tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57034842012-01-21T14:56:00.284+08:00The way to China (and back?) - by ElinaElina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.comBlogger2021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-41884417909340306382006-12-16T10:17:00.000+08:002006-12-16T10:20:37.438+08:00

Have just added lots of pictures in my photo gallery from the Great Wall, Chengde (a town four hours form Beijing and an old imperial summer resort), and 798 (an industrial area turned into hundreds of art galleries here in Beijing).Follow the link on the right...

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-86437964671665621622006-12-16T09:50:00.000+08:002006-12-16T10:08:20.274+08:00

Last Sunday saw the grand debut of the AspireChoir, performing at a very reputable establishment called Lush, in Wudaokou, the university area of Beijing. This amazing musical experience was received well by the cheering audience, and gives great promise for a bright future. Strictly speaking, this magnificent new group already gave some preliminary performances in the hours preceding the concert

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-27972284014665432032006-11-27T21:53:00.000+08:002006-11-27T22:11:31.506+08:00

Stocking up for the winter......sometime means that Grandma has to stay in bed all day, as her means of transportation is put to better use.

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-53357745834324911012006-10-29T11:29:00.000+08:002006-10-29T11:53:47.619+08:00

The way the young, urban Chinese views getting married is quite different from the Western ideas or those of older generations or people in rural areas here in China. I saw a good example of this earlier this week, as one of my Chinese colleagues did not come to work one morning. We we wondering where she was, and got our answer a she walked in a couple of hours later, with a big bag of sweets in

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-5119608956082042862006-10-23T22:05:00.000+08:002006-10-23T22:21:34.816+08:00

There are all sorts of interesting occupations in China, which you would not come across very often in Europe.I have written before about ear cleaners, with their little stools and array of tools, waiting for customers in parks somewhere out there in central China.Now I'd like to share another occupation with you, something that I see every day in our very own building: Lift attendant.Forget the

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-49794590041489177842006-10-12T17:52:00.000+08:002006-10-12T18:17:52.062+08:00

The only thing disturbing the beauty of the old village in Cuandixia, was the tags left behind by two peabrains called Wesley and Joanna. These people had come to visit the village equipped with bottles of spraypaint, and had taken quite a bit of time and effort to make sure that there names where up EVERYWHERE, sometimes in letters almost a metre high.HELLO!?!?So, the old Ming dynasty walls, and

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-54248508847427182012006-10-08T13:57:00.000+08:002006-10-08T14:16:56.654+08:00

Holidaying is almost over and the weather has suddenly turned cold and rainy. I appreciate Nature's effort to make it easier to go back to work.Our holiday culminated in a little trip Cuandixia, a small village still looking a lot like it did back in the Ming-dynasty days. The place somewhat resembles a small mediaval village in Europe, with stone walls and little dark alleys.This place is much

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-13800034158680454652006-10-03T11:05:00.000+08:002006-10-03T11:33:37.415+08:00

Again it's one of those times in the year when the whole population of China goes on holiday at the same time. Only those working in the tourist industry stay at work to count their gold, but the other 1,3 billion people are all fighting for that same seat on the train. Here in Beijing, though, things quiet down in the areas that are usually busy with commuter traffic and people going about their

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-41335709112852703292006-09-23T15:23:00.000+08:002006-09-23T15:29:11.336+08:00

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-54322670002820450562006-09-23T15:16:00.000+08:002006-09-23T15:23:43.665+08:00

My mobility was recently compromised as I unvoluntarily became part of the big bicycle circle of Beijing. Bikes here get constantly stolen, and then they are sold on again, presumably to people whose bike has just been stolen.My bike disappeared from right in front of our building, regardless of our having guards at the gate and security cameras in the bicycle parking area. What maybe annoyed me

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-59235462913402365552006-09-12T21:16:00.000+08:002006-09-12T21:17:07.384+08:00

Oops, just noticed that I never ended up publishing the post I had written about our visit to Tanzhe Temple two weeks ago, as I was having trouble uploading pictures.It's added now below under the date where it belongs.

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1158060343499146122006-09-12T19:11:00.000+08:002006-09-12T19:25:43.513+08:00

After a hectic week at my new job, I finally got to take a breather this past weekend. On Saturday night we headed out to Chaoyang Park in the East of the city to check out an outdoor rock festival, resembling those held throughout Europe in the summertime.And it was lovely, just sitting on the grass, listening to the bands and watching night fall over the city. And the treat at the end was

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1157159324907430792006-09-02T08:25:00.000+08:002006-09-02T09:08:44.936+08:00

On thursday night, we welcomed a long-term visitor to our house. This is how the story goes.A couple of months ago, an abandoned cat was rescued by an American near Yuan Ming Yuan, or "the Old Summer Palace". After being left in the street by someone, the cat had found a small cafe where he stayed and was being fed a little. Still, the owner of the cafe did not want to look better after the cat,

