New Year's Eve Thailand Style

So, I had a New Year's Eve like no other that I will ever have. It was full of laughs, dancing, new friends, new experiences, and thousands of people shoulder to shoulder.

I've been sloppy with my blog in the past months, but I had to share this New Year's Eve with you, and since I took no pictures, I figured I would share it this way. We arrived in Phuket around 4:00 and experienced the worst airport taxi system ever. I've been pretty impressed with most Asian airport taxi queues, but the one in Phuket took forever and didn't seem to really have any system. It was a true representation of the idea that the Asian culture doesn't line up like the Western culture. But you just go with it!

Finally we got to our hotel, and because we were running late, we had to get ready pretty quickly for the hotel NYE gala. So we were supposed to stay for the whole countdown with all our fellow hotel-mates, but by 10pm, we peaced out because it was definitely more intended for families and couples. It was calm and well done, but not for us. It was complete with Shania Twain covers, a man dressed as a woman belly dancing, and some kind of strange life size puppet show. I can't even explain it properly, but yeah, not for us.

So we googled where to go for NYE in Phuket, and there are a million places to go - the most popular being Patong Beach, which would be a huge celebration. We thought, Nah, we don't want too crazy. So we chose to go to something in Old Phuket Town. We got dropped off there around 10:30, and started to walk, only to realize that we were the only tourists at all and were getting a lot of strange looks because we were a little dressed up. It's New Year's Eve right?! The locals celebrate in a cheerful, but very casual way. 

And sooooo, we negotiated for a long time with taxis to get a halfway decent fare (it still ended up being $50 - ugh). We tried many taxis before we finally got one. Most of the taxi drivers don't work on New Year's Eve, and the tuk-tuk drivers could possibly be drunk. Our taxi driver was a very kind man who had his wife and son with him, and so we got to chat with them about some of the Phuket traditions for New Year's. I wanted to know the tradition of the lanterns; he explained that you make wishes for your upcoming year and let go of your old year as you release the lantern. Finally, we got to Patong Beach at 11:30pm.

It. Was. Crazy. A sea of people, very happy people. We found out the direction of the beach and started running as we shouted, "Sorry, oops, excuse me. Oh, Happy New Year!" with frequent pauses as people would shove a camera or phone in front of your face as they shouted Happy New Year in their own language. We were attacked at least a dozen times by silly string, silly snow, and whatever else came shooting out of people's aerosol cans. Fireworks were already going off all around us as we quickly dodged and wove our way down the main street. 

We got to the edge of beach where we were wedged in tightly with shoulder buddies and could no longer weave or dodge. It was 11:55pm. Just in time! We shouted Happy New Year for about 10 minutes because there wasn't a real countdown; that one moment when the year changes over stretched on a little longer in Phuket. It was chaotic for those ten minutes of people cheering, hugging, yelling Happy New Year, smiling into cameras of complete strangers. Thousands of lanterns were floated off above our heads to celebrate new beginnings, fireworks went on for ages all around us; it was one of the coolest ten minutes of my life, I think.

Melanie and I planned on not staying out super late, but our plans changed when we were asked to take a picture of these girls from Chile, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam. We got chatting and sharing our stories leading up to NYE, and suddenly we were roped into celebrating the rest of New Year's Eve with them. We gained a group of American guys a little bit later (we really had the globe well-covered), and soon we had a chain of 13 people weaving our way back through the never-ending crowds. Don't worry, Mom, we were all counting constantly to make sure we didn't lose anyone.

We danced and laughed the rest of the night, learned a little about each other's cultures and lives, and shared in this special New Year's Eve away from our friends and families, which is totally bittersweet. Even though I couldn't keep track of everyone's names and didn't get anyone's information at the end of the night, I think that is sometimes the best way when you travel (of course, there are exceptions). You make these cool connections, appreciate each other for that little bit of time, and then go on to do it again with the next people you meet and form bonds with. Someday when we run into each other haphazardly again in some foreign country, we'll reminisce about that New Year's Eve in the craziest place on Earth.

For me, someone who is more introverted, I am always grateful to get back to the people I know and love dearly and who know me. However, this is one New Year's Eve that was different, exhilarating, unexpected, and one that I'll never forget!

An Encouraging Kind of Day

Sometimes I worry about my students' academics and whether I am teaching them in the best way I possibly can. I wonder if I could be doing more.

At times like this, God steps in and gives me wonderful little reminders. Like today right before lunch, two of my students came over to me. They know I'm on lunch duty this week, and they argued back and forth a little bit over who would ask me. I kept saying, "ask me what?" They kept nudging the other. Eventually, one of them said, "We have some questions for you."

"Okay...." The bell rings.

"Will you sit with us for lunch?" I say I will, of course. What teacher doesn't like to be invited to join their students for lunch? It was very sweet.

It turns out that they wanted to ask questions about Heaven and Hell, which led to a conversation about grace and sin. Yes, a very weighty lunchtime topic, but an important one, nonetheless. So, we got talking. "But, Ms. Becca, we make so many mistakes every day!"One of them said.

"I do, too, but God is gracious and understanding and will forgive you if you go to him."

They gasp; seriously, they gasped. "YOU make mistakes?"

"Many. Every day."

"I don't know if I believe that. We see you every day, Ms. Becca."

It was my turn to be astounded. I was surprised that my students never noticed my mistakes or errors. They didn't see the moments I may have been less patient than I'd like to be. They didn't care about the times when I did my mental math wrong (darn you, mental math). They didn't care about that. It was very humbling, and it reminded me of the grace that God extends to me and that I must extend to myself as well.

It was indeed a humility day. I had a conference with a student's parents today that was very encouraging; it reminded me that being a teacher is as much, if not more, about what we are implicitly teaching our students than it is about what we're explicitly teaching. You know, those little life lesson moments, those eternity-impacting moments, those moments when you realize there's a change in your student.

I met the student of the parents I had the conference with at our school's orientation day at the beginning of the year. I remember him being so quiet, so discouraged about school. He was not rude, but he explained that he didn't like school, didn't like reading, and school just wasn't his thing.

I told him that I hoped he'd change his mind about school over this year.

Today, his parents told me that he practically pushes them out the door in the morning, saying he can't be late. They said they never have to make him get up anymore. They said he is happy. It was such an encouraging moment for me.

I don't know if they'll ever know how special those words meant to this rookie teacher.

If you're a first year teacher, too, then remember this: How you care about your students matters. Hugely.

