I have to say, I have never experienced as many highs and lows in a job as I have over the last month. I thought I was going insane - no really - completely and totally unstable - until I was at a workshop today and was reminded that this is totally normal for first year teachers.
One minute I am so excited about the new prospects of my job and the kids and all the cool stuff I will get to do this year. The next, I am dispairing at how ill-equipped and totally overwhelmed I feel, and am wondering how on earth I am going to be able to do this job with even a hintof adequacy. I worry about my motivation factor to spend the time required to do a good job. I think it's low. I am having SUCH a hard time keeping up with marking (and don't even get me started on planning!), and I feel like it's all I ever talk about. I feel bad for my friends, particularly those who I talk to often, cause that's all they hear from me. Marking, marking, marking, whine whine, whine.
In fact, I took a day off on Wednesday as a "let's try to avoid a breakdown" day. Beter one day off now than five days off later, right? I had two naps and got a little bit caught up on my marking, but by no means enough.
Then today (Thursday) I was at union workshop. One of the sessions was about the teacher rehabilitation program, and in talking about some of the services they offer, they made mention of new teachers totally elated one day and then balling their eyes out the next, and I went, "Ah HA! So I'm NOT going nuts!!!" Now I'm not in need of stress leave or anything, but it made me realize that hey, this is normal.
I'm trying so hard to find the balance between the much heavier workload I have now and keeping up with some of the things that are important to me - helping out at church, spending time with friends, etc. and I don't feel like I've got a good handle on it yet. BUT, these two days out of the classroom have given me a bit of a mental break, and I'm ready to go attack things again. Plus, I got a little boost today on my way home...
This was the first time I'd left my kids with a TOC (teacher on call) and I was a little nervous - how would they be? Well, I stopped by school on my way home from the workshop jsut to drop something off and to check out the note left by my TOCs. Both days, the subs left glowing notes about my kiddos. They said that they are a lovely class, had no problems, and that the days went great!
Ooooh! I am so proud of them!!! I can't wait to go in tomorrow and tell them how pleased I am with them, and what a great report I got back from both TOCs! They're SO getting a "Popcorn Friday" tomorrow (hey, a little positive reinforcement never hurt anyone, eh?)!!! Woohoo!
Maybe the popcorn will help distract them from the fact that I STILL don't have their math tests marked.... *sigh*
I think I'm just going to have to resign myself to riding the emotional roller coaster this year. Those of you who know me, consider this fair warning!
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Hugs from God
Every now and then, I feel like God knows that I need a little cheering up. I love how he uses people to give little hugs - just to remind us that he's there, and that he loves us.
This week was a pretty gloomy one at school. We found out early in the week that the school board had grossly overestimated student enrolment for this year. All of a sudden, they found themselves with 1,100 fewer students than they thought they would have. And that meant that there would have to be cuts. Once all the numbers got crunched we learned that we had to cut ESL and resource staffing by 0.6 of a position. That may not sound like much, but it's basically one person, three days a week. It's huge. And it all gets cut from the kids who need it most. Yes, the argument is that, well, there are fewer kids, so it shouldn't make a difference. BUT, it just doesn't work that simply. It still means less support for the kids who need it.
Wednesday, on our professional day, we learned who it was that was going to be cut. It all goes by seniority, so the low (wo)man on the totem pole had to go, and then there would be a big shuffle to get everything covered again. Well that person ended up being one of the other grade 5 teachers at my school. You know, one of the ones who has been SO fabulous with encouraging me, helping me plan, and just basically being one of the most dedicated, enthusiastic, caring teachers I know. Yeah, her. Because she's a classroom teacher and you can't just leave the class teacher-less half the week, the next lowest person would be offered her job.
It all got very complex, but basically, the second lowest teacher, B - who has been running an absolutely fantastic life skills class for a number of special needs students - declined the piecemeal job of the other grade 5 teacher, P. Thankfully it means that P gets to stay, but it also means that B has to leave the school and take a permanent subbing job (she gets her wage still, but never knows where she'll be from day to day). It sucks sucks sucks that she has to leave. She, too, is such a dedicated person, and has been at our school (part time, hence the low seniority) for ages.
Everybody is really glum, and worried about how the ESL and learning assistance program will look now. Oh, and the piddly version of a music "program" that they were going to do for the intermediates (mandatory intermediate choir once a week)? That got cancelled cause of this whole kerfuffle, too. Super. We even cancelled our back to school social on Friday. Nobody feels like a party right now.
Anyway, that's been the climate at work this past week. Total suckage. It's brought up squabbles about all kinds of things - people are stressed out - and union vs HR debates and all kinds of yucky stuff, the biggest of which is B having to leave the school.
Needless to say, I was feeling pretty bummed on Thursday when I was leaving work. It was early evening, so most of the kids had gone home. But as I was walking to my car, I saw a little girl who was in one of my French music classes last year. She's in grade 4 this year, so she's what, nine? She smiled and me and said hello. In French, she asked me how my grade 5 class was this year, and did I like my new job. I told her I did, but that I missed teaching music, too. We talked for a few minutes and she told me all about her violin - she had joined strings this year, about her new teacher, about her summer. Then she told me that she missed having me as a music teacher. Aw!
It was such a little thing - just a cute little conversation with a former student, but it was so nice to have that little interaction. Among all the yuckiness, it was a total highlight of my week.
God knew I needed a hug and he gave me one in the form of a little girl named Jessica.
This week was a pretty gloomy one at school. We found out early in the week that the school board had grossly overestimated student enrolment for this year. All of a sudden, they found themselves with 1,100 fewer students than they thought they would have. And that meant that there would have to be cuts. Once all the numbers got crunched we learned that we had to cut ESL and resource staffing by 0.6 of a position. That may not sound like much, but it's basically one person, three days a week. It's huge. And it all gets cut from the kids who need it most. Yes, the argument is that, well, there are fewer kids, so it shouldn't make a difference. BUT, it just doesn't work that simply. It still means less support for the kids who need it.
Wednesday, on our professional day, we learned who it was that was going to be cut. It all goes by seniority, so the low (wo)man on the totem pole had to go, and then there would be a big shuffle to get everything covered again. Well that person ended up being one of the other grade 5 teachers at my school. You know, one of the ones who has been SO fabulous with encouraging me, helping me plan, and just basically being one of the most dedicated, enthusiastic, caring teachers I know. Yeah, her. Because she's a classroom teacher and you can't just leave the class teacher-less half the week, the next lowest person would be offered her job.
It all got very complex, but basically, the second lowest teacher, B - who has been running an absolutely fantastic life skills class for a number of special needs students - declined the piecemeal job of the other grade 5 teacher, P. Thankfully it means that P gets to stay, but it also means that B has to leave the school and take a permanent subbing job (she gets her wage still, but never knows where she'll be from day to day). It sucks sucks sucks that she has to leave. She, too, is such a dedicated person, and has been at our school (part time, hence the low seniority) for ages.
Everybody is really glum, and worried about how the ESL and learning assistance program will look now. Oh, and the piddly version of a music "program" that they were going to do for the intermediates (mandatory intermediate choir once a week)? That got cancelled cause of this whole kerfuffle, too. Super. We even cancelled our back to school social on Friday. Nobody feels like a party right now.
Anyway, that's been the climate at work this past week. Total suckage. It's brought up squabbles about all kinds of things - people are stressed out - and union vs HR debates and all kinds of yucky stuff, the biggest of which is B having to leave the school.
Needless to say, I was feeling pretty bummed on Thursday when I was leaving work. It was early evening, so most of the kids had gone home. But as I was walking to my car, I saw a little girl who was in one of my French music classes last year. She's in grade 4 this year, so she's what, nine? She smiled and me and said hello. In French, she asked me how my grade 5 class was this year, and did I like my new job. I told her I did, but that I missed teaching music, too. We talked for a few minutes and she told me all about her violin - she had joined strings this year, about her new teacher, about her summer. Then she told me that she missed having me as a music teacher. Aw!
It was such a little thing - just a cute little conversation with a former student, but it was so nice to have that little interaction. Among all the yuckiness, it was a total highlight of my week.
God knew I needed a hug and he gave me one in the form of a little girl named Jessica.
The worst limmerick ever
There once was a young lass named Hillary
Who got a cut on her little capillary
She can't rhyme a bit, this limmerieck is sh...oddy
Now what's a new rhyme word for Hillary?
Now see? This is what happenes when I blog over tired. I got nothin'.
Who got a cut on her little capillary
She can't rhyme a bit, this limmerieck is sh...oddy
Now what's a new rhyme word for Hillary?
Now see? This is what happenes when I blog over tired. I got nothin'.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Exhausted, embarassed, and enraged
Exhausted? Yep, that's me. It hit me like a brick wall tonight. I feel like I can't even move. Everything seems to be catching up with me right now. I think I've mentionned that I'm helping out with the Alpha Course at my church this term. Well, part of it is a one hour talk on video. You know, dark room, no moving, just listening... yeah, some leader *I* am - I couln't keep my eyes open. That makes two weeks in a row. Gah! I still heard everything, and (thankfully!) didn't do the head jerk thing, but still! What kind of example am I setting for people?!?! They're really good talks, too, it's not like they're the problem! This year will have me learning to like coffee yet. Heh, maybe I should stash some Red Bull in my purse for Wednesday nights! I really do need to get some better sleeping habits!
Embarassed? Check! On Saturday I went for a beautiful hike on Whistler mountain with some friends (a few pictures are here). Afterwards we headed back to town to get changed and to go hang out with our friend John who left yesterday for nine months of travelling through Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The only snag in that plan was when I got back to my car. Uhhh... where are my keys? Not in the usual key pocket in my backpack... not in the main part of the bag... or in the front pocket... oh crap. That's right. I had pulled just the essentials, or so I had thought, out of my purse before the hike and put them in my backpack, leaving my purse locked in the trunk. Apparently I had neglected to think about transferring my keys out. Yeeeah. That's greeeeat. I hung out at my friend Brian's place (where my car was parked) while I waited for a tow truck to come and unlock my car. Thank goodness I opted for that little bit of roadside assistance last time I renewed my insurance! The tow truck guy took no more than 1.7 seconds to pop open my door (good to know Civics are so secure!) and I opened the trunk and grabbed my purse, reaching my hand into the frot pocket where I usually keep my keys...
No keys. Well, they must be in the main part. Nope, not there either. Ooo-kay, how about this pocket. Nu-uh. Huh. Where are my keys?
Oooooooh. Riiight. I was in a hurry to transfer my stuff before the hike, so I took my lip gloss - and my keys - and jammed them into the mesh side pocket of my backpack. You know, the one I had with me hiking? The one that was sitting back up in Brian's appartment? The one I had all along? Yeah, that one. Soooo, basically, I called a tow truck for nothing. That's super. Welcome to yet another chapter in the life of Hillary! Bwuah ha haaa!
So, the last thing... this enraged thing? Yeah. I am SO upset right now. I don't want to get into it here right now except to say that some bad stuff went down in my school district and we just learned the implications of it today. It SUCKS, and I'm super mad, but I have nowhere to direct my anger/frustration/disappointment/whatever. GAAR! Yes, I still have my job, it's not that. I'll get into it later. For now I have to sleeeep. My roomate just blurted out, "Ugh! Why does it hurt to be awake?!?" That pretty much sums things up for me, too.
Goodnight!
Embarassed? Check! On Saturday I went for a beautiful hike on Whistler mountain with some friends (a few pictures are here). Afterwards we headed back to town to get changed and to go hang out with our friend John who left yesterday for nine months of travelling through Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The only snag in that plan was when I got back to my car. Uhhh... where are my keys? Not in the usual key pocket in my backpack... not in the main part of the bag... or in the front pocket... oh crap. That's right. I had pulled just the essentials, or so I had thought, out of my purse before the hike and put them in my backpack, leaving my purse locked in the trunk. Apparently I had neglected to think about transferring my keys out. Yeeeah. That's greeeeat. I hung out at my friend Brian's place (where my car was parked) while I waited for a tow truck to come and unlock my car. Thank goodness I opted for that little bit of roadside assistance last time I renewed my insurance! The tow truck guy took no more than 1.7 seconds to pop open my door (good to know Civics are so secure!) and I opened the trunk and grabbed my purse, reaching my hand into the frot pocket where I usually keep my keys...
No keys. Well, they must be in the main part. Nope, not there either. Ooo-kay, how about this pocket. Nu-uh. Huh. Where are my keys?
Oooooooh. Riiight. I was in a hurry to transfer my stuff before the hike, so I took my lip gloss - and my keys - and jammed them into the mesh side pocket of my backpack. You know, the one I had with me hiking? The one that was sitting back up in Brian's appartment? The one I had all along? Yeah, that one. Soooo, basically, I called a tow truck for nothing. That's super. Welcome to yet another chapter in the life of Hillary! Bwuah ha haaa!
So, the last thing... this enraged thing? Yeah. I am SO upset right now. I don't want to get into it here right now except to say that some bad stuff went down in my school district and we just learned the implications of it today. It SUCKS, and I'm super mad, but I have nowhere to direct my anger/frustration/disappointment/whatever. GAAR! Yes, I still have my job, it's not that. I'll get into it later. For now I have to sleeeep. My roomate just blurted out, "Ugh! Why does it hurt to be awake?!?" That pretty much sums things up for me, too.
Goodnight!
Friday, September 22, 2006
Blogger blahs
I simply can not think of anything to write about these days. Man oh man. I was flipping through some old posts the other day and yikes, the quality control folks here at hellohillary land have fallen asleep on the job lately. But hey, I suppose I shouldn't be announcing to y'all that my blog sucks these days! I DO want you to stick around.
So my plan was, going into this year, to back off on all the nutso stuff I'm involved in and take it easy. Yeah, ummm... so that hasn't happened. I think it's actually physically impossible for me not to be busy. It's all fantastic stuff, though, and belive it or not, between dancing lessons, helping with the Alpha course at my church, young adults, and an every-two-weeks Bible study/prayer group with two girlfriends, I have cut down my involvement quite a bit. Oh well! I love it, and am always wishing I could do more. I still haven't gotten around to the photography course or African drumming lessons I was wanting to do back in the spring. Silly job. It keeps getting in the way of things I want to do.
In other news, life in grade five seems to be progressing well. It's funny, everyone is always asking me, "How's your class?" I never really know what to say. "Uhh... it's good!" Very intelligent of you, Hillary! Though it is SO nice to be in a workplace environment where people care and are interested in how I'm doing. I'm trying not to get so wrapped up in all the stuff I'm learning and all the big and little jobs I have to do each day (ugh, I never realized how much of an accountant I have to be as a classroom teacher. Collecting money for this, order forms for that... I'm a freaking bank!) that I forget about building up positive relationships with the kids. I'm not sure how I'm doing with that yet. We'll see.
In yet other news, I think God is trying to teach me about patience and trust again. Apparently I haven't gotten it the first nine thousand seven hundred and eighty-two times he's tried to teach me. I'm kinda thick that way!
Finally, I'd like to wish you all a happy last day of summer! Autum begins tonight at 9:03pm. I'm kinda sad. I mean, I'm already in fall mode with school starting and everything, but this has been the most amazing summer. Hiking, swimming, hanging out with friends, travelling... it's been so great. But I do love fall, too. I love the leaves, the crisp air, the smell of damp woods, drizzly Sunday afternoons spent cozied up with hot chocolate and a good book or movie. Yay for fall!
So my plan was, going into this year, to back off on all the nutso stuff I'm involved in and take it easy. Yeah, ummm... so that hasn't happened. I think it's actually physically impossible for me not to be busy. It's all fantastic stuff, though, and belive it or not, between dancing lessons, helping with the Alpha course at my church, young adults, and an every-two-weeks Bible study/prayer group with two girlfriends, I have cut down my involvement quite a bit. Oh well! I love it, and am always wishing I could do more. I still haven't gotten around to the photography course or African drumming lessons I was wanting to do back in the spring. Silly job. It keeps getting in the way of things I want to do.
In other news, life in grade five seems to be progressing well. It's funny, everyone is always asking me, "How's your class?" I never really know what to say. "Uhh... it's good!" Very intelligent of you, Hillary! Though it is SO nice to be in a workplace environment where people care and are interested in how I'm doing. I'm trying not to get so wrapped up in all the stuff I'm learning and all the big and little jobs I have to do each day (ugh, I never realized how much of an accountant I have to be as a classroom teacher. Collecting money for this, order forms for that... I'm a freaking bank!) that I forget about building up positive relationships with the kids. I'm not sure how I'm doing with that yet. We'll see.
In yet other news, I think God is trying to teach me about patience and trust again. Apparently I haven't gotten it the first nine thousand seven hundred and eighty-two times he's tried to teach me. I'm kinda thick that way!
