never ending...

Experienced my very first birthday in China!! Certainly one I will not easily forget… good and bad.
Because my birthday was on a Monday we started the celebrations already the weekend before. Went out on the town on Friday night, which always includes the place to be nowadays “Paname” a French bar where most of the non-locals hang out.
Saturday we had a lovely dinner at a very nice restaurant with good company, it almost made me forget I was in China. Was it not for the Chinese staff that still cant figure out that we would all like to eat at the same time instead of one after the other. After dinner we headed off for a farewell party at a Chinese bar. I have to say these Chinese people certainly know what they are doing. I had an absolutely fantastic time in that bar. Good music, great people, fantastic atmosphere but dodgy toilets… mirrors on the ceiling??? What’s that all about!!
Monday itself was not really a very good day. I did get congrats from the bear workers which made me smile and my lovely colleague announced my birthday in the Monday meeting… thanks Nic!
The bad part of the day was that 2 lovely bears had to be euthanised. One was of the group that came in at the end of March and the other was from one of my bear houses. Christmas was his name, and that really hit home… I did a fair bit of crying that day. Never realised that it would affect me this much. I said my goodbyes and held his paw tightly when the deadly dose was given. At the post mortem it was discovered that he had a big tumour around his asophycus, which explained all the vomiting he had been doing. The poor fellow was in a lot of pain and never showed it. We buried both brave boys the next day and I read the poem of hope and courage.
The same evening the girls had organised a little party and had presents and chocolate pudding for one, with candles! But it had been a very long day so we all turned in early.
When finally Saturday came again we all could do with a brake so it was just as well I had planned the BBQ on that day. Also my Dutch friend Annemarie had come over to cover for my colleague Nic who was due to go on holiday the next few weeks. We had a beautiful evening on the roof with all friends from all corners of the world.
Thinking this was more than enough reminders of my turning another year older… I was mistaken! For apparently at the end of the month there is a little celebration in the canteen for all that had their birthday in that month. So I was summoned to the canteen together with a few other happy birthday boys and girls. We had cake and we all received an AAF key ring.
Tomorrow is the first of the next month… so no more reminders!! Just leaves me to say a big thank you to all the lovely wishes, cards and packages. It means a lot to me to know that even though I am far away in China I am certainly not forgotten.
Bear hugs for everyone….!!!!