So I had a pretty surreal experience last night. I found out just how amazingly small this world really is.
My co-worker Karina who lives above me in my apartment building had a guest stop in for a few days. She is a friend of Karina's family back in Colorado and was traveling around South America when she stumbled into some medical problems. Friends of the family are always great, you've never met them but you need to treat them like a long-lost relative even though you'll probably never see them again.
In any case, I stopped by to show Karina my new horrible haircut (my spanish DEFINITELY needs to improve) and get a woman's opinion about the extent of the damage. After I was assured by Karina that it wasn't too bad, she got a phone call and took it in another room. This left me alone with the familial friend, Mandee.
I found out that Mandee was a fellow international educator although not in the same vein as Karina and I are in. She teaches ESL to Bosnians in a language institute. We got to talking about how she got into the field since most people from Colorado don't rush off to Bosnia to teach ESL. It eventually came out that she had lived overseas as a kid (just like me) and chose her profession based on the idea of continuing to travel. Being the curious person I am, I asked her where she had lived and was surprised that we had a common school from our history - Jakarta Embassy School.
International educators will recognize that this is not the current name of the school in Jakarta currently - but it was the name of it back in the 1970s. I asked her when she was there and it turns out that we attended the same school at the same time! How amazingly weird! I've found this woman who went to the same school as I did 30 years ago.
I had goosebumps at this moment and couldn't resist asking her a question that men are never supposed to ask women, "How old are you?" When she replied that she and I were the same age, I was absolutely floored. At that moment we both realized that we were classmates from Kindergarden and 1st grade!!! Now THAT's something I never would have expected to happen on the average Tuesday night.
What a small world indeed...
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
the power of being bilingual
Its been a month now since I've moved to Peru and I must admit, I am having a great time. Now if only I could find the time to actually get work done. Even now, at 8:45 on a Sunday night, I am finding it hard to concentrate on the task at hand and find myself making an entry here instead of doing my work. I guess those habits learned as a kid die hard...
I just got back from a brief shopping expedition. I needed to get some new shoes for VB practice and I also grabbed a new nalgene bottle so I can drink some water at work while I teach. I walked over to Larco Mar - an upscale shopping area here in Miraflores and made my purchases. The fun part - I never spoke a word of english in the process and I feel really good about that. There's something gratifying about speaking the native tongue and conversing in another language.
Long time (or even somewhat recent) readers will recall my former position was in another overseas school, in Holland. They speak another language there and yet I never made any post about speaking Dutch over the last 18 months. Truth be told, I was one of the many English speakers in the Netherlands that never learned to speak Dutch simply because I was never required to since almost everyone speaks English. That isn't the case here in Peru. Almost no one speaks English and if you don't have a basic understanding of Spanish, you're sunk.
I was fortunate enough to grow up overseas and having lived in Mexico for two years back in the early 80s, I learned to speak a little Spanish. Thanks to Mrs. Huijsman at ASF in Mexico City for making this transition to Peru a little bit easier. *Odd note - Mrs. Huijsman was my Spanish teacher yet her name is Dutch; mere coincidence?* I can't imagine what it must be like for the other newbies here that don't speak a lick of Spanish. I mean, I know what its like to feel totally isolated because you don't speak the language so I guess I can imagine but its still not something that I want to relive at the current moment.
So even though tonight's shopping expedition wasn't the most trying of situations to need another language, I still did enjoy it. Just like the conversations that I have with the cab drivers (except the one about American politics - I never learned those words from Mrs. Huijsman and found it difficult to express my true opinion) and the maid and the other locals that I've bumped into, I find it nice to have the background that I do in Spanish and a little comforting to know that I can at least carry on a conversation as if I were a 10 year-old native speaker.
A 10 year-old with a wicked sense of humor... ;)
So to all those out there who haven't learned a second language I give you this little piece of advice - try one on for size. Its truly an empowering experience.
