You may have luck, but I am the luckiest of them all.

I believe that good things happen to good people. I believe that bad things happen to good people. I believe that all things happen to all people.

That being said, there are a few people who seem to exist outside of the rules. One such person was Gustavo- for those of you who've met him, maybe you remember the time that a bush next to him was struck by lightening while he was unscratched. Or the time that he noticed his bike was broken and found a wrench on the ground to tighten things up. Or the time his flip-flop broke and there was literally another shoe unclaimed on the sidewalk next to him. Or the time that his bike was stolen, but it was ok because someone gave him a saxophone an hour later. I've mostly just heard the stories, but when you meet him you can feel something in his aura that is different. Perhaps it's because he himself is carefree. I don't know exactly, but I do know that the world WORKS for Gustavo, and I am ok with that, because Gustavo will also work for the world.

Now, I wouldn't say that the world works for me like it does for Gustavo, but there is a hint in that direction. When I was little, I won almost every drawing that I entered my name into (perhaps to my mother's displeasure... seeing as I won things like a GIANT stuffed Penguin ((Lindsy- remember that???)) from the mall). But my luck didn't end with stockings and gas cards and stuffed birds, it's continued in more substantial ways in adulthood. I've certainly gotten lucky with the people that I've met while traveling (luck: possibly saving my life). I've caught the right person's eye at KU events to get shirts thrown directly at me in the size I want, I've happened to sing the right chicken-egg-development song to the right person landing me a job with KUUB, I've asked the right stranger for directions and ended up making a life-long friend.

And today? Today I had a much more Gustavo like experience. I woke up and had a gorgeous bikeride around Bled and was really pushed by a friend of mine to keep going further. I decided to stop by the grocery store on the way home, although I was worried about how to carry the jar of fefferonis home. Was it a problem? No way. Why? Because I saw some lady with samples. Of chocolate. And not just any chocolate! The very chocolate that I was hoping to find one of these days (because my sweet student Dejan gave me a bar of Honey-chocolate to give to my parents. But they already left, so I said I would try it and send the other half to them... but then I couldn't, because it was DELICIOUS (sorry 'rents)). I took a sample (obviously) and the woman asked me if I liked it. I said it was incredible, and she said... you know, if you buy 3 bars, I will give you this bag.

So now, I am home with all of my groceries, 3 bars of the best chocolate I've ever tasted, and a beautiful hemp grocery bag which I can use to carry my teacher stuff around.
Life is good.

Science Club Day 4: PERCEPTION

'In the province of the mind, what one perceives to be true, either is true, or soon becomes so.' -John Lilly

Today I jumped into a rather difficult task- asking my 8th and 9th graders to enter into a psychological and philosophical debate about perception and reality. The one and only Danny Najera did a lab like this once. He showed my human anatomy dissection class a series of images and asked us to start contemplating perception. Since that time I've tried to include it (successfully and unsuccessfully) into MY lessons. It's hard though. Why? Because perception is insane.

Today I started the lab with some simple stations. One station- students eat a candy with their eyes closed and nose plugged- ok, not difficult. Demonstrates that your sense of smell deeply influences what you taste. Another station- students test their sense of touch by poking each other with scissors in various places on their body (appropriately...) and measuring the distance in between the scissors when students only feel one point. This is where the discussion of perception begins. If you feel one point when two are touching you- what is reality to you? Does it match with the ACTUAL reality of the world? And what IS actual reality? Does it exist at all???

I think that I love this conversation about reality so much because I have had some experiences in the last few years that has made me question reality and belief in the impossible. Maybe I don't always have a firm grip on reality. For a few years now, I've been living in the belief that whatever I want to happen will in fact happen. And because of that, I've gotten to be a part of some really cool things, go some really cool places (which the govt. paid- the only way I had a chance of affording these things), and see some really beautiful stories of redemption play out. For example, one person in my life spent a good deal of time addicted to meth. He was in and out of jail, and in his craziest moments threatened to kill someone. He is now doing alright and a part of that, according to him, is knowing that people actually believed he could be ok. Having someone see this crazy goal (him healing from his addiction to meth) as a reality was some sort of medicine that gave him the strength to go on. I guess I also think that you can be that medicine for yourself, if you believe that your own crazy dreams can come true.

Maybe I read too many of the 'Choose your own ending books' when I was little or read too many of the inspirational quotes that Jessica Heath may have had on stationary somewhere ('Shoot for the moon... even if you miss you'll land among the stars') but I have this belief that reality will be whatever I want it to be (which I hope and believe is also a part of something larger). And part of that is because I'm a natural optimist, but another part of that is because I believe in SO MANY crazy things happening that some of them are bound to... and when they do, it just fuels the fire for more.

I'm not positive that this is the way to go- sometimes I am crestfallen when reality materializes and I find out that I, in fact, totally missed the mark. But I think that there is something to be said for belief in the unlikely, or even impossible.

Love you all. If you need me, I'll be watching and re-watching 'I believe I can fly'.

Forty-Five minutes

Today I went to the doctor, the dentist, and got my blood tested in 45 minutes.

I've since lost an hour just thinking about how crazy that was.

Megatron, Munchers, Mary-Kate Mondays, AMANDA COME BACK INTO MY LIFE!

