Murder High Reunion: Class of '85

My friend + colleague A. was very creative in celebrating her big 3-0 with a Murder Mystery Bash. What better setting than a high school reunion but class of '85?!? In reality...I would've only been 4 years old! Anyway, it was fun and hilarious nonetheless while my fellow classmates and I bravely paraded through Vancouver streets in '80s wear in order to reach our Yaletown party. Seriously, my neighbours were chuckling at my fashion as I "luckily" ran into them on my way out to the car.

What a great honour I had to be given the role of the Math team cheerleader, Myra S. Keaton, wife to a rich man, and smart! Meanwhile, my fellow classmates included the class gossip, the pom pom queen, drama club member, and the class flirt. There were 4 prizes for the game: best dressed, best performance, most wealthy, witty sleuth in solving the case. Of course we were all given $500 of fake money to begin with as well as certain things we had to say and ask other characters. Boy, was I good at this game as I started making up gossip and information that I just eavesdropped into knowing and got money in return. I think I said everybody was having an affair with everybody! Not to mention I just happened to be next to the man who was to be murdered when he was murdered, so what better to do but to....ROB HIM!!!

(Mr. & Mrs. Keaton)

(Pom Pom Queen befriending the Math Team Cheerleader?!?)

Much to my creative efforts and alliance, I ended up winning 2 of the 4 prizes as I sweeped Mrs. Money Bags (earning $2150 in 2-3 hours is pretty good I would say!) and shared the Drama Queen award with 2 others. Of course, I then had to celebrate with my "husband" Mr. Keaton himself as well as the much salivating prize--gum!

It was a very fun night that allowed me to shine my dramatic talents. And no, I won't actually rob you if you were murdered in reality! I would run!

Spirit Day

Last Friday was our school's "Spirit Day." This is a day when all the students get to sign up and attend various workshops put together by some teachers as well as guest speakers from the community or school network. There was a great variety of workshops from makeup to archery to batteries and bolts to making cupcake castles.

Teachers are also given time to visit the various sessions during the day too. Every year, I'm very impressed with the amount of creativity and richness these various workshops bring to our students. For instance, the Mother's Day potted plants in the picture above were put together from scratch by Gr.1-3 students with the help of a parent guest speaker and volunteers.

And every year, I always visit one of my favourite sessions that always happen to return called "Reptiles..." It's awesome because we get to hold and play with all sorts of snakes without having to be afraid that they would bite or kill us. Here's one around my neck! They're really not that bad...except for the fact that they eat live mice...but let's not get into that.

Les Faux Bourgeois

I went to this neat little French cafe about 2 weeks ago with my family. You wouldn't know about it unless you drive or walk by the area often or you heard it about through word-of-mouth because it's located in the oddest of places for French cuisine--on the corner of E15th (Kingsway) and Fraser St. in East Vancouver. In my case, I fit into both the above circumstances.

Before I even went, I had already heard great things about the food and prices at this place. Well, it turns out that it was so great you would need to make reservations way in advance. My first time trying to make reservations here the morning of, they couldn't give me a table for 4 any time before 9 p.m. This place didn't disappoint with a very handsome waiter providing great service, good simple decor, great food, and reasonable prices. We ordered a goat cheese salad, scallops, and mussels with fries to share as appetizers. Though the goat cheese was a bit too strong for my liking (but that's what goat cheese tastes like) and there weren't too much of the scallops, the mussels were excellent and the salads were great.

We also ordered separate entrees, which were all solid choices from fish to duck confit but the best entree was actually my mom's portebello mushroom shown above with some cheese on top and salad on the side. It was done perfectly with lots of juice. I would've taken some pictures of the dessert but our camera ran out of battery...too bad, so sad.

*A little side anecdote: we were served bread before the appetizers and the butter came with the bread. Then, the waiter brought something similar to butter in its own little dish, so my dad started using that for the bread. Well, the waiter looked at him with bewildered eyes as he explained that the dipping he just used up was actually for the mussels that were now in his hands. I think the rest of us at the table were more embarassed than my dad.

FYI: This is a good place for people watching too. Lots of classy, hip and cool patrons.

Bacteria Culture

About a month ago, a microbiologist from SFU came to our class to do a very interesting presentation about bacteria culture. Well, one of the fun experiments we got to do was to swab an object in the classroom onto a gel petri dish, which would let any bacteria grow over time. One of the enthusiastic students from my class asked if she can swab my hair...I thought...well...why not? So she did: hair, roots, and all. ( I shall regret later.)

Today, the microbiologist returned with some of our dishes of bacteria. She had warned us that our classroom's dishes won for smelliest of all the schools she has been to AND the most interesting (what a pleasant adjective) bacteria growth happened on the petri dish labelled--MS.CHEUNG'S HAIR. Well, of course the class and I couldn't wait to see it.

IT WAS DISGUSTING!!! The gel was a pale yellow to begin with but my hair's bacteria growth turned many spots into brown and black mold plus some little yellow and red dots. Of course, by this time my entire class was grossed out by my hair...and so was I! Luckily, our wonderful guest microbiologist Dr. M. explained that this type of growth would've happened on anyone's hair in the class if they had been swabbed..and all it takes is one bacteria to grow a colony...but still! I mean...there was another petri dish done by another student labelled hair...and it wasn't disgusting at all. In fact, I don't think it even had any bacteria growth.

