Monday, November 26, 2012

Kids say the DARNDEST things, AD style

So I am consistently amused by some of the things my kids say.

As a teacher, I hear hilarious crap on a minutely basis. If you are a teacher and/or have a child and/or have ever heard what kids think, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

Here are some GEMS I found while marking my students' spelling books:

1. "I put the cream in my body."

Do you now??

2. "I bring the nail for my dad so he to make a house with a wood."

Really great effort here. This kid is smart, but sometimes she thinks about 4 million words at once and just HAS to write ALL of them down.

3. "I head the helmet by safe."

...yes you do. 

4. "My Dad and Mum eat a jum."

The word is supposed to be jam but the rhyming is nice. I may make this into a song.

5. "The moon make a sparkle in a sky."

Lol...

6. "At night, it is moon."

It sure is.

7. "I clean a teeth with my tube." (My personal favourite)

How incredibly gross/innocent is this? All I have to say is... what?!?!?!

This next gem of a sentence was written on a test where the students had to use the word "email" in a "meaningful sentence":

"I email a cake."

I gave this student full marks because this is effing adorable. 

The next few gems are things my students have said in class. Amazing.

Me: What's three plus two?
"Yellow."

"Miss! He look at me!"

Context: We were talking about what my stuffed monkey, Jimby, might eat:

Me: Jimby likes to eat bananas. What else does he like to eat?
"Jimby eat flowers."
"Jimby eat computers."
"Jimby eat electricity." (My personal favourite)

Me: What happens when a fish is out of water?
"It die!"

Me: What animals can fly?
"Santa can fly."

Me: Can you touch fire?
"It no soft! It die!"

Me: Can plants move?
"Flowers make a babies."

That answers exactly what I asked...

So there you have some of the funniest quotes from my class. Trust me, there will be more to come.
I still can't get over "I clean a teeth with my tube." I hope you know she MEANS tube of toothpaste...

Until next time,
This is Mrs. S. Wun, Teacher extraordinaire!








Love Seat: Episode Two

And now another episode of Love Seat.
Note my wicked head scarf. Comfort at its finest. :)

With love,
the Wuns


Embrace your inner Dhabian

Here's a vlog about embracing life and all its majesty despite bad days and stupidity. I videoed it when Bernard was in Lebanon. We have internet now (cotton candy erupts from a volcano of love and triumph) so NOW I can upload it.

Enjoy.
S 1



Thursday, October 25, 2012

Teaching in the AD: A passionate vlog

Hello friends, family, lovers and others,

Here I speak about teaching. I think at this point I had been teaching for about two weeks. Now I'm two months in so the next vlog will be super deep and much more focused (and less tired). Oh September... you were a hard month.

Enjoy!

Yours teacherly,
Sarah Wun


Love Seat: Episode Wun

Hello all,

This is from like a month ago, but since our access to internet is intermittent, it is difficult to post anything ever.

In this vlog, Bernard and I greet you from our sofa in a cute little series we have titled "Love Seat". Please, join us on YOUR love seat and listen as we bitch about this country and its differentness.

Note: Bernard is exhausted. Jetlag for the win...?
Note: Love Seat: Episode Two will be more upbeat because we won't be exhausted and bitter (as much).
(Best thumbnail ever)

With love,
S and B 1



Perspective Pizza

Salama my friends,

I am in a really good place so I thought I would blog about it.
To be honest, I've been having a really hard time adjusting to life in Abu Dhabi. TESL prepared me! My teacher told me I'd experience all the feelings I have been experiencing, and as much as I knew I'd feel bitter, angry, sadness, overwhelmingness, fear, isolation, etc. it still sucks. (Or sucked, rather).

I've changed my perspective! It is much easier to focus on the good rather than the bad now that visas are being processed and I feel comfortable and "in the know" at work. It was really hard at the beginning to accept the fact that positive reinforcement doesn't exist at my school and that I would have to help myself whenever I needed anything. This is hard to do when you know little to nothing. Now that I KNOW no one will help me, I've taken the liberty in being super assertive, almost aggressive in getting things I need. As for things I WANT, they are unattainable. For example, the laminating machine. I will never laminate anything and I'm okay with that.

We received projector screens and laptops for "smartboard" type things in class (I'm not quite sure what a smartboard is, but I think I have one...). Now I feel better because I can write efficiently and SAVE my lessons if needed. We had one technology (ICT) training session. I'm really looking forward to more!!!

