning from holiday I had few job prospects and those I did have were not eventuating. The Foundation College at Shenzhen Uni put me to work 2 mornings a week, teaching post grads (see photo), but apart from that I had nothing! I then got a phone call from a kid's school who were eager to snap me up, but although I was given one class from this, it still wasn't going to be enough to live on. But God is so good, that via this job I got my main job, teaching at Shenzhen uni kindergarten. I then picked up a private tutoring gig and "hey presto", I'm employed again! Since all of this I've had work thrown at me left, right and centre but I love my schedule, as it allows me an afternoon off mid week plus all day Fri/Sat and Sun morning free. The hours are less and the pay is better at long last!! The kindy is a challenge as I've never taught it before, but I am getting a handle on it and enjoying being with the little ones. All my jobs are walking distance to home and the walk through the uni is very pleasant. I pass by a lake (see photos) and a bank of 16 gum trees on my way to class! On a sadder note my best girlfriend Bonnie is leaving Shenzhen for Xiamen, a place 7 hours away. I will miss her, not only for her wonderous translating skills but also for her generosity, kindness and friendship. She is truly a rose among the thorns here, as she is more open than a lot of Chinese and also thinks like a Westerner at times. I've posted a photo of drinks held at my apartment last weekend, which includes my other good friend William. I'll leave off now, as I'm heading to Hong Kong tomorrow and must get organised. Love and kisses to you all, please drop me a line soon! xo

Slice of Shenzhen

2007-10-14T18:49:00.000+08:00

I thought you may be interested in some of the daily comings and goings here. I just walked back from the supermarket after my afternoon class, and was struck by all the activity on the street. I spent around $AUD6 ($US5) at the supermarket and bought a large bottle of juice, some chicken, vegetables, bananas, noodles, bread and a chocolate donut!! I love the fact that I can still access everything I need and at such a reasonable cost. So anyway as I'm walking to the bus stop, I go via the underpass. The amount of people in the vicinity is quite incredible, you can do your shopping here and get a hair cut! There were about 6 hairdressers either waiting for business or in the middle of a cut. There are people selling everything from fruit and vegies to gold fish, to what looks to be Middle Eastern sweets! As I continue on I pass about 4 of my students from one of my new classes. They are university post grads, who are hoping to travel to either the US, Canada or Australia when they finish here. The bus costs me around 15 cents and I have to stand, the usual Sunday evening crush. On the way up in the elevator to my apartment on the 10th floor I pass floor 3A. There is a superstition here that 4 is unlucky (the word apparently sounds similar to the word for death) so there is no 4th, 14th or 24th floor to be found! Looking out over my balcony once the sun has gone down, I can see the people in the building across from me. It's a buzz with people sewing and ironing clothing. I wonder where these clothes will end up, for local folk or export, maybe you or I are wearing one of their creations?! So this is small peek into my world, for me it's educational and enticing! (The attached photos are of my neighbourhood).

Panda Paradise

2007-09-22T15:13:00.000+08:00

My main reason for holidaying was to visit and volunteer at Wolong panda reserve. I spent 8 days in Tibet as my side trip before heading to the neighbouring province of Sichuan. Chengdu is the biggest city there and Wolong is 4 hours drive out into the beautiful moutainous countryside. There were 10 people in my group from all over the world, Australia, England, Holland, the USA and Switzerland. We had all signed up and paid our money to volunteer our time and energy for the pandas. I am not sure how much value we added in terms of work but our financial contribution was most appreciated. We had a day to wander the reserve and check out the 60 or so pandas residing there. We stayed at the Panda Inn, a very nice hotel on the doorstep of the reserve itself. The work that we provided was basically cleaning up after the pandas (yes, these hands - gloved mind you - have touched panda poo!) and feeding the pandas. Their diet as you are probably aware is bamboo, different varieties and they also have a baker on staff to make panda biscuits! The biscuits are a mix of bamboo, rice, corn, veges and vitamins, they taste similar to rye bread and the pandas love them! I took a tonne of photos, I hope I was able to capture the moods and expressions of these gorgeous creatures and do them justice. I also got the opportunity to have my photo taken holding one while sitting on a bench. But as this was not nearly sufficient I also took the opportunity to go into one of the enclosures for play time with some 9 month old panda cubs! We were blessed on our second day with the birth of panda twins, two girls born to a panda called Ye Ye (Chinese for sunshine). It seemed a little too perfect that this was the only day of our trip that we actually saw the sun! It was a truly rewarding and satisfying experience, these animals are just too beautiful for words! I was very sad to say goodbye to them, and also to the lovely new human friends that I made there.

