traveling delights

Here we go.

2009-11-22T00:28:00.001-06:00

Blogging has fallen off the edge of my to-do list. I've thought about it and then felt tired- where do I even begin to try to catch up from the past three months? It seems like it has been a whirlwind of feelings, activities, transitions, and stress. And the longer I put it off, the more things piled up! However, I'm not really wanting to give up on blogging...so I might as well start somewhere...

A list feels more manageable than paragraphs, so here's a two-part list. I will title it "The Fall of 2009". Original and fresh, I know.

The Fall of 2009...The Wonderful
-I look out my kitchen window at the sky every morning at 7:45am and take a deep breath...I smile...I sometimes laugh. Amazing, deep, vibrant blends of colors painted all over the canvas sky...I love Saskatchewan. I praise God at least twice for this gift everyday, sunrise and sunset. It blows me away and brings me to worship.
-Oh, the people! Oh, the family! Being with so many I love and have missed for the last few years...this is wonderful, indeed.
-New car: the Blue Zoom!
-God's sweet provision- sweet job, sweet house to live in! I really enjoy my school community. Beautiful, beautiful school, and awesome colleagues. It is a great place to work. A talented, warm and fun group of teachers to work alongside. And my house....ooooh, I love my house, and my roommate! (Literally) huge blessing (not my roommate, the house!!). I feel like I'm swimming in space much of the time- it takes a long time to get places! After living in 600 square feet...to 2000? I don't even know how big this place is, but it's pretty awesome. And Nicole, my roommate- she's like a sister, and a friend I've always thought would be fun to live with. I'm so grateful for her!
-SPORTS!! I've had such a blast getting connected and reconnected in the sports community here. I have met some fantastic new friends. Tennis and football have been the highlight thus far. I had a lot of fun playing in a tennis tournament in the summer and was able to get to know some of the ladies. Now we are playing through the winter, too. Fun! I have also become slightly obsessed with touch football. I really enjoyed going to Nationals in Toronto in October...great experience, and again, fun to make new friends. Lately I have enjoyed trying floor hockey, playing volleyball again, and also rejoining my old university basketball friends in the ladies league here. Another great addition has been a twice-a-week early morning "boot camp". Usually early morning and Harmony do not work- but it has been great! Really good way to start the day, just dreadfully painful waking up to get there!
-Three plane tickets. The first took me to Toronto. The second will take me to New York for New Year's with my sister (wooohooo!!). The third will take me to Hong Kong in February!!! I'm so excited (and glad that I'm still able to travel)!

The Fall of 2009....The Challenging
-Transition- "in general". Returning to a place that is home...but isn't home at the same time. A place that is very old to me is actually new again- both a refreshing experience and sometimes a strange one. Finding my way in a new school community- sometimes it makes me feel sad and I long for the place where I felt known and comfortable. Settling into my own living space and feeling out the 'rhythm' of life here.
-Saying goodbye to my Grandpa and walking through the journey of grief with my family...knowing more deeply the hope that is ours, in awe of the gift of his life and his impact on mine, missing him and aching for Grandma.
-Missing my friends and my church family in Hong Kong. This was expected, but it is still hard.
-The workload and challenges of feeling like a first year teacher again. Busyness. New system, new grade, new kids, new community. Report cards.

Enough for today. At least the ball is rolling! Next step might have to be changing my blog title!! Hmmm...a new blogging identity...any suggestions?!

FUN!

2009-10-31T23:34:00.000-06:00

Last night a couple friends showed me these awesome videos on YouTube! From time to time I get a good kick out of "The Office"...even though I was in Season 2 in Hong Kong! Anyway, I love their wedding episode, which features some sweet dance moves up the aisle...moves that were actually inspired by this real wedding! Love it!! FUN. Here's a link the wedding episode from The Office.

Grandpa

2009-10-26T20:56:00.002-06:00

Looking back at the goodbyes...

2009-08-19T23:25:00.006-06:00

I swept over a lot of really good times on my blog (guess I was too busy enjoying them, so no apologies there!)- there were some great memories made during my last days in Hong Kong. So before I dive into the routines of life at home on this blog (that needs a new name?!), tonight I feel like looking back on some of my favorite goodbye moments in HK...

-A group of awesome friends from school (maybe 20 or so) pulled an awesome surprise on the three SK girls leaving town. It was a blast...they blindfolded us, put lovely signs asking for goodbye hugs and escorted us around the city, even traveled across the harbor on the bus to a mystery dinner location. It was so much fun, and we definitely didn't see it coming!!
-On three different occasions I celebrated? leaving with my tennis friends! Such good memories- the first was a trip out for HOTPOT + watching Wimbledon, another was THAI + dessert buffet at my place, and the last was a huge SHANGHAINESE feast + tennis!! Food is a key element, you see! I will miss these special people- not just because they know all the best places to eat and always order seven hundred dishes, or because they are die-hard tennis fans- but mostly because they were so much fun, and I sensed such a genuine friendship with them.

-Even though our school year ended unexpectedly (and sadly), I loved the chances I had to visit some of my students and their families in their homes! What a treat! I had such a great class this year- we became quite close. I have a feeling I will miss them this year! Each visit was unique and fun. One friend/parent treated the three SK girls to dinner at the "revolving restaurant", which none of us had been to! She really went out of her way to be a blessing and encouragement to us as we left- and we'll all remember her kindness, I'm sure.

-I received an amazing gift from friends- one that surprised me and blessed my socks off!! Two of my best buds, Alison and Liz, worked their creative brilliance in creating a movie for me- SUCH a great keepsake of my years in HK. It's called "Hong Kong Will Miss You, Harmony"! It made me laugh a lot and cry a lot! I love it and I will treasure it for a long time.-On our last work day, we had our annual year-end farewell event. My dear friend and colleague, Marg, blessed with such kind and encouraging words (and prayers!). She is one in a million, this one! I miss you (and why didn't we get a picture on that last day?!)!

-On my last night in HK, I spent time with some of my good friends from Solomon's Porch (my home church). I'm already missing SP so much! I loved my community at SP, and it was neat to spend my last evening with that crew.

It seems...not enough...to recap the last month in this way. It was a sad time- but such a wonderful time because it was a constant, FUN celebration of friendships, really. Sometimes I felt (and still feel) like crying about the friends I've said goodbye to (for now). But more often, it's the joy-inspired kind of cry- because it's been so good, and I've been so blessed! I miss you, my friends- thinking of you tonight.

Here are a couple other pics from the last weeks- one of my lovely friend Mary, and one of my bball guys, Kenneth...and the other is our SP house church- "K-House!" I spent the year with this small group. As you can see in the picture, they knew me well by the end of our time...ha ha! The next one is my friend Jacqualine, and the last is my Sunday School class from SP!

Well, that gives some voice into the month of June, but I still haven't managed to write about Shyam and Joshua's time in Hong Kong, or...my time in the Mae La refugee camp...or my great family reunion on the ranch...or my job news, which is developing! It might happen yet!

Kids at the border...

2009-08-17T09:08:00.002-06:00

Interesting story about desperate kids looking for refuge in Canada here.

Gooood adventure!

2009-07-12T07:08:00.003-06:00

Still writing from Luang Prabang- sweating buckets in an internet cafe.

The last two days were something else! What a great adventure we had on our trek to the village. Both Ashley and I started out feeling much less than 100%, and wondered if we should be going ahead with the weekend plan...6 hours trekking, 2 hours kayaking, 40 kilometers of biking. And a whole lot of Laos sunshine/sizzling heat! The tour group, Green Adventure Laos, suggested we shorten our trek to 3 hours so we decided to give it a go. We were joined by another Canadian teacher and our excellent guide, Sittha.

The trek up the mountain was awesome, but very very tiring by the time we were on the steep climb up, right under the sun. We waded through streams up to our knees, and the most memorable part was spending time with the farmers in the rice paddies. We waded in and helped out with a few bushels. It was one of the many moments I've had on this trip where a reality hit home...the life of a farmer in Asia. My feet slithered into the hot, hot muddy water and it felt unimaginable that this was their everyday life. Makes a very comfortable Canadian wonder (there would be more wondering on this day). On the way up, we also saw a young dad, mom and baby feasting? on rat. They love to eat rat in the village...sorry, I didn't have the chance. :)

After tackling the mountain (this felt like no small feat!) we were very pleased to arrive in our village. I had suspicions that it would be some fake village set up for tourists. Ha! This was definitely the real deal. It was such an interesting spot to hang out in for the day. The village was bustling with tons of kids, which made it an instant hit in my books...especially for taking pictures! Most of the little kids didn't wear clothes, and neither did the Grandmas. I had a National Geographic/am I dreaming? moment when a shirtless and saggy-boobed elderly woman came up to me and grabbed the flubber on my arms...measuring it like she had one of those fancy fat calipers. She laughed and laughed. She had those long ears because of her drooping, heavy earrings. Where the heck am I?! There was no electricity in the village. Most of the men cared for the children, strapped to their backs. The entire village was also an animal farm, and I had almost written an entire script for the next Disney movie- that was fun.

As mentioned in the previous post, Southeast Asia loves to describe things and places as "same, same...but different". While gawking at the different-ness of this village, I also smiled many times over at the same-ness of this village and life as I know it. Some examples? Little boys making farting noises with their arms stuck in their armpits. Kids using the international decision-making strategy: rock, paper, scissors. Crying babies up late into the night. Kids creating forts. Men making opium and smoking it and then offering it to the tourists...oh wait, maybe not so same-same!!!! (And NO, we didn't say yes to that offer, though apparently many other backpackers are eager to try it out)

We slept in something like a storage space you might see on a farm. It was fine, though we didn't sleep all that well (our place at the refugee camp was actually more comfortable). Between the crying baby next door, the roosters, and a heavy storm, it didn't make for a great night. Anyway, we woke up, ate some breakfast and started our day. Trekking down the mountain first- took about an hour and a half. I forgot to mention how BEAUTIFUL this place was! Green mountains spotted with trees, rice paddies, all resting in the clouds. We trekked down and then kayaked along the chocolatey river for another hour and a half. We ate some lunch, and then finished our adventure with a 40 kilometer bike ride back to town. HOOFTA! This was a great experience for me- I have never biked that far before, especially not in the plus 35 degree temperatures. It was a really good challenge and I will definitely sleep well tonight!!!

So, that was our adventure! It's time for bed, and then tomorrow is a traveling day- saying goodbye to Laos and hello to Cambodia!

Live from Laos...

2009-07-10T03:47:00.003-06:00

Hello friends. It's been awhile since I've posted on my blog. The last six weeks has been a blur. June was a month of goodbyes- lots of fun memories with plenty of laughs, and then a definite share of sad, teary farewells. However- no time to catch up on June now! July is here and with it, a load of experiences to blog about...but no time (or motivation??) to write! I'd better get started...
I'm in Luang Prabang, Laos. I am on a two-week adventure with my friend Ashley. This is the second chapter of our trip- the first could take awhile to tell you about because we saw, heard, experienced and learned a lot. We spent four days experiencing life in the Mae La refugee camp, located near the border of Thai and Burma. It was fun, overwhelming, filled with opportunity and memory-filled, hands-on, courage-giving and like nothing I've experienced before. We made good friends and listened to many stories- many of which I hope to tell in one way or another. I took a lot of video while I was there, so at some point a video will be compiled and shared...with hopes of communicating the stories, struggles, and strength of our Burmese friends. That's all on Mae La for now...more to come (I'm in the midst of catching up on my journaling- to give you an idea- I'm on page 9 and I haven't even arrived at camp yet :).
Back to Laos!! I love it!! Here are some reasons why...
-It's soooo laidback. I think of Hong Kong and other cities I've traveled- Hanoi, Bangkok, Kolkata...and I laugh. As soon as we drove into the city, I felt someone turn down the volume of life. And that is a good thing!! If people are stressed in Laos, they sure hide it well..
-It's soooo cheap!!! Daily (or maybe twice daily) banana-pineapple shakes? 1 dollar. Fresh baguette sandwiches off the street? 1 dollar. Our quiet, clean and well-cared for guesthouse? 3 dollars each/night. Our two-way one-hour ride to the waterfall today? 3 dollars. Hour-long foot massage? 4 dollars. YES!
-It's beautiful! As they say in this part of the world, "same-same but different" from its neighbors. Gorgeous blue skies, plenty of palm trees, waterfalls, and green green green. Luang Prabang is spotted with temples and orange and yellow clad monks wandering the streets.
-It has very impressive initiatives towards sustainable tourism, better than any place I've seen yet. One particular group, sponsored by World Bank, has outlined and published many, many ways that tourists can be responsible as they enjoy the country. You can check it out here- it's called Stay Another Day...very well done!!
I guess that's enough for today! We are off to do a bit of shopping in the market and then it will be a time for a foot-massage (essential, right?!). Tomorrow we are going on a two-day trip which involves trekking, kayaking, biking and staying with a Laos homestay family. On Monday, I will fly to Cambodia for a final three days before heading back to HK for a last weekend before my one-way ticket to...CANADA!

