October Blessings...

Two cows on the walk to work...arguing about sharing the bucket...This is India!

 BLOGGING ON A SUNDAY

This week marks the end of October, and almost the end of my third month back in Bangalore. This is a small update to say that all is well, despite occasional setbacks. When I stick to tried and true routines, such as regular swim workouts and mindfulness exercises, proper nutrition and a little social on the side, work goes much better. It is when I forget the basics of physical, mental, and emotional health, I slip in to anxiety which leads to depression.

I have found that blogging helps too!  Sometimes when I write about the challenges and resulting blessings in my life, it helps me appreciate people, events, and  all of the silver linings within the dark clouds.

On Instagram I started documenting #365days of gratitude, another tool I have used to ponder the blessings of life since July 1, and there are many more...

BABY SHOWER
I love weekends!   This weekend started with a baby shower to honour an expectant mother on our staff. This lady happens to be our PYP Coordinator, and she is having twins! The babies are due in January, but with twins, you never know. The staff decided to try to surprise her with a lovely baby shower at a local resort.

Mom to Be and Bee

BTW, she is having TWINS! 

Cute idea for Baby Shower...personalized diapers!

Coffee at the end of a lovely evening! \

HALLOWEEN

After a chat with my hubby on Skype and a swim on Saturday morning, I walked to work with a smile on my face, ready to help decorate the Haunted House. Much of the basic work had already been accomplished by the Extra Curricular Committee and the Halloween Committee, but for me, any excuse is a good one to go into work. Not only did I get to lend a helping had, but I got a first hand view of the display. I can't wait for the BIG day!  Happy Halloween to you...now don't go showing this to any of the students at our school! 

Working hard to scare the children!

One of several ghosts- BOO!

Bats created by children, strung by the committees

FRIENDS

Last weekend I was browsing through Facebook and saw a picture of a woman wearing an Ohio State University sweatshirt. That flipped my brain to Ohio, and memories from primary school exploded in my head. A name came to mind, a girl that who was in my grade 4, 5, and 6 classes in a small town school in Ohio. For fun, I thought I could search for her name on Facebook, and sure enough there she was FOUND! I paused for a few moments and wondered to myself if she would remember me, as we did stay in touch for several years after my family's move to Canada. 

I was thrilled when she responded positively to my message, and it has been fun catching up between our her working hours, and the time difference. We are hoping to Skype soon, when the Indian Internet is a bit more cooperative. 

Sue, my beautiful childhood friend from Ohio. So grateful to have "found" her on FB! 

FAMILY

Never far from my mind are our two grandchildren Everly and MacArthur, who are growing leaps and bounds!  Now in Junior Kindergarten and Grade 1 they were visiting a pumpkin patch (at night) this weekend. These are two pretty brave children!  I am quite fortunate to see their smiling faces on Instragram and Facebook, and to have the occasional chat on Skype. 

Evie and Mac...these TWO- words cannot describe the evoked emotions!

WORK

You may wonder why I am away from these two little ones, my son, my daughter, and her growing family.  Sometimes, I wonder too. Work is important to me at this phase of my life. To have full time work in the same place everyday, no matter where in the world it may be, is fulfilling, challenging, and a blessing. 

I have had to opportunity to teach in Canada, Egypt, Saint Maarten, India, Kuwait, and now back in India, I believe it is important to "bloom where you are planted." I keep saying to myself, only one more year,  and as each year passes, I am reluctant to give it up. Some day, I may have to retire, but for now the plan is full steam ahead, growing daily with the challenges of professional responsibility. 

I will continue to count my blessings, on into November, December, 2018, and as long as my memory can hold the faces of family, friends, and other folks from around the world. 

Until next time, 

Bee Rich

The Power of Positivity

To family and friends around the world...

I am one very fortunate person. Having landed back in India, back in Karnataka, back in Banglaore (aka Bengaluru), back in Sahakar Nagar, back at my old school, I do not believe I have not stepped back in time at all; I believe that I am moving forward and growing personally and professionally.

This was not totally my own personal decision. But circumstances, happenstances, or whatever you want to call it, created an opportunity to move. I have landed forward, I am moving forward, and for the first time in a long time, I am experiencing the power of positivity in my life.

What has caused this drastic U turn? I am not sure if it was a psychological, physical, spiritual, social or emotional change; perhaps it has been a combination of these influences. Perhaps it is because I am at the beginning of a week long holiday, but I am grateful today to write that I am feeling so much better!

