tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34503736390972768482024-02-20T00:57:45.655-06:00Pyramids, Pharaohs and The BishopsKb1canoibehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14448960509944818274noreply@blogger.comBlogger101125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-39886284487435092852013-09-03T10:12:00.001-05:002013-09-03T10:12:36.465-05:00A New School Year is Approaching!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It seems like it has been a very, very long time since I have written on this blog. In reality it has been. Our holiday in Luxor was in April, right around the time that school was getting incredibly exhausting. Therefore, the blog took an unexpected holiday.<br />
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So, now that it is September, and the school year is about to start fresh, it seems appropriate to re-ignite the blog. The blog was originally created to document our day to day experiences in Egypt and our travels to other parts of the world, and that will certainly continue. <br />
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I am sure that everybody who follows this blog will be aware of the events that engulfed the major international news broadcasts in mid August. The ousting of former President Mohamed Morsi was not received well by the Muslim Brotherhood supporters and this led to very long protests in various parts of Cairo. On August 14th, hundreds of people died and we watched the news in complete horror as we saw the death count rising steadily. The thoughts, "How could this be happening" and "how could this impact our return to Egypt" to "will school start on time" to "should we go back" started swirling around in our minds. We started to receive emails and facebook messages from concerned friends and family as they knew our departure to Egypt was a mere week away. It was hard to turn away from the news and as we started answering questions about why would possibly want to return to Egypt, it became all the more clear that Egypt is our home for now. Many people had a hard time understanding why we chose to return to Egypt with all the political unrest, but deep down, we experienced a peace that was beyond our understanding. <br />
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Having lived in Egypt for 2 years, we are aware that protests occur often and that no protest in the past 2 years has impacted us. This in addition to the fact that friends and colleagues that were in Egypt were saying that our area was safe, was enough that we needed to feel comfortable with our departure. The flight went off without a hitch. The kids behaved very well and we arrived in Cairo and moved through the airport smoothly. For precautionary measures, we chose to stay at a hotel for the first night and drive through Cairo to our home in the morning. It was so nice to unwind from a long day of traveling by sitting at the rooftop pool. <br /><br />Driving through Cairo was a breeze. The streets were silent and traffic was minimal. Both kids were thrilled to see our doorman and their bedrooms. As we unpacked our suitcases and the kids became reacquainted with their toys, everything seemed to be "back to normal". It is no secret that we had a very chaotic (yet very fun) holiday in Florida, and returning to Egypt was the triumphant return back home. Despite all the media attention on Egypt, it seemed as though nothing had changed. To be truthful, nothing has really changed for us. Sure, there is a curfew, but it hasn't impacted us. We still venture out to the mall and walk around the area. The only major challenge that we had with our return is that we all seemed to have more difficulty adjusting to the time change. Jet lag got the better of us and it took almost twice as long to adjust. In some ways, it seems as though we are still adjusting.<br />
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The biggest impact that the events surrounding the 14th of August is that school has been delayed starting. While we were supposed to start school on September 4th (tomorrow) the Minister of Education in Egypt decided that school would start on September 15th. So, instead of starting tomorrow, we have been blessed to have 2 extra weeks to prepare for the start of school. While I am anxious to start teaching and interacting with students again, I am thrilled by the chance to slowly move into the school year.<br />
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<br />Until then, we will work on creating unique lessons that will captivate the minds of our students. Some ideas will be great and others, not so much. But, no matter what, we will continue to feel blessed by the opportunity to live and work in Egypt. These truly friendly and open people are the main reason we have enjoyed our time here. So, here is to a great year, wherever you are! <br /></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-10026161621275594112013-04-04T23:42:00.001-05:002013-04-04T23:42:30.560-05:00Luxor Day 5 and 6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Our time in Luxor is quickly coming to an end. Today we head back to Cairo to prepare for the last part of the school year. It is hard to believe that it is April already and that there is really not that much more time for teaching before exams happen in early June.<br />
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But, I must recap the rest of our time here in Luxor. After spending several days touring temples and tombs, we decided to give the kids a day off of exploration for time to relax by the pool. It was amazing to have the chance to just sit and watch the kids play. <br />
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Most people that come to Luxor, stay only a short time (2-4 days) before heading off to Aswan. By rushing through the famous sites on these short trips, many people miss some of the "less popular" sites. Since we were here longer than the average tourist, we were able to visit these sites, and are we ever glad that we did. <br />
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Medinat Habu was rated very high on Trip Advisor. While I do not always follow the top trends on Trip Advisor, there has been a couple of times that the top picks have been by far the best I have ever seen. We went to Segovia in Spain because of Trip Advisor and it is probably the best place I have ever been. Medinat Habu ranked number 2 for places to see. It is often skipped by tourists for the more famous sites like Valley of the Kings. But, Medinat Habu was the best preserved temple we had been to. I was impressed by the depth and quality of the hieroglyphs and the carvings and cartouches were very clear. There was not very much color, but, this temple did not need it. We paid one of the guards to take us into some of the back rooms of the temple often off limits to tourists and got to see some of the most interesting stories depicted on the walls. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.<br />
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Then, we headed off to the Ramsseum. This was the temple for Ramses II. It is mostly in ruins, very small, and also skipped by most tourists. During our time at the Ramsseum there were very few other people around and by the end, we were the only ones there. We got some fantastic photos and had the chance to read up on what this temple was all about. Apparently, when the Romans came to Egypt, they decided to take the good rocks out of the Ramsseum and move them to the nearby site to build Medinat Habu. Basically, they turned the Ramsseum into a quarry.<br />
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Today, we head home, but, the trip to Luxor will be one to remember for sure. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medinat Habu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The side room we paid extra to see.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids at the Ramsseum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Checking out the temple/</td></tr>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-66429836847133553452013-04-03T10:50:00.001-05:002013-04-03T10:50:17.097-05:00Day 1 -4 in Luxor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It is 8:00 AM. I am sitting on our hotel balcony with a beautiful view of the Nile River in Luxor. This is the beginning of Day 4 here. Spring Break has been a wonderful adventure for us so far.<br />
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We arrived in Luxor in the early afternoon. After 7 hours of traveling (even though it is only a one hour flight), we thought it would be best for the kids to play in the pool. The weather here is beautiful...reaching the high 30's everyday. The pool is very crisp and refreshing after a hot day of exploring.<br />
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Here in Luxor, tourists explore the ancient sites very early in the morning until mid-day when it is too hot to be in the desert any longer. The first full day that we were here, we ventured off to one of the smaller temples. Luxor Temple was very quiet when we first arrived and as a result, we were able to get some pictures with NO people in it. This is very rare at any major tourist site. After visiting the temple, we jumped into a horse drawn carriage and toured around Luxor town and saw some very authentic markets. It was one of the first times while being in Egypt that I felt that we were back in the heart of Africa. In this market we saw animals being butchered, brightly colored cloth for sale and chickens and ducks in crates ready to be sold. The market was a very tight little road with room for only one "vehicle" to make it through, so, when our carriage encountered a small truck, there was no way for both vehicles to pass by. It took a group effort to get the truck to back up without hitting anything or anyone and for our carriage to continue past.<br />
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On our second day, we ventured a little farther out of Luxor to the Karnak Temple. We jumped into another horse drawn carriage (our preferred mode of transportation here in Luxor) and after 30 minutes arrived at our destination. After seeing Luxor Temple which is on the smaller side, Karnak Temple was huge. We hired a guide (not something that we usually do) and we were really glad that we did. We would have missed so many things had we not hired the guide. Karnak was amazing and I highly recommend that everyone stop by and see it at some point in their lifetime. In the evening, another teacher and his family arrived in Luxor and Princess was thrilled that she had some friends to swim with and to play with.<br />
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Since there were extra children around to distract Dimples and Princess, we decided to face the scorching desert with our friends. Venturing off to the West Bank of Luxor requires preparation. We hired a van and tour guide to drive us from our hotel to the renowned Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Hatshesput Temple and the Collosi of Memnon. The trip did not really start out well as Dimples became extremely car sick fairly early in the drive. Having no change of clothes for the little guy, we pulled over and washed his clothes quickly knowing that they would dry just as quickly. When we arrived at the Valley of the Kings (most well known as the burial site for King Tut), I was not super impressed like I was with Karnak Temple. The Valley of the Kings was fairly desolate and aside from the tombs and annoying `salesman`, there was really not much to see. But, roaming through the tombs was pretty impressive. Some of them are ridiculously well preserved and fascinating to venture through. When you buy a pass to the Valley of the Kings, you are allowed to enter any three tombs. They punch your ticket when you enter one and monitor you pretty closely when you are inside as photographs are strictly prohibited. Our guide did not give us a choice as to which tombs we went into which was kind of nice because we would have struggled to choose. She gave us a list of things to look for in each of the tombs that we went into and that added a unique element to the adventure. We chose not to enter King Tut`s tomb as it is one of the smallest and requires an additional, special ticket to enter. Having seen a lot of the relics from his tomb a couple of times at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, we felt it was unnecessary to pay extra to see one of the less exciting tombs. The tombs are like nothing I had ever imagined they would be like. You have to see it to truly comprehend what they accomplished. Quite possibly the most amazing thing is that Egyptologists are still finding things buried within the soil, uncovering more tombs and immaculate coffins that are thousands of years old. <br />
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With the beauty of the tombs at the Valley of the Kings, you would be sorry to miss the even more amazing, yet much smaller tombs in the Valley of the Queens. While arguably the most beautiful tomb of Nefertiti is located in Valley of the Queens, it is regularly closed and when open, only admits a few people a day. To open the tomb for a visit it costs 20,000 LE (around $3,000), and, you require written permission well in advance of your arrival to get in. $3,000 to visit one tomb for 10 minutes was a little out of our price range, so, we did not get to see it. But, the other tombs that we saw were amazing and significantly more impressive in regards to color preservation than any tomb we saw in the Valley of the Kings.<br />
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We also visited the Temple of Hatshesput. I was really looking forward to visiting this temple as it was different than Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple as these two temples are free standing structures. The Temple of Hatshesput is build into the side of a mountain. The story of Hatshesput is also particularly interesting as she is the only female pharaoh in Egyptian history. She ruled for 18 years before her son took the throne. Her story is fascinating, if you have time, take a quick read on her. I was however, a bit disappointed by this temple. The initial view is magnificent, but, the preservation of the statues and the hieroglyphics was poor. Perhaps, with time, Egyptologists will restore this temple and it will be more appealing. Not everyone held the same opinion as I did, but, it may be because we saw Karnak first. <br />
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On day 4 we took a quick trip to the Luxor Museum which is significantly smaller than the Egyptian Museum but SO much better. This museum has only the best items on display in well spaced and well labeled areas. Also, there are two mummies on display which was fascinating to Princess and Dimples. At the Egyptian Museum, seeing the mummies is an extra cost, one that we have not taken advantage of yet, so, it was nice to see some. While they are pretty much what I expected, I found that they were much shorter than I thought they would be. People really have gotten taller over time. There were some fantastic wooden coffins that were found in 2008 on display which is an example of the treasures that still lay in the deserts of Egypt.<br />
