Guest report - Alison Thomson
Dear Zahid,
Yes, we have arrived safely back in NZ! I spent Sunday washing all my clothes – luckily there was a nice warm breeze to dry it and the rest of the day saw me weeding the garden to tidy it up!
I am talking very enthusiastically to people about Uzbekistan and all the wonderful things to see there. I have friends in Napier who own a travel business and when they return from overseas in a few weeks I intend talking to them about thinking of U as a destination which is different. I’m happy with the photos I took – just have to learn how to juggle them round when I have saved them to the computer.
I found China interesting and frightening at the same time. They are determined to be the number one power in the world and they have the “manpower” to do so. We often saw 50 – 60 people working in a field or planting trees along the highway. Their cities are huge with amazing motorway systems and very clean. Chengdu is thriving and they have planted both sides of their roads with buxus hedges (all well trimmed) and flowers. It makes the city so attractive. My brother was there 20 years ago and said there was very little traffic and certainly no motorways. It has 11 million people now. The pandas were outside in their enclosures so Roxy could get lots of photos. I think she thought she was the only keen photographer on the trip! In China, she persuaded the guide to give her his seat so she could get good pictures.
On one of our flights she complained because she didn’t get a window seat so Tim let her sit in his seat. I ended up sitting between them and they had a ding dong argument across me because Tim said he didn’t like Australians on his trips. She couldn’t understand why! I think we were all sick of her by the end of the trip – everything had to be for her, no idea of being part of a group.
Silvie had her 79th birthday in Hong Kong. That’s a very smoggy city now. The high rise buildings are higher than ever now the height restriction is off because the planes don’t land right in the city between the tall buildings. Wonderful new airport.
Zahid, thank you again most sincerely for the way you looked after us all, and thought of all our needs. Your historical knowledge of your country is also great and I did enjoy listening to it. I have learnt a lot on the trip and now want to do more reading to fill in the gaps in my knowledge. You have an amazing country and I hope more people take the chance to visit it.
Remember if you ever come out to this country there is a bed in Hawkes Bay for you and your wife if she is with you.
As you see, I am back at work and have just got to the end of clearing over 200 emails so thought I would take a few minutes to type this note.
Take care.
Sincerely
Alison Thomson
School Improvement Co-ordinator
Napier Office, Ministry of Education
04.26.2006
