Post Office and Perfume

Not usually put together but that was what we were shopping for today. Well, I had postcards to send and the perfume is an ongoing thing.
At home I usually have two or three different perfumes on the go at the same time and depending on my mood in the morning, depends on which one I use. I packed a small one to come not realising how low it was getting and of course it run out a few days ago. No problem, they used to be Avon stores here where i used to buy perfume and deodorant if and when I needed it. They are gone. No problem , I will go to Watsons the chemist, arrg plenty of face  creams skin whiteners etc etc. Nothing at supermarkets, even went into a couple of beauty places, nothing. I was destined to go perfume less!

We caught the no 30 bus, its the closest and less crowded, it did mean that we had further to walk once in the city but as we hadnt been for our normal walk about that was fine. The PO has shrunk its now only a third the size, and there were chairs at the counter. I found out why, people take so .long to do their stuff, if they have a parcel to send there is about four pieces of document to fill in and they do it there, regardless if who or how many are waiting.

Finally my turn, i had my postcards ready with Australia written in characters and a note ready to pay. I tell the girl that I have six for Australia, in my best Chinese, she looks at me and asks Hong Kong? What! Before I could respond the girl alongside of her tells her Australia she understood me!  Girl proceeded to count the post cards three times and even weighed each one! On a calculator she shows me how much, 4.5y each just under a dollar.

Walking along and just missed a home going bus but spied a store selling beanies and socks plus bottles and creams so we filled in some time, we had to wait for the next bus anyway, hummm some bottles look suspiciously like perfume bottles. Yes, they were, it was a Japanese store, new to me and i selected one, they were all 20y $4.

Warren was able to buy a speaker for his computer, the speakers for movie watching is not that good so the new speaker should improve things a bit.
A successful day, postcards posted, perfume bought and speakers which we didnt know we wanted/needed. A longish walk plus washing done and other housework done.

Carmellias

Not sure if that is the right spelling but the computer hasnt corre ted it so either it is right or it is thinking or something else.

Anyway I am talking about the flowers or bushes that have flowers.

I like the flowers and we had them at our wedding, not sure if that was my idea or someone elses but they were there and of course every time I see the flowers I am reminded of our wedding.

There are plenty of the bushes around the school and most are in bud and This is the first one to have flowers.

The bushes run along the roadsides of the apartment blocks. From our apartment we walk along a road which then opens out into a larger area, some car do park there or the road leads down to an under parking area. Then we can choose to go one of three roads, one goes alongside the canal between apartments and wall, this is not a solid more like bars, as can see the canal. Middles road goes between apartment blocks and is wider as cars can yse it to go to the parking, this is where the bushes line both sides of the road or the third road which takes us out and through to the kindergarten and then on to the south gate.

Looking forward to seeing more of the flowers develop in the next few weeks.o

A tea ceremony

Last Sunday we were dined and then taken to a resort where we had a tea ceremony.
As the floors were highly polished, it was shoes off and then down on our knees to get under the table which was a massive hulk of wood.

The cups were all laid out in a row then poured and handed around

This is us trying to look comfortable

A walk along the canals

I caught a bus and walked home along the canal. There is a footpath along side of the road and then there is another path that is lower and winds along the canal, always peaceful and far less crowded.

This gate was leading into a community and the road and bridge went across the canal.

I walked through the tunnel of this one.

Cold!!

We waved our friends goodbye this morning and it was very cold outside waiting for the bus, I checked the temperature and it was 7 degrees at 9.30 am.

I had a little bit of work to do so went across to school for a bit then Warren and I walked to the bus station, damn just missed one and it was a long ten minute wait for the next one. We were going to different places but wanted the same bus. When he pulled up and we got on, the driver checked with us where we wanted to go which was nice of him, our language skills were just enough to understand him.

I was going shopping to Au Chan and Warren was going to the new campus. I bought him a jacket and a vest and leg warmers. Then to KFC for lunch. The coffee cost more than the burger.

The time that I bought it 12.29, the girl circled the order number, 3214 and the number came up on a screen, I just had to tell her qif i was eating in or taking it away.  Lunwarmed me for awhile and then I got lazy and caught a cab home rather than walk to the bus. Taxi cost 13 rmb as opposed to .8rmb on the bus. All my other purchases were on sale so I didnt feel too bad about spending the money on a taxi.

Xin Chang

We were treated to a trip yesterday and what a trip it was. We got a sleep in as we were not being picked up until 9.30 am. It was only a small group of nine. Five foreigners three from the office/college and a photographer.

We were heading for Xin Chang, the home of the company or person who owns/started the college. It is also the home of a very large Budda and scenic place.

First we had lunch for a couple of hours, our big boss and his family joined us for lunch. It was a smorgasbord with lots and lots of tasty things to try. All very delicous, the main course was steak which we had ordered, it was a small piece of steak with egg and onion on a griddle plate, so tender, I usually do not eat steak but I went with the others and ordered it. So glad I did.
Food just kept coming out and several times we had said that we had had enough and then there was something else to try. It was a wonderful feast.
Then we went to the park and wandered around for a couple of hours.
Next was another scenic park that is a resort to teach calligraphy and meditation. We walked up a slight rise to see a house built on the side of the rock face and a second one that is being built, then we returned by this time it was getting dark and we had tea at a tea house. That was like a Japanese tea house, sitting on the floor at low tables. Every time we went inside we took our shoes off, bit harder to do when wearing boots with laces but we know that is the custom and so we follow suit.

After tea, we are then taken to the dining hall and shown how to make wraps with very fine crepes, noodles, vegetables and chicken. Normally it woukd be vegetarian but they cooked chicken for us. Again it was shoes off and sitting on the floor on round cushions. What I didnt notice until we were outside again was a rack for mobile phones. Dinner is a time to converse not use phones, none of us did anyway except for photos.
Home about 7.30, fully satified with food and sight seeing, a wonderful day.

Yum dinner

There is a couple of very nice little restaurants across from West Gate. When we were here at first there was only one gate in to svhool and it was the west gate. It is still used by the college kids bue for us it is the further gate away so we dont go very often.

Last night after working late at another school, I wanted something hot and the seafood noodle pot was it, I was willing to walk the two kms to get it. I measured it on my sports tracker the first time we went and from our apartment there and back was 4.2 kms.

Yum, so many mussles and three prawns some green vege and thick noodles in the bottom all for the price of 22rmb about $4.

While waiting for the meal, they serve a small bowl of hot fruit soup. I have had this meal twice I think and each time I have not been able to finish it.