Monday, August 29, 2011
SE Asia Summer Pt. 1
One of the best perks we have as teachers in south China is our proximity to Southeast Asia. This past summer vacation we decided to take full advantage of this benefit (especially since it was early in the pregnancy). After much thought, we chose visiting Indonesia, Laos, and Cambodia.
The trip did not start on a real high note. First, our flight to Kuala Lumpur was delayed over an hour. Then the connecting flight from KL to Bali was delayed three hours. Between all of these delays, Pazi's laptop crashed! We had barely started day two and things weren't look great. Funny how getting to your resort and the beach in Bali can make you forget all about everything else.
This trip to Bali was short and sweet. It was planned this way by design. We decided to spend three plus days here for our fourth wedding anniversary--summer solstice, June 21. Since we arrived at the hotel a bit later than intended, we spent a couple hours at the beach until sunset and then went out for a nice Indian dinner. It was a very laid back and relaxing time. In many ways, Bali reminds us of Hawaii. From the culture to the food to the hang loose mentality, many things are common between the islands.
Our second day was overcast so we decided to do a bit of shopping. Bali has some of the best souvenir shops and they're dirt cheap, so we casually browsed for much of the morning. We remembered missing out on an extremely popular rib shack next door at our hotel from a previous trip and made sure to have lunch here. The food was excellent. We shared baby back ribs and chicken with a homemade barbecue sauce, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and green salad. All this grub and for around 150,000 Indonesian Rupiahs (well under $20 bucks).
After lunch the weather had improved and we were ready to hit the beach. Since our hotel was right across the street from Legian's main beachfront, we spent the next four or five hours between the two spots. As nightfall approached we washed up and headed out for dinner. This time Adan noticed a Turkish/Greek restaurant and was really in the mood for kebabs and gyros. The food was excellent. Adan ordered lamb and Pazi had her usual chicken. We also tried their hummus and pita. The meals did not disappoint.
For the last day, Adan wanted to take an excursion to see the town of Ubud. Located amongst rice paddies and steep ravines, Ubud has a certain charm that draws in tourists. The city center is comprised of art galleries and handicraft shops. Unfortunately, because so many tourists have started to flock here, the prices are quite high in most areas. However, we hired Mogan, our driver from a previous trip, to be our guide. He recommended that we stroll around town and eventually take a visit to the Ubud Market. Here we could purchase good quality art and handicrafts for lower prices than at the street shops. He was right, but it still required us to haggle and negotiate. Pazi found paintings, table runners, place mates, and many other things to take home.
After all this shopping we told Mogan to take us to his favorite eating spot for Babi Guling. We crave this famous Balinese dish because of its similarities to chicharones, carnitas, and tripas. The suckling pig is brought in three different types. First, you have the crispy skin. Then there's the tender meat. Lastly, you have intestines. Each plate also consists of white rice and a local green vegetable called Lawar. What an amazing dish and great way to end out our time in Bali.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Big Announcement
The Days are Packed
We wrapped up spring with middle school basketball, Spanish club, end of the year school program, secondary sports banquet, and senior graduation. Wow, were we busy. Although these things took a lot of time and effort, we enjoyed them and they helped us reach summer vacation.
Pazi's class had their annual end of the year program at a very nice international hotel in downtown Dongguan. The event was a time for the kids to showcase all their talents--singing, dancing and even acting. Pazi's 5 year old class did a great job performing to the song Reflections from the Disney movie Mulan. Several of her students also played in a violin number that kicked off the evening. Very talented group!
Another big event to share was the secondary sports banquet. This was an event that Adan and another teacher had envisioned putting together for several months. The idea was to recognize student athletes that demonstrated, throughout the school year and sports seasons, both athletic and academic achievement. It took place at a brand new Brazilian restaurant near our school campus. It was a formal affair and trophies were presented for awards such as Team MVPs, Most Improved, and Hustle. For being a first annual, the awards dinner went quite well.
Lastly, we celebrated the third graduating class in our school's short history. The group consisted of eight. The event went very well. The students planned the entire program agenda. The evening began with the graduates singing a musical number. Later, half of the group gave graduation speeches, and they even asked Dr. Johnson, our science teacher, to be their keynote.