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Room with a view -


lounge area before Tv couch. fridge provided
View from bedroom - tallest in background is opposite school
Lounge after moving in

Well, after 12 months in my palacial apartment, I decided to save some money and downsize. Prompted by a 20% increase in my rent...after some indecision, saved by the fact we hadn't signed a new contract yet....I took the opportunity to find something smaller and better value.
So, I'm in a one bedroom apartment, very similar to teh 2008 apartment only brighter with a functional balcony. same place as 2008 - a 20 minute ramble to school or 8 minute bike ride.

I moved via bicycle and taxi...friends offered to
help but we had opposing rosters of work so I can proudly say I did it my way! Nelson from NY our newest teacher is my downstairs neighbour.

There are a lot of restaurants around here, not western style so eating close to home is so much more interesting and cheaper generally. I can use my random vacabulary of Chinese words, mostly related to eating, or just pint and guess.

Good classy DimSum/Yum Cha restaurant very near by where I had my first Chicken's feet
( well, it was classy so I decided to give it a go.
You can't really tell so you'll have to take my word for it!


Yesterday I went to Hong Kong to sort out some banking, visit Dymocks Books, Fuel Coffee Bar, and the MarketPlace ( Hardy's Rose and Villi's Pies the target here). Headed back in time for BBQ dinner at a nearby restaurant with teaching friends...garlic with evrything! Oysters, chicken wings, lamb shaslicks, corn, eggplant, green stuff like grass, noodles - yummy , beers, beers and did I mention the garlic? It was 40RMB each (Thats not even $A10.)

Oh, then we went bowling ( DON"T LAUGH!) it seems to be popular here - except that when we got to the place tucked away inside an anonymous looking building we were the only customers at 9.30pm (Tuesday). I was clearly making my dislike for the pastime well aired but still, it was something to do , when they sold it to me as drunken bowling, I understood and participated ( a bit like pizza quiz nights!). The things you do when surrounded by strange things.

Anyway, the New Year's firecrackers seemed to have finished, relative quiet returns. the desire to wear a flack jacket (under many layers of warm jackets as it was cold) has subsided. The icy cold 6 degrees has been replaced by 22 and high humidity. The cold inside, meeting the moist warm sea air has resulted in amazing condensation inside the buildings ( floors and walls looking like they've been washed but in fact are moist with condensation) should be a short term issue as he waether settles but the ShenZhen Daily (English Paper) article was headed MOIST SEA AIR SOAKS CITY APARTMENTS, inside the rooms is not too bad for me but the washing might take an age to dry.

Anyway again... time to brave the slippery corridors and venture out for some food.

back to the gym tomorrow
A month of teaching winter program + Spring Festival week means I havent had time to visit during the days when my membership is valid ( off peak before 5pm). I'm sure Michael will put me though my yoga paces to improve balance ( necessary with the slippery Chinese floors!)....then school in the afternoon/evening.

Hungry tummy. I'm going out....to be continued

Sorry, took longer than expected as I accidentally ordered enough dumplings to feed quite a few people (not sure where my poor pronunciation indicated four serves eg about 48 dumplings!!) and they were hurridly making them but it was a chance to watch how fast they can work. Flatten the dough ballls, roll out the small palm sized dough, fill with porkmince and green veg stuff, fold and pinch closed and steam. I paid about $A7.00 for my ordering error so it's hardly a financial disaster. I gave one box of dumplings to the begger and he seemed grateful. One to eat, one for tomorrow so still a dozen dumplings left - anyone??? As nothing goes to waste I am sure my "leftovers" will be utilised. If I was sure the pork hadn't been frozen before I'd freeze it
but as I got the order wrong I'd hate to try and complicate things by trying to ask!

I'm looking forward to the day when it's safe to pack away the winter coats and fleeces, the bulky winter quilt/doona into plastic crates and hope that the landlady does organise for teh airconditioners to be installed in lounge and bedroom before it's too uncomfortable.

Have you watched the film "Sherlock Holmes"? I thought it was horrid and boring and my DVD player blew a power input while it was still in the machine - so the computer came in handy to watch "Up in the air" with the smile of George Clooney... yes, wehad a cold, damp boring week off over Spring Festival - so cold the heaters came out and most if not all foreign teachers from school hibernated over books and DVDs.

I went for a bike ride and lost my wallet so spent teh nex two days cancelling cards, ordering new cards....with new passport numbers and address change to complicate everything! Banking in Mainland China is an experience for all but as it holidays the banks were quiet once they opened so the waitiung time was short , the number of forms to fill in was seemingly neverending. Not again please.... don't be toooo relaxed its not conducive to functioning brain! But it was a cold, mundane and slack week - what a waste - there are only so many ways to reorganise a new apartement. At last I have a reasonable range of cable TV so i was very uptodate with world affairs, and footballers affairs and golfers affairs!!!

Time to put this post to bed.
Bye for now - Year of the Tiger or Tigger bounce bounce.