Weekend Fun

I have been filling my weekends with lots of fun and exciting things. Sometimes I have to be careful to not overcommit because there is so much happening all the time!

The past few weekends I have started meeting up with a group of expats from all over the world - London, South Africa, Germany, USA, Kenya, Lebanon, and more. I even met someone else who was living in Thailand for a few years and got to reminisce with them about it, we even shared some of our Thai language which really made my heart happy! People are here for all sorts of reasons and for all lengths of time. Is it nice to meet other expats that arent part of school to remember that life exists outside of the people I see literally every day!

Last night I went to the US compound beside school and participated in a trivia night a friend was hosting. Our group of teachers came in 2nd place which was our goal, because first place had to host the next time!! My love of TV was helpful in the final round, which was my only contribution. I am terrible at trivia but I like doing it and being around the people.

Then I met up with a group of people at a new restaurant called Junkyard. It was really hipster and trendy and very chill. Its an outdoor garden type place that I definitely want to return to without a giant group! 

Last weekend was a co-workers birthday so they hosted a big birthday bash and then we went out to a club that a parent invited me to... its weird to socialize so much with parents but they really love the support. Its a new area for me to have parents buy me a drink but you gotta work with the cultures, right! Just to be clear, this parent and his wife were opening this new bar so they were trying to get more business by inviting me and asking me to bring friends, which I did!

My friend Amy who is the Athletic Director at my school!

We had just a bit of fun!

 I have also been participating in new things that I normally wouldnt do!  On Friday the school hosted a Hungarian Percussion Group called Talmaba. They were SO good.  After they performed a bit, they did a few songs with the school band so it was fun. I was really glad that I stayed after a long day at work for the concert.  It was a great way to end the week.

I have also played softball a few times in effort to do new things. I am terrible at it but enjoy being with new people and being outside. We play at school against US Embassy people. Some of the people can be a bit intense, but they are generally pretty welcoming to newbies like myself. 

I love that there is so many options for things to do on the weekends and people who are willing to have tag alongs and share what is happening. The school has done a good job of setting us up with community and helping us feel welcomed. I am so thankful for that. Even though there are times when I feel like I dont belong, I look at my photos and think about all the things I am doing and realize I am busy, I am active, and I am loving my time here!

Im more honest with my students

I found myself being more honest this week with my students than I am with my own friends or people in my life.

Its a realization that really struck me and I had to think about.

As a teacher, it is good that I am being honest with them. At least I am being honest with them and not making the world look better than it is.  But I have the feeling that really I am being more honest with them because I know it wont go anywhere. I know they wont hold me accountable or question me or challenge me.  I know they wont judge me or think Im silly. BUT they also wont encourage me or befriend me or keep me sane.

Yesterday I read a story to them about a kid who moved away and was really sad.  Then we discussed how moving away can be hard and people need time to adjust to new things. That they may not want to be friends right away but that you should keep trying because they might at some point. I challenged them to keep encouraging new people and if they are new to not feel sad for too long when you miss your friends from other places.

As I sent them off to recess, I had to stop and reflect about how much of what I was just saying was true for me. I think I needed to hear my speech more than they did! Transition is hard. Especially when so many things change at once. But I cant give up. And I cant blame others when I am feeling lonely.

These feelings lead me to my conversation today. We were talking about special people in our lives and stories that we could share about these special people. I decided to tell my students about my Gramps.  He passed away on Friday and it has made me very sad.  But what has made me more sad, I think, is that I had told 3 people about it. I needed to share these stories so I told them. But it felt so nice to talk about it that I realized I need to open up with people more. I need to be willing to share about me.

So that was my task this week. To share more of myself with the people that I am living life with, to reach out to people more.  It is not something that comes naturally for me, but it is something that makes me feel better, more connected, more alive. Sometimes it didnt go as I planned, I messed up my words, I overshared, or even worse those who I thought were trusted safe people went and shared my feelings with others, but all of that is life and I will be okay.  I just need to stop sheltering myself so much and allowing other people into my life too.  It will take time, it wont be easy, but it is a vital piece for my sanity, contentment, and joy in life and so it must be done!

