Thursday, July 28, 2011

Thing 4

Well, I've recovered nicely from my trip to London, so I guess it's time to finish 23 Things Teachers Need to Know about Web 2.0.

Thing 4 deals with subscribing to favorite blogs or other web-sites. I have to admit that I knew about RSS feeds before completing this lesson. I had chosen not to use them because I was afraid that I would get swamped with too much information. I still kind of feel like that.

I could see using it if my students were keeping blogs. But, unless my school unblocks blogspot, I won't be asking my students to maintain a blog.

On a personal level, when I am looking for something new, I use stumbleupon. Right now, I just add a new site to my delicious bookmarks and check in from time to time. I could just subscribe to the site and receive up-dated information. That would be a more efficient use of my time. Perhaps I will try just that.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

London - Day 10 - the last

I'm all packed and showered and ready to head to breakfast just as soon as the restaurant opens. I'm not really sure that my suitcase is going to close, but I'll deal with that in a bit. My cab comes at 9:00 and I'll be back with my beamish boy by 8:00 this evening. I cannot wait. I'm not looking forward to the blast of heat I'll face in Detroit. I know that, at least in my head, I've complained bitterly about London weather, but the idea of wearing a dress, tights, and boots in July really appeals to me. I know how to pack for next time. And there will be a next time!

So how did I keep myself occupied on my final full day in London? I woke up feeling highly unmotivated. I wanted to sit in my room and read all day. But, I can do that anywhere. I decided to see if I could manage to get to South London all on my own, without getting lost. Not surprising, I found myself in Greenwich in no time. There, I visited the National Maritime Museum and walked up the hill to the Royal Observatory. I did not pay to stand on the Prime Meridian line because I needed what little cash I had left for dinner and a walking tour in the evening. The view was spectacular and the sun was even shining for my visit. The museum didn't quite catch my fancy, but I think that I am suffering tourist burn-out, so I won't really state an opinion. There is a dizzying array of maritime artifacts in the museum, some of them quite old.

I spent my evening on a "walk." Well, it would have been a walk if not for the torrential rains that poured down upon us. The walk was to be The Literary London Pub Walk. But the rain was so awful that we quickly landed in a pub where our tour guide delivered all sorts of delicious literary gossip. There were two other American teachers on the tour and we drank wine and complained bitterly about the attacks we are currently enduring. One was from Wisconsin and one was from NYC. I rode the Tube for a bit with a French teacher from Carcassonne. Even there, teachers are treated poorly, with the government trying to increase class size.

That's it. My whole trip. I shall never forget this experience. I truly can't believe I came here on my own. I even lost weight! How perfect is that?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

London - more of the magical mystery tour

When I last left you, breathlessly waiting for my next installment, I had spent the evening at an old punk bar. The rest of my trip goes as such:

Day Five

A glorious sunny day with perfect temperatures. I wish I could have captured this weather in a bottle and pulled it out whenever I wanted. Anyway, I spent the morning wandering through Borough market. It's a little like Eastern Market, but bigger. I could have easily gotten lost there, but I had plans - a groundling ticket to see Much Ado About Nothing at the rebuilt Globe. Before my trip, I hadn't had the time to read the play, and because I like surprises, I even blew off Sparknotes. I am very glad that I went in ignorant. The play was a wonderful little romp. I stood up against the stage at stage left, so my view was blocked from time to time. I stood next the a high school principal from New Zealand and his wife. My only regret was that I left my camera at the hotel. My confirmation email stated no cameras. I took a couple of shots with my global phone, but I haven't been able to upload them. I took a break that evening as I rushed back to Skype with my beamish boy.

Day Six

Rain, with a smattering of Mitzi sunshine. I spent the whole day with my new friend Mitzi. We walked through Soho, a ritzy shopping part of town, and a naughty bit of town. We stopped in used record stores. We shopped at more street markets. The day started at St. Paul's in the driving rain, so we did not climb the stairs to the top of the cathedral. It was an endless blast, marred only by the newly formed blisters on my heels from my new shoes. Oh well. We ate dinner at a fab vegan Chinese restaurant and ended the day at a pub in Chalk Farm with Simon and Nic. They cleverly helped me devise a plan to bring Andrew to London, instead of Paris. I would stay in Wales with Mitzi. Then we would move to London, where Andrew would ride in the cab of the Tube with Simon (so sayeth Nic). We could travel to Paris for a couple of days and see the Eiffel Tower and come back to London. Sounds like a plan.

