frauke at large

After a long few weeks of intense working, I have finally found the time to provide a new entry…

Many things have happened since I last found time for my entires:

The weather has become warmer and it almost feels like summer now – I mean spring in China obviously, but it’s as warm as some English summers ever get. Took this picture of campus today when the sun was going down. There was a nice cool breeze blowing, after quite a hot and busy day and the water caught the sun, just as it was about to disappear behind the trees.

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The trees and shrubs are exploding with flower buds and I have found another exotic: Cercis siliquastrum. It has the most wonderful clusters of pea-shaped flower buds with deep purple flowers which kind of smother the tree before the leaves come out. It is also called ‘Judas tree‘ and originated from Europe through the Mediterranean region into western Asia. There are quite a few of dotted all over campus and it does look like a bit of a firework display at every corner you turn.

Last night I went into Ningbo after work to have a little look around – well initially I wanted to to go shopping, but after a while I gave up and just had fun people watching and enjoying the over-saturation of advertising. Although some of it is really quite cool:

Went to the Drum Tower, Moon Lake and walked through the old market which, at 8pm, was still full of people and stalls selling anything from bags, CD’s, live animals and shoes, to food, tea, clothes and kitsch. Anything one can possibly wish to buy. The nice thing is that most life here happens on the streets and so the market smelt really invitingly of food such as grilled chicken, sweet corn, dumplings and fresh vegetables. It’s almost impossible to resist.

Also had a nice meal out in Ningbo last weekend – went to a fish restaurant on Tiani Square which had gorgeous fish and vegetables – before indulging in one of China’s best loved pass times: Karaoke! It was real good fun, although we were not exactly spoilt for choice on the songs, as most of them were Chinese and the English selection dated back mainly to the 1980’s. But it was fun nevertheless.

Going to Hangzhou again tomorrow for another weekend excursion – got my heart drunk on Hangzhou last time I was there and hope to repeat it this weekend, now that all the plants are at their best!

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