Articles Tagged ‘futility’
Wednesday, August 9th, 2023
On Thursday, June 10, 2021, we went to the National Hospital and did a test. On Friday the results came back negative. We arranged the tickets, packed our bags, and tried not to forget too much.
Friday was filled with classes and conversations. Adryan and I talked about the future. What could he do, more than what should he do? Wyatt and I talked about possibilities and responsibilities. For both of our sons, I’ve tried to show that it is necessary to be prepared. Only by doing everything you can, will you be able to adapt to things whether than merely react to the unexpected.
Saturday, Grace came over with our grandson Theo. It’s always good to see them both. Two of our grandchildren are in Melbourne Australia attending school. And another granddaughter works for the company owned by our daughter Grace’s inlaws. We had dinner with them a few days before we left.
Emily prepared lists of chores for both boys. Sometimes they seem little more than wish lists, but occasionally things do get done. The alternative, just giving in to the inevitable, may be less frustrating but it doesn’t really help anyone.
Emily and I had already decided that it wasn’t a good idea for the family to come to the airport. Large weepy goodbyes are not a good idea in the time of Covid. We arranged for a taxi. The morning was occupied by the faint memories of forgotten items. Thankfully, I’d remembered to wear pants.
The preparation before the flight, packing, tests, uncertainty, and general annoyances were stressful. Then yesterday the flight was actually early. The problem was the 90 minutes we had to wait at baggage claim. We missed our shuttle bus.
Thankfully, we were able to call the hotel and get another in 40 minutes. By the time we got to the room, we ate a late lunch and slept for a couple of hours. That was about 3:00pm. Then we chilled for a bit and then took a walk.
We had bought some fried rice at the airport, so that was our late lunch/supper.
Talked to Wyatt, Adryan, and Grace. Watched some TV. Thankfully we managed to sleep.
The next day … Sriwijaya Air had set up a medical tent in their parking lot. There we did the medical test. Two blood tests, and then two sets of swab tests for nasal and oral swabs. These results were processed by two different hospitals.
That night and the next day were spent completing apps. The apps were mainly in Chinese, so it was frustrating. Add to that a dodgy hotel wifi, and it was a recipe for frayed nerves. We had a nice dinner at a Thai restaurant. we got back and finished what we could of the apps. Just in time, the results came and we add to complete uploading what had already seemed like a lot of information. Emily’s app was finished by 8:30pm. Mine took until almost 11:00pm. After what seemed too long, both apps returned a green code which meant we could fly the next morning.
We were up around 3:00am. We were downstairs by 3:45. Emily sat and I paced around. The airport shuttle was scheduled for 4:00am. The shuttle arrived and we arrived at the Soekarno Hatta airport in about 30 minutes. Except for the check-in we were in a mostly empty space. We went through the initial airport entry scans and such. Then the group heading to Hangzhou appeared.
We discovered to our delight that there were now two more apps to complete. I’m not good at airports, as I tend to notice everything. It puts me on edge, and I don’t relax.
A lot of the time was spent filling in online forms for contact tracing and medical check apps. Eventually, we had three apps that we showed to various health, immigration and customs officers.
The young man assigned to shepherd us through the process was helpful, and professional and we were finished in time to check in. I also discovered that I had left my sweater on the shuttle bus. It was the one that helped me cope with occasionally hyperactive air conditioners, It wasn’t expensive, but I liked that sweater.
We survived the check-in. For the most part, the process was efficient and polite.
We finally boarded the plane at 9:30am. No music or movies to be had. Likely don’t want to throw away perfectly good headphones. So, that’s why sleeping was the better part of valour.
So, after nearly 7 hours we arrived at Hangzhou.