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Other than that, we have spent a lot of time swimming. The kids are little fish and Princess in particular is really turning in to quite the swimmer. She is now swimming without any flotation devices, diving into the pool and searching for rings in the water. Dimples is still very content in the very shallow waters with as much flotation assistance as he can get!<br />
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Our time in Luxor is coming to an end, and with that, a return to Cairo for the remainder of the school year. Enjoy the photos, sorry, no pictures of the Valley of the Kings or Queens as cameras are strictly forbidden.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess at Luxor Temple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our carriage ride on Day 1.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The market that reminded us of Tanzania.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Luxor Traffic Jam.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Future employees of National Geographic tourism books at Luxor Temple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family picture at Luxor Temple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids learning about obelisks from the tour guide at Karnak.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and Dimples exploring Karnak Temple.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karnak Temple from the back.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bishops at the Temple of Hatshesput.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishops and Friends</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue of Hatshesput.</td></tr>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-33129874758725658432013-03-10T11:51:00.003-05:002013-03-10T11:51:28.663-05:00Egypt is a Like Foreign Film...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
As many of you who follow our experience in Egypt are probably aware, there is political turmoil in Egypt again. Again, we had an early dismissal to ensure that all students arrived home in a timely manner (this is usually more to avoid traffic congestion than for safety reasons). Again, people are out in the squares of Cairo and Port Said protesting various decisions made the judges in the Port Said trials after many people lost their lives at a soccer match just over a year ago.<br />
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My students are always very aware of what is happening in Cairo and exclaimed that all the trophies were taken...they tried to set Cairo Tower on fire...or, simply, people are not happy Ms. While they may not always have the facts correct, you have to wonder why people head out in mass numbers.<br />
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One student today made a very interesting statement. I was very pleased because he used a simile to compares Egypt to a foreign film. We just finished our study of literary devices and figurative language, and, whether he knew it or not, gave an excellent example of a simile. He said, <i>`Ms., the culture of Egypt is like a foreign film. There are no subtitles and it is a language that no one understands, not even Egyptians sometimes</i>`. This is often how I feel about the culture, particularly when it comes to protests. I will never understand the motivation to head out because I am not Egyptian, but, it is reassuring to know that even Egyptians do not understand it. <br />
<br />
I must state that even though there are angry protestors out right now, and even though there are people creating havoc in parts of Cairo, our quiet little suburb remains quiet. Right now, I am typing this out by candlelight because the power is out (a fairly regular occurrence), but other than the plane flying overhead and the kids running on the balcony, it remains quiet. <br />
<br />
Keep Egypt in your thoughts as they continue to move towards a functional democracy. Hmm, democracy, that is the next unit to teach in Social Studies, it is probably more relevant than other right now.</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-86065444257357076992013-03-04T09:49:00.001-06:002013-03-04T09:49:11.638-06:00Can't Beat the Weather<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ahh, the beginning of March. Nothing says "Welcome to Spring", quite like the high 20's calling you to the swimming pool. While I could never have fathomed saying that 3 years ago, today, it is a reality for us now.<br />
<br />
We spent this past weekend lounging by the pool, soaking up some sun, and for Hubby, an entertaining round of Texas Scramble Golf with some other teachers from the school. It was a much needed relaxing weekend for the Bishop's. <br />
<br />
The kids thoroughly enjoyed having the chance to play, all day, by the pool. Princess jumped right in and seldom left the cool waters. Dimples enjoyed the kiddie pool just as much as Princess did, "the big pool". It has amazed me to watch them in the water. Princess has picked up the basics of swimming with ease. She has not taken swimming lessons like most children her age (in Egypt, swimming lessons start at 5 years), yet, she swims better than most 4 year old children. Dimples just likes to float, and it is adorable.<br />
<br />
Princess also learned how to use a hula-hoop this weekend which was extremely entertaining to watch. She took the instruction very seriously and would follow the steps exactly as directed to her. She is a very adaptable little one. <br />
<br />
All in all, it was a great time away and a sunny oasis...that was only 10 minutes away. My parents used to take us to a hotel for the weekend when we were younger, and now, as a parent, I understand why. It is such a fun little get away that requires very little planning. It was just what we needed to get us through the rest of March and into Spring Break when we go to visit King Tut.<br />
<br />
School continues to be a very busy place for us, but, school would be boring if we were not busy. Only 2 more weeks of MUN, then, everything slows down...then, with only 2 weeks left until Spring Break, we will be set to enjoy the time off together as a family. But, for now, enjoy our weekend pictures. Notice how much the kiddos are growing!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GvMjjayA_eM/UTTBxf6Di9I/AAAAAAAAAl4/zdrigg1GR54/s1600/DSC01596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GvMjjayA_eM/UTTBxf6Di9I/AAAAAAAAAl4/zdrigg1GR54/s320/DSC01596.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess and the hula-hoop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocking the hoop!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SED_j_lQwlk/UTTB6nLkbQI/AAAAAAAAAmI/TEjINTRngnc/s1600/DSC01620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SED_j_lQwlk/UTTB6nLkbQI/AAAAAAAAAmI/TEjINTRngnc/s320/DSC01620.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jumping into the pool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7Ok9O4MqWU/UTTB7HkwtbI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/pWLMsEP9LCQ/s1600/DSC01624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A7Ok9O4MqWU/UTTB7HkwtbI/AAAAAAAAAmQ/pWLMsEP9LCQ/s320/DSC01624.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flotation device mania!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X2z5pCpBSS8/UTTCBObB5UI/AAAAAAAAAmY/toyMP9EToV8/s1600/DSC01606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X2z5pCpBSS8/UTTCBObB5UI/AAAAAAAAAmY/toyMP9EToV8/s320/DSC01606.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing catch with Daddy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ze0SAPwylS8/UTTCGWj0gVI/AAAAAAAAAmg/tpvh9aw4ETs/s1600/DSC01602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ze0SAPwylS8/UTTCGWj0gVI/AAAAAAAAAmg/tpvh9aw4ETs/s320/DSC01602.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing on the table.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-39154421037526129222013-02-27T10:39:00.003-06:002013-02-27T10:55:03.778-06:00Return to Normalcy??<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I sit here outside on the balcony sipping a cappuccino
and watching the sun set, after a beautiful day, a thought crossed my
mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Is it possible that normalcy will
return to the Bishop household??”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
the Canadian Koshk (the school store that is run by Hubby) now officially open,
and, with only 2 weeks left on the MUN calendar for the year, it seems that
things are indeed returning to normal.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today was the pinnacle of business for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the morning, the Grade 9-12 students that
have been involved with MUN since the beginning of the year hosted a Mock
debate for the Grade 7/8 students that will be participating in their first
debate next week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The debate went on
without a hitch and was an excellent teaching tool for the younger
students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There was an identifiable energy amongst the Grade 7/8
students as they eagerly asked questions about the debate format and
process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The vibe echoed throughout the
school as students in Grade 9 and 10 asked when they can go to an MUN debate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The program is growing quickly and I can only
attribute that to the hours of effort and work my established MUNer’s
have.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is truly remarkable to see how
much the program has grown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the afternoon, Hubby had the ribbon cutting for the school
store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A year of planning and 2 weeks of
a “soft launch”, the store officially opened with special promotions and an
opportunity for parents to come in and see the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The launch was a huge success and many people
happily departed with their stationary needs met.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big seller were the Green Heritage coffee
mugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who knew?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Business Education students were all
dressed up and ready to greet the incoming guests to the store and, with
refreshments available, guests were socializing as they milled about the
store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The store at the school has
become a great learning opportunity for the students in the Business classes as
they help run the store to varying degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are the “employees” and are expected to take in the money, make
change and help the customers find everything they need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A real hands on experience that takes what
they learn in class to a real situation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The life of a teacher is a never ending adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is an adventure that we are happy to take,
especially as we have the ability to impact the lives of the students with such
amazing hands on opportunities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both
the store and MUN are unique changes to interact and work in unique situations
that many schools cannot offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It truly
is a blessing to be a part of such an integral part of the learning experience
these students are having.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With that said, I must return to one of my integral roles in
the house...I have to fix a bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
actually getting very good at repairing the chain on the bikes here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They pop off a little too easily for my
liking, but, living in a part of the world where the kids can ride bikes all
year round, it is also a frequent part of my week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of this school year perhaps I will
be a bike mechanic on the side. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VEWEyfRGIEU/US45lqYd4MI/AAAAAAAAAlA/Zo_OpKbNZPI/s1600/Mock+MUN+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VEWEyfRGIEU/US45lqYd4MI/AAAAAAAAAlA/Zo_OpKbNZPI/s320/Mock+MUN+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intro on what to expect at the Mock MUN.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BcCHhvgJ6Us/US45meoUf9I/AAAAAAAAAlI/Psa6PgDngRs/s1600/Mock+MUN+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BcCHhvgJ6Us/US45meoUf9I/AAAAAAAAAlI/Psa6PgDngRs/s320/Mock+MUN+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for debate!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PFMOpwekN8Y/US46DeoAtDI/AAAAAAAAAlY/DLw9ouI2ccw/s1600/koshk+opening+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PFMOpwekN8Y/US46DeoAtDI/AAAAAAAAAlY/DLw9ouI2ccw/s320/koshk+opening+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Canadian Koshk is officially open!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-66588882469090886642013-02-23T11:49:00.000-06:002013-02-23T11:49:09.449-06:00Busy as a Bee<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Well, my last post was titled, The Winds of Change. This title was more appropriate than originally expected. Both Hubby and I have been incredibly busy with our teaching assignments and our self-inflicted huge projects that are finally coming to fruition.<br />
<br />
About a year and a half ago, Hubby thought it would be a great idea to start a school store that would be made by the students and run for the students. He bounced the idea around with his friends and colleagues, and eventually, he met with administrators and the finally the directors. Everyone loved his idea and he has been feverishly putting together all the details for the store ever since. The store has been running as a soft launch for the past couple weeks and has been remarkably successful. I feel like we spend a lot of time looking at stationery because he has been having difficulty keeping the store full as students come to purchase the items they need to get through their days. As I sit here at the computer, there are boxes of notebooks, and bags of staplers, sticky notes and writing implements. The official launch of the store is this Wednesday. It has been an exciting time for him, his Business Education students and the school as a whole. <br />
<br />
