Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Swine Flu is here
Swine flu has reached Seattle, it seems. News reported 6 suspected cases (including 1 physican) in Seattle and other parts of Washington. Mexico will shutdown all non-essential activities from May 1-6. I guess masks and thermometers may be distributed. Soon people will shun the public places. Very similar to SARS in 2004.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Museum of Flight (26Apr'09)
We decided to do a 28.4 miles ride today. Hm, considering our stamina usually last us for 15miles a day, this is really stretching our limits. Well, I guess you never know until you try right ? Though CH doesn't think so, he still "tagged" along. (Kinda tricked by me >_<")
This had to be the most siong (tedious) and shiok (enjoyable) of our rides so far. Why shiok? 'Cos we encountered a winding down slope with hair pin curves, along side fast moving vehicles! Boy, got to keep pumping the brakes to slow down. But what goes down must come up (or the other way? hur? Whatever!) That's the tedious part.
The first destination is Seward Park - about southeast Seattle, jutting into Lake Washington from where we could see Mercer Island opposite. The guide book also mentioned about some fish hatchery and a nesting place for bald eagles, which we have yet to see one since we got here.
After this, we will proceed to Museum of Flight which is near Boeing factory. Yap, the factory that manufactures planes for the world that most of us have boarded before.
Hm...what else do we need? Lunch! We have gotten into the habit of packing lunch for picnics while taking in the beautiful scenery. Guess this is one of life's best enjoyment, especially after a hard and strenuous ride. On the way, we chanced upon a nice little town - Madison Valley with a pretty good cafe (can smell the aroma of coffee with nice warm bread), and ordered roasted vegetables w/avocado Columbia sandwich and Lorraine quiche to go. Perfect, we moved on.
It was about 12:30pm when we reached the park. We were getting impatient at the pace, but its hard to blame with the many frames of awesome scenery hitting at us as we rode along Lake Washington.
Finally, picnic at the park and some people, er, dog watching:
After a short rest, we continued our journey to the next destination. Haiz, how we wished someone had warned us this is going to be tough. Its mostly uphill, we peddled hard, gave up, dismounted, pushed our bikes. To our next horror, we realized we had to bike across a freeway! I was about to give up, but CH persisted.
"We have come so far, might as well move on", he encouraged.
Fine. Gritted my teeth, cheong (go)! And we reached ! Finally! With no time to spare, we hurriedly checked into the cafe to replenish lost energies that had already gobbled up our picnic lunch earlier.
As we'd planned to do a more thorough visit on our next round, we hanged around the entrance of the museum to take some pictures before we headed back.
Boy, were we glad to find the bus service (174) still operating. With barely energy left to mount our bikes on the bus, we happily got onto the bus and slumped our tired bodies (and sore butts! Ouch!) on the seats.
What a ride! We have completed > 20 miles today.
This had to be the most siong (tedious) and shiok (enjoyable) of our rides so far. Why shiok? 'Cos we encountered a winding down slope with hair pin curves, along side fast moving vehicles! Boy, got to keep pumping the brakes to slow down. But what goes down must come up (or the other way? hur? Whatever!) That's the tedious part.
The first destination is Seward Park - about southeast Seattle, jutting into Lake Washington from where we could see Mercer Island opposite. The guide book also mentioned about some fish hatchery and a nesting place for bald eagles, which we have yet to see one since we got here.
After this, we will proceed to Museum of Flight which is near Boeing factory. Yap, the factory that manufactures planes for the world that most of us have boarded before.
Hm...what else do we need? Lunch! We have gotten into the habit of packing lunch for picnics while taking in the beautiful scenery. Guess this is one of life's best enjoyment, especially after a hard and strenuous ride. On the way, we chanced upon a nice little town - Madison Valley with a pretty good cafe (can smell the aroma of coffee with nice warm bread), and ordered roasted vegetables w/avocado Columbia sandwich and Lorraine quiche to go. Perfect, we moved on.
It was about 12:30pm when we reached the park. We were getting impatient at the pace, but its hard to blame with the many frames of awesome scenery hitting at us as we rode along Lake Washington.
