United Nations Day

Luckily I started the morning with a shower because there would have been no time otherwise.  I dropped Cameron off at school.  It was UN Day and the Americans were in charge of a U.S. display and U.S. lunch.  Me, Rachel, Megan, Erica, Andrea, and Michelle had everything planned.  We just needed it all to come together.

At 8:00 Rachel and I went up to our display to finish decorating it.  Thank goodness we had some of it already done.  At 9:45 we were wrapping things up when the Head Master brought us over a stack of U.S. companie logos he said we could use if we wanted.  Well of course we weren't going to tell him no.  We had to cut around all of them and hang them up. 

Finally at 10:20 we were walking out of the building.  Rachel still needed to make 50 sandwiches with Erica.  On the way home I got a text from Rachel saying Erica bought 50 pieces of bread.  WHAT?  In order to have 50 sandwiches they needed 100 pieces of bread.  OH NO.  Rachel had to stop at their little store and luckily they had enough bread along with what she had frozen in her freezer.  Panic was beginning to set in because I was already worried we were forgetting something.  I kept telling myself 'it is what it is'. 

At 11:00 Mr. Xue picked me back up.  I had to run to Times to get Pine Sol for my ayi so she could clean my floors (I know, rough life), run back home to drop it off, ran to Banjing won to grab Rachel, then get back to school.  We got there at 11:25.  Lunch starts at 11:45.

Off to the cafeteria to get things organized there.  Michelle was home with a sick daughter, Megan had a terrible night with her baby, Erica was giving her little one a nap, and Andrea arrived around 12.  Rachel and I got everything set up and started making smoothies.  The items at our table were peanute butter and jelly sandwiches, chocolate chip cookies, and banana smoothies. 

Luz, Ileana, and Nadia went all out.

Stine, Anne, Trine, and Mette are ready.

Susy, Andrea, and June look ready too.

Andrea is about to sell something.

How many school cafeteria's serve squid on a stick?

Lunch went smoothly.  We sold out of smoothies and cookies.  We had about 20 sandwiches left over.  Our booth made just under 700 RMB ( $110).  Pretty good.  The Danish table sold around 1100 RMB and Europe was around 900 RMB.  We never heard how the Mexican table ended up but they were busy the whole time.

At 12:35 I ran up to the display to put the last few things out we had for the tables.  The preschoolers were already there.  Oh No.  I threw the stuff out on the table, ran to the office to get the rest, ran back up, threw that on the table, and put the U.S. stickers in their passports.  When they left I had time to reorganize the table to make it look better.  Poor preschoolers didn't even get to try Hopscotch.  Luckily Rachel arrived at 12:45 to help.  Then Erica, Megan, and Andrea all were there too.

Marcela and I are decked out in our country outfits.

Cameron and Herman checking out the U.S. display.

Traditional Chinese outfit.  She is so cute.

Mexico had a Chinese lady running their booth.  Weird.

Megan and Mason, Rachel, Me, Erica and Brenden, and Andrea.
Go U.S.A.

The afternoon went great.  It was fun to see all the kids dressed up in their Nations outfits.  At 2:20 everyone was outside for the parade.  They read part of the United Nations reading and then sang a song.  Then they called each country.  The sign holder walked down the steps and stopped in front of everyone.  Each child from that nation could then go join, take a picture, they played part of their anthem, and then they all walked together.  Words can't describe how cool this really is.  It's neat to be a part of a school with so many different groups of people, beliefs, ideas, but where everyone is still just human.  It is very moving.

Proud to be an American.

Truman, Daniel, and Cameron.

Alfredo and Manuel.

Our Mexican Friends.

Our Denmark Friends.

USA  USA  USA  USA

Cameron was the cutest.

After all the nations were called everyone walked around the track and then ended at their flag.  Lots of pictures were taken.  It was such a great day.  Very, very busy but awesome.

The Mexican group again.

USA could not get very organized.

Ben, Carmen, Brad, and Ms. Jo (Second grade teacher).

USA got it together a little better finally.

Cameron and Hadley.

Wearing our colors proudly.

Manuel, Melisa, and Cameron.

Once we got home Ileana and I decorated my apartment for the Halloween party.  She brought up a ladder and guess what?  She still couldn't reach the ceiling.  Luckily I am tall.  We had fun doing it, as usual.  Todd told us we were wasting our time because it was all going to fall down by morning.  We shall see.

We bought Cameron some books at the book fair.

Jacky's for dinner, tv watching, then off to bed.