Or
"He's The Bus Driver's Son" and Other Evidence That I'm Not Cool
So, as I said, I didn't realize there is a philosophy on these field trips whereby they don't give the children any downtime to get into trouble. By extension, this means parents can't get into trouble either, except when they decide to go jogging first thing in the morning and can't find their way back to the dorm. Fortunately, our male counterparts were out hunting coffee.
(It only took until the end of the trip for all of us to know how to order enough coffee with creams and sugars, but each and every effort was highly appreciated by all.)
Anyway, spending the first hour of the day doing anything but sleep was a bad move. We had a big day, hitting the aquarium first, which I will go on record as saying was cooler when there were killer whales there. I know, I know, but I still wished the kids could have experienced standing in the viewing area below while the bulk of an orca breached and slammed into the surface of the water, causing shock waves against the windows that make your heart stop. That's what I remember about my field trip from when I was a kid.
Having said that, there was plenty of cool stuff. The otters are always a kick and the other beluga had had her baby, so that was cute. We had a bag lunch there and took off to Science World.
Now, one of the teachers had confided in me beforehand that she arranges to meet her sister during the Imax in Victoria. They eat popcorn and visit while everyone else is inside the theatre, giving her a much needed break.
I therefore took it upon myself to 'accidentally' bump into my sister at Science World. As I left the bus, I asked the driver if my laptop would be secure with him. No, he said, he was meeting his son for lunch. Sure enough, there was a well-dressed fellow waiting near my sister when I disembarked the schoolbus. She said, "Is it really okay that I'm here?" I said, sure it was. "This is the busdriver's son, meeting him for lunch. We're all meeting family here."
The fellow offered a polite smile and said, "It's a good meeting place."
Later, as the kids were all learning about simple machines, and sis and I were gagging on Science World coffee, she said, "That guy outside is on TV, right?" Huh? "Yeah, he's an anchorman on the news, isn't he? I was looking for cameras, wondering what he was doing there. I didn't realize he was waiting for you guys," she said.
I asked the teachers later and yes, he is a well-known anchor, one whose name I recognized once I heard it. But being the 'cool' parent on the trip, I called him to his face, "The busdriver's son."
Sis left before the movie at Science World, giving me a chance to surf Tahiti before we caught the skytrain to Waterfront and the Canada Line to Richmond. Standing room only on the trains. It was rush hour. The teachers prepped us ahead of time, perhaps terrifying us for their own enjoyment, with stories of parents being separated from the group on crowded trains. You'd think I was six, I was so scared of being left behind--with five kids. Wouldn't you be?
We ate at the ferry terminal, arrived at the dorms, chased the bunnies... There is a serious bunny problem at UVic. I'd heard tell, but you really have to see it to believe it. Kids were tucked, lights went out, and we all gathered in the common room to watch the late news--delivered by the busdriver's son.
"He's The Bus Driver's Son" and Other Evidence That I'm Not Cool
So, as I said, I didn't realize there is a philosophy on these field trips whereby they don't give the children any downtime to get into trouble. By extension, this means parents can't get into trouble either, except when they decide to go jogging first thing in the morning and can't find their way back to the dorm. Fortunately, our male counterparts were out hunting coffee.
(It only took until the end of the trip for all of us to know how to order enough coffee with creams and sugars, but each and every effort was highly appreciated by all.)
Anyway, spending the first hour of the day doing anything but sleep was a bad move. We had a big day, hitting the aquarium first, which I will go on record as saying was cooler when there were killer whales there. I know, I know, but I still wished the kids could have experienced standing in the viewing area below while the bulk of an orca breached and slammed into the surface of the water, causing shock waves against the windows that make your heart stop. That's what I remember about my field trip from when I was a kid.
Having said that, there was plenty of cool stuff. The otters are always a kick and the other beluga had had her baby, so that was cute. We had a bag lunch there and took off to Science World.
Now, one of the teachers had confided in me beforehand that she arranges to meet her sister during the Imax in Victoria. They eat popcorn and visit while everyone else is inside the theatre, giving her a much needed break.
I therefore took it upon myself to 'accidentally' bump into my sister at Science World. As I left the bus, I asked the driver if my laptop would be secure with him. No, he said, he was meeting his son for lunch. Sure enough, there was a well-dressed fellow waiting near my sister when I disembarked the schoolbus. She said, "Is it really okay that I'm here?" I said, sure it was. "This is the busdriver's son, meeting him for lunch. We're all meeting family here."
The fellow offered a polite smile and said, "It's a good meeting place."
Later, as the kids were all learning about simple machines, and sis and I were gagging on Science World coffee, she said, "That guy outside is on TV, right?" Huh? "Yeah, he's an anchorman on the news, isn't he? I was looking for cameras, wondering what he was doing there. I didn't realize he was waiting for you guys," she said.
I asked the teachers later and yes, he is a well-known anchor, one whose name I recognized once I heard it. But being the 'cool' parent on the trip, I called him to his face, "The busdriver's son."
Sis left before the movie at Science World, giving me a chance to surf Tahiti before we caught the skytrain to Waterfront and the Canada Line to Richmond. Standing room only on the trains. It was rush hour. The teachers prepped us ahead of time, perhaps terrifying us for their own enjoyment, with stories of parents being separated from the group on crowded trains. You'd think I was six, I was so scared of being left behind--with five kids. Wouldn't you be?
We ate at the ferry terminal, arrived at the dorms, chased the bunnies... There is a serious bunny problem at UVic. I'd heard tell, but you really have to see it to believe it. Kids were tucked, lights went out, and we all gathered in the common room to watch the late news--delivered by the busdriver's son.
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