I haven't been bit by the writing bug in a long time, so naturally when it bit me this afternoon as I was preparing to head out for some shopping/Spanish lessons learned the hard way, I decided to entertain the bug...
I walked side-by-side with the ocean
and asked her for a word
a word of wisdom, pearl of truth
I asked for something good
She said to me did you find it
I knew not what she spoke of
She mentioned words of substance
of hope and faith and love
of beauty and of consequence
the things that we know not
I gazed at her, at infinity
and of all of this forgot
what it was that I came here for
until she spoke again
saying Take with you this experience
and keep it 'til your end
For what you've felt and thought and seen
stretches farther than any land
and to that end the tide rolled out
and I began to understand
I guess I've been out of the game for too long, since it's a rhyming poem, and I'm personifying the ocean like Hemingway...that said, it felt REALLY good to get that out and here's hoping there's more to follow. Alright back to your regularly scheduled wasting time online...
Talk to each other.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
December 15- Just Kidding
Got a job for 2010. Juuuust kidding. Good one, right? Wrong.
As a result of this shituation, I've decided to make a list of the things that I want to do with myself in the meantime. In the coming weeks, and certainly starting in 2010, I am going to have something to write about: getting goals accomplished. A friend of mine, Brian, had started a similar idea with his blog (located HERE), and I have decided to piggy-back on that idea only using it to suit my own purposes. I've decided to put more effort into writing in the coming year, as I didn't do it as much as I should. As a result, I have not honed my craft as much as I should like.
This muck-up has given me much to look forward to in 2010...
By the way, I have already bitten the weenie on both my giving up swearing (lasting until the 3rd), and not writing (my whirlwind trip to New York accounted for some,but not all, of this). So for the year, I have come up short on my ultimate goal of giving these things up for months at a time. The list is as follows:
Drinking (Jan.)- SUCCESS
Masturbating (Feb.)- FAILURE
Looking for Trouble (Feb.)- SUCCESS
Shaving the 'Stache (Mar.)- SUCCESS
New and Different Album Every Day (Mar.)- SUCCESS
Salt on Food (Apr.)- SUCCESS
5 Books in a Month (Apr.)- FAILURE
TV (May)- SUCCESS
Exercise Daily (May)- FAILURE
Biting Nails (Jun.)- SUCCESS
Twirling Hair (Jun.)- SUCCESS
Cracking Knuckles (Jun.)- SUCCESS
Post Every Day (Jun.)- SUCCESS
Texting While Driving (Jul.)- SUCCESS
Help Someone Every Day (Jul.)- SUCCESS
Avoid Second Portions (Aug.)- FAILURE
Finish Half-Read Books (Aug.)- SUCCESS (finished 4)
Crossing Legs While Sitting (Sept.)- FAILURE (though I DID stop when I caught myself)
Plan Diet (Sept.)- SUCCESS
October- FAILURE (justified)
Cell Phone (Nov.)- SUCCESS
Daily Conversation in Spanish (Nov.)- SUCCESS
Swearing (Dec.)- FAILURE
Write Every Day (Dec.)- FAILURE
16 for 24....a solid .667 average. By most measures, that's pretty good. While I will continue to try (and in some cases, retry) giving these things up in the future (and while I'll continue to post here), I will be reflecting on the year that was as the year comes to a close. It's been a wild one and just in reviewing some of these posts, I've grown. By how much is a question mark, but the fact that I have is not up for dispute. I look forward to the coming year and hope that you will join me!
Talk to each other.
As a result of this shituation, I've decided to make a list of the things that I want to do with myself in the meantime. In the coming weeks, and certainly starting in 2010, I am going to have something to write about: getting goals accomplished. A friend of mine, Brian, had started a similar idea with his blog (located HERE), and I have decided to piggy-back on that idea only using it to suit my own purposes. I've decided to put more effort into writing in the coming year, as I didn't do it as much as I should. As a result, I have not honed my craft as much as I should like.
This muck-up has given me much to look forward to in 2010...
By the way, I have already bitten the weenie on both my giving up swearing (lasting until the 3rd), and not writing (my whirlwind trip to New York accounted for some,but not all, of this). So for the year, I have come up short on my ultimate goal of giving these things up for months at a time. The list is as follows:
Drinking (Jan.)- SUCCESS
Masturbating (Feb.)- FAILURE
Looking for Trouble (Feb.)- SUCCESS
Shaving the 'Stache (Mar.)- SUCCESS
New and Different Album Every Day (Mar.)- SUCCESS
Salt on Food (Apr.)- SUCCESS
5 Books in a Month (Apr.)- FAILURE
TV (May)- SUCCESS
Exercise Daily (May)- FAILURE
Biting Nails (Jun.)- SUCCESS
Twirling Hair (Jun.)- SUCCESS
Cracking Knuckles (Jun.)- SUCCESS
Post Every Day (Jun.)- SUCCESS
Texting While Driving (Jul.)- SUCCESS
Help Someone Every Day (Jul.)- SUCCESS
Avoid Second Portions (Aug.)- FAILURE
Finish Half-Read Books (Aug.)- SUCCESS (finished 4)
Crossing Legs While Sitting (Sept.)- FAILURE (though I DID stop when I caught myself)
Plan Diet (Sept.)- SUCCESS
October- FAILURE (justified)
Cell Phone (Nov.)- SUCCESS
Daily Conversation in Spanish (Nov.)- SUCCESS
Swearing (Dec.)- FAILURE
Write Every Day (Dec.)- FAILURE
16 for 24....a solid .667 average. By most measures, that's pretty good. While I will continue to try (and in some cases, retry) giving these things up in the future (and while I'll continue to post here), I will be reflecting on the year that was as the year comes to a close. It's been a wild one and just in reviewing some of these posts, I've grown. By how much is a question mark, but the fact that I have is not up for dispute. I look forward to the coming year and hope that you will join me!
Talk to each other.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
December 13- Remembering a hero
I've been terrified of digging deeper into what the last ten days have been like, and putting any sort of accuracy into the sense of loss that I'm feeling. The situation being what it is and the surreal sort of week that has transpired has further dizzied me up. That said, without addressing this stunned feeling, the prolonging of grief would surely continue past the point of returning home. So I'm left with a need to look within myself and tease out a few strands to make some sense of this tragic incident which took place far, far too soon.
On December 2nd, my Uncle Tom passed away. To say that this was sudden would be a profound understatement. Being in Chile, the news did not spread to me until the next morning, when I was contacted immediately upon arriving at school. After turning my computer on in an attempt to find some Christmas songs/movies to play for my students, I heard the ringing of Skype. As anyone who has ever lost anyone can tell you, you are never prepared for this call.
As I think about everything I can remember, this feeling of not quite getting it right is washing over me. To properly express what he meant to me would be to riddle this writing with cliches about being a father figure and all of that. This doesn't mean it's not true- it is- it just feels like my ability to express the measure of importance that Uncle Tom had in my life would be disserviced by a compact statement like the aforementioned loss of a father figure.
Here's the thing: without a father in my own house growing up, I looked up to Uncle Tom in the same sort of way that I would my grandfather, the main difference being that I saw Uncle Tom more often. What I love about him most was that he always made me feel like part of his (immediate) family. Despite raising 5 girls with my Aunt Kathy, Tom's house was a second home for my siblings and I for as long as I can remember. That sort of open door spirit, as I've come to learn over the years, was indicative of how Tom lived his life; you'd have a hard time believing that he would have any other sort of relationship with anyone else because of how well he treated you.
I remember going to a Mets/Padres doubleheader one summer with Kathy and Tom and my brother, Erik, and staying until the end of the second game, a 14-inning affair. It was one of many memories of the two of them that you wish would never end. I often credit my love of the game of baseball to Tom's interest in the sport itself, though of course watching the Yankees was the best part about it. I remember having such pride in watching Don Mattingly play, and hearing that Tom respected Mattingly's heart. My hero had respect for my favorite player, validating my rooting for #23 for the rest of his career and the rest of my life. I fondly remember hearing, "Mantle was the best I ever saw..." and sat intently while he told me about being a fan as a kid. Of course, like so many family stories that never get old, my favorite was hearing him talk about Game 6 of the 1977 World Series and going with Kathy. It brought the picture full circle, a marriage between love and baseball; these, surely, are the things that dreams are made of.
I can only vaguely remember my first Jets game- a 19-16 win over the Packers- which was memorable only because of Tom; at the age of 6 or 7, a football game was such a big deal, and that I was invited to the game earned me a seat on top of the world. While my interest in the Jets waned, I was happy to say that one of two Jets games I've ever been to has been with him. Last year, we managed to share a beer before the Jets-Dolphins game at the Meadowlands. At the time, I was so happy to have Tom and Susan there while I enjoyed an afternoon with my buddy Jay and his sister and his dad, Stan. The occasions where I've had a father figure of my own around have been slim enough that this was a big deal to me.
Uncle Tom's affable demeanor was contagious. He loved to laugh, and if you weren't laughing at him, you were laughing with him. He had a laugh that invited you to join, since there was always something to smile at. I think of when I was younger and not fully aware of the humor of the adult table, and no matter how unaware I was of any of it, I knew something funny was going on because I could hear Tom from the other end of the house.
I observed the true meaning of Thanksgiving from Uncle Tom. It was the first year after the Nerfs had a fire in their house and were staying with my grandparents. As is the custom in our family, all of us shared what we were thankful for. Despite all that had gone on and the doubtless weight that must have been on their shoulders, both Kathy and Tom remained optimistic and thankful for having a large and loving family. No 'woe is me' cards being played at the table. You heard the words and knew it was true, that with everything going on in the world, his family was something to be thankful for. And it remains stronger than steel to this day.
Over the last week or so, I've heard so many people that knew Tom said that his faith and his love were never in question. He lived the righteous path, and he loved his wife and his daughters, his sisters and his grandkids all the same: openly and unconditionally. He raised and passed on his selfless qualities to five of my best friends, and he still managed to make my siblings and I feel just as special and important. His presence at games and rides home from practices were appreciated all the more because of the schedule and work that he would be putting in to help support his family. What made any accomplishment I had on stage all the better was having the support of my family visible in the audience, and Uncle Tom was no exception. Seeing he and Aunt Kathy in the seats during my senior year production below the brightness of the lights made the day more special.
Maybe the most lasting memories I have of Uncle Tom (besides the vocal disapproval of A-Rod, Mike Stanton, and a host of other ballplayers) were the moments that one would remember sharing with their father. I remember he had offered to take me to the dreaded "What's happening to my body?" video presentation at Overlook. In hindsight, that gesture alone makes him more worthy of praise than before...when the night came to actually go, he asked if I wanted to go. I said "nope", and we didn't go. I had the paperback version and while I can't recommend the book over the movie since I never saw it, I was reassured when he told me that if I had any questions, to not be afraid to ask. While joking made the mood lighter, it stands out now as a stand-up thing to offer to do for a kid hitting puberty.
The year Pop died, I rode out to the Lake with Tom to clean the gutters and rake leaves. Our conversation drifted to Pop, as it had before, and in turn to my own father. He asked how things were going, and the advice he gave me which resonates so clearly now was this: life's too short. It's the attitude that if things go unsaid, it becomes an awful lot to live with. While no one he knew and loved questions that love, I'm sure many of us have people with whom we are out of contact because of such things as fear or anger, bitterness or dislike. The best thing I ever learned from my uncle is that communicating is a good idea; sadly, the idea that life's too short has been driven home all too deeply.
Uncle Tom will be missed by those who knew him, and his legacy will continue in his wife, each of his five daughters, their husbands, and his three grandchildren. As for me, it's another hero who was called away from this life too soon. However, I've learned enough from my hero to realize that for the things we have in life, we are to be thankful to God, and for the rest, I will do my part and use Tom Nerf as an example of what a real man is. I love you, Uncle Tom, and hope you'll continue to watch over me.
Talk to each other.
On December 2nd, my Uncle Tom passed away. To say that this was sudden would be a profound understatement. Being in Chile, the news did not spread to me until the next morning, when I was contacted immediately upon arriving at school. After turning my computer on in an attempt to find some Christmas songs/movies to play for my students, I heard the ringing of Skype. As anyone who has ever lost anyone can tell you, you are never prepared for this call.
As I think about everything I can remember, this feeling of not quite getting it right is washing over me. To properly express what he meant to me would be to riddle this writing with cliches about being a father figure and all of that. This doesn't mean it's not true- it is- it just feels like my ability to express the measure of importance that Uncle Tom had in my life would be disserviced by a compact statement like the aforementioned loss of a father figure.
Here's the thing: without a father in my own house growing up, I looked up to Uncle Tom in the same sort of way that I would my grandfather, the main difference being that I saw Uncle Tom more often. What I love about him most was that he always made me feel like part of his (immediate) family. Despite raising 5 girls with my Aunt Kathy, Tom's house was a second home for my siblings and I for as long as I can remember. That sort of open door spirit, as I've come to learn over the years, was indicative of how Tom lived his life; you'd have a hard time believing that he would have any other sort of relationship with anyone else because of how well he treated you.
I remember going to a Mets/Padres doubleheader one summer with Kathy and Tom and my brother, Erik, and staying until the end of the second game, a 14-inning affair. It was one of many memories of the two of them that you wish would never end. I often credit my love of the game of baseball to Tom's interest in the sport itself, though of course watching the Yankees was the best part about it. I remember having such pride in watching Don Mattingly play, and hearing that Tom respected Mattingly's heart. My hero had respect for my favorite player, validating my rooting for #23 for the rest of his career and the rest of my life. I fondly remember hearing, "Mantle was the best I ever saw..." and sat intently while he told me about being a fan as a kid. Of course, like so many family stories that never get old, my favorite was hearing him talk about Game 6 of the 1977 World Series and going with Kathy. It brought the picture full circle, a marriage between love and baseball; these, surely, are the things that dreams are made of.
I can only vaguely remember my first Jets game- a 19-16 win over the Packers- which was memorable only because of Tom; at the age of 6 or 7, a football game was such a big deal, and that I was invited to the game earned me a seat on top of the world. While my interest in the Jets waned, I was happy to say that one of two Jets games I've ever been to has been with him. Last year, we managed to share a beer before the Jets-Dolphins game at the Meadowlands. At the time, I was so happy to have Tom and Susan there while I enjoyed an afternoon with my buddy Jay and his sister and his dad, Stan. The occasions where I've had a father figure of my own around have been slim enough that this was a big deal to me.