15?

2009-06-21T08:05:00.001-06:00

When things don't go as you expected...

2009-06-17T23:04:00.004-06:00

The last week has been hard. A week ago, the HK Education Bureau decided to shut down all the primary schools due to a couple of local cases of swine flu. The decision came quickly and within an hour of hearing the news, our year in grade five (and my three years teaching in HK) came to a teary close. We ended up having about half hour to share the news with the kids, somehow get their stuff (from a year!) all packed up, and give lots of hugs and last goodbyes. It was a blur. Being in a room with 19 weeping eleven year olds (and 1 twenty-seven year old) is a sad place to be! There were some very special moments that I'll hang onto from that day. Such a hard way to finish what has been a great year, and difficult for the kids to find good closure in such a sudden ending. Of course, this week was supposed to be one big party- Medieval feast, bowling, pizza, and apparently a surprise farewell for the teacher. I had such a colorful class this year- and quite an attached bunch.

Today has also been especially difficult as I found out that it would not be possible to get together with the kids outside of school, for one final party and farewell. The kids had directed their energy (and they have a lot of it!!) this week towards planning this party and it was supposed to happen today, but sigh...it couldn't happen due to the restrictions from the government. I am so sad to let down the kids again. I know they'll be okay- it will be fine in awhile- but it doesn't feel good right now.

The school closure has left me with an extra week of cleaning up and organizing time in my classroom. I am glad for the extra time, though it has felt strangely quiet in Room 402. Last Friday everything came down in the classroom, and that was hard, too. I've loved creating a 'learning home' for kids, and I loved my classroom. I was glad to take some time to give thanks for all the great kids, and all of the fun memories created, all that I saw and learned in my time as a teacher here. This week I've spent most of my time working on a project for my kids. I think they will love it.

So I'm in mending, feeling a little drained, but working on making the most of my next month (and only two weeks in HK). Each day is now scheduled with some kind of supper, coffee date or party. Thank you, google calendar! Life-saver! I recall my post a week or so ago- and I'm still in that place tonight- so grateful for this season of life. I hope I can communicate that gratitude well in the next two weeks- I have many people to thank and bless as I go!

Summer..

2009-06-17T22:44:00.002-06:00

In a couple weeks, my friend Ashley and I will be heading off for a finale tour of Southeast Asia. I'm going to see two countries that have been on the checklist for the past three years- Laos and Cambodia. I won't see even close to what I'd like to in these spots, but I'm excited for what I will see! However, before we get there, we will be taking an overnight bus from Bangkok to the Thai/Burma border. We've connected with the group Global Neighbors, and we're going to join them in doing some teaching at a high school at the Mae La refugee camp. I received the email below from Global Neighbours today. The place he refers to is exactly where we are going, and the Farm Manager mentioned is our contact for our time in the camp. Read on...

Hi,
I just got off the phone with our Farm Manager in Mae Sot, Thailand. He is also the founder of Htee Moo Draw School which is located in the Mae La Refugee Camp. This is one of the schools Global Neighbors is helping. There has been a major military operation about 80 kms North of Mae La Camp. There are a reported 4000 refugees that have crossed over into Thailand for safety in the last several weeks. This is the largest exodus in the past decade. Fifty orphaned children showed up at Htee Moo Draw school yesterday, with no more than the clothes on their backs. Henry has arranged for rice to feed them, but he also needs two shelters, blankets, protein and vegetables as well as mosquito nets. We have not talked about permenant care givers at this point, however we will need someone to look after them as well. They are bunked in with the other children who are staying in the dorm. Henry said, "There are literally wall to wall children in the dorm".
If any of you would like to help, you can send a cheque to:
Global Neighbors Canada
101-46-12th St East
Prince Albert, Sask.
S6V 1B2

We now have an online donation site available as well, please click on the following link:

http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=s90326

A tax deduction will be sent from Canada Helps for all online donations.

14

2009-06-07T10:13:00.003-06:00

2 weeks of kids...3 weeks of work...6 weeks in Hong Kong

2009-06-05T07:14:00.003-06:00

June has hit, and with it, the feeling of finishing and letting go of this chapter and this place. Today I officially cleared myself for take-off by paying my taxes and claiming my MPF (retirement savings). I was amazed that my tax was under 500 CDN for the past year! Hong Kong is great. :) I have no idea how they figured that out, but I'm not questioning it! I'm in the midst of arranging for another teacher to move into my flat over the summer, which is excellent because it means I can leave a lot of my stuff behind. It should simplify the move and I'm grateful for that.

In the past couple of weeks I have been hoping for a call from Regina Public but nothing has come up yet. The best chance at getting a full-time position has passed, so that was somewhat disappointing. I'm (mostly) okay with it, though. Regina is where I want to be, and I'm confident that a job will happen eventually. In the meantime, we've got some fertile ground for patience to grow. :) I may end up subbing for a time, which in some ways (in the short-term) is quite attractive. It would be nice to have a little more freedom with my time than usual and I can think of a number of things I might do with that time! I'm excited about moving back to Canada! It will be so good to be with my family again, and I'm also really looking forward to being in the Regina community. I've already got things lined up to join my football team for the second half of the season. Yeees! And, I'm hoping on getting in on a couple tennis tournaments, too. (I'm definitely excited about playing sports at home again! Woohoo!)

Last night I was reflecting again on God's flow of kindness in my life. It has been a very rich (though not equating easy) three years! Stepping out of one season and into the next, I want to commit to living in thankfulness. He is so good! I have been enjoying Hillsong United's new album, A Cross _ the Earth. The Desert Song has been a joy to have ringing through the ears...this simple bridge:

All of my life, in every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing,
I have a reason to worship

A friend from Hillsong shared with me that one of the gals singing had lost her baby just days before. Brings new light and meaning into the song.

Well, it's that time...Roger time. Looking forward to watching this one on my Friday night at home! Good night from HK. By the way, if you have a car you would like to sell or give away (why not?!), or a lovely apartment to rent in Regina, let me know! These two things will be among the first on the list to take care of when I get home!

The getaway gals go to China...

2009-06-02T08:31:00.005-06:00

I enjoyed my long weekend in Yangshuo, China with five of my good friends. We considered it as 'one last getaway'. (Yes, we're into the land of "lasts" these days!) I love Yangshuo. It is one of my favorite spots in China. It's only an hour flight from HK, so that made it an easy destination (the journey seemed almost too easy when I remembered my last trip to Yangshuo a few years ago- a 25 hour train journey!).

Anyway, it was a great time- beautiful scenery, good exercise, decent food, awesome accommodations, a fun chance to try out the Mandarin, good visits with friends. My favorite part about being in Yangshuo is going for bike rides into the countryside. This was a daily requirement, along with a daily dose of banana pancakes and a shake of some kind. Here are a few pictures from the weekend (the rest can be found here):

"West St."- Backpacker central.

Tammy, Ashley, Maureen, Mary, Wenny, and myself.

Hmmm.

New friend.

Not bad, hey?

Sunday

2009-05-17T08:21:00.003-06:00

The highlight of my day was attending the baptism for a student in my class. Philip was baptized along with his older brother and sister this afternoon, along with three other students from our school. What a special day for their family! They are wonderful people and live out their faith together. Here are a couple pictures; the last one is a bonus and it is my Ode to Watermelon. It's just so satisfying.

Philip and I

The Grade Five Crew!

The Hutchinson family and teachers (Alison, Mary and me)

I love you, watermelon.

So that's what it feels like...

2009-05-16T17:43:00.003-06:00

Lately I've been in a bad habit of napping from about 7:15-7:45pm so that I can feel 'rested' for tennis from 8-10pm. The other night I felt so tired but I really wanted to go to tennis. However, the thought struck me that maybe, maybe I should just go to bed. So I did. I went to bed at 8pm. I can't remember the last time I went to bed at 8pm, maybe twenty years ago?!

Talk about a payoff. I woke up at 6:30 and I finally understood the meaning of rested. I didn't actually need more sleep. What a strange phenomenon. And I felt good all day- almost like this is how I'm supposed to operate on a daily basis! I'm sure most of us have felt the same way, however, our lifestyles don't seem to agree with getting enough sleep. It makes a person wonder, though, doesn't it? Why do we drive ourselves into such tiredness when the alternative feels so much better? The rhythm of my life could sure use more rests!

My favorite commercial

2009-05-16T17:40:00.001-06:00

Roger-Rafa final in Madrid...gooooo Roger!!!!! I believe!

I've had company!

2009-05-08T21:47:00.008-06:00

I've had some special guests on the thirty-second floor in the past month! Looking back, the last month feels like such a blur, a busy and beautiful blur! I don't even think I blogged about Tara and Nicole's visit, though the week was very deserving of a blog!

They were a blast to have in HK- totally eager the minute they arrived! They proved themselves to be committed adventurers on their first day, when we decided to go hiking despite the ahem, monsoon icon on the weather website (but really, it said "a few scattered showers"!). The site was right on the 'scattered showers', at least for the first half hour of our hike! For the next three, it poured!!! We were absolutely soaked. It was hilarious, actually. We hiked through the crazy wind and rain, feeling very adventurous. We ran to catch a ferry to start the journey back and then ended up waiting for half hour along with 200 other Hong Kongers to catch a bus...then another bus...and a taxi. We finally made it home. They did all of this on day one! When it was back to school for me, they spent their days exploring the city (as well as one crazy spa day in Shenzhen, across the border in China)...and I always looked forward to the Daily Report from Tara afterschool. It usually lasted about fifteen minutes and was very entertaining. I wish I would have captured one of the Daily Reports on video...:) Anyway, I really enjoyed having them with me!! Not sure if I've ever laughed so much in a week...

the beginning of the hike- day one

bubble tea + foot massage = :)

in the kowloon city walled park

Then Mom, Dad, Autumn and Andrew spent last weekend with me. It was their fourth time stopping in Hong Kong! They are experts now! It has been so neat to create new memories with them each time. Each visit ended up being unique and fun in its own way. This time around was special because we spent a lot of time with the girls that came to India with me; they have become dear to our family. We went out for a local Chinese meal the first evening (their specialty was Peking Duck, and we ate a lot of other notable things, like eel and jellyfish), we went on a beautiful bike ride (though it was so crazy busy on the holiday weekend that you felt you were in the Tour De France, Hong Kong style), and enjoyed meals with other special friends in Hong Kong. Again, another weekend with great memories!

the bike riding crew (new territories, hong kong)

ahhhhh!! traffic galore!

andrew's favorite (and cheapest) and meal: wonton

out for starbucks together by the harbor

at church with pastor sam and his wife, lisa (special people, too!)

the peking duck meal

Saskatchewan Parade in Calgary

2009-05-08T21:33:00.001-06:00

Yeeeeeahhh! I'm coming, I'm coming! (July 20)

Save Bumfs!

2009-04-12T07:17:00.005-06:00

I'm writing from our "7 Day Inn" in Wuhan. We arrived from Shandong province earlier today. I flew to Beijing and met Jason, Shannon and Emmanuelle there. We took a very speedy and posh train to Yangzhou. On a number of occasions I have been a little thrown off by the newness of things in China- there has definitely been a make-over in some spots since the Olympics. The main reason for being in Shandong province was for our good friends' wedding. Carl and Cathy are both special friends from the year I spent living in Hubei. It was great to be there, and also to see many old friends again. So far I've had two massages. I've eaten eggs and tomatoes twice. And I've seen some high quality Chinglish. Like today in the bathroom, the toilet paper dispenser said "Save Bumfs". Think about that one...I've got nothing but laughs from it so far.

