One of my former students sent me a link to this video of the Korean BBoy performing group "Expression":
A fun piece of theater, n'est-ce pas? He also sent a link to another video of the same group. Jeff was listening to the music from this video while hanging out in the booth with me and my techies last year. I told him that the "Amelie" soundtrack was one of my favorites, but I was surprised that he knew of it. He said he heard it in a BBoy performance first - hence the link.
I love it when my students have already found a real passion for something, and I love it even more when they teach me about it.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
The World Around Us
It's the end of the quarter, which means stacks of grading for me. It's not too bad this time, though. I've done a better job at entering the daily stuff right away after school. Given that, all I've really had to grade and enter into the computer this week are extra credit papers, some late work, and two English assignments.
I've been focusing on writing with my English class this term. They're writing I-Search papers right now. It's basically a research paper, but it's written in first person, it focuses on what occurs during the search process, and the topics must be ones that are particularly relevant to the students. Given that, they've picked quite the range of topics, including interior design, diabetes, the history of Halo, gangs, serving a mission, teen suicide, and modern dance.
One girl is writing her paper about the Holocaust. This afternoon, I read the section on "What I Know and Don't Know" (which they write before starting the research). While she was writing it in class earlier this week, I asked her if she knew what the word "holocaust" means. She gave me a confused look, so I also asked if there have been any other holocausts. As she started to say no, I gave her one of those knowing teacher-smiles (I like giving those) and walked away to check on another student. Here's the resulting part of her paper (verbatim and full of [sic]s, by the way)
"I also do not know if there has been more than one holocaust, I don't think there has been anymore, because it would be in headline news and everyone would be talking about the new Holocaust and things like that, and who they are killing, but there has been nothing spoken like that since the 1940's."
I'm eager to watch her discover the world.
I've been focusing on writing with my English class this term. They're writing I-Search papers right now. It's basically a research paper, but it's written in first person, it focuses on what occurs during the search process, and the topics must be ones that are particularly relevant to the students. Given that, they've picked quite the range of topics, including interior design, diabetes, the history of Halo, gangs, serving a mission, teen suicide, and modern dance.
One girl is writing her paper about the Holocaust. This afternoon, I read the section on "What I Know and Don't Know" (which they write before starting the research). While she was writing it in class earlier this week, I asked her if she knew what the word "holocaust" means. She gave me a confused look, so I also asked if there have been any other holocausts. As she started to say no, I gave her one of those knowing teacher-smiles (I like giving those) and walked away to check on another student. Here's the resulting part of her paper (verbatim and full of [sic]s, by the way)
"I also do not know if there has been more than one holocaust, I don't think there has been anymore, because it would be in headline news and everyone would be talking about the new Holocaust and things like that, and who they are killing, but there has been nothing spoken like that since the 1940's."
I'm eager to watch her discover the world.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Cats
Wow. It's been longer than I thought since I've posted. My apologies to you all!
In my defense, today I finally got rid of one of the big stresses. We did this year's version of the Business Partner's assembly (those of you who are long-term readers/faithful listeners may recall the hated "Rainbow performance" of last year) today, and it turned out nicely. My part, aside from the usual tech work/cleaning the auditorium/emceeing the show/organization, involved directing and editing a video. I had a group of teachers recreate the hilarious History Class sketch from a 1992 SNL episode (with Jerry Seinfeld). We shot multiple times, using three different cameras, so editing was a nightmare, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. This is including the fact that the history teacher I asked to play the history teacher apparently neither looked at his script nor watched the clip at all before the two hours we had to film it. So, it didn't meet my perfectionist standards, but the audience loved it. So, whoo!
I'll post our version this weekend. In the meantime, if you don't read my sister's blog, enjoy this video which she shared today. It's so true!
In my defense, today I finally got rid of one of the big stresses. We did this year's version of the Business Partner's assembly (those of you who are long-term readers/faithful listeners may recall the hated "Rainbow performance" of last year) today, and it turned out nicely. My part, aside from the usual tech work/cleaning the auditorium/emceeing the show/organization, involved directing and editing a video. I had a group of teachers recreate the hilarious History Class sketch from a 1992 SNL episode (with Jerry Seinfeld). We shot multiple times, using three different cameras, so editing was a nightmare, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. This is including the fact that the history teacher I asked to play the history teacher apparently neither looked at his script nor watched the clip at all before the two hours we had to film it. So, it didn't meet my perfectionist standards, but the audience loved it. So, whoo!
I'll post our version this weekend. In the meantime, if you don't read my sister's blog, enjoy this video which she shared today. It's so true!
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Race You to the Top of the Morning
I am very, very tired. And it's not even show season!
After a bad night's sleep, I got up yesterday morning at 4:15 to get to school by 5:30 to pile on a school bus with 51 ninth graders and 8 parent-chaperons to drive for four hours to visit the "local" Shakespeare festival.
It was actually a wonderful day.
The festival put together an amazing program for the kids - a tour of their theaters, including backstage, under the stage, greenrooms and dressing rooms. This is despite the fact that it's the same stage being used that afternoon for a show, so there were techies checking light cues, prop tables set up, set pieces in place, and everything. Next, one of the company's professional actors spent an hour with the kids, doing a workshop on Shakespeare's language and a bit of stage combat. Delightfully, they got to do this on the stage of their Globe-replica theater. Very, very cool.
We had about 40 minutes then to find and eat lunch, so we piled on the bus and drove to a shopping center on Main Street with a variety of restaurants. The kids and I scattered with about 15 minutes to buy and eat food. Then it was back on the bus to attend a pre-show orientation. The host did a great job reviewing the basics of the show, but doing so in such an animated way that he could talk about themes of colonialism without losing the kids.
The matinee of "The Tempest" was actually a good production. They wove in a theme of Leonardo da Vinci through the set and costume designs, Ariel had a very cool look to him, the acting was crisp and controlled, and they performed without microphones, a fact that blissfully did not escape my kids' notice (and don't think I didn't use that as a motivator in rehearsals today).
After a post-show discussion, which was only improved by the fact that we watched the techies completely disassemble the "Tempest" set and assemble the set for their evening performance of "Art" within the 30 minute Q&A with the actors, we got back on the bus and made our long way home.
Aside from a kid throwing a water bottle out the window while we were on the freeway (I turned her into the administration today), and two of the chaperons causing embarrassment (they actually literally interrupted the director of the post-show discussion, one to brag about something he noticed during the play, the other to criticize the way they were handling the post-show discussion), it was a smooth, educational, and fun day. To my surprise, I found out that in our group, only two other chaperons and one student had ever been to the festival before. That made me even more glad that I had set up this trip.
