list o' goodness

Several things have happened over the past few days that can be added to my own personal list o' holiday goodness. I really do love Christmas.
1. Christmas trees pushed in old lady carts--it's so very Queens.
2. Gifts from the kids--I've gotten a shampoo/conditioner combo and little baby forks and spoons.
3. Piles of gifts, wrapped up in ribbons and bows.
4. Gingerbread cookies, roll out and cut em up style...now I'm off the hook for making cookies from scratch for the cookies and milk party my class will be having tomorrow.
5. Plans for fun...and I like to fun.

Sweet Baby Jesus

I often will get little gifts from my students throughout the day. Typically, it's a piece of paper with a drawing of a little bird or flowers. I also get lots of stickers. One day, I walked around with a 5-inch sticker of a big-eyed alien on my shirt all day. It was a very big hit.

I received a different kind of gift today. It was a pin. Originally, it was attached to a book created out of loose-leaf paper and then cut into an intricate design.

The book was blank because the gift giver did not have enough time to write anything. After a brief high-powered negotiation, I gave the book back so he could have more time to write something and he gave me the pin to wear today. I put the pin on my shirt and went through the day.

While the kids were at lunch, I spruced myself up for our big concert. As I looked in the mirror, I realized that the pin had a very stylized Christmas scene--a tree, a mother and a baby...oh wait, that would be Mary and little baby Jesus. So much for separation of the church and State.

Only the strong will survive

[Note: Geeky blog about blogging to follow.]

So, the people who study blogs and and the actions of the bloggers have come to a conclusion. As of 2007, you will no longer receive an email from a friend telling you that finally, after a few weeks of testing the whole blogging thing out with some anonymous posting, they want you to come check out their blog. We're going to level off. The people who blog will have their blogs. The people who started and quit will keep the quitting thing up.

The blogs I read now are just going to have to keep me entertained.

What is to come

Mentally, I'm done with my semester. In reality, I have one big big paper/presentation combo that is due on Tuesday that is about as far from done as it could be. Despite this minor issue, I've caught a glimpse of the weekends I will get to enjoy for the next few weeks.

I've paid attention to things that normally get pushed to the bottom of the list (haircut, finally getting clothes that double as good for elementary school and something I can wear around adults without looking like a crayola box). I rediscovered my affinity for walking many miles by accident. I wrote my Christmas cards. And, I spent time with the best people.

Now, I'm listening to a birthday mix, eating some lovely whole wheat pancakes, and drinking coffee. I believe that this is what a weekend is supposed to look like. But, it's been a long time since I have had one like this. I'm going to have to try it out again next weekend to see if I can perfect the experience.

These are the rules

On my way home from a teaching test, I found myself in a bit of a situation. Normally, people coexist on the subway with little to no interaction with strangers. We all have agreed to some unspoken pact that no one is to speak or touch. Today the rules were violated.

I was sitting close (but not too close) to two people. Then a woman got on the train and wedged herself between me and the woman on my left. There was not nearly enough room for her to fit--she had to sit on the edge of the bench and I was smooshed into the man next to me. I became obviously distressed. I was touching not one but two people! I had to get out of the situation without violating the no speaking rule. After a moment of panic, I stood up. I am sure that I had mildly pissy look on my face--allowing other people on the train to know that I would never so blatantly violate the rules.

Then, I sat in someones seat who got off the train at the next stop. Then, the lady who knows no boundaries got off at the stop after that one. Then, I realized my disgust at the situation may mean I have lived in NY too long.

So cold

After a whole afternoon spent out and about so I could enjoy the warmth of buildings with heat, I returned to my icy apartment. Here on the second floor, there has been a heat issue for a little bit. I didn't pay much attention until the day that putting on one more layer didn't really solve the problem...neither did the application of the next 3 layers. My nose is cold. My fingers are actually colder than I thought possible. And, my computer screen is cold. My computer screen! It's madness (and much too close to the outside temperature of 28 degrees).

Then saw this online...it might be something to look into.

good things of the day

Some of my students have lives with challenges that are beyond my experience. One came to school without a winter coat on a day that was about 40 degrees. I told someone in the school and the next day a coat was found. Sometimes (just sometimes) my school does something good.

Dance it out (life)

Sometimes I find myself dancing it out. For those of you who don't know what dancing it out is, it is basically a whole body, arm pumping, dance walk thing. It's done when something makes you happy, very happy. Like a cup of coffee or something funny. In September I was dancing it out quite often. Life was good, I was happy. Then I was distracted with a variety of things. There had been no dancing it out. Tonight it returned. One of my last classes for the semester was cancelled. So, I danced it out...all the way down the hallway.

Waking up (life)

For my big three oh, I got an alarm clock that works with my iPod. I love it. This morning, I was woken up by a playlist that has The Flaming Lips, the Stray Cats, Iris Dement and John Pryne, and Django Reinhardt. Ooo, fun. In the olden days, I would have been woken up by whatever annoying radio station my old, wonky alarm picked up.

Let me explain the wonk.

I'm the kind of person who tries to trick herself into actually waking up by having the alarm across the room. I heard that if the actual alarm doesn't do the trick (which it really never did), the walk to turn it off would wake me up. But, the person who said that had never met me. I can sleep like a champion - before and after a variety of things that may seem rousing to others.

When I lived in Arizona, one morning, I pulled myself out of my warm bed and walked across my room to take care of the blaring alarm. My sleepy shuffle across the rug combined with the dry air of Arizona, causing me to pick up a lot of static electricity. When I touched the alarm, the whole thing shorted out for a second and then restarted itself. Since then, my radio alarm clock had been a radio/buzzer alarm...which feel under the category of most annoying thing ever. But it still, officially, did its job - told the time, woke me up (albeit, a little angry) - I had a hard time parting with the clock. It seemed want-y. That is, until I met my new alarm clock. I love my new alarm clock.

I forgot

Somehow, I forgot that I love two things: The Dog Whisperer and pretzel goldfish. Tonight, I was reminded. Faux TiVo will now help me remember about the Dog Whisperer. I'm going to have to think of something for the pretzel goldfish.

Funny things they say (teaching)

Today, my students entertained me. After I asked if there was a song in Bengali that we could sing along with the Christmas carol being forced upon us by the school, one of my students who is Muslim said, "Oh, don't worry. I celebrate Christmas, too." He then sang Jolly Old St. Nicholas as the highest soprano in the class. [In case you are wondering, I didn't present the whole Christmas song angst with quite the same tone when I discussed the issue with the kids.]

Then, after several students found my somewhat hidden family pictures by my desk and asked me who everyone was, one of my students exclaimed, "Hey! I have a white grandma, too." I love my students. Love them.

An end of an era (life)

This is my last official day of my 20s. Unfortunately, I'm spending it home sick. But, the extra couch time is giving me a chance to reflect and I like to reflect.

I've tried to reflect in prose form...but, it's not working. I need a list.
In ten years I have:
*Moved from college, to Arizona, to DC, to New York and am pretty sure I'm not done yet.
*Tried out several jobs until I found one that makes me so happy.
*Traveled lots and lots (numbers provided upon request)
*Tried new things and became less afraid, even though I still have a list.
*Kept old friends close and was so lucky to find new old friends.

Exactly one year ago, I talked about the things I wanted to do this year. I think I was able to live my life in a way that makes me happy. Now, I am about to begin a new decade. I am so excited for all of the things that will come. I hope that I can find new things to make me happy, learn new things about myself, and have a few new adventures. I guess we'll find out.

A perfect Sunday (life)

Today has been filled with good things; it is possible I am the only one that thinks of this stuff as good. But, hey, it's my day.

First, I found a little fix to a problem I thought was huge. The solution was easy and Christmas is no longer ruined.

Then, there was a shopping trip where I got to park and then go to two stores! In my neck of the woods, this is unique--there was no walking miles between stores, no subways, no buying only what you can carry home. I was able to meet my grocery and my Staples needs in one shot.

I am currently on my way to making a new dinner. I stick with the same old, same old a little too often. I could have a new something to add into the mix.

Now, while my possible new favorite food bakes, I'm watching some NOVA. I am learning about a family in Turkey that used to walk on all fours. Someone took the time to look into the situation and find ways to change something the family thought was a curse.

Turkey and Pie (life)

I have just consumed my fair share of Thanksgiving food--I am stuffed with tasty turkey and pie. As I have been told, turkey makes you sleepy. It also seems to make me happy. Which is probably why I want to say Happy Thanksgiving.