Dear cockroach, you've met your match

I have been very good about not leaving any food, dirty dishes, crumbs out overnight for fear of an infestation of cockroaches. I've had success until this morning when I entered into an epic battle with the most stubborn of cockroaches. I walked into my kitchen chipper as ever at 5:15am because everyone is chipper at this time of the day. As I opened a cupboard door, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I flung aside several dishes from my sink and saw.... it. A scurrying, unwelcome cockroach. There was no way I was squishing him in the sink I wash my dishes in, so I decided the best method would be to try and drown him by turning on the tap. Needless to say, he quickly scurried out of the sink and along the counter. I grabbed the bowl that had filled with water and started throwing water at him which just made him move faster. He scurried into my drying rack of clean dishes and I kept tossing water at him. At this point, I have water pouring off my counter, but do I care? No.

He then scurried behind a sponge. I kept throwing water at him behind the sponge and then there was no movement for a few seconds. I thought I drowned him. With great trepidation, I flicked aside the sponge, and I swear he hissed at me. He ran away just as I realized how silly it was to fling water at this tank of a cockroach. I clanked a cup down over him. With relief and trembling hands, I went about cleaning up the sopping mess of my counter and soaking up the puddles on the floor. I tossed all my clean dishes that were on the counter in the sink (who knows where he had placed his grimy little feet) and had my breakfast. I hoped that when I went back he'd just be dead, so I wouldn't have to squish him.

But no, he was freaking out! Complete cockroach freakout! I slid the cup along the counter and onto a cutting board (which is still soaking in my sink tonight). I place the cup and board on the floor on a sheet of paper. I grabbed a sandal and released the beast. For a split second I worried that if I killed him, two more would grow in his place; he was just that relentless. The worry only lasted for a second. I managed to get him before he sunk into the floor, disapparated, or got me first.

Tonight, I basically sanitized my kitchen. I've learned two lessons from this morning, just skip the water fight step next time, and never leave a dirty pan in your sink overnight.

(p.s. this is no exaggeration of my first, and hopefully last, battle with a cockroach. I will admit, he probably didn't hiss at me, and it was just my imagination in the heat of the moment)

Math Centers: A crisis averted, a goal achieved.

After the first two weeks of school, there is so so so much that I want to say about it. The first week felt like it was a month long. The second week felt like it was half a day. It's surprising to see how quickly my students are learning certain routines and how they are taking a little bit longer on others that I thought would be quick. These are all little tidbits of learning I'm discovering on my own. I'd like to share a triumph of this week with you though.

If you know me, you'll know that I adore English, reading, writing, and everything literacy. So there is a small part of me that can relate to the child who tries to sneak a peak of the next page in their novel when their stamina is fading while finishing a math worksheet. When I see this though, I've realized that I really want to find a way to engage my students in math in the same way that they are engaged in their book long after reading is over. Although our math curriculum is very thorough, well-organized, and user-friendly, I am seeing first-hand the need for differentiation in math in our grade three classroom.

I have long block of math (about 60-75 minutes) and a short block of math (30 minutes) every day. We work on our current chapter during the first block and do practice together. During the short block of math last week and this week, I was doing a whole-group activity about developing their facts fluency. Although it was okay, I have realized that it is not ideal because it doesn't meet all my students' math needs and isn't extending their learning from the curriculum objectives we are working on during the first block. Today, I did a short spurt of math centers during my second block of math. It went very well.

I was surprised to be completely honest. As I said, my second block of math is only 30 minutes, and we were running late coming in from a break. So, I actually only had about 20 minutes of the second math block. I had intended on teaching about centres for 10 minutes, and then having my three groups do just 5 minutes at three centres. This would be considered a full rotation, and now I realize that this would also be considered overwhelming for the first time doing math centers. I am so grateful that I couldn't actually do this because I think it could have ended in disaster, especially with it being Friday afternoon and without building any math independence. Right before the lesson, I decided I would take 10 minutes to still do a mini-lesson on what math centers are, and then have the students do about 7-8 minutes in just one center with no rotating for today.

I sent one group of three to a math game centre where they played Math Tic-Tac-Toe; I sent another group to a Math Challenge center where they completed a math writing activity collaboratively; and I kept a group of three with me at the "work with Ms. Becca"station.

It was just what they - and I - needed today in Math! In my center, I had the chance to better assess two students who seem to struggle in math. My students who really were needing a challenge in math got it finally today. And my more kinesthetic students played tic-tac-toe in the reading corner on the rug.

I wasn't interrupted at all. The other two groups worked steadily the whole time, and I could hear sounds of collaboration. One of my students was new today (he started late), so he sat close to me during work with teacher and started his pre-test that we did last week for this unit. I worked with the other two in a quiet area on the carpet. I wish I could convey my excitement in discovering that one student in particular was able to demonstrate his math skills to me much better in this context. The group setting was far too over-stimulating for him, and he was easily distracted.

If I had carried out my initial plan, I know I would have been interrupted repeatedly, felt frazzled with making sure the students were transitioning properly, and therefore I would not have been able to work with the students at my center. My students would have felt confused, frustrated about what they were doing, discouraged about their math skills, and altogether lost.

I am grateful for the last minute change! I really should have known better from the start.

I plan on digging into the Daily 5's program for math, the Daily 3, more in the coming weeks. I want to work this into math often. I did three centres today not considering the Daily 3, and what I did sort of ended up working with it. The Daily 3: Math writing, math with someone, math by myself. I'd like to put this more to use in the coming weeks.

If you have experience with the Daily 3, please send along your thoughts that you think I should consider. Or if you just have something to say about teaching grade three math that you think I should know, I would LOVE to hear from you. This first-year teacher will take all the guidance in teaching math that she can get!

What is this all about?

(I wrote this update last week, and I'm finally uploading it. Sorry for the information overload, but I've finally gotten around to uploading my updates for family and friends)

What a whirlwind it has been. Life is fast, unpredictable, and exhilarating here in Jakarta. We’ve had the chance to explore Pluit Village. The food has been incredible. I think my favourite so far has been the chicken sate. We are moved into our apartments, so we’ve been doing a lot of shopping for our places. My best find was a set of cool canvas prints for the space above my couch that was previously occupied by some slightly unfortunate “art”. This first week has also included familiarizing ourselves with the school, the wonderful staff (I can’t say enough how great they are), and discussing the vision of Sekolah Pelita Harapan International. 

