Family Fun Tip: Attend School Events

 Originally Posted on March 25, 2018 on Free, Fun Family

I’m an educator by profession and a huge fan of public schools.  What you might not know is that local schools provide hours and hours of low-cost or free events.  This weekend, my family enjoyed two evenings of very low-cost entertainment by checking out our local public schools.

Friday night, my son’s  school (a classical charter K-8) hosted an “Arts Night” where the teachers of specials (Art, Music, PE, Spanish, and Latin) each planned an activity for families.  The PE teacher had a volleyball net and soccer field set up indoors.  The Music teacher had youtube videos streaming of those Xbox-style dance video games while we all danced along (“Footloose” was popular with the parents).  The Art teacher had paint markers and pre-treated rocks for the “Kindness Rocks” movement.  She let students design “classical” rocks (my son painted the Acropolis).  The Latin teacher had students create a coat of arms on a cereal box.  Finally, the Spanish teacher had students make a “god’s eye” traditional Mexican craft with yarn and popsicle sticks.

The whole evening was stress-free, fun for both my son (who saw his friends from school and played with them) and his younger sister (who loves to think of herself as going to school like big brother).  As a parent, I made connections with other parents at the school and got to know his teachers outside of his normal classroom teachers.  There were even door prizes for visiting each activity.  Best of all, my son learned a new favorite craft (guess which one?).

Check out what your child’s school might offer.  Many schools have fairs, talent shows, competitions, etc. with little to no entry fee.

Another great option is to look at the local high school offerings.  Until February when I got a promotion, I was a teacher at our local high school, so I had an “inside scoop,” but these days most high schools publish an e-mail newsletter to inform the public of events. Even though our children are young (6 and 2), many high school events are appropriate for all ages.  We go to sporting events, music nights, science fairs, plays and musicals, and art shows.  Some have small entrance fees (in the $5 range for adults, often children younger than 8 are free or reduced cost), but these fees support the student events and programs you enjoy.  Also, high school students LOVE young kids (often their siblings are older than my kids).

Saturday night we attended a male “beauty pagent” (Mr. OurTown) for the senior class.  It’s sponsored by the National Honor Society and all the proceeds go to charity.  While some of the jokes are aimed at the adolescent male mindset (one boy’s escort was his “girlfriend” that was his best friend’s mom *eye roll*), mostly it was funny and sweet with some neat musical, dance, and performance talents.  The kids loved watching the antics and the excitement of a live performance. Full disclaimer: I was asked to judge this event as a former teacher, so my husband was fully responsible for managing both kids during the show–not recommended!

The crazy thing is that if we’d wanted even more things to do this weekend, the public schools had more offerings than we could have possible enjoyed.  There was a science and social studies fair, many sports games, and a spring musical.  That happens just about every weekend!  Check out your local schools for some great, low-cost family entertainment.

Well... That was a doozy.

I caught the nastiest cold I've had in awhile (ok... in 3 weeks) last Thursday.  This readjusting to a new country for those of us with impaired immune function is annoying.  Since I started working in a school again, I've caught 3 major bugs.  I'm burning through my sick days at an alarming rate.  What kills me is not the physical symptoms, but the mental ones.  Sleep-deprived Diana cannot cope with 14 year old sass in the way normal Diana can.  As you may notice from my word count calendar for NaNoWriMo, life in all its forms just about stopped for me mid-last-week.

While I'm still hacking up a lung every 30 minutes or so and choking down the Vitamin C like I do chocolate on my period, my basic brain functions returned Tuesday evening, and I was able to complete my work week.  But that's about all I've been able to manage.  Seriously... You should see the pile of laundry awaiting me for tomorrow.

The good news?  (1) I'm returning to hotline volunteering at the same place I worked three years ago (some new folks, some old friends).  (2) I was approved to run my high school's drama club (with plans to get my certification endorsement in theater if I pass the test in January and then teach theater as an elective next year).  (3)  Min Gi obtained his MD driver's license, so we have purchased a second used vehicle through my uncle who will drive it down to us when they visit for the Thanksgiving holiday.

# 3 is a mixed bag.  I don't really want to own one car, let alone two, but America is a country not well designed for pedestrian lifestyle, especially outside a major metropolitan city.  So cheers to the continued destruction of the environment...

On with the show!

Min Gi Arrived! New Job and Townhouse...

On Thursday, my lovely and wonderful husband arrived in America to begin the U.S. chapter of our life together.  He is now an official permanent resident of the United States, on his way to citizenship in a few years (if all goes according to plan, which it rarely does).

I have to say that for the last month, I've been in a major funk.  Most of this is attributable to my job struggle and stress (which I absolutely must blog about, but felt very uncomfortable doing as it unfolded for a variety of reasons--not the least of which was what might happen if potential employers discovered my blog) and not having my own place for the first time in my adult life without a definite plan for obtaining (and affording) one soon.  With Min Gi here again, I realize that a big part of it was also missing him.  He calms me down from my often irrational and uptight self and brings me back to reality. So, it's good to have him back.  He has also promised to start blogging (mostly in Korean, some in English perhaps), so I will be linking that blog soon.

As I mentioned, I have been offered and accepted a full time English teaching position at a small high school in the same county where I worked before going to Korea.  The position is for ninth grade regular level and an inclusion (half special education students) class, but my schedule is not completely definite at this point because the long term sub who I will be taking over from has been teaching a history elective that will be moved back to the social studies department, leaving me one class short.  It's A-day, B-day style block scheduling, but the ninth and tenth grade classes that are not honors level meet every day to prepare for the Maryland High School Assessment (HSA) which occurs at the end of English 10.  This is good for both the students, who get extra practice, and for me, who will have a smaller overall student load.

I took this job for many, many reasons beyond the fact that it was the first full time, contracted teaching position offered to me (though it was that, too).  In fact, before accepting, I had been very excited by a long term sub position in another county with an offer to move me into contracted as soon as a spot opened up--a county with a much better reputation for both education and for teacher support than the one I'm working for (again).  However, this school impressed me.  First off, I ran into the woman who trained me in the Resident Teacher Program I took to become certified six years ago while waiting for my interview.  We caught up, and since she works there as an Instructional Coordinator, she was, as always, very straight with me about the good and bad things about the school.  In the interview itself, one of the Assistant Principals (about five minutes in) said, "I'm not supposed to say this at this point, but I'm going to:  I like you.  I want you to work here."  It's flattering, but more importantly, being desired as a teacher at a school goes a long way towards winning administrators over to your side, which is absolutely necessary as a teacher new to a school.  Finally, they all but promised me Advanced Placement classes next year (which I LOVE teaching) and that they would support me in establishing a school theater program (this school has none).  I was sold.