While Shandong was great, coming back to Hubei has a definite homey touch to it. This is the China I know best! As we walked down the street for supper, I was excited to see many of my favorite things: a good sports store, a stationery store where I can buy many funny Chinglish notebooks, a man who sells baked sweet potatoes, a dumpling shop, a bubble tea shop, a dvd and music store, many things to eat on a stick, and most importantly, a hair salon where I can get a cheap hairwash and head massage. :) Yes, I'm back at home in China! Love it. Tonight at supper I was quickly reminded of why I packed on the pounds in China...the food is so so good! I also love being back in Mandarin-mode. It's a lot easier for me to understand than Cantonese and my vocabulary has a little more stretch than my Cantonese, which is very limited. One thing that is notably different this time around is the addition of one really really cute kid! Emmanuelle draws plenty of attention...I've laughed many times thinking, "Wow, that person looks so excited to see me; isn't that special?! I wonder why they are so interested in me!" And then I remember who's tagging along behind- it's the super squishy beautiful blue-eyed baby girl!! Ha ha ha!

The best part is seeing our friends, though. That's always what you remember most about a place, so coming back brings back so many good memories. I'm looking forward to making more in the next three days!

This week's project (31/31)

2009-04-02T07:40:00.005-06:00

This little movie has been my project of the week. We will show it tomorrow at the school's dinner theatre. They are kindly taking an offering for the Bread of Life Academy and Bible College at the event.

India has been on my mind this week. Working on the movie, wearing my red salwar to school on Monday for 'cultural dress day', visiting with Steve after his week in Guwahati, thinking of Mom, Dad and kids often.

In line with the theme, tonight I was over to Richard and Vivian's for homemade Indian supper. We had smoking hot chicken biryani, daal, and shrimp with ocre. All very tasty! Vivian asked me, "So Harmony, do you plan to marry?" Uhhh.... They laughed and said, "Oh, it's quick and easy!!" Richard is thinking of starting a dating website called "Richard's Arranged Marriages: Quick and Easy!" Ha, ha, ha!! I always enjoy their perspective on dating and marriage and wonder at how it could be so quick and easy?! They are a great family and I enjoyed being in their home. Just wait til you see their kids!! Sooo cute! They took some pictures so when I get them I'll definitely post them on the blog.

That's it! 31/31! I dipped into April, but the March Blogging Challenge is officially complete! It's been fun. Thanks, Jill, for joining me! It was great to journey through the month with you!

Twitter Trouble (30/31)

2009-04-01T04:56:00.004-06:00

Not sure if you're a Twitter-freak or not, but I thought this movie was a funny and accurate peek/commentary on the Twitter world. I use Twitter but update rarely, though I've enjoyed some of the chatter from my church community. Twitter, texting, facebook, blogging- it's the way of communication "these days". It's an issue that I think about often as a teacher! Anyway, check out the video and forgive the language in a couple parts!

Why I love Starbucks in HK... (29/31)

2009-04-01T04:37:00.004-06:00

It's not because it tastes any more delightful. It's because my barista friends give me sweet deals!!!! It's the best! I'm sitting at Starbucks at the moment, happy to have found my long lost barista buddy, Ching Wa. He had switched stores and so I thought I'd lost him. But today our coffee friendship was revived when I found him at one of the biggest Starbucks in the city. He gabbed on and on in a mix of Cantonese and Mandarin (I think we were catching up on old times?), I complimented him on his cool new haircut, and then he gave me a half-price latte, a stamped up card (ten=free coffee, another plus to Starbucks here) and added on a Ferrero Rocher, just for kicks. Great guy! The other day, the competing love of my coffee life, "TZ", also went on a stamping spree on my card. Woohoo! Free coffee, fun people! :)

food, facebook, freedom, fasting. (28/31)

2009-03-30T05:11:00.006-06:00

In January, I joined my church in a 21-day fast. I decided to try a "Daniel Fast"- eating only fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It was both a valuable and difficult experience for me (seems that often valuable and difficult like to stick together in life's lessons). Cutting out sugar was the most challenging aspect. I always need that sweet finish to every meal. It was good for me to go cold turkey on the sweet stuff. I realized that I didn't actually have to HAVE it- that chocolate ice-cream, that chocolate cake, that chocolate anything. :) I guess in that realization, I also learned that I had been a slave to those sugar fixes! Another thing that struck me during the fast was the amount of sugar and preservatives in so many things that we eat. I learned to read labels carefully, and felt so good eating real food all the time.

At that time, I also felt like I was wasting great amounts of time on facebook. Did I really want to look back on '09 and calculate that I spent more time reading people's updates than I did actually spending time with people...or playing my guitar...or working out...etc.? Letting go of facebook for a month was much easier than changing my eating habits. I didn't think about it too much, and that surprised me. But I did need to realize that I didn't HAVE to check facebook a number of times a day. Seems silly to say, but when you become enslaved to something, it feels like you do.

Though I did learn valuable lessons simply from the act of fasting, that wasn't the point. The point was to deepen my relationship with God and increase my dependency on Him. I often found myself so frustrated because I felt "stuck" on the surface level of the experience. I was fasting to spend more time with God, but I would still find numerous other things to do. I also found it so easy to get caught up in legalism over what I could and couldn't eat. A good friend pointed out to me, "Holiness isn't found in ritual". It's so true. Fasting alone doesn't guarantee intimacy in your relationship with God. Our pastor often reminded us, "Fasting without prayer = a diet". This is also true. The thing that I loved was sharing the experience with my church family. There such a deep spiritual desire clearly alive in the services. It was such an encouragement to know that everyone was in it together- a great way to experience the community of the church.

So I'm a work in progress. I'm grateful for what I learned, and I will try it again sometime. I know that I can experience so much more in fasting...but it needs to be combined with a much greater effort devoted to prayer.

A great day. (27/31)

2009-03-28T08:12:00.005-06:00

I've had an excellent Saturday. It started with a morning at home, watching a great game between Kansas and Michigan St. online, and then working with IMovie '09 for awhile. Then I left for the Rugby Sevens, over on the island. It took me a lot longer to walk there after my bus ride than I had anticipated, but it was turned out well because I met a lovely British couple, Sarah and Grant. We chatted all the way up the hill to Hong Kong Stadium.

I really enjoyed the Sevens! It's an awesome sporting event! Crazy, crazy fans, and a great tournament structure. Continuous games all day long at 20 minute intervals. I watched about 15 different teams play during the afternoon, I think. Some of them were huge blowouts. The powerhouse teams like England and New Zealand were so good. It's a fast game and fun to watch. Rugby players make football players (as well as most other athletes!) look like pansies. Especially in the Sevens game, they have such an impressive combination of power and speed. I was surprised and impressed with the sportsmanship evident in the game. I didn't see the after the whistle clashes you see in football, nor the dives you see in soccer. I liked that. It was fun to watch them break out for long runs. I watched Canada beat Chinese Taipei, and after that Hong Kong pulled out a big win against Tonga. That was a great match.

The fans in the infamous "South Stand" were nuts. I overheard one person trying to find a friend on the phone..."So, you're next to the Incredible Hulks and the bumblebees? Are the men in the orange tights closeby?!" Some of my favorite get-ups: the Smurfs, the Teletubbies, the Roman soldiers, the bananas and the Dan Marinos. I wished that I would have taken my Nikon with me; there were plenty of fun photo opportunities. I think the fans in the South Stand alone were likely responsible for drinking enough to fill the Hong Kong harbour with beer...so you can imagine the environment on that side of the stadium!

After the Sevens, I met up with new friends at an Indian/Nepalese restaurant. I had a great time getting to know Medha and Kala. Dad has become friends with Medha's family in Guwahati, so he connected Medha and I. And the food was so, so good!

Overall, a great day!

I didn't know how to get to the Stadium, so I assumed this guy was headed in the right direction...

Hong Kong Stadium

The "South Stand"

These people were pretty excited to have their picture taken.
They're only one hour away!

Delicious meal with new friends, Kala and Medha

She's back!!! (26/31)

2009-03-27T08:39:00.004-06:00

Some great news today from the tennis world! Kim Clijsters is making a comeback! This is good for women's tennis, which has taken a hit in the past couple years, losing players like Henin, Clijsters and Davenport. Clijsters, a former #1, is a fun player to watch, and so well-liked on the tour. She's only 25, so if she can manage to stay healthy, she could do well for a few years yet. Now if Justine Henin would get back into the game...

I had to laugh this morning when friend sent me a text message: "Hey, I see you on the news!" My Chinese friends here like to call me "Kim" because they think I resemble her! Hey, if my backhand even came close to resembling Kim's, I'd be thrilled!!! :) I'll keep dreaming..

Good times (25/31)

2009-03-27T08:07:00.003-06:00

Tonight we had our basketball wind-up party. One of the guys on the team has a great place for a party. His parents make movies. You can imagine that his house (it actually is a house) is slightly more spacious than my 630 foot flat.

Things got interesting when one guy locked out two of the others, while letting the guard dog loose in the yard. We laughed pretty hard as they tried to escape by running around the pool...and eventually jumped in. I wish I would have caught it on video. The dog was far more playful than dangerous; but I would have been freaked out if I was the one locked out of the house! Anyway, a few of us were left inside, enjoying the entertainment. With sixteen year old guys, you can guess it wasn't long until everyone was thrown into the pool...coach included (twice)!! Ah, good memories. I'm going to miss these guys, that's for sure.

A cake I made for the party.

The party site!

Toss #1

Toss #2 (they launched me backwards a second after this picture)

Hong Kong Sevens (24/31)

2009-03-26T07:46:00.003-06:00

Today I picked up a free ticket to the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens! I am excited. I'm not really a rugby fan and I know little about the sport, but the Sevens are the talk of town in HK at this time of the year. It will be good to add to the HK experience resume. Plus, I'm always up for learning about a new sport. From what I hear, the fans take on Riderville-like qualities, so that should keep things interesting.

I'm doing a little research before I go. Here's what I know so far:
-Hong Kong is supposed to be the biggest stop on the Sevens Cup circuit.
-They've been hosting the Sevens in HK since 1976. Tradition.
-Rugby is normally played with 15, but for Sevens...they play with 7. Good one. Same size field, so the game depends more on speed.
-Games only last 15 minutes (two 7-minute halves, with a 1-minute half time). So on Saturday, games start every 22 minutes...from 10:30am to 7:15pm.
-New Zealand comes in as the defending champions. Samoa won the year before.

The rest I'll learn on the fly! Should be fun!

Too Good!!! (23/31)

2009-03-25T19:27:00.005-06:00

Yeah. They were just too good! The show was phenomenal. I was amazed at their talent and versatility as a band. Each guy switched up instruments with ease. The drummer did a solo on the acoustic (sweet voice, too), and Chris Martin whipped out the harmonica. He is an incredible musician, that guy. What a voice. The best part was the energy level. They were giving 110% on every song.

It's hard to choose favorites...but I'd have to go with Fix You. The crowd was all over it (Alicia, I tried to call you in the middle of it and Barb picked up!! I don't think she knew it was Chris Martin calling!!). I loved Clocks, Lovers in Japan, Viva la Vida (so fun) and one of the encores- an old one and such a great song- The Scientist. He also did a piano solo on The Hardest Part- impressive. And In My Place..that was so good, too...and Yellow...(I think you get the picture here!!). They played almost all of the songs from Viva La Vida. One I wish they would have played but didn't was Swallowed in the Sea.

Our seats were okay; they were about halfway back. About midway through the show, they ran to the back of the arena and stood on a platform in the middle of the crowd for an acoustic set. It was awesome! All kinds of special effects and video effects to add to it all. Yeah- it was a great night. I'd go see them again tonight if I could!

Ashley and Wenny!

Ahhhh...Chris Martin. :)

Yellow! (You can see how far back we were, and that's about halfway to the back of the arena! Not a great venue.)

On his way to the back...

Acoustic set.

tuesday - hyphenated (22/31)

2009-03-24T07:27:00.006-06:00

coffee - dark skies - rain - sticky and warm - chapel - sing - smile - throw off that which easily entangles - grapes - photocopying - newspaper - buzzing feet - sigh - the mystery of fractions - homemade pizza - staff room chatter - good friends - grade five love poems - amused teacher - feudalism - tidy classroom - facebook - oops forgot about that meeting - meeting - decisions - responsibilities - salmon supper at home - company - chocolate cake ice cream - calorie burning - stretching - bike riding - revived - laundry - dishes - muffin baking - oovoo - who did make the fishes swim - family - anticipation - guitar - blog - pray - sleep.

wednesday - hyphenated:
work - COLDPLAY!!!! :)

The Great Mathematical Conversation (21/31)

2009-03-23T06:47:00.005-06:00

Once a month we have a PD session after school. We were supposed to be brainstorming in small groups about two teaching strategies, but somewhere in there I whipped out the monster of all mathematical inquiries: "What does it really mean to multiply a fraction, anyway?!" Oooh. Thus, the great mathematical conversastion began.