Dear Amanda,

I was just thinking about what a wonderful team we were, and how far away you are. Maybe we can brainstorm more things that start with M, and you can come and visit?

Love forever,
Nicole

Human Soup

I have become rather good friends with one of my student's sister. Her name is Daša and it's been really great to get to know her. True, she's still not my age, but she's older than 13 and younger than 55, which makes her a lot closer than a good number of my friends here. Plus, there's something quite nice about being friends with someone younger than you. Something special, I do believe.

Before I came, I didn't think so much about coming to a small town, but had I, I would have expected to know everyone's whole family. And I have met several of them now from local events, from kids bringing their parents to frisbee, from students yelling to me from across the street, or from running into them at the grocery store*. In Daša's family, I know them even better because of the things that they have invited me to do with them (i.e. go skiing in Italy). It's pretty amazing. The other day she introduced me to her grandmother and grandfather, and we saw one of her uncles later the same day. Whole family? Yeah, I'm pretty much in.

But I guess that's not the limit, due to the small town atmosphere, the fact that I teach everyone's kid, nephew, cousin, whatever, the rarity of having a stranger living permanently in your town, and my very, very red winter coat, I am sort of known here. The community knows me as 'our Američanka' which I kind of really love.

In a way it reminds me of another time in my life... a time where I was just a regular student teacher in another small community, just trying to make it at Perry Lecompton High School. But the other members of the community were known to the school just like they are here.

My favorite part about that experience was lunch. Quickly I realized that the place to be during lunch was NOT with the teachers in the staff room, but in the cafeteria. On the court, if you will. In the paint.
Why was this the place to be?
Let me introduce you to the team:

1. Point guard- Mr. Scrimgouer (I never did know how to spell it). Shop teacher. Very tall man. Relaxed? Yes. Calm? Yes. In charge? Definitely. Ate two school lunches every day at the beginning of the year, until his wife started packing him ''healthy choice'' lasagnas. Afraid of blood.

2. Shooting guard- Mr. Haggard. Steady, dependable. Beloved biology teacher. My mentor. Incredible about giving me space and opportunities. Spent the whole time I was teaching building super awesome things like a giant Newton's cradle and hover craft. Knew everything about everything, really. Shared his muffins almost every day.

3. Power forward- Mr. Larsen. Fellow student-teacher. Hilarious. Well received. Fashionable. Ate from the cave every day out of comradery with the students and possible laziness. Spilled coffee on his pants every morning. The students noticed.

4. Small forward- Ms. Schmidt. You know me, so I probably don't need to repeat the usual compliments that I give to myself. Though I should add, amazing ability to dunk.

5. Center- Clint (Clive? Clay?). The local cop. Came almost every day during lunch because he didn't have anything else to do. Ate 2, sometimes 3 lunches. Big man. Full of stories. Loved anime.

Sub- Martin. Not one of my students. Came to enjoy our company. Not the healthiest eater... once saw him eat a tub of cool whip and a snickers for lunch. Heard he washed it down with a bottle of Hershey's chocolate 'shell' syrup.


As you can imagine, this was an extremely entertaining group of people. I had my plan period during lunch also, so I was able to stay during the entire lunch period if I wanted to, and usually that is exactly what I wanted to do. Amazing.

It's hard to pick a favorite memory from this team... it could be the time I brought fresh spring rolls:
Mr. S: WHAT are those?
Me: Spring Rolls! (almost take a bite)
Mr. S: Ahhhh! Wait! It's still got the paper. You're so excited to eat them you've still got the paper!

Or it could be the time I was denied giving blood (stupid anemia) and Mr. Scrimguer confessed being horribly afraid of needles and hating to talk about this stuff, which reminded Cliff of all of this days as a detective, and all of the things that he found. Which he told us about, much to Mr. Scrimguer's displeasure, throughout the rest of the lunch period.

Here school lunch is different. We have snack, but kids eat with their classes, teachers eat in the staff room. There is lunch, but it's not mandatory and kids eat right before they go home. The food is about 1000x better, but I'd give anything to have my old lunch back.



*Which, I should mention, is NOT my favorite place to run into kids with their parents.

Hand-written letters are the best thing in the world to receive

So I really want to start pen-pals with my students. Any teacher friends want in??? I'm hoping to match 2 8th grade classes and 1 7th grade class, but I am not sure if I can find enough willing teachers! If you have any suggestions, please tell. Also, if you want a 13-year old pen-pal, you let me know about that too.

Google Translate: What a Delight

I am still quite far away from perfect fluency in Slovene, and read much slower in my second language than in my first. However, I know that it's good for me to not be lazy and try to understand; to break down words, to read carefully without using a translator. So why do I still use Google translate?

Hi, Nicole!

Thank you for PowerPoint. Considers it very much.
I would like, if you are involved from:

- How are the people - the Americans had a seizure?

- What has this changed? (in people's lives)

- Or the Americans today remember this event? How?

You can have more than 25 minutes.

I suggest that you start to watch you. I thought I would start to look at an excerpt from the film - Attack on Pearl Harbor, but I really like this.

Can we continue this in your DB?
Have fun.

________________________________________________
Let's hope that the Americans didn't have a seizure.