Posts made in October, 2008
Im Deutschkurs
Situation 1:
Lehrer: Wo können wir „Zebrastreifen“ sehen?
Studentin 1 (sehr fröhlich): „Im Zoo!!!!“
Situation 2:
Studentin 1: Wie sagt man „bald“ auf Deutsch?
Studentin 2: Herr Bucher. (Er is glatzköpfig.)
Situation 3:
Lehrer: Welches Verb paßt?….. sich…?
Studentin 1 : rasieren.
Lehrer: Essen….?
Studentin 2: kochen.
Lehrer: Mit Freundin…?
Studentin 3: treffen.
Lehrer: Geschirr…?
Studentin 4: abwaschen.
Lehrer: mit Gästen…?
Studentin 5: ….ummm…. schlafen?
At the Austrian Party
My husband has never been in Austrian Expat Party until yesterday. Last Sunday was Austria’s National Day so the embassy held an Austrian gathering on Monday evening. We knew about the party weeks ago and hubby was so looking forward to go there. We even planned to go there in our traditional Austrian clothes but he chickened out a few hours before the party so I needed to shop for another dress.
The party was OHHH—-KAYYYY. Food was great but I would have enjoyed it better if we were sitting down while eating. There were no chairs! There were these high and small rounded tables for people to gather around and drink but that was all. When dinner was served, people have to wait for their turns so they can have a part of the table where they can put their plates down. That was really disappointing for me more so because I was wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes.
I was not very comfortable in the party but I thought it was okay because I am sure that most of the people there were also uncomfortable. Sure, they tried to mingle with each other but they leave the conversation as soon as one comes and butt in. haha. It was all too shallow for me. I am glad that the group (me, my husband, and his colleagues) stayed together the whole evening. There were people coming to the group to have a chit chat but none of them stayed long.
It was actually kind of nice at the beginning because there was a free flow of wine (haha) and people were really nicely dressed. It was not my kind of party….it was actually a little bit phony for my taste but it was altogether kind of fun because I get to observe people in their phony moments (wink).
Read MoreCouples Like Them…
They are my parents-in-law and I took this picture without them knowing. They are like that…still very sweet even after 30 years of marriage.
They grew up in the same place and went to the same schools. They’ve been exclusive since they became sweethearts at age 14. At the age of 16, they became a couple and at 20, they became husband and wife. 30 years later, they still share kisses and they still hold hands.
I find it amazing.
Couples like them make me believe more in “happy ever after“ and now that I am married, I wonder how far my husband and I could go. A year of marriage is nothing compared to 30 years. We are still on the starting line. Life is still all sunshine and meadows for us. We have not exactly encountered a major problem yet and we never had a major fight. Everything is still pleasant. Not that I am waiting for bad things to happen. I am just hoping that when they do, my husband and I will also be able to surpass them.
Read MoreThe Saga of the Leech Continues
Remember about the leach I was talking to you about? The person I was referring to here and here. As you might already know, we are not in good terms. We fought and I decided that I’ll never be a friend to her again. I didn’t talk to her for months and she also didn’t talk to me and I was already ok with that.
But then she came here in Shanghai to live with her boyfriend who, as you know, is a good friend of ours. I was cool with that too. I told myself that if the situation asks that we meet, I will be civil with her and that’s what I did when Marcus and Daniel arranged a dinner before Marcus and I left for Austria. It was awkward but all went well. We didn’t exchange nasty remarks but we also didn’t make “beso-beso”. In short, it was just like we never met before.
One time while we were in Austria, I saw her come online in my Yahoo messenger. For me that was so strange because, we put each other on “Stealth” so I was surprised that I can see her online but that didn’t prompt me to appear online to her. To me, she’ll be in “Stealth” forever.
When we came back here in Shanghai a week ago, she tried calling me on our landline but because I am so accustomed to getting Chinese Telemarketers’ call, I didn’t answer our phone. Marcus always calls me on my cellphone so I don’t really answer the phone when I am not expecting a call. Then Daniel (her boyfriend) told me that she was trying to get hold of me. For me, it was like what?!? What is it that she wants now? So when I finally answered one of her calls, she was all like all sweet and nice and told me that she’s ready to forget everything.