Great Italian Escape (life)

I've had several great Italian escapes lately. The first one was when I saw this older man, about 60, file his nails on the subway. His hair was in a DA (Fonzie style), all of his clothes were black, and his shoes were old school loafers. Normally I'm anti nail care in public places. I think it's nasty and will not subject you to the exact issues I have--too gross. But, this man had a special pocket for his metal nail file. This man had a system for filing his nails on the subway. Well, I guess anywhere, really. I got the distinct feeling that he could probably do something else with a nail file, should the need arise. But, at that moment, it was just for his nails.

The other great Italian escape has been (and is currently) watching a little Jamie Oliver cook all over Italy. It's been a long time since I've watched regular old TV. These days, it's all about faux-TiVo. I only watch what I have on my list. Right now, I'm at my parents, enjoying what commercial filled TV has to offer. I actually have no idea if I have this channel at home. But, I'm going to look. I have a weak spot for Jamie Oliver. He cooks for kids. We're the same age. And, he has a VW bus. I'm ready to cook. I need his book.

Why malls are bad, bad places (life)

Last night, I could not hide from my suburban roots and had to spend some q.t. in a mall. It had everything I needed right in one structure (a place to get glue and a new shirt). It also has Ikea. I love Ikea.

So, I was doing my thing, finishing up my wander through Target when I heard an announcement that they were closing the door to the mall and would be opening it back up in one hour. Immediately after that announcement, the gates came crashing down. There was no warning announcement, as is customary in those situations. I had a cart full of junk I had just carefully picked out from the thousands of options and was so confused by what was happening. So, I stood there, stuck in the mall, trying to figure out what to do.

I could have walked around the perimeter of the huge building, past some scary, scary dark loading docks, or I could wait it out. I'm basically a chicken. So, I waited, locked in Target for an hour. I scrounged a meal from the snack counter and seriously considered some unnecessary purchases. As soon as I noticed the gates had been raised, I headed for the hills. On my way out, I found out that there was some strange fund raiser/meet a reality TV star event happening that made it necessary for me to be locked in the mall on a Sunday night.

The whole experience of literally being stuck in a place for shopping seemed so fitting for Long Island and is probably a scenario many dream about. However, that's just never really worked for me.

It was a dark and stormy night (teaching)

Recently, I went to a training for my teachers at my school. We were
supposed to learn ways to help the children write more interesting
stories. They told us we should encourage them to start by writing
about the weather. My sarcastic self cannot always be contained. With
a slightly indignant tone, I (loudly) responded, "Like it was a dark
and stormy night?!?"

Tonight, I am thinking about that little slip of actual self in the
professional environment (which I normally try to avoid like the
plague) because it currently IS a dark and stormy night.

Change of Subject (life)

So, I've been ever so slightly cranky recently. It could be due to the
fact that I'm in a sleepy/hungry/busy bit of life. Or, it could just
be one of those things. Right now, in an effort to return to my
overly-positive typical approach to the day, I'm going to make a
partial list of the things that are good, despite the current crank.
*getting out of class early and taking time to do exactly what I want to do.
*party shuffle bringing me Team Zissou for 45 seconds of musical joy.
*being told my new bulletin board looks like something that teachers
used to do before they took the fun out of teaching.
*creative approaches to hobbies.
*plans for fun in the future.
*a Thanksgiving preview with my family this weekend--this means I'll
get to eat my favorite meal twice this year! Woo-hoo!
*a year that held things I never imagined possible (more about this in
the yearly birthday blog that's only a few weeks away).
*so many ways to stay connected with the important people in my life,
despite geographic challenges.
*very colorful file folders that are changing my life (or at least my
filing system).
*warm, warm clothes on cold, cold nights.

I think this might have helped. I could go on with this lists. But, I
have some TV I've been neglecting and thanks to my faux-Tivo, I can go
watch it right now. Ahhhh.

Paper work (teaching)

Today, I did some multiplication. As a part of my job, I have to keep little notes on each of my students each week. I also have to have the students produce one "published" piece of writing each month (this involves a drafting, writing, revising, editing, and publishing process). There is also some things like tests, planning for the lessons, random forms to fill out on a daily basis etc. etc. But, we will not think about that stuff.

I have 12 students. For each of them, there are 3 conferencing notes per week and one writing sample per month. So, 3 times 4 times the 12 students is 144. Add in the writing samples and you have 156 things per month. 156. I only have 12 students. A teacher who has 32 students has 416 things. This is the reason I can never actually be done with my work. I have to keep up with 144 individual things to hand in per month.

I don't know if this is less or more than anyone else in the world. We all work hard. We all have lots to do. I've just never done the multiplication before.

Birthday (life)

Bunny turned 80. I'm turning 30. I thought that I was okay with the fact that my celebration of 30 happened this summer (I went to India). Then I read about Bunny's birthday and I wonder if I should be doing something more...

Brief Blog (life)

I came accross this Anais Nin quote today and it gave me pause. I
thought I'd share it with you.

"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more
painful than the risk it took to blossom."

Election Day (life)

Today, I went to my local p.s. and voted. All went smoothly--no lines, I signed next to my name, the people were nice, and I knew who I wanted to vote for (except for the judges--I didn't know anything about the judges). The only thing I was a little upset about was the fact that I did not get a sticker. I enjoy the sticker. And, I had planned on showing it to my students [they are preoccupied with the things I do and I want use my slight influence sphere to encourage democracy.]

As I was waiting in the gym, I thought about the last time I voted. That experience was also devoid of the whole voting fiasco thing. But, a dog came into the gym, stole a bagel from the people working the polling station, and ran around wild for quite some time. It was a big dog. I'm a chicken. After he stole the bagel, I felt safe. But, before then, I was so sure I was going to end up on the cover of a newspaper as the girl mauled while voting.

Quarter Century Mark

Today, my friend turns 25. She and I have been lock-step in this crazy teaching program since the first summer. Besides the value of having someone reach the same exact frustration levels at the same time, reminding me that it will be all over soon, and having paper when I forget mine, our relationship is so special--we are now almost related and the knowledge she has about me is practically incriminating.

To celebrate her birthday, I'm going to make a list of funny things I have seen and/or things that made me smile today.

*A man with perfectly feathered hair. It was totally 80s.

*The poster for a Greek singer's CD release (all in Greek, of course)--he had a tiny little moustache. At first I thought it was ridiculous. Then, I realized he was following in the Yanni tradition of singer = facial hair.

*The old man we ate dinner next to tonight had a book with him to read. It was Frosty the Snowman related.

*I talked about the Brooklyn garbage book and remembered how much you love that book.

*I looked at a necklace and thought it would be nicer if it was in pink.

I'm glad that we can take walks, eat at Sam's Diner, reflect on what we've learned in the year and make goals for the next year. It's so good.

Happy Birthday!

A day of work (teaching)

Today, I did not step into my classroom at any point during the day. I had day one of a 7-day training course that is going to be stretched over the next few months. My official workday ends at 3:20. Today, I found myself standing on a subway platform at exactly that time. As I stood waiting for my friend, I was thinking about the fact that I was not tired, covered in marker, and rushing. It was nice. Then, someone called my name...one of my students came into the subway and was calling me. She ran over and gave me a hug. We talked about how much we missed one another. I told her I'd be back tomorrow and said goodbye. Even with it’s never ending struggles and overwhelming nature, moments like this show me that I much prefer teaching to any other job.

Fall has arrived

Some might think that the yellow leaves, scarves, and Halloween
decorations are what makes me realize that fall has arrived. But, that
is not the case. The presence of dogs in coats around my neighborhood
is what makes me really know that fall is here.

Stick Control (life)

As someone who grew up with a dad who played a drum set much bigger than this one, I was amused. I am concerned that the paper/balsa wood model would loose some of the fun. But this is still funny to me.

Teacher Math (teaching)

[Warning: The following material may not be suitable for all audience due to it's cranky content.]

[Oh yeah, and it's also very teacher-y. Those of you who don't really like the kids should just skip this one.]

I have 12 students. There are 8 periods in each day. Two periods are for special classes (taught by another teacher) or lunch each day. Except for Tuesday; Tuesday has two special classes and lunch. I am in my classroom, with children, for 29 periods a week. In those 29 periods, I have 27 pull-outs (a time when someone comes into my classroom and takes a student out for a special service). Some of those do happen at the same time (i.e. Physical Therapy and ESL teachers take different students at the same time). But, sometimes they are taking 4 students out at once.

