First Flight is to KL, Malaysia

Sunday, 20 April 2014

The adventure begins with a flight from Macau to KL. Dad & I are on our way. We watched the sun set from our seats. We were both tired as it had been a busy week of rushing around and constant on the move. Our flight landed at 11pm and then we had to sort out a taxi ride to the city. I had booked a hotel online and I was hoping it would be in a good location. 

 We arrived to the hotel and at first I was worried because it was in a busy area of downtown so it might be noisy however, when we got to our room it was perfect. It was a big room with air con and free wifi. It was well sound proofed and we could not hear the sounds from outside. We slept well. Thank you WOLO Hotel. We give you 5 stars.

Headed from Macau to Kuala Lumpur

Friday, 18 April 2014

We are at the airport and headed out to KL! The adventure continues with a trip of a life time. Traveling with my dad or should I say "my brother"? At least that is what my students thought when they meet dad yesterday. He loved it! Let's see what he thinks of KL....

More of Rob's Excellent Adventure

Monday, 14 April 2014

Today dad & I explored Macau. Here we are at the St. Paul Ruins with a fantastic view into Mainland China. We also visited the famous "red market" to see the fresh seafood and meat market. We also checked out the tailors to look for a hat maker - that is another story.....


It was a great day with a seafood lunch at a Portuguese restaurant. Now we are headed out for dinner with friends from school. Ah, this is the life!

Hiking in Lantau, Hong Kong

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Here are a couple of photos of me hiking in Hong Kong. My dad & I had a bit of adventure as this 3 hour hike lasted 7 hours....we got lost a few times. It was a tough hike, however, the views were stunning. It was amazing to overlook Hong Kong. It was a great day for a hike. Now we just have to do some yoga to stretch out our legs which are stiff today.

Rob's Excellent Adventure

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Dad made it to Hong Kong! We had an action packed weekend. We ate Japanese food in Causeway Bay, went hiking in The New Territories, dim sum brunch and a ferry ride to Macau! So far it is a wonderful holiday in China. More details soon....

Report Cards Are Due!

Sunday, 13 April 2014

Things are busy. Maybe too busy. April is already flying by. The count down is on as mid-term reports go out next week. We are half way through this term.

Little Cat

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

I spotted this cat when I was walking home and I thought it made a good photo. I stopped and waited as I hoped to get a photo of the cat looking at me. However, this cat wouldn't look at me. So I ended up with this shot instead. Maybe it is more interesting since it creates mystery as the cat is looking at something but we don't know what it is looking at.

Must Be Normal

Sunday, 6 April 2014

The glam and glitz of the casinos. Here in Old Taipa you can always spot the glowing lights of the casinos. Here you can see the blue lights of the City of Dreams and then the large Venetian looming above everyone.


It is hard to explain the sights and sounds of the night in Macau. I often walk along and think that I must be use to this place as I hardly blink any more when I see things that would be strange at home.


For example:
* It is normal to see men spit on the sidewalk.
* normal to have to push your way onto a bus elbowing anyone who gets in your way.
* The elevator has messages in both Cantonese and Portuguese which I ignore.
* My local mom n pop grocery store is open 24 hours.
* I can buy wine at the 7/11.
* It is normal to walk through the park see a large group of ladies all together dancing to traditional Chinese music.
* I might see a group of men sitting around a table playing Mejong.
* when someone is walking their dog and the dog pees they have a water bottle that they use to spray down the sidewalk and wash away the pee.
* Taxi or a bus traveling at mock speeds down the road. Make sure you look twice before you cross.
* The grocery store never seems to re-stock items so if you see something you like you need to buy as many as you can.

Jerky Anyone?

Sunday, 6 April 2014

Here are a few shots from Old Taipa. I was walking home the other day and I thought I would share this picture of jerky. This is a Macau speciality - jerky. This street here in Old Taipa sells a variety of different kinds of jerky and they give out free samples so it is often fun to detour down this street to check out the samples. This street is often jam packed with tourists as they are all madly trying to buy snacks and presents for their friends or family before they head back to Mainland China.

