Backpacking in Thailand

I am currently backpacking across Thailand for the 4-week Chinese New Year holiday. My posts will be few and far between due to sporadic internet access. Josh and I started in Zhuzhou, China...traveled down to Hong Kong for two days, and then flew to Phuket, Thailand. After enjoying Kamala Beach in Phuket we stayed in beautiful Khaolak, headed to Koh Samui island (we ended up extending our time there because it was gorgeous!), and now we're in Bangkok! Highlights include snorkeling on Koh Tao and Koh Nangyuan, eating delicious Thai food at local markets, and exploring a 5-tiered waterfall on the outskirts of Khaolak. I will update some stories and pictures when I have time! Love you all!! :)

China's Premier Visits Zhuzhou

Nora and I were wondering why there were so many police everywhere on Monday... until we remembered that Wen Jiabao, China's Premier, was visting Zhuzhou for the day. Zhuzhou is a manufacturing hub, most importantly for planes and trains, and Jiaboa's visit was focused on seeing how the city's industry is doing. He also spent some time with the locals, trying to keep connected with how daily life is for ordinary Chinese citizens. Pictures and an interesting article HERE.

2012: Year of the Dragon

2012 is the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac, which is composed of twelve animals. Zodiac rotations are based on the Chinese calendar, which has elements from both lunar and solar calendars and takes 60 years to complete a full cycle. The Chinese zodiac is often used superstitiously -- to predict baby genders and adult relationship compatibility.

Since I was born in late 1988, I fall into the "Earth Dragon" category. As of the date of this blog post (on January 3rd, 2012) it is still the Year of the Rabbit even though the Gregorian calendar moved ahead from 2011 to 2012. The next lunar year begins on January 22nd, 2012, which is the beginning of China's Spring Festival -- the most important festival in China.

Anyway, below is a description of people with Dragon birthdays. If you're curious about your own year, check out www.chinesezodiac.com. It leads to some pretty interesting introspection!  I definitely see some strong matches between me and typical "dragon" characteristics!

Dragon (Chinese: 龙, Pinyin: Lóng)

Personality

Occupying the 5th position in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the mightiest of the signs. Dragons symbolize such character traits as dominance and ambition. Dragons prefer to live by their own rules and if left on their own, are usually successful. They’re driven, unafraid of challenges, and willing to take risks. They’re passionate in all they do and they do things in grand fashion. Unfortunately, this passion and enthusiasm can leave Dragons feeling exhausted and interestingly, unfulfilled.

While Dragons frequently help others, rarely will they ask for help. Others are attracted to Dragons, especially their colorful personalities, but deep down, Dragons prefer to be alone. Perhaps that is because they’re most successful when working alone. Their preference to be alone can come across as arrogance or conceitedness, but these qualities aren’t applicable. Dragons have tempers that can flare fast!

Health

Considering their hard-working nature, Dragons are healthy overall. They do get stressed and suffer from periodic tension/headaches, likely because they take so many risks. Dragons could benefit from incorporating mild activity into their lives. Yoga or walking would be good as these activities can work both their minds and their bodies.

Career

Dragons prefer leading to being led. Jobs that allow them to express their creativity are good choices. Some good careers include: inventor, manager, computer analyst, lawyer, engineer, architect, broker, and sales person.

Relationships

Dragons will give into love, but won’t give up their independence. Because they have quick, sometimes vengeful tempers, their partners need to be tough-skinned. Dragons enjoy others who are intriguing, and when they find the right partners, they’ll usually commit to that person for life.

Dragons and the 5 elements

Metal Dragons – Years 1940 and 2000

Metal strengthens this already strong sign. Metal Dragons are more determined and they’ll fight for what they believe in. They enjoy the company of those who feel mighty enough to challenge their beliefs. They’re true leaders and usually find plenty of others willing to follow.

Water Dragons – Years 1952 and 2012

Water calms the Dragon’s fire. Water Dragons are able to see things from other points of view. They don’t have the need to always be right. Their decisions, if well-researched, are usually better since they allow other’s to become involved.

Wood Dragons – 1904 and 1964

Wood Dragons also are willing to entertain the opinions of others. Their artistic side is strong, and Wood Dragons enjoy being creative and innovative. They get along with others, but will always be the dominating force.

