A break from winter!

20 weeks in Tokyo … that is all it has been … and now it is time for a little warmth and relaxation at home in Australia for Christmas.

The pace of life at school continued at full speed and what we have achieved has been remarkable, but it will be very nice to take a breather. Having said that, I do appreciate the calm and quiet that Tokyo has to offer. It really is contrary to how the city is portrayed in the media. When I have a moment, I enjoy walking to different parts of the city - to the parks, the various events and the shopping districts.


I am also getting used to the cold, especially when there are days of beautiful blue sky, but I am not looking forward to February, the coldest month. Snow in November was a surprise - the first time in 54 years and I realise I do need to be a little better prepared for the range of weather eventualities. Snow boots, wellies and a longer down jacket are high up on the shopping list.

I have also come to appreciate just how easy it is to get out of Tokyo and to explore the countryside. A school service learning trip to Minamisanriku, the town that was destroyed by the tsunami in 2011 was fascinating and  despite the background, was highly enjoyable. The stories the people shared were heartbreaking, yet they are now in such good spirits and are just getting on with the rebuilding of their town.
                           
An overnight trip to Atami on the coast, with three colleagues was most refreshing as well. We headed up to the hills to be rewarded with a sneak peak of Mt Fuji, but also soaked up the views of the ocean and the coastline. The highlight, however, was the 7 course dinner which we enjoyed wearing our yukata’s (like the 200 other people in the hotel) and the show!

 

There have also been some lovely celebrations to enjoy. A thanksgiving dinner, the 60th birthday of the head of school and my 50th!! How did that happen? But, in a good place I am!

And now, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

I made it - to Fall Break

What a whirlwind it has been, but I now have my first break from Nishimachi and am heading to Kuala Lumpur for a few days of relaxation before a leadership conference.

A little down time is well and truly needed as to say the least, school has been full on.

On the school roof

Not only have I been getting to know staff, students and processes (many of which are unwritten) but we have also had a few major events: Open Campus, Food Fair, Camps, a visiting consultant to begin the process of our new strategic plan and a Halloween festival. And, for those of you who were worried about what I would be doing with my day considering I don't have a teaching load - much of my days are taken up by the likes of: learning observations, assemblies, management meetings, curriculum meetings, PTA meetings, parent presentations, board meetings, trustee meetings etc .. Plus, I am re-energising the Grade 9 program and am meeting with various parents and teachers to get them on board.

Let’s just say there have been many challenges from many fronts, but I am enjoying it all and feel that I am having an impact to lift the quality of teaching and learning.

Not only have there been challenges at school, but in also setting up my apartment, but it is now all sorted and I feel very settled. As new staff, we are provided with rental furniture for the first two months with an option to buy back, but as expected it is quite expensive. So, after a full week at school I would be then making trips to Ikea and Nitori (Japanese Ikea), plus electrical stores to acquire all that I need. My measuring tape lived permanently in my bag, as even getting a bin to fit the space I had was a challenge. But after constructing a sofa, table and chairs, coffee table, bed, bedside tables, sofa bed, desk and filling cabinet, and ordering curtains for six windows, I am now done. My brother, David, was a huge help in this area and we had many a laugh along the way!

Surely, that’s the hardest couple of months!

Naturally, I am enjoying the food here - but the lack of English menus is a little daunting and I am determined to pick up my Japanese. I have also enjoyed doing a little cooking of my own, but I am not sure about doing housework and ironing for myself. That is certainly over-rated!  As is this cooler weather! Fancy having to think about layers!!

I have found a yoga studio that I like, but am yet to get to a gym. Luckily, my only form of transport is my legs, so am doing a lot of walking but am looking forward to having the challenge of doing something a little more physical.

You will be pleased to know that I am also getting out to enjoy the spoils of all that Tokyo has to offer and in just the last 10 days I have visited the Tsukiji fish market, Hama-riyku gardens, Roppongi Arts Festival and the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum! Plus, I have been on camp in the mountains and had a visit to the beach. In this regard, it is such a contrast to Ho Chi Minh, and I do miss that chaos, the food and the people, but this is home now and I am so pleased to be here.
More pics

Tokyo - a great start!

Two weeks, that is all it has been in this amazing city, but I have done and seen so much and feel so at home.

The full complement of teachers begin tomorrow and I am positive about the prospect as we have a great leadership team. We have shared many a laugh and have the same outlook on education so that is very exciting.  One highlight was a trip to our sister schools two hours north of Tokyo. It was great to see the countryside and also be treated to a very traditional lunch. 

I have found an apartment that I like and will be able to move in at the end of August. It is brand new, has a great outlook over greenery and is a ten minute walk from school. In the meantime, it is very nice being able to stay with my brother and sister-in-law; also a ten minute walk from school.

 

A day on the hop-on-hop-off bus today, enabled all us newbies to get a sense of the city outside our immediate area. We enjoyed visiting a traditional shrine, plus the port area with its 'beach', funky architecture and lunch at a pirate restaurant. (The only restaurant without a queue).

Of course I have done my own explorations, and I am loving the blend of parks, and the bustling cityscape. But, there a few unique facts of the city that I am still getting used to: the quiet - especially on my eaarly morning walks, plus the long rotation of the traffic lights and waiting for the 'green man' to cross the road. (I have only been told off once, for crossing against the lights on a backstreet, with not a car in sight!)

