All posts tagged: random

Rare Autumn Moments

Published by Sula H.

They’re rare, and they’re special to anyone who, like me, particularly enjoys this season of the year: autumn moments. I had one the other day after the storm. For once the leaf-cleaners/tree shakers/gardeners of our campus had not gotten to the leaves yet, and so I went out to enjoy the crisp air and the fresh breeze that had done a good job of scattering some of the leaves across the lawns. Of course, some trees haven’t even started to color their leaves (for that I’ll have to wait another week or two), but I’m patient. I’ll wait, and I’ll be prepared for more of those rare autumn moments – once they come …

Around Town: Saturday Night Life

Published by Sula H.

Our Saturday night life usually looks rather tame. Not so the other day, however. Fast pace and a bit of a thrill was the order of the day when we went go-kart racing. Now, if you’re someone with a driver’s license and a love for speed, you might think this is just real boredom . Not so in China, however – I assure you. Most of our friends don’t have any driver’s license, and if they do, they usually don’t have much experience driving. So, getting on a go-kart course with a bunch of people who don’t know what they’re doing can turn into quite the exciting obstacle event, with the added effect that you’ll never know what your obstacles are going to do next. I for my part was entertained enough just watching the action, especially with my special Canadian (squirrel) friend racing the course like a mad-man, and everyone else just trying to escape him. You see, there’s never any ordinary adventure in China. On that note, happy racing, friends!

It’s Coming …

Published by Sula H.

See this? It’s our new lobby, and it’s been coming together just nicely over the last couple of days. Ever since they started the cleaning process! In fact, things have progressed so well, that now we’re actually using the lobby to quickly get from the one building to the other one, whether they want us to or not. Life has definitely improved by a lobby these days! And I can’t wait to see it when it’s actually done!

Well-Constructed

Published by Sula H.

So, I’ve been telling you about how I’ve been living in a construction zone more or less lately, right? Well, here’s one of the reasons for why this isn’t necessarily a very good thing … Both of these signs can be found in our hallways these days. Need I say more? Well, luckily, my apartment has not been affected by this … y.e.t.!

Waiting for that Day …

Published by Sula H.

Lobbies are peculiar things. They serve very well as entrance areas … if they exist. The new lobby which is supposed to connect our new faculty residence with the old faculty residence has been under construction for quite a while now, and we are eagerly awaiting the day when admittance is allowed, and we can use the new main entrance instead of the old side entrance. As I pass by the new lobby every day on my way in or out the building, a thought keeps occurring to me: Life will go a lot faster, once that lobby is in use. Why? Because it’ll cut short my walks to the old building (which I frequent several times a day) by more than half the distance. That’s going to save me a lot of time, I assure you! Unfortunately, that lobby’s still being worked on, so no one can tell, when exactly we’re actually going to be able to use it. However, when I was walking by the place the other, I made an exciting …

After the Rain

Published by Sula H.

It rained last night. For the first time since I’ve been back from the holiday. And as I was walking to breakfast this morning at dawn, something dawned on me: you better watch your step, or else you’ll be responsible for a serious massacre. The problem? Earthworms. Hundreds of them crowding in on us, obviously thinking the road was theirs as much as it is ours! And while I don’t care much for earthworms (to be truly honest), I don’t like after-rain-massacres, either. So, I as I was walking, I knew: I’d better be on my guard!

Workers & Visitors

Published by Sula H.

The other day, I told you about surprise visits I get – be they welcome or not. Well, guess what happened to me just the other day when I got home from work and entered my bedroom … I had this interesting sight to behold: Another kind of surprise visit. This time they’d not bothered using my window as access, but the result was almost the same: Someone roaming about outside my window, a little scare from the unexpected scene, and a sharp pang of realization: you’re not alone – big brother’s always watching … or at least hanging in there right outside of your window!

A Different Kind of Surprise Visits

Published by Sula H.

I told you I’d had more repair stories for you. Here’s one to begin with. As half of our building is still a construction zone, unexpected visits by the workers are not unusual these days. So, on more than one occasion lately, I’ve had surprise visitors. Not the kind of people who like to sit down for a chat with you. No. The kind of visitors who want to walk into your bedroom, climb on the windowsill and use the window as a doorway onto the roof, where some work or other seems to await them. And while I usually like surprises, I’m not quite sure whether I should be pleased about these kinds of visits.

A Little Like Star Wars

Published by Sula H.

I have my own “star wars” battles that I’m fighting these days. To be more precise, it’s actually a lightbulbs war! Ever since I moved into my new place, almost every single day a lightbulb decides to quit its service. Last week, during the holidays (when there was no way of fixing them) it was even seven lightbulbs that needed to be replaced. Now, I know the argument for using energy saving lightbulbs, which are said to be long lasting, and efficient. Yet, I’m someone who prefers the soft, warm light of the traditional lightbulb, and as long as the workers keep replacing the broken bulbs with these bulbs, I won’t mind fighting my own star wars battle with the lightbulbs these days (though I’m aware that the days are numbered!) …

Between Repairs

Published by Sula H.

My life is taking place between repairs these days! Literally every single day, I need to have a worker come to fix something in the new apartment. And that’s not even taking care of the most urgent business – the bad sewage smell which comes up from the drains. And I could tell you a story or two about these repair-guy visits (which I’ll probably do), but for now, I have to admit that those colleagues of mine deciding not to move into the new teacher’s flat but decided to stay in the old building were the ones with the smarter brains. Sad thing is, I never really had much of a choice with the move, and so I have to learn to arrange my life and learn how to live between repairs …