TGIF!

Whew! Friday has arrived!

After arriving home late Sunday night from Osaka, Japan, due to our 4.5 hour delayed flight back to HK (tighter control systems at checkin were in place because of the incident with terrorists at Heathrow days earlier), it has been nonstop from waking up early, spending all day in the baking sun with 32 children on Surf Camp, riding for 3 hours a day on ferries, only to collapse every evening for a quick meal and then bed by 9pm.

Matt has been ever so good and provides all the comfort i need, and what's a plus, i don't have to yell at him to 'sit down'; wipe spaghetti sauce off his shirt, face and floor; remind him for the umpteenth to put on sunscreen and a hat; help find his shoes/glasses/earplugs/water bottle/towel/goggles/epipen!/sanity; dry his tears when he trips over the open drain in the shower and slices his toes; tear him away from a fight with another boy half his size over a shell found on the beach.

Things that make it all worthwhile:

Good-girl Irene picked up a spiral shell on the beach on Monday, brings it back on Wednesday in a little plastic container with some water in it covered in saran-wrap. She tells me that she thinks there is something still living inside the shell and that she wanted to bring it back to the ocean to release it.

10 year old Lucas telling 8 year old Jordan that "marriage can't be that bad since most adults do it some time or other.. and well, as for the kissing bit, it's disgusting, but i guess you just have to put up with it.."

Tiny Thomas with round specs asking me literally every three minutes on the ferry ride every morning and every afternoon how much longer until we get to Pui O/Central pier. Granted, it is a slow ferry and the ride is over 50 minutes - an eternity for kids who have no concept of time. I taught him that there are 60 seconds in every minute and that we should count: "One Mississippi, Two Mississippi..." I had him counting up to 32 minutes, then he gave up. Don't blame him.

Little Ben coming up to me to say a final goodbye today, wraps his arms around my neck and plants a wet one on my cheek.

This was Week 7 of Summer Camp. There is one week left before everyone is back in school. But I'll be working on the high school outdoor ed curriculum again, taking refuge behind the computer screen and stepping into my Leader Pants when/if necessary.

We have all survived, there were no barfers (hooray) and *i think* the kids all had a good time. I sure did, despite the continuous mundane questions. However, this week was just confirmation to why i opted to go into secondary school teaching. There may be more 'developed attitudes' at the secondary level, but at least conversation will be bit more sophisticated. Here's hoping.

Pic1: Angus and Dylan on the ferry wearing their beaded necklace they made in Arts & Crafts.
Pic2: The young sufers in training, crazy cheeky little monkeys!