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Tea pickers by our little tu lu (earth path) around Xi Ma Lake. They had another half hour of picking in the burning sun before heading home for lunch and a nap.
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On Sunday we went exploring - a kind of 'spot the difference' outing to the new campus and xi ma (Wash Horse) Lake. We made the same trip last year and wanted to see how the campus was coming along. What we didn't expect was to see so many changes around the lake itself. The new road is encroaching and more of the traditional dwellings [see picture] have been abandonned. Despite the noise, gravel, dust and urbanisation of Simao's tea hills, we had a lovely outing. Sue and Nini (Hou Wanxia's daughter) came too, to view where they will be living in six months, when the College finally moves.

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Not all tradition is being eradicated. By the shores of the lake we met this tea picker, having a mid-afternoon smoke of his yan tong, one of Yunnan's '18 oddities'. This small, light, travel-size version of the pipe can be bought at the market for around 10 yuan. If we had access to Youtube I could post a short video clip of the smoking process - tobacco leaves stuffed into spout, water bubbling as he inhales, clouds of smoke around his face. Apparantly the water filter system renders this process more healthy (or does that mean 'less unhealthy') than smoking a cigarette.

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Freda, Edie and Lao Yang enjoyed playing on the muddy shores of Xi Ma. Edie was frustrated not to be able to launch her bamboo boat, due to lack of wind and current. Flapping at it with a branch only ended up in her spraying the others with water. The highlight for the gang was slurping around in mud collecting tadpoles, in a small inlet we found later. The tadpoles are now occupying our home school habitat box and we shall chart their metamorphosis over the next few weeks. We discovered last year that it's always wise to release them (especially if they are in the house) just before the final 'swim to leap' transition.

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At Christmas time, just before we left for Scotland, we gave Nini several boxes of fabric pens and some undecorated small, canvas sacs. During our picnic stop Nini modestly drew these beautiful creations out of her bag, bulging with snacks. Before the end of the picnic she gave me the one on the right, which now holds my knitting wool. Since we first met Nini over 4 years ago she has loved drawing, usually intricate, emotive sketches of people. Having also decorated a larger bag, the pens have now dried up, much to her disappointment. We've never seen fabric pens in China but I shall keep hunting.

nita
21/3/2010 05:38:02 pm

Hi ,lesley ,it seems things goes well .good luck and see you soon ,I am preparing the month exam paper ,we have a exam every month ,crazy ? haha ,it is so hard to work as a teacher here ,maybe every where in China ,I Dont know ,I think what other jobs i can do recently .

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Paul
22/3/2010 01:43:55 pm

Love Nini's bags. Amazing!

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25/11/2010 10:13:16 am

Sometimes i want to be a bird soaring in the air.

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29/11/2010 12:04:14 am

Hi, I was looking at your blog and I think it of much interesting, and very useful, this type of blogs I like very much, thanks for sharing with everyone!!

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