The bus rides were the hardest parts. I had hoped that the early morning start would lead to a quiet ride there. No such luck. The kids were wired from the moment I pulled into the school parking lot and I heard my name screamed with joy as bubbly figures ran towards me in the dark of the morning. They were, to put it mildly, excited. This excitement was amplified when we stopped halfway for a bathroom break and they all bought energy drinks. Some of them were complaining about the fact that the Diary Queen inside the gas station wasn't open. I pointed out that it was 8:00am. "Still!" they said.
The bus driver was getting rather irritated by the ride home. He had insisted that I sit up front for the first part of the trip, but I talked him into letting me move halfway back to better control the noise. I spent the rest of the trip talking "girl talk" with the students around me and predicting their futures. It worked pretty well to keep them quieter.
The kids were also very sweet during the day. Many of them thanked me for the trip, several said they loved me, a few parents even took the time to thank me for it. One boy bought me a lapel pin from the souvenir ship, and a group of students passed me a note on the bus that they had all signed to thank me. The real reward for me, though, came in their questions about the play. They've been thinking about it! They're asking really intelligent questions, thinking it through, and amazingly, applying knowledge! From drama class, from English class, even from their Intro to Drama class last year!
So that's my latest adventure. Here are some photos:
On the bus, just after sunrise.
The backstage tour
Pizza! The kids were proud of having eaten lunch within four minutes.
Part of our group at the acting workshop.
And now I'm off to bed.
After a bad night's sleep, I got up yesterday morning at 4:15 to get to school by 5:30 to pile on a school bus with 51 ninth graders and 8 parent-chaperons to drive for four hours to visit the "local" Shakespeare festival.
It was actually a wonderful day.
The festival put together an amazing program for the kids - a tour of their theaters, including backstage, under the stage, greenrooms and dressing rooms. This is despite the fact that it's the same stage being used that afternoon for a show, so there were techies checking light cues, prop tables set up, set pieces in place, and everything. Next, one of the company's professional actors spent an hour with the kids, doing a workshop on Shakespeare's language and a bit of stage combat. Delightfully, they got to do this on the stage of their Globe-replica theater. Very, very cool.
We had about 40 minutes then to find and eat lunch, so we piled on the bus and drove to a shopping center on Main Street with a variety of restaurants. The kids and I scattered with about 15 minutes to buy and eat food. Then it was back on the bus to attend a pre-show orientation. The host did a great job reviewing the basics of the show, but doing so in such an animated way that he could talk about themes of colonialism without losing the kids.
The matinee of "The Tempest" was actually a good production. They wove in a theme of Leonardo da Vinci through the set and costume designs, Ariel had a very cool look to him, the acting was crisp and controlled, and they performed without microphones, a fact that blissfully did not escape my kids' notice (and don't think I didn't use that as a motivator in rehearsals today).
After a post-show discussion, which was only improved by the fact that we watched the techies completely disassemble the "Tempest" set and assemble the set for their evening performance of "Art" within the 30 minute Q&A with the actors, we got back on the bus and made our long way home.
Aside from a kid throwing a water bottle out the window while we were on the freeway (I turned her into the administration today), and two of the chaperons causing embarrassment (they actually literally interrupted the director of the post-show discussion, one to brag about something he noticed during the play, the other to criticize the way they were handling the post-show discussion), it was a smooth, educational, and fun day. To my surprise, I found out that in our group, only two other chaperons and one student had ever been to the festival before. That made me even more glad that I had set up this trip.
The bus rides were the hardest parts. I had hoped that the early morning start would lead to a quiet ride there. No such luck. The kids were wired from the moment I pulled into the school parking lot and I heard my name screamed with joy as bubbly figures ran towards me in the dark of the morning. They were, to put it mildly, excited. This excitement was amplified when we stopped halfway for a bathroom break and they all bought energy drinks. Some of them were complaining about the fact that the Diary Queen inside the gas station wasn't open. I pointed out that it was 8:00am. "Still!" they said.
The bus driver was getting rather irritated by the ride home. He had insisted that I sit up front for the first part of the trip, but I talked him into letting me move halfway back to better control the noise. I spent the rest of the trip talking "girl talk" with the students around me and predicting their futures. It worked pretty well to keep them quieter.
The kids were also very sweet during the day. Many of them thanked me for the trip, several said they loved me, a few parents even took the time to thank me for it. One boy bought me a lapel pin from the souvenir ship, and a group of students passed me a note on the bus that they had all signed to thank me. The real reward for me, though, came in their questions about the play. They've been thinking about it! They're asking really intelligent questions, thinking it through, and amazingly, applying knowledge! From drama class, from English class, even from their Intro to Drama class last year!
So that's my latest adventure. Here are some photos:
On the bus, just after sunrise.
The backstage tour
Pizza! The kids were proud of having eaten lunch within four minutes.
Part of our group at the acting workshop.
And now I'm off to bed.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Happiness is
A list of things that made me smile lately:
- A rainy/snowy/generally Bronte-ish weathered Saturday,
- A flock of geese splashing in a flooded gutter on my way to work,
- The mountains first blushing with spots of red, then the leaf-changing growing so now it looks more like the mountains are rusting,
- The student who stopped by after school just to yell "The field trip's tomorrow!" in celebration,
- The mom who thoroughly embarrassed her son at conferences last week by mentioning his voice changing,
- Having a student tell me she's decided to become an English teacher
- Being asked by the same student how many math classes she'd have to take in college if she wants to be an English teacher
- The premier of Ugly Betty (I'm a recent fan),
- Laser Cats!
- Getting 20% all purchases at a book fair where 40% of the profits go back to our school,
- Buying 10 books at said book fair,
- Making apple crisp for the cool weather,
- Discovering my cat curled up in tossed-off blankets,
- It's October!
Happiness to you, too!
- A rainy/snowy/generally Bronte-ish weathered Saturday,- A flock of geese splashing in a flooded gutter on my way to work,
- The mountains first blushing with spots of red, then the leaf-changing growing so now it looks more like the mountains are rusting,
- The student who stopped by after school just to yell "The field trip's tomorrow!" in celebration,
- The mom who thoroughly embarrassed her son at conferences last week by mentioning his voice changing,
- Having a student tell me she's decided to become an English teacher
- Being asked by the same student how many math classes she'd have to take in college if she wants to be an English teacher
- The premier of Ugly Betty (I'm a recent fan),
- Laser Cats!
- Getting 20% all purchases at a book fair where 40% of the profits go back to our school,
- Buying 10 books at said book fair,
- Making apple crisp for the cool weather,
- Discovering my cat curled up in tossed-off blankets,
- It's October!
Happiness to you, too!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Not Since Chaplin
This week I crossed off two things that I've wanted to do for a while.
Thursday night I started the first of four fencing classes. I was quite nervous, which translated into a more-than-healthy concern over what to wear to a fencing class (I went with capris, a t-shirt, and my bright green tennis shoes). As with most things in life, it was far less scary once it began.
