Another busy one
on Ripsnorter Chinalife (China), 20/Apr/2009 07:41, 34 days ago
Another week has gone by. We had another Chinese lesson and make a bit more progress. There are definite signs of improvement, but we still have a lot to learn. I am trying to get fit and so have started running. The most convenient place to run is at the college over the road. The only disadvantage is that when I time it wrong , I end up running when the students are on their break. My red face and the fact that I am running around a playground gives them pure entertainment value. They shout words of encouragment like "Hello, pleased to meet you" and " I love you!". I also had my haircut which was quite a scarey experience. I went with a Chinese friendand told her that all I wanted was a trim. The hairdresser (who looked like a 70's football player) performed the task like Edward Scissorhands cutting off quite a bit more than what I wanted. He kept on asking if I wanted a fringe. I kept on repeating no, but it didn't stop him from asking. He then tried to get me to have perm. All I wanted was a trim........(Sabine)Saturday was Phil's birthday and so I will let him tell you about that.Saturday? Birthday? Oh yeah. We and a few friends gathered for a meal at a restaurant up town in the evening. Even Mr Liu, my boss, stopped by for a short time to give me a gift of a painting of his own - he's quite a talented artist in his spare time. The food was a tad heavy, it being made mainly of flour and starch. The best bit was the birthday cake, cream-fest!. Although, the 'friends' smearing it all over my face (see photos) and insisting this was a traditional Chinese custom was a little disconcerting... I remain unconvinced.Sunday started with me teaching a teacher to tune his guitar before working through a couple of songs. Following a spot o' lunch we headed via taxi to a place where cars take you to Qingcheng (it's like a car station, there are a number dotted around the town, each with a different destination). In Qingcheng we met up with Jane ans Susan at #1 Middle School. Jane had organised some training for a select group of staff from the school. We were there to add a little moral support and lend a hand where needed. The day went well and laid the foundations for the conclusion next week - good luck Jane! The day concluded with, yes, you've guessed it, a meal out. We headed home after this for a well-earned session of shuteye.(Phil)