Day Seven

A bit of a wash out. I made it to the National Gallery. The museum is packed with beautiful works, most of it old. I do prefer more modern and less religious pieces. Still, I was very impressed with the Impressionists I saw, plus several Van Goghs, and (my favorite) Cezanne. As I left, the skies opened up and left a deluge on the city, so I took my sore feet back to the hotel.

Day Eight

I dumped the painful shoes and headed Kensingston way. I found the Royal Albert Hall and picked up a few rocks for my son. Then I headed to the Museum of Natural History where I played mommy by proxy and took pictures of fossils and rocks. The building was beautiful and I would love to bring Andrew here. The number of people is completely overwhelming. In the evening, I tried to take the Jack the Ripper tour, but the guide didn't show up. The pouring rain must have had something to do with that.

Day Nine

Can you tell I'm running out of steam. I miss my son desperately and I'm actually ready to get back to routine and move into my new place. I spent the morning, which was sunny at St. Paul's. By the time I got there, I realized that I was touristed out, so I headed to some suggested shopping areas. On the tube from St. Paul's, I discovered something in my hair. I plucked it out, but that rotten little bee stung me, right at my hairline, before I flung it to the ground. While shopping, nothing caught my fancy. I must have been tired. I headed back to Camden and did some serious damage, including a pair of brown Doc Martens and a pair of purple Doc Martens boots. I've been told that one can ever have too many pairs of Doc Martens, so now I have three pairs. Fish and chips for dinner at Oliver's was okay. The portion was huge and I'm afraid I wasted a lot of food. By this point, I was whipped and ready to turn in, so back to Skype with Andrew and sweet sleep.

I'll save the last day for tomorrow.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

London - a post from the rain

I've been so busy that I've not written about the other days of the trip. Tonight's on-again, off-again rain will prevent me from going on my intended pub walk, so I might as well write.

Day Three
I went to a concert, not a big deal.

Wait, this is the whole reason I came to London - to see Squeeze perform at Rochester Castle!!!!!!

Simon and his wife Nic picked me as I "hitchhiked" along the road and we headed off on our hour long journey. The scenery wasn't particularly striking, so Nic and I chatted pretty much the whole way. We parked a long way from the venue and walked, maybe two miles. The weather was cloudy and cold. I was wearing a long tank top dress, my jean jacket, and sandals. I was fairly miserable for a while. Once we got to the actual castle, we ran into other members of the Squeeze family: Sue, Garry, Val, Gill, and Mitzi. Rumor had it that the sound check would be open to the public. Before that happened, the ladies (and Garry) wandered down to a restaurant just down the gate from the castle. Most order food, but Nic and packed a lunch, so neither of us ate and just order half-pints. Back to the castle ground where I met Tami and her friend Diane and to the start of the sound check. The sound check was interesting in that portions of it were silent, audible only to the guys via their headsets. Once they turned on the sound, there were Italian teenage tourists who were both mocking the band and dancing to them. I did not hit anybody, I promise. We ate on the lawn, drank red wine (and I was fine), and then bellied up to the barrier in order to secure our spot in the very front.

The Lightening Seeds opened the night with an acoustic show. There was one song I knew (the name of which is now gone) and I tried really hard, but I damn near fell asleep during their set. I was, however, fully awake for the main act. From the opening chords of "Black Coffee in Bed," I danced and sang with other Squeeze fanatics. Finally, I felt like I wasn't just taking people to indulge me in my musical fantasy. I was surrounded by like-minded friends.

The show ended and Simon and Nic had to work in the morning, so we took the long walk back to the car. By this time, my toes were nicely frozen. I dozed on and off in the back seat. We talked about the Casey Anthony verdict and we listened to BBC.

My only mild regret - these were the only Squeeze shows of late where I did not get a picture with Glenn :(

Day Four

I love the Tate Modern. No, let me restate that. I LOVE THE TATE MODERN!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was beautiful: the Miro exhibit, the Lichtenstein paintings, everything. It was on this day that I seriously believed that I could live in a city like London. The choice of cultural events is mind-boggling. Lunch was out-of-control delicious: fettuccine with wild mushrooms, red chard, and aged Pecorino. Wash that down with a chardonnay and top it off with two scoops of sea salt caramel ice cream and caramel sauce. Oh yeah!

That evening, I went to a pub called the Hope and Anchor to meet Mitzi and see her friends the Glamweazels. She had put my name on the guest list (a first in my life) and I got there a little late. The band was quite good, but the set was short. I met yet another Squeeze fan - Jim. Mitzi had to leave early, but she put Jim in charge of making sure I was safely returned to my train, which he did.

