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!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Day 1 of Project 2
School:
Today was my first day at Woodlake Elementary School here in Sacramento!!! The kids are super cute and all of the faculty and staff were very welcoming and supportive of us today.
Woodlake Elementary School, like many in CA and across the nation, have gone through some major budget cuts in the last few years. This means that they have had to cut back on some of the fun stuff. What I mean by that is they don't have any gym class, extra curriculurs during lunch or after school, music classes, or art projects for the students to participate in. None. As a result of the No Child Left Behind Act, they focus almost their entire day on Math and Reading. That does not make for a fun day for a bunch of kindergarten through sixth graders. In addition to cutting back on programs for the students, a large percentage of the faculty and staff have been laid off, resulting in less teachers, which in turn causes larger class sizes. Let's not forget that that clearly leaves the school with no room in the budget for any classroom aides. Thus, Americorps is here to help out with classroom management, tutoring, and reintroducing the fun activities that make kids want to come to school in the first place.
Beyond all of this, the teachers have been thrown for an extra loop in the past few years-the school has been redistricted and a new population of students have entered the classroom. The school building itself is situated in a nice neighborhood with cute little houses that have tons of character. This is not where the majority of the students come from, however. The majority of the students are bussed over from "the projects" just across the river. According to the report we got from the school, 94% of the students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, 32% are homeless, 40% are transient, and 30% are English Language Learners (with the primary languages being Spanish, Russian, and Ukranian). Despite all of this, many of the parents and teachers are super eager to help their students. One of the faculty members was telling me today about how they used to have a bunch of the mothers volunteer their time as aides throughout the school day. Unfortunately, many of the fathers have been laid off, which has forced the mothers to take paying jobs instead. It was actually a father of one of the students who went through all of the paperwork (and there's quite a bit!) that made it possible for Americorps to come and help in the first place. This is a very exciting opportunity, because my group is the first Americorps group to come and work at this school!
As a whole, the school has given me a very fun, bubbly, and upbeat first impression. And it's incredibly diverse! 50% of the students are Hispanic, 25% are Black, and the rest are a combination of Ukranian, White, and Hmong. I have to say I'm super excited for this project! And I know that no matter how tough a day might be, I have four walls and heat to come back to at the end of the day...and that's not something I was able to say while on Catalina!
On a completely different note:
I called Grandma today! The day after her birthday...oops. She's doing quite well though. After I got off the phone, I thought to myself, "Why haven't I done this before? She's super fun to talk to." Also, "why don't I do this more often?" So, I made a new resolution: to talk to grandma more. It's such a strange thing that I've never really called just to chat with her before.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Return to Sac-Town
So, Christmas Break was awesome...lots of good quality time spent with my loved ones! And I have yet to update you all on the highlights from Catalina. But first comes first...yesterday.
Yesterday was Travel Day:
After finishing packing, I drove Mom and myself up to the Green Bay airport. That was my last chance to drive for the next 7 months!!!
Mumsie and I had a surprisingly tasty lunch at the airport, and then hung out for a while before I checked into security and hopped on the plane.
Let's back up a sec...
I realized the day before my flight left that I still hadn't figured out how to get from San Francisco (where my plane was landing) to Sacramento (where I actually needed to be). Huh... So I hopped online and found a few options, made a few phone calls, and jotted down a few notes. Turns out that the train tickets aren't worth buying early since the seats aren't actually reserved, so I just focused on getting down the train company info and hoped that it would all fall into place once I landed.
Ok, Back to the Travel Day:
I managed to only have a duffle bag and backpack, and I have to admitt, it's SUPER nice to not have any checked baggage.
While waiting in the security line in Green Bay (a bit teary-eyed as I waved by to Madre) I was watching the girl infront of me struggle to get her laptop out of her bag. Except it wasn't a laptop. She reached in her bag and pulled out the cutest, calmest, sweetest little dog wrapped up in a red sweater! That was a nice pick-me-up. Turns out there were two puppies on my plane! And two screaming babies with dirty diapers. Besides the breath-taking turbulence (it was a VERY windy day-the car door almost flew off when I got out the car that morning!), the flight actually wasn't that bad. I was able to drown out some of the noises with my new ipod. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) It has a bass-boost option, which I quite enjoy!
