Baby Brunch

Yesterday I ventured out for a couple hours (do not worry family, I was picked up and dropped off at front door) to a lovely brunch and a final farewell to Tess and Alex who left this morning.

Marietta did a fantastic job, baking yummy treats the night before and preparing more food all morning. We  had two beautiful baby girls to pass around the table and it was really nice to have a proper send off for the Rawson's. A nice morning out, and then I put myself back on the sofa for the rest of the day :)

Operation Fun

Well I have survived (not that there was any doubt) to explain why I did not eat or drink at staff BBQ. In fact, I have not eaten anything in 38 hours (bar piece of a biscuit that Pia kindly cleaned up after my body rejected it). I came yesterday for a surgery that I have been fighting/organising to get done for a couple months (to avoid having in Ecuador). Although they have been lovely to me here in hospital during my stay, I am hoping that most patients have not had to go through what I have had to (very hard to get organised and now they have not really done what was really meant to be done). I am sure this can happen anywhere, so my advice to everyone having any surgery is
1) do not assume the right hand has talked to the left and your files are up to date
2) insist on talking to surgeon before op
3) ask loads of questions and even make sure it is written down
4) if in land with foreign language try and always have someone who can help with translations.
5) and if all else fails just keep getting more refills of morphine ;)
All is ok now and I am resting and have been spoilt with visitors. I am sure it will all get sorted, but nonetheless it is slightly frustrating.

I have fabulous friends, in fact Pia broke the rules and stayed almost three hours after visiting hours (hoping there is not a warrant out for her arrest now), and I appreciate all of them so much!

Staff Goodbye

Last night was my last ISB staff party, not easy! Even though I am mainly staying in Basel till I go to Quito, there are many who will not return in time to say good bye to, so that was hard. I also could feel that I am no longer part of the team, which was sad. And lastly I could only drink water and have no food (hopefully, I will follow this up in my next blog) almost the death of me!

Really cannot believe my time here is done, at least for now anyways.

Bye Bye ISB

Cannot quite believe it but my time at International School Basel is done. I have had a fabulous time with these kids over the years and genuinely love each and everyone of them. Regardless of popular opinion, teaching is blinking hard work, emotionally draining and usually pretty thankless. But I love it, love the ups and downs, the laughs, the 'ah ha' moments, and most of all getting to know the kids.

 This is the best gift in the world, no monetary bonus in the world could ever feel better than reading the sentiments in this card.

My star grade 10's, they even had a Madonna performance.

I will miss each and every student I have had the pleasure if teaching here and know they will go on to do amazing things (largely down to their Maths teacher of course ;)).

BBQ and Birthdays

After a long hike, me and Lola had time for a quick shower and change before heading to Laure and Paul's BBQ.  They had twin girls last summer,  so have not seen as much of them as I would have liked so nice to get there yesterday.  I then came home for another wardrobe change and then out to celebrate Clint and Jill's birthday.  Busy as a bee these days, going into the last week of work, last week at ISB, last week of working with some fabulous people, really cannot believe it!!

Now relaxing on a sunny Sunday, thinking about cleaning but not getting very far...

Saturday Hikey's

Nothing like getting over a Friday night and getting ready for a Saturday night, then a big hike.  So early this morning me, Lola, Lily and Karen set off for the TV tower.
 

Beautiful morning/afternoon and now feel justified to have the afternoon/night that I have planned a head :)

 

The Fab Five

Three years ago, almost to the day, I stalked Patrick and Ellie all around Brussels looking for my first MYP conference.  Little did I know then that not only were they starting at ISB in August but also we would become best of friends.
That August, just after I arrived, Eva took me to meet the other 'single girl', not just any other single girl but a beautiful blonde bombshell.  Obviously, i was hoping she was a little horrible (not many single men here for all us single gals) but nope she was/is fantastic and instantly a friend for life.
Shortly after that, I met William, just in front of the bank, getting our accounts set up.  But our first proper bonding moment was over a plate of foie gras, and a lecture on our day trip to the Alsace and despite his despicable taste in food I knew we would be the greatest of friends. 
I have had an amazing three years with these people, with so many many memories and stories to take with me.  I cannot quite believe our time together is coming to an end (well at least living in the same city).  With most of us off for the summer, and very little time together before I go to Ecuador and they return for the the start of school we had a goodbye (for now) dinner last night.

