The real reason ayi left, as I have just found out via the deadset efficient ayi grapevine, is that she was 4 months pregnant and was heading back home to have the baby. She just didn't want to work anymore...
As if I of all people would be angry with her about that! I might have been happy for her, sad she had to leave, or concerned that she already has her one kid, but no way would I ever be upset!
Geez! Why can't people just be honest instead of bothering with all this bullshit face saving? Yeah, look I know it's cultural, but surely just being straight up would spare the need to save face? I don't get it. I don't think I ever will.
Man, would have been nice to have the opportunity to say thankyou to her for all she has done for us and give her a gift for bub...
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Page 10 girls
Ok, so it's not quite page 3, but it'll do.
About 6 months ago, Persmonster and I participated in a photoshoot with some other mums and kids to promote Expatmamma, an online forum/resource for parents in Beijing. It's over here (to take the legwork out of stalking). This week, I found the photo in one of the local free publications for expats, called City Weekend Parents & Kids. It's a nice, big group photo, with a smaller one of Pers & I, they quoted me too, which was a pleasant surprise.
So yeah. There you go. I guess you can call us locals now or something...
About 6 months ago, Persmonster and I participated in a photoshoot with some other mums and kids to promote Expatmamma, an online forum/resource for parents in Beijing. It's over here (to take the legwork out of stalking). This week, I found the photo in one of the local free publications for expats, called City Weekend Parents & Kids. It's a nice, big group photo, with a smaller one of Pers & I, they quoted me too, which was a pleasant surprise.
So yeah. There you go. I guess you can call us locals now or something...
A sense of accomplishment...
I figure being 36 weeks pregnant has to have some perks...
2 Girlfriends who I have lots of laughs and good conversation with - check
Lunch at Mosto (very, very yummy!) - check
Glass of Zinfandel - check
Manicure - check
Pedicure - check
Toenails painted 'Go Fasta Red' - check
But you know, I have balanced my Tai Tai Tuesday decadence out with:
Squat Toilet managed at 36 weeks pregnant - check
Pers bathed - check
Nummy dinner of BBQ Pork Noodle Soup started - check
Me about to hop into bathtub - not yet, but soon maybe - check?
2 Girlfriends who I have lots of laughs and good conversation with - check
Lunch at Mosto (very, very yummy!) - check
Glass of Zinfandel - check
Manicure - check
Pedicure - check
Toenails painted 'Go Fasta Red' - check
But you know, I have balanced my Tai Tai Tuesday decadence out with:
Squat Toilet managed at 36 weeks pregnant - check
Pers bathed - check
Nummy dinner of BBQ Pork Noodle Soup started - check
Me about to hop into bathtub - not yet, but soon maybe - check?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Last week on Wenchiland...
We must be acclimatising, it took us about 48 to sort out a new ayi. I interviewed 5 chinese ladies and ended up settling on Zhou ayi, who could start pretty much immediately. She's tiny! Pers is just over half her height! I had a lot of help from Xiao Chen (Miss Chen), who is Mr C's work colleague and probably the loveliest chinese person I will ever have the pleasure of meeting.
Here is a picture of Xiao Chen and what went down after the interviewing process. I get the feeling Pers would much prefer her to be our ayi...
Naturally, this all resulted in collapsing on our lounge (which thankfully survived the ordeal) in fits of giggles and a big, cuddly pile.
So Zhou ayi started on Thursday and it all seems to be ok so far, but she talks to me much more than the last ayi did (which was hardly at all), so I am really going to have to do something about my language skillz, which are far from wicked. Zhou ayi noticed my Bridge School book from my mandarin classes and said she will help me. Awesome! It's probably about time I got my A into G and improved anyway!
Here is a picture of Xiao Chen and what went down after the interviewing process. I get the feeling Pers would much prefer her to be our ayi...
Naturally, this all resulted in collapsing on our lounge (which thankfully survived the ordeal) in fits of giggles and a big, cuddly pile.
So Zhou ayi started on Thursday and it all seems to be ok so far, but she talks to me much more than the last ayi did (which was hardly at all), so I am really going to have to do something about my language skillz, which are far from wicked. Zhou ayi noticed my Bridge School book from my mandarin classes and said she will help me. Awesome! It's probably about time I got my A into G and improved anyway!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Bugger! Here we go again...
I should have suspected something on Tuesday when Ayi threw a sickie and then the subsequent days when she was coughing lamely.
Yep. She quit.
First there was the face-saving attempt at an explanation (which is what we in the West call "A LIE"), which was brought to our attention at 7.30pm this evening via Mr C's work colleague: "She has to go home to Anhui for more than a month".
We would have believed it if we hadn't heard it a couple of times before. So we asked colleague to call ayi back and probe a little deeper: "She has a better opportunity"
Yeah, more likely: Our ayi got poached. But then, I'm a cynic.
