Slight intermission in my Hong Kong posts to say.... HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Hope everyone has an amazing couple days full of turkey and stuffing because I sure won't be eating that. Therefore, everyone I know has to eat enough for the both of us. Being away from home during holidays has really shown me how much my family and my friends mean to me. I am definitely thankful for all of them. Even if I am not home to show it.
Three small things to update on!
1. Atlas was neutered last week. He was pretty depressed for the first few days but he is back to his happy self! We haven't been making him wear the Cone of Shame lately except when we are not around to watch him. Today, we went shopping and when he returned, he had managed to take it off his own neck. I would love to know how. Hard to be mad at such a smarty pants.
2. We went to see Gravity last night. Such an amazing movie. I was so stressed the entire time. There really isn't a better way to put it. I highly suggest going to see it, and going to see it in 3D, If you have been to the movies with me, you know that I HATE 3D. I always leave a 3D movie with a pounding headache and its generally because the 3D was not done right. However, leaving Gravity I was left with the feelings of a movie that finally did 3D perfect. I was also nauseous but that is because of how much stress I felt for the characters during the movie. Our scooter ride home was terrifying because of my stress level. Seriously. Go see it.
3. Since our vacation time off to Thailand is booked (currently planning the trip!), we e-mailed our boss to let her know we would not be renewing our contract for a second year and that we are planning on returning home once it is finished. We have to give them at least two months notice in order to get our contract completion bonus and I didn't want to give them ANY reason to keep that from us. Plus, I need to know our official contract end date so I can book my ticket home. (Probably in the next week!!)
Off to do some student comments and then continue writing Hong Kong blogs.
13 October 2013
Day Two HK: The Peak, Zoological Gardens, Shopping, Star Ferry, Shopping
Our second day in HK started off bright and early, we headed off to Victoria Peak! Victoria Peak was very busy, probably considering it was a holiday but it was definitely worth the wait. The tram to go up to the peak was so packed, we had to wait in three different lines but finally we were up there.
It was a beautiful day and we could see for miles. Rick really enjoyed his time up there while I was getting pretty hot in the sun. But it was still so beautiful to see that much of the city all at once. We walked around, checked out different angles of the view, and we ate lunch. Again, we were really disappointed with the food there. Almost $50CAD later and it was nothing special. There was a really large mall at the top of the Peak so we checked that out too, just to get out of the sun for a bit. Then we took the tram back down and decided to head to the Zoological and Botanical Gardens next.
In our guide book, it said the Gardens were pretty close to the Peak so that is why we decided to check it out. It was a long, uphill walk to the Gardens but we made it. It was pretty tiring to get there which is maybe why when we got there, the Gardens weren't that interesting anymore. We had a small break, Rick got some ice cream, we saw some monkeys and we were off again! This time in search of a restaurant.
A major reason we bought the guide book was because we use our one for Taiwan, so much! If we are in an area, we trust the book to give us a recommendation for a restaurant. So our guidebook said there was a rooftop restaurant near by that had great Mexican food so we headed that way. It was hard to find, but we found it! We were so excited.... but it was closed. Stupid Moon Festival. Onward to the next restaurant! A German restaurant, yay we found it! Closed. Stupid Moon Festival. Choice number three; open!!!!! Finally! By this point, we were starving. And if you know me, you know I can get pretty hangry. (hungry + angry = hangry) It was worth the wait and all the walking we had to do because I think it was one of the only meals we had in Hong Kong that we were pleased with.
Our next plan was to catch the Star Ferry while it was still during the day and then do a little window shopping. It was a really nice view during the day but it really is amazing at night. We ended up seeing a rooftop parking garage to a mall that Rick thought would be a great view of the city. I was worried about going up there without having a car to go to but Rick told me not to worry that no one would know we were up there. So we head up, thinking that we are the only ones to have thought of this. Nope. There were, at least, a hundred people up there doing exactly what we were doing. Rick got really excited while we were up there because there were some sort of fighter jets there? I'm not sure... I'll add a picture.
