Life in Tyers

Hi everyone,



So we left Suzhou at 2.15pm on Monday, got to the airport at around 4.30 and flew out at around 8.30. Surprisingly all the waiting went by so quickly. That morning I had gotten up early and gone for a run, so I knew I'd be really tired on the plane. Also my friend Kate had bought me a travel pillow from Auchan to help me sleep on the plane, and when I had gone to pick it up, her Aunt had given me some cold and flu tablets that make you drowsy. All combined I bombed on the plane (thank-you) and slept for 6 hours out of 10 and bit. God my knees were sore from sleeping with bent knees while sitting, they only started feeling better yesterday, really achy.



We were supposed to land at 8am, but the plane had been delayed an hour in Shanghai and was late an hour too, also upon landing there had been a storm, so they were down to only one run way and we had to fly around 'somewhere' until there was a space to land. Then once we landed they ran out of buses to get us to the terminal and we had to wait for another 20 mins. Then we finally gout out around 10am and got back to Tyers at 12.30pm. Almost 24 hours travelling.



But you know, there is always a story or two...



The bike story -



Kane decided to buy a bike and bring it back to Australia to ride from town to town. It was good enough idea if it had been warmer, the bike had weighed less and he had researched enough. Am I sounding jaded - YES! That's all I will write in this topic. I only wish he had some clothes to wear in the middle of winter.




So since I have been back home I have caught up with my three closest girlfriends, had dinner out, Mum and I have looked a some wedding dress styles and I have tried three on and Kane and I are going to the footy on Saturday. After that, I will go with Mum to Healesville and then to Yackandandah and Kane will go to Bendigo. After that we will join up in Albury/Wodonga for a while. A week apart from each other might be nice and I might start to get over the whole bike fiasco.

Update-
Mum and I went to Target and managed to buy Kane some clothes, some of the shirts were only $3! Bargain. At least he has winter clothes now. And I am feeling much better about the whole fiasco.

Only 2 days left

Yesterday was our last day of school. It was a crazy day with signing out, making sure everything was packed up and then saying goodbye to all the students I'd had this past 10 months. I got a couple of little gifts, but on the whole, all staff were very disappoited. Back home you get a small gift from most students, here you may get 1 or 2 from a whole class. As we teach quite rich families we all sort of expected more in gratitude. I was a lucky one, I got two Finland crystal glasses from a Finnish girl.

Last night we had farewell drinks down at Mr Pizza (A chinese style pub) and it was great. There were nearly 40 leaving staff this year and it is really sad to say good bye to so many of them, and then next year it's making new friends.

I have news too...

I can drink beer now!

I have never been able to drink beer. I could pour a perfect beer, but never put it in my mouth a swallow without getting goose bumps all over my body.

I drank 3 big tiger beers and 2 corona's yesterday. I think its a pretty big accomplishment. (I've been practising all year) If nothing else, I can say a learnt to drink beer this year.

On that I decided to make a list of all the things that have happened in the past 10 months just to remind myself of all that we've done:

1. Learnt to drink beer
2. Went to Thailand
3. Went to Cambodia
4. Went to Vietnam
5. Went to Beijing and Xian
6. Went to China!!!!
7. Learnt to speak some Chinese
8. Saved heaps of money
9. Got engaged
10. Went to Ty and Zoe's wedding
11. Had my parents and brothers visit
12. Had Kane's Mum and Gary visit
13. Learnt to make dumplings
14. Made many new friends
15. Learnt all about fresh water pearls
16. Discovered how cheap all my wedding stuff will be if I buy it here.
17. Picked green tea
18. Bought a Chinese tea set
19. Learnt to eat and make sushi rolls (Korean Kim bob are better though)
20. Started swimming again

I am sure I could write more, but I was starting to think too hard! So much in one year!

Anyway I will sign off, this may be our last post from China for a few months,

Take care,

KK

More decorating

We are coming home in 8 days! Can you believe it? I can't. We also found out on Friday that an Australian couple from Tassie/Qld are also on our flight. So that's kinda cool.

OMG - I just lost 4 paragraphs of writing. Now I have to start all over again.

Kane is watching AFL at the moment. (We get 3-4 games each weekend on the Australian channel) It always annoyed me that he watched so much back home, but I have come to realise he is much nicer to be around as long as he gets his dose of footy. It has also become a bit of sanity for myself because if he is not watching AFL, he is watching boxing (which is on nearly 24/7) and if he is not watching AFL or boxing, he is searching on the Internet for AFL or boxing!

And I much prefer the footy.

Yesterday we went downtown and he was looking at a bicycle to bring back home. He found a hybrid bike that has everything he needs for off road and on road cycling. He is still emailing the bloke about it.

I got some photos printed. I have been making a collage about each country we visit. So far I have made a page about Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Here are some pictures:

And here they are on the wall with blutac.

