The intolerable wrestle / With words and meanings

Artsy Fartsy November and December

2011-12-23T19:59:00.017-05:00

Well, here it is, Christmas break, and I haven't updated since before Halloween. I need to get better about this thing... especially since I can't really remember what happened to me if I don't write it down.

October held one more surprise for me. Halloween morning, the weather seemed befitting of the day--it rained heavily the night before, and there was some serious flooding on the day. I heard it all over the news and had the fleeting thought that, I should turn on my phone, but didn't do it at that that exact moment and therefore forgot. I drove through a small lake on South Miami Avenue, fearing I would stall out, and got to work only to discover that not a single other car was in the parking lot. I feared the zombie apocalypse had finally come, and walked to my room to discover that there was a puddle in the middle of the room and the power flickering on and off. My neighbor was there and let me use his printer, but by this time I figured I'd better turn on my phone and find out what the heck was going on.

There were three texts on my phone and one voice mail, all trying to relay the message that school was, indeed, cancelled. Greeeeaaaat. So, lucky me, I had a very special Halloween day off like a Halloween miracle.

Sometime in the past few months (I can't remember where, exactly, this fit in) some of my other female coworkers and I went to a place called Painting with a Twist. This is an art studio where you get a personal paining class and you can bring wine and food while you paint. You walk away with a painting that you did yourself.

It sounds a little intimidating, sure. I have very little artistic talent, at least in the visual arts, and I really did not think I could paint a picture that would look like anything not painted by Jackson Pollack. But I did! Here's the before...

And, after some wine, some snackies, and only a little bit of stress, here's the after! (Note the bottle of wine in the pic, lol!)

Not only was painting fun, but it was a beautiful metaphor for life. Every time I got freaked out that I'd messed it up irrevocably, a teacher would come over and tell me just to let it dry a little and paint over it. You can't make a mistake because it's art, and if it's "wrong" or you don't like it, after a little bit of time you can just fix it. That's deep. I can't wait to go back and paint something else!

Even though it's a terrible picture, here we are together, my paining and I. I even wore my "art teacher" smock/shirt-thingy so I could get into the spirit.

The painting is currently hanging in my bathroom.

November brought the birthdays of two very special people. My Mema, who turned 86, and Sister Fanny, who turned 80. Sister Fanny is just one of those people that makes me happy. She has been a Salesian Sister longer than I've been alive and she still is so happy every day. She makes copies at school and runs a little after-school store, but more than that she tells jokes and just makes everyone happy.

There was a "surprise" party for her at the convent in Naples, and some of us went over to help her celebrate. There were even mixed CDs to rock out to on the drive. We ate (and ate...) and toured Sister Pat's new school, which is lovely, and played F-A-N-N-Y, which is similar to Bingo (okay... it IS Bingo but with different letters). Here's the birthday girl, who made out like a bandit!

November and December were artsy months for me. It was Art Basel time again, and a girl from work got us into an Absolute Vodka party for an Art Basel event. It was sort of a fun girls' night out and I felt super classy and artsy. The evening ended in some falafel from a food truck, which is a win on several levels.

The next weekend was an Art Walk, a free event I've written about here before. It's a night when the art galleries in the Wynwood district downtown open their doors for people to wander through. Some, I'm sure, actually buy art, while poor teachers like me and my friends simply walk around, take pictures, observe humanity, and feel classy. There are food trucks too, which is sort of a budding culture here in Miami; a budding culture I fully support.

The exhibitions are always interesting, at the very least. This was sort of a camouflage deer event happening and I found this little guy and this little corner to be very appealing.

This was a wall near the deer that I just thought was amazing to look at. I couldn't stop staring.

There's all kinds of art at Art Walk including plants. This one trapped The Aussie!

Art Walks are one of the free, great, cultural events in Miami. It's always a good time, especially when you go with the right people.

The official beginning of the holiday season for me was an early viewing of Love Actually and The Polar Express. I somehow seemed to get a little Christmas spirit early this year--normally I don't get it until I'm back in Michigan, if then. Also, the Weavers had an ugly sweater party in early December, which helped to foster some Christmas joy.

My sweater was borrowed and HIDEOUS. It had about 15 tiny bells on the front, which rang every time I moved, creating this high-pitched whine that nearly drove me crazy. Some of the other sweaters were equally terrible, including the winning one which was a lovely depiction of a tiger.

The part inspired me to take some awkward family photos, with the hosts. I'm thinking Christmas card next year?

Last year at work we began a tradition of having a Christmas party at the convent. It was a great way for the faculty and staff to come together outside of school and just relax and be. Last year, I really enjoyed myself and this year I did too. First of all, I discovered that the convent has a nice little backyard area, which they used to barbecue. I had no idea that existed last year! I didn't make it past the craft room. lol

I had lovely conversations while I ate with several people that I don't really talk to much at work--not for any reason in particular, just because we're not really in the same cirlces. It was nice to get to know them a little better, which is one of the reason why this party is so nice. It helped me get into the holiday spirit, even though it was pretty warm outside.

So now I'm back in Michigan for both Christmas AND New Years. This will be my first NYE in Michigan in a while, and I'm going to a friend's wedding so it should be a good time. So far, my time here has been spent relaxing and knitting (and knitting and knitting...) and watching movies with my mom. It was even sort of warm when I got off the plane, so maybe I brought a little of Miami with me. Your welcome, Mitten. :)

Much love.

September and October

2011-10-30T20:01:00.009-04:00

The calm that I experienced in September gave way to a chaotic October, it feels like. I was so excited that I was balancing work and school so well, I even had time to keep reading The Kite Runner, which I started about a week before work/school/chaos began. But now the novel, although great, has been set aside for required reading, and paper grading. Guess I'll have to wait until Christmas break to see how it all turns out.

I haven't managed to do anything too exciting over the past couple of months, although I have seen a bit of theater. I saw Spring Awakening on South Beach for only $15 a couple weeks back. It was a production put on by New World College of the Arts.

I'd never seen the show or heard much about it, other than Leah Michelle originated one of the roles on Broadway and Duncan Shiek did the music. The show was about teenagers in the early 1900s who are, like, awakening sexually. It was kinda awkward but I guess I could see how a teenager could be obsessed with it. The music was pretty great and my favorite character was played by a little gay with a mohawk and I wanted him to be my best friend. The performances were great; one girl who sang a song called "The Dark I Know Well" (which also turned out to be my favorite song) had this husky, bluesy voice. Really, really pretty.

After the show we got some ice cream at Giradelli's and headed home, a fun, cheap night out under our belts.

I also saw The Addams Family on October 30th, a birthday gift from Tanya. The show was pretty fun because some of the people dressed up (like the people who sat next to us, a Spiderman, a princess, a Morticia, and a zombie/Frankenstein thing), and I'm pretty sure that the powers that be at the Arscht center hand-picked the door people, 'cause most of them were cree-py. They looked like the could have BEEN in the Addams family, for sure.

The show itself was funny--much funnier than I thought it would be. There were two Michiganders in the cast--clearly awesome--and the story was, well, musical-ly. Love, complications, magic, blah, blah, happy ending. There were some cool effects in the show, which I am always fascinated by. I always think of special-effects in movies, but never stage shows. They were really clever and fun to see. The best part, though, was that, I swear, the people who were working there were PART OF the Addams family. It was outSTANDING.

My final October adventure was a pumpkin carving party for Halloween. This year, I carved the word "Nevermore" in the shape of a raven. Pretty complicated, but the Poe is necessary since I read "The Raven" to my kiddos each Halloween (give or take a few days) and I like to light the pumpkin to help create a mood.

Life is crazy, as always, and some time to slow down and settle would be great. But... I'm doing what I can!

2011 is flying by, huh?

Much love.

The official birthday breakdown

2011-09-10T07:19:00.025-04:00

You only turn 30 once. And, sadly, some people don't make it that far. So I figured since my 30th was this year, I'd better go all out. I'd gone back and forth on ideas for a party for a while. I wanted a prom, but then I thought a quince would be fun, and funny since I never had one, and then it somehow just developed into an 80's prom, which, it turns out, is the BEST birthday party idea EVER.

Some wonderful friends allowed me to use their house for the party, so I went over earlier in the day to set it up. We had a dance floor, food area, picture area, and even a gift table, just like a real prom. The theme was Vogue, like the magazine, and the invitation was a Vogue cover I made of myself, Vogue-ing like Madonna, with all the details. NOT gonna lie--it was awesome.

I also made covers for several of the guests, to use for decorations. We posted them all around and they were great conversation pieces (plus, I'm now a master user of PhotoShop, which is good for, y'know, a journalism teacher), not to mention witty and hilarious. ;)

Then came the photo area, set up like a Vogue cover, where the Prom Committe and I (complete with buttons) took the first photos of the night.

The colors, if you hadn't guessed, were silver, black, and teal. I dressed to match. The table for favors looked a little something like this, with the favors being slap bracelets. Totally 80's.

The dance floor was awesome--we just set up a projector to project crazy colors and crap on the ceiling, and some sweet 80s jams were rockin' all night. "Don't Stop Believin'" was a huge hit, along with "I Had the Time of my Life" and a little "Lady in Red." Classics, my friends. Classics.

No prom would be complete without a crowning of the King and Queen, so of course people voted on winners. I, to my chagrin, won Queen and my friend Matt won King, mostly, I think, because of his awesome hair. Here I am, celebrating my win...

Here are Matt and I doing our King and Queen dance, complete with Dirty Dancing-style moves...

And this is our official King and Queen photo.

The whole party was just so fun. People went all out in dressing up and we were just dancing and talking and taking random pictures all night. I highly recommend it!

Now, of course, it was a prom and proms don't really have cake, but this was a BIRTHDAY prom, and you can't have a birthday without cake, homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! My favorite!

Themed parties are key to life, and this one was no exception. It was exactly how I wanted to bring in my 30's--smiling, laughing, and dancing until I hurt. Thanks to everyone who came to help me celebrate, even the randoms. It was awesome.

My actual birthday was on the following Wednesday, when I had class at FIU. I didn't really celebrate much on the actual day, but I did make birthday brownies for my class (even though I had to sort of ghetto rig them) and I called it good. Poor college kids are grateful, so that was happy.

The next weekend was Labor Day weekend, and I hadn't been home since, I think, Christmas, so I went home to see my family and pick up Lancelot, who was in Michigan at his "summer home" while I was in Italy.

I got in later than I was supposed to, but my Coot came and picked me up faithfully and the next morning, bright and early, we headed to the season opener for U of M when they played Western. It was a bit too hot to tailgate, although we gave it a solid try, and the game ended up getting rained out, but it was still great to spend time with my Coot and see some college football at the Big House.

The Big House has been redone since I was there several years ago for an exhibition GVSU game. Now it has lights (!!) and a new press box area.

It also now has big, clear, beautiful scoreboards, with closed captioning that can provide some funny commentray (if you read it) during times of boredom.

And, while I don't care much about football, I DO love tailgating and marching bands!

The game started slowly with Western scoring early, but U of M showed them who was boss at the Big House before too long. At one point, though, during the second quarter, it started pouring. I mean, seriously pouring--we all got soaked! Here I am with my seat buddies, after the downpour...
We still look cute, it's true. Eventually, the game restarted and I saw an awesome half-time show that was based on MTV. It was, however, slightly depressing because I'm sure most of the members of the band weren't even alive when the songs they were playing came out. Tra. Gic. Eventually, the rain started up again, this time with thunder and lightning, and they had to evacuate the whole place.

Coot dropped me off at a Panera, where my parents met me with Bubba and we all went on our merry way.

I spent the rest of the weekend bonding with my family and Bubba. I was so glad to see all of them, especially Bubba and my sister, whom I hadn't seen since Christmas. My family took me out to Mitchell's for a birthday dinner (scallops, YUM) and we snapped a quick picture.

All in all, I got to bring in my 30s with some of my favorite humans, both in Michigan and here in Florida. I can't really ask for much more. To even have had 30 years is a gift; someone in my graduating class passed away last year and that is a total mind cruncher. I am so happy about where my life is at this point that I don't even feel stress about "the big three oh." I'm just happy to have been where I have been, seen what I've seen, and experienced all I've experienced.

The week after my birthday celebrations, Frank Warren, founder and creator of PostSecret, a Sunday morning tradition as faithful and sometimes moving, as church, was speaking at the University of Miami and then, a day later, at Lynn University. The Weave got a friend and me a ticket, and we went to see him speak. Here's Frank, on stage at Lynn.

The event was moving and fascinating, and it just made me so happy. The best thing Frank said, and something I will probably always remember, is that, in Hebrew, the word "secret" means, "come closer."

Really, I think, that's what PostSecret is about--by sharing a secret anonymously, you connect yourself to someone else who feels the same way, or has had the same experience, and you realize that, for all our differences, we are really more similar than different. The world really is a tiny place, and each human is just a part of this interconnected, beautiful, fragile network of others. A good lesson to begin a new decade.

So here's to my 30's. I'm embracing them with my arms open, ready for whatever shows up.

Much love.

The In Between

2011-08-21T21:48:00.015-04:00

After I got back from lovely, lovely Italy, I spent time longing to be back there. Italy changed me and it was hard to adjust back to normal life in Miami. The food here tasted gross for a while, and there was really no purpose to my days. I don't do well without purpose. Once I got back, there was about two weeks before meetings started up at school and I spent the days watching Netflix and knitting, mostly.

I went to the movies a few times, which is sort of different for me since I've sort of hated most movies for a couple of years now. First, I saw Stupid, Crazy, Love on a room mate date. I, as a rule, hate romantic comedies and movies about crap like true love and everlasting happiness, so I can't say I was a huge fan. However, the movie was worth the price of admission to see the scene where Ryan Gossling takes his shirt off. It's a thing of true beauty and I would like to personally thank Canada for their contribution to the world. Thank you, Canada. I want to hug you... and then Ryan Gossling. A lot.

I also saw Captain America for free ninety nine, which is exactly in my price range for movies. So it could have been a flaming pile of crap and I wouldn't have felt bad about it, but, as it was, it wasn't so bad. In general, I like comic book/superhero movies, and Chris Evans isn't too hard on the eyes, either. Plus Americans weren't portrayed as evil capitalists, or stupid money grubbers or anything stereotypical and negative. It was a little bit refreshing.

Harry Potter again was a good life choice, and this time I wasn't slightly distracted by the subtitles using different names for the characters. It was still pretty bittersweet to see, but worth it. I invested, like, ten years of my life into loving Harry Potter and all that that means, and now it's done. I know he will stand the test of time, but it's sad to know there'll be nothing new about him. And I also wonder what the next cultural phenomenon will be that affects so many people in that way--what will the next Harry Potter be? I certainly hope there will be one.

Midnight in Paris was a movie a friend told me about; she said I should see it due to the literary connections in it. I didn't really know anything about it except that it was directed by Woody Allen, whose work I could take or leave, and had Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams in it. It turned out, my friend was right. I really liked it! First of all, it's sort of about Paris in the 20s, when all of these amazing artists were centered there. Let me just say that I love me some Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, and Adrian Brody's Dali was hilariously awesome. The movie also had a nice message--which you'll have to see to get, given I don't want to spoil it--and beautiful Paris scenery, which only made my heart ache to go back to Paris. Finally, it's sort of about what I love about traveling--going off the main road, and just seeing what's out there; finding the magic of a city beyond tourist destinations and photo opportunities. Anyway, definitely rent or Netflix it.

The last movie I saw was The Help. I haven't read the book, nor do I really have the desire too. Someone told me it was hard to get into, someone whose opinion I trust, and I just don't have time to read books it'll take me ages to get into. So anyway, I saw The Help and enjoyed it as well, but it was tough for me. Civil Rights stories are always tough for me because I just wonder... I wonder if I would have been strong enough to do what was right or if I would have just gone along with society and tried to find peace with myself, as if that could be possible. Thinking about that time in American history is just sad and intense, but also powerful. I wonder what it's like to fight for something like that, to believe in a cause, to have leaders so powerful and articulate.

Emma Stone is great one of my new favorites, and I love me so me Allison Janney, too. Not to mention that the entire style of the movie--the south, the costumes--was just beautiful. If I could look like a southern housewife in the early 60s every day, I would not be mad... Except for the big hair, which just seems like a lot of work. At the end of the movie, yeah, I felt all warm and fuzzy about how this little white girl defied society and made her little piece of the world better and all that wonderful stuff, but I think ultimately I just took away that the smart, independent, writer chick ends up alone. What a shocker.

In the in between of Italy and school, my Russian Ballerina friend celebrated a birthday, which turned out to be the last one in Miami for a while. She recently moved to DC to pursue her dream, and I can't begrudge her for it. She had a birthday dinner at a place called George's in the Grove, a spin-off or whatever that's called in the restaurant world, of Le Beuchon du Grove, where Eric, T, and I ate amazing French food last year. It's this, like, fancy French place that, all of a sudden, turns into a club complete with Black Eyed Peas and a smoke machine when they celebrate someone's birthday. Weird. But the food was YUM (you can probably guess what I had... Hint: it used to have a swirly shell) and I had lovely conversation with some new people, and lovely wine, and it was a lovely evening all around. August birthdays are the best. :)

o far, the school year has been just meetings with one Freshmen/Senior day with kiddos. I'm looking forward to it, though. I've got high level and low level English kiddos, and then my journalism kids too. It should be another good year. This year is the first I'll be teaching all classes and levels I've taught before, so that is also a relief... every other year I've had to prepare from scratch. No. Bueno.

Our new principal seems good, similar to Sr. Pat, who is now in Naples. It seems like several people are doing some strange posturing or just behaving awkwardly, but I just figure I'll keep doing my job the way I know how and everything will be fine. So I'm going with that.

My classroom, my little kingdom by the sea, is all set up and ready to go. I even have four new computers for journalism, which is SUPER exciting. I can't even stand it! I'm a little obsessed with my "Jrnalism corner."

The biggest drama in my life upon return has been FIU drama, of course. For about a week I was in a craze; I didn't know if I'd be able to take classes or not. But after talking to several people, emailing like crazy, and having calming, if not necessarily helpful, lunches with friends, something worked out, as things like that tend to do, and I'm taking two classes this semester. One is Intro, which I should have taken, y'know, FIRST... but who's keeping track, really? The other is going to be an independent study project, so that'll work out perfectly. Excited to start back.

Finally, as I return from Italy another friend is moving there. I only wish I'd had the tip on this job before I came back! But a friend in Boca, who is also on Team D, is moving to Florence soon and had a Harry Potter-themed farewell. The party was very well decorated, due to some awesome *ahem* fans and decorators, but the real triumph of the night was a recipe for alcoholic Butterbeer which was a TOTAL win. :)

I'm glad to be back but I miss Lancelot. I'll get him back soon enough, though, when I get to see my fam on Labor Day weekend.

Until then...

Much love.

All Roads Lead to Rome... and Home Again

2011-08-16T17:19:00.015-04:00

I arrived in Rome at 10:15, the same time as my traveling buddies Emily and Cait, with whom I'd parted ways back in Milan. They were kind enough to let me tag along on their plans, and I didn't really want to go to Rome alone, so everything worked out. :)

Rome is a wonder. If I ever forget driving through the city and seeing the Coliseum for the first time, I will have lost one of the most poignant moments in my life. I can't describe what it's like to see that ancient structure for the first time, plopped right down in the middle of a modern, bustling city. People drive by and around it every day, as if it were not steeped in wonder and magic. But it is. It was huge--the definition of epic--and I didn't even get that close to it; we were still in the taxi heading to our hotel.

We were staying outside the city center, on a street that, at night, is populated by women practicing the oldest profession (you get me?). Still, armed with a map and our feet, we went for a wander after we got settled in. Our destination was a pyramid--not sure what its significance was or why it was even there, but it was a pyramid, our first "sight" in Rome. We stopped and had lunch nearby, at a French-named restaurant with a Macedonian waiter who served us Italian food. Like so many things we discovered in Rome, it was quite an interesting combination. He became enamored of us, and, figuring there were three of us and only one of him, we agreed to meet up with him later that night. It could have been extremely stupid of us, but it wasn't. Turns out, we drank a beer, and wandered around Rome at night, which is beautiful. So it all worked out.

After lunch, we headed over to the Coliseum because, well, that's what you do. I didn't have my good camera with me and neither did Cait, so we opted NOT to go in and save that for another day. Instead, we walked around it in awe, marveling at age and history of what we were seeing. Cait, who loves the National Geographic and History channels, told us all about what we were seeing, which was both funny and interesting.

Like The David, I could not wrap my brain around the sheer size of the Coliseum--it's so much bigger than any photos lead someone to believe. Just as an example, here's a bit of a perspective shot. Keep in mind I'm almost six feet tall--although I look minuscule next to the epic-ness of this structure. Nothing like a giant Roman ruin to make you feel your place in the world!

We also commemorated the moment with a group shot, with the epic in the back.

That evening, we ate dinner in view of the Coliseum, with a lobster staring at us, waiting to be eaten (not by us). It was lovely.

The next day, we really set out to see the sights, but there was a minor setback--no public transportation. The trains, busses, and subway were all on strike. Neat. So we had to take a taxi to Vatican City, where we had reservations for The Vatican Museum and Sisteen Chapel and planned to also see St. Peter's Basilica. I was a little frenzied, and the walk from where the taxi dropped us off was pretty epic (there HAS to be an easier way around!), but we got there and headed into the museum.

The Vatican Museum has art and artifacts from, like, the beginning of time, basically. I'm not sure how or why they were amassed, but there is everything from Roman and Greek days, to Egyptian sarcophagus, to an entire hallway of maps (which, I think, was my favorite part). All of these hallways and rooms are simply a prelude to the main show, the reason everyone goes to The Vatican Museum, the Sisteen Chapel, which, I found out, is actually the Pope's private chapel and where the new Pope (when one is needed) will be elected. I never knew that, I guess. So anyway, we finally get to the chapel and I don't know what to expect. I've seen amazing art on this trip so far, and each piece affected me differently. I didn't know if I'd cry or be moved or what, and, in truth, I walked into the room and looked up and felt... nonplussed. I thought I would have this spiritual experience--angels singing and all of that--and I didn't. It was beautiful, yes, a masterpiece certainly, but there wasn't enough space or even the ambiance to be contemplative. It felt more touristy than anything. I wanted to be moved and I just... wasn't. However, I can imagine Pope Benny clearing the place out and being in there alone; then I could see how spiritual it could be. Still, looking up at the ceiling, and looking around at the walls, was an amazing experience; one that made me realize just HOW blessed I have been. I have seen the ceiling of the Sisteen Chapel with my own eyes.

After the chapel, we headed toward St. Peter's. The courtyard there is beautiful--I didn't mind the short wait in line because there was so much to look at and be awed by. I mean, look at this...

And these statues on the top of the building...

Saints would be my guess. I wish I knew more about each piece of art, each statue, but without a guided tour, and about six hours, I don't know that I would have picked it all up.

We got into the basilica, having dressed modestly for the occasion, after a short wait. The first important thing to see is Michelangelo's pieta, which is in the basilica behind glass. A pieta, one of his favorite subjects I learned, is a depiction of Mary holding her dead son in her arms. It was heartbreaking and beautiful, stunning along the same lines as David. The folds on Mary's robes look like fabric, not stone. I was waiting for a real tear to drip from her eyes and I almost felt like a trespasser, having dropped in unexpectedly on what was without doubt the most private and sad moment of Mary's life. Stunning.

The other piece de resistance in St. Peter's is the copper alter-piece, which is massive and beautiful. It stands in front of the altar over the tomb of St. Peter, who is buried there. Again, I was struck by the true purpose of such a building--to honor the God of the Universe who created all things. This place, this altar, the way the light fell from these windows above us, everything about it was only a reflection of the wonder that God created for us to use and enjoy. It was a reflection of the genius He allows some people to have, and what that genius can look like when used to honor Him. Fantastic.

St. Peter's was a sensory overload--it was almost good they began to kick us out because a mass was starting. I would have liked to stay a bit longer, walk a bit slower, but we played with what we were dealt and left as we were asked to do.

My quest for the entire time I was in Vatican City was to get a stamp in my passport, but, despite extensive searches, asking several randoms, and flirting with a security guard, I found out this does not exist. Sad. Day. So sad, in fact, that we stopped at a cart and got a beer. It was super awesome to walk around Vatican City sippin' a beer, like ya do. :)

After The Vatican, we went to Castel St. Angelo, a place where the Popes used to live, I guess. There was even a secret passageway from the castle to the Vatican, I guess to protect the Pope and bishops in case of attack/emergency. The view was pretty spectacular, I must admit, as most castle views are. Y'know, strategic positioning and all of that...

We walked around after the castle and into the evening, finding a random little outdoor market near a bridge where there was everything from records to dried fruit for sale. That sort of thing generally makes me quite happy, so wandering around there was fine by me. We eventually go tired and headed back to the hotel, again via taxi, for a good night's sleep before hitting more of Rome the next day.

The site everyone imagines and pictures when they think of Roma is the aforementioned Coliseum.

We went to it first thing, and got to skip the long line because we had bought the Roma Pass (if you ever go, GET IT) and headed in. It's even more fascinating inside than out. You can see the seats where people sat to watch gladiators fight animals and each other to the death. You can see the rooms and halls under where the floor would have been where these animals and gladiators were kept. And if you think it seems big from the outside, it's even bigger inside! It's absolutely fascinating. We must have spent, like, two hours inside, walking around in awe, taking jump shots, and pretending to be gladiators ourselves... Well, maybe that was just me. :)

Incredible.

From there, we saw some of the other biggies, like the Trevi fountain, where each of us tossed in a coin and made a wish. My dreams were only worth 0.02 Euro but Cait and Emily's were both worth more. lol.

Here's a bit of the fountain detail. It is really beautifully carved, and a very pictaresque, although touristy, spot. We wanted to see it at night, when it's supposed to be twice as beautiful, so we went back after dark. It was pretty much the same... but dark. lol. The gelato around there was delicious, though!

We also passed by this giant monument, the Victor Emmanuel Monument--a huge white building with copper statues all around it. I thought, the first time I saw it, that it must be some important government building or something, not a random building with no purpose but to memorialize a soldier. It was, however, a great place to play with my zoom. The locals seem to have mixed feelings about it; on the one had it's lovely, but on the other it's not functional. Still, the statues were cool to photograph.

