December 2003
Wednesday 3 December, 2003
Hello Em,
Hope you are well. It's December now, so it's nearly time for Christmas. I'm going to try to send you some things for Christmas but I only have the address of the hospital in Beijing where Nai Nai used to work, so I don't know if you will receive them or not - but it is worth a try!
I had Chinese class last night. I got my test back and I did quite all right so I was pleased with that. After Chinese class the sky was very dark and full of black clouds. That night there was a big storm with lots of rain and thunder and lightning (but I slept through most of it :-). I know it must have rained a lot because I went for a bike ride tonight alongside the stream by the Eastern Freeway. The stream is normally low but the water was quite high and muddy brown. Further along the cycle track there is a subway you can ride through, but when I rode up to it tonight it had a big puddle of water in it!. I could have been daring and tried to ride through the puddle, but I thought I would look pretty silly if I fell off in the mud, so I turned around and rode back.
Thinking of you always Emma and hoping the day when I can hear from you again is not too far away.
Lots and lots of love,
Aaron xxx ooo
Monday 8 December, 2003
Hi Emma,
I hope you are well. Last Friday (5/12/2003) I went to Sydney for
the first time. I just went to visit a customer there with my boss. I
flew up in the early morning (I had to get up at 4.50 am!) and back in
the evening. The customer's factory was only 10 minutes from the
airport, so I didn't really see much of Sydney, mostly just the inside
of the customers factory. It was an interesting visit though. In the
evening I caught a taxi home from the airport. I had an interesting
conversation with the taxi driver. He was an old man who looked a bit
like Grandpa. He only drove taxis on the weekend, the rest of the time
he played the harpsicord in an early music group. It sounded pretty fun
to me!
On Saturday we saw a good film at Chinese class. It was called
"the Herdsman" (mu4 ma3 ren2) and was made in 1982. The main character
had a difficult life but had a nice family at the end, so it was a
happy story. After class I went to the city and bought a few things to
send to you for Christmas. I would send you much more if I knew your
address. I'm not sure if you will get them if I send them to Nainai's
old work address but I hope so. In case you don't, here is a photo of
them so you can see them.
On Saturday night I saw a film in the city. It was called
"Interstella 5555". It was a Japanese carton with no words, just
pictures and music. I think you would have liked it, especially the
music. It reminded me a little of the film "Spirited Away" which I saw
with you earlier this year. I really liked that film.
On Sunday I went for quite a long bike ride in the morning before
church. It was nice to ride in the morning while it was still cool. We
have been having some really hot days lately, all in the high thirties
which isn't very comfortable!
Today I talked with a visitor at work from China. His name is
Wayne and he works in Shanghai. I tried speaking a bit of Manadarin
with him, but his English is really good (and my Chinese is not that
good yet) so we spoke in English mostly. I definitely need more
practise in Chinese to get really fluent :-)
Lots and lots of love,
Aaron xxx ooo
Thursday 11 December, 2003
Hi Emma,
Hope you are well. I finally posted your Christmas present to you at lunch time today. Sorry that was so late! I really hope that they can reach you, Miss Em.
I haven't done anything much exciting since I last wrote to you, I'm afraid to say. One thing I forgot to tell you was that I got my computer exam result last Friday and that my mark was not bad, so that was a relief.
I need to do some housework and gardening soon as some people from the English Conversation Class are coming to dinner. They are coming either this Sunday or next Sunday. The house and garden are both a bit of a mess so I had better get my act together.
I am missing you a lot Emma and am thinking of you always.
Lots and lots of love,
Aaron xxx ooo
Tuesday 16 December, 2003
Hi Emma,
Hope everything is well where you are. I have done a few things since I last wrote to you. On Friday night after work I went to see a movie in the city. The movie was "Matrix Revolution", the third in the Matrix series. It was OK but not as exciting as the first two I thought.