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1157027176768245972006-08-31T20:20:00.000+08:002006-08-31T20:26:16.783+08:00

Yes, well, I was supposed to start the new job on September 15th.Yeah, right.After I went in on monday to sign the contract, I have barely left the office to sleep a few hours at night. Seems like I was sucked straight into the machine.But in a way, though it's been really busy and fairly confusing at times, having been thrown straight into the deep end of legal matters, it's also fun in a way,

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1156736061700673782006-08-28T11:08:00.000+08:002006-08-28T11:34:22.426+08:00

Although living in the 'village' inside the city, it is nice sometimes to get out of the urban area and out into the green of the nature. With this in mind, yesterday morning we took the subway to the westernmost stop at the end of Line 1, and from there took a bus to a temple in the mountains west of Beijing.Though as we arrived, seeing this sign I wasn't quite sure that we had taken the right

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1156506705177418522006-08-25T19:40:00.000+08:002006-08-25T19:51:45.190+08:00

The universe seems to work quite like a Chinese city. You keep looking for something, and you might be looking for a while, but once you find one, you find plenty of other at the same time.In a Chinese city this applies to shops, restaurants and other businesses. You might be trying to find a music shop for hours, and once you find one, you realise that all of the music shops are right here on

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1156236915415348192006-08-22T16:48:00.000+08:002006-08-22T16:55:15.426+08:00

The sunset as seen from our window a couple of days ago.

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1156209427309330832006-08-22T08:54:00.000+08:002006-08-22T16:58:33.756+08:00

When you stay in a country long enough, you start to identify with certain habits and stereotypes. Lists of 'You've been in XXXX for too long, when...' are popular among expats in various countries (here's one about Finland) and China is no exception. Here are a few chosen parts from a longer list about China, most of them I personally identify with, some I just see around so much that they

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1155866126380730762006-08-18T09:28:00.000+08:002006-08-18T09:55:26.396+08:00

Our newest family member, Gattuso, can really be the most adorable, purring loveball at times, looking at me with his pretty eyes and just hoping to be cuddled. At other times, he turns into a mad werekitten, bouncing off the walls and attacking my ankles in crazy leaps with all four legs spread wide looking like the flying squirrels in Finland.And he sleeps in the most uncatlike positions a lot

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1155779347480129552006-08-17T09:41:00.000+08:002006-08-17T09:49:07.493+08:00

One of my new favourite places in Beijing is the fantastic Bookworm. This cafe/bar/library/bookshop is a place where you can have a cup of coffee surrounded by books, but best of all, you get to take the books home!For someone like me who LOVES reading, this place is a true lifesaver, like a breathing hole in a box I was in. Until now, I've been either reading in Chinese (which I quite enjoy, but

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1155351238829479622006-08-12T10:25:00.000+08:002006-08-12T10:53:58.843+08:00

Finally I feel mobile again.After 10 months in 'the mountain city' where motorbikes were the only reasonable two-wheeled option for transportation, I have joined the crowds of bicycle people here in Beijing.The city is great for cycling, it's all flat and there are generous bicycle lanes in most areas. In theory, anyway.Now I am no longer forced to sit in a taxi, stuck in the endless traffic,

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1154662261321036632006-08-04T10:34:00.000+08:002006-08-04T11:31:01.423+08:00

I know that out there somewhere is that busy metropolis of Beijing that people so often think about when this city is talked of. Out there are the skyscrapers and busy subway stations and millions of people stuck in noisy, endless traffic jams.But here, in my little hutong village, it all seems so far away. Of course I visit the world of the busy city at times, to go to work or shopping, but most

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1153820459920036382006-07-25T17:37:00.000+08:002006-07-25T17:40:59.930+08:00

 

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1153821107621234712006-07-25T17:34:00.000+08:002006-07-25T17:59:36.980+08:00

Although I've taken on some regular work, I am still keeping an eye open for odd jobs for both some extra money as well as for something interesting to do.Today, that job was simply being a foreigner. Here in Beijing, that job description can apply for various different situations, from being a doorman with that laowai smile, to advertising to playing in a band and so on and so forth.What I did

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1153745134377783472006-07-24T20:36:00.000+08:002006-07-24T20:45:34.473+08:00

Yesterday our family grew by one little creature, already filling a big place in my heart. I was walking in the hutongs with a friend, when this little guy came over to me, purring and playing with no fear. And as it happened, the house in front was the home to his mother and the family who lived there told me I would be welcome to take the kitten home with me, that they were hoping to find a

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1153121372927992902006-07-17T15:26:00.000+08:002006-07-17T15:29:32.940+08:00

In an effort to cut down pollution caused by increasing traffic, Beijing city council is promoting more environmentally friendly energy sources for public transportation.

