We spent our first half-day in pretty Sherborne village, full of charity shops (for Ava) and the Abbey above (where JD played "spot the dead person"!).
A ping-pong tournament (JD cheated, see below) and a BBQ ended off the first day's fun.
We are spending a few days in Dorset with our good friends, the Sams family. We're squeezing this visit into the start of our holiday as their eldest son (Aled, the ginger below) is off to Nepal for a volunteering challenge within a few days. We are staying in the Sams' house - a huge place with a steeply rising back garden which backs onto a forest and a lovely park area. We've had a very warm welcome and when, on arrival, JD was shown to a huge toy railway their youngest son Ben had prepared, he gained a friend for life! We spent our first half-day in pretty Sherborne village, full of charity shops (for Ava) and the Abbey above (where JD played "spot the dead person"!). A ping-pong tournament (JD cheated, see below) and a BBQ ended off the first day's fun. We have arrived in the UK and are spending the first few days at my parents in Sidcup. They met us at the airport with a huge hand-drawn Welcome sign and pork pies! It's really hot here, so Ava is loving their beautiful garden while JD is loving "helping" by digging up spuds and watering the vegetables. As for me, I'm relishing the prospect of all my favourite "unobtainable" dishes such as casserole, fish-n-chips, toad-in-the-hole and rhubarb crumble ...oh and a large Wetherspoons breakfast which is planned for tomorrow morning. So happy to see my old folks after 1.5 years away and 24 hours of travelling. Let the holidays begin! It was the Union Flag which first caught my eye, quickly followed by the ghastly clash of tenses in the English! But what this poster was actually advertising is anybody's guess. I spotted it in a shopping mall the other day and thought I'd see if anybody had a good guess, before resorting to asking the wife to translate the Chinese characters. Answers on a postcard please (...OK, maybe in the Comments below then). Many thanks to everyone who made our UK trip so much fun. We really were blown away by the kindness and generosity of family and friends. The church folk we met were so welcoming and even total strangers were so much more pleasant and helpful than they often are in China - opening doors for the baby buggy, happily giving directions, offering their seats on buses etc. Thanks to you all. Today was a recovery day after the journey back to China, and a largely sleepless night with an upset and screaming JD. None of which is being helped by a stinking cold with all the requisite symptoms. The school term starts tomorrow and Lattitude, the charity for whom I do teacher-training ever 6 months (starting on Monday), is having all sorts of problems getting their volunteers' visas. So I've no idea how many students, if any, I'll have turn up next week. But the UK trip was so worth it. We only just made it, with Jiajia's suspected TB and confirmed pneumonia, and plans were changing all the time. But you can't beat family, can you? Or good friends. Everyone rallied round and were so generous with their time, energy and money. JD has a whole new bunch of relatives and he grew up an awful lot in those three weeks. Let's hope there's less trauma when we (hopefully) return in Summer 2016. The countdown has begun! [PS 27th Feb: I had a fever last night and woke without a voice! Jijaia is still coughing - 5 months and counting. But at least the Lattitude volunteers all got their visas finally, so a full cohort next week]
We flew back to China today. Our three suitcases were substantially over the limit, but JD charmed the check-in ladies and they let it slide. And we managed to get away with five items of hand luggage too. Little did we know we were just starting off a series of complications... The return flight was somewhat less stressful than the outward bound one, as we were given special seats with more leg room and a tiny removable baby bed. JD was technically too heavy to use it, but by then we knew that "too heavy" was negotiable, so use it he did! Our problems began in Beijing. We found out the connecting Air China flight had been cancelled and they had switched us to a China Eastern flight. However, this left from a different terminal, requiring a 20 minute bus ride (not easy with 8 items of luggage!). Still, we had plenty of time. At the new check-in, it was pointed out that our two bigger suitcases were a total of 8kg too much AND China Eastern did not allow infants a baggage allowance, so the smaller third suitcase couldn't go at all. We quickly deployed smiley JD and begged for some lenience. Finally he agreed to let our two suitcases on and suggested we take the smaller third one as hand luggage (our sixth item!). It