heat seeking virg
A great malaise has descended upon us here in the last week. Barely able to keep our eyes open at night, we’re wondering what it could possibly be. Surely we’re not getting old?! It seems that a little afternoon nap would be most welcome during the week and yet the pace picks up as the school slowly and inexorably winds down to the end of the semester. I’ve written my reports this week along with testing all the poor little kiddies and written and prepared the letters that need to go home to tell parents of the results. Cass has been finishing off her units and is looking forward to writing her own reports with a sense of overwhelming joy at the looming deadlines (!) Cass attended the middle school “Candlelight” dinner on Friday night, a curious event typified by an array of stunning dress, jaw dropping decoration of the cafeteria where it is held and an incongruously unpalatable meal of basic canteen food. The kids have a wow of a time of course and the teachers fly the flag and it seems to be all over mercifully swiftly. Not so, however, the lower school staff get-together on Friday evening that I attended. Chad, John, Raj and myself had a great time at the Pig and Whistle straight after school, before heading to the principal’s house for the drinks after a few hours. An unseasonable typhoon had struck in the afternoon, so much so that our hosts had to offer me and quite a few others a change of shirt, our own saturated by sheeting torrents of hard driving rain. It was a pretty good night, but after leaving, my ability to know when enough was enough was hugely impaired: to the extent that I then went to the green bar to have yet more beers!
Saturday’s surf was delayed till about 11am and Ross came and picked me up, which was very kind, and we headed off to find some Pillbox waves. It was terribly miserable: the water was cold and muddy, the surf a pale imitation of previous incarnations and the driving rain and off shore winds were not really the tonic my hung over head needed! At least, I felt a little rejuvenated when we got back. Cass tripped off again on Saturday to a surprise hen’s night for Katie, the girl whose wedding we’ll attend in Tasmania in December. They went bowling (!) and afterwards went back to someone’s house for a few drinks, lots to eat and chat. Cass had a very good time and got home just as I was thinking of heading off to bed.
I’ve bought myself some little iPod extras over the weekend, including an “iSkin” which is a form fitting little silicone case for it and one of those tape thingies that will hook up to the iPod in the car. We went to see Bridget Jones2 today and it was the first time we’d been to the brand new Warner Village cinema right here in Tienmu. The theatre and the movie were excellent, although I felt a great sense of déjà vu watching Bridget…..it was a little too close to the original for my liking. Lots of people from school took advantage of free tickets to the opening of yet another slick modern shopping/cinema complex on Friday night in neighboring Neihu, this time with a full on Miramar Imax theatre in it. We’re really getting terribly spoilt for entertainment here now. The Imax is sited right next to Taipei’s answer to the London Eye: a giant slow moving wheel for viewing the city. Hhhmmm, another adventure soon methinks……….
I enjoyed having a messenger chat with my nephew Patrick this afternoon and we were talking about iPods in the main just before we headed off to so some grocery shopping on the scooter. We are both rugged up as winter has finally hit with a vengeance! Cass was huddled in her leather jacket today and I wore my polar fleece and we were still cold. Cass has put the electric blanket on the bed and the cats have begun to re-explore those warm havens to be found either on or near us as the temperature drops. It’s been a long time coming this year, but if today is any indication it could be quite nippy when we get back in January. Well, that’ll do for now, one more next week before I take a break for a while!