Is the scale of the Australian Bushfires related to government policy?

Is the scale of the Australian Bushfires related to government policy?

Spoiler - Yes.

Watch the video even if you don't read the thread. It's powerful.

A detailed account of how the Government has failed us on Climate Change, again and again and again. I worked on this with @tomcballard @ChamberlinM & @closest_eves at Tonightly. Let Tom's rage power you through these terrible and terrifying days.

A year on and this isn't even satire anymore. #AustraliaOnFire #AustraliaBurning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stIYj4l2gAE

Here's a list of reasons why the scale of the bushfires in Australia is absolutely the Coalition Government's fault.

Advice ignored
The Morrison Government ignored expert advice, that's been rolling in since April 2019, saying they would need specialist equipment, including water-bombers, to fight off unprecedented bushfires this season.

Twenty-three former fire and emergency leaders say they tried for months to warn Prime Minister Scott Morrison that Australia needed more water-bombers to tackle bigger, faster and hotter bushfires. ABC

State cuts funding
As part of their '$3.5 billion shake up' to the public sector, the NSW Liberal State Government CUT $12.9 million from Fire & Rescue NSW, plus $26.7 million from the volunteers (Office of NSW Rural Fire Services).

While Scott Morrison offers thoughts and prayers to bushfire victims, the NSW Liberal Party has cut tens of millions from state fire services. Crikey

Vegetation isn't the enemy
The Morrison Government's response to the 2018 bushfires in Queensland was to attempt an inquiry into state land-clearing laws designed to protect much needed vegetation - blaming the trees for the fires.

The Labor premier said:

“If you want to know what caused those conditions, I’ll give you an answer – it’s called climate change”
"every candidate at the next federal election must reveal their stance on global warming, so voters would know if they were supporting climate change deniers or not." The Guardian

Premier begs for bushfire assistance
During the 2018-2019 bushfire season, the premiere of Tasmania had to BEG the Federal Government for extra assistance because federal funding (the NDRRA) doesn't support protection or relief for World Heritage Listed areas, or non-populated sites.
ABC

Relief NOT prevention
The Morrison Government's strategy to tackle climate change natural disasters has been solely focussed on injecting money into relief efforts after the event, with no new funding allocated to prevention and protection.

The strong business case for investing in disaster risk reduction has been underlined for some time by groups as diverse as the Australian Productivity Commission and the Australian Business Roundtable for Disaster Resilience and Safer Communities.The US National Institute of Building Sciences, for example, found that every dollar invested in mitigation can save six dollars in future disaster costs. The Strategist 

Lack of support for bushfire prevention
It isn't only the Government's spurious claims and ineptitude around Climate Change that are hurting us, it's their reluctance to even support the most basic of preventative measures. Including making enormous budget cuts to research and public services.

Government investment in research and development is at its lowest in 40 years

"Australian scientists have expressed disappointment over a budget update that cuts Aus$328.5 million from research funding that had been expected over the next four years." It will "rob Australians of life-saving treatments, research to help prevent floods and bushfires, and advances in almost every aspect of people’s lives" Nature

Where did the funding go?
That relief wilderness funding Tasmania begged for? It never came. Morrison has a long history of PROMISING relief funding for disaster efforts, and then deferring that funding to a later date - Delaying recovery efforts and making communities even more vulnerable. ABC

Decisions delayed, environmental positions unfilled, requests for meetings ignored & budget cuts.
Just last month, (December 2019) Morrison announced even more cuts to the public sector (the Government has cut billions). These services have a direct impact on fire prevention, rescue and relief including health, environment, research, communications, and community services like the ABC.

Disengagement with Environmental issues has been consistent.
Former Environmental Minister Melissa Price did the exact same disappearing act in the 2018-2019 bushfire season as many of our ministers have done this season.
The Guardian

More warnings ignored
While experts warned federal governments about the impacts of climate change denial, deforestation, and the impending bushfires, Environment Minister Sussan Ley invested her energy into getting Adani across the line and feral cats. I'm not joking.

Ley, who welcomed the Queensland government’s decision on Thursday to give the green light to the Adani coalmine, told Guardian Australia she wanted to see more action on recycling, threatened species and biodiversity protection, and a greater focus on individual action to achieve a better environment.

