Last night I was up until 1 am. I needed to do some work, but I just couldn't stop listening to music (on YouTube, so lame, but that's all I can do because not all Brazilian music is on Spotify).
Tonight is more of the same, though for our benefit I also baked!!! Catherine Newman's favoritest "Rhubarb Crumb Bars." And I also got to show most of the music I found last night to my husband who was working on the desk behind me. YAY!
All I could think of as I listened to Lenine's songs over and over last night was "Where have I been that I didn't find out about him earlier?"
Well, easy answer... I live abroad and not in Brazil. I've been here for 17 years and I often don't take full advantage of all that I can access online to be in better touch with my country.
All that matters now is that I finally found Lenine's music, particularly the acoustic and orchestral renditions of his songs as registered in his 2006 DVD Acústico MTV (CD available on Amazon, but it doesn't have the last song below).
It all started when I went to check a song I had assigned for my class to listen to (I'd put it in the syllabus) -- I had found this song sometime in the past year when searching for songs with the preposition "por," "Tudo por acaso" [everything by chance]:
Then I found "Paciência" [patience] and I almost died... (there's a lovely harpist who plays with him, Cristina Braga). This one is in HD!!
And then... "O silêncio das estrelas" [the silence of the stars] -- with an English horn!! Unbelievably, indescribably beautiful.
Wasn't that English horn just amazing? It was played by Victor Astorga, from Argentina.
I think I need to buy this DVD...
Edited to add (my third or fourth edit). I just wanted to say that most of the DVD is mostly upbeat, except for these songs right here. ;-)
This one, "Medida da paixão" [measure of passion] Lenine sings with the bassist from Cameroon Richard Bona:
Friday, October 04, 2013
Thursday, October 03, 2013
On Course Design (and "Learner Based" Pedagogy)
Wow, I actually have something to say about something! Dare I say, something to "contribute"?
[that's the sad sad sad fate of adjuncts and lecturers, this perpetual feeling that we will never EVER be able to have something to contribute because we're not "chosen" by the system to be paid to do scholarship. Sigh... We don't have the time anyway, we're so busy teaching. My angst is always there, under the surface, friends, waiting to emerge.] :(
In any case, my friend Leslie blogged just today about mandatory professional development and universities' "teaching centers" providing course design institutes. Her commenter Jonathan Rees then wrote
My experience participating of multiple professional development events and institutes at two universities in the past 4 years (only one year at U#2) is that there are actually plenty of "trained professionals" out there who could actually use the help! Universities have many "old school" professors who do things the "old way" and who could use a fresh perspective in their teaching.
I think that people such as Ken Bain (of What the Best College Teachers Do fame) actually do have a lot to "teach us about teaching" (Bain came to our campus & I actually got to "hang out" with him thanks to my "insider status" as a member of a faculty fellowship). I have also learned a lot from scholars who argue for a "learner-based" approach to course design such as Dee Fink in his Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses (this was the book we were required to read for my course design institute).
How do the two universities I am involved with approach such faculty development initiatives? The first one pays faculty extra money to participate of these institutes (up to a thousand dollars!). First, the faculty member has to apply and present a compelling case to be selected to take part on the institute.* Then, they provide meals and materials (books and such) and the resources -- extremely well organized presentations and mentorship. And then no one keeps tabs on whether you're following what you designed or not! But they do keep track of us and last year I was actually invited with three other faculty to come speak at the last day of their second institute to share how the implementation of my new course (or redesigned course) had gone.
* I was lucky enough to have been part of the very first one -- taught by folks from my current university, this was so helpful when I missed most of the new-faculty orientation last year!!
The second university actually requires that faculty interested in such professional development opportunities PAY in order to take advantage of that!! They do encourage people to take part in it (and the people who organize the institute are actual professors with years of experience in the classroom, not administrators). Full-time faculty can use their educational benefit to pay for it, but still, their approach is the opposite of U#1.
Last, but not least, I consider myself a pretty good professional, but I don't think my training was exceptional or anything. I had plenty of experience teaching during graduate school (3 years as T.A. 3 years teaching on my own), but mentoring was less than ideal in my graduate institution. I think I can design pretty good literature classes, but I'm sure I can definitely learn new ways to make my courses more relevant. And if I can be paid to do so, wow, that's great!
So these are my 2 cents on this subject!
Edited to add: I could write on and on and on about the multiple, all compensated, professional development opportunities in pedagogy and in instructional technology that are made available for faculty at U#1-- for both full-time and part-time adjuncts such as myself! I participated of a two year faculty fellowship on learning (don't want to get too specific), and before that I was part of a "blended learning" institute. The technology training is not as good as the teaching one, but the "being paid" part is just a great incentive. ;-)
[that's the sad sad sad fate of adjuncts and lecturers, this perpetual feeling that we will never EVER be able to have something to contribute because we're not "chosen" by the system to be paid to do scholarship. Sigh... We don't have the time anyway, we're so busy teaching. My angst is always there, under the surface, friends, waiting to emerge.] :(
In any case, my friend Leslie blogged just today about mandatory professional development and universities' "teaching centers" providing course design institutes. Her commenter Jonathan Rees then wrote
I find mandatory administration-imposed course design institutes absolutely terrifying. You're the expert on how to design a successful history course, not some "learning scientist" . . . . Professors are trained professionals. We should be allowed to do our jobs however we see fit.I agree, only up to a certain point. First of all, I don't think these institutes should be mandatory and they are not in the two universities where I teach. I also agree that each scholar is an expert in how to design a course on their area. Now as to whether we're trained professionals, I'm not so sure about all of us. (And generally universities do let us "do our job however we see fit" in spite of having us do institutes, etc).
My experience participating of multiple professional development events and institutes at two universities in the past 4 years (only one year at U#2) is that there are actually plenty of "trained professionals" out there who could actually use the help! Universities have many "old school" professors who do things the "old way" and who could use a fresh perspective in their teaching.
I think that people such as Ken Bain (of What the Best College Teachers Do fame) actually do have a lot to "teach us about teaching" (Bain came to our campus & I actually got to "hang out" with him thanks to my "insider status" as a member of a faculty fellowship). I have also learned a lot from scholars who argue for a "learner-based" approach to course design such as Dee Fink in his Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses (this was the book we were required to read for my course design institute).
How do the two universities I am involved with approach such faculty development initiatives? The first one pays faculty extra money to participate of these institutes (up to a thousand dollars!). First, the faculty member has to apply and present a compelling case to be selected to take part on the institute.* Then, they provide meals and materials (books and such) and the resources -- extremely well organized presentations and mentorship. And then no one keeps tabs on whether you're following what you designed or not! But they do keep track of us and last year I was actually invited with three other faculty to come speak at the last day of their second institute to share how the implementation of my new course (or redesigned course) had gone.
* I was lucky enough to have been part of the very first one -- taught by folks from my current university, this was so helpful when I missed most of the new-faculty orientation last year!!
The second university actually requires that faculty interested in such professional development opportunities PAY in order to take advantage of that!! They do encourage people to take part in it (and the people who organize the institute are actual professors with years of experience in the classroom, not administrators). Full-time faculty can use their educational benefit to pay for it, but still, their approach is the opposite of U#1.
Last, but not least, I consider myself a pretty good professional, but I don't think my training was exceptional or anything. I had plenty of experience teaching during graduate school (3 years as T.A. 3 years teaching on my own), but mentoring was less than ideal in my graduate institution. I think I can design pretty good literature classes, but I'm sure I can definitely learn new ways to make my courses more relevant. And if I can be paid to do so, wow, that's great!
So these are my 2 cents on this subject!
Edited to add: I could write on and on and on about the multiple, all compensated, professional development opportunities in pedagogy and in instructional technology that are made available for faculty at U#1-- for both full-time and part-time adjuncts such as myself! I participated of a two year faculty fellowship on learning (don't want to get too specific), and before that I was part of a "blended learning" institute. The technology training is not as good as the teaching one, but the "being paid" part is just a great incentive. ;-)
Curly Hair Woes
When you have curly hair...
... you have a haircut (a few inches off in the back!) and nobody notices (my sons said, "It looks the same to me!" I don't know if students noticed, maybe they were too polite to say anything? Nah... It doesn't make too much of a difference, really).
... your hair always looks undone, messy & even crazy... (because if you actually comb/brush it it'll look even worse!)
... you can't even think of washing your hair at night (unless you're going to blow-dry it straight).
... longer hair always looks way shorter (and my hair won't ever grow long anyway*)...
... even when it's not bad-hair-day for other people it's always slightly bad for you and when it is an actual hyper humid bad-hair-day, whoa!!!
I blow-dried my hair straight for almost a year and then went curly as the humid weather started back in June. I decided not to go back to straight for the school year and I had a haircut yesterday (first one since early summer). Not that it makes any difference. Sigh...
yeah, hair issues, big time! :(
* the biggest source of my "hair issues..." I will never ever have long hair and that makes me very sad. (my hair is too thin, fine & breakable to ever go below my shoulders in any decent way. It runs in the family -- paternal grandmother & dad)
... you have a haircut (a few inches off in the back!) and nobody notices (my sons said, "It looks the same to me!" I don't know if students noticed, maybe they were too polite to say anything? Nah... It doesn't make too much of a difference, really).
... your hair always looks undone, messy & even crazy... (because if you actually comb/brush it it'll look even worse!)
... you can't even think of washing your hair at night (unless you're going to blow-dry it straight).
... longer hair always looks way shorter (and my hair won't ever grow long anyway*)...
... even when it's not bad-hair-day for other people it's always slightly bad for you and when it is an actual hyper humid bad-hair-day, whoa!!!
I blow-dried my hair straight for almost a year and then went curly as the humid weather started back in June. I decided not to go back to straight for the school year and I had a haircut yesterday (first one since early summer). Not that it makes any difference. Sigh...
yeah, hair issues, big time! :(
* the biggest source of my "hair issues..." I will never ever have long hair and that makes me very sad. (my hair is too thin, fine & breakable to ever go below my shoulders in any decent way. It runs in the family -- paternal grandmother & dad)
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
"Your license and registration, please?"
Yeah, it happened today, a year into my daily mega-commute,* I was caught speeding.
And it was not on the highway. :(
As a matter of fact, I was about half a mile from home. Sigh...
I left the house late. Generally the latest acceptable time to leave is 9:30 am, that way I can get there at least 20 minutes before my 11 am class, but this morning I left at 9:40. And I was caught at 9:42...
What happened was that right before I did a left turn into our town's main street (a minor highway that stretches all the way from PA to GA) I had to impatiently wait for this Cadillac in front of me who was turning left, but who was oh, soooooo slooooow! So when I turned I immediately stepped on the gas to get a head start on my 1h10min commute. Just as I accelerated a city cop drove past me in the other direction and I immediately knew!
He began flashing his lights, turned around and I knew he was coming for me, so I slowed down and pulled over. (HUGE sigh... & that horrible sinking feeling).
He told me I was going 59 in a 35 zone... I frankly don't know if I was going that fast, but who am I to argue with a cop's radar?
I explained that I was late for me job in town relatively far away and that I had left the house late preparing my breakfast (and I pointed out to my buttered bread and bowl of grapes by my side).
As I waited I texted K, but I didn't need to have texted him because he'd actually PASSED me on his way to work! :( I ate some grapes, and got online to email my students before I got moving again. I wrote the most unprofessional email in the world. 3 lines:
When the cop, who patrols our street daily so I know him, came back, he told me he wasn't giving me a reckless driving ticket, only a speeding one (phew!). Then he asked about my record (squeaky clean, thanks to going to court twice before) and when I told him he again (like the previous two cops) said I should go to court (Nov. 4, 10 am -- gotta find someone to teach my classes) because he'd say that I was cordial and stopped immediately.
So, yeah. I will once more get away, phew! The second, and last time was much more disagreeable, on the day of our move from Pennsylvania. I had just driven nearly 5 hours and I was unaware that the speed limit on our new street was 25. I also accelerated slightly when I saw our new rental place (with the truck parked in front) and BAM! was caught by the most disagreeable lady cop in this whole entire state (she is notorious in this whole area, people avoid driving through that town if they can!). She was pretty nice in court, though, especially considering that I really had just moved and didn't know the road or limit!
The worse part was facing my cute, fresh-faced students. "Professor, you weren't speeding, were you?" They said, pretending to be shocked. ;-)
*Not daily in the Spring, though I still commuted everyday, but two of them to the closer university.