Uncle Tom's affable demeanor was contagious. He loved to laugh, and if you weren't laughing at him, you were laughing with him. He had a laugh that invited you to join, since there was always something to smile at. I think of when I was younger and not fully aware of the humor of the adult table, and no matter how unaware I was of any of it, I knew something funny was going on because I could hear Tom from the other end of the house.
I observed the true meaning of Thanksgiving from Uncle Tom. It was the first year after the Nerfs had a fire in their house and were staying with my grandparents. As is the custom in our family, all of us shared what we were thankful for. Despite all that had gone on and the doubtless weight that must have been on their shoulders, both Kathy and Tom remained optimistic and thankful for having a large and loving family. No 'woe is me' cards being played at the table. You heard the words and knew it was true, that with everything going on in the world, his family was something to be thankful for. And it remains stronger than steel to this day.
Over the last week or so, I've heard so many people that knew Tom said that his faith and his love were never in question. He lived the righteous path, and he loved his wife and his daughters, his sisters and his grandkids all the same: openly and unconditionally. He raised and passed on his selfless qualities to five of my best friends, and he still managed to make my siblings and I feel just as special and important. His presence at games and rides home from practices were appreciated all the more because of the schedule and work that he would be putting in to help support his family. What made any accomplishment I had on stage all the better was having the support of my family visible in the audience, and Uncle Tom was no exception. Seeing he and Aunt Kathy in the seats during my senior year production below the brightness of the lights made the day more special.
Maybe the most lasting memories I have of Uncle Tom (besides the vocal disapproval of A-Rod, Mike Stanton, and a host of other ballplayers) were the moments that one would remember sharing with their father. I remember he had offered to take me to the dreaded "What's happening to my body?" video presentation at Overlook. In hindsight, that gesture alone makes him more worthy of praise than before...when the night came to actually go, he asked if I wanted to go. I said "nope", and we didn't go. I had the paperback version and while I can't recommend the book over the movie since I never saw it, I was reassured when he told me that if I had any questions, to not be afraid to ask. While joking made the mood lighter, it stands out now as a stand-up thing to offer to do for a kid hitting puberty.
The year Pop died, I rode out to the Lake with Tom to clean the gutters and rake leaves. Our conversation drifted to Pop, as it had before, and in turn to my own father. He asked how things were going, and the advice he gave me which resonates so clearly now was this: life's too short. It's the attitude that if things go unsaid, it becomes an awful lot to live with. While no one he knew and loved questions that love, I'm sure many of us have people with whom we are out of contact because of such things as fear or anger, bitterness or dislike. The best thing I ever learned from my uncle is that communicating is a good idea; sadly, the idea that life's too short has been driven home all too deeply.
Uncle Tom will be missed by those who knew him, and his legacy will continue in his wife, each of his five daughters, their husbands, and his three grandchildren. As for me, it's another hero who was called away from this life too soon. However, I've learned enough from my hero to realize that for the things we have in life, we are to be thankful to God, and for the rest, I will do my part and use Tom Nerf as an example of what a real man is. I love you, Uncle Tom, and hope you'll continue to watch over me.
Talk to each other.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
December 1- November re-cap, December
Alright just a brief re-cap of November before I get going into what December's 'sacrifice' is...
November was a success, and required a little bit of weaseling out of using a phone (ordering food, answering questions, etc.). For the 2 or 3 times that I've really wanted to use my cell phone this past month, there have been countless times when I've been REALLY glad I don't have it with me here in Antofagasta. It feels good to have that freedom and disconnection from the world...most of the time. As for the daily interaction, I was successful every day that I left my apartment. Due to a stomach bug, there were two such days that I didn't leave the apartment. Otherwise, I picked up bits and pieces of the language in an everyday sort of way (ordering food, asking for directions). Over the weekend, for example, I went to Mejillones, a sleepy town on the coast that is in the middle of the desert. Our taxi driver chatted me up and while I felt VERY overwhelmed, it was a good learning experience, thanks to his pointing and repetition. It's for these people that I am also very thankful.
Recently, I've been going through a lot of difficulty in grasping the enormity of this transformation of self. It's hard to imagine that everything can be susceptible to change, but here it is. Nothing has been made exempt, and so it has been incredibly trying, while for the most part extremely satisfying. More on that to come. In the meantime, it's a new month and that means new challenges. It's amazing to think that by the end of this month, not only will I be home, but the year will be over. 2009 will have come and gone with big changes and big goals, some of which were met, some of which were not. What a trip it's been. More of re-capping to come, and certainly more of my South American adventure to report.
In December, I plan on giving up swearing. I do it too much too often, and it's a good goal to curb that sort of behavior. I put the odds on doing this at about 1,000:1. In the meantime, my daily task will be writing for at least a little bit every day. I brought a journal with me, and so I should be dedicating more time to writing in it than I have.
Talk to each other.
November was a success, and required a little bit of weaseling out of using a phone (ordering food, answering questions, etc.). For the 2 or 3 times that I've really wanted to use my cell phone this past month, there have been countless times when I've been REALLY glad I don't have it with me here in Antofagasta. It feels good to have that freedom and disconnection from the world...most of the time. As for the daily interaction, I was successful every day that I left my apartment. Due to a stomach bug, there were two such days that I didn't leave the apartment. Otherwise, I picked up bits and pieces of the language in an everyday sort of way (ordering food, asking for directions). Over the weekend, for example, I went to Mejillones, a sleepy town on the coast that is in the middle of the desert. Our taxi driver chatted me up and while I felt VERY overwhelmed, it was a good learning experience, thanks to his pointing and repetition. It's for these people that I am also very thankful.
Recently, I've been going through a lot of difficulty in grasping the enormity of this transformation of self. It's hard to imagine that everything can be susceptible to change, but here it is. Nothing has been made exempt, and so it has been incredibly trying, while for the most part extremely satisfying. More on that to come. In the meantime, it's a new month and that means new challenges. It's amazing to think that by the end of this month, not only will I be home, but the year will be over. 2009 will have come and gone with big changes and big goals, some of which were met, some of which were not. What a trip it's been. More of re-capping to come, and certainly more of my South American adventure to report.
In December, I plan on giving up swearing. I do it too much too often, and it's a good goal to curb that sort of behavior. I put the odds on doing this at about 1,000:1. In the meantime, my daily task will be writing for at least a little bit every day. I brought a journal with me, and so I should be dedicating more time to writing in it than I have.
Talk to each other.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
November 26- This year I'm thankful for...
I had asked my students here in Chile to think about the things that they are thankful for. Seems easy enough, until I tried to explain what being thankful means. I couldn't cite examples since they 1)are different for everyone, and 2) would surely bring a tear to my eye. Eventually, I figured the best I could do was to explain that being thankful for something means that you have that something and that you are happy that you have it. Basically, it's the opposite of a wish list you would send to Santa Claus. They seemed to grasp that concept better than anything else I tried.
In Thanksgiving fashion, my family goes around the table every year and talks about what they're thankful for.It leaves many misty, but is a true moment of exposure and humility that gets to the core of what I love about my family and the life I have in New York. It is-without a doubt- my favorite part of my favorite day of the year. And for the first time, I missed it. I've tried to distract myself from it in the hopes of avoiding a truly heavy wave of homesickness, and in the fuss over missing the holiday/ Skyping New York from my classroom with a dozen kiddies, I deflected the responsibility of making a concrete list of things and people for whom I am particularly thankful this year. So, I've given this a lot of thought this afternoon (in the absence of mindlessly eating pumpkin pie 'til it ouches me), and here's what I've come up with:
This year I'm thankful for...
-My family, without whom none of this would be possible. Since this opportunity abroad came about so suddenly, I cannot express how much I appreciate the love and support that came from every single member of my family, who double as best friends in many cases. Without such a strong support group, I question whether I could have done this. I love and miss you all tremendously.
- Erik's completion of his program at Dutchess and subsequent acceptance into UNH. I am prouder of you than I would let on, and am so happy that you're getting to experience school and getting to do what you love. Don't ever stop that.
- Both Lee and Stuart's new jobs. I can only imagine the stewing in the bathroom after a long fight, and so I'm happy that your new jobs have given you the opportunity to move into an apartment with doors. I'm so happy for you both.
- Liam Patrick Doyle, and his parents, Katie and Dave. What an adorable addition to the family; I look forward to getting to share in his first Christmas next month.
- My laptop. I know I made a fuss over it last year with not needing it and all. It has proven to be the best gift I've ever gotten. Thanks, Mom!
- The opportunity to see my family on my favorite day of the year. I saved a tear or two for after the call. Figured it was easier that way. Someone tell Nanny I was glad to talk with her, too, please...
- The gift of being open-minded enough to travel. I've learned a lot and I think it's going to make me a better person.
- The men and women serving in our armed forces. Their selfless sacrifice has been felt both overseas and within our borders.
- My students, who remind me everyday why I want to be a teacher...and who frequently remind me why I want to teach older students long-term. As crazy as the days can get, they're a constantly affectionate group who seem to know when to get it together and pick me up.
- Samantha, for- through the grace of God- getting me the gig, and for having a good enough TV package that I could watch the Yankees in October/November. When no one speaks your language, it's nice to watch people, who seem to move in universal fashion.
- All of the e-mails and messages that I've gotten from everyone since being here, and for the advances of technology, for as poorly as I take advantage of them.
- Pop, who's with me every day, and whose lessons are being re-learned and understood in a new way.
- My relative health. I can't imagine having to try to explain an illness to a doctor here.
- My iPod, because other than "Eres Tu" and "Feliz Navidad", I can't quite get the hang of songs in Spanish (thanks Tommy Boy)
- having gotten my Masters Degree. It was a struggle to personally get myself in the right frame of mind for intensive schoolwork, which made the end of the program all the sweeter.
and most of all, I'm thankful for my Mom, whose lessons of patience, determination, and fighting for what I want have been cornerstones of my entire year. I love you.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope to see you all soon. Stay well. Talk to each other.
In Thanksgiving fashion, my family goes around the table every year and talks about what they're thankful for.It leaves many misty, but is a true moment of exposure and humility that gets to the core of what I love about my family and the life I have in New York. It is-without a doubt- my favorite part of my favorite day of the year. And for the first time, I missed it. I've tried to distract myself from it in the hopes of avoiding a truly heavy wave of homesickness, and in the fuss over missing the holiday/ Skyping New York from my classroom with a dozen kiddies, I deflected the responsibility of making a concrete list of things and people for whom I am particularly thankful this year. So, I've given this a lot of thought this afternoon (in the absence of mindlessly eating pumpkin pie 'til it ouches me), and here's what I've come up with:
This year I'm thankful for...
-My family, without whom none of this would be possible. Since this opportunity abroad came about so suddenly, I cannot express how much I appreciate the love and support that came from every single member of my family, who double as best friends in many cases. Without such a strong support group, I question whether I could have done this. I love and miss you all tremendously.
- Erik's completion of his program at Dutchess and subsequent acceptance into UNH. I am prouder of you than I would let on, and am so happy that you're getting to experience school and getting to do what you love. Don't ever stop that.
- Both Lee and Stuart's new jobs. I can only imagine the stewing in the bathroom after a long fight, and so I'm happy that your new jobs have given you the opportunity to move into an apartment with doors. I'm so happy for you both.
- Liam Patrick Doyle, and his parents, Katie and Dave. What an adorable addition to the family; I look forward to getting to share in his first Christmas next month.
- My laptop. I know I made a fuss over it last year with not needing it and all. It has proven to be the best gift I've ever gotten. Thanks, Mom!
- The opportunity to see my family on my favorite day of the year. I saved a tear or two for after the call. Figured it was easier that way. Someone tell Nanny I was glad to talk with her, too, please...
- The gift of being open-minded enough to travel. I've learned a lot and I think it's going to make me a better person.
- The men and women serving in our armed forces. Their selfless sacrifice has been felt both overseas and within our borders.
- My students, who remind me everyday why I want to be a teacher...and who frequently remind me why I want to teach older students long-term. As crazy as the days can get, they're a constantly affectionate group who seem to know when to get it together and pick me up.
- Samantha, for- through the grace of God- getting me the gig, and for having a good enough TV package that I could watch the Yankees in October/November. When no one speaks your language, it's nice to watch people, who seem to move in universal fashion.
- All of the e-mails and messages that I've gotten from everyone since being here, and for the advances of technology, for as poorly as I take advantage of them.
- Pop, who's with me every day, and whose lessons are being re-learned and understood in a new way.
- My relative health. I can't imagine having to try to explain an illness to a doctor here.
- My iPod, because other than "Eres Tu" and "Feliz Navidad", I can't quite get the hang of songs in Spanish (thanks Tommy Boy)
- having gotten my Masters Degree. It was a struggle to personally get myself in the right frame of mind for intensive schoolwork, which made the end of the program all the sweeter.
and most of all, I'm thankful for my Mom, whose lessons of patience, determination, and fighting for what I want have been cornerstones of my entire year. I love you.
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope to see you all soon. Stay well. Talk to each other.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
November 24a- A follow-up...
Just to clarify at the end of my last post, it's not that reaching this conclusion of what I want to do with myself was mentally painful; it's just a process that takes some thought. A lot of thought. Part of what I have loved about being here is that it has afforded me the time and space and solitude to take a long, hard look at myself and my life and shake it up a bit. I have essentially isolated myself from the norm and used the time I have here to think about things fully; while from the outside, I see myself as overly self-critical, from the INSIDE, it's what I consider to be a necessary critique. Who am I and what do I stand for? These are questions- large questions, big ideas- that I'm in the process of figuring out here in Chile, where the only thing I need that I haven't left behind is myself.
This is, essentially, the first (or maybe second; I was a thinker in college) real self-spring-cleaning I've undergone, complete with rebuilding from the ground up. I'm in disarray, with the promise of understanding on the other end of whatever it is that I'm going through.
Upon further review, "disarray" is not the most accurate term to use to describe this. "In transition" is more accurate, as I still have something to stand on. The first bit of this is the following: "I may not be religious, but I am spiritual. I do not believe that I am a small cog in a wheel whose destiny has already been determined. I believe in signs, large and small, and I believe in taking advantage of opportunities as they come."
