It's been pretty cool recently.
Watched two 3D movies in a week!
Tron was first, and I'm so glad I watched it! The 3D effects were great, the storyline wasn't too bad, and all the pretty lights made it very trippy.
There were a few things about the movie that were a bit sad, like how Sam was so flip about everything, how Tron wasn't really a part of the movie,rather a side-kick, who does a little changing of ways right before he dies. Blah blah blah.
After we watched Tron, Phil and I went to Saizers to eat lunch (yup! Saizeria has made it's way to China!)

Chronicles of Narnia was seen with the boys and Michelle.
It was a school outing (where Michelle works), and so we were able to tag along.
The boys enjoyed it immensely.
We did our school in a flash, got ready to go and had lunch before you could blink, and waited outside for the taxi. It got a little crazy, with all the tension of waiting for the movie.

The children at the school were so exited as well, and omg the ride to the theater (we took a limo bus because you can't move 30+ kids any other way.) was so loud! It was nice to get off.

Sorry I don't have enough time to write the whole experience, except that it was yummy! We got free popcorn and coke, and it was pretty funny. Course there's the whole sadness of the deviation from the book but oh well, I have given up on watching a movie that's relatively close to the book. Here's the pics

symbols and dreams and small prancing things
are what visited me last night
i saw angles and kings
and small prancing things
as the silver floated on light

adventures and quests and feathery beasts
were beckoning me further inside
the witches and priests,
and fantastic artistes
were the princes and queens in my  mind

.

For my free-day this week, we went to Yuexiu park.
It's where the famous goat statue of Guangzhou (goats are Guangzhou's symbol) is, and I thought it was nearly a crime to not have gone there once during my 5 months here in Guangzhou.
Phil said he never went to the park either (!) so it was set, and we headed out to town.
First we did some banking business (for my panda hat), and then recharged my phone( money goes out quick when you're texting), and we were off to the metro. We got a 'metro meal' a small,cheap and oh so tasty little lunchbox full of lotus root (renkon)tofu, mushrooms, carrots, and what we call fungus. YUMM!! It was like having Osekiryori.
Yuexiu was a few metro line transfers away, and then had a bit of a mix up with the exits, but we finally found the park gate.

The park was actually really big! We only managed to cover one half of the park in one day, and not only is it a big park, but it's also got some terrain!

I need to give the kids school in a few minutes so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I think I'm actually getting Phil to be more photograph friendly! Miracles do happen!

We did some yoga by this monument, and shortly into a few asanas, two older women came along and started doing some tai-chi! I guess a few other people thought it was a nice place to do some slow exercises.
I cannot believe how out of shape I have gotten concerning yoga. All of my flexibility has been lost again. It's always like that. I get super into yoga, then get burnt out, lose all the flexibility that I've gained, then I get back into it again, and the cycle happens once more. :P
I think I'll put yoga aside for a while, and get into this hooping business. There's some pretty cool hooping going on out there!
ah I gotta go. the kids school time has begun.

I don't know if you remember which panda hat I'm talking about, it's the one where we went to the amusement park, and the picture was at the end of the slew of pics.

So recently it's been pretty cold. Def not as cold as Japan,but cold enough!
So Phil decided to find me a panda hat.
So he looks on Taobao and sees one for only 28 kuai!(that's 350 yen) And it's the exactly same hat that they try to sell for 100 (1,252 yen)plus!
Total score.
So went to the bank and paid for it, now it's just a matter of waiting for it to arrive! Whee I'm so excited!!!

I've got a new coat as well. Phil and Michelle got one for me yesterday. It's a turquoise down jacket that can roll up into a little bag and be used as a pillow. It is of the warm.
I'll put up pics once I catch myself wearing it, with a camera handy, then it's a couple of snaps then up here. :D

I remember my non new years resolution. HONEST!
it's just difficult to keep.
Yesterday, I was Sleeping Beauty and slept like the dead because I had a fever.
Now, after being on bed rest, and then walking to Phil's place for dinner, I feel as good as new and must honor my goal of trying to post a decent update everyday.
Just recently, I've been getting back into reading. Not so much back into as it's always been my thing, but I'd say actively devoting more time towards the written word.
I'm now going through 4 books at a time. :D
The Stand - the book nearly everyone recognizes Stephan King. On loan from a friend and avid Stephan King fan.

The Stand -
the book nearly everyone recognizes Stephan King. On loan from a friend and avid Stephan King fan.

The boy who came back from heaven - a true story about a boy's miraculous healing. A Christmas present from Daniel, Michelles dad.

Hearts in Atlantis - I'm actually not sure how to describe this one even if I'm halfway through...haha. A lonely boy with an estranged mother befriends a eccentric old man who loans a room from them, but when the old man's past and eccentric-ness catches up with him, the boy learns his secrets, and makes enemies? Oh well. I'll make a review about it when I'm done. - from the complete Stephan King e-book collection that Phil downloaded for me.

Skeleton Crew - actually this counts as a few more books, since it's a collection of Stephan King's short stories, or novellas. Halfway through 'The mist'. -from the complete Stephan King e-book collection that Phil downloaded for me.
Yes.
I am a serious Stephan King fan.

