Pandamonium

That's what happens when two schools that reside on opposite sides of the same street, with enrollment way up in the high hundreds, decide to dismiss for a National Holiday at the same time. I've been sitting in the office for the past 25 minutes and the cacophony on the street is RIDICULOUS. Curiosity got the best of me and I peered through the office window only to see a maze of cars, going this way and that, a bus trying to part the seas, and many students happily skipping across the road, just like frogger, to reach the waiting cars to take them home and away from the school for a weeks time. I think a video is the only thing that would do this scene justice.

We have found our new home. I take a deposit over to the real estate agent's office this afternoon, and when we return from our trip to Chengdu we'll sign on the dotted line. We look forward to moving in before the 15th of October, so that we don't have to pay rent twice, once for the new and once for the old. In the new place, the internet will be set up right away, so we should be able to go on skype, or chat with the other various forms of internet communication available.

We're finding our groove in this new land. The food is wonderful, and Christina has begun to agree with me... however if the meal doesn't include Sweet and Sour something, then it has to be quickly added, because that has become her new favorite. On the plus side, with the new place, and two propane burners, we look forward to enjoying some of our own creations, like curries and honey mustard chicken etc.

Riding around town continues to be a great adventure. The other night we took out one bike, Christina riding side-saddle on the back of mine, as we weaved in and around the 6 o'clock traffic to go and get dinner. I've become quite proficient at calling out when she needs to tuck her legs in, and when she is ok. All it took was forgetting once when we went past a raised concrete barrier!! No blood though, just a bit of a knock.

The weather continues to be amazing as we've seen blue sky for the past week, something that I had never experienced in my previous China stint. So we hope this nice weather follows us to Chengdu for some R&R with friends there.

Happy Chinese National Day to you all!!