I couldn't quite decide whether to make a really holy title referring to one of the events that has happened this week or to make a film reference, which is what the title is. I can explain later but I think it was quite a cool quote that was repeated during the film I saw last night and gave a pinch of reality to the film.
I am once more humbled by the fact that this blog has had over 2,000 views in the last two and a half months. Some of my stories that I have published online have only just reached over 3,000 hits and they've been up there for perhaps a year or more...It is amazing to know that you all still care about me and want to read about what I am getting up to, almost three months into my adventure out here.
Tuesday and Wednesday saw the delights that is K2 Parent Observation. On Tuesday, as I don't teach K2 on that day, it was up to those who to do their job while I fought through six lessons of K3 which could have been worse. It was Ruth's birthday and later that evening, a group of us headed to the same barbeque place in Siu Hong that Will, Katie and I had been to when celebrating Ms Judy's birthday last month. It was once more excellent company and a wonderful time to be had by all. As Ruth said, it was the first time most of us had experienced a proper bonfire without the need for coats.
Wednesday saw 3 classes being taught the story that we had been rehearsing (I do not exaggerate, we actualy rehearsed it using each other as the children). I got general good response and a 'you really made the story come alive' from a parent who apparently has high expectations of his child's education! Now I just have to face K3 tomorrow and Wednesday where I will be teaching the more difficult classes...
Friday and Saturday saw the excitement that was the Worship Central conference at The Vine. It was really good to see Tim Hughes, Nikki Fletcher and some of the WC team, a piece of home from somewhere that wasn't home. I was volunteering along with several others and it was awesome to meet so many people from across the three services and make new friends who were interested in Hunger Games and the Lord, a wonderful combination for conversation that could last over the weekend. There are some photos from the weekend but I can't post them again this week because of complications, ugh! It was exhausting but exhilerating time. Guaranteed front spots every session and access to the workshops like all the other attendees, friends, church and quite a bit of work and food.
Sunday afternoon found me, Ruth, Willow, Ben, Lucy and Chris viewing Catching Fire, the second Hunger Games movie to be released. I will remember at some point this week to post a review of the film, I personally adored it and have to say that while they cut out some things and made the time in the arena far too quick, it was one of the most faithful adaptations of a book I have ever seen. The title comes from what was said to Katniss (main female protagonist) often throughout the film as she was wary of the many people who surrounded her continuously. We caught some food afterwards and it was the perfect ending to what was a hectic weekend.
Sadly, I am writing this with a headache and feeling like I was going to throw up, I got sent home at lunch from school and have spent the afternoon sleeping and trying to write that little bit more of my NaNoWriMo which I would have completed by the time of the next update!!
I hope you have a great week and that it warms up wherever you are. I am ashamed to admit that I was feeling cold when it was 17 degrees today...that must be paradise in comparison to those who are suffering in the low single figures or less.
Until the next time and December!!
Batkinson xx
Cantonese word of the week: pronunciation - ho genga; translation: I'm scared
Quote of the week: 'Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.' - Leo Tolstoy
NaNoWriMo update: 41,656 words
Prayer points:
- That K3 observation goes well, I'm nervous about what is going to happen, especially with some of the more difficult students in the groups
- I get better soon, I'm not feeling at all good...
Monday, 25 November 2013
Monday, 18 November 2013
Monday, 11 November 2013
Monday, 4 November 2013
Up All Night - 28th October-4th November
This week has been a pleasant eclectic mix of social and personal activity. A hive of social activity that has resulted in two VERY late nights and plenty of communication with people back home which was so good to be able to do.
I was humbled to discover that my blog has had now over 1,600 views. I am amazed that so many people are still interested in what I do out here, it has been almost two months! That means that I have just over nine months until I come home!
The most exciting part of the week that was closest to the last blog update, appeared on Wednesday. I know that all of you who know me, know that I am the world's most unsportiest person. So you will all be surprised to know that on Wednesday, I went and got myself a gym membership, you can see the top of the card in the pictures below.I have now been to the gym 3 times this week, why have I not done this before? I have found myself really enjoying the cross trainer and rowing machine, I rowed 1000m the both times that I went there and now I have a massive set of respect for those who do row.