At the end of this post you will find informationa about the India holiday Dussehra. All I can tell you now is that it is very quiet here in my apartment block. Usually on a Saturday afternoon such as this the play area outside my flat full of children noisily having a grand time. But today, not so much.

I LOVE Science

Perhaps it was the week that was. Many exciting things are happening at our school these days. This past week was a celebration of Science, culminating in a school-wide science exhibition whereby almost every student created a unique project having something to so with science. There were models, displays, experiments, and many "ah ha" moments for me. I totally enjoyed peeking at the projects and speaking with the young scientists. The event was for only 2.5 hours, and would have taken the whole day to see and appreciate everyone's efforts. All in all a great success. 

Jem

My state of happiness might have be caused by some of the regular conversations, chats, and communications that have been happening online over the past month. People like Jem (Kuwait) on WhatsApp and Messenger, and Em, and Lindsay, and The Glue (all in Kuwait) on Instagram, my brother (Ottawa) on Twitter, my sister from Florida on Messenger, my husband, my son and grandchildren (all in Canada) on Skype, my friend Carole Ann((Ontario) on Facebook, or even Cheryl (Clarksburg), my sister Karen (Missisauga), and Edith (Maberly) on email, Sarah, Tom, Anne and Anthony, and  Linda from Vietnam, and Lina from Sri Lanka. And these are only a few of the connections I have heard from over the past week. It is indeed a joy to connect, and I am grateful to everyone for staying in touch. 

A symbol for who keeps me steady

I have to admit that my anchor point is the daily chat on Skype with my husband, who has elected to stay behind in Ontario for the first four months of my stay in India. His cheerful face on voice on Skype is a delight to my eyes and ears. I am very much looking foward to his coming to spend time here during the cold winter months. 

Probably the biggest news is that I am going to have to move in the next couple of months. The apartment where I am living is called a "service apartment" reserved for people who are working at the building. Fortunately I have been able to stay here for as long as I have, but the school is now actively looking for another place, perhaps even closer to the school and the pool. So I am looking forward to that. 

And also to the Dussehra holiday which is upon us now. Here is a little bit of information about this festive time of the year in many parts of India. Enjoy the read!

Until next time,


Bee Rich

When is Dussehra?

How long until Dussehra?
This holiday next takes place in 7 Days.
Duration
1 Day
Summary
The festival of Dusseha symbolizes the triumph of good over evil in the legend of Rama and Ravana
Dates of Dussehra
Year	Weekday	Date
2019	Tuesday	October 8th
2018	Friday	October 19th
2017	Saturday	September 30th
2017	Friday	September 29th
2016	Tuesday	October 11th
Regions where Dussehra is a holiday
Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Madhya pradesh, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal

On this day, many of your colleagues in India will celebrate the culmination of the ten day Dussehra festival.

It may be known in some regions as Vijayadashami and in parts of southern India, it is known as Dasara. Other regional spellings include Dashera and Dussera.

As this is a ten day festival based on a lunar date with many important days and also because it has many different names in the various regions on India, it is difficult to determine when each region has a holiday. On this site, we show the date of the tenth day and you can assume that most regions will observe this a public holiday.

Traditions of Dussehra

In India, the festival of Dussehra symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. The festival traditionally represents the legend of Rama and Ravana. Ravana, the demon king, abducted the beloved Princess of India, Sita. The Lord Rama rescued the Princess, proving victorious over the powerful and evil King Ravana.

The Dussehra festival is ten days long, culminating on the tenth day, the Dussehra holiday.

On the day of Dussehra, large statues of Ravana are constructed and brought into open fields.

These effigies are burned and with them the evil they represent, so that the people are allowed to follow the path of virtue and goodness throughout the year.

Ayudha Puja

On the ninth day of Dussehra, Ayudha Puja is celebrated in several regions of India. Celebrations may involve many common and seemingly mundane tooo and implements used in everyday life, such as computers, books, cars, or kitchen tools.

The aim is to see the divine in everything, notably those things used in one's livelihood. It is believed that this day is also a blessed one for any new venture to start on.

In 2017, Ayudha Puja is a holiday in Tamil Nadu.

Navaratri

In the southern India states, this festival is called Navaratri ('nine nights') and revolves around the worship of the goddesses Lakshmi and Sarasvati. Lakshmi is associated with good luck and wealth, and Sarasvati is linked with wisdom and fertility.

The festival is a time for visiting friends and relatives, and houses are decorated with colourful displays of toys and images of gods. In Gujarat there are nine days of music and dancing..

Source: http://www.officeholidays.com/countries/india/dusserhra.php

Love, Laughter and Life- They Said I Do!

