happy halloween...
Some Holiday stories to get you into the haunted season.
AKA... non-sensical stories from 6 year olds.
If the brilliant ways of young children does not amuse you, I would skip this post. I know I said the last post was the last, but my children blew me away today, and I wanted to show off.
Pumkins
By: J.J.
First I see a home and I see a pumkin.
I open the door.
And I see a red ghost.
And I shout and my hair is up. (insert really comical cartoon drawing of J.J. with troll hair)
And I stand up and shut the door.
And I see a ghost outside.
And the ghost nearly eat me.
And the ghost eat me.
End The.
Halloween House
By: Boat
The Ghost House.
The ghost go out.
The ghost is nearly inside.
Now the ghost is in the house.
BOO!
The wind comes.
Ghost sees a black cat.
The ghost sees the car and gets inside it.
The End.
Ghost Hallooween
By: Nicky
I go with my family I go to the ghost home.
My family go in.
I see a ghost.
And my family run out but the door shut.
And the ghost eat my family.
And the ghost go away.
Pumpkin. Ghost.
The End
BOO!
By: Gao
A girl named Boo.
Boo wake up. Boo sees the TV. Boo put the costume on.
Boo go to shop. And Boo buy something to eat for halloween show.
Someone came and Boo came too! Boo said "Boo!" but they didn't hear Boo.
Everyone come and Boo come too!
Boo said "Boo!"
And Boo be a ghost.
Halloween
By: Rew
I go to Halloween. I make a pumpkin.
And the ghost see a house that is windy.
And he goes inside.
And he say Boo.
He see a mask. He sees a black cat.
And we got pumpkin.
And we say Boo.
And we have fun Halloween.
And we has a pumpkin.
And of course, saving my favorite for last
I die 1000 years
By: Mickey
I see a monster at the whole world. It has many heads.
The monster name SF.
My name is Mickey.
I go and fight. The monster is dangerous.
I fight the monster and the monster dies.
Other people say, "YAY"!
I die too!
END
Ahhh the wonderful minds of the young. They are exceptionally awesome with the illustrations. Sorry for my intense teacher moment. I've been pretty good so far.
Mom you may be the only one still with me.
Happy Halloweening!
wat wat...
Hello All!
This is my last post before I head to Hong Kong and Cambodia. And better still - this is my last post before I see my Dad! I can't wait. Although my homesickness has been minimal, you can't know how wonderful it's gonna be to see family!
Last weekend I pretty much did nothing. I focused a lot on rejuvinating so that I could get through the week, and have all my energy for a non stop, action packed holiday. And man, has it ever felt like this week would never end!
Anyway, I digress, my last weekend. Friday night, I literally did nothing. Lisa and I watched some Grey's Anatomy in our apartment and then went to bed. It was wild.
The next morning, in pure Crystal fashion... I was up at 5:30 am. Awesome. But - lucky you... because that meant that I was super on the ball with my blog. Anyway, when Lisa woke up, we went for a walk around our complex. We go about every other day. It's where we can go check out all the mansions around our neighborhood. The Kingsway has got nothing on these houses. Crazy.
After that, Jeff, Lisa and I caught a cab to have our first real authenticky thai experience... we finally went to a Wat (Buddist Temple). First we took the BTS, and then went on the Klong. We finally arrived at Wat Pho, which is right beside the Grand Palace (I'm saving the Palace for you pops!) This Wat is famous for the Giant Reclining Buddha. It was pretty incredible. And then we wandered around the temple, the grounds were massive, with all these little buildings and monuments, that were so ornately decorated. It was amazing. Again no words.
Eventually, we wandered into an actual temple, where there were monks chanting, and were actually in the middle of a Buddhist ceremony. I had no idea what was going on... but I actually felt more peaceful being in that environment. It was kind of hypnotic.
After that, we grabbed some food, and then Lisa went out with Kris and Bobbi... and Jeff and I went to the Emporium mall to go see a movie. (The Departed) We had some time before the movie started so we went to my new favorite place... and AMAZING book store... where of course I spent to much money. But give me some credit... I left all my books at home, and I've hardly bought any so far... I've been very restraintful. mmmmm books!
Then Jeff and I ran into some students. So of course, we are dating. The rumours were flying on Monday. And Jeff, that silly boy kept "we-ing" us. They'd ask us a question, and he'd go, "Where did we go again? Yeah, we love that place. We took a weekend off from the beach." Oh well - WE will give our student that little thrill of thinking they are up on the latest gossip... even if it is fictictious. P.S. The movie was a huge let down.
