Living with Monkey

Weather: freezing

Temperature: -6 - 1

Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1,40

The culprit: Monkey and the vase she knocked over...

Sometimes living with our cat Monkey is a test of patience. She is full of beans, loves chasing her sister NuNu around, loves pushing NuNu away from the food bowls and general leaving mayhem and thousands of white cat hair in her wake. This morning, shortly after the alarm went off, there was an ominous crash in the lounge. And then it all went quiet. Yes, a sure sign that somebody did something naughty. I think my favourite godson Jackson knew what he was talking about when he kept on saying "Naughty Monkey" after our little terror lived with Rebecca and Jackson for a month. 

Usually the damage isn't too extensive, but this morning "somebody" knocked over a tall vase filled with water and reeds... onto my laptop. Needless to say there was water dripping out of said laptop. Accidents happen, so I'm not too fussed about the laptop, but what I am very fussed about are all the photos and information on there. I've taken it apart as best I could and blow dried what I could. Let's hope it works when I start it up tomorrow... 

All merry and bright

Weather: cold
Temp: -7 - 4
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1,43
Grassy rooftop: Dry winters grass growing in a roof gutter of a hutong.

Hey, Merry Belated Christmas everybody. Hope you had fun, ate too much, and had a jolly good time with your family.

We had a great Christmas. We opened our presents in bed on Christmas day. Demi our Mandarin tutor gave us scarves from Italy and Stan, my student gave me a Peking Opera wall hanging. After presents we phoned home. Speaking to our family in South Africa made me a little teary, but such is life and we got on with it by going for brunch to Grandma's Kitchen near the Bei Xin Qiao Subway. It was all very jolly with everybody who arrived wishing complete strangers a merry Christmas. I guess that's what happens - goodwill to all men.

As a treat we then headed off to Garden Books. I got Kabul Beauty School and Frikkie got the latest John Connolly. Then it was back home for some gluwein, cheese and crackers.

We had dinner at the Westin Hotel in Choayang, with complete strangers and it was great! We were suppose to join my fellow teacher Richard and his mates for dinner. So, we arrived not knowing anybody but Richard, and he didn't even show up, but we met a cool bunch of people, some of them as new to Beijing as we are and others who have been here form ages. And quite a diverse group - from Taiwan to London... Finally it looks like we've met a group of people we could be friends with - the best Christmas present we could have asked for.

It's a freezing Sunday

Weather: ABSOLUTELY BLOODING FREEZING
Temp: -12 - -5. That's well below zero all day long
Exchange rate:
RMB1 = R1,43
Late Lunch: Our first home-made joazi at home.

It is absolutely freezing outside. No really, I mean it. I know I'm always saying that it's cold, but today is the coldest day in Beijing since we got here. It was suppose to be very cold yesterday so we vegged at home.
This morning the wind was howling. Really howling. Poor Frikkie went to the shop to get some milk. The poor man nearly had frost bite when he got back.

I also made my first batch of joazi at home. Not quite as nice as the ones I made in class, but still very edible. Frikkie says this picture looks like a '70s beer ad... Mmm, maybe.

End of year cheer

Weather: clear and cold
Temp: -5 - 5
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1,44
Famous family: Kyk Irma, jy's famous. Ikea has weird and wonderful naming conventions. Frikkie's cousin, who's name isn't weird at all, somehow made it into the Ikea catalogue.

I didn't teach yesterday, so it was a long day of playing mahjong online, watching rubbish on HBO, ironing and general lazing about. I'm thinking that I should enjoy it while it lasts, cause it won't last forever.

Frikkie and I were saying how it doesn't feel like Christmas time for us. Although there are Christmas trees everywhere, and most shop assistants wear little Santa hats, it's just not the same and we're just not feeling it. Also neither one of us can face Christmas shopping so there are no presents under our tree. But that's ok - we're ridiculously happy together, so what more could we ask for.

Cooking class

Weather: clear and cold
Temp: -5 - 6
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1,47
Almost a pro: The fruits of my labours in jiaozi making class.

Yesterday I went to jiaozi making-class at the Hutong. The Hutong is a centre where they host all kind of classes, based in, surprise, a hutong. And jiaozi is of course, dumplings - my favourite food in Beijing. I learnt to to make the pastry from scratch, the filling and then roll the pastry, which is sort of difficult, and then of course the cooking. And the best part, eating all of them. It was just me and Erin, a Canadian visiting Beijing for a week or so who attended, but we really hit it off. It was probably the most fun I've had in a cooking class. Now I just need to get a little rolling pin and we'll be having jiaozi every week and twice on Sundays.

Skiing in Nanshan

Weather: mild mid-winters day
Temp: -4 - 4
Exchange rate: RMB1 = R1,47
Hey ma, look at me: We didn't fall, all that often.

We finally hit this slopes for the first time yesterday. We headed out to Nanshan with the Local Noodle Snow Team. We stayed all day and really had some fun.

Nanshan is just outside of Beijing, so the snow isn't real, but since we're rank amateurs it didn't matter too much. It was the first weekend the resort opened for the season so everything was clean and well organised, sort of. We started out on the baby slope for beginners. An instructor took pity on me, showed me the basics and then showed Frikkie how to turn and off we went. Frikkie is a natural. I'm a little more cautious, but in the end I got it. I fell off the ski lift more than I did skiing. But in the end I could stay on the ski lift and go down the slope without falling.

I hope we're ready for the sloped in Harbin, where apparently the slopes are steep and the snow powdery. Can't wait.

All kitties present and accounted for

The kitties are home. They've settled in. They're ok, if a little skinny. I gave them a bath pretty much as soon as they got here - they smelt of disinfectant. I don't know who was wetter, me or them. My popularity rating took an instant dive.

NuNu has found herself a little hiding spot and Monkey is trying to sleep between Frikkie and I. The more things change, the more they stay the same. We're really happy to have our little family back together again.