Susie's Blog

Yesterday i noticed all the kids from BS school came in as if they never washed their hair. Until Ruby came in and I asked who on earth did your hair. Bit colourful hey. She said its a bad hair day today. So she did that herself. That was a good one. at age 7 that was cool creative hairdo. At my age if i go out in that hairdo people will start avoiding me because of my serious mental illness.
 

Now mum and dad are back to Taiwan, life is really back to normal. How come I just feel like there are endless things that needed to be done. Firstly we need get the roof person to do the repair. We replaced the whole lot last year with a 7 years warrenty. This year was only the first year and the small top of it was already blown off by the wind. We rang thousand times and even wrote to them (under the law they have to response to writing). Yesterday they finally said that they can come and we were waiting for the whole day. No one turned up and no one picked up the phone in their office. I left two very firm messages and yet no one responded to it. What a crap company! Remember when we first asked them for the job (before we paid of course) their service was so quick!
 Anyway apart from that life is pretty much the same. Wake up early at 6, starting at 7 am. Finish around 9 am Then do some preparations, banking work or go to the gym/dance classes. Have a long lunch and a 20 mins nap. Then start from 3 pm again till late. A few nights a week I go ice skating or flamenco very late if I happen to finish teaching earlier. Then Saturday and Sunday I will teach the classes for singing and dancing plus some piano kids from 8:00 till later. Whenever I have time I go do something active..... Since joining the health club I tried to cut lesson expenses to be less this year. So this year I just learn piano with Briedie King, lyrical Jazz dance at Sydney dance company, flamenco with Marina and maybe back to Ice skating in the group (private lesson is just too expensive).
This is my life. All the same old same old.
 

After 8 years learning Flamenco with Katia we decided to change school to Stanmore 2 years ago. The teachers in Stanmore were great. But it was just too far. So this year after we realised there is another SPanish flamenco teacher in the northern beaches, all of us changed school again. Like gypsies. We move with whatever comes attractive to us. The new school doesn't have a fixed venue. The teacher Marina just hired different venues alongside the northern beaches. Yesterday I went for the first group lesson (I took a private lesson with her last week gee that was expensive. $100 per hour!!) , both her private and group lessons were awesome. In one class you get to do the percussion, dance, castanets, fan and shawl. None of the gears we bought before became a waste. So we were very happy. Flamenco society is so small. All the students like us move between studios to studios..... So many familiar faces were there last night too.

  We used to hang around all the time in Univerisity. In the 90s we ate, party, dance, karaoke....all of us were really closed friends for a long time.  We went to Tony and Wendy's massive house in the north shore. We haven't done this for a very long time....so it was amazing that this time everyone (who is still in Australia) turns up!! It was a really lovely afternoon. With so much food, drinks, coffee, desserts, sun and the heat that afternoon!!  Everyone is from different walk of life and everyone accomplishes well in their chosen profession but when we get together we sound and behave just as stupid as 14 years ago!
 

Look Monica did the hair herself and that dress was bought in USA years before (not intend for wedding or anything...but happened to be the right one for it!!)

Can't get over with this spectacular view. Apparently there are 564 apartments here and there is only one penhouse!!! Can you imagine how expensive that will be!! Even each 2 bedroom apartments is around million. Ah...the view from the top is beyong words.

 

I phone is awesome. Monica said she can't see how i can live without it. Even in Gold coast I was constantly communicating with enquiries since this is the beginning of the term. A lot of things I was shopping and changing clothes in the shop, or at the beach when students call me. It's quite tricky to sound professional under circumstances like that!! Everything seems going very smooth today. I want to advertise casual teachers who can do singing and dancing for my talent class.....kids come back looking so grow up, especially the teenager boys. Its so amazing. I feel my aging process is quicker whenever I see them!!

Western food is fine but after a while I really need asian food. Western food only does for me to certain extend. After few days in Gold coast we could no longer eat OZ food. But the only Chinese one near Marina is closed. We end up to this typical OZ club food. This is fantastic !! Not too expensive (about $20 for each plate...which is quite reasonable for food in Australia) and taste really good and can really make you feel happy.Check it out!

All OZ love summer. In summer my students come to lessons either before or after beach. Always wear very little, either a sun dress or bikini with some shirts or skirts on. Boys will be in their surfing shorts. They love the sun. I love the sun too even though most of the asian girls in Asia will cover head to toe, I always walk under strong sunlight (with sunscreen of course). Look at the gold coast surfers paradise beach. Isn't it just glorious?
I took this on my 6 am walk at the beach....
 

Monica is very good at picking accomadations. She always picks the high class one and then we all pay for it. But its ok la. Mum and dad are here ma.....okok la. This is Q 1. Its the tallest residential building in the world. So pretty. Poor Andy didn't come. We spent 4 days there.....eat, sleep, swim, shop, to the beach. I got up early every morning around 6, took a walk at the gold coast beach, jumped into the pool then back to breakfast and read a book before everyone gets back. Very typical Australian holiday. No rush, no plan. Just relax in the sun.
This is the top looking out place from our apartment in Gold coast. Isn't the ocean view breath taking?