Where Am I?

So, a flurry of posts, and then almost two weeks without one.  "What happened?" you might ask?

I started teaching.

Now, maybe many of you don't know, but I never planned to come back and teach this year.  In fact, I got rid of 90% of my professional clothes over the last two moves we made.  Making the last 3 blouses and 2 black skirts work four days a week has been a challenge.

BUT, we are currently in immediate need of an elementary teacher.  Over the past two years, BOTH of our full time art teachers have moved away, leaving just one local staff behind.  So, after being asked by the Head Principal, the Preschool Principal, many parents and fellow staff members, then finally the Elementary Principal, I agreed to teach for the first six weeks while hopefully they can find another full time Art Teacher.

Anyone interested in teaching abroad?  Know of someone who might be?  We would love to hear from you.

I am actually really enjoying teaching again, but with two little ones and a husband in masters, it is not a sustainable position for me right now.  Plus, as part time, I can't fully meet their needs even as it is.  How full time working moms do it, I will never know.  It is exhausting! 

So if it is a little quiet on here, you'll understand why.  I have lots of pictures to update you all on, but not the time to do it.  Alas, always the problem.

First Day of School!

The kids were very excited to start school this year.  Lizbeth already did two years at our pre-school before we went to America, so for her it was like returning home.  She was so excited to be back with her friends, thankfully most of them are still here.  We were a little concerned Matthew only wanted to go to school to play with cars, and wouldn't like it once he realized he has to do certain things (stand in line, listen to the teachers, ect).  After four days they are both still loving it!

Here are a couple quick shots, and a video of the song Lizbeth spontaneously started singing as we walked to school.  Super proud of my two little students!

Getting Gas

The other day Lizbeth and I took a taxi.  After we drove for a bit, the taxi driver announced he had to stop for gas!  Since we don't drive here in China, only a couple times have I ever even been to a gas station.

Not sure why, but they made us get out of the car while they pumped the gas.  They also opened the hood and pumped right into the front.  Had never seen that before. 

Always something new!

Safety Restraints? Not here.

Before we moved into our apartment, they had someone come over to fix the main air conditioner.  I walked into the living room to see this:

To be clear, our apartment is on the 4th floor, and that is outside our window.  Not sure exactly what he was standing on, but there's not much.  I took this from another window.

It's hard to see because of the glare from the window, but he definitely was not tied on.  Amazingly, this is one of the tamer things I've seen a worker do.  Somewhere I have pictures of window washers sitting on a rope swing cleaning windows at least 15 stories up...

Laundry has been a challenge for me coming back.  After three weeks we finally have a working washing machine as of four days ago.  Until then I had been running back and forth between a friend's apartment to borrow her washing machine.  However, even when I would get it washed, getting it to dry was another challenge!  We don't have a dryer (not standard here) and the humidity is so bad that sometimes it would mold before it would dry.  Super frustrating.  Our house has been looking like this alot:

Now that we have our washer I am trying to get caught up on the many loads that had built up!  Of course finding spaces large enough to hang the bigger pieces is even more fun.  :-)