Ferry Ride to Hong Kong

Sunday, 6 April 2014

Off to Hong Kong for the day. It is a grey day with low cloud cover. I am hoping the sun will come out like yesterday but it is not looking good at the moment. It is a 1 hour ferry ride across the water to Hong Kong. I am hoping the water will be clam and the sailing will be smooth as last time I took the ferry across it was rough seas and not much fun. They were handing out like bags so that indicates how the ride went. I survived but I think that stopped me from traveling to Hong Kong as I haven't been back in the past 4 months.

Perhaps Lost In Translation

Saturday, 5 April 2014

Here is a random photo I took last night when I was walking home. This is not from my school but from the local Macau school. When I read this I figure that something got lost in translation.......it made my smile so I thought I would share with you.

Coffee Time

Monday, 31 March 2014

Home from school and time for a coffee. I have a long list of things to do tonight. My report card marks are a high priority this week. I also have to get my trip to Sri Lanka finalized. That is the fun part of my to do list but also the part I keep pushing down the list.....


It is raining here today and we had thunder and lightening all day. There was a black rain warning in Hong Kong and there were reports of a landslide. Too much water I guess. I hope it clears off for the weekend when I am planning a visit.

Home Sweet Home

Saturday, 29 March 2014

Here is a photo of the entrance to my apt. It is sorta strange to me because it looks like a jail cell in my mind. I guess these security doors prevent break ins. It does look strange though. My neighbours leave their second door open and then this door is like a screen door to let the air through. However then it is also very noisy. I can also smell everything they are cooking which is interesting most days.

Spring Is In The Air

Wednesday, 26 March 2014

The weather is getting warmer and warmer in Macau. I now have to turn the air/con on in my classroom because it is too hot without it. I snapped this photo last night when I walked to dinner. So many trees have flowers and it makes me think of spring.....


The humidity is back and I have been warned that April is really crazy as the air becomes so damp that your clothes are always wet. I did notice that the local supermarket is selling clothes dryers so that is probably a sign of things to come. I guess I will wait and find out...

Letter Box

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Well this a letter box in Macau. I have been told that there are bigger boxes where you can use a vending machine and buy a stamp at the letter box. Sounds very easy except everything is in Chinese characters......so don't get your hopes up on receiving any mail.

Magic Man

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Here is a shot of "magic man"! I still don't know what this sign says but it still makes me laugh. I call this guy magic man and I see this sign on many of the big banyan trees around Macau. I thought I would share this photo with you to enjoy the magic of these huge trees.

Sushi Time

Saturday, 22 March 2014

My roommate and I went out for sushi the other night. We sat up at the sushi bar and watched the chefs! This crazy fish was there on the bar in front of us. We agreed that it was a strange fish and we had never seen a fish like this before. I thought it was worth a photo. This fish made me think of tiger tiger ice cream!

My Walk Home

Saturday, 22 March 2014

Here are a few shots from my walk home from school today. It is getting warmer in Macau and the flowers are coming out. I walked past a photo shoot for this couple. It is a great location for photos. I love the blue color of these buildings. They are from the Portuguese influence. Time is going so quickly and I find myself starting to count down the days till the end of the school year. Just 3 more months. I really can't believe it. The end feels so near. I still have so much to do and I wonder how my students are going to get all their work done in time for June. I guess I will have to wait and see how it all works out.

Update From The Dubh Glas Distillery

Sunday, 16 March 2014

I thought I would share a quick update from Oliver as well. Here is the latest photo from Stevely's property in Oliver, BC. His dream of opening a distillery is getting closer and closer everyday. The Dubh Glas Distillery is looking good!