There were ten of us there, two college freshmen girls who were rather clingy and giggly, two girls who seemed closer to my age, two women older than me - one dressed in a coordinating workout suit and one who is the kind who gets chatty when she's nervous, two guys who are probably a little younger than me and are friends, and one more guy who clung to the wall, avoiding us, while we waited for the teacher to come. They all seem rather nice. I really did not know what to expect of people who sign up for fencing class. At least I was not the least bit surprised when the teacher showed up with long hair. I was getting worried at the distinct lack of D&D-ness. I mean, it's fencing for crying out loud!
My nervousness, aside from the potenial geekiness, also stemmed from the whole gym-class associations. It turned out okay, though. My favorite moment was when we were lined up across the gym floor, practicing the "parry 4" movement over and over again with invisible swords. The lady next to me (coordinating outfit) turned to me and said "This is so embarrassing, isn't it? I just feel silly," and I realized that I wasn't feeling the least bit silly. I really think it's because of teaching - sometime in the last four years, I just stopped caring about looking silly while doing stuff like that. Not that I'm immune to the worries of the judgementals, but rather I was so focused on practicing, that I never stopped to care about the oddity of practicing a movement over and over again with an invisible sword. Yay me!
After a brief introduction to the types of swords by the instructor (which was cutely interrupted by a man who asked if we would mind if his daughter had her picture taken in the gym. The class is taught at the school where they filmed "High School Musical", and apparently the major basketball stuff in the movie was filmed right where we were learning to fence. Our teacher waved him in, and he led in a cute little girl who went wide-eyed as she looked at the red-and-white banners hung in a gy she apparently knew well.) We warmed up by kicking around some balls, then stretched, then learned some basic footwork (advancing, thrust, retreat) and that "parry 4". At that point, the teacher said that we should do what we probably all came for - suit up and poke at each other with swords. We sorted through the equipment and each donned half of a 3/4 sleeved shirt, a plastic breastplate (well, that was just the girls who had to wear those), a leotard-type thing, a glove, and the helmet/facemask thing. We each took a sword, too (I got a saber), and then paired off and started attempting to fence.
I will say this - my mother would hate it. There was constant metal-on-metal scraping for the next 20 minutes or so, which turned a bit musical once in a while when someone would hit the bellguard of one of the swords just right and it would "ding" like, well, a bell. It wasn't long before we were all rather sweaty. Mostly due to the facemasks and the outfits, rather than the actual workout. Bangs are very uncomfortable when squished against the forehead in those helmets, I found.
I learned some things, though, and I'm trying something new. I'm looking forward to the next lesson, actually. I'll be a bit late, thanks to parent-teacher conferences this week, but I'll be there to get my geek on.
The second new thing I've done is attend an event that I've always thought "Oh, I should go to that!" when I hear about it on the radio. One of my favorite NPR shows, Radio West, did a live broadcast last night, followed by screenings of two Charlie Chaplin films. One of the films, Easy Street, was even accompanied by a live organist. I met Heidi and Brent there, and we enjoyed watching the people who attended in period costume (the best was a fellow in tails, top hat, white gloves and scarf - very charming!). Admission was only a quarter, and I was happy to see both a full house and such a diverse group age-wise.
It was interesting to watch these films, since I hadn't ever seen a Chaplin movie in it's entirety. I can't say that I found them particularly funny. I certainly appreciated his talent - his grace, timing, expressions, and ability to make it look effortless really are remarkable. Still, it's just not my kind of humor. I think, though, that the best way to watch a Chaplin movie is in a crowded theater. It made such a difference to be surrounded by people laughing and reacting with such child-like joy. There were kids in the audience who laughed loudly, but there were some grown-ups who laughed even louder. It really was remarkable to hear so many people enjoying something so simple as a fellow accidentally eating a ribbon that uncoiled into his pasta. I'm glad I finally saw "City Lights", but I'm even happier that I saw it how I did.
Thursday night I started the first of four fencing classes. I was quite nervous, which translated into a more-than-healthy concern over what to wear to a fencing class (I went with capris, a t-shirt, and my bright green tennis shoes). As with most things in life, it was far less scary once it began.
There were ten of us there, two college freshmen girls who were rather clingy and giggly, two girls who seemed closer to my age, two women older than me - one dressed in a coordinating workout suit and one who is the kind who gets chatty when she's nervous, two guys who are probably a little younger than me and are friends, and one more guy who clung to the wall, avoiding us, while we waited for the teacher to come. They all seem rather nice. I really did not know what to expect of people who sign up for fencing class. At least I was not the least bit surprised when the teacher showed up with long hair. I was getting worried at the distinct lack of D&D-ness. I mean, it's fencing for crying out loud!
My nervousness, aside from the potenial geekiness, also stemmed from the whole gym-class associations. It turned out okay, though. My favorite moment was when we were lined up across the gym floor, practicing the "parry 4" movement over and over again with invisible swords. The lady next to me (coordinating outfit) turned to me and said "This is so embarrassing, isn't it? I just feel silly," and I realized that I wasn't feeling the least bit silly. I really think it's because of teaching - sometime in the last four years, I just stopped caring about looking silly while doing stuff like that. Not that I'm immune to the worries of the judgementals, but rather I was so focused on practicing, that I never stopped to care about the oddity of practicing a movement over and over again with an invisible sword. Yay me!
After a brief introduction to the types of swords by the instructor (which was cutely interrupted by a man who asked if we would mind if his daughter had her picture taken in the gym. The class is taught at the school where they filmed "High School Musical", and apparently the major basketball stuff in the movie was filmed right where we were learning to fence. Our teacher waved him in, and he led in a cute little girl who went wide-eyed as she looked at the red-and-white banners hung in a gy she apparently knew well.) We warmed up by kicking around some balls, then stretched, then learned some basic footwork (advancing, thrust, retreat) and that "parry 4". At that point, the teacher said that we should do what we probably all came for - suit up and poke at each other with swords. We sorted through the equipment and each donned half of a 3/4 sleeved shirt, a plastic breastplate (well, that was just the girls who had to wear those), a leotard-type thing, a glove, and the helmet/facemask thing. We each took a sword, too (I got a saber), and then paired off and started attempting to fence.I will say this - my mother would hate it. There was constant metal-on-metal scraping for the next 20 minutes or so, which turned a bit musical once in a while when someone would hit the bellguard of one of the swords just right and it would "ding" like, well, a bell. It wasn't long before we were all rather sweaty. Mostly due to the facemasks and the outfits, rather than the actual workout. Bangs are very uncomfortable when squished against the forehead in those helmets, I found.
