Dreaming of a White Christmas

Hi-ho all!
Time flies when you're havin' fun - and we can't believe that Christmas is fast approaching, and cross fingers - we'll be in the race for a white one! In fact, we got our first snow for this winter just the other day and I was keen to get out in it...until it got in me! (Snow doesn't just look nice...it's as cold as ice!)
But it was so great to see the contrast of the whole before-and-after-snow outside world. There is a strange kind of beauty in the colour white. Snow White that is.

So yes it's cold here in Beijing. Averaging around 5degrees maximum, and -4degrees minimum... and this is just the beginning of winter. Ouch! Our beanies are everyday accessories now. And gloves even. And one of these days - thermals!
Nothing like what you Aussies back home are experiencing with the heat and record highs that come hand-in-hand with the whole climate change that's upon us. What can I say but - let's SAVE OUR PLANET. (Got to get a green message in blogs these days - it's so in!...*plus needed).

As mentioned in my previous entry, I managed to surprise Michelle some weeks back with some tickets to '42nd Street' - the New York Broadway show that made headlines here bringing broadway to China for the 1st time. Well it was our first time too. And there's nothing like some tap tap tapping to get you go go going when the cold wind's blow blow blowing (I was obviously inspired!).

Work goes on as usual for Michelle, with it's mundane and manic mix making a managing messy yet measureably mastered-over-able...(w-w-w-what?!). Other than work, she's feeling a little homesick with Christmas coming up, but she's made a new friend with a local Chinese girl, and they're catching up regularly to exhange Chinese/English lessons, so that's keeping her life full and interesting.

Over the last 7 weeks I've undertaken 2 teaching roles - Business English in the evenings, teaching employees of a Chinese oil company (Mon-Thurs 6:30-8:45pm); and Kindergarten teaching - teaching English to 4-7yr olds (Mon-Fri). Teaching my Business English class has been extremely satisfying and rewarding, and with 3 weeks to go, it'll be sad to say goodbye to some great personalities I've had the privelege of getting to know. Last month they even threw a party to celebrate my birthday -cake n' all! Coincidentally it was the same night they requested seeing a movie (so educational!), and so Bruce Almighty ended up making for a night of good food and good laughs (and they call this teaching!).

On the other hand, the kindergarten was what one fellow English teacher (from London) called the 'Kindergarten from hell' - somewhat extreme but you get the feeling from this that it wasn't the best environment for kids and teachers alike. That much was true. Although the picture collage below suggests otherwise, it really was a wacky, crazy, disorganised, out-of-control place to work. The Head Master kinda lived up to C.S. Lewis' character in the Narnia tales - the White Witch, who made the inhabitants of Narnia live in a perpetual winter. But I found the wardrobe, and escaped back into the real world (gave my 1 month's notice and left after completing 6 weeks). Don't let the photo decieve you. Those kids can be lethal when left undisciplined. I do luv 'em, but even they didn't deserve to be there. Anyway - it was a good learning experience, and I'm pretty sure from this that I won't be chasing Kindergarten work in the future. It's exhausting!

Christmas is coming up, and we'll definately feel that emptiness created by the absense of family. But Michelle has a good friend coming over - Rachel from Adelaide - and that'll be a real blessing as we put it. Although the Chinese don't generally celebrate Christmas it's amazing how the silly season as it commercially expresses itself has taken hold of the Chinese market. There's no lack of Christmas decorations/lights/trees around the city, in the stores, plaza's, malls etc. Impressive actually. So it still feel's like Christmas is on its way, yet we still feel like something's missing.

Christmas Eve we'll be heading out with friends to a fancy resturant for a big Xmas dinner buffet complete with seafood, turkey, entertainment etc. And on Christmas day we'll have a more subdued lunch out somewhere with other friends we've met along the way. So the food element won't change. We'll just miss family and of course - beach cricket. Hit one for a six into the ocean for me will you? Cheers.

Now what other interesting things can I report?

- With $60AUS in Beijing you and a friend can get a taxi to a top cinema (and back) + get 2 tickets to a new release movie + have a meal with drinks at a local resturant + get 2 large pizzas home delivered + have some drinks at a pub with mates and grab some snacks on the side. (That's just $30 each!).

- A new Pub has just opened around the corner from us - an Irish Pub at that! Called Paddy O'Shea's. On the Australian Election night it was packed with Aussies, and all the TV screens showed the LIVE Election Coverage from Australia (ABC version). With all the cheers - my guess is that it was mostly a LABOR Party supporters gathering. But it's just crazy how much we find ourselves feeling like we're home, right in the middle of Beijing China.

- Speaking of home, we found Arnotts BBQ Shapes on the shelves of a local supermarket that caters for the expat community...Excellent. Also Nippy's Chocolate/Iced Coffee/Honeycomb Milk all the way from SA! Still, it has nothing on Classic Chocolate Milk. Mmmm....Classic Chocolate...

- Most of the lakes, creeks, puddles and people's spit-on-the-footpath have now frozen over, so it may be time to get ourselves a pair of iceskates and make some moves on Beijing's Ice. (Or try some toslagganing).

Finally, my blog wouldn't be the same without a typical Chinese sign with it's fun-to-behold CHINGLISH:

'Smal-Scale vehide'... 'Tourist suprvision trlephone'...
Don't they have a spell-checker here?!!! Please!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

THIS IS CHINA.

DIG IT.