Just twelve days ago we were overcome with joy at the wedding of our daughter to the man of her dreams. I am not a big fairy tale fan; however, the day was fairytale-like.
The day was Thursday, August 3, 2017.

The setting was Boals Farm near Mount Pleasant (which is near Charleston), South Carolina.
The main characters included Sara and the love of her life, Kristian, as well as his daughter, Kodi.

The Bride

The Groom

The Groom's Daughter (with the Bride's brother and family)

The supporting characters were the well wishers, several very close friends, and two extremely happy and proud families, who had all travelled great distances to join in the celebration.

As well,  numerous local vendors were present  to create one magical afternoon and evening.

My husband and I traveled by car (approximately 16 hours) to arrive on the Saturday before the wedding. Kristian's family, including his mom, daughter, brother and his wife drove from Oklahoma City, which was an even longer trip, and arrived early on Monday morning.

The next few days were a whirlwind of wedding preparations, balanced with some tourist activities (including the beach, the aquarium, local restaurants, and swimming in the hotel pool).

As the guests arrived, including our son and two grandchildren, we combined efforts to check to-do items off Sara's many lists. It was delightful helping out and getting to know friends and family from across the USA and Canada.

I could go on and on because too much happened during the days prior to the big event. Highlights included a wonderful rehearsal dinner, hosted by Kristian's mom, where almost all of the guests gathered in anticipation of this lovely destination wedding.

You have to understand that Sara and Kristian live in North Dakota where they are working and studying. The entire event was planned on-line so that part of our activities included checking out the venue (Boals Farm), tasting the food from the restaurant of the caterer (Sticky Fingers), and listening to the bluegrass band (Dallas Baker and Friends) at a local pub. More than once it was said, "we're three for three" with big happy smiles.

The "Day Of" Coordinator, Christy, put it all together for the wedding (she was also the officiant), and reception. Together with the hosts at Boals Farm, she worked her magic on the day of the wedding, and we barely had to lift a finger. It was pure FUN for us.

So fast forward to the wedding. I will let the pictures by the photographer, Red Shutter Studio, tell the rest of the story.

The Fruit Cake (homemade in Canada by
the Bride's Dad, my husband

The Groom and his beautiful Mom

The Tables 

The Bride and her Parents

The Guest Sign-in 

The Guest Favours- Canadian Maple Syrup

The Newlyweds and Their Guests

Enjoying the Moment

The Rope Swing

The Family 

The Dessert Caterer- Mini Pearl

The Sioux Girls- Sara's Swimming Friends from UND

The Wedding Dinner and Dance

The Band

The Venue- the end to a perfectly lovely wedding day, forever in our memories!

Wishing Sara and Kristian a Happy Life Together!
Love,
Mom

Until next time, 

Bee Rich 

Courage Dear Heart- finally, an update!

Helping Others - Give us courageous hearts to bear the distress of our times.

February 3-The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions,from high happiness to low points of quiet desperation, and everything in between. My mood has decided to do some back flips.I have been trying to live a healthy lifestyle, with adequate exercise, rest, and nutrition, daily meditation and prayer, and keeping in touch friends and family. 

Perhaps it is the weather. It has been unseasonably cold this week, with a strong north wind blowing in Siberian air. Brrr. Yesterday, the children at school did not go out for recess because of "the very cold weather." This meant an extra 75 minutes of in-class supervision. Although it has been chillier than usual, the skies are blue and sunny, so I don't believe that the weather is to blame. 

February 15- Since writing the above two paragraphs, two weeks have passed. It is now mid-February. Several interesting events have occurred, but writing them down has been on the back burner of my mind. Now it is 2 am and I have been awake for over an hour. Likely because I fell asleep last night just after 6 pm.

I am recovering from a seasonal cold. Apparently, the entire country of Kuwait suffers this condition twice a year. Once in the Fall, when the weather changes from warm to cold, and then again in the Spring, as the temperatures rise. Suddenly we are no longer wearing layers of clothing (shirts, sweaters, scarves, hats, gloves, and jackets), and digging through drawers and closets to find cooler and lighter materials. Fortunately, the virus has been short-lived by taking a couple of days off work, and refocusing on a healthy lifestyle.

Fortunately the doctor did not prescribe antibiotics. Rest, plenty of liquids, Advil, nasal spray, a decongestant, and cough suppressant were all recommended. My Sri Lankan friends suggested ginger tea with lemon and honey.And yes, it does work well.

