Let The Blogging Begin….

Wow, it has been awhile since I wrote anything on here… don’t know why I took such a long break.  One reason might be that there wasn’t much to post on in the past while.  Since the last post I finished off my fourth year teaching in China, went home for the summer where I did my usual routine of drinking coffee’s every morning and hanging out with Jillian in her mom’s backyard, and then returned to China at for year five. 

I am thinking this might be my last year of teaching at this school and am looking for places to go next.  Top of the list right now is somewhere in Europe… which makes the list quite long actually.  I am looking for a little guidance/suggestions as to where my next place of residence should be… any thoughts?

I will try to keep this blog somewhat updated from now on… just need to make it part of my routine again.  

If there is anyone out there who is still checking this blog with the faint hope that one day I might post again… thank you for that.

kb

I have been off the grid a little lately due to circumstances at work. Took on an extra class which has rendered me to a life of all work and no play… well, I do manage to still get in a little play, but not the kinda that would allow me to sit down, upload some pics, and type out a little blurb… until tonight that is…

This is kind of what I have felt like lately:

Okay, that might be a “bit” of an exaggeration, but you get my point… as my wise friend stated last night: “There is a reason you are not supposed to teach this many classes at once… ” I am not liking the teacher I am becoming right now, it has been two weeks of me progressively getting more impatient and snappy… it is not good for me or my students and it is getting out of control. One more week and then it will be back to my normal work day. I can’t wait!!!

Coming back from the Chinese New Year Holiday has it pros and con…

Con:
We have to go back to work after a glorious 5 weeks off.

Pros:
The weather starts to get warmer and warmer everyday (other than the random snow days)
Hockey starts up again
Ultimate starts up too
We can take our PE classes outside without freezing our asses off
You feel like you are on the last stretch

I believe there are 113 days left in this school year and it is nice to see the joy on people’s faces when they realize this…. since that means it is less than 90 teaching days… WOO HOO!

Don’t get me wrong, I love my job… but I love summer’s in Nelson more :)

…or at least I say they are cause I now have some. I am talking about rain boots…. gumboots…wellies…whatever name you know them by, they are a fantastic addition to anyone footwear repertoire. You all remember wearing them as a kid to go jumping around puddles in… well I have recently purchased a pair of this brilliant invention and am already loving them. Not only do they keep my feet dry, but they are pretty darn comfortable AND come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colours. I highly recommend them to anyone and everyone who never again wants to have water soaked shoes or have to ever walk around another puddle… you shouldn’t have to!!

Thanks to Tina’s AMAZING camera I bring you a few pics from the double bday bash last week…it may appear to outsiders that Susan and I had too much fun…………well you would be correct in your assumption……we did ;)

It might also appear that there was no one else there…this, however, is incorrect…we do have other friends….here is proof:

Thanks to everyone who came, it was a good night….but especially Tina, for without her we would haven’t these fantastic pics ;)

Two shows that I believe you cannot go without.

The series follows the turbulent lives of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close), the nation’s most revered and reviled high-stakes litigator and her bright, ambitious young protégé Ellen Parsons (Rose Byrne). After her unprecedented victory over billionaire Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson), Patty Hewes has the legal world at her feet. Just as she’s pondering her next move, Daniel Purcell (William Hurt), a man from Patty’s mysterious past, storms back into her life, catapulting Patty into a new legal challenge. What starts as a domestic murder case, escalates into the highest reaches of government as Patty unearths a vast conspiracy.

Set in 1960s New York, the sexy, stylized and provocative AMC drama Mad Men follows the lives of the ruthlessly competitive men and women of Madison Avenue advertising, an ego-driven world where key players make an art of the sell. The series revolves around the conflicted world of Don Draper (Hamm), the biggest ad man (and ladies man) in the business, and his colleagues at the Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. As Don makes the plays in the boardroom and the bedroom, he struggles to stay a step ahead of the rapidly changing times and the young executives nipping at his heels. The series also depicts authentically the roles of men and women in this era while exploring the true human nature beneath the guise of 1960s traditional family values.

There are 5 categories of giving and receiving love.

The value of knowing what you need to feel loved is that you can express that to your family and friends, enabling them to express love in a more meaningful way to you….and in turn you can learn how best you can express love to your family and friends.

I did this about 2 years ago and found it to be very meaningful…and accurate.
The link below will take you to an online version of this little quiz.
http://www.afo.net/hftw-lovetest.asp

Here are my results…I look forward to hearing what some of you get.

So the tickets are purchased for my journey to unfamiliar destinations…and I am so excited…I cannot wait to experience all that Europe has to offer…

First stop…The Hague

Throw in a little Eiffel Tower…

Who knows what else will be in store!?

I leave January 19th and return February 16th….a much needed break from the busyness of work and China.

I need to thank Sherry-Lynn for introducing this fantastically hilarious character from Mad TV. If you have never seen him then be prepared to bust a gut….he has had me rolling on the floor a few times…

I have to say, that I have pulled out a few of his lines in my classes…all in good fun though :)

Since blogsome is being a piss off and will most likely not show the video embedded you can also check it out through this link…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nslUQvTtBYI

It doesn’t get much better than a mojito. Minty freshness, a dash of sweetness contrasted with some lime juice for a lil’ tart and then a splash of rum to finish it off…..mmmm. Too bad I have to go all the way to “Brooklyn” to get one here…but it is definitely worth it!

My other beverage of choice right now is a Pimm’s and Ginger. I need to thank B.D. for the introduction of this little concoction into my life. In the picture below it shows an orange floating in the glass….and although adding fruit to this combination is a fine choice, a stick of cucumber really does the trick.

Students like to compare teachers to famous people they know in Hollywood and the one I have been compared to the most is Angelina Jolie….I just don’t see it…but maybe you can?!

Crazy how our eyes play tricks on us like this…

What did you see first?