I learned some things, though, and I'm trying something new. I'm looking forward to the next lesson, actually. I'll be a bit late, thanks to parent-teacher conferences this week, but I'll be there to get my geek on.
The second new thing I've done is attend an event that I've always thought "Oh, I should go to that!" when I hear about it on the radio. One of my favorite NPR shows, Radio West, did a live broadcast last night, followed by screenings of two Charlie Chaplin films. One of the films, Easy Street, was even accompanied by a live organist. I met Heidi and Brent there, and we enjoyed watching the people who attended in period costume (the best was a fellow in tails, top hat, white gloves and scarf - very charming!). Admission was only a quarter, and I was happy to see both a full house and such a diverse group age-wise.
It was interesting to watch these films, since I hadn't ever seen a Chaplin movie in it's entirety. I can't say that I found them particularly funny. I certainly appreciated his talent - his grace, timing, expressions, and ability to make it look effortless really are remarkable. Still, it's just not my kind of humor. I think, though, that the best way to watch a Chaplin movie is in a crowded theater. It made such a difference to be surrounded by people laughing and reacting with such child-like joy. There were kids in the audience who laughed loudly, but there were some grown-ups who laughed even louder. It really was remarkable to hear so many people enjoying something so simple as a fellow accidentally eating a ribbon that uncoiled into his pasta. I'm glad I finally saw "City Lights", but I'm even happier that I saw it how I did.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
When I Go Out Walking With My Baby
Well, it's actually Janelle's baby. But he's cute, isn't he?
I took this one while we were visiting the goats at the state fair last week. This is right before the goats tried to eat his stroller. Strange creatures.
By the way, it is just too perfect to discover that there is a song titled "When I Go Out Walking With My Baby" in the show "State Fair"!
Okay, one more. Here's Donovan with Dallas, totally captivated with the screaming and flahsing rides:
I took this one while we were visiting the goats at the state fair last week. This is right before the goats tried to eat his stroller. Strange creatures.
By the way, it is just too perfect to discover that there is a song titled "When I Go Out Walking With My Baby" in the show "State Fair"!
Okay, one more. Here's Donovan with Dallas, totally captivated with the screaming and flahsing rides:
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
With So Little To Be Sure Of
School has rapidly settled in for the year. I am still enjoying my classes, although I am detesting the politics at my school right now. I'm trying to fly under the radar, but that's proving to be difficult. Fun for Manda!
I've been trying to enjoy pre-show craziness. I've gone to the movies ("The King of Kong" was the best of the bunch, the others were more "eh"), read a lot, been to the state fair and the farmer's market, and I've been taking advantage of having energy in the afternoon to use my handy-dandy elliptical each day. I'm hoping the habit sticks even when things get busier.
My classroom is gradually getting cooler - my hair isn't damp with sweat most days now, although I still have fans going. I'm looking forward to winter so I can hear my students - they're by and large too quite to hear over the fans.
Speaking of my students, we had auditions for the Advanced Drama play ("The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood"). This show will be interesting - since I have two sections of the class this year, I'll be doing the show twice. I'm trying hard to keep it as separate as possible. They'll share sets (as it were), props, some costumes, and probably a lot of the same blocking; but I'm trying hard to keep from making any sort of verbal comparisons between the groups.
So I held two auditions, two call-backs, posted two cast lists, and did two read-throughs. I'm happy with the casts, and I am eager for the musical since my suspicions that we have strong character actors this year are confirmed.
We spent the last period playing status in anticipation of blocking the big tournament scene. Interestingly, the students kept tying meanness in with taking status. When we moved into playing status in character, Prince John bumped off about half of his subjects for not giving enough status to him. Then again, Robin "killed" everyone except Maid Marian, so maybe it's just that the power goes to their heads.
So, yeah. Things are... going. I just need to start exploring the options for next year with more surety.
I've been trying to enjoy pre-show craziness. I've gone to the movies ("The King of Kong" was the best of the bunch, the others were more "eh"), read a lot, been to the state fair and the farmer's market, and I've been taking advantage of having energy in the afternoon to use my handy-dandy elliptical each day. I'm hoping the habit sticks even when things get busier.
My classroom is gradually getting cooler - my hair isn't damp with sweat most days now, although I still have fans going. I'm looking forward to winter so I can hear my students - they're by and large too quite to hear over the fans.
Speaking of my students, we had auditions for the Advanced Drama play ("The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood"). This show will be interesting - since I have two sections of the class this year, I'll be doing the show twice. I'm trying hard to keep it as separate as possible. They'll share sets (as it were), props, some costumes, and probably a lot of the same blocking; but I'm trying hard to keep from making any sort of verbal comparisons between the groups.So I held two auditions, two call-backs, posted two cast lists, and did two read-throughs. I'm happy with the casts, and I am eager for the musical since my suspicions that we have strong character actors this year are confirmed.
We spent the last period playing status in anticipation of blocking the big tournament scene. Interestingly, the students kept tying meanness in with taking status. When we moved into playing status in character, Prince John bumped off about half of his subjects for not giving enough status to him. Then again, Robin "killed" everyone except Maid Marian, so maybe it's just that the power goes to their heads.
So, yeah. Things are... going. I just need to start exploring the options for next year with more surety.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Sir, You Are Sad
One of my long-time favorite authors, Madeline L'Engle, has died.
As a book fan, you have to be okay with dead authors. It's not like there's been a time when I eagerly awaited the next Bronte release. But I loved L'Engle's books, and I always held out hope for one more. Even though she was 88 - her writing was magical realism before movies found that world, and to me, there was always the chance of another story finding a way out.
I was first introduced to her when Mrs. Peaceman read "A Wrinkle in Time" aloud to our fourth-grade class. It wasn't long before I had worked my way through all of her books, over and over again. I think "A Ring of Endless Light" is the most beautiful, but "The Small Rain" made the deepest impression. It reads like winter - a chilled, very real beauty.
“I think that fantasy must possess the author and simply use him. I know that is true of ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’ I cannot possibly tell you how I came to write it. It was simply a book I had to write. I had no choice. It was only after it was written that I realized what some of it meant.”
- From a 1983 Horn Book magazine interview
As a book fan, you have to be okay with dead authors. It's not like there's been a time when I eagerly awaited the next Bronte release. But I loved L'Engle's books, and I always held out hope for one more. Even though she was 88 - her writing was magical realism before movies found that world, and to me, there was always the chance of another story finding a way out.
I was first introduced to her when Mrs. Peaceman read "A Wrinkle in Time" aloud to our fourth-grade class. It wasn't long before I had worked my way through all of her books, over and over again. I think "A Ring of Endless Light" is the most beautiful, but "The Small Rain" made the deepest impression. It reads like winter - a chilled, very real beauty.
