Peter Pan Panto

Last year when we first arrived in Brunei, the club was starting the auditions for their annual pantomine. Evan at that time was eager to audition but stage fright discouraged him. However, this year he was ready to conquer his fear. After his audition he was offered a part in the Peter Pan play as a lost boy. This has been a huge committment but he has absolutely loved it. He has rehearsals about 3 times a week where he works on the dances and acts that he is in.

The panto is quite a professional production. A lot of the expats that live here seem to be quite talented on stage. The stage alone is looking very professional. This past week is the final week for a full run through of the play. I was able to watch it and take a few photos. Bear in mind that is still the rehearsal stage so most of the costumes are not yet done. I really enjoyed the play and not just because my boy is in it! Captain Hook especially is amazing to watch. She plays the part to a tee.

There will be five shows in total starting next week. I am excited for all of Evan's hard work to be appreciated by all. But I'm also a little disappointed. I'm leaving for my trip to Israel on Sunday so I'll miss seeing his face as he steps on stage with a full audience looking back at him. I'm assured there will be a DVD recording that I will be looking forward to. Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures of him in his costume. But for now... Here is a sneak preview!

Tennis Tournament

For the past few months Kieran (and Evan) have been taking tennis lessons. As most of you know my boys have been avid hockey players until we moved to this hot climate. Kieran especially has enjoyed his new sport. So this past weekend he had his first ever tennis tournament. The opponents were drawn randomly and Kieran was matched with a much more experienced player. It was a good lesson for him as hard as it was. He did well though. This coming weekend is the second round of the tournament. This time he will be playing doubles. Best of luck my boy!!

Pusat Eshan

So like I was telling you I had a couple of projects on the go this week. Currently I am taking a course where we needed to organize an outreach event. I was lucky that my team consisted of my close friends Joanna and Yolande (as seen in the above jello race!) We initially thought we'd do something in the pediactric unit in the local hospital. After our initial meeting we were steered in the direction of Pusat Eshan. Pusat Eshan is a Downe's Syndrome school with about 27 children ranging from 3 to 20 years of age. So after some preparation as to the kinds of games the children would enjoy we ventured out on our "fun day." We had several different games in mind. I think the most popular were jello running race, bean bag toss, and face painting.

What I loved about our visit to the school was how welcomed we were. The kids were amazing and it is such a breath of fresh air at how quickly they bonded with us. They knew our names almost immediately and would grab our hands to play. The school had such a feeling of peace. We played with them, we shared a meal with them, and connected on such a level that is not always comparable with so called, "normal kids" My friend Amanda (bottom right) joined us as an extra pair of hands. She is so tender and soft spoken that the kids gravitated to her. The little girl she is holding was glued to her side most of the day. There are many needs that need to be filled in this school. The manager of the school, Mima has such vision and determination. She is truly to backbone to the success of the school. This is a woman who not only keeps up with the office work and the overall running of the school. She also does the maintenance and grounds keeping and the occasional furniture building. She truly is an inspiration to what a difference one person can make. Upon arrival our hopes were to bring a day of fun to these children. In the end, I think we were the ones who wore the biggest smiles. I will definately lend a hand in the near future.

Home Visits

This past week has been a busy week. There were a couple of projects that I had been working on that came to pass. Through our church I learned of a man who was living with several disabilities that made day to day living a severe struggle. Meet Pang, he has diabetes which has left him blind and with almost no use of his legs. He lives in government housing but because of his disabilities he has not left his home in quite some time. He relies entirely on friends to bring him meals and to meet his basic needs. So that is what we did this past Wednesday. Together with my friends Mercy and Jumana we brought him some food and spent some time getting to know him. Surprisingly, his spirits are quite high. We shared many stories and laughs in that time. What amazed me the most was his zest for life. I know if this was my reality smiling would be such a struggle. Pang had such optimism in spite of the prison he was living in. On this visit, we supplied physical needs. I'm hoping over time I can get to know him and build him up from the inside. My hopes are to bring him hope. My hopes are to let him know that he is significant and here for a purpose. My hope for him is to show him he is important and there are people who are there ready to reach out and listen to what is on the inside. We'll see how our visit unfolds this week...

Something Scary...

So as promised, a look at what Evan got up. Being that Halloween is not really celebrated here in Brunei, the expats here make up their own festivities. About 30 houses add their names to the map and encourage all who want to join in, to trick or treat around Panaga. So since Halloween is scarce here, we were limited with our costumes. Evan like most of his friends wanted to be a zombie. So thanks to Youtube, I was able to have a step by step instruction for how to recreate his ghoulish face. The kids met up at around 4:30 ready to start their candyfest. I think fun was had by all. Two hours later I picked up my sweaty sugared boy. He had a big smile on his face and him and his friends were chatting a mile a minute. So although this occasion focuses on ghosts and goblins, it brings a smile to my boy who day by day is not so small anymore. And that is a memory I hope to keep!

Happy Halloween!!

This past Saturday we were invited to a Halloween party where costumes were encouraged, and mandatory I think. It has been many years since I had to invent a costume. In fact, I think the last time I dressed up was during my school days. I can still hear my mom saying that my costume had to be roomy enough to fit a snowsuit underneath. Well the snowsuit is now not needed but, it still left me feeling somewhat uninspired. I did make an attempt, however minimal it appears!

We really did have a fun time that night. In the bottom photo is the Weatherford clan. They are a great group of people that we socialize with outside the office. Alex and Joan (featured in the middle) were fabulous hosts. There home was decorated from top to bottom. Even the food had a ghoulish flare. So this is how the adults celebrated Halloween. Next... How the kids found fun!

Someone's about to Pop...

This past week we held a baby shower for my good friend Laura. Laura is from England and has been in Brunei for almost 2 years. I met her at church and we have shared many an afternoon visiting over tea. My other good friend Kim shared in the organizing of this event. If it weren't for her exceptional organizing skills and mastery in the kitchen I would have been overwhelmed with all the details. As it turned out, the party went smooth. It was a potluck (or potbless as it is known in our church) so there were many yummy treats to try. Along with an assortment of food, I was pleased to meet some new faces that I haven't met in my travels. Laura's baby is due in a little over a week. We are all awaiting the news for when her daughter takes her first breath! I'll keep you posted...