The next morning, I woke up... played LOTS of guitar. I still suck... but it's so fun... I'm addicted. I tryed to teach myself finger picking. It did not go well. One day, my friends, one day. And then - I actually did some school work. I planned for this week and the week after break and I did some marking. How on the ball am I?
During the week I have just tryed to do whatever I can to make the time pass more quickly. On Tuesday Lisa, Jeff and I went to Khao San Road. Jeff had to get a Visa for Vietnam. (He is going there for October break) Lisa and I wandered around the super cool streets looking at all of the booths and shops etc. I went into a starbucks (I know, yuck!) because I was out of coffee beans. However, Starbucks is a rip off. So I said to Lisa, "Too rich for my blood." and this guy who was also there said, "You are from Toronto, right?" Not only did he get my country but my city too!So impressive... he was from Thunder Bay.
Anyhoo... afterschool Lisa and I are going to Ocean World. We are checking it out to see if we wanna take our kids there on a field trip. Should be fun. A good way to pass some time. I'll let you know if I have anymore encounters with wild animals.
Other than that - I guess that is it for now. Be ready to be bombarded with a massive blog when I return from my travels with my dad. But until then, I love you and miss you all. 63 days until I'm home again. (Lisa is doing the countdown... not me... but still it's nice to know it's so close.)
Love love, Crys
Oh also, I'm going to try to include a few more pics with me in them from now on. I'm not vain - it's been requested by a dedicated blog reader. Jenn has been disapointed with the number of pics that are sans crystal. I like being behind the camera... but whatever!
Me and Rose (co-worker) at Koh Samet
my friends...
I figured it was about time that I gave you some faces and backgrounds to go with my stories. I'm so fortunate to have such a solid crew to keep me entertained out here. There will be more bio's to come in future posts. I hope these last couple posts have made up for being such a slacker these last few weeks. Love you all.
Lisa
"The Roomie!"
You have seen this girl a lot. She lives with me. We always have a fun time together. She had joined me on almost all of my escapades. We have recently been bonding over our mutual love for Grey's Anatomy. In particular, George. We love George. As far as roommates go... I got pretty lucky cause she is one cool girl! Oh, she teaches 2nd grade... so she gets a lot of my school issues, because she is living it too! She is a Torontonian.
Jeff
"The Big Brother"
This is Jeff... I know, he has made many appearances on my blog also. He is one of my closest friends out here. We look out for each other. I've even been his wing man a couple of times. Although, because I'm a girl, the ladies get a little thrown off. This pic is from Samet last weekend... so Jeff... the non-religious, non- Irish guy... decides to get a celtic cross henna tatooed on his arm, I made fun of him mercilessly for days. He is the councellor at the school. He is from Colorado originally.
Emily and Daniel
"The Married Ones!"
These two are super wonderful. They are newlyweds. I met them at the job fair at Queens'. They got married a few weeks before flying to Thailand... had their honeymoon on a couple islands in southern Thailand... and then started work. They are always up for hanging out with the group. And - they always offer me a bed in the second bedroom of thier beautiful apartment. Emily is quickly becoming one of my closest girl friends out here. She is always such a blast to hang out with. Daniel is also really amazing to hang out with, he is an uber athelete. I don't think there is anything these two can't do. They are good people. Oh... also - from Toronto.
Joe
"The Drama Guy"
This is Joe. He is always a blast to hang out with. I'm pretty sure he doesn't sleep. He is the Drama teacher at the downtown campus. And - he is younger than me! So I'm not the baby. He is just so interesting to talk to. We rode the bus together last weekend to Samet, and ended up chatting philisophically about what were to happen if the bus wouldn't stop. Kinda like Speed with Keanu Reeves, minus the bomb plus the pychological issues of spending a lifetime trapped in a bus. We kept adding components to the crazy story until it spiralled out of control and we lost all faith in humankind. Good times. He's from Detroit.
Tony
"The Jock"
This is Tony. He is the first grade teacher from the other campus. He is a good guy with a big heart. He is the one who I referenced in my other post, who plays soccer (the bar full of Tony's). Anyway, I called him the jock because I'm pretty sure that there is not a conversation in the world that he cannot somehow segway into a conversation about sports. I don't know how he does it. It's a gift really. But - as a result, my interest in conversations with Tony are very short lived. Because as soon as the sports references start flowing, my brain starts playing music in my head. Tony is from some small town in Iowa.