was only as we arrived at security that it dawned on me - we had liquids in the smaller case. The x-ray confirmed about 20 items that weren't allowed and we were asked to remove them all. Jiajia managed to persuade security that 5-6 were needed for JD on the flight, so they let us put those back. Then we politely asked to speak to the head of security and BINGO, it was a smiley lady. We released the JD charm bomb and five minutes later went through with ALL our lotions and potions! We were last people to enter the plane and our SIX walk-on items raised a few eye-brows. Then, when I tried to put the suitcase into the overhead locker, it was just too big to fit. "Take out some of the contents", suggested a helpful air hostess. So I unzipped the lid and BOOM - twenty illegal tubes, bottles and pots fell out! Ooops. JD was frantically waved like a magic wand as I hastily stuffed them into a plastic bag. Amazingly we arrived home with every single item we had hoped to, despite breaking every rule in the book! Thank goodness for the boy. Andy's second surprise was a belated gift for my 50th Birthday - tickets to a Premiership match; Southampton v Liverpool. So Andy, his son Louie (birthday treat for next week) and I braved torrential rain and bitter cold to take our seats and cheer on the Saints. Well, as an Everton supporter, I didn't want Liverpool to win, right? It was a good match with controversial penalty decisions and a stunning first goal. Sadly the best team lost; 2 v 0 to Liverpool. Great fun though.
We are staying with my youngest brother Andy and his family now after a wonderful time with Dave and family in Hereford. Andy has a few surprises up his sleeve for our time and the first was for JD - a fantastic "Thomas the Tank Engine" model steam train ride in a nearby park. JD is a big fan of the TV series and could barely contain his excitement at the trip. We walked around the lake and played in the playground first, to build the anticipation levels and then straddled the engine and puffed our way back to the car park. I cringe when parents continually gush about their child or children but, if I'm honest, I do think we have been blessed with a rather cute, clever and curious little boy. Despite the long flight here, a whole host of strangers wanting a piece of him and living in a variety of houses, I think JD's coped exceptionally well. The one area he has struggled with though is his sleeping patterns which were thrown into disarray with the 8 hour time difference and continue to be a bit hit and miss depending on the heat/light/noise/comfort of the various beds he's had to get used to fast. Ava and I have consequently had a fair few nights of very disturbed sleep. But I guess it's to be expected, and it hasn't detracted from his energy levels or happy-go-lucky demeanour. One of the things Jiajia likes most about the UK is the easy access to beautiful, natural scenery. I must confess to sometimes being a little blasé about rolling hills and wide-open spaces but what I do thoroughly enjoy though are her ooohs and aaahs as she sees scene after scene of countryside views. Symonds Yat [below] was well worth the drive that got us there. Stunning views looking down on the winding river below, whilst birds of prey hover above. JD meanwhile was more taken with the local Fire and Mountain Rescue Team doing various exercises which saw them swimming across the bitterly cold Wye river before coming to each others' rescue with ropes and floats. Something for everyone.
I haven't ice-skated since I was a youth, so it was fun to head to a small rink in an industrial estate today to give it another go. Esme and Josh were embarrassingly confident. I looked carefree when pushing JD around on a little sledge - less so without the support. JD loved it though. Sometimes he looked a bit nervy, but whenever I paused to catch my breath he was shouting, "...again, again!".
Here at Dave's we've enjoyed meeting up with our ex-Kunming friends Peter and Judy [above], an old mate of mine Krista, and her hubbie Stuart, and the Sams family [right]. Our friends mean a lot to us as a family as Ava has very few relatives and mine are usually many thousands of miles away. So to keep in touch by email, Skype or letter means a lot. And our visits to the UK provide a brief but valuable way to renew friendships. When we made the last minute decision to UNcancel our trip to the UK after Ava's TB scare and pneumonia, we knew we'd have to cut back on our planned travels to see all and sundry. Thankfully, many of our friends and family have put themselves out to come and visit us at the places where we are basing ourselves. At my parent's house three College friends travelled down to say "Hi", while various uncles and aunts popped in to meet JD and catch up on our news.
