The darkened auditorium was a seething, pulsing adrenalin filled cauldron. The sounds were muted coming up to the doors, but upon opening the second of the soundproof doors, the noise was a physical assault. Three huge banks of adolescents were taking it in turns to scream and sing and yell their hearts out to the primal beat of drums and cheer leaders. They thumped up and down in one spot, moving the floor of the auditorium, creating a mini quake, no mean feat as the school is built to withstand a severe real one. The middle school spirit week final assembly was under way!I had finished my parent conferences and decided to wander up to the other end of the school to see the famous teachers’ dance of which Cassy was a part. I got there a little too early and the decibel hit I took was a big one. My ears were still ringing from the cheers when the “girls” took the stage. White T-shirts with “Soulja Girl” emblazoned across the front, rappers’ white peak hats, baggy blue jeans and huge white-framed sunnies, they looked great as an assembled throng. Not to mention white letters on the sunnies and lots of big gold bling, though Cassy tried to lurk up the back, I could pick her out very easily and, all bias aside, she “shook it out” far better than most of the others: I don’t know why she was trying to hide. It was a big hit with the kids and I think Cassy quite surprised herself.
I have had the unenviable task of both testing Kinder kids and meeting with my own students parents this week. The first two days of the week involved me withdrawing Kinder kiddies one by one for the annual screening tests to decide whether they need ESL support next year. Everyone thinks it is a great job, the kids being “so cute” and all. Let me tell you, the kids are very cute and it is quite enjoyable, but after the 20th kid does the same 25 minute one on one session, with me asking the same mindless questions about the same black and white infants pictures…the cuteness starts to wear off! I don’t know whether it was partly psychosomatic, but I lost my voice to laryngitis on Tuesday afternoon, so had to have the day off on Wednesday.
On Thursday and Friday, I was due to meet with all the parents at the student led conferences. They all went quite well as I wrote out some stuff for both Gerri and Wal to say on my behalf, urged them to use liberal amounts of inclusive personal pronouns (such as “we think…”, “our approach is to…”) and generally forced some whispered wisdom for them to take away. My biggest fear was that they would insist on another individual conference as well due to the non-vocal state of my communication, but mercifully, I think I’ve avoided that!
My biggest disappointment has been that for the first time since August I’ve actually been quite sick as well: the laryngitis was a symptom of an underlying flu and the lack of a voice right through this weekend and the aching joints meant I had to pull out of what would have been a really fun Saturday and night. One of the guys, Terry, will be married in Singapore in July, and his “bucks’ night” started with a paintball session over at Neihu and then a bus trip to various bars downtown that night. I was very disappointed to miss it, but glad that I made the “mature” decision as even doing nothing all weekend has been exhausting!
Cass and I have watched lots of TV, lots of football and even watched “No Country for Old Men” on DVD. We just love those Coen brothers’ films and the last couple has been a bit of a letdown, so it was great to see them back to fine form. What a compelling ride the film was…in fact it was quite a bookend to the weekend as it directly contrasted to the cacophony I experienced in the auditorium on Friday afternoon: the silence was almost palpable in the film and somehow kept us both right on the edge of our seats throughout…wonderful cinema.
Cassy has seemed to be floating around the house in various domestic roles all weekend…she never seemed to stop: maybe it’s just that I was around the whole time to see it all. When I see this, I immediately react and say we should get some help. Cassy’s philosophy is always the same however: she wants to get some beautiful things from time to time and puts all the funds that she “saves” towards just such projects: it’s very laudable, but it looks quite exhausting!
Fantastic news on the election front yesterday. Ma Ying Jeou, the popular ex Taipei mayor has won the presdiential election. China's sabres, while not completely silenced, have stopped rattling as loud, and now there is real hope that the 350 plus missiles aimed at Taipei might be dismantled and the economy will lift and cross straits relations generally will improve.
Photos: some file shots, a soulja boy and Ma Ying Jeou...hoorah!
Photos: some file shots, a soulja boy and Ma Ying Jeou...hoorah!