End of the Year Party!?

End of the year? Didn't I just arrive here? Didn't I just unpack my classroom and my closet in a new space, in a new city, in a new country on a new continent? I cannot believe the first year in Rio is drawing to a close all ready. I think about all we have seen and done, all the people who have blessed our lives, all the learning experiences along the way, all the growing each of us has survived. This place has become "home". The people here have become "family". The customs have become the way it is--"normal".
The headmaster and his wife, Pam and Peter Cooper, hosted an end of the year party at their home in Jardim Botanico last night. The Coopers always give fabulous parties with food and drink and dj. There is socializing and conversation upstairs, dancing and craziness downstairs and never enough time in the night to get around to everybody for even a short conversation. The Coopers will leave EARJ this year. Peter is retiring, and they are returning to the states to live. We have a new headmaster hired. Rumor has it he and his wife will occupy the Cooper's house, and we are all keeping our fingers crossed that they will host the same fabulous parties. I think it is a good thing to unwind, kick back, and relax with those you work with day to day. It is always fun to meet the spouse or partner of your colleagues and enjoy some time outside of the work responsibilities.
As you can see, Joe worked his way onto the crowded dancefloor at one point last night and squeezed his way right next to the DJ to dance with Lena (he is at the back of this picture, white shirt). He has so much fun. Many of our friends can often be heard saying, "Look at Joe! He's so funny. Where's he going? Oh my goodness, what is he doing Sara?" These phrases are usually said as Joe is heading off, mixing in a crowd, checking something out at a closer distance, or doing anything the rest of us are too reserved to attempt. He makes life fun for everyone.


The group of women who have become my friends here are phenomenal, funny, smart, beautiful women. Each one is inspirational. Each one is amazing. Each one is a blessing for whom I give great thanks. Here is the group of us last night, Jennifer is missing (she and Valdir had other obligations with visiting friends and were unable to attend the party). From left to right: back row; Francesca's sister, Myked, Suzanne, me, Isabella. front row; Julie, Mara, Francesca. In one capacity or another each of these women has impacted my life. In laughter, in comfort, in company, in knowledge they have all shared a part of themself with the three of us. When one transitions to a new culture, in particular with a new language, the process can be overwhelming to say the least. Having been there before, these women have supported us in our transformation and acclimation into the life of a foreigner living abroad. My experience here would not be the same without each of them, and I am a better person for knowing them all.

Rio to Miami, Miami to Chicago, Chicago to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to

Hamline University Graduation!!!

I left Rio last Thursday night on an overnight flight to Miami, changed planes and headed to Chicago in order to connect to a flight bound for Mpls Friday morning. Awaiting me, looking as beautiful as ever, was my mother at baggage claim! It was a whirl wind of a weekend and worth every last minute of lost sleep, weary, blurry eyed walks through a number of airports and the stiffness from sitting in an airplane seat for the total of approximately 15 hours. All worth it for a few hours with family, colleagues, and friends.
Saturday, May 19th, I walked in my third commencement ceremony. This time earning my MaED. I can't express the joy, the pride, or the sense of accomplishment that was felt. There are not words fitting. I was particularly happy when I opened the package with my cap and gown Friday night to find the traditional graduate school "hood" that adorns the attire. This is the stuff dreams are made of....
A point of particular joy was being able to attend my cousin Kate's graduation from the Hamline College of Liberal Arts. Kate graduated with a BA in English, just as I did from Hamline CLA in 1995. It was very special for me when she made the decision to attend my alma mater four years ago, and even more special to me this past weekend when I was able to share in her accomplishments. She graduated Summa Cum Laude might I add! So, although I look a little weathered in this picture of the two of us, it will remain a great memory for me.

