Woodstock has a new dance floor. And gym.

Yesterday, we had our gym dedication.  The old gym was knocked down 11 years ago and the new gym went through permit hell (purgatory maybe?) before being built.  Eleven years of basketball up at dorms and gym teachers screaming at teams outside of classrooms in session.

But no more!  Woodstock now has a gym FAR better than any I've ever seen in a school.  In addition to the standard brown wood on the floor and blue pads on the wall, we have the following:

A gymnastics room

A climbing wall

A squash court

A proper weight room (the treadmills have tvs on them)

REALLY nice scoreboards

Basically, it's an awesome gym.  If I were a PE teacher, I would feel like I could never live up to the standards of the gym.  Let's hope they don't build an RE complex.

In addition to the speeches given by some of the donors and family members of the guy the gym is named after, we had a special dinner and dance.  After filling up on chicken burgers, dosa and hot cocoa, we went up to the gym to enjoy a REAL DJ (not a grade 12 student with an ipod and a tick in his/her thumb, changing the song every 25 seconds).  They also had brought in a guy to do some laser thing.  We were told he did lasers for both Michael Jackson and Elton John.  How can I get to be a big laser guy?

The dance was fun.  I like to limit my dancing to a few times a year, or else it gets old.  It was a great time, watching groups of grade six students flailing wildly, younger staff getting down, awkward sophomore boys jumping and cheering for each other, and older staff couples dancing with each other.  A few of the junior boys took to creating coreography with each other, a few shy middle school students ran off to avoid embarrassment, and a few teachers sought out embarrassment by showing off moves to the students.

I am proud to say that I outlasted most other staff and quite a few students.  By the time the music ended, I was exhausted.  The day began at 7 am with Friday morning Bible study, I taught five classes in the day, ushered my advisory to the gym, sat through speeches, stuffed myself with free food, and danced for three hours.  I got home at 10:50.  Despite all the busyness, it was a great time.  I hope we can open some new building like this every semester.

Hodgepodge

I know, it's been a bit.  The past few weeks have been full and exhausting, which is not necessarily a bad combination.  Last weekend was the RE retreat, which needs a better name.  It's the high school voluntary Christian retreat, which I helped lead a bit.  The theme was "no fear" and we looked at faith, hope and love as the opposites of fear.  I teamed up with another adult to talk about faith.  My main part was to reason out with the kids what we have faith in and why.  The second part was looking at the Christmas story and the crucifixion to see when Mary's faith was tested.  That weekend, we also went on a short short hike to Flag Hill, a hill closeby where lots of local Buddhists hang their prayer flags. 

Maybe the most interesting part of the weekend was what happened after lights out.  The RE retreat has a bit of notoriety for being a weekend with less supervision for couples.  I've heard stories... As everyone was settling down, I noticed a few guys and girls desperately trying to talk and whisper with each other before bed.  When I stopped this, they got clever.  A few girls came over to the guys' side to "get water," one guy gave me a hug and mouthed things over my shoulder as I tried to push him away, and finally, things were yelled in Korean for another student to pass the message on.  Unable to see any other resolution, I grabbed a blanket and posted myself on the floor outside of the guys' room until about 2AM.  They felt guilty, as they should have, but I don't THINK anything happened.  I told the guys that I can stay up later and wake up earlier than they can.  Probably not the truth, but intimidation is important on Christian retreats...

Another thing I've been working on is the student talent show.  I did this last year, so I'm trying to impart my meager wisdom on the students in charge.  My main role is auditions, being the moral monitor and making sure we don't have a bloated show.  It's going alright- we had a few good acts, and no horrible acts so far.

Hopefully my life can slow down a bit over the next couple weeks.  I'm almost caught up on grading, auditions are almost over, and I don't think I have any big events coming up.  I might even get a whole weekend to relax!  I don't think I've had one so far this year.

Ciao.

My adwisory

Last night was the high school advisor night.  Almost all the high school teachers are assigned a group of 8-12 students who you take care of now and then until you leave or they graduate.  I have a group of ten grade 11 students who are a pretty diverse bunch.  To give you a picture, I have two staff kids, three Koreans, an Afgani, a few Americans, a few Indians, and a Thai girl. One student was practically born at Woodstock, while two just arrived a few weeks ago.  Last night, all high school advisors had to entertain their students for a few hours.  Some teachers had the students over to their house and some went out to eat.  

