The big news this week was the arrival of our middle son, Oliver! He is in his second year at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin. His flight was delayed leaving Newark, New Jersey, which caused him to run to make his final connection in Dubai. Ocean and I met him at the airport on Monday morning at 3:30 AM. Flights in Central Asia depart and arrive at ungodly hours. Oliver came to school on Thursday to have lunch with me. It is so nice to have him back in our home this month.
It finally feels like winter here in Tashkent. We had our first snowfall in the city this season on Thursday. The freezing temperatures continue as I write this on Saturday morning, with some melting in the afternoon. This will be my last winter with snow for a while, so I am going to enjoy it as much as I can. One of the hassles of snow as a school leader is evaluating road conditions to determine if it is safe to hold school. Everyone loves a snow day, and I routinely have had my children’s friends beg me to close school! This time, we didn’t need to cancel or delay school, and it was delightful to watch the students make snowmen and have snowball fights. For some of our students and families, it may be the first time they experienced snow.
It felt like a long week at school. Everyone is tired at this time of year. We all need the 3-week Winter Break. A highlight was supporting Ocean in her senior year. We met with the outstanding TIS college counselor, Jeanette, who gave us some good advice. Ocean is looking at universities in the USA, Czech Republic, and Spain to study nursing/medicine. We will be helping her complete applications this break.
There was an electrical problem in the elementary building this week. Nadia brought out the flashlights and her kindergarten students loved it. It is so uplifting to visit her class and watch her interact with the students. She is such a good teacher. Her classroom is a full expression of the International Baccalaureate’s pedagogy.
It is always fun to people-watch at the airport. The government is constantly improving and redesigning the airport. It is completely different from when Nadia and I first arrived in 2018. There are always groups departing to or arriving from Mecca. For many older people, it is a trip of a lifetime.
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