Keeping you posted!

I'm b-b-b-b-ack!

It was nice to let Michelle take over for once, and once is all I'm letting her. This blog is mine!!! (For all you fans of Michelle's last posting on this blogsite...I'm kidding!).

But anyway - I'm back in the driver's seat of 'A YEAR IN CHINA' and ready to cough up all the latest goss from the land of anything goes. Michelle, by the way, is almost fully recovered from her horse-fall, so now that the pain has eased and the nightmares are over (get it? night- mares...hehe...that was lame...), I'll show you some photos of Michelle on that frightful day.

So yes, she was riding like a pro until the horse decided a pro was too much pressure to live up to and decided to try a quick 360. Unfortunately Michelle only completed a 180.

But overall it was a weekend to remember. I was born for the country life!

Some more news: Michelle has started selling our greeting cards at her work - on the first day she sold 30, and got an order for 30 more! And the future looks bright. Raving reviews and marketing suggestions are already coming in. We'll keep you posted.

Work has been going well for both of us. I have two weeks remaining with my current classes and I'll be sure to miss them. They've been great students and we've had lots of fun together. Every Friday we've had sporting competitions between the two classes and amongst all the fun n' games, I almost forget I've left youth work and am living and working in China. Then there's the opportunities that keep presenting themselves to guide and point the way to any student that asks - questions about life, the universe and everything. Love it.

(That's chalk in my hand in case you're wondering!)

After these classes wrap up, I've only recently learned that I'll have to start looking for another job as there's not enough work to keep us teachers going at this particular company, which is a pity, but I'm sure something will turn up. If you're the praying type, keep me in mind ay.

In two weeks my parents are coming to China for a holiday and will be with us for 2 weeks before venturing off into the rest of China. We'll be joining them for a short trip to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors and the Huashan mountains. We can't wait -it'll also be a nice holiday for us!

This is China

Dig it.

*For more of our photos click HERE

Michelle Tells the Story...

Well – I hesitate to write this blog entry as I think PJ’s been doing such a great job - but after his begging and pleading...I give in....here goes:

We have just spent a wonderful weekend away in Fengning Bashang (Click here for a link to it's location on Google Earth, inc photos). An area only 200+km outside BJ but a journey that took 7 hrs by bus – the narrow mountain roads and crazy overtaking was very scary! Must mention though that the scenery most of the way was fantastic. Fengning Bashang is close to Inner Mongolia. Imagine rolling grass hills, sheep, horses, country folk, Mongolian huts.
We were invited by Nana and David (our lovely Chinese friends) to join them and their friends on this trip, 12 of us in all - those in this photo plus 2:

Saturday afternoon we hired horses and trotted off into the fields...literally. My trotting lasted only 30 mins when my horse decided to race off past the others. Me, not being the horse riding expert that I am, tried to stop the horse. Instead of the horse stopping as it SHOULD HAVE!!!, it did a 180 degree turn and I was left to hit the ground hard on my derriere... PAINFUL. After some rubbing of my buttocks...I slowly climbed on to the back of a 4 wheel motorbike with PJ, to follow the others through the fields and villages. Despite the pain, it was a gorgeous afternoon.

Dinner served - lamb on the spit. PJ tells me it was yum! (I was in bed for the next 13 hours trying to recover).

On Sunday morning we continued our adventures on 4 wheel motorbikes along the highway and then through the villages and fields. With trucks passing us, no helmets, no knee/elbow pads...I felt so safe (not)! Was v. fun though!

2 days later – am still in pain and can’t bend over properly. PJ is being a good ‘nurse’ though ... helping me pick things up off the floor, put my shoes on etc . Have just been to the doctor and had some X-rays taken. I’m told that I have some soft tissue damage that’ll repair itself in a couple of weeks.

This is China

Dig it