Sleeping in the Subway

December 12, 2008 Leave a Comment

sleeping-in-the-subwayFor Westerners like my husband, it always amazes them to see people dozing off in the most uncomfortable and noisiest places.

This is not a big surprise for me because in my country, most people also have no trouble sleeping… anywhere. In PUJs, bus terminals, airports, waiting sheds, etc. You name it. Although this might come off as very unbecoming to some, for me it’s just to show that the person (sleeping) is comfortable with his surroundings (other than he is just plain drunk) and I honestly don’t have a problem with that just as long as the person (sleeping) is not leaning on me.

Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: , , ,

German Course Update

December 10, 2008 1 Comment

Last Friday was the last day of our German course and I am relieved because I think I won’t have to see my A-hole German teacher again. Last Monday was our exam. It’s not a compulsory exam but if you want to have a certificate showing that you did and you passed the course’s requirements, you should take it. I initially planned that after the B1 course, I will take exam for A2 (previous level) because I have a better chances of passing that one if I am already done with B1. So it’s like my certificate will be one level behind the course I just completed. I am a chicken, I know but so what?

But because there were some changes around lately, I am prompted to take the highest certificate I can get. My husband begged and cajoled me to take the exam. He told me like 10000000000000 times that I can surely pass it without a problem. I didn’t believe him but because I thought…this might be my last German course in Shanghai and I probably can’t study German further, I should have this certificate now.

There were 17 (some are from other language schools) examinees and only 8 passed it. I, along with the other examinees, waited for the results until like 8:00 pm last Monday. It was a long wait! Anyway, I am glad that I am one of those 8 examinees who made it and that I got the second highest score. The certificates will come in about three weeks but I don’t have to wait 3 weeks to have a goodnight sleep—I already know the results.

Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: , , , , ,

Soon in Shanghai

November 25, 2008 Leave a Comment

That’s me right there in a subway train with my one of my good friends. That was still in Changchun and I think this photo is taken about two years ago. Judging on how I look and on how I dressed up in the picture, one can tell that this is oolllldddd.

mypinknotes-viennandyulishen.JPG

You might have heard already that I made some enemies but that’s okay because I still have my real friends and another exciting thing is that they are coming to visit me here in Shanghai soon. I can’t wait to see my girlfriends!

Filed Under: Daily Life, Friends and Strangers Tagged With: , ,

Growing Friendship

November 13, 2008 3 Comments

viennas-friends.JPGIn four week’s time, my German lesson will be over and there will be a long break before the next course will start. I am please that not only my German is improving; my social life seems to be getting better as well. Earlier in my study of German, I was somewhat distant to my classmates because they are all Chinese and they just speak in Chinese so I always sort of felt left-out. Now, it looks like everybody is so eager to use what they’ve learned in the course so the conversations are mostly in German. I can now join the conversation and this paved the way for them to know me better—which is cool because some of them find me interesting.

I am glad that I am going out more often now and that I am developing friendship with people other than the colleagues and friends of my husband. In short, I now have my own circle. I don’t have anything against the colleagues and friends of my husband because most of them are really nice persons too and I am glad that we could spend time with them sometimes but having my own circle of girlfriends with pretty much the same interest as mine is different. I really miss my girlfriends back in Changchun and in the Philippines but I am glad that after 5 months of staying in Shanghai, I am starting to really feel at home here.

Filed Under: Daily Life, Friends and Strangers Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Evening Sight-Seeing

November 13, 2008 Leave a Comment

The Shanghai Financial Trade Center, world’s current second tallest building, officially opened its doors to the public sometime in August. This building is next to Jin Mao Tower, another skyscraper. According to rumors, the opening on top of the Shanghai Financial Trade Center building was originally planned to be a circle but because it would then resembles the rising sun on the Japanese flag, they changed it to a trapezoid shape.

swfc-2.jpgswfc-3.jpgswfc-1.jpg

So anyway, after having a dinner at the nearby Jin Mao Tower last Monday evening, we impulsively decided to go and see the new skyscraper. It’s just too bad that none of us brought a camera. I suggested that we do it on another time but Marcus and two of his colleagues insisted to see it because the weather was clear and there was no queue anymore (at 9:00pm). The view from the building’s view decks is really spectacular. If you look up at the SFTC building and the nearby Jin Mao Tower  from the street, they look like they have the same height but when you’re on top, you’ll see that there is a huge difference between the two buildings’ heights. It’s really too bad that we didn’t have real cameras so I didn’t have a choice but to use my phone’s not so good camera.

