Hi Everyone,
I have been hitting my head against the wall trying to post another blog for the past week and a half. The problem is putting pictures on here. For some reason, the computer doesn't want to do it anymore! Anyway, sorry but this blog will be sans pictures :( I'll try one more time tonight.
So in the past two weeks we have made over a dozen batches of fudge (a Smith family tradition that we were happy to be able to continue here in Suzhou). We've been distributing the fudge all week to teachers, friends and coaches.
Oliver Twist went off without a hitch. Mark was endlessly praised for his contribution to the sound and lights. Apparently past productions were lacking in the area and Mark's expertise made all the difference. Abigail was promoted from the choir to play an orphan in the play. I'm afraid she most likely has been bitten by the acting bug at the tender age of 8 and predict this is just the beginning! She quite enjoyed it but we were all exhausted after the final curtain.
Last weekend was party after party. James had 3 to go to on Saturday, which was insane! One was the staff children's party. 80 people smushed into the primary principal's apartment. The kids sang Christmas songs and father Christmas made an appearance. Lots of good food from all over the world. We of course, brought fudge.
This week we have been busy with the staff Christmas party on Monday, Swan Lake on (performed by the Russian National Ballet) and Abigail sang with the choir at an orphanage in Suzhou last night. Today we are only at school for a half day. We will have an assembly before dismissal where all the houses will participate in a group singing competition. Mark has been busy with his blue monkeys for two weeks now(he jumped into this as soon as Oliver was over) . They will be singing and dancing to Jingle Bell Rock (the muppets version I believe). He is getting James to slip the judges some fudge, courtesy of the blue house right before they go on.
So tomorrow we fly to Calgary!! We are beyond excited. Can't wait to see Mum and Dad and eat lots of good food and play in the snow and sit by the fire.
That's all for now. I won't post again until after the holidays. Merry Christmas everyone and all the best in 2009!

Thanksgiving and more

This is my third attempt in writing this week's blog.  My new laptop apparently does not play friendly with blogger.  Anyway, last week we celebrated (American) Thanksgiving at the school.  Quite a few people came and the school catering company went all out with white table clothes and floral arrangements.  We had some interesting interpretations of "traditional dishes" including a salad with octopus and pumpkin pie with a cookie bar crust and canned pumpkin poured on top (not baked).  We all had a good chuckle and chalked it up to the Thanksgiving in China experience.  Here are some pictures

On Saturday Abigail and I went with some friends to the Suzhou Expat Christmas Bazaar.  She had been earning money all week doing various chores because she wanted to buy her friends some Christmas presents.  We had a really nice time.  The bazaar was in an old hotel within walking distance and it was a beautiful day.

So I picked up an expat cookbook, bought some home-baked goods and Abigail has all her Christmas shopping done!  The first picture here is just to show you the set up.  The one below it is a painting I got for Abigail that a local artist painted in front of us.  I couldn't resist!

So with (both) Thanksgivings behind us we are officially into the Christmas season.  We visited the german supermarket called Metro on Sunday and purchased a small Christmas tree.  Unfortunately our priceless stockings did not make it to Suzhou so we had to purchase new ones.  I have been invited to a Christmas party this Friday at the secondary principal's apartment and Mark will be going solo to a different Christmas party on Saturday (no kids allowed, which meant only one of us could go).  Next week is the school performance of Oliver Twist (Abigail sings in the chorus and Mark does sound and lights) and also the school-wide book sale, which apparently english teachers are involved in (I just found that out today)!  The weeks are really flying by which is nice because I am counting the days until we go "home for the holidays"

Yaay, I think the blog will actually post this time.  I am trying it on Mark's Macbook.  SSIS is in the works to become an i-school.  That means each student has their own laptop (macbook).  So Mark is on the Macbook vanguard team to help train the teachers on the computers when it is time.  They are introducing it at the middle school level as of January so James will have his own laptop that he will bring to every class.  We will have an apple support staff member full-time at the school to deal with problems that occur.  Should be interesting, James is certainly looking forward to it!

Ok, that's all from me for now.  Hope everyone had a good week.  Enjoy all the holiday festivities!