NEWS FLASH
Well, a new chapter will be opening up later this year, Lotty has been given a job at Beijing City International School, as Middle Years Co-ordinator and Design Technology teacher!
This is a brand new school, I gather it has only been open for a couple of years, and is extremely well funded! So far 60 million dollars have been spent on it, and it isn't finished yet. It is owned by a group of youngish Chinese business men, who are in the business of building modern housing complexes, and who reasonably enough feel that this particular project, which is plainly aimed at an international market will be best served by the inclusion of a school. Thus after a lot of research they have decided that a school offering the IB is what they want, so, they went off on courses to find out all about the IB and then built this school.
So far I know very little about it all, except that it looks astonishing, is reasonably near to the centre of Beijing, and that we will be given a brand new apartment in the project to live in. Unlike here, we will be living a "normal" life, able to wander about as we please, living in our own house apart from the school and be able to do things which now seem wonderful to us such as taking a local bus, driving ourselves around, going to shops and bars as and when we feel like it.
For most of you all of this will be totally normal, but for us, living as we do in this weird compound culture, effectively cut off from any real contact with Angola or Luanda, unless we make serious efforts to make that contact, it sounds like freedom.. Release from this stupid, frightened way in which most expats live here in Luanda.
As things stand, there is no work for me there, but I am given to understand that I should be able to sort of worm my way into something, if I want to, once we are there... so we shall see.
If you want to see what the place is like, cut and paste this link into your search engine, and you will see for yourselves what we are going to.
This is a brand new school, I gather it has only been open for a couple of years, and is extremely well funded! So far 60 million dollars have been spent on it, and it isn't finished yet. It is owned by a group of youngish Chinese business men, who are in the business of building modern housing complexes, and who reasonably enough feel that this particular project, which is plainly aimed at an international market will be best served by the inclusion of a school. Thus after a lot of research they have decided that a school offering the IB is what they want, so, they went off on courses to find out all about the IB and then built this school.
So far I know very little about it all, except that it looks astonishing, is reasonably near to the centre of Beijing, and that we will be given a brand new apartment in the project to live in. Unlike here, we will be living a "normal" life, able to wander about as we please, living in our own house apart from the school and be able to do things which now seem wonderful to us such as taking a local bus, driving ourselves around, going to shops and bars as and when we feel like it.
For most of you all of this will be totally normal, but for us, living as we do in this weird compound culture, effectively cut off from any real contact with Angola or Luanda, unless we make serious efforts to make that contact, it sounds like freedom.. Release from this stupid, frightened way in which most expats live here in Luanda.
As things stand, there is no work for me there, but I am given to understand that I should be able to sort of worm my way into something, if I want to, once we are there... so we shall see.
If you want to see what the place is like, cut and paste this link into your search engine, and you will see for yourselves what we are going to.
http://www.bcis.cn/
So, there you have it, we continue to wander the globe. I suppose that his means that later this year I will have to change the sub-title of this blog...... oh well, so be it.
Both Lotty and I are very excited at this prospect (going to China, not changing the sub-title) as it will be so extremely different to Angola, or at least I suppose it will... hhhhmmmmm......
Both Lotty and I are very excited at this prospect (going to China, not changing the sub-title) as it will be so extremely different to Angola, or at least I suppose it will... hhhhmmmmm......
posted by Tony at 9:08 PM
15 Comments:
Congratulations to Lotty, and you of course Tony, but we will say it to her in the next day or so when we see her here in Cambridge - such a small world.
Already looked at the school in China and it does look impressive - yep when the Chinese decide to do something they don't do it by halves as can be seen around Cambridge !!
Love to you both - T & R
hi this is the first ever blogger ive seen but it will probably be the best. I really like your story about the turtles.from alc catshill
Hi lotte and tony love your story about seeing the turtles i went to a greek island called zakynthos and went turtle spotting (logger head ) unfortunately much like you we were a little to late in the season to see any but o well it was a great day and if you go back good luck in seeing some that time
from
shannon
catshill middle school
Many congratulations on your new abode--it looks most exciting & enormous. How many pupils are they planning to build up to?
I added some comments to your blog at the weekend but I think I did it the wrong way so maybe they won't show.
I am teaching currently UK National Curriculum Unit 8.3 Information: reliability, validity & bias. So I prepared a lesson on blogs, wikis & Web2.0. I have used your blog as an example to show pupils what can be done. Hence the comments (& probably more to follow) from Catshill Middle School. Hope you will forgive me. When you moderate, don't feel you have to include them all. I hope you don't get swamped.
Love Sue
Hi Guys,
I am glad you have enjoyed reading our blog. It is fun to write too, and I am VERY happy to read any comments you put onto it!
Like you, I was hoping to see those baby turtles.. a lot. But, such is life. And now the chance is passed, as I have heard that they have all hatched out and disapeared into the deeps of the Atlantic Ocean. And I will have left Angola before the next lot are laid. Pity, but it was a great night on that beach!
AHve you had a chance to read the earlier postings on this blog? Click onto the chapter names on the right of the screen, and you can read then too.
HAve fun, and make your own class blog.... If you do, send me the URL, eh? Would love to see what you come up with!
All the best,
Tony
Hi Sue,
I am very pleased that you felt our blog was good enough to use as an example...thanks! And tell the kids, if they look at it again, that I welcome their comments, all of which I have now found and read, and sort of answered too (check the comments on all the postings you guys visited).
I am now teaching a class of 20 kids, 12/13 year olds, as their normal teacher is away for a week.
I shall be soooooooooooooooo glad when he gets back and I can return to the simple work of keeping about 150 computers and some 60 printers and a network in working order... Much easier work!
I am sorry those whale jaws worried them, but even whales die - naturally, as was the case with this particular whale, What I found more disturbing there were the numerous dead seals we saw on the beach, killed by boat propellors, and the poor man we came across who had been killed when his pickup had crashed.
Anyhow, time to get to bed now... give my greetings to the various kids who posted comments, and my thanks to them too.
Love
Tony
This is exciting and thanks for your email. I'll get those who posted to look at your blog again. I have another 3 classes to go yet this week, so we will have to see their contributions. I was so thrilled the lesson went well. I impressed on the kids that this was all hot-off-the-press stuff. Yes they do have the option to create their own blogs or to do internet research about about a controversial or likely to be biased subject and to then present their findings as a .ppt show arguing both sides and commenting on the veracity or not of their findings. These youngsters are 12 to 13 years old like the ones you are teaching this week.
Thanks for your encouragement. Love sister Sue
Hallo, another class from CMS is looking at your blog. Love Sue
cool site cms
nice site
hi tony i see you have helped alot of people and have been on many adventures from ryan CMS catshill middle school
hi site cud use sum punk music but uvawiz gud
Bravo my dear cousins, things are really picking up for you, you're out to conquer the world !
Did you know that Yvan and Claire came back from Sechuan province in China just four months ago ? Claire spent six months there studying Chinese, and she published a really marvellous blog during her stay there, with splendid illustrations and a lot of articulate and sensitive insights about that immense country :
http://claire.architux.com/web/index.php
Love,
Alan
so wat u up 2 then
I really like your blog site its very intersting to see what you do!
from steph
at CMS
X
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