Sunday, September 03, 2006
virg'n mary relaxing
Go the Knights! Stoked this evening to hear the Knights are to face off against arch rivals, Manly, next Friday night. What is even better is the knowledge that Australianetwork TV (the old ABC Asia Pacific) will broadcast the Friday semi live. Cass is a bit upset as her book club has arranged a meeting on Friday night, so she’s in a bit of a dilemma: apparently these strange hoity toity yanks she hangs around with don’t understand the rugby league religion…imagine that!!
We’ve had a really enjoyable weekend on the back of a pretty good week. My second last parent presentation went very well mid-week and Cass had a professional development day where she found out the results of last year’s standardized writing tests. Her kids, including Sean Lochrin, went extremely well, so the vintage Moet, which was produced for a celebratory tipple on Friday, tasted even sweeter than usual. I donned the boxing gloves after classes and hit the heavy bag for an hour or so in the afternoon, feeling very pleased with myself. Poor Cassy had to come home from that day and go straight back out to do a dance duty, but she has now done her duty for the years it’s over and done with. When she got home, we watched some torrented Australian Idol (which we’re really enjoying), before a relatively early night.
Saturday saw our usual, long relaxed breakfast…pancakes and proper coffee, Herald clippings and looking forlornly at the various cameras that we access to show the surf out on the northern coast. Dead flat! Carl was suffering in the tremendously enervating weather we’ve been experiencing lately as he coached his junior girl’s soccer team, before watching both boys play in separate games. He is quite excited today as he has ordered a new bike: he is right into it at the moment and regularly goes out on long rides, so he’ll be chuffed to be riding a newer model. We decided to take the car over to the big B&Q and Hola outlets in Shilin (the equivalent of Bunnings warehouse and Domayne) to scout out some material for new bedroom curtains and to get a container and possibly a high-pressure water sprayer for the car. (Disclaimer: Ross, if you’re reading this, try to contain yourself…I have bought the sprayer, a la Tobes, and it works very effectively!) We got the stuff for the car… the sprayer mentioned is to have a little shower and wash the feet off at some of the beaches we go to with very primitive facilities and I must say that it is very civilized indeed! The curtain fabric we were after (to match the lounge room) is not there any more, but when we’re ready there are other suitable ones.
We raced over relatively early to the beach this morning as I spied a couple of small swells coming through via the cams, got a Subway (actually a “Subber”, Taiwan’s own strange copy!) to take with us in lieu of brekky and made it over to get a few nice little waves. I had to work pretty hard, but it was OK and Cass and I both had a refreshing loll around in the water. On the way, we drove through the busy as a beehive weekend market at Jinshan downtown and Cass hopped out and bought two new “Pointy hats” from a bemused shopkeeper! I’m pretty sure only the local farmers, peasants (!) or road workers wear them, but they are so practical in this blazing heat. We checked out the activity centre (see photo), but it was really flat and they seem to be demanding money to use it during the summer months. It is anathema for us to pay to use a beach so we drove up the road to Jinshan “number 2”.
Cass is cooking up some salmon mornay as I write, so the weekend is going to finish off in quite a delicious manner…that’s all for now!
Go the Knights! Stoked this evening to hear the Knights are to face off against arch rivals, Manly, next Friday night. What is even better is the knowledge that Australianetwork TV (the old ABC Asia Pacific) will broadcast the Friday semi live. Cass is a bit upset as her book club has arranged a meeting on Friday night, so she’s in a bit of a dilemma: apparently these strange hoity toity yanks she hangs around with don’t understand the rugby league religion…imagine that!!
We’ve had a really enjoyable weekend on the back of a pretty good week. My second last parent presentation went very well mid-week and Cass had a professional development day where she found out the results of last year’s standardized writing tests. Her kids, including Sean Lochrin, went extremely well, so the vintage Moet, which was produced for a celebratory tipple on Friday, tasted even sweeter than usual. I donned the boxing gloves after classes and hit the heavy bag for an hour or so in the afternoon, feeling very pleased with myself. Poor Cassy had to come home from that day and go straight back out to do a dance duty, but she has now done her duty for the years it’s over and done with. When she got home, we watched some torrented Australian Idol (which we’re really enjoying), before a relatively early night.
Saturday saw our usual, long relaxed breakfast…pancakes and proper coffee, Herald clippings and looking forlornly at the various cameras that we access to show the surf out on the northern coast. Dead flat! Carl was suffering in the tremendously enervating weather we’ve been experiencing lately as he coached his junior girl’s soccer team, before watching both boys play in separate games. He is quite excited today as he has ordered a new bike: he is right into it at the moment and regularly goes out on long rides, so he’ll be chuffed to be riding a newer model. We decided to take the car over to the big B&Q and Hola outlets in Shilin (the equivalent of Bunnings warehouse and Domayne) to scout out some material for new bedroom curtains and to get a container and possibly a high-pressure water sprayer for the car. (Disclaimer: Ross, if you’re reading this, try to contain yourself…I have bought the sprayer, a la Tobes, and it works very effectively!) We got the stuff for the car… the sprayer mentioned is to have a little shower and wash the feet off at some of the beaches we go to with very primitive facilities and I must say that it is very civilized indeed! The curtain fabric we were after (to match the lounge room) is not there any more, but when we’re ready there are other suitable ones.
We raced over relatively early to the beach this morning as I spied a couple of small swells coming through via the cams, got a Subway (actually a “Subber”, Taiwan’s own strange copy!) to take with us in lieu of brekky and made it over to get a few nice little waves. I had to work pretty hard, but it was OK and Cass and I both had a refreshing loll around in the water. On the way, we drove through the busy as a beehive weekend market at Jinshan downtown and Cass hopped out and bought two new “Pointy hats” from a bemused shopkeeper! I’m pretty sure only the local farmers, peasants (!) or road workers wear them, but they are so practical in this blazing heat. We checked out the activity centre (see photo), but it was really flat and they seem to be demanding money to use it during the summer months. It is anathema for us to pay to use a beach so we drove up the road to Jinshan “number 2”.