All of these numbers made me want to cry as I looked at my planbook. I feel like I am not given time to teach the students. If my class were the US Congress, we'd never reach a quorum. Even if I had my students in there seat, the time that we'd actually be learning would be grossly overshadowed by test prep I'm required to teach so my class can pass the 3rd and 4th grade tests.

Class trips (teaching)

I spent lots of time trying to think of all of the ways I can get my class excited for our upcoming visit to the NY Botanical Gardens to see Chihuly's sculpture installation. Tomorrow, we'll be looking at maps to use the information to learn about where we are going. We will also be looking at some pictures and maybe a little video.

I think he is the most amazing sculptor. He makes big things out of blown glass. He envisions these things, then a team of helpers blow, streatch, swing, and cut the hot hot glass into what he imagined. The sculptures look organic. They make the space they are placed in completely different. I love it. I want my student's to love it.

So my Smart Board will be bringing them the video and pictures. The gardens will allow us to experience it first hand. Then, if I can find the right squeeze bottles for paint and sheets of plastic to cover a huge section of floor, we'll be making our own art inspired by Chihuly when we come back.

Passing on the Happy (um...so good, I guess)

So, today I was given two little links. I opened the links expecting goodness because of the sender...but, I had no idea of the scope.

What we have are links to happiness--happiness in a visual form.

Movie Magic (life)

After several days of alternating naptime with exhaustion, I finally broke through my sickness-imposed agoraphobia and made my way to a movie with my roommate/fellow Teaching Fellow. We went to see the new Robin Williams movie. I have loved Robin Williams since he was Mork. I had the suspenders...with the pointing finger. Tonight, I loved him when he was being himself. All of the other stuff I was a little /eh/ about everything.

But, that's not what I'm here to write about. My friend and I came up with a big plan for the upcoming movie season. We want to have see all of the movies nominated for a best picture award at the Oscars. Which means we will have to anticipate which move will be nominated. Which means we'll see lots of movies so we have a little wiggle room. Which also means we will be doing something other than going to school and/or teaching school. Woo hoo!

Just bring your iPod (life)

It appears that several hundred people took to the commuter rail station to dance the night away. A flash mob turned communting time into Dance Party UK (I was going to say USA but that would be incorrect). Think about what this must have looked like. One man described it by saying "Soul Train arriving platform one." Funny.

Thank you alarm clock (life)

This morning, I woke up sometime in the 4 o'clock hour, happy to know that it was Saturday and I could sleep and sleep and sleep. Of course, it is not Saturday. It is actually only day two of my school week. I didn't realize this until my nice alarm blared it's buzzy/radio noise combo only my alarm clock can make [it used to just be radio and then i shocked it to a buzzer when I walked accross my room in Arizona and picked up a lot of static]. Thank goodness I remembered to set it last night.

A day off (teaching)

Today is the third day of my weekend. Time off like this is a completely lovely part of teaching. At 6:19, I woke up from a dream about teaching one of my students how to generalize her understanding blends (when two letters work together and they keep their individual sounds such as "bl") and digraphs (when two letters work together and they make a new sound such as "ou"). Writing and reading are still mysteries for many of my students. Nothing comes automatically for them—it is all a struggle. The ability to generalize a rule is something the need to learn.

The way I just described off of the thoughts I had is a little misleading. I was not thinking about all of this in an abstract way. It was as if I was there, sitting next to her, making all of these crazy sounds. Teaching seems to work its way into my subconscious and it likes to come out while I sleep. The upside is now I know exactly what I want to teach her tomorrow. I just kind of wish these thoughts would come a little later in the morning of my day off.

Saturday morning (life)

Today, I had big plans for productivity. I was going to go to the gym, go to the library, do some type of major household maintenance, and, oh, rid myself of any less than ideal personality traits. All before noon. Sometimes I make lists like that--over ambitious and unrealistic.

Now, it's 6 minutes from noon. Since I woke up, I've reintroduced oatmeal to my life, made some very good coffee, talked to sisters, and that's about it. While mentally ambitious, my body is not willing. Why get up and run around crazy like when you can sit down and enjoy the day.

To make myself feel better (teaching)

When I have a tough day, sometimes I need to think about the funny stuff that happened in an effort to counteract the hard:
*While struggling to open a window, asked if I needed some muscle (he was referring to himself). I told him I was fine.
*When one of my students asked if my former co-teacher was my sister. My former co-teacher is a 50-something year old African-American woman. I'm a 20-something white girl. When he asked her, she said yes.
*When a student had a serious conversation with me about why she was not going to hit someone. She said it was because God knows. I had tried to convince her it was a bad idea for quite some time. Then, she made sense of it in her own mind.
*When another student fell as we were coming out of the door, all of my other students told stories about when they fell and/or walked into something. The one who fell moved from tears to laughing in just a few moments. Even the student who is having such a hard time today stories to make her feel better.

Oh good. I feel better now. Better.

wa'sup (teaching)

Today, I saw one of my old students. I was his teacher in kindergarten
and first grade. He is now a big second grader and has a new teacher.
For the two years he was in my class, I saw his language abilities
progress from almost all pantomime to using a sentence or two when he
had something to say.

As I was walking to my car, I ran into him on his block. I went over
because I thought he was not looking before he crossed the road. [He
assured me he wasn't, FYI]. As he and I talked about his new class, he
greeted several of his friends with a perfect boy wa'sup. He even
added a head nod. It was perfect. No hesitation. No thinking about it.
Just fluent speaking.

It was great. But, I didn't teach him that. It must be the new teachers.

Google fight (time waster)

This is about to be added to my list of time wasters. It's google fight. I fought blog vs. book. Blog won by more than 600,000,000.

P.S. This little bit of magic came into my life because I followed not one but two degrees of (link) separation. I'm turning over a new leaf.

95 North (life)

Yesterday, I ended my long weekend of wedding. My DC friends , who had been so committed to maintaining their status as freedom friends, practically ran down the aisle and exchanged their vows in whispers. It was a very happy day.

The weekend was fun. We played HORSE--I made a very nice bounce-in shot that ended the game and let us eat the pesto pasta I'd been waiting for all night. We gave a whole lot of love to the dog (specifically those who do not have direct access to pets). We tied napkins, stickered up jams, set up some flowers. And, dance-kicked our way to happiness for more than a few hours at the wedding. Good. So good.

On the drive back, I ran into some trouble. Turns out, while moving my car for the game of HORSE, I ran over a curb and knocked my muffler pipe off of the manifold (which is very bad). I didn't realize I had caused this problem until the horrid noise of pipe scraping on street at 70 miles an hour at the Delaware/New Jersey border began. The nice man at the service stationed jimmied it up with a coat hanger. Then the Honda sounded like a muscle car for the remaining 150 miles.

After I dropped my friend off at Penn Station, I was less than 10 miles from home. After 6 hours in the car, I was ready to be done. But then, Polska pride got in my way. The Polish Day Parade was making its way down 5th Avenue. With a little shout of, "Perogi Power" once I made my way past the street, I pulled up to my apartment 7 hours after I left NOVA.

My computer was turned on again. My world is very close to returning to the world I have become quite attached. It's always good to be home.

Mars

Want to move to mars?
Think the moon is a better location?
I do believe it's space elevator time....

The Apple Store (life, music)

Yesterday, I took my little sister to the Genius Bar so they could take a peek at her sad face on her iPod. Music, to my 14 year old sister, is life so the sad face was a most unwelcome sight. After listening to the back of her iPod, it was discovered her hard drive stopped spinning. Several seconds later, a very nice (but not my favorite) Genius, went into the back room and came out with a new baby iPod for my sister and said bye-bye. No mess, no muss. It was great. It redeemed Apple in my eyes. It made a 14 year old who is too cool to show emotion in public do a happy dance for at least .005 of a second.

As I was sitting at the Genius Bar, I watched all of the little hints go by on their big TVs. I knew all of the stuff about spotlight, learned some about Dual Processors and decided I'll never need that kind of power, and was very interested to learn that I can listen to the radio through iTunes. This morning, I found my way into the never-before touched Radio option on my sidebar in iTunes and am not enjoying a little radioEdge. Because it's Sunday and Sunday has always been the day you listen to early Blues in my world, I might make my way over to Classic Blues Radio in a little bit. I might round the day out with a little public radio that has NPR shows that only play in the middle of the night around here or something under eclectic. I enjoy eclectic.