Finally, picnic at the park and some people, er, dog watching:
After a short rest, we continued our journey to the next destination. Haiz, how we wished someone had warned us this is going to be tough. Its mostly uphill, we peddled hard, gave up, dismounted, pushed our bikes. To our next horror, we realized we had to bike across a freeway! I was about to give up, but CH persisted.
"We have come so far, might as well move on", he encouraged.
Fine. Gritted my teeth, cheong (go)! And we reached ! Finally! With no time to spare, we hurriedly checked into the cafe to replenish lost energies that had already gobbled up our picnic lunch earlier.
As we'd planned to do a more thorough visit on our next round, we hanged around the entrance of the museum to take some pictures before we headed back.
Boy, were we glad to find the bus service (174) still operating. With barely energy left to mount our bikes on the bus, we happily got onto the bus and slumped our tired bodies (and sore butts! Ouch!) on the seats.
What a ride! We have completed > 20 miles today.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tulips Festival
Every year, Skagit Valley holds the Tulips festival in April where tulips bloom in all sorts of colours and visitors come flocking to enjoy the festive atmosphere.
We had to go, being our first, and we love tulips - the world peace flower.
Skagit Valley is 60miles north of Seattle, 60 miles south of Vancouver, Canada. We took an hour+ to reach. This is the furthest we have ever traveled here. Its a lovely countryside, with few visitors. There are several farms, but we chose Tulip Town cos it has a windmill, which was actually built after the owner went back to his hometown - Holland. So this is the exact replica of the windmills you get to see in Holland.
It was pretty crowded with the locals, and tourists (brought in by the tour groups) taking pictures, venturing to the center of the plots, posing with the flowers. It was a busy sight ! We spent about an hour+ here, after which we decided to leave for lunch.
Boy, this is really countryside. We thought of trying some famous pies in Berry Barn - another farmhouse, and drove to it. We thought we had lost our way as we had reached the road, but there were no signs to indicate. Stopping to check the maps, we decided to venture slightly forward. Lo ! It was right in front of us! Happily we turned in. Boy were we surprised to find out its actually selling fruit pies. They look like the chicken pies from Don (SG), with blueberry, rhubard, etc fillings. Oops, not my kind of pie. But nevertheless we made good of the situation with CH's pose with the "animals" from the farm. (See photo)
Disappointed, we left and decided to try out another famous eatery - Net Drive-in, somewhere along the freeway. Boy how we wandered. We totally relyed on our GPS to get there, but we couldn't find it. GPS said we had reached our destination. Ya, right. By now there was already a jam build-up with everyone bustling to get to the freeway. We were very hungry, tired, frustrated, decided not to search anymore, and proceed to our next destination - Seattle Premium Outlets for late lunch.
(A pity, we had wanted to linger awhile more here, and probably visit the 2nd tulips farm - Roozengaarde. As a friend once said, its good to have regrets, to make sure we'll be back again. Next time, I will bring our own lunch to have it here with the tulips, and be sure to visit the daffodils and irises that are nearby. And I will get off the freeway early, get my bikes here to roam the rest of the countryside.)
We had to go, being our first, and we love tulips - the world peace flower.
Skagit Valley is 60miles north of Seattle, 60 miles south of Vancouver, Canada. We took an hour+ to reach. This is the furthest we have ever traveled here. Its a lovely countryside, with few visitors. There are several farms, but we chose Tulip Town cos it has a windmill, which was actually built after the owner went back to his hometown - Holland. So this is the exact replica of the windmills you get to see in Holland.
It was pretty crowded with the locals, and tourists (brought in by the tour groups) taking pictures, venturing to the center of the plots, posing with the flowers. It was a busy sight ! We spent about an hour+ here, after which we decided to leave for lunch.
Boy, this is really countryside. We thought of trying some famous pies in Berry Barn - another farmhouse, and drove to it. We thought we had lost our way as we had reached the road, but there were no signs to indicate. Stopping to check the maps, we decided to venture slightly forward. Lo ! It was right in front of us! Happily we turned in. Boy were we surprised to find out its actually selling fruit pies. They look like the chicken pies from Don (SG), with blueberry, rhubard, etc fillings. Oops, not my kind of pie. But nevertheless we made good of the situation with CH's pose with the "animals" from the farm. (See photo)
Disappointed, we left and decided to try out another famous eatery - Net Drive-in, somewhere along the freeway. Boy how we wandered. We totally relyed on our GPS to get there, but we couldn't find it. GPS said we had reached our destination. Ya, right. By now there was already a jam build-up with everyone bustling to get to the freeway. We were very hungry, tired, frustrated, decided not to search anymore, and proceed to our next destination - Seattle Premium Outlets for late lunch.