Let me tell you about the organization because I just got the full run-down on it today, and I’m so pleased and encouraged. The SPH coordinator who is like the superintendent, Philip Nash, came today during our morning devotions and talked with us about SPH. First, the organization runs three different types of schools: Sekolah (school) Pelita (lighthouse/spotlight) Harapan (hope) International, Sekolah Dian (medium light/lantern) Harapan, and Sekolah Lintera (small light/candle) Harapan. Each school targets a different audience, thus the different words for light. 

Sekolah Pelita Harapan International

Sekolah Dian Harapan

Sekolah Lintera Harapan

SPH targets the wealthy in Jakarta, and our schools teach an International curriculum in English. The SDH targets the middle class and their schools teach the national curriculum through an international lens in Bahasa. SLH targets the lower class and teaches in the local language in the village schools. Expat teachers can only teach at the SPH schools, and national teachers are equipped (through our teaching college) to teach at the other two organizations of schools. I think one of the most unique things about this organization that I was super pleased about was the vision to provide quality education in SPH, SDH, and SLH. The difference is that each “light” is different because of varying states of influence. A student at SPH comes from a wealthy family, and so they can have more influence on society at an international level. SDH and SLH graduates have influence, too, but it’s on a different level. Mr. Philip explained a key thing though: each school branch has the same Harapan, or HOPE. I love this.

Another interesting fact about the organization is coming up. Paying attention? This is key. The fees and tuition at SPH are very very expensive, but the Yayasan (the organization) is transparent about where that money goes: the Dian and Lintera schools are completely subsidized so that a family at that socio-economic level can send their children to school. How amazing is that? Mr. Philip described it as a bit of a Robin Hood concept.

I think it is incredible that such a prestigious organization in the international education field also has established and continues to support schools for the middle and low income families. The vision comes from the founders who wanted to see quality health care and education throughout Indonesia. I wish I could remember the ultimate goal for how many schools they want to establish in all three branches. I know that they want to establish 10 SPH schools around Jakarta, and guess what? Pluit Village is #5! I am so grateful that I have the opportunity to be a part of such a beautiful movement. 

Finally, here is my absolute favourite fact about SPH. Are you ready? We have the unique experience of living amidst a Muslim and/or Buddhist community, meanwhile showing our students the love of Jesus Christ and teaching them about the call to come into a personal relationship with him. How freeing! 

It is so evident that this is an organization of integrity, love, and commitment to quality education. It is truly blessed. 

It Has Begun!

Alright, so I've been doing this blogpost in intervals. I sit down to write a few paragraphs, and then I have to go somewhere, I have to catch a flight, I fall asleep, my internet cuts out, or I just get distracted for no reason. If you want the summarized version of my exciting airport adventures, scroll down to the part where I got a little bit lazy.

On July 11th, I got up at 3:00am and drove to the Charlottetown airport with my mom and dad to catch a flight to Toronto first. Having to get up at that hour is just absurd and will never ever be okay. As soon as we got there though I basically guzzled down a cup of coffee and inhaled a bagel whilst taking things out of my checked luggage because it was over the weight allowance. I may have packed expertly light on my trip to China, but this time was very very different. I ended up having to leave a couple mugs at home :( (But today my new bank in Jakarta gave me a mug as a thank you for opening an account; I doubt they've ever seen someone look so happy about one of their mugs).

I said see you later to my parents and Emily (my kindred spirit who came to see me off as well), and then I got on my plane to Toronto. It was lovely to fly out of Charlottetown and finally see the Island from the air.

Now, the next part is about the Toronto airport. I warn you travelling types who are going through Toronto: things have changed! When you are going through US customs, it's all automated now, and supposedly it should have sped things up. I don't know about everyone else, but if something is different in navigating airports, I start to have a minor panic attack. Permission to call me a creature of habit granted. I'm calmed though immediately if I see someone freaking out more than me. Thank goodness for the lady with the fanny pack in front of me who had been "going through this airport since basically it's opened" and was flagging down customs officials every five minutes. (But you know what, that's probably me in 30 years).

After this though, it was smooth sailing. Here is the shortened version of my thoughts on the rest of my travel to Singapore.

See above for Toronto adventures.
Slept one hour to Chicago.
I had an incredible pesto chicken wrap and another coffee in the Chicago airport.
Got on a flight to Hong Kong.
Sat in one place for 15 hours with minimal pee breaks because of the two sleeping, heavily drugged, snoring Asian gentlemen on either side of me.
Asian gentlemen's sleeping helped me sleep for five hours altogether.
Got to Hong Kong.

Back to the expanded version. I arrived in Singapore, and I admit that I was pretty nervous about everything that I had to do between getting off the plane and getting to my hotel room. I’m grateful that it went as smoothly as it did! I got into the terminal, went through immigration, and got my bags. I was fortunate that I could leave my checked bags with “Left Baggage” at the Singapore airport as I’d be in Singapore for the next two and half days. I did not want to lug around that many suitcases. I grabbed a cab, and it took me to the hotel. Easy peasy. I had no need to worry. English is even one of the main languages in Singapore, so all the signage is in English!

I met up with a few fellow SPH teachers, and we spent the next day relaxing, hunting for free wireless (this does not exist in Singapore by the way), and trying to eat for as cheaply as possible. This is something we learned fast about this little island-city. They may as well ask for a piece of your body when you’re paying for things; it is ridiculous. At one point, we went out, and I realized that I had not put sunscreen on. As soon as we got to the mall, I went searching for sunscreen. Place #1 had some - price: $52.00. Place #2 had a travel size of banana boat stuff - price: $15.00. I bit the bullet.

That night I explored the bayfront with Hyunge, a teacher from South Korea who would be at a different school. Singapore is a very posh city with towering modern structures. It is a very interesting city with a Merlion spitting out a fountain of water into the river. I know you’re wondering what a Merlion is; well, it’s exactly what it sounds like: a creature with a lion’s head and a fish’s tail. Across the river is the famed Marina Bay Sands hotel which honestly looks like a space ship (think Star Trek Enterprise) with legs. 

I woke up a little later the next morning, and went down to breakfast at the hotel. I found a table full of SPH teachers to sit with. After introductions (and my first coffee), we agreed that we needed to explore the city some for the day. So we navigated our way to the subway station. After a few wrong subway stops and escalator choices, we arrived at the Gardens by the Bay for a couple hours of exploring. It was beautiful! So many gorgeous flowers and incredible trees to see. We needed to get back to the airport in time, so we only saw probably half of it.

