absolute nutter

I was doing my daily reading of the news when I came across this item on BBC.com.

Iranian leader denies Holocaust - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has courted further controversy by explicitly calling the Nazi Holocaust of European Jewry a "myth". To read more, click on this entry's title.

What kinda idiot says something like that? Even the Germans have admitted to committing these atrocities and they would be the most likely people to deny it. This is way scary - more scary than the prospects of what Saddam could have done or what that little dude in North Korea is thinking. This is the leader of a country that is in the process of building a nuclear weapon - God/Allah only knows what he plans to do with it.

Certain religious fanatics would love to see the modern world plunged into the Dark Ages once again. A time when technology didn't threatened their seige on power by allowing people to share their ideas. A time when brute force (attained by men through genetic inheritance) ruled the world and people were 'bullied' into doing whatever the strongest wanted. A time when you could stone someone for a different idea than your own. Ahh, the good old days... *note LOUD tone of sarcasm for last statement*

So I think we need to treat our Iranian presidential friend to a little treat - doggie style. Just like you rub a dog's nose in its shit to drive home the point of what not to do, perhaps we need to take our naive friend for a field trip. Let him visit the mass graves and see the bones of the millions of Jews that were massacred in the Holocaust. Let him spend some time in a camp where thousands of people were burned on a daily basis.

Hopefully enough of the Iranian people will take note of just how looney this guy is and get him out of office. While Bush isn't the greatest American leader and has said some pretty stupid things in his presidency, at least he isn't THAT whacked in the head.

first birthday

Well, today is it! The posts on Expat Nomad have been officially up for a year now and what a year it has been. The topics have ranged from the mundane to the bizarre and a few odd ones to boot.

There was a reflection of my college days when a Health teacher talked about biting others and another embarassing story of having someone walk in during an 'adjustment' time. There was a day where I just told what went on in history and days where I ranted about American politics (too many to link to).

All in all, its been a good experience for me and I am happy with how the first year has gone. Here's to a good start and many more to come. A happy coincidence, its also my 100th post. Since two milestones are coming together, I've decided to do something new - a change of scenery with a new profile pic. Thems my gurls!

Nomad

the breakfast club

A John Hughes movie that so accurately depicts so many aspects of American teenage life in the 1980s. I remember going to see it as a freshman in high school and not quite understanding everything that happened to the characters. Years later, as I watched the movie over and over again, it became more iconic to me. Recently, it has taken on new meaning.

I think of the scene where Allison (Ally Sheedy) opens up to Andrew (Emilio Estevez) about her home life. She talks not of parental abuse but rather neglect. She isn't so disappointed in their actions, rather their inactions. They do something worse than abuse, "they ignore me."

She is taken for granted, considered to be a fixture that can always be counted upon for whatever reason. Her family assumes that she is happy although they never know because they don't make the effort to ask. The family is too wrapped up in their own life that they don't even bother to wonder how someone else is doing. Allison contemplates running away but she doubts that her family would even notice.

I hear ya Allison...

morning glory

Excuse me while I copy and paste this story that I put up on my other blog. Its kinda funny and I figured this audience may enjoy it as well.



my ass hurts.

winter in holland is here and my backside is sore as a result of that arrival. this morning was kinda chilly on the ride to work but i didn't think it was THAT cold. the thermometer at home read 2 degrees (35 for you Fahrenheit people) so i figured that the bike path would be safe. i even was a bit cautious as i did the first km on the bike, making sure there was no ice. then i hit an open area, slightly downhill with a gentle S curve to it. that's where my day went to shit.

i felt the rear tire start to slide out and then the front followed, sending me crashing to the ground and sliding for a good 3-4 m (10-12 feet) along the ice. i laid there for a minute or two, my back and bum aching from the crash. i then got up and started pulling my bike out of the ditch. as i was doing so, i noticed an oncoming rider who was about to hit the ice.

i motioned to her to slow down and told her there was ice (in english of course, i couldn't remember any dutch at that moment). she was jittery and slammed on her brakes, sending her into the grass. a bunch of dutch swear words later and she pops up and starts yelling at her for making her crash! WTF!!! if she hadn't gone down when she did (into the grass) she would have bit it just as hard or harder than i did. the ice stretched for about 40 m (120 ft) through an S curve - no way in hell she was going to stay upright through it. but no, in her gratitude speech, she continued to bitch at me (now in english) for making her crash. i think that as she continued on, walking her bike, she realized how slippery and nasty it could have been if she hadn't lost it when she did.

as i walked my way down the icy stretch myself, i noticed a couple that i have seen many times on my way to work - a dutchman who rides with his surinamese girlfriend, side by side. as they came up to the turn (before the ice), i warned them about it and they walked their way through the stretch. alas, someone who appreciated my gesture of warning them before impending doom.

it took me an additional 20 minutes to get to work today b/c of my slowed pace and i arrived late. i wasn't the only one however as a total of 6 teachers from my school found their way off the paved path and into foliage or whatever was next to them. lotsa teachers walking around with limps, bruises, and a grimmace on their face thanks to mothernature's cruel little trick this morning.

but at least the day was a little better than how it started. my kids were good and we all laughed about my misfortune. if you can't laugh at yourself... but now i'm still in my classroom as i really don't want to get back on my bike to ride home. and since its past 5pm, the darkness has truly set in and my chances of spotting any ice right now are nil. let's hope for a event-free trip home. my ass doesn't want a reminder of what it felt this morning.

student survey

So I must have some very bored students, well at least one in particular, because I recently got an email from her with a survey attached. I figured that I would post my answers for all to read because I sure wasn't going to send it back to her.

[A]rea Code - 3062 XM (postal code)
[B]est Band - Rush (is that suppposed to be a trick question?)
[C]olor of Choice - Green
[D]umbest Thing You Have Ever Said - "I thought you said it rained a lot in Holland..."
[E]ight Friends - Shamash, ZAP, Jeannie-bo-Beannie, SAM, SWill, Canadian Math Nerd, Mr. and Mrs. Rock, Bowie (names changed to protect the innocent AND some names were left off due to the limiting E - eight).
[F]irst Letter of Your Name - B
[G]reatest Movie - Miracle
[H]orrible CD You've Bought- Celine Dion (I dunno what I was thinking that day)
[I]llegal Thing You Have Done or Witnessed - broke into Stan Hywett mansion with a friend. No guard dogs that night!
[J]ello Flavor You Like - lime with vodka
[K]isses You Have Gotten - umm, I'm single and in my mid-30s, I've kinda lost tract of all the women that I've kissed over the years.
[L]unch That You Eat - whatever Tjeerd is serving in the cafeteria
[M]oney You Have Right Now - about 30 euro in my wallet, millions more in coins
[N]ine Foods You Like - pizza, lasagna, stroopwafels, nachos, chicken burrito, General Tsao's chicken (chinese), jagerschnitzel, baklava, burgers
[O]verall Thought Of Yourself - friendly, well-liked, respected
[P]athetic Pickup Line You Used/Someone Used on You - "Nice shoes, wanna fuck?" (actually I've only read that one but it just sounds so kewl).
[Q]uickest Mile You Have Done (that's 1.6 km to the rest of you)- 6:30
[R]eally Big Accomplishment - graduation from Naval Nuclear Power School
[S]omeone Special - no ONE special at the moment, lotsa good friends though
[T]alk You Will Never Forget - my Dad convincing me that I had met Bruce Lee's brother (long story but needless to say, my father lied to me).
[U]gliest thing/person/place - 1980s (and early 90s) Vancouver Canucks away jerseys (OMG, hideous indeed, I still have nightmares...)
[V]ery Important Possession - great great grandfather's pocketwatch
[W]hat You Last Ate - quesadillas with piri piri chicken
[X]treme Thing You Have Done - been through over 200 degrees Fahrenheit of temperature change (from 126 in Death Valley to -79 in Lake Placid)
[Y]our Favorite Thing To Do - play hockey (volleyball close second)
[Z]odiac Sign - Leo/Virgo cusp

thanksgiving blues

No, I am not sad about yesterday being Thanksgiving and I spent it alone. But it does remind me of the loneliest day of my life. A chance to reflect...

It was 1991, a year to remember indeed. My grades were awful and I dropped out of college in June. I decided to join the US Navy and did so on August 1st. I had my 21st birthday a week before I left for boot camp and then spent the next three months wondering what in the hell I had gotten myself into. After boot, my orders were to report to Nuclear Field "A" School on November 14th with my classes starting on December 2nd. Two weeks of 'smurfing' before school started up and Thanksgiving was right in the middle.

