Phase 3 Begins...

….well began! You know you have been slack on the blogging when you read the last one and it seems like a lifetime ago! So again, after much pestering from the loved ones and my extreme slackness in keeping every one up to date (well I blame china for it's unnecessary restrictions on facebook), here is the latest chapter of the HJ epic novel!

So yes, phase 3! Phase 3 sees me being officially unemployed, burdened down with a backpack, some text books and a few guide books to see my way around China for a month (only 2.5 weeks left), Dubai for a month (uni placement), India for 2 months, Thailand for 2 weeks and Cambodia for 6 = no employment, fancy free travelling, studying and volunteering!

Leaving Cangzhou was hard! Bloody hard! The last two weeks consisted on my 25th birthday and my departure which resulted in many laughs, many tears and many random Chinese trinkets and gifts..all of which will go nicely in my future internationally themed house when I decide to take root somewhere in the world! At first I was a little sad to spend my birthday alone in China, but then I realised I was turning 25 in China and life was good….so I counted up my blessings and made the day full of fun with lots of party games, complete with pass the parcel - a personal favourite, cake galore and big smiles on the kids faces! It was great! And with all the love I received from home it left me in a very happy place! So a shout out to all those who thought of me! It made my first birthday away from everyone all the more easy!

The week of my departure called for many many tears from me, the kids, my TA's and my boss! The kids were so sweet. I got lots of goodbye drawings and presents and the parents of my fav class (yes, I do have a fav) made homemade dumplings and gave me a big, wonderful send off! It even made the Cangzhou news can you believe!

The same week I welcomed the new teachers to the school and after a couple of 'get to know you's' - I was content to leave my kids in the hands of Eddy. She is a lovely girl from England and I know the kids will be happy! Since then I saw photos of my kids graduating a level and I wasn't there to be the proud teacher who brought them from speaking no English at all to be able to introduce themselves. It was a sad moment…boy I really am a giant marshmellow! But on to different and exciting things for now. Chelsea, my friend from California who I met in Prague, also arrived just after I left to add to the school staff so I think everyone is in good hands!

I had to leave China again for Visa reasons, so for the 3rd time in 3 months I made my way to HK! This time I layed low and pretty much set up shop in starbucks next door! I caught up on some uni and reading and drank copious amounts of coffee and English breakfast tea! My other indulgences, while out of the borders of China included CHEESE, SUSHI and SALT N VINEGAR CHIPS! Yummmmm!! The creature comforts you miss while in a foreign country!!

First stop on the China 1 month runaround……

SANYA, HAINAN ISLAND

The cute and tropical little island  tucked under the protective wing of China, or really just the ass end of it is Hainan. The beautiful beaches (yes, actually beautiful) and the vacation vibe make for the holiday destination of choice for most Chinese with a few spare RMB and unfortunately for the Russians also! Yep, the Island is overrun with Russians…everything is written in Russian (usually before Chinese) and none of the Chinese really speak English, only Russian! And unfortunately for me, to the uneducated eye - I apparently look Russian - even to the Russians! Get my drift? So not only was my four days there spent deciphering between Russian and Chinese babble but I was hit on repeatedly by Russian men! Fun! They're a bunch of charmers alright! NOT!

Sanya was great - nice and relaxing…just what I needed as the start to Phase 3. I could pretty much sum it up as sand, surf, sun and seafood. And I made sure I got it all in vast quantities…as proof from my extreme tan line that I am now sporting! It was low season so it was definitely quiet on the foreigner front but I did manage to meet one great Aussie couple and we spent some time hanging, I also managed to score the attention of a Chinese guy staying in my dorm…his English was limited but his enthusiasm abundant. Every chance he got to make conversation with me he did and every chance he got to tell me I was beautiful he did! It was very entertaining.  But apart from that I pretty much flew solo and had a great time navigating Sanya and the beaches!!

Second stop on the China 1 month runaround……

HANGZHOU

Hangzhou for the second time was a necessity as my gorgeous and very good friend Marth from the States was leaving China that week and I had to have a chance to hang one last time and say goodbye! I have no doubt in my mind we will find another country and another continent to hang out in! But for now I had to say goodbye! We had a fantastic few days spending nights out with her friends and the days recovering on James' couch, in coffee shops, shopping malls and day spas - hitting up restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It's what we do best! It was so great! There is never a break in our banter, we always have something to talk about, laugh about, reminisce about! It has been a very quick forming friendship that I am sure will continue for a long time yet! Saying goodbye was tough but we decided to make it more a "see you later" - unbeknownst to us, we would run into each other in Shanghai a couple of days later! 