Surprises of Abuja

A friend recently asked me what things have been surprising since being here. At first I didnt have an answer but once I thought about it a handful of exciting things came to mind. Im so thankful she asked me that question to help me realize some of the great things about being here.

First, having a common language of English has been super helpful. Im not as afraid to step out because I know I will be able to communicate on some level with most people I would run into.  It means I can order food, get an Uber, call people, talk to custodians and security guards. It helps me feel safe and opens doors that in Thailand or many other places I might not have had.

Another surprise is how many expats there are. I have already done events at one of the US embassies and the British Embassy as well.  There are tons of things happening all the time.  Everyone is super nice and understanding that we all are living abroad and may need some extra grace a time or two. Its also nice that it is diverse and not just Americans but people from all over.

The grocery stores have tons of things! Some things still cost a lot more than I would pay in America, but most of the things I might want to have I can get. And there are even some things that I dont want or miss that I can get :)

Some of the luxuries that I had in Thailand are still available here.  They are a bit more expensive than in Southeast Asia but not nearly the price of America.  I can get my nails done or get a massage for a cheap price.  We have food delivery and all kinds of restaurants.  I can get clothes tailor made just for me (which is my plan this week) with Nigerian fabrics or regular clothes AND I wont have to tell them that I need a big size for my hips!

The weather so far has been wonderful. Its rainy season right now and that means that most afternoons it rains for 30-40 minutes.  Some nights it rains all night, but it hasnt rained much during the days. It has even been sorta chilly at times in the evening (like low 70s)! Also there are pretty sunsets here so that is cool too! I didnt get to see many sunsets in Chiang Mai so its a nice change.

Im sure there are more things but thats all my brain has for now. I have been pleasantly surprised with Abuja so far and have a feeling it will just continue!

Sunset over Jabi Lake. Jabi Lake Mall overlooks the lake!

CrossFit workout at the British Embassy compound

Sand Volleyball at the US Embassy compound that connects to our school

School

I have finished my first week of school and it was wonderful! My students are so kind and sweet. I have a few talkative ones but we are just getting used to each other.  I only had 13 of my 21 students and have been told that is semi-normal. Of my 13 that I had, 3 were born in Africa (2 Nigeria and 1 Uganda) 6 were born in America, 3 were born in Europe (2 England and 1 Italy) and 1 is from Israel. Next week we have now 4 days off because of a religious holiday and many families wont return to school until the week after that holiday. So hopefully by the end of the month I will have met all my students! 

Im still getting used to a new schedule and am struggling to pick my students up on time from specials or recess ans let them go at the right times. But it will come.  Im basically living on grace these first few weeks as I am just trying to get through it.  When I asked my class on Friday what their favorite parts of the week were, I had 2 students say that meeting me was their favorite part, so I guess Im doing okay :)

My Teaching Assistant, Naomi, and I on the first day of school. 

 My classroom is large with desks, a library, 2 teacher desks, a small group table, and more. The teacher before me was VERY organized and left me in great condition to start the year. Its still coming together but I am very excited about my classroom.

Calendar area and Ms. Naomi's desk

Student desks and my desk

Another view of the classroom

students writing and my room!

The elementary has two long buildings in the shape of a U with a courtyard in between with KG-Grade 2 classrooms on one side and Grade 3-5 on the other side with Art, Music, and French at the back.  My classroom is the first room on the 3-5 side so it is the closest to basically everything :)  The school has a lot of outdoor space for everyone.  This is a large outdoor playground that the kids play on twice a day during their 2 recesses. There is also covered walkways that they can sit or play one when they want too.

The playground on a BEAUTIFUL day!

 The outdoor sports facilities are very nice too! But the gym inside isnt that great.  They are talking of building a new building for a gymnasium but it hasnt been confirmed yet.

Outside facilities - tennis, soccer, and basketball

the pool - our new apartments to the right and fields below

the front entrance to school. Everyone goes through security at this building. 

