September 29th - How To Catch A Thief

It's my last day at work, but I'm sure that's of no interest to anyone except me. So rather than harp on about that, I'll talk about something that happened here yesterday.

As you may or may not know, I had my phone stolen from my office a couple of days ago. A few people have lost phones and money here before - happens from time to time. And whilst I was planning how to orture the street urchins that are our marketing department, because I was sure it was one of those little buggers, somebody else had a much better idea. Catch the thief.

So yesterday afternoon I trudged off to another class and my rahter camp Center Director decided to pounce on a suspicious looking young lady who was wandering around the school. and lo and behold, her handbag doubled as a SWAG bag and she was the magpie who had been relieveing the students and staff at this school of their shiny possesions. The police were called and that was that.

Almost.

When people get arrested, they are usually taken to a quiet room, the police arrive, question them and take them away to the police station if they think they have done something wrong. In China, it works slightly differently.

The woman was taken to the entrance of the school, sat in full view of everyone and a crowd of about 15 - 20 students and staff were soon watching her, waiting for the police to arrive. When th police did arrive, the crowd got a bit bigger and she stayed in the reception.

Scenes like this are not unusual. I have seen a number of people 'caught' by the police in the street and they are usually sat on the ground and questionned infull view of everyone, with crowds of poepe peering over each others shoulders to try and gawp at them.

I was in class the whole time, but came out every now and then to see what was happening and see if there was a chance that my phone might still be in her bag. Unsuprisingly, I had no luck with that.

By the time my class was over, all the excitement had pretty much died down. No more thief and no more police.

Then I noticed a new poster in the school.

It was an A4 size colour picture of a woman and underneath, in English and Chinese, were the words 'Watch Out For This Thief!'

Not sure of the legallity of doing that in England, but it seems OK here.

On a side note: Visa Offce called the grilfriend today and said that her passport is ready for collection. Guess we'll find out tomorrow if the move back to Blighty is on or not! Fingers crossed...

September 28th - The Best Way To Ease Family Tension

Divorce. I guess only the people that have actually done it would consider it a good thing. Probably easier to fully understand it's benefits if you've expereinced it. But I still think most people would prefer to never go through it.

Being a 'divorcee' always had a stigma attached to it when I was younger, but because it seems to happen much more now it is generally 'accepted' by society. And in Shanghai it seems that it is steadily gaining in popularity.

Everybody knows about the economic transition that China is going through and with that comes the obvious knock-on effect of social change. Things that would never have been accepted in the past are everyday now. Including divorce - which is 75 times each day now, in Shanghai, according to the latest figures.

The number of divorces has increased 39% in the last year. This was more than enough to keep me interested in this article, but what really got me was the way it was written in true, 'it-might-be-bad-but-we're-going-to-make-it-sound-good' political spin fashion.

in context, divorce was a veyr bad thing to have happen to you, or even in your family, for Chinese people until very recently. In all honesty, it still is. I know a few divorced people here in Shanghai and they are very, very quiet about it. Even if asked driectly they would often rather lie about their situation than let other people know.

So, when the article reports that 'Shanghai couples have eased their family tensions by ending unsatisfactory life with their spouses in peaceful ways' it all sounds like the world is a betetr place because of divorce.

And who knows....maybe it is!?

September 27th - Nearly Time To Go

So the countdown to my escape/departure from Web International English Language Training Centre is on. I'll officialy finish teaching here at 7pm on Thursday. Then just the small matter of the leaving party to get through and it'll all be over.

I had my last English Corner - woo hoo - yesterday afternoon. For anybody who doesn't teach, this will mean nothing to you. But for anyone who has ever tried to get a crowd of 40 people to talk to each other in a foreign language, you will appreciate how happy I am to have finished with them!

Anyway. October 1st is 'National Day' here in China. It has obvious meaning, but also allows Chinese people to have a week off work to celebrate their country's birth into the People's Republic Of China (PRC) that it is today.

How does this effect me? Well, not hugely, but it means that a lot of my students will be travelling home to see their families in their respective hometowns and so won't be able to make my party. Many of them have, very kindly, been apologising for their absence in advance.

I was talking on MSN with one of my students today and she told me that she had written her Blog about me today. I was suprised and after reading the entry, felt touched. Seems my time at Web hasn't been completely unappareciated afterall!