 All great events gotta start with my favourite bubbles

 Cannot wait to get it open

 A newspaper made for me, love it, it is so lovely...

 Ladies in red

And yes we did change to all wear red, and yes it is slightly sad, but it was loads of fun.  Had such a great time, did not even matter that England lost.  Gonna miss you lot and cannot wait for you to visit!

 

9 Lives Lola

For anyone who knows Lola, you would know she is fairly jittery and nervous at the best of times.  Loud noises, loads of people, thunder storms puts her in a fairly stressful state.  Looking back on her eight years, it may be easy to see why, she has moved a lot, had loads of different people in her life, poisoned twice and now jumped out my window twice.  Yesterday I got a phone call from the Vet saying a neighbour saw her jump out.  She must have been very desperate as window is very high, and was shut (it is one that pushes across so must have taken her sometime).  I got home in record time and have fabulous friends that dropped everything to help (big thanks to Chris, Suzanna and Claire).  She was eventually found about three hours later by the police in the train station (think she was trying to go to Como as loves it here.  She has a few stitches and was a bit scared all night, but I can assure you I was certainly the more panicked of the two.  I made several hundred deals with the Universe and am now going to be so well behaved and good Samaritan.  It was a rough night but two great things came out of it:
1) I can run, I always say I am a horrible runner/jogger, I am wrong I did it for hours last night
2) Lola finally slept in her kennel, I am trying to get her in it for the plane and she so far has not gone in for more than a minute or two.  Last night she spent hours.

I am trying to tell her now that she is running out of lives.

Maths Farewell

I guess every department in a school is special and full of unique personalities but I really think none quite as much as Mathematics. Possibly it is simply down to the fact that it is usually one of the largest departments in a school but I think it is a little more than that. You have the geniuses, the very hard workers posing as geniuses, and then the people like me who work enough and get by (and I actually think that all of those types can be equally as good teachers, depends on how they deliver). Also there is very different schools of thought when it comes to teaching mathematics, setting (levelling the classes) versus differentiating in a class (clearly the way forward!), teaching a little of everything every year versus a full year of algebra and then calculus etc. And with a huge department with people from all over the world, we can have very different opinions. But that makes us great, we spend many a meeting 'discussing' the way forward and it can get passionate at times, but it is because we are all fighting for what we believe is best for the kids.
I am leaving ISB after three years, a place where I have learnt a tremendous amount from my colleagues and also about my teaching. But more than that I am leaving a department full of amazing people who are always supporting each other with all issues, in or out of school.
Last night we came together to celebrate this and say good bye to the five of us leaving. Florian and Steph hosted a fabulous BBQ (a meat eaters dream), it was really nice to all get together and I really am going to miss working with this bunch.
Thank you to everyone and remember there is always room in Quito.

The Rawson's

The farewell parties are in full swing now, and there will be loads of good byes in the next couple of weeks as school wraps up and people leave for summer. Yesterday the Rawson's had their leaving party, full of stories, laughing and of course tears.

They came as two and leave as four, they will be greatly missed here in Basel and wishing them all the best in their new adventures in Boston.

Prohibition Party

I love fancy dress! I love parties and particularly Clint's theme last night.. What I don't love is when someone hosts a party and puts more effort into decorations and details then I do ;)!! Clint really went all out with cocktail menus, decorations and just loads of great touches. I am really going to have to think of something pretty special to compete with this before I leave (not that it is about competition, but I do have a reputation to keep!).

A really good night, big huge thanks to Clint for such a great event!

