The Left Foot
My user ed for academic staff went well considering the slowness of the Internet and the fact that a gale was raging outside for most of it. I was very impressed to see the recently updated home page and Infogates. Very classy.
As predicted, a man in a big chair came appeared on TV this evening and said something important. I don't know what, but I think it means I have a day off on Friday or possibly tomorrow.
We are flying to Mulu with Dodgy Air Services in a single engine plane so just in case this is my last blog, I'd like to say 'Merry Christmas' to everyone.
Wednesday, December 04, 2002
Tuesday, December 03, 2002
The Left Foot
I've just been on Netbank to check on my financial situation (bleak). It's interesting to see the fluctuating foreign exchange rate over the last month or so. It is costing me less every time I withdraw fron the ATM at Wisma Saberkas. No wonder Dr. Mahatir dislikes us.
Tomorrow I am conducting the first of a series of electronic database searching sessions for academic staff. I advertised that I would structure the program towards the research interests of attendees. My first group fall neatly into two categories - English language teachers and engineers. I've never had this combination before - in fact it's my first user ed for engineers ever. Should be interesting.
As Ramadan draws to a close the food supply seems to be exhausted. People have stockpiled so much for the weekend's feasting that commercial food suppliers cannot meet their regular commitments. We are escaping for the long weekend to Mulu National Park where, I am told, I shall see two million bats exiting a cave at sundown. Can't wait.
I've just been on Netbank to check on my financial situation (bleak). It's interesting to see the fluctuating foreign exchange rate over the last month or so. It is costing me less every time I withdraw fron the ATM at Wisma Saberkas. No wonder Dr. Mahatir dislikes us.
Tomorrow I am conducting the first of a series of electronic database searching sessions for academic staff. I advertised that I would structure the program towards the research interests of attendees. My first group fall neatly into two categories - English language teachers and engineers. I've never had this combination before - in fact it's my first user ed for engineers ever. Should be interesting.
As Ramadan draws to a close the food supply seems to be exhausted. People have stockpiled so much for the weekend's feasting that commercial food suppliers cannot meet their regular commitments. We are escaping for the long weekend to Mulu National Park where, I am told, I shall see two million bats exiting a cave at sundown. Can't wait.
Monday, December 02, 2002
The Right Foot:
I love looking at houses overseas. I can happily spend hours just walking around the neighborhood, peering at gardens, talking to cats sunning themselves on windowsills or fences, watching a gaggle of geese thread their way home through a hedge, or just admiring the decor, speculating on what it would be like to live in a house like this or that one.
Kuching has very distinctive houses. The favoured design is the good old semi-detached that Melbourne loved back in the twenties, thirties and forties. However, the local model is large, often two storey and typically built of brick and boasting a smooth white plastered finished. Each house is a mirror of the other, with a tiled car porch in front, bright blue or red roof, at least a pair of fat pillars and at least one balcony on the upper floor. The garden is often surrounded by a high metal fence and baronial gates of more- than-baroque exuberance.The windows are often curved at the top and feature small panes of glass, which makes them look like turn-of-the-century German or Dutch childrens' book illustrations. The visual effect of a street full of identical semis is rather like something out of Legoland.
I love looking at houses overseas. I can happily spend hours just walking around the neighborhood, peering at gardens, talking to cats sunning themselves on windowsills or fences, watching a gaggle of geese thread their way home through a hedge, or just admiring the decor, speculating on what it would be like to live in a house like this or that one.
Kuching has very distinctive houses. The favoured design is the good old semi-detached that Melbourne loved back in the twenties, thirties and forties. However, the local model is large, often two storey and typically built of brick and boasting a smooth white plastered finished. Each house is a mirror of the other, with a tiled car porch in front, bright blue or red roof, at least a pair of fat pillars and at least one balcony on the upper floor. The garden is often surrounded by a high metal fence and baronial gates of more- than-baroque exuberance.The windows are often curved at the top and feature small panes of glass, which makes them look like turn-of-the-century German or Dutch childrens' book illustrations. The visual effect of a street full of identical semis is rather like something out of Legoland.
The Left Foot
I have decorated our Christmas palm with tinsel, glittery balls and cling-on koalas. It looks different but it's something. Our ballot papers for last Saturday's election arrived today so I finally get the chance to exercise my rights.That is today's good news. The bad news is that I had a resignation at work today. I hope we can find a replacement quickly because we are expecting an avalanche of books needing to be processed in January.
I am keeping this blog short because the Right Foot just spent half an hour blogging and it didn't save. Here's hoping mine will post OK.
By the way, the captions on the photos are the work of Grumpy Girl.
I have decorated our Christmas palm with tinsel, glittery balls and cling-on koalas. It looks different but it's something. Our ballot papers for last Saturday's election arrived today so I finally get the chance to exercise my rights.That is today's good news. The bad news is that I had a resignation at work today. I hope we can find a replacement quickly because we are expecting an avalanche of books needing to be processed in January.
I am keeping this blog short because the Right Foot just spent half an hour blogging and it didn't save. Here's hoping mine will post OK.
By the way, the captions on the photos are the work of Grumpy Girl.
Sunday, December 01, 2002
The Left Foot
Today the entire Muslim population of Kuching was out shopping for Hari Raya next weekend. New clothes are a must, then they head for the supermarket and stock up on soft drink, cakes and all manner of highly coloured sweets. There will be a lot of hyperactive people on the streets next weekend. When this is over Christmas will get a look-in. We have borrowed a potted palm from the courtyard to serve as a Christmas tree. We will keep to family tradition and decorate it tomorrow, the day after Grumpy Girl's birthday. Happy Birthday, GG.
Today the entire Muslim population of Kuching was out shopping for Hari Raya next weekend. New clothes are a must, then they head for the supermarket and stock up on soft drink, cakes and all manner of highly coloured sweets. There will be a lot of hyperactive people on the streets next weekend. When this is over Christmas will get a look-in. We have borrowed a potted palm from the courtyard to serve as a Christmas tree. We will keep to family tradition and decorate it tomorrow, the day after Grumpy Girl's birthday. Happy Birthday, GG.
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