Filed Under: Daily Life, Friends and Strangers Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Early Christmas

November 13, 2008 Leave a Comment

shanghai-christmasChristmas is always early in the Philippines. At the onset of the “ber” months; i.e. September, October, November, and December, people already decorate their homes with Christmas decors. So when I’ve seen that some of the establishments here in Shanghai are already decorated, I was not surprised.

You see in Philippines, we only get to decorate our homes to give it a feel of the season during Christmas. Unlike in the US of A, we don’t decorate our home for Halloween or for other holidays. We only get to do it once a year so we put the decorations up as early as possible and let them stay there as long as possible. I often hear people say that the longest Christmas season happens in the Philippines and I completely agree with that.

Filed Under: Holidays and Travel, Home and Family Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Day of Living in Shanghai

November 11, 2008 2 Comments

We’ve been searching for electronic stores in Shanghai and there are a lot actually but we have not seen a big one until we saw Metro City some weeks ago. We promised to go back there and so we did.

pudong.JPG

Last Sunday, Marcus and I went back to that electronic market to buy me an iPhone and we tag along Kristoff because we know that Kristoff is also crazy about the place and he knows the market better than us. We went there early and it took me five hours to find the perfect iPhone from the kindest salesperson. I knew already that I’d get an iPhone but that didn’t stop me from trying other mobile phones. I don’t think Sonny Ericson Xperia, the phone I wanted, is already available in China so unfortunately I was not able to try it and even if it were there already, I wouldn’t think that Marcus and I will buy it. It is just too expensive.

shanghai.JPG

Anyway, after the shopping in the Puxi area we went back to Pudong to eat and before that, we decided to walk around a little bit because the weather was great (after like 3 weeks of constant smog) and so I was able to take some photos. It felt a little bit funny because I was acting like a real tourist. We live here since June of this year but until now, we haven’t really explored Shanghai yet. We have this mentally that we have plenty of time so we don’t have to see every place and try out everything here immediately but maybe before we know it, the time’s gone.

Filed Under: Daily Life Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Inferiority Complex Attack

November 4, 2008 1 Comment

Emily, one of my Irish friends I mentioned in my earlier post, decided to stay in Shanghai to live with her boyfriend. I consider them friends because we spent a lot of time together in the last few weeks and Emily’s boyfriend is a colleague and friend of my husband. Emily’s sister Tina already went back to Ireland but Emily will stay for a few weeks then she’ll be flying back to Ireland to quit her job. That is just so grand. :)

So anyway, Emily called me and asked if we could have a coffee together sometime because according to her, she really enjoyed my company the last times. That was so nice of her to say but that’s something I didn’t expect. Emily has a managerial position in human resource of some British-Indian company and she is like 54 years old and she often talks about very intellectual things so you can just imagine my surprise when such person display interest in spending time with me.

I am no intellectual. I am just a simple woman who is living a simple life but being married to Marcus also means that sometime, I’ll be going to parties, dinners, and gatherings where I’d be spending time with people who have much wider knowledge and way more eloquent than I am. I always try to talk to these people and not just smile and be pretty (in short, look stupid) but sometimes I can’t help but feel tiny.

Filed Under: Daily Life, Friends and Strangers, Usual Rants Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
« Older Posts

Drop it like it’s hot


Site Info

Calendar

May 2012
M T W T F S S
« Feb    
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

To the Top