I just got back from a brief shopping expedition. I needed to get some new shoes for VB practice and I also grabbed a new nalgene bottle so I can drink some water at work while I teach. I walked over to Larco Mar - an upscale shopping area here in Miraflores and made my purchases. The fun part - I never spoke a word of english in the process and I feel really good about that. There's something gratifying about speaking the native tongue and conversing in another language.
Long time (or even somewhat recent) readers will recall my former position was in another overseas school, in Holland. They speak another language there and yet I never made any post about speaking Dutch over the last 18 months. Truth be told, I was one of the many English speakers in the Netherlands that never learned to speak Dutch simply because I was never required to since almost everyone speaks English. That isn't the case here in Peru. Almost no one speaks English and if you don't have a basic understanding of Spanish, you're sunk.
I was fortunate enough to grow up overseas and having lived in Mexico for two years back in the early 80s, I learned to speak a little Spanish. Thanks to Mrs. Huijsman at ASF in Mexico City for making this transition to Peru a little bit easier. *Odd note - Mrs. Huijsman was my Spanish teacher yet her name is Dutch; mere coincidence?* I can't imagine what it must be like for the other newbies here that don't speak a lick of Spanish. I mean, I know what its like to feel totally isolated because you don't speak the language so I guess I can imagine but its still not something that I want to relive at the current moment.
So even though tonight's shopping expedition wasn't the most trying of situations to need another language, I still did enjoy it. Just like the conversations that I have with the cab drivers (except the one about American politics - I never learned those words from Mrs. Huijsman and found it difficult to express my true opinion) and the maid and the other locals that I've bumped into, I find it nice to have the background that I do in Spanish and a little comforting to know that I can at least carry on a conversation as if I were a 10 year-old native speaker.
A 10 year-old with a wicked sense of humor... ;)
So to all those out there who haven't learned a second language I give you this little piece of advice - try one on for size. Its truly an empowering experience.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
home to pedophilia
Ok, so its been a while since I've updated and I should be writing more about my arrival in Peru and all the changes that have been happening since I arrived. I know I should be doing that but honestly, I've not been in the mood to reflect on all that at the moment. Instead, I question the reputation of my chosen profession with the public at large.
I just got done reading that the found the murderer of JonBenet Ramsey - a grade school teacher named John Karr. He fled the US to avoid the investigation and tried to get a job - teaching - in Thailand. Its yet another case of a terrible thing happening to a child by a person who is an educator. Why is it that this profession is always making the headlines with child molesters and murderers topping the charts?
I'm a professional through and through. I wear a tie at least 4 out of 5 days in the week to look like a professional. I am prepared for my job on a daily basis and always ready to help a child learn. I spend extra time with them when the concept isn't completely understood, sometimes meeting with them after school. But because this profession is a great place for pedophiles to find prey, I worry that the parents of my children will assume the worst when I spend extra time with their child.
Many people say that teaching is a noble profession and that I should be proud to be such an influence in the lives of youth. After the incidents involving Mary Kay Letourneau, Debbie Lafave, and so many male pedophiles (so many that I can't even begin to name them all), how am I to feel any honor in my profession? I know that 99.9% of teachers are decent, kind, caring individuals who know to keep their privates private, I'm just tired of the teaching trade getting the reputation as the place where pedophiles can get their fix.
I swear there should be a more severe punishment for teachers who do such things with children. We are entrusted with children and their well-being, maybe if some form of neutering was involved with punishment, people would think more about becoming a pedophile while being a teacher. I'm not one to want more rules or laws in the world but c'mon, what needs to happen to someone to deter them from hurting a child when they are in a position of trust?
I just got done reading that the found the murderer of JonBenet Ramsey - a grade school teacher named John Karr. He fled the US to avoid the investigation and tried to get a job - teaching - in Thailand. Its yet another case of a terrible thing happening to a child by a person who is an educator. Why is it that this profession is always making the headlines with child molesters and murderers topping the charts?
I'm a professional through and through. I wear a tie at least 4 out of 5 days in the week to look like a professional. I am prepared for my job on a daily basis and always ready to help a child learn. I spend extra time with them when the concept isn't completely understood, sometimes meeting with them after school. But because this profession is a great place for pedophiles to find prey, I worry that the parents of my children will assume the worst when I spend extra time with their child.