Glitter (life)

Yesterday, on my way to work, a woman drove past on a little Vespa-type scooter. The scooters are not so common in my area. This could be in part due to the fact that I'm in a high traffic area or perhaps due to the fact that the potholes are bigger than my Honda, therefore putting scooters deep into the danger (oh my god, I'm not going to make it up and out of this pothole) zone.

But, the fact that it was a scooter really was not the most interesting part of this story. The driver was, in fact, wearing a bright green glitter helmet. Like real glitter. Shiny glitter than you typically only see on a child's Christmas ornament or on some crazy crafty lady's covered photo album. But this was on a helmet--an official motorcycle helmet.

Today's my first day with a camera phone so I have no actual evidence of the green glitter helmet. So, I tried to recreate it in Photoshop. Today's my first day with Photoshop.

I make the kids do this (teaching)

Each year, I have criers in my class. Children who are emotionally fragile. I attempt to address the issue without giving too much attention to the actual crying. For those of you have cried, sometimes attention to the crying actually makes you cry harder and I try to avoid that in the classroom. My stiff-upper-lipped New Englander-teacher friend says I make the kids cry because I give them the space to cry. I think of it as my karma. I cried a lot in elementary school. Now, I'm an elementary school teacher and I have the criers.

Today, I had my first crying event for the year and it was an actual event. I have 11 students. 3 were in tears and 2 were on the verge. It all started when I was reading Fudge-a-Mania. [Who knew Judy Blume could have this type of impact?] I had to have two private conferences and a slight intervention. It became obvious that I was about to loose my entire class to the dark side and I had to take action fast. So, I made all of the students sit and say nice things about one another. It was very hippie-dippy. But the situation so warranted that kind of reaction.

Impulse buy (life)

Several things happened within the space of a half-hour to make me buy
a counteract one day. It was a classic impulse buy: I had no intention
of buying it prior to the actual purchase, I was not exactly sure what
to expect, it served no real purpose in my life, and I regretted it
after it was over.

The regrets continued when attunes sent me the list of recommendations
based on the music. They listed Justin Timberlake. I'm not a fan of JT
(neither pre nor post boy band). Now, iTunes thinks I have bad taste.

two things (life)

Two things I noticed about myself today:

Number 1: I've made the transition over to Mac, mentally. I tried to
apple "c" something today while typing on my school;s PC.

Number 2: I found an unopened pack of gum in my bag and was extremely
happy. It is possible I derive too much happiness from gum.

inner chatter (teaching)

All summer, my mind was quiet. I took information in, thought about
it, and then adjusted or did not adjust my thoughts accordingly.
Today, I realized my calm/ability to stay focused on one topic for
more than .5 seconds has left. On the drive home, my mind was taken
over by the following stream of chatter. "I don't know how to read my
curriculum and no one will help me; I only have two periods a day to
teach my whole class three major subjects on 2 grade levels; one of my
students can't tell me what 'u' says; I have to have them pass the
tests; I forgot to pay my bill; I need to do my homework; I need to
order that book for class; I should eat Taco Bell...." I think this is
the phase in the cycle of change that is something about feeling
unqualified and overwhelmed. It's a good thing I'm out of the
competent and board phase. I could have gotten comfortable.

Morning me (teaching)

I've had to return to the mornings...as in, I've had to return to being highly functioning in the mornings in a way that is only reserved for those whom have the responsibility for the lives of others. Unfortunately, it's not been easy. I'm having problems Luckily, all mishaps have been personally directed and minor. Number 1 was pouring out more than half my cup of coffee into the garbage as I tried to make a wee bit of room for my milk. Number 2 was washing my hair with body wash rather than shampoo. I fixed the problem and then did it again as I attempted to condition.

At some point in the year, 6 am will be the time that I'm up doing things around my house. Right now, 6 am is the time that I'm either sleeping (because I forgot to set the alarm) or deep in a state of confusion. But, I'm not planning on working too hard at changing things. I'm enjoying my new schedule.

Quotes (life)

Disclaimer: Some of you know, I'm not big on the whole quotes thing. This is actually an added bonus for those around me--you can quote something, I'll never realize you're quoting something, and you get points for line that is not even yours. I also know that quotes on ye olde blog is a slippery slope. I'll do my best not to stumble.

Blog: Today, I went to my second class of the week. The events of the class proved my theory that this semester will be an odd combination of touchy-feely and intense. I actually think it will be perfect for me. I'll feel like a real graduate student and I'll get to touch the inner hippie. [We did yoga in class and talked about action research and it's roots in anthropological methods...I liked it.]

The teacher put up some quotes about writing and asked us to reflect. The one I chose was by Gloria Steinem. She wrote, "Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else." I thought about the blog and how I've written since I was 28. Now, I'm weeks away from 30 (although I dispute this based on the fact that I've already had birthday observed). The blog has become a way I try to take care of myself. I'm happy it's here.

five years later (life)

Today has been filled with reminders. The radio...the firehouses...the
"I heart NY" t-shirts. I've been trying to figure out a way to reflect
meaningfully. I really don't think I have one. India made a lot of old
feelings new again. Nothing has changed in the world, other than me
realizing more and more of what the lives of others entail.

But, I do know that I want to live a life that makes me happy. I want
to touch beauty in the world. Luckily, I am sure that (in some way) I
can each day.

Broadcast Journalism

This morning, in my attempt to wake up slowly, I was watching a little NBC Saturday morning news (just because that was the last channel that was on the TV; normally I have higher standards). The newscaster was talking about an attempted mugging of a woman in this area. Turns out, the woman was on her way to the shooting range. So, the woman pulled her gun out and, to quote the newscaster, "shot the mother in the elbow." Are you allowed to say that on broadcast TV?

For a friend (life)

After my little warm-up fancy car dancing didn't do the trick, I tried to make my friend feel better by showing her a how to book. I like it when there is a convenient step-by-step process. Unfortunately, I don't always follow direction well.

What kind of student are you? (school)

I started graduate school again yesterday. Last night's class had a little homework--I have to answer several essay questions about myself, my philosophies, blah, blah, blah, same-old, same-old. Basically, I received the paper, used my infamous powers of skim and gathered the important information. Tonight, while in my other class, I was looking at the questions with a little more attention. One of the questions is "What kind of student are you?" The two words that came to mind immediately were interested and distracted. I am a fan of the learning. In fact, one of the qualities I look for in others is that they know tons about something and are not afraid to teach me. The distracted was probably best illustrated by the fact that I was looking on the syllabus from last night in tonight's class...Luckily, I think my interested gets me through the distracted and I'll make it through the next two semesters.

My hands are covered in marker (teaching)

I had to schedule in my visits to the bathroom. I'm teetering on the
edge of exhausted at 6:16 p.m. And, I have a very big smile on my
face.

The school year has begun.

Student Whisperer (teaching)

I'm about to begin my third year of teaching on Tuesday. In many ways, it feels like my first year (except for the fact that I know how to write a lesson plan, organize my library, read teachers curriculum, and find the gym). After two years of negotiating co-teaching (which, for me, was not so easy). This year, I'm going it alone. I will be the only teacher in the classroom and I'm so excited. I feel like I'll learn so much about being a teacher, am excited to be able to see my plans actually carried through, and figuring out how to best help my students learn.

I am, however, a little bit on the nervous side. I need to make sure that I am the commander of the ship. Since TV has come to my life, I've seen the Dog Whisperer a few times and think Caesar might hold the key to my management. I need to be my classroom pack leader. I need to be calm and assertive and make sure that I always project authority. I want to create structure and challenge. I think I should faux-Tivo this show. It could help re-center me when I actually have to do this whole educating thing for my 12 new students.

Just look (good stuff)

I came accross this today and am very excited about trying it out. It's like mapquest for those of us who walk and take public transportation. I love it.

By the way (teaching)

The children are coming in three working days, two of which are all meetings. I'm nervous.

This could be the reason + King Kong (teaching + random)

It is currently 5:38 am and my brain has pushed me awake again. Yesterday, I was thinking about the bulletin boards in my classroom (a source of a great range of emotion for many a teacher). Today, it was my count of the day (just realized I did not designate a space while simultaneously deciding to use coins to reinforce money equivalents). These thoughts are not exactly rocket science but currently they are a pretty big deal in my world. But really, 5 a.m. is not the best time to be doing this thinking. To me, this seems like very good mid-afternoon thought. You know, that time of day you almost could take a nap; your mind is open to loose connections that may bring you to an unexpected idea. It seems, while at school, my brain is so preoccupied by other things, I need to wake up early-early to think. I spent the first two years of my teaching life in a state of moderate-to-severe sleepiness. I think this idea of using sleeping time as thinking time could very well be the reason.

