Two things happened. One: I was IM'ing with CLo and asked her if she'd read my blog lately. Since she hadn't, I sent her the link. Later she called and as the conversation turned to my blog - which by then she'd read - I asked her what she thought about the comments, whereupon she said, " Oh I never read the comments." Whereupon I said, "WHAT?? YOU HAVE TO READ THE COMMENTS!" - I mean, ¿¿don'tcha??
It happened that way for me as a matter of course! I started w/Fned's blog. She let the family know that she had started a blog and sent us the link, so of course, I immediately checked it out. As I read that first entry, I naturally clicked on comments, and voilá! I found other bloggers. And so I clicked into their blogs. And from there, I found other bloggers.
Does this sound like I spend a billion hours a day blog-surfing? Actually, I don't. What I do is check my own and Fned's practically daily and if that's all I have time for, that's it. But whenever I have a moment, between translations, or other computer activities, I click on one of the blogs that I've bookmarked - blogs that I found through the comments sections of Fned's and other blogs; blogs that I've been wanting to read but haven't had time for... till now!
I don't know how other bloggers have built up their blog-life, but that's how I've done it up to now. I love getting a chance to scroll through certain blogs. For example, there's the Cancun Canadian who almost always blogs about something worth thinking about or worth doing something about - or both! I don't always comment cause she has a huge following already and someone usually says whatever I would have said in a comment... or sometimes, when I do leave a comment, it's on a previous entry that might or might not be relevant to her at the moment, but is to me. There's a miss chriswho just awes me with the way she writes about things - her feelings about life and what it's all about are very akin to mine. I love to read her blog, though I don't get to it often. Whenever I do go there, I inevitably leave a comment, although once again it's not always on a current entry. There's Ale whose blog is so fun to read. She writes well in Spanish or English! She has a lot of spunk, great wit, and I like catching up on what's going on with her. There are some blogs that I've found that are real specialty-area blogs. Interesting reading for sure!
Then there's the phenomenal thing that happens when you kind of get to know someone from a process of mutual blogging and commenting. This happened with Theresa in Mérida who calls her husband Husband, and her dog Mr. Dog... I get a great kick out of that. She has a lot of wit when she writes and I like following all her thoughts and ideas... she has a pretty big following too, so when I get to the comments section, I sometimes find my comment was already made by someone else!
As to the other thing that happened (I said there were 2): turns out that Fned's Super-Hub has started his own blog. I read it and was really IMPRESSED!! What wit! What irony! What a fresh view told with imagery and style! So I said as much to Fned on her blog - where she had introduced her hubby's new blog. She, being in total agreement, explained his emergence into the blog world by saying, "He finally figured out what he wants to blog about!"
That comment surely got me thinking! When I started blogging, I had no idea what I wanted to blog about! I simply thought, well, okay, I'll write whatever I feel like writing about, and people will comment and I'll answer them. I didn't really expect a lot of response, but just thought it would be fun to see what other people thought about things I think about or things I experience. However, I slowly realized that blogging means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and they take it seriously! See Fned's blog on blogging (and the comments section too)!
One of those things they seem to feel seriously about is getting and giving comments. Here, I'm a bit confused. Is there some kind of unspoken rule about having to make comments, or about what kind of comments you can or can't make? I get the idea that bloggers all applaud each other for whatever their blog is about that day. But what about the other side?? I mean, total agreement can be a bit repetitive, don't you think, or am I just being ornery?
So should I not be blogging? On the other hand, don't I have the right to blog? And why should I have to leave a comment on a blog I've read if I have nothing to say or if someone already said what I would have said?
Well anyway, I guess I'll stop here... as you can see I still have a lot of unanswered questions about blogging. In fact I don't think I've even answered the two I started out to answer!!!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Happy Birthday to a girl who's reached her Lucky Year!
This one's for Fned - she's the first-born of her sibs and she's finally turned the age of her birthdate, so this is her lucky year! When you consider the road she's traveled so far, the possibilities - in terms of luck - reach epic proportions!