Many people say that teaching is a noble profession and that I should be proud to be such an influence in the lives of youth. After the incidents involving Mary Kay Letourneau, Debbie Lafave, and so many male pedophiles (so many that I can't even begin to name them all), how am I to feel any honor in my profession? I know that 99.9% of teachers are decent, kind, caring individuals who know to keep their privates private, I'm just tired of the teaching trade getting the reputation as the place where pedophiles can get their fix.
I swear there should be a more severe punishment for teachers who do such things with children. We are entrusted with children and their well-being, maybe if some form of neutering was involved with punishment, people would think more about becoming a pedophile while being a teacher. I'm not one to want more rules or laws in the world but c'mon, what needs to happen to someone to deter them from hurting a child when they are in a position of trust?
Friday, July 28, 2006
south of the border
So here I am, finally in the land of Peru. Its been a while since I have had a chance to put in an entry so I thought I would tell of an interesting day I had about a week ago. It was my first day in Peru and our group of newbies had a trip around Lima arranged. We were taken to some of the sights by a local and told a little about the history of Peru.
Our first stop was at an archeological find just outside of downtown Lima. We were shown the remains of a wall that was built around the old city as a means of protection. From what you might ask? Well, pirates of course! You know, the infamous pirates like Sir Thomas Cavendish and Sir Francis Drake.
Yup, this version of history portrays the "explorers" of the western world as being pirates who were only set on plundering the gold that the Incas had. Gotta protect them riches!
But as the tour continued, it was explained to us that Lima was not an Incan city (such as the legendary Machu Pichu) but rather a Spanish built city on the coast. The tour guide was proud to point out that the Spanish that came to modern-day Peru were not conquerors but rather people settling an uninhabited land. Afterall, the Incas were hundreds of miles (or kilometers) away in Machu Pichu and they weren't doing any harm to the Incas, right?
Here's where history takes a little detour in my book. I was taught that the Spaniards that came to the New World were called "Conquistadores" and did a demo job on the natives of the continents via swords, guns, and germs. A relative few did a massive number on the native populations and thereby inhabited the region. Hence how they got the gold from the Incas, right?
But wait, who's right in this case? What is the real version of history? Is this woman (of Spanish descent) correct in her telling of what she had been taught? Did the Spaniards and Incas live in harmony (except the whole "germ" thing) and have I been misled all these years? And are "great explorers" like Cavendish and Drake really just pirates? The walls were built for a reason - to keep someone out, but who? Did the walls go up to protect them from pirates or Incas who desired their gold back?
All very interesting questions indeed...
Our first stop was at an archeological find just outside of downtown Lima. We were shown the remains of a wall that was built around the old city as a means of protection. From what you might ask? Well, pirates of course! You know, the infamous pirates like Sir Thomas Cavendish and Sir Francis Drake.
Yup, this version of history portrays the "explorers" of the western world as being pirates who were only set on plundering the gold that the Incas had. Gotta protect them riches!
But as the tour continued, it was explained to us that Lima was not an Incan city (such as the legendary Machu Pichu) but rather a Spanish built city on the coast. The tour guide was proud to point out that the Spanish that came to modern-day Peru were not conquerors but rather people settling an uninhabited land. Afterall, the Incas were hundreds of miles (or kilometers) away in Machu Pichu and they weren't doing any harm to the Incas, right?
Here's where history takes a little detour in my book. I was taught that the Spaniards that came to the New World were called "Conquistadores" and did a demo job on the natives of the continents via swords, guns, and germs. A relative few did a massive number on the native populations and thereby inhabited the region. Hence how they got the gold from the Incas, right?
But wait, who's right in this case? What is the real version of history? Is this woman (of Spanish descent) correct in her telling of what she had been taught? Did the Spaniards and Incas live in harmony (except the whole "germ" thing) and have I been misled all these years? And are "great explorers" like Cavendish and Drake really just pirates? The walls were built for a reason - to keep someone out, but who? Did the walls go up to protect them from pirates or Incas who desired their gold back?
