Hello My Name is Ian

and I'm an _________aholic. I was realizing the other night that I am not perfectly happy with just doing one thing with my technology. The latest thing I feel I need is an Amazon Kindl. Why? I don't know. I love nothing more than reading a good book with a cup of tea.

The other night as I was at Adam's house, I had my iPod running, the TV running and I was taking a final exam for my course. Is that what our lives have come to? We are just little 30 second bites that can't keep our concentration until ....

wait what was I saying?

Germany Germany Germany

So I was put in charge of a team for the Reading Olympics of my school. We are team Germany. I just wanted to tell you all about my favorite time I've had this Year At School.

I was leading the kids in a cheer for Team Germany. They were going Germany Germany Germany and then they asked me how to say Germany in German. Two of the girls said DEUTSCHLAND!

Suddenly, the entire auditorium was cheering Germany Germany Germany. The principal laughed saying to me "They don't really know what they are saying!" No, they didn't but an auditorium full of Latinos saying Germany Germany Germany is enough to keep me going.

Still loving it.

What happened?

What happened to my site tracker outfit? I don't know what happened to it and I don't know how to get it back.

Help me (Liz)

2010

Teaching can beat you up both physically and mentally. I have never been so tired. 2010 didn't start out too good for me. I got so sick with Strep Throat in mid January that Adam had to bring me to the Emergency Room. That was an experience. We were the only people in the ER with any sort of education and probably the only people that would really pay. Yet Adam couldn't help me in the actual ER cause he's 'not family.' We do live in the 21st Century don't we? Why do people still have the power to legislate over who someone can be with?

After 4 days absence I went to school. Two days later I was trying to break up a fight and got clocked in the jaw. It cracked 3 of my teeth. 3 days of worker's compensation. It caused some of the hardest and deepest reflection that I have had to do in my life. But I am back at that school and the next posting will tell you why!

Teaching and loving it.

Stereotypes

I've been thinking alot about stereotypes recently. It's been mainly since I started teaching and since my boyfriend came into my life. It's been interesting because I'm falling into some stereotypes. I.e. drinking red wine and playing Wizard of Oz monopoly while away on a weekend mini-break with A. But I'm wondering about stereotypes of my students and something that happened at church today.

I'll admit, I have a minor crush on the minister of my UU church (laugh all you want Liz!) Why is that though? I'll admit, he's got a Ken Doll look about him. But there is something about the forbidden fruit of a minister. I mean, isn't there a literary stereotype of the preacher's daughter? Corrupting the bad? Striving to be saintly? I guess in the 21st Century, one can go straight for the preacher. Not that I will, just fun to have a crush.

Now, my students - they live in the ghetto, they have hard lives and now it is my job to find the good in all of them.

It's the little things

I feel I've used this title before for a blog post. However, I don't feel like I have the patience to go back into the over 5 years of blogs to find it. It's also a song from that rather cooky musical COMPANY. But for me, it's becoming my life mantra. Something happened yesterday when I dropped the kids off in the computer lab. There was one kid E who whipped it out of his pants and decided to urinate on the floor of the lab. I don't know why but I lost it laughing. Does that make me a bad person?

The other much more positive little thing I learned about today is all the way out of Africa. I finally saw some pics from the theatre competition that I started in 2006. It went from 6 schools in 2006 with $1000 budget to a 2 day competition with 22 schools and an almost $10,000 competition in 2009.

I'm happy!!!! No Zanex involved.

Is it still sad?

I've been around a lot of death in my life. It has always been a major feature in my life. Maybe that is why I don't really fear it. I just don't. It's part of life. However, when I got home tonight I got some bad news from across the pond. A good dear friend died about 2 weeks ago. She lived in Pinner, NW London and was one of the kindest women I have ever met. Her name is Katharine Young and she died at 101. She was the mother of a friend of my mother. I used to go and visit her in London whenever I was there. Last time I was in London, she had her 100 birthday and I wanted to visit but she was not home. The family took her to Spain for the birthday celebration! She's been in and out of my life for many years and I always enjoyed watching some of those crazy gameshows with her.

What I'm wondering now. She lived a full life. I mean not many people really make it to 100 years! She touched so many people and I'll always remember her. All these good things about this woman that lived THOUSANDS of miles away...

Why is it still sad?

PS. I HATE the term passed away or passed. Don't know why...

A nuisance

So I haven't blogged since I started my job as a teacher. I'm dreadfully sorry to everybody who has read this so much over the years. I'm going to start up with a vengence again because I've picked up my journal and felt so wonderful. But after 38 days of school (112 left!), two separate grade assignments, finally understanding the definition of crack baby and finding someone who likes me I'm back.

