Housewarming

Our house is warmed today by the visit of good friends. In between helpings of curry chicken, fried bee hoon and nasi lemak, we chatted the hours away.

Gatherings like these must surely be one of the perks of expathood.

The kids have their own table too! They seem to be enjoying themselves but ahem, in their own ways.

Thank you to the families of BL, BL, C, I and J! C & LL - this is what you missed. Hee hee.

Lijiang 古 城

Lijiang is one of those rare places in China that can grow on you. Once you step in, you may feel like you've been there before. Even after you leave, you may still reminisce about its sights, scents and sounds.

The old city ( 古 城〕, where we stayed in, is a quaint mix of old and new. Inns ( 客 栈〕 and shops dot the cobbled-stone walkways, alongside coffee houses and bars.

Waterways link the old city, against a backdrop of willow trees and colourful flowers. The mild weather makes it tempting to spend the whole day outdoors, and nothing beats sipping a cup of tea and daydreaming ( 发 呆〕.

In touch again

I know I promised an entry on Lijiang. That's being drafted, I promise.

I just had to thank all who responded to my first entry. It was great to hear from old friends, some whom I thought have forgotten about me.

Thank you J,LL,KT,R, K and BL. You gave me the motivation to continue blogging. I need it you know, what with the "exciting" life I now lead (as one of you commented). Distractions abound.

Seriously, blogging rocks...it's a great tool for staying in touch. Special thanks to KT who gently reminded me to start updating again, after such a long hiatus.

Our new home

Friends from near and far, I am back on the web. I don't know how long I can sustain this blog but like Lao Tze once said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one single step." Hopefully, I can continue this journey before failure in web access, or some other unforeseen circumstance, stops me in my tracks. For now, I hope this is the permanent new home for the latest from us in Suzhou.

We're also now comfortably settled in another new home - the physical one. It's located within the same compound but in a newer phase. It's also on a much, much higher floor than our previous 2nd level. Guess which floor we're at?

The mosquitoes have stopped bothering us, our air-con works most of the time(keeping fingers crossed) and we now have a stunning view of the JinJi Lake!

The boys now have their own beds instead of sharing a double deck. And they are obviously quite thrilled with that. Of course, they're smiling too because of the two whole months of summer hols ahead of them when this picture was taken:P.

Holidays are coming to an end soon next week though, which is why we spent the whole of last week in Lijiang, sort of to catch up on our travelling. Lijiang is a town located in Yunnan Province -breathtakingly beautiful, albeit crowded in the town centre. A sneak preview of what we saw (this is not taken from the wallpaper photos, I swear, but during the car journey from Lijiang to Airport!) but more on that in my next entry....

Friends in Suzhou

Just heard that SL's colleague is posting back to Singapore. The impermanence of my stay here suddenly hit home. I couldn't help but feel like penning something down about my friends here, just so that I won't forget the meaningful albeit short relationships we have.

Looking back, life here would have been harder and lonelier if not for my bunch of Malaysian/ Singaporean friends. We all live in the same compound and meet each other almost every day while waiting for the kids' school bus. It was just natural to clique and exchange all kinds of advice and news.

Somehow, knowing that you are "alone" here makes you appreciate your friends more. Being the "youngest" resident in Suzhou, I gained a great deal from their on-the-ground experience: how to negotiate with your landlord, manage your Ayi, get your driver's licence, shop for the best deals, and even make hainanese chicken rice. I think I can write a book about it!

Thanks BL, BL, C, J and LL (you know who you are) for the heart-to-heart talk over home lunches and tea sessions. It's been my pleasure knowing you all.

How's the weather like?

We were back in Singapore for Chinese New Year. While we had a good time catching up with friends and relatives, the hot weather was driving us nuts.

Weather changes were such a non-topic in Singapore. Here in Suzhou, weather changes can dictate your day.

Just for example, we've made it a nightly ritual to check the SMS weather forecast for the next day, rejoicing whenever the weather forecast says "fine", or mentally brace ourselves whenever the forecast says "strong winds" or "cold front descending".

Right after our hot holiday in Sing, spring "arrrived" but soon reverted to the cold windy weather of winter in just 2 weeks. Even the plum blossoms were confused and started blooming weeks before they were due. We managed to visit the Tai Hu area to get a glimpse of the fading blooms.
It would have been a much prettier sight if we visited just one week earlier but I suppose, that's why we try to do things quickly here before the weather changes and spoils one's plans.

Having experienced summer and winter, I think we are beginning to enjoy the variety of having four seasons. Life can be quite delightful when things are just that little bit more unpredictable.