All very interesting questions indeed...
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
bling
I don't quite agree with what the rest of the bike has on it but that front wheel is BLING baby!!!!
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
happy trails
I do believe the boys from Van Halen said it best...
Nmmmmmm dip dip Mmmmnnnnmm
Bum-ba-deeda-bum-ba-deeda bum-ba-deeda bum-ba-deeda (continued throughout)
Happy trails to you
Until we meet again
Happy trails to you
Keep smilin' until then
Who (Ooh-ooh) cares about the clouds when we're together
Just (Ahh-ahh-ahh) sing a song and think 'bout sunny weather
(two, three)
Happy trails to you
'Til we meet again
Nmmmmmm dip dip Mmmmnnnnmm
Bum-ba-deeda-bum-ba-deeda bum-ba-deeda bum-ba-deeda (continued throughout)
Happy trails to you
Until we meet again
Happy trails to you
Keep smilin' until then
Who (Ooh-ooh) cares about the clouds when we're together
Just (Ahh-ahh-ahh) sing a song and think 'bout sunny weather
(two, three)
Happy trails to you
'Til we meet again
Sunday, June 18, 2006
distressed
Author's note - this is a totally personal entry and is just me venting. Just wanted to write it down, maybe some cathartic remedy in putting it down on paper (electronic paper but you know what I mean).
I recently took a scouting expedition to Lima and found many new and exciting things there. My new home will be an exciting and fun-filled place to live. There is a lot to say about it and I will do so after grad school is done. I got back to my house in Rotterdam (its mine until Thursday) and crashed for the night. My roommate was out with friends and I had the place to myself to watch the US - Italy game.
When I got up this morning, I found out that my roommate was actually out with someone that I had dated during this school year. We started last fall and broke up soon after and then started again at Christmas and lasted for a couple of months. We had a somewhat tumultuous relationship both times we dated that stemming from issues dealing with trust. Needless to say, we weren't the best of couples.
We had known each other for 2 years before we hooked up. We went out with some friends to a local establishment and before I knew it, she was drunk (I was a little tipsy too) and we were becoming more acquainted. Though the communication side of our relationship was lacking, the physical side was just fine. It was the problems in communication that helped with the demise of our relationship - there were quite a few problems but that was the central one.
Since our split, she has been on the prowl for someone new. There was a rumor around school about a one-night stand with the concierge although there was no verification of it. She is known to frequent a few local establishments in search of someone else and last night she was successful in her attempt to fill the void in her life (needing a man). What floors me is that she went out, hooked up with this guy, and brought him back to her house the next morning - all while her teenage daughters were throwing a party in their new house where lots of alcohol was being consumed. The man was surprised to enter her house and find kids still littering the floor at 6am the next day (as I would be as well if it happened to me). *Roommate provided me with this information*
So what's the point of this entry? I have so many emotions coursing through my veins at the moment that its hard to pinpoint just why I am making this entry. I am sad for her because she feels the need to constantly find men for fulfillment in life. I pity her girls for the example that she sets for them because they are starting to follow in her footsteps. But most of all I feel used.
I don't know why I feel this way - it wasn't a long relationship or deeply meaningful for that matter. We went out occasionally, spent time at my place relaxing and having dinner, managed to alleviate some stress in our lives through sex - nothing too dramatic, I've had relationships with a lot more invested in them. But this one is the first where I feel like I was just used as a stand-in for the purpose of having a man. Someone wanted me in their life just for the sole reason of needing to have a penis close at hand for her fulfillment needs. I know it happens all the time to people but like I said in the beginning of this entry, I'm on a rant and this is more for my need to vent than your need to comment. I can honesty say that I have made it through my 35 years (dating for half of those) without ever feeling this manipulated before. I've usually been a good judge of character and never been hurt like this before and when it does happen, I go through the same gambit of emotions just like everyone else does. I don't have a problem with her dating other people, I want her to find happiness (in some shape or form) but what I don't like is how she seeks that happiness. I feel like I was picked up in the same way as these other one-night-stands and that our relationship was just another fling, a way to cure her sexual appetite. Once I was out of the picture, she just starting trolling the bars again, looking for another was to get her fix. Don't get me wrong, I understand the need to get laid once in a while but how she is doing it just makes me feel like I was used. Its not a feeling I am accustomed to and this is my venue to vent those feelings.