And it was not on the highway. :(
As a matter of fact, I was about half a mile from home. Sigh...
I left the house late. Generally the latest acceptable time to leave is 9:30 am, that way I can get there at least 20 minutes before my 11 am class, but this morning I left at 9:40. And I was caught at 9:42...
What happened was that right before I did a left turn into our town's main street (a minor highway that stretches all the way from PA to GA) I had to impatiently wait for this Cadillac in front of me who was turning left, but who was oh, soooooo slooooow! So when I turned I immediately stepped on the gas to get a head start on my 1h10min commute. Just as I accelerated a city cop drove past me in the other direction and I immediately knew!
He began flashing his lights, turned around and I knew he was coming for me, so I slowed down and pulled over. (HUGE sigh... & that horrible sinking feeling).
He told me I was going 59 in a 35 zone... I frankly don't know if I was going that fast, but who am I to argue with a cop's radar?
I explained that I was late for me job in town relatively far away and that I had left the house late preparing my breakfast (and I pointed out to my buttered bread and bowl of grapes by my side).
As I waited I texted K, but I didn't need to have texted him because he'd actually PASSED me on his way to work! :( I ate some grapes, and got online to email my students before I got moving again. I wrote the most unprofessional email in the world. 3 lines:
I left the house late and the police stopped me around the corner.I was 5 minutes late to class -- not that bad!
I may be a few minutes late, please wait for me in class.
You can continue working where we stopped yesterday.
When the cop, who patrols our street daily so I know him, came back, he told me he wasn't giving me a reckless driving ticket, only a speeding one (phew!). Then he asked about my record (squeaky clean, thanks to going to court twice before) and when I told him he again (like the previous two cops) said I should go to court (Nov. 4, 10 am -- gotta find someone to teach my classes) because he'd say that I was cordial and stopped immediately.
So, yeah. I will once more get away, phew! The second, and last time was much more disagreeable, on the day of our move from Pennsylvania. I had just driven nearly 5 hours and I was unaware that the speed limit on our new street was 25. I also accelerated slightly when I saw our new rental place (with the truck parked in front) and BAM! was caught by the most disagreeable lady cop in this whole entire state (she is notorious in this whole area, people avoid driving through that town if they can!). She was pretty nice in court, though, especially considering that I really had just moved and didn't know the road or limit!
The worse part was facing my cute, fresh-faced students. "Professor, you weren't speeding, were you?" They said, pretending to be shocked. ;-)
*Not daily in the Spring, though I still commuted everyday, but two of them to the closer university.
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
The Longest Day
Tuesdays are the longest days for me, but I don't mind them too much, especially because the day begins and ends with enjoyable activities, namely: going to the farmer's market & a yoga class.
I have to get up and leave extra-early (7:40, ideally 7:30 am) to go to the farmer's market because I teach a class at 9:30 am. As you may remember, I teach until 1pm at U#2 and then I drive back to U#1 and teach from 2:30 to 5:15. Then I go to yoga.
I know, exhausting! Oh, yeah, and I eat both breakfast & lunch in the car -- generally just a slice or two of multi-grain bread and fruit. Today I brought a few othe things such as trail mix and grissini (Italian breadsticks). And I had a yummy and authentic Salvadorian veggie & cheese pupusa from the farmer's market for breakfast! (three weeks ago I actually saved it for lunch!).
All right, I had more to say, but I need to eat something before bed (and try to grade some tests too... sigh. New ones from today, it never ever ends!!!).
I have to get up and leave extra-early (7:40, ideally 7:30 am) to go to the farmer's market because I teach a class at 9:30 am. As you may remember, I teach until 1pm at U#2 and then I drive back to U#1 and teach from 2:30 to 5:15. Then I go to yoga.
I know, exhausting! Oh, yeah, and I eat both breakfast & lunch in the car -- generally just a slice or two of multi-grain bread and fruit. Today I brought a few othe things such as trail mix and grissini (Italian breadsticks). And I had a yummy and authentic Salvadorian veggie & cheese pupusa from the farmer's market for breakfast! (three weeks ago I actually saved it for lunch!).
All right, I had more to say, but I need to eat something before bed (and try to grade some tests too... sigh. New ones from today, it never ever ends!!!).
Monday, September 30, 2013
Shutdown?
It feels very ironic, but this afternoon we applied for a passport for my 11 year-old-son (he needs it to return from our trip to Brazil in Dec-January). If the government shuts down, there will be a delay to receive his passport. We have 2.5 months, but I still worry.
All of last week I was sick of hearing the news and today I was glad that our local NPR station was doing their fund-raising, so I didn't need to hear a whole lot about this ridiculous debacle.
On the other hand, last Friday I went to a meeting explaining the new health-care options for U#2 already anticipating the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. It was an excellent and informative meeting which demonstrates how everyone is really preparing for this new LAW that Congress is trying to shut down. NPR also had lots of reports on the "navigators" that will be helping people in various cities and states to make informed decisions.
All right. Let's hope that this shutdown has "good" consequences (the only good I can think of is having an effect in the re-election of extremist politicians) and not only disastrous ones.
Sigh...
All of last week I was sick of hearing the news and today I was glad that our local NPR station was doing their fund-raising, so I didn't need to hear a whole lot about this ridiculous debacle.
On the other hand, last Friday I went to a meeting explaining the new health-care options for U#2 already anticipating the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. It was an excellent and informative meeting which demonstrates how everyone is really preparing for this new LAW that Congress is trying to shut down. NPR also had lots of reports on the "navigators" that will be helping people in various cities and states to make informed decisions.
All right. Let's hope that this shutdown has "good" consequences (the only good I can think of is having an effect in the re-election of extremist politicians) and not only disastrous ones.
Sigh...
Productivity Continues
I know this great phase may end eventually. Maybe it's the weather that's just so gorgeous and still warm -- something that makes me oh, so happy -- but I'm truly enjoying the extra energy!
Yesterday, besides the grading, I did three loads of laundry, all of which dried outside (did I mention the great weather?) and I finally -- FINALLY! -- organized my sock drawer.
I know, most boring accomplishment ever, right? But you don't know how every single day of the summer I looked down at that horribly over-stuffed drawer and told my husband in a slightly whiny voice: "I need to tidy up my sock drawer! But I'm never gonna do it!"
Two days ago I had a great idea to solve my overstuffed sock drawer problem -- I decided to move all my thick stockings and pantyhose to a plastic drawer set in my closet. This was the same solution I had found for my overstuffed hair pins, clips, etc. box some time ago. I moved all the cloth and knit headbands to the closet drawer and... voilá, now I had space to store my (now very few) hair clips and things. So now I can buy more hair clips and socks! ;-)
I also made more marinara sauce which we ate with spaghetti & veggie ground "meat." And I put away my clothes that had been washed & dried (also outside) last Wednesday in addition to making the bed with comfy fresh-smelling sheets that had just dried outside!
Here's photographic evidence of the productivity will be included later. My memory card doesn't want to talk to my computer right now. :(
Yesterday, besides the grading, I did three loads of laundry, all of which dried outside (did I mention the great weather?) and I finally -- FINALLY! -- organized my sock drawer.
I know, most boring accomplishment ever, right? But you don't know how every single day of the summer I looked down at that horribly over-stuffed drawer and told my husband in a slightly whiny voice: "I need to tidy up my sock drawer! But I'm never gonna do it!"
Two days ago I had a great idea to solve my overstuffed sock drawer problem -- I decided to move all my thick stockings and pantyhose to a plastic drawer set in my closet. This was the same solution I had found for my overstuffed hair pins, clips, etc. box some time ago. I moved all the cloth and knit headbands to the closet drawer and... voilá, now I had space to store my (now very few) hair clips and things. So now I can buy more hair clips and socks! ;-)
I also made more marinara sauce which we ate with spaghetti & veggie ground "meat." And I put away my clothes that had been washed & dried (also outside) last Wednesday in addition to making the bed with comfy fresh-smelling sheets that had just dried outside!
All Those Lost Photographs...
(ok, maybe I should say misplaced, because this is my hope, that they are merely misplaced, not really lost! ;-)
As you already know, I am a bit of a photo fanatic (huge understatement? :-D), and I have been for a long time. Years ago, back in 1995-6 when we were getting ready to leave Brazil I organized all our negatives and created a system to classify them (very easy: year+letters of the alphabet+photo pose number [according to the negative], e.g. 94A21). I wrote a number in the back of each photo and labeled all the negative sleeves.
I did that partly because our best friend wanted me to print out photos of the previous 6 years for him and I needed to get everything organized for that. When we moved I took all the photos from these small albums I had and put them in a box. Once we began taking photos of our life here in the U.S. I organized those in albums again, but I never took those old photos (from 1990 - 1996) from their box (only to put some in frames).
I always kept the box close by and periodically looked through the photos, especially when someone came to visit. However, since we moved from Pennsylvania back in 2010 that box has gone missing! We had a lot of things in storage in our garage from the day we moved (June 4, 2010) until we bought our new house and moved here (April 22, 2011), but when we unpacked I didn't find the photos!
I have been busy since then and only once in a while I think of my previous photos. I am on a mission to find them now and I'll keep you posted.
Worst case scenario? I will just have to print them all out again from those negatives I have all classified and stored. Too bad I'm very leery of the digital photo printing process and I wish they could be developed chemically, not digitally. :( (that might be more expensive, though).
Let's hope I find them and don't have to go through the trouble and expense of developing hundreds of photos!
As you already know, I am a bit of a photo fanatic (huge understatement? :-D), and I have been for a long time. Years ago, back in 1995-6 when we were getting ready to leave Brazil I organized all our negatives and created a system to classify them (very easy: year+letters of the alphabet+photo pose number [according to the negative], e.g. 94A21). I wrote a number in the back of each photo and labeled all the negative sleeves.
I did that partly because our best friend wanted me to print out photos of the previous 6 years for him and I needed to get everything organized for that. When we moved I took all the photos from these small albums I had and put them in a box. Once we began taking photos of our life here in the U.S. I organized those in albums again, but I never took those old photos (from 1990 - 1996) from their box (only to put some in frames).
I always kept the box close by and periodically looked through the photos, especially when someone came to visit. However, since we moved from Pennsylvania back in 2010 that box has gone missing! We had a lot of things in storage in our garage from the day we moved (June 4, 2010) until we bought our new house and moved here (April 22, 2011), but when we unpacked I didn't find the photos!
I have been busy since then and only once in a while I think of my previous photos. I am on a mission to find them now and I'll keep you posted.
Worst case scenario? I will just have to print them all out again from those negatives I have all classified and stored. Too bad I'm very leery of the digital photo printing process and I wish they could be developed chemically, not digitally. :( (that might be more expensive, though).
Let's hope I find them and don't have to go through the trouble and expense of developing hundreds of photos!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Compositions All Graded! On to the tests... :(
Grading those compositions did take forever! And to make matters worse, the last two I graded were the ones with the most problems... :(
In the end, I graded 3 on Thursday night, 2 more on Friday morning, another on Saturday night and the last 3 today. Nearly half an hour spent per paper (more on the last two). Mind-numbingly boring. Sigh...
Now I have to move on to the tests. Sigh... Good thing I had a productive day otherwise (more on that later). Now back to work!
In the end, I graded 3 on Thursday night, 2 more on Friday morning, another on Saturday night and the last 3 today. Nearly half an hour spent per paper (more on the last two). Mind-numbingly boring. Sigh...
Now I have to move on to the tests. Sigh... Good thing I had a productive day otherwise (more on that later). Now back to work!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Only 3/9 so far (Grading Progress)
I tried to stay up late to grade those compositions last night, but I was falling asleep in front of the computer! :-(
The good thing is that the first two I read were amazingly excellent in terms of structure, development, organization and ideas, so I only had to correct language issues* YAY! No need to criticize much, just to write "excellent!" "perfect!"
*concordance, word choice, gender, etc. and in spite of their essays' great qualities, there were plenty of small problems for these two amazing students.
That's why I got stuck in the 3rd paper -- the 3 aspects analyzed in this descriptive/comparative composition (comparing 2 films) were not listed in the introduction, parts of the intro were choppy and didn't covey much (were vague), etc.. And I know that this student is really stressed out about her work and will be asking for justification for each mistake. So... it'll be EXHAUSTING to finish grading it. Sigh...
