The Bouma Family Adventures

Our Arrival to the Kingdom

2009-08-27T05:24:00.000-07:00

After an amazing summer with our friends and family in Washington, we boarded our airplane at the Bellingham Airport anticipating our next adventure. For 36 hours of travel, the kids did amazingly well - partly due to the business class that our new school flew us over in, and part because of the earplugs that we brought. We also afforded ourselves a few "cold ones" in anticipation of our new completely dry country!

At our layover in Frankfurt, Germany we identified and became aquainted with a few other teachers on their way to Saudi Arabia. It was relieving seeing other families with young kids with whom our kids quickly took to. After a touch down in Kuwait to let a few people off the airplane, we noticed that several women on the plane were scurrying to the bathrooms and putting on black abayas. Marea took out her long pants and long-sleeved shirt and put them on in order to disuade any unneeded attention. If it wasn't for Avery's "beautiful" and ear-piercing "songs", we would have succeeded. Never-the-less, we were impressed when they allowed the families to the front of the line at customs as they checked our visas. We were slightly worried going through customs with all of our bags after hearing crazy stories of large fines, confiscations, and other intense scrutinies, but we made it through the line with ease. Waiting on the other side of the gate, the superintendent, principal, and two teachers were waiting for us with cheery faces that were fighting back yawns from our 1am arrival.

We were immediately escorted to a special room in which we interviewed with a Saudi Arabian man working for the company who took our passports and gave us a few strict instructions about what to do the next few days. After all families had completed this process, we all boarded a large bus and began the 1 hour ride to Ras Tanura. We anticipated it being extremely hot when we arrived, however, we were pleasantly surprised that the weather felt about the same as it was in China during the summer months.

After two checkpoints, we entered our compound (3500 people - I would guess the size of Blaine) and our principal pointed out landmarks including the post office, grocery store, mechanic, ballfields, schools, and beach. It was dark, but the well-lit streets allowed us to get a feel for what the community looked like - we compare it to a resort community with south-western US flare and huge palm trees and other vegetation.

As we dropped off other families, we finally came to our house - a 2100 sq.ft. townhouse with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, a garage, and yard. This, by far, is the nicest place we have ever lived. We are humbled and thankful for this new place. It didn't take long for our kids to race around and explore the house, while staking claim on bedrooms. Temporary furniture has been provided for us until our shipments arrive (from China, from home, and a few "e-boxes" flying in three+ weeks after us).

After unpacking a few items, we all collapsed on our beds and Marea and I said a prayer of thanks for our outstanding past and our new beginnings.

The Sliiide

2009-05-03T21:08:00.000-07:00

Our family went to Bali last week for the May holiday. We stayed at a very nice hotel in Kuta, which was across the street from an extremely nice hotel right on the beach! The extremely nice hotel did not mind us using their extremely nice facilities, which included an amazing, huge waterslide into the kiddie section pool area! Judah was alllll excited about that, of course. He ran gangbusters up the 5 flights of stairs with his dad on his tail, and away they went! Fun, fun, fun! And, our little, brawny almost-2-year-old?? You think this was too much or too intimidating for her?? No way! I carried her up, up, up, and we sailed down, down, down with her laughing allll the way!!

After a few times down with mom or dad, Judah decided he was ready to “go it alone!” He climbed up, up, up, looked down over the rail with a frightful look on his face. He hesitated there for a few seconds while we shouted encouragement, “Go, Judah, go!” With some additional encouragement from the lifeguard, he finally mustered up enough courage to go. Down, down, down he went, screaming and crying all the waaahhyyy! Hahaha! Got a picture of it. Pathetically hilarious. One day, he’ll laugh about it, too. Or seek therapy.

Of course, minutes later, I shoved Avery down that big ole thing solo (with an intertube around her middle--I'm not a complete moron!) and she giggled all the way down! Birth order is a funny thing.

Singin' and Dancin' with Judah's Class!

2009-04-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

Parents were invited to the Early Childhood Center this past week, which was "Book Week" and we all the students were supposed to be "Wild about Reading" cuz that was the theme! Robb, Avery, ALing and I all headed over by taxi (ALing was impressed/entertained by my ability to direct the driver in Chinese!) to check it out.

Ok, folks, welcome! Make some bookmarks!! Judah and Avery did a lovely job with glitter, puffy paint and Robb supervising. Ok, folks, to the library! We headed upstairs, got comfy on some beanbags and read some Judah and Avery picks. One of MY fav things to do with my kids, for sure. Ok, folks, now for the performance! What we'd all been waiting for!! Well, we waited outside the multi-purpose room for the other class to finish for a few more minutes once we got there, and Avery truly knew just what to do. (Monkey see, ....)

