We did it! We hit the halfway mark. After today term number one will be done. Christina is in the process of having the kids clean up the home economics room, put the finishing touches on their cooking portfolio and whisking them off into the next semester with a new arsenal of English vocabulary. They had a great week, finished in style, by cooking PIZZA! (from scratch) The students did a great job, but some of their topping choices were 'suspect??'. There were some peach and lychee pizzas, deluxe supremes with the toppings piled sky high, and asia's favorite, the CORN pizza.... yes in Thailand sweet corn (with condensed milk) is a favorite and here in China, corn on your pizza is a favorite as well.
My mandarin classes have a final exam which will take place on Monday, and then I'll be marking and getting the grades for report cards ready. Christina is one step ahead and has almost all of her marks in, with report card comments being thought up as we speak!
This time next week we'll be closing up our house, moving our bikes into the flat, and packing our bags for an exciting reprieve in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We look forward to meeting up with Christina's parents (Stephen and Sandy) at the Bangkok airport, then carrying on to Chiang Mai and two weeks with both sets of parents!! Here's to hoping the loads aren't full from Vancouver!!
We rang in the New Year in style... sleeping soundly at a hotel in Tianjin. We woke up Jan 1st at 5 am realized the world was still here, that we had a flight to catch, and that we were happy we decided to turn in early and not wait up for the 11:59-12:00 rollover. There's always next year...
Chengdu was great, very relaxing, lots of GREAT food and excellent conversation.
Happy New Year to you all!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
six full days left
Well its almost here, our long awaited and anticipated exodus to the wonderful land of Thai!! Words can't express how much we are looking forward to our exodus on the 16th of January. We have six full days of instruction left, one exam week, a few exams to mark, final grades to submit, water, gas and power to turn off, a suitcase to pack and then we are gone... and we'll be gone in a flash. We're going to take the bullet train to Beijing, 300+ km/h (or faster) of steel and tracks shooting us straight to Beijing in a mere 50 odd minutes! There we'll spend the evening and the following morning before heading off to the airport, where the friendly customer service representatives at Thai Air will greet us and the warmer offerings of Thailand await!
We had a great christmas. Different to say the least, but great. We talked with family, had a christmas steak and a christmas lasagna, enjoyed a wonderful brunch, slept, read, talked with more family and then went back to work, odd but never-the-less true.
For new year's we're going to go to Tianjin, stay in a nice hotel, with a nice pool, nice amenities and ring in the new year before taking a quick trip to Chengdu to visit some friends, get a quick reprieve and gain more frequent flier miles!!
Unfortunately the lack of blogging has been representative of our non-exciting past few weeks. This morning in the elevator on the way down to our bikes, I mentioned to Christina that I feel as if all we do is work, get ready for work, are at work, or think about work. She agreed, chuckled to herself and stated that: "Back in Canada it didn't really feel like this." We shrugged our shoulders, thought of the financial gain our Asian endeavor is providing, and rode back to the school for another day in the office.
Here's to hoping that the New Year provides us with some more tales with which we can regale the blogosphere.
We had a great christmas. Different to say the least, but great. We talked with family, had a christmas steak and a christmas lasagna, enjoyed a wonderful brunch, slept, read, talked with more family and then went back to work, odd but never-the-less true.
For new year's we're going to go to Tianjin, stay in a nice hotel, with a nice pool, nice amenities and ring in the new year before taking a quick trip to Chengdu to visit some friends, get a quick reprieve and gain more frequent flier miles!!
Unfortunately the lack of blogging has been representative of our non-exciting past few weeks. This morning in the elevator on the way down to our bikes, I mentioned to Christina that I feel as if all we do is work, get ready for work, are at work, or think about work. She agreed, chuckled to herself and stated that: "Back in Canada it didn't really feel like this." We shrugged our shoulders, thought of the financial gain our Asian endeavor is providing, and rode back to the school for another day in the office.
