When you have mono...!

The "kissing disease". That sickness that your friends got in high school and university and you teased them about incessantly because you bet they got it from making out...which I guess is better to the alternative of drinking out of an already slobbered on glass. In my time off school recovering from this sickness, I've been analyzing how I may have contracted this virus. Could it have been from...:
1. Making out. No. I've eliminated this as the cause for the virus, because, well, I have. It's not from kissing boys...as cool as that would be being a mere 10% of the human population that contracts this in their 30s. Woot!
2. Sharing drinks. Possibly. Not really sure. If it were closer to Oktoberfest, then I'd be more likely to zero in on this being the cause but hey, that was weeks and weeks ago!
3. Someone crying into my mouth. The virus is contracted through exchange of saliva or tears. I've ruled out saliva...and it's pretty safe to say no one has cried into my mouth in the past few weeks.
4. Kids slobbering on my PE whistle. The most likely of causes. My whistle hangs around my neck (it is impossible to teach 4-6 year olds without one!) and I've swatted away kids who've come to close all too often, but sometimes, my dear whistle ends up inside of a child's slobbery, blubbery, infectious mouth. These kids can be absolute germ magnets and I'm surprised I'm not sick more often with the amount of sick that passes through these kids, all the classes I teach and the amount that they touch me. This is probably the most likely cause so, if you're in your 30s, haven't had the virus, then put those whistles on lock down because it's a sure shot germ magnet with the amount of vying mouths that will attempt to wrap lips around it! Gross! *Note to self, change whistle when back at school!*

Now that I had determined where and who the likely culprits were to pass on this virus, I still had days to pass at home, alone, wishing I was at school.

The virus makes your pretty tired. Even the smallest tasks can take the most effort. If I walked around my house too much, I felt out of breath. I walked to the grocery store one day, and felt completely woozy and light headed when I got there. Strange as it's about a 250m walk. And I walked very slowly! That being said, sleep is the best cure to it all. After having the diagnosis for the virus for a week and three days, I feel a lot better with my 10 hour sleeps. Something that'll be hard to manage when I'm back to my normal schedule but I'll try to work it out. Sleep is very important! That being said, I'd go about doing something (anything) school related and feel completely exhausted after about an hour. Needless to say, I didn't get much done, aside from catching up on TV shows and reading a book that'll only take me another three months to finish at this rate. But, you gotta listen to your body.

I wanted to write a little list of things you can do, while you have mono, that won't take up too much of your limited energy stores:

1. Wake up sometime before the afternoon...but not too much before.
2. Drink lots and lots of water. Then be frustrated because you then have to walk to the bathroom to pee...but hey, it's good exercise.
3. Check your phone for What'sApp messages every 10 minutes. You know you don't have any, but check anyways because you can. Wonder why you don't have any? Start looking at all your previous chats and checking to see when the last time your friends were online. Oh wait, they're all working so it's been a while. Put your phone down, but not far, cause you'll need it again in 10 minutes.
4. Read 10 pages of a book...if you can get that far...then put it down because it's time for a nap.
5. Relocate from your bed to your sofa. It'll make you feel more productive. Maybe you'll even change from your pj pants to your comfiest joggers and hoody! Bold move, bold move!
6. Load up one of your favourite TV shows. Have you missed any recent episodes? Yes? Well, don't worry, you'll have lots of time to catch up. Have a nap midway through to make it last longer.
7. Eat soup. If you're as lucky as I was, you'll have friends/colleagues stop by and bring you yummy soup. Eat it. But not a lot and you won't want to but do it anyways. It's good for you despite your lack of appetite.
8. Eat dessert, which of course is a popsicle. Mmmmm, popsicles.
9. Facebook. All those videos and articles other people post on their walls that you never have time to check out...now you do! Check them ALL out. Then check out the ones on the sidebar too that catch your interest. Justin Bieber, man, you're breaking my heart. You've got it so good, why are you f***ing it all up? Come on dude!
10. Ponder life. You're pretty lucky to be here. And then smile cause you're happy.
11. So happy that you're going to have another nap to dream happy dreams.
12. Don't forget to take the meds you've been prescribed. Mmmmm, antibiotics and painkillers. This will, of course, not apply as you start to get better.
13. Think about all the things you could be doing, that you're not.
14. Check in with your mom. She's obviously worried sick. You don't feel that sick, you feel okay, but she thinks you're on your death bed so call her. NOW!
15. Well, it's almost bed time. An entire day gone. How'd that happen? Maybe you'll figure it out tomorrow when you sit around the house all day, alone, and go stir crazy.
16. Zzzzzzz