Finally, I'd like to wish you all a happy last day of summer! Autum begins tonight at 9:03pm. I'm kinda sad. I mean, I'm already in fall mode with school starting and everything, but this has been the most amazing summer. Hiking, swimming, hanging out with friends, travelling... it's been so great. But I do love fall, too. I love the leaves, the crisp air, the smell of damp woods, drizzly Sunday afternoons spent cozied up with hot chocolate and a good book or movie. Yay for fall!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
I now present...
No more tenants for me! That silly "rent my blog" thing has been empty for far too long, so I decided to put that space to better use...
My friend Brian is an extremely talented photographer, and seeing as I'm always telling people about his site anyway, I figured it was about time to highlight it here! He's done lots of travelling, too, so he's had no shortage of amazing images to capture. Check out the section in my sidebar called "Photography by Brian" or just click here to be taken to his galleries. Trust me on this one, folks, go check out his website!
Here's a taste of some of his photography to give you a little nudge...
Clicking the photos above will take you to a larger view. Click here for the gallery homepage.
My friend Brian is an extremely talented photographer, and seeing as I'm always telling people about his site anyway, I figured it was about time to highlight it here! He's done lots of travelling, too, so he's had no shortage of amazing images to capture. Check out the section in my sidebar called "Photography by Brian" or just click here to be taken to his galleries. Trust me on this one, folks, go check out his website!
Here's a taste of some of his photography to give you a little nudge...
Clicking the photos above will take you to a larger view. Click here for the gallery homepage.
Monday, September 18, 2006
One word
As an icebreaker/get to know you ativity at young adults tonight, we were asked to tell the people at our table our name and one word to describe how we were feeling right then. Gah! Only one?
I decided I needed to settle on 'excited.' Excited about my class, excited about new possibilities, excited about life in general, I guess. With that excitement comes a type of fear, too. Maybe fear is not the best word for it... apprehension? questionning? wondering if or how I'll know how to do the right thing? But overall, the last few weeks have left me really really looking forward to what's coming next. And that's a fun place to be in.
Tricky, complex, testing out new waters, learning to relate in new ways, learning about myself, learning about others. Even among the late nights, paper overload, little sleep, and general insanity which has been my life for the last few weeks, life is good.
I decided I needed to settle on 'excited.' Excited about my class, excited about new possibilities, excited about life in general, I guess. With that excitement comes a type of fear, too. Maybe fear is not the best word for it... apprehension? questionning? wondering if or how I'll know how to do the right thing? But overall, the last few weeks have left me really really looking forward to what's coming next. And that's a fun place to be in.
Tricky, complex, testing out new waters, learning to relate in new ways, learning about myself, learning about others. Even among the late nights, paper overload, little sleep, and general insanity which has been my life for the last few weeks, life is good.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
You've GOT to be kidding me... (300th post)
Well, I just learned a lesson. Never ever use a credit card to call Vancouver from a payphone in Amsterdam. Ev-ver. I called my parents and left a message (the entire call was under two minutes, I timed it) with my flight info so they could come pick me up at the airport when I got home. Turns out that phone call cost me $39.80.
And to think that I did that cause I didn't want to buy a 5 Euro phone card and only use a tiny bit of it.
Leapin' lizards!
And to think that I did that cause I didn't want to buy a 5 Euro phone card and only use a tiny bit of it.
Leapin' lizards!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Huh?
Can someone please explain this? Cause I sure can't! But still, it's kinda fun!
OH OH OH... I was ganna stop at one, but I'm sitting by myself at my computer laughing till tears are coming out at this one...
And if you want some more, try this, or this.
ADDENDUM: Yes, I realize most of you are looking at this going, "Ummm.... ooooo-kay." I was tired, hungry, and I'm getting sick. That's a better excuse than "I'm a wacko," which is probably closer to the truth! ;-)
OH OH OH... I was ganna stop at one, but I'm sitting by myself at my computer laughing till tears are coming out at this one...
And if you want some more, try this, or this.
ADDENDUM: Yes, I realize most of you are looking at this going, "Ummm.... ooooo-kay." I was tired, hungry, and I'm getting sick. That's a better excuse than "I'm a wacko," which is probably closer to the truth! ;-)
Friday, September 08, 2006
Success!
I have officially survived my first week! Yes! I've been at school ridiculous hours this week, and hardly any prep or marking has even started yet, so I'm a little scared of what, oh, I dunno, report card time will bring, but I guess I'll drown under that load cross that bridge when I get to it.
I've met a few parents already, most who I had already met, albeit briefly, when I was teaching music. They've all been really nice so far, though I've been warned about one parent. But I've also been told about how to deal with this parent, so it'll all be good. I hope!
I've had a few parents come in to tell me a little bit about thier kids, which I appreciate. One parent added that his kid was a little worried about having me, specifically, as a teacher. He assured me that he had no concerns, though. I laughed - I had this child's class last year for music, and the class was a really tough one, so I always felt like all I did was grouch and gripe at them the whole year long, so yeah, I can see why the poor kid would be concerned! I have since been assured that this child now thinks I'm "pretty nice." Yesss!! Oh these poor kids. They still are pretty little. I have to try to remember what it's like starting a new school year: new teacher, new classmates, best friends in other classes... They're still pretty nervous, I think!
In other news, I've signed up for a dance class on Sunday nights! Who'da thunk it! The same friend that sucked me into going to an Irish Calieh (or however you spell it) - which I thoughroughly enjoyed - sucked me into an 8 week "Funky Swing" class. There's a whole group of friends going, and it's going to be a blast! I can't wait!
I've met a few parents already, most who I had already met, albeit briefly, when I was teaching music. They've all been really nice so far, though I've been warned about one parent. But I've also been told about how to deal with this parent, so it'll all be good. I hope!
I've had a few parents come in to tell me a little bit about thier kids, which I appreciate. One parent added that his kid was a little worried about having me, specifically, as a teacher. He assured me that he had no concerns, though. I laughed - I had this child's class last year for music, and the class was a really tough one, so I always felt like all I did was grouch and gripe at them the whole year long, so yeah, I can see why the poor kid would be concerned! I have since been assured that this child now thinks I'm "pretty nice." Yesss!! Oh these poor kids. They still are pretty little. I have to try to remember what it's like starting a new school year: new teacher, new classmates, best friends in other classes... They're still pretty nervous, I think!
In other news, I've signed up for a dance class on Sunday nights! Who'da thunk it! The same friend that sucked me into going to an Irish Calieh (or however you spell it) - which I thoughroughly enjoyed - sucked me into an 8 week "Funky Swing" class. There's a whole group of friends going, and it's going to be a blast! I can't wait!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Back to school*
The morning air even felt different today as I headed to my car for the first day of school. It was cooler, and there was still a little bit of fog in the air. I could see my breath for the first time this season. "Here we go!" I thought, as I stepped into my car and headed to work...
This year feels SO much different than last year. Last year I was nearly dreading starting school again. I felt worn out, beat up, and out of ideas. The year, while overall still a good one, was tough. The change from teaching music to grade five came at the perfect time.
I spent all last week setting up my classroom, and I'm really happy with the way it looks. It's bright and cheery (woohoo, real live light! My music room was in the basement and so tended to be kinda dark!), it's colour co-ordinated, and it's all organized and ready to go (click the picture for more). It won't look like this ever again, but hey, a gal's got to start somewhere!
The kids were just at school for an hour today, but the real deal starts tomorrow. Kids will find out who their new teachers are first thing, and the year will get rolling. They don't know it yeat, but they're already going to have homework. Yeah, yeah, I'm such a meanie pants. They'll just have to suck it up!
The more I think about my job, and the way I even landed at this school, the more I am blown away by God's grace and provision for me. When I started at my school in September 2003, it was a part time music job, the absolute perfect thing for my first year of teaching. Just enough to live on, not too heavy a prep/marking load, and only 40 minutes a week with each class so I couldn't really screw them up too badly! ;-) I got laid off at the end of my first year, but ended up being hired back at the same school for the fall. My second year I was able to go to full time, in part by taking on teaching the French Immersion kids music, too. Yeehaw! Full time salary, plus I got to use my French. No layoffs that year thanks to a spring election, so I got to stay at my school again and by the end of my third year, had enough seniority under my belt to escape layoffs should they come about again. Of course, by the end of my third year, I was reeealy ready for a change. Huh, would you look at that? A grade 5 teacher was retiring. Now, with this position, I am working with the best team I could ever ask for - the other grade 5 class is shared by two teachers, both of whom have lots of experience, lots of materials, and lots of willingnes to share and help me out. They are the reason I'm not totally terrified this year!
Yay God for going above and beyond my expectations once again!
_______________________________________________
* This week has been BUSY! Proof positive is the face that I started writing this on Tuesday night and have only now completed it on Thursday! Oy!
This year feels SO much different than last year. Last year I was nearly dreading starting school again. I felt worn out, beat up, and out of ideas. The year, while overall still a good one, was tough. The change from teaching music to grade five came at the perfect time.
I spent all last week setting up my classroom, and I'm really happy with the way it looks. It's bright and cheery (woohoo, real live light! My music room was in the basement and so tended to be kinda dark!), it's colour co-ordinated, and it's all organized and ready to go (click the picture for more). It won't look like this ever again, but hey, a gal's got to start somewhere!
The kids were just at school for an hour today, but the real deal starts tomorrow. Kids will find out who their new teachers are first thing, and the year will get rolling. They don't know it yeat, but they're already going to have homework. Yeah, yeah, I'm such a meanie pants. They'll just have to suck it up!
The more I think about my job, and the way I even landed at this school, the more I am blown away by God's grace and provision for me. When I started at my school in September 2003, it was a part time music job, the absolute perfect thing for my first year of teaching. Just enough to live on, not too heavy a prep/marking load, and only 40 minutes a week with each class so I couldn't really screw them up too badly! ;-) I got laid off at the end of my first year, but ended up being hired back at the same school for the fall. My second year I was able to go to full time, in part by taking on teaching the French Immersion kids music, too. Yeehaw! Full time salary, plus I got to use my French. No layoffs that year thanks to a spring election, so I got to stay at my school again and by the end of my third year, had enough seniority under my belt to escape layoffs should they come about again. Of course, by the end of my third year, I was reeealy ready for a change. Huh, would you look at that? A grade 5 teacher was retiring. Now, with this position, I am working with the best team I could ever ask for - the other grade 5 class is shared by two teachers, both of whom have lots of experience, lots of materials, and lots of willingnes to share and help me out. They are the reason I'm not totally terrified this year!
Yay God for going above and beyond my expectations once again!
_______________________________________________
* This week has been BUSY! Proof positive is the face that I started writing this on Tuesday night and have only now completed it on Thursday! Oy!
Monday, September 04, 2006
Sad News
I just heard via Ellen's blog that Steve Irwin (the Crocodile Hunter) died! He was stung by a sting ray while filming for a documentary that was to be called "Ocean's Deadliest." That's so crazy. I mean, in a way it's not a surprise that he died the way he did, but still, he was really young and leaves behind a wife and two little kids. I loved watching his show - he was such a great advocate for animals, and really was passionate about educating people about them. I know he had his share of controversy, but he was great. It's so sad!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Lacking
Grrr. I'm getting a little frustrated with all the things that I can't seem to get my hands on for my classroom! (Or, the things that should be standard issue, but I'm having to buy myself! I've been to the teacher supply store three times in three days. Welcome to having my own class, I guess.)
First of all, I went to buy some corrogated paper stuff to cover the bulletin boards with. You know, that stuff that every teacher on the face of the planet uses to cover their bulletin boards? It comes in a myriad of colours, lasts forever, and is great for a background when putting up students' art or work. Well, apparently they don't make it anymore. At all. There are only small scraps of reeeally ugly colours left at my school. Out of luck. I have to cover the boards in paper now. Yick.
Then I went to Office Depot to pick up a specific type of box that I need for hanging folders. Apperently they don't make those anymore, either.
Picking up some photos at Future Shop, I discovered that their lab is down, so some photos I ordered online - that I needed that day - weren't actually there. But, oh, I could just drive downtown and pick them up. Right. Downtown. Ridiculous parking rates. Crazy traffic. Construction. Nuh-uh. I sucked it up and picked them up. I didn't really have a choice.
Class set of scissors. Can't get one at school. I bought a set. Scissors!!
Overhead projector and screen. I asked for one. I might get one. Maybe. In 3 months.
But the biggest irk is that my classroom, in the year 2006, only has ONE semi-working computer. Last year, teachers were able to order a computer, complete with printer/scanner for their classroom if they needed one. I was told I couldn't get one cause I didn't really need it in the music room. The teacher in the room I'm in now knew he wasn't going to be there the next year, so he didn't order one. Arg! But maybe the NEW teacher (ie. me) would want one? Standard issue these days should be a computer for the teacher, and at least three computers for the students to use. On the plus side, I just bought a 512mB jump drive on sale 65% off! Score! At least taht will make things easier taking files back and forth from home. But seriously, anyone got a free computer they want to give me? *rolls eyes*
Ok. Whining over.
My class is really coming along. I was going to try to get everything done today and take a four day weekend. Ah, I was so naive. My goal is to be there at 7am tomorrow, work till they kick me out at 2, then go climb Grouse Mountain. Yessss!
First of all, I went to buy some corrogated paper stuff to cover the bulletin boards with. You know, that stuff that every teacher on the face of the planet uses to cover their bulletin boards? It comes in a myriad of colours, lasts forever, and is great for a background when putting up students' art or work. Well, apparently they don't make it anymore. At all. There are only small scraps of reeeally ugly colours left at my school. Out of luck. I have to cover the boards in paper now. Yick.
Then I went to Office Depot to pick up a specific type of box that I need for hanging folders. Apperently they don't make those anymore, either.
Picking up some photos at Future Shop, I discovered that their lab is down, so some photos I ordered online - that I needed that day - weren't actually there. But, oh, I could just drive downtown and pick them up. Right. Downtown. Ridiculous parking rates. Crazy traffic. Construction. Nuh-uh. I sucked it up and picked them up. I didn't really have a choice.
Class set of scissors. Can't get one at school. I bought a set. Scissors!!
Overhead projector and screen. I asked for one. I might get one. Maybe. In 3 months.
But the biggest irk is that my classroom, in the year 2006, only has ONE semi-working computer. Last year, teachers were able to order a computer, complete with printer/scanner for their classroom if they needed one. I was told I couldn't get one cause I didn't really need it in the music room. The teacher in the room I'm in now knew he wasn't going to be there the next year, so he didn't order one. Arg! But maybe the NEW teacher (ie. me) would want one? Standard issue these days should be a computer for the teacher, and at least three computers for the students to use. On the plus side, I just bought a 512mB jump drive on sale 65% off! Score! At least taht will make things easier taking files back and forth from home. But seriously, anyone got a free computer they want to give me? *rolls eyes*
Ok. Whining over.
My class is really coming along. I was going to try to get everything done today and take a four day weekend. Ah, I was so naive. My goal is to be there at 7am tomorrow, work till they kick me out at 2, then go climb Grouse Mountain. Yessss!
Switching gears
It was somewhat of a shock to my system on Monday morning when I was standing in my new classrom at my school looking around wondering what on earth I was doing, just slightly less than 36 hours after my plane had landed. Was my trip even real? Was I just there? And now I'm here? Huh???
Today will be day four that I've been in my classroom, getting organized, hauling all the junk leftover from last year out, putting up new bulletin boards (with borders I've been told are totally "me"), rearranging furniture, getting my desk set up, photocopying some work for my little lovelies for the first week, doing a wee bit of planning for the year, and trying not to be terrified! Ha!
Things are starting to look somewhat ready to go, I think. I'm glad it looks that way, anyway! No, actually, I'm getting excited, too. Mourning the loss of summer holidays, but hey, that kind of comes with the territory. With this being my first year with my own class, I'm sure I'll make tons of blunders, but I'm looking forward togetting to try some different things. It will be such a nice change from doing all music, all the time! Hee hee, I wonder if that's what my kids will think we'll be doing! After all, I'll bet they won't even realize that, hey, I can teach math, too. And science. And art...
Grade 5, here I come!
Today will be day four that I've been in my classroom, getting organized, hauling all the junk leftover from last year out, putting up new bulletin boards (with borders I've been told are totally "me"), rearranging furniture, getting my desk set up, photocopying some work for my little lovelies for the first week, doing a wee bit of planning for the year, and trying not to be terrified! Ha!
Things are starting to look somewhat ready to go, I think. I'm glad it looks that way, anyway! No, actually, I'm getting excited, too. Mourning the loss of summer holidays, but hey, that kind of comes with the territory. With this being my first year with my own class, I'm sure I'll make tons of blunders, but I'm looking forward togetting to try some different things. It will be such a nice change from doing all music, all the time! Hee hee, I wonder if that's what my kids will think we'll be doing! After all, I'll bet they won't even realize that, hey, I can teach math, too. And science. And art...
Grade 5, here I come!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Slowly but surely...
Sunday, August 27, 2006
I'm home!
