Silver linings

Weather: warm and with a slight breeze
Temp: 16 - 25
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1,23
Good enough for Etsy?

I made this tunic top from scratch. I made the pattern, bought the fabric and sewed it myself. I'm quite proud of it. And just in case you're wondering: no, I'm not pregnant.

Ok, so yesterday I was having a bad day. Today is better. Frikkie went and got me some medication, so I'm feeling 100% better. I'm still zonked, but I feel better. I'm not going on my train trip, I'm not feeling well enough, but hopefully we can go to somewhere nice on Saturday. Sunday Frikkie has to work, again. Sigh.

We're suppose to run the Great Wall marathon this weekend. Don't all gasp at once - I was doing the 5kms and Frikkie the 10. I don't want to die doing it, so I'm withdrawing. Maybe Frikkie will still go, not sure.

Ok, back to bed with me. Need some sleep.

BTW my silver lining for today is that I have a BF that I really love and want to spend time with. So perhaps it's understandable that I get a little grumpy when I don't see all that much of him.

A little rant

This is not one of my usual posts, it's a rant. Here goes: I'm sick and tired of Frikkie always working late. I'm also sick and tired of him working on weekends. Sick.and.tired.of.it.

I'm also really sick (again) with a some nasty cold, so I'm a little more grumpy than usual. Hopefully I will feel better again tomorrow and then I will be able to see the silver lining.

Good Greek

Weather: fine and hot
Temp: 20 - 33
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1,22
Money, money, money: We paid our apartment deposit this weekend, in cash. I can't even begin to tell you how much I miss online banking.

I'm listening to Jacob Zuma's inauguration speech. Not bad, I guess, pity about his track record.

We had a great day yesterday. We went to the Fat Olive for lunch. Good Greek, with an amazing view (of which I did not take a photo, duh). They also serve chilled Fleur de Cap Chardonnay. I suspect we'll be back there before too long.

Pete and Rachael came round for dinner - we carried the dining room table onto the balcony and had a lovely night. Today however I'm not feeling so hot - no, it's not a hangover, but I suspect mild sunstroke from sunning myself on the Fat Olive terrace for 4 hours.

I can feel an afternoon nap coming on - catch you all next week.

Days like this

Weather: Hot, HoT, HOT
Temp: 16 - 31
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1.22
Photo boot magic

There are these passport photo booths in the stations in Shanghai. I have very fond memories of taking fun photo booth pics with my BFF Gayle and Rebecca, so Frikkie I and ducked into one at some random station somewhere in Shangers. We selected multi or different photos, 4 of them. Instead we got 9 of the same. I thought it was a good analogy for China - you may not always get what you ask for, but you're get something, that's sort of right, or at least right enough to keep you quiet, but wrong enough so that you don't want to repeat the experience.

I'm planning a little excursion next week. I want to get onto a train and head inland. Not quite sure where to yet, but roughing it. Hopefully I don't get too lost. How lost can I get in three days?

The trip to the fabric market at the Science and Technology Park was a little disappointing. It's more a tailors' market than a fabric market and the fabric that was there didn't really tickle my fancy all that much. I did find one piece that I liked and am busy making a tunic top from it. I made the pattern from scratch, so I'm hoping it will fit me, semi properly. Will post a pic once it's done.

2 years and counting :-)

Weather: fine Spring day
Temp: 16 - 23
Sinful: The Shanghai gang (Holly, Me, Frikkie, Rachael, Pete and Andrew) at Sin on Saturday night.

Frikkie and I celebrated our 2-year anniversary on the first of May. It was also exactly 1 year ago that we first set foot in Shanghai. Much has changed since then: Frikkie and I are infinitely happier, we now live in Shanghai, we can speak a smattering of Mandarin, but mostly it's Shanghai that is changing around us by the second as the city gets ready for the 2010 World Expo. It is amazing to see - construction on an enormous scale going on day and night (as the earth moving trucks thundering down the round outside our apartment at 4am bares testament to). We read in the paper over the weekend that the local government has decreed that property owners need to spruce up their building in the next 6 months and if they don't do it themselves, the local council will and owners will be presented with the bill. Just like that. What is perhaps not so nice about the clean-up is that the street food will disappear as it is now illegal to operate a business from the back of a bike. Street food is the best food. It's fresh, tasty, convenient and cheap. Sigh - will sure miss it. It is also now illegal to spit in public. This will not be missed.

I'm off to fabric market with Rachael and her friend Merte this afternoon. Am really excited. Our boxes arrived yesterday, which means my sewing machine and dress-makers dummy are here, so I can sew!