=p

Firsts

1. Who was your first prom date?
Never went to prom. Never really regretted it either.

2. Do you still talk to your first love?
Sure, if you consider my first love being sushi.

3. What was your first alcoholic drink?
Beer. At the age of six. My mom was trying to make me hate it, I think. She did a good job - I don't drink anything except cocktails now. Beer and wine still taste a little off putting to me.

4. What was your first job?
Art studio assistant, to pay for art lessons. I washed brushes, filled paint pots, checked charcoal pencils, and cleaned. I was twelve.

5. What was your first car?
1990 or thereabouts maroon Honda Accord station wagon. This year marks my 10th year on the road. =) Still ticketless, still accident-less. Won't they lower my insurance rate already?

6. Who was the first person to text you today?
NO TEXT PLEASE. Although I used it frequently in HK...AND LOVED IT TO BITS.

7. Who is the first person you thought of this morning?
Me, of course.

8. Who was your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Augusto, Commodore Stockton Skills School. She was an older Asian/Pacific Islander lady who showed WAY more cleavage than I would be comfortable with while teaching.

9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
USA

10. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with him/her?
I still reserve the title of "best friend" for my significant other whom I have yet to meet. But my closest friend is Janet. Followed closely by Alex, Liv, and Team Taiyuan.

11. What was your first sport played?
Swimming.

12. Where was your first sleepover?
My cousins Shirley and Kitty's place.

13. Who was the first person you talked to today?
My dad.

14. Whose wedding were you in the first time?
Cousin Shirley's. It was a traditional Chinese wedding complete with games and tea ceremony. I was ten, and it was awesome.

15. What was the first thing you did this morning?
Write. There isn't much else to do at 2 AM.

16. What was the first concert you ever went to?
Does SYC count? And does that make me a loser in the music world?

17. First tattoo or piercing?
Ears. I was six. They haven't existed for a long time now. But not for long if I have anything to say about it! REM: this time, stick with stainless steel studs. Nickel allergies are killer.

18. First foreign country you went to?
USA.

19. What was your first run in with the law?
Shouldn't the question be phrased "run against the law?" If you run in WITH the law, doesn't that mean you are following it?

20. When was your first detention?
Never had detention. I did stand outside the door in sixth grade for "pencil fencing." It wasn't my fault! My desk mate kept waving his pencil in my face and the teacher saw me just as I blocked it. Mrs. Melton was probably having a bad teacher day, now that I've been on the other side.

21. What was the first state you lived in?
A state of confusion.

22. Who was the first person to break your heart?
The plight of my students. Weirdly, they don't see it as a plight. Which is good, because it really should be considered an advantage.

23. Who was your first roommate?
My brother. He used to make me stand outside the door when he went to the bathroom at night. I fell asleep. He never woke me up. My mom would find me sprawled across the hall in the morning.

24. Where did you go on your first limo ride?
Never been. I'm cool with that.

Fourth AM wake up. Which is kind of nice, except for the fact that I tend to be a zombie during the daylight hours.

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU CHANGED IN FOUR YEARS?

Four years ago:

1) How old were you?
21

2) Where did you go to school and/or work?
UC Davis. At the moo lab.

3) Where did you live?
The Colleges at UCD, Lady Ho Tung Hall at HKU, home in STKN.

4) Where did you hang out?
Home, other people's homes, the library, the arboretum.

5) What did you do for fun?
Watch anime, read, write, bike.

6) What did you look like?
Shoulder length hair, cut in layers. It was the beginning of my style revolution from jeans and t-shirts, so I was probably throwing in some skirts and fun tops every so often. Definitely heavier than I am now. Glasses, constantly.

7) What was your favorite album?
First Contact by Orange Range, I think.

8) What was your favorite food/drink?
Lemon tea. Ramen with veggies and egg.

9) Who did you hang out with?
Family mostly. Church people second mostly.

10) How often did you go out?
Um, every day? I had school and work, so I had to go out. I didn't party, never did, but I liked taking short day trips.

11) Single or taken?
Single

12) Where did you see yourself in four years?
Working, in my own place, far far away from STKN. Probably I was beginning to want to teach abroad then.

