A twelve week term lies ahead

It was good to find everyone at work had enjoyed the holidays - everyone traveled somewhere (Laos, Langkawi, Aust, KL, Bali and Sri Lanka) and their stories just get you itching for the next holiday. It seems we each brought home a little Laos tummy trouble. Surely it couldn't have been our own cooking at the class? Eric's developed straight away and mine brewed for a few days but we each got through the working week thanks to Imodium. At work we have found it is so much easier to start term 2.  We know names for all the faces, can pronounce most of the names (or if not, get close enough for them to recognise it), know the routine and where everything is kept. We have had a few timetable changes as the company arranges short 10 wk courses if there are any gaps they can fill. Can't let us have any dot time. When I saw the Dr on Monday after a bad night he said not to worry, to welcome a little diarrhoea, it is good to flush the system out. As he pointed out some people pay thousands of dollars for colonic flushing. It was only when I insisted that this was day 3 and the symptoms weren't lessening that he agreed to give me the bung to put a stop to it. 


Meanwhile, I still had to solve the problem of an outfit for the wedding so on Monday afternoon we ventured back to the shops even though the idea of stripping and trying on outfits was the last thing I felt like doing. But Bingo! What a surprise, I found something in the shopping centre right across the road from home. If I had gone there first I probably wouldn't have even considered it but at this stage I am very happy to have an outfit I can feel happy with.  And Eric has 3 more shirts and new shoes to boast that he is the better shopper.
We missed the group walk on Monday so we walked the Botanic Gardens on Tuesday. They are very easy to get to from here, just a few train stops away. And they are lovely; we managed to wander 2 of the 3 lakes, the healing garden, the scented garden, the evolution garden and the ginger gardem. We only managed about half the park as it is very big and we were dawdling too as we looked for birds. It turns out the walking group are covering this park next week and that will be a completely different experience.  The paths are lovely and wide for joggers, mothers with pushers and wheelchairs and we also saw a number of Tai Chi groups working out. 

Work has started on the painting of our apartment block so we need to be a little bit careful that the curtains are drawn and that the windows are shut.  The workmen ride up and down the exterior of the building in gondolas slung off the roof and controlled by pulleys.  It is a huge job and should take 2 months to complete, though small compared to some of the contracts that would be on offer.  A pity that we are having an influx of visitors at the same time.  Bianca returns on thursday this week on her way to Europe. Sandy and the Crisps will both be here around Easter.  We only get the Good Friday as a public holiday.