That's all for now. Da me un favor y hablen. Con sus padres, con sus esposos, con sus hijos, sus novios, sus amigos. Hablen (talk).
This is, essentially, the first (or maybe second; I was a thinker in college) real self-spring-cleaning I've undergone, complete with rebuilding from the ground up. I'm in disarray, with the promise of understanding on the other end of whatever it is that I'm going through.
Upon further review, "disarray" is not the most accurate term to use to describe this. "In transition" is more accurate, as I still have something to stand on. The first bit of this is the following: "I may not be religious, but I am spiritual. I do not believe that I am a small cog in a wheel whose destiny has already been determined. I believe in signs, large and small, and I believe in taking advantage of opportunities as they come."
That's all for now. Da me un favor y hablen. Con sus padres, con sus esposos, con sus hijos, sus novios, sus amigos. Hablen (talk).
November 24- I don't know which way I'm going, I don't know which way I've come
...alright, so maybe that's only half true. The trip here was pretty chaotic in its suddenness and the way it came about ,but I certainly know what I was doing before I came here. And really, the changes I've undergone (and am undergoing, as this is a process that is more intricate than I'm aware of today) make the trip well worth it. This has been an incredible experience and I thought I'd share a bit of what I'm thinking about at this stage in the game. So without further delay, here are some thoughts on teaching in Chile....
1) I always find it some strange mix of amusing and sad when I hear people say "I don't know how you could do that" or "I could never do that". False. You (generic you; this is not addressed to anyone in particular) COULD do this. Physically, you could do it. It takes more mental toughness and drive to stay sane and to keep your wits about you than it does physical toughness. I think a lot of this is a distinction between wants and needs. What do we WANT to have and what do we NEED in life? Granted, this has been made EASIER with a laptop and an iPod, but could I do without it? Sure. I have been keeping a supplementary journal with things I'm not sharing online. I could just as easily leave it all in a book. The things you find out about what you want and what you need become clearly-defined in such an experience.
I find that for holidays, I don't ask for much. This is really because I don't NEED much. The truth of the matter is that you don't, either. Personally, that is. I understand those of you who own homes and have these "families" that you need to support may have a different perspective and that's fine. I'm just saying it's not THAT mystical for someone to be able to do this. It's a simple mix of prioritizing, a few simple luxuries, and the ganas. After that, it's all mental, which leads me to my next point...
2) Coming to the conclusion of point #1 takes mental guile. I was told in no uncertain terms that being abroad away from everything I would define as familiar would in many ways break me down. Sounds daunting, right? Right. BUT...in the midst of having everything I thought I knew blown up from the inside out, I'm beginning to see the formation of 'new': new perceptions of the world, of love, of life, of restraints (newsflash: aside from those pesky taxes, they're mostly in your head), of people, and of myself. And it's great. far too often we as a people are set up for a lifetime of work doing things that we don't necessarily want to be doing for the sake of these tangible, quantifiable things. And again, I'm not saying it's a bad thing; on the contrary, I think it IS necessary to work, if only to provide a roof over your head and survival, and to gain an appreciation for those things that you actually LIKE doing in comparison to your job (We do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do).
This trip, if nothing else, has reinforced my belief that I'm meant to do work that does not become stagnant, and if education is where I can do that, then let's go! Anyway, more to come. For now, teaching duties are getting in the way of my free-flowing head.
1) I always find it some strange mix of amusing and sad when I hear people say "I don't know how you could do that" or "I could never do that". False. You (generic you; this is not addressed to anyone in particular) COULD do this. Physically, you could do it. It takes more mental toughness and drive to stay sane and to keep your wits about you
I find that for holidays, I don't ask for much. This is really because I don't NEED much. The truth of the matter is that you don't, either. Personally, that is. I understand those of you who own homes and have these "families" that you need to support may have a different perspective and that's fine. I'm just saying it's not THAT mystical for someone to be able to do this. It's a simple mix of prioritizing, a few simple luxuries, and the ganas. After that, it's all mental, which leads me to my next point...
2) Coming to the conclusion of point #1 takes mental guile. I was told in no uncertain terms that being abroad away from everything I would define as familiar would in many ways break me down. Sounds daunting, right? Right. BUT...in the midst of having everything I thought I knew blown up from the inside out, I'm beginning to see the formation of 'new': new perceptions of the world, of love, of life, of restraints (newsflash: aside from those pesky taxes, they're mostly in your head), of people, and of myself. And it's great. far too often we as a people are set up for a lifetime of work doing things that we don't necessarily want to be doing for the sake of these tangible, quantifiable things. And again, I'm not saying it's a bad thing; on the contrary, I think it IS necessary to work, if only to provide a roof over your head and survival, and to gain an appreciation for those things that you actually LIKE doing in comparison to your job (We do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do).
This trip, if nothing else, has reinforced my belief that I'm meant to do work that does not become stagnant, and if education is where I can do that, then let's go! Anyway, more to come. For now, teaching duties are getting in the way of my free-flowing head.
Monday, November 23, 2009
November 23- Where we're going, we don't need roads
It's been a big three weeks. I'm officially one month from my return flight to New York, which means I am more than halfway through this leg of the journey. I've had a number of things take place, so before I get to the meat of this post, let me review them in brief (to the best of my ability):
1) Started reading again. And stopped. And trying to get back into it-
The first couple of weeks into this trip, I pored through more than half of the books that I had brought with me to Chile, and so I decided that I needed to cut that noise out if I was going to have anything at all to do on the flight back home. It was then that I decided to milk the AIS library for some of its resources. Over the course of a week, I plowed through 5 books (albeit short, 120-page books). There has always been a tremendous feeling of accomplishment that comes with wrapping up a good book, and so here are the selections:
A) The Cay by Theodore Taylor- I vaguely remember reading this book at some point in my schooling, but couldn't figure out what the story behind it was, so that was my first goal. Pretty good story.
B) Night by Elie Wiesel- A bit cliche, but probably the most powerful book I've read in a long time, if not ever. I WILL say that this sparked a debate between myself and a friend of mine over when the Holocaust is an acceptable subject of study. My opinion is this: there's no convenient time to study the Holocaust, though its importance as an atrocity against humanity (and well within 3 generations) should be something that students are made aware of early. I remember reading this book in 8th grade, and frankly, I think that's too young for an intensive study of the subject. 8th grade was more or less about pining for 'women' (14 year-old girls, as I hope everyone learns, are not women...just like 14 year-old boys are called 'boys' for a reason). While the trend continues in high school, there's a sense of awareness of the world around us (thank you, Global Studies) that makes this subject appropriate for an older crowd.
C) The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway- One of the more disappointing books I've read. I get and appreciate the sparse language and connection with nature and the world around us, Ernie, but this was just a lackluster story, in my opinion.
D) Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck- Much more enjoyable than even in high school, when it was one of the better books I read. I think the thing about this book is that Lenny really is a dumb kids that you can't help but like.
E) Animal Farm by George Orwell- I tore through Animal Farm well aware of the parallels to communist Russia, and found the concept fascinating in its finish, which roused the sort of personal fire that I cherish in a book. It's among the greats, as far as my own personal opinion is concerned.
I had a random person come through my roommate's window last weekend. I got a knock at the door and answered it where there was this man who said something to the effect of "I need to check your windows". I assumed it was the window-washers asking us to close the windows, but something that he said wasn't just a simple request, which really the people could have made from outside. So I let him in to Kelly's room, where he proceeded to help another man who was on a pulley support system into the apartment through the window! Now, having left the man to his devices to finish getting dressed, I was shocked to see the man had duplicated in no time! The language barrier didn't breakdown the conversation entirely, as I managed to decipher bits and pieces enough to give the men what they needed to clean up, and let them on their merry way. A strange success story.
Lastly, and this is leading to the meat of the post (which, unfortunately, will have to wait until later, as my break's just about over)...I got homesick. This was bound to happen and so when it did, I was ready for it...but it was the manner in which I got homesick that struck me as odd and strangely, more powerful in its delivery.
Well, I suppose that's as good a place as any to leave this at a cliffhanger. Expect another post later today (another break, and then grading after school (woof)). Talk to each other.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
November 3- Everything you ever wanted to know about Chile, but didn't get around to asking.
I will start by saying that I was informed that some of the language used in my last post was 'coarse', which is another way of saying "tone down the potty-type". I have no excuse for using adult language other than that I'm an adult. However, for the sensitive types, please replace "slutty" with "inappropriately-clad" (i.e. "inappropriately-clad nurse"), "masturbate" with "lock your bedroom door" (i.e. "go home and lock your bedroom door"...because trying to explain it otherwise is tricky), "shit" with "heck", "piss-poor" with "peepee-poor", and "fucking" with "stinking"...
In hindsight, maybe I should work on giving up swearing for a month...that's a lot for a few short paragraphs on my distaste for Halloween. Look, I just don't like it. If I have kids, I'm sure it'll change my perspective. However, today I am too old to love it. And as for the women...I just don't understand what's so wrong about having a good time in a nice neutral-colored sweater, or a modest burlap frock; there's something that stimulates the pulse about a gal dressed as a 1930s Hooverville resident.
The original Iron Maiden is a perfectly acceptable costume, and you won't be labeled a hussy, either.
With all of that said, for those of you just joining us, please feel free to put a personal filter if you decide to read past posts.
Okay, so today I thought I would bestow some knowledge upon you straight from Chile. Here are some things I have learned about Chile in my short time here:
1) Chile is the longest country (north to south) in the world. Longer than Russia. Longer than Canada, even with all of those glaciers they have up north.
2) Bernardo O'Higgins is a national hero here. His name is everywhere. He's like the Jorge Washington of Chile. I'm teaching first grade, and we spent an entire social studies lesson talking about him, which was awkward because my kids knew more about him than I did (hooray history major!). I will be promoting more than one reference to him in U.S. History books. Oh, and he's not a leprechaun. The name is of Irish descent, making him my favorite 19th century Chilean. Basically, he helped free Chile from Spanish rule. Next year marks the bicentennial of Chile's independence, so perhaps we'll see some inappropriately-dressed O'Higginses for Halloween next year.
3) Another national hero here is Arturo Pratt. Pratt died in a naval battle, bravely leaping from his sinking ship to the ship of his enemies, where he fought heroically to the death. Think of him as the Davy Crockett of Chile...you know, if the Alamo were an island.
4) No word on whether there's a Benedict Arnold version in Chile...though from what I gather, there hasn't been the sort of acknowledgement of anti-Chilean sentiment here that would help me learn of such a character. Pinochet is also not a great name to give your kids (first name: Augusto)...think of it as the equivalent to Obama's middle name being Hussein...yeah it's coincidence, but you'll still find the people crying foul at child naming.
5) If I am blessed enough to have kids, I will not have 13 of them.
6) Halloween really isn't even a big deal here. The costumes and trick-or-treating and all that jazz is adopted from an Americanized culture, so it's only the fairly well-off kids who do that sort of thing. Chile's a fairly Catholic country, and God (who's definitely, without question, no doubt about it, male here) frowns upon inappropriately-dressed brujas (witches).
7) Thanksgiving here is called "Thursday". No turkey bowl, no sweatpants with gravy stains. The good news? Siesta will be totally justified.
Turkeys relax: it's only Thursday. This carving knife is just a prop...
8) A total of two Chileans that I've met know about the Yankees. About five dozen have Yankees hats. It's like Jay-Z said: "I'm not a businessman...I'm a business, man".
Speaking of the Yankees, thanks to Samantha's tv package, she gets ESPN+, which airs the Yankees WORLD SERIES games in Spanish. This works out well, as I don't have to decide which combination out of Buck/McCarver, Sterling/Waldman, and Miller/Morgan I like least. Home run calls are also a LOT like soccer goal calls....VERY animated and drawn out, kind of like every mound meeting between Posada and Sabathia. That said, I could really go for a home run call for someone NOT named Chase Utley.
Anyway, I'm trying to stay in the flow of actually giving something up (hence the title of the blog) this month, and so this month it's cell phones. Now, I know I don't have a cell phone here, but so what? Still a challenge, and I will still be updating you all on how that works (hint: it's SO liberating).
As for something I'm picking up, it's an ongoing challenge to have at least one conversation in Spanish each day. I think that's doable, and barring any days being confined to my bed, this will be easily met.
Alright that's all for now. Remember, talk to each other...even if it's on a cell phone.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
October 31- Halloween? Plus, what a difference a month makes...
Halloween is probably the most overrated holiday on the calendar...well, no, that's not right. It's above Valentine's Day, and DEFINITELY above Columbus Day... but really, it's current events, so deal with it.
Now, I'm not a Halloween fan. I can be coerced into dressing up, and I certainly won't need a twist of the ol' smoke-thrower (read: arm) to have a goblet of witches brew, but my heart's not in it. Look, I've experienced enough Weenery that this year, I am not missing it. What's to miss? Let's take a look at some of the staples of Halloween and you can tell me when I've struck something that I will really miss....
1) Candy- This isn't as fun as when I was a kid and couldn't afford to get it myself on demand. Back in the day, heading out Halloween night with a couple of pillow cases (multiples were needed back then) was the highlight of the fall, particularly in years where I dressed up as Raphael...with Nikes. Now, I can walk to store, obtain the candy that I want, and walk away, ready to devour to my heart's content. See, the big difference is that I get to CHOOSE what kind of candy I want...I don't leave the acquisition of candy to chance. Plus, there was always the neighbor who gave out peanuts or Almondjoys/Mounds. Really? That's a piss-poor attempt to make kids happy. Everyone knows coconut isn't something people start to like until they're old enough for a pina colada. AND BY DOING THIS, I avoid the REAL ball-busters who A) left their lights out, or B) (and the worst-case scenario for any kid on Halloween) the ones who left their lights ON but ignored the trick-or-treaters. You guys suck. Don't be that person. Just leave a note saying that you are promoting good oral hygiene or something.
2) Adolescents- Now, I know what you're thinking: "but you're a teacher"...yeah, and the classroom is a fine place for a young person. Here's why Halloween is gone to the dogs: 'tweeners, who ARE- as their namesake suggests- part weeners. These are the kids with the uninspired costume (if they ever wear one), who still expect candy. Ahhh, listen kid...you're not even trying. You wanna sell me on this idea of GIVING you candy for simply showing up? Try harder. At least throw on a mask or something...shit, there'll be the kid who- in addition to not wearing anything that remotely resembles even a half-assed attempt to call it a costume- doesn't even say the fucking magic words. Look, you're either young enough to say it and humor the people who are holding all the power in this scenario, or you're not. Don't half-ass it. You have the rest of your life to NOT want to do this...if you're on the fence to begin with, just go home. Go home and learn to masturbate. Chances are, that's going to be a better long-term investment anyway!
