Picnic

Last Tuesday, December 7th, I invited my fellow staff members to a picnic at the beach. It was a one day holiday.  I have always enjoyed cooking for people and hosting them over for dinner. Where I currently live I cannot cook in the kitchen or have people over. I decided that I should do a picnic at the beach where I provided the food and invited those I worked with to come along. We had it at the beach close to where two of my co-workers (husband and wife) live. The beach close to their house doesn't have many people there so it would not be as crowded as Telok Cempadek beach where McDonald's and KFC are located. We had it at 10a.m. in the morning. Even though it is monsoon season the weather was perfect. There was no rain, not too sunny or hot, or humid. I made sandwiches, bought potato chips, and coke, and made indoor s'more. About half of the people that were invited came. It was the couple who lives by the beach and their daughter, me, the Principal and 3 of his 5 children, and another co-worker with all four of her children. It was still a good turn out. All of the sandwiches got eaten. I took the leftover indoor s'mores to school and gave them to the people that were not able to come. They all liked them. We were at the beach for several hours eating, playing in the water, in the sand, and more eating. Then we went back to the couple's house that live by there and showered and then hung out for a few more hours visiting while the children played. I think everyone had a really nice time. Even though they live in a country where beaches are readily available the other two people and their children hardly ever go to the beach. The couple that lives really close goes at least once every weekend. I have been at least a dozen times since I have moved here. But the other two people and their children couldn't remember the last time they had been to the beach. I am really glad that I did it. I think I would like to get together once a month with my co-workers and plan something fun for us to do. It is a good way for me to get to know them and I think for them to get to know each other. This first time the children pretty much stuck with their parent and didn't interact much with the other children. I am hoping in time that will change. I think in January I would like to try to do bowling.
In America at the schools I have substitute taught at, done field experience at, student taught at, and taught at the teachers have always had a lounge where we eat lunch together and visit with each other about school things and non school things and get to know each other. We become friends with some more than other and do things with those people outside of school, and I know it makes me enjoy my job more when I can visit with those people and do things with them. I am introverted so I need my time alone, but it has kind of been my habit that most days after school I would go to some teachers room and visit with them for like an hour and that would be my socializing for the day. Then I would go home to my quiet house to recharge for the next day. I mean I would try to do that with running errands, and working out, grading, and other activities that might come up. So by the time I got home it would be later in the evening and I would have had a very full day, but I liked that. Here it is harder since I don't have a car, and I either have to ride the school bus, get a ride, call a cab, or walk if I have no other way, so I can't stay after school like I could back home. Plus, it seems like almost every day after school I have some school activity I am helping out with and by the time I get done and the other teachers get done we are all ready to go home. Then there is the part where I can't have people over. So I am hoping the once a month thing will take off and be enjoyable.