Gavin's Exhibition

Last night Gavin gave his Exhibition presentation at school. What is Exhibition?  It's where the 4th an 5th graders use the skills they have been taught to research and come up with a plan to improve a "social" issue with in a community. Gavin decided he would do his project on playground rules.

For a very shy child, who came to MZIS three and a half years ago, it is truly amazing to watch him develop his public speaking skills. Needless to say, he did a great job on his presentation. 

Here are some pictures from the night presentation....

Gavin and his buddy screwing around before the night starts.

Dad and Teddy listening to his ideas.

Getting quizzed by other parents. :)

$90 Dinner Bill!

According to the title, you probably thought I was going to write about our family having dinner out. Well, we were not eating out, we were eating in!  What you may ask were we eating? Steak, celery, and bread with a few fresh carrots thrown in. :)

Yes, the meat was expensive. $65 for 8 smallish steaks... No Pheasant Cove hunk of meat here!  Only some very thin slabs of steak. 

BUT, this is not where all my fortunes were spent!  We finally got FRESH celery in the store!!!  I bought two "bunches". Anyone wanna guess how much??  Anyone... Anyone???

Only 260,000 rupiah or the USD equivalent of $25!!!!!!

I know, crazy!!!  But sometimes you just have to buy it if you want anything fresh. And after the most awful week in Chris' mining career, we needed some comfort food!  

Yeah, we don't get the normal "comfort" food here either... ;)

Love to you all!

Until I See You Again!

Well, tonight is a night we all knew was coming. But three and a half years ago, we never knew who was going to leave first.

It is with the greatest memories and thankfulness in my heart that I bid farewell to Michelle and family!

Life was made so much easier with Michelle by my side, navigating the ups and downs of Tembagapura. Nothing will replace all those trips to HR, running into doors because they are backwards here, walking the hill, cards, and so much more!

I will miss you dear friend! But I know that we will see each other again!

xoxo

One last photo... Make that two. :)

Another 80's Party

Can you ever get enough of the 80's??  We obviously can NOT here in the jungle!

A friend, Joyce, had her 30th birthday party last weekend and 80's style it was!  Awesome!  I already have the hair and now I just need to destroy a perfectly good jean skirt and I am in business!  Way too easy!  

I also ended up being the night's entertainment...  Me and my "New Kids On The Block" side kick... ;)  Can anyone see my toes??? ;D

You know what's funny, not one ounce of alcohol went in my body!  People would ask me how I could stand up there and sing....  I just told them it was easy when "you all" are the drunk ones! :)

Sweet, sweet ladies... The birthday girl was in the middle... "Baby" from Dirty Dancing.

 Janie and Me.  She has a wild side! ;)

Mersades and Me.  Actually Diane wore all of Mersades clothes... Scary!!  Not that Diane could fit in to the clothes, but that Mersades actually has them in her wardrobe! :D

 Most of the gang singing into the wee hours of the night.

Loads of fun!  Too bad Chris was in the good ole US of A and missed out on all the fun.  :)

Loving the 80's... Always!

Robin

School Project: Vietnam

Walk into any school in the US today and you will see a "Zero Tolerance" policy on guns. Well, I must say, that we DO NOT have to worry about that here and that is one of the beauties of living in Tembag! The kids are a little bit more free to, lets say, "learn".

Here are pictures from their Vietnam project at school. Guaranteed if they were in the US they all would have been suspended from school!  Our school has it's problems, but we haven't gone all PC yet. :)

The American Soldier... No American students were on this team.  But check out the gun!

Teddy and partners project... A little hip problem there... :)  The VC.  Again another gun...

I believe Mersades was on this project.

The "Porcupine"... Teddy's project.  Ouch!

Some of the parents were a little freaked out by these, but sometimes, kids need to know the realities of life. 

Forget History and it will repeat itself!

Robin