To James

All ppl can recognize James via my link. He is my favorite teacher in webinternational english institution. Don't ask me why he is. No reason, just for the feeling. It is he who gives me enough confidence in speaking english. I think i'm a shy person and the reason why i dare not talk in pubilic or talk with others is not only becoz of my underestimation on my oral english but also becoz of my lack of interpersonal skills and way in thinking. But when a person sits in front of u and behaves that he has quite interest in ur speaking, what will u do and what is ur response? I must say I feel so comfortable that I find my tongue works freely. Then I can talk with a person involuntarily, but i can't keep such great confidence for long time, sad :(

Anyway, I must thank James. He is the first guy who recall up my passion on english.

This thursday, he will definitely quit his job in WebI and leave for UK, his home. I'm not sure whether he will come back later, even though his gf is a chinese. So, pls take care James, and hope u won't forget days in China, in WebI. Uh, I've prepared a little gifts for u, but decided not to attend ur last english corner yesterday. I will give this present to u by express delivery, coz I lost confidence in speaking english again and I do dislike to meet ppl who will leave. So, I think I won't participate in ur leaving party on thursday, just like other's leaving party, I will "no show", hehe.

The gift for u is the delicate bronze souvenir of my home town's famous interesting sites, carra cotta or sth alike. I can't give the corect spell for it,,the same meaning with "bing ma yong", also called by many foreigners as ancient soldiers underground. It is one of the 8 well known bequests in the world. You can use it to uncap bottle, or use it to press pages. When u see it, u'll find how useful it is,hehe.

Ok, just give best wishes to u ,James.

Take care.

Thanks Zoe - that means a lot to me.

(and for all you 'native speakers' of English out there, I am sure you will respect the huge effort she has ut into writing this in her 2nd language and forgive her any of the small mistakes she might have made)

September 26th - Happy Birthday Steve!

OK - so this entry is post dated, but it's not what it looks like - I really DID remeber my brothers 32nd birthday. Yesterday got a bit busy and I didn't get the chance to post, that's all.

So - 'Happy Birthday, Steve'

On s slightly less jovial note, I had my phone stolen from my office yesterday. Went to the bathroom for about 3 minutes, came back and it was gone!

Steve - hope you had a better day than me yesterday!

September 25th - A Spotters Guide To Social Unrest

Shanghai is not representitive of China. It may well be what many Chinese hope their country will become - the modern, prosperous metropolis - but if you only see Shanghai, you really aren't getting a fair impression of what China as a country is.

The idea that Shanghai's streets are paved with gold is probably one which many people living in the coutryside, and relative poverty, have. Even for us 'Johnny foreigners' it is often regarded as a great place to come and make your fortune. Of course, for the majority this dream will never be realised.

And with any city, growing or otherwise, it has it's fair share of social problems. The country as a whole has a bit of a problem with it's social welfare (but then which country doesn't?), one of which is the 'problem' of beggars in the streets. For some the issue is that there are too many of them, for others it's knowing which ones are 'geunine' and which ones are actually richer than most poeple in the city.

Well if you are one of those that falls into the second category and are never sure who to give your money too, then fret no longer. The local Shanghai government has, at great expense, issued a set of guidelines on 'how to spot a fake beggar'. So now you can tell if the pregnant women is really pregnant and deservng of your money or not.

Slightly more seriously, this obvious show of the disparity between rich and poor does higlight the serious problem that it is. The rich in Shanghai getting richer and the poor outside of the large cities are, generally, staying poorer. The argument that their standards of living are improving but it is only the financial status that is not increasing enough could well be made. But not by me. At least not today.

And while I sit up high in my oh so developed and perfect western chair saying 'there could be trouble...' it appears that the governement are also recognising where this might lead, as well they should as this same situation about 60 years ago is pretty much what got them to where they are in the first place!

So the Income Disparity Level has reached 'yellow alert' - the second highest that it can be (it's not only threats of terrorism and natural disasters that get warning levels). and some people are suggesting that within as little as 5 years this level might even be raised (I assume to red).

So Shanghai may represent what many Chinese people would like for China, but may also show exactly what the people of China want to avoid.

September 22nd - What Lies Beneath

I was talking with a couple of sudents yesterday about social problems in Shanghai. It was pretty interesting.

The general consensus was thast Shanghai was a very safe place to be. It's a huge city, so obviously has it's fair share of problems, but crime is not one of the biggest.