I should know, right? After drawing numerous pictures and talking about a million ways to chop up pies and apples, we did manage to make a little ground...but really, multiplying and dividing fractions doesn't make all that much sense. Or does it? Our conversation would go around in circles, until someone would finally concede..."whatever, just teach them the rule!"

I was the kind of kid more than happy to take the rule and apply it, no questions asked. But not every kid is satisfied with that (which is a good thing!), so as a teacher I'm on a mission to get behind this mathematical...quandary. The best I've got so far is using an overlapping grid that shows area to multiply one fraction by another. That makes sense to me. And chopping up an apple bit by bit seems to work in my brain. Wilf Olson! Speak out your wisdom! Anyone else? I'll give...a high five...to anyone who can think of a great way to teach the science of multiplying fractions! (Bonus high five for enlightening us on division!)

Back to apple chopping...

Boogers and big butts?! (20/31)

2009-03-22T08:26:00.008-06:00

Here's a pic of Boomer, Wilby and Irwin. We did two skits a day for the three-day VBS. We had a lot of fun, though I'm glad to let go of all the lines that were stuffed inside my brain all week. The kids were pretty attached to the characters; chances are good that I will forever be known as "Boomer" to all the little ones in the school. As long as they don't slip up and instead call me "Booger" as one little girl did! She had no clue- that was the best part.

Today I had a pretty good laugh at Sunday School. We were walking to our classroom, and one of the six year olds in my class piped up earnestly, "Why do all teachers have such big butts?!!" Haaaaaa. (I decided against informing her that she'd have one of her own someday, and just enjoyed the moment!!) You gotta love kids!!!

Adventures with Steve and John..(19/31)

2009-03-21T08:45:00.006-06:00

It's been a fun, full, fantastic week! Last night we went on a little adventure through three distinct areas of Hong Kong. It was John's only chance to see as much of the city as possible, so we did the best we could with the time we had and the remaining energy from a busy week!

The adventure started with supper at one my favorite Thai restaurants in an area known for its great Thai cuisine. My good friends Tammy and Maureen joined us. The guys enjoyed the dishes, though they were a little thrown off by the traditional Tom Yum Thai soup. Some people love the stuff, but either way Tom Yum is a taste like no other, really. Thai food is the best!

After we polished off the likes of the pad thai, red curry, papaya salad and satay, it was time for a walk to...Starbucks. Ha! Starbucks is so...cultural?! But necessary for two guys fighting jet lag and needing to a see a big city in one night. Next stop was The Peak, one of my favorite destinations. We were caught in a bit of a cloud at the top, but it cleared up a bit and we were able to catch a decent view.

The last stop was Mongkok. Drop-off point? The same sick and smelly corner I walked Steve blindly into a couple days before- stinky tofu corner. Love it. John didn't exactly love it, but again, it's all about the experience. We navigated through the crowds and did some late night shopping in the market. John was overjoyed when he found a shop specializing in Chinglish magnets. I'm pretty sure most of the market heard him laughing. What a character.

We finished things off with one of my favorite drinks- a mango coconut sago drink. I got a funny look from Steve when he discovered the little sago-tapioca like balls in the drink. "What is that?! Fish eyeballs?!" Stretching the ol' horizons, we are...ha ha! They were both ready to escape the crowds and "go somewhere without people" by the time we were finished in the market! Most Canadians would be; it's a chaotic place to spend a couple hours!

It has been awesome having them here. It's always wonderful to share this place with people you love! I know they were both a real blessing to our secondary students at the camp, and certainly a blessing to me! Great memories made.

My friends, the taxi drivers (18/31)

2009-03-21T08:16:00.003-06:00

Tonight I had a highly amusing taxi ride home. I wasn't entirely in the mood; feeling a little tired and too lazy to stretch my limited language skills across the 15 minute ride to my place. Too bad; Wing Leung the taxi driver had big dreams for these 15 minutes. Here are some of the words Wing Leung spoke often on our ride: "You! Me! Make friends-ee!! (as he pretends to drink) You teach English-ee to me! You English teacher! Call me!" Repeat. Repeat. So we worked the language a bit- new words in caps- "This is a TRAFFIC JAM. Many CARS!!! I am TIRED! I am hungry (he got that one!). LET'S GO!!"
It was quite the conversation. Maybe I'll call him up for a ride when Steve comes back on his way through and introduce him to Wing Leung.

This happens from time to time with taxi drivers here. Last week a friend and I met taxi driver 007. Yeah, I named him Bond. He loved that, a little too much...and the same ride that I took today with Wing Leung (the one that took 15 minutes), turned into an 8 minute ride with Bond. Plus he sang karaoke. Loudly. "And I....eeeeee...I...will always love yoooooooou". Yes- Whitney Houston by my Cantonese taxi driver who thinks he is now James Bond. What a great ride home.

Driving a car in Canada might seem a little dry after cruising the streets of HK with guys like Wing Leung and Bond at the wheel.

Taking a time-out...

2009-03-19T08:53:00.002-06:00

This doesn't count as one of my daily posts....it's just letting you know that I'm on a time-out for two days because the days have been tooooo full. By the time I arrive at my computer, my brain just says no...
So- I'll be back soon, just need to finish our Vacation Bible School and also make the most of my two remaining days with Steve and John..

Tonight's arrival...(17/31)

2009-03-17T08:28:00.004-06:00

John is in the house! Tomorrow morning, the two of them will head off to camp to speak to the secondary kids at my school. Our VBS for the elementary kids starts tomorrow, also. It's a busy week. I'm planning to travel out to the camp for the evening sessions.
Steve made good headway on exploring Kowloon side today, and managed to help me break and then fix my toilet! Jetlag hit at about 4pm, but we pressed on through the market, past the smelly tofu place (an important stop), at Starbucks for an espresso to help with the jetlag symptoms...and then over to the Island for supper at my favorite spot- Habibi, an Egyptian restaurant. After picking up John at the airport, we're back and all ready for bed!

Look who showed up...(16/31)

2009-03-16T10:26:00.003-06:00

Steve!!! :)

Sunday (15/31)

2009-03-15T09:33:00.004-06:00

I spend most of my Sunday at church. I teach the 5 and 6 year old class in the morning, eat lunch with friends, and then go the afternoon service. Our church is on the Island, in an area called Sheung Wan. I like walking through this district. It has an old, traditional Chinese feeling to it. The theme of the streets around our church is dried goods. Dried everything. I really have no idea what many of the items are. Some of them look like well, dried poo. Lots of the stuff is dried fish. And all of it is good for your health, of course! The streets have a distinct aroma, as you can imagine. Thankfully, there are a couple of delightful bakeries that give some reprieve to the fishy odor. Anyway, I took a couple pictures at lunch today, as I wandered the streets for awhile. (Bonus pic: my Sunday School students showing off their Queen Esther crowns!)

Chinese BBQ (14/31)

2009-03-15T09:13:00.007-06:00

Yesterday I had a great time with my Chinese friends. I joined them for a Hong Kong style bbq (it's not a barbecue, that sounds so dry... it's a "bbq!"). And these people do some serious, serious bbq-ing. We're not talking about roasting a couple hot dogs or hamburgers with a little white Wonder bread. This is a bbq feast. They bbq everything! Everything on a stick: fishballs, meatballs, hot dogs, mini-sausages, corn, potatoes, mushrooms (long stringy ones from Japan), beef steaks, barbecued pork, cuttlefish, lamb chops, kidneys from some animal, and even squid. Oh, and marshmallows, just for me! When I explained our Canadian barbecues, one of my friends shrugge her shoulders and said, "Oh! That's so boring!!" They also love to glaze honey over everything, which I'm actually quite a fan of now. I might bring that one back to Canada with me! I infused a little North American culture by bringing Rice Krispies and teaching them the way of the s'more. They loved both!

It was a lot of fun. I usually don't understand all that much of the conversation when I hang out with them, but I get to practice my Cantonese listening skills, and genuinely enjoy their company. They are just great people- kind-hearted, generous and fun-loving. Plus, they throw a mean bbq and they're crazy about tennis...good friends to have! Here are a few pictures (I forgot to mention our beautiful spot in Sai Kung, one of my very favorite parts of HK):

Are you kidding me?!

2009-03-13T04:16:00.004-06:00

I'm telling ya, it's great to be a sports fan in March!! Did you see the 6-OT Big East game between Syracuse and UConn?!! That's no typo...6 overtimes! Crazy.

most played songs of 09...so far! (12/31)

2009-03-12T06:38:00.003-06:00

In no particular order, an eclectic collection of favorites from this year...

1) I Have Found- Kim Walker
2) How He Loves- Kim Walker
3) Human- The Killers
4) The Girl- City and Colour
5) Give Me Your Eyes- Brandon Heath
6) Fearless- Taylor Swift
7) White Horse- Taylor Swift
8) Live Now- Paul Brandt
9) Please Read the Letter- Alison Krauss and Robert Plant
10) When Your Mind's Made Up- Glen Hansard (from the Once soundtrack)
11) Falling Slowly- Glen Hansard (from the Once soundtrack)
12) Disturbia- Rihanna
13) Our Last Summer- Colin Firth (from the Mamma Mia soundtrack)
14) Mamma Mia- Meryle Streep (from the Mamma Mia soundtrack)
15) Jesus Messiah- Chris Tomlin
16) I Will Rise- Chris Tomlin
17) For Who You Are- Hillsong
18) The Good Confession (I Believe)- Andrew Peterson
19) A New Hallelujah- Michael W. Smith with the African Children's Choir
20) Lose My Soul- Toby Mac

Here's a taste of Kim Walker..

Video Blog (11/31)

2009-03-11T09:02:00.001-06:00

Something different tonight...

Getting warmed up for the madness!!

2009-03-11T08:10:00.003-06:00

This is a sweet upset in the World Baseball Classic...the mighty Dominican, with 23 MLB players, falls to the Netherlands (they have 2). See? March is the month for upsets! Love it.

My big shot...(10/31)

2009-03-10T07:25:00.003-06:00

Okay, more booming than big. I'm playing a kid named "Boomer" for our three-day VBS at school next week. "Boomer is a fighter pilot wannabe who recklessly runs around with a model jet fighter plane and plays out imaginary fighter jet sorties in his mind". I feel like I've had a couple Red Bull energy drinks when we rehearse! Only a small part of me worries that I've been typecasted, as it's really just too much fun crashing around a stage. Plus, another friend is playing the ultimate geek with a perpetual snotty sneeze (and he plays it so well!). Ha ha!

One of my co-workers is an all-star graphic artist, and he put together our 'promo' coloring sheets. Haa! Introducing Boomer...

Bringing Cougs pride to HK...(9/31)

2009-03-08T22:52:00.006-06:00

This morning I got to watch the second half of the National Championship, hosted at the U of R. The hometown Cougs (ranked #2) were up against Simon Fraser (#1). It was fun seeing the U of R pack the place, as usual. There are few universities in Canada that get the crazy crowd support that Regina does, and you can imagine the home team advantage the Cougs had going into the National Final. Unfortunately they came up short against what looked like a tough SFU team. They came up with some big shots and Regina didn't shoot very well. A hard one to lose on the home court, especially with six 5th year players in their final games.

Takes me back to the good ol' days, when I proudly warmed the pine for one great season. I think of that year (and a half actually, until I blew out my knee) often and miss the intensity of it all. It was one of the best experiences I've had in my life. It makes me feel very old to look at the roster and see that most of the girls were just going into high school when I was playing on the team! Yikes!! Anyway, I had to pass on a little Cougs pride to the kids in Grade 5 today, so we watched the last few minutes of the game in class. I'm sure some of them would fit in well with the crowd in Regina...

China Reunion Tour (8/31)

2009-03-08T07:25:00.007-06:00

It's all on schedule! The China Reunion Tour is set for spring break. Jason, Shannon and Emmanuelle are making the long journey from Regina and we'll meet in Beijing. Then it's back on the ol' China railway for a ride to small town Shandong, where we are going to a wedding of some very good friends from the Shiyan days. After that we'll head for mighty Wuhan, a big city close to our former home in Hubei. It will be great to spend a couple days here, purely to reconnect with some really special friends (people don't go to Wuhan to see the sights!).