(A pity, we had wanted to linger awhile more here, and probably visit the 2nd tulips farm - Roozengaarde. As a friend once said, its good to have regrets, to make sure we'll be back again. Next time, I will bring our own lunch to have it here with the tulips, and be sure to visit the daffodils and irises that are nearby. And I will get off the freeway early, get my bikes here to roam the rest of the countryside.)
Ballard Locks (18Apr'09)
After the first visit to Ballard we were mesmerized by it. I really wanted to visit it again, and one of its well-known attractions - Chittenden Locks. After having dim sum brunch at the International District and a quick grocery shopping, we briskly changed to our bike gear, and off we go!
On the way there, we enjoyed a coffee break at Canal Cafe, just next to the Burke-Gilman trail.
Around 5pm, we reached our destination - officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, locals shortened it to Ballard Locks or the Locks. The locks connect the sea water of Puget Sound to the fresh water of Lake Washington via the Ship Canal. Ships going either way will need to stop and wait for the waters of the 2 regions to level, before they can safely pass through. So we could see the parade of sailboats, yachts, motorboats, etc. while they wait for the Locks acting as an elevator to rise/drop in order to get over to the next region. Some visitors even strike up interesting conversations with the waiting crew.
(Clockwise) Boats waiting at the Locks, an arriving ship joining the wait, manual on how the lock works
Next to this the locals have also built a fish ladder for salmons to leave the freshwater after they are born, and return as adults for spawning. I think salmons are a fantastic breed - they could live in both waters. Unfortunately for us, the baby salmons have left the locks for the sea, and would return in Aug/Sep. So we couldn't see any fish through the glass panels.
On our way to the exit, we were attracted by some scratching sound nearby. Curious, we took a look, guess what we found ? A squirrel! This tiny rascal was nimbling on the cherry petals, while breaking the petals. Pretty mean to destroy those lovely flowers hur?
Saw an interesting car on our way home.
On the way there, we enjoyed a coffee break at Canal Cafe, just next to the Burke-Gilman trail.
Around 5pm, we reached our destination - officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, locals shortened it to Ballard Locks or the Locks. The locks connect the sea water of Puget Sound to the fresh water of Lake Washington via the Ship Canal. Ships going either way will need to stop and wait for the waters of the 2 regions to level, before they can safely pass through. So we could see the parade of sailboats, yachts, motorboats, etc. while they wait for the Locks acting as an elevator to rise/drop in order to get over to the next region. Some visitors even strike up interesting conversations with the waiting crew.
(Clockwise) Boats waiting at the Locks, an arriving ship joining the wait, manual on how the lock works
Next to this the locals have also built a fish ladder for salmons to leave the freshwater after they are born, and return as adults for spawning. I think salmons are a fantastic breed - they could live in both waters. Unfortunately for us, the baby salmons have left the locks for the sea, and would return in Aug/Sep. So we couldn't see any fish through the glass panels.On our way to the exit, we were attracted by some scratching sound nearby. Curious, we took a look, guess what we found ? A squirrel! This tiny rascal was nimbling on the cherry petals, while breaking the petals. Pretty mean to destroy those lovely flowers hur?
Saw an interesting car on our way home.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
University of Washington (UW)
It's a rainy day today. Oh well, good, since I won't be able to bike today with a flat tire. But I do want to get it fixed, so after coming back from our grocery shopping, I pestered CH to visit the bike store nearby. He finally obliged after the rain decreased to a drizzle.
On the way to the store, we chanced upon a bike race.
This is the same store we came the last time looking for bikes, and I complained of bad service. However today we were frequently approached by the staff if we needed help. Wow, what a big difference. We got some spare tubes, a folding basket that can be hung on the side of the bike for groceries, and a used tire that costs $7. During check-out, the cashier actually gave the tire free to us. "On the house", he says. We were somewhat elated about it.