A lot of people here will tell you that the crime rate is increasing daily and that the migrant population attracted by the bright lights and money on offer in Shanghai are the cause of it. People from Xingjiang are usually the ones who are looking at these pointing fingers.

But overall Shanghai is a pretty safe place. I have never been anywhere, in the daytime or at night, where I have felt threatned or uncomfortable just for being there. In London, and most other major cities, there are definite 'no-go' areas. Despite some of the movies I've seen here, Shanghai really doesn't have them.

At least that's how it has always felt to me.

Then, just, as I feel like leaving my front door wide open while I'm at work, a story or two will pop up and get you to thinking about what is really going on.

I've heard stories of bars, full of people, being padlocked clsoed from the outside by landlords demanding rent. I've heard of some less than scrupulous foreign 'businessmen' (read: rather shady individuals who are trying to make a fast buck in Shanghai) finding new homes in the A&E departmens of the local hospitals after rival 'businessmen' finally catch up with them. It often appears that money is the cause of these incidents. At home, I usually here of people getting a beating and having there money stolen. Here it seems most get a through beating as a final business tactic.

And to illustrate this a bit cleare, I just read an article from Shanghaiist which higlights this and another increasinlgy common, but just as illegal, activity - the public demonstration.

So this city does seems safe. As long as you don't try and make money or do business here. Which is probably the only reason you would come here in the first place.

Maybe there really is a bad under-current hiding beneath the flow of relative safety here, or maybe it's just because people are just not so afraid to report it and bring it out into the open anymore.

Like my student said, "Shanghai 20 years ago was so safe - no crime. Just like North Korea today"

Ahhh yes...the good ol' days of living in total fear of authority. Where are they now?

September 22nd - Probably The Best Football Team In The World

As thoughts of home, family, friends and general life in the UK are drifiting into my head, I noticed an entry on my 'comments' box (yes - someone actuallly uses those things!). Had to laugh.

The British Council seem to do a pretty good job wherever they are. They were kind enough to bring me over to China in the first place and were good to me then. It seems there representative football team from their head Office in London need to learn a bit from them.

This from a newsletter to its staff:

It's the mighty British Council FC's first game in Division 3 of the London Finance League tomorrow (after last seasons disapointing relegation). We are looking forward to improving on last years stats:

P20 W0 D1 (point subsequently deducted by FA) L19

Worst team in England? They Just may be...

And then an update:

Just to keep you informed...we lost 6-1 at the weekend (missed 2 pens)

Some things will never change.

September 21st - Where's The Time????

Finally got 10 miinutes to write and upload this Blog. Yesterday and today have been a bit of a blur - well, apart from the 2 and a half hours reading this morning.

Maybe that should say, yesterday and today have been a bit of a blur at work. Yeah - that sounds better.

All the documents, photos etc. that we need to submit Jewel's visa application arrived from the UK yesterday (thanks Mum) and I've been frantically copying and preparing them. Hope to make the application on Friday and then get the result 5 days later. Fingers crossed.

So in the meantime, here is a quick pic taken from very close to the fabric market the other day.

The son of the owner of a shop we were in. The star on his head is nothign religious - just his kindergarden teacher liked to put his 'well done stars' in funny places!

September 19th - The Fabric Market

Alright, granted, a fabric market doesn't sound like much, but it is a bit of an institution for the savvy foreigner/tourist in Shanghai.

I've already told you about the prices of things and it is probably apparent that anything and evrything in China can be copied, so most people turn up with a favourite shirt/pair of trousers/dress and have it copied identically after choosing their preffered material.

It's an interesting place, a lot of fun and makes for good photo opportunites.

Welcome to Dong Jia Du Lu:

Once in, you take your time to walk around and choose your favourite fabric:

It's got anything you might want, from the traditional silk...

...to the more 'adventurous' sequins:

If you're ever in town, make sure you come with your favourite shirt, remember the name - Dong Jia Du Lu - and tell the taxi driver. Everyone knows where this place is.

September 18th - Happy Mid-Autumn Day

And I nearly forgot.

Especially for all those in china, I wish you a happy Mid-Autumn Day.

And I hope you enjoy those mooncakes.

(If you're nto in China, click those links and find out what it's all about)

September 18th - Feeling Sea Sick

I a officially on the countdown till theend of work now - 10 working days (including today); 50 lessons (gulp!) and 5 more English Corners. Woo hoo!

That's pretty exciting for me, but anyway - here's what happened at the weekend.