3) Black cats- Cats in general suck. This is a fact and I'm sure some of you are having a hard time coming to terms with that. However, the truth of the matter is that cats are glorified for being creepy, and when you add their inherent creepiness factor to the costumes of murderers and frightening lineup of crappy horror movies, cats are associated with some lackluster times.
4) Scantily-clad women- I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that there are maybe 2 readers of this that are under 18, which may in fact make up 25% of my readership. To them I saw, wait until college, and you have a good 4-5 year window where you will feel like you stepped into your hard drive. I'm pretty sure more than three quarters of popular costumes can be made to look slutty at some point in time, and what better time to test that theory than Halloween. Slutty nurses, sluttly angels, slutty cats (really?), slutty football players, slutty referees, schoolgirls...this could go on a while. To make a long story a bit shorter, these costumes offer only the opportunity to see them in person and intoxicated. In reality, the same slutty outfits can be found online, will almost DEFINITELY take their clothes off, and won't get sick on the cab ride back to your place of residence (and yes, I'm slightly bitter about my window of opportunity to gawk at and stare wide-eyed at a roomful of these women who no doubt have fathers who shake their heads sadly).
5) People who don't get it- and by "it" I mean "my costume". Last year I was Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The year before that I was Dwight Schrute from the Office. I had far too many people ask me that year where I got the cool nerd costume. Ugh. On one hand it's TOTALLY worth it when you get the rare person that will get your obscure costume. On the other, the totally condescending looks that you get from the idiots (read: slutty cowgirls) who aren't intelligent enough to put together a reference to something to do with current events, et. al. really just puts a damper on the mood of the night. Hooray.
And so, with that in mind, I will be spending Halloween 2009 here in Antofagasta, checking out the city's International Festival, eating some kick-ass gyros, maybe an empanada, and then watching game 3 of the World Series...dressed up as an American tourist.
Now, as you may have noticed, I didn't give up a thing this month. And you know what? I'm okay with that. I mean, technically you could say that I gave up inhibition. I started October with the thought that the year was shaping up to be pretty lousy. I had an excellent September, but had little to look forward to in terms of travel, or professional opportunities. A month later, I have obtained a job, gotten an offer for two others, packed up my shit, left home to see the world, came to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, gotten my own classroom, and have entered a city and country I would not have otherwise thought to check out. And it's been great.
Sure, there are things I miss about home. Right now it's a radio, skim milk, and a full spice rack. And of course there are people I wish I had spoken to before leaving. As has been discussed, I may be here for a while, and so there's a chance that I will not see these people for a long long time. Other than that, though, I think I've made it clear where I stand, and can only hope that as the future unfolds, that that will suffice.
The whole point of this site was to chronicle my year and my attempt to better myself through giving up things, important and otherwise. Life presents challenges daily, and it is our responses to these challenges that defines us. I like to think that I've done a pretty good job thus far, and with two months to go, I am looking forward to the upside of the rest of 2009. Obviously, coming to Chile has presented a bigger challenge than say, not shaving my stache for a month. Human nature is to do things to see if we can do them. Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Everest because it was there. Kids take cookies from the cookie jar because they want to see if they can pull it off. People cheat to see if they can do it without getting caught. Marathoners put themselves through all sorts of hell to see if they can withstand the punishment. For better or worse, we as a people are constantly putting ourselves through hoops to see if we can do it. This is MY hoop...or these have been my hoopS. I don't doubt that given a positive report of this challenge, I can do anything.
What's been so empowering is that this is a far enough distance to sufficiently say that I have lost my sense of dependence on the comforts of home. I don't live in a cave or in a ditch. I do, however, have numerous obstacles in navigating this new terrain. What's been so empowering is coming home at the end of a day and knowing that A) I gained another day of professional experience, B) I have made at least one more attempt to communicate with people with whom such means would be otherwise impossible, and C) I am getting a chance to see the world. Given my outlook on January 1st, 2009, this is a considerable improvement, one that was fairly well fast-forwarded over the course of the last month. "you can move on this moment, follow this feeling". Enjoy the holiday, everyone, and go Yankees!
Talk to each other.
Now, I'm not a Halloween fan. I can be coerced into dressing up, and I certainly won't need a twist of the ol' smoke-thrower (read: arm) to have a goblet of witches brew, but my heart's not in it. Look, I've experienced enough Weenery that this year, I am not missing it. What's to miss? Let's take a look at some of the staples of Halloween and you can tell me when I've struck something that I will really miss....
1) Candy- This isn't as fun as when I was a kid and couldn't afford to get it myself on demand. Back in the day, heading out Halloween night with a couple of pillow cases (multiples were needed back then) was the highlight of the fall, particularly in years where I dressed up as Raphael...with Nikes. Now, I can walk to store, obtain the candy that I want, and walk away, ready to devour to my heart's content. See, the big difference is that I get to CHOOSE what kind of candy I want...I don't leave the acquisition of candy to chance. Plus, there was always the neighbor who gave out peanuts or Almondjoys/Mounds. Really? That's a piss-poor attempt to make kids happy. Everyone knows coconut isn't something people start to like until they're old enough for a pina colada. AND BY DOING THIS, I avoid the REAL ball-busters who A) left their lights out, or B) (and the worst-case scenario for any kid on Halloween) the ones who left their lights ON but ignored the trick-or-treaters. You guys suck. Don't be that person. Just leave a note saying that you are promoting good oral hygiene or something.
2) Adolescents- Now, I know what you're thinking: "but you're a teacher"...yeah, and the classroom is a fine place for a young person. Here's why Halloween is gone to the dogs: 'tweeners, who ARE- as their namesake suggests- part weeners. These are the kids with the uninspired costume (if they ever wear one), who still expect candy. Ahhh, listen kid...you're not even trying. You wanna sell me on this idea of GIVING you candy for simply showing up? Try harder. At least throw on a mask or something...shit, there'll be the kid who- in addition to not wearing anything that remotely resembles even a half-assed attempt to call it a costume- doesn't even say the fucking magic words. Look, you're either young enough to say it and humor the people who are holding all the power in this scenario, or you're not. Don't half-ass it. You have the rest of your life to NOT want to do this...if you're on the fence to begin with, just go home. Go home and learn to masturbate. Chances are, that's going to be a better long-term investment anyway!
3) Black cats- Cats in general suck. This is a fact and I'm sure some of you are having a hard time coming to terms with that. However, the truth of the matter is that cats are glorified for being creepy, and when you add their inherent creepiness factor to the costumes of murderers and frightening lineup of crappy horror movies, cats are associated with some lackluster times.
4) Scantily-clad women- I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest that there are maybe 2 readers of this that are under 18, which may in fact make up 25% of my readership. To them I saw, wait until college, and you have a good 4-5 year window where you will feel like you stepped into your hard drive. I'm pretty sure more than three quarters of popular costumes can be made to look slutty at some point in time, and what better time to test that theory than Halloween. Slutty nurses, sluttly angels, slutty cats (really?), slutty football players, slutty referees, schoolgirls...this could go on a while. To make a long story a bit shorter, these costumes offer only the opportunity to see them in person and intoxicated. In reality, the same slutty outfits can be found online, will almost DEFINITELY take their clothes off, and won't get sick on the cab ride back to your place of residence (and yes, I'm slightly bitter about my window of opportunity to gawk at and stare wide-eyed at a roomful of these women who no doubt have fathers who shake their heads sadly).
5) People who don't get it- and by "it" I mean "my costume". Last year I was Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The year before that I was Dwight Schrute from the Office. I had far too many people ask me that year where I got the cool nerd costume. Ugh. On one hand it's TOTALLY worth it when you get the rare person that will get your obscure costume. On the other, the totally condescending looks that you get from the idiots (read: slutty cowgirls) who aren't intelligent enough to put together a reference to something to do with current events, et. al. really just puts a damper on the mood of the night. Hooray.
And so, with that in mind, I will be spending Halloween 2009 here in Antofagasta, checking out the city's International Festival, eating some kick-ass gyros, maybe an empanada, and then watching game 3 of the World Series...dressed up as an American tourist.
Now, as you may have noticed, I didn't give up a thing this month. And you know what? I'm okay with that. I mean, technically you could say that I gave up inhibition. I started October with the thought that the year was shaping up to be pretty lousy. I had an excellent September, but had little to look forward to in terms of travel, or professional opportunities. A month later, I have obtained a job, gotten an offer for two others, packed up my shit, left home to see the world, came to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, gotten my own classroom, and have entered a city and country I would not have otherwise thought to check out. And it's been great.
Sure, there are things I miss about home. Right now it's a radio, skim milk, and a full spice rack. And of course there are people I wish I had spoken to before leaving. As has been discussed, I may be here for a while, and so there's a chance that I will not see these people for a long long time. Other than that, though, I think I've made it clear where I stand, and can only hope that as the future unfolds, that that will suffice.
The whole point of this site was to chronicle my year and my attempt to better myself through giving up things, important and otherwise. Life presents challenges daily, and it is our responses to these challenges that defines us. I like to think that I've done a pretty good job thus far, and with two months to go, I am looking forward to the upside of the rest of 2009. Obviously, coming to Chile has presented a bigger challenge than say, not shaving my stache for a month. Human nature is to do things to see if we can do them. Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Everest because it was there. Kids take cookies from the cookie jar because they want to see if they can pull it off. People cheat to see if they can do it without getting caught. Marathoners put themselves through all sorts of hell to see if they can withstand the punishment. For better or worse, we as a people are constantly putting ourselves through hoops to see if we can do it. This is MY hoop...or these have been my hoopS. I don't doubt that given a positive report of this challenge, I can do anything.
What's been so empowering is that this is a far enough distance to sufficiently say that I have lost my sense of dependence on the comforts of home. I don't live in a cave or in a ditch. I do, however, have numerous obstacles in navigating this new terrain. What's been so empowering is coming home at the end of a day and knowing that A) I gained another day of professional experience, B) I have made at least one more attempt to communicate with people with whom such means would be otherwise impossible, and C) I am getting a chance to see the world. Given my outlook on January 1st, 2009, this is a considerable improvement, one that was fairly well fast-forwarded over the course of the last month. "you can move on this moment, follow this feeling". Enjoy the holiday, everyone, and go Yankees!
Talk to each other.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
October 25- Dancing, U2, Chile...
...but first, a bit of disappointment. I know, I know...I should be starting on a high note. However, I feel compelled to share with all (7) of you that I woke up this morning with a song stuck in my head and this desire to blare cheesy pop music couldn't be satiated until I had gotten a good listen in...of course, I am referring to the 1988 classic "Make Me Lose Control" by Eric Carmen. Carmen may be more famous for "All By Myself" and "Hungry Eyes" (from Dirty Dancing).
Here's the link to the video...
Now, aside from making me want to BE Eric Carmen for Halloween (the hair has reached that length, give or take some height and wingspan), this song just became disappointing. Here I was, singing the chorus with the gusto of someone who was showcasing a fine 80s hair band power ballad...all the while not knowing that the verses of this song are mush. Sappy puddles of crap. It's not until the 3:15 mark that this baby really picks up and I want to start fist-pumping the air...that's a lot of fluff to lead up to what would otherwise be THE baby-making song for Valentine's Day, 2010. Who knows? In the throes of passion, you may find that you are distracted from the first 3:14 of the song, in which case you should just TURN THE RADIO UP FOR THAT SWEET SOUND!! Especially endearing is the a Capella chorus at the end (3:53 if you're still watching/listening)...that's specifically what drove me to seek this song out first thing in the morning. Maybe I'm not disappointed. Maybe I just needed to get re-acquainted with an old classic, get a feel for the whole song. Put a gun to my head, and I take the whole song, wimpy beginning and all; it's a long-term investment that eventually pays off exponentially. Alright, I'm off my opening ramble. Let's get down to business, shall we?
Mothers, lock up your daughters...Eric Carmen's got hungry eyes...and the mane of a lion
Last night, I went out in Antofagasta for the first time, and came away extremely satisfied with the caliber of shenanigans ("shenaniganery" wasn't accepted by spell check) available in this city. I first traveled with some colleagues (which instantly makes us sound more professional and dignified than 'co-workers', which evokes images of desks and cubicles and ball-and-chain work weeks) to the Estadio to watch the Harlem Globetrotters! I had never seen them before, and of course, Chile presented me the most recent opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. We got GA seating, and so were way up in the nosebleeds for the game, which was still entertaining (AND in English...more on this in a second) by all measures. We even got to see the Washington Generals! Glad they made it out for the occasion. Despite my "1-2-5th" chants, I did not get an audience with the team. Tough break.
Anyway, there was a weird vibe to the game, as the schtick in-game was mostly physical, where the majority of the verbal banter was in English. This led to some head-scratching, but here's the thing: some of it was translated into Spanish. It was very odd to have some plays get the translation and others get nothing but a few chuckles from foreigners. Pretty bizarre. Plus, the acoustics or sound system sucked, which was too bad. All in all, however, a fun start to the evening. After this we rolled out to the Casino de Antofagasta. That's right. Legalized gambling. Score one for Chile! Anyway, Fabiane was celebrating her birthday at a restaurant in the casino, so we rolled on down and had a cocktail over laughs and peanuts. Great combination, though I will say the lemon juice added to my mojito? Not necessary.
Following that, we went clubbing! Aside from the smoke, it was a fantastic time. My moneymaker hadn't been shaken in ohhhhh, far too long, and so it certainly felt good to get on out on that dancefloor and work up a sweat. Fun times, all-around. Now, there was talk of heading out for some good, cheap grub at the mercado this morning, but since I am phoneless here in Chile, arranging said trip has been most tricky. In the meantime, I must say that my review of Antofagasta has been largely positive, with a few minor bumps in the road along the way. Two weeks in the bag. Yee-haw!
Anyway, before I go, I just thought I'd let you all know that U2 will be streaming their concert from the Rose Bowl in California TONIGHT on YouTube (U2ube?). Check out www.youtube.com/U2 for the show, because I think it'd be great to be able to share in the majesty of the show.
Talk to each other.
