Christmas holidays 2023.

First stop was Luoyan, 500 miles from Shanghai and over 5 hours on the high speed train. This was the ancient capital during the Tang dynasty and where the infamous Wu ZeTian (for whom I get my Chinese name) ruled.

We traveled 1st class which was very comfortable and still cheaper than going from Lancaster to London by cattle class!

First stop was Wu Zetian’s office and splendid it was too

Chinese Emperors use the Dragon as their symbol, the dragon being the most powerful animal. You see dragons all over the Forbidden City or older Royal palaces but dragons are male and so for an Empress the symbol used is the Phoenix. Luoyan is the only place where you will see this as Wu ZeTian was the only female ruler in the whole of Chinese history.

I am named for Wu ZeTian because she was a strong woman and good at Taiji not for her other attributes, that of killing all her husbands and children to stay in power! (Kevin is relieved)

Empress ZeTian wanted longevity and so she slept with younger men. Allegedly she had a different one each night and if they didn’t please her she had them killed! She had so many male concubines that she even set up an office to manage them. Two of her favorites were the Zhang brothers who apparently also committed lots of crimes. Born in 624 AD Wu ZeTian died in 705 aged of 81 in an era when most people died early, so ladies maybe there is something in her method!

Wu ZeTian was known for her exceptional intelligence and her shrewd political acumen. She has become one of China’s greatest leaders due to her strong governance which made China one of the most powerful nations in the world at that time.

We also visited a gallery of Wu ZeTian’s fashion as she was quite influential on the styles of the day. During her reign she promoted both Buddhism & Taoism in what became a period of open mindedness. Consequently her fashions also reflect this philosophy.

In the Longmen grotto there is a giant Buddha which bears the face of Wu ZeTian

Honestly someone should write a mini series about her for the BBC

During the rise of Communism Chiang Kai-Shek, leader of the Nationalist Party in China fled to Taiwan. We have been to the Forbidden City and seen the empty buildings, stripped of their contents. We have done a historical walk in Shanghai and been shown the place where all the treasures were stored. Now we are here at the National Palace Museum to see the treasure itself.

There is so much that was removed from mainland China to Taiwan that only about 1% of the collection is on display at any time. Nevertheless there was much to see.

Although it was relatively easy for us to travel here this is not the case for our Chinese friends. They have to get a special visa which is possible to obtain but apparently only a limited number are issued each year. There are people in China who would dearly love to see this part of their heritage but who can’t.

The weather today was weird. From the look of this photo it was beautifully sunny and whilst it was warm and bright it was at the same time, rather strangely, spitting with rain!

Once inside the (dry) building we spent several hours viewing the artifacts. There were so very many beautiful things. Here are just a few to give you a sample.

But my favorite piece was this.

Exquisitely crafted from the natural colors of jade it looks so lifelike. There is even a locust carved on it which symbolizes fertility.

All this and more was brought here. Just imagine what the Forbidden City would be like if these were in situ! And allegedly several thousand boxes went ‘missing’ in transit!

I love the simple elegance and shape of this Chinese design

Apologies for the photo dump. We thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I wanted the audio tour but the queue to get it was too long! It’s a popular place.

Finally we met up with Ginny who we haven’t seen in ages and who lives round the corner from us in Shanghai but happened to be home this weekend too. Seeing her was a treat as she took us for dinner in Tamsui, a port part that we wouldn’t have thought to visit but was very lively

Thankfully working in an American school means that we got Friday off to celebrate Thanksgiving and so Kevin and I made the most of the long weekend with a little jaunt over to Taiwan. It is only a two hour flight so this made a nice break.

What is Taipei like? Well, much like China in many respects but with subtle differences. They speak Mandarin here (but use traditional characters). There are many more foreign brand shops available and LGBTQ+ areas. You can also easily access the internet. Goodbye VPN – I can’t tell you how liberating that is! And uploading this blog is SO much faster.

After the gleaming skyscrapers of Shanghai, Taipei felt a little as though it hasn’t had much money spent on it. Maybe that was the district we were staying in. For some strange reason Kevin really struggled to get us a hotel and there was only one free room in the whole city this weekend. This was in a budget hotel which was good for the wallet but reminded us of a 1960s Blackpool guesthouse with wallpaper everywhere and cheap fittings. The bed was comfortable though which was the main thing.

The atmosphere in Taipei is more relaxed than in China with many more night markets touting delicious smelling. street food (except for the stinky tofu stalls – enough said). China closed many of theirs down worried about illegal trading but lost much of the ambiance which these night markets bring.

Perhaps Taipei should be compared more to a provincial city which doesn’t attract masses of funding than the Tier 1 cities of Beijing and Shanghai. China has a whole army of street sweepers who keep the streets at home extremely clean so that was a noticeable difference.