Fire Dragons – 1916 and 1976

A Fire Dragon’s emotions can flare instantly. Fire Dragons put themselves on pedestals, and because they react quickly and recklessly, they sometimes make wrong decisions. Fire Dragons need to slow down and keep their tempers in check as that’s when they’re best.

Earth Dragons – Years 1928 and 1988

More rooted in the ground, Earth Dragons make better decisions because they act more rationally. Earth Dragons are level-headed and able to control their behaviors. They’re more supportive of others, but they prefer being admired by others.

Compatibility

Dragons are compatible with the Monkey or Rat and incompatible with the Ox and Goat.

So I tried to give my students a "freebie" question on their exam by asking "What's your Oral English teacher's name?" Some of the responses have been hilarious... including "Teacher Kilt", "Teacher Cake", and one that's too inappropriate to write on here. lol. Ohhh the joys of grading exams.

The good news is that I think my sickness is more "chronic bronchitis" than pneumonia (but this is just self-diagnosis at this point, thanks to the internet and skyping with my nurse mother). So I'm taking amoxicillin (for my throat and lungs), sudafed (for my sinuses), drinking lots of Chinese medicinal tea, and I'm about to get some "Chuan Bei" (supposed to help clear out my lungs)... it's kind of like a cough syrup that must be mixed with hot water. I'll let you know how that one works out.

Aaaaand in a mere four days I will be picking up my lovely boyfriend from the airport in Changsha!!! I'm SOOO excited for our month-long adventure in Thailand!!! (Plus a surprise destination I'm keeping a secret). Train tickets have finally been secured (after much pushing and shoving, waiting in line, and headaches) so at least we have secured all the logistics of getting to Thailand. :)

In a week I'll be basking in the beautiful, Thai sunshine on a glorious sandy beach. *sigh*

I'm trying to finish up grading about a thousand (or more) exams before leaving on holiday with my boyfriend... but I think I have a sinus infection paired with either pneumonia or bronchitis, so please keep me in your prayers as I try to find a doctor in town.

Train Tickets

Trying to buy train tickets during the Spring Festival rush (for Chinese New Year...when the "Great Migration" occurs because everyone goes back to their hometown) is about as enjoyable as banging your head against a brick wall. Literally.

Check out this article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/train-ticket-seekers-crow_n_1176359.html

How to Dry Clothes in the Winter

If you look behind me (in the picture) you'll see a lovely clothes mobile hanging from the ceiling fan. This room is my office, and it's the warmest room in the apartment (thanks to my space heater)... so, whenever I do laundry I hang up all my clothes ALL around the room. It's quite hilarious, actually. There are clothes hanging from the windows, door, desk, from random nails on the wall, etc etc. It's so damp here in Zhuzhou that it takes forever for the clothes to dry outside. For every problem there is a solution.

Albeit a strange one, but nevertheless a solution!

Updaaaate

It's been a week since my last post -- sorry!! I've been a little busy with my birthday, Christmas, and the sudden news from my school that I need to give 1,100 exams this week. Yeah... that's just how they roll. So, I had the challenge of creating an Oral English exam that was fair, doable for the wide range of English proficiency levels in my classes, and -- most importantly -- not too time-consuming.

First I started out with giving my Friday classes a set of questions they must ask and answer in pairs. I would call students out to the hallway in pairs and they had a minute to complete their speaking exam. This went well... until I realised that I could NEVER get all 65 students done in one 40-minute class period. And since there is only about 1.5 weeks of school left, I had to scratch that exam idea. So now I'm giving a listening and question-and-answer exam (on paper) that can be given to all students at the same time in one class period.

The only challenge? I can't grade on-the-spot anymore... I'm literally spending HOURS upon HOURS sitting in my office grading these stupid things. And the kicker? My school told me that I must use a specific grading scheme: 90% of the students must get an A, 8% must get a B, and 2% a C. In the massive Excel spreadsheet with the student rosters I must assign a letter grade for the B and C students, but for the students getting an A, I must assign a number grade between 90 and 100. I can't believe my school is springing this upon me last-minute. It's PSYCHO.

But I'm just trying to smile through it because I love my students.

