One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

A bit late with this post ... but I finally have to put up some of the photos. It was an amazing experience (although one that completely physically and mentally drained me) with excellent acting talent across the board (these people gave everything over and beyond), a loud shouting insane but genius director, fabulous sets, superb lighting and sound, and overall my performance for a while. I think I'll concentrate on some other things. It was an incredible way to go out ... trust me it's hard acting crazy for 3 hours on stage!

The ward staff (all female cast) ... this worked out with some small alterations.

The crazies

Make-up .. thankfully it was not too overboard.

Peter gets lipstick!

Chief ... 1st time acting!

"what you talking about willis?" pose

McMurphy meets the Chief .. Billy (Berkly Mason) peeks on

Playing cards ... the new guy scares us a bit

Dialing in channel 4 .... the nuts go crazy

Chief and nurse (Chloe) staring out into something

Complaining about meds

The 'ceremony'

Shock therapy (in back) and chief roars ... still gives me chills. There's a nursery rhyme "wire, byre, limber lock ..." that is featured throughout the tale which Chief and McMurphy talk about. I recorded my 3rd grade students singing it and as the shock scene is played out and Chief starts roaring and singing it the lights go out and there are my students mildly creepy falsetto recording of them singing it.

One of the 20 lines throughout the play ... delivered with gusto!

"No playing ball in the ward!!" "But we got the championships next week!"

Peter and his "bomb"

Stealing cigs ... (we never smoked on stage but I was always sneaking a few into the pockets)

Vietnam

The main reason in visiting Vietnam was to meet up with some old Damascus friends. Eric and Tessa from Indonesia, and Aaron, Megan, and Owen from Cambodia (they are heading back to Canada). Nice beach with soft sand, nice old town, lots of garment shops (beautiful winter coats), excellent seafood from grimy road side restaurants, free bikes, friendly locals and tourists, good beer, and really cheap. Almost no haggling needed.

The small but significant reunion. Who's missing a baby?


Aaron, Megan, and Owen on the rooftop Cafe

The ladies (and Owen) in Hoi An

One of the many eateries that line the road. Lots of fresh fish. Good spring rolls and fried calamari

The Aaron

The Beer (La rue)

The market ....

There are only primitive vehicle and walkers allowed in the old city.

Old man ... Photo op!

The French and Portuguese influence of old Hoi An.

The Japanese bridge

Lazy ricksaws drivers .. they pedal from behind.

Venice? Paris?

Lots of roof top eateries and cafes ... a nice night life atmopshere

A very ominous gale blew in but we kept fishing ... I guess it did not matter since we were never more than 30 feet from shore.

The captain ... into the heart of darkness.

This was my only catch ... very dangerous he said. In all we caught 3 types of fish. The most exciting being a 'puffer' fish that the guide starting beating and throwing on the deck in order to get it to "puff" up which it did ... then looked quite dead. After throwing it overboard and watching it float a while (to our dismay) it recovered, deflated, and swim off happily.

Aaron was off to a quick lead with four of what we named spiny tiger fish.

Be proud!

She was a sea worthy vessel but rocked easily.

Adam tried the basket boat.

The gang looking particularly bad ass with the baskets!

Babies in baskets which the locals warned us "very dangerous".

A Sweet Parent Letter

It's the last day of school and I was cleaning out the email. I really have to share this letter from a parent. I had their daughter in 1st and 3rd grade and Carrie had the son this year in Kindergarten. A very sweet family and a nice letter of thanks.

Dear Matthew and Carrie
†
Hi our lovely respectful teachers!!! Hope you're well with your sweet and pretty Elizabeth.
†
We don't know how to thank you for your great and enthusiastic and dynamic teaching toward
Our Jiah and Jisu respectively.
†
Jiah has been changing many points with good improvement of all general English skill since
God bless for us to meet you(Matt) in this year.
Meanwhile Jisu who was real naughty boy by the way now he is getting much better on your(Carrie)
Special love and teaching wisdom. †I.m sure that Jiah and Jisu enjoyed their school life with all of your
wonderful efforts in this year.
†We are really appreciated to all of your help and love to our kids again and we wish you would
† be maintain the best health all the time and some more opportunities of main teacher for our
† Jiah and Jisu on next time as long as you are staying at AISD.
†
† Please pray for Jiah and Jisu having the better future on their best in Him.
† Look forward to keeping in touch each other and We will continue always to pray for your family
† to be the best life in Him!!!
†
†Have a good summer vocation and see you soon again.


