Something new

So it has been a long time since I blogged anything on here but there is a good reason....

after a break from blogging, I am trying something new, just for a year...its called 22 adventures...check it out at

www.22adventures.blogspot.com

The Final Report

Well Happy New Year… Merry Christmas and all that…it seems that once again I have abandoned my blog, but here I am trying to redeem myself by providing perhaps the last list update ever…the final count…I was just going to add the ones I have now achieved, but I thought that I might just go through the lot and we can all reminisce together…the the ones that are done deals are all in bold and there are links to the ones that I have blogged about, info on the new ones and perhaps I can give even give some lame excuses as to why I couldn’t do everything!

1. Exercise regularly…

Well to put it bluntly no…there were times that I tried, but nothing lasted, no excuses, just laziness

2. Keep up to date with things I have due at uni
Done…nothing was handed in late, and everything passed Woo Hoo

3. Keep up to date with things I have due at ChurchThis one was not so good…the poor pursuit mag died and I missed my grade 6 transition day coz I was in china…opps, sorry grade six kids.

4. Be on time (well at least more often then I am late)

Well I think that I did quite well at this there was only one lecture that I was never on time to, but most other things I was defiantly more on time than I was late, so I think it can be crossed off.

5. Control the amount of chocolate that I eat

I am pretty sure I failed this…I am a chocaholic…can anyone help?

6. Learn Guitar

Well I started…I didn’t get far, but I started and that’s good enough for me.

7. Sing with a Big Band

8. Wash my car (by myself)

9. Sleep in the backyard

I don’t really have a reason for not doing this other than I forgot.

10. Stop pushing the snooze button, and just get up, surely its not that hard

As if it was ever going to happen…this one remains undone

11. Stay with Mick and Helen in Bright

Not this year…Dave did, but not me…Curse you overseas holidays and fun things filling my holiday time!

12. Meet the rest of Dave’s rellies from the big NZ

ahh…not this year…China and Queensland were enough for me, maybe 08?

13. Not let Dave get sick

Well he had his tonsils out in January, but that wasn’t my fault and other than that he remained relatively healthy

14. Have my car valet parked

Still waiting for some one to valet my car

15. Clean out my wardrobe and actually throw stuff out

I did it and the Salvos now have it…woo hoo, oh and now my room has also been cleaned out and thanks to Dave as well coz it looks amazing.

16. Don’t owe anyone money

Sorry Mum, Dad and Dave…it is coming

17. Visit my great grandma at least 4 times

Done, done, done and done…

1. Just a visit.

2. Her 100th birthday party.

3. Her 100th birthday day.
4. Unfortunately in hospital

18. Say no to a job I don’t have time to do, even if I want to do the job

Well this year as much as it hurt I had to let my cell girls go so that they could have someone that could give all the time they needed not just dribs and drabs

19. Allow Dave not to be my slave

20. Have Indian food
21. Be more gracious and tolerant

Well I don’t know about this one, I think I am, but I guess its up to you guys…if you don’t think I am…speak now or forever hold your peace (just on the side…is that peace correct or is it speak now and forever hold your piece of information or is it both and should it be piace)!

22. Try real sushi, you know raw fish and all

23. Order something other than pasta, stir-fry or pizza from a restaurant

Well seeing as I have had had Indian and Japanese this one gets crossed over but I have also had lots of other different dishes, including burgers, steaks and prawns

24. Shell a prawn

Once again done in China…but this one was at a friend of Dad’s house where it was sprung on me, in order to make a good first impression I chose to struggle away at shelling my own prawns rather than getting Dad to do them for me and looking like a bit of a fool

25. Go on holidays with my mum

Well we didn’t travel together, but we were both overseas at the same time and because Dad worked during the Day we got to hang out together a lot so it was a holiday together.

26. Get a CD stacker

It can’t be done, I tried but it can’t be done. Instead I got karen…my GPS

27. Go to a state or country I have never been to

28. Be less judgemental

I am a girl…this one could take time.

29. Save some money

Well considering I still owe money, its pretty hard to save while in debt, so unfortunately this one remains undone

30. Lose a bit of weight

Lets just say with the lack of exercise and the addiction to chocolate I am in big trouble

31. Wear something other than jeans for a whole week

I don’t think I did this, I can’t really remember though…I am pretty sure I didn’t I just can’t seem to get by without my jeans.