Cass is cooking up some salmon mornay as I write, so the weekend is going to finish off in quite a delicious manner…that’s all for now!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Cass at Chili's
A parade of gleaming, purring Porsche motorcars, in the main, the latest and greatest models, glided up the Jinshan-Yangminshan mountain road as we neared the bottom of the hill heading the other way. We counted a dozen, then another dozen then a few more stragglers including a brand new 911 painted hot pink! Everyone here seems to have to be in some kind of club or another: if it’s not cars, it’s bikes, Harleys, BMWs, Ducatis. The gear has to be seen to be believed…we’ve taken many years to reach the point where we feel properly equipped for our bike trips: the locals here sport the very best of literally everything, straight away!
It certainly makes for some interesting viewing as we negotiate the winding road over the mountain to the beach as we did this morning at 7.30.
Yesterday, we had a pleasant lazy morning eating pancakes for brekky while reading the 1st installment of Herald clippings from Mum, which arrived mid-week. Having caught up with some Newcastle news, we watched the delayed telecast of Friday night footy and I fielded a few text and phone messages from the boys. Josh was keen to have a box after the league and so we arranged to meet in at school at 12.30. I had a pleasant surprise when I arrived to find that Wal and Shaun were joining us. We only had three sets of gloves, so we set up a little circuit on the bag, the focus pads and the speedball with someone taking the focus gloves. The air-con was not on and we were a lather of sweat very quickly. It was a great workout and we had a great laugh as well as gasping for air between the 2-minute rounds! After that, we all left feeling very proud of ourselves (especially since the previous two Saturdays had been spent recovering from the Friday night). We made plans to head to the beach the next morning if there was any action.
Cass did a much less pleasant task while I was away and headed over in the late morning heat to the Wellcome to do the grocery shopping. We were both glad to get back home to the air-conditioning and decided to head out later to an early tea at Chili’s. We had a beautiful meal as usual and were surprised by a TV station doing a “Vox-Pop” outside the cinema entrance below. Mercifully, we didn’t run into too many people we knew( a constant danger at Chili’s!) and headed home with a detour to the 101 warehouse where I bought a couple of T-shirts. I’m a complete sucker for these ‘Buy one get one free’ deals and even succumbed to the less generous ‘Buy two, get one free’ offer that was on!!
We marveled at the succulent greenery dripping across the road in the mountains as we drove through the national park this morning: it’s such a contrast to back home where the dust bowl drought areas we rode through on our recent trip stand in stark contrast. The conditions are ripe for rich and lush growth: plants seem super-sized and robust; they vary in type as you move down the slopes and amaze you with the density of their cover. I like to distract myself by looking at the plants: if I concentrate too much on the unbelievably bad driving (slooooww and incompetent!) that we witness, I’d get far too stressed.
The end goal, the beach, was flat as a table, but the sun was beating down and the water was relatively clear and blue. Cass and I had a very enjoyable swim and loll around before Wal and Josh turned up. Josh brought a tennis ball, so all sorts of action followed till we all gave up exhausted! We paid our $10NT (about 50 cents) each to get the top of the tap from the shop so we could use the water near the car park to wash our feet…. lesson here: don’t take for granted the free taps, showers etc back home, let alone get me started on the bubblers!!
We’ve had a good week and a great weekend: Cass says we need to get back to work to have a rest!
A parade of gleaming, purring Porsche motorcars, in the main, the latest and greatest models, glided up the Jinshan-Yangminshan mountain road as we neared the bottom of the hill heading the other way. We counted a dozen, then another dozen then a few more stragglers including a brand new 911 painted hot pink! Everyone here seems to have to be in some kind of club or another: if it’s not cars, it’s bikes, Harleys, BMWs, Ducatis. The gear has to be seen to be believed…we’ve taken many years to reach the point where we feel properly equipped for our bike trips: the locals here sport the very best of literally everything, straight away!
It certainly makes for some interesting viewing as we negotiate the winding road over the mountain to the beach as we did this morning at 7.30.
Yesterday, we had a pleasant lazy morning eating pancakes for brekky while reading the 1st installment of Herald clippings from Mum, which arrived mid-week. Having caught up with some Newcastle news, we watched the delayed telecast of Friday night footy and I fielded a few text and phone messages from the boys. Josh was keen to have a box after the league and so we arranged to meet in at school at 12.30. I had a pleasant surprise when I arrived to find that Wal and Shaun were joining us. We only had three sets of gloves, so we set up a little circuit on the bag, the focus pads and the speedball with someone taking the focus gloves. The air-con was not on and we were a lather of sweat very quickly. It was a great workout and we had a great laugh as well as gasping for air between the 2-minute rounds! After that, we all left feeling very proud of ourselves (especially since the previous two Saturdays had been spent recovering from the Friday night). We made plans to head to the beach the next morning if there was any action.
Cass did a much less pleasant task while I was away and headed over in the late morning heat to the Wellcome to do the grocery shopping. We were both glad to get back home to the air-conditioning and decided to head out later to an early tea at Chili’s. We had a beautiful meal as usual and were surprised by a TV station doing a “Vox-Pop” outside the cinema entrance below. Mercifully, we didn’t run into too many people we knew( a constant danger at Chili’s!) and headed home with a detour to the 101 warehouse where I bought a couple of T-shirts. I’m a complete sucker for these ‘Buy one get one free’ deals and even succumbed to the less generous ‘Buy two, get one free’ offer that was on!!
We marveled at the succulent greenery dripping across the road in the mountains as we drove through the national park this morning: it’s such a contrast to back home where the dust bowl drought areas we rode through on our recent trip stand in stark contrast. The conditions are ripe for rich and lush growth: plants seem super-sized and robust; they vary in type as you move down the slopes and amaze you with the density of their cover. I like to distract myself by looking at the plants: if I concentrate too much on the unbelievably bad driving (slooooww and incompetent!) that we witness, I’d get far too stressed.