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1153037413235019272006-07-16T16:05:00.000+08:002006-07-16T16:10:13.243+08:00

To take advantage of it being sunday, this morning we headed out with a Frommer's guide to Beijing and an intention to follow one of the book's suggested walks that was claimed to show us the 'real' life of Beijingers.As we emerged from the subway, we plunged straight into the little hutong lanes, almost like the ones around where we live --- the only difference is that where we live the alleys

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1152846738589228322006-07-14T11:02:00.000+08:002006-07-14T11:12:18.603+08:00

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1152604108886574942006-07-11T15:38:00.000+08:002006-07-11T15:48:28.926+08:00

House hunting can feel like a job. Appointments all day long, up and down the stairs....until it all turns into a blur, all the living rooms look the same and all the furniture looks just as horrid.But then, if you are lucky, after all those tacky puppy curtains, fake Greek colons, dark, heavy monster furniture, beds that look like they will swallow you up in the middle of the night, there might

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1152237489082898402006-07-07T09:42:00.000+08:002006-07-07T09:58:55.956+08:00

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1152083579254496562006-07-05T14:58:00.000+08:002006-07-05T15:12:59.333+08:00

And here I am, in my new home city --- one that already feels like home. I have been so looking forward to moving here, and it's all going just the way it should be. We are staying in a hostel inside an area of the old alleys (hutongs), some of which still have been preserved even with the demolition boom going strong, and looking for a place to call home. We have decided on looking only in the

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1151473070857908552006-06-28T13:25:00.000+08:002006-06-28T18:46:13.880+08:00

In just two short days, I will be taking my last look from our 18th floor balcony at the town of Beibei below. The ten months of study as a scholarship student are over, and it's time to head out for new adventures again.I am certainly happy I got the chance to come here and to study Chinese, it is definitely a highly valuable investment at this point in my life. The school here was mostly ok,

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1150978521124768672006-06-22T20:03:00.000+08:002006-06-22T20:15:59.736+08:00

Today I added a new word into my Chinese vocabulary: short circuit. This was the result of an explosion, which happened as I switched the light on at home. A puff of smoke, a rain of glass, and no electricity.As I am rather useless with this type of thing (yes, I am blonde), I immediately phoned the man of the house for some instructions as he wasn't at home. But after my playing with the main

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1150776539080292062006-06-20T12:01:00.000+08:002006-06-20T12:08:59.103+08:00

Before I moved to Chongqing, many Chinese people warned me of how unbearably hot it would be here. In reality, I have spent most of my time here being cold to the bone and fearing I may never feel warm again.But here it is finally, the Chongqing summer. The heatwave hit just in time to make me want to avoid exam revision and just sit with a good book in the one room with airconditioning. (Finding

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1150109489981465602006-06-12T18:05:00.000+08:002006-06-12T19:32:48.463+08:00

Living with an Italian, the football frenzy of the World Cup is impossible to avoid. That means that a month-long TV marathon has now begun, making our extremely uncomfortable straight-backed wooden sofa my second home for a bit. Unfortunately, living on a different continent than where the games are organised, the matches are all on in the middle of the night our time. This means I have spent

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149920665636946232006-06-10T14:19:00.000+08:002006-06-10T14:24:25.646+08:00

Today, instead of writing much, I leave you with a picture that I took a couple of months ago in a little guesthouse/restaurant on top of the mountain that we can see from our window. Sorry for the low quality ---- but if you look closely enough you can see the print on the fan. Or on what I thought was a fan...

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149819393478355232006-06-09T10:11:00.000+08:002006-06-09T10:18:59.326+08:00

Yesterday and the day before that are referred to as 'the black days' by Chinese students.No, nothing tragic happened -- it was just time time for the yearly nationwide university entrance exams. This year a record 9.5 million students took part in the fun.The exams are a time of stress not only for the students but possibly even more so for their families. Aftr 12 years of work, now it's the

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149582129115632792006-06-06T16:06:00.000+08:002006-06-06T16:22:09.776+08:00

As I have already mentioned, I have been looking for work in Beijing for a while now, sending out emails and resumes to companies and organisations that look interesting. Although I am not looking for one particular thing, I know what I am NOT looking for and can tell my requirements to potential employers --- and then leave it up to them whether they are willing to give me what I want or not.So,

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149508899550138102006-06-05T19:52:00.000+08:002006-06-05T20:01:39.626+08:00

This afternoon, as I was about to go to class, there was suddenly a LOUD siren sounding from somewhere nearby. It sounded just like the testing of the general alarm that they do every now and then back home, exactly the same signal as well. I thought that must be it and just ignored it.But a few minutes later it still hadn't stopped and the sound was so loud that it pretty much pierced through

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149297896341343682006-06-03T09:18:00.000+08:002006-06-03T09:24:56.350+08:00

In attempt to get my laptop's dvd drive fixed, yesterday we finally made the trip to Chongqing'a 'computer city', an area with massive shops with everything computer related.And out of all of those places, this is where we were referred first to ask about fixing the computer:Needless to say, the name of the place did not give us much confidence in their working methods.And yes, I quickly put the