In my final days here in Holland, I'll enjoy the scenery and my friends before I leave. I will not miss the single social scene that I've been a part of here. The women I've dated in the last 3 years have all been unique and different and horrendous and selfish and so many other adjectives that I'll not comment on. Let's hope that Peru has something different to offer...
I recently took a scouting expedition to Lima and found many new and exciting things there. My new home will be an exciting and fun-filled place to live. There is a lot to say about it and I will do so after grad school is done. I got back to my house in Rotterdam (its mine until Thursday) and crashed for the night. My roommate was out with friends and I had the place to myself to watch the US - Italy game.
When I got up this morning, I found out that my roommate was actually out with someone that I had dated during this school year. We started last fall and broke up soon after and then started again at Christmas and lasted for a couple of months. We had a somewhat tumultuous relationship both times we dated that stemming from issues dealing with trust. Needless to say, we weren't the best of couples.
We had known each other for 2 years before we hooked up. We went out with some friends to a local establishment and before I knew it, she was drunk (I was a little tipsy too) and we were becoming more acquainted. Though the communication side of our relationship was lacking, the physical side was just fine. It was the problems in communication that helped with the demise of our relationship - there were quite a few problems but that was the central one.
Since our split, she has been on the prowl for someone new. There was a rumor around school about a one-night stand with the concierge although there was no verification of it. She is known to frequent a few local establishments in search of someone else and last night she was successful in her attempt to fill the void in her life (needing a man). What floors me is that she went out, hooked up with this guy, and brought him back to her house the next morning - all while her teenage daughters were throwing a party in their new house where lots of alcohol was being consumed. The man was surprised to enter her house and find kids still littering the floor at 6am the next day (as I would be as well if it happened to me). *Roommate provided me with this information*
So what's the point of this entry? I have so many emotions coursing through my veins at the moment that its hard to pinpoint just why I am making this entry. I am sad for her because she feels the need to constantly find men for fulfillment in life. I pity her girls for the example that she sets for them because they are starting to follow in her footsteps. But most of all I feel used.
I don't know why I feel this way - it wasn't a long relationship or deeply meaningful for that matter. We went out occasionally, spent time at my place relaxing and having dinner, managed to alleviate some stress in our lives through sex - nothing too dramatic, I've had relationships with a lot more invested in them. But this one is the first where I feel like I was just used as a stand-in for the purpose of having a man. Someone wanted me in their life just for the sole reason of needing to have a penis close at hand for her fulfillment needs. I know it happens all the time to people but like I said in the beginning of this entry, I'm on a rant and this is more for my need to vent than your need to comment. I can honesty say that I have made it through my 35 years (dating for half of those) without ever feeling this manipulated before. I've usually been a good judge of character and never been hurt like this before and when it does happen, I go through the same gambit of emotions just like everyone else does. I don't have a problem with her dating other people, I want her to find happiness (in some shape or form) but what I don't like is how she seeks that happiness. I feel like I was picked up in the same way as these other one-night-stands and that our relationship was just another fling, a way to cure her sexual appetite. Once I was out of the picture, she just starting trolling the bars again, looking for another was to get her fix. Don't get me wrong, I understand the need to get laid once in a while but how she is doing it just makes me feel like I was used. Its not a feeling I am accustomed to and this is my venue to vent those feelings.
In my final days here in Holland, I'll enjoy the scenery and my friends before I leave. I will not miss the single social scene that I've been a part of here. The women I've dated in the last 3 years have all been unique and different and horrendous and selfish and so many other adjectives that I'll not comment on. Let's hope that Peru has something different to offer...
