2006年03月31日Friday

Wierd...

Okay, I've tried to put up photos on this blog for the past 2 days and kept failing. So guys, sorie! No pics for you to see for the moment. Had lunch at KFC today and noticed a young girl sitting very close to this UNCLE. At first, I thot: Hey, nice of the dad to eat with his daughter and maybe he is not working since it's Fri. Then I realise the UNCLE has his arm around the girl and then after a while, she was half lying in his arms. Disturbing.... esp since I saw a single rose on the table. And later they even kissed! In public! In KFC! UNCLE in a suit! With a young girl who is prob 12 years old! Quickly finished my meal and left - bad seat coz I could see the whole thing in front of me. Eeeks! But no one else cared.... still makes my skin crawl tho....
Posted by Sakuragi at 11:40:19 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2006年03月30日Thursday

Green fingers

Walking out of my place, I was surprised to see my path shaded. Yeah, finally there are green stuff sprouting on those sad bare trees. Cheers you up right away :) Change is definitely in the air.... first, I hear more chirping. I mean, you don't MISS hearing chirping until you hear them again and you wonder: Hey, where have they gone to for the past few months?! 2nd, local authorities put up these tiny yellow signs on the grass patches (see photo in Daily Life). I wonder what will happen to the doggies who sniff and wander around the grass.... or is this another tactic to keep THEM out instead? Also saw some interesting additions to the bus stop where I took my bus today: metal railings - 2 of them. Yet I don't see them at the bus stop opposite. In fact, I didn't see them on other bus stops along the long road. Why particularly THAT stop? Is it because the crowds ALWAYS rush out to the roads to cram into the buses that screeches into that stop? And HOW will the railings help? *scratch head* Pple still go around them, run and cram themselves onto the buses. Hmmmm...

Posted by Sakuragi at 15:07:37 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2006年03月21日Tuesday

Heaven in my heart

Thought the Temple of Heaven was completely renovated by now but unfortunately the Hall of Prayer was still being refurbished and the rest of the temples and structures look kind of not-yet-done (see photos). However, it still constitutes a nice cool stroll. Many locals go there for the tranquility and the cypress trees and green grass does exlude their unique sense of peace. And of course spring is creeping in and the green carpet is finally back. Today the visitors are mainly local and few in number. At least there is less noise while some play the er hu and the children run and laugh. Definitely worth a visit again when the refurbishments are completed.
Posted by Sakuragi at 11:10:07 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2006年03月20日Monday

You've got plastic

Strolled along the long corridors of the Forbidden City amidst crowds of local tourists (some still spitting in their own national heritage treasure) and much has changed. First of course is the Hall of Supreme Harmony being under construction and "upgrading" to put on new paint. Some of the other side courts and halls were already repainted in bright red and gold and it just seems so unreal and yes, fake. The roads were also being repaved and tiles replaced so major remaking stuff is going on for 2008! Of course Starbucks is still in the City and we can all thank God for good kopi!!! The coolest part remains in my visit last week with C - it actualy SNOWED for 30 mins and it was freezing!!! P says it is very rare to snow at this time and to enjoy SNOW in the City is just way cool :) See my photo collection

Posted by Sakuragi at 15:14:21 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2006年03月18日Saturday

We've been aphidised

Had a rude shock when I saw white spots MOVING on the stems of my lovely 'fu hua' amongst my Gdn of Eden. Not sure if I have missed seeing them for the past few days coz they were really small or I dun understand why they were droopy after I watered them everyday.... and to my utmost horror and skin-crawling-feeling-itchy fear, I see the same moving spots on 90% of all my plants (and that means 5 other pots). Although the other plants were still flowering and standing tall, I made P and J help me cart all of them off to the flower market to buy new ones to fill the pots. I even refused to sit in the same car as the plants - they had to go in the boot. Of course the gardeners laughed at my paranoia but hey, I refuse to look at my pretty Eden taken over by those sicky skin-crawling-hair-standing white stuff!! And to think they infected so many of my plants so fast!!!!!! I just bought some of those pots!!! B4 putting those new pots back on ledge, I disinfected the whole area with detergent. Eeeeeks, me go bathe now just in case some of them flew into my hair..... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......
Posted by Sakuragi at 14:08:30 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

J L is here!!