She is bringing a friend with her tomorrow who speaks some english to replace her, which is lovely and boy, would be great if it works out... but we shall see...
Timing's a bit poo, but then I guess it could be worse...
Yep. She quit.
First there was the face-saving attempt at an explanation (which is what we in the West call "A LIE"), which was brought to our attention at 7.30pm this evening via Mr C's work colleague: "She has to go home to Anhui for more than a month".
We would have believed it if we hadn't heard it a couple of times before. So we asked colleague to call ayi back and probe a little deeper: "She has a better opportunity"
Yeah, more likely: Our ayi got poached. But then, I'm a cynic.
She is bringing a friend with her tomorrow who speaks some english to replace her, which is lovely and boy, would be great if it works out... but we shall see...
Timing's a bit poo, but then I guess it could be worse...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Slightly Disturbed
I have recently become aware of the fact that McDonalds ("Mai dang lao") home delivers here.
EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!!
Could anyone really ever stoop so low? Spose if I was a stoner, it'd have it's merrits...
[Edit] Well obviously people do stoop that low... saw a delivery bike this afternoon... dammit, where's my camera!
EEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWW!!!!
Could anyone really ever stoop so low? Spose if I was a stoner, it'd have it's merrits...
[Edit] Well obviously people do stoop that low... saw a delivery bike this afternoon... dammit, where's my camera!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I just saw a very strange thing #2
...Or...
Where the hell is my camera when I really need it? #2
A guy standing on a corner. In one hand, a living turtle. In the other hand a bunch of mobile phone car chargers.
I guess it beats windscreen washer guys...
Where the hell is my camera when I really need it? #2
A guy standing on a corner. In one hand, a living turtle. In the other hand a bunch of mobile phone car chargers.
I guess it beats windscreen washer guys...
Monday, March 16, 2009
I just saw a very strange thing!
...Or...
Where the hell is my camera when I need it?!
There were a heap of guys, walking down our street in a line carrying signs.
They were wearing white T-shirts and pants, their black undies on the outside and red capes. They were on the march and looked like they meant business.
If only I could read Chinese characters, but I swear sometimes this place is so surreal...
Where the hell is my camera when I need it?!
There were a heap of guys, walking down our street in a line carrying signs.
They were wearing white T-shirts and pants, their black undies on the outside and red capes. They were on the march and looked like they meant business.
If only I could read Chinese characters, but I swear sometimes this place is so surreal...
Sunday, March 15, 2009
On Rickshaw Rides - Beware - and always have a plan!
So yes, Friday night I got lazy and decided to take a Rickshaw to where I was meeting Mr C. The main thing to note here is that I made sure I was straight on the price before I got into the rickshaw. As you will see, there is a catch...
I asked how much, the rider said 40 Kuai. It was freezing cold, windy and getting late, so I decided this to be a Good Thing and hopped on up.
It was quite a lovely ride, though might have been alot nicer if not for the icicles forming on my nose, as we made our way along the zou fulu (pr. zoh fool loo) and across busy intersections, to The Den. However, on arrival, there seemed to be some sort of mix-up with the pricing of the fare. Mr Guy-Onna-Bike insisted that I paid him $40Aus (equating to about 200 kuai). Far from the original 40 kuai he had quoted me *before* I got on the rickshaw. I pretended to misunderstand him. "You want Australian currency? Mai-you Ao da li ya kuai". So he started to get a little heated with me.
*Sigh* There's only one real way a girl can deal with this sort of situation... I pointed at The Den - My husband is in there, I will call him (Wo Airen neigge, Wo da dianhua wo airen), followed by me starting to dial.
See, and here's the thing - my bloke's in there with about 6 of his mates who all have a few under their belts. One of his mates is on first name basis with the entire staff of The Den and is someone that the staff like to "look after" (they also "look after" associated mates). I kind of figure the matter would be sorted out fairly promptly.
And it was. Mr Guy-Onna-Bike immediately backed off "It's ok! It's ok! Wo pengyou (my friend), 40 Kuai! It's Ok!". So I give him the money, thank him (xie-xie wo pengyou!) and quite calmly walk into The Den, where I was greeted with "Waaaaaaaaaaaaay!" hugs, kisses and cigarette smoke...
So just be aware, there's the 'real price' and then there is Special-wo-pengyou-Westerner prices attatched to most things especially in the markets, dodgy taxis and on rickshaws. You really have to be careful. The bastards are as cunning as shithouse rats!
I asked how much, the rider said 40 Kuai. It was freezing cold, windy and getting late, so I decided this to be a Good Thing and hopped on up.
