I'm cramming in a poetry unit in the last days of April, which is poetry month. I taught my class about analyzing poetry, metaphors, onomatopoeia and making hypothesis. One child exclaimed "Madame, stop. Your big words are scaring me." Fair enough, they are only 8 and 9 years old.
We read one poem, analyzed the structure, the rhyme and the repetition as well as the meaning of the poem. (You're impressed, right? I mean these kids are only 8 and 9!) When I say we, I mean I told them to count the number of times a word is written, what words rhymed and I explained what I thought the poem meant.
Then I passed out some poems, gave them a few minutes and told them to do the same thing. Cue the look of fear. Except for one girl, she loves to talk, and was ready to give her opinion.
This is the poem:
Toc toc toc!
Toc toc toc!
Il pleut dur la terre.
Toc toc toc!
Il fait noir et clair.
Toc toc toc!
Tu bats des paupières.
Toc toc toc!
Tu fais des éclairs.
Toc toc toc!
Voici le tonnerre.
Here's some vocabulary for the anglophunny people. (That is what one of the students called himself today, cracked me up!)
toc toc toc - doesn't mean anything. It's just a sound.
Il pleut - rain
éclairs - lightening
tonnerre - thunder
Do you see the theme?
So she said that this poem represented the dark side of humanity and that it was really sad. Uh, okay. I guess it could be about all the pain in the world. I just thought it was about rain.
Lent is over. The first six weeks on the 'kill my will to live' diet are over. A visit to the Naturopath taught me that it's not over. When is it over? Who knows. I told her that I CANNOT GO ON! It's too tough.
She said okay.
Wow, I didn't expect that.
I'm supposed to do what I can. Which means making the right choices on my own. I'm allowed to eat like a human when I'm with others. I am going to be the most surrounded by people, social butterfly, chatty cathy the world has ever seen if it means I can eat sweets.
I don't think that's what she meant.
In any case, I declared the weekend diet free. Bring on the sugar. Bring on everything. Hello sugar crashes. Hello fatigue. Hello craziness.
Who knew the diet was actually making me a better and healthier person? Sugar really is not good. I know, I'm making ingenious statements.
But I love it.
I have to quit it. It's all or nothing. I can't just limit it. I'm a weak, weak person. A little bit is never just a little bit.
Starting tomorrow: the dreaded food diary. It's tedious, but I'm less likely to eat icing sweets if I have to write them down.
It's for the greater good of me being a healthy, happy person. Eventually, this won't even be a diet. It will just be a way of life. Sigh.
Is that how you write that? For all of you who don't like to comment, just send me an e-mail so I can fix it and look a little less neanderthalesque.
Tomorrow I am hosting for my book club's meeting. Generally, I am one to stress about these things. However, I'm not putting the pressure on myself to be perfect. I think we will have nachos and cupcakes. A little salty, a little sweet. (I find out tonight if I can go back to sugar.) And some wine, that I will not be consuming. (I'm driving to the ecological centre of the province immediately after. Please note, I am not with child.)
The living room is clean, the kitchen will be without a problem. No worries.
Except that my house isn't really designed for a fight.
You know how women are. Someone says something and then someone is offended and then there is tension and then things just aren't fun anymore? That's the gist of the situation.
Thank goodness my post book-club plans are good. If it's bad, I'll pack my back, throw them the keys and leave!
On the weekend I accomplished 19 tasks. Yay me. One of these tasks involved going through old cards and letters. (I didn't throw any of them out, I merely found a better place.) I found a post card that Michelle sent me in about 2003 when she lived in Japan. She joked that I should go to Japan to visit (why didn't I?) and that there would surely be a lovely Japanese boy to adore me for the duration of my visit.
I used to have quite the reputation for loving the international boys. Give me an accent and I was IN LOVE!
Ah, so long ago. Who knew that true love was in my origins? In fact, my grandma was a teacher for Jason's aunts and uncles, way back in the day.
Enough about boys! It seems I'm a magnet for the internationals once again. This time, it is in my search for a roommate. I have gone from "Gee, I like me space" to "Gee, I like money".
I have had 5 inquiries on my room to rent. 3 have been serious.
#1: Mr. Congo. I was hesitant. He was nice. I accepted. He found a cheaper place. Fair enough.
#2: Child from Afganistan. He's not a child, just younger than me. By a few years ;) Nice kid and his references checked out. In the end, he's not moving to the Queen City after all. I still like him.
#3: Ms. Nigeria. I'm totally crossing my fingers that when she asks a friend about my neighbourhood that she gets a good response. I think it's possibly bad luck that I'm blogging about it. May 1 is coming up!
Jason asked, with interest and curiousity, "What's up with you and the international community?*" It's just the way I am!
* Those were not his exact words. I don't recall his exact words. They were probably more a propos than my words.
