like yesterday once more....
I cannot believe Fabien is still wearing that same t-shirt. But he is !!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
I really do like this
你不能决定生命的长度.但你可以控制它的宽度.
你不能左右天气,但你可以改变心情.
你不能改变容貌,但你可以展现笑容.
你不能控制他人,但你可以掌握自己.
你不能预知明天,但你可以利用今天.
你不能样样顺利,但你可以事事尽力
--------------------------------
Looking forward to being able to get a new computer soon....
Whatever Obama says, I don't think internet freedom is anytime soon here !
你不能左右天气,但你可以改变心情.
你不能改变容貌,但你可以展现笑容.
你不能控制他人,但你可以掌握自己.
你不能预知明天,但你可以利用今天.
你不能样样顺利,但你可以事事尽力
--------------------------------
Looking forward to being able to get a new computer soon....
Whatever Obama says, I don't think internet freedom is anytime soon here !
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A short hiatus
I have decided to kill this blog. Or at least pause it until something about the current situation changes.
One of the key reasos is that in Beijing, connection times are so slow it sucks the joy out of blogging. You now need a VPN to blog at home, and so I access it sometimes through my work computer, which goes through a UK proxy. But then I don't like blogging through my lunch breaks because I try to keep some distance between my personal and professional life, and also because uploading photos are not allowed on my office computer.
So my choices are (1) wait for internet policy in China to change (haha!); (2) upgrade to a faster home computer and VPN at home; (3) move out of China to somewhere slightly less restrictive. As sad as it sounds option (3) is more likely than (1) !!
However, I don't think that I want to make this disconnect permananent. This blog has put me in touch with some very special people, whom I may not have otherwise met. I am grateful for that.
It also helps me to stay in touch with my friends, record my contemporaneous thoughts on parenting, work/life balance and all the other struggles and minor triumphs in my daily life, and I suppose so that I hope my kids can get to know during the part of their lives quite likely before clear memories are formed. This record is for them as much as for myself.
So until the situation changes, I think we'll call a short time-out for now. It's been wonderful thus far, and I hope the people who enjoy reading this blog will come back once in a while to see which one of the options I'd gone for. Fabien is likely to ask me what I want for my birthday this December, and it's quite likely a new computer !!
One of the key reasos is that in Beijing, connection times are so slow it sucks the joy out of blogging. You now need a VPN to blog at home, and so I access it sometimes through my work computer, which goes through a UK proxy. But then I don't like blogging through my lunch breaks because I try to keep some distance between my personal and professional life, and also because uploading photos are not allowed on my office computer.
So my choices are (1) wait for internet policy in China to change (haha!); (2) upgrade to a faster home computer and VPN at home; (3) move out of China to somewhere slightly less restrictive. As sad as it sounds option (3) is more likely than (1) !!
However, I don't think that I want to make this disconnect permananent. This blog has put me in touch with some very special people, whom I may not have otherwise met. I am grateful for that.
It also helps me to stay in touch with my friends, record my contemporaneous thoughts on parenting, work/life balance and all the other struggles and minor triumphs in my daily life, and I suppose so that I hope my kids can get to know during the part of their lives quite likely before clear memories are formed. This record is for them as much as for myself.
So until the situation changes, I think we'll call a short time-out for now. It's been wonderful thus far, and I hope the people who enjoy reading this blog will come back once in a while to see which one of the options I'd gone for. Fabien is likely to ask me what I want for my birthday this December, and it's quite likely a new computer !!
Monday, October 05, 2009
we are in taipei!
the typhoon didn't get us, and our kids loved the art museum. it's rainy though and i am back to typing with one hand. marvellous seeing scott for the weekend. it's been 15 years since we last had coffee together (he still had hair!!)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth
There are no perfect places in the world to live in. Human wants are virtually limitless, and we will always find a reason to bitch about something, wherever we are. That being said, the one thing that seriously annoys me about where I currently live is the censored internet. We have no Face book. No You tube and No blogger access, without using VPNs or some other route. Possibly upgrading my computer this Christmas will help matters somewhat!
Will post photos/ blog more from Taiwan (land of the free !) where we are going for the vacation. In the meantime, I only have precious few mins on the (free) internet each time, so excuse the blog silence please.
