We got up early my last day there, had breakfast, and went to an internet café to skype our parents. Once again, however, things did not go as planned. This specific internet café had glacial-paced internet, and skype was not downloaded onto the computers. This makes sense, though, given the fact that it lacked webcams as well. About fifteen minutes later, we gave up on that, grabbed an international calling card, and called home from a payphone.
My trip back to the airport and ride home couldn’t have gone more smoothly, though. The guy next to me on the plane spoke perfect English and was super helpful. He helped me find a bus that would take me from the airport back to Ansan, and even waited outside with me to make sure I got on okay.
When I write it all down, it sounds a bit hectic and frustrating. When it was actually happening, however, it was just really comical. I’m super glad I spent Christmas with Jaime…and I think all the chaos kept us busy enough that we didn’t have time to get homesick.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Christmas 2011: Japan with Jaime (Day 3)
Christmas Day
Christmas Day started off pretty late again. We went out for a perfect Christmas brunch at a small café/restaurant not far from our hostel, and then set off for a smaller town (still huge, though) called Nara. This place is famous for free-range deer that will walk right up to you and eat straight from your hand. We thought it sounded Christmasy enough to feed deer small, so off we went. We hit up another temple first, with the biggest Buddha statue in Japan (the world? Japan? I don’t remember), and then took out our cameras for the deer experience. It was pretty wild. The deer are a bit aggressive, and one bit and slobbered all over my jacket.
One the way back to Osaka we planned on going to a spa. We got off the train at the stop closest to SpaWorld, and figured we could find somewhere to have Christmas dinner along the way. Ok. So, it was a good thing we had a peaceful, quaint Christmas breakfast, because our dinner was anything but such. We apparently stopped in the most ghetto neighborhood in Japan. We had a hard time finding a decent restaurant, but eventually settled for one out of sheer hunger and coldness. The food was good…nothing like some good ole sushi on Christmas (actually, it was exactly what I was in the mood for)…but the environment left a bit to be desired. The drunk table next to us kept asking us, via charades, if we had any cigarettes. And a heavily intoxicated man from another table approached us on his way out and asked in broken English where we were from and if we were “a pair.” Alright.
Then there was the spa. The communal, nude bath house. Once we stopped giggling about how awkward it was, it was actually amazing. It was the perfect thing to do after being cold all day, and was actually super rejuvenating. There were wooden-barrel baths, stone baths, middle-eastern baths, a steam room, a salt scrub room, and even outdoor baths that had giant tea bags in them. It felt like I was in a giant cup of peppermint and jasmine tea. Well, I guess I kind of was. While in the salt scrub room, a handful of Japanese women about our age knew enough English to explain what to do with the giant goblet of salt in the middle of the room. I appreciated their help, but it was definitely a new experience to converse with complete strangers, in a well-lit room, completely in the buff. We ended our time there with a massage, and then headed to the train station.
After buying our non-refundable tickets, we were informed that our train didn’t run again until 4 a.m. Interesting. Thankfully the taxi ride was pretty cheap.
Christmas Day started off pretty late again. We went out for a perfect Christmas brunch at a small café/restaurant not far from our hostel, and then set off for a smaller town (still huge, though) called Nara. This place is famous for free-range deer that will walk right up to you and eat straight from your hand. We thought it sounded Christmasy enough to feed deer small, so off we went. We hit up another temple first, with the biggest Buddha statue in Japan (the world? Japan? I don’t remember), and then took out our cameras for the deer experience. It was pretty wild. The deer are a bit aggressive, and one bit and slobbered all over my jacket.
One the way back to Osaka we planned on going to a spa. We got off the train at the stop closest to SpaWorld, and figured we could find somewhere to have Christmas dinner along the way. Ok. So, it was a good thing we had a peaceful, quaint Christmas breakfast, because our dinner was anything but such. We apparently stopped in the most ghetto neighborhood in Japan. We had a hard time finding a decent restaurant, but eventually settled for one out of sheer hunger and coldness. The food was good…nothing like some good ole sushi on Christmas (actually, it was exactly what I was in the mood for)…but the environment left a bit to be desired. The drunk table next to us kept asking us, via charades, if we had any cigarettes. And a heavily intoxicated man from another table approached us on his way out and asked in broken English where we were from and if we were “a pair.” Alright.
Then there was the spa. The communal, nude bath house. Once we stopped giggling about how awkward it was, it was actually amazing. It was the perfect thing to do after being cold all day, and was actually super rejuvenating. There were wooden-barrel baths, stone baths, middle-eastern baths, a steam room, a salt scrub room, and even outdoor baths that had giant tea bags in them. It felt like I was in a giant cup of peppermint and jasmine tea. Well, I guess I kind of was. While in the salt scrub room, a handful of Japanese women about our age knew enough English to explain what to do with the giant goblet of salt in the middle of the room. I appreciated their help, but it was definitely a new experience to converse with complete strangers, in a well-lit room, completely in the buff. We ended our time there with a massage, and then headed to the train station.
After buying our non-refundable tickets, we were informed that our train didn’t run again until 4 a.m. Interesting. Thankfully the taxi ride was pretty cheap.
Christmas 2011: Japan with Jaime (Day 2)
Day number two started around noon.
Sleeping in on vacation was absolutely necessary. We got a yummy brunch, and then hit up a beautiful Buddhist temple.
Then we decided to go shopping. Jaime wanted to pick up a dress for New Years, and there was an awesome street full of stores and restaurants right along the water. We were on a mission to have a certain type of noodles and tempura for dinner, but we couldn't find a restaurant that served it for the life of us. We were just about to give up when a Japanese man tried to give me a flyer to somewhere. I usually take the fliers and just dump them off somewhere else, but Jaime laughed at me for taking them often enough that I finally decided to blow the guy off. But then low and behold, he said the word “tempura” and got our attention again. We followed him down an alley and found the exact type of restaurant we were looking for!
At the end of the night we were planning on doing some karaoke, but were too exhausted. We ended up just chilling with some of the other travelers at our hostel and exchanged stories.
Sleeping in on vacation was absolutely necessary. We got a yummy brunch, and then hit up a beautiful Buddhist temple.
Then we decided to go shopping. Jaime wanted to pick up a dress for New Years, and there was an awesome street full of stores and restaurants right along the water. We were on a mission to have a certain type of noodles and tempura for dinner, but we couldn't find a restaurant that served it for the life of us. We were just about to give up when a Japanese man tried to give me a flyer to somewhere. I usually take the fliers and just dump them off somewhere else, but Jaime laughed at me for taking them often enough that I finally decided to blow the guy off. But then low and behold, he said the word “tempura” and got our attention again. We followed him down an alley and found the exact type of restaurant we were looking for!
At the end of the night we were planning on doing some karaoke, but were too exhausted. We ended up just chilling with some of the other travelers at our hostel and exchanged stories.
Christmas 2011: Japan with Jaime (Night 1)
She knew we needed to take the train to get from the airport to our hostel, and that it was about an hour away. Ironing out the details was a bit complicated though. To make a long story short, it took us about two and half hours to get there. Why did it take us so long? Well, we managed to lose the paper the directions were scribbled down on (actually, pretty much our whole weekend itinerary was mapped out) while waiting at the train station. We realized this as we frantically searched for them when it came time to transfer trains. I had thankfully written down our hostel address and phone number though, so Jaime was able to call them for directions. We called them a grand total of five times, in the midst of taking three wrong trains and getting off at a completely random station.
We eventually made it to the right stop. Exhausted and carrying heavy bags, we decided not to risk it and just hopped in a taxi. The taxi driver didn’t recognize the name of the hostel though. This was not looking good. So, once again, we called the hostel. When we gave the phone to the taxi driver, he talked for about 30 seconds and then started laughing, glancing back at us periodically. It cost us $7 to drive one block. We were apparently right next to it.
Given that we were so excited to see each other, though, all of this was actually quite funny to us. Thankfully.
We dropped our bags off at the hostel, freshened up a bit, and then decided to head over to a Christmas festival and sight-seeing tower to take in the view of the city. As we’re standing outside our hostel, trying to make sense of our map, two Japanese men asked if we needed help. They ended up taking us to the festival, seeing the sights with us, and showed us a great little tavern-style restaurant where they ordered all the traditional foods…including some very questionably-textured raw seafood dishes. At the end of the night, they helped us get back to the hostel, and bid farewell. Completely random, but fun and helpful.
Needless to say, we crashed into a deep sleep the first night.
The Issue of Nationality
A Quick, Entertaining Story
I've been asked three times in the last two weeks if I am a Russian woman by various cab drivers. I found this intriguing. I mentioned it to a friend, and he informed me that most Russian women here are prostitutes. Um... Ok. So either they ask every foreign female they see, with hopes of getting lucky...or I need to change my style of clothing. (It's winter, however, so I'm typically bundled up in a jacket and mittens. I don't think it's my clothing.)
That leads me to one other thing. Many of my students here...and cab drivers...and random people I meet...are all very entertained by my mittens. I'm not sure why. I bought them here in Korea. But they all ask me, via charades, if they are oven mitts. Perfect. I guess my sense of fashion isn't up to par here.
South Korea
I've looked through the documents on my computer, and came across a journal entry I made on the flight over here. It reads as follows:
What I’ve Noticed So Far… (And what has been the theme the past three months here.)
...is that things have a way of magically working out.
A Few Examples:
A new computer, with a webcam and all the bells and whistles to make Skyping easier, showed up the day before I left for Korea. (Thanks!)
Also, I forgot how to get to the employee parking lot of the Milwaukee Airport...where I was supposed to drop of my dad's car and catch my flight. Literally within two minutes of needing to make a lane change decision, my dad called and confirmed the route. (Keep in mind, this was at 3am... perfect timing!)
Then, the shuttle (that Dad didn’t even think was running that early in the morning) showed up right behind me after I parked, and asked if I wanted a ride. I hadn't even gotten two parking spots from Dad’s car!
And I've had no delays with my flights, and no problems with security or anything so far.
Some Perks of Traveling with Asiana Air
The plane comes with accommodations!
The plane comes with accommodations!
- Slippers
- A warm wash cloth
- Red wine
- Water
- My choice of a Western or Korean meal (The Western meal sold me when it came with chocolate cake.
- And a second meal after that: spicy octopus…huh. (They ran out of the Western option by the time they got to me...I guess it's time to start eating like a Korean!)