MIS Tanzania Projects 2013 - Day 12 - Mr. Msaki's Primary School in Moshi

This project was probably the most heart-wrenching and eye-opening experience of the whole trip. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met Mr. Msaki, to visit his school and for the potential we now hold to hopefully make a difference in the lives of the children who attend his school!

Months have passed since my trip to Tanzania with the MIS students but after an assembly put on by the students for the school a couple weeks before our Christmas break, I've been able to revisit the emotions and experiences of visiting Mr. Msaki's School in Moshi.

To say, "What a dump!" would be a complete understatement of what we saw on this day. We first arrived in the "Monster" and were greeted by Mr. Msaki who led us to his small two-room school house. It was comparable to what we saw with the school at our work project but the area was obviously a lot poorer. The kids were all about 4-6 years old, I'd guess. This visit wasn't initially on our itinerary, but after Mr. Msaki visited us at ISM on Sponsored Student Day, Mr. Joshi thought it'd be nothing for us to at least go and visit his school and honour his work...with no promise of this turning into an actual project. We really had no idea what to expect...

Hiiii! :)

Mr. Msaki up front...attentive student here :)

*Melting heart...*

We sat in the larger of the two classrooms - jammed in with about 40 kids - who sang us some songs and we had a demo lesson with them and their teacher. Afterwards, Mr. Msaki gave us a tour of the community around the school. That's when we realized this would/should be a project to really consider in the future...

The school...

The dump...

Birds as big as people!

As shocked as we were to see these sights, these women/people were just as shocked to see us!

Bath time...

Photo credits to one of the amazing Tanzania Trip '13 students - Laura, Nina or Anna

The school is located about 200m from a dump...a large, filthy, disease-ridden dump, infested with birds the size of humans. Children were playing here...adults were working to pull out anything they saw worth salvaging. We even had a scary moment with a man yelling at us as we took photos: understandable! We likely looked like self-righteous (mostly) white kids with fancy cameras on tour...offering no help, just looking on. I can imagine these people would have felt humiliated. Or would they? Gosh, it was all a lot for us to take in. The students were speechless. The other people we passed, as they went about their daily activities, stared back at us just as puzzled by what they saw as we were. I wasn't sure how to react at first but then decided that I'd just smile, say, "Jambo!" and wave. It was well-received for the most part as these amazingly spirited people (of all ages) did the same in return. I even gave one lady a hug and we were both flabbergasted by the exchange that had just happened. I didn't want these people to feel like they were on display. I initially felt bad, like we were invading their space...but then I thought, hey...if there's a potential for us, for this next generation of students, to make a real difference in their lives, then we'd be foolish not to try.

An emotional farewell as we departed from Mr. Msaki's school and had all of the kids waving goodbye to us. I don't think there was a dry eye on that bus...and it was a silent ride back to ISM.

Mr. Msaki's school has not strayed far from my thoughts since the trip. I made myself a promise on this day that I would return to Africa. I will work in an International School there but I will also donate my time to try and help educate the next generation of kids in a local school in my free time. I hope it will be in Tanzania. I dream that it will be in Moshi so that I can help at Mr. Msaki's school and work with this amazing man. I want to make a difference and know that I can...but this is the sort of thing that has to be well planned for. It's not something I can just up, go and do. I need to be a better teacher. I need to be better able to cope with living in/near a place like this. I need to prepare myself for the heartbreak of working with children who may be affected with disease or have parents who suffer from serious acute/chronic diseases that may even lead to death. I need to learn how to work harder in the face of these challenges. I need to learn to overcome tiredness and learn to invest my entire being in work like this. I need to be confident in the timing so I can best use my abilities to make a difference in the lives of these kids and this community.