Since the sun had not set yet, we decided to explore University of Washington campus for cherry blossoms. Yap, Japan actually gave Seattle 1000 cherry trees in 1976, some of it can be found in UW, the abbreviated form for this campus, frequently referred to as "U-dub" by the locals.
We were pretty surprised to find architectural buildings among the many cherry trees. It has a rustic feel to it, I think I'd like this place. Pity we do not know the names of these buildings.
On the way to the store, we chanced upon a bike race.
This is the same store we came the last time looking for bikes, and I complained of bad service. However today we were frequently approached by the staff if we needed help. Wow, what a big difference. We got some spare tubes, a folding basket that can be hung on the side of the bike for groceries, and a used tire that costs $7. During check-out, the cashier actually gave the tire free to us. "On the house", he says. We were somewhat elated about it.
Since the sun had not set yet, we decided to explore University of Washington campus for cherry blossoms. Yap, Japan actually gave Seattle 1000 cherry trees in 1976, some of it can be found in UW, the abbreviated form for this campus, frequently referred to as "U-dub" by the locals.
We were pretty surprised to find architectural buildings among the many cherry trees. It has a rustic feel to it, I think I'd like this place. Pity we do not know the names of these buildings.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Lake Sammamish (11Apr'09)
One of the leaders we met last week during our ride with Spokespeople - Cindy actually leads another group "Ride with Us". But she just resumed biking due to her tendonitis after stopping for half a year (I think). She was so inspired by this ride that she decided to organize another trip to Lake Sammamish, a park with mostly flat trails and REQUIRE transport to get there since its near Redmond (where Microsoft office is stationed in).
Cindy has added us to her mailing list, and boy, were we elated to learn of this upcoming ride. BUT we don't have a car, sad, have to forgo. But wait ! Cindy actually offered to pick us + our bikes, upon learning our situation; Condition is we don't mind the dog smell in her car. Of course not ! We jumped at her offer, genuinely surprised and touched by this kind gesture from someone whom we have only met once. To make room for our bikes to hang behind her car, she actually packed her own bike in the rear, not easy for someone recovering from tendonitis. Really really grateful and touched beyond words! Thanks a lot, Cindy! Boy, we are really starting to love this city and its friendly people !
Its going to be a drizzle day today, but we were too excited to mind. After a couple of glitches for her to locate our apartment, off we go.On arrival, Cindy handed us a form to sign which is standard practice for any bike ride for disclaimers. CH read on, as we unloaded the bikes from the vehicle.
We will bike a short trail (about 3miles) and have lunch at Redhood Brewery at the end of the trail. Yummy. We ordered a sample to try out the different home-brew beers offered.
After a very satisfactory lunch, we headed the same way back, when we noticed a funny sound from my bike. Dismounted, checked the tires, to my utter HORROR, the back tire was flat ! Shucks ! How did that happen ?
We didn't bring any spare tubes. Cindy had a tire patching kit, which could be useful, but we got to determine the cause first. We took the chance to practise how to remove the tyre, and the tube. (In case you are wondering, the tube is inside the tire that holds the air for the tire to roll. Its ok, I didn't know this too). On close examination, we saw that the air gauge on the tube had broken. Damn! The patching kit would not help. No choice, we can't ride anymore. It was decided that Cindy will ride back, get her car, and drive here to fetch us.
So we headed back and waited outside the restaurant. It was cold with the winds picking up speed. Cindy finally appeared after an hour or so. Poor her ! She told us she had to fight (literally) with the head wind blowing strongly against her. I bet she was trying to ride as fast as she could to get back to us. It must have been a great torture for her given her medical conditions. What a big blanket of water I...my bike had been !
Cindy has added us to her mailing list, and boy, were we elated to learn of this upcoming ride. BUT we don't have a car, sad, have to forgo. But wait ! Cindy actually offered to pick us + our bikes, upon learning our situation; Condition is we don't mind the dog smell in her car. Of course not ! We jumped at her offer, genuinely surprised and touched by this kind gesture from someone whom we have only met once. To make room for our bikes to hang behind her car, she actually packed her own bike in the rear, not easy for someone recovering from tendonitis. Really really grateful and touched beyond words! Thanks a lot, Cindy! Boy, we are really starting to love this city and its friendly people !
