Well, whatever this says about the Hillman family, this is our back to school photo. And it's not the "now you can look silly" picture. They are agreeable, stunned, and apparently itchy or something to be heading back to the classroom. They've survived the first 2 days.
This year I am profoundly grateful that we are not new. I remember very clearly the overwhelming sense of being overwhelmed. Of worrying about the kids, about whether I could do this job, about Mark and his job, about the shipments that were coming, about the jet lag and sleeplessness and exhaustion that comes with adjusting to a completely new way of life. Again.
There's no doubt--settling into Beijing was much harder, I think, than settling into Arusha. I still haven't worked out why, though--the landing here was so much easier in theory--we had jobs in an established school, we had lots of people around to help us, we had so many more modern conveniences...but last year was so so so so hard. We have friends from Arusha who have just landed in Dhaka, Bangladesh to teach and I hear myself in every one of her Facebook posts.
It was great to see the kids roll into school with their friends, laughing and chatting. Since 20% of the school is new every year, I saw plenty of worried, nervous, lost faces and remembered how we looked. Ava was the most worried because she didn't have a friend in her class from last year. She has a great teacher and will make friends quickly. Her best friend left at the end of last year and her other best friend will leave at the end of this year. It's hard to say goodbye.
Noah is off to a great start with his teacher, too. He's had tough luck with teachers who haven't been a great fit, but this year looks very positive. He can't wait to play football (and wants to go a soccer camp in Spain in October) and is looking forward to the saxophone instead of the cello. He also makes friends very easily and lost a very good friend at the end of the year as well. He's definitely not looking forward to things like math and writing...but we're hopeful that this will be a confidence-building year.
Cameron is still on the schedule for his movie. He'll have to miss school to work, but we don't know when because they are behind schedule. He is taking biology, Asian Studies, theatre, band, English, Algebra, Phy. Ed., and Chinese this term. The homework is 2-3 hours per night, including weekends. He is looking forward to concert band and jazz band, but decided not to audition for the fall play in order to try out for rugby. He really enjoyed playing in Tanzania, and this is his one chance to join the team where most of the kids are also pretty new to the sport. He has good friends, loves being involved in church, and is such a strong student, although his time management skills may be challenged this year!
Life is as good as it gets in a gigantic polluted city! We had a fantastic summer--too short, as always--and are already looking forward to next summer!
2 comments:
Oh the life of an ex-pat. Although I myself am not one (I'm an immigrant) most of my friends are. For the past 20 years it seems like I'm always saying good-bye to friends. We are lucky to have an English immersion school here. Many ex-pats have chosen that over the international school so the kids have more stable friends. It also has a better curriculum. The teenagers who can choose have also chosen the immersion school over the international one. When I ask them why they all just say it 'feels cooler'. Guess that's a teenager's way of saying its more relaxed. I would imagine it has to do with the yearly new faces thing and the nervous energy that comes with it.
That's a cute picture. Looks very 'at the moment, here we go'...hee hee
I'm so impressed with your kids. and you. We moved from Texas to New York a year and a half ago and I still feel like it would have been easier to move to an entirely different CONTINENT. How long until this feels like home? Will it ever?
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