A thrifty year ....

After 18 months of living it up in China and doing some amazing travel, my bank balance is not looking so healthy, so 2010 is going to be a thrifty year for me.  I've spent some time thinking about which areas I can cut back on ..... perhaps three massages a week is a luxury?!  I like spending money on sports and healthy (but sometimes expensive) foods and I like eating out, so those two areas will remain.  After some thought, I've chosen to tighten the belt in two areas - books and general day-to-day stuff that all adds up.  I've joined the library and my bookshelf is brimming with books, magazines, CDs and DVDs from the Manly library.  For the second area, I've consulted my friend Google for budget and environmentally friendly cleaning and beauty products.  My bathroom is gleaming after a scrub with baking soda, which is much more efficient, less potent and cheaper than normal cleaning products.  Also, sitting in my shower is a huge yoghurt tub filled with a homemade exfoliating scrub.  There were many recipes for this on the net, but I chose for the simplest - white sugar and olive oil.  A word of warning though, add the olive oil very slowly!  Whilst my skin was silky smooth, I was slipping all over the shower that quickly became slick with olive oil, not to mention the oily feeling on my skin.  I wonder how else I can become thrifty without compromising my lovely lifestyle?!

Back to school ....

That's right, I'm heading back to study.  I've just enrolled to do a Masters of Education at Monash University in Melbourne.  I'm very excited about it because I've wanted to do my Masters for some time but never really had the time.  Now that I am only teaching two children and don't have school meetings,  report writing and parent teacher interviews, I will have plenty of time to study.  The plan is to specialise in gifted education but I am yet to decide whether I go down the path of the 8,000 word professional project or the 16,000 word thesis.  Right now, it's bright and sunny outside, so the thought of study is not so appealing, but on the ranch in the cold Rocky Mountains, it might be just the thing!

Ocean swimming ....

Start of the Cole Classic from my employer's balcony 

No, I haven't achieved my goal of swimming from Shelly beach to Manly beach.  But, today, I was a little more inspired as I watched the 4500 participants enter the water for the annual Cole Classic swim, a 1km or 2km ocean swim.  There was a great atmosphere in Manly as people participated, supported or just enjoyed the entertainment.  I spent the morning viewing the race from my employer's balcony before having lunch at a beachside cafe followed by Sunday afternoon drinks and live music with a friend I haven't seen for 11 years .... what a great way to spend a Sunday!  Ready to start to training for next year's Cole Classic .... maybe!

Swimmers begin the race at Shelly beach .... the only Australian beach to face inland (a useless fact from Google!!)

Dining out ...

Messy dining in local Chinese restaurants

Since arriving in Manly, I have sampled many of the local restaurants and I think I'm still not back to the reality that there are so many multicultural options available here, unlike China.  But I do miss the eye opening experience of dining in a local Chinese restaurant, the mess, the noise, the smoke, the smells and of course, the tastes.  I was reminded of all of this when reading an entry by WoAi ('I love' in Mandarin) on his blog, 'I love China', about Chinese dining habits.  Here are some snippets .... 

• It’s perfectly acceptable to rest your foot on the adjacent chair, or even on your own chair.

• When the bill comes, it’s polite to make at least a weak attempt at fighting to pay the bill, although you should allow the host to eventually win the battle and avoid losing face.

• Playing on your PSP / Nintendo DS, reading magazines or sending texts while ignoring your other dinner guests is perfectly acceptable.
• Screaming at the waitress to bring you more beer while she’s busy taking the order of the table next door is completely okay.

• Bringing your own food and drinks to consume in the restaurant is perfectly fine.
• Finishing every last bit of food is NOT fine as it indicates to your host that he was not generous and did not order sufficiently.

His blog entry was prompted by an entry on Wikipedia ..... 

• Strong alcohol, called baijiu is often served throughout the meal; and it is customary for the host[s]/hostess[es] to insist that guests drink to “show friendship.” If the guests prefers not to drink, they may say, “I’m unable to drink, but thank you.”  The host may continue to insist that the guests drink, and the guests may likewise continue to insist upon being “unable” to drink. The host’s insistance is to show generosity. Therefore, refusal by the guests should be made with utmost politeness. Beware: If a guest drinks alcohol with a subordinate at the table, the guest will be expected [if not forced] to drink a glass of the same alcohol with each superior at that table, and possibly at other tables too—if the guest has not passed out yet.

• When the hostess says her food is not good enough, the guest must disagree and tell her it is one of the finest foods they have ever tasted.

• Belching, smacking, and sipping is allowed. Talking with a full mouth, eating with the elbows on the table and tasting from a table guest’s plate is also allowed.

• When eating food that contains bones, it is customary that the bones be spat out onto the table to the right of the dining plate in a neat pile. Spitting onto the floor is almost never acceptable.

• When people wish to clink drinks together in the form of a cheer, it is important to observe that younger members should clink the rim of their glass below the rim of an elder’s to show respect.

Now isn't eating in a western restaurant boring compared to this?!  Happy dining.

The 'Ah ha' moments in teaching ....

Walking the red carpet on Teachers Day 2009 in downtown Wuxi

Many people criticise teachers for their extended hours and long holidays but when asked why they didn't take the teaching path, the standard response is 'Oh no, I couldn't work with children all day!'    But, all teachers know that the job provides a lot more than great holidays and will recognise the buzz you get when a child has an 'ah ha' moment in their learning.  You can almost see the understanding sink in and it brings on a warm fuzzy feeling and a satisfaction that you got it right (well, for that child at that moment at least!).  Today, I had one of those moments.  B, aged 9 (10 in a few days as I am frequently reminded) is not a reader.  In the last month, we've had tears, rude words, dirty looks and even a tantrum in the library over reading books.  It's a painful and frustrating process for all involved but from today, no longer (well, fingers crossed).  We've finally found a book he is in to ... 'Viking Adventures' by an unfamiliar author ... and today there was no stopping him.  Our deal is to read one page each and today, B found himself reading more than one page and begging to read the next chapter.  Before you knew it, we had read the whole book, 1 1/2 hours of reading!  The look of happiness on his face was definitely an 'ah ha' moment in teaching.  Now comes the challenging part ... what will we read next???  I'm hoping that the King Arthur stories will provide enough fighting and 'manliness' to provide another 'ah ha' moment.

Once a Green Queen, always a Green Queen ....

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve ...... protected by the Manly Environment Centre

I took a detour on my way home today and discovered a little treasure in Manly - The Manly Environment Centre - and with my Green Queen hat firmly on, I stepped inside for a moment.  Nearly an hour later, I emerged with my arms brimming with (recycled) pamphlets about ocean life and mining in NSW, the two areas of study for my students at the moment.  Not only did I find some great information, I met some really lovely people who are incredibly passionate about the environment and great to chat to .... a very pleasant surprise on my way home!

(for the uninformed .... the Green Queens is an environmental group that I set up at the MLC Junior School several years ago)

Wild, windy Manly

Some people braved the wild, windy beach this morning

It's a wild day here in Manly today.  The beach was 'closed' this morning due to big swell and dangerous waters.  It didn't stop many surfers and paddlers though ... All morning, we have been watching the crazy ones get dumped by the wild waves crashing against the cliffs below us.  Still, the view is spectacular, a welcome change from the construction site views in China!