The school is a bit out in the country, but I like that.  Yesterday (with the great assistance of my brother and good friend Michelle), Min Gi and I have moved to Waldorf, which is in Southern Maryland, a five minute commute from my new job and about 30 minutes from DC.  We took a two bedroom townhouse for us and the cats, ensuring plenty of space for any family members or friends from Korea who would like to visit.  Fortunately for me, Waldorf is also an area where I have a number of friends, thanks to my previous work with a community theater in neighboring La Plata, the Port Tobacco Players.  (As a welcome home present for Min Gi, I got us tickets to their production of Arsenic and Old Lace, which was fantastic, although it closed this weekend.)

So now, other than the insomnia from drinking too much caffeine to help with moving yesterday and the fact that the cats and a few boxes are still at my parents' house (hopefully this will be resolved today), we have accomplished my major goal for the year, which was to move us all here and find a good job.  I start teaching Monday, and while I'll do some prep work this week and attend back to school night this evening, I don't intend to stress any more about jobs until after I've begun working!

And that's what's been going on.

Top Ten Reasons to Return to U.S.A.

I've been struggling ever since buying my (much too expensive) plane ticket back to D.C. last week (and booking the kitties to ride with me, of course) with the reality that I'm leaving Korea--my home for the last three years.

I know I'm making the right choice for myself and my family in returning, but I am going to miss so many things about my life here and am returning to so much uncertainty (no job, no apartment, no health care--ack!) in a poor economic climate (when I know that if I stayed one more year here I'd be grad school debt free) that I keep second guessing my decision. What's really annoying is that my brain decided to wait until AFTER I've done something pretty permanent, like buying a one-way plane ticket and a visa for my husband, to start questioning my decision. Perhaps my brain knew better than to question before, since I'm facing some pretty compelling reasons to stay here one more year--not the least of which is that I love LOVE my job and it's likely the job market for teachers in the DC area (which is a hot mess right now) will be much more favorable at this time next year.

I need to list the reasons why I want to return so that I can make it more appealing.

1. Professional development. Having completed my MA last year, I'm now at a career stand-still in my current job, even though I love it. My long term career goals require me to return to the states for at least three years and possibly pursue certification in a second or third area and I can't really do that here.
2. Family. Can't get into this on the blog, but I've been away too long. It's been a rough year for the family and while my return will initially burden them, I think after a few months and getting established, I can help them out a lot.
3. Min Gi getting to know my culture. I've lived in his for three years, and it really allows me to appreciate him in ways I don't know that I would if I hadn't lived here. I'm hoping living in America does the same for him with me.
4. Value to society. In Korea, I'm kind of a non-member of society. My contributions here, while difficult for me and important for the people I see daily, are rather insignificant and shallow compared with when I lived in the U.S.
5. Certain hobbies. I haven't been able to do theater, sew, sail, garden, bake, swim regularly, or go camping in Korea. I miss these activities immensely. (Of course, conversely... continuing TKD, skiing, and swing dance will all be much more expensive in the U.S.)
6. Going Vegan. Considering doing this. In America, it will be much easier.
7. Seeing Green. Korea is a concrete jungle. Now, yes, I know the suburban sprawl has many disadvantages, not the least of which is rendering a car an almost necessity, but there are so many pretty parks in residential areas. I love being outdoors in the U.S. It's harder to get that feeling in Korea, though I certainly have found some ways to achieve it.
8. Diversity of Food. There is just so much more choice in America. Although I plan to try to eat more locally than I did when I last lived in the U.S., I still love wandering through supermarkets in general wonder and glee. Any ingredients you need to make Korean foods are readily available in America. This is NOT true in reverse. (For that matter, diversity in other things is also a good thing about America).
9. Privacy/Space. People have a wide personal space bubble and respect it. You can have an evening drink in your own backyard--a personal piece of paradise. No one will dare touch your boobs, your hair, or your car (or if they do, you're allowed to shoot them... well... maybe not, but certainly within your rights to give them a nasty dressing-down).
10. Bathtubs. It's just not the same to take your novel to the local jjimjilbang.

Care to add yours? Please... inspire me to want to go back to the U.S. Please... I'm on the verge of cancelling my ticket and signing on for another year...

Ten Most Influential Books

I heard about the NYTimes challenge on Ask a Korean's blog, but of course William and Danielle beat me to it. It took me a long time to figure out and filter what books had the biggest influence on my thinking (because the books that have influenced my writing the most are an entirely different set). I will list these roughly chronologically in the order that I encountered them in my life and why they had such a lasting impact.

1. Free to Be You and Me and the 1988 sequel, Free to Be a Family, was originally a folk song album and television show from the 1970s designed by Marlo Thomas and others to combat gender stereotypes in children's' stories. I listened to the album on Mom's old record player and read and re-read the stories so many times I still have them all practically memorized. Like I explained on my other blog, I was raised feminist.

2. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein began a lifelong love affair with poetry and the English language. I still have about 20 poems from this book memorized (among my favorites are "The Garden," the title poem, and "Snowman") and carried a battered, well-loved copy of this book (the same one I've had since childhood) with me to Korea. Whenever I have a bad day, I can take out this gem, read a poem from it, and magically be transported to a place beyond happiness and peace. Not only are the messages in the poems full of irreverence and magic, but the poems themselves are musical and funny. Because of Silverstein, I wrote poetry for most of my life, and though I have shifted mostly to prose at this point in my life, I remain forever devoted to the study and worship of verse. Especially silly stuff.

3. Letters to Judy: What Kids Wish They Could Tell You by brilliant young adult novelist, Judy Blume, was purchased by my mother in an attempt to better prepare herself for my adolescence. I quickly usurped it and spent hours pouring over the letters written to her by kids, not too unlike myself, who read her books and felt in her a kindred spirit--an adult who might actually be able to understand what they were going through. Her empathy with teens of all backgrounds and her desire to help communicate with the parents of those teens was admirable. This book taught me a lot about being a teen, but even more about being a good person. Although it has been many years since I have re-read the now yellowing pages, I believe that much of my empathy for and love of teens as a high school teacher grew out of this book.

4. A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. I know what you're thinking... does Shakespeare really influence anyone's thinking all that much? I mean, I know we love him and appreciate him and all that... but really? Shakespeare? Ok... I know this sounds really pretentious, but Shakespeare (and other Renaissance poets, actually) speaks to me. On a deeply personal level. Although Silverstein awakened my interest in poetry at a young age, when I first read Midsummer in seventh grade, I felt like I belonged in this world. I did not struggle with the language or themes at all--reading this play (and the other Shakespeare plays I read after) was like breathing for me--as effortless and as essential. Here is a story about female friendship betrayals, loyalty to a fairy world, striving for artistic excellence and failing, unrequited love, overbearing parents... It spoke to me on so many levels--the humor, the sadness, the wit, the magic. I have since read many other Shakespeare plays, and each one has affected me in similar ways, but of course this first encounter was the most powerful. I was lucky enough in 2006 to get to perform as Helena with The Port Tobacco Players and it was a transcendent experience. There. Now you know. I'm a Bard-worshipping fool.

