Cass has some lovely, caring friends here in Taiwan. Her great friend Kristin gave her this beautiful orchid on her return to school last week to buoy her spirits after losing Virgy. People are just so kind in the midst of their own very busy lives, it's sometimes difficult to believe.
The Book Club met on Friday night down at Mia Cuccina after a very hectic week in which we had PD experts come in to do what will be two of a four day session, to be completed in January. More about that later. As usual, the girls were captivated by the various delicious offerings at the restaurant and many of them decided to go the 5 course menu. This sounds so ambitious, but I can assure the reader that the courses are barely sufficient for a normal person (i.e. me!), so it's hardly a medieval feast. That said, I've never heard a bad review of this place except from me, so the common factor in disapproval seems to be ...only me! Oh well, lucky other people like to take Cass there is all I can add.
The latest fad sweeping the educational world seems to be the elusively themed "Responsive Classroom" concept. Neatly packaged and marketed by professionals in the United States, it's difficult to describe. We've been showered with resource books and reference materials, blinded by innumerable PowerPoint slides, and made giddy by dazzling repackages of what seems to be basic common sense and teaching practice. It's easy to be cynical when what is presented constitutes basic pedagogy and teacher language to any properly trained educator, and frustrating to sit through days of "training" presented by earnest consultants of profit making companies. If you actually don't know this stuff, you've managed to become a teacher without listening to, or comprehending, anything you heard in your training.
Trev joined the action again down at Uli's on Friday night and, as it was his last night and they hadn't caught up, so did Dan. Wal and I made up the quorum and we "discussed" all manner of things from the intricacies of spear-fishing in the NZ Barrier Islands to raising young kids successfully in a multi-language environment! That, and all sorts in between as well, kept the beer flowing and the tall tales continuing.
We wandered across to the Carrefour market across the bridge on Sunday and were confronted with a beautifully landscaped and revitalized park along with a kaleidoscopic array of political banners. The local government electioneering is revving up to a crescendo this coming weekend when they are held. Trucks with huge electronic hoardings on all sides provide a disturbingly dystopian image as the candidates warp into life as the trucks meander through neighbourhoods and down main roads. Even scooters are employed with flags, banners and loudhailers to spruik the wondrous capabilities of the various candidates. Mercifully, the visual and aural pollution will be extinguished after next Saturday.
We've got a short week this week and as I always say during this week of the year, God Bless America! Their Thanksgiving holiday gives us a four day weekend which we're looking forward to immensely.