It has been a woeful two weeks since the last update and my sincerest apologies to those of you who have e-mailed me and not had a response. It all boils down to the simple fact that, much as I love you all dearly, the weather has been awesome here recently (30 degrees+ most days) and I have a beach within walking distance. Well, that and the fact that I have had a lot of reports to do as the summer season has come to a close. If that sound like a feeble excuse it is because it is just that: a feeble excuse.
So, what's been happening here in Rizhao?
To tell the truth, not a lot outside of my being very busy and spending all my free time having fun whilst trying to get to grips with my Chinese lessons.
The Olympics continue to play a major part of everyday goings on, despite there being no Olympic activity in the tiny little city where I am based. China is soundly dominating the medal table and looks set to continue towards a record total. It's a joy to be here to witness the pride with which the Chinese people view their country and its achievements across the spectrum of international Olympic sports. It is, however, a little tiresome pointing out on a regular basis that the tiny little island that I used to call home does not, and never will, have such a wealth of talent to choose from, hence our standing in the medal table.
I went to a local bamboo theme park with the students yesterday and spent more than I had intended on hand-carved (by monks) items for the apartment. An apartment which, as I am sitting writing this, has three Chinese girls running about the place tidying and doing the laundry. They do a fantastic job and are very tolerant of my linguistic ignorance.
Some of the things that they had on sale at the bamboo park would fetch a fortune if they were being sold in an upmarket boutique in London. It seems a shame that there is no real, established trade route for the poor monks to take their products to an international market. Perhaps I will have to investigate putting one in place - purely for the benefit of the monks, you understand.
Anyway, I trust that life in the UK is as mundane as ever and I can hardly contain my indifference about ever returning "home".
Time for another Tsingtao...
