Oy

[coquette_not]

Well, this morning was a throw-down. Poor guy was just exhausted, and the trek to school is more arduous than at home (where, many mornings I drive him in a nice heated car door to door) Here it's a 10-15 minute walk at 7:45 to a crowded tram. I was glad to have Matthew with me, because I think that otherwise LG might have tried the old-I'm-laying-

Comments

[lady_frolick]

Living abroad is hard; there's no doubt. And it's not what anyone thinks about when she moves to Brussels or Hong Kong or wherever. But that's why it's valuable: because it tests who you think you are, by taking you out of your familiar contexts. You learn things about yourself that you cannot learn in any other way, while you are learning about other people. Twain has something to say about this: "Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." Also, “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Yeah, ok, easier said than done. But I've been there. Hong Kong initially felt like Mars

[coquette_not]

This is really a thoughtful and lovely response--thank you. I'm going to use that Twain quote every chance I get!

And you're right. My fear/hate of change matches Connor's easily. I've vowed to pack it in and go home almost every day the first week we were here. But really, it's like a conspiracy to keep me here. People have really been so nice.

At the moment, our social calendar is more full than it ever is in Connecticut. And Connor, lor' bless 'em, is really good at socializing. Today he spent the whole day playing with kids he had never met before, and who had varying degrees of English proficiency. When it was time to say goodbye, the other kid was crying and demanding to see Connor again.

[lady_frolick]

Aw, that is the sweetest story! Connor is going to, ultimately, come away with huge benefits from this experience.

How's the teaching, by the way?

[salient73]

That kiddo is amazing! Every time I think he's gotten as cool as he can get, he gets cooler.

I'm with Frolick. Let's get a teaching post. It sounds like the systems is radically different there. How are you adjusting to that?