Since I had dropped out of school, I had managed to keep in touch with a friend from OU named Jessica Rabbit. No, its not her real name but its what we called her (for obvious reasons). Jessica had moved to Orlando, which is where I was now stationed and she told me to come have Thanksgiving dinner with her and her family/church group. How wonderful! While I couldn't be with my family for the holiday, I could be with a friend and her family/friends.

I gave Jessica a call on Tuesday to verify our plans. She said with regret that she was going to be celebrating Thanksgiving and her recent engagement with his parents in Pennsylvania. She was sorry for the late notice but he had just popped the question on Sunday night and they were heading out of town. From that point on, she sounded like a Charlie Brown school teacher - "Blah blah blah blah, blah blah-lah blah." To this day I have no idea what she said after that (and truth be told, I have never heard from her since).

So when Thanksgiving Thursday came just two days later, I decided to try my best to get out and do what I could to make the best of a lonely situation. The weather is beautiful in Florida during that time of year and I strolled off the base in search of something to do and a decent place to eat. Of course you can all see where this is going and as everyone knows, Thanksgiving in the US means that EVERYTHING closes up and people spend it with their families. Even the Chinese restaurants were closed.

I managed to find a diner open and serving their blue plate special (turkey with stuffing - go figure) where I ate with the other lost souls who had no one to eat with on Thanksgiving. There was not a table that had more than one person sitting at it, including mine. We all were alone and I wasn't going to go sit down with a total stranger and break the trend.

So I ate my dinner, paid the $9.95 (plus drinks) and wallowed my way back to the base. I was so glum that I called my parents collect to hear a friendly voice but got no answer - even they were out with others. I felt pretty crappy that day but every Thanksgiving since, I have been surrounded with family or friends. I say my own thanks on that day for never having gone through another Thanksgiving like that. While yesterday was the first time since 1991 that I was alone on the day of Thanksgiving, it wasn't a bad day. I am thankful for the family of expats that I ate with the day before, my adopted family since I have none over here.

Just a trip down memory lane...

new model for china?

Ok, so I am putting two (somewhat) unrelated news items together and I am kinda scratching my head about the sanity of the world today. This may be difficult to follow but I'll try to make sense of it all by the time that I am done.

This morning I was reading an article on the BBC about how the IMF was suggesting to China that it change its business model and put more money into buying consumer related products. It turns out that the Chinese are reinvesting about 55% of their cash into other companies rather than buying a lot of stuff. The IMF is worried that if China continues to do this that it will unsettle the world economy b/c their billion people aren't buying their share of the crap of the world.

In other news, I was watching CNN tonight and there was a story on the broadcast about the release of Microsoft's new Xbox and all of the hoopla surrounding it. Thousands of nerds waiting in line to be the first to buy their new Xbox when stores opened at midnight and began selling this new toy. (I may be wrong but I think I saw the same group of people waiting in line to buy tickets 3 months in advance of the last Star Wars movie...)

The reporter for CNN does some interviews with the people who were unlucky enough to NOT have arrived in time to purchase their new fan-dangled box that hooks up to your tv and gives you an alternate means to blow up the world and rid it of computer-animated terrorists (that's a run-on sentence but I'm ranting so leave it alone). She talks with some 30 year-old loser who is bitching about not getting his Xbox. Pardon me while I quote this man without the proper references but its too remarkable to not write down what he said (for posterity, of course).

"I'm so mad. I took a day off of work to come get an Xbox. Then I come down here to get one and they're sold out. I lost a day's pay and I have no Xbox. What am I gonna do?"

My first thought was - ask your mom to make you some Kraft Mac & Cheese for dinner and then make plans to move out of your parents basement. But I digress, back to my rant.

So this got me to thinking. What has America become? I realize that we are a society of consumers but WOW! I remember the Cabbage Patch kids craze from the late 80's (and the spin-off Garbage Pail kids) when people flooded toy stores and knocked small disabled children over to get to their favorite plush doll with a plastic head. I know that every year there is a 'latest and greatest' to flood American stores and this year it will be the Christmas of the Xbox. But why are we so fixated on buying so much shit?

Are the Chinese to be noted for their practicality in this case? Should the people at the IMF be chastizing (sp?) Americans for spending too much of their income and not saving more for their own retirement? Or does the greed and consumption of capitalism really make the world go round?

I recently bought a book that I am anxious to read (perhaps during this winter holiday) that in part relates to this idea. "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire" - does it relate to current day America? Are the glory years of this superpower over and is this country destined to be invaded by Canada in the near future (maybe then I'll get to see some good hockey games on TV...)? Or is America driving the world economy with its consumerism?

Before everyone on the America is turning into shit bandwagon chimes in, think about it. Is consumerism as ugly as it appears to be or does it really allow for the 3rd world countries of the world to develop their economies by being manufacturing centers for the developed world? Is China right to attempt to hoard its own money bybeing a miser? Hmmm, things to think about. Chime in please!!!!

short hiatus

Its been a while since my last post and it got me to thinking about what to write about. I wish I could say that there was something cool and interesting going on in my life but truth be told, my life revolves around a couple of ideas - my graduate studies research and the quest for a new job. Neither one of them lend themselves to penworthy time (is that even correct?) so it somewhat points me to the new addition to the bottom of the page - my site meter.

I've had it in place for a few weeks now and I see that I do get some hits although I believe the majority of them to be from people who use Google to search for whatever. One of the nice things about the hit counter is that it tells me what terms people have found my site using. They range from "what does hup holland mean?" to "dwarf chinaman picture". An interesting mix indeed...

And it got me to thinking about possible topics for the future. Maybe there is something I can use from this site meter statistics page to write about. Inspiration comes in many forms, perhaps the googles of others can serve as mine.

So my first question goes out to Musings from the Void, a native Dutchman who is a self-proclaimed non-kaaskop. What does "Hup Holland" mean?

the cheese

the greenery
Originally uploaded by bcurry35.

As noted with my previous entry, my alma mater is known for its choice of extracurricular activities. One of those gathering places was called "The Greenery" and it was a sad day when I heard it was closing its doors.

But little did I know that it was moving to Holland! Lo and behold, the tradition hasn't died, only moved in its locale. So I guess we are meeting at this place next year before homecoming, right?

professionals

As some of my readers may or may not know, I went to a fine university (twice) in the SE corner of Ohio in a little town called Athens. Ohio University has long been considered to be a 'party school'. This was further driven home with an article from the Princeton Review that did rank the party schools of the US. What can I say, people at OU like to enjoy their time away from their professors and 'embibe' different forms of alcoholic beverages. Perhaps that is the reason why I dropped out of school...

I recently found this from a current student who attends OU. Forgive the plagarism but I felt a need to share with my audience the pride that I have in my school. We may suck at sports but we have a kick-ass band and a tradition of enjoying our free time. While this quote may not be true (I'm not finding anything on the Playboy site to confirm it), it can be noted that we are ranked #2 on the Princeton Review (click on 'professionals' link above to visit site).

"We did not rate Ohio University on our top ten party schools because we feel it unfair to include professionals on a list of amateurs."
-Playboy Magazine, 2004

OU - drinking you under the table since 1804.

california humor

I found this website from another's blog page. Its kinda funny and really has deals out the pokes to the Gover-nator.

http://www.arnoldsneighborhood.com/index.html

lurker exposed

Well, it had to happen sooner or later. I had to reveal the fact that I had read a student's blog to them. It was just one of those situations.

I've got a great volleyball team this year and there are some special ladies on this squad. A new student to the school this year, libero made the varsity in her first year. I call her that because it is her position and despite what she says, I know that she enjoys having that as a nickname. Even on the stat sheet, that's her name. In any case, she has concerned me over the course of the year based on how she holds herself. I could tell there was something wrong.

So when given the chance to read her blog, I took the opportunity. There was some of the typical stuff on there about what it means to be a teenage girl but there was also something that had an edge to it. References to being EXTREMELY unhappy, not having any friends, and thinking of thoughts that she had before she moved here. This is not stuff that any teacher likes to read and I had to do something about it.

I called libero into my room and we had a chat. I wish that I could have just let it slide and be anonymous but I couldn't do that. She wasn't putting it out there for others to hear physically but she is screaming for help. Any kid who puts their thoughts down on an open forum like that wants to have someone step in and tell them the things that they know are true but need to hear anyways. "You are special." "You mean a lot to us." "Depression happens and there are ways people can help."

