What a week! Assessments came thick and fast and we were all very stressed out...especially after such a fun weekend! bed times got later and so did lie-ins...rushing was very necessary to get out in the morning in time!
We had a man who works with the Malaysian Education minister watching us, a UK school inspector and the director of Tenby schools - nervous is not a strong enough word! But everything went well and the fun began in the classrooms - the past few days have been filled with dancing, photographs hugs, tears and lots of fun! my email address is going to be bombarded with emails from the children and I have passed on my address so we can all write to one another! The children over here are so full of personality and it has been so nice getting to know them all individually!
We were also shown a local government run girls convent school - 50 in a class and not a sound - 1000 miles from the atmosphere here at Tenby! Good to see but it just made us appreciate our school and class so much - the love we have been shown and the fun we have had has made all the challenges we have faced worthwhile!
We had a beautiful meal last night at a local golf club and did some more kareoke in front of some of the most important people in Ipoh - who would have guessed! We had steak, potatoes and veg - a real taste of what to expect again at home!
So for now, its goodbye from Malaysia - we are spending the last few hours with our class and then being whisked home to the pool for a final dip and one last kiss from the sun! Early to bed and up again to leave for the airport at 3:30 - by that stage I guess we will just want to be home!
Can't wait to see everyone again - can I just take this opportunity to thank everyone who made this experience possible? What I have learned here I will never forget and I have made memories that will last a lifetime! Who knows, perhaps this will not be the last time I see Malaysia...!
See you all in cold, wet NI!!!
Ruth x
Thursday, 6 May 2010
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Rafting seems like a walk in the park...
Rafting was so amazing this weekend - floating down a river in the middle of the jungle with lovely guides and great people! We have really been treated so well over here - looking forward to coming home but wouldn't be entirely devastated if we had to 'endure' another week in Malaysia !!!
Rafting began with a water confidence excercise: we were floated down a rapid on our back and had to swim for dear life to get to the edge of the water when we came through it. Of course with me, there must always be a twist!
I swallowed half the river while floating along and then struggled to open my eyes and swim to the edge...nothing unusual we were all the same. However, 1 group of rafters were terrible at controling their boat and came right over the top of me, forcing me under the raft unable to breathe! I had to be yanked out from underneath and a life rope thrown to me to pull me ashore before I hit another rapid....as you would imagine, I was a little shaken when I managed to get onto solid ground!!
Amazingly though, it didn't put me off and I got into the boat ready for more! I knew that that experience could never be repeated as if I fell out of the boat, a guide would be right beside me ready to pull me up again.
So, we set off - commands like "boom boom" meaning "crouch in the boat or be trown into the air", "on the job" meant "we're out of the woods so paddle for all your worth" and "1,2,3... High 5" meant "launch your paddles into the air, cheer and slap the water as loud as possible"! It may sound like madness but it was soooo fun!
When we got half way, we stopped for a rest but our guide told us to quickly jump to the left side of the boat. I launched myself over to the other side and of course this tricky move we needed to do to save ourselves was nothing more than a chance for him to tip us all into the water! It was so funny - screams all round!
We were genuinely disappointed to finish but we were looking forward to the trip back to the campsite - the total distance we had rafted was 10km and the only way back was on a truck were we were all bundled into the back like cattle! we had to duck the trees and branches but got some amazing photos of the jungle - people still very much live there in little wooden huts. No seatbelt rules over here - anything goes on the roads!
When we finally arrived back at the house, we were all so busy worrying about our assessments and lesson planning that we didn't realise how horrific our sunburn was - red knees and shoulders and strips on our arms...thanks to loss of suncream in the river!
Anyway, fun is now over - this week we really have to put our heads down - the major observations loom with the most important people in International schooling over here. No pressure.
See you all very soon!!!
Rafting began with a water confidence excercise: we were floated down a rapid on our back and had to swim for dear life to get to the edge of the water when we came through it. Of course with me, there must always be a twist!
I swallowed half the river while floating along and then struggled to open my eyes and swim to the edge...nothing unusual we were all the same. However, 1 group of rafters were terrible at controling their boat and came right over the top of me, forcing me under the raft unable to breathe! I had to be yanked out from underneath and a life rope thrown to me to pull me ashore before I hit another rapid....as you would imagine, I was a little shaken when I managed to get onto solid ground!!
Amazingly though, it didn't put me off and I got into the boat ready for more! I knew that that experience could never be repeated as if I fell out of the boat, a guide would be right beside me ready to pull me up again.
So, we set off - commands like "boom boom" meaning "crouch in the boat or be trown into the air", "on the job" meant "we're out of the woods so paddle for all your worth" and "1,2,3... High 5" meant "launch your paddles into the air, cheer and slap the water as loud as possible"! It may sound like madness but it was soooo fun!
When we got half way, we stopped for a rest but our guide told us to quickly jump to the left side of the boat. I launched myself over to the other side and of course this tricky move we needed to do to save ourselves was nothing more than a chance for him to tip us all into the water! It was so funny - screams all round!
We were genuinely disappointed to finish but we were looking forward to the trip back to the campsite - the total distance we had rafted was 10km and the only way back was on a truck were we were all bundled into the back like cattle! we had to duck the trees and branches but got some amazing photos of the jungle - people still very much live there in little wooden huts. No seatbelt rules over here - anything goes on the roads!
When we finally arrived back at the house, we were all so busy worrying about our assessments and lesson planning that we didn't realise how horrific our sunburn was - red knees and shoulders and strips on our arms...thanks to loss of suncream in the river!
Anyway, fun is now over - this week we really have to put our heads down - the major observations loom with the most important people in International schooling over here. No pressure.
See you all very soon!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
