I think… I could have bursted into tears for this one. It took so much effort to get it:-) Now, it’s a new passport which hasn’t travelled to anywhere but already has a cancelled visa, stamped with large prints “CANCELLED” on it. Back to old good days, erh?!
Archive for May, 2008
Nest Tote
Technically speaking, I stopped knitting since the Drops Design Jacket was done. I thought with the time getting close to my holiday, I wouldn’t be able to manage to finish any new project within only 2 weeks.
So I put down the knitting needles and devoted myself on other things after work. Funnily I had noticed that I had felt a bit emptyness in my heart lately. My hands wanted to be used and my heart is itchy to knit something new.
But what to knit NOW? What project is attrative and small enough to be finished quickly or done mindlessly? And also can be carried in a small handbag to take onto plane to knit on the way to China?
Then I found this one, a lacy pattern tote knitted with cotton yarn. I like the idea of free-of-plastic market bags a lot since the first time I saw one. And this one seems really nice and simple. I happen to have some left over orange cotton yarn in my stash, so I will try it.
Back to 30 years ago, I remember we all used “Wang Dou’ in China when we shopped for groceries or in a veggie market. They are very small and handy but could be streched to expand to an incredible size to hold almost everything.I just don’t know since when we all went for plastic bags thinking they are the better deal.
However, THEY ARE NOT!!! A Wang Dou actually lasts much longer than a plastic bag and has no harm to our environment at all. It’s just an easy decision to make. As it’s said, “we would choose this dainty and durable tote over a plastic bag any day!”
Oh Please….
Now, I don’t know if I should smile or cry 
I have good news and bad news. Good news is we have the Chinese Visas now. The bad news is, this visa only allows us to stay in China for no more than 30 days. What the hell?%^&**$#@
As we will go with team, Visa Officers in Chinese Embassy must have taken it for granted thinking that we only need a business category visa, like the one that the rest of team members need. And normally they would only give 30 days for this sort of visa.
But I need to go home, and I have also ticked other reasons as in “Tourism” and “Visiting” in the application form, and given my flight booking sheet with the returning date clearly stated on it saying I will be back 6 weeks later after the entering day. Apparently they didn’t look and read. But whom can you blame?
Now it’s getting so close to the departure date. I don’t know if we can do anything to fix the problem in here, otherwise:
- I have to try Chinese Embassy in Beijing, or
- we have to come back in 30 days or,
- I joked about me staying in China illegally for another 2 weeks
Then maybe it will cost me dearly to pay for the fine, or me being thrown into a Chinese prison, or I will have trouble with applying for a Chinese visa in the future.
Which option would you vote? Oh by the way, a little background knowledge about the third option: my brother-in-law, is the head of a Detention Centre in Beijing, so I don’t have to worry about food supply or other issues if I was imprisoned
It will all happen
I don’t know when I can finally pull everything together for this trip, but I believe that I am slowly getting close to it.
To be honest, I already feel exhausted just by listening to all the news inputs everyday from the club and reading the information pack for China Trip. I would rather going alone straight away back to Beijing than travelling with the whole team from one city to another. I can’t imagine how much fun it would be to spend at least 3 nights sleeping on the train, only wearing one or two polo uniform in that sort of humid weather for 10 days. I am going to stink….
- Packing: I don’t mind it if I only pack for myself or one more person, but I hate packing in so many things that we are certainly going to drop off at some stage in trip. I only have a very small pile of things for myself like a few summer clothes and a toiletries bag, which would be no more than 3 kgs and that’s all I need before I get back home. It’s the rest of stuff got me worried.
- Shopping: We’ve been doing this in the last 3 consecutive weeks. I am so over it. Unfortunately I still don’t know what to look and buy. So, don’t get me started.
- Documents: The most brilliant part of the trip preparation….hehe….NOT! We can publish a book about what we have gone through if someone is interested to know more about it. There has been changes since the initial arrangement was made. People pulled out due to injury or other reasons. I think my husband has become very numb about what he is doing and what he was asked to do now. I won’t say a word. I’m just hoping we will get visa from Chinese Embassy tomorrow, then I will be just fine, even if I am not going to use it
- Medical arrangement: I have re-scheduled my appointment with hospital and clinic twice. The chance to get checked-up before we take off is very slim now. But I am not worried about it at all. We have purchased flight socks for my husband, but I need to get one more lot of warfarin prescription before we leave. There will be at least two INR tests to be done in China. We will have to see where and when to get them.
- So far it’s the easiest part of my life. There had been something got me anxious a little while ago, but now it’s all finalised. I don’t see any drama would come up before I get back to Australia in July.
What did the people say? It will all happen.
Indiana Jones
Dr. Jones is back. It’s said that this new film is quite good.
Due to our home DVD collection actually increasing, it’s been quite a while since the last time we physically went to the cinema to watch anything. However, this time I am not going to wait till a DVD version of this movie is released as we normally do. I think I have to go to see it.
So we went up to Manuka Greater Union tonight for 8:30pm one. It was great to know that the ticket price is so reasonable up there. I was told by my husband long time ago, but I just couldn’t believe it until I found out myself today.
Harrison Ford’s still got it. I just can’t imagine if anyone else can do this equally well as he did. He is almost irreplaceable. Marion, his old lover and the newly explored mother of his son, was not a surprisingly funny character to me. Which woman could get along with Dr. Jones if she wasn’t special enough? Their motorcyclist son, in black leather jacket, was supposed to inherit his Mom & Dad’s madness and apparently, he started to show the sign that he was their boy. Would you hold on a big long snake as in a rope? Now who is madder? Dr. Henry Jones Junior or Junior Junior Jones?
Generally speaking, it is a good movie and very watchable. The pace was great and the twists were enough to entertain the audience. Although there is nothing new about the story, I still like the idea, as it’s actually some sort of topic that would attract my intesrest anyway. I would recomment it.
Cute Massager
The recent water session training for China Trip from IDs club seemed having gone crazy, which was not hard to tell as I can see from my husband’s increasing pain of his body.
Then it’s the time for him to have his whinge, as well as asking me a favour to give him some sort of unprofessional massage to relief the tension on muscles.
To be honest, I suppose that Massage Therapist probably is the last vocation that I’d like to choose. First, generally I don’t feel comfortable to be touched by other people’s hands and vice versa; Second, I found it extremely hard to manage to make differences with my two small and bony hands on a chunk of human flesh. It’s the one of the most exhausting job that I’ve ever known.
But I have my shortcut. When the sore back meets the tired hands, this little wooden 3 legs smiley face massager, is particularly useful and saves your time and energy I would highly recommend it for your “lazy days” home massage therapy. It rocks!!
