at the end of the day....

Another few and far between posting has begun.. It is hard to imagine life without you tube, blogging, Facebook, twitter, but hey when the chips are down life takes interesting turns... I am in the land of technical freedom at the moment and thought I better keeps things alive for the moment with a new blog... Especially as the year draws to a close.. . at times i wonder where all the time has gone to or where the year has disappeared to.... Some how it doesn't seem that long ago that we were welcoming 2009 in and now we are ushering it out with a vengeance.... life has been strange this year... the first half of the year was my previous academic year and the second half of the year is the present academic year... on top of that, I have been in Shanghai for a year and a half now... hmmm.... and o think most people thought I wouldn't make it and survive being in a non "western" country!

Anyway, time to hit the sack....

the long silence

Well.. I know... it has been the longest time since I have had the chance to update my blog... Life in Shanghai has been pretty busy... I am not the grnd commuter and am shuttling between campuses to conduct my lessons on top of climbing the stairs to go between Primary and ECE - as usual... life is pretty busy... But well can't complain.. everbody wants their pound of flesh... So here is mine...

It is the National Day holidays at the moment and I am busy cleaning out my room in Singapore and am preparing to become a turtle... carry my worldly goods on my back which will become my home... Not a great feeling but life is never perfect or totally fair so just dealing with it a day at the time...

My back is not totally comepletely healed and that has been proving a challenge where my work is concerened... as I cant bend anymore and it has been really painful to teach the little darlings... Hope to see the end of this tunnel...

Into a new adventure... Oh and it will not be as frequent an update once I get back to Shanghai as it is not the most convinient to get onto blogspot...

I am back!!!!

Can't believe that I have been out of the blogging action for such a long time... well this time has been beyond my human control... I have been left isolated from a lot of essential sites and this is one of them... But all is good... it is a really hot season and I can't wait for the weather to cool down a tad... so much so that I am absolutely not motivated to move out of the comfort of my home.. the mere thought of it and I would curl up on my sofa instead...

Hmmm good way to save money....

life...

Life has been pretty relaxing... so much so that I am wondering how I am going to get back into gear for work next week... Boo hoo hoo I can't believe that the holidays are coming to an end that quickly... How I wish it would be just a tad longer... But all good things must come to an end like it or not... oh well... till the next holidays...

living in the shadow of A(H1N1)

Mother to unborn child

People to people

What's next?

Better hold one's breathe when another person is coughing?

Don't think there is any escaping this new virus in that sense... Oh well keep on living and breathing while continuing to live a normal life...

Wonder whether it would transfer from human to animals though???

bark... bark...bark.... oink...oink... oink???

It is official

I have grown a couple of cm shorter than before my fall...

I am radioactive today due to a scan I had to do (nope I will not be glowing in the dark!)

In certan cases having a b;adder full is not a good look... It blocks the images of the scan...t hen again I had no sensation to answer any call.... being told that one's bladder is huge is not a great feeling either...

long silence

I know it has been a pretty long silence... Well nothing eventful has happened.. Been stuck at home some more and learning to wrok the core muscles in the back and abs... The simple things that we all take forgranted- like walking, standing, sitting, bending....

Oh and this is not written while in Shanghai as blogspot is down at the moment... 

okie back to bed....

Strange Happenings

Well... I have been stuck at home for the past week and a half!

But it being Mother's Day on Sunday got me the first outing in a trusty wheelchair (which Uncle Anthony had the honor of pushing- we were on the road for most of it as it was less bumpy than the footpath) and it felt like a child in a lolly shop... I was so excited and it was a lot of fun to get out of the house to have a meal and I admit I overstretched myself as I went to have hot chocolate as well... I was winded by the end of the night!

Physio on Monday was equally exciting outing wise (tragic but true!) and it felt good to be able to look at things from a sitting position.... It was exhausting working out at physio and am still attempting to learn to do the pelvic tilt properly... Not very good at that at all to say the least and it feels as if anything related to that motion is just about going down another path!

