Hello!

Hello!

22 February 2007

Yay, observation!

What a day. And I've still got things to do. In spite of that, it's been a good week. Maybe it's because we're all refreshed from our week of snow days or maybe it's because the stars are aligned, but it's been good.
I had my second formal observation today at work, so I went into it a little stressed out, but things went well. I was observed during my IB Spanish A2 (Hispanic literature) class, which is nice because I only have thirteen students, one of whom is out due to surgery. The kids are fabulous and it's a fun class to teach. We were reading a play so all the kids were involved and participating, and all went well.
Earlier this week, my Assistant Principal (AP) came in to talk to me just before I started teaching my kids a basic salsa move to practice the imperative (grammar CAN be fun!) and she decided she wanted to stay. Anyway, she saw me teaching my 6th period salsa, and she loved it and told another teacher about it. My salsa lessons are officially in my record. :)
I think the salsa made me the coolest teacher of the week, by the way. Word got around. My dancing skillz (yes, it needs a "z") have been praised, and kids are stopping by to check it out (I freely distributed pages with directions to those interested).
Anyway, my AP's advice was good and she was really encouraging. I think she likes me, which is good; she also thinks I'm a good teacher, which gives me a boost of confidence and makes me happy.

Alright, I'm off to do homework. Yes, me doing homework... Ciao...

20 February 2007

Ten beautiful places

So I was on BBC Mundo today when I stumbled across this forum. Basically they are asking people what their 10 favorite places are - either in actuality or in their dreams. And it got me thinking, although I didn't have time to respond to the question this morning. Besides, blogging is the extent of my Internet exhibitionism. So as I've been considering this idea, here's the list I've come up with.

1. San Juan, Puerto Rico - especially el Viejo San Juan. It's a dream: Spanish colonial architecture, forts, and plazas in the old section; skyscrapers, hotels, and stores in the new section; and all around it, beautiful stretches of beach with the clearest water you can imagine. It makes me feel like home. :)
2. Cayey, Puerto Rico - I love the cool air, the green mountains, and the small town feel of it. It's my dad's hometown, so I'm partial to the town, but it really is pretty. The plaza is classic Latin America and I have great memories of walking downtown with my grandma.
3. Heidelberg, Germany - I was blessed enough to live here for three years. So much history, so much beauty. My Junior prom was held in that castle in the mountains, and I spent so many days walking along the main street shopping and hanging out. It was the best place to be a teenager, because I had the freedom to hang out and explore.
4. Antigua, Guatemala - I hate how cheesy it sounds, but being there was breathtaking; the history gets me everytime.
5. Panajachel, Guatemala - Imagine driving for hours along a pot-holed mountain road. You're winding your way up through the Guatemalan countryside, certain that you will be run off the road - and right down the mountain - by a speeding chicken bus. All of a sudden you crest the mountain and you see this sparkling blue surrounded by volcanos. And when you get there, it's even more beautiful: sun glinting on the water, that perfect volcano, and little towns dotting the shore. They told me it was the most beautiful lake in the world, and I think they might be right.
6. Prague, Czech Republic - When I was here, the city was covered with a layer of snow and ice; I hate winter, and I did not care. I was so distracted by the beauty that the bitter cold didn't faze me. Seriously beautiful.
7. Venice, Italy - Cliché. I don't care. We couldn't get enough of Italy when we were living in Europe, and Venice was the top of the list.
8. New York - 'Nuff said.
9. Granada, Nicaragua - Maybe it was because it was what followed the craziest ferry ride ever, maybe it was because we had some good times there, maybe it was the magic of Spring Break, but there is something about Granada that I still can't shake. The architecture is breathtaking, the food was amazing, and the people are beautiful.
10. Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica - Pristine beaches, hiking trails, amazing views, and monkeys. What more could you possibly ask for? Seriously: MONKEYS!


And for five of the places I dream of visiting:

1. Belem, Brazil
2. Porto Alegre, Brazil
3. Cartagena, Colombia
4. Cape Town, South Africa
5. Mumbai, India

As I started my list, I kept thinking of more and more places that I wanted to mention. Between my Daddy's Army career and my own wanderlust, I've seen more places than most people my age. But my love is definitely for Latin America. Hands down. Give me dust and sprawl and mountains and beaches. I like that laid back feeling and the unlikely beauty of the developing world. And I know not everyone can see that beauty, but it's what I love. And someday I'll have the time and money to see the world, put my feet on every continent (Africa, Asia, and Australia, here I come!), eat food I've never tried, dance to songs I've never heard, and discover beauty in every corner of the world.

11 February 2007

And so it begins...

Because apparently I need another blog at this time when I'm barely posting because I'm crazy busy... I'm blaming the former roommate. ;)
For my first post, I feel compelled to explain the title for the non-Spanish speakers: Cositas Así means "Little things like this" and I am unabashedly stealing it from my favorite band, Fiel a la Vega. If you do the Spanish thing, check their lyrics here.

As for me: a little obsessed with grammar and proper accentuation of Spanish (I'm a Spanish teacher, can you tell?); more obsessed with music and the pursuit of (Brazilian) Portuguese. Devout Christian and politically liberal - make of that what you will. Proud Puerto Rican, in love with Latino/Latin American culture in general. Fan of sentence fragments. Speaker of Spanish in public places. Lover of language in a broad sense. Infected with a serious case of wanderlust, and therefore on a quest to fill my passport with stamps - aforementioned interest might actually rival the obsession with the pursuit of (Brazilian) Portuguese.

Twenty-something and coming to grips with the transitional state of my existence. I love my job, I love my family; not as much love for the state of Virginia, but adjusting because God hasn't yet let me move on. Occasionally eloquent, but not so much today...