I'm starting to really love my students. The badly behaved kids are a challenge, and to be honest, they provide me with entertaining (albeit, filled with rage) stories for Bernard at the end of the day. I'm excited to tap into their good side and find out what makes them tick! ONE of my notoriously troublesome students was ALMOST good last week, so I rewarded him by writing "You were awesome today" with a heart and a happy face in his diary. He was reasonably quiet and did his work and didn't hit anyone (to my knowledge), so I felt like he deserved some praise. He was SO thrilled that I wrote something positive in his diary that he showed the other teachers, and one teacher gave him a kiss on the cheek. The other students laughed, but this didn't phase him -- he's the biggest (and likely the most intimidating student) in the class so if HE gets praise, I'm hoping the others will follow suit. I told him I was really proud of him. Now he knows the standard and I always remind him that he was SO good and that he must maintain it in order to get a reward. We'll see what happens. ;)

I gave 6 of my kids awards for good behaviour yesterday. I attached a "Terrificate" (terrific+certificate.... Bernard came up with it and this wordplay is why I love him!!!) to a Finding Nemo pencil and gave them out last period. Some of the students were not expecting awards and their faces were adorable when I gave them a terrificate, a note about their accomplishments and how much I appreciated them, and a pencil. Some students expected awards and didn't get one. Nah man. I have high expectations and now the students know it! I'm really looking forward to reminding the students of the awards they could get if they listen to and respect me. Maybe I'll print off the pictures I took of the award winners and display them on one of our boards in class! :)

Anyway, Bernard and I are adjusting better. Some days are a little frustrating (the language barrier, for example, is waaaay tougher than I imagined. I thought English would be waaaaaay more prominent... nope! Not for some things. Hah). Some days are okay, and because they are okay, I've decided they are awesome! :) It is now a four day weekend (Eid holiday) and I cannot believe we made it. At this rate, we will no doubt make it until Christmas and even until next year. I can't wait for more experiences.

I've had SO many I could write a book! I've had projectile vomiting students, swearing students (I was an "ugly bitch" the other day, according to a six year old.... can you believe it?!?! Bitch please, as if you are going to get away with that. Wait until Parent-teacher interviews... smackdown!). I've had my resources taken away, water covered floors, broken chairs, broken pencils, peeing students, bleeding students (it's not as bad as it sounds... paper cuts and little scrapes...), screaming students, a weird orange bug in the class that caused massive amounts of screaming. I told the kids "Stop shrieking at our new student! He just wants to learn!! He hands in his homework more than you!!" They don't understand my sarcasm... I really should be teaching older kids. :)

Alas, I'm going to stop there or this email will get too long. Here are some pictures for your entertainment:

Here is a picture of what the bags should look like in my class. On a good day, they'll be organized like this. 

Ah yes, a typical day. Messy bags = students who don't listen.

My "office". It's a kitchen. :) Haha!

My Eid gift. And now, a four day weekend. HAPPY EID! :) 


Monday, October 22, 2012

I Mosque Blog This!


Hello, fair people! I’ve returned to make yet another blog post. I couldn’t help but notice that the last one I’ve done was almost a month ago. This is unacceptable, especially since Sarah points out that she told everybody we’d be blogging lots.

In any case, Sarah and I met a wonderful couch surfing couple a couple of weeks ago and we all went to visit The Grand Mosque. We took some lovely pictures (of which we’ll share with you lovely people, of course) and generally had a great time exploring the mosque’s opulent majesty. They also have a blog so you should check it out if you're so inclined! They've been traveling for two years! H-core!


Fig 1.0.: Sarah and our couch surfing companions arrive at the mosque!

But, back to the mosque. First and foremost, in order to enter the mosque, one has to adhere to a very specific dress code. I, of course, was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, so naturally I could enter freely. However, Sarah was wearing a t-shirt and a skirt so she had to cover up with an abaya. According to Sarah, they’re actually quite comfortable and not as hot as you’d think it’d be! I did have the option to rock a dishdasha, but I opted against it. I felt like it’d be frowned upon for someone like me to wear one.


Fig 1.1.: This handy sign was there to illustrate proper attire! I think I'm the guy at the very end.