Today

1) How old are you?
25

2) Where do you go to school and/or work?
CSUS. Young Rembrandts. Sac City Unified School District.

3) Where do you live?
At home with parents. There are good things and bad things about it.

4) Where do you hang out?
Home, other people's homes, library, any bookstore, Target.

5) What do you do for fun?
Crochet, fold paper stars, watch random things on hulu, make lists.

6) What do you look like?
Long, layered hair. I live in flip flops. Glasses most of the time, contacts for sports and social occasions. At my lowest adult weight. =) No more watches. Cell phone constantly on hand. Less spotty, careful skin care, light make-up, better wardrobe.

7) What is your favorite album?
Anything by Edith Piaf.

8) What is your favorite food/drink?
Korean tofu pot. Citron tea.

9) Who do you hang out with?
Family mostly. Old friends second mostly. Church people third mostly. Long distance correspondence most of all. =\

10) How often do you go out?
Still every day. I like free museum days, walks in the park, long bike rides, and of course Target runs.

11) Single or taken?
Single

12) Where do you see yourself in four years?
Teaching in my own classroom, perhaps on my way to a Ph.d or law degree, far far away from STKN. And if I'm reading the signs right, probably in a relationship. Maybe. My outlook in this area has changed so much in just the past two years alone.

1. What color is your toothbrush? Purple and silver

2. Name one person who made you smile today: My student who told me I am a fun teacher, the little brown noser. =)

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning: Journaling

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Folding laundry

5. What is your favorite candy bar? Not exactly a bar shape, but I like Kinder Eggs

6. Have you ever been to a strip club? No

7. What is the last thing you said aloud? Asked my dad about his day

8. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Haagen Daz coffee

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water

10. Do you like your wallet? I like it for holding my cash and cards

11. What was the last thing you ate? Corn on the cob

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No

13. The last sporting event you watched? Tennis

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? salt and pepper, chocolate

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? NO TEXTS PLEASE

16. Ever go camping? Several times. In the mountains, on a beach, in my garage, by a lake

17. Do you take vitamins daily? No

18. Do you go to church every Sunday? No

19. Do you have a tan? Yes

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? Depends

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Not when there is something else to drink, which there usually is

22. What did your last text message say? STOP SENDING ME TEXT MESSAGES

23. What are you doing tomorrow? Playing tennis, teaching in Walnut Creek, work on TCLB, perhaps start planning and packing for HK

24. What sounds are you listening to now? The Chinese radio

25. Look to your left, what do you see? Couch, folded laundry I haven't put away yet, magazine basket, piano, curtains, window, side table, framed photo of Team Taiyuan, carved soap box, glass Totoro, Eric's pencil drawing of his broken wrist, candles, glass candy dish holding dried rosemary, dvd shelving, music books

26. What color is your watch? I have not worn a watch in 2 years. But I have 2 pink, 2 silver, 1 white, all with no batteries

27. What do you think of when you hear Australia? Kangaroos

28. What is your birthstone? Peridot

29 Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Depends

30. What is your favorite number? 2

31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone? The Citicard people

32. Any plans today? It's evening now and I already ran, taught in Isleton, cleaned my desk (a little), working on TCLB, and uploaded some photos to flickr. I plan to play with the SLR a little, read, then sleep.

33. How many states have you lived in? I've lived in a state of panic, a state of grace, a state of peace, a state of frustration, a state of resignation, a state of productivity, a state of humility, a state of pride, a state of hope, a state of stagnation, and a state of expectation in the past 2-3 months or so

34. Biggest annoyance right now? The heat

35. Last song listened to? Rehab by Amy Winehouse. She's actually sounds ok

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards? Why would I want to go backwards?

37. Do you have a maid service clean your house? Yes, me. Or my dad

38. Favorite pair of shoes you like to wear all the time? Green canvas flats, which are getting pretty ratty

39. Are you jealous of anyone? Yes

40. Is anyone jealous of you? Not that I know of. I don't think I incite much jealousy anyway...

41. Do you love anyone? Yes

42. Do any of your friends have children? There's Squishy, and Wheezy, and Weird Girl, and Pigtails, and Cool Guy, and Billigoat, and some others I haven't met face to face yet so I haven't given them a nickname yet. XD

43. What do you usually do during the day? Teach, work on TCLB, take photos, clean

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? Yes

45. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Yes

46. What color is your car? Sandy

47. Do you like cats? Yes

48. Are you thinking about someone right now? No

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Um.....I don't remember.....I might have, but I might be confusing it with another amusement park. They all seem the same to me.....

