I have booked my ticket to Barcelona. I will fly on the 31st of May from Liverpool and return on the 30th June. A month of sun and studying!
I will leave London for Hong Kong 6 days later on the 6th of July-ready for summer school in Hong Kong.(Any decent jobs going, let me know!).
I'll probably spend the first 2 weeks in a hostel, whilst I search for a new home-keep your eye out for me-the less time in a hostel the better.
I need to start looking for schooling options for Joseph in September-any ideas, or information would be great.Joseph will be going into p2.
It does feel scary, having made the jump from idea to reality,but I know I have made the right choice
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
CELTA
I have been accepted on the Celta course at International House in Barcelona. The course runs from June 2nd to June 29th. This means that I will be flying back to Hong Kong around the 7th of July. It feels great to have a plan. The very nice interviewer did suggest that I would be more suited to a DELTA, but the price and time is almost double, and by June it will be almost 2 years since I have taught English, so the Celta will be a good refresher.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Petition
The UK govt has recently opened an e-petition site where instead of marching to Downing street and filling up London with rif-raf the unclean masses can now protest from their living rooms.
My favourite was this one:
-If he's not going to resign, the least he can do is provide us with some entertainment.
Which if you want to sign, you can, by following this link
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/juggle/
or look for others here:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/
My favourite was this one:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stand on his head and juggle ice-cream.
Submitted by Tim Ireland of Bloggerheads – Deadline to sign up by: 16 August 2007 – Signatures: 4,046
Which if you want to sign, you can, by following this link
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/juggle/
or look for others here:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/
Monday, February 26, 2007
stupid
In Honour of Stupid People . . .
On Tesco's Tiramisu dessert (printed on bottom) --
"Do not turn upside down."
On Sainsbury's peanuts --
"Warning: contains nuts."
On Boot's Children Cough Medicine --
"Do not drive a car or operate machinery after taking
this medication."
On Marks &Spencer Bread Pudding --
"Product will be hot after heating."
On a Sears hairdryer --
Do not use while sleeping.
On a bag of Fritos --
You could be a winner! No purchase necessary.
Details inside.
On a bar of Dial soap --
"Directions: Use like regular soap."
On some Swanson frozen dinners --
"Serving suggestion: Defrost."
On packaging for a Rowenta iron --
"Do not iron clothes on body."
(but wouldn't this save me time?)
On Nytol Sleep Aid --
"Warning: May cause drowsiness."
On most brands of Christmas lights --
"For indoor or outdoor use only."
(as opposed to what?)
On a Japanese food processor
"Not to be used for the other use."
On an American Airlines packet of nuts --
"Instructions: Open packet, eat nuts."
On a child's Superman costume --
"Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly."
On a Swedish chainsaw --
"Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals."
(Oh my God..)
job
At the end of a tiny deserted bar is a huge scouse bloke - 6ft 5in tall and 350lbs. He's having a few beers when a short, well dressed and obviously gay man walks in and sits beside him.
After 3 or 4 beers, the queer fella finally plucks up the courage to say something to the big Liverpudlian.
Leaning over, he cups his huge ear: "Do you want a blow job?" he whispers.
At this, the massive Merseysider leaps up with fire in his eyes and smacks the man in the face. Knocking him off the stool, he proceeds to beat him all the way out of
Amazed the bartender quickly brings over another beer. "I've never seen you react like that" he says.
Just what did he say to you?"
"I'm not sure" the big scouser replies. "Something about a job."
Friday, February 23, 2007
Quiet news day.
This story appeared on the BBC website today:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/6389933.stm
Will it make the lead story on CNN, or RTHK?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/6389933.stm
Will it make the lead story on CNN, or RTHK?
Tragic-The zoo owners should be made to go through the same.
Tiger kills girl at Chinese zoo
Tigers are a popular attraction at many zoos in China
A six-year-old girl has been killed by a tiger at a zoo in Kunming in south-western China's Yunnan province.
The girl was posing for photographs with the tiger when it was startled by camera flashes and pulled the girl's head into its mouth, state media said.
Staff beat the tiger until it released the girl, but she had suffered a crushed skull and died in hospital.
The zoo has stopped allowing visitors to pose with its tigers for a charge of $2 (£1), Xinhua news agency said......
Tigers are a popular attraction at many zoos in China
A six-year-old girl has been killed by a tiger at a zoo in Kunming in south-western China's Yunnan province.
The girl was posing for photographs with the tiger when it was startled by camera flashes and pulled the girl's head into its mouth, state media said.
