Sports and Food

This past week was (again) full of good food and lots of activities around campus. Sunday, we ventured out into the city towards some upscale looking shops we had driven by the week before. Most of the stores were closed, but we did happen upon a Bath & Body Works (with ridiculously high prices) and a craft store similar to Color Me Mine. There was also this billboard with the Statue of Liberty holding a Pulp brand soda . . . and you thought she was holding a torch glowing world-wide welcome.

It's amazing how much more you feel at home when you get out of your home and explore, going down new roads to see new sights, and experience new things. It seems backwards in some ways - that new and unfamiliar things would lead to a feeling of greater affinity - but that has been our experience thus far.

In addition to teaching P.E. (high school class pictured above) and supervising after-school activities during the week (art club, homework club, sports club . . . ), Brandon is also working to expand the Friday afternoon game tradition. In the past, student and staff members (boys only), have stayed after school to play a pick-up game of futbol (soccer). And, while that is enjoyable for those who played, us ladies didn't feel welcomed to join and not all the boys felt confident enough in their soccer skills to participate. Solution: volleyball! Brandon sent out an all school e-mail and talked it up among the students during P.E. class and there were 14 students and staff that stayed after school to play volleyball on Friday.

There were several other girls, too, that said they would stay the next Friday; I guess they wanted to see that it really was going to happen - and that it would be fun - before committing to come.

In keeping with the sports theme of this week, Brandon had not one, but TWO fantasy football drafts. And, thanks to modern technology, he didn't miss a beat.

With his buddy Brian on Skype, his draft "cheat sheets" spread on the desk, the draft website up on the computer, and Bailey's advice from earlier in the week, he made his picks with ease. There was one HUGE thing he missed, though: FOOD! But don't worry, his friends paraded plates of bean dip, sandwiches, and pasta by the computer's camera so he could see what he was missing. Good friends, they are!

Friday night came quickly and we were glad to find ourselves going out to dinner with our "Board Buddy" family, the Kim's. The wife, Heddy, is on the school board and she (together with her husband and daughter) were the ones who stocked our apartments with some basic items when we first arrived and helped us do our initial shopping to get settled in. They have continued to be welcoming, calling from time to time to check on how we are doing and taking us out for good meals! Friday found us at a Japanese restaurant where we had a delicious soup type dish that was cooked on the table in front of us. Like most meals, I couldn't tell you half of what was in it, but it was delicious!

Bailey slept soundly through most of the meal on two chairs pulled up next to mine:

Brandon spent Saturday morning on the golf course, cheering on one of the sophomores from school who was playing in a tournament. The top four players from this weekend's tournament goes on to represent Paraguay in a South American tournament. As of the time of this publishing, she was two strokes out of fourth place.

The girl obviously golfs quite frequently and has invited Brandon to join her and her dad on the course. When my parents visit in October, they will be bringing Brandon's clubs so he can go to the driving range with them from time to time and be their guest on select Wednesday afternoons, golfing for free at the local country club where they are members.

Saturday night was the night that the gang from the apartments decided to take our apartment "parents" out to dinner to thank them for all of their help over the past six weeks. Kevin and Belinda Van have been extraordinarily helpful, taxiing us around to various stores, restaurants, doctors appointments and pharmacies. They've been our go-to people for advice and continually go above and beyond in the helpful department. We went to a Brazilian restaurant - similar to the one Brandon and I went to on our date - and enjoyed a buffet full of scrumptious salads, soups, sushi, and sides while waiters brought skewers of various meats to the table continuously. Brandon and Nate made a deal not to say "no" when meat was offered; Nate said no first, thus making Brandon the "winner" . . . silly games for silly boys.

The music teacher (Nick) and his wife (Mara) have arrived, meaning that we're only missing ONE person to make our apartment family complete. Pray for a quick arrival for Kristen - the third grade teacher - and the continuance of the familial feeling in the apartments!