Sunday, August 30, 2009
Luke's First Day
We had our first day of school on the 14th, but Luke didn't start until the 15th. That morning, I walked him down to his classroom and dropped him off with his teachers, Miss Lisseth and Miss Carolina. He was ready to play right away! (He found a plastic toy knife in the home center right off the bat and was ready to play pirates with it... until he was told that the toy knife was for cutting pretend food, not for sword fighting!) He put his bag away and I left him without tears from either one of us. :)
Here's his beautiful teacher:
And these are our buddies with their little girl:
And here's a shot of my classroom (and a few of my adorables) on day 2:
Trip to the Park
Five ECA families went to a park our 2nd weekend here. We stayed and played for a couple of hours or so and then our buddies took us out to eat.
And here's some nighttime video from our apt.
And here's some nighttime video from our apt.Saturday, August 29, 2009
Photos and Video from the First Week in Caracas
Here's what it looks like when we get to the airport with all of our belongings. We brought the pickup truck AND the Escalade.
This is half of it:
and here's the other half:
Luke + Fisher = instant friends. Here they are on the bus:
Our first introduction to Venezuelan beef and arepas at a restaurant called Maute Grill:
Luke and Fisher @ day camp:
Exhausted after school and camp. NO one is playing possum in this picture!
Nighttime view from our living room (facing north):
Sunrise view out the living room window: (leaning out to face East)
These are all pictures and videos from our trip up the Avila:
Entering the posada:
Luke said, "Mama! Fisher and I are having a little picnic!"
Here are Sergio and Kathryn:
And our neighbor Henry. I think this looks like a photo out of a vitamin ad.
Biggest beetle I've ever seen:
This is half of it:
and here's the other half:
Luke + Fisher = instant friends. Here they are on the bus:
Our first introduction to Venezuelan beef and arepas at a restaurant called Maute Grill:
Luke and Fisher @ day camp:
Exhausted after school and camp. NO one is playing possum in this picture!
Nighttime view from our living room (facing north):
Sunrise view out the living room window: (leaning out to face East)
These are all pictures and videos from our trip up the Avila:
Entering the posada:
Luke said, "Mama! Fisher and I are having a little picnic!"
Here are Sergio and Kathryn:
And our neighbor Henry. I think this looks like a photo out of a vitamin ad.
Biggest beetle I've ever seen:
More Orientation and Settling-in
During that first week, the orientation team (administrators, mostly) really did a great job of helping us settle in and getting us acquainted with the school and our little area of Caracas. They kept us well-fed and on the go for the first week and a half. Mariolga took us to a department store to shop for home stuff. We bought a few more towels, a toaster, a microwave, a coffee pot, and some trash cans...and that pretty much wiped out our settling-in allowance! Electronic things are very expensive here. I was glad that I'd bought my $16 hairdryer at Big Lots before we came, because a similar one was $60 at the store here. We went on a drive up into the Avila mountains (windier and steeper than any roads I've driven in Colorado) and had lunch at a posada there. They served the most delicious Mexican food, the view was spectacular, and the weather was perfect.
We got keys to our classrooms that first week, and many people got started working in their rooms that first weekend. I was not one of those people. I knew I couldn't get settled in at school before settling in at home. So I invited our new friends Sergio and Kathryn over to hang out one night in order to get motivated to clean up enough for things to be presentable. (Also because they're really fun... but I was entirely upfront about using them to motivate myself!) By the end of the weekend, home was mostly squared away and work on my classroom began. The room had so much extra junk in it that I had to clean out stuff before being able to hang bulletin boards and arrange desks. I worked all weekend to get ready for the first day of school (which was the 17th) but by that day things were ready to go!
We met our buddies, a couple who lives in our building who also have a little girl Luke's age. They took us out to eat and to a park a few weekends ago. They also arranged for a nanny to take care of the kids the first two weeks of school. Their Pre-K program is full day, but they started with half-days these first two weeks. Our buddies have also driven us to and from school each day, since we haven't bought a car yet.
My students are delightful. They are the sweetest little people. They LOVE to read, BEG for DEAR time, and love read aloud. I could not have asked for a better fit for me! I have one or two social skills challenges in my room...but hopefully we can work with those kiddos and help them grow in those areas.