From doing a little people-watching, I've concluded that they...well, at least the Korean people on my flight... are incredibly helpful. In fact, they almost compete with each other to see who is more helpful and polite. Example: A lady dropped her blanket and pillow in the airplane and the flight attendant rushed over to help her. When the lady saw she was coming, she tried to rush to grab it herself. Then the woman actually offered it to the flight attendant (just in case she wanted it?).
My only complaint right now, besides missing home like none other, and being incredibly tired…is that I wish my cup of water was bigger. I’m rather dehydrated. (It turns out that will be a complaint my entire time here...they have very small cups compared to America - and they only fill them halfway.) If those are my biggest concerns, however, I think I’m doing ok.
I keep going back and forth between a mixture of straight up fear and near panic about submerging myself in a culture so foreign, with a language I know nothing about…and excitement and almost laughter that I’ve put myself in such an adventuresome situation again. Korea. Who would have ever thought.
(A quick side note: I had a four hour layover in the Chicago airport, and given the fact that I didn't sleep at all the night prior, I decided to take a nap. When I fell asleep, I was in a completely empty terminal. When I woke up, I was surrounded by about 50-100 people speaking very fast Korean. I'm pretty sure I was the only foreigner about to board that flight. Either way, it was an intense way to wake up and a fairly accurate segue into the next year of my life. It was also a bit unsettling.)
With that being said, thank goodness for Skype! Not the same, but being able to see my family will be fun. And I can show them my apartment. And I can see how everyone grows and changes. Hopefully that will make Christmas away from home a bit easier. I wonder how the plans with Jaime will work out.
As for now, I need to get some sleep. I hope I don’t sleep through the meal.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Time to Play Catch Up: Arriving in Green River, Utah
The Drive:
It took 2 days to drive from Sacramento, California to Green River, Utah. Under normal circumstances it would have taken a day, but driving a government van means you have to play by a lot of rules. We stopped the first night at a hotel and casino set up that still allowed smoking in the hallways, and had an entire wall of mirrors in each room. It was...classy. Or maybe it wasn't. You can decide.
The drive itself was a bit strange. We have our 15 passenger van and a mini van (to bring to tools in) and only four drivers. In Americorps, drivers are only allowed to drive for two hours before they are made to switch as a safety precaution. BTW, I am one of the drivers now. I was trained over the transition in Sacramento because one of the drivers broke her ankle, and another lost her license. As a result of having two cars and only four drivers, I spent exactly half of the road trip behind the wheel. Once we got past all of the snow and mountains in the Tahoe area, the scenery was similar to what you could expect to see driving on the moon. It was very flat and bare. And at one point, the desert was so flooded out that all you could see was water, starting at the edge of the highway, and reaching out as far as you could see.
Our Greeting:
I am driving the lead van when we finally pull off the highway and make our way to Green River. As we approach the end of the exit ramp, we notice a group of guys all piled into the back of a pick up truck, singing, dancing, and waving American flags. Oh boy. This place is starting of a bit strange. We try to avoid them and pull around them, but they block our way. We reinspect the scene, and begin to wonder if they are there to greet us. Are they the people we'll be working for?! We decide to take a gamble and follow them as they parade us through town. We end up at the Community Center, where they hop out of the truck and formally introduce themselves. Wow. This is going to be interesting, haha. We enter the Community Center and have a brief greeting and introduction. We go on a walking tour around town (there's no need for cars here...it's very small) and have it explained that most buildings aren't what they say they are...in fact, most buildings are empty and completely run down. We make it back to the Center and are immediately put to work. We haven't put our bags in the house yet...we haven't even seen the house. Yet, here we go to pick up the students from school and run the after school camp. As soon as the kids get fed and sent home, we are asked to attend a Habitat for Humanity Ground Breaking Ceremony. Immediately after this, I am asked to go to the Habitat for Humanity board of directors meeting, since I will be one of the key people working on the house in our two months in Utah. So I go directly to another building for a meeting that lasts about an hour. The meeting ends in prayer...in my government uniform...yeah. Anyway, I'm contemplating how random the day has been, and how exhausted I am as I make my way home. I walk through our front door, ready for a shower and bed, but that's not in the cards just yet. As I walk past our living room, I notice my entire team is playing cards with two very well dressed men. Mormon missionaries. Apparently they come by the house every Tuesday night and hang out for a bit. Huh. I decline joining the game of rummy, take a shower, and pass out on the top bunk.
It took 2 days to drive from Sacramento, California to Green River, Utah. Under normal circumstances it would have taken a day, but driving a government van means you have to play by a lot of rules. We stopped the first night at a hotel and casino set up that still allowed smoking in the hallways, and had an entire wall of mirrors in each room. It was...classy. Or maybe it wasn't. You can decide.
The drive itself was a bit strange. We have our 15 passenger van and a mini van (to bring to tools in) and only four drivers. In Americorps, drivers are only allowed to drive for two hours before they are made to switch as a safety precaution. BTW, I am one of the drivers now. I was trained over the transition in Sacramento because one of the drivers broke her ankle, and another lost her license. As a result of having two cars and only four drivers, I spent exactly half of the road trip behind the wheel. Once we got past all of the snow and mountains in the Tahoe area, the scenery was similar to what you could expect to see driving on the moon. It was very flat and bare. And at one point, the desert was so flooded out that all you could see was water, starting at the edge of the highway, and reaching out as far as you could see.
Our Greeting:
I am driving the lead van when we finally pull off the highway and make our way to Green River. As we approach the end of the exit ramp, we notice a group of guys all piled into the back of a pick up truck, singing, dancing, and waving American flags. Oh boy. This place is starting of a bit strange. We try to avoid them and pull around them, but they block our way. We reinspect the scene, and begin to wonder if they are there to greet us. Are they the people we'll be working for?! We decide to take a gamble and follow them as they parade us through town. We end up at the Community Center, where they hop out of the truck and formally introduce themselves. Wow. This is going to be interesting, haha. We enter the Community Center and have a brief greeting and introduction. We go on a walking tour around town (there's no need for cars here...it's very small) and have it explained that most buildings aren't what they say they are...in fact, most buildings are empty and completely run down. We make it back to the Center and are immediately put to work. We haven't put our bags in the house yet...we haven't even seen the house. Yet, here we go to pick up the students from school and run the after school camp. As soon as the kids get fed and sent home, we are asked to attend a Habitat for Humanity Ground Breaking Ceremony. Immediately after this, I am asked to go to the Habitat for Humanity board of directors meeting, since I will be one of the key people working on the house in our two months in Utah. So I go directly to another building for a meeting that lasts about an hour. The meeting ends in prayer...in my government uniform...yeah. Anyway, I'm contemplating how random the day has been, and how exhausted I am as I make my way home. I walk through our front door, ready for a shower and bed, but that's not in the cards just yet. As I walk past our living room, I notice my entire team is playing cards with two very well dressed men. Mormon missionaries. Apparently they come by the house every Tuesday night and hang out for a bit. Huh. I decline joining the game of rummy, take a shower, and pass out on the top bunk.
Time to Play Catch Up: Spring Break
So, I have not been very good about keeping up with my blog. The next few posts will cover the highlights of the last 3 months.
Spring Break 2011 (Back in April)
Location: San Diego
We had four days off for Spring Break. A couple teammates decided to go home, a couple had family and friends flying out to visit them. The rest of us decided to rent a hotel in San Diego together. Actually, the original plan was just for Lauren and I to get a hotel room. We decided to save money and get a room in the beautiful Little Italy section of San Diego. The thing is...we got a room called the "Cozy Queen." It is called this because the room itself is hardly bigger than the one queen bed that fits in it. There's a good chance the bathroom was bigger than the room. Either way...the Cozy Queen became home to five of us girls for the four day weekend. Good thing we all get along well. ;)
...I just wrote out the entire description of my Spring Break experience, and then thought better of posting it online. It'll have to suffice to say that it was incredibly fun. You'll have to ask in person if you want the details.
Spring Break 2011 (Back in April)
Location: San Diego
We had four days off for Spring Break. A couple teammates decided to go home, a couple had family and friends flying out to visit them. The rest of us decided to rent a hotel in San Diego together. Actually, the original plan was just for Lauren and I to get a hotel room. We decided to save money and get a room in the beautiful Little Italy section of San Diego. The thing is...we got a room called the "Cozy Queen." It is called this because the room itself is hardly bigger than the one queen bed that fits in it. There's a good chance the bathroom was bigger than the room. Either way...the Cozy Queen became home to five of us girls for the four day weekend. Good thing we all get along well. ;)
...I just wrote out the entire description of my Spring Break experience, and then thought better of posting it online. It'll have to suffice to say that it was incredibly fun. You'll have to ask in person if you want the details.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Music in the Forest
The Hills are Alive...With the Sound of Music:
3 songs completed
1 song on the way
Lindsay and I are on a roll!
I'd mentioned that I wanted to practice playing guitar with others...not just strumming by myself. She was inspired by this, and came back from Christmas break with a harmonica. And so it begun.
The first song was made after work one day. I decided to play guitar. She decided against a nap and brought her harmonica out to meet me. Song number one, her lyrical baby, was based off of a text message in her inbox. I threw some chords together that fit in the key of her harmonica, and the rest just fell into place.
Well, it fell into place with a lot of late-night coffee and an inspirational setting that helped us. We decided that going out into the forsest to write our music was a good thing for two reasons: 1) inspiration 2) we would hopefully not drive the rest of our team crazy this way.
We decided partway through writing this song that we needed to get more coffee. Also, we were a tad bit freaked out listening to the wolves not too far off on our left. As we started walking down, guitar in hand, we heard an animal barking/howling back on our right. This was not okay. Naturally, we took off running. Let me say that it is not easy to run with a half cup of coffee in one hand and a guitar in the other. If I'm being honest, I'll admit to the fact that I almost peed my pants, as I imagined the spectacle of us trying to run in this state, screeching and hollering all the way, terrified of our impending doom.
Song #2:
Song number two branched out of the key of G. One could say it was a slightly more joint effort on the lyrical side. Partway through making this one, we once again decided that it was necessary to make another pot of coffee. We went back to the cabin, made another pot, warmed up our cold hands, and then started to head back to where we left our instruments and notebook. It's much scarier walking into a dark forest, than sitting in it as the sun set. Well, we found our spot again, and lasted about another 20 minutes until we got too freaked out. We decided to head to a spot infront of an unused cabin that had a flood light out front. As we worked a little longer in this location, a mysterious car pulled up directly infront of us. It then backed up next to another cabin, and a man emerged. Now, it's late at night. He had to have seen us, but didn't greet us in any way whatsoever. Thus, once again, we were freaked out.
