Meet Oso, the newest addition to our family! Oso is a 4-week old, yellow/blonde lab with a pink nose. The boys named him Oso, Spanish for bear.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Gandhi Jayanti Assembly
Gandhi Jayanti is observed every year as a national holiday on October 2. Normally school would be closed, but this year October 2, was on Sunday. Gandhi was honored at a school assembly Friday morning. Grade levels participated in various ways. Domenic's class performed a skit based on Gandhi's earlier years. Below are some pictures taken before and during the performance.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
4 Months in 4 Paragraphs
It's been almost 4 months since adding a post! I keep telling myself that as soon as I get caught up, or as soon as my life slows down, I will update my blog. That will never happen. And would I really want it that way?
July- Our visit to Camano Island was fast and furious. Each day was packed but we managed to cross off an unbelievable amount of tasks from an endless list and had so much fun along the way. The shining moment, of course, was July 16! Our wedding day was magical and better than I could have imagined. Thank you friends and family for showering us with love and happiness. After our wedding, Seth and I departed to Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada where the weather was anything but nice. It snowed and rained, but we had a wonderful time hiking, river rafting, eating, drinking, and playing cards. A week later we were back on the Island, packing our bags and heading to Seattle for the long journey back to India and our new house.
August- Teachers were required to report to work on August 1, and students on August 8. I have 17 students, most of them ESL. They are young, cute, full of zest, and keep me on my toes! Domenic started 4th grade. It's been a big jump, academically, but he is adjusting well. His biggest complaint is all the homework, but overall he likes his studies.
September- It took us nearly a month to adjust to the rhythm of work and school, but we managed. September is the month where volunteers from AISC begin their visits to one of the local orphanages here in Chennai. Seth, Dom, and I go once a week to the House of Hope. House of Hope was established after the 2004 tsunami. It's a great family activity and the best way to show Domenic just how privileged we are to live the life we do. We also celebrated Ganesha Chaturthi, the birthday of Lord Ganesha. This is a Hindu celebration lasting 10 days. Models of Lord Ganesha are made from clay or plaster of paris and on the 11th day, the statues are taken through the streets, with singing and dancing, to the sea where they are immersed in water, symbolizing a "see-off" for the Lord. The beaches were wild. India loves to celebrate!
October- I can't believe we are in October already. It's baseball season and this year we stepped back into the 21st Century, getting a nice TV, cable, and DVR. We have been recording the games and watching them at our leisure. The last week in October is a scheduled holiday. We get one week off. This year the 3 of us will be going to Cambodia with a brief stay in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
July- Our visit to Camano Island was fast and furious. Each day was packed but we managed to cross off an unbelievable amount of tasks from an endless list and had so much fun along the way. The shining moment, of course, was July 16! Our wedding day was magical and better than I could have imagined. Thank you friends and family for showering us with love and happiness. After our wedding, Seth and I departed to Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada where the weather was anything but nice. It snowed and rained, but we had a wonderful time hiking, river rafting, eating, drinking, and playing cards. A week later we were back on the Island, packing our bags and heading to Seattle for the long journey back to India and our new house.
Lola, Colleen, Marianne, Carlina, Adrienne, Dorcy, Kristin
August- Teachers were required to report to work on August 1, and students on August 8. I have 17 students, most of them ESL. They are young, cute, full of zest, and keep me on my toes! Domenic started 4th grade. It's been a big jump, academically, but he is adjusting well. His biggest complaint is all the homework, but overall he likes his studies.
First Day of School, August 8, 2011
September- It took us nearly a month to adjust to the rhythm of work and school, but we managed. September is the month where volunteers from AISC begin their visits to one of the local orphanages here in Chennai. Seth, Dom, and I go once a week to the House of Hope. House of Hope was established after the 2004 tsunami. It's a great family activity and the best way to show Domenic just how privileged we are to live the life we do. We also celebrated Ganesha Chaturthi, the birthday of Lord Ganesha. This is a Hindu celebration lasting 10 days. Models of Lord Ganesha are made from clay or plaster of paris and on the 11th day, the statues are taken through the streets, with singing and dancing, to the sea where they are immersed in water, symbolizing a "see-off" for the Lord. The beaches were wild. India loves to celebrate!