The schedule at school is rather hectic. We have 40-minute specials in the elementary, and we walk our children to and from specials each time, so our team rarely gets to sit down and meet to plan or discuss things for more than half an hour at a time. Spanish classes take place in our classrooms, too, so that is somewhat limiting, as well. We meet with the science, computer, and library teachers in order to make sure our units of study are integrated in those classes. We dismiss our students at 2:00 on Wednesday afternoons and then have an hour and a half of staff development (called Teacher Action and Growth) until 4:00. It's really a neat idea, and we've packed a lot of stuff into those meetings these first two weeks. It's not a time for grade level teams to meet together, though. We've done training for guided reading, how to incorporate Discovery Streaming videos into lessons, how to assess writing, and how to use the math program in our 3 hours of TAG time. Also, my team is using a wiki for writing and as a central place for information about our units. I'm learning how to add and change stuff on there and trying to understand how we're going to use this with our kids. It's technology integration on a level I've never done. Fortunately, my team leader is WONDERFUL and is patiently helping us learn how to use the wikis with our classes. Overall, there's a LOT of information to take in. All in all, the pace of the school is difficult to keep up with right now. There is little time to stop and breathe, to grade anything, or to think in an organized way about anything. I am really hoping that my feeling about the pace will change as I get into a routine both at school and at home. I really love the school, love my team, and love my students. They are precious and enthusiastic about school. The other day I thought, "I feel like a first year teacher again." If you've never been a first-year teacher, I can assure you that it is NOT a fun feeling!! It feels like trying to keep your head above water! However, I have told several of my friends who WERE first year teachers that your goal for the first year should be survival and learning. I'm trying to take that approach here. There is NO way I can be as on-the-ball and amazing as I think I should be this first year, but maybe next year I can! So for this year I am just doing the best I can do.
Jason teaches five sections of math and really enjoys the people he works with, too. They are really sharp and on-the-ball. We both think the school is wonderful and that it's a good place for us and for Luke.
Luke loves his pre-K class. His teacher is a beautiful young Venezuelan lady who greets him each day with a hug and a kiss and a cheerful, "Hello, my Prince!" There is a teacher's assistant in each classroom (nursery through first grade), and his TA is wonderful. She makes Luke laugh each day, and he comes home with stories about her every day. The kids in his class are very chatty, and he's come home with a few stories about how his teacher was sad at circle time because the OTHER kids were not listening, but he ALWAYS listens... how the OTHER kids in the class knocked over a bookshelf, etc. He apparently is a model student (I should hope so!) and is very helpful in the classroom. He has picked up some Spanish from his afternoons with Sabina and her nanny. He ate something the other day and then said "que rico!" When I asked him what it meant, he said, "It means yummy in Spanish." I double checked the next day with Laura to see what he was saying -- thinking that maybe we had another "It means cow in Arabic" incident on our hands. But he was right! We're really proud of how he's adjusting to Venezuela, making new friends, and enjoying ECA.
Our house is up a big winding hill from school. It takes 15-20 minutes to walk down the road to school, and we don't do it much with Luke because there are some dangerous curves with no sidewalks. Our apartment is on the 13th floor and overlooks Caracas. We have a 270 degree view from our windows. We see the Avila mountains to the north, Caracas to the west, and the hill and other apartments out the south windows. We live in a beautiful place, and I doubt we'll move from our apartment while we're here. Our one challenge right now is not having a car. Cars are so expensive, and the paperwork is often a hassle. We had saved some money over the summer for our cars, but were strongly encouraged to go ahead and buy our tickets for travel in October and December as soon as possible so that the flights didn't get booked up. There went a lot of our car money! Trips for 3 to the US are not cheap, but we are so thankful that they are MUCH cheaper (and the flights much shorter) than trips home from Egypt! Anyway, we are praying for the perfect car for us, and hoping to have one soon.
This afternoon I'm hoping to catch a ride to the grocery store to shop for the week. Grocery stores here are well-stocked compared to those in Egypt, but certain things are scarce. Right now there is no sugar. There is sugar substitute aplenty, but no real sugar. We bought a bag when we first got here, but I haven't seen it at the store since. Toilet paper is also frequently sold-out or nearly, so I've been stashing packages of that away, too. Rumor has it that the next thing that will be scarce is coffee... Gotta love it!
There are always things I think about writing about, but I'm sure I've forgotten a lot. Ask questions, and I'll be glad to answer!
