Hello! Ni Hao!
What an incredible 3 weeks! I am getting settled in and staring to find favorites: restaurants, groceries, walking paths, beaches, etc. A whirlwind of transition and then school started Wednesday, August 13th! I have 9 students, 3 boys and 6 girls. They are wonderful! We had a great first few days and all of us are looking forward to a fantastic 2nd grade year! … Some very Chinese experiences I have had recently:
. using a squata-potty (hole in ground… that’s it)
. being stopped on the street to have our picture taken, multiple times
. looking up a word and pointing to communicate
. charades… for everything
. being welcomed to
. being helped in a super friendly manner (3 minute friends)
. being stopped, once in the pouring rain, and not allowed into our apartment complex because of Olympic Security (which has been great for safety! J)
. conquering the grocery market
. surviving a Japanese typhoon… twice (the wind is great to keep things cool)
. stir-frying… even though I could do that in the States
. watching the opening ceremonies for the Sailing Olympics
. morning walk includes watching Olympic sailboats practicing
There have been so many divine appointments of people brought to our path to help and encourage us. It has made life and getting around so much easier – which has made the transition smoother.
A typical school day: School bus leaves at 6.40am; half an hour on the bus along the ocean with the mountains in sight. Arrive and have staff meeting and sharing. Leave and greet my students and start the day at 8am. A full day of learning, teaching, specials and lots of stairs later, the day is done at 3pm. The students leave on buses and my work time begins. I check with my teaching assistant to talk about our day and discuss tomorrow. I normally take the late bus home at 5 and most of the time I have a book or two for homework. Welcome to first year of teaching! J Once I arrive home my roommates and I get creative in the kitchen for dinner. We remember cooking in the States, but we can’t remember what it is that we made! So sometimes we just go out to eat. Our favorite place since we have arrived has been the Lennon Bar – as in the Beatle! All 3 of us can eat our fill there for approximately 10 US Dollars. After dinner we either go grocery shopping for breakfast food or to find what we can get the ingredients to for dinner tomorrow; or we go back to the apartment and watch a movie. On nice evenings we sometimes go down to the beach or take a walk and check out the sights and sounds. … So that’s my school day… Whew…
Weekends are for running to Starbuck’s to check email and upload pictures and for excursions to new places; from shopping to sculptures to spending time hanging out with the other teachers and finding their favorite places. Oh, on the note of internet: we have not had it since we moved here, and while that is not a huge deal, it has made communicating with family and friends very difficult for my roommates and me; and therefore has become a bit of a stressor. Our company has been very good about talking to the right people to get things to happen, but there have been a few road blocks. So, if you would please be lifting that up it would be greatly appreciated!
Other things to be lifting up:
. our class – for community and a great year
. my first year of teaching and all that goes with it
. continued smooth transition and continued adaptation to life in
. our school needs a Social Studies teacher
Blessings!!
. settled into the apartment and it’s becoming home!
. a great start to the school year!
. divine appointments with nationals and foreigners to help and encourage
. an amazing staff that has been a great resource in so many ways!
. creation that sings His praise!
. a Father that is always near and always loves, and is beyond faithful!
Thank you for your thoughts and lifting up my time here! Love you all!!
-Karen