“I think that fantasy must possess the author and simply use him. I know that is true of ‘A Wrinkle in Time.’ I cannot possibly tell you how I came to write it. It was simply a book I had to write. I had no choice. It was only after it was written that I realized what some of it meant.”
- From a 1983 Horn Book magazine interview
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Hot Hot Hot
Week one - done!
And what a sweaty, sticky week it was.
My school, aside from the main office and a few computer lab, is sans air conditioning. With no air circulation either, the kids were glazed over, glassy-eyed and my hair was damp with sweat by 9:00am. The heat was so bad, I couldn't get done what I wanted to after school - I would just aim a fan at me to get done what I needed to, then escape in my air conditioned car to my air conditioned home ASAP.
The good news is, I think I've got good kids this year. They seem engaged, enthusiastic, and I'm finding teaching is getting smoother each year. The kids are as anxious as ever to find out what the musical is (we announce on Thursday), and I'm getting used to having my favorite class every day, instead of every other day. Advanced Drama is filled with kids who are just ecstatic to be there. In fact, we're diving right into things - tomorrow they start auditioning for "Robin Hood" (our fall play). Unbeknownst to them, I actually started auditioning them last week with some drama "games", but tomorrow they're doing monologues. From what I've seen, it will be hard to pick out leads. There's a lot of talent in the group.
Speaking of weather, my lights are flickering as I type this. A storm's a-brewing, and I have my fingers crossed that it'll thrust the temperatures lower for tomorrow.
This weekend I spent in sunny California, visiting family in San Diego. With a dehydrated day at Sea World (BELIEVE! Shamu orders you, with no further directions, to BELIEVE! Otherwise the world will end and it'll be your fault because you didn't BELIEVE! So BELIEVE! - now add hyped-up music and videos of cute, white children and the ocean and you've can't help but BELIEVE!), a glorious day playing in the ocean (6 foot waves trying to toss us out, dolphins jumping nearby), and much admiration of "the grandchild" (i.e. Sadie, who is unabashedly cute) and you've got a relaxing, rejuvenating weekend. And a sunburn. But it was worth it.
For reasons I can't figure out, the school board made this a four-day weekend. I got up early today and met Janelle for a temple session. We picked up some lunch after that and wound up hanging out most of the day at her house. I didn't get much (well, anything) accomplished, but it was pleasant. And I only have to get through three days this week before another weekend!
By the way, here's a picture of the bouquet of fresh flowers I got for my desk for the first day of school. 24 hours in my room, and they were hanging their heads, giving up in the heat. Poor plants. I don't think they even had a chance to suffer the wrath of my toxic green thumbs.
And what a sweaty, sticky week it was.
My school, aside from the main office and a few computer lab, is sans air conditioning. With no air circulation either, the kids were glazed over, glassy-eyed and my hair was damp with sweat by 9:00am. The heat was so bad, I couldn't get done what I wanted to after school - I would just aim a fan at me to get done what I needed to, then escape in my air conditioned car to my air conditioned home ASAP.
The good news is, I think I've got good kids this year. They seem engaged, enthusiastic, and I'm finding teaching is getting smoother each year. The kids are as anxious as ever to find out what the musical is (we announce on Thursday), and I'm getting used to having my favorite class every day, instead of every other day. Advanced Drama is filled with kids who are just ecstatic to be there. In fact, we're diving right into things - tomorrow they start auditioning for "Robin Hood" (our fall play). Unbeknownst to them, I actually started auditioning them last week with some drama "games", but tomorrow they're doing monologues. From what I've seen, it will be hard to pick out leads. There's a lot of talent in the group.
Speaking of weather, my lights are flickering as I type this. A storm's a-brewing, and I have my fingers crossed that it'll thrust the temperatures lower for tomorrow.
This weekend I spent in sunny California, visiting family in San Diego. With a dehydrated day at Sea World (BELIEVE! Shamu orders you, with no further directions, to BELIEVE! Otherwise the world will end and it'll be your fault because you didn't BELIEVE! So BELIEVE! - now add hyped-up music and videos of cute, white children and the ocean and you've can't help but BELIEVE!), a glorious day playing in the ocean (6 foot waves trying to toss us out, dolphins jumping nearby), and much admiration of "the grandchild" (i.e. Sadie, who is unabashedly cute) and you've got a relaxing, rejuvenating weekend. And a sunburn. But it was worth it.
For reasons I can't figure out, the school board made this a four-day weekend. I got up early today and met Janelle for a temple session. We picked up some lunch after that and wound up hanging out most of the day at her house. I didn't get much (well, anything) accomplished, but it was pleasant. And I only have to get through three days this week before another weekend!
By the way, here's a picture of the bouquet of fresh flowers I got for my desk for the first day of school. 24 hours in my room, and they were hanging their heads, giving up in the heat. Poor plants. I don't think they even had a chance to suffer the wrath of my toxic green thumbs.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Back in the Saddle Again
What a week! Just this morning, while I was getting my hair cut, the stylist asked me how long I've been coming to that salon. I replied that it had been over a year now. Then, later, I thought about it and realized no, no. I've actually only been coming there since April. A whopping 5 months. But such a strange 5 months time-wise that I still have a hard time believing it was not longer.
School started, for me at least, on Monday with a surprise faculty meeting up in the mountains. Surprise, because the district actually scheduled our first day for Tuesday. That wasn't good enough for our principal, though, so we came back a day early to sit through a rather uninteresting course on diversity. I think the intention was to help us fight prejudice in our classrooms and ourselves, but the presenters never really got around to how we should prevent it, or even address it. Rather, they seemed bent on making us believe that it still exists.
Duh.
Personally, I checked out when they were listing eight "isms", which they said were the key areas of discrimination. Among the expected likes of "racism", "ageism", "faithism", and such was "heterosexism".
When they uncovered that word, my vow of silence (hello Mandy!) shattered.
I raised my hand and asked where that term came from.
They gave a long non-answer.
So I, as politely as I could, pointed out that that particular term seemed inherently biased.
They replied that the majority's point of view, and therefore the prevailing prejudice, is what's reflected in that term; therefore, it's an accurate term.
By now, some of the other teachers picked up on it and began pointing out the fallacies in the term. The program director came to the front of the room to "settle things", and said that yes, while it is a biased term, the perhaps-more-accurate term "sexual orientationism" is long and awkward.
Anyway, that's just a taste of what the 11-hour training was like. I'm proud to say that I did hold my tongue, for the most part, but I'll say here that it felt like an enormous waste of time to me.
So that was our entrance to a new school year. I've had some time in my classroom, where I finally picked an arrangement for the students (four groups of eight, made with two tables pushed together per group - we'll see how bad the talking is). I also am getting better at giving myself permission to not do things. For example, my bulliten boards are covered with a base fabric (to cover up, for example, the swastika some student scribbled on there in ink years ago), but no decorated beyond that. My show posters aren't up, the clocks are still awaiting fresh batteries befor e going up, and I haven't touched the disaster that is the prop cabinet. Still, the room is neat, clean, and I am almost ready.
