Meeting MY WIfe Ni GUANG JUN and Getting Married
2008 was a big year for me as I left Zhenjiang with many fond memories and established my self in my life in Hefei. I was great shortly after my arrival with one of the heaviest snowfalls in the history of Hefei and then commenced my work as a foundation teacher for an Australian University programme at Anhui College of international economy. Soon after this meet a guy Tim Gilbert who not only become a colleague but a very good friend. It was through Tim I meet my wife Ni Guang Jun (Click here for more of the story). who has brought much happiness into my life as we established our family. Jean and I on one of our first dates together.
EarlY DAYS
Over the periond of two months our lives were increasing becoming one with a common circle of friends and I was gradually introduced to a bigger range of her family members.
By the time May 2008 had come Jean and I were in a committed relationship with Jean moving in with me and finishing her employment. We were now presenting ourselves as a committed couple and further exploring our relationship and social circles. During this time Jean mentioned that one of the reasons for her finding me was the desire to be in a loving relationship and she was lonely. During May 2008 we did our first weekend trip away and stayed in Nanjing for a few days where I meet some other relations of Jean.
By the time May 2008 had come Jean and I were in a committed relationship with Jean moving in with me and finishing her employment. We were now presenting ourselves as a committed couple and further exploring our relationship and social circles. During this time Jean mentioned that one of the reasons for her finding me was the desire to be in a loving relationship and she was lonely. During May 2008 we did our first weekend trip away and stayed in Nanjing for a few days where I meet some other relations of Jean.
MY Mum VISITS CHina and MEETS JEAN
During the summer of 2008 (June) my mum visits China and was able to meet Jean and her family when we formally annouced our engagement. While in Hefei Jean was able to show mum many of the sites and also on the way back to Shanghai introduce her to family her lived in Lujia between Kunshan and Shanghai.
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The Wedding Book
The biggest moment for 2008 was getting married. We were registered in the local office. We never got round to having a proper reception as we got sick soon after marriage ( I think still Jean wished we had done something. Anyway we are happily married and continue to learn more and more about each other with all the challenges and joys of a cross cultural relationship
2009 We consolidate our relationship and buy a car
In 2009 we further consolidate our relationship and move into family life. Once of the biggest events for the year was the purchase of the car whch I have discussed elsewhere on the website. Click here for that story. One benefit of the car was the freedom to travel and explore the hinterland and beyond of Hefei. One of our early trips was to visit Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) in Southern Anhui. It was a pity a typhon hit the week we visited. It was after this time we begin plan for our trip to Australia
2010 Our HoneyMOON in Australia LEARN JEAN IS Pregnant
During late 2009 we made preparations for Jean to gain a passport and submit the paperwork for a visa. Finally Jean was able to meet my family in Australia. While in Australia we visited Sydney, Bathrust, Regional NSW, Hobart and Perth. It was while we were in Australia we learned Jean was going to have a baby.
Here Jean was able to experience with me the joy or crosisng Sydney Harbour on the Manly Ferry. We were able to spend time with a former student on the way to Manly. Jean loved the beach especially the one at Collaroy where she had her first Australian Hamburger ( made by a Chinese cook from Nanjing), build a 'Great Wall' while a built the traditional sand castle.
While in Manly were able to meet my cousin Emelia who did shopping with us. My brother Greg flew up from Hobart for the occassion also. On of the hightlights of the trip was playing put put golf at the Northern Beachs. We had so much fun we forgot to take photos.
While in Manly were able to meet my cousin Emelia who did shopping with us. My brother Greg flew up from Hobart for the occassion also. On of the hightlights of the trip was playing put put golf at the Northern Beachs. We had so much fun we forgot to take photos.
To the right you will see Jean with my brother Greg and Emilia shopping in Sydney.
Later Greg accompanied us on the train back to Bathurst to spend a few days with my parents. While in Bathurst Jean not only meet by pets but she was aslo able ot meet my siste and her family. The photo's below are of the Messner's , my sister's family and enjoying the region. It was while we were in Australia we learned that Jean was pregnant with our son so towards the end of this trip to Australia we began to focus on the changes this new life will bring in our own lives.
Later Greg accompanied us on the train back to Bathurst to spend a few days with my parents. While in Bathurst Jean not only meet by pets but she was aslo able ot meet my siste and her family. The photo's below are of the Messner's , my sister's family and enjoying the region. It was while we were in Australia we learned that Jean was pregnant with our son so towards the end of this trip to Australia we began to focus on the changes this new life will bring in our own lives.
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Mum and Dad showed us around the region and treated Jean to some of the fine dinning offered Bathurst. While in Bathurst mum and dad raised the possibilty of us moving there in the future.