Here's to hoping that the New Year provides us with some more tales with which we can regale the blogosphere.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
The Flood
So, Ben and I are right in the midst of December chaos. Kids going crazy because of the below zero classroom temperatures, mid-term reports for semester 1 term 2, special work packages for the massive amounts of students who have so much to catch up on and every excuse in the book why they are behind, including telling us they are smart and that is why they have not finished their work.....huh?!?! Nothing makes sense. So we went out to dinner tonight to have some pizza, pick up a few things, before traveling back to our humble abode.....only to walk into the slooshing of an an inch of water on our cream colored floor. Yes, we opened our own pool in TEDA, no public visitors yet, just private usage so far. Yuck, it was quite a task to clean it all up, and the two floors below us have visited a number of times tonight telling us there is still water coming down on them even though we have finally cleared it all up. Our landlord paid us a quick visit and chuckled as he came in. He smiled as we told him how we thought the pipes might have burst and let the waters open on his lovely home, continuing to grin he only let us know that the same thing happened to him and its an honest mistake, it will be fixed soon, not to worry. Quite a lovely man, he has a beautiful smile, full of brown rotten teeth, and eyes that cheer along with his grin. He truly has been lovely to have as a landlord. It seems so far in our married life we have had quite the blessing with landlords. Though our Victoria landlords are far away and a great memory from last year, our new landlord hasn't left us with a sour taste in our hearts over renting space. As for the flood, ah, it'll get fixed, until then we are showering from metal mixing bowls scattered around our shower floor, quite the adventure:)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Rockin' around the ........
Well its December and the Christmas music has been playing like crazy in our flat. Christina was scouring the internet to find as much Christmas music as she could, and find it did she ever... I must say that I even caught myself toe tapping to some of the songs the other day as we worked with the music playing in the background. With Christmas fast approaching we have seen reminders of this as we've been out and about. The local mall set up a 'Santa's workshop-esque' type display, with another large office building stringing lights in a large Santa pattern that would make Chevy Chase drool with envy!! We have yet to see anyone dressed up in a Santa suit, but I promise if we see it, no matter what the cost, we'll have to get our picture taken with Asian Santa!!
Lately we have been keeping busy with; school, bike rides, purchasing items for Christina's home economics class, marking and EATING!! Last night we treated ourselves to some BBQ'd lamb kabobs with some green beans and cabbage, all smothered in the most delicious hot bbq sauce (a XinJiang speciality) to go along with our fried noodles. It was MAGNIFIQUE!! Earlier this weekend, Saturday, we headed off to a Korean Style BBQ and enjoyed a night of feasting on some of the most tender beef with delicious sauces, BBQ'd vegetables and of course the staple KIM-CHEE (spicy fermented cabbage!!) Tonight we have plans to head to our favorite Sichuan restaurant (the one we've spoken so highly about before) to really expand the palate and sample different three different food types for the past three days!
In the coming days we'll attempt to find some sort of Tree that we can decorate and have standing proud in the flat so that when the song comes on we will have something to 'Rock' around apart from our bamboo (it doesn't hold ornaments at all!!)
On a more disappointing note, I have not been able to find any of those chocolate advent calendars here in China. Now I know the chocolate is stale and tastes terrible, but there is something to be said about the joys of opening up the little doors each of the 24 days before christmas, with the anticipation building each and everyday... For those of you that have them... ENJOY
Lately we have been keeping busy with; school, bike rides, purchasing items for Christina's home economics class, marking and EATING!! Last night we treated ourselves to some BBQ'd lamb kabobs with some green beans and cabbage, all smothered in the most delicious hot bbq sauce (a XinJiang speciality) to go along with our fried noodles. It was MAGNIFIQUE!! Earlier this weekend, Saturday, we headed off to a Korean Style BBQ and enjoyed a night of feasting on some of the most tender beef with delicious sauces, BBQ'd vegetables and of course the staple KIM-CHEE (spicy fermented cabbage!!) Tonight we have plans to head to our favorite Sichuan restaurant (the one we've spoken so highly about before) to really expand the palate and sample different three different food types for the past three days!