We also saw the Panthenon, the oldest building in Rome that has been consistantly used since its construction. It's used as a church to this day. The dome, which I was pretty much obsessed with, was the one that Brunelleschi based his dome in Florence on--the one no one could figure out how to build. This was it...

Stunning. The dome is smack in the middle of the building, and opens to the sky--in fact, rain had fallen before we arrived, and there was still some water on the floor from it. I could have lay down on my back under that dome for hours just contemplating life.

As we wandered, we came upon this fountain in a piazza. Because I'm a sucker for fountains, I took a picture.

Lovely, huh? And we also saw Constantine's Arch, which comemorates Constantine who brought Christianity to Rome in, like, 300 something.

We saw all the major sights in Rome, and it was great to be there with two pretty cool Canadian chicks. We spent our last night in Rome enjoying each other and remembering all we'd seen. We were all towards the end of our journeys. They were headed to Milan and I back to Nice. Speaking for myself, I was not going back to Nice as the same person who left it six weeks before.

After the wonders and awe of Rome, I spent a day on a train, heading back to Nice. It took about ten or so hours to get there, three different trains, only one of which I actually had a booked seat on, but I'm glad I made it at all. I thought I had missed my last train to Nice (the ONE that was on time all day, of course!) but there was one more I caught. I spent that ride chatting with a lovely British lady who made sure I got to where I was going and provided stimulating conversation along the way. A thirty minute friend that won't soon be forgotten.

I got to my hostel planning to turn in and sleep, but found I had some pretty cool room mates so we all headed out for a drink. One guy was American and played piano, another was a girl from New York who was traveling after a breakup, and the third was a Finnish guy. We walked around Nice at night, enjoyed some gelato (beer flavored, weird!) and had a lovely glass of wine. I was glad to have some company, in the end. Except that the two guys snored like it was thier job so sleeping was sort of difficult...

The next day I had planned to go to this medieval village with the Finnish guy, but we missed the bus due to confusion, and I didn't feel like waiting an hour for the next one so I wandered off to explore on my own. I climbed up the chateau, which has a lovely view of the city. This was a wall on my way up, which I thought was kind of cool.

And this was the view at the top. RIDICULOUSLY blue water! I thought Miami had beautiful water!

After that, I wandered through the Fruit and Vegetable market, which was actually selling antiques at the time, and had escargot and wine for lunch. Amazing. I wanted to marry that meal it was so delicious! Then I headed to the beach, which was kind of strange. Living in Miami, I am spoiled by beautiful beaches. This beach had very little sand--the shore was made of grey rocks. It wasn't comfortable to lay on, or even sit on really, but the sound of the waves coming in, grabbing the rocks, and sweeping them out to sea over other rocks was loud and unique. I sort of fell in love with it.

I did some more wandering, some shopping at H & M and a wine store, had a crepe for dinner, and then headed back to the hostel to sleep, since I had to get up early to get to the airport on a 5:30 am bus. Fuuuunnn. But my trip home was uneventful, except that I realized I need to go to Spain soon because the three hours I spent in Madrid were filled with eye candy. Hellloooo Spanish boys! :)

For the full album of photos from my traveling days, click here.

This trip was probably one of the most life-changing experiences I've ever had. I was really working to be more "go with the flow" on this trip, and I tried to appreciate every moment and just take things as they came, which is often hard for me. I really worked on it and, while I'm not there, I'm better. I'm better not just in that area, though, I'm just better. I am in love with Italy and it makes me sad that I'm not there right now. Maybe I'm really Italian!

Although Italians may not believe in elevators, air conditioning, or screened windows, they believe in loving life, and eating great food, and being present in every moment, rather than just being there. They believe in family and making family. They don't believe in strangers, but rather people who are not their friends yet. They are beautiful.

Ciao.

Much love.

Traveling Lessons

2011-08-11T16:46:00.013-04:00

After a nearly tearful farewell at the train station, and only half-kidding about putting Alessandro and Monica in my bag, I left on a train for Milan with two of the other tutors from my second camp, sweet Canadian girls named Ashley--who was heading off for her own Asian adventures the following day--and Emily, "Em," who I'd later meet up with in Rome.

We got to Milan without much incident, and then tried to find our hostel... which was epic. We walked by it three or four times and eventually had to call and have the guy come outside to rescue us from wandering. The thing about hostels is, though, that the staff are willing to do that kind of thing. They're just so helpful--the guy in Nice who let me raid the lost and found when I had no luggage, for example. Just awesome people. I also discovered that the street names in Milan, unlike in other cities, are named after people, and the signs tell you what the person did (Poeta, for example) and what years they lived. We had a cool little history lesson as we were lost, so that was great. Anyway... so we found our accommodations and headed out to just wander. Ashley wanted to see the duomo, which, from what I can figure, is pretty much a must-see in every decent-sized Italian town.

The cathedral in Milan is beautiful, maybe my favorite of the ones I saw. It was just... spikey and awesome. I think it's a different style than the others I saw, gothic or something. Anyway, it was white and huge and spikey and beautiful. I only wished I could magic away all the random people in the moment and in the photo.

People were just walking by this beautiful structure like it wasn't there. I'm sure many see it every day, but it's hard for me to imagine a life where I could see that every day and not just stop and look each time. I was hearing angles singing and contemplating the awesome powers of God, and others were just heading out for a drink or heading back from work or wondering what was for dinner. It was amazing.

That night, as a farewell and as a cheap way to eat dinner, we went to have an apperativo at this place the guy at the hostel suggested. Now, let me explain one of my favorite things about Italy, the apperativo. This is, basically, a before dinner drink that may be a bit more expensive, but comes with a buffet. Like, a legit, all-you-can-eat buffet of Italian meats, cheeses, and goodies. It's. Amazing. It was pretty much how I ate dinner for the rest of my trip (not EVERY day, but pretty close to it!).

Ashley left for the airport the next morning, and Em and I headed to the train station to meet her friend who would be traveling with her. It was quite a long wait, but we passed the time by people watching and thinking of the inaugural gelato we'd have once she arrived. It was worth the wait. :)

The only real item on my agenda in Milan was seeing DaVinci's The Last Supper, which I managed to find a reservation for only two days in advance (holler!). I wasn't really sure how I'd react to the painting, I never know. I'm always open to the possibility that I may be moved to tears (more on this later) or that I may just be in awe, or I could even feel disappointed (again, more on this later). When we walked into the room and saw it, I have to admit it was pretty astounding. I was in awe of how big it was, which I guess you never expect when you see the tiny paining in your Catholic grandmother's house. I was also remembering role in the novel The DaVinci Code (don't judge, it's not like I liked it), and I could understand the mystery and enigma involved in it. It's pretty fascinating, which, I think, is the best way I can describe seeing it. Absolutely fascinating.

You can't take photos inside (the fresco is already pretty badly deteriorated as it is) so I took pictures of the church and piazza where it is housed, Santa Maria della Grazie.

After Milan, I parted ways with Em and Cait, whom I'd see again in Rome, and headed to Venice, the next stop on my tour if Italy. I didn't actually stay in Venice proper, but rather an hour or so out of town, in Rosa del Piave at this little bed and breakfast. Truth be told, I stayed there for two reasons. 1) It's expensive to stay IN Venice and 2) the website said it was close to the oratory of St. John Bosco (the saint of the school where I teach, ILS), which I figured had to be, like, a sign. It was a cute little place, a B & B at which I think I was the only guest. And there was wi-fi (so beautiful!) and the couple who owned it even fished one of my rings out of the bidet (don't ask...). I was quite well taken care of, even if I had to take a bus an hour and a half into Venice.

Venice was exactly as I pictured it. I had no idea what to expect--I'd heard some say they loved it, and others complain it was boring and smelly. I fell into the first category. I promised myself I woudn't stress and I'd just get lost--literally and figuratively--in Venice. Street maps of Venice are pretty much pointless, so you just sort of have to wander, which is beautiful in a way. I walked down streets I felt like walking down; I discovered little nooks and crannys; I don't think I walked down the same street twice. I loved every minute I was there, including this, my first one, eating a cup of fruit bought from a cart.

Venice, as most know, is a city made of canals and bridges. Even the ambulances and police cars are boats. The first day, I just wandered and got my bearings, and enjoyed the scenery. This, for example, is from one of the many bridges, looking down the river.

An iconic image of Venice is the gondolier. No, I did not ride in a gondola (too expensive) but I did see many gondoliers, including this guy, taking a break from his tough job...

My second day, I took a vaporetto (water taxi) ride from the train station to the Piazza San Marco, as guided by Rick Steves. I really felt like Venice was meant to be seen from the water, and this was a cheap way to do that. I took some video of the ride, and, of course, tons of photos. The video is below; I was picturing myself three hundred years ago when Venice was a booming metropolis.

Can you imagine if this was your front yard?

Day two in Venice I devoted to seeing sights, so I began at the Piazza San Marco where the vaporetto dropped me off, and started with the church. The art above the doors is what really struck me. It was spectacular. This is just one example, there were several there. There were no photos allowed inside.

Again, I was struck by the fact that a church is meant to be the House of the Lord, and I really understood that in Italy. Each cathedral, each dome, each bell tower, looked like it was built for an omniscient, omnipresent God. The church and square were beautiful, and the gorgeous blue sky that day didn't detract from it, certainly. The Piazza San Marco is such a contrast to the rest of Venice, which seemed, to me, tiny and closed-in. The Piazza is open and breezy, and you can see for ages and ages. It's beautiful.

Also in Venice every odd-numbered year is something called the Biennale Art Festival where artists from literally all over the world are chosen to represent their countries. Each country, then, has an installation in a building all over the city. Some are free (the ones in my price range) and others are part of a bigger exhibition in the gardens of the city. I wandered into a few of the free ones--Ireland, Zimbabwe, Mexico--and enjoyed what I saw. In the Zimbabwe exhibit, there was one photographer whose focus was photos of German families who had adopted African children. It was really moving.

The last stop on my list was the Frari Church, which Rick Steves reccommended and was totally worth the 3 Euro entrance fee. There was beautiful art inside--paintings and carvings--and information about each in my guidebook.

I had pizza for lunch, and managed to find a guy who was sitting by himself and was also American who let me share a table with him. One of my favorite things about traveling is just that--sharing a meal with a stranger who becomes your friend for that hour or so. You eat, or you wander together and then you part ways, both thankful for having had someone to talk to and eat with, thankful for one less stranger in the world.

My next stop on the whirlwind tour of Italia was Florence, where I now wish I would have spent more time. I got to my hotel, run by a woman from Boston and her Italian husband, and settled my stuff and then headed out to explore. I wandered around and discovered two markets--an out door market that sells mostly leather goods, the San Lorenzo Market, and the Mercato Centrale, a covered market selling fruits, vegetables, meat, and cheeses. I had lunch at the most popular stand there, a delicious pasta con ragu and a glass of red wine, and snapped some photos. YUM!

From there, I wandered toward the Duomo, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore. This church is special because the dome on it was the first built since antiquity during the Renaissance. The technology was somehow lost and no one could figure out how the dome on the Panthenon (more on that later) was built, until this dude named Brunelleschi figured it out and did the damn thing. Pretty bad ass, I have to say.

There was a free tour in English, so I took it and learned all kinds of nerdy stuff. Also, the marble that the church is made from is Carrara marble--awesome; it's pink, green, and white. It's really spectacular.

Here's a bit of the outside of the cathedral. You can see the different colored marble.

This is inside, looking up at the famous dome. The art is extremely intricate and beautiful--I wanted to lay down and stare at it for at least an hour.

This is another piece of art inside the cathedral. The guy in red is my boy Dante, and this is a depiction of his Divine Comedy. The tower in the back in Pergatory, the left side represents the Inferno, or hell, and the right is heaven. I only point this out because heaven isn't at the top, like most would expect. And notice the dome of the church on the right--it's the dome in Florence. The painter made Florence heaven.

The city itself is a wonder. Everywhere you look you can see signs of the former ruling family the Medicis, and tiny little bits of beauty all around. This fountain, for example, was just waiting for me on a street corner.

My one must-see was, of course, the statue of Michelangelo's David, which is housed in the Galleria dell'Accademia. I sprung for a tour, rather than just entrance to the museum, and I'm SO glad I did. Seeing The David the way I saw it changed my life.

Here's the story: There was a giant piece of marble in the backyard of a church that had been there for 40 years or so. Great masters had tried to carve it and failed, claiming it was "uncarvable" and afraid to ruin their reputations. Until Michelangelo came along. He knew, from the moment he first touched a piece of marble, that his purpose and destiny was to carve it. That, alone, is astounding and I wonder what it must have been like to be so sure of your purpose, when most people struggle to find it... if they ever do. So he decides he's gonna take a whack (literally) at this uncarvable piece of marble because, at 26 and the beginning of his career, he has nothing to lose. And he uncovered The David, who, he would claim, was there all along and just needed to be revealed. That's a metaphor; one that, as a teacher, I need to keep in mind. There are no "uncarvable" chunks of marble--sometimes it just takes a young kid to get things done properly.

The statue, meant to be on top of the Duomo in Florence, is now housed in the museum in a space designed to perfectly display him. I couldn't help but gasp when I first saw him. The David is huge--so much bigger than I anticipated or expected. He stands alone under this beautiful, soft, lighting at the end of a huge room full of other, partially-finished works by Michelangelo. I saw him from every angle and he looked different each time I took a step. I was astounded that he has veins--and they look like they're connected to a beating heart. This giant hunk of beautiful marble looks like it's alive. I understand what a masterpiece is now and did not know that I had not understood before.

I spent the rest of my time in Florence awed and moved by The David, but I did manage to see a bit more. I walked around the Academia for a little while after the tour ended, and saw a very neat display on musical instruments, including a full set of Stradivarius stringed instruments made for the Medicis (beautiful), and learned the difference between a harpsichord and a piano (harpsichord plucks, piano hits).

I went to find an apperativo for dinner, and then wandered around killing time, reading in the Piazza della Rebubblica and people watching, until 10:20ish, when I would FINALLY get to see the final Harry Potter! I had been dying to see it since it came out, but couldn't find a theater that had it subtitled and not dubbed. Low and behold, there was an Odeon in Florence and my dreams came true. I got to see HP:7.2 in a cool old theater (a legit theater with curtains and beautiful decorations) in Florence, and, although I was alone, I loved every second of it. I'm still not at peace with HP being over, and I think I will miss him, but bidding him farewell in Florence was okay.

I wish I'd spent more than a day in Florence, but now I know for next time. I'll cut this entry short and save Rome and Nice for another. Too much epic for one entry.

Much love.

My Italian Friends and Familia

2011-08-02T16:28:00.023-04:00

I've been thinking that I should have done all of this blogging while I was actually IN Italy, experiencing everything. But a) that wasn't really possible given the shady internet situation in most places I found myself, and b) I think it might actually be better this way. I journaled the whole time I was there--y'know, with a notebook and a pen--but rehashing everything is letting me remember, relive, and relay the most important, lasting impressions. The moments of drama (of which there were few) or the days I was upset just seem to fade away, and everything I did and learned remain. This, I suppose, is that story.

My second camp was in a town called Marina di Carrara, a beautiful town by the sea, in fact, it's the port town of Carrara, where most of the white marble in the world comes from. The place is absolutely beautiful. I remember one day after camp my family took me to the beach, and I was standing in the water looking out at these beautiful marble mountains and thinking I might have died and gone to heaven. It was out of control. This was taken my first day there, when the sky wasn't even clear. They're still beautiful, and I miss being able to see them every day.

Camp here was an entirely different beast. It was much smaller and my class of nine had kids from 11 all the way up to 14 years old in it. I felt significantly more relaxed at this camp--probably because there were less kids and I'd already done one. Plus, I just revamped and recycled most of my lesson plans, although I had to add many more activities because it took these kids much less time to complete everything. Bingo, however, was still a huge hit, as it was with my first camp. I'm not sure why this was...

Anyway, here is one of the new activities I added, the Make A Monster game. The kids made some pretty cool creatures!

My class this time around was nine kiddos in total, as I said, again with varying levels of English. Some spoke very well and some... well, I was lucky they could ask to use the toilet. Here we all are in our class room on the last day.

This lo spetaccolo was about two dragons who stole the king's treasure, and it took two wizards and two knights to bring it back. It was cute, and the kiddos actually memorized their lines this time. My dragons also looked super cool, with claws, wings, and masks (which were terrifying for me but one must sacrifice for art). My crowning achievement, however, was on carnival day when we played Pin the Tail on the Dragon, and I drew the dragon. Which was pretty amazing considering I can't really draw much of anything besides stick people and tornadoes, with the occasional flower. Here he is, my little dragon. :) And of course, he was in the show too; I couldn't bear to part with him after only using him once.

Although camp was how I spent most of my time, this journey was really about so much more than that. This time around, I stayed with an amazing family with two adorable kiddos. They really took me in and made me feel like I was one of their own--a cool cousin or aunt, perhaps--and I could not have been more grateful for it. I had the whole top floor to myself, and a huge bed, and a real, stand-up shower--something that I'd noticed was lacking in several places in Italy. The family was amazing, too; my "dad," Michele, was a certified wine taster, so dinner was always a special treat. My "mom," Rossanna, was a great cook--although she would not claim to be--and her English was amazing. They were both extremely caring and excited to show me anything they could. In fact, within about two hours of picking me up at the train station, I was traipsing around this tiny mountain village called Nicola, which I'd seen from town. All I said was, "I'd love to go up there!" and then... we were there.

The town was tiny--only about 100 people, I guess--and there was no way you could get a car around any of the streets. The town was also, like most things in Italy, extremely old. And not, like, crappy American standards old, but legitimately over 500 years old. The dialect of Italian they spoke there was so different, Michele and Rossana could barely understand what they were saying. Here's a picture of three cats we came upon, lounging with no worry about being run over by a passing vehicle. This street is what most of the streets in Nicola looked like and can best be described as the definition of "quaint."

This panoramic is the view of Marina di Carrara from Nicola. The house were we all lived is there, somewhere.

I was happy in my first placement that there were no kids--no spontaneous baby sitting requests, no annoying video game noises, no having to awkwardly play with a kid that doesn't understand what I'm saying. But these kiddos were awesome. My first day my "sister", Monica taught me to play a card game (all in English, mind you) called Burraco, which I played literally every day with her little brother, Ale. Moni's English, as you can guess, was pretty darn near perfect, and Ale's was... well, we found a way to communicate. I actually found that most of the Italian I picked up was from the kids--they speak slowly and in easier words and often repeat the same thing. It was so cool that we actually learned from each other. But I digress... The kiddos were great little humans and I'm happy I stayed with them. Despite hearing camp songs outside of camp, and one night of Bungalowing during our dinner barbecue, it was great having them around. My family really believed in being a family--eating dinner together every night and playing and talking together. It was beautiful and, in today's world, rare.

They took me out to dinner on Friday night, my last day with them, and we ate seafood by the sea, and played a little Foosball. I miss them but know we'll keep in touch.

I mentioned at the train station on my first day that I noticed Pisa was close, and the day after I arrived, the family took me there. It was only 40 minutes by car, and Michele and Rossana had actually gone to school there. Michele was not only a wine taster extraordinaire, but a history buff, so he gave me the scoop on everything he could. It was awesome.

He told me that "the first look is the most important" so when I first saw the tower, I tried to appreciate the moment and take it all in. I'd missed the glimpse of it you can see from the road on the car ride over, so when I walked through the arches of the old city gate, I gasped. There it was... leaning just like you've always seen it. It looks exactly like I thought, almost to the point where it looks artificial. But it wasn't artificial. So of course, I took the obligatory "I'm holding up the tower" photo right away.

The tower is actually the bell tower of the church complex and the big building in front of it is the actual cathedral. As is true with every church I saw in Italy, the detail and construction of the entire complex was amazingly intricate and painfully lovely. These people knew how to build God's house and churches here just don't look the same to me anymore. Here's some of the detail on the tower...

The doors of the church were cast in bronze. Students at the university, before an exam, would go to these doors and touch their favorite animal for luck. Here you can see part of the door, and a spot on the lower left that's been rubbed more than others...

Finally, I learned that each city has its own flag, along with the Italian flag. This is Pisa's.

For the weekend I had in Marina di Carrara, I went to Cinque Terre with two other tutors on the Saturday and had family time on Sunday. Cinque Terre was the place everyone told me I NEEDED to see in Italy, even moreso than Rome. It's this little collection of five (cinque) towns on the side of a mountain and on the sea. It is so beautiful and picturesque there it's hard to describe, and, looking at what I've just written, the words can not possibly do this magical place justice.

Since there are five towns, and we wanted to see all five, we took the train to the last one, Monterroso, and worked our way back towards the first. We hiked our way from #5 to #4, Vernazza. And it was a hike. I sweated THROUGH the straps of my backpack (attractive, I know) and struggled with my sunglasses, which broke before I even got out of the train station. Eventually, they fell down into some trees and were lost for good. The hike took, according to Rick Steves, about 90 minutes, but I think we took longer because we took breaks and stopped to look at the amazing scenery unfolding around every bend in the road and break in the trees. Like this...

That was looking back at where we'd come from, and realizing just how far we still had to go...

Every step, though sweaty, was worth it. We got to #4 hot, hungry, and sweaty, but happy. I felt good about accomplishing the hike, and better about finding lunch! We ate at a place recommended by, you guessed it, Rick Steves, which proved to be delicious. I ate a local dish, which was fish and potatoes in a tomato-y sauce. Some evil olives sneaked into the dish (they were NOT in the description!) and I managed to give them all away except for one that snuck past me. Gross. It didn't, however, ruin the dish.

We hopped on the train to see village #3, Cornelia, where we paused for some jump shots and some more scenery. This is my favorite photo of the day.

Oh, to be the people on that beautiful sailboat...

We had wanted to hike to town #2, Manarola, but the trail was closed for some reason, so we hopped on the train. From #2 to #1, Riomaggiore, there is a walk called the Via dell'amore, the Pathway of Love, built, at first, as a trail between the two towns, uniting them where before they had been isolated. The people of the two villiages liked the trail so much, and the opportunities it presented for them to meet people from the other town, they asked that it be improved. Over the years, couples began to put graffiti and locks all along the trail, signifying their undying love for another. The trail still bears these marks today--and many more. The locks are hooked onto anything along the trail you can imagine, they keys theoretically tossed into the sea nearby, like the ones here.

I thought it was rather nice that people still believe in that sort of thing. Anyway, we headed to Riomaggiore and had a wander around and a glass of wine after a long, hot, amazing day. I had the Cinque Terre D.O.C wine, actually made there, and brought a bottle back for the family, which we drank with dinner at Nona and Nono's house two nights later. This was the view from a little bridge overlooking part of Riomaggiore. Somewhere down there is the little cafe where we enjoyed a glass of wine. Not bad, huh?

On Sunday, Family Day, my family took me to the quarries in the morning for the Marmo Tour (Marble Tour) and then to a place called Malaspina (Bad Thorn) Castle. The quarries, those white mountains I saw on the first day, is pretty much where all of the white marble in the world comes from. Michelangelo got some marble there for several of his works, and the world's foremost marble carving (sculpting?) school is in Carrara. So they've made a tourist attraction out of the quarry, and it's THE thing to do in Carrara (duh) so we did it. Rossana had never actually been there before, so she stuck with me on the English tour and we experienced it together. The entire tour was fascintating, actually, and I learned WAY more about marble than I will ever need to know, but it was interesting anyway.

I learned all about how they cut the giant blocks of marble, how the guys of old who worked there lived, what marble dust is used for (toothpaste!), and what an "iron pillow" is. No, it's not the most uncomfortable bed pillow in the world--it's for wedging between a block of marble and the wall from which it's cut to split the two apart. Anyway, we were inside the actual mountain where marble is cut. You can tell by my hardhat...

And the tunnel you see here is a short one--the one we had to drive through to enter the quarry was about 300 feet long (I think...). It may have just seemed that long... But it was longer than the one here.

After a morning of getting our marble on, we came back to the house for lunch, and set out again to see the castle, which has been around since, I think, the 13th century. The castle was built as a fortress, so it's on the top of this hill where you can see for miles and miles (good choice, I'd say) and inside its walls is the town of Fosdinovo, where people still live. The thought that people have been walking, living, loving, shopping, playing, and dying there for hundreds of years sort of blows my mind. Here's a view of Fosdinovo looking out from the castle.

And here's a shot of the castle itself, as we walked up the hill towards it...

Legit.

The castle tour was only in Italian, so I didn't catch much but I had a little pamphlet that explained a bunch of stuff, and Michele and Rossana helped me when and where they could. Some of the castle was actually closed, because the family lives there in the summer. In fact we ran into the newest member of the family, little Anna, on our walk around the grounds.

This wall shows the family symbol of the Malaspina, the white branch with the thorns on it. This wall was SO cool looking!

The castle has, as most really old things do, a pretty fascinating history (kidnapped babies, seized power, raping, pillaging, princesses buried in the walls, lovers dropping through holes in the floor, you name it) and actually housed Dante Alighieri for a time, which is depicted on several murals found in one of the halls of the castle. There are even, they say, ghosts. If you want to read more about the entire place, click here.

Throught my time in beautiful Marina di Carrara, I did so many things. I took a walk out on the pier at night with Rossana, I ate delicious gelato several times at Rosselini's, the best gelataria in town, went to the ocean for an afternoon swim, played countless games of Burraco. We walked around Carrara one evening before dinner and I saw the church where Michele and Rossana got married. One night, we all ate dinner with Rossana's parents, who were perfectly lovely, and we listened to her father's stories of WWII, which were fascinating, eye-opening, and sad, and then proceeded to get my butt kicked at Burraco, even though her father, who was my partner, is a champion. One night, all of the girls even got to meet up with one of the first people I met in Europe, way back in Nice, whose camp was very close to ours. We went out for a gelato, a beer, and a walk, and talked about camp. It was great to have some girl time!

I will always look back on my time here with nothing but fond memories and love for this place. I miss it so much; my little adopted town between the sea and the mountains where I found a family.

For the full album of pictures on Facebook, click here.

More to come in a final installment.

Much love.

