#my first meeting tomorrow is at 10am so i have time for one drink per time-watching-the-episode

[adamsvanrhijn]

i also ordered doordash bubble tea even though i for real could have left the house and spent way less money but whatever

[anonsally]

Days 79-82 of COVID-19 shelter-in-place

These have been four very intense days both globally and personally. This admittedly long post will focus more (but not exclusively) on the personal side of that.

Day 79 was Wednesday. I hadn’t had enough sleep, but I got up at a reasonable hour because I needed a ballet class. Before class started, I got a call from the medical center for scheduling a procedure I need to have done. That will be in 2 weeks, contingent on me testing negative for COVID-19 four days beforehand. I’m anxious about the procedure but will be glad to get it over with after several months of worry. Anyway, ballet class was good for calming me down. 

It was hot out. I did my parents’ grocery shopping (and bought a few things for us) and then had a nice conversation with my dad when I dropped off his groceries. We talked about the state of the world. He told me about a city that had literally fired its entire police department and started over... which is what we probably need on a national level, with very few exceptions. 

I refueled the car on the way home and got a predictably late start on my work day. Wife got two more job interviews scheduled at very different companies. I took a walk, spotting another Steller’s jay at the bird feeders. The jays are so much larger than the little birds who frequent the feeders!

I then went to try to buy milk, but the tiny independent market had closed early to enable the employees to get home before curfew. So I had to go to Trader Joe’s instead. By the time I got home I was somewhat demotivated about food prep, but luckily Wife pulled herself together and scrambled me an egg. I didn’t manage to get to bed till 1am, which was at least an hour later than I’d intended, but Wife was still up at 4am!

Day 80. I forced myself to get up at 8:30 since I knew I would need to go to bed early that night. I arranged to (video-)meet with my boss at 12:30. I started work around 11am or so and got a few thing done. The meeting with my boss was good--partly social, discussing how we were coping with the situation and working from home, what we missed about the office, and such, but we also talked about what I’ve been working on. She reminded me that the study section reviewing my grant application will be meeting this month, so I will have to remember to check my scores.

Afterwards we had a meeting with a few other coworkers, which was fairly productive. I had a short “coffee break” video call with a colleague, too. The county-wide curfew was lifted a day early.

After work, I took a walk in a direction I hadn’t gone in a while. Was heartened to see Black Lives Matter signs even in cul-de-sacs in a wealthy, mainly white neighborhood. I picked up takeout for dinner, and did a bunch of Adulting in the early evening, including preparing for the next morning. I was in bed by 10:45pm.

Day 81. My alarm got me up at 5am, and we left at 6am. We got to the medical center on time at 7am and I went in (Wife was not allowed to accompany me, but had to be there to drive me home; there was a separate room across the street for visitors to wait in, which was good because it was suddenly very cold outside). Initially, there was a lot of waiting, during which I did a little bit of yoga and dancing as I knew I would not be able to move much for the rest of the day. I was there for a diagnostic procedure involving a needle (for data privacy reasons I won’t get more specific here; it’s unrelated to the procedure I’m having in 2 weeks), which required me to remain horizontal for 4 hours afterwards, at least according to the information they’d given me beforehand. I had to be fasting from midnight the night before: no food or drink, including water.

Eventually I was wheeled down to the ultrasound department, where the doctor who planned to do the procedure met me and the radiologists. However, when they looked at the images, there were a lot of vessels around. The doctor did not feel confident that she could do the procedure based on a mark on my skin without accidentally hitting a blood vessel. So she asked the radiologists to do it as an ultrasound-guided procedure, which would be safer since they would be able to see what they were doing on the ultrasound. This procedure was done with only local anaesthetic. Mostly I couldn’t feel what was going on, and it was supposed to be very quick, but unfortunately, the resident had a lot of trouble--the senior radiologist was trying to guide him through doing, but he couldn’t get the needle positioned quite right, and in the end the senior radiologist had to do it herself. It was pretty uncomfortable and there were some moments where it was quite painful. I tried to breathe deeply and stay relaxed, but it was hard. When they finally got it to work, it was over pretty quickly. I was relieved. It was about 11am by then.

However, I had to spend an hour in a large recovery room with many other patients, while my blood pressure and pulse were monitored. I had expected to have the procedure done upstairs in the room where I’d started, where I had left all my stuff. They very kindly sent someone up to retrieve my phone for me so I could at least text Wife and my parents so they would know the worst of it was over. 

After an hour I was wheeled upstairs and transferred from the gurney to a bed (this took 3 people as I was not allowed to stand up yet) for more monitoring. They drew my blood to test my blood counts; I was going to be allowed to leave after only 2 hours of bed rest if the counts were stable. After the 2 hours, I was allowed to get up and use the bathroom (and grab the crossword puzzles from my backpack to work on), and then I continued resting while waiting first for the blood counts, which finally came back fine, and then for the discharge papers, which took an unreasonably long time. Around 2pm the nurse finally allowed me to have some ice--hoorah! (I was parched. I normally drink at least 2 liters of water per day.) At 2:40pm I was cleared to leave; I texted Wife, who went to get the car and picked me up at the entrance to the hospital at about 3pm. 

Literally every single person on the hospital staff was kind and friendly. They all introduced themselves to me by name, including the people whose job it was to simply wheel me from one place to another, and they all seemed to be invested in my well-being. When I was being wheeled through the hallway, whenever we passed anyone else who worked there they smiled and said hello both to me and to the person in charge of transporting me. It seemed like everyone working really considered themselves a team, with respect for everyone regardless of place in the hospital hierarchy. Since, like all patients during this pandemic, I was there alone and a bit anxious, it made the experience much less unpleasant than it could have been.  

I spent 8 hours in the hospital, so I really hope I didn’t catch COVID-19, but the procedures seemed pretty good. I was wearing a mask almost all the time (except in the room where I was waiting at the beginning and end, which was essentially private), as were all the employees, and everyone was sanitising their hands every time they entered or exited a room or touched any equipment. I also didn’t spend the whole time with any one person. So, hopefully it was safe. 

I spent the rest of the afternoon vedging out at home, rehydrating, and finally eating, and I went to bed earlier than usual though later than I expected, around 12:15am.

Day 82. I wanted to try to get a lot of sleep so my body could heal from yesterday’s ordeal, so today I slept till about 10am. The wound from the procedure is tender to the touch and there’s a small bruise near it, but otherwise I’m not in pain from it. Except my ankle is in more pain than it’s been in for ages, and I have no idea why. Maybe I slept on it funny? Or maybe it’s an aftereffect of the weird position I had to hold during the procedure.

I think my joy at getting to eat cereal this morning was perhaps a bit over-the-top!

Wife had a bad headache today, likely caused by neck tension from all the driving yesterday. I am still pretty tired today, despite all the sleep, but I suppose that’s to be expected.

We went to the farmers’ market and stumbled upon a socially-distanced, family-friendly protest. A friend of mine was there with her kids, but I didn’t see her. We bought our produce--though I had to make an extra trip back to the car to drop off my purchases, as I am not supposed to lift anything heavy today. The stand with the curried fish had run out, but they still had some uncooked prepped fish, so we bought that and they explained how to steam it at home. We came home and cooked the fish and ate it for lunch; it was just as good as it would’ve been if they’d cooked it. Phew! Other than that we’ve been relaxing at home, though Wife did gather her energy and go for a run, which has helped to relieve her headache a little (as has the bath she took afterwards, and the painkillers she took). 

I’m hoping to feel up to taking a dance class (online) tomorrow. 

[weneedtherooks]

Before God

Well, I’ll be damned, I wrote something else...!

It’s over 2000 words (holy shit), so I hope it delivers!

“I didn’t think churches could get so small…” “And this is one of the bigger ones!”

Darcy couldn’t help but smile as Nicholas beamed. “And you were taught to sing here?” Nick slowly walked down the main aisle, his hand brushing across the top of the pews as he walked by. “Yes, that I was...and let me tell you, I was a regular fish out of water. Mamie wanted my pale ass front and center with the rest of the choir right off the bat! Thank god she let me sit in the front pew for a while.”

Darcy chuckled softly. She watched in silence a little longer, taking in the small church. It wasn’t a surprise that he loved the place; it felt like home. She wandered up the center aisle, watching as Nick disappeared behind a side door near the altar. The little building seemed old to her, but also new. Decades of worship and tradition seemed etched into every part of it, and for a moment, she felt like an intruder. She could feel a certain sense of pride and love in the old building...they clearly took very good care of it. She put her hand on the pulpit as she passed it, a soft chuckle escaping her lips as she noticed a small heart carved into its side. She stopped at the altar railing, looking up at the old crucifix. It wasn't impressive, per se, but there was something about it…

“You too, huh?”

Darcy squeaked at the sound of Nick’s voice, jumping a little. “What do you mean?” “I used to stare at it all the time too, when I first came here. I always thought that Jesus came off the cross. But, uh, he doesn't. The pastor got a real laugh out of that, let me tell you.” “You thought that Jesus Christ was...detachable?” A faint blush went across his cheeks. “I couldn't look Isaiah in the eye for a month after that.” “Just the pastor…?” “Oh no, my siblings still give me a hard time about it.” Darcy shook her head. “Well, I wasn't thinking that, just so we're clear.” she responded, Nicholas mumbling “Oh, good”. “I was just thinking...about how in awe I am of this place.” Nick cocked his head to the side. “Oh? How so?”

“Well...this place...it feels like you're entering a whole new world, you know? In here, the outside world no longer..exists? Does that make sense? You can truly feel at peace in here…” Nick looked up at the altar. “I used to come her all the time after Liesl came into my life...they’d given me a key by then. Pastor Isaiah told me that, if I ever needed sanctuary, I could come here, even if it was to simply escape from the world for a short while.” “Was it that bad?” “Not really, but for a 16 year old single father with an incredibly fussy daughter?” They both chuckled quietly, Nick now looking at the floor. “I kneeled at that altar rail more times than I can count. I used to beg for God to give me some kind of strength, or guidance...anything to push me through handling my child. I spent the night here a few times with her as well.” “They let you spend the night in the church?” Darcy asked, confused. Nick nodded. “Ja. They have a bedroom in here. It used to be the pastor’s home from time to time.”

They stood in silence again, Darcy fidgeting with her fingers. “Um, thank you. For bringing me here. I can tell this place means a lot to you. I’m glad you wanted to share it with me.”

“Honestly...I’m glad I brought you here to.” Darcy raised an eyebrow. “You are…?” He nodded, turning to face her. “Ja…” He took her hands in his. “I’m sorry, this isn’t what one has in mind when someone tells them they’re taking them on a date..” he answered quietly, lifting her hands to his lips, kissing them gently. Darcy shook her head. “No, it’s perfect.”

They looked in each other’s eyes for just a moment. Nicholas was a sweetheart, and his daughter was a joy to be around...Darcy had grown rather fond of them. She’d only been here for three months now, and her and Nicholas had been seeing each other for about two and a half months. Normally, she didn’t allow herself to get...close to other men. But he was...different, somehow. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. So it didn’t bother her when he moved his right hand to cup her cheek. It didn’t bother her when he leaned forward to kiss her. And when his left hand went around her waist to pull her closer, she didn’t mind that either. “...Come with me…” he whispered against her lips, taking a small step back.

“...Okay…”

Darcy woke up with a jolt. She looked around, a little disoriented. Right...the church… Nick groaned softly next to her, rolling onto his stomach. Darcy giggled a little at the sight of him; since she sat up, the sheet that was covering him had nearly uncovered his backside, and his hair. She knew it was wavy, but goodness, she wasn’t quite sure he’d be able to tame it once he woke up. Darcy sighed, shaking her head. Outside the door, she heard movement. Darcy yanked the sheet up to cover herself, doing her best not to make any noise. Who was in a church this early on a Saturday…? She could have sworn Nick had said...oh, that’s right. Someone was in there. The pastor’s wife, Mamie. Darcy had nearly forgotten that he’d mentioned she’d be there. They hadn’t made a plan to leave before she came though...did Mamie know they were here…?

Darcy slipped out of bed, putting her clothes back on. She tidied her hair as best she could in the small mirror by the dressing table. Darcy peeked out the door before coming out, tiptoe-ing her way towards the church. “I figured you two would still be here.” Darcy whipped around, facing the voice. “Miss Mamie?” “Oh, hon, just call me Mamie. I haven’t been ‘Miss’ in a loooong time.”

Mamie didn’t look much older than Nick’s mother, Clara. She was about 5’4”, her curly hair pulled back in a neat bun. She was carrying some cleaning supplies. Darcy’s mouth hung open a little as she waved her hand around the general area. “I-I’m sorry. I forgot-I should probably wake Nick up…” she stammered, a bit embarrassed. Mamie held her hand up. “It’s alright, hon. He’d mention he might be here. Although, the last girl he had here was Liesl.” she said, laughing a little at her last comment. Darcy chuckled a little herself. “You don’t need to get him up, let him sleep. However...I could use a little help cleaning, if you’ve a need to distract yourself. I’m not as young as I used to be.” Darcy smiled, “I'd love to.”

The two of them swept up the church in relative silence, the only things being said between them being “Could you sweep over there?” and “Thank you”. Finally, Mamie spoke. “I didn't ask for your name earlier.” “It’s Darcy. Darcy Edwards.” “Well, pleased to meet you, Miss Darcy.” She replied, inclining her head a little. “Please, don't call me Miss. I don't nearly have enough class for it.” “Forgive my asking, but what does class have to do with it…” Darcy chuckled. “My parents named me after Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. They wanted me to be a boy so they could name me Fitzwilliam.” “I'm assuming they didn't like Georgiana?” Darcy was a little surprised. “Yes. You’ve read it before?” Mamie nodded, a hint of pride in her expression. “Oh, it was years ago. I don’t quite remember the story, but I remember most of the characters. And do you act like our Mister Darcy?” “Maybe a little. I try not to think about it.” “Hmm...Well, perhaps Nicholas is your Elizabeth Bennett…?”

Darcy was taken aback by the question. Mamie looked at her expectantly. “I don’t mean to be direct, but I can only think of one reason he could have brought you here. He’s been with other girls, other women, since having Liesl. Never once has he brought them here, though. Perhaps he has a feeling about you, Darcy.” Darcy could feel her stomach tying up in a knot. “What sort of feeling…?” Mamie sighed, gesturing towards the pew behind her. “Why don’t we sit down?” she suggested. Darcy sat next to her, the pew creaking from their weight. Mamie stared at the altar for a moment before she began speaking. “It was about a year ago. Nick had decided for whatever reason to stay after church. He sat right there in the front pew, just staring at his hands. My husband saw him and decided to go sit with him. They just sat there until Nicholas finally said “Lori left yesterday”. Isaiah nodded, and after a moment told him the story about the first time he made love to me.” Darcy held back a giggle. “In church?” “In more than one way. See, I wasn’t much of a church-going girl when I was younger. My father had better things to do on Sunday, like drink himself stupid.” She sighed, the memory of her father both fond and painful. “Isaiah brought me here one evening for dinner. He said I was welcome to stay the night if I wanted, that services would be tomorrow at 10am. Now, I was a bit of a flirtatious girl in my younger years, and this boy just seemed different from the others I’d been with. I was 19 then, he was just barely 20, yet he seemed almost older. As if he was touched by some kind of wisdom that I couldn’t understand. I decided then and there that he was the man I wanted to be with.” Darcy couldn’t help but smile along with Mamie. “He told Nick that the reason he brought me here was because he had a gut feeling. He felt that he needed to bring me before God himself. That, if he couldn’t bare himself to me in His house, then how could be bare himself to me in his own home? I know that may sound silly, but...I feel that, maybe, Nicholas felt the same way about you.” Darcy’s smile faded. She looked at her lap, fidgeting with her fingers once more. “You think that Nick feels like...like I’m the one…?” “A heavy thought, isn’t it?” Darcy nodded slightly. “It’s not that I don’t feel the same way…”

“So here’s where you are!”

Darcy looked up at the sound of Nick’s voice. He’d thrown his clothes on in a hurry, not even bothering to tuck in his shirt. “You look like a mess.” Darcy commented, standing up and walking over to him. She tried her best to get his hair under control. “Good luck with that, love. If I’ve learned anything, it’s impossible to fix.” “I bet you just love windy days, don’t you?” Nick chuckled. “You have no idea. Did I interrupt you two?” he asked, leaning over to look at Mamie. “Yes, son, but it’s alright. It’s a conversation for a later date, I’m sure.” “Actually...I was wondering if maybe I could stay here and help you? If it’s alright, I’m...I’m not quite done with that conversation.”

Nick looked at her, a bit surprised. “Oh? If that’s what you’d like, I can wait here for you.” Mamie stood up. “No, that’s alright. She can stay with me for the day. We’ll come by your home when she’s ready, okay?” Nick looked at Darcy, who simply smiled and nodded. “I won’t be out too late, don’t worry. I’ll make sure I’m back in time for dinner. I don’t think Liesl would forgive me if I didn’t come.” Nick laughed, shaking his head. “No, she wouldn’t. That child knows how to hold a grudge, I swear. Must be her mother in her or something.”

They exchanged a few more words before Nick left the church. Mamie walked over to Darcy, handing her a rage and some wood polish.

“Now...where did we leave off?”

[2019udperu]

13-15 July!

Saturday, 13 July:

This was our first free day in a week so we all took advantage of sleeping in at least a little before taking on the city of Cusco. We had a buffet breakfast at our hotel, Rumi Punku, and many of us enjoyed avocado toast topped with tomatoes and fried eggs. While one group took off to deal with a lost phone issue and another group slept in, my group took on the markets! On our way to the food market, San Pedro, we got sucked into an alleyway with blankets, souvenirs, scarves, and more. Needless to say, this group has a shopping problem! After an hour or so there, we finally made our way out and back on track to the food market. Right before arriving, a few of us enjoyed chocolate filled churros which was just the start of our daily chocolate fix! In the market we roamed around for quite a while enjoying the different fruits, veggies, and meats that we were not accustomed to, and eventually buying a couple bags of snacks for tomorrow’s day long trek to Q’eros! The snacks included oregano chips, Chile chips, sweet potato chips, oversized pecans and corn snacks, dried fruits, and many more.

FINALLY, we headed out. It was time for the Chocolate factory- called Choco. Once we got there, it started fast! We got a lesson on how cacao is found, dried, and processed into the 4 kinds of chocolate - dark, milk, white, and hot! (With lots of samples along the way of course) we tried all kinds of chocolate, jams, and even liqueurs! Finally wrapping up with some snacks from the cafe - Jackie, Lisa and I enjoyed some incredible hot chocolate, Emily got a huge chocolate milkshake, and Meghan got a little ice cream doused in chocolate liqueur. Definitely an experience to remember.

Ok, back to the hotel to relax for dinner! Or so we thought..... we got pulled into the shop RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the chocolate factory when Lisa saw a denim jacket and (per usual) peer pressured us all into shopping so she could live vicariously through us! After, I kid you not) 2 hours of bargaining, finding ATMs, and finally purchasing probably way too much, the group walked out with 7 custom denim jackets.

Ok NOW dinner. Once at the hotel and after dropping off all of the days purchases, we headed out to Los Perros for dinner and happy hour drinks. While no one got a whole guinea pig this time, dinner was still tasty and the drinks never disappoint as many of us got the classic maracuya mojito (passionfruit).

Once paid....it was time for karaoke. While everyone had a great time, Lisa definitely put us all to shame with her impressive rendition of Africa by Toto with Emma!

Most of us called it a night since we had to be up and ready to get on the bus to Q’eros at 830, but some stayed out and enjoyed the final night in Cuzco!

Sunday, 14 July:

Well we had a slight delay to our morning but, nonetheless, we were on the road by 10 am with a 6 hour, windy ride ahead of us. And windy was an understatement to say the least. We met up with Vilma, our translator to help with communication since the people of Q’eros primarily speak Quechuan, the language of the Incans, and headed out on the road. We made one quick pit stop to pick up a TON of freshly made bread, and got back in the car. One more stop and then lunch at our 3 hour mark. We had lots of chicken, rice, veggies, sweet potato chips, and potatoes and, again, were back on the road. This is where the winding really picked up. No one could sleep but no one wanted to look out the window since we were now 16000 feet up and on the very narrow ledge of the mountain!