She seemed ok with the conversation and understood where I was coming from. She revealed a little about herself and what happened in that previous place and I was glad that she opened up to me. I gave her the reassurance that she could always talk to me but then again, I am her teacher and coach, and grown-ups aren't usually the ones that they want to talk to.

I went back to her blog afterwards to see if she had written about it and found the site shut down, erased. Seems as though I hit a nerve. I didn't tell anyone else at school about our conversation (teachers - I can hear you screaming from here that I have to tell the counselor. I ain't doing that unless she stays in her funk.) and I'm gonna give her some space. If there's one absolute that I remember from being a teenager is that privacy and space to find who they are is paramount. So I'm not going to involve anyone because as soon as I do, the whole school will know and I'm not gonna do THAT to her.

So I feel a little guilty about being a lurker but I feel like I did what I needed to do. She's retreated into a shell a little (at least no blogging) but I have the inkling of an idea that she just may open up to me again sometime in the future. Time will tell...

troop withdrawl? no think so

The US military hit a new milestone recently - one that I am sure that it never wanted to attain. The death toll in Iraq has reached 2,000 servicemembers and Americans are getting tired of getting the news that their family members are dying. The American public wants the troops out of Iraq, no one wants to lose any more lives.

But as much as I hate to admit it, they need to stay. A troop withdrawl CANNOT occur until Iraq is more stable. If Coalition troops pull out now, the country will crumble into chaos and the religious extremists will take over. To pull out the troops now will lead to tens of thousands of death in the future. Here's why.

In the presence of a leadership vacuum, any character can take a foothold in the political arena and rally the masses. A person who comes forward and promises better times, a person who says that the Zionists are to blame for their poor standard of living, a person who wants to clean up their home and make it a better place for those who belong there.

Hitler had those same ideas. Tens of millions perished.

History has told the story and we must stay the course to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. I hate hearing stories of students and friends going off to battle and not returning. They are paying the ultimate price for a leadership error in the White House. But to leave Iraq before the region is stable is to condemn the world to another global conflict.

Saddam Hussein is gone and while a terrible person, he kept the country stable. WMDs? Guess not. Links to al Qaida? Maybe, maybe not. Evil bastard? Sure. But until someone/something is in place to restore the stability, Coalition troops must remain on the ground and in the line of fire to prevent the worst case scenario.

Americans - stay the course. Assume the responsibility. We put Iraq into this mess and we have to get it out. American troops must be in Iraq for years to come (at least 2008) and you shouldn't trust any politican who wants to pull them out during their campaign speeches. If you do, chances are we'll be going to war in the not-so-distant future after that withdrawl.

*And I still think Bush is an idiot*

dealing with colleagues who teach your children

So in my post from yesterday, I told the story of a colleague who didn't read the article that we were given at the beginning of the year. I found it and I am putting it up for teachers all around to read. With thanks to the author, here it is - part II of the advice from Dr. Chip Barder, director of the American School of Warsaw (Poland).


1. Ask your spouse to be the one who deals with the school issues.

2. Handle things in a way that you would want the parents of your students to handle things with you.

3. Have the child handle as much of the interaction as possible.

4. Keep the focus on the issues - "Here is what I hear at home. Help me with your side."

5. Be sure to catch the teacher being good. There is nothing wrong with building a positive relationship with him/her as soon as possible.

6. Engage a third party, e.g. counselor, friends, to listen to you and check your thinking. It is human nature to become, at times, emotional when your own child is involved. A third party can help sort the emotions from the fact and can assist in selecting a problem-solving path.

7. A third party could also facilitate a three way conference. In this case, it is important that the party is mutually acceptable.

8. A tendency on the part of the parent who is also a teacher is to be overly judgmental and critical, especially if the style or philosophy of the child's teacher is different from their own. Keep an open mind and look for some positive things the child is learning.

9. Remember that you are a parent first and foremost - your child needs you to be an ally.

10. Some simple do's and dont's:
DO be sure to separate your role as a parent from your role as a faculty member when dealing with your child's peer group.
DO be ready to listen and help your child sort out issues that may come up when they are treated badly by other students because they are a "teacher's kid."
DO try to make sure that they have the same advantages and disadvantages that other students have.
DON'T talk about sensitive school issues at home.
DON'T bring your child into the faculty by bringing them to faculty events, into the faculty lounge, or allow to call teachers by their first name.
DON'T rescue your child when they forget their lunch money, homework, etc. The transition when you are not around will be that much harder.

teaching your colleagues' children

Ever been curious about how to handle those kids in your class who have parents on your campus? Here is a helpful article that we were given here at school. With thanks to Dr. Chip Barder, director of the American School of Warsaw (Poland), here it is.


1. When a potential problem arises, ask yourself: "How would I handle this situation with another student?" Let your answer be a guide to your action with your colleague's child.

2. Maintain the same expectations for the parent/colleague and child that you would have for other parents and their children. Don't assume that they will be better or worse than others.

3. When dealing with the parent/colleague about the child, keep the contact professional and respectful. Don't chat in the hallways or in the teacher's lounge, but set up a formal time and place to discuss the child. Schedule colleagues in during parent conferences as you would any parent.

4. Meeting at the beginning of the school year with the parent/colleague and agree on a method if communication, e.g. onthe phone, deal with only the spouse of the teacher, etc.

5. Confront the problem early. Avoidance is a common reaction in these cases.

6. In you anticipate a problem, call in a third party to help keep the discussion on task.

7. As with any situation of this nature, make sure to document things so that the focus is on the problem and not on the relationship.

8. Be sure to give the student a sense of privacy about his/her life outside of school. In dealing with your colleague's child, be cautious in making reference to a parent who happens to be a faculty member, especially in front of other students.

9. It may be important to take into account the nature of the relationship between the parent and the child. Consult with the counselor, the principal or someone who knows something about the relationship outside the school.

10. It takes honesty with some sensitivity to solve most problems. Try to tune in to what makes sense.

teaching the kids of teachers

Shortly after I posted yesterday's comments, I was visited by one of my colleagues for her parent-teacher conference. Since she was unavailable to meet with me because of her own conferences, a quick stop by my room around 6pm resulted in her conference.

First off, it wasn't the best of timing. I was in the process of packing up to leave and she assumed that just because I was in my room that I was available for a conference. Make an appointment please! Whatever, I didn't think it was going to take that long so I sat down with her and started the conference.

It all started out fine - she asked me if he was improving (since I called him a slug on his progress report) and after I finished my first few sentences, it all went to hell. I have never said so little in a parent-teacher conference. She proceeded to make excuses ranging from mono to depression, venting anger about how she has to hide the computer and the phone because of what he does after they go to bed, and finally how her son was being persecuted by the other members of his class for an incident that happened during a school trip (which of course he didn't do...).

????????? WTF ?????????????

I sat there patiently and listened to what she had to say, being the ear that she evidently needed to vent upon, and then asked her if she had any other questions. She politely said no and that was the conference. I kid you not, that was it. I'm still flabergasted on how little I got to say but hey, if it makes her feel better and she thinks it was productive - my job here is done.

We got an article at the beginning of the year about this exact topic. One side of the paper was how to act as a parent if you are a teacher in the same school while the other side was how to treat colleagues if their children are in your class. Maybe she forgot to read the first side...

favorite time of year?

Well, its that time of year again. Last week I was getting ready to head into work when I went out to the shed to get my bike for the morning ritual of riding the 4.7 km to school. As I stepped outside I came to realize that my favorite time of year had arrived (*note sarcasm*) by the fact that it was pouring rain, about 6 degrees, windy, and dark. It hit me that it was officially the beginning of 'crappy' season here in Holland.

What is 'crappy' season? Its the time of year when people wonder why in the heck they live in the Netherlands. Its cold, wet, and gray for the better part of late October through early March. Not to mention that its dark for an un-godly amount of time which compounds the aforementioned weather situation. Its the time of year when you wonder how people who are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) could ever survive in a climate like this. All in all, it makes you question your sanity as to why you left the desert of southern California where its only cloudy for 30 days a year for a place where it can be rainy and cloudy for months on end. That's 'crappy' season and it appears to have moved into Holland.

Alas, I will survive and perhaps I'll learn something valuable when I go to look for a job in a few months. Maybe I'll pick a place that is a little more warm and sunny (kinda like the Middle East...) but yet not too much of a political hot spot (kinda NOT like the Middle East...). Keep ya updated on if I chose wisely or not.