What I've mostly been doing all week is attending meetings. We had a faculty meeting, a department meeting, a calendaring meeting, and a meeting for the musical. The last one was my own doing, since I started having a mild panic attack when we scheduled musical auditions for the week after Thanksgiving. Which is just one week after the Advanced Drama play wraps up. I still get a surge of panic-laced adrenaline when I think about how freakin' soon that is. It's a necessity, though, which I will explain the cause of in a few more weeks. I'll just say that it's not my news to announce yet, so I'll wait until it's public knowledge because who knows who reads this blog?
I also had a few meetings with Howard, which included his approving my choice for the fall play, his blessing to try to arrange for the entire ninth grade to see a touring production of "Romeo and Juliet", and his approval for me to take a group of students on an all-day (as in 6:00am-9:00pm) field trip to the Shakespeare Festival south of here. I'm excited about all three, and eager to announce the last one to my students on Monday to see how many want to go.
I guess the summary is that it's been a busy week, a warm week, and I'm starting to feel ready for school on Monday. I'm getting a sense of what this year will shape up to be, and I'm excited for it. I've got the usual pre-school jitters, though, and I'm anticipating some tense dreams the next two nights. I have a lot of to look forward to, though, starting with a family trip to San Diego next weekend.
Wish me luck, friends!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Statements I Made in Russian, Translated Into English
There's nothing like trying to get along in a new language to ripen your humility. Here are some examples of how my language abilities were reduced to those of a two-year-old:
To the lady at the Kirovsky Elderly placement, after a conversation with her six year old granddaughter:
"She is very red. Very, very red, yes."
(To be fair, the Russian words for "red" and "beautiful" are from the same root, and are very similar)
When trying to buy a hat, the word for which I assumed was printed on the price tag:
"I want, I buy sale, please. Very big sale, please, is here."
What I said to the lady who sold me the ballet ticket, at the end of the transaction:
"Hello!... no, Please!.... no, th-thank you! Yes, thank you!"
I thought the kind old man was telling me to take home a stray cat I was admiring near us, so I said
"I have one cat in house in Colorado. She very beautiful. That's enough."
Then Acia told me the gentleman was actually saying that there is an old Russian folksong about a black cat, and he could sing it for me if I like.
Flustered, I combined the word for water ("voda") with the brand name of the bottled water ("aqua voda"):
"I buy two vodkas, please."
The cashier laughed at me, then brought me two cokes.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Amanda's Toilet Rubric
There's nothing like traveling in a foreign land to make you appreciate the comforts of home. With that and my recent excursions in mind, I give you
Amanda's Toilet Rubric
The restroom facilities at any given establishment can be assessed using a standard grading scale (i.e. A, B, C, D, or F).
The grade depends on the following factors -
1. Structure. That is, does the facility include the basics of a room, including some separation from the others waiting in line for it (such as a locking door)?
2. Equipment. The basics demand a toilet and a sink in the vicinity. What, exactly, qualifies as a toilet and a sink is left to the evaluator's discretion, thus allowing room for the debate over whether a hole in the ground with a cinderblock on either side of it (for your feet) counts as a toilet.
3. Accessories. Toilet paper gets the utmost priority. Soap is secondary, paper towels or other hand dryers are negotiable.
4. Cleanliness. You know what I'm talking about here.
5. Smells. While this often is related to cleanliness, it's so vital to your overall bathroom experience, it merits a separate category.
6. Cost. Those of your unfamiliar with European toilets and/or the origins of the musical "Urinetown" may be baffled by this category. It matters, though. If entrance is free but tips are required, those restrooms also count in this category. and don't think about running out on the tips - just ask my friend Emily about the gypsy curse she received when she tried that.
Six categories, five possible grades. By sheer existence and availability, the bathroom you encounter begins with an "A". Should it be deemed deficient in any of the above categories, the grade drops by one letter for each lacking category.
For example, the restroom in the salt museum in N. A locking door, a toilet with a toilet seat, no lingering unpleasant odors - it did well, actually, but there was no sign of toilet paper. Thus this restroom received a "B".
Of course, one can use those grading negotiables, "+" and "-", to refine your assessement. Thus, if a lady at the door of a nice, clean bathroom insists on getting 15 rubles in exchange for a few squares of toilet paper (see categories "Cost" and "Accessories"), but it is the cheapest bathroom you've seen in town, feel free to give it a B+.
Likewise, if the restroom does, indeed, contain a toilet that you sit upon, but the toilet seat is made of wood and hangs on a nail next to the toilet, then it would earn an A-. (Actually, that particular example earned a D-, failing in the categories of accessories, sight, and smell. My favorite part of it was the flushing system - a tub of water with a pail in it that you used to pour water into the toilet bowl.)
So there it is. Now that you know the six categories (which you can remember with some rearrangement by the acronym "ACCESS"), enjoy them the next time you're traveling and wishing for not just home, but a particular room in your home.
Monday, August 13, 2007
New York, New York!
Hello from the states, my dear friends!
I am writing you from a computer in the lobby of the NYU dorm, where mon ami Jason is kind enough to put me up for a few nights. After the long ride to the airport, the long wait at the airport, and the long, long, long airplane ride with a long wait on the runway afterwards, and a long wait for the luggage to show (where, in a Aeroflot miracle, both of my checked bags arrived!), I am really glad I decided to break up the journey home with a quick sojourn in NYC.
Small things that made me very happy last night:
The salad I had for dinner
The ice in my drink
People speaking English without looking bitter about it
The "You're welcome" I got from a cashier when I said "Thank you"
Outlets everywhere that I can use!
Free internet
Brushing my teeth with water from the tap
A shower with pleasant water temperatures
Signs I can read swiftly, rather than sounding out the words
and so on. I'm liking America right now.
Since Jason is in the midst of a terribly busy week, I had the day to myself to enjoy. I slept in until 9:00am (and, I'm glad to report, I'm feeling very little jetlag. Staying awake for 26 hours yesterday was hard, but I'm just about adjusted thanks to it.), took a luxuriously long time to get ready (did my hair and makeup and everything!), then headed out.
I went to Murray's Cheese Shop first to pick up some lunch (a very salty Italian ham and cheese sandwich and some tasty jalapeno coleslaw) and took the subway uptown to Lincoln Center. I ate my sandwich on a bench in the park there, then went into the NY Public Library for the Performing Arts to do some script browsing. What a great library! What cool resources they have that do me very little good as an out-of-towner.
