I still don’t understand exactly what it was, but it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. At times I thought the water was simply reflecting the multitude of stars glowing overhead. But with every wave of my hand, kick of my foot, or turn of my head, the black water lit up like its own starry night. Had I suddenly become a fairy, able to leave a glowing trail of fairy dust in my wake with every movement? The magic dust changed consistency constantly depending upon the ferocity of movement, from a light dusting to a sticky, viscous, dripping substance that would even stick to the hairs on your arm for a moment and then disappear as if they were never there. Move fast enough and there was no dust, rather, your movements simply glowed. No need for triple AAAs, flashlights or other such nonsense in an environment like this- the phosphorescence and the moon and stars were the benevolent givers of light tonight.
Floating almost weightless in the water, I would attempt to keep my entire body still, so as to emit no light. Given the turbulent nature of the phosphorence, this was difficult.
I awoke the next day, wondering if it had been real and asked others if they had seen it. As I sat in the low tide, rough coral biting my ass, I lifted the sand while it escaped, snaking its way through the spaces above the webs of my fingers and drifting in every direction. Had it been a little more magical, a little more glowing, just a little more beautiful, and had the sun not been shining, the sand escaping from my clutched fists may have bore a resemblance to the phosphorescence of the night before.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Reminiscing: Christmas '06 with the Luther Family
While being a little homesick during the holidays, I was looking through some old home videos and typed up the transcript of this one for your reading pleasure:
(all the while Stevie has the camera focused on Heather standing in front of the Christmas tree awkwardly attempting to spin a basketball on two fingers and failing)
Mom: you guys, i really don't want you doing that in the living room.
(heather continues spinning, stevie continues taping)
Mom: ...all right?
Brandon: (out of sight of the camera, presumably squirting a water gun) Mom, it's a wet christmas!
Mom: (screech) Noooo!
Mom: mumble mumble...warm in here?
Brandon: (takes shirt off) I'm so warm that I'm sweating my balls off!
Mom: Ok, let's go in the garage and... PING PONG...listen let's play ping pong! You know what, know what I wanna do today you guys? Have you guys EVER played Monopoly?
Stevie: (with sarcasm) NO, what's that!? ( or also entirely possible, perhaps he says Fuck that..)
And I could create a great montage of Stevie chasing chickens...
(all the while Stevie has the camera focused on Heather standing in front of the Christmas tree awkwardly attempting to spin a basketball on two fingers and failing)
Mom: you guys, i really don't want you doing that in the living room.
(heather continues spinning, stevie continues taping)
Mom: ...all right?
Brandon: (out of sight of the camera, presumably squirting a water gun) Mom, it's a wet christmas!
Mom: (screech) Noooo!
Mom: mumble mumble...warm in here?
Brandon: (takes shirt off) I'm so warm that I'm sweating my balls off!
Mom: Ok, let's go in the garage and... PING PONG...listen let's play ping pong! You know what, know what I wanna do today you guys? Have you guys EVER played Monopoly?
Stevie: (with sarcasm) NO, what's that!? ( or also entirely possible, perhaps he says Fuck that..)
And I could create a great montage of Stevie chasing chickens...
Thursday, December 17, 2009
exam giver > exam taker
Right now I'm giving my 10A English their exam. In the minutes before I was about to pass out the test, I asked the class if anyone had any last minute questions and one student, Michelle, raised her hand to ask, "What did you eat for breakfast this morning?" It sure is nice to be on this side of things- while writing and grading exams can be tedious, it's also much more relaxing than say, a tumultuous end of term at Dartmouth spent cramming and cranking out pages upon pages.
A teacher has to be so many things at the same time: actor, policeman, scholar, jailer, parent, inspector, referee, friend, psychiatrist, accountant, judge and jury, guide and mentor, wielder of minds, and keeper of records. Throughout the course of a day, an hour, and even a minute it takes many split second decisions about how to respond to certain things, and the responses you give can make or break you.
It was 10 minutes before the 11A Teacher Academy Quarter 1 Final Exam was to commence. Takky, one of the biggest behavior problems in my class sauntered up to my desk and asked, well, more like demanded, to see the test. He asked in such a way that made him feel as if he was entitled to it and as if seeing the test before an exam began was the norm here at Laura High School. I looked at him with mock shock and teased him that he was crazy, then more seriously explained that he could not see the exam before the test because it wasn't fair but in 10 minutes everybody would see the test. I asked if he had done the review sheet from a couple days previously because doing the review sheet was part of the final exam grade, and of course he hadn't.