Keren was my peer reviewer in my capstone work. As a professional writer herself, you can only imagine the added expertise she offered to my work through the revision process. She was my wordsmither. She caught the random tense changes I made in error and polished my sometimes too informal writing style. I am forever grateful for her help on this work. On a side note, Keren and I met during my second year of undergrad at Hamline when I began working for her and her husband as the nanny of their first born, Gus. It was a wonderful surprise to see Gus with Keren on Sat. I didn't know he was coming to the commencement. I vividly remember days with him as an infant and toddler playing throughout their house and walking to Lake Harriet or the park. Now, I have to look up to see into his eyes. I'm not sure if Keren is aware that I have modeled much of my own parenting practices after what I observed in her as a new mother. She is a phenomenal woman and friend.
The final picture here is of my very good friends from my learning community. From Left to Right: Tina, Marcia, Terry, Tania, and myself. These women, along with several others from my cohort, were monumental in my transformation process. They are all incredible women. What a blessing to have been able to hug and congratulate each of them Sat. and to thank Marcia and Terry for their guidance and knowledge shared.

So, after a very crazy weekend: Minneapolis to Dallas, Dallas to Miami, Miami to Rio and Nap time!!

Work complete, recognized, and published!!

Many of you all ready know that I have been working on my MaED the past 2 years. I started my graduate program at Hamline University in St. Paul, MN in January 2005. It has been an amazing 2 years of reflection, growth, and accomplishment. The compilation of this study is the completion of what the academic world now calls "The Capstone". The Capstone is a 5 chapter action research, literature review (traditional thesis style) and investigation into a chosen education topic. In the past 3 months I have finalized my capstone, sent it to committee for review, and published the final product. It is an amazing accomplishment given the fact that it was done while working full time and parenting full time and living full time. The greatest element of all is that this work has been formally recognized by Hamline University in the form of the Beulah Benton Tatum Award, which is given to a capstone that shows reflective work in multicultural issues. Last night, my advisor, facilitators and cohort gathered for a wine and tea reception to celebrate the completion of the program and honor those capstones receiving awards. Since I am not currently in the country, I sent, via email, an acceptance speech of sorts to share with my learning community last night. I thought it would be fun to share it all with my blog readers as well:

Fellow Hamline graduates, advisors, and friends,

To begin, I am sorry not to be with you all tonight. I wish I could look out at all of your faces now, smiling with respect and the sense of accomplishment and the completion of hard work. What an amazing group of people Hamline University brings together. I am very proud of each of YOU and all you shared with me in this process. It is an honor and a privilege to call myself Hamline Alumni. See, my Hamline experience and the Hamline influence on my teaching career is vast.

I graduated from Hamline University CLA in 1995 with a BA in English, a secondary education certificate, and an incredible amount of experiences not formally represented in the diploma I walked away holding. I knew in 1995 that I wasn’t finished with my formal education. I also knew, thanks to my experiences as a Hamline undergrad, that I wasn’t finished with my real life learning either. Actually, it was just beginning. For this reason, it was clear to me when I began my search for a graduate school that Hamline would be THE option because I was all ready familiar with the quality education that is Hamline University.

I, like many other stateside public school teachers, was motivated to earn my master’s degree for the pay increase. (Remember the brainstorm activity of “Reasons to get your master’s degree” on the first class?) However, I also wanted my degree to mean something. I wanted to work hard for it. I wanted to feel the burden of studying again while teaching full time and grading papers full time and parenting full time and trying to live life full time. In essence, I chose rigor. So did all of you.

It’s funny because the pay raise doesn’t recognize rigor—we all knew that when we started though. I won’t receive more money solely because I worked hard. But I, like all of you, wanted to have that sense of accomplishment for myself. The trick was to balance all of those “full time” obligations successfully. What I was surprised to find through the process was that being a graduate student at Hamline while teaching full time clearly enhanced my teaching. In some ways, it even made it easier.

Do we realize the privilege we have in being knowledgeable about the leading researchers and best practices in education? Routman, Johnson, Tomlinson, Tatum, Howard, Pruden, Banks, Kriete. Do we know the power in being able to write “letters to the next President?” Do we know that as a result of the evaluation process in place currently at Hamline our programs are evaluated and reevaluated consistently to ensure that we are privy to what is current in the further education of practicing educators? This is not to be found every where. Thanks to Hamline, I know that now.

Do we realize the strength there is in having a cohort of professionals working, experiencing, growing, learning, and often influencing the current education system together? Thanks to Hamline, I know that now.