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149219835370115892006-06-02T11:33:00.000+08:002006-06-02T11:43:55.463+08:00

For those who don't know already, my next move will be in the direction of Beijing. I only have about a month to go on here, and then, hopefully holding yet another red-covered certificate, I'll be leaving student life behind me (once again) for now.And....off to Beijing! 北京For the past couple of months I've been

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149145459201808182006-06-01T15:01:00.000+08:002006-06-01T15:04:19.203+08:00

In the spirit of the latest revival of my blog and inspired by the fact that I can actually SEE my own blog now, I have finally updated the list of links and deleted the links to my old photoalbums that seem to have disappeared to the cyberwaste universe.

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149128080691250122006-06-01T09:55:00.000+08:002006-06-01T14:51:14.933+08:00

Some time ago I posted a picture of a Chongqingese porter carrying his load. In the post I also mentioned how the armies of these porters gather at street corners, waiting for a chance to pick up their bamboo pole and and the bit of rope.But a picture speaks more than a thousand words, eh? So here's a shot I took this morning, on my way to the market for some fruit shopping. So if you need a hand

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1149066330513895852006-05-31T16:41:00.000+08:002006-05-31T17:11:07.640+08:00

This morning's meeting at the busstop decribed the common mood of us foreign students at the moment. I was well aware that the time was getting close to the beginning of the first class of the morning, but somehow I wasn't able to get my butt up from the sofa and finish the cup of coffee I had just made. Then, at a point when I should have already been at school, I managed to pull myself away

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1148983592950742532006-05-30T18:01:00.000+08:002006-05-30T18:06:32.960+08:00

I know that to all the computer savvy people out there I must seem a little slow, but I've only just figured out a way that I can actually access the site of my blog. Yea!As I've mentioned before, I have no problems getting into the site for posting and editing the blog, but cannot open the page of the actual blog on Blogspot.But here's a way around it:http://anonymouse.org/cgi-bin/anon-www.cgi/

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1148981871883674892006-05-30T17:28:00.000+08:002006-05-30T17:37:51.893+08:00

Ugh, I seem to be getting confused with all these different languages fighting for space in my brain. Today at school, I was asked to help the university out with some publicity DVD they are doing, all I needed to do was to say "Southwest University welcomes you" in Finnish, and look foreign.Turned out that the last part was easy, but I got the first bit completely messed up. In the Finnish

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1148714903967547152006-05-27T14:52:00.000+08:002006-05-27T15:34:13.466+08:00

Last weekend, after the sports meet, it was time for another countryside adventure. During our travels around Christmas time, I had met a Chinese girl, Candy, whose home is in Dazu in the Chongqing area. She had been asking me for quite some time to visit the school where she found a new job and finally we agreed on last weekend.So, having otten just a couple of hours of sleep after staying up

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1148375765532877092006-05-23T17:06:00.000+08:002006-05-23T17:18:22.863+08:00

WOOHOOO! :) :)It was fully worth staying up until 6 am our time just to see the gentle monsters rock the stage otherwise filled with cheese, trash and half-naked plastic girls. For once, someone won by showing less skin rather than more ;)

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1148103871979474472006-05-20T13:19:00.000+08:002006-05-20T13:44:32.050+08:00

So, a few days ago someone from the international office walked over to our classrooms once again with one of those A4s, and put it up on the message board. It said: All foreign students are required to participate in the opening ceremony of the University Sports Meet. A couple of days later we were handed over T-shirts the size of a small country, white for girls and yellow for boys, and told to

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1148044391954658692006-05-19T21:03:00.000+08:002006-05-20T13:17:00.200+08:00

After quite a long silence, here's a little virtual wave from Chongqing again. While I have been ignoring the blog, I have been out there in the real world (!!!) holidaying, job hunting and so on. I spent two weeks in Beijing, firstly just having a brilliant holiday and secondly scouting for job opportunities. And brought back some sort of bug as a souvenir, which very efficiently kept me in bed

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1145881057256227662006-04-24T20:17:00.000+08:002006-04-24T20:17:37.266+08:00

Today I had one of those moments when I wished I'd had a camera with me and didn't. Coming back to the university after lunch I found the trees in front of our faculty building dressed with shirts and longjohns... Someone had been doing some washing and figured that the trees provided quite a good place for hanging the clothes to dry. I would have love to have seen them, standing knee-deep in the

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1145021366574159242006-04-14T21:23:00.000+08:002006-04-14T21:29:26.586+08:00

The weather here seems to be having serious identity problems and can't quite make up its mind of what it's supposed to be. From over 30C to below 10C in just a couple of days. The result is that just when you've come to terms with it being warm again and go out in a t-shirt, you are greeted with icy rain. And when you go back in to change into a thick jumper and wintercoat, by the time you come