I'm writing to you today about two things. Since it is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, we have elections. That means no one really notices and nothing really happens. We call ourselves the greatest democracy on earth? I don't get it honestly. I woke up this morning really happy that I would be able to vote but wondering if it would really matter. Of course I decided that I would have to. I knew too many people in Africa that would have slapped me silly if I didn't vote. It's just something we take too much for granted. One thing for certain, I don't understand why we don't have a civil holiday. South Africa has a national holiday AT THE WEEKEND every year. When I went, I asked them how many people they have seen so far today. They said 25. 25 out of 400 eligible voters in the district! Is voting a nuisance?

The other nuisance was proved to me today. A teacher was complaining about how horrible life is right now. Then a good friend of mine sent me a story of someone he knows. This person was laid off a month ago but was able to get her old job back. Her new job requires a lot of traveling and moving around. The catch is she is blind. But she would rather worry about "that small" problem with a job than worry about all the other problems that come with not having a job.

So let's breathe!

Process

Life's about the journey right? I've had a couple of journeys worth mentioning.

First, I'm buying my brother's clunker. It required that I trade in my Connecticut driver's license for a PA license. Easy enough thought right? Wrong. I woke up early to try and get to the Department of Motor Vehicles here in Philly - which the curiously call PENNDOT. I keep imagining some sort of Jetsons-esque house cleaning robot. Anyway, I get down there and see signs literally plastered on the outside of the building that they only take personal checks. Personal checks?!?!?! Leave it to the government to use something that no one else really takes any more unless you hand over your first born. Anyway, back up Columbus Blvd to my apartment to root out the dusty check book I only use to pay rent. :) Back down. I get the number, fill out my form, say NO I haven't been a residency of PA before and fork over $28. I'm then issued with a temporary photo ID that will serve as my driver's license until I get the real thing.

Now I wanted to be the nice neighbor to fill up the car after I used so much gas. I was in such a government induced stupor, that probably about $3 of gas poured all over my foot! But no matter, I have a PA driver's license!

More to come about the adventures of the swat team in NYC. Food poisoning, the SWAT team and the hottest week in recent history made for a fun time.

Gesellschaft

Who IS the Boss?

So in the 1980's, there was a wonderful (read typically cheesy) American sitcom called Who's the Boss?, starring one Tony Danza. As with most 80's sitcom stars, he's pretty washed up now. Haven't really seen him do ANYTHING in a long time. I did find though that he was in the Producers on Broadway for 6 months. When you get so unknown, what do you think of doing? REALITY SHOWS!!!

Tony Danza's newest venture, I'm not joking, is going to be a reality show in Philadelphia. He won't be at my school (thank GOD!!) but he will be teaching English at Northeast High in Philly! I just want to know what the Mayor of Philly and the School Chancellor are thinking! None of this makes sense. I mean how will the students even learn. I'm all for career changers, but folks teaching is harder than he thinks. You fake it and the students will eat you alive! It is kind of ironic how they are putting him in a rather "quiet" neighborhood school. Doesn't this reek of exploitation though? I just shudder at the thought of allowing school fights to happen so they can up the ratings.

Anyway, I was waiting for my friend in front of the school today and Tony Danza walked right up. He looks ROUGH! His hands are knarled from arthritis and my friend put it perfectly, "Damn he looks like beat up shoe leather!"

Oh yeah, this is the guy that the Tony Danza slap is named after because of his previous history. Look it up!

265

I made it to 265 posts! I just think random numbers should be celebrated as well. Everything of everyday should be a celebration because as I've noticed, everything is worth it in life.

Happy 265th post!

Ladysmith Fish out of Water

It's been quite the ten days. Last weekend, I went with my brother and sister to go see Freshly Ground in New York. It was wonderful. This past weekend, Ladysmith Black Mambazo played at the Mann Centre in Philadelphia.

I've traveled around for some time now. (after my calculations, 8 of the past 10 years) The Mann Center is one of the best venues I've ever been to. Anyone who comes to visit maybe will be able to go to a concert there. Getting there is a whole different story and man does it work out for quite a story.

Philadelphia is built in the sensible grid pattern that many American cities are built in. Philadelphia was in fact the first "new European" city to be constructed that way. Anyway, the streets that run North to South are numbered from the Delaware River to the Schuykill River. East West streets are named after trees that grow here or places "in the colonies."

