22/03/2007

What have I done?

So Thursday was a roller coaster day of emotional meltdowns and crazy energy. It started off with me walking into school then being called to see the vice principal. I apparently did something wrong on the network that I have to use in order to sign out of school, however the network is all in Korean with millions of options which would take me forever to do it alone. So I get help each time I need to leave early even though I had teacher training at the educational office; faxes, emails and phone calls have been placed beforehand for my permission~! It turned into a large fiasco as the vice principal wanted to know who helped me even though neither of us can communicate well to each other as we are equally poor with each other’s language. SO my whole office got involved which was starting be really uncomfortable. One teacher was looking at me and laughing even though I looked on with a serious face, everyone is talking but just laughing when they looked at me. By that time I was about to blow my top, I can take it most days but today was not that day, I lost it as I constantly have two teachers in my office who mock my poor Korean abilities – like that’s going to help me learn, and to think these are teachers???
Then the day was much better after that but I was really low and was close to running away. Luckily the kids were great and also uplifted my spirits. Come lunchtime I decided not to join for lunch as I usually sit there trying hard to understand the conversation but they speak so fast. By the time I left school my nasty migraine form the day before came back. However I was excited to get home as the moving guy was coming over with some baskets for me to pack, and a lady wanted to check out my stove I have for sale.
I got home and did some tornado style cleaning and within half an hour my place was tidy, clean and vacuumed!!! I met my potential buyer and was pleased as we hit it off immediately and I think I can say that I found a new friend. She was so happy that I had the stove and after she checked the size she handed me the money, whahoo~! Then the moving guy came he looked at each room and was asking what I was taking, in fact it was easier to say what I wasn’t taking. He then changed the original price and plan saying that I need two 1ton trucks and three men to come and help which meant that the cost went up by $150!!! I wasn’t buying it but thank goodness the lady was still there as she turned to me and said her husband moves people in his truck – what timing! I felt bad that the guy carried all the baskets but I’m so lucky that she was there as I would have paid seeing that I move tomorrow.
Realizing that I don’t have the baskets anymore I was in desperate need of boxes so off I went on a box hunt as there’s always some around on the streets or by the shops, but not last night! So instead I stopped off at the all time favourite Indigo for some fish and chips and again I forgot to bring my packets of malt vinegar that I swiped from a pub in the UK, he he he.
I got home after walking around my hilly neighborhood with tons of energy and packed the few small boxes I had with the most creative packing yet! So now my apartment is almost ready I’m at school waiting for someone to come to the office to help me sign out again so that I can leave early and go home and finish the packing. So who knows what Monday morning will be like, I guess I should embrace myself. But I must admit I’m a little nervous as I only have two guys helping and many girlfriends I hope we can carry the heavy stuff out. Wish me luck! ;P

13/03/2007

Cool Home & Lifestyle Blogs

I’m getting excited about my move and already planning in my head what goes where. So I thought I let you in on my usual reads and the reality of my obsession with interior design.

I have to start with Design Sponge I love this website for not just interior stuff but for art influences and a way to see what the trends are.


Then I normally go to Décor8 which is similar but shows different things.


I sometimes visit Imedagoze which is a good read but I’m jealous of her vacations!


I really love interior design and was watching Top Designers yesterday (not a favourite) as I miss the home improvement shows especially the ones in the UK as they deal with smaller spaces and seem to be more daring than the North American stuff. Oh I have to mention Tord Bootnje as I adore his designs and started collecting these light shades below and too nervous to take them out of the box but instead sit starring and adoring my precious!


05/03/2007

What goes around comes around!

I’m so lucky to have great friends even though there are way too many miles that separate us. Thank you Jasmine and Mandy for your kind offers and your moral support during that dreaded time that stresses the best of us ~ “Moving Time”

Yesterday I helped my neighbor upstairs move out, oh by the way she’s also Sharon, a Canadian and the same age! She was a bit disappointed that some friends who didn’t come even though they promised to come and help however the weather was probably not the biggest help as it was pouring the whole time! The truck that came to move her stuff was cute I should have taken a photo as it was quite small which meant more than one trip. Luckily she was just moving down the street and the sofa was the only furniture she was moving however our neighbor at the top of our street showed his stupidity once again.