In the coming days we'll attempt to find some sort of Tree that we can decorate and have standing proud in the flat so that when the song comes on we will have something to 'Rock' around apart from our bamboo (it doesn't hold ornaments at all!!)
On a more disappointing note, I have not been able to find any of those chocolate advent calendars here in China. Now I know the chocolate is stale and tastes terrible, but there is something to be said about the joys of opening up the little doors each of the 24 days before christmas, with the anticipation building each and everyday... For those of you that have them... ENJOY
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Le Movembre
November is over, but not without one last Movember update!! Thanks to all the supporters and pledges given as my moustache raised $270. More importantly as a team we raised over $1000!! So thanks again to all those of you who supported. Don't worry, next year I'll be doing it all over again!!
Thanks for the Birthday wishes as well!!
P.S. Can you not see the likeness??
Monday, November 29, 2010
Birthday Boy
It's Ben's birthday today. He is a lovely 28! And I am so incredibly thankful that 28 years ago plus 9+ months, he was formed and crafted, spun from the silk of life, into someone who would later become my husband. Birthday's always seem the same, they come around and leave quite quickly, sometimes we are a little awkward in accepting them, sometimes we are a little overindulgent. I think it probably means more for other people than it does really for the person who is being celebrated. A parent thinks of every breath taken, every lesson learned, every tear fallen, every challenge overcome and every joy received. A friend relates to their years gone by. A sibling reminisces about their shared moments. And a wife, especially such a new one as myself, mostly has this day to be incredibly thankful, that a little while ago, he simply came to be. So I am happy today to have Ben's birthday and once again be sitting overjoyed in the gift of his life.
The week should also finish quite amusingly as well since we have planned an ugly sweater party at our place on Friday:) All of you are invited!
The week should also finish quite amusingly as well since we have planned an ugly sweater party at our place on Friday:) All of you are invited!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Forcaste for the year
The forecast for the year shows good promise of debts washed away and green showers in the bank. Light challenges mixed with heavy adventures will continue through. 99.9% chance of extreme growth and stretching, along with bright futures beyond.
Ben and I have spent a bit of time lately looking at our bank accounts. We are pleased to see that, after years of being in debt from loans and such, we might finally see a clearing by summer this year. I don't doubt things might shift in scale again one day, but we are pleasantly surprised to see that we might be able to settle things a bit in the near future. I know that whatever we have or don't have is still only what we THINK we have or THINK we don't have, all dust, all vanishing, but still....it is nice to heave a sigh and say there is a few chapter investments that we are concluding before moving onto the next.
Along with excitement over our savings, we are a little nervous and wondering about the holidays. I have found myself itching for ornaments and shiny things and sounds and smells that we SO take for granted back in Canada. The things I will miss this year THE MOST are all those little family things that make the holiday perfect in every way. Lately, I have been thinking about how much I will miss the annual ceremony of picking out the family tree. I have been telling Ben and others that I have no idea HOW I will substitute something in its place. The day usually consists of our family heaving into the big blue whale (our fully furnished Chevy Beauville tinted window van) and trekking out to our usual tree farm in Langley. We are typically bundled in boots and hats and mittens and always bring something hot to drink. All this and an ax and whatever else we can grab in order to mark our favorite trees. We wander together through fields of character trees, knobby branches, plump bumblers, and wobbly Charlie Browns. We chirp and chatter about each one and find the treasures that tug at our heart-strings. Mittens, hats, scarves, wrappers, fluff and string, all tag random trees so that one by one we may re-visit each candidate's choice and the tagging advocate may plead their case on why it should be this year's shimmering honor. I don't think my tree ever really got picked, I have a soft heart for the scraggly ones, Bradley and I can never get enough of the weird and wonderful. Scott tends to have an eye for the genuinely large and proud trees, grand beyond belief and usually fit for a great hall of some sort. Gary always picks something loopy or wacky. Dad carries the saw. But mom is by far the very BEST tree picker. Without fail, I am pretty sure, almost every year we have carefully cut, carried and adorned, one of my mom's most lovingly chosen trees. She has an eye, and as mentioned, quite the heart, for the perfect tree, and for Christmas itself.