After trials and tribulations at the fabric market (photos to come very soon), I finally got all my new shirts made. More importantly, I sent the suits back to England for the friend who has been waiting nearly 2 months for them (should be there in about 9 days, Mo). Still, 2 hand made, tailored suits for 100 UK pounds (including postage and taxis!) is worth waiting for, I guess.

That was Friday morning. Then there was lunch and then there was a visit to the indoor ski-centre in Shanghai, courtesy of a girlfriend who works in PR and got free tickets.

It was the very first time for her on skis and, while I am verymuch an amateur on twp pieces of wood, i thought it would be a good time to have ago at learning to snowboard.

Yes, about 15 years after it first became 'cool' and fashinoable to do so, I have finalyy experiened what it is like to stand on one piece of wood and go down a snow covered hill.

And here is what I learnt:

1 - Being able to ski in no way means you will be able to snowboard.

2 - They look pretty cool on the TV, but it really isn't as easy as they make it look.

3 - Falling when you ski is almost fun. It doesn't hurt much. Falling when you are 'boarding (listne to me getting all into it!) looks like it should hurt even less, but actually it is probably worse.

4 - If you are as bad as me, it is veyr easy to fall and see your feet (plus board) fly overyour head a couple of times as you become a human snowball, even on the tamest of slopes.

5 - When a tiny piece of snow goes straigh in your ear, directly hitting your ear-drum and you feel like you are on a hip in the miuddle of a storm, getting to the bottom of the hill isd not so easy.

6 - Yes, what;s inside your ears really does control your balance.

7 - If I tap the top of my head I can now hear a sounds similar to that of a ripe watermelon being tapped.

But it was great fun. And the gf had a great time to. Just got to teach her how to 'stop' intentionally now and she should be fine.

And I managed to get the rest of the Harry Potter series for about $8, so that should keep me busy for the next few weeks.

Great weekend.

September 15th - Going Home...

OK OK, so it's still not definite, but the thought of going home is not somethign I can put out of my mind.

The last week or so has been thoroughly enjoyable - one of those times when the sun is shining, the birds are singing blah, blah, blah - and it's got me to thinking about what I'm going to miss about China. And those things I won't miss...which may be a longer list.

A colleague asked me what my first meal would be when I get back home - my mothers Sunday roast is high on the list there - and then also got me to thinking about what I'm looking forward to about begin back in the UK. And at the risk of sounding stereotypically English male, I have been thinking a lot about football. Sunday football in particular.

And, as if reading my mind, the dear Guardian had this article in it today, outlining the essential rules for Sunday football. A timely reminder for when I go back!

1. Get out of bed

This is vital. The big thing about Sunday league: it's on Sunday. And somehow nine o'clock on a Sunday morning is totally different so, say, nine o'clock on a Wednesday evening. In fact, what's known as can't-get-out-of-bed-it's-warm-in-here-and-Country-File-with-John-Craven-is-on-in-five-minutes syndrome has devastated many a Sunday league team.

2. Dress down

Avoid, at all costs, falling into the trap of the middle-aged man who suddenly realises now he's grown up he can afford the entire model railway set - complete with signal boxes and decorative sponge shrubbery. Brand new boots are a giveaway. Generally the effect you're looking for is two shapeless peat-coloured Cornish pasties with anvil toes reinforced by years of undigested mud, sand and blood. The David Beckham-style fancy white slipper, unless you're very, very good, is just asking for trouble.

3. Get the right name

A good name will give you a start. Personally, I get abbreviated. Barn: man on. Barn's free. My name just isn't a football name. "John's ball!" "Dave's up!" These are fine. But "Barney's ball" sounds like an early learning book for the under fives. If you can, find yourself a convincing nickname. But only something you feel you can really carry off. In the last few years I've played against a "Killer" (five feet nothing in inch-thick specs) and with a "Pit-bull", who tended to spend the whole morning complaining about his blisters.

4. Eat your way to fitness

Breakfast is crucial. There are a few simple rules here. Don't get too ambitious: at 8am on a Sunday, muesli is your friend. Biscuits can be useful, but only the right kind. You don't want something heavy and oaty - say, a Hob-Nob - wrestling with last night's Thai Green Curry. Stick to light and sugary: Jaffa Cakes. Or wafer based: the mini Kit-Kat. Even crisps have their place. A certain kind of hangover will only respond to crisps. On the other hand I used to play with a centre forward who strolled through the first half, had a bacon and egg roll, large tea and Yorkie bar from the snack van behind the clubhouse at half-time and then played a blinder for the rest of the match. So the human physiognomy is clearly a mysterious thing.

