I spent yesterday "tree-planting". This is a traditional Chinese activity which purports to battle environmental problems in a visible way. I was one of 40 foreigners who had been invited to a sanatorium - a hotel, medical facility and training centre for stressed-out government workers - next to a big (and ironically very polluted) lake.
The "Yunnan Trade Unions Foreign Affairs Department" had organised it as part of their "May 1st, International Labour Day" celebrations. I was representing our school as Robert, my boss, is on holiday in Sri Lanka. There were "foreign experts" from ten different countries and many professional backgrounds - education, development, agriculture, environmenal protection, industry, etc.
I managed to plant three trees (the holes had been pre-dug) and chose one to hang my label on [see below]. My own tree! Then it was various speeches and a buffet banquet which included "dog meat sausage". That threw us for a while until the penny dropped - a HOT dog sausage!
I've been on dozens of these government-sponsored jollies celebrating "profound and everlasting international friendship" and feared the worst. But it was efficiently run, sunny weather, free coffee, short speeches and good food. So I can't complain too much. We even got given a free yellow cap and thermos flask. Result!
I've been on dozens of these government-sponsored jollies celebrating "profound and everlasting international friendship" and feared the worst. But it was efficiently run, sunny weather, free coffee, short speeches and good food. So I can't complain too much. We even got given a free yellow cap and thermos flask. Result!