A picturesque train, taxi, train, train journey has brought us to my brother Dave's home in Hereford. JD met Dave and his daughter Esme last year when they visited us in China, but it's Dave's son Josh who has most grabbed JD's attention. JD is following him around like a doting puppy, discovering all Josh's toys like a never-ending treasure trove. It's been great to catch up with Dave and his wife Sarah, and their kids (including the friendly little girl they are currently fostering). Ava and I are seriously thinking about settling down in the Herefordshire area when we move to the UK to retire, so we are taking the opportunity to pop into estate agents and visit various houses and builders during our time here. We've also popped into the doctor's twice whilst here too, as Ava's cough is showing no sign of improvement, poor thing. One of Ava's favourite activities in the UK is shopping. She does surprisingly little in China, preferring to buy online and sell on the high street! She loves her lotions and potions, whether for herself or as gifts for friend, but her particular favourite is scouring the charity shops for a bargain. There are no charity shops in China. Ava often stumbles upon Chinese ornaments or pictures which are obliviously under-valued. Personally, I'm happier in Greggs, the 99p shop or Smiths but each to their own, right? We weren't sure if this shop was named after our son, but we thought it was worth a photo regardless. (Bonus points for spotting the double meaning in this entry's title) JD had his first taste of London today. Wrapped up against the cold, we took a train up to Trafalgar Square and then a boat down the Thames to Greenwich. JD wasn't that impressed with the Cutty Sark, but Jiajia enjoyed Greenwich market. We warmed up in the National Maritime Museum before heading back by boat and train once again.
His favourite "new" food is yoghurt, partly for the taste and texture, and partly for the opportunity to daub himself and get a few laughs. Ava is still coughing a lot after her pneumonia, so we're taking things fairly easy these first few days. Rather than travelling around, as originally planned, we're being visited at my parents' house by various relatives and close friends. We've finally arrived in the UK and are slowly getting over our jet-lag, although with JD waking up at 2am or 3am each morning, wanting to play, it's a tiring business. It's so nice to see him getting to know his Nanny and Granddad who he's only seen on Skype before. Today we were treated to a late Christmas meal, complete with paper hats and crackers. JD is enjoying western food and eating by himself a lot more. Ava's cough is improving slowly and we fly tomorrow after a month of ups and down (trip, health, work, family, etc) like I've never known before. We're hoping JD copes with 24 hours of travelling...
Jiajia and I have flown down to Guangzhou to apply for her UK visa. Britain doesn't make it in any way easy for Chinese tourists to visit. First, there's the 3000RMB (£300) visa fee for just Britain (or substantially less for a Shengen Visa which allows you to visit all the 27 other European countries!). A ten page online application form must be accompanied by 40-50 pages of supporting documentation (printouts of 6 months of bank transactions, business certificates, tax receipts, ID card, birth certificate, passport, property ownership documents, family passports, a creditworthiness certificate, a letter of invitation, flight ticket scans, itinerary, translations of all of the above, a letter from the translator, etc, etc). And then a two hour flight to the nearest Processing Centre to hand it in, be interviewed, have your fingerprints taken and eyes scanned. And all with no guarantee that they will give you a visa, even if you have followed all the guidelines to the letter. And no refund if not. Hardly a warm welcome. We get to hear the result in three weeks. This week is "Great Britain Week" in Kunming, with the British Embassy organising various exhibitions, food and drink tasting, trade fairs, lectures and other events to promote Britain and British brands. I was one of 50 or so foreigners invited to the Opening Reception at a rather swanky hotel in Kunming. The event was outside, lit by burning incense pots and accompanied by a live quartet [see photo above]. There was a buffet around the outside with various "British" dishes, such as lamb chops, fish and chips, beef curry, baked potatoes, shepherd's pie, etc. And on display in the car park were various British luxury cars (Rolls Royce, Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, etc). I was there representing Robert's School, along with Robert and his wife, and I did my bit to look British with a Union Jack tie! The opening speech from the British Consul-General (and my former boss when I was working with VSO!), Tina Redshaw, ended with a list of quality British companies already working in Kunming. She mentioned Rolls Royce, Crowne Plaza Hotels, British Airways, Aston Martin, etc, but the first company on her list was... Robert's School! Something of a compliment, for sure. Fame beckons for my brother David, who could recently be seen on the British TV drama, "Casualty". He is the half-marathon runner in red, centre of the picture above (with a pole sticking out of his head??). Admittedly he was one of a few thousand, but surely it's only a matter of time before Spielberg picks up the phone...?
