Sympathy pains

I'm having sympathy pains. For my computer. Apparently it's really sick. And so am I.
Let's start with my computer: My display is Kaput. We went to the shop today (yes, although I'm sick, I just really wanted to know what's wrong with it and to get fuxed already) and they told us as following:
The company that makes my computer doens't send the parts anywhere. They only take repairs in certain places. That means that I'll have to send it to Holland or to the Czeck Republic. That will cost 135€. Just for sending the damn thing! Then, for the check up, just to let me know what exactly is wrong with it, they're going to charge 110€. Just to check it! Then, each working hour will cost 150€. A persons hourly wage! Then since it'll take way too much time and money to fix it, they will probably just put a new screen. Which costs about 400€. Just the screen!

Do the math. It adds up to at least 795€. With that money I can get the best lap-top in the world. That's bullshit!!!!!
So I might have to wait till I'm in Israel to fix it (my computer guy told me that he might be able to do it, and obviously for about less than 10th the price) and use an external screen until then.

That sucks.

On top of all that I'm sick. But really sick. The whole shabang. I have an infection in my throat and my tonsils hurt just about all the time. I've been in bed for about 3 days in a row, and I'm not going to work nor to German lessons for the whole week. The worst part is that it actually really hurts all the time. grrrrr.....

So that's my update. Not very happy but well... I will survive.

Let's put it this way: I'm better off than a lot of poor ppl that live where I come from. And I'm not only talking about Israelis. Also.

Stupid country of mine.

Haven't they realzied in the past few years that:

WAR DOESN'T SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS!!!

I'm not saying that they shouldn't have reacted in some way to the missiles that were being shot at Israel in the past 8 years constantly, but it seems like they know no other way than the violent kind. And that's even sadder than the war itself.

Farewell. Be good. Don't start any wars.

Peace.

Out of breath

Last week I was sick. I think in the last year in Germany I was sick more times than I've been in the last 5 years all together.

Today we got homework to do- to read the next text in the study book.

It's about stress.

It gives examples how stress can make people sick. It says that there's two kinds of stress: acute stress- that makes us nervous for a short period of time, but can also have effects on us after the stress is over, and chronic stress, which slowly slowly eats us up and ruins our immune system.

I think I'm suffering from the second kind of stress.

I must admit that I don't know why I'm stressed, I mean, I've already decided that I'm not going to study a master program in German, and that I'm only doing this course to get myself a certificate that says that I know German well enough.

So Why does it get to me so much? is it the long hours I spend on sitting in a classroom and feeling that I learn nothing new? Is it the annoying people in class- which I don't really like, coz most of them (not all) are too young and know nothing about life and ask stupid questions? Is it coz my teacher is nice sometimes but sometimes I feel like biting her head off coz she speaks to us as if we're dumb kids?

I don't know why I feel stressed, but I know that I am- by the symptoms: I'm always tired, no matter how much I slept, and I'm really not concentrated in class. I find it really hard to learn something new, and even words I've heard a million times do not stay in my head.

I don't know how to solve this, I hope I won't get too sick. I try to rest as much as I can. I go to yoga twice a week at least (today I canceled coz I was just too tired to go, but went yesterday and going tomorrow), and try to remind myself why I'm doing this at all.

I think that the fact that Rob isn't here half of the week doesn't really help me, coz I don't really have anyone to talk to (on the phone or on skype isn't the same) and tell him how I feel (but if you ask him he'll tell you that we talk about it all day long)...

Hope I'll be better, any suggestions will be blessed.

A post from bed

First I want to start and say thank you to all the readers and friends that commented and e-mailed me on my last post... You guys don't know how much it helped when I read all these nice things!
I got sick on Friday, right after school (didn't feel great there already) I came home and all I wanted to do is go lay in bed. I didn't even have the wish to sleep- I just wanted to lie down... I had a fever and in general was sure that I was gonna die (a drama queen stays a drama queen even when she's sick, and especially when she's sick). Rob was, as usual, my personal nurse, called his mom for Homeopathic help, brought me loads of tea, made me drink it when I was too lazy, gave me medicine and kept me company. On Saturday morning I already felt much much better, and even tough I wasn't at my best yet we went to my class's evening out (felt bad missing it). It was nice, we stayed too long, and when I got home I crashed into bed- coz the next day in the morning I had my Hebrew class. The lessons went good, they're really happy with me there, and that's nice.
Note to self: Stop being a perfectionist - stop working on every lesson for 3 hours. I'm not getting payed so much for the preparation.
On Monday was still not feeling great, but had school and didn't wanna miss it, also I needed to bring some documents to the secretary there. In the end - stupid me I forgot a page - and had to take it back home and bring it again... This morning I really didn't feel great again, so decided that I'm staying home. Called the secretary and asked if I can bring the things tomorrow- she said yes and that's it- I'm missing a day of school! I can't remember a time when I felt so bad about not going to school. I used to skip school all the time. I was an expert in doing everything else but going to school. What happened to that? I don't wanna miss classes all of a sudden, being afraid I wont be able to catch up. It's totally dumb I know that, but can't stop feeling this way...