Such is life for me, the Expat Nomad...

back from break

Well, the joys of working in an international school are told in many ways but one of them is the fact that my current school has an October break. Somewhere in the vecinity of 9 weeks after the school year starts (end of the 1st Quarter) we get a week off! How sweet! It is the perfect way to keep teachers fresh and prevents many a 'mental health day' that I know we all take. In the three years that I have been teaching in Holland, I have yet to take a mental health day simply because I don't need it. A week off every 6-9 weeks helps to keep the batteries charged.

What did I do with my time? I went traveling! :) I was fortunate enough to get an invite from the Prague crew whom I met while in Plymouth doing my masters work and didn't pass up on this opportunity. As noted from my last entry, this is my last year and I'm taking advantage of the chances that I get to see more sights of Europe while I still can. I don't know when I'll be back.

And Prague is a wonderful city. Lotsa tourists but you have to expect that when you are visiting "the Paris of Eastern Europe". Amazingly cheap as well! I know that its expensive compared to other places I could go visit but I'm not disappointed with paying 50 euro cents for a bucket o' beer! With nice crystal at excellent prices, I had a wonderful time being there and buying Christmas presents for a little amount of cash. As a frugal teacher, I appreciate how far my paycheck goes when in other countries.

Now I'm back to school and life is back to normal. Last night was the start of our hockey season and it was good to get back out onto the ice. I was greeted with a slapshot to the 'nether regions' and while it tingled, no damage. Thanks Chet, I only wish you had that kinda accuracy when we played other teams...

My volleyball team is in the final stretch of its season and our tournament is coming up in a few weeks; I hope the girls perform up to their potential. The Sharks are always considered to be the push-over team of our league and I'm tired of the way other coaches treat our teams because we are such a small school. We play everyone who wants to play, not just the gifted few. I'm glad that my team (and all the other teams as well) works that way, sports should be fun and for all. Competitiveness is good but not at the expense of excluding others because they don't have the skills it takes to be a top-notch player. Something is to be said for a team that you can't pick an MVP for because they work as a team and not 6 individuals and I have that team. Am I proud of my girls? Absolutely. They are my warriors and I wouldn't trade my team for any other bunch out there. For better of for worse, this is the hand that I have been dealt and I'm glad to have the jokers in this deck of cards - kinda like their coach...

checking out

Well, it somewhat hit me today as I was writing to a friend of mine back in California. I was telling her of what was going on in my life here in R'dam and it made me realize that most of what I am doing here I am doing for the last time. I'm already making plans for selling the motorcycle and all the contents of the house, thinking of what country will be next, and so on. I even thought of what it was going to be like on my last day in the Netherlands - leaving R'dam and taking the train to Schipol, boarding the plane and not knowing if I am ever coming back.

I've had a good couple of years here in Holland. I haven't done everything that I wanted to but then again, you never do. As this school year continues, I am making mental notes about what this experience has been all about. I think of all the good and the bad things that have happened to me and all that I have been able to do. The interesting people that I have met and the friends that I will miss once I leave.

But that's my nature - hence the nickname. I've been moving since the age of 5 and while there is a part of me that feels a desire to find a place to call home and settle down, I wonder if that will ever truly happen. Lord help my children if they adopt this lifestyle as well - they'll have an even more difficult time answering the hardest question.* Whatever comes my way with my next job, I will remember Holland fondly as my first grown-up expat job and all that came with this move.

I've come to terms with my decision to leave Holland and currently have no regrets with that decision. I'll be leaving behind some great people and some amazing students but I know that the next place will have the same attractions that this adventure did. When I left California some thought I was leaving for greener pastures. Perhaps those same people will think that I am leaving Holland looking for even greener pastures. Not to worry, with all the rain that this country gets, there aren't greener pastures than here and I have the pictures to prove it!

Hup Holland!

* see my profile

unacquainted love

true love
Originally uploaded by bcurry35.

Last week I was in Barcelona for our school's 'trip week', known to others as "Week without Walls". I was one of the chaperones that took the 9th graders to visit this amazing city and I do like the city.

While there, we spent an afternoon at the beach. The kids and the chaperones needed a break from all the culture and so we headed down to the beach for some R&R. The kids walked further down the beach than the two chaperones and we sat and watched them from a distance.

We picked a spot that was close enough yet far enough and it just so happens that this young lady was about 10 meters away from us (chaperones). She caught my eye and over the course of the next few hours, I fell in love with her.

I never talked to her, never got any closer than 10 meters, never heard her speak, never saw the color of her eyes. She was just a student with a wonderful body that I let my imagination run rampant with. And no, I didn't imagine anything sexual - I fell in love with her much like the character Curly did in "City Slickers". Or perhaps it was more the idea of what she could be that I fell in love with. In any case, I was sad to see her leave the beach that afternoon but I was happy to have seen her, even if from a distance.

Now before my readers get all charged up about me being a pervert, her being topless had nothing to do with it. Truth be told, when she put her top on, she looked even better. And I before anyone rants on me about only looking at the body this woman has and placing too much on emphasis on it, please re-read this entry. My feelings for this woman are nothing to do with this acutal person, just the idea of what she could be. This particular woman just happens to be a visual personification of what I see in my mind as being a true love. Beauty comes in many shapes and forms, this just happens to be one of them.

So I'd like you to meet my true love, whomever she is. As soon as I find her, I'll be sure to introduce you two.

canadian aurora

Northern Lights over Vancouver Island
Originally uploaded by LivingWilderness.com.

A severe solar storm resulted in this vibrant display of the northern lights (aurora borealis) over several Vancouver Island peaks. Mountains in this image include Mount Walker, Malaspina Peak, Mount Alava, Stevens Peak, Leighton Peak and Conuma Peak.

Or at least that is what the description on flickr said it was...

gracie

Gracie
Originally uploaded by Willyjeen.

I was browsing the flickr site (which means I was procrastinating from doing my laundry) and found this adorable picture. I am not one to use the word 'cute' very often, but this definitely is.

found language

I survived yet another "Week without Walls" or as our school puts it - "Trip Week". The last 2 years my destination was the Ardennes forest in Belgium where the 7th graders learned about overcoming their fears and all that other garbage. In the middle of nowhere, these kids have a hard time getting into trouble.

On the other hand, this year I was sent to Barcelona with the 9th grade (14 year olds). The change of venue is normal, teachers normally switch out every other year. It allows one chaperone to be the veteran and 'know' a little about the destination while the other learns the ropes. This year that didn't happen. The other chaperone and I had never been to Barcelona before and we were both walking into this blind. By the way, Barcelona is a great city and I highly recommend it to any European traveller.

I was picked because 2 decades ago I live in Mexico City for 2 1/2 years. My director evidently thought that this meant that I had an excellent grasp on the Spanish language (reminder - Barcelona is in Catalan - meaning they speak Catalonian first, Spanish second). Umm, yeah - I remember Spanish... Yeah. Really. *note excessive sarcasm*

So we left for Barcelona on Monday the 19th with 10 kids and 2 adults. One speaks broken Dutch and the other is generally believed to speak a few words of Spanish. God help us if the kids get into trouble with La Policia.

And I was pleasantly surprised when put on the spot, my Spanish came back. Not a lot, but some. It was nice to understand some of the conversations that were taking place around me, to be able to comprehend the announcements on the PA system, and to be able to communicate basic ideas to the people whom I was talking with. It didn't happen right away, it took a day and a half, but I did enjoy the sensation of having a clue. I've been somewhat clueless since living in Holland because my Dutch is horrible. And to be honest, I haven't been working on my Dutch like I should (hence why I only understand the times that TV shows are on Net5). But having a clue felt nice and besides being in an English speaking country, it was the most comfortable I have been since leaving the US two years ago.

So perhaps I will change my plans for next year and think of making it a Spanish-speaking country. The pay may not be what it could be if I were to be in China or Saudi, but I may be a bit more comfortable, and maybe that's something I could go for at this point in my life.

flipper

flipper
Originally uploaded by bcurry35.

Last weekend was the World Harbor Days in Rotterdam and I made my way down to see what was going on. While I was strolling about, I spied a Dutch submarine tied up to the pier. Not one to miss out on an opportunity to compare a US nuclear sub to another country's diesel electric, I arranged for a tour.

