Victoria Memorial

What would visiting Calcutta be without a trip to the Victoria Memorial? It seems at the top of every guidebook and tourist resource. Yesterday I made the pilgrimage and was impressed by many things.

I spent much time in the grounds surrounding the memorial, and in the end I believe the well cared for park of 64 acres may be its finest feature. Few overflowing Asian cities can boast such a large amount of public green in the center of the city. There were as many enjoying the outdoor space as those inside the building. From all available evidence, it must have been Couples Day at the memorial.

In 1921 the memorial was opened and remains in very good condition, especially the buffed to glowing exterior. Inside there is an extensive catalogue of Indian history, particularly during the time of English influence and governance. I felt a little uncomfortable with looking at the displays from the point of view of a Caucasian occupation, but the Indians present were very engaged. I came away with much knowledge and a couple of points I need to research. The battle of Plassey? The more I learn, the less I seem to know.


Upon leaving the memorial I saw this work crew I thought was almost comical. Can you tell which one is the boss? The mid level laborers? And finally those at the bottom (ground level?). Classic work gang around the world. :-)

35 Years-Nothing's Changed

Today was the big 35th class reunion of the Loreto Catholic Girls School. The school building has a very significant history, dating back to the mid 1700's. My imagination doesn't quite reach back that far.

We have seen many old buildings, mostly social clubs still set in the rooms first organized by the British in the 18th and 19th century. For the most part these buildings are clearly showing their age. This is not true for the Loreto Catholic School. No scaling or peeling walls, fresh paint all around, and uncracked tiling cleaned and polished.

From 3rd to 10th grade Bindu and Anu entered the door behind them. Inside is a central courtyard with 3 story classroom buildings spread across a significant area. Today there was a service in the hall where services have been held for more than a hundred years. It didn't take much singing or talking to bring the assembled former students to tears.

35 Years Ago-Home Sweet Home

Today we did a nostalgic trip through a portion of Bindu's life. 8 Rainy Park looks just like this.

Bindu and her family lived on the second floor of this house 35 years ago, from the time she was 10 until she was 16. She clearly had tears in her eyes as she described the large extent of garden they played in, all now paved over. We found the location of the water well where brother Sidanshu took what could have been a fatal plunge. We climbed the stairs and were able to open the windows and peer out at the cityscape that has much changed. Of course now high rise buildings obscure what was a beautiful view out across the city.

Bindu found her bedroom where she must have drawn thousands of sketches, developing her arts career as she lay on the bed. Today the door was triple padlocked with no chance to see the inside. Triple padlocked?

Lastly, we went next door to Shanghai Dry Cleaners, still operating. Bindu talked with the young people running it today, yet still members of the same family who owned the business 35 years ago. They promised to pass on greetings to their grandfather.

Isabella Joins Our World

While my goal is to write about our travels through India, today must be about a very special event, the arrival of my only granddaughter. This is the one day of my life this has taken place and I'm humbled by the knowledge of her presence. For sure it will be Marc and Julia's full time responsibility, but I will know her well and cherish following her story, her journey.

Isabella was due the 11th of December, but held us in suspense. She stalled, waited and teased us. Finally the doctors had to take the cesarean route and she had no choice.

Caiden was very much involved with the arrival of his sister, and has quickly became quite the big brother. Bindu and I are wondering if he realizes Isabella is soon to leave the hospital, arrive at his home and share his space. We will meet Isabella in July and we are already starting the countdown till that day arrives.

Some Good Results

Bharat Sarronwala, Bindu's father, had surgery yesterday to remove a growth from the upper portion of his right lung. Observation and testing has proven the growth to benign, so nothing to worry about.

While the result was good in that regard, initial recovery from the surgery itself has been a little slow. This morning Bharat was very weak, even quite breathless on a limited walk in the hall. He came back and took to the bed and was breathless, sweaty and quite unsteady from the exertion. It was a little sobering watching him try to get back to his former self. By late this afternoon, though Bharat seemed to have turned the corner and indicators were moving in the right direction. Before we left the hospital at 9.00 this evening, he really was gaining strength almost by the minute. He slid into bed tired, but much more his own self. This is a completely good result now.

We are all so grateful to begin the holiday with such a positive result.

