Sarah Bear's Blog: Swine Flu & Wind In The Willows

Hi everyone, Here’s an update of what has been happening for my last couple weeks of school.

Most people know that Swine Flu (H1N1) is going around the world. There have been a few cases of Swine Flu in Hong Kong. This past week before school ended on Thursday (it also happened to be my friend’s birthday) in the newspaper there was a warning the government might close the primary schools. No one in our class wanted that to happen because this year we are supposed to get a pizza party and watch Monster vs. Aliens as a good bye to primary school. Unfortunately, right around lunch, the government decided to close all of the primary schools. The middle schoolers still have to go to school. Ha ha. Nobody was very happy; we all wanted another week of school. The kids in my class who were leaving Hong Kong (myself and 4 other kids) had to return our instruments to our music teacher because there is a 5th grade band. I am a percussionist and my music teacher let me keep my drum sticks. So I got everyone to sign them and my shirt. Oh, well at least it was a memorable end to primary school.

Another thing I was afraid of was that the Faust show might get cancelled. That would have stunk. But, let’s back up. I’m in a show called The Wind in the Willows. For those of you who don’t know the story line here’s a quick summary.

There are 4 main characters, Rat, Mole, Toad, and Badger. One day Mole meets Rat along the river bank and they strike a friendship. Then they go to see Toad. Toad is a rich conceited gentleman who gets these obsessions. When Rat and Mole go to meet him Toad's obsession is a gypsy caravan so Rat, Mole, and Toad go on a trip. While they are on a trip a motorcar knocks the caravan into a ditch and Toad becomes obsessed about cars. He soon starts buying them and driving them recklessly. Meanwhile Mole journeys into the wild wood where the weasels are. When Rat comes they have to find shelter and they find Badger’s house. Badger is a grumpy hermit but is also very commanding and most people (even the weasels) have some sort of respect for him. When Badger hears about Toad and his obsessions he decides he must do something. They force Toad to stop driving but he steals a motorcar that he drives around. He is taken to court where he is sentenced to 20 years in jail. Then Toad escapes as a washerwoman with the help of a jailer and her aunt. When Toad is reunited with Rat, Mole, and Badger, he finds out that weasels have taken over Toad Hall. The four friends set up a plan to recapture Toad Hall. Then a big battle ensures. At last the friends take back Toad Hall and Toad changes into a humble man of integrity.

I was cast as Badger (in the picture above I am "in character"). We had about a month and a half of rehearsal’s leading up to our show. We performed three shows and as we went through them they got better, and better, and better. I am really proud of what we did and I’m sad that I can’t do it again. But when I go to Dubai I really want to keep going with it.

Well, that’s pretty much it. Good bye!!!!

Tony's Tales: Middle East experiences

Having just spent four weeks in the Middle East, variously in Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi, it gave me the opportunity to spend some time getting to experience a little more of the place we will soon be calling home. Admittedly it is still a hotel existence, however the localisation process has definitely started.

Firstly, Summer is early this year and we have had a few "warm" days come our way -- three days of 49 Celsius. A couple of observations: (1) apparently it rarely gets to 50C officially since that is the temperature at which work must stop in many of the ME countries, so there can be varying intensities of 49C; and (2) the humidity at present is less than 10% which makes it a more tolerable dry heat -- when the Indian monsoon season kicks in and the humid air flows our way is when the Meteorological Bureau advised that the weather will become "uncomfortable" !

Secondly, I have also been trying many of the local cuisines, eating at Moroccan, Lebanese and Iranian style restaurants. As with all cultures, the food is generally fabulous and it is simply the ingredient availability and the treatment that provides the wonderful surprises. Two new ingredients have been added to my experiences: Ostrich and Camel. The latter was terrific, however both my Ostrich experiences were a let-down (dark, dry and tasteless). I'm told Ostrich should be better than that and so the ones I had must have run all the way to me. Or maybe it's the Drumstick - Breast meet thing?

By the way, the region seems to be picking up a busier hum. Certainly not anywhere near the early 2008 boom, however much of the uncertainty has dissipated and there is more and more business getting done.

So I'm on my home to Hong Kong, albeit via a week of meetings in Houston. The flight today is a first for me and a very interesting route. If you look on a map you will see that Dubai and Houston are only a similar latitude. However if you look at the same map and head North-West from Dubai as we are doing as I write, we are travelling across Iran, Azerbaijan; Georgia; Russia; Estonia: Sweden; Norway; Iceland; Greenland; Canada; and finally to the US of A. A very long 16 hour flight, but it is daylight the entire time and the changing landscapes are fascinating.

Enough from me. Very much looking forward to getting home to Honkers to see my wonderful family whom I miss so. Then soon after we will be packed and down to Oz to catch up with more family and friends, and to enjoy some nice winter weather. Until then, cheers.