Field Trip

A little while ago - well about a month - I took my 3rd grade class on a field trip! My students last year asked and asked to go on one, but I just couldnt get myself together enough to go adventuring in a foreign country with a bunch of 8 year olds. So one of my goals for this year was to take my class on a field trip. We just finished a Social Studies Unit on the culture and country of Turkey. To kick off this unit I took my kids to Miniaturk, an outdoor museum full of miniature models of famous sites in Istanbul and all around Turkey. It was really a neat experience and I learned a lot - the kids of course had a blast!!

Afterwards we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at McDonalds. It was a really fun (and successful) day, thanks to my wonderful parent volunteers!

Refuge

I just returned from spending a few days down in Bodrum for a Women's Conference. What a great getaway it was. It is always good for me to get out of the city for a bit and do something fun. And I did indeed have a very fun weekend. Three of us teachers left straight from school on Thursday and met another friend at the airport to fly down together. All weekend we were beating the crowds...at the airport, checking into the hotel, dinner buffet, conference checkin, etc it was awesome.

There were so many great things about the weekend - seeing another part of Turkey, renting mopeds for about $14/day, meeting new friends, the unlimited amount of turkish food we got, catching up on The Office, the constant supply of american candies and chocolates, singing at the top of my lungs, sleepovers, being on the Mediterranean, etc. But I think the best part of the weekend was reconnecting with my Father and just being with friends. It felt so nice to hang out...away from school, away from Istanbul, away from the normal life and just be girlfriends. A bit of reassurance that I am okay here - that life is good and He is more than enough for me. Praise Him.

A Mighty Fortress

I had the neat opportunity yesterday to attend a Korean Choir at an ancient church in Istanbul. Aya Irini Kilisesi, which means Church of the Divine Peace, was built around 532 AD. It is closed to the general public and only opened for special events. Several of my Korean students' parents sing in the choir and it was a treat to watch them perform songs in Turkish, Korean, English, and other languages as well!!

One of the best parts of the night was a special performance by a Korean American saxaphonist. He started off his set by playing Amazing Grace, then You Raise Me Up, and finally the best for last....Back at One by Brian McKnight!! It was just great.

There was also a special tribute to the Turkish Veterans that had served in the Korean War. During this time the Korean choir was joined by a Turkish choir and together they sang a Turkish Folksong and a Korean Folksong. It was quite an honor and neat to watch. In the picture above you can see the 2 choirs performing and the Veterans standing in front.

Afterwards I went out with a few friends to grab a late dinner. It was a fun night even though the weather was not too good....the cold, rainy season has offically arrived!