Launch That Holiday

Day 1, hour 1 of a much anticipated break for Bindu. The VPA concert is behind, and all compliments on student performance very well deserved. She and the entire Visual and Performing Arts department can be happy with the results.

We lift off via Singapore Airlines today for Bangalore. This is the only part of the next 3 weeks we view with a serious eye as Bindu's father will be having surgery later today to remove a growth in his lung. The prognosis for a complete recovery is excellent, yet still, a surgery of this kind at 80 is enough for more than one concerned look. We anticipate good news and are putting all our energy in that direction.

I've never attempted to blog a holiday before, one where we will be doing significant moving from place to place. Still, if it's a priority, it can get done to some degree. It will motivate me to look at the world around me for a little more detail knowing I'm committing to this task. :-)

An Sunny, Warm, Asian Christmas

In a few days we'll be heading to India for a wonderful change. Bindu will not have the daily school routine, and I'll be seeing a country fabled for color and culture. This will be very, very cool.

Until recently I've not realized how much snow and cold weather has been part of my holiday psychological framework. Can it be the end of 2010 and no snow on the ground nor frosted breath in the air?

A few days ago we put up our Asian Christmas tree. The lights went on, came off. Went on, came off. Ah, then a trip to Ace Hardware. Two more times - lights on, lights off. Finally we got it right, as if there is a right. We finally called a halt to the nonsense and are enjoying bright lights and beautiful ornaments. Isn't this the way it's supposed to be?

The eReading Experience

This has been revealing. A lifetime priority has been having a great book going, and the emotional/educational experience has always been tied to the text comfortably resting in my lap.

From youthful flashlight reading under my covers to absorbing a travel book while watching the land roll by from the crowded side of the Greyhound bus window, the physical book has always been present.

Currently I'm absorbed in The White Mughals, a classic piece about the assimilation of early Englishmen into Indian society.

The novel is great, which is not a surprise, but the whole experience of reading it on an iPad has been an unexpected pleasure. From the backlit text, increased font size, sepia color background, and easy transport of the book, using this medium has been revolutionary. While it may be a bit premature to say this is the only way I'll read in the future, it's clear I'm going to try this route again.

The test will come when I have a hard copy in my hand and I'm still tempted to purchase the same book in digital form.

Unexpected Pleasure

Consistent running is garnering the most obvious benefits...I'm getting in much better shape. I fully appreciate having the time to do this.

The running is good for health, but yesterday I had a wonderfully warm and unexpected benefit. Stride for stride I fell in with two other runners, an Indonesian man and woman. I have seen them before and have been impressed by their speed stamina. Tono has just returned from the New York marathon. Nini is training for the Singapore 42km. and they are both planning on running the Tokyo marathon.

To make such friends or acquaintances while doing something I enjoy so much is very, very fine. I look forward to seeing Nini and Tono again and follow their progress through the upcoming events.

...and the rains came

It is now the beginning of the rainy season, and the days are becoming very, very wet. This is causing problems for the local tennis court. The river, usually well contained between tiled banks, has overflowed, spilling across this part of the neighborhood, making the court more like a red and green rice padi.

The rainy season.

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

So, so good off the page the first time, but also exceedingly enjoyable from the iPod the second time around.

"How do you spend your time?"

Retirement is actually pretty cool, worth working and saving for 38 years. It is amazing how I find myself so busy, but now busy doing things I really enjoy doing.

1. Studying American Sign Language
2. Reading books like Train Go Sorry, The 19th Wife, and now I am listening to one on my iPod, Pillars of the Earth.
3. Tennis lessons.
4. Running every day.
5. Listening to very, very cool Podcasts.
6. Reading the newspaper from front to back.

Actually during the day I haven't taken a nap or turned on the television once. Again, I'm too busy. Once Bindu comes home, though, we've taken to watching some pretty high quality video programming. Last night we finished "The Pacific", and it was a very sobering experience. When it was over, we just sat quietly, totally overwhelmed by what we'd seen. I feel so very lucky to have avoided that experience myself, but also so, so thankful my sons were not part of either the war in Iraq or in Afghanistan. Why do we do this to ourselves?