Camp Campo(galliano)

2011-07-30T15:36:00.022-04:00

My first camp was in a tiny town called Campogalliano, which is near Modena in the upper/central part of Italy. My "host family" was actually two young teachers, Rita and Sara, room mates who worked at the school. It was sort of great because we went out and saw a bunch of free concerts and I met so many people; I sort of felt like the whole little community was taking care of me. Plus, it was nice not to have kids in the house, and I could pretty much just come and go as I pleased, although there were many late nights followed by early mornings. But you only live once, I guess, so it worked out.

I fell into my role at this camp very early on--I was the one who solved sharing problems on the swings, and who climbed a tree to jump the fence to retrieve balls that went rogue. I must've hopped that fence seven or eight times during the two weeks, and I earned bruises and scratches for my efforts. My policing of the swings wasn't quite as rigorous and over-the-fence-ball-retrieval, but still necessary. The kids never realized that, no matter what, I always told them they had two minutes to swing and then they had to change. lol

My class was a class of sixteen 10 and 11 year olds of varying English abilities. Here's a picture of some of my girls and I. They're working on making clothes for a paper-version of a class mate for body parts, clothes, and descriptions day.

The classes were split into two teams, Knights and Dragons. Here are my Knights and I in front of the banner they made the first day of camp.

The biggest struggle I had was when a kid was trying to explain something to me, and another kid would attempt to help (in Italian), and then about ten of them would all gather around me screaming in Italian when I've already gotten the message. Wow... it was... intense at times. There were just so many of them! But we had a good time, for the most part. They were super intense about their art (I don't think they get much in school), and they loved "Firework" by Katy Perry, so when we had extra time we'd put it on and dance around the room. I may or may not have gotten on a chair and used a tube of colored pencils as a microphone...

The "point" of the camp is to work towards "lo spetaccolo" or a show at the end. Each class does a little play or performance, and a couple of songs, all in English to show what they've learned. We did a play about four knights who tried to tame the King's dragons. Turns out, they were tamed with kindness (awwwww). I wrote the show myself, with some help and guidance from the kiddos, and they made their costumes and everything. The theme of camp was "Arthur and Friends" so there were lots of knights, dragons, jesters and the like around all week. Lots of swords, too, which is GREAT for 10 and 11 year old boys (and by "great" I mean horrifying!). All in all, it went well. The kids were happy and their parents were happy, so that's all that matters. Here are some of my boys and I after our performance.

My favorite memory of the camp might be the day we went swimming. There was a community pool in Campogalliano, I walked by it every day to get to camp, and one day one of the dads really wanted all of us to come swim one day after camp. We all felt sort of weird about it at first, but eventually the dad wore us down and we went. And it was really fun. Most of the kids there were in either my class or another tutor, Alison's, class. We just played volley ball with them in the water and splashed around and I think it really helped. The kiddos saw us as humans who laugh and enjoy the things that they enjoy, and they tried really hard to speak in English when we were there, even though we weren't at camp. It was cute. :)

My first free weekend in Italy happened to fall while I was working in Campogalliano, which is actually pretty centrally located. I took advantage of its location and took two day trips. One was to Bologna on Saturday, and the other was to Verona on Sunday.

Rick Steves failed me and said nothing at all about Bologna in his Italy guide, so I hopped on a train and winged it. The first thing I saw on my wander from the train station was this, which I think is the gate to the old city. Pretty cool, I thought.

My next order of business was food; I had lunch at this restaurant run by this old guy who was just adorable. There wasn't anyone else there when I sat down, which is kind of why I chose it, and I had the set menu of pasta and tomato sauce (YUM), salad and sausage, and then a coffee in true Italian lunch style. The food was plentiful and delicious, and definite fuel for an afternoon of wandering. Here's my little corner of a Bologna street.

Since I didn't really know what the "must sees" in Bologna were, although I'd read a few online, I just wandered. I saw several churches, and enjoyed wandering the covered sidewalks. One thing about Italy I fell in love with was the piazzas everywhere, and it started in Bologna. I just love a big open space, and a fountain, and some balconies and people. And that's a piazza. In one of the piazzas in Bologna, I caught this bird playing in the church windows.

As I wandered, I ended up running into and consequently befriending these two American guys, brothers from Kentucky. One was studying at a nearby university, and the other was just visiting. They were kind enough to let me tag along with them for the rest of the afternoon, and I was no longer alone.

Turns out, they had a guide book. From approximately 1974. And in this guide book (and also in what I read online) it said that we should see the Two Towers, symbols of Bologna. They are both leaning, but they are smaller, straighter, and slightly less famous than another leaning tower you may have heard of. These towers were built by nobles to exhibit wealth. Apparently back in the day you were judged by the size of your... tower. It's part of a So my new friends and I sought, and conquered, this tower. Here's a picture of the tower, leaning at about 13 degrees, I think.

You can climb it for only 3 euro a, and since there wasn't really much else to do, and it's always good for photographs to get high and see the entire city view, we climbed it. It was around 500 stairs, I think, and it was awkward because of the lean. And my giant feet and tallness. Here I am beginning the journey...

But we all made it. The guys were even taller than me, though, and had even bigger feet, so I'm sure it was even more awkward for them! We got to the top and waked around, and I took a panoramic of the lovely Bologna that awaited us there.

After the climb and a little more wandering, we had a drink together and I caught a train back to Modena, where I went out with my host sisters and ended up at a "discoteque" at, like, 1:30 in the morning with a very cute Italian boy and Rita and Sara and it was ridiculous. I hate "clubs" as a rule, and this one was no exception, but I'm glad I witnessed it once. The music was awful, and dudes tried to, like, touch me on my arm or face or whatever and I was NOT okay with it. But the mix of people there was sort of surprising--it was really a slice of life. Either way, that night was super fun, but went into the early hours. This was unfortunate because I was going to Verona early(ish) the next day with some of the other camp tutors.

We made it to Verona, only about an hour and a half away by train, and began our wander with Rick Steves as our guide. First, we took a group shot by the fountain, apparently a gift from, like, Denmark or something.

Then Rick told us to see the Roman Forum, which we did. One fascinating thing about Italy is that there's literally old crap everywhere. People dig in their backyards and find Roman coins or even ruins! So the fact that there's random Roman crap everywhere is just something you sort of get used to, strange as that may seem. So we go to the forum, and I got in a fight...

Kidding! They were kind of smelly, though. Definitely stayed away from them in Rome, let me tell you.

The real reason for going to Verona, as you can probably guess, is to see Giulietta's balcony and statue, a real refuge for lovers or nerdy English teachers like me. The wall of the entrance to her balcony area, called, shockingly, Juliet's Wall, is covered in the graffiti of people in love--which is sort of sweet, I guess. That people really believe in love, although I hope Romeo and Juliet are not their standards 'cause I'm just sayin'... it didn't really work out too well for them.

Then you enter the courtyard and see her balcony (you have to pay to go on it and it's not that serious so I opted out) and her statue, whose right breast is pretty worn down from people having touched it for good fortune. I touched it, of course, so I'm now just waiting for my good fortune to roll on in.

Also, above the embroidery shop right off the courtyard, you can go see the Juliet Club, where the people who respond to Juliet's letters work, like in the movie Letters to Juliet. No one was writing when I wandered up, which was a little disappointing, but that's fine. I saw the movie, I'm over it.

The last sight we saw in Verona was a statue of Dante Aleghiri, which is in another piazza. We ended our walk there because we were all quite tired, but it was a lovely day in beautiful Verona.

One of my favorite memories from the first camp was a night I went out for pizza with the girls, and met an old guy named, I kid you not, Guido. He spoke only Italian, but somehow he and I understood each other; I understood him better than I understand some people whose first language is English, which gives me pause. He actually took me on a tour of Modena, and I got quite a bit out of his explanations. Plus, he was obsessed with taking pictures and took all of the necessary shots as we walked around the town. He is a bus driver/photographer/friend of everyone, and he even bought me coffee before camp on a couple of mornings. He also bought me three post cards from Campogalliano, on which were featured his photographs. He is my new Italian BFF, and I only wish I could've actually spoken to him more.

Another memory was the night I came back "home" at 2:45 am (don't worry--I was making good choices) to find Rita cooking pasta, and I was so hungry and so happy I just couldn't even deal. So we all ate pasta at 3 in the morning--Rita, Sara, Cute Italian Boy, Cute Italian Boy's twin brother, and I, a mish-mash of new friends, sharing food and memories at 3 am. Perfect. :)

There's this line in a song by Adele called "Hometown Glory" where she says: "The people I've met are the wonder of my world." That's how I feel about Italy--everyone I met, for a moment or for a month, was just such an essential part of my experience there. Each person who tried to speak English, each foreigner who befriended me for even a few minutes, each local who smiled at me or helped me or fed me, was a blessing. And I couldn't be more grateful.

For a full album of pictures from my time in Campogalliano, Modena, Bologna, and Verona, click here.

The Italy Saga Begins!

2011-07-28T12:03:00.013-04:00

I got home only two days ago from six amazing weeks in Italy. I still can't believe all of the things I saw, and the people I met, and the places I went, and the food I ate... It really was a dream. I am so blessed to have been able to do it.

It wasn't all pasta and paintings, though. I arrived in Nice on time, but my luggage didn't. When I got to France, my luggage was still at JFK in New York. I'd had my luggage lost only once before, and it was when I was going to Michigan so it wasn't a huge deal--I had clothes. But this time... I at least had the forethought to pack extra undies, a toothbrush, my insulin, and a towel in my carry on, but the luggage also took FOUR DAYS to show up, mostly because some idiot delivered it to the wrong place. The day I got it... I can't even tell you. It was a happy day. I'd had to resort to washing the three pairs of underwear I had in the sink, and trying to dry it over the heat of the gas stove in our room at training. Lovely.

I was fine with all of it--borrowing basic necessities, wearing the same clothes, not having makeup or a hair brush, for the first two days and then... day three I just had a break down. I think I deserved it, at that point. I finally went into town and bought some essentials--razor, deodorant, a new dress--so that I could feel somewhat human again. My suitcase came the next day, and British Airways is going to owe me some money.

So I arrived in Nice and there were two adorable Scottish girls waiting for me at the airport. We all headed to the hostel together, and then headed out to meet another girl, and have a wander around. We saw these amazing yachts by the water, had a little bite to eat, and enjoyed being in Europe. We stopped to have a glass of wine, and another guy met us there. We formed a little posse, I guess, and had a lovely dinner in Nice. I ate rabbit (which I enjoyed a great deal!) and had this awkward dessert that no one could really figure out but was good. We had a wander back to our respective places to stay, and saw these guys, who changed colors and just basically looked cool. I thought they were Buddahs, but, in the light, they're really just dudes sitting on platforms, chillin' and changing colors. No purpose for them was determined, as far as I can figure, except that they looked cool.

The next day, we all met up again at the train station to take a train into Italy for training in San Remo. This was my first view of Italy, which I thought was strangely beautiful, and, it turns out, appropriate. There was quite a bit of graffiti in Italy.

This was what we left behind in Nice, though. But I knew I'd have some time at the end of my adventure to experience it again.

By the time we actually got to training, we had gathered quite a group and even found two more Miami chicks, who ended up being my room mates for the week, and my co-workers at the camp, which was awesome. Another thing that was semi-awesome, was not having to carry luggage. I only had my small backpack, and not my huge one (still lost at this point!), so getting on and off trains and busses was a breeze. I even helped one hapless member of the posse with his six bags in return for him fulfilling a dream and giving me a pair of socks at the train station.

Training itself was great, although we began each morning at 8 am with half an hour of camp songs, which were addictively annoying and would get stuck in our heads perpetually. The people I met were from all over the English-speaking world--America, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, England, Wales, and, of course, Canada. We spent our mornings singing, and our afternoons learning what camp was all about. We had tons of time to plan, learn games, and prepare for what was to come. Then, of course, at night we'd play.

One night there was a talent show and booty shaking contest. Of course, I use the term "contest" loosely, since there was very little competition involved. All I every do is win, basically. lol. You can see from the picture below that my competitor was mystified by my booty shaking abilities...

Clearly, I am awesome. And my acceptance speech was one for the history books--if only it'd been recorded. It's a shame, really. But that night was really fun, just this chilling beach party with, like, 70 new friends and this crazy orange moon that I still think about. I tried to take a picture of it, but the photo does not even begin to really do it justice--a theme I found throughout my sojourn in Italia. Here's a little taste of what it looked like... but it was so much bigger and more beautiful and perfect than this can show.

Later in the evening, after talents had been shown, booties had been shaken, drinks had been imbibed, and moons had gone back to normal, there was a little beach sing along, followed by a game of telephone played in the parking lot at 3 am. The sing along made me extremely happy; I'd been longing for one since I saw the magical combination of a guitar and a beach. For me, the sing along part was minimal because I was starting to lose my voice at this point, but it was perfect anyway. It was just one of those pure, perfect memories that I'll think about for years to come and remember why I travel and what life's really about.

There are two more significant training stories I want to relay. One was the quest for Golden Jesus, seen here on top of the church in the town near where we trained.

A group of four of us gathered and attempted to quest for the Jesus. We asked for directions from those who had seen it, and, thinking we knew what we were doing, we set out. We walked... and walked... and walked, and eventually we climbed up the side of a hill (literally climbing up) to a bike path which we thought would lead us to Jesus, only to discover that it didn't. Soon, we were on the other side of a giant brick wall, the side opposite of Jesus. After this point, and after turning around a couple of times before this point, we decided to stop our quest. In all honesty, I'm not even sure Golden Jesus was real--it may have been a mirage. Or maybe He's like the Holy Grail of King Arthur days--we were not pure enough of heart to find it. Whatever the reason or reality, it was still a nice walk and a funny memory.

The last training story took place on Friday, everyone's last day together before departing to our camps the next morning. A few of us went out for pizza because the dinners at training got... repetitive. I couldn't bear the thought of eating more pasta, mostly because my voice was completely gone at this point, and I was certainly incubating some sort of disease;I felt like crap and pizza sounded better than a bowl of pasta. My mom says whatever sounds good when your sick is what you should eat, so I joined the group for pizza. I'm so glad I did because it ended up being really cool. Not only were the people I ate with awesome company, but the guy who owned the shop came to talk to us. We actually sounded quite alike, because my voice was gone and he'd had his voice box removed due to, I think, cancer. He came and sat with us and just chatted away, and I discovered that I could understand Italian better than I thought, probably because of the Spanish I know. He spoke to us of his family, and where we were all going the next day, and he was a really sweet man. He also gave us lemoncello, a pretty famous Italian drink that tastes sort of like PineSol with a little more lemon, but almost in a good way. Almost. Still, I'm glad I tried it, and had a lovely meal with lovely people.

The next morning, we all parted ways to head to our camps in various parts of Italy. Mine was in Campogalliano, near Modena (which you may not have heard of) or Bologna. We had a staff of seven, so the camp was pretty large but... more on that later.

For the full album of pictures from training on Facebook, click here.

Climb Every Mountain

2011-05-10T21:31:00.011-04:00

Since New York, I've been entrenched in life once again, but have managed to have a little fun.

The Tony-Award winning musical In the Heights was here in April, and I really wanted to go. So I bought myself a ticket and took myself on a date. I got my ticket the day of the show, but it was still a great seat. It was, technically, and "obstructed view" but I could see everything fine. I think there was, like, a mic pole or something in my way. But the show itself was so great--I've had the soundtrack for a couple of years and I've listened to it some. There are a few songs I dig on, but it wasn't, like, life-changing for me, like Wicked. It seemed kind of cheesy--and not in that "all musicals are kind of cheesy" way but in a like, "Really? REALLY?!" sort of way. But it wasn't when I saw the whole thing. I just made me proud to be the daughter of an immigrant (well, half of me, anyway) and it made me miss my abuela.

Soon after the end of the semester at FIU approached, and I, luckily, had no actual final exams. I had one take home exam and a presentation, both of which, I think, went okay. I ended up with a B and a B+... I'm not thrilled about it, but I did what I could, I guess.

At the end of the semester, my professor had a little gathering at her house. It was a potluck, and it was fun to hang out with everyone outside of class. There was even a white elephant-style gift exchange, through which I got a game called Quiddler, a fun word game. And at 1 a.m. we ended up in the pool. It was pretty funny, and a great way to end my first year as a grad student.

I took my lack of exams as a sign that God Himself wanted me to get away and have an actual vacation, so I did. The Aussie, Tanya and I went to Curacao for a few days. All I wanted was a beach and a hammock and a beer, and I got all of that, although not at the same time.

Curacao is this little island off the coast of Venezuala, but is not Venezualan. It's part of the Netherlands Antilles, and it's linguistically fascinating because most people speak at least four languages if not more. I was having a ball! But that's nerdy news for another day.

We stayed at this little resorty place that was really lovely and had its own private beach, which we utilized on our last day there after exhausting all other beach options. Here I am at the resort...

Our itinerary was basically laying on a beach, snorkeling, eating, watching the sunset, and climbing a mountain, all of which were quite successful. Here we are the night I arrived, before we went to have a drink and watch the sunset. :)

That night we ate Indian food and everyone's was, like, one notch too spicy. Oops. But it was still delicious. Actually, we ate quite well in Curacao. I had THE BEST escargot I've ever eaten one night, when we went to the number one rated restaurant on the island. We were only the second party in the place, and the staff took really good care of us. We even got some freebies. Key. Another night, we ate at this tiny little place with an awesome vibe and I tried ox tail, which was different than I had anticipated. It wasn't bad but it wasn't amazing either... I did like it, though. The best part about that meal, though, was this...

I got my hammock! WOOTY WOO!

The downtown area of Curacao has a couple of distinctive features. There are the brightly colored buildings, which are apparently, like, Dutch architecture or something, this bridge that moves like a horizontal draw bridge, and this floating market, where people from Venezuela come over for the day with produce or what have you, and sell it. It looks pretty awesome... check it.

Let me discuss momentarily the mountain climibing situation and my lack of photos of said situation. My camera decided to be awesome and begin dying on this trip, so it was spotty which pictures I got and which I didn't. The mountain day, it decided not to work so I have no photos of the actual climb or at the summit. Let me say, though, that this was a LEGIT climb, not some hike uphill. Towards the top, we literally had to climb up rocks, hanging on to vines, trees, other rocks, whatever was there. It was kinda my favorite part. Climbing the whole thing was touch though, I can't lie. I struggled, but I made it! And it was so worth it at the top!

Poor Bree, though, decided to squeeze a cactus on the way down, and had spines in her hand for the rest of the trip and even after. Fail. But she still managed to use her magic brain GPS and get us all around the island, driving with an injured hand. Because she is amazing. Later that day we went to another national park and saw these natural water+rock formations, one of which was called La Pistola because it shot water up in the air like a pistol. Pretty cool! Again, no picks because of my stupid camera.

One day we took a trip to Klien Curacao, this even smaller island off the south bit of the larger island. It was so beautiful and the water was so blue, and there was even a shipwreck and lighthouse you could go explore if you wanted to. And we did. I wish I had pictures of it all, but again, my camera was experiencing its final, painful days of life.

Although Klien Curacao was lovely, it pales in comparison to the amazing sunset we saw on my second day. We went up north to Playa Kalki, and sat on the beach nearly all day. Then we went up to the restaurant at the resort there, and got THE outside table with a view. And we saw this...
It was out of control beautiful... This picture doesn't even begin to do it justice. It was really just perfect, and relaxing and wonderful, all of which I needed.

In other news, at work we put together a team for this year's Corporate Run, a yearly race in Miami. I didn't run, I walked, but here's just a little taste of how popular this run is...

There are people as far as you can see. And more in front of me. It was out of control. I wasn't in it to really compete, but I'm glad I did it. Our team did well, from what I understand, so that's cool too. All in all, it was really just a fun, bonding, healthy thing to do with colleagues and friends.

I also went to prom for the first time while working at ILS, but for some reason have no pictures of it; I think I just didn't bother taking my camera out. So I'll have to obtain some and then post them here. It was fun and lovely--the kids looked great and it was nice to see them dressed up and dancing and acting like kids for even a couple of hours. It was also fun for me to dress up and play pretty for an evening.

This post is so long overdue... I really just struggle with time to update, and waiting for pictures from other people and being lazy... Blah. I need to get it together!

Much love.

New York State of Mind

2011-03-27T15:28:00.016-04:00

Last year around this time, there was an electronics recycling campaign at T's job--you brought in electronics to recycle and there were door prizes and stuff like that. Last year, we both recycled some stuff and ended up with two tickets to a show that was part of the South Beach Comedy Festival. Well, the same program ran again this year, only at Whole Foods, and T had heard about it and was nice enough to take the TV that had been living in our entryway for a couple of weeks to get it recycled. As luck would have it, we won tickets to see Wanda Sykes at this year's Festival.

Wanda was funny, but it was hard to relate a little because a) I'm not gay b) I'm not black c) I'm not a parent and d) I'm not over 40. Still, I enjoyed her jokes and, hey, free 99 is free 99. Our seats were surprisingly good, too, unlike last year where we ended up under this overhang where the acoustics weren't so good. I love the Fillmore, though, and just being there makes me happy. So yay.

The other big news lately is my "spring break." Spring break at FIU fell during CSPA (the Columbia Scholastic Press Association) conference held yearly at Columbia in New York. Each year, at least since I've been at LaSalle, we've taken students. I went for the first time this year because I teach journalism. I took five of my girls, and the yearbook teacher took seven of her girls, for a week in the Big Apple.

It was a spectacular and busy week, but I think everyone had a great time. The first three days were consumed with the conference--sessions, lunch with other advisers/teachers, some swag, and some amazing ideas. I learned so much from the sessions--mostly what I've been doing wrong and how much I just plain don't know. It was eye-opening, and, I must admit, slightly depressing too. But I think we all learned some valuable information that will help make the ILS Royal Courier more successful. So we'll see what next year holds for us.

The first thing I was obsessed with was the fire escapes. This is the one I often contemplated from our hotel room.

I dunno... they're just so novel and cool. I just picture them in, like, musicals and stage shows. So many magical things would happen to me, I believe, if I only had one. *sigh*

The trip isn't all work, though. We had plenty of time to explore NYC. For example, our first night we ate at this lovely Asian restaurant that put all fourteen of us at a huge table in the back. It was... cozy. I had pad thai that was delicious and spicy (and turned a child onto the wonders of said dish). It was basically a win.

We also at the the Hard Rock Cafe one night, where I snapped this lovely photo:

I'm such a total rock star! lol

My personal favorite part of the trip was after the Hard Rock dinner, when we went to see our first show. We got tickets to How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying starring Daniel Radcliffe. Yes... THAT Daniel Radcliffe. I pretty much was dying the entire month before knowing I'd get to see him in the show. PLUS, as if Harry Potter weren't enough, John Laroquette of I Night Court fame was also in the show. I know... I was jealous of myself.

The show was at the Hirschfeld theater, which had a bunch of Hirschfeld's drawings inside (shocker!). It was really beautiful and cool.

The show itself was, I have to admit, much better than I thought it would be. My only criticism is that he doesn't point his toes when he dances, but it's hardly noticeable. His voice sounded great, he moved well, even the ladies on stage with him were placed so that he still appeared taller (he's a tiny guy). His comedic timing was excellent as well. Not to mention the entire aesthetic of the show was just so mod--very Mad Men or something. The set was beautifully designed.

I'd never seen the show or even knew much about it except that it was an old school musical (think Guys and Dolls), but, even on its 50 year anniversary, it's extremely relevant. I think maybe even moreso. In a culture of getting rich quick and manipulating our way to the top, or even just charming the pants off of people to get ahead, this musical, I think, spoke to that. It was just spectacular, and funny, and satirical all at the same time.

After the show, I headed (And by "headed" I mean bolted. With a child dragging me behind her. Through the theater and outside like a train of crazy people.) outside to a place where there were parade gates. We were waiting for Daniel Radcliffe to come out of the theater. Which he did, eventually, after a very tall black man asked me, in front of the children, if I smoked weed ("No. I'm a teacher. I'm their chaperon!"), and I befriended some random teenagers (who probably thought I was one of them). I could barely see him, because I was further back and, as I said, he's a tiny guy, but thanks to my Go-Go Gadget legs, I managed a glimpse of his hair. And thanks to my Go-Go Gadget arms, I managed a picture.

Pretty. Damn. Awesome. The two students who went with me into the fray even got his signature. Lucky bums!

The second show we saw was Stomp!, which I've already seen (twice, kind of) but is always a cool experience. It actually ended up being in the East Village, which was this very different part of town where I felt like "my people" were. There was just a really cool vibe about the area, lots of cool people who don't really seem to care about much, some cool little shops and, probably, restaurants. I'd like to give that area much more of an explore in the future.

The last day of the conference, we made sure to take some group photos on the beautiful campus. I found this lovely lady outside the library, and we all had a great time doing this exact shot.

After the conference, we headed to the MoMA and saw some art (the best was Ringo Starr's gold drum!!) and had a lovely walk through Central Park. We saw the statue of Alice (like, of Wonderland), a street show (which was pretty impressive and cool for the kiddos), and this, in Strawberry Fields.

After that we hit up Magnolia bakery (amazing sugary treats features on Sex and the City) and to the Top of the Rock, where a beautiful Eric Dane look alike and I fell madly in love for about five minutes. It was out of control. We caught eachother's eyes three times and THEN he rode down in the elevator with us. I was pretty much dying and the girls all became convinced that men in general are obsessed with me (after having observed several incidents they claim were "pick ups" or people "flirting" with me). If only they knew. lol. Precious angels.

The Saturday we were there was devoted to sight seeing. I think I saw more of New York that day than I'd seen in my previous three trips! We started the day with Lady Liberty herself, who was looking lovely, I might add. It was totally worth FREEZING outside for three hours to see her up close. She's spectacular.

We even got to go up in the base (although not up to the crown, which was closed that day) and look out. This gave plenty of opportunities for reflection photos, some of my favorites.

We also spent some time shopping on Saturday, everywhere from Chinatown (scary!) to SoHo (expensive!). At one point, I was so bored that I either needed to scream and start throwing things, or dress up. Luckily for everyone, I chose the latter. Here's my Lady GaGa inspired outfit.

She would TOTALLY wear those leg warmers on her arms. Don't even try to say she wouldn't!

