Celebrating nine years married to my lovely wife.
 It was a bit of a surprise last week to see my Chinese name
(海德) used as a brand for a set of gardening tools!  We thought JD's 85% in the Chinese end of term exam was fairly good until we were told he ranked bottom of the class! We were really upset after all the many hours of homework and preparation we had put him through during the COVID-19 months and afterwards. However, other results came back today including 98% in Maths, putting him in the top ten in his class, and an "Outstanding Student" certificate for English!? Art, Science and Politics were all A's. Just as important was a short written report from his class teacher saying how responsible, outgoing and well-loved JD is within the school. So a better end to the academic year than we feared at first!   There's been some strange wet-dry-wet-dry weather in Kunming recently. But sometimes it all works together to make an amazing sight.
Our forest den has a new doorway. Quite pleased with it, too!
 These signs have been popping up all over Kunming recently exhorting people to "Follow the Communist Party forever". I wonder what exactly the local people think when they see something like this - it's not wise to ask. Maybe they view it as laughable propaganda, or maybe it engenders some sense of patriotism or belonging. I don't know. But I can imagine how the British public would react if something similar happened the London's streets!
 A friend recently sent me some photos taken 25 years ago when I first lived in China. At that time I was a single, somewhat slimmer VSO volunteer working in Duyun, Guizhou Province. How time flies! 
JD and I have been gradually extending our den in the Secret Forest. We started it about four years ago with a little stick house, big enough for JD and a friend to sit in. Later we added gateways to either side.  Last year, alongside the regular repairs and small improvements, we started to construct a fence around the area in front of the den's door. Then, this Summer I've begun to put up a roof to cover the fenced enclosure while JD has started to make a little garden in one corner.
The forest is only open in the Summer once the rainy season starts, because of the perceived fire risk. So we have to get cracking once we're let in!  JD starts his "end of year" exams this week. English first (should be fine) and then Maths (like the puzzle above, which he managed to do in 20 seconds but which took me 2 minutes to work out!) and finally Chinese (which will be the toughest for him). JD's teacher is very competitive and likes her class to get the best results of all the ten classes in his year group. So the homework is mounting up!
 My academic year ended yesterday with a week of exams - essays and presentations, depending on the class subject. It's been a strange term, starting with online activities and moving to face-to-face classes about a month ago. Hopefully things will return to some form of normality when the next term starts again in September.
Last weekend Jiajia, JD and I went with three of JD's classmates and their parents to a Bai minority village in the countryside. We picked peaches (and pumpkins) and shared a large ethnic banquet.
The drive back home saw some spectacular dusk skies and a curiously vertical rainbow. A fun trip out, despite some intermittent showers.
 Whitey and Bitey continue to provide JD (and I) with a lot of fun. They seem to be growing too, despite technically being dwarf hamsters.
A dozen workers have been gradually transforming our neighbourhood over the last 2-3 weeks with no warning or explanation.
They started by removing a few trees and sawing off other overhanging branches. Then they went around all the flower beds ripping out 90% of the foliage there. Some of it was admittedly looking ugly and overgrown, but other areas had perfectly healthy and flowering plants (some of which Jiajia quickly rescued before they were disposed of). They have now dug trenches in the earth to lay cables (for something ...we're not sure if it is water or electrics or...?). And yesterday they were ripping up all the growth above the garages which our flat looks down upon. We are hoping they will plant something nice there in time. So, alongside the repair of drains, clearing years of accumulated rubbish behind our flats and painting all the buildings, these seem to be positive improvements to our neighbourhood. Fingers crossed.
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 About the blogger
Paul Hider lives and works in Kunming (SW China) and updates this blog about his life there every other day. Past blog entries
January 2021
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