We decided to do a little window shopping next. We wanted to check out the prices of cellphones to see if they were less or more, relatively the same and on we went. We headed over to the Chungking Mansions. If you've ever booked a hostel in HK, you would know that 75% of the hostels available are in these "mansions." I think mansions is a very loose term. It is a very big building, with four different blocks, all filled with hostels and Indian restaurants. Along with the ground floor being filled with little stalls selling absolutely everything. We were originally going to book our hostel here but I heard a lot online about the bad security and overall sketchiness of the place and we decided to pay a little more to book elsewhere. And I am glad we did.
Walking inside is comparable walking against a huge gust of wind. But that wind takes a different form, a form of 30 Indian men walking towards you, beside you, in front of you, telling you that THEIR Indian restaurant is the best one and that you should go there. We did actually end up going to one of them because the guidebook recommended it (it was Rick's favorite meal during our time in HK). But it was exhausting going in and out of that place. I couldn't imagine doing that every time I wanted to leave my hostel.
Next it was a night time trip on the Star Ferry and back to our hostel for a good night's sleep.
Line one!
Sitting on the packed tram!
The view
Shameless selfie
Pretty happy to find WiFi
Obligatory tourist photo
He is very ... special :)
In our guide book, it said the Gardens were pretty close to the Peak so that is why we decided to check it out. It was a long, uphill walk to the Gardens but we made it. It was pretty tiring to get there which is maybe why when we got there, the Gardens weren't that interesting anymore. We had a small break, Rick got some ice cream, we saw some monkeys and we were off again! This time in search of a restaurant.
Very tired Melissa
This picture speaks for itself
Searching for our restaurant!
A major reason we bought the guide book was because we use our one for Taiwan, so much! If we are in an area, we trust the book to give us a recommendation for a restaurant. So our guidebook said there was a rooftop restaurant near by that had great Mexican food so we headed that way. It was hard to find, but we found it! We were so excited.... but it was closed. Stupid Moon Festival. Onward to the next restaurant! A German restaurant, yay we found it! Closed. Stupid Moon Festival. Choice number three; open!!!!! Finally! By this point, we were starving. And if you know me, you know I can get pretty hangry. (hungry + angry = hangry) It was worth the wait and all the walking we had to do because I think it was one of the only meals we had in Hong Kong that we were pleased with.
Ecstatic to be eating!
Our next plan was to catch the Star Ferry while it was still during the day and then do a little window shopping. It was a really nice view during the day but it really is amazing at night. We ended up seeing a rooftop parking garage to a mall that Rick thought would be a great view of the city. I was worried about going up there without having a car to go to but Rick told me not to worry that no one would know we were up there. So we head up, thinking that we are the only ones to have thought of this. Nope. There were, at least, a hundred people up there doing exactly what we were doing. Rick got really excited while we were up there because there were some sort of fighter jets there? I'm not sure... I'll add a picture.
Fighter jets.. maybe?
We decided to do a little window shopping next. We wanted to check out the prices of cellphones to see if they were less or more, relatively the same and on we went. We headed over to the Chungking Mansions. If you've ever booked a hostel in HK, you would know that 75% of the hostels available are in these "mansions." I think mansions is a very loose term. It is a very big building, with four different blocks, all filled with hostels and Indian restaurants. Along with the ground floor being filled with little stalls selling absolutely everything. We were originally going to book our hostel here but I heard a lot online about the bad security and overall sketchiness of the place and we decided to pay a little more to book elsewhere. And I am glad we did.
Walking inside is comparable walking against a huge gust of wind. But that wind takes a different form, a form of 30 Indian men walking towards you, beside you, in front of you, telling you that THEIR Indian restaurant is the best one and that you should go there. We did actually end up going to one of them because the guidebook recommended it (it was Rick's favorite meal during our time in HK). But it was exhausting going in and out of that place. I couldn't imagine doing that every time I wanted to leave my hostel.