Most memorable moment?? Walking down the street at six in the morning on my way home rapping Gangster's paradise to myself and the Chinese street cleaners who were emerging for the day - thinking I was following Marth and James. Turns out they were no where to be seen and I had no clue where I was! Survival instincts led me to the safety of James' house…thank goodness for my limited taxi chinese directions.

Third stop on the China 1 month runaround…..

SHANGHAI

Well my intention was to see Shanghai in three days, however I ended up just seeing the inside of my hostel and the view from the rooftop bar! That was the extent of my time in Shanghai! Although from the cab ride in from the airport train station, my limited exposure to the city, the stories of others and the general vibe…I concluded it is a place I need to go back to explore properly and thoroughly! From the hostel we had a great view of the bund and this is where I set up camp for three days doing assignments for uni. Oh, except for one day when I helped my dorm mate, this rad Danish girl, cart 25 kgs of shoes and clothes to the post office so she could post it home….I then proceeded to accompany her to buy MORE shoes! Oh Lord!! Haha! We spent the rest of the day navigating the Shanghai train station to try and find her a train ticket to HK. This was not an easy feat, but never is in China.  She was great fun though and together we planned a United States roadtrip. Haha! She also introduced me to Lars, a middle aged German, American/English sounding gay man who was a barrel of laughs and good entertainment for when I felt the need to take a break from my study! So not much to say about Shanghai!

Although in the weirdest coincidence of events I was sitting on the last afternoon in Shanghai when Martha came into my thoughts for some reason. Possibly cause I got a huge waft of her perfume, I could feel someone staring at me and sure enough I turn my head and there she is! Again! So despite our myriad of goodbyes, text msg's, letters! We got another opportunity to hang - if only for a little while.

Unfortunately it was a sad time also as on arrival in Shanghai I heard the sad news via email that my friend's 26 yr old husband of 6 months passed away from a football collision. He had been on life support for 3 weeks and finally let go. It was a real smack in the face of the reality of how precious and precarious life is. My thoughts and prayers are with Jess (Ando), and Mr and Mrs Anderson and Cara! She has been so strong and her faith never wavering! But my mum reminded my of how robust life can be too and to keep embracing life and loving people and you can't go too far wrong!

Fourth Stop on the China 1 month runaround….

CHONGQING

Off to see Kasey…my first roommate when I lived in Cangzhou..

Another must do stop on the agenda. Chongqing is a huge city of 10 million people in the centre of China and home of the spiciest hot pot on the planet! Oh my! My body hates me right now.  Hot pot is pretty much a giant bowl of chilli oil that you cook meat and vegetables in - however when your sweating, crying, your lips are burning, tingling and quivering I am not sure if it's a meal of form of self-mutilation. Anyhow, delicious it is and I will keep going back for more. Chongqing is yet another GIANT chinese city and by this point I was kinda getting over the mega cities that remind me so much of their attempts at civilisation but no quite so. So Kase took us out to the Ancient Village here in Chongqing…a small bus ride away and you feel like you are in another world. Once you walk far enough away from the markets and hustle and bustle and up a few stair cases, you find yourself in a kind of village with small stone houses, small community rooms serving as the local checkers and cards room. It was quaint and tranquil and far enough removed that you could hear one horn being blown from a passing car. Respite from China. There was a good view of the river from one of the lookouts and a guy who was optimistically attempting to swim with floaties and flippers across it somehow. Keeping in mind the Chinese generally don't know how to swim, I was tempted to watch the news that night and listen for a tragedy or success story. The village was definitely a highlight, complete with chickens clucking away and later ones that had just been clucking and were no longer! Whoops! There were many a culinary delight but unfortunately we had eaten some Chinese deliciousness a little while before our trip so couldn't sample the offerings entirely.

The rest of the time has been spent at massages, drinks at various places, an attempt at poker night which I piked on very quickly, starbucks (my retreat from China) eating amazing Chongqing food (mainly fiery hot pot), meeting Kasey's friends, uni (which I am surprisingly managing - thank goodness) and planning our trip to Chengdu which we leave for tomorrow! It really is a hard life! Haha!  It is national day in China on Monday so the craziness will be quadrupled while travelling this time!  So stay tuned for part 2 of the China one month runaround…Chengdu and Kunming!

Love to you all!

Miss you all so much!

HJ xx