Ok, folks, enjoy the show! Did we ever! Judah and two buddies were the big, bad wolves who had obviously practiced their lines about "let me in..." and "huff and puff..." and some fierce, growly faces (see pics). And, we loved the little pigs, "Not by the hair of my chinny, chinny chin!" Haha. Adorable. As was the chicken dance!! We did not realize what a treat we were in for. I'll try to upload the video... Judah and I practiced the wiggling, twisting part more later.

Hard to believe it was Judah's last QSI, Shekou presentation. We leave June 16 for good, though maybe we'll be back, God willing....

A Magical Weekend!

2009-03-26T22:13:00.001-07:00

We started our magical weekend by going to "the most magical place on earth"--HK Disneyland. We figured a weekday was the best day to go to beat the crowds, and we didn't have school on Friday, so there we went! Ever since Judah graduated from a stroller to walking, he's been "training for Disneyland!" He definitely built up his endurance and made it throughout the long, full day without a single complaint!

What was Judah's favorite ride? "Space Mtn. was my last favorite cuz it was toooo scary!" He loved the Winnie the Pooh ride best. Small World wasn't thrilling enough, because we were "just floating in a boat," while on the Pooh ride, our little hunny pot rocked and jogged and wiggled every which way throughout the story. Avery was delighted with all of it (she probably wouldn't have enjoyed Space Mtn. either, though), except when during the parade, some colorful, smiley, larger-than-life, fairy tale creatures tried to "connect" with her (see video).

Seeing all these experiences through the eyes of a child? Priceless. After the parade, and right when a huge storm was blowing in, we left to meet up with a good friend, Rose Tyvand, and her girls, Talin and Alma (Judah and Avery's buds), on Lamma Island (Hong Kong). It's my favorite local place to get-away, for sure. The hotel where we stay has a balcony overlooking the bay with the ferry dock and dragon boats. We ate at some local, organic restaurants--pizza, Indian, yummy sandwiches, lots of fruit. Rose and I even got to do yoga with a live instructor (vs. on DVD, as we usu. do) while Robb offered to watch all four kids! (That scored points!) The beach is a 20-minute, lovely walk through to the other side of the island, down the main alleys and past some cool shops and more yummy restaurants. We took full advantage of the beautiful, beach-perfect weather and let the kids play, play, play in the sand and water all morning. There was even a shaded picnic area with the best 4-yr-old climbing tree!

Truly a magical weekend, and one we're hoping to re-live at least once before we leave this neck of the world!! (minus Disneyland)

Toot-Toots

2009-02-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

about Avery and what she's up to these days...

she's strong-she can make her big brother cry in a wrestling match, lively-nonstop movin n' singin n' runnin' n' jumpin' n' dancin' (hence the fresh scar on her eyelid), she's loud, goofy-see photo to left, she's hungry-watch your food or she'll snatch it, playful-let's make faces and tickle each other, thrill-seeking-on the constant look-out for steep ramps to ride her baby scooter down, social-ALWAYS up for a playdate, she's verbal-stringin up to 4 words together in both english and chinese, she's busy-busy-busy, she's demanding-MOM! no response? MAWEA!, she's repentant (read eg. below)....there's never a dull moment with our little toot-toots around!

she's 19 mos. old now, has been calling me "marea" since 16 mos. (just when i'm not paying attention or out of sight), LOVES her nuks (binky) and LOVES her big brother.

she's been getting "time-outs" for screeching to express anger or frustration, so she sits in the chair with a grumpy look on her face for about 15-30 seconds, then gets down, runs to the offended and says, "saw-y, saw-y!"

we looove (SO MUCH) our sweet, little avery may!

Deep Thoughts, by Judah James....

2009-02-25T22:33:00.000-08:00

It's time we started writing some of these down...

JJ: Lydia and I are friends now. We've been friends two times.
Mar: That's nice. You know, she won't be in China much longer. They're moving back to Wisconsin soon. That's where they make cheese!
JJ: Really? I love cheese!
Mar: I know! You should tell her that. And, ask her if she likes cheese.
JJ: I don't think that would be appropriate.

and later....
JJ: Lydia has a dog.
Mar: You should ask her what she does to take care of the dog.
JJ: I already know--feed it and drink it.
Mar: What else?
JJ: I don't know. That's it.
Mar: No, you have to take them outside to poop and pee, then clean it up!
JJ: Gross! I'm not gonna clean it up, you are!
Mar: No, I'm not! You can't have a dog 'til you're ready to scoop the poop!
JJ: Why don't we just leave it on the ground?

