Mar 19, 2010 - 1.5 weeks in Beijing

We've been very busy over the last 1. Lucy is with us for 3 afternoons and 1 evening each week, the children really enjoy her company and we enjoy her expertise in helping us get around Beijing! Lucy has taken Paul and the children to the Forbidden City. ... Since we've been in Beijing he's lost 2 - 1 from the top and 1 from the bottom. ... Tomorrow Paul is meeting with a real estate agent and landlord to, hopefully, sign a lease for a 2 bedroom apartment in a very nice building opposite a large park (Chaoyang Park).We've been very busy over the last 1. Lucy is with us for 3 afternoons and 1 evening each week, the children really enjoy her company and we enjoy her expertise in helping us get around Beijing! Lucy has taken Paul and the children to the Forbidden City. ... Since we've been in Beijing he's lost 2 - 1 from the top and 1 from the bottom. ... Tomorrow Paul is meeting with a real estate agent and landlord to, hopefully, sign a lease for a 2 bedroom apartment in a very nice building opposite a large park (Chaoyang Park)....

Mar 19, 2010 - Beijing.

Hello friends, Lucy was our guide for the forbidden city and she walks around with us every now and then.Hello friends, Lucy was our guide for the forbidden city and she walks around with us every now and then....

Mar 18, 2010 - In Beijing.

We went to the forbidden city and explored it.We went to the forbidden city and explored it....

Mar 18, 2010 - Chinese High School

Ohhhhhh. This is because she attends the boarding high school in the center of Zhangzhou city, about a two-hour drive from Bruce's house. ... The other is Zhangzhou #1 High School. ... So we walk into the high school and I meet Bruce's little sister.Ohhhhhh. This is because she attends the boarding high school in the center of Zhangzhou city, about a two-hour drive from Bruce's house. ... The other is Zhangzhou #1 High School. ... So we walk into the high school and I meet Bruce's little sister....

Mar 16, 2010 - Hello again world...

Hello again all of you who are still out there reading this. Finally we arrived in Zhangzhou city and met up with Bruce's little sister at her high school. ... This part is worthy of a new blog, so I will finish for now, and tell you about Chinese high school next blog.Hello again all of you who are still out there reading this. Finally we arrived in Zhangzhou city and met up with Bruce's little sister at her high school. ... This part is worthy of a new blog, so I will finish for now, and tell you about Chinese high school next blog....

Mar 15, 2010 - Living in Beijing.

Hello, I have been in Beijing for almost a week now and I quite like it here. ... It has been cold and it has snowed once and it also snowed the day before we arrived.Hello, I have been in Beijing for almost a week now and I quite like it here. ... It has been cold and it has snowed once and it also snowed the day before we arrived....

Mar 15, 2010 - Beijing.

The first photo is Tuanjiehu Bei Kou. In the 5th photo I've got our living room and in the corner there's a cold water dispenser because water in Beijing is not safe to drink from the tap unless it's boiled. ... On Sunday it was snowing really hard and out of the window Suzanna spotted a car that was white but the windows were totally covered with snow and the only bits that weren't covered with snow totally were the tyre.The first photo is Tuanjiehu Bei Kou. In the 5th photo I've got our living room and in the corner there's a cold water dispenser because water in Beijing is not safe to drink from the tap unless it's boiled. ... On Sunday it was snowing really hard and out of the window Suzanna spotted a car that was white but the windows were totally covered with snow and the only bits that weren't covered with snow totally were the tyre....

Mar 13, 2010 - Crazy Hong Kong!

A short and sweet blog today. Serious switch of pace arriving in Hong Kong. ... The next morning we caught our flight to Hong Kong. ... We met up with Al and last night we enjoyed drinks at the world famous Peninsula Hotel before heading to a busier area of town for some bar hopping.A short and sweet blog today. Serious switch of pace arriving in Hong Kong. ... The next morning we caught our flight to Hong Kong. ... We met up with Al and last night we enjoyed drinks at the world famous Peninsula Hotel before heading to a busier area of town for some bar hopping....

Mar 10, 2010 - 6 Days At Sea!

Wednesday 3rd March – Day 53 Today was a general day at sea other than there was “Mutiny on the Bounty” for real – The Captain announced today that in Hong Kong we are to berth in a Container Port and not the Ocean Terminal as advertised, we won’t bore you with the details or justification, suffice to say that there was definitely a strong undercurrent, which quickly turned into confrontations at the Main Reception, for the Captain to explain personally to a very angry group (no they were not clutching ropes and talking of the Main Brace!) there was also a petition doing the rounds. ... Friday 5th March – Day 55 We had a superb sky ray today see the photograph, it’s amazing the sights you see at sea! Another Captains update announcement today as we think he has been getting some stick over our berthing area in Hong Kong, it is the topic of conversation around the place, so he was very authorative and actually said in no uncertain terms, that ultimately it was his decision whether we stopped at all in Hong Kong. ... All for now before we arrive in Hong Kong on Thursday. ...

Mar 9, 2010 - 28 Xiamen, China March 9, 2010

Xiamen, where in China is that? is the question that so many of us asked (had to be on the coast of China!). ... As it turns out, Xiamen is a "new" city that is centered around Commercial/Industrial progress AND focused on easy port exportation of many of China's products. ... " I went on our tour of Xiamen, China's largest Buddhist temple, a Chinese tea house, a museum and a stop on the beach area where China is closest to Taiwan (apparently where a lot of Chinese like to stop for a photo shoot of the 2nd China nation-though they-most of them-all believe in a ONE China theory). ... My tour was a so-so tour but a good exposure & explanation by our guide about Xiamen as the "new China" & Xiamen as its most modern city (and the indoctrination that is taught & expected to follow); the growth of the City & how it fits into the development of China to the dominate world power. ...

Mar 8, 2010 - why, tell me the reason,reason2222

designedtwentyyearsago.designedtwentyyearsago....

Mar 7, 2010 - Chongqing - we are family... and other adventures

Kate writes we're in mid March now - nearly half way through our time here. What have we been doing for the last month?? - chinese new years holiday continues with lots of eating, TV watching, tea drinking and then a week in Chongqing - to stay with nai nai's family - dawei's cousin's. ... - Chongqing itself holds some memories for Dawei - where he went to Art College - but it's now one of China's megacities - and was constantly wreathed in a pall of mist and pollution. ... We will visit again in the summer when the temperature rises to 40 plus - hopefully I will be more enthused by the city then.Kate writes we're in mid March now - nearly half way through our time here. What have we been doing for the last month?? - chinese new years holiday continues with lots of eating, TV watching, tea drinking and then a week in Chongqing - to stay with nai nai's family - dawei's cousin's. ... - Chongqing itself holds some memories for Dawei - where he went to Art College - but it's now one of China's megacities - and was constantly wreathed in a pall of mist and pollution. ... We will visit again in the summer when the temperature rises to 40 plus - hopefully I will be more enthused by the city then....