The Seaview Metro is Open!

Since we've been here, August 2008, the city of Shenzhen has been working on expanding their metro (subway) system by making a metro station across from where we live, among other places. Periodic blasting would shock us & the bustle of construction would fill the air (cough, cough). Well, it is now open for business, though from the pictures it still looks like it is under constructions. Oh, above ground they are still working on it but below ground is a clean, orderly, & extensive system that models Hong Kong's metro. Now it means getting to different parts of the city will be a little smooth but not necessarily quicker as millions will be taking the system. The cost is subsidized by the gov't as the most expensive one way ride is 7 yuan, rmb, kwai, (what they call their money) or just over 1 USD, not bad.

Our South East Asia Tour: Cambodia & Vietnam

We just got back from a fabulous vacation from these two countries. I cannot express in enough words to describe our experiences there. Both countries overcame many, many years of difficulties & they are now optimistic about their future, despite the obstacles of poverty & corruption. Both of these negatives we faced with difficulty but it is a fact of life. Each tour guide gave us their personal insights & experiences at each site we visited. I would move to either place in a heart beat! If I would be of any use to them. Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, & Da Nang are great places. Also, just getting out to see the country side was well worth it. We got a good taste of the culture, mind set, & overview of each location. Whether it was tasting local foods like red ants in fish paste, dodging scooters when crossing the streets, watching special celebrations like a funeral procession, examining the architecture of the past (Angkor or Hoi An) or present (Hanoi), it was all an enriching experience. If you want to read my full notes on this trip just send me an email.

Geology Rocks!

Eileen teaches 5th graders or 10 year old students. One of topics she covers in science is geology. Well, for "Open House" the students from each 5th grade class have been putting on a 40 minute musical play called "Geology Rocks!" for the last two years. A former principle had found it and thought it was a great teaching tool. It has been a hit every year & drama is up Eileen's ally! The students learn about geology, sing songs, & act out a story of two young girls looking for their missing teacher, Professor Rock. Lots of fun!

Middle School Badminton & Play

Well, I volunteer this school year to "coach" Middle School & High School Badminton. It is serious stuff over here in China. I was the assist coach last year for the HS team so I knew the admin side but the drills & rules were another issue I had to catch up on. I did have great help from another teacher, a parent & a student who is very skilled in the sport so I wasn't alone. Well after two months of selecting a team & practice we play our one and only tournament & won by one match. Now don't think it was some big time event as the tournament only consisted of two schools. Not many schools in the area have a middle school team I guess. It was a fast & exciting day but I was fighting with a cold so to have the tournament end early was fine with me. However, our bus broke down twice on the way home due to a bad belt. Maintenance it a problem around here. So is safety as our driver pulled over without safety triangles to place in back of the bus! We did get home safely but very late. So I'm planning to write a short article on how to come in first and end up last.

The other event was our Middle School Desert Theater. "Roaring Guns" was a play I selected over the summer break. I was the leader of the MS drama team for two years & wanted to turn it over asap. Well, at the beginning of this school year a group of teachers wanted to be on the team so I quickly turn everything over to them and "pointed them in the right direction" and went on with coaching badminton (a time consuming endeavor). Our school, QSI Shekou, has a way of tasking people with a bunch of extra duties without extra pay so I learned quick not to be over extended. Well this new bunch that took over the MS drama were far more talented & creative than I could ever be so the play was a hit! The students had a great time and everyone enjoyed it.

Back to the Blog

For those out there reading this blog, I apologize for the long delay between postings. We've been very busy with the teaching gig and other activities. A quick summary from the beginning of the school year (August 2010) to now can be summarized in one word, tough. We have new leadership, new team members, and many of the same problems of lack of supplies, policies, facility issues, & other organization struggles. Everyone is under a lot of stress of doing a lot but not a lot of depth to what we do. The new leadership is making changes slowly as they are on a steep learning curve. So much of our time has been taken up with our jobs.

As far a living, we are blessed to moving into a new apartment away from the noise of "party central" which is Sea World. Ah, no more yelling in the middle of the night by drunks and rowdies and though the lay out of our new apartment is just like our last one, this one was remodeled. My only complaint is that the water pressure is rather low. We painted the living room and it is very classy looking.

Our other activities revolve around what we believe. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much in this area as others still watch over us. All I can say is it keeps us busy and there are always some challenge. The problem with the public media is just that, it is public.

We have taken a trip to Shanghai to visit friends and then did a river cruise down the Yangtze River. Both events were very nice. We will be going to Angor Wat & Vietnam over the winter holidays. This will be exciting and I'm looking forward to it as everyone who has gone to those places loved it.

Here are some photos for your enjoyment.