Finally, at 1600, we found our way into our Q’eros community. After unpacking all of our stuff into the community center, our group of helpers made us a delicious dinner of soup and more chicken!

Before going to sleep at a whopping 8pm, many of us got accustomed to our new home and bathroom: a hole in the ground covered by a tent for privacy. After biting the bullet and, for many of us, peeing in a hole for the first time, we got cozied up in our sleeping bags with our hot water bottles, and called it a night.

Monday, 15 July:

Per usual, I’m up first around 6 am, but it wasn’t long for everyone else to be up because the sun comes up so early! By around 7 everyone was up and talking, journaling, and getting ready for breakfast. 8am comes and we were surprised with pancakes, toast with avocado, eggs, potatoes, and tons of fruit and coffee/tea/hot chocolate. It was a feast to say the least!

The schedule for the day was supposed to include women of the community showing up at 10am to begin learning and sewing handmade, reusable pads and then Walter coming around 1600 to start giving coca lead readings. But nothing goes as planned in Q’eros!

While the women didn’t show up until 1300, we all began cutting out parts to the pads, and sewing pieces together until finally getting a few pads done! We had to cut out one oval piece of blue PUL, 2 oval pieces of red microfiber, 1 rectangular piece of red microfiber, 1 rectangular piece of Peruvian fabrics for the wings, and then sew them all into shape in a less complicated manner than you would think!

Lunch was at 12, and again we were surprised by another feast. More soup, fish, fried Quinoa, and more delicious foods. Many of us quickly became addicted to the pepper sauce we had while Emma ate all the mayo, but what’s new?

By the time the women showed up, we were pros and ready to teach. I, personally, am horrible at sewing and put my efforts where they were best used: entertaining the kids! With 10 women there, that meant their kids followed behind! Mackenzie and I, along with other girls trickling in and out for a break from sewing, spent most of our time outside teaching them games like duck, duck, goose (Pata, pata, ganso), London Bridge, and some others! Definitely don’t know which pastime was more tiring, but I know we all had plenty of fun and were excited when Walter showed up to begin some Coca leaf readings.

Emma, Jacquelyn, Julia and I all had our leaves read the first day and it was pretty interesting how it worked - the respect they have for coca leaves and nature shows through in all of their ceremonies and belief systems. We all enjoyed the experience and were excited for the next group of girls to have their leaves read the next day!

Another feast for dinner as we got to know the men who were helping us day in and day out as well as learning a few words in Quechuan: allillanchu is hello, urpichay is thank you, and tupananchiskama is until we meet again. They all got a chuckle every time we tried pronouncing the words, but I think they appreciated the effort nonetheless!

Again, we filled our hot water bottles in preparation for bed time and brushed our teeth over the creek. This time we were up until 830 pm! The day was long and tiring but so rewarding spending time with and teaching the women and getting to know the kids. Time to recharge for Tuesday - teaching the kiddos and making more pads with the women!

[hashtagsmitty]

Smitty's Thailand Adventure - Day 2

Big day. My phone is saying 27000 steps. The highlights include getting a suit tailored, having a thai woman rub my naked body down for an hour, meeting Keith Urban's green beret brother, and a friendly, spirited discussion about Islam. No spoilerinos though!

I didn't sleep well, the bed was way too hard and the springs jabbed me all night. I'd told Josh 10am but I was up at 6. I read some more of "Growth Mindset" - talking about sports stars and CEOs that had fixed mindsets vs those with growth mindsets.

Josh texted me and said that he was going to meet me at 11 because he didn't sleep well, so I went out exploring. I got turned around a few times trying to find the train station on the main road. Think a giant freeway overpass with four train lines on it, and a huge station connecting them all. This one has two mega shopping centers like the Emporium attached. It didn't open until 10, so I went for a walk in the park instead.

There were heaps of people just doing normal park stuff - walking, exercising. I saw a couple kids practicing punches. There was an old woman cutting a hedge, and most of the park was well maintained - except for a set of steps I found. They were leading to a jetty that jutted out over the lake in the middle of the park, and the steps leading down were covered in bird poo. It was weird seeing the juxtaposition. There's another one in this picture I took yesterday:

I really liked the architecture of this building, and it was odd to see the rats nest of phone cabling framed in front of it. That wasn't even the worst one. It highlighted something we saw quite a bit of - lowest possible effort to look good.

I walked around the park for a while, then grabbed some food from the White Family Mart on the corner of my street. The name jumped out at me. I grabbed some godawful dried strawberries and a rice and grilled chicken packet that was way better than I expected.

Josh texted me, so I left the hotel and went back to the Emporium and walked around a bit. There was this cool shop called Another Man Story with unique custom men's accessories. Some of the stuff was cool, but it struck me as a desperate attempt at buying individuality through conformity. "Look at these unique expressions of you that anyone with enough money can buy!"

Says the guy with too many stupid expensive leather jackets.

I was looking at my leather bracelet that I made myself for like $5, and compared it to these bracelets that cost hundreds. I like mine better because I made it and it has meaning to me.

I met up with Josh eventually and we got some pad thai in the food court. I'd never had it before, and it was pretty good. I've always been a picky eater, so eating new shit is a bit outside my comfort zone and I'm proud of the small steps I'm taking.

After brunch(?) we went to a tailor Josh knew, in the first of many trips across the city. We took the skytrain - it cost about a dollar per trip. We needed to change train then walk a bit. I was boggled at how well Josh knows the city, and again reminded how screwed I'd be if I wanted to do any of this shit without him.

The tailor was cool - spoke English, very business-oriented. I ordered a 3-piece suit in grey wool, and two white shirts. It'll be ready the day before I leave.

We left the tailor after Josh finished texting one of his friends - something about organizing a business together. Josh had many words to say about this guy, and the tailor, and anyone who walked slowly...

After the tailor Josh wanted to check out a market to get ties and cuff links. I told him I'd look at one market - we went to Cambodia together a few years back, and I got burned out walking from market to market trying to save 3 dollars on some bag. He led us on a crazy whirlwind tour of the backroads and skywalks across Bangkok, until eventually we ended up at the same market we'd gone to last time we were here!

It was a sprawling shopping centre, with as many stalls crammed in as the fire code would allow. Josh described it as "an inside market with air conditioning." We wandered around looking at shirts for a while until we found the ties and cuffs place. I hemmed and hawwed for a while until I picked out a tie and some cuffs. The tie looks awesome - it's skinny and red.

We left the market and took the winding route back to a different mall - we had some meat and rice dish. Josh told me that beef in Thai was "moo". I called bullshit. The menu had "grilled beef/pork/chicken" on it. When we ordered, Josh pointed at that item and said "moo". The waiter nodded. I grabbed Google Translate and typed in moo - it came up as "swine". Sure enough, the waiter brought out pork.

As we ate, Josh told me the plan for tonight - I needed a haircut, so we planned to walk into a place near his AirBNB. We planned on meeting up with his friends for drinks and a meal, right around the corner from his place. And, I'd expressed that I wanted a massage. So the plan was dump my bag at the hotel, find a massage, get a haircut, then meet his friends for dinner.

Another quick train ride. The thing they don't tell you about the skyrail is that you gotta climb stairs to get on and off each time.

I dumped my bag. Josh warned me about the massage girls outside my hotel, and again, they disappointed by not heckling me.

We tried a couple of massage places near my hotel - the two non-dodgy ones near my hotel, anyway, ones that didn't advertise "Vip Room", "4 Hands Massage", or God forbid "Teen Love". If you need to emphasize that your "masseuses" are teenagers, you're not an establishment I'm keen to visit.

The two non-dodgy ones near the hotel were full. We caught the skytrain again, this time to near Josh's house. We found a massage place that looked OK and went inside.

We had to take off our shoes to go inside. I was wearing blundies that slipped off, and Josh had some sneaker things. I waited awkwardly inside after telling the lady that my friend was coming and he spoke Thai. Josh came in and asked for a massage for each of us, in English. Bastard.

We got led into a cubicle each. Shower curtain walls, a very small cot. I sat down and my masseuse walked in. She was a middle-aged Thai woman. She dropped down under the cot and pulled out a basket, then said "leave your underpants on" and left. I took off everything except my underpants and sat cross legged on the cot. I was nervous. What if she touched something I didn't want touched? What if I reacted in a way I wasn't comfortable reacting? I did some deep breathing while I waited.

My masseuse came back. She said "lay down, back first." I lay down on my back. She said "no, back first!" I rolled back over onto my tummy. She covered my back with a towel, then unrolled the towel down to my underpants. She oiled her hands and started rubbing my back. It was nice - Thai massage is firm, more of a deep tissue massage than relaxation. She worked her way across my back, my legs, then my chest. There was a weird one where she raised one of my legs into a bent position, foot flat, and pressed it down into the other leg. It felt like my balls were getting squished in a sandwich press. Clearly, these techniques were designed for Asian men.

She finished with a neck and head massage. She couldn't speak English, but she communicated humour in other ways - she started rubbing my neck and flicked the weird lump on the side that I have. I wondered how to say "misformed conjoined twin" in Thai, which led to a mental rabbit hole about Siamese twins and whether it was a faux pas to talk about that in Siam. She massaged my scalp and flicked my quiff, then spent time straightening my hair when she finished.

I rate the massage a solid 5/7 - staring at a bare stone wall while an Asian woman grinds her elbow into my spine isn't necessarily my thing, but it was an experience and I'm glad I did it. I'm also glad none of the things I was worried about happened.

While we were putting our shoes back on outside, a sketchy white dude walked up to us. He commented on Josh's shoes and stretched his hand out to me to shake. I shook. He asked where we were from. I said Australia. He said his brother came from New Zealand and that we'd know his name. I said I'm sure I don't. He said his brother's name was Keith Urban and that his name was Greg. I said that I knew his brothers name. He said that he used to be a green beret and asked me to rate his handshake. He did his left hand, then without letting go did the right hand. I said his shake was firm. He said the green beret thing again and twisted my thumbs around. Then he wished us a good night and walked off.

We shrugged and walked on down the road towards the barber. We bumped into Greg Urban again - he commented, and asked where we were going. I said we were getting a haircut. He said "you need one!" I said "thank you!" He said "you need one because you look like shit." We kinda just walked off a bit faster. Both me and Josh were getting major sketchy vibes. Josh compared it to a foreign 5 year old who can speak fluent English walking up to you and talking to you - a distraction for something more sinister.

We kept walking. The barber was in Josh's area. He decided that he was going to show me all the street animals he was friends with. We had to cross another skybridge to get there. As we walked across this one, there was a dude laying down covering half the bridge. Josh said we should go single file. As we walked, the dude sat bolt upright. It felt like something out of a zombie movie and I almost sprinted off. Josh later explained that he was likely an opium addict, and likely at rock bottom because of it.

We walked to the barber. They were super full, so we booked in for tomorrow at 3. My fade needs a touch up. We left, and Josh started pointing out his dog and cat friends. He called them all cutesy names in Spanish, like gordo (fatso) or nino (little boy) or chico (little guy). It was weird to see this super intense friend of mine, fiercely competent and ruthless in business and his personal lives, acting like a kid in a candy store with these street animals. It was a weird juxtaposition, but it definitely humanised him a bit more. The animals were really cute too.

We sat down in W District, an outdoor dining and bar area. Josh ordered us some ribs and chips and we waited for his friend and business partner to arrive. Josh had been texting him all day about their planned business venture. Josh wanted his friend to pick one idea, develop it, and pay Josh to implement it. Josh's friend wanted to develop a whole bunch of ideas at once, and give Josh equity in his company and a place to stay in exchange. His friend was arriving early to negotiate.

Josh had been talking up the ribs all day - he said he should get a commission from the ribs lady for all the business he drove to her. They had a chat, and she agreed to send out 3 things of ribs ASAP.

Bill, Josh's friend, arrived. They negotiated while I listened. I wasn't following everything, but I asked Josh later and he said he got what he wanted. As we talked, more and more people showed up, and Josh introduced me to some of his other friends. His current girlfriend, his Egyptian friend who hates Islam, friends of friends. A Thai girl named Ben - that threw me a bit, let me tell you.

I spent the night mingling. I don't normally hang out in large groups, and definitely not with people I don't know, and rarely around people who are drinking. Further outside the comfort zone, I guess. I put aside my nerves and chatted to people, drawing on my inner extrovert. I played improvisation games with Josh and Bill. I talked about Islam with the Egyptian guy. I did my best to make myself, if not the life and soul of the party, at least a net gain to the gathering.

The ribs arrived after 2 hours of waiting. Bill and I joked about Josh's failed celebrity status. They gave us some plastic gloves to eat the ribs with. The group ordered tower after tower of beer - portable taps with 3 Liters of beer inside. They cost 650 baht, around $25.

I ended up staying way longer than I expected, and headed home around 11. Josh walked me to the station and we talked about expectation and visualization and the universe providing and the great magnet turning. We made plans for the haircut tomorrow, as well as lunch with his current girlfriend and dinner with the same group as tonight. Bill said that he was definitely going because I said I was.

I walked past the"massage parlor" again on the way home, still no harrassment.

[grgop]

Working and living at the Anchin Restaurant

I had the experience of working and serving the dishes at one Japanese restaurant for several days during my summer trip to Japan in 2015. But there is much more to be told. How I got there, what was it like to be there, what were my colleagues like and many other questions you might have are going to be answered here. :-)

The name of the restaurant is Anchin, named after the character from the legend of Anchin & Kiyohime which story took place in the nearby temple of Doujouji located in Hidaka and town of Gobo in the Wakayama Prefacture, southern part of Osaka Kansairegion with the administrative center in the city of Osaka, part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area (Osaka-Kyoto-Kobe) and one of the largest in the world. Gobo though was a relatively smaller town with the population of around 25 000 citizens and my home for more than two weeks of my stay in Japan where I had the first contact with the Japanese society, made first friends and contacts, became part of the local squad and which became my second home abroad not just a material one but because of the bonds and nice memories with the locals who did everything to make my stay there unforgetable.

First evening in Japan and the big welcome dinner at Anchin

I was not supposed to be here at this place at all. And thinking of right now after spending nice time here I guess it would be pretty hard and strange for me to accept that some things would have been totally different. I would have for sure visited the restaurant at one point during my stay in Japan or at least got a glipse of it such as the cookies being produced there...but I would have never gotten a chance to meet the people who were working there, the area and the chance to be part of the team. Here is what happened. On the day of the flight on 1st July I got the urgent email in the morning, several hours before going to the airport, in which it was written by the local Lions Club Gobo that due to unfortunate and unexpected problems that occurred in the family that was supposed to take care of me I was going to be given temporary a new host family. The information included that they were a bit older, around 60, they were cooks and owned a restaurant. They had their family living close by and who often visits them. They spoke Japanese and English as much as I was able to speak in Japanese uppon arriving there. And lastly – they had a cat. We became good friends. Mitsa and I. I  was worried just a little bit as I did not know how it was going to be with the family who spoke no English, I had no prior experience to this, and if we were going to manage to overcome the language barrier. It turned out to be one of the best things that happened to me that summer, the thing that the plans changed my destination and allowed me to meet much more people and experience something totally different I could not imagine earlier.

On the 2nd of July my plane landed at Osaka Interntional Airport (KIX) about 10 am from the local time at Doha, Qatar. In Croatia it was probably 8am. However, after my host family Ishikura picked me up at the airport and came home (cca an hour or more) the sky quickly turned dark and the night replaced the day. It was kind of a shock for me since I left Qatar arond 1.30am during the night and arrived to Japan after 9 hours long flight again at the evening if not night. As soon as we came to the parking lot next to the house and the restaurant the sky turned dark and it was raining.

It was in those moments when I was at the same time both a little bit tired (actually needed to stretch after sitting for so many hours) and super excited as my 28 days long life in Japan was about to begin. I did not know what to expect, how I was going to survive without knowing any Japanese (except for 3-4 phrases) and how am I going to be involved and adjust to the local society. On our way in the car there were 3 more persons with me who waited for me at the airport. These are Mr Ishikura, the head of Ishikura family I was going to stay with and the head local restaurant business, and two other members of LC Gobo who helped in organization of my arrival. One of them, Mamiko-san, also knew English pretty good so she helped me from the airport till reaching the home of Ishikura family. She was sitting next to me on the back seat and helped translating between the other two in the car. She saved me also many times later during several welcome parties when I had no idea what was going on and what was I supposed to do, as well as going ot the bank and explaining the bank stuff my problem with not being able to withdraw some cash. We left her at her home on our way to the restaurant. There was now 3 of us.

After leaving the car with my heavy luggage I met mom Mieko Ishikura who showed me my room and the house I sat down in the living room and met the other members of Ishikura family. There came son of Mr Ishikura and his wife and children. Since they spoke very little English and I the same amount of Japanese we had to use the dictionaries and the hands a little bit. I was sitting there and thinking how much fun and challenges I was going to have in the next days until I get used to everything. After 20 minuts all of us were invited to go to some restaraunt, as I understood them. Back then I still had no idea where that restaurant was precisely (and the name Anchin was written in Japanese only, I could not read it at all on my first day) right next to the house. Literally it is about 1-3 meters away.

Next to one of the entrances (the southern one) is a vending machine selling you drinks. These machines are much bigger than those I am used to in Europe. We enterd the interior and my first Japanese kitchen experience was about to begin. We sat at the table and when my eyes caught the clock on the wall it was already 7pm!! Which meant my family probably had late breakfast right now at 10am in Croatia. It is 9 hours differece, more than 1/3 of the Earth, that was dividing us. And for them I was living 9 hours ahead in the future. We were sitting at the tables of the first floor as later I discovered there were 2 big halls and more rooms on the second floor the other day.

The interior of the restaurant was pretty cosy and comfortable. At least on the first floor it seemed to be much more open to all kinds of guest than you would get a feeling once you climbed up the stairs. There were tables and seats for about one and a half bus of visitors. The tables had a yellow cover. To my left was the cashier where one could order their meal and check what was offered to eat and drink. You could see something written above it on the wall and there was a bell and a dragon around it breathing fire. Since i was totally new I did not know what was the thing with the illustration and what it had to do with the restaurant. After visiting the nearby temple of Doujouji everything changed. Behind the cashier there was a door leading you into the kitchen. In front of me was another cashier, maybe the main one, surrounded with may artefacts and newspapers. Speaking of artefacts, many were again in this shape of the mysterious bell with a dragon. I was curious about the newspapers and wanted to read them (aka not understand anything but just admire the Japanese writing system and way of putting this into the columns). This cashier was under the stairs leading you to the upper floor. And at this place was the eastern entrance with the automatic doors as well as the passage further into the shop and the fridge. Once I went there tomorrow during the day I saw the Football World cup ball and Croatian flag so was able to show my co-workers there the form of it.

And the last – what was waiting for us on the table itself? Food? I was welcomed with the full table of different Japanese dishes. Some of them (such as sushi) I was able to recognize but the vast majority of the rest was pretty unknown to me and I could not guess the name to be honest. Mr Ishikura sat in front of me and was telling me the names of everything before me eyes. I still remember perfectly the moment he pointed out what was maguro, ebi, tai, ika, wasabi, soba, suika ... I remembered the names and used the names only in Japanese but did not know all of them in English or even Croatian. When I was passing by some Japanese restuarants later on back in Zagreb I could not recognize the name in Croatian and link it with the image but could name it in Japanese after seeing the photos of the food. I was already a bit satisfied since I ate had lunch in the airplane and ate a sandwichh but tried to eat as much as possible this evening and we managed to empty almost whole table. I was then full.

I tried eating sushi which is rice with some other ingredients nice packed so that you can eat one per time. One of my favorite tastes there that had a totally new taste in my mouth was mixing maguro (tuna fish) with wasabi which would give it a pretty strong taste. I learned there one does not eat wasabi alone but rather mixed it with other sauce and puts the ingredients such as fish in it but just a little bit! Speaking of what we call „pasta“ and for them is „soba“ I automatically started eating it by rolling the pasta around my fork. Then Mr Ishikura started correcting me „no no no, iie iie, no italian stayru, japanese ...“ and showed me how they did it. Since then I automatically even today eat pasta by just taking it up in the air instead of rolling around. The chopsticks were also kind of a problem to get used to in the beginning but I managed to learn the proper use (though abandoned it later haha). After half an hour of enjoying the food (and for some things it was my first time), especially eating rice with the chopsticks and their sauce, we tried to communicate a bit but it was still very much difficult. What I was learning in the airplane, some phrases, I tried to use it when the son of Mr Ishikura was about to leave so I tried with „Mata ne!“ and it proved to be the right choice. I helped clean the table and entered into the kitchen for the first time. I still did not know that I was going to spend several days helping there. Read further please.