Showers are another highlight of the day! It is even more exciting when the notice for the stoppage of water is in worms and not circulated in all the letter boxes and is instead stuck on the notice board by the lift! So hey presto, I was happily starting my shower this morning and had just shampooed my hair... Tried to turn on the tap but there wasn't a drop of water! Yikes a head full of shampoo is not a good look even for me! So  had to resort to using the emergency bottle of mineral water to rise the shampoo out of my hair!

Wonder what is going to be next? Any ideas?

bed rest

I am officially on 2 weeks of bed rest! Have done 3 days already and it is driving me stir crazy! I am under house arrest and can't find a get out of jail free card or out of my restraining order... It is hard work to stay at home but I have not choice as I landed with a thump on my back over the weekend and fractured my T12 and L1... So rest and let the body heal is the order of the day.... 

All's well that ends well... Till next time.... 

Another Spring Issue

Pollen on West Lake in Hangzhou!

Seven Dwarfs

Dopey- I love this character to bits!

Grumpy- When I am overly tired and when I have had to teach for the longest time, I live up to this character... Well then again it doesn't take much now a days to feel this way some of the time... I guess having only a short break in the morning doesn't help the cause at all... That was what it was for me yesterday I had the lovely darling of K4 come for their visit and standing and squatting beside them doesn't help my knees...which leads me to...

Doc- I need one of those now...Is there a Doc in the house? With the new Swine flu floating around (What a name for a flu virus!) and Hand Foot and Mouth disease going round as well... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger so I have been told!

Happy- I can't wait for the weekend... Finally another long weekend in the making and I am going to do something or other... Like people say, "whatever floats your boat..." I need something to keep me in my happy spot

Bashful- LOL any comments here would be welcomed

Sneezy- Spring is the trigger for most people... The sufferers of hay fever and allergies! What a welcome to the warmer weather... It is a pretty sight but it brings on the suffering for many a people

Sleepy- That's what I feel right now! Then again that is how I always feel most of the time... There is never enough time to sleep! Some people were designed to be morning people and some people were not! I am definitely not a morning person at all! There is no doubt about that... I would give anything to put my alarm on snooze and keep sleeping till I absolutely have to get up and that means dragging myself out of bed!

All in all there is at least one of the 7 dwarfs in all of us!

Boing Boing Boing

Spring has finnaly arrived and this is my favourite season of all... 

My passion lies in the flowers...

Done!

The dreaded apprasial season is upon me once again... Guess it is not something I would ever get use to and it is at the end of the day just a part of life so to speak... The not so nice part of life... But it has to be done none the less...

I decided to use one of my best classes for it and had a pep talk with them before the session about what to say and how to behave. It was funny that there are 2 things that were taboo...The kids were on their best behavior when they walked into the class and they had the most angelic look on their face.

Matty walked into the class and he had his cheeky look on his face and he started "Can we... opps no!" as he saw that the "guest" was already in the classroom and he quickly sat down.. The class was so wonderful and it was a full on hour as usual but it was all good...

Now to wait patiently for the final report....

Time to enjoy the weekend!

Tadpole sitting

Right... I have a new profession....

I am officially a tadpole sitter!

Well not by choice but one little sweet Year 2 came in with her box of tadpoles and we talked about what they would grow up into and what they ate. Then she sweetly asked if I could look after them for her for this weekend as she is going away...

Me being me, did not have the heart to say no and now I am looking after tadpoles who are sitting in my room. (Hope none of them die or get cooked from the heat!)

My Two Worlds

Okay here are my "thoughts"

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090326034750617

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch?e=20090326233655135

Are you talking to me?

I have been so used to an egalitarian society for so long now that I have somehow forgotten how people relate to the image of status. There is no denying that it is always under the surface but to have it blatantly flaunted in my face is another issue.

For some people it is the recognition they are craving. it is that ego boost that people remember who they are or they have reached a height of society. But the truth of the matter is that they are still relating to the facade and not the real person.

I am not sure why but at the end of the day, I am simply looking for a balance and fairness. This all came about when Shangri La here launched a new reward card. While dining there on Sunday, we were not informed about it till after the fact (at least the bill was paid!) We asked about it and were given the application form as well as the terms and conditions. Lo and Behold, one of the conditions was that the card had to be presented before the settlement of the bill.