After every class session, throughout all the reading assignments and writing assignments and distributed learning assignments and community building assignments and treat duty…I was regularly applying what I learned in class with all of you to my classroom with my students. I wonder if my students know they really had a team of teachers throughout this process because each of you vicariously entered my classroom on more than one occasion. Each of you influenced what I knew, what I wanted to know and what I didn’t know. You even helped me to see what I didn’t know I didn’t know. Because of that collaboration, fostered by Hamline’s graduate school of education program, I am a better educator.

I never saw myself as a researcher before this program. I always saw myself as a learner. I recognized the need for and the joy in continuous learning, but being a part of this University again reminded me what I am capable of accomplishing as a researcher and practicing educator. I am a researcher. The power in that is immense.

Receiving the Beulah Benton Tatum Award for capstone work on multicultural issues is an honor larger than I can explain. The validation of hard work is incredible. The acknowledgment that research on multicultural issues as significant and worthy of attention means a great deal to me. I live my life running against a walkway, working daily at educating children in getting along with each other while being heard individually. This award is a boost to my pace, a help in my race against the moving walkway of social injustices worldwide.

I write this now, from miles away, knowing that one of the most influential people for me in this process will read it to all of you, and I am overcome with gratitude. I thank you Terry. You and Marcia have both been key components to my success and growth. To all of my colleagues in the Learning and Literacy community—hats off to all of you! Your students are blessed with your expertise. We are blessed with one another. And we have so much work to do still in ensuring that children don’t fall through the cracks or go unheard. Thank you. I can’t wait to see you all on May 19.

A Weekend at the Beach in BUZIOS!!!!

Well, we left for Buzios Friday afternoon with Sierra's arm in a cast. :-( Despite that fact, we had a GREAT weekend beach hopping, mini golfing, eating crepes, and site seeing. Thought I'd throw up a few pictures for all to enjoy!!
This is my kind of boat! Check out the options lined up on this one! We rented a house from a woman I work with at Escola Americana and we three ventured to Buzios with our good friend Suzanne. I was a little concerned because we left the city in pouring rain, and Buzios is only 124 km from Rio. What would a person do in a beach town with no sun? Still don't know.



Here I am at Praia de Tartaruga (turtle). I think this is my favorite beach in Buzios. Plus, here we had a great drink guy from the closest kiosk, named Rock (pronounced: Hokey), who kept us hydrated and fed all day. Very important to have enough to drink while in the sun all day.

Sierra found the perfect pets for our little Brazilian apartment!

And she found time to relax in the sun with me.

She even managed to splash around in the water every day without soaking her cast!

We were blessed with this amazing sunset!

We played a little (ok a LOT) fresco ball on the beach every day.

We got in a few hands of Barbie Uno--I won twice!

And we all tried our best on a VERY hard mini golf course.

Sierra and I relaxed and watched the Flamengo vs. Botoafogo futebol game.

Ahhhhh, life at the beach! If only I could bring all of my friends with me.

A kid in sports means?

So, we have this great 4 day weekend now. Tuesday is Brazilian Labor Day, and we have rented a house near the beach in Buzios to spend the long weekend. HOWEVER, Sierra ended soccer practice with a bag of ice yesterday and drying tears, using it on both her nose and her right thumb. Seems the ball made contact with both areas of her body during the practice. Isn't this a game that you aren't allowed to use your hands in? Anyway, throughout the night, her nose healed without worry, yet her right thumb continued to grow in size. The creases on the knuckles were even beginning to crack...by bedtime her thumb was 4xs it's normal size.
I wrapped her hand before bed to stabilize any movement and this morning it actually looked a little better--a little. When we got to school, I took her to the school nurse, who added a popsicle stick to the wrapping I had applied this morning and proceeded to tell me that Sierra really needed an xray.