In tribute to my daughter, I'd like to take a walk through my field of Fned memories because the truth is, since she's so far away, whenever I think of her, I see her in my mind's eye as a series of superimposed images - from the young woman Fned all the way back to the new-born baby who fit head-to-toe into her Dad's hand and forearm (gotta find my picture of that!).
From the beginning, she got a chance to see the world: like the time we went walking with her to the UNAM when she was 4 days old because we wanted to take my sister who had come to visit us and who was deep in the throes of early pregnancy nausea; or my experiments with the rebozo when she was still very tiny, taking her on the metro and being severely admonished by the woman sitting next to me who, when I unwrapped the poor thing because the wagon was quite stuffy, told me I should never let my baby's face be seen by strangers because someone would give her the evil eye...
I remember the feel of her weight lying against my chest and stomach as I walked everywhere with her in the "kanguru" my sister-in-law gave me after her son outgrew it. Wherever we went, people would smile at us and want to get a better look at those extraordinary blue eyes that sparkled and danced as she moved her head about checking out her surroundings.
Oh yes, and the rocking chair... How can I ever forget my mother's amazed burst of laughter when she observed her granddaughter rocking in her chair, making it move with every vigorous push of her little foot against the floor, until she had rocked her way accross the kitchen floor... and 'singing' all the way! (I had taken 6-month-old Fned on a trip to my other sister's wedding and we were staying at my parent's house).
Millions of these kinds of memories crowd through my mind, so I move to the ones of Fned tying her shoes at age 2! What child does that? And I was witness to the fact! How I remember sitting nearby waiting for that final loop to come through the hole and the bow to be made! She had tried for days and it was sheer torture to sit by and watch, but the day she did it WOW!!!
We won't go into the memories of 'The Thumb' except to acknowledge that yes, Fned was a passionate thumbsucker who did not take kindly to the idea of giving up the nasty habit! No Barbie doll could bribe that kid (I tried that tactic because it worked for my mom on me!)
But what about her artwork, all those lovely lovely pictures she drew before and all through her first school years.
Then there was the year we went to live in the States and I hit all the thrift stores with my kids (there were 3 by then). Fned always picked out the most incredible dresses and when a dress costs 50 cents or a dollar (she was about 10 by then), you can afford to buy 3 or 4 or more at a time! Then, how she would change her clothes 5 times a day and dance around the house to songs like 'Tamlin' sung by Sandy Denny from my Fairport Convention album.
I see Fned during her obsession with Barbie and all those different houses we lived in where she and her new friends (she always had friends in the hood and she was always the leader of the pack no matter what the ages were), would set out all their Barbies and accessories on the porch and dress and redress them for hours.
The years pass and I see her in Valladolid in the secondary school, where she began to branch out and become a real "teenager" who wanted to use make-up and polish her nails, and started to style her hair... the move back to Puebla and her continuing fascination with clothes and hair... her tremendous consternation at having to share a room with her 3-yr.-old sister (she was 14 going on 18 by then). Oh the high school years of going out "en bola" and convincing me she "had to" be allowed to come in at 4 a.m. when they went out dancing because that way, they could all share a taxi coming home and if she left earlier, she would have to go home alone... (she really knew how to argue her point by that time - I remember the first time one of her friends asked her to convince her parents to let her go out - and she did! After that, it became a common practice, to the point that some of the parents considered her their daughter's chaperone, while other parents rejected her attempts at all costs.)
Oh the France thing!!! How she knew by the time she was 15 that she was going to France somehow some way... so she looked for a High School that offered French as a pre-major... and from then on, that's what she was working towards. When she needed a scholarship, she went out and applied for it and all I had to do was sign the papers! When the opportunity at last came, she was ready for it!
I've skipped over so many key points, but I want to post this blog before the day is over, so I'll just add some key Fned phrases:
When the big earthquake of '85 hit, we were in the kitchen having breakfast. Car and I felt the tremors, looked at each other over Fned's head and said simultaneously: "it's an earthquake!" Fned (she was just turning 6) put down her fork and weighed the situation, observing our faces for a moment. Then she shook her head with a conspiratorial smile and said, "No it's not, you guys are moving the floor!"