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1143107467344175982006-03-23T14:27:00.000+08:002006-03-23T17:51:07.396+08:00

People often say that studying a foreign language is also studying a whole other culture. And when it comes to Chinese, this is true much more than with any other language I have ever studied. One reason is the Chinese characters that come from the original pictograms. When you realise where they have come from and the kind of associations they have behind, it gives you a little peak to the life

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1142753441047566192006-03-19T13:21:00.000+08:002006-03-19T15:32:24.486+08:00

Recently I was faced with a situation where the issue of face and my own sanity were at odds.Last term, I managed to sit through hours of lessons, which I found less than useful. My Chinese teacher has a habit of talking through the text of every lesson in the book, which in practise means that he goes through every sentence in the text and explains the background and culture and whatever pops

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1141555004305171902006-03-05T18:25:00.000+08:002006-03-05T18:36:44.376+08:00

As I am newly connected to the outside world again through the very efficient China Telecom internet service, those of you who are using some messenger service, do let me know, it would be nice to talk.You can look me up on MSN Messenger under my email address, or let me know what username you have for any other messenger service.Hope to talk to you soon!

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1141279700402737712006-03-02T13:58:00.000+08:002006-03-02T14:08:20.410+08:00

Today it seems like the sun is shining straight into people's minds and hearts. After many days of cold, rain and mist, of hiding in our little wholes trying not to move too much, the world is again full of light and getting warmer.And it seems to be affecting people. Even a car stopped for me today as I was aiting to cross the street. I was too confused to smile at the driver or thank him, as

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1140934529185725852006-02-26T14:11:00.000+08:002006-02-26T14:15:29.190+08:00

Here's my second try to post this picture, doesn't look like it came up at the first try some days ago.I took this picture while walking to town here in Beibei the other day, and it can give you an idea of the most common way to transport small loads of just about anything. Really, you name it, these men carry everything from furniture to building materials to livestock.The men who do this for

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1140934308776505682006-02-26T14:03:00.000+08:002006-02-26T14:11:48.776+08:00

As I opened my blog page, I only just realised my recent posts haven't made their way trough for some reason. However, I'm back in China and the holiday is almost over, tomorrow I'll head back to the classroom for another term of battling with the tones and stroke orders.Yesterday the whole block near our place was filled with outrageously off-key karaoke singing. The kind that makes your hair

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1138626070886112972006-01-30T20:59:00.000+08:002006-01-30T21:01:10.893+08:00

Hello from Finland this time. Just sending you all a little snow photo from our backyard and wishing all of you a happy year of the dog!More China stories coming up soon... 

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1136636838958456592006-01-07T20:12:00.000+08:002006-01-07T20:27:19.546+08:00

Some things in the daily life here in China remind me how much more social the culture here is, as opposed to the more individualistic approach to life in the West. In Europe, we take it for granted that we take care of our personal affairs ourselves, while in China they can often be turned into social occasions.A couple of weeks ago I went to the hairdresser's here in town. I had to stay for

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1135251766149630242005-12-22T18:41:00.000+08:002005-12-22T19:42:46.203+08:00

The message of commercial Christmas has once again landed here in China. Every shop and restaurant is full of all sorts of Christmas junk, and the staff in the supermarkets are wearing Christmas costumes. People are rushing from shop to shop in a way that very much reminds me of Europe.But despite the materialism, it still brings a feeling of something special, a little festivity to the season :)

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1135147483064495712005-12-21T14:25:00.000+08:002005-12-21T14:46:52.143+08:00

As Christmas and the end of the year are getting closer, things are getting busy. At school, we are beginning to prepare for the exams and everyone's mind is on their holiday plans. I will only have a couple of more days o0f school, after which I will take a week off to have a little holiday with my friends who are coming over alll the way from Finland :) They will bring Christmas with them :)And

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1134104761842162562005-12-09T12:56:00.000+08:002005-12-09T13:06:01.853+08:00

"Sichuan dogs bark at the sun."This is a Chinese proverb that very well describes the climate conditions here. The meaning of it is that as the sun is so rarely seen here (Chongqing was a part of Sichuan until the early 1990s) that when it comes out, the dogs will bark at the strange phenomenon.It's not without reason that ChongQing is called the "Capital of Mist". In practice, the sun is very

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1133933725884392962005-12-07T13:16:00.000+08:002005-12-07T13:35:25.896+08:00

Not much of interest has been goingon in Beibei over the past days. But yesterday there was a little something: for some reason there was no gas available at the stations. And this caused many of the buses and taxis to stop service. The funny past of it was that most of them were parked right next to where we live! We have a gas station next to our building complex, so the queues started forming

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1132974229449584762005-11-26T10:47:00.000+08:002005-11-26T11:03:49.473+08:00

Well, well, the green taxis are back. But I think this is enough about the mysterious transport system in Beibei, otherwise you can see what my blog will quickly turn into. "Now you see 'em, now you don't. Now you see 'em, now you don't..."This week I once again had the opportunity to experience the hospitality of the local health service. A stomach bug found it's way to my system, and after a

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1132044360969523412005-11-15T16:42:00.000+08:002005-11-15T16:46:00.980+08:00

Remember the old taxis that were replaced by the new, green ones overnight? Well, just as quickly as they appeared, they have now disappeared. They are just gone. It's the weirdest thing, as they were all new, and definitely meant for Beibei, with slogans of protecting the towns environment on the rear windows.And now, not one is to be seen. Instead the old white ones are back on the streets.