***

We have a really nice board game from the home of the National Geographic. In the game you're a photographer and you need to bring photos from around the world. You get an assignment list of things you're suppose to take their picture, and you have to guess where the photos on the cards were taken, if you guess right you get this card. There's a lot of photo cards there, all National Geographic photos- meaning beautiful pictures from around the globe, and it's fun playing. You can also answer a question about the continent your picture was from and win tokens. This game was brand new when we opened it- but it was bought years ago- rather in 1990, and it's amazing to see how much the world has changed since then- on the board there's still the Soviet Union, all the Balkan countries are not divided to independent ones (for example there's still Czechoslovakia) there is Western Germany and Eastern Germany, and also- Yemen is still divided to 2 countries! I started thinking about it- and in that year, 1990 I was already starting my teenage years, and since then not that much time has past- but the world has changed so much! The lives of billions of ppl has changed to the better and to the worse, wars started and ended, ppl moved from one country to another- escaping bad consequences of the changes around them. It's been only 17 years since then- but so much has happened.
I was thinking lately how our lives are relatively temporary compared with the age of this world. Nations rose and fell, cultures were successful and colorful and rich in mind and material, and they all disappeared. Nowadays, us here in the western world, see ourselves as the powerful group of ppl, the lucky ones, the ones with the options. Who knows if that is the way it's gonna be like in 20, 30, 40, 50 years from now? Things have changed before that in much less time. It's scary because I find it hard to imagine a better era for the 'western' world.

***

Will try to stop make you guys all depressed, and wish you a good day,
I hope I'll get to update more often,
Tschüss!

Recovery

Water Calligraphy.
For training your brain

On Saturday I felt a bit better, so I allowed myself to join Liya's dinner at her place. She invited some ppl from school and she told me that I'm more than welcomed to come if I feel any better. I thought that a dinner at someones home is a really good idea for starting to do something after being sick. Dinner obviously was great, and the evening past so fast that I was really surprised it was already 1am. The next day I slept so good until almost noon. There's no words to describe how much a good night sleep is being taken for granted... After 3 or 4 nights that I woke up almost every hour, and when I finally woke up in the morning it was to end the nightmare of "sleeping" - this long good night sleep made me feel so much better.
I had to get my certificate from uni - the one for finishing my semester (ppl who stay for another semester don't pick it up now) so I decided I wanna show Rob where I studied and the area. It was a cold and beautiful day (like today) the sun is shining and the air is kinda clear and bright (well no blue blue skies but it's good enough for me). We picked up my certificate (they put it in a really nice red hardcover) and went to the park across the street from uni.
It was Sunday afternoon and there were a lot of ppl there- it was so nice to see them doing exercise on special outdoor gym equipment, and singing together, playing cards or badminton, painting, or writing calligraphy on the ground (they do it with water- just to practice, then it dries out and they can do it again). It was especially refreshing to see them do these things coz usually we see so many of them just wondering around the supermarket or the malls on weekends and we find it really terrible that they have nothing else to do but walk like zombies.

Exercising in the park
These facilities are everywhere,
and are being used by older ppl especially.

In the evening we went to a nice Italian restaurant in the center of town and then we went to a foot massage close to where Rob stayed the first weeks before we had the apartment. It was nice talking to the 2 ppl who gave us the massages, coz they were a lot more intelligent then the young girls and boys who work in the massage place next to where we live. They actually knew some things about other countries, let alone their own.

Sick (again...)