5. In ninth grade, I was assigned Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, which is a wholly unremarkable book in the field of literary classics. I didn't particularly like any of the characters--they were whiny and entirely too passive for my tastes. I empathized most with the shrill, sickly, and controlling wife Zeena who is "holding" Ethan and Mattie back from pursuing their love and dreams. Furthermore, the book almost glorifies suicide as a valid solution to a seemingly impossible situation--gross! However, the experience of reading it changed my life and the way that I have read every book since then.

I think every smart kid studying literature in high school asks themselves: We look at all these themes and deep meaning and other such things in the books we read, but did the authors really mean to put them there? Aren't they just trying to tell a good story? Is literary analysis really just a bunch of erudite bullshit? Well, Wharton's novel was the first book where I saw the intentionality of the writer in making the setting reflect the internal mood of the characters--where I saw the motifs of light and seeing being woven with care to create a greater message about the control we might have over our own fate and Ethan's blindness to it. Perhaps the slight inferiority of the prose was the reason it was easier to see Wharton's heavy hand, but either way, I have read books since then with an eye for the author's purpose and never since thought literary analysis was anything but engaging in one of the most satisfying intellectual pleasures which is available to man. Or woman, if you prefer.

6. I first read Black Boy (American Hunger) by Richard Wright in tenth grade and was so absorbed by his prose and presentation of race and identity that I immediately checked out Native Son from the library. Reading Native Son on my own seems to have given me a radically different perspective on the book than most of my friends who read it with a high school teacher's guidance. I believe that we are not supposed to like Bigger (I hate him). His murder of his girlfriend (while on the run for the "crime" for which he is not responsible) was beyond cruel and cannot be blamed entirely on the racial atmosphere of Chicago. Bigger's continued unrepentance in the face of death further supports my belief that he is supposed to serve as a warning to young, black men not to let the racial injustices of the world corrupt and pollute their essence, not to excuse the violence of black men because the society is so stacked against them (as I have been told is the common interpretation of the book). His words have had a lasting influence on my understanding of race and of people different from myself (taking care not to oversimplify their lives based on my own faulty understanding) as well as on the need for personal responsibility in the face of difficulties both personal and political.

On another note, I think Wright is one of the finest writers and greatest minds ever to have lived, and find it disgusting that the majority of 20th century critics have relegated his accomplishments to being within the sphere of black civil rights writers. The issues he raises in his books resonate across human experience. What is perhaps most upsetting to me is that Wright died early (at the age of 52) in 1960, without ever getting to see the changes on American society wrought by the civil rights movement. Teaching Black Boy to tenth graders has only strengthened my love for this writer and his work.

7. In my first semester of college, I took a sophomore level literature survey with one of the most brilliant professors I had the joy of encountering, Donna Richardson. We began with a survey of Romantic poetry and in order to deal with the complexity of Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience by William Blake, three other members of the class and myself formed a twice-weekly study group that became almost legendary (students not in the class would ask to participate). Blake, along with Wordsworth and Shelley, helped me understand Christianity's influence on English literature in new ways. I never converted, but I became a lot more empathetic and curious about religion--even joining a non-denominational Bible study group and becoming obsessed with Milton's Paradise Lost and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar.

Although this experience would have changed my reading forever had tragedy not struck the group, the drowning death of one of the study group's founding members, Justin Bates (who did, not coincidentally, convert to born-again Christianity at the end of the semester of our study group), at the end of that first year of university reinforced the power and the potential danger of studying literature. By the time I watched Dead Poet's Society, I didn't even need to see the end. I had already lived it.

8. Ok, I love my parents dearly, and they are talented at many things, but they are not so good with money. After my first year in college, I realized that I needed to learn about personal finance if I was ever going to become an independent young woman. So I started reading the website, The Motley Fool, and then picked up You Have More Than You Think from the library. Although it is not my favorite personal finance book that I have read since then, I credit the book and the website with giving me my basic introduction to the language and principles of personal finance and putting me on a path to financial responsibility and independence.

9. I'm going to get a lot of crap for listing this in my ten most influential books, but I have to put it here for many, many reasons. I read it because my boyfriend in college was reading it for a philosophy class. Before I explain how a tome such as The Rules, which is so often criticized for its shallowness and anti-feminist rhetoric, ended up on this list, let me clarify what I think about the "method" for snaring "Mr. Right" espoused by the book: It's crap. The kind of man you get for stifling your opinions and emotions and faking how interesting you are is likely stupid (to be taken in by your antics) and chauvanistic (for believing that women shouldn't be too emotional or opinionated). I do not recommend anyone follow the ridiculous suggestions offered up by the book. That said...

Reading the introduction and the premise behind The Rules taught me a lot about how to set boundaries in relationships and how to value myself and my own opinions (including my opinion to reject the method in the book--ironically). Behind the ridiculousness of its packaging, the authors really want to help women who never bother to assess the behavior of men as telling you something about how they value (or don't as the case may be) you from their treatment of you. People who want to be in your life and will treat you with kindness and love behave in certain, predictable ways. While the book ironically recommends that women not behave in these ways towards men because men will become uninterested in them immediately (giving little credit to the brainpower of either gender), the lessons on lessening co-dependency and building trust slowly and appropriately in my life were well taken. This book also sparked an interest in other relationship books that led to my discovering ones that are much more useful and compelling in both the theory and the recommended practices. So yes, The Rules, you're on my list. And it is really a greater honor than you deserve.

10. Frank McCourt retired from teaching high school English and promptly wrote three memoirs destined to become classics within a very short time. Teacher Man was the last of the series that began with the highly acclaimed Angela's Ashes, and of course I read all three. I read a lot of teacher memoirs and biographies in my early years of teaching, but most of them were about amazing sacrifice and near-martyrdom of teachers. In America, we are in love with the teacher image that involves giving up everything of yourself to the noble altar of education. What I loved about McCourt's book is that it is refreshingly honest and doubting. Here is a man who was without a doubt a great teacher, but he talks about the great intentions we have on Friday nights to finally get caught up with all the grading, immediately waylaid by Friday Happy Hours with our co-workers. About struggling with students who challenge not just your authority, but your entire vision of what is true in the world. About dreaming of publishing your own writing, but being too caught up in the worlds of your students' writing to find the time. About feeling like you are swimming in mediocrity in a world that at once dismisses your profession and glorifies it in false ways. Actually, after writing this, I feel like I want to run out and read it again!

And so... those are the ten. Some books that barely missed the list include everything by Dostoevsky, War and Peace, The Iliad and The Odyssey, The Things We Carried by Tim O'Brien, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, everything by Ray Bradbury and Robert Heinlein, the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay, and the plays of Tennessee Williams (especially The Glass Menagerie).

