Hello Again from New York City. Dad is really giving me run for my money now that he is blogging twice a month, although the blogs are fairly lame. Here is a view of the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset with the financial district behind it. I went to a park underneath it with my friend Adam. I had been across the bridge a gazillion times but never knew about the park. Three cheers for living in a city that you get to discover in layers.
A friend from the ward, who I actually knew from a ward in Provo performed at Amateur night at the Apollo. This is noteworthy for several reasons. First he is white! The Apollo is widely accepted as the heart of African American talent. It boasts making stars like Stevie Wonder, Micheal Jackson (although I don't know that they actually still claim him), Billie Holiday, Lauryn Hill, James Brown and our own Gladys Knight. Second he is Mormon and did a stand up comedy routine in front of a typically pretty rough crowd. He got booed off the stage within the first 3 minutes, much to the chagrin of the more than 50 people from our ward who came to cheer.
This era of my life at school is marked by many field trips. I feel a need to expose my students to interesting things and to give them the opportunity to be around adults who will support them. The problem with them is, they never want to go home. They are usually a lot of fun but VERY exhausting after working all day then traipsing all over the city with a group of pre-teens. Here are some of our field trips.
We went to the Little Red Lighthouse that is under the George Washington Bridge and ended up playing ultimate frisbee in the park next to it for like an hour. It was a blast. In this picture a few of the students were "posing" and Mr. Avedissian (my co-teacher) and I were making fun of the way they try to be all seductive at the age of 13.
This is a group of them that we took to Chinatown. I wouldn't let the waiter give them forks until they tried the chopsticks. They were pretty good sports about my China obsession and humored me by telling me that everything was cool. This was great for me becuase they typically try to convince me that I am not cool. Especially when they make fun of my cell phone. How do 13 year olds from the projects become such technology snobs?
I went with my friend Adam to the Chelsea piers to hit golf balls at the Hudson. None of mine actually made it but a few of his did.
This is a field trip up to Inwood Hill Park where the kids were able to climb around on rocks and talk to a ranger about all the animals finding girlfriends for spring.
I went to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart with my friend Aja and Jeff. I haven't laughed that hard in a LONG time. I thought I was going to die and I am pretty sure all the people around me kind of wished that I would.
6 comments:
Thank you, thank you. I am sure that you posted that as a Mother's Day gift. I love your life, though I wouldn't want all of it. Your school kids look pleasant and harmless, you must have a fantastic power over them. What a wonderful teacher you are to enrich their lives so much.
I was sitting beside you the first time you saw ELF. I feel the Jon Stewart audiences pain.
Those field trips look great. Are there just 2 adults for that big group of kids??? How do you determine who gets to go?
Yay! Great post, I guess I need to do one now that you have updated. :)
I love the extra effort you put in to your school class! And they said you shouldn't expect to change lives. I think that is exactly what you are doing.
You lead a cool life, sister. Those kids are so incredibly lucky to have you as their teacher. I'm going to find some great teacher contest and enter your name. Don't be surprised if a large box of #2 pencils lands in your mailbox as a prize. (I'm sure that's the kind of thing they give to teachers who win contests. :) )
Wow! I haven't checked your blog yet this week I guess and much to my surprise an excellent new post was here waiting for me all along. I loved it. You look like you are having so much fun with all your friends AND with your students. Good for you. Your students will never forget you and your outings.
Mostly I'd like to say . . . YOU SAW JON STEWART??? How cool. He is hilarious! So, would you say you take after dad in the "laughing so hard people around you think you might die" category?
If your purpose in life is to change lives for the better, either through the gospel or education, all wrapped in love, I think you're getting it. How wonderful for those kids that you came into their life.
And thanks for the glimpses of NYC. Since I may never get there (or Germany) I love traveling vicariously through the eyes of those who do.
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