Snow in Shanghai

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Well I've just woken up from my Saturday morning Shanghaibernation, eaten a deeeelicious lunch of fish (head and all), shrimps, mixed veg and rice, read the paper (I love Saturday!)...and tis all a-snowing. Apparently snow in Shanghai is a rare and much marvelled-at fenomenon. Normal life is postponed at the first sighting of the white shtuff. So no choir rehearsal today. The boy next door has, however, braved the flakes to struggle in for his weekly dose of Czerny, Bach and Mozart and he is again the accompaniment to my blogulations, along with the excited singing and human metronoming of his strict but effective teacher. Phirm but phair: fotos to phollow.

Well...I have great news. If you are weighed down by all the bad news flung at you from TV, radio, newspapers (thExaminer included...oh I haven't forgotten my Cork readers!), or other pessimistic media, then never fear, help is at hand....just get on an airyplane to China, where the evening news would cheer the darkest of souls! And the presenters are so good-looking. That Bryan Dobson fella should bloody well cheer up a bit...find a few nice stories for a change - tell us about all the good stuff the government does, all the positive, effective, immediate action for the good of the ordinary, hard-working people. Warms the heart.

Thanks for your comments...I love gettin them! So international...I have readers in at least 3 continents (if I include myself:-)...and Cork!

Yesterday I had dinner with Jacqueline, a Canadian music teacher I met in Hungary in the summer. She teaches at an international school here. Of course her chopstick technique is considerably better than mine but we still dropped plenty and made quite a mess on the table. Ah well! There was an electronics company New Year party on downstairs with karaoke and dancing...it's good they have day jobs. Food was delicious...Shanghainese speshialities and buckets of tea. Speaking of tea...I bought Lipton Yellow Label (black) tea in the supermarket. I'm keeping the Chinese tea importation business afloat I am, all by myself.

So Mam....which birthday song did Lyric play? I gave a choice of two, to be sure to be sure. Was Liz totally excited?

There's a choral conducting course starting here tomorrow for about 5 days, taught in English by a Swedish conductor. Hailing will be the translator. Hopefully I can go along and learn a bit. Starts a 9 each morning....agh! But sure I'm all for learning!

Well I'm relieved to hear that the inspector has decided that Anne may continue to teach music in the Community School...I'd say that was a close one, wouldn't you!

The next student has arrived here and is whizzing up and down the scales. You'd never think there could be so many varieties of the things!

I have been emphatically informed that I will need a feather coat to survive the phreezimication in Xi'an and Beijing, so off we went a-shopping on Nanjing Road yesterday. But alas and alack I couldn't find anything I liked in XXL. In one shop the assistant took one look at me and rustled, hustled and bustled her English vocabulary to exclaim "No Size"! Well alrighty then, a very good afternoon to you too!! Hailing had to say nice things to me all afternoon after it! Gas! And me new thermal underwear is only Large!

Local firework testing has begun, to make sure all the noises are just perfect by the time the actual New Year celebration comes around in about 2 weeks. Thorough testing required, it seems.

ok, photos are on the way.

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Comments

[Claire O' D]

Hello again!
Hello, just thought you'd like to know I'm very impressed with your teaching attire! Looking very smart chick even with the lack of any part of your hair sitting right on your wee head!! Ah you know I'm only having a larf! I would be getting worried had your hair been perfect! xxx