Posted in Asia, Canadian English Course, China, courage, deal with it, dining, Duplessis, Education, esl practice, Expats, Family, futility, Hangzhou, Health, lawrenceduplessis, leadership, Love, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, wayneduplessis, writing | No Comments »
Friday, April 7th, 2017
Posted in A lasting gift, About Me, affordable, Africa, Alumni, American, Amsterdam, Argentina, Art, Asia, Aspirations, At the office, Atlantic City, Australia, Avenger, Baba Ghanoush, Bali, Bangkok, bar, BBA, beach, Beer, BGS, bottle, Bridges, Bruce Wayne, Budget, business, Business Administration, Cambridge, Canada, Canadian English Course, Career, CEC, Certification, Charity, Cherry, China, Cita Hati, Classroom, Cloze passage, cohort, College, communicate, Community, competition, Conversation, courage, customer service, Debate, decency, Degree, degrees, Depression, Destinations, Development, difference, dining, discussion, Documentary, Double Degree, Duplessis, Education, employee relations, England, ESL, esl practice, essays, European, excelsior, exist, Expats, Family, fitness, futility, gap-year, Germany, graduation, Guru, Health, humanity, Humility, IELTS, Independence Day, Indonesia, Intercultural, International, International English Language Testing System, International Schools, Java, Lamar University, Las Vegas, lawrenceduplessis, leadership, Les Privat, Life outside of work, Links, Living the dream, Locals, Longevity, Love, Macau, Madura, Mariposa, Marketable, Masa Cerah Depan, Merdeka, Mexican, Monte Carlo, Muay Thai, Municipal, Networking, Ontario, organization, Organizational, overseas, overseas living, Passport, private, Private lesson, public trust, quality, Rating, re-invent yourself, Reconstruction, Renaissance, repair, requirements, resolution, responsibility, revenue, school, Schools, Sheraton, Siam, Siam Institute, Siam Technology College, Stand, Storytelling, Surabaya, teacher training, Teaching, teaching in Asia, Technology, tefl, Tefl Indonesia, Tefl International, tesol, Tesol certification, Texas, Thai, thailand, TOEFL, Top Ten list, Top Ten lists, traditional, training, Translation, Travel, Truth, TV, United States, University, USA, vacation, video, Vocabulary, Water, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, wayneduplessis, Write, Writer, Youtube | Comments Off on Improving your life shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg
Thursday, March 30th, 2017
Les privat, Cambridge, TOEFL dan IELTS persiapan, kelas untuk anak-anak, remaja dan orang dewasa. duplessis.wayne@gmail.com HP: 087851964031
Posted in A lasting gift, About Me, Alumni, Art, baked, Bali, Cambridge, Canada, Certification, Classroom, Cloze passage, Community, competition, Debate, Depression, Destinations, Documentary, Drink, Duplessis, Education, ESL, Expats, Family, futility, gap-year, Guru, Health, Hope, Hotel, humanity, Humility, Ice Cream, IELTS, Independence Day, Indonesia, Ingredients, International English Language Testing System, International Schools, Java, Kartini Day, Les Privat, Life outside of work, Links, Living the dream, Locals, Longevity, Love, Madura, Mariposa, Masa Cerah Depan, Natural, Networking, nightlife, Oktoberfest, overseas living, Pasar Modern, Prep, private, Private lesson, quality, Rating, Reconstruction, Renaissance, requirements, responsibility, Schools, Storytelling, Surabaya, Teaching, tefl, tesol, TOEFL, Top Ten list, visa, Vocabulary, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, Youtube | Comments Off on Swasta guru / Trainer Tersedia
Sunday, January 29th, 2017
I shared a meme. It’s something many of us do, have done, and perhaps we’ll do it again. This meme was a reworking of a famous poem by German Pastor Martin Niemöller.
A message was then posted which questioned ...
[Continue reading this entry] Posted in A lasting gift, About Me, Bridges, Canada, Documentary, Duplessis, Education, England, European, Expats, Family, Hope, Humility, Indonesia, unwise, visa, Vocabulary, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis | Comments Off on An Open and Honest Discussion
Wednesday, December 28th, 2016
The smile was only the beginning
This is the Carrie Fisher I knew, which is to say I never knew her.
She had a substantial contribution to the creation of characters that were part of the ...
[Continue reading this entry]
Posted in A lasting gift, Alumni, Art, Canada, Depression, Destinations, Hope, Humility, Living the dream, Longevity, Love, Wayne, Wayne Duplessis, Write, Writer, Your Second Fifty | Comments Off on Carrie Fisher
Tuesday, September 27th, 2016
Canadian English Course &
Lan Hua Mandarin Center Annual Competitions are back @Ciputra World, November 04-06, 2016.
Kindergarten:
Show & Tell (KG A & KG B)
Elementary:
Storytelling (gr.1 & 2)
Spelling ...