Staff beat the tiger until it released the girl, but she had suffered a crushed skull and died in hospital.
The zoo has stopped allowing visitors to pose with its tigers for a charge of $2 (£1), Xinhua news agency said......
Man who treats bears to cruelty everyday, killed. Oh what a shame!
Bears eat keeper who took their bile
 A kilo of bear bile can fetch up to $1,000 in the Chinese market |
Han Shigen earned a living by extracting bile from the gall bladders of his captive live bears, according to the Chinese state news agency Xinhua.
He was attacked on Monday morning while cleaning the animals' cage, Xinhua said, quoting the Beijing News.
Xinhua said the animals were so enraged that two hours passed before it was deemed safe enough to remove his body.
Many parts of the bear, including the brain and spinal cord, have long been used in traditional Chinese medicine.
The most coveted part is the bile within the gall bladder, which can often be more expensive that the equivalent weight of narcotics.
Bear bile can fetch an estimated $1,000 per kilo in Asian markets.
The bile is extracted in an excruciatingly painful process which involves slicing into the animal's flesh and "milking" the substance with a tube.
The bile is then used for everything from hair shampoo to wine, as well as medicinal treatments for various intestinal and cardiac-related complaints.173 days
I booked Teosdee and the boys flights to Hong Kong today. Total cost-£498.
They will fly on the 15th August. I haven't finalised my flight yet, but it will be at least 6 weeks before theirs. I booked them so early ,as Joseph was able to fly for free, but it had to be booked by the 28th of Feb.
Tick tock,tick tock.
They will fly on the 15th August. I haven't finalised my flight yet, but it will be at least 6 weeks before theirs. I booked them so early ,as Joseph was able to fly for free, but it had to be booked by the 28th of Feb.
Tick tock,tick tock.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Beam me up scotty
Record power for military laser
By Paul Rincon
Science reporter, BBC News
Lasers could one day be used to destroy rockets, mortars, or roadside bombs
Enlarge Image
A laser developed for military use is a few steps away from hitting a power threshold thought necessary to turn it into a battlefield weapon.
The Solid State Heat Capacity Laser (SSHCL) has achieved 67 kilowatts (kW) of average power in the laboratory.
It could take only a further six to eight months to break the "magic" 100kW mark required for the battlefield, the project's chief scientist told the BBC.
Potentially, lasers could destroy rockets, mortars or roadside bombs....
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Barcelona 1-2 Liverpool
It is not every day that your team beats the European champions in the most formidable ground in the world!
I finished work at 7.30pm tonight and was in the Halfway House(Prenton) by 7.45pm. Oh! what a game, oh! what a result.
I left the pub at 9.55pm, and arrived at the bus stop 5 minutes before the bus was due.That bus never arrived. I waited for 40 minutes in the rain and cold. I waited for any bus or any taxi.
That is the reality here, it's easy to brush off, but it's not if you have to go through it.That feeling of desperation as you get colder and wetter, makes you swear that you will get out of this fucking country if it kills you.
There is nothing like arriving home to your toastie warm house though, but the cold is not easy to forget.
What a game!What a result!
I finished work at 7.30pm tonight and was in the Halfway House(Prenton) by 7.45pm. Oh! what a game, oh! what a result.
I left the pub at 9.55pm, and arrived at the bus stop 5 minutes before the bus was due.That bus never arrived. I waited for 40 minutes in the rain and cold. I waited for any bus or any taxi.
That is the reality here, it's easy to brush off, but it's not if you have to go through it.That feeling of desperation as you get colder and wetter, makes you swear that you will get out of this fucking country if it kills you.
There is nothing like arriving home to your toastie warm house though, but the cold is not easy to forget.
What a game!What a result!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
pancake Teosdee
I have just sat down(watching Yes,Minister), after cooking pancakes, absolutely spot on, if I say so myself.
I think Teosdee cooked them last year, but I wanted them to be traditional English ones this year, so I was told(quite rightly)to cook them myself.
I got the recipe from Delia Smith, not personally, but via the BBC website. Teosdee usually uses self-raising flour and sugar in the mix, but I insisted on following the instructions as given-exactly(plain flour). What I got was a taste of my childhood.The kids wanted honey, but we only had sugar and lemon when I was a kid, so that's what they got.
Joseph helped stir the mix, and demanded I flip the pancakes.
It's moments like this that are priceless.
7PM. Kids have gone to bed,Only fools and Horses is on the TV. "Cushtie!"
Pancakes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/basilpancakswithsuga_66226.shtml
I think Teosdee cooked them last year, but I wanted them to be traditional English ones this year, so I was told(quite rightly)to cook them myself.