One day out of the blue and then at regular intervals: "Mom, why can't I be an only child???" or a variation, "Why didn't you just have me?"
And when she came home from school early and saw the little pregnancy test tube and stand set up on the table (she was 14 and I was pregnant for the 5th time): "MAMÁ!!! NO WAY!"
Fned has been champion little mother since the time she was 6 and babysat for the first time, kitchen helper, bossy older sister, defender of kids' rights before autocratic adults, avid reader, lover of music and dance, school activist, event organizer,... her talents and accomplishments go on and on.
I guess what I'm trying to say, Fned, is that I am so grateful that I got to have you enter my life and enrich it so much these last 29 years. May I continue to be so blessed. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
In tribute to my daughter, I'd like to take a walk through my field of Fned memories because the truth is, since she's so far away, whenever I think of her, I see her in my mind's eye as a series of superimposed images - from the young woman Fned all the way back to the new-born baby who fit head-to-toe into her Dad's hand and forearm (gotta find my picture of that!).
From the beginning, she got a chance to see the world: like the time we went walking with her to the UNAM when she was 4 days old because we wanted to take my sister who had come to visit us and who was deep in the throes of early pregnancy nausea; or my experiments with the rebozo when she was still very tiny, taking her on the metro and being severely admonished by the woman sitting next to me who, when I unwrapped the poor thing because the wagon was quite stuffy, told me I should never let my baby's face be seen by strangers because someone would give her the evil eye...
I remember the feel of her weight lying against my chest and stomach as I walked everywhere with her in the "kanguru" my sister-in-law gave me after her son outgrew it. Wherever we went, people would smile at us and want to get a better look at those extraordinary blue eyes that sparkled and danced as she moved her head about checking out her surroundings.
Oh yes, and the rocking chair... How can I ever forget my mother's amazed burst of laughter when she observed her granddaughter rocking in her chair, making it move with every vigorous push of her little foot against the floor, until she had rocked her way accross the kitchen floor... and 'singing' all the way! (I had taken 6-month-old Fned on a trip to my other sister's wedding and we were staying at my parent's house).
Millions of these kinds of memories crowd through my mind, so I move to the ones of Fned tying her shoes at age 2! What child does that? And I was witness to the fact! How I remember sitting nearby waiting for that final loop to come through the hole and the bow to be made! She had tried for days and it was sheer torture to sit by and watch, but the day she did it WOW!!!
We won't go into the memories of 'The Thumb' except to acknowledge that yes, Fned was a passionate thumbsucker who did not take kindly to the idea of giving up the nasty habit! No Barbie doll could bribe that kid (I tried that tactic because it worked for my mom on me!)
But what about her artwork, all those lovely lovely pictures she drew before and all through her first school years.
Then there was the year we went to live in the States and I hit all the thrift stores with my kids (there were 3 by then). Fned always picked out the most incredible dresses and when a dress costs 50 cents or a dollar (she was about 10 by then), you can afford to buy 3 or 4 or more at a time! Then, how she would change her clothes 5 times a day and dance around the house to songs like 'Tamlin' sung by Sandy Denny from my Fairport Convention album.
I see Fned during her obsession with Barbie and all those different houses we lived in where she and her new friends (she always had friends in the hood and she was always the leader of the pack no matter what the ages were), would set out all their Barbies and accessories on the porch and dress and redress them for hours.
The years pass and I see her in Valladolid in the secondary school, where she began to branch out and become a real "teenager" who wanted to use make-up and polish her nails, and started to style her hair... the move back to Puebla and her continuing fascination with clothes and hair... her tremendous consternation at having to share a room with her 3-yr.-old sister (she was 14 going on 18 by then). Oh the high school years of going out "en bola" and convincing me she "had to" be allowed to come in at 4 a.m. when they went out dancing because that way, they could all share a taxi coming home and if she left earlier, she would have to go home alone... (she really knew how to argue her point by that time - I remember the first time one of her friends asked her to convince her parents to let her go out - and she did! After that, it became a common practice, to the point that some of the parents considered her their daughter's chaperone, while other parents rejected her attempts at all costs.)