32. Drive to one of Dave’s gigs in the city

With the help of Karen I made it all the way to the Rising sun hotel in South Melbourne to hear Dave play.

33. Pull off a parallel park

34. Blog at least once a week

Well it may not have been a new blog every week but for the whole year there were 122 in total for the whole year which makes and average of 2.35 a week.

35. Learn how to rip gaffa tape with my bare hands

36. Go to a concert of someone famous

37. See a musical

38. Go on a boat

Well on my trip to Queensland earlier in the year I went on a few boats, one to the Great Barrier Reef and one to Hamilton Island and Chance bay
39. Go to Luna Park

I only went for a little while, but I went, turns out its not as good as I remembered and there is a real chance you could die on the rides, they are looking very average.

40. Go Fishing

I don’t have a fishing rod…need I say more

41. Watch a V8 Car race in real life as in not on TV

I went to two and they was awesome… Sandown and a win for team Vodafone and then Philip Island for the grand final… I am a rev head and I love it!
42. See the penguins at Philip island

Not done… and it’s a shame, I do love the penguins

43. Meet Craig Lowndes

Well I didn’t meet Craig or Jamie, but I did meet Jason Bright, Mark Winterbottom, and John Bowe and that’s enough for one year.

44. Watch the Sunrise

If watching out the back of the car on the way to the V8s counts…its done

45. Die my hair a weird colour not all of it, but at least some

Not done…I am gutless

46. Drink a bottle of water everyday

This went great guns and then I missed one day and it was all over red rover… what a shame

47. Cook a 3 course meal for my family

Not yet…one day

48. Organise my photos properly

Well they are all in folders and ready to go…but not organised and the ones I wanted to put in albums are all still on the computer

49. Play dark zone

Well it wasn’t called Dark Zone but it’s the same thing and it was actually more fun than I thought it would be.

50. Have a fully non cola/red slurpee

51. Play a board game with Dave (and others to, but just getting Dave to play a board game is the tough bit)

52. Not crash a car

Done… 1 year lots of driving… 0 crashes… Woo Hoo

53. Ride an exercise bike (more than once)

Done I think only twice but its done

54. Ride a real bike (more than once)

Also done…again only twice but its done

55. Do karaoke

I am a karaoke convert…I love it seriously and my only taste of it was Chinese karaoke imagine how much I would love Australian karaoke.
56. Try sarsaparilla

Done and its disgusting!

57. Read 5 books from dad’s library

Done…
Echo Park by Michael Connelly
Angles Flight by Michael Connelly
City of Bones by Michael Connelly
Killing Floor by Lee Child
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

58. Learn to drive a manual

Well it’s a bit like the gitaur I have started but I am not quite there… I can do the gears and clutch just not together!

59. Try a radio controlled car

Thanks to Jess who gave Dusty one for his birthday, this is also done.

60. Go in one of those trampolines with the big nets all the way round

I still want to, but I have to find a friend with one.

61. Enter a radio competition

Not done I chickened out.

62. Try licorish ice cream/gelati

Also done and its disguisting
63. Go to the tip

I didn’t go in but I did drive through so I have been
64. Ride a skateboard

Any one got a skateboard?

65. Write a kids book

Done…its about a fly who just wants a friend and its great even if I say so myself…perhaps I can put it on my blog…or perhaps you will just have to wait till its released to the stores

66. Have a rainbow paddle pop

Done and it was just as good as I remembered

67. Get some tadpoles

I wish

68. Have a dancing lesson

It was a professional Dancing lesson, but I did get taught a dance…for RAWards

69. Score 10 points in a season of basketball

I wish I could score 2points in a season let alone 10

70. Use my Jurlique voucher

Thank you Jurligue voucher for my lovely facial and massage even if it was in the middle of a shopping center!
71. learn 10 songs on guitar

They are basic and pretty crap…but they are songs and I play them on guitar!

72. Go to the museum

Well it wasn’t Melbourne Museum, but it was a museum…it was the Palace museum in China better known as the Forbidden City!
73. Go to the snow

Thanks Lish, Adam and Kitty for a lovely snow trip to Lake mountain…but I think that I am too old to toboggan!
74. Be a parking attendant

I missed my chance at ACC…maybe this year

75. Beat Brad Dupuy at BUZZ (on PS2)

Done and now I have Buzz of my own so I guess I might be able to do it again!

