A bit late for those at home, but we're still between new years here where New Year/Spring Festival preparations are well under way. In fact on Boxing Day, the Christmas decorations began coming down around town (much to the dismay of the Russian teacher who celebrates Christmas on Jan 7th) to be replaced by lanterns, banners and other decorations for the upcoming year of the dragon. In the few weeks immediately before Christmas, many shops, restaurants and businesses put up decorations and trees, but interestingly the decorations all consisted of Father Christmases, mostly faces stuck on windows, the only nativity we saw was a single picture outside the big protestant church in the centre of town. Some are still up and a few places have both Christmas and Spring Festival decorations for good measure. (As we passed one of the large hotels the other day I noticed a life-sized Father Christmas "playing" a saxophone in the lobby.)

Post Christmas, things have been a bit flat here really. Owen was back at work Boxing Day, it was exam week for his students, then the next week was largely marking and finishing up. I did my fourth and final session at the hospital. On New Year’s Eve we spent the afternoon at one of the hospitals, in the dental clinic - Owen had broken a tooth during Christmas lunch (not my cooking!). One of the postgrad students came with us to interpret and we went to dinner afterwards with her and her husband. When we got home we skyped our son in Melbourne to wish him a happy New Year and catch up with his news. We’d stocked up on nuts and nibbles earlier, so later in the evening we polished off a bottle of champagne and a bottle of red with Vern, but he hadn’t been well earlier in the week, so decided to retire early. After he left we channel flipped for a bit then decided we’d call it a day as well. In bed before 11.30, we were woken briefly by a short burst of fireworks nearby at what we assumed was midnight. Welcome to the New Year.

On New Year’s Day we caught the bus to the Yu Zhong campus and joined one of Owen’s classes for a jiaozi making and eating party in the ref – apparently a common end of term activity. Afterwards we set off candle-powered paper lanterns on which we’d all written messages. A lovely evening, but that was the day the weather decided to turn cold again. We’ve been back to -3 to 0 maximum since, but I think it’s about to warm up a bit again.

Food Update

We’ve been eating lots of pork with apple/apple and cabbage sauce to use up some of the many apples Owen was given by his students. It’s a tradition here – an apple for the teacher for real!

Back into the bread making this week – getting better, had some nice buns filled with lamb and ratatouille the other night.

After the jiaozi-making event, I’m (almost) tempted to have a go at making my own - the dough seems easy enough, it’s the fillings which might be tricky.

Fascinating Fashions

I could do an entire blog on the local fashion scene. I could fill a book with pictures, but I don’t have the gall to take photos of people in the street. The look of the young (and not so young) is thick skintight leggings with short shorts, mini skirts or long jumpers and above the knee boots – usually with high stiletto heels. Any or all of these elements often adorned with diamantes or fake fur. I don’t know how they negotiate the rugged footpaths, stairs etc. I look decidedly frumpish in my thick pants and sturdy flat shoes. The leggings are often double layered, with a thick flesh-coloured under layer covered with thin black mesh, to look like a pair of fine black stockings. (They are often a bit loose on the thin Chinese legs though, which gives it away a bit).

Another popular fashion item is a little tutu-like skirt made of tulle and worn over the thick leggings or very tight jeans – again in all colours and embellished with sequins, beads etc.

I’ll have to sit in the mall one day and randomly take photos hoping to catch some nice outfits. We at last got some shots of a couple of dogs out walking in their finery the other day.

There’s also an endless array of hats, beanies, scarves, earmuffs, gloves and mittens which come in wool, felt, fur, beaded, embroidered, animal shapes, cartoon characters ... Nails are also a popular fashion statement. There are little stalls in shop corners, on the streets and malls and in doorways everywhere. The possibilities in extensions, colours and decoration are quite amazing.

One thing the cold winters here do is allow for some beautiful designs in coats and jackets. They come all lengths, styles and gorgeous colours. If we had cold winters in Perth I’d be going home with a suitcase full of them. As it is I’m sure I’ll be tempted by at least an embroidered jacket before we leave.

Heading South

Owen gets his permanent crown fitted this week, then we’re heading south looking for some warmth for the holiday break. We’re heading to Hainan (as far south as we could go) for a few days to veg-out, then making our way back through Guangxi, Yunnan and Sichuan to Lanzhou for the start of the new semester. Hopefully I’ll be able to blog along the way.