It was quite a lovely ride, though might have been alot nicer if not for the icicles forming on my nose, as we made our way along the zou fulu (pr. zoh fool loo) and across busy intersections, to The Den. However, on arrival, there seemed to be some sort of mix-up with the pricing of the fare. Mr Guy-Onna-Bike insisted that I paid him $40Aus (equating to about 200 kuai). Far from the original 40 kuai he had quoted me *before* I got on the rickshaw. I pretended to misunderstand him. "You want Australian currency? Mai-you Ao da li ya kuai". So he started to get a little heated with me.
*Sigh* There's only one real way a girl can deal with this sort of situation... I pointed at The Den - My husband is in there, I will call him (Wo Airen neigge, Wo da dianhua wo airen), followed by me starting to dial.
See, and here's the thing - my bloke's in there with about 6 of his mates who all have a few under their belts. One of his mates is on first name basis with the entire staff of The Den and is someone that the staff like to "look after" (they also "look after" associated mates). I kind of figure the matter would be sorted out fairly promptly.
And it was. Mr Guy-Onna-Bike immediately backed off "It's ok! It's ok! Wo pengyou (my friend), 40 Kuai! It's Ok!". So I give him the money, thank him (xie-xie wo pengyou!) and quite calmly walk into The Den, where I was greeted with "Waaaaaaaaaaaaay!" hugs, kisses and cigarette smoke...
So just be aware, there's the 'real price' and then there is Special-wo-pengyou-Westerner prices attatched to most things especially in the markets, dodgy taxis and on rickshaws. You really have to be careful. The bastards are as cunning as shithouse rats!
Recently in Wenchiland...
Been a while since I've posted anything of any substance anywhere...
Thursday saw us marking a year since we arrived in Beijing. A whole year. I was going to go with a photo montage or a list of stuff, but I'm tired and I just don't have the creative energy. Sorry about that, I guess I fail... ummm... yay us?
Friday we decided to enjoy Beijing. There was school for LadyP, lunch with Dadda, ice-cream at Cold Rock, Flower markets where I bought some fresias and poppies and some handpainted butterflies for LadyP's room. We love flower markets. LadyP goes up to random bunches of flowers, sniffs them and says "Luffley!". Ayi stayed late for us and looked after P so Mr C and I could have some time out in the evening, which consisted of...
...Himself heading off to The Den (quite the institution, where there is beer and Aussie rugby and mates) after work. I attempted to catch a taxi to meet him there and WHAT IS IT WITH TAXI DRIVERS GOING HOME AT 6pm??? Seriously, it's a right shocker! Anyho... so decided instead to embrace my inner white woman and indulge my laziness, catching a rickshaw to The Den (hey, I'm pregnant, it is my perogative). At this point, I will cut most of the rest of this post out as the rickshaw ride is an entry on it's own!
From The Den (a brief encounter), we headed to the ANZA drinks over at the Hilton, where I met one of Mr C's colleagues and his wife and was treated with THE MOST SOUR lemon lime and bitters I have ever had in my life! And then from there, we jumped in a taxi and found a random restaurant, which turned out to be Tepanyaki. We had a nice night...
Saturday saw us take LadyP over to Solana for her very first ice-skating lesson. I get the feeling kids need to be about 4 to go out on the ice, but they restrict this by height - 90cms, which is probably pretty accurate for Chinese kids, but my little western baby towers over this, so it was sweet. She has been watching the ice skaters at the rink in the building where Mr C works ever since we first got here and the other day she said to us that she'd like to try it.
We hired some skates and a coach (I can skate, just not when I'm 34 weeks pregnant) and my little Ice Princess stepped out onto the ice for the very first time. The coach sat her on a chair and pushed her out. As we expected, there were a couple of tumbles, but she didn't shed a tear and kept going back for more... to the point that when it came time to leave, she bolted to get back on the ice and Mr C had to crash-tackle her! The coach was impressed with her, being a first timer and almost 3, the coach was impressed that Pers could walk on the ice at all (sometimes unassisted). So as you can imagine, I was a proud mum and I think we'll take her back for more, she's certainly keen...
Thursday saw us marking a year since we arrived in Beijing. A whole year. I was going to go with a photo montage or a list of stuff, but I'm tired and I just don't have the creative energy. Sorry about that, I guess I fail... ummm... yay us?
Friday we decided to enjoy Beijing. There was school for LadyP, lunch with Dadda, ice-cream at Cold Rock, Flower markets where I bought some fresias and poppies and some handpainted butterflies for LadyP's room. We love flower markets. LadyP goes up to random bunches of flowers, sniffs them and says "Luffley!". Ayi stayed late for us and looked after P so Mr C and I could have some time out in the evening, which consisted of...