The end goal, the beach, was flat as a table, but the sun was beating down and the water was relatively clear and blue. Cass and I had a very enjoyable swim and loll around before Wal and Josh turned up. Josh brought a tennis ball, so all sorts of action followed till we all gave up exhausted! We paid our $10NT (about 50 cents) each to get the top of the tap from the shop so we could use the water near the car park to wash our feet…. lesson here: don’t take for granted the free taps, showers etc back home, let alone get me started on the bubblers!!
We’ve had a good week and a great weekend: Cass says we need to get back to work to have a rest!
Monday, August 21, 2006
josh and dave
Never a dull moment is to be had here in Taipei, especially in the flurry of early semester meetings, mainly of the informative type, with various constituent groups. The ubiquitous “Hopes and Dreams” conferences in the Lower School over two afternoons were followed the next night by the middle school ESL night and the next night by the lower school ESL night and the next day (all day) by the LCC. Phew! To top that all off, I ended up naming a new bar in the world’s tallest building on Friday night after all this, so it was certainly a week to remember.
The MS night was pretty good for me as I just wandered around being seen and overseeing our new teacher on grade 8 who is working out really well. She was an academic, so we were a bit worried about her kiddy skills coming in, but she’s just wonderful. My other new teacher is an older gent with loads of experience working part time in the high school and he is also very impressive. I ran the Lower School night as usual and it seemed to go really well, except for the drama of no air conditioning!! This is normally not a great problem, but with 35 degree heat and a confined space filled with 150 people, it was uncomfortable to say the least. The LCC (Learning Community Council) is a group of representatives from all areas of the school who meet semi-regularly (several times a year) to map a course for the school, write the strategic plan and make action steps for its implementation. We had a very nice lunch at a flash hotel downtown, so that helped break up a pretty full-on day.
Got a call from Josh at the end of the day, as I was on the bus coming back, informing me that if we could come up with a name for the new Diamond Tony’s bar, to be located in the world’s tallest building on the 85thy floor, we could drink free beers all night. John, Wally, Josh and Gurecki were there when I arrived and Carl joined us later on. Several names had been suggested by the boys and discarded by Tony, and he had similar distaste for my “Bijou”, Sky 85”, “Cockpit”(!) and others. Finally, he liked my suggestion of “Panorama”, with a suggestion of the panoramic view, along with a name identifiable to both foreigners and Chinese. So, we got the free German beer on tap all night! Not only did we have a great party to celebrate, but we were invited to opening night by Tony…should be a great show in early November.
In Ross’ absence, Josh has been keen to do a bit of boxing training. This has been great, as it is very hard to keep motivated if you’re doing it by yourself all the time. The only trouble is that a 44 year old body has to work a tad harder than a 28 year old one…anyway, should keep me on my toes.
We have heard from Ross and Chad and they’re both doing well in vastly different environments, the word on Coomba is also all positive. Don’t know about Bobby P…he’s always been a bit of a mystery, even when he was here!
Cass came out to the beach on Sunday and soaked up a few beams before we came home, went out to lunch at Aubergine and then watched lots of torrented Australian Idol on TV in our cool cocoon away from the fierce summer heat. Surf news and pics on pointyhat
We’re both doing very well, if being extremely busy. Photos: Girls wolf down their weekend treats, Josh and Dave at Jinshan 2 and the “free beer” boys late on Friday night!
Never a dull moment is to be had here in Taipei, especially in the flurry of early semester meetings, mainly of the informative type, with various constituent groups. The ubiquitous “Hopes and Dreams” conferences in the Lower School over two afternoons were followed the next night by the middle school ESL night and the next night by the lower school ESL night and the next day (all day) by the LCC. Phew! To top that all off, I ended up naming a new bar in the world’s tallest building on Friday night after all this, so it was certainly a week to remember.
The MS night was pretty good for me as I just wandered around being seen and overseeing our new teacher on grade 8 who is working out really well. She was an academic, so we were a bit worried about her kiddy skills coming in, but she’s just wonderful. My other new teacher is an older gent with loads of experience working part time in the high school and he is also very impressive. I ran the Lower School night as usual and it seemed to go really well, except for the drama of no air conditioning!! This is normally not a great problem, but with 35 degree heat and a confined space filled with 150 people, it was uncomfortable to say the least. The LCC (Learning Community Council) is a group of representatives from all areas of the school who meet semi-regularly (several times a year) to map a course for the school, write the strategic plan and make action steps for its implementation. We had a very nice lunch at a flash hotel downtown, so that helped break up a pretty full-on day.
Got a call from Josh at the end of the day, as I was on the bus coming back, informing me that if we could come up with a name for the new Diamond Tony’s bar, to be located in the world’s tallest building on the 85thy floor, we could drink free beers all night. John, Wally, Josh and Gurecki were there when I arrived and Carl joined us later on. Several names had been suggested by the boys and discarded by Tony, and he had similar distaste for my “Bijou”, Sky 85”, “Cockpit”(!) and others. Finally, he liked my suggestion of “Panorama”, with a suggestion of the panoramic view, along with a name identifiable to both foreigners and Chinese. So, we got the free German beer on tap all night! Not only did we have a great party to celebrate, but we were invited to opening night by Tony…should be a great show in early November.
In Ross’ absence, Josh has been keen to do a bit of boxing training. This has been great, as it is very hard to keep motivated if you’re doing it by yourself all the time. The only trouble is that a 44 year old body has to work a tad harder than a 28 year old one…anyway, should keep me on my toes.
We have heard from Ross and Chad and they’re both doing well in vastly different environments, the word on Coomba is also all positive. Don’t know about Bobby P…he’s always been a bit of a mystery, even when he was here!
Cass came out to the beach on Sunday and soaked up a few beams before we came home, went out to lunch at Aubergine and then watched lots of torrented Australian Idol on TV in our cool cocoon away from the fierce summer heat. Surf news and pics on pointyhat
We’re both doing very well, if being extremely busy. Photos: Girls wolf down their weekend treats, Josh and Dave at Jinshan 2 and the “free beer” boys late on Friday night!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
country roads
It’s 36 degrees and dripping with high humidity. The air conditioner is working day and night and a trip outdoors ensures a soaking of perspiration and a need for a big cool drink. We’re back In Taipei after 2 months at home and we(I!) have got mixed feelings about the whole deal.
