A week of ups and downs .....

This week has been one of mixed feelings for this Australian expatriate! The one thing that is really starting to get me down is the weather, it is starting to get really cold and miserable here. I didn't realise how much I missed the blue skies until I visited Tibet. A highlight of the week was having two 10th birthdays in our class - all the children are very excited that they are moving into double figures! As you can see from the pictures, no expense has been spared with the birthday cakes - a far cry from the homemade cupcakes of my childhood birthdays!

Is this enough cake for 8 students and 2 teachers?

I might be biased but I really do think homemade cakes are nicer, these Chinese sponges laden with artificial cream don't really do it for me. Okay, so they tasted alright but cream cake was not what I needed after 2 weeks of eating a lot and no gym! Speaking of gym, it has been a real struggle to get back into it after a break, especially now that it is so cold. It took a few days to get into it, but I'm feeling good now - bring on those squats and lunges in preparation for skiing in two weeks time.

The Kookaburras are moving into double figures!

Another highlight of the week was that Sodai, the new Japanese boy in my class, has overcome his shyness/reluctance to attempt any English. This week, he has written several sentences in English (with a lot of help!) and even read them to the class. As all teachers will know, this is one of the best feelings you can have when you see a child finally 'get it' and the look of happiness on their face - what a warm, fuzzy feeling! Memories of beautiful Yangshuo

I am looking forward to a 'girls' dinner tonight where we can swap travel stories from the Christmas break and plan new adventures for the upcoming Chinese New Year when we all head off to varying parts of the world - Yangshuo, New Zealand, Japan. The weekend will be a mixed bag of work and play - reports need to be written (thank goodness for only having to write 7, compared to 24 back at home!), bags need to be packed for Jakarta (bring on 27 degrees and sunny!) and shopping needs to be done for the skiing adventure.