Two steps forward, but only one step back

Today was a new day. In fact, last night was a new night. After I went on my rant, things immediately simmered down. Anyone who read that post could easily tell that I'm going through what I'd call a tumultuous time, but then again, part of me has to look at it for what it is: a real first-world problem.

That's not to take away from what it is (in my own reality). Things have been tough, but at the end of the day, things have been pretty good. I think I'm in a search for perfection that I just may not ever really find (although I do think I can get a whole lot closer). My kids are great. Today, coming in rejuvenated after a long, reflective night, there was a noticeable difference in their work ethic. I decided that I would come in a lot harder on them than I did last year's class, but please understand "coming in harder" is nothing like the days of old. I've never yelled at a class here at AISC. I've never really been "mad" before at a kid here either. Nothing they do can even begin to compare to some of the dysfunctional behaviors that I dealt with in the past. These kids are good. That said, it's still only the third week, and I have had to take a few kids aside and give them "the talk." Two of them have had to have two of "the talks," but you can tell that they're just immature or lack self-control; it's definitely not a disrespect or defiance thing. Anyway, back to the subject at hand...things are looking up a bit.

I've had a couple of crappy lessons that kind of taint the day, but for me, I've found that it's helpful to look at it like a "water off a duck's back" kind of thing. Adding to the emotion of the whole situation is having someone observing you when things just aren't going well. It takes me back to my first couple of years in the teaching internship program. That, in itself, makes you feel a bit like a rookie. I mean, how many of you who are working full-time could even imagine having someone watching you fail or succeed on a daily basis? There's never a break from my not only my own self-critique, but the real or imagined criticism adds a whole different layer. I think Courtney still enjoys herself. She certainly has begun making some real positive additions to our classroom, specifically, she has learned how to "scaffold" (support) our level one English speakers. It's been fun to watch. She's young, energetic, and enthusiastic, and honestly, with these kids, she has a WAY better relationship with them than I do.

I've begun to step into my primary role more these days, which is one of the "classroom teacher." This seems obvious, but in fact is quite different from what you might think. In truth, we have two teachers for a reason. I am the "content specialist." It is my job to plan the content (the "big picture") and to plan activities and assessments accordingly. Megha, my co-teacher is the "ELD Teacher," which means it's her job to support the English-Language Learners (ELLs) throughout the lessons. Sounds great, but the reality is that she's only in there for two of the five periods a day. She's with me during Reading and Writing, but not for Math, Science, or Social Studies. This certainly makes things complicated because in addition to being the "content specialist," when she's not there, now I have to assume her position.  What I've come to realize now more than ever is that despite my own experience being a second-language student (albeit one in my 30s), this is a far different role than what I'm used to. Whereas in CA I felt that my Spanish capabilities made me somewhat qualified to teach language (that language being solely Spanish), I realize now that I'm still very much the learner when it comes to teaching kids who speak Japanese, Korean, German, or French the language of instruction: English. So, the newest and most challenging aspect of my position, is how to do both to the best of my abilities. Teaching content has never been an issue for me. If you're in a classroom of kids who speak English proficiently, the content is not so much the issue. Sure, when you have 32 kids, it can be a monumental challenge, but my kids are all well-fed, well-cared for, not subject to any sort of abuse, have stable home lives (but might miss their dads a lot), and, for the most part, highly intelligent (gotta love those genetics). Now, the game has changed. Sure, I can get up there and guide kids through how to write a personal narrative, but when you've got a few kids who don't know what the HELL you're saying, you can see that I have a new, and HUGE, task ahead of me.

And so it goes, the challenges persist. Like I said, today was a better day, but there's still plenty of work to be done. I feel like this is my new schedule: work, come home and reflect (blog) and then get to planning to make each and every day better than the day before. Maybe I'm on to something...

BK

What the hell?!

Probably what a lot of you were thinking this morning, huh? How could someone so obsessive with all things Facebook just give it up cold turkey and walk away like it was nothing? Well, I guess the idea hit me somewhere during my little "epiphany" while stuck in traffic for the one day I came back to Chennai before taking back off on my little Asian excursion. It was in that moment that several things occurred to me: 1. I needed to give up the PH (at least during the weekdays) 2. I needed to begin avoiding traffic as much as possible, as it seems there is NOTHING on Earth that annoys me more. 3. I needed to get back into some healthy living (a funny thought to have right before you take off for an additional two weeks of gluttony on top of the previous five). And finally, #5. I needed to give up Facebook. At the time, my reasoning was just that I was spending too much time on it, but also, there was a part of me that knew that this year would be different than last, particularly with a student teacher. I'll come back to that thought in a while...

This past weekend, after only eight days back at school, I decided to try and throw together a little "guys' trip" to Bangalore. I only managed to sign up two: Ethan (I knew I could count on him) and another guy, Rob (who's married with a kid and teaches 6th grade humanities). Bangalore, was as imagined, full of poolside Hyatt lounging, day drinking, and visits to the local microbreweries for craft beer and fried food. It was just what I wanted (note: NOT what I needed). While the weekend was a good one, and I had fun, I came back feeling gross. I was hangover free both mornings (surprising that that was the case on Saturday AM at least), so the only thing that was really making me feel bad was the mental space I was in. I regretted all the food and beer as I felt incredibly bloated, but just as much, I regretted my choice to go away when my time could have been used so much more wisely by sticking around. As was the case, I came back late afternoon yesterday, and despite vowing to hit the school and get some lesson planning done, it didn't happen (when you wake up from fainting, you can continue reading).

So, I woke up this morning and, of course, did my usual routine of letting my snooze have one more go around while I checked in on my online life: FB, Gmail accounts, and the top stories. But something was different today. Despite previous challenges to myself to give up the FB, today, it took little more than reading a few stories to do me in. I just couldn't handle it. Where I would normally be happy to hear of various friends' celebrations, accomplishments, etc., it just made me feel a little bitter. I told myself then and there that I was going to quit FB. I'm sure you've all read stories that talk about this phenomenon: when you're feeling shitty, one of the worst things you can do is read FB. Well, I guess I've always known that there's a lot of truth to it, but today, it was just so in-my-face.

I went ahead with my run (and I was rather proud, as I couldn't have imagined how I would have felt today not doing that), and as I jogged along, I began to feel better and better about my decision. When I got home, I wrote the message, deleted the app, and instantly felt really good about my decision. As I drove to school, I got some of the "Goodbye...we'll miss you!" emails through my notifications, and as I read each one, it made me a little sad, but in another way, it almost felt like closure. Throughout the day, my mind would tell me, "Just log in and see how many likes you have!" Or better, "You should probably go into your notifications and just click to make the little red number go away," but I refrained from doing so. Hell, I didn't even bother to go back in and attempt to deactivate it. I just walked away from it. And still now, I have to say, it feels really good. I just don't need it in my life right now.

So what changed? Well, to be perfectly frank, my ego just can't take it right now. I'm not in the most positive space, therefore, the last thing I need to read about is all of the "happy" things going on in people's lives. I just need to be real right now, with myself, and with those around me. I need to be selfish. I need to focus on my own well-being (physically, mentally and spiritually), as that is a full-time job. So sorry, I just can't bother myself with people's celebrations, trips, or drama.