Security is very important, not only at school, but everywhere in Nigeria.  In most places you go through security before entering - banks, malls, restaurants - almost everywhere.  At school we all have to wear ID badges (including students and parents). When we enter campus, we scan our bags and walk through a metal detector. Then we scan ID badge too.  Its usually an efficient process so its not too bad. 

Another awesome thing at school is technology. I was given a new Macbook and a new iPad.  All of my students have iPads to use in the classroom as well.  I still havent experimented much with it but I am so excited to explore ways to use technology in my classroom.  I am supposed to lock my room every time Im not in it and now that I have all this technology in my room I am very aware of how important it is to do that!

Also, the school arranges transportation for the staff to and from school.  So everyday we all ride the bus together to get to school.  In the evenings they have 2 options for buses, one right when work ends and one an hour or so later for people who want to work more or do other things on campus.   Its weird that I ride a bus now, but its nice that I dont have to find my own way of getting there.  Once Im actually living on campus, it will be much nicer to be able to go in to work whenever I want.

The staff is fairly active and they are good at promoting social activities so there is lots going on. There is staff basketball once a week. They are starting volleyball once a week. We did a Luau party this Saturday which was a lot of fun. Last week we all went to 'Bush Bar' which is basically just a local outdoor space with food and drinks. Its nice to know that the school wants us to know each other and supports us socially as well as professionally. 

Staff Luau at the pool of my apartment complex

thats a bit about my new school.  It has lots of good things, and obviously some not so good things too but I am liking what I see so far!

First week

Overall, I would say my first week was good.  In a different head space, I would probably even say it was great.  But tonight, I have definitely reached my limit.  As an introvert, this first week has been intense.  I am hopeful that this next week of introductions will not be as intense.

Everyday a school bus comes to our apartment complex and picks us up. It takes about 10-15 minutes to get to school. We all went to the same meetings for most of the days. We all had lunch together. We sometimes had time in our classrooms to get it organized. At 3:45 we piled back on the bus to go home. At 530 the bus picked us back up to take us out to dinner with the same group of people or to the grocery store. And then by 8 or 9 or sometimes 10 we got back home to rest.

That happened for 6 days.

It was exhausting!

Today I got to go to the grocery store whenever I wanted, via Uber. With whoever I wanted. For however long I wanted. 

It was GLORIOUS!

But then we had a whole staff barbeque where I was supposed to meet the returning staff. But I couldnt. I was exhausted.  I met maybe 2 people and then sat with my other newbies and yawned... a lot! When we were finally dismissed I came home and crashed.

But I made it through my first week. I cant believe it has been a week. But it also seems like I have been here much longer than a week. 

The school has been great hosts though and Abuja has been so welcoming and warm. I am loving some of the luxuries of being in a proper American school - we have Crayola markers and BIC pens and proper construction paper!! My students will have iPads and I got a Macbook on the first day of work.  My classroom is stocked with supplies and storage and items I could only dream about in Thailand. (my next post will be more about the school)

The city is full of food and culture. We have been to Mexican, Lebanese, Indian, Italian, and seafood restaurants.  Not to mention our lunches have had some traditional Nigerian grub as well! I will definitely eat well in this city!! I cant wait to explore more as I get settled in and figure out ways to be social and yet not over do it!

Here are some pics of my apartment.

One of the 3 apartment buildings. Mine is the second floor.

My kitchen.

the dining room

the living room (I am standing at the front door)

my bedroom

opposite my bed is my built in wardrobe and bathroom

Brave?

People kept telling me that I am brave.  I dont feel that way though.  I dont feel like I am doing anything special or out of the ordinary.  I am following the desires that have been laid on my heart.

But Im scared. Im alone. And sometimes its hard.

But that doesnt make me brave.  

Continuing my old life wasnt an option anymore.  Everything I once knew was being pulled out from under me, sure most things were my choice, but that doesnt make it easier.  Returning 'home', while may seem easier to most, would have been the hardest option for me.  It would have been sacrificing so much of me. It might have even broken me.  So here I am in Nigeria instead living the life I want. 

