Living the Life

Family Reunion

admin — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 13:32:57 +0000

Since I’m studying in China, the holiday season will be Chinese New Year for me, rather than Christmas, I plan on going back to Australia to see my family in January. By that time, it will have been eighteen months since I saw them. I have one baby sister who is less than a year old – I still haven’t seen her in person. Not being able to see her has been my one regret in coming to Shanghai. Meeting her and reuniting with the family and friends that I left behind when I came here to study are all the plans I need for my winter holiday.

Teaching your dog to be “A real best friend”

admin — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 08:50:46 +0000

My dog Patches is seriously my best friend. I raised her to be exactly that. I found her on the side of road at the beach. I could tell she was a pure breed English bulldog, so I watched her sit in the mud, and just cry, for a whole hour. The beach was packed with people, and no one seemed to be paying attention to her. I told myself, I’ll go for a swim, if she is still there when I get back, I will take her home with me and dress her in dog Halloween costumes. After about an hour of swimming, I came up to find her sleeping in the mud, where she had been when I left. I picked her up, brought her home, and turned her into my best friend. She goes everywhere with me. The beach, the store, My friend’s house’s. I even take her to some parties I go to. She’s super friendly, and almost everyone accepts her into their homes. She’s so well behaved that it makes it possible for her to go everywhere. The only thing I did, was allow her to come with me everywhere, and love her completely and she has been my best friend since the day I brought her home.

A hobby for a student

admin — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 13:31:38 +0000

A few months ago, I decided that I wanted a hobby; something interesting to do as an extra-curricular activity. Since at school I was studying Chinese, I decided, naturally, that the best thing for me to take as a hobby would be to study Korean. Believe it or not, this was my idea of “fun”. Learning things and finding new ways to communicate, and discovering new ways to think abut the world are all things I enjoy. Ever since I was a child, I was more likely to be found enjoying myself in the library than anywhere else. Give me a book, or something to learn, and I’ll be happy.

Hobbies With Exercise (barbieinablender.org)

Not your typical woman

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:31:05 +0000

I have always found it difficult to find activities to do with my female friends. You see , I hate shopping. I find it tedious. When people ask where I like to shop, I always tell them that it’s not so much a matter of where I like to go, but rather which places I hate the least. At which point I mention a few shops that I know often have a few things that I like, none of which is a supermarket (which I hate more than regular shops). When I must shop, I choose a shop where there isn’t much of a line, and where I can get what I want with as little fuss and hassle as humanly possible. That way, the ordeal is over as quickly as possible.

The Cold

admin — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 13:28:15 +0000

: Image by Tatters:) via Flickr

Winter (apart from the fact that it is footy season) is, I must say, the worst time of year. You see, it is cold. And with the cold comes the need to wear extra clothing. Jackets and coats and scarves and hats and all kinds of things that get caught up in your hear and are heavy and never seem to look quite as good as a summer dress. It’s absolutely horrid. Winters became even worse since I moved to China, because upon moving here, I discovered one thing – Australian winters aren’t even that cold. At least it’s given me a new appreciation for the Australian “winter” (which, I’ve discovered, is not even cold by world standards). I still don’t like it though. Too cold.

Goodnight and “Adios”

admin — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 06:27:34 +0000

Today will end sadly, because my housemates are leaving (permanently) for Spain tomorrow in the early morning, so I will finish the day off by saying, “Adios,” and wishing them good luck in their life without me. They have been the best housemates a person could ask for. I still remember the argument we had recently about mopping the floors – they felt guilty that I was doing it, and tried to insist that I stop and let them do the mopping instead! Before they leave, I must go out and buy a few things – a goodbye present for them; a card to wish them well; and a box of tissues for myself to wipe away the tears when they leave.

So My Friend Asked Me a Question

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 06:26:00 +0000

The other day, thanks to the power of FaceBook, an old college friend asked me when my CD was coming out. He remembered the days when I would sit downstairs in our boarding house and spend hours hammering out music on the beat up grand piano. I spent several years creating new melodies and intricate counterpoints, and promised that all those who endured my early-process cacophony would be the first to receive a copy of my CD. Anyway, this friend decided to take me up on the offer. Unfortunatly, my response to him was “I haven’t quite made it yet. Hopefully I’ll have it done by the time you ask me again.”

Is Facebook Really Good for Making Friends? (socyberty.com)

The Perfect Place for Kids

admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 06:25:16 +0000

Though my wife and I avoided moving to our corner of suburbia from the rolling foothills of California, we are so happy we decided to move to civilization! Perhaps the coolest thing about Roseville is that there are so many things for kids to do. From hundreds of swim lessons and three large libraries to numerous summer camps and pretty much any sports league one could imagine, Roseville truly is a great place to raise children. This past year, one of my kids sang in a musical, one learned ancient tracking techniques from local Native American tribes, and a third had the chance to express herself in tiny tot gymnastics. We feel lucky to be able to provide our children the opportunities that living in Roseville has provided for us.

Thank You San Francisco!

admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 06:23:46 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

While I love my teaching job, I would have to think long and hard if someone presented me the option of being an instant rock star. Having the chance to entertain the masses from coast to coast while encouraging youngsters to devote time to learning music would be such a thrill, and the extra income would be pretty nice too! I can just see myself with my microphone stand perched next to my tricked out grand piano as I start the power ballad of the century, knowing that thousands of fans are ready to sing along and sway with the music that I have created. That would be an incredible rush.

Dogs I just love dogs

admin — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 05:43:58 +0000

It’s something about the way they run up to you, so happy to see you and waging their tails like nothing else in the world matters. I love my dog, his name is Nugget, and I’d do almost anything for him. I buy him things all the time, treats, toys… you name it. When I was younger I even considered buying him on of those dog sweaters, more so because I thought it would be funny than fashionable, but their still cool I guess. I just love my dog, he’s great! I am considering even getting a few more, because lets be honest… you can’t have too many dogs!