Well, it's that time of year again, and we can scarcely believe it has been a year since we were sucked into this vortex of last week plans, appointments, calls, visits and everything else that comes with winding up an academic year, closing down a household for a couple of months and leaving things and people in place to look after the cats.
The tornado started to increase in velocity last weekend, but Cass was incapacitated with a shocking bout of tonsillitis which necessitated nearly a full week off school. She rallied to attend her final Book Club meeting of the year mid-week, a bittersweet moment as her good friend Paige is leaving to go back home to Canada. They dined on Wendel's outstanding fare and a few sips of Moet to ease the pain helped them present her with a card and small gift. May/June is not a good time for expatriates!
School is fizzling out, but still has enough wind speed left to generate some end-of-year tests for Cassy to grade, as well as write reports and I have to attend various shows and recognition functions as my kids "graduate" out of elementary school (don't ask!). A love-fest faculty meeting for my division on Tuesday will drag on before a visit to the dentist, then a farewell for two departing members of my team. We both need to attend the all school recognition service on Friday afternoon and then get home and do any last minute preparation for returning to Oz, as we get picked up to go to the airport at noon on Sunday.
My Book Club is threatening to have a meeting on Wednesday, but I'm hoping to dissuade them from reaching a quorum, as it usually involves a very late night, and I don't think I want to face a Thursday in that condition this week! The massive end-of-year BBQ immediately follows the Friday recognition ceremony, and yet another farewell party is rumoured to be on Saturday evening down at Patio 84....we'll be glad to get on that plane!
This weekend we went to see the film "Edge of Tomorrow" which has a similar basic premise to one of my favourite movies of all time, "Groundhog Day". The main character dies each day only to wake up the next day at the same point, just a little better trained, prepared, knowledgeable etc. than the day before. He, of course, needs to save the world in the end, but hey, Tom Cruise in action mode can do it all, can't he?! One of the very interesting things about this was that we saw it before its official world premiere in the U.S. I'm not sure how Taiwan continually gets away with this....perhaps they don't know and/or don't care! Anyhow, it was pretty slick....give it an "A", pretty sure Cass would concur.
I went up the so-called 1,000 steps on Sunday (in actuality, there are significantly more) and it was an exercise fraught with trepidation as mountain runoff streamed across the path at various intervals, making the descent in particular, quite precarious. Up top, fungi was flourishing on every craggy trunk and every stand of lush moss, the path was boggy and treacherous, and the overhanging trees loomed dangerously from loose-looking, muddy banks. We had experienced a fallen tree in sodden ground in the little park we pass on the way home from school earlier in the week, so I was especially sensitive to any creaks and groans! A haze of heat mixed with smog hung over Tienmu as I looked down upon our little suburb, and I imagined it might be good to swap this for a while and soak up the delights of the stark, searing vistas available at Merewether Beach. Recharge, take stock, relax. Lock down in the storm cellar of bucolic Newcastle, away from the frenzied tempest which is our school and city, just for a while.....we're ready.
Photos: One of my little girls' poor first attempts at writing a poem; I couldn't get too upset considering the subject choice! Gift of amethyst jewellery for Paige, fallen tree shock (Cassy had a little friend!), gecko on the verandah door, hamburger that is actually a cake (class party), and a couple of shots from the "steps".
I'm having a break from the blog writing while we're away. I anticipate the next entry somewhere around August 10. Thanks for putting up with us for another year!