The Gator got me!

I sit typing, my noise dripping because it is quite cold and I have adopted the Chinese way of not turning on your heater no matter how cold it gets. I have not yet been brave enough to open my windows for "clean air and for health" quite yet. Although, my kitchen does have a gap between the plastic "window" and the wall and also contains a gaping hole. Then there was the matter of the kitchen door that led to the great outdoors. The door was permantly lodged open about four inches because it held up the large bamboo pole, from which I am to hang my quilts and laundry. I had someone held pull it inside and now the door closes. All in all, things are good.


My cousin and I went on a whirlwind trek through China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia in just 2 and a half weeks. What a fabulous time we had!! We were scammed on the Cambodian border, my backpack was run over by a tuk-tuk and then stolen in the next country, many people asked us to be in their holiday pictures, and our bus drove off without us. We had a blast!! Neither of us got sick (which is more than we can say for any other traveller we met) until we were back in China. My third meal back consisted of a normal broth with noodles but an unidentifiable black and white meat connected to some bones wrapped in what appeared to be a black scaly skin, much like that of a gator. Thus, the gator got me. I am still recovering three days later. We are now back in Hubei province which is known for its spicy foods and now so is my bung hole!






The highlights of the trip would have to be the Petranos Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Angkor temples in Cambodia. The people in both of those countries also brought us much light and entertainment. I know completely why Angelina Jolie adopted a Cambodian child and fell in love with the country. However, my great love lies in Kuala Lumpur. I have never visited a country and/or city and immediately loved it and wanted to live their. It is beyond words for me. The city is SO eclectic and just gorgeous. The landscape and skyscrapers are the perfect backdrop to the most diverse group of people you will ever see. Not to mention, they eat with a fork and spoon simultaneously! This is stark contrast to the Chinese who use chopsticks and insist on chopping everything into tiny little bits. This only allow for minuscule bites of everything, and because eating is one of my favourite things on this planet, I prefer to shove in as much flavour in one bite as possible!


Regardless, I am back in China and have moved into my apartment which is quite dingy at the moment, but I hope to spruce it up a bit and call it comfy soon. This morning I was whisked away to a meeting of all the teachers in my school who had to address in Chinese. That gator tried to get me again I tell you! The rest of the day was full of lesson plans, meeting and greeting students, more meetings entirely in Chinese, gorging myself on duck, pork and beef, cleaning and trying to catch up with all the folks back home to reassure them that I am still alive and back from the SE Asia. Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival so I hope to get some good pic of the festivities but above all I hope to relax before diving into teaching my 17 classes a week!


Perhaps after reading this you are feeling a tiny twinge of empathy? Perhaps not! Either way, the stretching has begun, both of my waistline and of my spirit!