Oh the France thing!!! How she knew by the time she was 15 that she was going to France somehow some way... so she looked for a High School that offered French as a pre-major... and from then on, that's what she was working towards. When she needed a scholarship, she went out and applied for it and all I had to do was sign the papers! When the opportunity at last came, she was ready for it!
I've skipped over so many key points, but I want to post this blog before the day is over, so I'll just add some key Fned phrases:
When the big earthquake of '85 hit, we were in the kitchen having breakfast. Car and I felt the tremors, looked at each other over Fned's head and said simultaneously: "it's an earthquake!" Fned (she was just turning 6) put down her fork and weighed the situation, observing our faces for a moment. Then she shook her head with a conspiratorial smile and said, "No it's not, you guys are moving the floor!"
One day out of the blue and then at regular intervals: "Mom, why can't I be an only child???" or a variation, "Why didn't you just have me?"
And when she came home from school early and saw the little pregnancy test tube and stand set up on the table (she was 14 and I was pregnant for the 5th time): "MAMÁ!!! NO WAY!"
Fned has been champion little mother since the time she was 6 and babysat for the first time, kitchen helper, bossy older sister, defender of kids' rights before autocratic adults, avid reader, lover of music and dance, school activist, event organizer,... her talents and accomplishments go on and on.
I guess what I'm trying to say, Fned, is that I am so grateful that I got to have you enter my life and enrich it so much these last 29 years. May I continue to be so blessed. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Saturday, August 23, 2008
This one's for Jim, a neighbor who understands and personifies the true meaning of the word!
Here's a story about Ed and Ida, some dear people who have always dedicated their lives to each other, their family, hard work, and harmony. Now they're retired, and though life in some ways is easier, in others, of course, it's more challenging than ever! Ed has some health issues which have forced him to modify his diet and take some meds, while Ida has gradually lost her hearing. Do they say, 'oh woe is me!' Not on your life! They always wake up ready for action, going walking in the morning, surfing the net and reading extensively, generally staying abreast of what's going on in the world, getting out and about with old friends, visiting with family whenever the opportunity presents itself. In fact, that's how the whole thing started!
There they were at a small dinner party, when Ed, who hadn't been feeling well the past few days but insisted on carrying on with the plan, suddenly collapsed and had to be taken to the nearest hospital by ambulance. Ida, like the true trouper she always is, didn't want to alarm her kids, who live far away, and handled everything herself, despite her hearing problem. I should explain that Ida has a cochlear implant which is an incredible computerized device that allows her to hear to a certain extent. Face-to-face one-on-one conversations are pretty easy, although she describes the voice tones she 'hears' as "Mickey Mouse-ish". (You've got to hand it to her - her sense of humor is always intact!)
So that night, in the emergency room, I can only imagine what it must have been like having to sort through all the administrative process, consultations with doctors, concern for her husband, plus the fact that the hospital was not their usual medical facility, as he was taken not to their close-to-home hospital but to the hospital nearest the restaurant. There followed 3 days of tests and care which she continued to brave out alone with Ed. Eventually she did call one of her daughters, who eventually told the others, but basically, Ed and Ida were alone inside the whole Hospital Machine. When at last he was discharged, she brought him home, only to have him develop a fever the next day. He got worse, so she decided to take him to the hospital - this time their hospital, close to home - but when she went to start up the car, she discovered that one of the tires was flat! This was the crucial moment. This couple had already been subjected to an intense combination of medical, emotional, and logistic complications, not to mention the sheer exhaustion of coping with such; were they now to be thwarted by a flat tire!!
And that was when Jim stepped in! Jim is their neighbor, a younger man, who lives for adventure it seems - I hear he is about to go on an African safari! This wonderful guy first took the initiative with Ed and Ida a few years ago when he came outside and saw Ed trying to start up his lawnmower. It was a hot day - though still early - and Jim decided that Ed should allow him to mow the older man's lawn. He convinced Ed by making a deal with him that he would gladly mow Ed's lawn now if Ed would then lend him his power mower - one of those that you ride - to mow his own. This was truly an honorable way for Jim to show respect for Ed while also helping him out immensely. Since then, Jim has helped them on other occasions with the heavier physical chores of life in the suburbs, always taking the iniciative, always with respect, always with great care, humor and affection.
