Easter Greetings from Singapore

Okay, so before you get all up in my face that this isn't a photo blog, or that there are no photos at all or that I haven't blogged since, well, a while, please note the following:
1)  There haven't been too many interesting things lately to take pictures of - except my vocal cords, but they look obscene and I'm not posting them on my blog.
2)  My Singapore pictures are on my phone and I'm in Singapore and my cord for my phone is in Surabaya, so rather than put off blogging so I could include some pictures, I am going to write.
3)  I'm not a visual learner, so I'm not entirely sure that I could do a photo-blog anyway. I'm a linguistic learner.  I write.

So you're probably wondering WHY you were subjected to that little diatribe.  Well, because, I was supposed to do a photo-blog a while back because someone (you know who you are) was giving me grief about how LONG my blogs are to read.  So I figured, fine, pictures.  But in order to do pictures, you have to upload them through picasa and then you have to figure out how to make them public (which a million years ago I could remember, but right now I can't) and not to mention I don't really have any pictures to show.  I live a rather simple life.  Maybe I will start taking pictures of my daily life and then as I write about it, I will include the photos.  Yes, that will be my new goal.

Since I last wrote, a lot has happened (but nothing photo-worthy except the vocal cords and I already explained why I'm not posting those pictures here).  Way back in February, which seems a million  years ago, I went home for Fr. Banga's memorial service.  It was a really nice time to be able to connect with friends and family.  It was really special to get to gather and remember such a special man.  The week at home (or 4 days, as it were) were really special.  The trip was a whirl-wind to say the least, but it was great.

I returned to Surabaya just in time for report card season as well as the regular hustle and bustle of school.  Report cards went off without a hitch (as they typically do).  Fourth grade also had their Learning Expo and Student Led Conferences right before our spring break began. Our students did a dynamite job sharing their learning from our unit with their parents.  They also were well prepared for their conferences.  The day went more smoothly than we could have hoped and parents, fellow colleagues and admin were pleased with the day.

Spring break started on March 23rd.  I was really looking forward to some down time during the break.  It had been a rather busy few months since Christmas holidays.  However, after an ENT appointment in Surabaya it became increasingly clear that rather than rest and relaxation in Surabaya, I would be heading to Singapore for doctor appointments.

The good news is that I still have one working vocal cord.  The bad news is the other vocal cord has decided to go on hiatus.  It's been on "break" for about 2.5 weeks now. My ENT here has started me on steroids in hopes that my vocal cord would kick back into shape, but nothing as of yet has happened.  I will see the ENT again on Monday and then start speech therapy.  The doctor here was very thorough.  There are no lesions or tumors or anything compressing the nerves. He's just not entirely certain as to why my vocal cord has decided to stop working all together.   Could be a virus that needs to work its course.  Could just be what it is.  Time will tell.

In the meantime, my squeaky little voice is all I have to work with. Right now I am mostly okay with that.  I'm not so certain that I will be continue to be "mostly okay with that" should my voice not find its way back.  Time will tell!

And that, my friends, is the news from me.  I will sum up the last few months with a rousing rendition of TYLENE'S TOP 10 (in no particular order):

10.  Saturday morning baking dates with Xavi and Anouk (totally need to continue)
9.  Babysitting midnight while Anouk was in the rainforest
8.  A great learning expo
7.  Hitting the 2 KM mark in my running (however infrequently I can re-achieve that stupid 2 KM mark)
6.  Learning I still have one vocal cord that works
5.  Great friends and family, near and far, who shower me with support
4.  Getting to play in the snow - before it became the crazy winter that would never end!
3.  Getting to return to the sunshine when the snow and crazy winter that would never end kept on going.
2.  Sing-a-long songs
1.  Ham on Easter Sunday :)