Welcome Party of the Lions Club Gobo

After the dinner I was told about some Welcome Party on my second day in Japan. I had no clue what that really meant (and the word „party“ will be probably associated with something wilder). Anchin was also the only place where one could have the access to the wi-fi so I contacted my family and friends from there and shockec those who had not known I was going to Japan by posting photos of the dinner there. For many of them it was simply „What the duck?! I saw you two days ago in the center of Zagreb?! What are you doing in Japan?!“ and some told after more photos the other day that they had believed I just did check-in randomly and downloaded the images from the internet to mock people. Anyway, the other morning after not sleeping much because of the jet-lag problems (my brain was totally confused as well as my bio-rhythm) I had breakfast around 9am, went for a walk around the house and then found Ishikura-san watching TV in the living room, told him I was going to go a little bit around the area so they know where I am (I don't think he understood me precisely but just said 'oke oke'). Later on, when I came back home and had my impressions of what I had seen and took photographs of, mom Mieko brought me lunch from the restaurant. It included of course hot rice with some delicious sauce and some other vegetables. I felt pretty much satisfied and not hungry afterwards.

I spent the rest of the day by entering once more the restaurant but just quickly as I did not want to bother people there and had little contact with them. I was not sure if they knew I was staying with Ishikura-san and that it might be complicated to explain with poor knowledge of Japanese. Instead I came back to my room and was reading the learning material and sleeping again as I felt a headache. I used to get the headache right in the morning after waking up and in the afternoon after lunch. It lasted for almost a week until I totally got used to the time zone in Japan. In the evening I heard „Gureeego!“ from downstairs and Ishikura-san told me to take long trousers as we were going to this party.

We were using the exterior stairs to climb to the second floor of the restaurant. There we took off our shoes and walked in the socks only. I saw that one part of the upper floor was filled with light and enclosed so that it was more than obvious the place was reserved and not meant for the others to be seen. Then we stepped into the reserved part of the hall.

I was shocked a bit and surprised as I saw about 30 people in suits, men from the Lions Club Gobo, and was a bit scared of what should I do and say there. I had no idea if anyone there spoke English to help me a bit and did not know if I had to prepare some speech in front fo them. Everyone turned their faces towards me and started clapping and welcoming in Japanese which also made me feel a bit strange as I did not expect all this. The food was already prepared on the tables. We walked until the middle of the table and I sat next to Mr Hiro, the president of the LC Gobo. We introduced each other and then I shaked my hands with the others around me. Half of the people were talking and looking into my direction. The majority of the people present that evening were a bit older guys. But left to me was sitting (relatively) younger man of those and he spoke English. Apparently, it was the member of the host family which was supposed to host me but due to the problems it was not possible. He told me not to worry about everything and that he was going to help me if I get stuck with language barrier.

Then the fun with the dinner started. We had a nice divers buffet right in front of us and started enjoying the meal. There were some wines and sake and lots of different Japanese traditional meals. Again, I found sushi and enjoyed maguro with wasabi. Then they had also brought me a cake with 'Gureko' written on it. I was curious about the meaning of this and asked someone. Apparently that was my name written on it. Since that day and the moment I sent the photograph to my friends and family it became one of the symbols of my trip and one of the favorite names for my grandparents since the moment they saw it. It was really delicious and I felt again more priviliged than I should have been as a guest there. They put a lot of effort to make my first days fantastic. And they were trying to merry me to every possible girl there after I was naive and said I had no girlfriend. After that I was forced to make up a story of having one in order to spend my time there in peace and quiet. Actually, Mr English (let's call him like that :D ) tried to put me in a relationship with every girl or a woman of my age we came across. He would start telling stories of me (and I had no idea what he all said?!) and I just wanted to escape haha. It happened in another restaurant and in the karaoke bar. Luckily not during the baseball match.

I had to say a few word eventully and totally confused myself and was not even able to remember „I am sorry but i do not speak Japanese.“ In the end it was all okay. The guys in front of me (I met them a few more times including the day before my flight) told me they knew of Mirko Filipović and football. Most of them had known Yugoslavia and that it broke up in 90s but not much about the newer independent countries. What was especially fun to me was when one of the guys in front of me told me my face looked like Bill Gates. I believe i looked like any other Westerling from their perspective (and I agree much with that). Another funny thing was after the dinner was over and we were preparing to go home. One of the Lions members came again happy to me and wanted to meet me personally. He asked me if I was Canadian. : - ) (after they mentioned „Kuroachia / Croatia“ for about 50 times haha). I also met there my 3rd host family. Analyzing the situation from the comfort of home and having all that already experienced makes many things much clearer than being there new and lost a bit with information.

Someone was taking lots of photos of us and one group picture of all of us around my host families and me in the center. I received them during the last days and keep them as a memory. Mr Ishikura told me I was going to help the next day by assisting in the restaurant. He said „tomorrow, arbaitu arbaitu, oke oke?“. I accepted it and was curious about the following day and went to sleep.

First day of work at the restaurant and welcoming guests from Hong Kong

After having a bit of a headache again in the evening (my 2nd night) I woke up about 8-9am and stayed for 15 minutes in the bed feeling like „just a few more minutes, please“...then I heard „Gureegooo“ and Ishikura-san was calling me. I quickly jumped out, prepared myself, had breakfast and he came to me with the white work clothes that would suit my size. I was getting both excited about this and found it to be a pretty cool thing and at the same time a bit scared since I have never done this kind of a thing before. And this was not going to be helping someone in the kitchen but at the restaurant that had many visitors every day and I felt uncomfortable of thinking I could screw something up. The other thing that bothered me a little bit was how was I going to become part of the team there and socialize since there were mostly seniors working at the restaurant, they spoke only Japanese of course (with an exception of one older man who knew enough English for emergency situations and one more person of my age who was learning it). And here is what happend.

I went inside the restaurant through the automatic doors with Ishikura-san and entered the small room in the middle of the restaurant that was the place where the workers would come and leave for home, that used to be as another exit when carrying the boxes with the served dishes into a car in the yard and lastly the place where one would take the new gloves, protection masks for the face, white suits and boots.

I was told to put the mask on my face in order to make the preparation of the dishes as safe as possible (but did not have to put anything on hair as the women there had too). Talking of the boots or special slippers I had to take the biggest number there which was still smaller than my size so my fingers or the last part were a bit behind. They were also pink! : ) Later on when we were washing the kitchen in the evening after work was done I was helping them with but needed the boots for the job. The biggest number I found there was of the boss – Mr Ishikura.

We walked now inside the big room with several workers and here my story starts and everything changes. As soon as I stepped in I saw several tables with lots of plates and boxes around with prepared or half prepared dishes. There were two rows of tables and maybe 30-40 boxes marked with Anchin in Japanese. This was also the beginning of my Hiragana study. There were several people working there who were curious about me and we greeted each other but talked a little bit later. I was pretty careful not to do something stupid and a bti nervous if everything was going to be okay. The first task Ishikura-san showed me to do was preparing the dishes for the lunch and it was about proper preparation of maguro, wasabi and shrimps with rice – or sushi, one of the variants. I was a little bit slow at the beginning making it sure i did not do something wrong but then quickly caught the desired tempo. After I prepared several boxes of dishes (and into each box there was a space for 4-6 plates, depending on a size and importance) I wrapped them all with the plastic foil. After first successful job everything else was easy to do and the only barriers that slowed me down were the linguistic ones since sometimes I could not get it right what they wanted from me unless showing (or especially when explaining where to take it...out of 10 words I understood 1).

I should also note one thing that is very important and part of the identity of the restaurant as I remember it - the music. There is a tradititonal Japanese music being played in the background in all the rooms of the first floor, particularly in the kitchen and the other room. You cannot be there and not hear it. It got stuck in my ears since the moment I entered the restaurant and spent hours inside. You can listen to something very similar here.

I could talk now for hours about everything refreshing my memory of all the tasks. So here is a list of several things I was doing there:

Preparing sushi pack of maguro (tuna), wasabi, ebi (shrimp) and rice on yellow plates and later wrapped them with the foil. One also has to add the green plastic leaves next to the rice, the thing that most of you will recognize immedeiately on the photographs of the food. I enjoyed this part as it was also a strong smell and a few times I could not help myself but just take a little bit of the maguro (which tastes just fantastic) and eat just a little bit. I would then put all the prepared plates into the boxes which were further carried to the places reserved for the guests.

Another job included preparing the salad with several ingredients. This was sometimes a bit time consuming as there could have been 4-5 different ingredients on the plate that required some special ratio and the way they were organized and it took me a bit more to get used to the rigth measures and tempo. For example, Mr Ishikura took a bit of the greenery or somethign ans aid „sukoshi, sukoshi“ („a little bit, not much“) and showed but later on I was grabbing a bit more than required then had to fix it. We joked then that in Japan sukoshi was just a finger as a measure of something and Croatia a fist. He was laughing and said „no no no, Japanese stairu (style)“. When I take a look at the picture of it it consists of a few pieces of salad, a bit of a meat cubes, some yellow-orange vegetable that I know no name of and the water with some spice. It was then covering another darker bowl when served for the visitors at the table and also later wrapped with the foil.

I might include different sorts of desserts. On one of the photos below you can see what it looked like prepared. Some were with many ingredients and some with just a few. We would cut the fruit, put some cream and other flavours, but nothing was too much , just a bit of everthing in order to make the balance with other food. This is also what I learned there that in the restuarants (and not rarely at home) they try to eat a lot of different food but trying to maintain balance. Unlike us at home where we prepare a tone of one dish of something they prefer to keep it diverse but small meals.

Preparing soups was also interesting. It would include different ingredients too that I was not sure what they really are. I remember carrying the huge pot around with the hot water that was poured into the metal bowls and added a few more spicy things.

Using the machine where one has to put the rice and then it will export it out nicely rolled – rice rollers. The machine had sort of a plate that was turning around for 360 degrees and was throwing out the rice packed as a little cylinders. I would then take them quickly and prior to that put my hands into the water in order to fix the little cylinders or rollers. After taping them I had to pay attention on which side I am putting them down in the box as it mattered (the part where you could see how the machine sticked two parts together). There were about 70-80 of these rice rollers per box. Later on they were used in combination with other dishes; wrapped into the black stripes or a shrimp was placed on them, filled with something else etc...making some kind of a sushi.

Packing the cookies. Now this was one nice somewhat easier job that I got used to most. I also learned what to do on my first day. I sat on the table where I saw hundreds of cookies every single of them being wrapped into the transparent foil directly upon being exported from the machine. The cookie were shaped in the form of a bell. The very much same form of the one I saw earlier on the wall above the cashier and other souvenirs. And the same as I had seen later at Doujouji temple. The man who was working this job was in the third room between us and the store. He was the one who spoke English and for me he was known as Mr English-jin. We had there several wooden boxes where one would put the packed cookies. And here is what it looked like:

There was a pile of two hundred cookies on the left side of the table, freshly prepared and brought from the other room. We also had a ventilator who kept trying making them cool. My task was to take the foil from the right side from the foil pack, a big one, and put 5 packed cookies in it while paying attention to turning them on the right side when inserting in. And I had to take the cookies that were cooler, it was not good to put the very warm or hot ones in. Here I learned the words „yukkuri, atsui - atatakai dame dame, samui – tsumetai oke oke“ which could be translated as „slowly, hot/warm is not good, cold okay!“. I was doing this maybe for 2 hours and it was nice as this is the kind of a job where I did not have to think too much of some other things rather than just paying attention to the proper inserting into the foil. I enjoyed doing this. I also used to put my notebook and the mobile phone aside in order to write thoughts, notes and translate vocabualry when needed (more of this soon). After putting them into the foil I would pack the foils into the wooden boxes where there was place for about 15-16 of the packs of 5 cookies. I filled several wooden boxes and would put them on on the right place. There were two other colleagues / co-workers who were doing the same as I did or the next phase of the process. And the next phase was putting them then into a cardboard box along with some paper ready for the shop and the potential customers. A few times when I was done with putting the cookies into the big foil I would switch to the new phase and start filling the white boxes with the cookies and insert in the end a colored paper with some info and facts of Anchin.

When not working or having a break I would walk around the restaurant and the shop to see what they got there and what were the prices like. It was especially interesting to see the tourits arriving by buses in front of the restuarant and then walking by it. Many of them would also enter our store and buy something. I was especially happy when I saw my packaging there and when someone took it to the cashier haha. The visitors were going to visit the Doujouji temple and aftwards would have their dinner waiting for them at Anchin on the upper or the first floor.

Preparig different kinds of the main meal. I just have random flash memories of going to the kitchen to pick up the freshly baked and grilled shrimps and putting them back on the plates in the room I spent 70% of my day at. It was this 'tempura' – fried crabs or fish, that I was supposed to serve nicely on the plates along with few additions such as a sauce or salad.

Speaking of the other restaurant, I had seen it once when there were no guests and when Mr Ishikura went with me and mom Mieko. It had the illsutration of the wife of Mr Ishikura-san, a prety nice and beautiful art ont he ceiling and the doors in manners of the traditional yet modern Japanese art. As I had heard this restaurant was mainly for the businessmen or „this kind of people“ if you know what I mean.

Serving the freshly cooked rice in the boxes. There was one of the elderly colleagues, an older woman, who showed me how to properly put rice and the proper measure for each bowl-box that was supposed to go for a single person. I called her 'sensei' (the teacher) which entertained a lot all of them arround including her and they were laughing constantly. We would then go to the kitchen and fill several boxes with around hundred cups filled with the fresh 'gohan' (rice). I would then carry them to the tables.

Setting the table for the guests and carrying chairs. Another favorite part at the restaurant. I was helping with carrying the dishes from the kitchen and the other room in the yellow plastix boxes into the hall for the guests. The job then included sorting the plates and bowles properly and I had to come back 3-4 times on average in order to deliver all the dishes. This was the fun part with wrapping again all the plates to protect the food and before the guest arrived I had to ignite the little candles. It all looked pretty perfect in the end. I was just careful not to brake or drop something on the floor. Then, just for fun, I would take random newspapers and pretend that I am reading the news in order to entertain the others arroudn me. If there were some shorter workers and the seniors I would try to help them by carring their part and at least make them work less during these days I was there. I was rarely sent to the upper floor to pepare the dishes as we would have used the elevator from the kitchen where I had put the yellow boxes with dishes and press the button to deliver it up where someone would then pick it up. However, when we had to bring more chairs in case of lack a few of us would grab the chairs from the room I worked in and walk up the stairs. I tried to help them again by taking double and told them not to worry. I did not find this to be exhausting, tiring or boring but waited for the chance to jump in and help. The more I was working with them the sooner we all got to understand each other perfectly.

Delivering dishes by car. You see, there was another restaurant pretty close by, about 50 meters away. And it was also full of people every day. Thus we had to go there several times a day quickly bringing the boxes with the food. I remember the first time I heard word „kuruma“ which means 'car' I had no idea what they wanted from me. Then I followed them ar ound the restaurant with 3 yellow plastic boxes full of dishes being confused where to deliver it. Finally we go through the automatic doors (and it happened 100x time daily non-stop) and showed me where to put it behind in the car. I used to go with a colleague Kira-San who was pretty temperamental and open person, very talkative (and talked pretty fast, I could not understand almost anything of the vocabualry I learned). While I was trying to say „excuse me“ we were already there by car, it is a ride of 30 second. We'd then quickly jump off and take the boxes inside the restaurant but the part reserved for the staff where one could wash it or replace with the newer ones. There was someone else waiting for us who was serving the guests and then forwarded the news/needs/requirements. I was supposed to quickly leave the stuff fromt he car and pick up the new ones. We would then rush back to Anchin #1 and get the new dishes waiting for us in the boxes. And then it all repeats.

Alright. Back to our story with the Hong Kong guests. You have probably forgotten the title after all this text. So, as I was spending more and more time with my co-workers we got used to each other and it was fun. After all I was trying to help them and it was fun for me and they had been entertaining themselves when watching me or even trying to speak in Japanese.  There was also a funny scene during the first two hours of working there that day that the tallest one among them in the kitchen came to my while I was packing the cookies. The others quickly gathered around us and watched. He stood next to me and stretch to the normal height. After being confused for a moment I then quickly got what he wanted to see. I did the same and stood so that my natural and true height can be seen. I was still taller for several centimeters or maybe 2-3 inches so everyone was laughing while he just had a sad face after not having desired triumph.

The kitchen before cleaning. :-)

Having a break with Pocari!

In the evening when the sky got a bit darkened (and it was a cloudy day so even faster without visible sun) we had everything prepared and waited now for our guests from Hong Kong who were going to visit Doujouji and then come to us. They told me during the day (they...funny Mr Ishikura of course) that I will get the cook's hat on my head and will have to welcome the guest. I did not believe it that much but what happened was not far from truth.

I lit the candles and indeed got the white hat on head. I was still wearing the white suit. My colleagues told me that I will just have to stand next to the doors with the others when they start getting in and welcome them in Japanese by saying 'Irashaimase!' which is sort of "welcome" refering to a shop or some service. Anyway, the moment came and I started saying that and bowing with the others. I think they were more surprised and confused when they saw me there than everything else earlier. haha I took a photo of them and a video and saw the happy faces when enjoying the dinner at Anchin. An hour earlier I set the table completely with one or two other colleagues so everything was perfect.

I could say the first day was a big success. Afterwards I got to know the others much better and throught the next 2 weeks as I visited my colleagues there often we had our jokes and managed to overcome the language barriers. My Japanese on the first day and a week later was a difference of a hundred or two hundred words and phrases in vocabulary, the most important ones which helped me in everyday situation. Which brings us to the next topic which is

Learning Japanese at Anchin

When I think about everything months later I can say that I learned the most of the Japanese vocabulary while spending my time with the first family and colleagues at Anchin restaurant. During my first two-three days I was struggling a bit to be able to communicate with the locals since I had no prior knowledge of the local language. This was also my first experience ever to go in the area or country where some language was spoken that I had no clue what to do. In Austria and Switzerland I was able to survive with using German only. Even in Italy if I was forced to use Italian instead of English I tried with some phrases and survived. Here it was much more different since except for several phrases I entered totally different world both culturally and linguistcally.

My everyday with the host families and especially at Anchin always looked liked this: whereve I went to, alone, with someone or a group of pepole, at home or at work ... I always kept a notebook and a pen in my pocket and several papers with the elementary Japanese vocabulary and phrases for tourists and learners. I was taking down the notes of everything I found to be important and of use to survive. I also had my mobile phone filled with several downloaded applications to learn Japanese. These included some English-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionaries, apps to help me learn read and write hiragana and katakana, and one that helped me with the elementary grammar and phrases for the traveling.

Speaking of Anchin only I learned there the majority of the vocabulary right there interacting with my co-workers. In the beginning I could not understand them almost anything but I tried to record all the words what they said and tried to search for the translation in the e-dictionaries. The efforts had paid off as I was able to make a basis of more or less everythign important they were saying there. It included things such as „quickly, slowly, take left, go right, staright, in the car...“ and also the names of the food. While packing the cookies for instance I kept my notebook on the table next to me so in case of emergency I was able to look after the words or write the new ones.

It was also very interesting for my colleagues to follow what I did and my progress with the language. Certainly they did not have boring time when I was with them and I hope I broke the everyday they had there. After several days of having studying the grammar on my mobile phone and from the papers I tried to build the larger sentences in Japanese only in present tense and expand the vocabulary. So imagine me there in front of them trying to tell them about my adventures in Japan, what I did and what I saw,  about Croatia and home ... in broken Japanese. Every time when I had a break I would revise everything i had written so far and talk to myself or with them for fun. I tried to write some Hiragana but back there I was able to recognize maybe 10 characters in total. I learned to read Hiragana once I came back home (as for Katakana, forgot almost everything though, I see the signs but forgot the reading).