We decided to run (more gracefully this time) back to our cabin. Then we got curious. We decided that spying on him was a good idea. Unfortunately, we're not very good spies. He spotted us, most likely heard us laughing, and then watched us run away from the trees we were hiding behind. We decided to end our night in the music hall, with only socks on our feet, sliding on the wooden floor. The windows we skidded towards reflected our jittery, caffeinated excitement. There's nothing like feeling like you're in middle school again.
Song #3:
The third song was a much more somber activity. We decided that since we've both been to Ireland, we needed a song that reflected our time there. I'm not quite sure that the storyline behind behind the song has anything to do with our experiences there, but it does have an Irish feel to it. A bit of a haunting, Irish feel.
Last But Not Least:
Our next creation will hopefully be more nature-related. We're thinking that living in a cabin in the woods, and doing our detox will help us tap more into our natural/earthy side. We'll see.
The Excitement Spreads:
My teammate, Lauren, has jumped on the proverbial bandwagon of music as well, and decided to buy a banjo. Yep. No experience with one, but don't worry - the banjo she bought off ebay comes with an instructional dvd. I need to tune it for her soon... The goal is that by April 16th we will have a few songs put together for the whole team to play. April 16th is the date of the local "Fiddle and Barn Dance Competition." Once we heard about this, there was no turning back. We have people on the banjo, harmonica, vocals, guitar, and spoons currently.
The Cherry on Top:
Orpheus, one of the guys we work for, is a composer. As of recently, he is the composer of music for video games. Over the years, however, he has done just about everything. He caught wind that we are a musical team. And just what does he have at his house...the house that we're visiting this weekend? A recording studio. Yep. And he's gonna record our music. Haha. We're kinda excited.
3 songs completed
1 song on the way
Lindsay and I are on a roll!
I'd mentioned that I wanted to practice playing guitar with others...not just strumming by myself. She was inspired by this, and came back from Christmas break with a harmonica. And so it begun.
The first song was made after work one day. I decided to play guitar. She decided against a nap and brought her harmonica out to meet me. Song number one, her lyrical baby, was based off of a text message in her inbox. I threw some chords together that fit in the key of her harmonica, and the rest just fell into place.
Well, it fell into place with a lot of late-night coffee and an inspirational setting that helped us. We decided that going out into the forsest to write our music was a good thing for two reasons: 1) inspiration 2) we would hopefully not drive the rest of our team crazy this way.
We decided partway through writing this song that we needed to get more coffee. Also, we were a tad bit freaked out listening to the wolves not too far off on our left. As we started walking down, guitar in hand, we heard an animal barking/howling back on our right. This was not okay. Naturally, we took off running. Let me say that it is not easy to run with a half cup of coffee in one hand and a guitar in the other. If I'm being honest, I'll admit to the fact that I almost peed my pants, as I imagined the spectacle of us trying to run in this state, screeching and hollering all the way, terrified of our impending doom.
Song #2:
Song number two branched out of the key of G. One could say it was a slightly more joint effort on the lyrical side. Partway through making this one, we once again decided that it was necessary to make another pot of coffee. We went back to the cabin, made another pot, warmed up our cold hands, and then started to head back to where we left our instruments and notebook. It's much scarier walking into a dark forest, than sitting in it as the sun set. Well, we found our spot again, and lasted about another 20 minutes until we got too freaked out. We decided to head to a spot infront of an unused cabin that had a flood light out front. As we worked a little longer in this location, a mysterious car pulled up directly infront of us. It then backed up next to another cabin, and a man emerged. Now, it's late at night. He had to have seen us, but didn't greet us in any way whatsoever. Thus, once again, we were freaked out.
We decided to run (more gracefully this time) back to our cabin. Then we got curious. We decided that spying on him was a good idea. Unfortunately, we're not very good spies. He spotted us, most likely heard us laughing, and then watched us run away from the trees we were hiding behind. We decided to end our night in the music hall, with only socks on our feet, sliding on the wooden floor. The windows we skidded towards reflected our jittery, caffeinated excitement. There's nothing like feeling like you're in middle school again.
Song #3:
The third song was a much more somber activity. We decided that since we've both been to Ireland, we needed a song that reflected our time there. I'm not quite sure that the storyline behind behind the song has anything to do with our experiences there, but it does have an Irish feel to it. A bit of a haunting, Irish feel.
Last But Not Least:
Our next creation will hopefully be more nature-related. We're thinking that living in a cabin in the woods, and doing our detox will help us tap more into our natural/earthy side. We'll see.
The Excitement Spreads:
My teammate, Lauren, has jumped on the proverbial bandwagon of music as well, and decided to buy a banjo. Yep. No experience with one, but don't worry - the banjo she bought off ebay comes with an instructional dvd. I need to tune it for her soon... The goal is that by April 16th we will have a few songs put together for the whole team to play. April 16th is the date of the local "Fiddle and Barn Dance Competition." Once we heard about this, there was no turning back. We have people on the banjo, harmonica, vocals, guitar, and spoons currently.
The Cherry on Top:
Orpheus, one of the guys we work for, is a composer. As of recently, he is the composer of music for video games. Over the years, however, he has done just about everything. He caught wind that we are a musical team. And just what does he have at his house...the house that we're visiting this weekend? A recording studio. Yep. And he's gonna record our music. Haha. We're kinda excited.
Becoming One With Nature
So, things are getting a little crazy in SoCal...
Yes, two of my teammates and I have decided to do a detox. A 3 week long detox. More or less, we've gone vegan on steroids. Unfortunately, we decided to do this the day after we went grocery shopping. Thus, there isn't much to eat.
There is a signed agreement on our cabin wall. You see, this is no ordinary detox. This is a bet. If anybody cheats, we will end up doing the other people's chores (cooking and cleaning) for the last two weeks of this project. If all of us bail out, we will be doing the cooking and cleaning for the only guy on our team...motivation enough.
Today is day two. There are 19 more days. Currently, I miss showers the most. Food is a close second.
The Rules of the Game:
no smoking
no alcohol
no coffee
no meat
no dairy
no saturated fat
no unnatural sugar
no deoderant
no shampoo
no conditioner
(of course no makeup, no perfume, ...nothing.)
Yes, two of my teammates and I have decided to do a detox. A 3 week long detox. More or less, we've gone vegan on steroids. Unfortunately, we decided to do this the day after we went grocery shopping. Thus, there isn't much to eat.
There is a signed agreement on our cabin wall. You see, this is no ordinary detox. This is a bet. If anybody cheats, we will end up doing the other people's chores (cooking and cleaning) for the last two weeks of this project. If all of us bail out, we will be doing the cooking and cleaning for the only guy on our team...motivation enough.
Not wanting to be too negative, we did add a section onto the agreement of things that we could, and should, partake in. Alicia, the maker of this agreement, and googler of the detox plan, has entitled this the "Life Enhancement Section." As suggested in this portion, we are to:
exercise for an additional 45 minutes a day
meditate for 10 minutes
write
think positive thoughts
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Camp Cedar Glen
The Drive:
The drive, which was supposed to be a nine hour commute, turned into a 15 hour ordeal. This is because we had not only our 15 passenger van, but we also had a cargo van...that we shared with three other teams. Those other teams were not going to the same camp, by the way. Americorps law says that we have to stop every 2 hours to switch drivers. So, during one of the transitions, my teammate, Ali, and I decided that we would take the cargo van for a shift. We got into the van, set the mirrors right, and then looked around the gas station parking lot to find that the other vans had already left us. Great. We looked down and saw a pile of directions, containing about four different packets with varying destinations. With not much else to go on, we assumed that we would be following the directions that were on the top. Why not, right?
So, we take of on our little joyride, and everything goes as planned. About an hour and a half into it, I get a text from one of my teammates asking which exit we're by. Um...exit? We left the highway about a half hour ago, and are currently going about 15 mph down a winding mountain road. I quickly call her and ask where she is. They're still on the highway. I asked where exactly we were supposed to be going, because we were just about to Ramona, CA. Turns out, we were doing just fine. But the rest of my team took about a 30 mile detour because they missed their exit. So Ali and I had some time to wander around this lovely little town. We found a music shop with all sorts of fun intstruments, and a pet store with rabbits, turtles, and turantulas! Eventually we found an Americorps van at a gas station. Not our team, but one of the vans we were supposed to be caravaning with. We went over to the grocery store quick, and eventually met up with our team and made it safe and sound to camp.
Our sponsor, Jason, seems like an nice guy. I was liking what he had to say about the camp until he got to the wildlife aspect. Turns out there are black bears, mountian lions (a momma with two babies), wolves, coyotes, turantulas, scorpions, rattlesnakes, ticks, and of course the black widow spider. This wouldn't be quite as unwelcome for me if it hadn't been for a dream I had three nights ago that involved me being mauled by a mountain lion, bear, and wolf. Actually, in my dream, there was also a tiger. And I was in Alaska. And I hid from the wolves in a mini fridge. It was obviously the only safe place to go.
First Day of Work:
Right off the bat, I was on a chainsaw. And apparently will be for the next two weeks, minimum. Wow. So...by the time I made it to lunch, I was already able to feel my arm and back muscles every time I attempted to bring my sandwich up to my mouth. All I have to say is that I'm going to be ripped by the time this is done! Or maybe just incredibly sore. I'm already rocking a sunburn on the back of my neck. And the camp is built into the side of the Vulcan Mountain Range. This means that everything uphill. My cardio system will also be rather impressive by the time I leave here two months from now. I am quite excited to go to bed.
But it's not all bad. It's a major step up from Catalina Island, infact. First, we have a heated cabin, with an indoor kitchen (no more cooking dinners over a campfire!), and showers. And, in my opinion, it's prettier! I enjoy greenery and trees...two things Catalina did not have much of, that Camp Cedar Glen does. We even have a little babbling brook running right down through the middle of camp!
The drive, which was supposed to be a nine hour commute, turned into a 15 hour ordeal. This is because we had not only our 15 passenger van, but we also had a cargo van...that we shared with three other teams. Those other teams were not going to the same camp, by the way. Americorps law says that we have to stop every 2 hours to switch drivers. So, during one of the transitions, my teammate, Ali, and I decided that we would take the cargo van for a shift. We got into the van, set the mirrors right, and then looked around the gas station parking lot to find that the other vans had already left us. Great. We looked down and saw a pile of directions, containing about four different packets with varying destinations. With not much else to go on, we assumed that we would be following the directions that were on the top. Why not, right?