We just returned from Cotrauma...with a fractured thumb, cast to elbow. What will a girl do for the weekend at the beach with a cast on her arm? Well, we know that there is a mini-golf course in Buzios, so we are thinking this will be a good activity for one afternoon. We will all need to play with only our left hand to make it fair though. Also, Sierra loves to shop. I'm sure she'll be pacified.
While the technician was putting on the cast, Sierra informed him that this is her first cast. She's 8, almost 9, and of course very excited about the novelty (right now). The technician simply replied, "Sua premiera e seu otimo." Your first and your last. Now she wants me to decorate it for her with pink flowers and the team logo for Flamengo, the local soccer team she supports. What ever happened to just letting your friends sign their names?

Indian Dinner with friends...

Last night we had our first dinner party at our humble apartment in Rio. During the day we had to go out and purchase a few extra dinner plates and some additional flatware because we realized we only had four plates and there would be five adults eating + two kids! I guess need often encourages the buying of things one doesn't use day to day. I now have 6 wine glasses as well! Pete Kennedy was our chef of the night, bringing all the ingredients for a fantastic Indian style feast. Joe and Francesca kept a close eye on Pete completing the meal. I'm really grateful for our "American style" kitchen. The three of them standing and talking would not be possible in most kitchens here in Brazil, as most kitchens are a narrow, small room. It is not typical of Brazilian culture to spend time in the kitchen as it is in the US. Many families employ a maid/cook to prepare meals and the family does their socializing in other areas of the house.
We had curry chicken, couscous, hummus, 2 different veggie dishes, and various tortes for dessert. Everything was fantastic!!


The mess that remained can be seen here...a couple bottles of wine, a few beers, and lots of food later, we ended the evening relaxing on the veranda.
We are really thankful to have so many wonderful people down here taking care of us, sharing happy times with, filling in as "family". The international experience sure has brought some interesting people into our life. So many experiences, independent and shared and so much to learn from those around us.


Who is going to clean this mess????
OH, I have to add this dialogue with Sierra from during the day. We were preparing to leave for the store to buy beer and wine and a few plates (lol) when she said: Um, can we buy some pop too because it's not like I'm going to be drinking beer with you guys all night!

Stream of Consciousness

I was thinking today, I know I think every day, but today was different. I was thinking today about this writing activity called stream of consciousness. I used to engage in this daily when I had more time in the day and actually spent hours writing. Somehow life took over and they (whoever they is, probably friends of Pete, for Pete's sake) shortened the day on me. I know it still contains 24 hours, but I know somewhere, someone altered what defines 24 hours because it sure doesn't feel like the same 24 hours as when I was 10 or 15 or even 25...these days it feels more like 15 hours per day. At this rate, I'm a bit concerned how I'll get a full day of work in when I'm 55. Anyway, stream of consciousness is essentially what I'm doing now, writing whatever is on my mind and jumping from one topic or explanation to another with very little or no transition.

It's a type of mental dumping. It allows a person to clear the mind and put on paper (in this case computer) whatever might be taking up valuable brain space--I truly believe I personally have a limited amount of brain space at least I feel that way many days, again this surfaces more often the older I get.

Sierra and her friend are now beating each other with an inflatable bat. Why does my mom radar make my face and ears instantly hot when I hear the hyperactivity of children at play in my house. Why do I automatically assume that something is going to break at any second or one of the children is going to scream in pain. Neither of these have happened recently, yet I literally felt my ears turn red just now knowing the girls are in the living room swinging this gigantic bat at each other within inches of lamps, pictures hung on the wall, decorative pieces--fragile decorative pieces. My blood pressure is starting to relax, thankfully. Because the only sound that remains is that of Pirates of the Caribbean playing on the TV. I'm REALLY thankful it's not High School Musical for the 1,568th time since January.

I look at the date and I can't believe it is all ready almost May 2007. At this time last year, I was attempting to liquidate the contents of my house in MN and prepare for this move that now finds us in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At that time, I thought it would never come. Now, I can't believe we've called this place home for 9 months! Not to mention that my 12th year as an educator is coming to an end. The pace of life was nice and slow and relaxed when we first arrived. Somehow, through adding activities and making friends, we have managed to shift gears, and we are starting to feel the pace of life increasing. Time to stop, breathe, relax and coast a bit.