My connecting flight in Chicago was actually only 5 gates away (super convenient!) and I only had to wait about an hour until I boarded. I was able to sleep on this longer flight and enjoyed some cranapple juice. Yummy! ...And I may or may not have eaten the entire bag of seasoned pretzels G-ma sent me away with. Also yummy!
This is Where it Gets Interesting:
Right when the plane was landing I decided it may be a good idea to check in with the guy sitting next to me and see if he was familiar with BART, the subway system I planning on using. Turns out he had used it once before, but had little to no memory of where to find it. He actually needed to find it again though.
It also turns out he had gone to the same christian conference thingy in Kansas City, Missouri that I went to in high school.
It also turns out he was really fun to talk to.
So he waited for me on the plane, since I had to get my bag from one of the overhead storage bins in the back of the plane (I may have overpacked my duffle this time around... It was difficult to fit it anywhere). Once off the plane we walked quite briskly until we found a sign for the BART subway system. Chatting this whole time made talking a wee-bit difficult (he's a very fast walker!). We walked where the sign was directing us, and then failed to find any more signs, or the actual subway itself. He decided we were having these problems because his shoe wasn't tied. Of course that's why. So he tied his shoe (while I asked a security guard for directions) and then magically we went up a flight of stairs and found the airtrain that was supposed to take us to the subway. :) Success #1.
Then we got off the airtrain and found a kiosk to purchase our BART tickets. I, of course, bought a $20 ticket instead of the $10 I actually needed. Yeah, I had no idea what I was doing. We asked another helpful airport worker where to find our platforms, and she directed us to an elevator. We saw that platform 3 (the one I needed) was on the third floor. The only complication is that no matter how many times you pushed the 3 button, nothing happend. Huh. So, we pushed 5 and walked for a while until we found another helpful airport employee. Turns out, we were at the right place. Our platforms were directly opposite from each other about 10 feet away from where we were standing!
As we parted ways, we decided to finally introduce ourselves.
Him: I'm sad our little travel adventure is coming to such a quick end.
Me: I know, it was fun! Well, you're going that way though right (pointing to his platform)?
Him: Yep.
Me: Ok, well, it was nice to meet you. I had fun. My name's Jenny, by the way.
Him: Gustav.
Me: See ya! (I ended with such a quick salutation because I didn't quite understand what he had said...I thought he had uttered some salutation in another language, not registering that Gustav was his name at first. Haha, oops...)
So, we smiled and waved goodbye as we got on our trains.
Then:
I rode that subway a few stops until I had to change to another subway.
Then I wandered around and found another train ticket kiosk (an actually train this time!), and then wandered up some stairs, past a man smoking pot, to the platform. Thankfully there was a group of college-aged people hanging out (since the train they were supposed to take the hour before mine broke down) and explained where the train would drop me off in Sacramento, and kept me company until the train arrived.
Finally I got off the train and found a taxi conveniently waiting to take me back to base! The cab driver was pretty sure he knew where it was... He kept asking which streets he should take though, which I was completely unable to explain. His confidence was low since he had just given his GPS to a friend of his who needed to navigate his way around Napa Valley.
So, Let's Re-Cap:
1) Drive up to GB
2) Flight from GB to Chi-Town
3) Flight form Chi-Town to San Fran
4) Airtrain ride
5) Subway ride
6) Second subway ride.
7) Train ride to Sac Town
8) Taxi ride to base!
Once inside my little dorm room I turned up the heat and crawled into bed! That was a long, but fairly up-beat travel day, thanks to my Korean-American travel buddy (and the puppy)!
Today:
Today has been a fun reunion day with my teammates. And a nice calm before the storm of Americorps meetings and such that begins tomorrow!
Yesterday was Travel Day:
After finishing packing, I drove Mom and myself up to the Green Bay airport. That was my last chance to drive for the next 7 months!!!
Mumsie and I had a surprisingly tasty lunch at the airport, and then hung out for a while before I checked into security and hopped on the plane.
Let's back up a sec...
I realized the day before my flight left that I still hadn't figured out how to get from San Francisco (where my plane was landing) to Sacramento (where I actually needed to be). Huh... So I hopped online and found a few options, made a few phone calls, and jotted down a few notes. Turns out that the train tickets aren't worth buying early since the seats aren't actually reserved, so I just focused on getting down the train company info and hoped that it would all fall into place once I landed.