50. How did you get your worst scar? My brother pushed me into a fish tank

100 Truths Share
Post as 100 truths and tag 10 people.

001. Real name→ Bonnie Shuk Ting Ng
002. Nickname(s)→ Ah Mui, Bon, Bonbon
003.Zodiac Sign---Virgo
003-B. Where were you born→Hong Kong, Hong Kong
003-C. What cities have you lived in→Hong Kong, Stockton, Davis, Taiyuan
004. Male or female→ FEMALE
005. Elementary→ Commodore Stockton Skills
006. Middle School→ Sierra
007. High School→Lincoln
008. Hair color→ Dark brown
009. Long or short→ Long hair, short temper
010. Loud or Quiet→ Loud eyes, quiet mouth
011. Sweats or Jeans→ Neither
012. Phone or Camera→ Camera phone!
013. Health freak→ Most of the time, yes
014. Drink or Smoke?→ Always up for a margarita
015. Do you have a crush on someone?→ "crushes are for high school"
016. Eat or Drink→ Um, both
017. Piercings→ None right now, but it's on my list!
018. Tattoos→ No

Have you ever:
019. Been in an airplane→ Yes
021. Been in a car accident→ Yes
022. Been in a fist fight→ No

Firsts:
023. First piercing→ Ears, now closed due to nickel allergies
024. First best friend→ Position still open
025. First award→ I grew up in the generation that invented giving awards for every little thing, so awards don't really mean a whole lot to me.
026. First crush→ Michael in 5th grade
027. First sport→ Swimming
028. First big vacation→ America

Lasts:
029. Last person you talked to→ My dad
030. Last person you texted→ No texts please
031. Last person you watched a movie with→ ::when was the last time I watched a movie?::
032. Last food you ate→ Lyonburger
033. Last movie you watched→ ::seriously?! when??::
034. Last flavor of ice cream you ate→ Chocolate fudge brownie
035. Last thing you bought→ Papa Murphy's pizza for dinner tonight
036. Last person you hugged→ my students

Faves Favorites:
037. Food→ Korean, Italian
038. Drinks→ Tea
039. Clothing→ Skorts, henley shirts, sandals
040. Flower→ Magnolias
041. Where'd it go?→ In the dryer
042. Color→ Green
043. Movie(s)→ My Neighbor Totoro
044. Subjects→ Math

In 2008 I....
045. [X] kissed someone.
046. [X] celebrated Halloween.
047. [] had my heart broken.
048. [ ]went over the minutes on my cell phone. many times
049. [X] questioned someone's sexual orientation.
050. [ ] came out of the closet.
051. [X] wished for something I couldn't have.
052. [X] did something stupid and didn't care.
053. [X] did something I regretted.
054. [] broke a promise.
055. [X] hid a secret.
056. [] pretended to be happy.
057. [] met someone who changed my life.
058. [] pretended to be sick.
059. [] left the country.
060. [X] tried something I normally wouldn't try and liked it.
061. [] cried over the silliest thing.
062. [X] ran a mile.
063. [X] went to the beach with my best friend(s).
064. [] got into an argument with a friend.
065. [X] hated someone.
066. [] went to Disney World.

Currently:
067. Eating→ I'm full, thanks
068. Drinking→ Water
069. I'm about to→ Read my favorite blogs
070. Listening to→ Some random carpentry show on PBS
071. Plans for today→ Make lists, check stuff off of lists
072. Waiting for→ December

Your future:
073. Want kids?→ No
074. Want to get married?→ Yes
075. Careers in mind→ Secretary of Education, political activist, NET, writer

Which is better with a girl/boy?
076. Lips or eyes→ Depends
077. Shorter or taller?→ Depends
078. Romantic or spontaneous→ Both
079. Nice stomach or nice arms→ Both
080. Sensitive or loud→ Sensitive
081. Hook-up or relationship→ Relationship
082. Trouble-maker or hesitant→ Trouble-maker

