the bandage on my finger came off on monday, and i hate to complain about it, but i'm in a funk. the thing looks hideous. truly. the top of my finger looks like a stump that a bird shat on (the "bird shit" is a combination of stitches and dried-up cream). all my co-workers and students keep telling me that it looks a lot better than they expected it to and that it's fine, but i can't help but wonder if they're seeing the same thing that i'm seeing. obviously not, since the finger is attached to me and not them. oh, well. i'm gonna have to deal.
a hallowe'en festival was held at the school last night (mexicans don't really celebrate hallowe'en--they celebrate something on nov. 2 called dia de los muertos or the day of the dead--but our school's partially american, so we did), and boy was it a production. the PTA mothers organized a whole carnival-like event where attendees had to buy tkts to play games and go on rides. there were actual horses galloping around the racing track. there was a mechanical bull. two haunted houses. tons of food stalls. everyone got dressed up in hallowe'en costumes, and b/c i was only given 3-hrs' notice that i had to be dressed up as well, i improvised and went as a hipster (john deere trucker hat, tiny arcade fire t-shirt, black blazer w/ a little gentleman reg pin/button on the lapel, tight jeans, sneakers, and every hipster's essential accessory, the ipod). most ppl guessed that i was either a boy or a teenager. my indie music 101 class knew better though. my shag of hair that desperately requires a haircut kind of even looked like a mullet under the cap, which complemented my whole ensemble well.
some of my students' costumes were pretty ingenious--a grade 10 student dressed up as edward scissorhands and had some awesome, authentic-looking scissorhands (they could've put someone's eye out though!) and a grade 11 student went as a businessman caught in a powerful hurricane; he had fake glasses, ruffled hair, a turned-out, tattered umbrella, a suit w/ a tie that was suspended by a stretched coat hanger so that it looked like it was being blown by the wind, and a briefcase that had papers coming out of it that he'd glued together so it appeared as though they were spilling out. that's creativity, man.
i genuinely like all of my students--even the ones that drive me crazy--and i think it's endearing that many of them have known each other since they were in pre-kinder at the school. most of them have grown up together and have stories of how they broke each other's arms or pushed the other out of (stationary) car windows when they were little. they're so familar w/ each other that they're very likely sick of having to grow up w/ the same group of ppl all the time (they often act like they're siblings, and it seems slightly incestuous when they occasionally end up dating each other), but i look at the seniors and think it's sad that they're all going to be apart for the first time next year. they'll miss each other, whether they want to admit it or not, and i hope they realize that they're lucky to have so many ppl to keep in touch w/. i think there's a strong sense of community at this school, what w/ it being so small, which makes it vastly different from the huge high school i went to, where it was relatively easy to remain an anonymous face amongst the hordes of other students. i think these kids are in for a real shock if they end up going to large colleges where they'll become nothing more than a student # to the administration.
the other interesting thing i've noticed lately is how these students have grown up in a party town. they're used to going out and drinking (since the age of around 14, or whenever they looked old enough to get into clubs) and hitting the malecon every weekend and balancing that w/ schoolwork. alcohol isn't really a forbidden thing for teenagers here, and therefore loses some of its "off-limits" appeal. maybe these students won't burnout in college or university as quickly as hicktown frosh will b/c of this?
on tuesday, my parents' friends are coming here for the day on a cruise ship and i'm to entertain them after i finish teaching my classes. i have to admit that it's been kind of fun trying to come up w/ things they'd be interested in seeing here, but what i'm going to do w/ them is definitely different from what i'd plan if any of you from back home ever come (hint, hint). i'm kind of looking fwd to showing some familiar faces around.
a hallowe'en festival was held at the school last night (mexicans don't really celebrate hallowe'en--they celebrate something on nov. 2 called dia de los muertos or the day of the dead--but our school's partially american, so we did), and boy was it a production. the PTA mothers organized a whole carnival-like event where attendees had to buy tkts to play games and go on rides. there were actual horses galloping around the racing track. there was a mechanical bull. two haunted houses. tons of food stalls. everyone got dressed up in hallowe'en costumes, and b/c i was only given 3-hrs' notice that i had to be dressed up as well, i improvised and went as a hipster (john deere trucker hat, tiny arcade fire t-shirt, black blazer w/ a little gentleman reg pin/button on the lapel, tight jeans, sneakers, and every hipster's essential accessory, the ipod). most ppl guessed that i was either a boy or a teenager. my indie music 101 class knew better though. my shag of hair that desperately requires a haircut kind of even looked like a mullet under the cap, which complemented my whole ensemble well.
some of my students' costumes were pretty ingenious--a grade 10 student dressed up as edward scissorhands and had some awesome, authentic-looking scissorhands (they could've put someone's eye out though!) and a grade 11 student went as a businessman caught in a powerful hurricane; he had fake glasses, ruffled hair, a turned-out, tattered umbrella, a suit w/ a tie that was suspended by a stretched coat hanger so that it looked like it was being blown by the wind, and a briefcase that had papers coming out of it that he'd glued together so it appeared as though they were spilling out. that's creativity, man.
i genuinely like all of my students--even the ones that drive me crazy--and i think it's endearing that many of them have known each other since they were in pre-kinder at the school. most of them have grown up together and have stories of how they broke each other's arms or pushed the other out of (stationary) car windows when they were little. they're so familar w/ each other that they're very likely sick of having to grow up w/ the same group of ppl all the time (they often act like they're siblings, and it seems slightly incestuous when they occasionally end up dating each other), but i look at the seniors and think it's sad that they're all going to be apart for the first time next year. they'll miss each other, whether they want to admit it or not, and i hope they realize that they're lucky to have so many ppl to keep in touch w/. i think there's a strong sense of community at this school, what w/ it being so small, which makes it vastly different from the huge high school i went to, where it was relatively easy to remain an anonymous face amongst the hordes of other students. i think these kids are in for a real shock if they end up going to large colleges where they'll become nothing more than a student # to the administration.
the other interesting thing i've noticed lately is how these students have grown up in a party town. they're used to going out and drinking (since the age of around 14, or whenever they looked old enough to get into clubs) and hitting the malecon every weekend and balancing that w/ schoolwork. alcohol isn't really a forbidden thing for teenagers here, and therefore loses some of its "off-limits" appeal. maybe these students won't burnout in college or university as quickly as hicktown frosh will b/c of this?
on tuesday, my parents' friends are coming here for the day on a cruise ship and i'm to entertain them after i finish teaching my classes. i have to admit that it's been kind of fun trying to come up w/ things they'd be interested in seeing here, but what i'm going to do w/ them is definitely different from what i'd plan if any of you from back home ever come (hint, hint). i'm kind of looking fwd to showing some familiar faces around.
posted by oxymoron @ 4:43 PM
1 Comments:
At 8:54 PM, November 25, 2005,
gbgb said…
dearest changette;
if i came, i'd have to come with someone else because there's no way in the world i'd take a plane on my lonesome for the first time. so i'm thinking of coming with lindsay in march for a week if we can find ourselves good tickets through that travelzoo thing. but if all we can get is a plane ride & no hotel, would you & your roomie let us crash on your floor? all we require is water & crumbs, for seriuz. so let me know *giggles* i need to get a passport & all that jazz, but it kind of feels nice to have something to look to in the future, especially when it involves you & hot weather & palm trees/the ocean because yeah, haven't seen either. maybe i'll bring ctd along with me. ;)
love & white outfits,
cgal.xo
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