T'rrific Tibet

2007-09-22T14:40:00.000+08:00

On Thursday 30 August I took off on the train from Guangzhou to Lhasa. The scenery as you will note from the photos did not disappoint! I was one of only a handful of foreigners on the train, so it was a very interesting and different experience. It took over 50 hours for us to reach our destination but I managed to sleep in my middle bunk quite successfully and the views kept me occupied most of the time. Lhasa itself was an awesome place, so full of colour and culture! I visited the famed Potala Palace (home to the Dalai Lama), monestaries, temples and spent some time noseying around the back streets and markets soaking everything in. Tibetan food is delicious, even the yak was pretty good!! I made lots of new friends at the hostel I stayed at too. In some ways Tibet is very similar to Bolivia (this was also the general concensus among fellow travellers). I think a large portion of the population are have nots, so this is why it felt the same as Bolivia. The country is very rich in culture but very poor in so many other ways. The people are extremely generous however. The Chinese population where I live has a penchant for staring, a cold, careless, curious stare but the Tibetans in contrast stare with great kindness and even get embarassed if you catch them looking. I was most impressed by this beautiful place and hope to get back again soon!!

Party Pics

2007-08-20T21:25:00.000+08:00

Just a quick entry to share some photos of the recent spate of parties held in Shenzhen. Photo 1 : Chris (UK)and I at my boss' farewell party. Photo 2 : William (UK) and I at Chris' birthday party. Photo 3 : Abby, Thomas (USA), me, Stephen (UK, my old boss), Sally (Stephen's wife) and Mc (Nigeria)at farewell party. As you can see I've noted where each teacher comes from. Will update with more pics and news soon. xo

The Wedding Banquet, The Resignation and The Orphanage

2007-07-29T13:39:00.000+08:00

From title you can see that it's been a jam-packed month! I can't believe how many things transpire in the course of a very short time here. The photos were taken last weekend at the wedding banquet for my co-worker and friend Thomas, who was married recently to his Chinese sweetheart Lizzy. A good time was had by all at a Muslim-Chinese restaurant run by Canadian expats here in Shenzhen. The first photo is of me with my good friend Bonnie, we became friends through the school I work for. She is a wonderful lady, always happy to help the sometimes inept foreign friend and always cheerful and optomistic. Then you have a photo of me with the happy couple and another of me with the school office staff. I have actually resigned from my job and will leave at the end of a month. There were many factors involved in making this decision, and I believe it is for the best. I will update you on my progress in this area in a future entry. I want to travel in September for a few weeks, so the timing of this decision was made to coincide with these plans. My other news is that I've started volunteering at a local orphanage. I can only manage to go one morning a week, due to work commitments. I have been going for 3 weeks currently and am finding it very rewarding but also a little heart-breaking! There are so many children there and so little time to spend with them all. I play with the kids who are active and just nurse those who are either not yet walking or infirmed in some way. I can't post any photos as the orphanage does not allow us to take any pictures. We have to follow strict procedures, otherwise they will close the program down and at the end of the day it's the kids who will suffer. This particular orphanage is sponsored by a Canadian group, if you are intrested in their work go to www.halfthesky.org to see what they are all about. I've had another trip to Hong Kong since last I wrote, I did get to hit some tourist spots and events this time around. I went to The Peak, Quarry Bay and saw The Symphony of Lights show on the harbour. I have my ups and downs here but I am also having some amazing experiences and am making some wonderful friends. Till next time, take care and God bless! xo

Shenzhen Summer - Sticky and Sweaty!