Here's the link to the video...
Now, aside from making me want to BE Eric Carmen for Halloween (the hair has reached that length, give or take some height and wingspan), this song just became disappointing. Here I was, singing the chorus with the gusto of someone who was showcasing a fine 80s hair band power ballad...all the while not knowing that the verses of this song are mush. Sappy puddles of crap. It's not until the 3:15 mark that this baby really picks up and I want to start fist-pumping the air...that's a lot of fluff to lead up to what would otherwise be THE baby-making song for Valentine's Day, 2010. Who knows? In the throes of passion, you may find that you are distracted from the first 3:14 of the song, in which case you should just TURN THE RADIO UP FOR THAT SWEET SOUND!! Especially endearing is the a Capella chorus at the end (3:53 if you're still watching/listening)...that's specifically what drove me to seek this song out first thing in the morning. Maybe I'm not disappointed. Maybe I just needed to get re-acquainted with an old classic, get a feel for the whole song. Put a gun to my head, and I take the whole song, wimpy beginning and all; it's a long-term investment that eventually pays off exponentially. Alright, I'm off my opening ramble. Let's get down to business, shall we?
Mothers, lock up your daughters...Eric Carmen's got hungry eyes...and the mane of a lionLast night, I went out in Antofagasta for the first time, and came away extremely satisfied with the caliber of shenanigans ("shenaniganery" wasn't accepted by spell check) available in this city. I first traveled with some colleagues (which instantly makes us sound more professional and dignified than 'co-workers', which evokes images of desks and cubicles and ball-and-chain work weeks) to the Estadio to watch the Harlem Globetrotters! I had never seen them before, and of course, Chile presented me the most recent opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. We got GA seating, and so were way up in the nosebleeds for the game, which was still entertaining (AND in English...more on this in a second) by all measures. We even got to see the Washington Generals! Glad they made it out for the occasion. Despite my "1-2-5th" chants, I did not get an audience with the team. Tough break.
Anyway, there was a weird vibe to the game, as the schtick in-game was mostly physical, where the majority of the verbal banter was in English. This led to some head-scratching, but here's the thing: some of it was translated into Spanish. It was very odd to have some plays get the translation and others get nothing but a few chuckles from foreigners. Pretty bizarre. Plus, the acoustics or sound system sucked, which was too bad. All in all, however, a fun start to the evening. After this we rolled out to the Casino de Antofagasta. That's right. Legalized gambling. Score one for Chile! Anyway, Fabiane was celebrating her birthday at a restaurant in the casino, so we rolled on down and had a cocktail over laughs and peanuts. Great combination, though I will say the lemon juice added to my mojito? Not necessary.
Following that, we went clubbing! Aside from the smoke, it was a fantastic time. My moneymaker hadn't been shaken in ohhhhh, far too long, and so it certainly felt good to get on out on that dancefloor and work up a sweat. Fun times, all-around. Now, there was talk of heading out for some good, cheap grub at the mercado this morning, but since I am phoneless here in Chile, arranging said trip has been most tricky. In the meantime, I must say that my review of Antofagasta has been largely positive, with a few minor bumps in the road along the way. Two weeks in the bag. Yee-haw!
Anyway, before I go, I just thought I'd let you all know that U2 will be streaming their concert from the Rose Bowl in California TONIGHT on YouTube (U2ube?). Check out www.youtube.com/U2 for the show, because I think it'd be great to be able to share in the majesty of the show.
Talk to each other.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
October 24- Thirteen days in, or "Two months until home".
"When I left my home and family I was no more than a boy in the company of strangers"
In the nearly two weeks that I've been here in Antofagasta, I feel as though there have been many emotions coursing through me on my journey to find...what? To do what? I haven't quite figured that out yet, nor have I figured out whether this is a long-term destination for me. I have spent the better part of three days with tissues up my nostrils, and so if that's the worst that happens to me, I consider myself in good shape. I will now field questions from the crowd...
1) What's it like there? It's beautiful, weather-wise. High 70s by day, cool at night, little humidity, the sound of the waves crashing at the base of my apartment building, and a nice view of the city from my bedroom window. There have been more clouds than I was expecting, but with my Irish skin, I suppose that's a blessing in disguise. Nevertheless, the weather is gorgeous and dry enough for the main patio at work to be open-air, with a few majestic-looking blue tarps (and I hate to call them tarps, as it evokes raking leaves and setting up camp) hanging overhead to provide some relief from the Sun.
2) What are the kids like? The kids have been curious, affectionate, and adorable. They are 6 years old for the most part, and just wrapping up first grade. Because the AIS program calls for English-taught classes from Kindergarten-8th grade, these kids speak English as well as most of the first graders I've dealt with at home, either in school or camp. Their accents, by the way, are such that I wish I could bottle them up and bring them home with me. I prefer to not go by Mr. Swingle, particularly since with such young kids, I think a more personable approach calls for a more intimate (until I can find a more appropriate term) term by which to address the teacher. I have the kids call me Mr. Keith, though with the accents it's "Meestor Keet", with a few kids coming around on their "-th" sounds. I teach thirteen kids in all (the benefits of a private school), most of whom are really ahead of where I would expect students at that age to be with their English development. They are still young enough to take orders without arguing (though some, of course, take a little longer to get grounded than others), and from day one have been more than vocal about what they are used to in their pre-existing daily routines.
3) What's the school like? It's been an amazing learning process, as the daily goings-on of the school differ from those back home. The kids have certain required hours of specific subjects (Language Arts/English, Math, Social Studies, Art, Tech. Ed., PE....no science, which is a mixed bag that I'll touch upon shortly) and so out schedule varies day-to-day (on Tuesdays, we have no Language Arts at all, which contrasts with Monday, and W-F, where we have two hours each). The Social Studies curriculum is laughable at best, whereas there is zero science curriculum posted. At all. None. Now, I'm not a big science guy...I enjoyed Physics because of the math, and I enjoyed Biology because it seemed applicable, but that's about it. That said, these students do not learn a whole lot about sciences in this school, and so I have actually taken to trying to incorporate a little bit of science into their weekly learnings. This week it was climate types.
4) How's your Spanish? This has easily been the biggest challenge of the trip thus far, and I predict that it will continue to be so for the duration of my stay here in Chile. While I did fairly well in Spanish through high school and college, I can honestly say that my reading of the language is okay at best. Speaking, listening, and understanding the language has been a huge struggle. My shortcoming was a glaring hurdle that I could not hop over at the airport, and has been a sort of electric fence preventing me from fully embracing this city. I took a stroll around town today with my roommate, Kelly, and was overwhelmed by the language that surrounded me not just from peoples' mouths, but on signs, billboards, and buildings throughout Antofagasta. It's more than humbling to have that sort of handicap, and my hat goes off to anyone who at one point or another has made the attempt to acclimate themselves in a new place.
5) What's the food like? To be honest, I have been out to eat here just once, and it was sushi. Granted, with the fresh seafood market here in Antofagasta, and coastal location, the seafood was good...but I haven't sampled the rest of the cuisine that might be more emblematic of this fine city. I had one empanada (a favorite) at AIS's International Day, so I'm a little reluctant to call that a true experience of Chilean cuisine. Part of this has been budgetary: I've alloted myself about $100 a week, most of which goes to groceries (the rest to bus fare, which is a whole other comment). I have taken to making one big meal on Sunday and making the rest of the food last the week. It's a pretty good method, though once I get paid (monthly, at the end of each month...), I will be able to better-acquaint myself with something tasty that I didn't have to labor over ;).
6) What are the people like? The parents of my students have been more than helpful in offering any assistance to me during my stay here. Apparently, the kids' former teacher had become really close with a lot of the parents, something I found out at a meeting I had with parents last weekend. Other staff members at the school have taken to doing their best to meet me halfway with the language thing, and have otherwise been accomodating. Otherwise, I can't quite tell if other people in the city look at me strange because I speak so slowly, or whether they're legitimately angry that I don't know immediately what they are saying to me. It takes a seemingly outrageously long time to process a question, translate it, formulate a response, and articulate a proper response verbally. Oy.
7) Do you miss home? I miss my home and the people around it. Right now I miss grass (dirt and sand...it IS in the Atacama Desert, technically) and the Yankees on television. Other than that, it hasn't been long enough for me to really be wanting for much yet. I think once I get hold of a ficha (basically, a laundry token), I'll be breathing a bit easier (down to 3 pairs of underoos, 4 pairs of white socks, and 3 dress socks). Luckily, it's not worse, since we have a uniform at school. It's a blue button-down and a pair of permanently-pressed khakis, with loose threads numbering somewhere between one and two dozen (actual number lost track during staff meeting yesterday).
8) Best thing about Antofagasta? So far, the view is superb (red hills, glowing street lights at night, pretty sunsets, and the vast expanse of the Pacific all from my apartment), and I like walking everywhere...except school, that is. It's an 8km walk to school (just about 5 miles), and so I'm not up early enough to make the trek on my own two feet. As I catch up on my grading and will not have to rely on showing videos and pictures on my laptop, I plan on adjusting what I bring to school so that I may walk to and/or from AIS each day. Access to a shower at school is paramount in this plan, as I am a sweater (I blame the abundance of chest hair, which as soared past the half dozen mark since my arrival). This may also help to shed some of the excess baggage I've been wearing this entire year. The 103 bus takes me to and from school each day, though it is often less than comfortable. Frequent, sudden stops make it a pain in the neck, quite literally. Also, the leg room is minimal; I feel like a pale giant here.
The guy on the right is your average Chilean...sadly, I am not too far off with the hair.
9) Do I need anything? Not really, but thanks. Look, I'm taking this opportunity to moderate my intake and lifestyle habits. Do I want anything? Nothing that can be sent through the mail, I'm afraid. They have Budweiser and soap, and so I am fairly certain that the rest will fall into place.
10) Do you think you'll stay the extra two years? It's impossible to say at this point. I told myself the day after I got here that I wouldn't worry about answering that question until after November 1, that the next couple of weeks will be spent living it up and enjoying my new surroundings. Going back on that now seems like a wasted opportunity to soak up what's around me and enjoying the moment, albeit a 2-month long moment.
Well there you have it. Tonight, I'm heading out to see the Harlem Globetrotters! I know I know...it took me this long and this many miles to see the Generals in person. Well, it should certainly be exciting yelling out "125th St! I take Metro-North from there!!". Anyway, more to come probably tomorrow....perhaps some World Series pre-talk?
Talk to each other.
In the nearly two weeks that I've been here in Antofagasta, I feel as though there have been many emotions coursing through me on my journey to find...what? To do what? I haven't quite figured that out yet, nor have I figured out whether this is a long-term destination for me. I have spent the better part of three days with tissues up my nostrils, and so if that's the worst that happens to me, I consider myself in good shape. I will now field questions from the crowd...
1) What's it like there? It's beautiful, weather-wise. High 70s by day, cool at night, little humidity, the sound of the waves crashing at the base of my apartment building, and a nice view of the city from my bedroom window. There have been more clouds than I was expecting, but with my Irish skin, I suppose that's a blessing in disguise. Nevertheless, the weather is gorgeous and dry enough for the main patio at work to be open-air, with a few majestic-looking blue tarps (and I hate to call them tarps, as it evokes raking leaves and setting up camp) hanging overhead to provide some relief from the Sun.
2) What are the kids like? The kids have been curious, affectionate, and adorable. They are 6 years old for the most part, and just wrapping up first grade. Because the AIS program calls for English-taught classes from Kindergarten-8th grade, these kids speak English as well as most of the first graders I've dealt with at home, either in school or camp. Their accents, by the way, are such that I wish I could bottle them up and bring them home with me. I prefer to not go by Mr. Swingle, particularly since with such young kids, I think a more personable approach calls for a more intimate (until I can find a more appropriate term) term by which to address the teacher. I have the kids call me Mr. Keith, though with the accents it's "Meestor Keet", with a few kids coming around on their "-th" sounds. I teach thirteen kids in all (the benefits of a private school), most of whom are really ahead of where I would expect students at that age to be with their English development. They are still young enough to take orders without arguing (though some, of course, take a little longer to get grounded than others), and from day one have been more than vocal about what they are used to in their pre-existing daily routines.
3) What's the school like? It's been an amazing learning process, as the daily goings-on of the school differ from those back home. The kids have certain required hours of specific subjects (Language Arts/English, Math, Social Studies, Art, Tech. Ed., PE....no science, which is a mixed bag that I'll touch upon shortly) and so out schedule varies day-to-day (on Tuesdays, we have no Language Arts at all, which contrasts with Monday, and W-F, where we have two hours each). The Social Studies curriculum is laughable at best, whereas there is zero science curriculum posted. At all. None. Now, I'm not a big science guy...I enjoyed Physics because of the math, and I enjoyed Biology because it seemed applicable, but that's about it. That said, these students do not learn a whole lot about sciences in this school, and so I have actually taken to trying to incorporate a little bit of science into their weekly learnings. This week it was climate types.
4) How's your Spanish? This has easily been the biggest challenge of the trip thus far, and I predict that it will continue to be so for the duration of my stay here in Chile. While I did fairly well in Spanish through high school and college, I can honestly say that my reading of the language is okay at best. Speaking, listening, and understanding the language has been a huge struggle. My shortcoming was a glaring hurdle that I could not hop over at the airport, and has been a sort of electric fence preventing me from fully embracing this city. I took a stroll around town today with my roommate, Kelly, and was overwhelmed by the language that surrounded me not just from peoples' mouths, but on signs, billboards, and buildings throughout Antofagasta. It's more than humbling to have that sort of handicap, and my hat goes off to anyone who at one point or another has made the attempt to acclimate themselves in a new place.
5) What's the food like? To be honest, I have been out to eat here just once, and it was sushi. Granted, with the fresh seafood market here in Antofagasta, and coastal location, the seafood was good...but I haven't sampled the rest of the cuisine that might be more emblematic of this fine city. I had one empanada (a favorite) at AIS's International Day, so I'm a little reluctant to call that a true experience of Chilean cuisine. Part of this has been budgetary: I've alloted myself about $100 a week, most of which goes to groceries (the rest to bus fare, which is a whole other comment). I have taken to making one big meal on Sunday and making the rest of the food last the week. It's a pretty good method, though once I get paid (monthly, at the end of each month...), I will be able to better-acquaint myself with something tasty that I didn't have to labor over ;).
