Friday, October 28, 2005

She lives

Hello lovelies!

Yes, it is I and I live on! I know I'm being most shoddy about keeping this blog up to date, and responding to your emails, but otherwise (or perhaps because) life is very good! Thanks for your name suggestions for my reptilian chum - Dad's in the lead with 'Pimples', and Wayne is last with 'Wayne'.

Here we go with a brief update on my life in the east: I went for my first hotpot last week (cook your own food in a big pot on your table) and involuntarily wrinkled my nose when a plateful of live crabs were placed on our table! Blimey! I couldn't bring myself to put the little critters into the boiling water, but as Yoko readily saved the rest of us the task, I did venture so far as to eat one. Not without a tinge of sadness, I must add - I'm not used to seeing my dinner waving its claws at me shortly before I eat it. I also had my first taste of donkey a few days ago in the form of donkey jiaozi (dumplings) - yum! Poor old Eeyore! Why does my blog seem to be morphing into a food review?

Last weekend we went for a BBQ next to a lake (oops - food again) - it's great spending time with the Chinese teachers away from the school. Many of us live and work here, and seeing each other in a different setting is refreshing! The food was great - we prepared most of it next to the lake and cooked it on little metal box grills. The spices added by the Chinese teachers nearly blew my head off though!

Tonight we have another foreigners' free feast at a swish hotel in the city (hell, I'm doing it again!). Tomorrow I am speaking at an English Corner, which entails telling several hundred Chinese people about my country and culture (what's that?). On Sunday I am judging a university English speech competition - muhahahaha! Those of you who know me well enough will know why that may pose some difficulty. Umm err...

Then my weekend is over once more and I am propelled into another hectic week of teaching, guitar lessons, Mandarin lessons, confused wandering, and eating poor unsuspecting creatures! Next weekend Lyn and I are going to stay in Beijing - my first stint in a hostel! I can't wait!

Dan has very astutely observed that my blog seems only to be telling the amusing elements and, reading back over this, I note that he has a point, so here we go: I smashed my bottle of foundation on the bathroom floor! Awful. It's laughable that I safely transported it all the way to China only to smash it in my apartment!

We've had a sad week here due to the death of two of the teachers' father. They are sisters from the Philippines, and for paperwork reasons they were unable to go home. We held our own service at a local church (fairly rare around here) (churches, that is), lit some candles and had some quiet time. I know how much they must wish to be at home, and even the Philippines suddenly seems a very long way away.

I must go and lesson plan! It is always wonderful to hear from you all! Be good!

Bec
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Friday, October 14, 2005

Reptile at large

THERE WAS A LIZARD IN MY KITCHEN!

I use the past tense here because it has since crept away, I know not where. Between the initial sighting and my scaly friend's subsequent disappearance my windows were closed, so I can only conclude that he (I suspect it was male, I know not why) is currently at large in my apartment.

In Kenya I liked the lizards because they were colourful, and because they snacked upon the ridiculously large, nightmare-inducing moths. Kenyan lizards, however, did not feel the urge to share my living quarters.

He must have really wanted to move in, considering that I live on the fourth floor. It was a considerable climb for his little legs, so I'll try to be charitable when I next encounter him. I might even give him a name - suggestions on a postcard...

Kisses and whatnot,

Bec
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Thursday, October 06, 2005

Newsflash!

I can now see comments on my blog! I've found a most helpful feature which mails me any comments!

We cycled to some rather pretty temples today. Our EJD (Expected Journey Duration) was 1.5 hours, but actually proved to be nearer 4! My legs will testify to the expedition tomorrow! I took some charming photos with my mobile (still my only mode of photography), including one of a sign next to a lake reading: "Caution, drop down", which caused us great hilarity!

On Tuesday I had my first experience of a Chinese karaoke bar - blimey! It was a series of individual rooms, big enough to fit you and your friends in (depending upon popularity I suppose, but it was big enough for me and mine!) Each room contains a very comfy, u-shaped seating area, a large flat-screen TV, a computerised karaoke system, and people who pop in and out with alcohol and snacks! It transpires that I am something of a karaoke legend.. ahem!

The adventures of Bec continue...

x

Monday, October 03, 2005

Success!


Woo hoo! I've finally managed to post this picture! It's the only China snapshot I have so far: here we are after walking up and down the mountain!

The man waving in the backrow is Mr. Wong, one of the school's drivers who, despite numerous corrections, takes great delight in shouting, "Rebec" every time he sees me. Hello Mr. Wong.

Check out my Chinese trainers - they cost 35 RMB! That's 2.46 GBP! Bargain!

**Brief bid for sympathy**: I sustained seven insect bites overnight - four of them are on my face! Alas, poor Bec...

Be well,

Bec the Bold
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Bec on a Bike

Greetings and salutations!

I am embarking upon a well-earned (mm hmm) week off… so much to tell and so little time to tell it in! I will give you a condensed version of my recent activities:

We spent last weekend in the mountains, in a town called Yesanpo, which was beautiful! It contrasted wonderfully with the city and, in addition, the air was clear and I could see the sky! We can see the sky sometimes in Shijiazhuang, but it is always hazy at best – some days it’s completely obscured by a cloud of pollution. Take heart, however, it is apparently a great improvement on a few years ago!

We arrived in Yesanpo in darkness (do not believe Chinese ETAs! It is safest to add on at least two hours!), and went to an open air show in which what appeared to be children (?) climbed up ladders made of knives and spun around, without a hint of safety equipment! Bravo! It wasn’t until the next morning that I could fully appreciate the landscape – we were surrounded by HUGE, sheer-faced mountains.

We walked up into the mountains and admired some rather pretty waterfalls and whatnot. I have to admit to wussing out on the opportunity to climb a flight of rickety wooden steps up the steepest section of the mountain. In the afternoon we went rafting on a lake which was just fantastic! The rafts were made of bamboo and looked incredibly flimsy, but turned out to be quite the opposite. Drew and I were the rafting champions, punting around the lake at top speed! The locals seemed to particularly enjoy the spectacle of two blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreigners on a bamboo raft – glad to be of service! Rafting was followed by a brief stint of horse riding and, later on that night, an outdoor karaoke party around a jolly big camp fire! Mike, Aidan, Corinne and I regaled them with a wonderful rendition of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'!


The next day we walked up and down a GREAT BIG mountain! I mean GREAT, GREAT, BIG, BIG! I actually thought I was going to die on the way up, but the view was worth it, as was the sense of satisfaction at having made it!

I have bought a blue guitar – finger picked Streets of London here I come! I also have a sparkly pink bike! Yay! I have started my bike tour of China – my suburb first, then Hebei Province, then the whole country!

I have twice partied at a club with a bouncy dancefloor, and visited a range of fairly funky Chinese bars! I will make this small observation: they have a strange interpretation of the word 'vodka'!

Photos will be provided at the first opportunity – I am reliant upon other peoples’ photography at present! Thanks again for your mails – an erratic internet connection is making my generally slow response time even slower, but please do not be deterred!

I hope that you are healthy and happy!

Much love, from the land where ‘privacy’ has no meaning,

Bec
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