My True Loves (Sunday Health #2)

I've been a little unfocused this week. Lately, I've become obsessed with simple living and minimalist blogs (I will be doing a review post of my favorites soon). I think it's because I'm nervous as heck about the cost of living in the Washington, DC area coupled with school district budget cuts which slash my chances of finding a good job when I return home. Anyhow, they've convinced me to take the plunge and make some steps towards minimalism, which actually ties in nicely to my new focus on health.

One of the first things any and all minimalism practitioners will tell you is that you have to focus on the things you truly love, your passions, and then cut out everything else that is unnecessary. It sounds simple, but I'm a dabbler. Actually if I could cheat and say "Engaging in lots of different things," I would, but I know that's too vague for this activity. It took me the better part of an hour to pare down my many hobbies/interests to my five true loves (and it required me to make a list of 6-10 strong likes that I will allow myself to do if all of the first five areas in my life are completely fulfilled at that moment--or as part of fulfilling one of the five true passions). Here are my five:

1) Spending quality time with my loved ones (Min Gi, my family, certain friends who are practically family).
2) Maximizing my health (includes cooking, exercise, and proper rest).
3) Teaching (I love it, and it's my career that will support our family in the years to come).
4) Writing (I can't not write. I've tried--it makes me anxious. But more than that, I really want to write books one day and if I don't make this the priority it really should be in my life right now, I'll never do that).
5) Reading high-quality material (It's my go-to entertainment. I include here both books and online reading--though I am trimming the latter category significantly because some of what I read online is not really fulfilling).

That's it. Those are really my five true loves. My #6-10 cheating back-up "lusts" are:

6) Travel
7) Theater
8) Volunteering
9) Dance
10) Language study (especially Korean)

Here's the thing... I knew these before (everyone with a touch of self-awareness knows their passions without having to think too much about it), but it surprised me when I realized how much I really love exercising and cooking healthy meals. I thought it was just something I did because I was supposed to, but no... I really am happiest when I am being physically active and eating delicious vegetables. Currently, taekwondo is my favorite way to be active, but I also like other movement (most notably hiking, swimming, and dancing). This is kind of shocking for someone who never did any sports in middle or high school.

What's more... I realized that I absolutely do not prioritize my life around the things that make me happiest and most fulfilled. I mean, sure, I think about these things nonstop, but when it comes down to the daily grind of choices I make all the time, I often choose a mindless or pointless activity, such as watching TV, getting caught up in the politics/ridiculousness of a situation over which I have no control, or reading crappy things on the internet that piss me off rather than really interest me, instead of one of my favorite things. So both of my health goals/habits to change this week are rooted in pursuing simplicity and embracing minimalism. They are: 1) to spend as much time as possible pursuing the five passions and start cutting out everything else and 2) to clean, organize and trim my possessions down to less STUFF getting in the way. (And continuing with my previous goals, all of which are going very well, and have resulted in another 0.5kg/1lb loss as well as a peaceful, happy state of mind).

I think pursuing #1 is about little things--the choices we make every moment. For example, walking to the subway instead of taking the bus lets me get more exercise and read (reading on the bus is impossible, on the subway--it's easy); choosing to go to swing dance only when Min Gi or other good friends do because that means I'm spending time with him and exercising more; writing in my blog instead of watching a downloaded TV show.

Today I managed to do this very well. I spent the day with Min Gi's family in Pohang. When we got home, I was tired, but rather than get on my computer and watch Season 3 of Ugly Betty or read a blog I hate (yes, I do this), I suggested to my husband that we go for a hike on the mountain behind our house. We were both thrilled! And I was feeling tired before the hike and wanted to go out for dinner and blow the progress I'd been making on being healthy, but the mountain air re energized me (as did the good conversation,) and we decided instead to have an omurice cooking "contest" for dinner (each of us prepare an omurice, a Korean dish that wraps vegetable fried rice in an omelet, in our own styles and then enjoy the results together--teasing each other about who did a better job). It was wonderful (both the food and the company). And we may have developed a new Sunday ritual for us. Bonus!

I'm boring, but I'm not bored

(Try explaining the above sentence to EFL students.)

My life has become dull and boring these days as I rest up and try to heal. On the plus side, I'm bonding with my kitties and fully caught up on Desperate Housewives. Then, on the downside, I have very little to write about and less energy to do it.

However, I am really excited about some upcoming projects I'm working on for my classes with William. Our last effort turned into the school's first English Theater Festival, which made the school look really good, so we've pretty much been allowed to do whatever we want with our classes since then. Within some limits (mostly placed by my least favorite person at the school, who is unfortunately also the most powerful).

I hope when I get a job in the U.S. next year I enjoy my co-workers as much as I do at this school. I've been pretty lucky in all three teaching jobs I've worked in that I had good people I could count on--both friends and bosses. Not everyone is so lucky.

Arrived/DC Memorials Near the Mall

Yes, we have safely arrived in America, after a difficult 22+ hour day of travel and then delicious Mexican food, and are enjoying the relaxing time in my parents' nicely remodeled home. I will update more about family for another time.

Our first day in America, we drove down to La Plata, where I used to do community theater, to see the final performance of Port Tobacco Players' Sweeney Todd. The play was amazing--the special effects and choreography created a great background mood for standout performances from the actress playing Mrs. Lovett and the actor playing young Toby. All of the other cast members were wonderful as well. I know the director and the producer well and have worked with them before, so I had high expectations for this production, but they were definitely surpassed. Bravo to everyone involved!

I also got to say hi to many old friends and introduce them, if briefly, to Min Gi. I miss this group of people so very much; I often reflect on how much I miss doing theater work, but the truth is that it is working with such awesome folks that makes the theater stuff so fun. I'll definitely get involved again when I'm back in the U.S. to live.

After the show, we headed to Northern Virginia to meet Amanda and Good Man for Chinese food. It was a great time, but too bad Amanda has to start teaching again, so she can't come play during weekdays. However, we did convince Good Man to join us the next day for shenanigans on the National Mall.

***

This morning, Min Gi and I headed down to the National Mall to meet Good Man and Peter, a friend of mine from high school. We started out at the Air and Space Museum, which is still pretty cool, even if some of the exhibits are now slightly outdated.

Models of Missiles--from an exhibit on the role of the military in space and flight development.

In another note, the Smithsonian Institute has sold out--the cafeteria now features overpriced McDonald's instead of overpriced generic Smithsonian cafeteria food. How tragic. We moved on to the memorials after checking out exhibits on aerial photography, the Wright Brothers, and the role of computers in space and flight technology.

Peter and I at the (relatively) new World War II Memorial, with the Washington Monument in the background.

Today was the anniversary of the armistice for the end (sort of) of the Korean war, so all the flags at the memorial sites were at half-mast, and the Korean War Memorial was decorated with funerary bouquets from the various embassies whose soldiers participated (and died) in the war effort on behalf of the UN.