Later we arrived at the Singapore airport in a big thirteen seater taxi-van. We checked in nervously. The reason we were nervous is that we found out about some weight restrictions we were unaware of for our Garuda Indonesia flight :/ We planned on pleading, begging, smiling, and reasoning our way through being waived the fees. Unfortunately, no one was successful and we all had to pay for the bags we had that were overweight. After this, we explored the Singapore airport.

Most airports are pretty boring, but Singapore is the exception. We managed to go into a two storey butterfly house that is attached and get foot/calf massages for free! You could also go down the biggest indoor slide in the world (I think); you could watch a movie in the movie room; there were so many options. We all have to go back again to finish our visa process, so we won’t be bored in the airport. 

Once we arrived in Jakarta, we completed VOAs and everyone was met by some of their school staff! Because there are five SPH schools, we were met by our own school and taken to our accommodations. Jen, Dylan, Zhang Li, and I are the new expat teachers at SPH Pluit Village. We were met by people we’d come to realize have some of the biggest hearts you’ll ever meet. Alexis, our lead teacher was there, and Alex, the head of all our departments was there. Yes, he is head of all departments because our school is in its pioneer phase. Somehow he still makes time to do things like take us out for dim sum and make sure that I’m not going to electrocute myself in my kitchen. Then there is Alexis. She is our lead teacher (she performs principal duties); she is our unofficial Bahasa Indonesian teacher and translator; she is our shopping buddy; and she just has an incredible heart for the vision of SPH. We are truly blessed to have her as our leader, and I’m so grateful for her. Plus, she loves Anne of Green Gables!! :)

Okay, so that is enough for my first post. I’m seriously behind in giving full updates. I will get better at this, I promise! 

Avoid the Big Mistakes

There is so much for us first year teachers to learn and think about. Every now and then, I'm hit with a new realization that I'll need to plan this or do that. Yes, it can be daunting and very nerve-wracking. We need to accept that we will make the occasional mistake and then learn and grow from the mistake. 

I've had a few friends who have already gone through their first year of teaching give me some advice, all of which I greatly appreciated. They shared with me some of the mistakes they made so as to help me avoid them. I know I'll make mistakes all of my own, too.  Recently, I came across an article that explained a common mistake teachers often make on their very first day of school.

Here is the article. I hope you take something from it, like I did. It's a mistake that is totally innocent and could have happened to me without even realizing it! I'm thankful I stumbled upon this article.

Rookies Helping Rookies

Everyone has a first year of teaching, and everyone has a different story to tell. I know that some people think I'm not only crazy for going overseas for my first year, but for going overseas and helping to pioneer a new school in a third-world country. Maybe it is a little crazy, but I can't imagine anything else for my upcoming first year of teaching.

I can't wait to fill this blog up with stories about my school life, how my students are learning in and out of school, and how I'm learning in and out of school.. For now though, you (and I) will have to settle for posts about how crazy excited I am and for what I'm doing to prepare.

I want to help out other rookie teachers in the next year through this blog. I hope that I can help you relate and see that you're not in this alone as we navigate our first year together. I know we'll face some of the same problems and some that are completely unique to our situations, so I hope you'll share your thoughts with me as you read my thoughts. I will ask questions. I will be honest. I will celebrate. I hope you will, too. I will definitely need help (from my PLC and from the online community) as this year progresses. In return, I'll do my best to offer help as well.

My first step is sharing my go-to website lately. I've been purchasing her products on Teachers Pay Teachers, and reading her blog quite regularly. It's such an incredible site called The Clutter-Free Classroom. You may have heard of it or come across it but never really used it; well, I recommend you use it! Download her product catalogue and look through the products she has available. They are all very reasonably priced, and some are even freebies! Once something catches your eye, go to her blog first and search for it. She'll likely have a dandy little post (and maybe a video) which explains the product. Once you think, "This might work for me," go to her Teachers Pay Teachers store and check out the product using the free preview. Then download it! It'll be worth it. I've already downloaded a few of her products.

My favourite product thus far is her Classroom Procedures and Routines Manual and Workbook. Here is a link to her post and video which explain what the product is and how you can use it.

Trust me, Rookies and non-Rookies as well I think, you'll love The Clutter-Free Classroom!

Non-coincidental Moments

I'm in a waiting phase of life. I was in China for four months, then I moved home to work at Wee College in Moncton. Suddenly an opportunity to teach in Jakarta, Indonesia presented itself. The thing I've been loving about the time leading up to starting my teaching job in Indonesia is that this is a waiting phase.

More often than not, I've wanted to hurry time to the "next big thing" in my life because I've been so excited about it. This time, I find that I want to add extra days to my time remaining in the Maritimes, but I also want to skip days to fast forward to the next adventure.

I decided a month or two ago that I was not just going to sit back and wait excitedly until I start my new job in a new country. I'm not saying that I'm not also excitedly waiting, because I am. But, I've also taken this waiting time to strengthen relationships, learn to love a group of 14 incredible little three year-olds, appreciate the beauty of the Maritimes, and prepare spiritually, mentally, practically, for a huge life shift.

The phase of life you're going through is not a coincidence. There is meaning to it, regardless of the difficulty or ease that comes with it. What are you going to do in this time of waiting?

I'm reading a book called A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman. In this book, she talks about what it means to live life as an "artist", to find your true calling, to do this all as a way to give honour to God! It's been eye-opening, as her writing often is. The chapter I read last night was titled "Wait". She ends the chapter with these words:

Show up in the place where you already are fully alive as the image bearer God made you to be. Embrace the mysterious, invisible work of Christ even when it seems like nothing is happening. You are an image bearer and you have a job to do - whether you see the results or whether you don't.

My Book Plea

Hi friends, I'm about to mooch off of you, but it's for a good cause.

I need your books.

Read on. Or, if you don't feel like reading on, please at least glance at the list at the end of this post.

Pluit Village School is a new school campus that is a part of the Sekolah Pelita Harapan International (SPH) network of schools in Jakarta, Indonesia. This means that it will be very hard to come by English books at the grade level that I need for my own classroom library, and the ones that are available are expensive I'm told. A lot of teachers who have been teaching for several many years may have built up their classroom library over time. This, however, will be the first class that is my very own, and it's in a developing country.