Now from Front Street to 50th Street, Philly is safe and normal. After 50th street it gets a little shady. Noel was kind enough to tell me that fact after I had to go to to 52nd street. I thought I would be green and take public transport to the venue. That meant I only had to take 2 subway lines, but I went to a different world. I took the blue line EL and transfered to the Green Trolley Lines. I was the only white person on the trolley and people started giving me weird looks. I was definitely out of my league. But you all know that it doesn't really bother me to be out of my league. I got off at my stop of 52nd and Lancaster. I had to walk. I noticed lots of greenery towards the north so headed that direction. When I got to some train tracks, I knew I was going the right direction. I called my brother though because I wanted another route back. It seemed a little too risky to walk back under the train tracks after dark, by myself and with my credit card. I did!

I stuffed everything into my underwear and just set off with a mission. I felt fine, just hurried not harried... until someone came my direction. The guy was with his girlfriend, so I wasn't too scared, until I notived how BIG this guy was. He greeted me with a hearty "How ya doin' dude?" I burst out laughing. I retorted with a "How YOU doin' dude!" and went on my merry way. As soon as I got to the stop, the number 10 trolley came and I was off.


The CONcert was amazing too!

New found distraction

I'm back in the land of the living and excited about all the bright, flashy things that are on offer. My favorite of the moment is Netflix. For $10 a month, I get one DVD at a time and unlimited streaming. Unlimited streaming!!! I'm catching up on all my favorite old BBC shows. Now I have access to finally watch ALL of Absolutely Fabulous. Netflix was also founded by a Peace Corps Volunteer from Swaziland. After 3 years in Africa, I feel like I know why he started it. Pure need. He's also famous for quoting "After hitchhiking across Africa with $10 in your pocket, starting a business doesn't seem so scary." I agree but would substitute teaching in there.

Yes I know I'm insane, but it is a wonderful distraction when your students tell you they saw their father get shot the night before. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I teach in the concrete jungle.

Another one of shows is Keeping up Appearances. It is almost 20 years old, but I love it. Unfortunately, as with most TV shows, it gets repetitive when you watch 3 episodes in a row! The need to put my brain off has become ENORMOUS! There is something curiously foreign about that British show though. Do people like that exist in America? There is the phrase Keeping up with the Joneses, which is said to originate in New York. But Americans in general are not so stuck up about class. You'll just have to see my neighborhood when you come visit me!

I'm definitely up for visits... hint hint... nudge nudge.

Another world

I've been having more trouble than I ever thought I would coming back to America. I've recently counted and of the past 10 years, I've lived 8 as the "American Abroad" or overseas. That means since I was 16, I've not been home really. But where is home anymore. Right now it's in a neighborhood called Fishtown. 6 Months ago, it was a shack on the Indian Ocean. For the first time in my life, I know I will be in America for the next 3 years and I'll admit I'm scared. I'm excited but scared. What happened earlier today was a perfect example.

I've had a visit from a friend from Swaziland. She was a PCV over there that I met in Pretoria in 2006. We decided to go find my school where I have to report to tomorrow... at 7:45. Thanks Noel for taking the bike lock keys! :) I dutifully googled directions and we set off. We entered another world. It might as well have been Puerto Rico. I didn't see any American Flags even though it was National Hang Over day - ie the day after any major holiday. We were the only white native English Speakers around but that didn't bother us. Until I realized what was on my shirt that is. I was wearing a shirt that said "Gay? - Fine by me!" I realized it wouldn't go over particularly well in the very religious neighborhood. We didn't have any problems though, until there were two guys coming the opposite way who read the shirt. They kept going but turned back on us. We still didn't really freak.

We finally found the school (1.5 miles away according to the almighty Google) and noted a better way for me to get there. The school is in a totally different world but I realized that the inhabitants of the neighborhood right around the school live life on the front porches and listen to music en vivo. Things I've missed and I'm looking forward to having in my life again.

That is a reason I feel I like the West and America. We've got choice, we've got people and oh man do we have a mixture of cultures!

Independence Day

It was my first 4th of July in America for many years. The last 4th of July I spent in America was 2005. Before that I was in Australia and since then I was in Mozambique. I was excited to spend it in the true birthplace of America... Philadelphia. Apparently, Philadelphia was the second biggest city in the British Empire. It was second to only London. That means it was the second biggest city in the world. It's come a long way since then. But it still is a wonderful big city. 152 very distinct neighborhoods each with its own flavor and culture. (Great I've got 152 cultures to assimilate to!) The city tends to revolve around Independence mall.

