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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

watery wednesday: Water closet




http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

This is a different kind of water post. I am a teacher, and I encourage my students to put on their green thinking caps and be creative. So i am doing the same. I am posting a water closet which is otherwise known as a toilet.

In this post in my other site, I said
http://annsnowchin.blogspot.com/2010/08/ruby-red-tuesday-toilet-in-west.html I will post a photo of a very elite toilet, where you don't need loo paper and it even massages you. LOL

When I gave birth to my first daughter in Auckland, my hospital room had a bidet. All the women who had given birth would tell you how tender your bottom is. It was heavenly to use the bidet. I could just sit on the bidet the whole day long. How clever the French were.

This water closet supercedes the bidet. It is in the house of someone rich and famous and is known as a Japanese High Tech Loo. As you can see from the colorful array of buttons on the complicated control panel, there are a lot of functions. I don't mind having ten babies if I have a toilet like this. The jet of water can spray you clean and massage you. You save from toilet paper as the warm air will dry you. All in all, a wonderful experience without using your hands.

ABC Wednesday: G for Giant




http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/
ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt

Fee Fi Fo Fom,
I smell the blood of an English man,
Be he alive or be he dead,
I grind his blood to make my bread.
Fee Fi Fo Fom.

Kids like stories of giants.

My son was caught by the giant and served on a platter. These photos were taken in the Science Centre in Brisbane , Australia.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Mellow yellow Monday: Cleaning sign



http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/

In New Zealand, we have ACC or The Accident Compensation Corporation. It provides comprehensive, no-fault personal injury cover for all New Zealand residents and visitors to New Zealand.

If you have an accident where the cleaner has just cleaned the floor, you can't sue the company that employs him. The ACC will pay for your medical bills and 80% of your pre injury wages if you can't work. But the company has to pay a levee to ACC. So companies try to minimise accidents with signs like this.

The ACC Scheme provides a range of entitlements to injured people, from contribution towards the cost of treatment, to weekly compensation for lost earnings and even home or vehicle modifications for the seriously injured.

They are talking about changing the policy. Right now, you are paid ACC even if you had the accident while committing a crime which to many is really stupid.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

photohunt: Framed



http://tnchick.com/

A octagon framed window in a Buddhist temple in Malaysia.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Scenic Sunday:Youth Olympic Games



href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-899-CzXQWItUfFyjSFOjxOGTEkQROWseDRIH7E7c9vaS4cU9uY0dAvNwmXzEF3utxzHVq1OPmL1XKT3YtWP1_Y3xCVsYQlOtJdAYWoaTaJ-tSZW375nF4eqFVAr-h783_IcGshSyI0Bu/s1600-h/scenic+sunday.jpg">
http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/
The first ever Youth Olympic Games (YOG) was held in Singapore from August 14 to August 26 2010. Athletes range from 14 to 18. New Zealand has participants.

This event is close to my heart. The Youth Olympic Village is located in Nanyang Technological University. For more than half of my adult life, I have lived here as an ex pat faculty wife. The campus is full of greenery, and I hope the young athletics had a good stay.

The photo shows the university's oval, and on the right the swimming pool. It was here, I trained for my 10 km Marathon running. My friend L. trained with me at 6 am in the morning, we added 800 metres per day. Later, we did our circuit of running round the university campus. The day, we completed our 10 km, we High 5ed

weekend reflection: PNG houses




http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/
The water engineer on work assignment, took this photo in Papua New Guinea. They look similar to long houses in Borneo. The houses are built on stilts.

skywatch Friday: Goodbye to winter





http://skyley.blogspot.com/href="http://skyley.blogspot.com/">

The weatherman didn't bring a good winter. It had been cold and wet and floods.