This "judgy" side of the job is tough (and also being judged when submitting articles for publication, [Dr. Crazy's post about peer review explains the process well]). As Jo(e) well put it in her comment to my previous post, it's hard to conciliate being supportive of students with being "tough" with them while evaluating their writing so they can get better at it. (sigh...)
It's really weird how my own issues (of having a really hard, horrible time being evaluated & getting feedback -- I cannot stomach reading student evals, for example) end up making grading essays and commenting on them so hard for me. Sigh...
But I have to go and do it, I only have about 2 hours to finish before I have to drive to U#2...
The good thing is that the first two I read were amazingly excellent in terms of structure, development, organization and ideas, so I only had to correct language issues* YAY! No need to criticize much, just to write "excellent!" "perfect!"
*concordance, word choice, gender, etc. and in spite of their essays' great qualities, there were plenty of small problems for these two amazing students.
That's why I got stuck in the 3rd paper -- the 3 aspects analyzed in this descriptive/comparative composition (comparing 2 films) were not listed in the introduction, parts of the intro were choppy and didn't covey much (were vague), etc.. And I know that this student is really stressed out about her work and will be asking for justification for each mistake. So... it'll be EXHAUSTING to finish grading it. Sigh...
This "judgy" side of the job is tough (and also being judged when submitting articles for publication, [Dr. Crazy's post about peer review explains the process well]). As Jo(e) well put it in her comment to my previous post, it's hard to conciliate being supportive of students with being "tough" with them while evaluating their writing so they can get better at it. (sigh...)
It's really weird how my own issues (of having a really hard, horrible time being evaluated & getting feedback -- I cannot stomach reading student evals, for example) end up making grading essays and commenting on them so hard for me. Sigh...
But I have to go and do it, I only have about 2 hours to finish before I have to drive to U#2...
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Help! I've got another acute case of Too-Much-to-Grade Syndrome!
Sigh...
I've been doing a pretty good job keeping up, but I think this time I'm stuck with a weekend overshadowed by grading. Why in the world did I schedule a test (4 pages long! nearly 40 students) on a Thursday? :-) Oh, and today my students also had quizzes at U#1 and I have two quizzes and a test from U#3 to grade (they were scanned and emailed to me, but I didn't get them printed out until last Tuesday, and today).
In any case, last week I had even more stuff to grade, but it was all on Tuesday and I miraculously managed to grade it all by Wednesday & Thursday. So... a free weekend!
In fact, I would gladly grade those tests tonight, if it were not for the "small detail" that I have nine 3 page compositions to grade. It's the first draft, so I need to make TONS of comments. And I am annotating those electronically. Sigh...
And they HAVE to be done by tonight because students are turning in the final draft next Tuesday.
So... I've got to go and grade!! NOW!!! I'll be back later to report on my progress.
P.S. If there's one small silly thing that would totally be a big plus of continuing to teach basic language classes for the rest of my life it is how easy the grading is. Grading essays is SOOOOO BORING! And time consuming versus grading a pile of language tests or exams. The worst part for me is really writing good comments that "justify" my grade. Rubrics help, but just slightly. I think therapy (for me!) might help -- I hate to be judged, evaluated, criticized, so I can't stand doing it to others. It's painful!
I've been doing a pretty good job keeping up, but I think this time I'm stuck with a weekend overshadowed by grading. Why in the world did I schedule a test (4 pages long! nearly 40 students) on a Thursday? :-) Oh, and today my students also had quizzes at U#1 and I have two quizzes and a test from U#3 to grade (they were scanned and emailed to me, but I didn't get them printed out until last Tuesday, and today).
In any case, last week I had even more stuff to grade, but it was all on Tuesday and I miraculously managed to grade it all by Wednesday & Thursday. So... a free weekend!
In fact, I would gladly grade those tests tonight, if it were not for the "small detail" that I have nine 3 page compositions to grade. It's the first draft, so I need to make TONS of comments. And I am annotating those electronically. Sigh...
And they HAVE to be done by tonight because students are turning in the final draft next Tuesday.
So... I've got to go and grade!! NOW!!! I'll be back later to report on my progress.
P.S. If there's one small silly thing that would totally be a big plus of continuing to teach basic language classes for the rest of my life it is how easy the grading is. Grading essays is SOOOOO BORING! And time consuming versus grading a pile of language tests or exams. The worst part for me is really writing good comments that "justify" my grade. Rubrics help, but just slightly. I think therapy (for me!) might help -- I hate to be judged, evaluated, criticized, so I can't stand doing it to others. It's painful!
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Ultra Energized, though not for long :(
I think it must be hormonal, but I've never really paid much attention* before to this coming and going, ebbing and flowing of energy and good mood.
Right now I hardly ever feel tired, even if I didn't sleep that many hours, and I actually feel very alert and even-keeled. I like to feel so stable and content because I do have a pretty stable mood in general, but sometimes I get whiny and angsty as you know from my posts once in a while. I especially like the extra energy, though!
So I've been productive and enjoying it while it lasts. This evening, from 7-10 pm I made vegetable stock from scratch, cooked 2 kinds of beans to freeze for soup (cheaper and healthier than canned!) and made a huge pot of tomato sauce (after peeling all tomatoes, mincing and sautéeing onions and pressed garlic). I also made some rice and seasoned the cooked beans.
Yesterday I came home pretty late and K had already cooked rice (in the rice cooker) and defrosted a lentil dish, and I put away all the groceries and farmer's market produce I bought and prepared a large pan of fried okra and cooked pumpkin. Oh, and this morning before leaving I did two loads of laundry that K hung on the line later.
I'm not looking forward to sluggish me! :( I don't like to arrive home and so feel tired and morose that I don't want to cook, just lay down or sit with a good book. I know it's coming, though, it's just a matter of days or weeks -- I kind of wish I knew when the changes are going to take place, but I just don't! Sigh...
I know I had more things to say about this subject, but now it has all fled my brain. I'll edit this post if I remember! Now I need to go to bed. In fact, the weirdest thing for me is how I've been waking up before the alarm every morning and having more energy in the morning (I'm mostly a night person otherwise). I'll let you know when the tide changes!
*I've always had extremely irregular cycles, so I never know when I'm PMSing or something, I generally realize it after the fact. I don't mind this unpredictability, that's the way I've always been, but I feel dumb for only realizing it in retrospect. I think this is the first time I'm consciously paying attention to my energy levels and mood and attempting to record something.
Right now I hardly ever feel tired, even if I didn't sleep that many hours, and I actually feel very alert and even-keeled. I like to feel so stable and content because I do have a pretty stable mood in general, but sometimes I get whiny and angsty as you know from my posts once in a while. I especially like the extra energy, though!
So I've been productive and enjoying it while it lasts. This evening, from 7-10 pm I made vegetable stock from scratch, cooked 2 kinds of beans to freeze for soup (cheaper and healthier than canned!) and made a huge pot of tomato sauce (after peeling all tomatoes, mincing and sautéeing onions and pressed garlic). I also made some rice and seasoned the cooked beans.
Yesterday I came home pretty late and K had already cooked rice (in the rice cooker) and defrosted a lentil dish, and I put away all the groceries and farmer's market produce I bought and prepared a large pan of fried okra and cooked pumpkin. Oh, and this morning before leaving I did two loads of laundry that K hung on the line later.
I'm not looking forward to sluggish me! :( I don't like to arrive home and so feel tired and morose that I don't want to cook, just lay down or sit with a good book. I know it's coming, though, it's just a matter of days or weeks -- I kind of wish I knew when the changes are going to take place, but I just don't! Sigh...
I know I had more things to say about this subject, but now it has all fled my brain. I'll edit this post if I remember! Now I need to go to bed. In fact, the weirdest thing for me is how I've been waking up before the alarm every morning and having more energy in the morning (I'm mostly a night person otherwise). I'll let you know when the tide changes!
*I've always had extremely irregular cycles, so I never know when I'm PMSing or something, I generally realize it after the fact. I don't mind this unpredictability, that's the way I've always been, but I feel dumb for only realizing it in retrospect. I think this is the first time I'm consciously paying attention to my energy levels and mood and attempting to record something.
Monday, September 23, 2013
The New Semester
(started on 09/02 -- additions are in italics)
I don't ever make resolutions and I don't like them at all (I don't like to set myself up for failure, remember?!), but I thought that Anastasia's "Propositions for a new school year" post was really good.
The semester started a month ago exactly today, BUT...
If I were to have any propositions for this new school year they would be:
1. "Be more positive" (something my eldest son often says to me when we're playing a game and I begin to whine that I'm doing really bad);
2. Grade in a more timely manner, try as much as possible not to let it accumulate; (so far I'm doing GREAT in this aspect! YAY! I hope I can keep going)
3. Have a good relationship with new colleague (the tenure track hire) and try to have a new attitude towards his job (did I really want it? Not really, it's way too stressful).
4. Try to be less angsty about academia in general. Make a decision to be happy and more positive (which won't preclude being critical and analytical).
5. Be an even better teacher to my students. Prepare better to teach, help them learn.
6. FFFF: Continue putting family, friends and (sometimes!) fun first instead of work (that's why I need to convince myself that a TT job is NOT for me).
7. In spite of that last item. MAYBE, just MAYBE, try to send something out for publication and try to to go a conference! ;-)
OK, that's enough for now, isn't it?
P.S. a good strategy to posting more is to salvage posts from the draft folder!! :)
I don't ever make resolutions and I don't like them at all (I don't like to set myself up for failure, remember?!), but I thought that Anastasia's "Propositions for a new school year" post was really good.
The semester started a month ago exactly today, BUT...
If I were to have any propositions for this new school year they would be:
1. "Be more positive" (something my eldest son often says to me when we're playing a game and I begin to whine that I'm doing really bad);
2. Grade in a more timely manner, try as much as possible not to let it accumulate; (so far I'm doing GREAT in this aspect! YAY! I hope I can keep going)
3. Have a good relationship with new colleague (the tenure track hire) and try to have a new attitude towards his job (did I really want it? Not really, it's way too stressful).
4. Try to be less angsty about academia in general. Make a decision to be happy and more positive (which won't preclude being critical and analytical).
5. Be an even better teacher to my students. Prepare better to teach, help them learn.
6. FFFF: Continue putting family, friends and (sometimes!) fun first instead of work (that's why I need to convince myself that a TT job is NOT for me).
7. In spite of that last item. MAYBE, just MAYBE, try to send something out for publication and try to to go a conference! ;-)
OK, that's enough for now, isn't it?
P.S. a good strategy to posting more is to salvage posts from the draft folder!! :)
83 posts
Another meta-blogging post from the blogger who loves to talk/think/write about blogging. ;-)
I'm just writing this to debate (with myself) whether I should try to write 83 more posts in order to pass last year's count of 247 posts...
The thing is, I try to avoid to set myself up for failure at all costs!
(except in the case of the 365 project blog thingy, I never managed to do it, but I do have my own reasons, including wanting to share too many photos & being perfectionist in this respect).
It's part and parcel of being a realist or, as some would prefer, a "realistic pessimist."
I am planning to write every single day in November again, so that would be 30 posts... then there's all of October and December. I am hoping that we have internet access in "paradise"-- the Brazilian version (photos at the end of that post), or else it'll be sad not to blog the end of the year, but I think we will.
OK, let's continue with the math, after those 30 posts I'd still have to write 53 more!! Wow, that's a lot.
As in past years I guess I'll just blog as often as I can deliberately from now on and there's a good chance that I'll reach this "silly" goal of mine!
I was going to post a pretty photo to offset the boring meta-post, but... I haven't been taking ANY photos lately and I don't have any recent pretty flower photos. :-( I will have to rectify that ASAP!
I'm just writing this to debate (with myself) whether I should try to write 83 more posts in order to pass last year's count of 247 posts...
The thing is, I try to avoid to set myself up for failure at all costs!
(except in the case of the 365 project blog thingy, I never managed to do it, but I do have my own reasons, including wanting to share too many photos & being perfectionist in this respect).
It's part and parcel of being a realist or, as some would prefer, a "realistic pessimist."
I am planning to write every single day in November again, so that would be 30 posts... then there's all of October and December. I am hoping that we have internet access in "paradise"-- the Brazilian version (photos at the end of that post), or else it'll be sad not to blog the end of the year, but I think we will.
