I have a confession to make. I've been leavin' y'all in the dark about a lot of things simply because I couldn't put it online until I was safely home. But here is the biggest most important news: I'm not going back in January; I'm staying home. I've already arranged a place to live and work. But since people have found out that I'm not going back and am available, I now have several job opportunities, including the FBI. We'll have to see. Some actually sound good, but I just got home, I need to enjoy this time for now, at least a couple weeks.
Ok, so now you know. I'll be changing all the settings in here to reflect this decision soon enough.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
I'M HOME!!
The moment the wheels of the plane touched ground I thanked God for contact with American soil. The trip itself is an annoying tale, but for now I believe I will just be thankful that I'm home. I'm sure everyone has been over to Nate's and seen that I've been home now for a few days. Sorry I didn't get on here sooner; I've been busy, you know. Anyhow, I'm traveling visiting family until after Christmas. So I'll catch y'all up on some doings then.
Friday, December 10, 2004
This is the hard life...
Let me tell you just how horrible it is down here. I got off of work 2 hours early. Call a taxi and go home. I take an hour nap. Then a lady arrived, and I got a manicure and a pedicure in my apartment for guess how much total...$5.38. Yeah, there will definitly be at least a handful of pleasant memories.
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Yeah, I know, I'm a wuss.
When it comes to scary movies I'm the biggest wuss you will ever know. I made Nate tell me the whole story, beginning, middle, and ending, before I would watch the Mothman Prophecies. He practically had to hold my hand.
That being said, I just watched one of the fakest movies ever made, Sleepy Hollow. I was bored so I turned on the movie channel here. It was on, my roommate was here, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was scary. Then my roomie left. It was still scary, 'cept now I'm home alone.
Guys, I'm not kiddin' you when I say it was scary! I had to keep reminding myself, "It's just Hollywood. It's just Hollywood!" I get so involved in the stupidest of movies I end up scaring myself with even the most trivial things. People's heads were getting chopped off! A stupid tree was bleeding. There was witchcraft, skeletons, and crap. I know it looked fake, but even the idea was enough to get me.
I have to say, that for me, scary movies are to be reserved for when there is a cute and protective man there to protect me from the bugie man. Like I said, I know that I'm a wuss.
That being said, I just watched one of the fakest movies ever made, Sleepy Hollow. I was bored so I turned on the movie channel here. It was on, my roommate was here, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was scary. Then my roomie left. It was still scary, 'cept now I'm home alone.
Guys, I'm not kiddin' you when I say it was scary! I had to keep reminding myself, "It's just Hollywood. It's just Hollywood!" I get so involved in the stupidest of movies I end up scaring myself with even the most trivial things. People's heads were getting chopped off! A stupid tree was bleeding. There was witchcraft, skeletons, and crap. I know it looked fake, but even the idea was enough to get me.
I have to say, that for me, scary movies are to be reserved for when there is a cute and protective man there to protect me from the bugie man. Like I said, I know that I'm a wuss.
Traditions
What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Stockings? Opening one gift on Christmas Eve? Singing carols? Decorating the Christmas tree? Day away from work?
Mine would have to be mistletoe. I remember watching Dr. Who climbing up a tree on the side of I-24 to get mistletoe. In high school I would always search out a good climbing tree with mistletoe and tie ribbons around clumps and give them away at school. I remember seeing lots of guys having fun harrassing cute girls with it. I was entertained. (One of my guyfriends from high school said that years later he still had that mistletoe hanging on the wall in his bedroom.)
Even though mistletoe has always been a favorite tradition, I've yet to ever be kissed under the mistletoe. Guess I've just never been caught standing there.
Mine would have to be mistletoe. I remember watching Dr. Who climbing up a tree on the side of I-24 to get mistletoe. In high school I would always search out a good climbing tree with mistletoe and tie ribbons around clumps and give them away at school. I remember seeing lots of guys having fun harrassing cute girls with it. I was entertained. (One of my guyfriends from high school said that years later he still had that mistletoe hanging on the wall in his bedroom.)
Even though mistletoe has always been a favorite tradition, I've yet to ever be kissed under the mistletoe. Guess I've just never been caught standing there.
The "Purification" of Christmas
Okay, I mentioned in the previous post about how the winter scene on the Christmas gifts was irking, and indeed it is. Here goes...
This year is the first year the school is officially a Christ-centered school. So with Christmas, all things must be and can only be thematically centered on the birth of Christ. When I inquired of other things, like Snowmen, that weren't contradictory to Christianity, they said 'no' because it wasn't a part of the culture here. Okay, so we're not supposed to use non-Christian nor non-cultural things for Christmas. That would be fine if it weren't for...