Every night before sleep I used to spend an hour in my room reading the materials and trying to rememebr the phrases or understand more of the grammar. This was the unique experience and a good situation to test my methods, experiment a bit and see what functions best when learning a foreign language from scatch but being surrounded with the natives every day. Of course, the purpose of the Lions Exchange had nothing to do with learning languages. I mean, that was not the purpose and the goal to go to some country and learn the local language. It was mostly me who desired to learn Japanese becuase – why not? My opinion is that everyone should at leaslt try to learn the local language of the place you are going to visit and stay in as it shows your respects towards them. Learning the local language is also an excellent opportunity to immerse into society and culture. You will understand and see the things from different perspective and of course from the locals' one. For me it was fascinating the way the Japanese see the world regarding the language and especially using 3 scripts at the same time in writing (or even 4 including the Latin script which the were able to read too). I wanted to see how difficult it would be for someon who has not been surrounded with this system since the early age to develop and react. Thus I felt like Indiana Jones everytime I was able to recognize and guess the meanin of some Kanji symbols or hiragana signs on the products or the monuments.  

Anyway, after revising everythign and trying to learn more of the vocabulry I would try to use in conversation with my colleagues at the restaurant. And they always kept me motivating and supporting for every try or mistake I did and encouraged to contine further. From what I heard there they found it sometimes impossible or strange to see the foreigners (or Westerns like me) to try to speak in Japanese as they might have not been used to it and the whole idea of Japan as an island and planet for itself.

I also gave my colleagues the papers so they would write me in hiragana or tried in latin script the words or phrases. Someimes I had to draw things literally what I meant (a house, sun, evening, night, running, eating...) in order that we understand each other and .. well, it took a bit of creativity but it was fun in the end.

In conclusion, all the Japanese I remember at the moment and could use in conversation with some natives in the streets is the Japanese I learned while helping at the restaurant, visiting it later and interacting with the colleagues there.

The rest of the days before moving to the new family

Though I spent about a week with my first host family and the restuarant owners I did not work at the restaurant every day as they made excursion with me around the area to show me the other sightseeings and interesting places. Then I would go alone around or stay at home a bit. I also discovered a piano in one room of my host family as my younger Japanese sisters there and the grand children of Mr Ishikura were playing a piano. After playing it for them mom Mieko invited two other colleagues from the restaurant so I played a little concert for them.

Actually, when I had nothing else to do and did not want to stay at home i went twice into the restaurant, now feeling pretty comfortable with everything, took my white clothes and the slippers, put the gloves and started assiting them in preparation of dinner. I thought it would be a waste of time sitting at home and doing nothing (or going around by foot as I already had seen everyting) and I was honestly happy to stay with the others there and help them. I would ask everyone there if they needed my assistance otherwise I would automatically go to the cookies, pack all of them and let me co-workers listen a bit to my music from the smartphone (since they had nothign against it). That being said Anchin cookies were being packed with TBF songs in the background. I just felt satisfied and „knew my place“ where I had to be and wanted to be while working there. I already learned the procedure and the daily phases of preparing lunch or dinner for the guest, knew everything with the delivery by car and what to do at the next restaurant, using the elevator in the kitchen to send the dishes up, carrying the chairs, preparing the table etc.

At the end of the week on my last day I showed them the national clothing of Northern Croatia which was very intersting to them and something totally different from they were used to. In the end Ishikura-san became a 'Zagorec' with 'škrlak' on his head. :-)

I also brought my laptop with photographs of Croatia and a magazine in Japanese so everyone made a break and came to read at the table. :-)

Visiting Anchin by bike

When I changed my host families I was about 1,5-3 kilometers away from the restaurant. I asked if they had a bicycle and they had one which was a special pleasure there go by bike through the street around Gobo. After changing to my 3rd host family that was 1,5 kilometer away I took their bike, checked on the google maps where to go and then came to surprise my first family and the colleagues at the restaurant. I would then leave the bike in front of the store and my hat and headphones inside and then went inside. They were always happy and a bit surprised when they saw me. I would then make a tour around the place and also sneak into the faily house behind and surprise mom Mieko, the rest of the family and our cat Mitsa.

I visited them 3-4 times by bike. Once while staying at the 4rd family I went there for a short visit but they made me have a lunch with them which I did not refuse, ate in the kitchen of the family's house and then decided to stay a bit longer to finish the packing of the cookies and if they needed some other job.

Unexpected visit by camp

Two weeks later when I joined the camp we made a trip to Gobo and Hidaka to visit Doujouji temple. Ishikura-san was also with us. After visiting the temple I wanted to visit my colleagues and I starte running down the portal and stairs from the temple's hill through the street to the restaurant. I greeted everyone again and told me what we had seen with camp (meanwhile I visited Hiroshima, Osaka, Universa Studios Japan and other places), showed them some pictures and promised we were going to see each other at the end of July.

Greetings from Anchin and LC Gobo while in camp

During one of our camp trips around Kansai region we spent one day and a night at hotel near Shirahama beach. After spending several hours in the morning swimming in the Pacific with a very warm sea and sand (and stupid me who forgot to put more sunscream and got sunburnt like a tomato) we enjoyed the fireworks in our honor at the beach in the evening. And then something happend that confused me there and put into a bit uncomfortable situation since I had no idea what was going on. During the fireworks we heard the loud speaker talking in Japanese. I heard several times Lions Club XY including LC Gobo, the name of a few other participants and lastly name of families Ishikura, Yanase, Anchin and Lions Club Gobo. And my name 'Gurego-san' too. I was confused as I had no idea what was happening, should we say something or what. When I came back to Anchin and Gobo after the camp experience they explained me there that my Gobo friends sent me a greeting message while i was in the camp. I felt sorry that I did not understand the message and that noone else there translated what they were talking. I was very happy, proud and full of respect for them what they did. I even got a small present from Mr Ishikura later, a frame with the photo of Shirahama beach and the text in Japanese about me and LC experience there as a memory.

The last day in Japan and Anchin

I spent 2-3 days back in Gobo before going home to Croatia. I wanted to use the opportunity to hang out with the others as much as I can before I leave. Thus I used the opportunity to go by biek again to Anchin, talk with the others and help them a little bit like 3-4 weeks earlier „where it all started.“ There came as well the other people from Lions Club Gobo whereas some knew English so I was able to talk a table about all the experience and thoughts I had during the month there. On my last two days I went there and spent a few hours in total.

On my last day I spent the whole day going around by bike and visiting everyone I knew for the last time (before the next time!). The last on the list to visit were Doujouji to talk with Mr Ono and Anchin. I had to share with the others that today we pack the last cookies together until I return and I was sad. After short visit I told them that I needed go to back now for lunch to my 3rd family Yanase and that I will come once more quickly to them later before entering car for the airport.

And that never happened. We had no time later to go back to Anchin and I missed the opportunity to talk with mom Mieko and my colleagues and friends there as I wanted to. It was good in the end I came to Anchin before lunch as I planned to do it afterwards.

Conclusion and what happened after Japan

It was the strange when I was in Zagreb the other day surrounded with my normal everyday life, family and friends. Just 24 hours earlier I was at the restaurant in Japan!

I stayed in contact with many of them who had Facebook or we have been using Email or Whatsupp/Line to communicate and share the news. Thus they got greeting cards from Croatia, from Dalmatia, and from Vienna during the Christmas holidays. We send each other reports as photographs and so on.

I have to mention a few memorable gifts from Anchin that are going to become the family heritage haha and hopefully be used more frequent soon when I am going to be at home after Austria. When I was leaving the first family and the restaurant they gave me as a gift two wooden original boxes and a circular plate for the sushi and Japanese lunch pack. I was so happy and thankful for them. I also got the high quality chop sticks for the whole family and we tried to eat with them when Madoka was with our family later in August. These are for sure going to be a nice memory on the fantastic days spent in Japan at Anchin and the others. I also recently got a photograph of Ishikura San and one other colleague from the kitchen (the cook who knew about Mirko Filipovic and often checked what I was doing by saying 'so so so') sent by my other friend working there.

Thanks for reading.

[asylum-miniatures]

Entry 4 - big city nights and one heck of a study date

Session 4, part 1 Noises in the night

Last time Draspher made his way back to us after becoming the most wanted criminal in the city.  we all start making plans.  Ocelot and Sim will start making hand grenades out of "wood shaped" firewood and his barrel of gunpowder, and we're planning on robbing the library again before we go to the fight club to get some street cred.  ocelot stay up and makes these grenades while we all sleep.

It's here we find out one of our DM’s nasty habits.  He refuses to just let us rest between sessions and will often arrange something bad to happen at the start of every session.

Ocelot hears a noise and checks the corridor, seeing two figures in black looking in different rooms.  we all get ready while I set up some caltrops in the room, some by the door some by the window.  After a few minutes when they haven’t come to our room ocelot decides to check again. It's at this point I find out that the caltrops I set up get swept aside by the opening door, making those ones pointless.   As ocelot looks out, he sees two girls at the end of the corridor arguing.  He shouts out "can I help you with anything?".  Both turn to him and one shouts out gleefully "see I knew he was on this floor" and charges towards us.

He slams the door and we all prepare for combat.  It turns out that we don’t have to worry about the caltrops being brushed aside.  Why? Because this girl doesn’t open the door, she smashes it so hard that the caltrops get knocked all over the room and the door smacks me across the face before imbedding in the wall.  She then shouts out "Kitty!" before reaching for the cheetah.  We go to fight this girl while Draspher summons a stone elemental in the doorway and every round after that we keep hearing a "whack" followed by it being tripped and smashing into the floor.  

It's at this point I start panicking.  Between sessions I had helped the DM come up with a few characters.  They were three girls based on batman villains.  There was rose (a green skinned half elf cleric of plant and charm domain who could turn any spell into a charm person or a heal with a monk’s spade as a holy symbol), Isis (a human scout archetype rouge with a whip and sap mastery's so she could hit with the force of an 80 foot drop with 8d6 nonlethal whenever she moved 10’ with a 15’ reach weapon) but the one to worry about was Jess.  She was a cross of a barbarian and a martial artist monk (martial artist can be any alignment) and was broken beyond all hell.  She could punch hard, tank like crazy and so fast with double fast movement and boots of speed and striding that, combined with her high constitution, could run at around 50mph for way too long.  She was so fast she didn’t need a ranged weapon, she’d run up, smash you face in and run back before you reloaded.  Combined with scorpion style she could keep kiting us while reducing us to 5’ movement speed and there would be nothing we could do.  Any one of these girls would be a challenge for our party, but the DM had set all three of them on us presumably.

I desperately try to come up with an in character reason why we need to run but luckily Jess demonstrates by escaping a three-way flank to the wall by running up the wall, back flipping over us and chucking a portion of sneezing powder down.

We start disengaging and grabbing our stuff when Isis finally gets in by leaping over the Stone Elemental.  Yurion gives us cover by casting obscuring mist over the two enemies and the elemental moving to engage them.  The Cheetah smashes through the window and a round or two later I follow.  I then find out that there are six guys in the alleyway waiting for us, surrounding an unconscious cheetah that had knocked itself out from the fall.  With a masterful twirl, I summersault out of the window and land silently without alerting any of the guards.  Sim follows, flubs her roll and I somehow dodge out of the way still not noticed by the guards, as she lands face first into the floor where I was standing just a second before.  Yurion comes up with a plan to cross the gap to the next roof with Ocelot.  She takes a running leap and casts a self-targeted levitation spell, granting just enough to cross the 15’ gap between her and the next roof while ocelot just makes the jump across, catching the edge and getting Yurion to help pull him up.

Draspher comes up with a decent escape plan, turning invisible during this and tries to go out of the front door.  He makes it past Jess and Isis.  However, when he gets in the corridor his invisibility wears off (probably a purge invisibility spell), sees rose.  Calm as anything he tries to walk past her.  She just grabs him and rebuffs his assertions they have mistaken him for someone else.  She knows he’s the one they were sent for and proceeds to charm person his gullible ass

While I sneak off, Harley leaps across this gap like its nothing, getting father than Yurion and Ocelot had gotten, cutting off their escape.  Seeing no way out, Yurion surrenders and instructs us to do the same while I watch from around the corner, trying to come up with a way to save them.

Part two a, the social club

Jess just flips from smashing our faces in to "ok, sure".  This huge fat half-orc (He was using a double sized marker for this guy.  It’s only later we find out he used enlarge person on himself to intimidate people rather than being 10’ wide) then strolls into our room and from my vantage point at the end of the alleyway I can see a crap ton of grunts guarding the front.  This guy introduces himself as the lieutenant Draspher had met before, and tells Yurion he had a deal with Draspher.  The others agree to go with him to the club to talk business, with Yurion and Draspher go in a steam punk limo while everyone else gets in a cart.  Not wanting to split the party, I jump on the back hitch a lift on the outside (I was not going to surrender myself no matter what) and they begin talks.

The lieutenant explains that he wants our help to break into a vault to secure funds.  Yurion nearly blows our cover by going in to hard about wanting to overthrow the system (I face palm so hard at this, I swear I am the only person on the table with IRL face skills to see how dumb that was) but some bluffing from Draspher about how she paid a lot of money for this info and Yurion explaining that she really hates the system and will do anything to help overthrow it.

it is at this point I fail my strength roll, fall of the cart with a cry of "son of a *whack*" but catch up.  The DM has me roll a wisdom roll and I realise I could just hold on the roof without constant checks.  Not relevant but it was funny.

Finally, we make it to the bar we were told about before.  I jump of the roof and hide while everyone else is escorted into the club and told to occupy themselves until called for.  Everyone goes into the club and they start splitting into separate things.  Draspher starts using predisposition to make cards to stack (he really likes that spell and tries to solve any problem with that one first) while ocelot sits in a chair, orders a drink and starts throwing small stones to knock his tower over.  Sim goes with Rose to heal his cheetah and Rose proceeds to try and intimidate her with a mixture of healing and aggressive groping (she "layed her hands" on a very sensitive area on sim while staring at her straight in her eyes the entire time) and the others chat with Jess next to a huge cage for wresting fights.  Two thieves are fighting to the death as punishment for stealing from the boss, winner gets to live.

I meanwhile decide to infiltrate the club.  I pull out one of my spare outfits and dress as a cleric.  When I try to get in I am accosted by the bouncer who demands 10 gold entry fee.  Not wanting to start a fight and since I need to get in there despite him fleecing me, I give a sob story about how I need a drink as my girlfriend cheated on me with the head priest.  He relates his own girl problems and so he lets me in for 5 (rip-off anyway) and I promise him a drink next time I see him off duty.

While the others are chatting watching the fight with Jess I make my way to the bar, sit a seat or two away from Draspher and order a drink.  During their conversation, they start discussing their group dynamic and jess goes "ow, so she's the brainy one (points at Yurion), he's the sploody guy (points at Draspher) and he's the sneaky one (points at me, still disguise buying a drink)".  No one in the bar took notice but that girl is sneakier than she looks.  

sim joins us again and decides she want a fight in the ring.  Jess says we can fight Garry, points at a skinny guy, we see a slab of muscle behind him, but it is the skinny guy.  They get taken off and get ready, Gary in Speedos and sim in a leotard as per rules.  They are introduced as Jess "angel wings" (an attempt to get in contact with other agents using the key phrase) and Garry "bane"

Then the buffing rounds starts, sim has no buff spells prepared but bane does.  So, Draspher greases her and Yurion gives her a blessing and guidance spell.  Despite being unprepared she is damn good at grapples and manages to win despite being knocked out once and reduced to 1 HP afterwards, successfully choking out bane and nearly dislocating his arm.  Ocelot is thrilled as he had a 10-gold bet on her, with 5/1 odds and promises the bar free drinks until 10am.

Finally, the others are told to rest up there, there is much to talk about in the morning (it's 3am at this point) so they rest up.  I let Draspher know to meet me at the blacksmiths tomorrow.

Part two b, My night on the town

While the fight was going on I got the sitrep off Draspher.  I then proceeded to play the part of a depressed drinker.  As I leave a little while later some guys try to follow but I ninja vanish away down a dark alleyway, not wanting to break cover with a fight.  I make it back to our starting Inn and find tons of city guards.  I check the side alleyway, yup more guards so no getting to the room.  Just then I feel a dart hit me and I start getting sleepy.

I wake up tied to a table with a dark figure over me.  It's ninja-san, our main contact.  He demands to know what's going on, so I inform him about how we've been hired, and how they need cash from the vault for something.  He tells us we can't let the heist go off and he can't contact us directly as the main building monitors magic and can shut down magic they don't like, but he can send his apprentice to keep an eye on us and no, he will not itch my nose for me, time for more knock out drugs.

I wake up in a common room and proceed to itch my nose like crazy to the bewildered looks of those around me.  IRL Draspher came back into to room from the toilet, and was very confused about my sounds of joy and satisfaction from itching my nose.  I make my way to the blacksmith, successfully negotiate a corner to sleep in while I wait and I get him to make me a masterwork kusarigama based on my own.

The others wake up and meet with the lieutenant.  He tells them the details of the plan, but they don't like just trying to blast their way in, and suggest espionage to sneak in.  He tells them it's impossible, the plans are held in the library, and no-one can possibly break in there.  Yurion pulls out the books in her bag she stole, and the lieutenant jaw hits the floor.  He tells us that if we can get info great, or else we go ahead without it.

Draspher passes on the message and we all meet up at the blacksmiths and inform each other what has been happening.  We then begin to plan our heist of the library.

Part 3, the heist, phase one

We all dress up as scholarly types and infiltrate the library.  The talks were still ongoing and as such we succeed in getting in with the rest of the academics coming back from lunch.  We try to split off from the group but a guard follows us.  We explain we are going to the toilet before talks begin and he helpfully says he’ll wait for us.  We all go to the toilet on the first floor, and Draspher distracts him so I can get to the third floor, the restricted section. Before me is a huge door that I guess is probably magically alarmed, so I’ll need the spellcasters help to fully unlock it.  

Meanwhile, sim calls out that Yurion has fallen and she needs help.  When he goes in Draspher turns invisible and heads up the stairs.  The guard reluctantly goes in and sim grapples him while ocelot, and Yurion flail about trying to knock him out.  They finally succeed despite ocelot at one point punching sim in the face.  They decide to tie him up, lock him in the toilet with sims panties in his mouth and his "manhood" pulled out and covered in lipstick.

They make it to the second floor and I pop my head down, wondering what’s taking them, and tell one of the spellcasters to come up and help me disarm the door.  Yurion comes to help me while ocelot and Draspher (went invisible to escape the previous guard) decide now is the time to steal books on engineering and wand making.  After much ado, ocelot get the book and meets back up with us, Draspher despite distracting two guards with a summoned dog he is now stuck in the lecture, so he starts coping from his book.

As ocelot and sim go up the stairs, they get spotted by guards previously distracted coming back up.  Sim goes down distracting them while ocelot joins us upstairs, saying she needs the toilet and go to the previous toilet with one of them.  The other guard previously tied up has woken up and trying to call for help with a pair of panties in his mouth.  Sim tricks the guard in there to see if "that woman" needs help, and woodshapes the door locked behind her, finally joining us upstairs.

Part four, phase two

The entire top floor has a minor anti-magic field up.  Minor spells and certain types of magic work but any active use spells will trigger something.  I get the door open and spot several rune traps.  I go with Yurion, using detect magic to mark off all the pressure plates I can see until we get to a giant iron door.  We desperate try to come up with a way inside.  Plan after plan gets thrown out while the DM keeps rolling dice.  Finally, I get desperate.  I go up to the door and press the tannoy button:

Guard: Hello, who's this Me: city secret guard, open up Guard: what's going on? me: we believe that some documents have been stolen from here, and we need to investigate without causing a panic guard: I don't know, there is no record of you on the timetable me: yes, what part of not causing a panic do you not understand guard: I don't know, I think I should call this up with my manager me: do you really want to be the one to call him, breaking the secrecy of this theft and spreading panic across the city (guard opens the door) guard: who's the city guard? me: I am Guard: you don't look like a guard me: good eye (flurry of shuriken, three shuriken smashes into him (one missed from four thrown) for 30 damage)

the others jaw hit the floor at this but we get to work opening the door.  We find the document but we come a cropper when we discover the room is full of knockout gas, there was a procedure to vent it but we messed it up by killing the guard and opening the door.  We shut it but I'm unconscious, ocelot and sim are drunk and Yurion is woozy.  Then the tannoy starts, it's the guard’s downstairs, they want to talk to Garry, he's missed his check-ups.  Ocelot crawls over:

guard: Garry, where are you, you missed your check-ups ocelot: riggght heere guard: are you ok ocelot: yeah, found a botttle of wissssky in ma draw, stonger thn a tought guard: do you need help ocelot: yeaah, could ya seeend up a replacement, I dun feel to goood guard: well we're having some difficulty, jerry's gotten himself locked in the girl’s bathroom, but we'll send someone soon.