5. Fighting: be careful out there

Fighting is available in Sunday league, but only for those who really want it. A word of warning. Fighting is difficult. It takes practice. You need some moves, some basic techniques, before you even start thinking about punching, head-butting, or throwing someone through a plate glass window with one hand. On the football pitch I've found myself standing anxiously on the edge of my fair share of rumbles, most of them governed by the unspoken rule that none of you is going to take this any further than a slightly firmer than usual hand shake at the end of the game. Interesting fact about Sunday league fights: most are between people wearing the same colour shirts. Like the casualty department at Christmas, it's usually domestic.

6. Find your niche on the field

Yes, yes, we all started out at centre forward. Or maybe just behind the front two. In the hole. Scheming from deep. Creating space, dropping off, seeing passes, weaving patterns. Ok. Right back. Next.

7. Shout something

Let's have a big blue head on this. Get tight. Drop off. Stay goal-side. Stay wide. Stay on your feet. Work the channels. Send it long. No! One of you! If there's one thing a Sunday league team hates it's silence. So find something that works for you ("Watch the runners!") and stick with it. A convincing shout can cover a multitude of sins.

8. If you must swear - swear right

The word 'f***' is very important in football. It's the only swear word you hear used consistently. F*** fits the rhythm of the game. "F***ing hell!" "Mark a f***ing man!" "For f***'s sake pass the f***ing ball." F*** fills a gap when you're too tired to think. People who rarely swear in their daily life will say f*** constantly on the football pitch. And on the whole, use of any kind of bad language other than "f***" is frowned upon. There's just no excuse for it. The general view is that any f***er who wants to use that f***ing kind of language can just f*** the f*** off.

9. Don't be the mad bloke who always plays

A bit of a laugh isn't it? We're all just having fun ... Win or lose who cares, eh? It's all a laugh. Except, I'm not smiling. I'm down here an hour early. I'm calling you all twice on Saturday. I'm giving team talks, chasing around doing the job of three men out there, keeping everyone else DON'T WALK AWAY WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU. Fancy a drink after this, lads? No? Well I'll just go home and quietly expand my collection of ornamental Princess Diana chinaware in the garden shed of the house I still share with my aged parents ... You see how easy it is?

10. Don't tell everyone about that time you almost had trials for Leyton Orient

Once-had-trials one-upmanship is a familiar theme in any dressing room. Everyone, believe me, has a mate of a mate who played with Frank Lampard at school and guess what he wasn't even that good, my mate was the one who got spotted by Arsenal and ... Don't start.

11. Play nicely

You tend to find certain types of friendship in a Sunday league team. Basically it boils down to people who used to be friends; people who have never been friends; and people who soon won't be friends. It's a minefield out there. It's a powder keg. It's 22 slightly irritable men falling over in heavy mud. Actually, that's not totally fair. Some relationships do survive. In fact I've played in the same team with my best mate on and off for nearly 20 years. The useless git.

Glad to see that having any level of fitness is a pre-requisite as, after 3 years of Shnaghai traffic and smog, I would surely fail on that one.

14th September - 6 Inches of Pure Pleasure

After 16 long years it has finally happened. The whole of England has errupted into celebration thanks to 6 inches of wood.

Just too clarify - that's a 6 inch tall wooden urn I'm talking about. Yes, even though the vast majority of you won't have the slightest interest in this, I have to join in the celebrations in England regaining The Ashes.

For most people cricket is a boring game. But this last series of matches between England and Australia was anything but that. There must have been something in it when even the girls started to take an interest.

Unfortunately here in Shanghai I don't have any too many Aussie friends that I can gloat over this too and nobody Chinese even knows what cricket is, so mine is a lonely celebration. But anyway...

There you have it, scientifically proven, that 6 inches really is enough. It made an entire nation rejoice, so it should be more than enough for one woman!

September 12th - Trials And Tribulations At A Chinese Hospital

Hospitals are never the nicest places and I think the fear of them is doubled as soon as you leave your own country. And no matter how nice it looks, if you can't really understand the local language they use in the hospital, the experience will always be more worrying.

China has a bit of a reputation at being less than clean. And I don't think many people that i know would put visiting a hospital in China as one of thier most desireable expereinces.

