Snow Day in Ningbo!!

I woke today to find the ground covered in a fluffy layer of snow!! Since I live in Australia, snow is indeed a rare sight. I was so excited! The last time I played in the snow was about three years ago, during my previous visit to China.

After breakfast and some house chores however, half the snow has melted away. Still, there was plenty to make a small snowman. My sister Jane and I thus wrapped up in cloaks, scarves and gloves and headed outside.

We got all the snow we needed from on top of the cars coz the snow there are the whitest and the fluffiest. Findind a place to build the snowman was a bit difficult as there weren't many flat ground around. At last we found a stone chair to act as the base for our snowman project. My gloves were soon soaked by the melting snow, making snowman-building increasinly difficult. Brrr...it was freezing! At last, our beautiful snowman was finished, we used a few lychee cores for its eyes and nose, and a piece of snow pea for the mouth. We dubbed it: Mr.Squishy!!!

The Pros and Cons of Living in China

Although China is my home country, I still think that Australia is a better country to live in. Well, both countries have their own pros and cons. Wouldn't it be great if I can mix the two together? :P

Pros of living in China:

• The cost of living is cheaper. Say if one earns money in Australia, then spend it in China, nearly everything would seem a whole lot more affordable, especially every day essentials.
• Late closing times are very convienient. Every day, shopping centres are open until 10 to 11pm, unlike in Melbourne, where the shops close at 5.30pm except on Thursdays and Fridays when shops close at 9.00pm.
• Clothing range: the varieties of clothes on sale in China is far more diverse than what I have noticed in Melbourne. Most of my clothes are bought from China as there are not many clothes that suit me or my tastes back in Melbourne.
• Food glorious food: I can enjoy authentic Chinese cuisine in China, as well as other delicacies which cannot be found in Australia.

Cons of living in China:

• Large population: in my hometown, Ningbo, alone, there are over 5 million people. Due to rapid development, the number of vehicles on the roads are increasing by hundreds every day. It is a pain just to park your car, not to mention travelling a major road during peak hours. My cousin told me that you can leave your car on the road to use the toilet and when you return, your car would still be in the same spot!
• Dangerous traffic: in China, you cannot wait until the road is clear to cross the road, or else you will never get to the other side. It is a pedestrian's job to safely weave in and out of vehicles to cross the road. Cars will come within inches of you, even on a pedestrian crossing. Cars are not the only danger. Cyclists and motorcyclists are probably the most daring people on the roads. They are everywhere, zooming in and out of streets, one must keep their wits about them in order to avoid being hit.
• Inadequate control of hygiene rules: even though their are "keep our country clean" signs everywhere, some people still spit all over the place, which is much more indecent than littering. When I walk on the streets, I have to constantly look on the ground to avoid stepping on spit. Eww...XP Australia is much cleaner and less pollution results in a better environment.
  

Nevertheless, China is still an exciting country, with plenty to see and do. Still, I can't wait to return to Melbourne! :)

Winter in China

Brrr!! It's so cold here in mainland China. Still, I am glad to leave the stuffy hot summer back in Melbourne, Australia. One thing I missed though - my pet rabbit Rex. I had to leave him at home in the cage all the time, but my lovely auntie is looking after him every day. Although he won't be out and about, at least he would have a clean cage and litterbox, and plenty of food and water.

We got a new home in my hometown Ningbo, China. It's kinda like a two-storey apartment and it's ultra awesome! It is much more modern-looking than my home back in Melbourne. I have my own room with a double bed! Dad also bought a 46inch Sharp Aquos LCD TV, complete with DVD player and surrond stereo system. Watching movies at home is a whole lot better now! Our home has three bedrooms, an open study, two bathrooms, two balconies, two walk-in wardrobes and an open kitchen opposite a spacious living room. Ahh! I love my new home! :)

I have been in China for nearly a month now and have done a LOT of shopping already. I got heaps of new clothes, shoes, a R4 card and leather pouch for my Nintendo DS, some books and best of all, a lap top computer of my own! It's a blue Sony CR series laptop and it's absolutely brilliant!!

Food here in China is really cheap, well in terms of currency conversion. One Australian dollar equals to around 6.5 RMB. When I go to supermarkets, I buy a load of snacks such as cakes and those yummy Asian snacks, which are a lot cheaper than in Melbourne! My grandparents also buy us fruits which you don't get in Australia, they said, "Try to enjoy them while you can!" Mmmm....I'm in heaven! Hehe...

Well, that's it for now...FOR NOW...more to come! :P

End of VCE...and high school!

Yes, right now I am in China, enjoying a well-earned holiday after two hectic years of VCE. I have achieved a satisfactory ENTER, which enabled me to get into my first preference course: Bachelor of Commerce New Generation. Mac Rob class of 2007 has yet again triumphed as the top school in Victoria with a median ENTER of 96.80! I think this is either the 6th or 7th consecutive year that Mac Rob has come first out of all the other high schools. At first I was a little afraid that we might not make it, but it turns out we are the best year 12 class so far, with the highest median ENTER ever!! Class of 2006 might be the golden year, but class of 2007 is the diamond year! lol

Our teachers often remind us that year 12 is going to be the best year of high school, but in my opinion, year 11 was the best. Year 12 was too stressful and tiring to be very enjoyable. Although year 11 was the first year of VCE, the stress level was not as high, meaning I could still do some of my favourite activities during free time. I like my year 11 teachers better overall as well. Especially in Biology and Physics, where we can muck around a lot without being told off. For example in biology class one day, we get to disect a rat and examine its digestive system. After drawing a rough (and messy) diagram, some peole started to mutilate their rats. By using a scapel, a couple of girls crushed a rat's skull. The crunching sound made Ms Williams look up and she said in an exasperated tone, "Will you stop making those sick noises! Leave the rats alone!" However, she rarely gets angry, and always likes to joke around, which made biology classes a heap of fun. The stench of the rats were overwhelming as well, and in just one lesson, we used up two cans of air refresheners, but even that could not completely cover up the smell of dead frozen rats. As a result, we left the class with a mixed scent of rats and air refersheners...

Year 12 was much more serious, and it felt like the shortest year. We had so much homework, assignments and assessments that even the term holidays felt more like catch-up periods rather than vacation. The hard work was paid off in the end though, and now it's all over!! But year 12 wasn't all work and no play. I still went to orchestra rehearsals once a week, one of the few year 12s who still do. I joined House Chorals, the Winter Concert and concert choir. These are the things which made my last year of high school even more enjoyable and memorable. My favourite teachers this year are got to be Ms Scarpino for accounting and Ms Gurm for biology. Ms Gurm is one of the funniest teachers I've ever met, but she takes our class seriously and most importantly, she is fair.

The greatest asset that I have gained from the past two years is friendship. I have made many new friends and got closer with some old ones. My best friends are Yimo, Sandra, Maria, Coral, Enlin, Jin, Sally and Ziwei. I also have friends in all my classes as well as in orchestra. I hope to remain in touch with all of them.

The past two years are filled with excitement, happiness, tears and memories. I will never forget these.

My New Blog

New year, new blog.
Anyway, I've decided to start a brand new blog, called Midnite's World. Hopefully this one will be more active than the last one. :) For the time being, I will not delete my old blog.
Yes, my new year resolution: constant bloggin! lol