So, we take of on our little joyride, and everything goes as planned. About an hour and a half into it, I get a text from one of my teammates asking which exit we're by. Um...exit? We left the highway about a half hour ago, and are currently going about 15 mph down a winding mountain road. I quickly call her and ask where she is. They're still on the highway. I asked where exactly we were supposed to be going, because we were just about to Ramona, CA. Turns out, we were doing just fine. But the rest of my team took about a 30 mile detour because they missed their exit. So Ali and I had some time to wander around this lovely little town. We found a music shop with all sorts of fun intstruments, and a pet store with rabbits, turtles, and turantulas! Eventually we found an Americorps van at a gas station. Not our team, but one of the vans we were supposed to be caravaning with. We went over to the grocery store quick, and eventually met up with our team and made it safe and sound to camp.
 |
| The little bunny at the pet store in Ramona. |
The First Night:
Our sponsor, Jason, seems like an nice guy. I was liking what he had to say about the camp until he got to the wildlife aspect. Turns out there are black bears, mountian lions (a momma with two babies), wolves, coyotes, turantulas, scorpions, rattlesnakes, ticks, and of course the black widow spider. This wouldn't be quite as unwelcome for me if it hadn't been for a dream I had three nights ago that involved me being mauled by a mountain lion, bear, and wolf. Actually, in my dream, there was also a tiger. And I was in Alaska. And I hid from the wolves in a mini fridge. It was obviously the only safe place to go.
First Day of Work:
Right off the bat, I was on a chainsaw. And apparently will be for the next two weeks, minimum. Wow. So...by the time I made it to lunch, I was already able to feel my arm and back muscles every time I attempted to bring my sandwich up to my mouth. All I have to say is that I'm going to be ripped by the time this is done! Or maybe just incredibly sore. I'm already rocking a sunburn on the back of my neck. And the camp is built into the side of the Vulcan Mountain Range. This means that everything uphill. My cardio system will also be rather impressive by the time I leave here two months from now. I am quite excited to go to bed.
But it's not all bad. It's a major step up from Catalina Island, infact. First, we have a heated cabin, with an indoor kitchen (no more cooking dinners over a campfire!), and showers. And, in my opinion, it's prettier! I enjoy greenery and trees...two things Catalina did not have much of, that Camp Cedar Glen does. We even have a little babbling brook running right down through the middle of camp!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Never Cry Wolf Rescue
An Amazing ISP:
So, I have to do 80 ISP (Independent Service Project) hours to graduate from this program; 100 if I want to get the "Presidential Award." Today marked the last of my 100 hours! And let me tell you, today was fascinating!
There's this place about 10 minutes from base called, "Never Cry Wolf Rescue." The reason why it took us a full hour to find is because it is in someone's backyard. Right. You would expect a place with wolves to be out in the country somewhere. No. This place, home to 8 wolves, is located in a residential neighborhood...in a cul-de-sac, actually. The wolf-dog hybrids are here because people who kept them as pets didn't realize what they were getting themselves into. These animals don't do well in an apartment. The retired sheriff who runs the place actually did a rescue before we got there this morning, and technically has 9 animals there for the next few days. The latest addition is actually a dog, not a wolf. It was tied up in a junk yard. The owner thought he had a wolf on his hands, but it was in fact just a large husky. Next to the actual wolves, though, this dog was tiny! The guy who runs the place doesn't mind whether it's technically a wolf or a dog, he just wants to save its life. You see, any animal that's classified as a wolf, whether it actually is or not, is euthanized once taken to a pound. 
His way of handling these animals is to "ask" them to do things, but never to force them. There's a policy of respect that wolves follow, and so he'll never make them do something they don't want to do. If he brings them to a school, but they don't want to come out of their kennels, then they simply don't leave their kennels.
One cool story that he told us was about how he finds them a new home. He used to take the animals to downtown Sacramento 
Our role there today was to help fill in some of the holes these animals dug...but quite honestly, that only took about a half hour. The most important thing that he wanted us to do was to help "socialize" them. That meant cuddling with them and petting them, and more or less, having an amazing day. What an experience! The random stuff like this is part of why I joined Americorps...three days ago I had no idea that I'd be
So, I have to do 80 ISP (Independent Service Project) hours to graduate from this program; 100 if I want to get the "Presidential Award." Today marked the last of my 100 hours! And let me tell you, today was fascinating!
There's this place about 10 minutes from base called, "Never Cry Wolf Rescue." The reason why it took us a full hour to find is because it is in someone's backyard. Right. You would expect a place with wolves to be out in the country somewhere. No. This place, home to 8 wolves, is located in a residential neighborhood...in a cul-de-sac, actually. The wolf-dog hybrids are here because people who kept them as pets didn't realize what they were getting themselves into. These animals don't do well in an apartment. The retired sheriff who runs the place actually did a rescue before we got there this morning, and technically has 9 animals there for the next few days. The latest addition is actually a dog, not a wolf. It was tied up in a junk yard. The owner thought he had a wolf on his hands, but it was in fact just a large husky. Next to the actual wolves, though, this dog was tiny! The guy who runs the place doesn't mind whether it's technically a wolf or a dog, he just wants to save its life. You see, any animal that's classified as a wolf, whether it actually is or not, is euthanized once taken to a pound. Beyond saving the lives of these animals and trying to find them a new home, there are two or three wolves (the ones that he lets roam around his house...yes, actually inside his living room and kitchen) that actually go into schools and nursing homes to serve therapeutic/educational purposes.
His way of handling these animals is to "ask" them to do things, but never to force them. There's a policy of respect that wolves follow, and so he'll never make them do something they don't want to do. If he brings them to a school, but they don't want to come out of their kennels, then they simply don't leave their kennels.
One cool story that he told us was about how he finds them a new home. He used to take the animals to downtown I have to admit, I was super nervous when we first showed up. Literally, the second we walked up to the fence area, one of the wolves straight up jumped over one of the fences into another enclosed area like it was nothing. Um... Yikes. They howled a bit at us, and paced back and forth. Within minutes the guy had opened the gate and walked us in. Oh. My. Gosh. These are powerful animals. And I had just witnessed how little the fences did to separate us from them. It straight up jumped over the barbed wire fence without even needing a running start. And yet, here we were, actually walking into the fenced area with them. By the end of the day, however, I felt so peaceful, and a bit sad to leave. They were actually pretty darn social and cuddly, especially little Eddie.
Our role there today was to help fill in some of the holes these animals dug...but quite honestly, that only took about a half hour. The most important thing that he wanted us to do was to help "socialize" them. That meant cuddling with them and petting them, and more or less, having an amazing day. What an experience! The random stuff like this is part of why I joined Americorps...three days ago I had no idea that I'd be nuzzled by a 200 lb wolf.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Day
Nothing Gold Can Stay:
This is my last week with my students. We'll be doing custodial work at the school next week while the students are on vacation. That means that this Friday will be our last day with them. I sat up last night making construction paper valentines for each of my students, and it started to hit me. Sometimes you forget how much love you have inside of you until a bunch of squirrelly, germy, adorable children pull it out of you. Without a doubt, there will be students that I think about 20 years from now, and wonder where they're at. I'll wonder if they ever became the veterinarian or artist they wanted to be, if they moved out of The Compound, or if they remember me... The end of this week is going to be hard.
I still am not sure what I want to do for my students in terms of a going away celebration. Nothing seems good enough for them. But then again, I think they'd appreciate almost anything. My simple little valentines elicited about 100 hugs today from my third graders.
Also, some of my students were so excited that it was my birthday today, that they told their brothers and sisters, and thus word got around to the whole school...and I was serenaded with the Happy Birthday song about 10 times today. So cute. Until the students guessed that I was either 16 or 80. Huh.
A Valentine From a Second Grader:
One little girl in my second grade class sheepishly gave me a Valentine. She walked over to me and handed me a folded up piece of loose leaf paper. It had a J on the front.
I opened it up and saw that it was decorated in crayon with a heart, my name in bubble letters, and a rainbow. Then in pencil, there was a picture of us playing together, and then a note:
Oh my gosh. Heartbreaking.
To break up the sappiness just a little bit though, one of my third grade boys ripped up my valentine right away and said that he just didn't want it. Haha, oh boys...
Some Other Updates:
Did I mention yet that my team is back down to 9 people? We apparently can't hold onto the guys on our team. Kristopher, our newest member was only with us for about a week. I swear we don't bite that hard! Apparently his paperwork wasn't going through quickly enough to work at the school with us, and Americorps didn't want him just sitting around waiting, so they switched him to another team doing environmental work.
Also, this last Saturday was the first time in my life that I have ever gotten up at 4:30am for a job. On the weekend. Well, ever, technically. We had an independent service project, working a run that was happening in town. Besides getting up freakishly early, and being freezing until the sun rose, I had the joy of watching a bunch of people jogging with their dogs. Now I kind of want a boxer. Kind of a lot.
Also, also, my guitar is in the process of being fixed! :) I talked to the guitar shop today and they said that things are going smoothly, but that the wood bending and gluing process takes a while, so it won't be ready til Wednesday. Unfortunately, given my work schedule, I probably won't be able to pick it up until next Monday. Either way, it's being fixed!!!
Thanks:
Thanks so much to all of my family and friends for the sweet birthday wishes...and to Madre y Padre and Grandma and Nat and family for the birthday cards/packages. Perfect timing...that made my day! :)
Nat and Mom, you might like a song I've been listening to lately: There's Hope, by India Arie. It's a good one. Possibly the next one to learn on my guitar, once it's back in my hands.
This is my last week with my students. We'll be doing custodial work at the school next week while the students are on vacation. That means that this Friday will be our last day with them. I sat up last night making construction paper valentines for each of my students, and it started to hit me. Sometimes you forget how much love you have inside of you until a bunch of squirrelly, germy, adorable children pull it out of you. Without a doubt, there will be students that I think about 20 years from now, and wonder where they're at. I'll wonder if they ever became the veterinarian or artist they wanted to be, if they moved out of The Compound, or if they remember me... The end of this week is going to be hard.
I still am not sure what I want to do for my students in terms of a going away celebration. Nothing seems good enough for them. But then again, I think they'd appreciate almost anything. My simple little valentines elicited about 100 hugs today from my third graders.
Also, some of my students were so excited that it was my birthday today, that they told their brothers and sisters, and thus word got around to the whole school...and I was serenaded with the Happy Birthday song about 10 times today. So cute. Until the students guessed that I was either 16 or 80. Huh.
