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Post by AMonk on Nov 19, 2006 16:29:48 GMT 7
Hubby and I decided that our bedroom was (over)due for a re-do.....So.....that's what we are doing for our Christmas break. Paint, flooring and new  bed. Have to also build new bookshelves   |
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Post by con's fly is open on Nov 19, 2006 16:41:02 GMT 7
 Xmas break? At a technical college? I have to call in sick to get the day off!  On second thought, that's not particularly funny. We Suzhouites have vague plans to put together a choir and go carolling around inappropriate places. Stay tuned. |
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Post by Kurochan on Nov 19, 2006 23:09:51 GMT 7
I'm going to try to cadge an invitation to visit a friend of mine in Osaka, partly so I can see Japan, partly so I can see my friend, and partly so I can play with his cute baby!
If I can't swing that, I don't know what I'll do.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Nov 19, 2006 23:20:28 GMT 7
Christmas is a Monday this year - so I'll be teaching. My other classes are finished by then, so if I want to I can go away for the rest of the week. My contract specifies 2 days holiday for Christmas, but I can't see any point in taking it - my students and the other teachers here will be working - including all of the FTS - ones' Buddhist, one's Hindu, one's Jewish - and me - a non-believer of any specific religion. For me, all religions basically say the same thing - be good person - and you don't need to belong to any group to do that. I tell my students this - and this they can understand and take on board. But I want to save my money for Spring Festival holidays - I have a couple of options - within China, I definitely want to head back to my favourite holiday spot in Gansu, stay with my mates for a few days - depends on what happens then what I do next - stay longer, or head off. Heading off would be to either the Canary Is. or India. But - it all depends on having to make decisions.  |
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Post by cheekygal on Nov 19, 2006 23:31:08 GMT 7
Just found out that I have 13 days for Xmas and New Year. Not 9 as I thought before. My plans are still unclear. But either way I'll be having lots of fun  |
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nolefan
Barfly
Quod me nutrit, me destruit!
Posts: 686
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Post by nolefan on Nov 20, 2006 0:44:54 GMT 7
Not sure yet.. probably hang around beijing for a while. I have 6 days of vacation that I can take anytime between now and new year so the missus and I will head down to Suzhou for a few days in December. I am craving a good gorgonzola gniochi and some nutella Pizza.
Plus, it's been a while since i got the chance to pick on Con in person while enjoying civet burgers at el Rancho de Raoul.
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Post by Becster79 on Nov 20, 2006 12:42:45 GMT 7
A fellow teacher and I are planning a daytrip to Xian on Christmas eve, we may get together with the other teachers for a Christmas lunch the next day, haven't made any actual plans yet.... As for the REAL holiday, I'm still very indecisive. My current plans are- I have very little money this year (could scrape a trip to Beijing & back, but why? I've seen everything I wanted), everywhere else is too cold and I'm saving the south (Kunming etc) for summer- will fly back to Hong Kong and train it from there. So in other words I'll be staying put right here, maybe go to Xian again for a couple of days, but I still haven't seen anything of this town yet! Currently thought of putting all the savings aside and doing a whirlwind tour of Germany, France and perhaps London winter 2008- would be a dream come true and airfares from China are SSSOOOO cheap...I could never do this otherwise from Australia  . Don't quite know how to tell the family yet- they're insanely jealous of all the jetsetting I'm doing!! |
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Post by Lone Traveller on Nov 20, 2006 20:24:48 GMT 7
Sun, Sand, Surf.... I'm heading home to  at the end of the term. (Only for 5weeks). Escaping the bitter cold of North Eastern China and enjoying the baking heat on the east coast of Australia. Bring on the sun tan!!!!!  Ahhh! I can't wait. Mind you I guarantee I'll be bored after 3 days.  L.T |
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kzel81
Barfly
Life in not about the amount of breaths you take, but about the moments that take your breath away
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Post by kzel81 on Nov 21, 2006 5:19:58 GMT 7
I'll still be in Melb, and we don't shut down over the holiday period, so I'll be working through and no doubt getting more and more nervous and excited about my impending trip over to China...
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Eagle's Nest
Barfly
A self-portrait ... note that there is a mess of confusion in the swirling mists of "self"
Posts: 283
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Post by Eagle's Nest on Nov 21, 2006 5:51:01 GMT 7
Christmas? Giving an exam. It will be a full work week for me and the Mrs. I'm hoping that we go out with a few others for an evening of good cheer. Saving it all for the month of February and our vacation in southern China.
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Post by solongtinik on Nov 22, 2006 15:10:18 GMT 7
xmas holiday at the tropics!!!!!!
u're all invited!!!!!!
