Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Road Closures, ATM's out of cash and SWINE flu
OHHH where do I begin...First, it is Tuesday night! One more day of work then off to Bali. I know most people back home don't know anything about Bali, either did I before I arrived here. I knew it was another place besides the US, that was about it. Bali is in Indonesia, it is a small tropical island. Sand, surf, sun and booze. :) I am going with the girl I coach volleyball with, she is from California. Rough few days, but making it through. Everyone here is so broke, our wallets are so dry they need WD40. Not kidding, we haven't had a real paycheck since May 25th. I had my last bit of ramen tonight, hoping that I don't have to eat ramen again until the depression hits Asia. I heard through the grapevine tonight that we had already received our paycheck, I road home quickly after practice, avoiding as much rain as possible through my rain gear, grabbed my ATM card and bolted to the ATM. (I had already received word that the ATM's around here run out of cash). Was there in 5 minutes to an ATM that needed WD40 too...:( Looks like my wallet will stay dry another night... This is what happens I guess when you have an all cash society. I do have to say I am glad for the early release day tomorrow. China is getting ready for their big celebrations so they just close roads. We have to be able to get the kids home in time, which means early release for us...smile... Lastly, the swine flu..since China is highly over populated they do not have enough vaccinations for the H1n1. Every school I enter I am getting my temp check. Before buses, before I pee, always temp checks.. If you have any sign of a temp you are sent to prison. You are not released for year, since the symptoms for H1n1 may be dormant. OK, HA HA HA not that intense, but damn, they are ON this one. I am glad they are though! Alright, my man is calling..love you all~! I will have lots to talk about after Bali. Get back the 10th. Then only 2 months until I get to come home..I am going to eat and eat and eat when I get back to the states! ( I MISS AMERICAN FOOD)
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday Evening...
Been awhile since I have wrote, so let the novel begin! I know DAD that you want me to change the background so you can see it better, I will do that too:) I will break this into sections, since it has been so long..
Last weekend was my first time watching a rugby game, oh my...Never knew it was so intense. The weekend started by me staying in on Friday night. I am honestly realizing I am older now. I don't care to go out all night, I hate being tired, and I like relaxing on Friday's. That is so different for me, as the last 10 years I never missed a beat. I can't wait until Jordan is here, we can do dinners in town, explore the city during the day, and just be together in China.. So, the rugby game! My Asst. Principal Ty plays in a competitive league, after my vb tourney on Sat we made it a fun filled day. It started off with beers on our bike ride home from my vb tourney. There was a grand opening going on right by the school, I have never seen so many black haired people in one place. They loved looking at us drinking beers on our pink bikes..I think they thought we were part of the grand opening. lol. We continued having beers on the subway, then during the game. I enjoyed the game, what is better then watching a bunch of big men holding each other in bear hugs, tackling each other, kissing. HA HA. The game was good, we were invited on their team bus to have more beers after. The bus ride is what made the day. The guys were singing, and we were definitely bonding! My friend Kelsey was proposed to by this Russian guy, he even said the names of their future 4 children! The night continued on until the late hours, good times... Sunday was a lazy day. Hours on Skype with Jordan then a two hour massage. The massage places around here are super cheap. I paid 15.00 dollars for two hours..I was over it at first, they put me in a room that someone had just smoked in. They smoke EVERYWHERE HERE. UGH.