Independence Mall is in the eastern part of Center City, so it's basically downtown. This is where the Declaration of Independence was written, signed, approved and read to the public for the first time. It is also the place where I experienced a tea party. I didn't even know I was in the middle of one. Needless to say, I felt like a fish out of water. I was beyond out of water. I was somewhere in the stratosphere. They were saying some things like "Commander in Thief" and "We're number one!" Some people were carrying signs saying "Today is Independence Day not Immigration Day." They're were signs of PALIN 2012 (Nightmarish thought!). They had a reenactment of the reading of the Declaration of Independence (complete with costumes) to exemplify how "far we've strayed" from our original course. All of a sudden, the crowd started chanting USA! USA! USA! I took that as my cue to leave.

Unfortunately, before I left, I saw a sign that said "Remember, Descent is Patriotic!" Now that the Democrats are in government, Descent is Patriotic again. Between USA! USA! and the descent thing, I'm having difficulty discerning the Republican Party from the NSDAP of the 1930's.

Happy 4th!

Gulp

I apologize for the lack of writing here. I've suddenly jumped into the real world now and I kind of want to go back to the wonderful laziness (but good laziness!) of Mozambique. I've been talking about it a lot recently. I think I've only started processing what really happened to me in the three years just now. Thanks so much to Mag. However, as I've processed, I've left the hotel. Let me tell you, I RAN out of there on the last day. The only person I really worry about keeping in touch with is in my phonebook so I don't have to worry. We actually went out to a club in the interim named Woody's. It was crazy fun and I ended up on the website. I'm not there anymore though!

I stupidly have not taken any mental down time from the hotel to this job. I've started a job teaching summer school and I'm taking two courses towards my masters. Luckily the school is within walking distance. That's how I'm still awake at 9 pm at night. :) But the Philadelphia heat has started. It's not as hot as Africa by any means, but the humidity is there. I'm not able to just go off to a bar for hours "getting work done" here. The bars aren't conveniently located on the Indian Ocean, so they wouldn't really help! It's hot, it's humid and I have to wear a tie to get work done. Africans are definitely smarter than us in so far as summer attire!

Anyway, I'm going to try to write a little each day because I think it will help with my sanity as I try to process all of this real world job-ness I have to process. But for now I end saying, it's official! I'm a salaried employee of the SD of Philly.

Don't get any thoughts in your head that it means I will be here in the States for good!

Facebook

Is there such a thing as too much connection? When I was living in Mozambique, I CRAVED connection. I would be desperate for the email that would elevate my mood. I would leave my phone on to field phone calls from the States even if it were at 3 AM. (Thank you Jess.) Now, since I've been back home, all I want to do is turn it off! Yet somehow I don't.

Facebook has poised itself as an interesting interloper into my consciousness. I've updated my brain to pure (almost) 140 character thoughts. Suddenly a 3 line thought seems like I'm getting too long. I recently ranted on Facebook about the stupidity of anti-equal rights campaign in America. It was misconstrued by some friends further afield. But it got me thinking. All you here on NPR and other broadcasters is how myspace and facebook are revolutionizing communication for politicians and more. I mean Obama got elected on an FB wave didn't he? Is it the right space for social expression. Or is it a space to write "Ian just came back from the bathroom..."

Philadelphia

I think I chose a wonderful place to come back to in America - as I hear the drunken shouting from the bar across the road. :) But, seriously Philadelphia is perfect. It is the smallest big city I've ever lived in. I've still got a chance at some culture though. I'm going out tomorrow night to the Symphony Orchestra. I got a free ticket from seeing their last performance! They perform in churches so the acoustics are amazing. Saturday Night I'll walk over to the Walking Fish for some comedy. I'll report back on Sunday with how it all went.

"I Shall Be Saved!"

Hi, my name is Ian and I am not a religious nut job! I'm happy, healthy (swine flu free!) and perfectly content to go to Hell if people like the good folk of the Stephen Bennett Ministries are going to be in Heaven. Today I went to the Equality Forum in Philadelphia. The highlight was obviously getting to see Gavin Newsom talk. He's the STRAIGHT gay friendly Mayor of San Francisco that started the avalanche in 2004. His speech was inspirational and he's my new hero. He supports the "everyone knows one" practice. So as I've mentioned before, every one of you reading this knows a gay person. There are more pressing issues in 2009. Our economy is in tatters, the wars are going on longer than any war in American history and yet we try to control the natural force of love?

People outside were definitely defenders of "marriage." I'm not going to take any more time talking about them (it's just a waste of space) but I have to mention that a good interview with me will be available on www.citypaper.net some time this week. READ!!!


PS. I thought today that if I were a newcomer to this country (some may say I am!) I would think that Americans are some of the most hate filled people in the world. Is that what it means to be a Christian?