Life has been one big whirlwind since I returned from Tibet. Our tour group is still fighting for some reimbursement for our tour and in typical Chinese fashion this negotiation is going around in ever diminishing circles. However I don't think they have counted on the fact that we are working together as a group and are one very determined group of people!!

Still waiting on some photos from my fellow tour group members to add to my blog....especially the one of me at the Mt Everest base camp sign - just to prove I really did make it. It will be rather nice to actually have "me" in some of the pictures instead of constantly being behind the camera!

I have started my Chinese classes and have decided that either this is one crazy language or I am one crazy person. Maybe trying to learn to speak, read and write the language all at the same time was not my brightest idea! Or heaven forbid is my age a barrier to learning a new language??! I admit I am struggling to keep up with the classes especially as I miss at least 3 each week due to teaching commitments. My pronunciation is good (apparently) but who on earth thought up this crazy idea of tones?!? I can recognise some characters but for the life of me can't quite recall what they mean when I need to use them. As for my writing...well I feel like a primary school child learning from scratch....but am told that my characters are very precise - not sure if that's a compliment or not!!

I have also been given a Chinese name by my teacher. Fei Na 费娜 which I am told roughly translates to elegant lady. I haven't quite mastered getting all those little strokes into smaller characters yet so when I write it my characters are HUGE!!

Friday night I was the "esteemed foreign Professor" who judged the University's English Speech contest with 4 Chinese judges. I was absolutely delighted as one of my Nursing students got FIRST place and she was up against English major students!!. 2 of my students made it through to the finals and I was very proud of both of them for having a go. We didn't finish till about 2200 and I was exhausted especially knowing I needed to up be early the next morning to teach and then off to Chinese classes on Sunday afternoon. In fact I'm now flat out every day.....very little free time for sightseeing so playing the tourist has stopped for now. Mind you it won't be long and we will be into winter so its probably opportune that I'm busy doing other things!

Well no more news for now. hope everyone is fit and well. Bye for now. xx