Boat People

The minibus picks us up at just before seven. Everyone is quiet, head phones in, sleeping, thinking, watching. It's a 40 minute ride to the McConaghy factory along the Zhuhai road. I watch. We go past the new VW dealership, the No 1 primary school, and lots of empty buildings. The recession has hit here too but the road is still busy. The pedestrian crossings exist simply as a designated place for accidents. No one stops and a girl sits on the back of a moped reading a book in the outside lane.

Its good here. For some reason that I can't describe it feels right, for me at least anyway. The food is good, the people are nice and I feel part of the world. I've been to China a few times and it has a habit of aligning my perspective on life. Something that gets skewed in the UK. Anyway it's hot for January and I'm reminded I'm in Southern China by the banana trees that line the road.

Back in the bus going home there is hi jinx. Its already eight thirty pm and time to relax. The guys stop for píjǐu (beer) and dumplings in a village. Its a good atmoshphere and I can see why people want to live here. I would.

But soon I'm off to Melbourne and the Australian Nationals.




So here she is, one of three Mach 2's built, all dressed up and some place to go.

We do go straight into a big event, but as they say "some like it hot.."