Hibbets' Happenings

It's 9:45pm and I've just finished my first day of teaching. I thought it went well. I did an overview of the course and of managerial communication (chapter 1) and then had the students "interview" each other and then introduce a classmate to the rest of the class. It gave an opportunity for an informal oral presentation on which they could receive feedback from me and the rest of the class. I think it was a good first-day activity. We will cover 14 (technically 16) chapters in the textbook over the next 4 weeks. (Hey, 213 and 320 students, and you thought you had a lot of material to cover!) I'll also have a ton of grading to do. But at least the class size is small: I have 14 enrolled in the class, but only 13 were there tonight. For two of the students, this was their first MBA course in the program. For at least two, and it may have been more than that, this is their last course in the program. And of course several were in the middle. (We offer 5 classes per year; if they take every class offered they can complete the degree in 2 calendar years.) Let's see. This morning David went back to the Park n Shop. And one of us will probably have to go back tomorrow; we go through bottled water very quickly. It's hard to carry back much more than one day's worth at a time. Maybe we'll catch up at some point or figure out some other system. At least it's just down the street. Today he spent a little more than yesterday: $318.80! (Hong Kong dollars.) He got us some wheat bread and strawberry preserves (I just had a PBJ sandwich for an after-class snack), cucumbers, snow beans (don't we call them snow peas? -- I'm not thinking straight right now), bags of frozen mixed veggies and petite peas (which, by the way, are organic -- we thought that was neat), onion, garlic, soy sauce, bananas, corn on the cob, rice, coffee and filters, honey, and of course some bottled water -- 6 bottles this time. When he got back to the apartment, he fell asleep and took a little nap, which I'm sure was nice. Jayden got two good naps today; Joshua got one good nap early. I managed to rest a little while this afternoon before class, which was much needed. Now, as usual, I'm wired after class. But maybe I can get some good work done and then I'll go to bed later. Tomorrow we had planned to get up early to go to Causeway Bay to shop for a blender for Joshua, but then we were invited to lunch by the Shue Yan staff. We are meeting at 12:30 for Chinese food! I'm excited about that. I'm not sure if we'll try to go to Causeway Bay after lunch or just what. I will ask Candy about it in the morning. Oh, today for lunch David fixed us a chicken and vegetable stir-fry which was just delicious. He used the wok and everything. I don't know how authentic it was -- since tomorrow will be my first "real" Chinese food -- but it sure was good! I'm glad we have leftovers, and I told him it was definitely a "do-over." Our supper tonight was leftover beans and rice, which were also very good. David said he doesn't see corn meal or whole wheat flour in the Park n Shop, so I can't make us any cornbread. I guess that's a Southern thing, anyway. There is white flour, so if I really wanted to bake something I could get that. He said he did see quick oats we could get for breakfast. I may look online to see if there are breakfast rice recipes that look good. I did make Jayden a meal once that was rice and banans (and something else -- I can't remember); I tried it, and it wasn't bad. It was different, but I figure any grain should work about the same. So if we gladly eat oatmeal and bananas, how much different would rice and bananas be? (For example.) I'm very glad to have my first class down. There are always those first-class jitters with meeting a new group of students and making that first impression -- times 13! (And sometimes it's more like times 50.) But I think it went well. I still have a ton of work to do both in preparation and then in grading. I will definitely stay busy. David said Jayden made it until almost 7:30 (he had to really work at her to make it that long, he said) and Joshua fell asleep in his seat in the living room around 8:00. David waited up for me but he's in bed now. I got that late nap and had a cup of coffee after supper, plus being "up" due to class -- so I'll be up for a while I figure. Let me go try to get some pictures uploaded and shared. I had said I wanted to do that after class tonight. Please pray for Jayden; she was acting a little sick today. We are watching her. We brought along things to give her: grapefruit seed extract, probiotics, peppermint oil, and her little homeopathic cold tablets. Pray that she doesn't get sick and that the rest of us don't, either. And pray that we'll get adjusted to this new time soon, too -- but it does seem to be going pretty well! Pray for my students back in Monroe who are taking their final exams today and tomorrow. I'm thinking about you, guys! Good luck! Do well! If I get those pictures posted I will let you know the link.... I'm enjoying hearing from all of you. You are such a blessing to all of us! Aleecia