A teacher has to be so many things at the same time: actor, policeman, scholar, jailer, parent, inspector, referee, friend, psychiatrist, accountant, judge and jury, guide and mentor, wielder of minds, and keeper of records. Throughout the course of a day, an hour, and even a minute it takes many split second decisions about how to respond to certain things, and the responses you give can make or break you.
It was 10 minutes before the 11A Teacher Academy Quarter 1 Final Exam was to commence. Takky, one of the biggest behavior problems in my class sauntered up to my desk and asked, well, more like demanded, to see the test. He asked in such a way that made him feel as if he was entitled to it and as if seeing the test before an exam began was the norm here at Laura High School. I looked at him with mock shock and teased him that he was crazy, then more seriously explained that he could not see the exam before the test because it wasn't fair but in 10 minutes everybody would see the test. I asked if he had done the review sheet from a couple days previously because doing the review sheet was part of the final exam grade, and of course he hadn't.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Happy Holidaze
After losing my cell phone at a place that we were highly encouraged by our esteemed director not to attend, I have been a bit incommunicado these days. Hopefully this small update finds everyone well and not too angry with me for my failure at responding to text messages!
I’ve joined my host sister’s volleyball team, which I feel honored to be a part of as it consists exclusively of her sisters. Although we have yet to play an actual game, I am quite excited by the idea of my new team and even more so, the new topic of conversation that it gives me to use with Amanda, my host sister.
Our air con kicked the bucket last week, but I’m fond of the opportunity it gives us to open the windows, push back the curtains, and let a little Marshallese breeze into our bubble. Sleepover days of yore come over me as the three of us pull our various futon and mattress pads closer to the fan before hitting the sack for the night (which happens pretty consistently between 10-11 pm if my mom and dad will ever believe it!)
Anna’s observation of my classroom came and went, providing assurance that I am not doing things all wrong, an easy sentiment to come by when you are a first year teacher attempting to teach a roomful of 11th graders how to teach (Teacher Academy). But, the ups and downs of teaching are slowly beginning to merge into more ups than downs, and that little phrase that people love to utter so much, “It gets easier!” is finally seeming like it just might hold a glimmer of truth.
Rather than feeling flustered or overwhelmed by unfamiliarity around me, I am beginning to walk down the road and feel comfortably in my place, recognizing certain dogs and certain chickens, like the one with the injured leg and a funny hop, and becoming more familiar with landmarks, like the manure pile on ocean side or the group of children wielding slingshots on lagoon road. One of my more successful teaching ventures lately has been teaching a band of children that like to stand on the roof how to blow noises with grass, which they learned remarkably well, although their parents and neighbors must hate me for the resulting noise.
Many thanks to all those who have been sending their thoughts, emails, letters, and special packages.
Bar lo kom! Happy holidays!
~Heather
I’ve joined my host sister’s volleyball team, which I feel honored to be a part of as it consists exclusively of her sisters. Although we have yet to play an actual game, I am quite excited by the idea of my new team and even more so, the new topic of conversation that it gives me to use with Amanda, my host sister.
Our air con kicked the bucket last week, but I’m fond of the opportunity it gives us to open the windows, push back the curtains, and let a little Marshallese breeze into our bubble. Sleepover days of yore come over me as the three of us pull our various futon and mattress pads closer to the fan before hitting the sack for the night (which happens pretty consistently between 10-11 pm if my mom and dad will ever believe it!)
Anna’s observation of my classroom came and went, providing assurance that I am not doing things all wrong, an easy sentiment to come by when you are a first year teacher attempting to teach a roomful of 11th graders how to teach (Teacher Academy). But, the ups and downs of teaching are slowly beginning to merge into more ups than downs, and that little phrase that people love to utter so much, “It gets easier!” is finally seeming like it just might hold a glimmer of truth.
Rather than feeling flustered or overwhelmed by unfamiliarity around me, I am beginning to walk down the road and feel comfortably in my place, recognizing certain dogs and certain chickens, like the one with the injured leg and a funny hop, and becoming more familiar with landmarks, like the manure pile on ocean side or the group of children wielding slingshots on lagoon road. One of my more successful teaching ventures lately has been teaching a band of children that like to stand on the roof how to blow noises with grass, which they learned remarkably well, although their parents and neighbors must hate me for the resulting noise.
Many thanks to all those who have been sending their thoughts, emails, letters, and special packages.
Bar lo kom! Happy holidays!
~Heather
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