Really excited to eat some good food!
Next it was a night time trip on the Star Ferry and back to our hostel for a good night's sleep.
1 October 2013
Day One in Hong Kong: Temple Street Night Market, and Ladies Market
Our flight left Taiwan at 12:30 so we didn't arrive in Hong Kong until the afternoon. By the time we got to our hostel and were settled in, it was around 5 o'clock so we decided to go to Temple Street Night Market. We love all the night markets we go to in Taiwan and figured this one would be great as well. Plus, I read in our guidebook that it had a lot of touristy items which I wanted to check out for people back home.
So we took the MTR and started our night. The Temple Street Night Market was a really cool experience. A lot different from the night markets we visit in Taiwan. In Taiwan, night markets have a lot of food stalls and they sell a lot of clothing as well. In Hong Kong, this night market sold a lot of clothing, accessories, and tourist items but there was not one single food stall. Which we were actually kind of disappointed about, we were looking forward to snacking but instead we just shopped a lot. We were able to buy a lot of souvenirs for people back home which was nice because souvenirs are actually hard to find in Taiwan. I was recently talking to a co-teacher and she told me to wait until I go to the airport in Taoyuan as the gift shop there apparently has the best souvenirs.
After the Temple Street market, we were super hungry as we had expected to eat there. So we took out our trusty guidebook and picked a restaurant to go to near where we were. We arrived and when we walked in, it looked like we had crashed someone's wedding. The decor was ... interesting. Which is something that would happen at a few of the places we ate while in Hong Kong. Overall, we were disappointed by the food. Our book really recommended this place and it was expensive, and the food was just.. alright. Disappointment in food would become a common theme with our time in Hong Kong.
Next we headed to the Ladies' Market. They had some cool clothes but it was the same kind of stuff they sell in Taiwan for double the price so I didn't buy anything. It was then time to head back to the hostel. Since we were on a different island, we decided to take the Star Ferry back to the Hong Kong Island that we were staying at.
The Star Ferry proved to be one of the highlights of our time. It was super cheap to take (works out to be .33 cents CAD for one way), and the views were amazing. We took it multiple times throughout our trip and each time, it was so exciting.
Day two in Hong Kong was planned to be a big one so we got plenty of rest for the rest of our time. But first we ended our night with some amazing guava shaved ice :)
Taoyuan Airport
Sleeping on the plane
We made it to our hostel!
So we took the MTR and started our night. The Temple Street Night Market was a really cool experience. A lot different from the night markets we visit in Taiwan. In Taiwan, night markets have a lot of food stalls and they sell a lot of clothing as well. In Hong Kong, this night market sold a lot of clothing, accessories, and tourist items but there was not one single food stall. Which we were actually kind of disappointed about, we were looking forward to snacking but instead we just shopped a lot. We were able to buy a lot of souvenirs for people back home which was nice because souvenirs are actually hard to find in Taiwan. I was recently talking to a co-teacher and she told me to wait until I go to the airport in Taoyuan as the gift shop there apparently has the best souvenirs.
Temple Street Night Market
After the Temple Street market, we were super hungry as we had expected to eat there. So we took out our trusty guidebook and picked a restaurant to go to near where we were. We arrived and when we walked in, it looked like we had crashed someone's wedding. The decor was ... interesting. Which is something that would happen at a few of the places we ate while in Hong Kong. Overall, we were disappointed by the food. Our book really recommended this place and it was expensive, and the food was just.. alright. Disappointment in food would become a common theme with our time in Hong Kong.
Super .. interesting .. decor
Next we headed to the Ladies' Market. They had some cool clothes but it was the same kind of stuff they sell in Taiwan for double the price so I didn't buy anything. It was then time to head back to the hostel. Since we were on a different island, we decided to take the Star Ferry back to the Hong Kong Island that we were staying at.
