How easy it is to do nothing when life is not ruled by commitments! My weekend which is Tues and Wednesday is not full of things I feel like I have to do and there is an incredibly long list of things I'd like to do: visit Taiwan, go to Macao or HongKong, visit many famous sites in neighbouring provinces of China, plus go to the bars where home seems just that bit closer...XPats run by an Adelaidiean, La Casa (Canadian), McCawleys ( Aussie Irish)...and more.
Sunday ( equiv to my Thursday) went to the BBQ restaurant near apartments with other teachers...yummy, the facebook comments about garlic oysters originate from here!
Monday ( my Friday night) we went to a Hunnan style local restaurant ( Jacy is Chinese and can read and speak the menu which really helps!). Everything swimming in chilli or chilli doused oils... we tried frog and pigs trotters [thats Kermit and Moiss Piggy in the same sitting] , both edible but really not not worth the fuss caused by my still inadequate chopstick handling skills.. rice I can do, peanuts I can pick up in chopsticks but Mr Miyagee, I struggle with pigs trotters! That brings us to tuesday ( our Saturday)...
Sleep in, lie in bed and read....housework, washing resulting in a very EF'y balcony by the time a week and a bits worth of uniform are hanging, all navy and beige! Tuesday night drinks and dinner at La Casa - via bus/subway - good night out for some joint birthdays. There would have been photos but my battery was flat... some may eventuate through other source.
Wed (Sun) a bit of a lie in, Gym at 10.30, coffee and teh paper at "Starbucks" one of the few decent coffee options in Nanshan ... grocery shopping carted home via bicycle... more shopping for some 3/4 pants to wear to the gym in this weather - cool but not cold... and a new DVD player as the last one chewed up Sherlock Holmes and refused to ever start again ( the movie is that boring I have to admit).
Dinner was home cooked steak and mashed tatoes for St Paddy's day.
Tomorrow, really Thursday I have a reprieve on the private health training session from 6.45am - meet at 7.30am - a great psychological step, as it's not going to be hot too early, hence the reprieve. Teaching in the evening and then its Friday and all systems gooooooo till Sunday night.
Did I bore you yet??? As you can see, nothing has actually happened this week. except the news from my Australian Bank that I am a "victim" of credit card fraud via the UK. I have apparently purchased so much underwear and many DVDs that the computer picked it up. Now, to fill out all the forms and dispute the transations - just what I need.
In that light I bought myself a TIGER, a sysmbol of this Chinese Year - he's cute (and he was reduced) but I hope he's about to change my financial vibes for the year.
1 Lost wallet ( not including fraudulent credit card _ I actually have it here)
1 fraudulent credit card use
1 compromise with previous landlady ( get back half my deposit for my breach of verbal contract - what's a verbal contract in this county??? Unheard of -almost!)
Amazing to think a week ago I was in Bangkok airport on my way back to SZ. I had a window seat and for once it was clear and not hazy. I was amazed that the layout appears to have no pattern, Adelaide streets have right angles and the rare diagonal - here the right angle was rare and random directions seems to be the more usual. No wonder I can't get a sense of direction, even with a map.
I may have to change blog sites as Google is threatening to move from China, I expect that means there will be a disruption to the already disrupted.....this is through Germany today.
