In my latest China Blog, I have made the blog "official" posting it on Blogger.com. For my first official on-line blog, I wish I could actually write about China, but I have been having a break from Beijing at the moment.
Last Month, I headed back to the States to have some time with my family. It was so nice to be home. You forget how easy "home" is until you are in a place that requires more effort. The main reason for my trip was a work retreat and it was nice to have all my friends and colleagues back in St. Pete. There was an afternoon when Cat, Amy, Gina, Tammy, Isabelle and I were all hanging out and it was so nice. It was the comfort of friends that I desperately miss in Beijing. We remarked at how lucky we have all been to live and work in the same city and how rare it is to have such a bond. Now we are all scattered around the world, Toronto, Beijing, London and St. Pete. Luckily, Gina and Matt have already returned home from New York and back to Florida. I will be next!
Ash and I had Thanksgiving in Punta Gorda with my family and then a week or so later we had "Christmas". We had a wonderful Christmas even though it was just barely December. I think about the big family Christmases we used to have in New Hampshire with snow and kids and aunts, uncles and grandparents. I hope we can have another big Christmas at home...although I don't really miss the cold and snow!
I did return to Beijing for a week and got my fair share of cold. It is very cold right now in Beijing. I have my long winter coat and my new Christmas scarves and I walk briskly for the long commute to work. I am thankful again that I chose to live across the street. Getting up for the gym in the morning knowing you have to do a cold sprint across the courtyard is a little less motivating. Of course I am too lazy to rug up and put on proper clothes so the quick sprint gets the workout kick started.
While I was back we had another team lunch. We have Friday office lunches. This time to my favorite Chinese food place - Xiao Wang Fu's which is translated on their sign as Xiao Family Home Food. It is delicious and despite being hidden in an alley within an alley, many people seem to find it as it is four stories high and probably has 150 tables and they are nearly all full. I like it mostly because they serve the chicken without the bones!
I enjoy the team lunches. We have an excellent group of staff with a great sense of humour. We spend the lunches laughing and getting to know each other better. We also have started a new game of challenging each other to eat things. The first was a red pepper that comes in the spicy red pepper chicken. The chicken is stir fried in about 200 bits of crispy chopped red pepper. The chicken gets incredibly spicy just mixing with the peppers so you can imagine how hot they are. David fell for the challenge to eat one for 100 Kuai. At first I was disappointed when he confidently popped the pepper with no reaction at all. I handed over the 100 note bill disgusted at my gullibility. Until a moment later when his face turned red, his eyes began to water and he began to cough. Yes, the peppers are painfully hot and the experience was entertainment for us all and well worth the $13.50USD.
The week was busy in Beijing and I looked forward to my trip to Australia. I have been in Wollongong for a week. Ash and I have enjoyed the amazing Australian summer. We have played some tennis, walked by the beach and met up with friends. I have gone on some really great beach runs and gotten half way through my book. We had a fantastic Christmas with the whole Fisher family and headed up to Bondi Beach for a Christmas BBQ lunch. I have really enjoyed Christmas with my niece and nephew who have now picked up as much Mandarin as I know in an afternoon's teaching. In a swap of Karma, I have become a hair model to Abby. I told her how I used to torture my dad by putting in no fewer than 10 small pony tails to his head of hair. She is fixated on putting in two "piggy tails" over and over again!
Tomorrow I head up to Sydney to fly to Auckland return in a single day. I am 2400 miles away from the 100,000 miles club on United and only a quick trip will Auckland will get me topped off. I will spend yet another 7 hours on a plane. Knock off some work and some episodes of Criminal Minds (my new favorite show) and be back in time to meet up with Sophie Goldschmidt for dinner in Sydney.
Ash and I will spend new year's even in Brisbane getting ready for the tournament there where I will be working and Ash will coach Travis Parrott and Philip Polasek. For now, I am enjoying my last day of holiday.
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and wish you every happiness in 2009.
K