[Continue reading this entry]
Posted in A lasting gift, Alumni, Art, At the office, Canada, Canadian English Course, CEC, Certification, China, Ciputra World, Cita Hati, Classroom, Community, competition, cookie, customer service, Debate, Destinations, Documentary, Duplessis, Education, Elly Hunara, ESL, European, Expats, Family, gap-year, Hope, Ice Cream, Indonesia, Ingredients, International Schools, Java, Life outside of work, Living the dream, Locals, Longevity, Love, Merdeka, Netty Poerrnomo, Networking, nightlife, quality, Rating, Reconstruction, requirements, restaurants, Schools, Stand, Storytelling, Surabaya, tefl, tesol, Tesol certification, testament, Top Ten list, Translation, Travel, tropics, vacation, video, Vocabulary, Wayne | Comments Off on English and Mandarin Competition at Ciputra World
Saturday, March 14th, 2015
Sat 28 Feb 19:00 until
[caption id="attachment_1261" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="InterNations event for February 2015"]
[/caption]
Sun 01 Mar 01:00
Lido Pub
Blok 5A No.9, Darmo Parki, Jalan Mayjen Sungkono
Surabaya
We had 50+ Attendees
Had fun ...
[Continue reading this entry] Posted in A lasting gift, About Me, Alumni, Amsterdam, Argentina, Canada, Canadian English Course, CEC, Certification, Changsha, Ciputra World, Coco Palms, competition, customer service, Depression, Destinations, dining, Education, ESL, European, football fanatics, futility, Hacienda, Health, Hope, Indonesia, Ingredients, Inter Nations, International Schools, Java, karapan sapi, Life outside of work, Links, Living the dream, Longevity, Love, Madura, nightlife, pub, public trust, quality, Rating, requirements, restaurants, Schools, Surabaya, Surabaya 1914, tefl, tesol, Tesol certification, Travel, Trawas | No Comments »
Saturday, March 7th, 2015
Big Water is sucking the life out of a precious natural resource for a pittance, and government is only too happy to allow the
Greedy Gulp to continue.
This isn't necessary, and the situation can be made to work ...
[Continue reading this entry]
Posted in Bali, Canada, Classroom, Community, competition, Crusty, customer service, Debate, Depression, Destinations, dining, Documentary, Duplessis, Education, European, futility, Germany, grief, Groundwater Replenishment System, Ingredients, International Schools, Java, Natural, Nestlé, obscenity, overseas living, quality, Rating, Reconstruction, Renaissance, requirements, restaurants, Schools, Stand, Storytelling, Travel, vacation, Villa, Water, Wayne, Westerners, Write, Writer | No Comments »
Friday, January 2nd, 2015
Each of us experiences grief, and each and every one of us has tears. No one can say when, or when not, to cry. Nor how long the tears should fall.
Hold fast to your memories of smiles and laughter. ...
[Continue reading this entry] Posted in A lasting gift, Alumni, Classroom, Destinations, Education, Elly Hunara, Family, futility, Hope, Humility, Indonesia, Inter Nations, International Schools, Life outside of work, Living the dream, Love, Netty Poerrnomo, obscenity, Politics, public trust, quality, requirements, Schools, Storytelling, Surabaya, testament, Travel, tropics, vacation | No Comments »
Thursday, January 1st, 2015
Happy New Year everyone.
Please make it a good year. Be kind for the sake of kindness.
Be good for the sake of goodness.
Be honest, be careful, be fair, and be prepared to say sorry.
Be unafraid to make mistakes, ...
[Continue reading this entry] Posted in A lasting gift, About Me, Alumni, Bali, Bread, Canada, Canadian English Course, CEC, Certification, Cherry, China, Ciputra World, Cita Hati, Coco Palms, competition, customer service, Debate, Depression, Destinations, Documentary, Education, Elly Hunara, ESL, European, Family, fitness, Frank Moffat, Fresh, furniture, futility, gap-year, Germany, Graeme, grief, Indonesia, Inter Nations, International Schools, Java, Kartini Day, Kirkos, Living the dream, Longevity, Love, Madura, Masa Cerah Depan, Mexican, Natural, Netty Poerrnomo, obscenity, Ontario, Orillia, Petra, public trust, Renaissance, requirements, Schools, Storytelling, Surabaya, tefl, tesol, Tesol certification, Tim Hannigan, Top Ten list, Travel, Trawas, tropics, unwise, vacation, video, visa, Water, Wayne, World Bank, Your Second Fifty | Comments Off on For the year ahead
Wayne