I took my group to Rice Bowl, a local restaurant.  I ordered some pork thukpa and momos.  To translate, I ordered a bowl of noodle soup and dumplings, both Tibetan.  The school gave me Rs 1350 plus I get Rs 240 for the kids not eating in dorms.  The bill came to about 1850.  Somehow, despite me telling the kids that I got money AND taking into account my own food, when I paid the whole thing, they flipped out.  "You shouldn't have done that!" they yelled.  I'm not sure if I said this before, but the students are easily bought.  I know, it sounds bad.  But for kids in a boarding school, taking the kids out to eat now and then will buy their affection.  After Rice Bowl, we went to Cafe Coffee Day (next door) for dessert and beverages.  Most of us ordered a sizzling brownie, and I think it's necessary to have a separate paragraph for this next point.

People like sizzling stuff.  Seriously, who doesn't want to squeal with glee when your hot food is making noises at you?  Back home we have fajitas and maple blonde brownies.  Here in India, a lot of the more upscale restaurants (for Woodstock staff) have "sizzlers" where the food comes out on a hot skillet, choking everyone with its smoke.  The brownie I had last night had smoke created from burning chocolate sauce.  It tasted a little carbonized, but was otherwise a tasty dessert.

Now that I've taken my kids out to eat all together, my plan is to have them over in groups of 3 or 4 for breakfast-for-dinner.  I've been perfecting my chocolate-chip pancakes and I can make some great greasy diner-style hashed browns.  I'm excited for it myself.

Ciao.

Wisdom

School started this past Wednesday, about two weeks earlier than I was ready for. Everything is going fairly well so far. I now teach 9th grade RE (same as last semester), 10 grade RE (general Western philosophy and the philosophy of religion), Old Testament Survey, and 10th grade world history. All around, pretty fun.

So far, having only seen each of my minor classes twice, I'd say my favorite is the 10th grade class.

Today in class, we talked briefly about what they take for granted and how they find out what is real and true. When I asked how they know tectonic plates cause earthquakes, one student confidently said, "textbooks." It got me thinking, and, being my style, I thought aloud, that for these students, the textbook is everything. Their lives depend on them knowing what the textbooks say in all their classes and being able to vomit that information on their APs, SATs, ACTs, and IGCSEs. We followed it up with talking about how we use our senses and reason to figure out many things, but the idea of textbooks stuck with me. How much do I believe based on textbooks, or what a teacher said, or what I read on some blurb online? I certainly know that I have said things wrong in class, and I've seen some poorly written textbooks...

I stick with Socrates' saying: "Wisest is he who knows he knows not." Or, the similar proverb: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." I don't think that would fly if I said it in my class to a question I don't know how to answer, but... I'll still sick with ol' So-crates.

All things new

We had our first day of meetings at the school today.  I do have to say that despite the way we ended the year (tired and tearful), people seem rather energized and happy to be back.

It's an odd thing.  It's been 3 1/2 years since I've graduated with a teaching license and this is the first time I'm not going to be the new guy.  Working in Mexico and Spring Lake Park I was the new guy, but those jobs only lasted one year.  For the first time ever, there are people newer than I am at a school.

It seems like a really great group so far.  They seem really diverse, friendly and full of energy.  I really hope that keeps up and encourages everyone else.

In other news, my new house had its first break-in.  Last night a mouse found a small hole in the outer door followed by a big slant in my inner door followed by my kitchen.  I saw the whole thing and those who know me know that I am not exactly a manly man.  I yelped a bit and avoided the kitchen.  When I moved to my computer, I heard it banging around a little bit, then the sounds got closer.  I swear, it charged at me.  Well, I yelled, and it skreeked and ran out the hole.  Right now the door is lined with fire wood, which will hopefully keep further intruders out.

In related news, I purchased my first handgun today.  It was really a spur of the moment thing, with two of my coworkers and I talking about monkeys and mice.  It turns out that our dearly departed (from India) former Hindi teacher used to chase mice under his refrigerator and shoot them dead with his BB gun.  So, I trekked up with a co-worker from Chicago to the grocery store that also sells BB guns.  The way up we were lamenting that where we come from, only the bad guys have guns.  For him, gangsters and whatnot, for me Republicans and rednecks.  We got a chance to test them out on some monkeys on the way back.  It turns out the monkeys know what these guns are and what they do and took off running.  If they ever get aggressive though, I only get one shot then that thing turns into a club...

