Well...Marni performed her play with her Indonesian students, tonight. I tell you, all was great. Treasure Island by a munch of Asians and one Russian is pretty cool. One character sounded like a Jamaican Voodoo lady and another sounded like some strange half-English half-I don't know. But, it was all good.
One of things I am noticing about these students is how robotic they are. I have witnessed it in sports and now in drama. They have a lot of trouble 'flowing'. It seems like they cannot walk and talk when they are playing or acting. It was 'walk-say line, -walk- say line'. Of course the kids were nervous. At least the four students whose parents actually showed up were nervous. The same happens in phys.ed. where they are too robotic to not fall on their face. So, white people are less awkward then at least one group of people.
School is winding down and the kids are getting restless. More so then they do at home, too. We had a pool party on Wednesday and the students hated it! "It's too hot!" Really? Too hot to jump in the olympic sized school pool? Yup, they wanted to sit in the air conditioned library and play video games. Nerds! You can't tell me that any Canadian kids wouldn't give their left nut to hang out for an afternoon in the school pool. Especially since they just thawed out from the harsh winter that you were all bitching on facebook about having. Awwww!! (I spelled that with the sarcasm button).
Another interesting thing about the drama aspect is that our one Mandarin teacher (and soon to be tour guide of China) was quite upset about Marni breaking her leg. When I gave him a dumbfounded look (which, really, is my normal look) I wondered why someone would say "Break a leg, Marni" on the staffroom wall. When I explained what the phrase meant he just shook his head and said "Why is English so confusing? If you want to wish a person good luck, just say good luck." Now I know why China is kicking the rest of the world's ass.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Kota Kinabalu
Marni, the kids and I thought we would get another stamp in our passport by heading to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia for the weekend. It is on the Island of Borneo- some of the most rustic, wild areas of the world. Cool!
Firstly, Malaysia had all of the best parts of Jakarta AND organization. It was a great place to visit.
The first couple of days we just hung out and did some shopping. A popular gift would be the frog purse. Kind of creepy and even more so when you realize the purse is made from an actual frog. Just hollow it out, add a zipper and call it a purse. So much for donating my body to science....I'm a wallet, baby!
Going through the shops it was evident that Caden could do whatever he wanted to. I turned around and he had stolen a bracelet from one of the stalls. He was honestly picking it up for Fifi (the nanny) but neglected to pay for it. The owner of the shop could have cared less. Tip #1: Take a blonde boy to Malaysia with you. Zoe cannot get away with as much. But, she smiles so well that she appears in many holiday pictures for the droves of Hong Kong tourists in the area. Caden is not as willing to pose for pictures.
We went on a couple of tours. One was a river cruise to see Proboscis monkeys. Caden referred to them as Pocahontas monkeys. Another cute thing he did this weekend. It was amazing to see these monkeys in the wild along with some other macaques. Amazing how fast a local boat driver can spot them when he is being paid. One glaring difference between a tour in Indonesia and one in Malaysia was the fact there were life jackets provided. Indonesians would assume you can swim.
We went to Mt. Kinabalu National Park. A wonderful little place with some of the rarest flowers around. Some of them are found only in that area. Sexy Lady orchids (they have boobs!) can be found, one type of orchid that the guide has only seen three time since 2003 and the smallest orchid in the world. When I asked the guide the name of the smallest orchid he said "The smallest orchid". Sort of like saying "Hey, who is that asshole?". "I don't know, we just call him the Asshole".
Part of the tour included a canopy walk. The kids were troopers until Caden looked down at the highest point of the trek. Then he shrieked and would not proceed. One of the guides had to carry him to the end. They would not let Marni or I do it. But, we have now identified something he is afraid of. He said he was just scared that Mommy would die if she fell. He was really just protecting her, not screaming.
Another part of the tour was to see the worlds largest flower- the Rafflesia. This flower contains no roots, shoots or leaves. It just buds from the ground. It can take 3 months for the bud to open and will only bloom for 5-7 days- once in the plants lifetime. Locally known as the "corpse flower" due to the pungent smell it produces. The locals drove us in a van with no suspension to what I thought would be our death to see this rare flower. Of course, there was a price attached.
After buying some new shoes I left the old ones on top of a dumpster. After 15 min, they were taken by a local to wear. The Salvation Army in action.
I am sure there are more stories and I will fill you in later.
Firstly, Malaysia had all of the best parts of Jakarta AND organization. It was a great place to visit.