Had a very busy week... had 3 exams: one on general vocabulary and grammar, one in listening (a whole story on its own- I might tell you guys about the stupidity of this teacher in another post) and one oral exam. The day of the oral exam, which was really easy, I didn't feel very good. After the exam I went with most of the ppl from class to a nice pub that is really full at lunch time- coz they have really good food and for rather cheap. I already felt a bit worse there and when I went home I couldn't wait to be there already. Rob was home earlier than usual and I just fell into bed... He served me that day and the day after- when he came back from work... With his help and his mothers Homeopathy remedies I felt better in the evening - but still weak. Today we were suppose to go to an acrobatics show that one of his bosses has invited us to, with some other ppl from the company and some guests. I was happy to hear about the invite, and was looking forward to it, but now- even though I feel a bit better- there's no way I'll take the metro for an hour and walk outside so much (even walking to the kitchen is a bit hard at times), Let alone sit in a show with ppl I don't know and cough all the way through.
I wish I could go, I wish I could spend the evening with him. But I can't. And I'm sick. Sick and sick of being alone when I'm sick.

Hangzhou

Warning: This post is kinda long

Yesterday I puled myself to Hangzhou, even though deep inside I knew I should stay in bed for at least another day or two. I took the subway to the new train station in Shanghai - they build it in the past year or two, it didn't exist last time I lived here. I see it from the outside all the time - it's just amazing- it's supposed to look like a big Chinese umbrella and it actually does... you can see for yourself in this picture:

Shanghai South Railway Station a view from the outside

I change metros there every day on the way to uni and back, but I never got to go to the actual station. This place looks totally like an airport rather than a train station in east Asia. It was absolutely easy to find my way around (I think it would be easy for ppl who don't know any Chinese at all too), and it's definitely efficient which is a very surprising thing when talking about China... I arrived there in the morning (after getting a wake up call from Rob at 8:14AM - wake up shmake up- there's nothing sweeter than waking up from a phone call from you tipsy loving boyfriend...) so that drove me to leave on a normal time- being in the station at 11:10AM. I asked for a ticket to Hangzhou - and the teller told me the train leaves in 40 minutes. I was really relieved to hear that there's seats, and that I don't have to wait for long. I bought the the cheapest there was (I guess that's what was left) it cost 25RMB (= about 2.5€） and headed to the entrance to the gates. There I found an x-ray machine (they have one in all the train stations- even the ones you think are so not worth the security coz they look like a dump) went through that and looked for my gate. The nice lady in the entrance told me to go to waiting room number 7 - so I headed there and was very impressed with the inside design of the place too...

x-ray machines even in the crappiest train stations

As soon as I set down on the seat- I noticed that my train was "boarding". I followed the herd and found myself going down an escalator to the platform. I found my seat on cart number 13, and set down. It wasn't the cheapest ticket for nothing: my seat was one out of three crowded seats (out of five in a row divided in the middle making a 2 seats row and a 3 seats row with an aisle in between). My seat was just next to this kid and his grandpa, and here in China I must admit- I haven't figured out a way to tell who cares about those seat numbers on the ticket and who doesn't - it appears to be 50-50 in the population... In the end instead of sitting on my aisle seat- I found myself sitting between a Chinese guy (later on he left and came a young woman) and the grandpa with the 4-5 year old (spoiled like all of these one-kid-per-family-kids) on his lap. The kid I must say seamed kinda smart but as I said- very spoiled. across from us set a middle aged couple that was just as noisy as all the Chinese ppl, and a young guy that while sitting down on his seat was finishing his noodle-meal-in-a-box (it's very popular here as travel food or something to eat at work). The whole time I was being squeezed by the kid / grandpa that were moving around as if it's a new national sport. The kid saw one of the food carts ladies walking through - and told his grandpa that he wanted to eat lunch now (it was almost noon and the Chinese ppl can not go through a day without eating their lunch at noon and their dinner at 18:00. Really - they just can not). He looked at all the nice boxes the lady had and picked them all up looking at them to see if they're nice. He picked a blue box and said he wants that one, but the lady told him that this one is spicy and he should better pick something else. He looked a bit confused for a second, saying that he wants the blue one coz it's just the most beautiful one... but his grandpa and the nosy lady across from us agreed that he should take the orange one. The nosy lady butted in and told him: "it's beautiful, but it's also spicy!". The kid was convinced and there was peace for all. Until he decided he doesn't wanna have more than a few noodles and the chase after him began in the whole train....
After 2 hours and 10 minutes of being a playground for one little kid and one old grandpa, we finally arrived at Hangzhou. By the way- I totally managed to fall asleep on the train- even if it was only between squeezing and only for 20 minutes). To start telling you about the differences between the old east Hangzhou train station (there's a new one in town) and the Shanghai South Railway Station - it's like telling the difference between an airplane and a horse carriage. The smells, the colors (well the lack of colors in this case), the lady who was laying on the platform- not moving when the security guys touched her frightfully... Third world compared with state of the art. Got out of there as quickly as possible and took a taxi to the youth hostel to meet Omri, whom I know from the China forum online. The youth hostel is located in the center of town, right next to the lake, which is a great location. I really liked the streets next to it, and this lake, as touristy as it is- has something special about it - especially under thick mist. I checked in the hostel, got a lower bed in a 4 bed dorm room, put my things in the locker and headed to meet some more ppl.