As for me, I have been in the midst of eagerly planning and preparing students for a variety of MUN conferences. I spent Thursday night and all day Friday at a conference with students and the conference continues until Sunday evening. It is so much fun watching the students use all their research in such a meaningful way as they debate with students from around Cairo. My huge undertaking at school has involved growing the MUN program at the school. In the next three weeks, I will be hosting an internal MUN conference with all the students in Grade 7 and 8. We will see how the weeks progress as these students prepare. I have been very impressed by the preparations that have taken place so far.<br />
<br />Dimples and Princess continue to amaze me. They are truly phenomenal young children. Princess is learning so quickly and Dimples is a very interactive little boy. They have been busy at home and school. They enjoy being around each other, playing together and riding their bikes outside. <br />
<br />
So, while this is not the most exciting post, it is an indication as to why I have not written much lately. Our lives are pretty low key right now as we go to school and come home to recharge. Once the store is officially open and all the "bugs" are worked out, and, when all the MUN conferences are finished in mid-March, then, we can unwind and relax.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rCfAQ8O9lYs/USkAPqlBi7I/AAAAAAAAAkQ/mI9bqEQSL98/s1600/DSC01257.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rCfAQ8O9lYs/USkAPqlBi7I/AAAAAAAAAkQ/mI9bqEQSL98/s320/DSC01257.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kids love playing on the deck and pretending to "fix" their bikes and scooters.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_K_bAnrExIg/USkAbm35oKI/AAAAAAAAAkY/ztGPFP21J_4/s1600/DSC01372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_K_bAnrExIg/USkAbm35oKI/AAAAAAAAAkY/ztGPFP21J_4/s320/DSC01372.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby getting set for the school store.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a0nJbTGrA68/USkAe94a4PI/AAAAAAAAAkg/12PoRVztKW8/s1600/DSC01373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a0nJbTGrA68/USkAe94a4PI/AAAAAAAAAkg/12PoRVztKW8/s320/DSC01373.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bulletin Board advertising the school store. The store is called, The Canadian Koshk. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
We are excited about an upcoming trip to Luxor. We have yet to head down to this area of Egypt and are excited to look around some very unique landmarks. <br />
</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-64550924419737814582013-01-04T05:06:00.000-06:002013-01-04T05:06:07.790-06:00Happy New Year!Well, we rang in the New Year in a very unique way this year...yes, we were in bed at midnight, but the activities leading up to that were unique and memorable.<br />
<br />
While we were in the Czech Republic visiting friends, we
stayed at the Conference Center where I worked a lot with kids homes
when we lived there 7 years ago. While we were staying at the Center
this holiday season, our friends were running a Winter Camp for some of
the kids homes in the area. It was a lot of fun to work with the kids
and share a little bit about life in Egypt. The kids got to experience
the Christmas story, open gifts and to celebrate the New Year as well.<br />
<br />
To
celebrate the New Year, pairs of kids got a Chinese Lantern where they
could write down their wishes and hopes for the coming year. Once they
were finished, the lanterns were lit and sent off into the sky. As a
family, we also filled out a Chinese Lantern where we listed our wishes,
hopes and prayers for the New Year. It was a great experience to do
that with our kids (their wishes were small, like Lego) and they mostly
drew pictures and scribbles. As we lit that lantern and sent it off
into the sky, it was like we were letting go of everything that we try
to control in our life and sent it off to the heavens to be taken into
consideration. <br />
<br />
Now we are back in Egypt and getting
ready for a new beginning to teaching and learning. We are happy to be
back in Egypt...it is warm and sunny. Almost everyday that we spent
away in Europe was cloudy, rainy, snowy, and foggy. I missed the
sunshine of Egypt that we get to experience everyday. The warmer
climate is also a HUGE plus. It was nice to walk around in a light
sweater yesterday instead of multiple layers with a scarf, hat and
mitts.<br />
<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r1z87z3Lcoc/UOa2wKBEn5I/AAAAAAAAAjc/NJpMixwFpcA/s1600/DSC01179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r1z87z3Lcoc/UOa2wKBEn5I/AAAAAAAAAjc/NJpMixwFpcA/s1600/DSC01179.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our family lantern. You can see our hopes and wishes written on the lantern.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H8PqFZabAFc/UOa2xMAn4GI/AAAAAAAAAjg/yF5p7neFYH8/s1600/DSC01175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H8PqFZabAFc/UOa2xMAn4GI/AAAAAAAAAjg/yF5p7neFYH8/s1600/DSC01175.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone getting their lanterns lit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-besvobukMyQ/UOa2y7ITJTI/AAAAAAAAAjs/LW2GTbkzA9Y/s1600/DSC01177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-besvobukMyQ/UOa2y7ITJTI/AAAAAAAAAjs/LW2GTbkzA9Y/s1600/DSC01177.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While this picture is a little blurry, you can see the lanterns floating away in the sky.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, my question for you is, what would you have written on your Chinese Lantern? What are your wishes, hopes and prayers? Something to consider as we begin the New Year!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-4036235487663875982012-12-29T12:45:00.002-06:002012-12-29T12:45:31.703-06:00Prague<br />
The Czech Republic is a special place for Hubby and I. It is the place that we met 10 years ago. It is the reason that we are back here for Christmas this year; to remember where our relationship began.<br />
<br />
We have been in Prague for the last three days and while it has been fabulous, it has been hard to fully enjoy because I have been sick. We were able to get around to see most of the sights that one should see when visiting Prague, but, it was more difficult than usual. The kids were great the first day, then yesterday, I could tell they were tired of walking around to look at things, so, we headed back to the hotel to let them play.<br />
<br />
A lot has changed in Prague. Ten years ago when we were here, it had a very different feel. Prague was just starting to hit the map as a place that must be visited and although there were tourists ten years ago, it did not match what we saw this time around. The amount of tourists was impressive. There were people everywhere. The major squares are far more commercialized than they used to be and while it is nice to be able to get a cup of Starbucks or find some clothes at H & M, the commercialism has removed some of the natural charm that we fell in love with 10 years ago. The movement to commercialism is natural when a place becomes as busy as we have seen the Historic Center over the last couple days, but, at what cost? It is not the same because of all the retail, yet, we still enjoyed our time walking around, trying to ignore all the retail.<br />
<br />
Once you get the heart of the Old City, those big chain retailers
disappear and then, the charm starts to return. All the little shops
and restaurants start to appear and the roads begin to narrow. We found
all the beautiful landmarks that are symbolic of Prague and thoroughly
enjoyed walking through the winding roads. Charles Bridge is always a
fabulous place to stop. The bridge itself is magnificent, but the view
is even better.<br />
<br />
All in all, Prague was great. Although
it has changed, it still holds a special place for us. Today, we head
out to Pardubice and Hlinsko where we used to live and work. We will be
visiting friends along the way. It will be a great way to spend the
rest of our winter break!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iylwVO3G4mQ/UN83kJC20LI/AAAAAAAAAiI/yZndBJG7gnE/s1600/DSC00840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iylwVO3G4mQ/UN83kJC20LI/AAAAAAAAAiI/yZndBJG7gnE/s1600/DSC00840.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples and his Christmas tree.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SLszomlb630/UN84AGH3mZI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/6EoRcTDqcTs/s1600/DSC00864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SLszomlb630/UN84AGH3mZI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/6EoRcTDqcTs/s1600/DSC00864.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a break.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S8Cm71gBRSA/UN84ctvrdBI/AAAAAAAAAic/AgFPiR3nxhE/s1600/DSC00861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S8Cm71gBRSA/UN84ctvrdBI/AAAAAAAAAic/AgFPiR3nxhE/s1600/DSC00861.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kiddos loved chasing the pigeons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SlxlbEY4oqk/UN84tXHLCHI/AAAAAAAAAik/-QjD7I1e3kg/s1600/DSC00926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SlxlbEY4oqk/UN84tXHLCHI/AAAAAAAAAik/-QjD7I1e3kg/s1600/DSC00926.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess on Charles Bridge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6szIwc4kPcI/UN85BnG9exI/AAAAAAAAAis/j__8Xk0_JdA/s1600/DSC01002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6szIwc4kPcI/UN85BnG9exI/AAAAAAAAAis/j__8Xk0_JdA/s1600/DSC01002.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trip up to the castle was a little daunting for the kids.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ19qZdUrj4/UN85bCrpqoI/AAAAAAAAAi0/cl_bKAaHulM/s1600/DSC00846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ19qZdUrj4/UN85bCrpqoI/AAAAAAAAAi0/cl_bKAaHulM/s1600/DSC00846.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wencesles Square.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9if8wvSFvGw/UN85q-6DLBI/AAAAAAAAAi8/5XDwvIMdDEA/s1600/DSC00945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9if8wvSFvGw/UN85q-6DLBI/AAAAAAAAAi8/5XDwvIMdDEA/s1600/DSC00945.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby and I on the bridge...where it all began.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-81284894628877821882012-12-23T11:13:00.000-06:002012-12-23T11:13:13.147-06:00Day 4 and 5 - Budapest, Bratislava and the CarYesterday we piled into the car and headed off to Budapest for the day. Since Budapest was only 2 hours away from Bratislava, we decided to take advantage of our proximity and go there. A two hour drive did not seem like that big of a deal and making it into a day trip. We did a similar thing last year when we headed off to Portugal and it was worth it, so, we thought we would try it again.<br />
<br />
It was TOTALLY worth it. Even though our initial impressions were not great, pushy rude Hungarian people and a ridiculous traffic jam about 45 km`s away from Budapest, we were captivated immediately as we left the car at the Citadella. The Citadella provided a great view of Budapest, despite the foggy sky. But, the foggy sky provided a different blessing. The frost on the trees was immaculate and allowed us to take some fabulous photos of the kids in the snow. We visited this Soviet Bunker at the Citadella complete with wax men to give an example of what the various rooms were used for. Some of the pictures were incredibly grotesque, but the image it portrayed of what the area was like during WWII was necessary.<br />
<br />
From the Citadella we ventured into the Historic Center and walked across the well known chain bridge. Walking along the Danube River left us completely exposed to the wind and cold so we made the walk as quickly as we could. The kids were hungry and cold so we were thrilled when we happened upon a cafe that served traditional Hungarian food. We thoroughly enjoyed the Hungarian soup and Goulash Stew...the kids had meals and somehow, the total cost was only 14 Euros. I am certain that there was a calculation error, but, I am not complaining in the least. It was delicious and exactly what we were looking for. There is nothing like a good goulash to warm you up on a cold day. <br />
<br />
After having lunch we had a fabulous time exploring Historic Budapest. Dimples did a fabulous job walking just about everywhere we went. We probably walked a good 10 km throughout the day and both kids did most of it on their own. We were slightly disappointed when we arrived at the Basilica, a major landmark in Budapest. Not only was it closed for the day (at 2 PM on a Saturday), but, almost half of it was covered in scaffolding. While I understand the importance of maintaining a historic landmark, it was disappointing nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Overall, Budapest was a fantastic day trip, but, I wish that we could have had more time there. There was still a lot that we did not see. So, Budapest is on the list for a more lengthy stay next time around (when that will be, I have NO idea).<br />
<br />
Today we woke up to snow. Snow was flying around everywhere and it was all over the ground. Princess and Dimples were ecstatic, even though he thought that it was raining. Princess wanted to make snow angles and snowmen, but, there was not enough snow. So, instead of touring around Bratislava for the morning, we picked up a friend and enjoyed some delicious coffee and snacks before beginning our drive to Prague. I am glad that we made that choice because it took us much longer to get to Prague because of the weather than it should have.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-8WXqIL2fY/UNc5hA6aE-I/AAAAAAAAAg0/HAAwc5S4IU4/s1600/DSC00553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-s-8WXqIL2fY/UNc5hA6aE-I/AAAAAAAAAg0/HAAwc5S4IU4/s1600/DSC00553.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful frost makes a beautiful background for beautiful kids.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w2CDKFkb0cA/UNc5vhoXx_I/AAAAAAAAAhA/E-C-orAwu4Y/s1600/DSC00557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w2CDKFkb0cA/UNc5vhoXx_I/AAAAAAAAAhA/E-C-orAwu4Y/s1600/DSC00557.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and Dimples.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1SkXS1ALcg/UNc56QTFYNI/AAAAAAAAAhI/QYQPa60Onu8/s1600/DSC00593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X1SkXS1ALcg/UNc56QTFYNI/AAAAAAAAAhI/QYQPa60Onu8/s1600/DSC00593.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! Snow!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AHGFfWhXneo/UNc6MIGmY7I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/GmfaeK9Y4-E/s1600/DSC00621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AHGFfWhXneo/UNc6MIGmY7I/AAAAAAAAAhQ/GmfaeK9Y4-E/s1600/DSC00621.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples at the Citadella.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bo8USWmW15U/UNc6a3YCcSI/AAAAAAAAAhY/NNXWrwVoorc/s1600/DSC00639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bo8USWmW15U/UNc6a3YCcSI/AAAAAAAAAhY/NNXWrwVoorc/s1600/DSC00639.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess in the Soviet Bunker.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fnqZKX8OAmg/UNc6paV70aI/AAAAAAAAAhg/nstwRWlS2fM/s1600/DSC00697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fnqZKX8OAmg/UNc6paV70aI/AAAAAAAAAhg/nstwRWlS2fM/s1600/DSC00697.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick picture by the bridge.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ooVFDL2Too/UNc62pBeliI/AAAAAAAAAho/HcxE8CIIhyA/s1600/DSC00772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8ooVFDL2Too/UNc62pBeliI/AAAAAAAAAho/HcxE8CIIhyA/s1600/DSC00772.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So proud of my big boy that walked just as much as the rest of us!</td></tr>
