Thao

Tim's Administrative Assistant is called Thao. She is a fiery Vietnamese woman with excellent English skills and an amazing ability to multi-task. She is warm and funny and she has been Tim's right hand during these beginning months of his new job. On Fridays they even look alike!



Thao is traveling to Canada in December, so this weekend we made a trip to the Russian Market to get some warm clothes.


Thao has lived her whole life in Vietnam. Getting off the plane in Toronto is going to be quite a shock! She is very excited to see snow!

Birthday!

This week Tim celebrated another birthday.  His coworkers recognized the day with a delicious cake and a beautiful orchid plant for his office. We also had a delicious meal and gifts at home with friends.

Meanwhile Back in Canada

Max and his roommate Neil

Living apart from Max has been a difficult thing for us as a family. However, Max has made an incredible transition to university and to Canada. We are very thankful for many things: Max's determination and discipline; the Grebel Residence staff and friends; the wonder of technology which allows us to text daily and Skype weekly; and special family members in Nova Scotia who give Max extra support in our absence.

Last weekend was one example of how our family members have prioritized Max this semester. Uncle David flew to Toronto and drove to Waterloo to spend a weekend with Max. They spent time exploring the campus of U Waterloo, eating great food at Grebel Residence, and meeting some of Max's friends. They also took advantage of a trip to the Mennonite Farmers' Market at St. Jacobs.

Max enjoyed touring around the communities near Waterloo. They visited David's relatives in Elora, and went to Brampton where Max will be doing a CoOp placement beginning in January. In our stead, David was able to meet the family that Max will be living with and offer advice on Max's first work experience.

It was a special time for nephew and uncle! 

A Christmas surprise!

On the weekend we were doing some walking in District 1 with friends and discovered a new shop with Christmas decorations and supplies! This was a big treat for us, having lived in the Middle East where Christmas is not celebrated. And we didn't expected these decorations in Ho Chi Minh City because this is primarily a Buddhist culture. It was thrilling to see beautiful hand-made cards, tags, papers, strings of lights that are delicately crafted here in Vietnam.

After getting our fill of Christmas sparkle we got our fill of the best BBQ ribs in Ho Chi Minh City!

Volleyball Weekend

On the first weekend in November Simon (#8) traveled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia for the Mekong River International School Association (MRISA) Senior Volleyball Tournament. The Varsity boys and girls teams from SSIS joined seven other schools from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand to compete for the MRISA championship.

Tim and Lisa also made the short trip to Cambodia to cheer on the team. The students were all billeted by the local students of the International School of Phnom Penh. The parents stayed in a hotel and had a fascinating ride to the school each morning in a Tuk-tuk with a Cambodian chauffeur.

Simon's team was undefeated throughout the round-robin and semifinal round. They were a fun team to watch and they played well together. Simon plays the front positions and because of a great setter and great passing, he often has opportunity to spike or tip the ball over the net.  Unfortunately the SSIS team lost in the championship game to the host school, ISPP, for a 2nd place finish at the tournament. The girls team placed 4th overall.

We were very proud of this group of young men and women who supported each other, demonstrated the joy of playing volleyball, and were gracious in their defeat. We also appreciated the expert coaching and tireless efforts of the coaches throughout the season.

Kuala Lumpur

Last week Tim and colleagues attended the East Asia Regional Council of Schools conference (EARCOS) in Malaysia. Having never been there before, Lisa tagged along to do some sightseeing while Tim was in meetings.

Our first stop was the famous Petronas Twin Towers (the tallest twin towers in the world). We went to the Skybridge and then to the Observation deck on the 86th floor. These are really beautiful towers with a spectacular view.

One day Lisa devoted to parks: the Bird Park, the Orchid Park, and the Butterfly Park. It was a relaxing day of strolling through beautiful tropical flora and fauna. Lisa kept her distance from the birds, especially the very large peacocks. There was a photo opportunity with some parrots, which went badly when the blue one starting eating Lisa's hair.










The week also included lots of walking to ChinaTown and Petaling Street market, eating delicious Mexican food, and sitting by the pool at the Shangri-la hotel (one of the nicest we have ever stayed at). It was a wonderful getaway!

The Butterfly Park

The country was celebrating the Hindu Festival of Lights,
Diwali, and this elephant appeared in the hotel lobby
-- made completely of flowers!

Petaling Street market