Unlike in mainland China, here in Taipei you see homeless living on the streets and walls with much graffiti. We are so used to seeing this in other countries that it made me realize that I haven’t seen ANY in Shanghai at all. One of the advantages of living in a communist country I guess.

Taipei has a new craze: Gachapons

These are Japanese style vending machines where you get a mystery toy. They are hugely popular and are on every street corner!

Also popular were these mini KTV booths in the metro stations. We saw several people using them. Karaoke is a staple entertainment in Asia but they are usually in big halls. These were the first micro booths I have seen

And finally we paid a visit to Taipei 101 which was sparkling very festively.

The Trinity Congregation of Shanghai made a substantial donation to Heart to Heart, a charitable organization based in the city to sponsor 6 children to have much needed Heart surgery. Here are their stories:

(note: the families have all given permission for their stories to be told and their photographs used)

Wu Shiyu is a 3 year old girl. She was diagnosed with congenital heart disease when she was six months old. The doctors advised her family that she needed heart surgery, but being a low income family they did not have the savings or the ability to borrow money to pay the surgery costs.

Wu Shiyu lives with her family (grandparents, parents and a 2 year old sister) in rural Guizhou province in a wooden home they built themselves. Both grandparents are old and require medication. The mother takes care of the elderly and children. They usually make an annual income of around RMB 25,000 from farming their 4 mu of land on which the father grows chilli peppers. They have a RMB 50,000 debt, which is money that they borrowed from the bank to cover the costs of renting their farm land. The money they make is spent on general living expenses and repaying their loan. They have had no ability to pay for Wu Shiyu’s heart surgery.

Our donation enabled her to have heart surgery on October 17.

Tian Xiaorong is a 9 year old girl from Guizhou province. When she was 4 years old, she was diagnosed with congenital heart problems. Her parents were told that she needed heart surgery, but they weren’t able to raise the money.

There are 9 members in Tian Xiaorong’s Tujia minority family – the grandmother, the parents, four brothers (ages 20,19,17,15), one 13 year old sister and Tian Xiaorong. The father works part-time on a local construction site and the mother works in a local factory. Between them they make an annual income of RMB 35,000. All six children are currently in school. The eldest son is attending college, their oldest daughter is attending vocational school and the others are attending middle and primary schools. Their tuition and living expenses are a significant expense to the family. They rent a house in the county town for RMB400/month so the children can go to school. It was not possible for them to raise or borrow enough money for the surgery that Tian Xiaorong needed.

Our donation enabled her to have her surgery on October 18.

Zhang Xinyi is a 7 year old girl from Guizhou province. Two days after her birth, she had jaundice. Her parents took her for a medical exam during which she was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. They have never been able to save enough to provide the heart surgery that was advised.

Zhang Xinyi lives with her grandparents, parents and a 5 year old brother in a self-built home in rural Guizhou province. The family is a mixed Tujia and Miao minority family. The grandmother has lung cancer and needs chemotherapy. The mother takes care of the elderly and the children. The father made the family’s only income of around RMB 25,000/year by working part-time at a construction site in Zhenjiang province. He isn’t working at the moment, however, since he returned home due to Zhang Xinyi’s need for surgery. To cover medical expenses for the grandmother, the family previously borrowed RMB 100,000 and are trying to repay this debt. They were not able to get another loan to pay for Zhang Xinyi’s heart surgery.

She had her heart surgery on October 17 because of our donation.

Cao Shuling is a 2 year old girl from Guizhou province. She was diagnosed with the congenital heart diseases VSD and ASD at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University just one month after birth. The family was told that she would need heart surgery in the relatively near future to prevent serious consequences. They have not been able to afford it.

Cao Shuling comes from a family of 6 – grandmother, parents, 2 aunts and herself. Both her parents are migrant workers living in Zhejiang Province. They make a combined annual income of RMB 35,000. They rent a house for RMB 4,500/year so Cao Shuling can live with them. They financially support the two aunts who are both studying in college and the grandmother, who lives in their hometown in Guizhou. All the parents’ earnings are spent on general living costs and support. They were unable to save enough money or get a loan to pay for the heart surgery that Cao Shuling needed.

She had the heart surgery that she needed on October 16.

Li Songlin is a 6 year old boy from Guizhou province. Recently, Li Songlin had a persistent cold and fever. He was taken to the local county hospital and diagnosed with congenital heart disease. He also has a chest wall deformity and a congenital hand disability. The doctors told the family that he needed heart surgery, but they couldn’t afford it.