Of course, what I'm most excited about is seeing the people, but I'm also looking forward to being back in the real China again- with all of its stares, surprises, laughable signage, cute squishable little faces, funny and friendly men waving "hullo!!" and tasty, tasty dishes. It will be fun to whip out what's left of the old Mandarin, too. (Now I find myself swapping my Mandarin for Cantonese, or a combination of what I understand from the two). And, to share another China adventure with J and S will be a ton of fun. Throw the ultimately squishy Elle into the mix, and we should have ourselves a pretty great trip!!

That blessed time for teachers... (7/31)

2009-03-07T07:03:00.004-06:00

Yeah, report card time. That means I'm spending a lot of quality time at school this weekend. Today was a surprisingly productive day (seeing it's only Saturday and report cards aren't due until Monday) and I've got most of the work finished. I celebrated by hopping a taxi to Subway, followed by a scoop of Belgian Chocolate Haagan-Daz (I had a coupon). I stopped at HMV and picked up the movie, Once. I'm watching it as the background soundtrack to adding comments to report cards. The movie is a little slow, yet enjoyable...and the music is even better, just right for a bit of multi-tasking. Sorry- report cards are taking priority over meaningful blogging tonight. Tomorrow night I'll be free!

To know Him is to trust Him. (6/31)

2009-03-06T08:54:00.005-06:00

To know Him is to trust Him. Faith flows from the right picture of who God is.

These thoughts have been sitting with me for the past couple weeks as our pastor has been preaching on the topic of "Knowing God". I often wrestle with feeling that can somehow "will" myself to have more faith. My thinking is being challenged in some great ways as I am reminded that as I get closer to Jesus and know Him more, my faith grows. It's so easy for me to put what I am capable of doing and believing in the same box as what God can do and who He is. That's a bad mix-up and one that is hugely limiting to faith.

A couple questions I'm asking myself this week:

"How much of my faith is about me and what I can do?"
And related to that- a question I've had on my wall for the past couple of years, "Harmony, do you believe that I can bless you more than you can bless yourself?" (God).

More thoughts on this to come...maybe tomorrow!

Excitement! (5/31)

2009-03-05T08:15:00.006-06:00

Excitement was the theme of the day. We had our first "Monster Smartie Party" in class. This is the ultimate prize in our classroom. This crew puts some serious energy into a party! I write this as I recall being attacked by hyper boys with pillows (that belong in the quiet reading corner). It's all about the memories. :)
Our Monster Smartie Party gave way to the school pep rally. The major highlight of the pep rally was the Dunk Competition. A couple guys from my team had some sick, sick dunks! We lowered the nets, but still- their athleticism is plain ridiculous. It was a blast to watch them wow the crowd! Fun stuff. I'm pretty pumped about a couple of the pics below!

Love (4/31)

2009-03-04T09:37:00.004-06:00

Kids come up with the best artwork. This one is on my wall at home. It was made by a grade one Sunday School student. It's a response to the story of the Good Samaritan. I love it.

Punctuation is the Key (3/31)

2009-03-03T08:24:00.004-06:00

Today I was having a conversation with a bright and very likable young lad in my class. I was doing my best to convey to him the importance of balancing talking and listening. Actually, I was really asking him to just stop talking so much. :) I saw the wheels spinning. "So, what you're saying is...I need to add punctuation?" Bingo! Edit the run-on sentence! Throw in a comma, a semi-colon, why you could even use a period...a full stop! So there you have it- our new code language for self-control in speech...."use a comma, please!!"

Likely a good reminder for me, too. Run-on sentences are bad news...maybe most of us could use some punctuating help.

"...Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry..."
-James 1:19

Did you poison this cookie? (2/31)

2009-03-02T08:16:00.005-06:00

The day is winding down in HK. I was just chatting with Elijah, Michael and Tim on Skype. Elijah was proud of the fact that he woke up before I did. Time is weird- I'm in my pajamas getting ready to end my day, and they're just getting ready to eat their morning Cheerios. It was a pretty funny conversation- who knew you could fight a monster via video conference?! I lost my eye in the battle. Toddlers can be vicious.

My friend Jacqualine came over tonight. She is the teenage daughter of my dear friend Fiona, who passed away this summer after a brave fight with cancer. Jacqualine and her younger brother Kingsley come over for supper once in awhile. I like treating them to dessert, and tonight I made The Easiest Cookies in Life (also known as "cake mix cookies"- take any cake mix (lemon is my favorite), add two eggs and about a third cup of oil...presto...a pretty nice cookie for five minutes work). We had a lot of cookies, so I took Jacqualine on a cookie sharing outing in my complex.

From time to time I wander around with baking in hand, hoping to share a little love with my neighbors and pick up a smile or two. A minor frustration that I sometimes feel in HK is the "officialdom" of the culture. It actually leaves me in as much wonder as it does frustration. I offer my cookies to the workers in the building and I get a look that says, "I can't take it. It's not in the rule book". Or, "You look a little sketchy. Did you poison this cookie?!" Maybe, my cookies just don't look all that good to eat!

Jacqualine gave the cookie sharing campaign a major boost tonight. She was able to explain that I was not a crazy person (most of the time), and that the cookies were actually not half bad. Amazing what speaking a language can do! I heard a couple "ho mei's" (tastes so good!) from the takers, and picked up a few smiles, too. Cookie mission accomplished!

Dodgeball: Game of Champions (1/31)

2009-03-01T08:02:00.009-06:00

My church is revving up a pretty awesome sports ministry. It reminds me of Sunday nights at 1825 Rothwell St- playing basketball in the pint-size gym and loving the chance to play with big brother Tim and his cool and athletic friends. Anyway, tonight we played some epic dodgeball. I think dodgeball is an amazing way to spend an evening- whipping balls at your friends with every ounce of strength. Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge, baby. What could be better?!

It also brought back a memory that makes me laugh of embarassment. Why didn't my roommates at the time (TAMARA!) tell me that I should not wear purple spandex for the dodgeball tournament? Tonight I spared my (new) friends the terror of seeing me in purple spandex. I won't spare you, though...here's a picture of the purple spandex (and some other good friends in trendy gear)...from the 80's party of the century (another fine memory!).

Ah, dodgeball- a game for the ages.

Passing on the torch...

2009-03-01T07:34:00.003-06:00

Chelsey and Jason have inspired me. I've really enjoyed their daily postings. I'm jumping on the bandwagon. I'm picking up on the blog-a-day challenge. So in the month of March, Hong Kong Harm should be making a daily appearance on your reader. Here we go...

Oh, and I would like to nominate JILL to join the March challenge!!

New Favorite

2009-02-26T06:57:00.003-06:00

I found my new favorite place to eat tonight- Just Salad. It's based in New York and they just opened up a store in Hong Kong. It's basically a make your own salad style set up, with custom salads and wraps. It was so enjoyable that I think I'll go back tomorrow!

Guess the shoe didn't fit.

2009-02-26T06:41:00.002-06:00

An update on the Cinderella story. They played a tough game but we lost 72-49. It was a significant achievement to notch 49 on this particular team. We were down by two at the end of the first quarter. We were terribly outrebounded and one by one my 'big' guys fouled out. They had a number of trees. We had a number of fighters...but came up short (no pun originally intended). I was proud of the guys. A couple of them made some incredible finishes- very pretty to watch. They've come a long way this year- as individual basketball players and especially as a team.

A Canadian Christmas

2009-02-20T09:11:00.001-06:00

Some of you might enjoy this....bits and pieces from my Christmas in Canada.

Cinderella...or Sink!

2009-02-20T03:43:00.003-06:00

Well, we're into playoff season! We finished the regular season 5-5- a solid job by a young (mostly grade 10's and 11's) and undersized (but speedy!) team. These guys are so enjoyable to coach...I learned to tone down the ol' pep talk because they come so fired up on their own! I love it.
We ended up tied for fifth with two other teams in the league. Unfortunately we lost to both, and thus dropped to the #7 seed...which places us in a tough match against the #2 seed.
I emailed the guys yesterday:

Guys...your basketball homework has arrived. Watch this:

On any given Saturday...anything can happen.
cmac.
(that's me)

Ooooh, this just fires me up...for tomorrow's game, and beyond that- for March Madness!!! Best month of the year- hands down!!

Two More Albums

2009-02-07T07:25:00.003-06:00

Here are the last two albums I put together:
India: Village Friends and More
India: The Excursions

Pictures from India

2009-02-05T20:29:00.001-06:00

I'm slowly adding albums from my time in India. I took about 700 pictures during the week, so it's taking some time to sift through everything.
Here are the first two albums-
"India: First Glances" and
"India: This is Joy"

Loving it!

2009-01-29T10:08:00.004-06:00

We have had an awesome three days in the village. The kids have melted us in every way. We've connected with many wonderful people. We've eaten like queens. Mom has spoiled us with her usual homemade touch, and tonight, heaven touched earth in the form of butter chicken.
Tomorrow we're Shillong-bound. We're waking up at 5:30am and making it a day trip. I'm excited about making a return to the Khasi Hills, a place I remember as one of my favorites on the globe. Here are two sweet faces (I've taken over 500 pics so far!)...

"The Heartbreaker"

Sidewalk chalk- they loved it.

2009-01-25T22:56:00.003-06:00

Scenes from the alley by Mom and Dad's

Autumn's Baptism

On our hike

Live from Guwahati

2009-01-25T10:47:00.003-06:00

We arrived in Guwahati on Saturday. The journey was relatively smooth, minus Tammy's missing luggage (which arrived today). Our first day and a half here has been excellent. I love taking in everything about India- it is always a full-on experience. Guwahati is as I remembered- dirty and smelly. Dust covers the trees on the sides of the road, and the small ditches along the sidewalk are filled with black sewage. Sick. And smelly. The women are dressed in their saris of many colors, many men and women are seen walking down the street carrying just about anything on their heads. Bicycle rickshaws and auto rickshaws are common. Trucks are adorned with gawdy paint jobs, that usually say something like "Blow Horn", or "Good Luck".

It is fun to see my friends' reactions to this place. Ashley had a good laugh over a gang of sheep that were sitting comfortably in the back of a truck, as if they were paying customers. Wenny was a little taken by the adventurous driving (no, the center line does not matter here). Today all four ate Indian style for the first time, using their hands. We ate at the village school in Kalapani. The food was so good, minus the part where I accidently ate a chili.

But the best part about my trip so far was being here to see Autumn baptized today. What a special day!!! I'm so glad I was able to be here to see it. I did take some video, so at some point I'll try to post it. After church, a group of us went on a hike. It was great fun! Apparently they often see leopards on this hike...luckily we were spared that experience.

Tomorrow is both India's National Day, and a declared "bund". This means that all shops will be closed, and everyone will be forced to stay inside. It is because of the insurgency here. It's a sad thought, to have a city locked up on the day of the country's celebration. (But I do hear firecrackers at the moment, or I hope they are firecrackers, ha ha!) Anyway, we will stay at home tomorrow! On Tuesday we will start up our VBS in the village school. Today I taught the kids at church...sooooo cute!! I'm sure we'll have a great time with them at the VBS.

Time for bed! Good night from Guwahati!

Singapore, 1:01am

2009-01-23T11:00:00.004-06:00

It's been a long hiatus for this blogger. Maybe it's over. There could be good reason for a blog or two, as I'm on my way to a land that gives lend to a story here or there! En route to Guwahati, via Singapore and Delhi. It's an overnight journey. I'm not a lone traveler to India this time round, I've got four gals along with me for the ride. Singapore Airlines. Bling bling. Fancy cheese and Haagen Daz ice cream, you gotta love it. We're off to Delhi in about an hour's time. Eventually we'll make our way to Guwahati...which means Mom, Dad, Autumn, Andrew and a great adventure ahead of us, I'm sure.
See ya in the land of wobbles and curry. Can't wait!

Here and there...

2008-11-28T07:44:00.005-06:00

This week has taken on a different rhythm than the usual. Jody Heywood dropped in for a fun visit at the beginning of the week. It was such a treat to have her! We had a lot of fun together; I'll have to post some pics soon.