I'll end by saying that back in January, when we were listing things we hoped for in our next location, we listed first and foremost a place where Luke could play outside with other children his own age. We also prayed for a place with clean air and green plants, a school we'd feel good about for Luke and for us, a school with other families with kids Luke's age, and a church we'd feel a part of. Pictures are coming in a separate post. See how God answers prayer. :)
We got keys to our classrooms that first week, and many people got started working in their rooms that first weekend. I was not one of those people. I knew I couldn't get settled in at school before settling in at home. So I invited our new friends Sergio and Kathryn over to hang out one night in order to get motivated to clean up enough for things to be presentable. (Also because they're really fun... but I was entirely upfront about using them to motivate myself!) By the end of the weekend, home was mostly squared away and work on my classroom began. The room had so much extra junk in it that I had to clean out stuff before being able to hang bulletin boards and arrange desks. I worked all weekend to get ready for the first day of school (which was the 17th) but by that day things were ready to go!
We met our buddies, a couple who lives in our building who also have a little girl Luke's age. They took us out to eat and to a park a few weekends ago. They also arranged for a nanny to take care of the kids the first two weeks of school. Their Pre-K program is full day, but they started with half-days these first two weeks. Our buddies have also driven us to and from school each day, since we haven't bought a car yet.
My students are delightful. They are the sweetest little people. They LOVE to read, BEG for DEAR time, and love read aloud. I could not have asked for a better fit for me! I have one or two social skills challenges in my room...but hopefully we can work with those kiddos and help them grow in those areas.
The schedule at school is rather hectic. We have 40-minute specials in the elementary, and we walk our children to and from specials each time, so our team rarely gets to sit down and meet to plan or discuss things for more than half an hour at a time. Spanish classes take place in our classrooms, too, so that is somewhat limiting, as well. We meet with the science, computer, and library teachers in order to make sure our units of study are integrated in those classes. We dismiss our students at 2:00 on Wednesday afternoons and then have an hour and a half of staff development (called Teacher Action and Growth) until 4:00. It's really a neat idea, and we've packed a lot of stuff into those meetings these first two weeks. It's not a time for grade level teams to meet together, though. We've done training for guided reading, how to incorporate Discovery Streaming videos into lessons, how to assess writing, and how to use the math program in our 3 hours of TAG time. Also, my team is using a wiki for writing and as a central place for information about our units. I'm learning how to add and change stuff on there and trying to understand how we're going to use this with our kids. It's technology integration on a level I've never done. Fortunately, my team leader is WONDERFUL and is patiently helping us learn how to use the wikis with our classes. Overall, there's a LOT of information to take in. All in all, the pace of the school is difficult to keep up with right now. There is little time to stop and breathe, to grade anything, or to think in an organized way about anything. I am really hoping that my feeling about the pace will change as I get into a routine both at school and at home. I really love the school, love my team, and love my students. They are precious and enthusiastic about school. The other day I thought, "I feel like a first year teacher again." If you've never been a first-year teacher, I can assure you that it is NOT a fun feeling!! It feels like trying to keep your head above water! However, I have told several of my friends who WERE first year teachers that your goal for the first year should be survival and learning. I'm trying to take that approach here. There is NO way I can be as on-the-ball and amazing as I think I should be this first year, but maybe next year I can! So for this year I am just doing the best I can do.
Jason teaches five sections of math and really enjoys the people he works with, too. They are really sharp and on-the-ball. We both think the school is wonderful and that it's a good place for us and for Luke.
Luke loves his pre-K class. His teacher is a beautiful young Venezuelan lady who greets him each day with a hug and a kiss and a cheerful, "Hello, my Prince!" There is a teacher's assistant in each classroom (nursery through first grade), and his TA is wonderful. She makes Luke laugh each day, and he comes home with stories about her every day. The kids in his class are very chatty, and he's come home with a few stories about how his teacher was sad at circle time because the OTHER kids were not listening, but he ALWAYS listens... how the OTHER kids in the class knocked over a bookshelf, etc. He apparently is a model student (I should hope so!) and is very helpful in the classroom. He has picked up some Spanish from his afternoons with Sabina and her nanny. He ate something the other day and then said "que rico!" When I asked him what it meant, he said, "It means yummy in Spanish." I double checked the next day with Laura to see what he was saying -- thinking that maybe we had another "It means cow in Arabic" incident on our hands. But he was right! We're really proud of how he's adjusting to Venezuela, making new friends, and enjoying ECA.