Train Go Sorry

After having deaf student TZ in class, I've become very interested in continuing my education in ASL and the lives of deaf people. In the last few months I've acquired quite a collection of books on the culture and lessons to improve my ability to understand signing and sign myself.

Train Go Sorry by Leah Cohen has given me so much insight into the deaf scene, particularly in New York City. There is so much to comprehend, but one concept that continually comes to the front is community. The deaf are relatively few in number, so when they can find each other, particularly in a school setting, good things usually happen.

Everything Ms. Cohen has said leads me to believe the time I'm spending to access this community is time well spent. I will be richer for my efforts.

I wish I could meet Ms. Cohen.

How About These Blossoms!

Hiking South Jakarta very much will eventually bring you past some very lovely flower stalls. After as much time as I've been here, I'm ashamedly blase about the colorful exhibition of blossoms. :-(

The branch of blossoms on the right caught my eye, though, and I'm sure I haven't seen anything like this. Each blossom is enclosed and hard, slightly smaller than a cherry. Also each is composed of about a dozen parts all fitting together with a pattern that reminds me of a soccer ball stitched together pentagons.

Pretty cool, and impossible to see from a car window.

How About It?

Somebody thought this was a really good idea.

Taking Parking Seriously

Traffic congestion in Jakarta is a very serious issue. Often movement on large thoroughfares ceases and it makes one consider stepping out and walking.

With so many cars and motorbikes competing for space, what's to do with your vehicle when it's not in use? Different approaches create varying scenarios in ones mind.

To the left is one example that may engender one set of circumstances. If you park here, a large, leather clad, middle aged man is going to come out and take you to task. If verbal persuasion doesn't work, a pummeling may take place.

The no parking sign on the right intimates a much harsher response. To actually occupy a parking space reserved by a global security network would really be endangering your safety. Police? Army commandos? Conventional airborne weapons? Even a nuclear strike on your car?

People are very serious about their parking spaces in Jakarta.

Urban Hiking

The last couple of days I've been trying to get some exercise into my life, and found walking to accomplish errands I'd formerly driven to has had unexpected benefits. Yesterday was a perfect example.

To transit to a local mall involves at best the same route I've taken for years, and at the worst, pretty ugly traffic congestion. Walking a different path awakened me to a cityscape that actually looked small, almost rural. The pic at left shows what I mean. The air was warm, but this was a very quiet, peaceful neighborhood surrounded on four sides by busy urban thoroughfares.

Around several corners ahead I head what I thought was a wedding. Amplified singing on the weekend often indicates such social occasions. As I turned a corner, here was this young lady, all by herself, serenading the neighborhood for tips. I contributed, which granted me the opportunity for this pic, and moved on.

Neither of the above parts to my day would have occurred had I taken the car.

Road Tripping

A 10 day road trip from Colorado to Michigan had many, many interesting educational moments. One highlight was viewing the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics, but another was the discovery of this historical site, the remnants of the Old Spanish Trail.
Originally established to move woven textiles west and horses and mules east, the Old Spanish Trail had a significant life from about 1830. Reading of and learning about these historical locations may well be a great hobby during the years of intentional unemployment and travel in the Volkswagon van.

Family Time Wraps Up

It was so difficult to come away from family at the end of this break. My sons and their wives were great to see, but the grandsons stole the show. Pictured is Caiden Ashley Hughes, aged 11 months, and pretty much excited about every discovery the world has to offer.

Certainly one of the funniest was arming Caiden with the garden hose and watch him spray to the dog that enjoyed the powerful stream of water. Who enjoyed this more? Marc, his father and me? Caiden shouting and laughing? The dog, barking, jumping, and trying to bite the stream of water? It was 5 minutes of magic.

As Caiden and his parents move to the Dominican Republic for the 2010-2011 school year, I will miss them all. It doesn't seem right not to see them for almost 12 months. Not right at all.

Different Beauties

The San Juan mountains offer beauty from afar, red sun setting or rising over gray mountains. Yet there is beauty all around. Erwins have a beautiful rose bush in their garden, needing care and daily water, but producing such soft and delicate beauty.

