A bright clear hot day very like days during the southern Australian summer – but thankfully much more humid, which suits me even with all the sweating! I am still teaching during my residency – I teach online p/t at Swinburne University in Melbourne – and this makes things extremely flexible. I am actually enjoying having this commitment and structure as it can be daunting at times to be in a new place/culture without any of the familiar supports.
I have noticed the labourers working on the myriad building sites around the city live in tents on the pavement outside – hardly full of home comforts. The other night I was walking along Sanlitun Lu, a rather touristy street full of noisy bars on one side and darkened tents on the other with labourers presumably trying to get some sleep before an early start. Work starts early and finishes late for these workers. There are few safety harnesses, either, for those clambering up high along the bamboo scaffolding.
I have managed to get in touch with Professor Ai-Ping Liang at the Institute of Zoology who can identify my insect recordings for me on Friday, which is great.
There has been discussion afoot with Laurens, Yam, Christophe, Ise and I working collaboratively on a project after the laptop night on Sunday. It is hard to know how to approach it as Yam leaves on Friday, Ise leaves on Sunday, and Christophe is based in Tianjin anyway. Laurens has suggested a response to the Dong Yue Temple as a first step, which is where we all met for the first time,
