EARCOS - Borneo

My entire life I have had difficulty remembering ‘things.’ As a child, nearly every car trip we went on began with the question, “Melissa, are you wearing shoes.” And generally, I wasn’t. My mother lovingly refers to me as a flibberty-jibbit.

I was feeling exceedingly confident as I packed for my teaching conference in Borneo. I checked and double checked to ensure everything I needed was there. Let’s face it, I was downright cocky with my newfound packing abilities.

Unfortunately, my hubris was entirely misplaced as I discovered when I reached the airport…I had forgotten my passport. Of course, those who know me aren’t in the least surprised.

This meant I had to buy a ticket for the following day and missed the pre-conference. But it all worked out for the best. Wednesday is known as Mothering Day here. Mothering Day is considered a ‘break’ from Lent. Jordon and I gave up pop for Lent. So on my free day I went to the store and bought Jordon exorbitant amounts of pop, candy, chips and other snacks. I then proceeded to hide them all over the house so he’d have delightful surprises the five days I would be gone.

I also went to the bookstore to find a couple paperbacks for my trip. Jordon gets a kick out of the fact that the people who work there recognize me as an extensive reader. They make comments about how many books I buy every week. It’s sort of embarrassing...but funny, I guess.

So, I made it to Borneo. It was a very short flight, as it is the next big island to the southwest of the Philippines. The resort (5 star) that the conference was held in is 5 lines of latitude above the equator. It’s the closest I’ve ever been, but unfortunately, I could not see the equator from where I was. The theme of the conference was environmentalism and basically being good stewards of the earth’s resources. There were some amazing keynote speakers…one of them was the guy they based the movie Fly Away Home on. I learned a lot.

I was encouraged by the different break-out sessions I went to. Some highlights were on teaching vocabulary, math games, science inquiry, writing workshop and theatersports.

My fellow teachers and I made sure we had time to experience Borneo as well. We went shopping, swimming, dancing, and snorkeling. It was a wonderful trip and I am so glad the school sponsored me. My only regret is that Jordon was unable to join me.

We saw these people learning how to sail on Dewitt Dinghies...made me think of 'ol Weatherby Lake. Didn't you learn how to sail in these Ninz?

The fish were plentiful and beautiful (very brightly colored). People were feeding these from the dock to the beach. They weren't afraid of us either. They would get up and swim close. The coolest thing I saw was probably a giant blowfish and it's family.

Maybe I've been inundated in Asian culture. I can't seem to stop myself from throwing up a peace sign when someone's taking a picture. I'll have to find something new to do with my hands.

The sunset was glorious nightly.

International Food Festival

Our school had an International Food Festival on Saturday. Jordon and I were expecting a casual bbq but as soon as we walked out of our door we knew we were in for something else. We could hear the party music from the soccer field all the way up at our house...a 15 minute walk away. (Playing family favorites like "Making Love to Booty Music." We hear that song just about every time we leave the house.)

We got there and the whole soccer field was full. There was a huge jumpy castle for the kids to play in on the far side. Food booths skirted the field and this food was not your average bbq food quality. It was very well done. There were 6 large booths with 65 food options. In the middle were tables and chairs and at the other end of the field was a large stage for the talent show.

Jordon and I first went to the Korean booth for jab chae and boricha. Then the Taiwan booth for dumplings. We wandered over to the Europe table for chocolate fondue but it wasn't ready yet. So we went to the American table to get brownies and cookies. The twice baked potatoes and burgers looked so good we couldn't say no. Needless to say, we were so stuffed we could barely move. Luckily it was time for the talent show. These kids went all out.

Below is part of a number done by the grade one and two Koreans. The grade 2 kids are up on the stage and the grade 1 kids are on the grass in front. They were so adorable.

And at the very end there was a huge fireworks display. It blew Weatherby Lake's firework display out of the water. Part of that had to do with the proximity of the fireworks. They were being set off on the far side of the soccer field. Everyone knows the utils experienced in a fireworks display are in direct proportion to the danger one feels one's in. And this was a good one. High utils had by all.