Home for the Holidays

Just a quick note as this week is a hectic one. I will be home for the Holidays and couldn't be happier. We have the two day Christmas pageant and the Speaking Competition at the Television Station both Saturday and Sunday on top of which I have to teach some classes and memorize lines.

I packed yesterday and am just finalizing travel arrangements to and from the airport.

I hope all the OGC Tumblers did well the first tumbling meet of the season. I can't wait to hear about it. I will be in the gym on the 29th and/or the 30th.

Merry Christmas to everyone if I don't get to see you in person.

Happy New Year too! I'm lucky this year, I will experience New Years three times in one day as I will cross several time zones while flying back to China on the 31st/1st.

All the best to everyone in the new year. Follow your hearts and look to the bright future ahead.

Still Here in Daqing

Hello Everyone. I'm still here in Daqing. I know I have not posted anything for awhile. I have not really done that much other than Christmas shopping, studying Chinese, studying some Russian and making teaching lesson plans (you know me, I'm so lazy). I have had to add a class to my Sunday schedule so that I can come home for the holidays. As well we are gearing up for the Christmas pageant. With 8 classes of students to prepare it is a bit of extra work. As well we are in the midst of midterm report cards and the big city-wide English Speaking competition for kids. I have had to set a couple extra training sessions to teach the students how to deliver speeches. I have some experience in this area so it was not too difficult. The hardest part was trying to come up with a better translation for "English gives me a colourful dream." 9 out of 10 students had this in their speeches. What would you have written? This translation delema is bound to come up again.

This morning I was officially asked to be a co-host for the televised Speaking Competition. The part that will make it a bit of a challenge besides the fact that I will have to deliver some lines in Chinese, the rehearsal is on the first day of our two-day Christmas pageant and the the taping of the show is on the the second day of our pageant. Things could get a bit hectic. I will be ready for a short trip home. I love airports and flying so I will be happy to sit for a while. Thinking of home gives me a 'colourful dream.'

See you soon. I will be back in the '.ca' December 23rd and will spend my New Years somewhere between LA and Beijing on my way back.

Seasons Greetings from Daqing.

It is minus 23 degrees C today. A bit chilly but the sun is nice.