The next 2 months are going to be insanely busy. I decided to take a quick trip back to the states in May in order to walk in my commencement ceremony at Hamline with my colleagues and friends. A year ago, I didn't think it would matter, but in the end, it really does. A lot of sweat and tears (and brain space and money) went into earning my MAEd. I owe it to myself to celebrate with the women who endured the journey along side me. I am looking forward to the trip and the celebration and seeing my parents. I miss them. It's funny how we take for granted what is so near until those things/people we hold dear are no longer right beside us, and arm's reach away. For 5 years, I lived 15 miles from my parents. Not a week went by that I didn't see one or both of them. It was fabulous to have Sierra so close to her grandparents and watch as she built a relationship with each of them. Now, we are in another hemisphere and although Internet makes communication possible and web cams aid our "seeing" them, I miss them and look forward to the first hug at our reunion.

The weekend is here (a 3 day weekend to boot), I brought no work home--although I have plenty. I plan to enjoy the beautiful weather that envelops me, sleep late, soak in the sun and ocean air, appreciate our Rio "family" and laugh with my daughter and my best friend.

The head is clear. I feel great.

Premiera Joga de futebol do SierraSaturday morning Sierra had her first soccer game at Escola Americana. Last week's practices ended in tears when the coach had her playing goalie and the kids were giving her kind of a hard time when she was letting the balls through. Goalie-all glory or all shame, man. Tough position for a sensitive girl to play. You can imagine my concern when the game began and I found Sierra in GOAL!!! I was a little worried. However, after the first few minutes, and some encouragement from her teammates, she got the hang of it and did a fine job!! Amidst the excitement, she even found some time to relax on the sidelines and "chat" with her friend Federico. She really had a great time. It was so fun to watch her being part of a team and smiling.

I’ve been sitting on this one for awhile. As usual, it was passed on to me by my friend Tammy. She LOVES lists. I have a really hard time remembering movies. I have been known to rent a movie I have all ready seen because I forgot until after the first 2 scenes. But I’ll give this a shot because I’m a good sport.
1.Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times. High School Musical
2.Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater. I can’t think of a single movie I would pay theater price to see more than once. (I’m kinda cheap sometimes)
3.Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie. Nicholas Cage and Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson
4.Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie. Rene Zelweiger—she’s always looks like she’s whining
5.Name a movie that you can and do quote from. A Few Good Men and The Princess Bride
6.Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. Rent and Grease
7.Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with. High School Musical, Happy Feet, Ray, Rent and Grease
8.Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see. Return to Me
9.Name a movie that you own. Return to Me
10.Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Chris Rock and Jamie Fox
11.Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what? I remember going to the drive-in with my parents when I was little and spilling Orange Crush all over the roof of the car (we kids were lying on the roof watching). I have NO memory of the movie though.
12.Ever made out in a movie? No
13.Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it. Blood Diamond
14.Ever walked out of a movie? I have a memory of doing this somewhere in the back of my brain, but I can’t remember the movie…of course I don’t remember the movie, I didn’t like it enough to even watch why would I remember the title.
15.Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. I cry at a lot of movies. Lilo and Stitch made Sierra cry, which in turn made me cry.
16.What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? DejaVu
17.What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie? Romantic Comedy is my #1. Documentaries are a close 2nd
18.What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? I remember ET and Jaws. I hid behind the seat in front of me during Jaws. As a matter of fact I cried in ET in the theater too.
19.What movie do you wish you had never seen? Napoleon Dynamite. I asked myself the whole time, “Why am I watching this?” yet, I sat through to the end. The worst part is that I reference the stupid movie ALL the time. “Off my tots man.”
20.What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? Momentum, it’s told in reverse. Very strange. Doesn’t make very much sense, but I liked it. Oh, and In the Cut with Meg Ryan--very weird...borderline porn.
21.What is the scariest movie you’ve seen? Scary? What kind of scary? Horror movies with the girl running from the villain and falling down while screaming make me laugh. If you put them on mute, they become comedies. Movies like Hotel Rwanda and Lord of War scare me.
22.What is the funniest movie you’ve seen? Bringing Down the House

Your turn!