Domenic and Lord Ganesha
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
3, 2, 1
What a monumental year this has been for all of us! In 3 short days we fly back to America, completing our first year living abroad. I am up to my eyeballs (literally) in boxes. We are on a packing frenzy over here. The last day of school is Friday, June 10, and that evening we will be heading to the airport. Most of the contents of my classroom need to be boxed up. This will enable the custodial staff and painters to do their jobs without all of the clutter. At the same time, we are either packing or boxing all of our personal belongings at home. We spent our first year living in an apartment and although it was nice, we quickly outgrew it. Last Monday we requested a house and by Wednesday it was confirmed we could move. It’s rare, but sometimes things really do move along in a timely fashion. The house is 2.5 kilometers, or 1.5 miles, south of where we currently live and where Dorcy, our favorite neighbor, will continue to reside. Just as before, we are only a block from the beach, meaning we can still go for walks and jogs along the water. There are people living in the house until the end of June at which time the school will move us. I put together a Smilebox of photos taken during our walkthrough. The only significant difference, per my request, will be the removal of the fluorescent lighting and instillation of a stove and oven. People just don’t bake around here? You will notice the kitchen doesn’t compliment the rest of the house. Unlike in America where we build our homes around a functioning kitchen, in India the kitchen is intended for the hired staff and therefore not a room suited for congregating. We certainly are not complaining, but rather celebrating and feeling very fortunate.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Only 49 Days!!
In less than 2 months we will be flying back to Washington for summer vacation. It is hard to believe that the first school year is almost complete. We are back in school now after a 2-week spring break. For all the teachers out there, you know how fast the days go by once you return from the break.
I spent the first week of vacation in Thailand where I attended the NESA conference for teachers in Bangkok. My childhood friends, Kristin and Adrienne, met me there and what fun we had! We burned the candles at both ends, seeing as much of Bangkok as possible and after the conference we fly to Phuket for more of the same.
The week flew by and I headed back to India. It was great to see Domenic and Seth again. I unpacked my bags, did some laundry, repacked, and the 3 of us headed back to the airport, this time for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is only a 55 minute flight from Chennai. The only downside is it's out of the country, meaning immigration line after line. We spent over two hours waiting in lines before boarding the plane, but it was well worth it.
Sri Lanka is beautiful. We stayed at a small beach resort and aside from the 3 hour drive to the Elephant Orphanage, we limited our sightseeing to short treks near the resort. We went on a catamaran ride which was great fun, but definitely reflective of a "laid-back" country where safety standards are optional. Domenic's life jacket was size TooSmall and the zipper didn't even work. The catamaran was homemade and looked to be held together by knotted ropes and one of the men on board was stationed full-time in one spot, bailing water out of the hull. We have been living in India long enough that there was something oddly comforting about the experience. Two days later, we were back for a second tour.
I spent the first week of vacation in Thailand where I attended the NESA conference for teachers in Bangkok. My childhood friends, Kristin and Adrienne, met me there and what fun we had! We burned the candles at both ends, seeing as much of Bangkok as possible and after the conference we fly to Phuket for more of the same.
Carlina, Kristin, Adrienne
Reclining Buddha
elephant trek
Sri Lanka is beautiful. We stayed at a small beach resort and aside from the 3 hour drive to the Elephant Orphanage, we limited our sightseeing to short treks near the resort. We went on a catamaran ride which was great fun, but definitely reflective of a "laid-back" country where safety standards are optional. Domenic's life jacket was size TooSmall and the zipper didn't even work. The catamaran was homemade and looked to be held together by knotted ropes and one of the men on board was stationed full-time in one spot, bailing water out of the hull. We have been living in India long enough that there was something oddly comforting about the experience. Two days later, we were back for a second tour.
elephant orphanage
catamaran
Domenic
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