76. Try a strange food that I haven’t even heard of yet

Dragon Fruit and its great… a pink fruit with a white flesh with black seeds…tastes like a cantaloupe and kiwi fruit baby

77. Try to understand what “negative gearing” means for tax purposes

Negative gearing is when your business costs more than what it earns but you get money back in tax.

78. Build something from IKEA (something relatively elaborate)

Well it wasn’t that elaborate but I did build a few things including boxes, files and a lamp.

79. Try some Durian fruit (the one with the odour…)

Not yet…

80. Work out how to check my water and oil and top up my washer bottle

Can do…

81. Work out how to change a tyre

Not yet…but it is probably hindered by the fact that the bolts on my tires are done by machine and not even Dave can move them.

82. Bake some meringues (that actually taste good)

I would like to say I had at least tried but that would be a lie

83. Go to 24 hour K-mart between the hours of 1-3am

Thanks to Pheebs and Kirsten I went to K-mart at 1:00am to print some photos and it was actually really busy…how weird and it was early in the year it wasn’t even like there was a big event coming up
84. Get some boots that fit my mighty calves

85. Drive in a convertible with the roof down

I had a few opportunities but none actually happened

86. Write a letter to a friend I haven’t seen in years

Thanks the to the brilliance of Facebook I was able to chat with people that I haven’t seen or spoke to since primary school.

87. Bake a cake and take it to work

Just like the meringues…I would like to say I tried but that would be lying

88. Wear high-heels, well even just girlier shoes more often

I think I have done this so I am going to cross it off but you better check with Dave

89. Try beef-jerkie

I had some and I let it go to waste…Jake brought me some to try but it went passed its used by date and I wasn’t that game!

90. Go without TV for a week

I didn't plan ahead well enough

91. Drive Dustin’s car

92. Read/listen to my bible everyday

This went great guns just like the water and then I missed one day, coincidently the same day as the water and it was all over red rover… what a shame

93. Watch a sunset on the beach

Dave and I tried and just caught the end of it after racing into St Kilda to see it

94. Stand out in the rain

95. See some fireworks

96. Jump off a pier
Its dangerous you know

97. Not Shave my legs (just emjoi...you thought i was going bush, lol)
Well seeing as my emjoi died I couldn’t keep it up…but I did try

98. Go on a horse and cart ride
Dave?????

99. Visit all the "Emma" streets listed in the melways (part 1, part 2, part 3)

and here are the latest additions...

All except two, one in Leopold and one in Tarneit but they weren’t in Melbourne so I don’t think that they count…but it was fun fun fun

100. Win an award

So there you go that’s what I did in 2007…a total of 62! So heres the question though…there are 38 left…do I just keep going and finish the list even though 2007 is over or do I start a new list for 08? Let me know…vote on my poll!

The Rest...

So I have kind my blog unattended for a few days, well actually the whole rest of my trip, but heres the highlights of the rest of the trip…

DAY 7
After my slightly scary experience at the silk market on my first day in Beijing, today Dad organised for Zhang Wei (his driver) to take me to a different market called “ya show” one where they can’t pull or push you and if they do they get reported to the market authority. Once we arrived I thought that Zhang Wei would just stay with the car or go do something else, but to my surprise he came with me. It was really good to practice my Chinese with him. I feel like my Chinese is getting better so hopefully it will continue to get better.

In the Afternoon I decided to go exploring and try and find a little market just past a department store called Lan Dao that mum had told me about. On the way to the market I got a little bit lost so I had to ring mum all the way in Australia to get directions, but eventually I found it, and it was also pleased to find that the market had a great DVD shop.

DAY 8
Today Dad and I started the day with a walk to a fancy new department store where we went to my new favourite bakery “Paris Baguette” and had some breakfast, I had a cup of “hong cha” or English breakfast tea with my breakfast but when I asked for some milk for my tea they looked at me like I was an idiot and then gave me these little tiny milks for my tea.

After our walk Dad went to dinner with some of his work friends. One of Dad’s mates cooked us an amazing dinner which started with an entrée of king prawns and then a lovely main of baked salmon, it tasted so great, seriously I was a little bit worried about it all but it was fantastic. However I had never shelled a prawn before (hence why it was no.24 on my list) but because I was at some else’s home and I didn’t want to embarrass my Dad I had to just do it, so with one careful I on Dad I managed to shell my first, second and third prawns.