On climate change, Ley said she was “interested” in the emissions reduction task of government /and said she believed the Coalition’s climate solutions fund is “where we need to be”. The Guardian

Ignorance about the koala crisis 
And though she has been very performative about protecting wildlife and links to climate change, it's clear Sussan Ley is ignoring experts and has no idea what she's doing.

The major issues which need to be dealt with have been ignored. No moratorium on deforestation, mining projects or massive urbanisation development projects relevant to NSW and Queensland. NO EFFORT to address climate change impacts and the urgent need for protected refuge areas. NO PLANS to deal with ongoing drought impacts.

The situation is very concerning. Primary koala areas have been experienced a terrible drought for a long time, there’s massive dieback in the forests. No flowering, barely any new leaf growth.
Koala carers were already screaming for help because they were picking up joeys abandoned by their mothers who were struggling to survive. They can’t produce milk, the leaves have no nutritional value. This situation is going to be a major problem for sustaining koalas who have survived.

Taggart spells out the long-term impacts on trees that sustained fires so hot that they will not recover and produce pollen and nectar for at least 20 years 

‘Marsupials and nighttime animals use pollen as protein and nectar as energy. There’s going to be a real impact on native animals, gliders in particular. IndependentAustralia

Years of obstruction

Maybe the most insidious and dangerous member of Morrison's cabinet, Energy Minister Angus Taylor has been standing in the way of Climate related progress and policy for years.

Does Australia have a climate change record to be proud of? Spoiler - No
The Guardian

Funding stripped from Centrelink - AGAIN
Most bushfire disaster relief payments are made through Centrelink, as well as some RFS volunteer funds. The same Centrelink the Coalition has made a sport of stripping funding from for years. The Centrelink that Morrison targets again and again.

"harsh and short-sighted cuts: 18,000 jobs slashed and up to another 4500 predicted in 2017. More just last month.

unless the government uses this budget to begin a concerted and long-term effort to repair the damage it's caused, the problems will only worsen. Ordinary Australians will bear the brunt through shoddy services and more. Even a small increase in the so-called "efficiency" dividend, /would have a disastrous effect given how under-resourced key agencies are already.

THOUSANDS of regional jobs have been cut.

Instead of sensible policy, the Turnbull government uprooted the "Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to Armidale at great cost, losing specialist regulatory scientists along the way. The Senate inquiry has made clear the damage to the pesticides authority.SMH

In fact, I would argue the Morrison Government has, more than any Government before it, campaigned to make 'public services' the enemy, those same public services who are on the ground right now, saving our country against all odds.

We're all aware of the Government's blistering incompetence when the fires started, but here is a great refresher from November, including Morrison refusing overseas assistance.

the NSW Premier and PM have recently taken and/or failed to take action that can reasonably be expected to have serious negative consequences for firefighters, communities and individuals threatened by bushfires — both currently and into the future. Independent Australia

Cuts over many years - 2011
But this didn't start with Morrison. It didn't even start with Tony "volunteer firefighter" Abbott and his cuts to services and systematic undermining of relief and recovery efforts.

the NSW RFS budget was cut from $307 million to $287 million in 2011-12.  infrastructure items such as tankers and capital equipment and control centre [construction] is [affected]

More cuts to come

Both the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue in metropolitan areas face cuts to jobs and wages. The bulk of the RFS are already volunteer firefighters who take time off work to face fire emergencies. This means many are retirees, with a third of Queensland’s volunteers aged over 55. Cutting the few full-time staff will leave it even less equipped to fight fires.

What happened to the recovery payments?

Abbott’s federal government tightened the rules for disaster recovery payments to people affected by the fires, denying people cut off from their homes or without power and water for extended periods any payment.Solidarity.net

And yes there are failings from the other parties, ludicrous ones that beggar belief, but there is no party that has consistently harmed our environment, successfully undermined anti-climate change campaigns, and hurt firefighting efforts more than the Coalition. This is on them.

"A Nation Charred" 2003 - recommendations still not implemented
Attaching this tweet to the end here, so you have access to the link. I implore everyone to read this report from 2003. It's heartbreaking, but so important. #AustraliaOnFire

If you want to read the full report, with all the recommendations this Government didn't implement, here it is. Fair warning, it'll probably cause an emotional response you don't expect, like crying, or screaming, or punching a wall.

Search Results

Web results

[PDF]

A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires

https://www.aph.gov.au › House_of_Representatives_Committees › fullreport

Everything in this report still applies. Including the catastrophic lack of urgency & responsibility from politicians.