JJ: Mom, what do girls in England speak?

Mar: English, why?

JJ: I want to marry a girl from England, then.

Mar: Why not a girl from China?

JJ: Cuz I don't.

Mar: Why?

JJ: I don't understand Chinese.

random questions and comments:
"You stink."
"Who's the oldest--you or dad?"
"What if I was God?"
"When will I get to play with Jack and Vera again???"
"How old is Beppa again?"
"She's the funniest baby I never met!" (about Avery)
"I love you to the moon and back 100 million, trillion, 80 thousand times!"
"I can't WAIT to go to Sally Arania!"

A happy 37th bday and Valentine's!

2009-02-17T22:31:00.000-08:00

I was recently reminded that I married a thoughtful, romantic man. (Yes, this is Marea typing.) Here's why:
2 weekends before my birthday, he took me on a "mystery date," as a "pre-birthday celebration." We had 5 hours+ of pampering with hairwashes, body massages and (met friends for) footrubs, then went with some friends to a tapenyaki (sp?) place for dinner. Sweet.

On Valentine's Day, other clueless wives/friends showed up with their husbands at our place at 3pm. We were given the first "clue" (a typed note rolled up and tied with red ribbon), which told us to sit on the deck and enjoy our chocolates, cheeses and crackers, and bottle of wine. Next, we were sent off to enjoy a footrub. The receptionist had the next clue, which sent us to the hairwash (we cannot get enough of the cheap massages, in case you didn't notice). We actually deviated from the plan, though, because 2 of us "just washed my hair!" and went to the local Irish pub for a brew instead. As dinnertime rolled around, here come our dashing, romantic husbands, each carrying a red rose for his wife. We ended the night laughing and eating and toasting each other with our spouses and good friends. Memorable.

If you aren't disgusted/envious enough already, for my BIRTHDAY, we went to Hong Kong to visit our friends, Sarah and Justin Walker, and their new baby girl, Taelyn Mackay, who had just been born in the hospital (she was only 1 hour old when we got there!). Then, Robb told me I had a set amount to spend at the jade market!! I got 7 new necklaces, 3 bracelets, and 2 chopstick sets, and had enough left over for dinner at my favorite restaurant--Ebeneezer's. Generous. So, this 38th year of my life is off to a great start, and I thank God for the many blessings He has given me.

Movin' on...

2009-01-10T18:22:00.000-08:00

We have had an amazing time teaching the last 3 years in Shekou, China! While we've really enjoyed working at QSI Shekou, we have come to a conclusion that it is the right time for us to move on. The last few months have been crazy busy as we have been preparing for the ISS Bangkok Job Fair for overseas educators. This last week, Marea and I have were in Bangkok conducting intense interviews with directors of other schools from around the world. At the end of the job fair, we found ourselves with three offers: Caracas, Venezuela; Tianjin, China; and RasTanura, Saudi Arabia.

So... Where did the Boumas decide to go? SAUDI ARABIA! Yes, it sounds crazy, but it made the most sense for our family as Marea will not have to work immediately for the school and stay at home with Avery. She will be a teacher for the company that they can use later when needed.

Q: Where will we live?
A: Ras Tanura on the Persian Gulf in a camp on the beach. This is a very large camp with a golf course, bowling alley, dive club, yacht club, swimming pools, and a beautiful sandy beach to play on.

Q: Can we leave the camp?
A: Absolutely - we will leave several times during the week to go to local towns/villages and eat/shop/interact with locals.

Q: Does Marea have to dress up and wear anything?
A: Marea is able to dress normally when leaving the camp, although she will probably wear long pants and long sleeves. She does not have to cover her beautiful blond hair.

Q: Are there any restrictions for Marea?
A: They only restrict her from driving. When we drive to Dubai/Bahrain/Qatar/Red Sea, I will have to do all the driving --- ugh :)

While we knew the school in Saudi had one of the best reputations for schools in the world, we had a lot of these questions that needed to be answered before we even considered it as an option. The director eased our minds by saying that out of the 75 teachers in his school, he is only interviewing for 2 positions and that teachers stay because they love it. This spoke volumes to us.

So... we know Saudi Arabia is not a destination for most people (we've had several people visit us in China). Who wants to meet us in Europe? Egypt? Thailand (yes, it's still a reasonable flight)?