Ok, Back to the Travel Day:
I managed to only have a duffle bag and backpack, and I have to admitt, it's SUPER nice to not have any checked baggage.
While waiting in the security line in Green Bay (a bit teary-eyed as I waved by to Madre) I was watching the girl infront of me struggle to get her laptop out of her bag. Except it wasn't a laptop. She reached in her bag and pulled out the cutest, calmest, sweetest little dog wrapped up in a red sweater! That was a nice pick-me-up. Turns out there were two puppies on my plane! And two screaming babies with dirty diapers. Besides the breath-taking turbulence (it was a VERY windy day-the car door almost flew off when I got out the car that morning!), the flight actually wasn't that bad. I was able to drown out some of the noises with my new ipod. (Thanks Mom and Dad!) It has a bass-boost option, which I quite enjoy!
My connecting flight in Chicago was actually only 5 gates away (super convenient!) and I only had to wait about an hour until I boarded. I was able to sleep on this longer flight and enjoyed some cranapple juice. Yummy! ...And I may or may not have eaten the entire bag of seasoned pretzels G-ma sent me away with. Also yummy!
This is Where it Gets Interesting:
Right when the plane was landing I decided it may be a good idea to check in with the guy sitting next to me and see if he was familiar with BART, the subway system I planning on using. Turns out he had used it once before, but had little to no memory of where to find it. He actually needed to find it again though.
It also turns out he had gone to the same christian conference thingy in Kansas City, Missouri that I went to in high school.
It also turns out he was really fun to talk to.
So he waited for me on the plane, since I had to get my bag from one of the overhead storage bins in the back of the plane (I may have overpacked my duffle this time around... It was difficult to fit it anywhere). Once off the plane we walked quite briskly until we found a sign for the BART subway system. Chatting this whole time made talking a wee-bit difficult (he's a very fast walker!). We walked where the sign was directing us, and then failed to find any more signs, or the actual subway itself. He decided we were having these problems because his shoe wasn't tied. Of course that's why. So he tied his shoe (while I asked a security guard for directions) and then magically we went up a flight of stairs and found the airtrain that was supposed to take us to the subway. :) Success #1.
Then we got off the airtrain and found a kiosk to purchase our BART tickets. I, of course, bought a $20 ticket instead of the $10 I actually needed. Yeah, I had no idea what I was doing. We asked another helpful airport worker where to find our platforms, and she directed us to an elevator. We saw that platform 3 (the one I needed) was on the third floor. The only complication is that no matter how many times you pushed the 3 button, nothing happend. Huh. So, we pushed 5 and walked for a while until we found another helpful airport employee. Turns out, we were at the right place. Our platforms were directly opposite from each other about 10 feet away from where we were standing!
As we parted ways, we decided to finally introduce ourselves.
Him: I'm sad our little travel adventure is coming to such a quick end.
Me: I know, it was fun! Well, you're going that way though right (pointing to his platform)?
Him: Yep.
Me: Ok, well, it was nice to meet you. I had fun. My name's Jenny, by the way.
Him: Gustav.
Me: See ya! (I ended with such a quick salutation because I didn't quite understand what he had said...I thought he had uttered some salutation in another language, not registering that Gustav was his name at first. Haha, oops...)
So, we smiled and waved goodbye as we got on our trains.
Then:
I rode that subway a few stops until I had to change to another subway.
Then I wandered around and found another train ticket kiosk (an actually train this time!), and then wandered up some stairs, past a man smoking pot, to the platform. Thankfully there was a group of college-aged people hanging out (since the train they were supposed to take the hour before mine broke down) and explained where the train would drop me off in Sacramento, and kept me company until the train arrived.
Finally I got off the train and found a taxi conveniently waiting to take me back to base! The cab driver was pretty sure he knew where it was... He kept asking which streets he should take though, which I was completely unable to explain. His confidence was low since he had just given his GPS to a friend of his who needed to navigate his way around Napa Valley.
So, Let's Re-Cap:
1) Drive up to GB
2) Flight from GB to Chi-Town
3) Flight form Chi-Town to San Fran
4) Airtrain ride
5) Subway ride
6) Second subway ride.
7) Train ride to Sac Town
8) Taxi ride to base!
Once inside my little dorm room I turned up the heat and crawled into bed! That was a long, but fairly up-beat travel day, thanks to my Korean-American travel buddy (and the puppy)!