On Friday, I met David and May who were the Siu Lun teachers last year. They are both really nice and May's younger sister is Becky who now works in Yuen Long. A group of us, including various teachers and the ex-interns, who were very excited to see some of the children who they taught last year, went to a seafood restaraunt where we had a variety of different food such as prawns, crabs and something that not even our resident experts were sure what it was. It was a variety of tastes and I liked some of them, disliked a few of them but it was good company.
Afterwards, a smaller group of us made our way towards home and to a karaoke place where we had a room and a fantastic choice of songs. It was an evening of hilarity and passionate singing, I found out that KC and Will (the latter to a degree) were rather competent rappers and it made a rendition of Empire State of Mind was rather good fun. A range of songs from Angels by Robbie Williams to Bills Bills Bills by Destiny's Child to Sugababes. A lot of classic hits, sadly broken towards the end of the night by the arrival of the police on a random search to check for illegal people. David and I were the only sober ones of the 8 in the room which made keeping the rest quiet an interesting job! We were all cleared, of course, but it was an awkward half an hour. We didn't get back until 2am but it was worth the good time.
Saturday was beautifully lazy with a trip to the gym and then we headed to Tom's in Yuen Long for pre-drinks before heading to LKF. There were seven of us and I had decided that as it was Halloween weekend in LKF, I would dress up but in the non-conventional sense as I went all in white so as an angel...of some sort...Ben and Willow came as Hogwarts students although Willow couldn't bring herself to wear the Gryffindor tie with the Gryffindor robes as she classes herself as a Slytherin and Ben was a Ravenclaw but that is what happens when Gryffindor is the most popular house...we headed to LKF and met up with Jack from DBS and some friends who had been in the programme that I am in last couple of years. I didn't stay for long, well midnight, just before the group headed towards the clubs as I wasn't feeling well.
Sunday saw me being reunited with an old friend, Jack, who has been a family friend for the last five years! We met in Central and went to a wonderful Greek restaraunt before heading to The Vine where we met Lucy and saw Andrew Gardener deliver his first sermon as senior pastor of the church. He delivered an incredible talk on what love is and the idea of a love as a father's heart.
I started the NaNoWriMo project on Friday, as of today I have written over 5,500 words. I will keep you updated on how many words I've written. It is completely hectic but good fun and I cannot wait to see where my novel will go.
I look forward to what happens this week, I have lots of plans and I am looking forward to what it will bring. I am glad I will not be bored at least!
Until next time,
Batkinson
Cantonese word of the week: pronounced - mah t-ow; translation - ferry pier = I hear it every day coming back from school!
Quote of the week: 'We find little in books but what we put there, But in great books, the mind finds room to put many things. - Joseph Joubert
Prayer points:
- I am still struggling to get some of the classes to quiet down when I need them to, it is becoming stressful
- I really want to be able to help the children who I know are falling behind and are not understanding as some of the children are but I am struggling to get them engaged and interested in what I am teaching.
My membership card, legit!!!
Penne, pork and cheese!! What a wonderful reminder of home in Hong Kong!
The view down a road in Central, reminded me of San Francisco, extremely steep and a wonderful view.
Ruth and Lucy in LKF, the purple is is a result of the lighting in the street.
Lucy and I hanging on the MTR on the way to party baby!!
Will and Ruth hanging at Tom's place, pre-drinks, good conversation and people.
Ben and Willow as the Hogwarts couple of Halloween!
Trying to get a plastic cork out of the bottle neck without a corkscrew...failed but ended up borrowing one from nice next door neighbour!
Daisy's birthday cake, it was her birthday on Saturday, hence the karaoke party!
I was humbled to discover that my blog has had now over 1,600 views. I am amazed that so many people are still interested in what I do out here, it has been almost two months! That means that I have just over nine months until I come home!