Our house is up a big winding hill from school. It takes 15-20 minutes to walk down the road to school, and we don't do it much with Luke because there are some dangerous curves with no sidewalks. Our apartment is on the 13th floor and overlooks Caracas. We have a 270 degree view from our windows. We see the Avila mountains to the north, Caracas to the west, and the hill and other apartments out the south windows. We live in a beautiful place, and I doubt we'll move from our apartment while we're here. Our one challenge right now is not having a car. Cars are so expensive, and the paperwork is often a hassle. We had saved some money over the summer for our cars, but were strongly encouraged to go ahead and buy our tickets for travel in October and December as soon as possible so that the flights didn't get booked up. There went a lot of our car money! Trips for 3 to the US are not cheap, but we are so thankful that they are MUCH cheaper (and the flights much shorter) than trips home from Egypt! Anyway, we are praying for the perfect car for us, and hoping to have one soon.
This afternoon I'm hoping to catch a ride to the grocery store to shop for the week. Grocery stores here are well-stocked compared to those in Egypt, but certain things are scarce. Right now there is no sugar. There is sugar substitute aplenty, but no real sugar. We bought a bag when we first got here, but I haven't seen it at the store since. Toilet paper is also frequently sold-out or nearly, so I've been stashing packages of that away, too. Rumor has it that the next thing that will be scarce is coffee... Gotta love it!
There are always things I think about writing about, but I'm sure I've forgotten a lot. Ask questions, and I'll be glad to answer!
I'll end by saying that back in January, when we were listing things we hoped for in our next location, we listed first and foremost a place where Luke could play outside with other children his own age. We also prayed for a place with clean air and green plants, a school we'd feel good about for Luke and for us, a school with other families with kids Luke's age, and a church we'd feel a part of. Pictures are coming in a separate post. See how God answers prayer. :)
Arrival and Orientation
(I wrote this during our first week in Caracas and am just now uploading it.)
I will start by telling one thing that is JUST like Egypt and one thing that is NOT.
My router is hooked up to the internet....through an ethernet wire coming through a vent in the bathroom.
And I am looking out my window at beautiful green mountains topped with dense clouds now releasing our afternoon rains. Ahhh, refreshing and clean!
We left Tuesday the 4th at 10:30 for the airport. We flew Delta from the domestic terminal so check-in was much easier than when we flew from the int'l terminal. We checked our bags (13 of them) curbside - $2000 total - yes, we'll be reimbursed - and then headed up to get on the flight to Atlanta. We had our full allotment of carry-ons and personal items in tow, plus Luke's carseat. We got to security and as my bags were going through the x-ray both of the ones with computers were pulled out and sent back because Jason had forgotten he had his and I thought mine was in the other bag, and THEN my carry-on went through and the security man said, "What is THAT!? Peanut butter!?" Then the next one went through and he said, "Two more jars!?" I tried to quickly explain that peanut butter is $12 a jar in VZ, but he said nothing over 3 oz was allowed. Maybe the TSA needs to go back to science class, but peanut butter is NOT a liquid. Nor would I consider it a cream. Anyway, I tried to go back and check that bag, but they wanted $350 more for it. I gave away the peanut butter to a nice airport ambassador lady and a security man. Big bummer. It was Jif. I just hadn't thought about it being in my carryon when I packed it. So Mom, make sure I buy peanut butter in October! And make sure I don't put it in my carry-on! Anyway, we got through security fine after that and then I checked the very same bag for FREE at the gate. Ugh. Money grubbing airlines! Once you're through security you're doing THEM a favor to check the bag so that there will be plenty of room for the bags everyone's bringing on board so they don't have to pay....but they won't do YOU a favor and let you check one small bag with 3 precious jars of peanut butter for free, even if you've already given them $2000. RRRR.
The flight to Atlanta was fine. Just 2 1/2 hours or so. At the end of the flight Luke said, "Whew. That was a LOOOONG flight." How quickly he's forgotten that 12 hour flight from Cairo to JFK. We walked straight from our first plane onto the second without time to spare. We found 2 other teaching couples seated next to us on the plane. One of them we had met in Thailand when ECA took us out to dinner after we accepted the jobs. The other is a couple that lives in our same apartment complex. We all chatted a bit before takeoff and then met up again when we landed in Caracas. We waited quite a while at baggage claim. Our luggage came pretty quickly but our bins kept not coming out! (Imagine my distress...10 bins.) Finally we made the attendant understand that they were bins, not suitcases, and he led us to a different door where boxes were brought up. Ours were all there. We got through customs, where we were met by principals and the superintendent. There was a special truck just for us and a car to take us directly to our apt. The other people had to all ride the school bus and get dropped off one at a time. The other couple from our apartments said they didn't arrive until 1 AM. We got to ours around 11:30 and were in bed by 1 AM.
