Christmas Eve at Tiger City

Christmas lights and palm trees.

Christmas Eve at Tiger City

Olivier, dazzled by the lights, apparently, by the Christmassy carousal.

Christmas Eve at Tiger City

Olivier's class were singing carols at Tiger City, a local shopping mall and it was packed! Check out this huge pink fuzzy teddy bear! I want one.

Dec. 23rd - staff party - more dancin!

These are university students from Bih Hua's husband's school (he's the vice president of Chung-Shing University) and they did this Michael Jacksonesque dance for us.

Staff Christmas party - dancing

Here's my boss and her husband. I think she's invading his dance space.

The boss lady

This is Bih Hua, the principal of my school and her husband. They're very involved with ballroom dancing, hence the wicked gown. During the party (which was about 5 courses of Chinese food, mostly seafood) they danced for us.

Staff Party on Tip's Eve (Dec. 23rd)

I got me hair straightened and gots me a Chinese dress! No, I haven't been living here too long! That's Christy, she's due in February.

More Christmas party pictures.

As I write this, my apartment is a festering mess of post party squalor......


Micki and Lucy doing the Taiwan V-sign pose.



Daniel, Ash and Ryan were just drinking their beers and then Daniel's head became a supernova.
Emily and I, glowing in the flash.

Like my Christmas lights? Here I decided to look hopefully to the future while Olivier shut his eyes and smiled.

Christmas Par-tay!

Hey, I had a Christmas party last night. Wanna see the pictures? Here da pictures.



Julie, Emily and Mirium posing cute with a bottle of vodka.


Aaron and Jeff looking stern.

Around my picnic table are Amanda, Faye, Olivier, Oliver (yes, both the French and English versions of the name) and Jody.



Me and Olivier, in his toque. It's actually chilly out. I mean, I'm still not wearing socks, but it's chilly out.





Kristy wanted to know if she was the same height as the tree. Indeed, Kristy is tree-sized.

A Christmas Wish from Eric (age 4)

Some of these kids have strong parental instincts.

The tree Lucy Van Pelt wanted to buy.

 

Hack, cough, blech

Indeed, I am officially sick now. My voice has been whittled down to a low scraping sound. Stupid sinuses. Stupid children and their little cooties and dirty fingers. November was a very stressful month, all the staff were crazy busy, we had a teacher resign and myself and the other head teachers here have been running off our heads trying to find a replacement. Looks like that problem has been solved, things have cooled down and now my immune system has caught up with me. I'm dragging my arse around and everyday I come home to this huge pile of wrapped Christmas presents which I must, I must get in the mail....tomorrow...after I sit down for awhile......and watch eposides of "Entourage" which my friend Robin loaned me on DVD.

But things could be worse. I could have had really bad gas while riding a plane and embarrass myself internationally.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6213644.stm

My apartment gecko

Below are a couple of pictures of the gecko that lives in my apartment. He's pale and shy, a bit of a wallflower, or a wall-climbing wallflower. ....sorry, I'm tired and trying to be witty. I like peaceful lizards that eat bugs. I'm trying to think of a good name. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I keep thinking "Simon" but I call everything Simon. Mark C has my old plant called Simon. And I like Bruce too, but I already suggested that name recently to my friend Emily, who took in a stray puppy.

I'm feeling really sooky right now. I have an itchy tickle at the back of my throat and I'm more tired than usual, which means I'm probably getting sick. Stupid germs. And my TV is on the fritz, the screen is doing this skippy, flashy thing. I'm going to go lie down and read - oh, right now I'm reading "Enduring Love" by Ian McEwan which is really dark and sucks you in. I love Ian McEwan, I've already read "Atonement" and "Amsterdam." Yay Ian McEwan.

Anyway, feeling really crappy and going for a nappy!

Bridget

It beats having mice.

 

Geckos are our friends.