DAY 9
Today I went to church with Dad, on the way I had to defend myself in the car because now I could understand what Dad was saying about me to Zhang Wei (one week in Beijing has definitely done me well). I actually enjoyed going to Dad’s church a lot more than I thought I would, I knew it was a little more traditional then I was used to but I actually really enjoyed it was nice to have something familiar after a week in such an unfamiliar place.

After church Dad and I went on one of his famous Sunday walks, we walked all the way to a lake called Hou hai and then to Tian A Men square and then home again, stopping at a Dumpling restaurant for tea, in total we walked 27km…which just in case you were wondering is a really long way.

DAY 10
Today I was on my own, well dad was just a work, but it was up to me to entertain myself for the day, so I decided to go back to the little market past lan dao that mum had told me about and have lunch at the Paris baguette and read. It was very relaxing and lovely. So after a shop I walked home and went to the gym and then went out for Dinner with Dad.

For dinner Dad took me to an Indian restaurant, as he had made it his priority to knock as many thing off my list as he could and that was number 20. I was a little worried about having Indian because I don’t really like spicy foods, but it was on the list and we were there so…we had Indian. While we were ordering our meals Dad spoke to the lady in Chinese and said that he liked spicy things and she suggested as dish, all which I understood, so as our meals kept coming out I kept asking him which one was the spicy one and he kept assuring me that it was still coming and kept putting more food on to my plate, which I ate and kept asking why it was soooo hot and why I felt like my mouth was going to explode, the whole time Dad just tole me how weak I was but then after we had finished he admitted that the whole time I had been eating this really hot dish and yes it did have some kick! So there you go now I have had Indian in its finest form.

DAY 11
Today was my first “tourist” day, at 9am Zhang Wei picked me up and drove me to the Forbidden City. I love the Forbidden City and even though I had been there twice before I still found it just as interesting as the first time I went. I find Chinese History so interesting, I think it is because there is so much of it and it is so different from Australia’s of even England’s for that matter. It’s full of corruption and scandal, but also culture, tradition and wealth, it’s seriously great. I know that it’s probably weird to like a history that much but I do and I know that I am not even close to knowing half of it. It was also good to go today with my own little audio tour and without Dave and Dustin telling me they were bored and cold and wanted to go back to the hotel.

After I had finished exploring I had to catch a taxi back to the apartment so that I would be at my Chinese lesson, so I left the forbidden city and started looking for a taxi, but because the forbidden city backs on the Tian ‘A men city getting a taxi outside is actually quite difficult so with the help of an English speaking students and 2 policemen I finally found a taxi and jumped in. I told the taxi driver where I wanted to go and he agreed and started driving, but then after about 5 minutes he pulled over and told me that he didn’t know and kicked me out of the taxi. So I was in the middle of Beijing, not really sure where I was standing on the side of the road a little panicked and now running late and needing a new taxi. Eventually I found a new taxi and checked and double checked that he new where to go before he left and he did and so he took me home.

DAY 12
Today started with another Chinese lesson and then I was once again left to my own devices, so once again I headed down to the market past lan dao, this time to swap over some DVDs and then to have lunch and finish my book at the Paris baguette. Not too exciting, but relaxing!

DAY 13
Day 13 also started with a Chinese lesson however after my lesson today when Zhang Wei took my teacher home he also took me with him and we drove to the airport because Mum was flying in and we needed to pick her up. The trip out the airport was when I realised that my language had gotten much better as I spent the whole trip in and most of the time at the airport speaking in Chinese with Zhang wei. Although he spoke slower than he normally would with me it was still a bit of confidence booster. In the afternoon, I took mum to a local Chinese restaurant then that night we went out for tea with dad and some of his work friends to a Japanese restaurant where I was able to cross off another thing from my list (no. 22) as I tried real sushi for the first time. It is nice to have mum around as it gives me a friend to hang out with while Dad is at work.

DAY 14
Today mum and I had a big shopping Day, we started at a Russian market which was very different to lots of the other markets. The atmosphere is a little tenser and the things that they sell are a little different, the shop assistants also try to speak to you in either Russian or Chinese which is weird. We didn’t stay there long because it is also different in that all the little stalls are covered and to look at what they have you have to actually go in you can’t just look from the isle like you do in the other markets. Then we headed to ya show and did a bit more shopping before we went to our Lunch date with two of the wives of Dad’s work mates, Elaine and Phoebe. We had lunch at a place called Lotus Peak a buddist vegertarian restaurant. The food was really yummy but it was all made of to fu but none of it tasted like it, we had tofu sausages and a dish called shark slice and cones made out of seaweed. Very different but very yummy. After lunch Elaine’s driver took us home and mum and I had a little rest while we waited for Dad to come home. When Dad came home we went out for tea at the place.