We're both looking forward to what God has in store for this next chapter of our lives. We prayed for an open door, and feel that he provided this for us. We are anticipating the amazing travel opportunities at the crossroads of the world: Egypt, Jordan, back to the mission base in Kenya, Maldives, Nepal, Bosnia (where several of our friends are teaching), Italy, Turkey, Greece, Spain, Holland, etc! It will also be interesting to compare middle eastern culture with China and SE Asia.

We will keep updating our blog from time to time. Bookmark our page and you'll be able to follow our travels!

It's December! Countdown to Christmas....

2008-12-03T04:43:00.001-08:00

10 more days 'til we're on the plane home for the holidays and we CAN'T WAIT!! In the meantime, we'll be wrapping things up with students to end the 2nd quintile, meeting Santa at Judah's campus (hopefully Judah and Avery have been nice...), leaving the kiddies at home with Aling overnite for the first time while we go to Macau for Robb's first 1/2 marathon and Cirque du Soleil show, and finishing some Christmas shopping on this side of the world.

Check out some current album links--July, Sept., Oct. 2008! How time flies, uh? We had a smooth transition back to China for our third year, though Judah did not get into the school groove for a few weeks. Now, he's swimming, reading (level AA, but still!), and says school is "perfect!" Avery is speaking a lot of words both in Chinese and English, running!, dancing (just started incorporating hand motions), and still shrieking for no apparent reason. I'm enjoying teaching 10-year-olds again this year 1/2 days and afternoons with the kids, and Robb thrives as secondary principal. It's been good. We're so blessed.

Oct. holiday on Bintan Island in Indonesia, an hour ferry ride from Singapore was outstanding!(I'm loving the resort set-up: bountiful breakfast buffets, fine, sandy beach (Judah's first snorkel), enormous kiddie pool shallow enough for Avery, interesting people from all over the world, kids' club, and more!) We did a mangrove boat tour, which was a lot of fun--saw yellow-ringed mambas, a python (sleeping, fortunately), and a couple monitor lizards (see link). Singapore was, indeed, very clean and urban. We went to the zoo, which was outstanding--the best! We went on a boat tour around the city, checked out the international school, ate amazing Indian food, and found a ridiculously heavy merry-go-round at the park (that was a heckuva workout!). Our hosts, Patrick and Becky Green, were sooo gracious, generous and hospitable--thanks again!!
DongChong: We had a three-day weekend in Nov. following parent-teacher conferences. A perfect amount of time and a great time of year to go camping with twenty-some friends! We packed our tents, sleeping bags, and other camping gear, excited to sleep on the beach for a couple nights with the kids, though everyone else in the group was staying in the villas (way to rough it!). We ended up staying in a villa, too. (: Only a 2-hour drive to this picturesque, clean beach and fresh air--what a difference from where we live! Fun was had by all!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to your family from ours!

Summer 2008--WA, MI and OR Fun

2008-11-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

Indeed, our summer holiday flew by entirely too swiftly. Fortunately, between mid-June and Aug. 1, we did a lot and re-connected with many. Here are some highlights:

Washington highlights:

...for Robb and Marea...fresh air, NW scenery, BBQ parties with family and friends, good eats!!, Gpa and Gma's mobile home in Birch Bay (temporary, ideal housing and location--thanks!!), TIME WITH LOVED ONES!

...for Judah....blueberry pancakes with Beppa, ALL of Auntie Sally's (and Darryl's) foods, cookies with Grammie, turning 4 years old!, playing with Alex and Emma, riding bikes around park, Brooke!, TV cartoons in the mornings, the bunkhouse, fresh strawberries, time with loved ones!!

...for Avery....learning to walk more proficiently, turning 1!, learning how to go to sleep at night without screaming her head off for 20+ minutes first, and of course, bonding with loved ones!

Michigan highlights:

...reconnecting with cousin, Meribeth, and her family, Moose Tracks ice cream, Marea's brother, Jason, and family--wife, Lynn, and two kids, MaryHelen and Noah. crashing the scooter (Marea), a night out in GR--the BOB, and I don't know the other places, but Robb crashed an open mike, staying at an incredible home on Lake MI: zip-line, small sailboat, playroom, firepit, S'mores, venison, squeaky sand, etc! And...TIME WITH LOVED ONES!

Oregon highlights:

...for Robb and Marea....hanging out with the Tyvands, Stalkers, and Woods, good eats and drinks, China charades (K204!), cleaning off filthy, dusty children, outdoor concert, TIME WITH LOVED ONES!

