my twin doll
Right back into full action this week and I have another Master’s class tonight before presenting a 2 hour overview of the school ESL program to the whole school PTA tomorrow morning. I have a 30 slide PowerPoint, but they’ll need to be masses of fill in between, so I hope I can fill the time. There’s always question time at the end from the floor, so that should take some time, even if it means fielding queries on all topics from all divisions of the school’s parent population, usually with their own personal agenda.
Cass has been flat out as well and led a contingent of students to the local Chinese school the other day as a mini exchange. She was the only teacher from our school and was shocked to be greeted by the principal and executive and feted as a celebrity around the campus. After a million photos, she was also mortified to be videoed on numerous occasions as well. Her kids did a fantastic job with songs, readings and culture quizzes, but she hopes the school has the right idea: it was meant as a one-off, but went so well that the teachers up there are hinting at return visits. Anyway, after a presentation of a certificate for her work, she brought the kids back via Starbucks as a reward for their excellent showing.
We went to see Ocean’s 12 on Saturday night to celebrate our 17th wedding anniversary and then tried to eat at the new “Chilis” outlet at the Tienmu Warner Village complex. After we were informed it would be a 2 hour wait for a table, we decided that we’d retreat to our beloved Café India round the corner from our place for a quiet and excellent meal. It was a little low key this year after the great drama of last year, when I plopped a basketful of hissing, spitting kittens on Cassy’s lap in the evening. It’s hard to believe these little street cats have been with us for a year and how Cassy’s own brand of spoiling them has taken effect. They now luxuriate on her cast off wool jumpers with their own covering quilt in their baskets and are just starting to relax near the blow heater. They will sit on her lap or stretch full length beside her on the lounge but they haven’t quite got the idea of the sheepskin: it seems to be an item to be attacked and killed judging by the great tufts of wool they pull from it if left to their own devices. It’s been so icy cold in the last week that they’ve even sat on me a few times!
This segue to the weather is appropriate as we are experiencing the harshest cold that we’ve had in our 3 ½ years here. Quite insanely, Ross and I have been for a surf on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday and I’ve caught a grand total of 7 waves. It has been quite a reasonable size with lots of power but the biting wind has played havoc with quality. We’ve been shaking with cold a good 20 minutes after getting changed and sitting in the car with the heater on full bore, so you can imagine the extent of the freezing conditions. Officially, it’s been about 12 degrees, but with high humidity and scything wind it has felt much colder. Cassy would have worn her long coat to work today if some slacko had pulled down the suitcase from the top of the wardrobe to retrieve it!
My pictures today were taken by my third graders, which explains the strange quality (!), but have a look at Sheridan and her new doll. My Twin Doll is sent after the company receives a photo of the child and you can order matching doll and child clothing………I’ve seen it all now! She’s a great kid and after I expressed interest in seeing the doll she brought it and herself dressed alike the next day. The close up is me and another student, a very friendly little girl who calls me “Braggett” for some reason….maybe I don’t deserve a title in her opinion.
Great to hear from Thurza and Cassy’s parents this week ….we’re already relying on our email to get a taste of our “other world”.