Easter in the Mountains

We spent Easter weekend in the mountains, about 2 hours drive outside of Rio, with three other families. Another American/Brazilian family from school has a fazenda (farm) in the mountains and invited us to join them for the holiday. It was a blessed and relaxingly peaceful weekend in the country. The two scenery shots here are taken looking out from the main house and the smaller house where we slept. Again, the landscapes here are breathtaking, whether oceanside or in the mountains. I was able to read two People magazines, finish one novel, take a couple of relaxing and refreshing nature walks, and sleep early.
The drive there and back were both during the night, so unfortunately, we weren't able to observe the scenery coming or going. Instead we dealt with lots of traffic a little bit of rain and one another's company in the dark car. BUT, it was my first driving experience in Brazil. I have to say, after 8 months without driving, I felt like a grown up again! I am also happy to say, I was successful in my navigation of busy Rio traffic, even when my lane ran out and I ended up smooshed between two cars...ahhh, city living.

Here is Sierra with the other girls painting Easter eggs on the veranda Saturday afternoon. She had so much fun running around, playing with the other kids and the dogs and rolling in the lush green grass.

Thankfully, the Easter Bunny found all of the kids on the farm, and they enjoyed a fast and furious Easter egg hunt Sunday morning. Here's the whole gang with their loot!










One benefit of being in the mountains is the cooler weather. It was in the 50s at night and surprisingly felt quite chilly to us all. The other benefit in the cooler weather is being able to fix pizza in the outdoor woodburning pizza oven. PIZZA WILL NEVER TASTE THE SAME AGAIN! I couldn't believe how good it tasted hot out of the "oven". I certainly hope that you all enjoyed your holiday as much as we did. Many blessings to you all.

sunscreen song

In response to Tammy's Music Meme. Just listen from beginning to end...and smile!

I am the granddaughter and daughter of breast cancer survivors. I am the mother of a daughter. I am the sister to a sister. I am the friend to many beautiful women. My daughter, at 8 years old, has all ready been witness to courageous fights against cancer by people she loves, yet she continues to ask me, "Mom, what can I do?" "We can I always pray," is what I usually tell her. And sometimes we can do a little something else...

For several years, our Mother's Day tradition was to participate in the Susan G. Koman Race for the Cure with my mother, extended family and friends. This year my mother will walk again with team "Udderly Breast Friends" in the mother's day event in Bloomington, MN.

http://www.racecure.org/site3.aspx

In 2005, I walked and walked and walked and walked and walked 60 miles in 3 Days with team Fight Like a Girl in the Susan G. Koman Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3 Day. Words cannot express the emotion involved with either of these two events. The strength, the community, the fight, the progress shown in masses joined in common pursuit of a common goal -- finding a cure -- is beyond words.

2007's Race for the Cure will go on despite the fact that my daughter and I will not be able to physically participate. My mother continues to walk. My mother continues to survive. My daughter continues to ask, "Mom, what can I do?"

Today I found something she can do:

http://www.lifetimetv.com/breastcancer/petition/signpetition.php

Lifetime television and grammy award winning singer/songwriter Jewel have an online petition urging congress to pass the bipartisan Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2005 (S 910/HR1849). All you have to do is click on the link, read the additional information provided regarding the bill, fill in the required fields and submit.
There are many things in this life beyond my control, and thankfully the power of prayer and strong Faith help me manage the fear that sometimes takes me by surprise. As I pass this on to my daughter, having learned it from my mother, I am also grateful that there are little things to do that also make a difference. Things we can share. Pass it on...

When in Rome?

One would assume that the old phrase, "When in Rome." means we would wear something similar to the above.

When in Brazil...

Play Soccer!

Sierra is now playing futebol with Escola Americana and LOVING it! She received her uniform this week. As you can see, she looks GREAT! I of course wanted her to LOVE volleyball; however, it was not high on her list of activities for second semester. Being the good mother that I am, I forfeited my selfish desires and supported her choice to play soccer instead. I'm just thankful she found a sport she is enjoying.


It's actually hard to live here and NOT enjoy soccer. People of all ages can be seen with a soccer ball at their feet in all places at all times of day, and when there is no soccer ball, an empty bottle or can or nut from a tree is a great substitute for a ball. Mia Hamm would like it here.