Since our arrival back at MIS and the beginning of the new school year, I know students have had this non-project on their mind. I have no doubt it's something they think about too; it may even be something that haunts them. I don't think they could have really prepared themselves for what they saw that day...but I know it will remain one of the best experiences they'll ever have in their lives. It opened their eyes. It opened their hearts. A man as amazing as Mr. Msaki deserves someone fighting hard for him in his corner. He's a retired teacher/principal who rescued these children from the dump to try and offer them an education. Who wouldn't want to try to help out a hero (truly deserving of this title) like this? I only hope I can get that chance! I will eternally be grateful to him and aspire to be an educator more like him. His ability to understand and pursue the educating of children that many may have just seen as hopeless...or written of as a lost cause...is unlike any other form of dedication I've ever witnessed. This man is the true definition of a Saint and I am eternally grateful to him for inspiring me to be more than 'just a teacher'...for helping me to see what power I hold and the journey that I can take in this incredible profession. I will make a difference and I will never take for granted this responsibility I have for the youth of not only the students I teach, but the learners of the world.

Budapest, Hungary - Top 5s :)

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2014 has started off brilliantly for me. It really has. I am so thankful (and lucky) for that! :) It's been a great Christmas vacation for me and it's not over yet!
On Sunday, December 22, a friend/colleague of mine and I hopped aboard a train to Budapest; the Railjet via Salzburg, Vienna and a number of other places, to be exact. We were set for a 7 hour train ride during which time I surprised myself by reading a large chunk of a book - a chapter book - a novel! Admittedly, I'm not a big reader. I'm more into listening to music and if you've ever seen me around an iPod and speakers, you'd clearly see that. No matter, the distance and the reading, I was excited to explore another new city that had always been on my list.

We spent five days in Budapest and all five days offered a new perspective, a new level of comfort, a new aspect of good impression for the people and this Hungarian capital city. It was great. To list some of the city's top fives, I thought I could give you more insight into a Christmas visit to this central European, former Austro-Hungarian Empire city.

Top 5 Best Things about our Budapest Apartment Rental:

1. Norbert, the owner, gave us four pages of typed up information about the area surrounding the apartment/in the city area that he recommended for us. We knew everything we'd need to upon arrival.
Norbert's Apartment on Trip Advisor
2. The apartment's high ceilings were so impressive and we loved this old-style apartment.
3. Every time we came home from hours of walking around the city (we just walked everywhere!), it was so warm, cosy and toasty.
4. There was information available on the book shelves and upon arrival and key hand-over process, Norbert and his mother took out a map, circled and drew places we should go, gave us more information about the immediate area and were on deck to answer any questions we had. Incredibly helpful and we're incredibly thankful!
5. The apartment's location was fantastic. It was located less than five minutes from a metro station but we decided to walk everywhere. Every sight in the city was accessible by foot, from our apartment, within 40-45 minutes. Easy. We figured out the city pretty quickly on foot and it was a nice feeling of familiarity by the time we left! :)

Top 5 Best Things Food/Drink related in Budapest:

1. Happy Hour. Every bar/restaurant seemed to have happy hour between the hours of 5 and 8...not only was there happy hour for drinks but someplace had happy hour pizzas! Cue our first place of food/drink - Pompei. They don't have a website, and I don't want to come across as biased about a restaurant...who are we kidding, that's exactly what I'm going to do. I take food very seriously. Very, very seriously. It was on a pedestrian street and you could find it here:  
1061 Budapest | Liszt Ferenc tér 3
It was delicious and so cheap (about half the cost of anything similar in Munich) and we had a pizza and two cocktails each for about 25Euros total. I recommend the piña coladas and the pizza was a manageable size with delicious, fresh made dough.
2. TGIFriday's. We saw this place on our way back from the thermal spa - a big day of chilling, relaxing and spa-ing but also a big day of walking. We saw the red and white striped awning and knew we had to stop. Stomachs growling, I already knew what I wanted before I sat down...the ribs didn't disappoint. Neither did the cocktails, again, for happy hour prices! Strawberry daiquiris - amazing as usual - sure I'll take an ultimate! The best part was the price - again, half the price of a similar experience in Munich...probably more than half the price, actually! You can't complain! Our waiter was also fantastic and helpful and overall, it was a great dining experience. We went back again a few nights later.
3. Christmas Eve Dining. Yup, it's next to impossible in this city so you might want to stock up at the grocery store and cook up your own feast, or find a local family to enjoy this festive meal with. In Hungary, it's more traditional to have a Christmas feast on Christmas Eve and then open the presents and celebrate before the actual 25th. Because of this, most restaurants are closed. After an hour and a half of walking, and scoping our options, we ordered our Thai food and were carrying it home for a late dinner at 9pm; we left at 7 with hungry tummies! The Thai food we got though, was delicious. The place was packed, the staff were stressed but they managed well. I left a tip for the main waiter because he was working so hard and efficiently. You gotta love those people who go the extra mile. So, this delicious Thai food can be tried for yourself any day of the year at: Kaeng Som Tom Yum
4.  Christmas Lunch. After the Nutcracker (see below Top 5), we stopped at Buena Vista to have a look at the menu. A professional looking young man brought out an additional menu for us to look at so we decided to give the place a try. Turns out, it was a good decision. When we walked in, we were the only ones, but within 5 minutes, 3 other tables came in and seated themselves as well - post ballet rush! :P For our Christmas lunch, I decided to get bruschetta to start followed by a chicken caesar salad. To drink: fresh squeezed lemonade. Yum. Everything was delicious and I was satisfied with the service and the establishment as well; a darn good restaurant choice for Christmas lunch! :) We even sprang for dessert - crème brûlée - and we did not at all regret the decision. For this meal, I paid about 20Euros which I thought was a steal!
5. Christmas Dinner. I've covered the three main meals (assuming you eat Christmas Breakfast in your hotel/apartment/accommodation) during the holidays. This meal was eaten at Fresco - a restaurant across the street from Buena Vista. We thought the menus from the two restaurants were incredibly similar so upon inquiry about this, we found out they had the same Russian owner. The waiter at Fresco was our best waiter yet; he was giving us information about shopping and chatting with us about the importance of quality service and food. I appreciated that. I was planning on getting a hefty rib-eye steak but was convinced to get the turkey steak instead which I did not regret. It was cooked to perfection and I had my turkey after all!... Of course, it was missing its stuffing and other sidekicks but it was turkey! The salad that came with it was bland and I didn't much enjoy it, but the dessert paired with the turkey made this place worthy of a positive review and a top five food entry! What did I have for dessert? Chocolate souffle. Well played, Melinda, well played.

Top 5 Things to Do/See in Budapest via Photograph:

1. Szechenyi Bath. Amazing. Book yourself a massage upstairs too - pricey at 45Euros for an hour, but well, well worth it for an hour of relaxation therapy! 

2. Jasmin Facial. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo, but this was a fantastic facial experience. Nearly two hours of pampering and soothing facial care by a lovely lady who was really knowledgeable in what she was doing = trip highlight for me. I paid 35Euros for this treatment using all organic, non-animal tested products from Australia. I'd highly recommend it if you're on a spa holiday anyway! 
Jasmin Skin Care Spa

3. Explore. The best part of visiting a new city, is the adventure of exploring it on foot. A big shout out to my iPhone and Google Maps for making this an easy task. Just walking around the city, and finding our way, offered beautiful views and photographic opportunities. Budapest is a great walking city with lots to explore!

Vajdahunyad Castle

Heroes Square

Awesome use of "green space" :)

National Library

The Danube :)

Gellért Hill

Liberty Statue or Freedom Statue

Gellért Hill Stairs...moments before my mate got pooped on by a bird - appropriate! :P

Széchenyi Chain Bridge on my way to Buda Castle

Matthias Church

Buda Castle offers awesome views of the Parliament, especially when construction is happening that blocks access to the building on the other side.

Lion

Buda Castle views

4. Christmas. Though religion is something I/we/everyone sees different points of view on, I love celebrating Christmas. It's easily my favourite holiday. Why? Mostly because of the good company, the love and the food. It's once a year where everyone is together, laughing, smiling and eating. That being said, when I'm away from home, I have to find ways to enjoy the season more. I decorate my house and I like to gather my friends around. In Budapest, we did the following to explore Christmas abroad:

Opera House - See #5 :)

Pretty Christmas lights :)

St. Michael's Cathedral...

is the location of a lovely Christmas market and...

