Shoosh folks,

Due to the grace of God, things have settled down successfully. No one's going to leave anyone. (Whew).  But due to an unfortunate situation (not our unfortunate situation), the guy is fleeing back to his family in Taiwan, we will be moving into a his apartment in late February '07. That's good. I trust Yuki's say-so, we keep an extra 500 RMB in the purse every month.  My motto "As you wish honey, I'll do what you recommend". She's Chinese, buckets of local knowledge, so the blindfolded Laowai just follows suit.

She knows best. Jamieson knows bugger all.

Similar, if not better quality than Xin Xing Hua Yuan. With its Satellite dishes, Dutch, Taiwanese, Germans, Canadians and God for bid, Australians + Chinese (It's our country).

Larry & Qi Qi, we're NOT going to dissolve our relationship, but my earnest entreaments - "Will you leave me ?" - "Who knows" prompts Big J to be on his best behvaiour. Offer gifts.

Glad that Yukes has the maturity to overlook my ahhhh, indiscretion. I will overlook hers too. (If they occur !)

She's a silk-gowned, made-up princess. Should resolve not to be so stupid, they have a fuse too, and a face that requires a lot of respect. Never yell. That'll get you into a lot of Sh*t, won't it Larry ?

Just good news everyone. Restored the harmony in the household. But J is on the watch list, on 3 months' probation, maybe. 

Her Maternal Grandparents have left the village and are staying temporarily in Mudu, 25 km from Suzhou, staying with the Mother's sister. Yukes and Mei Mei have been there to see them. I really like them, they offered the shirt off their backs when I went there in Southern Anhui in Jan '04. 

But Jamieson is still a forbidden item, a secret. A "Colleague". (Accept local advice on how to deal wih this issue)

Dirt floor, Black and white 30 cm TV but THE HOSPITALITY. If MY grandparents were alive at that time, I'd like them to take a lesson in how to deal with a guest.  It was embarrassing, You've run out of coffee, whitener and sugar? I'll send the boys on motorbikes 30 km to get you some more !

Dirt floor ? Jamieson has enormous respect for the grandfather who can huck 90 kg of white radish to be boiled for the pigs, when J can barely lift the coolie pole, with 2 baskets of radish, and causes much mirth in the courtyard.

"Please, it's no trouble, please, I beg you it's no problem." "Unnnnggghh" Hoik, stagger,

That's real hospitality.

Good night, and good luck.

Sincerely yours,

Jamieson - in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. (There are 2 Suzhous in Jiangsu State, J is in the big one.)

One day at a time.

Whew, that was a close one. Skin of the teeth, grasshopper. You get 2 weeks in the hole for that stunt. You'd better choose your words carefully, or you get 2 months in the hole.

I won't tolerate any blasphemy, grasshopper. "Obtuse, You're calling me Obtuse?"

Yeah Larry, things are fine under the Jamieson roof. Finally.Even keel as I type.

Matter of fact, we will all move to a new apartment in February next year. Sweet as new grass, things are fine. 

Got to have an outburst from time to time : if you don't let it all out, then you are dead. Yelling is good, but only in a grass paddock,  miles away from folks.

China doesn't give you that option. We have to yell here. I my choice, I want to to stay here, eat the "mackterel" and eat sweet bread


Maybe you will have an outburst ? A Chinese lady friend of mine advised me that she had an 'inappropriate relationship' excluding her husband.'

Pope Zak III Forgives you."

Don't worry Larry, Yukes and I have done the yards for 3+ years. Not going to give up now.

Good night, and good luck :

Jamieson

PS: Thanks for keeping watch. Shows we're not all asleep at the switch.

Had a juicy Yell fest with Yukes last night. Seems that grasshopper had too much sap. I guess the bespectaled Jamieson had a snappage of the 'control factor', lost it and yelled (VERY BAD in China). Hell, it's been months, I mean months, months since I've had a 'Bad China Day. Got locked out of the master bedroom for 15 minutes. My bad. Getting a lock-out just fuels the fire.

It wasn't fair to vent on Yukes. It's not her fault, J was very tired, 8 classes that day - poor sleep the night before, back home at 6.45 pm, leave at 8.10 a.m.

Scared Mei Mei, (younger sister), apologised profusely to Mei Mei tonight, she seemed rather anxious about the yelling Laowai, came out to have a look last night. Hmmmmm. Unpredictable Laowai (thought bubble).

Now Yuke's apparently looking for a new apartment for her and Mei Mei. Just left now, on the lookout.

Guess I'll be washing my dishes alone.

Jamieson suspects that after nearly 3 years, things are going to go pear-shaped. That's a pity, because this is recoverable.  J is a first class provider, nothing to worry about, coin galore. J wonders, is 3 years the use-by date for it's relationships ?

Is that the time when the burning fuse reaches the detonator ?

Can a "foreigner" tolerate the :

a: Stress of living in a another country where - guess it - you MUST learn a new language just to buy milk ?

b. Mysterious relationship rules ? OR

c: Pretend to erect a lesser wall around the chalet, incorporate things like toasters and electric blankets, smoke American cigarettes by choice, sup upon Belgian smoked macketrel in creme, then when leaving the 'chalet' head off into the horn-honking reality, just to go to Kindy ?

When I was in Indonesia, Jakarta, I  joked with an a Australian lady colleague that we were behind enemy lines. Mutual giggle. China ? Dude, you've been separated from your Unit. YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN, right Larry ?

* Conclusion *

If I didn't like China, and I didn't want to be with you, then I'd be at Pudong Airport, Shanghai. I'd be on the first plane out. If Jamieson didn't like China, (He's a sensible chap, usually) then I'd be in Australia, reclining and fishing.. But I do. I want Yukes (sniff).