Click on the Facebook page to see more photos of the project. https://www.facebook.com/TheDubhGlasD

Look Who We Found On Our Door Step

Sunday, 16 March 2014

It is hard to judge the size of this scorpion in my photo but there was no way I was going put my hand near this jar. This scorpion was found on the steps of the doorway to the restaurant of the lodge that we were staying at. The locals used a pair of pilers to pick him up and place him into this jar so we could all have a look at him. He was actually pretty big. 

Much bigger than I imagined. He was also very pissed off as you can imagine so he kept hitting the sides of the jar. It was a bit of a reality check for me as I realized that I need to start looking down on the ground when I am walking. I also probably need to start banging out my shoes before I put them on too. Note to self - there are scorpions in Borneo!!! This guy was the size of a LARGE tea cup.

Reference: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/scorpion/

I Can't Believe My Luck

Sunday, 16 March 2014

So we are cursing the river and watching for wildlife and our guide tells us about the most exciting animal to see in Borneo - the pygmy elephants! I didn't even realize that these elephants are the smallest in the world and only found in Borneo. Even more exciting to learn that these elephants are still living in the wild here. They are on their own to roam around and enjoy life in the jungle. Here is a great website with more information about these amazing creatures: https://worldwildlife.org/species/borneo-pygmy-elephant


Then imagine my surprise when our guide tells us that he knows where the elephants are. We take a 2 hour boat trip down the river to a more remote location and we are not disappointed. We find a herd of 26 WILD elephants. It was so excited to watch them walk along the river and eat. Check out my video: http://youtu.be/yuV_TX5eFm4

I See Monkeys

Sunday, 16 March 2014

Here I am in the boat traveling along the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, Malaysia on the look out for animals. We saw so many different monkeys during our trip to Borneo. We saw the Orangutangs, the Macaques Monkeys, the Silver Leaf Monkeys and the Proboscis Monkeys. I was hoping we would see some gibbons monkeys as well but no luck.


Here is a great website with some information about the monkeys of Borneo:
http://www.orangutanrepublik.org/become-aware/biodiversity/other-primates-of-borneo-a-sumatra


I made a short video of the Macaques Monkeys that we saw as we were able to pull the boat up along shore and get very close to these monkeys. Check out my video: http://youtu.be/EVNID3jvU4A

Orangutangs

Sunday, 16 March 2014

I think the highlight of the trip was a visit to the Sepilok Orangutang Centre. Here we got to see orangutang up close and personal as they came out of the nature reserve/jungle to the feeding platforms to eat. It was very exciting to watch these amazing apes swing along the ropes to the platform.


Check out my video - I posted it on YouTube so you could also see the orangutangs: http://youtu.be/cfnQYbXryqU


Learn more about these apes by visiting the rehabilitation Centre website:
http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk/about-us/sepilok-rehabilitation-centre

Borneo

Sunday, 16 March 2014

I just got back from a 1 week trip to Borneo! This was a work trip as I was traveling with high school students. We had a week to experience school "outside" of the classroom. It was brilliant. We flew to Sandakan and then took a bus ride into the jungle to stay at a lodge along the Kinabatangan River. We spent our days traveling on the river by boat to look for wild life. It was a wonderful experience and we saw a ton of different animals. The jungle is teaming with wildlife.

My Bags Are Packed

Friday, 7 March 2014

I think I am finally getting a little better at packing. I have been going on a few trips latetly and I feel like I have a bit of a system organized. I am not a super lite packer. I wish I could carry a very small bag and only pack the essentials. I am too worried about forgetting something. I am one of those people that decides to "bring it" since I have space left in the bag. This concept always gets me in trouble because I end up with too much. My goal on this trip is to wear everything. So if I bring it I have to wear it or use it. I will keep you posted and let you know how I do with my own personal challenge.


My bags are packed and I am almost ready to go for my 1 week holiday in Borneo. We fly out on Sunday morning for an "outside" of the classroom experience week. I will be traveling with a group of high school students and we are off for an adventure. We have a full itinerary with activities, sightseeing and relaxing. I am looking forward to seeing the jungle and hopefully soaking up some heat. It was +32C in Boreno today so that is a good sign. I want to see the sun since it has been very grey and dull here in Macau this week. The temeratures dropped today and the wind picked up. I thought it was going to rain with all the clouds drifting in. I won't be missing the hazy, grey sky of Macau.

