Procrastinator here…
I would first like to begin by saying that I had every
intention of posting pictures and beginning my blog as soon as I arrived here
in Shenzhen…I also had every intention of using a parachute when I took off
from YSJ…my planning seems to have fallen by the way-side early this year.
Clearly I didn’t use my parachute and this is my first blog post. I suppose
things can only improve from here!
To quickly sum up my summer home in my beautiful town, with
my marvelous family and friends, in one word I would have to say that it was
“PHENOMENAL”. I truly could not have asked for a more joyful, relaxing,
delicious, thirst-quenching, loving, delightful, and eye-opening 2 months. Not
exaggerating! I can’t think of anywhere else I would have preferred to be. Just
to clarify the answer is no; I didn’t stay home with my family all summer
because I had no car or bicycle (on account of selling it for a feed of
lobster), I did it because they are such brilliant, funny, loving people. I
adore my parents and my sisters and feel so lucky to have been able to enjoy
such a laughter filled summer with them.
Oh, and No, I didn’t ask mom and dad
to come to PEI to my work reunion because I felt I had to, I did it because we
may have missed each other over those few days and well, there was no need!!
Hahaha As I get older I am coming to realize more and more how lucky I am to
have such a abnormal family J
Anyway, enough of that, it’s making me want to hop on a
plane and meet my parents on the deck for a bottle of wine! Dangerous thoughts
for my bank account…
The first three weeks of my summer were spent exploring pieces
of the East Coast with friends from China. What a treat that was! We explored
Grand Manan, St George, Hampton, Moncton, Halifax and PEI, leaving a trace of
our presence in each place. Of course leave it to me to leave my intact ribs at
the beginning of the journey in St George at the Lake House…a harsh fall off of
a water ski resulted in a messy business of cracked ribs and bruising but I
made the most of it (once I accepted that they weren’t just sore on the third
day). Over a couple of months later I’m happy to report that they are just
about back to normal; laughing/sneezing/breathing, etc no longer makes me wish
for death. The next half of the summer was spent in and around Hampton with
family and friends mostly. We drank our way through a cellar of wine (that my
parents craftily created in our downstairs closet) and batches of homemade
beer.
We spent a great deal of time outside enjoying the fresh East Coast air,
which was a true treat for me. Garden parties, deck gatherings, family fundays,
and sailing adventures were among some of the repeated pleasures that we
enjoyed over the summer months. Of course writing about this past summer is
making me wish that we had it all to do over again! I just have to keep
reminding myself that life back home is not Summer all year round (an
unfortunate truth)…
It can’t come as too much of a shock that this past summer
was extremely difficult for me to give up. It was such a treat to be able to
actually physically sit down and chat with my family and close friends. To hug
them whenever I wanted to and not have to worry about the dreaded Internet that
we all must cope with here in China. It was a treat to be able to run next door
and say hello to my abuelo’s, to stop in at nana’s to have tea and spend time
with her when she had to have her knee scoped and to go for a walk with my mom
each morning and sailing with my dad in the afternoons. I suppose it was simply
nice to be physically present in the lives of those that I love rather than to
be there in spirit – as silly as this may sound! Haha I truly love being
included in family gatherings through Skype (what a riot) but the real thing is
so much better J
I digress! As I kept reminding myself through the summer, it
is in fact summer and we all know what that means. Summer turns to fall which
turns to winter which means: Kate Gets Cold! Although I found myself excited
about the idea of taking up skiing again with my family one day….but I’m not
quite mentally prepared for the white dust they call snow (bad Canadian, I
know). So when it came time to pack my two suitcases (thank god for my mom’s
packing skills and dad’s strength) and head to the airport to begin the long
adventure back to my China home I was extremely torn, sad and anxious but knew
that once I was settled in all would be well. Sure enough, I reached Toronto,
we all began gathering and it was like we never left!
The first few weeks here in China have been a whirlwind!
School is keeping us all very busy; I have some challenging students but they
are all awfully sweet and improvements are being made each day. They are funny
little things, each day it amazes me what they come up with. Just yesterday I was
given a bouquet of large dead leaves and was told that I was a ‘cutie
pie’…hahaha Sweeties. Outside of school madness my social life is really what I
blame for being so behind on this blog post…we’ve been having too much fun and
I haven’t had an evening to settle in and get writing (until now). I am Loving
my new room, it’s feeling homey and I have a ‘real’ kitchen this year!!
That’s
right, no more ‘my kitchen is a microwave’, now I have a microwave, hot plate
and a toaster over! Not only do I have a lovely little kitchen but I also have
a wonderful outdoor living room that is well used J My outdoor living room makes
my heart smile – I love having people over and already we’ve made some truly
delicious breakfasts and dinners as well as enjoyed evenings filled with music,
drinks and great conversation. I’ve made some wonderful new friends this year
and we are keeping each other happily busy. We’ve begun a girls group here at
ISNS and it’s a treat; we have tons planned but we’ve started a running group
and some of us are training to run a half marathon in December – I’m so
excited!
Some of us have also begun a Sunday morning tradition that includes
running or walking to the Boat House for a delightful breakfast…I know what
you’re thinking…life is very difficult here in Shenzhen and you can’t sort out
why we all keep coming back!? Haha
It’s a difficult lifestyle to give upJ
I’m off now to bake cookies that I can’t eat
(gluten and wheat free, remember) and practice some new songs with Jennie! We’re
all off to the beach for the week-end but stay tuned, I’ll try not to take too
long to upload a beach post J
With full bellies we set up the canopies, lights and music system up on the beach and thus began our first evening on the beach. We shared a bucket of sangria (delicious) and danced the night away under the stars. Jordan and I even tried to go for a nice swim but after a few failed attempts we gave up and went to bed; apparently the beach cops don't support evening dips like we do...
Saturday was a very difficult day...we woke up to the sun, screened up and hit the beach (I told you...difficult). It was our cabin's duty to help Thomas with lunch so we headed to the fire pit around 11:30 and began to chop, grate and mix. In the end we created what turned into a delicious feast of pasta salad (perhaps the largest pasta salad I have ever seen) and melt-in-your-mouth pork tenderloins. Following our feast we all hit the beach to relax and sun ourselves. It reached a point when laying in the sun and reading was simply too hot so the ocean kept us 'cool' for most of the afternoon while others played vball or soccer (silly..haha). It was a dinner feast of hamburgers, salad and hummus that brought us out of the ocean and around the fire pits at around 6. There we were entertained by groups Chinese people enjoying their Saturday night in their own special ways; one group was rattled and a shirt was thrown into a fire for example. Following dinner we gathered on the beach (those of us that could keep our eyes open after such a long sunny day in the heat) for some music. A few teachers brought along their guitars and egg shakers and we played and sang our way into the wee hours of the morning; I was in my happy place! It was the perfect way to end such a lovely day! 