I got back about 11:30pm last night (Saturday). Apparently jet lag isn't a problem for me. I'm thankful for that! Both on the way to Europe and on the way home, I just set my watch during the plane ride, and that was that!
It seems really strange to be home in a sense. I can't believe it was jsut yesterday that I was sitting at the edge of a canal in Amsterdam eating pannekoeks, and now here I am in my own house...
While I was travelling, I kept thinking that my 'regular life' just seemed like this distant hazy memory. It's kind of wierd to be back now - back to church, back to lunch with friends, back to work (sob!). But it's still good to be home (at least kind of!). Back to my own bed, back to a decent shower I don't have to wear flip flops in, back to street names I can pronounce. I'd just like to apologize to any people of Dutch origin for how badly I mutilated your language while I was in Holand. Eek.
Anyway, I have so much swirling around in my brain right now: letting experiences soak in, feeling like I'm somehow different now than I was before I left, wondering how soon I can go on my next trip... I'm sure some will come out here, but I still have to get unpacked and start going through my photos! Oh boy, that's going to be a job and a half! Ha, I still have a post to finish that I started in Amserdam about Belgium and Holland!
I know I keep saying this, but I'll try to have a selection of photos up tonight or tomorrow to tide you over while I'm working on getting the whole lot up on my site.
All in all, I'm home, back to real life. When people ask me, "Hey, how was your trip?" I just don't know how to respond. Words can't really express it, but I'd have to say, amazing, fantastic, the best thing I could have done. How soon can I go back????
It seems really strange to be home in a sense. I can't believe it was jsut yesterday that I was sitting at the edge of a canal in Amsterdam eating pannekoeks, and now here I am in my own house...
While I was travelling, I kept thinking that my 'regular life' just seemed like this distant hazy memory. It's kind of wierd to be back now - back to church, back to lunch with friends, back to work (sob!). But it's still good to be home (at least kind of!). Back to my own bed, back to a decent shower I don't have to wear flip flops in, back to street names I can pronounce. I'd just like to apologize to any people of Dutch origin for how badly I mutilated your language while I was in Holand. Eek.
Anyway, I have so much swirling around in my brain right now: letting experiences soak in, feeling like I'm somehow different now than I was before I left, wondering how soon I can go on my next trip... I'm sure some will come out here, but I still have to get unpacked and start going through my photos! Oh boy, that's going to be a job and a half! Ha, I still have a post to finish that I started in Amserdam about Belgium and Holland!
I know I keep saying this, but I'll try to have a selection of photos up tonight or tomorrow to tide you over while I'm working on getting the whole lot up on my site.
All in all, I'm home, back to real life. When people ask me, "Hey, how was your trip?" I just don't know how to respond. Words can't really express it, but I'd have to say, amazing, fantastic, the best thing I could have done. How soon can I go back????
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Time flies...
Yikes! It's been a week since my last post! Be warned, this post is rather long! I've been writing it in pieces as I go, between limited internet time, crazy French keyboards, and many very busy days. But hey... here's what I've been up to the last week...
So I think I've figured out what makes me grumpy when I'm travelling (other than hunting for the letters and symbols on this French keyboard - they're all mixed up!). Good thing, too, cause it's happened twice now and it's been no fun. No fun at all. I get grumpy when I spend the first half of my day travelling, getting to city around noon. I feel like the whole day is wasted, especially when I have to wait in lines at the train station, bus depot, tourist office, etc. for infornation. Blech. BUT, the days always seem to redeem themselves, like in Nice, when I went out with a big group from the hostel.
Or like in Aix En provence, when I was just about ready to book it out of there I was so frustrated with trying to find the information I needed. Things all worked out, though, and I did some shopping, went for a lovely walk in a very pretty park outside of town, and lucked out on a ticket for the huge huge huge Cezanne expedition that is in town right now. Man, that town is obsessed with that man! Hee hee. In the early evening, I bumped into Rachel, the girl I hung out with in Nice. We went for a drink and hung out in town for a bit, doing some serious shopping in the Cours Maribeau - a big wide boulevard lined with all kinds of little outdoor kiosks/shops.
The next morning I headed to Avignon. Yes, I saw the bridge. And yes, I danced on it! I toured the Pope's Palace and took a little cruise on the Rhone. I had been hitting the wall a little in travelling, getting grumpy, feeling like maybe I'd had enough, but I loved Avignon. I was back into high gear seeing, doing, (eating!) and enjoying. It also helped things that I was staying in the cutest litle bed and breafast, hosted by about the most hospitable woman I have ever met! One of the best things I did in Avignon was go to a brass ensemble concert at the Pont (bridge) d'Avignon. The group was from Vienna and played all kinds of clssical music, singing, dancing, and all-round entertaining along the way.
The next day I took a day trip to Arles, where VanGogh spent a lot of time. I saw a number of different places that he painted, like the hospital where he stayed and its courtyard, and the famous Cafe de Nuit. I had dinner there! (The food was terrible, but hey, I ate there! *shakes head*) I took a city tour, seeing the Roman arena, forum, theatre, and baths. It still boggles my mind that buildings that are so old are being used. But the highlight of Arles had to be what I did in the afternoon...
I was getting reeeally sick of seeing cities, and, being in Provence, I really wanted to see some pretty countryside. Are you ready for a crazy story? I had originally planned on finding a route to go for a bike ride, but then decided to try for a guided bus tour that would take me to a whole bunch of different places in Provence, including a wine tour and tasting. BUT, the lady at my bed and breakfast suggested I rent a car and gave me some really great places to go visit. I was all set to do that, and was halfway through the process of renting when it occured to me that I can't drive standard. Ug! I KNEW I should have learned that a long time ago! No car for me... by that time it was too late for the tour, so I went back to the bike ride plan. It turns out that was the best thing I could have done...
After my walking tour, I found a little place that rents bikes, grabbed a map, and headed out into the countryside (not before having to navigate a few rather busy traffic roundabouts. Yeah, that was kinda nerve racking!). Fields, hills, the hot sun and a clear blue sky stretched waaay out ahead of me. (No lavender, though, I guess I have to go back again in July when it blooms!) It was absolutely beautiful! I rode along a quiet country road, came accross a roman aqueduct, and went to a tiny litte village with a windmill up on top of the hill. It was an absolutley beautiful day, and so good to get out into the country.
Early the next morning I caught the TGV train to Brussels. Man, that thing is fast! My only "oops" moment was forgettting to pay at my bed and breakfast! I realized somewehre in the middle of France that I hadn't paid! My host had driven me to the train station at 6am (see? Sweetest lady ever!) and we both forgot! I was MORTIFIED! I called her as soon as I got to Brussles, and we've got a way to get it sorted out, but yikers! I can't believe I did that!
In all, the south of France was really beautiful, but I tried to do way too much with not enough time. Four cities and two villages in five days is NOT the pace at which one should take in Provence. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but next time - oh, and there WILL be a next time! - I'm going to go much slower, go to more markets, spend more time in the countryside. I didn't do Provence justice, for sure.
My internet time is quickly running out, and this post is already waaay too long, so I'll post about Belgium later. I'll leave off by saying that I'm now in Amsterdam, and have only two more nights left. I can't belive it. I almost have forgotten that I have a life back in Vancouver. It seems very strange to have to go back to it in two days.
I don't wanna!!!
So I think I've figured out what makes me grumpy when I'm travelling (other than hunting for the letters and symbols on this French keyboard - they're all mixed up!). Good thing, too, cause it's happened twice now and it's been no fun. No fun at all. I get grumpy when I spend the first half of my day travelling, getting to city around noon. I feel like the whole day is wasted, especially when I have to wait in lines at the train station, bus depot, tourist office, etc. for infornation. Blech. BUT, the days always seem to redeem themselves, like in Nice, when I went out with a big group from the hostel.
Or like in Aix En provence, when I was just about ready to book it out of there I was so frustrated with trying to find the information I needed. Things all worked out, though, and I did some shopping, went for a lovely walk in a very pretty park outside of town, and lucked out on a ticket for the huge huge huge Cezanne expedition that is in town right now. Man, that town is obsessed with that man! Hee hee. In the early evening, I bumped into Rachel, the girl I hung out with in Nice. We went for a drink and hung out in town for a bit, doing some serious shopping in the Cours Maribeau - a big wide boulevard lined with all kinds of little outdoor kiosks/shops.
The next morning I headed to Avignon. Yes, I saw the bridge. And yes, I danced on it! I toured the Pope's Palace and took a little cruise on the Rhone. I had been hitting the wall a little in travelling, getting grumpy, feeling like maybe I'd had enough, but I loved Avignon. I was back into high gear seeing, doing, (eating!) and enjoying. It also helped things that I was staying in the cutest litle bed and breafast, hosted by about the most hospitable woman I have ever met! One of the best things I did in Avignon was go to a brass ensemble concert at the Pont (bridge) d'Avignon. The group was from Vienna and played all kinds of clssical music, singing, dancing, and all-round entertaining along the way.
The next day I took a day trip to Arles, where VanGogh spent a lot of time. I saw a number of different places that he painted, like the hospital where he stayed and its courtyard, and the famous Cafe de Nuit. I had dinner there! (The food was terrible, but hey, I ate there! *shakes head*) I took a city tour, seeing the Roman arena, forum, theatre, and baths. It still boggles my mind that buildings that are so old are being used. But the highlight of Arles had to be what I did in the afternoon...
I was getting reeeally sick of seeing cities, and, being in Provence, I really wanted to see some pretty countryside. Are you ready for a crazy story? I had originally planned on finding a route to go for a bike ride, but then decided to try for a guided bus tour that would take me to a whole bunch of different places in Provence, including a wine tour and tasting. BUT, the lady at my bed and breakfast suggested I rent a car and gave me some really great places to go visit. I was all set to do that, and was halfway through the process of renting when it occured to me that I can't drive standard. Ug! I KNEW I should have learned that a long time ago! No car for me... by that time it was too late for the tour, so I went back to the bike ride plan. It turns out that was the best thing I could have done...
After my walking tour, I found a little place that rents bikes, grabbed a map, and headed out into the countryside (not before having to navigate a few rather busy traffic roundabouts. Yeah, that was kinda nerve racking!). Fields, hills, the hot sun and a clear blue sky stretched waaay out ahead of me. (No lavender, though, I guess I have to go back again in July when it blooms!) It was absolutely beautiful! I rode along a quiet country road, came accross a roman aqueduct, and went to a tiny litte village with a windmill up on top of the hill. It was an absolutley beautiful day, and so good to get out into the country.
Early the next morning I caught the TGV train to Brussels. Man, that thing is fast! My only "oops" moment was forgettting to pay at my bed and breakfast! I realized somewehre in the middle of France that I hadn't paid! My host had driven me to the train station at 6am (see? Sweetest lady ever!) and we both forgot! I was MORTIFIED! I called her as soon as I got to Brussles, and we've got a way to get it sorted out, but yikers! I can't believe I did that!
In all, the south of France was really beautiful, but I tried to do way too much with not enough time. Four cities and two villages in five days is NOT the pace at which one should take in Provence. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but next time - oh, and there WILL be a next time! - I'm going to go much slower, go to more markets, spend more time in the countryside. I didn't do Provence justice, for sure.
My internet time is quickly running out, and this post is already waaay too long, so I'll post about Belgium later. I'll leave off by saying that I'm now in Amsterdam, and have only two more nights left. I can't belive it. I almost have forgotten that I have a life back in Vancouver. It seems very strange to have to go back to it in two days.
I don't wanna!!!
Friday, August 18, 2006
ARG!
Well, I just spent about 45 minutes going through my photos from the last two weeks or so, all set and raring to upload them. I had copied them to a folder on the computer, then the computer crashed and I lost all the selections I had made. So, wasted time for me, and no photos for you. Grrr.
Sadly, I did leave Vernazza, and headed to Nice. Nice is a big city. I got super grumpy on my way down to the beach. I was walking through a major construction zone (they're putting in a rail/tram line all along one of the major streets) so it was loud and dirty and stinky. It was also grey and really realyl humid. Yuck yuck yuck. I got to the beach, raring to swim anyway, when it started raining. Pouring, in fact. Disgruntled, I headed to the (horror!) McDonalds and downed a milkshake while looking over my city guide and just wanting to leave. Urg.
Things bucked up a bit after that. I met a whole bunch of people in my hostel around dinner time and we all headed out to a bar for the evening. It was a pretty hilarious night, mostly thanks to this crazy Turkish guy in the group who was OBSESSED with his hair. So much so that he'd go to the mirror in the bar and check it every ten minutes or so. Then, if he wasn't happy with it, he'd restyle it. With beer. Hey, he had no gel. Oy. Anyway, it was a really fun night.
I headed to Eze today, a little medieval town between Nice and Monaco, with Rachel, an Aussie from my hostel. In the afternoon, I did actually manage to get to the beach. The waves were crazy. Some were nearly twice as tall as me! Most were only as tall as me. Ha! I got pounded into the ground more than a few times. I'm gonna be sore tomorrow! :)
Anyway, it's late, and I'm frustrated with computers. Sorry 'bout the pictures. It's tricky to actually get them from the camera to the CD to the computer to the website while I'm on the road, and it takes a really long time. Maybe I'll do a few next time. Rar.
Tomorow: off to Aix-En-Provence...
Sadly, I did leave Vernazza, and headed to Nice. Nice is a big city. I got super grumpy on my way down to the beach. I was walking through a major construction zone (they're putting in a rail/tram line all along one of the major streets) so it was loud and dirty and stinky. It was also grey and really realyl humid. Yuck yuck yuck. I got to the beach, raring to swim anyway, when it started raining. Pouring, in fact. Disgruntled, I headed to the (horror!) McDonalds and downed a milkshake while looking over my city guide and just wanting to leave. Urg.
Things bucked up a bit after that. I met a whole bunch of people in my hostel around dinner time and we all headed out to a bar for the evening. It was a pretty hilarious night, mostly thanks to this crazy Turkish guy in the group who was OBSESSED with his hair. So much so that he'd go to the mirror in the bar and check it every ten minutes or so. Then, if he wasn't happy with it, he'd restyle it. With beer. Hey, he had no gel. Oy. Anyway, it was a really fun night.
I headed to Eze today, a little medieval town between Nice and Monaco, with Rachel, an Aussie from my hostel. In the afternoon, I did actually manage to get to the beach. The waves were crazy. Some were nearly twice as tall as me! Most were only as tall as me. Ha! I got pounded into the ground more than a few times. I'm gonna be sore tomorrow! :)
Anyway, it's late, and I'm frustrated with computers. Sorry 'bout the pictures. It's tricky to actually get them from the camera to the CD to the computer to the website while I'm on the road, and it takes a really long time. Maybe I'll do a few next time. Rar.
Tomorow: off to Aix-En-Provence...
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Paradise Found
When I stepped off the train, I could smell the sea. Seventy-eight steps from the door of my pensione/room and my toes were at the edge of the Medditerranean. I had arrived in Vernazza, one of the five towns of the Cinque Terre.
The sea was rough the evening I arrived, and the waves pounded the breakwater sending spray far up in the air, the foaming white water contrasted against the turquoise blue of the sea and the golden light of the sky as the sun began to set.
Behind me was the town, one building running into the next, tiny back alleys with countless stairways and passages, every building a different colour - red, yellow, pink, white, tan... all with big green shutters on the windows. The yellow clock tower over the tiny church chimes over the village every half an hour, the only reminder that time is still ticking in this little village. The piazza was crowded with restaurant terraces, umbrellas, and countless fishing boats - lined up along the streets and all over the square. The din of conversations and dishes could be heard between the crashing waves. Behind that still were rows upon rows of terraced vinyards up on the steep slopes of the hillside.
I knew right away that the time I had booked here would not be enough.
My first morning, I picked up some fresh fruit and a brioche and ate at the water. It was much calmer than the night before, but still every now and then a particularly large wave would crash over the wall, making people scurry back to avoid getting their feet wet. Restaurateurs were setting up, people were everywhere taking their morning caffe, and a few fishermen were coming in with their catch. I ate slowly, emjoying the sea and the sun, not able to believe where I was.
There is a trail running between all five towns. Vernazza is the second town, so after breakfast, I caught the train to Monterosso, just five minutes down the line, and began my walk. The first thing I saw in Monterosso was the beach: long stretches of blue and white striped umbrellas shading matching deck chairs lined up three or four deep all along the shore. I wanted to stop right then and there and jump in. Again, I couldn't believe where I was!
As I was on my way to the start of the trial, I met another girl - Erin - about my age and we decided to walk together. Up and up along a narrow path, past lemon trees, vinyards, tiny gardens, and little shrines with pictures or statues of the virgin Mary built into the hillside. Every three steps it would seem we would come accross a new view (and so needed to take a new picture!). We walked all the way to Vernazza just marvelling at where we were.