"If those very same notes are not considered or acted upon by policy makers and decision takers... that would indeed be the greatest tragedy of all" 

"These failures are systemic to the Coalition Government, who ignored the 2003 committee recommendations to develop a national strategy, to incentivise volunteer services, to invest in tech and research to model the rapid response on defence forces etc etc.

Some background on this is that we uncovered so much horrific shit Australian governments have done (or failed to do) in the face of impending climate change disaster that I still have nightmares about it, & I also fell out of love with Paul Keating which made me very depressed.

And the most INFURIATING THING is that Bob Hawke was one of the first leaders in the WORLD to attempt to centre policy on Climate Change. We could've been global leaders in this. We almost were.

in 1987, Hawke began to give speeches about the importance of action against the emerging threat of global warming.

Hawke was in the Lodge during the crucial period when Australia first became aware of – and tried to grapple with – the issue of climate change. And the trajectory of his leadership, not to mention the manner and timing of his political demise, leaves behind a huge question of what might have been The Conversation

These articles were collated by Kara Schlegl on Twitter and are shared here with permission. Twitter @karaschlegl

What's the deal with prescribed burns in Australia?

On the Australian pm's knee-jerk reaction to call for increased prescribed burns (hazard reduction) in response to random farmers who the pm chose to listen to.

It's telling isn't it, how the pm didn't cut them off, turn his back and walk away, as he did from the devastation at Cobargo. 

You've got no power, you've got no telecommunication, you've got fires all around you. Your sewer is actually hooked up to the power, so that means you've got no sewer. You've got no way of getting food. There is no fuel.
How do you feed all the animals here, and how long is this going to go on for?

If you come into a town when they're in a state of shock and grief, you'd best come with something that can alleviate that. 

Remember the pm literally and figuratively turned and walked away from this devastation.

And if you don't, then you're not going to have that sort of… People aren't going to welcome you and give you a warm embrace either. 

We know the govt hasn't listened to advice from professionals with decades of experience.
Yet, like easily influenced conspiracy theorists, comments from farmers (Who are they, what's their agenda?) are given authority.

"There are two major restricting factors for carrying out prescribed burning. One is the availability of funds and personnel, and the second is the availability of weather windows. 

The 2018-19 annual report of the NSW Rural Fire Service says: “The ability of the NSW RFS and partner agencies to complete hazard reduction activities is highly weather dependent, with limited windows of opportunity. Prolonged drought conditions in 2018-19 adversely affected the ability of agencies to complete hazard reduction works.”

          &

Fires " that had burned only two weeks previously, but “the burnt leaves were burning again”. 

“There has been lots of hazard reductions done over the years – more by national parks than previous years – but the fires have burned through those hazard reduction areas.”    Full article 

"Hazard reduction burning is really challenging and the single biggest impediment to completing hazard reduction burning is the weather," 
"It's only when the conditions back off a little bit that you actually have some prospect of slowing the fire spread."It's important, but not the panacea, and something we should have a very open and frank discussion about." Full article 

We now have the situation where fire chiefs are having to spend time clarifying misinformation that's being DELIBERATELY spread by members of the Australian government.

Think about that.

Australian govt ministers knowingly misinforming citizens with simplistic nonsense, while studiously avoiding the reality of the complex interlinked challenges associated with our changed climate.

What a bloody waste of time.

What's the real agenda here?

Why has this misinformation been eagerly spread by the pm, members of his government,  the murdoch media throughout the world, in a coordinated way by powerful, influential men?

Why are they so keen to give a voice to a random farmer over numerous, highly respected professionals with different areas of expertise? 

Who do these politicians really represent?

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/states-to-feel-federal-heat-over-hazard-reduction-burns-20200105-p53ozo.html

Election 2019. Who will you vote for?

Not just WHO will you vote for, but equally as important:

What does the political party stand FOR?
What does the political party stand AGAINST?

Spreadsheet of major party policies created by Denise Shrivell (Twitter @densieshrivell ) to help Australians make an informed vote in the 2019 election here!

The political policy spreadsheet is arranged alphabetically starting with Aged Care, the Arts, and goes on to The Banking Royal Commission, Climate, Defence, Disability, Education & Training, Energy, Indigenous, Industrial Relations, Security, Science, Welfare and much, much more.