We ended our trip with crossing something off my Bucket List: ice skating at Rockefeller Center. When I pictured myself doing it, though, it was with a beautiful man who is hopelessly in love with me and I, likewise, with him, not with twelve teenage girls and my female chaperone and friend. But, hey, you take what you can, I suppose. It was super cool to just skate around and be in NYC after having spent a great week there with some good, good girls. And just to prove to you all it really happened, a picture.

See? Legit. :)

Teaching journalism clearly has its benefits, like a week long trip to NYC right around the time I needed a break. KEY. Plus, something happened to me this trip to New York that never had before: I fell a little bit in love with it. I finally GOT why people love that city; why many consider it the greatest city on Earth. I see their point and would like to head back--without teenagers in tow--soon.

Much love.

The one in which I cover all the cultural bases...

2011-03-03T20:58:00.008-05:00

It seems 2011 is going much the same as the end of 2010... busy, busy, busy! Trying to find time to update this blog, while also living life and acquiring the material to do so, is difficult as ever. I actually began this entry back in the middle of January, but haven't had time since then to finish it. So far, 2011 has been pretty great and I've been keepin' it classy, trying to go to culturally and mentally enriching events.

First, back in January, I went to a poetry reading at Books & Books that was partially organized by my ballerina friend, Anya. The poet was a Haitan/feminist/lesbian/writer/actress/playwright/Michael Jackson fan named Lenelle Moise. I got there a little late, but within the first two poems I saw she mentioned both Michael Jackson and zombies (twice). She was a great performer, almost dancing her poems as she read them, and I really dug what she was doing. I've been really into poetry lately, so actually seeing some was a great treat. A simple YouTube search will yield some results, if you wanna check out her stuff, too.

Soon after, I headed to Boca to meet up with The Weave and head to the Palm Beach Opera House to see Verdi's Requiem, an opera. I kind of wanted it to be a fat chick in a viking helmet just singing her guts out and breaking glasses and stuff, but it wasn't. Turns out, this opera was based on a church service... or something. There was a choir, and a lot of Latin (or maybe Italian, I don't really know), and four singers in front who were, like, soloists or something. There was this pretty intense theme of timpani bangs, which was my favorite part, but the rest of it I didn't really get. The music was kind of lovely, and very intricate, and I enjoyed myself, but wish I knew more about exactly what I was listening to. It seems like opera is something you really have to be INTO to appreciate completely.

I also got some culture by seeing some of my boy Willy Shakespeare. The Aussie, my co-worker and friend, played Juliet in this year's Shakespeare Miami production of... you guessed it... Romeo and Juliet. She was a little more bad@$$ than your regular Juliet, sword-fighting and stuff, but the ending was still the same. I always want it to be different and I get surprised every time I see it... Like I don't know what's coming or something. I don't know... Shakespeare is just so brilliant that no matter how many times I've seen it, the play still gets me, and surprises me, and changes with each production and actor and staging.

The quarters were a little cramped (people have NO respect for blanket boundaries even though our spots were saved) but, hey, it was something free and fun to do on a Saturday night. Plus, we got to pick up and chat with The Aussie's mom, Momma O, who was enthralled by my GPS that spoke Aussie... or sort of spoke Aussie, as it turns out. She, apparently, couldn't stop talking about it throughout the rest of her stay.

Speaking of Aussies and they joy they bring to driving and life in general, team Australia had The Third Annual Australia Day party a weekend later. The party was at a park, and some claim to have seen a manatee in the water, but I just watched the pelicans and enjoyed the company. The day was rainy, but good times were had anyway. I tried my hand at cricket (again) and found that I had improved exactly none since the last time I attempted to play, about two years ago. We also enjoyed Australian treats like faerie bread (bread with butter and sprinkles... that's literally it...), Vegemite sandwiches (made that mistake once, never again); and lamingtons (which are DELICIOUS).

For Valentine's Day, T and I did a "room mate date" since neither of us celebrated with an actual Valentine. I obtained free movie tickets, and she had a gift card for the theater, so we had a cheap night out. I wanted to see The King's Speech, but T didn't want anything that serious so we settled on Just Go With It, the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston/Dave Matthews (surprise!). I'm glad it was free... let's just say that. I think I've reached a point in my life where I just can't watch romantic comedies (except the classics, of course) without bringing along my cynicism and a healthy dose of REALITY. They just end up making me angry, rather than entertaining me. It wasn't an awful movie by any means--I just can't enjoy romcoms at the moment. Dave Matthews was funny. And Nicole Kidman was funny. And Jennifer Aniston looks great. That's about all.

The last bit of life I need to report on is a little daycation kayaking adventure, or as they call it here in Miami, kaYAKing. A few of us from work drove down to Key Largo, rented kaYAKs, and headed out on the bay for a couple of hours. It was a beautiful day, and so peaceful and lovely out on the water, not too hot, not too cool; there was even a breeze.

We kayaked out into the bay into a little area of mangroves. The trees, which might be my favorite of trees, were on both sides of us, and in the middle was a little river where speed boats, bought at the Miami boat Show that weekend, sped up and down at crazy speeds and pushed our little kayak crew off into the surrounding trees. We got to see them up close and personal on several occasions. Check them out...

In between speed boats, Kim and I made friends with some guys from Minnesota who were fishing. We brought them luck because as we paddled over, they caught a fish! We eventually asked our new friends to take a group photo of us, which we managed after much awkward paddling and camera passing.

We kayaked for about two hours, and headed back to watch the sunset over the water with a cold beverage, and then headed to dinner. The sunset was beautiful, and I wished I was still out on the water to see it, but our boats had to be back by 5:30. Things on the shore weren't so bad, though.

Dinner was delicious, and all together the day was a total win. It was a perfect little get away that was much needed. I should take more daycations, just days to be in the sun and smile and laugh.

The consequences of the day, however, made themselves known at 3 AM when I had to get up and go to CVS to get some Aleve because I was in total AGONY, my arms just ached and ached and I couldn't make them stop. NIGHT. MARE. Aleve, however, did the trick and I was able to go to sleep. Lesson learned for next time: make sure I have Aleve on hand.

I've so far succeeded in being better about balancing FIU, work, and life this semester. I'm glad about that, although finding time to update here is still proving to be difficult. I need to get better, though, so I can chronicle my summer. You see, as many of you know but some of you may not, I am going to be in Italy for at least five weeks this summer! I am SO excited! I'll be living with a host family and getting paid to teach, so the trip is actually going to be quite affordable, not to mention amazing. I am so blessed!

Much love.

Hello 2011

2011-01-14T18:42:00.017-05:00

Well, Christmas and New Year's are officially over and we're well into 2011. So far, so good, it seems. But first, a recap of Christmas.

A couple days before, Mom, Dad and I took my cousins, Megan and Tiffany, out for lunch. It was great to see them and spend time with them, considering I never get to. It's crazy to think that Tiffany could be one of my students... and I remember when she was born. I=old. But I'm not so much worried about Tiffany, she seems to be making good life choices. Megan, on the other hand, doesn't watch Glee and listens to Lil' Wayne, so we had to have a chat. She has since informed me that she has watched Glee and I gave her some Florence + the Machine, so she could be on track to good life choices. :) That's what big cousins are for, right?

There was also the annual trip to Rum Runner's, where Eric and I celebrate our anniversary because that's where we met, realized our mutual love of piano bars, and became friends. And now he's in Miami and I'm so happy about that fact. It's kind of magical, how life works out... :)

The night was also slightly magical because a dream of Eric's and mine came true. The piano player did the "Bedroom Intruder" song, which was basically amazing and hilarious. In fact, I think all of our requests got played (the serious ones, anyway). Key. And I got a video of it... also key!

Christmas Eve we did the Noche Buena thing, which I never even knew WAS a thing until I moved to Miami. It's also my dad's birthday, so that's pretty cool. The piggy was better than I ever remember it being and seeing the fam was good too. It's sort of a somber gathering these days, with everyone getting older and, it seems, farther apart, and my grandmother being, on a good day, somewhat cognizant. Still, it was a gift in and of itself to even see everyone, and spend time with them, and talk for a little while. I'm lucky that I get to see them at holidays, even though we live far away.

Here's the traditional cousins picture... I remember when Liz and I were the only tall ones in the picture!

And this one might be my favorite, my dad in his new beret lookin' straight pimp. Holler.

That night, we did Christmas at our house, with the cool, new edition of texting back and forth with Steve, Raquel, and J.P. in Texas. It was kind of cool, actually. The miracle of technology at work. I must've been a good girl this year because Santa was good to me, hooking me up with a GPS that will certainly be useful and help me break my addiction to GoogleMaps. Even Bubba got in on the action, opening his present (almost) all by himself.

The next morning, Christmas Day, we drove to the Creek to have Christmas with Mema. It was a little sad, not having Grumpa there physically, but we all know he was with us anyway. Brunch was delicious; I've missed the cheese casserole Mema makes. It's a good thing we only eat it at Christmas because it's pretty aweful for you, but oh man is it delicious. Grumpa used to love it.

Bubba and Kody got along well, and Kody was actually quite the little doggie mode, posing in his favorite spot.

Brunch and family time was great as always, and we did the traditional family photo. I played with the timer on the camera and after a few tries, finally got it right.

As you could see out the window, it was a white Christmas, but it was mostly leftover snow. I think it started to snow a little bit as we arrived, but it didn't snow much on my trip overall. Sad day. I did borrow the really nice camera and I was taking pictures all break, trying to familiarize myself with the camera and see if I could get some good shots. I ended up with this one, which is kind of my favorite. I don't know what kind of plant it is, but I took it in the backyard.

The day after Christmas we had VanCooter Family Christmas. Trash and Gary picked me up and dropped me off at Coot's house, where I played with his iPad and watched the Lions win (what?!) and waited for the rest of the VanCooters to arrive. We went for hibachi, which is becoming a tradition, and then we went to the Wayne County Festival of Lights. Here we are at dinner...

And here are some of the lights:

The festival of lights was at a park. Basically, the displays were set up throughout the park, and we drove through and looked at all of them, oohing and ahhing at the elves playing baseball, the brontosaurus eating leaves, the elves skiing, and the tall Advent candles in a wreath. It was actually pretty cool, but extremely difficult to photgraph, even with a fancy dancy camera. After the lights in the park, we went out to Livonia to the house of some people who love Jesus so much they have a huge light show every year that goes along with music. Most of this music is of the Christian Christmas variety (I dig) but when we got there, the show happened to be almost over and the song playing was "Happy Birthday Jesus" which is even worse than you imagine it to be. Anyway, it was still pretty cool to see. I imagined all the other people in the neighborhood, thinking their lights were awesome, and then realizing... fail. The House family (yes, we went to the Houses' house) wins.

After Christmas, I went shopping at the Howell outlets with my mom and dad, where I got some work clothes. The key is that I could buy short-sleeved spring stuff because I live in Miami where I can still wear them. KEY! I also got to see Bob for a bit, 'cause he came to Lansing one day. We went to Beaner's, excuse me, Bigby (lame) and chatted. It was necessary that we catch up, so I'm glad we got a chance to.

I also saw a couple of movies over my break, namely Black Swan and Tangled. was super intense and I'm not sure I "liked" it, per se, but as a work of art, as a film, it was pretty spectacular. It was well acted, well directed, well filmed. The story was interesting; it all worked. I'm just not sure it worked for ME. I do love some Natalie Portman, though, so that aspect was a win. Tangled was super cute, and I love fairy tales where the princess saves herself, or even saves the prince. I think that's how fairy tales should be anyway--instead of teaching little girls to wait for Prince Charming to save them, they should save themselves and hope Prince Charming can keep up. If he can't, peace out princey.

I came back to Miami the 30th, in order to spend NYE here. Michigan New Year's just doesn't cut it, probably because everyone I'd want to spend it with there is so spread out, or visiting people because they also have time off, that Miami is just a better choice. This year, a friend had a party at his place, and I headed there. It was a small gathering, but the new year came anyway, and the ball dropped, and champagne was drunk, and merriment was made. I meant to take pictures of the evening, but somehow ended up without any. Fail. But I suppose all I wanted was to ring in the new year with people who make me smile, and I certainly did that. Let's hope my year is filled with such a gift.

Much love.

Holiday Happiness

2010-12-23T18:50:00.009-05:00

Since we last met, I've celebrated Thanksgiving, finished a semester, and gotten into the holiday spirit, which is a rarity for me.

I spent this Thanksgiving as I did last year. Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in the morning, followed by cooking, and then a trip to FIU, where my friend and fellow piano bar lover and Michigander, Eric lives. Last year, he made a delicious Turkey and this year he did the same. There were a couple other misfits there--those who didn't or couldn't go back home to their families, and we shared a delicious meal together. Check out our spread...

There was beer bread, salad, butternut squash, rolls (which were really buns, lol) mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, and, of course, turkey. I dunno, maybe it's because it's been my way for the past few Thanksgivings, but I kind of like spending the day with people who are bound by the similarity of not having a place to go; I like just opening an invitation and allowing any misfit or out-of-towner to come in. It's the second best thing to being with family.

After dinner, Eric and I played American Idol Karaoke on his Wii. Not gonna lie--it was pretty awesome. I feel a new tradition coming on... especially since I was pretty decent at it.

My semester at FIU ended much as I had hoped it would. I got a B and B+, which is really what I was aiming for. I think a B in two classes and a full-time job is more than remarkable, and I'm quite proud of myself. I did learn quite a bit, although it's sort of tough to work phonetics or language acquisition into normal conversation, but I'm working on it. Next semester I'm excited about the classes I'm taking; one of them is a historical linguistics class, which I'm so interested in I already started reading the text book. It's okay--I'm a nerd. I'll own it. :) Five more semesters to go!

The week of finals at FIU was stressful, but I had a few holiday gatherings to look forward to. First, I went to a "cookie party" which I'd never done before but turned out to be kind of cool. Everyone brings a dozen or so cookies and the recipe, and then everyone sort of trades. I made almond cookies, otherwise known as Mema's Best Cookies in the Whole Wide World, but they didn't turn out like hers do. It's okay, I guess, she DOES have several decades of practice that I don't have. I think my problem was the eggs... Here's hoping they're better next time.

Our becoming-annual Dadeland Family Christmas Party was the following week , plus the yearly Christmas luncheon, where I win booze. It's what I do. This year was no exception--I won eighteen Guinness (score!) and enjoyed some holiday merriment with friends I'm blessed to also call co-workers. I was getting to think I wouldn't win anything--it was down to the wire and all the Garcias had won, as had most of my department members, AND most of the people at my table, but luckily I pulled it out at the end. Yes!

The family party was a good time. All the usual suspects were there--beer and cheese soup, hot schnocolate, beer, Christmas cookies, pie... oh yeah, and some cool people were there too. :) It was a delicious and fun evening, and we even managed a bit of flippy cup, where, I believe, the girl's team was the big winner, although some may object to that.

Here's some of our reverie... Eric and Sparty, who made the rounds in his Christmas shirt and green bow.

And our annual picture by the tree, which turned out super cute thanks to an awesome photographer... ;) Don't we look festive and full of holiday cheer?

And I couldn't resist posting this, possibly the cutest picture of Lancelot that I have. He, of course, enjoyed the party, possibly more than anyone else, considering his big, brown eyes, still wield great power over other people, even if they no longer work on me.

The Aussie had a bonfire that same weekend, with all of her "Shakespeare" friends, but I joined in anyway considering my great love for the bard, my boredom, and my overwhelming desire to procrastinate instead of pack. I had met some of them already at other various gatherings, and knew I was in for a nice evening when I walked in and started quoting "Sassy Gay Friend" to a dog named Ophelia, and people knew what I was talking about. And then we made s'mores, and performed the monologue from The Sandlot in tandem with another guest, which was basically awesome. Too bad I smelled like fire for, like, three days afterward. lol

I left to come to Michigan on the 20th, and arrived with only one small incident. Chicago, which had been bombarded with what airline folks like to call "weather," had to re-route a few planes, which were sent to DTW. And arrived just before we did. And were taking up ALL THE GATES. For me, the worst part of any plane ride is the minutes between landing and getting off. I hate it. You're there, where you wanted to be, but you're still so far away. Needless to say, sitting in the airplane buckled in, on the runway, for an extra half an hour was NOT enjoyed by anyone on the flight, especially at 11:00 at night. Still, I arrived, I'm in Michigan, and all is well. I'm home for Christmas.

Since I've been home, I've been playing. Tuesday I saw Black Swan, which I still think I'm recovering from. Definitely worth seeing, and definitely stays with you for a while. I think I liked it; I certainly think the performances were outstanding, and I love Natalie Portman. That's about all I can say about it. lol. Yesterday, a few Holt kids went to Beggar's Banquet for 1/2 off bottles of wine and some nibbles and laughs. It was great to see The KG, who is a baller, and my sister as well. I'm looking forward to the rest of my time here, and a New Year's back in MIA.

Much love.

Birthtober

2010-11-24T19:42:00.009-05:00

Hi everyone! I'm still alive, although busier than I've ever been. I know I haven't written in ages and ages, but i can never seem to find a moment to just sit down and do it. School and work are keeping me extremely busy. I've been studying and reading like crazy, trying to keep up with and ingest everything. Three years of this life is going to be tough, but, hopefully, worth it. I do like what I'm learning but I almost feel like it's undergrad again--I know what I want to study so why am I taking all the classes that aren't about that subject? I know that the knowledge all builds upon the knowledge before it, but yeah. Anyway, I'm content but busy.

So... Let's back way up. October was a month of birthdays for me. A co-worker and good friend had a surprise party for her big 3-0, and The Weave also had a birthday soiree for 10/10/10. It was pretty outstanding, except for the fact that I spent the majority of the party (at least two hours) dying on the couch because my blood sugar was super high and wouldn't come down. I later came to discover that my infusion set had come out, which is why it wouldn't go down. Thankfully, CW drove me back and I fixed the problem. Boo for parties ruined by blood sugars.

The next morning, though, we had a lovely birthday breakfast out, and, since my problem was now solved, I could thoroughly enjoy it. It was very festive, as you can see...

For Halloween I, of course, carved a pumpkin which I later brought into my classroom and lit up as I read my students "The Raven." Every year I think it's so awesome and every year I feel like the kids don't care. But, in a paraphrase of Mother Theresa, I do it anyway. So yeah, this is the pumpkin I carved:

It looked pretty cool, I must say.

Now, usually, especially since I've been here, I'm not into Halloween. It's basically all about girls wearing a bra and panties (or less) and calling themselves a "nurse" or a "cop" or something ridiculous like that, which, to me, is NOT okay. Just cal yourself a "bikini model" or a "stripper" but let's not pretend you're something legitimate. So yeah, no me gusta. But this year, a friend celebrated a milestone and so we threw him a party. It was a Halloween/zombie themed party because "the undead never grow older," which, let's be serious, is pretty brilliant. So I was a zombie for Halloween this year and it was a good life choice. Here are the birthday boy and I:

And here are a couple of hard up zombies who just need to feast on some flesh, human or not!

I looked pretty awesome and it was fun; much better than going out and having to deal with a Miami Halloween. No thank you.

The rest of my life is pretty much consumed with work and school, both of which are going well. I'm not going home for Thanksgiving tomorrow, due to time and money factors. It's one more in a line of a few Thanksgivings I've spent away, which actually seems to be the pattern at this point, but that's okay. I still have many, many things to be thankful for this year, and many people too--like all of you. Thanks for being in my life.

My next update will probably be Christmas break, when we'll find out how the semester went for me... Cross your fingers for me!

Much love.

Pandemonium of One Kind or Another

2010-10-06T21:39:00.009-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, The Aussie texted me about $25 tickets to a show. Not being one to turn down theater of any kind, especially cheap theater, I took her up on this offer and we headed to see Pandemonium on a lovely Saturday evening. The show is by the same people who, I dunno, "invented" Stomp. It was actual musical instruments, though, rather than just percussion.

Anyway, we decided to do dinner before the show--classy style. We picked a restaurant on the Miami Spice promotion (I think I've mentioned it before but Miami Spice is a promotion where expensive restaurants create a $35 set menu for August and September). It was called Maya and it was Peruvian food. DELICIOUS Peruvian food. They gave us a basket o munchies, full of these giant kernels of salty corn that I COULD NOT get enough of. SO good. I'm totally obsessed with Peruvian giant corn. For the appetizer, I had ceviche which I've been craving for months now (I wanted it way back in Traverse City and my mom laughed at me) and which I also CLEARLY asked for without cilantro. BUT... the cilantro showed up anyway. This was unfortunate, I agree, but I didn't let it get me down. I simply picked it off--which resembles more of a surgical procedure than the dainty picking off of ickyness--and enjoyed. The main event was chicken in a cheese sauce. And I think bacon was involved, too. Basically, a winner all around. SO good! And dessert was this, like, cup of caramel (good) and something else that was like flan. Also good.

After big success at dinner, we headed to the show. Little did we know that Marc Anthony, Mr. Jennifer Lopez, was plotting a nefarious plan to make us late, because HE was doing a show at the Arena downtown and the traffic was OUT of control. We got to the show a little late and had to wait for a break to enter. There was this super intense lady who was, like, herding all the naughty late-comers like cattle. It was kind of funny. I think we only missed one or two numbers (damn you Marc Anthony!), and we made it for the rest.

Some of the instruments it took me ages to figure out--like a piano made of crystal glasses of water that you play with a wet finger around the edge, and another piano made of fireplace fanner thingys over bottles. Pretty dang sweet. There were horns of funnel and tubing, which I wish I'd known about in high school, and there were people playing saws. There were also, of course, lots and lots of drums, and a bad@$$ dude with a mowhawk to play them. WIN.

I also participated in that amazing and wonderful fall tradition of tailgaiting recently. The first FIU home game was occasion enough for me, especially since The Aussie had never been tailgating which is not only unfortunate, but unacceptable. It was fun and there was Caja China, which is amazing always. And beer, let's not forget the beer.

The game itself was exciting for two reasons: 1) Two of our former students were on the team and 2) the marching band.

Love me some tailgating and some marching. :)

Now, onto some more serious matters, once-in-a-lifetime matters. I'm not sure if any of you heard, but St. John Bosco's relic is making its way around the world over the next five years (I think it started a while ago, though) and the relic came to our school. I know it sounds, like, weird and SUPER Catholic and kinda creepy even, but it was an extremely wonderful privilege. In fact, I think ILS was the only high school in America to receive the relic. Now, obviously, this was not an event to be taken lightly, and our campus ministers, religion department, and administration worked so hard over the past year or s just to make everything run smoothly.

The event itself was open to the public--anyone who wanted to could come and venerate the relic. (Venerating is what you do to a relic, apparently.) However, there was a special event for the youth of Miami, which was literally an all-nighter. The opening ceremony/speeches/parade around the track happened at 8 pm, and the closing mass happened at 8 am the next morning. I was there--along with several other teachers--all night. All. Night. I think I laid down for about fifteen minutes in the gym around 5:15 am, but that was it. It was surprisingly a refreshing fifteen minutes, though!

Don Bosco arrived in his sweet D.B. van right on time, and the parade and opening ceremonies went off with lots of help but no hitches. Once the veneration opened up to the public, the events for the youth began as well--a concert, a D.J., a comedian, inflatables, all kids of crazy stuff. It was pretty cool, I must say. Especially the van...

At 6 a.m., the LaSalle family had their own time with the relic. All the exhausted kids got in line and waited to have their moment. It was interesting because some of the kids that were there went for something to do, some because their friends were going, some because Don Bosco really means something to them, but they all, no matter the motivation, really took that moment, or those few moments, to just be still and be with God. It was really beautiful to witness, actually, and I'm not even sure I'm describing it accurately. It was a privilege to see, it really was. Here's a snapshot of that moment:

After I left the cafeteria where the urn was, I headed out to the track for the mass on the football field, I saw the moon over the palm trees, and realized I'm pretty darn lucky.

The mass was a little hard to digest, sitting in the hot sun after being up all night and wanting nothing more than a hot shower and my pillow, but I got through it, went home for a three hour nap, and moved on with life. It was truly a once in a lifetime event, and, although it was exhausting, it was worth witnessing every moment.

Finally, this week is Homecoming Week at school, and it's been a great deal of fun. I love dressing up for Spirit Week. The best day was Marvel Monday, where three of the English Department ladies dressed up as Grammar Girls. The picture is kind of small, but look out for our red pens of doom, which shoot lighting out of them. :)
This is always a crazy week, but definitely a fun one!

As always,
Much love.

Birthday Bonanza and Other Bits

2010-09-10T22:27:00.017-04:00

I figure that if your birthday falls in the middle of the week, like, say, a Tuesday, you can celebrate without guilt on both the weekend before and the weekend after.

Birthday celebrations started a day earlier than expected when my friend Yesi called me at 9:30, when I was deeply into pajama mode, and asked me to go with her to see her friend and fellow drama teacher receive an award and play a song. Not being one to turn down a chance to be fabulous, I put on my party pants and shoes and we headed out.

It took us quite a while to even FIND the dang place we were looking for, and on the way Yesi informed me that we were going to the "Miami Dance Music Awards" which kind of made my stomach hurt considering how much I love (read: HATE) dance music. Then we finally found the place and walk in, and it was like walking into another country WITHIN the foreign land that is Miami itself. It was loud and everything was in Spanish, and I walked in to a room full of laser lights with a band onstage playing what sounds like 80s tunes, and I look up and see a dude playing a key-tar. It was secretly amazing.

We proceeded into the place, across the laser-lit dance floor, and found Yesi's friend who, I thought, was a DJ since she was, apparently, a "freestyle" artist. Well, come to find out, "freestyle" is a kind of music that made it only to Miami, New York, and L.A... Like Latin 80s dance music, as far as I can figure. And the awards? They were more like lifetime achievement awards or something, and at one point Tito Puente Jr. was, like, chillin' on stage. Everyone who won an award had contributed greatly... no one, as far as I could tell, was still making music.

Yesi's friend finally performed a little after midnight, and her song was, like, a fun 80s tune (in English!!) and it was cool to see her. But by far the best act of the night was this dude in a bedazzled black t-shirt (I'm talking FULLY bedazzled--gold jewels in a geometric grid ALL over). He won an award for a song and band I'd never heard of, which at this point I was expecting, and then the guy who gave it to him was like, "Why don't you just do a little song for us?" And Mr. Bedazzled is like, "What? Me? No, I couldn't possibly..." When you know the WHOLE time that $#!t was planned. It was hilarious. And then Mr. Bedazzle croons a song, in Spanish, from, like, the disco era and it was out of control. I was like, Is this really happening? WHAT is going on?

