tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57917872012-02-16T13:13:48.278Zpost-mansionsJoenoreply@blogger.comBlogger3971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-83175640373098755152008-10-18T16:29:00.004+01:002008-10-18T17:17:42.802+01:00

Apologies to anyone who has been visiting this blog in vain. I've become pretty irregular lately and have decided to close down chungkingexpress for a while and make it password protected.I'm not done with writing though and I'm planning to start up a new blog themed on my stay in a Rajasthani village. My aim is to write once a week and write well. I'm not quite ready to put a first post up but

Joenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-41223919583859694182008-09-22T04:04:00.003+01:002008-09-22T04:45:20.421+01:00

On my last trip to Jaipur I picked up a few cooking supplies. My cook, Shankar, can manage with no chopping board and a knife that looks like it's meant for buttering bread but I can't. I bought the best knife I could find. It's so good that it's very likely to raise suspicion about what I'm cutting. Shankar is hugely impressed with the knife. He has given it a special place apart from other

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-71400356757482131612008-09-05T17:46:00.003+01:002008-09-05T18:24:57.243+01:00

Since I'm working Saturdays, I get to take a 5 day holiday in lieu each month. I just took my first one to Jaipur and Delhi. Much to my colleagues' displeasure, I insisted on giving up the car I'm supposed to be provided with and travelling by bus. Apart from environmental objections, I was in desparate need of a little independence.I felt quite proud of myself, heading off without a guidebook

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-32712796707997411272008-08-25T18:05:00.005+01:002008-08-25T18:51:36.344+01:00

If anyone wonders what life was like before health and safety regulations they need come no further than Jaswantgarh (which is quite far enough from anywhere, believe me). Our school's Independence Day function threatened to be incredibly boring. I sat through a rant from the local Hindu equivalent of Pauline Hanson, listening wistfully to Bollywood numbers blaring from the school 2 streets

Joenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-19764074199392124932008-08-17T08:23:00.004+01:002008-08-17T08:47:57.746+01:00

Due to local laws, I have now been pure veg for over three weeks. Not only have I not had meat, eggs or alcohol, I pretty much haven't eaten anything that doesn't come from this stall or an identical one opposite. My cook does his best but there's only so much taste you can get out of a bitter melon and a few spices.I've now reached a point where I look at any animal suspiciously, from camels to

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-30366449172652325572008-06-24T19:13:00.004+01:002008-06-25T06:51:55.642+01:00

I took a hiking backpack today on my weekly shopping trip to Dalston. It seemed like a good idea because I had three bags full of unwanteds to take to the Oxfam store and I wanted to bring a big load of groceries back. I also took cardboard for recycling. Our building doesn't recycle cardboard or plastic bottles and I usually end up carrying it halfway across London to drop in a bin on the way to

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-91267974417822849982008-06-17T10:25:00.011+01:002008-12-11T09:14:47.887Z

The camera has been replaced so here's a record of last weekend:Saturday evening on the South Bank...returning via Waterloo Bridge. Sunday morning strolling down Ridley Road in Dalston.and Sunday afternoon admiring open gardens in De Beauvoir Town...before returning home along the canal...to admire my own garden again.

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-49662182471737054922008-05-26T08:57:00.005+01:002008-12-11T09:14:48.794Z

Cal brought me an idli maker back from India. It's the best thing thing that's come into my life since I splashed out on fancy bike gloves that saved my hands from dropping off. And here's an idli maker for Pip. The camera broke in Paris on the weekend (more on that later) so here's a very similar looking one from the internet:

Joenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-21475158205709474252008-05-18T18:21:00.008+01:002008-12-11T09:14:49.110Z

There's one morning a week where I have to wake up 6:30am for an early class. I'd love to be able to sleep a bit longer on other days but my body likes routine and insists on walking at 6:30am every morning. That came in handy this morning when I woke up, put on shorts and a t-shirt (it's mid-May but I've cast all my clouts - I'm tough) and headed down to Columbia Road to make up for last week's

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-67585055644025272882008-05-16T07:04:00.006+01:002008-12-11T09:14:49.816Z

My garden is at an ugly transition stage. The last flower (below) died off weeks ago but the leaves are taking way too long to wither away and I don't want to pull the bulbs out until they're ready. Not that I'd have anything to replace them with anyway. Apart from a few very healthy looking lettuce, my seeds (especially the ones I ordered from overseas!) have not been too successful.I thought

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-270057844379297462008-05-11T09:40:00.005+01:002008-12-11T09:14:49.985Z

And on Kingsland Road a zorba dance has blocked traffic in both directions. Drivers are advised to seek alternative routes...

