sunburn and speed wobbles

Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2001
From: Ceels
Subject: sunburn and speed wobbles

Yesterday, when I was sitting on the Great Wall watching a thunderstorm come over the mountains from Mongolia, I was thinking that...

Actually I don't know what I was thinking, I just wanted to start my email that way because yesterday I was sitting on the great wall and I was watching a thunderstorm. But I wasn't thinking much. I was exhausted from having climbed so far. I actually made it to the end of the section we were on (si ma tai). When I was nearly there I sat down on a rock and was really comfy and thought 'ehh, I’ll just wait here for the others to come back’. But then I figured I’d got that far, a little further probably wouldn't kill me.

And it didn't. And I met a man from London who was in Port Fairy when I was in Dorset and there was a stunning view and it was all good and I was happy. Then on the way home on the bus with the super-cold air conditioner my cold got worse. Then when I got home I was all misery-guts and hopeless. And now today I am really sick and I’ve got the speed wobbles and I want to go home.

So, reasons to stay in Beijing: good job(s) (most of the time).

I am just starting to get the hang of the language.

With fewer hours working, I might make some friends.

The kids are really cool.

And to return: I might shake this cold I’ve had for four months now, it's back for the seventh round.

I can do fun uni stuff.

Less smog.

I’ll be home before they decide about the Olympics.

In the balance it seems I should stay here. Mum thinks I am just being stubborn about staying. She has been known to be right about me before.

The school is foolish. They should have made me sign the second contract when I changed my mind the first time.

Thank you for all the lamb-milk recipes.

love you
ceels