This is typical Chinese parking. Drive down the middle of the road, spot some dumplings for sale, and just stop. Nobody can get past you. And the amazing thing is that other drivers just patiently wait for the car to move again, once the driver has bought his snack and wandered back!
JD spent a chunk of his pocket money on a remote-controlled boat last week. We've since been out on two different Kunming lakes trying it out. It's fast and agile (unlike its owner!) and JD loves it so much he's now talking about buying another even bigger/faster one! Never happy.
JD and I popped into a temple last weekend and saw some freshly-painted murals on the walls. Next to a Buddhist fire god breathing flames, were a selection of brave Chinese firemen, extinguishing the fires using the latest technology, including a search-and-rescue dog! Needless to say, JD and I got the giggles and had to leave when the worshippers started casting annoyed glances at us!
When JD's school suddenly ask for proof that all students have studied Communist Party ideology over the holiday(!?) we have to be creative. So, with a little technical wizardry, we were able to hand in a photo of JD "attending an exhibition" about our wonderful leader, Xi JingPing. Just don't ask exactly when/where JD is supposed to have been there!
"Chase" is one of about a dozen private students I teach each week - some at home and some in an office or classroom. The youngest is 7 - the oldest is 62. Now that I now longer work for the University, I have more flexibility to fit these classes in. Also, JD's Primary School have now formally agreed to let him leave after lunch each day to have English (and a bit of Maths) lessons with me each afternoon, to get his written English up to scratch before he starts a UK Secondary school this time next year. Busy! JD started his new (and probably final) term at Chinese Primary School yesterday. The Chinese says, "Shine in Grade 5! Goodbye to Grade 4!"
The five-star hotel even laid on some Chinglish for me...
MouDing County isn’t too far from here. Last month, they had their third confirmed case of rabies and the local government decided to take action. Dog owners were offered 5 yuan (30p) to kill their own dog or face the threat that, if they didn’t, the local police would do it for them! Over the next few weeks, 90% of the dogs in MouDing county were killed... “...On Saturday, a woman was walking her dog - a small white animal she’d had for a long time - in an alley. Several men approached, talked her into handing them the leash and then beat the dog to death as the owner looked on in horror...” “...Around midnight, men carrying clubs made noises to set the village dogs barking. Homing in on the sounds, the men would find their quarries, and the barks would be replaced by shrill yelps as the animals were dispatched. ..” Sometimes you’ve got to admire the Chinese leaders, who simply brush aside any local upset to crack down and solve a problem almost overnight. But a lot of doggies died! How many? 500? 5000? ... Nope. China Daily’s conservative estimate was ... 50,000! Bet the cats are having a party! So nice to meet up with Nita yesterday - a friend for over 15 years but who I haven't seen for four years. She was visiting Kunming and tracked me down!
JD joined his best fiend, Guo DingGe and her parents on a 3-day trip last week while I had my eye operation. They drove to a lake for a sailing trip and stayed at a 5-star hotel (courtesy of her father's company) with a spa, swimming pool and top quality food. JD loved every moment!
I had my second cataract operation yesterday, two years after the first. After 10 hours of tests the day before, the actual operation only took 15 minutes, and 2 hours later they said I could go home! They had initially talked about an overnight stay, so to be home so quickly was a big bonus and hopefully a sign that the operation went very well. As ever in these situations, Jiajia was a star - taking me from test to test, explaining what I had to do and giving me an arm if I felt dizzy!
Inspired by our snorkelling, JD has been adding some random fish to his aquariums - angel fish, neons, suckers, cichlids, shrimp, fantails, puffer fish, oscars and zebra fish!
JD is having a sleepover at Ma's tonight, so Jiajia and I grabbed the opportunity for a meal out - just the two of us. We had some nice food at a lovely restaurant owned by a customer of Jiajia's. Cue free dessert with our meal!
JiaJia, JD and I watched the "China v England" match from the Women's World Cup on TV yesterday evening. JiaJia was technically cheering for the Chinese team, while I cheered for England. JD had torn loyalties until the goals started pouring in! China 1 v England 6.
We left Redang Island today by ferry. The two hour journey took us to Terengganu City, passing the gorgeous Crystal Mosque. We'll stay in Terengganu for a night in a hotel near the airport, to catch our homeward flights tomorrow morning.
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AuthorPaul Hider lives and works in Kunming (SW China) and regularly updates this blog about his life there. Past blog entries
May 2024
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