Then in the process of being there, Yesi sees a guy looking at me so I discretely try to look back. Turns out, dude's totally gay, which explains the look. lol. I also saw a little person, which was amazing. Actually, MOST of the people there were characters, including the HOT bartender and an awkward relationship between an ugly dude and his email order bride/escort/lady of the evening. I'm just saying she was wearing clear heels (SURE sign) and a "shirt" that, I was certain, would show her nipples at any moment if she continued to dance the way she was dancing. Wow. The entire eveing was certainly an experience to be remembered. I still haven't processed it all; it was just too much for my senses to take in.

The following day I had my birthday celebration (version 1.0), which wasn't anythign too amazing, mostly because all my brilliant ideas were somehow foiled by fate, timing, money, or all of those. I settled on dinner at RA, a sushi place in Sunset. I've always had good food and a good time when I go there, so it seemed like a wise choice.

There ended up being a dozen of us for the dinner portion and it was yum. RA has the appetizer called, like, Dynamite Scallops or something, and it's basically the perfect food: scallops (although bay, not sea), mushrooms, and spicy goodness. WIN. I also had a roll (I can't recall which one but it was good) and all was pleasing. Now, I ate a good deal, but I didn't quite feast like SOME people...

I believe there were seven plates in total. OUT of control! :)

Here's a group photo of us, enjoying dinner.

After dinner, the waiter, who I'd sort of harassed earlier in the night because I wanted my tonic wanter bubbly, brough the obligatory birthday free dessert, which was some sort of ice creamy thing. Tempura icecream, maybe. I was so excited about it, I forgot about the "blow out the candle" thing and just started eating. My friend Jeff filmed the presentation, song, eating and candle blowing. If you're really that interested you can watch video of the big event here.

After RA, a few of us (read, two) went to Fox's where a couple other friends came out for a drink. It was great to see everyone, some of whom I haven't been able to see since my return from Boston. It was a fun night, and I got home at a decent time so all was well. No more birthday ragers--I'm getting up there!

Birthday celebration part deux came the next weekend when The Weave came down from Boca and Eric, who was out of town the week before, came to hang out with us, too. We went to dinner Saturday night at Benihana, which sends you a coup for $30 during the month of your birthday. Holler! It was a fun dinner with good people, and my favorite part of the dinner show is the onion volcano! Yay!Here we all are, re-celebrating.

We finished the night at Crazy Pianos because I had two $25 certificates I'd bought over the summer for not even half that price. It was a fun (and cheap!) night, and we made friends with the (hot) bartender because we wanted to request the bed intruder song. Our dream was not realized but it was fun anyway.

The next morning, we all met up again on the Beach to have "Drag Queen Brunch" at The Palace. Eric's gone a few times, and he says it's always fun, which it proved to be. The draw is paying $35 for breakfast and unlimited mimosas, but, since I can't really drink more than one, I got a bloody Mary and eggs Benedict, both of which were delicious. The other aspect of the breakfast is the drag performances, which happen about every 15 minutes or so. It was thoroughly entertaining; the emcee was quite funny and the performances (some of them) were pretty outstanding. I managed to get this photo of Champagne something-or-other, who I'm pretty sure, was my waitress at Lips last year when I went for another friend's birthday. The drag queen world must be a small one.

All in all, a very successful birthday, I'd say. I'm looking forward to this year being...milder than last year. My Master's is going well, teaching is challenging but awesome, and, so far, I'm managing everything well. This year, I am once again hopeful about and excited for what is to come.

Much love.

Mysterious Miami

2010-08-21T20:01:00.004-04:00

I think sometimes the wonders of Miami will never cease. Just yesterday afternoon I took Lancelot out for a walk--the sky was lovely and blue, a flew fluffy white clouds over head; it was hella hot and the sun was beating down something fierce. Not an opportune time to take him out, I realize, but some things need to be done. So we get outside, and I start to feel these tiny, wet drops on my skin as we begin to walk. Must be washing something nearby, I think. Maybe the 7th floor balcony or something. But the drops were a little too infrequent for that. I continued to walk and continued to feel drops. It can't be raining, I think looking up, it's sunny as anything! As I walked, the drops got bigger and bigger until it was legitimately raining...WITHOUT A RAIN CLOUD IN THE SKY. I felt like that kid in the YouTube video, "Is this real life?"

About two hours later, as I'm looking out over the mall and seeing a cloud that looks like it could usher in the apocalypse and hearing thunder and lightning, Tiffany asked me to take the dogs out again in case it started to pour before she got home. Funny thing was--IT NEVER EVEN SPRINKLED. I don't understand this place. For realz.

Then today we had an adventure to El Palacio de los Jugos (The Juice Palace, lol) where it was really like a different country. She and I both managed to get food, and a beverage. I went for the "muddle your way through some Spanish" plan of attack, and Tiffany did the "find a friendly native" approach. It was awesome. And we had some delicious blackberry juice for dessert. Yum!

In other news, I've been dealing with FIU and ILS stuff pretty much non-stop since I got back. I'm ready to start class on Wednesday, minus one book that will hopefully arrive Monday. I even have a parking pass and student ID after an epic morning of trying to obtain both.

At ILS, my room's set up, minus a few posters I can't get to stick to the wet walls, my syllabi and policies and written up, I'm ready to tackle another year of American lit and my first year of journalism. I'm excited for the challenge, but nervous that I won't know what the heck I'm doing. But it's cool--I can fake a whole lot.

This school year is going to be an exercise in balance and focus. I know I'm a good teacher, and I know I was once a good student, I'm just not sure if I can be both, at the same time. So pray for me, if you're so inclined, and if not, send good ju ju my way. I'll take both. :)

I'm glad to be back to my regular life, to see my clothes and shoes and bed again. I missed my friends here in Miami, and I missed my job. I'm glad to be back, which is a good feeling. Hopefully I'll remember what this feels like when I've had it with Miami.

I signed up for Netflix when I got back; it was a deal through one of the zillion emails I get. I've been watching movies practically non stop (while I do other things, of course) and I have to say it was a good life decision. I've watched everything from the Leondard Cohen documentary Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man to a season and a half on Dexter, which I have to take a break from because too much gives me nightmares. The "Watch Instantly" feature is pretty darn amazing. I'm diggin' it. So yeah... I'm back to the movie world in a big way, friends. Watch out.

Please forgive me if updates are even less frequent from here on out... I've got a lot on my plate. :o)

Much love.

Bienvenidos A Miami

2010-08-10T22:02:00.025-04:00

Well, here I am, back in Miami and back to my "real" life. Leaving Boston, and family time in Michigan went by quickly, and now... life calls. I've been dealing with FIU stuff, which is annoying and lame, but whatever. I guess that's what I'll be dealing with for a while--a school that I'd LIKE to give my money to but which makes it difficult to do so.

My last day in Boston was spent in the boy's dorm, watching the boys trickle out one by one. It was sad to see them disperse, but all things must end, and they, too, had real lives to get back too. So they left, and we watched them go, and then... we were free. That afternoon, not wanting to sit in my room and contemplate the return of reality, I went shopping at Filene's Basement with a few co-workers. I discovered nothing exciting, except the most HIDEOUS "necklace" ever, which, at retail price, cost over $550. At the Basement, it was about $250. But price doesn't indicate beauty 'cause this thing is NOT okay!

Really? REALLY?! What IS that? Out of control! lol

After the Basement, we made plans as a staff to get takeout and eat it up on the 9th floor of Shelton so we could all really hang out and be together one last time. I got Thai food and split a bottle of wine, and it was a fun night. There was laughter, senior pictures, Flip Cup, Apples to Apples, inside star gazing, and Apples to Apples. Oh yeah, and we managed a group picture, too.

Aww! I'm going to miss everyone, and Boston in particular. Best of luck, friends. I'm sure the Freedom Festivities continued until the wee hours of the morning, but I did not participate in them because I had a huge day the next day. Not only was I heading back to Michigan, I was going to meet my brother.

This part is hard to say because it's still so surreal sometimes. All my life, until this past September, I thought I was my mom's oldest, but I'm not. It turns out, I have a brother named Steve who lives in Texas with his wife, my sister-in-law, and their new son, J.P., my nephew. It took a while for this news to sink in, absorb, roll around, and take hold in my mind. I still sometimes can't believe it. But it's undeniable that he belongs to us, and we to him. I can't explain what it's like to meet someone for the first time, and yet know that they just... belong. He belongs with us, but we barely know each other. There's so much of each other that we've missed, but so much also for us to look forward to. Finding out about him has been horrible and wonderful, strange and natural, awkward and comfortable, and a whole plethora of oxymoronic emotions that I can't really describe accurately. They don't tell you how to do this in the guidebook--you kind of just have to figure it out, this new definition of "sibling" and "family" and even "love." I'm at the point now where I see him as an amazing gift; I mean, think about it like this: ever since I was a little girl, I wanted a big brother with hot friends who could beat up every boy who was mean to me or didn't like me or just looked at me the wrong way. Now, he may have missed out on some of the beatings so many guys in my past deserved, and the friends are yet to be determined as hot (not holding out hope 'cause he's a bit older than me), but I got the big brother I wished for. That's pretty crazy.

I know Steve didn't want to meet at the airport for the first time, but my flight was delayed for a little over an hour due to a missing co-pilot and then a mechanical issue that caused us to have to switch planes. This meant a lost hour, so we ended up meeting for the first time, at Gerald R. Ford International Airport which sounds awful, but was actually kind of perfect. You see, I've always loved airports--they're great places to both say hello and goodbye to someone, both of which Steve and I did. I love to travel and so does he, although I never thought that trait came from our mother. He even works at an airport himself. So while it may not have been the greatest of places to meet a long-lost relative, it was what it was, and it was totally appropriate.

After our union (because you can't very well have a REunion with someone you just met), and meeting his wife Raquel and my nephew, we piled back into the Suburban, like so many family vacations, and headed to see Lake Michigan, where any first time visitor to Michigan should spend at least some time. I hadn't seen it in ages and I'm so glad I got to see it again. It's such a beautiful body of water, and the perfect back drop for our first sibling photo.

We enjoyed our day on the west side, the weather was beautiful, and, well, my family grew. Here we all are at dinner.

The next day, we went to see my grandmother (they had all gone two days before, when I was still in Boston) and go to Frankenmuth. I haven't been to Frankenmuth in years, probably since I was fifteen or so, and it was much like I remembered it, although without the hologram store and doll house store, which were always favorites of my sister and I.

We went to go to Bronner's, a HUGE Christmas store (and a real CHRISTmas store, not just Santas and reindeer), and to go to the Michigan Military Muesum, where my grandfather has a display. He's not there all the time, as many brave military men and women have donated to the museum, but Stan, the guy who runs it, made sure Grumpa's stuff was there so Steve could see him. It's still sad that they never got to meet; they would have liked each other. Anyway, here's his exhibit.

He was a handsome bugger, he was. And my grandmother, due to my mother's prompting, got herself another handsome bugger, although he's a four-legged one. My mom found Mema a cute little dog, much cuter in person that in pictures, and he and Lancelot, while not exactly best friends, at least tolerate each other. They even pose for family pictures!

We had lunch at Zhender's, which is famous for their chicken. So famous, in fact, that they have a giant evil mascot chicken that I spent the meal trying to avoid. Thank God it only came to the table while I was in the bathroom, and I only had to wait about an extra half a minute for it to be completely out of my way. All this, mind you, after the waitress promised to keep him away. Lies.

The following day was spent chillin' at my parents' newly decorated house because Steve, Raquel, and J.P. didn't return to Texas until that evening. I finally got a chance to give J.P. the sweater I'd spent time knitting in Boston. It fit (wahoo!) and was the first time I've actually SEEN something I've made on an actual baby. Although he lives in Texas, I'm sure he'll get some use out of it. :)

Meeting Steve and family was, and may always remain, an experience I can not accurately articulate but I do know that my heart and my family have grown to include him and his, and I look forward to building our relationship and sharing our lives.

The rest of my time in Michigan was spent hanging out with my parents, although I did get to have Beaner's, go shopping, get my eyes dilated, and see Abita. My parents and I (and Lancelot, too!) had a lovely weekend in Traverse City as well. We went to a couple of wineries, walked around downtown a bit, went on a few little walks, got our feet nice and muddy. It was fun. Here are my dad and I near the lighthouse in TC. The ground was SUPER muddy and squishy, but we just figured it was basically a free spa treatment.

Lancelot also got a good wander near another beach and I managed to get the ADORABLE picture of him. It might be my new favorite!

Some day, Bubba, some day...

I really love that area of Michigan. It's really beautiful, which I forget every time. I mean, look at this view from one of the wineries:

Out of control--and people don't even realize it! When I think of Michigan, my home, THIS is what I think of, not the third world wasteland of Detroit that most people know. This blue sky and green for miles.

Much love.

Bye Bye Boston

2010-07-30T16:50:00.011-04:00

In a quest to eat delicious sea food in a city that's known for it, a co-worker organized a trip to Legal Sea Food, which I'd never heard of but is apparently a chain. About eight of us went and had a lovely adult dinner, a rare and delicious combination. I had mixed plate--shrimp, salmon, scallops and some other fish, I think. I'm not that into shrimp so I ate one and gave the rest away, and I'm getting to like salmon more and more so I ate most of that, and the scallops and fish were delicious. I was very happy with my life choices that evening, except for my drink. I ordered a white sangria hoping it would be fruity and delicious, and I got a glass of sugary watermelon-flavored sickness. NOT delicious. It's the first time I've ever sent anything back at a restaurant, which I thought might tick off the waiter but then I realized he was ticked since we sat down, so what could my little drink debacle really do at that point? So anyway, I sent it back because it was awful and got a glass of wine instead. That, at least, was drinkable.

The next day was one of our weekend field trips, a dinner/dance harbor cruise. I thought this trip would be a great way to see the city at sunset and a nice way to say goodbye to everyone because most of the kids go and quite a few of the staff as well. As the day approached, though, I heard from other, more experienced RC's that the cruise was a sort of kid-infested nightmare, especially if it rained. About five minutes after we left, it began to rain and I thought the evening was careening quickly into a no-fun zone, but about fifteen minutes later, as kids were still eating and milling about, it stopped raining and the sun came out and all was well.

Most of the kiddos, and myself and most of the other RC's, spent the majority of the cruise on the top level of the boat, where the view was best and the dance floor was hoppin'. I won't discuss the trauma that was the dance floor because I don't particularly care to relive the inappropriate amount of times I had to tell boys to put their shirts on and couples to "save room for Jesus." It was kind of funny, in a way, but also pretty disgusting and awkward.

If that was what I had to endure to see Boston at sunset, then so be it, because it was absolutely beautiful. The sky was awesome--pinks, oranges, blues, greys, yellows, all shifting and folding until the sun went completely down. There were other boats sailing the waters as well, re-igniting my desire to have/know someone with a boat so I can learn to sail away.

Okay, so take the journey with me. Here I am in my fancy dress on the boat stairs, which later became known as "the picture stairs."

Early on in our journey we passed this little island/rock outcrop/whatever it's called. I decided I wanted to live there.

Here's our group picture, minus one RC who was who knows where. We're a good lookin' crew! So classy!

As we sailed, the sun started to set, revealing this:

And this:

Someday, that will be me. :)

And here's another one:

On the left is The Garden, where the Celtics play. Celtics fever was still burning while we were there. Wearing a Lakers shirt could have been as hazardous to your health and personal safety as wearing a Yakees shirt.

After the cruise, a bunch of us went out for some adult play time involving beverages and, later, darts. It was a fun evening and I enjoyed hanging out with a bunch of the RC's outside of the dorms.

That week I also randomly had two days off (they were all at the end of the program, I guess) so I decided some beach time would be appropriate. Matt, Cindy, and I headed out to Revere one morning for some sun time. Last time I went to Revere I barely stayed an hour, this time, I made it worth my while. I did manage to get some sun (Matt got crispy because he makes bad life choices), but I also managed to get sand in every possible area of my body.

The water at Revere was SO cold it felt like ice (and this is coming from a Michigander who swam in Lake Michigan as a kid), but I just HAD to get in. So I did. All the way. I may have permanently impeded my ability to have children by freezing my neither regions, but I did get in the water, I did get back out, and I did get some sweet beach hair. Not sure it was worth it... but hindsight is 20/20, right? Good times...

That night was karaoke, our last Tuesday on Boston. Sad day. Every Tuesday it was kind of a tradition to go to 973 and, well, basically dance. Usually by the time I got there after bed checks, and waited in line, the karaoke was mostly over and there was only dancing. This Tuesday I went out big and managed to make it out before 11 and had a great night. I'm glad it went down like that, although I didn't get to meet any Irish boys while waiting in line. I'm just sayin'... It's what I do.

The day after the beach I was planning to go on the Sam Adams Brewery tour but then decided to go to The Garment District instead.

The Garment District is not a district--it's a store, as you can see. Or, maybe, a warehouse sort of thing. There are two floors. On the first, when you walk in, is a costume shop and a giant pile of clothes. I'm talking probably ten feet across and two feet deep. This pile is sold by the pound, so you sift through, find some treasures, and end up paying less then four dollars for a brown suede jacket, a Ralph Lauren button-down, a t-shirt for your sister, and a white skirt. I'm just sayin'... Then the upstairs is an actual store with racks sorted by size and decade and stuff. Some of the items up there are new and botique-y, and some are vintage. I got a skirt up there that looks like a couch, which is a quality I actually love in clothing, for $9. Pretty sweet. I'm glad I went; that place is like a treasure hunt where everyone finds treasure!

That day was the end of our regular routine because Thursday and Friday the kiddos had dress rehersals and their performance or demonstrations. I went to the studio Thursday afternoon to see two of my girls rehearse the number they were going to do in the show (to some music by none other than a GVSU group... I know, crazy, right?!). Their dance was my favorite! It was my mission to watch all my kiddos dance; a mission I accomplished today when I spent the whole day (well, a good portion of the morning, anyway!) at the studio watching each class' demonstration. I learned some, and I got to see all thirteen of my girls. It was really cool and I was so proud of all of them.

These kids, some of them only fourteen or fifteen, are on the precipice of being truly, truly great (if they're not already). I can't imagine that. Staring down a career and a life path at that age... I'm completely amazed and awed by every one of those kids. They're spectacular. <3

Much love.

In Which Life is Nerd-tastic

2010-07-29T22:25:00.017-04:00

I've got tons to report on, and my time in Boston in running short, but I'm gonna try and keep this one shorter than the last 'cause let's be real: that was a little too epic.

I somehow ended up with three whole days off, a magical occurrence, and I took full advantage of them. On Wednesday, a group of us went to the science museum, which we really needed a whole day for and I only had about two hours for. I'm glad I went, don't get me wrong, and I had a blast, but to really get my money's worth, I should have been there all day.

There was a cool M.C. Escher exhibit talking about perspective and optical illusion. There was a reptile show where this docent tried to convince us that a snake-like creature was really a lizard, when anyone with brains clearly recognized it as those creepy sand creature thingys from the 80s movie Tremors. There was a lightning show, which wasn't as spectacular as I wanted it to be, but I did manage to get this "Mad Scientist" photo, so it was fine.

I think my favorite part was this playground area that taught us about things like inertia and balance, but I just thought it was a fun place to play/take a cute picture with my friends. :)

Many laughs happened that day, so nothing was really wasted. I couldn't spend as much time there as I would have liked to because that evening a poet I really love, Jon Sands, was doing a set at a place in Cambridge called the Cantab Lounge, which is really THE place for spoken word in the area.

I've been "into" spoken word for a few months now--sort of, I don't know, exploring the world of poetry and performing it and really just watching videos and trying to learn. Jon is amazing--some of his lines just take my breath away with their poignant perfection. Listen to him speak and you'll know what I mean. If you'd like to check out Jon's work, click here to see him performing "A Workings List of Things I Will Never Tell You" or here to see "Mollie & Jacob" which he wrote for his brother Jacob's wedding to his now sister-in-law Mollie, and both of which he performed for us. Because he knows I love them. *sigh*

He's a mid-western boy from Ohio, which I can forgive ONLY because a) it's not his fault b) he's so amazing and c) he got out when he could. He did several poems I'm familiar with, and I got to meet him after the show. I'm pretty sure I told him he was a rock star several times and then invited him to Miami. Whatever, it's fine.

I felt awkward about taking pictures of him... so I did a grainy cell phone shot. It's crappy but it's Jon Sands. Now, I was originally supposed to be sleeping in Salem when I saw Jon, but I called my B & B and asked to move my reservation to another day (I couldn't cancel because I'd still have to pay... so I might as well just move the date), which was just the next night.

I decided to take the ferry to Salem because I like boats and because I'd rather make the trip above the ground rather than below it. I met a lovely British boy on the way over (HOW do I do it?!) and had a lovely, sunny ride. On the way over, the tour is narrated as you leave Boston Harbor, which is cool. This is one of the sights on the way--Castle Island. Aptly named, as you can see...

I'm glad I decided to take the ferry... who doesn't love ferry boats?! Also, the ferry dock is at the opposite end of town from where I was staying, which sounds not so fun but actually worked out well. "Town" is not that big, so I just put my GVSU duffle on my back and started trucking. I first passed The House of Seven Gables, which the British boy told me was pretty good. So I figured, why walk back, why not just go now? So I stopped there, dropped my stuff off, and went on the tour.

The guided tour was of the house itself, which has gone through several machinations during its existence. When Hawthorne immortalized it in his novel, he wrote about it's seven gables, or peaks. But it had less at several points in its history. Hawthorne himself never knew it with all seven, but created an ideal vision of it from stories he heard during his time there. I've never read the novel, but I might now that I know some more about it and some of the history surrounding its inception.

Near the house is Nathaniel Hawthorne's birth place, which is actually a house as it was in most cases during his day. The house is the real house, but the location is not. The house was almost destroyed until someone paid to move it to its current location near the House of the Seven Gables. Still, very cool to see. While I'm not a fan of The Scarlet Letter, I can dig me some "The Minister's Black Veil" which I teach. Love it. Geek-tastic.

After that tour, I headed to my B & B to check in, drop off my stuff, and eat lunch. I oriented myself and found a map and plotted out an afternoon of nerdy goodness. My first stop after lunch was the Lizzy Borden Museum, which was an exploration of her infamous crime. I'd always heard of what happened, but didn't really know any details, so I went in. Plus, blood and gore is kind of awesome, especially in Salem.

The museum was really just a bunch of signs that you went around to and read, but it was still pretty interesting. Very...factual. I'm not sure if she did it or not... But I suppose that's kind of the point. Anyway, here's the floor plan of the Borden house... Do YOU think she did it?

My next stop, which I was actually heading to before Lizzy distracted me, was The 1692 Witch Trials Museum, which, according to several people, was the best museum on the topic. It was good in regards to the historical accuracy and respect for what happened there in 1692. I got in for free for being a teacher (YES!!) and even got a, like, care package of materials I can use in my room. Awe. Some.

After the museum, I went to the graveyard in Salem, where one of the judges from the trials is buried. Here is his grave:

The graveyard is fronted by the Witch Trials Memorial, a square parcel of land surrounded by a stone wall containing 20 benches; each bench represents one person who was, esentially, murdered during the hysteria. Here is Bridget Bishop's "seat"--she was the first to die.

After much sight seeing and picture-taking, I needed a break so I went to Salem Brewing House and had a pint of the Hawthorne Hefweizen, which was quite delicious. Plus, there was a huge neon witch on the wall (again, more pics of all of this are on FB...), which was awesome.

I headed back to my room to recoup/find a place for dinner/change, and when I got in I noticed it was a bit chilly in there, so I went to investigate the A/C and turn it down a bit. Well... there was about half an inch of ice on the bottom of the wall unit, the wafting lacy curtains were stuck to it, and water/ice was spewing out the top, which was covered in a miasma of liquid and black... stuff. The inn keeper came to look at it after the lady at the desk was too puzzled, and he became my BFF. I moved to a new room and he gave me a bunch of stuff 'cause he said I was so nice about it. Sweet.

After that drama, I headed out to dinner and an evening wander for ice cream, which was quite successful. I thought about doing a ghost tour, but didn't really want to spend the money, so I went back to treat myself to another luxury: TV. I haven't properly watched TV since I've been here and it was time. Plus, Glee re-runs were on. During Glee, a co-worker arrived in Salem and I headed out with her and her friend for a beer. We ended up at the Gru-Gru cafe, which had a huge beer selection including this beauty:

I first discovered it at the World Cup game when a friend got one and I tried it. DE-licious. I also had a Left Hand Milk Ale, which I tried back in the MIA and found to be exceedingly enjoyable. Beer=win.

The next morning I was scheduled to depart on the 11 am ferry back to Boston, so I woke up and got some grub in the "haunted" basement of the B & B, then headed out to walk back to the docks. On the way, I passed the Salem Witch Trials Wax Museum, which I also got into for free. I wasn't going to go, but once I found out I didn't have to pay... I was all about it. Here's sweet Giles Corey, the only one accused who didn't die from hanging. In the play, Giles is my favorite.

The ferry ride back was lovely but cloudy and uneventful. Once I arrived back in Boston, I got some lunch at Quincy Market, where I've been wanting to eat since I saw its stalls a couple of weeks ago. Quincy Market is just a bunch of food stalls, like a food court in a mall if you want to picture it, but they have all kinds of amazing food. I got Indian--a creamed spinach and cheese sort of deal but the "cream" was actually curry. A. Mazing.

I had to head back early because that night my "big program" was happening. Three other staff members and I put on a talent show for our Friday program for the kiddos. Our participation from the kids wasn't great (three prizes, three kids who performed) but there was a popcorn machine which fascinated the Japanese girls immensely. I was fascinated by their fascination, lol. The program went well and the kids had a good time... but there was much popcorn to be cleaned up. On the up side, I now know how to make amazing popcorn in a popcorn machine--a skill I really feel will take me far in life. Especially in my future career as a circus performer.

More as soon as I can. Until then friends,
Much love.