I was really sorry to hear of the passing of Sir Patrick Moore today. I had some contact with him in my youth and he was a really generous and humorous chap... ...I used to have an odd thing for ferrets in my teens (...bear with me on this!) and, when a friend of mine at school who was into astronomy told me he had Patrick Moore's home address, I decided to write him a strange letter asking him if it were true that "the earth was actually held in orbit around the sun by a long line of hand-holding asbestos ferrets" (...I kid you not!). To my amazement and great delight he sent back a signed photo saying "Yes, your theory is stoatily proven". What a cool guy! I wrote a couple of more sensible letters after that and had two further replies back (I have kept them all) typed, personally and very badly, on his trusty typewriter [see photo]. I met him briefly too. I spotted him walking towards BBC Broadcasting House and, wanting to boast that I'd met him but not knowing what to say, I bounded up and asked, "Excuse me Mr Moore, do you know where BBC Broadcasting House is?" He looked at me and replied patiently, "It's right there, behind you". A genuinely kind man and an excellent scientist too, of course. RIP, sir.
It's been quite a year for Britain, what with the Jubilee celebrations, respectability at the European Championships, glorious failure in Eurovision, success on the Tour de France and (nearly) at Wimbledon. Now all eyes are on the Olympics which are finally upon us. My students and fellow foreign teachers are already teasing me about the various cock-ups; lack of security staff, people threatening to strike, wrong flags, rain, buses getting lost and beds being too short for athletes. Actually, it's been looking a bit embarrassing ever since the logo was unveiled. Why didn't they go with something more like this (designed by a student at a friend's UK school)? Oh well. Fingers crossed for the Opening Ceremony (4am our time - but I'll be watching!), and then let's hope our athletes do as well as in Beijing. And let's hope that Chinese TV doesn't spend the whole tournament following only table-tennis, badminton and diving! Old college friends of mine, and their growing families, meet annually at a beautiful old country house in Britain and, although I can't join with them often these days, they always think of me and send me photos of them having fun. This year they sent me a little puzzle - they had lined up for photos in three different groupings and challenged me to guess the reason behind each order. The first two are fairly easy, but I struggled with the third. For guesses and the answer click on "Comments" above.
Ava and I began our long journey "home" yesterday evening, and arrive early tomorrow (local time). It's about 24 hours door-to-door. It's been a fabulous three weeks in the UK, full of wonderful experiences, happy memories and lots of love from family and friends. Thanks to all of you who supported us through your gifts, time, help and kindness.
Jiajia and I spent another nice day up in London today, this time with our friend "Ratch". We met in Little Venice - where London's various canals can be seen - and took a narrow boat down to Camden Market. Camden has three markets, each of which was bigger than I imagined the whole would be. There were stalls featuring food from all over the world, but we'd brought a picnic, so we resisted the yummy smells. And there were plenty of shops selling unique ornaments, unusual clothes and antiques. Surprisingly, Jiajia wasn't particularly impressed and so after a couple of hours looking around we headed off. Despite feeling tired from all the walking, we decided to try and squeeze in a look at the British Museum. It was the final unticked "things to do" that Jiajia and I had listed before coming to the UK. Jiajia was suddenly full of energy as she walked around, gazing at the Egyptian, Assyrian and then Chinese displays. "You've stolen all our best stuff", she wailed, but loved seeing it, beautifully displayed, all the same. It really is an impressive museum. We said some rushed goodbyes to Ratch at the railway station half an hour later and just caught our train home. A great last day in the UK. |
AuthorPaul Hider lives and works in Kunming (SW China) and regularly updates this blog about his life there. Past blog entries
April 2024
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