On another note, I walked past the Empire State Building last night (it was between my friend's house and the subway I decided to take home). It was a very cloudy night. Because NYC is lit up like Christmas all of the time, it was very bright outside. The top of the Empire State Building was alternating between actually covered by clouds and seeming like it was closer than it actually is because the clouds caused some crazy back-lit deal. During my walk, I decided that the combination of these effects would have been perfect for the old-school King Kong to do his thing.

Fraidy Cat (life)

So, I'm up. It's early. I have to go to school for the first
time...well, for the first time since I left for the wonderful,
wonderful summer. I'm home alone. Then, there was a knock
on my door.

Dum, dum, dum, duhm.

It sounded like someone was knocking on my door and I kind of freaked out, in that
little jump in your chest, hold your breath kind of way. I quietly
went down my steps to look to see if anyone was
in the hallway. There was no one. But, I still locked another lock.

Readjustment to life, parenthetically (life).

I’ve been back in my apartment long enough to face some readjustment to life in NY after my summer away. I just realized, I now have a list of things I love and a list of things that are not exactly cutting it…so, I wanted to share. [I was going to call this love it/hate it…but, upon rereading, that seemed overly dramatic.]

• Random, yet extensive, conversation with people in stores about how great something is—love it. [This one was about an 80 year old man who works in Stop in Shop and was giving what can only be called shout outs in some language I could not identify to everyone as he ducked behind the deli counter.]
• Random, yet extensive, anger that is ever present—not so much.
• Being around friends I have not seen all summer—love it.
• Finding parking at their house or waiting a very long time for the subway to come (for a subway ride that you would walk if it wasn’t so late, by the way)—not so much.
• Walking from here to there and feeling like you’ve interacted with half the cultures of the world—love it.
• Walking from here to there and knowing you have not worn the proper layering combination and that your bag is too small to fit the 3 changes of outfits you will probably need to make on the walk—not so much.
• The fact that I have what seems like millions of good restaurants and grocery stores right around the corner from my apartment—love it.
• The fact that the rain has kept me from wanting to walk me and my dirty laundry the few blocks to my prefered laundromat—not so much.

[I bet this little list is influenced by the fact that I’m going back to work tomorrow.

Summer, I will miss you.]

It was like 1996 and 1986 all rolled into one (life)

Tonight, a friend and I attempted to prepare ourselves for the upcoming year of teaching by reminding ourselves how to have fun. It was some of the type of fun that can be had at home - we watched Bottle Rocket and made Jiffy Pop. It was stupendous.

I can't believe how good the movie was. I am a little sad that I have been denied the opportunities to say "On the run from Johnny Law... ain't no trip to Cleveland" and know that origami wallpaper exists for the past 10 years. But, now, I feel like I need to make up for lost time. It's possible I'll have to watch this movie several more times in the upcoming months to really let it soak in.

Before the movie, my friend busted out some Jiffy Pop. After a brief discussion of the rules (which we quickly agreed was basically don't stop moving it) and a moment of fear that we had burned the bottom, I was able to relieve childhood memories of watching the Jiffy Pop silvery thing get bigger and bigger right before my very eyes. I always wanted it to explode, just like on the commercials. I thought that it might be good to incorporate Jiffy Pop into my 30th birthday. Several people have been telling me that I need to do something and I feel like a popcorn ode to my childhood/the 80s might be just the thing to un-pathetic it up. The jury is still out on that one, though.

Oh, those crazy kids at Harvard (life)

After a week of quality time with my family, enjoying a little Pimp My Ride with the sisters and Orange County Chopper with my mom, this little piece of architecture humor fell into the amusing category. At first, I questioned…then, there was a Devo reference and the star stickers. Those made me giggle a bit (gab, if you are on the IM).

Wisdom from Dylan (music)

Recently, I came upon a whole lotta new music. I’m excited. But, there is a slight feeling of guilt. Two things have made me feel better since the guilty feeling began. One was some kind of math equation showing the number of iPods divided by the number of songs that have been downloaded from iTunes equaling some very low number of songs per iPod (I forget where I read this…but, I’m sure with some creative googling, a motivated person could figure it out).

The second is the fact that Bob Dylan thinks its okay because everything is crap anyway. I can listen happily now.

*** whoops, it's really 198

Funny conversation amongst my sisters today:

Sister #1: Hey do you want to know an ugly word?
Sister #2: Lloyd?
Sister #1: No, hers.

End of conversation.

This is the type of stuff that keeps me very entertained.

Return to the fold (family)

Upon my return to the right coast, I've been making up for lost family time in a big way. I've been spending quality time with my extensive family (oldest of 4, thank you very much), extended family (walking with an aunt this morning, talking with several uncles), and the de facto family (neighbors, friends, and others). It's entertaining (most of the time) and somewhat exhausting (only every once in a while) after so much time away.

Last night, my dad and I spent some time talking about the blues. He went to a show and had a very good time. During our post-show conversation, I was reminded of the time that I rebelled against my family by hating music. They love it and pre-teen Me hated it just because. Luckily, pops brought me to see music that I could not hate and I am not bereft of all that is good in the world [My own personal opinion is that a person who does not like music is on a slippery slope to abject disgruntledness for life.] I like our conversations about music. He grew up with Led Zep, old blues, and millions of others I'll never have the first hand knowledge he has. But, he likes to tell stories and I like to listen.

Today, I tried to teach sister #2 how to parallel park. In my humble opinion, I'm a good parallel parker. That's a lie. I think I'm a great parallel parker. If you are around me long enough, it's possible I'll tell you the story of the man who came out of the store to take my picture because of my superior parallel parking skills. Anyhow, the sister needed to perfect the parallel park for today's road test and I attempted to give her some last minute advice. It turns out parallel parking is a personal thing. Each person must find their zone. My perfected technique did not translate down the years. Poor kid will have to learn on her own.

Open doors (life)

I have been mentally trying to write a blog about my flight back because I sat next to a man who played guitar in Anthrax for several years. He was very nice. We knew we would get along when we were both got excited because we thought our flight attendant’s name was Chewbacca. [It was not, by the way.] I seemed to keep the man from Anthrax amused right up until the time I feel into a hard open-mouthed sleep for the rest of the flight. But, that whole blog idea has become overshadowed by the blog-worthiness of my transition back to my world.

After almost 2 months away, I returned to my apartment to discover that I no longer remembered how to work my keys. I have a 5-key/2-door system. When I first tried to get in, I had absolutely no idea which key went to which lock. It would have taken me tons of time to figure it out had my roommate not been walking up our sidewalk. Her skills with the keys were especially welcomed because I had used my time on the drive to the apartment to drink a whole lot of coffee and there was a situation.

The other thing that I am having difficulty doing is figuring out how to get from here to there. When I had to ask myself, “How do I get to the Whitestone Expressway?” you could practically see the tumbleweed rolling through my brain. My approach was to just hop in the car with the hope that I would remember how to get there as I drove. There was a similar situation on the way home. But, it worked out in the end—as it always does.

I was able to enjoy this summer in ways I have not been able to enjoy things in such a very long time. I hope that I am able to hold onto some of the things that became so important this summer: new ways to approach life, willingness to push myself beyond my personal world, the ability to be as generous to people as people have been to me, the lightness that comes from doing just what you want to do, and the knowledge of a whole new world. But, what I think I hope for the most after this whole summer away is that doors will keep being able to be opened.

just so you know (life)

I love LA.

second breakfast (life)

Each morning, I wake up famished. Not too much gets between me and whatever goodness the kitchen holds. Well, some things can get between the food and me. But, really the list is not long.

This mornings bagel and cream cheese, with a small chaser of cottage cheese, is twice my typical caloric intake for a breakfasst; but, today it did not scratch the surface. I was a little worried about it all when I asked, "But what about SECOND breakfast?" Ahhh....

I do believe that it is time to go see what the kitchen holds.

my search for the perfect morning music (life)

I don't know if it is because of how I was raised or just because who I am, but I am in a constant search for the perfect musical accompaniment to life. It is almost something that cannot be put into words; you just know when you pick the right music for the moment.