Starting your life completely over is a little bit terrifying and a lot a bit freeing. Having some constants definitely helps though, especially when its the important ones. 

Teaching is part of me. I could do it anywhere. When I talk about it, I get excited. When I walk into a classroom, I know what to do. So that is part of why I know I will be successful here. I know I can teach. I know I can be happy as long as I am doing that. And so far that is basically all I’m doing so I’m good. 

Living abroad is a constant. It is so nice to be with people who understand this lifestyle, who desire it, who have similar life experiences.  Just being around them helps makes this easier.  Already we have bonded in ways that some people dont get after years of working together.  

I told a few people this while 'home' this summer - for me, teaching is the easy part. Its living in Africa and finding new community that will be the challenge for me.  Africa will definitely take some getting use to but I have a feeling I am going to Love it.  Im also pretty sure I am going to find community here as I have already met some great people and cant wait to keep meeting people.  Even though I completely agree my initial thoughts, starting my life over right now gives me so much freedom.  I can be the person I want to be. I can do the things I want to do. There are no expectations. There are no previous understandings.  I can be me. AND its okay that I dont know exactly who that is or what that looks like.  Its freeing to know that no one else does either.  I can share what I want to share and leave out parts I dont. 

So even though I dont feel brave. Even though I am back at square one. Even though this is not how I pictured my life last year.  I am content.  I am certain this is where I am supposed to be for this time. I am certain that I will survive. 

RAIN!

We finally got some rain!! Monday I went out with a friend for some ice cream after school.  Of course when I decided to come home was when the storm decided to come! I had to drive extra slow because of the fierce winds and sputtering rain.  It only lasted a few minutes though.  Tuesday however was a downpour.  The winds were still fierce but the rain was fiercer.  It probably rained a solid hour or two.  It rained so hard that our roof began to leak! What a way to start not-rainy season.  Our landlady stopped by that night though and we told her about it.  She said she would get it fixed soon.  She rocks.

The rain was great for so many reasons.  It wiped out the pollution so we were in the safe zone, green, at 50 levels and very clean.  It cooled things down. I actually was cold again on my motorbike in the morning.  And it brought clean air and freshness to this dull season.  The kids loved it too because it meant outdoor activities again!  They were able to have full recess, PE, and after school activities again!  whoooohooooo.  Let's be honest though, it is probably the only time of year when I like the rain!  I am not ready for rainy season yet... good thing I should have a couple months still... hopefully.

The Tri-Sport Tournament was a huge success.  We tied for first place!! I think I mentioned that it was a point based system with a win getting 3 points, a tie 1, and loss obviously 0.  We played as a school so both the girls and boys team points were totaled together.  The school that hosted it was the other winner so they were generous enough to give us the trophy.  So I have decided to tell people that we brought home first place rather than that we tied!

It was so fun to be with the team and have athletics be the focus of three days.  It was exhausting and hot as well though.  The kids were awesome.  They were great sports and did amazing.  New relationships were made and others were strengthened.  It was a great time and something I hope I get to do again.

Here are both the winning teams and the coaches. Sorry for the poor quality!



And an action shot! Thanks to the parent who took this ;)

And this was taken by a student on the yearbook staff who brought a GIANT camera with him!

Pollution - Part 2

Well the pollution is still bad. We had our second week of absolutely no recess time.  Every recess is indoors in our classrooms.  That is an extra 45 minutes with the students each day... yes we have a lot of recess time!  Towards the end of the week it seems better, but we dont have school on Fridays this month for various reasons and holidays.  So we have had to deal with it.

My students have been wonderful though.  We have been playing Spot It (thanks mom!), Uno, Jenga, and so many other things.  The kids have been staying quiet, letting me work, and occasionally offering me to join their game.  I definitely am counting my blessings as this is not the case with other classes.

