Dear Aitece Teacher,
      You have a free long weekend free coming up and I hope you enjoy the opportunity to get out to experience the coming of Spring. It is also Easter, which adds further to the significance of the season.
      After two month of continuous paperwork and waiting, Louise DuVernet has finally got to Zunyi and began teaching immediately. Her invitation letters arrived in Hong Kong only on Monday last and she was able to travel on Thursday. It says something of Louise’s spirit that she was out next morning doing Tai Chi with the local ladies.
      During the waiting period I was in Perth for a gathering of former Aitece teachers and to develop some contacts with local organizations. The get-together was hosted by Julie and Michael Crowley who taught in Chongqing, 2004-5.  Dorothy Johnston was there though her husband Barry was unable to attend. The Johnstons taught in Fuling, Sichuan, 1995-96. They were there before Peter Hessler whose account of teaching in Fuling, River Town, has become quite famous.
     An unexpected guest was Ruth Waddington who taught in Chongqing, 2006-7. Ruth  happened to be there visiting relatives at the time.
      Lyn Carroll, another Western Australian who had taught in Chongqing 2005-6, was unable be come but later I visited her in her home in Cuballing. Lyn is in contact with a Perth-based sending agency.
     Others unable to get to Perth were Marjorie and William Holmes (1993-94, Beijing) and Karla Curran (Wuhan, 1990-91). However, I was able to exchange news of China with the Holmes’ by phone.
 It was great to see the continued interest in China and Aitece by these former teachers and my thanks to them and also to Margaret Walsh in Sydney who helped with the arrangements.
 Soon it will be time to think of visits and new applicants. I hope to visit Guizhou at the end of April. I visited most of the other areas in the autumn and, as we have no new teachers there, may not call in again at this time. We will shortly get the list of new applicants from the various countries but already we have four former teachers who wish to return in August.
 Rita is about to send out the new address list, so if you don’t get it within the next few weeks, or spot any changes that need to be made in it, please let us know.
 With best wishes for Easter and the coming of long-awaited Spring, from all of us in Hong Kong,   Hugh and Rita.