Boats, Boats, Boats!

2010-07-20T21:08:00.021-04:00

One of my residents celebrated her sixteenth birthday here, and I couldn't just let that go quietly. I promised her we'd go out to dinner to celebrate, so on a Monday, fifteen ballerinas and myself trekked to Joe's American Grill down at Boston Harbor. It's a good restaurant in a lovely spot, and we ate outside by the water. It's a seafood place, mostly, but they had everything. I had made up my mind about fish n' chips until the waiter, whose birthday it also happened to be, told us one of the specials was beer battered and fried scallops. Um, come to Mamma! So I got those and they were amazing. I make good life choices.

The girls had a great time, and although we didn't make it to Mike's Pastries for dessert (we were late for check in as it was), Kristy had a great birthday. In fact, about a week later, her mom was here to visit her and thanked me for helping her celebrate. They're both so sweet they make my blood sugar go up!

The next day, a couple of co-workers and I signed up for the Unofficial Tour of the Freedom Trail, which was called the Ye Olde Boston Tour. It was a rainy day, though, so we ended up getting a private tour. My two co-workers, me, and our two tour guides, who were awesome.

The "Freedom Trail" is just a path connecting historical aspects of Boston--the actual path itself has no significance. But it is clearly marked with a red line and these...

We saw all sorts of historically significant places, including Old City Hall, Benjamin Franklin's birthplace, the Old Meeting House, the Orpheum Theater, and this lovely, the State House. Yes, that gold is real 23 carat gold, which is fairly recent. During WWII, it was painted black so that enemy planes couldn't spot the city as easily.

At one point, Sam and Chelsea, our tour guides busted out in a rap at the oldest cemetery in the country. I wish I'd taped it so I could post the rap and share its amazingness with you all, but word on the street is that they will be making a video soon. I'll keep you posted. lol. Here's our group photo, which we took because a) there was a giant macaroni noodle that said "You know you love it" on the side, and b) we really bonded, the five of us, during our tour in the rain.

Note the distance between Sam and Chelsea. When we first met them, Sam made it clear, without prompting, that they were "strictly platonic" which of course meant to observers and listeners that, to him, they were clearly not. It was so awkward and a great inside joke between us.

The next day, we did the Hahvahd Tour through the same company (there was a coupon). Our tour guides where to Harvard students, and it was fun and informative. I'd already been there once before, if you recall, but this time I actually knew what I was looking at. I saw the dorm where Matt Damon lived as a freshmen and the one where Bill Gates lived. I learned that the statue of John Harvard is not actually John Harvard and that the Widner library was a gift to the university from Widner's mom after her son died on the Titanic. She gave two strange provisions for the use of her money for the library. One, there is a room reserved for, I think, the ghost of her son to read in, and fresh flowers must be placed in that room every morning. Pretty crazy. Good stuff.

After our tour, we explored campus a little bit and wandered into the science museum where I found Lady Gaga's newest head gear.

Ha ha! Fun times.

A couple of days later, I decided to walk to Cambridge over the Mass Ave. bridge. I thought it'd be a great opportunity for some scenic shots, plus a little perusal of MIT. This is a panoramic of the Charles River. That Citco sign on the left is very close to where I'm living for the summer.

I walked past MIT and headed up Mass Avenue, just exploring what I could explore. There were several cool little places including a record store (with actual records on sale, you know, vinyl) and a cafe where everything is local, organic, and sustainable where I had iced tea and a scone. Delish.

I found this wall on my wanderings and I just thought it was really beautiful and made an amazing photograph.

It was a lovely afternoon adventure.

That evening, our big program was a murder mystery "dinner" where several of us played parts in the mystery and the kiddos had to solve the murder. The story was that there were several students running for student council and one gets murdered. I played Ermingard McNerd, an overachieving do-gooder whose best friend is the one who gets offed. I had so much fun playing her; she was kind of out of control. I mean, here are some of her campaign posters.

About 20 minutes in, my face started hurting from smiling so much, so I just had to keep talking. It was extremely fun and the kids had a good time. And no, for the record, I didn't do it.

The next day we had a weekend trip and it was to the New England Aquarium and then whale watching. This trip was my first choice, so I was pretty excited to finally get to go. We started the day at the aquarium where we had about two hours to walk around and see everything. I dig aquariums and fish, from way back in the day when I wanted to be a marine biologist.

Some of the first creatures I saw were jellyfish, which I love. I could watch jellyfish all day, they're so cool.

Penguins are the big draw, I guess, because there's a city-wide advertising campaign blitzing the heck out of everyone who takes the T/walks/drives/moves anywhere in the city. Penguins are, like, whatever--I'd rather see some fish. Plus, they were smelly. Blah.

There was an octopus, a huge reef tank in the middle with all kinds of creatures in it, including a GIANT turtle, and a few things I'd never seen before. This little guy (or girl, I don't really know) was by far the coolest thing I saw at the aquarium. It's a sea dragon, which I now want desperately. They're SO CUTE. They're like sea horses but more dragon-y... which is awesome. Look at him! Or her!

Cute, right? Admit it... :)

In the gift shop, I felt inspired by the sea urchins...

After the aquarium, we waited outside for an hour (oops!) and then boarded the whale watching boat to head out into open water. I'd heard the ride was bumpy so I bought some Dramamine and gave it to the kiddos as well. It was a good life choice.

So we get out to open water and we ended up seeing a whale names Seal, who was feeding near our boat. It's pretty awesome because you could totally tell when she was coming; she blew a big air bubble first (in order to trap fish or something) then she'd come up and breach right near that bubble. She came up about four or five times, but I didn't get a chance to take many pictures because the first time I was inside (but it was amazing to see, like Bucket List amazing) and all the times after that she was either on the other side of the boat, or I was surrounded by everyone because she was on our side--which was less often. Still, like I said, going on a whale watch in New England is totally on my Bucket List, so I guess I can scratch that off. Woot!

Here's a picture of Seal, just heading out of the water, ready for her close up. :)

Sunday was a busy, busy day. I worked in the morning, then headed out to REvere Beach to see the sandcastles in the sandcastle festival. I'm fascinated by this art, and love to watch the competitions on TV, when I can find them. Which isn't often. And on TV the castles explode every round... but other than that, I've always wanted to see them. There were probably eight or more there, but this one was amazing and ended up winning first place.

Revere Beach was my first East Coast beach experience, and I found it quite nice. I didn't know what to expect--I live in Miami, after all--but it was nice. A bit crowded and rocky, but they were smooth rocks so I didn't mind. There were also tons of shells of all shapes and sizes, which was also pretty cool. Either way, a lovely Sunday afternoon trip.

I didn't stay at the beach long because that evening one of the other RC's had scheduled a program, a duck boat tour of Boston. These sorts of trips are popular in tourist places (they have them in Miami as well) and I'd never done one, so I figured, why not? It's a narrated tour of the city on an amphibious vehicle that drives on both land and sea. The original duck boats date back to WWII and didn't end up being too useful then (too heavy, too slow, too big) but have found a home in tour companies, I guess. Our boat, Back Bay Bertha, was from 1944, I believe. Here I am aboard her.

The tour was pretty good; I should have done it sooner because it really helped me orient myself in the city and figure out what parts of it when where and how they fit together. I got some great shots of the cityscape, and had a lovely Sunday evening. The tour itself was okay--some of it was overlap from what I've already learned about the city through my Unofficial Tour or my Literary Tour, but that's to be expected, I suppose. The worst was that our tour guide, "Harley Davidson" started talking about vets and how WWII vets, and all veterans, really, are heroes and dying by the thousands each day and I started thinking about Grumpa and getting sad. I'm on vacation, bro, I paid good money for this tour and you're making me cry! Lame!

Regardless... I got some amazing city shots like this one which just confirmed my deep, deep love for this city.

*sigh* So magical. More photos can be seen in the Facebook album, which I linked to last entry.

I topped off an amazing Sunday with a movie: Inception. As I said a few entries back, I haven't been that "into" movies lately. There just wasn't any appeal. So I went into seeing this film pretty blind--I knew that Leonardo DiCaprio was in it but that was about it. I have to say: seeing it was a good life choice. It's written by the same guy that did Memento, which I also love, and it was just... satisfying. I was at peace with having paid $10 for a ticket and rushed through dinner to get there on time. Just the amazing fight scene int he hotel hallway was worth the price of admission. I don't know a lot about film but I do know that those scenes were EXTREMELY well-made and, frankly, brilliant. So delicious.

Thanks for tuning in again.
Much love.

Historical Boston... My Version of it, Anyway!

2010-07-12T15:18:00.016-04:00

So the North End... I was in this area once before on the quest to find the U.S.S. Constitution, but didn't much explore the area. We pretty much stuck to our mission. But on this day, I went exploring. First we discovered the cite of The Old North Church, where Paul Revere hung his "two if by land, one if by sea" lanterns. This photo is of a third lantern, placed there (by...Carter, I wanna say...?) as a reminder to strive for peace or something noble and glorious like that.

A fascinating fact I learned from the tour guide dude outside, was that church back then was a social event, THE place to see and be seen. I mean, if you think about it long enough that makes total sense, but The Old North Church was the place to see and be seen. Each family had to buy a pew--the first floor of the church was filled with little booths that had gold plaques on them stating what family sat there. These pews ranged in price (better seats were a higher price, as one would expect.). If you couldn't afford to buy a pew, there were cheaper seats on the second level, and if you couldn't afford THOSE, you found a different church. I found that concept to be pretty crazy. Anyway, this is me in one of the booths, I think a former governor or other politician.

Next, we quested to Mike's Pastries, THE dessert place in these parts. It was a bit of an ordeal to find but eventually we tracked it down. It's on Hannover street, a mecca of Italian food. Their specialty is cannolis and of the cannolis, the "best" or most popular, according to the lovely lady who served me, was the chocolate chip, so that's what I got. I also couldn't reist a red velvet cupcake. If you want to see just how lovely they were, click here. And by the way, it tasted just as beautiful as it looks.

Speaking of the Reveres, as we were about to leave to come back to the dorms, when I found a sign pointing the way to Paul Revere's house. I figured what the heck, I'll give it a go, so I followed the path (with only a little difficulty) and found Paul Revere's house, now a museum. It only cost $3 to go in, so I decided since I've come this far I might as well. It doesn't look like much, really.

And in reality, it's not much, but I learned some interesting things. Firstly, that good ole Paul had sixteen children, eight from his first wife, and then another eight from his second (not sure how many were thiers together, if any) whom he married about seven months after his first wife died. Dang, I thought, Paul didn't mess around! I also learned the origin of the phrase "sleep tight" which comes from the days when beds weren't mattresses on box springs, but mattresses on an array of ropes, which had to be tightened from time to time as they started to slack. This was done with a bed key, which looked something like this. Kinda cool, I think.

On my way back, I ran into several people dressed in colonail garb. I'm not really sure WHY they would wear such clothing on a day that was so hot, but they were, and I'm all about a cheesy picture with a dude dressed in period costume. So, of course, I took one. :)

The North End was my Monday adventure, Tuesday I worked and my only adventure of note was attending karaoke, where the guy who hired me performed a wicked (I've been here too long! I'm saying "wicked!") rendition of "Can't Get Enough of Your Love." Pretty hilarious and totally worth the trip. Plus, I had some bonding time with my friend pear vodka, so the night was a win.

At the Boston Harbor Hotel on several nights of the week are free events for the public. This knowledge was quite handy because on both Thursday and Friday nights, I attended the events there. Thursday there was a band playing on the "Blues Barge" and we took some kiddos down there to hang out. It's an absolutely beautiful area of the city, with views of the water and boats I will never be rich enough to own, or probably even go on.

The band was taking a break when we got there, so we walked around a bit and discovered these giant metal sheets just begging to be climbed. So some of the boys... and Cindy... tried to climb them until a security guard came out to stop us. It was funny. I, of course, saw them and thought "Senior pictures!" So here it is...

Gotta love some chin shelf!

We stopped for some ice cream, walked by the seals outside the aquarium, and headed back to the Blues Barge just in time to get the party started. We were the first to start dancing, but we couldn't stay long because the kiddos have a curfew! Still, a fun night.

It was pretty providential that I went out there Thursday, because the next night, I'd made plans with a friend to see a movie they play out there for free. This week's feature was The Maltese Falcon, which neither of us had seen. We went quite early to have dinner, and then stayed for the movie. Dessert was so pretty, I took a picture of it!

It was great to catch up with my friend and to do something free (well, free except dinner, drinks, and dessert!) in the lovely open air. The company was hilarious too--on either side of us were a first date, and a couple where the guy was significantly older and significantly drunk. SO funny and awkward to watch! Oh Lord... the mating rituals of humanity.

Before dinner, I took a walk to the bank, which is past Fenway park, which is about two minutes from where I'm staying so I took some pictures of it, and then stumbled into a gallery on the way back called 4th Wall. It was pretty cool and reminded me of the Art Walk in Miami--just an open gallery there for the viewing. I wish there had been more information about the artist(s) on display, but it was still pretty cool.

Saturday morning, I did a Literary Tour with Boston by Foot, a tour company here. It was only $12 and it highlighted some of the famous literary sites in Boston. We saw the first publishing house, and houses where Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Wadsworth Lonfellow, and others lived or went. This is actually where Alcott lived out the end of her life.

This house, and many of the others we saw, were located on or near Beacon Hill, which is a beautiful, old part of town that I am now in love with and will never be able to afford. But it's fine. Senator Kerry actually has a house very near this one. THAT's how baller you have to be. Sadness.

Sunday was the World Cup, and, luckily, I switched my shift to the morning so I could go watch it in the afternoon. A group of us went to a place called Bukowski's in Cambridge to watch the game because every other place was practically bursting at the seams. The game was great and Spain won so wooty woo. It was super fun! The only "bad" thing was that my beer, which was super strong, got knocked over when I was about half way done... and the bartender gave me another full one. I know--it sounds amazing. But this beer was STRONG. Like, a punch in the face from old school Muhammad Ali strong. I came back and attempted to act normally, but all I could manage for dinner was a bowl of Cocoa Puffs.

Later that evening, when my mind was in proper working order, we went to trivia for our weekly staff bonding. I thought we did well, but we were amateurs compared to the other teams there. It doesn't really matter, I suppose, since it was supposed to be fun. Which it was. And our waitress was from Dublin and I loved her solely for that fact. I also learned that Bulmers cider in Ireland is called Magners here. Um... At least I know I'm not crazy! I thought I was hallucinating that they had the same label. Win for me.

Also, as an FYI, I finally got around to creating a Facebook album for all my pictures. I will continue to update it as I take more pictures, but you can find it by clicking here. It's actually more up to date than this!

Much love to you all. I miss you.

Boats, Buildings, Buzz, and Boston Pops

2010-07-06T12:00:00.014-04:00

The day after my last post, the 29th, a fellow R.C. and I went "adventuring," which is my new favorite term for exploring the area. We went to the Boston Harbor and the North End in search of The U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest American ship still in the water. We took the long way to the boat, I think, but had a lovely walk around the harbor. The coolest part was that the waters along the harbor docks are filled with jellyfish! It's crazy and SUPER cool! See?

I've never seen anything like it before, certainly not just naturally in the water like that!

We made it to the ship after a bit, and it was absolutely magnificent. The ship is huge--massive, actually--and beautiful. It's currently under construction, but that doesn't really detract from how lovely and majestic it is.

We waited for the guided tour from a sweet young guy from Seattle who was "a sailor pretending to be a tour guide" and not the other way around. He was adorable and I'm sure his mom is happy he's giving tours and not...elsewhere. He showed us all around the ship, or at least the two decks we could fit on (the second floor down was too short for me--I had to duck the whole time). We saw the gun deck and then went down to the sleeping quarters where the guys all slept in hammocks with virtually no space between. Um...no.

It was really interesting and free, which is awesome. Plus, I got to drive the boat...

Okay, so that part's a lie but it was still super fun for free 99. We also walked about the museum for a little bit afterwards, both to get cool and to learn more, and then we headed back to our temporary home. Great afternoon. :)

On Wednesday, I decided to go to the studio to watch a paux de deux, or partnering, class. It was the lower level of boys and, I think, mid-level girls. Another RC and I creeped on them from a semi-secret room above the largest studio. It was so fun to watch, and to see the kids in a completely different light. This one couple, a Brazilian boy and this tiny blond girl who embodied the word "fierce," was awesome. Plus, the teacher is totally a "silver fox" and he was beautiful to watch as well. It's great that I know most of the boys, because that made the class fun to see; my girls are the youngest so none of them are in the higher level classes, although they are very good.

After the class, I ran into a kid named Conner, who wanted to kill some time by going to the Library but couldn't find anyone to accompany him. (Kids here have to use the buddy system and are not allowed to go anywhere without a "buddy.") I took him because it was close and because I wanted to explore it a little further anyway. And because it's a library. And because I'm a nice person.

I'm glad I did because there was a beautiful photography display on the third floor, beautiful architecture and art throughout, and this lovely bust of Mark Twain, whom I love.

That night, we had our weekly "staff bonding" activity, which was bowling. For some reason, I was kind of good at it, and, at one point bowled three strikes in a row. I was even winning the second game for about three frames.

I know, I couldn't believe it either. That's why there's photographic evidence. Shortly after this, I began to bowl as I normally do, and ended up in third place.

The next day, I didn't have to work until 7 pm, so I went adventuring to Cambridge to visit Harvard. I took a bus that dropped me off right outside the Harvard Book Store, a beautiful, beautiful wonderland for a person such as myself. Of COURSE I went inside, and of COURSE I got lost in there voluntarily for a good while. It was awesome.

Right outside the bookstore is the entrance to Harvard, which I felt was kind of pompous. In case you can't read it, it says "Enter to grow in wisdom." Really?

The exit says something similar, like "Exit to share your knowledge" or some crap like that, but I suppose it's a nice gesture. And hey, it's the Ivy League so I guess they can do what they want, huh?

I think I only saw a small part of the campus inside the gated area, and I wandered out into the science complex (I think) and I know the medical and law campuses are in a different area. The best thing I saw though, was this:

It doesn't really come across in the photo, but if you look down at the bottom you can see six bottles. They're bottles of Mike's Hard Lemonade lined up nicely outside the gate. I just found this to be kind of ironic and definitely funny. Young Ivy League-ers who want to party it up drink cheap booze too! lol. But anyway, the campus is beautiful and old as one would expect, and I'll actually be going back in a couple of weeks for a real tour of "Hahvahd," not just a walk about.

Every weekend here there are two trips the kids can go on. These trips are optional, but chaperoning duties are not. Saturday was the trip to Six Flags New England, which, I'll admit, I wasn't really excited about until I got there. I mean, I live in Florida so I'm kind of over theme parks. But it turned out to be pretty fun.

Six Flags has some wicked roller coasters, and, with help, I managed to avoid the evil people dressed up as characters. Score!

We went on, I think, every roller coastser in the park and didn't have to wait long at all. In fact, for Batman we walked on, rode it, walked off, got right back in line and were on the ride again in ten minutes. It was pretty awesome. I don't know where all the people were--probably in line for the most wicked roller coaster there, Bizarr-O, which was the ride we waited the longest for. Or maybe they were at the water park, since it was a hot day. I suppose the important thing to remember is that they weren't in line for the rides I was in line for, and it was awesome.

The last ride we went on was a sky tram thingy, gondolas that go across the park and back again, which was not only thrilling in comparison to roller coasters (lol) but a great way to take some shots of the park.

This is a picture of a ride called, I think, the Mind Eraser. Clearly I can't remember because it worked.

The kids actually showed up to the bus on time, and the day turned out to be fun. Plus I didn't get sunburned, so woot.

The following day was July 4th, a holiday I've always enjoyed. There was something special about it this year, maybe because I was reminded at my grandfather's funeral just how great this country is and why it's worth fighting for. I don't know, maybe I can't explain it well, but this Independence Day was special.

I spent the morning working at the desk here, and in the afternoon I watched The Sandlot, a Fourth of July tradition, and hung out with some kiddos until dinner. That evening, we had a gathering on the 9th floor of Shelton Hall to watch the fireworks over the Charles. It was actually the perfect spot to watch--not crowded, perfect view, and air conditioned--especially after we put the Boston Pops concert on the radio. The show is timed to the music, so it was pretty much necessary.

I got a small bit of video of the show, which I hope will play if I post it here. We'll see...

If not, here's a picture just to give you an idea of how awesome the show was.

It was pretty cool to see fireworks commemorating our nation's birthday in the place where it actually began.

Also last week I saw Toy Story3 which was the first movie I'd seen in a theater since, I think, Christmas. I just couldn't help but have this overwhelming feeling that, if I went to see a movie, I would hate it. So I didn't go. They're too expensive to waste money on, I figured, so I just wouldn't waste it. I really enjoyed the movie, although it was pretty intense at times. I teared up quite a bit, and the ladies I went with were full on crying. lol. I remember loving the first one, and I know I saw the second one as well, and this one seemed like a great way to finish the story off, if, in fact, that's what they were doing.

This morning I actually went adventuring to the North End and Harbor area, but I'll tell you about that next time.

This is called "suspense."

Much love.

The City of Fountains

2010-06-28T12:09:00.006-04:00

Boston has quite a few fountains. For reals. It seems like everywhere I go, I find one! I mean, there were the ones at the Public Gardens. Then there was one in the Prudential Mall and another in the courtyard of the mall. Plus the one in the courtyard of the First Church of Christ the Scientist, and the courtyard of the library... They're everywhere!

It's awesome that I've had time to continue my explorations, which have now basically become fountain hunting missions. I've had a couple of good walks around, and I love it here! Last night I went for a wander with another of the RC's just to explore, and we found several interesting sights. First, Berklee!

Then we stumbled into the courtyard of The First Church of Christ the Scientist and, I think, Northeastern University (College?). This site was absolutely beautiful and I loved the view of the city from the reflecting pool.

I then become obsessed with the reflective qualities of the reflecting pool...

And in the background of the first picture, you can see a fountain. When we reached it, there were a bunch of children running around trying to beat the heat by playing in it. It was really beautiful. Had I been more properly dressed, I would have joined them...

After that, we wandered into the mall at "the Pru," which is the Prudential Center. The mall's pretty upscale, from what I gather, but it had a lovely courtyard and fountains both inside (a whole wall!) and outside.

By this point, I had a hankering for an adult beverage, so we stopped on our way back "home" to get one. I had a Rapscallion Honey, which is a Massachusetts beer. It's brewed in Holyoke. It was decent and adult, so I was happy.

Today, my adventure was the library. I went to the studio to sign some paperwork to get paid (I missed that on the first day of orientation) and had to break a rule...

In case you can't read it, that sign above my head says, "Please do not sit here." Awesome.

Anyway, walking back to the T stop to head back to the dorm, there's the public library, a huge, old, beautiful building. It not only houses books, but art as well. Right now, they're doing an exhibition of travel posters from all over the world and it was really cool to see them. I learned that France is the most visited country in the world, which is kind of cool.

I also wandered into the courtyard of the library (courtyards are also a theme here, I'm beginning to realize...) and this fountain was so brilliant it inspired my pose...

That's what I've been up to lately. Sure, I'm working a little bit, but I actually get quite a bit of time to go adventuring and exploring. It's kind of awesome. And the kids are awesome too--my girls seem very sweet, two of them even coming to church with a group of us on Sunday. The kids who don't speak English as a first language crack me up, especially when one of the French ones described his first time driving in Paris as "uh... epic?" I suppose it doesn't translate as well into the written word, but it was hilarious, trust me.

There's a Korean kid here who speaks SO little English it's really a wonder. I spoke with him a little but most of my Korean's gone. We worked out a great system for move in, though, and he bows a little when he sees me. Awww.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow will hold!

Much love.

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair

2010-06-25T14:52:00.015-04:00

Even though the book ends with the song of despair, I don't want to end on that note so I suppose I'll start with my "song of despair," if you'll allow me.

Friday, June 18th, my favorite person on earth departed the earth. My grandfather, "Grumpa" as I called him, had a stroke about 3 1/2 years ago and has slowly been deteriorating ever since. It is one of the greatest sources of sadness in my life that I didn't get to see him one last time before he had the stroke (I was in Korea when it happened), but I do take some solace in the fact that every time I visited him after the stroke he knew who I was, even if he didn't know anyone else. He and I understood each other and, well, he might have been the love of my life. I know he's up in heaven now picking out a husband for me and sending him my way, but that's little consolation for not having him around anymore. I know that my sadness comes from a selfish place--I'm sad that he won't be a part of my life anymore--but at the same time, he will always be with me so I should be happy. I always carried him with me before, even when he was here. I suppose I need to just continue to do that.

I know I'll see him again, which is also comforting, but it's hard when I think about not having him around for Christmas or a weekend visit. Anyway, you can read about my "brave, loyal, and stubborn" hero here.

Grumpa died on a Friday, the day before I was supposed to leave to come to Boston to work for the summer. I called the guy who hired me right away, although maybe I should have waited because I was crying on the phone and I'm sure it was difficult to understand me. He said I could deal with whatever I needed to deal with, and come when I could. I ended up arriving Wednesday around noon after having missed two and a half days of training.

So, this will be my home for the next five weeks, and now begins the twenty love songs.

Shelton Hall on the Charles River Campus of Boston University. It used to be a Sheraton Hotel, apparently, and, according to Wikipedia: "In 1953, playwright Eugene O'Neill died in suite 401 (now the RA's room--417) on the fourth floor. In his honor, the fourth floor was named a specialty housing area called the Writer's Corridor. School folklore holds that the building is haunted by the playwright. Apparently, lights on this floor are dimmer and the elevators would randomly stop at the fourth floor." I haven't been up there as of yet (I'm staying on the second floor) but I will go explore this situation soon.

Everyone I'll be working with seems fun. I was introduced to a big group of them on Wednesday at lunch, when they were playing a crazy game called Quelf. It was certainly an interesting first impression! But everyone has been helpful in helping me catch up on what I missed and we had a staff dinner last night at an Italian place, which was nice. The food was good (I had Pasta Mary Ellen without the shrimp and extra scallops, YUM!) as was the company. Showing up late, although necessary, was a bit awkward but I'm feeling more and more comfortable with everyone as time passes so that's good. I mean, walking to an Italian restaurant in the rain without an umbrella is certainly a bonding experience, I can tell you.