One of the biggest differences for me is that everywhere I turn, I miss a familiar face, every activity I do or plan doesn’t quite seem the same and the world is a very different place. It’s just that so many people who we knew well left at the end of last year, that it has changed the dynamic of the place quite dramatically, for us anyway. Taipei itself hasn’t changed of course: that familiar strange mix of exotic Asian and quirky old Chinese is mixed up all across the fabric of the city. That’s one thing that does feel familiar: the city’s pace, noise, sights and smells all remain and we’ve taken a lot of comfort in that. I think Cass is a little less troubled by the changing school population than me because even though she misses people, she still has her reliable colleague and friend, Kristin, working with her each day. I won’t go on about this, suffice to say, the transient population working in an international school means that sometimes, there is a major adjustment needed to be made.
I’m sure I write something similar each year when we get back, but I need to say it again, partly so I don’t forget it. If you live in Australia, if you live in Newcastle, you live in a very, very special place. Many people who live there know they do: but the ones who don’t should be compelled to travel to some other places in the world. I’m quite certain the appreciation factor would rise very, very quickly when they got back: some regular writers to the Herald’s editor would be the 1st I’d send!
We had one of the best bike trips ever this trip as we journeyed down the south coast, hopped across mountain ranges back and forth and traveled on some of the most magnificent bike friendly roads you can imagine. I can easily conjure up clear images of smooth roads meandering away into verdant valleys and then winding way, way up into another mountain. The crisp views needed to be shielded behind our sunglasses; it was sometimes almost too much to take in. The secret to our success was in not setting destinations, but instead, being content to follow every “tourist route” we saw. We bought new boots this trip to complement the suits we bought last year, so even the rain was held at bay.
Our unit was just too much this year. The old house went down and we watched as the park opposite underwent various transformations, all the while being able to look beyond to the amazing view that opened up. We bought the unit with this goal in mind of course, and we were prepared to wait for many more years, so this is a real bonus for us. Our daily 6 km walks along the shore on the Bather’s Way, up the hill and down to the Bogey Hole and back were such a pleasure: the few days of rain really disappointed us if we couldn’t get out to do it. The walk back down the hill towards Bar Beach is so exhilarating that we felt the need to comment on it each day and we always got an extra spring in our step as we admired the great sweep of coastline stretching all the way to Norah Head.
I had some good surfs and the “Pointyhat” logo on the fish drew a couple of questions from the Merewether boys! Our party was also great fun: we always enjoy so much the fact that our old friends still turn up to say g’day after all these years away. Even though it had been 2 years since our last big party it felt like yesterday. Cass and I enjoyed a number of dinners out, either at restaurants or at people’s house and every one of these nights was magnificent: our clothes are certainly a little tighter since we got back!!
Family get-togethers were wonderful chances to hear what had happened over the past year and we enjoyed seeing how much all the kids had grown and what was happening with sisters and partners. Sue’s little baby, Duncan, born just before we left, had a few struggles when we were home but I’m glad to report that he is healthy and happy now.
Our parents were pleased to see us too and we had plenty of time to catch up, but as usual, never enough. The balancing act is, as always, how to see everyone, yet still take time out to have that all important relaxing time, in this our one big holiday of the year. I think we may have erred a little too heavily on the relaxation side this year, but noone else is on holidays at this time, and their busy lives don’t go on hold just because we turn up!
Virg’n Mary are so happy to see us, the Chinese are not rattling their sabers right at this moment and we live in an exciting place in the world……now, if those friends would just come back…………..!
It’s 36 degrees and dripping with high humidity. The air conditioner is working day and night and a trip outdoors ensures a soaking of perspiration and a need for a big cool drink. We’re back In Taipei after 2 months at home and we(I!) have got mixed feelings about the whole deal.
One of the biggest differences for me is that everywhere I turn, I miss a familiar face, every activity I do or plan doesn’t quite seem the same and the world is a very different place. It’s just that so many people who we knew well left at the end of last year, that it has changed the dynamic of the place quite dramatically, for us anyway. Taipei itself hasn’t changed of course: that familiar strange mix of exotic Asian and quirky old Chinese is mixed up all across the fabric of the city. That’s one thing that does feel familiar: the city’s pace, noise, sights and smells all remain and we’ve taken a lot of comfort in that. I think Cass is a little less troubled by the changing school population than me because even though she misses people, she still has her reliable colleague and friend, Kristin, working with her each day. I won’t go on about this, suffice to say, the transient population working in an international school means that sometimes, there is a major adjustment needed to be made.
I’m sure I write something similar each year when we get back, but I need to say it again, partly so I don’t forget it. If you live in Australia, if you live in Newcastle, you live in a very, very special place. Many people who live there know they do: but the ones who don’t should be compelled to travel to some other places in the world. I’m quite certain the appreciation factor would rise very, very quickly when they got back: some regular writers to the Herald’s editor would be the 1st I’d send!
We had one of the best bike trips ever this trip as we journeyed down the south coast, hopped across mountain ranges back and forth and traveled on some of the most magnificent bike friendly roads you can imagine. I can easily conjure up clear images of smooth roads meandering away into verdant valleys and then winding way, way up into another mountain. The crisp views needed to be shielded behind our sunglasses; it was sometimes almost too much to take in. The secret to our success was in not setting destinations, but instead, being content to follow every “tourist route” we saw. We bought new boots this trip to complement the suits we bought last year, so even the rain was held at bay.
Our unit was just too much this year. The old house went down and we watched as the park opposite underwent various transformations, all the while being able to look beyond to the amazing view that opened up. We bought the unit with this goal in mind of course, and we were prepared to wait for many more years, so this is a real bonus for us. Our daily 6 km walks along the shore on the Bather’s Way, up the hill and down to the Bogey Hole and back were such a pleasure: the few days of rain really disappointed us if we couldn’t get out to do it. The walk back down the hill towards Bar Beach is so exhilarating that we felt the need to comment on it each day and we always got an extra spring in our step as we admired the great sweep of coastline stretching all the way to Norah Head.