Korean Soldiers in Rain Gear

Reflected Min Gi at the Korean War Memorial, carved with the faces of soldiers.

Finally, we worked our way around the reflecting pool, past the tidal basin to the Lincoln Monument, the Vietnam Memorial, and the White House (from a distance).

Vietnam War Memorial

After that, we walked up towards Metro Center to find a bar for a happy hour toast to our day's adventure. Good times and good fun for everybody! Check out the rest of the day's photos:

DC Memorials Near the Mall

I'm going home...

Well... but let's hope I don't end up like Tim Curry's character did after he sang that song--betrayed by his lieutenant transvestite (who, it turns out, was having an incestuous and kinky relationship with his sister's elbows) before having his self-created true love murdered as he climbed a flimsy RKO set.

On the home front, I will be in America (mostly based in the Washington, DC area) from July 25 to August 17 (arriving back in Korea on August 18). I'm very excited to see family and friends and especially to introduce Min Gi to my culture and the people I love. However, preparing for my first real visit "home" in almost two years has taken most of my time, both logistically and emotionally. It's weird, but it's like in college when I was always "going home"--both when I went to my parents' house and then when I went back to the dorms. Straddling two places at once that both feel like home is rough. I imagine, now that I'm marrying a Korean person, more than just because I lived here, when I go to a third country that's not America or Korea, I'll be living in three places at once.

Well, that's been occupying my brain a lot lately. I started this post a long time ago, but some other things have prevented me from blogging well.

If you read William's blog, then you can see why I've been so busy at work, as well as how I ended up in my second Korean news article about my teaching endeavors. The theater festival was a great success. I am so, so proud of these kids. They are unbelievably awesome. Check out my photos from the second and first grade festivals, held over two days:

English Theater Festival at 외고.

The only unfortunate thing was that it made our rude, lazy, power-hungry principal look good. I shouldn't bash my boss on my blog, but he can't understand it, even though he used to teach English. Also, I don't really cares what he thinks anymore because the man fell asleep and sent LOUD text messages during the entire student festival. He is rude and disrespectful to the other teachers at the school and especially to the students, and I know that culturally, as the oldest person in the school, he can treat us however he wants and it's ok, but WHAT AN ASS.

In my personal life, I've been busy taking care of wedding planning, contract renewal, and details for moving when I return to Korea after my trip. More details coming soon, including information about my swine flu "quarantine" and a recap of the windy, crazy Mud Festival.

Memories.

Monday evening.

"Oh," says my friend Hee Jeong as we're getting ready to depart from The Coffee Bean (which I've learned has a fine selection of teas--yay to my non-dairy-consuming self) and go our separate ways. "What are you and your boyfriend doing tomorrow?"

"No plans yet."

"Do you want these tickets to see Cats? I got them from work, but I can't go."

"Sure! Where's the show?"

"Daegu Opera House. At 2 p.m." She hands me two tickets with the value of 100,000 won printed on each.

"Oh my. Are you sure you don't want them?" She assures me that she does not and tells me the seat is not yet assigned, so I'll have to present them at the box office. "Thank you so very much!"

And just like that my Children's Day holiday is planned.

***

The seats ended up being AMAZING. We were off to the left of the stage... in the FRONT ROW (Ok, sort of the front row. There was a section for VIPs in front of us that had three rows, but we had the leg room and entering/exiting actors passing by us that accompanies the front row!). I was all jittery and excited. I haven't been to live theater very often in Korea; it's always been one of my favorite things to do.

The whole thing was in Korean, so it's lucky I already knew this musical so well from my Broadway obsession in middle and high school. The dancers were amazing, and the singing beautiful. Sometimes when Korea takes another culture's art form, it focuses too much on the technical execution of it and not enough on the soul and power of the art, but in this case it worked alright because Cats doesn't have much of a plot. The only thing I was disappointed with was the lack of a live orchestra. Other than that, it was a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

Min Gi said it was his first time in the Opera House. He was excited also, but for different reasons. Sometimes I wonder at how different our lives were growing up. Three decades ago in Korea is almost as distant a place as you can get from two decades ago in the suburbs of DC. Min Gi's country had only just pulled themselves out of war-starved poverty when he was born, and didn't become a dominant economic power until he was in middle or high school. Going to the theater wasn't just an option his family chose not to partake of--it wasn't possible. Whereas by high school, I had seen numerous productions at the Kennedy Center, Folger Shakespeare Library, and others. Hell, I was so in love with theater that at that time in my life I planned to be a professional stage designer.

Sometimes I think about how frivolous my life has been and feel guilty about it. That somehow all the power and privilege I was born to--being from an upper-middle class home, the daughter of two highly educated scientists, white, American--would have been wasted less on someone like Min Gi. Someone who would have appreciated it more as it was happening, who would have done something with it.

But then I think that the whole reason my parents worked as hard as they did (and their parents before them and so on) was to build a life (hell, to build a country) where I could lead a life of frivolity because I was finally free to choose whatever it is that I wanted to do. Even so, it wasn't until recently that I came to appreciate just how free I am. My parents didn't want me to become an artist (and in the end I didn't... although who knows whether this writing thing will pan out now that I have the time to devote to it). They wanted me to be a scientist. But in the end, they supported my decision, whatever it was.

And then I start to wonder if in the end, maybe Min Gi and I didn't grow up so differently after all. He has the mind and soul of an artist or a philosopher, but was never given the support to pursue that side of himself. Instead, he was encouraged to pursue the route of practicality and financial stability. Now he's floundering between who he should have been in his culture's eyes and who he should have been by his nature.

I love him for this, even though he sees it as a weakness. Perhaps he'll learn, as I did, to be comfortable and proud of who he is when he gets to see the way other countries operate. Maybe he won't feel so pressured by a society that tells him that at 35, he's a loser for not being married, with two kids, in a stable company job that works him 80 hours/week. Maybe not, but I really hope so.

I don't know the Korean verses, but I sure as hell have this soundtrack playing through my head this evening:

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise.
I must think of a new life,
And I mustn't give in.
When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too,
And a new day will begin.

Dear Seoul,

I need to write you a letter of apology. After the amazing weekend we spent together at the Korean Lindy Exchange, I realize I may have been hasty in judging you so negatively. You see, my dear, when I first met you, your size and complexity scared me a little. Although I had a delightful time with family and friends, I didn't really get a chance to know you. In fact, I kind of ignored you, just looking a bit at your shiny displays in Cheongyecheon and spending most of my time outside of your center.

I continued to dismiss you through several more visits as a fun place to visit, but a rotten place to live. Sure, I knew you had great food and good shopping. I knew you had wonderful museums and beautiful sites. I even partook of some of your great festivals. I loved it when you sent your swing dancers down to more provincial Daegu, as they had grown exceptional from your nightly dancing options.

