I had been doing such a good job of keeping in touch, and then I became a ghost... sorry it's been so long between posts! After a very hectic last few weeks of school, we let out on December 17, and we had four glorious weeks off. And after 33+ years of waiting, I finally made it to the Serengeti. It was well worth the wait. We caught a glimpse of the wildebeest migration, a leopard walked right under our car, and we saw 7 rhinos within a couple hours in the Ngorongoro crater. Truly, you must all see this in your lifetime as I cannot possibly describe it to you. I also made a trip to the Usambara Mountains with a couple friends for a few days. It is a beautiful area and gave us the perfect chance to get some fresh air and exercise. I had a close encounter with the pavement during our bicycle excursion, but otherwise it was a fantastic trip!
Here is a link to safari pics.
Here is a link to safari pics.
I found Christmas tough this year. It was difficult to be away from home for the first time, and I missed all of our family traditions so much. It did not help that when I called home, Jamie literally picked up the phone, said "Call back later" and hung up! Apparently watching the very sad sight of our Queen's Hotel burning to the ground was much more riveting than talking to her beloved sister :P There was plenty of other sad news from friends at home over the holidays that made me glad to start a new year, and hopeful that 2011 offer healing to many.
Here are some Christmas pics.
After Christmas, I had the pleasure of hosting my first visitor from home. My friend, Coralie, came to visit with the primary goal of climbing Kili. I am proud to say that she summitted, of course, despite her nervousness about the excursion! She was with me for about a week and had a chance to see my school, meet my friends, and we took a quick trip to Tarangire for a glimpse of the magnificent baobabs and the elephants. She delivered to me cheddar cheese, Winnipeg rye bread, DVDs from Jason, gifts from my parents, and a plethora of other treats and I was over the moon!
Just after returning to school in January, I travelled to Mombasa, Kenya, for an IB mathematics training course. It was a great course and a good opportunity to collaborate with math colleagues that doesn't present often when teaching at such a small school. On the last evening, I got a chance to get to the beach for a quick dip and good dinner with new friends.
Here are some photos from January.
Right now I am over my head in marking, behind in my planning, buried in glassware that needs washing... all my favourite parts of teaching. The IB requires that we submit sample assessments and pieces of student work for our grade 10 courses, of which I have two. They then provide feedback on the quality of our assessments and whether we are scoring them appropriately, and the whole school receives this report. It puts the stress of simply administering a provincial exam to shame! I am stressed. This weekend the school is hosting an International Day that features food and entertainment from a host of countries... sounds like a bunch of Folklorama pavilions all wrapped up in one. Seems like it will be a fun event.
I am definitely not in Kansas anymore.... February in Arusha is slightly warmer than Peg City. With bonspiel season in full swing in the Great White North, I am definitely experiencing some moments when I wish I were cold. I would love to throw some rocks and have a Fort Garry Rouge with some of you. In an attempt to get my exercise/competition fix, I've been playing pick up volleyball a couple times a week, and have started swimming quite a bit in the school pool. Friends of mine hosted a Superbowl party that was good fun, but aside from that I have been forced to learn to like rugby. I refuse to give soccer a chance though. Just can't do it. Although I am fantastically happy here, there are things I miss a lot, especially at the end of a tough day. It is not so easy to find a new Bry or Sarge, or Lux or Smitty's.
I'm planning a trip home for about 5 weeks from the end of June to the end of July. In the meantime, know that I miss you and would love to hear from you.
Here are some Christmas pics.
After Christmas, I had the pleasure of hosting my first visitor from home. My friend, Coralie, came to visit with the primary goal of climbing Kili. I am proud to say that she summitted, of course, despite her nervousness about the excursion! She was with me for about a week and had a chance to see my school, meet my friends, and we took a quick trip to Tarangire for a glimpse of the magnificent baobabs and the elephants. She delivered to me cheddar cheese, Winnipeg rye bread, DVDs from Jason, gifts from my parents, and a plethora of other treats and I was over the moon!
Just after returning to school in January, I travelled to Mombasa, Kenya, for an IB mathematics training course. It was a great course and a good opportunity to collaborate with math colleagues that doesn't present often when teaching at such a small school. On the last evening, I got a chance to get to the beach for a quick dip and good dinner with new friends.
Here are some photos from January.
Right now I am over my head in marking, behind in my planning, buried in glassware that needs washing... all my favourite parts of teaching. The IB requires that we submit sample assessments and pieces of student work for our grade 10 courses, of which I have two. They then provide feedback on the quality of our assessments and whether we are scoring them appropriately, and the whole school receives this report. It puts the stress of simply administering a provincial exam to shame! I am stressed. This weekend the school is hosting an International Day that features food and entertainment from a host of countries... sounds like a bunch of Folklorama pavilions all wrapped up in one. Seems like it will be a fun event.
I am definitely not in Kansas anymore.... February in Arusha is slightly warmer than Peg City. With bonspiel season in full swing in the Great White North, I am definitely experiencing some moments when I wish I were cold. I would love to throw some rocks and have a Fort Garry Rouge with some of you. In an attempt to get my exercise/competition fix, I've been playing pick up volleyball a couple times a week, and have started swimming quite a bit in the school pool. Friends of mine hosted a Superbowl party that was good fun, but aside from that I have been forced to learn to like rugby. I refuse to give soccer a chance though. Just can't do it. Although I am fantastically happy here, there are things I miss a lot, especially at the end of a tough day. It is not so easy to find a new Bry or Sarge, or Lux or Smitty's.
I'm planning a trip home for about 5 weeks from the end of June to the end of July. In the meantime, know that I miss you and would love to hear from you.