I had some good surfs and the “Pointyhat” logo on the fish drew a couple of questions from the Merewether boys! Our party was also great fun: we always enjoy so much the fact that our old friends still turn up to say g’day after all these years away. Even though it had been 2 years since our last big party it felt like yesterday. Cass and I enjoyed a number of dinners out, either at restaurants or at people’s house and every one of these nights was magnificent: our clothes are certainly a little tighter since we got back!!
Family get-togethers were wonderful chances to hear what had happened over the past year and we enjoyed seeing how much all the kids had grown and what was happening with sisters and partners. Sue’s little baby, Duncan, born just before we left, had a few struggles when we were home but I’m glad to report that he is healthy and happy now.
Our parents were pleased to see us too and we had plenty of time to catch up, but as usual, never enough. The balancing act is, as always, how to see everyone, yet still take time out to have that all important relaxing time, in this our one big holiday of the year. I think we may have erred a little too heavily on the relaxation side this year, but noone else is on holidays at this time, and their busy lives don’t go on hold just because we turn up!
Virg’n Mary are so happy to see us, the Chinese are not rattling their sabers right at this moment and we live in an exciting place in the world……now, if those friends would just come back…………..!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Well, I am delighted to report that I'm an uncle one more time! Mum gave us a ring last night and even though it was only 10.30, I'd been asleep for about an hour after quite a big weekend and having to get up at 6. I groggily heard the news that Duncan Oliver Brown was born with a minimum of fuss and bother yesterday evening to my sister Sue and her partner Neil Brown. I'm informed that mother and baby are both doing very well. Perhaps Sue might take exception to my "minimum of fuss..." claim (for example, I'm told that childbirth might sting a little!!), but considering the fact that bubba was late and that Sue is no spring chicken (now I'm really going to cop it!), young Duncan announced his intentions and got himself out here in just a few short hours. Well done Sue!
School's just about over for another academic year and all that fiddly stuff is going on. We're arranging this and that for cats, travel, stuff at work while we're away, stuff at home here while we're in Australia...it's a bit of a nightmare.
Ross' big farewell was on Saturday. You absolutely must hit this hyperlink to check it out. We had a ball and it was a great day, night and morning (yes, it did go on that long!)
See you soon! Photo just taken today of one of the classes I work with posing at part of our "outdoor education centre" (i.e. playground). The other teacher is Gerri, who is Cathy's mother (of 'Chad and Cathy' fame)
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Joy of joys. Not only does the mind of every kid we teach start shutting down about 2 weeks out, but the party season kicks into gear in earnest and the silly season of reports and letters home and reference writing and stuff to do for next year needs to be organized etc etc etc.
I’ve just written a great swag of reports today, so while we’re in report speak maybe one on us for the year might be in order….hey! what’s happening? This is just appearing from nowhere…hey!…………
“The Braggetts have had a fair year overall. I must temper my comments somewhat by the fact that I write this report on ‘The Braggetts’. One member of the family has had an excellent year and deserves praise for her continual quest for excellence in all she does. Casanda has taught without complaint all year and provided a professional service to her employers and ultimately, the students under her tutelage. She has maintained the highest of professional standards and has assisted colleagues, added intelligent and insightful comments whenever necessary and generally performed as a seasoned and consummate international educator. On the domestic front, she has again shouldered the bulk of the so called “home duties” without complaint and in a most chipper mood despite the vague and cumbersome attempts at “help” from the other human recipient of this report. The two cats, Virg and Mary, have been delightful companions, alternating between cute sculpture like pieces to be admired as they slept and the more energetically entertaining tumbling furballs, playfully wrestling and chasing objects and each other around the house.
It is with a heavy heart, however, that I report on David and his year. Seemingly not content to systematically ruin the department that he ‘leads’ in a most unprofessional manner at work, he has managed to alienate and offend an inordinate number of his colleagues in his day-to-day dealings with them. David appears to be a “do what I say”, not a “do as I do” type of worker. The shockingly unprofessional example that he sets, both to colleagues and students alike, has to be seen to be believed. He has the audacity to have a day off if he is sick and for some unfathomable reason, tends to state his opinion in all honesty if he is asked. David has failed miserably in the art of lick ass diplomacy so favoured by many of his colleagues, a failure which has cast him in a very bad light indeed. At home, he seems to believe that carrying a festering load of garbage to the truck down the road on too infrequent occasions and writing emails and blogs actually constitutes some kind of contribution to effective domestic living. One can only hope that in the next academic year, David will live up to his undoubted potential”
Oh, that’s a disgrace! That’s very unfair…who wrote that report? How did it get published on my blog? I must protest about this report! Who can I contact to complain?!
Photos today are of David sitting on the skeletal base of the bed in the cat’s room with Virg on my back, Virg on the blanket box and Mary on the mat looking out the door. The report’s “Miss Goody Two Shoes” doesn’t get a photo this week!
Monday, May 22, 2006
The annual tongue lashin’ extravaganza is on in earnest tonight, as the boys from the temple round the corner have donned their best temple T-shirts and bandannas and chewed a frightening amount of betel nut in order to do their very best work tonight. The drums are beating as I write and the crackers seem improbably close, seeming to burst just beyond our door. Virg and Mary are cowering wherever they can, the noise just too much for them to bear. Luckily this strange and cacophonous event takes place but once a year: the delirium of the betel nut boys just builds and builds till later in the night when some brave (or foolhardy) of their number lash their tongues with special forks, drawing blood and whirling like dervishes in their anesthetized dance. I hate to think how they feel tomorrow!
In the midst of this maelstrom of sights and sounds unusual, Ross and I had strapped our spare double mattress on top of the “Auburgino” and attempted to pilot it from our place to his. The tongue lashers had blocked nearly every street so we had to pull out all our wily skills from the years of living here to go down back lanes and one-way streets to get across the suburb successfully. Ross and Ains had been sleeping on an air mattress for a couple of nights so I said they’d be much better off with a real mattress: after all, they still have two and a half weeks!