A Valentine From a Second Grader:
One little girl in my second grade class sheepishly gave me a Valentine. She walked over to me and handed me a folded up piece of loose leaf paper. It had a J on the front.
I opened it up and saw that it was decorated in crayon with a heart, my name in bubble letters, and a rainbow. Then in pencil, there was a picture of us playing together, and then a note:
You are the best helper ever. I don't want you to go. I hope you can come again. Because I had a dream about you and it was about... you came to my house and we had so much fun together. But now your going I don't think that I'm still going to have dreams. But I will still remember you. I will miss you. Happy Valentine's Day! Please don't go!
Oh my gosh. Heartbreaking.
To break up the sappiness just a little bit though, one of my third grade boys ripped up my valentine right away and said that he just didn't want it. Haha, oh boys...
Some Other Updates:
Did I mention yet that my team is back down to 9 people? We apparently can't hold onto the guys on our team. Kristopher, our newest member was only with us for about a week. I swear we don't bite that hard! Apparently his paperwork wasn't going through quickly enough to work at the school with us, and Americorps didn't want him just sitting around waiting, so they switched him to another team doing environmental work.
Also, this last Saturday was the first time in my life that I have ever gotten up at 4:30am for a job. On the weekend. Well, ever, technically. We had an independent service project, working a run that was happening in town. Besides getting up freakishly early, and being freezing until the sun rose, I had the joy of watching a bunch of people jogging with their dogs. Now I kind of want a boxer. Kind of a lot.
Also, also, my guitar is in the process of being fixed! :) I talked to the guitar shop today and they said that things are going smoothly, but that the wood bending and gluing process takes a while, so it won't be ready til Wednesday. Unfortunately, given my work schedule, I probably won't be able to pick it up until next Monday. Either way, it's being fixed!!!
Thanks:
Thanks so much to all of my family and friends for the sweet birthday wishes...and to Madre y Padre and Grandma and Nat and family for the birthday cards/packages. Perfect timing...that made my day! :)
Nat and Mom, you might like a song I've been listening to lately: There's Hope, by India Arie. It's a good one. Possibly the next one to learn on my guitar, once it's back in my hands.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Another Week Down
It's a Boy!:
So, upon leaving the school earlier this week, my team leader had a surprise game for us to play. As we rounded the corner, we ran smack-dab into a Superman piñata. With each hit, out poured yummy Starburst candies, and eventually, a balloon. This was not just any ordinary balloon. (Coli can never quite be straight-forward with us.) It was, in fact, a little blue balloon that said, "It's a Boy!" Umm...who's pregnant?! After we realized a piñata is probably not how she would tell us she's pregnant, we switched gears. It turns out, we have a new teammate, and it's a boy!
This could be very good for our team, given that we've been a team of 8 girls and 1 boy since partway through Catalina. (Two of our male team members got voted off the island about half way through.) So now, our token guy, Chris, has a buddy. His name? Kristopher. Thankfully he goes by his full name. We met him that night at dinner, but have yet to work with him. He's waiting on his paperwork and fingerprints to go through before he's allowed at the school. But we're all excited! He was previously on an FMT team (Fire Management Team), but decided that the work wasn't for him. All of the FMT team members just had their final fire drill test, and I guess he just decided it wasn't what he wanted to do.
Introductions:
So, tonight we get to introduce him to the first grade teacher that I mentioned in my last post. That's right, she's having the team over again for another dinner. The crock-pot has been going all day, and she's dug up some old board games from when her boys were young. It's not quite the wild night everyone was imagining for a Friday, but how can you turn down such a sweet lady?!
This is actually quite convenient, considering the food hall is being evacuated tonight. Bug bombing again. They also just re-bombed my building. Scabies is persistent!
Life After Americorps:
My teammate, Lindsay, has fallen in love. With a city. WithSan Francisco
My Guitar:
This is a subject that I maybe don't want to get myself started on. This is what happened:
If you don't know me well, then you might not know how much this would upset me. The night I saw the damage, and it's not minor, I looked up 3 guitar repair shops in town. Upon calling them the next day at lunch, I realized how incredibly expensive fixing a guitar can be. I can get a free price quote, and I will before I leave the convenience of having a project inSacramento
On a lighter note, the teachers at the elementary school stepped right in to help. They wrote out directions and drew maps to the nearest guitar shops, and one even offered to lend me her son's (since he doesn't play it much anymore) to hold me over. I didn't take up their offers, but I was tempted to. It's still playable and sounds ok right now, but I'm afraid to aggravate the wood futher.
Last Night's Team Meeting:
At our team meeting last night, we all agreed that this project is going by SOOO much faster than our first one. It's amazing how much more pleasant the days are, and we as team mates are, when we have a warm bed to come home to at night... complete with carpet and electricity. Also, the days go by much faster when working with children, as opposed to hacking down weeds on the side of a mountain. The majority of the team is a bit hesitant to find out what our next project is going to be. We're afraid of another Catalina. We all thought we'd be ready to leave the city by the time this spike is over... Granted, we have a month left, but I really don't see us itching to leave the fun and comforts we have here when the time finally comes.
I'm not sure if it's the project, or where I'm at personally, but I realized last night that Americorps is starting to mean something to me. It's more than just a way to serve and travel. Although I'm sure I haven't seen the depth of it, I can tell that I'm getting close to my team. I'm also growing as a person, although my stubborn pride doesn't always want to admit it. College and student-teaching did a lot for me as an individual, more than Americorps has done so far, but I can't completely disregard what has happened while I've been out here. First of all, I've never not been able to get home easily. Does that make sense? When at college, I was only an hour's drive from home. And when I was in Peru, I was never more than a month away from flying back to WI. I'm realizing that this trip is definitely valuable to me as a stepping stone to some of my future teaching abroad plans.
Oh, future plans...
So, upon leaving the school earlier this week, my team leader had a surprise game for us to play. As we rounded the corner, we ran smack-dab into a Superman piñata. With each hit, out poured yummy Starburst candies, and eventually, a balloon. This was not just any ordinary balloon. (Coli can never quite be straight-forward with us.) It was, in fact, a little blue balloon that said, "It's a Boy!" Umm...who's pregnant?! After we realized a piñata is probably not how she would tell us she's pregnant, we switched gears. It turns out, we have a new teammate, and it's a boy!
This could be very good for our team, given that we've been a team of 8 girls and 1 boy since partway through Catalina. (Two of our male team members got voted off the island about half way through.) So now, our token guy, Chris, has a buddy. His name? Kristopher. Thankfully he goes by his full name. We met him that night at dinner, but have yet to work with him. He's waiting on his paperwork and fingerprints to go through before he's allowed at the school. But we're all excited! He was previously on an FMT team (Fire Management Team), but decided that the work wasn't for him. All of the FMT team members just had their final fire drill test, and I guess he just decided it wasn't what he wanted to do.
Introductions:
So, tonight we get to introduce him to the first grade teacher that I mentioned in my last post. That's right, she's having the team over again for another dinner. The crock-pot has been going all day, and she's dug up some old board games from when her boys were young. It's not quite the wild night everyone was imagining for a Friday, but how can you turn down such a sweet lady?!
This is actually quite convenient, considering the food hall is being evacuated tonight. Bug bombing again. They also just re-bombed my building. Scabies is persistent!
Life After Americorps:
My teammate, Lindsay, has fallen in love. With a city. With
My Guitar:
This is a subject that I maybe don't want to get myself started on. This is what happened:
About 2 weeks ago, my guitar dropped from the cubby that I keep it on.
I frantically searched it over but found no cracks.
The bug bombing happened, after which the rooms need to be ventilated. Thus, the air temperature changes.
Wood expands and contracts.
Guitars crack open.
If you don't know me well, then you might not know how much this would upset me. The night I saw the damage, and it's not minor, I looked up 3 guitar repair shops in town. Upon calling them the next day at lunch, I realized how incredibly expensive fixing a guitar can be. I can get a free price quote, and I will before I leave the convenience of having a project in
On a lighter note, the teachers at the elementary school stepped right in to help. They wrote out directions and drew maps to the nearest guitar shops, and one even offered to lend me her son's (since he doesn't play it much anymore) to hold me over. I didn't take up their offers, but I was tempted to. It's still playable and sounds ok right now, but I'm afraid to aggravate the wood futher.
Last Night's Team Meeting:
At our team meeting last night, we all agreed that this project is going by SOOO much faster than our first one. It's amazing how much more pleasant the days are, and we as team mates are, when we have a warm bed to come home to at night... complete with carpet and electricity. Also, the days go by much faster when working with children, as opposed to hacking down weeds on the side of a mountain. The majority of the team is a bit hesitant to find out what our next project is going to be. We're afraid of another Catalina. We all thought we'd be ready to leave the city by the time this spike is over... Granted, we have a month left, but I really don't see us itching to leave the fun and comforts we have here when the time finally comes.
I'm not sure if it's the project, or where I'm at personally, but I realized last night that Americorps is starting to mean something to me. It's more than just a way to serve and travel. Although I'm sure I haven't seen the depth of it, I can tell that I'm getting close to my team. I'm also growing as a person, although my stubborn pride doesn't always want to admit it. College and student-teaching did a lot for me as an individual, more than Americorps has done so far, but I can't completely disregard what has happened while I've been out here. First of all, I've never not been able to get home easily. Does that make sense? When at college, I was only an hour's drive from home. And when I was in Peru, I was never more than a month away from flying back to WI. I'm realizing that this trip is definitely valuable to me as a stepping stone to some of my future teaching abroad plans.
Oh, future plans...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Free for the Weekend!
A Quick Shout-Out:
I have to start off by saying how wonderful it is to receive care packages! Thanks, Madre, for all the necklace, shampoo, chocolate, and spices! :)
There's Something about First Grade Teachers:
A certain first grade teacher, whom we will refer to as Mrs. H, decided to treat my ENTIRE team to dinner and a movie on Firday night. She has a cousin who works at the theater in town, and was able to get us in for free! The funniest part, however, was her plan to hook one of us up with one of her two sons. It was hilarious. As soon as we got there, she welcomed us, introduced us to her two boys (who are in their early thirites) and then conveniently disappeared for about 20 minutes to go pick up the pizzas. The boys offered to get it (a bit overwhelmed by the 7 girls randomly appeared in their kitchen), but she insisted that they stay and visit with us. Dinner was wonderful, and funny. Mrs. H is one of those incredibly positive, genuine, funny older ladies. And her two sons were quite a pair. When it came time for the movies, she once again conveniently skipped out. Her sons were to be our companions. We saw The King's Speech, which was actually a heck of a lot funnier than I'd expected it to be. I honestly don't think I could compare that movie to any other than I've seen before...maybe to Chocolat with Johnny Depp, but that might be stretching it.