Construction Zone

Sunday, 2 March 2014

I thought I would share a few photos from my neighbourhood in Old Taipa. I was out for a walk on Sunday as the weather is finally nice and warm. I am so happy that it finally warmed up. It is back to 20+C around here and I like it. I no longer have to wear my puffy jacket to school. They are building a new apartment building - you can see all the cranes. This is close to my apartment building and it has been interesting to watch how fast they are working on this project. I am just happy that they are finished with the pilings. That was so noisy. In the first photo you can see a construction site that is almost finished. The building is covered in a green plastic to keep everything contained in the building site.

Lost In Translation

Sunday, 2 March 2014

I walked past this store the other day and I thought it was worth a photo. I am guessing that "Message Pigs Fed" is a direct translation from Cantonese that just doesn't quiet make it. It does not make any sense to me. This is just one of the many English signs that I see all around Macau. Sometimes they work and sometimes they are just plain funny.

The Venetian Casino

Saturday, 1 March 2014

Just a few photos from the Venetian! This is the lobby which leads start to the casino floor. No photos of the casino as you are not allowed to bring your camera in there. Today I was shortcutting through the Venetian on my way to school. Sometimes it is fun to walk through the Venetian just to see what is going on and to people watch. It is always full of people on the weekends. Sometimes it is a little overwhealming but today I enjoyed my stroll through.

Happy

Thursday, 27 February 2014

Check out this video to see lots of sites in Macau. I walk these areas everyday!


http://youtu.be/xQA7XyWn9B8

I Got Mail

Saturday, 22 February 2014

I got mail! My first birthday card arrived in the mail today. Very exciting. Thank you!!!!! How fun to get mail that is not a bill as the only mail I tend to get is my cell phone bill! This is not worth a blog post. I don't think I have to thank CTM for sending me my bill. I also was in the mood to send mail and I made my first visit to the post office here in Macau. I sent off a birthday card to someone special who is going to be celebrating a very, very special birthday next week. Of course my card will be late. I don't think it will arrive on time but I am hoping it will still get there! The mail system here in Macau is sorta famous for the lack of mail. Mail tends to get lost or go missing or not arrive to the destination. Even if it is just to be posted in Macau and sent across town - like my cell phone bill. So I haven't been sending out any post. Besides, in this digital age, it is faster to email, blog, post photo or send a video.

Time for a Brix Burger

Saturday, 22 February 2014

A little taste from home. Today I decided to spoil myself with a trip over to Macau city center to visit the famous Brix Burger Joint. As you can see they have all the treats from home such as onion rings and A&W rootbeer and Dr. Peper! Yummmmmm. My burger was delicious. It was a fun treat to have a burger. However, now I am very full and I think I will have to wait a while longer before I even think about eatting dinner.

Demo Slam

Saturday, 22 February 2014

My Grade 9 class worked on a fun project where they had to make a very short 2 minute video called a demo slam. A demo slam is video that demonstrates how to use an app on your phone or computer. The students had to pick an app that they like and then show how to use it and why it is good. They also had to demonstrate this information in a fun and interesting way. Here we are watching the results. I totally enjoyed the presentations. You can see my arm on the left of the photo. It was a fun way to finish our project with a chance to watch all the videos.

Dripping Walls

Thursday, 20 February 2014

Well, the cold weather has returned to Macau and this week it warmed up slightly which caused a new problem. Water. At school the building was so cold that when the outside air started to get warmer the building started sweating. Condensation. Everywhere. The floors were wet, the walls were wet, the water was literally dripping down the wall. All the windows fogged up. It was crazy. I had never seen this much condensation in a building before. It was sorta creepy. All the posters on my walls started to curl up and get wet and unhappy. Luckily it got cold again and this went away. For now. But I have a feeling it will be back with the warm weather again next week.