Li Songlin lives with his mother, grandmother and a 5 year old brother in a self-built house in rural Guizhou province. They are of the Gelao minority. The mother takes care of the grandmother and children. The father is a migrant construction worker and earns the family’s only income of around RMB 20,000 annually. He lives a frugal lifestyle, spends very little and sends most of his money home to support the family. The family borrowed RMB 50,000 to help them pay medical costs mainly for an elderly grandfather who has now passed away. With such a low annual income it is difficult for the family to pay off their loan. They also weren’t able to get a loan for the heart surgery that Li Songlin needed.

We provided him with heart surgery on October 17.

Wang Chengbo is a 4 year old boy from Guizhou province. When he was first born, his family took him to the local county maternal and child health center because he had an irregular heartbeat. He was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. At the same time, it was discovered he had only one kidney. Since his family was unable to pay for the heart surgery he needed, the problems have delayed his development.

Wang Chengbo lives with his Miao minority family of 5 – grandparents, parents and himself – in a self-built wooden house in rural Guizhou province. His grandparents help with household chores and do some farming to help feed the family. The mother takes care of the family. The father works part-time on a construction site in Fujian province making an annual income of around RMB 25,000. Both his work and his income are unstable. He currently lives on the construction site. He sends as much money as he can home to the family. They were unable to get a loan to pay for the heart surgery Wang Chengbo needed.

He was able to have his surgery on October 18.

The Trinity Board was offered an opportunity to visit the children in hospital but by the time we were able to make the arrangements only this last little chappie Wang Chengbo was still here. Nevertheless, Ai Lin and I made the long journey down Line 9 to the Shanghai Yida Hospital in the QingPu district to visit him. It was a very modern hospital and we were greatly impressed with the facilities.

We brought gifts of fresh fruit and a winter jacket for Chengbo but as it turned in out he wasnt all that impressed to see us as he was removed from the middle of a Halloween party which Heart to Heart and volunteers were putting on for all the children in the play room! He reluctantly agreed to stand with us for a photo before dashing off to the far more exciting face painting and other spooky activities. It was interesting to see the large numbers of Tibetan children that the hospital was treating this week. Apparently they send transport because those families cannot afford to travel to Shanghai.

Karen from Heart to Heart was extremely grateful for the donation which Trinity has made and we were quite humbled to think of the difference that our church has made to the lives of these beautiful children. It was an honor to visit on behalf of everyone and to pass on your blessings.

It’s not every day that you get the opportunity to visit a demilitarized zone! Actually the one between North and South Korea is the only one in existence at the moment. so this was a visit with a difference.

For starters it was quite safe (unless N Korea launched an attack but if that happened nowhere in Seoul would be safe!). It was however strictly controlled and we had our passports inspected at checkpoints going into and out of the area.

Our first stop was the Peace Park. On the other side of the beribboned fence soldiers marched and we were strictly forbidden from taking photographs.

The ribbons are left by families who have been separated and who want to remember their loved ones.

This memorial too is used by families at particular festivals when families are supposed to gather together. Many people put food on the large slab and share it between them. It is the nearest that many of them can get to their relatives.

This unassuming structure is the Freedom Bridge. It is the place where POWs were exchanged and as they come over from the north the prisoners joyfully shout ‘freedom’ giving the bridge it name.

The Dora Observatory was the place where we got to look across at North Korea ourselves.

All the trees and bushes in the DMZ are parts of South Korea. All the north side is open so that their guards can spot defectors trying to escape.

Because no one goes there we were told that wildlife is flourishing and rare species of animals and birds are repopulating the area. So that’s a good thing!

The thing which I found most amusing was the ‘Flag-off between the two countries. In the picture on the right you can see the white flagpole of South Korea. Harder to make out because it is blue and further away is the North Korean flag pole.

Anyway they both kept trying to outdo the other by extending the height of their flag pole. Finally North Korea made it into the Guinness World of Records for the tallest flag pole and the competition has stopped!

Finally we went to visit the 3rd Tunnel. There are actually 4 tunnels that the North Koreans have dug in an attempt to invade the South. Well, 4 that have been discovered. The whole DMZ could be honeycombed with tunnels for all we know! Apparently defectors told the south about them and the north claimed that they were tunneling for coal, except that the rock is granite so nobody bought that lie.

We weren’t allowed to take any photos but we were able to descend the 400 meter steep entrance and walk to the blockade that the south have erected to prevent an invasion. Technically this is the furthest anyone can go into N Korea at the moment.

All exciting stuff. Was it a ‘disneyfication’ of war and violence or is it the South telling the world what threats they live under. It was possible to purchase grenade and sub machine gun shaped chocolate!

One overwhelming feeling that comes across is how much the people of the south want unification. They want to be able to travel again and to see their families again. On the south side they are making many preparations for when that will happen.

These are statues to remember all the ‘comfort’ women who were abused during the Japanese occupation. These statues are dotted all over the country. Don’t the faces look young! At the DMZ there are two girls side by side, one ready to go to the north as soon as she can so that the people there can remember their women too.

