A beauty yet a beast.

There is so much beauty, and yet so much ugliness in china. The terraced farms and cottages in the country are wonderful, and the people are all so kind. I met a Kind little chinese man in a garden who played the violin. He played traditional chinese music, and to here it coming of a traditionally western instrument was strange and eerie and enchanting all at once. He was very kind, and taught me some words in mandarin. At times you just look a certain direction down a lane, or into a garden, and you see china at its best.

On the flip side of that, there is so much poverty and squalor it is in places appalling. I took a picture of a high density housing complex situated right next to a canal, as soon as i can i will upload it. The state of the canal is wretched, the locals simply dump there waste, faeces, food scraps and litter straight in there, and the smell makes you dry reach.

I have only seen a little of the country, but from what i have seen i think i will like it here. Once i have a little better grasp of the language and customs, I'm sure things will be better.

To all those at home, i love you and miss you so much. Life isn't the same, when you go from being surrounded by the friends and family you love, to be surrounded by millions of strangers without the slightest clue as to what your saying.

Take care all.
Tom

P.s. I feel like harry potter whenh i walk down the street, all the stares i get is sometimes unnerving.