The school posting Santa Claus pictures everywhere even after specifically telling teachers we were NOT allowed to use him in decoration. Snowmen aren't cultural? Okay, fine, people here have never touched snow...BUT there are snowmen in every store now for sell or to decorate for Christmas. Stockings aren't cultural? Then why are they sold in stores? Not supposed to use non-nativity decorations? Then what's with all the garlands, wreaths, and Christmas trees all over the school grounds? It's like they're begging teachers to go exactly against what they say.
If you're gonna purify Christmas to make a statement, then do it! Don't do it half-assed. It sends a mixed message when you're shouting "No Santa Claus", but then you see a huge Santa and reindeer on display first thing when you drive onto school property. Frustrating. So as we are told to not have snowmen, we're allowed to use a winter scene with PINE TREES and snow! Pine trees don't grow here. Snow doesn't fall here. And even though we're told to not use non-cultural decorations, our project was approved and "aww"ed over even with the winter scene.
Did I mention that snowmen are one of my favorite parts of Christmas decorating?
This year is the first year the school is officially a Christ-centered school. So with Christmas, all things must be and can only be thematically centered on the birth of Christ. When I inquired of other things, like Snowmen, that weren't contradictory to Christianity, they said 'no' because it wasn't a part of the culture here. Okay, so we're not supposed to use non-Christian nor non-cultural things for Christmas. That would be fine if it weren't for...
The school posting Santa Claus pictures everywhere even after specifically telling teachers we were NOT allowed to use him in decoration. Snowmen aren't cultural? Okay, fine, people here have never touched snow...BUT there are snowmen in every store now for sell or to decorate for Christmas. Stockings aren't cultural? Then why are they sold in stores? Not supposed to use non-nativity decorations? Then what's with all the garlands, wreaths, and Christmas trees all over the school grounds? It's like they're begging teachers to go exactly against what they say.
If you're gonna purify Christmas to make a statement, then do it! Don't do it half-assed. It sends a mixed message when you're shouting "No Santa Claus", but then you see a huge Santa and reindeer on display first thing when you drive onto school property. Frustrating. So as we are told to not have snowmen, we're allowed to use a winter scene with PINE TREES and snow! Pine trees don't grow here. Snow doesn't fall here. And even though we're told to not use non-cultural decorations, our project was approved and "aww"ed over even with the winter scene.
Did I mention that snowmen are one of my favorite parts of Christmas decorating?
Blue fingernails
So, if you ever see a chick with a blue hint to her fingernails, or any other color for that matter, chances are she's either a painter or a preschool teacher. I would fall under the category of preschool teacher. Yes, we have been doing art project after art project this last week and will continue doing them until Christmas celebrating is over. It's all fun though. I'm glad that I'm getting a chance to go home with a nice taste in my mouth about the school. The students have been so much fun to have now that we're not 'learning' anything new and are basically just playing.
We have our Christmas play this Friday. We have half day rehearsals every day now. My students are learning the song "Open the Eyes of My Heart" sung by Michael W. Smith...not my choice, I just do as I'm told. They are playing the part of little angels, hehe, that's entertaining to me. So while we're not sitting in rehearsal we are eating/playing and doing our art projects. We're making a Christmas gift for all the parents, Christmas card to go with the gift, and lanterns for their Virgin Mary celebration down here. The gift is a doorknob hanger, a winter scene with a pine tree. There's a story of irking behind this that I can explain later. The card is a manger scene made out of popcicle sticks and paper and paint; it will have writing on the inside to be done in Spanish class. The lanterns are made of thick paper with images punched out with plastic paper for the glow of the candle to shine through. (They have these sticks with a thumbtacklike thing coming out one end that they use to punch holes in paper...a weapon if ya ask me.)
Well, it's all fun.
We have our Christmas play this Friday. We have half day rehearsals every day now. My students are learning the song "Open the Eyes of My Heart" sung by Michael W. Smith...not my choice, I just do as I'm told. They are playing the part of little angels, hehe, that's entertaining to me. So while we're not sitting in rehearsal we are eating/playing and doing our art projects. We're making a Christmas gift for all the parents, Christmas card to go with the gift, and lanterns for their Virgin Mary celebration down here. The gift is a doorknob hanger, a winter scene with a pine tree. There's a story of irking behind this that I can explain later. The card is a manger scene made out of popcicle sticks and paper and paint; it will have writing on the inside to be done in Spanish class. The lanterns are made of thick paper with images punched out with plastic paper for the glow of the candle to shine through. (They have these sticks with a thumbtacklike thing coming out one end that they use to punch holes in paper...a weapon if ya ask me.)
Well, it's all fun.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
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