lightning updates

Working downtown.
Moved out of the suburbs.
Q found a loft apt dntn.
$$$ but nice.
Many hassles along the way.
Virtually all dealt w/ by Q.
Me no speak Chinese.
And usually at work.
Q is annoyed.
Q moves in tomorrow.
No internet for this month.
My bro arrives Oct 1.
Students at school are pretty nice.
If not all academic.
Biking to school daily.
Getting a bit over cocky.
The air dntn really is shittier than the 'burbs.

Whirlwind changes

Ok, so i'm thrown into a new school, and quickly going full throttle.

Thankfully, i found out on Fri, that as of Mon (tomorrow) i won't be teaching gr 10 math anymore, and will now be slotted w/ Planning 10, a course that will sorta be whatever the heck i want it to be, and will likely include bits on enviro protection and sex ed.

i've bn set up "temporarily" in a rather swank, but mostly empty apt in dntn BJ, but my apparent lack of interest in finding a new pad certainly precipitated the owner to give me 1 wk's notice. i was also less than gracious when she gave me a few hrs notice that another teacher was coming to the premises, and could i please clean the place up? No, sorry i can't 'cause i'm not dntn, and won't be 'til tomorrow...

Anyhow, that turned my wkend leisure time to househunting, as aided by Q. i then learned that rent prices have shot up a LOT in the last 2 years, and the $3o0 from the school couldn't possibly score me an apt, the way it might've before.

Add to the mix, Q was also planning on relocating this month.

Plus, i hadalready told her i think it's better if we live separately. But then present situation included, plus the fact that my bro is coming to live here in Oct (yup!), that really the idea of 3 of us living in 3 single apts was ridiculous... Also, most arguments we have tend to be based on my own selfishness, which tends to be somewhat true. (and boy, if i could count the # of times in this relationship where i despairingly state to myself in all sincerity: "i don't know what to do...")

Anyhow, w/ a bit of what i interpret as being a message from the Divine, i have decided that living w/ Q, and possibly my bro all together, shall be the next step in this life in China of mine. Still w/ some degree of apprehension, but also in good faith to work out probs.

i certainly wouldn't have predicted this, but hey, that's how it rolls around here.

Wish us luck, everyone.

Bk to BJ

Got the job.

2 wks or so ago, got an email.

"i hope this is still considered to be good news..."

and got switched to dntn campus.

(score!)

Missed my plane to BJ. 2:40 is NOT 14:40, apparently.

Luckily, was switched to the next day's flights, no probs.

arrival in BJ, get my classroom and things packed, after my boss and coworker prepacked out my apt.

1 hour of phone calls to convince security to let my stuff out of the gate.

Now in a temp apt dntn, which is pretty rad.

but lacking a fridge, furniture, etc etc.

in a dingy old school in the heart of BJ.

Nice coworkers, small team of 5.

A principal who's always pissed off at power struggles between her and the Chinese admin,.

Found out today, i can stop teaching math

(score!).

Living downtown is ...

pretty awesome.

so far.

Also,

i'm feeling pretty optimistic about teaching

for the 1st time in a long time

really nice kids.

i could complain about a # of things still,

but not tonight.

Long Time No Blog

Yup, i ran off for summer.

Despite warnings, i crashed w/ the folks for 1 full month. Qianqian came with, which was aok. Although occasionally there was a fight/misunderstanding/difference of opinion, which was not unexpected, but such is life. We also had a lot of fun doing things like... going to the stampede w/ my bro, and hiking and biking and going to Edmonton.

Q also skipped off to Montreal and QC for a wk or so, which was good for me to have dntime w/ folks and friends, and also for her to be solo (and free to choose her own way).

Van was good too. Better than i remember it actually. Gay pride: bigger better (and a bit more corporate). Wreck Beach: most epic sunset where seriously TONS of people were LOSING it. Heatwave + naked people + drugs = "Oh my GOD, look at the COLOURS!!!" More bike lanes than ever, and the realized Burrard Bridge bike lane, woohoo.

Q is shocked to see more people in poverty in Van, than in BJ. "The best place on earth"? Well, not for LOTS of people it ain't.

3 day camping trip near Cortez w/ a friend and her bf. Admittedly poorly played on my part, since it was pretty hardcore for Q's first camp trip, and since i'd forgotten how terrifiied she is of heights, and then later she pulled a muscle after crashing thru a layer of snow (also partly my fault), and then had to limp down the steep and rooty mountain for 4 hours in the rain. What the hell is up w/ these Canadians and this camping business???

Other highlights...

blueberry picking

a call to 9-1-1

a secret Brasstronaut concert

mushrooms

napping on the beach

but mainly it was just rad to visit people and feel so grateful to have amazing, cool, and generous friends in my life. Seriously, i couldn't ask for more.