A highlight of the Monterosso-Vernazza trail was coming accross an older Italian man sitting under the shade of a tree selling homemade Limoncello. A few lemons were scattered on the around beside the bottles, I'm sure for effect. I bought a bottle - how could I not?!
Erin had to go back at Vernazza, but not before a great chat at the train station. It turns out that she's a Christian, too! She offered to pray for me before she left, so sitting there waiting for the train, we prayed together. It was such a blessing to meet her and have a chance to talk and pray with someone! Funny how God always knows just what we need.
I continued on to Corniglia, through vinyards and groves of olive trees, past fig and lemon trees, listening to the sound of the sea below me, smelling the thyme, lavender, and rosemary that grows on the hills and in the gardens.
On through Corniglia, to Maranola, and finally along the Via Del Amore to Riomaggiore. Terraced hillsides, colourful towns perched high above the sea, and waves rolling into the rugged, rocky coast were constant views.
When I got back to Vernazza, I grabbed my bathing suit and went for a swim. In the Mediterranean. HOLY COW! (Hey... Church - well, kinda - a hike and a swim... sound familiar? :P)
I asked around in town and easily found a place to stay for a third night, so I spent today just hanging out - another breakfast by the water, taking in some views from the castello on top of the hill here in Vernazza, going down to Manarola again to look around, chill out for a bit, reading and journalling in the garden that it attatched to my hotel, high above the sea, looking down to the next town. Life jsut slows down here in the Cinque Terra. I even have been running into the same people - tourist and locals alike - and have chatted with all kinds of people from all over the world. This has been a vacation within a vacation. I know now where I want to come for my honeymoon one day! :P
I have to say goodbye early tomorrow morning. I don't want to leave. The towns, the views, the sea... and the FOOD! Oh my goodness. Pesto (which originated here!), seafood (yes, seafood! I had pasta with fish one evening!), wine, pasta, gelato, tiramisu... mmmm.
I was worried that I would be disappointed after how much I had heard about this place and how excited I was about coming here. You know, you hear so much, then when you get there, it's good, but not as good as you thought it would be. This was nowhere near the case. I am absolutely blown away. I could stay here forever.
Maybe I will...
The sea was rough the evening I arrived, and the waves pounded the breakwater sending spray far up in the air, the foaming white water contrasted against the turquoise blue of the sea and the golden light of the sky as the sun began to set.
Behind me was the town, one building running into the next, tiny back alleys with countless stairways and passages, every building a different colour - red, yellow, pink, white, tan... all with big green shutters on the windows. The yellow clock tower over the tiny church chimes over the village every half an hour, the only reminder that time is still ticking in this little village. The piazza was crowded with restaurant terraces, umbrellas, and countless fishing boats - lined up along the streets and all over the square. The din of conversations and dishes could be heard between the crashing waves. Behind that still were rows upon rows of terraced vinyards up on the steep slopes of the hillside.
I knew right away that the time I had booked here would not be enough.
My first morning, I picked up some fresh fruit and a brioche and ate at the water. It was much calmer than the night before, but still every now and then a particularly large wave would crash over the wall, making people scurry back to avoid getting their feet wet. Restaurateurs were setting up, people were everywhere taking their morning caffe, and a few fishermen were coming in with their catch. I ate slowly, emjoying the sea and the sun, not able to believe where I was.
There is a trail running between all five towns. Vernazza is the second town, so after breakfast, I caught the train to Monterosso, just five minutes down the line, and began my walk. The first thing I saw in Monterosso was the beach: long stretches of blue and white striped umbrellas shading matching deck chairs lined up three or four deep all along the shore. I wanted to stop right then and there and jump in. Again, I couldn't believe where I was!
As I was on my way to the start of the trial, I met another girl - Erin - about my age and we decided to walk together. Up and up along a narrow path, past lemon trees, vinyards, tiny gardens, and little shrines with pictures or statues of the virgin Mary built into the hillside. Every three steps it would seem we would come accross a new view (and so needed to take a new picture!). We walked all the way to Vernazza just marvelling at where we were.
A highlight of the Monterosso-Vernazza trail was coming accross an older Italian man sitting under the shade of a tree selling homemade Limoncello. A few lemons were scattered on the around beside the bottles, I'm sure for effect. I bought a bottle - how could I not?!
Erin had to go back at Vernazza, but not before a great chat at the train station. It turns out that she's a Christian, too! She offered to pray for me before she left, so sitting there waiting for the train, we prayed together. It was such a blessing to meet her and have a chance to talk and pray with someone! Funny how God always knows just what we need.
I continued on to Corniglia, through vinyards and groves of olive trees, past fig and lemon trees, listening to the sound of the sea below me, smelling the thyme, lavender, and rosemary that grows on the hills and in the gardens.
On through Corniglia, to Maranola, and finally along the Via Del Amore to Riomaggiore. Terraced hillsides, colourful towns perched high above the sea, and waves rolling into the rugged, rocky coast were constant views.
When I got back to Vernazza, I grabbed my bathing suit and went for a swim. In the Mediterranean. HOLY COW! (Hey... Church - well, kinda - a hike and a swim... sound familiar? :P)
I asked around in town and easily found a place to stay for a third night, so I spent today just hanging out - another breakfast by the water, taking in some views from the castello on top of the hill here in Vernazza, going down to Manarola again to look around, chill out for a bit, reading and journalling in the garden that it attatched to my hotel, high above the sea, looking down to the next town. Life jsut slows down here in the Cinque Terra. I even have been running into the same people - tourist and locals alike - and have chatted with all kinds of people from all over the world. This has been a vacation within a vacation. I know now where I want to come for my honeymoon one day! :P
I have to say goodbye early tomorrow morning. I don't want to leave. The towns, the views, the sea... and the FOOD! Oh my goodness. Pesto (which originated here!), seafood (yes, seafood! I had pasta with fish one evening!), wine, pasta, gelato, tiramisu... mmmm.
I was worried that I would be disappointed after how much I had heard about this place and how excited I was about coming here. You know, you hear so much, then when you get there, it's good, but not as good as you thought it would be. This was nowhere near the case. I am absolutely blown away. I could stay here forever.
Maybe I will...
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Buon Giorno d'Italia *updated*
Oy. I don't even know where to start. I was thinking on the train on the way to... where? I have no idea... that I almost need a day or two to just not do ANYTHING new and let all the experiences, sights, sounds, and various other sensory input sink in. I think my brain is getting overwhelmed. Where did I last leave off? I think I was in Zurich. Man, that seems like a lifetime ago. I think it's been three days.
I really really enjoyed my time in Switzerland. It is SO beautiful there, and the people are so friendly. One highlight - out of so so many - would have to be "renting" a bike - they're free in Zurich! - and riding along the lake until, when I was at the farthest point of my ride from the city, a big black cloud rolled in, the wind picked up, the skies opened, and it started to POUR. I figured, there's nothing I can do about this, so I may as well enjoy it. I had some fun with my camera and my umbrella at the water's edge. Again, as soon as I can, I'll get some photos up.
The great thing about having a rail pass is that whenever you want, you just head to the train station and hop on a train to wherever you want. It's so easy! I decided to leave Zurich for Luzerne in the late afternoon. I also decided to jsut hang out at the hostel in Luzerne that night to try to meet some people. That's another nice thing about travelling. Don't like the way things are going (ie. eating alone all the time)? Change it! I bought some groceries - which was an experience in itself: picture me, after learning that none of the staff in the bakery or deli spoke English, ducked around a different aisle with my dictionary looking up how to say "Where can I buy a little bit of mustard?" in German - and made dinner back at the hostel. I ate with four people from New York. One of the couples seemed intent on talking about how pot and prostitution should be legalized, and telling stories about how they bough hash in France and got busted as soon as they stepped off the train in Italy. Something to be proud of. Sheesh. The other couple, though, was really nice, and we ended up hanging out the next day, too.
It was grey and raining in Luzerne, but both this other couple (Liz and Andrew, they do have names!) and I figured, well, we only have one day here, so let's go for it! We wanted to go for a hike, so we headed for Pilatus, a nearby mountain. It was really raining when we got there, and we decided we'd be miserable if we hiked, so we took the gondola waaaay up, walked around at the top (nearly freezing our fingers off - it was near zero the whole time, and super windy. Brrrr!), had lunch, and took the world's steepest cog wheel railway down. Most of the time it was a 40-48% grade!
All the "Swiss stereotypes" are there for a reason. The little brown and white houses dotted all over the hillside, red flowers tumbling out of window boxes. The dingle dangle of cow bells from high up on the hills. The hoot of the train whistles or steamboat horns sounding as they transport people up and down the alps and accross the lake. It really is incredible. I of course took full advantage of being in Swizterland by going to a folk show. Cow bells, yodeling, flag throwing, alpenhorns, the whole bit. I even got to try an aplenhorn and got bitten by a cow! It was such a hoot!
On my way from Luzerne to Verona, where I am now, I stopped for a few hours in Lugano, in the Italian part of Switzerland. It is way south, and I figured it would be sunny there. What a great decision! It was ab-so-lute-ly beautiful! I walked waaaaay down from the train station to the lake and enjoyed a lazy afternoon of strolling along the water, hanging out under a tree with one of the most beautiful views I've seen yet, going for a swim, and lazing around in the sun. La dolce vita!
I got in to Verona at nearly 11pm, and realized I had no map or directions to get to my hotel. Of course, the tourist office was closed. So, Hillary had another little adventure, with even less Italian thant I had German, relying on people knowing how do decipher my broken broken Italian and knowing where I wanted to go. Hee hee. Adventure abounds! (Don't worry, mom, I'm safe and sound, see?)
I've spent today roaming around Verona, seeing various castles, the ruins of a Roman theatre, and just generally enjoying the very distictly Italian city. I might have even treated myself to two gelatos today. But shh! I'll never tell! In about 15 minutes, I'm going to go see Aida in the Roman arena here. Last time I was in Verona, I got shafted in seeing the arena, so this time around, I'm not going to miss it! Just for kicks and giggles, click here for a picture of my at 17 in front of the arena. Promise not to laugh? That's me in the Mickey Mouse T-shirt. Uggg. High school. Say no more. For those of you who know the story, see the ice creams? Grrr! (For those who don't know the story, see the post below!)
Hmm... the lady at the internet cafe just rolled down the big metal gate-thing in front of the door. I think that's a sign. I'm going to head off. I have my inflatable pillow in my purse, all ready for the opera (hey - YOU try sitting on stone steps for three hours!).
Ciao!
*UPDATE* Well, actually, you never saw the original, cause for some reason it never published. I saw the opera! It was SPECTACULAR. Spec. Tac. U. Lar. Only, we didn't get to see the last act, because all of a sudden, thunder crashed, lighning flashed, and the first few drops began falling from the sky. The orchestra fled for shelter and the opera was suspended, then cancelled as it began to POUR! People - in all their opera finery - were making mad dashed for the exits, covering their heads with umbrellas, cushions, programs, whatever they could. It was incredible how fast the vendors whiped out little rainjackets for sale. I made my way out to the street and walked back to my hotel, laughing my head off all the way there.
Opera. In a roman arena. Cut short because of a freak thunder storm (which continued all night!). Walking down narrow Italian streets, soaked to the skin. Singing, "Well, I love a rainy night!"
Life could not have been better than it was right then.
I really really enjoyed my time in Switzerland. It is SO beautiful there, and the people are so friendly. One highlight - out of so so many - would have to be "renting" a bike - they're free in Zurich! - and riding along the lake until, when I was at the farthest point of my ride from the city, a big black cloud rolled in, the wind picked up, the skies opened, and it started to POUR. I figured, there's nothing I can do about this, so I may as well enjoy it. I had some fun with my camera and my umbrella at the water's edge. Again, as soon as I can, I'll get some photos up.
The great thing about having a rail pass is that whenever you want, you just head to the train station and hop on a train to wherever you want. It's so easy! I decided to leave Zurich for Luzerne in the late afternoon. I also decided to jsut hang out at the hostel in Luzerne that night to try to meet some people. That's another nice thing about travelling. Don't like the way things are going (ie. eating alone all the time)? Change it! I bought some groceries - which was an experience in itself: picture me, after learning that none of the staff in the bakery or deli spoke English, ducked around a different aisle with my dictionary looking up how to say "Where can I buy a little bit of mustard?" in German - and made dinner back at the hostel. I ate with four people from New York. One of the couples seemed intent on talking about how pot and prostitution should be legalized, and telling stories about how they bough hash in France and got busted as soon as they stepped off the train in Italy. Something to be proud of. Sheesh. The other couple, though, was really nice, and we ended up hanging out the next day, too.
It was grey and raining in Luzerne, but both this other couple (Liz and Andrew, they do have names!) and I figured, well, we only have one day here, so let's go for it! We wanted to go for a hike, so we headed for Pilatus, a nearby mountain. It was really raining when we got there, and we decided we'd be miserable if we hiked, so we took the gondola waaaay up, walked around at the top (nearly freezing our fingers off - it was near zero the whole time, and super windy. Brrrr!), had lunch, and took the world's steepest cog wheel railway down. Most of the time it was a 40-48% grade!
All the "Swiss stereotypes" are there for a reason. The little brown and white houses dotted all over the hillside, red flowers tumbling out of window boxes. The dingle dangle of cow bells from high up on the hills. The hoot of the train whistles or steamboat horns sounding as they transport people up and down the alps and accross the lake. It really is incredible. I of course took full advantage of being in Swizterland by going to a folk show. Cow bells, yodeling, flag throwing, alpenhorns, the whole bit. I even got to try an aplenhorn and got bitten by a cow! It was such a hoot!
On my way from Luzerne to Verona, where I am now, I stopped for a few hours in Lugano, in the Italian part of Switzerland. It is way south, and I figured it would be sunny there. What a great decision! It was ab-so-lute-ly beautiful! I walked waaaaay down from the train station to the lake and enjoyed a lazy afternoon of strolling along the water, hanging out under a tree with one of the most beautiful views I've seen yet, going for a swim, and lazing around in the sun. La dolce vita!
I got in to Verona at nearly 11pm, and realized I had no map or directions to get to my hotel. Of course, the tourist office was closed. So, Hillary had another little adventure, with even less Italian thant I had German, relying on people knowing how do decipher my broken broken Italian and knowing where I wanted to go. Hee hee. Adventure abounds! (Don't worry, mom, I'm safe and sound, see?)
I've spent today roaming around Verona, seeing various castles, the ruins of a Roman theatre, and just generally enjoying the very distictly Italian city. I might have even treated myself to two gelatos today. But shh! I'll never tell! In about 15 minutes, I'm going to go see Aida in the Roman arena here. Last time I was in Verona, I got shafted in seeing the arena, so this time around, I'm not going to miss it! Just for kicks and giggles, click here for a picture of my at 17 in front of the arena. Promise not to laugh? That's me in the Mickey Mouse T-shirt. Uggg. High school. Say no more. For those of you who know the story, see the ice creams? Grrr! (For those who don't know the story, see the post below!)
Hmm... the lady at the internet cafe just rolled down the big metal gate-thing in front of the door. I think that's a sign. I'm going to head off. I have my inflatable pillow in my purse, all ready for the opera (hey - YOU try sitting on stone steps for three hours!).
Ciao!
*UPDATE* Well, actually, you never saw the original, cause for some reason it never published. I saw the opera! It was SPECTACULAR. Spec. Tac. U. Lar. Only, we didn't get to see the last act, because all of a sudden, thunder crashed, lighning flashed, and the first few drops began falling from the sky. The orchestra fled for shelter and the opera was suspended, then cancelled as it began to POUR! People - in all their opera finery - were making mad dashed for the exits, covering their heads with umbrellas, cushions, programs, whatever they could. It was incredible how fast the vendors whiped out little rainjackets for sale. I made my way out to the street and walked back to my hotel, laughing my head off all the way there.
Opera. In a roman arena. Cut short because of a freak thunder storm (which continued all night!). Walking down narrow Italian streets, soaked to the skin. Singing, "Well, I love a rainy night!"
Life could not have been better than it was right then.
Verona
There is only one city in my trip that I am returning to: Verona*. I was here ten years ago on a band trip between grade 11 and 12. It has a reputation as a very romantic city, as this is where Shakespeare placed Romeo and Juliet. But for me, the biggest draw is the Arena. When I arrived in Verona in 1996, I was blown away. It still amazes me today that somehting that was guilt 2000 years ago still stands, and still is used!
I was even more enthralled because I had read a series of books in high school (and many times since then, too!) that were set in ancient Rome. A major character in the book is a gladiator, so much of the story focusses on what went on in the Arena. The books were highly researched and, as I found out when I took classical studies courses in university, very historically accurate. I was SO excited to be able to go into a Roman arena and see a piece of ancient history.
As a safety precaution (we were all highschoolers) we had to go around in groups of six people. I couldn't find anyone who wanted to go into the arena with me, so I just decided to go with the chaperones. Eventually, five other people agreed to go, as long as we could do some shopping first.