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So now, we are settling into our third hotel this week. We will be staying in Prague for 3 days and then off to Pardubice and Hlinsko where we met 10 years ago. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-27508127688239005592012-12-22T00:17:00.005-06:002012-12-22T00:17:50.346-06:00Cappuccino and a FeverOur third day of vacation did not go as planned...at all. Our plan was to check out of hotel in Vienna and drive into the Historic Center to walk around, take some pictures and check out many of the cute shops in the area.<br />
<br />
When we woke up in the morning Princess was not feeling very well. I took her temperature and she had a fever. I had packed a first aid kit for our trip which I always do, but, this time I forgot some of the kids medicine. All Princess wanted to do was sleep, but, we had to check out of the hotel. So, we loaded up the car and headed into the Historic Center as planned. When we drove into the area, finding parking was next to impossible. When we finally found a spot, we had no idea where to pay for parking as there were no meters. There were no clear signs as to how much parking was or, if you even had to pay. So we started asking around and no one seemed to know. Finally, someone said that we needed to pay for the parking in a tobacco shop. Who knew! <br />
<br />
Immediately after getting out of the car, Princess indicated that she
really was not interested in walking around...at all. We went into a
McDonald's, ordered some food and a cappuccino. Upon completing their
food, Dimples and Daddy went out and explored the Historic Center while
Princess slept on my lap and I read a book. Although I wish that I
could have walked around, I was not upset to have a chance to sit and
read a book in a "McCafe". Before I had kids, I loved to sit in cafes
and do school work or read. It was a flashback, except this time,
Princess was laying on my lap and had a good rest.<br />
<br />
Dimples
and Daddy returned from a fun time of walking around and checking out
the Christmas decorations. Dimples was very photogenic for the day and
wanted his picture taken in front of all the Christmas trees. Then,
just as they returned to get Princess and I, it started to snow. It has
been 2 years since we have seen snow fall. It was beautiful.<br />
<br />
We
piled back into the car and drove to Bratislava. There is a big
difference between Vienna and Bratislava, but, Bratislava has a special
charm that we have yet to explore. If our hotel is any indication, our
time in Bratislava will be very unique.<br />
<br />
Today, we are
off to Budapest for the day. It certainly is nice to be so close to so
many interesting cities! Princess no longer has a fever, so she seems
to have a lot more energy for today's adventure!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ls_KpNPhmMI/UNVPzRaS7yI/AAAAAAAAAf0/osHSTzu2IzU/s1600/DSC00471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ls_KpNPhmMI/UNVPzRaS7yI/AAAAAAAAAf0/osHSTzu2IzU/s1600/DSC00471.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and Dimples in the Center.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVp1D1e5ECs/UNVP27zDTrI/AAAAAAAAAf8/3S6MxHeX4g0/s1600/DSC00485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GVp1D1e5ECs/UNVP27zDTrI/AAAAAAAAAf8/3S6MxHeX4g0/s1600/DSC00485.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples and Princess in the McCafe.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ajj7HJXDKSQ/UNVP7294Y9I/AAAAAAAAAgE/4UMSLiketcU/s1600/DSC00491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ajj7HJXDKSQ/UNVP7294Y9I/AAAAAAAAAgE/4UMSLiketcU/s1600/DSC00491.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tried to get her to smile...she just was not feeling well.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a4P5MpbHGy0/UNVQBX46S1I/AAAAAAAAAgM/cxFy8x4n6X0/s1600/DSC00473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a4P5MpbHGy0/UNVQBX46S1I/AAAAAAAAAgM/cxFy8x4n6X0/s1600/DSC00473.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He had a great time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f05zdvN2sH0/UNVQI0u-4SI/AAAAAAAAAgU/zRt12SinO2U/s1600/DSC00529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f05zdvN2sH0/UNVQI0u-4SI/AAAAAAAAAgU/zRt12SinO2U/s1600/DSC00529.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the early evening, Princess was feeling much better!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-50686617414723123852012-12-21T00:39:00.002-06:002012-12-21T00:39:58.727-06:00Pandas, Koalas and Penguins...oh my!Day 2 of our holiday turned out to be a lot of fun for all four of us. We had heard about this amazing zoo in Vienna that was on the grounds of a palace that had a "Winter Pass" to increase traffic in the various attractions housed in the area. The hotel front desk recommended taking the subway to the palace so that is exactly what we did. And what an adventure that was for Dimples. He loves all modes of transportation, so, with this being his first adventure on a subway, he was all smiles. The trip on the subway was very efficient and smooth and even though we had to make a transfer to a different line, we made it there with no difficulties whatsoever. <br />
<br />When we got off at the zoo stop, we found a cute little bakery to have breakfast. Oh my. It was delicious. Aside from schnitzel which Austria is well known for, they are also known for strudel...so, naturally, we had to have some strudel. It was delicious. We also quickly devoured a delicious fresh mozzarella and tomato sandwich. It is amazing how much you miss simple things like, fresh mozzarella.<br />
<br />
We then made our way to the zoo. We fully expected to have to pay something for the kids to get in, but, they were free which made the beginning of our trip even better because we saved nearly 25 Euros. When we first entered the zoo, we were not super thrilled. The koala house was not open, the Panda house was in the process of being cleaned out, and we could only see the panda from a great distance. But then, we decided to go back and try the koala house again and had a phenomenal time just watching the koalas. Since almost all the animal exhibits were inside, we would walk outside for 2-3 minutes, then go inside to visit whatever creature was waiting for us. The longer we stayed, the better the zoo became and I can now state that this is definitely one of the best zoos I have ever visited. The habitats look very natural and are very large in comparison to other zoos I have been to. The animals were well fed (especially the anaconda we watched eat a rabbit). Both hubby and I were startled at various times. As we entered the Giraffe House we certainly did not expect to see large birds. For those that know me very well, birds and I are not the best of friends, even the little ones. So, when we walked into the Giraffe House, I look to the left as a very large bird is attacking one of the logs in the exhibit. Then, here was this one exhibit with frosted glass and only a couple of clear spaces for a person to look through. Hubby took a look in and saw a familiar large and ugly bird, the Maribou Stork. When we were in Tanzania, we saw these birds all over the islands. They are scavengers and would help clean up the fish remains. Anyway, Hubby was looking in and the bird launched its head towards the glass and its beak hit the glass. Hubby bounced backward laughing at how startled he was. <br />
<br />
The kids both had a great time at very different animal houses. Dimples really liked the aquarium, Princess liked the seals and the penguins, but, both kids really enjoyed the elephants. When we were in the elephant exhibit we met another young couple with a child the same age as Dimples and they started to play together. To our surprise the couple work in Saudi Arabia. So, we had a very interesting discussion about life in the Middle East and the similarities and differences between Egypt and Saudi. Due to this unexpected visit and play time, we stayed in the Elephant House for almost an hour. Once we left, we smelled like the Elephant House and could not get the smell off our clothes. Oh well, it was a reminder of our day.<br />
<br />
In connection with the Winter Pass, we also went to see the Schonbrunn Palace. This Palace was the home of many monarchs during the reign of the Hapsburg`s. The palace was very ornate and the history of the palace and the people that lived there was truly fascinating. Each room had a very specific decor and many of the rooms housed very important visitors. In one room, Mozart played his first concert at the age of 6 and in another US President Kennedy met with Soviet President Khrushchev. In another room they discussed the children of Marie Teresa and Emperor Franz Joseph...very well know Marie Antoinette who was eventually married to King Louis XVI of France, who eventually was executed by guillotine. It was definitely and interesting tour. Princess enjoyed the ornate rooms and Dimples could have cared less. There was a fabulous Christmas market outside the palace that we enjoyed some hot chocolate and delicious local cuisine.<br />
<br />
The kids were getting sleepy so we headed back to the subway. Dimples fell asleep on the way. It was a great day. Next up, we will be visiting the Historic Center of Vienna and then traveling to Bratislava. Enjoy the pictures!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LOhlqXDE__g/UNQAAOAtj-I/AAAAAAAAAeM/DVMDeGMnyQw/s1600/DSC00150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LOhlqXDE__g/UNQAAOAtj-I/AAAAAAAAAeM/DVMDeGMnyQw/s1600/DSC00150.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a stroll through the streets of Vienna.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LWugVsS4Pzo/UNQAZb0f17I/AAAAAAAAAeU/Fx63ew4TtUI/s1600/DSC00190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LWugVsS4Pzo/UNQAZb0f17I/AAAAAAAAAeU/Fx63ew4TtUI/s1600/DSC00190.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Koala.</td></tr>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7oVDDpw0YYE/UNQAx-07tOI/AAAAAAAAAec/yUKDRoj637g/s1600/DSC00228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7oVDDpw0YYE/UNQAx-07tOI/AAAAAAAAAec/yUKDRoj637g/s1600/DSC00228.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples loved the stingrays.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ywXD6IPtRcY/UNQBPPaStLI/AAAAAAAAAek/8acwOt16A68/s1600/DSC00253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ywXD6IPtRcY/UNQBPPaStLI/AAAAAAAAAek/8acwOt16A68/s1600/DSC00253.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panda Bear.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3m91obqUUiY/UNQBwa4ATFI/AAAAAAAAAes/DyOeT5F7RdE/s1600/DSC00381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3m91obqUUiY/UNQBwa4ATFI/AAAAAAAAAes/DyOeT5F7RdE/s1600/DSC00381.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can`t see it, but, they were sitting on an elephant sculpture.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples was very sleepy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess and the Palace.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the palace.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hubby and the Stork...</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-45644184590275019952012-12-20T00:36:00.001-06:002012-12-20T00:36:13.555-06:00Day 1Traveling with kids is always an adventure. I think I should create a list for others that travel internationally with kids as often as we do. I think I finally have it down to a science.<br />
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Our journey began at 11:30 AM, December 19th, when our driver came to pick us up from home. We packed lighter than usual, only 3 suitcases and some carry on bags. One thing that I have learned about traveling with little ones is that you want as little as possible to have to carry. We assigned baggage to one another due to our history of leaving things behind when we fly. Snacks were packed, warm winter clothes were on standby in a backpack and we piled into the car. <br />
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The driver had been back and forth to the airport multiple times already and warned us that the road was really "bad" on the way to the airport. By this he meant that there was a major traffic jam somewhere along the way. I settled into the uncomfortable squishy backseat not looking forward to a 2 hour journey to the airport. Thankfully, whatever the problem was earlier had cleared up and we got to the airport in good time. Once we arrived at the correct terminal, we quickly passed through check-in, customs and security. Everything was moving along really smoothly...I wasn't sure if I should be ecstatic or concerned.<br />
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We had missed the lunch hour while we were driving to the airport so we went to the food court and discovered a play structure for the kids to entertain themselves. I am always a HUGE fan of airports having play structures. It keeps the kids distracted instead of being bored while waiting to board a plane. We quickly ate some lunch and Hubby went for a quick walk where he ran into another teacher from the school who just happened to be on the same flight. You would think that we would have come to that realization sooner, but, since she carried on to Geneva, we would have never thought to ask if she was traveling through Vienna. Having her around was a great way to pass the time as we debriefed from the past couple of weeks of teaching. Eventually, it was time to board the plane. We collected our assigned baggage and our kiddos and ventured onto the plane. By this time, Princess had made friends with some other kids during her time at the play structure and these same kids were on our flight as well.<br />
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This was the first time that we flew Austrian Airlines. At first I was fairly impressed. Within a short time of being seated, they brought the kids a deck of cards and a coloring book with crayons. This to me is always a good sign. The good that was delivered for the kids was also great. It was not chicken fingers and french fries which the children's meal on planes always seems to be. The airline service took a significant decline after getting the food out though. They took forever to clean up the food trays and then, were not seen again until we landed; even when ringing the flight attendant button, no one would come. <br />
