The next 2 weeks are public holidays in China, which means the language school only has a few classes. We're in this week, mainly afternoons, and have 9 days off from Saturday which means only one thing for me - it's panda time! There are 3-4 ways to see pandas around here. There is a 'nursery' where baby pandas are bred and kept, and this is probably all artificial. I really think this is where pandas are sadly heading - they're like living museum curiousities. Anyway, pandas can also be seen at the research base, which is again about breeding but more naturally - for example tourists aren't allowed during the mating season. Stuff like this encourages me that it's not just a money making exercise, and I always look for these clues before deciding where to give our business. It was so tough in Thailand to find places that would treat elephants properly, but we eventually found Thom's in Pai and Lek's in Chiang Mai which were excellent. This panda place has a volunteer project, so we'll probably spend 3 days there in our break and really get to know these amazing creatures. I feel a real kinship with their chilled out nature, they're the real essence of 'zen' - I don't see why they're not a religious icon, the whole thing of a vegetarian carnivore seems irresistable to Buddhism.

Pandas can also be seen at the sanctuary, which is further out and sounds more like a reserve. Apparently this has been moved recently so I'll have to track it down. And finally, there's the zoo. We never really saw a decent zoo in Asia, though China might be better. I'm going to try and learn more first. At any rate, I expect pandas to be kept in better conditions. China donated 2 pandas to Chiang Mai zoo to celebrate the King's birthday. Even though CM zoo was poor and had the obligatory distressed and chained-up elephants, the panda enclosure was a stunning multi-million pound affair with much more equipment than the pandas were interested in. So we'll probably go to Chengdu zoo too and see the pandas there.

Aside from pandas, there's plenty to do here. Yesterday we went to visit the Green Ram Temple and Du Fu's cottage, which is a tribute to a poet who was exiled here and is a major historical site - Du Fu apparently inspired many generations of revolutionaries in China. It had been visited by pretty much every Chinese chairman and president, and even some unexpected foreign peeps like Chirac and the Canadian PM (poor chap, just not famous enough).

Plenty to update, we had an eventful first week and have only today got the magical combination of water, electricity AND gas all working in the apartment. Also lots to say about work and our time in Kuala Lumpur. Please reply to let me know if this works, I'm keen to use this site because it's hosted in China so isn't going to upset any officials. Some people have told us about proxies and ways to get blocked sites, but we did choose to come here so I'd like to try follow the laws.

More details and photos soon, particularly of the crazy Chinese family we met at Du Fu's pagoda!