Just a tropical storm. How are you?

Hey. I know it's for horses, but it is quite possible one of the nicest simplest greetings known to man. It's much quicker than a hello, cooler too. It doesn't necesarily require a response and such doesn't push a person into a conversation that they might rather not have. Hmm... 'hey' might not be the best greeting for my current situation then. I'd like to share with you what I've been up to and deffinately want a response, that is if there is anything worthwhile to respond to. But I'll let you be the judge of that.

School: I get to graduate! Hooray! I'm leaving work for home on the 12th of December and will be home until the 4/5 of January. Graduation ceremony is on the 15th so I thought, "What the heck, I can use a little pomp and circumstance in my life" and decided to do the ceremony. I think it'll be nice. I've been working on my school work [pause] NOT. I need to use this 3 day weekend coming up to get stuff done. I was invited to go with a coworker to her family's home in one of the more humble areas of the country, but I declined and will go another time. It's probably better to stick around here with the weather that we've been having.

Weather: It has been feeling like I'm living in Seattle or London... granted a "dominican-town" in Seattle of London but still. All the rain has been comforting and rejuvenating. I love the rain here! It cools the air so much! I was even cold this morning... but then the kids came in and I started to move around. Night time has been pretty chilly, cool breeze. Now remember, a cool breeze and chilly air for me is 70F nothing like that of home. I hear its been getting pretty chilly... frost yet? We haven't seen the sun for about a week here because of the storm that went through. There was a lot of damamge and a few deaths in the southern region. It's too bad that that also happens to be one of the poorer regions.

Work: Work is continueing to be, well, work. Some days are better than others that's for sure. The kids are beginning to get their acts together. I've started doing a couple management things that the kids are responding well to. I just started yesterday with a new one. I get the classrooms attention and say "I'm going to close my eyes and count to 5 and when I open them I want to see all my students doing ....." First time I did it I think I was more surprised than they were. They all had done exactly what I had wanted them too! They're a playful bunch of kids, so I just have to play more with them to get them to do what I want. We sing and chant a lot in class. I need to start having the kids move around more. We aren't in our desks all the time, but putting our chants and songs with movements will be more fun I think (and a more memorable learning experience). We've been having an awful lot of bullying in class this year-- lots of fighting, tears, and more Dominican swear words than I care to hear. So I went on the NEA website and found a great activity for teaching feelings. Every Friday we have class meetings where I do a sort of guidance counseling program with the kids. The actual counselor never comes to have discussions with the kids so I'm taking it into my own hands. Last week we each colored a paper doll so that it looked like ourselves. Then in our circle we passed our doll from one person to the next. Each time a student was passed a new doll they had to put a little tear into it or put a mark on it with a pencil. When the doll came back to the person that it belonged to they were able to see the affects that disrespectful actions have on a person. Every time we made a mark or a cut it symbolized a disrespectful thing. A lot of the students ended up in tears and were upset. They then had to try and fix their dolls, but you can't undo everything. That was on Friday and Monday and Tuesday have been going better. This may have had a little something to do with it.

I've been struggling with a student and his home situation. Abuse of a child is one of the most monsterous things I've had to deal with here. I'm learning a lot about the Dominican version of child protective services. It's been a learning experience... and that's about all I can legally say about it.

Social Life: I've been watching a lot of movies lately. I think I've almost seen every episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. TBS and I are great friends. Lets see.... I've been waiting for payday so I've been laying low for awhile. Most afternoons my friend Albena and I get together for coffee. She's been teaching me Bulgarian. I know a few phrases. Maybe after grad school I'll go there are teach (hehe wonder what Jason would have to say about that one ;) ). The other day I went to the bowling alley to get a beer with my friend Cindy. Well I didn't want a beer. I asked for a diet coke with grenadine in it. What I got was a Presidente Light with grenadine in the bottle. Talk about funny! I drank it rather than create an embaresing situation for myself and the mesero. It was a pretty pink and will definately make another apparence on my palate on Valentines Day.


Hmm... what else... not that I'm counting or anything but I believe that there are 42 days or so until I come home! Too cool... too cool. Actually it'll probably be too cold. Good thing the MOA is right across the street.