Another ordinary week

Wow something new this week

The sky was so polluted with smoke you could hardly see 50 metres ahead of you. I took a picture of it at night. Also have a picture of a Christmas tree all lit up. They probably have more decorations around here than at any high school in Canada...ironic... The other shot is at night as I walk to my dorm....there is a row of stree lights and right at the very end is a Christmas tree...you can hardly make it out but it is there....a.s you get closer it become clearer...a little taste of home....










Ifyou look real close on the right hand side, there are some students standing about 10 metres away. And that is a cars headlights that were about 7 metres away but off to the right.






A new stadium in Tongzhou, football and it was just having the finishing touches put on it by the workers....I always like to get a picture of those guys...they are happy go lucky characters....I have a picture of the inside, the workers and the little guard who prbably gets paid minimal to stand there all day and not let people in......except foreigners who want to take pictures.










The students have been finishing off their football (soccer) playoffs this week. Some quick players here. All the teams in the semifinals were the ones that I teach....I joked that I must have been inspirational to them as a sports fan....I don't think they got it. Tomorrow is the finals. Will have to take that in...the kids get a kick out of it....even have taught them the lean ot the left lean to the right yell....gave them a bonus mark if they came out and yelled it...in English of course.

We are having a get together with all the teachers and all are looking forward to us trying to sing the 12 days of Christmas...I was hoping to find Metros Ukrainian 12 days of ....or Doug and Bob's....Strange hearing all the songs being played in English in stores...and to see Christmas decorations for sale.... here in a supposed non Christian land...but apparently they use Christmas as a time for immediate families to get together and Chinese New Years as the whole family to come together... interesting...what our Christmas is too...There has been a lot of decorating going on here..many are nostalgic for home...including me.... Music was blaringout of this place and all sorts of Christmas decorations around.


Will be going skiing Christmas eve....with Steve, Kirsten and Mike if we can book in. There is a whole day of skiing and then a hotpot for the supper...different than your normal turkey dinner...will let you know how the skiing and meals and stuff goes....may even take a few pictures.... we have a gift exchange, just in the Canadian group and then with the whole teaching staff...got a name and didn't know whether it was a boy or a girl as it was in Chinese....funny eh??..oh well, did find out eventually that it was a lady...now we can only spend 15 rmb or about 2 buck on the gift...not that hard to find something for that price...

New Years is going to be in Shanghai....Bob and Mark and Angie and I will be going on the train down and back and will stay at a hotel for the New Year. Bob is hoping to get a cruise on a boat for that night as he is interested in the fireworks from the water....we'll see.

Trying to make arangements for the trip to Thailand. There are so many options and hotels and beaches and activities...that it is hard to make a decision. Will be going to Harbin to see the ice sculptures and also to Xi'an again...it was fascinating and Merle would like to see the warriors as well so it will be worth it.

Have been told to start getting your exams ready just a couple of days ago....they teach to the exams...they don't seem to teach ...to think and use your imagination and creativity and analysis....questions like Why and What do you think ....may floor some of them because they want to just regurgitate or copy exactly word for word.....have a hard time doing their own thing...so I have been a bit of a unknown quantity as I don't even know what I am doing some times...how can they be expected to follow some sort of pattern..hahahahabut they are getting a little better expecially my better class....I laugh with them a lot because they can be so serious and .....even worse they don't catch my jokes or "digs"...

Place is going to be soemwhat deserted for the Chinese New Year...several people are going home...I am expecting some may not even come back...????..Bob is going to Florida to golf with his buddies....Angie is going home to Halifax and I think Mary Ellen is going to Moncton...others are all over Southeast Asia...

This weekend is going to be busy...Olympic sites tour....a bigwhig buffet with Tuxes....then the Sunday Don and I are taking tickets in our Tuxes for the grade 12's dance and then another supper for the owner of the place...may have to get the darn thing cleaned...before we take it to the bar...and we will do it....I may even have to show off my Rider green toenails....oh yeah I
forgot to tell you about them....

Well, I am a metrosexual....as the new term goes....had my nails done and then decided to get my toenails done....what a hoot....had the two German ladies beside me giving me strange looks at first...but I am secure enough in my manliness that I can handle this..at least that's my story... will include the picture here...oh yeah those are my bear slippers...

Had a couple of frustrating days trying to book and get the lecture theatre here to show some movies....laziness or incompetence....or both...but basically you are on your own to get the stuff running but they don't want to show you how to do it as then they are out of a job...also the equipment is out of date...needs an upgrade and we put in a very strongly worded letter to the powers that be to get something done.....Not holding our breath.

Had a meal tonight for 7 people and the cost was less than 9 dollars for all. We didn't have been so it was fairly cheap....beer is about 35 cents a bottle and a fairly sizeable one at that.

Think I will have my external CD player for my lap top so that I can have some tunes at home and wake up the neighbours with Stompin Tom eevery now and then...Gord and Neil too....kind of miss my stereo....the music here is not my can of soup.

Finally got some work on repairs to my cel phone...they said that it could not be repaired at the repair shop so I would have to return it to the dealer who.....get this......could repair right at the desk...I went there in August, the 8th to be exact, they questioned my warranty and then sent it away for 4 months do do basically nothing to it....Rogers incompetence....I am not a salesman for them....in fact probably I will go over backward to do the opposite....and they are still thinking they will collect money for service from August until December.....another good fight to fight....and I am ready willing and able....after I get my phone.....oh yeah, they wouldn't give me the phone number of the manager but would take a number and she would phone me...My reply...I don't have my cell phone how can she phone me!!!!!!!!!

Signing off for now...like MacArthur..I shall return