Anyway, so I spent Christmas here in Zhuzhou... I'll have to write a separate blog post on the church service I got invited to on Christmas evening. It was definitely a cultural experience! Haha. Overall, though, I had a great and relaxing Christmas, albeit a bit weird not being around family, friends, and a familiar Christmasy environment.  Will post again soon, with more pictures! (The photos below:  me and a school security guard; me and the singing Christmas monkey my dear mother sent me; me and my house-plant-turned-Christmas-tree).

My 23rd Birthday

Thanks to my awesome site-mate, Nora, I had an awesome birthday morning. What could be better than a breakfast of coffee, Bailey's, strawberries (which we haven't had yet in China because they're soooo hard to come by), bananas, yogurt and almonds, and CAKE!

... and thennnn full body massages at Zhuzhou's top massage place. :) Let's just say that Chinese massages are a bit crazy...haha.... We then had lunch at a delicious, family-owned Fujian restaurant on the east side of the Xiang River. Thanks, Nora, for an awesome birthday!!! Can't wait to run intervals at the gym tonight! ;)

^ at the full-body massage place

^ a hot-pot birthday dinner with some WT friends in Zhuzhou...

with a delicious birthday CAKE!! Yum!

Prayer Request

There are several things that are going wrong with my school, and I will be directly addressing the headmaster this week. If things don't improve, I don't know what I'm going to do. I will keep you posted on the situation. Overall, there is ]direct manipulation going on, and I'm sick of it. My school treats me like a trophy -- they invite me to expensive dinners but don't care how I'm treated when it comes to paying me for class, for transportation, and letting me know vacation dates in advance. My liaison makes things up to cover her own ass and I end up crying because she always lets me down. I think she's slightly bipolar. Please pray that God gives me extra strength and wisdom to deal with all this...

This weekend has been totally relaxing... Nora and I went to the gym on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night to do some cardio (hello, intervals!!), weights, stretching, and YOGA in Chinese. Haha. And apart from the occasional bike ride or getting some fresh food, I've stayed in my apartment's sunny office with the space heater. I've been listening to Christmas music, reading news from all over the world, watching free movies (thanks PPTV.com), and RELAXING. Overall a great weekend. :)

很漂亮 Hěn Piàoliang

Nothing in the whole world feels better than having 65 middle-school students clapping and cheering when you walk into the room. Today I got a little dressed up and put on some makeup and my contact lenses because I had an important lunch to attend. When I walked into my 5th period class (right after lunch) the classroom erupted in cheers and students yelling "You're SO beautiful today Teacher Cait!!!!!" Several students ran up to the front to look at my eyes to see their colour, while others came up to tell me that I looked 很漂亮 (Hěn Piàoliang - very pretty). Couldn't have asked for a better start to my afternoon. =)

宋组英 (Song zu ying)

If you're in the mood for some beautiful Chinese music (potentially the equivalent of a female, Chinese Andrea Bocelli or Josh Groban) check out this artist on Tudou: 宋组英 (Song zu ying).

Hot Pot

Hot-pot seafood and vegetables ~ dinner with my Chinese friend Long Jiao (who I've recently named April; she wanted an english name). Sooo delicious. And our meal was paid for by a Chinese man across the restaurant who wanted me to drink Irish whiskey with him. Haha. ;)

Horse-Horse Tiger-Tiger

The highlight of my language learning adventures this week is *hands down* the following phrase:

Mămă Hǔhǔ

Frequently used to mean "so-so" or "mediocre", the literal translation of these two (technically four) words is "horse-horse tiger-tiger". One can also say "Yi ban-ban" to say that something is just average or alright, but saying Mama Huhu is just so much more fun. Haha. One way to apply this useful phrase is when a Mandarin speaker tells you that your Chinese is "very good". He/she will usually say "Nǐ de hànyǔ shuō de hěn hǎo" (Your Chinese is very good; 你的汉语说得很好), to which you can respond "Nǎli nǎli - mǎmǎ hǔhǔ" (Not at all, it's mediocre; 哪里哪里 马马虎虎").

一个晚上在北京

My school: Cait, you are invited to our New Years Celebration in three weeks.
Me: Thank you very much!
My school: We want you to sing a song with other teachers.
Me: Um, okay. How many other teachers?
My school: Actually, just you. But one other teacher will sing with you during the chorus.
Me: Ooookay. What's the song? (*thinking it will be in English*)
My school: It is a Chinese song, you will have to learn it quickly. The first practice is tomorrow.