One thing that we did reflect upon was the fact that at every point we were surrounded by coffee stalls, burger bars or noodle shops. Food was plentiful and easy to get. Yet we were told that in North Korea the people are starving due to the fact that most of the rice that they grow is exported (probably to pay for nuclear weapons) and they have suffered two years of bad harvests. It was such a poignant realization of the differences between the two styles of government.

I know that in the past tour groups have been allowed into the country but this is probably the nearest we will ever get to North Korea.

When we moved to Shanghai back in 2019, the plan had been to explore this part of the world and see as much as possible but COVID put a very firm stop to that. I’m not complaining because other doors have opened and I have been able to immerse myself in Taiji with all the benefits that has brought me. But now the world has opened up again and travel is possible so we are taking advantage of it.

This is our first school break where we ‘can’ explore a bit. It is Golden Week in China and a national holiday so it is a good idea to get out of the country. We have headed to Seoul to see some of Korea.

Actually we very nearly didn’t make it as Kevin, who has been a COVID virgin managed to contract the virus and he very kindly passed some on to me! Being his first time around Kevin had it worse than I did. Maybe I had some immunity. Kevin was down for about 7 days and I was off school for 3. It was touch and go but fortunately we both tested negative in time to fly this morning.

It felt good to be traveling again and on a plane going to explore somewhere new. Seoul is only 1:5 hours away from Shanghai so it was an easy trip.

Having said that, the flights were quite pricey because of being Golden Week so we had to bite the bullet on that. Being ever mindful of costs Kevin decided to save some money and booked us into a ‘budget’ hotel in the city centre. With not exactly enough room to swing a proverbial cat it’s more of a shoe box than anything else but I get the impression that most hotels are like this.

The location is good though being near Myeongdong which has lots of shops, restaurants and a lively night market full of street food vendors. Shanghai has missed a trick when it clamped down on street vendors. They give the place a certain vibrancy and atmosphere.

We wanted a sit down meal but have absolutely no idea about Korean food at all. We took a chance in a ‘Galbi’ restaurant. Galbi turned out to be a shared dish of chicken, sweetcorn, cabbage and cheese, which they cook in front of you in a huge skillet.

The hotel does have a rooftop terrace which was ideal for doing some early morning Taiji exercises (see previous lack of room in the room)

Today was a full day’s excursion to visit 3 (at least) palaces. All the palaces were built on the same format with an entrance gateway, a little bridge and then the wooden rooms around imposing courtyards. All were decorated in exactly the same pattern which was only allowed to be used by royalty.

And if I am totally honest they all began to merge into one another!

I do remember that each gate has 3 doors. The central one for the King. The one on the right for government officials and the one on the left for the military. Inside the courtyards this distinction was maintained as you can see from the road on different levels.

These courtyards were used for official ceremonies and so placed at strategic points were ‘ranking’ stones so that you knew where to line up according to your position at court.

One of the wonderful things here is the love of dressing up. You can rent Hanbok costumes for the day and people do. They wander around the historic sites looking resplendent in the most gorgeous colours, chiffons and silks. Leping and I would have enjoyed ourselves.

We also visited a Buddhist temple, and while it wasn’t a patch on the ones in Thailand I did like the environmental symbolism in their statues

Lunch was included and we were treated to a traditional Bibimbap (which sounds to me like a 60s pop song!) but in reality was a veg dish

In the afternoon we were subjected to the ‘hard sell’ at a Korean ginseng shop. We resisted on the grounds that a) it was hideously expensive and b) all the benefits that they listed can also be obtained by doing Taiji. I did like the ginseng display though. They look like tubes of mandrakes screaming to be released!!!

Finally, the Korean flag is interesting. The influences from China are clear. In the centre is a yin/Yang symbol (without the small dots). Then in 4 positions (starting at 2 o’clock) are the ba qua symbols of water, earth, fire and heaven.

At one palace we saw a re-enactment of the changing of the guards. They all wore colorful costumes and did a lot of drum banging!

The weather was glorious for October and if anything the sun was a bit strong but unlike Shanghai it wasn’t humid which made the walking easier.

… Or should I say succeeded in poisoning me! Nanjing was the trip that wasn’t. Here’s why:

Disclaimer: this blog post is not for the squeamish Stop reading if you don’t think you have the stomach for it.

As in life, all foreign adventures have their ups and their downs. This one was an unforgettable down for me.

A trip to the southern capital of Nanjing had long been on my wish list. Capital to the first Ming Emperor in 1366 and again in the 1920s and 30s this small city (currently 10 million) has a rich history culminating in the 1937 Rape of Nanjing when the population were brutally massacred and abused by the Japanese, a fact which many Japanese today refuse to acknowledge or apologize for and this causes tensions in the region.