Its going to be a drizzle day today, but we were too excited to mind. After a couple of glitches for her to locate our apartment, off we go.On arrival, Cindy handed us a form to sign which is standard practice for any bike ride for disclaimers. CH read on, as we unloaded the bikes from the vehicle.We will bike a short trail (about 3miles) and have lunch at Redhood Brewery at the end of the trail. Yummy. We ordered a sample to try out the different home-brew beers offered.
After a very satisfactory lunch, we headed the same way back, when we noticed a funny sound from my bike. Dismounted, checked the tires, to my utter HORROR, the back tire was flat ! Shucks ! How did that happen ?
We didn't bring any spare tubes. Cindy had a tire patching kit, which could be useful, but we got to determine the cause first. We took the chance to practise how to remove the tyre, and the tube. (In case you are wondering, the tube is inside the tire that holds the air for the tire to roll. Its ok, I didn't know this too). On close examination, we saw that the air gauge on the tube had broken. Damn! The patching kit would not help. No choice, we can't ride anymore. It was decided that Cindy will ride back, get her car, and drive here to fetch us.
So we headed back and waited outside the restaurant. It was cold with the winds picking up speed. Cindy finally appeared after an hour or so. Poor her ! She told us she had to fight (literally) with the head wind blowing strongly against her. I bet she was trying to ride as fast as she could to get back to us. It must have been a great torture for her given her medical conditions. What a big blanket of water I...my bike had been !
Monday, April 6, 2009
Biking 04Apr'09 - Ballard
Being newbies to biking here, we are not comfortable with riding on the roads here. We got to know about this group called Spokespeople which organizes easy rides to neighborhoods nearby on the first Saturday of every month. So we decided to join them and meet other bikers as well.
After the first ride last Sun, we ended up with aching legs and sore butts that lasted for a week ! (Ouch!) To play safe this time, we hopped into a sports store to get bike shorts for ourselves before the ride.
The ride starts at 2:30pm. Being first timers we are advised to arrive earlier to ensure our gears are properly fitted. On our way back, there was a heavy traffic jam. Damn ! We are going to be late. Quickly, we raced our bikes to the meeting point, which was pretty near our house with a couple of slopes to climb. We arrived just as the group was about to set off. Phew ! Lucky !
So off we go ! Our route today passes through one of the popular trails - Burke Gilman to the first neighborhood Fremont, followed by Ballard, where we take a short break before heading back, not forgetting to grab a fruit (compliments from Spokespeople, thanks!) from the nearby PCC organics supermarket.
We were awed by Ballard neighborhood, with its architectural buildings and cobblestone streets, attributed to its Nordic origins. No wonder ! We silently told ourselves we would be back again for a second visit.
During the break, we chatted up with one of our fellow cyclists, who happened to be teaching ESL for non-native students at the local college. Interesting ! And she commented that my English level is high. Boy, was so happy to hear that! We also got to know one of the leaders Cindy who also has a separate biking group. But she hasn't been biking for some time after her left hand contracted tendonitis and some spine problem (Sorry to hear that). So she came to this ride to re-familiarize herself again.
On the way back we were struck by a funny-looking bike on display in a Dutch bike shop. As we gathered around, we got more and more curious on how this machine works. One of us couldn't stand it anymore and popped the first question to the owner.
"What is this ? Can it be ridden? "
"Yeah, Its a bike that can seat 7 people", answered the owner.
"Can we try it?"
"Sure"
And some of us hopped on the bike, but no one can start it moving! So the owner hopped on as well, and start to pedal.
It moves ! And how it moves ! You've got to see this, simply awesome !
After thanking the owner, we made our way back to the starting point. By and by, there were fewer and fewer of us, as more and more people break from the group. Little did we know the last hurdle is the toughest, which is a hill spanning at least 5 blocks. I had to dismount at one time to relieve the soreness in my legs. Boy, are we glad we make it back ! I strongly felt that our stamina has improved after climbing that hill, but CH doesn't seem to think so. Oh well, nevermind.
After the first ride last Sun, we ended up with aching legs and sore butts that lasted for a week ! (Ouch!) To play safe this time, we hopped into a sports store to get bike shorts for ourselves before the ride.