I got the recipe from Delia Smith, not personally, but via the BBC website. Teosdee usually uses self-raising flour and sugar in the mix, but I insisted on following the instructions as given-exactly(plain flour). What I got was a taste of my childhood.The kids wanted honey, but we only had sugar and lemon when I was a kid, so that's what they got.
Joseph helped stir the mix, and demanded I flip the pancakes.
It's moments like this that are priceless.
7PM. Kids have gone to bed,Only fools and Horses is on the TV. "Cushtie!"
Pancakes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/basilpancakswithsuga_66226.shtml
Monday, February 19, 2007
my family in San Fernando
Here are a couple of pics from new year. I will post some more on:
http://philippines2007.blogspot.com/
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Mao
I have just finished reading 'Mao-The untold story' by Yung Chang. I was a little bit wary at first, that it would be another 'Wild Swans', Yung Chang's global bestseller about life in China during communism. I enjoyed Wild Swans, but having read quite a few books along the same lines, feel that I don't need to read anymore.
'Mao'as it says on the cover, is "An atom bomb of a book". Yung Chang is quite obviously biased against the great helmsmen, but through meticulous research gives a very thorough description of the events of his life.
As I was reading the book, one of my colleagues asked me if this was the book which talked about Mao being a paedophile. Mao was a lot of things, but I felt sure that was not a paedophile. It is very British to try and find something so salacious about people in history. Franklin had syphilis, Alexander the Great was gay etc. Yung Chang touches on Mao's obvious liking of dancing girls and his misogyny , but although her hatred of Mao is obvious, his sex life is secondary.
I came away with the view that Mao was worse than Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler all put together.
The numbers speak for themselves- 60 million people perished in the famine of 1957-1961.The problem being, is that there was no famine and Mao insisted on sending large amounts of food grown in China to Russia and Eastern Europe, to pay for advanced weapons technology and to curry favour. China produced enough food for it's own people. Mao said at the time that he was willing to sacrifice 300m of his own people, to make China a superpower. He was alone in making these decisions, and any that objected were soon denounced and tortured, as millions of ordinary people were during his reign. Deng Xio Ping came off well in the book, as he only gained power during the final years of the cultural revolution. Although Deng immediately began to reverse the damage that Mao did upon his death, Mao has never been denounced, by name, by the Chinese Leadership.
Some excuse Mao by saying he fought the Japanese and brought the Country together, but he did not take part in, or order, even one battle against the Japanese.
Years later when trying to gain the technology to build a nuclear device, he was to tell the Japanese, that he did not want war reparations as the Japanese had done him the favour of weakening the Nationalists.
Mao was by far the most evil man to have lived in the last century, and the saddest fact is,is that his wickedness was inflicted on his own people.
'Mao'as it says on the cover, is "An atom bomb of a book". Yung Chang is quite obviously biased against the great helmsmen, but through meticulous research gives a very thorough description of the events of his life.
As I was reading the book, one of my colleagues asked me if this was the book which talked about Mao being a paedophile. Mao was a lot of things, but I felt sure that was not a paedophile. It is very British to try and find something so salacious about people in history. Franklin had syphilis, Alexander the Great was gay etc. Yung Chang touches on Mao's obvious liking of dancing girls and his misogyny , but although her hatred of Mao is obvious, his sex life is secondary.
I came away with the view that Mao was worse than Stalin, Pol Pot and Hitler all put together.
The numbers speak for themselves- 60 million people perished in the famine of 1957-1961.The problem being, is that there was no famine and Mao insisted on sending large amounts of food grown in China to Russia and Eastern Europe, to pay for advanced weapons technology and to curry favour. China produced enough food for it's own people. Mao said at the time that he was willing to sacrifice 300m of his own people, to make China a superpower. He was alone in making these decisions, and any that objected were soon denounced and tortured, as millions of ordinary people were during his reign. Deng Xio Ping came off well in the book, as he only gained power during the final years of the cultural revolution. Although Deng immediately began to reverse the damage that Mao did upon his death, Mao has never been denounced, by name, by the Chinese Leadership.
Some excuse Mao by saying he fought the Japanese and brought the Country together, but he did not take part in, or order, even one battle against the Japanese.
Years later when trying to gain the technology to build a nuclear device, he was to tell the Japanese, that he did not want war reparations as the Japanese had done him the favour of weakening the Nationalists.
Mao was by far the most evil man to have lived in the last century, and the saddest fact is,is that his wickedness was inflicted on his own people.
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