We decided that as I had visited several places during the year that we would leave Nanjing until Kevin was back so that he could have the experience too.

Only 4 hours drive away or 2 hours on the bullet train, it is easily accessible from Shanghai and we planned that we would have a trip after the Taiji Summer camp. Unfortunately our plans changed several times as Kevin’s passport hadn’t been returned from having his visa renewed. Our original plan was to go on the Monday via Suzhou which was half way to Nanjing. We had friends from Spain starting at a school there and they needed assistance with a visa health check. In the end we just made that a day trip.

Back in Shanghai on the Tuesday I secured a receipt from the visa office which would allow Kevin to check into a hotel and Leping rebooked everything. That day we ate very little as we were still full from the huge banquet the night before in Suzhou

So packed and ready for departure early the next morning we had a light evening meal. Our Ayi had made a small dish of the traditional Shanghai speciality egg and tomato but I also found a bowl with 4 dumplings and soy dip. We split them 2 each. What Kevin neglected to tell me is that they were leftovers from a meal that he had had about a week ago. He just hadn’t thrown them out.

Now his 2 dumplings were fine. One or both of mine were not. I had an early night but was awoken at 11pm with massive gut pains. I spent most of the night until 6am in agony getting well acquainted with the bathroom! By the morning I felt exhausted but hoped that as often happens in these cases that once the ‘problem’ has been expunged that you just rest up and rebuild your strength. How wrong I was.

I told my friends what had happened and they said they would make as many pit stops as I needed. Looking back, it was fairly rash of me to even consider a 4 hour road trip in that state but I knew that Leping had worked so hard to arrange and rearrange everything and if I didn’t go then Kevin probably wouldn’t.

We hadn’t gone 15 minutes down the road when the most awful cramps attacked and I broke out on a sweat. They were so sweet and pulled off the overpass to find a public toilet. Fortunately there was one down an alley and I stumbled down to it.

I will be forever thankful that the facility was a) clean and b) had a western style sit down toilet in one of the cubicles. What a mercy that was! What ensued was explosive, violent and extremely nasty. I came out trembling and told Leping that I didn’t think that I could make the drive. She had a rush of brilliant inspiration and suggested that she and I take the train. As it happened we were very close to Shanghai Railway station and the thought of being within striking distance of a WC was a god-send.

It was busy but Leping managed to get some returned tickets on the same train although not together. Mine was in 1st class which I appreciated because it was quieter. Although it was 36.5 degrees outside I was shivery in the AC so Leping bought me a scarf and a supply of ‘salty’ carbonated water which is supposed to contain electrolytes and help with dehydration.

We arrived at the hotel first, checked in and I crashed out in a little more comfort. When the car of men arrived I was feeling a little better so we all set off the the Presidential Palace.

Built in the 1900s it was the home of Sun Yat-sen the leader the the Nationalist Party which overthrew the last of the dynasties, the Qing Dynasty. Here it reestablished Nanjing as the southern capital.

It was very hot, humid and thronging with hordes of people but you got a flavor of the era. Sun Yat-sen is regarded as the founder of modern China.

It was all a bit too much for me though and after a couple of rooms I had to sit outside on a bench (near a WC) and wait for everyone to complete the tour and come back to me. I was going downhill rapidly.

I wisely decided against going out for dinner that evening and indeed stayed in bed for the whole of the next day. They very kindly sent me photos of where they were and what they were doing. So here are some of the bits of Nanjing that they saw but I didn’t:

For more information on any of those things you will need to ask Kevin!

We all assumed that after a day of rest and only a banana to eat that I would be fine for the evening meal. Leping had booked a very special restaurant called 1912 which is set in a 30s style decor and had local specialty food. I too was hoping that I would be fine for at least something that evening but as we sat there my stomach remained hubbly bubbly and the cooking smalls started to make me feel nauseous.

Nanjing is famous for 3 knives. The blades that cooks use in the kitchen enable them to cut extremely finely and produce effects like the flower above. The scissors used by barbers and the nail clippers used by podiatrists are all of high quality and Nanjing has a repo for producing skilled and talented professionals in these three areas.

As for me, I was once again sinking rapidly and couldn’t face going to the sound and light show on the city walls. So I gratefully went to lie down in the back of the car while they all saw this:

Next morning I rallied again which was good because we were due to check out. I managed a bowl of rice congee and a croissant for breakfast and we all went to the Temple of Confucius.

Built in 1168, thisis the site where the top performing intellectuals from each province would gather each year to sit an exam which would later inspire civil service entrance examinations through the world.