Ladies' Market
The Star Ferry proved to be one of the highlights of our time. It was super cheap to take (works out to be .33 cents CAD for one way), and the views were amazing. We took it multiple times throughout our trip and each time, it was so exciting.
Star Ferry
Day two in Hong Kong was planned to be a big one so we got plenty of rest for the rest of our time. But first we ended our night with some amazing guava shaved ice :)
29 September 2013
Goodbyes, Manhood, and Teachers' College
We have been back from Hong Kong for about a week now and we got right back into the swing of things! This week I am planning on writing the blogs about Hong Kong. We did SO much while we were there, that I feel like it was for more than 4 days so let's see how long these blogs take me to write.
In the past couple days, we have had to say goodbye to some good friends leaving Taiwan. Saying goodbye is kind of surreal but really sad. And the goodbyes are nowhere near finished. Still have more friends leaving in the next couple weeks and it will be really hard to say goodbye.
In other news, we have booked Atlas' surgery to have his manhood removed. Our vet speaks a little English so we went in to book the appointment. Getting your pet spayed or neutered isn't that popular in Taiwan, a lot of people think it is pointless and they don't have it done. But the government here is really trying to promote it because of the massive stray dog problem that Taiwan has. So it is really cheap to get done here. In comparison to the $400 CAD it would cost us in Canada, it will cost us $62 CAD in Taiwan. So we are going for it.
The funny thing is when we went in to the vet, we kept saying to her we want to get him neutered. And she didn't understand the word. So we keep gesturing and nothing. I have an app on my phone that does translations for me so I search it and show her the Chinese character for what we want and she goes, OHHH. And then proceeds to write down "castration," on the calendar. Which I thought was interesting because even though I know that is what they do to him, I've never heard it called that before in reference to a dog. And then I realized we probably call it neutering in Canada/America so that pet owners don't feel bad about what they are doing to their dog. Regardless, the date has been set. October 5th. Atlas will go from a boy to a man to a boy. He doesn't seem aware of his fate.
Next piece of news is that I have officially applied to Teacher's College! Said goodbye to $423 (I cried..), and I have applied to three schools; Brock, York, and Western. Brock being my first choice, obviously seeing as I would love for my mother to continue making my meals when I return. York is my second choice as Toronto is super convenient for people from Niagara to come see me and easy for me to make my way home. Western is my third choice because I love the city of London and a lot of people there. The easy part of applying is done, they have taken my money. However each school has another form I have to fill out. I will basically be writing the same essay three times about why I want to be a teacher and how my experiences will help me. Anyone want to do some editing for me? I am already 75% finished the Western supplementary form, just one part to go. Western is nice enough to make their form available online ahead of time. I have to wait until mid-October for Brock's and York is supposed to make it available to me once they have received confirmation that I have applied.
Other than that, nothing is new here. Keep an eye out for what we did in Hong Kong, that will be up soon! And just wanted to say Congratulations to my cousin Chris and his amazing wife Chelsea! They got married today and I wish them the best! Sad that I couldn't be there but I was thinking of them all day today!
In the past couple days, we have had to say goodbye to some good friends leaving Taiwan. Saying goodbye is kind of surreal but really sad. And the goodbyes are nowhere near finished. Still have more friends leaving in the next couple weeks and it will be really hard to say goodbye.
In other news, we have booked Atlas' surgery to have his manhood removed. Our vet speaks a little English so we went in to book the appointment. Getting your pet spayed or neutered isn't that popular in Taiwan, a lot of people think it is pointless and they don't have it done. But the government here is really trying to promote it because of the massive stray dog problem that Taiwan has. So it is really cheap to get done here. In comparison to the $400 CAD it would cost us in Canada, it will cost us $62 CAD in Taiwan. So we are going for it.
