Better late than never (
see 16 February 2007)!
To all One's ever loyal Royalist followers throughout the realm, may this message in these bleak times give you hope and courage for the future ahead. For those of you who have not heard there has been an effective coup d'etat in the realm. No, not by the usurper who One still suspects had some hand in this most heinous of acts, but by the Chairman and the Secretary-General of the new regime. Of course, these counterfeit titles are as baseless as the morals of the people upon which they have been bestowed. These people whom We once perceived as the most trustworthy of One's inner circle will, to you and Oneself, forever remain Servants #1 and #2.
But One must start from the beginning.
At the beginning of the year, the usurper continued in his domination of the Royal household, taking up the majority of Servant #1 and #2's attention. His nocturnal pursuits meant sleep became an unaffordable luxury for the Servants. Also falling victim to HRH Sebastien's demands were marathon training for Servant #2 and subsisting on anything other than caffeine and sugar for Servant #1.
One expanded One's social network and allowed Servant #1 some breathing space as One started preschool in the new world. Whilst One's schedule of 9am-3pm Monday through Friday seemed daunting at first (to everyone but Oneself), We positively thrived in Our new environment and We were terribly upset the first day of school when Servant #1 arrived at 3pm. One had thought that Oneself was staying at school overnight. We became somewhat mollified when the teachers explained to Us that everyone, including them, had to go home each day so that the classrooms could be cleaned for the next day. Dubiously We returned to the palace and were only satisfied when We were able to return the next day. Of course, all of this played into the usurper's hands to monopolize Servant #1's attention. It allowed the usurper to attend playgroups on his own merits - and allowed time to plot how to wreak further chaos on the palace lives.
As you can imagine Our loyal subjects, such attentions caused a certain level of friction between Oneself and the usurper, and whilst One in no way thinks this was justification of the actions of Servants #1 and #2, One does feel it may have been a major contribution to the overthrow of the royal family. As a result of this coup, One has been forced into exile in the Orient. Some poorly contrived pretexts about 'academic freedom for the masses at the Wang Yanan Institute for Studies in Economics' and 'growth opportunities for the whole family' were given; but being forcibly moved across oceans without any say in the matter is exile in any language.
And so it was with great sadness that One left Our Urbana-Champaign colonies in the new world. Fortunately, the new regime is not completely without benevolence. The garden island city of Xiamen has provided One with elegant surrounds. In fact, One feels that the kingdom's new trappings/appointments surpass in grandeur the old. One has more room to swing One's cat (or the usurper) and the sub-tropical climate better suits One's taste in clothing (or lack thereof). However, One does still share the Royal bedchamber with HRH2 - though He has progressed from crib to standard bed. One does enjoy One's cage and looks forward to its return during the mosquito season. We are fortunate in allowing the usurper to share His cage in the meantime. As a sign of the civility of the new regime, the palace trends continue to include princesses, pink, glitter, high heels, princesses, lip gloss, pink - did One mention pink princesses? Even HRH Sebastien has taken to playing with One's handbags.
One of the most irksome things about One's new surrounds is the language. It seems the locals have not been taught proper elocution. As an articulate and very social member of the Royal court, One is unused to being unable to convey Our every wants and desire to those around Us. Accordingly, We must be the only "laowai" (foreign) children many residents see as We are more often than not accosted wherever We go and fawned over, touched, commented upon, offered food (especially chocolate and more recently mandarines), and generally poked, prodded and "loved" - or wondered at. Particularly One's large eyes are commented upon and One cannot count the number of times that One is told that One is beautiful. We have had so many photos taken, endured so much that One now finds it more expedient to say "Bu yao!" to anyone who says anything to Us at all – even if it was a friendly “Hello”.
Similarly, the Chinese preschool teachers are ignorant of One's natural superiority by birthright. They don't even speak much English. One notes that the afternoon siesta proscribed at school is a yawn-inducing affair. However it does not do to upset these Chinese school teachers so early in One's banishment. However, preschool does give One the chance to use the Squat Throne. This most ingenious device is even preferred on other outings to Western Thrones. Another positive of the school environment is One's newly established friendships and One has deigned to learn some of the local dialect in order to facilitate better communication with all. It really is remarkable how incapable Our new so-called leaders are in developing skills in this vital area of state affairs.
Servant #1 has spent her time trying to become acclimated to China - and fervently resisting all enquiries as to whether she is to be teaching english. Servant #2 has taken to cycling to work - now that it is winter - and One is quite pleased with the seat on the back of said conveyance. Although unseemly for One of such station, One does rather enjoy going fast!
