Happy in Hong Kong

Sonia Herron Academy of Jazz 09 exams

WOW The kids all did a fantastic job at their Jazz and Hip Hop exams. We had a guest examiner from Australia, Miss Lynelle Kertland from The Australasian Dance Association here to examine the kids. 60 students took part this year and many more will sit their exams next year in March 2010.
Well done everyone and I'm super proud of you all!

Rhythm Dance Studio

Classes are booming and more and more families are finding our studio. Now we have classes from babies all the way through to teens in gym, dance, jazz and hip hop.
The latest news is that I will be working in partnership with a specialist in baby gym and music classes to design a brand new curriculum that really brings together all the benefits of music, dance, gym and creative expression through art. This is so exciting for me as it gives me a chance to put onto paper some of my research and experience in the areas of sensory integration training for children and the lifelong health and educational benefits. WOW what a privilege to be impacting these kids lives by  making exercise both fun and  nurturing  their brains. Our Jazz and Hip Hop classes for older students are also doing well with some really talented kids joining the studio. We will be bringing over international examiners and the choreographers of the BBDS and JazzAddict syllabus to Hong Kong in March 2009. Our students will be the first in HK to have the chance to sit these examinations.

Teaching the whole world English

just wanted to share this fabulously beautiful picture of my wife and son at yet another Saturday function where we teach English to Asian children.  We're getting very very close to the opening day of our new dance studio, so we have all hands on deck for that.  We'll try to keep you current on what's happening with it (and actually with my Master's degree program that I started about 2 weeks ago) here, but we'll also be adding a photo gallery and online forum to our dance studio website to document the proceedings.

Sonia Herron Academy of Jazz....Now Open!!

The latest Modern Jazz and Hip Hop Dance syllabus from Australasia. Classes taught in English, Internationally recognised examinations, and all done to the latest trend setting music your child will LOVE!
A safe and positive dancing environment for your child to learn and develop their full potential in dance.
Syllabus info and timetable with prices can be found by click image above.

Register NOW at dance academy website   www.academyofjazz.com

Address of studio is:  Shop 26, 1/F, The Waterside, 15 On Chun Street, Ma On Shan

phone/fax:  +852 2643 9688

Classes start on 20 November.

Don't miss the grand opening specials!!!

Year-end kindergarten show

our kids worked hard on the dance and drama for weeks before the ceremony, and it all paid off on the big day.  they did "Footloose" and as you can see everyone loved it!  See more pictures in the Kindergarten album.

Dancing & English in Hong Kong

if there are two things you can come and do for work in HK it's definitely these two.  just so happens that my wife is qualified and experienced in both.  I guess my special skill would be cooking -- that is, if you would consider using a blender as cooking.  it was "Healthy Week" for our kids, so I made fruit smoothies and chicken burritos with my students, and Sonia made salad.  these are all dishes that average HK families don't eat very often at all.  they cook their veggies, and that's about the only way they eat them, strangely enough!

HK kindergarten interview

time to take her two-year-old to a famous and established local kindergarten for an "interview".  and what did the Chinese teacher and English teacher do?  the Chinese teacher put all the toys on the table and ordered the little girl to play.  no interaction, no instruction.  just a stare.  then the young expat teacher came by.  she started to read a storybook loudly and word-for-word.  no imaginative illustration or kind interaction.  when is it that teachers reach out to little toddlers and actually help them to develop instead of just treating them like little adults?
this is a picture of what teaching kindergarten is like here in HK.  I know what this woman means after having taught in a local kindy for 9 months now.  i think we need to make our own kindergarten and go into business.

Flat Stanley in kindergarten

for all those kindred spirits....(family or those desperately looking for children activities)....my most recent kindergarten video is ready to view.  you can view it and read info about the activity on my video page

kindergarten photos from Hong Kong

I've put heaps more photos up in the "Wellborn School Photos" album in the left sidebar. Be sure to have a look.  Might give you some creative ideas for activities with your children or with your classroom if you're a teacher or parent.

getting a bigger place!

last night we received another totally unexpected gift from our kindergarten.  Sonia and I had been complaining and ranting and raving about how small our high-rise apartment is, especially with two kids under the age of 3.  So after far too much navel gazing we decided to go out to get some yogurt, since we were running low.  That's when we bumped into the boss of our kindergarten, and after greetings and pleasantries, she surprised us by informing us that the big boss had given his permission for our school to start looking for a village house that we can move into within the next 2 months.  We'd have ground floor access and more inside space, too.  We might even have a rooftop garden/play area if God really decides to spoil us.  The village is the one right next to our school, so now we'll have a 5 min walk to work in the morning, and Sonia can have better access to the kids at home, and we'll be able to do more with them all throughout the day.  I can pop home during lunch, the kids could come for a quick play, and the list is endless!  Wow.  more info, pics, and videos to come...

live & work in HK

A couple great sites that I found inspirational many times before I came to HK...

Transitions Abroad

Escape Artist

Perks of teaching in Hong Kong

It's amazing how busy life gets in the real world! I am missing the slow pace of Gordonton, but to be honest still prefer to live in a fast paced society. I find that opportunities arise all around us.
I have some good girlfriends at work now, mostly my Chinese colleagues. I've won them over by being very brave and respectful when they invited me out to eat traditional Chinese hotpot and trying to eat as much of it as I could. I said no to only two things, the fried cows stomach and the pigs blood. The rest I ate and they were impressed that I didn't make a scene as many of the other western teachers have in the past. I'm actually glad I did East West training because it taught me the importance of eating out with your colleagues and showing respect and "giving face" to my superiors here. The other westerners don't have a clue about that and there is significant ill feeling between the chinese and non chinese staff. Mostly because the non chinese staff treat the Chinese like maids, instead of as qualified experienced teachers which they are. And the chinese are on a whole a very proud race who don't take kindly to being talked down to ( understandably). Anyway I am happy to be able to socialise with the ladies from work and get to know them outside of school.
Greg as well has settled in really well at work, basically they are happy to have two teachers who actually bother to teach the classes and don't just sit around all day letting the kids play and not following the curriculum. Greg is also teaching a class on Saturday mornings for 6 weeks because the pay is awesome and they really needed a teacher.
I have just found out that they want me to teach the parent toddler class a couple of afternoons  and will do that on Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour and a half. I am looking forward to that because it gives me real time with the parents to get to know some families.

We have liftoff!

A seemingly huge answer to prayer has come thru.  Thank you all.  A Hong Kong immigration law has changed on May 15th that allows dependents of those working in HK to work themselves.  An English kindergarten has employed both Sonia and I part-time, so our whole family will be going there each morning together!  It's called Deborah International Kindergarten, and you can view their website at:
http://www.deborah-intl.edu.hk
The school will get Greg's visa, and then Sonia will be able to work as well.  Pray that the papers go thru.  Praise God for this amazing display of his power!  We could never have imagined such a great solution.