Today:
Today has been a fun reunion day with my teammates. And a nice calm before the storm of Americorps meetings and such that begins tomorrow!
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Home For Christmas!!!
Hey All!!!
I finally made it home for the holidays...not without complication, of course. ; )
Give me a couple days, and there will be updates and pictures (and possibly videos) galore!
I finally made it home for the holidays...not without complication, of course. ; )
Give me a couple days, and there will be updates and pictures (and possibly videos) galore!
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Chainsaw Training
And the fun begins! I am proud to say that I have now successfully operated a chainsaw without chopping off any of my, or any bystander's, limbs. Infact, I can actually take a chainsaw apart and put it back together in working condition! I can name over 20 parts on the beast as well. :) Myself, my teamleader Coli, and my teammate Lindsay, are the only ones allowed on our team to operate our chainsaw, since we were the only three trained. I'm kinda pumped.
Day one of training was incredibly painstaking. Especially being the morning after Halloween, a much celebrated holiday for Americorps members. It was a full ten hour day of sitting in a classroom. It felt like an episode of the Twilight Zone at times, as the instructor ran on and on about "the bad monkey cage"...still not sure what that was all about. Oh yeah...I just remembered that I already wrote about this. Oh well.
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| I think this is called the "pie cut." The tree will fall towards us. |
The morning consisted of taking chainsaws apart and then putting it back together again. The afternoon consisted of each of us taking turns to saw small clumps of brush down. We learned some technique and just got comfortable holding the dangerous thing. It wasn't has heavy as I expected. To end the day, we watched the main trainer fell a tree. I hoped that the next day would bring some felling (cutting a tree down) or at least some bucking (chopping up an already downed log).
 |
| We used the smallest on in the back of the photo. |
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| Brain, the main chainsaw instructor. |
Unfortunately, this was not the case. Day three consisted of sitting around. I held the chainsaw once but only for pictures sake. The picture a total fraud, fyi. (I didn't take any actual action pics the first day because I forgot my camera.) The entire morning we talked about and watched the technique of the main trainer felling a tree again. Then we split into groups (40 people split up into 3 groups) with 2 1/2 working chainsaws.
Yep. 2 1/2 working chainsaws. Our group got the 1/2. What this means is that it would start and stop quite frequently. First, the faceplate fell off. Then the chain and bar. We actually got a video of this. Then we wondered if it ran out of gas...nope. It was the spark plug that kept falling off. We tried to fix it and then lost the bar nut somewhere in the wilderness. The duct tape from the back of my boots was utilized without success at one point. Right. The design or our particular chainsaw was meant for cutting limbs high up in a tree (landscaping), not working on the forest floor, so we blame that...at least partially.
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| The chainsaw stopped working. |
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| The chainsaw started working. |
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| Now we're trying to fix the chainsaw... It had stopped working again, go figure. |
The best part of the third day was actually the ride there. We took a more efficient route there as to avoid the cheerful mountain men with their roadrage and stopped at a different gas station/grocery store to wait for our host. Once again, we had over an hour of downtime. This time because of rush hour traffic? Eitherway, I actually have no complaints, because in my opinion, this was the most beautfiul part of California I have seen yet. I'm not entirely sure where we were, but the pictures speak for themselves. If only they could capture what it actually looked like!  |
| Lindsay and I |
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| Coli (our team leader), Lindsay and I |
Random Addition:
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Our super-sweet raingear for Catalina. It smells bad and makes me itch. |
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Chainsaw Training
Lecture:
So today was the first of three days of chainsaw training. I absorbed two interesting things: 1) Chainsaws are very dangerous. 2) For the next two days I will be chopping down trees, practicing how to deal with malfunctioning chainsaws, and learning how to properly maintain a chainsaw. All of this will take place in the mountains. And I really mean in the mountains... If I understand this correctly, the area that we will be working in didn't receive landlines for telephones until a year or so ago. I have a feeling I will meet some interesting individuals! I can't even imagine.
Until today, however, I didn't realize how dull sitting in a classroom learning about chainsaws could possibly be. This is why the following story was created. It may or may not have been written during the presentation...as a future teacher, I can't let myself admit to being a bad student and not paying my utmost attention though. In the event that this story was written during training, it is likely that my teammate sitting next to me and I would write a chunk each, leaving the other person to add the next line. (The gray lines were written by my teammate.)