The last three days of the week have been devoted to ICEC- the International Christian Educator Conference. Close to one thousand teachers from around (mostly) Asia have come to HK for the event. It has been great. I really enjoy the chance to gather new ideas, encouragement and wisdom from others. We've got a couple awesome speakers in town- Dr. Gary Chapman (think love languages), and Phil Callaway. Dr. Chapman's thoughts were very practical- many helpful reminders for healthy relationships. Phil was hilarious, as always. He gave insights into how can have "hope for the crazy kids", speaking from personal experience as he was a crazy kid himself! Oh, that guy can really get laughter rolling in a room. I think a speaker must be gifted when they can make you cry from laughing so hard, and then cry because you've been so moved by his thoughts. One simple take away from his first session was to remember to commit to praying for kids. I've got so many on my heart- and somehow I still forget to pray. I attended some interesting workshops focused on counseling students. I am quite interested in this and I was glad to gain helpful approaches for working with hurting kids.

Next weekend I'm going to Macau for a girl's getaway. There are seven of us, and we are going to Cirque de Soleil together. I'm really looking forward to it.

I had to apply for a new passport today because mine is full! That's kind of a fun thing, except that it still has three years of validity, and it costs $100 for a new one! I'm praying they return it on schedule, or else it will be slightly difficult to board my Dec. 20 flight home to Canada. I am so excited to be en route to Canada for Christmas this year. I will be in Regina from Dec. 20-24, Calgary from the 24-30, and then back to Kennedy for the McMillan New Year's celebration.

Lastly, the real reason I had to get a new passport is that I need room for my Indian visa! I am taking four good friends along with me this time. We will fly through Delhi on our way to Guwahati. We are all very excited (though certainly prayerful about the very difficult situations in India right now).

That's all for tonight. Good night from HK!

New Kicks

2008-11-28T07:35:00.003-06:00

Jill inspired me towards Toms Shoes. I think it's a great way to shop for shoes! Buy a pair and they'll give away a pair. They are aiming to give away 30,000 shoes to little feet in Ethiopia. I've ordered two pair that should meet me in Canada for Christmas.

Azul's Great Escape

2008-11-18T07:32:00.005-06:00

We had another pep rally today. It was a lot of fun! Likely the most enjoyable part for me was watching the crowd view the movie I prepared for the event, "Azul's Great Escape". We had a blast 'shooting' the movie. I laughed and laughed as we wandered around the city with this huge, blue lion. The locals loved Azul!!! The schools you see on the movie are our rivals, one of them being International Christian School, whom we share a healthy and fun rivalry with. Ah, it was a fun day and one I'll be able to remember for a long time to come! Enjoy Azul's adventure...

Camp!

2008-11-18T05:42:00.000-06:00

Last week we went to camp with the Grade 4's and 5's. Camp here definitely has a different flavor here. It's a little more posh. A little more dainty. It does has a few pretty sweet activities that I didn't have growing up (a rope course the kids love and a climbing wall), and the scenery is beautiful. HK kids tend to be more delicate than Canadian kids (there are exceptions on both sides of course). Big city kids who have spent most of their days in a concrete world. Grass, sand and dirt are such novelties to everyday life here...difficult for Saskatchewanites to envision!

It's always rewarding to spend time with the kids at camp. I loved sharing evening devo's with the girls, and spreading the "Chickee Chickee" love at the campfire. The barbecue has got to be one of the most humorous times at camp. I think I simultaneously heard 5 voices at a time yelling, "Miss McMillan...IS THIS COOKED YET?!!!" And then, five replies, "It's still cold and wet. You need to put it a little closer to the fire!!!" Ha. Way too funny.

Oh, and a last note...my lovely memories of camp food prepared by Mom or Laura or Margaret are being erased by the greasy cuisine/slops served at camp here....sigh. I think my body has recovered now...

deep fried greasy 'sausages'. served daily x3 :)

sketching by the dock...beautiful surroundings.

Giggles.

2008-11-03T09:01:00.001-06:00

A couple things had me laughing this morning. When I went to pick up my kids, the first one in line looked up and his jaw dropped. "Whoa". "WHY are YOU wearing PINK?!" (I guess my kids are getting to know me well). It wasn't good for my insecurities and overall lack of love towards the color pink, but it sure made me laugh!!! I agreed with him, really. Why AM I wearing PINK?!! That's silly.

Then I spent my prep period reading through the bookshelf of "Little Miss and Mr. " books. Wow. I had forgotten how funny those books are!! If you are taking yourself, or your day, a little too seriously, just read some of Roger Hargreaves' little gems. My favorites today were Little Miss Giggles, Mr. Forgetful, and Little Miss Naughty. Heh heh heh. We're going to use the stories as scripts for our camp skits. I think they have potential to be pretty entertaining!

A Day for Mama Bear

2008-11-03T07:03:00.003-06:00

This was taken on "Book Day". We were supposed to dress up as our favorite book character. I came across that blue polka-dot dress in a second hand shop and immediately thought, "Mama Bear!!!" I loved the Berenstain Bears as a kid. I loved ordering the latest book in the series from Scholastic. Therefore, I dedicated Book Day to Mama Bear, a legend of my childhood.

This picture also stars the Professor from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as well as Queen Esther (also known as friends and colleagues named Liz and Tammy).

Tidbits

2008-11-01T09:17:00.003-06:00

Feeling...like it's hard to have balance
Planning...a girl's getaway to see Cirque de Soleil in Macau
Drinking...bubble tea!
Frustrated...with grouchy knees and a resulting hiatus from the tennis court
Worried...about my family in India
Excited...about going home for Christmas this year
Reading...grade five memoirs :)
Wondering...where I will be a year from today?
Impressed...with "Oovoo" (Today I had a video conference with Tim & Tara, Mom & Dad, and Steve & Bec...at the same time!!)
Missing...Mom and Dad
Teaching...on Joseph, grace, totem poles, and rules of divisibility (remember those?)
Learning...a new offense for the basketball team
Listening...to Andrew Peterson's new album, David Crowder, and good ol' country
Laughing...at my Grandpa's sense of humor
Sleeping...now

The Turkey Cupcakes

2008-10-13T07:50:00.003-06:00

Turned out like this! (A few turned into "stuffed turkeys" because they sort of crumbled...oh well, all the more tasty!)

King of Turkeys? Why not...let the creativity flow! :)

Vietnam Pictures

2008-10-13T07:39:00.004-06:00

Can be found here and here!
A few favorites:

Thanksgivings.

2008-10-12T09:15:00.003-06:00

I just finished preparing a couple thanksgiving snacks for school tomorrow. I love celebrating this day with my students. I like to cover our door with paper and title it, "thanksgiving graffiti". The kids have fun filling it with gratitude. This year I found a really cute turkey cupcake idea, so I'm going to try that out. I think they'll have a blast with it (what could go wrong with chocolate cupcakes involved?!), to go along with our graffiti and classic making of thanksgiving cards.

There is so much to be grateful for, and I hope it's an attitude that shapes each day for me. I try to be thankful. Most days, it's so easy because there is such an abundance of good things that fill my life.

Tonight in the midst of busyness, I thought on the powerful blessing of role models in my life. I'm spoiled rotten, and it starts with my family. My grandparents have created a legacy of faith, love and generosity that is incredible. I thank God for my Mom and Dad every day. I am so grateful for all that they model for me, but especially: grace, selflessness, faithfulness, hospitality and a heart set on serving God and others. And I don't know how I got so lucky, to have the big brothers and sisters (and sisters in law) that I have. I have never had a shortage of love, encouragement, or inspiration in my life...not with a crew like that leading the way! Oh, the list could continue on and on- from teachers to coaches to my church family mentors and my aunts, uncles and cousins. I'm celebrating your examples to me tonight, and remembering to pass on the blessing of a role model to the young ones I spend my days with! I'm thankful for you.

Happy Thanksgiving from Hong Kong.

Harm from...Hanoi

2008-10-01T08:51:00.002-06:00

Day one is coming to an end. We made good use of it! Waking up to the sounds of horns and construction brought back memories of both India and China. We enjoyed a baguette, cheese and Vietnamese coffee for breakfast, thanks to our very warm and helpful hosts at the guesthouse. Our accommodations are not flashy, but definitely homey...and cheap! We are staying in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, a bustling corner of the city. The theme of transportation is definitely the honking scooter. Crossing the street here is similar to the Indian experience- just take your chances and go. Weave your way through the madness. It's a pretty fun game and you always feel like you've accomplished something when you've made it safely to the other side.

I am excited to be in a new country. As per usual, day one was spent getting acquainted with the geography, the food, and especially of key importance, the shopping. We were most pleased, actually we were thrilled, with the potential for good buys in Hanoi. We all put in orders for clothes today, so we are all looking forward to picking up the final products in a couple days. I'm excited about the great artwork available and I'm pondering a few purchases later on this weekend. I found the Old Quarter to be a bit of a challenge to navigate. After being spun around a number of times as we wandered the streets, I was pleased to feel a relative sense of direction by the time we finished the day.

Tomorrow we are going to Halong Bay, which we expect to be a highlight of our stay. We are going on a junk boat, where we will eat and sleep for one night. Kayaking, swimming and cave exploring are all on the agenda. Guess I'll head for bed- a day of wandering has left me weary.

Favorite Summer Picture

2008-09-26T23:10:00.003-06:00

I thought about posting a few of my favorite pictures from the summer, but it's just too hard to choose! My very favorite is easy though, and it has the potential to be my desktop background for a long time to come...

Mareesa and Great Grandpa- August 8, 2008

Typhoon Day!

2008-09-23T21:50:00.004-06:00

Last night I was out with a group of hopeful teachers, waiting with their fingers crossed that the typhoon would last through the night and give us a day off school. Sure enough, the education bureau canceled school today because of the inclement weather. Yeeeeah!!! So today, I'm enjoying the equivalent of a Saskatchewan "snow day" here in Hong Kong.

The first month of year three in Hong Kong has been a blur of activity. This is the first week that has felt more relaxed in its pace. I'm glad for that. I've said it before, it is a strange feeling but one that I'm so grateful for- to feel so at home here. This year my triangle of life (home, school, tennis court) has been thrown a little out of whack with becoming a lot more connected with my church family. This has been a welcomed whack. :) It's an added circle of friends, and continues to be a stretching and life-giving group to be a part of. I am into teaching Sunday School there, and share the job of leading worship in my weekly small group. And somehow, I signed up to organize the kid's Christmas program! Ha ha. It's going to be awesome (it has to be, with the number of cute faces that will be on stage!).

I'm looking forward to a few different events in the coming months. The first one is a trip to Vietnam. That's next Tuesday, for five days. We'll be in Hanoi and Halong Bay. I've been anticipating the conical hats, rice paddies and pho of Vietnam for sometime now. Passion is coming to Hong Kong in October. This means David Crowder and Chris Tomlin will be here. I'm hoping to go, though I'm actually TOO OLD (aaai yaaa!) for the event!! Seriously! Then in November, I'm going to Macau to see Roger play James Blake in a tennis event (as well as watching John McEnroe and Bjorn Bjorg play doubles) at The Venetian. The main feature of December is a flight home for Christmas for the first time since living in HK. I was thrilled when a friend found me a super cheap flight that made it easy to enjoy a white Christmas with my family. Another main feature of December will be seeing Shannon and Jason's new baby (coming soon!!!), as well as Jeff and Daina's new baby (coming in December). Yeeeeah!!

Anyway, I'm off to enjoy the rest of my typhoon day!

Backtracking to Thailand...

2008-09-20T09:38:00.007-06:00

Before I settled into things for another year in HK, and following a wonder-FULL summer in Canada, I spent a week in the south of Thailand. I loved staying with the Honigman family. They live in Phuket, not a bad spot to hang out in for a week! Kara and Gerry are a fantastic pair, and they have three fun, high energy boys- Alec, Elias and Vaughn. It was so much fun to get to know them. After four days in Phuket (including my first parasailing adventure!), I ventured on my own to an island called Ko Phi Phi. It was a great getaway spot. I snorkeled for the first time (a funny sight for anyone- I'm not the most graceful of swimmers), spent time reading and hanging out on the beach, and soaked up the sun! Here are a few pictures from my week...(see the Flickr set to the right)

the pool at Kara and Gerry's compound

Elias, Alec and Vaughn- warriors of the ocean

Vaughn and Kara!

the girls at the beach

Gerry and Alec

flying high

fuuun

arrived at Ko Phi Phi

not a bad sunset

time to reload

beauty

This year's showdown..

2008-08-29T09:48:00.001-06:00

Last year I went to see Roger vs. Pete in Macau. This year they are adding a couple old guys to the show...should be fun!!