2007-06-30T18:09:00.000+08:00

I have been completely slack, looking at the date of my last blog, it's exactly one month ago since I last wrote. There have been a lot of dramas workwise, which I'm not at liberty to discuss here. I can tell you that I am still working for the same school and that my hours have reduced for the time being. This is a blessing as I was getting burnt out on all the hours I was doing. I have been back to Hong Kong and posted here are a couple of photos from my last trip. The financial district is very big and the bull sculpture stands outside the stock exchange. The first time I walked past the Hang Seng bank I found it a little thrilling, as I'd seen it so often mentioned on the news back home. As you can tell from the title I have been experiencing my first tropical summer. It is very uncomfortable and the air conditioners at my apartment have been working overtime. The men of Shenzhen like to walk around with their shirts hoiked up, exposing their midriffs! It's very unappealing to say the least, if only I had the words to tell them! I am acquiring a list of favourite haunts, mainly for eating and shopping. I am also acquiring some good friends, they are mostly the people I work with. I am fascinated by everyone I have met, they all come from such different backgrounds and walks of life. I am a little bit over the Chinese custom of staring at Westerners. I try to be patient and remember that we are in the minority but some days I just want to be anonymous. There are some Chinese who are most helpful and not at all bothered about staring, like the lady at the Bank of China who helped me to apply for Olympic tickets. I should find out in the next couple of months if I will be offered a seat at the Opening Ceremony, tennis or swimming, please pray I get at least one thing! I hope you're keeping well and I will try to be more diligent with my updates. Love, God bless and keep you until next we meet! xo

My Apartment!!

2007-05-30T13:49:00.000+08:00

Well it has finally come to pass, I have an apartment of my own! My flat mates moved late last week and I couldn't be happier! As you can see from the photos it's quite spacious, the view from the balcony isn't half bad either. I have 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, living/dining area, kitchen, small laundry and a lovely big balcony. I had 3 friends over for dinner on Monday night and we christened the place properly. I am fairly tired at the moment, work is busy as ever and I am sorting out the apartment bit by bit. I hope to be on line to chat to you more often, as I finally have broadband internet. I pray things are going well for you and yours. Love and God bless! xo

HK Addict

2007-05-15T14:37:00.000+08:00

After another trip across the water to Hong Kong it's official, I am addicted to the place! The shopping is superb (as a current acquisition above can attest), the drivers are more patient (and on the correct side of the road!) and the atmosphere is infinitely more energised than where I am currently living on the mainland. I toyed breifly with the idea of trying to find a job there, but I know if I did that, that I would go broke very quickly, way too many temptations there! This time last week I was returning from my little expeditition, can't quite believe how fast this year is ticking over. Work is busy with no signs of slowing down. I am learning a lot and even managed to conduct some placements tests, which is talking to potential students to find out what level they are. It's a quick and painless process that saw me earn around 150 RMB for doing 3 of them! I feel like my apprenticeship (it truly feels like that's what it is) is coming along well and am feeling more settled with all of my classes. The weather is warming up quickly and even though summer is weeks away, it feels as though it has arrived already. The ladies of Shenzhen can be seen hiding under a myriad of coloured umbrellas, shading themselves from the intense heat. I am on the brink of buying one myself! I'll leave off here, God bless you all, you're in my thoughts and prayers as always. xo

Shaoguan School Trip

2007-05-01T19:00:00.000+08:00

I returned yesterday from a 3 day trip to Shaoguan, a town near the border of Guangdong Province and Hunan Province. It was a very tiring experience but fun none-the-less. The school I work for paid for just about everything and took around 27 staff away. I was one of only a handful of foreign teachers on the trip and the only female foreigner!! On day one we travelled five hours by bus to our first stop, Yue Bei Valley (known as Guangdong's Grand Canyon). The first photo you can see is of the afternoon's entertainment that we enjoyed, a troupe of highwire artists who were amazing! The second photo shows the funicular which we took down to the hydro-electric scheme that is being developed in this place. We stayed in a beautiful 5 star hotel this night, but were not able to fully enjoy it as we had a 6am start the following morning! We were booked to do a tour on the Pearl River on inflatable boats. I don't have any photos as it was raining and we also encountered some small rapids, so were advised to leave our cameras on the bus. The scenery was lovely, green mountains, small riverside settlements and a disused railway track that was is such bad repair in places that it looked like a Salvador Dali painting. The tracks had succumbed to landsides and were twisted into some incredible positions! In the afternoon we travelled to our hotel which offered an array of different hot springs to soak in. I indulged in a few and also had a sauna which was hotter than any other I've ever experienced! We set off again early on the final day to see Dan Xia mountain. The last two photos are of this place and show me standing in a beautifully crafted pagoda, and also a scenic spot we encountered. I arrived back in Shenzhen at 8pm a little worse for wear but very satisfied. I made some new friends and got to know others better. I now have week off for May Day celebrations, during which time I hope to rest, shop and possibly get away to Hong Kong. Till next time love and peace to you and yours!