Back in the "old days" we'd have a fair idea about a parties political policy going from past experience, we'd glance at some electioneering material, add a news article or two, and head off to the polling booth!

Of concern for Australia, our mainstream news media is now dominated by the foreign owned murdoch empire (which has been described as a political propaganda entity) and other increasingly right wing players, with few equally as vocal outlets dedicated to equivalent, but left leaning views.

This means we're getting a repetitive diet of opinion that the Coalition or LNP (the Liberals and Nationals combined) are unquestioningly wonderful, and Labor, the Greens and Independents are dangerously deluded. Like any mono-diet it's unhealthy for us as individuals and for OUR society.

It sounds unreal to say that News Corp is not a media organisation. It sounds outré to say that it is instead a political propaganda entity of a kind perhaps not seen since the 19^th century, one that has climbed to its pedestal through regulatory capture, governmental favours and menace, and is now applying its energies to the promotion of white nationalism, even as white nationalists commit scores of murders.  

Lies are increasingly passed off as 'post truth' or other sanitised phrases chosen to obscure deliberate deception. Sound, socially inclusive policies from Labor are dismissed, avoided, or deliberately lied about, by politicians and this media.

We're unable to trust some vocal politicians & some mainstream media to tell the truth or to let us know which policies will have a negative impact on us. We ONLY hear what they want us to via an mind boggling network of community, local, regional and national publications.

A small selection of NewsCorp murdoch media,
thanks to @slpng_giants_oz

Political party ideology and policies affect most aspects of our lives and include: 

access to affordable education, childcare, health facilities, roads, infrastructure, nursing ratios in hospitals and aged care facilities, disability support, social security, wages, water and food security, biosecurity, and safety regulations which help keep our families and communities safe.

Safety regulations aren't just inconvenient Red Tape for big business wanting to cut costs and time. They're dismissively and mockingly referred to as Nanny State Regulations, but they're vital for a healthy, well functioning, safe society.

Who stands for what in the 2019 Election 
You can search individual party websites to compare policy, or use this spreadsheet created by Denise Shrivell It's a comprehensive list of the major party policies, (LNP Coalition, Labor and Greens) and makes being an informed voter easy.

The policy spreadsheet is arranged alphabetically starting with Aged Care, the Arts, and goes on to The Banking Royal Commission. Then there's Climate, Defence, Disability, Education & Training, Energy, Indigenous, Industrial Relations, Security, Science and Welfare and much, much more.

Vote for policies which support your needs and values!

Part S - Teaching in China - Shanghai

It’s a sobering experience to have spent more than 4 hours flying across the vast and mostly empty interior of Australia with its approximately 23 million people clinging to a few pockets on the perimeter, only to spend the last few minutes of the 12 hour flight peering down at Shanghai with more than 24 million people in just the one city.

I don't know Shanghai well, but I enjoy visiting. Over the years, I’ve walked along a few streets, I’ve taken a few taxi rides, been on a couple of subway trips. Given the size and density of the city, that’s as insubstantial as someone making an assessment of Australia based on perfect Spring day in Sydney and concluding that no place could be finer!

One year, we stayed at a small hotel in the French Concession and enjoyed walking ... and walking, and walking. Wandering down alleys, peering between fence palings, oohing and aahing at statues. 

As a tourist, I find this area enticing. The generous tree lined streets provide welcome shade and a sense of coolness in the hot, humid summer heat, and while some areas are busy with crowds of people, others encourage you to pause and reflect on the rapidly changing country. 

Shanghai is a living city, with children heading off to school, university students and exchange students milling around with backpacks and take away coffee. Men of varying nationalities in suits, striding purposefully to offices. Others gliding along on bicycles, seemingly oblivious to the traffic, threading through cars and electric motor bikes with apparently no care in the world!

Chubby middle aged men stripped to the waist, some only wearing boxer shorts, sitting on upturned boxes, or with their singlets or t-shirts rolled up to below their armpits to allow their sweat to evaporate in any hint of breeze. Beautifully made up women, slender and haughtily confident of their superiority, clip along in sparkly stilettos and short, figure hugging outfits. 

Older people stroll to get the morning paper, some with small dogs with little booties. Washing hanging on poles jutting from windows in narrow, homey alleyways. 

In parks, in singles and groups, people exercising in the mornings - various kinds of dance, tai-chi, games similar to badminton - all part and parcel of a city so different, but somehow vaguely similar to Melbourne. Maybe it's something to do with the plane trees and the Chinese having been part of the Australian population since the early days. 