I'll let y'all know how the year starts off after more than one day later!

What I did on my summer vacation

Good things about my vacation:

• I ate really good Japanese food in Nepal.
  
• I rode an elephant.
• I read/finished reading the following books:  The White Tiger (worth a read), The Satanic Verses (very well written), The History of the World in 10 1/2 chapters (some parts were better than others) and The Children of Men (the movie was better)
• I learned a few more Hindi/Nepalese words
• I got to knock another country off my list
• I had a baby elephant's trunk feeling my hand for food and I squealed with delight (imagine this scene)
• I saw a lot of cool pagodas
• I saw a "living goddess"- a 4-year old girl who has that title until she loses an adult tooth or menstruates.  Yup.
• I got to see one of my students in his home town.
• I saw some traditional Nepali dances
• I saw a procession of coolies in training.  Maybe the most fun memory.
• I got my kitchen fully set up and baked, roasted, broiled and cooked to my heart's content.
• I made hashed browns for the first time.
• I lied about having symptoms of swine flu to the Indian health people (what- I had a fever for a day in Nepal.  I don't have swine flu, dangit!)
• I am rested and relaxed and ready for the school year to start next week!

Donezorz

I don't really like mixed feelings.  I'd rather be swinging with volatility between emotions than have mixed ones.

The end of the year brings such feelings.  Thankfully (as I've already pointed out), I don't teach seniors so there's none of that sadness or hopefulness about them leaving.  Instead, here's a rundown of the past few days, hopefully explaining my mixed emotions.

After a long weekend of grading exams, I went off to Delhi on an 11-hour bus ride with students.  The students were great, but ANY period of sitting/laying awkwardly for 11 hours is tiring.  Upon arrival in Delhi, many of us got a few hours of sleep before heading to the airport.  I got a light schedule but I had to bring a group of students to the airport at 4:30 AM, and then at 8:00 AM before taking a break.  Bad emotions.

After my break, a few of us decided to haul our tired selves over to the US Embassy.  Within its walls is the American Club, a Shangri-La of beef, beer, and bowling for those who miss those things.  There's a pool too, but it didn't start with B.  Four of us sat around, eating gorgeous cow flesh until we were content.  A humorous note:  The hamburger at the club is called the "Illegal Alien."  Funny on so many levels.  They also had the Fox News morning show on in the lounge, and I realized I did NOT miss American news shows.  Good emotions.

Upon arrival back in Mussoorie after an early-morning train ride and trip up the hill, I was ready to relax, have a few days of simple meetings, and go for vacation.  I quickly realized that was not going to happen.  I had a letter delivered to my door that I won't get in to in-depth.  It informed me, if I may summarize, that one of my colleagues was dismissed, and, ahem, people were not happy.

Now here come the mixed emotions!  I kind of agree to a point with the dismissal.  I do think dismissing a teacher with kids right after graduation is wrong as they don't have time to say goodbye.  But... wait.  This is all a moot point.  My opinion doesn't matter.  I realize this and accept it.  I realize that I am tired, emotional, uninformed, and I have accepted my place lower on the ladder.  Other people disagree.  To them, their opinion does matter, they don't realize how tired, emotional or uninformed they are and don't realize their place is not to deal with hiring or firing.  

So, with this mix of people like me and people not like me, our all-staff meeting descended into crying, screaming, and impassioned speeches pretending that the speaker spoke for me.  Many people simply walked out.

So, my mixed emotions.  I love this school.  The kids are great, even when they're little turds.  The education is excellent and I am proud of my work.  I enjoy what I teach and my department is helpful and caring.  The view, although nature is still overrated, is great and I live in a clean, peaceful section of the world.  On the other hand, I hate politics.  I hate the politics of power-grabbing, emotional wrecks who think they know what's best.  I hate being told what to think and do.  I hate debate over if this is a Christian school (people are Christians, not organizations, and yes, a Christian school can fire somebody).

So, I have mixed emotions about being done for the year.  We didn't end on the best terms, and there may be some guerillas about next year in addition to the monkeys on the school campus.  But, is there ever a match for the joy a teacher (or student) feels when the school year is out? 

I'll be moving house and heading to Nepal over the next few weeks.  I'm not sure how much I'll be posting until I get back towards the end of July.  Don't expect daily updates or anything.

Peace.