I was like…. Ooooooohkkayyy. I did not really talk to her. I just let her babble. All I told her is “Of course we cannot return everything to normal again but you can be sure that I’ll always be civil to you.” And she was like…maybe someday we can be friends again. Iw! In my mind I was like “You wish!”, if I don’t need to be civil to you I won’t. You’re nobody to me anymore and the reason why I am agreeing to be in the same room like you are is because your boyfriend is the best friend of my husband and he is also a good friend of mine.
After the call, I wondered what she wants this time. I already know her as a userer so I am pretty sure that there is a reason behind her being all friendly again. And it didn’t take long before she revealed what she wants. She needs my help to get into the same German school where I study.
She’s stupid you know. I found that school without asking anybody’s help and she’s incapable of finding it herself!?! She’s now without a job. She has the rest of the day to do what she wants. Why can’t she simply go online and find the school since she anyhow knows the name of my school. She has to swallow her pride to ask me to take her to where I study? She’s sooo dumb.
And because I am not 100% evil, I told her that I can’t accompany her there (I’ll never go out of my way for her ever again) but when my classes start, she can go there together with me. So that’s what happened. Now, she’s enrolled in the same school like I. I thought ok… she can now shut up. But no… she had to ask me for my notes from my previous course. I simply told her I can’t lend it to her because I still need them.
I don’t need them anymore but I just don’t like to be used again. I don’t like to help her anymore in any way. I know she needs a job and I actually find one that she might be interested in but I didn’t tell her about it even though Mr. Kane explicitly asked me to refer a friend. She’s not a friend to me anymore because she does not deserve my friendship.
She can kiss my ass all she wants but she can’t change things the way they are. She shitted on me once and that’s it. I’d be stupid if I let that happen again.
Read MoreWohnen in Shanghai
Die Stadt in der ich lebe heißt Shanghai. Ich glaube jeder weiß wo Shanghai liegt weil Shanghai eine der größten Städte der Welt ist. Sie hat 6,218 Quadratkilometer Landfläche und ungefähr 22 Millionen Einwohner. Shanghai ist eine Megastadt und in der kann man fast alles finden. In Shanghai gibt es viele Kinos, Restaurants, Museums, Theaters, Diskotheken, Universität, und Einkaufszentren.
Ich finde Shanghai sehr interessant weil diese Stadt so viele Gesichter hat. Shanghai ist eine Mischung von altem and neuem China und man kann in Shanghai viele Einflüsse aus westlichen Ländern sehen. Viele Ausländer wohnen hier und jeden tag sehe ich Leute von den verschiedenen Teilen der Welt. Ich mag Shanghai und ihre weiten Strassen, ihre hohen Wolkenkratzer, und ihre beschäftigten Leute.
Unsere Wohnung ist in einem Wohnblock direkt am „Century Park“. Mein Mann und ich wohnen in einer schönen Wohnung im 14.Stock. Unsere Wohnung hat zwei Balkone, zwei Schlaffzimmer, zwei Badezimmern mit Toilette, ein großes Wohnzimmer, eine moderne Küche, ein Eßzimmer, und einen kleinen Lagerraum. Von unserem Balkon, haben wir eine gute Aussicht auf den „Century Park“. In unserem Wohnblock, gibt es ein großes Wellness Center mit Swimmingpool und es gibt auch viele Restaurants in der Nähe. Von unserer Wohnung braucht man ungefähr fünf Minuten zur nächsten U-Bahnstation. Das ist für mich sehr bequem. Ich mag die Tatsache, daß es eine U-Bahnstation gibt weil ich den starken Verkehr auf der Strasse mit der U-Bahn vermeiden kann.
Wir sind seit vier Monaten in Shanghai und bis jetzt gefällt es uns noch gut.
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