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We were not granted the luxury of deplaning directly inside. Instead, we deplaned directly onto the tarmac. I was hoping to delay the welcome into the cold weather a little longer, but, we bundled the kids up and ventured out. It was not too bad, approximately 4 degrees Celsius. Again, we quickly passed through customs, acquired our bags quickly and soon discovered that our car rental was upgraded from a Ford to a Mercedes. No complaints on our end. We loaded up the car, secured the car seats and loaded up the GPS. After getting lost because the GPS was on simulation mode, and a more than complicated routing because of the GPS, we did eventually make it to our hotel and we were exhausted. The flight was just under 4 hours, but, were traveling for almost 10 hours by the time we made it to the hotel. The kids fell asleep in the car and stayed asleep while we carried them upstairs to our room.<br />
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Since the kids were sleeping this morning, Dimples was confused when he woke up and he LEFT the hotel room to find me! Hubby thought that he had gone to the bathroom until he heard some crying, so he went to check it out. Sure enough, Dimples was down the hall resisting daddy bringing him back to the room because he was convinced that I was in another room. Poor guy. Needless to say, I think he understands now, but, we will be putting suitcase or something in front of the door tonight in the event he decides to venture out again!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PGG65eoWxJ0/UNKwSHL6JuI/AAAAAAAAAdI/9kBiwzc8Fu0/s1600/SAM_1475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PGG65eoWxJ0/UNKwSHL6JuI/AAAAAAAAAdI/9kBiwzc8Fu0/s1600/SAM_1475.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play Structures are great at airports!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd5Abgi49FI/UNKwe4DACPI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/AY_phXzo0vk/s1600/SAM_1480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wd5Abgi49FI/UNKwe4DACPI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/AY_phXzo0vk/s1600/SAM_1480.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little bubble dome worried me every time he climbed in it. There were supposed to be 6 screws holding the dome in place, but, there were only three, most of which were on the top. Thankfully, nothing bad happened and he had a great time playing in the bubble.</td></tr>
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So, today marks the official first day of exploration. We are planning to take the metro to a palace and a zoo. Should be a lot of fun! It does amaze me however, that it is 7:30 AM now, and not a glimmer of sunshine to be seen yet. I guess I am spoiled by the sun coming up as early as it does in Egypt!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-49369446807722218312012-12-18T05:53:00.003-06:002012-12-18T05:53:27.156-06:00Hello Holidays!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Yesterday was the last day of classes. The Holiday Celebration was well planned and was a success. While the Celebration rang through the hallways and the Atrium, the cleaning staff devoted themselves to their prayers. Last year around this time I wrote about how I was surprised to see Merry Christmas signage throughout the stores and malls. Living in a predominantly Muslim country, it really was the last thing I expected to see. This year, I expected it, but, it still had me thinking about why the Holiday terminology is so heavily debated in North America. It still rattles around in my head from time to time. <br />
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Princess had her school performance debut yesterday. She was a part of the JK and SK choir that sang their rendition of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". The whole group (around 80 kids) climbed onto the stage wearing antler hats with red noses and took their place. The music started and, I have to say, that it was really cute. Not quite as cute as the Nursery Graduation from last year, but, this was pretty close. Princess performed all her actions, on time and sang nice and loud for all to hear. It is amazing that the elementary music teacher was able to coordinate 80 kids, with actions and music. That would be a challenge for me...give me a group of 20 grade 7's any day over that.<br />
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It is nice to not have to worry about work for 3 weeks...well, in an official sense I guess. I just found out that I will be teaching an additional math class starting in February. This news was a major curve-ball, but, I will put together some interesting lessons in time for the course to start. I am thankful that they asked before the holiday so that I can prepare to teach Grade 10 math. It beats last year when I found out only days before school started that I would teach Grade 8 and 9 math. I am looking forward to teaching the class...but, I lose a prep to teach it, so hopefully, it will not overwhelm my already really busy schedule.<br />
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With a 3 week holiday that has now only just begun, we are greatly anticipating our winter travels. I am dreading knowing that we are going somewhere that is much colder than here. I am already cold with the climate that we are in. We are packing all of our warmest weather gear (that we have) in hopes that it will be enough. A couple weeks ago we went out in search of winter hats and gloves and were successful overall. Here's hoping that it will be enough. Otherwise, we will be making some quick purchases when we first land in Vienna.<br />
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Our itinerary has us traveling to Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and all around the Czech Republic. We are really looking forward to it and will keep the blog updated as much as possible during our travels. Until then, enjoy these pictures from the Celebration yesterday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06ODOzrQ7bI/UNBXOcYqWAI/AAAAAAAAAb8/dNyHOvKzQXc/s1600/DSC00063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-06ODOzrQ7bI/UNBXOcYqWAI/AAAAAAAAAb8/dNyHOvKzQXc/s320/DSC00063.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful sunrise from our balcony yesterday.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples checking out the sunrise.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_r8dEXWWkxk/UNBXpB3MaoI/AAAAAAAAAcM/33Zp5T64alg/s1600/DSC00141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_r8dEXWWkxk/UNBXpB3MaoI/AAAAAAAAAcM/33Zp5T64alg/s320/DSC00141.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess entering the performance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cuEGKpHE1P0/UNBX4JBLt0I/AAAAAAAAAcU/4OjlTlbI1AA/s1600/DSC00142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cuEGKpHE1P0/UNBX4JBLt0I/AAAAAAAAAcU/4OjlTlbI1AA/s320/DSC00142.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to sing!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YnQeWauEvOE/UNBYFKngICI/AAAAAAAAAcc/6NCxGJLwJpQ/s1600/DSC00144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YnQeWauEvOE/UNBYFKngICI/AAAAAAAAAcc/6NCxGJLwJpQ/s320/DSC00144.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was excited to perform.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EfroUSTmUNs/UNBYSqEfaNI/AAAAAAAAAck/gR4nblOHd84/s1600/DSC00145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EfroUSTmUNs/UNBYSqEfaNI/AAAAAAAAAck/gR4nblOHd84/s320/DSC00145.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still waiting...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fbnnaaxs9O4/UNBYlBWstpI/AAAAAAAAAcs/m-vij_P1syo/s1600/DSC00139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fbnnaaxs9O4/UNBYlBWstpI/AAAAAAAAAcs/m-vij_P1syo/s320/DSC00139.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It took quite awhile to get the 80 some kiddos ready to go!</td></tr>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-43344228936721415282012-12-14T01:30:00.002-06:002012-12-14T01:30:20.774-06:00A Typical Friday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is the Friday before Christmas Holiday when all through the house, not a creature was stirring...wait, that is where it ends for us. <br />
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There is always constant excitement at our house. While Hubby let me sleep in this morning (a wonderfully rare occurrence for either of us). When I got up I found art projects all around, a Cairo style traffic jam on the floor and the math cards all over the floor. The Christmas tree was twinkling and then, Princess showed me her homework. This is a pretty typical Friday morning for us.<br />
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Friday is our Saturday. It is the first day of the weekend and we tend to take it very easy on Friday's. Often, we will walk to the school and get some extra work done. The kids love being in our classrooms, especially Princess who plays teacher. She will write all over the board giving a lesson and then sit down at a desk and do her "check marks" (which is her way of saying marking). Recently she has been saying that she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. This is not surprising to us, but it is cute when she adds, "but not those big kids that you teach. I am going to teach little kids...like Kindergarten kids". She has chosen her teaching stream already!<br />
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With the holiday quickly approaching, there is little time to clean up the classroom and get the final marking done before the holiday (silly me made a final project due on the last day of class...what was I thinking??) But, if it does not get done before the holiday, it will still be there when I get back. <br />
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One interesting thing that is happening this weekend is that the Egyptian people will vote in a Referendum for the draft of the Constitution. This is a significant time in the lives of the Egyptian people and my hope is that they all go out and vote! Many are planning to boycott, but, if they boycott, their vote would have been "no". They need their "no's" to ring clearly for it to be a relevant Referendum. Anyway, I have decided not to blog about political issues and therefore, that is the end of my message. VOTE! It is the only way your voice will be heard. (That goes for people everywhere).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JBY937Y0BuA/UMrUe3sNSZI/AAAAAAAAAbM/kcs4mtVsd_4/s1600/Scan0009_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JBY937Y0BuA/UMrUe3sNSZI/AAAAAAAAAbM/kcs4mtVsd_4/s1600/Scan0009_0001.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Princess's Arabic Homework. I cannot help her with it, or tell her if it is correct. But, she is very confident that it is right. She had to match the letter on the left with the image on the right. The letter on the left matches the first letter of the image. This type of work makes me very proud of my little girl. Learning a new language is tough!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is an image daddy drew for Princess. It is a picture of our school. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of Princess's English homework. </td></tr>
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So, that brings to an end, our week in a nutshell. I am including some pictures of the kiddos from the morning. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-23101963609909367062012-12-07T13:22:00.003-06:002012-12-07T13:22:41.213-06:00Has it Been That Long??Wow! I cannot believe that I have not written on this blog in such a long time. This school year has been very busy and so much has been happening, I just have been running out of time to write! Well, here's hoping that this is the start of regular Friday blogging again.<br />
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I have to admit that I imagined this year in Egypt to be going differently than it has. Having taught Grade 7 last year, and, having taught 2 out of the 3 classes I am teaching this year, I expected to have less planning to do. In a way, it is true that I have less actual planning to do. But, since I decided to take over as the Director of the Model UN program at the school, that is where things have been keeping me on my toes.<br />
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Directing such an amazing enrichment program at the school has been overwhelming, fun, interesting and educational. I have learned a lot about what is happening in the world today through the research I have had the chance to do to help the students out. I was blessed with the opportunity to take 4 students to Jordan for 5 days for a conference and, while we were there, got to explore the amazing beauty of Petra. The only thing that would have made that experience better would have been to have hubby and the kiddos with me. Those 5 days were challenging because they were long days and I missed my family. It was the first time I had been away from them. But, we all made it through and now Princess pretends to go on trips. Whenever she pretends to go on trips, her destination is always to Jordan. It is cute. The program has nearly tripled in size since the beginning of the year and I am looking forward to taking students to 3 more local conferences in 2013.<br />
<br />
We had a holiday in October for 5 days as the Egyptian people celebrated EID. Last year, I wrote a lengthy post about the reason for the celebration. This year, we rented a car for the holiday instead of going away and ventured around on our own. We got terribly lost on our way to the Step Pyramid in Sakkara one day and drove down this small road through a small village suburb of Cairo. The celebration of Eid does not pass without the slaughter of some kind of animal and this street we drove on was slaughter central. Every couple of feet there was a man killing a cow, lamb or goat. We even saw a car in front of us with a goat in the trunk...unsure if it was dead or alive. People were everywhere trying to get the best animal and watch the slaughter. There were a lot of flies and it looked really unsanitary, but, it was fascinating nonetheless. Sorry, no pictures, the camera was in the trunk and we were not about to stop and get out in the midst of all the...excitement.<br />
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Of course, the most current and relevant part of our life is that Egypt continues to be politically unstable and people are protesting more regularly this year than last. I have had very interesting conversations with students about the current events and protests. They have different perspectives on the situation. But, just as I stated last year on the blog, we have not felt unsafe where we are. The protests continue far away from our home and we are regularly monitoring the news on television. We had one day where the school closed for precautionary reasons, but, other than that, life has continued as normal. It is certainly interesting living in the midst of such turmoil, even though we are not experiencing it directly.<br />