Having Greg in Bathurst was great as this allowed us to visit Hobart and enjoy the beauty of Tassie. One of the hightlights for us was climbing Mount Wellington and another was seeing Tasmanian Devils in their natural environment. |
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2011 The Birth of Our Son and Settling INto Family LiFE
After retunring from Australia we began the prepation for the birth of our son with all the normal nesting behaviour of expectant parents. As the husband I had to watch from the outside while my wife describe the changes going on side in her life. As we moved into the Chinese winter it was doctors visits, visiitng babies shop and organise the family support for the arrival of our son. Below is getting his cot ready in the far right we organised Jean's cousin to assist with the family for the birth of our son and later she stayed with us for two years only to return to XinYi to undertake her own pareting and grandparenting duties.
Tim was born on the 9th March 2013. This is how a broke the news to my family in Australia
Hi all,
just letting you all know today there is a new member of our family.
Timothy (Tim) John Ford. He was born by cesarean section at 2:45 PM today in Hefei Bin Hu Hospital. He weighed in at 3.25 kgs at birth. He is feeding well and he has a mix of both Jean and my features. So I I guess soon I will have more to say about. I have attached some of our first photos of him in this email. We have named him after our good friend who helped us to meet.
Jean is fine though a bit sore and the family here in China have been great and showing god support for us!
Bye for now
Alan and Jean
This was the begining of a new journey for us as new parents. Below are some of the early photos as a family. I will alk more about Tim in another section of this website.
Hi all,
just letting you all know today there is a new member of our family.
Timothy (Tim) John Ford. He was born by cesarean section at 2:45 PM today in Hefei Bin Hu Hospital. He weighed in at 3.25 kgs at birth. He is feeding well and he has a mix of both Jean and my features. So I I guess soon I will have more to say about. I have attached some of our first photos of him in this email. We have named him after our good friend who helped us to meet.
Jean is fine though a bit sore and the family here in China have been great and showing god support for us!
Bye for now
Alan and Jean
This was the begining of a new journey for us as new parents. Below are some of the early photos as a family. I will alk more about Tim in another section of this website.
Summer 2011 My Mum Visits Again
During the sumer of 2011 my mum visits Hefei again to see our families newest member and supports Jean as the mother in-law during this time. While with us mum took this photo of Jean and I have a family outing at ZhenPing Shan which is a favourite place of my wife.
Family Life
Over the remainder of 2011 and into 2012 the new life made changes in our relationshiop and I guess our family life became much more rountine and in some ways mundane careing for our son. I noticed especially from my wife a greater focus on our son and less opportunities to go out. Since Jean's sister was supplying the support for her cousin to help with Tim we has on many occassions Guang Jun Ji stay with us including the time we had in Nanjing. During this Tim there was a strong bond between Jean and her little niece who is pictured to the right with Jean and Tim at Hua Gou Shan or Money Mountian in Northern Jiangsu.
Dad's VISIT in Summer 2012
As you can see less photos as we moved into the normal family life. In the summer of 2012 my father visited Hefei which was an awsome surprise to both of us as he really does not like travelling. As I had IELTS Committments my father was able to spend a lot of time with Jean and our son. During the first week of the visit we did some day trips but for the most part stayed at home. It was during this we prepared for a move to Nanjing as I agreed to take up a position there with the help of my father who did express doubts as to whether this was the best thing for Jean.
A Year in Nanjing 2012-2013
After the intial excment of moving to Nanjing it was clear my wife was not happy there. My new job proved busines than anticipated and really it was time we did not focus as much on our relationship. Jean was increasing spending time in XInYi and Hefei. While in Nanjing she did form one good relation with one of the Nanjing Based IELTS examiner wife 'Bo' who help Jean a lot. During this time Jean expresed the desire to move back in the work force but lacked 'guanxi' in Nanjing so I agreed with her we need t move back to Hefei. It was during this time I suggested we need to also make the longer term plan to return to Australia. By June of 2013 I had secured a position in Hefei and we made plans return to Hefei. In Nanjing we did meet some long lost relations and were able to learn more of Jean's family. When I was not busy there the walks around Xunawu Lake were some of our more special moments. Just prior to returning to Hefei we took the opportunity to spend time with some family in Jiangsu Lujia. Jean I think was tired and releived we were returning to Hefei. In the photo above Jean is reminding us all she is born in the year of the snake. In Lujia there is a wonderful park which has statures for each of the animals of the Chinese Zodiac.
June /July 2013 My Mums visit And the return to Hefei
Mum made another visit to China and this time it was not only to see the grandson but to offer support for the move back to Hefei. By this time I knew Jean was pretty upset with the time in Nanjing. I had a period where I was home more so I was able to begine the process of recconnecting with the family. Jean wanted to get back in the work force and be ready for Australia. While mum was in China we began the process of gathering documents for preparing her spouse visa. During this summer I mainained my schedule of IELTS and Jean with my mum set up home again in Hefei. Click here for more of what happend for the return to Hefei. One special moment for this visit was my mum was able to meet Jean's daughter from her first marriage. Jean was happy to be back with her circle of friends and her support network and of course we celebrated with KTV. For several months I was doing make up with evening child care while Jean caught up with all her friends. During this period we continued to look after Guang Jun Yi who is pictured to the rightin August 2013 in Hefei.