Have you ever:
083. Lost glasses/contacts--No
084. Ran away from home→ Yes
085. Held a gun/knife for self defense---No
086. Killed somebody→ No
087. Broken someone's heart→ No?
088. Slapped someone→ No
089. Cried when someone died→ Only pets

Do you believe in:
090. Yourself - Yes
091. Miracles→ No
092. Love at first sight→ No
093. Heaven→ Yes
094. Santa Claus→ Yes
095. Sex on the first date→ No
096. Kiss on the first date→ No

Answer Truthfully:
097. Is there one person you want to be with right now?→ Yes
098. Are you seriously happy with where you are in life?→ Happy, no. Content, yes.
099. Do you believe in God→ Yes
100. Did you like doing this?→ Yes!

[x] Both of your parents are from Asia
[x] You were born in Asia
[ ]You use/used the term "Azn"
[x] You think DDR is cool
[x] You watch anime
[x] You like Korean dramas
[ ] You have stuff hanging on your phone
[x] Your parents want you to marry within your own race
[x] You eat rice almost everyday
[x] You drink lemon tea

X's so far: 8/10

[ (dude, I barely have time to brush my teeth in the morning) ]You style your hair
[x] You have a xanga/bebo/myspace/friendster
[x] You speak languages other than English
[ (what are REALLY asian parents?) ] Your parents are strict compared to other REALLY asian parents
[ (what are "high" expectations?) ] Your parents have high expectations of you
[x (straight A record in grad school!) ] You always get A's/B's on your report
[x (I actually think doing taxes are pretty easy) ] You do Chemistry/Biology/Physics/Accounting
[x] You know your multiplication table
[ ] You play badminton or table tennis
[ ] You've seen the Asian version The Ring/The Grudge

X's so far: 13/20

[ (gap years are awesome) ] You go/want to go to a university and would NEVER consider an apprenticeship
[x]you own an Asian car (Honda, Toyota, etc)
[x] You're not the only child
[x] You've gotten little red envelopes around February
[x] You know the difference between kung fu, karate and tae kwon do
[ ] If you're a girl, you prefer white guys over asian guys, or if you're a guy you prefer asian girls
[x] Your mother tries to bargain even though the product is already discounted
[ ] You can do the rubiks cube
[x] You have a box of noodles somewhere in your house
[x] You play video games

X's so far: 20/30

[x (this happens even when I'm not living with them) ] Everytime you're going out your parents ask you where you're going and what time you'll be home
[ ] You have karaoke at home
[x] You have have heard of BoA, Gazette, Ayumi Hamasaki, Gackt, Jay Chou, Twins, or DBSK
[] You've been to a LAN party more than 3 times
[x] You have incense sticks/moth balls in your house
[x] You own a gaming console
[x] You play a musical instrument
[x] You don't wear shoes in your house
[x] You can use chopsticks well
[ (duh, I get an education) ] You get nothing if you do well in school

X's so far: 27/40

[ (now, it seems like I don't go out UNLESS I'm going to school...::sigh:: so tired, just want to stay home and sleep) ] Your parents won't let you go out if you have school the next day
[x] You have Asian songs on your computer/iPod
[x] You don't like football
[ ] You have a curfew
[ (tb here probably doesn't mean tuberculosis) ] You know what ulzzang/tb means
[ ] You know what purikura is
[x] You like bubble tea
[x] Your parents bought you clothes many sizes too big so you can "grow into it" and wear it for years to come
[x] You've played final fantasy
[x (after BB's epiphany, yes) ] You believe in fortune cookies

X's so far: 33/50

[x] You know what bok choy is
[ ] You've heard the song "Got rice?"
[x] You have/had/were a tutor
[x] You've had pocky/yan yan before
[ (in general, I try not to seek my mother's advice as it tends to not be very sound) ] When you seek for your mother's permission/advice she replies "Ask your dad"
[ ] You like to save things in case you need them later, even if you never use it
[x] You have tasted durian
[ (right now, I just hope to be employed. period.) ] You hope to be employed in something practical, like medicine, law, accounting, or engineering
[ ] You have eaten dog or snake
[x] Everyone thinks you're at least a year younger than you actually are

