3 Decades Old

I keep forgetting that I'm not in my 20s any longer. The other day I commented that someone was around my age, when I realized she is actually in her early 20s, and I am not. However, I have come to greatly appreciate the school uniform the students wear; on Mufti Days (non-uniform days) I try my best to walk with an authoritative air as I'm all too aware that I don't look all that different than the Year 13s. I hope that I will still look young when I reach an age where that will count for something; for now I have to work harder to exude a teacher's identity.

I was excited to have a momentous birthday: dinner out at a fancy restaurant, an appointment with the masseuse for an hour massage... In reality I laid on the couch for two weeks with a kidney infection. I'm hoping that it's an ironic rather than a prophetic start to my adulthood (I'm thinking that I've officially outgrown 'young adult' by now.)

Eureka!

After a year and a half I have solved a problem that has haunted me and discouraged my overtures to my friends: I know why all my baking flopped – I was using the wrong conversion table to get from cups and tablespoons to grams and ounces. As simple as that! I feel such relief and a new wave of energy and desire to try to bake gifts for my friends, and just in time for Christmas. I’m planning to make 60 jam filled sugar cookies to give to staff at school and other friends and their families. Let's hope it works, or I will be sorely disappointed.

How to Change a Light Bulb

...with no electrical grounding.














Complete with rubber gloves, wooden spoons and rubber-soled shoes.

Volleyball Once More

After you leave college, playing team sports is logistically annoying mostly impractical. But now that I’m back in the school environment the opportunity has again arisen: the PE teacher sent an open invitation for us to help with the inter-school volleyball tournament. I was giddy with excitement as I volunteered to keep score and track the substitutions. I didn’t realize it was actually a stressful role. And I also didn’t realize how much volleyball has changed – yes it has been 10 years since I played competitively! That means that there is now a libero where there wasn’t one before and rally-point is standard. It makes me feel old for a sport to change so much. But the PE teacher asked me to help coach next year, which is an exciting idea, whether I do it or continue on as score keeper, I don't know yet.

International Day 2009

Can you guess what Jared is...?

Right to Left (Arabic style, here): teacher in Gulf-wear; staff wearing normal (maternity) clothes; Jared as a cowboy/sheriff (which was a HUGE hit); the gardener in his native Sudanese get up.

Here's a teacher who borrowed a traditional wedding dress. The huge gold necklaces are very flash (usually not of solid gold). She ditched the head wrap because it was hot and hard to maintain while teaching.

Other local dress..