New Year's Eve until the Beginning of Third Quarter

1-8-09 The year 2008 passed into the year 2009 rather anti-climatically. At least, after the large New Year's Eve party that we had at the church. There was food--potato salad, chicken, rice, pasta salads, and random desserts--the typical fare at a Marshallese potluck. Good thing there wasn't any Kool-Aid! We listened to music, had conversations, listened to a New Year's sermonette, and finally ate. Then we listened to the little kids sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" (they'd learned it for the Christmas Program) and then we went home. The party ended at about 9:30 or so. A group of us got together and played Scrabble. After that petered out, it was almost midnight, and Ryan and Emily and I were stuffing the couch cushions back into their covers (well, I was sitting in a chair, spinning and watching) as the clock changed from 11:59 PM to 12:00 AM. So, the passing of the one year into the next was rather anti-climatic.

What was annoying was trying to sleep after 2009 had arrived. Apparently the Marshallese way to celebrate the New Year is with loud music that has its bass line jacked up to a subwoofer that shakes the entire house, go singing loudly from house to house (and I am quite sure that some of the revelers in those groups were staggering), and in general being loud all night long. For a while the music quieted, only to re-start at about 6:00 AM. *sigh* That was one long New Year's Day.

But New Year's Day turned out well, for it was also Jhan Dale's birthday. He made up a bunch of food, and the whole group got together to celebrate. We sang, we feasted, and then we watched "August Rush." That is one very good movie! I was about to cry until Jonas ruined it all by going, "Ashlee, don't cry!" Then we all headed off to bed.

Sunday through this last Tuesday I spent in prepping for the return of school on January 7th. I have no idea why we started on a Wednesday, but I'm glad we did. I typed up the rules I've been trying to enforce, and made this week my rule review week. I even had a quiz today over the rules, and most of the students did rather well on the quiz. This semester I'm teaching (of course) four classes of high school English and my world history class, but I'm also teaching a communications class. It's an elective, and so I don't know who will be in my class just yet, but I'm hoping some of them pick the class because they're interested. A large portion of it's going to be public speaking, but I also want to teach about different forms of communication, like the radio, the television, movies, and the Internet.

I got back into the swing of things yesterday (Wednesday) and at some point of the day I realized something that is rather important to me: that I had missed teaching!! Ponder that, all ye who know me. :)

Anyway, if anyone's planning on sending me a package of goodies, please be on the lookout for flip-flops. My mom's been looking for some, but I understand that it's winter where you all are (it's winter here, too, but it just doesn't seem like it) and so it may be difficult to find. But I'd rather get flip-flops in the mail than have to pay for some that are really overpriced, and so I hold out hope. :)

It was really nice to get all those emails from people who read this blog during Christmas break--it helps me know that people ARE reading it, and that makes me press on. (Well, that, and the facts that one, I wanted to do this, and two, it helps me with a requirement for a class I took last semester.)

Well, I'll write again when something more happens! Perhaps I'll write about another typical day. We shall see. More later.