I do of course need to get them framed, but I think they are awesome.

Anyway. This time next we we will be coming home tomorrow.

No time

So busy. We have things on nearly every day until we leave now. School is so busy. But there are times when I have nothing to do. I walk around in a daze because I need my kids in the room to finish thing so that I can finalise portfolios and student files. So I have started pulling displays down (naughty me, 2 days too early!). 5.5 work days left.

I always dreaded the thought of how long it would be before I came home to see everyone, but you know... it's almost here. Only 11 more days of no sunshine and blue sky, of the high humidity where my hair goes curly. No more Chinese food (I am not going to a dingy Chinese Restaurant when I am home). No more explaining an activity 5 times to low ESL learners (at least for 7 weeks) and no more catching a bus to work each day.

My list could go on and on. I am tired. I want to listen to my own language 24/7. I want Mum to cook me a roast. I want to see my friends. I want to ride a horse. I want to be with family. I want, I want, I want... I want to wake up tomorrow on that plane coming home.

This is the ramblings of a tired teacher ;)
Sorry
KK

21 days...

Is there a song out there like the countdown beer song for counting down days?

I've started to think of my own song... (sung to... 21 bottles of beer on the wall)

21 days in China to go,

only 21 day,

off to school, home again,

20 days in China to go...

We did some decorating today. Yesterday we went and got some photo's blown up and printed. One is of a Bayon head from Bayon Temple and the other is an over-grown tree from Ta Promh Temple, both in Cambodia. Printing is really cheap here in China. The big one cost 50RMB (less than $10) and the other only 35RMB (about $5). We are going to get more rpinted and framed before we come home and we will have our own pictures to put up on our walls. - Too easy :)

Don't they look good?

3 weeks to go...

Or to be more exact 26 days to go.

Work is starting to wind down at school, which sounds quite nice, but in the teaching world it means it gets busier and busier. Reports to write, units to complete, next years classes to make, cleaning to happen, find teaching partners, out to dinner, BBQ's, end of year break ups (numerous) and all that jazz!

Luckily, we have a long weekend this week. My crazy sleeping pattern continued today. Eyes opened at 6:45am, after laying in bed tossing for 1/2 an hour, I gave up and got on the computer. I have been told abut this Chinese site that sells things online really cheap... only problem... its all in Chinese. So set with my instrutions of, 'push the button under the arrow and then the top button in the middle, you will find what your looking for', sounds easy eh? So anyway I tried it and guess what? I found what I was looking for. Now I have to find a Chinese person who can help me order online. That will be Tuesday's job while at school.

I went over to the 'Finish Taylor' today. You will notice that I spelt the word Finish as completed, becasue that is just how it is. It doesn't mean Finnish as in the country. I am saying this as I have always thought it the later description, but trust me, this couple do not look Finnish - Very confusing to me!

Kane has gone out exploring today with some friends in an old Chinese street. I just missed going with him by 20mins, as I was at the 'Finish Taylor'! (It cracks me up!)

Oh - Mama - I have a friend going to the Pearl Market tomorrow and she is going to get you some earings made the same as the necklace you want. They'll probably be about $15.

That's about it for us.

Bye

K&K

Four weeks to go... and counting!

I can't believe that I deleted the photos of Dawn and Gary from our camera. How stooopid was that? I specifically remember copying them from my camera to a CD for them to take back to Bendigo with them, and now I have no copy myself? Really?



So sorry, I can't show you some photos of our latest guests, which is a really pity. I had a great one of Kane skipping through a flower lined lane.



We have fallen dead on our feet lately. Kane's blisters are healing, (thank-god), but we still had a really busy weekend. It was international day at school on Saturday and they had all kinds of games, stalls and sooo much yummy food from all over the world. I bought a gorgeous jewellery case to house my 'specials', and won a green bag from Marriott Hotel group. The bag sounds exciting, but it's not. It's just like a safeway green bag, but bigger!


My Jewellery box below:

It has 2 shelves that come out. Many, many little compartments and a ring cushion. I love it and the colours are awesome.



We went out to tea with an American couple and headed home pretty early. I was glad to be in bed as I was a weeee bit tired. Only to be rudely awoken at 6.30am by my stupid body clock. I don't get it. I'm exhausted during the week and struggle like hell to get out of bed at 6.30am. I feel like sh*t for hours afterwards. But come the weekend, as much as I want to sleep and really need to sleep. I can't. *POP* eyes open - hello world! Is anyone else like that?



Sunday was spent with exercise. Kane ran for 1.5 hours with another 2 Americans and I gymed it. Later on in the afternoon Kane played soccer and I went for a pedicure and to a baby shower.



I've heard a rumour tonight that they are going to start means testing the baby bonus. Is it true? How damn rude. I was hoping that thing would still be around when I finally get there in a few years time.

Cheers everyone,

KK