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-18930108935946576302008-05-06T22:00:00.006+01:002008-12-11T09:14:50.209Z

I've just got back from Birmingham. If anyone wants to know what it's like, watch the video below and imagine how much better it is 30 years later. I went by train so I wouldn't know about the revolutionary road systems but everything else is just like Telly Savalas says...Cal texted from a swimming pool in Kolkata and I replied quite proudly that I was off on a bluebell walk. I amost didn't even

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-34659837167667345822008-04-29T10:09:00.004+01:002008-04-29T13:40:02.239+01:00

This country is way too complicated. Here are 3 reasons why...1. One of my students told me that she goes to Birmingham by coach because train is too expensive. I asked how much she pays and it is twice as much as I pay to go by train! I know how to get to Birmingham cheaply because I do it regularly and did a lot of research on the internet. I would have to do more if I wanted to go anywhere

Joenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-5313281072603484782008-04-23T22:46:00.005+01:002008-12-11T09:14:50.698Z

I wasted too much time in school being good. Now that I'm a teacher I've realised that mischevious students are the most interesting. We went to Kew again for an end of term excursion and I enjoyed staying quiet while my students had a bit of fun with the tour guide: Now these ones are bananas.Are you sure my habibi?Yes, they are. And underneath the bananas you can see that we've put lots of

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-403530297491060212008-04-20T20:07:00.011+01:002008-12-11T09:14:51.062Z

I arrived back in London this morning. Typhoon signal number 3 was hoisted when I left Hong Kong and water was pouring from the sky. I love that type of weather but it made for a bumpy start to the flight. The biggest disturbance occurred as the first round of drinks were being served and the man next to me ended up with a very wet lap. No such exciting weather when I landed in London. It was

Joenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-57537846388275767772008-03-25T21:05:00.013Z2008-12-11T09:14:52.012Z

And another lovely trip to the seaside. There wasn't quite as much adventure, monopoly, wine or Greek tradition as last year, nor was there much pleasant weather. But there was still bonding with animals...secret caves...and sea!Plus there were some things that didn't happen last Easter. Like a drive by viewing of a prehistoric monument. And rainforest! The warmth and humidity felt so comforting

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-53996301208288263692008-03-17T22:46:00.006Z2008-03-18T08:11:47.790Z

I asked a class today to prepare a story about a time they had bought furniture or something big for their house. It was in preparation for making a complaint phone call so I encouraged them to think of a purchase that was in some way problematic. After some work on past tense verbs, the first anecdote went like this:'I swear to god this is a true story. I used to have two girlfriends. One of

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-81850327200711400722008-03-09T08:57:00.004Z2008-12-11T09:14:52.416Z

More from my balcony. These make me think of my mum, who (full of optimism) planted bulbs in our Sydney garden, hoping that a freak winter might one day prompt them to flower...

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-8092894936500008312008-03-05T07:07:00.004Z2008-03-05T07:26:27.653Z

I went to ask for an appointment at my hairdresser on Monday. They didn't have anything that day so when I mentioned that I'd come in again later they gave me their card. I don't know why I have an aversion to booking things in advance. That evening, when I looked at the card, I noticed that the business is called 'Rush Hair Salon' but their email address is rashhairsalon@. Neither of these were

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-47631013849974081382008-03-02T20:01:00.002Z2008-12-11T09:14:52.624Z

It's officially spring on my balcony.

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-70273858703372410012008-02-28T07:32:00.015Z2008-12-11T09:14:52.773Z

Mid-term soon revealed how boring my life is. After returning from Birmingham I did little other than see Jodhaa Akbar (recommended highly to anyone with 4 spare hours - gosh people were good looking in the Mughal era) and book tickets to Hong Kong and Sydney in April. It's strange to be going again after only 7 months (particularly as I waited 2 years before the last trip) but since I'm

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-60795562444448563812008-02-18T12:17:00.003Z2008-12-11T09:14:53.060Z

It's the mid-term holiday and I'm off to Birmingham today. I'm back Wednesday and plans for Paris have failed (I was too late trying to book bus or Eurostar tickets) but Mogfa is on break too and we're planning a Hackney fun day later in the week. I love holidays!The Mughal era epic, Jodhaa Akbar, released last Friday and it's quite fortunate that I'm on holiday becuase it's 3.5 hours long. I

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-48714159413102221092008-02-14T08:39:00.005Z2008-02-14T08:46:58.620Z

After having a bike stolen a month ago and falling off last week, I've had more bike misfortune. Yesterday I was fined 30 pounds for crossing 3m of deserted footpath between the end of one bike path and the beginning of another. Grrr. It's not much money but I feel stupid for being honest. When the community police person stopped me, she was talking on a mobile phone and I had to wait half a

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-49174382001065249682008-02-12T08:25:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:14:53.527Z

If you see anyone in London feeding squirrels, there's a good chance that they're Australian. When I discovered how tame the squirrels in Victoria Park were, I bought a huge bag of raw peanuts (they're called monkeynuts here) and went back the next weekend. There's still half a bag left so let me know if you're keen for a feeding tripIf I tell an English person that I feed squirrels they scoff.

