Ocean of Morality
  • Blog
  • Family
  • Relatives
  • Countries
  • Gallery
  • Guestbook

Warped

30/6/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
I enjoyed this Chinglish, spotted at a "Self help desk" in a furniture shop last week, particularly the totally opposite aims of "wrapping" or "warping" your fragile items!
1 Comment

Like a fish

28/6/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
I've managed to keep my swimming going this term apart from a couple of weeks off with a cold. I do a kilometre each time - that's 20 lengths - usually all breaststroke. It's supposed to be a gentle exercise compared to, say, running but I find I get twinges, cramps, neck pinches ear infections and verrucas. So it's hardly a risk-free activity. I've still got 20 visits credit on my card, which should get me through the Summer. 
1 Comment

Shell be fired

26/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
I can just imagine the thought process of the sales lady; "Now we've got a lot of washing powder to sell. Let's have a promotional supermarket display. What shall we craft to emphasise the high quality cleaning abilities of this product? Oh, I know - a huge tank"
0 Comments

Tally ho!

24/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The British Consul-General was in Kunming a couple of days ago and I found myself invited to a celebration of 45 years of China-UK ambassadorial relations. There were about 50 business people in attendance, of which just 10 or so were actually British! I met up with my old colleagues from Robert's School which was fun [see below] and the "typically British food" on offer - roast chicken, curry, fish & chips, mashed potatoes, etc - was rather good.
Picture
0 Comments

Going, going, gone

22/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
My University hosted a pleasant leaving party today for the half dozen teachers who will not be continuing next term. Amongst them is Nancy [talking to me in photo above] who is transferring to Kunming College. JD loves to play with her kids and we have become good friends over the last couple of years. Hopefully we'll stay in touch.
Picture
Picture
The event included a number of interesting performances such as a Tea Ceremony, Laos and Dai dancing and a kung fu demonstration.
Picture
I also found out that one of foreign teachers I work with has just decided to  leave, and a new teacher who had been lined up has quit already! That means I'll be in a team of just two teachers next term where we formerly had 4-5. Could be interesting.
0 Comments

Going out

20/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
An interesting comment on how Chinese teenagers see themselves, compared to their peers from other countries. Some truth there!
0 Comments

Unreliable

18/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Wise, if nonsense, advice!
0 Comments

Pop, snap, tug

16/6/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
Picture
JD's Kindergarten class had an Open Morning today for Father's Day. The class had a presentation about Fathers [left] and then we made fancy cameras with our child [right]. After that, there were Father+Son running races and a Tug-of-War between the Dads of different classes. Our class were the Tug-of-War champions after 4 wins and one disputed loss. My muscles ache!
Picture
1 Comment

Wheely good

14/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
JD spotted his name on a shop front the other day [above] and can draw himself quite well, too [right]. He can also very nearly write his Chinese name  朱 品 修 .
Picture
0 Comments

Turning the Corner

12/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
This week sees the last of my English Corners for this term. I go along from 6.30-8.00pm fortnightly and try to bring along a fun speaking activity to get the attendees chatting about different topics. Although for me it's part of my job, attendance is voluntary for the students.  We usually see 10-20 coming along each week and meet outside the library - weather permitting. The picture shows regular "AndyChaser" who is off to pastures new at the end of this academic year.
0 Comments

Booboo

10/6/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
I wonder if she knows what her T-shirt actually says?
1 Comment

Floored thinking

8/6/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
JD is becoming more and more independent these days.
Picture
Whether it's dressing himself, getting his favourite DVD playing or suddenly deciding our car needs washing (and then doing it), he's full of self-confidence. Most of the time this is to be encouraged but, when you find him "cleaning the garage floor" with a dishcloth because it is "a bit dirty", you have to set some guidelines!
1 Comment

Coin you explain this?

6/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
JD's battery-operated money box had
instructions that started well enough, but...

0 Comments

Sampling dumplings

4/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
JD and I had a fun lunch yesterday with an old colleague of mine, Lilly, who is now studying in Paris. She took us (and a handful of her other friends) to an upmarket dumpling restaurant. She knows the owner and he very kindly agreed to let us try our hand at making dumplings for his store once we had finished eating. So the Head Chef demonstrated the technique to us and we all had a go. It as harder than it looked, of course, but JD loved crimping the dough on the meat and anticipating eating his creations.

Picture
Although our finished products looked a bit flat, they tasted yummy. I suggested to the owner that he should advertise Birthday Parties where children come with their friends, make dumplings and eat them afterwards. He said it was a great idea and proceeded to pay for all our food! Nice guy!
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

BoredĀ of the Dance

2/6/2017

 
Today was Children's Day in China and JD's Kindergarten took over the Kunming City Stadium for the morning to allow each class to perform their well-practised dances.
Picture
One parent of each student had been drafted in to perform with the children and Jiajia made her excuses. So I was one of four Dads along with twenty-five Mums! We've been rehearsing for 6 weeks.
Picture
Our performance today was 11th out of 16, so a certain amount of tedium had crept into the audience as we began to strut our stuff. We started with some hip-hop and then transitioned into traditional ethnic dances. JD did his part this time (having refused to do anything at all at the dress rehearsal, probably because I wasn't able to make it to that practice) and afterwards Jiajia said, "It was beyond my imagination" which I think is a compliment.

My good wife brought our video camera with us too ...and then completely forgot to use it! But they say there will be a professionally put together DVD of the whole event in due course.

Apparently we won first prize ...as did every one of the dance troupes. This is socialist China after all! Altogether it took four hours to get through and then we were told not to bother taking our kids back to school for the afternoon. I'm not sure UK school would get away with that sort of thing!
Picture
Picture

Snack attacker

1/6/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
I wonder of the KFC staff know that their aprons
declare them to be "dangerous people"?

0 Comments
    paul hider

    About the blogger

    Paul Hider lives and works in Kunming (SW China) and updates this blog about his  life there every other day.

    Past blog entries

    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009

    Tags

    All
    April Fool
    Ava
    Birthday
    Blog
    Cal
    Cemetery
    China
    Chinglish
    Christmas
    Construction
    Dancing Lady
    Dave & Esme
    Disaster
    Dorta
    Draft
    Druncle
    Earthquake
    Ebike
    Education
    Everton
    Exams
    Exercise
    Family
    Flashback
    Food
    Forest
    Friends
    Furniture
    Geese
    Gym
    Halloween
    Health
    Heijing
    Holiday
    Home
    Illness
    Illusion
    Jd
    Jiajia
    Kindergarten
    Kunming
    Language
    Laos
    Lattitude
    Leaf
    Lego
    Lexulous
    Life
    London
    Ma
    Mandarin
    Me
    Merton
    Minority
    Molly
    Museum
    Nanny
    New Flat
    Olympics
    Painting
    Parents
    Park
    Party
    Pets
    Police
    Pregnancy
    Random
    Random Bus
    Renovation
    R.I.P.
    R.S.L.
    Schools
    Shenzhen
    Shopping
    Sport
    Spring Festival
    Sri Lanka
    Swimming
    Temple
    Tesol
    Thailand
    Traffic
    Training
    Transport
    Travel
    Tv
    Ufo
    Uk
    University
    Visit
    Vso
    Water
    Weather
    Wedding
    Wildlife
    Xishuangbanna
    YUFE
    Yunnan
    Zoo

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.