We all try to leave but sim flubs an acrobatics roll to jump over one of the pressure plates and the alarms and the anti-magic field go off. [/SPOILER] Part four, phase three, the escape [SPOILER] ocelot starts rigging up a barrel of gunpowder and a few grenades with Yurion to blow thought the wall.  I meanwhile fill up my hand haversack with as many old books as possible.  They succeed in making a small hole and we sneak through to a small recess under the roof.  I guard the hole while sim and ocelot both keep failing to break the roof tiles to get out.  The guards arrive, see the hole start arguing about who goes in first so ocelot shoots through the hole making them panic.  Sim during this flubs a roll and gets her foot stuck in the wall.  Ocelot finally tries lighting his powder horn and throwing it down the hole as a grenade, but messes up his roll.  He misses the hole, bouncing off the top and only my reflex save kicks it through but I take some damage and become slowed down due to my injuries.  Sim realise she's a druid so she turns into a gorilla and finally smashes a hole through the shingles.  We grapple down the building on a rope, me going last.  As go I start to lose grip on the rope, but I just let go.  Since I still have cat boots I land perfectly on my feet and take nearly no damage.  Just then a guy comes up out of the bushes.  Sim the gorilla throws a punch just as he starts saying "an angel.." being punted across the courtyard into some bushes.

This guy was one of ninja-san guys trying to help.  We decide to take him with us, stone shape the wall and escape.  after healing up he has amnesia with no idea who he is or where.  So, we leave him with a note to give to the guards warning them about the heist and head back to the club

Supplement Draspher’s day out

Draspher has spent this entire time in the lecture hall happily copying from the book he stole.  Then the anti-magic field activates, and the guards come in tells everyone to keep calm.  With a bit of coaxing Draspher then starts riling up the crowd, talking about why we need to escape now (helped by the explosions going off) and eventually a riot breaks out, with the wizards charging out of the gates.  He avoids getting trampled, gets given a blanket and a cup of soup by the concerned nurses before using an invisibility to escape the afterwards

Days in City – 2 Explosions blamed on Draspher – 3

[mrrolandtfranco]

October 26, 2017

Community Bulletin

School News

» Save the Date! Concordia Golf Classic! November 4th, Shanghai Binhai Golf Club.

Just a few details about Saturday, November 4th 2017 Concordia Golf Classic @ Binhai Golf Club. This is a fun, best ball scramble to create community and raise awareness about wellness.

• Cost for the golf is 1200 RMB (cost from course), plus 100 RMB tip for the caddie per person • 12 PM Shotgun Start - Flight Information will be given the week of the outing. • We will be scheduling the buses for an 10:45am arrival at the course that will leave from Concordia, let us know if you need a ride. • Sack Lunch will be provided to eat on the course • Banquet dinner at the end for those who don't have to run off to another event – need to know if you are staying for dinner • Locker and Shower facilities are nice, so bring a change of clothes for after your round • Awards for Longest Drive, Shortest Used Drive, Straightest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Longest Putt, Lowest Team Score, Highest Team Score • Raffle at Banquet • Drink Tickets will be sold at registration 10 for a 100 RMB • Drink carts (2) on the course during the round ▪ Beer, soda, juice and water are one ticket each • "Mulligan Charity Pack" - 200 RMB • One extra tee shot, chip, putt, and approach shot • 18 inches of string & scissors – receive during check in – one per foursome, use the string to make a putt that you missed • Men use BLUE tees Women use RED tees - Minimum of 2 tee shots per person must be used.

We are looking for event sponsors. If you are interested please contact Suki Chen at Suki.chen@concordiashanghai.org

A few spaces still left. Sign up with Chris.bishop@concordiashanghai.org

» The Concordia High School Theatre Program Proudly Announces the 2017 High School Fall Play

All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation by Jon Jory.

Pride & Prejudice is staged in the Rittmann Theatre on the Concordia Campus.

November 2, 3 & 4 @ 7pm with a matinee performance on November 4th @ 1:30pm.

This is a family friendly production appropriate for all ages.

---

Tickets on Sale:

-PC-Commons Oct. 23rd, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th & 31st | 11:30am-1pm and 3:20-4:15pm.

-E.S. Cafeteria Oct 24th, 26th & 30th | 3 - 4pm Student-75 RMB |Adult-100 RMB

About the Play: Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet's most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult to escape the subject. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense -- but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems. In a society where subtle snubs and deceit proliferate, is it possible for Elizabeth and Darcy to look beyond his pride and her prejudice, and to make the best match of all?

About the Show: With eighteen actors, ten crew members, choreographed dance, costumes designed by Concordia's Visual Arts faculty member, Ms. Greer Collins, expect an amazing theatrical production that you do not want to miss.

» Change of Bank Account Name

Per government request, the school has changed its Chinese name. Hence, please kindly note that Chinese bank information is updated as below:

Account Name(户名): 上海协和国际外籍人员子女学校

Account No. (帐号):310066111018170251820

Bank (银行): 交通银行上海新区支行

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4:00 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Breakthrough Junior Challenge for Yoochan Shin

Yoochan Shin, Grade 11, entered a competition called Breakthrough Junior Challenge. His entry has made it into the top 30 videos in the world out of 6, 000, and is now in the popular vote competition. The winner of the popular vote automatically makes it to the finals. Yoochan is asking for help from our community so that he can get as many votes as possible. This could be hugely beneficial to Yoochan, his mentor, Mr. Klammer and our school in the way of financial prizes-a college scholarship, science lab and cash prizes. The popular vote began on Oct 23, ends Nov. 2nd. Here's a message from Yoochan:

My name is Yoochan Shin, a junior in Concordia. Ever since I was little, I have loved science. Bill Nye the Science Guy or the countless Korean science comic books my parents (just like any other Korean parents did in the early 2000s) bought for me may have ignited my passion in science, but to this day I am motivated by the greater appreciation of the world learning science provides. My latest video, inspired by my engineering teacher, Mr. Klammer, is the culmination of my knowledge, passion, and philosophy. The production process took a hundred and fifty hours to make. The video with the most amount of likes AND shares on Facebook will go straight to the finals. Each like and share are considered as individual votes. Below is the link to make your vote.http://ift.tt/2gCcnow

» Please Join our Third Entrepreneur Fair!

On Thursday, November 2nd the eighth grade will be hosting their third annual Entrepreneur Fair. This is an opportunity for eighth graders to collaborate and execute their business, design thinking and marketing skills. It will take place in the PC Lounge.

Below is the schedule we will be following:

Thursday, November 2nd

A block: Attend from 8:15-9:10am

C block: Attend from 12:15-1:10pm

Have your students bring small bills (5's, 10's, 20's – RMB 100-200 for total spending) to make purchases during this time.

If you would like to attend, please confirm with Holly Raatz: holly.raatz@concordiashanghai.org

» 14th Family Day

Please see more information in the flyers below.

Pudong

Art Competition

» 2017 Shanghai Amateur Games-China Shanghai International Popular Sports Festival And The First International Friends Games

Date: November 11, 2017

Venue: Jinfeng Road, 258 (Shanghai American school)

Host: Shanghai Sports Bureau, Shanghai Sports Federation

Organizer: Min Hang District Sports Bureau, Min Hang District Hua Cao Town People's Government, Hanpeak Media Ltd., Co

The Competitions

Mini Triathlon (personal group) at 2-3:30 PM Personal group: 25 people of participants age 13~15

Mini Triathlon (family group) at 2-3:30 PM family group: 25 groups of participants age 8~12

Dynamic five rings at 2-3:30 PM

How to sign up

Sing up: Only Sing up on the official account of Wechat "第九届中国上海国际大众体育节". Fill in the form, and then we will send the invitation by email.

Please print the invitation, and bring it to the event.

Event Schedule

8:30 AM-12:30 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League

1-1:30 PM: Guest Sign-in

1:30-2 PM: Opening Ceremony

2:30-3:30 PM: The Mini Triathlon, Dynamic five rings

2-4 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League, Hurricane Bowl American football

4-4:20 PM: Awards Ceremony

» Lunch Menu Access

Did you know that you can access our school lunch menus on our website? Click here to visit our School Services page and view the ES and MS/HS (PC Lunch Menu) lunch menus this week.

http://ift.tt/2y0bnNX

Athletics & Arts

» HS Basketball Tryouts going on this week!

PSO

» PSO Bake Sale on Friday, October 27

Tomorrow is our first bake sale of the year! This month the PSO will donate 20% of our treat sale profits to the High School's Global Development class, which is working on fundraising projects to support LCMS. LCMS is an organization which is actively engaged in providing aid to recent Hurricane victims in the United States and the Caribbean islands. Please help us raise money by providing 24 nut free baked treats. Any baked treats we have left will be sold in the ES Commons from 3-4 PM. A perfect opportunity to buy your Halloween weekend treats for the family and support a good cause! Please send 10rmb with your student so they can purchase a treat!

» Used Book Sale, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10

The PSO Used Books Sale will be held during the ES and MS conferences, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10. It is a fabulous way to pick up great books at a great price! Interested in helping with the sale? Follow this link to register for a time slot to help! http://ift.tt/2z82Qx2

» Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 18

Save the Date! It's that time of year! Concordia's Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 18! Raffle We will begin selling Christmas Bazaar Raffle tickets. 6 raffles per 100 if you buy prior to Christmas Bazaar. 5 raffles for 100 if you buy on the day of the bazaar. ES and MS students will be receiving a form next Monday, October 30. Please fill in and return to ES and MS office. We have over 120 raffle items worth over 150 RMB. Poinsettia Orders Ready for gift-giving or decorating your home? Poinsettia pre-order starts November 1. Order forms will be in the ES, MS, and HS offices. We will also be selling them in the ES Commons at 3PM on Tuesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 9. So mark those dates!

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Each fall we begin to identify positions likely to be open the following year and generally complete recruiting by late January. However, we accept applications at any time and will keep them on file for future vacancies. Due to age restrictions in China, we are not able to consider applicants who will be older than 57 on August 1 of the year of their initial contract.

Faculty

Classroom Teacher--Gr. 1-6

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--PS3, PS4, or K

Early Childhood Music & Movement

English Language Learner (ELL) Coach-ES or MS

ES Counselor-social, emotional

ES Instructional Coach-Literacy

HS Counselor

HS Physical Education Teacher

HS Physics/Math Teacher

HS Social Studies

MS Counselor-social, emotional

MS Humanities Classroom Teacher

MS Math/Science Teacher

Support

Athletic Trainer & Wellness Coordinator

Potential-ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

To learn more go to: http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Last call: Annual Fundraising Gala Nov 4

Don't miss the last call to buy tickets for the Community Center Shanghai Annual Fundraising Gala, taking place November 4! If you're a fan of mystery, intrigue, and lighthearted espionage you'll want to join us for this "Casino Royale" themed event. The dress code will be formal attire; for the gentlemen in attendance, put on your snazziest tuxedo or suit, and for the ladies, don your best gown, the one you break out once a year to look and feel your best. Take plenty of photos with your crew at our "007 photo booth," and at the end of the night hearken back to old Homecoming nights with your significant other for your chance to win "best dressed couple."If that doesn't excite you, the gala will offer plenty more for a wide range of people, whether you're coming with business partners, fellow community members, teachers, or your spouse. One of the main attractions, the raffle items, will feature a sleek scooter, a membership for hair & beauty salon, Disney one-day pass, restaurant vouchers and more!

» Morning Fitness Classes are Open to Parents of Concordia!

Are you interested in spinning, boot camp, or yoga in the mornings? Certified staff are conducting classes every morning of the week. For a detailed schedule and pricing information, contact Tina Harbold. Classes have begun so don't wait... sign up now! If you are interested or have questions, please email Tina at tina.harbold@concordiashanghai.org.

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball-registration has started! » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source) » Danceworks Shanghai

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

Classifieds

» Check back next time!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

» Check back next time!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications. <p><p> <p>

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2z7xDtO

[mrjoshuatom]

October 26, 2017

Community Bulletin

School News

» Save the Date! Concordia Golf Classic! November 4th, Shanghai Binhai Golf Club.

Just a few details about Saturday, November 4th 2017 Concordia Golf Classic @ Binhai Golf Club. This is a fun, best ball scramble to create community and raise awareness about wellness.

• Cost for the golf is 1200 RMB (cost from course), plus 100 RMB tip for the caddie per person • 12 PM Shotgun Start - Flight Information will be given the week of the outing. • We will be scheduling the buses for an 10:45am arrival at the course that will leave from Concordia, let us know if you need a ride. • Sack Lunch will be provided to eat on the course • Banquet dinner at the end for those who don't have to run off to another event – need to know if you are staying for dinner • Locker and Shower facilities are nice, so bring a change of clothes for after your round • Awards for Longest Drive, Shortest Used Drive, Straightest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Longest Putt, Lowest Team Score, Highest Team Score • Raffle at Banquet • Drink Tickets will be sold at registration 10 for a 100 RMB • Drink carts (2) on the course during the round ▪ Beer, soda, juice and water are one ticket each • "Mulligan Charity Pack" - 200 RMB • One extra tee shot, chip, putt, and approach shot • 18 inches of string & scissors – receive during check in – one per foursome, use the string to make a putt that you missed • Men use BLUE tees Women use RED tees - Minimum of 2 tee shots per person must be used.

We are looking for event sponsors. If you are interested please contact Suki Chen at Suki.chen@concordiashanghai.org

A few spaces still left. Sign up with Chris.bishop@concordiashanghai.org

» The Concordia High School Theatre Program Proudly Announces the 2017 High School Fall Play

All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation by Jon Jory.

Pride & Prejudice is staged in the Rittmann Theatre on the Concordia Campus.

November 2, 3 & 4 @ 7pm with a matinee performance on November 4th @ 1:30pm.

This is a family friendly production appropriate for all ages.

---

Tickets on Sale:

-PC-Commons Oct. 23rd, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th & 31st | 11:30am-1pm and 3:20-4:15pm.

-E.S. Cafeteria Oct 24th, 26th & 30th | 3 - 4pm Student-75 RMB |Adult-100 RMB

About the Play: Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet's most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult to escape the subject. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense -- but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems. In a society where subtle snubs and deceit proliferate, is it possible for Elizabeth and Darcy to look beyond his pride and her prejudice, and to make the best match of all?

About the Show: With eighteen actors, ten crew members, choreographed dance, costumes designed by Concordia's Visual Arts faculty member, Ms. Greer Collins, expect an amazing theatrical production that you do not want to miss.

» Change of Bank Account Name

Per government request, the school has changed its Chinese name. Hence, please kindly note that Chinese bank information is updated as below:

Account Name(户名): 上海协和国际外籍人员子女学校

Account No. (帐号):310066111018170251820

Bank (银行): 交通银行上海新区支行

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4:00 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Breakthrough Junior Challenge for Yoochan Shin

Yoochan Shin, Grade 11, entered a competition called Breakthrough Junior Challenge. His entry has made it into the top 30 videos in the world out of 6, 000, and is now in the popular vote competition. The winner of the popular vote automatically makes it to the finals. Yoochan is asking for help from our community so that he can get as many votes as possible. This could be hugely beneficial to Yoochan, his mentor, Mr. Klammer and our school in the way of financial prizes-a college scholarship, science lab and cash prizes. The popular vote began on Oct 23, ends Nov. 2nd. Here's a message from Yoochan:

My name is Yoochan Shin, a junior in Concordia. Ever since I was little, I have loved science. Bill Nye the Science Guy or the countless Korean science comic books my parents (just like any other Korean parents did in the early 2000s) bought for me may have ignited my passion in science, but to this day I am motivated by the greater appreciation of the world learning science provides. My latest video, inspired by my engineering teacher, Mr. Klammer, is the culmination of my knowledge, passion, and philosophy. The production process took a hundred and fifty hours to make. The video with the most amount of likes AND shares on Facebook will go straight to the finals. Each like and share are considered as individual votes. Below is the link to make your vote.http://ift.tt/2gCcnow

» Please Join our Third Entrepreneur Fair!

On Thursday, November 2nd the eighth grade will be hosting their third annual Entrepreneur Fair. This is an opportunity for eighth graders to collaborate and execute their business, design thinking and marketing skills. It will take place in the PC Lounge.

Below is the schedule we will be following:

Thursday, November 2nd

A block: Attend from 8:15-9:10am

C block: Attend from 12:15-1:10pm

Have your students bring small bills (5's, 10's, 20's – RMB 100-200 for total spending) to make purchases during this time.

If you would like to attend, please confirm with Holly Raatz: holly.raatz@concordiashanghai.org

» 14th Family Day

Please see more information in the flyers below.

Pudong

Art Competition

» 2017 Shanghai Amateur Games-China Shanghai International Popular Sports Festival And The First International Friends Games

Date: November 11, 2017

Venue: Jinfeng Road, 258 (Shanghai American school)

Host: Shanghai Sports Bureau, Shanghai Sports Federation

Organizer: Min Hang District Sports Bureau, Min Hang District Hua Cao Town People's Government, Hanpeak Media Ltd., Co

The Competitions

Mini Triathlon (personal group) at 2-3:30 PM Personal group: 25 people of participants age 13~15

Mini Triathlon (family group) at 2-3:30 PM family group: 25 groups of participants age 8~12

Dynamic five rings at 2-3:30 PM

How to sign up

Sing up: Only Sing up on the official account of Wechat "第九届中国上海国际大众体育节". Fill in the form, and then we will send the invitation by email.

Please print the invitation, and bring it to the event.

Event Schedule

8:30 AM-12:30 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League

1-1:30 PM: Guest Sign-in

1:30-2 PM: Opening Ceremony

2:30-3:30 PM: The Mini Triathlon, Dynamic five rings

2-4 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League, Hurricane Bowl American football

4-4:20 PM: Awards Ceremony

» Lunch Menu Access

Did you know that you can access our school lunch menus on our website? Click here to visit our School Services page and view the ES and MS/HS (PC Lunch Menu) lunch menus this week.

http://ift.tt/2y0bnNX

Athletics & Arts

» HS Basketball Tryouts going on this week!

PSO

» PSO Bake Sale on Friday, October 27

Tomorrow is our first bake sale of the year! This month the PSO will donate 20% of our treat sale profits to the High School's Global Development class, which is working on fundraising projects to support LCMS. LCMS is an organization which is actively engaged in providing aid to recent Hurricane victims in the United States and the Caribbean islands. Please help us raise money by providing 24 nut free baked treats. Any baked treats we have left will be sold in the ES Commons from 3-4 PM. A perfect opportunity to buy your Halloween weekend treats for the family and support a good cause! Please send 10rmb with your student so they can purchase a treat!

» Used Book Sale, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10

The PSO Used Books Sale will be held during the ES and MS conferences, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10. It is a fabulous way to pick up great books at a great price! Interested in helping with the sale? Follow this link to register for a time slot to help! http://ift.tt/2z82Qx2

» Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 18

Save the Date! It's that time of year! Concordia's Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 18! Raffle We will begin selling Christmas Bazaar Raffle tickets. 6 raffles per 100 if you buy prior to Christmas Bazaar. 5 raffles for 100 if you buy on the day of the bazaar. ES and MS students will be receiving a form next Monday, October 30. Please fill in and return to ES and MS office. We have over 120 raffle items worth over 150 RMB. Poinsettia Orders Ready for gift-giving or decorating your home? Poinsettia pre-order starts November 1. Order forms will be in the ES, MS, and HS offices. We will also be selling them in the ES Commons at 3PM on Tuesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 9. So mark those dates!

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Each fall we begin to identify positions likely to be open the following year and generally complete recruiting by late January. However, we accept applications at any time and will keep them on file for future vacancies. Due to age restrictions in China, we are not able to consider applicants who will be older than 57 on August 1 of the year of their initial contract.