So that evening (it was getting past dusk now), when Ida was trying to stay calm and decide what to do, Jim happened to come out of his house and saw her sitting in the car with the flat tire. He approached, and upon discovering what had happened with Ed, once again this marvelous neighbor just stepped in and provided the perfect solution. He told Ida straight away that she was not to worry; he would take the couple to the hospital, let them off and return later for Ida when she was ready. Since it was going to be late and neither Ed nor Ida drive at night unless it's absolutely necessary, this was a big relief for Ida. Not only did she get Ed installed, talk to the doctors and nurses, and find out what would be done the next day, but she was also escorted home by Jim, who made sure she got in okay (you know how it is to come home at night to an empty house!). The next day, he had her tire fixed and her car ready for her by the time she was ready to go to the hospital to visit Ed.
Jim, this one's for you - a great neighbor who is also lucky enough to have such great neighbors as Ed and Ida, who are two of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing! I know why they got you for their neighbor, Jim. It's the way of the universe. The more you give, the more you receive!
P.S. Just to end the story of Ed's odyssey (I should have given more mention to him, as he was the one we were all so concerned about in the first place, but that will have to be in another entry), let me just say that I talked to him today and his voice sounded good and chipper! He says he's going home today!
There they were at a small dinner party, when Ed, who hadn't been feeling well the past few days but insisted on carrying on with the plan, suddenly collapsed and had to be taken to the nearest hospital by ambulance. Ida, like the true trouper she always is, didn't want to alarm her kids, who live far away, and handled everything herself, despite her hearing problem. I should explain that Ida has a cochlear implant which is an incredible computerized device that allows her to hear to a certain extent. Face-to-face one-on-one conversations are pretty easy, although she describes the voice tones she 'hears' as "Mickey Mouse-ish". (You've got to hand it to her - her sense of humor is always intact!)
So that night, in the emergency room, I can only imagine what it must have been like having to sort through all the administrative process, consultations with doctors, concern for her husband, plus the fact that the hospital was not their usual medical facility, as he was taken not to their close-to-home hospital but to the hospital nearest the restaurant. There followed 3 days of tests and care which she continued to brave out alone with Ed. Eventually she did call one of her daughters, who eventually told the others, but basically, Ed and Ida were alone inside the whole Hospital Machine. When at last he was discharged, she brought him home, only to have him develop a fever the next day. He got worse, so she decided to take him to the hospital - this time their hospital, close to home - but when she went to start up the car, she discovered that one of the tires was flat! This was the crucial moment. This couple had already been subjected to an intense combination of medical, emotional, and logistic complications, not to mention the sheer exhaustion of coping with such; were they now to be thwarted by a flat tire!!
And that was when Jim stepped in! Jim is their neighbor, a younger man, who lives for adventure it seems - I hear he is about to go on an African safari! This wonderful guy first took the initiative with Ed and Ida a few years ago when he came outside and saw Ed trying to start up his lawnmower. It was a hot day - though still early - and Jim decided that Ed should allow him to mow the older man's lawn. He convinced Ed by making a deal with him that he would gladly mow Ed's lawn now if Ed would then lend him his power mower - one of those that you ride - to mow his own. This was truly an honorable way for Jim to show respect for Ed while also helping him out immensely. Since then, Jim has helped them on other occasions with the heavier physical chores of life in the suburbs, always taking the iniciative, always with respect, always with great care, humor and affection.
So that evening (it was getting past dusk now), when Ida was trying to stay calm and decide what to do, Jim happened to come out of his house and saw her sitting in the car with the flat tire. He approached, and upon discovering what had happened with Ed, once again this marvelous neighbor just stepped in and provided the perfect solution. He told Ida straight away that she was not to worry; he would take the couple to the hospital, let them off and return later for Ida when she was ready. Since it was going to be late and neither Ed nor Ida drive at night unless it's absolutely necessary, this was a big relief for Ida. Not only did she get Ed installed, talk to the doctors and nurses, and find out what would be done the next day, but she was also escorted home by Jim, who made sure she got in okay (you know how it is to come home at night to an empty house!). The next day, he had her tire fixed and her car ready for her by the time she was ready to go to the hospital to visit Ed.
