If you are in a graduate school that requires the GRE’s or
planning to attend one…you will understand my following statement: I was
trapped in a room today with the people who make the GRE’s. They told us that
they are basically the “test whisperer’s.” Dear readers, if you don’t know me let me assure you I am
nothing if not sarcastic and it took every fiber of my being to not say:
“History will disagree with you!!! I will be vindicated!”
It was great however that we were able to get certified in
teaching TOEFL, since I know that many of my future students in September will
want to prepare for this test so that they can better their futures and I want
to be the best tutor I can possibly be for them. And while I hate ETS with
every fiber of my being for creating the GRE’s which don’t measure any form of
math that we ACTUALLY USE in Sociology- I am grateful that they have designed a
test that not only will allow my students to get into a university but also
know that they will be able to fit in and communicate at the university. So
overall it was a good day, we had some fun and learned tricks and teaching
units to lead to our students success. Plus I get a fun certificate!
Then I realized that I often plan trips, or explorations
with the idea that “history will vindicate me.” Let me explain- I wear funny
socks, and while my society often mocks me I know that in the future people
will appreciate them. I also know that in all seriousness most political activists, revolutionaries, and hopefuls will be vindicated. As I know that my life seems odd to most, I hope that the end of all that I do will vindicate the oddity of who I am! (But regardless, I will be odd forever.)
I think I should be disturbed by the fact that I got the
idea of history vindicating me and other people from the musical “Assassins” by
Stephen Sondheim when John Wilkes Booth is singing after shooting Lincoln and
he states: “Let them curse me to hell, leave it to history to tell, what I did,
I did well, and I did it for me country. Let them cry dirty traitor, they will
understand it later.” Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT justifying Booth, but his
sentence when applied to other situations is insightful.
Fun Fact for the day: Sarah posted a picture she took of me
on the bus last Saturday next to Sam and it is really similar to a picture my
friend Gail took of me in Germany in 2011. I put them side-by-side and just
thought: I have grown so much in 2 years, but there I am sitting in the same
position on the bus staring into the world and dreaming. There are parts of
your essence that can’t be changed and frankly shouldn’t be. I can’t wait to
see if any other similarities occur!
During the day I was lucky enough to get to know even more
about my colleagues here. Today I got to know about how amazing K.C. is. She
speaks not only English and Spanish but also Arabic and Swahili. But when she
tells you this it is like it is nothing at all, like anyone could do what she
did. And yet I struggle with languages so hard core that just watching her ease
her way through Bulgarian is like watching a ballerina dance to Swan Lake. With
ease and grace like no one is watching but the angels in heaven. She is also
very kind, I think that K.C. is perhaps the most gentle person I have ever met,
she reaches out to the little kids here with beauty and when she smiles it’s
like the sun wouldn’t shine if she didn’t. She was lovely enough to walk with
me to the gas station on our break and give me company and I love that she
volunteered!
I also learned more about the kids here and what their
favorite colors are, how many jokes they love to tell even when they tell them
5 times in a row. Annabet had to explain to me the interrupting cow joke before
she would actually tell it to me but having a 5 year old holding my face in her
hands while being dead serious about a joke is probably the most adorable thing
in the world!
Today we had to do an activity where one team had to answer
random questions about the other. The team opposite me said that my favorite
sport was “Quidditch”…the fact that they guessed correctly based on
conversations we have had about Dobby just showed me we are connected and
having fun! We learned about Jake and his extroverted personality, Lane and his
time in Germany, Victoria’s study abroad in Peru, Iliana’s love of bike rides,
George’s love of massages, Blaine’s shared fandoms, and Erika’s sparkling
personality.
I also found out I may be spending Christmas in Germany!! My
friend from College, Verena moved home to Germany to marry the love of her life
and is going to have a baby soon which I am incredibly excited about. But with
the travel time that it would take to get there it would be hard to travel
there on a weekend so I asked to start off my Christmas break there so I could
see her but not interrupt. But she was amazing and told me it was more than
fine to be there for Christmas, I really hope she means it because spending
Christmas in Germany just sounds amazing and probably one of the best
Christmases I will ever have in my life. I actually have always wanted to have
a “Love Actually” Christmas and the idea of seeing her for Christmas makes me
think of a mash up between Love Actually and Pirate Radio. Plus, I have missed
her. I just remember meeting Verena and thinking how brave she was to move to
another country, away from everyone she knew and loved, and get her degree
here. I also loved her passion for family. From day one she was honest that she
wanted to have kids and she was excited for it. Her passion for family is just
fluid and “catching.” She makes me even more excited for nieces and nephews.
Seeing her again will make me very happy and also I feel like it will complete
part of a life journey. You know we all have those moments where we see friends
after college and we are all grown up, settled and happy. I cannot convey how
much I am looking forward to that moment. PLUS MEETING THE BABY!
As usual I am sitting here around a table with wine filled
glasses as Dana discusses friendships, Sarah leans back leisurely in her chair,
Jake leads the group in cheer, and Rebecca lights up the deck with her
infectious smile and laugh. We rub off on each other and encourage each other.
Morgan even got to me today with her love of Christmas songs and so I have been
listening to Josh Groban’s Christmas CD all night!Jake just yelled into the lobby "I can be shallow!" and as I comment they tell me I am like Mr. Robitussin from the Princess Diaries...it's time for bed. Life is beautiful.
“There’s Nothing Complicated About The Way We Live. We’re
All Here For Each Other, Happy To Give. All We Have We Share. And All Of Us We
Care. So Come On- Welcome To Our Family Time…”
Tonight’s song is from Phil Collins. Featured in the Disney
film “Brother Bear” and discusses how wonderful it is to come home, enter a new
family (the Fulbright family) and feel that joy!
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