Thanks Jen (and all the other friendly formosans) for all the tips, but of course I couldn't get on to any website with "tw" in the address ... Anyway, we will go there for the vacation so that I can come back recharged to deal with the craziness of living here.
Will post photos/ blog more from Taiwan (land of the free !) where we are going for the vacation. In the meantime, I only have precious few mins on the (free) internet each time, so excuse the blog silence please.
Thanks Jen (and all the other friendly formosans) for all the tips, but of course I couldn't get on to any website with "tw" in the address ... Anyway, we will go there for the vacation so that I can come back recharged to deal with the craziness of living here.
Friday, August 07, 2009
One of my favourite Photos
This is not a studio potrait. We were sitting in a cafe in Phuket. 2 parents looking at their lovely offspring.
Sophie Loves her little sister so much. It's a magic kind of beauty. Of course she needs reassurance from her parents that they love her and she tests limits. But moments like this are sacred and beautiful. And Fab managed to capture that moment in this shot I think.
Sophie Loves her little sister so much. It's a magic kind of beauty. Of course she needs reassurance from her parents that they love her and she tests limits. But moments like this are sacred and beautiful. And Fab managed to capture that moment in this shot I think.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Sophie and Alex (Phuket Jan '09)
Dear Alex,
You are the classic neglected second child of two working parents. Your sister Sophie had Mommy looking after her until she learned to walk, and was nursed exclusively for 6 months. You on the other hand have had to make do with a mixture of formula and boob since you were 4 months old.
On the other hand, you really have something that Sophie never had - a big sister to look up to. Ayi says whenever you cry, and she says "don't cry, Sophie is coming", you always stop crying. Sophie was never this demonstrative with other children, but spends all day hugging and kissing you !
And so you do learn so fast how to do things - all by yourself ! You've been standing up for ages now, and today you stood alone for a short couple of seconds - you looked so proud ! You also love interacting with other people, much more than Sophie did at this age. You're really sad whenever Sophie goes off to summer camp (4 hours a day a the montessori school) and although you wave "bye bye" at us, ayi says you start crying pretty much after the door is closed . You are 9 months old and you know that you charm your parents by saying "mamamama" and "papapapapa".
We are so proud of both of you.
Your Mama and Papa...
You are the classic neglected second child of two working parents. Your sister Sophie had Mommy looking after her until she learned to walk, and was nursed exclusively for 6 months. You on the other hand have had to make do with a mixture of formula and boob since you were 4 months old.
On the other hand, you really have something that Sophie never had - a big sister to look up to. Ayi says whenever you cry, and she says "don't cry, Sophie is coming", you always stop crying. Sophie was never this demonstrative with other children, but spends all day hugging and kissing you !
And so you do learn so fast how to do things - all by yourself ! You've been standing up for ages now, and today you stood alone for a short couple of seconds - you looked so proud ! You also love interacting with other people, much more than Sophie did at this age. You're really sad whenever Sophie goes off to summer camp (4 hours a day a the montessori school) and although you wave "bye bye" at us, ayi says you start crying pretty much after the door is closed . You are 9 months old and you know that you charm your parents by saying "mamamama" and "papapapapa".
We are so proud of both of you.
Your Mama and Papa...
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Fab- in Hardelot - which one is he?
One of the places I love is Hardelot.
There is an apartment there where my husband went for his holidays at the beach. And now our children can spend time there eating sand and riding ponys. It is a place frozen in time - just like this photo.
One thing I am trying to do is to figure out how to fix the white chairs in the apartment. As you can see from this photo, they were quite new about 30 years ago ... But it's not going to be cheap to fix them. It's supposed to be more economical to buy a new one.
But who can place a price on happy childhood memories?
There is an apartment there where my husband went for his holidays at the beach. And now our children can spend time there eating sand and riding ponys. It is a place frozen in time - just like this photo.
One thing I am trying to do is to figure out how to fix the white chairs in the apartment. As you can see from this photo, they were quite new about 30 years ago ... But it's not going to be cheap to fix them. It's supposed to be more economical to buy a new one.
But who can place a price on happy childhood memories?
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