However, I've come to realize, my dear Seoul, that my hatred of you was like hatred of anything in life--based on ignorance and insecurity (or fear). I have largely defeated my ignorance of both Korea and you, finally coming to understand your complicated subway lines and orient myself in some of the areas that are full of interesting sites. So all that remained was my own insecurity. And these are largely the same insecurities I have experienced about large cities my whole life.

You see, I am very uncomfortable in cities. Although I love cultural features available exclusively to city dwellers, such as live theater and swing dancing, I prefer to be surrounded by nature--water, trees, mountains. I get confused easily in crowded areas with lots of buildings that all look the same to me (though I immediately know if I've walked past a particular group of trees or stream before, even if many years have passed). Furthermore, I am nervous around city folk. They are suave and know about things like fashion and social climbing--things that I have no talent for understanding. I feel like I won't be able to make friends. That I'll be condemned to repeat the socially awkward teenage years of the introverted nerd that I really am deep down.

But the thing is, lovely city, this was based on a ridiculous assumption of my own extreme social failure. I made plenty of friends this weekend--and connected with many more I'd met at previous swing events. Even people with whom I can barely communicate hugged me as I departed Sunday night.

So you see, Seoul, I still don't want to live with you--truth is, if I did, I'd be fat and broke from your delicious food and sad so far from natural surroundings--but I can see now why people, even sane ones, might enjoy life within your bounds. Thank you for helping me to understand that I'm finally confident enough in myself to live anywhere in the world--even in a big city.

With great love and appreciation,
A swing dancer

Seoul Tower

Hanoi, Vietnam

I began my Vietnam trip in the capitol city, Hanoi. Hanoi has beautiful architecture (which was quite a relief after Korea's bland, concrete monotony) characterized by narrow, long houses--influences from when the French taxed residents based on the width of buildings. The city is also a traffic nightmare, since there are more motorbikes and bicycles than cars and the motorbikes do not stop for pedestrians--you simply look forward and walk at a slow, steady pace and trust that they'll drive around you. I found it best to cross with a local.

More evidence of Hanoi residents' insane apathy towards the risks that motorized transport entails. Yes, this rail track is active daily.

My first full day in Vietnam, I took off with a girl I met at my hostel (highly recommended if you're traveling to Hanoi) to explore the many museums and monuments in and around the city. Everything was beautiful, but crowded with tourists (and of course, the people trying to sell things to the tourists).

I visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum and the museum and sites around it. Then I went to the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's oldest university which was very beautiful, and I found myself making comparisons between temple/palace sites in Korea and the same in Vietnam (Vietnam's always have water; Korea's art is more linear and clean, Vietnam's more intricate suggesting a more direct Hindu influence on its Buddhism). After lunch, I took in the Hoa Lo Prison (otherwise known as the "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam war). The exhibits all focused on the French colonists' imprisonment (and torture) of Vietnam national activists under French rule. Finally, I ended my day at the Museum of Vietnam History, near Hoan Kiem Lake.

Me in front of the One Pillar Pagoda (notice how it's surrounded by water).

All of these things were interesting, and you should definitely check out my photos from the album linked at the bottom of this post, but nothing from my day compared to the evening. I had tickets to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theater.

Now, I am a former theater techie and have a huge thing for puppets and whatnot, so I was already really excited about seeing the water puppets in Vietnam. It's a unique art form to the northern half of the country, developed as a way to appease the gods and entertain villagers when the rice fields overflowed (which happens a lot in a country that is essentially at sea level). The program featured 17 songs, each with unique puppets and motions. It was difficult to get pictures because the puppets moved so quickly and naturally, but that didn't stop me from taking a lot!

The musicians concentrate as they play on traditional Vietnamese instruments.

An excerpt from the story of Hoan Kiem Lake (the legend of the restored sword)

The puppeteers take a bow. They used to get diseases from prolonged exposure to the dirty water, but nowadays they wear waders.

Finally, one of the excerpts I filmed, the "Dragon Dance":



I was completely mesmerized by the performance. I want to try it! Maybe next time.

Check out the rest of my pictures from the day's adventures. There are photos from most of the museums (though not of President Minh because cameras were not permitted inside the Mausoleum) and the lake as well as some random propaganda seen around town and other fun pictures:

Around Hanoi (museums, etc.)

Update from Vietnam

So far, I have...

...seen an extremely unique form of perfomance art--water puppets.
...slept on a boat in Ha Long Bay, after kayaking around caves and swimming in the salty, still water.
...honored Ho Chi Minh with my silent walk around his well-preserved body (complete with face that still looks like it's plotting evil deeds).
...made friends with Germans, Malaysians, Danes, Australians, a Canadian, a Scot, and another American.
...spoken in Korean with a couple of Vietnamese guys who used to work in Daejeon.
...been bitten by too many mosquitoes to count.
...eaten too much good food to list.
...bartered with shopkeepers.
...narrowly avoided motorbikes on the busy streets of Hanoi; barely escaping with my life.
...climbed a mountain in a national jungle preserve on Cat Ba island.
...read most of Obama's first book.
...become addicted to Vietnamese style coffee.
...generally been having a grand old time and taken lots of pictures of it all that I will share when I return to Korea.

Tonight is my last in Hanoi. I will visit a pagoda tomorrow and then move on to the ancient cities of Hoi An and Hue via overnight train. I will come back to Hanoi for my last afternoon here (for present shopping and possible spa visiting).

Homesick...

...

There's not much to say about it, as it's really a drag. I didn't realize how homesick I was until I was researching the JET program (Min Gi and I had a crazy idea that after I renew my current contract once more--for 2009-2010, we could go work in Japan for a year or two) and was trying to figure out what the hell I'd do with myself for the not-quite-one-year between the end of my contract at this school (end of August) and the JET start date (start of August), and realized that I could go home and teach for the 10 months easily.

As soon as the idea came into my head, I was hit by how much I miss my family (and some other things about America, like working at the suicide hotline and doing community theater) and how much I HATE not being there when my dad's suffering so much.

My mom sent me an amazing Christmas package (which I already opened, of course!), and it just overwhelmed me. What they're dealing with there while I'm off having "adventures" over here. And I felt so... lost. And really... what the hell am I doing here? Anything useful or interesting? Anything worth being unable to go home for a few months while my dad's immune system is so compromised my very presence, coming as I am from a foreign country, would seriously endanger his life? Is Korea really worth that?

I'd usually say, "yes," without hesitation because I know and I trust that his doctors are doing what is right and that he will be fine and I'll spend August at home... That this is where I need and want to be right now... That my parents fully support my decision and know I'm happy here...

But today... today I just want to be HOME.

Dammit. Stupid tears. Doesn't help that Christmas is in two days.

I thought I was going to be ok this year.

Soju; Graduation; Gravity?