Greeeaaaaat. Thanks for the heads up! LOL.
(The song is called "One Night in Beijing" - 一个晚上在北京)

Karaoke and a Cold

So, karaoke is a big deal here. It's called "KTV" and people love nothing more than getting some friends or coworkers together and renting a room at a KTV place to sing together. Which is what I was invited to last night by my Chinese friend. We were supposed to get dumplings together so we could eat and practice English together, but her company was going out to dinner. Instead of cancelling our dinner date she invited me along to the shenanigans...

We started off with a delicious dinner at a local place, which involved lots of great dishes and waaay too much wine for everyone. I hardly drank at all because of my bad cold, but the others were wild! Here is a photo of the lovely ladies at my table.

Unfortunately I wasn't feeling well by the end of dinner, so I was kindly dropped off at my school instead of going out to KTV. I went to bed super early and had a great night's sleep. I'm still feeling under the weather but I hope it'll pass soon. :S

Chinese Shadow Theatre

Shadow puppetry (皮影戏 - pí yĭng xì) or shadow theatre is an ancient form of storytelling famous in many Asian cultures, including China. The puppeteers use opaque puppets in front of an lit-up backdrop to give an illusion of moving images. Traditional Chinese instruments are played for background music and the puppeteers usually use different voices for each character. It's really quite interesting to see! And UNESCO recently sanctioned Chinese shadow puppetry as an intangible piece of cultural heritage.

Lung Cancer

According to the Chinese Ministry of Health, over 600,000 people die -- PER YEAR -- from lung cancer in mainland China! That is an outrageous number!!! However, it doesn't surprise me since smog is a growing problem in all Chinese cities and almost all males seem to smoke cigs. Despite "No Smoking" signs in some public places, no one abides by the rules and it is virtually impossible to avoid second-hand smoke. Men smoke in the hospitals, on the trains and buses, at schools, and even at the gym... they just don't grasp the fact that their cigarettes not only bother people but also pose serious health risks to children, pregnant women, and everyone else around them. Smoking is such a serious problem here.

But an even bigger problem is the pollution/smog/air quality in China.

"In Beijing, the lung cancer rate has increased by 60 percent during the past decade, even though the smoking rate during the period has not seen an apparent increase," said Mao Yu (a health official). In other words, careless industrialization is causing a lot of health problems here. And other problems! Just yesterday the smog was so thick in Beijing that many flights were canceled due to lack of visibility...which also caused a 50 kilometer "stand-still" traffic jam just outside the city.

If you want to read an interesting article on the topic, check out China Daily.
This won't be the last post I write about the air quality or smoking...

Amazing Grace

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

In loving memory of Grandpa

Sidney Kooistra (1935-2011)

Surprise Bachelorette Party

This past weekend Nora and I hosted a surprise bachelorette party for two of our good friends here in town -- both American expats teaching English. Aditi is getting married in India this coming January and Bianca is getting married in Texas in July, so we thought a joint party was in order, especially since they are site-mates.

About 18-20 girls, a good number of them from out-of-town, came together on Saturday afternoon to begin the festivities. We started by renting out a KTV (karaoke) room and decorating it with hearts, candles, Chinese wedding symbols, and congratulatory posters. The bachelorettes, thinking they were coming to a birthday celebration for a friend, were thoroughly surprised when we jumped out and yelled SURPRISE!!!!! We spent the afternoon playing crazy games, telling secrets, and singing some pretty wild songs. After a delicious dinner (and cake!) at a local restaurant we've dubbed "the Kung Fu restaurant", we pre-gamed at Nora's apartment and headed downtown to the city's only club. What more can I say.... we danced the night away, fulfilled our crazy dare/challenges, and came home much too late.

One of the hardest parts of living so far away is not being able to go home when something tragic happens. Thoughts and prayers go out to my father and his family -- especially my grandmother -- during this time of loss. After about 6 months of battling cancer, my grandfather passed away tonight (morning in Canada). The miraculous thing is that upon diagnosis he had promised my grandma he would live to see their 55th wedding anniversary. It was last Thursday.

Grandpa, I'll miss you. I'm so glad I got to see you one last time before I graduated and moved to China. Love you.
xoxo.