I also experienced my first little earthquke today and there is a typhoon on its way later this week, so there is never a dull moment! Luckily, the heat/humidity is not an issue, when comparing it to Vietnam, so overall - life is good!

Photos of my first adventures in Tokyo

Good Bye Vietnam

 


The time has come to say goodbye to Vietnam and it is with a heavy heart that I write this, as it is certainly a country that gets under your skin.
The sights, tastes, smells, smiles and laughs have been amazing.
The people I have met and the friendships forged have enriched my life beyond measure and I am so grateful to have had this amazing opportunity.

                    

I have enjoyed my final two weeks here, visiting my favourite haunts, spending time with some amazing people, yet more exploration and even a couple of days on the beach at Cua Dai, a short jaunt from Hoi An. I also had a quick look around Da Nang, which is another great city with its beach, the mountains, the river and its wide tree lined streets.

 

  

Of course, my experiences here have been many and varied, but given time to reflect I have come to realise that some of favourite experiences  have involved being on my motor scooter or on the back of a motorbike - and I am proud to say that I did not have one bingle, nor was I stopped by the police!
The freedom that this iconic Vietnamese transport enabled was a real buzz and ensured that I saw life as a local. Just to name a few particular moments: Riding around Con Dao island, on the back of bike around Hue, with Liz and I on the back of a bike at Ba Be Lakes and my trip from Buon Me Thot to Dalat. Fun, fun times, and such great memories!

Three weeks in Australia awaits before my next adventure in Tokyo.

Tạm biệt and cảm ơn

Another school year ends ..

This therefore means that my time in Saigon is coming to an end too. Although I have two weeks of administrative work to go, the students finished on Thursday and the main staff body on Friday!
As you can imagine, it has been quite an emotional few days as the goodbyes have been said.

I am, however, pleased to say that I know I have impacted a number of students in ways that I could not have imagined and that I am leaving the school a better place than when I started.

This has been made possible by the great educators that I have worked with and the students. They really are an amazing bunch of people.
Our last week of school consisted of an activities program and it was so good to see the students of all ages and backgrounds displaying the traits of the IB Learner Profile, that we have worked so hard to instill.

The energy in the school on Thursday in particular was fantastic with staff vs students challenges, a whole school quiz and a student led assembly and was a great way to finish.

I have learned so many things from so many people here, but it has been well and truly reinforced that my main role as a leader is to develop the leaders of tomorrow.

And, of course: Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around.

You will also be pleased to know that I will be continuing to explore the delights of this place until the end!

EasyRiding in the Central Highlands

After a very successful and exciting week in Tokyo to transition into the new city and school, I again made the most of a long weekend, for Independence Day, and headed off the Central Highlands.

I flew into the town of Buon Me Thot and was there met by Mr Hung, my pre-arranged Easyrider driver and off we set to see the local sites. Three days later, he dropped me at the Dalat airport and what a fabulous way to see the countryside and interact with the local people, it was.

I loved the tranquillity of the waterfalls, Lak Lake, the rolling hills, the coffee plantations, the cottage industries, and the smiles of the people.

We visited the villages of three ethnic minority villages; Ede, Mnong and Hmong and it was fascinating to see the simple and traditional ways of life of these people.

  

The more I see of this country, the more I am fascinated as it has such variety. There is of course still much more to see, but I certainly feel that I have made the most of my time here and I will be sad to leave.

 A link to more photos of the trip

The mountains of the north

With my partner in adventures back in town, Liz and I have had an amazing week in the north of Vietnam. After an overnight in Hanoi we headed straight to Ba Be Lakes a six hour drive north of the big smoke and the passing scenery certainly gave us an indication of what was to come. Green, green and more green.

The mountains and the rice paddies were spectacular and the people also had a very different look, particularly the women with their rounder faces and headscarves.

Once walking down the village pathways the tranquility of the area was overwhelming, as the people went about their work in the paddies and fishing.

The next day was one the highlights of my many days of travelling. We trekked for 8 hours under the guidance of a sprightly Mr Ninh, a 74 year old to an Hmong village. The first few hours were up, up, up along little goat tracks through the jungle until we arrived at a mountain top meadow which housed the population of 250.

We entered a local home to eat our packed lunch and it was so nice that we were not idolised. Merely given a little table and stools. Our simple lunch was perfect - sticky rice which was still warm after being wrapped in banana leaves dipped in crushed peanuts with salt and a couple of freshly fried eggs. Then, we were invited to join the family around the fire. They were so proud to have us in their home and the women were so natural in their traditional attire. The walk back was long but thankfully easier and gave us further changes to admire the magnificent mountain scenery. Plus, there was a sneaky motorbike ride with three of us on the bike to finish off - sans helmets of course!

The following day was a boat ride on the lakes and Norwegian fjords is the immediate comparison that I must make. Stunningly beautiful without the tourists and accompanying infrastructure.
Another quick stop in Hanoi and then a train trip took us to Tam Coc - an area of limestone karsts and yet more rice paddies. Again so spectacular and peaceful when you were off the tourist beat. Unfortunately, a light drizzle set in for our last couple of days and visibility was greatly reduced! It was nice to be cool for a change but it would have been oh so good to have seen some blue sky. More photos of the north