I've been lucky since I've been here (and in most of my life generally, come to think of it) and haven't yet had the need to visit a hospital due to personal illness. But I have been a couple of times with friends who have been feeling under the weather.

The hospitals have always been adequate (I am in Shanghai, afterall) but a couple of thing shave always struck me as a bit...different.

First up - the need to pay before the diagnosis and before the treatment. No money, no doctor. And, usually, no cash point (ATM) in the immediate vacinity. I would hate to be in a bad accident and then be taken to hospital with no money, although this might explain why Chinese people are so keen on carrying ridiculously large amounts of cash around with them.

The places have always seem pretty clean, although non-essential equipment (e.g. tables, chairs etc.) has always looked a bit dated and on its last legs, perhaps needing its own furniture doctor to last the night. And the sheer number of people (both patients and staff) that are in the hospitals, at any time of the day, is frightening. Again, I am in Shanghai, so that should really not come as a suprise. I think anyone in the UK who complains about the lack of beds available on the NHS should take a look at even the best hospitals here, where the number of people lying on trolleys, the floor and carefully placed chairs that have been made into make-shift beds, is amazing.

My latest visit to the hospital was on Friday night, as my girlfriend was feeling pretty uncomfortable.

We went to a new hospital (new for me, at least) and it was the most modern lookng palce I have ever seen. Plasma TV screens, huge sofa like seats for patients to wait in, relaxed lighting. Seemed more like a cafe than a hospital. Admitedly it did cost 3 times the usual amount to 'get in', but it seemed like a fair price.

Someone once told me that 'China is like a great looking, but under-performing computer - it's got all the hardware, but none of the software'. And this placed reeked of this. Beautiful looking, but with all the usual people lying on the floor, with 'drips' in their arms and an assorted array of the usual Friday night suspects. And inital consultations were done at a reception desk, about 20 metres in from the entrance, where a nurse woudl ask all sorts of personal questions as groups of people crowded around the desk. She was even nice enough to lean over her desk and whack my girlfriend in the ribs to check to see how much they were really hurting her.

And it also remined me of the last time I was in a hospital with a fellow foreigner who was feeling a bit ropey. After being asked to provide a 'sample' he trudged off to the toilet and half an hour later came back with a little plastic cup carefully wrapped in tissue. It was only when the doctor gave him a funny look that he realised that the sample he had given had come out of the wrong exit on his body (i.e. it was a stool sample he gave, not the urine sample that was required). Needless to say, he needed at leat another half hour and lots of water before he was ready to provide the next one!

9th September - Caring And Sharing

My 3 day weekend last weekend came back to haunt me this week, with a 6 day week and a 1 day weekend. It's all swings and round abouts, I guess. Still, I'm on the final-countdown with only 21 days left at Web International.

So, as work finishes at ]pm and I'm feeling pretty whacked from the week, I make my way home on the wind-down, thinking of nothing but taking it easy. I'm thinking about tomorrow and collecting the 2 shirst I've had tailored. I stop by the local supermarket, pick up a couple of things for a shared breakfast with the girlfriend tomorrow morning and meander on back to the ranch.

I get through the door at home and and the excitement of the 2 new shirts rapidly vanishes.

My girlfriend is waiting for me, a sad face watching an even sadder movie.

The movie is all about a woman who has cancer and how all the people around are affected by it. Maybe just bad timing, but it coincides with a visit to the doctor for my gf tomorrow, as she's not been feeling so well lately.

That obviously sets my imagination off, but also stirs memory of my brother and how he suffered through cancer.

The movie shows how the friends of the lady with cancer can't accept anyone suggetsing she might die. The lady herself is very aware of the possibility that she might not be cured, but her friends refuse to have it even mentioned. They say they can't accept it because they need her.

I'm quite sure that the 'I need him' feeling ever crossed my mind, but the unwillingness to talk about the possibility was very familiar.

My parents would cry a lot, usually in their own private moments when they thought they were alone. The sadness and worry for everyone was obviously apparent, but the worst outcome was never shared.

Some things need to be talked about, some things need to be kept private.

Trouble is, lot of the time, the things we don't want to talk about are exactly those things we should be open too. Caring and sharing - definitely go hand in hand.

8th September - The Swede, The Ashes And The Photos

First off, The Swede - this one being Sven Goran Erikson, also known as The England football team manager. With all those superstars at your disposal, you still managed to lose to Northern Ireland. Now would be a good time to start winning matches, for the sake of our nation and your job.

