Where is Mrs. Stevo?

Mrs. Stevo zai nar?

Ou est Mrs. Stevo?

Can you answer the question? I can, but Mrs. Stevo is my wife, I have a tad more insight.

Remember the contest I had, the one I meant to continue but never did? There was a secret and no one could guess what it was.

The secret — was/is — is that I am now a bachelor. Mrs. Stevo has left me, for the time being. No, this isn’t a separation that can be resolved by counseling.

My delightful lao po is working somewhere in jolly ole England, and has been for two months. She will return to China eight months from now. Her task: Teaching Chinese to British high school students (I’ve met the students, her resolve will be tested).

So, here I sit. Alone.

I thought I would enjoy the freedom for a week or two before the loneliness set in, after she left in September. That enjoyment last about seven hours. I woke up a few hours after retiring, rolling over, stretching my arm toward the warm, soft body that wasn’t here.

Mrs. Stevo in London. You gotta love the hair flip.

She was gone.

Really gone.

I was alone.

I’ve come to grips with the loneliness. Luckily, my job keeps me hopping (running to stand still is a better description) and I don’t have a lot of time for personal feelings. That’s probably for the best. My thoughts wander to her during the quiet moments, the down-time, and I again feel like a silly teenage boy that writes flowery sonnets to his absent beloved.

Yuck. Been there, done that. I’m a man! Show no emotion. Brave the world, like a stoic.

Ummm, okay.

Here’s to you, Mrs. Stevo. I raise a glass to your adventure, and one to myself to numb the occasional pain of our separation. The weekend is almost here, dear friends. Send a quiet toast to the small Asian fireball on English soil. Or to me, the middle-aged 16 year old trying to figure out iambic pentameter.

Yes, there are Balloon Rides at Shenzhen’s OCT East theme park.

Ducks to the left of me, balloons to the right, here I am…..

The music is a nod to the Captain and Tennille.

I mentioned the gala Tea-themed stage show at OCT East – the grounds of the Shenzhen-based themed park are no less impressive.  The ducks in the pond area that surrounds the replica European village are amusing the watch. Ducks have always been my favorite, although in China they seem to be, more often than not, on my plate.

Captured: October 23, 2008.

space

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It’s 6:21 am and I’m drinking Irish whiskey. I’ve worked the past 16 days, straight thru. A group of vBritish middle school students has been visiting, with me as their tour guide. I have shown them my domain, the grandeur of the Middle Kingdom: The sites, the temples, the 5,000 years of history.

They boarded their bus at 5:30 and I’m knackered. Sleep is in order. Have you ever been so tired you don’ know which way is up? That’s me. I wish myself sweet dreams.

Overseas Chinese Town (OCT) in Shenzhen, China has opened a location in the east of the mega-city. Near the beach and deep in the mountains, the tea-themed holiday park offers visitors a number of interesting escapes from the daily grind.

The daily gala show at OTC East, on the history of tea and tea zen, is something to behold. Grand costumes, dancing, and a giant multi-media screen make the trek across the city worthwhile.

Captured: October 23, 2008, OCT East, Shenzhen, China.

At 552 meters, Victoria Peak is the highest point on Hong Kong Island. The mountain features some of the most expensive real estate in the world. During colonial times it was the retreat of the rich, who were carried to the top in sedan chairs. That was probably fun in an elitist, colonial way.

The Peak is now accessible by road (a damn scary drive) or tram. With 7 million visitors per year The Peak is one of Honk Kong’s highest drawing tourist attractions, offering visitors stunning views of the surrounding area.