Anyway, I had never set foot in a mosque before so it was quite fascinating to me to take in all the design aesthetics of the space. From the marble mosaic courtyard (which I believe is considered to be the largest hand tiled mosaic in the world) to the elegantly hand woven carpet on the inside, The Grand Mosque was truly something that inspired awe in one’s breath.

It was also a strange mixture of modern decadence with a traditional and ancient typology. For starters, there was what looked like giant air turbines incorporated into the interior columns. I understand that in a mosque with an interior capacity of over 4000 people, body heat can become quite an issue making these air diffusers more of a modern aged necessity than a stylistic choice. Still, you can imagine my amazement at seeing such an advanced technology in a space that oozes with esoteric mysticism.



Fig. 1.2.: That's some high tech stuff!


Fig. 1.4.: Sarah hijabs it up in an abaya! Looks good on her, eh?


Fig 1.5.: The clever clogs who situated the mosque knew what they were doing. What an epic view!


Fig 1.6.: Here we are, looking pilgrim.


Fig. 1.7.: The inside of the mosque. It's super shiny!


Fig. 1.8.: Sarah has a brilliant idea inside the mosque - ding!


Fig 1.9.: A very blue chandelier!

Also, I couldn’t help but notice that the intricate and expensive custom carpet installed in the mosque had some areas around the columns that were obviously intended to be cut to fit, but failed. I have photographic evidence of this travesty. For a mosque that had billions of dirhams poured into its construction, you’d think that they’d spend a little more time and effort in making sure that detail was spot on. All I can do is shake my head and “tsk tsk” their glaringly apparent mistake.


Fig. 2.0.: Booooooo ...



We also learned a little bit about Islam on a guided tour of the mosque. The tour guide explained to us about the different prayer times during the day (shown on a digital clock in the mosque’s “foyer”) and how the Islamic prayer system works. It was really fascinating to see technology playing such an integral role in religion. However, as I walked by another tour guide explaining to her group about prayer times, I learned how people figure out prayer times without the assistance of a prayer clock – the way the Bedouins in the desert do it. Interesting stuff!

Alas, there’re lots more about the mosque that I could talk about but it’s late and I’m tired. So just enjoy the pictures!

Next post: Abu Dhabi’s Carpet Souk!
- Sheikh Bernard Al Awesome Bin Rockstar


MORE PICTURES!





 



Fig. 2.1.: We thought that this would make a great movie poster for an indie film that could possibly be called "Musl-I'm" about a young girl's struggle with her identity. Sundance Film Festival anyone?



Saturday, September 29, 2012

Where Is All The Hummus? And Shawarma?

Hello again!

Sarah is busy looking up cheap eats for us so I figure I'd make another blog post. This time it's about food!

For those of you who know me (and now for those of you who don't), I love food. It's delicious, it sustains me, it makes my tummy feel good, it adds to my ever expanding waistline, and depending on where you eat, it can immensely diversify your palette and cultural savvy. Yes, food is wonderful in so many ways! So you can imagine my delight at the opportunity to try some truly authentic Middle Eastern cuisine.

Well, consider that delight completely dashed. AD's cultural food selection isn't exactly the greatest. Let's refer to the Exhibit A - the Mushrif Mall food court. Yes, they have a couple of (overpriced) Middle Eastern-y restaurants, but they're outnumbered by Wendy's, KFC, Hardee's (or Carl's Jr. as some of you may know it as), McDonald's, Pizza Hut (that has a self-serve salad bar? What in the ...?), and lastly, a Subway. It's a veritable hodge podge of North American dining delights! But where are the hole-in-the-wall restaurants that serve up hummus and shawarma from a scary looking Lebanese man who vaguely reminds me of those Libyans from "Back To The Future"? You know the ones I'm talking about.


Fig 1.0.: Great Scott! THE LIBYANS!

Yes, I'm fully aware that Lebanon and Libya aren't the same country. Just go with me on this one, okay?

But I digress. Where are these delightfully sketched-out (but not actually sketched-out, I-make-shawarma-in-the-same-place-my-cat-does-doo-doo) restaurants? The hunt is on to find it! You would think it that with us being so close to the Middle East, i.e. in the Middle East, would make it incredibly easy to find a restaurant that serves up the good stuff. But thus far, nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I would say the Arabic equivalent to "nothing", but I don't know it. Cut me some slack! I've only been here for three weeks and everything is pretty much in English.