I haven't had much chance to explore the city until today, when I didn't have to be anywhere until 4:00 pm. So I got up, had breakfast, and set out to walk to Boston Common, which, it turns out, is a pretty hefty feat to undertake. I just walked down Commonwealth Street, from number, like, 800 down to, like, 11. The walk was pretty fantastic, though, because a) the doorways here are amazing. So much so that I took pictures of many of them and want to do a photo project with them at some point. And b) between the two sides of the street is a park/median, with benches, trees, grass, and random statues. It's awesome.

Anyway, before you get to Boston Common, you reach the public gardens, which are beautiful. There are several fountains, tons of flowers and trees, and a river with swan boats!

At the entrance there was a giant statue of who I thought was Paul Revere. Turns out, it was actually George Washington...

He was surrounded by lovely flora, namely these hibiscus. :)

There were a few street musicians in the gardens, and the gardens covered quite a large area. I'll have to go back some afternoon for a relaxing spot to read and be in the sun.

Just beyond the gardens is Boston Common, which, come to find out, has like a gazillion dead bodies under it or something. Maybe that's why it smells like yeasty, stale beer. Eewww. To be honest, I wasn't that impressed by it... it was pretty much a vast field of grass with a statue and a carousel. I did find a lovely spot to relax and read, though.

And of course I took a picture of the carousel...

And then I found a band shell, and took a cool photo of the cityscape from inside it.

Meanwhile, we're all ready for the kiddos to show up. I've got my door decorations done, and they're super cute for someone as unartistic as I am. I mean, they have glitter so that's really all that's needed.

The boys are arriving today. Most of them are here on scholarship, so they move in early and then help the girls move their stuff in tomorrow. It's a good gig for the girls, I guess.

Anyway, it's getting exciting here now that kids have begun to show up. It's gonna be a fun summer!

Much love.

Why My Life, Both Literally and Figuratively, Rocks

2010-06-13T23:29:00.010-04:00

This blog has been heavy on the concert news lately, and this entry will be no different. One of the many reasons my life rocks is because, well, lately anyway, it has rocked. See, last weekend was awesome.

Friday night was our department party, which was both delicious and fun. I get my tri-annual baked brie fix and I shook things up a little by bringing something other than taco pie. I made those appetizers my mom makes--the little breads with mushrooms, cheese, and crispy onions. They were a hit. :)

Two people in our department are leaving, one retiring and another moving to another school. It's sad to see them go--they're both wonderful people and teachers, and ILS will seem... strange without them. But it already seemed strange without this year's seniors so I suppose I'll have to deal. Schools are like that, I suppose--they have to change and I have to deal with it. But, our two dearly departed members will be missed, and I'll hold memories of our retiree smashing an alarm clock with a ball peen hammer close in my heart...mostly because it was hilarious and brilliant.

Now for the best part--the department party was moved from Saturday to Friday because of me. You see, I campaigned hard to change it so I could go to the James Taylor/Carol King concert on Saturday. I made GOOD choices, as I always encourage my students to do.

I went with my concert buddy Drew, and our seats were the cheap ones, so they were pretty far away. But, the way the stage was set up, they weren't bad. The stage was a circle in the middle that rotated, so everyone in the arena had a good seat at one point. It was pretty awesome.

We got there right as it was starting, and I had to pee during the first song, which was James singing "Something in the Way She Moves." Then Carol sang, "So Far Away" which was in my head for two days after. She sounds and looks better than she ever has, and "So Far Away" basically made me transcend to another plane of existence. It was so beautiful.

The pair sang all the big ones ("Up on a Roof," "Smackwater Jack," "Natural Woman," "Sweet Baby James," ) but had this really weird dynamic of a sad song ("Fire and Rain") followed by an earth shaker ("Steamroller" or "I Feel the Earth Move"). It was an emotional roller coaster! I'm crying about "Fire and Rain" and before my tears are even dry, Carols feelin' the earth move... And homegirl was FULL of energy. It was amazing.

They ended with "You've Got a Friend" like I knew they would. They came back for an encore as well, then outstayed everyone else in the band to do one last song, "You Can Close Your Eyes" which is one of my favorites. It's my lullaby.

It was an amazing night and I'm so happy I went. Drew and I both had an excellent experience just basking in the glory that was JT/CK. *sigh*

Here's the stage, with Carol at the piano and James rockin' some sweet guitar.

And here's the entire set up. I loved the photos in the middle just rotating... it was awesome.

The next day was Sunday, and my church held a service at The Fillmore, (where I saw The Swell Season and New Kids recently), and Jon Secada came for a free little concert. Even though it started 45 minutes late (UNacceptable!), it was a cool evening. The service was good and seeing Jon Secada was pretty cool. He didn't sound quite as good as I remember, but for a free show, it was cool. I can't believe I remembered those songs!

I couldn't manage to get a very good photo, but here it is.

The following "week" at school was fairly uneventful--it was finals week. My schedule worked out perfectly this year--I had the last two exam blocks off, so all my grades were in and done by Wednesday, and I had time to pack up my room and get everything squared away. The faculty lunch on Tuesday came out nice--my last event as part of Student Council. It'll be nice to not have to do it next year, and I won't have time anyway with school, but it'll be so weird to not be a part of some major events at LaSalle. I guess I'll still have to go, though, to get my fix. lol

Our gift this year was a laptop case, since we're all getting lap tops instead of desktops for next year. I kind of wish the school'd just given me $600 to pay for the laptop I already have, but whatever. The case fits mine so all is well.

This weekend was also pretty awesome. Friday night I had a little "going away" party, even though I'm coming back. A group of us went to Hollywood (up north a bit) to a restaurant called Taverna Opa. I've heard quite a bit about the place, including the words "belly dancers" and "dancing on tables." These statements turned out to be the truth.

The place is a Greek restaurant and the hook is that there are women--belly dancers--who dance on the tables, and encourage patrons to do the same. I rarely need encouragement to dance on a table--an invitation's really all it takes--but a little Uzo didn't hurt...

And with that, I climbed up on a table!

The restaurant is right on the water, so our view was beautiful, and the food was absolutely superb. I had roasted lamb that was so good, I asked our waiter if he could legally marry us (the lamb and I, not the waiter). I wanted to eat so much more of it than I did... not to mention the hummus (sooooo good!) and "Flaming cheese" we got as appetizers. My mouth is watering right now just thinking about it!

After dinner we headed to the boardwalk to have a stroll and see the beach. I went down to the water for a minute and stuck my feet in, and we sat outside a country bar and watched semi-trashy tourists line dance. Priceless entertainment, my friends.

On our stroll, I found the other love of my life, my new boyfriend...

You can be jealous, I would be too. :)

Saturday my Russian Ballerina friend and I went to the ArtWalk in the Wynwood Art district. It's a pretty cool event, and it's free! You see, on this particular street or area are several art galleries. Every second Saturday of the month, they all open their doors and you just go and walk around them. There are all types of art in the galleries--paintings, sculptures, photographs, and each gallery is different. Some have free food and drinks, others have music or entertainment, and it's really cool and artsy. I even ran into some co-workers!

After the ArtWalk, we headed to a bar called The Electric Pickle to see a band play. The band was pretty good and did a rockin' cover of "Steal My Kisses" which I tried to explain, in Spanish, to a dude sitting near us who was commenting, in Spanish, about how good the band was. It was pretty funny, but I think I got my point across. :)

Well my friends, I'm about to embark on another adventure as I pack for Michigan and then head to Boston on Saturday. I'm looking forward to a summer of new experiences, people, and places. Stay tuned here to see what I get up to!

Much love.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-05T16:45:00.010-04:00

Last weekend, Memorial Day weekend to be exact, was a lovely, long one for me. We had Thurday-Monday off from school and it was glorious. Granted, we had to go to graduation on Thursday, but that wasn't too bad, especially since the cool kids (really, just anyone who wanted to go, lol) went to CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) afterward for lunch. I think it's becoming tradition. Eating some delicious pizza tends to soften the blow. Graduation was also slightly less painful because a) I sat by awesome people and not the scary creeper I've somehow ended up near every other year and b) I knew most of the kids. Turns out, those two elements help the time pass much more quickly.

Friday, we had some people over for nachos and we played some games, and after that I went out in Brickell with The Russian Ballerina. I'm trying to go to different places instead of the same old ones, so it was a good experience. I had a fun, chill evening, so that was awesome.

Saturday I didn't do much--graded some papers, went to the pool, watched a movie. It was nice to just relax a bit.

Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, The Aussie and I decided to have an adventure to Marco Island, over on the Gulf side of the state by Naples. We got a magical parking space after leaving the only parking lot and coming back to it. Then, we headed to the beach.

We spent a good part of the day on the beach, just sitting in the sun and enjoying a good friend and a lovely location. Plus, we had to make the two hour drive worth our while. I forgot my camera (dumb, I know) so all the photos are thanks to The Aussie. This one in particular is awesome because I have some sort of laser beam coming out of my eye like Cyclops from The X-Men. Basically, if the government finds out I'll be taken for experiments.

The sand was made of shells, which means it's virtually impossible to remove from human flesh, but the water was so nice and warm, I actually went in a few times. Oh, and it has been decided that salt water+my hair=hot beach hair. Win! Anyway, here's a view of the beach where we spent our time...

The Aussie drove us home (I drove us there), but not without a stop for ice cream. We stopped at, I think it was, a 7-11, where we discovered a magical treat called the Twix ice cream bar. Soooooo good...

When we got back to Miami, our friend and co-worker Tanya (the one I went to Ireland with, remember?) made us hamburgers on her brand new grill. And honestly, what's Memorial Day weekend without hamburgers on the grill? The Aussie and I had spent a good portion of the day taunting Tanya about the meal, since we both wanted her to come to the beach with us instead of staying home. The meal was delicious, and the company equally so.

Yeah, it was a good day. :)

Much love.

A "Swell" Story of the Jacket of Destiny

2010-05-28T11:27:00.014-04:00

Last weekend, I got a special treat. A friend from Michigan and her husband were in Key Largo for their belated honeymoon. They came up on Friday night for a little happy hour and dinner action, and we got to catch up. It was so great to see Sucker (and Jason too!!) and just talk and hang out. I still can't believe she's never been to Florida before! Crazy! But I kind of love this picture because we were laughing when T took it. :)

That Sunday, T and I went to the beach to hang out with a friend who's leaving Miami. It was so relaxing to just bake in the sun, and the water was so warm! There were tons of plants in the water so we didn't make it out too far, but chillin' in the shallow end has its perks too.

We stayed until the late afternoon and the tide started coming in, so we all began to build a moat to prevent water from getting our towels all wet. Mine was totally awesome--and effective.

As if all of that wasn't enough excitement, Monday The Aussie and I went to see a show at the Fillmore. I'm embarking on a one-woman campaign to keep that place open! I'm obsessed! But anyway, we went to see The Swell Season, a phenomenal band that began after the movie Once. The two actors/musicians from the movie, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, met while making it, fell in love (like they did in the movie), and formed a band. The song "Falling Slowly" from the film actually won an Oscar that year. Glen and Marketa have since stopped dating but they still make beautiful music together with The Swell Season.

Anyway, we went to dinner before at a Japanese place (that was delicious!) and as we were headed back to the theater, The Aussie realized she forgot her jacket at the table, so we turned around. This jacket, however, is no ordinary jacket. This was the Jacket of Destiny. As we retrieved the jacket and proceeded back to the Fillmore, who do I see coming around the corner but Glen Hansard himself! I go, "That's him. That's Glen."

"Huh, are you sure?" The Aussie replied incredoulsly.

"Yeah, that's Glen." At this point, I decided to pursue him, like ya do when you see a rockstar. I walked quickly, then ran a few steps, then went back to walking, then ran a few steps, until I was within speaking distance. "Excuse me," I began, "Are you Glen?" He said that he was, and I was like, "We're going to see your show in a bit!" We talked for a little bit, Glen claiming that the "spring break-ness" of Miami was a bit interesting, and then this other group of people came by and stole our moment, insisting on taking a picture with Glen. It was okay though, because then The Aussie and I made them take a picture of us with Glen. All of this was with much thanks to the powers of the Jacket of Destiny. :D

He was super cool to us and I loved his Irish accent a lot. :)

Anyway, we got to the show and our seats were pretty amazing, second section back right in the center. Not bad for buying them a week before the show! The opening act came out, a guy named Tristan Clopet, who apparently is friends with a friend of mine. Um, dude, next time you hang out with rock stars you LET ME KNOW. Kthanksbye. He was pretty good--guitar playing, singer/songwriter guy. He sang a song about his nephew and it was super adorable.

The Swell Season released a second album in October of last year (I think) called Strict Joy, and many of the songs they played at the show came from this album. They sang most of the songs I know from it, which was awesome. They opened with a song called "If You Want Me" and Marketa and Glen just switched back and forth between piano and guitar/microphone. They play together so well and even if they're not in love any more, their voices sure are. They just sound so perfect together. Glen's voice is kind of Bob Dylan-esque (if Bob, bless his heart, could sing) and she sounds like this haunting, ethereal bird or something. Just thinking back on it makes me wish I was there, again, in that room where magic was happening.

The pair talked to the audience quite a bit, and Marketa was shocked by the fashion choices of people (read: women) in Miami, and the fact that there was a roof top pool with a bar in it at their hotel. She called Miami "mental" but in the best possible way. Marketa's accent, by the way, is also extremely awesome. She's Polish (I think) and learned English in Ireland. Picture THAT combination! The Aussie decided that Marketa is her new best friend, and I couldn't agree more.

At one point in the show, everyone left the stage except the violin player (who is now my new boyfriend) and he played an old Irish tune as a solo. He had a CD out, apparently, and now I must track it down. It was a super cool moment, especially having just (0kay, not JUST but you know what I mean) returned from Ireland where I got to hear all kinds of music of that sort. *sigh*

Towards the end, the two sang "Falling Slowly" together. How cute are they?

They, of course, came back for an encore. First, it was just Glen who grabbed the guitar and stepped away from the mic and just wailed this song called "Leave" acoustically, which was amazing. Angry Glen is awesome. Then the rest of the band trickled back out for a few closing songs (it was a long encore!), and a little tribute to Bob Dylan, whose birthday it was. They sang "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" acoustically and everyone seemed to just be jamming and having a great time. It was the perfect way to end an amazing night.

I think my version of heaven will be that concert, on replay, for eternity. I can dig.

Much love, friends.

New Kids, New Friends

2010-05-19T20:08:00.011-04:00

Dreams came true again when The Weave and I went to see New Kids on the Block at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. It's definitely one of my favorite venues, certainly my favorite in Miami, and seeing the New Kids there was actually pretty awesome. The seats were General Admission, though, so we had to get there pretty early to wait in line.

Annie came down from Boca and we got ready and headed to the beach. We got there around 5 or a little after and made friends with the girls in front of us, who were all the way from Washington. Apparently the "New Kids Cruise" was departing the next day, and the show as a little appeteaser. Anyway, waiting in line was an experience and the ladies who were near us seemed pretty cool and not that annoying. At one point, Weave left to grab us some dinner. She bought us an $11 feast from CVS. It was kind of awesome. lol

The crowd at the show was a slice of humanity. There were cute, seemingly normal people (and by "people" I mean "women" because, like, what guy's gonna go to New Kids?) like The Weave and I. There were some people of questionable gender (jury's still out). There were people who thought they looked AWESOME and really just looked tragic. And then there were my favorite people (and by "favorite" I mean the opposite)--the whores. This one woman (who might have been a tranny) was wearing a corset and her boobs were almost completely exposed. Um... hi. I don't want to see some strange woman's nipples, thanks. Plus, she posed for a picture with her friend, and made a face sort of like this:

People watching was certainly a way to kill time before the show, and a source of endless entertainment. I did make friends with a short girl who promised not to date any tall boys, so that was a win.

The show itself finally began (after literally a 20 minute countdown clock) and it was great. I didn't really know how such a big show would translate to a small venue, but they did well. There were, of course, big lights and lots of flashy stuff and technical magic, lots of dancing, lots of nine and ten year old girls who are 20 years older now screaming--it was what you would expect. The guys still looked hot, of course.

They sang all the old favorites plus stuff from their newest album (which is now not so new but you get the idea). They also did this chill set in front of the curtain, with just a couple guys playing guitars and them singing. Kinda cool.

Jordan came out in the white shirt I remember from childhood, but there were no fans this time. Ahh well, he still looked hot.

Jordan, Donnie, and Joey all did solos (duh) but I made a discovery during Joey's--Joey has become completely gay. It was so weird. I mean, he comes out wearing tuxedo pants and a short tuxedo jacket with tails, and no shirt. THEN he sings "Sweet Dreams" by the Eurythmics and "Twisted." And dances around with the microphone. I mean, don't get me wrong--he looked hot, but it was kind of out of control. Sue Sylvester from Glee would have approved is all I'm saying...

Anyway, at one point, the "Kids" went off stage and walked (heavily surrounded by large, large security men) to the middle/back of the venue (about 15 feet from us, BTW) and did a little ditty, and then walked back to the stage. I'm just saying, the white shirt in this picture is Jordan Knight. He was THAT close to us...

Magical. Of course, their last song was "Hangin' Tough" and it was full of lights and energy and memories.
I can't lie--I didn't really want to go to the show when The Weave first bought the tickets, but I had a great time and now I'm really glad I went. :)

The following Saturday, I saw The Weave again for her Preakness Party. Last year, she had a Kentucky Derby party which was actually pretty fun, but this year I think she was gone (I was too, actually). It was pretty fun--the guy who won was a Garcia, so that was awesome. There were some cool people there there too, and we ended up playing a pop culture game (my team won, woot!).

It was great to spend so much time with The Weave, and relive a little bit of my childhood. Again.

Much love.

Epic Travel Tales

2010-05-08T21:40:00.013-04:00

Well, here is is, lovely May with it's flowers. I've been up to some shenanigans since Ireland and it's time to share those shenanigans with you all.

We had parent-teacher conferences the week we returned from spring break, and, as always, they were depressing. I didn't see many parents, certainly not as many as the first session, and usually the "good" kids' parents are the ones that show. PLUS I spend 13 hours at school, which is about as depressing as life can get. BUT, we get the next day off, so I can deal.

Also that week, a friend from high school came down because his family owns a condo in Lake Worth. He, Annie, and I all met up in Boca for dinner and a little reunion. I haven't seen Antwon in a long time, so long I don't remember HOW long, and it was great to catch up. We had dinner at a Mexican place in Boca, and then went back to Annie's place to play a little Apples to Apples. It was a fun night.

The next night I was double booked--The Aussie's "Calle Ocho" party and Adam's birthday. I went to Calle Ocho first, in my finest chonga regalia. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "chonga" or the lifestyle one lives, check out this brilliant explanation. So anyway, here's me as a chonga, complete with black lip liner and faux tramp stamp with my initial. Hoop earrings are also key to the look...And yes, that is my thong underwear hanging out. It's a look, people!

Since I work with The Aussie, several of our friends are co-workers, who also all dressed up. Here we are... Now keep in mind that we teach children.

We. Teach. Children. After a couple of hours of being chongalicious, I walked to Crazy Pianos where Adam was celebrating his 25th birthday... again. It was a fun night, although tiring. Two parties in one night is a little intense. But still...

The following weekend, I took Friday off (it was a half-day anyway) and hopped on a plane (at 7 a.m., BOO) to Detroit for a weekend in Michigan.

I arrived without incident and Bob came to pick me up. We were gonna meet up with my mom, who called us about 10 minutes later and told us to meet her at the Bob Evans by the airport, which it took Bob and I about 25 minutes to get back to. Basically, the combination of Bob and I is a nightmare directionally. We finally got there and had a couple of drinks (Coke and iced tea, lol) and the waiter gave me some biscuits because he saw in my eyes the love I had for them. It was kind of a beautiful thing. It turned out to be the best thing because once we left it took about two hours to get to my grandparents' house when it should have taken an hour. Yay traffic for no reason.

We finally got there and I surprised Mema (she didn't know I was even in town) and spent most of the time at the feet of my favorite person on earth, my Grumpa. I used to think it was just me being wishful, but he really is better when I'm around. He even managed to say "I love you" to me, which is pretty amazing. A couple hours will never be enough time, but it was better than not seeing them at all, so I'm grateful for it.

The next day, I went to see Abita while my parents went to get some stuff for the house (they're redoing it). She was hilarious! I haven't seen her that "there" in ages, and we talked for, like, an hour. I completely understood her (she was even speaking in mostly English) and we had a great talk. She was telling me she wanted wine, and asked me how she could learn English, and told me I should get married. She was singing some songs in Spanish, too, which was kind of funny but awesome. Her voice is sort of bird-like now, so it was pretty funny.

I spent the afternoon with Liz and got to see her place, which is totally cute. We got ready and headed to Dusty's English Inn for our parent's party around 5:45. I didn't know most of the people there well (they're my parents' church friends) but they were happy to see that I actually DO exist and I'm not some phantom daughter they made up to tell stories about. lol. We had a lovely dinner and some drinks, and watched the Derby in the bar downstairs with some ladies and their huge hats.

Speaking of the pub downstairs, on my search for it (and a bathroom) I discovered a Harry Potter room--a cupboard under the stairs. It was so awesome!

After cocktails and dinner, we took a family photo in our Sunday finest, and then headed to sit outside and chat, I guess. We're some pretty good lookin' folks, if I do say so myself.

After a while of hanging out outside, Liz, her friend Jamie, and I headed back home to change and we went out for a little bit. We went to a place called Morty's (I think) and I met a guy who was 6'2" that I was in love with for about an hour SOLELY because he was 6'2". Short Miami boys are messing with my head... I MISS TALL BOYS!!!!!

Anyway, it was a fun night and it was cool to meet some of my sister's friends and hang out with her, 'cause we don't get to do that much.

The following day, Sunday, was the day I had to fly home. And it was an epic journey.

It all began when my sister took me to the airport, after an extremely necessary stop at Beaner's (I will never call that place "Bigby." That's lame and dumb.). I got there around 11:15 and had a flight at 1, so it was all good...until I checked in at the self-service kiosk and it said my flight was at 5. Um... no bueno. So I proceeded to the ticket counter where a lovely woman in formed me that my connecting flight to Chicago was canceled, so I now had to go through New York and would arrive in Miami at 11:40 pm, to which I replied, "No. No. That is not happening." And I was thinking, If I don't get back until 11:4o tonight, I will kill someone tomorrow, and it will probably be a student, and that will be bad for everyone. Then I heard two guys behind me who were also supposed to go to Chicago on the same flight, and I started talking to them. The lady at the counter asked me to get them up there as well, and while she was booking us another flight, one guy leans over and says under his breath, "Hey, do you watch 16 and Pregnant?"

"Yeah," I responded, more surprised that he knew the show than embarrassed to admit to watching it myself.

Then he says, "Remember the couple who gave their kid up for adoption in the first season?"

"Yeah..."

"The girl's mom's right behind you."

I turned around and lo and behold, there she was. "Celebrity" sitings at DTW. The excitement.

By this time the ticket agent, who was super nice, had booked me on a 12:30 flight to Cincinatti with a connecting flight to Miami at 3. The new flight was on another airline in another terminal... and it was already 11:45. Luckily, the guys I'd just met had a ride waiting outside the terminal, and, since we all had to go to Delta, I hitched a ride with them and proceeded to security.

I head to the security line, which wasn't too bad (a fact my paranoid traveling self was ecstatic about), and as I'm about to step through the metal detector, I see a resident of mine from Copeland when I was an M.A. there. Crazy! I haven't seen him (other than on Facebook) in about six years! We had a quick catch up, as much as you can in a security line, and my insulin pump alarmed, of course, and we all moved on.

The flight to Cincinatti was uneventful, but that airport was hilarious. The airport's not acutally in Ohio, you see--it's in Kentucky. I was in Kentucky the day after the Derby. You can imagine what I saw. The airport was filled with ladies with giant hats, and with giant hat boxes, and people who looked completely hung over and sort of like death. It was entertaining, at least. Took my mind off of the fact that I was, theoretically, in Ohio.

I found my terminal and waited for the flight, which was supposed to leave at 3. Around ten minutes to, a woman came on the speaker, to announce what I assumed was boarding. This is what she said instead, "Ladies and gentlemen, the plane that was supposed to take you to Miami has been struck by lightning and there's a crack in it. We have to cancel the flight." At this point, everyone starts to freak out, I'm about ready to cry, people have to catch connecting flights ... It was madness. American Airlines, though--problem solvers! They ended up canceling a flight to Chicago (running theme?) and using that plane for our flight. We took off at 4:45.

But, ladies and gentlemen, this epic tale is not over. I literally sat in the first seat on the plane. I could see the pilot and co-pilot and the jump seat for the flight attendant was about three or four feet from my own seat. And this dude was a trip. I swear to you--he was Slingblade. He kept telling stories and going "umm humm" like Billy Bob Thorton. And he LOOOOOVED to tell stories too. At least the ride home wasn't boring!

After all that, I made it back safe and sound to Miami and the chance to see my family was such a blessing. I can't wait to see them again soon. :)

Much love.

More Ireland--Kilkenny and the Rest

2010-04-29T17:32:00.014-04:00

We left Dublin Easter Sunday, after going to mass at the church next to our hostel. The mass was an interesting experience because Tanya and I lowered the average age of the attendee about 30 years, and it was more like a funeral service than an Easter service. We didn't even sing! Tanya and I were both like, "He's risen! Hallelujer! Did you miss the memo?!" It was kind of funny in a sad, sad way.

So we bid farewell to Dublin, and headed off to Kilkenny with Shannon, our GPS, and Judy Rose, our car. Driving to Kilkenny was our first real glimpse of the Irish countryside and it did not disappoint. The further south we went, the greener it got. It was magical.

We arrived in Kilkenny after a few stops along the way to frolic, probably illegally, in people's greenery and taking every tiny, off the map road our GPS wanted us to take. Shannon was a little bit... special. We got to our B & B, Berkley House, and I ran in to ask about parking. Once we parked and checked in, we asked the very nice lady at the desk about a place to eat and how far away the Rock of Cashel, our reason for visiting Kilkenny, was. She gave us directions in relation to the castle. "What castle?" both Tanya and I replied.