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The kids are definitely demonstrating changes though. We receive daily comments about how well Dimples is speaking Arabic and Princess is doing well in her classes at school. Her Arabic teacher commented on how well she is doing considering she has no one at home to practice with. It will be interesting to see how well they do learn Arabic while we are here, and then, how long it will stay with them once we leave. It truly is a difficult language and I hope it benefits them in their future. They are both growing very quickly and it seems like they are bigger every morning. Princess has made some really good friends at school and it is fun to watch her interact with them on a daily basis. One of her friends had a bike which Princess quickly figured out how to ride. This led to the purchase of 2 bikes...one for Princess and one for Dimples. They both love to ride around on our large balcony outside.<br />
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Last year, we decided not to decorate a tree for Christmas because we spent our holiday in Spain and Portugal. Since we had no snow in Cairo in the weeks leading up to Christmas, it never really felt like Christmas for us. Even when we were in Spain. So, this year, we decided to buy a tree and decorate it with red and gold, just as we would if we were in Canada. With the twinkling lights on the tree, it feels like the Christmas season this year. The kids had a fantastic time decorating the tree too. It is the first light to go on in the morning when they wake up.<br />
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We are looking forward to our Christmas holiday. We are blessed to receive 3 weeks off from school in December and are really anticipating our journey to Austria, Hungary and Czech Republic. For those of you that know us well, the Czech Republic has a special place in our hearts and we will be returning there for the first time since 2005. We look forward to reconnecting with some friends that we miss, but, I am not sure if I am looking forward to the snow and some colder weather. I will definitely be writing about our winter escapades though. I am really curious as to how the kids will do with the weather change!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uVOzZ08jcio/UMI9TkwwJgI/AAAAAAAAAZc/Eo9oOA_eCQs/s1600/DSC09488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uVOzZ08jcio/UMI9TkwwJgI/AAAAAAAAAZc/Eo9oOA_eCQs/s1600/DSC09488.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing some old rocks at Petra, Jordan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIG1VHu6ERA/UMI9mrKNv8I/AAAAAAAAAZk/1MA2w_GlvRA/s1600/DSC09363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BIG1VHu6ERA/UMI9mrKNv8I/AAAAAAAAAZk/1MA2w_GlvRA/s1600/DSC09363.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess showing off her new bike.</td></tr>
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<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kzy5BQjrAwo/UMI992ouDFI/AAAAAAAAAZs/aN4PyHMy0-w/s1600/DSC09762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kzy5BQjrAwo/UMI992ouDFI/AAAAAAAAAZs/aN4PyHMy0-w/s1600/DSC09762.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick picture on our day trip to Zamalek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs0jDaPqP7E/UMI-RGYNPqI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/cY2twkbjdaw/s1600/DSC09772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xs0jDaPqP7E/UMI-RGYNPqI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/cY2twkbjdaw/s1600/DSC09772.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family picture from Cairo Tower.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SbzMwKjt-t8/UMI-jq1kSDI/AAAAAAAAAaA/LxjiCAkQ0OE/s1600/DSC00017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SbzMwKjt-t8/UMI-jq1kSDI/AAAAAAAAAaA/LxjiCAkQ0OE/s1600/DSC00017.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Merry Christmas from the Bishops!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8aEtNN4mtXU/UMI-wjsjc3I/AAAAAAAAAaI/D7_DpVyHJ08/s1600/DSC09991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8aEtNN4mtXU/UMI-wjsjc3I/AAAAAAAAAaI/D7_DpVyHJ08/s1600/DSC09991.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples quite enjoyed the garland.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oBD_2wBKOJU/UMI_Hji6YNI/AAAAAAAAAaU/0W-xlmzuSEs/s1600/DSC09995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oBD_2wBKOJU/UMI_Hji6YNI/AAAAAAAAAaU/0W-xlmzuSEs/s1600/DSC09995.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess pretending to be Rudolph.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Well, how is that for a quick summary of a couple months? So much has happened it really is difficult to condense it. If time permits, I will write more regularly in the coming weeks. Thanks for following us!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-39660225438022168842012-09-21T06:33:00.000-05:002012-09-21T06:33:06.132-05:00The Last Couple of Weeks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
A lot has been happening here in Egypt over the past couple
weeks for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>School started, Princess
had her first day of JK (KG1 – or Junior Kindergarten), Dimples returned to the
nursery and Hubby and I had the pleasure of meeting our classes again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The weeks of preparation for classes to start came and went
very quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year, there was not
enough time in the world for me to prepare for the first day of teaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year, I was ready days in advance and
could not wait to meet the kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first
days of parent meetings and the first day with the kids were everything I had
pictured that they would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But, nothing could prepare me for the first day of class for
Princess.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were concerned that our
little girl who has refused to wear pants since she was 18 months old would put
up a huge fight about having to wear the uniform pants and polo shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That proved to not be very difficult at
all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taking her to her class on the
first day, I got all weepy eyed and emotional as I delivered her to the JK
class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though we teach in the same
building, it was still very emotional to drop her off with her teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never had this difficulty at the
nursery...there is just something about taking your kid to Kindergarten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It made me think of how quickly the time has
flown by since she was born.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully
for me, she walked right into her class, sat at a table that was set up with a
picture and markers to color with and that was that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the first day of classes, we have discovered that she
LOVES her music class and that she is always the first to start the songs and
dances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have found out that she DOES
NOT CARE for Phys-Ed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is
particularly disturbing for me, who has a Kinesiology degree and spent my life
on a court or field of some kind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
since discovered that it is because her PE teacher speaks Arabic and she does
not understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that we have that
dealt with, PE has been more enjoyable for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She proudly shows us her work for the day and she is picking up on
rhyming schemes and is able to read very simple stories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Dimples carries on with his day as usual.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing has changed for him since last
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He still has the same teacher, but
there are new kids in his class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hear
reports that he is very reliable and compliant and works well with others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The staff is excited when he opts to speak
words in Arabic, even though the classes are taught in English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess they like that he is picking up on
their language.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are thrilled to hear
that he is starting to pick up on Arabic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He probably knows more than we do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When we took Dimples to nursery this year, there was
confusion as to which class he would be in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They wanted him to be in a Nursery class which would mean that he would
graduate from the Nursery this year and begin JK next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were shocked that this would even be a
suggestion!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is far too young to be
preparing to go to JK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Princess is 4, JK
seems reasonable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dimples would have
been set to start JK at 3 and Kindergarten at barely 4 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is much too early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, we convinced them to keep him in the
Toddler program and he is thriving there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We did not see a need to rush him along into formal schooling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nursery is still primarily based on play.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am sure by now that you have heard much about the dismay
of the Arab world over the past week or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have opted not to publish my personal comments or opinions, but,
please know that our daily life has been uninterrupted by these events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we did not have television to watch the
news, we may have never known about these events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, that is a little update from our part of the
world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope to keep the blog updated
more frequently in the coming weeks as the excitement from the first couple
weeks is now winding down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I will add pictures on the next post, the one of Princess on her first day of school is priceless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-16828926268104943432012-09-05T13:41:00.004-05:002012-09-05T13:41:58.096-05:00Swim Like A Fish<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wrote this post a couple days ago, but, am delayed in actually publishing it. <br />
<br />
To celebrate the Labor Day weekend here in Cairo, we opted to spend the weekend at a hotel near the pyramids. For those of you that have followed our blog, this is a semi-frequent occurrence for us. We enjoy the change of scenery and the time away from our "responsibilities" around the house.<br />
<br />
We decided to stay at a different hotel this time around and were farther away from the pyramids than we would have liked. The last hotel we stayed at was right across the street from them. There is something about those massive ancient structures that amaze me every single time I see them. We have driven past and admired them frequently during our time here and they never cease to amaze me. They are truly a perplexing part of history.<br />
<br />
With all that aside, living in Egypt with a very warm, arid climate has its perks at this time of year. When the temperature would be starting to drop at home in Canada, the temperature becomes bearable here. Swimming outside in September is not an unusual thing to do. In fact, it was pretty glorious. The kiddos spent endless hours paddling away in the pool. Princess mastered how to use a snorkel this weekend, which absolutely astounded me because I still struggle with a snorkel. She stuck that snorkel in her mouth, planted her face in the water and paddled her way around the massive pool, end to end, repeatedly. I was impressed.<br />
<br />
Dimples also improved his swimming skills by finally venturing out in the water on his own...with his water wings on. He realized that they do indeed keep him afloat and he mastered the concept of keeping his chin up. He had a blast being lifted out of the water and being thrown in the air, a safe distance away into mommy`s arms. He did not mind going under water and always surfaced with the most adorable, dimpled smile.<br />
<br />
It was a magnificent way to spend 2 days. It was also a spectacular way to distract my mind that has been racing a million miles a minute with new teaching ideas and lesson plans. I did not have my computer or teaching materials with me on the weekend so it was truly an excellent way to unwind from the rigors of preparing for the beginning of the school year. I feel completely prepared and am excited to have students in my room again on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
What really got me excited was when I saw two students that I taught EAL to last year sitting on the floor outside one of the offices. They were waiting to rewrite some exams. I sat down with them, chatted about their summers and helped them study for their exam. Sitting and helping them study really got me in the mood to teach. I am ready...even though I have the nervous/anxious/excited butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.<br />
<br />
I just cannot wait! But, wait I will...I have no choice. First up, parent orientation days. Tomorrow, we get to be a parent at the orientation as Princess will begin JK this year. Then, on Tuesday, it is meet the parents day for the high school...this is where Hubby and I will shine as we meet the parents of our students and let them know what they can expect. It is one of the most important days of the school year and I cannot wait!<br />
<br />
On another note, my super amazingly awesome grandparents celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this past weekend. The whole family got together to celebrate and we really wished we could have been there. It is truly an amazing testament to the power of love and commitment when you see a couple together for 60 years! Happy Anniversary Grandma and Grandpa!<br />
<br />
That's all for now... Tomorrow I will write about the first two days of school...all I will say now is that they were pretty fantastic!</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-49498242202965520262012-08-23T00:42:00.001-05:002012-08-23T00:42:11.896-05:00Beach and Sun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A couple days ago, we had the awesome opportunity to spend the day by the Red Sea. We loaded into a bus with all the new staff and heading out early in the morning for the day. It was a fabulous day (even though we faced some discrimination by the resort because we had children - I always hate that when it happens).<br />
