The gaps betweek my blogs are becoming far too large. As we get more involved in various activities here, are lives are becoming busier, and it is harder and harder to set aside a few hours to write a blog. Also dominating my time of late have been the plans and organising for the imminent visit of 11 Australians who are arriving in bunches over the next four weeks. Mainly members of my family, our offspring and their partners, they are coming over for the combined celebration of the inventor's 50th bithday and my father's 80th, which both occur within days of Chinese New Year. We have numerous parties and sightseeing planned. I hadn't realised just how much work would be involved in finding accommodation, fitting out guest rooms, transporting and feeding this many people, but the main arrangements are now all sorted, and I can calm down at last.
Do you remember the old man with the bicycle piled high with boxes? I see him often, pushing the heavy, old machine up a slope, or crawling along patiently beside the hurrying traffic. Day after day he heads out on ricketly wheels and unsteady legs, in search of old boxes that he can exchange for a few coins to feed himself and his wife. Life is very different here. Poverty is different, and needing is different. One day when I have more time, I might join the thousands before me who have shared their thoughts on poverty, on life, and on humanity in general. For now I look forward to our visitors' arrivals, starting tomorrow with our son and his girlfriend. We hope that, like us, they can sit back and watch with appreciation and fascination the endless stream of humanity come and go, round and round, on this endless cycle they call "life".
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