The truth is, while this year has brought with it considerably less stress (simply because I'm a "second year teacher), lately I'm actually more stressed out as a result of the expectations I've begun placing on myself. Last year, I was allowed to be in "survival mode" and to play dumb whenever I needed to. Everything was just so new to me, so it was only natural that I was completely overwhelmed, and even forgiven for when I felt that way. I often got by on the bare minimum, and at work, I'd say that I certainly wasn't having to give it 100% because hey, "I'm new here."

Last year, when I was approached by our Director of Teaching and Learning to take on a student teacher, I knew it was something I had to do. You'd be forgiven for thinking to yourself, "He just wanted someone else to do all the work!" but if you did, you'd be wrong. Sure, a student teacher does take on part of the job description, but it's certainly not as if I can just go hang out in the staff lounge and drink coffee while she teaches (she's actually only really observed and worked with small groups so far). Additionally, I spend a majority of my prep time conferencing with her as well, so I get much less done during this time (not that I was really using it productively last year). In the back of my mind, I knew that if I took on a student teacher, I'd have to "step up my game" in a major way. That meant no more "winging it," far fewer bullshit sessions with my class to kill time, and, of course, a requirement that I would need to put a lot more time and thought into everything I was doing. After all, she's not spending thousands of dollars to come over and watch me run my Mr. Ben Comedy Club, and furthermore, neither are these parents.

To top it off, I work with a young teacher from New York who appears very much to be at the top of her game. Her lessons are SOLID. She always has fun, engaging activities, lessons, and projects going on and to be real honest once again, I just don't feel like I can keep up with her. It's been a tough pill to swallow watching a fourth year teacher seemingly run circles around other teachers and me at the school. I can, of course, sit back and say to myself that she's younger, more energetic, fresher out of college and therefore more current on teaching strategies/methodologies, but in the end, those are all just excuses. I need to get my shit together for the kids, my student teacher, and as importantly as anyone else, for me.

For years, I was told that I was such a great teacher at TCK, but as I've said before, looking back, I wasn't a teacher. I was a talker. Yes, I was part life-coach, mediator, disciplinarian, father figure, social worker, etc., but in a place like this, I don't need to be a lot of those things. Here, I need to be a facilitator. I need to be a guide, a role model, and of course, there's always room in the day for me to make kids laugh, have fun, and feel good about themselves. But the best way for me to be able to do those things is to learn to reinvent myself as an educator, someone who helps kids develop a love of learning, someone who allows kids to take risks, someone who facilitates learning opportunities so that kids can become true learners, self-sufficient thinkers, and above all else, someone who empowers them to be their best. I know that all sounds corny as hell, but it's my new mission.

Right now, I'm feeling crappy about the job I've been doing, and I'm feeling a little fragile. It's almost like everything I've ever known about myself as "Ben the teacher" has blown up in my face. While it feels more than a little devastating, I'm happy for the opportunity that I have to recognize this now, rather than the very real possibility that I could've spent my whole life doing what I always did and thinking my shit didn't stink. Yes, I'm being incredibly tough on myself and yes, I'm causing myself sleepless nights, but every day, I'm taking baby steps in the right direction, and by the end of the year, I'll know that I've grown more here professionally than I ever have in my life. And, I'll be proud to know that I did it all on my own.  It's like the old, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" adage. Some days it's feeling like I'm dying a little, but I'm also aware enough that every day, I'm getting a little bit better. With every new learning activity I plan, every new game I make up or help kids make up to reinforce their learning, every lesson I help scaffold to support one of my few students who, although they speak NO English right now, are desperate to grasp the language, I will become more and more of a true "teacher"(and not in the conventional sense I've always known).

So there you have it. A really long explanation for a decision that seemingly took only seconds. And please don't try to respond telling me you feel bad for me, that I'm being too hard on myself, or that I'm an "amazing teacher" (you can't anyways because I disabled the comments!!). I'm fully aware of the difference I was able to make in hundreds of kids' lives back in Stockton, and I'll always be grateful for the experiences I had there. However, my coming to India, as it turns out, is ending up being about far more than the amazing vacations I've been able to have. It's showing itself to be a once-in-a-lifetime, professionally (and probably personally too) transformational opportunity. Despite all the stress and negative feelings, I'll persevere and be better for it in the end. And being better is a must if I want to land my next job in Istanbul. Or Tokyo. Or Prague. Or Berlin. Or Rio. Or....well, you get the picture.  :)

I'll update you soon with regard to my progress. Thanks for reading, and if you're so inclined, you can always send me some good thoughts/positive energy! It's a long way, but I know they'll get here.

Much love,

Ben

I couldn't be more annoyed right now…

Seriously, I couldn't. Today was one of those days where it seemed like nothing went right. Even right now for example. I left my stupid charger for the computer in the classroom, which is a pretty frequent occurrence, but the fact that had to happen today of all days is really just icing on the cake. So tonight, I'm trying something I've never done, which is to complete this blog entry by using voice to text on my iPad. Let's see how this works…

So yeah, I'm super annoyed. I've come to the realization that I really hate Chennai. Oh wait, have I said that before? I really do. Fortunately, most of my time spent in this horrible place is in my classroom at school. I'm still absolutely crazy about my class, and they are the main source of joy in my life. When I'm not the classroom, I very much enjoy getting out, wandering the halls, and eating lunch in the cafeteria with my awesome colleagues. We always have great conversations and they're so much fun to talk to. A lot of us right now are feeling the funk. There's a graph that I was looking at the other night that talks about the stages new teachers go through. While I'm not a new teacher, I am new to the school, so it is relevant. Right now, we're all in the "disillusionment stage." I think I don't feel it quite as much as some other people, particularly those who just returned from the United States. However, I'm definitely in it. It's not like I'm so miserable that I want to jump on a plane and go home. I think there are a lot of really good aspects of living where I am, but part of the problem is that we all know we have a three month stretch before we're off on break, so this is very much going to be a long haul.

There are really too many things to list that annoy me, however, I can easily say that the nightmare traffic situation tops the list. Tonight's was horrendous. I left school at about 3 o'clock to head over to the Park Hyatt. When I got there, I wasn't sure exactly what I was going to do for my workout because most of my body is still pretty sore from Tuesday. Following my usual routine, when I got there and was changing I stepped on the scale to get my pre-workout weight. I was delighted to find out that I was in the zone where I could possibly be breaking the 200 pound mark for the first time since 2000. So, I went into the private workout room and kick my own ass for the next 40 minutes. I did 10 rounds of 25 sit ups and 100 jump ropes. I worked out to the point that I couldn't do anymore. I also hung in there until I had to go pee, thinking that every extra little bit would help for the final, post work out weigh in. I was so excited to get on the scale, but as soon as I did, I realized that it wasn't working. At this point, my OCD kicked in and I spent the next 10 minutes taking the batteries out and replacing them trying to get it to work. All of this while standing in the disposable white undergarment they provide. Yeah, I look like a douche bag, but I didn't care. This was going to be my moment of glory. But alas, it never happened. Realizing that I was probably making a foolish decision by asking Babu to take me to the Phoenix Mall, I threw caution to the wind and we braved the masses so that I can go find my own digital scale.