OK, let's continue with the math, after those 30 posts I'd still have to write 53 more!! Wow, that's a lot.
As in past years I guess I'll just blog as often as I can deliberately from now on and there's a good chance that I'll reach this "silly" goal of mine!
I was going to post a pretty photo to offset the boring meta-post, but... I haven't been taking ANY photos lately and I don't have any recent pretty flower photos. :-( I will have to rectify that ASAP!
Yesterday I wrote three posts!
I meant to write one more, like this one, to celebrate the fact that my first one worked wonders in getting me unblocked and going, so I could finish the post about going to the doctor and finally remember to write about our car inspection!
There are many other lose ends to tie, so I hope to be able to blog again soon! YAY!
P.S. and I wrote this "meta-blogging" post in case you missed the other ones. ;-) I like to spread my blogging out, but sometimes "when it rains it pours." Oh, and I don't know if I'll be able to keep my goal of posting more than the year before, but I'm OK if it doesn't work out. Most everything else in life is more important than blogging (though it is very important to me!).
There are many other lose ends to tie, so I hope to be able to blog again soon! YAY!
P.S. and I wrote this "meta-blogging" post in case you missed the other ones. ;-) I like to spread my blogging out, but sometimes "when it rains it pours." Oh, and I don't know if I'll be able to keep my goal of posting more than the year before, but I'm OK if it doesn't work out. Most everything else in life is more important than blogging (though it is very important to me!).
Sunday, September 22, 2013
All Doctored Up!
I haven't had a "primary care provider" (PCP) or family doctor in over 3 years (ever since we moved from PA) and this year one of our goals was to finally choose a doctor.
My husband went online, looked at reviews and decided on a particular family doctor. He had his appointment last May, he liked the doctor a lot and thought he was very thorough. It turns out that the doctor is married to a Brazilian woman! (which was just an interesting coincidence, not correlated with the doctor's quality). ;-)
The problem with this practice is that they only see one new patient a day and once I decided to make the appointment they only had openings for October or November. I did go to an OB-GYN in July to get my annual exam (three years overdue in this case), but if I ever get sick with anything else not "gyn" related I need to have another doctor (and I also have other concerns to discuss with a PCP).
Last week K went to another doctor in the same practice and asked the receptionist about making an appointment for me. Luckily, someone had cancelled and they had a slot this past Friday! The problem is that it was at 9:30 am and I taught at 11 am (1h away), so I had to email some of my students a contingency plan in case I didn't get there on time.
Everything was going well and the visit was almost over at 9:46, but then the doctor had a phone call and I waited for over 15 minutes in the room, so I was slightly late.
The visit was short but productive and as a result I will see three more doctors! He agreed with me that it's a good idea to see a dermatologist just to check my numerous moles since my dad had several cases of skin cancer. I also have this small "cyst" that is growing on my left palm and he said that I should see another doctor who will take care of it. Last, but not least, I'll see a GI doctor because of my history of colon problems in the family & my IBS.
So I'm all doctored up now! ;-) And it feels good to know that if I get sick I now have a doctor I can see (K had to go back to him when he had a really bad case of poison sumac/ivy back in June). I do hope I don't have to go back until next year!!
My husband went online, looked at reviews and decided on a particular family doctor. He had his appointment last May, he liked the doctor a lot and thought he was very thorough. It turns out that the doctor is married to a Brazilian woman! (which was just an interesting coincidence, not correlated with the doctor's quality). ;-)
The problem with this practice is that they only see one new patient a day and once I decided to make the appointment they only had openings for October or November. I did go to an OB-GYN in July to get my annual exam (three years overdue in this case), but if I ever get sick with anything else not "gyn" related I need to have another doctor (and I also have other concerns to discuss with a PCP).
Last week K went to another doctor in the same practice and asked the receptionist about making an appointment for me. Luckily, someone had cancelled and they had a slot this past Friday! The problem is that it was at 9:30 am and I taught at 11 am (1h away), so I had to email some of my students a contingency plan in case I didn't get there on time.
Everything was going well and the visit was almost over at 9:46, but then the doctor had a phone call and I waited for over 15 minutes in the room, so I was slightly late.
The visit was short but productive and as a result I will see three more doctors! He agreed with me that it's a good idea to see a dermatologist just to check my numerous moles since my dad had several cases of skin cancer. I also have this small "cyst" that is growing on my left palm and he said that I should see another doctor who will take care of it. Last, but not least, I'll see a GI doctor because of my history of colon problems in the family & my IBS.
So I'm all doctored up now! ;-) And it feels good to know that if I get sick I now have a doctor I can see (K had to go back to him when he had a really bad case of poison sumac/ivy back in June). I do hope I don't have to go back until next year!!
The light that temporarily (and "magically") turned off!
I keep forgetting to tell you what happened to our car inspection situation a couple of weeks ago!
K ended up taking the car to the Hyundai dealership and this didn't help at all because the car was made in Canada and they can't do anything about it (they did plug the car to their computer & stuff). After he drove off the light turned off momentarily, but came back on.
As he told me this on the phone as I was driving back from U#2 to U#1 on our minivan to teach (I was SOOOO thankful that I had air conditioning because it was a really hot day!) I remembered what my friend whose husband sold us the car last July had told me.
They got the car inspected before they sold it to us because they knew about this problem. Carol told me that Marc had taken the car to the dealership and the light had turned off and that he then had it quickly inspected (he drove from the dealership straight to the inspection place).
When I got home after teaching K shared the good news with me -- I could go back to driving the car because it now had a good inspection sticker! It turns out that when he started driving back home from work the light was off, so he drove straight to the inspection garage, told them that he'd taken the car to the dealership and that the light was off (unrelated facts, but both true!) so they checked it and put the new sticker!
Phew! That was a close call. And we have a year until the next inspection to decide what to do. The problem is certainly because of an electric wire and a faulty connection and it may be pretty difficult (long hours) to fix. We'll see, right now we don't have to worry about it anymore for a while!
K ended up taking the car to the Hyundai dealership and this didn't help at all because the car was made in Canada and they can't do anything about it (they did plug the car to their computer & stuff). After he drove off the light turned off momentarily, but came back on.
As he told me this on the phone as I was driving back from U#2 to U#1 on our minivan to teach (I was SOOOO thankful that I had air conditioning because it was a really hot day!) I remembered what my friend whose husband sold us the car last July had told me.
They got the car inspected before they sold it to us because they knew about this problem. Carol told me that Marc had taken the car to the dealership and the light had turned off and that he then had it quickly inspected (he drove from the dealership straight to the inspection place).
When I got home after teaching K shared the good news with me -- I could go back to driving the car because it now had a good inspection sticker! It turns out that when he started driving back home from work the light was off, so he drove straight to the inspection garage, told them that he'd taken the car to the dealership and that the light was off (unrelated facts, but both true!) so they checked it and put the new sticker!
Phew! That was a close call. And we have a year until the next inspection to decide what to do. The problem is certainly because of an electric wire and a faulty connection and it may be pretty difficult (long hours) to fix. We'll see, right now we don't have to worry about it anymore for a while!
Sometimes I feel like...
... watching a movie, but it's just so hard, it hardly ever happens!
And, to be frank, I feel like doing this only once in a while, but when I do I'm generally busy with other things, it's not a good day, my husband doesn't feel like it, etc.
P.S. All right, this is a super-short "throwaway post" because I've been trying to blog since Friday (and I have several things to talk about), but I just don't get to it. So it's easiest to just write a post that is about two sentences long to see if my "blogger's block" goes away!).
P.S. 2 Maybe it would be a smart idea to write a post with a list of movies I'd like to see & try to motivate myself to do it!
And, to be frank, I feel like doing this only once in a while, but when I do I'm generally busy with other things, it's not a good day, my husband doesn't feel like it, etc.
P.S. All right, this is a super-short "throwaway post" because I've been trying to blog since Friday (and I have several things to talk about), but I just don't get to it. So it's easiest to just write a post that is about two sentences long to see if my "blogger's block" goes away!).
P.S. 2 Maybe it would be a smart idea to write a post with a list of movies I'd like to see & try to motivate myself to do it!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Macaron Rainbow - I love Trader Joe's!
Two weeks ago these yummy treats from France made my day and today I bought some more so I can enjoy them on my long drive back home. Thank you so much Trader Joe's!
Crazy Driving Day & Overnight Stay
Yesterday was one of my two über-packed days every week -- on Tu/Th I teach all my 5 classes, at two universities [three if you count the tele-conference students], totaling about 7 class periods since 3 of the classes are 75 minutes long -- and in addition to all that I'd been invited for a dinner for Brazilian students at U#2.
Therefore... I drove to U#2 from home in the morning (76 miles!), then from U#2 to U#1 (about 50 miles), and then back to U#2... sigh.
The dinner was nice and I met many Brazilian exchange, graduate and undergraduate students and I hope I can keep in touch with them -- I wish I lived here and didn't just commute and had to go back home every day, so I could spend more time with these new friends.
Because of the dinner I stayed overnight at a friend's house. She is a department colleague who moved here last year and I just love spending time with her. We talk non-stop and she's one of the few people with whom I share all my "Academia Angst." We discuss these issues a lot since her story is much worse than mine -- she was denied tenure at the country's Northernmost Ivy-league institution several years ago. They moved here because her husband was hired as a librarian here last Spring and I'm so thrilled to have them as friends.
OK, I have to go get ready to leave their house so I can teach at 11!
Therefore... I drove to U#2 from home in the morning (76 miles!), then from U#2 to U#1 (about 50 miles), and then back to U#2... sigh.
The dinner was nice and I met many Brazilian exchange, graduate and undergraduate students and I hope I can keep in touch with them -- I wish I lived here and didn't just commute and had to go back home every day, so I could spend more time with these new friends.
Because of the dinner I stayed overnight at a friend's house. She is a department colleague who moved here last year and I just love spending time with her. We talk non-stop and she's one of the few people with whom I share all my "Academia Angst." We discuss these issues a lot since her story is much worse than mine -- she was denied tenure at the country's Northernmost Ivy-league institution several years ago. They moved here because her husband was hired as a librarian here last Spring and I'm so thrilled to have them as friends.
OK, I have to go get ready to leave their house so I can teach at 11!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Vision Therapy Has Ended
Five thousand dollars and nearly a year later (technically 7 months, but with several breaks it stretched out a bit longer) my youngest son has been "released" from vision therapy.
You may (or may not) recall that back in 2010 we finally took him to the optometrist (at 6 years old -- our fault) and realized that one of his eyes had really poor vision and didn't see at all (suppression & amblyopia or lazy eye).
After a year and a half of patching (and a wrong prescription that made us waste 70 dollars on a pair of spare glasses) we switched doctors and then, last March, had him evaluated by a vision therapist who recommended therapy, so we started it in September, after coming back from Brazil last year.
His eye can see way better and it's almost 20/20 now, but there is some suppression still going on, especially when he tries to focus on something far. The doctor says that contact lenses would help with the binocularity and making the left eye work better (because the good right eye takes over, basically). We'll see if our optometrist can help with that. Apparently 9 years old is not too young for contacts, if it's done well (with lots of patience).
His therapist (the woman who actually works with him) thought he should keep going a while longer, but the doctor who owns the practice released him. The super-tall and pretty young lady was sad to see our son go, so she told him:
"I hope you can come back, maybe you can have other vision troubles."
My son didn't miss a beat and retorted: "And we'd pay another 5 thousand dollars?" (like -- are you crazy? We're not doing this again!).
The adults in the room (there was another lady with her son) laughed slightly nervously, but that was the truth, we paid way too much for what had been done (and part of me wanted him to continue, but the doctor doesn't think it would help). He will see my son in 6 months again, so we'll probably see the young therapist again at that time.
They gave him a Target gift certificate to celebrate the end of his months of therapy. It was only 5 dollars, so dad helped him buy a small Ninjago Lego set. He was beyond thrilled that he no longer need to do therapy at home or come to weekly sessions (we drive nearly an hour each way).
I am glad that his vision improved so much, I just wish it hadn't cost so much! (insurance doesn't cover it) Now we need to take to the optometrist because his last visit was a year ago. I'm sure he'll be surprised to see such improvement! And maybe my little one will wear contact lenses at some point (he's not too excited about that). I'll keep you posted!
