We tend to measure much of our life by the big events. First days of school mark another year older, a new classroom and most likely new friends, new challenges, new routines and on and on. In our family we also use our changing countries to remember when things happened. I might try to figure out exactly when it was that Conor learned to ride a bike (just moved to China) or when it was that Ryan liked to play pretend with his stuffed dogs (Barbados). How old was Ryan when he got Dengue? Second Christmas in Barbados, so 3. How old was Conor when he learned to play chess? First year at Providence so 3rd grade. How old was Conor when he went backpacking for the first time? Summer before Barbados, so almost 8. Could Ryan read before he was in Kindergarten? (He was reading to me in Barbados so yes!) You get the idea. Even the events that are huge in other people's lives for me I remember when they happened based on the country we were in when they happened. When was my niece Sarah married? That's easy, it was the summer before our last year in Barbados, so 2012! So if first days of school are big, and new countries are big, you can imagine how big a first day of school in a new country is!
Conor and Ryan are both very excited about their new school which we have heard so many wonderful things about. In a turn of events that I couldn't have scripted, Conor came home from his first day with yet another "small world" story. As he was settling in to his theater tech class someone came up to him and said "hey, are you Conor from Kindergarten at Mount Daniel?" Sure enough it was Nikhil, one of his best friends from Kindergarten, a boy who also lived at the Oakwood apartments and who left for Nepal when we left for China. I have no idea where else he has lived, but he has been in New Delhi for a year and he and his friends have just absorbed Conor into their midst. I don't know if they will continue as best friends or if over the course of time they have changed too much, but what a gift to have on that first day, to feel an instant connection to someone over the years and the countries and schools.
Ryan came home full of stories of the kids in his class... Victor was a "little inappropriate" (they have since become best friends!), Adlan is from Indonesia and doesn't speak much English, but he is fun to play with at the playground. James is really good at basketball and had a friend named Ryan in his class last year, but he was Korean so he looked different even though he had the same name and was the same age. Abby was shy and didn't want to stay, but she had a friend from last year named Hyojoo who she got to sit next to and that made her feel better. It is so wonderful to hear their stories, and so nice to have two kids who actually like to talk about their days. Of course when they first get home from school I am lucky to get a "fine" in response to any questions I ask about their day, but over the course of the evening, and especially when it is time for them to be going to bed, they sure do get chatty!
So here are some pictures to mark the event. A new school and a new country, we're off and running!
Conor was told he didn't need to bring anything with him on the first day except a pencil, but he chose to bring the book he was currently reading. His theory was that he really should put out the "correct book-worm vibe" right from the start, so he could attract friends with similar interests! Not a bad plan actually. I had to agree to take the silly picture to get them to cooperate with the nice one.
This is a picture of Conor walking off with some kids he had met a few days before on the Embassy compound. He couldn't leave me fast enough once we got on campus, trying to get away before I could embarrass him by taking pictures at school!
Ryan posing in front of the strange statue that greets us every morning as we walk onto campus.
And by the mud huts that are just outside of the elementary school building.
First project, decorate a picture frame in the colors of your flag. Ryan decided to do both USA and Barbados!
Ryan's classroom
No comments:
Post a Comment