Getting more positive - The Ashes! We've been waiting for more than 12 years, but could this be the time when that little urn finally makes its way back to the home of cricket? Day 1 of the final test starts today, and I for one will be having some very late nights over the next 5 days to make sure I don't miss a minute.

Apparently I won't be the only one. Seems like internet servers in the UK might face a few problems aswell, with demand to follow on-line coverage expected to cause a crash or two.

Now the photos. The new camera has been getting a good work out, but I've not been as busy when it comes to showing you what I've been doing.

So now, with a little help from my ol' buddy photoshop, are a few of my more interesting shots.

First up - new camera, new house. This is a light's eye view of the living room.

This little feline friend looks comfortable keeping guard outside his old Shanghai house

And finally - my favourite. It's Jewel

September 7th - A Couple Of Observations

I'm being pushed for time today, what with trying to get information from the Visa section of the British Consulate in Shanghai about applying for a student visa (yep - blood from a stone is about right) and doing something called work in between. But a couple of things have caught my eye.

Unsurprisingly, the first thing is related to applying for the visa. Everywhere you go on the UK Visa website, it tells you about a pre-paid information providing phone number you can call. You have to buy credit in advance and then call to get the advice. I don't need that, but just want to make an appointment online. Each time I try, an error message comes up and suggests I should call the information line for more assistance. Notice the catch? New expensive information hot-line, broken website? It's all about the money....

The second thing is about here, at jolly old work.

We try to teach English as a language. We also try to highlight 'western' cultures to the ever interested Chinese students here. Once a month there is a 'culture' week, where the school highlights one English speaking country and introduces its culture and history.

This week we are intorducing New Zealand. We have one teacher from New Zealand and, guess what? This week is his week off! How's that for timing?

Following on from a recent post about the terrible hurricane in the South of the USA, a friend of mine has sigend herself up as a volunteer to take part in the clean up which has just begun. Good on you and good luck!

On a side note, a colleague of mine (an American) made an interesting observation the other day. he showed me 2 almost identical photos from different newspapers, reposrting the aftermath of the hurricane.

Both photos showed someone, knee high in water, holding boxes of food and supplies on their shoulder. One of the photos showed a white guy, and the caption read (sth. like) "Victim of hurricane salvages what hey can to survive". The other, almost identical photo, showe a black guy and had the caption "Looter makes off with good from store".

Maybe now is not the time to be reading anything into that.

September 6th - Someone Else's Words

I came to work today in a bit of an angry but slightly regretful mood. I was going to Blog about it, until I read this...

Dear patient,

I'm sorry.

I know you thought that you were going to die peacefully, but we have to try and save lives, even though you were terminally ill. Your husband didn't want you to die yet, neither did your daughter.

I know I've posted links to his site before, but you really should go and check out Random Acts Of Reality TODAY. This post will get you, I'm sure...

I'll be back with my own words tomorow.

5th September - Lost And Not Waiting

I was having a chat with a friend of mine yesterday about 'LOST' - the TV show about the plane crash and the survivors on the island. 1st season finsihed in the US, but only a recently started in the UK.

Well, thanks to the wonders of pirated DVD's, I managed to buy the box-set a few weeks ago and have gone through all of them. Didn't do much for me at first (I honestly thought it was just going to lead into a Jurassic Park continued) but I was quite into it as it went on.

So, anyway, my firend was saying that she watched the first episode and couldn't stand the suspense, so went straight to the end and saw the last one! She admitted it was pretty pathetic, but just couldn't resist it.

Another example of our 'need-it-now' society? Everything easily disposable, pre-prepared, washed and ready to go. Seems like we are all so busy that we've got no time to wait. It's all go to be done yesterday!

What happened to build up and suspense? Reading books without seeing 'whodunnit' on the final page before you finsh the first chapter?

It might just be a reflection of the times we live in. but I really think people should take a deep breath and just slow down sometimes. Appreciate what is going on around them and take it all in.

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. The journey to the destination can be as much fun as arriving, or at least make the arrival all the more satisfying.

Having said all that, I would also like to add a personal plea to JK Rowling:

I have only recently read the HP books, but am now a huge fan. Please will you get a move on and get number six finshed and published - I want to know what happens to Harry now!!!!!!!