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Crippler
Barfly
Beware the conspiracy!
Posts: 345
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Post by Crippler on Nov 22, 2006 16:47:19 GMT 7
Plans are a little indefinite right now. Could be teaching, could be finished teaching, could be travelling to Dongguan, could be sitting in Xingcheng.. Details were never my strong suit. But this is getting a little crazy as the school decides what they want to do with us over the next 6 weeks or so.
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Post by con's fly is open on Nov 22, 2006 21:40:50 GMT 7
I'll circle up with as many laowai as possible. I'm kicking around a notion of renting a hall in a lesser hotel, booking a few rooms, and making an Xmas-away-from-home party.
Crappy time to be isolated. I refuse to put myself through that.
I'll make the ol' call home and drop a fortune talking to everyone. It seriously helps.
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Post by phets72 on Nov 24, 2006 14:25:36 GMT 7
I'll be heading home for good...
Goodbye to having to bucket water to flush my loo, revolting high school students who don't want to study but also the ones that surprised me this week by saying they would be sad to see me go, feeling like my fingers and toes will fall off in -15 degree weather, praying that the electricity will be on when I get home, the lovely gatekeepers who look over me in my apartment and schools where I teach - always making sure I am safe and warm and have everything I need, my gorgeous assistant Gemma who gave me a really enjoyable teaching term I thought would be unbearable....
Hello to my gorgeous daughters (puppies Ebbie and Daisy), champage and barbeques on my verandah, laughing with my friends while we shop on Chapel Street, seeing my family again, going for a run around Albert Park lake, going to the gym, clothes that arn't covered in bum fluff, walks on summer nights, cricket, tennis at the Australian Open, hot weather, summer period, and ohhh university summer school starts January 15, forgot that one - bummer, sort of deflates things abit.....
But importantly hello to all the things that I have learnt this year about myself and seeing that when I return how lucky I am to have meet some wonderful people and had wonderful experiences.
Steph
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Post by Lotus Eater on Nov 24, 2006 15:48:02 GMT 7
I've sort of maanged to find out teh the vacation (Spring Festival) this year should be from (for me) the 24th january to 5th March. This is a nice long holiday.
I can definitely plan on heading off to Gansu to play in the mountians and snow - and there could be enough time to head back to OZ for a couple of weeks. The cries from the family are growing a little more insistent.
Decisions are killers.
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Post by mich on Nov 26, 2006 19:14:12 GMT 7
Christmas, well. I'm working...the weekend before christmas, I'll be kicking back with some amazing people at the Shamrock in Chengdu... Holidays, well, we're packing out bags and heading home to the land of golden soil and wealth for toil, the one that's girt by sea... 'Girt'...are we ever going to change that line in the anthem? |
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Post by Lotus Eater on Nov 27, 2006 6:28:27 GMT 7
Nah, we have to have one word all the other nationalities need to look up - makes us feel superior!
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Non-Dave
Barfly
Try Not! Do - or Do Not... There Is No Try!
Posts: 701
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Post by Non-Dave on Nov 27, 2006 7:30:06 GMT 7
I always thought it meant dirt (when I was younger). The image of the dirt by the sea seemed apt. Now I like it for the very reason Lotus mentioned.
Talking of plans... Christmas is work days, nothing special here. Maybe a bit of a party?
I'm planing on hitting Nolefan's bootcamp again at the end of January - the hot springs sound pretty appealing - then carrying on to Harbin and my girlfirend's little village for the Spring Festival celebrations.
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Post by Dragonsaver on Nov 27, 2006 12:18:25 GMT 7
We get a 1 week Christmas vacation so I am off from the Sat -Sun to the 1st Jan. I'll go stir crazy.
Just returned after a 2 day holiday for Thanksgiving. Fortunately my other two schools were still working.
I think end of term is around Jan15 and we go back around the 27th Feb, I think. Need to get that confirmed.
Hoping that I can latch onto a Winter camp to teach during the break. Haven't seen much advertized. Want to go somewhere other than here. Here is nice, but would like to see more of China.
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Post by Lotus Eater on Nov 27, 2006 13:16:42 GMT 7
Once my classes start to wind down (this week I lose my 3 x 4th years - all they have after this is exams for me) I am increasing my Chinese studies and beginning to work on the list of things I have put off for ages - cleaning up my photo storage and only leaving the best ones on my computer, doing something about my webpage etc etc.
I am looking forward to some spare time before the holidays hit, when I will be spending most of the time travelling.
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. Don't quite know how to tell the family yet- they're insanely jealous of all the jetsetting I'm doing!!