(Beginning of the year)
Dear Mr.McEwen,
†
This is Million, Jiah's Father!!! Hope y are fine with good health.
First of all, I am really happy to see you again at the school as a Main teacher
of our Jiah in this 3rd Grade.
Moreover your wife Mrs.McEwen is our Jisu's(Jiah's yonger brother) Main teacher
so I and Kid's Mom Mrs.Park also are very happy of it too.
Hope it would be wonderful school year 08~09 for us.
Let's keep in touch each other frequently if time is convenient for you.
†
Meanwhile I would like to ask y that our Jiah's English ability for now and i need
to know what we have to help for her at home and how to develop her English
skill for easy study at the class after school.
Really i need your vivid guide for Jiah's English improvement???
Pls give me your candid opinion for her ability of English and guide me what
we need to help her at home also is it necessary for her to do extra study
at home after school with Native speaker i f so pls let me get your introducing
for the proper teacher for us???
Pls advise me asap on your best cooperation.
†
In the meantime, I need 3M's web address for our ref and easy comminication
between y and us.
†
Look forward to hearing your kind response as soon as possible in your convenient
time.
†
†
Best Rgds,

Thunderstorms

The rainstorms started a couple weeks ago and have made for some interesting nights and relaxing weekends indoors. They usually last an for no more than an hour but make up for it in their intensity. Of course that's not what this one was about ... mild downpour with a twist of E on the end. At least it cools the city off for a bit. Enjoy!

Kuala Lumpur

It's always nice to travel to a place where people drive in the lanes, line up nicely, and there are malls. Remember where we live. After the wedding we spent two nights at the Traders Hotel. The view of the Petronas Towers was amazing and was there was a mall and fabulous park right outside.

The view at night and out our hotel window.

Elizabeth finds the cookie stash and is allowed to indulge because it's 'vacation'

Elizabeth at the California Pizza Kitchen using those crappy crayons they give kids.


We visited the aquarium and were so impressed with the moving tunnel that we went through twice. (watch for the video soon)

E enjoyed in experience for a short while but in the end seemed more interested in the people then fish and went to sleep in the stroller.

Sleep sleep sleep

Sleep sleep sleep

In the park outside the hotel there was a place to play in the water with fountains and waterfalls. We didn't but it was a nice thought especially since there would be no way in hell we could do this in Dhaka.

The park also had a HUGE playground that went on and on and on.

E loved the bouncy horse

Using the stroller in the mall proved effective and we learned to use the escalators and elevators with a new found appreciation.

Hanging out in the hotel room was heaven .. (watch for the bathtub video)

In all, it was a wonderful vacation .. we had not left Dhaka since October and we were getting itchy. Elizabeth's expression sums it up perfectly. We figure it's cheap enough to fly to KL for the weekend on Air Asia with empty suitcases and do shopping as needed.

Justin and Kelly: Wedding in Paradise

Spring break we flew into Karabi, Thailand and went to Raleigh for Justin and Kelly's wedding. We'd never been to this area but it was beautiful. There were a group of friends from Dhaka and then other friends from all over. It was a merry group. We drank, ate, and enjoyed the water festival which was in full swing. It was very baby friendly even if there were a couple boat rides involved. Sometimes the longtail boats pull up on the shore and other times you ride out in a trailer attached to a tractor. Besides the video, I was also in charge of the fireworks which Sam and I procured with a bit of luck in Krabi (of course we had Justin's friend Ott who is a local helping us). It's against the law to sell them but we got lucky in the Chinatown area of the town and I guess we looked harmless.

Justin and Kelly (not looking at the camera)

Everyone else (not looking at the camera)

Sunset on the beach, because the sea is so shallow the tide goes was out.

Large Singha please ... used to be about a dollar a bottle.

E did well with the traveling, late nights, meeting new people, crawling in the sand, wearing cute dresses, drinking fresh fruit shakes, swimming in the pool, and hanging out under the chairs.

The wedding itself was idyllic ... in the overhang of a cave with the sunset behind the limestone atolls.

Me and Fred were the official video and photographers ... Elizabeth with Justin's mom.

E was the honorary flower girl and everyone else wore white.

Sam and Heather Mom and E

That's Fred with the happy couple .. he got some great pics I bet!



The reception ....

Rock lobster nice details

Flower girl with bib ... and attitude! "what's up!?"

We also bumped into Aaron, Megan and Owen, who loves kisses. Can't wait to see them again in Vietnam in a few weeks.

Sea kayaking with the underwater video camera ...

The happy couple!!

Marriage .... in Dhaka!

Before flying to Thailand for the wedding Justin and Kelly decided to officially tie the knot in Bangladesh. The embassy requires that an official sign the papers of the marriage certificate. The embassy gave them some phone numbers and they contacted a tiny Christen church. They could have had the minister come to the house or just sign the papers but they opted to have the wedding at the church. This must have been very surprising to the minister because they pulled out all the stops for the wedding .. of course Justin and Kelly had to buy some sweets and a few liters of coke for the masses that attended. The convoy of cars wound back behind the main road passed smaller and smaller alleys. Turning around did not become an option but eventually we pulled up to a very modest little church right next to a huge mosque.

On display in the plastic chairs

Justin and Kelly ...... Elizabeth just loves a wedding

The kids were fasinated

The ceremony was partially in Bangla but mostly he spoke in a fabulously broken English. There was quite a bit of "what he say?" but in all it was a lovely experience. After the ceremony and the sticky sweets and coke, we went to our favorite Indian restaurant Bukarra for a few drinks.

All the women wore saris ...

Heather and Beckly Cate and I

The happy couple!