But me being me, I asked if the the amount I just paid could be counted. The waitress initially said that it was not possible as I did not present the card before settling the bill. To her credit, she could quote the terms and condition to me word for word. But after a while, she realized that I paid for the bill with their platinum card which is under the technicalities of the law under their governance. Her tone changed instantly and she said that she would check and get back to me to see what could be done.

I rest my case. Are you talking to me or my card?

Spring?

Okay the weather has warmed up all of a sudden... It is now the official summer temperature of Scotland... So what does one do? One changes into summer clothes- naturally! But er one is wrong once again... It is not summer clothing weather and wearing a skirt is taboo as far as stares are concerned.... One is never going to win this "discussion" but if one is not cold, why should one be tortured with winter jackets? Logic???

The spring flowers and leaves are starting to come out in full force so if the pants and nature has decided that it is time, shouldn't the humans follow suit????

Logic is illogical....

The weather forcast

Another day of pseudo sunshine... Well the layer of fog/smog/ dust/ pollution is rather thick but at least there is the sun in the sky that is trying its utmost to break though... There is something about that look that is good for the spirit and everybody...

At least energy would be burnt and spent... frustrations can be taken out by running around... Logic but that is something that baffles me... It is like the windy day syndrome... Can't really figure it out and am not going to try...

Okay this is a jigsaw puzzle of a blog as my brain is racing in so many different directions and ideas going in and out faster than I can humanly put them down.... So hence... bear with me while my brain sorts itself out!

Another Long Week

I wonder when my long working days will end... I have one early end this week and a whole load of meetings to attend once again... Woo Hoo... Not!!!! I hope I would be able to see a little sunshine from the outside and not indoors all the time but er... somehow don't think it would be humanly possible unless I hang myself out from the window... Don't think that it would be a good look to do that as oops accidents can happen and knowing me there is a 99% chance of that happening...

But all is good as it is not raining and all things considered it has been a really great day here in Shanghai... near enough to the color blue... which is in language of Shanghai is a very rare thing! Guess I should make the most of it and start zooming out the door soon! Well that is when I am allowed out that is....

till next time

2 different worlds...

This past week has been one of those weird weeks...

For starters I can actually count the total number of hours slept...

I spent most of my nights eating out instead of in... The sky has been a constant grey which has been just about the only factor that has remained the same...

Been seeing Shanghai using two different sets of eyes... It has been a really interesting experience...

It all started when Chris and I went down to the Shanghai World Financial Center for a meal... When you leave the street level and enter the sanctuary of the building, there is a silence that greets you and it feels like you are in a totally different part of the world- transported out of Shanghai... It is like living a totally different existence while in the building and this is only from being in the basement of the building having a meal... But when one takes the escalator back up to the ground level, you are back in reality...

Went shopping over the weekend at Superbrand Mall and once again that feeling of 2 different worlds came popping back into my head... I went from the fast paced frenzie of Lotus center to the calmer normality of Esprit... It is strange as both happily coexist in the same building... In saying that, there is always a change of attitude among the service staff and it is really intesting at times to just people watch... Ok it is one of my favorite activities as it is but to just watch how people react and respond is a real eye opener for me...

But the truth of the matter is, can I exist in this artificial world and be totally removed from my reality or do I happily code switch between the two or do I turn my back on one of them?

Cleansing

In Shanghai

• I don't do any housework...
• I occasionally do my dishes...
• I do the laundry...

Anywhere else in the world

• I need to do everything
• I am totally lazy and a great procrastinator

In Shanghai

• I do not need a colon cleanse or any cleansing in that sense...
• I have secret pets...
• My best friends are salt and vinegar....

The rest of the world

• Have to watch my intake...
• It is way too easy to find comfort foods

Memories of SAM bar

Well... last Friday night brought back memories of Uni life in Sydney... The only difference was it was a Friday night and not a Wednesday... Right now to the other not so interesting details... It was at the Shanghai Financial Center... It started at 2300... Drinks were not free but relatively cheap... I went there with Emma (after a really yummy wine and food match dinner at the Quaffers' Club)... It was trance music... had a free glass of white wine- the goodness knows number of glass I had that night and it was out of a proper wine glass and not a plastic cup...

