Bethia in Hong Kong: Sounds Like I'm Dying...

This week, certainly a mixed and out of the ordinary one for such one that was supposed to be spent at school. My cough has seemed to be getting worse and worse since it started after Christmas, I don't think spending nearly 27 hours in a week in a cabin would have helped very much. But this week has provided both it's joys, hardships and perseverence.
Coming back to school was always very strange and difficult at times when I was a student at school, throughout my school career so I was able to understand the fact that the children were not as engaged and quite remembering of all that I had taught them in the last term in the first week as they were still trying to get back into the 'school mode'. This was especially difficult for the K1 children, as I saw just trying to get them to come to school in the first place was a difficulty, as they returned from their first big holiday since starting school. It was slightly easier than after Christmas, which had been their first holiday since starting school, but there was still evidence of children who were struggling to realise it wasn't just a 'half a year' deal, no they were here for the long haul. It is very hard at times not to feel bad for them, given that they are 2 years old and very much still children. But you have to put a straight face on and let it happen, it is something that I have grown to realise I just have to deal with now.
Following a huge day of seeming to want to hack up my lungs on Monday, I only managed to last a single lesson on Tuesday morning before being sent home with sick leave by the doctor. My cough was much worse after my holiday and I spent the afternoon relaxing, sleeping a little and trying to give my body the much needed rest to get better. Wednesday was spent cleaning my room which was very much relaxing as I needed to do it badly and it was good to see my room pretty spotless. Of course there is always a reason behind these things and mine was the fact that an old friend of mine from school, the gorgeous Lucy, arrived in Hong Kong from China on Thursday!!
Lucy was at school with me and it has been wonderful getting to catch up on her travels, I heard many wonderful and often wacky things (when it came to food that is) about China and it sounds like an incredible country. I am definitely planning on making a trip there when I can this year, it isn't something to be missed.
On Friday afternoon, the teachers who weren't teaching lessons, travelled over to a primary school not five minutes away where the next day, we were holding the 'Celebration of the Latern Festival and the Inaugaration of the Parent-Teacher Association'. Our job was to unload all of the things that we would need for the event and then to put them up. This involved unpacking a lot of homemade laterns, created by the children, and attaching them to strings where they were hung from the ceiling in the outside area where the adults and children could come and play games, earning small prizes for the children, another thing to be set up. Lots of the laterns were wonderful and looked very impressive, a lot of hard work had clearly gone into them. I didn't get to see the finished product however until Saturday morning as I had to travel back to teach 2D their PE lesson and then, because Will had stayed on at the primary school, had to teach 2E, a class I didn't know at all but who turned out to be an enthusiastic group of children who tired me out VERY quickly! Isn't that what 3 year olds are supposed to do anyway?
An early start on Saturday saw all of the teachers back at the primary school for the event. Having helped set up the arts and craft area, fetching buckets of water to dip the painbrushes in, I went upstairs with Ivy and Pet and were up with a group of K2 children who were going to perform a dance. We had to help them get ready, they were already wearing their costumes. The biggest challenge that day came in the form of having to put powder on their faces. I presume it was some kind of foundation or something...you can see why it was a challenge! I have only had experience of putting on makeup during school plays and that was only ever the bare minimum so then trying to do 20 3 year olds kids was a little bit manic but I managed it and almost got it completely right...almost being the key word here...while the kids rehearsed and then went onstage to perform, I was left in charge of the room to keep an eye on the bags and while I was sad not to get a glimpse of what the children were doing, I wasn't even sure if I would see it at all even then, it was a good time just to sit down and chill a little bit.
On Saturday evening, pre-drinks were held at our flat before there was a big trip to LKF. As Ruth was leaving the next day, it was natural that we had to go and hit the district one last time. Sadly my lungs were clearly not up to it so I was around for pre-drinks but stayed behind and let in Ruth and Lucy at 5am the next morning, thanks to them forgetting the keys...most people were there and it was a great, relaxed atmosphere. Lucy got on swimmingly with the rest of the group and while it was confusing at first having two Lucys, it worked itself out. I went to bed, exhausted and glad to be asleep.
Sunday was joyfully lazy but it was a sad day as well. Lucy and I offered our assistance as best we could to Ruth who had to fit all the clothes she brought with her and everything she had bought while out here into 30kg of hold luggage. Yeah...it was never going to happen and so there is now a couple of bags of clothes outside her room but she's given us permission to take anything we want which is always a bonus when you get free clothes! We all headed in to Town Centre for one last meal together and the Yuen Long crew, Will, Willow, Ben and Katie joined the three of us at Euro Go-Go, a European cafe/restaraunt where we feasted on lots of delicious food!
It was very much tearful and heartfelt goodbyes to Ruth from there and I was sad to see her go. She's been a wonderful flatmate and while it is a little daunting knowing that I have the flat on my own for the next five months, knowing that I will have people around me and visiting me at various points, is much more of a comfort. Katie and I waved Ruth off in a taxi to the airport and crashing back into bed ensued once more.
I hope that my cough doesn't deter me from any more work this week and that it gets much better, it is far more irritating now than anything. I had a chest X-ray on Saturday so I will see if that brings up anything in my chest that might actually indicate something is wrong further than a cough that has lasted a month and a cold which has now crept up on me.

Until next time,
Batkinson xx

Cantonese word of the week: pronunciation: melega?; translation: what is it?
Quote of the week: "Love is like the wind. You can't see it but you sure can feel it." Landon Carter - A Walk To Remember
Prayer points:
- my cough is starting to bug me now more than anything and I would really like it to heal
- for a continued easy transition back into school life

Clearing up the kid's homemade lanterns after the Lantern Festival