<br />
The kids were both so excited to spend the day in the water. Princess is becoming quite the little swimmer and Dimples loves to sit in the sand and make sand piles. The beach was covered in soft sand and extremely warm water. It was such a great way to spend the day! I do not think the kids left the water for more than 10 minutes all day, and, I am pretty sure that we used 1 entire bottle of sunscreen because it was SO hot that day. But, no one was burnt and the kids still talk about heading back to the beach.<br />
<br />
Probably the highlight of the day for Princess was the creation of multiple sand castles. Mostly, they were sand piles with gates and windows and flags, a moat and, of course seashell decorations. Hubby and a friend were creating a "mancave" castle and Princess decided to decorate it with seashells and coral as well...much to their dismay. Sandshark (a family tradition) also made an appearance on the beach that day. <br />
<br />
I love that we are able to get in a car and head out to the beach with less than a 2 hour drive. Perhaps this may be a more common excursion for us this year. Who knows? Enjoy the pictures!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YUzVbuF92Gc/UDW-nw7bP-I/AAAAAAAAAXk/_GdYZL54WJk/s1600/SAM_0854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YUzVbuF92Gc/UDW-nw7bP-I/AAAAAAAAAXk/_GdYZL54WJk/s320/SAM_0854.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess and Daddy playing with the wet sand.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f89fZVZ7Dmw/UDW-2GAQ0VI/AAAAAAAAAXs/lBnRPyzfnAE/s1600/SAM_0853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f89fZVZ7Dmw/UDW-2GAQ0VI/AAAAAAAAAXs/lBnRPyzfnAE/s320/SAM_0853.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples and the water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lUUaHEqq1gw/UDW_CyvO_oI/AAAAAAAAAX0/nXvTN19-01Y/s1600/SAM_0889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lUUaHEqq1gw/UDW_CyvO_oI/AAAAAAAAAX0/nXvTN19-01Y/s320/SAM_0889.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some kind of mutated sea urchin that was found</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SOegXYgLCk/UDW_fvCRf9I/AAAAAAAAAX8/hIr2YffGuRs/s1600/SAM_0873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SOegXYgLCk/UDW_fvCRf9I/AAAAAAAAAX8/hIr2YffGuRs/s320/SAM_0873.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess and one of the teachers building sandgate.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IPsSYdFDW0g/UDW_vG1IPaI/AAAAAAAAAYI/v7hpZt2Rh6Q/s1600/SAM_0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IPsSYdFDW0g/UDW_vG1IPaI/AAAAAAAAAYI/v7hpZt2Rh6Q/s320/SAM_0860.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy and his kiddos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WxtW8eZYOQk/UDXAKJISKsI/AAAAAAAAAYY/LNfV0yZaQCA/s1600/SAM_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WxtW8eZYOQk/UDXAKJISKsI/AAAAAAAAAYY/LNfV0yZaQCA/s320/SAM_0844.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Princess and a big hole...with a path to the water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qB5JWh2wU3A/UDXAYfDnTdI/AAAAAAAAAYg/P2kqxlVVE9A/s1600/SAM_0887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qB5JWh2wU3A/UDXAYfDnTdI/AAAAAAAAAYg/P2kqxlVVE9A/s320/SAM_0887.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandshark with shell teeth and eyes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-80566760311230305022012-08-19T13:04:00.001-05:002012-08-19T13:04:09.338-05:00Rocks for Dates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The last 24 hours have been busy and exciting for us!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You never know what will happen when you step
out the door and the last day has been no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We had been asked by the school to help out the new teachers
in our area to ensure that they were adjusting well and to help them with
anything that they needed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has added
an extra layer of work over our first few days, but, it has been very
fruitful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is nice to be able to pass
on things that took us awhile to figure out on our own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a lovely dinner with them yesterday
and a couple came over in the evening and stayed visiting until the wee hours
of the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the early evening yesterday, Princess and I went for a
walk for a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we were walking we
came across a man that was chucking large rocks into the palm trees to collect
dates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had always wondered how they
got the dates down from the top of the palm tree and now I know!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He offered us a couple of rocks and together
we chucked the rocks up to the top of the tree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we successfully hit<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
bunch of dates or the branch holding the dates, the ripe (or soon to be ripe)
dates fell from the tree to be collected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Princess found such joy in this activity, even though her rock never
made it high enough to hit the dates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was like trying to hit a piñata...except you get dates when you are successful
instead of candy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wish I had a camera
with me to capture the moment, but, it will exist in my memory.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today we took the teachers out to Maadi to meet the other
new teachers and to have lunch, a walkabout tour and a felluca ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A felluca is essentially a large sailboat that
floats down the Nile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have never been
on one and it was very lovely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids
were thrilled to be on the boat and talked about the crocodiles in the river
and that there were SO many crocodiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Princess has a vivid imagination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, I wish we had a camera, but, we did not because the little one
was out of battery and the big one was too cumbersome for our day trip without
a stroller (we forgot it in Winnipeg...turns out we were quite forgetful the
day we left).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We are now back home and getting ready to settle in for the
evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids are quickly
readjusting to the time zones, while mama and papa are still adjusting, thanks
to very little sleep on the plane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tomorrow we are heading out to the Red Sea for the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be a great time to swim in the water
and play in the sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The kids cannot
wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I promise the camera will make
the trip tomorrow).</div>
</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-72558996051086697112012-08-18T10:02:00.001-05:002012-08-18T10:02:02.967-05:00And...We're Back<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
After taking several weeks away from Egypt visiting family
and friends in Canada, we are back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our time in Canada was very fruitful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so wonderful to reconnect with people
we care about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hard saying
goodbye, but, at the same time, we are very excited to be back in Egypt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our travels were not without difficulties
this time around, however.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last year when we flew to Egypt, we were blessed by many
“angels” along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were many
people that went above and beyond any and all expectations that made our trip
that much easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This time however, we
seemed to encounter the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our travels started off very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were quite concerned about Princess saying
goodbye to the family, but, she was very brave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The limo driver was very patient and helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lady at that checked our baggage and
produced our boarding passes was also pleasant and helpful (Although, they
weighed our carry on baggage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a
first for us...but, we were okay!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hate
having to shuffle belongings at the airport, while being watched by all the
people waiting to get checked in).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But then, we got on the planes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The flight attendants were bossy and
pretentious (on most of the flights, especially the last one), the flights were
all late arriving at the layover destination, we left one of our carry-on bags
on the plane (we are hoping they will find it and send it to us), the food was
worse than usual, the seats were closer together than we have experienced, the
entertainment system was not working in the bank of seats that we were sitting
in on the flight from Toronto to London, the entertainment system from London
to Cairo was inadequate and we had to rush to rush through the London airport
to get from one terminal to another, go through security again and go through 2
checkpoints before we could stand in line to sit at the gate to Cairo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, the flight to Cairo was delayed,
otherwise, it would have been a close call as to whether we would have made the
plane on time.</div>
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Sheer sense of relief prevailed once we stepped off the
plane in Cairo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having landed in Cairo 3
times now, we know the drill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Follow the
signs, get the entry visas, fill out the landing cards, go through customs,
then, collect our bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This usually is
a long and drawn out process, but, for some reason, everything ran smoothly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only troubling part was when we were
going down the escalator to the baggage claim and seeing 40 men standing on the
baggage belt that our bags were to be coming on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People were shouting and women were
screaming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had no idea what was
happening, but, assumed that someone had died because it had that feeling to
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was perplexed as to why they would
all be on the conveyor belt until I saw them pull a small, limp, yet screaming
little girl off the belt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not knowing
what happened, I can only assume that she was playing on, or near the conveyor
belt when it started to move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We do not
know what happened to that little girl, but, we can only pray that she is
okay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a somber welcome back to
Egypt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We eventually found our driver and made our way back to our
house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so incredibly nice to walk
into our home after 24 hours of traveling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We quickly loaded our bags into the flat and started unpacking our
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Princess and Dimples quickly
went to their room and reacquainted themselves with toys that were left in
Egypt for the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was almost like
Christmas for them. They both seem happy to be home again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dimples dove right into the sand on our walk
to the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was almost like we had
never left at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a good thing
that we had energy when we arrived because the school had asked us to visit
some of the new teachers that had just arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had lovely visits with them and look forward to working with them
this year.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Meeting the new teachers got me even more excited about the
upcoming school year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been
excited to start teaching my new students for a couple weeks now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been creating documents daily that
will help aid my organization throughout the first couple of weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am excited to use them...I know, only a
teacher would get excited about an organizational document.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, I feel that I have an advantage going
into this school year that I did not last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This advantage comes from knowing the students that I will be teaching
in the coming year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I do not know them
well, but, I have seen them around for a year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Having taught grade 7-9 at the school, I have a good idea of how my
class will run and that is a huge asset for the first couple of weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, there will be unexpected
circumstances, but, nothing that I am concerned about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Anyway, now that we are back in Egypt, I will commence my
weekly updates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The posts will range in variety from school
experiences, to travel and exploration stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I do not expect to be writing many posts on cultural adaptations this
year as we are quite familiar with how things work around here now, but, WHO
KNOWS!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep posted, stay in touch!</div>
</div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-17371893932874043882012-08-07T08:02:00.001-05:002012-08-07T08:02:49.296-05:00Then There Were Nine...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Wow! Time flies when you are having fun! We have been back in Canada since June 27th and now, we are looking at having only 9 more days here with family and friends. It has been fabulous to reconnect with those that we have missed during our time in Egypt. <br />