It has also been disappointing for our athletes.  We have had to cancel many after school activities as well. Our school participates in a Tri-Sport Tournament in Bangkok every year. The best 12 boys and 12 girls from the varsity teams play three sports (volleyball, basketball, and soccer) competing against 3 other schools playing 9 games in 3 days!  I am coaching the volleyball and basketball for the girls.  But because of the pollution we have barely had practice, like 30 minutes per sport, and we leave tomorrow!

I am very excited to go though. It will be better air.  A lot of fun. And I might get to go back to IKEA! Plus it will be a great experience and I am sure the teams will be great... right?!  My bags are basically packed.  Skittles... the essentials... my pillow/blanket, an owl, a friend got me for Christmas.

Not much else is happening here though.  Chico got a haircut.  Moe is working on his masters thesis though he has had some drama, which you can ask him about. The third quarter of school is over.  Report cards are due. April Break, spring break, is 2 weeks away and we are counting down the days.

Pollution

Last week my bike broke down.  The battery died. Simple fix here. It cost 150 baht which is about 3 bucks.  Problem is, it took 2 days to fix. Plus we got it back and the next morning it was still broken because we didnt drive it around enough the first day.  So It was basically the whole week that I did not have a bike.  I decided to take the time to walk to school. It was the last week in February and somehow I knew it was going to be the last nice weathered week.  I walked to school in pants and a cardigan almost everyday and did not over heat or get too sweaty!

One day a parent of a student in my class saw me walking and picked me up! It was so cute and kind of her.  This is the kind of community I am in.  People help each other whenever possible and it is truly amazing.

Anyway, my gut was right that it was the last nice week.  Monday morning (sunday too, but I was inside all day!) was gross.  Farmers had begun their traditional slash and burn methods and the skies were gray with ash.  You could almost see the ash.  We had to have inside everything that day.  The AQI (air quality index) was 120, which America says 50 is the level air should be at.

Also, Monday was our last basketball practice as Tuesday was the tournament.  We had to have a "walking only" practice, which was a little difficult!  But the girls did it wonderfully.  We werent sure if we were going to be able to play in the tournament on Tuesday if the levels were still too high.

Tuesday was a little better but still inside recesses in the morning.  The AQI was only 105! We did have our basketball tournament.  The first game was outside in the 100 degree heat and the 100 AQI levels! It was rough. But again the girls were troopers.  The championship game was next. It was a good battle, full of drama, but it was a display of our growth.  Sadly we lost but I am so proud to be part of the team and thankful for each of them.  Here is a picture I stole from one of their facebooks... I hope that is allowed!

Today is a national holiday! So a day off of school! It is so nice, especially after a long night.  It is a Buddhist holiday that I wont even try to spell or say.  Our housekeeper still came, though only for a half day. We told her she didnt have to, but she wanted to.  She brought her twin daughters with her and they are soooooo cute! I love hearing them playing with Chico, chasing him around, and trying to get him to sit!   Here is a picture of them.   They were standing still for once, so he had to sniff them!

Also, side note - the pollution is getting better! Today it is only 85 which is considered moderate and not unhealthy!  This would have meant regular recesses today - wooohooo.

Yikes - January is almost over!

For real guys, I cant believe it is the last week in January. The past 3 weeks have been a blur. Life is crazy, but good.  So here it is:

I am assistant coaching varsity girls basketball this season. It is much shorter and less intense than basketball in the States, but it is still time consuming - 4+ days a week.  But we had a first 2 games after only 2 practices! That was crazy!  Next week we have a tournament where we will play at least 6 games in 3 days.

Moe is teaching part time now.  He is the 6th grade math teacher at my school.  He teaches two sets of 6th graders.  He has a desk in the office, has his own laptop and everything. He is official and amazing.  The kids love him and he is loving teaching them.  He has even considered and informed the school that he would be willing to have a full-time job for next year.... so that might be happening.

We are considering options for the summer. We are not coming home since we went home last summer. We are considering options for teaching summer school for a few weeks during the summer. We might try to make travel plans but haven't even started that process yet.

