Not in the mood of writing
Archivado en Diario • Fecha: 18-06-2006 18:38:11Have been "back home" for almost three weeks now. Sad, longing, not looking forward anything. Gotta find ways of picking myself up, as Hayley says, but seems hard so far. Thank God Bego is there in the w/e to help me out and make me forget about my misery for a while. And thank God Lost exists :P
Anyway... will talk about the last days in LPC later, my life here is much less painful so... have done loads of paperwork to do with uni matriculation and US visa, almost done with that now. Have been looking for a job but found nothing but a couple of Eng conversation lessons, which at least isn't too bad, since I don't even have to prepare for them. Don't get paid too much though. What else... have seen Marta a couple of times but she's been busy studying for Selectividad and then she has her bfr and new friends... she's leaving on the 23rd for Greece, then I leave for the whole of July and when I come back in August she won't be here... so I wonder how much effort I should put into restablishing our relationship... is it worth it?
Have done the written exams for EOI (5º Inglés), have the oral tomorrow so I gotta pretend I'm studying so my dad won't yell at me.
It's almost time to say goodbye... by Hayley
Archivado en Diario • Fecha: 23-05-2006 00:52:52My Dear 2nd Years
I haven’t had much chance to catch up with you over the last two months and before I look around you will be gone and heading back home. I like to have a farewell breakfast before the exams but it wasn’t possible this year. Looking back over the past two years, I have fond memories of our classes: the in-depth discussions; the jokes and two-way learning that took place. I hope you enjoyed the classes as much as I enjoyed teaching you. I wish you success in all your future endeavours. I found this noteworthy quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson for you to ponder over now and whenever you’re reflecting on the
meaning of success. I also have a heart-warming story of a 92-year old woman and how we can learn from her that being happy is often up to us.
“ To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty;
to find the best in others;
to leave the world a little better;
whether by a healthy child; a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier
because you have lived.”
The 92 year old, petite, well poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her husband of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.
After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window.
"I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight year old having just been presented with a new puppy.
"Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room ... just wait."
"That doesn't have any thing to do with it," she replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged... it's how I arrange my mind.
I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.
Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away just for this time in my life. Old age is like a bank account: you withdraw from it what you've put in.
So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my memory bank. I am still depositing."
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.
Take care of yourself and of others. Be ‘happy’ and ‘successful’ the LPCUWC way!
You will be missed at LPC
Your English teacher,
Hayley
Oh dear
Archivado en Diario • Fecha: 18-05-2006 02:36:072:30 am. Night (or morning?) before the BIG Chem test (not that I look forward it but I want it to be over). Here I am, not sleeping as I probably should, but heading the common room to watch Barcelona-Arsenal, the Champion's League Final.
What's making me behave so irresponsibly? Probably the fact that I have so few days left here at LPC. I really wanna enjoy them, and the perspective of spending a few hours watching a match (when the team I support plays such a significative final) instead of last-minute revision tomorrow morning sounds well.
Oh dear. I'm doing weird things lately, things that people wouldn't expect me to do. So what? Life is here for us to enjoy it. We all should get a bit wild from time to time. Besides, I know I'm gonna miss this so much... sleeping is not worth it, I'll have plenty of time once I get back to Spain (and note I don't dare writing "back home" any longer...) to find myself alone during a whole month (parents at work, sister at school + having finals, friends at uni in some other city, Bego at "el pueblo"...).
anyway, time to go. It's about to start. Yes, there are things starting all the time. Things get to an end too. Bye Emma :(
Finally... a cyclon!
Archivado en Diario • Fecha: 17-05-2006 14:59:33STRONG WIND SIGNAL NO. 3
TROPICAL CYCLONE BULLETIN
HERE IS THE LATEST TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING ISSUED BY THE
HONG KONG OBSERVATORY.
THE STRONG WIND SIGNAL, NO. 3 IS IN FORCE.
THIS MEANS THAT WINDS WITH MEAN SPEEDS OF 41 TO 62
KILOMETRES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED.
AT 2 P.M. THE CENTRE OF TYPHOON CHANCHU WAS ESTIMATED TO BE
ABOUT 220 KILOMETRES EAST-SOUTHEAST OF HONG KONG (NEAR 21.2
DEGREES NORTH 116.0 DEGREES EAST) AND IS FORECAST TO MOVE
NORTH-NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 KILOMETRES PER HOUR TOWARDS
EASTERN GUANGDONG.
IN THE PAST HOUR, WINDS RECORDED AT CHEK LAP KOK AND WAGLAN WERE 49
KM/HR AND 80 KM/HR RESPECTIVELY.
THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ORIGINALLY SHELTERED PLACES
MAY BECOME EXPOSED TO STRONG WINDS AS WIND DIRECTION
CHANGES GRADUALLY TO THE NORTHWEST.
AT THE MOMENT, CHANCHU IS ALMOST AT ITS CLOSEST TO HONG KONG.
IT WILL START TO MOVE AWAY LATER IN THE AFTERNOON.
THE WATER LEVEL AT QUARRY BAY HAS PEAKED, FALLING BACK TO
2.6 METRES ABOVE CHART DATUM.
(PRECAUTIONARY ANNOUNCEMENTS WITH NO. 3 SIGNAL)
(1) YOU ARE ADVISED NOT TO DELAY IN TAKING ALL PRECAUTIONS
TO PROTECT YOUR HOME OR PROPERTY. MAKE SURE NOW THAT ALL
LOOSE OBJECTS ARE SECURE. PORCH FURNITURE, FLOWER POTS AND
OTHER OBJECTS LIKELY TO BE BLOWN AWAY SHOULD BE TAKEN
INDOORS. CHECK AGAIN AND MAKE SURE ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS
CAN BE SECURELY LOCKED.
(2) STORM WATER DRAINS SHOULD BE CLEARED OF LEAVES AND
RUBBISH, THIS APPLIES PARTICULARLY TO DWELLERS IN LOW-LYING
AREAS.
(3) LISTEN TO YOUR RADIO OR WATCH YOUR TV FOR FURTHER
WEATHER BROADCASTS.
(4) SINCE SEAS ARE ROUGH, YOU ARE ADVISED TO STAY AWAY FROM
THE SHORELINE AND NOT TO ENGAGE IN WATER SPORTS.
(5) SMALL CRAFT OWNERS SHOULD NOW COMPLETE ARRANGEMENTS FOR
THE SAFETY OF THEIR BOATS.
DISPATCHED BY HONG KONG OBSERVATORY AT 13:54 HKT ON 17.05.2006
De relax... demasiado anticipado
Archivado en Diario • Fecha: 12-05-2006 20:46:35Me he pasado la última semana en la piscina, durmiendo hasta tarde, viendo pelis... ayer me pasé el día de excursión, íbamos a la playa y escalamos dos montañas (la primera fue error de Tim) para acabar en el sitio donde acampamos en Orientation Week, quién nos lo iba a decir. Además, Hayley está en Cardiff revisando el marckscheme para el examen de English B de este año y Peter está en Alemania, así que Hayley me pidió que si podía me pasase por su casa para entretener un rato a Ativa, y he estado yendo a jugar con ella, o de compras (y a por helado) a Sunshine, o a la piscina...
Hoy, viernes por la noche, y aunque mañana tengo que trabajar, me voy a Bunkers... está claro que me lo estoy pasando bien y estoy aprovechando lo poco que me queda, pero... quizá debería recordarme a mí misma que aún me queda la temida química y español antes de acabar los exámenes...
