Two Thousand and Eleven

It's 2011 already, just came back from the fireworks. Went to two - 9pm at Darling Harbour and 12am at Circular Quay for the Harbour Bridge fireworks.

And I'm coughing my lungs out now.

Happy New Year p e o p l e  . . . . . .  It's 2011!

你的普通话说得真好

I've lost count of how many times I came across this sentence whenever I say I'm from Malaysia. And it follows with explanation that we started learning Mandarin, English and Bahasa since primary school. People will think you're awesome because you speak few languages including different dialects. I thought I'll be in Nanjing traveling by myself, ended up we came here in a group of 10! The mates have already left to Chengdu 3 hours ago and I started to miss them as soon as they hopped on the cab. Without their companion, my Nanjing trip wouldn't be that meaningful. I mean it! :) It's already 22 December, today. Oooopsss.

 

I'm... Amazed.

Me, Mel and Christine were at the China Pavilion and unsurprisingly there were people surrounding us asking whether we want to get the ticket from them with 5 yuan extra to avoid the long queue at the ticket booth. And this guy came over and said, "how much does the foreigner pay you to bring her around? She must have paid you for being her tour guide and translator."

I said no, we are friends!

He said no way! Insisting his "belief", I must have been paid!

I said no, he said yes. I said no, he said yes. WTF. I should have said YES.

This morning I went to the bank for currency exchange. Yes, my pocket is draining. I sat down at the counter and passed the teller the money. Suddenly one woman approached me with a bag, asked if I'm doing the exchange.

She said, "what about you do the exchange with me? Let's see what's the rate they offer you, I'll offer you a higher rate. Ok? Ok? Ok?"

I was stoned.

And the teller greatly told me the rate in Shanghainese dialect. I was like "huh? I don't understand."

Then the woman said, "she gives you 6.34. I'll give you 6.40. You can get few tens more. Deal?" I shook my head. She continued, "I just withdraw the money out from the bank. Don't worry." Apparently she knew the main concern is whether it's real or fake notes.

To my surprise, the teller remained silence and she was just looking at me while waiting for my decision.

I looked at the teller, "I'm dealing with you."

The woman walked away back to the waiting seat, waiting for the next target I supposed, throwing the last sentence, "you don't want? 算了."

The bank is empty, I was the only customer inside. Hellooooo where the hell is the security? Or they don't need one eventually.

Oh China. 我真是大开眼界，谢谢你！

Sent from my iPhone

这雪下得不是假的！

It takes forever to attach one photo. I thought of uploading three, apparently I'm losing my patience. Anyways, it was snowing... for real! It feels like Christmas! So.. it's snow, not rain.  It will get warmer starting from the day after tomorrow :) xoxo

 

下雪了

Not a big heavy snow that you can see a white layer all over the places, still... it snows, in Shanghai, light snow!   We checked the weather forecast yesterday and it showed "snow with rain".   So after finishing an article reading, I was walking by myself around the rural area nearby the university to take some photos. On one side, you can see all the skycrappers buildings; on the other side, it's the poor side of Shanghai. A big contradiction indeed.   We are advised not to eat the street food just to avoid getting food poisoned or anything. Yea, I think no one would like fully utilise the travel insurance that we bought. But looking at those "household industry" selling along the streets at 0 degree celcius, it's not the food that tempted me, it's more like a support to them, trying and tasting what they have usually as opposed to the other side of Shanghai where people usually dines in classy restaurant.   You can pay for 35 yuan for 6 dumpings or buns in Din Tai Fung, yet you can also pay for 1 yuan per dumping or per bun at the street stalls. The quality of food is negligible, they are yummy.   Yea, "snow with rain". I tried to make sure it's snow, not rain - just don't want to be fooled by myself. So when the snow gets a little heavier, I'm sure it's snowing, not raining. Double confirmed when I heard someone saying, "下雪了!"

 

Happy Birthday Mommy!

For the past 3 weeks, it feels like months, it's not 度日如年 anymore! I have never been so fully utilising my time ever, or at least in this 2010. Wake up no later than 8.15am - and occupied till the bed time. The cycle goes round and round, and now everyone came to realise that we have not much time left. Oops. Time shoooooooots. Happy Birthday Mommy! This is the first year I'm not home to celebrate your birthday and I can't bake you a birthday cake too :( I missed out dad and the brothers' birthdays since I came to Australia, but at least I could be home on the 13th of Dec each year. Sadly, not this year. Anyway, still... HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY! ❤❤❤❤❤