So, where else would one go for delicious, authentic, chickpea slurry goodness (hummus is basically pureed chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt)? How about the local grocery store where all the locals shop for their local foodstuffs? Yes, brilliant idea!

NOPE.

Turns out the only hummus they had was gross and smacked of chalk and despair. And it had a giant olive in the middle of it for some strange reason.


Fig 1.1.: A quick Google Image search shows this as "despair" and indeed, that hummus tasted the way this balding gentleman feels.

With the failure on both shawarma and hummus fronts, Sarah and I have given up our search for authentic Middle Eastern food temporarily. We'll continue it again when we're both a little more settled in our place and in our work lives. I'm convinced that there has to exist that one place that serves up Middle Eastern food that isn't super bland and tasteless. Or perhaps that's just how it's supposed to be? Is it possible that the Middle Eastern food tastes better in Canada than in the Middle East? No! I refuse to believe it! Come Hell or high water, I will have my brilliantly delicious shawarma!


Fig. 1.2.: The stuff that Middle Eastern dreams are made of.

There will be more food adventures to come! I've been cooking with strange Asian vegetables as of late. I got something called "Bangladesh String Beans". They're kind of wrinkly and incredibly long. I'm excited to see what they taste like! Also, we recently had Subway. I'm sure all of you know about Sarah's not-so-secret love affair with Subway's cold cut combo. Well, they don't have that over here (probably because the cold cuts they use are infused with pork) so she got a Subway club instead. A video of our experience enjoying that is yet to come!

Oh, and on an entirely non-food related note, look at this creepy toy I found at a discount store.



Fig. 1.3.: This must be the reason for uncontrollable children.

Until next time!

- Bernard



Thursday, September 20, 2012

We be vloggin': Teaching in the AD - Ep. 1


Here's Sarah's vlog about teaching in the AD. Watch and enjoy! Ms. Sarah demands it!

And here's the YouTube link for those of you who can't see it on here: http://youtu.be/zkuzZs1a72I

Sand Ants Are On My Bread and In My Head

While Sarah is hard at work trying to teach her class something useful, I'll make a blog post here to try and teach the rest of you something entirely useless.

Lesson 01: Sand Ants
Sand ants will crawl all over a bag of bread trying to get to the deliciously soft goods within no matter how futile their effort may be. That's just the way they operate. Also, I think they're on my head but that might just be paranoia.

See how useless that is to know? Good. Now use that information to go forth and conquer.

I suppose you'd like some actual information regarding our stay in Abu Dhabi. Well! Allow me to share some more delightful tales of our experience here.

I think I'll start with the stop signs here. Apparently, they prove to be highly ineffective with drivers. Despite it being written in both English and Arabic (none of this "I couldn't understand what the sign said" business!), the drivers here seem to take a stop sign as an invitation to speed up and blast through an intersection. I've witnessed this happen with about every single car I've seen.

Oh, oh! I also saw a fender bender! It was exciting because I've never seen a fender bender outside of Canada. And it was totally the person in front who should be at fault - he stopped in the middle of the intersection on a green light. Explain that one to me!

Anyway, back to stop signs. So, the stop signs basically don't work here. I've even found that my classic "let-me-cross-or-I'll-pull-you-out-of-your-car-and-beat-you-to-within-an-inch-of-your-life-with-a-baseball-bat" stare down had no effect! Unbelievable! Now I've got to wait for all the cars to blow through a stop sign before I can cross. Bah!

There are also lots of cats over here. And I mean lots. They litter the streets and garbage bins like dry leaves on the forest floor in autumn (poetic, I know). It'd be okay if they were all cute and cuddly but they're quite the opposite! The majority of them are pretty scrawny which shouldn't really surprise me - their diet is, after all, dust and maybe a chicken bone if they're lucky. Just take a look at this fella, he's got no meat on him:


Fig. 1.0.: A disgustingly mangy cat.

Don't be fooled by his "cute" eyes. Not moments later, Sarah was being surrounded by a clowder of cats waiting to ambush her for food. We promptly hissed and scared them away.

Bonus cat factoid: did you know that a male cat's penis has around 120 - 150 backwards pointing barbs so that when it's withdrawn from the female, it scraps the inside of her vagina stimulating ovulation and removing any semen from previous cats? You can never un-know this now!

Cats are a**holes.

Moving on the non-feline related information: look, a picture of the sun at dusk!


