Well, hello. It's been awhile. For some of you five years, to be exact, since my epic Chinese soujourn. I am off on another adventure. If you received a message via email that there is a new post, then, TA-DA! This is it. If you would like me to unsubscribe you from the blog, drop me a line at spiritednortherngirl@gmail.com. I will honour your wish, but I warn you, you will be missing out on green Irish grass and English castles, Scottish kilts, ceilidhs, leprechauns, a World Heritage Site, The Giants' Causeway, The London theatre scene, etcetera. I am hoping we laugh every day, sample interesting new foods, see and smell new sights that all of us remember for some time to come. I really do hope you'll come along with us via the blog. ? ... read more

*I wrote this blog, before I left China, but due to time contraints, and international travel (!!) it didn't get published until now, Tuesday, December 6th, 2012. It's Friday, November 25th, 2011, and I am just back in my hotel after having visited Chairman Mao in his crystal coffin at Tian'an Men Square. LOL, macabre, yes, maybe just a little;however, no visit to China would be complete without a glimpse of this amazing and important cultural icon. And I was among thousands of curious Chinese who qued up like obedient and quiet cattle amazingly early and who'd passed through very tight security in order to do so. I had extracted and brought my passport from the hotel safe this morning as all are admitted to the shrine with evidence of proper personal idenitification. It turned out, ... read more

“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” ~ Freya Stark And so it is. This morning and for the last 3 mornings, I have awoken in one of the world's largest cities. It still doesn not quite register that I am sharing space with about 20 million other people. Almost half the population of our country, Canada. How am I supposed to wrap my brain around that, eh? LOL Beijing is really magical. I love the "feel" of this city and I am enjoying the COOL weather. I have bought myself a rather, if I do write so myself, FUNKY touque/hat to wear here, since it feels decidedly chilly to me, being that the temperature hovers just slighty above zero here since I arrived and I ... read more

It is Friday morning here, the 18th of November, and I am just finishing up the final touches on this blog entry. I have been wrestling with it for several days having had issues with uploading pictures, making editorial/text changes and generally "polishing" it. As usual though, I will have missed little things here and there while I am packing up and making my departure arrangements. I have done my best with the pictures. They can be such a "bete-noir" with this blog. *Sigh* I am beset by melancholy listening to the rain drumming steadily outside. The last several days have been wet and uncomfortable. My new umbrella busted a spoke. Already. Sheesh. Good thing I'm on my way home tomorrow. LOL Who-so-ever amongst you who dreams of tropical or, in this case, sub-tropical paradise, ... read more

*We have had no internet service in our apartment for a few days. I have not published because of it. I am at the school using the connection there, today on November 8th. Now I know how Justin Bieber feels. LOL. Well, lol, sort of. My face was SO sore from smiling all evening, this Hallowe'en night! Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining, it was awesome! Me and the other costumed teachers starred in literally hundreds of pictures this evening. Rich, Diane, Joyce and I and a convoy of the marketing staff from Tianjiao jumped into the school's van after our evening teaching and strolled the shopping street in Xiamen in our Hallowe'en gear. Rich did say today at lunch after our visit to the antiques market that I'm a diva (pffffft! Whatever!! LMAO) I ... read more