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Bye-bye, 2020

31/12/2020

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Sow tasty

30/12/2020

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If you're not full up on turkey, why not try "flattened pig face", on sale right now at our local supermarket! 
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Even reindeer plates!

28/12/2020

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At fairly short notice, Jiajia  decided to try and cook up a western Christmas dinner. Roast chicken, a Chinese vegetable in the brassica family (tastes like sprouts), beans, stuffing, gravy, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding-ish flat bread. Impressive!

We washed it down with banana milkshake and had cake for dessert. I even made some crackers - no bang as we pulled them but they did have paper hats, awful jokes and tiny toys.
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Me fan

27/12/2020

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A Chinese friend of mine likes to make little Christmas tableaus out of her rice meal! [The title? "rice" is called "mifan" in Chinese!]
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Snacks and socks

26/12/2020

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Seems like Santa visited last night. The snacks left out for him and  Rudolph were nibbled and consumed, and JD's stockings were filled. 
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JD had decided to try and trick Father Christmas this year by leaving two stockings out in the hope that Santa would fill both. Santa duly obliged and at 8am Jiajia and I heard the pattering of not-so-tiny feet as JD came in and opened his presents with us. After his 2-hour home-schooling and lunch, we'll start on the pile of presies under the tree! 
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Online fine time

25/12/2020

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With Jiajia at work and JD at school, it was a low-key Christmas Day for me at home today. So we've arranged for Santa to visit tonight and we'll celebrate our Christmas tomorrow. 
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My UK family did manage a lovely little get-together on Zoom today though, which included catching up on all our news, a fun quiz and some heartfelt words of mutual appreciation - something which can all too often go unsaid. Happy Christmas, everyone! 
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This is the balloon?

24/12/2020

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...no, it's just a horse, stupid!
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Present tense

22/12/2020

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JD is getting very excited by all the gifts under the tree!
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On reflection

20/12/2020

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Our friends returned our recent "conveyor-belt hotpot" treat by inviting JD and I (and another family) to their house, which is in our neighbourhood, for a home-made hotpot (Jiajia is away on business).
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The family live on the top floor of their building and  have built a glass frame over the rooftop where they can eat and look out on the city skyline. The reflection in the glass also allows you to look up and see down to your food! [see left] 

Their son, Johnny, is in JD's school/year, but in a different class. They both go to the same after-school homework club though and are slowly forming a nice friendship.

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Countdown...

18/12/2020

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JD made his own advent calendar this year! 
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Examburger and chips

16/12/2020

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Final exams this week have consisted of "Restaurant Role Plays", "Business Company Presentations" and "Job Interviews". I find the girls are usually hard-working and well-prepared while the boys often seem "less bothered" about their grades!   
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The biggest problem with the Powerpoint Presentations (despite it being highlighted and warned about every week for a month or more beforehand) is the use of writing which is unclear, too wordy and too small...
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Rail, road and pavement

14/12/2020

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The subway station near our house has been open for a couple of months [glass entrance to the left, above], the road has now been repaved and the surrounding pavements have been rebuilt. It seems years of traffic chaos are subsiding at last!
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Happy Holidays!

12/12/2020

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I say! A conveyor!

10/12/2020

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JD's school friend, English name "Johnny", and Johnny's family joined us for a "conveyor belt hot pot" last week, Good fun and not too expensive at £20 for six people.
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Nice Nike

8/12/2020

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Family pics

6/12/2020

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Civilized, at last

4/12/2020

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Kunming has finally been classified as a "civilized" city. It was one of the last Provincial Capital cities in China to get the status and had to make three attempts over five years before finally landing the award. 
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The requirements to pass included things like cleaner rivers and lakes, clearer road signage, more (and free) public toilets, better traffic management, fewer street vendors, less spitting, pedestrians crossing at zebra crossings (and cars stopping to let them), more controls on dog fouling, regular health and safety checks in restaurants etc. 
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December Decs

2/12/2020

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Decorating a little early this year to brighten up the gloomy 2020...
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    paul hider

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    Paul Hider lives and works in Kunming (SW China) and regularly updates this blog about his life there.

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