The funny thing is when we went in to the vet, we kept saying to her we want to get him neutered. And she didn't understand the word. So we keep gesturing and nothing. I have an app on my phone that does translations for me so I search it and show her the Chinese character for what we want and she goes, OHHH. And then proceeds to write down "castration," on the calendar. Which I thought was interesting because even though I know that is what they do to him, I've never heard it called that before in reference to a dog. And then I realized we probably call it neutering in Canada/America so that pet owners don't feel bad about what they are doing to their dog. Regardless, the date has been set. October 5th. Atlas will go from a boy to a man to a boy. He doesn't seem aware of his fate.
Next piece of news is that I have officially applied to Teacher's College! Said goodbye to $423 (I cried..), and I have applied to three schools; Brock, York, and Western. Brock being my first choice, obviously seeing as I would love for my mother to continue making my meals when I return. York is my second choice as Toronto is super convenient for people from Niagara to come see me and easy for me to make my way home. Western is my third choice because I love the city of London and a lot of people there. The easy part of applying is done, they have taken my money. However each school has another form I have to fill out. I will basically be writing the same essay three times about why I want to be a teacher and how my experiences will help me. Anyone want to do some editing for me? I am already 75% finished the Western supplementary form, just one part to go. Western is nice enough to make their form available online ahead of time. I have to wait until mid-October for Brock's and York is supposed to make it available to me once they have received confirmation that I have applied.
Other than that, nothing is new here. Keep an eye out for what we did in Hong Kong, that will be up soon! And just wanted to say Congratulations to my cousin Chris and his amazing wife Chelsea! They got married today and I wish them the best! Sad that I couldn't be there but I was thinking of them all day today!
18 September 2013
In Loving Memory of George Pitul
This morning, I called my mom for our regular every day morning Skype date. She was on Skype but no answer, odd but I thought nothing of it. She often falls asleep on the couch. I call the house, no answer. Then I went to breakfast this morning with two of my friends to a waffle restaurant. My day started out normal, had to wait a half hour for my lazy friends to get out of bed. But finally I was able to enjoy my chocolate banana waffle and caramel macchiato. I return home and continue planning for Hong Kong, trying to figure out the bus to get to the airport. This is when I realize I have a message from both my father and brother telling me to call home, "anytime." The words anytime begin to scare me. My family goes to bed at 11PM, they don't stay up late. I knew from that word, it was going to be bad news.
I call them at 12:30AM (their time), and my dad is wide awake. He tells me to wait a second, he will turn on skype. I ask if something is wrong, he says, "I'll talk to you on Skype in a second." I knew something was wrong.
My grandfather passed away tonight. He has a form of dementia that is worsened every time he has a stroke. When I left for Taiwan, I said goodbye to my Grandpa. At the time, he wasn't doing so good and I was convinced that that would be the last time I would see him. However lately he has been doing good, a lot better than usual the past few weeks and I was starting to believe that he would still be around when I returned home. I was wrong. They believe he had another stroke. He passed away peacefully with his family around him. I know it was for the best but that doesn't make it any less sad. While my grandpa has changed in recent years, I still remember him as the man who used to give me the biggest hugs in the world, as well as the scruffiest kisses. I remember the man who used to always encourage me to go for that second candy in their candy jar (which was somehow always full..). I remember the man who could be louder than anyone, without even trying. I remember the man who was always excited to see me, no matter what. I remember the man who dressed up as Santa every year for myself and my brother. On Christmas Eve, my parents would have both sets of my grandparents over for dinner. For some reason, my grandpa was unable to show up until after Santa came. He would come to our house as Santa and we would get to open a present early. I remember how lucky I thought we were, that Santa would come to OUR house, one night early just to say hi. I always felt so sad that my Grandpa missed Santa's visit each year. Then I grew up and realized who was really coming to the house. But there were still a few Christmases where I pretended I didn't know who was really under that beard. I knew just how much enjoyment he got out of pretending to be Santa Claus for his grandchildren. I remember the man who was so loyal to my Nanny, he was always willing to stand up for her in whatever she wanted to do. I remember the man who was willing to go anywhere and do anything with his wife. And I know just how much my Nanny appreciated that. She did everything she could before having to put him in a home. She tried so hard to take care of him all by herself but it was too much. Even though she didn't drive, she found a way to his nursing home every single day. Their love lasted a lifetime and I hope she has the strength to remember that. I will always remember my Grandpa as the man who loved me and wasn't afraid to show it with a gigantic kiss.
