Modern times...

Lina, I pinched this cartoon from your Facebook.  It is soooo clever and makes us oldies wonder what the world is coming to!

Another birthday cake

This is the cake Manami made for me.  Philip cooked dinner last night and we had this cake for dessert.

Thanks for your birthday greetings, Michael.

I thought I had Japanese verbs sorted for this morning's lesson, but no.  As usual my students told me the text book is wrong.  I really need to understand Japanese verbs so I can teach the equivalent English ones, but it appears there are very few equivalents - it's all totally different.  VERY difficult.

Off now to pick Emma up from school and take her to piano practice.  Will study these wretched verbs in the car while I'm waiting for her. Need to practise piano myself when we get back, then later I'll go to stretch/yoga class.

Birthday cake

Thanks to Bruce and Wendy for a birthday surprise just now.  Thanks to all who have sent greetings.  Going upstairs for a birthday dinner tomorrow night.

Talking of bathrooms and foreign languages...

Good to hear from you Michael, and to read that you are well and planning a new bathroom.  Coincidentally, I just happened upon a pic of my bathroom before I moved in.   There's currently not a spare square centimetre of space on the bench - completely covered in lotions and potions. 

And talking of learning foreign languages as Winifred and I have been, Michael you are a shining example of a foreigner who speaks foreign languages perfectly, putting us to shame.  The same goes for you, too, Karin from Germany and Karin from Sweden.

Got your email, thanks Frank.  Good to know you are OK.

I had some red meat again last night and must admit I'm feeling less tired and more energetic.  Maybe that's all I need to do!  I'm pleased the doctor pointed this out to me.

Haven't got time to die...

Oh, not another passion!  In between doing Japanese and practising the piano I have just discovered a wonderful TV program - British, of course - called 'Literary Landscapes', this one featuring Thomas Hardy, one of my favourite writers (after Tolstoy). This pic is of his house.  Nothing old like this here, so we Australians simply adore such beautiful buildings. I hope this program will be on weekly.

Just got my new glasses and now I can see.  Go to the eye specialist in a couple of weeks.  My mother went blind, so I make sure I have my eyes checked every year.

Yes, we have been through a lot together, Winifred.  It is a strange thing that we English-speakers find other languages so difficult.  We have absolutely no talent for learning foreign languages.  In spite of that, I continue to struggle with Japanese.

I continue to be tired all the time, too.  Last evening I had not a drop of energy and went to bed with no swim and no exercise class.  Have a piece of steak, was my doctor's advice.  It's probably what I need, as I know I don't eat enough red meat.

Michael and Frank, I hope you are OK.  

Starting Japanese again. Again. Again.

I actually learnt some Japanese this morning, after trying to motivate myself for about four years.  Let's hope I can keep it up.

In theory, when I give an English lesson to my three students on Monday mornings, I'm supposed to be able to do the same in Japanese.  But of course, I never can.

Notice the stack of paintings leaning against the chest of drawers at the end of the table - been here for four years and have not yet found enough wall space to hang them up.

The one thing I am doing regularly is exercising six days a week - stretch/yoga, pilates, aquazumba, and/or swim laps.  Almost never miss.

That visit to the vet...

I really was exhausted after pilates last night - in fact, I was exhausted before pilates - but managed to stay awake while I got myself a nice dinner, then (as anticipated) collapsed into bed about 8pm and slept solidly till 7:45am, right through two alarms.

Muffy's visit to the vet deserves a mention.  I know vets are always expensive and I wouldn't think of not taking her, especially as the problem turned out to be a bacterial infection in her ears, which, if left untreated, could have become very nasty, BUT the prescribed ear drops cost $69.92 for 8.5 mls!  I know I'm spoilt as I get all my human medications for a mere $6 and the taxpayer picks up the rest, but this is ridiculous.  You can hardly see the container.  That works out at $8.22 per ml.  And 1 ml of anything is almost invisible.  At that rate, $55 for the actual visit was cheap.  Then there was $35 for the slide examined under a microscope and $21.27 for some stuff to squirt into her ears to clean them.

I took the two kids with me and they were wide-eyed watching what he did.  All the way home, Hugo talked about wanting to be a vet ('bet', as he pronounces it) to help sick animals.

I just made the print larger as it's getting hard for me to read and I have to wait another week for my new glasses.

I can't believe Max is nearly 18, Winifred.  Have we been emailing for about 14 years?????

Busy, busy

I'm sure we're all the same - forever trying to get everything done and never quite succeeding.

Just this morning this is what I had to do:

• 6:30 - practise piano
• 7:00 - have breakfast, supervise kids' breakfast, skype friend in Turkey
• 8:00 - supervise Emma's reading and piano practice, write on sympathy card, fill in form for new licence, answer some emails
• 9:00 - take Emma to school, talk to teacher about problem
• 9:30 - get new licence
• 10:00 - go to chemist to have scripts made up
• 10:30 - pick up new glasses - I had the right time but wrong week!
• 10:35 - break for coffee and cake
• 10:40 - go to Aldi and other shops, chat to friend in Westfield  (always run into somebody)
• 11:30 - make appt with vet to look at Muffy's ears
• 12:00 - home for lunch, collapse in heap while reading paper on iPad, crossword

This afternoon I have to:

• 2:00 - catch up on months of Japanese
• 3:00 - pick Emma up from school
• 4:00 - take Muffy, Emma and Hugo to vet (that's if I can find Muffy)
• 4:30 - take kids to park
• 5:30 - hand kids over to daddy
• 6:15 - pilates
• 7:30 - prepare dinner (or eat a bowl of muesli if too tired)
• 8:00 - probably fall into bed exhausted and listen to BBC radio 4

Winifred and Olga - It was fun with my 24-yr-old, who is so interesting.  We spent a couple of hours together, first in a bookshop/cafe then at the swimming centre.  He just needs grandmotherly contact, which I understand perfectly.  I was quite flattered to have been chosen!  His parents are only in their 40s, so I'm probably the oldest person he's ever known!!

Life is full of surprises...

This photo, from friend Sue who lives right next door to the Gov-Gen's residence on Sydney Harbour, and right opposite the Opera House, is one of my favourites of all time. What a contented possum!  He has very good taste, too, visiting such a lovely garden.

Another surprise was to make a new friend this morning.  A young man of 24 has invited me to lunch tomorrow!  He's fairly new to Sydney, having come from UK on a working holiday, and I'll be delighted to get to know him and maybe get some contacts for him while he's in Sydney.

Makes me feel like an honorary grandmother, and I'm quite flattered.

It makes me think of the German lass, Bianka, who came to me from Germany some years back, when she was just 18.