I am so over China

In retrospect, I think it's the hoiking that has got to me. Last night, sitting in a really nice Italian restaurant in Nanjing, while about to deposit some delicious risotto into my mouth, some Chinese guy at the table next to ours hoiked loudly and then spat his globules of mucousy phlegm into the ashtray on his table. And this happened, not just the once, but three times during the meal. Each time just as I was about to put food into my mouth. I ask you, is this normal in any culture? To sit in a smart restaurant and hoik and spit into the ashtray when people are trying to eat? The sound effects alone of the hoiking are enough to put anyone off. I am so over China and am on a countdown until I leave!

Chines New Year and life goes on...

As I'm currently on a save money and not spend a cent drive, I decided not to go away for Chinese New Year, especially as we had a weekend in sub-zero temperatures in Harbin just before. Actually, in my three years in China, we've never travelled Chinese New Year. This year wasn't quite as noisy as others, but there were still times when all the fireworks going off at some godforsaken hour made you feel as if you were caught up in a war zone somewhere in the Middle East. Staying home proved to be a wise choice and the week holiday soon flew past in the midst of parties, dinners and scrabble playing days. This week was followed with an inset week at school, as my son so sweetly refers to as 'Incest' week. More technology, God, when is it all going to stop!
But, it also flew by so quickly and now it's just back to the normal same-old, same-old. Work, work, work and the occasionally time out to play.
Our summer holiday plans have changed since I got the job in Tanzania starting in August. Hence the decision to work very carefully with finances, as I have to pay in extra for shipping, Tony's Hotel School costs, and Kerri's Great Marathon run trip. I suppose all good causes.
Haven't been too inclined to make sausages of late - too cold and the bloody beef kept getting jammed up in my sausage filler, making me frustrated as hell. Oh well! But, I have already organised my shipper and have managed to sell off some of my stuff to try and cut down on the shipping costs. The school only gives a certain amount which doesn't cover all of it, and I'm keepin the Tanzanian school's shipping to airfreight some of my stuff from Cape Town.
The highlight of the last while has been the 99 Red Balloons Party where we celebrated two staff members birthdays - their combined birthdays added up to 99! A lifetime memory-making moment was when a group of us stood on the upstairs balcony and slowly threw out 99 red balloons down into the lounge area below where the birthday babies were waiting.
Definitely time to go out on the town tonight. I must say, the last few months in China I'm becoming increasingly agoraphobic, having no inclination to go out and be pushed and shoved and narrowly missed by people hoiking up huge globules of mucous and spit.
Catchya later! And check out my new website where you can buy my books as ebooks online! www.cindyvine.com