This week, I went to the Getty and was overwhelmed by the architecture. Thanks to my shiny little iPod, I was able to see the angles and light with better eyes because Air was a part of the experience. Driving on the freeways of LA, with wind in my hair and air conditioning on my legs, became perfect when the Chili Peppers sing about how much they loved California.

Mornings pose a special kind of challenge. The music has to be layered. It has to walk the line between background music and interesting lyrical moments that make you smile. It also has to be able to be that quiet music that can kind of take over all the space in the room...well, at least this morning it does. Right now, my coffee and post weekend-ness is being complimented perfectly.

and then robots took over the world (tech)

It seems a fleet of underwater robots will be released into the sea this month. Their official job will be some type of observation of underwater things. The thing that makes these robots special is that they do it without human input. That's right--I said WITHOUT. They will be steering their own ship, if you will.

This obviously can mean only one thing; the robots are coming. We already have robots to take care of our homes, robots that manage our free time, and robots that keep us healthy. Previously, all of these robots needed varying levels of human input. Now these little suckers think for themselves.

I think it's so cool.

Domesticated (life)

Today, I broke my cleaning fast. It was good. Due to my recent lifestyle, I’ve had to restrict my activities strictly to straightening (my pile, my backpack, my bag). The quality time with the vacuum was a welcomed change.

The cleaning of the day must have opened me up to the cleaning gods because cleaning became the topic of several conversations. One was particularly entertaining for me.

My roommate and I have had different approaches to cleaning. Our differences have come out over time. Luckily, we have the same level of mess-tolerance, so it has not been an issue. But, today, it’s possible things came full circle.

While she was with another friend in a store, they stumbled into the cleaning aisle. My dear roommate said, “I don’t believe I’ve ever experienced this aisle before.” She then went on to explain all of my favorite cleaning tools to her friend.

I believe the student has become the teacher.

Their last 7.7242 miles (life)

As you may or may not know, I have a special kind of love for my Converse. I feel like they are as close to a representation of who I am as I can get in a shoe. Don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of the heels (the higher the better is my usual rule for those). But, for day to day use, I'm a low-top-Chuck-Taylors-in-black kind of girl.

Yesterday, I decided to take a little walk in LA. As often happens when I take a walk, I alternated between distracted (rediscovering the joys of on-the-phone-with-a-friend) and curious (what exactly is around that corner?). So, I kept walking. I have a nice little map of the area. Because I only had the intention of walking to the end of the block and somewhere I've already been, I left in it's little pile with my lists, digital camera, and book I'm reading.

In the end, I took a three hour walk to nowhere. I experienced my first round of culture shock when I realized it was eerily silent. Until this walk, I had no idea it is possible to walk on the sidewalk and not hear anyone talking at all.

It was good to really learn. I've been told no one walks in LA and now I can accept that fact. The only bad thing was that the Chucks did not make it home. After much too much time of excessive abuse in NYC and my classroom, my little walk through the streets of LA was their last. I will miss them.

la, la, la, la, la, la, la (life)

Since my return from India, I've been exposed to life in LA. I like to think of it as my vacation within a vacation. I've been doing all sorts of very nice things; only some of which were truly contingent on location. Yesterday, though, I had a very CA day.

It began at the beach in the OC. I looked at a little art, made a little project, and walked [Note: I know it's not very CA to use the walking for transportation rather than fitness...but, I am from NY]. Then, after some quality time on the freeways, I saw what the world of TV looks like. Do you know that they have snacks in their offices? I guess it's only a little different than my school--we had paper towels in the bathroom for at least 7 months.

After the TV, I went to In and Out Burger. At the last moment, the idea of eating a Double-Double terrified me and I downsized. As I attempted to keep it all together, someone yelled, "They're filming outside." The entire restaurant was silent as we watched a convertible Cadillac, filled with dancing people, being pulled down the street. The whole shabang was followed by cops on motorcycles...you know, CHIPS style. It seemed like things could not get more LA. But, I was wrong.

After looking at all of LA from a rooftop, the night's events moved to a fancy movie theater, where people were signing autographs and parking had to be validated. Everyone was smiley, relaxed, interactive. Complete fun...and, as we know, I like to fun.

Having such a good night enjoying the stereotypes of a city made me wonder if I could do the same for someone visiting my part of the world. I guess we could walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, go to Central Park, and eat NY strip steak and/or/on bagels. We could interact with sarcastically cranky people and ride the subway. But, I'm just not sure if it would be as good.

The return (travel)

Slowly, slowly, I am coming back to my world after India. I still am interested in being awake when it is sleeping time and have to remember to take my anti-malaria pills every morning (don't worry, you can't catch it). But, I'm returning to my old ways--some of which now have new Indian twists.

I have had coffee in a cup the size of my head. Now I like to add a heaping spoon full of sugar. I had no idea it could be so good.

I have returned to my old clothes. After spending a month in clothes that hid my body to show respect and be safe, jeans and a tank top suddenly seems to have an immodest tilt. I am enjoying a little immodesty.

I have walked to and from places with ease again. Traffic has returned to the right side and I don't have the fear of being run over by a TATA truck or an auto rickshaw. I am hoping that India has reminded me of the process of discovering new things...even when I think I'm in a place I know well.

I have not had to respond to anything with a head wobble yet. But, I did throw half a Namaste at someone who was asking for money on the street.

I think it may take some time for me to see some of the ways India has become a part of my life. I'm hoping I took the approach of easy generosity that was everywhere in India and brought a little more of a sense of adventure back with me.

Help, Indian style (travel)

Last night, we left Kerala for the shore temples around Chennai. On
the train, we were the topic of conversation among the five men who
were sharing our compartment. All were married except for one. When
they spoke in English, they suggested I wear more bright colors,
wondered if I could tie a sari and had questions about our lives. When
they spoke in Malayalam, I think they were trying to decide which of
us would make a suitable wife for the only unmarried one of the bunch.
I was voting for my friend. The unmarried one had a mustache and I am
not a fan of the facial hair.

Today, once we arrived in Mamallapurum, we took a walk around the
block. We were heading for a shore temple everyone assured us was very
close and ended up at an ancient stone temple in the middle of town.
There were temples carved from rocks the size of buildings, relief
sculpture of elephants, gods and goddesses.

At one point, we had to climb up very tiny steps that had been carved
into the side of a rock. After my friend practically ran up the side
of the rock and I decided to attempt it....

Half way up, when the steps became even smaller than they were to
begin with, I became tangled up in my excessive skirt/long shirt/scarf
combination. The only option I had at that point was to sit down. So,
I did. Not surprisingly, all of my fluttering caused me to gain the
attention of some helpers. Not one or two...but eight men from Punjab
decided they would help me to the top of the rock. Their words of
encouragement, advice on steps to take, and the pressure of possibly
biting it in front of a small crowd somehow got me off of the steps.
They then showed me the easy way to walk up--completely devoid of
steps.

After my small fiasco, we had two rounds of photos (four in each
picture) and several standard issue questions before we all went on
our way. Soon, it's possible I will have to do something without the
help of half a town. But, for my last few days here, I am pretty sure
help, Indian style, will be offered again.

Help, Indian style (travel)

Last night, we left Kerala for the shore temples around Chennai. On
the train, we were the topic of conversation among the five men who
were sharing our compartment. All were married except for one. When
they spoke in English, they suggested I wear more bright colors,
wondered if I could tie a sari and had questions about our lives. When
they spoke in Malayalam, I think they were trying to decide which of
us would make a suitable wife for the only unmarried one of the bunch.
I was voting for my friend. The unmarried one had a mustache and I am
not a fan of the facial hair.

Today, once we arrived in Mamallapurum, we took a walk around the
block. We were heading for a shore temple everyone assured us was very
close and ended up at an ancient stone temple in the middle of town.
There were temples carved from rocks the size of buildings, relief
sculpture of elephants, gods and goddesses.

At one point, we had to climb up very tiny steps that had been carved
into the side of a rock. After my friend practically ran up the side
of the rock and I decided to attempt it....

Half way up, when the steps became even smaller than they were to
begin with, I became tangled up in my excessive skirt/long shirt/scarf
combination. The only option I had at that point was to sit down. So,
I did. Not surprisingly, all of my fluttering caused me to gain the
attention of some helpers. Not one or two...but eight men from Punjab
decided they would help me to the top of the rock. Their words of
encouragement, advice on steps to take, and the pressure of possibly
biting it in front of a small crowd somehow got me off of the steps.
They then showed me the easy way to walk up--completely devoid of
steps.