The boat was nice to see and it brought back some old memories (they weren't good or bad, they were just memories). As I was leaving, I saw a crusty old sailor (about my age which is old in the eyes of the junior enlisted on board) that I started talking to. I happened to have a pair of my dolphins (submarine qualification badge) from when I was in the US Navy and asked if he would swap with me. He said that he already had a pair and asked why I wanted a pair of the Dutch ones. I replied that I just wanted to swap as sailors tend to do. This kind man then took his dolphins (called 'flipper' in Dutch - I jest you not!) and gave them to me for mine. I graciously accepted them and went on my way home, smiling like a little kid who just got his top Christmas request.

Many thanks to whomever that salty old sailor was, I appreciate your generosity.

question the leader

Ok, so I am at the point of another political rant. You've been forewarned.

Hurricane Katrina has brought to light a number of policies that the Bush Administration has put into effect and now they are coming back to bite the US in the you-know-where. I'm not in the country and with the limited exposure I get to US media (CNN International) I can see the tremendous tragedy that has and is continuing to unfold in places like New Orleans and Baton Rouge. After talking with my parents the other day, I found that the deluge of rain was miniscule in comparison to the amount of media coverage this event is receiving. Yet with the limited amount of knowledge that I am getting, I can see the problems.

There are so many problems here that you can't even cover them all, so I'll hit on the major ones that stick out for me at the moment.

First - troops in Iraq. Bush went off and invaded Iraq despite what the international community suggested; he had a 'slam dunk'. Well, we all know the quagmire that is Iraq and 30 months later, it doesn't look much better. But what does that have to do with the hurricane? In an attempt to put more troops where they were needed, members of the National Guard were put on active duty and sent over to Iraq to help maintain order. Well guess what? The National Guardsmen from Louisiana and other southern states are over there rather than being at home. Now that the state needs them, they are half a world away. Hmmm, good deployment of troops there Dubya. And why shouldn't I hold him responsible? He is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

Second - energy policy. Bush came out yesterday and delivered a strong message to the world - we are gluttons. The US supply of oil isn't enough to meet our own needs and now that it is temporarily shut down, we REALLY need help from outside. GW "asked" Saudi Arabia to boost its oil production to meet the needs of the US during this crisis. Read between the lines here folks - give us a lot of cheap oil because we support the house of Saud and without our support, the monarchy could fall. The energy policy that has been in place over the last 20 years has been atrocious and Bush has only exacerbated the problem with some of his policies. A sidebar if I may...

In the early 1980s, the country was just getting over the last oil crisis of the 70s and that concern was on the minds of the major auto manufacturers in the US. They knew that they were going to need to spend billions of dollars in R&D to develop the next generation of cars. They could've spent it on developing 'alternative' sources such as hydrogen-fuel cells but chose not to. Rather they spent it on making cars slightly more fuel efficient, perpetuating the fossil fuel obsession. Why? The Reagan Administration is in power at the time. George Bush (Sr.) is the VP and has a large investment in the oil industry (as does his son). Bush Sr. pushes through economic incentives to keep the auto industry focused on fossil fuel engines. With this carrot being dangled, the decision was made. As the years go by, the cars get bigger and heavier for some bizarre reason. Since when does the average family NEED an off-road vehicle with a monster engine to drive around town to shop and take kids to soccer practice? But back to the energy policy.

Bush's rejection of the Kyoto Accord and subsequent tax breaks for SUV drivers has further propelled the dependence on foreign oil. Americans must get oil from other source because they don't want to change their way of life. What should be done is to take a page from the Europeans and drive smaller cars. At least the dollar spent on petrol would go farther. And why not do as the Dutch do and tax the absolute crap out of petrol and vehicles on the road? Maybe then more money could be raised for things that really matter, like education, eliminating poverty, and healthcare.

What really needs to happen is for America to take a good look at its leader(s) and start thinking of the future. Unfortunately, Bush was elected on the premise of fear (terrorism) and maintenance of the status quo. But as anyone can tell you, looking to maintain the present only leads to disaster in the future. Preparing for the future will make the present a better place.

So America, where do we want to go from here? Do we want to continue to be the world leader? Is military might the end-all and be-all of being a leader? Or is being a leader more akin to developing technology to reduce pollution, finding cures for diseases, and feeding the hungry? Being a leader isn't easy. Ask any leader - even Bush - its hard to do. With great power comes great responsibility, isn't it time we started being responsible?

is cultural immersion possible?

We started off this school year with an activity that our director had us do. We approached it in the usual spirit of 'team building' but quickly found that it wasn't meant to be one of those exercises. This activity involved a reading that made us closely examine our roles as expat teachers. I don't remember the reading but I still think about what we talked about.

In this reading the question was asked, "do you live with or in the native culture?" As someone who has traveled a bit in the course of his lifetime, I have taken pride in the fact that I have always tried to do as the locals do and immerse myself in the culture that surrounds me. But as I reflected on what my experiences were in those foreign cultures, I came to realize that I was only living WITH a culture, not in it. What's the difference? IN involves being accepted into the culture and considered to be one of the group, an insider. WITH means that I am a perennial outsider and that I am observing from the fringes looking in.

Living in certain countries, I will be totally unable to live in a culture. Based on my appearance, blending into some areas is impossible. But as I am living in Holland right now, my heritage should allow me to look the part if nothing else - which should help me out, right? But yet I find that no matter how hard I try to live IN the Dutch culture, I am still an outsider. When I asked my friend whom has lived here for 15 years, he feels the same. His Dutch is great but yet his Canadian accent makes it known that he isn't a local. As a result, he is still considered an outsider. This is not a criticism of the Dutch, just an observation of how hard it is to become accepted by any culture.

Nevertheless, I will continue my travels and continue to learn about other cultures in the world. As a 3rd culture kid, I will probably never live IN any culture, unless there is a country out there composed of people who are like me (see bio for 'hardest question to answer'). I will always be the American expat who never knows where he wants to live, the nomad who can't find a place to settle down. But life could be worse and while I may always be an outsider, it is quite a view from here.

new spam

I was reading the comments that people leave on my blog and came across an unusual post that offered a stock 'tip'. I needed to get into the timber industry NOW because the easy money is to be made NOW before the chance passed ME by. It perturbs me the spammers are going this low to sell their product but I am not surprised. It also saddens me to know that people are going to act on this bit of information and waste their money.

Word to the unwise - 'tips' are only for waiters. Don't believe stock 'tips'. These are people who want to get you to buy their worthless (or soon to be) stock so that they can get out of it. There is no such thing as a free lunch on the street and the only way you should get into the market is to do your homework.

If you don't know how to invest, don't jump in until you get a clue. Give it to a reputable mutual fund and let the manager take care of it. If you want to learn how to invest, I suggest Jim Cramer's Real Money. Sane Investing in an Insane World . Read it and THEN start.

lack of luster

I recently had a friend comment to me about how she missed reading my thoughts through my blog. I wish I had something good or bad to write about but I really don't. I'm just going through the usual business of being a teacher at the beginning of a school year.

My favorite part of a school is not the beginning or the end (well, maybe sometimes) but rather sometime around March. The start of a year is usually filled with the basics of a curriculum that "builds the foundation" on which the course is taught (read - tedious and boring). April and onward are kinda crap too because most are so busy looking forward to the end of the year that lose focus on what's important (read - teachers are as distracted as the students). My best teaching time is February and March.

If for no other reason than I have the kids full attention. The weather is so shitty that no one is asking to go out and play. The long winter vacation (formerly known as Christmas but is now known as 'Winter Break' to be politically correct) has satisfied both kids and adults since they got to spend 3 weeks away from each other. With the end of the year being so far away, kids are somewhat focused on what I am shoving into their brains that they actually think and do a good deal of learning. So bring on winter! Bring on the misery of February and March! Let the sun shine only for brief periods because the clouds hide it!

Or then again, maybe not.

Perhaps I'll just enjoy the summer/fall while it lasts...

grandeur

rise
Originally uploaded by davenyc.

When you have feelings that you are the king of the world, remember to be humble. There are many things on this earth that will remind you of how small and insignificant you can be...

flickr moment

Originally uploaded by Grains And Light.

Another reason why I love using flickr. Being able to see other people's artwork is truly inspiring.

lola loves the yankees

lola loves the yankees
Originally uploaded by dockmaster.

Another one of those "Moments brought to you by Flickr". The artist has been visited by many a person on flickr and this one is my favorite of hers. If you know anything about me, you know that I have a thang for redheads. This one is no exception...

back home

As most of you are probably aware, I have returned to Holland after my journeys through England. School was full of fun experiences and I had a wonderful time being with my friends. We laughed and drank and yelled and drank and had such a great time together (and drank). But now the reality of it all is coming back and the time has come to get back to the grind - far too soon in my opinion.