One also enjoys hiking with Servant #2 and HRH2, an amusement which One's new location provides plenty of opportunity for. HRH2 still requires some assistance avoiding things like roads and vehicles, difficult now His principle word is “car”, but One will continue to persevere.
Because the move of the Palace occurred in August, One did not manage Halloween in the traditional manner, however One did manage to attend an ex-patriot function dressed as, ahem, a princess. One was also reassured to find that the new regime and its location do not preclude a visit from Santa Claus. Among many other gifts, One received a bike with training wheels and One does very much enjoy pedaling around the Palace complex on it. The bell has a suitably regal tone, however a seat on the back for HRH2 to sit on would make it perfect.
Auspiciously One was granted limited travelling rights to visit the southern colonies at the end of this year to attend another family wedding - One rather enjoyed meeting One's extended family and introducing HRH2 to everyone. One also managed to enjoy pre-Christmas celebrations at numerous residences in Australia. One was rather miffed, however, not to have been visiting with One's friends in America as well. One does plan to use all One's powers of persuasion to encourage the new regime to spend some of the Royal coffers on a visit to the old northern colonies in the new year.
We have enjoyed fewer visitors this year from the colonies - Uncle Matt spent some time with his arm in a fistulated cow whilst in One's care although he does assure One that he bears no ill-will towards Us. Although We are at the whim of Our servants here in exile, We were given permission to receive Goran, Kat and Beano from the States in Our new surrounds and hope to be allowed to receive many other guests in the near future.
One does assure you that the stories being reported from behind the cloak of secrecy of the Great Firewall of China are inaccurate at best and indiscriminate proletariat lies at worst - the bias of the mouthpiece of the masses, NevinGrahamFamily.blogspot.com, is not to be countenanced and anything that you may have heard about Oneself or HRH2 is purely perfidious piffle spread by nonsensical nincompoops.
In these trying times We wish you all a healthy, safe and prosperous Year of the Ox!
HRH Alexandra
Happy Chinese New Year - the Year of the Ox.
After Mummy and Daddy enjoyed some chinese candies, various melon seeds and candied as well as spiced peanuts along with a beer or two the night before,
the family went on a long exploratory walk, appropriately attired, the next day 
and had lunch at Javaromas (Australian part-owned) as it coincided with Australia Day.
We took the 86 bus further down past the beach and then tried to make our way to the beach through a road that turned out to be where the military training was - the guards dressed in camouflage complete with semi-automatic weapons kind of gave it away (no photos of them, but this was the sign at the start of the road that we hadn't understood). 
We had ventured all the way past the recruits playing basketball games and almost up to the dorms. Oops! We managed to turn back without benefit of a confrontation. We then found a way down to the beach a little further on, past a hotel, and walked back along the boardwalk. 
As we approached the military area, it was more obvious that this was a place the general public wasn't meant to be in - there were even cameras, but the sandbags and lookout were obvious enough.
We also saw that some of the military recruits had gone down to the beach and were gathered on the rocks where much full-throated yelling (presumably across the strait?) ensued. They were very much aware of us and as we passed by there were many shouts of "hello" and "how cute" - Alex being oblivious. You can just make out a few on top of the rocks past the boardwalk in this photo. 
The walk back was lovely and neither Alex nor Sebastien complained terribly. 
We have taken to putting Sebastien in the carrier on Brett's back as he is getting so big, but it won't be long before he is too big for the carrier. We had found the site for that evening's fireworks but decided not to attend - it was further than we had thought. In fact, the ban on fireworks meant New Year was somewhat subdued in Xiamen - not that there were no fireworks. We were able to look at several fishing "boats" closely and decided we didn't wish to be in the water on any of them. 
It isn't wedding season so there were no wedding parties being photographed on the beach (as there are during the season - it's pretty crowded).
Sebastien was appropriately attired for the New Year - surprisingly Alex was not interested in acquiring her own dress in similar style - perhaps next year.
We finished up with dinner at the Xiada cafe - decorated for the New Year with balloons which fascinated Sebastien.
Alex was only back at school for two weeks before she had four weeks of holidays that included the Chinese Spring Festival and Chinese New Year. So down with the Christmas decorations and up with the Chinese New Year/Spring Festival decorations. Alex bought these herself at the alleyway near our apartment - she had to ask for a particular one "Wo yao zhei ge" (or ones as it turned out) and ask how much they were "Duo shao qian?" hand over the money and thank them "Xie xie". Very proud of herself - and we were proud too.
Even our apartment complex had bunting and lights up.
Typical everywhere were the red lanterns (red equaling luck or fortune). 
