Monkeys!

These guys like to play on the power lines and my roof. 

Just a typical view from my living room window.

Foreign Signs

I always find that when traveling anywhere, whether it be to the States or a third whorl country, one of the most hilarious things you encounter are weird signs.  My personal favorite is what is used here in the Philippines to indicate  a speed bump.

In case you can't quite make it out (I was taking this in a bit of a downpour) that sign looks like a mustache. Please note that speed bumps in the Philippines look the exact same as speed bumps anywhere else, one single raise part of the road.  Ironically the sign that posted near my house is right be for a playground. So I like to think of it less as "WARNING: Speed Bump Ahead" and more like "WARNING: Potentially Creepy Pedophiles Around" 

My Classroom!

So today was the first day I got into my classroom!!!  And in fact it's not one classroom, but two.

So upon my arrival at the school on Friday I discovered that not only was I teaching the high school art, but I was also teaching middle school... 7 & 8's... my favorite... (that was sarcasm by the way). But it could be worse, I could have had the grade 6's too, luckily they didn't fit into my schedule.  I haven't really figured out what to do for them yet, luckily I have until wednesday next week.

On the plus side my classrooms are huge and lovely. And there was only one leak in the roof and it minor, which apparently is pretty impressive. (Hands up for adequate roofing during rainy season!)

However I do have some minor art supply issues. I'm hoping that somewhere there's a couple boxes of art supplies hidden, or tucked away in some odd closet. These things happen in Canada all the time, so it should happen in foreign countries more right??? (I hope so.)  Because currently I have a huge role of canvas, lots of strecher, 7 gallons of gesso (canvas primer), yet I don't really have paint. I have several things of cheap orange craft paint, and then some pink and 2 small bottles of each of the primary colours. And when I say small I mean I would go through them in a two paintings, not that I would ever want to use it, because its has the same thickness as water.   Then there's the drawing supplies, which theres lots of, and good quality. The only problem is I only have coloured construction paper.

But on the positive side my classrooms look like this.....

And my desk is currently pretty clean

And really when you live on a tropical island, and you have monkeys that play in your backyard, and theres only a minor leak in classroom roof, which happens to be over the sink, and even if you don't have any supplies, and you do have to teach grade 7's, can you really have a bad year? I didn't think so.

Off on my Adventure!

So I’m currently sitting in the Pearson airport, waiting to start my epic 36 hours of travel.  I have followed in the family tradition of creating a blog when abroad.  Here you will be able to check in with, see what’s going on and hopefully reassure you that although I have travelled to a foreign country where there are earthquakes, volcanos, and typhoons that I am still alive (don’t worry it’s not in the region I live).  That being said, don’t expect the most regular blog posts.

For those who are uniformed, I have taken a 2 year contract as the High School Art Teacher for Brent International School at the Subic campus in the PHILIPPINES!  If you haven’t already done so you should google it, become jealous and then come visit me.  It’s that pretty (hopefully).

As I sit here waiting to start my new life and adventure in the Philippines here are the few things I look forward to:

• ·         TEACHING ART!
• ·         No longer living in a construction zone!
• ·         Not having to shovel myself out of the house after a snow storm!
• ·         No more -50!
• ·         Possibly getting a tan???

Things I’m going to miss:

• ·         Sweet cereal
• ·         Mosquitoes that don’t carry malaria
• ·         Family and Friends
• ·         Kraft Peanut Butter
• ·         And this view…. 

View form the dock, Clear Lake Canada