Tracking Our First Week

Last Monday night, Jan. 29th, we weren't sure how many people would attend our evening Conversation Groups held at the District Community Center from 6-7:30 pm.   But the curious walked in, and we had two small groups who shared inter-culturally on the theme of Education.
      We plan our conversation classes to include this basic format: a theme, an
icebreaker, a model conversation, conversation prompts, and an interactive activity.  We want to keep the evening moving and they feel the same way.

The following Tuesday night, we had one adequately-sized group who taught us a great deal about Communication Strategies, which are quite different from Western and European cultures.
Wednesday night, we set up, but no one came.  Thursday and Friday nights, we were back in business!

"We will pay $1800 for your seat!"

The leg of our flight from L.A. to Sydney (about 15 hours) departed late Tuesday night;  90 minutes late.  At that point, we knew we would miss our connecting flight from Sydney into Vanuatu where we had actually planned a 3-hour time slot to claim luggage and go through customs.   It seems there were 285 passengers on the Boeing 787, and that was 14 too heavy.   After we were all boarded, AA asked for volunteers to give up their seats to the tune of $1800 per seat.   Fourteen people volunteered; we were thinking about our connection in Sydney!  The winds changed (what?) and that would aid in the short runway departure!  So, only two volunteers were needed.  Twelve came back and settled in.  We taxied down the short runway.  Just as we thought that perhaps we could make the connection, the captain announced that a passenger was ill and we had to return to the gate.  You can't blame an ill passenger, so we were towed back to the gate.  We realized that connecting was over for us.  We had to overnight in Sydney.  But caught the next flight to Vanuatu the following day.  A piece of our luggage decided not to follow us. 😒  It is Sunday afternoon now and no sign of the bag, which has the lesson plans/master copies for the college courses inside it.  Goodness! 🙏