This would be hard enough if I were in Canada but the fact remains that I am living in Taiwan. I was told not to come home but it makes me really sad that I won't be there for this, for my nanny. For my family.
I love you so much, Grandpa.
You will be missed everyday.
xox
I call them at 12:30AM (their time), and my dad is wide awake. He tells me to wait a second, he will turn on skype. I ask if something is wrong, he says, "I'll talk to you on Skype in a second." I knew something was wrong.
My grandfather passed away tonight. He has a form of dementia that is worsened every time he has a stroke. When I left for Taiwan, I said goodbye to my Grandpa. At the time, he wasn't doing so good and I was convinced that that would be the last time I would see him. However lately he has been doing good, a lot better than usual the past few weeks and I was starting to believe that he would still be around when I returned home. I was wrong. They believe he had another stroke. He passed away peacefully with his family around him. I know it was for the best but that doesn't make it any less sad. While my grandpa has changed in recent years, I still remember him as the man who used to give me the biggest hugs in the world, as well as the scruffiest kisses. I remember the man who used to always encourage me to go for that second candy in their candy jar (which was somehow always full..). I remember the man who could be louder than anyone, without even trying. I remember the man who was always excited to see me, no matter what. I remember the man who dressed up as Santa every year for myself and my brother. On Christmas Eve, my parents would have both sets of my grandparents over for dinner. For some reason, my grandpa was unable to show up until after Santa came. He would come to our house as Santa and we would get to open a present early. I remember how lucky I thought we were, that Santa would come to OUR house, one night early just to say hi. I always felt so sad that my Grandpa missed Santa's visit each year. Then I grew up and realized who was really coming to the house. But there were still a few Christmases where I pretended I didn't know who was really under that beard. I knew just how much enjoyment he got out of pretending to be Santa Claus for his grandchildren. I remember the man who was so loyal to my Nanny, he was always willing to stand up for her in whatever she wanted to do. I remember the man who was willing to go anywhere and do anything with his wife. And I know just how much my Nanny appreciated that. She did everything she could before having to put him in a home. She tried so hard to take care of him all by herself but it was too much. Even though she didn't drive, she found a way to his nursing home every single day. Their love lasted a lifetime and I hope she has the strength to remember that. I will always remember my Grandpa as the man who loved me and wasn't afraid to show it with a gigantic kiss.
This would be hard enough if I were in Canada but the fact remains that I am living in Taiwan. I was told not to come home but it makes me really sad that I won't be there for this, for my nanny. For my family.
I love you so much, Grandpa.
You will be missed everyday.
xox
15 September 2013
Countdowns!
I almost forgot!
HONG KONG: 4 days!
THAILAND: 50 days!
Any one have any recommendations for us for our time there?
HONG KONG: 4 days!
THAILAND: 50 days!
Any one have any recommendations for us for our time there?
Baishawan Beach and Elementary School
Last Sunday we headed to Baishawan beach with a bunch of other foreign teachers. I was hesitant to go because a good friend of mine had told me it is a really big hassle to go there and not worth the time it takes. We did have a really good day but I definitely won't be going back to Baishawan beach. It was a hassle to get there! First, we had to take a bus to Taipei (30-45 minutes). Then we had to take the MRT to the end of one line (30-45 minutes). THEN we had to take a bus from the MRT stop to the beach (45 minutes). It was exhausting and we weren't even at the beach yet. Once we got there, we did have a lot of fun! I am really glad we went. It was nice to spend time with some of our friends. Especially since a few of them are leaving pretty soon.