Last night the teachers of Oedae went out for a dinner party, and in true Korean fashion, all hell broke loose when the soju came out. Well, not really. But we did end up at a noraebang and staying out until three am. It was fantastic. My co-workers are the best people EVER. And shockingly, I was completely fine when I woke up the next day all excited about the final Korean class for the YMCA.

Most of our class, with the cute teacher(standing next to me). I realize this is a horribly unflattering photo of all of us, but I blame the fluorescent lights...
Instead of regular class with the Sogang texts, we wrote our New Year's resolutions (yes, in Korean). Then the cute teacher gave us Christmas cards, and we gave him chocolates. We got together with the beginner class and had a little graduation ceremony and pizza. I'm so proud! (Note: Also, as a public service announcement--since people have asked--the new round of classes at the YMCA begin January 12 at 11am. Get out at exit 14 of Banwoldong station and it's a little to the left on the second floor. Feel free to e-mail me for more info or if you need someone to meet you and show you where the place is.)

And Samantha told me that the beginner class doesn't understand our fascination with/eternal love for the teacher. But, after taking some photos of him, I can understand that. His hotness is so about mannerisms and personality and amazing brilliance as a teacher and only a little about physical appearance--as most of my prolonged Korean crushes seem to be.

Then on my way back home for Saturday taekwondo (which was awesome), I was distracted by a random dance show at the underground mall (Metro Center) around the Banwoldong station. I took some really awesome pictures of bellydancing and b-boys:

Bellydancing is such a craze here. These ladies were quite good (I've seen a range of talent at this point with the Korean bellydancing)

I love these floaty things that remind me of the ribbons from rhythm gymnastics...

The body paint jobs on these guys were what first caught my eye...

...And then they started to do crazy, impossible-seeming dance moves. And even though they are probably 16, I think I'm in love.

I realized that as a photographer, I seem to have an obsession with photographing performances. Maybe it's my love for theater. At any rate, I'm pretty sure that the laws of gravity don't apply to b-boys, which you can see if you want to check out the full album:

Gravity?/YMCA Graduation...

Saturday TKD rocked again. I feel so good about being strong and healthy. And I really did start this post at the time it says, so I'm keeping it. Sorry about the lack of updating. It will be explained soon.

Gyeongju World Culture Expo

On Sunday, Samantha and I headed out to the Gyeongju World Culture Expo. Originally we planned to go out to Bulguksa temple also, but we were tired from a night of soju-ing and feeling a little lazy. We also seriously underestimated how much there was to see and do at the World Culture Expo and in Gyeongju as a whole. Apparently, we have a knack for ending up at these huge culture festivals in Korea with lots of stuff to see and buy that are rather crowded. I was reading that this particular Culture Expo only happens once every three years and we hit the last weekend of the events (although they are going on until Friday if you're trying to catch them). I feel like we lucked into a pretty cool day, considering how lazy I felt at the start of it!

We hopped an express bus to get out to the city which is about a 50 minute ride from Dongdaegu station. There was supposed to be a tourist info booth next to the bus terminal, but it was closed--eep! Fortunately we met two nice Korean men who directed us to the number 10 bus to get to the expo. The 10 took us to the festival in about 30 minutes, but it was a pretty crazy ride because it was standing room only. I don't mind standing on subways, but buses with their lack of proper shocks can be brutal!

The second Korean man, English name James, happened to be pretty fluent in English because he had backpacked around Europe and travelled extensively. He was headed to the Expo also, so he guided us there and hooked us up with the English programs at the tourist booth at the Expo and everything. He was really nice and wanted to meet up later, which would have been cool, but there were hundreds and hundreds of people there and we never did find him again. Too bad!

The Expo was spread out over a large park that was next to Gyeongju World, a smallish amusement park that looked worth visiting for a roller coaster fix. It's most prominent feature is the Gyeongju tower, that I photographed in both the day and the night. The program noted that we had missed the B-Boy show (darn... I was looking forward to drooling over sexy dancer boys), but we saw there was a sculpture garden near the back of the park and I thought that would have some cool picture opportunities. I was proved correct:

My Chinese zodiac sign, the cock.

Look, somebody painted these trees! This picture really shows how incredibly gorgeous the day was with the trees in all their autumnal splendor; and happens to be one very rare spot where it was relatively un-crowded.

There were lots of museum-like exhibits in various buildings. We found Diana's version of hell--the "Character Fantasy World." It had lots of cute chibi anime characters, but also thousands of small children running amok among the exhibits, screeching and posing for pictures. If I am a very bad person, that's where I'll end up.

Samantha's version of hell was one of my favorite exhibits--the world puppet exhibition. Given that I used to fantasize about working in the Creature Feature Shop when I grew up and loved constructing puppets, I took lots of pictures of the random displays.

Aren't these puppets awesome? Yes, the naked one has a giant phallus. Aren't you glad I shared?

Finally, we caught a couple shows. First there was the scandalous (for Korea) belly dancers who were quite impressive and colorful:

Look at the body position. My lord that's hot. Plus, I'm getting better at capturing action shots, aren't I?

On the main stage, we caught the end of the Malaysian dancer show, but I don't have any pictures of that one because I was the "random token foreigner" pulled from the audience to dance onstage at the end of the show. Samantha took pictures of me looking like a complete dork, so maybe she'll post some on her blog, Here and now. I also got a Malaysian flag for my good sportsmanship. Yay.

The last show of the night was called "The Silk Road" and was this really trippy, acrobatic-heavy show featuring a cultural amalgamation of dance from all over the world. I got to practice action photography at night--spiffy!

While this was not my favorite photo from the show, I thought it was a cool stunt. The weird guy off to the right pulled four men up on stage and got them to form this human sculpture on the plastic stools that he then pulled out from under them so that they were only supported by their body weight. The men were very good sports. It was pretty neat overall.

I took a lot more pictures that were great, but I figure if you really want to check out my photography skillz (yeah, that's right. With a "z"), you can check out the Picasa album:

Gyeongju World Culture Expo

It was a fun trip. I even got to eat overpriced but tasty curry from the "international" food tent. We caught a bus back to Daegu and I crashed almost as soon as I got home. It was pretty awesome and Gyeongju is a beautiful city. I am pleased to have an excuse to visit it again to check out the temple. The tourist info calls it the "museum without walls" which seems pretty accurate and thus, of course, a place that my dorky self adores.

Hahoe Village

Samantha and I visited the Andong Mask Festival and Hahoe Folk Village on Sunday. The mask festival was much bigger than I expected (as many "international" festivals in Korea turn out to be local festivals where they hope to attract foreigners). There were artisans and performers from all over the Asian continent (and a few shout-outs to other continents in colorfully informative booths). We probably could have spent a lot longer wandering around the festival and seen some of the shows or tried some of the crafts demonstrations, but we didn't want to spend too much money (as it was I bought a beautiful necklace and a colorful scarf and was sorely tempted by some gorgeous pottery) and we wanted to check out the folk village.