Faculty

Classroom Teacher--Gr. 1-6

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--PS3, PS4, or K

Early Childhood Music & Movement

English Language Learner (ELL) Coach-ES or MS

ES Counselor-social, emotional

ES Instructional Coach-Literacy

HS Counselor

HS Physical Education Teacher

HS Physics/Math Teacher

HS Social Studies

MS Counselor-social, emotional

MS Humanities Classroom Teacher

MS Math/Science Teacher

Support

Athletic Trainer & Wellness Coordinator

Potential-ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

To learn more go to: http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Last call: Annual Fundraising Gala Nov 4

Don't miss the last call to buy tickets for the Community Center Shanghai Annual Fundraising Gala, taking place November 4! If you're a fan of mystery, intrigue, and lighthearted espionage you'll want to join us for this "Casino Royale" themed event. The dress code will be formal attire; for the gentlemen in attendance, put on your snazziest tuxedo or suit, and for the ladies, don your best gown, the one you break out once a year to look and feel your best. Take plenty of photos with your crew at our "007 photo booth," and at the end of the night hearken back to old Homecoming nights with your significant other for your chance to win "best dressed couple."If that doesn't excite you, the gala will offer plenty more for a wide range of people, whether you're coming with business partners, fellow community members, teachers, or your spouse. One of the main attractions, the raffle items, will feature a sleek scooter, a membership for hair & beauty salon, Disney one-day pass, restaurant vouchers and more!

» Morning Fitness Classes are Open to Parents of Concordia!

Are you interested in spinning, boot camp, or yoga in the mornings? Certified staff are conducting classes every morning of the week. For a detailed schedule and pricing information, contact Tina Harbold. Classes have begun so don't wait... sign up now! If you are interested or have questions, please email Tina at tina.harbold@concordiashanghai.org.

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball-registration has started! » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source) » Danceworks Shanghai

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

Classifieds

» Check back next time!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

» Check back next time!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications. <p><p> <p>

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2z7xDtO

[mrlylerouse]

October 26, 2017

Community Bulletin

School News

» Save the Date! Concordia Golf Classic! November 4th, Shanghai Binhai Golf Club.

Just a few details about Saturday, November 4th 2017 Concordia Golf Classic @ Binhai Golf Club. This is a fun, best ball scramble to create community and raise awareness about wellness.

• Cost for the golf is 1200 RMB (cost from course), plus 100 RMB tip for the caddie per person • 12 PM Shotgun Start - Flight Information will be given the week of the outing. • We will be scheduling the buses for an 10:45am arrival at the course that will leave from Concordia, let us know if you need a ride. • Sack Lunch will be provided to eat on the course • Banquet dinner at the end for those who don't have to run off to another event – need to know if you are staying for dinner • Locker and Shower facilities are nice, so bring a change of clothes for after your round • Awards for Longest Drive, Shortest Used Drive, Straightest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Longest Putt, Lowest Team Score, Highest Team Score • Raffle at Banquet • Drink Tickets will be sold at registration 10 for a 100 RMB • Drink carts (2) on the course during the round ▪ Beer, soda, juice and water are one ticket each • "Mulligan Charity Pack" - 200 RMB • One extra tee shot, chip, putt, and approach shot • 18 inches of string & scissors – receive during check in – one per foursome, use the string to make a putt that you missed • Men use BLUE tees Women use RED tees - Minimum of 2 tee shots per person must be used.

We are looking for event sponsors. If you are interested please contact Suki Chen at Suki.chen@concordiashanghai.org

A few spaces still left. Sign up with Chris.bishop@concordiashanghai.org

» The Concordia High School Theatre Program Proudly Announces the 2017 High School Fall Play

All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation by Jon Jory.

Pride & Prejudice is staged in the Rittmann Theatre on the Concordia Campus.

November 2, 3 & 4 @ 7pm with a matinee performance on November 4th @ 1:30pm.

This is a family friendly production appropriate for all ages.

---

Tickets on Sale:

-PC-Commons Oct. 23rd, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th & 31st | 11:30am-1pm and 3:20-4:15pm.

-E.S. Cafeteria Oct 24th, 26th & 30th | 3 - 4pm Student-75 RMB |Adult-100 RMB

About the Play: Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet's most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult to escape the subject. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense -- but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems. In a society where subtle snubs and deceit proliferate, is it possible for Elizabeth and Darcy to look beyond his pride and her prejudice, and to make the best match of all?

About the Show: With eighteen actors, ten crew members, choreographed dance, costumes designed by Concordia's Visual Arts faculty member, Ms. Greer Collins, expect an amazing theatrical production that you do not want to miss.

» Change of Bank Account Name

Per government request, the school has changed its Chinese name. Hence, please kindly note that Chinese bank information is updated as below:

Account Name(户名): 上海协和国际外籍人员子女学校

Account No. (帐号):310066111018170251820

Bank (银行): 交通银行上海新区支行

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4:00 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Breakthrough Junior Challenge for Yoochan Shin

Yoochan Shin, Grade 11, entered a competition called Breakthrough Junior Challenge. His entry has made it into the top 30 videos in the world out of 6, 000, and is now in the popular vote competition. The winner of the popular vote automatically makes it to the finals. Yoochan is asking for help from our community so that he can get as many votes as possible. This could be hugely beneficial to Yoochan, his mentor, Mr. Klammer and our school in the way of financial prizes-a college scholarship, science lab and cash prizes. The popular vote began on Oct 23, ends Nov. 2nd. Here's a message from Yoochan:

My name is Yoochan Shin, a junior in Concordia. Ever since I was little, I have loved science. Bill Nye the Science Guy or the countless Korean science comic books my parents (just like any other Korean parents did in the early 2000s) bought for me may have ignited my passion in science, but to this day I am motivated by the greater appreciation of the world learning science provides. My latest video, inspired by my engineering teacher, Mr. Klammer, is the culmination of my knowledge, passion, and philosophy. The production process took a hundred and fifty hours to make. The video with the most amount of likes AND shares on Facebook will go straight to the finals. Each like and share are considered as individual votes. Below is the link to make your vote.http://ift.tt/2gCcnow

» Please Join our Third Entrepreneur Fair!

On Thursday, November 2nd the eighth grade will be hosting their third annual Entrepreneur Fair. This is an opportunity for eighth graders to collaborate and execute their business, design thinking and marketing skills. It will take place in the PC Lounge.

Below is the schedule we will be following:

Thursday, November 2nd

A block: Attend from 8:15-9:10am

C block: Attend from 12:15-1:10pm

Have your students bring small bills (5's, 10's, 20's – RMB 100-200 for total spending) to make purchases during this time.

If you would like to attend, please confirm with Holly Raatz: holly.raatz@concordiashanghai.org

» 14th Family Day

Please see more information in the flyers below.

Pudong

Art Competition

» 2017 Shanghai Amateur Games-China Shanghai International Popular Sports Festival And The First International Friends Games

Date: November 11, 2017

Venue: Jinfeng Road, 258 (Shanghai American school)

Host: Shanghai Sports Bureau, Shanghai Sports Federation

Organizer: Min Hang District Sports Bureau, Min Hang District Hua Cao Town People's Government, Hanpeak Media Ltd., Co

The Competitions

Mini Triathlon (personal group) at 2-3:30 PM Personal group: 25 people of participants age 13~15

Mini Triathlon (family group) at 2-3:30 PM family group: 25 groups of participants age 8~12

Dynamic five rings at 2-3:30 PM

How to sign up

Sing up: Only Sing up on the official account of Wechat "第九届中国上海国际大众体育节". Fill in the form, and then we will send the invitation by email.

Please print the invitation, and bring it to the event.

Event Schedule

8:30 AM-12:30 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League

1-1:30 PM: Guest Sign-in

1:30-2 PM: Opening Ceremony

2:30-3:30 PM: The Mini Triathlon, Dynamic five rings

2-4 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League, Hurricane Bowl American football

4-4:20 PM: Awards Ceremony

» Lunch Menu Access

Did you know that you can access our school lunch menus on our website? Click here to visit our School Services page and view the ES and MS/HS (PC Lunch Menu) lunch menus this week.

http://ift.tt/2y0bnNX

Athletics & Arts

» HS Basketball Tryouts going on this week!

PSO

» PSO Bake Sale on Friday, October 27

Tomorrow is our first bake sale of the year! This month the PSO will donate 20% of our treat sale profits to the High School's Global Development class, which is working on fundraising projects to support LCMS. LCMS is an organization which is actively engaged in providing aid to recent Hurricane victims in the United States and the Caribbean islands. Please help us raise money by providing 24 nut free baked treats. Any baked treats we have left will be sold in the ES Commons from 3-4 PM. A perfect opportunity to buy your Halloween weekend treats for the family and support a good cause! Please send 10rmb with your student so they can purchase a treat!

» Used Book Sale, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10

The PSO Used Books Sale will be held during the ES and MS conferences, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10. It is a fabulous way to pick up great books at a great price! Interested in helping with the sale? Follow this link to register for a time slot to help! http://ift.tt/2z82Qx2

» Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 18

Save the Date! It's that time of year! Concordia's Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 18! Raffle We will begin selling Christmas Bazaar Raffle tickets. 6 raffles per 100 if you buy prior to Christmas Bazaar. 5 raffles for 100 if you buy on the day of the bazaar. ES and MS students will be receiving a form next Monday, October 30. Please fill in and return to ES and MS office. We have over 120 raffle items worth over 150 RMB. Poinsettia Orders Ready for gift-giving or decorating your home? Poinsettia pre-order starts November 1. Order forms will be in the ES, MS, and HS offices. We will also be selling them in the ES Commons at 3PM on Tuesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 9. So mark those dates!

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Each fall we begin to identify positions likely to be open the following year and generally complete recruiting by late January. However, we accept applications at any time and will keep them on file for future vacancies. Due to age restrictions in China, we are not able to consider applicants who will be older than 57 on August 1 of the year of their initial contract.

Faculty

Classroom Teacher--Gr. 1-6

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--PS3, PS4, or K

Early Childhood Music & Movement

English Language Learner (ELL) Coach-ES or MS

ES Counselor-social, emotional

ES Instructional Coach-Literacy

HS Counselor

HS Physical Education Teacher

HS Physics/Math Teacher

HS Social Studies

MS Counselor-social, emotional

MS Humanities Classroom Teacher

MS Math/Science Teacher

Support

Athletic Trainer & Wellness Coordinator

Potential-ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

To learn more go to: http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Last call: Annual Fundraising Gala Nov 4

Don't miss the last call to buy tickets for the Community Center Shanghai Annual Fundraising Gala, taking place November 4! If you're a fan of mystery, intrigue, and lighthearted espionage you'll want to join us for this "Casino Royale" themed event. The dress code will be formal attire; for the gentlemen in attendance, put on your snazziest tuxedo or suit, and for the ladies, don your best gown, the one you break out once a year to look and feel your best. Take plenty of photos with your crew at our "007 photo booth," and at the end of the night hearken back to old Homecoming nights with your significant other for your chance to win "best dressed couple."If that doesn't excite you, the gala will offer plenty more for a wide range of people, whether you're coming with business partners, fellow community members, teachers, or your spouse. One of the main attractions, the raffle items, will feature a sleek scooter, a membership for hair & beauty salon, Disney one-day pass, restaurant vouchers and more!

» Morning Fitness Classes are Open to Parents of Concordia!

Are you interested in spinning, boot camp, or yoga in the mornings? Certified staff are conducting classes every morning of the week. For a detailed schedule and pricing information, contact Tina Harbold. Classes have begun so don't wait... sign up now! If you are interested or have questions, please email Tina at tina.harbold@concordiashanghai.org.

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball-registration has started! » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source) » Danceworks Shanghai

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

Classifieds

» Check back next time!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

» Check back next time!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications. <p><p> <p>

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2z7xDtO

[mrmarknewman]

October 26, 2017

Community Bulletin

School News

» Save the Date! Concordia Golf Classic! November 4th, Shanghai Binhai Golf Club.

Just a few details about Saturday, November 4th 2017 Concordia Golf Classic @ Binhai Golf Club. This is a fun, best ball scramble to create community and raise awareness about wellness.

• Cost for the golf is 1200 RMB (cost from course), plus 100 RMB tip for the caddie per person • 12 PM Shotgun Start - Flight Information will be given the week of the outing. • We will be scheduling the buses for an 10:45am arrival at the course that will leave from Concordia, let us know if you need a ride. • Sack Lunch will be provided to eat on the course • Banquet dinner at the end for those who don't have to run off to another event – need to know if you are staying for dinner • Locker and Shower facilities are nice, so bring a change of clothes for after your round • Awards for Longest Drive, Shortest Used Drive, Straightest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Longest Putt, Lowest Team Score, Highest Team Score • Raffle at Banquet • Drink Tickets will be sold at registration 10 for a 100 RMB • Drink carts (2) on the course during the round ▪ Beer, soda, juice and water are one ticket each • "Mulligan Charity Pack" - 200 RMB • One extra tee shot, chip, putt, and approach shot • 18 inches of string & scissors – receive during check in – one per foursome, use the string to make a putt that you missed • Men use BLUE tees Women use RED tees - Minimum of 2 tee shots per person must be used.

We are looking for event sponsors. If you are interested please contact Suki Chen at Suki.chen@concordiashanghai.org

A few spaces still left. Sign up with Chris.bishop@concordiashanghai.org

» The Concordia High School Theatre Program Proudly Announces the 2017 High School Fall Play

All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation by Jon Jory.

Pride & Prejudice is staged in the Rittmann Theatre on the Concordia Campus.

November 2, 3 & 4 @ 7pm with a matinee performance on November 4th @ 1:30pm.

This is a family friendly production appropriate for all ages.

---

Tickets on Sale:

-PC-Commons Oct. 23rd, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th & 31st | 11:30am-1pm and 3:20-4:15pm.

-E.S. Cafeteria Oct 24th, 26th & 30th | 3 - 4pm Student-75 RMB |Adult-100 RMB

About the Play: Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet's most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult to escape the subject. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense -- but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems. In a society where subtle snubs and deceit proliferate, is it possible for Elizabeth and Darcy to look beyond his pride and her prejudice, and to make the best match of all?

About the Show: With eighteen actors, ten crew members, choreographed dance, costumes designed by Concordia's Visual Arts faculty member, Ms. Greer Collins, expect an amazing theatrical production that you do not want to miss.

» Change of Bank Account Name

Per government request, the school has changed its Chinese name. Hence, please kindly note that Chinese bank information is updated as below:

Account Name(户名): 上海协和国际外籍人员子女学校

Account No. (帐号):310066111018170251820

Bank (银行): 交通银行上海新区支行

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4:00 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Breakthrough Junior Challenge for Yoochan Shin

Yoochan Shin, Grade 11, entered a competition called Breakthrough Junior Challenge. His entry has made it into the top 30 videos in the world out of 6, 000, and is now in the popular vote competition. The winner of the popular vote automatically makes it to the finals. Yoochan is asking for help from our community so that he can get as many votes as possible. This could be hugely beneficial to Yoochan, his mentor, Mr. Klammer and our school in the way of financial prizes-a college scholarship, science lab and cash prizes. The popular vote began on Oct 23, ends Nov. 2nd. Here's a message from Yoochan:

My name is Yoochan Shin, a junior in Concordia. Ever since I was little, I have loved science. Bill Nye the Science Guy or the countless Korean science comic books my parents (just like any other Korean parents did in the early 2000s) bought for me may have ignited my passion in science, but to this day I am motivated by the greater appreciation of the world learning science provides. My latest video, inspired by my engineering teacher, Mr. Klammer, is the culmination of my knowledge, passion, and philosophy. The production process took a hundred and fifty hours to make. The video with the most amount of likes AND shares on Facebook will go straight to the finals. Each like and share are considered as individual votes. Below is the link to make your vote.http://ift.tt/2gCcnow

» Please Join our Third Entrepreneur Fair!

On Thursday, November 2nd the eighth grade will be hosting their third annual Entrepreneur Fair. This is an opportunity for eighth graders to collaborate and execute their business, design thinking and marketing skills. It will take place in the PC Lounge.

Below is the schedule we will be following:

Thursday, November 2nd

A block: Attend from 8:15-9:10am

C block: Attend from 12:15-1:10pm

Have your students bring small bills (5's, 10's, 20's – RMB 100-200 for total spending) to make purchases during this time.

If you would like to attend, please confirm with Holly Raatz: holly.raatz@concordiashanghai.org

» 14th Family Day

Please see more information in the flyers below.

Pudong

Art Competition

» 2017 Shanghai Amateur Games-China Shanghai International Popular Sports Festival And The First International Friends Games

Date: November 11, 2017

Venue: Jinfeng Road, 258 (Shanghai American school)

Host: Shanghai Sports Bureau, Shanghai Sports Federation

Organizer: Min Hang District Sports Bureau, Min Hang District Hua Cao Town People's Government, Hanpeak Media Ltd., Co

The Competitions

Mini Triathlon (personal group) at 2-3:30 PM Personal group: 25 people of participants age 13~15

Mini Triathlon (family group) at 2-3:30 PM family group: 25 groups of participants age 8~12

Dynamic five rings at 2-3:30 PM

How to sign up

Sing up: Only Sing up on the official account of Wechat "第九届中国上海国际大众体育节". Fill in the form, and then we will send the invitation by email.

Please print the invitation, and bring it to the event.

Event Schedule

8:30 AM-12:30 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League

1-1:30 PM: Guest Sign-in

1:30-2 PM: Opening Ceremony

2:30-3:30 PM: The Mini Triathlon, Dynamic five rings

2-4 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League, Hurricane Bowl American football

4-4:20 PM: Awards Ceremony

» Lunch Menu Access

Did you know that you can access our school lunch menus on our website? Click here to visit our School Services page and view the ES and MS/HS (PC Lunch Menu) lunch menus this week.

http://ift.tt/2y0bnNX

Athletics & Arts

» HS Basketball Tryouts going on this week!

PSO

» PSO Bake Sale on Friday, October 27

Tomorrow is our first bake sale of the year! This month the PSO will donate 20% of our treat sale profits to the High School's Global Development class, which is working on fundraising projects to support LCMS. LCMS is an organization which is actively engaged in providing aid to recent Hurricane victims in the United States and the Caribbean islands. Please help us raise money by providing 24 nut free baked treats. Any baked treats we have left will be sold in the ES Commons from 3-4 PM. A perfect opportunity to buy your Halloween weekend treats for the family and support a good cause! Please send 10rmb with your student so they can purchase a treat!

» Used Book Sale, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10

The PSO Used Books Sale will be held during the ES and MS conferences, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10. It is a fabulous way to pick up great books at a great price! Interested in helping with the sale? Follow this link to register for a time slot to help! http://ift.tt/2z82Qx2

» Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 18

Save the Date! It's that time of year! Concordia's Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 18! Raffle We will begin selling Christmas Bazaar Raffle tickets. 6 raffles per 100 if you buy prior to Christmas Bazaar. 5 raffles for 100 if you buy on the day of the bazaar. ES and MS students will be receiving a form next Monday, October 30. Please fill in and return to ES and MS office. We have over 120 raffle items worth over 150 RMB. Poinsettia Orders Ready for gift-giving or decorating your home? Poinsettia pre-order starts November 1. Order forms will be in the ES, MS, and HS offices. We will also be selling them in the ES Commons at 3PM on Tuesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 9. So mark those dates!

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Each fall we begin to identify positions likely to be open the following year and generally complete recruiting by late January. However, we accept applications at any time and will keep them on file for future vacancies. Due to age restrictions in China, we are not able to consider applicants who will be older than 57 on August 1 of the year of their initial contract.

