Time for a change

I guess I've been blogging here on blogger for about 4 years now, but, it's time for a change.
I do most stuff from my Android phone and blogger just doesn't support this application well at all, so, if you want to catch my new blog...head on over to www.livingthemiddleway.tumblr.com
The new title "Living The Middle Way" is also a shift....I guess in attitude. I think the "middle way" is a much better option than the "great way" and in a funny way, it reflects how my life has always gone along.
Anyway same kind of thing but will probably get back to a few more posts because of the ease of use on my android.
Go have a look!....go on :-)
If you're already following this blog, please follow on the new one too.
Cheers
Sue

All Running Like Chinese Clockwork

IMAG0085.jpg, a photo by sooy2 on Flickr.

My first day back at school today was full of the normal confusion and more.
I even went to school yesterday to check everything was ok in my classroom after the long holiday. I wanted to run a video I put together of photos from my holiday in Australia so I wanted to make sure the smart board and computer was all ok etc. Other than no internet connection, it was fine. What I wasn't to know was that gremlins would come later than me...more about that in a while. So today is in fact THURSDAY but at school it is MONDAY (schedule) tommorow FRIDAY becomes TUESDAY and we have to work SATURDAY this week but it is disguised as WEDNESDAY. So nothing much different there, Sunday and Monday become our weekend this week and then next week Tuesday is infact Tuesday and so on. So after my check yesterday, computer worked, video worked, cleaned up the classroom, rearranged the desks....all AOK. I rock up for my first class second period today, turn on the computer....NOTHING. I can't believe it, I try and get the computer expert to come but he is too busy, he said every computer was checked yesterday afternoon and my internet/modem didn't work but the computer will work if i press the esc button?????ANYWAY, some friends come and try and help me find the problem. The stress of the impending class has been released as I have just been told the kids have to watch something for the next two periods, so my classes this morning cancelled...YAY. back to the computer, we find out that the experts have taken the leads out and put the connections back in the wrong places???UNBELIEVABLE! So we put it back together and get it and the sound working...HOORAY and now I can go home for the morning....UH OH, why are all the kids going to classes? Oh the thing they had to watch has been cancelled, you've got the next period again. Soooo I went from 2 classes this morning to no classes this morning to 1 class this morning within 1/2 hour.
Come to China test your patience :-)

Play hard

Must be something about the dogs I have in my life, they love to play to the max! Here's Mo, enjoying her two new toys from Australia.

Pick yourself up and dust yourself off...

Coming back for my fourth year has been a lot like the front of my apartment looks. If there's a hole, I fall down it. In a way even harder than my first year because then it was all new, lots to see and take in. The other couple of returns not much problem...but this one...Lets just say ^$#%^. I'm guessing that when  I came to China, it was hard, I challenged myself and learnt many lessons,then over the years maybe I've become complacent with my achievements. Climbed the steep mountain, got to the top, enjoyed the view, and now someone has kicked me off and decided it's time to climb again. It really (for a few reasons) has not been what I expected this year, my fault for falling into the trap of expecting anything. "This too will pass, This too will pass".

The demolition here is quite spectacular. The only good thing is this is the first area of the road they started, so hopefully it means it will be the first area to  be finished. Not very pretty, is it! If they try and find another teacher to come work at this school with me this semester....wow I can only imagine how I would have felt in my first year if I arrived to all this. Some nights they work till midnight outside and some days they do nothing?? I took these photos today, as you can see there is not much activity, just mess.

Ahhh the parallels with life !

励志警句

It's not life that's hard, It's thinking about life that's hard.


Ajahn Brahm


How true! 

Dragonfly Delight

 I mean't to post these pics earlier. On the morning of the day I was flying from China to start my journey back home for my holiday, I was laying on the couch near my lounge room window when I looked outside to see this family of Dragonflies. I took these two photos and noticed that there were actually many dragonflies, huge dragonflies, that were flying around filling the sky. Very beautiful :-)

Breath

Today I was sitting back for what was to be either a relaxing meditation or an afternoon snooze. I was following my breath when I noticed that little space, the space between the in breath and the out breath. I like this space between the breath, I find it relaxes me. Whilst I was pondering the space, it struck me that it is very similar to the beautiful space that you can find within music. When I trained as musician, studying drum kit at University, the space (the emptiness) was what I always focused on to make the drum beat FEEL good, the space between the notes that I played around the kit was for me, my secret to making the music feel great. I was never one for filling the music with as many fancy chops as I could pull out. Both of these empty spaces (Within the breath and the music) give me an internal feeling that I can't really describe. It's like connecting with an internal life force. Interesting!