I was never truly enthused about my blog. I wasn't sure what to write about and I was certain that no one wanted to read it. Well, I'm still not sure who wants to read, if anyone at all, but I think I know what I want to write about. Stuff. Regular stuff. Everyday stuff. Family stuff. Travel stuff. School stuff. I'm not going to try to impress anyone, I'm just going to write it to document my thoughts and what happens in my life. So we'll see how it goes.
My Favorite Things From Our Trip to Saigon
Not in any order, although the townhouse is probably my #1 favorite thing:
- Our townhouse - fantastic layout and fun, convenient location (photo above)
- Our new neighborhood - cafes, restaurants, smoothie stands, only a short walk to school
- Our new director - super nice guy!
- The other librarian that I'll be working with
- Taking a cyclo ride in downtown Saigon (photo below)
- Coconut smoothies at our school
- Sunshine
- Movie theaters
- Pho 24
Visiting Vietnam
Tomorrow night we leave for a trip to Saigon. We're taking a long weekend to check out housing and see the school and area. The weather will be warm and sunny...ok...sweltering HOT and sunny. I'm very happy about that because my hands are always ice cubes. Mike, on the other hand, will be sweating buckets. But he sweats buckets in an air conditioned room, so whatchya gonna do?
We're going to check out apartments and townhouses and hopefully sign for a place. We won't move in until August 1st, so I'm not sure if they'll want to hold it open for 3 months. At the very least we'll be able to tell the school what complex or area we like. I've heard it's a renter's market, so they may help our cause.
We want to mix pleasure with business, so we'll try to see some sights and have some fun. I'll take loads of pictures and will post some here.
I can't wait to see Saigon!
Old Friends, New Again
The other day I got on Facebook and my best friend from elementary school, Mark Altamore, was asking me to be his friend! Holy cow! He was my friend when I started kindergarten and I cried when he moved when I was in 6th grade. Now I have the opportunity to get to know him again.
Within a few days I was friends with his brother and 3 of his sisters! Wall posts and e-mails were flying! Most of them started with "OMG!" or "Wow! What a blast from the past!" We immediately reminisced about playing kickball and stickball, Monopoly games that lasted several days, tag in the pool and roasting marshmallows over a round Weber grill! It's so great to be in touch with people who were a significant part of my childhood.
(I was going to post a picture of us when we were kids, holding wiffle ball bats, but I can't find it anymore. I'll keep searching.)
What I'm Looking Forward to in Vietnam
1. Sun!
2. Warm weather
3. Greenery
4. Cheap street food
5. Good baguettes
6. Walking or biking to school
7. Cool things to see in the area
8. Maybe getting a moped
9. More sun!
10. More warmth!
It's Not Where I'm Going, it's What I'm Leaving Behind...
I couldn't figure out why I was more emotional than usual. I could cry at a drop of a hat. I thought maybe I was hitting early menopause or going a tad crazy. About a week or so ago, I figured out that moving is hitting me full on in the face. I've moved many times before and I always leave feeling good, thanks for the memories, keep in touch!
But this move is much different.
I'm excited about moving to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam. I've heard terrific things about the country, the people, the food and the climate is exactly what I need. Being in a warm environment, living a more outdoors lifestyle is right up my alley. I'm ready for the change.
But it's what I'm leaving behind that's throwing me for a loop.
My friends here in Shanghai are funny, supportive, kind, crazy...the kind of people I want to spend time with. I've had so many hysterical times over the past 4 years. Just eating lunch in the Food Court can be a riot! I laugh everyday, many times a day! It's good medicine! It's difficult to accept that my time with them is limited.
Once I figured out why my emotions were on overdrive, I felt better about it all. Just identifying what was going on always helps me deal with things. I'm the type of person that has to talk things out and I finally knew what I had to talk about!
So my solution is to enjoy the next 4 months and leave with no regrets. I feel fortunate to have worked with such an amazing group of people. I know I'll be a mess when I leave in June, but that's just a testament to the friendships I've made here in Shanghai.
Chris Crutcher Can Visit Anytime!
This is Visiting Author week at Shanghai American School. A lot of work and preparation go into arranging for an author to travel to China for almost 2 weeks and do 32 sessions with students and teachers. It's an exciting week!
This year the high school visiting author is powerhouse young adult author Chris Crutcher. When I was trying to get an author, the middle school librarian suggested Crutcher, saying she saw him at a library conference and he was terrific. My reply was, "As if! Why don't we just try to get JK Rowling!" I had read many Crutcher books and his titles are on a unbelievable number of "best of" lists. He's a huge name in teen literature. When his assitant responded positively to my e-mail, I was floored.
So a year of planning went by. Contracts were signed, airline tickets purchased, Chinese visa obtained, hotels arranged, schedule created. The moment of truth, aka Chris Crutcher, arrived in Shanghai at 3:00pm on Monday. This is when the rubber hit the road. Visiting author week is a fantastic experience for the students, but to be quite honest, it can be less than fantastic for the librarian! If the author is a poor presenter or high maintenance, the end of the week can't come soon enough! I was a little worried about Crutcher because of his elite status in the literary world. He could be a demanding egomaniac and it would be justified. I wouldn't enjoy it, but at least he had earned it.
Crutcher is the visiting author trifecta! He's an excellent writer, fantastic presenter and he couldn't be lower maintenance! So far he has done 7 student presentations and 1 staff presentation and they were all engaging, sincere, funny and thought provoking. He enjoys making a real connection with people and takes the time to have honest conversations. Today he read a short story by David, a senior at our school. Chris then took the time to talk with him in the hall and encouraged him to continue writing. I could tell David was shocked and proud. This afternoon I received an e-mail from a mother who told me that Crutcher spoke to her son's class yesterday and he gave rave reviews. He then checked out a bunch of Chris' books and was going crazy over them. This is what visiting authors week is all about. Mission accomplished!
On a personal level, Chris is the perfect match for this librarian! He's easy going and funny, someone I like to spend time with. That makes my week so much easier and enjoyable. I would pick him out of a crowd to be my friend. He's happy, goes with the flow and even played basketball with the staff after school today! After basketball we went to a local place for dinner with my 5th grade daughter, Brenna and all three of us had a great time. He writes for teens, but was totally at home eating cabbage and noodles with an elementary student. (She's an incredible elementary student, but that's another blog!)
Sometimes at the end of visiting authors week, I'm relieved to say goodbye. Not this year. I feel like I'll be saying goodbye to a friend.