Jim, this one's for you - a great neighbor who is also lucky enough to have such great neighbors as Ed and Ida, who are two of the most wonderful people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing! I know why they got you for their neighbor, Jim. It's the way of the universe. The more you give, the more you receive!
P.S. Just to end the story of Ed's odyssey (I should have given more mention to him, as he was the one we were all so concerned about in the first place, but that will have to be in another entry), let me just say that I talked to him today and his voice sounded good and chipper! He says he's going home today!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Back to work - Lots of Input, but no Tomatoes
Okay, it's been a week since I've been back at work, and several interesting ideas have come up, but no tomatoes yet...
On the work front, just as I started considering working less, I got an offer to work more! Isn't that always the case?? And it was a good offer, and of course, I said okay (I'm not known for refusing work), and it turned out to be a really enlightening course, on so many levels! This was an intensive (total immersion) course, where one person wanted to perfect her English as quickly as possible.
In this type of course, the student and teacher are together for 10 hours a day for 5 days. Sometimes, we split up the time a bit to give the student some breathing room and have the benefit of two different teachers and teaching styles... but it still means A LOT of time one-on-one for both teacher(s) and student.
This particular student is extremely interesting as a person. She's affable, easy to get to know, experienced in her work area and also in life, and has a deep determination to improve her English. I brought tons of material to use, but a great portion of our time the first 3 days (we will have 2 more days next week) was spent in talking - her talking. Whatever the question was, she always provided an extensive, well-thought-out answer (though limited in terms of vocabulary and structural possibilities), showing tremendous perception, humor, and analysis.
At the end of our last session, I said, "Okay, Gina, we've covered a lot of ground today, but for this last hour, I'll give you the chance to choose: we can go over the last card trick you did, we can finish the phone call listening exercise, or we can do a reading about friendship, in relation to an idea we talked about yesterday. Which do you want to do?"
She was holding the deck of cards at the time, so I thought she'd opted for that alternative - she had learned and perfected a magic card trick, but I had promised her one more and then we'd gotten off on a tangent which led us into an hour-long discussion - but instead she said she preferred the reading. So I handed her the 3 pages of one of Fned's blogs about friendship.
I really like Fned's blogstyle because of the natural way it flows and her innate humor in describing events. I have used a lot of her entries in my classes and the more advanced students find them highly amusing and informative.
The intermediate students, however, usually have to struggle to get through them, and I never understood exactly why, until yesterday after Gina had read the text (she's an intermediate student). She really had to struggle - partly because I had her read out loud and pronunciation is one of her weak points, but also because the sentences were long and winding, and I realized that even though the words were pretty much within her vocabulary range, the length of the sentences, and their inner clauses and such, were difficult for her to sort out (there were also some spelling mistakes that I forgot to correct before printing!!).
So I tried to take it slowly with her, since we had a whole hour left - but I saw too late that the length of the reading had had an adverse effect on her. She immediately dived in, hoping to read through hurriedly. As she advanced and started to get bogged down, I tried to gently stop her along the way to ask about certain words, phrases, or her general comprehension thus far, and I saw that she was getting the idea, but missing the subtleties. At the time, I thought it was sad that she didn't seem to realize that the whole idea of this exercise was to enjoy and savor the natural style of the writer, the cadence of the text, and pick up some cues for her own English speaking style. I kept trying to direct her attention to these things, but when she finished, I didn't feel like she'd "gotten" it.
Since it was our last activity and I didn't want her to leave on that note, I said, "Okay, let me read it and you follow with your eyes." Then I started reading, slowly, but with the right intonation and pauses, trying to show how naturally and beautifully descriptive it is, and hoping she would understand the whole tone of the text in a deeper way. I only read about halfway through, but I got the feeling that she wasn't really receptive, so I stopped and asked her if it had made any additional impression on her at all.