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VisIt to Luoshan - Recconnecting with my WIfe
After a hectic shedule the months role on quickly and by Octoer 2013 I had a break from IELTS speaking and wound back my teaching at Hefei Foriegn langauge school. In early January 2014 we had time to spare so as a family we travelled to Tongling and later to Luoshan in Jiangxi Province as family. I have to say this place was gorgeous and one where could discuss our future.
It was during this time we decided to hold off little more in doing the visa and Jean wanted to reenter the workforce in Beauty Therapy. We also were excited to make the final preparations for my brother Greg to visit China for the Chinese New Year.
It was during this time we decided to hold off little more in doing the visa and Jean wanted to reenter the workforce in Beauty Therapy. We also were excited to make the final preparations for my brother Greg to visit China for the Chinese New Year.
Greg VISIT's China to see His Nephew and of course Sister in LAW
Finally in 2014 my brother was able to pay us a visit which had been on our heart as a couple since our time in Hobart in 2014. Greg during this visit raised the possiblity us going to Australia and we discussed options for this. During this time Greg was able to meet most of Jean's family from Kunshan, XinYi in Northenr Jiangsu and also the family in Hefei. For Greg one of his highlght was Hunagshan and seeing snow in Hefei and also Shanghai. Greg loved the fireworks of Chinese New Year and gained more insight into Jean in his visit. The slide show speaks volumes of this visit.
2014 Training to RENTER THE WORKFORCE and A new Circle of Friends
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Soon after Greg returned to Australia Jean coomenced training to rejoin the workforce after a break of nearly 7 years. I was supporitve of this move as Tim was now more self-relient. Jean has expressed for a long time she wanted to renew her skills in massage therapy and learn more about beauty treatment. I was fully suppotive of this and she entered a training programme with Australia EV a chain of women's beauty and health centres in China. During this period although at times difficult for me I could see a growing confidence in Jean and a new circle of friends surrounding her. To rigtht are soem the women who trained with her. On the far left of the photo is now her best friend Lu Lu . They now often talk and do clothese shopping together and I have seen the benefits in Jean's wadrobe..
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Mums VISIT Summer 2014 - JEAN IS INtroduced to the world of marketing in AmWAY
As we moved into June it was clear if I wanted to maintain my IELTS and Jean was continue to to work we needed to organsie care for our sone. I expresed my concerns to my parents and within 10 days mum was in China. It was during this visit I learned Jean has been intorduced to Amay. At the time I was a little worried but since mum's visit I can see Jean has learnt a lot about Nutrition, Marketing and some practical skills such as installing water filters. To the left is her mentor for Amay and below is my mum in China again. If you want to learn more about what Jean is doing now you need to click here or Ni Guang Jun Professional Beauty and Massage Therapist.
During my mum's visit also mum again challenged us to go to Australia for Tim's welfare so finally we have submitted the documents for this. This is an ogoing story. Jean is now busy in Hefei with her Amway Marketing and now is combing this with doing womens massage and therapy with a local business who we have know now since 2010. I believe she is pleased her friend Lu Lu is joing her in the centre. Fingers cross the next chapter in this story is preparing for Australia and the move there. More to come!!!!!
During my mum's visit also mum again challenged us to go to Australia for Tim's welfare so finally we have submitted the documents for this. This is an ogoing story. Jean is now busy in Hefei with her Amway Marketing and now is combing this with doing womens massage and therapy with a local business who we have know now since 2010. I believe she is pleased her friend Lu Lu is joing her in the centre. Fingers cross the next chapter in this story is preparing for Australia and the move there. More to come!!!!!
2015 Super Busy Preparing for AustraliA
During the new year Jean has faced competing and sometimes conflicitng goals with work, study and preparing for Australia. After submitting the documents for the spouse visa we heard nothing. Jean and I had a rather quiet Chinese Year Period where Jean negotiated with a local business to work in her area of traning of hairdressing, massage and beauty treatment.
Jean is now readying some further documents for the Australian consulate after a stressful few months wondering when they will make contact with us. Jean has said this would happen when she is already supper busy with her job. I am in the processing of developing her professional website which in time I hope to handouver to her as her computer skills improve. It is now live http://niguangjunlovesalanandtim.zohosites.com/
Jean is now readying some further documents for the Australian consulate after a stressful few months wondering when they will make contact with us. Jean has said this would happen when she is already supper busy with her job. I am in the processing of developing her professional website which in time I hope to handouver to her as her computer skills improve. It is now live http://niguangjunlovesalanandtim.zohosites.com/