Saturday, June 10, 2006
good night and good luck
Well my faithful readers, this is it. This is my final entry from Holland - I am off to terrorize other parts of the world - mainly Peru. So if you hear of any major disturbances on CNN in that region of the globe, you'll understand why.
My time here has been eventful and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to live in the Netherlands. I've learned so many new things and been exposed to a completely new culture and while I can't say that I've loved every minute of it, my experience in Holland has overall been good.
However my professional time here has been wonderful. Three years ago I felt like leaving education and making my way into sales or something like that. Due to a few strategically placed students, that thought has left my mind and my passion for teaching rekindled. Thanks to Weezie and Libero and a whole host of other students at the American International School of Rotterdam for reminding me of why I went into education in the first place (to warp young minds!!!). I am still feeling the sorrow of leaving those amazing students here while I move on to Lima. *I may not be in Rotterdam, but you'll always be in my thoughts.*
So farewell Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, and Nederland. Its been real, its mostly been fun, so that means that its been mostly real fun. :) Take care of my kids until I come back to see them again...
My time here has been eventful and I am grateful for the opportunity I had to live in the Netherlands. I've learned so many new things and been exposed to a completely new culture and while I can't say that I've loved every minute of it, my experience in Holland has overall been good.
However my professional time here has been wonderful. Three years ago I felt like leaving education and making my way into sales or something like that. Due to a few strategically placed students, that thought has left my mind and my passion for teaching rekindled. Thanks to Weezie and Libero and a whole host of other students at the American International School of Rotterdam for reminding me of why I went into education in the first place (to warp young minds!!!). I am still feeling the sorrow of leaving those amazing students here while I move on to Lima. *I may not be in Rotterdam, but you'll always be in my thoughts.*
So farewell Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, and Nederland. Its been real, its mostly been fun, so that means that its been mostly real fun. :) Take care of my kids until I come back to see them again...
Thursday, June 08, 2006
tot ziens!
Well, the time has come and my days in Holland have come to an end. Tomorrow is the last day of school and I depart for my new home in South America on Monday. My tenure in Rotterdam has reached its conclusion - guess I'll have to change my tagline. The "Live from the Land of the Flying Dutchmen" will be replaced when I can think of something new - something that reflects my new home in Peru.
The last week has been filled with so much. I sold my motorcycle, packed my life into boxes and luggage for its impending departure to Peru or my storage facility in California, and have starting saying my farewells to my friends at school (both staff and students). Stress levels have been up and down, frazzeling me in every which way that I care to remember.
Luckily for me, I've found a great website to help me distract myself as I pack. Its called Pandora.com and you should give it a try. Its a great way to listen to your style of music while getting a broader perspective of what's in that genre. Personally, I wanted to find some more bands that have a funk feel to them (kinda like Tower of Power) and was happy to have this "radio station" play some new artists for me like Graham Central Station and The Drifters. You can customize your sound depending on your mood and make different "stations" for your different musical tastes. And just perhaps you'll give artists you had already written off a second chance. I never would have thought that I would like Prince without the New Power Generation - but hey, whaddaya know??!!
The last week has been filled with so much. I sold my motorcycle, packed my life into boxes and luggage for its impending departure to Peru or my storage facility in California, and have starting saying my farewells to my friends at school (both staff and students). Stress levels have been up and down, frazzeling me in every which way that I care to remember.
Luckily for me, I've found a great website to help me distract myself as I pack. Its called Pandora.com and you should give it a try. Its a great way to listen to your style of music while getting a broader perspective of what's in that genre. Personally, I wanted to find some more bands that have a funk feel to them (kinda like Tower of Power) and was happy to have this "radio station" play some new artists for me like Graham Central Station and The Drifters. You can customize your sound depending on your mood and make different "stations" for your different musical tastes. And just perhaps you'll give artists you had already written off a second chance. I never would have thought that I would like Prince without the New Power Generation - but hey, whaddaya know??!!
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