The Story:
Once upon a time there was a barn owl. And this barn owl had a hidden power that nobody knew about! Late at night, when the moon was high in the sky, this owl could turn his feathers into scales. The moon would cast a silvery light onto his wings and his whole body would transform into a shimmery blue gale. Every night he would return to his favorite pond to swim with his under water friends. But the real reason this owl continued to swim was because of a special lady blue gale. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She had eyes as green as emeralds, gills as delicate as lace, and fins as strong and graceful as a dove's wings.
The first time he ventured into the water, she was swimming so wonderfully she looked like a leaf blowing in the wind. When they first locked eyes he felt such a rush that he hardly remembered to breathe. The bubbles in the water seemed to sparkle more than ever before as they danced up to the surface of the pond. Even the muted glow of the fireflies not far above matched the warmth in his heart. This bliss was cut short, however, when all of the sudden a worm abruptly dropped into the lake and grabbed her attention. During the day the owl would watch people fishing on the lake in the cold and crisp mornings. He tried to warn her but her ambition exceeded his speed. She went for the worm and was scooped from the lake along with his heart.
This is where his journey begins.
With lightening speed he leapt out of the water and took flight. His scales returned to feathers and little droplets of water fell back to the earth. Never had this little barn owl been so twisted in anguish. He watched in horror as the fisherwomen (changin up the gender roles/stereotypes) grabbed his princess from the water and tossed her in a bucket full of water. He needed a plan. This scared, lovesick barn owl was circling the scene and letting out distracted "who's" when an idea suddenly hit him.
He decided he would follow their boat and try to be caught by the same boat. There was a little bit of time before sunrise, and he just had to do it to save his girl. Hope began to rise when the engine started slowing down and the fisherladies grabbed their poles. As the owl ferociously (sp?) dove deep into the cool water he knew not only that he was changing into a fish, but he was changing into a creature in love. (haha, that's golden!)
He swam with all his might, dodging kelp and sleepy salmon, bursting through schools of minnows and crabby crayfish. At last he saw the boat.
...And that his where our story currently leaves off. If we pick it back up, we have a slight plan for the ending. I don't want to spoil the fun, however, so I will leave it up to your information for now.
So today was the first of three days of chainsaw training. I absorbed two interesting things: 1) Chainsaws are very dangerous. 2) For the next two days I will be chopping down trees, practicing how to deal with malfunctioning chainsaws, and learning how to properly maintain a chainsaw. All of this will take place in the mountains. And I really mean in the mountains... If I understand this correctly, the area that we will be working in didn't receive landlines for telephones until a year or so ago. I have a feeling I will meet some interesting individuals! I can't even imagine.
Until today, however, I didn't realize how dull sitting in a classroom learning about chainsaws could possibly be. This is why the following story was created. It may or may not have been written during the presentation...as a future teacher, I can't let myself admit to being a bad student and not paying my utmost attention though. In the event that this story was written during training, it is likely that my teammate sitting next to me and I would write a chunk each, leaving the other person to add the next line. (The gray lines were written by my teammate.)
The Story:
Once upon a time there was a barn owl. And this barn owl had a hidden power that nobody knew about! Late at night, when the moon was high in the sky, this owl could turn his feathers into scales. The moon would cast a silvery light onto his wings and his whole body would transform into a shimmery blue gale. Every night he would return to his favorite pond to swim with his under water friends. But the real reason this owl continued to swim was because of a special lady blue gale. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. She had eyes as green as emeralds, gills as delicate as lace, and fins as strong and graceful as a dove's wings.
The first time he ventured into the water, she was swimming so wonderfully she looked like a leaf blowing in the wind. When they first locked eyes he felt such a rush that he hardly remembered to breathe. The bubbles in the water seemed to sparkle more than ever before as they danced up to the surface of the pond. Even the muted glow of the fireflies not far above matched the warmth in his heart. This bliss was cut short, however, when all of the sudden a worm abruptly dropped into the lake and grabbed her attention. During the day the owl would watch people fishing on the lake in the cold and crisp mornings. He tried to warn her but her ambition exceeded his speed. She went for the worm and was scooped from the lake along with his heart.
This is where his journey begins.