The gold material wrapped columns are there all the time and are meant to indicate wealth (usually they are outside jewelry stores and higher-end restaurants and hotels. There were also these small mandarin trees with red envelopes (hong bao) on them stationed all around. The signs on the sides and on the top of the door are various chinese couplets that usually have some sort of fortune meaning.
As it will be the Year of the Ox, various Oxen were in shops and on the street.
Chinese New Year is another time when ancestors are venerated. People burn hell money, paper houses, paper cars etc to ensure the afterlife is good for their ancestors. They do this either at a temple incinerator or in their own one at home. Here is one outside one of the apartments in our complex. They seem to be either red or silvery/gold coloured.
Before Alex finished the school year, Mummy and Daddy had homework. We had to look at her report book and write a response...oh boy! At least the report part is typed (nciku plus google translate equals adequate understanding). 
Our ability to read handwritten hanzi (chinese characters) 
is severely underdeveloped and requires us to ask a friend for a translation. Here is our response effort - Daddy having been the one to actually write the hanzi. 
It also makes us really simplify our replies that otherwise might have been much more complicated. For the record, the only area that needs work (and isn't adequate) is her ability to communicate her feelings and needs to her teachers - really?! - and everything else is either ok or excellent. On the last day of school we arranged to visit to ask about the nursery school that they administer - especially to find out whether Sebastien would be allowed to enrol in the following year. 
Such a change in Sebastien since the last time we were at Alex's school to enrol her - almost five months have passed and he is so much more interested in the playground items. 
Alex was very excited to show us "her school". 
Unfortunately Sebastien will be just a little young to enrol in the nursery school but we are working on an alternative - we hope that his understanding of Chinese will be better than Alex's to help ease his (eventual) way into the preschool.
What to do for four weeks of holidays...hmm. First we had a week of doing fun activities together which really helped highlight the no-playgroup issue here. I have extremely fond memories of the very many playgroups I attended in C-U and appreciate them all the more now. We did have some fun times with Ellie and Sam visiting his favourite Mian place and the Children's English Library 
which helped mitigate some of the boredom. We also visited a large park that includes a small children's amusement park - Alex loves the jumping castle (and it isn't un-typical to find Santa Claus somewhere)
and here she is what Mummy lovingly terms "The Alex Face Series".
Sebastien was a fan of the "bashing" game - go figure! 
You can also "fish" for goldfish 
and the first sign I've seen that talks about "emergencies".
We also ventured into the University twice a week to join Daddy for lunch at one of the student cafeterias (the "cafe" as Alex calls it). Here is Daddy standing next to some advertising for a seminar held at his work - we passed it on the way to lunch and Mummy couldn't resist :)
Each floor is slightly different - the ground floor is basically a "choose a bowl of rice (large or small) or noodles (hand stretched in front of you), choose a plate of 3-4 different foods, get your chopsticks and spoon if you also got the soup", the second level is more complex than that but the same principle and better quality ingredients (maybe) and the top floor has practically restaurant quality meals. Each floor also has a water trough with cold water taps outside the door for customers to wash their hands. We almost always go to the ground floor for convenience. Notice that the top two levels are shuttered due to New Year preparations and a decrease in student numbers due to the New Year.
Daddy is more adventurous than Mummy when it comes to the food - if you know what this is, I'd love to hear your comment! 
Alex and Sebastien really enjoy the typical dessert of a stick of deep-fried dough (kind of like a straight donut or churro - not really - but without the sugar or icing).
The following photos are typical of our visits there - especially if we are there towards the end of lunchtime when the flow of students has eased.
Usually Sebastien will get scooped up by the staff and taken to play - occasionally given some treat such as fruit or candy...
Then inspiration hit. We have friends (the other half to the duo who used to live below Brett in Orchard Downs) who are currently working in Bangkok, although our discussions with them have led us to believe that they are not enjoying their experience and are likely to leave at the end of the academic year. So we thought that we'd take the opportunity to visit them in Bangkok whilst they were still in residence. We chose to visit just after the New Year. In the meantime, Sebastien was sick again - why is it that children choose the middle of the night to vomit? I'm sure I wasn't nearly as inconsiderate!
To all One's ever loyal Royalist followers throughout the realm, may this message in these bleak times give you hope and courage for the future ahead. For those of you who have not heard there has been an effective coup d'etat in the realm. No, not by the usurper who One still suspects had some hand in this most heinous of acts, but by the Chairman and the Secretary-General of the new regime. Of course, these counterfeit titles are as baseless as the morals of the people upon which they have been bestowed. These people whom We once perceived as the most trustworthy of One's inner circle will, to you and Oneself, forever remain Servants #1 and #2.