China Trip: The entire school leaves for a trip once a year. Each grade level does something different. The younger kids, my kids, went to a town two hours away called, Suzhou. The point of these trips is to socialize them with reality. 99% of our kids come from affluent homes, live in compounds that are hidden away from the real China. The compound (AKA neighborhood) next to me that majority of them reside in is similar to Scottsdale. The older grades go and live with locals in small towns, they volunteer at orphanages or help out in the schools or farms. Since my kids are still so young, they got to camp for the first time. For me it would've been easy, but the rain poured like Niagara falls! From the moment we got on our boat ride to the island it rained..The island we went to has 280 families that live on it. It was neat to see that they are completely self sufficient. From their goat milk to their chili pepper treas, to the daily fish that sat in the sink waited to be cook, it was all there. The women cooked and cleaned, the men fished. I watched a man one morning grab the closest chicken, kill it, then clean it in the lake..nice hu? It sure did taste good though! We did manage to get a hike in, but most of the day was spent indoors playing card games, talking and bonding. I truly take each moment in with these kids. They all come from different cultures, have different ways of doing things, ways of how others should be etc. The true meaning of International School is finally hitting me. Setting up tents went smoothly, came back after bringing in supplies, looked up to realize the girls might as well just slept in my tent. I was in the center, they were so close I could have tickled their backs:) When I finally got everyone settled in, I laid down with my journal, listened to the rain and relaxed. I have always loved listening to the rain while I fall asleep. Then I heard one zipper, followed by zippers all night. If one wasn't up it was another..Finally I fell asleep, prayer after prayer asking God to let up on the rain, I hear another zipper..Followed by, "UM, Ms. Johnson I have to pee." After a few deep breaths, I said, "Just pee behind the tent." I was finally dry, and my last time I got up I slipped on the mud, flew up in the air, and hit my butt pretty hard. Thank god I have a cushioned butt! I was so out of it, irritated, that I didn't even realize that this young Korean girl probably hadn't pee'd outside..I won't continue with that story, just a bit of it was her tent mate waking up telling me she pee'd in the tent! I think I was able to get a few hours of sleep, I was obviously to sleepy to figure out that my pillow was soaked, so was my bag, but I was dry...
I did like listening to all of them talk to their mom's before bed. 6 different languages, all at once... I am finally adjusting/accepting the language barrier. It can cause a helpless feeling, a feeling of insecurity, a feeling of jealousy and more... To speak a different language would be great. I do realize how many of the locals want to learn English, and I want to learn Mandarin, it is just so hard... If I was younger, not that I am old, I would possibly think about starting an International school in Phx. Imagine if we offered these back home, and they were Spanish only. All the kids speak English at home, but only Spanish at school. We could offer languages of all types..not a bad idea!
Starting to get dark out, going to my neighbors for a glass of wine. They are a family from Michigan with two little kids. Not doing much this weekend, usual pancake breakfast tomorrow am with some friends then off for a bike ride. I leave for Bali next Thursday. Not sure what to expect there, just know everyone that has visited Bali mentioned it is their favorite place. Endless beaches, years of history, hopefully no RAIN. Dad has been, he gave us the name of an English driver, that should help. We are going to backpack, so I am sure we will be island hopping. I will take lots of pics of course. I haven't posted many pics on my blog, it takes forever. As you know blogs/FB and more are all blocked here, the VPN I pay for isn't always a 100%. The govt here is odd! Thank god I didn't book a trip to Tibet with several of the other staff. Just yesterday the govt stopped all travel there for the holiday. Odd hu? To much political unrest during this specific holiday.
Love you all...
China Trip:
Monday morning
Last weekend was my first time watching a rugby game, oh my...Never knew it was so intense. The weekend started by me staying in on Friday night. I am honestly realizing I am older now. I don't care to go out all night, I hate being tired, and I like relaxing on Friday's. That is so different for me, as the last 10 years I never missed a beat. I can't wait until Jordan is here, we can do dinners in town, explore the city during the day, and just be together in China.. So, the rugby game! My Asst. Principal Ty plays in a competitive league, after my vb tourney on Sat we made it a fun filled day. It started off with beers on our bike ride home from my vb tourney. There was a grand opening going on right by the school, I have never seen so many black haired people in one place. They loved looking at us drinking beers on our pink bikes..I think they thought we were part of the grand opening. lol. We continued having beers on the subway, then during the game. I enjoyed the game, what is better then watching a bunch of big men holding each other in bear hugs, tackling each other, kissing. HA HA. The game was good, we were invited on their team bus to have more beers after. The bus ride is what made the day. The guys were singing, and we were definitely bonding! My friend Kelsey was proposed to by this Russian guy, he even said the names of their future 4 children! The night continued on until the late hours, good times... Sunday was a lazy day. Hours on Skype with Jordan then a two hour massage. The massage places around here are super cheap. I paid 15.00 dollars for two hours..I was over it at first, they put me in a room that someone had just smoked in. They smoke EVERYWHERE HERE. UGH.