100 Days Of School

Thursday, 20 February 2014

It has been 2 weeks since my last holiday and I am now starting to get ready for my next adventure. In 2 weeks I am off again. This time I am traveling with a group of high school students. We are headed to Borneo. I am really looking forward to this opportunity to visit the jungles and to go on a night trek. Time does go fast. I can't believe that we have already past 100 school days. The elementary students had a big celebration as they count down the days to help them learn how to count to 100. In high school the event passed with out much fuss. However, I am thinking that it is a pivot point to show that we are now on the homeward shift of school.

Year of the Horse

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Gong Hey Fat Choy!

Here are some photos of the beautiful lanterns that are hung up around Macau to celebrate Chinese New Years. It is the year of the horse so we have lots of horse images around. I love these lanterns. They are so pretty when they are all lit up at night. I took a shot of these during the day a few weeks ago when they first started putting them up.

Here's some details that I found in an article in the guardian about the the year of the horse:

Raymond Lo, a feng shui and destiny consultant, says the year of the horse is a year in which people are likely to stand firm on their principles, making negotiation difficult. For example, 2002 (the last year of the horse) was the year of Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy's legendary World Cup bustup, and 1990 was the year of the poll tax riots. German reunification also happened in 1990, but we'll ignore that.

I guess this means it could be an exciting year. For more details read the rest of this article: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/31/eight-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-year-of-horse

CNY Fire Crackers

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Fire Cracker Schedule for CNY!

I wanted to share this photo with you! I saw this sign on the walk home from school a few weeks ago. It was a sign with the schedule for fire crackers during Chinese New Years - Jan 30 till Feb 4. I was away from Macau during this time and I think that I am happy that I was away since they are allowed to blast fire crackers until 2am. The fire cracker zone is located right behind my apartment! So that would have been very loud. I am glad that I missed it.

Last Thoughts From Thailand

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Well, my holiday to Thailand is officially over. I am back in Macau. The temperatures have dropped here in China and I am freezing. It was only 5 degrees this morning when I headed off to school. The problem is the cold, cold wind that is blowing from the north. If the wind would stop it won't be so cold here. I have a little space heater plugged in and I am trying to stay warm as the hot air blows on me. I am also wearing slippers and my house coat as I sit at my computer. To keep my hands warm I am sipping tea with lemons as well. 

I am trying to prepare lesson plans for tomorrow. It is challenging starting a new term. I am still trying to learn my students names and figure out what they are all about. I am missing the warmth of Thailand and the relaxing days of having no plans or responsibilities. I guess that is what I love the most about traveling. No responsibilities. Too bad reality has to sink in at some point and responsibility has to return. I guess I should get back to work. I still have a few miles to go before I can go to sleep. School waits for no one.

Visiting Elephants

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

A trip to the Elephant Nature Park and a chance to see over 30 elephants that have been rescued from logging or trekking camps. These elephants are now kept in a large park and allowed to roam free. It was an amazing experience. We got a chance to bathe one of the elephants in the river by throwing buckets of water on it. Plus we got to a chance to feed the elephants and walk the grounds with the elephants. There were 3 babies and this little one is only 5 months old. He was tiny, cute and so hairy!


Each elephant has a story and all the stories are sad and heart breaking. This elephant - Jarunee - was rescued in 2007 from a logging camp. She is blind and covered in scars from poor treatment. Many of the elephants have been mistreated and that is why there are at this park. They are rescued from logging or trekking camps, from street begging and circus performances. You can sponsor an elephant for just 3,000 baht and this helps to pay for the elephant's food. They eat a lot! Over 200 KG of food a day. Plus a ton of water. So intense to keep an elephant fed and watered. We spent the day at the nature park and this was a highlight of our trip to Chiang Mai. I hope I will have a chance to go back there again some day.



To learn more about the elephants visit the website: http://www.elephantnaturepark.org