The kids are coming!

2008-08-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

Loooong sigh. The classroom is ready. I've only been teaching for two years, but somehow I had forgotten the mad rush of the week before school starts. Cut, staple, stick, print, glue, label, repeat one hundred times until the classroom is exactly the way I want it. And that is part of the reason for the madness of it all- it has to be just right!! I do love this part of teaching. Building a warm, fun place for kids to learn and feel at home. It is very enjoyable. I love a solidly stapled and creatively coordinated bulletin board. Definite satisfaction. At the same time, I know that ugly pride can sneak in quickly- and I have to ask myself- is the carefully created bulletin board for my kids? Or is it for me?! Oh those motives, always getting in the way.

I'm ready for the kids! I'm very excited for this group of students. It's always fun to start off fresh with a new group, and so interesting to watch classroom dynamics unfold. I love feeling the potential and promise of a new year. We've prayed a lot for our kids this week and I'm looking forward to meeting them. I'm also so glad for my friends at school- there are many that I enjoy working with so much. A treat to teach alongside such great people. The first day of school was always something I loved as a student- I think it might be even better for a teacher! Bring on year number three!

It's good to be home.

2008-07-16T10:52:00.003-06:00

I woke up this morning to the basement I best remember and the sound of Dad vacuuming the van outside. I'm home, and it feels so good.

The first two and a half weeks in Canada have been great. I've spent most of my days with my nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters and parents. I started in Calgary for a week, then went to Moose Jaw to meet up with my best girlfriends for a day retreat at the spa (what an awesome day that was), then headed to Saskatoon for a week with my brother and his family. Heather, Mom and I took a mother-daughter getaway to Waskesiu for the past two days, which was wonderful. Last night was another highlight, as I got to meet Baby Bandura for the first time (it's still living in Shannon). That was too exciting. I don't feel much like writing about every minute of the journey- I'm just soaking it up! I will post a link to a few of the 300 or so pictures I have taken so far.

This afternoon I'm driving down the 48 to see my Grandma and Grandpa, as well as Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. For the weekend I will be in Portage visiting more family. Then it's back to Regina on Sunday night, where I'll be glad to hang out for the week.

Time for lunch with Barb! Pictures coming soon, but hey, no promises- I'm on holiday!!

Feeling Goooood

2008-06-20T03:03:00.003-06:00

Finished!!!! It's such a great feeling. Two months without my year long boyfriend Mark Ng (think hard), planning, report cards, waking up early because I have to, and solving ten year old's conflicts (unless my nieces and nephews stir up trouble). Yeeeeeeah. Feeling good.

Even better is the fact that the sun is shining and the sky is actually....blue! Gorgeous.

And to add to it is the fact that my summer reading material just arrived in the mail. A perfect way to start things off. I was happy to learn about Paddyfield.com, a small scale, Amazon-like service just for Hong Kong, with a solid selection of reasonably priced books, and free shipping! Sweet. To get things started this summer, I've got Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by one of my very favorite authors- Anne Lamott. I also bought Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises and A Revolution of Hope by Brian McLaren, and my last choice- Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Plus, Viva La Vida is ringing in my ears...good books and good music.

It was so nice to have Mom, Dad, Autumn, Andrew, Pamela, and Raysha here. I must say it was a bit of a teaser though. I came home from school yesterday sad to have an empty house. They were here for two nights. Again, we packed in as much as we could in the time we had: eating Chinese food, walking the streets of Mongkok to find bubble tea (for Raysha) and delicious mango drinks (especially for Dad), they had an adventure in the rain- lost in Mongkok on their own (ai ya, I was working!), we went to the Peak and had fun shopping, while imagining what it might look like if we weren't in a cloud, enjoyed some good Mexican food (after getting lost again in a different area) followed by Krispy Kreme. It was lots of fun...I love them so much and it was much easier to say goodbye because.....I'M FLYING HOME IN NINE DAYS!!!!! One more BIG reason to be feeling gooooooood.

Medieval Day and More

2008-06-16T07:31:00.007-06:00

Here are some pictures from our Medieval Day. It was great fun. I decided to let the kids decorate the cake this year (must...let...go...ha ha), and they really enjoyed that. The boys enjoyed chess, the girls were fairly involved in making sure the Queens were dolled up appropriately. Our minstrel was a highlight. The skits were dramatic though perhaps...unpolished. We ate fruit, cheese, stew on trenchers (bread), drumsticks, and dessert. One new dimension to this year's feast was the creation of goblets for the ale. They were quite nifty. Here's what I wrote about last year's feast.

After school, eight of my students came over to my place for a party as a reward for reaching their reading goals. They were very energetic. Ha. They explored every inch of my 600 square foot flat and enjoyed jumping on my bed. I suppose there is something thrilling in jumping like a monkey on your teacher's bed. We made pizzas and watched Holes. I finally sent them back to their parents on a sugar high. It was a full day and by the time the rug rats left my place, I was ready for bed!

Today brings wonderful news: I'm finished report cards!!! This is such a wonderful season for a teacher. :) Four teaching days to go, and five prep days to follow. Yeeees!

Mom, Dad, Autumn, Andrew, Pam, and Raysha are coming tomorrow for two nights. Of course I'm excited! Guess I'd better get things organized around here- maybe they won't be as rambunctious as the kids in my house on Friday!! I'm trying to decide if I should do my dishes or let Dad enjoy them...hee hee hee. I miss the good ol' days. :)

Making pizzas.

The Party!

The Monkeys.

This year's cake, decorated by the kids.

All dressed up for the feast.

Robin Hood and the Jester.

Dragonboat festival = HK holiday

2008-06-08T21:04:00.005-06:00

That's today! What a great feeling to go to bed late on a Sunday night and sleep in on a Monday morning. Beautiful!

A few random notes on a sunny Monday morning:

-It's been a fantastic French Open/NBA Finals weekend. Roger was a major, major disappointment last night, however. Terrible!!! Rafa, on the other hand, despite his butt-picking ways, proved completely dominant. I was happy for Ivanovic and loved watching her play, though would have liked a more competitive final. I am loving the Celtic's play against the Lakers. Rondo is my favorite. The main point is: the Lakers will not win. Ha, I know Heather is appreciating this blog (she fancies both Nadal and Kobe).

-I'm still laughing at Elijah's obsession with the HNIC song. Tim's video gave me a major boost on Friday!

-We have 9 teaching days left. This is glorious news! The next week will be extremely busy thus I'm extra grateful for the holiday. Report cards are due next Monday, my class will have the Medieval Feast on Friday (any ideas for this year's castle cake? or my costume?), students are coming over to my place for a celebration on Friday, and I'm planning a farewell for a good friend on Saturday.

-Mom, Dad and company will be here for two nights the next week! I'm praying for clear skies so we can go to The Peak.

-I've joined a new church family. I am so thankful for the genuine friendships developing with the folks at Solomon's Porch. I am excited to be a part of this group of followers. It has been a refreshing and stretching six weeks or so since joining SP.

-The musical highlight of my year thus far came this week. I met The Wailin' Jennys. They have my heart.

-Officially 20 days until I cozy up on Air Canada for the journey to the homeland. I am very excited. The summer is a bit of a whirling dervish, with stops in Calgary, Medicine Hat :), Moose Jaw, Saskatoon, Kennedy, Portage, Regina, and then back to Calgary, Regina and Kennedy. The schedule flows in that order- arriving in Calgary on June 29 and flying out on August 11.

Touching Them All

2008-05-24T09:59:00.003-06:00

Oh my, this makes me weep! What a neat story. Hits close to home- softball, a torn ACL, and a girl that's never hit one over the fence! :) I sure miss ball, and especially all my ball friends, at this time of the year. I'd love to get the cleats out and dive into the shale. Enjoy...and get your kleenex out!!

Friday morning singing...

2008-05-23T23:05:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I turned on GarageBand during our Friday morning devotional, when we usually spend time singing together. This is one of their favorites...

Pour Out My Heart

The Rubber Band Experiment

2008-05-19T06:10:00.005-06:00

On the weekend I listened to my brother Steve's message "Beauty in the Air", part of his series "Do Something Beautiful". You can download the sermon from iTunes, or go here to listen online. The analogy of our spoken words bringing a polluting presence to the air felt easy to grasp, living in the thick smog of Hong Kong. Easy to picture!

So today I challenged myself, and my students, to take up what we ended up tagging "The Rubber Band Challenge". I think Steve, his church, and from what I hear, 5 million other people in the world, have those hip plastic bracelets to use, but we decided to go with the classic rubber band. The basic idea is that every time you complain, argue, whine, moan, gossip...you get the hang of it...you switch your bracelet to the other wrist. The challenge is to see how many days it takes you to keep the bracelet on the same wrist for 21 days. Hooofta.

We did a one day challenge in Grade 5. I told the kids that after that, they could decide if they wanted to continue or not. Hopefully they stick with it, because there was a lot less whining in the classroom today! (And they're likely hoping I stick with it, too!) "Take out your math books...." was met with silence, though I could hear them biting their tongues! I had to smile at one of my boys, who came into the classroom exclaiming (with exasperation), "Ohhhhhhhh! I just had to switch it TWO times! After I complained the first time, then I complained that I had complained and had to switch it again!"

I found that I did well with my kids throughout the day, but as I found myself in the staff room, and later at physio, the rubber band was on the move! Interesting.

Check out Steve's sermon- it's a good one!!!

The Mac is Back.

2008-05-09T06:49:00.003-06:00

Alas, the white wonder has returned. The Macbook is back, and revamped. The receipt notes a new hard drive, battery, and top case with keyboard. Hoofta. I thought I took good care of it...but apparently it wasn't feeling the love.

I have a few questions for the fix it fellows, though. For one, they didn't reinstall Leopard. I don't why, and I am having some troubles reinstalling it again on the disk volume that appears. I need to reinstall Leopard before I can load up the computer with everything from my back up disk. Though they didn't reinstall Leopard, they actually upgraded my ILife package, which is good and bad. Good because I like the new IPhoto, but bad because so far I'm not a huge fan of the new IMovie. Also, a favorite application from the old ILife, Comicbook, is no longer included in the new version. Guess I'll give them a call in the morning and see if I can get the Leopard reinstall figured out, anyway.

Well, I'm happy to be connected at home again, although the last three weeks have been very good for me. I got more sleep, and I read my Bible in the mornings, instead of checking email. I'm going to see if I can keep that one up.

Super-Sized Seduction

2008-05-09T04:59:00.000-06:00

We have some big city seduction going on in Hong Kong. It's sad. As I was on my way out of the MTR (subway) station today, I was seduced by the scenes splattered all over the walls going up the escalator. Basically as close to naked as you can get, save for a string bikini (for sale at H&M). The size of the image, I think, would about cover one of our double-decker buses. On the other side of the escalator, there's a man flanked by a woman on each side. And you know the looks on their faces. Seduction is in the station.

But H&M's got nothin' next to the Calvin Klein folks, who claimed the title for Asia's largest billboard. With an image that could be viewed from the other side of the harbor, as well as from the Peak view on the Island, CK plastered Djimon Hounsou in his tighty whities for all of HK to see. Thanks, CK. I'm sure you could have picked up the image using Google Earth! It encompassed 27 stories on the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. Talk about MASS media. I wish I could hide these images from my ten-year-old students' eyes. It's frightening, and overwhelming to me as an Aunty, and educator. How are we helping our kids make sense of the load of sexually driven messages that flood our world?

82 years old....for a day

2008-05-05T04:00:00.001-06:00

Today was Career Day at school. You were supposed to dress up as what you want to be "when you grow up". Last night I grew weary of unit planning, so I decided to play a game. You have half an hour. Go to the market via taxi. Turn yourself into a lovely Grandma. This is what I came up with in my half hour. My favorite part is the shirt, it says "A mother's love is homemade". The purse included candies, lotion, and pictures of all my precious grandchildren.
My, was it ever a fun day at school! Dressing up never gets old.

Teaching the Digital Natives

2008-05-03T05:41:00.003-06:00

I spent the day at a learning technology PD conference. The most useful session was one focused on enquiry learning, versus topical research. Basically moving away from the "scooping" model of research, where we send kids off with a topic and they collect information, and moving towards research that is directed by questioning and problem solving. The speaker also had some good thoughts on helping kids use Google. One simple tip was getting away from the simple search and always directing them to the advanced search mode.