February 20- Five more days have passed and you could say that we are in the middle of the February blahs. Or, as one of my Associate Teacher called it, "Farch- you know those unending days of February and March- when Winter is still in our midst, but it feels like it should be Spring."

Yes- Farch it is...today is Family Day in Ontario, President's Day in the USA, and soon to be Liberation and National Days in Kuwait. Just in time it will be a three day weekend. I have very exciting news!  A friend from teaching in India, who is now in Oman, is coming for a visit this weekend, and I am looking forward to a relaxing couple of days. 

Happy National Day aka Independence Day

February 23- As you can see I have been procrastinating writing this blog. As it is now a long weekend here in Kuwait (Happy National Day and Liberation Day!), I am determined to finish and publish today before a friend comes from Oman for the weekend. Fortunately we had an early dismissal day and was able to come home early this afternoon.

It is a busy weekend in Kuwait. A lot of people stay at home because of the traffic jams and water guns. The tradition is that people spray others with water guns to celebrate, but there are also fireworks and other events happening. We will have to go to Avenues, and perhaps a walk at Al Shaheed Park, a visit to the Souk, or maybe even a walk along the sea.

On the homefront, some more exciting news- our daughter is getting married in August! I am really looking forward to that day! She is in North Dakota going to school, so she has a pretty busy time ahead of her.

My daughter and her beau at the top-
her friend Lisa and her beau at the bottom.
Puppy included, too!

Finally, the best news is that the blues have lifted. The cold is gone and I will resume swimming this weekend. Even though it was a rainy day in Kuwait, the children's spirits were high, creating an air of excitement at school this morning. I did take loads of pictures; however, the phone is not dead, and uploading them is not possible at the moment. Stay tuned for the next installment, Hopefully, inshallah, before another month passes.

Until then,

Bee Rich

The Kuwait Towers during the celebration!

Friends, Family, and Fun Times

Thumbs up for Friends and Family!

About 212 days ago I started a daily Gratitude post on Facebook. My plan is to continue to give thanks for the big and little things in life for 365 days. This habit has made a difference in my life. Not only am I feeling more thankful in my heart and head, I am feeling better about life.

I recently found this acrostic poem on line. It describes one of the most precious relationships we can have in our lives- that of a true friend. I feel very fortunate because in my life I have made personal connections with several true friends.

But what is even more exciting is that some of these true friends are also part of my family. My husband, children, grandchildren, sisters, brother, cousins, second cousins, in-laws... I count as friends and an important part of my life. For them, I am grateful for their consistent care, communication, and encouragement

What I want to share with you today is a story about some very special friends that came into my life in September 2008. They reached out to my husband and me shortly after we landed in Egypt to begin our international teaching career. I will never ever forget that first formal phone call, "Hello Ms. Barbara; you and Mr. Clarke are cordially invited to the ELK Lodge for tea." And the rest is history.

ELK Lodge was the flat of Emily, Lindsay and Kelly- who had established their home sweet Canadian home away from home in Ma'adi, Cairo, Egypt. Fortunately, we accepted that invitation and many others that year, and it was lovely being called Mama and Papa Cairo.

Unfortunately, at the end of that school year, Emily left the school and the country to go to Vietnam. Fortunately, she never lost touch. An Internet guru, she was a master at blogging, Facebook-ing and emailing. She knows how to keep in touch with her friends!

We stayed on another year in Cairo, and spent some great times with Lindsay, and later Phil, to whom she was married in June of 2010. At that point, Clarke and I headed to another school in Saint Maarten, while Lindsay and Phil took jobs in Kuwait. Like her bff, Emily, Lindsay is a blogger, Facebook friend, e-mailer, and encourager from afar. We even received Christmas cards from Kuwait from both of them that Christmas.

In the summer of 2011 we hosted a reunion for the Egypt people, mainly because we missed our Cairo family so much. And sure enough, it was like we had never been apart. Lots of laughs and plenty of reminiscing was at hand.It was there that I learned that Emily was now also heading to Kuwait. How exciting.

Lindsay and Phil

  A year later Clarke and I were  teaching in Bangalore, India, and I flew to Kuwait for a catch up visit. One look at the school had me interested but it wasn't until 2015-16 that Lindsay and Emily encouraged me to apply for a vacancy at their school. Now in my third year at the same school, they are both teaching at a different international school in Kuwait. The best part is that we are still in touch and I frequently visit their living accommodations across town.