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-6710459796368114342008-02-10T22:58:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:14:53.671Z

Ever since moving to London, I've looked longingly at the boxes of longans for sale in Chinatown. When I lived in Temple Street I used to buy whole bags to take back to my room and eat in front of the fan while listening to the BBC world service. Until now, I couldn't justify buying a box of fruit flown from Thailand but Chinese New Year is a special occasion. I bought them for our CNY party but

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-7647315056466939492008-02-07T07:39:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:14:53.868Z

Best wishes to everyone for Chinese New Year.I'm more than happy to say goodbye to the year of the pig. I came off my bike yesterday morning, spent an evening getting examined and x-rayed and then arrived home to a letter of notification that I didn't get the job I interviewed for last week. Anyway, nothing's broken and work has been so happy lately that staying around isn't an unnatractive

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-44274273204051147242008-02-05T08:54:00.000Z2008-02-05T09:12:16.843Z

After a couple of months without internet, I've lost none of my talent for wasting time in pursuit of the most bizarre pieces of knowledge.I was listening to Rihanna's 'Don't stop the music' when I noticed how many people had made angry comments about her stealing from Michael Jackson. I wondered where he got the 'ma ma makossa' from in the first place. Hooray for wikipedia. 'Makossa' actually

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-51481227030426260752008-02-03T22:31:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:14:53.937Z

After a couple of dormant months I'm back online at last and my blog, like my little balcony garden, is set to blossom. I've got lots to say. Later.

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-11823136232754666822008-01-02T13:06:00.000Z2008-01-02T13:12:55.503Z

I'm still offline and it's seeming like it will be some time before I get a home telephone and internet connection. I'm back at work today so at least I can check email again. Meanwhile, Christmas was nice and new year celebrations at Cal's were great fun. I'm enjoying my new (2nd hand) bike (the old one was stolen from inside our secure complex - Merry Christmas!) and looking forward to the snow

Joenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-76718225589542790712007-12-20T16:14:00.001Z2007-12-20T16:21:48.219Z

I've successfully replanted in Hackney. The move went fairly well and the new place is great. I'm loving getting to know the local area and so excited that I can do most of my shopping in markets and independent local shops. This morning I left home late enough to watch the sun rise over east London. Nice. The only unhappy consequence of the move is that I'm without a telephone line, television

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-24402358129789786832007-11-30T08:17:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:14:54.177Z

It's been several weeks since I last rode my bike. First I got a puncture. Then I fixed it and got another puncture straight away, I guess that whatever caused the first puncture is still stuck in the tyre. I did buy another inner tube but then I got a cold and the weather turned pretty nasty. I've recovered now and should start riding again but have got into a lazy routine of taking the

Joenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-59584005608584804882007-11-27T07:39:00.000Z2007-11-27T07:54:31.856Z

I'm moving to Hackney. Haggerston to be exact. Our current landlord has sold the property and we beat them to serve notice, just in time to move out before Christmas. The new flat is almost identical to the current one with a view over East London and significantly lower rent. Plus it has bike racks and an 'environmentally excellent' rating! It's better in every way. Thus I'm planning to quit my

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-35692557283098285362007-11-17T18:09:00.000Z2007-11-17T18:18:49.371Z

I asked some of my students today whether they have any special skills which could enliven the end of term party. The 85 year old has volunteered to give a Turkish dancing demonstration with his wife. Another student offered acrobatics. 'Juggling?' I asked hopefully. 'No, human pyramid,' he replied, 'but need two more people'. He used to be in the circus. I'm looking forward to asking the rest of

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-81720596831824929582007-11-10T08:29:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:14:54.594Z

It's worth travelling an hour and a half to my second job, just to have a change of scenery. Someone was stabbed (they're ok now) outside the college for a mobile phone this week and I still can't picture it happening in the lovely countryside.Not the most exciting photo but it's the view from the room I teach in. I'm starting to understand why so many English people rave about autumn.

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-70041235130451248902007-11-06T14:36:00.001Z2007-11-07T07:52:35.288Z

I went looking for a new hairdresser near work last week. I'm not quite sure why men's hairdressers in London all seem to charge either £5 or £25, amounts which put me off for different reasons. After a search, I found a place on Golborne Road that charged £15, expensive enough to instil confidence yet not too painful to pay.My new Polish hairdresser studied law before moving here several years

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-9658202422919740972007-10-30T22:07:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:14:55.056Z

I'm sure that London is the middle of the world. I went to an Afghani concert last Friday and Congolese the week before. And I discovered that I'm not the only white person who thinks they can do a bit of soukous dancing.I've been taking afternoon coffee breaks at a Portugese cafe near work but I'm now thinking of sharing myself with the Palestinian Cafe across the road, owned by the son of one

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-37822886098047516732007-10-25T08:36:00.000+01:002007-10-26T09:07:04.340+01:00

While I was in Australia in September I applied for a job in Hong Kong. It was a vacancy which doesn't come up very often and I only noticed it a couple of days before the deadline. I was invited for a phone interview which didn't go too well. I was quite sure that the interviewers hadn't read my application, CV or the 3 references they asked for in advance. And I realised that the job wasn't

Joenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-76085256679988407092007-10-20T14:02:00.001+01:002008-12-11T09:14:55.645Z

My world is spinning out of control. Our real estate agent called last week to say that the landlord is selling our flat. There have been inspections every day this week. The idea of moving is scary but not as much as the thought of all the dirty shoes tramping through.It's horrible coming home and realising that things have been moved while I was out. If inspections go on much longer I think