Faculty

Classroom Teacher--Gr. 1-6

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--PS3, PS4, or K

Early Childhood Music & Movement

English Language Learner (ELL) Coach-ES or MS

ES Counselor-social, emotional

ES Instructional Coach-Literacy

HS Counselor

HS Physical Education Teacher

HS Physics/Math Teacher

HS Social Studies

MS Counselor-social, emotional

MS Humanities Classroom Teacher

MS Math/Science Teacher

Support

Athletic Trainer & Wellness Coordinator

Potential-ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

To learn more go to: http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Last call: Annual Fundraising Gala Nov 4

Don't miss the last call to buy tickets for the Community Center Shanghai Annual Fundraising Gala, taking place November 4! If you're a fan of mystery, intrigue, and lighthearted espionage you'll want to join us for this "Casino Royale" themed event. The dress code will be formal attire; for the gentlemen in attendance, put on your snazziest tuxedo or suit, and for the ladies, don your best gown, the one you break out once a year to look and feel your best. Take plenty of photos with your crew at our "007 photo booth," and at the end of the night hearken back to old Homecoming nights with your significant other for your chance to win "best dressed couple."If that doesn't excite you, the gala will offer plenty more for a wide range of people, whether you're coming with business partners, fellow community members, teachers, or your spouse. One of the main attractions, the raffle items, will feature a sleek scooter, a membership for hair & beauty salon, Disney one-day pass, restaurant vouchers and more!

» Morning Fitness Classes are Open to Parents of Concordia!

Are you interested in spinning, boot camp, or yoga in the mornings? Certified staff are conducting classes every morning of the week. For a detailed schedule and pricing information, contact Tina Harbold. Classes have begun so don't wait... sign up now! If you are interested or have questions, please email Tina at tina.harbold@concordiashanghai.org.

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball-registration has started! » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source) » Danceworks Shanghai

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

Classifieds

» Check back next time!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

» Check back next time!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications. <p><p> <p>

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2z7xDtO

[mrandyzavala]

October 26, 2017

Community Bulletin

School News

» Save the Date! Concordia Golf Classic! November 4th, Shanghai Binhai Golf Club.

Just a few details about Saturday, November 4th 2017 Concordia Golf Classic @ Binhai Golf Club. This is a fun, best ball scramble to create community and raise awareness about wellness.

• Cost for the golf is 1200 RMB (cost from course), plus 100 RMB tip for the caddie per person • 12 PM Shotgun Start - Flight Information will be given the week of the outing. • We will be scheduling the buses for an 10:45am arrival at the course that will leave from Concordia, let us know if you need a ride. • Sack Lunch will be provided to eat on the course • Banquet dinner at the end for those who don't have to run off to another event – need to know if you are staying for dinner • Locker and Shower facilities are nice, so bring a change of clothes for after your round • Awards for Longest Drive, Shortest Used Drive, Straightest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Longest Putt, Lowest Team Score, Highest Team Score • Raffle at Banquet • Drink Tickets will be sold at registration 10 for a 100 RMB • Drink carts (2) on the course during the round ▪ Beer, soda, juice and water are one ticket each • "Mulligan Charity Pack" - 200 RMB • One extra tee shot, chip, putt, and approach shot • 18 inches of string & scissors – receive during check in – one per foursome, use the string to make a putt that you missed • Men use BLUE tees Women use RED tees - Minimum of 2 tee shots per person must be used.

We are looking for event sponsors. If you are interested please contact Suki Chen at Suki.chen@concordiashanghai.org

A few spaces still left. Sign up with Chris.bishop@concordiashanghai.org

» The Concordia High School Theatre Program Proudly Announces the 2017 High School Fall Play

All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen's classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation by Jon Jory.

Pride & Prejudice is staged in the Rittmann Theatre on the Concordia Campus.

November 2, 3 & 4 @ 7pm with a matinee performance on November 4th @ 1:30pm.

This is a family friendly production appropriate for all ages.

---

Tickets on Sale:

-PC-Commons Oct. 23rd, 25th, 27th, 28th, 29th & 31st | 11:30am-1pm and 3:20-4:15pm.

-E.S. Cafeteria Oct 24th, 26th & 30th | 3 - 4pm Student-75 RMB |Adult-100 RMB

About the Play: Finding a husband is hardly Elizabeth Bennet's most urgent priority. But with four sisters, an overzealous match-making mother, and a string of unsuitable suitors, it's difficult to escape the subject. When the independent-minded Elizabeth meets the handsome but enigmatic Mr. Darcy, she is determined not to let her feelings triumph over her own good sense -- but the truth turns out to be slipperier than it seems. In a society where subtle snubs and deceit proliferate, is it possible for Elizabeth and Darcy to look beyond his pride and her prejudice, and to make the best match of all?

About the Show: With eighteen actors, ten crew members, choreographed dance, costumes designed by Concordia's Visual Arts faculty member, Ms. Greer Collins, expect an amazing theatrical production that you do not want to miss.

» Change of Bank Account Name

Per government request, the school has changed its Chinese name. Hence, please kindly note that Chinese bank information is updated as below:

Account Name(户名): 上海协和国际外籍人员子女学校

Account No. (帐号):310066111018170251820

Bank (银行): 交通银行上海新区支行

» School Uniforms

The Uniform shop is located in the High School basement off of the PE Commons and is opens from noon to 4:00 PM, every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. For your reference, the uniform policy appears on the Uniforms website. Questions regarding uniforms should be directed to: uniforms@concordiashanghai.org.

Our Community

» Breakthrough Junior Challenge for Yoochan Shin

Yoochan Shin, Grade 11, entered a competition called Breakthrough Junior Challenge. His entry has made it into the top 30 videos in the world out of 6, 000, and is now in the popular vote competition. The winner of the popular vote automatically makes it to the finals. Yoochan is asking for help from our community so that he can get as many votes as possible. This could be hugely beneficial to Yoochan, his mentor, Mr. Klammer and our school in the way of financial prizes-a college scholarship, science lab and cash prizes. The popular vote began on Oct 23, ends Nov. 2nd. Here's a message from Yoochan:

My name is Yoochan Shin, a junior in Concordia. Ever since I was little, I have loved science. Bill Nye the Science Guy or the countless Korean science comic books my parents (just like any other Korean parents did in the early 2000s) bought for me may have ignited my passion in science, but to this day I am motivated by the greater appreciation of the world learning science provides. My latest video, inspired by my engineering teacher, Mr. Klammer, is the culmination of my knowledge, passion, and philosophy. The production process took a hundred and fifty hours to make. The video with the most amount of likes AND shares on Facebook will go straight to the finals. Each like and share are considered as individual votes. Below is the link to make your vote.http://ift.tt/2gCcnow

» Please Join our Third Entrepreneur Fair!

On Thursday, November 2nd the eighth grade will be hosting their third annual Entrepreneur Fair. This is an opportunity for eighth graders to collaborate and execute their business, design thinking and marketing skills. It will take place in the PC Lounge.

Below is the schedule we will be following:

Thursday, November 2nd

A block: Attend from 8:15-9:10am

C block: Attend from 12:15-1:10pm

Have your students bring small bills (5's, 10's, 20's – RMB 100-200 for total spending) to make purchases during this time.

If you would like to attend, please confirm with Holly Raatz: holly.raatz@concordiashanghai.org

» 14th Family Day

Please see more information in the flyers below.

Pudong

Art Competition

» 2017 Shanghai Amateur Games-China Shanghai International Popular Sports Festival And The First International Friends Games

Date: November 11, 2017

Venue: Jinfeng Road, 258 (Shanghai American school)

Host: Shanghai Sports Bureau, Shanghai Sports Federation

Organizer: Min Hang District Sports Bureau, Min Hang District Hua Cao Town People's Government, Hanpeak Media Ltd., Co

The Competitions

Mini Triathlon (personal group) at 2-3:30 PM Personal group: 25 people of participants age 13~15

Mini Triathlon (family group) at 2-3:30 PM family group: 25 groups of participants age 8~12

Dynamic five rings at 2-3:30 PM

How to sign up

Sing up: Only Sing up on the official account of Wechat "第九届中国上海国际大众体育节". Fill in the form, and then we will send the invitation by email.

Please print the invitation, and bring it to the event.

Event Schedule

8:30 AM-12:30 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League

1-1:30 PM: Guest Sign-in

1:30-2 PM: Opening Ceremony

2:30-3:30 PM: The Mini Triathlon, Dynamic five rings

2-4 PM: International Floorball confrontation 2017 Shanghai Youth Floorball Club League, Hurricane Bowl American football

4-4:20 PM: Awards Ceremony

» Lunch Menu Access

Did you know that you can access our school lunch menus on our website? Click here to visit our School Services page and view the ES and MS/HS (PC Lunch Menu) lunch menus this week.

http://ift.tt/2y0bnNX

Athletics & Arts

» HS Basketball Tryouts going on this week!

PSO

» PSO Bake Sale on Friday, October 27

Tomorrow is our first bake sale of the year! This month the PSO will donate 20% of our treat sale profits to the High School's Global Development class, which is working on fundraising projects to support LCMS. LCMS is an organization which is actively engaged in providing aid to recent Hurricane victims in the United States and the Caribbean islands. Please help us raise money by providing 24 nut free baked treats. Any baked treats we have left will be sold in the ES Commons from 3-4 PM. A perfect opportunity to buy your Halloween weekend treats for the family and support a good cause! Please send 10rmb with your student so they can purchase a treat!

» Used Book Sale, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10

The PSO Used Books Sale will be held during the ES and MS conferences, Thursday, November 9 and Friday, November 10. It is a fabulous way to pick up great books at a great price! Interested in helping with the sale? Follow this link to register for a time slot to help! http://ift.tt/2z82Qx2

» Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, November 18

Save the Date! It's that time of year! Concordia's Christmas Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 18! Raffle We will begin selling Christmas Bazaar Raffle tickets. 6 raffles per 100 if you buy prior to Christmas Bazaar. 5 raffles for 100 if you buy on the day of the bazaar. ES and MS students will be receiving a form next Monday, October 30. Please fill in and return to ES and MS office. We have over 120 raffle items worth over 150 RMB. Poinsettia Orders Ready for gift-giving or decorating your home? Poinsettia pre-order starts November 1. Order forms will be in the ES, MS, and HS offices. We will also be selling them in the ES Commons at 3PM on Tuesday, November 7 and Thursday, November 9. So mark those dates!

» PSO Used Uniform Sales

Gently used Concordia uniform pieces are also for sale at all monthly PSO meetings. The uniform pieces cost 20 RMB each. If you have gently used uniforms you no longer need, please consider donating them to the PSO. Visit PSO website for more information on our upcoming events, and learn how you can get involved.

Job Openings

» Each fall we begin to identify positions likely to be open the following year and generally complete recruiting by late January. However, we accept applications at any time and will keep them on file for future vacancies. Due to age restrictions in China, we are not able to consider applicants who will be older than 57 on August 1 of the year of their initial contract.

Faculty

Classroom Teacher--Gr. 1-6

Early Childhood Classroom Teacher--PS3, PS4, or K

Early Childhood Music & Movement

English Language Learner (ELL) Coach-ES or MS

ES Counselor-social, emotional

ES Instructional Coach-Literacy

HS Counselor

HS Physical Education Teacher

HS Physics/Math Teacher

HS Social Studies

MS Counselor-social, emotional

MS Humanities Classroom Teacher

MS Math/Science Teacher

Support

Athletic Trainer & Wellness Coordinator

Potential-ES Teaching Assistant or Grade Level Assistant (PRC only)

To learn more go to: http://ift.tt/2h5eAnw

Opportunities

» Last call: Annual Fundraising Gala Nov 4

Don't miss the last call to buy tickets for the Community Center Shanghai Annual Fundraising Gala, taking place November 4! If you're a fan of mystery, intrigue, and lighthearted espionage you'll want to join us for this "Casino Royale" themed event. The dress code will be formal attire; for the gentlemen in attendance, put on your snazziest tuxedo or suit, and for the ladies, don your best gown, the one you break out once a year to look and feel your best. Take plenty of photos with your crew at our "007 photo booth," and at the end of the night hearken back to old Homecoming nights with your significant other for your chance to win "best dressed couple."If that doesn't excite you, the gala will offer plenty more for a wide range of people, whether you're coming with business partners, fellow community members, teachers, or your spouse. One of the main attractions, the raffle items, will feature a sleek scooter, a membership for hair & beauty salon, Disney one-day pass, restaurant vouchers and more!

» Morning Fitness Classes are Open to Parents of Concordia!

Are you interested in spinning, boot camp, or yoga in the mornings? Certified staff are conducting classes every morning of the week. For a detailed schedule and pricing information, contact Tina Harbold. Classes have begun so don't wait... sign up now! If you are interested or have questions, please email Tina at tina.harbold@concordiashanghai.org.

Club Sports and Community Sports Organizations

Below you'll find a list of clubs and organizations that offer a variety of sports activities to the community. If you would like for Concordia to consider adding a listing, please email the Marketing Department.» Phoenix Swim Club » Shanghai American Football League » Shanghai Sluggers Youth Baseball-registration has started! » Shanghai Thunderbirds Ice Hockey » Sport For Life » Active Kidz Shanghai » Century Park Football Club - Soccer Training » Tuesday Night Co-ed Volleyball (starts after Chinese New Year) » Shanghai Gymnastics » Shanghai Chess Club Offers Classes at CCS » Multisport » Dulwich Earthquakes (Excellent Soccer Source) » Danceworks Shanghai

Worship

» Please click here for information about Worship Services in Shanghai.

Classifieds

» Check back next time!

Drivers & Ayis

When hiring ayis or drivers, please remember to check references and ask around the community for first-hand recommendations. Even in situations where ads are posted by Concordia families, please recognize that these ads are not vetted in any way by the school before posting. Although names and contact information of ayis and drivers are posted in the Community Bulletin, we do not affirm and/or affiliate ourselves with them.

» Check back next time!

Reminders

» Carrying Copies of Passport and Visa

We have been informed by Public Security Bureau that policemen are being sent to different locations like supermarkets or streets to check people's passport and visa. We would like to remind our community that carrying a copy of your passport and visa in your wallet is recommended so you are fine if you are checked. Please note that the policemen will show you their working ID when they stop you. If they don't, please ask. If you forget to carry the two copies, they could take you back to their office. In this case, we suggest you contact your employer who can confirm your passport and visa information. They may also stop unaccompanied students so I would recommend that you review this procedure with them as well.

» New Residence Permits, Work Permits or Passports?

Whenever you or your family members receive new residence permits, work permits and/or passports, please be sure to send copies of your new documents to the Admissions office, in the Welcome Center (1st floor High School). Or, email soft copies to Admissions. Keeping your children's files up to date helps us keep in compliance with Chinese governmental regulations.

» No Bicycles for Children Under Age 12 on Public Streets - Shanghai International Schools Association (SISA)

The following information regarding bicycle riding in Shanghai is shared in an attempt to be helpful to all its member schools. For safety purposes, the regulations in Shanghai allow for bicycles to be ridden on public streets only by children age 12 and above. This regulation is strictly enforced in Puxi, but is unevenly applied in Pudong. The immediate danger is that families may assume that local protections for bicycle riders may be the same as in their own country, but they are not. It is important to be aware that if a child under 12 is involved in any kind of accident on a public street or crossing, the parent may be held responsible. Sidewalks and bicycle paths along public roads are considered part of the public roads. In addition, as accident insurance is relatively new to China and there are not many precedents with these situations, your own accident or medical insurance company has the right to refuse cover in the event of violation of the local law. We hope that better understanding will result in better safety for younger children.

» Community Bulletin Objectives

The Community Bulletin conveys school and student-related information and supports community, volunteer and charitable organizations. The classified section and driver/ayi notices are meant as a service to parents. With the exception of sharing information and offers from Concordia's official corporate partners, we do not support commercial ventures or for-profit organizations. The Community Bulletin editors reserve the right to omit submitted content deemed to fall outside the scope of the Community Bulletin.

» Parent Directory Privacy Policy

At Concordia, we are very protective of family information and data. The school emails only information that is important and directly related to the school and student issues. Internally, we carefully monitor what is emailed to parents and ensure it is appropriate. The use of email addresses from the parent directory for non-school related or commercial reasons is a severe misuse of the directory.

» Submitting Community Bulletin Items

The Community Bulletin is a bi-weekly newsletter. Please submit text in final format by Wednesday at noon in Arial font (maximum 100 words or 5 sentences in paragraph form with a headline) to marketing@concordiashanghai.org. Based on the schedule of the next bulletin, submissions may be included the week they are received or the following week. Any submission received after this time on the week scheduled for publication will be included in the next bulletin in two weeks. Submitted items may run for a maximum of two consecutive publications. <p><p> <p>

from Concordia International School News http://ift.tt/2z7xDtO

[courtneymayhem]

