Really, I'm fine, thanks for asking...

I don't know if can do another winter up here. It is just awful. Long and very, very cold.
I miss my bloke.
I am really lonely and I miss my friends.
I miss really good food and company.
I would really, really like some bright, warm, sunny days. I know that'll make me feel better.
And some sleep would be nice too please. Uninterrupted. Just one night. Please.
Some certainty would also go a really long way.
As would some Passiona. God, give me Passiona.
...or some Terry's Chocolate Orange.
...or some Blackcurrant Pastilles.
...or a plane ticket home.

We made it back to Aus safe and sound.
Went to the wedding, which was a bloody massive effort, I must say, but was good to see people and H&A happy.
Currently, we're in Wagga Wagga with no internet access, so that's why my online presence is diminished somewhat.

We are heading back to Sydney next Friday and will be there for a couple of weeks, Mr C will be joining us.

About to run out of credit.

Bugger.

Sorry. It's been an awfully long time since I have posted anywhere. Been a bit distracted with the Adventures of LadyP and The Bundle Of Cute.

So here is the conversation I had with The Bundle Of Cute this morning (who is 4 months old now):










I just didn't have the heart to caption these, but it was such a wonderful chat we were having and quite the chicken soup for my soul that was needed.

Today was full of WIN!

Checked my mailbox this morning and there was actually mail in it! I know, it's a shocking thought, when do I ever get mail from anybody except from my Mum? So exciting, turned out to be a whole heap of bills and stuff from Ma In Law and a very lovely Alice In Wonderland & Dodo pendant with a birthday card from Delvino and her boys. What a great way to start the day!

Then I found a new Jenny Lou's over in Sanlitun. Jenny Lou's is an expensive supermarket full of western stuff that one might crave such as double coated Tim-Tams and Brown Brothers Moscato. Also found a fabulous deli where I bought some Roquefort cheese and some Maggie Beers Cabernet Paste! Nom nom nom!

Mei-Mei's been full of smiles lately and they are just the most heartwarming and delicious thing in the world. We had a cuddle in bed this morning, just me and her without Jie-Jie jumping on us. It was so nice.

We had some rain.

There were other Aussies at Jenny Lou's. So nice to hear the accent!

We are having some friends over for dinner on Saturday night.

My Yoga instuctor picked up that I had overpaid and is allowing me to book in for other classes if I want.

Jie-Jie and I did some painting.

I am enjoying my Warcrack character again.

Simply put, it's all good...

Aaaand I'm back.

We have had no internet for a few days. Got it all sorted this morning and in good time, too, what with the needing to escape the media circus taking place on TV in relation to Whacko Jacko's death (oh and Farrah Fawcett, just in case nobody noticed).

So what have I been up to?

Mr C's mum, dad and grandmother stayed with us for a few weeks. I got to play tour guide and we saw some sites - 798 Art district, Lama Temple, flower, pearl, antiques markets, Peking Acrobats, all sorts of stuff. It was fun, though tiring. They have gone back to Oz now and the place is very quiet...

Got me some new specs. They're red (nothing new, really).

Went to a baking class and learned to make decent lemon meringue pie. My first attempt had the lemon filling unsettled and runny, but all the flavours were there. Guess I just have to perfect it now. Poor Mr C...

Organised a walking group to start up next week. There are some cards you can buy with walks around Beijing on them. I figured it would be a good way to see the place, meet some people and maybe get some exercise...

Organised a craft day. I think the aim is to make stuff we can donate to charity, so like scarves and blankets. Should be fun...

Booked Jie-Jie and myself into Yoga classes starting next Friday. Not sure if Pers will co-operate, but she might surprise me.

Met one of the mums from Pers' kindy and we'll be setting up playdates and stuff for the girls.

Went on the expatmamma night out last night. First night off in a very long time. Had loads of laughs, met some lovely women and I think I've found a niche to replace the SCA gap in my life.

Looking ahead:

My Di-di (little brother) is visiting next month, with his chicky, for a couple of weeks.

I am about to book in for some cooking classes. I am a crap cook and it's about time that changed. I'm going to learn how to cook some of the regional cuisine, just for kicks.

We are coming home to Oz for a couple of months at the beginning of October. Will be spending a couple of weeks in Sydney before heading out to Orange and then to Adelaide. I'll teach y'all how to make hand-pulled noodles, k? As was the case last time, I won't have wheels. Come on out to Orange, get some fresh air into those lungs!

To market, to market...

So today, we decided not to head on up to Tian'anmen Square to have a bit of a squiz. Although, from what we understand, we could've, we just would have had a hard time taking photos for all the umbrella action that was happening up there...



We did get some rain today, so I guess their efforts weren't completely in vain...

Instead, we decided to go to Sanyuan Li, the fresh produce (and other stuff) markets as I needed to pick a few things up and it's always a bit of an adventure. So while we were getting ourselves ready and dodging the influx of ayis as is customary on a Thursday morning, Pers managed to get out, call the lift, get in it, go down to the first floor, get through the security doors, past a security guard, through the building, past another security guard, out of the building and off to the park in our complex.

After a few moments of sheer and absolute terror on my part, Nanma managed to find her. And lucky for Pers that Nanma got to her before I did. Just sayin'.

We went to the markets and really, it is one of my happy places here in Beijing, the other being the flower markets. I love it there, it's exciting and colourful and friendly and DIRT CHEAP. We pay maybe a third of what you would pay back home for all our fresh produce, it's astounding. I find the hanging meat a bit confronting and am never game to buy as I don't know what cut I'd be getting, but the fruit and veg are something else and for 1 kuai, I can get a big bag of freshly made noodles to bring home and make into a soup. Damn...

Anyways, here are some pics I have been meaning to take for ages and got around to today:


Stall number 91, where I always go for my veggies
This lady is lovely, she lets me practice my mandarin and is very gentle with her corrections.

I'm afraid I am not so loyal with the fruit as the stalls do vary with what they have available. Today we bought from stall number 20.

We had rather a lovely fruit salad

And then there was the noodle/dumprings/pancake-omelette thing/bread place

We got some noodles and had very yummy pork and noodle soup for dinner

I really must go to that hand-pulled noodle class so I can come home and make noodle soup and teach everybody how to make their own. Can't be that hard, huh?

It was 20 years ago today...

No, we will not be taking the visiting relatives to Tian'anmen Square this week.