Lucky 13

I work with some great people.  Here are my desk buddies, and my favorites: Susan and Paul.

They both teach English.  Susan is from Nova Scotia - mother of 4 grown boys...Paul is from the UK and is up through the nights with his newborn. Yes, those are socks hanging off my desk - David Graham gave me them - moose motif - the first summer I went abroad.  When I picked my desk I was attracted to the pair of Canada-theme socks Susan had on her desk (far edge of pic).  And a friendship was struck - over socks!  David would love that.

I scootered over to the "Venice of China" yesterday: Tongli - a water town.  And what a pretty, touristy place it is!  Great shopping. 

 

 

 

I also went to a Buddhist temple (built in 1618 and now under siege by many construction vehicles transforming the rice paddies all around).  I sat in the sun  for so long listening to the chanting, the birdsong (and trying to block out the cacophony of the construction) - with my eyes closed - that a lady attendant came up to see if I needed food (!) (?)  That golden colour denotes that it is a Buddhist temple, I've been told.

 

 

Sorry to ruin the picturesque-ness but this is the reality over here: history & beauty,

garbage & rubble. 

 

I was fine getting to both the temple and the town (about 1 hour toodling along a highway, watching for - well, every damn thing coming out of left field)  but Lordie did I get lost coming home.  In the end a lovely Chinese man escorted me back to familiar territory - relief!  Thank goodness for my foresight in making a little laminated card with the school's address in Chinese (my attempts to say town names seem to baffle everyone).    

bye bye Karen