Her answer astounded me. She said, "you know, now I understand why our customers never understand us when we write to them. We think we have good English; my boss got an excellent score on the TOEIC exam; she speaks very good. I speak okay, but the Americans always write to us and say, 'I don't understand; can you explain, please?'. Now I see - we need to develop these kinds of structures!" (here, she taps the papers in her hand). I said, yes, I was glad she could see the structures that we had talked about in the last few days. I told her: that's the difference between people who speak English, and people who speak really good English. Then she summed it up by saying, "We need to explain more." I was glad she had come to that conclusion. I mean, that's the whole point of language - to be able to EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!! Right???
And by the way - guess what?? I just went to check the garden, and I think there are really really finally finally some tomato plants!!!! YEE-HA!!!
On the work front, just as I started considering working less, I got an offer to work more! Isn't that always the case?? And it was a good offer, and of course, I said okay (I'm not known for refusing work), and it turned out to be a really enlightening course, on so many levels! This was an intensive (total immersion) course, where one person wanted to perfect her English as quickly as possible.
In this type of course, the student and teacher are together for 10 hours a day for 5 days. Sometimes, we split up the time a bit to give the student some breathing room and have the benefit of two different teachers and teaching styles... but it still means A LOT of time one-on-one for both teacher(s) and student.
This particular student is extremely interesting as a person. She's affable, easy to get to know, experienced in her work area and also in life, and has a deep determination to improve her English. I brought tons of material to use, but a great portion of our time the first 3 days (we will have 2 more days next week) was spent in talking - her talking. Whatever the question was, she always provided an extensive, well-thought-out answer (though limited in terms of vocabulary and structural possibilities), showing tremendous perception, humor, and analysis.
At the end of our last session, I said, "Okay, Gina, we've covered a lot of ground today, but for this last hour, I'll give you the chance to choose: we can go over the last card trick you did, we can finish the phone call listening exercise, or we can do a reading about friendship, in relation to an idea we talked about yesterday. Which do you want to do?"
She was holding the deck of cards at the time, so I thought she'd opted for that alternative - she had learned and perfected a magic card trick, but I had promised her one more and then we'd gotten off on a tangent which led us into an hour-long discussion - but instead she said she preferred the reading. So I handed her the 3 pages of one of Fned's blogs about friendship.
I really like Fned's blogstyle because of the natural way it flows and her innate humor in describing events. I have used a lot of her entries in my classes and the more advanced students find them highly amusing and informative.
The intermediate students, however, usually have to struggle to get through them, and I never understood exactly why, until yesterday after Gina had read the text (she's an intermediate student). She really had to struggle - partly because I had her read out loud and pronunciation is one of her weak points, but also because the sentences were long and winding, and I realized that even though the words were pretty much within her vocabulary range, the length of the sentences, and their inner clauses and such, were difficult for her to sort out (there were also some spelling mistakes that I forgot to correct before printing!!).
So I tried to take it slowly with her, since we had a whole hour left - but I saw too late that the length of the reading had had an adverse effect on her. She immediately dived in, hoping to read through hurriedly. As she advanced and started to get bogged down, I tried to gently stop her along the way to ask about certain words, phrases, or her general comprehension thus far, and I saw that she was getting the idea, but missing the subtleties. At the time, I thought it was sad that she didn't seem to realize that the whole idea of this exercise was to enjoy and savor the natural style of the writer, the cadence of the text, and pick up some cues for her own English speaking style. I kept trying to direct her attention to these things, but when she finished, I didn't feel like she'd "gotten" it.
Since it was our last activity and I didn't want her to leave on that note, I said, "Okay, let me read it and you follow with your eyes." Then I started reading, slowly, but with the right intonation and pauses, trying to show how naturally and beautifully descriptive it is, and hoping she would understand the whole tone of the text in a deeper way. I only read about halfway through, but I got the feeling that she wasn't really receptive, so I stopped and asked her if it had made any additional impression on her at all.