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1131784887378983472005-11-12T16:18:00.000+08:002005-11-12T16:41:27.440+08:00

Summer, I'm glad you like the blog :) And I'm happy to hear that you have been able to access it here in China. So far, wherever I have tried from, my attempts to reach the site have resulted in an error notice.And, as far as funny names go, I'm sure that you have noticed that us laowais have funny Chinese names, too! (Just look DaShan on telly every day...) For example, yesterday I was hosting a

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1131439795244020122005-11-08T16:38:00.000+08:002005-11-08T16:49:55.300+08:00

No matter how many differences in the definition of politeness, or how many times I get to be the victim of the "hello" joke (which never seems to cease to be amusing), it really is the people that makes me want to stay in this country. The kind of people I meet everyday standing behind the checkout in the shops, handing me oranges from their baskets, stopping to say a few words to me in the

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1130925154863102882005-11-02T17:47:00.000+08:002005-11-02T17:52:34.873+08:00

Something very Chinese happened the other day. As I came out of the supermarket and was looking for a taxi to take me home, I suddenly realised that all the taxis that had until the day before been white, had been replaced by completely new green cars. Overnight, 95% of the many, MANY taxis around had all been replaced. How this was all organised in that time, I have no idea. But somehow it

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1130321481756665722005-10-26T17:46:00.000+08:002005-10-26T18:11:21.830+08:00

The day before as I was standing in front of the cash machine at a local bank, thinking about what I should be buying when I do my shopping afterwards, the machine suddenly stopped cooperating. I pressed all the keys far more times than it was necessart to realise that absolutely nothing was going to happen. At this point, I had already keyed in my pin number and was supposed to choose the amount

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1130145552660711772005-10-24T17:15:00.000+08:002005-10-24T17:19:12.666+08:00

To add to the list of things malfuntioning in our shiny new building, taking the lifts is proving to be a slightly alarming experience. The other morning I was on my way down when the lift suddenly dropped down with half a meter freefall and all the lights started flashing. Luckily, after stopping at a completely wrong floor, it continued down safely.Yesterday, a friend of mine had a more

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1130040334328712042005-10-23T11:45:00.000+08:002005-10-23T12:05:34.360+08:00

Having been so happy to be living in a very nice, new flat here in Beibei, the winter is creeping in and the good appearances are harder to keep up. The temperatures here are currently around 15'C, which could in theory be a nice, warm autumn temperature. But in reality, combined with the everlasting rain and humidity (very much like in England!), it becomes the kind of cold that gets inside our

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1129609529387405422005-10-18T12:14:00.000+08:002005-10-18T12:25:29.393+08:00

Studying in a Chinese university can sometimes be quite different from studying in an European one. When I was a teacher here myself, I got to be on the different side of the divide, now I have to take the same things in from a student's point of view.I remember the times in Baoding when I was asked to be a guest of honour or a jury member in an English speaking competition. Although for the

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1129021235405676462005-10-11T16:42:00.000+08:002005-10-11T17:00:35.446+08:00

Being a vegetarian in China is sometimes adding to the curiosity of being a 'laowai'. Interestingly enough, when I was living in the north, it never really posed any difficulties, there were always plenty of veg dishes around and people usually accepted my choice without further questions.Here in the south, on the other hand, it seems to be a much stranger thing to most people. Many, many times

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1128405980915689462005-10-04T13:55:00.000+08:002005-10-04T14:06:20.920+08:00

Everyone knows the stories about how wrong you can get what you are trying to say in Chinese if you are not careful with your pronunciation. Most of the time, I've had no problems with it but as I was trying to organise some boxes to be sent here from Kunming when I was moving, I had a little trouble trying to make the (already annoyed) lady understand me. The problem was that both 'tree' and '

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1128139935672263232005-10-01T12:10:00.000+08:002005-10-01T12:12:15.680+08:00

It's time to make an attempt to revive this blog. Many people have written to me, asking what has happened to me and the blog, and asked me to keep writing. Thanks for your encouragement :) Here goes!A few months ago I applied for a Chinese government scholarship for studying Chinese for one academic year. And happily, I was one of the four lucky ones from Finland who got the scholarship this

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1117088878097096012005-05-26T14:08:00.000+08:002005-10-24T17:24:17.260+08:00