6) What are the people like? The parents of my students have been more than helpful in offering any assistance to me during my stay here. Apparently, the kids' former teacher had become really close with a lot of the parents, something I found out at a meeting I had with parents last weekend. Other staff members at the school have taken to doing their best to meet me halfway with the language thing, and have otherwise been accomodating. Otherwise, I can't quite tell if other people in the city look at me strange because I speak so slowly, or whether they're legitimately angry that I don't know immediately what they are saying to me. It takes a seemingly outrageously long time to process a question, translate it, formulate a response, and articulate a proper response verbally. Oy.
7) Do you miss home? I miss my home and the people around it. Right now I miss grass (dirt and sand...it IS in the Atacama Desert, technically) and the Yankees on television. Other than that, it hasn't been long enough for me to really be wanting for much yet. I think once I get hold of a ficha (basically, a laundry token), I'll be breathing a bit easier (down to 3 pairs of underoos, 4 pairs of white socks, and 3 dress socks). Luckily, it's not worse, since we have a uniform at school. It's a blue button-down and a pair of permanently-pressed khakis, with loose threads numbering somewhere between one and two dozen (actual number lost track during staff meeting yesterday).
8) Best thing about Antofagasta? So far, the view is superb (red hills, glowing street lights at night, pretty sunsets, and the vast expanse of the Pacific all from my apartment), and I like walking everywhere...except school, that is. It's an 8km walk to school (just about 5 miles), and so I'm not up early enough to make the trek on my own two feet. As I catch up on my grading and will not have to rely on showing videos and pictures on my laptop, I plan on adjusting what I bring to school so that I may walk to and/or from AIS each day. Access to a shower at school is paramount in this plan, as I am a sweater (I blame the abundance of chest hair, which as soared past the half dozen mark since my arrival). This may also help to shed some of the excess baggage I've been wearing this entire year. The 103 bus takes me to and from school each day, though it is often less than comfortable. Frequent, sudden stops make it a pain in the neck, quite literally. Also, the leg room is minimal; I feel like a pale giant here.
The guy on the right is your average Chilean...sadly, I am not too far off with the hair.9) Do I need anything? Not really, but thanks. Look, I'm taking this opportunity to moderate my intake and lifestyle habits. Do I want anything? Nothing that can be sent through the mail, I'm afraid. They have Budweiser and soap, and so I am fairly certain that the rest will fall into place.
10) Do you think you'll stay the extra two years? It's impossible to say at this point. I told myself the day after I got here that I wouldn't worry about answering that question until after November 1, that the next couple of weeks will be spent living it up and enjoying my new surroundings. Going back on that now seems like a wasted opportunity to soak up what's around me and enjoying the moment, albeit a 2-month long moment.
Well there you have it. Tonight, I'm heading out to see the Harlem Globetrotters! I know I know...it took me this long and this many miles to see the Generals in person. Well, it should certainly be exciting yelling out "125th St! I take Metro-North from there!!". Anyway, more to come probably tomorrow....perhaps some World Series pre-talk?
Talk to each other.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
October 21- Musings of a first grade teacher...oh, and a foreigner, too.
...and by foreigner, I don't mean that I'm hot blooded. I've had a week to adjust to my new role of "Chilean resident", and it's slowly occurring to me that I like it here.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
October 14- Donde esta Keith?
Two weeks ago yesterday, I was approached with a job proposition by a friend of mine who teaches at an international school in South America. Since my job prospects are looking like the Red Sox, I decided to at least apply, just to get another one out there. Well, 48 hours later and I had a job teaching first graders in Chile! It was literally a 48-hour time frame between diving into my 4th year of subbing and being a full-time employee in the Southern Hemisphere.
I suppose a brief re-cap of my travels from Saturday until now are in order (just know that I'm typing this while on my apartment's balcony that overlooks the Pacific, while sipping on some delicious Chilean wine. You are now free to be jealous):
Saturday I was up fairly early to make sure everything was in order and ready to go. Mom and I stopped down in Long Beach to visit Yvan and his fiance, Charlene, and their new abode. The thing I love about Yvan (well, among the many things) is that he's an immediate boost emotionally whenever I see him. I had an admittedly rough time saying farewell to home, and it felt great to get a lot of laughs and smiling in before taking off on my 24-hour+ traveling binge. That certainly helped, as the flights were long and the waits at multiple airports were even longer. I started off at JFK, checking my bags and plopping down for a solid couple of hours before taking off for Atlanta.
The flight to Atlanta was uneventful; I managed to plug in and watch Wolverine on the way there (thereby checking it off of my to-see list! Zing!)....I must say, it wasn't as bad as the reviews had said. Granted, the ending tried to be too grandiose, which kinda was too bad...I like the premise of the prequel and story behind Wolverine, and while Hugh Jackman did a good job, I just thought that the bit with the nuclear site blowing up was bullshit.
Anyway, the wait in Atlanta was over two and a half hours, and since Atlanta's such an efficient airport, I had a bit of time to kill. I finished reading a delightful Frank Sinatra life guide/biography, courtesy of Dan-O, and boarded the plane for a fun-filled 8 hour flight to Santiago, Chile. I will say that the flight was not full, and so I was able to "sprawl" across three coach-class seats to sleep....briefly....for a total of maybe 2 hours of the flight. I roused from slumber easily for once because I didn't want to get my head whacked or my ankle mangled a la Misery by the food/beverage cart. I started my journal, made a good entry, and managed to catch the sunrise from the other side of the plane as it crept up over the Andes.
Landing in Santiago went smoothly, despite a language barrier that hit me like a sack of rocas. After getting through customs and whatnot, I had an EIGHT AND A HALF HOUR wait at the airport...so naturally, I started reading (this time, The Yankee Years by Joe Torre/Tom Verducci), but dozed off for some more uncomfortable sleep...across my luggage, lest I get robbed in broad daylight. After perhaps the most boring stretch in my life (and certainly in the recent past), I finally boarded the plane for the last in-air leg of the trip, to Antofagasta. Antofagasta was pleasantly small and a quick exit, where I met up with Milena, who is the director of the lower school (and, therefore, the first graders that I am teaching). I met her and Raul, another teacher from AIS, and we drove off to find my living quarters.
Part two coming later tonight...for now, there's a Chilean World Cup qualifier (Chile qualified last week, so this is just to have a drink and pizza) to watch upstairs. Will update later.
I suppose a brief re-cap of my travels from Saturday until now are in order (just know that I'm typing this while on my apartment's balcony that overlooks the Pacific, while sipping on some delicious Chilean wine. You are now free to be jealous):
Saturday I was up fairly early to make sure everything was in order and ready to go. Mom and I stopped down in Long Beach to visit Yvan and his fiance, Charlene, and their new abode. The thing I love about Yvan (well, among the many things) is that he's an immediate boost emotionally whenever I see him. I had an admittedly rough time saying farewell to home, and it felt great to get a lot of laughs and smiling in before taking off on my 24-hour+ traveling binge. That certainly helped, as the flights were long and the waits at multiple airports were even longer. I started off at JFK, checking my bags and plopping down for a solid couple of hours before taking off for Atlanta.
The flight to Atlanta was uneventful; I managed to plug in and watch Wolverine on the way there (thereby checking it off of my to-see list! Zing!)....I must say, it wasn't as bad as the reviews had said. Granted, the ending tried to be too grandiose, which kinda was too bad...I like the premise of the prequel and story behind Wolverine, and while Hugh Jackman did a good job, I just thought that the bit with the nuclear site blowing up was bullshit.
Anyway, the wait in Atlanta was over two and a half hours, and since Atlanta's such an efficient airport, I had a bit of time to kill. I finished reading a delightful Frank Sinatra life guide/biography, courtesy of Dan-O, and boarded the plane for a fun-filled 8 hour flight to Santiago, Chile. I will say that the flight was not full, and so I was able to "sprawl" across three coach-class seats to sleep....briefly....for a total of maybe 2 hours of the flight. I roused from slumber easily for once because I didn't want to get my head whacked or my ankle mangled a la Misery by the food/beverage cart. I started my journal, made a good entry, and managed to catch the sunrise from the other side of the plane as it crept up over the Andes.
Landing in Santiago went smoothly, despite a language barrier that hit me like a sack of rocas. After getting through customs and whatnot, I had an EIGHT AND A HALF HOUR wait at the airport...so naturally, I started reading (this time, The Yankee Years by Joe Torre/Tom Verducci), but dozed off for some more uncomfortable sleep...across my luggage, lest I get robbed in broad daylight. After perhaps the most boring stretch in my life (and certainly in the recent past), I finally boarded the plane for the last in-air leg of the trip, to Antofagasta. Antofagasta was pleasantly small and a quick exit, where I met up with Milena, who is the director of the lower school (and, therefore, the first graders that I am teaching). I met her and Raul, another teacher from AIS, and we drove off to find my living quarters.
Part two coming later tonight...for now, there's a Chilean World Cup qualifier (Chile qualified last week, so this is just to have a drink and pizza) to watch upstairs. Will update later.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
October 6- Full post
It's currently 5:22 a.m. I am sitting at my dining room table with a tissue in each nostril. I am tired and need a shave. I will blame it on dust in my room, but only because the alternative would make for a shitty start to what has become a mighty interesting journey....
My month of September started out in a hot tub in the Outerbanks in North Carolina. I spent a week in the good company of some old friends and some friends of friends, and have concluded that it was one of the most relaxing weeks I can remember. We were treated to warm weather, good eats, and a lot of laughs, all on a very manageable budget. If it weren't such an inconvenient hour, I would be more than inclined to ask my buddy Fish where he went online for such a deal. Basically a 4-floor house with room to sleep 20 cost 9 of us about $125 a piece for the week. For my money, and the comfort of my own room, that was a no-brainer. Search for it online, and give it some thought, as the ocean and relative isolation make for great companions on a getaway.
I had a wonderful time and have been raving about what a great time it was...what about it was so special, you ask? Here are 5 things that I loved about OBX:
1) Access to water: the thin strip of land that is the Outerbanks just about guarantees that there is at any point less than a half mile's walk to find water. The Ocean and (where we were anyway) the Pamlico Sound surrounded us, offering calmer waters for wading in the Sound- which, by the way, was the most gradual descent into deeper waters than I can remember- and the Atlantic offering waves and some great fishing opportunities. Certainly something for everyone (as long as everyone likes sand and water)...
2) Fishing: I'm not a fishing kind of guy. I don't have the patience for activities that I have for people...that said, it's hard to not get excited when you see a rod bend and the line get taut with a catch struggling to break free on the other end of the line. I think there's a lot to be said for the fishing culture, or one that focuses its energy on a daily (or more frequently) struggle between man and nature. Information cannot be merely read and taught in theory; its nature demands that it be experienced first-hand. I'm sure Hemingway wrote about this along the way...I'm just glad I got to experience it. After all, life is all about experience, right?
3) Small community: Vacationing in cities doesn't exactly thrill me. I cannot think of a less-relaxing place than New York City. Even on my leisure trips there, I always feel like I have to BE somewhere or DO something...a vacation this does not make. The Outerbanks offered distance from a lot of hustle and bustle that would serve- intentionally or not- to burst my bubble of enchantment with the notion of going away. Maybe it was the time of year (JUST after kids in NC go back to school, effectively off-season, though still before Labor Day), maybe it was just the desire to get away from it all...whatever the reason, I loved the small town feel of OBX, and was happy to get wrapped up in my own drive to escape the usual mix of nostalgia, pangs of lovelorn angst, and the dreaded unemployment.
4) Tranquility: I will go out on a limb and fabricate the notion that everyone on their ride down said "you know what? I am just not going to worry about anything this week". Whatever conversations people had out loud or with themselves, it worked. I don't recall encountering one conversation about how crappy this is or how unfortunate that is or anything of that ilk. Goodness knows we've all got things to consider and battle in our lives; it was nice to be on the same page of putting those worries on the back burner for most of the week.
5) Country music: Not a typo. While I would not have chosen such music to be the soundtrack of the week in the south, I found myself tapping along (as I often do) to beats and getting wrapped up in the laid-back attitude of the playlists provided by my co-travelers. It was a nice background sound to the escape from the reality of the real world (and its unwillingness to find me a job....well....). I find myself very appreciative of something new to associate with a fun, care-free attitude and an overall sense of well-being during my trip.
The month rolled along with a trip to Charlotte on my way back, the Kings of Leon show, Colorado, U2, and ended with a most unexpected message rolling my way...long story short: I got a job! Teaching first grade! In Chile! ::record scratches:: what? Chile? Like, South America?
Yes. A friend of a friend works down there and something came up, affording me the opportunity to teach FOR A LIVING (I know...who'd have thought such a thing was possible?) for a little while in South America. Details to follow, as this blog will soon be taking on a different and perhaps more purpose-driven identity in the coming days (Yep, days).
Anyway, before I get too carried away (and take a break for a shower and some early-morning errands), I should just say that my most recent trip to Charlotte has made me love NC even more than I had upon my first trip there. I stayed with my buddy Alan, who was moving into his new place the day I rolled up. I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment after we constructed a dresser for him (after another completely hetero trip to Ikea), and proceded to celebrate once again at the Epicenter in downtown Charlotte. I am proud of Alan for picking up and relocating because it suited him; those sorts of risks are less and less common, and I'm happy to see him in a better position for it.
Will update later. Talk to each other.
My month of September started out in a hot tub in the Outerbanks in North Carolina. I spent a week in the good company of some old friends and some friends of friends, and have concluded that it was one of the most relaxing weeks I can remember. We were treated to warm weather, good eats, and a lot of laughs, all on a very manageable budget. If it weren't such an inconvenient hour, I would be more than inclined to ask my buddy Fish where he went online for such a deal. Basically a 4-floor house with room to sleep 20 cost 9 of us about $125 a piece for the week. For my money, and the comfort of my own room, that was a no-brainer. Search for it online, and give it some thought, as the ocean and relative isolation make for great companions on a getaway.
I had a wonderful time and have been raving about what a great time it was...what about it was so special, you ask? Here are 5 things that I loved about OBX:
1) Access to water: the thin strip of land that is the Outerbanks just about guarantees that there is at any point less than a half mile's walk to find water. The Ocean and (where we were anyway) the Pamlico Sound surrounded us, offering calmer waters for wading in the Sound- which, by the way, was the most gradual descent into deeper waters than I can remember- and the Atlantic offering waves and some great fishing opportunities. Certainly something for everyone (as long as everyone likes sand and water)...
