A little bit of excitement

Small stars 3-4 yrs young learn about football (Sunday morning)
The elusive China Post, 2 minutes from my apartment!
A little bit of China without the high rise, 5 mins from home
5 minutes later, a fire engine was turning into our driveway (below)
Partway down from the 25th
residents watching the flashing lights and pouring water from 15th floor

Hi all,

Wednesday, my day off. This was to be a lazy day with a sleep in to try and outwit a brewing headcold. I tried some of that wonder honey to scare off the cold, hope it works. Finally went out for a short walk to the elusive post office which as it turns out was under my nose the whole time around the corner disguised as yet another large shop. A couple of souvenir Olympic Post cards and a short wait to post them (Armstrongs and cafe 23) in airconditioned comfort.

I decided to lengthen my walk and look in some shops I haven't seen before and located a camera I was asked to look out for. A fruitful expedition which also netted the local swimming pool (handy as I have to talk about swimming with them , now I know where some of them go)

a couple of papaya and the ATM to take out RMB pay my electricity bill.

I was half expecting a phone call to play badminton with our centre manager but she wasn't sure if she would get back from Guanghou in time ( I didn't get the call which is just as well-I would have missed the excitement.)

I'd been taking some photos of an almost cloudless sky out of my window then decided to check my emails. A few minutes later a roar of sirens and a fire engine turning down our road then into our driveway - no fire sirens in house so people stuck heads out of windows and balconies to see what was going on.

Then I heard an announcement which was not in English , I think it was in airport speaker language (almost undecipherable) and decided if it meant everything is OK, and I left I could get some supplies and if it meant please leave in an orderly fashion I would be best assuming to go down 25 flights. Others also seemed uncertain (and they looked like they should have understood the announcement!) and by the 20th floor plenty of activity could be heard, including pouring or gushing water, by the 15th floor the stairwell was wet and firemen were going and coming. The external exit door was locked, luckily there was an alternative safe exit and we stood in the foyer watching water pouring down from above. "Kwai dien" ( quickly) says a security man, ushering us past the wall to the outdoors.

I gave up and had dinner nearby, a noodle soup and lemon tea for the huge sum of 15 yuan (2 dollars), makes up for teh days I am indulgent.

When I got back the building was safe but the queue for teh lifts was huge so I decided to test my legs on the 25 flights of stairs. In 85% humidity I think I have sweated out the cold surely, dripping with sweat at the 25th floor, not to mention sounding like a puffing billy steam train I did it! I'd better set two alarms for the morning.

Oh, I also sent off an email to English First to accept their offer of a 12 month contract from late October ( have to fit in a 6 week holiday with friends in Chile, Peru and Bolivia before that).

Pending leave without pay from work and the granting of a working visa, Shenzhen 3 Kids school you have to put up with me for a while yet.

Nothing much happens and I can still take up so much of your time in reading this. Now to try and correct some of the typos but I will leave some of my trademarks in.

I don't think I have chased off my head cold, I'll have to keep my distance tomorrow.