The most successful of these students would be offered government positions and the position of their family would rise in society. We have been to small towns where the people put up a gate in honor of a local boy who made it to one of these exams.

Conditions weren’t easy. The students would sit in cubicles for 3 days and they all had to bring their own food!

The highest scoring students would then be invited to attend a further examination in the Forbidden City in front of the Emperor himself

The museum was very well done and mercifully cool inside. I loved the decorative wall made of old Chinese bamboo books

And another full of raised chinese characters

I was delighted to have made it to one attraction but I was glad to leave as I was not functioning on full energy after not being able to eat properly for 3 days. I am so grateful to the Zhang family for all their care for me. I don’t know what I would have done without them.

The drive home was long but largely uneventful. We arrived in Shanghai and had a meal where again I could only stomach Congee but I went to the toilet and to my relief, started to see an improvement.

Any improvement was extremely short lived and I spend all of Saturday with severe cramps and multiple episodes of diarrhea. By Sunday morning I decided that I needed to see someone. After all, online the advice is if your diarrhea continues for more than 2 days and I was now on day #5, you should see a doctor.

School did not want us to use the clinic that we had been going to after the whole thyroid biopsy incident (see earlier blog) so we had to find a new one. Incredibly, even on a Sunday, I got an appointment within an hour! That would be unheard of the the UK even for private.

As most of the expats have left or were on holiday this clinic was quiet. I had blood taken and then was given what felt like the world’s longest abdominal ultrasound. When your stomach is uber delicate having an ultrasound is quite uncomfortable. Anyway they ruled out any problems with my gallbladder, pancreas or appendix (phew)

The blood test results came back in half an hour (!!!) and the marker for infection which is under 10 in a healthy person was registering 142 for me. So I had a VERY wicked bug in there.

It was decided that I needed antibiotics immediately and was put on an IV. The clinic has one nurse and one doctor on duty and I was aware of only 3 patients including myself. The nurse told me that they very rarely do IV so they only have one pole but one of the other patients also needed IV so they had it! WHAT ARE THE CHANCES!

So I was out in a consulting room, near the door so that my bag could hang on a hook! It was another one of those situations where someone had to accompany me to the toilet and carry the bag. Now when you have a bug as nasty as mine you also get very painful gas and with each bout of cramping pains and dash to the toilet you never know what is going to happen.

One of the things that the doctor wanted was a stool sample! But even with rampant diarrhea you cannot alway produce on demand. It took several hours before I was ‘ready’ and would you believe it, the doctor was in the only toilet. I ended up dancing around my pole (I had it by then) and the nurse eventually had to knock on the door to hurry the doctor up, she took so long. Not what you need when you are desperate. I can confirm that providing a stool sample when you have raging diarrhea AND are tethered to a drip is quite a challenge. Anyway, the net results proved that the infection is bacterial and not viral. So Kevin definitely did poison me.

As a result my Ayi and I have decided that Kevin is no long to be given any responsibility for food management in the fridge!

As I write I am on day #7 and only just starting to keep food in. I have never had food poisoning quite like this before. The whole experience has bookended my summer vacation with trips to various Shanghai medical facilities. Let’s hope that I have now done my quota for the year.

Yes, yes I know. I have binge eaten very badly over the past few weeks. All the delicious but naughty things that I can’t get in China. Fish & Chips was up there at the top of the list but I also indulged in flapjacks, toasted tea cakes, cream teas, Cadbury’s Dairy milk and sandwiches. That’s right, bread isn’t really a thing in China so sandwiches are rare. You can get them in Starbucks but they are not really very exciting. Not like the array that we can choose from here.

So now it’s back to a low carb and low sugar diet and to be honest I am quite looking forwards to it. My digestive system certainly is. If I was back permanently I would go easy but I kept thinking that this was the last chance in a long while… so I am taking a little more weight back with me than when I arrived!!!

To be perfectly honest it has been wonderful to be back somewhere where I can read all the signs and where I understand everything that is being said around me and I don’t have to be careful about which subjects I talk about. It’s lovely to be able to use complex language structures and know that everyone around me also understands.

It has been a holiday of touring Britain seeing family and friends who I haven’t seen for four or more year, but it a tad exhausting doing a road trip around the country when I wasn’t at peak fitness.

First stop was Morpeth in the North East to see the new home of Gordon and Anita, church friends who have relocated there. What a surprise Morpeth was with its market town atmosphere and delightful shops. I even made purchases at Rutherfords, one of the country’s few remaining independent department stores.

It was a perfect opportunity to meet the new members of the family who have both been born since I was last here. What a delight that was.

Then to Oliver & Steph’s first wedding anniversary meal at the venue, which gave me that chance to see the place where they married which I had only seen on zoom up to now.