China Trip: The entire school leaves for a trip once a year. Each grade level does something different. The younger kids, my kids, went to a town two hours away called, Suzhou. The point of these trips is to socialize them with reality. 99% of our kids come from affluent homes, live in compounds that are hidden away from the real China. The compound (AKA neighborhood) next to me that majority of them reside in is similar to Scottsdale. The older grades go and live with locals in small towns, they volunteer at orphanages or help out in the schools or farms. Since my kids are still so young, they got to camp for the first time. For me it would've been easy, but the rain poured like Niagara falls! From the moment we got on our boat ride to the island it rained..The island we went to has 280 families that live on it. It was neat to see that they are completely self sufficient. From their goat milk to their chili pepper treas, to the daily fish that sat in the sink waited to be cook, it was all there. The women cooked and cleaned, the men fished. I watched a man one morning grab the closest chicken, kill it, then clean it in the lake..nice hu? It sure did taste good though! We did manage to get a hike in, but most of the day was spent indoors playing card games, talking and bonding. I truly take each moment in with these kids. They all come from different cultures, have different ways of doing things, ways of how others should be etc. The true meaning of International School is finally hitting me. Setting up tents went smoothly, came back after bringing in supplies, looked up to realize the girls might as well just slept in my tent. I was in the center, they were so close I could have tickled their backs:) When I finally got everyone settled in, I laid down with my journal, listened to the rain and relaxed. I have always loved listening to the rain while I fall asleep. Then I heard one zipper, followed by zippers all night. If one wasn't up it was another..Finally I fell asleep, prayer after prayer asking God to let up on the rain, I hear another zipper..Followed by, "UM, Ms. Johnson I have to pee." After a few deep breaths, I said, "Just pee behind the tent." I was finally dry, and my last time I got up I slipped on the mud, flew up in the air, and hit my butt pretty hard. Thank god I have a cushioned butt! I was so out of it, irritated, that I didn't even realize that this young Korean girl probably hadn't pee'd outside..I won't continue with that story, just a bit of it was her tent mate waking up telling me she pee'd in the tent! I think I was able to get a few hours of sleep, I was obviously to sleepy to figure out that my pillow was soaked, so was my bag, but I was dry...
I did like listening to all of them talk to their mom's before bed. 6 different languages, all at once... I am finally adjusting/accepting the language barrier. It can cause a helpless feeling, a feeling of insecurity, a feeling of jealousy and more... To speak a different language would be great. I do realize how many of the locals want to learn English, and I want to learn Mandarin, it is just so hard... If I was younger, not that I am old, I would possibly think about starting an International school in Phx. Imagine if we offered these back home, and they were Spanish only. All the kids speak English at home, but only Spanish at school. We could offer languages of all types..not a bad idea!
Starting to get dark out, going to my neighbors for a glass of wine. They are a family from Michigan with two little kids. Not doing much this weekend, usual pancake breakfast tomorrow am with some friends then off for a bike ride. I leave for Bali next Thursday. Not sure what to expect there, just know everyone that has visited Bali mentioned it is their favorite place. Endless beaches, years of history, hopefully no RAIN. Dad has been, he gave us the name of an English driver, that should help. We are going to backpack, so I am sure we will be island hopping. I will take lots of pics of course. I haven't posted many pics on my blog, it takes forever. As you know blogs/FB and more are all blocked here, the VPN I pay for isn't always a 100%. The govt here is odd! Thank god I didn't book a trip to Tibet with several of the other staff. Just yesterday the govt stopped all travel there for the holiday. Odd hu? To much political unrest during this specific holiday.
Love you all...
China Trip:
Monday morning
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tuk Tuk with a system?
Just got in, Tuesday evening here. Caught a ride with young Tuk driver who had American music blasted like a young kid who just got his first car. He has this look on his face of pure excitement when I got in. Hopefully everyone back home has an idea of a Tuk Tuk now, if not it is a three wheel bike with a cover on the back. He was so proud to have me in his cart, every time we passed someone he would honk, not to get out of the way but to say, "LOOK at the blond in my cart!" He was blasting, "I like to move it, move it," brought up the Rocky Point days. We used to love that song...or it loved us after 10 beers:) It is cooling down quite a bit now, thank GOD. I know I will end up swallowing my tongue for saying this, but I can't wait until winter. It has been warm, wet, sticky, smelly. The cool air is fresh. There are days where the pollution is heavy, other times where the sun is bright. Odd. Downtown the air quality is not good...wish they would work on that.