Anyway, the memory and sight of my hair bacteria would take a long time to be erased from my vivid memory. I try to make myself feel better by reminding myself that bacteria is everywhere and we do need them to survive. We weren't allowed to keep the petri dishes, so I found some equally disgusting bacteria culture samples online to give you an idea. My hair one had bits of the same yellow, red, and black growth as the ones in the image.

Now...I'm going to go wash...everywhere.

Catching Dreams

I learned how to make a dreamcatcher at school today, so that I would be able to teach the Grade 7s how to make one at camp. One of our school's talented Educational Assistant C. taught me and supplied me with all the wonderful materials.

Honestly, I did not know what a dreamcatcher was until I searched about it. I just inferred that it was for "catching" my dreams. And it was. Turns out these works of art were originated by the Ojibwa nation and adopted by the Native Americans. They are meant to be best hung above where one sleeps, so they can block or trap all the bad dreams in the web and pass all the good dreams down to the sleeper through the feathers hanging down.


I think this is such a neat legend. Our versions are made of leather string around a ring and then bee's wax or just white string to design a web of your choice in the centre and then glue some feathers and string some beads below. As well, you can glue or string small "earthly" items on your web. I'm excited to make these with the students!


Maybe I'll never have nightmares again?!?

Wedding Anxiety

THE DAY is looming around...another 4 months and I shall be wed. The question I get the most from my colleagues and friends is "How's the wedding planning going?" I had to answer this question 3 times just today. A year ago, I would've answered this in excitement as I go into a bit of detail about venues and dresses...but now...all you will hear is "it's going."

Of course I'm excited about the whole event but you simply wouldn't understand the stress involved in planning every detail and the burden of delegating tasks kindly to your friends and relatives and hoping with all your mighty power that they would help out and that everything would turn out just fine.....unless you've planned your own before.

I think wedding planning is like a virus in your brain and soul. It consumes your leisure time, shower time, eating time, and every other ounce of time that it manages to creep upon you. Upon discussion with my colleagues at lunch today re: my wedding planning, we...or I...drew to the following conclusion: what's with all the games involved in Chinese weddings? So we, the main characters, as well as the food are not enough entertainment for one night that we have to plan how to make a fool of ourselves so others feel joy?!? And in the end, we are suppose to be the happiest ones. Ironic.

Anyway, all in all, it is an exciting event but my suggestion to other engaged couples? Destination wedding.

Easter

Upon reading my friend Whirlwind's blog, I had to steal this witty chocolate cartoon:




Have an unbitten hoppy Easter!

Mooooooooommmmm!

While teaching a reading group a story today, I had one of my first motherly experiences...

Boys: playing with their pencils and erasers on the table

Me: "Boys, please put down your pencils and concentrate on the reading...we won't need them yet."

Boys: look annoyed but ignoring me

Me: begin taking away pencils starting from student T

Student T: Moooooooommmmmmmmmmm... (whining tone)

Me: I think your mom is at home. (proceeding with my pencil-taking consequence, wide-eyed)

In reflection: do I even look old enough to be a mother?!? teacher = mother?!?

How much is talent?

Last Saturday night, I was invited by a student's parent, Ay-Laung (Ellen) Wang, to her musical performance. To be honest, I had initially said sure because I had inferred that they would be free...and they were. You see, as much as I appreciate people for their varying talents and the infinite value these talents hold, I'm just not that musical to pay to attend a performance as part of my everyday leisurely activities. To further my saying yes initially is the fact that P wanted to go and he is much more musically inclined. Unfortunately, he had to work so I invited my colleague-friend A to come along with me as well as our other colleague G and his girlfriend.

To both A (she was also reluctant to gurantee that she won't be bored initially) and my surprise, the performance was excellent! The performance was sponsored by Trinity Western University as well as Chan Centre; the choir was from Trinity Western University (TWU Choirs). Our student's mom was the artistic director, conductor, and the organist. As we watched her guide the choir, pianists, etc. we truly saw her glow with charisma and poise. We were brought to experience the world in 90 minutes, listening, watching, and feeling pieces influenced by Spain, Italy, Taiwan, etc. in their respective languages. I was amazed how clear and accurate the male choir members were able to sing the Taiwanese song in their male ensemble as well as the choir's integrated facial expressions and actions involved in one of their final songs "The Argument" (a very witty piece by Francis J. Nesta may I say). I was continuously impressed by the variety of instruments involved to produce the works of art including bamboo sticks and a trio for piano, harpsichord and organ (king of instruments...amazing).

All this would've cost the typical attendee $18 per ticket but I truly felt that I would've paid near $50 if I had known how impressive it would be. I believe they're just as good as any well-known choirs and orchestras that are selling their tickets for a lot more but does that mean their talent is truly worth less? The entire night, I admired the talent of this mom I happen to know and wondered if my own humble talent of teaching is "worth" just as much. I began doubting myself!

On a last note...I really wished I had brought my camera to take pictures of the superb performance but I really didn't know we were allowed! The following is the best I found online: Spring at the Chan. The link above to Ellen's biography has some more videos and pictures too.