The last douple of weeks

Last weekend has been pretty fun, Dyl came to stay for 3 nights, so did the touristy thing in Yiwu, trade centre and a couple of other markets, was just as good as last time, and Casey spent just as much on toys as last time! We went shirt shopping for Dyl, it was like shopping for a rock, so I dawdled and watched a fantastic poker game that had about 2000 kuai at stake!

Case and I got some pretty amazing haircuts from this really posh joint, they give you an hour hairwash and massage which includes a face cleaning and ear cleaning. Casey and I wanted radical stripes through our hair, casey got pink which looks super cool, but when I said I wanted blue I was completely denied because they told me I would not look so beautiful. I came out with a helmet haircut which looked so asian, not to much of a fan but it had to be done at least once!


The Americans have moved in next door, after one conversation we already know that Jacob has voted for McCain, and before we met them we got a call from Peter apologetically telling us that we were apparently being too loud for Americano next door. So hmmm not sure how swell thats going to be, but we are good at buttering people up!

Our apartment has turned into a boys club, we have transformed our dining table into a pingpong table, and situated next to it is our dartboards plus numerous amounts of balls skates and bikes! Which means that even with just the two of us we have filled our weekly life with games and fun!

30 Germans have been staying with kids from the School this last week and on Thursday night we went ouy with some of the german teachers and one of our link teachers to a bar, we were picked up by a chinese doctor who spoke zero english and entered a room of about 10 people all of whom spoke zero english, as we waited for the link teachers and the Germans for about an hour they just constantly challenged us to more and more skulling contests. The boss of the bar came in shirtless and dancing and there were a couple of VERY partied out policemen.

Then off to the boys for the weekend on Friday morning firstly we had to wait for Clinton to arrive from Hangzhou, had a night of pool with the Germans and some more chinese policemen, who turn out to be really really cool. They all play Perudo at the bars, and are shocked that a) I understand the rules, b) understand the numbers in chinese and c) dominate them all at the game!

Next day we had to edit some textbooks for one of the english teachers. Which meant that he took us to an amazing coffee joint for coffee and fruit to mark, then off to Fay's house to make some dumplings, which weren't half bad, also got to make sushi and then had a complete BANQUET followed by a bit of Mah Jong with the parents!

Sorry about the complete lack of bloggage, more coming shortly about last week! Xx Kate

Oh and by the way, presents got returned to me on Friday, claiming that the present I sent for Bill was too big, PERFECT. So I have sent the rest apart from poor wee Billy, But I will try go to the post office by myself and sort iut out, leaving it up to Peter never works out amazingly well! Love you allX

ot

QUZHOU

Just got home from Quzhou which was heaps of fun! Friday we arrived early afternoon, and pretty much headed straight out to collect food for the dinner us girls were going to cook the boys. Their supermarket was amazing, we were able to buy undies that fit us and even SHORTS. We sat in on one of Johnnys lessons, which was pretty cool actually. They are really lucky their kids are between 15 and 18 so actually understand a lot and are able to talk intellectually with you! Johnny was teaching then to "hail" a taxi, and "scan read" a book! Pretty different to our school who struggle with the concept of "this is a circle!"

Case cooked a pretty delicious stirfry with mashed potato. We had Fay and Jane over for dinner, they are both chinese girls teaching english at their school and are totally amazing, Fay is 30 but looks and act s like a 17 year old! They are both really really cool! Then we went to one of the only bars in Quzhou, and met a couple of the other english teachers, Michael, a chinese guy and Peter a 30 year old American Guy. Plus a german couple. They are all really fun and CAN ACTUALLY SPEAK ENGLISH!!! Such a change from Yiwu. Saturday we played cricket with some of the kids, then went to get Dylans haircut. This time when they asked if I wanted my hairwashed I most certainly said yes! Which turned out to be a golden idea, I got a half hour massage and my hair and face cleaned, then unfortunately they styled my hair, which made me look about 56 and from a cheesy american sitcom, but meh it was sooo worth it just for free massage!

We went to an even more superior supermarket than the day before, to find things to cook chicken Parmesan. Which is apparently a staple food in australia, and they were horrified when I suggested we serve it with rice, according to them it is served in Bars with Chips or mash! In the supermarket we found mainland tasty cheese all the way from little New Zealand, you can only imagine how excited we were, seeing as we forgot to bring our quickly diminishing block from Yiwu! Jane and Fay thought that cheese was one of the weirdest tasting things ever. The chicken Parm was DELICIOUS, I am proud to call Casey my gap partner, she did our province proud! A fun night of Bai Jiu and card games, then a late night trip to the city wall, all good fun!

Last night just the four of us went to a bar and played some pool, pretty low key. This morning we headed home at about 10, it was a v. succesful trip. This weekend I think that either the boys are coming here for a bit of shopping and movies, or we might go to Hangzhou with the chinese guy, who is going there for business. The boys have a 6 day holiday this week so may be able to do both!

