Wednesday 30 April 2014
Pink Sun setting on Shanghai
Tuesday 29 April 2014
Mucking about with Senior 1's at the end of class- starving and waiting for the Lunch Bell
Monday 28 April 2014
Monday morning musings with my Junior 2s-- combined in ONE 50 students class……….
Thrown at me on a Sunday night - phone call- my presentations plans for Junior 2's on a Monday morning are thrown into Chaos. . ( What else is new…….you can't plan- plans get thrown out the window….)
Luckily, my day starts with a FREE city bus ride from my secret admirer- ( see earlier Post)
- so I begin re-planning the first class at 6:55 a.m on the bus)
That's right. A 150 word Love Letter suing the most Unromantic words you can imagine. ( p.s They know Sergei is my son - so a few of them wrote to him - or made him Gay- lol!)
\Here they are: Noisy, Crazy, and Really enjoying this challenging task:
The "Love Letters" were creative and lovely- they continue to astonish me. A nice start to the week!
Luckily, my day starts with a FREE city bus ride from my secret admirer- ( see earlier Post)
- so I begin re-planning the first class at 6:55 a.m on the bus)
\Here they are: Noisy, Crazy, and Really enjoying this challenging task:
Saturday 26 April 2014
Wet, Rainy weekend….the things that got cancelled………...
Of course. Last week hit 21C every day with bright sunshine and a less polluted sky. ( You could - sort of- make out blue skies- occasionally). And Saturday morning hits with hard, cold rain……..continuing on Sunday.
Inter-Nations ( my Expat group) had organized a walk down "Love Street"
I have walked this route several times- it's close to the Dorm- but I wanted to chat with Canadians on the walk. It was cancelled.
I also wanted to Metro to YuYuan Garden station to check out the Pearl Market there
Lastly, Vicky, Emmanuelle and Bianca and I were going to "picnic in the Park" at Century Gardens. I have not been to Century Gardens yet. But alas………….
This week is a short week- YEAH- because of International Labour Day- (sometimes its nice being in a Communist country)- We get May 1st and May 2nd ( Happy Birthday Sergei!!!!!) and of course, Saturday too. But we will be back at work on Sunday May 4 to work the Friday Schedule. So, maybe we can execute our excursions then. Fingers crossed!
Inter-Nations ( my Expat group) had organized a walk down "Love Street"
I also wanted to Metro to YuYuan Garden station to check out the Pearl Market there
Monday 21 April 2014
Forumla 1 in Shanghai………………yup……….
We just happened to ride the city bus to school together yesterday ( and home, BTW, too- most unusual for a Monday) - and I told her it seemed like an odd "hobby" for her. She is a dancer and does yoga and in general - does not strike one as a read car fan. She laughed and told me lots of people tell her that.
Sunday 20 April 2014
Easter hair cut and colour …………..Yellow is an Easter colour right?
My hair has needed cutting and highlighting for far too long. Decided to take a chance and see if I could get into the Salon at the Plaza.
But, there were questions and worried looks while I sat in the chair. Two phone calls later to two of my Chinese colleagues, and we are all set. I've drawn the picture - it was the colour and "highlighting"- that was problematic.
They used the foil method- which I thought was a good start- after the colour was rinsed, they offered a mousse protein pack - I said yes.
It was an entire canister of foam massaged gently into my head for 30 minutes - glorious!
The cut took forever, but he seemed to know what he was doing. (BTW- all clients got a bowl of cherry tomatoes, a cup of hot tea and two packages of little biscuits- cute!)
My Colourist. He stayed to watch the cut. In the lights of the salon, it actually looked "blonde". And in these photos too, right?
"Tony" - my stylist- was going to send me out with FAT hair - I gesture to style it up a bit with gel
I thought the style was cute - sort to crimped.
I tipped Tony and paid a whopping sum for the services rendered ( 1290 rmb - or $215.00 Cdn). They gave me a huge pillow as a gift. Never will understand the customs here.
Walked home happy with fresh cut and colour- got into the Dorm and looked at the colour in the daylight. It's YELLOW.
It may as well have been purple for the "invisibility" factor here. OMG!
In the meantime, Victoria knocked on my door. I knew she was going to the Orthodox Church service this morning for Easter. This Church opens four times a year for service. Victoria left at 6 a.m to get a seat. Got back at 9 a.m and went back to bed. She brought me an Easter cake from the Church and a kiss on each cheek. She said "I know you are not a believer, but "Happy Easter".
What a doll……….
She said nothing about my hair. Maybe it's not that yellow…………..what do you think?
But, there were questions and worried looks while I sat in the chair. Two phone calls later to two of my Chinese colleagues, and we are all set. I've drawn the picture - it was the colour and "highlighting"- that was problematic.
They used the foil method- which I thought was a good start- after the colour was rinsed, they offered a mousse protein pack - I said yes.
It was an entire canister of foam massaged gently into my head for 30 minutes - glorious!
The cut took forever, but he seemed to know what he was doing. (BTW- all clients got a bowl of cherry tomatoes, a cup of hot tea and two packages of little biscuits- cute!)
In the meantime, Victoria knocked on my door. I knew she was going to the Orthodox Church service this morning for Easter. This Church opens four times a year for service. Victoria left at 6 a.m to get a seat. Got back at 9 a.m and went back to bed. She brought me an Easter cake from the Church and a kiss on each cheek. She said "I know you are not a believer, but "Happy Easter".
What a doll……….
Friday 18 April 2014
Walking along the Wharf
Six lanes of busy traffic requires underground pedestrian walkways to get to the other side.
These underground markets are ubiquitous in these passageways
Memories of Xiamen
Complimentary Calendar from Indigo Hotel upon Check-Out this Morning. Nice!
The monkeys are for you-know-who
Zhongshan Park, Zhongshan Pedestrian Street and Nanputuo Temple - other street views in Xiamen
The walk to ZhongShan Park. Tons of chirruping birds- beautiful! Very tropical. It's the smallest city I have visited in China- only 3 million people. It's the closest I'll get to Taiwan, too. I think I read somewhere in the tourist literature, it's on 20km by boat.
Indigo from another angle
Zhongshan Pedestrian Street. I went three times- it was five minutes away- and I still did not walk the whole street.
I took a taxi to Xiamen University- as so many people told me the grounds were amazing. It is across the street from Nanputuo Temple- thank goodness- ask the University was closed to visitors- "because the students were studying too hard" . I tried to get special permission- telling the partially fluent English-speaking guard that I was an English teacher- just visiting and would LOVE to see the campus. No dice.
Crossed the street to Nanputuo Temple
Like most temples in China, monks live, eat and pray there. Their quarters are always closed to visitors. Temple visits are free- but donations are welcome. Did I remember to bring my temple money to burn? No- sorry guys. Hope you enjoy good health even without my offerings.
This is where you burn your incense and offer up your prayers. I bought my incensee on the way out.
Below is the Xiamen Univeristy peeking over the top of the temple gourds
Some parts of the temple were under renovation, as the Temple Library was- I pulled the shot below from the Internet. Too bad. It looks amazing!
I took a taxi to Xiamen University- as so many people told me the grounds were amazing. It is across the street from Nanputuo Temple- thank goodness- ask the University was closed to visitors- "because the students were studying too hard" . I tried to get special permission- telling the partially fluent English-speaking guard that I was an English teacher- just visiting and would LOVE to see the campus. No dice.
Crossed the street to Nanputuo Temple
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