Bobbi
"The Tour Guide"
This is Bobbi. She is an English teacher at my campus. She started working here last year. She has been a wonderful tour guide. She helps us find our way around Bangkok. She also goes out of her way to organize trips to various locations around Bangkok. I've never seen anyone with so much personality. She is the epitome of a crazy, loud American. You gotta love it! She is from Florida.
my students...
Here are my students... aren't they cute? From left to right: Mickey, Boat, Rew, Gao, J.J. and Nicky. I know most of them look a little grumpy... but getting them to stand still for a photo was a challenge in itself!
Here is Mickey. He is my (shhhhhhh!) favorite kid. He is so cute. We had a book fair last week, and there was a door decorating contest. In desperate attempts to make this contest resemble something academic, I did a book study using the book, "Where the Wild Things Are." I had all my kids make Wild Things faces, then I blew up the photo, and they made themselves into giant wild things. This was Mickey's Wild Things face. Or - just a regular day in my classroom!
Rew - this is the kid that will end my teaching career. But I LOVE LOVE him. He is a cutie.... but he sure does have a lot of energy that he likes to express by touching other people's crotches. We are working on it! He is a really bright kid. He always makes me laugh, so it's really hard to get mad at him when he's ruining all my brilliant lessons. However - In two short months I think I've mastered my teacher face!
Boat... oh Boat! This kid is amazing. When all the other boys in the classroom have destroyed everything, Boat is quietly sitting in one place with his hand up, focusing on the lesson. Just when I've lost all hope, "Yes Boat, what would you like to share." "Miss Crystal, schema is when you take stuff in your head to understand the book." "YES, Boat... that's awesome, go move your star!"
OK, look at this girl. Is she not the cutest? The poor little girl... the only one in a room full of rowdy boys... and man, does she hold her own. This girl will not put up with the boys crap. I've never seen a 6 year old roll her eyes so powerfully. I look at her and think, I know just how you feel Gao. Yesterday I was handing out the paper for the spelling test, and Gao pulls on my shirt, looks up at me and says, "Miss Crystal, did you forgot whose job it is to hand out the papers?" It was her job, my bad.
J.J. and Nicky are wonderful kids also, but I don't want to bore you with to much text in this post. Thier stories will come.
I am so lucky. My kids are tough. I thought I would be bored with only 6 kids. Nope, everyday is an adventure. And everyday I love them more. I mean look at them... life is good.
Quick final note... in my morning message I always sign it, Love Miss Crystal. And from the first school day until now... 42 school days later, when we read the message aloud, it never fails, Rew chiming in, "Love, EWWWWWWWWW, ha ha ha Ewwww, love, ha ha ha."
So that being said...
Love Miss Crystal
report card season...
Hi Everybody!
I know, I know, I've been slacking. I'm sorry. Kay, here are my excuses, accept any or all of the list provided:
1. Reports cards are due!
2. My internet has been broken. (Damn internet guy saying he's coming to my house and doesn't show up, mjasdfjlurwaesdk... I'm not bitter.)
3. My eye was infected. (Not pink eye so I didn't get to miss school)
4. I did not get Thanksgiving off... you lucky Canadians!
This may take a while... so sit back and relax, skim or read in shifts. It's really your call!
School stuff has been going pretty well. I'm starting to feel like a real teacher, and like I'm actually helping my kids learn something... so that is a start. The kids have mostly been on the ball with their work, and their not making me what to pull out my hair... most days. I had to give my kids this teacher survey to see how they are responding to my teaching. The survey was in very difficult language (they make the same survey for high school and for elementary, how stupid is that?) Anyway, seeing as my kids can't read, I sat them down and said, "I get to tell you all the time how you are doing as a student. I want you to tell me now how I am doing as a teacher."Here are some responses;
"I like you math."
"I like you because you the way when you go to the high five."
"I like you because you student sometimes Thai Culture with us."
So... I guess I'm doing alright... but maybe not doing my part in teaching oral language. Ooops.
Alright... now the fun stuff... non school life.Two weekends ago, I had a very relaxing weekend in the city, where I was supposed to be getting caught up with my school work... instead it turned into shopping, watching Grey's Anatomy and going to the bar. Good times.Friday night, Lisa and I went for a nice dinner at Dosa King... yep Indian food. You can take me away from the country but you can't take me away from the food. Very delicious... however, I ordered a drink called a Jaljeera... NEVER AGAIN. It was pepper water. Yuck. Then we met up with some friends at a bar downtown. Chatted and relaxed for a bit... and then headed home. Very chill evening.
