Hi and welcome to my blog site.
Hi Everyone,
The Chinese New Year holidays have now finished Jun has gone back to work today after a week off,maybe the fireworks will now stop as they have been setting them off day and night for the last 10 days it was like being in a war zone sometimes haha,but very colourful.
I have just took Jun's dog ( a daschund) to the park and met her friend Ping who works in the customs dept next to the park at their local canteen and collected our rice I thought i was picking up a small bag from her but it weighed a ton i struggled back with it haha.
We went to the Temple of Heaven on New Years day to see the celebrations by the Taoists but it was so crowed we couldn't see the parade only hear it,we then went into the park surrounded by trees hundreds of years old some even a thousand at one point there were 4 young men aged about 16/18 climbing one of them and taking photos of each other Jun went straight over a gave them a telling off they just jumped down apologised and moved on I thought in england she would have just got a load of abuse.
Another day we went to another park to look at the white stupa that dominates the skyline over the forbidden city and climbed to the top with lovely views over the city,while in the park we watched a woman doing Tai Chi (Chen Style) she was very good so we chatted with her then she asked me to do some of mine which was a bit embarresing doing it in front of other people but i did some then she asked if i would like to train with her that i could meet her every morning at 7am in this park (It's 3 tube rides to get there) so i declined.
I watched a man writing poetry one day on the pavement with water,hows that for a demonstration of impermanance (It's one of the photo's i have included).We also went to chairman mao's tomb to see him but i had forgot my passport so they wouldn't let me in they can go to the extremes sometimes with beauracracy Jun says there are regulations then there is reality.
I will be going to the local hospital later this week for my medical so i can apply for my chinese driving licence then i have to pay £100 to sit a theory test, I have done a bit more driving and becoming more comfortable with the chinese system of driving called (get out of my way I,m going into that lane) haha.
I hope this finds everyone well and you enjoy the photo's.
Hi All,
It,s New Years eve tomorrow so we have bought a load of fireworks to set off at midnight it already sounds like the start of world war 3 every night haha.
I still have the chest and throat infection if it hasn't started to clear by end of this week i will have to go to the hospital i already have had it for 9 days the worst part is the constant coughing.
Still no rain it's now over 90 days everywhere is so dry and dusty the daytime temp has usually been between 0 to -6 but yesterday and today it has been warm with sunshine.
We went and bought a mountain bike for me this morning so we went to the local park this afternoon on our bikes riding around getting quite a few stares ( a crazy ying yur riding a bike for fun haha).I have had a few more goes driving our car it's a very nice ford fiesta Jun is getting more and more confident each day with her driving we have just been to the local market shopping as most of the shops will be closed for 3 days.
We went to the Beijing Institute of Performing Arts last Saturday evening to see the dance/musical production of the life of the Avolikishtivara the female buddha of compassion it was absolutely breathtaking we couldn't believe what we were watching and listening too.The building itself is amazing it's at tiananmen square,it's a huge orb shaped structure resting in a circle which is supposed to represent an oyster in a shell but all the locals call it the fried egg haha.
Another interesting thing is the water banks situated around the apartment blocks,they dont drink the tap water or cook with it so you go and see the water man pay some money and get a card with credit then you take your 5 litre bottle to the machine and fill it with purified water it costs about 10p each time.
We went for a walk earlier with the dog and saw one of the people who go around all day looking for recycable materials,as everything is recycled and she was going through the bins for cardboard so i had her come to our apartment and gave her all my boxes that my things were shipped over in,you wouldn't believe how happy she was.It is certainly a country of many contrasts very rich people and people in abject poverty side by side.