Next weekend, I'm going home to my parents for Easter weekend, and I plan on doing an archaeology dig into my childhood. I'm going to scour every nook and cranny for my old chapter books (and possible my brothers' old books too). I'll bring every Newberry Medal book I can find. I'll find some great read alouds that I can read to my class just like my grade four teacher read Silverwing, Harry Potter, and Charlotte's Web to us on her banged up wooden stool. I'll snag whatever seems relevant.

Reading is obviously a fundamental part to a child's early education, and I want to do everything I can to provide them with different reading opportunities in my classroom. I'm still not entirely sure how I'm going to pack a classroom library into a suitcase to bring with me, but if you know me, you know that I've been refining my packing skills for many, many years. Worst case scenario, I send some on the slow boat to Indonesia..... Or I'll find Mary Poppins' bag.

Pluit Village is in a transition period, and this school year will be the transition year between it being an early education center and becoming a full K-5 school in the center of Jakarta. The transition school we'll be at this year will be in the Pluit Village Mall. This will be a challenge at times, but I know that it's a challenge that is well worth the efforts we'll be putting in.

I'm so excited for the challenge this year brings! I can't wait to get to the point where I have a unique and diverse classroom library for my students, and I get to see them debating over which book to take home to read.

I know that it'll come together, but I may need a little help. Here's how you could help if you feel so inclined.

1. Point me toward different book sales at schools in the Greater Moncton Area and even on PEI. This will be my gold mine, I'm hoping.

2. Look through your old chapter books, novels, picture books, and send me an email or message with a list of what you think you'd be willing to donate to my classroom. 

3. SPH is a Christian international school network. If you know of any books that would be helpful for the spiritual growth of children (ages 7-11) and interesting to read, please send me the titles of these books. Even better, if you have some that you don't feel you need anymore, you could consider donating them. 

4. Give me some tips or pieces of advice on how to accomplish this task!

5. Pray. 

Email me or message me on Facebook.

Here's a link to give you an idea of what kind of books are around the grade three level.

Love God. Love Others. Love Indonesia.

How do I start a blog post about my recent life changing decision?

Let's go back to ten year-old me sitting on the couch after church with my mom. The all familiar World Vision commercials flashed across the screen, and I admit, they got me. While the commercial showed adorable kids in tough circumstances, a voice asked a simple question: "Do you have room in your family for one more?" Mom tells me that I turned to her and asked, "Do we?" How could she resist that? ha ha.

This is how our family came to sponsor Putri Maisaro, a six year-old girl from Indonesia. This is also how I came to be very interested in this faraway country. At the time, Indonesia seemed as familiar a place to me as Narnia or Bear Country (come on, Berenstein fans). I used to dream about meeting Putri someday, and by the time I was in high school, it was near the top of my bucket list.

What else was near the top? "Become a teacher." This was always at the top of my list, and it was always the same answer when someone would ask me that obligatory childhood question: "What do you want to be when you grow up?" My answer never changed except for a brief time near the end of my Arts degree when I reconsidered my career choice. I wanted to make sure that this was what I was meant to do, that it was part of God's ultimate plan for me, that I wasn't just pursuing that because I'd always wanted to. So I took a year to teach English in Quebec, and I found that I loved teaching. During that year in Quebec, I also heard about this school in Indonesia where some relatives of some relatives were working, so I emailed them.

I asked what I needed to do to work there. I asked what kind of education they required their staff to have. Unfortunately, I did not meet the requirements at the time. I can't properly explain my feelings towards Indonesia or why they existed, and it took until now to see God's hand in all of this.

I just want to take a minute to emphasize that too often we stress about God's plan in our lives. A friend recently quoted another friend to me. God's plan for our lives is fairly simple, for the Lord gives two commandments. To love God. To love others. It's very clear in the Bible that if God cares so much for the sparrows and the lilies, then how much more must he care for us? I've made the mistake before of stressing what I'm "supposed" to do. We're supposed to love. So, stop worrying; take it from a first class worrier, it does nothing. Just trust. Find peace.

Anyway, fast forward three years after my year in Quebec, and this past fall, I started worrying about what I'd do after finishing my B. Ed teaching practicum. I know, there I went worrying. But I assure you, worrying did nothing. After my practicum, I could either take the job offer from the school I did my practicum at in China, or I could return home and go from there. So, after prayer, consideration, and some wise words from friends and mentors, I returned home. This was a very difficult decision and disheartening in many ways. The upside was that I was coming back to a great workplace at Wee College where I've been very happy working. I still didn't know what the next year would bring though, and I had decided to just trust. It seems simple, and surprisingly, it was.

Remember that school I had inquired about in Indonesia. Well, I applied there. I prayed a lot about this decision, and I continued praying in the months following my application. The Lord surprised me over and over again as things came together. I felt so at peace with the whole thing, and even if I didn't get a job offer, I felt good about the process. I had no feeling of dread or stress because I knew so surely that regardless, I would still love God and others in the outcome.

Now, I won't lie and say that I was indifferent to whether I got the job or not: I so badly wanted this. Yes, I was nervous to hear whether I had the job or not. Yes, I was borderline a nervous wreck the night of my Skype interview, but it was a nervous excitement. I ultimately felt a peace about whatever the result would be.

A few weeks ago, a package arrived in the mail for me. Inside was a contract. Wahoooo!!! While I'm scared about many things in this decision, and there were difficult sacrifices that came with it, I know that this is the right decision and it is a blessing. God is faithful, and I can't believe that I am finally a teacher. I can't believe that I have the chance to love God, love others, and love Indonesia.

So, as of July 14th, I will be in Jakarta, Indonesia as the third grade teacher at Sekolah Pelita Harapan International School.

One last thing. A quote I saw on facebook yesterday:

“You get a strange feeling when you're about to leave a place, like you'll not only miss the people you love but you'll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you'll never be this way ever again.”
― Azar Nafisi

What travel taught me about teaching

I've been back in Canada now for almost three months now, and I can hardly believe that. It feels like just yesterday I was walking that willow lined street back to my apartment with a load of groceries in my arms (building up my sick biceps). I miss that, not the lugging of groceries, but being in China on the biggest adventure of my life thus far. This evening I watched two episodes of Departures with my fellow travel enthusiast friends. I have developed a love/obsession for Asia in the past year or so, and so I was so excited to watch double episodes on Indonesia. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter or know me in general, I have not made this a secret: I have the travel bug again.