Lindsay and Phil and Nory

 I am proud of my adopted daughters. They are both bloggers, entrepreneurs, and social facilitators, who have made a huge difference in their community. I am thankful I remain part of their large "Kuwait family," It is indeed a privilege to spend time with the them and their families.Together, they celebrate successes, bear burdens, tell stories, and live life to the fullest. It is an honour to know and love them.

Nory and Emily and Lindsay and Jet

It is the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (already!) here in Kuwait. I was invited to their residence for a community potluck dinner to celebrate the season, and even bought some American grown spuds for the occasion. After a busy week I woke up with a headache and upset stomach, and decided to stay put, so as not to pass around any germs. However, as I write, I can well imagine a gathering of wonderful people, sharing food, fun, laughter, care and kind words.

Lindsay and Emily- I look forward to your Thanksgiving blog posts!

Until next time, 

Bee Rich

Working Through

I started a blog on August 26 to wish my granddaughter a happy birthday. She turned three on August 27 and my plan was to write a little bit about her life so far. I got the title finished and then got distracted. Instead I sent a video on Facebook, hoping her mom would show it to her. In the video there is a young at heart grandma (me!) singing a very flat version of Happy Birthday.

Two weeks ago I elaborated on several goals. This paragraph will provide bit of a progress update.

• Staying in touch with friends and family- trying to write to one or two people each day, and now a blog post. 
• Flossing- not doing a very good job in that department!
• Taking care of technology- added to that goal is the computers at school
• Decreasing coffee consumption- one cup a day when at school. One pot a day on the weekend!
• Cutting back on Pinot Grigio- not problem- not available here in Kuwait
• Practicing patience- not bad in that department either- my new class is giving this one a good trial
• Shopping for groceries- once a week, either on Friday or Saturday I shop at either the local cooperative or a more expensive "expat" store, similar to ours in North America
• Getting rid of stuff- I was able to give away a few things from the flat, but my classroom is also too full.  

Added to this list of goals is to keep up with the the amount of work at work. Collaborating with colleagues,setting learning objectives, planning, assessing, teaching, and managing 21 grade 1 children at the beginning of the school year are all challenges. I have to admit that it hasn't been my best start up ever, probably due to some strong emotions I am experiencing; however, it is what it is. Daily I remind myself that these a little people who have a right to learn and it is my job to provide an environment conducive to that end. Here are a few pictures of the first nine days of the 2016-17 school year. 

Welcoming bulletin board

Love these little ones- writing time

Primary colours art experiment

Busy times in EG31!

 I am also trying to up the exercise quotient this year. I am living closer to the pool and to the school so my daily walking time has decreased. This has given more time in the water, so I have increased to five times a week for 45-60 minutes. I am also trying get out and walk on the days when the pool is closed- Fridays. Last weekend at 5:00 am,  I went down to the Sea and added some distance along the shore. The cool breeze off the water was refreshing. The only problem with this trip is the cab cost, which is equivalent to around $25.

At the shore in front of the Aquarium. 

 

What not to do by the Sea- no BBSs, feeding the birds,
walking the dog, swimming, fishing, or smoking shisha!

Greenery and scenery down by the Sea.

 This morning at 6:00, I ventured over to a walking park, which is close to the pool. After a couple of rounds, I was pleasantly warm and thought about breakfast. Fortunately the I-Hop is just on the way home. It was peaceful and quiet with some greenery and other amenities. 

Distribution centre for the government food cooperatives, also near the park. 

On the way to and from school I pass some interesting sights each morning- the neighborhood is seen here, with my apartment building in the middle of the picture. My flat is on the second floor...

Moving along towards school is a police station which displays the newest car accident remains. Unbelievable!  I guess that is what happens when there are so many vehicles on the road at the same time. 

Crunch #1

Crunch #2

Finally I arrive at school at around 5:45 am to get ready for the day. The gate opens at 5:30 and the guards welcome one and all!

The School!

Just two of the eight grade 1 teachers on the first day of school. 

News from home- we now have a new screen door on the back of the house. This is terrific because it will open up the kitchen to more light and breezes. Thanks to Clarke for the patient work. By the way, he just turned 65 on the September 2nd, and he is enjoying his retirement.

Can't wait to see this in person

The view of the back of our home, which faces the road. 

Final bit of good news! Last weekend, a friend celebrated her birthday at PF Changs- a terrific Chinese restaurant here in Kuwait. It was a pleasure sharing various dishes, dessert, and great conversation with these two lovely ladies. Like fine wine, we all get better with age. 

Happy Birthday KH!! T
Thanks for the invitation. 

 So that is the update, wishing you well, and until next time, 

Bee Rich