Now, the mall has two home goods stores, so the idea of finding a digital scale didn't seem like an impossible task. Then I remembered that I live in India. I went into the first, and I asked one of the workers. We had our usual 30 second interaction of confusion and some pantomiming, on my part of course. Did they have a scale? No, of course they didn't. Why would a home goods store have a thing like a digital scale? That would make way too much sense. I headed over to the second store, which basically has the same stuff but is a different company, and asked the same stupid question. I got the same response. Now I'm really irritated. Where the hell does one go to buy a goddamn scale? Next, I decided to go down into the basement of the store to a place called Big Bizarre which has pretty much everything under the sun. I liken it to an Indian Walmart. As I approached the store, I did the end thinkable and tried to enter through the exit since nobody was there. I was stopped by this idiot of a security guard and told to go around to the entrance. That definitely turned up the annoyance level a few more notches. And, of course they didn't have a scale either. Walking out, I passed the pharmacy and went in and ask them if they knew where I might be able to find one. Low and behold, they had two in stock. Now mind you, these two scales had probably been sitting in the store since they opened, but I didn't care. I went to pay for, and my card was declined. I told him there was no way my card should've been declined because I use it all the time all around India. He told me there was a problem with machine and asked me for another card. I gave him a second card, and once again it didn't work. He asked me if I had cash, and of course I was Rs.150 short. So, I decided to all for the cheaper of the two, and when I opened it, you could tell it had been used. At that point, I didn't care. I just wanted the stupid scale in my hands so that I can go home and get away from all the madness. Little did I know that my trip home would be a trip through hell. 

Basically, from the moment we exited the mall, I knew it would be bad. As Babu tried to merge into the traffic lane, literally about 30 scooters cut us off and came within inches of my front fender. From there, it was over one hour of bumper-to-bumper ridiculousness. You literally have to see it to believe it, but even if you did see it, you still wouldn't believe it. It is just beyond anything you could imagine in your wildest dreams. It's as my friend Andrew said the other day. There really aren't any rules in India, just suggestions. It's not uncommon to see things like cars coming the wrong way down the street, right through the middle, completely oblivious to the fact that they're screwing up the entire traffic situation and making everything 10 times worse. They frankly just don't give a damn. In India, it's all about survival. Very little respect… Wait, no, zero respect is given to other drivers. People are all about getting to where they need to go, and there is just no regard for anybody else but themselves. Not to mention the fact that the hunky and is incessant. If I were to count the number of horns I heard tonight, I bet it would be at least several hundred. Then, added the accelerating and braking that occurs when you're being cut off constantly, then throw in a bunch of potholes, some traffic lights that don't really work and a traffic officer who's making things harder than they need to be. Oh, and how could I forget? Throwing the whole gaggle of pedestrians that like to play Frogger on any given street at any given time. It seriously makes something like the 405 in LA look like cruising down Beverly Hills Blvd.

I finally got home, and I was excited to eat. Being on Paleo IS a challenge, as most people would probably understand. I had had numerous conversations with Selena this past week about things she could and couldn't use when preparing my food. Earlier this week, I actually went into the cabinets and took out everything that I didn't want her to use and put it into a plastic bag and set it on the table for her to take home. Then, she apparently went on some sort of shopping spree at the beginning of the week and spent Rs.2500 (about $40) on groceries. I told her that was a ridiculous amount and she was to never do that again. I walk in the door and see receipts for another Rs.500, which is about another $10. On those receipts I see that she bought me some prawns, so I was feeling pretty excited. Then, on the next receipt, I see that she had decided to buy some breadcrumbs. I knew what she had done, and I know that she's not the brightest bulb on the tree, but I couldn't believe that after everything I had talked to her about, she go throw breadcrumbs on these perfectly edible shrimp. And wouldn't you know it? She did. I called her, quite agitated, and let her know my feelings about her decision-making today. In typical Indian fashion, she brushed it all off and was very nonchalant. At one point she said, "That's ok, no problem," to which I responded, "Um, yeah, that IS a problem." Of course, we never apologize, we just sit there on the phone and listen to the riot act being read to us. So, for the next five minutes I went through with my bare fingers and pick the breading off of all of the shrimp so I could eat something. Then, I come out to write my blog, and the stupid cord is in my bag. Perfect end to it totally crap afternoon. 

Now, notice I didn't say Day. Although my morning was pretty craptastic (I think I'm coming down with another cold ON TOP OF the chest cold that I can't seem to shake), my day with the kids was a highlight. But, just the kids. I think I've said in my earlier blogs that I have a co-teacher, and for the most part, we get along really well. But today, she annoyed the shit out of me. Every day, we're supposed to get two 45 minute prep periods. However, I had to meet with her or my team for every single one of these. Because it's the start of a news semester, we're basically starting new units and almost every subject. So, there's a tremendous amount of planning. Wouldn't you know that today would be the perfect storm. On a day where I'm feeling exceptionally shitty, she is almost manic. She proceeded to do the thing that probably is my number one pet peeve, which is to attempt to boss me around. I was pretty much just ignoring her, but she wasn't getting it. At one point she asked me why I wasn't talking during our meeting. Not wanting to cause a bunch of drama, I just use the excuse that I wasn't feeling real well… which was pretty much true. Not to mention the fact that today was my sixth day on Paleo. Prior to today, I had been feeling like $1 million, but I've also been having problems sleeping lately. I guess after the third or fourth night of waking up at 4 o'clock in the morning, anybody would get agitated. So when you combine bossiness, excessive meetings, a cold, and angry body, and sleep deprivation, you've got it awful mixture. Luckily, the kids were being really funny today and I was able to push through the rest of the day. On a sidenote, I told the kids at the beginning of this week that I wanted them to take turns doing presentations at the end of the day to teach us more about themselves. I explained that the presentations could be pretty much about anything that they wanted to talk about or that interests them. Being the number one teacher that I am, I told them that I would be the first to present. Because our school is so in inquiry-based and technology focused and workshop oriented, it's rare for me to get up in front of the class and actually directly teach them about a top. Actually, it's extremely rare. So, the past two nights, I had put in about four hours on a Google presentation that was 80 slides long. Not each slide was full of information. There were some slides with animated GIFs files and a few other slides that just had a sentence or two or maybe just a picture. But, it really was 80 slides, and it took me a long time! Although the title of the presentation was "Setting Goals," in it, I began with early man, moved into ancient civilizations, discussed the advent of irrigation and agriculture and how the Paleolithic times came to an end once that happened. After that I talked about the Paleo diet, I showed a video on CrossFit, and finally I ended with a description of what a "Paleo Challenge" entails. I talked about setting goals, making a plan, and motivation a lot. I also showed the kids an infamous picture I had taken at an Oakland A's game with my friend Riina a number of years ago. They were shocked! Although I don't think we realized it at the time, we were both quite portly. 

