Goodness Gracious Great Wall of China

I dream about visiting those massively famous places. The big name tourist destinations. I cringe at the thought of sharing them with one million and one people, but there are some cities in which there are must do trips, and in Beijing there is no other must do trip quite like the Great Wall of China. We did fall into the trap of a somewhat organised tour but it worked to our advantage in the end. Being dumped 10 km away from our destination on a section of the wall that had had very little restoration work done on it was nothing short of magnificent. Breathe taking stuff, seriously, my breath, gone (may have had something to do with the 10 km hike, but mostly to do with sheer amazement).... Wendy, Ben and I set out on a beautifully sunny morning walk, I was prepared for the chill out on the wall but soon found myself shedding layers of clothes faster than a twelve year old playing chocolate manners (ha ha, do you know that game? You have to throw on loads of clothes and then cut the block of chocolate with a knife and fork? Aaaah, it takes me back, but probably confuses the pants off you...) Anyway... the sun was brilliant. The wall was everything I imagined it to be. The breathlessness of the whole experience is hard to describe.
There was a constant sense of “HOLY CRAP I AM ON THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!” and I found myself needing to shout “GOODNESS GRACIOUS GREAT WALL OF CHINA” at every moment. It's true i may have somewhat destroyed the serenity for other wall walkers but I just couldn't help it! The Mongolian farmers that have left their flocks and who now trail the wall trying to sell their goods were slightly time consuming but full credit to the 72 year old chap who was doing laps around me. There were some crazy steep sections to climb and that Mongolian chappy was most certainly half mountain goat in his ability to scamper up and down that wall... still feel bad that he followed us for about 30 minutes and I didn't buy any water from him. I did tell him that I had some already. Listening skills not unlike my students it appeared!

After the walk (which I think took us about 3 hours?) we cruised down to the waiting bus on a flying fox. Nothing quite like being strapped into a harness, a few hundred metres above the river, by an under qualified 70 year old Chinese lady who said nothing other than “hold on”! It all worked out in the end but we couldn't help but notice the lack of safety standards adhered to! But we lived to tell the tale so I should stop going on about it!

Anyway, the rest of my Beijing adventure was equally brilliant. I mean it's a rather polluted and somewhat dirty city (although by all accounts they have cleaned up their act). It was hard to find good coffee but not at all hard to get cheap beer. The food was good, but I am spoiled in Thailand and find it difficult to be wowed by anything else (it's not that I am not open minded, I am just spoiled here!) We rode around the city umpteen times and enjoyed visiting even more of the overcrowded tourist sites, attempting, if only for a little while, to immerse ourselves in some of what Beijing had to offer. Obviously, Hooters isn't exactly the peak of Chinese or Beijing culture, but you have to go, right? I mean, it's Hooters?! The end of the week had Wendy and I at a work conference. This should mean hours of stimulating and inspiring teaching habits, but what it actually meant was excessive wine and beer drinking and embarrassing situations.... will I ever learn? x

At first I was afraid I was petrified....

At the first the girls really had no idea what they were getting themselves into... but it took them only seconds to realise what they needed to do... take it away girls!

How much longer can I put this off?

wow, it's just been months and months since I've been here. It kinda got to a point where there was just too much to write about that I didn't know where to start and I didn't know what to include and what to leave out. We are at week 9 at school, week freaking 9!!! And I still feel like I am running about like a headless chicken, making up lessons (albeit fantastic ones) as I go along. My work load seems heavier this year, I need to up my tempo, but it's just not happening for me. Don't get me wrong, I am loving it - L-O-V-I-N-G it - this year with the older kids and the algebra and the proofs and the logic... but it's more work, it's not an easy task making geometric proofs mindblowingly fascinating for 15 year olds!!!

I should bring you up to speed on some things......

summer break was indescribably brilliant. My younger sister is just beyond words. What an absolute champion, how lucky am I that my younger sis is one of my best mates? One of those people that just brings out the best in you without even trying... total trooper.... we cruised around Vietnam and Cambodia, catching up on years and years of not really knowing all there is to know about your sister... no fighting, just fun and games!!! Thanks pal, it was awesome!

a week of relaxing in Krabi before school hit back was super fun. A new clique of mates, an awesome holiday house, lots of mojitos, an Aussie version of trivial pursuit (was there a sports question that i didn't know?), some late night swimming, rock climbing, beach sitting, harry potter reading, beach shopping, seafood eating.... aaahhh.... what a way to spend the week before you hit the grind again!

school started way back in August.... the first week is always great (even though I regret starting the year hungover - no, wait, I'd say I was drunk....), teachers are enthusiastic and you don't admit it but you are excited to see the kids again. Your lessons are energetic and interactive, the canteen food is not as bad as you remember, there are new staff members that need tours and appropriate evenings on the juice as warm welcomings to Bangkok... this carries on for a few weeks... then the marking starts to pileup... meetings are called... kids don't do their work and you need to deal with that...kids can't remember what a factor or a prime number is and you cry a little inside.... I get questions from 13 year olds like "Miss Ange, if I have already done Ex 4.1 should I do it again?" to which I reply (sarcastically) "yes of course you should"... and they do... over the summer it seems that I forgot my kids aren't too clued up on sarcasm...

the teacher talentless show was just that - talentless! but the kids loved it (and just quietly, dressing up as a teenage mutant ninja turtle - I loved it too!!! Half term break is just around the corner (lots of marking and parent consultations to endure beforehand though)... I'm heading up to China for a week which should be great... bring on THE WALL!!!!

My social life is continuing to keep me smiling... dancing to cheesy soft rock seems to be my current fancy and places like Adamakers and Yes Indeed are becoming increasingly regular... I'm not sure if I should be impressed or worried that bar staff know my name and my order??

I've got good internet access at home now so there's no excuse for being so slack! Hopefully I will find the flow again and will resume posting and reading my mates blogs that used to entertain me daily.... Ange in Bangkok is back online...