Well.
They browsed through some postcards, bought some film, nosed around in a few shops, no big deal. Then they decided they wanted ice cream, so we waited (and waited and waited and waited) in line. AFTER they got ice cream, they decided they should probably go to the bathroom. One at a time, everybody went. By the time that was all done, it was time to meet up with our group and move on the the next city. Our meeting place was right in front of the arena, and as I looked up at the 2000 year old arches, I saw the band director waaaay up top, waving down at us. I was sooo disappointed. I had to fight back tears back in the bus.
So, darn it, THIS time round, ten years later, I'm going to see the arena!
* My apologies to those of you who have heard this story (over and over and over!) I see you raising your hand. That's right.
I was even more enthralled because I had read a series of books in high school (and many times since then, too!) that were set in ancient Rome. A major character in the book is a gladiator, so much of the story focusses on what went on in the Arena. The books were highly researched and, as I found out when I took classical studies courses in university, very historically accurate. I was SO excited to be able to go into a Roman arena and see a piece of ancient history.
As a safety precaution (we were all highschoolers) we had to go around in groups of six people. I couldn't find anyone who wanted to go into the arena with me, so I just decided to go with the chaperones. Eventually, five other people agreed to go, as long as we could do some shopping first.
Well.
They browsed through some postcards, bought some film, nosed around in a few shops, no big deal. Then they decided they wanted ice cream, so we waited (and waited and waited and waited) in line. AFTER they got ice cream, they decided they should probably go to the bathroom. One at a time, everybody went. By the time that was all done, it was time to meet up with our group and move on the the next city. Our meeting place was right in front of the arena, and as I looked up at the 2000 year old arches, I saw the band director waaaay up top, waving down at us. I was sooo disappointed. I had to fight back tears back in the bus.
So, darn it, THIS time round, ten years later, I'm going to see the arena!
* My apologies to those of you who have heard this story (over and over and over!) I see you raising your hand. That's right.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Pictures, Pictures!
I have only downloaded Paris pictures so far, but here are a few! Enjoy! Click here to see them. For those of you not familiar with Flickr, when the new page opens, click on a photo to see a larger version and a decsription, or click "View as slideshow" at the top right corner of the page.
I'm in Zurich right now and will head to Lucerne later today for a few days. I'll be in Italy (Verona) by Saturday night, woohoo! It's nice to see some mountains again - I was starting to miss them! I'm mostly enjoyig travelling by myself. I'm not meeting as many people as I thought I would, but I think that's mostly cause I'm never actually AT the hostels except to sleep! Sometimes it's a little lonely - like last night at dinner, just me and my Raclette (a traditional Swiss dish) surrounded by groups of friends and couples everywhere - but it's also kinda nice to just have all this time to myself. It's kind of serene. Plus, if I'm feeling lonely, I can just drown my sorows in Swiss chocolate, mmmmmmmmmmm! :-P
I'm in Zurich right now and will head to Lucerne later today for a few days. I'll be in Italy (Verona) by Saturday night, woohoo! It's nice to see some mountains again - I was starting to miss them! I'm mostly enjoyig travelling by myself. I'm not meeting as many people as I thought I would, but I think that's mostly cause I'm never actually AT the hostels except to sleep! Sometimes it's a little lonely - like last night at dinner, just me and my Raclette (a traditional Swiss dish) surrounded by groups of friends and couples everywhere - but it's also kinda nice to just have all this time to myself. It's kind of serene. Plus, if I'm feeling lonely, I can just drown my sorows in Swiss chocolate, mmmmmmmmmmm! :-P
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Grüsse aus München!
Yikes, time is flying! I'm in Munich right now, and I'm leaving early tomorrow for Switzerland. I didn't even say anything about my last day in Paris! I mostly spent it in Montmartre, the hill above the city famous for artists and a "bohemian spirit." I have to say, this was my favourite neighbourhood in Paris by far. It's much more like a little village (and hey, Amelie takes place there, too! I saw the grocery and the cafe - Les Deux Moulins - where she worked in the film. So fun!). I spent some time just chilling at a piano bar, eating a crepe and writing in my journal. It was a perfect Sunday.
Sunday night I left on an overnnight train for Munich. That was a neat experience in itself. I quickly realized, however, that the easy part of my trip was over. You know, the part where I speak the language. It was great being able to just speak French wherever I went, and I realized when I couldn't even ask where to get some breakfast on the train in the morning that things were going to be a little different from here on in. Good thing I have my trusty phrase book with me!
Paris was amazing, but I kept SUCH a hectic pace. I totally pooped myself (and my poor aching feet) out in jsut three days. I was kind of thinking on the train that I need to strike a better balance between tryig to see and do everything and just chilling out and enjoying what I can, and not worrying about what I can't. After all, that's what next time is for, right? Munich was much more like that. I am staying with a friends that I met 5 years ago in Quebec at a French language school, and so she met me at the train station. She had gotten breakfast and a day pass for the transit system for me, and also had a map, a key, directions to her house, and a cell phone she borrowed from her work for me! Holy smokes!
I dropped off my stuff, had a nap, and went I to explore Munich. I ended up taking a city walking tour, where I learned all kinds of neat things about the city. I also met Anna, a woman from Winnipeg, on the tour. She and I were planning to do the same tour of the Dachau concentration camp the next day. We met up for the tour and then just hung out at a beer garden and chatted over a couple of Radler (beer mixed with sprite). I am now a beer drinker, folks. Yeah, yeah, bug me about it not being real beer, whatever. It's a first step, leave me alone! ;) A few good Bavarian meals, a few good beers, a few (ok, a lot) of pictures, and a very sobering tour of Dachau, and off I go now to Switzerland.
For those of you who are asking me if I'm taking pictures, let me jsut say this: it's going to take me WEEKS to sort through, post, and write captions for all the stinkin' photos I'm taking. I've got almost 700 already. In five days. And no, I will not subject any of you to all of them. I'm still working on geting a few posted here. I hae to get them off my camera first. Soon, I hope (mainly cause my cards are filling up!).
So thanks for all your comments! It's always fun to read them when I get a chance to check email! For now, I'm off to bed. I have to leave Colleen's place at 6:10am tomorrow! Eep.
Hope you're all doing wonderfully! I'll try to post again soon!
Tschüss!
Sunday night I left on an overnnight train for Munich. That was a neat experience in itself. I quickly realized, however, that the easy part of my trip was over. You know, the part where I speak the language. It was great being able to just speak French wherever I went, and I realized when I couldn't even ask where to get some breakfast on the train in the morning that things were going to be a little different from here on in. Good thing I have my trusty phrase book with me!
Paris was amazing, but I kept SUCH a hectic pace. I totally pooped myself (and my poor aching feet) out in jsut three days. I was kind of thinking on the train that I need to strike a better balance between tryig to see and do everything and just chilling out and enjoying what I can, and not worrying about what I can't. After all, that's what next time is for, right? Munich was much more like that. I am staying with a friends that I met 5 years ago in Quebec at a French language school, and so she met me at the train station. She had gotten breakfast and a day pass for the transit system for me, and also had a map, a key, directions to her house, and a cell phone she borrowed from her work for me! Holy smokes!
I dropped off my stuff, had a nap, and went I to explore Munich. I ended up taking a city walking tour, where I learned all kinds of neat things about the city. I also met Anna, a woman from Winnipeg, on the tour. She and I were planning to do the same tour of the Dachau concentration camp the next day. We met up for the tour and then just hung out at a beer garden and chatted over a couple of Radler (beer mixed with sprite). I am now a beer drinker, folks. Yeah, yeah, bug me about it not being real beer, whatever. It's a first step, leave me alone! ;) A few good Bavarian meals, a few good beers, a few (ok, a lot) of pictures, and a very sobering tour of Dachau, and off I go now to Switzerland.
For those of you who are asking me if I'm taking pictures, let me jsut say this: it's going to take me WEEKS to sort through, post, and write captions for all the stinkin' photos I'm taking. I've got almost 700 already. In five days. And no, I will not subject any of you to all of them. I'm still working on geting a few posted here. I hae to get them off my camera first. Soon, I hope (mainly cause my cards are filling up!).
So thanks for all your comments! It's always fun to read them when I get a chance to check email! For now, I'm off to bed. I have to leave Colleen's place at 6:10am tomorrow! Eep.
Hope you're all doing wonderfully! I'll try to post again soon!
Tschüss!
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Ten things I've learned in Paris
Number one - All the chairs on the terraces of the cafes face the street. It's like rows in a theatre. I think that's kinda of neat - all the better to watch the world go by.
Number two - Those buttons on the poles that have the walk/don't walk signs do not control pedestrian lights like they do at home. Instead, a recorded voice repeats what intersection you are at - over... and over... and over... - until the light changes. It's especially loud when there is a big crowd of people who saw you push the button. Funny, that.
Number three - Many major monuments and buildings are beautifully lit up at night. It makes for some great photos. Those lights, however, all shut off at 1am. I learned this immediately after I had found the perfect spot to take a photo of the Hotel de Ville (city hall), had set up my camera, had my body all contorted and my finger on the button. *poof!* No more lights. WAAAAH!
Number four - The Metro closes at 12:30am. This is why I was at the Hotel de Ville at 1am. I went out for a very late dinner, missed the metro cutoff, and so had to walk back to my hostel.
Number five - it's a reeeally long way from where I ate dinner (near Notre Dame) to my hostel. It took me an hour and a half on foot to get back.
Number six - It wasn't too bad, because Paris is really easy to find your way around (when armed with a map!). Of course, as I was jotting this thought down on my walk back to the hostel, I missed my street and all of a sudden found myself in a muuuch quieter neighbourhood with no restaurants or touristy stuff whatsoever. I ducked into a little tiny cafe to check my map and it turn out I had walked ten minutes past my turn. Oops.
Number seven - Red lights in Paris actually mean stop. So do amber lights. They don't mean, like they do in Vancouver, keep driving, only faster, cause hey, I've got somewhere to go! It took a while to realize what that strange feeling was. It was cars stopping at red lights. Huh. Someone come teach Vancouverites that... please?!?!
Number eight - Number seven is a good thing, because heaven help you if you are a pedestrian in the way of a car. In Vancouver, cars yeild to pedestrians. Here, cars say, "I'm a car, I am powerful, you are in my way, and if you don't get out of the way, I WILL MOW YOU DOWN!"
Number nine: There is nothing better than lunch in the Jardins de Luxembourg: baguette, cammenbert, grapes, and white wine overlooking the gardens, a large pond, and the Palais de Luxemburg.
Number ten: Unless, or course, it's sitting in Troccadero Park on the grass above the fountains, just hanging out watching the sun set over and through the Eiffel Tower.
Number two - Those buttons on the poles that have the walk/don't walk signs do not control pedestrian lights like they do at home. Instead, a recorded voice repeats what intersection you are at - over... and over... and over... - until the light changes. It's especially loud when there is a big crowd of people who saw you push the button. Funny, that.
Number three - Many major monuments and buildings are beautifully lit up at night. It makes for some great photos. Those lights, however, all shut off at 1am. I learned this immediately after I had found the perfect spot to take a photo of the Hotel de Ville (city hall), had set up my camera, had my body all contorted and my finger on the button. *poof!* No more lights. WAAAAH!
Number four - The Metro closes at 12:30am. This is why I was at the Hotel de Ville at 1am. I went out for a very late dinner, missed the metro cutoff, and so had to walk back to my hostel.
Number five - it's a reeeally long way from where I ate dinner (near Notre Dame) to my hostel. It took me an hour and a half on foot to get back.
Number six - It wasn't too bad, because Paris is really easy to find your way around (when armed with a map!). Of course, as I was jotting this thought down on my walk back to the hostel, I missed my street and all of a sudden found myself in a muuuch quieter neighbourhood with no restaurants or touristy stuff whatsoever. I ducked into a little tiny cafe to check my map and it turn out I had walked ten minutes past my turn. Oops.
Number seven - Red lights in Paris actually mean stop. So do amber lights. They don't mean, like they do in Vancouver, keep driving, only faster, cause hey, I've got somewhere to go! It took a while to realize what that strange feeling was. It was cars stopping at red lights. Huh. Someone come teach Vancouverites that... please?!?!
Number eight - Number seven is a good thing, because heaven help you if you are a pedestrian in the way of a car. In Vancouver, cars yeild to pedestrians. Here, cars say, "I'm a car, I am powerful, you are in my way, and if you don't get out of the way, I WILL MOW YOU DOWN!"
Number nine: There is nothing better than lunch in the Jardins de Luxembourg: baguette, cammenbert, grapes, and white wine overlooking the gardens, a large pond, and the Palais de Luxemburg.
Number ten: Unless, or course, it's sitting in Troccadero Park on the grass above the fountains, just hanging out watching the sun set over and through the Eiffel Tower.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
Bonjour de Paris!
Here I sit in my hostel in Paris, soooo tired, but sooo pumped! I arrived safe and sound last night. I flew into Amsterdam and then took the train into Paris. I couln't believe I was really here! Once I got settled in my hotel room I wandered the neighbourhood (and had no less than 10 men say hello and ask me how I was. I'm just gonna go with 'they were being friendly and welcoming me to their city) and found a little cafe near the train station for a crepe au sucre. What a perfect first evening!
Today (Friday) I went museum and monument crazy. The Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame, the Centre Pompidou, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower (by night - I'm going to go again during the daytime), and tons of squares, parks, and monuments.
OK. The Eiffel Tower. Did you know it SPARKLES?!?!?!?! Once it gets dark, not only is it all lit up, but every hour on the hour it SPARKLES with tons of tiny lights for maybe 10 minutes or so. SO COOL!
I couldn't belive the art I saw, too. THE Mona Lisa. The stature of Venus de Milo. Paintings by Degas, Money, Rodin, VanGogh, Cezanne, Toulouse Loutrec... I mean, I guess in the back of my head I knew that's what I would be seeing, but wow. I was blown away. Absolutely. Blown. Away.
Tomorrow holds more museums (I'm making the most of my two day museum pass) and some exploring. I'll try to get a few photos up soon (hoo boy, there are tons!). Thanks for checking in!
A bientot! (See you soon!)
Today (Friday) I went museum and monument crazy. The Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame, the Centre Pompidou, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower (by night - I'm going to go again during the daytime), and tons of squares, parks, and monuments.
OK. The Eiffel Tower. Did you know it SPARKLES?!?!?!?! Once it gets dark, not only is it all lit up, but every hour on the hour it SPARKLES with tons of tiny lights for maybe 10 minutes or so. SO COOL!
I couldn't belive the art I saw, too. THE Mona Lisa. The stature of Venus de Milo. Paintings by Degas, Money, Rodin, VanGogh, Cezanne, Toulouse Loutrec... I mean, I guess in the back of my head I knew that's what I would be seeing, but wow. I was blown away. Absolutely. Blown. Away.
Tomorrow holds more museums (I'm making the most of my two day museum pass) and some exploring. I'll try to get a few photos up soon (hoo boy, there are tons!). Thanks for checking in!
A bientot! (See you soon!)
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Bye bye!
Thank you (especially those of you who know me in person!) for putting up with all my giddiness and insanity the last few weeks. Man, I've been annoying myself, so your patience with me has been much appreciated!
And with that.... I'm off!!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Bits 'n' bites
* Introducing... Trudy! Woohoo! I have a new roomie! August really seems to be the month for friends staying with me. Last year it was my friend Cathy who was here from Australia doing an occupational therapy practicum. This year it's my friend Trudy who's crashing at my place while she finds a place to stay! Yippee! Of course, I'll only actually get to be roomies with her for about a week and a half, but hey.
* Sunday Tradition: Yesterday I did the last (for now!) in a series of Sunday hikes. Just cause I had to work doesn't mean I can't enjoy my vacation on the weekends! Every Sunday in July a small group of friends and I have gone for a hike and then for a swim in the ocean. It's been dubbed the "Sunday Tradition." The only day we didn't swim was yesterday cause it was cold-ish and kinda rainy, but I figure, it was raining, so we got wet... that counts, right? I'm trying even to think of all the hikes we did: the Chief (in June), Brother's Creek, Deep Cove/Quarry Rock (ok, that doesn't totally count as a hike, but I'm keeping it in anyhow!), Hollyburn, Elfin Lakes, High Falls Creek. I think that's it. It's been so great to get out into the mountians and enjoy.