Chico is doing well too. He is very hyper...still. He runs around a lot and LOVEs to get scratches.  I am working on teaching him to high-five.  Not sure if I mentioned before that our housekeeper taught him to go to his cage when the doorbell rings, and that has been the best trick he knows! Its amazing!  Here is a picture of him sleeping with a pillow a friend gave me.  The pillow unzips and holds a blanket inside... It is amazing!!

I am taking the semester off of my masters courses for a variety of reasons, but its a good thing.

I know I still need to blog about our trip to Cambodia. Also, I need to post my goals for the year. Coming Soon... I hope.

Year in Review

Wow I cant believe 2014 is over. It was an amazing year full of challenges, adventures, changes, travel, and so much more. I want to highlight some amazing things and reflect on the goals I made last January.  I also want to thank all of my friends and family for making this year incredible. 

Highlights ;)

I turned 25... It was sorta a big deal for me. I feel old now. I feel maturer. I feel appropriate. What I mainly am referring to was teaching. As a newbie teacher and being 23 I felt young, inexperienced, and unknown. Now that I am 25 (I know that 2 years isnt that much) I feel more qualified to be a teacher. I know weird. 

Also in January I started my masters, at Michigan State.  I completed 6 courses this year which is quite impressive in my opinion. I did all of them well and am pleased with my learnings and grades. I still have 4 to go though... 

Moe and I went to the beach in April during our break. It was a wonderful getaway and one that I will always remember. 

In June I finished my 2nd year of teaching and then traveled to America alone, which was sorta scary! Being home with my family was definitely a highlight of my year and being able to watch my baby brother get married to his beautiful bride was wonderfully terrific. 

I started year 3 of teaching in August and became the "head" of my grade band (grades 3-5). I have had to work closely with our new principal this year and help remind and encourage my department, especially since a handful of them were new. It has been a challenging but enjoyable responsibility. 

I coached middle school volleyball again this fall and one of the cool things the school did after the season was have a staff vs. students game. So I was able to truly show my skills ;) during the game. But in reality it was a lot of fun to actually play volleyball again! 

Moe bought a charcoal grill as one of his Christmas presents. We have been enjoying learning how to grill and enjoying the tastiness that comes from the grill! Its been fun and a nice addition. 

Lots of other things too but Im done thinking...

Goals

These were my goals from last year with my comments of review added to them 

-  Be intentional about relationships - I do think I did this well this year. I feel more connected and involved in my community now than I have before. I do think I can progress in this, but I have made the first step which is very encouraging to me. 
-  Spend quality time with family and friends - In review I think that this goes hand and hand with the first one. I did spend much more quality time with people. I love quality time though so I might use this one again! 
-  Cook more dinners/Try new recipes - I definitely did this! Moe and I had been eating out way too much our first year here.  This year (2014) we definitely cooked more and tried a handful of new recipes. Some worked and some didnt... we had quite a few complete fails too. But again I want to continue this and maybe try even more new recipes!!
-  Travel (to the beach, Malaysia, and America) - We did travel to the beach and America. We didnt make it to Malaysia... hopefully this year??
-  Finish this school year to the best of my abilities - This will probably always be on my list. I did okay this year though. 
-  Be more specifically encouraging to my students - not just "keep going" "you're doing great" - This is a struggle for me. I am getting to know my students better this school year so hopefully I am able to be more encouraging and more specific with them. Those that I am able to do this with I can see the benefits and their appreciation. 
-  Get organized - UGH! I have done a few things, but still LOTS of room for improvement
-  Blog more - new goal, twice a month.... - UGGGGGGH again. Might have to be the same goal this year. 
-  Be more budget conscious & Save - This one we definitely did. I feel so much better about saving money and being able to do the things we want to do. We were able to travel and buy a 2nd motorbike and all kinds of things because we started saving! Who knew! 
-  Read 15 books.  (I read at least 17 this year, but more than half of them were from my class library...) - This one I can say I definitely did! I read 17 books this year! And I would say only 3 could be consider kids books (but really they were middle school books). 

...... new goals will come in a later post......

