2010 a year that will be hard to beat

2010 has been a remarkable year for me here in China, one that I think I'll have great difficulty topping in coming years.

The year started in a flurry of snow and a hurry of movement, as I shifted my things to what has become my new home, here at Tianjin Medical University. It was also when I put my fingers to the keyboard and created my first Hotpot column story.

With the move over, it was time to focus on my new job, teaching "Speaking and Listening" to large classes of eager - and not so eager - students. It was certainly a change from working with small groups, but something I quickly came to enjoy. The range of skills and abilities meant that no two lessons were ever the same, but they were always fun.

Spring Festival quickly arrived and I discovered, much to my embarrassment - and everyone else's amusement - that I couldn't wrap up dumpling wrappers. Since then, I've been surreptitiously practicing this arcane art, and I'm hoping that 2011 will see me master the dough.

The Lunar New Year also gave me the chance to set off fireworks, something I never get the chance to do in Adelaide.

March saw my birthday come and go in a haze of candles and cake, as Ellen and I planned our upcoming wedding.

We then took a fast train to the Australian Embassy in Beijing, where we wrestled with the complexities of bureaucracy required for us to get married, which we managed to do in April. This was a simple affair, which took less time to complete than it did to stage the wedding photos - but that was another story.

Expo's opening in Shanghai saw us shuffling around the pavilions, exploring the best way to avoid standing in lines in the blazing sun. Ellen and I spent a great couple of days touring in and around Shanghai with my colleagues from work, and generally having an early honeymoon.

A few days later, we celebrated our wedding banquet, with family and friends gathered around us. Ellen came to live with me at the university, and we've settled in quite nicely now.

Spring became summer, and I spent the long university break generally looking for something, anything to do with the long, hot days. With Ellen at work, and the students away, the campus slowed to a quiet crawl, and I found myself counting the days until term resumed!

A new academic year started, and I returned to the chalkboard. My new students have been just as eager to learn as the ones previous, so the job has remained a challenge in balancing fun and learning.

Slowly the seasons changed again, and now I find myself again in winter, although not as cold a one as the start of the year. It has yet to snow here in Tianjin, and the sun keeps shining. From my desk, it looks like a pleasant day outside - until I go downstairs, and find the icy wind stabbing through my ribs. Christmas came and went in a rush of roast chicken, phone calls to Adelaide, and marking exam papers, but not all at the same time.

As the year comes to a close, I'd just like to thank all of you for reading China Daily this year - and especially this column. My fellow writers and I would like to wish you a very happy, safe and prosperous New Year in 2011!