The ride starts at 2:30pm. Being first timers we are advised to arrive earlier to ensure our gears are properly fitted. On our way back, there was a heavy traffic jam. Damn ! We are going to be late. Quickly, we raced our bikes to the meeting point, which was pretty near our house with a couple of slopes to climb. We arrived just as the group was about to set off. Phew ! Lucky !
So off we go ! Our route today passes through one of the popular trails - Burke Gilman to the first neighborhood Fremont, followed by Ballard, where we take a short break before heading back, not forgetting to grab a fruit (compliments from Spokespeople, thanks!) from the nearby PCC organics supermarket.
We were awed by Ballard neighborhood, with its architectural buildings and cobblestone streets, attributed to its Nordic origins. No wonder ! We silently told ourselves we would be back again for a second visit.
During the break, we chatted up with one of our fellow cyclists, who happened to be teaching ESL for non-native students at the local college. Interesting ! And she commented that my English level is high. Boy, was so happy to hear that! We also got to know one of the leaders Cindy who also has a separate biking group. But she hasn't been biking for some time after her left hand contracted tendonitis and some spine problem (Sorry to hear that). So she came to this ride to re-familiarize herself again.
On the way back we were struck by a funny-looking bike on display in a Dutch bike shop. As we gathered around, we got more and more curious on how this machine works. One of us couldn't stand it anymore and popped the first question to the owner.
"What is this ? Can it be ridden? "
"Yeah, Its a bike that can seat 7 people", answered the owner.
"Can we try it?"
"Sure"
And some of us hopped on the bike, but no one can start it moving! So the owner hopped on as well, and start to pedal.
It moves ! And how it moves ! You've got to see this, simply awesome !
After thanking the owner, we made our way back to the starting point. By and by, there were fewer and fewer of us, as more and more people break from the group. Little did we know the last hurdle is the toughest, which is a hill spanning at least 5 blocks. I had to dismount at one time to relieve the soreness in my legs. Boy, are we glad we make it back ! I strongly felt that our stamina has improved after climbing that hill, but CH doesn't seem to think so. Oh well, nevermind.
ESL@Central Branch (Part 2)
Today is the registration day for ESL class at Central Library branch. When I got there, I saw one of the Thai ladies who was waiting for her friend to arrive. So I went ahead to the registration room, where there were several people waiting, and had formed a line outside the room already. Wow, its more popular than University branch.
Shortly, a lady came out of the room, and asked us who came first. She started giving number tags from 1-10. The guy who came before me took the last card, so I guess I was the eleventh. It didn't seem clear at first, but actually this class could only take in 10 students due to the room size. One by one, the numbers were called and each applicant went into the room. We were still waiting outside hoping to be admitted, and could see them filling up some forms and getting questioned by another lady in the same room.
I was chatting with the 2 Thai friends, when suddenly someone passed me a tag with "9" on it. She looks like Korean, and told me she is not joining the class, so wanted me to have it. I was surprised, in fact, shocked. Not sure if I did thank her before she walked off. I asked the guy before me, if he wanted to swap since he got here first.
He smilingly declined, and said "Its your good luck".
I must be blessed !
My number was called, I went in, sat down, and the other lady gave me a form to fill in my particulars. After completing it, this lady then asked me a few questions, like:
"Where am I from?"
"Why did I come to Seattle"
"What am I doing here?"
"What do I like about Seattle?", etc, etc.
Then I was asked to write a short paragraph on either one of the following:
(a) a fond memory
(b) a joke
(c) country where you came from
Oh well, I couldn't think of any fond memories or jokes at that moment, so I wrote about Singapore.
That's it ! I was informed of the venue and time for my first lesson and that's really it ! It was later that I understood what the lady earlier was talking about. The class size allocated is only 10, but since its such a big turnout, they decided to increase the size to 14. The last 4 will go through the same registration process, but will be notified if they could find a room big enough for 14 students. So its like a waiting list. The Thai ladies were lucky, both get ticket 13 and 14. :) As for the rest, they were advised to try other places like University branch with seats still available.
I was so happy that day, thank you thank you, to whoever watching over me. I hope this stroke of luck will follow me in my job hunting, which is really really going to be tough.