....for Judah and Avery....hand fishing at the lake, outdoor concert, creating dust storms, good eats, time with JACK and Vera, Talin and Alma, and Miss Molly, etc!

Soooo good to go home for an extended period of time during the best time of the year. And we're glad we'll be coming home for Christmas in a couple weeks this year, too!!

See more pictures by clicking on the links at the top!

February 2008 - Northern Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Myanmar, Laos, Chiang Rai

2008-09-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

For Chinese New Year, February 2008, my brother Chris, his friend Jason, and our friend Robin all came out to visit us in China. Part of their time here included a week-long break for us. During this time off, we all flew to Thailand for a Northern Thailand adventure. Our great friends, the Stalkers, were able to come with us as well.

After a few days exploring the busy streets of Bangkok, we flew up to Chiang Mai. Mellisa Stalker had a friend, Peggy, who married a man of Laotian descent and owned a farm north of Chiang Mai (The Pun Pun Farm - http://www.punpunthailand.org/). The farm was a sustainable living and learning center in which people from all over the world would come and take workshops on sustainable farming. In addition, Peggy and her husband would travel throughout Northern Thailand educating local farmers on the traditional methods of farming. What an amazing time had by all. We spent several days here living a traditional and basic way of life. Judah and Avery were able to run (and crawl) around the farm with their friends. We fell in love with the countryside and its people. It was very hard to leave The Pun Pun Farm.

Part of our stay in Chiang Mai, included a visit to an elephant center. The elephants that resided had been rescued from harm or abandanment from the region. Their trainers put on amazing shows and we were able to ride an elephant along a trail and through the river.

Continuing north, we were able to visit hilltribe people including the Karen Longneck Tribe. This was an outstanding cultural experience seeing and experiencing how they lived. As we continued down the main road, we eventually hit the border crossing into Myanmar. We hopped over the border for a few hours in order to tour some of the markets and get a stamp in our passports. We continued our journey to the Golden Triangle - a place where rivers meet and Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand come together. While there, we boarded a narrow riverboat and crossed into Laos.

The last part of our trip took us down into Chiang Rai to visit Josh Parsons - a friend who works with YWAM and leads the discipleship training school. It was great touring the base and venturing into the city for some great food and sights.

Reflecting on this trip, we felt it was one of the best ones we had been on since we moved overseas. We hope to eventually go back and experience some of the highlights again, however, there is so much more of SouthEast Asia to explore.

Praise God for an opportunity like this!

Oct. 2007 - China: Shanghai, Xian (Terracotta Warriors)

2007-10-08T00:54:00.000-07:00

Another amazing trip! We started our journey with the Stalker Family and flew to visit our friends, the Rhorbecks, in Shanghai. They showed us a great time in this modern Chinese city. After spending time touring Shanghai American School, and their nice neighborhood, we ventured out into the downtown area. We first hit the Bund - an scenic and historical area along the river. After wondering about and mixing with some locals, we made our way to the infamous Shanghai Aquarium. As we explored the many exhibits and chased our excited children from room to room, we decided that this indeed was the best aquarium we had attended. A tired day led to a group bath with the 5 kids, and a great night sleep.

The next day, we visited some historic river towns in the area. While we shopped to our hearts content, the kids explored and entertained the locals. It's always amazing experiencing what goes on in the local streets of China. This week we witnessed a baby's exposed butt-cheeks, sizzling squid on a street fryer, turtles for sale (likely for soup), and several interesting women preparing vegetables. Judah and Jack blended in well as they found many interesting places to pee along the way (it's a normal thing to see people urinating in public areas).

As we appreciated the hospitality of our friend's who housed us, after three days we knew it was time to move on. We said our goodbyes to the Stalkers, and took the Maglev train to the airport (one of the fastest trains in the world). We boarded our plane and flew to Central China to the city of Xian. Xian is famous for it's dumplings, old city wall, drum tower, bell tower, and terracota warriors. In three exciting days, we hit all of these places. We were fortunate to meet up with other great friends (Justin and Sarah Walker) for our travels around this city.

While it's great getting out to other countries in Southeast Asia, it was extremely exciting traveling within China. The culture, sites, and people never cease to amaze us. We are absolutely loving our time in this country and hope to be able to experience it for much time to come.

If you would like to see more pics of this trip, follow the link in our pics section or click on http://picasaweb.google.com/robbmarea/ShanghaiAndXian102007?authkey=f9fpasNyevQ#