Their apartment is stripped bare of nearly every piece of furniture, the shippers having removed the majority on Saturday. It must be a terribly strange sensation; still going to work each day as the year winds down and going home to an empty shell. At least now, they might sleep a little sounder!
I’ve been struck down by a most virulent “stomach bug” since Wednesday afternoon and have been virtually house bound. They’re great these euphemisms aren’t they? I suppose “shitting through the eye of a needle” doesn’t have quite the same ring! Anyway, I missed a number of farewell parties, but also a wedding we’d been invited to. Cass flew the Braggett flag and reported it to be a very strange event indeed. One of our Australian colleagues was marrying a Taiwanese woman (educated in the States, a fluent English speaker and a member of our faculty) and the ceremony and reception were quite a mix bizarre of Aussie and Taiwanese. Many dishes of suspicious origin were served and though many people tried their best, it was fare wasted on the western contingent present.
We’re just hanging in there at the moment…very keen to get home. Photos are all sorts of early tongue lashin’ stuff; the boys were just moving to the various staging grounds around the suburb at this point in the afternoon. Now, the fireworks are barking non-stop, gunpowder lingers in the air and the drums beat on…it’s going to be quite a long night!
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
This is belated due to a distinct lack of motivation. To be honest, not a lot has been happening except for a huge show on Saturday night to farewell Chad. We had a very relaxed weekend after Ross and I went out on Thursday and Friday afternoon to the surf.
We had mixed success in the latter part of the week at the surf. Carl joined us on Thursday, as he wouldn’t get a chance on the weekend because he was going to Hong Kong with the swimming team. We got a few small waves at the Pillbox and were once again fascinated by some young couples turning up to get their wedding photos taken. As you can see from the long shot featured here, the Pillbox (said Pillbox in the left foreground) is not a place of great beauty, but at dusk, some great shots can be taken with the water as a backdrop. You’ll notice the incredible amount of rocks at this our “secret” surfing spot. We’re hoping that even when the local boys discover this spot that the ugly rock formations might frighten them off. We’re sure the discovery will happen soon, as we’ve seen cars with boards lurking very close to our inbound lanes and alleys and there is an amazing building boom going on just behind the pig farm, which holds prime spot on the coast! We’ve had a number of years now since I first discovered it on the scooter on an expedition one day, so we hope it will last a little longer.
Friday was a millpond at the activity centre, but Ross and I got a few glassy barrels at the cliff at Jinshan number 2. Trouble was the tubes were only 6 inches big! Lots of fun though and it was good take off, duck and cover practice.
We gave Chad a great sendoff on Saturday night and more than a few men at school still had a sore head on Monday. We had loads of fun and managed to miss the big bus downtown when the driver left in a hissy fit (!), then caught the 2nd half of an exciting FA cup final at the Brass Monkey. I’ve started to collect money for the big Ross extravaganza planned for June 3rd and it is going well so far.
Of course, we watched the Knights in their great win on Sunday: got out of gaol there!
Photos: Mary stretches out under the table on the weekend, a close shot of some photographers with the happy couple, a long shot of the Pillbox and wedding photos.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Working on a Saturday?! Not our usual style but Cass and I both spent a whole day on Saturday, proctoring, invigilating, sorting and grading 124 admissions entrance tests (x4!). The school gets an increasingly large number of kids applying each semester and these kids need to be screened to assess what services they need. This traditionally lies within the auspices of the ESL department and I have done this myself on a school day in the past few years. It was moved to Saturday, with the promise of a day’s pay this year and after advertising the position in my department, no one came forward, so Cass thought she might as well do it, get the cash and buy something with it. I thought that was a great idea but as the numbers grew and grew, it was obvious we needed a second venue and therefore, a second person. So, I joined her and we worked out a good system and got about ½ the papers marked as well. We can get a little secretarial help with the “tick and flick” stuff, but my colleagues will have the most unpleasant task of grading the rest, in the middle of their own testing and marking times.
Whew! So much school stuff…it’s terrible. We’re really in the silly season here with tests, reports and lots of crazy parties coming up. There is a stack of people leaving and there is at least one party, usually two, to go to each weekend between now and the end of the year. I went out briefly on Friday evening for an informal get-together, but from now till June 6 we are fully booked…it’s quite a ridiculous social whirl! Chad’s sendoff is next Friday, followed by a great succession of shows, culminating in the Ross sendoff on June 3.
We ate a tasty lunch at a restaurant called “Spice Garden” on Saturday, in between proctoring and marking. It is advertised as having new Asian cuisine and it combined all sorts of foods, which one might not normally have together, but which were surprisingly tasty. How about Pannacotta with pureed pumpkin in the middle? Delicious!
Sunday saw our traditional long breakfast with proper coffee, raisin toast and Herald clippings (thanks Mum!), then a trip to the 7/11 to buy the paper to try to see if I could find the cinema website. We wanted to go to see Mission Impossible 3 and, knowing it would be packed, I wanted to book online and get our favourite seats. The site had disappeared! Turns out the cinema has been re-badged as “Miramar” and we looked up the new site, booked online and then were whisked to our favourite seats as usual. As Cass and I remarked to each other: “Surely, we won’t go backwards?!” referring to the tech help we are used to receiving from online booking et al. I mean seriously, having to buy a newspaper to find out when the movie is on…
We did go the movie and found it to be an excellent roller coaster of exciting action scenes and great hi tech gadgets. Lunch at one of our favourite Japanese curry houses, “Aubergine” was an entrée to home with the footy on the TV between Roosters and Bulldogs and online scores from Newcastle where the Knights seem to have sneaked over the line against Brisbane.
Surf is very flat, check pointyhat if you’re interested in the details: we’re getting a lot more comments lately which is quite entertaining and we’ve just passed our 1st anniversary. It is occasionally a bit of a pain to keep going, but takes very little time and is quite good fun. We’ve been going over a year now, which really spins me out…only seems like yesterday that we came up with the idea.No pictures today: that’s what happens when you’re locked inside all weekend! A “file” pic of the world’s tallest building: Taipei’s own 101 and the mighty Knights!