But just realized how old I am as by 0100 I was feeling totally ready for bed... When I went to say goodbye to someone there was a slight disappointment on his face... that made me feel really bad so compensated by giving him a really big hug (which my friend said was a very nice touch)... Guess I can say watch this space... will see him again on Tuesday at this stage.... 

Happy Niu Year

Well the CNY holidays have come and gone once again... Now it is the long stretch till June... Lets see what did I get up to?

Met up with friends, got licked by Jersey, ate and ate, got my yearly bonus, met relatives for the once a year chat... ate some more.... I am officially addicted to any cookie and cake.... I know it is not good for the waist line but well I only live once... Oh I had to con Jersey to eat his medication every morning... He has acquired a liking for sukiyaki beef...

Okay think age is catching up at last- I can't cope with the lack of sleep... In order to maximize utility I travel out of PVG at 0010 and it is a 5 hour flight... Hence I arrive in SIN just after 0500 and that means realistically 4 hours of sleep then I hit the ground running for a full on day which is very tiring.... I leave on the last plane out of SIN at 1705 and arrive just after 2200 in PVG and by the time I get back to my apartment it is closer to midnight... Today is a full day of school... So there you go.... what to do??? All for a holiday....

Norms

Things that have become the norm for me..

• Crossing the street with great care when the pedestrian light is green
• Cars creating their own right of passage on the road
• The constant beeping of car horns
• Jay walking while the car approaches at a certain speed
• Men facing the fence/ shrubs/ back to the raod doing certian things of nature
• Bargaining for most things
• Fireworks any time of the day literally any time from 0000 to 2359
• Having my weekly chocolate hideouts
• Push and shoove all the time
• Getting blessed by spit

So my colourful life continues....

The beginning of Fireworks

I am sitting in my room and the sound of fireworks surrounds me... There is a free display just along the street and it is so loud... it has been going on for almost 15 minutes now and the end is not in sight... the person is letting of about a dozen boxes of fireworks... Have been warned that it gets far worse during the Chinese New Year season... Well thank goodness I would be gone for about 7 days of it... That is what I hope anyway...technically speaking but then again anything goes would be a safer bet.... But one can't complain since it is a free show afterall...

Barefoot

Well the Christmas/ New Year Holiday has come to an end... Now it is back to Shanghai for 20 days before CNY hols.... Going from very hot to cool... Can't wait to cool down but I miss Jersey already/// Poor guy has been rather down and out too as he has not been well...

It has been an eventufl time here at the airport and I have not even left yet! I had to hvae my hand carrier xrayed before immigration... Then it was a long wait for the GST refund as the queue was extremely long.... it took me almost an hour to clear all of that... Now am in the holding area and have my boots back on... Yup I had to walk through barefoot as I was asked to take them off... Whoopee do.... well at least I did not set off the detector which is a good change for me...

Looks like it is going to be a crowded plane... thank goodness I have my favorite seat with ontly one other person next to me! Yippee...

till next time...

2009

Day one of 2009 is drawing to a close... Well it has been just another day for me...

I have been busy relaxing and enjoying the close companionship of Jersey... Though he has started this year with a limp which is not a good sign...

My holiday has been relaxing and refreshing.... I have caught up with old friends... hung out with new friends... seen friends that I have not seen for a long time... dewormed my stomach, slept lots which is soething that is so rare...

Think the most interesting thing that happened this year (okay it is only a day old but hey still...) is that Ray and I were out for dinner and coffee (desert too!) We went to Starbucks at Marina Square and ordered a Venti Joy tea (a blend, of black, green and Oolong) to have there... I happily drank the tea and we walked out of the shop... then the old man asked if we paid for the drink and for the life of us, we couldnt remember if we did or not... so back to Starbucks we went and asked the staff if we paid for the drink... They were stunned and asked around... Finally, someone remembered that we ordered the tea, she served us and the other person was supposed to mend th register but there was a breakdown somewhere and we had a "thank you for your honesty"- we had not paid for the drink!

Well while walking around tonight, I found out something else that I have in common with Ray... Nope not going to tell... me to know... you never to find out....

Right time to say good night. hello 2009, good bye 2008...Hope this year is another year filled with many wonderful memories, happy thoughts and significant earth shaking events....