* Elfin Lakes! I can't believe I haven't talked about this yet. This is just going to be the Coles Notes version... My friends Brian, Rebecca, Dave, Angela, and I went camping/backpacking two weekends ago ('member my freakout about having so much to do and still going camping? Hee hee). It was AMAZING. We hiked in to camp in Friday evening and got to watch the sun set over high alpine meadows and snowy peaks as we hiked. Saturday we did a day hike to the rim of an old volcanic crater. Most of the valley had been scraped away by a glacier hundreds of years ago, so it was fairly barren, but so beautiful. And hot. It was somewhere in the range of 35 degrees that day. Hot hot hot. BUT, there was still snow! It was perfect, we'd grab a handful and rub it on our necks or our arms to cool off. Or we'd 'help' eachother get cooled off via snowball fight! We hiked up a ridge but decided to take the gully down. We boot skiied and bum skiied down most of the way. Wheehaw! The evening saw us swimming in the lake (coldcoldcold!) and eventually lying out looking at the stars, complete with several of the shooting variety. We hiked out on Sunday, went for a swim in the ocean when we got down, and finished the evening with burgers and beer (a margarita for me!) in Kitsilano. Ahhh. It was beeeeautiful!
Pictures from the weekend are here (I was going to tantalize you with a few perview photos, but dumBlogger isn't letting me upload photos... again! Ach, just click the link!)
* Taking care of business: Whoah boy. I woke up this morning and realized that I have TWO days till I leave. TWO. I thought that, oh, about three seconds ago there were still two WEEKS left. Appartently not! I have been on the go since about 6:30 this morning cleaning, packing, organizing, phoning, booking (I got my nights booked in Vernazza - YEAH! I was having a hard time and thought I wouldn't be able to stay there), running errands, and shopping for random trip stuff. Still. It's insane. BUT, I crossed almost everything off my list today. If I play my cards right, I can be done everything by early evening tomorrow and just chill out. YESSSSS!
* Somebody stop me: My two splurges today? Decent-ish seats for Aida at the Roman arena in Verona, Italy, and an mp3 player. I wanted some music to take, I was going to rip a bunch of my CDs into mp3s then cram a bunch of albums onto a few discs and just use my discman. I tired it, then realized my discman is 10 years old. Mp3s no workie on 10 year old discman. Grrr. So I sucked it up and joined the mp3 crowd. I got a smoking deal on it, plus a free extended warranty (it had been purchased and returned, but still is in perfect condition). Turns out when I plugged it in to charge it, it's full of music, too! Score! Is that normal, or did I just inherit the previous owner's playlist? Whatever, free music! Yippee!
* Adrenaline: I think that's about the only thing keeping me going right now. I really should sleep. Once the laundry is done. And the blue bin'o'junk is cleaned out (the one where I shoved all the stuff I didn't have time to clean up before I had company on Saturday. Yeah. You know you do that, too.). And once I play around with my new mp3 player. Ha!
* Sunday Tradition: Yesterday I did the last (for now!) in a series of Sunday hikes. Just cause I had to work doesn't mean I can't enjoy my vacation on the weekends! Every Sunday in July a small group of friends and I have gone for a hike and then for a swim in the ocean. It's been dubbed the "Sunday Tradition." The only day we didn't swim was yesterday cause it was cold-ish and kinda rainy, but I figure, it was raining, so we got wet... that counts, right? I'm trying even to think of all the hikes we did: the Chief (in June), Brother's Creek, Deep Cove/Quarry Rock (ok, that doesn't totally count as a hike, but I'm keeping it in anyhow!), Hollyburn, Elfin Lakes, High Falls Creek. I think that's it. It's been so great to get out into the mountians and enjoy.
* Elfin Lakes! I can't believe I haven't talked about this yet. This is just going to be the Coles Notes version... My friends Brian, Rebecca, Dave, Angela, and I went camping/backpacking two weekends ago ('member my freakout about having so much to do and still going camping? Hee hee). It was AMAZING. We hiked in to camp in Friday evening and got to watch the sun set over high alpine meadows and snowy peaks as we hiked. Saturday we did a day hike to the rim of an old volcanic crater. Most of the valley had been scraped away by a glacier hundreds of years ago, so it was fairly barren, but so beautiful. And hot. It was somewhere in the range of 35 degrees that day. Hot hot hot. BUT, there was still snow! It was perfect, we'd grab a handful and rub it on our necks or our arms to cool off. Or we'd 'help' eachother get cooled off via snowball fight! We hiked up a ridge but decided to take the gully down. We boot skiied and bum skiied down most of the way. Wheehaw! The evening saw us swimming in the lake (coldcoldcold!) and eventually lying out looking at the stars, complete with several of the shooting variety. We hiked out on Sunday, went for a swim in the ocean when we got down, and finished the evening with burgers and beer (a margarita for me!) in Kitsilano. Ahhh. It was beeeeautiful!
Pictures from the weekend are here (I was going to tantalize you with a few perview photos, but dumBlogger isn't letting me upload photos... again! Ach, just click the link!)
* Taking care of business: Whoah boy. I woke up this morning and realized that I have TWO days till I leave. TWO. I thought that, oh, about three seconds ago there were still two WEEKS left. Appartently not! I have been on the go since about 6:30 this morning cleaning, packing, organizing, phoning, booking (I got my nights booked in Vernazza - YEAH! I was having a hard time and thought I wouldn't be able to stay there), running errands, and shopping for random trip stuff. Still. It's insane. BUT, I crossed almost everything off my list today. If I play my cards right, I can be done everything by early evening tomorrow and just chill out. YESSSSS!
* Somebody stop me: My two splurges today? Decent-ish seats for Aida at the Roman arena in Verona, Italy, and an mp3 player. I wanted some music to take, I was going to rip a bunch of my CDs into mp3s then cram a bunch of albums onto a few discs and just use my discman. I tired it, then realized my discman is 10 years old. Mp3s no workie on 10 year old discman. Grrr. So I sucked it up and joined the mp3 crowd. I got a smoking deal on it, plus a free extended warranty (it had been purchased and returned, but still is in perfect condition). Turns out when I plugged it in to charge it, it's full of music, too! Score! Is that normal, or did I just inherit the previous owner's playlist? Whatever, free music! Yippee!
* Adrenaline: I think that's about the only thing keeping me going right now. I really should sleep. Once the laundry is done. And the blue bin'o'junk is cleaned out (the one where I shoved all the stuff I didn't have time to clean up before I had company on Saturday. Yeah. You know you do that, too.). And once I play around with my new mp3 player. Ha!
Friday, July 28, 2006
More Summer School Cuteness
This series of drawings was given to me by Elsie, a 5 year old in my morning class. She had been watching me closely that day and had drawn four portraits (look closely... she even drew my flip flops!). I asked her to explain each one...
(1) "You're at the piano" (2) "You're looking for Plexers*" (3) "You're looking at the question book." (4) "You're tired."
How true it is, how true it is. But yay! It's the last day of Summer School!
___________________
* Plexers are little word puzzles I put up on the board each day, like " laJUMPke " Anyone? Anyone?
(1) "You're at the piano" (2) "You're looking for Plexers*" (3) "You're looking at the question book." (4) "You're tired."
How true it is, how true it is. But yay! It's the last day of Summer School!
___________________
* Plexers are little word puzzles I put up on the board each day, like " laJUMPke " Anyone? Anyone?
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Dis-card
Welcome to yet another glimpse of my inner crazy...
I'm doing a major cleanup at my house right now, and once again, I am faced with the dilemma of what to do with old cards. I have a stack of them that I just don't know what to do with. I hate throwing cards out, because the person obviously cared enough to pick it out, write it, and send/give it to me. On the other hand, if I kept every card ever given to me, I would need a whole room just to store them. I might be kinda messy sometimes, but I will NEVER end up like those poor folks on "Clean Sweep" with one room in their house devoted to piles and piles and piles of useless junk! Nevah!
Particularly meaningful cards I keep in a special box, but the rest? I waffle around and eventually put them into the recycling, but not without much guilt, and then usually only after they've been sitting in a file or a pile on my shelf for months and months. Why do I do this? It's not like I'm going to insult the person who gave it to me! Sheesh, it's just a card!
What do you do with cards you are given?
I'm doing a major cleanup at my house right now, and once again, I am faced with the dilemma of what to do with old cards. I have a stack of them that I just don't know what to do with. I hate throwing cards out, because the person obviously cared enough to pick it out, write it, and send/give it to me. On the other hand, if I kept every card ever given to me, I would need a whole room just to store them. I might be kinda messy sometimes, but I will NEVER end up like those poor folks on "Clean Sweep" with one room in their house devoted to piles and piles and piles of useless junk! Nevah!
Particularly meaningful cards I keep in a special box, but the rest? I waffle around and eventually put them into the recycling, but not without much guilt, and then usually only after they've been sitting in a file or a pile on my shelf for months and months. Why do I do this? It's not like I'm going to insult the person who gave it to me! Sheesh, it's just a card!
What do you do with cards you are given?
Monday, July 24, 2006
That's it! *UPDATED!*
I have had enough. My monitor is crap and my back is a twizzler stick everytime I sit down at my computer. Which is often. I just downloaded my pictures from my fantastic fantastic fantastic weekend and they look like garbage on my way-too-dark monitor.
I am leaving right. now. to buy a new monitor. No, really. I've said it before (here and here) but I'm going this time.
Stay tuned (right, cause you really care that much! Tee hee).
I am leaving right. now. to buy a new monitor. No, really. I've said it before (here and here) but I'm going this time.
Stay tuned (right, cause you really care that much! Tee hee).
------------ UPDATED, 9:17pm ------------
Oh my gosh! The colours! They're so bright! My back! It's straight!
(My desk! It's so clean!)
_____Before______________________________________After_____
Notice how washed out the colours are in the 'before' picture? Before I knew my old monitor was so bad, I thought my photos looked bad cause of my camera. I adjusted each and every one so that the colour looked "right." D'oh.
Bye bye old monitor!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
I am certifiably INSANE
I have aBOUT a bazillion things to do before I leave. Stuff to do, stuff to buy, bookings to make, cities to research. A house to get spic and span (oh and trust me, there's a LOT to do in that departnemt) before my friend moves in for the month of August. And one more week of summer school to teach.
And I am going camping alllll weekend. It's gonna be fantastic, and I wouldn't cancel for anything, but
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
And I am going camping alllll weekend. It's gonna be fantastic, and I wouldn't cancel for anything, but
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Two weeks from RIGHT NOW
I will be sitting in the airport, waiting to board my plane. HOLY SMOKES! When I put that little ticker up there I nearly had a heart attack, cause it was telling me 15 days. Surely I punched in the date wrong. But noooo! I have SOOOO much to do still, EEK!
Ok, I'm going to give you fair warning. I will be posting a whole bunch about my trip in the next two weeks (and will do as much posting as I can while I'm away, cause hey, that's kinda one of the points of a blog, now, isn't it!).
Anyway, I'm just sitting here squealing with glee cause I found out that the day I arrive in the Cinque Terra (5 tiny fishing villages on Italy's north west coast), there is a fireworks display! A spectacle of lights set off from the beach over the sea, says the website. Squeeee!
Ok, I'm going to give you fair warning. I will be posting a whole bunch about my trip in the next two weeks (and will do as much posting as I can while I'm away, cause hey, that's kinda one of the points of a blog, now, isn't it!).
Anyway, I'm just sitting here squealing with glee cause I found out that the day I arrive in the Cinque Terra (5 tiny fishing villages on Italy's north west coast), there is a fireworks display! A spectacle of lights set off from the beach over the sea, says the website. Squeeee!
Monday, July 17, 2006
My delight
Tonight was our young adults BBQ down at Kits beach. It's once a month during the summer - we all bring something to BBQ, hang out, play some goofy games (yay - water balloon toss!), and have a brief talk/discussion time. Part of the discussion revolved around the question of what we take delight in. It was so good to be able to stop and reflect on that again tonight.
Even just the word struck me. Delight. How often do we as adults feel delighted at something? Why does it seem like it's only children who delight in things sometimes? I want to be more of a person who takes delight in things, who thrills, who marvels at the world around me - the big stuff and the little - and at all that God has done for us.
I feel like I'm getting a fresh sense of who God is these days, and of how mind-blowingly huge his love for us is. Between good talks with friends, the current sermon series (Darrell Johnson) at my church, and spending a whole lot of time in the mountains and at the beach, I'm finding lots of opportunity for delight these days.
I find my delight in nature, particularly the ocean (I've mentionned this before). The quiet and the earthy smell of the woods and the majesty of the mountains around me, too, puts me in awe of God. Music touches me in a particular way, too, and when the two of those are combined, wow.
I also take delight in the sunset, gelato, giggling kids, blueberry crumble, being silly with friends, giving or getting a hug, rollercoasters, the sun on my face, a good talk with a good friend...
What do you take delight in?
Even just the word struck me. Delight. How often do we as adults feel delighted at something? Why does it seem like it's only children who delight in things sometimes? I want to be more of a person who takes delight in things, who thrills, who marvels at the world around me - the big stuff and the little - and at all that God has done for us.
I feel like I'm getting a fresh sense of who God is these days, and of how mind-blowingly huge his love for us is. Between good talks with friends, the current sermon series (Darrell Johnson) at my church, and spending a whole lot of time in the mountains and at the beach, I'm finding lots of opportunity for delight these days.
I find my delight in nature, particularly the ocean (I've mentionned this before). The quiet and the earthy smell of the woods and the majesty of the mountains around me, too, puts me in awe of God. Music touches me in a particular way, too, and when the two of those are combined, wow.
I also take delight in the sunset, gelato, giggling kids, blueberry crumble, being silly with friends, giving or getting a hug, rollercoasters, the sun on my face, a good talk with a good friend...
What do you take delight in?
Sunday, July 16, 2006
You'd think his legs would get tired
This guy's crazy idea to make a video where he danced in every place he travelled to got picked up by a gum company and got him a sponsored trip around the world to dance... and dance... and dance...
(video will now play from this page, just click play!)
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Escaped kisses
In my afternoon class at summer school, I'm teaching 11 kids who have just finished kindergarten and are going into grade one. So they're five, maaaybe six. Two of the kids, a boy and a girl, have been inseparable since the beginning of summer school. Today, Safad* came up to me and announced: "Miss Hillary, Susanne* just kissed me."
I laughed to myself, thinking, there's got to be some appropriate teacher-y thing to say here, but I have no idea what it is. I was too amused to think of anything quick enough. These kids are little. They do stuff like that. Honestly, I think it's just super cute, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.
"Oh. What do you want me to do?"
He grinned. "Nothing." And off he went, back to the special teacher's chair to scrunch up with Suzanne and finish reading the book they were sharing.
I called over to Suzanne, "Suzanne, I know Safad is your friend, but we don't kiss at school."
She called back, with all the innocence of a child:
"I know. I couldn't help it. I just LIKE him sooo much!"
_____________
* Names changed
I laughed to myself, thinking, there's got to be some appropriate teacher-y thing to say here, but I have no idea what it is. I was too amused to think of anything quick enough. These kids are little. They do stuff like that. Honestly, I think it's just super cute, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.
"Oh. What do you want me to do?"
He grinned. "Nothing." And off he went, back to the special teacher's chair to scrunch up with Suzanne and finish reading the book they were sharing.
I called over to Suzanne, "Suzanne, I know Safad is your friend, but we don't kiss at school."
She called back, with all the innocence of a child:
"I know. I couldn't help it. I just LIKE him sooo much!"
_____________
* Names changed
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Just let it marinate
I have a confession to make: I want what I want and I want it now.
If we're honest, isn't that the way we all feel sometimes? (Back me up on this one here, folks!) Why is waiting just so stinking hard somtimes? I want something to happen, whether it's an opportunity, a relationship, a posession, a change in myself, or whatever, and I want it to happen now. Poof! Instant satisfaction.
Problem is, God just doesn't work that way. He seems to reeealy like to make us wait. And wait. And wait. And wonder what the heck he's up to.
There are a few situations in my life these days where I so want things to be different than they are, but it seems there is just absolutely no way that that is going to happen right now. One (among many) of those situations involves a friend of mine. Our friendship has taken a bit of a beating, I guess. I used to talk to this person regularly, but a series of events transpired and we don't really talk much anymore. Right now, it feels like I've lost a good friend, and it makes me sad. I think time will make things better, but I want them to be better now. I miss my friend. There a few other situations, too, and every time I think about trying to change things a little, I come up against a brick wall. Ok, God, I get it.
No. Not now. Patience. Wait. In the words of a wise philosopher named Hitch, "Just let it marinate."
I get tired of sitting around in the muck and the goo, but I guess it's necessary in order to let the things God wants to teach me soak in, to permeate my character. (Um, did I just compare myself to meat?)
It's learning to be content with the way things are that I think is going to be a big lesson for me these days. And so here I sit, wondering what God's got up his sleeve, knowing that sometimes the most important things are teh things he does in us in the waiting times. I know that God is good, and that he has got great plans for my life. I've just got to learn to do that whole patience thing a little bit better.
If we're honest, isn't that the way we all feel sometimes? (Back me up on this one here, folks!) Why is waiting just so stinking hard somtimes? I want something to happen, whether it's an opportunity, a relationship, a posession, a change in myself, or whatever, and I want it to happen now. Poof! Instant satisfaction.