I talked to the kids about how when I was young, I was athletic and skinny, but after graduating from college I was 200 pounds. From there, I had gotten up as high as 250 pounds before meeting my good friend Tina G, who encouraged me to run my first (and last) marathon. I lost 30 pounds in this process, but some of it managed to sneak back on. From there, I took them back to October 2012 when I decided to enter my first Paleo challenge at the CrossFit gym I was working out at. I showed them the before-and-after picture, which showed me standing there with 10 $20 bills. They really liked that (but not as much as the fat Mr. Ben pic)! In the end, my point was that I wanted them to always remember that being successful is all about setting and achieving goals in life. It was quite a fun presentation, if I do say so myself, and I won't let the fact that they didn't clap for me deter me from believing that it was so.

So that's about it. Frankly I'm getting a little tired of talking into this oversized iPhone, so I think I'll leave it at that. I could easily launch into a whole diatribe about all of the things that bother me about living here, but I feel like I've mentioned many of them before. And frankly, after I've had some time to relax and let things settle, I realize that my life here is really quite nice. Nothing is perfect, so I guess when you consider that so many aspects of my life here are so amazing, it's only natural that there would be some downfalls. For now, I'm going to continue focusing on my fitness and get into the best shape of my life, because frankly, what the hell else do I have to do? You know, I have a little over 2 1/2 months until it's Spring Break. I'll go away for that week, I'll come back and bear the heat, and then I'll look forward to coming back home see all my friends and family at the end of May. I'll then go on to enjoy the hell out of June back at home, eating Adalberto's as much as humanly possible, and will look forward to hopefully throwing a little birthday bash at Bridgeport mid-month. After that, I'll head back to Minnesota for a week to spend time with my sister and her family as well as my dad and his, and following that, come back to drop off my supplies and jump right back on a plane and head to SE Asia to go explore Vietnam, Cambodia, and hopefully a little bit more of Thailand. I'll get back after that little tour, get started on my new teaching assignment, (maybe in second grade?) and in the back of my mind will start mentally preparing for the next job fair that happens in January 2015. In fact, the school asks you in September if you'll be returning, so in actuality I will probably already be making preparations for the next change of venue. I have decided that I'm willing to work at a second rate school in exchange for a first rate location in my next go-around, however, I'm pretty sure that the kick ass cities also have kick ass schools, so that shouldn't be a problem. 

Living in India, you're constantly reminded to live in the moment. It's just what people do here. They don't seem to have any worries about the past or the future, which is quite admirable. For me, I try to live by this creed as much as possible, but the reality is that some days, the only thing that can get me through and help me keep my sanity is the promise of a new location (as well as the idea of leaving the city of Chennai behind). I'm sure that when it does come time to leave, it'll be harder than I would've ever imagined. I'll definitely miss my colleagues, the school, and most importantly, the kids. But in their case, they never stick around more than about three years, so missing them is really kind of irrelevant. We're all kind of living this temporary, nomadic lifestyle, and that's just part of the game. 

So there you have it. I'm sorry that I was kind of a Debbie Downer in this blog, but I think it's important to keep it real. The beauty about writing a blog that only my friends and family can see is that I can be totally honest. I don't have to put up any false pretenses to try to impress any of the people I'm working with, many of whom likely feel the exact same way, and that's nice. And for anybody who's worried about me, please don't be I am surrounded by wonderful new friends here that I can talk to any time about pretty much anything, but the blog is just a nice place to vent sometimes. Things will pick up like they always do. Being down is almost always followed by an upsurge, which should conveniently be right about the time that my friends and I are leaving on the plane to Sri Lanka for our Spring Break! 

And sorry for any typos. It's totally uncharacteristic of me to not go back through and proofread, but I'm done!!

Ben

Veni, Vidi, Vici

I was in high school when I first read "Veni, Vidi, Vici" on what I recall as a pack of cigarettes (no doubt, someone else's). I soon after learned its origin and meaning. I don't know why I thought of this distant memory when I opened up the computer to type out my thoughts on my recent trip to KL, but it came up nonetheless. So, for the purposes of this little recap, I shall change the meaning of this expression from, "I came, I saw, I conquered" to a more (in)appropriate, "I came, I saw, I sat on the toilet."

Man, I wish I had good things to say about my trip to KL, but I just don't. Not after this past weekend, and certainly not after having visited a city like Bangkok less than a month before. Flying into the airport, I was excited. I was excited about another stamp in the passport, excited about a little solo trip in a serviced apartment with a kick ass bed, and most importantly, excited about getting up to the top of the iconic Petronas Towers. But soon, that excitement would turn to misery, boredom and frankly, just plain old depression.

So, let's start from the top. I got in on Thursday afternoon and was immediately greeted by Richard the cab driver. He hussled me in the doorway of the airport, and when I brushed him off, he persisted by telling me that he was a "real cab driver" with a "working meter." Anxious to get going, I finally accepted his offer and was delighted to see that we wouldn't be riding in one of the shabby red 80's Toyota Corollas (or similar, but in every way just as shitty as the shittiest type of cabs I've ever been in), but rather, a sweet blue van, complete with shiny blue plastic floormats and three, count them, THREE DVD screens. I jumped into the back bench seat, kicked that sucker all the way back, and luxuriated into my new surroundings with "Superman: Man of Steel" playing in the background. For the one hour ride in, things were going great. Never mind that a mini monsoon moved in on us and at one point I thought we might hydroplane to our deaths (and did we bother to put on our seat belts? Of course not because we're both Buddhists...well, one of us is and the other just pretends to be). Anyway, we made it through, and as we traveled the countryside with friendly Richard giving me the 411 on everything Malaysia, I thought that this was going to be one kick-ass trip.

I got to the hotel and went to check in. There was virtually no lobby, just two ladies at a desk. They were busy with others but saw me and told me to take a seat. I sat down, and immediately after, a Muslim family tried to make their move. They KNEW I was there before them, but they tried to sidle up to the counter and move in. As I sat there glaring at them, I told myself that if the lady helped them next, she'd be getting it from me (which, on a side note, is a funny part of my new identity here...I used to yell and scream and throw tantrums regularly in my 20s for all sorts of ridiculous things, but hadn't really done this anymore until moving to India...and I realize how I've missed it so much!). Being the conscientious professional she was, she told them I was next and put off their repeated insistence of being helped next. I gave all three of them (mom, dad, grown up daughter) some more glares, a serious head shaking, and finally a smug look of "Ha ha, I'm going first" superiority (like you might give someone if you were, say, bumped to first class because you have 110,000 miles on United credit cards because you charge everything under the sun). See ya, suckers!

At the desk, I quickly reinforced her professionalism with a sincere compliment, and then proceeded to ask for an upgrade. To my delight, she obliged. I was to be staying on the 16th floor (instead of the lowly 10th floor, which, in the end, was not even remotely close to the 30th floor I was hoping for), and I was pretty damned pleased. I got up into the room, spread out my shit, tested out the bed, and then poured myself an afternoon Jameson for the quick trip up to the (disappointing) infinity pool and really nice gym (that I had convinced myself I was going to use...so much so that I even brought workout gear). I came back down, summoned the bellhop to bring me a giant BOWL full of ice, and poured myself another drink. Suddenly, I realized that I hadn't adjusted the time on my phone, and after doing so, I realized it was time to start getting ready for my first night out. I plugged my phone into the docking station, blasted some hip hop, did some embarrassing "I think I'm-kind-of-drunk-already dance moves," took a shower, and headed out.