I do realize that I may not be able to travel again for a while, but there was something incredible I experienced while in China that I am eager to replicate frequently throughout my life. I'm not sure if it's the uncertainty of what you'll come across every day. Maybe it's the knowledge of having your mind opened up to new ways of living and finding that something you really disliked at first about a new place is missed now. I even miss the adventure of sprinting through a massive train station trying to catch the last train back to Shanghai before nightfall.

Being home, I find myself on a brand new kind of adventure, that of being a preschool teacher to thirteen three year-olds. Being a preschool teacher stretches me in new ways that travelling, I think, kind of prepared me for. While I was travelling to China and within China, the unpredictability of life was a guarantee and you had to be okay with that. At first I wasn't, but as time went on I learned about a new layer in my patience that needed to be uncovered. Pretty soon, I enjoyed experiencing the unpredictability of life in China.

As a preschool teacher, I find that I am learning yet another new layer to my patience as a teacher and as a person in general. Being a teacher is not always an easy or comfortable job. Travelling is not always easy or comfortable. Sometimes the things you love most are not always easy or comfortable though. The things that you learn and the people you develop relationships with during both is priceless and rewarding in so many ways. So, while my travel bug kind of hibernates happily (albeit, a little eagerly), I'll make the most of my days as a preschool teacher and as I grow in my relationships with my kids. I'm eager to see what new things I'll learn about them and myself in the coming months.

See Ya Later, Beijing

When I used to hear of people going abroad for a while, I never thought I would be one of those people. As much as I wanted to do it, I always thought that those kinds of experiences were for the people who were more daring than I. For most of my life I have wanted to teach overseas for a stint of time, even my old barely-put-together junior high yearbook says that I want to be a teacher in Africa when I am older. Now, granted this ambition has changed slightly, but still, I’ve always wanted to do what I just did for four months.

Coming to Beijing was the craziest decision I’ve ever made, but I also know that it is by far one of the best decisions I ever made. I had no idea what to expect, so I tried to figure that out by reading people’s memoirs of travelling around China and by thoroughly reading Wikipedia articles on this city. I’ve realized though that every person’s experience is different, and as much as you try to prepare yourself for something new, it will not be what you expect. At all.

I felt that God was calling me here. I was having a heart-to-heart with a friend in cab a few weeks ago about our purpose for coming to China. I doubted my purpose at times before I came. I talked with my parents about it and wondered if this really was God’s will for the next four months of my life. There were so many obstacles that had come up, and it seemed like it wasn’t right. To others it would seem like these were signs to not go. Just hours before we were supposed to fly out of Halifax, we checked online and found out that our flight was cancelled. You would think this would be a very clear sign not to go. The peace that I had in this decision to go overruled the signs though, and I went to China.

Kenzie, Alicia, and I had many low days early on. There were days where I wondered if it was all worth it or not, days where I actually considered going home. I am beyond grateful for these two women in my life. We laughed together, we cried some ugly tears together, we darted across six lanes of traffic together, and we learned how to use chopsticks expertly together. I am thankful to have come home after a good day at school and be able to share it with them, and I’m thankful that they had listening ears when I had a more frustrating day. I know that God brought the three of us to China at the same time for a very specific purpose, and it’s amazing to have seen the way that our friendships evolved.

I’ve learned how to be more open since being here. I’m not sure what events all led to this, but God has taught me so much about what it means to truly be yourself. I read a book while I was here about the masks that Christians sometimes feel like they have to put on at times. I’ve asked myself questions about the motives behind the relationships in my life, behind the decisions I make, and behind the ways that I devote my time. Does all of this point back to God? God has revealed new truths to me that I think I knew in my heart, but it hadn’t sunk in, or maybe I just hadn’t learned how to apply these truths to my daily living. This passage from Colossians 3 has been sort of the theme of my time here: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” After helping at a weekend camp retreat with my church, I was driving home in a cab with a few friends, and we were sharing some of the ways that God works in our lives. Someone said that maybe as Christians we focus too much on what we are supposed to do instead of who God created us to be.

This had been something I, too, had been thinking a lot about. My purpose in China is not so much about what I did; it is about learning who God made me to be, it is about the people that I had the chance to meet and build relationships with. I’m not minimalizing the things that happened here, or minimalizing making decisions of what you should do in your life; I think these are important, but who are you while you do these things? Have I reflected God? Am I the person he wants me to be?

We are always making decisions; this is something that I have struggled with. If you know me well, you know how indecisive I am. I am learning about letting the peace that comes in Christ rule in my life. I’m learning about praising him in all circumstances. My time in China has been incredibly challenging and rewarding, and I have felt the Lord draw me closer to him in this time. He has revealed areas of my life that need attention, and he has revealed more of himself to me. It has been surprising, refreshing, unsettling, and comforting all at once.

No matter where you are or what you are doing, invite God to show you something new about who he is. Watch out though because it could be a doozy. You might not see it for a few days, or you might see him reveal it slowly over a few weeks. If you’re stubborn like me, it could take moving to China for four months to finally realize what that new “something” is.

I leave China in eighteen hours. What an adventure it has been.

Going to miss Geetika and Camesha like crazy. So blessed.

Family portrait time :)

Dysfunctional and wonderful

Final Saturday in Beijing with the girls. Going to miss you all!

City and Country Tales

If I keep going to Bethel, I may very well end up adopting one (or two or three) of those kids. On Saturday a group from my church went to the Bethel Foster Home to help harvest crops and do whatever they needed us to do for the day. It was hard work, but it was so worth it.

We drove west of Beijing to Bethel which is about 90 minutes from Chaoyang. There were about twelve of us who went. I had no idea what to expect, but I was just eager to help in whatever way I could. I had my greenhouse working chops to put back into practice. While there, we harvested winter melons and beans; then, we planted lots and lots of garlic. We also cleaned some dormitories. It was really neat to see the facilities and hear the stories of the people there.

Bethel was founded by a French couple (they call them French Papa and Mama) who felt called to sell everything they own. They then decided to start an orphanage in China for a group of children who are often forgotten about: those who are blind. You'd think it would be a sad place when you think of orphanages or foster homes, but it is actually so full of joy and hope! It was overwhelming.

At the end of the day, we had the chance to spend some time with the kids. I really wish I could speak more Chinese so that I could have asked them more questions. It's surprising though how insignificant the language barriers are when you are just showing each other love. They just wanted to play and be around us. They loved playing clapping games and giving hugs :)

It was a short experience, but it was the highlight of my holiday week. It was the last thing I did after spending a whole week in Shanghai.