DAY 15
Today Dad, Mum and I went to the great wall. Zhang wei drove us out to a place called Jin Shan Ling from which we started out 10km hike to a town called Si Ma Tai along an unrestored part of the wall. The walk was intense as it was constantly up or down but rarely flat and as it had not been restored lots of the stones were lose and you had to go quite slowly. Because it was also in winter it was cold and there were also patches of ice on the path. So between sections of strenuous climbing and almost dying of exhaustion I did get to have a look at the amazing scenery and it seriously was amazing. It was also very cool to be on a part of the wall that had not yet been restored so it was all original and naturally falling apart. Once we finally made it to Si Ma Tai (4 hours later) we found Zhang Wei and drove to our dinner destination, my favourite restaurant in the whole world… Da Dong. Da Dong is a peaking duck restaurant which seriously is the best in the world, if you are ever in Beijing I highly recommend it.

DAY 16
Today being a Sunday we started the day at church and then went on one of Dad’s massive Sunday walks. Today we again walked to lake Ho Hai on the way we stopped for lunch at McDonalds then we walked to a shopping place called Wong fu Jin. After a not very nice shopping experience and feeling a little tired we got Zhang wei to pick us up and talk us to Dad’s favourite dumpling restaurant for tea at which I had another interesting dish that actually tasted pretty good…hairy gourd and shredded jellyfish. After dinner, on the way home we stoped and got a foot massage which I was a little worried about because I have very very very ticklish feet, but it was actually quite relaxing and much cheaper than it is in Australia.

DAY 17

Today Mum and I had another big shopping day, this time we started at the Pearl market, which turned out to be a great market to shop at with heaps of bargains, from there we went to China’s Ikea because Dad needed a new bookshelf. At Ikea we had Swedish meatballs for lunch because Ikea in china is exactly the same as it is I guess everywhere else in the world, well at least the same as it is in Australia, but everything is written in Chinese and Swedish rather than in English and Swedish.

From there we went and drove past the new Olympic stadium the “bird’s nest” it’s a pretty amazing and I am sure it will be the perfect spot for an Olympic ceremony, which is lucky I guess. Then we headed home and dropped mum off and then Zhang Wei and I went off to Karaoke…which is number 55 just in case you were wondering!

Karaoke was something else that I was really looking forward to doing, but also really worried about but it was sooooooooo much fun, seriously one of the highlights of my trip. Of course what made it a little more interesting was that Zhang Wei sang in Chinese and I sang in English. But it was so much fun and I think that I will need to explore some Karaoke some where in Oz.

DAY 18
Day 18 was my last full Day in Beijing, so after one last Chinese lesson and a little wait for Dad’s bookshelf to arrive, mum and I hit the shops again, going back to Ya show for one last shop. When we had brought more than we could carry, Zhang Wei took us to another department store so that I could buy a webcam, then we went home and got ready to go out for our final dinner. For dinner we met Dad’s work mates at a restaurant called the China Lounge for a good quality Chinese meal before I headed home. I am actually a little sad about leaving china and all that it has to offer. I really like speaking in a second language and the culture of china and I think I will be sad to leave it behind. But I can always come back…one day.

DAY 19
This morning I went and had breakfast at the Kerry Centre, a hotel near Dad’s apartment, with mum, dad and Zhang Wei. After eating myself silly I went home and packed, which was actually surprising hard to do, 1. because I had way too much stuff and 2. because I didn’t really want to go, I like it in China, I know that there are lots of great things to go home to, but China is very different and I had quite had enough yet, but off to the airport we went and after a few tears, Zhang Wei and Mum watched we go through the doors and head back to the land down under. My flight home was relatively uneventful despite the massive amounts of hand luggage I had…my backpack, a shopping bag, my laptop and my giant eeyore! Now I am home safe and sound and enjoying the change of weather from cold cold Beijing to sunny Melbourne, but I am already starting to plan my trip back to china, I don’t know when I will go, but I will…you’ll see.

So before I finally go, I just want to say thanks to Dad for everything, my trip to china was fantastic, I couldn’t have asked for a better time. Thanks a bunch, love ya lots.