So as not to bore you guys to death with what I've been reading, moving on!
There's a great tv show you guys have got to see, it's simply genius.
It's called 'Whose Line Is It Anyway?' and it's all about stand up comedy. They have these 4 guys, and everything is done on the spot.
It's an older show, and they've stopped ages ago, it's still GOLD.
They have all sorts of things they need to think of. They make songs, have 'dating shows', talking only with song titles, you name it. It's really good.
Serious, at least watch one of them.
Anyhow I must sleep or I wont hear the end of it, and I don't fancy being sickly a moment longer.
Goodnight all

Why?
Because...I did 100 push-ups today.
yup.
.
.
in sets of 20.HAHA! But seriously, it was so cool.

And for any of you who were wondering about me doing the hula hoop...it is not a lie!

Not only was it a food day, it was also finding out about visa EXTENSIONS!! pretty cool shunks.
Today we tried out a Panini cafe.

We walked into the EMPTY cafe, and were like um ok....either it's empty because the people just like to have take-out from here or they're really not that good.
I have to say the settings weren't too fancy, but it was cute. Italian flag theme and yellow lighting, with one pink carnation in a vase on each table.

But it was cheap, only 20 kuai for a panini and a drink, so we figured 'hey, try out the place, and if it's good, great. If not, then it's not too heavy a loss' :P

A look at the menu and I chose a ham and cheese while Phil tried a beef and cheese.
It took a while to arrive, but when it did, we were pleasantly surprised.
The bread was nicely grilled top and bottom, there was abundance of lettuce, the bread was fresh, and the ham and cheese was tasty.
And I cannot believe I didn't take a picture of the food.
Serious face-palm moment.
Moving on, we amused ourselves with looking at their menu and seeing how many typos we could find.

I have to say, orangeade is pretty cool.
Ice Lemo Tean is cooler.
After that, we headed to my place to pick up my backpack, passport and other papers necessary for visa extension, and headed to Kecun.
We got there (Jiefang Nan Lu) early enough, but the lines were long (or so we thought) and we figured we could kill two birds with one stone and get some home shopping done while waiting our turn.
Off we went to Yide lu. Picked up 10 cans of tuna for the home, and I got a bag of almonds (YAY!) and Phil bought me a box of Jasmine tea. So sweet! I am now seriously addicted to tea.
On the way back to Jiefang, we spotted a KFC and decided to have a yumyum. They're having a special promotion for their soft cream ice-creams, and twisted cruller and egg tarts. We got egg tarts and twisted crullers.
When we got back, we missed our number call by 3 people....3 PEOPLE!! Arg. Our new number put us behind 30 strong. Sigh.
At least we had our KFC snack to keep us pacified.
We got the necessary information for when my visa expires, which is such happiness. That means that next month I won't have to make a trip out to Hong Kong, but that means no sending my 'Christmas box'. Sorry my family, you'll have to wait a bit more.......
Home to have an English class, and a cup of hot Jasmine tea,

Last night we watched The Mist, because I was already halfway through with the Novella. It was sort of similar to Buried, only in the ending. This one however didn't hit me half as hard, if anything, I almost expected the ending. What I did enjoy was the fact that no matter how they butchered the novella of Stephan King, his sort of weird is always fascinating.
Maybe it's just because I'm a huge fan of book is better over movie. 
Ah well.
Super random note is how the soldier guy who gets mobbed reminds me of one of the Ito family....Lol

it was a total piss off. i've never had a movie annoy,frustrate, and enrage me all in one.
goddamit!
Buried.
i hate the injustice of it. bleh.

current status is annoyed enough to strangle Phil. and i did.
i realized though, i brush my teeth after watching a movie that annoys me.
GODDAMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
don't watch the movie.

Today is the beginning of another school period, until Chinese New Years where we will have maybe 2 whole weeks without school!
Anyhow that's off the topic. Today while I was giving Broderick Math, and prepping Ryan for an upcoming spelling test, Broderick looks out the window and declares loudly "THE CAT IS BACK AGAIN!"
Apparently there was a cat he was keeping an eye out for in order to feed her.
He nearly leaped out of his seat, and after a reminder to ask to be excused, and doing so, he shot off to Mommy's room.

She gave the green light that after he finished his school he can go out and feed the cat, and he was off with Bella's dog food (love how earnest he gets sometimes).
He finished school lightning fast, and was bundled up as soon as you could count to 60.
A few minutes later, out of the corner of my eye I saw a bundled Broderick zipping by so quick after a patch of orange.
Soon after that he was hollering excitedly that "I CAUGHT THE CAT!"

There was so much triumph in the way he held the cat, and the cat looked placidly content in his arms.
She was named Curry, and allowed to sniff out the house and make her way around. Broderick ran to Michelle to ask if they could keep Curry (he kept getting mixed up calling her Milo and Curry). Michelle said the classic 'if your dad says yes we can' so he was off again. Big Phil said we could keep her for a while.
There was much rejoicing.

Once school was done, lunch was eaten and their chores done. It was some intense playing with Curry time.
Broderick had the idea of introducing Curry to Bella, and Bella got a punch on the nose.

And that was the excitingness that was getting Curry.

Recently it's been pretty active on the exercise front. Have played basketball again, and managed to shoot a few hoops, played badminton and received praise from my Phil (which is pretty good, because he's actually really good) and today I did...dundun! 60 push-ups in sets of 10. Yea pretty proud of myself there.
Then I did some hoola hoop, while listening to music, and even though it's not anything really intense exercise wise, it was enough to keep me warm in my jogging jacket and T-shirt underneath.
Yay. Happy Nina.