Now let's skip to Saturday:
Saturday was beautiful!!! The sun was shining so warm that I actually fell asleep out on the grass for a while. My team played softball, I learned some Spanish by listening to a few lessons on my ipod, I played a little guitar, I got a few mosquito bites, and overall, I enjoyed the great outdoors. Now, I have to be honest...there's a reason (besides the gorgeous weather) that we spent most of the day outside.
The reason was a little infectious issue known as Scabies. Ewe. Yeah. So, apparently one of the other teams on campus started noticing a rash on their wrists, etc. And then, I think I've mentioned this, there was the fact that some of the students at the school I've been working with exposed us to scabies. Eitherway, scabies became an issue. So, it was decided that our entire dorm building should be bombed. Yup. From beginning to end, it was a five hour process. Food, dinnerware, and toothbrushes had to be stored in our airtight mini-fridges to protect them from the harsh chemicals.
Needless to say, my entire team will be going to the clinic tomorrow after school to get a prescription cream as a preventative measure. Then we will be washing all of our bedding and clothing in hot water. At least it's not lice, or bed bugs.
Trying to Feel Pretty:
So, when something like a scabies outbreak occurs, it is pretty easy to feel gross and scuzzy. Thus, I bought my first ever tube of lipstick. Six of us girls decided to go out to dinner downtown and we were gonna look sharp! It turns out, we found a Lebinese place, complete with tapestries on the ceiling, mats to sit on (instead of a table and chairs) and DELICIOUS food. Oh yeah...and a belly dancer. Hah! The highlight of the night was definitely getting a free lesson with my teammate, Ali, from the belly dancer in the middle of the restaurant! It only seemed right to end the day with dancing, given that us girls had begun the day with an hour of Zumba at the gym down the street.
I Almost Forgot!:
I have to admit a guilty little secret: I finally gave in and bought the Twilight book. I was vehement about not being one of the millions of Twilight girls, but curiosity finally got the best of me. My team made a pitstop for me at Walmart and I sheepishly bought the first in the Saga. (FYI: I like it. I was up until 12:30 - while my roommates were out at the bar - reading my juicy teenage novel in my p.j.'s. It's moments like those that I feel super cool.)
Eitherway, just as we were pulling back into the parking lot, I got a text from a friend about meeting the next morning at 8:30. What?! Oh yeah... I had agreed to doing an ISP (Independent Service Project) on Sunday. Oops. Good thing she texted me.
Everything turned out fine, and I can now say I am an expert at weeding flowers. I worked for 5 hours straight at digging grasses, and who knows what else out of 15 rosebeds at the Rose Gardens. Yeah. I think I'm pretty good at that now. Actually, it was a pretty nice day, and I can't really complain about spending it outside in a park in downtown Sacramento.
I have to start off by saying how wonderful it is to receive care packages! Thanks, Madre, for all the necklace, shampoo, chocolate, and spices! :)
There's Something about First Grade Teachers:
A certain first grade teacher, whom we will refer to as Mrs. H, decided to treat my ENTIRE team to dinner and a movie on Firday night. She has a cousin who works at the theater in town, and was able to get us in for free! The funniest part, however, was her plan to hook one of us up with one of her two sons. It was hilarious. As soon as we got there, she welcomed us, introduced us to her two boys (who are in their early thirites) and then conveniently disappeared for about 20 minutes to go pick up the pizzas. The boys offered to get it (a bit overwhelmed by the 7 girls randomly appeared in their kitchen), but she insisted that they stay and visit with us. Dinner was wonderful, and funny. Mrs. H is one of those incredibly positive, genuine, funny older ladies. And her two sons were quite a pair. When it came time for the movies, she once again conveniently skipped out. Her sons were to be our companions. We saw The King's Speech, which was actually a heck of a lot funnier than I'd expected it to be. I honestly don't think I could compare that movie to any other than I've seen before...maybe to Chocolat with Johnny Depp, but that might be stretching it.
Now let's skip to Saturday:
Saturday was beautiful!!! The sun was shining so warm that I actually fell asleep out on the grass for a while. My team played softball, I learned some Spanish by listening to a few lessons on my ipod, I played a little guitar, I got a few mosquito bites, and overall, I enjoyed the great outdoors. Now, I have to be honest...there's a reason (besides the gorgeous weather) that we spent most of the day outside.
The reason was a little infectious issue known as Scabies. Ewe. Yeah. So, apparently one of the other teams on campus started noticing a rash on their wrists, etc. And then, I think I've mentioned this, there was the fact that some of the students at the school I've been working with exposed us to scabies. Eitherway, scabies became an issue. So, it was decided that our entire dorm building should be bombed. Yup. From beginning to end, it was a five hour process. Food, dinnerware, and toothbrushes had to be stored in our airtight mini-fridges to protect them from the harsh chemicals.
Needless to say, my entire team will be going to the clinic tomorrow after school to get a prescription cream as a preventative measure. Then we will be washing all of our bedding and clothing in hot water. At least it's not lice, or bed bugs.
Trying to Feel Pretty:
So, when something like a scabies outbreak occurs, it is pretty easy to feel gross and scuzzy. Thus, I bought my first ever tube of lipstick. Six of us girls decided to go out to dinner downtown and we were gonna look sharp! It turns out, we found a Lebinese place, complete with tapestries on the ceiling, mats to sit on (instead of a table and chairs) and DELICIOUS food. Oh yeah...and a belly dancer. Hah! The highlight of the night was definitely getting a free lesson with my teammate, Ali, from the belly dancer in the middle of the restaurant! It only seemed right to end the day with dancing, given that us girls had begun the day with an hour of Zumba at the gym down the street.
I Almost Forgot!:
I have to admit a guilty little secret: I finally gave in and bought the Twilight book. I was vehement about not being one of the millions of Twilight girls, but curiosity finally got the best of me. My team made a pitstop for me at Walmart and I sheepishly bought the first in the Saga. (FYI: I like it. I was up until 12:30 - while my roommates were out at the bar - reading my juicy teenage novel in my p.j.'s. It's moments like those that I feel super cool.)
Eitherway, just as we were pulling back into the parking lot, I got a text from a friend about meeting the next morning at 8:30. What?! Oh yeah... I had agreed to doing an ISP (Independent Service Project) on Sunday. Oops. Good thing she texted me.
Everything turned out fine, and I can now say I am an expert at weeding flowers. I worked for 5 hours straight at digging grasses, and who knows what else out of 15 rosebeds at the Rose Gardens. Yeah. I think I'm pretty good at that now. Actually, it was a pretty nice day, and I can't really complain about spending it outside in a park in downtown Sacramento.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Venting
Stream of Consciousness:
Today I feel overwhelmed.
All of my students need my help. Let me say that again. All of my students need my help. There isn't one who wouldn't benefit from a little (or A LOT) of one-on-one attention. They need tutoring, they need mentoring... they need both.
Maybe it should be the ones who are bold enough and driven enough to call out for my help? But what about the shy ones who don't have the confidence to admit they need it? What about the "trouble" kids who distract all of the other students? They desperately need guidance and discipline and love. But what about the average children who always gets overlooked? And let's not forget about the really bright students who are bored and need to be challenged or they might become "problem" children themselves.
Seriously. How are you supposed to choose?
Happenings of the Day:
One of my students came to school today with dog pee completely covering her uniform sleeves. A CPS (Child Protective Services) report was done today for this girl's sister due to suspected abuse. I'm guessing that both girls should probably have a report done. Maybe I'm just being negative.
Also, three boys in my afternoon class beat up a fourth boy from my class during lunch recess. During third recess one of the girls from that class punched another boy from that class in the face. That happened about 45 minutes after I pulled that same girl out of class because she was sobbing because she couldn't fit her legs under her desk. Did I mention yet that the school doesn't have the resources to have P.E. class? There isn't even a gymnasium in the school.
At least my afternoon class got to go to recess. My morning class had to sit quietly with their heads on their desks for the entire lunch recess because of an issue we had in the morning.
Can you keep all of that straight? I can hardly figure out how to coherently write it all down.
Trends and Speculations:
A few teachers mentioned a trend that they've noticed in regards to the worsening student behavior. Keep in mind that this is just speculation and a definite generalization, but I had it explained to me at lunch that this happens every month. Towards the middle/end of each month, the behavior gets worse and worse. ("Just wait till the end of the month!" they tell me.) Why? Because many families (as a generalization) have a hard time managing money. And by the end of the month, most of it is gone. This translates into a few things: 1) More stress and chaos at home. 2) Less food. And thus, the children are more frazzled and respond by acting out.
What to Do About It:
While driving home in the 15 passenger van today, these thoughts ran through my head. I hardly talked to my teammates. We're all a bit overwhelmed. But what's the point of bringing it up? Any suggestions anyone might have, we already know. There's no magic solution. I don't want to hear suggestions. I just want to vent and recognize this harsh reality. No one can actually provide an answer to these dilemmas. And I don't want to hear opinions that will only make me more frustrated.
After arriving back at base I decided I could really go for something delicious. A note on comfort foods: I know better, but I did it anyway. Yup. I bought a few yummy treats from a nearby shop, which I consumed on the walk back to base. And I managed to consume 60% of my daily fat allowance within that 3 minute walk. Great.
But not to worry. My appetite was quickly cut short when my roommate showed me a google image of scabies. Why would she do this? Well, three of my teammates are currently at the clinic. One of the students they have been working with has scabies. Guess what - that students got it from his brother. Guess what else - I was sitting on the floor next to his brother for about an hour and a half this afternoon working on math. Huh. I'll let you know if I notice any bugs laying babies under my skin in the next week or so. I figure it'll be pretty noticeable. Just maybe a little itchy.
On the Bright Side:
My students may be a lot to handle, but while talking to my afternoon teacher, we both agreed that at the end of the day, they're incredibly sweet and warm-hearted. It may feel like we're hearding cats sometimes, but they're adorable cats. In all honesty, there's only one or two that I'd hesitate to say that about.
Also, one of the teachers may be able to work her magic and get everyone on my team a free movie theater pass! And let's not forget the thoughtful mother who made fruit jello for our entire team as a completely unexpected thank you gesture.
