Russ: Week 8-10 (You say goodbye and I say hello)

Summing up this experience in one final blog entry will not be easy. I am certain that I will fail to deliver some of the best anecdotes from the trip and I will almost certainly forget to thank someone important. One of the main reasons that writing this is such a difficult undertaking is because, simply put, I do not want to leave. My experience here has been practically perfect and I have grown incredibly attached to these people and this lifestyle. I honestly wish I never had to say goodbye.

My ladies

First and foremost, I will miss the children. I never wanted to be a primary teacher and I felt like this was reaffirmed in my first few weeks here. My sense of humour and style of teaching has always felt better suited for high school and I didn't think I was capable of making the switch. Luckily for me, I was dead wrong. In the two months that I taught these children I rediscovered myself and my values. Something clicked in me and suddenly teaching these kids became the most important thing in my life. The process of seeing them go from complete confusion to total understanding, while applying any number of concepts I taught them was one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. It's not often, as teachers, we get to see so much marked improvement in such a short period of time, but I felt like each day I witnessed so many epiphanies that they became commonplace. As I embark on my teaching career, I have to seriously consider if I want the intellectually rewarding teaching that comes with secondary school or the pure fun that comes with primary. It'll be a very hard decision!

I became a father figure to my p.2 class. Any given lunch time or recess, I could always be seen with about a dozen little boys and girls hanging off my arms. This happened so often that it became a running joke between many of my colleagues and even the students ("Mr. Peddle has 10 girlfriends!"). While some in my place would find this irritating (and I sometimes found it fatiguing), it was one of my favourite parts of the whole experience. To feel that kind of unconditional love from children is something I want to feel my whole life. Arguably the best part about my relationship with those students is that they were able to separate that behaviour from how they were expected to act in the classroom. As soon as that bell rung, they went from being clingy little monsters to well-behaved angels. This delicate balance is something I hope to achieve in my future teaching situations as well.

Papa Peddle & 2A

My p.6 class, while a bit more mature than my p.2s, still showed me large amounts of affection and respect. The classroom environment was always fun, but productive and I got the sense that they appreciated English class for being a bit more humourous than their other classes. This was reflected in how genuinely happy they seemed to see me during any recess or lunch break. At that age, I didn't think they would grow as attached to me as my p.2s, but I was mistaken. At the final assembly, many of them cried about me leaving, even though they always seemed kind of reserved about showing that much emotion at school. They went on to create a facebook fan page about me and I still stay in contact with them through some new social networking accounts that I created just for them. Nothing will replace the feeling I got from teaching them though.

6E

I could spend days on here writing thank yous to everyone who made Hong Kong such an amazing experience, but I would only scratch the surface of my gratitude. Here are some of the most honourable mentions:

My supervisor and surrogate mother, Maureen. She balanced a fun-filled and supportive home-life with a professional and supportive work-life to perfection. I already miss her and her hearty laugh more than I can describe. Her husband Norm and their live-in maid, Mae, were also like family by the time we left. I hope our inside jokes never die. PURPLE!

One happy family...poor Mable, it's just the mud flaps!

Pat, the best cooperating teacher in the history of time. Funny, supportive, laid-back, dedicated, etc. There are a million positive adjectives to describe this woman and it would take way too long to list them all. She shared my sense of humour and we had similar teaching styles. I thought I would never find someone so easy to work with in all my life. I feel truly blessed to have had the chance to develop my teaching with her.

Two bright 6E students, me, and Pat at the final assembly

Amy, the glue that held together this whole experience. I have never met anyone more energetic or kind in all my life. She lives to please other people and not in that way that some people claim to. She literally cares about everyone else's well-being more than anything else in her life. She is a spark, there is literally no other word that comes close to describing her.

POH Chan Kwok Wai Primary School, its principal Mr. Li, and all of the staff. So accommodating, welcoming, and dedicated to maintaining an amazing working and learning environment. I hope someday to be in a situation that is even a tenth as collaborative and well-run as that school is.

Canadian Teachers, Cooperating Teachers, Supervisor, Principal

The other Canadian teachers, particularly my roommates Felix, Vanessa, and Val. They went from being casual acquaintances to siblings in just two months. They were there for me when I needed them most and, above all else, they were a laugh and half to work and party with. Too many inside jokes and good times to even measure!

McGill university, Dr. Riches, Dr. Benson, Kate, Mela, etc. Basically everyone that made this experience possible. I will feel forever indebted to this school for giving me the chance of a lifetime. Not only did I have an amazing experience, but I will always look back on this time as being the starting point of my career. So many of my values and beliefs were shaped over the last couple of months and it seems like everything I do from now on will somehow be influenced by this experience. That kind of influence is hard to come by and I appreciated every second of it.

I will end by saying this: Hong Kong 2010 will be forever etched in my memory as one of the best experiences of my life. I would relive it a million times over if I could and I would not change a single aspect of it. If anyone ever gets an opportunity like this, don't think twice about taking it.

This might not be the end of the HK chapter in my life story...stay tuned...

Goodbye and thank you Hong Kong!!!