When I was younger I loved Christmas, I was the first one up in the morning, giddy with shallow quick breaths and quiet while gazing at the whispering lights. But, for a while, I am not quite sure why, I lost my connection to it. I lost the feeling, the magic of it, the amour for it. But 4 years ago it captured me again, not sure why, or how, or what triggered it, but I was glad to see its return. So the ache of Christmas away from family this year is growing, and might grow greater as the days get closer. Together, Ben and I are hoping to, somehow, make things special this year. Soon we will look for a tree (a fake tree of course, since real trees don't match our 20 dollar limit at the farm, I hear in TEDA they start at 1000 RMB or $150 Canadian), and I have started downloading all the favorite Christmas movies (we have a nice big white wall and possibly a projector to borrow).
Anyways, there are lots of Christmas memories that flood back when I think about it even for a moment, so I have am looking forward to making new ones and seeing what happens again soon. For now though, the forecast looks good, real good.
Ben and I have spent a bit of time lately looking at our bank accounts. We are pleased to see that, after years of being in debt from loans and such, we might finally see a clearing by summer this year. I don't doubt things might shift in scale again one day, but we are pleasantly surprised to see that we might be able to settle things a bit in the near future. I know that whatever we have or don't have is still only what we THINK we have or THINK we don't have, all dust, all vanishing, but still....it is nice to heave a sigh and say there is a few chapter investments that we are concluding before moving onto the next.
Along with excitement over our savings, we are a little nervous and wondering about the holidays. I have found myself itching for ornaments and shiny things and sounds and smells that we SO take for granted back in Canada. The things I will miss this year THE MOST are all those little family things that make the holiday perfect in every way. Lately, I have been thinking about how much I will miss the annual ceremony of picking out the family tree. I have been telling Ben and others that I have no idea HOW I will substitute something in its place. The day usually consists of our family heaving into the big blue whale (our fully furnished Chevy Beauville tinted window van) and trekking out to our usual tree farm in Langley. We are typically bundled in boots and hats and mittens and always bring something hot to drink. All this and an ax and whatever else we can grab in order to mark our favorite trees. We wander together through fields of character trees, knobby branches, plump bumblers, and wobbly Charlie Browns. We chirp and chatter about each one and find the treasures that tug at our heart-strings. Mittens, hats, scarves, wrappers, fluff and string, all tag random trees so that one by one we may re-visit each candidate's choice and the tagging advocate may plead their case on why it should be this year's shimmering honor. I don't think my tree ever really got picked, I have a soft heart for the scraggly ones, Bradley and I can never get enough of the weird and wonderful. Scott tends to have an eye for the genuinely large and proud trees, grand beyond belief and usually fit for a great hall of some sort. Gary always picks something loopy or wacky. Dad carries the saw. But mom is by far the very BEST tree picker. Without fail, I am pretty sure, almost every year we have carefully cut, carried and adorned, one of my mom's most lovingly chosen trees. She has an eye, and as mentioned, quite the heart, for the perfect tree, and for Christmas itself.
When I was younger I loved Christmas, I was the first one up in the morning, giddy with shallow quick breaths and quiet while gazing at the whispering lights. But, for a while, I am not quite sure why, I lost my connection to it. I lost the feeling, the magic of it, the amour for it. But 4 years ago it captured me again, not sure why, or how, or what triggered it, but I was glad to see its return. So the ache of Christmas away from family this year is growing, and might grow greater as the days get closer. Together, Ben and I are hoping to, somehow, make things special this year. Soon we will look for a tree (a fake tree of course, since real trees don't match our 20 dollar limit at the farm, I hear in TEDA they start at 1000 RMB or $150 Canadian), and I have started downloading all the favorite Christmas movies (we have a nice big white wall and possibly a projector to borrow).
Anyways, there are lots of Christmas memories that flood back when I think about it even for a moment, so I have am looking forward to making new ones and seeing what happens again soon. For now though, the forecast looks good, real good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)