After my small fiasco, we had two rounds of photos (four in each
picture) and several standard issue questions before we all went on
our way. Soon, it's possible I will have to do something without the
help of half a town. But, for my last few days here, I am pretty sure
help, Indian style, will be offered again.

Blog-on (life)

India seems to have lifted the blog ban. I'm sure it was the multiple newspaper articles (rather than my post) that made the difference. Good job, India.

change of plans (life)

I had planned on writing about my recent car ride with a man who thought it was his karmic duty to pass every other car on the road or something about the fact that if I was a teacher in India I would be paid about $50 a month (paid at the end of the year). But, some things that have happened here in India are much more worthy of a post.

 

Several days ago, I tried to log onto my friends' blogs. I was not able to see them and thought it was probably due to the fact that the monsoons impact internet connection. Yesterday, when I read the paper, I found out that something else was at work. The Indian government has blocked several major blog sites from being viewed within India. There is concern about the anti-Indian content of some of the blogs on the sites. For me, not being able to read my friends blogs was my first (surprising) interaction with direct censorship. I miss reading my friends updates on their lives. For the people of India, the impact is much greater.

 

Today, I read an article by an Indian blogger who no longer has access to his own sight. Without using backdoor access, he could not view the words he had written for one year. I am not sure if he is able to post via email, as I am right now. Blogs have become such an important network of communicaiton world wide. In his article, he talked about the blogs of Mumbai sharing current information about the bombings faster than the news networks.

 

Our world is changing. The way information is shared and who is sharing mass information is also changing. It seems like blocking a major network of information sharing will not do anything to stop spreading hatred. Rather, it will cause disconnection and frustration...both of which perpetuate terror.

pelvic thrust, pelvic thrust, shoulder shimmy, shoulder shimmy (life)

Since I've been in India, each night, as I'm getting ready to sleep, I like to watch a little Bollywood. There have always been a few different movies to choose from and I've learned quite a bit.

My travel partner has the patience to sit through a whole movie, interrupted every 10 minutes to show the same 5 commercials, just so she can find out if the father lets the pretty girl run away with the poor boy who has done something amazing to save her life. He always does.

I, on the other hand, have found that I enjoy the less plot/more dance options. If there are modern Bollywood movies on, I have to flip back and forth between several movies to keep the dance factor high. But, if there are classics, from the 1970s, I am a happy camper. The movies from this time have really great costumes, very big hair, and lots and lots of dance sequences (a highlight was a call and response pelvic thrust between the pretty girl and the bad-ass guy). I find the grainy film a charming element to the whole experience.

Although this is not my favorite type, it captures the spirit.

Breakfast in India (travel)

I've been completely loving the food of India. Each day, I sit down to eat some variation of a bread/rice/veggie/bean combo. Really it's my ideal. I would like a little more non-cooked food in my life. But, avoiding nasty water born illness is not a bad hobby to have here and I really don't mind.

One thing that is kind of throwing me for a loop are the number of spoons at breakfast. I've taken to eating everything with my right hand and rarely find a use for cutlery of any kind (that is except to add the sugar to my coffee, which is now a standard issue deal for me). Each morning, after I order my breakfast, I'm amazed by the number of spoons that come with the meal. I was given eight this morning. Yesterday, it was more. If you add my food and my friend's food, plus our assorted hot beverages and chutneys, one could conceivably use about 6 spoons. But, when you factor in the hand as fork deal, the number falls of exponentially.

So, I used two spoons this morning, just to be polite.

Mayor of Mysore (life)

Yesterday, we walked the steps of Chamundi Hill to see Chamundeshwari Temple. It turns out yesterday was the third Friday of a celebration that only happens once a year. People had come to perform their pujas...one woman put yellow and red pigments on each of the 1000+ steps, others burned small fires, sweets were given out once you reached the top....

On the way, the boys seemed to want to practice their English. I believe that the schools in this part of the world teach the children a standard dialogue. When I was in 7th grade, I learned one for Spanish and can still recite it (in what I think is) word for word. Here (and in Kuala Lampur), the two favorite questions of boys aged 9-19 seem to be "Hello. What's your name?" and "Where you from?" Some brave girls will ask...but, mostly they giggle when you say Namaste.

At the temple, I answered every question. When it became obvious that we were fully interactive tourists, the boys then wanted to practice the other American skill of shaking hands. I shook the hands of enough people to feel like I could run for office here in Mysore.

Tomorrow, we will begin the day with an Ayurvedic massage and then go see Mysore Palace. On Monday, we will go to a class that teaches painting techniques used by the hill tribes. Even with the need to navigate the overzealous auto rickshaw drivers and dodge the people who are very willing to give you directions to a place if you just stop in their store for 2 hours, Mysore is a truly wonderful place.

Mumbai (life)

I am so sad about what has happened to the people of Mumbai. Being here right now is making all of my feelings from so many years ago surface. I spent time worried that the airports would close, infrastructure would stop working, and I would not be able to get out of the country. Slowly, I am seeing that the people of India are having a different reaction than the people of New York. Right now, I am not looking at my time left in India as something to avoid or fear. Tomorrow I should know more of what I should do. Now, I think I may be able to sleep through the night for the first time in days.

The Ladies Car (travel)

Yesterday would have been one of the worst days I've had traveling if it had not been for the amazing generosity I experienced every step of the way. We tried to take a train from Chennai (on the southeast coast) to Goa (on the northwest coast). We were very pleased with ourselves because we booked the tickets there and to the next city in advance. The first little problem was that we did not really book the ticket to Goa. It seems we booked a ticket to a town close (on the map) to Goa. We were going to have to take another train and a bus to Goa. This sounded fine when the lady told us at the train station. But, it was not as it seems.

On the first train, families offered us their food, asked us about our plans, and were interested in finding out why we decided to come to India. On the second train, a woman invited us to her home, was so excited when I gave her my American coins for her children and then gave me her bangles as a gift. She also asked us not to take the bus because the roads were too dangerous. Everyone warned us not to trust anyone and wanted to keep in touch after we returned to America.

At the end of our overnight train ride and the little 2 hour trip, we ended up in the very small town of Londa. There were two main roads, many cows, and several monkeys. Because the next train to Goa left at 3 in the morning, we decided to spend the next 15 hours in the town of Londa and checked into their hotel. The hotel cost $1 and was worth every cent. We had to lock our stuff/ourselves in with our own locks and shared a bathroom with whom ever came walking in (and did not really expect to see two women there). When we walked in the town, we met a man and woman who had a bangle and clothing shop. They were so kind--they helped us see the insanity of our plan, invited us to their home for a meal, and spoke about Ayurvedic medicine with us for hours. In the end, we left Londa at 8, for an overnight trip to Bangalore instead of trying to get to Goa.

That train was general seating. The shop owner told us to go to the ladies car because we could not get a sleeper. This car seems to be the way most Indians travel and lacked some of the basic comforts of home (space, something that was not hard to sit on, and space). A woman slept under the chairs. Another slept on the luggage rack. After a moment of utter hesitation, we sat down. Two girls in university quickly befriended us and helped us navigate the ways of the ladies car. An hour into the ride, my friend was working with an old grandma and auntie to wind her ball of yarn.

The exhaustion of not sleeping for two days and uncertainty of the situations was diminished by the conversations I had with all of these people. It's hard to believe that all of that happened in two days--the events of each day seem to be so far from one another. I wonder if I will ever feel like my instincts are correct in India--I think it helps when I am a little sleepy; my crankiness mode seems to get things done in a much more efficient manner than my patient and polite mode. I can't wait to see what happens today.

The train, the train (travel)

Today, we are leaving Chennai for a city on the other side of India. We will be going to Goa for a little beachy/monsoon action. After Goa, we will head for the hills and see the call center capital of India (Bangalore) and spend some time lounging, as I hear that is what Bangalore is known for.

 

It is so hot that I find myself not wanting to eat. But, when I force a meal on myself, I have loved the chutneys on a big egg pancake for breakfast, the masalas for lunch and the sweets for dessert. My American habits mean that I need to order two milky coffees each time I sit down and still leave feeling under caffenated.