My student road patrol and the teacher in charge will be glad that it is the last Friday of winter. Hopefully it is bye bye to rain.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Thursday Theme Song: The daffodil song






hootin--anni has a new meme.
IT'S ALL ABOUT MY NEW MEME THAT I HOPE SOME WILL FEEL LIKE JOINING IN ON THE CHALLENGE AND THE FUN [at least I hope the weekly challenge will be fun!]. It's loosely based on song lyrics [recorded songs since the beginning of time to today] and associating them with photos of yours...as I've done in the past...If you click on the link above, it'll take you to the Meme's Homepage for rules and buttons. There will be a Mr. Linky Widget for each individual week also. Do consider joining me sometime. Hope to see it flourish in time.
http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/

Marie Curie Daffodil Appeal by downloading The Daffodil Song.
http://www.myspace.com/thedaffodilsong
The album sleeveThe song, specially written and performed by brothers Ian and Gary Smith – better known as acoustic duo Poachers Too - comes from Scotland's thriving urban acoustic modern folk singer-songwriter scene. It also features rising singing talent Vivien Scotson and percussionist Will Purdie.

They officially launched The Daffodil Song at the Marie Curie Shop, The Tron, Edinburgh today (March 2, 2007 ) and treated customers to a live acoustic performance of the number. /thedaffodilsong

Today marks the 20th anniversary of our New Zealand;s Daffodil Day. It is the Cancer Society's fundraising awareness campaign. Our school participates in this event everyyear. We are all encouraged to wear green and yellow, staff and students alike. We also raise funds by a gold coin donation and wear a daffodil. At lunch time, students were given free face painting. I had mine on my hand. My green top isn't very green, but my yellow shirt was.

In the country, two Wanganui prison guards are working overtime in a serious attempt to raise funds for the Cancer Society's Daffodil Day appeal.

Trevor Olmey and Graeme Taylor are rowing for 24 hours non-stop and hope to set a world record of 300 kilometres.

The pair have been training in the prison gym and expect the toughest part of their mission will come in the hours before dawn.

Cancer Control New Zealand, an advisory committee providing independent advice to the Minister of Health, says the day has a positive role on how cancer is viewed and treated in New Zealand.

"Raising awareness about cancer and helping to fund cancer research are real successes from the 20 years of Daffodil Day fundraising," said Associate Professor Chris Atkinson.

Donations help fund education, research and patient and family support and play an important role in helping to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer," said Atkinson.

In many shops, throughout this month of August, daffodils are offered to customers. Collectors are on the streets today. Kuddos to them , because it is still winter, and it has been raining.

Monday, August 23, 2010

watery wednesday: rain



http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/
It's raining, it's pouring.
I am stuck behind a heavy vehicle which is traveling very slowly.
Just as well, I am going home and not rushing off to work.

We didn't have a good winter, there were not many days with sunshine. In Christchurch, they actually had 2 days of sunshine in the month. We are always blaming the weather office for not predicting accurately. Now they ( National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa),)have brought in a new $12.7m computer which they say will yield more accurate rainfall predictions.

It is not so important for ordinary people like me to know whether I should hang the laundry out or go to the beach for a swim. Or I can't see our famous Sky tower from school. But for the commercial fishermen, the accurate prediction may mean life or death of his life and business.

Storm lashes Auckland's waterfront
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/weather/news/video.cfm?c_id=10&gal_cid=10&gallery_id=113208

ABC Wednesday: Fountain





http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/
ABC Wednesday is hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt

Drinking fountain of all ages in my school.

Our school encourages students to be healthy and drink water. Our kids play during morning tea and lunch time, and we hardly have any obese children, though statistically, we are a nation with lots of obese people.

mellow yellow Monday: playground



http://mellowyellowmonday.blogspot.com/
Kids are funny, they like to crowd into a confined space. Sometimes 3 kids hurdle together.
This is our school's junior playground.

When I walk past, I sing to them, the Beatles " Yellow submarine" song.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Scenic Sunday: Auckland landscape


href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-899-CzXQWItUfFyjSFOjxOGTEkQROWseDRIH7E7c9vaS4cU9uY0dAvNwmXzEF3utxzHVq1OPmL1XKT3YtWP1_Y3xCVsYQlOtJdAYWoaTaJ-tSZW375nF4eqFVAr-h783_IcGshSyI0Bu/s1600-h/scenic+sunday.jpg">
http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/

Auckland Sky Tower can be seen from all angles of the city. Here it is peeking from the Auckland Public Hospital seen at the Auckland Domain.

