Ava started group violin lessons. She is the youngest in the class by 2 years and just loves it. Very focused and motivated, as usual. She is already asking for a private tutor, but that has to wait until we're sure she still likes it after a few months!
Noah starts soccer this week. He is convinced he will be playing in the World Cup one day. After he renouncing his American citizenship, of course and joins a country that can actually field a team. And when he's not racing cars, breeding Rhodesian Ridgebacks or writing and illustrating his own books. Whew!
Cameron is in the middle school musical. He was disappointed that he didn't get a principal part, but we are understanding that Asians take everything very seriously when it comes to anything about their kids and everyone is privately tutored for hours a day 7 days a week and they never do anything less than 120%. So now he's glad he's in! He's in a literary quiz bowl club, too, that went to London last year. He would have said that he was naturally tops at this--but now he knows that he has to work hard at anything he wants a shot at here. He's also starting trumpet lessons in the next two weeks. He's probably having the hardest adjustment right now, but has the most to manage, too.
We bought a car last week. Yes, it looks this fancy. No, it really isn't. It's a Great Wall Sing, like a Toyota 4Runner. They are not terribly well-made and have a good life of only about 6 years or so--we were lucky to get one that was less than 2 years old so hopefully it'll last awhile. It's hard to find cars big enough for us and a driver so our choices were a bit limited and imported cars are very expensive. We are looking forward to having licenses, but until then we have to hire a driver for when we want to use it. Getting your license is more like what we have to do in the States--studying, though, from a badly translated English manual so you actually have to take time to study! We ride bikes or take cabs to work so it's mostly for weekends, although I suppose we'll drive to work when it gets too cold to bike--the buses don't get us to school early enough in the mornings.
Yes, pets are in our future. What we want is a big dog. What we should get is a smaller dog. We visited a shelter this weekend but are talking alot about the costs and needs of a dog in a very urban setting. Cameron, our cat lover, was covered in cats, so it will be pets, plural. We did see a beautiful Golden Retriever, a lovely Springer Spaniel, and a funny little beagle/something mix. We are committed to keeping whatever we get no matter where we go after Beijing--it was just too traumatic to leave them behind in Tanzania. Noah still tears up if we mention Moshi and Rugby!
That's the quick and dirty on the Hillmans for now. We have the first week of October off and will be trying to fit in several stops around town to see the sights, either by car or cab/subway. Later!
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