Friday December 4th, 2009 ...

Last night dropped down to 14℃. The chilly ride home left me thinking about how I am going to deal with the temperatures I am about to face. Buying warmer clothes has been on my list of things to do for some time now. As shopping is one of my least favorite things to do, it still remains there.

Time has been speeding by and it seems I hardly have any for myself these days. I did make it to the salon this morning and am now a redhead. It's a nice change but I do have to admit, I miss the shaved head. I'm still not used to seeing myself with this much hair.

I am so looking forward to having three weeks off. I've been at it pretty hard since India which is coming on a year ago. It's hard to believe. I suppose I've not done too badly in the sense of holidays over the past year. Eight months on, four months off.

With brother J getting married next year in Las Vegas, not sure how that trend will work for 2010. That just means I'll have to aim higher for 2011. Seven months on, five months off. I like the sounds of that already ...

Thanksgiving Feast ...

And what a feast it was. This shows about half of what was there. Gobble, gobble ...

20 more sleeps ...

I left my chair for two minutes ... are you kidding me?

Cats never cease to amaze me. In such a short time span, one is under the pillow while the other sits on top. Two minutes ago, they were nowhere to be seen.

Perhaps it's a bit too early to be counting down. I am, for the first time in awhile, feeling the distance from my homeland. Three and a half years has flown by but I know the time passed will be apparent upon my arrival.

The Vancouver 2010 Olympics are just around the corner and a few friends have assured me that I won't recognize a lot of my old stomping ground. It's going to be interesting to rediscover a place I grew so fond of.

We will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week at school. Everyone is required to contribute a dish. Last year consisted of a cold turkey with horrible paste-like stuffing and no gravy. The plus side was the fantastic sushi and deliciously breaded crab.

My expectations aren't set high in the sense of tradition. I do know that a pumpkin pie from Costco has been ordered. I'm half tempted to disappear into a corner of one of the small classrooms with fork and pie in hand.

33 more sleeps until a proper holiday meal ... or would that be 34?! Either way ... I'm stoked!

A Chinese Cartoon ...

Sunday November 15th, 2009

Friday November 13th, 2009

About this time next month, I'll be making my way to the airport, bound for Canada. As the weeks pass, I find myself purchasing warmer clothes. Jeans here, Gore-tex there. Shoes that aren't sandals are next on my list. And perhaps a down jacket after that. Christmas comes but once every fours years or so ...

Next week will be my last at 師大. I've decided not to return for the moment. I will be required to pay the full tuition regardless of my three week holiday. I'm sure I'll also be expected to self study the material that will be taught in my absence. I'd like to think I'll be studying while in Canada, but I don't imagine I'll get much done. The plan is to enjoy friends and family each and every moment I have.

I will be joining my classmate in a private two on one. I don't feel that my speaking has improved much during the past three months. I can certainly read and write a lot more but speaking is what I went there to improve on. My new class will be three mornings a week which allows me two days back for exercise. Pretty stoked!

I will consider going back to 師大 for the following term, early 2010. In the meantime, I will try this new class and see what it has to offer.

Looks like a wet weekend awaits. TGIF ...

Sunday November 8th, 2009

Wednesday November 4th, 2009

This is on the 7th floor of 師大. I'm unsure of whether it's supposed to encourage or discourage people from smoking. I think it could go either way depending on what you're into!

Saturday October 31st, 2009

Wow. November. I find myself unwell and without a voice. Unsure of what to do today, I turn around to see this. Not a great capture, but it gave me something to write about.


I'm glad they like each other. I didn't really give them much of a choice. I had Datsun for one month before I brought Levi in. I remember her first day here well. I was unsure of how to properly introduce them to each other so I let them figure it out for themselves. I, literally, dropped her off and ran out the door as I had a class to teach.

I remember coming home from work and Levi was nowhere to be found. And I mean, nowhere. I was baffled.

As I stood in the kitchen, scratching my head, I decided to look under the fridge as it was the only place I hadn't looked. Sure enough, there she was. I immediately became nervous as I thought she might char herself to death. How horrible would I have felt?

Pretty horrible.

I didn't want to move the fridge so I let her be. It took her two days to come out. It's funny. I sometimes find myself wishing she would go in hiding for two days. Especially when it comes time to writing my homework. She constantly walks off with my white eraser. Try finding it on white tiled floors.

Her nickname Muffin has turned into 麻煩 ... it almost sounds the same and is more appropriate, really ...

Sunday October 25th, 2009

A post, at last ...

This post has been days and days in the making. After all that time, I'm sorry to say it still doesn't amount to much. Between Chinese classes, writing homework, memorizing characters, work and the bit of exercise I fit in, blogging has been taking falls on the list of things to be done.

My camera has been on the table, collecting dust. Actually, that's not true. I have been taking it out but it returns home, unused.

I've declared my own personal typhoon morning. It seems late in the year to have one lingering around. There is a good chance it's going to ruin my plans of heading to the coast this weekend.

I did make it out to 龍洞 last weekend. I cruised out Sunday morning, making it there in about 40 minutes. There wasn't much traffic which left the roads free to me! The ride home was a different story. The coastal highway is two lanes and heading in the direction of 台北 always means bumper to bumper traffic. Thank goodness for the thick wide shoulder.

I found myself racing home, aiming to make it in under an hour. Halfway home, a scooter was down on the road. Ambulance. Cops. I slowed it down a notch. Ten minutes later, another scooter. A huge pool of blood was under the pieces that were scattered about. I was reminded of how vulnerable one is on a scooter. I didn't beat my previous time.

It's Friday. It's absolutely pouring outside. I spent the majority of yesterday being wet. My Chinese class starts in fifteen minutes. I can picture myself sitting there with damp clothes. At this exact moment, I am very thankful for this time. Sometimes you have to take a time out.

It's almost 8am. It's strange. My initial thought is what I wouldn't give to be sleeping right now. But thoughts of treating myself to a coffee, cleaning my apartment, going to the pool for a workout and hitting Costco seem to be overriding it. Damn it ...