You may (or may not) recall that back in 2010 we finally took him to the optometrist (at 6 years old -- our fault) and realized that one of his eyes had really poor vision and didn't see at all (suppression & amblyopia or lazy eye).
After a year and a half of patching (and a wrong prescription that made us waste 70 dollars on a pair of spare glasses) we switched doctors and then, last March, had him evaluated by a vision therapist who recommended therapy, so we started it in September, after coming back from Brazil last year.
His eye can see way better and it's almost 20/20 now, but there is some suppression still going on, especially when he tries to focus on something far. The doctor says that contact lenses would help with the binocularity and making the left eye work better (because the good right eye takes over, basically). We'll see if our optometrist can help with that. Apparently 9 years old is not too young for contacts, if it's done well (with lots of patience).
His therapist (the woman who actually works with him) thought he should keep going a while longer, but the doctor who owns the practice released him. The super-tall and pretty young lady was sad to see our son go, so she told him:
"I hope you can come back, maybe you can have other vision troubles."
My son didn't miss a beat and retorted: "And we'd pay another 5 thousand dollars?" (like -- are you crazy? We're not doing this again!).
The adults in the room (there was another lady with her son) laughed slightly nervously, but that was the truth, we paid way too much for what had been done (and part of me wanted him to continue, but the doctor doesn't think it would help). He will see my son in 6 months again, so we'll probably see the young therapist again at that time.
They gave him a Target gift certificate to celebrate the end of his months of therapy. It was only 5 dollars, so dad helped him buy a small Ninjago Lego set. He was beyond thrilled that he no longer need to do therapy at home or come to weekly sessions (we drive nearly an hour each way).
I am glad that his vision improved so much, I just wish it hadn't cost so much! (insurance doesn't cover it) Now we need to take to the optometrist because his last visit was a year ago. I'm sure he'll be surprised to see such improvement! And maybe my little one will wear contact lenses at some point (he's not too excited about that). I'll keep you posted!
Monday, September 09, 2013
The Absent Minded-Driver
I drove "my" car* for two weeks without noticing that the inspection sticker on the middle of the windshield was WAY expired with a big "7" (July!) in the middle. So today I drove the van to work & K took the car for inspection. Lucky me that I didn't get pulled over and fined for that one, huh?
* we don't really do this "my car" & "your car"thing in our family, but for all purposes I use the smaller & more economic car for my super commute and my husband drives the old minivan
Well, it turns out that now we have a big R in our windshield and we need to repair the airbag sensor or something related to it because the airbag light is on. Boooo! :-(
And our trusty mechanic cannot see the car for an evaluation until Wednesday next week. Same thing with the guy at the garage at the end of our street. Sigh... We don't want to pay through the nose, so we can't take it to the dealership.
We do have two weeks to get it fixed, but I guess I'll have to drive the Odyssey to work everyday until then (and spend double on gas) or risk being stopped because of the "R." I think it's best to risk it than to waste the money on gas.
Oh well... what can we do. These annoying things are part of life. I can't wait to afford newer cars, though. CAN'T WAIT!!
* we don't really do this "my car" & "your car"thing in our family, but for all purposes I use the smaller & more economic car for my super commute and my husband drives the old minivan
Well, it turns out that now we have a big R in our windshield and we need to repair the airbag sensor or something related to it because the airbag light is on. Boooo! :-(
And our trusty mechanic cannot see the car for an evaluation until Wednesday next week. Same thing with the guy at the garage at the end of our street. Sigh... We don't want to pay through the nose, so we can't take it to the dealership.
We do have two weeks to get it fixed, but I guess I'll have to drive the Odyssey to work everyday until then (and spend double on gas) or risk being stopped because of the "R." I think it's best to risk it than to waste the money on gas.
Oh well... what can we do. These annoying things are part of life. I can't wait to afford newer cars, though. CAN'T WAIT!!
Saturday, September 07, 2013
from Chattanooga, TN
We're in Chattanooga, TN for a (church related) conference and thanks to some friends that we have 30 minutes outside of the city and who agreed to have our sons for the day today K & I are enjoying the conference on our own. Last night the boys just stayed in the hotel room while we were downstairs listening to the talks and tomorrow morning we'll do the same.
Just thought I'd let you know what we've been up to this weekend. I didn't take any photos yet. Maybe tomorrow. :)
Just thought I'd let you know what we've been up to this weekend. I didn't take any photos yet. Maybe tomorrow. :)
Friday, September 06, 2013
2013's Only Blogger-Meet-Up
No summer is complete without a blogger meet-up, right?
Well... It took me literally months (ok, one month!) to blog about it, but I did have a lovely-but-way-too-short meet-up with blogger (or almost former blogger) Sarah Sometimes!!!
We didn't take a photo, (we could have, but I was thinking I wouldn't have posted it anyway, so why bother! ;-) but coincidentally we were both wearing black & white skirts & black blouses (not 100% about her blouse, but I think so).
And we talked about our lives, families, and work, her move upstate, and about Jo(e) & her family and her canoeing trip. We had a simple kid-food picnic sitting at a bench in a park and I wish we'd had more time!
K said that we're not going back to that city again, but maybe we can meet again somewhere close by (together with Jo(e)? That'd be nice!).
I drove by very closely to where several other blogging (or former blogging) friends live, but I didn't have a lot of time, so I decided not to contact them. Oh, and of course I was where she lives and I was all... oh, I hope I could talk to her!
Blogger-meet-up wish for next year: meeting Jamie & family. Maybe we'll go to your neck of the woods, friend! Oh, and B*, I want to meet her!!
Well... It took me literally months (ok, one month!) to blog about it, but I did have a lovely-but-way-too-short meet-up with blogger (or almost former blogger) Sarah Sometimes!!!
We didn't take a photo, (we could have, but I was thinking I wouldn't have posted it anyway, so why bother! ;-) but coincidentally we were both wearing black & white skirts & black blouses (not 100% about her blouse, but I think so).
And we talked about our lives, families, and work, her move upstate, and about Jo(e) & her family and her canoeing trip. We had a simple kid-food picnic sitting at a bench in a park and I wish we'd had more time!
K said that we're not going back to that city again, but maybe we can meet again somewhere close by (together with Jo(e)? That'd be nice!).
I drove by very closely to where several other blogging (or former blogging) friends live, but I didn't have a lot of time, so I decided not to contact them. Oh, and of course I was where she lives and I was all... oh, I hope I could talk to her!
Blogger-meet-up wish for next year: meeting Jamie & family. Maybe we'll go to your neck of the woods, friend! Oh, and B*, I want to meet her!!
Thursday, September 05, 2013
True Museum Buffs! 14/20 of the World's 20 Most Visited Museums!
Today CNN published a list of the world's 20 most visited museums and my husband emailed me all excited that we'd visited almost all of them!
We've been to 9 out of the top 10 and 14 of the total 20.
Of the ones we didn't visit 2 are in London (Science & Natural History), 3 in China and 1 in Korea: needless to say, we've never been to China or Korea or we might have visited those too. ;-) And our 6 days in London back in 2001 were insufficient to visit all 5 of the London museums included in the list! :-)
Of course we've visited dozens more that aren't on the list, but we did realize one thing: after the boys were born we have visited very few museums. :-( I hope we can resume that practice soon!
So, we've been to:
- the Louvre (Paris)
- the National Museum of Natural History (D.C.)
- the National Air & Space Museum (D.C.)
- the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC)
- the British Museum (London)
- the Tate Modern (London)
- the National Gallery (London)
- the Vatican Museum (& Sistine Chapel)
- the American Museum of Natural History (NYC)
- the National Museum of American History (D.C.)
- the National Gallery of Art (D.C.)
- the Centre Pompidou (Paris)
- the Musée D'Orsay (Paris)
- the Victoria & Albert Museum (London)
Those and the many many other museums, churches & landmarks we visited in Europe back in 2000 consisted of most of my bucket list. It was awesome to be you're able to visit most of my dreamed of locations before turning 30 (I'd already had my b-day when we went to London, though ;-)
We've been to 9 out of the top 10 and 14 of the total 20.
Of the ones we didn't visit 2 are in London (Science & Natural History), 3 in China and 1 in Korea: needless to say, we've never been to China or Korea or we might have visited those too. ;-) And our 6 days in London back in 2001 were insufficient to visit all 5 of the London museums included in the list! :-)
Of course we've visited dozens more that aren't on the list, but we did realize one thing: after the boys were born we have visited very few museums. :-( I hope we can resume that practice soon!
So, we've been to:
- the Louvre (Paris)
- the National Museum of Natural History (D.C.)
- the National Air & Space Museum (D.C.)
- the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC)
- the British Museum (London)
- the Tate Modern (London)
- the National Gallery (London)
- the Vatican Museum (& Sistine Chapel)
- the American Museum of Natural History (NYC)
- the National Museum of American History (D.C.)
- the National Gallery of Art (D.C.)
- the Centre Pompidou (Paris)
- the Musée D'Orsay (Paris)
- the Victoria & Albert Museum (London)
Those and the many many other museums, churches & landmarks we visited in Europe back in 2000 consisted of most of my bucket list. It was awesome to be you're able to visit most of my dreamed of locations before turning 30 (I'd already had my b-day when we went to London, though ;-)
17 Years in Limbo & Counting
This afternoon I thought* long and hard about my life and all my continuing angst about work and I realized something very sad.
I am still in "limbo." Still "in-between," in-translation, in process. Still on the way, just don't know where...
And I thought, for the first time in this (relatively) long journey, that maybe I should simply quit. But how?
What else could I do?
Sigh...
My husband was saying last spring, sighing with satisfaction, that our lives were finally good and that one of the main reasons -- he had realized -- is that now we finally had "stable jobs." (insert sarcastic smirk from me here. Ha. ha. ha, very funny).
Working two jobs (as full-time lecturer in one place and adjuncting a couple of classes at another) did provide me with the most money I've ever made in my entire 42 years of life (around the same as my lived years multiplied by 1K) and brought more comfort and stability to my family, there's no denying that. But my marginal "jobs" still keep me in a limbo with no end in sight.
The issue here is not that I necessarily "want" a tenure-track job, but I want (and NEED!!) a job that pays decently (my yearly lecturer contract doesn't & my semesterly adjuncting gig is miserable) and in which I will have some stability so I know what to expect for several years to come.
And frankly, teaching language for the rest of my life is not what I want to do. Even if I do become a "senior lecturer" with 3 year contracts and decent pay (something that happened with 3 of my friends at U#2 last year. Good for them!). And especially now that I'm about to have to use someone else's syllabus, assignments, tests, etc. That feels very "University of Phoenix" to me and we all know how that did NOT work out for me. (and yet, that's how my 3 friends work at U#2, one of them with a phd and a former tt job at an Ivy League school -- having to work using junior faculty produced materials**).
Yes, part of what triggered this post was receiving an assignment for my class from the junior faculty who is my "boss" this evening. But it's not my main motivation. I really need to address the issue of being in "limbo."
Right now, there's not much that I can do. I wouldn't know what else to do with my life but teach. Teaching high-school is not something I'd want to do. I do enjoy working with college kids.
I know things will work out. Deep down I know that. I'm constantly praying about it and surrendering it and asking for strength to be more submissive and less rebellious and even "conceited."
I just hope I don't have to be in a limbo work-wise for the rest of my life. Because that would be tough.
If you've made it this far, thanks for listening. Blogging as cheap therapy did do a fantastic job this evening, I must say! :)
P.S. In spite of all the angst, and all the driving I have to do every single day, I am thankful that I have a job, however "marginal" it may be. It is still a blessing and a big help for my family. I don't want to be ungrateful.
* I think too much. I found out in the past year, to my utter surprise, that I am actually an introvert. I never imagined that, but yes, I am! I'd like to blog about that at some point, I hope I'll get around to it.
** Do any of you have that in your universities? Grad students, adjuncts and/or lecturers having to use syllabi and course materials already prepared for them? That wasn't the case when I was a grad student. They trusted us. We were prepared to teach our own classes. But it wasn't a language department. Maybe it's different in language departments and maybe it makes perfect sense and I am the swhiny jerk here. I will admit that.
I am still in "limbo." Still "in-between," in-translation, in process. Still on the way, just don't know where...
And I thought, for the first time in this (relatively) long journey, that maybe I should simply quit. But how?
What else could I do?
Sigh...