Escola Americana's 70th Birthday Celebration

On March 15, EA turned 70 years old. The original school, 1935, was in a house facing Ipenema Beach. During 1937, it was officially named Escola Americana. Formerly, the school operated under the name Ms. Garland's School. Ms. Garland, who will soon celebrate her 103rd birthday, joined the birthday party last night! Somehow the stress of being a teacher didn't shorten her life span. When the Leblon campus opened in 1960, it was the only building on a block that is now filled with highrise housing apartments and hotels. The school moved to it's current location in Gavea in 1971.
The evening began with cocktails and mingling as well as some complimentary photographs by the photographer who does all of the student photos for the yearbook and school events. Many of the expats were laughing at the likeness to High School Prom the photographer added to the evening. Nonetheless, we all stood in line and smiled for our picture couple by couple.



Joe and I were laughing at ourselves while we were preparing to leave for the evening since the event required "passeo completo", which is formal attire here in Brazil. We are so used to spending days in shorts, swimwear and flip flops that dressing up in grown up clothing seemed a little uncomfortable at first. We both were very much looking forward to the night though. And felt great leaving to grab a taxi with Jen and Valdir.




Here are Jen and Valdir at dinner. They are becoming great friends to us both. Jen is the department leader of the student services department and services students in grades 6-12, and Valdir teaches French and Portuguese in the middle school. They are great people. Their one-year old daughter Sophia is a favorite little friend of Sierra's and whenever those two are together Sophia is squealing in delight as Sierra tries every antic she can come up with to get Sophia smiling. Most, if not all, attempts are successful.



A great topic of conversation last night was "the many faces of Jen". She is a very expressive person and she has a couple of signature expressions we all know her by. One involves moving her head with attitude and can't be captured in a still photo. However, another is shown here: hand moving to increase emphasis through gesture, leaning forward to highlight delivery, and fabulous full open mouth smile. So Jen.




Anyone who has heard of my initial travels to Brazil has heard of Mark McFarland, somewhat of an icon to me. I first met Mark in 1995 while student teaching at EA. I thought he rocked then. He is still here, still teaching at EA, and still Rocks! This man left AZ in the 70s with a backpack on foot and ended up in Rio de Janeiro. He's been living in Rio now for 30 years! Just a down to earth, wholesome, honest, funny, happy go lucky, fly by the seat of your pants man. I was so happy last August when I found out he was still here. I think I have a similar photo of the two of us from 12 years ago back home.

All in all the evening was wonderful. The dinner was outstanding. Our table conversation rarely fell below a small roar with laughter. The environment was exquisite. A Brazilian band played lovely background music and later full dancing music. A good time with our EA Family!

Books
Directions: Look at the list of books below.
Bold the ones you’ve read
Italicize the ones you want to read
Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.

1.The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2.Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3.To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (J.R.R. Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (J.R.R. Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10.A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11.Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (J.K. Rowling)
12.Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (J.K. Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16.Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees(Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(J.K. Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (J.R.R. Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (George Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True(Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45 Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Charles Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Charles Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (J.K. Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jone's Diary (Helen Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth(Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100.Ulysses (James Joyce)
Almost 50% of the list isn't so bad, huh? However, I realize many of these books are bolded because I read them prior to teaching them to 8th graders. That means many of them have been read more than 12 times (I have been teaching 12 years) and possibly closer to 60 times (I usually read them 4-5 times each time they are taught because they end up being read with each of my classes.
It was fun to think again about the ones I particularly enjoyed: Jane Eyre, She's Come Undone, Brave New World, Angela's Ashes...
Thanks Tammy!

I must have turned over a new leaf.