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-90901038502180815152007-10-14T19:09:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:14:56.873Z

Semi-interesting things are actually happening in my life now so I'm hurrying up and posting the rest of my holiday pictures. It was such lovely trip. Especially since I was staying in the new family home at the bottom of Manly Beach. In a beautiful old house with a gorgeous balcony for drying armpits...... and a cosy lounge room for um... relaxing with friends. Plus, it was just minutes away

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-10500167224746489942007-10-14T08:56:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:14:57.496Z

Having coeliac disease in Hong Kong made life tricky. Many things used for flavouring in Chinese food (soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese wine, MSG etc.) contain gluten. White rice and Chinese tea anyone?Thank goodness for the illegal Nepali restaurants of Jordan. They provided the basis of my diet, supplemented with all my old favourite snacks like water chestnuts on a stick, still only $HK3!And

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-20188981783847456862007-10-12T09:03:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:14:58.610Z

One of my colleagues said this week that she is having difficulty getting students to talk about their own lives. 'They don't seem to do anything except cook, clean, go to Tesco and look after the kids' she complained.'Replace kids with work and that sounds just like my life' I said. It's lucky I still have holiday photos to blog. Since I got back, work has consumed most of my time. I'm doing

Joenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-3729603136261534802007-10-07T10:26:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:14:58.773Z

When one of my friends invited me to a charity concert in Sha Tin by disabled performers I wasn't sure what to expect. It turned out that I'd got a ticket to a sold-out concert by an group on a world tour.It started with a dance by deaf performers. Not being able to hear the accompaniment, they followed a couple of conductors (and each other) and managed to dance spectacularly in perfect timing.

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-44034074170306325712007-10-02T22:37:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:14:59.637Z

My camera has returned and there are plenty of holiday photos I want to post. I'm starting with the day that Jason, Mary and I headed out to Lantau Island...My first surprise was getting to Central and finding that the Star Ferry pier was no more!Mui Wo had changed too. My old crumbling home had been made over as 'Casa Elmira', replete with a security gate and concrete wall. Sunset Peak, however,

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-63482313587025863082007-09-30T14:43:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:14:59.743Z

The rest of my Sydney time was great and the wedding was beautiful. I've got plenty of photos that I'll post when the camera flies back into London on Tuesday afternoon.After so much holiday it felt great to get back to work. I've picked up an extra IT class and it's going to be a busy term. First week went well and I've got some great new students.A couple of them speak beautiful varieties of

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-74314808300639190042007-09-18T14:47:00.000+01:002007-09-18T15:43:10.184+01:00

Sydney is beautiful. The sky and sea are blue. The air is sweet. Birds sing, squawk and swoop at my head. Being away two years has made me appreciate the place much more. I'm not sure if that's a reason to come more or less often in the future. The weird thing about being back in Sydney is that I become a child again. I left as soon as I finished study and I'm ignorant about how to be an adult

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-7669907523088469442007-09-11T04:38:00.000+01:002007-09-11T05:09:27.620+01:00

I'm half way through my week in Hong Kong and of course I'm loving it. Jason, Mary and I went hiking on Lantau on Saturday (hurry up and post pictures!). After Sunset Peak we toured my old village and I was shocked that my shabby old house (which I suspected may be no more) had been reborn as a high security, bright orange/yellow mansion named 'Casa Elmira'.Plenty more has changed in Hong Kong

Joenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-82024974758520529392007-08-31T09:13:00.000+01:002007-08-31T09:53:29.933+01:00

My neighbours are such a miserable lot of people. There are about five people in the whole building who will even reply when I say hello. Meanwhile, I'm the most civic minded person in this whole council block. I've taken on sole responsibility for cleaning the common areas of our floor (see photo in last post). I'm at war with rodents which I didn't attract. My balcony garden is a credit to the

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-11393277085236898472007-08-27T21:58:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:14:59.885Z

The sun has finally come out, two weeks after I arrived back in London. The plants are recovering and I'm on my bike again. Suddenly I remember all the things I like about living here. And I have a new accessory. It was a 5 pound special from Columbia Road and this seemed like the best way to get it home. I got even more attention than I did in the nappy. This time I had entire families laughing

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-68061207468094177202007-08-23T09:32:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:00.100Z

After more than a month of holiday, I'm starting to get very fidgety. I used the first couple of days of this week to sort through the whole house, making several bags of things to take to the local charity shop. A friend called from Perth to wish me happy birthday on Monday and asked what I was doing. 'Well, I've been keeping a pile of magazines with recipes inside. I'm cutting out all the

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-57059047823010814832007-08-20T11:31:00.002+01:002008-12-11T09:15:00.586Z

Returning to London from India is much less difficult than returning from India to Sydney used to be. It's not only the reassuring smell of urine, there are plenty of other reminders here. The day after I arrived back, we headed with House Negro to Brick Lane. I dislike the Brick Lane restaurants but we managed to find a low key place that had a Sunday biryani special. And then did a shopping

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-63260673356022238832007-08-17T06:27:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:00.814Z

