So it’s Friday, it’s been 5 days since my quarantine started and so far so good. I’ve been enjoying being back in Australia, enjoying many things in fact. It’s good to catch up with Catherine and Stuart and to spend time at their home. It’s so quiet and such a contrast to where I have lived for the past two years. I’ve been coming here for over 30 years and in the early days I found this place too boring and I would only want to stay for two or three days but after being out of the country for nearly 4 years and spending most of that time in China I am now quite content to sit here and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Watching TV that I understand, being able to use Google without a VPN and everything works so quick even although the base internet speed is not as fast as China, not having the great Xi Jing Ping Firewall makes all the difference. Pastrami, I really like pastrami and cheese on a fresh soft wholemeal bread roll. Fresh air and being in the country, it is so quiet so I can go for a walk and not bump into anyone, which is good since I am in quarantine after all, but I am allowed to go for a walk as long as I keep to myself.

I found a book this morning called “A Matter of Honour” by Jeffrey Archer and I have only read a few chapters but I intend to sit outside on the deck under the curved patio roof where at this time of the year you can happily sit outside. I’ll be spending a few hours out here in the coming weeks.

I’ve also managed to catch up with friends via the phone, a simple thing but I have been unable to do this easily because I have had to use Skype but the connection was never stable very often which was frustrating, but now I can just make a phone call.

I’m enjoying being back that at the moment the thought of returning to China is not even on the horizon, instead I am thinking of when I can return to my own house and what kind of car will I buy, will the old fridge still work and what else will I need to buy when I get home.

However there is one little critter that I had forgotten about and that is the fly, Australian flies are a pain, not literally but they are very annoying and I have to constantly wave them from my face but maybe they are just saying hello.

Below is a note which was sent to my friends son in Suzhou from one of his teachers.