Still busy preparing for my adventure to Tibet....only 5 sleeps to go before I head off. I think some of my students are more excited than me and they have all been giving me suggestions on what to do to "stay well" - lots of traditional Chinese medicine in little bags have been presented to me this week with instructions on how to use them and for what!!! My postgraduate Masters students decided that last week's lesson was going to be dedicated to me learning s...

Not a lot to report this week. Settling back into life in Nanjing. Have been lesson planning like crazy trying to get well ahead before I embark on my Chinese lessons. I'm figuring it will take a lot of my spare time to grasp the langauge and practice my writing. My students are laughing as I have purchased a writing practice exercise book........the one they all used in primary school....but they are all too polite to say that!!! Visited another one of our affi...

Happy Mid Autumn Festival to you all.....yes its a national holiday here in China today. First a little bit of history...... The Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 : zhōng qiū jié) is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar. Like most traditional festivals, the Moon Festival is steeped in legend. This festival dates back over 3,000 years, to moon worshiping in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC). However, not ...

I now know why Nanjing is called on of the 3 "furnaces" of China......the weather is hot, hot, hot, tropical rain, hot, hot ,hot. For the life of me I cannot get used to having to leave my apartment on a sunny day and carry an umbrella!!! Needless to say I have managed to get drenched a few times which is almost a blessed relief from the heat. Most of the Chinese girls use umbrellas everyday to ward of the sun in their pursuit of getting white skin - they think I...

Arrived back safe and sound on Friday afternoon, a cursory check through customs and then it was out of the airport to fight my way through the swarm of taxi drivers to locate my bus into the city.....I'm a veteran of this now so no getting ripped off by taxis!! Much rather pay 20 yuan than 100+ yuan to get into the city!! Got back to my apartment to be greeted by our friendly ayi ( translated as 'auntie" but really just the lady on the front desk) who can't spe...