Amazingly, of the 20 goldfish we bought three months ago, 17 are still alive. One of them died a few days ago, however, so yesterday JD and I replaced the water and washed the tank. JD then "buried" the dead fish in a tin can. He was delighted this morning though to find it had turned into a small golden coin! I suspect the fairies had rather wisely decided that having a decaying animal in a box on the table was less than hygienic!
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I remember when "Made in China" was a byword for cheap, plastic, easily broken goods. Seems like things have changed a bit!
This lady appeared in our local market today. I presume she's selling lotions, potions and elixirs, allegedly made from the snakes, turtle and crocodile she displays in stuffed form. I'm pretty sure she is not from the ethnic minority her clothes are trying to suggest. I expect that's also for show. All in all, a bit dodgy I reckon.
I didn't spot this cardboard thing on the floor in Robert's School's office this morning until I stood right on it. I then found I simply couldn't get it off my shoe. It took three blokes to tear it off and the glue residue on my shoe then stuck my shoe to the floor! Turns out it's a mouse trap, with a scent attractive to mice and a glue that will ensure they do not leave once they step on it. It certainly got me!
GoKunming.com is the main website used by expats in Kunming. They recently ran an article about a new discovery - a temple hidden away in a secluded forest. That's OUR forest! JD and my SECRET forest!! I do hope we don't get an influx of strangers wandering around. We went there today to build a den [see photo] and saw no one else at all, so that bodes well for now. We're back in Kunming but JD still has a week to go before returning to Kindergarten. It falls to me to keep him occupied. We bought him a simple clock in IKEA in Shenzhen last week, but it got smashed in the suitcase on the flight back. So today we made a clock ourselves with card, glue, scissors and a big black pen. OK, so it doesn't tick, but it was fun. Jiajia headed off to the markets again this morning to buy stock for her shop, but this time forgot to leave the house keys with JD and I. We're staying at friends' flat in Shenzhen - they are away - and only have one set. So JD and I couldn't go out because we wouldn't have been able to get back in! Instead, we made a den from the dining room table and played various makeshift board games as well as watching TV. Once Ava knew she'd be returning in a couple of hours, we were able to head for the park knowing she would let us in by the time we returned.
We've been eating out in Shenzhen quite a bit and often our friends will insist on ordering the food (and then paying for the meal). With a menu like this one, I'm glad for the help. In Kunming they usually have pictures to point to, if not some English. In today's hotel, I had a quandary. Preparing to wash my hands in the toilet, I saw two signs above two sinks. One said, "Only for customers of X restaurant" and the other said "Only for customers of Y restaurant". With X and Y both being Chinese names, I didn't know which restaurant I had been eating in. Not wanting to break the rules, I just rubbed my hands on my trousers and left with my head down! JD and I had a great day at Shenzhen Safari Park today. More of a zoo overall, but with some great shows too (parrot tricks, circus, seal and dolphin performances).
JD and I took the subway to try and find the rather grandly named "Children's Paradise Park" today following a tip off from a friend of ours. It turned out to be a fairly low-key fairground in a grassy park setting. Unfortunately, JD was again unable to go on most of the rides he fancied, being too short or young. But we found 2-3 that he could enjoy and decided to leave going on the big wheel until the end, only to find it had was closed for repairs as we ended our day. JD and I went to "Window of the World" today, a theme park full of miniatures of famous sights from around the world. We started in Europe with the Eiffel Tower, Tower Bridge etc. Then on to Africa, the Americas, Australasia and Asia. JD quickly got fed up with me murmuring, "Of course I've been to the real one...". JD's favourite moment was stumbling across a real, but static, steam train into which you could climb and pull levers. Unbeknown to us, the train periodically toots and blows steam. The first time it happened JD shot out of the driver's compartment in a panic, perhaps thinking it was about to leave!
Jiajia, JD and I spent a lovely warm day in HuaShan Park today. JD had helped prepare a picnic earlier that morning and was keen to eat it the moment we arrived. He is beginning to be able to catch balls and enjoyed the open spaces to practise that and do roly-polies down the hill. We finished our trip with some tree-climbing and half hour of boating on the lake before heading home.
We spent a day shopping at a large mall today. JD was gob-smacked to spot Peppa Pig on an escalator [see below] and we enjoyed a surprise Chinese New Year lion dance bringing good fortune to the shops.
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AuthorPaul Hider started this blog to share his rather odd life living in China for over 20 years. Since returning to the UK in 2024, the blog now records his more "normal" lifestyle! Past blog entries
September 2024
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