UN Day & Halloween

It was a busy week at school with special events for UN Day and Halloween. UN Day is a big deal at International Schools, as you can imagine. I don't believe I knew there was a day for it before this. We'd been preparing the 4-5th grade ESL students for weeks to sing (and dance) to a fun upbeat song, "Every Moment...a Brand New Chance" about how we can choose peace, friendship and goodwill in every new moment. They did a great job singing and wearing their student-designed tee shirts. There were other student groups that sang peace and human rights-themed songs, and the all-school choir did a moving rendition of "We Are the World," always a crowd pleaser.


There was grand entrance of flag-bearing country representatives, a la Olympics, for all 28 countries represented by the student body. We'll try to get Indonesia represented next year, so Widi and John and be part of it, and we'll get some nice costumes when we go to Indonesia in March.

There was also a special guest whose speech was largely inaudible because this older Harvard-educated Indian retiree, who was the Indian representative to the UN years ago, wasn't really speaking into the microphone. It was so amazing watching all the preschoolers and kindergarten kids, all decked out in national dress, yawning patiently till he finished. There was also an incredible international luncheon prepared by the mothers, service for a thousand. It was amazing. Can you imagine all that sushi, kimchi, and pad thai all piled up? Like a dream come true.

The very next day we had a Halloween parade and classroom parties. Here are a few of the fourth graders.


Tonight John is at the Middle School Halloween Dance. He dressed as Sandara, a Korean rocker, female, of course, with a trademark hairstyle. This is John's Herbert Hoover evening of the year. Wasn't it Brittany Spears last year? Widi is crashing the dance as an Brahman angel. I'm enjoying Suresh's chicken curry and a cold Kingfisher with Dixie Chicks playing rather loudly for apartment living.


Widi got a few photos of the Middle School Dance, and John won "the most unusual" costume prize!

And just when we thought things could get no better for us over here, we ran into a couple families who have convinced us that we really must get a house out close the beach, a little further away from the school. We love this place, and we're just getting it really comfortable with more orchids, plants, some new art and a beautiful carpet. Still, the big drawback is that there is no outdoor living area, no patio or deck whatsoever. And here we are in perpetual summer. The evenings are very pleasant outside. So, we're going to take a look a what is available out there and could be moving as soon as April.