After that, I took myself to a movie and saw Stardust, which I enjoyed quite a bit in a silly, romantic-fantasy kind of way. But then again, I tend to like any movie that has David Kelly in it, as Rose and I discussed the other day in our room.
Back on the subway, then, and down to Times Square and the excellent Drama Book Shop. I still need to pick the fall Advance Drama play, so my main goal for the day was to pick up some good possibilities while I was around scripts I could paruse in person, instead of relying on the blurbs offered through online ordering. I got some good possibilities, as well as some sheet music for my brother.
I settled in a Starbucks next with a double chocolate chip frappachino and did some editing for Jason. (He's working on a writing sample for his clerkship applications, and asked if I would help him pick one out and offer suggestions.) Jason called while I was there, so I met him at his office in the New York Times Building. He gave me a quick tour, including the best view I've ever seen of the city, and we headed back for the dorm together.
And that brings me to now. Jason's downstairs being all studious, and I'm about to go back up to the room to repack my bags for tomorrow. We're planning on going out to a nice dinner tonight (thanks, Dad!), and maybe a movie, depending on what time it gets to be. Then tomorrow it's back to the airport and back to Colorado.
By the way, if I had had access to the internet yesterday during my whole Moscow airport debacle, you would have seen a post with a much-less pleasant mood than this. Rather than go into the whole sordid details now, I'll just say that there are five (FIVE!) different security points to go through, one of which I had to do twice, and there are rules there which are not posted or explained anywhere, but rather are just apparently part of the Russian consciousness. I'm going to avoid flying Aeroflot in the future as much as possible, and I hope I can totally avoid the Moscow airport. Still, it was nice to have a strong emotional break with Russia - I was glad to go once the plane took off.
Over the course of the transcontinental flight, I came up with a few topics for future posts. These include -
Amanda's Toilet Rubric
Statements I Made in Russian, Translated Into English
Finding My Inner Russian
and
White Gloves and Waterbottles: What to Expect at a Moscow Airport.
Enticing, n'est-ce pas?
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Finally!
I've been without internet access for a few days now, hence my delay. I wrote the entry I posted below, but my hotel internet card ran out, and the front desk would only sell me a card for 300 rubles or above. Since I didn't need three hours worth, I tried the internet cafe across the street the next day. There, I bought 15 minutes worth and had typed a lovely post for you all, but the computer logged me off when I had 2 minutes left on my card, and since the cashier lady had disappeared, leaving me alone in a kind-of creepy room, I gave up. Today, though, I was out making last-minute purchases in Yaroslavl and passed another internet cafe, so I thought I would give it a shot. And here I am!
The time has really flown by here. It is my last day, and while I can't say that I'm sad to go, I can say that I'm glad I came. I decided to take it easier my last day here, so I've been walking all over town buying souveniers and gifts and taking pictures. I'm heading back to the hotel soon to pack, and tonight a few of the long-term volunteers are throwing a CCS party. Anthony, Caitlin, and Rachel were working on the food in the CCS office last night as Rose and I were watching a movie in there, so we got a preview of the menu. They're planning five courses, the highlight of which is a "Real" Salad. "Real" being defined by the presence of lettuce and the absence of mayonnaise.
I'll have to do a post-reflection on the whole shebang when I get stateside again, plus I have a few more stories to tell (including my adventures with the elderly at my last placement yesterday). My time online's running short, though, and I am trying not to go to the ATM again before I go.
I leave Yaroslavl at 5:00am tomorrow morning, Moscow at 2:30pm tomorrow afternoon, and New York City at 12:30pm on Tuesday. It'll be a crazy, airplane-filled next few days, but I'm excited to spend some time in NYC (hopefully finding a script for us to do this fall) and to get back to such luxuries as ice cubes, water from the tap, lettuce and other non-root vegetables, internet access, and customer service where you don't feel like you've offended and throroughly inconveinenced the waiter because you ask for something. America - hurrah!
The time has really flown by here. It is my last day, and while I can't say that I'm sad to go, I can say that I'm glad I came. I decided to take it easier my last day here, so I've been walking all over town buying souveniers and gifts and taking pictures. I'm heading back to the hotel soon to pack, and tonight a few of the long-term volunteers are throwing a CCS party. Anthony, Caitlin, and Rachel were working on the food in the CCS office last night as Rose and I were watching a movie in there, so we got a preview of the menu. They're planning five courses, the highlight of which is a "Real" Salad. "Real" being defined by the presence of lettuce and the absence of mayonnaise.
I'll have to do a post-reflection on the whole shebang when I get stateside again, plus I have a few more stories to tell (including my adventures with the elderly at my last placement yesterday). My time online's running short, though, and I am trying not to go to the ATM again before I go.
I leave Yaroslavl at 5:00am tomorrow morning, Moscow at 2:30pm tomorrow afternoon, and New York City at 12:30pm on Tuesday. It'll be a crazy, airplane-filled next few days, but I'm excited to spend some time in NYC (hopefully finding a script for us to do this fall) and to get back to such luxuries as ice cubes, water from the tap, lettuce and other non-root vegetables, internet access, and customer service where you don't feel like you've offended and throroughly inconveinenced the waiter because you ask for something. America - hurrah!
Placements
Here is a post I wrote on Thursday. The delay is explained in the entry above.
Sorry I didn’t post yesterday as promised. It turned out to be a very long day with no breaks. Fortunately, my afternoon placement was an early one, so I have some time now to write about this work.
So. Placements. I think I’ll just describe the ones I’ve had the past few days to give you some idea of what, exactly, it is I am doing here.
The placement I’ve worked at the most is the deaf kindergarten. The kids here are between 2 and 5 years old, and are very, very cute. Ask me to see photos when you see me in person and I’ll prove it (it’s the only placement where photos are allowed). They are not orphans, but they are all deaf or extremely hearing impaired. The number of kids there varies day to day – as few as 3 and as many as 8. It’s apparently dwindled as the summer has gone on, and the government will be closing the program at the end of the month. Instead, the building will become a camp for kids with TB.
The building is enormous for a school of less than ten kids – larger than the hospital for kids. I haven’t been inside – instead, we set up the craft in one of the play areas outside. There are four of those, I think – sandboxes, metal structures (like one sided jungle gyms), and metal and wooden shacks where we do the crafts. These are all painted in shocking colors and interesting murals. It’s all a bit sloppy – I tore my pants on a nail sticking out from a cracked board the other day. The ground is covered with some grass, mostly weeds, and a bit of the sandy dirt that’s all over.
The crafts with these kids last maybe five minutes, ten if it’s a really good one. This week we made monster hands, last week they decorated bowls I made out of foam. Stickers were a big hit. After the craft, they go for the cars first. Also popular are balls, bubbles, the swing (a rope with a climbing clamp on either end we hang from a beam in the shack), and this set of magnetic tiles. We mostly play with the items with the kids, chase them about, and settle arguments.