Nursing flowers in this dry, sunny climate requires special selection and care. I chose some I thought looked good in the greenhouse. My selections have a mixed review of life. The sun cooked the poppies in 2 days, reducing them to a wilted mass with a spot of color. The others, I'm not sure the name of the yellows, have done very, very well in the long, direct sunlight. Next summer when we choose flowers for our own deck, we'll certainly avoid the poppies and go more to the gold ones. I guess I'd better figure out their name, eh?

Long Light = Evening Enjoyment

When the work is done for the day, the sun is still high in the sky. When energy permits it is great to get out and into the environment for some recreation. The golf course is a great place to go for an hours putting, with who buys coffee the outcome of competition. Mosquitoes discover we're there about dusk, and decide to make us their evening meal, so we head in quickly when the sun goes behind the mountains.

Work on the house goes well, as the paint splotches on my hands and work clothes would indicate. It is amazing how much time it takes to prep a room for repainting, then putting it together after the task is done. Putting color on the wall seems to be nothing compared to the work surrounding it.

Durango art and craft fair today. This will be great wandering.

Durango's Steam Train

Four times each day the Ironhorse steam engine leaves Durango, destination Silverton, high in the mountains. I've taken the train a couple of times, and enjoyed both bright blue sky and gray rain, but the people aboard the passenger cars are happy and communicative. Great rides.

Summer is passing, July already. With the necessity of traveling back to Jakarta on the 28th of this month, the abbreviated summer holiday seems to be slipping through my fingers rather rapidly.

Despite the quickly passing summer, our end of day statement before we went to sleep last night: "It's really hard to remember all the great things that happen each day."

Pretty happy.

Warm Weather = Fun Activities

Warm time with friends has brought the opportunity for many great activities. It is now time to get out and use the golf membership, hiking boots, and bicycle.

Scouring the classifieds in the Durango Herald for part time work has proven actually quite successful. I'm not looking for just something to mark time a bring in a little money, but for something where I can advance my knowledge or interests. I've been fortunate enough to see some good ones. How about working at Honeyville matching my interest in beekeeping? How about teaching youth tennis at the local camp paralleling my passion for the sport?

It leads me to believe when the time is right for relocation to Durango, snow and mountains, the right opportunity to earn pocket money will present itself.

Life is good.

mh

Summer Food

Summer food seems so different than winter food. Fresh corn at a farmers' market, local greens, and marinated, grilled chicken is just so right. There might be ants or mosquitoes, but the whole eating experience is so summer.

Last evening we took a drive, just to look around. We stumbled across an access to the Animas River very close to town. To date the only place we had to put kayaks or rafts in was far to the north, making the float to town very long, becoming tedious. Now this discovery will allow a moderate or quick trip down fast moving water, something far more likely to happen than a more time intensive investment. I'm anxious to try this out.

mh

Breakfast Sausages, Sound, Texture, Aroma Superb

Getting up early in the morning, starting breakfast preparation, complete with the aroma of crackling sausages in the frying pan. Is this holiday, or what!

After spending the last three summers involved in going to summer school, this free time to reconnect with Colorado friends is like cool water to a thirsty traveler. I didn't realize how much I missed it.

What I'm most thirst for right now is a really good book. I've been too long without, and I very much need to get to the library, spend some luxurious time browsing, and coming away with a selection or two. Life with friends isn't always conducive to the kind of reading I want to do, but I'll reassert myself once I get a good novel.

mh

Vacation Has Begun

Summer means work in gardens. In the past I've been the fully employed volunteer at Kleppers' place in Michigan. Now with a change in venue, Michigan to Colorado, I've found things to do in Erwins' yard. This trimming of rose bushes and clean out flower beds may look like work, but it really is an enjoyable activity.

Having friends like Jim and Judy is a real blessing. In good times they are great fun, and in times less than good, they are a consistent, valued comfort.

Trimming and cleaning gardens? The least I can do to repay friendship.

mh

Fathers Day - A Quality Substitute

Having a Fathers Day without my own father was a downer, but I still had a really, really pleasant Day. I went to Farmington, New Mexico with my great friend Jim Erwin to visit his dad. Jim's mom and dad are really cool people, models for what I would like to become. We had a perfect day, going to Si Senors restaurant for great Mexican food, then home to watch the US Open golf tournament.

It's hard to know what was better, the food or the golf. In the end, though, the memory that's left is spending good time with great people.

mh

First Father-less Fathers Day

Today is my first Fathers Day with no living father. But because Dad is not with me any more does not mean I'm not thinking of him. I was surprised how conditioned I am to contact him.