Now here's a recipe for a completely Chinese experience: take one bicycle and just enough courage to face the outside world in the streets of China and just wait to see what happens.My first bike that I had here in Kunming was a heavy number, pretending to be a mountain bike but probably suited just for rolling down the slopes than ever attempting to go up. Anyway, it served me relatively well

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1115117571724284272005-05-03T18:41:00.000+08:002005-05-03T18:52:51.726+08:00

It's funny how my life here in China has changed since last year. When I was living up in Baoding, I was going through a series of Chinese experiences, sometimes like little explosions of cultural learning. From time to time, little things in my life kept reminding me that I truly was in China.And now, here in Kunming, my life just *is*. Often it feels like it doesn't belong to any particular

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1114158539858878232005-04-22T16:21:00.000+08:002005-04-22T16:28:59.860+08:00

The speed with which Chinese cities keep changing is amazing. Most of the buildings in the centre of Kunming are from the past few years, and virtually nothing of the previous decades, let alone centuries, is visible anymore. Around our school, there have still been a few older 2-storey buildings, made of brick with old style roofs, grass pushing up between the tiles. All in all, very nice

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1114067573955351052005-04-21T15:03:00.000+08:002005-04-21T15:12:53.956+08:00

I'm back once again :)In the little while that I haven't written, I've changed my life here quite a bit. Although I was very much enjoying my Chinese family experience in many ways, I suddenly came to a point where I realised that I longed for my own peace and freedom, and having my own space. so, after stressing about for a couple of days and worrying how the family would take it, I called a

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1112946419778739692005-04-08T15:38:00.000+08:002005-04-08T15:46:59.780+08:00

My brilliant career as an English teacher in China goes on...maybe...one of these days. Over a month ago I got involved in the work of a local HIV/AIDS centre as a volunteer. As a part of my volunteer work, I agreed to teach English to the staff of the local HIV/AIDS hospital once a week. So I went to visit the hospital, had dinner once with the doctor who is the contact person at that end and

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1111993004637341132005-03-28T14:44:00.000+08:002005-03-28T14:56:44.636+08:00

Time flies when you're having fun, eh... :) My life here in Kunming has now pretty much settled into an everyday rhythm, mostly between my home and the campus and its surroundings. Every morning around 7:30 I jump on my bike (grief of griefs, with another part going *kabloinck* every couple of days) and weave my way through the morning traffic for 25 minutes. Then, a quick breakfast on the little

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1110720615300843312005-03-13T20:38:00.000+08:002005-03-13T21:30:15.303+08:00

Finally I've put some photos on the net, from my holidays in Finland, travels in Yunnan and life in Kunming. Take a look :) http://members.imagehost.biz/ims/album.php?u_id=214749GYX

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1110354591878262782005-03-09T15:22:00.001+08:002005-03-09T15:49:51.880+08:00

Some time ago the mum of my Chinese family left home for a couple of days to 'study'. I was curious as to what did she have to study (she works in the provinvial tax bureau) and I was told that every now and then, employees from each work unit have to study socialist philosophy and especially the heroic deeds and important teachings of important Chinese communists. So, each year the themes change

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1110354118614387992005-03-09T15:22:00.000+08:002005-03-09T15:41:58.616+08:00

Some time ago the mum of my Chinese family left home for a couple of days to 'study'. I was curious as to what did she have to study (she works in the provinvial tax bureau) and I was told that every now and then, employees from each work unit have to study socialist philosophy and especially the heroic deeds and important teachings of important Chinese communists. So, each year the themes change

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1109991505308109292005-03-05T10:58:00.000+08:002005-03-05T10:58:25.310+08:00

As we were learning how to say 'the four seasons in Kunming are all like spring' in class, the temperature outside was dropping fast. And this morning, close to zero degrees, we were wiping snow off the wiondscreen of the car. And as there is usually no heating, there is no way to really escape the cold. Moreover, because of the rain and the humidity it goes straight to your bones. Brrrr. So I

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1109486279380781332005-02-27T14:26:00.000+08:002005-02-27T14:37:59.383+08:00

According to the Chinese calendar and horoscope, every 12 years each of us is faced with a year of his/her own animal. I used to think (assume) that this would be a good thing, being a horse it sure would be nice if it was the year of the horse. My year! Everything would go my way!But no, as I have been informed, the year of your own animal is actually everything but smooth sailing. This is a

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1109320001595546932005-02-25T16:09:00.000+08:002005-02-25T16:26:41.596+08:00

Ahhh, Kunming!!The city of flowers and sunshine...dum-di-dum...Or so goes the eternal chant of the tourism office. But, believe or not, for once it's all true!Kunming is called the 'spring city' of China, as all year round the weather is like in the spring. And the 'city of flowers', for obvious reasons. Despite being a big Chinese city with all the usual ugly buildings covered in bathroom-like