A couple of months ago I set mouse traps in the hot water tank cavity. The mice who run around under the floor, making noises at night, had made a nest in there. When I didn't catch anything, I made a deal with them. I'd let them be, as long as they stayed behind walls and under the floor and didn't come further. I don't like to use poison. But the day after I arrived back, I found this in the

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-38343799563493557082007-08-13T23:25:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:01.310Z

I'm now back in London and mountains, monasteries and 12 rupee lassis feel a world away. After I wrote last from Dehra Doon I spent a couple of days in my friend Nandu's village and loved it. Nandu's family has gained two buffaloes and a cow since I last visited and are now selling milk to the whole village. Throughout the afternoon, people would turn up from all the nearby houses to collect

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-88294761836140397332007-08-07T11:35:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:03.355Z

I'm now in Dehra Doon, well and truly out of the mountains. It's hot and I'm stinking. My trip down Kinnaur was a lot more adventurous than the trip up. And I managed to do it without stopping in any place mentioned in the Lonely Planet. With mixed success.After getting the bus from Spiti to Kinnaur, the first village I stopped in was Spillo, a pretty non-descript town by the river where buses

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-27789525990172815222007-07-31T09:59:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:04.256Z

I'm back in Kaza again, Spiti's big town. I made a mistake last time I was here, I needed to apply for an inner line permit to travel back to Kinnaur and didn't realise that the day I was planning to do it was a Sunday. So I'm here again. I've spent the last couple of days going for long walks up mountains in the morning and then crashing at the monastery in the afternoon. I don't think I've ever

Joenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-43693689548787948762007-07-28T13:56:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:08.050Z

After a couple of epic bus trips, I've made it from the green Kinnaur Valley into the dry Spiti Valley. Each place I stop at seems to be more beautiful than the last.My first stop was Nako, a town in the transition between the two valleys.I managed to rent a room with a local family, fantastic except that electricity and water supply were intermittent at best. I also did some more work on my

Joenoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-12077768576599097662007-07-23T07:01:00.001+01:002008-12-11T09:15:09.033Z

I'm close to the top of the Kinnaur Valley and I've loved every bit of it as I've climbed up.After leaving Shimla I headed to Sarahan, a little village on the side of a mountain. I met several other tourists there and much to my dismay I found out that everyone had the same itinerary planned as I did (albeit quicker with Kashmir etc. tacked on the end). I compensated by taking a day walk out to

Joenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-25270956406115308612007-07-14T17:15:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:10.413Z

I'm in Shimla, the old summer capital of the Raj, and loving it. The net cafe shuts in fifteen minutes so here is a brief rundown of stuff so far:Bad times- Sitting between a guy who stank of urine and another with an intruding elbow on the plane. And right behind a screeching baby. Trifecta!- Oh, and struggling to lower the faulty footrest and then getting racially insulted in Hindi by the (

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-43610428108700627642007-07-11T15:41:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:10.992Z

I felt a little bit sad the other day when I realised that I was on my last bike ride to work for more than a month. I'm still loving riding - I get fit, I save money and I get to see what is going on in London. I cycled down The Mall on the day before the Tour de France and was so tempted to ignore the security guards and do my own little race to the finish line. Maybe not a good idea with all

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-82196477881584983592007-07-05T09:21:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:11.440Z

It's only a week until I fly to India and I went to get a visa on Tuesday. The Indian consulate in London is almost as fun as the one I've applied at before in Hong Kong, where the queue goes out the front door and into the lift lobby. From what I've heard, Indian consulates all over the world are the same. They function as a kind of disclaimer, warning of the chaos that will ensue when you enter

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-57243280419530618872007-07-01T21:56:00.000+01:002007-07-01T22:11:13.581+01:00

It's almost the end of term and one of my jobs is very busy. The other is anything but. Most of my students at the college have finished their courses already and stopped coming in. I've requested a decrease in working hours for the next two weeks. My colleagues think I'm crazy for giving up the chance to be paid for doing nothing. I can't think of anything worse!Things there really are quiet.

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-60981959361170496722007-06-24T14:59:00.000+01:002007-06-24T15:27:33.570+01:00

It was exam time at of my jobs this week. Attendance was high and a couple of people came despite being sick with a heavy cold. I was very impressed.I'm not so impressed now because I've caught whatever they had. Since work yesterday morning I've only made one brief mission out of the house to buy gluten-free chicken stock.As I walked out of the supermarket, I saw two familiar faces. It took time

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-34999128334955764872007-06-21T23:12:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:12.273Z

It must be the time of the year. Every time I ride to work there is something wacky going on. Either a road is closed down for soldiers in fancy dress on horses... or a park is shut down for the above soldiers to wage war against an imaginary enemy approaching from Green Park Station.There have been camels. Bactrian ones!And tanks galore. It seems a bit of a waste really but I guess that

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-87117857491296902232007-06-17T20:00:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:12.839Z

DSD has been in Brighton for a week and we went down to visit today. I've never been there before and I liked it. I think it helped that I've been to Blackpool twice. In a particularly large 2nd hand store I found this scented geranium. I've wanted one ever since I smelt them in the conservatory at Kew a few months ago. It's an unusual smell, more herby than flowery. There was a London to