Fig. 1.1.: The sun sets in the west and I'm still dripping sweat. Unbelievable.

We also took a joy ride last week down to the city center. The buses here are super cheap and not that bad to ride. They have a "ladies only" section of the bus at the very front where only "ladies" are allowed to sit. It's rather entertaining to see the back of the bus packe to the brim with a bunch of tired, sweaty workers and ten empty seats at the front of the bus staring at them.

Anyway, here's what a part of the city looks like:


Fig. 1.2.: The very metropolitan city center (I think). There's a sculpture of a cannon in the distance.

Last, but not least, I present to you a picture of Prince Pocket. Those of you on Facebook will have already seen it but I figured that for the benefit of our non-Facebook enabled friends I should post it here for you to check out:


Fig. 1.3.: Prince Pocket - he steals cookies from the rich and gives them to the starving poor. My hero!

Yeah, there are a lot of things like that around here. I have a feeling that I'll be endlessly entertained by bizarre food products and descriptions written in broken english.

That's all for now! Until the next blog post!

- Bernard



Wednesday, September 19, 2012

We vloggin': Living in the AD

Here is a video of us in our new apartment. If it does not work, please go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VHCe1Yf0Ps&feature=youtu.be to check it out. So help me if it doesn't work. I spent like 45 minutes uploading this bitch.

Peace bros. 

Keep on rocking in the free world


Hello all.

Whilst I wait for this damn video to upload, I'm-a write a blog post! So it is Wednesday which means tomorrow is UAE Friday!!! Tomorrow is the end of the week and then I'll have myself a glorious weekend.

There's an in service KG teachers meeting tomorrow evening (I think... it was supposed to be on Saturday from 10-12 but people complained so I think it's end of day tomorrow). I'm looking forward to a bit of TRAINING! Watch... I'm probably doing everything wrong... I jest. I know how to rock this stuff. ;)

Bernard and I are currently at Tim Horton's doing our weekly internet check. I figured I would try to post as MUCH as possible in order to give you all an adequate update to tide you over until next week. Haha :) We're posting over coffee (and a mint tea for me!!). Good times.

Today I had 5 periods. I had two Englishs, two Maths, and a Science. That's quite a bit. There are 8 periods in a day. I usually cover snack and break as well. Today I didn't have break duty, but I had some misbehaving students so I had to cover break by watching them with their heads down for 30 minutes. I couldn't eat my lunch because you literally have to watch every move these kids make! It's pretty hardcore.

I'm really looking forward to like November when I feel "in" with people and have a nice "routine" built up. We currently have a bit of a routine, but in the school it's kind of chaotic until classes are finalized and all the students get their books and stuff. These kids have a lotttttt of books. I think I counted about 27 PER student. Sweet Jesus. And I have to sort them!!!! And keep track of them!!!!

Anyway, life is hard but good and it's super busy which is super nice because before you know it, we'll be back and this will be just another wicked experience. :) We're going with the flow and it's pretty cool at the moment.

I feel pretty blessed to be able to have this experience. Really. We have a paid for apartment, we get to experience a pretty cool yet different culture, and I have a chance to change the lives of some students and influence them positively to respect and be mannerly toward future staff members and citizens!

THAT... is pretty cool. :)

Yours,
Sarah Wun

Here we GO!


September 17, 2012

It begins …

SO! It has been one week for Bernard and I. We have been in the UAE for one whole week. Things are starting to fall into place. I have lesson plans coming in, the students are starting to remember my name, Bernard is finding a regular mall routine, and we have food and cutlery. Life is good.

As for teaching, there’s a lot of stuff I just didn’t know was going to happen. Shock number one: I am an “everything teacher”. I don’t just teach English; I teach every subject that isn’t Arabic or Islamic. Therefore, I teach English, Maths, Science, and Art. Jesus. SO that’s a lot of work!!!!

I thought I was going to be the ESL teacher. I am, but for all subjects (except Arabic and Islamic… language and religion).

Guess what?!?! I also teach HEALTH! (Sex education anyone?) It’s kind of cool. Right now, I’m teaching the students similarities and differences between toddlers and babies, which seems a hop, skip, and a jump from “write the word ‘see’ very neatly in your book three times”. Science is pretty hardcore and maths and English are fairly straightforward (well… to me anyway). The levels in the class are extremely varied. I’ve got some students who soar through work like nobody’s business and other students who don’t understand “hello”. It’s incredibly challenging when you top it all off with the worst behavioural problems known to man!! There is definitely a behavioural issue with Arabic children. They are sweet as pie but bad, bad, bad!