Problem is, God just doesn't work that way. He seems to reeealy like to make us wait. And wait. And wait. And wonder what the heck he's up to.
There are a few situations in my life these days where I so want things to be different than they are, but it seems there is just absolutely no way that that is going to happen right now. One (among many) of those situations involves a friend of mine. Our friendship has taken a bit of a beating, I guess. I used to talk to this person regularly, but a series of events transpired and we don't really talk much anymore. Right now, it feels like I've lost a good friend, and it makes me sad. I think time will make things better, but I want them to be better now. I miss my friend. There a few other situations, too, and every time I think about trying to change things a little, I come up against a brick wall. Ok, God, I get it.
No. Not now. Patience. Wait. In the words of a wise philosopher named Hitch, "Just let it marinate."
I get tired of sitting around in the muck and the goo, but I guess it's necessary in order to let the things God wants to teach me soak in, to permeate my character. (Um, did I just compare myself to meat?)
It's learning to be content with the way things are that I think is going to be a big lesson for me these days. And so here I sit, wondering what God's got up his sleeve, knowing that sometimes the most important things are teh things he does in us in the waiting times. I know that God is good, and that he has got great plans for my life. I've just got to learn to do that whole patience thing a little bit better.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Gross Negligence
Well. For a near daily blogger a while back, I've been a tad absent the last... oh, MONTH or so. Yikers. I begged ya for comments then ran away (thanks for all the comments, by the way!). Life has gotten a little insane latey, but it's all oh-so-good. Summer is HERE! Here are some snippets from the last little while...
Trip planning: I've spent more time on the computer than I care to admit resarching places to stay, things to do. I have almost all my accomodations booked now, and have learned a few phrases in Italian, like "con vista grande, si possibile, per favore" (with a big view, if possible, please) and that a room is called a camera. I've decided that learning a few phrases like Basta! (enough!) and Non mi tocci (Don't touch me) would also be beneficial. Also in the phrasebook in the "help for women" section: Tu sei disgustoso (you're disgusting), Crepi! (drop dead), and Ho una malattia contagiosa (I have an infectious disease). I guess that would deter someone, now wouldn't it?
Summer School: I've got two classes, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, each with eleven kids. Oh my, it's sooo much easier than last year. I had never done anything like it last year, so spent HOURS after school preparing and trying to figure out what on earth was going on. This year, I already have almost everything planned. There's still stuff to prepare, but not nearly as much. All the better to enjoy the summer by!
Visiting: My very bestest friend in the whole wide world (Rachelle) was up from Iowa with her family visiting this past week, so I got to see her, Nathan, Mattias, and baby X. I love love LOVE it when I get to spend time with them! (DumBlogger isn't letting me post pictures right now, so click here for a picture till I can get it up on my blog)
Fruit: I am addicted to cherries. And peaches. And cherries. And blueberries. And did I mention cherries? (Again, there should be a picture here. Instead it's here. Thanks, Brian, for use of the photo!)
SUMMER FUN: Oh boy. Where do I start... over the last two weekends I have spent so much time outside, at BBQs, hiking (3 times), swimming in the ocean (4 times, woohoo!), hanging out with friends, watching sunsets, seeing fireworks, having great conversations ... it has been absolutely PERFECT. And tonight I went to Bard on the Beach - Vancouver's annual Shakespeare festival performed with the ocean, sky and mountains as a backdrop - with a big gang of people, too. There's a backpacking trip in the works one weekend in July, and hopefully the continuation of the newly formed Sunday tradition of church-lunch-hike-swim-chill with friends. Just what the summer should be, even if I do have to work! Brian, Brad, Kirsten, Vanessa, Rebecca and the rest... you have all made these days what they were! Thank you!
Trip planning: I've spent more time on the computer than I care to admit resarching places to stay, things to do. I have almost all my accomodations booked now, and have learned a few phrases in Italian, like "con vista grande, si possibile, per favore" (with a big view, if possible, please) and that a room is called a camera. I've decided that learning a few phrases like Basta! (enough!) and Non mi tocci (Don't touch me) would also be beneficial. Also in the phrasebook in the "help for women" section: Tu sei disgustoso (you're disgusting), Crepi! (drop dead), and Ho una malattia contagiosa (I have an infectious disease). I guess that would deter someone, now wouldn't it?
Summer School: I've got two classes, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, each with eleven kids. Oh my, it's sooo much easier than last year. I had never done anything like it last year, so spent HOURS after school preparing and trying to figure out what on earth was going on. This year, I already have almost everything planned. There's still stuff to prepare, but not nearly as much. All the better to enjoy the summer by!
Visiting: My very bestest friend in the whole wide world (Rachelle) was up from Iowa with her family visiting this past week, so I got to see her, Nathan, Mattias, and baby X. I love love LOVE it when I get to spend time with them! (DumBlogger isn't letting me post pictures right now, so click here for a picture till I can get it up on my blog)
Fruit: I am addicted to cherries. And peaches. And cherries. And blueberries. And did I mention cherries? (Again, there should be a picture here. Instead it's here. Thanks, Brian, for use of the photo!)
SUMMER FUN: Oh boy. Where do I start... over the last two weekends I have spent so much time outside, at BBQs, hiking (3 times), swimming in the ocean (4 times, woohoo!), hanging out with friends, watching sunsets, seeing fireworks, having great conversations ... it has been absolutely PERFECT. And tonight I went to Bard on the Beach - Vancouver's annual Shakespeare festival performed with the ocean, sky and mountains as a backdrop - with a big gang of people, too. There's a backpacking trip in the works one weekend in July, and hopefully the continuation of the newly formed Sunday tradition of church-lunch-hike-swim-chill with friends. Just what the summer should be, even if I do have to work! Brian, Brad, Kirsten, Vanessa, Rebecca and the rest... you have all made these days what they were! Thank you!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Thank you!
Yikes, this is a tad overdue.
I got my package from the candy swap! A big box-o-goodies arrived for me in the mail and I'm thouroughly enjoying the goodies! Thank you, Cherie, who sent me a pacacke of yummies made right in her home town - chocolate (a music note! So cute!), Holland mints (how appropriate, given my trip!), caramel licorice, among other things. Thanks so much!
Marla, your sweets are on their way!
I got my package from the candy swap! A big box-o-goodies arrived for me in the mail and I'm thouroughly enjoying the goodies! Thank you, Cherie, who sent me a pacacke of yummies made right in her home town - chocolate (a music note! So cute!), Holland mints (how appropriate, given my trip!), caramel licorice, among other things. Thanks so much!
Marla, your sweets are on their way!
Monday, July 03, 2006
School's out!!!
Wahooieee!
The last two weeks have been INSANE (as evidenced by my barely-there bloggging), but Friday at 5:00pm, I left school and started summer holidays! Yes, 5:00. Sick. Oh well, at least I left. What a crazy, crazy last week. This is somewhat of a "catching up" post. Beware. It's looong! :o)
Grade 7 Airbands: Every year, I have done a history of Rock and Roll unit with my grade 7's. We trace the roots of rock and roll all the way back to Africa and learn about it's evolution. It's great fun! At the end of the year, I have the kids get into groups, choose a song from the 50's or 60's, and put together an airband show. They perform in the gym on the stage for their peers and for the grade sixes, who I tell will be doing the same thing next year. It's always SO much fun, and the kids do a fantastic job. Everyone is clapping along, and cheering, especially for groups that aren't quite as polished as others. It's a really positive, fun morning. This year was no exception (except for two girls who weren't happy with their group so made up some story about having to go to Victoria for the day. Their teacher and I saw through that lie immediately, called them both in the evening to say that they had to come to school the next day. Well, they never showed. Even when their teacher called them in the morning and told them to get their butts to school. I couldn't believe it! I was so mad. But, I was also SO impressed with the rest of their group, cause they totally revamped their performance without the two prisses and performed anyway. I was so proud of them!). For nearly two hours, we had the gym rocking to songs like Surfin' USA, It's My Party, Magic Carpet Ride, Big Spender, and on and on. The kids were fantastic! I'm going to miss doing that unit with them next year!
Talent Show: Every year on the last day of school, we do a talent show. All the kids pile into the gym and watch sing, dance, play the piano, do marshal arts, tell jokes, do gymnastics, etc etc etc. Some kids are adorable, some kids have amazing talent, other kids... well... it's good that they want to get up and perform in front of nearly 700 people. I've always enjoyed the talent show, but without fail there are one or two acts that make me shake my head and wish these kids would just be KIDS. This year, some of the songs the kids chose to sing was disappointing. THREE groups/performers sang Unfaithful: "And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful/And it kills him inside/To know that I am happy with some other guy/I don't wanna do this anymore/I don't wanna be the reason why/Every time I walk out the door/I see him die a little more inside"
I'm sorry, but NINE year olds don't need to be singing about heartbreak and flagrant cheating. I wish artists would realize the impact they have on kids and actually write stuff that could make a positive impression. I know, I know, music isn't all for kids. I guess I just get so frustrated that kids are forced to grow up so fast, and that acts like that are approved. One of the students who sang this song was a grade four BOY. It killed me to hear all the grade six and seven kids snickering (loudly) when he got to the line "to know that I am happy with some other guy." ARG! Can we not set limits on what kids can sing/do at the talent show??? I'll just remember instead the kids like the little kindergarten boy who got up and belted out "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" accapella into the mic. A song appropriate for his age, and oh so very cute!
Goodbyes: The kids finished up on Thursday of last week, and we had our staff party Thursday night, then Friday we a big breakfast prepared for us by our administrators. The year end food fest is really rather ridiculous, but oh so YUMMY! Our principal runs a cooking school in the south of France every summer, if that gives you an idea of the gourmet style food we get whenever she's involved in something! After breakfast we acknowledge all the people who will be leaving our school for transfers, retirements, maternity leaves, etc. There are gifts and speeches and general warm wishes all around. It's always sad to see people go, but this year was particularly difficult because of two teachers who are leaving out school - Mr S and Mr G.
Mr G is transferring to another school after about 10 years at my school. The school will not be the same without him. He is the most grounded, kind, helpful person. He's always willing to help out, particularly with computer woes, answer a question, or give encouragement. He's taught me a lot and I've been so grateful for the support he's given me in my music program over the last three years. It will be so strange to not have him there next year.
Mr S is retiring this year, after 37 years of teaching. It's his job that I am taking over, but that does not in any way mean I am glad to see him go. Like Mr G, he has been such an inspiration to me as I am at the beginning of my career. He has taught me so much. Plus, he is one of the most friendly people I know! He was the first teacher I met when I got to the school and he gave me a great big welcome, really made me feel a part of the school right away. He always has fabulous stories of his travels and his former students. But most of all, he has an incredible way with the kids. He may be 50 odd years older than them, but he has a gift for empathizing with them, for seeing the world through their eyes, and for cutting through all the crap they try to throw at him but still treating the kids with such respect. He instills self confidence and self esteem in every student. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say he is a role model for me and for how I want to treat my students. There was hardly a dry eye in the house when saying our goodbyes to Mr S. The school will simply not be the same without him there.
Packing up: The last order of business for this school year for me was packing up my classroom and moving upstairs. After the breakfast (and about 2 hours of yakking with the people who were still finishing things up! Hey, this is ME we're talking about here!) I got down to business in my room - boxing things up, sorting through files, making trips up and down the stairs and/or elevator and loading everything into my new classroom. It really started to sink in that, HOLY SMOKES! this is MY classroom. MY kids. MY responsibility. *GULP* I am so excited to head back in August and get organized and set up, and get planning for the start of school. After a good long holiday, of course.
Ah yes, holidays. My brain is so in holiday mode right now. After the fantastic Canada Day I had yesterday, a short hike and another swim in the ocean after church today, and a long hike and, you guessed it, another swim planned for tomorrow, I couldn't be happier! Summer school starts Tuesday, but I'm gonna enjoy every second of this hot summer long weekend while I can! YES!!!
The last two weeks have been INSANE (as evidenced by my barely-there bloggging), but Friday at 5:00pm, I left school and started summer holidays! Yes, 5:00. Sick. Oh well, at least I left. What a crazy, crazy last week. This is somewhat of a "catching up" post. Beware. It's looong! :o)
Grade 7 Airbands: Every year, I have done a history of Rock and Roll unit with my grade 7's. We trace the roots of rock and roll all the way back to Africa and learn about it's evolution. It's great fun! At the end of the year, I have the kids get into groups, choose a song from the 50's or 60's, and put together an airband show. They perform in the gym on the stage for their peers and for the grade sixes, who I tell will be doing the same thing next year. It's always SO much fun, and the kids do a fantastic job. Everyone is clapping along, and cheering, especially for groups that aren't quite as polished as others. It's a really positive, fun morning. This year was no exception (except for two girls who weren't happy with their group so made up some story about having to go to Victoria for the day. Their teacher and I saw through that lie immediately, called them both in the evening to say that they had to come to school the next day. Well, they never showed. Even when their teacher called them in the morning and told them to get their butts to school. I couldn't believe it! I was so mad. But, I was also SO impressed with the rest of their group, cause they totally revamped their performance without the two prisses and performed anyway. I was so proud of them!). For nearly two hours, we had the gym rocking to songs like Surfin' USA, It's My Party, Magic Carpet Ride, Big Spender, and on and on. The kids were fantastic! I'm going to miss doing that unit with them next year!
Talent Show: Every year on the last day of school, we do a talent show. All the kids pile into the gym and watch sing, dance, play the piano, do marshal arts, tell jokes, do gymnastics, etc etc etc. Some kids are adorable, some kids have amazing talent, other kids... well... it's good that they want to get up and perform in front of nearly 700 people. I've always enjoyed the talent show, but without fail there are one or two acts that make me shake my head and wish these kids would just be KIDS. This year, some of the songs the kids chose to sing was disappointing. THREE groups/performers sang Unfaithful: "And I know that he knows I'm unfaithful/And it kills him inside/To know that I am happy with some other guy/I don't wanna do this anymore/I don't wanna be the reason why/Every time I walk out the door/I see him die a little more inside"
I'm sorry, but NINE year olds don't need to be singing about heartbreak and flagrant cheating. I wish artists would realize the impact they have on kids and actually write stuff that could make a positive impression. I know, I know, music isn't all for kids. I guess I just get so frustrated that kids are forced to grow up so fast, and that acts like that are approved. One of the students who sang this song was a grade four BOY. It killed me to hear all the grade six and seven kids snickering (loudly) when he got to the line "to know that I am happy with some other guy." ARG! Can we not set limits on what kids can sing/do at the talent show??? I'll just remember instead the kids like the little kindergarten boy who got up and belted out "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" accapella into the mic. A song appropriate for his age, and oh so very cute!
Goodbyes: The kids finished up on Thursday of last week, and we had our staff party Thursday night, then Friday we a big breakfast prepared for us by our administrators. The year end food fest is really rather ridiculous, but oh so YUMMY! Our principal runs a cooking school in the south of France every summer, if that gives you an idea of the gourmet style food we get whenever she's involved in something! After breakfast we acknowledge all the people who will be leaving our school for transfers, retirements, maternity leaves, etc. There are gifts and speeches and general warm wishes all around. It's always sad to see people go, but this year was particularly difficult because of two teachers who are leaving out school - Mr S and Mr G.
Mr G is transferring to another school after about 10 years at my school. The school will not be the same without him. He is the most grounded, kind, helpful person. He's always willing to help out, particularly with computer woes, answer a question, or give encouragement. He's taught me a lot and I've been so grateful for the support he's given me in my music program over the last three years. It will be so strange to not have him there next year.
Mr S is retiring this year, after 37 years of teaching. It's his job that I am taking over, but that does not in any way mean I am glad to see him go. Like Mr G, he has been such an inspiration to me as I am at the beginning of my career. He has taught me so much. Plus, he is one of the most friendly people I know! He was the first teacher I met when I got to the school and he gave me a great big welcome, really made me feel a part of the school right away. He always has fabulous stories of his travels and his former students. But most of all, he has an incredible way with the kids. He may be 50 odd years older than them, but he has a gift for empathizing with them, for seeing the world through their eyes, and for cutting through all the crap they try to throw at him but still treating the kids with such respect. He instills self confidence and self esteem in every student. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say he is a role model for me and for how I want to treat my students. There was hardly a dry eye in the house when saying our goodbyes to Mr S. The school will simply not be the same without him there.
Packing up: The last order of business for this school year for me was packing up my classroom and moving upstairs. After the breakfast (and about 2 hours of yakking with the people who were still finishing things up! Hey, this is ME we're talking about here!) I got down to business in my room - boxing things up, sorting through files, making trips up and down the stairs and/or elevator and loading everything into my new classroom. It really started to sink in that, HOLY SMOKES! this is MY classroom. MY kids. MY responsibility. *GULP* I am so excited to head back in August and get organized and set up, and get planning for the start of school. After a good long holiday, of course.