My first stop had been planned WELL in advance. It would be a trip to "The Whiskey Bar," which was conveniently connected to "The Steak House" (clearly some marketing genius there). I posted up at the bar, ordered myself a fine whiskey flight, and then a Guinness (or maybe it was two?) and after, headed into the restaurant for dinner. I must confess, it was at this point that things start getting fuzzy. Good thing I had pictures of my dinner that I could look at later the next day to help me recall what I had undoubtedly devoured. From there, I went back to the whiskey side of the establishment, had another drink, and then went home for my early morning walking tour.

I woke up and quickly realized I had overslept, but I didn't care. I poured myself some "hair of the dog" and made some Thanksgiving phone calls. Several of them, in fact. Maybe had another couple of drinks while I was at it (I was really feeling the Thanksgiving spirit, and I figured I had lots to be thankful for, and since I had no family or friends around, my old pal John and I celebrated the day). After my series of drunk dials, I went out on the town for lunch and perhaps a couple of Guinnesses and an Irish coffee to try to regain some semblance of composure, but instead went back to the hotel room and passed out. I woke up just in time to start getting ready for dinner out on the town where this time, I'd be hitting up a "Mexican restaurant." I was in prime form, trying to speak Spanish with the poor waitresses, buying laser pointers from the guy on the street (TWO of them, mind you), and just being a real fun person. After dinner (which consisted of chicken nachos and duck chimichangas...but back to that later), I stopped in next door to the hookah bar, where I proceeded to take up prime real estate while having another couple of Guinnesses and a hookah all to myself. Game over. This is where things spiral down, down, down...

I wake up again, and I feel like DEATH. I check my phone only to realize that I had, in my nice-guy condition from the night before, rescheduled my walking tour to Saturday morning. Not wanting to stiff them on the $50, and because at this point I thought I was just wickedly hungover, I decided that the best punishment was to force myself out into the world where I could atone for my bad decision-making and overzealousness from the past 36 hours. I take the cab ride there, thinking the entire time that this is just another really bad choice, and get to the place. Totally lost, I call them and the lady comes down to get me. Once inside, I take a look at all the other annoying, overly excited tourists, and immediately regret my decision. However, I paid for my reservation and took a seat on the chair in the waiting room in absolute silence. I didn't look at anybody, didn't smile at anybody, I basically just hated all of them because they weren't hungover, and therefore, couldn't understand me.  9:00 finally came, and our guide, this dorky, pudgy Malaysian guy named Sean, came to get us. I disliked him immediately. He started talking our faces off, and that combined with an intense wave of nausea and lightheadedness, made me wonder how I'd EVER make it through the next four hours. But I had to keep pressing on.

Much to my dismay, our first "stop" happened to be immediately downstairs at some local restaurant that wasn't serving ANYTHING I liked. I sat there and pretended to enjoy my food, and at one point had a burst of positive energy, asking such things of my table mates as, "So, what brings you to Malaysia?" "Where are you guys from?" "How long are you here?" and all of that annoying bullshit. We quickly found out that my living situation was far more fascinating, so I became the center of attention, and I immediately regretted ever even opening my mouth. As we finished up what seemed like the longest meal ever, we got up and finally started moving. Keeping moving was what was going to get me through my day, so I was excited to get going. And then, DUMB ASS SEAN, stops about 50 feet later and goes on the most long-winded, bullshit story about God-knows-what that I've ever heard. I pretended like I cared for about five minutes, but when it became apparent that we weren't going anywhere, I not-so-subtly started wandering away from the group. 10 feet at first to check out some artwork in a stall. Nothing. About 25 feet further to check out the farthest stall. Still oblivious. Finally, probably 100 feet away and straight into a full on market for 10 MINUTES. Came back and he was STILL talking. And the worst part? People were actually looking interested, which caused him to talk even more! After what seemed like an eternity, we finally got going again, with me somehow leading the group partly because I was trying to move aggressively in the hopes that he'd pick up the pace but also party because I just hated everyone so much at this point. I mean, I really hated everyone, but especially Sean. Didn't he understand that this was a "walking tour" and not a "Sean talks the ENTIRE time tour?!"

So we're walking and he tells us that we're first going to visit KL's oldest Buddhist temple. Cool. Excellent. Can't wait. Then we turn the corner and we're there. And then Sean, in typical Sean fashion, proceeds to open his fool mouth for his next lecture. At this point, I started realizing I needed to make a break for it, but I wasn't quite sure how. Then I started telling myself, "Ben, you're a grown ass man (at least biologically). You do NOT have to stay here like a prisoner. Just leave!" But then I felt bad, like it would cause Sean or others to realize just how shitty of a guide he truly was. And then I didn't care, so I started doing my little "sneak away & then return technique," which clearly did not take off. I tried wandering away about three times, each time for longer and farther, and finally, after about 20 minutes, I just did it. I just walked away and didn't turn back. I started to feel bad, but then I started justifying it that it wasn't MY shitty attitude, but rather Sean's total and complete incompetence. I threw out an email to the company saying I wasn't feeling good (which was true) and that I needed to leave.

From there, I flagged down the shittiest looking cab ever and asked the dude, "Do you know Fraser Place?" Of course he didn't. Slammed shut that door. Next shitty cab, asked the same question. This guy, after me pulling up the map and repeatedly telling him the street name, finally tells me he can get me there. We start on our way, and with each passing minute (and each grumble of the stomach), I'm realizing that this is more than a hangover. FAR more. I'm feeling absolutely AWFUL at this point and I cannot WAIT to get back to the hotel to lie down. Finally, after about 15 minutes, I realize that we're driving in circles. CIRCLES. I say, "Dude, do you know where you're going?!" He says he does, but after seriously the third circle past the same restaurant and a horribly inappropriate u-turn, I'm done. I'm pissed, and I'm sicker than hell. He finally gets sick of my bitching, pulls over, and tells me to get out (which I not-so-happily do). I start walking and come to find out I'm now nearly two kilometers from the God damned hotel. WAY too far to walk. I ask a few more cabbies, each of whom acts like I'm speaking a foreign language when I ask about Fraser Place (wait...). But seriously, now I'm pissed at myself (and Fraser Place) for it not having a more well-known name. Why in the HELL didn't I stay at the Mandarin Oriental?! Eventually, I find a cab who's more than willing to rip me off and take me to Fraser Place for an astronomical sum. But I didn't care, I just wanted home.

I get back up to the room (and at this point I'm glad that I didn't have to go any higher than the 16th floor), and throw myself onto the bed in a pitiful heap. Now I was completely miserable, and the blues started setting in. Why in the hell did I have to go all the way to Malaysia when I could've stuck around with friends and gone someplace local? I missed my old friends, I missed my new friends, and especially just past Thanksgiving, I missed my family. It all just sucked.

