Summer update

So let's see...

I went to Italy with a bunch of students.  Had a grand time.  Swam in the Mediterranean, had some gelato, introduced a couple of them to real espresso and cappuccino....

I built a railing for the basement steps.  And it doesn't wobble!

I fixed a crappy patch job on the baseboard trim in our living room.

I have been gardening like hell.  Being away from home in the beginning of summer when things are in full force means a great deal of clean up and catch up.  I am finally getting it under control.  But the damn mosquitoes slow me down.  I tried lavender, mint, natural repellent products and even resorted to lethal Woods Off!.  Nothing works.  They love my blood.  I might resort to eating garlic cloves on a daily basis.

Graduation

So the senior graduation was last night.  I am always sad to see individuals go.  However, this year I am overwhelmingly sad to see a large amount of them go.  There are a greater number of students I will miss dearly.  I tried to have an impact on all of my kids - not always successful, I fear - and I want them to remember their time with me in a positive way.  But I also want to know how they will continue to do after PV.  And I know I will only ever hear from a few.  There are some I really grew fond of, protective of, or admired a lot.  I have never felt this sense of loss in my 15 years of teaching and it is weird.  I went to bed very sad last night.

I guess the closest thing to this is when a parent/parents have a child move away.  I will never have kids and my students are my kids.  There are those who I know will do well, and I want to know all their happy stories.  Then there are those who shared way too much or those who put up a wall and shared nothing and I will worry about them.

There are many teachers whom kids want to keep in touch with; they meet for coffee, talk about their lives.  I hope that if any of my students from this year want that from me, they know that I would be more than happy to.  I believe that a good teacher never stops caring about his/her students, even long after graduation.

Gosh, having feelings like this is so weird for such a sarcastic, non-touchy feely person.

At least I have those past students who like to keep in touch, visit, talk online, and sometimes even meet for coffee.

Sniffle....

Budapest observations

Some cool things:

• The cigarettes they smoke must be quite mild.  I am allergic to many American ciggys and hate having the smoke blown in my direction.  Tears, itchy eyes, etc..  But we could walk directly in the path of a smoker and no problems!  More natural tobacco with few additives is my guess.
• With the weather so horrible, hubby started talking in a fake East European accent about the "brutal" weather.  It was funny to me, at least.
• Seeing a man in line to buy tickets at the train station kiosk with a bird of prey on his arm.  No one looked twice.  Except these two dopes.
• Having the clerk at the Mai Mano House of Photography book store think I was Hungarian because of how well I spoke my greeting.  Score!
• Meeting a really cool guy at the Printa store/gallery/cafe.  This place was amazing.  He was nice to talk to.  They had so many cool screen printed items.  Just a hub of creativity and nice people.  Breaks all stereotypes Americans have of the former Soviet satellites....
• Chestnut dessert.  Thin like angel hair noodles.  Texture of marzipan.  Heaven.
• Wonderful prices on coffee and super strong.
• Cafe Montmartre with a death metal/Megadeth obsession. Don't ask.  It was weird.
• The architecture.
• The appreciation for art and music.

I cannot convey how much I love this place.  I feel like I belong.  Yes, there are crazy bad things - like every place - but the only other place I feel so at home is DC.  Sigh....

Budapest... again

One week back from Budapest and I wish I was back.  Mr. Vasa does not.  Europe was getting unnaturally cold weather and it even flurried on Tuesday, the 2nd.  It was so dismal and cold, he thought if he had to stay another week, he'd be driven to take up smoking.  Everyone there smokes.   But funny, the cigarettes do not smell anywhere near as strong as here.  Hmmmm....

More stories to come.

Packed

I am just about all packed for the trip back to Budapest.  I know hubby really doesn't want to check baggage - it is truly a pain in the *ss waiting for the bags to be unloaded from the plane in Newark - but I want to buy gifts for myself and family, so I will defy him!  I decided to use one of Grandma Berry's suitcases.  It is smaller, lighter, and still on wheels.  That also gives a part of her a chance to get back to Hungary, where her parents were born.

I rolled 10 rolls of film - HP5, 24 shots each- and packed a bunch of 120 film, including two rolls of colour!.  I am bringing three cameras - Holga 120, La Sardinia for the 35mm,  and the T1i.  I that's it.  I have brought more on other trips, but trying to travel camera light.  Bringing a couple of small sketch books too.  I love to take notes when I travel and have been thinking of having this be the subject of my zine when I take the workshop at TCNJ in May.

I have continued to practice the Hungarian, but Hubby and Millie do not know how to answer me back.  No idea why....

Sziasztok!

Independence

There are lots of things changing in education in NJ and the country.  Some - hell, many - teachers are considering leaving the profession.  I believe much of the legislation and change is designed to push the best ones out, leaving the field with the naive, easily duped ones.  Those will be the ones most likely to take low pay, very long hours, poor curriculum, and no interest in the well-being of their students.

I think about quitting on a regular basis.  It is never due to the happenings in the classroom.  It is always a result of some other terrible thing tossed our way.  But like a stubborn little woman, I keep on plugging away.

One of the independent presses I buy books from has a book coming out on the young set.  It's supposed to be about empowerment in this era of uncertainty.  I know I will buy it.  But the dilemma is whether I buy it for myself, or to put it in the classroom.  I have so many students who cannot make decisions for themselves.  Oh sure, they decide to drink like crazy or smoke or do other drugs.  Very adult of them of course.  But when it comes to a decision regarding a project, their future desires, or even what to get for lunch (love lunch duty), they cannot make a decision.  I have students who freak out with every new assignment.  If they have not been told exactly what to do, they panic or sit there stumped.  And that is not to make fun of them.  It just troubles me.  Have the parents/guardians caused this lack of independence by coddling their charges?  If there is ever something negative in their lives, mommy or daddy call the school and harangue those responsible.  Or are those non-educators responsible for education legislation to blame?  Who cares about independent thought when all that matters is filling in the right bubble on the standardized test.

So I will keep trying to make my students independent thinkers.  I will not put answers in their mouths.  Because that is not synonymous with teaching.

Szia!

So the problem with studying a language when no one you know speaks it is that when you try to use it, you get "I'm going to be using English the whole time we are there."  That's what hubby keeps saying to me.  Duh.  I am just practicing.

I think I will do better talking to Millie in Hungarian.

"Mrs. Vasa, why don't you have kids?"

"Because I have Millie and Mr. Vasa.  That's two kids right there."