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Steve Lochrin has jetted off to Italy this week for a school trip and it has certainly struck Carl and Hiroko how different his school experience has been. Even though it might seem strange at times and that kids might be missing some of those peculiar “Australian” experiences, what a rich and varied cultural and educational experience it is here.
Cass has flitted off up the hill for a baby shower type show for her friend Kristin, who safely delivered her second girl last week. Named Nyah (which apparently means “dolphin” in Hawaiian) both baby and mother are doing extremely well. Cass finds these baby shows fairly tedious, but the crew of girls going are very pleasant and Cass has gone up with her friend Kathy, who is of a similar mind regarding these showers, so I’m sure they’ll be able to exit stage left if it gets too strange!
We took the “girls” to get their yearly flu injections and thought, while they were severely traumatized, we might as well go ahead and get them microchipped as well. They’re funny little bunnies: as soon as we take them away from their comfort zone (i.e. this apartment), they become wild little scratching, fighting, feral animals, much like they were when I first brought them home. They have always been averse to other people’s company and only reluctantly put up with me, but the carryon has to be seen to be believed. It takes a phalanx of vet workers (4 of them!) to extract them from the cage and hold them down to get treated. They scratch, struggle, moan and poor little Virgy even wets herself in terror…thank god we only have to go once a year!
I’ve been basking in my own glory this week after finishing all my courses and have hardly done a thing! I suppose I’ve just done the usual: worked and attended meetings, boxed and lifted weights in the afternoon, or gone for a surf. One interesting thing in class this week was giving some of my little kiddies some Australian 2 cent coins. I brought a whole tub of them over here, and we watched a video on Australian marshlands, which featured the frilled neck lizard. Suffice to say they were a great hit!
Ross and I had one of the worst surfs ever on Friday afternoon: check the Pointyhat site for the sad details. Speaking of Ross, I’ve been busy organizing a sendoff for him for the last weekend before school breaks up. I’m trying to organize a bus to take a stack of guys over for a surf and a few beers on the Saturday afternoon (June 3), then transport us all back to the Green bar for some evening festivities. It should be a great laugh, as we’ve invited heaps of non-surfers just to come out and have a try: we’re really looking forward to it. I’ve also just put the finishing touches to a Moviemaker project to be screened at the Green on the night. It looks pretty good and is a combination of photos, videos and music along with all sorts of captions and effects…it’s been good fun making it as I haven’t tried that, previously sticking to the much more boring PowerPoint.
All sorts of sendoffs coming up…Chad and Ross of course, but also Clarky and Bob Penry…we’re losing a few too many Pointyhats, I’m afraid! Photos: Virg’n Mary calm again, good surf from a couple of weeks back, close up of my “fish”
Monday, April 24, 2006
Well, we’re pretty ecstatic for a number of reasons this week and we’re both in a very chipper mood.
Reason 1: After a hard slog over the past week and the majority of the weekend, Cassy finally put the middle school play behind her for another year. She did a fantastic job as usual: I don’t think they could get a better person for makeup, she’s no nonsense, lets the kids use their initiative to come up with themes and ideas and then works some magic to put the wild dreams into reality. Anyway, ticked for yet another year
Reason 2: After completing two Master’s degrees, one in Education and one in Science (!) and accumulating more than 76 credit points in the last 5 years, I put the finishing touches on my last two essays Friday night, submitted them, this time to University of Cincinnati, and received my passing grade via email the following day. This has completed my quest for a Masters degree plus 40 credits (my goal), which will place me on the PhD scale for salary purposes at school and a very healthy pay rise. I’m absolutely stoked; I really didn’t think I’d ever be done with all this study. As far as I’m concerned, at 44 and having studied something most years of my life…I’m out. Life-long learning will now take the shape of far less formal lessons I think! Now about those Mandarin lessons……….!
Reason 3: The house is down! Those of you who know our place back home in Merewether will know that part of our view was blocked by a crappy old house in which a lovely old gentleman used to reside. Since his death a couple of years ago, we have been waiting for council to fulfill their duties and demolish the house to return the area to parkland. They had haggled with the estate for years to try to secure a fair price and we had both been filled with increasing dread of late. From Mum’s clippings we were very well aware of the council’s great cash squeeze and we thought it might never happen. Much to our delight we received a congratulatory email from Thurza, who then went around and took some photos for us the next day and sent them. In fact, I then told my sister Sue (living in Adamstown) and my Mum, Denise (living in Hamilton South) of the news…talk about shipping coals to Newcastle!
Reason 4: Just thinking what a great life we have really. We know how very fortunate we are: we’re healthy and happy, as are the vast majority of our family and friends. We live a very privileged life: we’re far from war, terrorism, hunger and horror and it’s something we don’t want to take for granted.
Photos: Our new view!, some excited newlyweds onshore as Ross lurks out the back looking for waves.
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Slung back into the work zone with a thud this week, Cass and I have been very busy. The middle school play is on again and Cassy is in charge of makeup, necessitating many after school meetings, a Friday evening and all day Saturday at school for a dress rehearsal. Suffice to say it is not her favourite time of year! I had to give one of my talks to some visiting teachers from Taichung Teachers’ University on Friday. They had traveled from Taichung that day, quite a long trip and just for this presentation so I felt a bit of pressure. All seemed to go quite well and they presented me with some exotic plums in bottles as a thank you!
