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Published: April 21st 2013
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Sunset, Brighton, South Australia
Even an average sunset in South Australia beats a good one in Eastern China New photos on:
http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/gg311/draftwrite/ …..little things make you realise you're back in China. The green flash on the toothpaste tube does not indicate mint but green tea flavoured toothpaste. The look of incredulity on the face of someone you narrowly miss as they travel the wrong way down the bike lane concentrating on their mobile phone call, amazed that, wow, there are only 4 million people in this city & yet someone almost hit me... (note; not “I nearly hit him”). The constant haze in the air, even on what passes for a clear day. The internet is a real web, a place where things get stuck & don't ever escape, where the information highway is like some of the streets in town under reconstruction, blocked off by a hastily erected wall at both ends....
…..back in China from Australia, I have to remind myself. It didn't take great powers of observation to notice the brilliant blue skies & sea, the air quality, (easier to maintain with less than the population of Shanghai spread over a whole continent), the beautifully clean buses & trams with VACANT SEATS, even during peak hour. Being able to walk around without being stared
Bec and Marek
Breakfast at Henley Beach, South Australia at in a city which, although Adelaide appeared sparsely populated compared to what I'm used to, is inhabited by such a variety people from all over the world. I also couldn't resist a walk through the new coach station in the city centre & marvel at the absence of people, no more than a dozen waiting to buy tickets. A mild panic attack. Maybe there's an awful epidemic I don't know about & everyone else has already left town.....
…..in the sedate little city of Adelaide there are cranes on the skyline, a new medical centre under construction, the cricket oval being totally refurbished, rail lines being electrified. The Fringe Festival in full swing, Glenelg buzzing with outdoor dining, shaded from a relentless sun, beaches busy but never really crowded. I remember in a previous blog, reflecting that, despite the immense amount of “stuff” that gets done in China a lot of people seem to spend long hours just waiting for a customer to arrive or monotonously welding bits of steel all day & half the night, unencumbered by safety regulations or OHS. I said that it's a place of frenetic activity carried out at a leisurely pace. Adelaide,
by contrast, seems to be a place of leisurely activity carried out at a measured pace that leaves at least some citizens time to run along the Linear Park, go to Fringe events or sit outside in the evening with a coffee or beer & enjoy the quiet ambience.....
…..although I don't get the pangs of nostalgia for western food that seems to strike a lot of other expatriate teachers I did enjoy things in Adelaide I just don't eat in China. Cheese, what a selection in the Adelaide markets. Mouthwatering. Fish & chips, a special mention for the Kilkenny battered fish at the Dan O'Connell hotel in North Adelaide. Bread not loaded with sugar! I hardly ever eat burgers but, at Ryan's suggestion I tried a Hungry Jack's burger at Adelaide airport before I left & yes, (to all those who, for some reason, assume I am a vegetarian), it tasted pretty good, although they won't become a staple part of my diet.....
…..what's been happening in Yangzhou since I've been away? More areas of old houses flattened & preparations underway for yet more apartments. On a smaller scale in sleepy Yangzhou, but with clusters of a
dozen 16 storey units at a time springing up it's at a pace that would leave Adelaide gasping. Dongguan Jie, the tourist street is getting extra security & bikes are being banned due to the number of people visiting. Sunny has a new girlfriend, Lesley, pretty girl, (of course!) in the tourism industry. Steve is back, his smashed knee having partially recovered in England, ready to pick up where we left off with our musical projects.....
…..now that I have brought the electric violin back from Australia I am ready to jam with the band at the Old Brewery. A great success, no problems getting a decent signal to the amplifier, just plug it in & play. I think we'll be doing this again. I find myself playing everything from Adele & Sweet Home Alabama to a rock version of Pachelbel's Canon.....
…..a great segue to my violin student, Betty, now in Grade 5, is doing really well & she's so sweet & so keen it's a real pleasure to teach her. She's asked me to show her how to play Pachelbel's Canon. Not a choice I expected from an 11 year old in China but we've got
the music & are slowly working through it.....
…..after Grade 6 last semester I am happy to go back to Grade 8, which wasn't really working out for George. It seems like coming home. I seem to connect better on their level & they'll actually listen long enough for me to teach something. I think George is having the same problems as I did with Grade 6 now that he's swapped with me. I don't start until 9:50am, (10:50am Wednesday & Thursday!). I have classes until 5:30pm Monday to Thursday but that's OK & the daylight hours are slowly increasing......
…..temperatures are fluctuating crazily as the seasons change, sinus problems, colds, sore throats, never knowing what to wear from one day to the next. Now mid April it has gone from almost 30C a couple of days ago to rain & bitterly cold wind, from t-shirts to beanies overnight....
…..I'm spending a fair amount of time studying as I've started a Bachelor of Languages course online from the University of New England, in Armidale, new South Wales. I'm doing Chinese & Linguistics this semester. Not too arduous as I've had a 4 year headstart on the Chinese
but still I need to establish some good study habits, in fact ANY study habits at all.....
….need to be organised for study materials at the beginning of next week, the Lao Dong Jie or May Day holiday. One of the teachers found cheap flights to Xiang Gang, or Hong Kong as you probably know it. I've never been before, other than a transfer at the airport. An as yet undetermined group is aiming to go for around 3 days. I have my ticket.....
…..Fei Fei, (Miss Piggy), has news for me. She's pregnant! Her wedding will be brought forward to August, a decent interval before the baby is born in January. Will I go to the wedding? Is the Pope a Catholic? I also try to find time to visit her & her fiancee, Lin Yu, as soon as our crazy timetable changes due to public holidays & extra curricular requirements allow time.....
…..Shen Yue brings her son back to school with a story about a break-in at the shop where she works. She arrived to find drawers ransacked & papers strewn around, petty cash & a mobile phone missing. CCTV recordings revealed that two opportunistic
City Centre, Adelaide
Where are all the people? teenagers at around 3am noticed that the bicycle lock on the inside door handles, (a very Chinese way to secure doors), was long enough to push one door sufficiently for the two skinny kids to get in. She decided to call the mobile phone number, just on the chance of getting some information. The thief answered the phone & attempted to capitalise on it by offering to return the phone at a place & time to be determined if she paid Y200. How should she pay? Just transfer the money to the bank account number the thief gives you! It seems too obvious, nevertheless the police did apparently manage to use the account number to track them down. Further training in basic extortion techniques required, boys.....
…..finally, a call from Miss Piggy last night.
“Will you come to my wedding?”
“Of course”, I reply, “I'm not going to prepare any trips in August until you tell me the date”.
“Do you have-a free time at Lao Dong Jie?”, (the May Day holiday)
Thinking she's asking me to visit their new home in Taizhou the week after next I have to inform her I have tickets to go to Hong
Stormy sky, Belair, South Australia
Amazing, hope the photo does it some justice Kong.
“Ah!...”, (long pause)... “My wedding is Thursday next-a, next-a week*, Lao Dong Jie...” (* = the week after next).
Because of the pregnancy they've moved the wedding forward to avoid the hottest time of the year. Well, you could have told me sooner..... I already bought the ticket..... Ah, China, after all the crazy impromptu rehearsals & ridiculous last minute timetable changes at school, now this. You wonder how anything gets done here. But somehow it does.....
…..Ao-zhou (in the title) is Chinese for Australia, (the continent), or you can say Ao-da-li-ya, (the country).....
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Linda
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Love the updates Dave. Enjoy. Luv us. xxxxx