The next morning I woke up and headed back downtown for a girl’s day with Emily. We went to a mall called MBK and did a little shopping. I finally found my bootlegged copy of Grey's Anatomy Season 2. Life is good. After shopping we went back to her place. We wandered around her neighbourhood, looking for a place to have a bite to eat. We ended up stumbling upon this animal friendly complex... they had a cat motel, and a dog walking park that you can take your dog or cat for walks in at the low low price of 20000 Baht a year. (That is over 500 dollars) Man, people with money.
After that we relaxed for a bit at Emily's place, and decided that dinner plans should be Middle Eastern food. Later in the evening we met up with some friends and went out searching for the restaurant that we found in one of our many guidebooks. But then it rained. So we ran into the 1st Egyptian restaurant we saw, and had our meal.
After dinner, we met up with some more friends at a bar called the Pickled Liver. We hung out there for a while. It's the bar that sponsors my friend’s soccer league. The bar was full of all these white guys that looked just like Tony... it was the strangest thing. Tall Tonys, wide tonys, skinny tonys... its like they all flocked to this one bar. Odd.I was sleeping over at Emily's place, so after a long day, we headed home. One of the perks of sleeping over at their place is that she makes the most amazing breakfasts. So Sunday morning, I gobbled up my pancakes, looked at her and Daniels recently arrived wedding photos, and headed home, ready for a productive afternoon of school work.
This productive afternoon turned into a guitar playing session, and a phone call from Jeff asking me to go to the movies. So off I went to go see world Trade Center. Overall, a good weekend of wasting time!
The next weekend however was yet another Koh Samet Weekend! Woo woo, those are my favorite kinds of weekends. This time, it was Lisa, Jeff and I and then a whole bunch of other people from the Sukhumvit Campus. After a VERY long bus ride, and a VERY bumpy speed boat ride, we ended up in our little hut. In terms of rooms it was middle of the line... we have stayed in far worse, and far far better.
First stop - as always, Jep's for some fine Indian Cuisine. And then we walked down the way to the FULL MOON PARTY! More flame throwers and music, and sand, and fire pits... predictibly wonderful! Then we went over to the dance floor and dance dance danced our little hearts out. Some of us decided that it was time for bed. Lisa (who shared my hut) was not one of them... so I had to find my way home... in the dark... by myself. So as I'm sure you could guess... it didn't turn out so wonderfully. As I wandered in and out of huts, that were in no logical order, and were not layed out in anything that resembled a straight line, I began to realize that I had no idea where I was. So I started freaking out. I had visions of winding up in the middle of the forest, surrounded by gecko's eating my flesh (that's right there are flesh eating geckos!) So luckily, I found my way back to the main road, and back to the dance club, and safely back with the few friends that were still out there... including Lisa... who has a slightly better sense of direction than me, and we made our way back to our room. Yay for sleeping.
The next morning we we got up, had some breakie and layed out in the sun. All day! Doing nothing. It was amazing. This island is covered in Soi Dogs, and they all seemed to be after each others terratory. It was funny to see them attacking each other all day.
That night we went out for dinner to this cool restaurant. It was not on the beach. We had to take this pick up truck taxi to a point way past the harbour... and then we ended up at this floating restaurant. It is hard to explain... but basically, you get to the dock, and there is a big rope that is hanging like a zip line from the dock to the restaurant. Then - this guy comes up on his raft... the 12 of us VERY CAREFULLY climb on... and he pulls us across the water, and then we are at the restaurant. The restaurant was on stilts... and the tables are the traditional thai tables with the triangle pillows and the pit for your feet... but instead of a floor underneath... your feet just dangle above the water. It was super cool!
After dinner we wandered back over to the beach... and ended up singing and playing the guitar late into the night. It was so nice... it was like I was at camp again - but with beach and ocean and adults and alcohol. It was a amazing Saturday night.
The next morning we headed home... hopped back on our speedboat, and onto a minibus - and headed back to Thana City, where I curled up with some Grey's and fell asleep.
All this week I've been doing the school thing. My dad is coming soooooooo soon. I'm not sure if I said what the plan was... but just in case, we are meeting in Hong Kong and then going to Cambodia, and then he his spending a few days with me in Bangkok. I can't wait to see a familiar face... and for someone I love to see where I live, and see my school, and meet my kids. I CAN'T wait.
Anyway, sorry if I have bored you with this monsterously long post!
Please write soon.
Love love!
