It's almost Xmas in Wuhan and things (celebrations) are hotting up, except for the weather: tomorrow's forecast is for a high of 3 degrees and a low of -3.
Yesterday the Foreign Affairs Office of Hubei Provincial People's Government and Hubei Provincial Foreign Experts Bureau (or FAOHPPG & HPFEB for short!?) put on a "Sound of Spring" Christmas Concert for Foreign Experts. Since I was invited I guess I must be a "Foreign Expert"! The concert was very entertaining: it included a Beijing opera of the Monkey King, classical music, an excellent soprano singer aptly named Song Lu, an ensemble of Chinese instruments, amazing acrobatics and a choir who opened the concert with Jingle Bells and closed with Auld Lang Syme. Why a Spring concert in December and a Spring Festival to follow in January (both held in Winter) is something I still have to fathom out!
The university has planned three concerts of their own in the next 10 days where some teachers have been asked to perform. As the only full-time foreign teacher on campus I am expected to perform!!?? As I cannot sing, dance, play an instrument, nor juggle I'm stuck for ideas! The only thing that's come to mind is to explain and talk in Italian Pidgin English (which I can do) and do a variation of Joe Dolce's "Shuddap You Face" song... not looking forward to it...
Students are lining up to "take me shopping" as apparently there are great bargains to be had, as Xmas approaches. Tomorrow I'll be rugging up to revist Jiang Han Road shopping area with two others students; on Xmas eve my favourite student is taking me to a church to be followed by a midnight-start shopping spree. On Xmas day an Australian teacher is putting on a dinner for a number of Westerners. If I'm still here on January 26th I can witness Chinese New Year celebrations, where I'm told "red envelopes" are customary - fortunately a dollar goes a long way in Wuhan!
Pictured is my favourite student and now good friend (Sharon) who, with the help of her mother's cooking, looked after me when I was not well. As I was later invited for dinner at their place I naturally bought flowers and chocolates for her mother - you should have seen the curious looks we got on the bus as I sat there next to this young lady, carrying this big bunch of roses and lilies. What do you think of us making the cover of MAC HOME magazine?
I'm told that snow in Wuhan is a possibilty... I'll look forward to it. However, another month and I'll be back in sunny Australia...
Until the next report... Regards to all... Renzo
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