Here, as in Melbourne, you're just a face in the crowd, no different to millions of others. It's very different to teaching off the tourist track, where it's obvious many people haven't seen, let alone spoken with people from English speaking backgrounds before, where your every move is cause for curiosity and staring.
Hoardings and living green walls hide construction sites and the crowded relocatable housing for workers who've been attracted to work in the big city. Living conditions are as varied as in any large city, and dust covers the valiant efforts to dry washing on a line outside a hut. The amount of construction is incredible, cranes appear like a giant game of pick-up-sticks, scattered around the huge city. It's a riot of colour, movement and sound.

Shanghai is a city gripped by modernisation, and the pace of the change is breathtaking. On my first visit in 1978 it was like visiting a city with solid roots to the past. Those roots are still there in the lively alleys and the stately old buildings contrasting with the futuristic gravity-defying new ones. 


Not everything relating to the past has been discarded, but what demands attention is the iconic skyline and colourful nighttime lighting.

The Friendship stores are long gone, replaced by international flagship stores encouraging consumption and materialism, but of more interest to me are the people who've flocked from around the world to make this city home, bringing with them skills, interests and services for locals, expats and tourists alike.  

Not least is the availability of international foods, wines and good coffee! Leaf and Bean, Jamaica Blue, and a variety of independent cafes make a stopover in Shanghai after teaching in the country a real treat! 

My previous posts about Teaching in China were our Arrival, Banquets,  Culture and Comfort foods, Driving, Exercise, Fabulous Food,Games, History, Illness, From Jerilderie to Jiangsu, Kenny (which is about toilets) Lists and Communication Misunderstandings, Non-verbal communication followed by The Observations of an Onlooker, Pets, Questions, Rest Rooms, Shanghai and the next will be .... Teaching Teachers ...!

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Part R. Teaching in China. Rest Rooms.

Ah the joys of miscommunication!

It appears that the term rest room isn't a euphemism for the area where the toilets are housed, but was to be taken literally! At our school in Xuzhou, the rest room appeared to be a formal conference or Boardroom, and during the vacation period it had been set aside for staff to rest in after lunch.

However, we weren't aware of that on the first day, and, on being asked if we'd like to go to the rest room, made polite, non-committal noises and entered ...  I don't really know what we expected, but it certainly wasn't this!

Details of the large room were difficult to make out in the diffused light, and the gentle sounds of deep breathing (some might use the word snoring) greeted our chattering entrance. Stunned, we lapsed into awkward silence and looked at each other. Could this be true? Were the skeleton staff on duty really deep in a post luncheon kip?

Formal Boardroom chairs had been pulled together to make the semblance beds. Heads lolled in what appeared to be awkward, uncomfortable angles, on the backs or arms of the chairs, feet were draped over the adjoining chair. Clearly this wasn't a new idea, as all staff members were completely at ease and relaxed. Some had simply put their head down on the boardroom table and checked out for a while.

Not the Boardroom in question, but similar
except for the alert, focussed students!

We'd regularly enter the classrooms after lunch to find all lights had been turned off and our students sound asleep with their heads on the tables. Even they had the sense to have a complete break!

How civilised! An area specially set aside to have a snooze in the middle of the day! Australia could really learn from this! Less stress! Increased afternoon productivity! And so simple!

Unfortunately the opportunity for total relaxation wasn't for us. We rarely returned from lunch for long enough than to sit for more than a few moments before gathering our bags, books and photocopies and presenting the afternoon sessions. There were times in the afternoons when I thought longingly of the Rest Room and those gently snoring souls.

In contrast in 2015 in Gaoyou, we had lunch at the hotel we were staying at, and so were able to lie back in private and put our feet up in our hotel rooms on the pleasantly hard Chinese mattresses, (my back loves them!) and have a complete break after eating. It did wonders for my aching legs and I was able to give more energetic presentations in the afternoons!

On my list of things to learn however, is the ability to sleep anywhere. It'd be a very useful skill!

I haven't yet worked out the attraction of a window between the
bathroom and bedroom in some hotels.