Thursday (less than 48 hours from now) is when I am to report back to school for the beginning of the end for me. This will be my third and final year in Holland, I don't know where I'll be heading after this. Per chance back to the US but odds have it that I will be heading elsewhere as an expat. Something about this lifestyle is just stuck in my veins. There are far worse vices to have...

But this year is going to be tough and a challenge to say the least. Its my year before free-agency and I'll need to be have my top game going so that I am ready for the upcoming frenzy of the upcoming next several months. I'll try to keep you, my faithful reader, updated with all the latest and greatest events that transpire here in Rotterdam.

little secrets

As one travels, you come to appreciate that every place has its wonderful little secret. Some restaurant that is great, a hidden alcove with ancient drawings, or a local that makes that place special. Its taken me a while but I have found that little secret that Plymouth has.

Jess.

Jess is the spritely young lady at the YMCA who teaches aerobics, pilates, and gives massages. I was introduced to her by my friends whom also take classes with me and she was a strongly recommended for her massage-skills. I have never had a massage before and with the tension building in my back from hunching over this damn computer so much, I decided to take my friends advice and book an hour with Jess. Simply put - amazing.

I wasn't expecting much and I went in with the idea that I would be oily and slightly more relaxed when I left. I was wrong. Jess did an amazing job on me and I feel like "my aura has been cleansed" (as my hippie friends would say). Its been several hours now since I felt Jess purging the knots from my muscles and I still have this feeling of tranquility. With sleep-time just moments away, I know I will drift off easily as my body is so happy with the decision that my mind made; I'm sure the two of them (mind and body) will be refreshed tomorrow for the end of the 3rd week of school.

Jess is the little jewel in Plymouth's pocket and I hope she stays around for at least another year so that I can allow her to beat the tension out of me again. Heck, I need to get her to do that again before I even leave Plymouth! In any case, if you are ever in Plymouth, Devon, England - stop in and let this wonderful young lady put you in a state of comfort and joy.

modest bride

modest bride
Originally uploaded by bethany2784.

Flickr is a nice place to put photos on the web, sometimes you never know who is going to be looking at them though. :)

As I was making my way around the site, this picture was brought to my attention via flickr's "Everyone's" link. It is a wonderful photo of a woman named Bethany on her wedding day. Click on 'modest bride' or 'bethany2784' to see the rest of her pictures.

Why post it? Just cuz its cool...

pillion

It was another gorgeous weekend here in Plymouth and never one to shy away from getting out to enjoy the weather, I took a friend of mine for a spin. We wandered around the English countryside and I really wish I could tell you where we were. Truth be told, I have no idea. The bike just told me where to turn and I followed its lead. It does talk to me, I swear!

While we were out, I gave her my camera to snap some shots.



This is just one of the cool pics that she took while we were out. This was on our return through Plymouth. This is the Barbican, as seen from the pillion's perspective.

the dangers of riding

Obstacles to watch out for on this ride - my pillion passenger took this picture of an oncoming horde on our last ride. MOOOOOve outta the way!!!!

are bikers really clones?

With the upcoming good weather here in Plymouth this weekend, I think its time to put on my REAL biker outfit...

rugby rivalry

This was outside the Walkabout bar here in Plymouth.



One of my friends from my graduate studies is from New Zealand and has taken me out a couple of times to watch the All Blacks (NZ rugby team) play. This year the Lions made a tour of NZ and will play 3 matches (two down, one more to play next week) against the All Blacks. The Lions are a rugby team made of the best from the UK (England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland) and there is a slight rivalry between the two teams.

So I was happy to go out with my friend and watch the All Blacks do their best against the Lions and I was not to be disappointed. Despite a slow start from the men in black (remember the name), they punished the Lions with a fierceness and won 48-18. Here's how they start the match, with their haka.




But I just thought that the poster advertising it was kinda cool, especially since it makes fun of the Lions in a country where the Lions are from!!!

plymouth scenes

not much to say except, "I wonder what he is drinking..."

summer slowdown

Like my friend Musings from the Void, I am going to be having a slowing down period over the next month. Since I am in Plymouth, that means one thing - grad school. And there is one thing that I do know from my time here last year and that is there is a lot of work to be done. So I am going to need to concentrate a lot of time and energy into getting these classes accomplished in the way that I desire.

So my apologies for appearing to fall off the blogging wagon (or what will look like it in the next month); I'll do my best to put some pictures up or something like that to keep you entertained.

Or maybe some juicy story will land itself in my lap and I'll be forced to gossip the afternoon away on here. We'll just have to wait and see. Until then, thanks for your patience.

Xpat

plymouth rock

Well, my ass is intact and I've made it to my final destination here in the UK. I've been blessed with gorgeous weather the last few days that has made riding here very enjoyable. I've checked into my room here at the U of P (in Pilgrim House - kinda like the connection to the US) and I'm settled into my accomodations for the next month. I am disappointed that my Skype connection is down at the moment - hopefully someone will help me to get the right proxy settings while I am using this internet connection.

I headed out today to enjoy the weather and to get adaptors for my electronic gear. I need a special fused adaptor so that the techno-nerds here at U of P will 'allow' me to use their electrical outlets. So in search of my needed plugs, I headed down to the shopping center of Plymouth to everyone's favorite electronics store - Curry's.

I got my stuff in less than 45 seconds and was out the door. I started walking around and found that the tennis crazy Brits had set up a giant screen in the main area for those of us who do not have TV to watch. The crowd was relatively thin when I was there but it gradually grew. National hero Tim Henman was playing and as the people got off work and started heading home, they got sucked into a good match. Tim would later go on to lose the match in 5 sets, losing the last set 7-5.

But what really got me was the fact that people were cheering the TV. WHY? Why do people cheer for a person that they do not know, someone who is hundred of kilometers away and can't hear their cheers? This isn't just the Brits, its a worldwide phenomenon. I enjoyed the match and found myself rooting for Tim (I didn't want to be stoned to death there in the shopping plaza) although I did it quietly. But I do know that when I am attached to a specific sports team or person, I tend to do the same as these Brits did today.

So why do we do it? Our cheering isn't going to do any good. Our criticisms yelled at a small black box aren't going to change the outcome of a game. Despite what we might think, the TV isn't a two-way communication device...

So where are the shrinks out there? Where is Dr. Rick Ferdig of the U of Florida? I need some expert opinions here! :) And where is Dr. Ferdig anyways? He's supposed to be here in Plymouth. Where is that Vygotsky-crazed man?

What about the rest of you? What do you think? Gimme something to go on here.

loaded up

The backpack actually goes on my back, the rest - well the rest is just all that I have for the next 5 weeks. All of my clothes are in that small green duffle. Be jealous of my packing skills, its ok. :)

do fairies take ferries?

Well my dear readers, I am off to summer #2 of graduate school. My classes don't start for a while but I am leaving in a matter of a few hours for Hoek van Holland to take the ferry across the North Sea to England. After some time in London with friends of mine, I will be wandering the English countryside for about a week until school starts up. As a result, I will not be able to update here until sometime around the 25th. Check back then for updates.

Come back soon, I look forward to seeing ya 'round. :)

Xpat

first date

Saturday night was something to be remembered. It was an evening for a first date with a colleague from work and perhaps we will chalk it up as an experience.

The evening was intended to be a harmless night - dinner and a movie. Notice I use the word intended.

We were to meet at Rotterdam Centraal and go for sushi from there. My metro was stopped for some reason (I would say unknown except that everyone else knew why because they actually speak Dutch) and I was forced to march the rest of foot. No biggie, its not too far and so I was late by about 10 minutes.

Off to dinner - Happy Sushi is a nice restaurant that caters to the desperately hungry with instant food. I mean instant because it rolls right past your face on a conveyor belt and continues to do so no matter how full (or empty) your stomach is. WARNING - not the place to go if you have goldfish syndrome and eat until you 'splode.

Dinner was good and then it was off to a movie, T's choice. T picked Sin City and we were both a little disturbed with the amount of violence in it. I know, do the homework and see who the director(s) were and it would have been a decent clue. But neither one of us paid attention and as a result - a wee bit o' gore for the night.

But the night was young and we wanted to stay out a bit longer.
"Let's go for a walk."
"Sure, where to go?"
"Down to the river, we can see what's set up for tomorrow." (Airplane races)
"Ok, we can grab a drink too."