2) Fishing: I'm not a fishing kind of guy. I don't have the patience for activities that I have for people...that said, it's hard to not get excited when you see a rod bend and the line get taut with a catch struggling to break free on the other end of the line. I think there's a lot to be said for the fishing culture, or one that focuses its energy on a daily (or more frequently) struggle between man and nature. Information cannot be merely read and taught in theory; its nature demands that it be experienced first-hand. I'm sure Hemingway wrote about this along the way...I'm just glad I got to experience it. After all, life is all about experience, right?
3) Small community: Vacationing in cities doesn't exactly thrill me. I cannot think of a less-relaxing place than New York City. Even on my leisure trips there, I always feel like I have to BE somewhere or DO something...a vacation this does not make. The Outerbanks offered distance from a lot of hustle and bustle that would serve- intentionally or not- to burst my bubble of enchantment with the notion of going away. Maybe it was the time of year (JUST after kids in NC go back to school, effectively off-season, though still before Labor Day), maybe it was just the desire to get away from it all...whatever the reason, I loved the small town feel of OBX, and was happy to get wrapped up in my own drive to escape the usual mix of nostalgia, pangs of lovelorn angst, and the dreaded unemployment.
4) Tranquility: I will go out on a limb and fabricate the notion that everyone on their ride down said "you know what? I am just not going to worry about anything this week". Whatever conversations people had out loud or with themselves, it worked. I don't recall encountering one conversation about how crappy this is or how unfortunate that is or anything of that ilk. Goodness knows we've all got things to consider and battle in our lives; it was nice to be on the same page of putting those worries on the back burner for most of the week.
5) Country music: Not a typo. While I would not have chosen such music to be the soundtrack of the week in the south, I found myself tapping along (as I often do) to beats and getting wrapped up in the laid-back attitude of the playlists provided by my co-travelers. It was a nice background sound to the escape from the reality of the real world (and its unwillingness to find me a job....well....). I find myself very appreciative of something new to associate with a fun, care-free attitude and an overall sense of well-being during my trip.
The month rolled along with a trip to Charlotte on my way back, the Kings of Leon show, Colorado, U2, and ended with a most unexpected message rolling my way...long story short: I got a job! Teaching first grade! In Chile! ::record scratches:: what? Chile? Like, South America?
Yes. A friend of a friend works down there and something came up, affording me the opportunity to teach FOR A LIVING (I know...who'd have thought such a thing was possible?) for a little while in South America. Details to follow, as this blog will soon be taking on a different and perhaps more purpose-driven identity in the coming days (Yep, days).
Anyway, before I get too carried away (and take a break for a shower and some early-morning errands), I should just say that my most recent trip to Charlotte has made me love NC even more than I had upon my first trip there. I stayed with my buddy Alan, who was moving into his new place the day I rolled up. I felt a tremendous sense of accomplishment after we constructed a dresser for him (after another completely hetero trip to Ikea), and proceded to celebrate once again at the Epicenter in downtown Charlotte. I am proud of Alan for picking up and relocating because it suited him; those sorts of risks are less and less common, and I'm happy to see him in a better position for it.
Will update later. Talk to each other.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
September 30, 2009- Colorado, Giving it up
Returned recently from a trip to visit my buddy Steve in Colorado. A large part of me has become intrigued by the world around me outside of home. Don't get me wrong, there truly is no place like home...it's that there are billions of people who will never see anything outside of their neighborhood and that saddens me when there's so much beauty out there. I think this hit me at some point during a hike in the Rockies; it was one of those moments that hits you and you say to yourself "whoa, I'm really here". In my case, the Rocky Mountains were that place. Imagine- those of you who do not live near mountains- waking up in the morning, looking outside your window, and seeing breath-taking, white-capped mountains. These colossal hills just aching to be explored and experienced....and this is your daily life, your reality. I'm curious to see what it is about the world away from home that people don't at least want to visit. To me, it's been a no-brainer, seeing different parts of the country and the world...
Anyway, Colorado was great. Saw a lot, experienced a lot, caught up with a good friend...and I think I left a piece of myself out there, which means I'll be back to pick it up some time. Managed to catch Shannon Sharpe Day at the Broncos home opener, as well as a Rockies game, which makes me happy. Upon my return home, I decided to buy a ticket to the last Twins game at the Metrodome (barring a last-minute push to the playoffs)...before realizing that it's over a thousand miles to Minnesota. Fuck. Oh well, stranger things have happened...and there's a chance I may make the trip anyway. It's a life-long goal to visit every MLB ballpark, and this is the first opportunity I've had to get myself to one that's closing...so I'm conflicted as to whether I should make the trip. Anyway, September's just about over, and the results are mixed. I'll update more tomorrow, though it's going to be a big day...
Talk to each other.
Anyway, Colorado was great. Saw a lot, experienced a lot, caught up with a good friend...and I think I left a piece of myself out there, which means I'll be back to pick it up some time. Managed to catch Shannon Sharpe Day at the Broncos home opener, as well as a Rockies game, which makes me happy. Upon my return home, I decided to buy a ticket to the last Twins game at the Metrodome (barring a last-minute push to the playoffs)...before realizing that it's over a thousand miles to Minnesota. Fuck. Oh well, stranger things have happened...and there's a chance I may make the trip anyway. It's a life-long goal to visit every MLB ballpark, and this is the first opportunity I've had to get myself to one that's closing...so I'm conflicted as to whether I should make the trip. Anyway, September's just about over, and the results are mixed. I'll update more tomorrow, though it's going to be a big day...
Talk to each other.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
September 16, 2009- Shameful
http://www.youthnoise.com/playcity/blog/view/18755
The above link is to a truly heartbreaking story. Caster Semenya, a young track champion from South Africa, was recently outed for her sexual orientation, and has since been put on suicide watch. A BIG "fuck you" to the hoardes of people in the media who shamelessly and relentlessly covered this and pried and pried in dibelief that a "real" female could possess such skills. Honestly, fuck yourselves. You have publicly outed this poor kid in front of the ENTIRE WORLD. I hope you can pick up the sense of self-satisfaction for breaking this story in Hell.
The above link is to a truly heartbreaking story. Caster Semenya, a young track champion from South Africa, was recently outed for her sexual orientation, and has since been put on suicide watch. A BIG "fuck you" to the hoardes of people in the media who shamelessly and relentlessly covered this and pried and pried in dibelief that a "real" female could possess such skills. Honestly, fuck yourselves. You have publicly outed this poor kid in front of the ENTIRE WORLD. I hope you can pick up the sense of self-satisfaction for breaking this story in Hell.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
September 15, 2009- Hair, Work, Movies
Caught up on Stripes and Platoon. Stripes was hilarious...right up until they tried to add a twist involving the Russians. This was also problematic with James Bond films in the early-to-mid 1980's (see, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View To a Kill)...strap on your history helmets, kiddies, it's story time:
By the 1980's, the Soviet Union had become the clear-cut second-place superpower in the world, and it wasn't really close. Despite whatever supersoviet supporters wanted to believe, the Russians were fighting a losing battle and knew it. Hence detente, perestroika, glasnost, etc. This gave outside filmmakers an opportunity to poke fun at the gradual decline of the Soviet power. Check out the role of General Gogol in the Bond films he appeared in. In The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Gogol is fairly menacing; while not making any really life-threatening actions, he is the highest-ranked KGB official. By the time he appears in A View To A Kill (1985), Gogol is content with awarding Bond with the Order of Lenin. C'mon, really? While I acknowledge that the entire Bond series is fictitious, I have a harder time believing that the overall sentiment of Soviet Russia was really THAT friendly, even in 1985. Otherwise, wouldn't the Cold War have ended then?
Needless to say, this would never have happened if the Cold War ends in 1985...unless it happens after Christmas Day.
Okay, so back to Stripes. The build-up and training part of the movie (roughly 2/3 of it?) I thought was hilarious. Harold Ramis and Bill Murray are a riot together (not as good as Ghostbusters (what is?), but maybe better than Ghostbusters II (Roman numerals make anything look more badass)). It's not until the gents take their Military officers, who are both foxy females...in 1981, this seems hardly plausible, even for the sake of the plot of the movie. I mean, okay, two female officers. But both of them bombshells? C'mon! At LEAST give us more believable odds (one of two), leading to some more cheap laughs through a wingman scene...perhaps Ramis in a pre-Dr. Spengler moment?
Okay...so not everything is more badass with Roman numerals...
Once they take the van for a romantic getaway, I sort of lost interest. Yes it was funny that the military's prize toy was a converted camper. No it was not enough to hold the movie together. Yes there was potential with Hulka running amok alone. No I did not love the last third of the movie. YES (yes, and more yes) I liked the ending montage with the newspaper headlines (sort of reminded me of Animal House (or the Simpsons)). That said, I just felt like it could have even gone a good twenty minutes longer if it meant that the escape-to-Czechoslovakia mess was avoided.
IN THIS MESS is where the parallels are drawn between Stripes and Bond. The Soviets are made to look ridiculous and, while tensions had calmed between the two superpowers, I'm not sure that that caricaturization of Soviet Russia translates to comedy. I dunno, maybe that's because I wasn't born until the 80s, and so poking fun at topical issues (Cold War) has always been funny. I mean, I got a kick out of Achmed the Dead Terrorist...so maybe that'll seem just as dated twenty years from now. Stripes came out in 1981, by the way, so close to 30 years later...I guess we'll see.
Platoon is simply the best war movie I have ever seen. Like The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now, Platoon deals just as much with inner turmoil as it does with defeating the physical enemy, if not more so. It really seems to be a reflection on the way Vietnam was perceived compared to other U.S. military conflicts ("Are we doing the right thing?"), whereas other wars up to that point weren't really questioned en masse; the assumption was that soldiers fought for greater good of America. Oliver Stone really gets to the heart of the internal conflict of Charlie Sheen's character, as well as the struggle between Willem Dafoe, whose Sgt. Elias seemed to embody the "fight the evil for the glory of America" mentality, and Tom Berenger's character, who was too war-engulfed to recognize "the enemy" from anything around him, which may have become the sentiment of so many in the jungles of Southeast Asia. I thought it was a powerful film, and deserving of praise.
So other than that, the big news is that I got myself an interview! I'm not really nervous yet, as I've had a few things to deal with in the meantime. That said, the main thing that concerns me right at this very moment is my hair. I've been growing it out as a rally; as I've said, I'd grow it until I get a job. I wonder how long that will be and, in the interim, how my hair will be perceived by prospective employers. I get how first impressions work, and by meeting lots of people over the years, have made a few myself. I wonder whether a suit will detract from it or make it stand out more. I wonder how long it will grow to be, and- at this pace- how long it would take to grow it for Locks for Love. I mean, if I'm already a good portion of the way there (I just measured...and the front is about four and a half inches long), how long would it take to grow to the necessary length? And, can I do that? See, I've always had the reality of hair loss waiting in the wings, and so my desire to cut it short has dwindled, the logic being that if I'm going to lose it, I might as well savor it while it's here, right? Well, we shall see. But in the immediate future, I have a strong first impression to make, hair or not. I just hope that it won't be a hinderance.
By the way, saw Kings of Leon on Saturday night. They put on an incredibly tight live show. For those who are unfamiliar with the band, here's an example of their music. For those of you who are familiar, I suggest looking into seeing them live if you're a fan, since they sound much better live than they do on the radio (so if you like them on the radio, chances are you'll really enjoy the live act).
Alright, time to get back to work on my portfolio (makes me sound professional...)
Talk to each other.
By the 1980's, the Soviet Union had become the clear-cut second-place superpower in the world, and it wasn't really close. Despite whatever supersoviet supporters wanted to believe, the Russians were fighting a losing battle and knew it. Hence detente, perestroika, glasnost, etc. This gave outside filmmakers an opportunity to poke fun at the gradual decline of the Soviet power. Check out the role of General Gogol in the Bond films he appeared in. In The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Gogol is fairly menacing; while not making any really life-threatening actions, he is the highest-ranked KGB official. By the time he appears in A View To A Kill (1985), Gogol is content with awarding Bond with the Order of Lenin. C'mon, really? While I acknowledge that the entire Bond series is fictitious, I have a harder time believing that the overall sentiment of Soviet Russia was really THAT friendly, even in 1985. Otherwise, wouldn't the Cold War have ended then?
Needless to say, this would never have happened if the Cold War ends in 1985...unless it happens after Christmas Day.Okay, so back to Stripes. The build-up and training part of the movie (roughly 2/3 of it?) I thought was hilarious. Harold Ramis and Bill Murray are a riot together (not as good as Ghostbusters (what is?), but maybe better than Ghostbusters II (Roman numerals make anything look more badass)). It's not until the gents take their Military officers, who are both foxy females...in 1981, this seems hardly plausible, even for the sake of the plot of the movie. I mean, okay, two female officers. But both of them bombshells? C'mon! At LEAST give us more believable odds (one of two), leading to some more cheap laughs through a wingman scene...perhaps Ramis in a pre-Dr. Spengler moment?
Okay...so not everything is more badass with Roman numerals...Once they take the van for a romantic getaway, I sort of lost interest. Yes it was funny that the military's prize toy was a converted camper. No it was not enough to hold the movie together. Yes there was potential with Hulka running amok alone. No I did not love the last third of the movie. YES (yes, and more yes) I liked the ending montage with the newspaper headlines (sort of reminded me of Animal House (or the Simpsons)). That said, I just felt like it could have even gone a good twenty minutes longer if it meant that the escape-to-Czechoslovakia mess was avoided.
IN THIS MESS is where the parallels are drawn between Stripes and Bond. The Soviets are made to look ridiculous and, while tensions had calmed between the two superpowers, I'm not sure that that caricaturization of Soviet Russia translates to comedy. I dunno, maybe that's because I wasn't born until the 80s, and so poking fun at topical issues (Cold War) has always been funny. I mean, I got a kick out of Achmed the Dead Terrorist...so maybe that'll seem just as dated twenty years from now. Stripes came out in 1981, by the way, so close to 30 years later...I guess we'll see.