"The huge castle you saw on the way into town," she said.

We looked at her, puzzled, until we went outside and saw this:

The huge castle that we did, in fact, miss on the way into town. Our only excuse is that we were very focused on trying to park at the time.

Our first order of business was to eat, and we chose a place recommended by Rick Steves' guide, Kyteler's Inn. It was also recommended by the lady at the desk. This place was built in 1324, and was an inn at that time. Now it's a restaurant and pub. The history of the place is pretty cool, because the woman who owned it was accused of being a witch. There's a lovely homage to her on the second floor, complete with ugly, hairy moles and a cauldron.

And because I love irony, this was in the bathroom. Twenty-first century vanity and tools, chillin' in a 12th century building's bathroom.

After lunch, we went to the Rock of Cashel, which is, well, a rock that rises above the ground as like, a hill. The Rock has been used by several different entities, royalty to begin with, and then the king gave it to the church because he didn't want it to pass from his hands.

On the cite, there are buldings from the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 15th centuries. Pretty amazing. There's also St. Peter's Cross, which, legend has it, if you can wrap your arms around you'll never get a toothache again. Legend also has it that if you hop around it three times on one foot, you'll be married within the year. I tried to hug it (well, a replica, not the actual one) and was unsuccessful. I didn't want to try the hopping...

Later that night we went back to Kytler's for dinner and walked a bit around Kilkenny. The next morning, we had a full Irish breakfast, complete with black pudding, which is made of, well, blood. I kind of liked it and even ate Tanya's portion. I didn't REALLY know what it was as I was eating it, but I knew it had blood in it. Anyway, it was a new experience so that was cool.

Next on our agenda was seeing the Cliffs of Moher and spending the night in Doolin. The day started off okay, and as we drove through the countryside, we were inspired to stop and take pictures.

But by the time we made it to the Cliffs of Moher... the weather was another story. It was probably 45 or so degrees and raining pretty hard, plus there were literally gale-force winds blowing. It was... unpleasant. But... the Cliffs were still beautiful and totally worth being soaked and freezing. Observe...

In this one, you can get a picture of the weather we were dealing with. Fun times.

After our wet trip, we checked into our room for the night, another B & B, and it was really a cute place. The lady who ran it was so nice, and upgrading from hostel to B & B was the right choice--our room was huge and totally brought Tanya and I peace. We took all our wet stuff off to dry, hoping it would be by the time we had to pack up and leave the next day.

Doolin itself is a very cute little "town"--but it's really more of a long, sprawling, little community of houses and businesses than a "town." I'm pretty much in love with it, and it's also really known for traditional music, which we got a taste of that evening. We went to a place called McGann's, THE place for traditional music in Doolin, and heard some great tunes and had a nice meal. I ate the Irish stew and it was probably the best meal I had in Ireland (the food's not amazing there, be warned.). I also saw an amazingly beautiful boy that I fell madly in love with. I'm sure that even though we didn't talk, he felt it too. :)

After our dinner, we met this lovely couple from New York (or New Jersey) who told us about another place where the music was rockin', and so we headed there. The coolest thing about the second place, was that there was this whole circle of musicians just jamming, and two of them were kids. I think it's great that there's a desire to keep up traditions in the younger generation. As we were leaving the second place, an old Irish man put on my hat. He was awesome.

After our breakfast the next morning, we did an unplanned drive through a region known as The Burren, which is basically just scenery. On one side of the road is rocks and blue, blue, ocean, and on the other are these limestone mountains. It's extremely dynamic and fascinating and beautiful.

This is me on some rocks...notice the footwear. I couldn't wear my sneakers because they were still wet from the Cliffs of Moher.

This is the ocean side.
The land side.After our beautiful drive, we boarded the ferry across the Shannon to save us about 80 km of driving. On the ferry, I met three people from Lansing--one lady even knew the zip code of Holt. What a small world indeed.

I snapped a picture during the crossing because it was so pretty.

Once we got to the Dingle peninsula (yes, it's called "Dingle" lol), we checked into our hostel and set about exploring the area. It's a really cool little place--touristy but not kitschy. It's a Gaelic-speaking region as well, which is awesome, and it's another place known for its traditional music. Our first night there was just relaxing and heading to the pub to recover from driving all day. We went to a place called An Droighead Beag (Don't ask me how to say it!) both of our nights in Dingle. It was a great place and both of the bartenders we met were awesome. There was Bob the first night, a Scottish guy, and Michael the second night, a 20 year old Ginger. We also met a lovely couple from Seattle who taught Tanya and I the magic of a drink called hot whiskey. It's like tea... but with alcohol. Great for those cold nights... like EVERY night we were in Ireland! It was a great pub, and the Guinness there was magical.

Our main purpose in Dingle was to do the Slea Head drive, which is a scenic drive. It's basically the same type of scenery as the Ring of Kerry, but less of it and better night life, which is why we chose it. So our first full day in Dingle, we took the Slea Head drive and it was spectacular.

Along the path there are various stops you can make, and the first one was at the beehive huts. The beehive huts are these, well, huts built only of stones piled on top of each other. Nothing holds them together--no tar or mortar or anything like that. And they've stood the test of time for hundreds of years--I think they go back to, like, the year 800 or something like that. Pretty amazing!

The panoramic feature on my camera was key on this drive, and I took one panoramic after another. This one might be my favorite. OUT of control beautiful, and the trek down there yielded some nice pictures too. Tanya and I dubbed it, THE picture spot.

Our first night at the pub we found out that there was a Celtic music festival in town, and so there were all sorts of events happening all over town. This was a traditional music session we went to, where the musicians just showed up with their instruments and... played. The guy playing the bones is my favorite. He came and talked with us a little bit after, and he was super sweet and I'm obsessed with him. Any man whose had matches his coat and who plays the bones is okay by me!

Our second night at An Droighead Beag, we talked most of the night to the bartender who gave us quite a lot of information. We talked about "The Troubles," Gaelic football, the potato famine, all sorts of stuff. He seemed pretty intelligent for a 20 year old kid, and he told us that we should drive the Conor Pass on our way back to Dublin, and that ON the Pass, there was a little turn off and a waterfall that was worth climbing.

The Conor Pass was just brilliant and beautiful. There were shadows on the mountains and the day was crystal clear and perfect. It was a great way to bid farewell to western Ireland. I mean, look at this...

OUT of control. And the little turn off and waterfall Michael told us about? Yeah, we found it. And we climbed it. And I took that picture from there. Here I am, after a bit of a climb.

The rest of the day was spent with Judy Rose, Shannon our GPS, and Lady Gaga and Beyonce on the radio because we drove back to Dublin. We stayed near the airport in an effort to ease ourselves back into American life.

I can tell you what--the power of prayer got us back to Atlanta first class. I sat next to an Irish guy who was "in the pub" business and found out why American Guinness is not as delicious (unclean taps, different system to deliver the beer, glasses at the wrong temperature). He has a pub in Colorado that has real Guinness, so next time I'm in Denver I'm looking it up. The power of prayer also got us back to Miami from Atlanta, because if we hadn't made the plane we did (which was by the skin of our teeth), we would've had to spend the night in ATL. Thank God, literally.

Ireland was the trip of a life time--a dream come true for me. Every moment of it was just beautiful, and it was so perfect. I have to go back to Doolin soon and actually talk to my husband. :) I highly recommend taking a trip there, and to the rest of Ireland, soon.

If you want to see more pictures, I have two albums on Facebook. The first is here and the second, here.

Much love.

A Song for Ireland: Dublin Days

2010-04-14T21:18:00.009-04:00

Wow, this is post 201 in this blog. It seems fitting that it's about Ireland.

The word that comes to mind when I think about my trip is "amazing" but that word is so cheap nowadays. Everything is "amazing." I'm no exception--that word is WAY too big a part of my day to day speech. Perhaps "awesome" is better, but it raises the same issue. Awesome the way it's meant to be--something that makes one feel in awe, in admiration, in love, is awesome. That's what Ireland was.

We left on Wednesday and were flying standby. We missed the first connecting flight to Atlanta, but an Easter miracle (one of many travel-related miracles on our trip) we made it on the second flight. Once we got to Atlanta, it was easy sailing all the way to Dublin. And I mean easy sailing--we got seats in first class, which is now called, simply, Business class. It. Was. OUTstanding. They give you champagne when you sit down! They give you all the drinks you want--including alcoholic ones--for free! They put a napkin on your tray before they set down your meal, which you choose from a menu! The best part was the tiny little salt and pepper shakers they give you. I was kind of obsessed with them! I even took a picture it was so lovely:

Ahh, and a beautiful, if not that delicious, Bloody Mary, several of which helped me sleep most of the way to Dublin. I tell you what--it's THE way to travel.

So Tanya and I arrived in Dublin on Thursday morning-ish. We made it to our hostel and had "the longest check-in in the world" with my new BFF, J.P., the ADORABLE Irish guy working at the desk. He was hobbity and probably a little magical. We told him we were "nature and pub girls" to which he replied, "That's the best kind of girl!" He clearly loved us (too bad he's married) and he also helped us out with a map and the major sights of Dublin, plus he set up a Good Friday trip to Northern Ireland and the Giant's Causeway.

We arrived early enough to still see some things our first day, so we decided the Guinness brewery was a good place to start. We hoofed it there (it was a quest, let me tell you) and toured the brewery at St. James' Gate for a while. Here's us outside...

I learned quite a bit on the tour. Namely, Alec Guinness was so confident in his business endeavor that he signed a 9,000 year lease on the property. Also, hops is a lot lovelier than I thought it was (it's a flower) and it's that bitter flavor at the end of the beer. I also learned how to properly pour a pint of Guinness and that few places (none that I've found) pour it correctly. It should also be served at six degrees centigrade. These two factors combined make Irish Gunniess a magical, magical substance that brings joy to my heart. I don't like Guinness here but over there? It hits the spot, let me tell you.

The coolest bit of information I gained was about the origin of the Book of World Records, which IS the same Guinness. Apparently, one night in a pub some guys were arguing about which animal was the fastest animal on land (or something to that effect) and so they were inspired to not only find out, but to create a reference manual with all sorts of information of that type. Thus, The Guinness Book of World Records was born.

At the brewery, you can head up to the roof and get a good look at all of Dublin, which is kind of cheesy but appeals to me in every city I'm in. So we climbed up after our pint and looked at Dublin, sprawled out before us. It looked something like this:

That was the major story of Day One. Day Two of the trip we headed to Northern Ireland to see Belfast, Giant's Causeway, and Derry. Tanya had been to the Causeway before and really wanted to see it again, and neither of us had been to Derry. It was kind of perfect that we did it on our first full day in Ireland, because the long bus ride allowed us to sleep off our jet lag for most of the day.

We got up eeeeearly and went to another hostel to pick up our bus, and then we headed to the Carrik-a-Rede rope bridge which I have yet to figure out the importance or significance of. Tanya and I ended up not actually seeing it because we stopped in the shop to buy a bit of food since we hadn't had breakfast. We did manage to get in a lovely scenic walk, though, and this was one of the stops on the way.

The walk was a lovely one along the water and we heard a few tales about the place as we wandered. This next picture is of "Sheep Island" where a farmer once decided to keep 500 sheep. Six months later, that 500 sheep had dwindled down to a mere ten... Sheep are not smart, and apparently, neither was this particular farmer.

Our next stop was Giant's Causeway, named after Fill McCool, the giant who, well, caused the causeway--at least, that's what legend says. Whatever you believe, the Giant's Causeway is absolutely beautiful. The pictures, like so many others I took, don't even scratch the surface of how amazingly beautiful this place really is. It's truly just magical.

We had lunch at the causeway (steak and Guinness pie, yum!) and then headed to Derry, a major site of "the troubles" as they are called. We took the historic tour, given by a guy our age or a little older who had been born and raised in Derry. The tour was fascinating and eye-opening. The tour guide said something on our tour that really just blew me away; he said, "A life of war is just as hard to live as a life of peace." And this was coming from a man who'd known war for the first eighteen years of his life. That moment stopped me in my tracks. I'd never thought about it before in that way, but this man had been in war, AT war, for the formative years of his life. I can't even imagine it...

The scenery in Derry was pretty intense too. There were murals on some of the buildings, speaking to the tradition of telling the town what was going on through pictures rather than the British-controlled media. This is the wall erected when a part of Derry, the Catholic part, decided they were free. It still stands proudly.

Derry was a complete learning experience for both Tanya and I, and it was sort of appropriate that we were there together--Catholic and Protestant--on Good Friday.

We got back pretty late from the trip and stopped at McDonald's because I was on a mission to find the single greatest food-like item on the earth: the Cadberry Egg McFlurry. Let me tell you, folks: it does exist, and it's just as glorious and you would imagine it to be. Dreams do come true.

The next day we explored Dublin and saw more of the sights there. Our first stop was St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was beautiful from the outside:

And slightly heathen on the inside. There were leprechaun shot glasses for sale inside... which was so weird. But, Jonathan Swift was also buried in there, so that was cool to see, and there were some beautiful crosses inside as well, so it wasn't a completely pagan experience.

Next we headed to Grafton Street via St. Stephen's Green, a lovely little park. Although it was cold, the daffodils were in bloom (still don't know how!) and the park was lovely.

Then we headed to Grafton Street for a little walk up and down (it's a famous shopping street, I guess) and ate lunch at a place called The Duke, where James Joyce and my boy Oscar Wilde used to hang out back in the day. The food was kind of ew but the place was cool, and outside there was this older man wearing a TON of makeup (I'm not lying) who was drunk and encouraged us to come in. How could we resist?

That evening, we went to the Temple Bar district (yeah, it's what it sounds like) and went to a place called The Porter House, where I fell in love with this guy:

Let's just say he played a mean tin whistle and an even meaner set of elbow pipes, and when he sang this Irish folk song acapella, I basically melted. He was amazing. And in the back corner of the bar, we met this group of guys who turned out to be drunk and possibly insane, but really, really nice and fun. And I had two chocolate beers. So it was a good night.

The next day, we went to Easter Sunday mass (which was more like a funeral mass) and hit the road in our car that we'd picked up from the airport the day before. She came to be known as Judy Rose, and she was a true Irish beauty.

So... more on the trip soon! Kilkenny to The Cliffs of Moher, perhaps?

Until then, much love.

Trip to Tampa!

2010-04-10T21:56:00.005-04:00

I know, I know. You all want to hear about Ireland. But all things in due time. First, I want to talk about the Junior class trip to Busch Gardens. I arrived at school at 4:25 a.m. That's in the morning. I was AT SCHOOL at 4:25 in the cotton pickin' morning! I clearly made a bad choice by going! But we pretty much have to do that, so we can maximize park time. You see, Busch Gardens is in Tampa, which is anywhere from 4-5 hours away. It took us about 5 to get there, with one breakfast stop somewhere along the way.

We stopped for breakfast at a Chick-Fil-A/Burger King and I chose the Chick. It was my second Chick-Fil-A experience, and everyone raves about it, but I've never found it that impressive. Ahh well, fast food breakfast is fast food breakfast, and there was a biscuit involved, so it wasn't so bad.

We got to the park around 11 or so, and had until 6 to explore. I'd never been before, and it was free since I was a chaperon, so it was basically all good. When I first entered the park, I was greated by this guy, one of many, many topiary throughout the place.

Now, Busch Gardens has nothing on Disney as far as story is concerned--I didn't really "get" the park. The three roller coasters all had these weird names, and there were all sorts of motifs happening as far as landscaping. This is probably my favorite. :)

We didn't get to ride much because we had to eat lunch and check in with the kids. Eating lunch wasn't so bad, but the kids take forever to show up and we have to wait for all of them, and call the ones who don't show, and give detentions to the ones who are late. Plus, the group of teachers I was hanging with was a bit too large to be conducive to productive decision-making, so we wasted time just deciding what the heck to do. I rode two roller coasters, one called Montu and the other called SheiKra (which I secretly called "Shakira"). They were both pretty intense, but SheiKra was the "new" one and it has, basically, a 90 degree drop, at the top of which they let you sit for a few seconds to ponder your life and make yourself right with God. But it was super fun. I've only recently gotten back into riding roller coasters; I was scared of them for a long time. But now I realize they're actually kinda great. Even so, the anticipation of the fear is always the worst... As you can see!

It turned out to be beautiful weather as well, so that was a blessing. I had a great time, even though I was exhausted and leaving for Ireland the next day and my life was not my own for about four days. I wanted to go on the trip last year but couldn't for some reason so I'm glad I finally made it.

Here's me on my way out of the park, by one last topiary. There are tons of them!

Okay, so I've been admittedly horrible about updating both this blog and my pictures lately, but I just made an album on Facebook with pictures from January-March of this year. If you're not on Facebook, you can view it here.

I'll update about my amazing Ireland trip soon!

Much love.

Since We Last Saw Each Other

2010-03-26T16:48:00.009-04:00

I've been up to the same shenanigans--literature, arts, you know how I roll.

Crystal, whose friendship with me is old enough to drink legally, was in Orlando a couple weeks ago with her boyfriend and I drove up there to see her since I hadn't in over a year. We didn't manage to get together at Christmas, so I figured four hours there and back was worth it. So I drove to Kissime where she was staying, and another friend from Sarasota met us there too, and we had ourselves a lovely afternoon.

We decided to go to Celebration, which is the town owned by Disney. As Stew so eloquently put it, it's a place where most people "drink the Kool-Aide." The town was pristine and had a total Pleasantville feeling about it. It was creepy in a completely calming way. The whole place was totally...serene. Check out this lake, for example:

Serene, right? And of course, there was a fountain. And of COURSE we took a picture by it...

We had lunch together at a Japanese place, and then dinner a few hours later at a seafood place. Crystal's boyfriend Andy joined us. It was great to meet him. Anyway, Crystal, Stew, and I have a sort of tradition, I guess, when it comes to taking pictures. We like funny poses in restaurants. So this time, we came up with this...

We are awesome, I know. Be jealous. :)

It was a great day and the four hour drive both ways was totally worth it. Now I just need to get up to Sarasota to see Stew more often.

I also went to go see The Vagina Monologues at Lynn in Boca because Annie directed them this year. The show is always great to see, and it's also always for a good cause. There were some new monologues this year that I'd never seen before, which was cool, and, of course, the old standbys as well. Overall, it was a great show and I'm really proud of Annie for putting it together so well.

In other news, I've been really into spoken word poetry lately. I've been watching loads and loads of poets on YouTube, and even looking into readings and open mic nights here. We'll see if I actually finish any of the poems I'm working on, or if I manage to gather the courage to share them. We'll see. But in the mean time, here's one of my favorites, by a guy named Jon Sands, it's called Mollie & Jacob.

I've been out of my mind busy but that means I'll have a lot to talk about, so get ready!

Much love.

Another Month Goes By...

2010-03-05T20:15:00.013-05:00

I always resolve to update more than once a month... and then I don't do it. I fail. :(

Okay, so first things first. I was in New Orleans when the Saints won the Superbowl and it was OUT of CONTROL. I took off from Miami on Friday afternoon (half day, woot!) and flew to Jackson, Mississippi where my BFF lives. BFF is a guy I met during my class at Oxford last summer. NOLA's only about three hours from him, so we left from his place on Saturday morning, after I got the titillating tour of Jackson.

We arrived in lovely NOLA on Saturday, around lunch time. BFF, who knows how to eat well, took me to Brother's where they have po' boys. I had a Bloody Mary (the first of many) and a spicy sausage po' boy, and my mouth was on FIRE afterward and it was glorious! The mark of a good meal, for me, is one that makes me feel like I could breathe fire like a dragon when I'm done. I like it.

Later that afternoon, some of my BFF's friends joined us, and we went to the parade. There were beads strewn about everywhere and that thing about showing your boobs to get them? Totally false. I just held up my hand and they threw them out. lol. My BFF even caught a purple plastic sword, which was basically the coolest thing ever. The beads are so easy to get, even the street signs have them...

Here's me and my BFF watcihgn the parade on Burbon street!

That night we went out and had an excellent time. We ate dinner at this seafood place, and I had char-grilled oysters and fell in LOVE. They were so delicious, so decadent, I just wanted to eat them for the rest of my life. YUM. Then the group of us went out on Burbon street and had a good time... Let's just say there were six people sleeping in our hotel room the next morning, so you can guess how our evening went. ;)

The next morning, three of us walked to Cafe Du Monde, down by the water in the French Quarter, to have beignets. I'd never had one before and it was delicious! Kind of a diabetic kid's nightmare, a ball of fried dough covered in powdered sugar, but delicious nonetheless. And Cafe Du Monde is THE place to get them, apparently, because there was a line out the door when we got there.

This is the cathedral in the courtyard across the street; it was lovely even on a cloudy morning.

We headed back to the room to bid farewell to the friends who drove in from Baton Rouge, and got ready to head out to our jazz brunch at The Court of Two Sister's, which came recommended to me by the "Queen of New Orleans" herself. :) The brunch was a LOT of food, and I tried turtle soup for the first time! I liked the flavor of it, but the actual turtle was a bit awkward. The boys tried Eggs Benedict for the first time and also enjoyed it, but I found the hollandaise to be sort of gross. I also had King Cake, which is basically a must for New Orleans, and on the walk to the restaurant I had another Bloody Mary that was delish.

After brunch it was clearly nap time, and we went back to the room and slept until we went out to watch the Superbowl.

Let me say: I was in New Orleans watching the Superbowl when the Saints were in it, and I was in New Orleans when the Saints won the Superbow. I have never in my life seen anything like that. "Who dat?" was ringing in the streets, people were cheering so loudly and excitedly it was almost like the Saints could hear them. I'm sure there will be a mass of Superbowl Babies in September, and some people in the city may still be recovering.

After the Saints won, BFF and I had to go to Burbon Street just to... see it. It. Was. MADNESS. Packed so full we could barely move, people cheering, grown men crying and looking up to the heavens in thanks, a sea of gold and black. It was sort of amazing. Here's a little taste of what Burbon street looked like...

I couldn't have picked a better weekend to go. File THAT under "You Only Live Once."

Soon after that, my parents came to visit. I had a long weekend, and they came to stay. On Friday, they came to school with me and met everyone, and we took some lovely pictures in the Marian Prayer Garden there. This is one of the few family photos I have!

Saturday I took my parents to the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, but we ended up not going in and just wandering around the Grove and looking at the free portion of the show. We also wandered upon this sort of flea market/antique shop place that a student actually told me about ages ago. It's just a bunch of vendors selling their wears; everything from kimonos to jewelry to plates to antique Vera Wang wedding gowns to swords.

One day we went to South Beach to walk around and ate lunch at Lario's, which is Gloria Estefan's restaurant. It was actually the nicest day that they were here, luckily, and the restaurant was great.

My parents left for the Keys after that, stopped in for one more night, and then went back to Michigan. I wish the weather had been warmer when they were here, but I'm glad they came and spent some time with me. It was nice to have visitors.

The next week, my Russian Ballerina friend Anya and I went to an art show downtown. The photographer's name was Erik Madigan Heck, a 26 year old Minnesotan guy who takes beautiful fashion photos and had never been to Miami before. He had some lovely pieces there, one of which I wanted to make into a headboard, which I told him when we got the chance to meet him. He was a really nice guy, but I can't say the same for his... lady friend. She was, um, un-nice. The best part was when she claimed she was a "ballerina" and Anya. a legit ballerina, asked her where she trained. She replies, "Oh, I stopped taking classes when I was twelve." Um... that means you took dance classes; you are not and were not a ballerina. LOL!

All in all it was a fun night of super classy artsy fun with free drinks. I can DIG that!

That weekend, my upstairs neighbor celebrated his birthday with a cook out at Crandon Park, which we'd done the weekend before for another friend's birthday. Adam found a coconut and hacked at it for far too long... and I found it far too amusing!

Even more amusing, however, were the swings! I haven't swung properly in years, probably, and these swings were awesome. I might've swung during OLR... but I feel like I left that for the kids. Anyway, swinging made me happy, and it was actually the nicest, warmest, sunniest part of the whole day, as luck would have it!

So that's what I've been up to... party, party, party all the time. Not really. I do need to resolve to be better about this, though, because by the time I actually get around to updating, I've forgotten all the great stuff I've done or that has happened to me, which, I guess, kind of sounds like bragging, but I don't mean it to be. I'm just really making more of an effort to separate work and personal time, and to make the most of the time that I'm not working. It seems to be working.

Well, thanks for reading, as always.

Much love.

Death of a Tales-man

2010-02-03T17:40:00.002-05:00

Before I go all emo about my namesake, let me rewind for a bit.

Last Monday, we had a meeting of the MNDC (Monday Night Dinner Club) in honor of The Weave's return from Middle Earth. It was great to see her, and I think she was grateful to see us. The world kind of fell apart a little bit while she was gone (Haiti for one thing, and work stuff for another), and so dinner in Boca at Uncle Julio's (Mexican, duh) was necessary. I had two enchiladas (one cheese and onion, one chicken) and I'm fairly certain I ate my weight in chips and salsa. It's expected.

Looking at The Weave's pics made me want to go back Down Under. :( I need to win the lottery.

Speaking of more :(, J.D. Salinger died a week ago. I found out during my last class of the day, F Block. One of my precious angels walked in and said, "Ms. Garcia, J.D. Salinger died." At first, I thought she was kidding, but one visit to CNN.com proved that she was correct. At this point, I was mildly freaking out (I'll admit I was shaking slightly), and another student thought that the nation had been attacked or something. In retrospect, it was kind of funny.

I'll admit, a little of the wind was gone from my sails for a couple of days. I LOVE J.D. Salinger. His writing, and Holden, came at the perfect time in my life and regardless of what you may think about The Cather in the Rye, it's undeniable that Salinger's voice is and was one of the most unique in literature. I'd never read anything that sounded like that before. His voice, his writing, opened up my world. I fell in love. I'm hoping this means that his uncollected stories will, at last, be collected and that his unpublished manuscripts (of where there are rumored to be many) will be published. I've got my fingers crossed, but given the man Salinger was, I don't know if that'll happen. *sigh* I'm keeping up with the news, though. Maybe by this time next year I'll have piles of reading to do. :)

This has to be my favorite thing written in the wake of his death. It's kind of... perfect.

I hope you finally found a place that was nice and peaceful, J.D.

Much love.