Monday, July 18, 2011

London - Days 2

I was so worried that I'd sleep in super late on Tuesday. Everytime I've ever flown to Europe, the first full night's sleep usually lasts until noon the next day. Plus, I was really wired after the show at the Pelton Arms, so I'm sure I didn't fall asleep until 1 or 1:30. Tuesday saw me wake up around 7:00. That gave me plenty of time for a leisurely morning. I took breakfast in the coffee shop attached to the hotel. The continental breakfast is all carbs: croissant or pain au chocolat, corn flakes, juice or coffee/tea, and toast. It fills my belly and I returned to my room to wait for maintenance to come adjust the shower temperature, which was ice cold. Once fixed, I showered and headed out the door.

On Tuesday, I intended to go to the Tate Modern. I got distracted before I started on my quest; I saw the Tower Bridge off in the not too far distance, so I just walked in that general direction. I eventually got there and walked around the Tower grounds. The weather was quite chilly and I wasn't dressed appropriately (the story of my London trip), so I didn't go to the top of the bridge. I told myself I'd wander back on a sunnier day.

The evening was spent with my erstwhile host Simon who took me to Greenwich (via boat) for a quick Squeeze tour. First the plague commemorating Squeeze's first gig and then to the Anchor and Hope where Glenn had been doing Tuesday gigs for almost two years. There, we had a bit to eat and drink. We then zoomed into central London (this time on train) for a peek at Big Ben, Parliament, Piccadilly, Trafalgar, and the National Gallery.

Back to the hotel to rest up for the next day and Rochester!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

London Day 1

The one thing I haven't really been able to do is blog about London. Well, it's Sunday night, it's been raining off and on all day, and my heels are blistered to tears. Tonight is as good as any to write about my first six days in London.

Day 1

I am happy to say that my flight arrived a half-hour early. After a long, but delightful lay-over in Philly (thanks Erica, Marty, and Finn), I was very anxious to get to London. Immigration and customs were a breeze. I figured that my journey to the hotel would be the same because my FB friend, Simon, had given me excellent instructions on how to navigate the Tube from Heathrow to my hotel. The only problem was my luggage. Of course, I had over-packed. Of course, there were no lifts at a couple of the stations. Thankfully, angelic gentlemen helped me carry my bag to the top of the stairs. On the way home, I will be taking a cab to the airport.

Once I checked into my lift-free hotel, I zoomed to the post office to exchange some traveler's cheques. Apparently, the post office here offers every service possible: utility payments, money exchange, bank accounts. Anyway, Simon had said that he would be by my hotel around 4:30 for food and drinks, so I rushed back to shower and change. When he got there, he had a little surprise for me: a Squeeze gig at the Pelton Arms. It is a small, intimate setting. We first grabbed a little food at the Cutty Sark and then back to the pub, where the guys were running through a quick sound check. Glenn caught my eye, gave me a big, surprised, happy face. After the sound check, he stopped to chat for just a minute - big hug and kiss greeting. Then, the crowd started to fill in. I began to meet many of the names I had been seeing on Facebook and the Glenn listserve forever: Mitzi, Mark, David. I was feeling a little jet-lagged and shy, so I just soaked up the atmosphere. The wait wasn't long. The band ripped into a vigorous set and I was lucky enough to be directly up front, about four feet from Chris Difford's nose. I can't even tell you all of what they played. The best for me was Labeled With Love - which I had never heard because they don't play it in the States. I pointed that fact out to Glenn and he agreed immediately. That was probably the best Squeeze gig I had ever experienced.

I'm kind of tired right now, so I'll play a little catch up tomorrow.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Light bulb moment

Twenty-four years ago, I set out to study for a year in Paris; it had been a long-time dream of mine. Just before I left, I entered into my first relationship and fell in love with my first boyfriend. The only thing I had wanted more than to go to Paris was to have a boyfriend. My fear of being alone and without a boyfriend completely sabotaged my study abroad experience. I suffered from panic attacks, cried constantly, and finally arranged to go home after 6 weeks. I was embarrassed and sad. And, to be honest, I'm not really sure that, internally, I have ever fully recovered at the shame I felt.