X's so far: 38/60

[x] You call your adult family friends "Auntie" or "Uncle"
[x (twice) ] You have or have had a bowl cut
[x] Your parents enjoy(ed) comparing you to their friends' kids
[x] You eat everything with chopsticks
[x] You hang your clothes out to dry on a line rather than using the dryer
[x (Columbia Teacher's College!) ] You are applying to an ivy league college
[x] Your parents or relatives have tried setting you up with someone
[x] You eat for breakfast what is considered food unfit for breakfast
[x]You scored higher on the math than you did on the verbal on the SAT
[ ] You always cheer for the Asian athlete on TV

X's so far: 47/70

[ ] You love shopping at Costco because everything's cheaper when buying in bulk, even if you don't need so much
[ ] You buy rice in 50lb sacks at least
[x] You have had to wear hand-me-downs
[x] You get two of the same thing but one is better because it's free
[ (used to, not any more) ] You fight for the bill because of face, even though you don't actually want to pay for such an expensive meal
[x] You make things yourself because it's cheaper, even though it takes more time
[x] You own a huge butcher knife but it's actually called a "vegetable knife"
[ ] You own a lot of Tommy Hilfiger or Calvin Klein
[x] You can down cups of tea like water and not feel the caffeine effects because you're used to it
[x] You love hot pot

X's so far: 53/80

[x] You make your rice without butter, spices, or salts
[x] Your parents are especially loud on the phone
[x] You always take home the leftovers from a restaurant
[ (asking once is enough) ] You try to coerce others into taking the leftovers if you're eating with company
[ ] You give fruits as gifts
[ ] You will waste extra gas to find cheaper gas/other things
[ ] You are smaller in size compared to the Caucasian population
[x] You have relatives in Canada
[ ] The number 8 is an extremely lucky and important number to you
[ ] The number 4 is an extremely unlucky number to you

X's so far: 57/90

[x] Every big event revolves around food
[x] You have gotten used to the smells of herbal medicines
[] You are stick thin and want to keep it that way
[x] You try to save money on everything you buy
[ ] You eat a lot but it doesn't add much to your weight
[ ] You care a lot about staying in fashion with the rest of Asia
[ ] School is always the number one priority in your family
[x] You care a lot about honor and saving face
[x] Your parents expect you to do everything right
[x] You mix languages up constantly while thinking and speaking

63/100

If I were to take this survey even just a couple years ago, I would have scored in the high 80s, low 90s range. It's hilarious how I've grown less "Asian." Many "Asian" habits are pretty annoying to me (i.e. talking loudly, bragging/comparing kids, nagging, expectations, status boosts, pack-rat-ing) so I tend not to do it myself.

Over a month late. So sue me. =p

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Entered grad school. Went to Florida and Denver. Regularly begin using "damn" and "hell" in my written and internal conversations (hey, they are both found in the Bible). Seriously considered the path towards a Ph.D.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept about 75% of my 2008 resolutions. Yep, I've made more.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Squishy was born into the Year of the Rat! =) Some other people I know gave birth too, but I don't think they are "close." Not that I'm not happy for them, just answering the question as worded.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one close.

5. What countries did you visit?
2008 was all about domestic travel.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
In terms of stuff, I would really really like a nintendo DS and Animal Crossing Wild World. Perhaps a Wii as well with Animal Crossing Revolution. Also some nice clothes for both work and play. Otherwise, I was pretty content with what I had in 2008.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The dates of Denver, Seattle, and Florida. =)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving the first part of grad school.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Surviving the first part of grad school.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing big.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
My first MacBook. A new cell phone that records video and changes songs in the mp3 player by just shaking it. The entire Wolves Chronicles children's books series by Joan Aiken.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My first graders. XD

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
My mother's.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Grad school. Gas.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Seeing Team Taiyuan!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
That insipid "Hearts all over the world tonight" song. 2008 was kind of an annoying drag. Just like the song.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c) richer or poorer?
(a) hmm, hard to tell. In general, probably sadder. But I'm ok with it because I'm looking forward to the future.
(b) thinner
(c) poorer (see #14)

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Travel. Visiting friends. Reading. Tennis. Biking. Swimming. Volleyball. I can do these last three all day long.