The most exciting part of the week that was closest to the last blog update, appeared on Wednesday. I know that all of you who know me, know that I am the world's most unsportiest person. So you will all be surprised to know that on Wednesday, I went and got myself a gym membership, you can see the top of the card in the pictures below.I have now been to the gym 3 times this week, why have I not done this before? I have found myself really enjoying the cross trainer and rowing machine, I rowed 1000m the both times that I went there and now I have a massive set of respect for those who do row.
On Friday, I met David and May who were the Siu Lun teachers last year. They are both really nice and May's younger sister is Becky who now works in Yuen Long. A group of us, including various teachers and the ex-interns, who were very excited to see some of the children who they taught last year, went to a seafood restaraunt where we had a variety of different food such as prawns, crabs and something that not even our resident experts were sure what it was. It was a variety of tastes and I liked some of them, disliked a few of them but it was good company.
Afterwards, a smaller group of us made our way towards home and to a karaoke place where we had a room and a fantastic choice of songs. It was an evening of hilarity and passionate singing, I found out that KC and Will (the latter to a degree) were rather competent rappers and it made a rendition of Empire State of Mind was rather good fun. A range of songs from Angels by Robbie Williams to Bills Bills Bills by Destiny's Child to Sugababes. A lot of classic hits, sadly broken towards the end of the night by the arrival of the police on a random search to check for illegal people. David and I were the only sober ones of the 8 in the room which made keeping the rest quiet an interesting job! We were all cleared, of course, but it was an awkward half an hour. We didn't get back until 2am but it was worth the good time.
Saturday was beautifully lazy with a trip to the gym and then we headed to Tom's in Yuen Long for pre-drinks before heading to LKF. There were seven of us and I had decided that as it was Halloween weekend in LKF, I would dress up but in the non-conventional sense as I went all in white so as an angel...of some sort...Ben and Willow came as Hogwarts students although Willow couldn't bring herself to wear the Gryffindor tie with the Gryffindor robes as she classes herself as a Slytherin and Ben was a Ravenclaw but that is what happens when Gryffindor is the most popular house...we headed to LKF and met up with Jack from DBS and some friends who had been in the programme that I am in last couple of years. I didn't stay for long, well midnight, just before the group headed towards the clubs as I wasn't feeling well.
Sunday saw me being reunited with an old friend, Jack, who has been a family friend for the last five years! We met in Central and went to a wonderful Greek restaraunt before heading to The Vine where we met Lucy and saw Andrew Gardener deliver his first sermon as senior pastor of the church. He delivered an incredible talk on what love is and the idea of a love as a father's heart.
I started the NaNoWriMo project on Friday, as of today I have written over 5,500 words. I will keep you updated on how many words I've written. It is completely hectic but good fun and I cannot wait to see where my novel will go.
I look forward to what happens this week, I have lots of plans and I am looking forward to what it will bring. I am glad I will not be bored at least!
Until next time,
Batkinson
Cantonese word of the week: pronounced - mah t-ow; translation - ferry pier = I hear it every day coming back from school!
Quote of the week: 'We find little in books but what we put there, But in great books, the mind finds room to put many things. - Joseph Joubert
Prayer points:
- I am still struggling to get some of the classes to quiet down when I need them to, it is becoming stressful
- I really want to be able to help the children who I know are falling behind and are not understanding as some of the children are but I am struggling to get them engaged and interested in what I am teaching.
My membership card, legit!!!
Penne, pork and cheese!! What a wonderful reminder of home in Hong Kong!
The view down a road in Central, reminded me of San Francisco, extremely steep and a wonderful view.
Ruth and Lucy in LKF, the purple is is a result of the lighting in the street.
Lucy and I hanging on the MTR on the way to party baby!!
Will and Ruth hanging at Tom's place, pre-drinks, good conversation and people.
Ben and Willow as the Hogwarts couple of Halloween!
Trying to get a plastic cork out of the bottle neck without a corkscrew...failed but ended up borrowing one from nice next door neighbour!
Daisy's birthday cake, it was her birthday on Saturday, hence the karaoke party!
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