Then, after about an hour of self-loathing, the diarrhea sets in and I realize I need to do something about this situation before bad things happen to my mattress and sheets. Furthermore, I had no water in the hotel room, so something was going to have to give. So I got out of bed and trudged down to the KLCC Mall (SUPER fancy, located in the bottom of the Petronas Towers). There, I grabbed my tickets for that night's tour, found a pharmacy, and pathetically described my medical woes to the woman behind the counter. She gave me Immodium and charcoal tablets. Charcoal tablets. I didn't give a shit at that point, so I threw them all down the gullet. As I walked back out of the mall, I made a split-second decision to NOT go back to the hotel, but rather, go to Chinatown and see if some knockoff designer clothing/sunglasses/watches (as if I need another watch) would make me feel better. It did not. I didn't even stick around long enough to see what they had. Deciding that I needed to get something into my stomach, something that had some sort of health/sanitation standards, I opted for the "safe bet..." McDonalds. I scarfed down a McChicken and small fries, and realizing that this might have just made a bad situation even worse, jumped into another rip-off-mobile and headed to what I believe is the universe's largest mall. It was 10 stories tall (literally), had a freaking ROLLER COASTER in it (which I never did actually see, just heard the screams from), and was just all-around madness. After wandering around pitifully (having to sit down occasionally to keep from passing out), I got into another shitty Malaysian cab (this one took second place, and the guy was even nice enough to warn me beforehand that he was going to gently violate me for the cab fare because there was "lots of traffic") and we were off to the hotel again.

This time, I slept for about an hour before waking up to make the walk to the towers. At this point, I was feeling the worst I had all day, but I felt like I had no choice in the matter. THIS moment was why I had come...I couldn't let it pass me by. I walked the 15 minutes to the towers and, even though I was the first one there, just couldn't bring myself to start the line. Nope. I chose the comfy seat on the stairs. I watched them as disgust as they lined up, and telling myself that I didn't care if I was the last person on EARTH to get into that line, I sat there until the bitter end. When I finally did get into line, I was annoyed just as I suspected I'd be, but now feeling even worse (which I didn't think was even imaginable). I didn't know how I'd make it through the next hour. As we entered into the TSA-style annoyingly over-secure security checkpoint, this dude probably in his 20's tried to make a crack at how ridiculous the process was, and where a jovial Ben would've jumped into this bitch session gladly, I just ignored him completely. So rude, and I just didn't give a damn. I felt kind of bad, but then again, I had bigger issues. Such as: where is the closest bathroom "in case of emergency?"

Then, we get to the elevator, and in front of us, there's this hologram-thingy made from a smoke machine and lasers. It featured a lady giving safety briefings much like you'd find on a plane, but this was WAY more annoying because this asshole, overly energetic teenager and his fool dad thought it was SO funny to blow on the smoke and have her image get distorted. And then the dad did basically the most annoying thing I've ever seen, which was to walk though it and then laugh at how clever he thought he was. I just wanted to kick them both in the balls. And then, when I think people can't possibly be any more annoying, we pack ourselves into the elevator like some damned sardines, and as it goes up, fake lighting and cityscape appear on the sides (because it's night time). Out of nowhere, this old Chinese lady starts doing the stupidest fake commentary, "Welcome to KL. On the left, you'll see downtown KL." You would've thought she was doing the "sweaty balls/underwear" Louis CK routine people were laughing so hard. Everybody, that is, except for me. I was not amused one bit.

We stopped at the skybridge (thank God because I was ready to put the Chinese lady in a headlock), and there, I spent the next 15 minutes looking for a crack/opening where I could throw my body out of the 170 meter height. They must have seen me coming, because it was totally secure. From there, back into the elevator, where annoying lady continued her laugh-fest all the way up to the 87th floor, where we got out and I basically just found a seat, buried my face in my hands. and prayed for death.

"It was there at my highest height that I was at my lowest low"- Ben Knight, Petronas Towers, 11/30/2013 (I made that up the other day...isn't it creative?)

I got home and went straight to sleep, and the next morning, feeling a solid 50%, I got back in Richard's rip off mobile, headed to the airport, and flew home.

And that, ladies and gents, is the tale of "Veni, Vidi, Vici" AKA "I came, I saw, I sat on the toilet."

By the way- It was the duck chimichangas...of this I'm sure.

Ben

My Accidental Newsletter

Dear Students & Parents,

With our Holiday Break coming up so soon, things have gotten a little crazy around here! As such, I’d like to take this opportunity to give you a little “heads up” about some upcoming dates and events that are notable for you and your children. I’ll apologize in advance for the lengthiness of this email, but you can, of course, write me with any additional questions and I’ll respond quickly. I’ll also break these important dates down into core subject areas, and then describe some of the non-academic events below:

Academic Events

Reading- We’re continuing our work on expository (informational) writing, and analyzing narrative non-fiction text. Students should be reading/researching their selected explorer from a variety of sources, including, but not limited to: books, magazine articles, encyclopedia entries, websites, etc. As they read, they should be taking careful notes for the final, published research report described below.

Writing- As previously stated, students are working on their research reports, that will, for the first time, be set with a given length requirement (two pages, 1.5 line spacing, 12-point, Arial font). These reports are primarily be worked on during class time, but we’d also expect that many students will need to put in some time out of the classroom to ensure a paper of the highest quality. The published pieces will be due Wednesday, December 11th.

Math- We’re continuing our work on the conceptual understanding of fraction concepts. Watching your students develop mathematical stamina, and really learning what’s behind fraction concepts has been extremely rewarding for me as a teacher to be a part of. I think it’s safe to say that they’ve all had their share of struggles, and have also learned to work through them to show a deeper understanding. We’ve been relying heavily on hands-on manipulatives, drawings, diagrams, and explanations rather than the aged method of worksheets and drills for speed. Their progress has been amazing. That said, I have told them that there is a possibility of some sort of math assessment, but at the same time, I don’t want to rush. I’d say that at this point, there is a 20-30% chance of some sort of assessment happening prior to break, with this being a number diminishing with each passing day. I feel safe saying that it is “unlikely” at this point, but not impossible. I’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, I’d love it if you asked them to occasionally perform any task that we’re currently working on and explain to you their thinking. The way we’re doing math these days is very different from what you or I might remember, and it’s also a great way to reinforce their own understandings.

Social Studies- Our work on “Exploration” continues, with students finishing up the last teaching point having to do with positive/negative effects of “European Expansion.” They are using much of the information gained here to supplement their research reports in Writing class.

Additionally, students will be assigned their final summative assessment (project-based) wherein they will be selecting a method to present what they’ve learned about their explorers that specifically relates to the teaching points covered so far this trimester. More information will be coming home with them by the end of this week. Those projects are tentatively scheduled for the morning of Friday, December 13th.

Science- We are finishing up our unit on “The Physics of Sound.” Today, the kids did mini presentations to review essential understanding from the unit. From there, they will be taking their final assessment on Tuesday, December 10th. Students may want to continue reviewing key concepts that can be found in their science magazines, which are full of articles. The assessment itself will feature a combination of multiple choice, short answer, and performance-based (mini experiments) questions.