The first couple of days we just hung out and did some shopping. A popular gift would be the frog purse. Kind of creepy and even more so when you realize the purse is made from an actual frog. Just hollow it out, add a zipper and call it a purse. So much for donating my body to science....I'm a wallet, baby!
Going through the shops it was evident that Caden could do whatever he wanted to. I turned around and he had stolen a bracelet from one of the stalls. He was honestly picking it up for Fifi (the nanny) but neglected to pay for it. The owner of the shop could have cared less. Tip #1: Take a blonde boy to Malaysia with you. Zoe cannot get away with as much. But, she smiles so well that she appears in many holiday pictures for the droves of Hong Kong tourists in the area. Caden is not as willing to pose for pictures.
We went on a couple of tours. One was a river cruise to see Proboscis monkeys. Caden referred to them as Pocahontas monkeys. Another cute thing he did this weekend. It was amazing to see these monkeys in the wild along with some other macaques. Amazing how fast a local boat driver can spot them when he is being paid. One glaring difference between a tour in Indonesia and one in Malaysia was the fact there were life jackets provided. Indonesians would assume you can swim.
We went to Mt. Kinabalu National Park. A wonderful little place with some of the rarest flowers around. Some of them are found only in that area. Sexy Lady orchids (they have boobs!) can be found, one type of orchid that the guide has only seen three time since 2003 and the smallest orchid in the world. When I asked the guide the name of the smallest orchid he said "The smallest orchid". Sort of like saying "Hey, who is that asshole?". "I don't know, we just call him the Asshole".
Part of the tour included a canopy walk. The kids were troopers until Caden looked down at the highest point of the trek. Then he shrieked and would not proceed. One of the guides had to carry him to the end. They would not let Marni or I do it. But, we have now identified something he is afraid of. He said he was just scared that Mommy would die if she fell. He was really just protecting her, not screaming.
Another part of the tour was to see the worlds largest flower- the Rafflesia. This flower contains no roots, shoots or leaves. It just buds from the ground. It can take 3 months for the bud to open and will only bloom for 5-7 days- once in the plants lifetime. Locally known as the "corpse flower" due to the pungent smell it produces. The locals drove us in a van with no suspension to what I thought would be our death to see this rare flower. Of course, there was a price attached.
After buying some new shoes I left the old ones on top of a dumpster. After 15 min, they were taken by a local to wear. The Salvation Army in action.
I am sure there are more stories and I will fill you in later.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Taiwan
Apparently, wake-up calls are simply a suggestion. Then, it is the chaperons job to put food and water into a students’ mouth. It may even be better for us to insert an IV so that they will not have to waste the energy on chewing.
This morning, a student who was late for the bus looked at me and said “Meester, I am hungry. When will we stop to get food?”. I asked him if he ate at the wonderful buffet that was free in the hotel. “No, I was sleeping.” was his answer. I have no sympathy for that.
We had a crisis with a student cramping up. He is a bit of a hypochondriac at the best of times but this was legit. He collapsed outside of his room with his leg straight out. By the time I returned to the hotel he was packed in a taxi ready to go to the hospital. After another teacher talked him out of the cab we were able to get him some water and other food. He mentioned that he had drunk nothing but coke all day. I guess it is hard to get your electrolytes when your head is buried in your crotch staring at your video game console, all day.
The students are starting to grab a clue, though of most life skills. They are careful of their own luggage, staying together and taking care of one another. One day, they will realize that their nannies will not be everywhere with them.
We have been visiting the night markets in Taiwan for the last couple of nights. Where else can you find such things to snack on as sheep brains, hearts, intestine and what not? You may think I am making this up…..nope.
This crappy train is only doing 252 km/h. I don’t know why we are slowing down from the ever-so-gentle 296 km/h.
Today, we will head up to Taipei 101. I think it is the second largest building in the world. Something interesting, when was the last time that something truly amazing was built in Canada? It is amazing to see these high-speed trains, amazing buildings and other innovative structures that we just don’t do. Maybe it is the space we have, financial problems or what, but to see what people are building in these countries is truly wonderful.
We went to an aquarium in the south of Taiwan, yesterday. The place was stunning. They had the most amazing displays and descriptions that I have ever seen. There was a tank that must have been 3 stories tall with kelp beds. There was a two or three story tank that had a model shipwreck. It explained the process and life that is found at the various levels. They also had a Beluga whale that popped a boner on command. Very impressive indeed, Mr. Whale.
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