Also, Also, it was sunny and warm out today.
Also, Also, Also, my padre sent me a really encouraging text today. Perfect timing. :) Thanks Dad. Thanks to my entire family, actually. I've always appreciated you and known you were great, but my roommate and I were talking this evening... If we had the families of some of our less-fortunate students, would we have the inner-strength to pull through it and rise above? I will never actually know the answer to that question, because I do, infact, have an amazing family. My family and friends are so encouraging, and supportive, and caring, and kind, and thoughtful, and intelligent, and helpful, and accommodating, and patient, and giving, and warm, and attentive, and hard-working. I love you all. I appreciate you so much.
Today I feel overwhelmed.
All of my students need my help. Let me say that again. All of my students need my help. There isn't one who wouldn't benefit from a little (or A LOT) of one-on-one attention. They need tutoring, they need mentoring... they need both.
And how in the world are you supposed to decide which students are the lucky few to actually get it?
Maybe it should be the ones who are bold enough and driven enough to call out for my help? But what about the shy ones who don't have the confidence to admit they need it? What about the "trouble" kids who distract all of the other students? They desperately need guidance and discipline and love. But what about the average children who always gets overlooked? And let's not forget about the really bright students who are bored and need to be challenged or they might become "problem" children themselves.
Seriously. How are you supposed to choose?
Happenings of the Day:
One of my students came to school today with dog pee completely covering her uniform sleeves. A CPS (Child Protective Services) report was done today for this girl's sister due to suspected abuse. I'm guessing that both girls should probably have a report done. Maybe I'm just being negative.
Also, three boys in my afternoon class beat up a fourth boy from my class during lunch recess. During third recess one of the girls from that class punched another boy from that class in the face. That happened about 45 minutes after I pulled that same girl out of class because she was sobbing because she couldn't fit her legs under her desk. Did I mention yet that the school doesn't have the resources to have P.E. class? There isn't even a gymnasium in the school.
At least my afternoon class got to go to recess. My morning class had to sit quietly with their heads on their desks for the entire lunch recess because of an issue we had in the morning.
Can you keep all of that straight? I can hardly figure out how to coherently write it all down.
Trends and Speculations:
A few teachers mentioned a trend that they've noticed in regards to the worsening student behavior. Keep in mind that this is just speculation and a definite generalization, but I had it explained to me at lunch that this happens every month. Towards the middle/end of each month, the behavior gets worse and worse. ("Just wait till the end of the month!" they tell me.) Why? Because many families (as a generalization) have a hard time managing money. And by the end of the month, most of it is gone. This translates into a few things: 1) More stress and chaos at home. 2) Less food. And thus, the children are more frazzled and respond by acting out.
What to Do About It:
While driving home in the 15 passenger van today, these thoughts ran through my head. I hardly talked to my teammates. We're all a bit overwhelmed. But what's the point of bringing it up? Any suggestions anyone might have, we already know. There's no magic solution. I don't want to hear suggestions. I just want to vent and recognize this harsh reality. No one can actually provide an answer to these dilemmas. And I don't want to hear opinions that will only make me more frustrated.
After arriving back at base I decided I could really go for something delicious. A note on comfort foods: I know better, but I did it anyway. Yup. I bought a few yummy treats from a nearby shop, which I consumed on the walk back to base. And I managed to consume 60% of my daily fat allowance within that 3 minute walk. Great.
But not to worry. My appetite was quickly cut short when my roommate showed me a google image of scabies. Why would she do this? Well, three of my teammates are currently at the clinic. One of the students they have been working with has scabies. Guess what - that students got it from his brother. Guess what else - I was sitting on the floor next to his brother for about an hour and a half this afternoon working on math. Huh. I'll let you know if I notice any bugs laying babies under my skin in the next week or so. I figure it'll be pretty noticeable. Just maybe a little itchy.
On the Bright Side:
My students may be a lot to handle, but while talking to my afternoon teacher, we both agreed that at the end of the day, they're incredibly sweet and warm-hearted. It may feel like we're hearding cats sometimes, but they're adorable cats. In all honesty, there's only one or two that I'd hesitate to say that about.
Also, one of the teachers may be able to work her magic and get everyone on my team a free movie theater pass! And let's not forget the thoughtful mother who made fruit jello for our entire team as a completely unexpected thank you gesture.
Also, Also, it was sunny and warm out today.
Also, Also, Also, my padre sent me a really encouraging text today. Perfect timing. :) Thanks Dad. Thanks to my entire family, actually. I've always appreciated you and known you were great, but my roommate and I were talking this evening... If we had the families of some of our less-fortunate students, would we have the inner-strength to pull through it and rise above? I will never actually know the answer to that question, because I do, infact, have an amazing family. My family and friends are so encouraging, and supportive, and caring, and kind, and thoughtful, and intelligent, and helpful, and accommodating, and patient, and giving, and warm, and attentive, and hard-working. I love you all. I appreciate you so much.
Monday, January 17, 2011
MLK Day
A National Day of Service:
Today began at 3:45am. Yep.
My roomie's alarm clock rang bright and early at quarter to four in the morning, and I fought to stay asleep until at least quarter after four. At last, I had to get up and take a shower. Today was a big day! Americorps NCCC celebrates National Days of Service such as Martin Luther King Junior Day. My team contributed by beautifying a public/charter (a bit of a contradiction if you ask me) elementary school in a rough part of town. The surrounding neighborhood is full of German Shepherds, Bull Dogs, and a freakish amount of Chihuahuas. I will admit that I was a little uneasy sitting outside the fenced and chained up school for the hour and half that we did (the rest of our sponsors weren't quite as prompt as us) in the pitch black before the sun rose.
The school's name is PS7, not overly creative. Despite it's bland name, and sketchy location, it's actually one of the top performing elementary schools in CA! Posted on banners infront of each classroom is that particular class' projected graduation day...not from elementary school or from high school, but from a four year college. Starting in kindergarten they have parents attending college scouting and planning forums. Pretty cool if you ask me. The school itself was in rough shape, however, and the city of Sacramento felt that it was important to show the students and staff the respect they deserve by helping maintain the schoolyard and by doing a deep clean of the classrooms and cafeteria.
My team, one other Americorps NCCC team, about 75 employees from a local health care company (that takes care of patients who have no health care plan), and a few families of attending students showed up to help. By the time it reached noon and we were wrapping up the project, we had already put in an 8 hour day!
Here is a video of our work: (The mayor Kevin Johnson...a former sports figure of some sort...and a ton of tv news crews kept us company. Apparently we were at one of the more glamorous sites!)
http://www.kcra.com/video/26520442/detail.html
Needless to say, I came back to base and took a nap before doing P.T. My team actually tried out P90X and got our butts kicked by the really questionable fitness guru guy who runs the workout video. It was pretty entertaining. Most of us actually stayed for a non-mandatory round 2 in which we worked our abs pretty intensely.
Once that was over, I have to admit that I took a second nap for the day. Then made dinner, and now here I am...about to go to bed.
I don't do early mornings.
Today began at 3:45am. Yep.
My roomie's alarm clock rang bright and early at quarter to four in the morning, and I fought to stay asleep until at least quarter after four. At last, I had to get up and take a shower. Today was a big day! Americorps NCCC celebrates National Days of Service such as Martin Luther King Junior Day. My team contributed by beautifying a public/charter (a bit of a contradiction if you ask me) elementary school in a rough part of town. The surrounding neighborhood is full of German Shepherds, Bull Dogs, and a freakish amount of Chihuahuas. I will admit that I was a little uneasy sitting outside the fenced and chained up school for the hour and half that we did (the rest of our sponsors weren't quite as prompt as us) in the pitch black before the sun rose.
The school's name is PS7, not overly creative. Despite it's bland name, and sketchy location, it's actually one of the top performing elementary schools in CA! Posted on banners infront of each classroom is that particular class' projected graduation day...not from elementary school or from high school, but from a four year college. Starting in kindergarten they have parents attending college scouting and planning forums. Pretty cool if you ask me. The school itself was in rough shape, however, and the city of Sacramento felt that it was important to show the students and staff the respect they deserve by helping maintain the schoolyard and by doing a deep clean of the classrooms and cafeteria.
My team, one other Americorps NCCC team, about 75 employees from a local health care company (that takes care of patients who have no health care plan), and a few families of attending students showed up to help. By the time it reached noon and we were wrapping up the project, we had already put in an 8 hour day!
Here is a video of our work: (The mayor Kevin Johnson...a former sports figure of some sort...and a ton of tv news crews kept us company. Apparently we were at one of the more glamorous sites!)
http://www.kcra.com/video/26520442/detail.html
Needless to say, I came back to base and took a nap before doing P.T. My team actually tried out P90X and got our butts kicked by the really questionable fitness guru guy who runs the workout video. It was pretty entertaining. Most of us actually stayed for a non-mandatory round 2 in which we worked our abs pretty intensely.
Once that was over, I have to admit that I took a second nap for the day. Then made dinner, and now here I am...about to go to bed.
I don't do early mornings.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
A Pair of Brothers
The Boys:
I have two sweet little brothers. One is in my morning class (3rd grade) and the other is in my afternoon class (2nd grade). These boys, like many others, have had some very tragic experiences already in their young little lives. I will call them Sam and Jon.
Sam is in my morning class, and for some reason is constantly getting in trouble. I can't quite figure out what he's doing wrong sometimes, but nonetheless, he is often being scolded for something. I've decided to help him stay on task and encourage him as much as possible. He is so incredibly affectionate, and loves hugs. He hardly lets go sometimes.
His younger brother, Jon, is the complete opposite. He actually doesn't talk. He can, but he doesn't. Not in school at least. I've been told that he talks at home and that he has one friend that he'll speak to at school, but that's about it. He is always on task, and is doing pretty well in school. I just have no idea what his voice sounds like. My teammate, Lauren, has gotten a high five out of him, but I have had no such luck.
Their Story:
I don't know much about these boys, but I do know this: They witnessed their dad being shot and killed about a year ago. My heart is broken. They handle it so differently, but they are two incredibly sweet boys. I am so sad for them. It can't be expressed.
Many Stories Like These:
They are not alone. One of the girls in my class is displaying both behavioral and learning disabilities. During a meeting with her mother, it was discovered that her skull was fractured as an infant. A straight answer as to how it happened was never uncovered. When the mother was asked if the little girl was on any medication, the response was, "yeah, sometimes I give her two white ones in the morning."