This is not to say that seeing Shanghai was unimpressive. I could not get over the number of people that swarmed the streets because of the holiday. The lights were amazing to see as well. We went on a night cruise along the Huangpu River and saw the cityscape all lit up. I really was just a wide-eyed country girl trying to take in one of the world's largest cities. I would try and seem relaxed - like being in a city like that is no big deal. It was a big deal though! I've learned that I love cities and the energy in them. I love all the different kinds of people that you can meet who you would not normally meet, especially when one foreigner comes across another. It's like an instant bond.

This being said, I'll always come back to the country. It's my home. It's in my blood.

These are some photos from our day at Bethel:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gleefully/10100094733/in/set-72157636213878224/

This is a photo from one of our days in Shanghai:

Accustom

China is sincerely baffling sometimes. Around one corner, you'll see a couple frying up some chicken legs on a makeshift stove. Around another, you'll nearly get trampled by a woman decked out in Prada and whatever other expensive designer clothes she buys. The next, you'll see a dad holding his toddler out over a bush to pee through the big split in the child's pants (intentionally put there, of course). Despite all of this though, I have been surprised at how life has not changed that drastically.

I know you're thinking, "But she's in CHINA!" Surely, there is culture shock. Well, yeah, in some ways: like becoming accustomed to being pushed up against on all sides while on the subway. Who needs to hold onto a handle or pole when you have your trusty Chinese posse invading your personal space?

I think that I was expecting the very worst though. I expected thick orange air that you can't see through, but we've had mostly blue skies. I expected to see snake intestines and scorpions hanging from street vendors, but I've only seen a few strange organs wrapped up in an indistinguishable... pastry? I expected the Chinese to be rude, but they are actually very friendly for the most part. I expected the drivers to be nutty here, but... well, they are.

As Alicia, Kenzie, and I were crossing a busy intersection yesterday, I was reflecting on our first couple days up until now. I think I said out loud: "I'm glad my mother doesn't see the way I cross streets now. I think she'd have a heart attack." We've become experts at weaving. I remember the first time I watched someone cross six lanes of traffic one lane at a time. I was terrified for them. I didn't think I would ever do that, but lo and behold I do it almost every day now.

Just watch out for the tuk-tuks and rickshaws. They're merciless.

Now, don't get me wrong - I'm not naive to think that this is "real China" as people refer to it here. We are very fortunate to be in such an international area that has English signs and peanut butter and real hamburgers. I had the best burger on Saturday from Blue Frog; it may even beat the burgers at Cage aux Sports in Rimouski. This is saying A LOT.

The National Holiday week is coming up soon. Alicia and I will be travelling to Shanghai and staying there for four nights. An adventure off of an adventure. We're taking the bullet train and then hostelling for most of the week while we explore Shanghai. I still can't believe this sometimes, here I am in China just taking off to freaking Shanghai for a few days. No big deal.


Here are a few photos from our long weekend adventures:

Red Beans and Ribbons

We have taken to doing our adventuring on the weekends and I'm loving it. I promised that I would update my blog on my last weekend's adventure but I did not. So I will tell you about it here. We participated in our school's Amazing Race; we ran all over Beijing doing ridiculous things.

I experienced bargaining with shop vendors for the first time. My first time I bargained here in Beijing: desperately trying to get an I <3 BJ shirt for 35 kuai. BJ = Beijing by the way. I'm hoping to also find a I <3 China shirt as that will be more acceptable in Canada for public wear. I did get it for 35 kuai!

After the race, we had a staff bbq in the courtyard behind the school. The next day, I slept a lot :)

This week at school I started taking on more responsibility and leading exercises for the kids and doing some marking. I'm really enjoying the classes that I teach and I'm so fortunate to be learning from two great host teachers. I can't wait for my Base Line day that is coming up as I'll get to teach my own lessons and work more with the students. If you fellow teachers have any Base Line Day tips, pass 'em along!

 Kenzie, Alicia, and I also went on a little evening adventure to the Olympic Village. I love the Olympics and so to be in a place where they happened was such a cool experience. If only I could have been here for the excitement and energy of the real Games. 

Yesterday, we went to the Temple of Heaven for the day. Tourist websites said that it would not take longer than an hour and a half. We were there for four. We aren't your typical tourists - we like to take A LOT of photos. We also had a lot of photos taken of us. We feel like celebrities (or aliens) here. People will follow us until we take a picture with them and it is something I will never understand. If there weren't many westerners around, then sure. But there are lots here in Beijing. Back home Canadians would never do that if they saw a few Chinese people walking by. If you have insight on why they do this, please share.

At the Temple of Heaven, I had an incredible ice cream popsicle. I know this isn't a very travel-related item but it is important that I share that with you. The only bad thing about the popsicle was the little cluster of red beans in the first bite - they put beans in everything here but I never thought I'd bite into beans in my ice cream.

I also discovered my love for extreme ribbon dancing. It looks easy but I was had worked up a sweat by the end of it, but it was so fun that I had to do it more later. Little did I know that I was ribbon dancing in front of the sacrificial altar. I hope this didn't mean anything to them.

Following our Temple of Heaven excursion, we went to the Pearl Market and bargained for gifts and beautiful jewelry. I can't say much about this or I'll give away what gifts I bought for friends and family.

Next weekend excursion: the Mid-Autumn Charity Embassy of Canada Ball that CISB teachers are invited to. We're really excited about this. Wish me luck on trying to find a dress!

Warnings and Ponderings

At last, a calm evening in with a cup of coffee, some music, and writing to you people. Splendid. I will apologize in advance, I'm too lazy to attempt to keep this post organized. So here we go with my thoughts on the past week. Part 1: Tidbits on living the safe life. Part 2: International ponderings

First, Beijing air and I do not get along. Not a bit. Some of you lucky ones have already heard my Beijing cough via skype. For those who are not lucky enough to have heard this wonderful sound, I assure you: it's impressive. We've had mostly blue skies, too so I'm really dreading the city's coal-burning months; I've already been warned. Also, my skin and hair is slowly adjusting to the water here as well. If only I could boil all the yucky stuff out of all the water I use. 

If you have are thinking of travelling to Beijing, be prepared for a few weeks of transition once you get here. Eventually your skin, lungs, and hair will adjust and become immune to the toxins. Yay.

Also, hopefully you are not accident prone if you are coming to China. Walking down the street is a dangerous feat I tell you; especially when there are several trees strategically planted in the middle of the sidewalk. These trees along with the many loose bricks make for a fun obstacle course. I especially like watching the women in four inch heels maneuvering the course. Silly ladies. 