Finally, with regard to Science, the students were given the option of completing a sound experiment. They have a list of ideas from which they can choose, or they can create their own. As mentioned, this is an option, so if they are feeling overwhelmed with what they’ve already got coming up, they may choose not to do this. However, I explained that this would be a great way to show an “EX” level of understanding as it relates to sound. Please ask them their plans for this, and provide support where necessary (many require supplies). If they do choose to complete it, it will be presented at some point on Thursday, December 12th.

As you can see, these kids are going to be BUSY these last couple of weeks!!!

Non-Academic Events

AISC Soccer Tournament- Recently, the class voted on, and decided, to “adopt” a team from AES. We’d like to attempt to go out and watch one of their games, and if we do so, we’d really like to not only cheer for them, but to also bring them something delicious/nutritious to eat! As soon as the game time is confirmed, I will let parents know. I’d (and they’d) VERY much appreciate this gesture, so I hope you’ll be willing to help out! :)

Upper Elementary Final Music Concert- I’ll admit that I don’t know much about this (being a new teacher here), but I wanted to let you know about it on this newsletter. As I’ve seen in the past, there have been many parents in attendance, so I feel fairly safe telling you that this is an event that you may want to attend. If you have further questions, please let me know and I’ll find out the answer to your query. This is scheduled for Thursday, December 12th from 2:00-3:00 PM.

5B Holiday Party- And finally, what CRAZY kind of week would be complete without a class party?! Being that we’re out at 12:30 on Friday, December 13th, I’d like to have our class party from 11-12:00. The kids will then go to lunch from 12:05-12:20 and be released 10 minutes later. I think you’ll agree that after such a long and possibly stressful week, they will be deserving of a really fun party with lots of treats! I hope that the parents (as they’ve done every time before) will be happy to put on this party. I’ll again admit that I know few details of how this is organized, but I’m hoping that you’ll all be so kind to create some sort of sign-up sheet or call-list that can be used to coordinate the logistics of this event.

THANK YOU ALL, again, for your continued support. Have I ever told you how lucky I am to get to work with all of you and your AMAZING kids?? They are just so much fun. I am also happy that one of my best friends, Laura, will be flying over from San Francisco, California to spend the next (almost) three weeks with me as we tour India, from south to north. I know that one of the highlights of her trip will be getting to spend the day with all of us here at AISC. Good thing she’ll just be coming for all of the celebrations and not just the tests! ;)

Thanks again, sorry again for the wordiness, and PLEASE let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Fondly,

“Mr. Ben”

A really awesome email exchange

I'd like to share an email exchange I recently had with a woman named Donna, who is here at AISC as our aquatics director. Although a bit rigid, we have really begun to enjoy working together in the after school swim program. I could get into what precipitated these emails, but I think it's fairly clear. More than anything, I just want to share what kind of people I work with. This school, and more so, the people in it, are just amazing.

Hey Donna,

What fun today. As I was sitting in my car on the way to the old PH, I was thinking to myself and wanted to share something with you. It's not that I wouldn't rather just tell you in person, but it seems we're always surrounded by kids. It's also not one of those, "Hey, can we talk for a second?" types of conversations either, so I don't feel bad just emailing you. 

I just wanted you to know a little about my background. I started working with kids as a lifeguard when I was in high school, but then in college, I worked in a program that contracted out summer camp services for the US Military overseas. During this time, I got a lot of the experience that ultimately lead me to decide to pursue a career in teaching. So, after college, I returned to my former elementary school where the population had transformed into a Title 1/High Poverty demographic. The school was failing miserably, and I quickly realized that this was no summer camp. Being the young/"cool" teacher on campus, I had a fairly sizable presence, and before long, I became the school's primary disciplinarian while we worked to turn things around. 

For the next few years, I kind of relished this title. I'd holler at kids, suspend them, and basically run around like a tyrant. That wasn't to say that I didn't have fun with my kids (I certainly did), but for wayward students growing up without fathers/positive male role models, I became kind of a "go to" for discipline. And, considering that I was such a handful during my preteen/teenage years, I knew how to discipline well. Really well.

Long story short, for the past five years (after coming back from Medellin, Colombia) I was the school's goon. I went back and got my Masters/Admin Credential, and became the guy that kids did NOT want to have to deal with. I worked every Friday (or anytime anyone needed me and wanted to come cover my class) suspending/intimidating/counseling/lecturing kids. I did this in three schools, from K-12. At first, I loved the power, but after a while, it got old. So old, in fact, that I realized that admin just wasn't for me. But, because I had earned this reputation, and because the school needed someone like me, I remained the scary guy. 

After 12 years of being "that guy," I just got tired of it. I got tired of kids being scared of me. I got tired of yelling at them. I got tired of it all and almost completely lost my love for teaching. I knew that if something drastic didn't happen, I was about to permanently burn out (in fact, I almost quit midyear to take an inside sales job in the electronics industry...with zero experience!). So, last fall, I made the decision to leave behind everything I knew, and go back overseas. 

So now, here I am. I'm working in my dream job and my love of teaching is stronger than it's ever been. I'm actually teaching, I absolutely adore the kids, and best of all, I'm having fun every day and truly look forward to coming to work. Working with you and the kids in ASA is just the icing on the proverbial cake. 

The reason that I want to share this with you is that I want you to know that, although sometimes it may appear that the kids are getting over on me (and maybe sometimes they are), it is by choice that I don't discipline too hard. It's fun to goof around with them, although admittedly, sometimes I let them get away with too much. I've had a couple of one-on-ones (in fact, with the twins recently...who both ended up crying because they were blown away by my serious demeanor) where I talked to them about their interactions with adults and their peers. However, they're still young, have some impulse-control issues and just want to play, and I get that. In my mind, ASA should be structured (of course), but also a time to kind of "let your hair down" and have fun. 

It's been a long time since I've been so happy teaching, and part of my coming here was that I wanted a complete 180 from the life I was living back in CA. With my own class, I'm the most relaxed and laid-back I've ever been, but at the same time, I never have to do more than raise my voice about a decibel to let them know I'm serious. And that, to me, is just amazing. I'd scream and yell and threaten and punish all day at my old school, and although it eventually worked, it never felt ok. The realization I had today that I haven't even felt close to mad at a single kid at this school, the entire year, is amazing to me. What a change. 

So, what I guess I'm trying to say (although admittedly in the most wordy way possible) is that I'm thoroughly enjoying not only AISC, but also working with you and the kids at the pool. I fully realize that sometimes I let them get a little crazy, but it's just such a nice change of pace to not be feared. With that said, I know sometimes I need to tighten the reigns, and that's something I'll need to work on (wow, what a crazy thing for me to hear myself saying in my head). I hope it's not ever too disruptive, and if it is, please feel free to step in and tell us all to knock it off (seriously, but hopefully we stop short of that). I am truly a big kid inside, and I'm absolutely embracing that right now because frankly, it just feels good. 

