Christmas arrived in mid November when Eleanor performed with the DUCKS Piccolo Choir at the switching on of the Christmas Tree Lights at the Crowne Plaza, Suzhou.  The hotel likes to boast it is the first hotel to switch the lights on. Is it too early? We pondered this last year and again this year but I don’t think it is. (Probably if in the UK definitely but as an expat I think it can be early!)   The theme is Harry Potter and the castle is made out of Gingerbread!    She and her friend Sophie duetted the naming of the … Continue reading Festive Fun

E-bike batteries are heavy and usually there are about 4-5 of the things in an ebike. One night someone struck lucky and raided the basement of our apartment block and got 5 ebikes worth of batteries.  Next morning Martin found his ebike devoid of batteries and whilst he had texted me I hadn’t picked up his text.  Eleanor and I made our way down to the basement, helmets on and then Martin appeared. We thought mine hadn’t been touched. The saddle was in place but when I went to turn the key I too was a victim.  What fascinated me … Continue reading Theft

So, if someone says to you “fancy a weekend away without kids and husband in a mountainous area with some walking” what do you say? I originally said no, as a good friend was coming out to China for work and I was going to meet her on the Saturday. I was then asked again by a colleague on the Thursday before the trip on the Friday to go as she was unable to go and didn’t want to leave Angela  to go on her own. Again I said I couldn’t because of Lucy coming. At that stage I was … Continue reading Mysterious Mountain Malarky

Martin and I have certainly been working hard. The UCAS applications are nearly completed, and Martin was teaching practically a double timetable due to sickness within his department. Thailand, was therefore a well deserved break.  But we decided that every month we would try to visit somewhere different close to Suzhou.  Hangzhou has been on our list since Martin came here in long before we knew we would be coming to live in China. Hangzhou is home to West Lake, and thankfully we visited here before Thailand and the Moon Festival during Golden week at the end of September/beginning of October. West … Continue reading Work Hard: Play Hard

Believe it or not, I started this blog a long time ago, but the internet was so being slow that it took me three hours to get onto the home page last week.  Then I started typing and it appears I didn’t save it. Darn it. So the last blog, two months ago, saw me without an e-bike.  Eleanor and I took the metro to the end of the line, raced off it and up the escalator to bag the only taxi waiting by the exit for three times that week. By the end of the week, I had asked … Continue reading E-bike is fixed and Sun, Sea and Sand

Impressive? Dulwich International High School, Suzhou.  It is one of 7 Dulwich schools across Asia and it is where Martin and I now work.  The building is new and now houses over 400 students.  We also have a boarding facility, capacity for up to a 1000 students and most importantly we are now just across the road from Eleanor’s school, DUCKS.  The clock tower in the distance is reminiscent of Dulwich College London, and is part of the International School, Dulwich College. So how I am getting on? I am really enjoying it, but I am shattered.   Since starting … Continue reading A working woman once more

On the 3rd August 2014 we made the leap of faith and took the plunge and made our way to Suzhou for our new adventure.  On the 3rd August 2015 I was sitting in a classroom type environment introducing myself to my new colleagues at Dulwich International High School, Suzhou. What a difference a year makes. Last year we arrived with 4 full to the brim suitcases from the UK into Pudong airport filled with trepidation after an 11 ish hour flight.  It was a grey day, (like most days here), hot, there was a long queue for immigration and then a … Continue reading Happy 1 Year Chinaversary

   On the 3rd June Eleanor and I set foot on British soil.  Her last day of Year 1 at Dulwich was Tuesday 2nd.  Escaping early has had its advantages in a selfish way to me in that we have not had to say goodbyes and go to other people’s leaving parties.  I know that is terribly selfish view but goodbyes are hard enough and what we have learnt from leaving the UK is that people do keep in touch.  The people who have left this year who I am friendly with are on facebook, and the little girl who … Continue reading UK Travels

An invitation came from Mark and Yi Lin to celebrate their son’s, Louis’s, 100th day birthday.  Louis was born on 5th February 2015, and so was 100 days old today (16th May) but it was his 101st day….There is apparently a mathematical difference  in what that sentence says…but no matter. ( I can say that with confidence as I am neither a parent of Louis, nor a mathematician. In Mark’s household last night it created a heated debate!) A number of friends and family gathered at the Kempenski Hotel, Suzhou for a BBQ Brunch to celebrate Louis being alive for 100 … Continue reading Happy 100th Day Celebration