Night time impressions upon arrival: HOT and dry at the airport (on the coast), cooler as we drove over the mountain and into the valley where the city lies. Pretty lights, traffic not nearly what I expected. Egypt was much worse. We shall see what it is like someday when we venture back into the city at a normal time, not 11 at night.
We were taken up to our apartment and shown around by the high school principal. Beds were made already, food was in the fridge, toothpaste and soap in the bathrooms. After the principal and maintenance guys (who brought up all of our luggage) left, I stood at the door, looked around our new home, and tears came to my eyes. It already felt home-y. It already felt like ours. The apartment itself is more comfortable (to me) than any we'd lived in in Egypt. And what a nice gesture to take care of us with the food, etc. and to think of Luke and his need to get to bed and bring us home separately... I just felt blessed and well cared-for.
Oh - before the principal left he told us we'd be picked up the next morning at 8:45 downstairs. We unpacked enough to find clothes for the next day (Imagine 6-8 space bags of stuff just dumped out on the couch) and find Luke's swimsuit and towel for the morning, too. Jeff (our supt.) told me at the airport that Luke could participate in the day camp going on at school this week, just to bring swimming stuff.
We all slept in our bed the first night. It's a queen, so it was a little crowded, and Luke rotates 30 degrees on his axis each hour, so periodically I'd find his head suddenly on my stomach or his feet in my face. None of us slept too well, but we were up and ready to go yesterday on time. We discovered that we had forgotten to plug in the hot water heater, so I had a VERY cold shower. Jason and Luke showered last night and learned that the h.w.h. only holds a LITTLE amount of water. We're going to have to stagger showers!
The drive to school from our house is about 10 minutes, all downhill and curvy. There is a gate at the entrance to the school with security guards. When we arrived at school we dropped Luke off immediately. Counselors met him at the curb and took him up to change into his swimsuit. He said a quick, cheerful goodbye and was off. (WOW!!) We went into the school to meet the other new teachers and begin our orientation. They fed us breakfast, Venezuelan style, which included delicious fresh fruit, rolls filled with HAM (thank you, Jesus!) and other rolls filled with cheese. I think I'm gonna like it here! After breakfast, we all introduced ourselves and got to know each other a bit. We met a lady named Mariolga, who I think will be such a godsend in our settling-in time here in Caracas. She is a teacher at the school who seems to know everything. She's planned much of our orientation. She says Venezuelans are very used to lots of noise and yelling at night, but the night before she'd gotten a call the night before from one of her neighbors about yelling outside. "Mariolga," the lady said, "One of your Gringos is lost!!" Mariolga said she listened and heard it too - and it was "Pay-dro! Pay-dro!" (Pedro, not pronounced the Venezuelan way, clearly American. "Don't worry," she told the neighbor. "It is just my boss. He will find his way home." Then she made fun of Jeff's pronunciation and we all laughed. This lady is a riot. Knowing her has made me much more at ease here.
After introductions, we split up into elem, middle, and HS and toured the school. Then we had some orientation about boring stuff (computers, maintenance and housing requests, etc.) and a "how to be new at ECA" talk from Jeff. Jeff's talk was great, really encouraging and inspiring. It's neat to be part of a school community that encourages leadership and helps teachers develop their strengths.
Luke finished day camp at 3 PM, so he had to sit quietly with me for an hour or so while we finished up. He played quietly, drew, and then fell asleep on my lap. After school, I learned that he had had a great day swimming, playing tennis, soccer, and football, and watching a movie. He met Fisher, the son of my fellow 5th grade teacher, and they became fast friends.
Last night the school took us out to dinner at a restaurant in Las Mercedes (the part of Caracas we live in). It lasted a long time and the restaurant was very loud, but the food was good and we got a chance to talk with a lot of different people. We came home around 9:30 and Jason got Luke ready for bed while I unpacked a little more.