19. What do you wish you’d spent less time doing?
Being around unlikeable people.

20. How did you spend Christmas?
Quietly.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
No.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Lost, Grey's Anatomy, Weeds, Dexter, Death Note, Shikabane Hime,...I watch too much tv online.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Yes.

24. What was the best book you read?
The Witch of Clatteringshaws and Midwinter Nightingale together.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Yui

26. What did you want and get?
Getting into grad school.
A new laptop.
Enough money to sufficiently see me through this round of grad school without having to worry or take on a night-shift job.

27. What did you want and not get?
Spiritual peace.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
I liked Batman Begins but that's not a 2008 film. I would probably have liked The Dark Knight if I had taken the time to watch it.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned a quarter-century, also quietly. Went to phase II orientation. Did some errands on campus. Went home. Received my gift to myself from shopping online. Got a couple phone calls and cards. Ate cake.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Living in my own place with nice roommates.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Discovering layering and hi-low have turned my fashion world upside down.

8 things I am passionate about:

1. education 2. health, nutrition, and fitness (lumped into one) 3. child advocacy 4. cleaning and organizing 5. stories 6. logic 7. personal style 8. consideration


8 things I want to do before I die:

1. have a best friend 2. show my parents I appreciate them 3. change the ineffectiveness of the NCLB law 4. keep a plant that doesn't die within a year 5. publish something 6. give in to spontaneity 7. own a "green" home and car 8. win a tennis tournament


8 books I have read lately:

1. 2008 Job Search Handbook for Educators published by AAEE 2. Social Studies Alive! 3. Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally 4. Literacy for a Changing Population 5. Principles of Classroom Management: A Professional Decision-Making Model 6. For the Love of Language 7. Stop Faking It!: Light 8. Norwegian Wood


8 songs I can listen to over and over again:

1. Life is Like a Boat by Rie Fu 2. Tokyo by Yui 3. Maria by Blondie 4. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight by Beat Crusaders 5. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen 6. The Totoro theme 7. Hanabirano by Orange Range 8. That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings


8 things that attract me to my friends

1. honesty 2. humor 3. vulnerability 4. compassion 5. consideration 6. dedication 7. randomness 8. caring

. If you're on my friends list, I want to know 35 things about you. I don't care if we never talk, or if we already know everything about each other. Short and sweet is fine ... you're on my list, so I want to know you better.

2. Comment here with your answers and repost the questionnaire on your own journal, for your friends to fill out. :)

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship?
02) What was your dream growing up?
03) What talent do you wish you had?
04) If I bought you a drink what would it be?
05) Favorite vegetable?
06) What was the last book you read?
07) What zodiac sign are you?
08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Explain where.
09) Worst Habit?
10) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
11) What is your favorite sport?
12) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude?
13) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
14) Worst thing to ever happen to you?
15) Tell me one weird fact about you.
16) Do you have any pets?
17) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly?
18) What was your first impression of me?
19) Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
20) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
21) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
22) What color eyes do you have?
23) Ever been arrested?
24) Bottle or can soda?
25) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it?
26) What's your favorite place to hang out at?
27) Do you believe in ghosts?
28) Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
29) Do you swear a lot?
30) Biggest pet peeve?
31) In one word, how would you describe yourself?
32) Do you believe/appreciate romance?
33) Favourite and least favourite food?
34) Do you believe in God?
35) Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

Comment and I'll give you a letter. Then you have to list ten things you LOVE that begin with that letter. Afterward, post this in your journal and give out some letters of your own.

1. Netherlands
2. Noodles in soup, especially udon and the flat rice noodles
3. Night time
4. Nostalgia
5. Nigiri sushi
6. Ng's!
7. Nina Ricci
8. Night markets
9. New Zealand
10. Nickels (as in money)

Ok, so I cheated with two countries and two things that start with "night." But I do like them, so they count. =)

After mulling it over for a long time, I've decided to move the education blog here. It's technically not a "big" move, as I've had some form or other of blogger for 6 years now, and just a few months more than I've had an LJ. Not that blogger has been immune to my deleting tendencies either.