I noticed when the plane landed in Seattle, my first reaction was to call and tell him we're on the continent. Today, the same. I wasn't out of bed yet and I was thinking of calling Dad, wishing him well, and expressing how much he's meant to me over a lifetime.

The accompanying photo of me, Dad, and Pat is one of the last ones I have of him. It was taken at Christmas at one of the usual happy family gatherings. Fortunately, I was aware of his gradually declining health, and was aware each time we met it could be for the last. I so valued that time together.

What I've found is that Dad is still with me, even though he has passed away. The memories of all his qualities, the good and maybe less good will stay with me a lifetime, I'm sure. I just hope I am be the same kind of father he was to me.

I've a very lucky life.

Honeyville in Durango

Yesterday we went to Honeyville, a business establishment 6 miles north of Durango, that does bees and everything having to do with bees. I was actually looking for some hand lotion, but of course ended up buying much more. How do you resist Cinnamon flavored honey butter? :-) The most interesting thing I learned was how the company treats their bees in the winter. Of course it snows and gets cold in Colorado, so the bee hives, complete with inhabitants, are loaded onto a truck and transported to sunny, warm California to spend the winter.

How many of us wouldn't like the same treatment as the bees? But then again, how many of us work as hard as they do?

Deaf School In India

What an experience. Very close to the apartment we were staying in was a deaf school for very disadvantaged students. We walked over to take a look, and we were very well received by the administration and students. Signing was the way of communication, and I found I remembered some of my skills learned from Ben this year. :-) More practice, more remembering.

To start, it was about me remembering my American Sign Language, but quickly it became about friendship, acceptance, and trying to bridge differences from one person to another. I feel this is going to be a long term relationship...when we visit India again in August and then again in December, we will again visit the school, this time really looking at ways we can help out.

Language is such a barrier, but in this instance, signing will become a bond.

mjh

Will It All Fit?

India bound to meet new family members and establish new and exciting relationships...and that's not counting the richness of India as a country. This is going to be one of the most significant trips of my recent life, and I'm ready for it. Photo ops? There should be many. :-)

For you students who have begun blogging your summer, I'm anxious to follow your adventures and how you are reacting to them. This time away from the traditional classroom is a great opportunity for other kinds of learning. Make sure you take full advantage, eh?

mh

From One Door To Another

5 June 2010, a day unlike no other. I closed the door to Q2 for the last time, closing off 22 years to the JIS experience. Though the picture is of a smiling former faculty member, certainly the heart has mixed, jumbled emotions. So, so many wonderful students have come in one door, then out the other. So many positive parents have visited to view their children's work and discuss successes and how to achieve even more.

I am a very, very lucky person to have experienced this for so long.

TORCH Test-Have Elise's Reading Skills Improved?

The Giver-all doors in the community unlocked? What's the deal with this?
Personal novels-time with a fine book of choice.
TORCH test-let's see. Did we become better readers for comprehension over grade six?

Homework-construct a blog entry based around the following choice. Like in The Giver, you are given a choice in your hear and now life-you may ask anyone a question and receive an honest answer, or, you may lie. What's your choice and why? Select a graphic for your post that fits your choice and reasoning behind your decision

Yash-Birthday Boy

The Giver-onward, deeper into Jonas' selection. Is this a good thing?
Advertising-the looking at the graphics of others, reflecting, and maybe making some quick changes. "Oh, now I get it."
Journal entry-15 minutes getting thoughts down, either on blogs or paper journals. Our usual weekly composition.
Sustained Silent Reading-after missing our time after lunch, we did our best to make it up.

Homework-nothing tonight. Teacher apologies all around.

