It's hard to believe that school will be over quite soon. 7 weeks can really fly by quickly, especially when we have another holiday coming up this week, and lots of activities to finish up the year. By the lord's grace I've made it through my first year of teaching. This past week was Enrichment Week. Monday we spent time preparing for the big photo scavenger hunt we were sending the kids on. Good thing we didn't plan anything outside that day because it was pouring! and traffic gets bad when it rains a lot here. there are accidents, it's almost impossible to get a taxi, and buses are more crowded than usual.
Tuesday and Wednesday was our scavenger hunt. the kids were divided into groups of 3 + an adult per group. We gave them a list of locations, and certain things they had to find or do at the location. The kids had to do all the work, and the adults were just there to keep them safe. It was a great experience! It forced the students to use their chinese, and it was the first time using public transportation for some of them. It was quite exhausting by the end of the two days, but well worth it!
Thursday we drove to a city just southwest of us, Tianjin. We visited a historical site, then spent too much time at the hotel trying to sort out problems. I almost thought we'd have to go back to Beijing. It's a long story so I'd rather not elaborate. Needless to say, after an hour of them saying no, we decided to leave for awhile so they couldn't waste more of our day. As we left they said everything was alright. This is just how things go here. Regulations for having passports have changed and there was a lot of miscommunication between the travel agent and our staff member. Anyways, we got to stay at the hotel....which was alright....but I've learned a lot planning this past week and will be better prepared for next year!
This weekend has been great for relaxing and doing some things outside. We played some badminton, went to the park, did some biking to the art district, and just had a good time with friends. This week we only teach 2 days, then we have May holiday! We're planning a camping trip to the great wall with some friends for 1 night. We're also making our plans for summer. we hope to volunteer with some camps, travel, and take some chinese lessons.
Along with the warmer weather comes the return of some nasty smells. We certainly didn't miss them in the winter....but more smells seem to come out of our drains when it's warm. Gross! I also think I inhaled a few small flies today while we were biking.
Bye for now!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
will I survive?
The stress is getting to me. I think I need to have a breakdown and relieve some of this stress............or maybe I just need another $3 massage and hair wash. This past weekend I pampered myself a little. Jodee and I went for pedicures, then for a hairwash/massage. So wonderful! Scott was away at youth camp ;) Anyways, this week is SAT testing and we're still finalizing details for next week's Enrichment Week, which is a week of field trips! yikes! Someone decided to inform us today of some unwritten rule that would've changed our plans. But someone else in the office staff doesn't think it matters! They leave us on our own to plan a week of trips, including an overnight trip, with no clue what we're doing, and then a few days before you're off "Oh, by the way, have you done this???" "NO, because no one told us to!!! How are we supposed to know that?!" We just want to enjoy next week. Hopefully things run smoothly.
The weather here continues to improve. It's been in the mid twenties all week so I've been enjoying wearing skirts (yes, I bike to work in a skirt) and some of the new clothes from my mom and sister-in-law. Thanks! So many beautiful blooms that mask some of the bad china smells.
Oh and on top of everything else we're having some grade 8 boys from an out-of-town international school stay with us for 3 nights. our school is hosting a soccer tournament and we offered homestays to some of the teams. Mostly we just have to feed them dinner 2 nights and make sure they get to bed on time :)
I'm really looking forward to the end of the school year. I need a long break!
Remember that our place is always open for guests!!
The weather here continues to improve. It's been in the mid twenties all week so I've been enjoying wearing skirts (yes, I bike to work in a skirt) and some of the new clothes from my mom and sister-in-law. Thanks! So many beautiful blooms that mask some of the bad china smells.
Oh and on top of everything else we're having some grade 8 boys from an out-of-town international school stay with us for 3 nights. our school is hosting a soccer tournament and we offered homestays to some of the teams. Mostly we just have to feed them dinner 2 nights and make sure they get to bed on time :)
I'm really looking forward to the end of the school year. I need a long break!
Remember that our place is always open for guests!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Spring Fever!!!
The weather is really warming up now! I think today was about 20 degrees! There are so many blossoming trees, that in spite of the pollution and dust in the air, the city is looking pretty :) This past weekend we had the chance to spend some good quality time with friends. Friday was a holiday, and besides hosting a fellow Holland Landing resident for lunch, the weather was sunny and hot! We spent the evening playing Cities & Knights with friends (thanks for sending it mom!) and then the next morning we took off for a hiking adventure.
There are many English books and websites about hiking around Beijing. Steven and Jodee have one of those, so he picked one he went on over a year ago, got a driver, and off we went. It took about 1.5hrs to get there by car (Buick minivan!). The hike was on and beside part of the Great Wall that hasn't been restored. The day was cloudy, but the weather was perfect temperature for hiking. The mountains were literally covered with flowering trees. And there were very few people. We were by ourselves, the 4 of us, most of the time. The higher we got, the steeper the climb was. The safest route was on a path that ran alongside the Wall. But sometimes we had to climb up rock. Thankfully there were guardrails to keep us from falling over the steep cliffs down into the river valley. With breaks and lunch at the top, it took us a total of 3. 5hours. We were exhausted when we got back. Thankfully Jodee and Steven have free passes to the Club at their place, so we all went to the hot tub, and then enjoyed the steam room. Only today have my calf muscles finally begun to feel normal again.
Sunday was another nice warm day. After lunch at our favorite pita place, Scott and I went to the Expat show, where our school had a booth set-up. We were too tired to stay for long, and went home after an hour. It's still hard for me to keep up with everything happening at school. We finish one thing, and another starts. Was it just last week we had our accreditation? Have I mentioned that yet? Anyways, it went very well. We don't really know the results for a month or more. This week I had parent teacher conferences on Monday. And this week is fairly regular as we preapre for SAT testing next week, and then Enrichment week after that! And then May holiday! phew! Time is passing far too quickly!
Thanks for all your support, love, and friendship. We still think of home, and miss it occasionally. But we know we have obeyed our lord , and so he continues to teach us and mold us.
much love,
SA
There are many English books and websites about hiking around Beijing. Steven and Jodee have one of those, so he picked one he went on over a year ago, got a driver, and off we went. It took about 1.5hrs to get there by car (Buick minivan!). The hike was on and beside part of the Great Wall that hasn't been restored. The day was cloudy, but the weather was perfect temperature for hiking. The mountains were literally covered with flowering trees. And there were very few people. We were by ourselves, the 4 of us, most of the time. The higher we got, the steeper the climb was. The safest route was on a path that ran alongside the Wall. But sometimes we had to climb up rock. Thankfully there were guardrails to keep us from falling over the steep cliffs down into the river valley. With breaks and lunch at the top, it took us a total of 3. 5hours. We were exhausted when we got back. Thankfully Jodee and Steven have free passes to the Club at their place, so we all went to the hot tub, and then enjoyed the steam room. Only today have my calf muscles finally begun to feel normal again.
Sunday was another nice warm day. After lunch at our favorite pita place, Scott and I went to the Expat show, where our school had a booth set-up. We were too tired to stay for long, and went home after an hour. It's still hard for me to keep up with everything happening at school. We finish one thing, and another starts. Was it just last week we had our accreditation? Have I mentioned that yet? Anyways, it went very well. We don't really know the results for a month or more. This week I had parent teacher conferences on Monday. And this week is fairly regular as we preapre for SAT testing next week, and then Enrichment week after that! And then May holiday! phew! Time is passing far too quickly!
Thanks for all your support, love, and friendship. We still think of home, and miss it occasionally. But we know we have obeyed our lord , and so he continues to teach us and mold us.
much love,
SA
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