In any case, that's where my education stories will be housed from now until indefinitely. I'll still check back here - there are actually some pretty good LJ blogs, despite the isolation - although not as frequently, I suppose.

Thanks for reading and good luck with all your blogging goals.

For some reason, I’m always getting these educator magazines in the mail. It’s probably because I belong to the SCTA - and I only belong to that because they give student teachers (who are NOT covered by the school they student teach at, by the way) extensive professional insurance (i.e. you’re covered if parents decide to sue you for an injury to their kid on school grounds) for a nominal yearly fee.

Yesterday, the Scholastic Instructor magazine arrived. Now, many of these magazines are geared towards middle/upper-middle class SES schools and students. Which doesn’t apply to me. So I tend to just toss them in the magazine basket and they stay there until recycling day, or if I give it to my teacher friends.

But today was a pretty unsuccessful Sunday school days (IMO); not due to the kids but due to other adults and my unpreparedness to deal with their distractions and general getting in the way and undermining my authority.

Note to all adult visitors in any classroom: it is SO NOT COOL to undermine the head teacher’s authority. You just DON’T DO IT. We student teachers are told to NEVER intervene in behavioral issues or to distract from the lesson, unless we are expressly invited by the main teacher, for very obvious reasons. You may not agree with the teacher's methods, but it isn't your place to show that in front of the students. The only exception is if the teacher is doing something in the realm of abuse. End of discussion.

Continuing on with the story...

I tossed the said magazine aside when it came in yesterday, like usual. But when I got home today, I pulled it out, trying to find reassurance that the things I said to those other adults were correct and proper and fair, and I didn’t deserve the eye-rolls and “she’s soooo overly possessive and bossy” looks that I got.

Well, I didn’t find anything specific to use as proof, but just flipping though it calmed me down. The tone of the magazine was all about the benefit for the education of students, academically, socially, physically, et al. I’m not crazy to think that facilitating a smooth, focused lesson is higher on the priority list than adults showing off and giving each other pats on the back. I swear I’m not.

Here’s a stand-out quote from an interview with Rachel Ray:

Interviewer, “What do you enjoy about interacting with kids?”
Ray: “Everything! I prefer kids to adults most of the time. They are fearless, have a great sense of humor, and always say more intelligent things than grown-ups.”

I would also add that kids DO more intelligent things than grown-up too. Rachel Ray earned my respect with just this one quote, despite the fact that she grates on my nerves usually.

But then, she’s a grown-up.

Photo: Dilbert

Part of the reason why I blog so much, in both reading and writing, is for a sense of expression and release from the everyday ho-drum that takes up WAY too much of the Pie of Life.

Now, another reason is to escape the clutches of Corporate America, hereby known as C.A. Not to be confused with CA, as in the state. Although from the way the budget is going, CA might very well fall under a subcategory of C.A.

I have never been that worried/angry/::insert negative emotion here:: at C.A., mainly because I’ve never had that much personal experience with them. Whatever encounters with them have always been on a benign footing at worst.

Today changes every thing.

I’ve been writing and thinking about this all day, leading to the third massive headache in as many days. Also to the conclusion that this has been a long time developing issue, not just a sudden epiphany, although it seems like it.

Why? Because I was somehow caught in the C.A. bottom-lining not once, not twice, but 5 times today. Five. A whole hand worth. So technically, C.A. just took away one of my hands today.

And I will forever hate them for it.

I admit, all of these incidents occurred due to my ignorance, stubbornness, and/or impatience. And I am smarter this evening than I was this morning for all of that. I’m also much more determined to not get caught again.

Which leads to...

How does one teach this kind of stuff in the classroom? Being smart about money activities such as budgeting, learning how to bank/balance checkbooks, etc seem rather out-dated considering all the high-tech, super-fine *ahem::misleading::ahem* print that C.A. uses to coat all it touches. The fact that many of my students’ families deal with welfare and food stamps adds to the irrelevancy.

Idea #1: A firm understanding of academic, business, and legal language might help. English of course. The whole theme of Phase I was about language.

Idea #2: Develop personal political clout. Contact your representatives, know how to seek information and help, connect with other people in the same boat, have a voice. If government is only as effective as the people, then an ineffective government reflects on an ineffective and complacent people.

