Today was a special day in Nanjing for local people....the 13 December marks the 75th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre - an atrocious event when the Japanese invaded the city killing over 300,000 innocent people in a 6 week period. This morning air raid sirens rang hauntingly across the city to mourn the loss. The sirens continued for about 2 hours - just when you thought they had stopped they started up again - you could see the local people continuing their ...

Since I last wrote not a lot of exciting things have happened, its been mainly the general humdrum of daily life and me readjusting to life in China. Already getting itchy feet for more travel adventures. My wonderful aussie mate and fellow teacher Shirl took me out for a welcome back dinner to one of our favourite restaurants - Ciao Italia - Yes thats right - an Italian restaurant in China!!! But I have to tell you that Guiseppe makes the best penne pesto in th...

Where have I been you may wonder....well I've spent the last 3 months back in Australia packing up my old life. Most of my time was spent preparing my house and garden ready to sell - yes it is now on the market. Unfortunately that took a lot more time than I anticipated and therefore I did not catch up with as many friends as I would have liked to. If I did not get to see you I'm sorry but do not think I have forgotten you :) I will be returning for a visit in J...

After 2 fun filled days at Disneyland it was time to head into Hong Kong proper for the rest of our holiday. As planned we intermixed sightseeing with shopping and generally relax and enjoy the last of the hot weather before I head to the winter cold of Australia. Out hotel was conveniently located in Kowloon close to the metro lines so getting around was simple. Luck was on my side and the weather was delightful – hot but not unbearably so – not enou...

Never having been to Macau I was pleased to do a day trip to this area to catch a glimpse of what's on offer. Got to visit the major tourist sights but it also offered me the opportunity to work out that I can easily return here and find my way around without a guide…..yet another place to add to my list of places to visit….a list that is proving to be ever growing!!!! The history of Macau can be traced back to the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC), wh...