This morning began at 8 with breakfast and a trip to the bank. Mariolga took us to the bank and advised us to bring something to read while we waited. We were there for several hours (3?) setting up accounts, activating ATM cards, etc. The bank is in the same building as a grocery store, so I went and checked out the grocery store for a little bit. I am excited because I can get things here to make Mexican food at home and because things seem reasonably priced. I didn't get to go up and down every aisle like I'd hoped, but there will be time for that later!
Back at school we had lunch, I picked up some paperwork for Luke's registration for school (they want to know basic developmental things, but they also asked about his birth weight, the length of my pregnancy, and the type of delivery!), and we had a meeting with the Regional Security Officers from the US Embassy. They had a lot of good information about living safely in Venezuela. They certainly didn't sugar-coat anything, but neither do I feel like I learned anything I hadn't already learned before hand. They gave us some good tips about how not to be a target for thieves and how to drive and be safe in Caracas.
That was about it for today. Luke had another great day at camp. He and Jason are napping right now, and I'm enjoying the quiet time to myself. I should be unpacking... but I will probably do that later tonight. We're leaving in about 45 minutes to go to dinner at Jeff's house -- pizza and cokes for all the new staff. It has been VERY VERY busy and tiring, but still fun and exciting. I think we're really going to love our school -- everyone seems to -- and most of all I think Luke is going to be very happy here. It is a very family-friendly place.
I will start by telling one thing that is JUST like Egypt and one thing that is NOT.
My router is hooked up to the internet....through an ethernet wire coming through a vent in the bathroom.
And I am looking out my window at beautiful green mountains topped with dense clouds now releasing our afternoon rains. Ahhh, refreshing and clean!
We left Tuesday the 4th at 10:30 for the airport. We flew Delta from the domestic terminal so check-in was much easier than when we flew from the int'l terminal. We checked our bags (13 of them) curbside - $2000 total - yes, we'll be reimbursed - and then headed up to get on the flight to Atlanta. We had our full allotment of carry-ons and personal items in tow, plus Luke's carseat. We got to security and as my bags were going through the x-ray both of the ones with computers were pulled out and sent back because Jason had forgotten he had his and I thought mine was in the other bag, and THEN my carry-on went through and the security man said, "What is THAT!? Peanut butter!?" Then the next one went through and he said, "Two more jars!?" I tried to quickly explain that peanut butter is $12 a jar in VZ, but he said nothing over 3 oz was allowed. Maybe the TSA needs to go back to science class, but peanut butter is NOT a liquid. Nor would I consider it a cream. Anyway, I tried to go back and check that bag, but they wanted $350 more for it. I gave away the peanut butter to a nice airport ambassador lady and a security man. Big bummer. It was Jif. I just hadn't thought about it being in my carryon when I packed it. So Mom, make sure I buy peanut butter in October! And make sure I don't put it in my carry-on! Anyway, we got through security fine after that and then I checked the very same bag for FREE at the gate. Ugh. Money grubbing airlines! Once you're through security you're doing THEM a favor to check the bag so that there will be plenty of room for the bags everyone's bringing on board so they don't have to pay....but they won't do YOU a favor and let you check one small bag with 3 precious jars of peanut butter for free, even if you've already given them $2000. RRRR.
The flight to Atlanta was fine. Just 2 1/2 hours or so. At the end of the flight Luke said, "Whew. That was a LOOOONG flight." How quickly he's forgotten that 12 hour flight from Cairo to JFK. We walked straight from our first plane onto the second without time to spare. We found 2 other teaching couples seated next to us on the plane. One of them we had met in Thailand when ECA took us out to dinner after we accepted the jobs. The other is a couple that lives in our same apartment complex. We all chatted a bit before takeoff and then met up again when we landed in Caracas. We waited quite a while at baggage claim. Our luggage came pretty quickly but our bins kept not coming out! (Imagine my distress...10 bins.) Finally we made the attendant understand that they were bins, not suitcases, and he led us to a different door where boxes were brought up. Ours were all there. We got through customs, where we were met by principals and the superintendent. There was a special truck just for us and a car to take us directly to our apt. The other people had to all ride the school bus and get dropped off one at a time. The other couple from our apartments said they didn't arrive until 1 AM. We got to ours around 11:30 and were in bed by 1 AM.
Night time impressions upon arrival: HOT and dry at the airport (on the coast), cooler as we drove over the mountain and into the valley where the city lies. Pretty lights, traffic not nearly what I expected. Egypt was much worse. We shall see what it is like someday when we venture back into the city at a normal time, not 11 at night.
