End of the School Year

Well, the 2010-2011 school year has come to an end.  In the last 3 weeks of school, we said our goodbyes to friends at dinners, lunches, and special get-togethers.  It is probably similar to the daily life of an ambassador, meeting and greeting various dignitaries and exchanging promises to visit each other again.

The sun rises over Pudong.

Since we were the ones leaving, many of our friends treated us to lunch or dinner with the promise that we treat them if they ever come to visit us at our next destination, whether it is back in the USA or some other part of the world.

So, you are probably wondering what is going to happen next?  Has the "teaching abroad bug" bitten us again?  Will we return to China or Morocco?  Is it time to hang up our travel blogs and call it a day?  Scroll down below and click the link to find out!

Before you find out, I just wanted to let you know that this is the final entry for cabrerainshanghai.blogspot.com

If you are planning a trip to China or southeast asia, feel free to ask.  We might have a suggestion or two!

You made it!  So you must really want to know.  OK.



Click here.

What Shall We Do Before Leaving China?

Visit Beijing!

Shoulda, woulda, coulda.  I said I would go back to the man
giving haircuts on the street but never did.

Ceramic rooftop at the Temple of Heaven complex.

The Temple of Heaven. 

Laying bricks at the Mutianyu
section of the Great Wall.

Tiananmen Square and China's version of
the White House on the back of a 100RMB note.

The sun shines through the Water Cube.

Taking a load off at the Bird's Nest.

Carved artwork in our hotel's lobby.

View from atop the Summer Palace.

If you look back at all photos of me, you'll notice that
I'm wearing the same clothes all the time.  Why?
Easy to wash, quick drying, UV protection, and cool in the sun!

Some tasty treats for sale at Wangfujing walking street.
Yep, those are scorpions, crickets, starfish, and seahorses.
Nope, I did not try any.  No one dared me!

Saying goodbye to my local hosts.

Letters from 2nd Grade Art Students

Whenever someone asks, "Why do you teach?" I'll just show them this blog entry.  Any other questions?

Dear Mr. Cabrera, ShuRui (ShoeRay) and I are going to miss you.  I wish you could be here (heart) next year.
You are the nicest (heart) teacher I ever met.

Dear Mr. Cabrera.  You are a great art teacher!  You are much better than my first grade teacher.
 I hope you can stay longer.
In 3rd grade I hope to find a teacher like you.

(Written with a sparkly gold pen) Dear Mr. Cabrera, Thank you for teaching me.  Your art lessons are very good. I like them very much. You are so nice because you never shout.  P.S. I love art lessons when you are teaching! 

"Mrs." Cabrera

Candace: "Take this with you.  It's you."
Maro: "We both made it."

(Front) Bye Bye Mr. Cabrera

(Inside) Draw you here.

Thrilla in Manila 2

About 8 months ago, I was looking for an opponent to have a friendly Mexican food cook-off.

We would have to use all fresh and local ingredients to prepare our meal and the patrons would decide the champion.  One opponent withdrew in December and two other opponents considered it in May, but backed out.  I had no choice but to declare myself the champion until I could find an opponent.

June 30th was fast-approaching and I had already arranged to cook in a restaurant in Puxi called Teotihuacan with or without an opponent.  Victor, the manager, and Chef Trigo were open to the idea and I scrambled to find someone brave enough to challenge me.

This is Cathy.  She teaches English, writes and performs in plays, and does stand-up comedy.  During a week when she was doing all of those things, she decided to cram this cook-off into her schedule -- during the week --  to make her 3-Cheese Enchiladas.

Thus, after 8 long months, "Thrilla in Manila 2" was finally realized!

Here I am sampling a chunk of pork from my "Chili Verde."

The night before, I went to the local wet market to buy all the ingredients.  I substituted green tomatoes for tomatillos and used Ortega chili look-alikes.

This is Chef Trigo who has been cooking for 24 years.  He helped us plate our comida and graciously let  us use his kitchen like it was our own.

The rice and beans.

Cathy, like a skilled and world-class plastic surgeon, divides up her cheesy, cheesy, cheesy enchiladas...

...while I delicately serve controlled portions of the tender, flavorful Mexican stew.

 

After serving 24 plates of food to our guests (teachers from school, the restaurant staff, and two patrons who had already eaten but couldn't resist the invitation to participate in this event), the silence of everyone eating kept the contenders wondering whose dish they were enjoying the most.  After dinner, the two of us went outside while the judges (everyone inside) voted.

The result: 60% voted for Cathy, 60% voted for Tim.

A draw!

We each drank from a salsa cup to celebrate our half of the victory.

That only means one thing:  Thrilla in Manila 3!

Teotihuacan Mexican restaurant is located at 580 Yuyuan Road in Puxi, a 10-minute walk from Line 2, Jing'an Temple.  Chef Trigo prepares delicious food and I really like the Chorizo Tostada as a starter.  Manager Victor makes his own drinks and I highly recommend the Shaquila, a Shanghai tequila with contreau and ginger.   It's a great drink when you are participating in a Mexican food cook-off in a hot kitchen! 

May-hem

The word 'mayhem' is associated with chaos and disorder.  I thought it was an appropriate title to use to describe all the fun and different activities we've been doing during this fair-weathered, spring month.

4/23/11: Check out this steaming bamboo container

filled with fresh, hot, Xiaolongbao soup dumplings...and

a glass bottle of 7up.

5/7/11: Who wouldn't want to take a photo with a 

50-lb. fiberglass Xiaolongbao?

5-5-11: Sleeping with the fishes.  We took some students on a

sleepover field trip to a local aquarium.

Can it be called a sleepover if no one actually sleeps? 

5/7/11: We visited St. Ignatius cathedral, built in 1910 by the Jesuits.

I was doing a gargoyle project with my 8th graders

so the timing was perfect.

It's the first time I've seen

stained glass windows with bamboo images

in a gothic cathedral (no photos allowed inside).

 

5/7/11: Later that night, we went to YuYuan and walked around the shops... 

...and I found a bronze turtle to sit on to collect my thoughts. 

5/7/11: On the way home, we noticed this 40-story building

near the freeway that is covered in LED lights.

One can watch a spectacular show while speeding along.

5/21/11: I helped our prom committee chairperson

by making a huge PVC backdrop stand.  We attended

the prom which had a great view of the

Bund, HuangPu River and Oriental Pearl Tower.

5/21/11: After the prom, we took the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

under the river to the Puxi side.  It was very...interesting. 

5-28-11: International Day festivities at school allowed

us to share some culture, art and décor from our

previous home.

As we head into June, who knows what other (ahem)

mayhem we will encounter?

(A friend of ours calls this the antithesis of a
teddy bear because of the sign.)

Moroccan Lights, Pretty Sights, and Highest Heights!

4/8/11.  In People's Square, there is a

Moroccan restaurant called Barbarossa.

The food is delicious, and the decor reminded us of our former home.

4/9/11.  At Tianzifang, we enjoyed a sensuous dinner at Tai Thai.

4/17/11.  We finally visited the Oriental Pearl Tower.

At the 263 meter (862 feet) mark, you can walk around on a clear, 

acrylic floor.  It is an odd sensation.

See the cars and buses on the road?

Check out the lighted freeways at night!

Very Tron-esque