Another negative to Baishawan is you are not allowed to swim in the water unless you have rented a boogie board. The Taiwanese are really nervous and odd about water, which is super weird to me considering they are an ISLAND. Surrounded by WATER. A lot of my co-teachers don't know how to swim, as well as the students. So they have a roped off area that you can freely swim in. By freely swim, I mean there are 100+ people in this roped off area. Or the open sea where you can also freely swim.. with a boogie board attached to you. I am really making it sound like we had a horrible day but totally not the case! It was a lot of fun, Atlas got to swim and relax on the beach. It was his first time in sand which was super cute. I brought my camera but beaches always make me nervous about taking pictures, I know I am a child. My friend, Emily, took a lot of pictures and as soon as she posts them, I will add them here!
The day after Baishawan, Rick and I were starting our new job at the elementary school. We weren't really sure what to expect but it definitely went a lot better than either of us thought it would. Forty minutes per class goes by really fast. I had hoped to learn all of their names and that definitely isn't happening. It is such a different environment compared to our cram school. No co teacher and 25-30 students in every class. By the time we had our lunch break (an hour after three forty minute classes), we were exhausted. We're lucky to live a two minute drive from the school so we went home to see Atlas and we just sat in silence. So so tired. Hopefully tomorrow we are better suited to the hours.
Today is Sunday, our day off! And we have a lot planned. There is a restaurant across the street from our building called Hot Dog Man. We kind of love it. The lady there speaks really good English and she is super nice, we really want them to succeed. Every time we have gone, we are the only people in there. They are having a promo day today with free hot dogs so we are going to that. After that, we are going swimming at Bobo's apartment (our amazing Chinese teacher). Then she invited us to the Performing Arts Theater. They are having a free festival there, not really sure what is going on but will update later.
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekends back home! Miss you all lots!
Another negative to Baishawan is you are not allowed to swim in the water unless you have rented a boogie board. The Taiwanese are really nervous and odd about water, which is super weird to me considering they are an ISLAND. Surrounded by WATER. A lot of my co-teachers don't know how to swim, as well as the students. So they have a roped off area that you can freely swim in. By freely swim, I mean there are 100+ people in this roped off area. Or the open sea where you can also freely swim.. with a boogie board attached to you. I am really making it sound like we had a horrible day but totally not the case! It was a lot of fun, Atlas got to swim and relax on the beach. It was his first time in sand which was super cute. I brought my camera but beaches always make me nervous about taking pictures, I know I am a child. My friend, Emily, took a lot of pictures and as soon as she posts them, I will add them here!
The day after Baishawan, Rick and I were starting our new job at the elementary school. We weren't really sure what to expect but it definitely went a lot better than either of us thought it would. Forty minutes per class goes by really fast. I had hoped to learn all of their names and that definitely isn't happening. It is such a different environment compared to our cram school. No co teacher and 25-30 students in every class. By the time we had our lunch break (an hour after three forty minute classes), we were exhausted. We're lucky to live a two minute drive from the school so we went home to see Atlas and we just sat in silence. So so tired. Hopefully tomorrow we are better suited to the hours.
Today is Sunday, our day off! And we have a lot planned. There is a restaurant across the street from our building called Hot Dog Man. We kind of love it. The lady there speaks really good English and she is super nice, we really want them to succeed. Every time we have gone, we are the only people in there. They are having a promo day today with free hot dogs so we are going to that. After that, we are going swimming at Bobo's apartment (our amazing Chinese teacher). Then she invited us to the Performing Arts Theater. They are having a free festival there, not really sure what is going on but will update later.
HOT DOG MAN
Hope everyone is enjoying their weekends back home! Miss you all lots!
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