We were taken up to our apartment and shown around by the high school principal. Beds were made already, food was in the fridge, toothpaste and soap in the bathrooms. After the principal and maintenance guys (who brought up all of our luggage) left, I stood at the door, looked around our new home, and tears came to my eyes. It already felt home-y. It already felt like ours. The apartment itself is more comfortable (to me) than any we'd lived in in Egypt. And what a nice gesture to take care of us with the food, etc. and to think of Luke and his need to get to bed and bring us home separately... I just felt blessed and well cared-for.
Oh - before the principal left he told us we'd be picked up the next morning at 8:45 downstairs. We unpacked enough to find clothes for the next day (Imagine 6-8 space bags of stuff just dumped out on the couch) and find Luke's swimsuit and towel for the morning, too. Jeff (our supt.) told me at the airport that Luke could participate in the day camp going on at school this week, just to bring swimming stuff.
We all slept in our bed the first night. It's a queen, so it was a little crowded, and Luke rotates 30 degrees on his axis each hour, so periodically I'd find his head suddenly on my stomach or his feet in my face. None of us slept too well, but we were up and ready to go yesterday on time. We discovered that we had forgotten to plug in the hot water heater, so I had a VERY cold shower. Jason and Luke showered last night and learned that the h.w.h. only holds a LITTLE amount of water. We're going to have to stagger showers!
The drive to school from our house is about 10 minutes, all downhill and curvy. There is a gate at the entrance to the school with security guards. When we arrived at school we dropped Luke off immediately. Counselors met him at the curb and took him up to change into his swimsuit. He said a quick, cheerful goodbye and was off. (WOW!!) We went into the school to meet the other new teachers and begin our orientation. They fed us breakfast, Venezuelan style, which included delicious fresh fruit, rolls filled with HAM (thank you, Jesus!) and other rolls filled with cheese. I think I'm gonna like it here! After breakfast, we all introduced ourselves and got to know each other a bit. We met a lady named Mariolga, who I think will be such a godsend in our settling-in time here in Caracas. She is a teacher at the school who seems to know everything. She's planned much of our orientation. She says Venezuelans are very used to lots of noise and yelling at night, but the night before she'd gotten a call the night before from one of her neighbors about yelling outside. "Mariolga," the lady said, "One of your Gringos is lost!!" Mariolga said she listened and heard it too - and it was "Pay-dro! Pay-dro!" (Pedro, not pronounced the Venezuelan way, clearly American. "Don't worry," she told the neighbor. "It is just my boss. He will find his way home." Then she made fun of Jeff's pronunciation and we all laughed. This lady is a riot. Knowing her has made me much more at ease here.
After introductions, we split up into elem, middle, and HS and toured the school. Then we had some orientation about boring stuff (computers, maintenance and housing requests, etc.) and a "how to be new at ECA" talk from Jeff. Jeff's talk was great, really encouraging and inspiring. It's neat to be part of a school community that encourages leadership and helps teachers develop their strengths.
Luke finished day camp at 3 PM, so he had to sit quietly with me for an hour or so while we finished up. He played quietly, drew, and then fell asleep on my lap. After school, I learned that he had had a great day swimming, playing tennis, soccer, and football, and watching a movie. He met Fisher, the son of my fellow 5th grade teacher, and they became fast friends.
Last night the school took us out to dinner at a restaurant in Las Mercedes (the part of Caracas we live in). It lasted a long time and the restaurant was very loud, but the food was good and we got a chance to talk with a lot of different people. We came home around 9:30 and Jason got Luke ready for bed while I unpacked a little more.
This morning began at 8 with breakfast and a trip to the bank. Mariolga took us to the bank and advised us to bring something to read while we waited. We were there for several hours (3?) setting up accounts, activating ATM cards, etc. The bank is in the same building as a grocery store, so I went and checked out the grocery store for a little bit. I am excited because I can get things here to make Mexican food at home and because things seem reasonably priced. I didn't get to go up and down every aisle like I'd hoped, but there will be time for that later!
Back at school we had lunch, I picked up some paperwork for Luke's registration for school (they want to know basic developmental things, but they also asked about his birth weight, the length of my pregnancy, and the type of delivery!), and we had a meeting with the Regional Security Officers from the US Embassy. They had a lot of good information about living safely in Venezuela. They certainly didn't sugar-coat anything, but neither do I feel like I learned anything I hadn't already learned before hand. They gave us some good tips about how not to be a target for thieves and how to drive and be safe in Caracas.