I live on a corner though the one street on the side ends at our house and turns into giant steps down onto the road in front of our house. So ideally the truck should park on the side as we wouldn’t be blocking any traffic or go up and down steps plus she lives on the 3rd floor. Well there were two cars blocking the side road as there is no thru traffic for them to worry about, the one car I knew who the owner was and we asked for them to move but they were arguing and finally moved it. But for the second trip they refused and everyone in the house came out to yell at us, using the foulest language for a situation that is completely uncalled for. We ended up carrying everything between the two cars up the hill to the truck and this time we did block traffic as cars were just sitting there as we loaded up the truck while the idiot neighbors watched on with their stupid looks. I wouldn’t be surprised if any of us catch colds as we were all soaked to the bone, as we weren’t prepared for the rain or the fact that we had to walk that far.

What asshole neighbors I have, and I have to deal with it again in a couple of weeks for me to move out. I know that my building will be demolished and a new villa built in it’s place well I hope that the construction is loud as hell as those neighbors think that they’re being bothered now, ha, ha, ha well wait for it as it’s only just begun. The best thing is they have a “For Rent” sign in their upstairs apartment well good luck and good riddance!!!

02/03/2007

My Nanny

I was reading a blog by Desiree who is currently in India she wrote about Ooty, it reminded me of the stories I’ve heard not just from Nayan who is living there but also from my nanny (grandmother). As a young girl she would spend her summer months in Ooty in her uncle’s home, gathering together on the veranda singing songs with the neighbors. Her brothers would play cricket in the daytime with all the other boys. Her stories of India sound like a novel so romantic and dreamy I wish I could visit that time and experience the warmth. I did visit India a few years ago and even though things have radically changed since my family left however the warmth and hospitality of the people I met was still there.

I stayed with my uncle who is a catholic priest and at the time a head master for a boy’s college, which is also where he lived. It was interesting staying there to walk around the campus and everyone staring or wanting to get to know you. His guard was an old man who had a serious limp and most of his teeth missing but what a character, actually everyone there had an interesting personality with wide smiles. My uncle asked me what I wanted to take home as our family has a long history of trips between India and the UK with suitcases full of things for everyone from cotton vests for the men to panties for the ladies. I remember when my grandmother would open her suitcase and the smell would rush out I looked forward to that as I thought I was that bit closer to India unfortunately as I got older I realized that it was only moth balls that I was smelling and not India!

I asked my uncle for mango pickle as that was the biggest thing that all my relatives looked forward to when someone came back from India, it was a commodity in our family if someone had more than the other then all hell broke out. My uncle laughed at my request and understood he summoned his secretary whose wife comes from a small village outside of Secunderabad, which is famous for the pickle. Actually my mum told me that I couldn’t come home unless I had the stuff even though I was living in Hong Kong at the time and my mum in Canada!

The day before I was to fly my uncle gave me the pickle and my goodness I had half a backpack of the delicious and precious stuff that I was eager to open and eat with some boiled basmati rice. His secretary’s wife and her mother made the pickle and didn’t want anything in return I couldn’t believe how lucky I was and how giving they were. The funniest part was flying with it as I was a little worried about the security. I was stopped at the x-ray not because of the pickle but it was the small umbrella that I had which they almost confiscated but they were curious why someone like me has pickle then I said I was Anglo-Indian and all was understood with a smile.

I guess what I wanted to say is that I miss my nan I have thought about writing a novel or something as her stories are too important to be lost. However I think it’s too late, her memory is now her disability she hasn’t forgotten who people are yet, but talking to her is difficult as you’re questioned the same questions over and over. It’s horrid what old age is really like.