I was reminded again today about how lucky the kids at this school are! Despite the fact that they're enduring the dolor of a battery (not used lightly!) of standardized tests this week, while Cass and I try to overcome the numbing boredom of invigilation, there is still time in their day to receive a special guest to the school. These "special people" arrive regularly and often without much fanfare, but nary a week goes past without some visit from an expert or a motivator organized by the school for enhanced student learning. Today, out of the blue, we were ushered downstairs to hear the impressive Dr. Elaine Kwon.
Not only a concert pianist who has appeared multiple times at Carnegie Hall, she is also a five time USA national taekwondo champion as well as being a lecturer at the prestigious MIT! The kids were motivated by a piano playing, martial arts practicing Chinese American woman who is also a Nike sports model. So while the kids were regaled with the achievements and motivational attitudes of Dr Kwon, I took my own pleasure in realizing that she, at 51 years old, is also a shining beacon for slightly older humans who are trying to maintain good health and fitness...like the two of us!
Speaking of which, my birthday passed without little incident, apart from some nice communications electronically from all members of the family, some sweet messages and cards from my kids in person and some social media "HBDs" from those near and far, past and present! I was stoked to pull off my 74 pushups in the morning without a break and celebrated another year of doing 500 such per week. This week will mark the 20th anniversary of the zenith of my sporting achievement, The Australian Ironman, so things aren't going too badly all these decades later!To top things off, my darling cooked me up a storm on the night and I managed a few celebratory ales with the boys on Friday night as well!
Cass succumbed to a mild cold this weekend and was relatively subdued because of this all weekend. We did sneak out for our traditional weekend lunch/tea on Saturday afternoon, and we tried a new Japanese curry restaurant just a few blocks away from our place on FuGuo Road. This is the main lead-up road to Jishan Station, and as such, has a few restaurants dotted along both sides leading up to the hub . The service was great and the ambiance wonderful, possibly as we were the only customers in the shop! Normally not such a great sign, we were eating at a very weird afternoon hour so it didn't worry us at all. The delicately folded "omrice" has a feather light omelette wrapped round a mildy tomato flavoured serve of fluffy rice with a choice of curry sauce and topping ladled over the top. Cass had mixed vegetables and I had chicken, and we both added the "set" of salad and pumpkin soup. Delicious and yes, we'll be back!
My new football streaming app, Rugbypass, is absolutely stunning in terms of HD picture quality and streaming continuity. I used it on the iPad and Apple TV to watch a few games on the weekend, including the poor Knights valiant, but ultimately futile, effort against a slick and professional Brisbane. I lumbered up the 1,000 steps of Tienmu Gudao in the late morning Sunday, before securing a couple of tiny baguette sandwiches for us for lunch from Lutetia on the way back home. While negotiating the steps, I needed to dodge a number of fallen branches and associated foliage litter as recent storms had disturbed the peace a little up there. The macaques guffawed and grunted as they foraged just off the path but mercifully didn't feel the need to make their muscular presence felt!
Well, we're suffering a little secondary retardation from rigorous test invigilating, so much so that I could barely rally to write this rather boring entry at all! Photos: the mysterious "Moop" in silhouette, Siawase in Coco curry house, some different views from the steps and the kids enthralled by Dr Kwon!