My Last Basel Wine Club

Well I knew it was going to start soon, and I have been dreading it, the start of good byes and the end of things I have loved here, and last night marked the beginning of this process....
There are a few things that I have done in my life that I have been extremely proud of and the Basel Ladies Wine Club is one of the top. It is really an amazing group of talented special women and every night together is so special. I have been so lucky to have these women as a part of my life and will miss each one desperately.

It was an emotional night (surprise, surprise), full of stories and tears (well mine) I love all of them and I will say it again (and probably again and again), Quito you have one hard act to follow.

Grad Dinner

For two nights I organised, decorated, tidied (it would be pushing it to claim cleaned) and cooked in preparation of having my recently graduated grade 12's for dinner. About half an hour before they came I stated to get very nervous and panic a bit, what was I thinking having them to dinner! But it was fabulous, I just love them all so much, will truly miss them, and am so very proud of them all.

I had such a lovely evening, full of laughs and stories. I wish them all the best in their next adventures (all going to different places around the world), and just hope they will stay in tough :) Big congratulations grade 12!

Baking Basel

I thought it was hot in Berlin and then arrived back to 38 degrees in Basel. Had a great time in Berlin and a big thanks to Jacob (whom most will remember as one of my Thai heroes) for being a great tour guide and to Patrick for some great recommendations. But great to be back on the busy Rhine with bbq's in full swing.

I do love summertime Basel!

'B' stands for..

... beautiful, brilliant and also the beginning of most of my favourite places Barbados, Bruton, Basel, Brookville, Bristol and now I can add Berlin. This place just gets better and better. Today after taking in loads of tourist sights yesterday I decided to take a break and follow some advice from Mr. Weir and head to the flea market in Maurerpark (ok sure still touristy but totally different vibe and I loved it).  Really cool stuff, food and people (if I come back in another life I am really going to work at being a little more hip or edgy).  I am actually just in awe of all the history, and shocked of how little I really knew.

But on a baking hot day there is only so much sight seeing and markets one can do, so headed to another one of my favourite B words, the beach.  A beach in a city, what a brilliant idea!

Berlin Sights

It is just after 6pm and I have already walked 20km seeing some of what Berlin has to offer (think it would take a few hundred more to get a full picture). A gorgeous (possibly even a little hot for me day), I have checked many things off my list but still a ways to go.

The victory column

Brandenburg Gates, completed in 1791, it is one of the most famous sights in Berlin.

The Russian memorial (was hoping Putin might drop by and I could have a word with him, no such luck).

Jewish memorial

The topography of terror (completely moving, just beyond belief that this sort of evil existed in modern history, and obviously still does).

The Wall

Checkpoint Charlie
Berlin has it all, even a river, not the Rhine (think Rhine wins) but still has bars and lots of old naked men too :)

Berlin Bound

Usually I would be pretty miserable to be leaving Basel when plus 30, bright sunshine, and a long weekend ahead, but the fact that instead I will be in sunny Berlin makes it somewhat bearable.

I have wanted to go for ages, very excited, expectations are high, and cannot wait for my first beer (do not say that often!).

Amazing Emily

One would think (or at least I did), that when pregnant a person may slow down, a teeny tiny bit at least, and when holding a dinner party might keep it smaller than usual. And maybe that is true for some or maybe I am hugely stereotyping but I was still very impressed when I went to Emily's last night for dinner after a long day at work. She did only have a few people, but about ten, and not a course but courses. It was as usual delicious, and I am selfishly thrilled to see her pregnant!

Sunflower Surprise

Having had one of my worst school days in recent times, what a lovely surprise I came home too.

It is so exciting to have the flower delivery person at the door (not that this is a regular occurrence!) and it immediately cheered me up. Thank you so much to Barbara and Harry (new Amanda and Suzanna) for the totally unnecessary but completely appreciated sun flowers.

Bella Bellagio

First, I have to admit that I stole the title from Karen's Facebook but I could not think of anything else. We had another lovely day of food, wine, sights in Bellagio and then back of our village and the best bar ever (according to Chris).

We are now packing up, having a long hike and then back to Basel
we go.