...Himself heading off to The Den (quite the institution, where there is beer and Aussie rugby and mates) after work. I attempted to catch a taxi to meet him there and WHAT IS IT WITH TAXI DRIVERS GOING HOME AT 6pm??? Seriously, it's a right shocker! Anyho... so decided instead to embrace my inner white woman and indulge my laziness, catching a rickshaw to The Den (hey, I'm pregnant, it is my perogative). At this point, I will cut most of the rest of this post out as the rickshaw ride is an entry on it's own!
From The Den (a brief encounter), we headed to the ANZA drinks over at the Hilton, where I met one of Mr C's colleagues and his wife and was treated with THE MOST SOUR lemon lime and bitters I have ever had in my life! And then from there, we jumped in a taxi and found a random restaurant, which turned out to be Tepanyaki. We had a nice night...
Saturday saw us take LadyP over to Solana for her very first ice-skating lesson. I get the feeling kids need to be about 4 to go out on the ice, but they restrict this by height - 90cms, which is probably pretty accurate for Chinese kids, but my little western baby towers over this, so it was sweet. She has been watching the ice skaters at the rink in the building where Mr C works ever since we first got here and the other day she said to us that she'd like to try it.
We hired some skates and a coach (I can skate, just not when I'm 34 weeks pregnant) and my little Ice Princess stepped out onto the ice for the very first time. The coach sat her on a chair and pushed her out. As we expected, there were a couple of tumbles, but she didn't shed a tear and kept going back for more... to the point that when it came time to leave, she bolted to get back on the ice and Mr C had to crash-tackle her! The coach was impressed with her, being a first timer and almost 3, the coach was impressed that Pers could walk on the ice at all (sometimes unassisted). So as you can imagine, I was a proud mum and I think we'll take her back for more, she's certainly keen...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Bookage...
Yes, just making the most of it while I can, not that I read many books these days...
I am currently reading Beijing Tai Tai: A Suburban Journey to Urban China It's a tongue-in-cheek biography of an Aussie woman who like many of us, made the leap and re-located over here. I'm quite enjoying it, because there is that streak of honesty and her words are so familiar to me that at times you would think we lead the same life.
So if you want a bit of a glimpse at what it's like here, go read it. Or ask me to send you a copy for your birthday or something...
Tomorrow, we will have been here a whole year and have one year left, but I think I'll blog about that tomorrow. For now, I'm off to wallow in my nausea. Bloody morning sickness is back and I feel awful. And tired. Boy, am I tired.
I am currently reading Beijing Tai Tai: A Suburban Journey to Urban China It's a tongue-in-cheek biography of an Aussie woman who like many of us, made the leap and re-located over here. I'm quite enjoying it, because there is that streak of honesty and her words are so familiar to me that at times you would think we lead the same life.
So if you want a bit of a glimpse at what it's like here, go read it. Or ask me to send you a copy for your birthday or something...
Tomorrow, we will have been here a whole year and have one year left, but I think I'll blog about that tomorrow. For now, I'm off to wallow in my nausea. Bloody morning sickness is back and I feel awful. And tired. Boy, am I tired.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Today's adventure saw Wenchilada and 'Callisterine' explore the previously uncharted depths of the Photography Market! It was a little dangerous, but I managed to come away from the whole thing undamaged except for a new camera case.
Could have been worse, I tells ya... much worse...
This weekend, I'm off to a Weekend Basic Photography & Photoshop workshop with Lukas Birk at The Hutong. Looking forward to it, should be good!
Could have been worse, I tells ya... much worse...
This weekend, I'm off to a Weekend Basic Photography & Photoshop workshop with Lukas Birk at The Hutong. Looking forward to it, should be good!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Hail!
My mate Argy has a band (Hail Discordia). They're about to launch their new EP and have put a new track on the myspace page called 'Circles'. If you like a bit of shouty shouty angsty muzak, pop on over and have a listen.
Argy is the lead singer (and check out those guns!)
http://www.myspace.com/haildiscordiaband
http://www.myspace.com/haildiscordiaband
Sunday, March 1, 2009
:D
Today, as we sat eating our lunch in Hooters, we finally settled on some baby names - one for a girl and one for a boy (no, I'm not expecting twins still, we just don't know what we're having, apart from a little person and not a zebra).
Yes. Hooters. We were in Hooters. Which is more like Tweeters, or as I call it 'The Itty Bitty Titty Committee'...
Oh come on! Look. The ribs are great, there's beer, Pers gets a balloon and the carrot and celery with dip is da bomb! Don't know what is in the dip, but hot damn, it's good stuff!
Yes. Hooters. We were in Hooters. Which is more like Tweeters, or as I call it 'The Itty Bitty Titty Committee'...
Oh come on! Look. The ribs are great, there's beer, Pers gets a balloon and the carrot and celery with dip is da bomb! Don't know what is in the dip, but hot damn, it's good stuff!
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