I spotted a place and we wandered in for a beer. We finished off our first beers when we noticed a commotion at the window. While it was a bit bizarre to see some fog rolling in, it wasn't unheard of here in Holland. Yet these Dutchies were all pointing at this "bizarre" event.

That was until the woman behind the bar started yelling, "BRAND!"

Now I have mentioned that my Dutch is crap but even I know what that means. It means "FIRE!" and the fog is actually smoke and its coming from the building we are in. Luckily we were seated very close to the door and I grabbed our jackets and made it out of the burning building without and problems.

And in true moronic fashion, we walked outside and watched the building burn. Something not quite smart about that but like all people, we do stupid things at the wrong times. We waited until the fire trucks arrived and then made our way back to a safe distance - like we were going to be any help until then... But we quickly got bored and headed towards another bar, this one of her choice since the last one I picked caught fire.

But as luck would have it, the rain started to fall and the evening was officially done. We could take no more, the rain was just the last sign that the date was in need of being finished for the night. We called it quits and went home.

Alas, it wasn't a total loss. I'm about to go for a motorcycle ride with her right now. :)

keeping the theme

Since Shamash says that I have a thing for wheels in my blog recently, I thought I would add some more - in this case, my main mode of transportation while here in Holland.


- Just for you Slim! ;)

leading by example? can it be done?

Its exam time again here at school. Any long time readers will know that I started this blog about half a school year ago because my first entry was during semester exams. Now I am sitting as the proctor for the Health class final exam, once again doing a marvelous job of making sure that these kids aren't cheating. Or so the adminstration thinks...

Actually, I can trust these kids (in a weird kinda way). Would they cheat? Absolutely. Would they do whatever they could to manipulate me or the system to get their grade higher? No doubt. But could I trust them to do what's right? Easily.

I found this out today with my 8th graders as I gave them their exam in my science class. I put forth 45 questions that tested their knowledge of space science and 1 question that asked their opinion. A dangerous thing to do indeed - does one really want to know the opinion of a 13 year-old? I was curious and so I stuck in the question, "If you had the ability to change one thing in the world, what would it be and why?"

Not one single kid said anything selfish.

Answers ranged from stopping terrorism, to ending poverty, to reducing the pollution of the planet. They are only 13 but they have higher morals than people who are 2 or 3 times their age. They're pissed about the world that we have left them and want to change it for the better. But doesn't every generation say that? I know that I did when I was in high school (I didn't have a brain in middle school so I can say that I thought that). Will they follow through with it? A question I will be posing to them tomorrow.

Recently an article came out (follow link at top) that debunks the idea that hybrid cars are cheaper to run that traditional gasoline powered cars. According to this article, it actually says that it is more expensive to drive the eco-friendly car rather than the gas-guzzling equivalent. The article makes a comparison between the Toyota Prius and its un-green equivalent of the Toyota Camry. In terms of gas mileage to cost, its actually cheaper to drive the Camry. So I will pose the question to them on Thursday if they would drive the Prius over the Camry even though it would be cheaper to drive the Camry. Let's see how they go on that one.

In my own opinion, I know where I fall. I am a teacher and by definition, I am relatively broke. When I lived in the US, I drove a big-ass truck that got an amazing 17 miles to the gallon (hey, it looked cool!). After living in Europe, I have come to appreciate the lack of a need for "bigger is better" and that transportation can be served out with a nice 4-door coupe rather than a 4-door pickup with an 8-foot bed, twin flat screen monitors in the head rests,a thumpingly loud stereo, and a Hemi under the hood. And when I do move back to the US, I will face the dilemma that I am going to pose to my kids on Thursday. What transportation to choose?

I'm going to take the hit in the wallet and buy the hybrid. Its not for me, its because I want to show my kids that there are some grown-ups that do care about what we are leaving behind for them.

adjustments

As any man who has made it through puberty can attest to, there are certain times when your nether-regions need adjusting because things just aren't hangin' right.

Last night I was in my boss' garage, working on putting new saddlebags on my motorcycle. It was a nice evening, the sun was setting, the breeze was blowing gently, and my "boys" needed to be shuffled around so that they could enjoy the experience.

In the process of my adjusting, the school counselor (aka the boss' wife) comes out to put her trash in the bin, which is right in front of her garage. The same garage that I am working in, the same garage that has the door wide open as so I can enjoy the evening, the same garage that I am adjusting myself in.

So there I am, balls in my right hand, a shit-eating grin on my face, and my boss' wife spinning around to avoid the sight that she has just seen. She covers her eyes and tries to think of something whitty to say as a cover.

"Ohhh! You surprised me! I thought you were someone breaking into the garage and trying to steal your motorcycle!"

Yup, that's what most people do when they are trying to steal a motorcycle - they grab their balls.

I merely pulled my hand out of my pants, put it down into the pocket and pulled out the ratchet that was in my pocket. I calmly turned to the embarrased wife and said, "Nah, just looking for my wrench."



Life goes on.
My balls are fine.
My boss' wife appears to be ok and not permanently scarred.
The saddlebags aren't on my bike yet but I'll get them on this weekend.
And you can't make shit like this up.

and in with another

The new addition to the family. Since I haven't had the chance to take it for a ride to fancy places like the Erasmus Bridge, this will have to do for now. Click on pic for enlarged view.

gone with one

Here's the Triumph in front by the Erasmusbrug here in Rotterdam (taken near Hotel New York). It was a nice change of pace, but not my style of motorcycle.

not triumph-ant

Well, the deed is done and the Triumph is no more. I took the 93 Sprint Trident 900 back to my local dealer and let him have it. I am just not a sport-touring kinda guy. I enjoyed the freedom the bike gave me for the time that I had it but I just didn't feel comfortable on it. What can I say, I like cruisers. And besides, if you don't feel comfortable on a motorcycle, you'll probably crash.

So guess what I spied? A Kawasaki VN1500. That's right, a big thumpin' V-twin that reminds me of the bike that is currently sitting in storage in Ohio. I told my dealer that I wanted it and within 30 minutes, it was mine. I picked it up Friday and have been cruisin' around since. I did take a few hours off to watch Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and to chat with my friend Shamash; I can't spend every waking moment riding around (your butt tends to hurt if you do that).

Pictures to follow later in the week. And while I know that the majority of my readers could give a 'la-de-dah' about it, those who ride understand how ya feel when you get a new bike (new to you if nothing else). So comment if you like but I'm really not expecting it. I just wanted to share the news.

If you'll excuse me, I have a date with a twisty road to attend to...

aunt rita is in da house

I remember my parents when I was growing up as people who were carefree and seemed to party every weekend - at least for the two years that we lived in Mexico. As an 11 year old, there is something quite funny about your father cleaning up a spilled drink with a mop and then after making his final sweep with the mop, a rocketing throw of said cleaning device into the backyard. What can I say, maybe it was the alcohol.

Being a child of an expat allowed me to travel the world and it also allowed me to see a different side of people than you normally get a chance to see. A certain kind of person will take matters into their own hands and move out of their home town; its another type of person who will take those matters to another country. Expats are a different breed and it becomes evident when they celebrate their free time.

There was no school here in Holland on Monday (Whit Monday) and Mo (my roommate) and I decided to invite the staff of the school over for a margarita party on Sunday night. We supply the ritas, the guests supply the food.

Sidebar - why is it that the Dutch don't have margarita mix? I was just hoping to pour the tequila in and go but that just isn't the case. On the other hand, I now know how to make a rita from scratch.

Back to the party to celebrate the arrival of 'Aunt Rita'. The party got rolling early (7pm for the spouses that had to work the next day) and what a time to be had. The tequila was flowing, the blenders spinning the lime juice and ice into its frenzy, the din of the crowd as they chatted the sun towards dusk. What fun it was to have that a motley bunch of friends over to celebrate a fictional person that is in no way related to anyone.

I know what you are thinking - c'mon, its just like any other party that anyone would throw. Actually, no it isn't. The other expats out there can back me up on this one. There just is something about partying with other expats that is fun and a bit surreal. Its hard to describe exactly what it is like but the feel of having friends over when no one is within 4000 miles of home is something unique.

Try it sometime. Become an expat and try living in another culture. You may like it, you may not. One thing for sure, it certainly changes the way you feel at a party...

leading by example? cheating by adults

Ok, its time for a rant. I've been quiet for a LONG time now and the events of today have led me to this soap box that I now stand upon. I am disturbed with my peers.

