8th March


I continually put my jacket on and take it back off, as the sun peers in and out of the clouds, as I sit out on the balcony. Construction work takes place in the apartment blocks next to us, drilling, banging but it feels like a distance sound. I've started reading 'Slumdog Millionaire' It's an accomplishment, as I have yet to find the zone for reading since coming to Songjiang. I need to able to read a book in peace, for the author to take me away on his story and this afternoon I have finally been able to sit down and only think about the thoughts and ideas of the character
and not my own. Perhaps now this shows I am ready to try meditation?


There are two Muslim resturants on the stretch to school. One is on my walk to school. I enjoy stopping there for lunch, spending sometime to relax before work and the other is right by my apartment so they're usually my dinner stop. It's a family run business, with the eldest son making the noodles, the mother cooking in the kitchen and the other children serving.
When paying for my lunch last week, the mother grabbed my hand feeling how soft it was. She then showed me her rough, dry hands. Hands of a hard working woman!
Before sitting at my table this afternoon, I walked over to the mother and placed a bottle of hand cream beside her. She looked at me in confusion. "For you" I said pointing at her hands and then at mine, "It's for you" She couldn't believe it saying many things in Chinese, speaking to her daughter very quickly. We both laughed and smiled, I wish I knew what she was saying! She thanked me and I sat down, ordering noodles, meat and peppers. After some time, she walked past rubbing her hands together, I could smell the moisturiser. I sat smiling, watching her as she stood outside, continually rubbing her 'soft' hands together. Taking money out of my wallet to pay, she again spoke very fast and loudly (in a nice way) exclaiming that I wasn't to pay. She showed me her hands. I pushed the money foward, she was having none of it. We both laughed, I thanked her, said my goodbyes and continued my walk to school, feeling satisified!
My next lunch there will be on Friday and by this time I will learn in Mandarin 'What is your name?' so I can ask her.


Peace and Happiness, Em x x x