My previous posts about Teaching in China were our Arrival, Banquets,  Culture and Comfort foods, Driving, Exercise, Fabulous Food,Games, History, Illness, From Jerilderie to Jiangsu, Kenny (which is about toilets) Lists and Communication Misunderstandings, Non-verbal communication followed by The Observations of an Onlooker, Pets, Questions, Rest Rooms and the next will be .... Shanghai ...!
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Part Q. Teaching in China. Questions.

The one question I've been most often asked on my return from teaching teachers in China is, "Would you do it again?"

I've often wished it was, "Did your students gain confidence in their spoken English?" That would be easy to answer with a confident - "Yes, all of them!"

But "Would you do it again?" is harder to answer. Partly, it's related to my undeniably Western upbringing and how my body copes with the change of food - it doesn't adapt quickly to the quantity of oil used in Chinese cooking. I'm constantly on the verge of diarrhoea and have a complaining gut. I have trouble sleeping, and find the sweltering heat and extreme humidity draining. Others suffer with painful heat rash. The lack of easy contact with home is challenging. "Yes ... maybe" is met with "So you didn't enjoy the experience", which simply isn't true. Questions aren't always easy to answer.
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Once you've gained the confidence of adult students, and respect and trust has been fostered, questions beyond your expectations may surface.

Stereotypes absorbed from films make for interesting discussions: Is everyone really that wealthy? Do you all have large homes? We might rarely stop to think about the skewed version of the "typical" western family life, particularly as depicted in TV shows and movies glorifying "the American Dream". We know it's a facade, and the reality for the bulk of US citizens and the western world in general, is very different. Westerners aren't a homogenous group and while students might implicitly understand this, it's important to also note differences within and between cultures. We don't all live in huge beautifully furnished homes. Not everyone is wealthy, many people are afraid of overseas travel particularly to a communist country where the main language isn't English.

My Chinese students were stunned to hear that, before I left home, I'd heard comments like: "Be careful, you never know if you'll be safe overseas, especially in China."
"What do you mean you don't know the name of the town and hotel you'll be staying in before you arrive, isn't that dangerous?" "How will your family know where you are?"
"Isn't China a scary place?"

My Chinese teacher-students looked at me with wide eyed disbelief, then looked at each other with genuine shock tinged with hurt. How could anyone think they, as individuals, could present a danger to anyone! "We thought all Westerners would be comfortable travelling to China." "We're just the same as you except we speak a different language."

And one thing leads to another. More questions emerge, and as trust builds, so does the confidence to ask them.

One day, I had the sense that something was going on between a group of the women. There was a general shuffling of feet, and pointed looking at each other.

"Do you want to ask me a question?"

Nod, nod, nod.

Okay, why aren't they asking? Why do they look so embarrassed? They haven't been backwards in coming forward the past few days.

"Is it something you'd prefer the men not to be here for?"

Nod, nod, nod.

Oh my goodness. What on earth could it be? What to do? How do I handle this? Nothing like this was mentioned in the pre training sessions! I checked with our interpreter and she encouraged me to let the women ask whatever it was they wanted, so I asked them to write the questions down with the understanding that I'd do my best to answer as well as possible.

And what followed probably only came about due to my age, and reinforced that we're all in this together. We all face similar problems and often feel the need to share and know we're not alone:

• How do I get on with my in-laws?
• How do I teach manners to children?
• How do I broach the topic of sex education with my child?
• How early do I begin the discussion?
• But they also were curious about our attitudes to abortion and single parenthood, about contraception, menopause, age and retirement.

At other times they asked questions specifically related to teaching:

• How do you inspire students?
• How do you help the student who is struggling - with school work, or with problems at home?
• How do you make your classroom interesting when there are tight time frames in which to deliver necessary material?
• How do you be a great role model?

And like so much in life, there's no single easy answer. Life is complex, answers will be different, depending on your country of origin, your age, experience and personal background.

More than anything I encouraged them to keep sharing between themselves, to find mutually supportive networks and to use this sharing experience as a great start.

As for "Would you go again?" I returned to Jiangsu in 2015 (to the city of Gaoyou) and found the experience just as rewarding the second time!

My previous posts about Teaching in China were our Arrival, Banquets,  Culture and Comfort foods, Driving, Exercise, Fabulous Food,Games, History, Illness, From Jerilderie to Jiangsu, Kenny (which is about toilets) Lists and Communication Misunderstandings, Non-verbal communication followed by The Observations of an Onlooker, Pets, Questions and the next will be .... Rest Rooms ...!

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