Hahoe Village--because you know you love Korean scarecrows at least as much as I do, right?

Hahoe is a living history museum of sorts. The government makes an effort to support the residents of Hahoe in preserving the older customs of Korean country life. The village has both the thatched roof houses of the lower classes and the tiled roof homes of the educated yangban.

Juxtaposition of thatched and tile roofs

The residents have allowed their village to become a tourist destination, so some efforts at preservation are marred by the overwhelming presence of minbaks (hotels) and the fact that tourism is probably the main way many of these "farmers" support themselves.

A lone antenna is evidence of modernization. Yes, Dad. I was thinking of you when I took this picture!

However, wandering even a little bit off the main path, you will find the residents of Hahoe engaged in the daily tasks of Korea of old. Including, apparently, the important one of play fighting with metal pipes and then tossing the hay near a ditch around, at least until you notice the weird foreign lady watching you and run away.

Young Hahoe residents before I frightened them away

Besides looking at the breathtaking scenery and observing the older ways of life, the Hahoe Mask Dance Drama is performed daily on weekends by local actors. The masks are quite unique, with movable jaws that allow for many different expressions. Many of the actors were quite funny and the crowd was huge, so getting good pictures was difficult. I got some that were ok.

Here the drunk dude leans on the narrator (I think he was supposed to be either the scholar or the witty servant... It's hard to tell since I missed the first half of the show)

For great photos of the traditional drama, I refer you to Jane's trip to Hahoe (and just amazing photos in general that put mine to shame). Since it was the weekend of the Mask Festival, the village pavillion also hosted a mask dance group from the small country of Bhutan (don't worry--Shelly and I hadn't heard of it either...).

The costumes were fascinating and the athleticism of the performers was impressive

Since we arrived pretty late in the day, we didn't have time to take the little gondola across the river and hike up the mountain path. That's too bad, but I did get mask decoration Christmas presents for my family (and one for me, of course) and some cell phone tag decorations (very popular here) for Sa Beom Nim. I took some other photos of the performances and architecture/scenery of the village that you can check out on the Picasa album below.

Hahoe Village (Andong, South Korea)

The mask festival is an experience worth having again. It kind of reminded me of the DC Folk Festival around the 4th of July or even the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Many people even dressed up in the hanbok to attend (which is nowhere near as cleavage happy as the rennfest costuming, but still pretty cool).

Job Interviews, Missing Friends, and Plays...

Oh my!

It has been a dreadfully busy past few days.

Thursday I went to see my seventh grade English teacher, Mrs. Lundahl (who looks more fabulous than I remember her looking, and this is about a million, or 14, years later). Her current seventh graders (sevies, if I recall proper middle school terminology) were putting on a Global Issues Symposium and Mrs. Lundahl invited me to be a judge for their presentations. It was quite an experience--between remembering my own time in her classroom and at Eastern Middle and enjoying the success of these bright young people from my stance as a HS teacher I was rather joyously reflective. I remembered why I patterned most of my off-the-cuff pedagogy from Mr. Greenwood and her--because they were some of the best teachers I have ever known in my whole life, especially with us oddball freaky smarty pants kids. I grudgingly admit that Mr. Creel falls in that category, but I still do not forgive him for "Ekelperson."

Which reminds me... Dad found a birth certificate for his paternal grandfather in his mom's old stuff down in Florida. Did you know that we have been spelling our last name wrong all this time? I have been living a lie! I am sorry friends... dreadfully so.

I guess all that does is weaken my resistance to seeking publication under my pen name (which has finally solidified comfortably, though I will not reveal it in this blog), since I have such a lack of attachment to my last name. I think if I had half as cool a last name as I did a first name, I'd be more attached. The only reason I like it more is that now, when you google me, all of the stuff that pops up is ACTUALLY about ME (which is not true for everyone).

Ok, enough sidebar.

Back to Thursday... After I finished up at my little middle school flashback adventure, I met Anne for a last hoorah and late dinner at Franklin's in Hyattsville. Is it wrong that I take perverse pleasure in the fact that whenever Anne and I are out together we regularly get comments from waitstaff like we did there along the lines, "I have no idea what you are talking about, but you two are absolutely hilarious"? Especially since this wasn't our waitress, so she wasn't working us over for the tips quite so obviously. I don't know... it makes me feel more interesting. But seriously, Anne and I should have our own weird little television show. It would entertain me highly. Some other people would watch it--like Sam. And Sarah. And Gillian.

That might be our entire viewing audience...

I'll miss my Anne-nan, who is probably just now arrived in Singapore to begin her far east adventure. I await the day that we will reunite in Aug 2008 for our South Pacific adventures! Watch out, Indonesia! Take care, Australia! Beware, New Zealand!

On Friday, I had my phone interview first thing in the morning (like 6:15 am first thing). It went very well. I will have to think about where I want to teach more seriously since I now have a couple semi-offers that would be good.

After school, Meesh and I visited my favorite bartender in the whole wide world, Carlos, who brings me salsa, chardonnay, and kisses! I'm gonna miss Chevy's and being the "Salsa Queen." Then I went to the hotline and hung out with Mike (who is AWESOME). We were both so tired and had to keep doing stuff to force ourselves awake, like telling jokes and talking about movies.

Saturday I slept in. Really late. Like so late I rolled out of bed and went straight to work. Except that over IM, Meesh and I started planning our zany DC tourist adventure. So much madness. So much fun.

Then I headed down south to check in with my La Plata folks because Glass Menagerie closes today. The production was beautiful--Lisa Kay and Jodie were simply amazing in their roles and Randy's vision brought out some nuances of the show that made me think about it in new ways (which is pretty hard to do since I've taught the play so many times). Dav's final monologue was great, as were Kyle's interactions with Jodie when he has to leave the house; these moments were the highlight of their performances. I know them both too well as friends and actors to be objective in my analysis, but I did think that this was Dav's most mature performance I've seen and Kyle's most finely varied and subtle performance to date. I'm glad they have Never Swim Alone for the playful stuff, but this play does demand a more serious mien and they definitely rose to the occasion (and since I know Dav is one of five people who read this thing, I'll say "Bravo!").

Then Rachel was having a shindig for her 21st, so I made my way over there. So much fun to see everybody (well, at least a bunch of people). I am going to miss theater productions in Korea. I know I'll be super busy with everything else I'm doing, but I adore putting on good plays. Maybe I'll try to start an improv group over there... hm... I wonder if any expats living there would be interested? I've taught it before, so I don't even need experienced performers, just people who want to have fun and try to put on some shows at bars and such.

I guess we'll see...

And now... Sunday morning I was supposed to go help the 'rents again with the basement, but I'm just too pooped to do much. I don't get much downtime anymore. I hope things will relax a bit as the school year ends. I need to finish a whole bunch of papers for grad school and things.