 

Luckily, I don't seem to need caffeine to get me through the day. The cars, buses, auto-rickshaws, motorcycles, and bikes keep me on my toes as I walk through the streets. The sight of temples, fruit pyramids, and sacred cows make me want to learn more. And, the idea that all I've experienced has only been in two days makes me wonder what is to come.

the times, they are a-changing (life)

I just sent a (dreaded) mass email to tell all friends and family that
I'm leaving for India and I'd be keeping them updated every once in a
while. I expected a few out-of-office replies and got some. Two were
from friends who have serious jobs. The last one was from my little
sister. She is 13. And, she has an out-of-office reply. I was never
never that advanced.

incompetence exposed (life)

Normally, I am a pretty competent person. I make it through each day
with little to no domestic hassle. I hold down a job. I see my friends
and family. I, well, you know, do all of the normal stuff. But, it
seems, there are some holes in my competency. I cannot find a way to
get myself to the airport. Normally, I'm the one who leaves and
friends and/or family make the run to the airport. This time, however,
my family has gone to Vee-Tee and my roommate beat me to CA.

This has caused me to need to try to figure out how to go to the
airport. Unfortunately, I am not taking a plane from the airport that
I can walk to from my apartment. And, it seems I have never taken a
taxi here in the city. Really, I've taken a few taxis. They were all
arranged for me by a friendly bar-man when the walk home is too
far/it's too dark or just pick one out from the line by my subway
stop. Now, I have to arrange to take a taxi from my apartment at the
crack of dawn and it's a little impossible.

Today is the day I figure it out. It's essential because tomorrow is
the day I take off and land in LA. Woo hoo!!!!

International Diplomacy (politics)

This morning, I enjoyed my balcony with a cup of coffee and the paper. Two articles caught my eye.

It seems that the World Cup has helped England and Germany move beyond their sorid history. Through efforts by both teams and the bureaucrats, the soccer fans of England and Germany are being nice to one another. The NYT said the World Cup brought these countries closer together than they had been since WWII.

The other act of international diplomacy took place in Memphis. I knew that Japan's Prime Minister Koizumi had planned on visiting Graceland. But, I did not realize that President Bush suggested the visit as a last visit gift to the PM. I thought heads of state focused on fancy pens and old weapons when they were giving gifts. But, not this time. They had peanut butter and banana sandwiches on Air Force 1. The PM did a little dance. All the major players were on hand (Lisa Marie, Pracillia, the Secret Service). I am not sure if any issues of international importance were solved. But...but, I guess everyone was kind of happy. Mostly PM Koizumi.

Embassy Visit (travel)

I spent several hours in the Indian Embassy by Central Park. It was typical in some ways (bureaucratic with long waits for itsy-bitsy interaction) and atypical in others (no one complained, people were calm). It made me excicted for my trip again.

In the morning a Tibetan woman told me to visit Mysore's temples, zoos, and gardens. She said it was beautiful and right around the corner from where I will be. I exchanged my PS cred with a brother and sister from Queens. When I asked them for their advice about India, they told me that their are cats and dogs that run wild and that it will be hard for me because I don't speak Hindi. Their mother told me I will have a wonderful time and dispelled some of my fears about the monsoons.

Everyone was so friendly, so willing to interact. It was a morning filled with those shared moments that make me believe in humanity.

Prepare for India (travel)

It's been a long time since I've had (travel) in my subject line. But, it's that time of year. I am leaving the comfort of home for all my backpack can bring. This time, it's not camping in a national park or visiting friends in the NE. I'm on my way to India. I cannot believe it.

I have been so busy over the past few weeks (months), I have not really given myself time to think about the fact that I am going to be in India for a month. I have read some books, attempted to figure out where monsoons will be doing the most damage, and am now a carrier of a live typhoid oral vaccine. But, really I should be doing more.

One of the difficulties is that I'm just not sure what I am getting myself into. Listening to Beatles, when they were into Ravi Shankar, is just not doing the trick.

On the last day of school, one of my students wrote, "It [is] the last day of June. Two more days [and] then everybody is going to a different country." He wrote it in his first grade invented spelling method; but, it was amazingly insightful. It is possible I might see one of my students in India (she leaves Tuesday and I leave Thursday). I told her to look for me.


It's moments like that when I think I should not allow myself to be nervous about my trip. I could see my 6 year old student there.

So many people talk about India in hyperbole. They say they are not ready for India. I really did not think much about being ready or not ready for India. I am excited to see the place my students are from. I am excited to learn about 1000 year old temples. I'm happy I might be able to take an elephant ride through a National Park (if the rains are not too bad). I'm excited for a place that will force me to stop thinking about teaching on a never-ending loop. I'm happy to spend time with my friends. But, really, I have no idea about my next month. I will try to blog; share what I am seeing and experiencing. I will try....

summer (life)

I spent the morning laughing with my sisters over dreams they had when
they were little, their lack of abilities to write in script, and
their astute reflections on the world. What a good way to start the
day.

The Last Day of Collaborative Team Teaching (teaching)

For the first twelve years of my life, I did not have sisters. It was just me and my brother. Then, baby girl 1 came into my life. Two years and a little bit later, baby girl 2 was here. The past sixteen years have made it impossible for me to remember what it is like not to have sisters. They are a part of my fabric.

They finished school earlier than I did and have been excited to come to my classroom since we made the plans sometime around Christmas. For the past two days, they have been witnessing my world, helping in spectacularly amazing ways, talking with my students, making it impossible for me to hide my real age, and acting as my external reaction indicators.

Not surprisingly, my sisters and I have many similar reactions to things; we all think the same things are funny, we like similar hobbies, and we have similar moral compasses. Unfortunately, it was the moral compass part that was highlighted.

My coteacher made two children call themselves "terrible people" because of something they did to another student. Both my sisters' faces held the look of horror my face worked to suppress. When we talked about it, my oldest little sister said she wanted to talk with the principal about what happened. I told her I would take care of it. Other than telling both boys that I know they are wonderful people, my plan for taking care of it has about as much of a chance of impacting change than almost anything I have done in the classroom this year.

Normally, I would not be so explicit about something that happened in my class. I try to keep things vague so my students' privacy is protected. But, I think it might be important for me to have a record of this situation. I think coteaching has been an overwhelming struggle. I do not think I want to experience this type of struggle again. Being able to remember what happened yesterday will keep me from forgetting why I never want to be in this situation again.

I have so much to learn as a teacher.

End of Year 2 + Beginning of Summer (teaching + life)

My blog has recently been neglected. Beside the obvious sleeping copious amounts issue, I have not had the need to avoid graduate school work through slightly productive methods (i.e. blogging) for a few months and I have been caught up in all of the end of year things that go into being a teacher. My blog has suffered.

Now that the curriculums have been completed, I have had the chance to do some things I love with my students. In the past few days, we have written free verse about why something is important and then painted big murals. This was so easy for my class; it was probably the easiest writing project of the year. They produced amazing work about scissors, whales, ice, milk, and apples. It was all creative and unique. They were inspired by the writing and the painting. They were excited to see one another's' work. The children who are typically developing and the children who have some delays were all motivated and engaged. It was a true literacy moment.

Another highlight of the past few weeks has been (finally) recording some reading into Garage Band. [I also got to do my very first Bluetooth file exchange and am completely smitten]. I had wanted to use voice recording as a method for increasing reading fluency and addressing speech goals with my students all year. But, this year was not the year. It has been so disappointing to me that my coteacher and I could never quite work our a larger list of shared priorities to do some of the exciting things I had planned for my second year of teaching.

Finally, having the children listen to themselves read was as exciting as I thought it would be (for all of us). Big smiles came across their faces when we listened to the playback. They were so excited and they loved the idea of using a computer. Most of their families do not have computers and our computer teacher has taught them to use the mouse after two years of instruction. It was amazing how quickly they caught on to the finer points of Garage Band. Students noticed when I had not hit record. They understood talking loudly so they could make the lines move up and down.

Next year, I can't wait to do this right. My class will read their own writing, read their just right books. We will use the SmartBoards to edit work together. We will figure out a way to write email rather then friendly letters. They will be in charge of running the programs (and doing the Bluetooth file exchanges) rather than me. I dream about the day my class will be able to have a blog with all the bells and whistles (podcasting, posting their photos of their work, linking to interesting research they have done and primary source documents they have seen, reflections about the video conferencing they took part in, etc. etc. etc). My technological dreams will probably will have to wait for me to gain a little know-how and administrative support. But, a girl can dream.

Now, it's time for me to get ready for a trip to India. I will be leaving in 12 days. I have to go get monsoon shoes, antifungal lotion, and my prescription for typhoid pills today. I'm glad I can bring a little more peace about teaching with me to India--not feel the horrid feelings of wanting to do more. Right now, I just have excitement for the future.