Oh, there’s also the call to prayer. We live very close to a mosque. Bernard hears the call to prayer 5 times a day. I hear it a few times (I cannot hear it in the school when I teach). We’ve essentially memorized it. They play it super loud in the malls. It’s majestic. It will be played 5 times a day until the end of time. Don’t worry. When Bernard gets back to Canada, he’ll sing the call to prayer for those of you who are curious.

Bernard’s Note: I’ve been doing vocal exercises in my spare time so that all of you may enjoy the miracle that is my “Call to Prayer”. I’ve even been asked by the local imam to sing it for them live instead of the recorded tripe they use.

No one has asked for proof that Bernard and I are married yet. I guess they just trust us. I hope they ask so that my marriage validation stamp is justified!! I paid money for that!! Growl.

I fiiiiiiiinally received some money to compensate for my visa cost and plane ticket. AED to CAD is really different so it looks like I have a LOT of money, but it’s not that much. Regardless, Bernard and I can evolve from cornflakes and raw vegetables to a much heartier diet selection next week. Despite our lack of food, my Chef Wun makes a gorgeous potato and leek soup with rice!! We’ve eaten that for dinner every day since we got here!! It’s mighty delicious. I want cookies and shawarma though.

Bernard’s Note: You would think that shawarma places would be as common here as diaper rash on a baby, but you’d be mistaken! Also, diaper rash is the worst.

SUBWAY DELIVERS. I MAY NEVER LEAVE THIS PLACE! (Lies. We’ll be home soon …)

Bernard’s Note: We better be.

Between 12pm - 4pm, every 6-inch sub is 10 AED (roughly $3) AND subway delivers, so Bernard and I can have a 6-inch sub and make it a combo for about 32 AED (10-12$). LIFE IS GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!! I may eat this every day constantly to keep me from going insane from the behaviour-less heathens.

It’s hot. Yesterday, Bernard and I walked to the bus (about 10 mins.) and got to the administration building around 4:20pm. It opened at 5pm so we had to wait … in the HEAT. It was like hot yoga. My legs were dripping sweat, and I don’t sweat (much). It was quite brutal. Every day, the heat gets better and we get smarter (leave really early and go out really late … NOT between 1pm – 4pm). The average temperature right now is about 40°C – 42°C. It cools down to 35°C and 36°C … crazy. I’m really looking forward to winter. 26°C? Bring it on!!

Bernard’s Note: I was actually getting really cold in the mall and at home. Despite the AC bringing the room temperature down to a comfortable 25°C, I felt comparatively freezing. So much so, that I had to step outside to thaw my frozen extremities.

 I get up at 5:30am each morning and leave for school at 6:30am. My colleagues think I’m crazy, but I prefer to walk in the heat before the sun fully comes up!! Screw 7:30am!!

So I walk to school around 6:30am, arrive at 6:40am, organize my classroom, meet my students at 7:10am -7:20am, take them upstairs to class, entertain them until 8:00am, and then school starts officially. I’ve been reviewing rules this week. I say the rules super strictly and scowl as I say them so as to give off a frightening demeanor and instill fear in the children. I jest.  

There are 8 periods in a day, plus snack and break. I teach between 4 and 5 periods and cover break and usually snack. I have long days!! I usually get home between 3:00pm – 4:00pm. I do work at home as well. I hope eventually when things become routine, work at home will be less and less.

Alas, it is 8:08pm over here … so about noon for you all. Enjoy lunch. I’m headed to bed shortly. I had a 5:30am start, worked until 4:15pm, went to admin to do paperwork and pick up a cheque at 4:30pm, got home at 7:00pm, lesson planned, and wrote this email. Sarah is a busy bee!!! I MUST go to bed.

Bernard’s Note: I observed some sand ants crawling around on our balcony. I’m tired too!

Miss you all. I cannot believe that it has already been a week since we’ve been here! Crazy!! Tomorrow is Thursday (the end of the week!). Before you know it, it’ll be Christmas and then the homestretch until the summer.

Bernard’s Note: It’s always summer here. ALWAYS.

Good night!
The Pretty Wun & The Manly Wun