Well it has been nearly two weeks since I arrived back in Australia.
People have asked me if I enjoyed Chongqing and my answer has to be “Certainly did”.
I feel as though I have left another family in Chongqing and look forward to when I can go there again.

As I think more on my experience I will put up more posts. I am just enjoying being home with my husband and children. Nine weeks was a little long to be away from them and I hope to be able to take my husband at least over next time for a while.

Well until I write again.

Helen

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Well it is only 8 sleeps until I am home again.

Helen Zhang took me on 6 Oct to Hongya Cave, which has just been completed and opened on 1 Oct. It is a modern built folk arts and crafts market but built in the style of the old houses here in ChongQing, in the side of a cliff. It is about 9 stories high with only the 2 & 3 floors devoted to craft and food stores. There are many stores and I saw many beautiful things but I really just did not feel like buying anything. I saw how silk is made after they have boiled the silkworm to get the casing. This is especially important as it give a long uninterrpted piece of silk thread that can be spun and weaved. There were also many silk pieces of clothing that I really liked but I just could not justify the cost. I suppose it is because Hngya Cave has been built for the tourism trade that is springing up here in ChongQing with the Three Gorges Dam interest etc. However I did pick up a pashmina and silk scarf for about 28RMB instead of much more that some of the stores were selling them for.

Week 6 and 7 saw me getting the last of the theory done for the class and getting them to prepare their activities, self check questions and Major Projects as well as studying for their knowledge based tests.

On the weekends I did some more shopping and picked up some more gifts for family as well as for friends. When I went to the old town area I also picked up a pair of chopsticks for myself to reward me for such good work on using them. I can pick up some very small pieces of meat, vegetables and even peanuts and soy beans individually. I also pick up another Pashmina scarf for 25RMB. I really like these shawls and they are so light yet warm. Especially as the weather has gotten cooler during the day and cold at night.

I also picked up a crash course in Chinese pinying to study at home, a book on chinese culture and a dvd about ChongQing. I have not found a book on the history of ChongQing but I will keep looking.

I have been speaking with Tony (my husband) Billy and Chris on skype. The time away is starting to be a little long. Although I guess I will be well received at home, when I arrive on the 4th.

Next Monday and Tuesday shall be busy with assessments that I can do before I leave but I feel that the students may not have finished their Major project section  before I leave. They have felt the intensity of the 8 weeks especially as the units had been done over 20 weeks in Oz.

Will must go and do some more work and upload more pictures onto flickr, as well as mark the tests I have already given.

Cheers

Helen Bee

Well, some more time has got away with me.

Last week I had a very bad Head Cold. it stayed around for days. Very not nice. The students also had a party that they invited me to and I went for about an hour. They gave me two Moon cakes to celebrate the Mid-Autum Festival. That happens on Friday 6th October. It is link to the New Moon.

On the 1st October China also Celebrated its 57th National Day. This marks the creation of the “new” China as Chairman Mao Zedong put it. Most of the news etc was centred on this day and activities that are happening around China for it.

I have spent time exploring around ChongQing these past few days. I have been to the ChongQing People’s Hall and the Three Gorges Museum. Both of which are very fascinating, Even if I could not get into the People’s Hall as it is being renovated. The exhibitions I saw at the Museum were really good too.

The exhibition on the Three Gorges area was really intriguing and it is a great shame that some of the historical places cannot be relocated like the Aswan Dam in Egypt. There is so much history just in that area it is a shame to lose it. They are trying to preserve as much as they can but it only goes so far.

The exhibition on the Ba people was very interesting as well, especially the technical areas of creating tools, pots and jewellery. These were the original inhabitants of the ChongQing area and there has been an extensive archeological digs done to discover much about these original inhabitants.

The last exhibition I looked at was the development of ChongQing as a city and its importance in the Sino-Japanese war during 1935-1946. The city became the major political centre as well as the captial city during this period. It has many historical places concerning this but too many for me to list here. I intend to get a book (in english of course) about ChongQing to look more deeply into its history.

I have more to tell but that will have too wait until I post next.

Until next time ZaiJian

Well life certainly goes on here in ChongQing.

I have got a head cold though the changing weather and it is driving me nutty.

I visit to the zoo was very interesting. I have uploaded my photos so far at flickr. last weekend (22 Sept) I went to a Buddist Temple and this was also very interesting. the grounds are very peaceful and relaxing with lots of gardens and quiet spots. The Golden Budda was good to see as was the cravings surrounding him. This temple is from the Tang dynasty and the architecture is quite different from other temples I have seen in Asia.

Also that week I cooked Spaghetti Bolognese for some of my students. They wanted to learn how to cook it as they are interested in how the Italians have changed their Noodles. One of their comments was that Italians do not have as “wet” noodles as they do, and I think this means that the sauces are not a liquid.

Well that is all I have for now will write more later,

Cheers

HelenBee

Well another week has almost gone. Where are all the days going
Zarin asked some questions which I suppose I forgot to add to my last missive.

I am teaching at Chongqing Electric Power College for approximately 2 months.

I am instructing students in Certificate III in IT (Software applications) in subjects that the lecturers here have no experience in. This is to fulfil a contract between CQEPC and CentraI teach the students in English and they speak to me in English and write assignments etc in English to help improve their English.
I have had some very late nights trying to catch up on my studies at University and can only access the Internet from my office. All my high ideas about using Skype have come to a crashing halt as the pc in the office will not support it. So I have been ringing home and vice versa on the mobile. Wow what a bill that will be when it gets in.

Tomorrow I am going to the Chongqing Zoo to see Pandas. There is Five there. I will also see how they put the zoo together and see if if is any different to what we have in OZ.

On Sunday I will be going to an Ancient City with some of my new friends.

I have also gone to see the grounds of Chongqing University this week. The ground are very big and there is lots of open space between faculties.

Another big step this week is that I have finally conquered the hotplate in my apartment. it is all present with very tiny pictures but I could not decipher thewithout my friend Della’s help.

Until Next Time,

HelenBee