Week 51 - Surfers Paradise

Today is the last day of the year of the Tiger, and coincides with Jie Jie's 4th birthday!  We are on holidays at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.  This year has been full of excitement and adventure.  Zhu ni xinnian kuaile, for the Year of the Rabbit!!

Week 50 - Polly Woodside

  

The kids, well Jie Jie, were delighted to meet Tinkerbell after seeing a performance of Peter Pan at the Polly Woodside, which is an old ship, docked as a maritime museum in Melbourne.  Unfortunately I can't tell you more about the Polly Woodside, as after this photo was taken, we headed up a gangplank to explore the ship, but Didi missed some steps, fell about 1.25m and we spent the rest of the afternoon in the Emergency Dept at Cabrini Hospital.  He had 2 stitches and was my big brave boy!

Week 49 - Australian Open

Had a terrific day on the outdoor courts at the Aussie Open with my little sister, the day before she flew back to London.  We saw some great tennis, including this Round 1 game between Del Potro (Argentina) and Sela (Israel).  Del Potro won in straight sets, but it was exciting nonetheless.  And doesn't Melbourne city look cute behind the grandstand?

Week 48 - St Kilda Beach

What a fabulous way to spend a sunny summer Saturday afternoon!! These guys are playing table tennis on the foreshore with a plank of wood, probably 4 by 1 foot, and a teeny tiny table tennis net.  Precision table tennis I call it!!

Week 47 - St Kilda, Melbourne

Thursday 6th January, was our fifth wedding anniversary.  To celebrate, we left the kids with Grandma and caught a tram down to St Kilda... we thought we take our time and enjoy St Kilda, so we started off by walking down Fitzroy Street to see what we could find.  The first thing that got our attention was a cocktail happy hour sign outside the Waldorf Diner, and then a plush red velvet lounge - so we enjoyed a cocktail there.  We then continued our walk down to the end of the St Kilda Pier, where the St Kilda Kiosk has been restored to it's former glory after a fire about 8 years ago, there we enjoyed a Chandon and the above view!  We meandered back along the pier, and along the beachfront before heading over to Harley Court where another sparkling was in order for me and a boutique beer for Mike along with a delicious antipasto platter.  Then we headed down Acland Street to find a restaurant for dinner, and opted for Ciccolina's, an Italian place and thoroughly rich and delicious food.  We then wandered back towards the general direction of home, and jumped on and off a couple of trams to shorten the walk, and had a fantastic night.
Happy anniversary Mike, here's to the next five years (and the five after that, etc)!!

Week 46 - Happy Old Year, Happy New Year

We've had a fantastic year in 2010... January - flew back to Shanghai from Australia after a lovely Christmas in Sydney;  February - had the big pirate party for the kids 1st and 3rd birthdays where we turned the house into a pirate ship; March - Ran the Jinqiao 8k in less than an hour; April - finally learned how to shop at a wet market;  May - Expo started and visited by Mum, Dad and Marnie;  June - end of the school year; July - fantastic holiday to Yunnan; August - visited by Nannie and Granddad; September - second prac for my course, this time with Year 6; October - Tiger birthday party and holiday on Koh Samui; November - Played tourguide for Aunty Libby, Mike went to Japan; December - returned to Melbourne for Christmas and skipping the bitter winter of Shanghai.

This rare family photo was taken on New Year's Eve at my oldest (longest time, not aged) friend's newly renovated house.

What will we get up to in 2011???  Happy new year to you all!!!

Week 45 - Christmas Eve

This is the 'grown up' Christmas Eve dinner complete with a summery Pimms and lemonade drink.  Jie Jie and Didi have been enjoying eating at their own little table - called 'our restaurant' and have enjoyed the independence.  Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2011.

Week 44 - Malvern East

The kids and I arrived safely for our 7 weeks in Australia, Grandma and Bob are thrilled to have the grandkids visiting and we got straight into the Christmas spirit with tree decorating and Carols by Candlelight... Jie Jie and Didi did us proud and walked all the way (1km) from home to Central Park for the Carols.

Week 43 - Blue Frog, Jinqiao

Jie Jie had been nagging us to have one last lunch at her favourite restaurant, the Blue Frog, before we headed back to Australia for Christmas, and what's better than just lunch, but lunch and a play with one of her best friends, and for me, lunch with one of mine!!  Thanks guys for being such great friends all year, and happy Christmas in Canada from all of us down under.

Week 42 - From the 53rd Floor, Lujiazui

Went to lunch on December 1 to celebrate my good friend's 40th birthday (I must be getting old too to have friends turning 40!) at Scena Restaurant in the new Ritz Carlton Hotel.  I loved looking down - the ring is a raised pedestrian walk to cross all the roads, and linking each corner at Super Brand Mall, the Apple Store in the IFC, Lujiazui Metro Station and of course the Oriental Pearl Tower.