Lived Through the First Week of School, But it Left a Mark

Orientation week was rough.  Too many meetings, not enough time to work with my new Assistant Teacher, Susie, to get our room/materials ready.  Ready or not, the kids arrived on August 10, 2015.

They're cute, smart, funny and energetic.  We spent the first week getting to know each other and practicing our routine and procedures.  Most now know that in the morning when they arrive, they put away everything from their backpacks, get out a slate to write "Today I feel...........because........" and then get their morning work sheet and get busy.

I write those directions on the board and they can read them!  Last year, nope.  Huge step ahead.  Thanks to our AIS kindergarten/Montessori teachers!

In addition to teaching a new group of first graders, I'm also leading our AIS Myanmar Flood Response effort.  I feel so lucky to have been so readily accepted in Myanmar - only seems right that I do whatever I can to help in the recovery from the devastating floods.

I'm also leading a WASC team.  We're working hard to get international certification.  It means that parents can be assured that the education their children get at AIS is comparable to what they would get in the United States.  It also means, if you graduate from AIS high school, you can get into an American university.  A huge step for the school, but involves a big time commitment.

On Wednesday morning I was up early.  Took a shower, put on makeup and was thinking about some things I wanted to add to the flood relief project plan I'd created the night before.  My bathroom has an "all room" shower.  There's no separate shower area so the water covers the bathroom floor.

As I took the two steps from in front of the bathroom sink to step out of the bathroom, I slipped on the wet floor.  I tried to grab the door jamb to catch myself but that didn't work.  Instead I crashed to the floor, face first.

I was freaked out - there was a lot of blood and I was afraid to fall again if I tried to stand up since the floor was still wet with water and now blood.  Instead I started yelling for help.  Within seconds my wonderful neighbors (all co-workers) came running.  They got the spare key to my apartment from Aye Aye Than and one of the women ran in to help.  I had grabbed a towel so she doesn't need PTSD counseling.

She tossed me clothes then helped me up.  I was still gushing blood so used a towel and tissues to staunch the flow as I finished dressing.  By then, the school had roused a driver (it was 6 a.m. by then) and I was whisked off to the hospital, with Aye Aye Than at my side to provide moral support and translate.

I was sure my nose was broken but xrays of my face and wrist showed that nothing was broken.  I got a bandaid on the gash on my nose, cotton stuffed in my nostrils to try to stop the bleeding and was back on my way to school.

The kids were a bit freaked out about how I looked but got over it after I explained that it was just like when they fell and scraped a knee - I just did it to my face.

How I look 4 days later.  I'll look better after I get my hair done this morning!  I am a bit disappointed I didn't get to go to Bangkok for a broken nose.  I was hoping to sneak in an eye lift...

Now, on Saturday morning, my face looks remarkably better.  Black eye, bruised cheek and chin and cut on my nose but swelling is better.  I have a Kardashian upper lip, with an impressive bruise on the inside of my lip.  That's actually the most annoying thing now.  I can't whistle but make interesting noises occasionally when talking and my swollen lip starts flapping.

Last year I slipped on the wet floor outside my apartment door and tore ligaments in my left wrist.  Now this.  And after school yesterday as I was coming back to my apartment I slipped but caught myself when I hit a wet patch of tile.  They guy with me did the same.  We were ok but 30 minutes later another teacher came to my door.  He slipped but couldn't catch himself and scrapped his arm to the point of bleeding.

Asia loves smooth shiny tile.  Lovely to look at, treacherous to walk on!

One last note - the morning I fell, when the kids wrote how they felt on their slates I was touched to read what one boy had written:  "I'm angry because Tr. Nancy hurts." 

Beware - nasty photos below...

What looks like blood on my mouth is actually my bruised, swollen upper lip.

My bathroom was a mess.

Back Home in Mandalay

This is going to be a quick update.  It's 4:57 a.m. on Tuesday, August 4, 2015.  My body is still trying to adjust to an 11 1/2 hour time change (and I used to complain about DST!) and arriving with a nasty cold.  I'm getting there but still dozing off at 8:00 p.m. and waking up too early.

Instead of lying in bed thinking about all I have to do before the littles arrive for the first day of school next Monday, I decided to get up and moving.  But first, a quick update.

School staff were waiting at the airport and as usual, immigration was no problem.  Driving through Mandalay to the school felt both so familiar and different.  Dusty, scruffy, crowded and so different from Lake Mary, a planned community with manicured road medians, gated communities and homeowner associations who rule with iron fists.

My apartment had been cleaned and reorganized a bit.  It took me less than an hour to unpack and get things sorted out.  That was Thursday.  Friday I woke up early and went to school to check on my classroom.  Oh, so much to be done and I was feeling puny and tired.  I went to the market and grocery store to stock my fridge then gave in to the cold and spent Sat. and Sunday in bed, feeling pathetic and sorry for myself.

Sunday I ventured out to buy a new kitchen cabinet which is perfect.  $25, which included free delivery.  Yes, this 4 1/2 foot tall cabinet was delivered by a guy on a motorbike.  Then carried up 3 flights of stairs with the help of one of the school staff.  No tip expected.  (I'll add a photo later, when technology cuts me a break.)

Yesterday was my first day of work.  Orientation, getting to know my new assistant teacher, Susie, and organizing the chaos in my classroom.  So much to do - decorating, organizing, lesson plans, assessment materials, etc, etc, etc.  If you're a teacher you know.  And since we have orientation meetings most of the week the work needs to be done around the meetings.  Happily, we had most of Monday afternoon free to get started.

Lots of new teachers have joined the staff.  We have a total of 70 foreign teachers.  Over 300 local teachers.  Almost 800 students.  We'll be undergoing the WASC accreditation visit/assessment this winter.  It's going to be an interesting year.

The new teachers seem enthusiastic and energetic.  Apparently jet leg doesn't impact 22 year olds as much as those of us who are a bit older.  The vast majority of new teachers are fresh out of university and many have had either limited or no experience in living abroad.  So far, though, they're taking it in stride.  Like last year, some made decorated name tags for outside our apartments.  Handy for those of us creeping up on our golden years in case we (ok, I) forget my name as I walk out my door.

I need to hop in the shower now and get moving.  I plan to get in very early and make some real progress before meetings start at 9:00 a.m.  Please send me positive energy so I don't doze off while leading my WASC committee meeting this afternoon.