Then there's the traffic and street crossing you have to become pro at unless you would like to get flattened. But don't worry, drivers will honk incessantly at you before they consider flattening you. Fair warning. You'll be amazed at how quickly your peripheral vision will improve.

Part 2: This is the part that won't send you into a worrisome fit. I don't think anyway.

I've had my first week of classes at CISB and my first real weekend of doing things in Beijing. School life is so very different here in Beijing; students are very academically focused. I have one student in grade seven who went to Canada and the US with his parents this past summer to visit University of Toronto, McGill, Harvard, MIT, etc. I couldn't believe it. He's 13! It's just the mentality here. 

Something that I'm loving already about international teaching is how many cultures we get to experience in one class. I have one really small English lit class with only four students. Each one speaks a different first language: Russian, English, Chinese, Portuguese. It's really neat to see people connecting over their similarities and not focusing on their differences. But, they appreciate and respect the unique differences. 

My desk :) Forgive the barren state

I've been going to a big international church and a "small" group on Thursday nights. There is close to 1000 people in the entire church but often we divide and meet in smaller congregations so that people can meet and use their own language. Occasionally, all come together for a giant international service. 

That was yesterday. Two languages through the whole service but the best part was when we were told to all sing in our own language. There are no barriers. We were still saying the same words to the same God. It was the coolest thing.

In my time teaching in Quebec and now here in China, so many of my prejudices have been broken. I was told that the Chinese are not friendly. I was prepared for brazen looks, shoving, and impolite people. The Chinese I've met are the opposite. They smile and say "ni hao" when they pass you, they'll try to make conversation, and you'll find similarities while speaking in different languages. Of course there is the odd rude person but you will get that everywhere. 

(however, put them in a car and they become a different person but that is a different story)

What I'm saying is don't assume. It's hard not to make a generalization, I've been there. But try for the sake of that person you've pre-judged.

Sorry for the tangent. In my next post, I'm going to share some photos and stories from my weekend around the city. Seriously, I traipsed all around the city (okay, maybe not the whole city) on Saturday.

Exploring

Soooo, here is the first video update! Just a peek of what us girls do when we are bored. We were trying desperately hard to find a window to watch the sunset over Beijing from the 25th floor of our hotel.

A Lovely Sunday Morning

Guess who came to visit again on Sunday?

Yep. Blue skies and sunshine. My heart was happy. One of my host teachers (Geetika) and her husband (Gary) invited Alicia, Kenzie, and myself to church with them and it is just a short walk from the school and an even shorter walk from the hotel we are staying in. We arrived at church and I was so happy to be greeted with English and familiar worship music.

Me, Alicia, and Kenzie taking elevator pics before church because we're cool like that.

It was a really good service and I felt so encouraged to have found a church. You may be wondering how this kind of thing is allowed in China. Well, the church is called Beijing International Christian Fellowship and in order to attend you have to have a foreign passport and show it at the front door. Chinese cannot attend because of government regulations. Because it's an international church, there are naturally people from all over the world but the chosen language of this service is English; there are other services during the week in other foreign languages.

We are surrounded my international communities - school, church, and at home. It's fascinating to be learning about everyone's backgrounds and stories. At the grocery store yesterday we met a gentleman from Canada who was travelling through China with his Chinese daughter and gave us suggestions of their favourite places they visited.

After church, Geetika and Gary invited us back to their apartment for lunch (and internet hehe). We had a mix of Indian and Chinese food; Geetika is an incredible cook and we've actually been invited there again for supper tonight. It sure beats the peanut butter sandwiches we've been feasting on.

After we ate, we were sitting in the living room talking about where we'd like to travel and listening to Gary and Geetika's stories from their travels. They have some very interesting stories that help put our own experience in perspective. I mentioned that we hadn't had the opportunity to really experience anything authentically Chinese yet and to feel like we are actually in a Chinese city. We could easily trick ourselves into thinking that we're in a North American city.

Geetika excitedly suggested we go to Houhai and see the Hu Tongs. She said that we'd not have many beautiful days like that day so we should go before life gets even crazier and more hectic. Without hesitation, we agreed.

This story is for the next post though :)

Kettle of Worms

Kenzie, the pro photo bomber :)

I'm not going to ramble on about that kettle of worms I alluded to in my last post. In a nutshell, our apartments weren't ready yet so they put us at the hotel next door to the school. We get a nice little walk under the willow every morning on our way to work. We also get our daily dose of air toxins as well.

The first day in Beijing was hazy and so icky outside. You were covered in sweat after just being outdoors for five minutes. We met Alicia's host teacher who was a little Godsend for those first couple days. She gave us breakfast. And coffee. And tea. It was grand.

We went to the school and the head of the school gave us a tour and then we went for lunch at Subway. Our first "full" meal in China! You'd think that it would be hard to get by without much knowledge of the language but in this district people are fairly understanding and we just have to put all pride aside as we gesture frantically for what we need.

Then Pauline took us out for supper at Matsuko which is a Japanese restaurant not far from the school. I am becoming accustomed to sushi slowly, very slowly.

Front gate (on one of the icky days)

The next day I got up and went to the window, preparing myself for a wall of hazy grey. I was preparing myself for disappointment. I was ready for it. I looked out: BLUE SKIES. I was in awe. I had always heard and read that you just had to get used to not seeing blue skies or the sun in Beijing. Later we found out that this kind of day is a rarity but it definitely lifted our spirits. We went to Carrefour (groceries) and then to the largest Ikea in the world.

Here in China people don't just shop at Ikea. They treat it like home. There were families lounging around watching TV, couples fast asleep on the couches, parents changing their children. It was odd to see this. Shopping at Ikea in Beijing on one of the nicest days in August was ridiculous. I felt like at any given moment I could get tossed into a bin by a rushed shopper. It was overwhelming. We picked up a few things for our apartment-to-be and then got out of there.

That evening we went for supper at Matsuko again with a bunch of the new teachers. You'll find that I'm going to write a lot about food in the next couple posts because our down-time revolves around where we'll get food next and how to get more bottled water. We're living very simply.

On Sunday, we got up and I pulled back the curtains with trepidation. Blue skies and sunshine again. Sunday was such a good day that I want to give it the proper attention so that will have to be later in my next post.

This is the Midde/High library. There is an entire other library for Elementary. Do you think I was excited?