I did it! I climbed The Great Wall (Chángchéng) and what a feat of endurance it turned out to be. I have also climbed the main mast of the HMAS Leeuwin when it was anchored in the ...

My life and experiences in China have been focused on Daqing and the Heilongjiang province mainly, and the differences that exist here and in cities like Beijing and Shanghai to name just 2 is like ...

I think we all love fireworks. There’s an old song that goes: “Skyrockets at night, afternoon delight…..” If there was mention of a fireworks display somewhere near me for ...

Well another term of school is about to start as the long summer holiday comes to a close. I’m not sure what the kids have been doing because as opposed to the holidays back home where you ...

Disembarkartion at Beijing.Train stations were constructed before suitcases with trolley wheels were invented so that annoying journey from the arrival platform to the outside of the Beijing ...

Another train trip and another adventure but this time a summer journey so preparation and watching the locals has a different flavour….and smell. I booked my journey from Daqing to Harbin ...

I have one class left to go before the summer break and I must admit I haven’t really enjoyed teaching these two classes every day for 12 days. Without a word of a lie the summer English ...

The weather has been real Aussie BBQ type days although the humidity is not to my liking. In winter the weather can best be described as dry, humidity wise, so you don’t get that sweaty body ...

I will tell you about the last lesson of Happy English I taught a year ago to a group of students aged from 9 to 11. The subject was ‘Sport’ and I was tempted to load up an Australian ...

I had a haircut today and, well, I am intrigued at the number of hairdressers that exist in this city. I don’t dare call them “barbers” which is an expression unfamiliar to ...

The end of the Spring term is almost here with my smaller children classes winding up this week. They call them Shentong classes which are basic English lessons aimed at 4 – 6 year olds who ...

Last Monday we completed the 7th Annual Foreigner Olympics in Daqing and as it was a long, hot day it all ended as expected with a few cold beers and an exceedingly sore body over the next few ...

Yesterday, June 12th, we celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu) which these days gives us 3 public holidays in China. The usual rule applies though, you get Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday off ...

Summer is starting to break through here with arrival of mosquitoes, late but inevitable, and that questionable habit by Chinese men of shirts rolled up to just below the armpits to expose belly ...

The watermelons have got me wondering again. So this week it’s been watermelons, whipper snippers and wondering why all the front teeth of Chinese people are chipped? During the week I got ...

It’s Children’s Day on Saturday, June 1st, and I have now done performances with kids 2 years in a row. Last year, if you remember, I had a choir class with whom I practiced for 5 ...

Last Monday I took two of my fellow teachers, 2 sisters from Georgia, USA, and my Chinese assistant to a nice restaurant for lunch. And the name of the restaurant? Australia!! Ever since I moved to ...

The central town square / park they have here across the road from my apartment block is the gathering place for the local community. At this town square there is a large upraised, concreted, ...

In addition to my English classes I was asked to start a local choir probably because I play the guitar. Initially I thought this would be a good idea and when the kids were given the option of ...

Just the other day I was reading an article in a Chinese paper online about doctors and the medical system here in China. My interest had unfortunately been brought about my catching the local ...