My laptops internet is not working which is scaring me a wee bit! Hoping that it will work again soon, will attach the photos that go with the stories soon,

Talk soon hopefully, Xx Kate

Last week in Yiwu

Last week we had a few days off so explored Yiwu for the first time properly. We had another crack at the night market, and without the stress of Peter hurrying us along and the stress of dad's sweat on his brow had rather a successful shopping trip. We arrived home with about 2 billion DVDs for us and the boys, plus cacti for ourselves and TURTLES!!! Bill they are pretty ripper. They are little wriggley creatures though I am kind of scared of mine to tell the truth, I don't like touching it that much, its like a big wriggley roach or something! Mine is called life to try and ward off its inevitable death, Case's is called classy, which you guys wont understand!

We also managed to buy some kind of ice cream type material which was pretty delicious, it actually reminded me a lot of Ice cream charlies, apart from unfortunately it was the "never quite as good" kiwi fruit flavour.

The following day we scoped out a nearby park, which has an entrance fee. We were thinking that the reason for the entrance fee would have been because of its extreme beauty. Turns out we were only half right. It was a pretty park, but it had kind of circus areas and dungy rollarcoasters all around the park. It was kind of cool being somewhere that resembled a themepark in china without any crowds. Unfortunately the circus part was the most disgusting thing I have seen in China. It was pretty much like watching an advert for WSPA or something. One of the shows was 4 lions and a tiger, who got released from the tiniest cages, only to get whipped walk up stairs and along a plank. Even worse than that was the second show we saw. It had bears, monkeys and even a bloody goat walking al0ng a tightrope-like contraption. Then it had boxing bears, with boxing gloves strapped to them. Honestly I didn't know which IO wanted to do, scream cry or throw up!

The worst part about it was that the chinese families, watched the whole thing with glee. They truly didn't think that there was anything wrong with it it was pretty shocking. But apart from that the park was pretty cool. The rollarcoasters were scary enough and THERE WAS PROPER GRASS. We took off our shoes and lounged in it!

Peter is amazing

Some photos of friend in Shangers

Just to introduce you to some of the Aussies and fun in SHANGHAI!

The boy with the brown hair is Dylan who is in the town next door and fabulously fun! But other than that all are equally amazing so little introduction is needed!

Photos and a taste of Yiwu.

Today we had a day off and had a good day checking out Yiwu, went and had dumplings in the park for lunch which was good and then had a great shop at the supermarket, bought some great vegetables, ready to cook for the boys in Quzhou. Then Case got a haircut by some totally sweet chinese babes, who all had scorpion tattoos. While she did that I went and checked out the streets around us and made some friends with some old guys playing cards on the street. Unfortunately when I tried to take a photo, the two policemen playing quickly jumped out. It was pretty amazing, then they were laughing with me saying they were being too naughty!

Then we came home to get PAID, and Peter showed us some Tai Chi which was extremely difficult to video, whilst holding my nose as to not giggle, the video lasted for 1 minute, the true performance lasted for around 8 or 9 minutes. Great times! I honestly worry about that man sometime, today he made the classic comment, "Tai Chi is sometimes slowly, but sometimes very boxing, very boxy boxy box."

This evening we are going to have dinner in a different park and watch the Tai Chi, plus today is according to Peter "old man's day" which means they will be dancing like dragons. Should be interesting!!!

Home to Yiwu

Well! Shanghai was amazing! We had to get up at 4 45am this morning for the train, and were rather worried we would sleep in, I had the ingenious idea of just not sleeping, it worked well...ish, my body is kind of hating that decision!

Shanghai was a crazy blur of fun and tiredness! My soul needs a bit of a rest before starting teaching again! Met a lot of fun people in the hostel itself as well, everybody was super kind definitely an experience worth repeating. Our hostel was right on the bund with a bar upstairs, on national day there were fireworks and the upstairs was packed!

National day and actually the whole week was mad! There were just seas of people absolutely EVERYWHERE. Honestly it was like all 16billion had the same idea, THEME PARK and MUSEUM. I mean why on earth was there a three and a half hour wait for a museum it makes no sense!

No photos of shangers yet, didnt take any myself just waiting for facey photos from the others. Popping down to Quzhou next weekend to meet a german couple and KTVing it up with the boys, Jonny and Dyl. Should be a lot of fun!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH AND GEZ, My phone seems to be mucking up a bit so cannot call you. I hope you go on skype when you come home this evening! Hope you have had a great day, honestly wishing I could be there so much, my heart is with you

Charlie bear hope you are doing ok, what is wrong with you? What kind of illness? It sounds sad and sore, hope you getting better and Uni isn't too insane, but i'm sure it is!

Love you guys all so much, missing you lots on a day like this,
presents in the mail, dont expect them for a while though, rather a failed attempt at getting them their on time!

Love you, Kate