Platoon is simply the best war movie I have ever seen. Like The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now, Platoon deals just as much with inner turmoil as it does with defeating the physical enemy, if not more so. It really seems to be a reflection on the way Vietnam was perceived compared to other U.S. military conflicts ("Are we doing the right thing?"), whereas other wars up to that point weren't really questioned en masse; the assumption was that soldiers fought for greater good of America. Oliver Stone really gets to the heart of the internal conflict of Charlie Sheen's character, as well as the struggle between Willem Dafoe, whose Sgt. Elias seemed to embody the "fight the evil for the glory of America" mentality, and Tom Berenger's character, who was too war-engulfed to recognize "the enemy" from anything around him, which may have become the sentiment of so many in the jungles of Southeast Asia. I thought it was a powerful film, and deserving of praise.
So other than that, the big news is that I got myself an interview! I'm not really nervous yet, as I've had a few things to deal with in the meantime. That said, the main thing that concerns me right at this very moment is my hair. I've been growing it out as a rally; as I've said, I'd grow it until I get a job. I wonder how long that will be and, in the interim, how my hair will be perceived by prospective employers. I get how first impressions work, and by meeting lots of people over the years, have made a few myself. I wonder whether a suit will detract from it or make it stand out more. I wonder how long it will grow to be, and- at this pace- how long it would take to grow it for Locks for Love. I mean, if I'm already a good portion of the way there (I just measured...and the front is about four and a half inches long), how long would it take to grow to the necessary length? And, can I do that? See, I've always had the reality of hair loss waiting in the wings, and so my desire to cut it short has dwindled, the logic being that if I'm going to lose it, I might as well savor it while it's here, right? Well, we shall see. But in the immediate future, I have a strong first impression to make, hair or not. I just hope that it won't be a hinderance.
By the way, saw Kings of Leon on Saturday night. They put on an incredibly tight live show. For those who are unfamiliar with the band, here's an example of their music. For those of you who are familiar, I suggest looking into seeing them live if you're a fan, since they sound much better live than they do on the radio (so if you like them on the radio, chances are you'll really enjoy the live act).
Alright, time to get back to work on my portfolio (makes me sound professional...)
Talk to each other.
Friday, September 11, 2009
September 11, 2009- Thanks
Well, after a massive (by comparison) post yesterday, I'm still a little light-headed and feeling the effects of the anniversary hangover. Last night I celebrated my one year anniversary as host of trivia night, and before I get into the meat of this post (which will be gamey and sparse), I just wanted to send a thank you to everyone who has come out in the last year to enjoy themselves on Thursday nights at the Hyde Park Brewery. It has been a hell of a lot of fun, and you all have made Thursday nights something to really look forward to. Seriously. No matter how days and weeks have gone, Thursday night never fails to get me amped up to read questions, play music, and enjoy the company of people who are as enthusiastic about the game as I am. So thank you all.
NOW....being in New York, you'd have to be living under a rock to not know that today is, in fact, September 11th. The brave men and women who serve this country and keep it safe deserve your thanks. That's all there is to it. Why it has to wait until today, I don't know. I got weird looks in New York City my last time there for applauding the FDNY trucks as they passed. I figured a random show of appreciation for New York's bravest would be a welcome gesture...and yet there are people who looked as if I had lost my mind. I don't understand this. Look, if you KNOW someone who betters the well-being of this country, whether they are in the military or civil service, let them know you appreciate them...because much like a loved one, you never know when you won't get that chance again. I don't understand why it's only on Memorial Day, or Veterans Day, or 9/11 that we take the time to honor the people who make the ultimate sacrifice for our well-being. Just boggles my mind...that said,
THANK YOU to the brave women and men serving in our armed forces for allowing people like me to keep writing freely. THANK YOU to the civil servants who keep me safe.
Uncle Dee sends his thanks, as well.
So the agenda this weekend will take me into New York City for some sightseeing, a concert, and knocking a few items off of a friend's to-do list. Will be updating early in the week.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
September 10, 2009 (a)
Spacing is not my strength, as demonstrated in my last post. I apologize for nothing; I merely acknowledge that the spacing is unrealistically crappy.
September 10, 2009- Let it all out
Let me preface this entry by saying I don't know anyone who eats the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish (so why is it the top story that comes up on Yahoo! when I try to check my mail?). Frankly, I don't want to speak for any of you that are reading this, but I can MAYBE see ONE of my good friends eating this thing by choice...and so it came as quite a shock to me when,
1) I heard such a catchy jingle honoring a novelty meal at a successful diarrhea-inducing factory (a crap factory, if ever there was one). By the way, it's not that I get diarrhea every time I eat McDonald's...it's that in the last five years or so, every time I've eaten it, I've had improper reactions. Let's leave it at that, shall we?...
and 2) I found out that McDonald's actually STILL SELLS Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, and they are NOT the original ones made in 1963, that in fact they have as recently as today ARE STILL MAKING these sandwiches. Impressive. I urge you to tell me how this experience goes/went if you have or are planning on devouring said sandwich in your travels.
I think the closest I have come to having a FOF was en route to Cape Cod, circa 1991...we stopped at McD's and I got chicken Mcnuggets that must have been fried with a FOF or something because they were fucking TERRIBLE.
Fresh off the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, I'm sure
Now, to back it up a few pages, here's my hostory with fish:
Had clams and such as a kid. Hated them. Disgusting, chewy, rubbery...which I assumed all seafood was.
Introduced to grilled salmon by my first girlfriend. Thoroughly enjoyed it. That said, didn't think to broaden my horizons.
Fast forward to c. 2006- out to eat at a family-style restaurant where multiple seafood dishes were offered and ordered. Tried and liked most of it. Again, avoided for the most part.
2007- Went to Cape May to visit my cousin Mike and his family and was taken to a seafood place and tried probably a dozen varieties of seafood. Didn't and don't care for lobster, but have come around on most varieties of seafood.
First sushi: 2005, drenched in soy sauce. Delicious, like soy sauce packets. Haven't looked back.
Last week: prepared my first seafood dish (stuffed clams). End scene
Now, you've just read a mostly true (dates may be off) account of my foray into seafood. This does not include NE Clam chowder, which I have been scarfing down for the last 13 years and 100 lbs. Key ingredient: potatoes. Go figure. So to bring this full circle, I just read that the FOF is alive and well and all I can think to myself is: "who the hell eats those things?".
Look, if you enjoy seafood, cool. If you don't eat meat, your loss. But WHY would you go to a world-famous burger place (albeit not for the burgers but the purple gumdrop named Grimace, obviously) and order fish? I've never understood this and have a hard time justifying that decision....ahh yeah, Gallagher's steakhouse, ooh look at all the marbled pieces of beef here...I know! I'll have the haddock. NO! You go to a STEAKhouse for steak. You go to BURGERworld or wherever the fuck for a BURGER...never trust the food that's NOT a signature offering of the restaurant...look, I wouldn't trust a sushi place that serves RAW FISH as it's marquee meal with serving me a hamburger, done medium-well. Call me crazy.
Aaaaaanywho...I thought I'd explain my absence for the last two months, since I got TWO thumbs up at the mention that I'd be blogging again (Jay and Evita, I salute you with an equally gratifying thumbs-up in return. When we look back on this experiment years later, I will owe each of you a cigar and a bottle of a cheap, domestic beer)...
Since July 5th, I successfully meandered my way through another summer at DAC, this time as the Assistant Director. Felt good. We had scores (a score, by the way, is twenty...as in "four score and seven years ago"...that's 87 years. Gettysburg Address: 1863. Declaration of Independence signed: 1776 (which was the subject of Lincoln's introduction). 1863-1776? 87. Four score is 80, divide by four....a score is 20, so we had TWENTIES) of parents commend our camp for a job well done. Young staff, new director, and yet we came out of the summer feeling good about our job well done.
Also this summer, I played temporary host to my favorite foreigner (not this one)! It was great to have Sebby in town to get an idea of the sort of stuff I have involved myelf with since his last visit (i.e. camp, trivia night, legal drinking), as well as finally get to see a Yankee game live and in person.
I got to see CitiField, home of the 2009 Trainwrecks. I got to a couple more Yankees games, making the overall record of the home team in ballgames I've seen this year to an impressive 7-0, with this one being the worst.
I got to see The Hangover, The Count of Monte Cristo (online), Harry Potter VI (which really makes it look like the Rocky series)...knocking out 3 of my ten summer films. Star Trek is still playing at the discount theater and I have promised myself that if it's still playing on Monday, I am there; I am watching Citizen Kane with Jay post-Dolphins victory on Sunday; Tropic Thunder may also be worked out, depending on whether I can obtain someone's downloaded copy...and I think that I'm gonna watch Platoon AND Stripes tonight JUST because I looked at this list from June and think that I need to cross off more than three of the films on it. Right now I'm hitting a comfortable .300 with the potential to knock off another 4 slots on the list. I can feel it; it's gonna be a big next few days...
Managed to see Coldplay in concert again in late July...now here's my take on Coldplay: they get a bad rap for sounding somewhat effeminate, having sappy lyrics, and basically a representation of the pussification of rock music. Here's my problem with that: no one ever said the same thing about Frankie Valli. Was it the chest hair? Frankie Valli has released a number of successful songs, and he's considered a Jersey Boy. He ain't no fucking Bruce Springsteen, so let's cut the crap. To be as cool and as universally respected as Springsteen takes something special.
Coldplay, on the other hand, have released technically-proficient and downright alarmingly catchy songs in the last decade and have grown to become excellent at putting on a show, as well. This is not to say that they are as good as Springsteen, or that Valli is a chump, but the things that people criticize Coldplay for are things that we could easily be applied to other artists, perhaps MOST NOTABLY....Mr. Frankie Valli!! So my point to all of this is that for people who are looking to criticize a talented and successful band, that sort of criticism should be aimed elsewhere. Look, call their pandering to love and angst whatever you want to call it, they're making bank. Show me a band that doesn't want to make bank, and they better fucking be in a garage. People get in bands TO MAKE MONEY! If it was all about the music, they'd becoming fucking music critics. The minute you step into a fucking club or stadium or arena with the purpose of performing in front of people, it's for fame and recognition, which in turn, earn you money. That's it. "Naw, man, it's about the music"...yeah, okay. Ya got me there. It's about the music...then do me a favor: never play in public again. Be with your music, alone, on your own time, and stop hyping yourself over the airwaves. Ridiculous.
THERE'S your pussification of rock music.
People forget how truly uncool a move this was...not that I have anything against Grease...I'm just saying...August: moved my brother into school, saw Blink-182 and Weezer at Jones Beach, and spent a week in North Carolina relaxing. This was a groovy month for a variety of reasons:
- My brother finished his work at the local community college with a dual Associates Degree, which is commendable in and of itself, and is now getting to experience away-from-home school. This can only be a good thing. I can't wait to visit.
- Finished camp. I love working at camp and being in that environment. That's right. Love it. Doesn't come lightly. That said, I was happy for a few weeks of R&R.
- Finally saw Blink-182 in concert. Look, I enjoy Weezer as much as- but definitely not more than- the next guy, but I never got stoned, and kind of blame Rivers Cuomo for bringing back the Woody Allen, "I seem all meek and geeky, woe is me" type of look. The music's good, I just think that there's a fine line between self-deprecation and coming off like a total loser, and Cuomo had a tendency for a while there to blur them, which essentially gives green lights to people to hate themselves. THAT SAID...I enjoyed hearing Blink and Weezer live.............................................but................I wish I had seen this show ten years ago. Ten years ago, I would have paid you every penny I made at my first summer job to see Blink-182 live. This summer I went with Justin and Matt and felt fucking OLD. Not even uncool, just old. Our pants were comfortable but not super-tight, none of us had painted out nails, and we were probably the most vocal supporters of Dude Ranch (which, while the soundtrack to my first relationship's early phases, is best remembered for the teenage anthem "Dammit", which doesn't crack my top 3 ON THAT ALBUM (top 5, maybe)...(by the way, they are, in no particular order, "Untitled"; "Apple Shampoo"; and "Enthused"). So being out of place (it's probably never a good idea to shout "Play Dick Lips" when you're sitting behind a ton of 15 year-olds who are having a make-out party right in front of you while you shake your head and DREAD having children with a freedom for musical preferences. Fuck.) in this environment kinda took away from the moment; it did not resemble Superbad when they wanted McLovin to succeed. On the contrary, I wanted to smack these kids in the face (more on this another time; I feel like there's a lot more to say, just not now).
- Finished Farenheit 451 (fantastic!) and the Outsiders (good...endearing is a good word to use, I think), as well as a couple of the half-finished books on my shelf. Also purchased Huck Finn and Atlas Shrugged, meaning I now own the vast majority of books that I need to hack through.
North Carolina was good; needs to be saved for another post, I think. My hands are starting to hurt (landscaping duty). Let's wrap this up with a re-cap of my goals (and the reason for this blog in the first place):
July finished successfully! I made it through the month without using my phone while driving. I have since used it, but mostly during long, otherwise stifling car rides to and from NC. I also managed, through camp and other endeavors, to help at least one person each day. It IS rewarding, in all the feel-good, happy-go-lucky ways you would imagine. I suggest you try it!
August, I gave up having second portions at dinner time. This was successful until the last week; vacation in NC doomed me. This is fine, since A) I was on vacation; and B) it wasn't as though I had had 3-4 large meals anyway...by the time dinner rolled around, I was hungry. Really hungry. And I vacationed with a number of excellent cooks. My goal was to finish books, and I did that 4 times. ::Flexes brain::
Now, September...here's my goal: to not cross my legs. It's a habit I have, and while not necessarily connected to varicose veins per se, I'd like to think I can kick this habit. Problem is, it's gotten to a point where- just like most habits- I will start doing it without noticing, including when I lay down to sleep (I like to think it's my subconscious telling me to get a hammock). My circulation is already terrible, and while it may be strictly superstitious, I would rather avoid complicating such an issue.
My one way of bettering myself is to plan out a healthy means of losing weight. This will ultimately include joining a gym, but not before my trip to Colorado (Sept. 18-23)! That said, I'm pumped to get this started, as I'm starting to feel less comfort in my most favorite pair of jeans...that's my sign. Oh, and to find and catch up with watching Mad Men and 30Rock.
I don't want to be alive when 15 year-old boys don't find this to be extremely amusing
That's all from me. Join me next time for discussions/rants about: The Wire, North Carolina, Kings of Leon, and a variety of other less important topics. Thanks for listening, and talk to each other.
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