Community

Today I was reminded of the amazing community I am a part of.  We had a going away party for a student in the other 4th grade class who has been a part of the community for 4 years.  His mom threw this great party for the students and a handful of other moms come in and help. He gave a short presentation of where he was going and she said a short thank you to the students. It caught me off guard how emotional she was and I became emotional even though I barely know the mom or the student, since they are in the other class. She was expressing her sincere appreciation for the community and group of students her son was a part of.  It reminded me of how bless I am to be part of it as well.  My school is so supporting, encouraging, and welcoming to all and it is truly an amazing place to work.

Anyway, we have 2.5 days of school left until break and I could not be happier!! I love my students but I am ready for a good 3 weeks away from them! Moe and I will be enjoying Christmas in Chiang Mai and then heading to Siem Reap, Cambodia for the last few days of break.  We cant wait to see the beautiful temples.

I hope you all are enjoying your holidays and hopefully cool weather. I have finally decorated everywhere for Christmas in hopes to begin to think Christmas.  The weather is slowly cooling down so that is helping a bit.  I love this time of year, but it is definitely much harder being away from all our family and loved ones.  We think of you all often!  Here is our little taste of Christmas.  I love it!

Productive Friday

Today was the kings birthday, so we got the day off of school. I was able to sleep in finally and Chico let me! I then woke up and made myself cinnamon French toast which was delicious, I watched some shows and relaxed. Then I went out to the store to get some last Christmas decorations.  There were so many people out and showing support for the king by wearing yellow. It's so cool to see.  I also got Chico a new toy. Here is a video of him playing with it! He was so cute because he didn't want to hurt his new toy friend.

New Toy from Brittany Knechtel on Vimeo.

I then came home did some homework, watched some more shows and relaxed. I put up the last decorations, organized a few things, and had yummy leftover tacos for lunch.  Matt then decided he wanted a grill. So the adventure began by going to the Home Depot like store, called HomePro. Matt saw exactly what he wanted for cheaper than he thought possible. We had to have it, but we came on the motorbike. So we looked into delivery which was actually reasonably price but wouldn't arrive until Sunday. Matt wasn't having that, so we decided to get a songteaow. I rode with the goods in the truck, while Matt led the way with the motorbike. It cost us 3 bucks to have this guy follow Matt home and deliver our grill immediately. Then came the adventure of putting it together without instructions and grilling for the first time.  Matt was craving chicken wings so that is what we had.

It was a. Reat Friday, but Saturday was great too. More on that soon!

We live in a beautiful world

I keep finding myself in awe of the beauty around me. As I keep saying I have been super busy, but not too busy to stop and relish at the beauty of nature. (ps I had to google that relish was actually the word I wanted and not only a condiment, it means great enjoyment). I think taking note of these beautiful times and places has allowed me to enjoy my busyness a little bit more and stay motivated to the task at hand.

It also allows me to stay engaged in what I am doing and not worrying about the next thing.  On the car ride home from volleyball tournament I find joy hearing the kids interact and discuss life; I also enjoy hearing them mixing their languages, or talking to their mothers on the phone in another language than what they use with their friends.  I am enjoying my students and learning their demeanor and unique silliness. I enjoy when my work challenges and motivates me. I enjoy my school work and learning how to be a better teacher.  I enjoy when Moe and I watch a show together or play with Chico.  I am truly enjoying life and I could not be happier.

That's really all I have to say today.  Life is good.  Here are some pictures that I could not help but taking of the beauty around me.

View from our back door. Do you see the bananas??

fruit growing...

more bananas!

had to stop on my way to church to take this picture. 

so I decided to take a selfie too ;) 

still beautiful after church so I took some more pics from the roof at home

The sky is so blue!

volleyball teams showing off their medals from the tournament. They were so fun to coach!

Grade 4 Assembly on Honesty

Wow I cant believe my last post was in August and it is almost October.  But then again I can believe it because things have been very crazy here. I have a couple of posts in mind for the upcoming weeks, so hopefully I can find time for them.  For now, I wanted to share about our 4th grade assembly.