Shenzhen Daze

2007-04-18T00:23:00.000+08:00

I am at the end of my two days off and I am shattered. I have so much to pack into my days off that I end trying to do too much. That being said I did actually accomplish quite a bit. I finally got my internet access organised so I hope to be online a lot more often with more updates and photos. I also have been on a bit of a shopping frenzy. I went to Lohu, which is the sea port most tourists coming from Hong Kong go to. There is a huge shopping complex there with hundreds of items, clothes, jewellery, handbags, shoes, electronics and tailors (including a massive fabric market). I found some large size shoes at long last and got a couple of designer knock-off handbags at an outrageously low price! My working week starts tomorrow, I am currently averaging 28 hours teaching over 5 days with many hours in between doing lesson plans. I am still sharing my apartment but hope to have to it to myself soon. That's all for now, it's late and I must get some beauty rest. Love and God Bless! x

Hong Kong Spree

2007-04-02T20:17:00.000+08:00

I finally made it to Hong Kong, this time last week I was pounding the pavement in search of some bargains. I certainly was not disappointed with Hong Kong, it lives up to it's title of shopping Mecca! I bought some wonderful clothes, cosmetics and other essentials. I spent most of the first day with a work colleague who knew HK well and showed me around. The second day I explored on my own after spending the night in a low rent hostel (cheap but clean!). The photos show the weather was a little dreary but my mood was very up and I enjoyed being able to converse with shop assistants in English and find clothes in my size at an unbeatable price. I hope to get away to HK again soon. On the homefront it looks like my flatmates are moving out so I will take on the apartment lease where I am currently living. It's 2 bedrooms, views of the park on the 10th floor, and very close to school. Will update my progress again soon. Love and peace to all! xo

Travels and Trials

2007-03-19T17:44:00.000+08:00

So sorry for my delay in getting a new posting out. I have had my fair share of dramas recently as some of you will be aware. I am currently feeling a little more at ease with things but China is not an easy culture to get your head around. Remembering that they have 5000 years of history and stick closely to the old ways in a lot of situations is hard to comprehend at times. I've had issues at work, namely getting my visa sorted and also my accommodation has changed. Myself and the other teacher at the school apartment were asked to vacate immediately due to renovations the landlord needed to do. Unfortunately the alternate accommodation was very basic and we were forced to find something else. After the dust settled we were able to find a nice brand new 2 bedroom apartment to share. I will stay here for a while and then get my own place. I travelled to Guangzhou (new name for Canton) for my birthday after my New Year travel plans fell through. I spent 3 nights in a place called Shamain, which was lovely. It is an island in the centre of the city and has lots of park lands, old trees and old consulate buildings, I've included a couple of photos from the trip. I met a lovely Chinese Christian lady called Sarah and was pleased to find another believer in an otherwise seemlingly Godless society. I am hoping to get to Hong Kong next, as at long last I have my visa fixed up.
I have done a little shopping here in Shenzhen and with the help of a local found size 10 shoes and export quality and sized clothing. I also treated myself to some jade, which is easy to come by here and cheapish. Work is very busy, I have kids, teenagers and adults and am busiest on weekends. I still don't know much of the language but hope to get myself a phrasebook on my travels to Hong Kong. Thanks to everyone for my gifts, cards and emails of supports, it means so much to me to have all of your love and encouragement when I am so far from home. Till next time God bless. xo

My New Town

2007-02-10T10:30:00.000+08:00

Thought you may like to see some photos my new town, Shenzhen. I haven't had the camera out too much as I've been working most days. As you can see the smog is fairly thick, this is due to Shenzhen being a Special Economic Zone. I'm told that up until about 20 years ago it was just a sleepy fishing village. The more traditional Chinese building is part of what is left of the Old City. The sunset photo was taken last night in Zhong Shan park. You can see the park in the overview photo, taken from the 32nd floor balcony of the apartment I've been house-sitting. I am hoping to travel over Chinese New Year,which is coming up on February 18, so will be back with more photos and an update then.

Students

2007-02-03T20:44:00.000+08:00

The attached photos were taken on Friday 01 February 2007. I took one of my classes to the local park for our lesson. We played games and enjoyed afternoon tea together, along with some of their parents and grand-parents. We watched a man drawing Chinese calligraphy using a wet sponge, and counted the numerous kites that were flying over the park. I wish every class I have could be so enjoyable, but if that was the case I know that I wouldn't relish these opportunities half as much.