Satin and Staples

So this is my one hundreth post on my blog and I feel I should write about something amazingly interesting in a wonderful literary style like Simon but how and what? I have never before kept a diary apart from some teenage efforts that only lasted until the first week of January. However, I have found that writing this blog is something  that I enjoy and need to do every week. In some ways it feels like having homework to do but yet much more pleasureable and during my week, I think about things that I've found interesting that I mustn't forget to write about.

Me pretending to be busy!

 Yes it is definitely the rainy season and for the last few days it has poured. The sheets from Simon's visit have been on the line since Thursday getting a "rainforest" rinse. It has been a busy week (and weekend) at school as my base school is having a BIG inspection on Monday. I suppose it is like an Ofsted equivalent and there are only 29 Primary schools in Sabah chosen for this honour. It is for excellent results, activities and file keeping by the looks of the way everyone is working on their files! It has certainly got everyone in the school working flat out and secretly I am thrilled that this "honour" has been bestowed upon them as things that I have been nagging them about like decorating the classroom, painting the stairwells, improving the classroom environments have all magically happened! Everyone seems to be carrying a staple gun and rolls of fablon and classrooms are being transformed. On Thursday I saved the day by showing them my photographs since August 2011 which captured many of the moments and highlights of the past year. I then made a simple  powerpoint of photos which has now been transformed into a fancy one in Malay that has bright colours and the captions spin or fade or merge - yes I have a lot to learn about powerpoints! Yesterday I went in to help and ended up in the library emptying cupboards, cleaning, chucking, disturbing ants nests and sweeping piles of termite dust and mice or rat droppings that had happily been undisturbed for years. I am no stranger to this sort of cleaning as being a very reluctant housekeeper and living in a very old house in France, I am guilty of stuffing away things in bags and cupboards for years, only to find them eaten or rotted by mildew or housing a nest of mice, when forced to empty the cupboards! We have displayed the new English books that I brought and I'm going back today to see what more I can do.

The Malaysian flag that took 3 days to paint!

  One of the things that I noticed when I arrived in Sabah was their love of plastic flower arrangements and satin draped around the school stapled around desks and windows to make it look "beautiful". The satin, (in very bright colours) hides a multitude of sins and one can transform an old wooden desk into a glamourous satin table for a huge bouquet of plastic flowers which is exactly what was done in the library yesterday. Meanwhile the headmistress had the idea that there must be a very long Malaysian flag hung somewhere in the school so that 3 teachers were busy painting that when I left. Her idea today is that we are going to paint the rocks at the entrance of the school  in Malaysian colours and then perhaps paint rabbits on the rocks! I definitely am getting more used to the "Changing Rooms" satin look which makes me wonder if I stayed here much longer would I be stapling a frilly satin skirt onto my table. Help - I need saved before my sense of taste has completely gone!