Hangzhou this weekend was a memory I will not forget. Hangzhou is a town two hours from where I live. A guy we work with that is from New Zealand arranged it for us. I was thankful, that trip wouldn't be easy to new as a newcomer. We took the train, arrived around 9am and hit the mtn. around 10. We hiked through villages, tea gardens, then did a strenuous mtn. hike up to the top. Great group of people, friendly with a lot to share. I am enjoying hearing about every ones travels. We have a large group of couples that have been part of the international teaching scene for years, they switch schools every few years or so. Wish Jordan was a teacher:)
Ok..off for a bike ride after I finish this episode of Sex and the City. With no English TV, I have been purchasing seasons. As for Sex and the City, I am addicted to it but damn, these girls do nothing besides the obvious! How did Sara Jessica Parker stay married!
Hangzhou this weekend was a memory I will not forget. Hangzhou is a town two hours from where I live. A guy we work with that is from New Zealand arranged it for us. I was thankful, that trip wouldn't be easy to new as a newcomer. We took the train, arrived around 9am and hit the mtn. around 10. We hiked through villages, tea gardens, then did a strenuous mtn. hike up to the top. Great group of people, friendly with a lot to share. I am enjoying hearing about every ones travels. We have a large group of couples that have been part of the international teaching scene for years, they switch schools every few years or so. Wish Jordan was a teacher:)
Ok..off for a bike ride after I finish this episode of Sex and the City. With no English TV, I have been purchasing seasons. As for Sex and the City, I am addicted to it but damn, these girls do nothing besides the obvious! How did Sara Jessica Parker stay married!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thursday night...
Night is almost over, bedtime soon. Had a good week, finally think I am adjusting to working 10 hour days. The days are long, but the kids make it worth every minute. I am learning that working at an international school is about working hard and playing hard. These kids are super involved in school, so we are always there making sure they are involved in everything to make those college applications to the states FULL. Went this morning to get my visa, and that was easy. I am loving the fact that we are taken care of always. Always having drivers, maids, food provided at work, even the coffee is made for us. I like that. Had a minor setback after our visa appointment:( We were getting in the van, and I got on first. Our asst. principal was looking for the van, saw it, then took one step without looking. BAM, he was hit by a scooter... It happened so fast, and THANK GOD he was okay. It was only him and I, and our driver who only speaks Mandarin. I ran out of the van and helped our AP up, and he was fine. The scooter driver was fine as well, but pretty upset. After a few minutes of him yelling, a nice lady who was watching walked over and yelled back. Basically it just frightened them both... Incidents like that happen here way more then they should, all because NOBODY abides by rules. Traffic is a complete nightmare here... One positive aspect is the locals really look out for us. That lady did not have to step in, which was great. My day was good after that, practice went well. I like my girls, they are super sweet and full of life. I am finally realizing that VB for once is not about competition, which has been a struggle for me.
Friday tomorrow. We have another away game. I like going to the different international schools, checking them out:) We have a short trip planned this Saturday to Hangzhou. It is two hours away, so we are taking a train. Looking forward to getting out and seeing more of China. We have hiking planned, lunch, temples and of course cold beverages!
Night..
Friday tomorrow. We have another away game. I like going to the different international schools, checking them out:) We have a short trip planned this Saturday to Hangzhou. It is two hours away, so we are taking a train. Looking forward to getting out and seeing more of China. We have hiking planned, lunch, temples and of course cold beverages!
Night..
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Ultimate Frisbee (Opening night)
Monwei and Kelsey..They teach with me, but didn't get on the same teams:( We still have fun though. 
After the game..I haven't worked out for 3 hours straight in ten years...Feeling it now.
Before the game they have an hour of conditioning. Out of 40 or so people only the NEW people showed up for workouts. I think that is a sign... We ran a mile, then 3 more laps then more..ugh..
Ladies doing a dance/work out at night right by the stadium we played at.
After the game..I haven't worked out for 3 hours straight in ten years...Feeling it now.
Before the game they have an hour of conditioning. Out of 40 or so people only the NEW people showed up for workouts. I think that is a sign... We ran a mile, then 3 more laps then more..ugh..
Ladies doing a dance/work out at night right by the stadium we played at.
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