Addition:
Yes, B SQUARED . You are right. You reminded me of this movie. Cocoon.

Directed by Ron Howard. With Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn. When a group of trespassing seniors swim in a pool containing alien cocoons, ..

That domed building is the Winter garden. In deed there were pools inside.

The Auckland Hospital is to the right, not in this photo.

21 Aug PhotoHunt 227: Numerical




http://tnchick.com/

When's your birthday?
What's your address?
What's your social security number?
What's your phone number?

Can you imagine the world when numerals don't exist?

When I saw this car in front of me, I was excited. 899 was the number of Dad's first car when I was little. We loved that little Fiat car, and 899 sounded like prosperous forever and ever.

I play a game with my students as we study the History of New Zealand.

Friday, August 20, 2010

weekend reflection: light above lily pond




http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Hanging above the lily pond is a yellow light. It is reflected among the lily pads. You can see it in the Winter gardens at Auckland Domain.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Sakura (cherry blossom) 桜 花見








hootin--anni has a new meme.
IT'S ALL ABOUT MY NEW MEME THAT I HOPE SOME WILL FEEL LIKE JOINING IN ON THE CHALLENGE AND THE FUN [at least I hope the weekly challenge will be fun!]. It's loosely based on song lyrics [recorded songs since the beginning of time to today] and associating them with photos of yours...as I've done in the past...If you click on the link above, it'll take you to the Meme's Homepage for rules and buttons. There will be a Mr. Linky Widget for each individual week also. Do consider joining me sometime. Hope to see it flourish in time.
http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/
When I was in Methodist School in Sibu, Sarawak, I was taught by teachers who came from UK and USA, and also teachers who had gone to these places. At some stage, I was taught to sing this song, Sakura in Japanese. As I am no good in languages, I could sing only Sakura, Sakura. Perhaps you can sing it in English.

As I drove home today, I saw some cherry trees in full bloom. Theye are blooming early, ( We are having winter in New Zealand.) I tell myself that I must go to one Tree hill and see if the Sakura walk there are blooming yet. I remember this meme, and here are last year's flowers.

Do hit on the You Tube. The first is purely music, and the second sung by lovely voices as Sakura Japanese folk song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keF-KYKKYeI&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKTRnO7SV68&feature=related

Romaji
sakura sakura
no-yama mo sato mo
mi-watasu kagiri
kasumi ka kumo ka
asahi ni niou
sakura sakura
hana-zakari
sakura sakura
yayoi no sora wa
mi-watasu kagiri
kasumi ka kumo ka
nioi zo izuru
iza ya iza ya
mi ni yukan

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
On Meadow-hills and mountains
As far as you can see.
Is it a mist, or clouds?
Fragrant in the morning sun.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Flowers in full bloom.
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms,
Across the Spring sky,
As far as you can see.
Is it a mist, or clouds?
Fragrant in the air.
Come now, come,
Let’s look, at last!

watery wednesday: Mathex Casio







http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com/

You can't see the rain, but it was drizzling the whole day. But rain was the last thing on the mind of my son Sam. For Sam and his three friends and another two hundred 14 year olds were taking part in the annual Mathex Casio Secondary Schools Competition.

As I drove to the ASB stadium at Kohimarama, it was also a test for me as I don't normally drive to a new destination in the rain.

This competition was an eye opener for me. They have the various teams, two from each school seated on the floor round a school desk. The bell rung, and the destinated runners ran to the judges to get the question, run back to the competitors, and run to the judges with the answers, back and forth, the poor runner ran twenty times. I really pitied Sam's runner.

The commentator was announcing the school that was leading, and with the scorer flipped the marks. It was quite exciting like going to the horse races.

This is a fiercely competitive mathematical race. Under extreme pressure, the teams managed to cooperate and perform to the best of their abilities. Three teams managed to solve all the questions and scored 100 points. Sam tells me that it was a tactical battle using strategic passes on very difficult questions.

In the end, Sam's school Mt Albert Grammar didn't win. Sam's team got 85 out of 100. I am a proud horse owner. I drove my iron horse home in the dark, and singing in the rain. LOL