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News as of October 2008 (2008年10月近況)
Mark and I flew to Hong Kong and China in September. In two weeks, we visited Chengdu, Xiling Snow Mountains, Huanglong Valley, Jiuzhaigou, Songpan (Snow Treasure Summit), Mt Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha.
The trip was great fun despite eventful, firstly with Mark's China visa which we finally managed to get after 3 applications. The Tibetian issues have made it difficult for foreigners to travel into certain Tibetian areas in Sichuan such as Lanzhou (which was originally the last city we planned to see and we did not make it). When we got to Songpan where we had booked a 3 day horse riding trip, we were told by the tour company that their horses were all affected by horse flu. With much difficulty, we managed to book ourselves with another company. I was bitten by a monkey at Mt Emei. On our way flying back from China to Hong Kong, southern China was struck by a strong typhoon. Our plane was diverted to Xiamen and Mark almost missed his flight back to Australia.
I returned home on 30 September with heaps of photos. Posting them onto my website will keep me busy for a while.
丈夫和我在九月時飛返香港，順道到四川一遊。兩星期內，我們遊歷了成都、西嶺雪山、黃龍溝、九寨溝、松潘(雪寶頂)、峨嵋山及樂山大佛。
此行雖然驚險重重，但仍算非常盡興。先是丈夫的中國簽證申請一波三折，第三次才能取得。早前的西藏問題使國家收緊外國人到藏區的措施，本打算從蘭州回港，因而未竟。我們訂了團從松潘騎馬3天到雪寶頂，抵達松潘時，馬公司告知馬兒患了流感，不能起行，折騰了半天才能安排另一家公司的馬隊。我在峨嵋山給猴子咬了一口(倒楣)。返香港途中，遇上颱風，飛機迫降夏門，丈夫差點誤了第二天回澳洲的航班。
我已於9月30日返家。此行拍了數百張相片，需時整理。
News as of December 2006 (2006年12月近況)
2006 is an eventful year. Mark and I bought our own house in March and had our housewarming in June. House photos are in the PHOTO page.
On 14 July at about 1am, a call from my brother broke our sleep. My father had just passed away. Mark and I flew back to Hong Kong for his funeral.
There have also been lots of changes in the office too. The admin head is working part time and remotely from England for the latter half of the year. One of the admin coordinators decided to resign after her maternity leave and our IT/web guy is leaving us too. The department director is asking me to take up part of the IT guy's job and I have basically agreed. Watch this space for further development.
I also got my first ever (and so far one and only one) translation job here in Tasmania at the end of November.
Mark and I will visit Hong Kong again (this will be the third time in 2006) at Christmas and New Year arriving on 26 December. Mark will only stay till 6 January and me a bit longer till 13 January to justify the extremely expensive airfare (close to HK$13,000 return for each of us). I told my friends in Tasmania that I will have no more Christmas holidays in Hong Kong in future (at least in the near future).
Had it not for the fact that we have been planning for almost a year a family reunion in Hong Kong this Christmas and a full family photo, I would not have paid such a dear fare. My sister Candy in England will for the first time fly back to Hong Kong together with all her family members. Regrettedly we shall be missing our father in the family photo.
Candy's family, my mom, Mark and I have also planned a side trip to Beijing. Candy's kids are really excited over the idea of seeing the Great Wall of China. We might have a one-day ski trip there if that could be arranged.
2006年事故頗多，丈夫和我在3月時買了自己的房子，在6月舉行了入伙燒烤會。請參閱「相片」一頁欣賞我倆新居面貌。
7月14日凌晨1時多弟弟的電話傳來父親剛過世的惡耗，丈夫和我即時趕回香港奔喪。
工作的部門亦有相當大的變化。行政主管在下半年遠飛英國，兼職兼遙控行政組的工作；其中一個行政協調員(註)最近產假期滿決定辭職；我們負責IT/網頁設計的小伙子也快將離職。部門總監最近和我商量，希望我能接掌網頁設計工作，我已原則上答應，正爭取合理待遇。(註) 我認為行政協調員在我們的小部門是個怪職位，行政小組連主管和我共6人(但我的工作及職務非常獨立)，其中3人全職(主管、接待員和我) ，3人半職(1人專責會計和賬務直接向主管匯報，其餘2人為行政協調員) ，協調員的職責是協調下屬(即接待員)的工作。
11月底 ，完成了我在塔斯曼尼亞的第一份(也是到目前為止唯一一份)翻譯工作，希望日後更多類似機會。
丈夫和我於聖誕新年期間會再次返港(今年第3次) ，將於12月26日到埗，丈夫只留至1月6日，我則因機票太昂貴(來回機票每人近1萬3千港元)，小婦人心態，乾脆待至1月13日。我向這兒的朋友訴說，日後(至少短期數年)也不會在聖誕期間返港。
若不是跟英國的姊姊Candy計劃了差不多一年今次的家庭團聚，我才不會忍痛付鈔，今次將是Candy全家第一次一同回港。我們早打算安排一張真正全家合照，可惜父親在7月辭世，實為遺憾。
我們打算Candy一家、我一家和媽會到北京遊玩，Candy的兩名小孩對能到長城、做好漢興奮萬分，如能安排也希望能在當地滑雪，體驗神州的北國風貌。
New House 新居入伙 (June 2006，2006年6月)
Mark and I bought our own house in March and after about 2 months of unpacking, furniture shopping and minor improvement works, we eventually had our house warming barbeque on 3 June 2006. Please go to the PHOTO page and have a look at our new home.
The improvement works included re-flooring Mark's study/work area with parque flooring and building a cupboard underneath the stairwell. All DIY and feeling quite proud.
丈夫和我在三月時買了自己的房子，經過兩個多月的整理、添置傢俱及些微改動後，我們終於在6月3日舉行了入伙燒烤會。請參閱相片一頁欣賞我倆新居。所謂的些微改動是將丈夫的書齋／工作角落鋪上木地板，及封了樓梯底下的空間，改作儲物之用。全程兩人一手一腳自己動工，手工不錯呵。
