No School

Now, normally I would not consider a "no school day" to be blog-worthy, but today is an exception. This morning we got up early and did the normal things. The kids got dressed and Isabella went through her checklist of things to do. I have made her a chart with pictures so that every morning she knows what needs to be done and can do it without being told. She gets to put a stamp on her chart for each activity she completes. She loves it! So we went through the chart and were ready to go to school. My first hint that something wasn't quite right was the fact that there was almost no traffic. I thought that maybe it was Sunday, but then remembered that we had our meeting yesterday so that was out of the question. We got on the bus and went to school. We got there a little earlier than usual but still after the time that the gate should be open. But the gate being open was not really a big deal because over here everyone has there own schedule, opening when they want to not just when the sign says they will. The big deal was that no parents or children were waiting outside. There is always someone there before me. So I called Tim to find out if it was a holiday--something not so easy to know. Holidays are on the lunar calendar, which means that every year a holiday is on a different day according to our calendar. It's a lot of trouble if you ask me, no one knows when their birthday is. How inconvenient! But in the end, Tim didn't know of a holiday. As I was talking to him, though, the normal security guard saw me and came to talk to me. Now before you think that the kindergarten needs a security guard to keep munchkins from rioting, remember they have to employ 1.3 billion people someway! So he tells me that there's no class today. I ask the next logical question (at least you might think that), will there be school tomorrow? You will never guess the answer, so I'll tell. He didn't know, it wasn't too clear--yes, that's a direct translation and nothing lost in it! Now we all know that Tim needs and loves structure and schedule and that I'm less so--quite a bit actually! But this is too far for even me! People can be laid back and free-spirited, but institutions need the "Tim's" of world to keep them together!!!
Well, since all this happened, I've found out that while there is a holiday today (probably equivalent to our Memorial Day), it has nothing to do with the break. In town this week is Expo, and the school let out for that. I'm not really sure why. I don't think that kindergarteners are big into that kind of thing...maybe I'm just under estimating them!