Idea #3: Know the choices. Small business is the fastest growing sector of the economy, or so I hear. I also hear that small businesses are more willing to at least seriously consider consumer requests/suggestions. After all, small businesses are about that: the quality of products/services they provide. As opposed to about external investments and the status quo of the internal ladder (including, but not limited to, that CEO salary conflict so often publicized).

These are pretty wide, all-encompassing ideas, but I can see some specific student projects that might teach them. I’m sure there are more, narrower but just as important, ideas other than these three too.

In any case, Club Against-C.A. has one more card carrying member.

Here is a view from the other side, since my negativity towards C.A. comes from being the consumer:

Dad Gone Mad Sept. 15, 2006 entry. An oldie, but goodie.

Photo: t-shirt mojo

Because it's still summer vacation for me (it's starting to seem like a VERY LONG summer - although when Oct/Nov rolls around I'll be wishing for winter break) I get to catch the morning news shows often.

I'm not a big fan of morning news shows (what is with everyone's perkiness?) but inexplicably, I always find myself tuning in to The Big 3 (Today, Early, and GMA). Today, I saw this segment on one of them (forget which, they're all the same really) about this book So Sexy So Soon on early childhood sexual realization rampant among today's youth, authored by Jean Kilbourne and (a very familiar name from my ed texts) Diane E. Levin.

These types of books (self-help crossed with pop psych crossed with journalism crossed with Chicken Soup for the Soul) are not normally my type of books. But I think I might give this one a shot mainly because I don't really understand the reasons and workings of 12 year olds (or younger!) wanting to emulate 32 year olds. This goes for boys as well as girls. I'm edging on 25 and some of my students are more sexually/gender aware than I am!

Not that being sexually aware is bad. I'm all for it. But I find it very sad that an entire generation skips the whole "middle child life" and jump right in on adulthood. Supposedly this explains some of the behavior of people in their 20's now (*ahem*).

Middle childhood is such an awesome time; I sometimes find myself reverting to it (and liking it). It's a time when you're old enough to make your own decisions on a wide variety of things, yet young enough to make mistakes and do fun, stupid things without looking like an idiot (and yes, even if you are only 22, launching yourself off the roof of a three story building on a skateboard with no protective gear DOES make you look like a moron, moron). This kind of thing isn't even new - Lolita, anyone?

I know I'm probably an anomally for preferring books and sleeping under the stars as a kid than to attracting boys, dating, or even fashion. I STILL prefer books and sleeping under the stars to dating, although I like to think I've developed a higher fashion sense than jeans-and-a-t-shirt/polo for work.

Ah, I kinda see why most of my cohortmates prefer younger grades. They don't have to deal with this in K or 1st grade, while even in 4th grade, there are girls who wear tight-belly bareing shirts and pants with "hottie" emblazoned on their behinds and boys who whistle and stare when I bend too far forward in a lower-cut shirt. <-- by the way, people say double stick tape works, but it has yet to give me any satisfactory results. I don't even wear anything extreme!

Supposedly, one can balance both the kid side and the burgeoning-self/sexually-aware side, but that probably takes a much more level-headed person than I. Wish Juno would write an advice column for me--er, kids.

Photo: randomhouse.com

I've been doing a lot of behind-the-scenes prep work for teaching this summer, and that's why I've been AWOL lately.  Most of that work consists of creating/finding/tweaking activities, reading and re-reading textbooks and articles, and versing myself on up-to-date kid culture.  I've come up with bucketloads of material and I'll describe more about that later, but I just can't resist posting this now.

This is why cuteoverload.com continues to be one of my favorite sites of all time.  Periodically, they post some real hall-of-fame-worthy things that just can't be beat.  I also love the international flavor of it all.  Cute is a language anyone can understand.

Woodbine Elementary
1st grade
Co-teacher: Ms. M

=)

It would be the raddest thing ever to work at a summer residence (aka live-away) camp.

Just a thought.

A car is headed south at 73 miles per hour along a semi-truck-infested freeway.  The trucks, on average, are going 45 miles per hour.  There is an easterly wind of 35 miles per hour.

How much does it cost to get the windshield replaced?