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But, at the same time, Egypt has become our home; and, like most times you are away from home, you start to miss it.<br />
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In ways, we are very ready to go back. In others, I could see us staying here much, much longer. But, when it is time to board that plane, I know that we are headed back to our home.<br />
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When I was a student, summer vacations were never, ever long enough (even though I forced my siblings to `play`school during summer break). As a teacher, I have come to the conclusion that they are FAR too long! I think I was ready to get back in the classroom 2 weeks ago. Ever since then, my mind has been spinning with idea after idea. I have had to run to find a piece of paper of a computer before my excellent idea withered away into oblivion. <br />
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My classroom has been decorated already...in my mind of course. It looks great. Hopefully it will look as good on the walls as it does in my mind. I have full units of study ready to go...unfortunately, it has to wait until September 4th. <br />
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In the meantime, we still have 9 days left here in the prairies and then we lift off for Egypt. I think that they will be very full days where we will be seeing lots of people, going to lots of fun places and of course, dealing with our luggage (I really despise packing). It seems that no matter how hard we try, we always have more things that we have space. And, with the change in luggage allowance from 2 bags each, to 1, packing becomes a LOT more difficult. <br />
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In the end, it is a reminder that we have too much stuff. It forces you to re-evaluate the value of the things you have and why you acquired them in the first place. We will be leaving things behind, saying farewell to some of the kids favorite toys and donating some clothes. In the end, the philanthropic nature of departing with things has been beneficial for our children. It helps us remember to hold dear the things that are most important in life. <br />
</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-36366019291035026052012-07-23T14:39:00.001-05:002012-07-23T14:39:03.463-05:00Our FAQ's<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been completing neglecting the blog since we have returned to Canada for the summer months. We have been back in Canada since the end of June and have been having an awesome time connecting with those that we love and care about.<br />
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<br />I was going to do an, "Egypt, Year in Review" type blog, but changed my mind. Instead, I am going to write about the most common questions we have gotten since we have returned. They range from culture adaptation, to food, to dress, to the school and our general way of life. I will begin with the most commonly asked question.<br />
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<br />#1 - <i>Are you safe there?</i><br />
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<br />Yes, we are most certainly safe in Egypt. We live in a quiet suburb about 45 minutes from downtown. It is just like living anywhere else in the world. You learn where not to go and when to not go there. There was never any moment that we felt we were unsafe.<br />
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<br />#2 - <i>What about the Muslim Brotherhood? Will that change your way of life?</i><br />
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The reality is, we do not know the answer to these questions. The presidential elect was only announced a couple days before we left Egypt to return to Canada. We do not know what he has in store for Egypt. We are not concerned about Mr. Morsi being name president and we are not concerned (yet) about the Muslim Brotherhood have political power over Egypt. The reality is that the military is still playing a large role in the governing of the country. For right now, we believe that President Morsi will be good for Egypt. I am not expecting any drastic changes in the way I will be expected to dress or behave.<br />
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<br />#3 - <i>Is it hot there?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Yes, it is hot. But, temperatures vary throughout the year. Summer months are hot and dry. You do not feel like you are melting, but, you do feel very hot. It is nice not to have to deal with the humidity. In winter, it cools off, only 19 Celsius during the day. But, it is a nice change from the heat. But, by March, it begins to warm up. Only a few "cooler" months.<br />
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<br />#4 - <i>How do you have to dress there?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>The reality is that this varies depending on who you ask. Men can wear anything they want really, but hubby usually opts for shorts and a golf shirt. The kids can get away with anything they want too. As for me, I aim for modesty. I always have my knees and shoulders covered. I try not to attract any unnecessary attention upon myself. I do not wear a head scarf (hijab). But, I do carry a scarf with me if I feel I need to be more modest. After spending 10 months in a country where women are very modestly dressed, it was hard to enter into a society where short shorts and spaghetti straps are acceptable. The amount of skin was overwhelming at first, but, it did not take that long to adjust. It has shifted my personal perspectives on modesty, however. That is a blog post in and of itself.<br />
<i> </i><br />
<br />#5 - <i>What is the school like?</i><br />
<br />
We love teaching at the school. We enjoy our students and enjoy our work. We feel like we encounter many opportunities for success each day that we are with our students. We like that the school is still relatively new and that we have the chance to share our opinions and ideas freely. We enjoy our teaching assignments (I will be teaching grade 7 again and hubby will be teaching gr. 9-12 Business) in the 2012-2013 school year.<br />
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<br />#6 - <i>Are you going back?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Yup, we are!<br />
<i><br /></i>#7 - <i>How much more time is on your contract?</i><br />
<i><br /></i>One more year. Then, we will have to decide if we want to stay longer, or, if our time in Egypt has come to an end.<br />
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I think that covers the major questions. I will see if I come up with any others in the next little while. The reality is...we really enjoy Egypt and we like our simple way of life. However, right now, we are really enjoying our time here with friends and family. It is going by way too fast!<i> </i><br />
<i> </i><br /> </div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-68347873626242617272012-06-16T03:22:00.001-05:002012-06-16T03:22:13.567-05:00My dad...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HUDfQGDiLq4/T9xBWlxs-UI/AAAAAAAAAXE/XnhMTzxaB5k/s1600/IMG_9477_8x10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HUDfQGDiLq4/T9xBWlxs-UI/AAAAAAAAAXE/XnhMTzxaB5k/s320/IMG_9477_8x10.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Mama and Papa</td></tr>
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Tomorrow is Father's Day and I get the chance to write about my dad.</div>
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My dad is awesome...the best...funny, humorous, caring and entertaining. </div>
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My dad was my coach for all of my ball playing days. He hauled me off to practice after practice and ball game after ball game. We played "fetch" in the park across the street when I would practice pitching. He would spend countless hours at pitching clinics and batting practice. We traveled all around Canada and the US to play ball. We would wake up before it was light out, get an Egg McMuffin or some donuts on the way to a 7 AM game time with a 6 AM warm up time. We talked and he taught me everything that he knew about the great game of baseball.</div>
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It was our thing.</div>
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We would watch Braves games on tv whenever they were on. I learned how to keep score by watching the games on tv. He taught me all about stats and what RBI's and OBP's were. I can honestly say, I know the game better than most. </div>
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Even though I stopped playing ball when I was 19 (I started to travel...met a boy...had kids), it is still our thing, although we root for a new team now...things have not changed much.</div>
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Princess' first Christmas present from Big Papa was a ball glove (a lefty...we hoped, but, that did not happen). It is pink and black. At not even four years old she can throw a ball better than most kids her age. Being out here though it is using her foot that has developed a lot (my nemesis...soccer).</div>
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My dad is awesome. He is always there. He always has been. He is there to play catch, to watch a game or to move a very heavy piano from one place to another. My dad is awesome because he has a servant's heart and is always willing to lend a hand. No matter how heavy something is, or how early you need to leave in the morning to get where you need to be. He is simply the best.</div>
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Happy Father's Day Big Papa! </div>
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Love, Kimo Perez, Hip Hop, Princess and Dimples. You ROCK!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nJe3yP1Q3MU/T9xBkbXyljI/AAAAAAAAAXM/s1gX_4RfUP4/s1600/IMG_9414_8x10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nJe3yP1Q3MU/T9xBkbXyljI/AAAAAAAAAXM/s1gX_4RfUP4/s320/IMG_9414_8x10.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our family</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XehQzGKdvA/T9xAElRzUVI/AAAAAAAAAWo/E3KossP2p58/s1600/20100422(63).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0XehQzGKdvA/T9xAElRzUVI/AAAAAAAAAWo/E3KossP2p58/s320/20100422(63).JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa and Dimples when he was only hours old. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ke43XUXIv34/T9xAOlEmmEI/AAAAAAAAAWw/Nhfw1J0IkAg/s1600/200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ke43XUXIv34/T9xAOlEmmEI/AAAAAAAAAWw/Nhfw1J0IkAg/s320/200.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dimples with Grandpa. You cannot see it, but he has baseball shoes on. Shedding baseball wisdom on his grandson.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5CWoER7lsPw/T9xAUKs4ZVI/AAAAAAAAAW4/XkFUmwjz0PI/s1600/20100405_89.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5CWoER7lsPw/T9xAUKs4ZVI/AAAAAAAAAW4/XkFUmwjz0PI/s320/20100405_89.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go Sox! Big Papa with Princess...also sporting the team we represent!</td></tr>
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<br /><br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3450373639097276848.post-46694774653284939582012-06-14T13:28:00.003-05:002012-06-14T13:32:28.482-05:00A Bittersweet Ending...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is my class...my wonderfully challenging and beautiful class...<br />
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I have done all I can do to teach my grade 7's. Classes have ended and exams have come and gone. The marking is finished and the report cards are done. There is still one week of work left...cleaning up the class, dealing with textbooks and moving to my new classroom for next year. I had been counting down the days to get this point. I was excited to finish the year and enjoy my summer. I looked forward to the end of the week...and when it came I was sad.<br />
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I had a spectacular year teaching here. It was my first year and as I blogged previously, it was a year of ups and downs and teaching assignment changes. I learned a lot of things about myself as a teacher, discovered my strengths as a teacher, and finally settled on a classroom set up I actually like...in May.<br />
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I have spent quite a bit of time reflecting on the past 10 months with the students. Most of them came into grade 7 unaware of what the year would hold. Many of them were still very naive and open to many new ideas and ways of doing things. A lot of them had little to no organization skills and the world of Middle School, class changes and lots of teachers was overwhelming to them. At the beginning they required a lot of guidance.<br />
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By the end, most of the students emerged from their shell. They have grown into beautiful, intelligent young people, full of interesting and insightful questions and perspectives. When I look at the topics we discussed in social studies, it is incredible to see a shift in their perspectives particularly as it pertains to human rights. I gave them a self reflective evaluation of their levels of Global Citizenship the other day. Their responses and comments were incredibly honest and reflective. I was impressed.<br />
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Then it hit me. I am going to miss these kids! They will move on to grade 8 and encounter more new teachers and new ideas and I will stay in grade 7 and welcome the next batch of students to the world of middle school. It is a job that I love...they require so much guidance in grade 7. But, now that I have seen my first group come and go, I know that I have it in me to engage in facilitating the transition. <br />
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My students like to write me notes at the end of tests and assignments. Some of them tell me the "test was too hard", or "wow, that was super easy". But, at the end of the exams, the notes written were of a different nature. They did not complain about the exam being tough or too easy, or too long...these comments were ones of gratitude. "Thanks for a great year...I learned so much and it has been the best year of school EVER!", and, "Ms. K, you are the best", and, "Ms. K, thanks for being entertaining". <br />
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These comments were unexpected...and made me wish there was more time left in the year to spend with them. Although they were challenging at times, (what 12-13 year old isn't), they were a blessing and they taught me many valuable lessons. I sent them off to grade 8...and I know that they will be a blessing to whoever teaches them next year.<br />
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But, I am ready to return to Canada...that is my new countdown...T-13 days. I cannot wait.</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0