It was my birthday on Friday and some of the boys here arranged for us to go and have a few drinks after school. This extended into the evening and I was a little slower than usual on Saturday. Cass wasn’t here so I took the opportunity to get well reacquainted with the lounge and watched LOTS of football! I was stoked to get some nice cards from my fellow teachers and some of the kiddies, although I don’t know how they ever discover it is my birthday unless the other teachers tell them. Chris and Val sent a card and a gift which I’ll have fun spending and Mum also sent a card and gift: hmmm what to buy?! My aunt Virginia and family also sent a card for me and Cass, which we were delighted to receive, and I heard from a couple of other people (thanks Hel and Wayne)
Still downloading torrents and enjoying some marvelous Australian trash at the moment. That Biggest Loser show is horrendous really, but I must admit, I can’t stop downloading it to see what happens next! The only blessing is we don’t have any ads. We’ve watched the new show “Thank God You’re Here” (bit of a fizzer don’t you think?) and continue to get the Chaser, which is fresh and funny. Just watched the latest episode of Lost, I’m getting it just hours after it airs in the U.S. and a similar situation with the fantastic House MD. So, as you can see, TV has come a long way from the early days of watching CNN. That used to be the best we could do… All praise the internet! We’re on tenterhooks here waiting for the Knights-Cowboys clash to come on. Should be a ripper: we watched the Knights carve up St. George courtesy of a torrent, the NRL site being very stop-start at the moment.
On a more academic note, I have 4 more credit points to reach the holy grail of 40 credit points above a Masters’ degree. That will be 76 credit points in 5 years, with a year off in the middle. As anyone knows who studies and works, it’s been very awkward, but at least I’ll be rewarded for it in the end. Just got to get those last few assignments in: I’m having lots of trouble getting motivated to finish it all off! (i.e. should be doing them instead of writing this!!)
Carl is on a massive fitness campaign at the moment and although I’m continuing my boxing and weights, he makes me look positively sluggish in comparison. I’ve barely seen him for months as he is always out on some huge bike ride, pounding the treadmill, or in some other exercise task. He doesn’t even seem to go surfing much anymore. I’ve told him he’s becoming a little obsessive, and although I think he knows it, he’s still going. Good luck to him though: he’s a changed man.
Photos: Dave at local beach, Lunch at Murray House, Stanley in HK, Cass at the ubiquitous jeweller’s window! and HK apartment buildings (with pools!)
Sunday, April 09, 2006
We’re relaxing on our last day of spring break holidays after a week off. After visiting Hong Kong airport a conservative 20 times over the last five years, we thought it was about time we actually visited the city properly. Armed with our free air tickets from HSBC Visa, a reward for our excessive spending (although always paid off on time, so I wonder why they think we are such VIP customers…?), we tripped off to the airport for our 1 ½ hour flight.
The seamless transportation from Taipei to our room in Hong Kong whispered the 1st thoughts of sleek, modern efficiency. The airport express train ushered us on with Logan’s Runesque calming automated voices and then shuttle buses whisked us to the hotel. We worked out that we walked about 20 steps in all from limo to airport to plane to airport to train and then hotel. This dearth of walking was to be rectified in the next 4 days, however!
The Miramar was “conveniently” located on Nathan Rd in Kowloon and the flash of scores of jewelry shop windows not only captivated Cassy, but enticed her to look in every one of them every time we passed. We also entered many and great discussions were held with hopeful proprietors about various diamonds and pearls. Quite ironically, I ended up leading the shopping charge and had bought a beautiful leather jacket on our first venture down the road on the way to eat tea! In the Mong Kok markets I bought some shoes and shirts as well, but in lightning fast time.
Cass had her birthday on our last day in Hong Kong, so she spent the birthday money from her parents on a very clever addition to some existing earrings: I’m pretty sure she wants to show people, not just tell them, so I’ll leave you in some suspense. I bought her a Louis Vuitton bag, the style of which she’d had her eye on for some time.
We did all the touristy stuff: strolled the Kowloon foreshore by day and night as well as numerous night and day trips on the Star Ferry. Hong Kong island is kind of like Sydney’s Chinatown, ironically with more “foreigners” than that area. Sleek, modern, architecturally daring and exciting, the island oozes wealth and style, and how about that race course in the middle of the city?! We had a number of beers and a trendy dinner in the Lan Kwai Fong bar area on our last night: a wonderful experience for a change, streets absolutely chock full of non-Chinese and a very cosmopolitan style. Our mate here in Taipei, Coombsy, is off to work in Hong Kong next year and challenged me to spot the difference between Lan Kwai Fong and Sydney: not much!
The Peak tram hauled us up to Victoria Peak for amazing vistas and we got ourselves over to the far side of the island to visit Stanley and Repulse Bays. The real estate window announced apartments worth $160 million Hong Kong. Even when you divide by 6 for Aussie $, this place is stratospherically expensive!
Hong Kong was an interesting experience. I described it as Taipei on speed, but it’s more than that. It’s slick and chic, very self assured, a strange mix of unsophisticated mainland Chinese workers, fat expat wankers in suits and the vast majority of people, “middle workers”, Chinese and expat alike. It feels a little like its just hanging on to its “shopping Mecca” tag: we’ve personally experienced better prices and opportunities in other Asian countries, including Vietnam and Thailand. Still, there’s no denying a certain excitement surrounding the place and when you can check your bags at the Logan’s Run train station and then forget about them till you get home, you have to admit its slicker than the patter of all the Indian boys furtively promising “copy watch, copy watch” on every street corner!
After never wanting to set foot in another shop, or look at another item of jewelry, it was rather ironic that we went to the Taipei Jade Market yesterday. I went to “bodyguard” Cassy as she negotiated kilometers of aisles of jades and stones and gems with a stack of cash (the only currency!). She is keen to get some sapphires for an “order” for friends back home, but after scouring every aisle, we came up empty. We have one guy promising to try to source some for us in a month, but we’re not overly confident
Finishing off a lengthy tome this week, I sat back and wondered anew today about our changing world. We beamed a live webcast of the Surfest final from Newcastle straight through to our TV today. Merewether beach in live action: if I’d wandered over the road from our unit there, I wouldn’t have got as good a view. Here we were watching the action, marveling at the crowd, listening to the commentary until we were jolted back to earth by the strident cries of the traveling fixit men wafting up from the streets below our apartment.
Photos: Cass with night skyline, us at the Peak, Stanley Bay, street at night, my hero Bruce Lee!, Lan Kwai Fong bar.
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