Twenty-four years later, I stand on the edge of divorce, the polar opposite of being in one's first relationship, though there is a boy at home I love. I find myself in another large European city, this time London. Unlike my Paris experience, I am not living with a family, nor do I have a roommate. I have come here without a traveling companion. I worried for quite some time that 20-year old Toni would emerge from the recesses of my psyche. I thought seriously about canceling the trip. Needless to say, I didn't because I am writing this from a hotel room in London (Camden), listening to the morning songs of delivery trucks and shopkeepers preparing for the day.

Instead of anxiety and fear, I am filled with awe, and contentment. The thought of being here for 10 days on my own is no longer scary. How can that be? During breakfast, I read an article from the October edition of The Sun (yes, I'm a little behind in my reading, but what's new). The article was titled "Simply Being Aware" by Abhishktananda and it struck me as perfect. In this article, he says
The mind...realizes more and more its inability to say "I am this or that; I am this person or that person." For in the very moment at which the thought appears that I am this or that, this person or that person, then the manifistation with which I have automatically tried to identify myself in the flow of consciousness has fled away from me - but I continue...."I am," and there is no need for me to strive in order to find this "I am." I am not an "I" searching for itself.


I started this journey thinking that I would find myself. As if I were lost. Reading this article over Corn Flakes this morning, I realized that things can be much easier than I make them. I'm not lost, no matter how poetic it sounds. I just have to open my arms and welcome myself to my own existence. For this moment, my life is in this little hotel room and a week from today it will be in Windsor. I must remember that I am in the driver's seat and set the pace. If I don't like the direction, it's my job to turn the wheel.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Interesting new NPR series

Okay, so the series hasn't officially started, but NPR has started requesting submissions. NPR would like listeners to contribute to a series its calling Your Brain on Kids. Perhaps this is a sign of the fundamental shift that has occurred in my brain since becoming a mom. Additionally, I've been struggling for writing ideas and would love to have something published somewhere. I thought if a topic cropped up that fit my life, I would, of course, try to contribute my voice.

Sadly, the first request for submissions goes out to parents of 1-4 year-olds. I, do however, like the question: Has parenthood changed you? Was there a moment or incident that sparked the realization?

First of all, I don't think anyone can become a parent without undergoing some significant changes. I know that I am more patient and understanding. I am more empathetic and I now know more about rocks than I had ever imagined. I now swear a lot less and I have fully purged television from my life. I've fully come to the realization that a parent's life must have variety and I will soon leave the shell of a marriage that solely revolved around my son.

The second part of the question made me chuckle, because I can clearly remember the very moment I noticed that I had started to see the world through a parent's eyes. I was in the car and the John Mayer song, "No Such Thing" came on. I don't terribly object to the song, so I didn't change the radio. But the line "They love to tell you to stay inside the lines, but somethings are better on the other side." This signals my parental metamorphisis. Andrew has always struggled with his fine-motor skills. Occupational therapists would visit the house and offer advice, especially about how to help Andrew with handling a pencil, crayon, etc. In my world, the ability to color inside the lines represented a growing mastery of particular fine-motor skills. I found myself, in the car alone, tersely offering commentary to the song. I'm sure I said something along the lines, "You know...not everything is about suppressing the spirit and conforming to stifling societal norms. Sometimes, I just need to know that my kid is capable of a complex task."

It was at that moment that I knew I was a mom.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Thing 3

Blogs in school? Sadly, anything closely resembling a host for blogs is blocked in my school. I can see a definite use in my class, in particular my AP Literature class. I can see a blog taking the place of a reader's notebook, with students keeping notes on-line as they progress through a novel or play. Or, I could ask them to reflect on a poem. Sadly, I could read none of that at school and I'd hate to sentence myself to yet more work at home. My only option is to see how I could employ a wiki in my class, a goal I had already set for August. If that framework is viable, I will put that to work in my AP class for the fall. I think my students would respond very enthusiastically to a blog assignment, especially if I don't run that play option too often.

Some of the blogs that I read were not class blogs, but instead blogs about the school day. I am a reflective practitioner of my profession. I regularly read recent, research-based books about teaching. The last thing I want to do is to turn my blog (or start another one) into the day in the life of teaching. I already find that I find myself easily consumed with how needy my students are, both academically and personally. If I wrote about my day, everyday, would it stop the current assault on the teaching profession, creating empathy? I don't think so. I'm interested in so much more in the world and I'm interested in exploring those sides of me. It carries no more interest than maintaining a strict mommy or a strict autism blog. Those issues are not the sole qualities that define who I am.

Would I use a blog for my classes? Yes. Would I maintain a "teacher blog"? No.