^ June 2011 in Alliston, Ontario

Thanksgiving in China

What are you thankful for? ...

^ playing a Thanksgiving game (Kirsten's pic)

Online Shopping in China

Online shopping is rapidly increasing in popularity here in China. There are three MEGA online retailers who are competing for the best prices and fastest delivery times, making it a really great way to make purchases. Most things can even be delivered same-day! However, with my limited knowledge of the Chinese language (and lack of a Chinese credit card or Ali-pay account, which is like a PayPal account) I am having difficulties navigating the sites. I thought the Google Chrome browser could help me, with its built-in Auto Translator function, but unfortunately the translations are jibberish. For example, I'm on Taobao.com trying to buy a pair of Vans knock-offs (shoes), but here is what the translation boasts: "Shoe models and this section does not increase sub-section increases, the need increased need for increased pro-please note, no note of our hair does not increase the default paragraph Oh!"  BAhahahahaha!!!

If any of you have experience ordering on Joyo (Amazon China), TaoBao, or 360 Buy, please let me know! (Or if you just need a few laughs, log on to those sites and Auto Translate them!) I think I'll be asking my Chinese friends for help because I want to buy a small countertop oven and a blender. :-)

Let the Rain Fall!!

Theoretically I should be upset that it's raining, as my just-washed clothes are hanging out to dry. However, we haven't had a good, heavy rain in Zhuzhou for weeks, and the Xiang River has been very low. This morning I got up before the sun came up, and I was able to have some quiet time sipping tea and listening to the rain. I have today (Monday) off from work because of American Thanksgiving; since I worked on Thursday and Friday last week I asked for today off instead. In my teaching contract I am allowed one day off for this holiday, which is nice! I was going to go on a biking adventure this morning, but I might just spend the entire day exploring an 8-floor indoor market.

Thanksgiving with Kristin

Yesterday I had the pleasure of "Skyping" (verb: to talk on Skype) with Kristin Mueller, one of my best friends. We had a *blast*.  Two factors contributed to the awesome conversation -- the first being the fact that my school was having an awards ceremony on the basketball courts. My office overlooks the basketball courts, so with the windows open I can angle my computer down to offer a full view of the shenanigans outside. Picture thousands of students sitting in neatly formed rows (with the chairs they brought out from their classrooms) and a red stage on which people in multi-coloured tribal outfits are dancing and clanging cymbals. I know, I am just as confused. There was also a male MC shouting very emphatic phrases over the loudspeaker, which made it hard to concentrate on the video-chat with Kristin. She found it pretty hilarious though.

Quote: Me-- "Look at what's going on outside!" (angles laptop out the window).
           Kristin-- "It looks like North Korea!!"

(Sidenote: If any of you want to talk to me over the internet, 9:00PM EST is usually the best time because it directly aligns with the students' morning exercise routine, which is done for 10 minutes out on the basketball courts. It's the perfect mixture of synchronised aerobics and that same man yelling emphatically over the loudspeakers.)

Reason number two for our awesome convo: Kristin and her drawing attempts abilities. She decided to send some Thanksgiving cheer my way by means of drawing several turkeys. I wish to share these works of comedy art with you; below you'll find what I like to call "The Evolution of a Thanksgiving Turkey", starring none other than Miss Kristin N. Mueller.

                                              ^Stage 1: four legs.                                        ^Stage 2: scratch that...maybe it only has 2 legs.

                                             ^Stage 3: It's smiling, in an anatomically      ^Stage 4: new turkey drawing...let's try this               

                                               puzzling way.                                               again. slightly deformed mouth/beak. With     

                                                                                                                   horns?! And is that a beard?  

 

                                         ^Stage 5: Dialogue:                                          ^Of course there's always the Cannibal Turkey...
                                              Kristin-"Which one do you think looks          not necessarily something I want to eat on 
                                                           more life-like?"                                Thanksgiving.

                                              Me-"Uuhhhh..."

^Dissatisfied Cait.

                                                                                  Supposedly I didn't like the pictures.

                                                                                  I assure you, I did!

Zhuzhou Bike Card

As of a few weeks ago, I'm the proud owner of a Zhuzhou Public Bicycle Card. At a price of only 1300RMB (200USD), which I get back when I return the card next July, this card allows me to pick up and drop off a bike anywhere in the city. Super convenient!!! I just wish they sold life insurance policies along with the card. Traffic here is *insane*.