Ah yes, holidays. My brain is so in holiday mode right now. After the fantastic Canada Day I had yesterday, a short hike and another swim in the ocean after church today, and a long hike and, you guessed it, another swim planned for tomorrow, I couldn't be happier! Summer school starts Tuesday, but I'm gonna enjoy every second of this hot summer long weekend while I can! YES!!!
Sunday, July 02, 2006
O CanaD'oh!
Shoot! I missed it! It's officially no longer Canada Day. Happy Canada Day anyway!
I had a fabulous day today! It was officially the first day of summer holidays (last day of work was yesterday, yippeeeeee! Yeah yeah, I'm back at sumemr school on Tuesday, shhhh, let me have my moment!) and boy was it a quintissential summer day! The day started off with a BBQ down at Locarno Beach. Bocce, swimming, tanning, hanging out - we did it all. We then headed downtown to the False Creek/Yaletown area to catch some of the Jazz Festival, though whether what we were listening to was Jazz or not is debatable. Oh well, it was live music in the park near the water, so who cares! Then off we went to English Bay. We grabbed soem dinner and ate on the beach, then walked along the Stanley Park seawall to Siwash Rock and settled in to watch the Canada Day fireworks (we began to wonder if they were actually happening cause they got started so late!). We even had a little bonfire going. Of ocurse, then we had to walk allll the way back to Yaletown where our cars were - about a 5 or 6 km walk.
The day was fantastic! What a great way to celebrate Canada's 139th birthday and the start of summer! Yahoo!
I had a fabulous day today! It was officially the first day of summer holidays (last day of work was yesterday, yippeeeeee! Yeah yeah, I'm back at sumemr school on Tuesday, shhhh, let me have my moment!) and boy was it a quintissential summer day! The day started off with a BBQ down at Locarno Beach. Bocce, swimming, tanning, hanging out - we did it all. We then headed downtown to the False Creek/Yaletown area to catch some of the Jazz Festival, though whether what we were listening to was Jazz or not is debatable. Oh well, it was live music in the park near the water, so who cares! Then off we went to English Bay. We grabbed soem dinner and ate on the beach, then walked along the Stanley Park seawall to Siwash Rock and settled in to watch the Canada Day fireworks (we began to wonder if they were actually happening cause they got started so late!). We even had a little bonfire going. Of ocurse, then we had to walk allll the way back to Yaletown where our cars were - about a 5 or 6 km walk.
The day was fantastic! What a great way to celebrate Canada's 139th birthday and the start of summer! Yahoo!
Happy Canada Day!
Friday, June 23, 2006
Counting Down *UPDATED*
~ update below ~
Yes, I'm counting down the days till school's out (four), but that's not what this countdown is about. My lil blog here is nearing 20,000 hits since I installed my statcounter back in May 2005. That's peanuts for some, but kinda fun for me!So, you have a job... See that "Countdown to 20,000" in the sidebar to the right? See the number underneath it? If you're looking at it and it says 20,000, you WIN! *ding ding ding* Leave a comment or email me with your email address and I'll tell you what your prize will be!
And hey, while we're at it, if you're reading this, you need to comment! Yes. You. If you don't have a blogger account, that's ok! Just click "comments" then choose "other to leave your name. It's my goal to have
Counting down... as of the time I published this post, only 253 hits left to go!
(hey... you! Back away from that refresh button! ;)
***************************
Well, I got my 20,000th visitor! Unfortunately #20,000 hit refresh 42 times to get there, but hey, what are ya gonna do? If I don't count that one, then the REAL 20,000 was someone from Victoria, BC who finds my blog via "my yahoo." They were here around 11:30pm on Tuesday June 27. Was that you? Say hello!
Anyway, thanks all for playing along with my game! Still a few comments to go to hit my (revamped) goal....
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
ka-BOOM!
That, my friends, is the sound of my head exploding. I have too. much. to. do. There's just too much going on right now, and it's making me carzy. See? So carzy that I can't even spell crazy right!
Stuff to do to get my house in order (ha! like THAT'S ever gonna happen). Stuff to do for Retiring Teacher's party. Stuff to do to get my classroom all packed up for the move upstairs to "real teacher land." Stuff to do to get ready for summer school. Stuff to do to get ready for my trip. Stuff to do to get ready to go river rafting this weekend. (Oh, yeah, I'm going river rafting this weekend, yipee!) Stuff to do for just general living. (Mental note, I need to buy milk.)
AAHHHH! I need myself a serious "stuff to do" list or I'm gonna go bonkers. (Of course, here I am bloggin instead of tackling some of my gargantuan list of things to do, but that's beside the piont. Hush!)
OK. Rant done. Carry on, people, carry on.
This week I've started to tell my students, many of whom I've had for three years now, that I won't be the music teacher at my school anymore. I've gotten a range of reactions from cheering (thanks a lot, twits! ... actually, come to think about it, the kids who cheered are the kids I'm not really gonna miss dealing with anyway, so nyah nyah, it's mutual, kiddos! eep, did that just come out of my... er... fingertips? I mean, I love all my little darlings equally, yes, that's it...) to a dear sweet grade two girl wailing, "Oh, nooo! What will I ever do without my favourite music teacher?!?!?!?" then promptly running up and throwing her arms around my waist. A little dramatic, yes, but still... warm fuzzies! Well, not so much when I had to pry her off, but you get the idea.
But it really is hitting me that I won't be, well, the whole school's teacher next year. I LOVE coming back from getting coffee or a bite to eat at lunch and having throngs of primary students run up to me all waving and smiling. "Hi Ms! Bonjour Madame! Hello Ms!" Or looking out over the sea of heads at assemblies and thinking, "These are all 'my' kids!" And I'll miss interacting withh all the staff, too. Right now, I talk to everyone, because I teach their classes. But next year, I won't even see the primary staff that often becasue we'll have different recess times.
So in the midst of the chaos, frustration, and exhaustion of the last few weeks of school, I'm enjoying the moments that make me smile: A grade one student announcing to his teacher after I told him I was going to teach grade 5 next year, "Ms. is going to be a REAL teacher next year!" Students spontaneously bursting into a song I've taught them when I pass them in the halls. A grade 8 girl who came back to visit and still remembers some silly chant I did with her at the beginning of grade 7. It's that kind of thing that makes me sad to be moving on. I made all the kids promise to still say hi to me when they see me in the halls! :D
Stuff to do to get my house in order (ha! like THAT'S ever gonna happen). Stuff to do for Retiring Teacher's party. Stuff to do to get my classroom all packed up for the move upstairs to "real teacher land." Stuff to do to get ready for summer school. Stuff to do to get ready for my trip. Stuff to do to get ready to go river rafting this weekend. (Oh, yeah, I'm going river rafting this weekend, yipee!) Stuff to do for just general living. (Mental note, I need to buy milk.)
AAHHHH! I need myself a serious "stuff to do" list or I'm gonna go bonkers. (Of course, here I am bloggin instead of tackling some of my gargantuan list of things to do, but that's beside the piont. Hush!)
OK. Rant done. Carry on, people, carry on.
~~~~~~~
This week I've started to tell my students, many of whom I've had for three years now, that I won't be the music teacher at my school anymore. I've gotten a range of reactions from cheering (thanks a lot, twits! ... actually, come to think about it, the kids who cheered are the kids I'm not really gonna miss dealing with anyway, so nyah nyah, it's mutual, kiddos! eep, did that just come out of my... er... fingertips? I mean, I love all my little darlings equally, yes, that's it...) to a dear sweet grade two girl wailing, "Oh, nooo! What will I ever do without my favourite music teacher?!?!?!?" then promptly running up and throwing her arms around my waist. A little dramatic, yes, but still... warm fuzzies! Well, not so much when I had to pry her off, but you get the idea.
But it really is hitting me that I won't be, well, the whole school's teacher next year. I LOVE coming back from getting coffee or a bite to eat at lunch and having throngs of primary students run up to me all waving and smiling. "Hi Ms! Bonjour Madame! Hello Ms!" Or looking out over the sea of heads at assemblies and thinking, "These are all 'my' kids!" And I'll miss interacting withh all the staff, too. Right now, I talk to everyone, because I teach their classes. But next year, I won't even see the primary staff that often becasue we'll have different recess times.
So in the midst of the chaos, frustration, and exhaustion of the last few weeks of school, I'm enjoying the moments that make me smile: A grade one student announcing to his teacher after I told him I was going to teach grade 5 next year, "Ms. is going to be a REAL teacher next year!" Students spontaneously bursting into a song I've taught them when I pass them in the halls. A grade 8 girl who came back to visit and still remembers some silly chant I did with her at the beginning of grade 7. It's that kind of thing that makes me sad to be moving on. I made all the kids promise to still say hi to me when they see me in the halls! :D
~~~~~~~
A special hello to Auntie Connie! She's the bestest! *grin*
Saturday, June 17, 2006
I'm leeeaving, on a jet plane!
Well, the ticket is bought, so there's no going back now...
I'm going to Europe this August for three and a half weeks!!! You can't see me right now, but I'm jumping up and down in my chair with glee!!!!! I'll be gone August 2-26, covering six countries.
So far the itinerary looks something like this:
Fly into Amsterdam, spend the evening/night there. I'll head to Belgium for a day in Brussels and a day in the medieval town of Brugge. On to Paris for 4 days, then to Munich to visit my friend Colleen for 2 days. I'll spend 4 days in Switzerland covering Zurich, Bern, and Lugano in the Swiss Alps, then spend a day and a half in Verona, Italy, home to Romeo & Juliet and the third largest Roman arena in existence. If I can get tickets, I may go see an opera in the arena. Then off I go to the Italian Riviera for 2 days in Cinque Terra, a series of five villages built right into the cliffs. I'll make my way back to the south of France for a day in Avignon, a day in Aix-En-Provence, and finish off with 2 and a half days in Nice. After some sunbathing on the French Riviera, I'll take a train back to Amsterdam and spend a day and a half exploring there before I fly back home.
I have so much to do! Rail passes to buy, hostels to book, cities ot research! I've been pouring over tour books and the internet for the last week, getting started on my plans.
Oh boy oh boy oh boy!!! I'm going to Europe!!!
I'm going to Europe this August for three and a half weeks!!! You can't see me right now, but I'm jumping up and down in my chair with glee!!!!! I'll be gone August 2-26, covering six countries.
So far the itinerary looks something like this:
Fly into Amsterdam, spend the evening/night there. I'll head to Belgium for a day in Brussels and a day in the medieval town of Brugge. On to Paris for 4 days, then to Munich to visit my friend Colleen for 2 days. I'll spend 4 days in Switzerland covering Zurich, Bern, and Lugano in the Swiss Alps, then spend a day and a half in Verona, Italy, home to Romeo & Juliet and the third largest Roman arena in existence. If I can get tickets, I may go see an opera in the arena. Then off I go to the Italian Riviera for 2 days in Cinque Terra, a series of five villages built right into the cliffs. I'll make my way back to the south of France for a day in Avignon, a day in Aix-En-Provence, and finish off with 2 and a half days in Nice. After some sunbathing on the French Riviera, I'll take a train back to Amsterdam and spend a day and a half exploring there before I fly back home.
I have so much to do! Rail passes to buy, hostels to book, cities ot research! I've been pouring over tour books and the internet for the last week, getting started on my plans.
Oh boy oh boy oh boy!!! I'm going to Europe!!!
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Coping mechanisms
This last week has nearly driven me to drink. Well, ok, not nearly... I treated myself to TWO coolers last night. Something I SO rarely do. And it showed. (Right, Brad?) Ug. Everything is driving me crazy these days. The kids. Other teachers. My classroom. Report cards. My house. Myself. I'm overtired, I'm stressed out, I'm SO ready for school to be over.
The only thing that is holding what's left of my sanity together is the thought that, "Whatever, I won't have to deal with this next year."
I am SOOO glad that I'm not going to be teaching music next year. I've loved it, most times, but I'm D-O-N-E. No more trying to work around everybody else's field trips and special events. No more cleaning up half-finished latte cups full of soured milk left in my classroom by the teacher I share my room with. No more five thousand different ways people want their report cards. No more finding out at the last minute that the performances I've been planning for weeks will be pre-empted by basket ball games. No more not being able to follow through with ridiculous behaviour in my class. My kids will be my own, my reports will be my own, my schedule will be my own.
Next year will be different.
Only 11 teaching days left...
The only thing that is holding what's left of my sanity together is the thought that, "Whatever, I won't have to deal with this next year."
I am SOOO glad that I'm not going to be teaching music next year. I've loved it, most times, but I'm D-O-N-E. No more trying to work around everybody else's field trips and special events. No more cleaning up half-finished latte cups full of soured milk left in my classroom by the teacher I share my room with. No more five thousand different ways people want their report cards. No more finding out at the last minute that the performances I've been planning for weeks will be pre-empted by basket ball games. No more not being able to follow through with ridiculous behaviour in my class. My kids will be my own, my reports will be my own, my schedule will be my own.
Next year will be different.
Only 11 teaching days left...
Friday, June 09, 2006
And today was Friday
After the week o' drama, I was kinda hoping for a calm day today. And I was almost home free, too. The kids were gone, I had handed in my marks to all the classroom teachers before school, and I was packing up my stuff to go when one teacher told me that I had to have a particular comment set on my report cards. A set I, indeed, did not include (an overall evaluative statement using specific wording designated by the ministry of education: "___ meets/does not meet, fully meets, etc expectations in music this term.").
"Oh, no, not for music. I was told last year that I wasn't supposed to use that comment set for music."
Well, it turns out that indeed, I am, even though the comments *I* wrote instead say essentially the exact same thing, with a few specifics added to highlight what we've done all term.
Goody.
I had just finished giving the marks and comments to all the teachers, and some had even entered them in their report card program already. Aaaand, now they have to be changed. It ends up being a fairly easy fix (if you have comment #16, also choose #1, if you have #17, choose #2, etc), but still... it's another weird confusing wrinkle for classroom teachers to figure out, it's an annoyance for them, and it's going to make ME look like I don't know what I'm doing when really I was going on incorrect information. Whatever, most of the teachers at my school are really understanding and it won't be a big deal at all to go back into the system and click an extra box for each child. But RAR! I sure wish I had correct info to go on when I STARTED the report cards, instead of after I had them all DONE!
This hiccup today made me realize something about myself: I'm no good at dealing with a change in plans. I find a solution quickly, and it all works out, but when I have got something planned out (in my head or otehrwise) and there's a last minute change thrown in, I go temporarily insane. My stress level shoots waaaay up, and I go into major frustration mode for a bit until stuff gets figured out. And the way I deal with stress? I talk.
"Oh my gosh I was told not to use these comments so I didn't and now I've given out all my marks only to find out that I DO have to use them and what will I do my life is over I'll have to spend my whole weekend redoing my marks and everyone's gonna be so mad at me and and and... AAHHHHHHH!"
And it always gets figured out. And it's never usually a very big deal. It just seems that way in my head. In my crazy, crazy head.
*deep sigh*
"Oh, no, not for music. I was told last year that I wasn't supposed to use that comment set for music."
Well, it turns out that indeed, I am, even though the comments *I* wrote instead say essentially the exact same thing, with a few specifics added to highlight what we've done all term.
Goody.
I had just finished giving the marks and comments to all the teachers, and some had even entered them in their report card program already. Aaaand, now they have to be changed. It ends up being a fairly easy fix (if you have comment #16, also choose #1, if you have #17, choose #2, etc), but still... it's another weird confusing wrinkle for classroom teachers to figure out, it's an annoyance for them, and it's going to make ME look like I don't know what I'm doing when really I was going on incorrect information. Whatever, most of the teachers at my school are really understanding and it won't be a big deal at all to go back into the system and click an extra box for each child. But RAR! I sure wish I had correct info to go on when I STARTED the report cards, instead of after I had them all DONE!
This hiccup today made me realize something about myself: I'm no good at dealing with a change in plans. I find a solution quickly, and it all works out, but when I have got something planned out (in my head or otehrwise) and there's a last minute change thrown in, I go temporarily insane. My stress level shoots waaaay up, and I go into major frustration mode for a bit until stuff gets figured out. And the way I deal with stress? I talk.
"Oh my gosh I was told not to use these comments so I didn't and now I've given out all my marks only to find out that I DO have to use them and what will I do my life is over I'll have to spend my whole weekend redoing my marks and everyone's gonna be so mad at me and and and... AAHHHHHHH!"
And it always gets figured out. And it's never usually a very big deal. It just seems that way in my head. In my crazy, crazy head.
*deep sigh*
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Va Va VOOM!
I've got a new blog of the week! See those big red lips over there in my side bar? Click em! Vavavoom is an Aussie with a really fun site. There's lots to explore. Plus, in her post titled "OOPS" she's got a HILARIOUS video of a blooper on an "American Idol" style show. You've got to see it to believe it!
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