油茶(you cha) is basically porridge with spices and some crunchy rice noodles on top. It’s delicious.
油茶(you cha) is basically porridge with spices and some crunchy rice noodles on top. It’s delicious.
I’d love for this view to be British countryside but I’ll take the convenience of the fast trains in China, I think.
You get used to the English when you live in China but this from the hot springs we went to today tickled me. Forbidden tips!
3 taxis, 2 trains, 2 metros, 2 falling outs, lots of spicy food, 3 beers, 1 coffee.
New thing. Getting the 3yo to take photos…
Today is my 5 year wedding anniversary. The kids woke at 6, one was coughing and we went to the Doctors to get them checked (it was all fine), then they came home and had a fight, then McDonalds forgot the toy (tears), so we went to the shop and then I had to carry 14kg up 5 flights of stairs as the lift was out.
When you have kids your marriage completely changes, it just gets harder. Suddenly, your relationship often has to take a back seat. For it all, I wouldn’t want to be doing this with anyone else. x
New Mr Robot next weekend! Doing some reading and watching to catch up a little.
🏸️
We went to this little sushi place for lunch. It’s clearly very popular but is hidden away in a tower block that seems to be full of small businesses. Such a strange thing!
One of favourite books is a children’s book called Zen Shorts by Jon J Muth.
As much for its beautiful pictures, as its words. It introduced me to the Zen stories in it. Which, I think back to often.
Today I am thinking about the Muddy Road and letting go. Holding on to feelings, today it is anger at myself and anxieties of what may be isn’t helpful.
E went to kindergarten today - a Sunday!* - so I dropped her off and then came to have a coffee and do some work. It’s been nice and makes me want to do some more study, just not yet.
*In China, you’ll get a day off but have to work a Sat or Sun to ‘earn it’!
Dinner and drinks.
Peculiar Prompts: 365 Ways to Explore, Make, Think, and Write Saw this and dl it because I feel like I could do with doing something different. Life is just so busy. It just appealed. Even better was a friend is now onboard too!
“001 Watch your favorite television show. Any episode. Describe everything you are seeing, as it happens, in real-time. Do this without ever hitting “pause”, or rewinding the show. Write from the perspective of someone who’s never seen the show before. Title it “Tribute to [Show Name Here]”.From: Peculiar Prompts
Someone is late. It’s a police station. He missed the meeting. The main guy has punished the late comer by doing high 5s with everyone. The late guy describes them with names. He is distraught.
Opening credits is perky.
The captain says goodby to his partner and they say goodbye by shaking hands. The partner meets the guy who was late in the toilet. He needs his help. They are quoting The Rock. The captain comes in while they hide in the toilet. He talks about buying theatre tickets.
Guy is complaining the fridge is broken. We are seeing all the main characters I think. A sergeant improves morale by ordering pizza. Another sergeant now offers sushi. It’s a competition.
A bit about laser pointer. The secret toilet meeters are found out.
The pizza people talking about how high their morale is. They are arguing with the sushi team. There’s sining. I don’t like this bit really. They say it’s a competition.
They talk about the tickets - it’s how they know.
They’re talking about some very academic. The captain is talking about how he’s his partners ‘working class bimbo’.
Wait the police officer was in that Chronicles of Narnia skit on SNL! Chronic - WHAT - cles of Narnia.
The two policeman decide to work together to show the academics to show them he is smart.
They are making rules about the competition. Yelp. There are two teams.
They are speaking to someone with lots of books. The captain is freezing up. He didn’t do well.
One team is eating cupcakes. The other is in a limo. It’s ridiculous, no one cares this much about lunch.
More problem solving for the case. They have a lead. There’s lots of banter in this show. Smart talk.
The smart guy says he found the thief. Obvious misdirection. He’s talking down to the captain. They are humiliated.
More smart talk.
How do people watch and live tweet?
More smart talk. They think they have cracked it. Too early. They are talking about brains.
More team talk. They are doing breakfasts now. Some people aren’t happy. When do they work? They are going above and beyond to beat each other.
Following the academic. They stumble into an acapella circle. Singing. They see a footprint.
Lunchtime - they are paint balling. The other time is a doing teppanyaki. Their teams are hiding. No one is having fun. I’m not.
She shoots Gary. Gary says help.
The two policeman interrupt to prove they are right. I don’t think they will be.
They aren’t. Everyone has the same shoes! Oops. The academic is talking down to the academic again. He is embarrassed. They talk about brains a lot. Captain isn’t happy he is playing a game because that’s bad - It’s the Times Crossword.
They are talking about being underestimated. They’ve solved the case.
The team captains apologies for the lunches. It goes badly. Hilarious. They are doing nice things for their teams. Lovely.
They solved the case. Well done. The captain is smart again. They are talking about a kerfuffel. They shakes hands.
NOT A DOCTOR.
Finally replaced the debit card that expired at the end of August. Since then, I’ve survived just fine using mobile payments. I’ve stopped carrying my wallet around with me, so don’t have cards or cash on me.
Grandparents with the kids and I’m watching the rugby and trying to enjoy a little time to myself.
5am Saturday morning coffee and some peace and quiet before the weekend starts and the kids wake.
Living here has definitely changed how I react to temperatures. It’s 23c today and it feels cool. Since summer is always 30+ and humid.
We got an email about completing a “letter of intent” with regards to our contracts. Since schools hire as they can internationally they want to know what staff will do. This will be my 8th year in China which is crazy, frankly. I’ve met someone, married her, moved halfway across China and had two children. I’ve such mixed feelings about staying or going, that I’ll write later butIt all comes down to what’s best for the kids.
The Tail End This post about our time left and what we do with it was just what I needed, even if it I don’t like the feeling.
Daughter just tried to put the CD on top of our Homepod… Also, we don’t have anything to play cds at home.
The UKs Chinese food revolution - I take all the food talked about in this article for granted now. The only thing I don’t eat now is the food we called Chinese when I did live in the UK!
In other news, yesterday I introduced the family to Haddaway’s - What is love. This led to searching for NOW albums and someone who has put all the NOW series into playlists on Apple Music. Now, I’m onto my old Britpop favourites. Feeling like a teenager again.
Life feels full on, constant in its intensity and I am always craving some time to myself. Some peace and quiet. Between work and children it rarely comes. Instead it’s snatched moments that are never enough. RELAX NOW. It’s not possible is it? All the while trying to enjoy this time when they’re little.
Yet, sometimes it comes together (all 4 of us are happy!) and those moments make it worth it.
Saturday afternoon beer…