My husband was saying last spring, sighing with satisfaction, that our lives were finally good and that one of the main reasons -- he had realized -- is that now we finally had "stable jobs." (insert sarcastic smirk from me here. Ha. ha. ha, very funny).
Working two jobs (as full-time lecturer in one place and adjuncting a couple of classes at another) did provide me with the most money I've ever made in my entire 42 years of life (around the same as my lived years multiplied by 1K) and brought more comfort and stability to my family, there's no denying that. But my marginal "jobs" still keep me in a limbo with no end in sight.
The issue here is not that I necessarily "want" a tenure-track job, but I want (and NEED!!) a job that pays decently (my yearly lecturer contract doesn't & my semesterly adjuncting gig is miserable) and in which I will have some stability so I know what to expect for several years to come.
And frankly, teaching language for the rest of my life is not what I want to do. Even if I do become a "senior lecturer" with 3 year contracts and decent pay (something that happened with 3 of my friends at U#2 last year. Good for them!). And especially now that I'm about to have to use someone else's syllabus, assignments, tests, etc. That feels very "University of Phoenix" to me and we all know how that did NOT work out for me. (and yet, that's how my 3 friends work at U#2, one of them with a phd and a former tt job at an Ivy League school -- having to work using junior faculty produced materials**).
Yes, part of what triggered this post was receiving an assignment for my class from the junior faculty who is my "boss" this evening. But it's not my main motivation. I really need to address the issue of being in "limbo."
Right now, there's not much that I can do. I wouldn't know what else to do with my life but teach. Teaching high-school is not something I'd want to do. I do enjoy working with college kids.
I know things will work out. Deep down I know that. I'm constantly praying about it and surrendering it and asking for strength to be more submissive and less rebellious and even "conceited."
I just hope I don't have to be in a limbo work-wise for the rest of my life. Because that would be tough.
If you've made it this far, thanks for listening. Blogging as cheap therapy did do a fantastic job this evening, I must say! :)
P.S. In spite of all the angst, and all the driving I have to do every single day, I am thankful that I have a job, however "marginal" it may be. It is still a blessing and a big help for my family. I don't want to be ungrateful.
* I think too much. I found out in the past year, to my utter surprise, that I am actually an introvert. I never imagined that, but yes, I am! I'd like to blog about that at some point, I hope I'll get around to it.
** Do any of you have that in your universities? Grad students, adjuncts and/or lecturers having to use syllabi and course materials already prepared for them? That wasn't the case when I was a grad student. They trusted us. We were prepared to teach our own classes. But it wasn't a language department. Maybe it's different in language departments and maybe it makes perfect sense and I am the swhiny jerk here. I will admit that.
The MLA Job Info List Access is Now Free...
... so now I can see all the jobs that maybe I could think of applying to and/or fantasize about having, but which I never will.
Ha ha.
Note:
For those of you out there not in languages, literatures, cultures/humanities, access to the job list -- the main concentration of job listings in our subject areas -- used to be restricted to MLA [Modern Language Association] members or to people whose departments gave them a username and password to enter (this was my case until I finished the PhD back in 2008).
Now they've opened access to non-members. I have only been an MLA member on years I went to the convention -- 1999, 2004, 2006: the only time I actually presented. I just can't afford being a member of my preferred professional associations and only do that when I decide that I'll go to the national conference (when it is in a location where I have free lodging at a friend or relative's place).
P.S. when I re-read yesterday's "Grading"post I noticed that the "rant" in the second part of the post gets a bit "lost" because it's subject is slightly unrelated to the beginning of the post. I suppose that's s good thing. I'm sure you're tired of hearing me say the same things over and over again. Good thing I at least have photos of pretty flowers to break up the tedious series of job-related angst posts. ;-)
Ha ha.
Note:
For those of you out there not in languages, literatures, cultures/humanities, access to the job list -- the main concentration of job listings in our subject areas -- used to be restricted to MLA [Modern Language Association] members or to people whose departments gave them a username and password to enter (this was my case until I finished the PhD back in 2008).
Now they've opened access to non-members. I have only been an MLA member on years I went to the convention -- 1999, 2004, 2006: the only time I actually presented. I just can't afford being a member of my preferred professional associations and only do that when I decide that I'll go to the national conference (when it is in a location where I have free lodging at a friend or relative's place).
P.S. when I re-read yesterday's "Grading"post I noticed that the "rant" in the second part of the post gets a bit "lost" because it's subject is slightly unrelated to the beginning of the post. I suppose that's s good thing. I'm sure you're tired of hearing me say the same things over and over again. Good thing I at least have photos of pretty flowers to break up the tedious series of job-related angst posts. ;-)
Let the Grading Begin! :(
For four months grading will be the central thing in my life and the one thing that I will always be thinking of, probably with guilt instead of relief.
I wish I could be more firm about just doing it and feeling the relief more often. Sigh...
I already have nearly 40 quizzes and 40 exams to grade. The biggest disadvantage of teaching language (as opposed to literature & culture, then it's mostly paper and classes tend to be smaller in size) and, consequently, a big disadvantage of being an adjunct or lecturer versus a full-fledged "professor."
And the angst continues, day in, day out. I wish it would just go away, but it doesn't. So I have to keep on blogging about it. (I am mostly happy with the work & students, etc, but still angsty).
I am always keenly aware of my position in the margins of academia. I wish I could feel more at peace about it.
Someday, perhaps. One can hope.
I wish I could be more firm about just doing it and feeling the relief more often. Sigh...
I already have nearly 40 quizzes and 40 exams to grade. The biggest disadvantage of teaching language (as opposed to literature & culture, then it's mostly paper and classes tend to be smaller in size) and, consequently, a big disadvantage of being an adjunct or lecturer versus a full-fledged "professor."
And the angst continues, day in, day out. I wish it would just go away, but it doesn't. So I have to keep on blogging about it. (I am mostly happy with the work & students, etc, but still angsty).
I am always keenly aware of my position in the margins of academia. I wish I could feel more at peace about it.
Someday, perhaps. One can hope.
Wednesday, September 04, 2013
It is Impossible to Take a Bad Photo of Lotus Flowers (and foxes! ;-)
Maybe I had seen lotus flowers before last August in the Montreal Botanical Gardens, but I sure don't remember it. And I think I would have remembered because I was absolutely was entranced by them!
(and by the beautiful foxes lounging close to them in the Chinese Imperial Garden)
So I switched to my zoom lens and a few minutes later I had to bear the wrath of my husband for "taking so long" to photograph flowers. Sigh...
It turns out I didn't take enough photos. They are beautiful, but I wish I had more.
Without further ado... a selection of my photographs of lotus flowers (with bonus fox!):
(and by the beautiful foxes lounging close to them in the Chinese Imperial Garden)
So I switched to my zoom lens and a few minutes later I had to bear the wrath of my husband for "taking so long" to photograph flowers. Sigh...
It turns out I didn't take enough photos. They are beautiful, but I wish I had more.
Without further ado... a selection of my photographs of lotus flowers (with bonus fox!):
Monday, September 02, 2013
Many birds, 8 species
This morning, I was reading a chapter of a wonderful book titled Celebration of Discipline. The chapter was about silence, and the need to "let our words be few." So I know I shouldn't be writing this post, because it's precisely the kind of "speaking" and reacting that the spiritual discipline of silence warns against. But I'm going to do it anyway. I know, very sad... I guess blogging goes against a lot of these disciplines to begin with. Sigh...
I received an anonymous comment in my Montreal Mosaicultures post today half-amusedly demonstrating that I'm very bad at counting. I know where this well-meaning person is coming from because I also have the annoying habit of correcting people, often publicly (like in Facebook!) -- I know it's bad and it's pretty irresistible, but I hope to work on that in the future. Especially after having experienced first-hand the effects of "know-it-all-ism." I suffer from that disease too (that's why I'm writing this post). Sigh...
In any case, thanks for taking the time to count the birds at the magnificent Tree of Birds (see a couple* more incredible photos here).
* a couple of photos the tree, there are more than two photos in that article, of course
When I wrote about 8 birds in my post I meant eight species of birds, which is what I learned from this sign describing them (I only photographed the English descriptions, but I'm pretty sure there were just eight species of birds). I tried googling to find more info, but my search didn't yield much, so I resort to my own photographs.
They portrayed several birds of each species in the tree, not just one of each. I found the stories to be very moving and I thought that it will be sad when these birds, like so many other species of animals in the planet, become extinct. :(
I received an anonymous comment in my Montreal Mosaicultures post today half-amusedly demonstrating that I'm very bad at counting. I know where this well-meaning person is coming from because I also have the annoying habit of correcting people, often publicly (like in Facebook!) -- I know it's bad and it's pretty irresistible, but I hope to work on that in the future. Especially after having experienced first-hand the effects of "know-it-all-ism." I suffer from that disease too (that's why I'm writing this post). Sigh...
In any case, thanks for taking the time to count the birds at the magnificent Tree of Birds (see a couple* more incredible photos here).
* a couple of photos the tree, there are more than two photos in that article, of course
When I wrote about 8 birds in my post I meant eight species of birds, which is what I learned from this sign describing them (I only photographed the English descriptions, but I'm pretty sure there were just eight species of birds). I tried googling to find more info, but my search didn't yield much, so I resort to my own photographs.
4 one one side:
And , and 4 more on the other side of the sign:
A close up on the Brazilian and the Trinidadian birds:
Another Brazilian bird:
And the last Brazilian one:
100 to Go (Counting this One)
For a few years now I have set one and only "blogging goal" each year: to write at least one more blog post than I did the year before.
100 posts from now (including this one) I will have reached this goal for 2013.
I think I can do it, but given how tired I've been at the end of the day after teaching, and it's been less than a week, I think it won't be easy.
I never lack things to say, but having the time to actually do it is the challenge. As always, I wish I could actually write decent blog posts, but I simply can't. If all I did was strive for good, well written content here I'd just never write because I don't have the time. Sigh...
So... yeah, I just thought I'd say that for the record. ;-)
100 posts from now (including this one) I will have reached this goal for 2013.
I think I can do it, but given how tired I've been at the end of the day after teaching, and it's been less than a week, I think it won't be easy.
I never lack things to say, but having the time to actually do it is the challenge. As always, I wish I could actually write decent blog posts, but I simply can't. If all I did was strive for good, well written content here I'd just never write because I don't have the time. Sigh...
So... yeah, I just thought I'd say that for the record. ;-)
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
The One Advantage of Teaching Every Day of the Week...
... is that I get to wear a different outfit each day for several weeks. At least for as long as it's still relatively warm out there...*
Because I have WAY too many clothes.
Really.
I want to start a clothes blog (can't bring myself to call it a "fashion" blog!), but the whole still-wanting-to-remain-(semi)-anonymous thing prevents me. Because I'd have to take headless photos of me or crop the head or face from the photos! I've seen that in other blogs out there, but I don't know how I'd feel about that. I think it'd be OK... (my friend Heidi suggested in a comment below that I can just take a photo of the clothes, but that wouldn't look the same as wearing them ;-)
In any case, yeah... having different outfits everyday is fun and makes me (wrongly) think that having all these clothes is a "good" thing after all.
I'm dying to write lots about my clothes (and shoes! I love shoes!), but while I don't decide whether I will or not I'll leave you with this piece of information: I do buy clothes, but a lot of my clothes were gifts from family members and friends too, so I'm not 100% to blame for this having-way-too-many-clothes "situation!"
* (my summery, warm(er) weather clothes outnumber the chilly weather ones by a lot!)
Because I have WAY too many clothes.
Really.
I want to start a clothes blog (can't bring myself to call it a "fashion" blog!), but the whole still-wanting-to-remain-(semi)-anonymous thing prevents me. Because I'd have to take headless photos of me or crop the head or face from the photos! I've seen that in other blogs out there, but I don't know how I'd feel about that. I think it'd be OK... (my friend Heidi suggested in a comment below that I can just take a photo of the clothes, but that wouldn't look the same as wearing them ;-)
In any case, yeah... having different outfits everyday is fun and makes me (wrongly) think that having all these clothes is a "good" thing after all.
I'm dying to write lots about my clothes (and shoes! I love shoes!), but while I don't decide whether I will or not I'll leave you with this piece of information: I do buy clothes, but a lot of my clothes were gifts from family members and friends too, so I'm not 100% to blame for this having-way-too-many-clothes "situation!"