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-40116075000205792492007-06-13T23:19:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:12.953Z

There are good and bad things about having two jobs. Getting a change of scene every couple of days is one of the best.When I got off the tram this morning, I waited for all the students to walk ahead and then took this photo. I'd probably get bored of the views if I didn't only commute out there two days a week.And speaking of changes of scene, I've booked flights to Delhi and HK/Sydney. And

Joenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-75563813080546296182007-06-11T18:19:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:13.288Z

I am in such a foul mood. I had a teaching observation this morning and it was terrible. I've always thought that getting criticism on your teaching is much more personal than being criticised on a piece of work you've produced. I think it's more akin to an actor getting a bad review. Everything seemed to go so well. Everyone attended and most arrived before the starting time. I had a progression

Joenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-33892573845000432292007-06-10T08:46:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:13.790Z

Mogfa organised a fantastic tennis day yesterday at the courts opposite her house. I hadn't played tennis since I was quite young and I had a vague memory that I was never that good at it.But I surprised myself. I took years of tennis lessons as a kid and after warming up yesterday, I could hit the ball reasonably well. I was a very competitive child and I suppose I was discouraged because other

Joenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-73782649129950928872007-06-07T23:30:00.001+01:002007-06-08T07:54:10.439+01:00

This week I managed to look past all the stuff I've got to do in the last month of term. And I realised that I have a huge holiday coming up. Almost two months. It's like being a uni student again!I'll be in Sydney (via Hong Kong) in September for my sister's wedding. It won't be a long trip because the new term starts several weeks beforehand. I'll work the first two weeks of term and then fly

Joenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-90536932656673115082007-06-05T23:03:00.000+01:002007-06-05T23:25:31.906+01:00

I've made slight changes to my links. Much to my delight, Adrian is writing again. His blog was the first that I read and he writes better than anyone I know. And much to my dismay, White Silver, my colleague from Chungking Mansions, hasn't posted anything for months. Can't you please keep going? I loved your entries!DSD has recently moved to London and it's so refreshing to see things through

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-39538475244864079592007-06-03T19:56:00.000+01:002007-06-03T20:12:14.297+01:00

Suddenly I seem to be the only person I know without a facebook profile. I like the idea of being able to catch up with friends who I've lost touch with. And I guess it would be a good way of letting them know about my blog. But is facebook just another way of wasting a lot of time on the internet? I don't know if I can afford another addiction at the moment... maybe I should wait until the end

Joenoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-79509245910814153692007-06-01T08:40:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:14.036Z

It's the mid-term holiday and most of my classes are suspended for the week. I decided not to give the old men a holiday because it just gets too confusing. Last term one student didn't come back for a month and when I asked where he'd been he said 'You say one week holiday'.I had been saving a couple of medical appointments for the holiday. I saw a very friendly dietician from Brisbane on

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-33216316292882502832007-05-27T13:51:00.002+01:002008-12-11T09:15:14.150Z

DSD has landed in London and is off to a racing start. In less than a week she's caught up with a selection of friends, been offered ample part-time work and found a place to live. I'm incredibly impressed!Meanwhile, this was the week I had been waiting for to hear whether both of my jobs will continue when the new school year starts in September. It's frustrating to be in such an insecure

Joenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-61667152177931251282007-05-23T22:44:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:14.345Z

I can't wait until the ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces starts on July 1. I might even start going to bars and clubs and all the places I've avoided before because they stink. Maybe.I just wish the ban was going even further. I hate having to shift to another part of the train/tram platform every time someone nearby lights up. I took this on the way to work this morning. Attractive.

Joenoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-32219932159753249942007-05-21T22:24:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:14.862Z

It's four months since I went completely gluten free. I'm feeling much better but still not perfect. It's supposed to take at least 6 months for the intestine to fully recover so I hope I'm almost there.I think I have a good idea of what I can and can't eat but I finally get my appointment with a dietician next week. I've been saving up questions, like whether it's true that dried fruit is often

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-24178029822185756612007-05-19T21:18:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:15.818Z

I have a bike buddy! Shekerim has a new bike and we practised her route to work today. It took us conveniently close to Golborne Road, one of my favourite places in London (photo stolen from a Japanese travel site!). Golborne Road has so much to love. There is an Australian/Italian cafe and some great Portugese and Moroccan delis as well. I used to love the patisseries too, before my coeliac

Joenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-52064325362882831322007-05-16T23:34:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:16.199Z

I'm quite proud that I've kept cycling in spite of all the recent rain. My raincoat wasn't protective enough so I've fashioned a nappy out of a very large plastic bag, to shield me from the water that flicks up from the wheel. Yes, people laugh but I stay cosy and dry. On one particularly rainy trip my front brake self destructed. Buoyed by my success with the spare tyre, I tried to fix it myself

Joenoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-9346249925118996642007-05-14T22:56:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:16.429Z

