Greetings one and all. Very little to report I'm afraid.

* Have spent a couple of mornings this last week at the mountains. Having borrowed a chopper motorbike (or persuaded your student policeman to drive you!), it's possible to fill an hour with a truly evil (i.e. steep) half hour's step hiking, followed by a half-hour wander back down the winding mountain road. This return route includes a great view and passes many a bin-lan farmer chopping down their nuts from 30-foot skinny trees (bin-lan is the stimulant, similar to chewing tobacco I guess, that many of the men here chew (to lip-reddening effect).

* The boss at school has gone on the offensive again re: getting me to stay. Why I can't just say ' thanks, but NO' when that's what I'm thinking, I just don't know. Gutless wonder!

* As of yesterday, I've 3 weeks left at this school!

* This week's fitness obsession is triathlon. I found myself browsing an article about this 'multisport', and rather than each 'TRI' being a whole-day near-death experience as I though, it turns out that you can enter short-race 'SPRINT' events, which with some training could be possible I think.

These usually consist of 500-1000M swim, 20-25K bike, and 5-10K run. I am currently trying to find an event like this in the first half of next year to aim at (preferably in Taiwan... I've found four TRI's here so far, but they are all Olympic length events in the mountains (did I mention how steep they are?)). I'll keep looking.

I told you I didn't have much to report. I've just woken up you see, so my limbs are faking being alive, whilst my brain's not even entering the denial stage yet.