Life back there is so easy.They give you money to study, hell even do a PhD if you want. The motto : "Nothing can stop you now".

 Good night, and good luck.

Jamieson.

Hi !

Been to the dentist lately, not very happy about that. Lots of laughter from her and her assistant in the 27th People's Dental Hospital attached to the 753rd People's Liberation Army Medical Corps. Bugger. Cost me a little, but - one has to go. OR ELSE, we're out of Suzhou and in to Pain City.

Had a 3.5 week visit from Phantom (My best mate,I stayed with him in Gnowangerup, West Australia 2 months ago - use Google if you want, pop. 450) recently, and he was fairly stunned by the amount of people here, and also by the low quality of beer (home brew chap by all accounts).

5 Kids are good, we're off to the Suzhou City Library tomorrow. J approves, no classes - just be the white supervisory monkey. Good to be a Kindy Teacher sometimes.

Weather's cooling down, thank God. Only had to use the 1 year guarantee on the electric bike ummmm is that number 2 times on the claim ? In 5 months ? 1. Dodgy power control module, flat front tyre, No. 2 Dodgy battery, call up the soldering guy.

That's life folks. When it works, it flies - but otherwise it's a very long & LOUD string of the F word, because I have to get a taxi,re-lock the bike and Yukes has to organise a worker with a tricycle to take it home. Grrrr, not happy.

Apart from that, we have a brand new Samsung computer in the study, with - wait for it - 100 MB/second ADSL. 2.6 Ghz processor, 2 Gb RAM and 160 Gb hard drives, Bass speaker, 2 satellite stereo,speakers, Sony mouse 3 ,F**king fast, 3600 Yuan, can you believe it ?

club977.com   Uninterrupted 80s music, extreme high quality from the states. let me reiterate, high quality, few ads. Funny what China can do in the richer cities, like Suzhou. Max Technology, California style.

But hell, you know what ? The Central Government is busting its gut to develop the poorer provinces here. I mean, really, actually doing, not just empty speeches and inflatable plastic arches. New agricultural projects, low-cost health care (USD$(2.00) per family per annum, ,(windmills for power, renewable.) Farmers with USD$200 a YEAR are now slowly benefitting.

The China Daily Newspaper has articles trumpeting every week about Mr. XXXX having a triple of his last years income. Not through handouts, corruption. Market economy mate. Not State Economy chum.

Speaking of Corruption, I guess you have NO idea of the Big Broom going through China right now? Trust Jamieson, It's a whopper. Bigger than a quarter-pounder. NASTY for those who "have assets apparently in excess of their income". Getting fired doesn't give you automatic access to a tribunal for a re-hearing. Lucky you didn't get the rope, sweetie.

Many Big Shots have been ('dacked' = pants and underpants pulled down in public, done by colleagues), as we say in Australia) but we're in China, never happen darling. How's about a 5,000 word self-description essay matey ? Followed by a public self-cricitism in the 'county square'.

Nah. The humiliation of losing one's post would be enough. They'd be talking about it for years, the humiliation would last for decades, probably even get a divorce.

Been busier than a Marine in Baghdad.  I've taken on 3 subjects at Griffith University (Brisbane, Australia) for this study period 3 :

Terrorism: Its Causes and Consequences  (very interesting)

Modern Standard Chinese (Mandarin) 1A (piece of piss)
 
China in Transformation 1900-49 (heaps of reading & writing)

Nothing like descending back into academic sh*t in your early 40s. Well, that rules out your nightclub gigs. I need a master with a stick to keep me focussed.

'Grasshopper' !!! (he bellows) "Yes Master" (bows)

"READ boy. Grasshopper needs to understand Suicide bombers. Grasshopper needs to understand the Kuo Min Tang. Grasshopper needs to understand Pu Tong Hua ! Kuai dian !" (Quick).

"You no have fun, you no drink" (Yes Master)
"You no Internet, you work, eat, then you must study" (Yes Master)

I will beat you. (Whimper - yes master)

Got a real whipping from Yukes 2 days ago about using her credit card (Jamieson pays for it) to buy Spy Doctor ($30 USD) on the web and installing it.... 1000+ nasty little f**kers wanting to suck personal details on line quickly deleted. I remonstrated loudly, quoting 'identiy theft' and the consequences. Sulked a bit. Seemed to work, no reversal of transaction. "Trust me honey, 5 billion dollars a year in Oz....." Trust me.....

I mean - I use this box to let the Australian Consulate in Shanghai know where I am,and buy books from Amazon over the 'Net. That's rather personal stuff. My Stuff. It was the closest we've had to a yelling match in wow..... 9 months ?

Ta ta loves, gladiolas need trimming. Sorry about no pictures, but 20six has been very temperamental and unusable lately.  ...and who's this from Curtin University kicking Jamieson's tyres regularly ? 

Tue, 31 Oct 2006 10:47:20 Perth
 134.7.248.129
Australia
b309-ce-1.net.curtin.edu.au
AS7575 Australian Academic and Reasearch Network (AARNet)
 
Thanks for checking in. I appreciate your ongoing interest - and Jamieson really means that, No cynicism. Hope it's W.

Signing off now : Big J.

That's why I had the vasectomy, NO MORE KIDS.

Been thinking, next contract, NO KIDS allowed.  In fact, I was toying with the idea of leaving China soon, tonight. Grumpy as a camel. go on Austudy and relax.

Yeah, Jamieson is back in the 'Zhou. Flew here and there. Just to let you know he is NOT dead. No TV, no fireball. Just now

Fed Up. Life is rather quiet.

Want excitement, now.