As teachers we are role models by defintion and there are a great deal many teachers who really do a disservice to the profession with the stupid stuff they do. Today I was a witness to the actions of a peer of mine that makes me shake my head and hope that a child of mine will never see a role model like this.

I am a coach at my school. I coach volleyball in the fall and co-ed softball in the spring. The last two days have been filled with 5 games for my boys and girls as they played through the season ending tournament. Friday was a good day for us, the kids were loose, the bats were dominant and the defense was good. Our first game saw us winning 14-2. I know it sounds like the score was kinda high but my kids were just hitting base hit after base hit. Also, the rules of our league require that if you score 8 runs in a half an inning, you switch to defense (regardless of # of outs).

Our next game was a loss and my kids were determined to come back with a win. Once again we had an excellent game and scored 18 runs to their 2. Nothing personal but their kids were horrible at defense and couldn't get us out. Some days...

So today we meant the same team in the quarterfinals. I know that the coach wanted to get back (he even said so) for the lop-sided loss from the previous day. A win for his team put him in the final while the loser would go on to the consolation game. And here is where it gets ugly and we see the all-too-familiar instance of a grown-up doing something for their kid when they should let the kid stand on their own.

We were up 6-3 in the bottom of the second. After some fielding errors, they had the bases loaded with 2 outs. According to their line-up, their weakest hitter was due up to bat. I wasn't following the game close enough and didn't notice that the wrong batter came up. The scorekeeper was clueless and didn't figure out what was wrong either (and not keeping an accurate sheet to begin with). The coach sends up a different hitter (not telling anyone) and this person hits a double, scoring two runs to make it 6-5. We get the next batter out and end the inning.

We come up next and put up the goose egg, still 6-5 (we are visiting team and batting in the top of the inning). Then the same player that finished the previous inning comes up to bat again. After he hits the first pitch and gets on base, I protest.

"This is the same kid that just finished the last inning. He can't be up twice in a row!"
Other coach, "Sorry, I made a mistake in my batting order. He went up to bat when she should have gone so I didn't want him batting twice so I just switched them in the order."
"You can't just switch your batting order. That's illegal."
"It was just a mistake. Sorry. Its not like we got anything out of it."
"You scored two runs, how can you say that?"
"Well, what can I say. I'm sorry."
Umpire, "Well, let's play ball!"

WTF!!!!

I argued for a while but to no avail. The ump didn't say anything because as he would say later, he was waiting for the scorekeeper to say something. The clueless gentleman didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. Score two runs for the opposition. We would later go on to lose the game 8-7 and not advance to the championship game.


My kids were denied the chance to play in the championship game because the coach from the other school didn't stand up for good sportsmanship and either (a) admit his mistake and take the runs off the board or (b) not pull the switch in the first place. In the previous day when my players made mistakes, I took runs off the scoreboard because of the honesty that I have and pointed the mistakes so that we would play in fairness. I was a good sportsman and showed my kids what we do when we are wrong. We admit the wrong and lose the benefit that we achieved from that.

But this guy wanted revenge. I heard him talking with his players as I was standing at the 3rd base coach position and he wanted to get us and get us good. I quote, "I want this bad. I want this for what happened yesterday." Is it my fault that his kids sucked yesterday and couldn't catch a fly ball to share their collective asses? I even took away runs! It could have been worse!

This team would go on to win the championship game. My team would go on to win the consolation game. Its no consolation, that's for sure.

What really irks me is that this guy is a member of my profession! Ya know, a profession where we are supposed to teach by example, play fair, and make our kids dig deep to win or lose on their own. He and his kids know that they won by cheating. Is this a lesson we want kids to learn? Too late, they already have.

I feel as though their is a bright spot out of this and it comes from within me. I went back to my team and showed them how to be gracious losers. I didn't involve them in the whole debate and I let them feel the pain of losing; they know nothing of the controversy. I didn't want them to be bitter from the loss and bitter towards a coach/teacher. I was the good sportsman. I taught the right lesson even though it burns me up beyond all belief. My kids should have had the chance to play to be champions.

And they are.

In my heart I know they are champions.

class favorite

I was doing some work with my kids today and we were looking at various pictures online of some stuff going on in the universe. My kids thought this one was pretty cool.

nice hat

Here's one way to say something about the amount of construction in a city... In this case, the Scots are speaking their mind.

motivation

So after a long hiatus, I come to report to you, my faithful reader, that I am lacking the motivation to write right now. Go figure, its been a couple of weeks since I have blogged and now I am writing to say that I am unmotivated to blog - like you haven't been able to tell...

I'll be back when I am up to it again. Until then, I'll try to add pictures up on a somewhat more frequent basis. A 'moment of zen' or something like that.

Back soon,

X

Here's one way of looking at it...

And yet here's the other.

rain brings flowers

Holland really does come to life in the spring. Here's just a sample of what you can find at the famous Keukenhof exhibit in Lisse (outside of Amsterdam).

victorious

Sorry to say sports fans, but no pictures to share of my Sharks in action. The weather was absolutely horrid and the only camera that would have worked in those conditions was an underwater camera. Not to worry, game on Tuesday against Amsterdam that I might be able to get some shots of.

As for our team, we did quite well against Antwerp. The first inning was rather rocky as the kids were playing together as a team for the first time and it took a bit to figure out how to play defense. We gave up a few in the top of the first but rallied in the bottom to take the lead. Our defense started to shine in the torrential rain and put up two scoreless innings while tacking on some more to buffer our lead. Time was called (one hour time limit) and both teams headed back into the dressing room to dry off and Antwerp headed back home.

Final score - not exactly sure. It turns out that Dutch umpires do things a little differently than in the US. I was asked what the score was after the game and shrugged my shoulders - "I dunno, didn't you keep track?" He replied with, "In Holland the home coach keeps track of the score." Nice to know this AFTER the game is over...

In any case, the score isn't important. The kids had fun (on both teams) and there were no injuries - that's what really matters. And besides, I'll keep track of the score when we play them in the tournament in early May.

Coach X

opening day

Well sports fans - today is the day. The softball teams take the field today in our first match of the VERY short season. We play the Griffons of Antwerp International School in our first game and half of our season. Like I said, we have a very short one - two games before the tournament. I'm sure my teams will do just fine. :)

I'll post some pictures tomorrow and tell ya how we did. Check back later sports fans and I'll give ya the insider scoop.

Coach Expat Nomad

hint hint

I'm still hoping that someone out there can help me with writing questions for my survey (see below entry). Help me out here!

need questions!

Good day my dear reader!

I was pondering something the other day, a note that a non-teaching friend of mine had about violence in the classroom. So I thought that I would find out just how teachers have been affected in the classroom by the violence that surrounds us. And then I also wondered about violence in any work place and how it affects a person who works there.

So I have decided to make a survey that will be done via the web that will allow people from all walks of life to chime in. What I am asking from you, my cherished reader, is this - what would be some questions that you would feel are appropriate to ask in such surveys?

Here are some ideas that I have already:
Teaching
- Have you ever been involved in breaking up a fight between students?
- Have you ever been assaulted by a student? If so, was there a weapon involved?
- Have you ever been verbally threatened by a student or parent?

Non-teaching
- Have you ever been assaulted by a peer at work? If so, was there a weapon involved?
- Have you ever been verbally threatened by a co-worker?
- Has there been an act of violence at your workplace? (I leave this question off the teaching questions simply because I know that there is not a single school out there that has not had a fight at it.)


Any other ideas? I am asking demograghic questions like time employed, age level taught (for teachers), education level (non-teachers), etc. What ever you can add would be greatly appreciated. If you send me your email address, I'll be sure to include you in the survey when it launches.

Thanks for any help you can give...

having it my way

I've been off the net for the last week due to a friend being here in R'dam for a visit. I enjoy being a tour guide and showing people my adopting country of the Netherlands. This is a good country to be in and with the exception of paying a large part of my salary to taxes, I think things are pretty darn good here.

Today I went back to Schipol airport and put my friend on a plane back to her native country of Lebanon. I actually love going to the airport. Its not because Schipol is such a cool place or that I enjoy taking the train to visit the locale - its because I get a chance to satisfy that urge I occasionally get for fast food, specifically Burger King. What can I say, I am a sucker for a Whoppper with cheese and while there are plenty of BKs in the Netherlands, I only go there when I am at the airport.

Why? Why not?!

So I am home and happy with my tummy filled with all kinds of empty calories that I will have to work off in some form. But that's for another day. A day that I care about those empty calories. Today I had it my way...