Well, I'm not much of a blogger it seems...

It's official...

I simply don't have what it takes to be a good blogger :) It's not that nothing happens, it's more that I'm too lazy to sit down and write about it regularly in a blog.

So... You gotta read the letters in stead I guess :)

I've started on my second semester here in Baotou, and I've got a lot of new pictures from my summer vacation that I wanna post to the website. I'm having problems with my software though, so it might be a little while before they are up.

Watch your email box and drop me an email if you wanna get on the spam list.

Martin

Back home...

Well, I'm back from my vacation in the Yellow Mountains and happy to find that spring has come to Baotou.

The mountains were definately worth the visit, although there were a lot of tourists during the May Holiday. On the way back to Inner Mongolia I also had the opportunity to meet some of my family vacationing in Beijing. An Uhrbrand familily gathering on the wrong side of the planet :=)

When I came home I was also happy to find that I've started to think of my apartment here as just that: "home". Not merely a place to sleep. It really helped to get some furniture of my own choosing...

Apart from that, not much is new, so I'll just say that I've updated the picture gallery to include the Yellow Mountains.

Vacation time!

Leaving tomorrow for Beijing and Yellow Mountain...

Good times ahead, and yes; I bought a new camera so I'll be sure to bring back pictures.

Happy holidays.

First paycheck...

I am now, officially, filthy rich !

Only problem is, I lost my camera due to a sudden attack of stupidity and so I'll have to spend close to a third of my hard earned cash on a new one.

Guess the plans for world domination of international finance will be a little set back :(

ps.
On an unrelated note: I've found tonight that it is indeed possible, to open a bottle of wine... with a pair of scissors!

A Linguistic Triumph

Yesterday I had the enourmous pleasure of catching a taxi-driver trying to swindle me.

Not ONLY did I spot him trying to take me in the wrong direction (thus displaying masterful knowledge of the main street in Baotou), but I was also able to bark commands at him in Chinese, guiding us in the right direction :)

I consider it a milestone as this mean I no longer have to pay double fare for taxi rides...

Now if I could just remember how to say "lamb"... I'm getting a little tired of eating chicken all the time...

I'm so bad at this...

Close to a month without an update in my blog, guess I wasn't meant to keep a diary...

but ok, I'll try to be better :)

Spring had come to Baotou ! This means a clear blue sky and temperatures around +15C. This is all well and good. However, it also means an occasional sandstorm blowing in from the Gobi desert, with strong winds hurling GOD KNOWS how many tons of fine desert sand around the streets. There's so much sand in the air that the sky looks like a perpetual dusk. Also you get it in your eyes and mouth if you're foolish enough to wander round outside.

They last 2-3 days I'm told, and come frequently during the spring. Still I prefer it to winter...

Apart from that I'm off to a good start in my teaching, and I've even managed to pick up enough Chinese to order me some noodle and beef stew at the local restaurant (either that, or they just know me by now and bring me what they know I like despite what I say).

Martin

Hello world!

Ok, time to fill this blog with lots of completely boring and unimportant facts (isn't that what blogging is all about?)

1. I finally found a brand of noodle-easy-cook which had instructions on English! Woot!

2. Last night was the first where I managed sleeping all through the night. Damn jetlag's been messing with my rythm, making me wake up at 3-5 o'clock in the morning until now.

3. I think I've antogonized my washing machine...

4. Gun-bay (sp?) is Chinese for "cheers!".

That's it, blog is officially open for business.