This month has become a month of resolutions so to say. As you read in an earlier posting, I spent a Sat afternoon playing softball, which I hadn't done in nearly 15 or more years. This week I decided to join a volleyball team with a colleague of mine at her club near the lagoa. I lived for team sports growing up. When I wasn't practicing or competing in a game, I was training. At one point in my "career" I was leg pressing 385 lbs. in efforts to improve my hops. Well, I have shockingly come to learn, if this activity sits idle for a decade or more, the muscles will SCREAM bloody murder the first time they are again pushed to the limits.
Last night was my first night at Clube Militar playing indoor volleyball--in an over 30 league I might add! It was one hour of kick your butt drills and one hour of 4 on 4 scrimmage. By the second 4 on 4 scrimmage match, my thighs were burning and screaming and tensing and burning and aching and screaming and I pushed on! Why? you might ask. Because it was unbelievably fun!!
At the end of our 2 hours, my colleague asked if I wanted to continue coming every week. She was letting me know that if I wanted "an out" I had one, but if I wanted to remain with the team, I needed to pay the R$35 for the coach's fee for the month. I said, 'Yes! Who do I pay?" despite the onset of extreme muscle pain in my legs.
I paid the team "captain" and walked--gingerly-- from the gym with my colleague at which time she informed me that the coach is Brazil's Pairs Beach Volleyball Coach from the '04 games in Athens!! Hello!! No wonder I just had the workout of the decade.
Today, my forearms are bruised, but my legs feel much better. I intend to do some biking in the coming days to make sure next Monday doesn't leave my muscles as fatigued as last night's practice.
BTW: I still got it!!

Creative Scavenger Hunt

Once again, at the prompting of Tammy, I have another task to complete on the blog. Don't let me fool you; I actually enjoy these crazy things. :-)

1. Morning. When I first thought of morning, I remembered this photo from Christmas morning this past December. It couldn't have been any later than 6:30 a.m. Sierra had been so nervous about whether or not Santa would find her in Brazil. She had a terrible time falling and staying asleep, so you can imagine how quickly she jumped from bed at first dawn. I LOVE Christmas morning...any other morning, I'm not so fond of.

2. Wow!

The view from the Chinese Vista here in Rio, overlooking the city. Cocovado, Christ the Redeemer, is on the left side of the photo on the top of the mountain. The landscapes that I have witnessed in the past 7 months are unbelievable. I think I've seen the most beautiful view possible and then I find another that takes my breath away.

3. Happiness.

I'm an English teacher. I think this one of Sierra writing speaks for itself!

4. Lost...At first sight you may think this is merely a picture of our soccer/basketball court looking down from the veranda, but when you look more closely, almost in the middle of the picture, resting on top of the wall that surrounds the court, you will find one of my hallway rugs!

5. Unexpected!

Last January, while in Parati, we were walking the streets, window shopping, and enjoying the quiet of the little quaint beach town, when I happened past this little restaurant bar. On one wall inside the bar I found the collage of framed, AUTOGRAPHED, photos shown here...the collection includes (although I realize they're hard to see with the glare of the flash) Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, Eva Peron, as well as other world known social activists/leaders. I think I stood in silence for about 5 minutes simply staring in awe at this wall.

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!!!I think it's been 15 YEARS since I last played softball. A decade and a half later, here I am at bat on the field at Escola Americana, under the scorching sun at midday!! WHAT A BLAST!

Here's watching to make sure I really made contact, and running from 1st to 2nd after Neise batted. As you can see, the infield is grass--very different from the true sand of a baseball/softball field. Also, I'm a fast pitch softball player. Anyone who knows anything about softball will be able to relate to the fact that they are two very different games. As a matter of fact, more than once I was asked to join a slow pitch league, and I always said no. However, today was International Family Day at Escola Americana and to give the girls' softball team some practice, I stifled my pompous attitude regarding the battle of fast pitch vs. slow pitch, joined the team of teachers organized to play against the girls. At the end of the game...I realized: I had one heck of a good time!!

After the sportsmanlike shaking of hands, teachers won 4-0, we commenced to discussing the possibility of scheduling another scrimmage. The girls have one tournament in April, where they play against 7 other American schools in Brazil, but before then, they don't have a single game and the chance to play another game would be really good for the kids. I said, "Yeah! I'll play! For sure." Then as I walked away, realizing I was a little stiff from the foreign activity I had just placed my body through, I realized, "Perhaps I should have waited to see how I feel in the morning before committing to another game." Truth be told...I didn't realize how much I missed playing sports.