In February, I took over the direction of both the middle school and high school choirs at school. Though I'd been assisting with the choir since the fall, the changes in the director's schedule required that I either take over the rehearsals and trips, or we'd have to cancel choir. So I took on the challenge and fumbled my way through conducting to lead a group of wonderful students. We met before school, at lunch, and sometimes after school to prepare for some challenging performances in March, April, and May. In March, I took four high school boys to Muscat, Oman to participate in a choral invitation with seven other international schools from the Middle East. Oman was fabulous. I loved the school, the people, the climate....and the mall. It was odd to see women completely veiled sitting in Starbucks or shopping at Gap. After rehearsing for two days under the direction of Christoper Aspaas from the reputable St. Olaf College in Minnesota, we put on a concert at the American International School of Muscat. I hurried back to Tunis for the two days of rehearsals before leaving again for April's choir trip: twelve middle school singers performing with European international schools in Lisbon, Portugal. We performed two concerts and did quite a bit of sight-seeing in the charming city of Lisbon. May brought our ACST spring music concert as well as a performance at graduation. Also this spring, I was involved in the music team at the Anglican church in Tunis, which I really enjoyed. I would describe this spring as musically "stretching," as I had the chance to lead congregational singing as well as conduct choral groups for the first time.
Summer brought a delightful three-week visit with Sarah and Jennifer, two of my best buds from college. They flew to Tunis for a week and then we traveled (by ferry!) to Palermo, Sicily. After a few days in Sicily, we "trained it" north through Italy, stopping for a few days each in Rome, Florence, and Cinque Terre. It was a two-week adventure filled with museums, good hotels (researched and well-chosen by Sarah and Jennifer), delicious food, gallons of sunscreen, and gallons of gelato. At the end of June, the girls flew home to the states, and I continued on to Switzerland to begin my master's degree studies in Leysin, Switzerland. The program is accredited through Boston's Endicott College, but my cohort meets in Leysin for two consecutive summers, and online during the year. I just finished the first four weeks of study toward a degree in International Education, and four weekends of studying Switzerland's Alps! Adventures included wine-tasting and farmer's markets in the valley, the famous Montreux Jazz festival three weekends in a row, hiking, and paragliding through the mountains. The coursework has been interesting, and the people in my cohort are lots of fun. This is definitely the way to do grad school!
After a busy busy year, I'll be heading back to the states on Sunday for three weeks. I am looking forward to reconnecting with my family, friends, and the best city ever.
Enjoy the pictures!
My hotel in Madrid....just kidding, this is St. Andrew's Church where I heard a beautiful mass complete with a full choir. (picture by my friend Sandy Elder)
Amazing Flamenco dancer at Tablao Flamenco Restaurant Corral de la Moreria, reported to be the best place to see Flamenco in Spain. (picture by Sandy Elder)
Street performer, Madrid (picture by Sandy Elder)
Skype web conference call with my sixth graders and my brother Evan's sixth graders in Oregon. Cool, huh?
HOT day in Muscat, Oman (March 2008)
Choir students on beach in Muscat, Oman
Rooftops in Lisbon, Portugal
Fairy-tale castle where we played make-believe for hours, Lisbon, Portugal
Final concert, middle school choir, Lisbon, Portugal
My curtains are done and I have pictures on the walls at my house in Tunisia, just in time for Sarah and Jennifer to arrive!
Jennifer and I trying out our belly-dancing skills, Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
Ice cream break with Sarah and Jennifer, Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia
Spring flowers, Tunis, Tunisia
Roman ruins, Dougga, Tunisia
Sunset as viewed from the balcony of my hotel, Leysin, Switzerland
Lake Geneva, Vevey, Switzerland
This castle just sold for 1 Swiss Franc; you missed it.
Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland
Street musicians, Vevey, Switzerland
Another day at Lake Geneva, Vevey, Switzerland
Mountain view from my favorite hiking trail, Leysin, Switzerland
View from the top of the chairlift, just before I JUMPED off the mountain with a parachute strapped to me (oh yeah, and a licensed guide strapped to me)
Taken from the air - 3,000 meters altitude. This was such a rush!
Landing on solid ground!