The session hosted by Apple was worthwhile, especially because it was aimed at using Garage Band. I've played with it from time to time, but it was great to dive in and leave the session feeling pretty comfortable with the software. The trouble is that I have only my personal Macbook (actually I don't even have that at the moment- hard disk replacement is underway), so it's next to impossible to do so much of what I'd love to with Mac software in my classroom. Maybe someday. Many, if not most, of the international schools in HK have personal Macbooks for their students.

One site you might find helpful is Catch Video. It allows you to download Youtube videos onto your computer.

Holy CATS

2008-04-29T06:40:00.007-06:00

Remember the CAT Tests? Maybe not. Perhaps you were a member of the CTBS Test generation, like me. Sorry, I don't know what came before CTBS Tests! I didn't mind the tests, though I was always curious about who was going to evaluate the results. Was there a fancy education hotshot in Ottawa looking for the bright and brilliant of Saskatchewan?

Anyway, my kids are writing their CAT tests this week. And they are thrilled. Riiight. As I wandered the room, enforcing the proper and accurate darkening of the precious circles, I started to pray for them. I was reminded of how prayer has the power to move us and change us as we go. As I thought about their family situations, their struggles, their strengths- my compassion and desire to serve them increased. I also felt assured of what I could do to breathe encouragement and love into them. I need to pray for my kids more often.

The Turkey Sandwich Symptom

2008-04-28T23:48:00.006-06:00

What I really have felt the past two weeks is just this: I miss my Mom, and I miss my Grandma. This has got me thinking about my roots, because these two women are so deeply a part of who I am. What tipped it all off was a longing for my mom's sandwiches. Seriously. White OK-Economy bread with turkey sandwich meat and cheese. And Mom usually added butter back in those days. Throw in a token piece of fruit, and a butterscotch pudding or an apple sauce. Of course there's a lot more to it than No Name sandwich meat. I just miss her all over! The everyday chats and fixings of encouragement and friendship from Mom. I wish that we were living in the same place. I'm glad we'll have one more day in HK, together with the rest of Team India- that would be June 18, and then summer is just around the corner!

And then there's Grandma. It's her 91st birthday, you know! I was telling my students about my Grandma. How she has a legacy, or perhaps a profession, in letter writing, makes a mean cinnamon bun and loves flowers and granddaughters (okay, and people in general). So we decided to write Grandma McMillan letters. A good ol' fashioned handwritten birthday letter, with a wealth of stamps of all kinds for home-made fancy letter writing paper. They did a fantastic job, and don't tell Grandma, but we're sending one a day. I hope it brings her cheer, and just a sampling of the encouragement that has been spread through her own letter writing. I am so looking forward to seeing both Grandma and Grandpa this summer.

Brought to you by the white chocolate mocha at the coffee shop...

2008-04-23T07:15:00.004-06:00

I'm getting no love from Apple these days. Before I went to Korea, my ipod died. I decided to buy a new nano. I left my nano on the bus in China on the weekend. Smooth move. It is being returned to me in the mail. This is good. My Macbook went into a deep sleep about a week ago, and I'm hoping the Apple fix it fellows are working wonders right now. She won't be back for another ten days. Sigh. So I'm at the coffee shop. I could blog at school, but I really don't feel much in the mood for it at the end of the day.

So if I were feeling like a more energetic blogger, I would catch you up on the latest. The latest stretches back to the Jeonju days, which demand at least one solid blog entry (the food earns a post of its own)! That will be coming soon. I might also tell you about this past weekend, when I went to China with my high school basketball guys. They enjoyed titling it the "China Tour". The China Tour ended up mostly rained out, or alternatively known as the China Ping Pong Tour (what do you in China when you can't play basketball outside?). However, the one game we managed against the government church team (similar to our "church hockey teams" at home), was a classic. Unfortunately, I was reffing...

Lately I'm spending time after schools working with the Grade 3 and 5 students on our spring musical- "Donkey Tales". Last night I watched the Hairspray special dvd features to inspire me in my role as drama director. The theme song goes something like this..."Donkey Tales are long. Donkey Tales are short....Hee haw, Hee haw". Sounds like the makings of something epic, hey?!

I can almost taste summer. Almost...but not quite yet. I have a ticket home so that makes it seem more real. June 29 is the day I return to big skies, clean air, Timmy's, real chocolate milk....and hopefully and most importantly, you!

what I found under the bridge

2008-04-13T09:13:00.005-06:00

The past week has had its fill of ups and downs. Looking back on the week, I'm going to try and ride with the highs, learn from the lows, and walk in freedom.

Yesterday I had the chance to help give out rice boxes to street sleepers. I couldn't speak with those we met, but I hope they sensed God's love in me nonetheless. I sensed that the rice box, although helpful, was not the primary need. As my Chinese friends chatted with a beautiful old man living under a bridge, I saw a greater hunger to be loved and wanted than to be fed. He was smart, and funny, too. When he learned that I was a teacher, he called me a "soul engineer". He seemed to soak up the attention and company. I thought of how Christ meets our hunger- the aches in the stomach, and the greater aches in our souls. As we walked away, I hoped that our friend felt less alone in the world.

I felt a similar hope in a number of conversations I shared with friends this week. Simple but powerful is reminding each other that we're not in this alone.

The Grade 5 Surprise

2008-04-10T01:54:00.007-06:00

I've been slightly suspicious but more amused at the antics of my students this week. Something was brewing. Little giggles. Whispers. Sneaking around with little white checklists. "Miss McMillan, what's your favorite color?"

Before lunch I could sense it was becoming more difficult for the excitement to stay hidden.
After lunch I returned to a streaming door of pink, covering our castle. Inside were 16 kids all singing "Happy Birthday" and a new rendition of "Joy to the World". Mango cake. Monster card. Noise. A Starbucks drink. Lots of balloons and streamers. Gifts. Teddy bears. Snacks. They had covered all the bases! I must say it was impressive display of organization and planning! Everyone had a part. What a sweet bunch, hey?! I felt the love!!

Here's a couple pictures they put in a card for me (click to enlarge). Pretty funny!! The last few at the bottom are of the big party.

"Happy Delayed Birthday" :)

"I will be your friend. Don't be sad. We are here!"

"Happy Belated Birthday, Miss McMillan!"

Ooolsan; Part 2

2008-04-04T19:23:00.006-06:00

It's been a week since I returned from Korea. I am overdue to collect some highlights of the trip, because it was a fantastic time!

My time in "Ooolsan" was marked by interesting tours around the city and outside of it, delicious meals, beautiful accommodations and best of all, great visits with my friend Snowy and her family. One of the key themes was that Hyundai is taking over the world. Ulsan is home to the Hyundai Heavy Industries ship building factory. Snowy's Dad is one of the VP's of HHI. Snowy works as an English secretary for a company within HHI. And Snowy's husband is an engineer for the Korean Navy Destroyer ship, which is also within HHI. They drive Hyundais. They shop at the Hyundai Department Store. Snowy went to school at Ulsan University, which was funded by Hyundai. I stayed at the Hyundai Hotel. They call themselves "The Hyundai Family".

I really enjoyed the tour of the HHI ship building factory. It was incredible to see such massive vessels in their various stages of construction. The most fascinating vessel was the one designed for offshoring. It was crazy! The structure was incredibly intricate- it gave me a headache just looking at it. The price tag of that monster is over one billion.

I experienced a variety of Korean foods while in Ulsan. We had stone pots of tofu soup, delicious Korean hotpot (they call it "shabu shabu"...sounds fun, hey?), a bit of sushi (and not more, not such a fan of the raw stuff), and, my personal favorite, Korean bbq "bulgulgi". Oh, it's so tasty!!

It was so good for the heart to see Snowy again. It was even better to meet her family. We spent quite a bit of time reminiscing about her days with us in Canada. They were incredibly generous hosts and I felt so spoiled by their kindness! I'm hoping that I get the chance to play host to them while I am in Hong Kong.

Follow this link for pictures from my weekend in Ulsan.

Take Me To Ooooolsan!

2008-03-22T21:50:00.003-06:00

Arriving in Ulsan didn't go exactly as planned, but my memories will be all the sweeter as a result! I arrived at the Incheon airport as scheduled and planned to take a four hour bus ride to Ulsan. No problem. There are clearly marked "Bus Ticket" booths outside the terminal. Cake walk. One ticket to Ulsan, please.

I find the bus stop and start wondering about my destination. Is Ulsan on the way to "Osan"? This ticket price does seem rather cheap for a four hour ride. My first lesson in the Korean language: the u is not short. I visited the ticket booth again. I need a ticket to "Oooooolsan". Ohhhh. Again, no worries- I've now got the right ticket.

I find the bus stop for Ulsan (but I say it again outloud to remember..."ooooolsan"). Excellent. There is only one person on the bus, and many people standing outside. Must be waiting for the bus to load up. I'll have a seat and try my hand at interacting with the locals. I find myself chatting it up with an old Korean man. He's on his way to Daejeon and he likes to travel to America. It was a pleasant chat, until I looked up and saw the tail end of my precious bus vanishing from sight. I went chasing after it, sidestepping all the Korean men that I thought were going to Ulsan. "Oooooolsan, Ooooooolsan!!! Pllllease!!!", I'm desperately begging every bus driver I see to somehow understand me and help me find the elusive bus. Alas, it's gone, and I'm on my way back to the lovely ticket booth. I'm left with another group of Korean men, speaking to me as if I know exactly what they are saying. In China I could tell them I really don't have a clue what they are saying; here I just stand there and look at them sheepishly.

I ended up taking a bus to Seoul and then connected with another bus that took me to Ulsan. At 2AM (instead of 11PM), I met my long lost friend, Snowy, and her husband, Jun, at the bus station. We've had a great time so far, and they have spoiled me rotten. More details to come later- I smell Snowy's fried rice. Time to eat!

Bring on the Kimchi!

2008-03-20T09:03:00.003-06:00

I'm packing up for Korea. Tomorrow I will fly to Seoul and then catch a bus to Ulsan, where I will find my long lost Korean homestay sister, Snowy. I can't wait to see her. I think it has been at least five years since I last saw her...walking into the house all bundled up with her frosty glasses, just slightly overwhelmed by the Canadian freezer she found herself living in. What a gal! The thought of her brings a smile.

I'll stay with her family for the weekend and then on Monday or Tuesday I will catch a bus to Jeonju, home to Craig and Leah! It will be awesome to experience their Korean world. I'm hoping to also see Rachel and Robin at some point. I'll stay in Jeonju until Friday, when I hop another bus back to Seoul, and then back to HK. I'm excited to be seeing a new country and culture, and there is a sense of adventure in going on my own and knowing that I'm leaving the comforts of English for awhile. I officially know zilch in Korean.

Enjoy the finest sporting weekend of the year, friends!! The Madness begins tomorrow; how sweet it will be. Go North Carolina.

I'll catch up to the blogging world sometime during my stay in the Northern Orient. Farewell!

Flu Days

2008-03-12T21:51:00.003-06:00

Early this morning I received a text that the government was shutting down all primary schools until after the Easter break. Our holidays were supposed to start next Thursday, instead our kids will be off for over two and a half weeks! Hoofta.

It is a cautionary measure as they want to guard against a possible flu epidemic, and in a city that was hit hard by SARS five years ago, you can sense there is likely political pressure behind the move. Better to be proactive, though, especially when you've been through something like SARS.

So, I'm alone in my classroom this morning. It feels strange, and though the flu situation is not a good one, I must say I'm glad to have four days of prep!

Where's the A535?

2008-03-09T08:03:00.004-06:00

I've got that soreness that is most definitely a result of basketball. I've missed it! Reminds me of my first basketball camp. I was tagging along with Tim and his buddies to a camp at CBC- Athletes in Action. I was ten, and I remember waking up the second day and discovering the effects of lactic acid for the first time.

Anyway. My friend Jill and I have been on a hunt for a women's basketball team here. A tennis friend connected me to one his buddies, whom we met up with for a bit of street ball. He then pointed us to a team, and last night we joined their practice. This was likely the highlight of the weekend. I haven't been a player in a practice since the the day I said goodbye to my acl in University. It was awesome to get out and run the floor again. Ah, I have missed it so much. They seem to be a nice group of girls and they were fun to play with. I'm looking forward to more, though I'm not sure how I will balance tennis and basketball. Not a bad thing to have to figure out, though! Love it!

It's about time I got back into it- it's March after all!! Time to work on the brackets!