Thursday, September 13, 2012

13 September 2012 -- Journal Log

Scooter's Journal Log
Earth Date 13 September 2012

wonderful day of school and classes • everything, however was building up to the evening's large-scale event

New Teacher Banquet and Party
As is tradition at BNDS, each fall all of the new teachers are officially welcomed and inducted into the faculty at a big gala event worthy of Hollywood royalty. We were instructed in advance to be prepared to be dressed up for the occasion, but we really had no idea until we arrived via the elevator to the 6th floor banquet hall. It was all decorated like a Hollywood event party with balloon arches and official name tags and table upon table of decorated dishes for quenching any appetite. The only thing missing was a dragon ice sculpture and the swag bags containing $25,000 in gifts such as a new iPhone. The only way you could have been overdressed for this would been to be dressed up as a Royal. Tuxedos would certainly have been fine, though most of the men were in coat and ties. As the event began, the new teachers and staff members were divided into three groups and then each member of the first group was introduced. The administrations had met with the students of each teacher and asked for words to describe their new teachers. Hearing these kind things read out about you at such an early point in the year was really quite amazing. As your name was called, new teachers would walk up on stage and sign their name on one of two wall-sized welcome banners with a big magic marker, therefore symbolically inserting oneself in to the fabric of the school. At the end of each group, there was time to eat, play games, and talk with colleagues. Then there were several time of spot entertainment such as a beautiful song sung in Chinese or a flirtatious routine where teachers had to sing in English and Chinese to each other. It was all pretty amazing and, again, overwhelming, especially since this was our second banquet of the week.

stayed at the party quite late • eventually got stuff together and went home

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