* (my summery, warm(er) weather clothes outnumber the chilly weather ones by a lot!)
Two Phone Calls: Good News from Friends & Worrisome Medical News
While we were watching the movie this evening (we loved it! so funny!) I received two phone calls one with good news and the other with some worrisome ones.
Let's tackle the bad first. Asthma runs in my family, particularly in my dad's family because his dad had really bad asthma all his life. And then I had it too, starting at age three and continuing until I was basically "cured" when I went vegan for 10+ years (I'm not anymore, but try to at home the best as I can). My boys were also diagnosed, although their asthma is pretty mild compared to what mine was like as a child.
Well... and now, at 76 years old my dad started having pretty bad asthma attacks when he's exposed to lots of dust (or even a little of dust!). This past Sunday night my mom ended up in the hospital with him but I didn't find out until today. I had called mom on Saturday, but not since then. He didn't have to be admitted or anything, but they gave him some intravenous medication and breathing treatments. And now I'm worried about him. I wish he could go on daily asthma prevention medications such as Flovent or Advair (both made by my husband's former "big pharma" employer that turned our lives into such a turmoil back in 2007-2009... sigh...) -- but I don't know if these are available in Brazil!
My mom plans to take him to an allergist so he can get tested and then they can figure out how to prevent his asthma from flaring up (I mean, he never had asthma, so these could be just "reactive airway disorder" and not a chronic condition -- hopefully!!).
Oh, yeah... and my mom had forgotten to tell me that when she had her recent colonoscopy they found and removed some polyps. Scary! Could have become life threatening in a few years. And I found out that my mom's paternal grandmother died of colon cancer, as did two of my dad's uncles & dad's dad died after a botched colonoscopy. Sigh.... I've already had one done to diagnose IBS and I know I have to get this test done periodically with this kind of a family history... sigh...
But then my dear friend Heidi called me! (it was actually before I talked to mom, but I wanted the "bad news" first) And she had wonderful news that her husband got a job!! And they're moving to TX (I can remove location, H, just let me know). Not only that, but they will be working with a very very dear friend of us, a wonderful musician, trumpet player and band director who moved to the U.S. from Brazil a year or two after we did so we never saw him & his family again.
What a small world! How happy I was that my friends now have work and a new place to live. I hope we get to see them when they come to retrieve their possessions that are in storage here in the area.
Well, I guess that I can keep praying about my parents' health and hoping it will be good. At least they are very diligent about doing check-ups and getting treatment.
And I guess we'll be going to TX again at some point to visit more friends (and we have family there too, particularly K's uncle who moved there from Africa last year)!
ok, gotta go to bed now!
Let's tackle the bad first. Asthma runs in my family, particularly in my dad's family because his dad had really bad asthma all his life. And then I had it too, starting at age three and continuing until I was basically "cured" when I went vegan for 10+ years (I'm not anymore, but try to at home the best as I can). My boys were also diagnosed, although their asthma is pretty mild compared to what mine was like as a child.
Well... and now, at 76 years old my dad started having pretty bad asthma attacks when he's exposed to lots of dust (or even a little of dust!). This past Sunday night my mom ended up in the hospital with him but I didn't find out until today. I had called mom on Saturday, but not since then. He didn't have to be admitted or anything, but they gave him some intravenous medication and breathing treatments. And now I'm worried about him. I wish he could go on daily asthma prevention medications such as Flovent or Advair (both made by my husband's former "big pharma" employer that turned our lives into such a turmoil back in 2007-2009... sigh...) -- but I don't know if these are available in Brazil!
My mom plans to take him to an allergist so he can get tested and then they can figure out how to prevent his asthma from flaring up (I mean, he never had asthma, so these could be just "reactive airway disorder" and not a chronic condition -- hopefully!!).
Oh, yeah... and my mom had forgotten to tell me that when she had her recent colonoscopy they found and removed some polyps. Scary! Could have become life threatening in a few years. And I found out that my mom's paternal grandmother died of colon cancer, as did two of my dad's uncles & dad's dad died after a botched colonoscopy. Sigh.... I've already had one done to diagnose IBS and I know I have to get this test done periodically with this kind of a family history... sigh...
But then my dear friend Heidi called me! (it was actually before I talked to mom, but I wanted the "bad news" first) And she had wonderful news that her husband got a job!! And they're moving to TX (I can remove location, H, just let me know). Not only that, but they will be working with a very very dear friend of us, a wonderful musician, trumpet player and band director who moved to the U.S. from Brazil a year or two after we did so we never saw him & his family again.
What a small world! How happy I was that my friends now have work and a new place to live. I hope we get to see them when they come to retrieve their possessions that are in storage here in the area.
Well, I guess that I can keep praying about my parents' health and hoping it will be good. At least they are very diligent about doing check-ups and getting treatment.
And I guess we'll be going to TX again at some point to visit more friends (and we have family there too, particularly K's uncle who moved there from Africa last year)!
ok, gotta go to bed now!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
I Need a NAAAAAP!
And yet, I won't take one. (and I did get home kinda late to take a nap... past 5:30 pm)
Sigh...
And I'm OK with it. It's not even my hyperactivity that's keeping me from napping today (it's hard for me to relax enough to take a nap most days, so I don't do it unless I have a lot of free time).
It's just that... I don't know, I'm not truly exhausted (yet), but my Tuesdays & Thursdays will be insane days and I'm not looking forward to them at all.
I can't be talking about this too much at U#2 because they might tell me I can't do it, but I'm teaching 2 classes at U#1 on top of my three classes at my full-time lecturer gig at U2.
And... wait for it (I may have blogged this already, but maybe not)... On Tu/Th I teach ALL 5 classes. 3 of which are 75 minutes long.
The worst of all is the 1h drive in between in the hottest part of the day.
(have I told you that the car I've been using since last year, our "new to us" car does NOT have air conditioning?)
yeah... you can pity me all right.
In any case, I toil non-stop from 9:30am-5:15pm, not including the commute in the morning if I don't stay overnight at U2's town. (I did last night).
In spite of all that, I think it'll be a good semester, I love my "old" students (have had them for a whole year or at least a semester) and the new students seem to be a great bunch. We'll see.
I've got mixed feelings about the "tele-teaching" which is now in a regular teleconference enabled classroom. Sigh... still better than last Fall with the 100% distance teaching!
Since things are still kinda slow around Casa in Translation I think we'll have a movie night & see Despicable Me which we haven't seen yet (I know, we hardly ever watch movies).
P.S. boys seem to be doing well back in school. I missed being home with them last night as they returned from their first day. Face-timing was not enough. :( I think I'll come back home every night this semester. It'll cost lots more in gas, but I love to see my boys every night! Sigh...
P.S.II I teach every single day 76 miles away from home. yeah... I win, feMOMhist (you've got 2 more miles, but you don't need to go every day). ;-) I mean, I clearly loose!!! if you know what I mean...
Sigh...
And I'm OK with it. It's not even my hyperactivity that's keeping me from napping today (it's hard for me to relax enough to take a nap most days, so I don't do it unless I have a lot of free time).
It's just that... I don't know, I'm not truly exhausted (yet), but my Tuesdays & Thursdays will be insane days and I'm not looking forward to them at all.
I can't be talking about this too much at U#2 because they might tell me I can't do it, but I'm teaching 2 classes at U#1 on top of my three classes at my full-time lecturer gig at U2.
And... wait for it (I may have blogged this already, but maybe not)... On Tu/Th I teach ALL 5 classes. 3 of which are 75 minutes long.
The worst of all is the 1h drive in between in the hottest part of the day.
(have I told you that the car I've been using since last year, our "new to us" car does NOT have air conditioning?)
yeah... you can pity me all right.
In any case, I toil non-stop from 9:30am-5:15pm, not including the commute in the morning if I don't stay overnight at U2's town. (I did last night).
In spite of all that, I think it'll be a good semester, I love my "old" students (have had them for a whole year or at least a semester) and the new students seem to be a great bunch. We'll see.
I've got mixed feelings about the "tele-teaching" which is now in a regular teleconference enabled classroom. Sigh... still better than last Fall with the 100% distance teaching!
Since things are still kinda slow around Casa in Translation I think we'll have a movie night & see Despicable Me which we haven't seen yet (I know, we hardly ever watch movies).
P.S. boys seem to be doing well back in school. I missed being home with them last night as they returned from their first day. Face-timing was not enough. :( I think I'll come back home every night this semester. It'll cost lots more in gas, but I love to see my boys every night! Sigh...
P.S.II I teach every single day 76 miles away from home. yeah... I win, feMOMhist (you've got 2 more miles, but you don't need to go every day). ;-) I mean, I clearly loose!!! if you know what I mean...
Monday, August 26, 2013
Back Home & Back to Work
Sigh...
The back to work part is not so fun, mostly because of the incidentals (preparation, tons of emails to answer), but I'm glad to go back to the classroom, meet new students (always so young, which makes me feel, oh, so keenly, how I'm getting older and older! Sigh...), etc!
And coming back home was fun. The house was reasonably in shape (we didn't leave it a huge mess this time before traveling, YAY!) and it was so cute to see my oldest boy exclaiming how lovely it was to come back home, how he loved our home, etc.
I hope to be back to yoga too during the semester, so I have to finish this post and drive to the university for a yoga class. YAY! A great way to start the semester!
Have a great school year, everyone!
The back to work part is not so fun, mostly because of the incidentals (preparation, tons of emails to answer), but I'm glad to go back to the classroom, meet new students (always so young, which makes me feel, oh, so keenly, how I'm getting older and older! Sigh...), etc!
And coming back home was fun. The house was reasonably in shape (we didn't leave it a huge mess this time before traveling, YAY!) and it was so cute to see my oldest boy exclaiming how lovely it was to come back home, how he loved our home, etc.
I hope to be back to yoga too during the semester, so I have to finish this post and drive to the university for a yoga class. YAY! A great way to start the semester!
Have a great school year, everyone!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
It's All Coming Back to Me Now
I don't miss Massachusetts, in spite of the fact that I lived here for 8 years. I don't miss Pennsylvania at all (six years). In fact, I don't miss my house/home though we've been away for over 2 weeks.
And... I don't miss Brazil either, though I lived 24 years of my life there.
I just don't get attached to places, I guess. Living somewhere is not a big deal... human beings are extremely adaptable. I lived for 27 days in Europe with 4 changes of clothes, a tent & thin air pads. And I didn't miss anything that fills my house to the brim.
Sometimes I think that we should live as simply as possible all the time...
But... that's not supposed to be the topic of this post!!
I just wanted to come here and register how interesting (and so devoid of any feelings -- OK, nearly devoid, not 100% so) it felt to be driving around the place where we lived for 7 years.
Slowly, it all started coming back to me: the shortcuts from the university to the road that used to lead home, the shortcut to come to our friends' house where we're staying...
I do feel tiny slivers of regret because I didn't enjoy this location to the fullest, but then I didn't know better and also couldn't afford it (things like wonderful organic CSA & delicious local restaurants).
I was saying to my sons that I didn't do so much, that I was a different person then and my oldest replied, "Yes, of course, you were so much younger!" Very true.
Oh, I also found out about the demise of the student "church" group we started on campus which lasted for solid 10 years (we led it for 3). I was so mad, but this subject has nothing to do with the blog. Sigh...
Yeah... mostly I feel nothing. I'm glad I had the opportunity to study here and get my PhD, I think I did the most of my time at the university. I managed to make good friends (I visited two of them last Sunday!) and we had a tough time with church until we started our own group on campus.
It was wonderful to talk to our graduate student colleague (and church fellow) from Jamaica who was offered a tenure-track position even before completing his degree (back in 2003!), now tenured and showing me his wonderful new office in lab in a state-of-the-art facility.
I just wish K was here so we could see all this together. I guess we'll have to come back here together.
and now... on to bed!
P.S. I won't dedicate a post to this, only a footnote. Last night/this morning were a NIGHTMARE because I discovered that I had assumed that the new hire would order textbooks for my class (technically I know that s/he is/was supposed to! but I'm not going to confront hir, sigh...), and s/he had NOT! So, six days before the beginning of classes I ordered the books and spent quite a while emailing the students to let them know how to get the book and going over their options. I'm at peace now, and I'm hoping for the best, but it was TOUGH! whatever, everything will be fine, I know it.
And... I don't miss Brazil either, though I lived 24 years of my life there.