Stuart's Battle With Technology

Advertising-
1) Target audience
2) Deconstructing ads chosen by students
The Giver-so what does this assignment mean?
Private novels-nothing better than reading time

Homework-
1) write a 5 sentence journal entry as if you were Jonas after today's reading from our book. What does this 'selection' mean? Apart? Pain?
2) bring journal for our 15 minute writing

Instructor T. Zolkowski checking for student skill acquisition

Advertising-
Clio Awards
Blog post deconstructing an award winning advertisement, using the 7 elements from our textbook
The Giver-Jonas receives his long awaited assignment, but what is it really?
Library visit-
Return all books and materials
Borrow one book if desired
Pillow time for reading

Homework-finish advertising blog post deconstructing an ad from the Clio awards website

Advertising-The Beginning

A Story-we heard today of how a native American group, the Apache, traveled south to the Pima tribe, and there apologized for their ancestors raiding the ancestral lands of the Pima. A group today apologizing for deeds done over a century ago? What's the lesson here?
Advertising-we began our unit with reading and discussion of advertising itself. We focused on-
What is advertising?
What is a target audience
Individual novels-we had 15 minutes to spend between the covers of a favorite novel. This is always a quiet time, with the silent buzz of students completely engaged.
The Giver-we moved to the house of the old where Jonas volunteered to help bathe the old, but at which he got some very information on the release of an older citizen, Roberto.

Homework-
1) Finish an advertisement using active, pursuasive language to sell a car to a selected target audience
2) Bring journals to class tomorrow so we can do our 15 minutes of writing.

Hero Day Character/Birthday Girl?

Begin our advertising unit-ran out of time due to shortened block creating space for our ESP reunions at the end of the day. Will charge on it Monday.
Library book exchange/personal novels-we made it to the library, the bookstore where all the books are free, for an exchange of reading materials. While there we spent pillow time with the novel of our choice. Always a quality reading experience.
The Giver-our reading took us further into the idea of group rather than self, assignments that may sound strange to us, and the addition of the Newchild with the strange, clear eyes.

Homework-
1) Read two times
2) Have a plan for how to get books for the last bit of school when the library will be trying to reclaim their borrowed materials

Our Library-The Ultimate Comfort

Library book exchange-we spent time in the middle school library checking out material for the weekend and reading comfortably in the pillows. Does it get any better than this?
The White Mountains-Will made his getaway, yet had an up front and personal encounter with the tripod attending the tournament.
Definitions by sound-the final part of the period was again working on trying to find sounds that would define words. This is proving more difficult than expected, though not necessarily because students don't know the definitions...its finding the correct sound to match.

Homework-spend two times reading a good book, preferably once on Saturday and once on Sunday.

How About This Batik?

The White Mountains-Will seems to have fallen under the spell of luxury and ease. He appears to be willing to stay behind, enjoy the promised rich life of the castle, and allow Henry and Beanpole to proceed alone. Hmm...
Journal entry-we did our weekly 15 minute free write.
The Giver-Ms. Marrello's group began our study of Lois Lowery's award winning novel, The Giver. It doesn't seem so long ago Ms. Lowery was here in person discussing her writing with JIS sixth graders. It was very interesting to listen to her story of creating the piece, one we are oh so familiar with.

Homework-work on the ESP journal, getting it ready for submission on Friday.

Modern Day William Tell

The White Mountains-Will discovers more about those who are caring for him. He is slowly seduced by what appears their opulent lifestyle supplied by the Tripods. Will he escape this temptation?
Mystery stories-students chose which two pages to receive the highest level teacher editing. Sixers looked for the parts of their stories that seemed particularly well written.
The Giver-we began our last big English unit, the study of the giver. Not only will English skills be developed, but we will be contrasting the governmental styles evident in The Giver, Hunger Games, and The White Mountains.
Tech exploration-we've defined words by using pictures, but can you define words using sounds? That was our area of discovery today. Some successes claimed, some frustrations experienced. Let's see where this goes.

Homework-
1) finish letter to grade 5 buddy
2) read 20 minutes

Mystery Writer Tobin Z. Hard At Work

Change seats-always a highlight of the first school day of the month, students moved to a new seating arrangement, acquiring new table mates.
The White Mountains-the boys walked out of what must have been the ruins of Paris, only to fall ill and be captured/helped by others.
Elements of the mystery-students reviewed their mystery story, highlighting the elements that belong in all, or most, mystery stories.
Letters from buddies-homeroom Q2 received the long awaited letters from Mr. Martinez's class of fifth graders. They will be visiting us on Thursday, and this written introduction is a crucial part to that experience. It was obvious the Fivers spent much time and effort on their written work.

Homework-none today