Nice to catch up!

It's nice to be home to catch up with people...

Here's Anthony and his girlfriend Cara, visiting for the afternoon...


This is Mum and Dad having lunch today in Northam before shopping.

It seems much more difficult to blog in Australia...I don't know what to write? I guess because I'm so used to life here.

Back in Western Australia

So....here I am back in Australia! I've renewed my contract at YCFLS and before I start the new term, I have eight weeks holiday back here in W.A.
Has it changed? No
Have I changed? Yes
I can do the usual ESL teachers blog about living in China and missing Milk, Cheese, good Bread, good Chocolate, Steak, Meat without little bits of bone in it etc etc etc....and Yes my taste buds are really enjoying the rich tastes of being back home...BUT... I really don't find that it is such a big deal for me. Of course I miss my Mum, Dad and Daisy and it's fantastic to see them.
What have I noticed the most since returning to Aus? The absolute vivid bright colours of the world around me here, the fresh air with a hint of eucalyptus scent in it, the magpies singing their songs along with many other birds, the lack of people, cars, apartments etc but also... too many overindulgent people, too many people with zilch tolerance and patience, too much of everything!!!
What do I miss about Yichang already? My friends, the kids, the tasty food, the lifestyle, my apartment, my quiet time and CCTV 5.
I have noticed that in China I don't have access to much in the way of food that I'm familiar with, clothes (that fit me) and everyday luxuries of home...BUT I want for very little in China, I don't sit at home wishing I had all the so called "good things".
Since arriving home I'm finding that I'm feeling a little overloaded in English. I've had no English TV, friends etc in Yichang and suddenly here back home, I know everything that is being said, I hear all the bad news reports that the media love to drown us with, I have to listen to and answer to everything and everyone. It's very tiring!

Home for the holiday!

Ok so I'm a week behind in blogging yet again...I'm back in Australia for my Summer/Winter holiday and the week leading up to my return was chaotically busy. I went to Changyang No1 Senior Middle School to give the kids some English lessons and a demonstration on Aural English teaching to the Senior English teachers from the district... very busy!
Here's some links to check out what kind of things I get up to :-)I just hit the google translate button for you... we all know that Chinese just doesn't translate so well....but I think you'll get the idea... lol

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&langpair=auto|en&u=http://www.cyyz.com.cn/uploadnews/124556602824685.php%3Fid%3D397&rurl=translate.google.com

http://www.cyyz.com.cn/uploadnews/124545980018578.php?id=395

http://translate.google.com/translate?langpair=auto|en&u=http://www.ycfls.com/newsInfo.aspx?pkId=1973

Chexi

Not too far from my apartment, this side of town, is a place called "Chexi". Yesterday we took a ride out there to have a look. The weather here now is very hot but despite the high temperature we still had fun. It is yet another picturesque place in Yichang. Lots of water, green trees and plants, Butterflies, old machinery and Chinese tourist gifts. It's kinda strange for me being so far away from the ocean. Around here there are so many mountains... Mountains like I have never seen before. I don't think I have ever been this far away from the sea ....ever...

步行街 Bu Xing Jie (Walking Street)

Walking Street has really turned into a cool place to hang out. Lots to see and do, many places to eat and plenty of shops to buy cool stuff.
I had another Chinese language debate...when I asked what "Walking Street" was called in Chinese. The answer...."Bù Xíng Jiē" to me that means "Not good Street"(不行） but the characters are different and even though it sounds the same it actually means "Walking Street" The picture above is Carol and myself near the new sign at one of the entries to the street..showing its name in Chinese characters.

In another part of town there are some huge markets...much to see and buy, very loud and noisy and like all markets around the world, there never seems to be an easy way of navigating your way around to see everything. Great place to find some unusual things and some bargains as well as the usual quota of cheap stuff.In the picture above some of the stall holders are playing Mahjiang (Mahjong)...It is played anywhere and everywhere here.
I've also put a picture of "The Simple Life" Restaurant which used to be "Easy Way"
It's been redecorated. We ordered a Mocha Chocolate which was like an iced coffee. It was actually very nice.

我叫姚斯宜！

I've been here a while now and have never really had a need for a Chinese name. I had one or two given by acquaintances and students but nothing that was formally my Chinese name. I am very honoured to say that my closest friend here has thought about this very seriously and given me a Chinese name which is very beautiful and has a couple of very cool meanings. Nettie chose 姚斯宜 (pronounced yáo sī yí). In Chinese the surname goes first... yáo 姚 similar sound to my English surname, sī 斯 is the last character in pòsī 珀斯, bósī or Peisi which are all Chinese names for my hometown Perth and yí 宜 is the first character in Yíchāng 宜昌, where I live now. Very well thought out AND it gets even more interesting because it has a double meaning...without changing the tones or pronunciation...it actually also means "to miss Yichang from a far away place". The characters would change to 遥 yáo - means far away 思 sī means miss 宜 yí means Yíchāng but as I say, the pronunciation is the same. How lucky am I to be given such a special name :-) and I'm sure to miss Yichang and my friends when I come back home in a couple of weeks for my holiday. It will be nice to relax at home, see Mum and Dad and recharge my batteries though before heading back here to Yichang for next semester.

Mmmmm

It's amazing when you have Chinese friends just how many unusual tastes you try. Things that to our ears sound very unappetising can turn out OK and if you persist, you often actually acquire a taste for the things (I liken it to Olives and how many hate the taste but after a few tries...love the taste)My friends often don't think something may be a little unusual for me and before I know it, I may have a "Green Bean Icecream" in my hand...or a cold refreshing drink of "Beans and White Tree Fungus". I have to say that I can't think of much that I really think is awful, no matter how weird it sounds...It is really often worth the try. You can often be suprised. My general rule of thumb here which all my friends know is 1)NO FISH -the river fish here are just full of many, many tiny small bones and I just can't handle it 2) NO DOG - I can't stand the thought (It's not common but can be bought) and 3)NOT TOO SPICY - I have always liked spicy food but was never prepared for the Yichang Spice Level. My tolerance level has risen but sometimes I still encounter some dishes that make your mouth feel like it has exploded. There are some little spicy balls here that you often find in the dishes served called "Chinese Prickly Ash" ...I call them "Chinese bombs". They hide amongst the food and if you don't find them and bite into one...WOW...The taste is so strong and the sensation is numbing..the lips, tongue etc tingles for a good twenty or minutes or so for me and if it permeates up your nostrils...BURN !!
But all things considered the food here is very, very tasty and YES...I love Green Bean IceCream. How they would try and market that in Australia...I don't know :-)