Shortly, a lady came out of the room, and asked us who came first. She started giving number tags from 1-10. The guy who came before me took the last card, so I guess I was the eleventh. It didn't seem clear at first, but actually this class could only take in 10 students due to the room size. One by one, the numbers were called and each applicant went into the room. We were still waiting outside hoping to be admitted, and could see them filling up some forms and getting questioned by another lady in the same room.
I was chatting with the 2 Thai friends, when suddenly someone passed me a tag with "9" on it. She looks like Korean, and told me she is not joining the class, so wanted me to have it. I was surprised, in fact, shocked. Not sure if I did thank her before she walked off. I asked the guy before me, if he wanted to swap since he got here first.
He smilingly declined, and said "Its your good luck".
I must be blessed !
My number was called, I went in, sat down, and the other lady gave me a form to fill in my particulars. After completing it, this lady then asked me a few questions, like:
"Where am I from?"
"Why did I come to Seattle"
"What am I doing here?"
"What do I like about Seattle?", etc, etc.
Then I was asked to write a short paragraph on either one of the following:
(a) a fond memory
(b) a joke
(c) country where you came from
Oh well, I couldn't think of any fond memories or jokes at that moment, so I wrote about Singapore.
That's it ! I was informed of the venue and time for my first lesson and that's really it ! It was later that I understood what the lady earlier was talking about. The class size allocated is only 10, but since its such a big turnout, they decided to increase the size to 14. The last 4 will go through the same registration process, but will be notified if they could find a room big enough for 14 students. So its like a waiting list. The Thai ladies were lucky, both get ticket 13 and 14. :) As for the rest, they were advised to try other places like University branch with seats still available.
I was so happy that day, thank you thank you, to whoever watching over me. I hope this stroke of luck will follow me in my job hunting, which is really really going to be tough.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
ESL@University Branch (Part 1)
Instead of lazing at home, I decided to take up some programs offered free by the local public library. When we first arrived here in Seattle, we had a hard time understanding the local folks speaking, and vice versa. Its tough cos the locals doesn't talk the way it is written. Not sure if you understand, I think it could be caused by different cultures, different English systems learnt, and of course, American English spoken by different people has different slangs. Anyway, I thought it would be good to get myself enrolled in ESL class otherwise known as English as a Second Language.
There are 2 branches offering this class, the one near my place - University library branch offers low intermediate level English, Central Library offers intermediate Pronunciation. Not sure which level fits me, so I went for the University branch which starts class earlier.
Prior to the class, we need to fill up a small test sheet for the teacher to assess our levels. A library assistant will go around asking each of us to say the sound of some consonants like "g", "ch", "z", etc. Other sections include a simple comprehension and answering some multiple choice questions. And that's it ! During this registration session, I got to know 3 of my classmates - 2 Thais and a Japanese. One of the Thai ladies said she envied me cos SG teaches English. They don't understand why I need to attend this lesson given I already can speak English well (they think). I gave a couple of excuses, but really, if my English is good, why is it I still need to strain my ears to listen to the locals, and project my voice out to let them hear me ? Something must be wrong somewhere hur ?
The Thais are also interested in the class offered by the Central Library, so we agreed to meet again for the registration class. I left the class feeling excited. Wow, its been so long since I talked to new friends, other than CH's colleagues. It feels real good.
There are 2 branches offering this class, the one near my place - University library branch offers low intermediate level English, Central Library offers intermediate Pronunciation. Not sure which level fits me, so I went for the University branch which starts class earlier.
Prior to the class, we need to fill up a small test sheet for the teacher to assess our levels. A library assistant will go around asking each of us to say the sound of some consonants like "g", "ch", "z", etc. Other sections include a simple comprehension and answering some multiple choice questions. And that's it ! During this registration session, I got to know 3 of my classmates - 2 Thais and a Japanese. One of the Thai ladies said she envied me cos SG teaches English. They don't understand why I need to attend this lesson given I already can speak English well (they think). I gave a couple of excuses, but really, if my English is good, why is it I still need to strain my ears to listen to the locals, and project my voice out to let them hear me ? Something must be wrong somewhere hur ?
The Thais are also interested in the class offered by the Central Library, so we agreed to meet again for the registration class. I left the class feeling excited. Wow, its been so long since I talked to new friends, other than CH's colleagues. It feels real good.
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