It's been rainy now for over a week. Not good at all for bike riding, I've been soaked through several times. Not good for my plants either, I'll feel very relieved when they start getting some sun. We went to Brick Lane yesterday for the Baishakhi Mela, a celebration of the Bengali new year. There was a lot of stuff to see but we got too wet and had to leave. Instead we loaded up on snacks at

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-25357926154325813642007-05-13T08:21:00.000+01:002007-05-13T09:58:45.600+01:00

Eurovision last night was a travesty. Some of my favourites, Denmark, Belgium and Portugal, didn't even make it into the final. But that was okay because the Ukranian entry, which was clearly the best, was the favourite to win. 'Lasha tumbai' apparently means 'churn the butter' in Mongolian but many in Russia were claiming that the lyric was chosen for its similarity to 'Russia goodbye'. Singer

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-84519159604898084332007-05-09T14:30:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:16.513Z

Monday was a bank holiday and although I taught in the morning, I took the afternoon off to visit a garden centre in Kensington. I got a little too excited and ended up buying 3x80cm troughs, 76L of compost, 5kg of stones and two trays of plants.76L of compost does not get you much sympathy on the bus. It's nothing like having a baby in a pram. No one moves for you and you get very dirty looks if

Joenoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-31294182929865609352007-05-06T19:38:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:16.725Z

My apologies to any Australian mothers who received their greetings one week early. I would like to point out that the chain of misinformation originated in Jeanie, I was just an ignorant link. Lacking any other cause, I chose to celebrate red bean soup instead.

Joenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-18879331650965557452007-05-03T23:00:00.000+01:002007-05-03T23:34:31.469+01:00

Confidence is going up in the old men's class and the results are hilarious. This week we did a survey activity as part of our 'My neighbourhood' unit...Where you live?- Portobello. Is it busy?- Busy? (someone intejects with an Arabic translation of the word) Aah! Oh-kay! Busy! Yes! Before congestion charge busy. After congestion charge, no busy. Is there a supermarket?- Supermarket. Yes. Where

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-84539477146778348642007-04-30T23:57:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:18.771Z

Disaster struck last Thursday night. I finished work at eight and went to pump up my bike tyres before cycling home. The rear tyre started to hiss. I left my bike at work and caught the bus home. It started out slow and reduced to a crawl by the time we reached Oxford Street. A shop had been on fire and buses were being diverted down Regent Street. The next morning I was running late and Oxford

Joenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-55686000934610402102007-04-28T23:56:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:19.070Z

After just two weeks of full time work, I'm exhausted. My classes are going great but the start of the new term has had me actually working hard for the first time in my year and a half in the UK.When did I become so soft? In Hong Kong I used to work 60 hour, 6 day weeks. Before that, in Sydney, I managed to combine full-time uni, a (fairly demanding) part-time job and a lot of socialising.Still,

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-14476801055448736522007-04-26T08:57:00.000+01:002007-04-26T10:46:23.608+01:00

Expectations can be so dangerous. Excitement so often turns into disappointment. I've been waiting eagerly for Björk's new album, Volta (out on May 8), but I'm also nervous. Her record company predicts (on Wikipedia) that it will be her biggest selling album yet 'thanks to a new Timbaland-inspired commercial direction'. That worries me a little.This live performance on Saturday Night Live is the

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-25659388443802144582007-04-23T21:20:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:19.589Z

I made my second trip to Kew Gardens on Sunday. Last time, when I went with work, I didn't get to see much because our group was mostly kids and elderly. Early autumn wasn't the best time to visit anyway. Kew yesterday was completely different. It was a great time to visit, especially for tulips, azaleas and rhododendrons. Bluebells carpeted every shady spot...and Golden Pheasants were eating

Joenoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-44423199086174052902007-04-22T01:08:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:20.554Z

Abhi-Ash, Abhiwarya, whatever you want to call them, Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachcanan are now married. Presumably the wedding was (as they say in Bollywood) totally rocking, absolutely first-class and completely mind blowing. The picture above is not from their wedding. Despite huge media interest, the whole event has been fairly private and very little real information has been

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-67397727721078015022007-04-18T21:54:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:22.409Z

Snowdon is renowned for bad weather but we managed to catch it on a gorgeous day. We anticipated cold but I did it in a shirt, much less dressed than some of our fellow hikers. It was easy to see where the top is because Snowdon is quite pointy. There are several paths up and we chose the Pyg Track which started out quite flat. The peak was visible the whole way.At the halfway point the track

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-5470158788370935462007-04-16T22:52:00.001+01:002008-12-11T09:15:23.428Z

We couldn't believe our luck when we arrived at our cottage in Wales. Apart from the sheep smell it couldn't have been more perfect. The best thing about our accommodation, however, was its proximity to the beach. I didn't realise how much I missed the sea until I got close to it again. And took a lot of photos...On our first day in Wales we drove to the end of the Llyn Peninsula and sat watching

Joenoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-63776792839142161072007-04-14T00:46:00.001+01:002008-12-11T09:15:23.710Z