Nah, not J Lo :) J Long, my friend is here for a visit and we went to the BJ's equivalent of the Hereen where the young hang out during weekends. Did some shopping and it was not very easy to find clothes her size. She is slightly on the not-so-small side and I realise China clothes do not really cater to the bigger sized people. Of course they sell to foreigners and esp large Americans but there are not many of them around Xi Dan. In Ya Xiu and Xiu Shui there are quite a few of them but only the tourists buy from them. Thinking again, I seldom see big sized Chinese around. You would think that they would get bigger after eating so much noodles and oil but really, they are small and short.
Posted by Sakuragi at 01:52:46 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2006年03月16日Thursday

Cookie aint that easy ne

You would have thot baking cookies is easy when you are using Betty Crocker but I didn't count on the oven not maintaining even temperature. Hence, most of my cookies were blackened :) Today was also the first time I did my own fried wanton. And yes, wanton skin is not sold in BJ. Dumpling skin is probably everywhere but not wanton. Alas, they don't taste the same as my mum's.... something about the oil....  today is not my cooking day ne..... but it was a celebration of sorts - that I don't have to study French today. At least for only today :) I hate being a wooze in class but it only means I have to put in more effort than anyone else. Da'corr? Oui Oui!! Round 2 of dash-around-BJ starts for me tomorrow morning....
Posted by Sakuragi at 15:34:46 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2006年03月14日Tuesday

Je Ne Comprends Pas

Either I am really bad at languages or I have a really bad sensei today and it is sad since I have been looking forward to learning a new language... Just came back from my first French class and feeling overwhelmed. Why in heaven did God allow man to have so many different ways to talk in the first place? What's wrong with having only ONE language? I wish i can blame it on the teacher since this is the first time she is trying to teach foreigners in English (which she is bad at). Or probably my brain has gone to dust with all the merrymaking and sleeping. Non Non Non!!! (No No No in French :)) I must succeed!! The strange thing is Japanese pharses kept popping into my head when I want to ask questions. What is wrong with me?!? Esp when I am trying to remember how to say "I don't understand" in French and all I can remember is "Wakarimasen!!" or simply "Saya ta ta u!!!" Even "Je Ne" (meaning no or negative in French) reminds me of "Ja Ne" (meaning goodbye in Jap!!) Tomorrow I shall start my life over as a student and memorise many many things... so stressful ne!!! Wish I didn't pay the full class fees now and quit..... but that is NOT ME!!! Someone pls remind me that is not me anyway :)
Posted by Sakuragi at 15:53:21 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Clothes are a woman's best friend?

There's something about new clothes that is inherently exciting for a girl. I mean some guys dress smartly, but almost every girl always want to buy new clothes. In Dong Jia Du Shanghai, it is a world of cheap tailoring that draws us. Workmanship is a gamble as in you might bet on the wrong shop that gives you crap tailoring even after you go back a few times for changes. But textiles are cheap there. A qipao can be tailored for RMB180 and a cashmere jacket for RMB380. It's all in the bargaining and whether you hit the jackpot on a good seamstress. They tailor almost anything there: suits, shirts, blouses, dresses, qipaos, jeans, etc in almost all types of texiles: wool, cashmere, fur, denim, tweed, silk (questionable quality though), cotton, etc. It's like being in the Wonderland of cloth with bolts of material of all colours piled around you. All you have to do is to walk in a stall, flip through a magazine to see which style you prefer, modify to your preference and BARGAIN. It's all so easy and even though it is COLD to strip and take measurements, we all still did it as you just can't resist the idea of fitting clothes in the exact colour and style you WANT and cannot find in a mall.
Posted by Sakuragi at 06:54:57 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

2006年03月13日Monday

Where did the sun go till now?

Yes, the sun is back and temp has risen to 9 deg. Over the weekend, it was way cold and windy... a bit like SH... coz of R hurting her hand, we went to the salon to wash our hair. First time for me though since I wash my own hair very well thank you. Service is excellent in the tiny salon filled with locals who probably need your biz since there are 3 other salons down the same street. It was comfortable to have someone masaage your head and then blow dry your strands straight and soft. You actually look good just by a good hair wash and dry. We went to Yu Yuan with a good hairdo to have a Xiao Long Bao lunch with K at this popular restaurant that charges differently for different floors. Long queues form at the first level while we went to the 2nd level which charges 10 times more. Had to share the table with 3 Americans who coincidentally will be proceeding to BJ the week after.
Posted by Sakuragi at 04:27:54 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |
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