I just don't get attached to places, I guess. Living somewhere is not a big deal... human beings are extremely adaptable. I lived for 27 days in Europe with 4 changes of clothes, a tent & thin air pads. And I didn't miss anything that fills my house to the brim.
Sometimes I think that we should live as simply as possible all the time...
But... that's not supposed to be the topic of this post!!
I just wanted to come here and register how interesting (and so devoid of any feelings -- OK, nearly devoid, not 100% so) it felt to be driving around the place where we lived for 7 years.
Slowly, it all started coming back to me: the shortcuts from the university to the road that used to lead home, the shortcut to come to our friends' house where we're staying...
I do feel tiny slivers of regret because I didn't enjoy this location to the fullest, but then I didn't know better and also couldn't afford it (things like wonderful organic CSA & delicious local restaurants).
I was saying to my sons that I didn't do so much, that I was a different person then and my oldest replied, "Yes, of course, you were so much younger!" Very true.
Oh, I also found out about the demise of the student "church" group we started on campus which lasted for solid 10 years (we led it for 3). I was so mad, but this subject has nothing to do with the blog. Sigh...
Yeah... mostly I feel nothing. I'm glad I had the opportunity to study here and get my PhD, I think I did the most of my time at the university. I managed to make good friends (I visited two of them last Sunday!) and we had a tough time with church until we started our own group on campus.
It was wonderful to talk to our graduate student colleague (and church fellow) from Jamaica who was offered a tenure-track position even before completing his degree (back in 2003!), now tenured and showing me his wonderful new office in lab in a state-of-the-art facility.
I just wish K was here so we could see all this together. I guess we'll have to come back here together.
and now... on to bed!
P.S. I won't dedicate a post to this, only a footnote. Last night/this morning were a NIGHTMARE because I discovered that I had assumed that the new hire would order textbooks for my class (technically I know that s/he is/was supposed to! but I'm not going to confront hir, sigh...), and s/he had NOT! So, six days before the beginning of classes I ordered the books and spent quite a while emailing the students to let them know how to get the book and going over their options. I'm at peace now, and I'm hoping for the best, but it was TOUGH! whatever, everything will be fine, I know it.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
The First Day that Wasn't
Today my sons were supposed to be back in school, but they were here in New England with me instead. We have decided to go back home two days earlier (tomorrow night & Friday morning instead of Sunday morning), but their first day will still be on Monday.
It's interesting to see other bloggers or folks on twitter commenting on their children's first days of school and how emotional they are for some people. Not for me. Sure, I did document Kelvin's first day of kindergarten* and 1st grade and I still try to take photos every year, but, other than that, it's not a big deal to me. Neither is it a great "relief" as it seems to be popular in TV commercials ("The most wonderful time of the year?" What? The best thing for you is to be away from your kids? Not to me!!).
I still can't believe they will be going to 6th & 4th grades. Time flies!
*WOW, I had completely forgotten that I was actually planning to cyber-school him (and we SHOULD have! & did two years later) but that I didn't do it because I needed to finish the dissertation. wow! Good thing I did finish!! ;-)
It's interesting to see other bloggers or folks on twitter commenting on their children's first days of school and how emotional they are for some people. Not for me. Sure, I did document Kelvin's first day of kindergarten* and 1st grade and I still try to take photos every year, but, other than that, it's not a big deal to me. Neither is it a great "relief" as it seems to be popular in TV commercials ("The most wonderful time of the year?" What? The best thing for you is to be away from your kids? Not to me!!).
I still can't believe they will be going to 6th & 4th grades. Time flies!
*WOW, I had completely forgotten that I was actually planning to cyber-school him (and we SHOULD have! & did two years later) but that I didn't do it because I needed to finish the dissertation. wow! Good thing I did finish!! ;-)
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Boston Children's Museum: Maybe Our Last Time?
I have a feeling that this will be our last visit to the Boston Children's Museum. :-(. (Good thing it's our 5th or 6th since 2008!)
I say that because the 11.5 year old has been slightly bored most of outlr time here... Sigh...
He still climbed on the 3 floor high climbing structure comfortably, but he'll be too tall for it in no time.
In a few years he won't be a kid anymore. :-( I have to enjoy my boys while I still have them...
P.S. I'm visiting the museum with my friend L (my namesake) & her kids. It's such a treat to do this with another mom & kids!
He's changing every day, my boy. Both physically and psychologically. His childhood is ending, a day, a week at a time. He's starting 6th gras"de on Monday (school starts tomorrow, but the boys are missing the first 3 days of school).
It's a beautiful day in Boston. Maybe when we're done here in an hour well visit the Boston Tea Party tourist trap. We can pretend it's a social studies class! Maybe it'll be more age appropriate for my "tween!"
P.S. 2 This museum was the location of an awesome (but too short) blogger meet up with "Articulate Dad" & "Rocket Mom" & their boys back in 2009... Last time we were here too, I think.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Mosaicultures Internationales(R): Flower & Plant Mosaics at the Botanical Gardens of Montreal
This is what we did & saw all afternoon & early evening on Monday here, it's part of an international festival of flower mosaics that hadn't been hosted by Montreal in 10 years. Each plant "sculpture" is made/sponsored by a country and or city. Gorgeous, right? I don't remember the information for each sculpture below, but I'll try to share what I can remember.
This piano is from Japan (you can see Mount Fuji on the inside):
This sculpture from Shanghai, China is based on the true story of a young woman who was passionate about saving cranes and who died in a swamp while rescuing an injured crane:
The man who planted trees:
this is from the city of Montreal:
The bird tree (Canada):
They chose to portray about 8 species birds (several of which! I add this because of the commenter who actually counted the birds or something), most of these species are almost extinct, which is heartbreaking. Three of the eight are from Brazil. :-( I almost cried just reading about the birds.
This one is from a city in China too. The Chinese sculputures are some of the biggest (this is HUGE) and most beautiful. (I'm not sharing the American one right now, it's pretty lame, with some farmers & produce)
This is from Canada too (the majority is) and it portrays "mother earth:"
Tree Man:
I'll try to share more pictures of the Botanical Gardens later! Tonight, if all goes well, we'll see hot air balloons!! (I hope to share too).
Tree Man:
Yummy Montreal Attraction: Point G Macarons!
I don't hand much time or Internet access to write much, so I'll try some photos. I hope it works! (Posting from phone). My plan is to add some more photos later (from the Nikon camera).
More pretty macaron photos later, ok?
Last Monday we spent a most remarkable day at the botanical Gardens, but he highlight of my day was reaching this store before it closed!!
Thursday, August 08, 2013
Finally, on Vacation
As you probably already surmised from the previous posts we're finally on vacation, in spite of the fact that we start working in 2.5 weeks! The boys will actually miss 3 days of school (and they're not very happy about that!).
My husband's youngest brother lives in Montreal, so we've been to Canada several times, but this is the first time the boys will visit Ottawa (today) and Quebec City (next week). Kelvin was 4 months old when K & I visited Ottawa, but obviously he doesn't remember.
What I loved the most in Canada's capital was the lake to channel locks that are like a stairway for the boats to go from the bottom to the top and I was delighted to watch the boats going up on them for a long time back in 2002. I hope the boys will enjoy it too! I'll let you know how it went.
I LOOOVE to take the boys to new places, they have our "travel genes" ;-) and have also been traveling a lot since babyhood, so they thoroughly enjoy it. YAY for family vacations!!
Wednesday, August 07, 2013
Lame Fears of Smart Phone Withdrawal
This is my first trip out of the country (to Canada) since I became a smart phone user and even though I know it's simply ridiculous, I'm dreading spending 10 without going online on the phone anytime I feel like it... Sigh...
(Of course I'll still be able to use wi-fi and I can text at will and even make urgent phone calls if needed for a low rate per minute. But not data. I think that the biggest inconvenience will be not being able to use the GPS on the phone -- we've become pretty dependent on it.)
I know I should be looking to this trip as a good chance to spend quality time with my family, but no, I keep feeling concerned about the phone :-
I have to sleep now, but hopefully before we cross the border I can try to blog once more!
Really Cool Museum
This is our third visit, all thanks to a blog post by my friend Aliki from years ago!
Monday, August 05, 2013
Brazilian Prison Inmates Knit & Crochet for Fashion Designer
A friend just posted a link in facebook to this surprising article from the Daily Mail that features the initiative of the high-end fashion designer Raquell Guimarães to teach inmates in a high security prison to knit (which in Portuguese is called by the French "tricot") and to crochet.
For each period three days working, one day is deducted from their sentence! The brand is called Doiselles (which means "two Ls," spelled with ll, of course) and the initiative Flor de Lótus (Lotus Flower). The inmates are also paid for their work and part of their earnings are deposited in an account to be withdrawn when they are released.
According to Raquell, the reason why she turned to prison inmates is that nowadays it's hard to find people who still know how to knit (especially in Brazil, I suppose). If she didn't find people to learn the art and work for her, she would have been unable to have her fashion label.
Pretty fascinating. I LOVE crocheted & knit clothes and Doisélles's clothing is amazing, but even if I could afford them (I most certainly can't), I don't know how I'd feel about the way it was produced. I think it's a good thing, quite daring and unusual, though. What do you think?
Here's a video about the Lotus Flower Project:
Lotus Flower Project from doisélles on Vimeo.
Oh, OK, and there's more!! For this year's winter collection she used materials that are industrial refuse, thus making clothes in a sustainable manner (basically recycling materials), see here:
Winter Collection 2013 - Doisélles from doisélles on Vimeo.
Fascinating, huh?
For each period three days working, one day is deducted from their sentence! The brand is called Doiselles (which means "two Ls," spelled with ll, of course) and the initiative Flor de Lótus (Lotus Flower). The inmates are also paid for their work and part of their earnings are deposited in an account to be withdrawn when they are released.
According to Raquell, the reason why she turned to prison inmates is that nowadays it's hard to find people who still know how to knit (especially in Brazil, I suppose). If she didn't find people to learn the art and work for her, she would have been unable to have her fashion label.
Pretty fascinating. I LOVE crocheted & knit clothes and Doisélles's clothing is amazing, but even if I could afford them (I most certainly can't), I don't know how I'd feel about the way it was produced. I think it's a good thing, quite daring and unusual, though. What do you think?
Here's a video about the Lotus Flower Project:
Lotus Flower Project from doisélles on Vimeo.
Oh, OK, and there's more!! For this year's winter collection she used materials that are industrial refuse, thus making clothes in a sustainable manner (basically recycling materials), see here:
Winter Collection 2013 - Doisélles from doisélles on Vimeo.
Fascinating, huh?
Friday, August 02, 2013
Afraid to sleep
My poison-ivy rashes are mostly healed, I just have dark splotches in various places of my arm and back of the legs. Two days ago, however, my legs started itching and then my belly and, for half a day I thought it was the mosquitoes that had bitten me when I watered the plants in the backyard, but then yesterday (Wednesday) I realized it was not.
Last night I woke up at 3:50 am with both of my legs, the whole legs, itching like crazy! I took a Zyrtec, I took a shower, applied a cortisone cream and an anti-hystamine cream, but I couldn't go back to sleep. I spent sometime online (discovering, thanks to an Amazon reviewer, that I don't have to spend from 24-40 dollars to buy Zanfel to get rid of urushiol, but can buy this stuff called "Mean Green," and, also the Zanfel founder controversy).
I was able to go back to sleep around 7 am and then slept until 11 am when I was groggily woken up by the boys. So... I'm afraid to go to bed now just to be awakened by itching! :-(
It's late, so I guess I'll go.
P.S. I should be using this time to finish my syllabi. I'm playing online instead.
Last night I woke up at 3:50 am with both of my legs, the whole legs, itching like crazy! I took a Zyrtec, I took a shower, applied a cortisone cream and an anti-hystamine cream, but I couldn't go back to sleep. I spent sometime online (discovering, thanks to an Amazon reviewer, that I don't have to spend from 24-40 dollars to buy Zanfel to get rid of urushiol, but can buy this stuff called "Mean Green," and, also the Zanfel founder controversy).
I was able to go back to sleep around 7 am and then slept until 11 am when I was groggily woken up by the boys. So... I'm afraid to go to bed now just to be awakened by itching! :-(
It's late, so I guess I'll go.
P.S. I should be using this time to finish my syllabi. I'm playing online instead.
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