With lightening speed he leapt out of the water and took flight. His scales returned to feathers and little droplets of water fell back to the earth. Never had this little barn owl been so twisted in anguish. He watched in horror as the fisherwomen (changin up the gender roles/stereotypes) grabbed his princess from the water and tossed her in a bucket full of water. He needed a plan. This scared, lovesick barn owl was circling the scene and letting out distracted "who's" when an idea suddenly hit him.
He decided he would follow their boat and try to be caught by the same boat. There was a little bit of time before sunrise, and he just had to do it to save his girl. Hope began to rise when the engine started slowing down and the fisherladies grabbed their poles. As the owl ferociously (sp?) dove deep into the cool water he knew not only that he was changing into a fish, but he was changing into a creature in love. (haha, that's golden!)
He swam with all his might, dodging kelp and sleepy salmon, bursting through schools of minnows and crabby crayfish. At last he saw the boat.
...And that his where our story currently leaves off. If we pick it back up, we have a slight plan for the ending. I don't want to spoil the fun, however, so I will leave it up to your information for now.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Updates on Catalina Island
At dinner tonight we had an informal Q&A session with a member who had gone on this trip last year. Here are 15 updates, in no particular order:
1) It's possible to walk into town since it's just 4 miles downhill.
2) You can stay overnight at the community/teen center in Avalon for free if you don't have to work the next day.
3) They like us there and take us scuba-diving and kayaking...for free!
4) Apparently there's an old man named Donald who will take us fishing.
5) Avalon, the touristy city is 1 mile long.
6) It is very expensive. We will probably try to bring some food in bulk with us from the mainland.
7) The backpack we bring has to fit into our duffel bag. How do you spell that? Duffel/Duffle...I think duffel. And our boots, rain gear (which will consist of boots, pants, and a jacket), and sleeping bag all have to fit in it!
8) We're here to work, but we've come to an agreement that time will be made for fun!
9) The last team to go there did not catch pnemonia, nor did the one before them.
10) The last team there was attacked by a bison that felt trapped during their very first invasive species removal project. Apparently the lady talking to us had to jump across a ditch to get away! Otherwise they're supposedly pretty chill animals.
11) Rainy season, unless it's unusually rainy like for the last team who had monsoon-like weather, consists of about 2 inches a year. That's nothing! I'm wondering if it comes more in the form of a mist rather than rain showers.
12) The noteworthy weather she warned us of was the wind. The chilly wind.
13) There are actually two showers, one indoors, one outdoors. The outdoor one has a view of the stars at night!!!
14) We will have bunkbeds in our tent, a fire pit, and a camping stove.
15) The lady that presented said she did take her laptop and just used it when she went into town.
...This is all sounding so much more manageable! This Q&A session took away a lot of my stress about this adventure and added to the excitement! Also, I apologize for the lack of pictures in the last few posts...they're not very aesthetically pleasing.
1) It's possible to walk into town since it's just 4 miles downhill.
2) You can stay overnight at the community/teen center in Avalon for free if you don't have to work the next day.
3) They like us there and take us scuba-diving and kayaking...for free!
4) Apparently there's an old man named Donald who will take us fishing.
5) Avalon, the touristy city is 1 mile long.
6) It is very expensive. We will probably try to bring some food in bulk with us from the mainland.
7) The backpack we bring has to fit into our duffel bag. How do you spell that? Duffel/Duffle...I think duffel. And our boots, rain gear (which will consist of boots, pants, and a jacket), and sleeping bag all have to fit in it!
8) We're here to work, but we've come to an agreement that time will be made for fun!
9) The last team to go there did not catch pnemonia, nor did the one before them.
10) The last team there was attacked by a bison that felt trapped during their very first invasive species removal project. Apparently the lady talking to us had to jump across a ditch to get away! Otherwise they're supposedly pretty chill animals.
11) Rainy season, unless it's unusually rainy like for the last team who had monsoon-like weather, consists of about 2 inches a year. That's nothing! I'm wondering if it comes more in the form of a mist rather than rain showers.
12) The noteworthy weather she warned us of was the wind. The chilly wind.
13) There are actually two showers, one indoors, one outdoors. The outdoor one has a view of the stars at night!!!
14) We will have bunkbeds in our tent, a fire pit, and a camping stove.
15) The lady that presented said she did take her laptop and just used it when she went into town.
...This is all sounding so much more manageable! This Q&A session took away a lot of my stress about this adventure and added to the excitement! Also, I apologize for the lack of pictures in the last few posts...they're not very aesthetically pleasing.
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