Four Seasons Hotel Christmas Tree - Beaut!

On the hour, this church came to life. It was amazing. Animated awesomeness!

St. Michael's Cathedral

Christmas lights :)

Christmas market goodies - chimney bread!

Giant sized Advent wreaths everywhere.

More Christmas Market goodies...such lovely smells!

5. The Nutcracker. It was an incredible way to spend Christmas morning away from family, friends and other loved ones. Man. The talent of the children and adults with their dancing was exceptional. The orchestra provided an awesome soundtrack. The set crew put together the best set I've ever seen on stage for any sort of live performance. And it's the Nutcracker. My mate and I had been humming the tune every time we walked by the Opera House (which was a lot) and it was only fitting we went. Another highlight was wearing matching reindeer leggings to boot...obviously. Merry Christmas to us! :)

Main stage in front. No photo or videography...although there will always be the clown that tries!

Beautiful Magyar Állami Operaház

Big cheese for ballet, reindeer and Christmas :D

The Holidays are Coming!

While you sit and work away on schoolwork, tidy the house or just want something to pass the time, get yourself in the holiday spirit with some of your favourite movies!

http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/christmas/articles/64/title/watch-101-classic-christmas-videos-online

Thanks to my colleague, Jayson, for sharing the link! I'll tune into one of them now, as I prepare for the second last week of school before the break! Yay!

Happy Sunday, everyone! :)

Dating a Teacher...

So, a fellow "Blogger" posted this and I think it's fantastic. For the most part, it's true. But, being a teacher is kick-ass...and I am pretty stoked to do the job I do. Many of these statements are true though. Now, I must get back to making a master copy of a colour-coded highlighter graffiti-ed math curriculum document while I watch a Christmas movie! :)

Love, Teach Blog

Things About Living Abroad...

I just saw this on Facebook and wanted to share and comment. It's very true, what's written, and one of the most frustrating things I find in being an expat and living away from home, is my ability to discuss my experiences with my loved ones at home. Many of them can't relate. Many of them just don't care. Some of them even think that my stories are only being told to make them jealous. So, what ends up happening is that I just revert back to my 21 year old self and fit right in like I never left. Don't get me wrong, part of this is amazing - I love having this relationship with my friends and family where I feel time hasn't changed us...but part of it's a lie as I've grown so much, I've experienced the world and I can't share these experiences with them. So, I keep them bottled up. This is part of the reason why I started a blog but as I haven't had many of these life-changing experiences recently, I've not been so active. So, for all those of you out there who have a loved one living abroad, take a second to ask them something about their life abroad. I know you appreciate them and you probably even admire them for the courage they have to make such a big leap across the pond or the planet, but think about the day-to-day things they're faced with and don't forget to drop them a line to let them know you're thinking of them...since they're probably always thinking about you! :)

http://thoughtcatalog.com/rachel-rae/2013/11/10-things-about-living-abroad-no-turning-back/#Cb4S9IzD0P2Mls6p.01

Remembering to be Thankful... :)

Tomorrow (11/11) is Remembrance Day in my native country, Canada. As a teacher at an international school, I strive for my students to be globally-minded learners. It is also my duty as a representative and employee of MIS and the international teaching community, that I embody being globally-minded myself. I should be open-minded and responsible to learn and experience the traditions and cultures of my colleagues, my students and the world around me. While in Canada, tomorrow is a holiday to commemorate those who lost their lives fighting for Canada's freedom in various battles/wars, it's also a time to be thankful for what we have. Thank you to all the troops who fought and are still fighting to make the world a better place.

As we as individuals embody a variety of cultures, beliefs and diverse backgrounds, we all have one thing to be grateful for - the gift of living another day. Be it a rainy, cold Sunday or a difficult Monday full of challenges (and maybe even snow!), it's another day; it's another gift that we're lucky to have. So, as we celebrate Remembrance Day however we will and wherever we are, I hope that you make the most of your day, this gift, and that you take a minute to be grateful for all that you have; sometimes it's easy to forget! If you have 10 minutes, this is an uplifting video that will help you do just that: