Now it's over, which is a bit sad. One month is so short: to learn Chinese and to get to know people. One month is enough time for you to get to know people well enough to know that you would like to get to know them better. And since I can't hold a conversation in Chinese I am limited to who I can get to know. A lot of my class mates couldn't speak much English, so we resorted to speaking in a mix of bad Chinese and bad English. It meant I had to use my Chinese but it also meant I couldn't say very much. I would have liked to get to know them better. And now I won't be able to keep in contact with them since we have no decent way to communicate. I have met a bunch of Leo's class mates and he has to speak to them in Chinese. But he can, so he has made better friends with them.
So lots of good byes. Who knows, some of the Japanese might visit Australia one day. Realistically I should be able to keep in better contact with Leo, and pay him a visit some time. Anyone want to have a trip to New Zealand? I have been wanting to go on a hike there for a while... There are also some people I will be able to see in a couple of weeks...
My rough itinerary for the next month is:
1-9 Sept - Joining a Chinese tour of Xinjiang Autonomous region
10-12 Sept - Maybe spending a couple of days somewhere close to Beijing
13-14 Sept - Have a couple of days in Beijing and catch up with people - some foreigners who haven't left and a couple of locals
15-18 Sept - Go down to a city near Shanghai (I've forgotten the name) where my room mate Migel will be studying and have a couple of days hanging with him and exploring - it is meant to be a nice city
18-30 Sept - About two weeks in Fuzhou. Apparently there isn't anything interesting to see there but I know some people working in an orphanage and drug rehab work and I am going to help out.
1-10 Oct - A week and a half in HK with Phil (yay!). I'll get to catch up with Crossroads people and others as well.
I probably won't be in contact much in the next couple. Expect and email or blog update in the middle of the month.
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2 comments:
Yes please tim, I would like to go walking in New Zealand - but Cedric isn't so good at walking - or is that all the more reason to drag him along ?
Timboliscious
Take care with the rest of your travels, and all the visiting that you are doing.
Hope that you persevere on the chinese thing and just do the little things well. Like make sure that you do not keep ordering fish eye soup etc..
going good here, catalogue those photos if you are taking any with a big camera- and i'll say G'day to John W. for you.
seeyou
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