Anyway, I've undoubtedly strained your eyes (that's not an age joke) with my long-winded email, but again, I wanted you to have a better understanding of where I'm coming from. 

Thanks again for having me on board, and I look forward to many more fun new memories!

See you Friday. :)

Ben

Dear Ben,

YOU are an incredibly wonderful human being!  I just adore this wonderful story of "You". I never would have guessed you were a goon! That you are so aware of who you were, who you want to be and who you are, is refreshing.   I so appreciate the opportunity to get to know you better and feel special that you entrusted me with your story.  And don't apologize about getting "wordy", that is my favorite part! You should see me when I really get going! I LOVE working with you and as I watched you with the kids yesterday, I was thinking how easy you made it look to have FUN with the kids and wish I were better at letting go....but that is another long story!

I love teaching and one of my main foci is on helping kids to be young, polite, engaged and focused little people. I have so little time with them and want it all to be used to lead them to success. Bu, also, I realize that I need to let loose sometimes and you are a great role model. You bring great enthusiasm to the program and I am so happy to have you involved. I must admit that when Raphael hauled off and hit you yesterday, my hair about stood on end, but I quickly remembered that you are a seasoned teacher (not knowing you were a former goon!) who knows how to deal with kids and backed off.  That said, I am all about mutual respect and appropriate behavior and will always expect students under my leadership to practice both.  I want to provide a structure where they can practice this AND have fun. I think we are well on our way to creating that environment at the pool.

I am not sure if you are aware, but I have been charged with creating a WINNING SAISA swim team one day.  The only way that I know to reach that goal is to build from the ground up, thus my focus on teaching kids how to swim correctly from the beginning. I know this takes time and I want kids having fun learning while they develop the discipline to realize that they are the "masters of their own bodies".  I loved that you connected thought and awareness with physical practice the other day. That is EXACTLY the kind of thing that I feel is important in learning swimming. The kids here do not have the basis that I am used to building on. We are spending a lot more time building on basic skills than I have had to in the past, but I have seen so much progress, already. I am having fun building the program and I hope that you will stick with me next year so we can guide the swimmers together.  

I feel that whoever hired you last fall....Andrew, Kevin, Anne....was on their game when they offered you a contract.  I know that the kids adore you and I do too. You are a gift that I appreciate dearly.

Thanks, again, for being exactly who you are and being here.

Hugs,

Donna

10 Days Until Malaysia!

Here goes another guilt-induced blog, brought to you by none other than Kelly...

Let me begin by saying that I am STOKED to go to Malaysia. I don't have many hobbies, but I can say that I'm fascinated by modern architecture. I remember seeing the iconic Petronas Towers many years ago and was just astonished by their beauty. They are the tallest twin towers in the world, and very much the centerpiece of KL. I have already booked (after EXTENSIVE research) my aparthotel (I think that's a word), which gets rave reviews, but one of the coolest aspects is that it has a rooftop infinity pool that looks out onto them. I guess the rooms themselves don't have much of a view, but hell, when you are giant towers, I guess you can be seen from pretty much anywhere (well, besides my hotel room window of course).

I fly in on Thursday afternoon and from there, will go straight to the hotel. After that, I don't have much planned besides hitting an Argentine steakhouse which my co-worker promises will be an amazing piece of meat. Although I have had some beef since getting to India, none of it has been particularly good. And in fact, one of the most memorable steaks I've ever had was during my NYE trip to Buenos Aires back in 2007. After getting to my hotel, I remember being told that people didn't eat until REALLY late, so, I took a nap until 9:00 PM (thinking that was late enough). I was shocked to see pretty much nobody in the restaurant. Thinking it must just be an "off" night, I proceeded to eat my porterhouse and chase it with a nice bottle of malbec. Lonely dinner? Yes. Amazing steak? Also yes. So, we'll see how the two stack up against each other.

From there, I'll probably just wander around the downtown area a bit. The next morning, the tentative plan is to book some sort of walking tour, because if there's one thing I know about myself, it's that I'll find a way to get lost and pretty much completely waste the day. That evening, I have a 7:00 reservation to go up to the towers on a tour, which will hopefully be just a bit past dusk. From there, I hope to get some amazing city views and more "point and click masterpieces" from my trusty iPhone.

The same co-worker who gave me the restaurant suggestion also happened to live there for a number of years (and coincidentally also worked at the Columbus School prior to me) working at the International School. Because of that, she has some old contacts there that she's going to email to see if they are interested in meeting up with me after. I told her that I'd be waiting at "The Whisky Bar." That way if they show up, great, and if not, well, at least I still have an extensive array of whiskeys from around the world to keep me company (and if I drink just the right amount, maybe I can have a conversation with my glass).

From there, not much planned. KL is supposedly truly an international location, with people and cultures (and food) from all around the world. Dining is supposed to be first-class, with everything from street food to fine dining. And what's even better, they're supposed to also have crazy shopping options and over-the-top malls. Hopefully I can keep some semblance of self-control when it comes to this department. After all, I only have one carry-on to bring it all back with me!

So, the really neat part about this all is that if you begin from the end of October and go forward two months, I will have visited four countries during that time, and that just blows my mind. India is enough, but to get to see some of Thailand and Malaysia, and then be able to top it all off with NYE in Dubai with one of my best friends? That's just amazing!

In other news...I've petitioned my principal to consider moving me to first grade next year. Yes, I know that sounds insane, and yes, most would immediately remind me that you need tremendous amounts of patience, but here's the thing: there's a teacher in first who'd like to try out intermediate, and the first grade team is amazing. The ladies working in it (including the head of school's wife) are all rock solid and totally experienced. Also, the two ladies I'd be working with more closely are incredible and super supportive. Add to this the fact that I'd have a full-time TA and the regular 15 kids, and I think you can see why this could be a good move. So why first? Well, it'd truly be jumping in with both feet, and professionally, it'd do wonders for my CV. Even though I'm not quite even halfway through my school year, it's never too early to start thinking about the future, and with that said, I'm already looking at some specific countries where I'd like to work next time around.

Some of my friends here have already said things like, "You know, you really should stay three years. It looks better." To that I say, "I'm a guy who teaches elementary school." Enough said. I figure that if I pull off first grade without losing my mind completely (and hopefully even enjoying it enough that I'd consider doing it again," this really opens up my options for the next hiring season. Speaking of which, hiring season is fully underway at this point, with our school's positions officially becoming confirmed by December 1st. Schools like mine are already aggressively seeking candidates, holding Skype interviews and paper screening. It's crazy to think that by this time next year, I'll be hunting for my new job. But who knows, maybe something will happen that will make me want to stick around. I can't rule it out completely, but seriously, this is a hard place to live. The traffic, the people, the noise and garbage (not to mention the 58% tax on alcohol which makes cocktails in the $12-$15 range)...it all just adds up and gets to you sometimes. So, we'll see in the next couple of weeks whether this first grade thing materializes. I'll keep everyone posted!

Alright, sorry for the size of this one, but I've gotta run. The PH is calling, and after eating an entire Domino's pizza (hey, it was only a medium) the other night, I've gotta answer this one.

Ben