And let's not forget about the other little girl who lost her mom tragically (I don't actually know the details) a few years ago.
Or about the little boy whose dad came in the other day. His dad paid more attention to me and the other students than to his own son. The boy had lost something and was falling behind in school, and the dad just sat at a computer while I helped the student search his backpack and desk. No support.
Or the student who randomly told me at recess on Friday that, "one time, my dad had a real gun so he could protect me and my mom."
Or the student who attends school quite infrequently because the aunt who is taking care of him (or maybe she's the mom, or grandma...it's a confusing situation) is suffering from such severe depression that she can't get out of bed to go to work and take him to school some days.Or the other time when a little girl was crying silently at her desk because she was hungry. Thank goodness the school provides a breakfast option. We got her to the cafeteria quick.
The list goes on and on...
I have two sweet little brothers. One is in my morning class (3rd grade) and the other is in my afternoon class (2nd grade). These boys, like many others, have had some very tragic experiences already in their young little lives. I will call them Sam and Jon.
Sam is in my morning class, and for some reason is constantly getting in trouble. I can't quite figure out what he's doing wrong sometimes, but nonetheless, he is often being scolded for something. I've decided to help him stay on task and encourage him as much as possible. He is so incredibly affectionate, and loves hugs. He hardly lets go sometimes.
His younger brother, Jon, is the complete opposite. He actually doesn't talk. He can, but he doesn't. Not in school at least. I've been told that he talks at home and that he has one friend that he'll speak to at school, but that's about it. He is always on task, and is doing pretty well in school. I just have no idea what his voice sounds like. My teammate, Lauren, has gotten a high five out of him, but I have had no such luck.
Their Story:
I don't know much about these boys, but I do know this: They witnessed their dad being shot and killed about a year ago. My heart is broken. They handle it so differently, but they are two incredibly sweet boys. I am so sad for them. It can't be expressed.
Many Stories Like These:
They are not alone. One of the girls in my class is displaying both behavioral and learning disabilities. During a meeting with her mother, it was discovered that her skull was fractured as an infant. A straight answer as to how it happened was never uncovered. When the mother was asked if the little girl was on any medication, the response was, "yeah, sometimes I give her two white ones in the morning."
And let's not forget about the other little girl who lost her mom tragically (I don't actually know the details) a few years ago.
Or about the little boy whose dad came in the other day. His dad paid more attention to me and the other students than to his own son. The boy had lost something and was falling behind in school, and the dad just sat at a computer while I helped the student search his backpack and desk. No support.
Or the student who randomly told me at recess on Friday that, "one time, my dad had a real gun so he could protect me and my mom."
Or the student who attends school quite infrequently because the aunt who is taking care of him (or maybe she's the mom, or grandma...it's a confusing situation) is suffering from such severe depression that she can't get out of bed to go to work and take him to school some days.Or the other time when a little girl was crying silently at her desk because she was hungry. Thank goodness the school provides a breakfast option. We got her to the cafeteria quick.
The list goes on and on...
Falling in Love with an Elementary School
My Mornings:
My mornings at the school start with my "before school post" which is currently in the computer lab. Now, I realize that I'm in California, but it does, in fact, get quite chilly here. The children could use somewhere to go during these chilly mornings besides the over-crowded cafeteria, so I spend about a half hour supervising the computer lab, where students can play educational games and stay out of the cold.
The main part of my morning is spent in a third grade classroom. (For confidentiality purposes, I will use all fake names when referring to school-related adventures. Also, there won't be much for pictures, so I apologize for the bland posts.) This school focuses pretty darn exclusively on reading and mathematics because it is a school with a struggling population, and the NCLB act effects it pretty heavily. Therefore, my entire morning is math. This has actually been pretty fun for me (go figure, given that I have a math education degree). I can't decide which I enjoy more, teaching the math lessons to the whole class (which I've been able to sneak my way into doing a few times) or pulling students out one at a time to focus on their abilities more individually.
The class tends to adopt a negative tone, so I've made quite an effort to spice it up a bit. First, I was able to get students up infront of the class more, by having students show their answers, and then call on the next person and so on. Also, I was able to incorporate hangman (the fun game where you try to guess a word or sentence) as a form of math review, where students can only guess a letter once they have answered a math question correctly. I've also made sure to have the class clap for each student who is brave enough to answer a question. Supporting each other is important, and I'm not sure it's focused on as much as it could be.
Recess is super fun, playing jump rope, red light-green light, and basketball. I played tag the first day, which was a huge hit with the students (probably because tag is against school policy...oops.) The school has a rule of "keeping your hands, feet, and objects to yourself." This rule is important because the students tend to get violent and out of hand if they play any sort of contact sport, including tag. To prove this point, four of the students in my afternoon class came back from third recess with ice-packs because they couldn't refrain from attacking each other.
My Afternoons:
After eating lunch with my morning class, I spend about 20 minutes getting some adult interaction in the teachers' lounge before heading over to my second class of the day. This class is a group of second graders. And it's a zoo!
This teacher organizes the day so that, once again, I am just in time for math class. The teacher has worked it out so that every day I take 4-5 students to the back of the room to get more individualized help and attention. This is VERY needed. I would say there are only about 5 students who don't desperately need extra help. However, there is only one of me, and there is only one actual teacaher, and there are only so many hours in a day.
I have a question that I could seriously use some advice on: how in the world do you explain what 20+1 is? Or how about what the next number after 27,28,29 is? Because I have one student who desperately thinks it's 90. No matter if it's the 20's you're counting through, or whether you're in the 50's. On a similar note, how do you teach how to read a clock? The hour hand point to the actual hour, but the when the minute hand points to 3 it actually means 15...and sometimes the hour hand is inbetween, and even though it might be closer to 4 it could still be something like 3:45... Oh my gosh. I have no idea how to make these ideas click for the students. It's frustrating and hilarious and absoultely mind-bending at times.
Anyway, this group of students is actually known throughout the entire school for how wild they are. They are absolutely precious and adorable, but discipline is not a word that they know. The teacher did find a fairly effective way of helping them calm down after lunch recess and third recess, however. He has the lights off, gentle music on, and has the students put their heads on their desk for about five minutes (or however long it takes to get them settled) before he starts class.
Then afterschool, there is a program called Masters that I help out with. I work in a room with my teammate Sara, and a Masters employee, with about 20 second and third graders. This works out pretty well since I have some of them in class, and know what is expected for their homework. I sit at the second grade table and work with four boys. And let me tell you, it is a BIG DEAL when one of them sits in each other's chair or touches someone else's pencil. I can't tell if my time there is used more for homework help, or interpersonal conflict resolution. Eitherway, they are some seriously adorable little boys!
Overall:
PT in the morning makes for some long days. And I have to say, time works differently here in AmericorpsLand: the days are long, but the weeks are quick!
My mornings at the school start with my "before school post" which is currently in the computer lab. Now, I realize that I'm in California, but it does, in fact, get quite chilly here. The children could use somewhere to go during these chilly mornings besides the over-crowded cafeteria, so I spend about a half hour supervising the computer lab, where students can play educational games and stay out of the cold.
The main part of my morning is spent in a third grade classroom. (For confidentiality purposes, I will use all fake names when referring to school-related adventures. Also, there won't be much for pictures, so I apologize for the bland posts.) This school focuses pretty darn exclusively on reading and mathematics because it is a school with a struggling population, and the NCLB act effects it pretty heavily. Therefore, my entire morning is math. This has actually been pretty fun for me (go figure, given that I have a math education degree). I can't decide which I enjoy more, teaching the math lessons to the whole class (which I've been able to sneak my way into doing a few times) or pulling students out one at a time to focus on their abilities more individually.
The class tends to adopt a negative tone, so I've made quite an effort to spice it up a bit. First, I was able to get students up infront of the class more, by having students show their answers, and then call on the next person and so on. Also, I was able to incorporate hangman (the fun game where you try to guess a word or sentence) as a form of math review, where students can only guess a letter once they have answered a math question correctly. I've also made sure to have the class clap for each student who is brave enough to answer a question. Supporting each other is important, and I'm not sure it's focused on as much as it could be.
Recess is super fun, playing jump rope, red light-green light, and basketball. I played tag the first day, which was a huge hit with the students (probably because tag is against school policy...oops.) The school has a rule of "keeping your hands, feet, and objects to yourself." This rule is important because the students tend to get violent and out of hand if they play any sort of contact sport, including tag. To prove this point, four of the students in my afternoon class came back from third recess with ice-packs because they couldn't refrain from attacking each other.
My Afternoons:
After eating lunch with my morning class, I spend about 20 minutes getting some adult interaction in the teachers' lounge before heading over to my second class of the day. This class is a group of second graders. And it's a zoo!
This teacher organizes the day so that, once again, I am just in time for math class. The teacher has worked it out so that every day I take 4-5 students to the back of the room to get more individualized help and attention. This is VERY needed. I would say there are only about 5 students who don't desperately need extra help. However, there is only one of me, and there is only one actual teacaher, and there are only so many hours in a day.
I have a question that I could seriously use some advice on: how in the world do you explain what 20+1 is? Or how about what the next number after 27,28,29 is? Because I have one student who desperately thinks it's 90. No matter if it's the 20's you're counting through, or whether you're in the 50's. On a similar note, how do you teach how to read a clock? The hour hand point to the actual hour, but the when the minute hand points to 3 it actually means 15...and sometimes the hour hand is inbetween, and even though it might be closer to 4 it could still be something like 3:45... Oh my gosh. I have no idea how to make these ideas click for the students. It's frustrating and hilarious and absoultely mind-bending at times.
Anyway, this group of students is actually known throughout the entire school for how wild they are. They are absolutely precious and adorable, but discipline is not a word that they know. The teacher did find a fairly effective way of helping them calm down after lunch recess and third recess, however. He has the lights off, gentle music on, and has the students put their heads on their desk for about five minutes (or however long it takes to get them settled) before he starts class.
Then afterschool, there is a program called Masters that I help out with. I work in a room with my teammate Sara, and a Masters employee, with about 20 second and third graders. This works out pretty well since I have some of them in class, and know what is expected for their homework. I sit at the second grade table and work with four boys. And let me tell you, it is a BIG DEAL when one of them sits in each other's chair or touches someone else's pencil. I can't tell if my time there is used more for homework help, or interpersonal conflict resolution. Eitherway, they are some seriously adorable little boys!
Overall:
PT in the morning makes for some long days. And I have to say, time works differently here in AmericorpsLand: the days are long, but the weeks are quick!
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