Wuhan - Trending Towards Winter

25th November 2008

Emperor Nosey reporting for the last time on EDS email:

It's getting colder and colder in Wuhan: last week a 4 consecutive-day forecast high was 19, 17, 15, 13 - a definite trend and it's not even winter yet! The change in the weather certainly took me by surprise. My preparatory purchases of a heater, electric blanket and a warm jacket came too late, resulting in me coming down with a nasty cough and sore throat followed by a slight fever and a runny nose - with the size of my hooter I'm getting through loads of tissues.

Fortunately, I have some caring ex-students who are looking after me: the occasional cooked meal (with exquisite tastes), taking me to the pharmacist and providing me with their own herbal brew for a quick fix. Not to disappoint any of them I have tried a myriad of concoctions ranging from the very bland to brews a fire-eater would wince at. I hope they don't kill me with kindness. On Saturday one of my favourite students travelled 40 minutes on a bus, carrying her mother's cooked meal, to bring it to me - it's not hard to grow fond of such individuals.

Attached are some photos:

1. An out-of-focus shot of last month's class of 16 students: my main 4 "student carers" being the 3rd to 6th ladies (from the left). Incidentally, who said that Chinese guys are short!?
2. A view from my apartment as I look at the lounge-room window............................... I said 'at', not 'out' (it's my window blind!)
3. True view from my bedroom window, where I can see some greenery and birds chirping. The room has become my study, entertainment (PC) area and dining room as it has a wall heater.
4. Me, in my pajamas, trying on my newly-acquired winter gear.

I'll now stay on until the end of the semester (early January). After 42 years in I.T. (half of those years with EDS) and now that I am free from the shackles of that industry, I'll be weighing up my English-teaching options for next year.

On that note I'd like to thank all those colleagues with whom I have argued, annoyed, laughed with and shown mutual respect. It's been quite a long, tiring, exciting and satisfying expedition of discovery. I'll always be reminded of one of EDS' wall pictures of a couple getting onto a boat on a lake, with a slogan which went something like "It's not the destination that counts - it's the journey" - I hope to continue that journey in a different field (or should I say 'lake').

Good luck to one and all for the future.


Regards... Renzo