Edit: Blogging is bad luck! She backed out! I have 7 days before I am screwed!
I was just going to link to my old blog and share the story of how this car came into being. I can't find my old blog! So many memories, lost in cyberspace. Jodi, do you still have a link to my old blog? Michelle?
Anyway, I purchased her with the help of my ex-boyfriend in 2006. In Las Vegas. What an adventure! Somewhat ironically, I told this very story to Jason on our first date. So it was a Saturday morning. Ex-boyfriend suggested we go to the States to buy a car. He proposed Vegas. I said 'NO WAY!' 24 hours later we were on our way to Vegas. I left a note for my parents. "Hi Mom and Dad, We've gone to Vegas. I might buy a car. See you next week." Saw the car, bought the car. Financing and insurance troubles by day, The Strip by night. Super fun!
But then some fuses started to go. And it's just no fun to drive in the winter. And it's not great on gas. And the fuel pump went. Time for a new car. Cue last Fall and the search for a new car. Boring story that ends in a Civic. A Civic which no longer has a whole in the bumper, I might add!
I put it up for sale about 3 weeks ago. I had plans to sell it tomorrow. Plans that existed in my head alone. Then this kid from Weyburn calls and offers slightly less that I was asking. I was asking more than I thought I would get, so I responded to his offer with "Hell ya!" (internally) and "I will consider your offer" (externally). He was ready to buy it without test driving it. Crazy! I made him take it for a little drive. He also thought I would accept a cheque. Uh, no. As it turns out, we bank at the same institution. So I took him to my parents to print off a bill of sale, then to the bank where they simply put his money in my account, then to SGI so that he could plate the car. Usually the seller does not go to these lengths, but I was motivated for this to be done. He has big plans to "pimp his ride" and will send me pictures.
And like that, I need not stress (too much) about money for the summer and there is more room in my garage.
Last summer, I would have been so sad to see my baby go. Now I realize that my love for an inanimate object is just not that important. My love of money is much more important to me :)
Hey! Guess what? I'm on Day 18 of my stupid cold! It's really wonderful, especially since my friend THE COLD, has found a new home in my nose. My most detested of all cold symptoms.
Enough about that, though I will gladly accept comments of sympathy in the comments.
I went to Alberta for the weekend. Good time for sleeping! And skiing.
We went to Sunshine and it was great. It is so amazing to ski when I'm not freezing my toes! I loved it. Easter skiing is the way to go.
As well, I read. I finished two books!
The Birth House by Ami McKay
It was great. It made me think about women's rights, how they have evolved over the past century, as well as how they haven't. It was so interesting to read about birth! Interesting, not terrifying. As well, it was good to read a Canadian book. Often, books that I read are British or American. I recommend it, as does just about everyone else.
Brand New Friend by Mike Gayle.
This book doesn't have it's own (easy to find) website. That's because it's just not that good. Not very good at all. I was mildly entertained.
As a family, we watched a movie.
Obviously, this Academy Award winning film is good. It was interesting and compelling. Obviously.
I may or may not have gotten over watching kissing scenes with my parents last week. I don't think we were ready for the sexual content of Milk. Not that it's all about sex, or that it's graffic or anything, it's just that I'm only 12.
So, go skiing in April, read Birth House and watch Milk.
Happy Vacation to me!
From Africa to the Middle East, the roommate search continues.
So, last time I wrote about this, I was getting eery feelings about Albert from the Congo.
I did some research (aka I talked to my boyfriend and the school's office manager).
They both said people from the Congo are wonderful. Alright, that's good. I expected both of them to either tell me I was crazy or be hesitant. Neither. Both suggested that the Congolese move in immediately.
So, in a feverish state, I met Albert for coffee on Monday night. All doubt on my part was erased. He was very calm, polite and nice. He also encouraged me to start having children soon. All in good time Albert.
Unfortunately, Albert thinks that I charge too much.
Good-bye Albert.
Hello U of S. You may remember Jaret, roommate of the summer of 2008? Well he left me with a good feeling about U of S Engineers. I had my siblings post an ad on a U of S website. Low and behold, my next possibility. He seems willing to comply with all of my rules and is also quite polite. He gave me some references, which I will check out, but I feel pretty good about this kid. His name was a little different, but I didn't realize that he was not born in Saskatchewan until I heard his accent. I asked where he was from. He asked me if I had heard of Afghanistan. No kid, we don't get the news in the Queen City.
So that's the latest. I have to e-mail some photos and check a reference or two, but it looks like I have a roommate from May to August, which was exactly what I wanted.
It has been so strange to know that when I come home, there will for sure be no one there. It's neither a good or bad feeling, just a different feeling.
I don't plan on having a roommate in the fall, but who knows. I'm kind of addicted to the easy money.