On Saturday morning (12/12/2003) we had our Chinese class breakup celebration. Everyone brought along something nice to eat and we shared it for morning tea. It was really nice. Zhao Lao Shi also gave each of us a Christmas card that said "sheng4 dan4 kuai4 le4, wan3 shi4 ru2 yi4". I told Lao Shi that I would be very busy next year so I wasn't sure if I would continue with my Chinese next year or the year after (I have to do an extra computing course in the first half of 2004 to finish my computing course on time). Lao Shi told me I really should continue on with my Chinese next year, so I said I will try to do that. I really like learning Chinese and I also hope it will make it easier for me to keep in touch with you :-).
On Saturday afternoon I went for a bike ride to the Doncaster shops looking for a birthday present for your cousin Barny. I couldn't find something suitable for Barny but I had a nice bike ride at least! On the way back home I rode up the freeway track to Springvale. This was the first time I had rode this way and it was a nice, quiet ride through the trees beside Koonung Creek.
On Sunday I spent almost the whole day in the garden. I am trying to get it looking nice for when some people from English Conversation class come next Sunday. It is looking better now but I still need to do more!. On Sunday afternoon I quickly went to the shops again and found a suitable book for Barny's birthday so that was good.
On Monday (16/12/03) I went to English conversation class after work and today I had a church meeting at Don's house, so I have been quite busy.
I don't think I have told you yet that I am going to visit Grandma, Grandpa, Jules, Pip and your cousins in New Zealand this Christmas. I'll be visiting there for about two weeks. The last time I went there was in Christmas 2000 when we both went together. It was really nice to show you New Zealand then. I really hope I will have another chance to show you New Zealand some time in the future.
Love you heaps and heaps Emma.
Lots and lots of love,
Aaron xxx ooo
Thursday 25 December, 2003
Hi Emma,
Merry Christmas!!! Hope you are having a good Christmas.I'm in Wellington nowin Grandma and Grandpa's house. It is really nice to see them again. Their house in Hargreaves Street is just a wee way from 50 Rolleston Street, which is the first house you lived in. You probably won't remember much about it though as you were only two months old when you left there!
Today has been a good day (Note: I'm lying in bed at night writing this now. I'll type it out on the computer in the morning). At lunch I saw my uncle Colin and Aunt Nina and Monwar and Julia and their daughter Ronia. Ronia is just under 3 years old and she is half Chinese and half Bangladeshi. She was really nice, chatty little girl. I'm sure you would have liked to meet each other!
I'll tell you about a few of the other (hopefully interesting!)things I did in the days leading up to Christmas.
On Saturday 20/12/2003 I spent almost the whole day in the city finishing off my Christmas shopping. The hardest part is thinking what people would like, so I spent a lot of time just wandering around looking in the shops trying to make up up mind. Thanks goodness I got it all done in the end!
On Sunday 21/12/2003 I went to church in the morning then came home to prepare for a dinner at my place that night for people from the English Conversation Group. There were five people at the dinner - Jay, Charles, Kim and Windi from Korea and Nobu from Japan. It was a nice time and my cooking was quite OK (at least I think it was!). I made mushroom lasagne, a feta and zucchini tart using puff pastry and a potato and cauliflower curry with rice. I think you would have liked the tart and lasagne especially. I'll cook it for you whenever I can see you next - don't forget to remind me!
On Wednesday 24/12/03 I flew to New Zeland. Qantas mucked up my flight so instead of going direct from Melbourne to Wellington, I flew from Melbourne to Brisbane, Brisbane to Auckland then Auckland to Wellington. It took a long time but at least I got to Wellington for Christmas.
Wishing you all the very best for Christmas Emma.
Lots and lots of love,
Aaron xxx ooo
Sunday 28 December, 2003
Hi Emma,
Hope you are well. I'm still in New Zealand at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
Yesterday we drove up to Jules and Pips' farm at Nireaha near Ekatahuna. It was good to see them all again. Your cousins have grown much bigger since I saw them last. We had a nice lunch and then went for a walk on the farm. We climbed up a steep hill which gave us a good view of the farm. It was very windy at the top though!
TodayI went to church in the morning then went for a walk with Zoe (my old dog) on the hills past Wellington airport. Weelington is very picturesque with the hills and the city by the harbour. Hope I can show it to you again soon!!!!
Love you heaps and heaps,
Aaron xxx ooo