My school's character education is called The Virtue Project. We focus on virtues each month, in our classrooms and behaviors and what not.  Each month there is a specific virtue to focus on and at the end of the month a grade level (two classes) presents a 20-40 minute assembly on that virtue.  I should specify that is done for the elementary only.

This month the virtue was honesty and the 4th grade signed up for the assembly.  My partner and I like to go early in the school year to get it out of the way. It does take up a good bit of class time but the students love it and we find ways to incorporate it into the curriculum.

Here I am entertaining the wound up children just before the assembly starting... photo taken from cmis website gallery

This year my partner and I decided to allow the students to create the skits, since honesty is a well understood virtue.  We chose some basic ideas for skits and then asked for student input.  They said all of the things that we had decided so it was perfect.  My class was to create 3 skits and so was hers.  My students voted for which skit they wanted to be part of, and then I assigned them.  They were in charge of creating the script, assigning roles, figuring out props and clothing, deciding on signs or narrators and everything.

Its always so fun to see them perform, and to see their parents gushing over them!  The entire assembly took just about 30 minutes. I was unable to record the entire thing, and frankly you probably wouldnt want to watch that! But I do have 2 short videos to give a little idea of what happened.

Photo taken from: cmis website gallery

All of the assemblies sort of look like this:  first we stand for the King's song (which is required for all large gatherings, including movie showings). Then we pray to Jesus. Next is reading of the definition, provided by The Virtue Project, then the skits or songs or poems or videos done by the students.  We did a Poem about honesty that the students created.  Generally we end with the School Song. Here is a video of  the CMIS School Song.

Also, our resident photographer always does a great job taking pictures. If you want to see some pictures of the event you can view them at our school website gallery here

Made it Safely

Just wanted to check in and say that I made it safe and sound from America to Chiang Mai.  My time this summer in America was amazing and I will treasure it for the next two years!  I am so glad I got to spend time with so many people and create new memories.  However, I am happy to back in Chiang Mai and back to work and back to living the international lifestyle.  Some of the things I was most excited to come back to were:  fried chicken and sticky rice (which ironically I havent had yet), sweet and sour chicken (which is as amazing as ever), driving my motorbike, teaching, and living in a diverse culture where I am a minority trying to 'fit in'.

My trip was fairly uneventful.  My trip to Toronto was the most stressful even though it was only an hour flight.  My luggage was overweight to begin the day.  So I had to take stuff out and pray Moe had room for it.  I had just walked up to my gate when they called to start boarding.  When I landed in Toronto and went to pick up my bags, they were no where to be found.  After waiting for 2 hours to check-in to my next flight, I finally learned that my luggage was already waiting for me!  Here is a picture from my flight to Toronto.  The clouds were beautiful.

While at the Toronto airport, I got my first Iced Cappuccino from Tim Horton's and was very happy.

At the Toronto Airport they had stations set up at the gates where travelers could use Ipads.  It was the coolest thing ever.  There were literally hundreds of Ipads available for people to use all over the airport.  They were connected to the internet, had free games, and were connected to airport information as well. Also there were outlets all over so you could charge your own device if necessary!  SO COOL!  I love technology when it is used right!

The rest of my trip was smooth sailing, or flying.  My friends picked me up at the airport and planted me at home wonderfully.  I arrived to flowers, a clean house, and pictures of Chico on the wall from our housekeeper.  She is wonderful.

Moe's trip was smooth too.  He ended up sitting by a colleague on his 12 hour flight from Chicago, which is super crazy, but they had a good time.  And all of our stuff made it safe and sound too!  

School has begun already. I am super busy, but it is good.  We have already had 8 days of school! My 14 kids are wonderful and will be great.  I love getting to start fresh with a new group of students and having old students stop by after school or on breaks to visit.  I love teaching.  I am also coaching middle school volleyball again.  This year we are having a girls team and a boys team rather than co-ed, so I am coaching both.  It is interesting thats for sure!  We have a good time though.  

I am already reminded of why I am here and how much I love being here.  Things are great, even though it is sometimes busy and stressful. I love my life! and I am sooo blessed.