Then it was on to Swindon to catch up with Ade and her expanded family. We helped to rescue Ade when she was trafficked and we have kept in touch all these years. Her kids are lovely.

Finally to Swansea where the weather turned and we had a mostly indoor time with Phil and Mike. Phil and I were colleagues at the University of Cumbria and they are both Sinophiles so we are hoping that they will come out and see us when they visit Harbin.

We also visited a former Shanghai friend in Chester where we were treated to a tour of the city centre and a little walk on the old city walls.

Then a trip down to Surrey to stay with more former Shanghai friends in the gorgeous village of Claygate. We visited the village Flower Show and this was so quintessentially British that I felt I could have been in an episode of an Agatha Christie novel.

The next evening the massive marquee was used to host a performance by the tribute band…

Again, this was so British as sat outside with our drinks and picnic listening to the music.

Finally, it was down to Bournemouth to stay with the girls and their parents who were visiting from India. This was a little more challenging as they spoke no English and our Gujarati is absolute zero.

The occasion to celebrate was Anissa’s graduation. She did exceptionallyp well getting a First in Social Work from Southampton Solent University. She really worked hard and deserved the success

In between all these visits we worked on the house to get it ship shape. We had new secure doors installed, security cameras and blinds etc. All good progress.

We visited tea shops

And walked along the Promenade

My impressions of the UK after 4 years away are that things have deteriorated. There are more potholes in the roads, signs need cleaning, lines in the road need repainting. Everything is SO much more expensive and the country is plagued by strikes.

As a case in point we needed to be at Manchester airport for an 11am flight. Only an hour away this shouldn’t have been a problem but there was only one train that would have got us there in time for checkin and we couldn’t take the risk that it would be cancelled. So we decided to go the day before and stay overnight in the new airport hotel (very nice indeed and I would recommend it). Our train was a lovely new one. Very nice I thought, but lo and behold we were turfed out at Preston because the replacement guard did not show up! Typical! Then we had to wait an hour for the next train as there were faults on the signals. oh Joy! Transport in China is not like this. It is fast, clean, cheap and above all reliable.

And so we leave the country where you can pretty much guarantee to find toilet paper in public conveniences (I have relished this) and where you get funny looks in cafes and bars when you ask for ‘hot water’ and return to China.

We need to go back early because Kevin has to renew his visa before the end of the month and I go to the Taiji summer camp.

I did some taiji practice in some beautiful locations

The weather during my stay hasn’t been great. The earlier heatwave finished as soon as I landed in the UK and temperatures have rarely risen above 20 degrees. It has been windy, often wet/ showery and I have made great use out of the few long sleeved and waterproof garments that I packed! It is going to be a great shock to the system to return to the temperatures in the high 30s and full on humidity. We won’t know what has hit us.

Now that borders have opened up again and travel is possible we would love to have visitors if anyone would like to have a taste of the orient. Just avoid the summer if you don’t like extreme heat. Lol.

Yes, yes I know. I have binge eaten very badly over the past few weeks. All the delicious but naughty things that I can’t get in China. Fish & Chips was up there at the top of the list but I also indulged in flapjacks, toasted tea cakes, cream teas, Cadbury’s Dairy milk and sandwiches. That’s right, bread isn’t really a thing in China so sandwiches are rare. You can get them in Starbucks but they are not really very exciting. Not like the array that we can choose from here.

So now it’s back to a low carb and low sugar diet and to be honest I am quite looking forwards to it. My digestive system certainly is. If I was back permanently I would go easy but I kept thinking that this was the last chance in a long while… so I am taking a little more weight back with me than when I arrived!!!

To be perfectly honest it has been wonderful to be back somewhere where I can read all the signs and where I understand everything that is being said around me and I don’t have to be careful about which subjects I talk about. It’s lovely to be able to use complex language structures and know that everyone around me also understands.

It has been a holiday of touring Britain seeing family and friends who I haven’t seen for four or more year, but it a tad exhausting doing a road trip around the country when I wasn’t at peak fitness.

First stop was Morpeth in the North East to see the new home of Gordon and Anita, church friends who have relocated there. What a surprise Morpeth was with its market town atmosphere and delightful shops. I even made purchases at Rutherfords, one of the country’s few remaining independent department stores.

It was a perfect opportunity to meet the new members of the family who have both been born since I was last here. What a delight that was.

Then to Oliver & Steph’s first wedding anniversary meal at the venue, which gave me that chance to see the place where they married which I had only seen on zoom up to now.

Then it was on to Swindon to catch up with Ade and her expanded family. We helped to rescue Ade when she was trafficked and we have kept in touch all these years. Her kids are lovely.

Finally to Swansea where the weather turned and we had a mostly indoor time with Phil and Mike. Phil and I were colleagues at the University of Cumbria and they are both Sinophiles so we are hoping that they will come out and see us when they visit Harbin.