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1108791501291226462005-02-19T13:22:00.000+08:002005-02-19T13:38:21.293+08:00

The day before yesterday I had a little bit of a face-loosing moment at home with the dad of the family. I had asked Yin Jia about how much I should pay them every month for staying there and she told me her mum had suggested 600 yuan (60 euro), which i thought was great, seeing that it includes absolutely everything, not least the great food every day :) And being able to live with the family,

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1108179732549923252005-02-12T11:30:00.000+08:002005-02-12T11:42:12.550+08:00

Happy new year to everyone! The monkey has gone and the rooster has entered :)And my new Chinese family life is going well, in the whirpool of cousins, aunts, uncles, grandmas and countless others who even my 'sister' can't always name. It has been a wonderful few days, being drawn into the noisy, lively family celebration, going out to see places around Kunming, playing tennis, eating together,

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1107767664937119352005-02-07T16:30:00.000+08:002005-02-07T17:14:24.936+08:00

Yesterday I moved into my new home, in the north of the Kunming city. The area itself is not particularly nice, and a stuffy 30-minute busride away from the central places. Old concrete buildings and dusty streets. But the building where I'm staying is a fairly fancy one, and the flat is probably the biggest I have seen so far in China. My room, on the other hand, is a tiny little box with just

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1107574050537079702005-02-05T11:26:00.000+08:002005-02-05T11:27:30.536+08:00

Just a test post to see if this works.

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1107573728735223872005-02-05T11:22:00.000+08:002005-02-05T11:22:08.736+08:00

Nihao everyone!Here is the grand launch of the Stage II of the Chinese blog. After a luverly European holiday, I am back in the land of 'HHHeeaallos', stares, spit and endless attempts to rip off the laowai. China! :)This time, i move away from my glorious career as an educator of the masses, and get back to the other side of the classroom myself. Here in my new home city, Kunming, I have already

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1103030358655817722004-12-14T21:17:00.000+08:002004-12-14T21:19:18.656+08:00

Oops, I promised you a little more than I can deliver... There is no 'register for update emails' function on the site, after all, I remembered wrong. (Thank you Nori for pointing it out!) If you still want the updates, let me know by email and I can register your email address on the blog edit site. Otherwise, "watch this space"!

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1102942833841288392004-12-13T20:33:00.000+08:002004-12-13T21:00:33.843+08:00

It's another world, covered in a sheet of whiteness, from the ground all the way up to the top of the sky. After more than a year in China, I got on a plane and the next day, I woke up at the bus station of my home town in Finland. How confusing can the speed of travel be, when you mind is never fast enough to catch up with it. And yet, it feels like i never left at all. Being here now, I will

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1101457867019972022004-11-26T16:31:00.000+08:002004-11-26T16:31:07.020+08:00

wow, it's been more than difficult trying to update my blog, don't know if it's the big brother kindly watching over us or what...But here I am still, on the beautiful island of Hainan, home of Miss World (for the second year in a row ???). And here I am, despite the fact that I was supposed to be on a bus on my way to Hong Kong right now. But the gods of weather have decided otherwise, raising

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1100863464669477762004-11-19T19:24:00.000+08:002004-11-19T19:24:24.670+08:00

wow, it's been a while again since i have added anything to the blog. The biggest reason is probably the fact that although the past couple of weeks have been great for me, there maybe isn't anything that interesting to write about for the rest of you. Not a lot of cultural observations or such, just travelling and relaxing.I spent a week in a place called YangShuo in GuangXi province, which is a

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1099812033414065522004-11-07T15:20:00.000+08:002004-11-07T15:20:33.416+08:00

What is it about Chinese men that makes them snoooooore so much? Or men in general? Or people?And why oh why do I always find myself having a bed right next to/over/below such a person?Travelling on Chinese trains and sharing dorm rooms in hostels has thought me the importance of something: earplugs! Which, infortunately, seems to be an item that is not for sale anywhere in this wonderful country

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1099390680475315012004-11-02T18:18:00.000+08:002004-11-02T18:18:00.476+08:00

Just added a whole bunch of new pictures from our adventures in Kanding and Tagong on the new picture website.Go look at them now!!-- _______________________________________________Find what you are looking for with the Lycos Yellow Pageshttp://r.lycos.com/r/yp_emailfooter/http://yellowpages.lycos.com/default.asp?SRC=lycos10

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703484.post-1098971536848489002004-10-28T21:52:00.000+08:002004-10-28T21:52:16.846+08:00

An early morning bus left the station in Kanding and started its climb up the mountains. By the time the sun was rising, we were surrounded by the most amazing scenery of snowy mountains. And in a little while, as we climbed higher and higher, we passed the line of snow ourselves and were travelling through winter wonderland. Majestetic, beautiful - but very very cold when you are travelling on a

Elina & Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09478619569789080437noreply@blogger.com0