The juggler always wins.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Neighborhood
On the last day of the Habitat for Humanity build in El Salvador, Rafael brought a T-shirt for all of us volunteers to sign. It said "neighborhood" in English across the front. Rafa is a cousin of the homeowner, Dora. Rafa and Dora's brother worked on the construction of the house from beginning to end, contributing sweat equity for Dora.
On the first morning of the build, we were all a little shy. Not too many of the volunteers spoke Spanish, and neither Rafa, his cousin, nor the Mason spoke much English. Mostly we volunteers chatted through the morning in English, and the local guys just worked in silence. After lunch one of the guys, the mason maybe, walked from behind a rock pile with a soccer ball in hand, shouting, "Vamos a jugar!" There were two young guys behind him in shorts and sandals. They were there to play. So about half of our group, all in work boots and already tired from the first morning of working in the 90-degree heat, followed hesitantly. Only one or two people in our group had really ever played soccer, but no one seemed to care.
As it turns out, the soccer field was just a few meters from the house we were building. It was big and dusty, surrounded on two sides by a steep drop into a river valley. Even though I never played, the daily post-lunch soccer games were some of the highlights of the trip for me. Because I speak Spanish, I was able to talk with the local guys, but for some of the others in the group, playing soccer together was the best form of communication. It was fascinating to watch how people were getting to know each other just through the game.
I have heard people talk about the magic of soccer, and soccer was definitely the magic that bonded our group across cultures. Check out some of the highlights below:
On the first morning of the build, we were all a little shy. Not too many of the volunteers spoke Spanish, and neither Rafa, his cousin, nor the Mason spoke much English. Mostly we volunteers chatted through the morning in English, and the local guys just worked in silence. After lunch one of the guys, the mason maybe, walked from behind a rock pile with a soccer ball in hand, shouting, "Vamos a jugar!" There were two young guys behind him in shorts and sandals. They were there to play. So about half of our group, all in work boots and already tired from the first morning of working in the 90-degree heat, followed hesitantly. Only one or two people in our group had really ever played soccer, but no one seemed to care.
As it turns out, the soccer field was just a few meters from the house we were building. It was big and dusty, surrounded on two sides by a steep drop into a river valley. Even though I never played, the daily post-lunch soccer games were some of the highlights of the trip for me. Because I speak Spanish, I was able to talk with the local guys, but for some of the others in the group, playing soccer together was the best form of communication. It was fascinating to watch how people were getting to know each other just through the game.
I have heard people talk about the magic of soccer, and soccer was definitely the magic that bonded our group across cultures. Check out some of the highlights below:
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
Thanks but no thanks
So I'm really awful at interviews. When I was interviewing for teaching jobs in Dallas, I got turned down time after time. In fact, the only way I finally got hired was that someone quit two days before school started, and the principal was desperate. She had no choice but to hire me. The problem with me and interviews is that I'm just not good at stating my weaknesses in such a way that they sound like strengths. I'm not one for talking around the question. I could never be a politician. I just say it like it is then hear myself say it like it is then realize that saying it like it is is a really bad way to say it. But by then it's too late. I've already made a fool of myself in front of this person who is by now most definitely not my future boss.
Remember the time I was interviewing with Texas Teaching Fellows and I couldn't think of anything at which I had failed. Here's what I wrote about it at the time:
And since that interview, I have compiled a half dozen or so more failed interviews. But maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to answer that question using failed interviews as examples, huh? That would just create another failed interview.
Oh, and the whole point of this post is to share that I did not get the job in Costa Rica. So we can also add that to the list. Meh.
Remember the time I was interviewing with Texas Teaching Fellows and I couldn't think of anything at which I had failed. Here's what I wrote about it at the time:
"As part of the interview process, I gave a five-minute sample lesson, participated in a group discussion, completed two writing samples -- one in English and one in Spanish -- and participated in a one-on-one personal interview, which was conducted in both Spanish and English. I know the lesson went well, and even the Spanish part was fine, but I'm not too sure about the rest. The worst part was the last question in the personal interview.
'When is the last time you failed at something, and how did you deal with that failure?'
My answer:
'Hmm, let's see... The last time I failed at something... Let me think about that... Well, I know I fail at things all the time... It's not that I think I'm perfect or anything, but... well, hmmm... You know, nothing's really coming to mind just right now... Nope, I can't think of a thing... Sorry...'
At least now I have an answer to that question."
And since that interview, I have compiled a half dozen or so more failed interviews. But maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to answer that question using failed interviews as examples, huh? That would just create another failed interview.
Oh, and the whole point of this post is to share that I did not get the job in Costa Rica. So we can also add that to the list. Meh.
Friday, March 2, 2012
And for what
UPDATE: I checked the Travelocity site an hour or so after I sent the e-mail and noticed that they have added "2014" to the entry deadlines on the web page.
I've been spending hours preparing a video to enter into Travelocity's Travel For Good program. My students have helped me narrate the video, and they were so excited that I might win $5,000 to travel on the Amazon river in Peru and work with conservation scientists. The Travelocity web site lists March 31 as the deadline to submit videos. However, this morning when I clicked the "submit video" link, I got a polite message stating that the window for submitting entries was closed and would not open again until January 2014. I sent an e-mail letting them know that they should update their web site and that I am super bummed.
Anyway, here's the video in its almost-finished form:
I've been spending hours preparing a video to enter into Travelocity's Travel For Good program. My students have helped me narrate the video, and they were so excited that I might win $5,000 to travel on the Amazon river in Peru and work with conservation scientists. The Travelocity web site lists March 31 as the deadline to submit videos. However, this morning when I clicked the "submit video" link, I got a polite message stating that the window for submitting entries was closed and would not open again until January 2014. I sent an e-mail letting them know that they should update their web site and that I am super bummed.
Anyway, here's the video in its almost-finished form:
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