I also have a broken finger -- on my right hand to boot. This makes eating with chopsticks extremely difficult (the locals think it's hilarious, though) as well as menial tasks such as showering, brushing my hair, tying my shoes, writing on the board, etc. At least I can type with 9 fingers. And ride a bike! This morning I braved the chaotic roads and biked to school. The picture below boasts my bike card and my home-made splint, made of a popsicle stick and medical tape.

Team Building

Air Quality

Let me begin by saying that I've never had a breathing problem such as asthma... before coming to China.

And I thought I was handling the poor air quality quite well until all-of-a-sudden I couldn't breathe while running yesterday. Some days the pollution is so thick that it creates a weird fog, coating the city in a wheeze-inducing haze. Nora, my site mate, and a few other expat friends have had their parents send over asthma inhalers to help them breathe better. I'm thinking of doing the same.

I really wish China would make more of an effort to create and regulate stricter environmental laws. I'm all for this country developing and industrialising -- IF it can do so in a responsible, sustainable, healthy way. Since Zhuzhou is an industrial city, the ill-effects of regulation-less development are painfully clear.

As I weigh the pros and cons of staying in China for another year, I definitely need to consider the negative health effects related to the environment here. Not only is the air quality bad, which makes strenuous exercise difficult, it's also hard to find healthy food here (such as organic produce and whole grains). And I feel like there's constant stress in this society. Overall the lifestyle here in China is just not something i can handle long-term.

Not much going on this week. Feeling quite bored in Zhuzhou, to be honest. Maybe it's just the mid-semester blues... And knowing that I can't be back at home for certain things.

For those of you who don't know, my finger is dislocated/sprained/broken (not sure which one b/c I haven't seen a doctor) thanks to a game of basketball with the expats on Saturday. It's still quite swollen and blue/black, which concerns me. I've splinted it using Nora's medical tape and a popsicle stick (hey, just another excuse to have ice cream!) and I'm popping advil like it's my job. Since ice is a rarity here, it has been hard to consistently ice it to get the swelling down. Yesterday a teacher took me to buy some traditional Chinese medicine -- a cooling spray called Hainan Baiyao which is supposed to be some miraculous cure for injuries like this. lol. We'll see how it works.

On Saturday morning I'm heading to Hengyang, a city about 2-3 hours by train, to hang out with some other WorldTeachers for American Thanksgiving. It'll be nice to take a break from Zhuzhou.

I can't believe we're nearing the end of November already!!!

Translations for Chinese Nutrition Labels

It took a lot of time-consuming translating -- trial and error style -- but I finally identified the majority of what is written on food labels here in China (if the package has a label). China just passed a law requiring all companies to put a standardized nutrition label on food packages, but that doesn't come into effect until 2013 (and it's sans English). Anyway, for my fellow volunteers who need some assistance with deciphering labels in the supermarkets, here is what I've found so far:

carbohydrates - 碳水化合物 - Tànshuǐ huàhéwù

protein - 蛋白质 - Dànbáizhí

sugar - 糖 - Táng

fat - 脂肪 - Zhīfáng

sodium - 钠 - Nà

dietary fiber - 膳食纤维 - Shànshí xiānwéi

Cherish

Tonight I was blessed with the opportunity to have a 12-minute chat with my grandparents (Suk) in Canada. It's not often that I think to use my Skype credit to call landlines, but I really should take more advantage of such cheap calling! And it was *so* good to hear their voices and to "catch up" for a bit. I am constantly reminded that life is short and unpredictable, so I shouldn't let too many days go by without telling the people in my life that I love and appreciate them. Sometimes I feel so far removed from things happening back at "home" ~ a kind of disconnect, if you will. As I try to balance my new life with friends and family from different part of life I end up missing significant events or "news stories" from people's lives. So if anything important is happening in your life back home, feel free to email me a quick update. I love it, and will try to reply in a timely manner. Please pray for my cousin Michelle's father-in-law, who was in a bad accident at work and is now in a coma. (And for my father's father, who is battling cancer). Cherish each day.

Skipping and Dumplings

^ students spend 8th period jumping rope