That was about it for today. Luke had another great day at camp. He and Jason are napping right now, and I'm enjoying the quiet time to myself. I should be unpacking... but I will probably do that later tonight. We're leaving in about 45 minutes to go to dinner at Jeff's house -- pizza and cokes for all the new staff. It has been VERY VERY busy and tiring, but still fun and exciting. I think we're really going to love our school -- everyone seems to -- and most of all I think Luke is going to be very happy here. It is a very family-friendly place.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
I don't like posting out of order!
But here are some Venezuela videos taken yesterday out our living room window. I'm working on some other posts. :)
Those are blue and gold macaws - Here's what they look like up close:
Those are blue and gold macaws - Here's what they look like up close:
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Summertime
I'm not even gonna comment on how far behind I am.
Quick thoughts about leaving Egypt -
The hardest part was leaving Noel and Rachella. It's so hard to explain how close we were - how much I love them - and how hard it was to imagine day to day life without them in it. We bonded so quickly and stayed that way. We had one last dinner at Lucille's the day before we left, and it broke my heart to watch them get in a taxi and drive away.
One thing that made leaving our friends in Egypt behind was that I was going to get to see several of them in August at my friend Jen's wedding. So those goodbyes were only for a month or so, and they were easier to say.
Packing to get out of there was INSANE. We left a whole lot of stuff behind and still came home with 18 suitcases, bins, carry-ons, and backpacks.
There is a very long story about how Jason and our luggage arrived in Texas and why they came in a minivan vs. on the plane with Luke and me...but I won't go into it further than to say it had to do with the lack of partnership between Egypt Air and American Airlines, and exorbitant luggage fees we would've had to pay...TWICE.
We all made it home safely and in time for Father's Day. It was great to celebrate with my Dad, my brother (who was celebrating his first Father's Day as a father), and Jason all together.
Here's Scott with my favorite nephew Jackson:
Jason, Luke, and I spent about 10 days traveling to and from Wisconsin. We spent time with Jason's grandmother and some friends in Merrill. We camped at the Council Grounds State Park (in the rain...in a tent graciously lent to us by our WI friends). The boys fished some and didn't catch anything. We spent a very brief time with Jason's aunt and uncle in Wisconsin, as well, before driving back home in time for the 4th.
Well, actually the 3rd. Coppell did its fireworks on the 3rd again this year, so we all hung out at Mom and Dad's, ate, played washers, swam a little, and watched fireworks at the park.
We did the same thing again on the 4th, minus the fireworks.
After the 4th, Jason had to go back up to Wisconsin to help his grandmother a bit. Luke and I stayed home and hung out with Mimi and Granddad. We didn't get around to see as many people as we'd have liked. I guess we never do, and that's the way it is sometimes... The time is just too short, and it's hard work moving between 3 countries in a month and a half! I just tried as much as I could to spend good time with Mom and Dad, Kari, Scott, Jenny, and Jackson. From that point of view, it was a fabulous summer.
Here are some other highlights:
Our transportation for the summer: Old Betsy Blue (THANK YOU, DADDY!!!)
Luke playing Peter Pan with the costume Mimi made for him (this sword is the bow from his new violin, and those boots are his new "bad guy" boots).
Luke jamming along with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy:
Getting to see those sweet Jackson smiles:
More costumed playtime with Meems:
This is the face he made most of the summer:
And these are the swords Mimi made for him out of fun foam so that Pirate Mimi wouldn't get hurt anymore during their swordfights! (There's a gluestick inside the sword so it will hold its shape - yes, my mother is a legend.)
At the lake in Granddad's boat:
This is my MOM out there with Luke - I cannot recall another time I have ever seen her behind a boat on skis or a tube - but for Luke, ANYTHING! I love it!
Luke rode the tube by himself some at VERY slow speeds, and with Jason at faster speeds.
Tired after a day of lakin' it:
Happy Kath:
Seeing Harry Potter with the fam:
(Yes, I wear the glasses in the theater. It enhances the viewing experience.)Spending time with the Farleys, Shabouts, and Hancocks:
Playing with the Darnells (in cool, indoor settings):
(For some reason, all my pictures of the kids and of Cheryl and me are not on my computer...I'll get that figured out and upload the pictures of the BETTER LOOKING portion of the Darnell/Deutsch families soon!)
UPDATE: Here they are!
Mimi and her boys:
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