I've just arrived back in London - quite a shock after a week on a sheep farm in north Wales. A rather smashing time was had by all and I have tales of adventure and plenty of photos to post. Mysterious islands, secret caves, treacherous mountain paths, lashings of rice cakes and Orangina - I promise you all these and more. After all this excitement I fear that London may be a dreadful bore. At

Joenoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-83876269991127573642007-04-05T23:08:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:23.918Z

Holidays are great so far. Monday morning was the end of term party at one of my jobs. It was great getting a chance to socialise with students without having to be the teacher. One lady related fascinating anecdotes from her time working at an exclusive London hotel. She had cooked for several members of the royal family and commented on their respective eating habits.Charles apparently eats

Joenoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-14310721570036533392007-04-01T23:07:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:24.089Z

The spring term has ended for all my jobs. The last week was fun, I love having the students do end of term evaluations. The forms are quite useless really (but very flattering) because all my students are too nice to write anything critical. In the old men's class the student I had asked to translate the questions into Arabic was also giving suggested answers e.g.'Question one: What did you

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-66165384110645810172007-03-30T08:42:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:24.181Z

For a long time now I haven't worked on Mondays. This term I finally disciplined myself into the routine of finishing lesson preparation on other days and having Mondays completely work-free. Nice. Last Monday I cycled to Cal's place and we strolled over to Ridley Road Market. It was my first visit and I loved it. Much better than battling crowds of trendy people at Borough Market. And the prices

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-65061321501431640942007-03-27T23:27:00.000+01:002008-12-11T09:15:24.444Z

One of my colleagues, an older lady, made an excited announcement in the staffroom at morning tea today:'Guess what I bought yesterday! A pomelo!'. Hooray! I influenced someone!And she's not the only one. It's the last week of term and I got my students to do self assessments of their learning. To my surprise 'How have you used what you learnt?' prompted real answers like 'I used the spelling

Joenoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-74771298460791381312007-03-26T12:14:00.000+01:002007-03-26T12:20:08.064+01:00

Considering how much I complain about the UK I feel obliged to mention that my new driving license (complete with evil stare) just arrived, exactly a week after I mailed off the application. I went to meet the postman at the door (feeling friendly today) and he was holding a parcel for our neighbour (though he delivers their mail first). 'Do they have a guard dog?' he asked, 'I'm scared of dogs'.

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-10909660912491349932007-03-23T18:42:00.000Z2007-03-24T08:26:37.714Z

Jason, DSD and KO were right to whinge about Sydney's Cityrail. My grandad emailed me this week to tell me about this article. A study commissioned by Cityrail (carried out by experts from HK) has found Cityrail to be the worst rail service in any major city in the world. I won't say what the rest of his email was about but if I don't mention George Bush, John Howard or Iraq for some time you

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-30967112324080069292007-03-21T23:31:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:15:24.896Z

In the staffroom at school I am like the kid whose parents always pack weird stuff in his lunchbox.My colleagues are all on perpetual diets and don't stray far from salad and sandwiches. I always take leftovers and heat them up in the microwave, stinking out the whole staffroom in the process. Sometimes they ask what I'm eating. Other times they just steal furtive jealous glances. I feel kind of

Joenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-75036291155981907842007-03-19T21:27:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:15:25.485Z

Weekends for me usually mean leaving the house twice at most. This last one, however, was uncharacteristically full. Three evenings out, work, dim sum, Kylie costume exhibition and holiday planning with Mogfa (Wales at Easter) kept me very busy.Jeanie, the queen of organisation, was responsible for most of the activity. Friday night was her birthday party and Saturday night was a goodbye for her

Joenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-7993956773926404312007-03-17T14:18:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:15:26.235Z

I've waited two weeks before letting myself announce this - I've cried wolf in the past and this time I wanted to be sure. I have officially renounced the underground. I'm too young to be a grumpy old man and everything about the underground made me grumpy. - carriages littered with free newspapers- people consuming everything from Happy Meals to beer- Starbucks cups left next to the handrail at

Joenoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-28021524734603065802007-03-14T22:48:00.000Z2007-03-14T23:17:00.638Z

My job at the school has been going really well. To my relief, my students' attendance has improved greatly since I first started. Figures come out a couple of times a term comparing the attendance rates for each tutor's students and at first I was at the bottom of the chart!Five of my students have been working on writing job application letters and CVs. Something must be going right because two

Joenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-29727940540185912932007-03-13T17:51:00.000Z2007-03-13T18:04:52.125Z

Okay, I promise this is the last thing I will say about meat for a while. I just read this article from the Sydney Morning Herald which refers to this report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The report found that livestock production is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions - a bigger percentage than that resulting from transport. It is also a major cause of 'land

Joenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5791787.post-35753104245294654662007-03-12T22:54:00.000Z2008-12-11T09:15:27.041Z

One day when Mogfa was still living on our sofa, a small intruder made his way into the house. He crept around in search of food but there was not a crumb to be found. 'What kind of place is this?' he asked himself, 'What do they expect me to eat? Dust? Actually there's not much of that either.'.Mogfa had been feeling sick. She was so sick that she hadn't left the sofa all day. Out of the corner

Joenoreply@blogger.com3