Her answer astounded me. She said, "you know, now I understand why our customers never understand us when we write to them. We think we have good English; my boss got an excellent score on the TOEIC exam; she speaks very good. I speak okay, but the Americans always write to us and say, 'I don't understand; can you explain, please?'. Now I see - we need to develop these kinds of structures!" (here, she taps the papers in her hand). I said, yes, I was glad she could see the structures that we had talked about in the last few days. I told her: that's the difference between people who speak English, and people who speak really good English. Then she summed it up by saying, "We need to explain more." I was glad she had come to that conclusion. I mean, that's the whole point of language - to be able to EXPLAIN YOURSELF!!! Right???
And by the way - guess what?? I just went to check the garden, and I think there are really really finally finally some tomato plants!!!! YEE-HA!!!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Who says vacation means a trip?
I cannot believe how wonderful it feels to be on vacation this time. I've always loved my vacations, and I suppose each time one starts, I feel pretty euphoric and I enjoy each one to the max and treasure the memory of it for a good month or so when I go back to work. But this vacation has been unique. AND THERE ARE STILL A FEW MORE DAYS TO GO!
It's the first vacation that I've had that I've spent exclusively w/Car - IN ALMOST 29 YEARS! Can you believe that? We've been together for 30, but after the first year, there were always kids between us. And I mean - BETWEEN us, AROUND us, BESIDE us, BEHIND us, AHEAD of us, ON TOP OF us... in short, everywhere! And I love my kids to death, I really do... but this vacation - WOW! I didn't know Car and I could just go back to being the people we were when we met, but essentially, that's what we've done! We just fit together naturally, and we can spend ALL DAY LONG in the house, just hanging out, or outside, just hanging out... and we have REAL CONVERSATIONS that don't turn into arguments (though we've had a couple of those too, but they ended pretty fast), and when we sit down to eat together, there's a bottle of wine - every day!! - and something delicious that we made together...
I'm still marvelling over this fantabulous vacation we are having!
I think I'm going to really try to cut down on my work schedule come September. Anyone who knows me knows that I really love my work too! But this - being at home and free from obligations - is just... well, there's simply no comparison!!!!
It's the first vacation that I've had that I've spent exclusively w/Car - IN ALMOST 29 YEARS! Can you believe that? We've been together for 30, but after the first year, there were always kids between us. And I mean - BETWEEN us, AROUND us, BESIDE us, BEHIND us, AHEAD of us, ON TOP OF us... in short, everywhere! And I love my kids to death, I really do... but this vacation - WOW! I didn't know Car and I could just go back to being the people we were when we met, but essentially, that's what we've done! We just fit together naturally, and we can spend ALL DAY LONG in the house, just hanging out, or outside, just hanging out... and we have REAL CONVERSATIONS that don't turn into arguments (though we've had a couple of those too, but they ended pretty fast), and when we sit down to eat together, there's a bottle of wine - every day!! - and something delicious that we made together...
I'm still marvelling over this fantabulous vacation we are having!
I think I'm going to really try to cut down on my work schedule come September. Anyone who knows me knows that I really love my work too! But this - being at home and free from obligations - is just... well, there's simply no comparison!!!!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Something has come up!!!
Yes, that's right: I'VE GOT PLANTS!! TENGO PLANTITAS!! ICH HABE PFANZE! J'AI LES PLANTES!!
No matter what language you say it in, my garden has born fruit!! (or vegetables, in this case). Let me tell you about it! In our last episode (that's how the Mighty Mouse cartoon always started out): Last week, I went out to my garden and looked around for anything that might have sprung up! Here you can see me on my hands and knees, pulling out weeds...
Meanwhile, Nemo sat by watching me work,
But all I found was this little thing: 
Now it's a week later and...TODAY I WALKED OUTSIDE AND FOUND THIS:
CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?? LITTLE PLANTS ALL IN A ROW!!! JUST THE WAY IT SHOULD BE! I knew it was SUPPOSED to happen but I think I had lost hope that it actually WOULD!! However, don't be misled... those are not tomato plants. I thought it was the row of chili seeds that had sprouted (remember I planted four rows of different seeds). But to be sure, I pinched off a tiny leaf and smelled it and, yep, you guessed it: it's cilantro. None of the other three rows have sprouted anything...
ALTHOUGH
I also found this:
but I don't know what it is. Could it be a tomato plant?
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