The entrance to Mingtown Youth Hostel, Hangzhou

We met Diego and Adriana, he's an Israeli who was born in Argentina, she's Colombian. We had lunch and then headed to the place where it's all gonna happen: Adriana's place (lives with a few more lovely girls- just like her) to cook the x-mas dinner. After a lot of ppl in a small kitchen (well, bigger than mine) and a few hours - we had some dishes set on the table- and we dug in... The evening was one of the most pleasant, fun, warm and welcoming I've ever been to. I even got a nice bracelet from one of the girls- as a x-mas present (thank you Cecilia) - this little gesture of giving presents to the ppl you love- I think I'll have to write about it one day too (we don't have a holiday like that in Israel, well at least we just like giving presents for fun...). Even though I still didn't feel totally healthy - I didn't wanna leave. In the end we left at around 02:00 and I was asleep by 03:30 (it takes a while to get ready for bed when you're doing it in the dark to not wake up any of the other 3 ppl you have in your room).

In the morning I met Omri and Diego for breakfast in one of the endless Starbucks coffees in China. This one is just by the lake, and it was really nice walking there on the bank while rain drops were falling on my head (had to say that line from the song...).

A golden ox merging from the lake
West Lake (Xihu), Hangzhou

As it was raining a bit and I wasn't feeling very well - I decided that I'll go back to Hangzhou soon, and of course take Rob with me... I took my backpack from the hostel, and went home...

(still not feeling great- laying in bed since I got here...)

baaaaa I feel ichy...

Went to sleep last night - put on the alarm clock so I wont sleep all day, but the universe had different plans for me: I really didn't sleep all day - but I feel really bhhaaaa... Headache and a sore throat and a general feeling like my head is gonna fall off... So I guess I'll rest today - maybe go get me a ticket to Hangzhou for tomorrow later on... oof... well... It's OK, I have 5 days off school (including the weekend) so I'm not in a hurry. Besides- I have another exam on Friday - so I better study a bit...

***

Just a note-
Especially when I have a headache or don't feel very well- I hate the Chinese!!! Why??? Why??? Why do they have to honk their horns all the time everywhere all the time for hours and hours??? They are such noisy ppl, and again- I usually don't like it - but I let it go, but when I'm sick - I just hate it!

Sick...

Staying at home today... Since yesterday I don't feel great, and this morning I didn't feel fit enough to go to uni... Rob told me that I should stay at home and try to study a bit here... Then kissed me on the forehead and went to work... It feels so nice to have him with me everyday... Especially on days like this one- when I feel a bit sick...

Yesterday I had an oral exam with my nutty professor. It was so funny... I love this teacher- he's so interesting and nice. He always likes to say Shalom to me and Lehitra'ot and Toda- trying to show me that the knows some words in Hebrew... LOL... Yesterday on the exam (the whole thing took 5 minutes) he said something about Sharon (but obviously he pronounced it more like the word Shalom) and made a "coma like" face... He said: "Sharon, leader of Yi Se Lie (=Israel in Chinese) and then made the face... Meaning- Ariel Sharon is in a coma... LOL that was so funny!!! And then he said: "Sharon same as Shalom" (he pronounced the words exactly the same- being unable to pronounce "R") so I told him in Chinese that it's not the same- and tried to teach him how to say each word correctly - obviously not very successfully...
In the end he said that I speak not bad at all (after telling me to read something in Chinese from my own book- that has my own notes in it LOL) and the whole experience was just so hilarious...
I hate missing today's lessons- they're both lessons with our main teacher- and she teaches really well- I really learn in every lesson of hers... I'll try to make it up from Liya- today for a change she's actually at school... (I really like her- she's a real fun person and we really get along and always have something to talk about...)
I'll go on now and continue being sick at home...
By the way- I still can't see my blog meaning- Dorian - I can't read your blog... :-( (keep me posted???)