Aelan Laef!

Suomeksi alempana. Sometimes all you can do is marvel at life. How at first, nothing makes sense and then, in a blink of an eye, all of it makes sense. The highs and the lows, the pains and the growth. Sometimes things just come together in ways one could never have imagined. In my life so far, these moments have been few and far between. But oh man... When the moment arrives, if truly feels like life is full of magic. About three weeks ago I received an unexpected offer, one that took me completely by surprise. I was at the university library and was about to start studying for my last exam. I had just been at the dentist and so half my face was numb, I couldn't even speak properly. My reading was paused when I received a message that went pretty much like this: "Hey, want to drop everything and come work in Santo by the end of the month?" Hahaha, good joke. I mean... huh? No way, even if I could just drop everything, I need time! Also, I'm graduat...

Koittakaahan kestaa ilman pisteellisia kirjaimia! :) Tunnen viilean oisen tuulen henkayksen ihollani. Kuulen kaskaiden sirinan. Kasissani on mita suurin, kuuma teekupponen. Kello on liki 23, mika Vanuatun ajankulussa on jo todella myohaan. En olisi hereilla, ellen olisi saanut nauttia taivaallisista kolmen tunnin paikkareista aikaisemmin paivalla – varsin harvinainen herkku, mutta talla eraa todella ansaittu namupala. Oon hukassa jossain ajatusteni sopukoissa. Ensimmaista kertaa viikkoihin, ehka jopa kuukausiin, voin vain istua tassa. Miettia. Pohtia. Kirjoittaa. Totta. Olen tainnut karsia hieman ‘bloggaajan blokista’, ei ole runosuoni (tai ehka ennemmin tarinasuoni) pahemmin sykkinyt. Kaikki mista olin suunnitellut kirjoittavani ei yhtakkia tuntunutkaan tarkealle tai mielenkiintoiselle. Voisin toki yrittaa kuvailla tapahtumia taalla, mutta jotenkin tuntuu, etten kykenisi valittamaan noita kokemuksia saati niiden aiheuttamia tuntemuksia. Voisin toki kirjoittaa erinai...

For your enjoyment, here is a greeting from our Naw Ruz celebration last week.  Singing together is a wonderful feature of aelan laef. One of my favorite moments of the day is when all the students arrive for their homeroom session first thing in the morning. In each class, the students will sing. It's truly amazing to hear all these beautiful melodies coming from all over the school grounds. Also, whenever we have assembly, we will have singing. I mentioned this on Facebook already, but for those of you who don't know me there, let me share another funny story from this week concerning music. I had a guitar in the library and one of my students would come in to play some songs. He has taught himself how to play and is actually very good with the instrument - definitely talented in music! Anyway - so here he is, playing and entertaining the rest of us and it's all incredibly nice - until I realized what song he was playing. It was "I Want It That ...