September 4th - I Had A Rubber Nipple In My Ear

It sounds strange, but it's true....and, honestly, nothing sexual.

I've got these great headphones for my MP3 player, made by Sony and also priced by Sony. Quality is fantastic and I don't want to get a new pair

Someone suggested that, as a piece of rubber has fallen off one of them, rendering them pretty much useless, that I should replace this piece of rubber. I tried to get a replacement from a shop, but they wanted abotu $5 for this tiny little thing.

So it was suggested that the end of a baby's feeding bottle would be the perfect shape and soft enough to be comfortable. I went into a baby products shop and someone put the rubber nipple in my ear. Comfortable, but not practical. I didn't buy it.

September 4th - A Bathroom Full Of Angry People, 2 New Suits And A Rubber Nipple In My Ear

My 2 days off came and went far too quickly, as always, but I do take some comfort in the fact that I've only got a month's worth of work at this place to go. The countdown has begun.

The 'weekend' was good though. There's a great fabric market in Shanghai where you can get practically any thing you want tailor made by some pretty good tailors, for a bargain price. A friend of mine sent over a couple of suits to be copied for him and I (finally - he sent them in July) went there on Friday. 2 full suits, tailor made in your choice fo fabric for $100. Not bad. I was tempted to get some myself (not that I wear them) andf they would have worked out about $25 each....if I had bought 5 and got them all in the same colour. I decided against it.

Saturday co-incided with the final unpacking and tidying of the new place, so we're fully settled in now. And everything there is great, apart from the leaking air-conditioner, leaking bathroom ceiling, broken washing machine and broken cooker.

So Saturday morning was spent sitting on my sofa as 6 unknown Chinese people stood in and around my bathroom, shouting at each other and arguing about who was to blame for the leaking ceiling. Another random guy came to the house and fixed the air-conditioning, closely followed by 2 more to replace the cooker.

After they had all cleared out (about 3 hours in total, from 9am...on Saturday morning!!!) we went for lunch and came back to find an angry washing machine repair man banging on our door, saying he had been waiting for hours. Felt a little guilty, especially when it turned out there was nothing wrong with the washing machine after all.

Watching these people at work was another time I couldn't help but remember where I was.

First up, to their credit, they all came at pretty short notice (no more than a day for any of them). But they did also come at 9am on Saturday morning. The plumber also bought his wife, primarily, I think, to have a good look around the 'laowai's' (foreginer's) house. And she did just that, casting her slightly wonky eyes over the entire place.

And the arguing was incredible. Full on shouting, in my house - my bathroom!!! - without, it appeared, the slightest concern or thought that they were in someone's house. More like they were in the street arguing over who caused the car crash.

So that was my weekend. A bathroom full of angry people, 2 new suits and my getting a rubber nipple in my ear (I won't give you the full story of that one, but there is a pefectly normal reason for her doing that, I swear!).

September 1st - Another Reminder Of How Insignificant Most Of Our Problems Really Are

It is not as though we really needed another one - not so soon, at least - but it looks like nature decided that we needed another reminder of just what she can do when she's angry.

I had been reading about Hurricane Katrina in the news over the last couple of days, but I didn't really pay much attention to it to be honest. As usual, being that I have little/no connection with the affected area may have had somethign to do with it, ormaybe the fact that I have never experienced being in a hurricane and couldn't really relate to what's going on.

I checked the news today and it really hit home.

New Orleans is 80% underwater (80%!!!) - source: The Scotsman

New Orleans mayor estimates death toll in the thousands as city abandoned

110 confirmed dead in Mississippi while rooftop rescues continue elsewhere

Looters take advantage of confusion; shark reported in New Orleans street - source: Telegraph

Headlines like these are impossible to avoid.

It seems the Tsunami at the end of last year just wasn't wnough for Mother Nature - she needed to throw a hurricane in aswell.

As I drift back into another working day, full of the trivial and mundane, my thoughts are entirely with the people in the affected areas. I can't comprehend how they must be feeling or what is going on for them right now. I just hope the worst of it passes soon.

2 things that did catch my eye in the reports though:

On the looting - Denise Bollinger, a tourist from Philadelphia, said: "It's downtown Baghdad. It's insane."

On the overall destruction - "I can only imagine that this is what Hiroshima looked like 60 years ago," said Haley Barbour, the Mississippi governor.

I don't know, but just seemed ironic that people should mention Bagdhad and Hiroshima when looking to compare how bad the situation is.