We also visited a former Shanghai friend in Chester where we were treated to a tour of the city centre and a little walk on the old city walls.

Then a trip down to Surrey to stay with more former Shanghai friends in the gorgeous village of Claygate. We visited the village Flower Show and this was so quintessentially British that I felt I could have been in an episode of an Agatha Christie novel.

The next evening the massive marquee was used to host a performance by the tribute band…

Again, this was so British as sat outside with our drinks and picnic listening to the music.

Finally, it was down to Bournemouth to stay with the girls and their parents who were visiting from India. This was a little more challenging as they spoke no English and our Gujarati is absolute zero.

The occasion to celebrate was Anissa’s graduation. She did exceptionallyp well getting a First in Social Work from Southampton Solent University. She really worked hard and deserved the success

In between all these visits we worked on the house to get it ship shape. We had new secure doors installed, security cameras and blinds etc. All good progress.

We visited tea shops

And walked along the Promenade

My impressions of the UK after 4 years away are that things have deteriorated. There are more potholes in the roads, signs need cleaning, lines in the road need repainting. Everything is SO much more expensive and the country is plagued by strikes.

As a case in point we needed to be at Manchester airport for an 11am flight. Only an hour away this shouldn’t have been a problem but there was only one train that would have got us there in time for checkin and we couldn’t take the risk that it would be cancelled. So we decided to go the day before and stay overnight in the new airport hotel (very nice indeed and I would recommend it). Our train was a lovely new one. Very nice I thought, but lo and behold we were turfed out at Preston because the replacement guard did not show up! Typical! Then we had to wait an hour for the next train as there were faults on the signals. oh Joy! Transport in China is not like this. It is fast, clean, cheap and above all reliable.

And so we leave the country where you can pretty much guarantee to find toilet paper in public conveniences (I have relished this) and where you get funny looks in cafes and bars when you ask for ‘hot water’ and return to China.

We need to go back early because Kevin has to renew his visa before the end of the month and I go to the Taiji summer camp.

I did some taiji practice in some beautiful locations

The weather during my stay hasn’t been great. The earlier heatwave finished as soon as I landed in the UK and temperatures have rarely risen above 20 degrees. It has been windy, often wet/ showery and I have made great use out of the few long sleeved and waterproof garments that I packed! It is going to be a great shock to the system to return to the temperatures in the high 30s and full on humidity. We won’t know what has hit us.

Now that borders have opened up again and travel is possible we would love to have visitors if anyone would like to have a taste of the orient. Just avoid the summer if you don’t like extreme heat. Lol.

We began the day at Rosenborg, once the ‘pleasure palace’ of the Danish monarchy. By that I think that they mean summer go-to rather than anything more sordid!

Built in 1606 by King Christian IV in the style of the Dutch Renaissance. Like much of Copenhagen it is on a smaller scale than other European cities but still quaint nevertheless.

Today Rosenborg houses many of the treasures of the royal family along with the Crown Jewels in sumptuous rooms filled with ornate ceilings and multiple oil paintings.

For an early 17th century castle it was ahead of the times in having a downstairs WC complete with wall to wall tiling.

If you ever wondered what the nobility in Denmark got up to the the 17th Century for fun then look no further. The answer is here- the trouser wetting chair.

The unsuspecting victim would be asked to sit in the chair which would then release two prongs (seen in the circles) and at the same time make a farting sound. Water would squirt out of the prongs and into the lap of the poor gentleman making it look as through he had wet his pants. Simultaneously if a button on the back was pressed then a puddle of water appeared beneath the chair. Such japes! It makes me wonder if life was really really boring in the winter here…

The Crown Jewels were smaller than ours and less heavily protected but beautiful all the same.

Then on to the Round Tower which was once part of the university. It contains an observatory and planetarium at the top, a library (once upon a time) and a church for the student at the bottom (because education and religion were intertwined)..

The tower is unique in that access to the top is via an internal ramp rather than stairs

Peter the Great once rode up here on his horse!

No visit to Copenhagen is complete without seeing the Tivoli Gardens. Essentially one of the world’s oldest and most expensive fun fairs nestled in between beautiful gardens and fountains.

There are several stages for concerts and other performances. It was Jazz Week when we were there so music surrounded us at every turn which was rather nice.

We resisted the urge to spend vast amounts of money on either the rides or the numerous wine bars and high end eateries. Instead we wandered around just soaking up the carnival atmosphere (and a little bit of rain).

Finally a visit to Christiana, a strange hippie commune in the heart of the city full of graffiti, wall art and hash ( which we were offered but didn’t buy!)

I was delighted to find on the Tomas Danbo’s trolls here. I had seen his work on Facebook They are so full of character.