Mark's side of the story

Mark is feeling like he's not getting to share around here.  So who gets to write his story while he's rehearsing with the Shanghai Community Jazz Band?

Yep.

Me.

You kidding?  Him with the sassy writing?  Ha!  ;-)

So he's at the upper school, and I'm at the lower school.  It's about a 15-20 minute bike ride down the major road.

See??  Yeah... not that spacially accurate.  There are more streets in between the lower school and the upper school, including the road we live on and the roads that Wanda Plaza is on.  

Back to the main story.  

Welcome to...

How cute is that!  The Dragon's Lair.  

And if you forget where you are by the time you get to the basement pool, they remind you again. 

This was before school started so see if you can spot me in the fuzzy crowd. :o)  He's so stinkin' excited about this auditorium. 

We got up to the second story where Mark's classroom/wing is.  There was a bit of back and forth since the high school director was still choosing which room to have, but behind those shelves is his classroom. 

And here's the messy room!  It's a lot more organized now since school is starting.  See his office door and window?

Here's his office, but I'm thinking that it doesn't look much different 3 weeks into the school year. 

Nicely, he does have some windows in his room and office.  Weirdly, there are only two power outlets in the band room: the wall under that window and the opposite wall that you can see with that shelf on it.  

But here's that view from his office window. 

So when they were remodeling the wing right around the corner, they accidentally built an extra room.  (The explanation was "This is China.")  

Guess who got an instrument storage room???

One of the benefits of "This is China" is the magic that can occur.  

So the room is bare.  It's organized, but not the best right?  

BAM!

It's really making our heads spin.

******

One of the stories he brought home that really is cracking me up is this class of beginning band students.  Sixth and seventh-grade beginning band students.  

All boys. 

Oh yes.  The horror.  

As they are learning to play for four beats and "rest" for four beats, Marks starts hearing mumbling from the back row in the rests.  

All of a sudden, it becomes clear that they are keeping the beat. 

With their choice of words.

Seventh-grade boys.

Poop Fart Burp Kick  **blast for four beats** Poop Fart Burp Kick **hoooooonk**

The story ends with P.F.B.K on the board as the band name and a logo, courtesy of one of the members.  

The End.