I was at the hospital for kids again today. Next to the white building with bars across the windows is a play area fenced in by high iron poles. We hang our bags on those poles when we arrive, out of the kids reach to keep them from going through them. This play area is mostly dust, although there are weeds covering about a third of it. Again, there are some metal structures about to play on, and several large trees.
The kids here have a wider range of ages – the youngest is perhaps 4, the oldest 15 or 16. They are a mix of orphans and kids with families. They are there for anything from schizophrenia (which is apparently like the ADD of Russia – it’s the “in” diagnosis) to aggressiveness to bed wetting to running away too much. There are usually more boys than girls, and the play is a lot rougher. They like chasing each other about, playing soccer and basketball, smacking each other with the balls, and such. Allison does well there – she has a good rapport with the kids, chasing them and getting tickles by them.
I am not sure if it’s a general dislike of touch, or if it’s the result of teaching in public schools where it’s so taboo, but I just can’t get comfortable with the kids touching me. At the hospital, there’s one girl who frequently sneaks up behind me, then runs her hands repeatedly over my hair. Other kids try to hang off me or hug me, but I’m stiff and cold with it, I’m afraid. Some of it is germophobia – they only bath once a week (going to the banyas, so it’s a thorough bathing), and many of them have sores. At the summer camp, one boy who sat next to me had such terrible body odor that I could only breath when I turned my head as subtly as possible to the opposite side. That worked until another boy who reeked of cigarette smoke sat down on my other side.
This afternoon I went to the Kirovski City Camp. This is a day care-type program for kids in town (with parents). It’s the calmest of the placements, and in some ways the one where we feel the least useful. Today we made finger puppets (thanks, Mom!), then brought out the board games. While the kids enjoy the board games and got way into the crafts, they have five or six women there as staff who are very attentive to the kids. Today there were seven girls and two boys, between 9 and 14 years old, I’d guess. They are pretty creative – the more artsy crafts go over better with them. The adults were very curious about the felt I had brought, though. They had never seen it before.
The thing about the work here, I’ve decided, is this: we’re not here to make an individual difference as volunteers. Instead, the CCS work is making a difference with the kids and the programs, and I’m here as a clog in the machine, a drop in the ocean, pixel in the Pixar, as it were. So I have fun, I help where I can, and I enjoy Russia.
Yan asked if I would switch shifts with him tomorrow, which I gladly did. He wanted to go back to the summer camp, which worked out well since he was scheduled for one of the elderly groups and I wanted to do one of those before I left. I hear they do karaoke on Fridays, so whoo-hoo!
Sorry I didn’t post yesterday as promised. It turned out to be a very long day with no breaks. Fortunately, my afternoon placement was an early one, so I have some time now to write about this work.
So. Placements. I think I’ll just describe the ones I’ve had the past few days to give you some idea of what, exactly, it is I am doing here.
The placement I’ve worked at the most is the deaf kindergarten. The kids here are between 2 and 5 years old, and are very, very cute. Ask me to see photos when you see me in person and I’ll prove it (it’s the only placement where photos are allowed). They are not orphans, but they are all deaf or extremely hearing impaired. The number of kids there varies day to day – as few as 3 and as many as 8. It’s apparently dwindled as the summer has gone on, and the government will be closing the program at the end of the month. Instead, the building will become a camp for kids with TB.
The building is enormous for a school of less than ten kids – larger than the hospital for kids. I haven’t been inside – instead, we set up the craft in one of the play areas outside. There are four of those, I think – sandboxes, metal structures (like one sided jungle gyms), and metal and wooden shacks where we do the crafts. These are all painted in shocking colors and interesting murals. It’s all a bit sloppy – I tore my pants on a nail sticking out from a cracked board the other day. The ground is covered with some grass, mostly weeds, and a bit of the sandy dirt that’s all over.
The crafts with these kids last maybe five minutes, ten if it’s a really good one. This week we made monster hands, last week they decorated bowls I made out of foam. Stickers were a big hit. After the craft, they go for the cars first. Also popular are balls, bubbles, the swing (a rope with a climbing clamp on either end we hang from a beam in the shack), and this set of magnetic tiles. We mostly play with the items with the kids, chase them about, and settle arguments.
I was at the hospital for kids again today. Next to the white building with bars across the windows is a play area fenced in by high iron poles. We hang our bags on those poles when we arrive, out of the kids reach to keep them from going through them. This play area is mostly dust, although there are weeds covering about a third of it. Again, there are some metal structures about to play on, and several large trees.
The kids here have a wider range of ages – the youngest is perhaps 4, the oldest 15 or 16. They are a mix of orphans and kids with families. They are there for anything from schizophrenia (which is apparently like the ADD of Russia – it’s the “in” diagnosis) to aggressiveness to bed wetting to running away too much. There are usually more boys than girls, and the play is a lot rougher. They like chasing each other about, playing soccer and basketball, smacking each other with the balls, and such. Allison does well there – she has a good rapport with the kids, chasing them and getting tickles by them.
I am not sure if it’s a general dislike of touch, or if it’s the result of teaching in public schools where it’s so taboo, but I just can’t get comfortable with the kids touching me. At the hospital, there’s one girl who frequently sneaks up behind me, then runs her hands repeatedly over my hair. Other kids try to hang off me or hug me, but I’m stiff and cold with it, I’m afraid. Some of it is germophobia – they only bath once a week (going to the banyas, so it’s a thorough bathing), and many of them have sores. At the summer camp, one boy who sat next to me had such terrible body odor that I could only breath when I turned my head as subtly as possible to the opposite side. That worked until another boy who reeked of cigarette smoke sat down on my other side.
This afternoon I went to the Kirovski City Camp. This is a day care-type program for kids in town (with parents). It’s the calmest of the placements, and in some ways the one where we feel the least useful. Today we made finger puppets (thanks, Mom!), then brought out the board games. While the kids enjoy the board games and got way into the crafts, they have five or six women there as staff who are very attentive to the kids. Today there were seven girls and two boys, between 9 and 14 years old, I’d guess. They are pretty creative – the more artsy crafts go over better with them. The adults were very curious about the felt I had brought, though. They had never seen it before.
The thing about the work here, I’ve decided, is this: we’re not here to make an individual difference as volunteers. Instead, the CCS work is making a difference with the kids and the programs, and I’m here as a clog in the machine, a drop in the ocean, pixel in the Pixar, as it were. So I have fun, I help where I can, and I enjoy Russia.
Yan asked if I would switch shifts with him tomorrow, which I gladly did. He wanted to go back to the summer camp, which worked out well since he was scheduled for one of the elderly groups and I wanted to do one of those before I left. I hear they do karaoke on Fridays, so whoo-hoo!
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