Found this gem from my trip

March 30, 2017 I am definitely still on CT time even though I only took a short nap when I got here yesterday and went to bed at a decent hour after walking around for 4 hours. I slept until 2 o'clock London time, which is 10am at home. I randomly woke up at 3:30 am and didn't fall asleep until 6am. That's when I sort of decided to skip my Stonehenge day trip. Part of it was avoidance behavior bc I didn't want to interact with my roommates and part of it was discomfort with the idea of navigating so far away from the city. As much as I wanted to see it, I don't really regret sleeping in (a faux pas of traveling). I obviously needed the sleep and I had more time to explore London, which is the reason I am here at all. March 31, 2017 I wanted to walk to Westminster alley and go to the free war museum on the way, but ended up strolling through a beautiful park and ended up walking an hour in the opposite direction through a residential community. I stand by my previous assessment. Observing the locals is by far more stimulating than the tourist spots. Pretty much everyone I met was nice. One gentleman passed by me twice and asked if I lived in the area bc he thought he recognized me. I said no but that we had just walked past each other prior and he smiled and told me to have a nice walk. Wandered around until I wound up in Westminster anyway and only came across two rude Brits. A couple of women who acknowledged my request for directions and proceeded to ignore me. I've seemed to have developed a sense of direction though and didn't need them. The architecture is UNREAL. Dad would love it. My parents are saviors and added the international unlimited plan to my line. It's a little pricey, but essential. I didn't realize how vital my iPhone would be. Citymapper is an absolute lifesaver. And I know my mom tracks my on Find my Friends. My original plan was to buy a local SIM card, as advised by many travel blogs and my cellphone service provider, but it was such a rip off. I misheard the salesman and thought I was getting 1GB of data but it was only 50mb. I used that in one day! And after that I kept getting texts saying the price per additional MB was increasing. Total. B.S. never use Vodafone. April 1, 2017 I continue to wake up at weird hours but am definitely getting better. Had to get up at 830 today to be ready for check out at 10. Hopefully that will put me on a good sleep schedule. And I definitely dehydrated the first two days. I need to be better about filling my water bottles. And eating. I have been in London for...24 hours now, and I have eaten a 6" meatball sub from subway and a chewy granola bar. Half of it was being tired and not hungry and the other part was idk. Currently trying to charge up all my devices. Tourist mistake #1: the outlets here have on/off switches. I have been waiting for my devices to charge for an hour. Never turned on the switch 🙄 glad I have the time to wait. I am going to hop on the bus and check out Buckingham palace before I head to the airport. I have almost all of the money I put in my Oyster card left still bc I have walked everywhere thus far so I want to use it. And I get a little more exploring with limited time. I am only three days into my trip and I already feel like I have learned a lot. Traveling alone is...quiet and a little daunting at times. I have moments of insecurity about my ability to navigate transportation and flights and reservations and money. But it's not as hard as it seems. And I know that I will achieve a new level of confidence by the end of this adventure. I am beginning to realize that this is exactly what I am meant to do at this point in my life. I am where I am supposed to be. *Also April 1, 2017 Jk this day is a wash. Lol. Being my last day in London, I set out to find fish and chips. I have been looking for it since I arrived bc my mom insists that it will change my life, but the tantalizing noms have eluded me. I literally starved myself bc I knew that as soon as I ate something, I would come across it in my travels. FISH AND CHIPS WAS THE ONLY GOAL OF THE DAY! Instead of walking aimlessly, I decided to ride a double decker, an experience in itself. The combination of starvation and motion sickness did me dirty and I puked all over myself and the bus. Luckily my stomach was so empty it was mostly just bile. Obviously I got off the bus. I had to half strip in the street bc the puke got into my camisole and I was in a residential neighborhood with no public restrooms. But I had my whole pack with me so I cleaned myself up pretty well considering. Even that couldn't detour me from my mission to find the fish and chips though and I marched onward. Unfortunately I marched straight into a ghetto ass neighborhood. I didn't feel unsafe per se, but I was definitely on guard. Still, I could find no fish and chips and I worried about my blood sugar so I ate my second subway sub in London. My adventure did bring me to meet a very pleasant gentleman who sat at the table with me. We never even exchanged names, but we talked about the political climate of the world, Brexit and Trump mostly. And when it was clear to him that I was quite lost, he walked me to the train station and directed me to the best route to arrive at Gatwick airport. I had to abandon my fruitless search for fish and chips, but figured it best to cut my losses. I am not even going to bother explaining in detail how I ride the same train up and down the line looking for the airport. It was across the way from a ginormous green field with horses, so of course I was distracted. I got there eventually, and had some pleasant small talk with two beautiful women in the way. Hannah and... I forgot. Hannah reminded me of Caitlin so I remember her. The day continued to suck once I got to the airport. Gatwick has the WORST schematics of any airtime have ever seen. It was hell trying to find the check in counter. Normally I avoid checking in person, and I almost never check luggage, by printing my boarding pass at home, but the airline is Spanish and I couldn't figure out how, even if I did have a printer. Then security tells me I have too many liquids bc they have stricter policies than the US. So I went back to the check in counter. Waited in line. Checked the bag. Had to bring it to the oversized bag place bc it was a backback and might get stuck in the conveyor belt. And all three oversized bag counters had no idea which airline they represented. So that was annoying. AFTER ALL THAT I made it thru security and chilled in the terminal, which looked like a fucking mall and was totally ridiculous, bc the airline wouldn't post the gate for my flight until 30 minutes prior to boarding. Smooth sailing from there tho. Flight was fine. Got my bag and a taxi bc it was too late to try and figure out the transportation. My hostel was...a bit of a startle. I was spoiled in London. At night the location appeared sketchy, and the doorman was...eh. Not rude, but not a ray of sunshine. The key to my door has a certain knack to it that I couldn't really figure out until the next day and the rooms were TINY. Bathrooms weren't a sesspool, nor would I walk barefoot...or touch anything more than necessary. I got a kick out of the shower though. Two tiny little stalls with a curtain for a floor with at least 20 rooms and four people to a room. Fuck modestly tho. A shower is a shower. April 2, 2017 Funny how one day can shake your confidence. I had a sort of crappy day traveling from London to Barcelona yesterday and woke up disheartened today. Didn't really even muster up the enthusiasm to explore until the afternoon. April 3, 2017 Guess I didn't feel like writing yesterday. Glad I got out and about to shake off my funk. Barcelona really is gorgeous!! More beautiful than London by far. I could live very happily here. I only wish Spanish people were friendlier. I smile at people and they give me dirty looks. And the men are pigs. More so than usual. People complain about the prices but I think it's all very reasonable. I bought some fresh fruit, a soda, and a giant bottle of water for 3.4 E and now I'm sitting at a cute little umbrella having the most delicious chicken risotto ever for like ... 13 bucks. Why isn't American food this good?! Even made with frozen veggies, this dish is great. Served under a cabana on a gorgeous strip lined with palm trees. I wasn't particularly hungry but I want to see the nightlife. And show my French roommates that I'm not a shut in. They leave stupid early in the morning and come back crazy late. They probably think I never leave. I obviously do but it's amazing how time slows down when you're exploring. Sometimes it feels like I've been walking around all day but it's only 4 hours. I havent broken my habit of sleeping on. I felt guilty for a while, but I've realized that this is my journey and I can do what I want. I'm not a museum or church touring type. I honestly just enjoy absorbing the atmosphere and casually finding the sights on my own terms. I don't feel rushed and I don't feel like I'm missing out bc so much can be done in a short time. Plus Barcelona never sleeps so I can stay up and out as late as I want. The restaurants don't even close until midnight. The clubs don't even START until 2-3am. Too late for my taste. Thankfully I'm not really a clubber. I haven't even had anything to drink since I left home. It's not in the budget. Speaking of budget, I think I'm doing pretty darn well. All things included I have spent 350 (rounded up about 30 just in case) in 6 days including the first day, which was mostly spent in JFK or in the air. But money was spent so it counts! Well. I have eaten a real meal. Maybe not a traditional Spanish one. Idk. I never know what to order. But I'm going back to my room I think. Tomorrow I should go to the beach. It's literally right down the street. This location really is perfect. April 4, 2017 It wasn't a beach. It was port vell. Which I am only slightly disappointed about. I had no intention of laying on the beach or swimming, but Barcelona has reignited my creativity. I would have love to photograph a beautiful beach. I might attempt to climb montjuic, if I can figure out how to get there. I have heard that it's a brutal climb. Ive also heard the panoramic view is worth the effort. Currently I am sitting on a bench under a balm tree with my back to the ocean eating an orange I bought yesterday. I forgot how much I love the smell of the ocean. So many people are walking by all these beautiful things without really noticing. We take so much for granted in this world. How unappreciative we are to have become desensitized to it all. This is why I wanted to go on this trip. The sights and attractions are great, but it is so rare to find a quiet sense of wonder like I have on a bench at a busy intersection. I crave reaffirmation that life is more than ordinary if I am brave enough to seek out the extraordinary. I want this inner peace to grow strong like a nurtured muscle and always carry it with me. Between the change of diet and exercise, this trip will jump start my journey to a healthier body. And this journal will jump start a a life long journey to a healthier soul. On a lighter subject, my roommates were not French. They were from Belarus and spoke Russian. How I mixed that up I have no idea. They were such a cute couple: Iliad and ??? Literally. They were both hot AF. Their dream is to bike across the US from Atlantic to Pacific. But they left this morning and two new guys checked in. One of them is staying at the hostel bc he just got divorced and was running around to job interviews. Idk anything about the other. He ran away pretty quick. Doubt I'll really get to talk to either bc I'm leaving very late tonight. Sort of dreading the task of finding my way back to the airport. I have spent three days in Barcelona without needing transportation and I would hate to have to purchase a pass now. My moment of introspection is fading. Time to wander some more and continue my quest for inner tranquility. At least I know my way around now without a GPS. I discovered a whole new section of las ramblas! It's all twisty narrow side streets and boutiques. For the first time time flew by. I was in my zone photographing the streets. I love the mix of nature, modern, and traditional. This is probably the main tourist area and I only just discovered it. Lol. It doesn't matter bc nothing caught my eye. Although I did really love this one art gallery I found on a particularly quiet street. It only features local artists and the displays were beautiful! If I had the money and room to show them off I would buy one. I did get a business card however. I also think I made tourist mistake #3. The hostel cleaned out my bunk. I think I was supposed to check out this morning. But whatever. I'm already being charged I'm sure so I might as well stay until tonight. (False: hostel is super chill and let me keep my locker in my room until I'm ready to leave.) I'll chill out at the airport until my flight in the morning. So ready for Paris!! This trip is turning out to be pretty incredible. My favorite spot in Barcelona is a tucked away courtyard garden behind the public library. It smells like jasmine and you can't hear the city. I can tell it is a local hiding spot bc old men come to play life sized chess and students sit on the stone perimeter to do homework. Tourists pass through, but it's too perfect to breeze by IMO. Meandering slowly around the city today has easily been the best of my three days here, each better than the last. Idt it's possible to run out of things to see. Not even tourist areas, but just wandering through the maze of adorable side streets and shops. Every turn is basically a new street but it's impossible to get lost. Technically I didn't "accomplish" anything today, but I think I connected to the city more. Posing in front of monuments does nothing for me. This is where it's at. On the other hand, I'm ready to move on. Barcelona is amazing, but there are many more amazing places to see. Leading up to my departure from the states, everyone kept asking me why I would ever want to travel alone. YOURE A SOLO WOMAN! They would try and reason. Not only does that line of thinking disgust and infuriate me, but I also pity these people. Only someone who has completely shed the comfort of the familiar will understand the freedom that comes with embracing the bumpy road. I've always been laid back, but even I have had to roll with a few punches. Anything can happen: good or bad. It doesn't matter though because it hasn't happened yet. It's awe inspiring to know that I did this. I made this happen. I worked for it, planned it, and I'm doing it. I wish everyone could feel how I feel. It's a subtle, sustaining satisfaction but better than brief bursts of ecstasy. A last minute perusal of las ramblas found a nice Spanish restaurant. It looked authentic like online. Tiny portions of excellent food. Sort of pricey. I got the calamari tapa and 7 rings of fried squid cost 6.5 euros. In all fairness though, it was cut thicker than we do in the US and only lightly battered. It was very good with lemon and I am totally satisfied bc I have eaten close to nothing in a week, with that one exception. I also hailed my first cab! I think I looked like a natural 😉 but I also get the impression that the taxi I took LEAVING the airport when I got here ripped me off. Shouldn't cost 25% more to leave the airport than to get there. Lesson learned. Let's call it travel mistake #4 On to travel mistakes 5 & 6: i messed up the days for my hostel and had to check out (they would have let me stay, but I kinda just wanted to get going) and I got to the airport at 11PM for a 7AM flight. I intended to just nap in the terminal but the airport is taking a siesta. For real. There's no one here. I guess they don't have nighttime flights?!? Whatever. I have my kindle charged and aderall if I need to stay awake. April 5, 2017 Happiness is fleeting so what's the point. Minor existential meltdown in the airport at three AM. Can't decide if any of this is worth it. Enjoying all these beautiful places only really feels good in the present. Bliss becomes depression the moment the wonder of it all wears off and then I'm off to another city. I can't seem to stay present. But I keep trying to recapture happiness. As if happiness really existed. Even strangers ask me why I am so sad. I brush it off like I am tired. In truth I'm just tired of being sad. Omfg. Literally two seconds later and the most perfect song comes on "I hope you dance". Thanks universe. I needed this 😘 b/t the very uplifting songs that keep popping up and a review of the pictures I've taken so far, I think I've figured out why I love photography, amateur it may be. My photos are MINE. I took them bc I saw something inspiring and they always bring that feeling back. It doesn't matter if no one else "gets" them bc they're for me. I think the concept I struggle with is that there are no answers. I like answers. I like knowing how and why things are the way they are. But there is no reason. There is no god or higher power. Happiness is a snapshot. It only takes a second, but you hold onto it to get you through all the bullshit. Eventually your life is a collage of snapshots. And I think that's pretty cool bc they're the only things that matter in the end. So take your happiness while you can and self-sooth when you can't. Am I distancing myself? Omg sleep deprivation fucks me up. That was some heavy shit out of no where. Doesn't matter cause I'm in PARIS BABY!! Literally too tired to muster up an ounce of enthusiasm. I barely remember how I got here from the airport. I have an hour and a half to check in and then I'm sleeping. I can explore Paris at night. God DAYUM. French cops walk around with big guns. Why are all the foreign cops so hot... Went for a late night walk. Grody. Paris is dirty and the men are gross. Crêpe was good. Kinda scary at night. April 6, 2017 Paris has been a disappointment. Totally overrated. I'm glad I can say that I've been here and I have selfies with the Arch de Triumphe and the Effiel tower, but that's it. I didn't connect at all. There was no authenticity imo. I walked around for a good 6 hours and it didn't really impress me in the least. I was more impressed with the most amazing orange I have ever eaten. Literally orgasmic. And i ate a whole baguette. I never knew that bread could taste EVEN BETTER. Both of which I bought from a tiny market a few doors down from my hostel. Even so far removed from the city center, this area is my favorite. It's dirtier than the tourist spots but has more character. I have been propositioned by two men in my 1 + 1/2 days here. Like, really. One rando stopped me on the street and I have no idea what he was talking about. The other was a street artist I bought a couple doodles from. He was talking about how French men are different from American men bc the French make love with their tongue....and then he asked what his chances were. I said none. I was gay and that I was leaving now. I do really love this hostel tho. Might be my favorite. I showered and got pretty to socialize at the downstairs bar but ended up sitting on the canal balcony reading... April 7, 2017 Bit of an annoying mix up with my bus this morning but it worked out. I mean, then we sat in traffic forever and the driver stopped for a break but I'm in no hurry. Lol. Met a nice girl named Catherine. Hung out for the rest of the day. Spent fucking forever walking up and down these hilly streets looking for my hostel in bumfuck nowhere. Found it but decided to just stay closer to town. But god is Brussels beautiful. And the food is so good! April 8, 2017 Total in love with Belgium. 🇧🇪 the modern parts don't overwhelm the historical parts and everything is delicious. I walked around quite a bit with Caroline yesterday and got the lay of the land so today I only needed to retrace our steps to get back to all the fun stuff, plus a few new landmarks I didn't see before. I also spent some time checking out the shops. Thankfully they weren't as artificial as Barcelona or high end as Paris. I even found a cute little chocolate shop. I wish I could have bought the fresh candies in the display case, but they'd never survive until I get home so I bought several large bars for mom, dad, Jim, and Jill. And an extra. Maybe for me. Maybe for Karen or Kat. Idk yet. I should also get Kristina and kai something. She really is such a good person and she has had a hard life. Idk if she even realizes that tho bc it's all she's known. I don't know many people who could survive her life and still be so kind and... spiritual. She has a lot of faith in the universe. So rare nowadays and I love it, if for no other reason than to reflect on my life of relative comfort. And she would be so happy with anything. She just wants that damn penpal tho. I'll do that and pick up a little something. I think that's pretty much the extent of my friends list... lmao I really love this bar I found. Ita called Gecko and it's one of the only places not choked to death by tourists. I've been nursing a 50cl beer for almost two hours and continuing a book I started reading in the park across from the Grand Palace. The music is banging. Totally in my element. A little buzzed with great tunes and a beautiful city around me. This trip is amazing. Although I wasn't going to bc I'm not a waffle person, I do think I will try one before I go. I think I'll regret it if I don't. I didn't eat the waffle. So I went to Amsterdam on an empty tummy full of beer. Arrived late. April 9, 2017 Met two American girls at the hostel breakfast, Rachel and cassie. They are studying abroad in Italy. I might have talked Rachel into being Kristina's pen pal. They were pretty nice. Also ran into my roommate, Stacy, outside the hostel and walked around with her for a while. No where in particular. Just around the park and down some streets. Walked around and just enjoyed the city. The canals are beautiful! I could stroll around all day. I basically did! I walked ~15 miles today, although I did take a much needed, space cookie-induced rest midday. I went back out later to see the red light district at night. Dutch Fuckboy. Enough said. April 10, 2017 I'm ready for a chill day. Woke up tired from being out late with the Fuckboy and wasn't really motivated to explore Amsterdam anymore. I can't believe I only spent one day there and can feel so at home so quickly. Plus, it was really cold and looked like rain coming in so I decided to make the hour + journey to the bus station early. Glad I did bc I made a new friend. The girl sitting next to me in Starbucks was crying quietly so I started talking to her about schools in holland vs the US and whatever else came to mind. It worked. She stopped crying and we chatted for over an hour. Then she told me that she broke up with her boyfriend yesterday and we talked about that. She sincerely appreciated the conversation I think and I feel like I helped someone today. We are FB friends now and I told her that she can always vent to me. I hope she takes me up on my offer. She is a nice person and I know she will do well for herself. Lmao July 26, 2017 Guess I never finished narrating my European saga. Probably bc I went to Berlin next and had too much fun and made too many friends to talk about exsistentialism and philosophy and shit. Regardless, some retrospective musings: Hope I never forget Berlin. I'll definitely go back. Next time I will completely bypass Western Europe and just do the eastern half. Start in Berlin, Prague, Budapest, Slovenia, Croatia, etc. And travel SLOWER. Needed more than 4-5 days for Berlin BY FAR. Could do 10 in Berlin and 7 in Prague probs. Although, I still do want to hit up Ireland and Scotland. Maybe do those two with Iceland as a separate trip. Next year I'm thinking Brazil (already learning Portuguese). And Southeast Asia is on the list for sure. Plus a few smaller, domestic trips for long weekends: Niagra falls, the Caribbean, camping, etc. I definitely require a lot of travel to stay happy and to deal with this bullshit world we live in. I do kind of wish I had someone with the travel bug like me. And that can afford to go/save to go. I definitely battled with the difference between being alone vs being lonely. It was better when I started socializing. Idky i didn't in the beginning. I will see the world one part at a time or until mankind has destroyed everything.

[hazelmae]

19 February 2017

there`s really not much for me to say, but this week has been one of the weirdest weeks. lol, we went from not talking for almost an entire week to spending time with each other almost every day this week. which is cool bcus last week, i was super busy with shit. and you were busy with shit. and you had the wedding. and my cousin, stephanie, flew in from california. so, it was all gucci. but i`ve actually appreciated all the time that we have spent together this week. 

first off, the fucking weekend that stephanie was here was a fucking blassssssssst. it was definitely something that i needed to keep me busy and my mind off of shit. like, it was literally from start to finish busy af. and it was seriously some of the most funn i`ve had in a long ass time. i worked a 16hr shift on friday, feb 10, and picked up stephanie at the airport right after. we went to bangers and lace evanston for 1 drink and ended up going home at 2am. haha we watched grey`s anatomy bcus we both didn`t see the latest episode and knocked the fuck out at 4am. mark and ericson came to the house at 8am so that we could go to the water tower place to pick up their yeezys. shit was hilarious bcus once i let them into the house, i went right back to sleep. lmao. didn`t end up going to the water tower place until around 10am. which was cool bcus we ended up waiting in line until noon. LOLOLOL fucking dry af. and then we went home, the boys went home, stephanie and i went to eat at portillos/barnellis. we came home, showered, got ready and then headed to ate esther`s house for the final prayer for uncle roland`s one year anniversary. chilled over there for quite some time and then ended up going to the city and meeting up with cherry ann and her friends at bottled blonde. got pretty fucked up. LOL got home. don`t know how tf we got home. ahahah and then we knocked out. woke up. showered. got ready. and got brunch with ingrid at cupitol in evanston. afterwards, we went to tower rd. beach for a bit. just to do it for the snap. lol brandon and the yungs were gonna come to the city with us, but they snoozed. so it was just me and stephanie. which was cool bcus it was so much easier to do shit. we drove to the city and did the chicago 360 at the john hancock tower. always a good fucking time looking at the city from above. and then we walked our happy asses to millennium park. took pictures. all that good shit. haha and then we went to molly`s cupcakes. and picked some up. afterwards, we went to eat at honey butter fried chicken. and that shit was HOT FIRE. holy. so good. omgosh. lmfao. and then we went home. and the yungs came by to work on homework bcus my ass had a fucking speech due monday morning at 8am. HAHAHAHA so, monday, i went to school. came back, got ready. and headed to the city for some more sight seeing before steph had to leave. we went to the skyline, but it was poppin` bcus the shedd was free that day. so we went to montrose beach instead. went to firecakes donuts to grab some donuts and then ate a piece of pizza in my car. went to lou malnati`s on the way home to pick up frozen pizza for steph and then went home. i napped and steph got ready to go. after i left for class, thomas brought stephanie to the airport. 

tuesday was valentine`s day. and i spent it at work. lol

wednesday, i had class all day but he ended up spending the night and going straight to work from my house thursday morning. so cute bcus i didn`t realize he was going straight to work and he had brought his scrubs and his toothbrush! LOL <3 

was off all day thursday, but didn`t do much besides laundry and go to the gym after he went to work. and theeeeeeeen friday came. friday, i went to work as per usual after getting coffee with cherry ann. and met up with shrimp boy in chinatown. HAHA. so cute. we got dim sum and then ended up at chi cafe bcus the nigga was craving shit. lmao he came back to my house but my dad told me he needed go home and so he left. i ended up going over to his house and spending the night over there. had breakfast/coffee with him and his little brother before getting ready and going home to get ready for work. worked saturday night, and then met up with him and his friends at the owl in logan square. haha that was a good fucking time. bcus all his friends were like “OH, you`re HAZEL?!” haha. cute bcus this mother fucker has been talking about me to his friends. :) and then we all ended up going to parson’s to eat. spent some time over there. afterwards, dropped off his friends back to the owl and then back to his house. ended up spending the night at his house but leaving early af bcus his mom had asked who was home saturday morning. lolll. pretty  sure my dad called his mom to let her know. lmfao. kidding. but yaeh, so got up pretty frikking early this morning to get back home. which was cool. bcus i enjoy sleeping next to him. and it`s the cutest thing when i had to get up early but he grabbed me and pulled me closer to cuddle for just a little bit longer. <3 and then work was good today. :) 

all around, it`s been a good week. aaaaaaaand i hope this continues. going back to the gym tomorrow bcus i snoozed all fucking weekend. fak. ~_~