Time to take a break from rockin' out in my classroom while I clean things up to procrastinate from lesson planning (yes, that's right. I'm procrastinating from procrastinating). I'll stop talking about procrastinating now though, because personally it drives my crazy when people go on at length about how they are procrastinating or about how they are the best procrastinators. I think it's just my generation too. I actually can't think of a time that I've heard someone several years older than me talk about it..... It's probably an ICQ/MSN/Insert-random-internet-instant-messenger-program-of-your-choice thing. Everyone I know is hooked on those things. I suppose that I would be too if I had an internet connection of any significance at my apartment.
So I'm back in Cali and the students show up tommorrow. I won't spend too much time recounting the holidays because most people that seem to be my avid readers (and there certainly are far more than my writing talent deserves..... (darn Yarn Harlot making the rest of us look bad by comparison (on an interesting note, I think that Aunt Bev wins the award for most frequent checker.... perhaps tied with my mom))) saw me over the holidays or at least are very familiar with what a NW Ontario Christmas entails. In the end I did manage to get travellers insurance (I've had to cancel my OHIP for tax purposes) thanks to my dear mothers timely reminder and flew off to Thunder Bay via Houston and Toronto. My carry-on were super thoroughly searched on the way out of the Cali airport, probably because of my drug mule look alikeness. Speaking of Colombia and drugs, I have to thank everyone who avoided the "So, how bout that Cocaine" comment while trying to be funny. Yes Colombia does illegally export a lot of drugs but it does have a million and one other interesting and wonderful things about it. Plus it's mainly sending coke to rich north american whities anyway. Let me provide a sample conversation of what not to say to someone who is teaching in Colombia:
Person1: "So how was Colombia"
Person2: "Fantastic, what an interesting place."
P1: "So are you a drug lord now? (giggle, giggle)"
P2: "hahah (annoyed laughter), well, seriously it was a challenge to learn spanish but the people are really nice and very patient"
P1: "So did you marry some drug lords daughter or something."
P2: "Ya, sure. Why not."
P1: "And did people ask you to be a coke mule.... and if so did you bring some back for me AHAHAHAHHAAHAHHA."
P2: "Well, actually I was mostly too busy teaching to go searching through the eastern jungle for coke plantations."
P1: "So are the kids mostly druglords kids?"
At this point P2 snaps and breaks a chair over P1's head and then is forced to flee the country or face charges of aggravated assault.
I actually only had this conversation with old highschool friends who I ran into in the mall (and I'm pretty sure they don't read this) so to those of you who resisted the urge or suspected my chair flinging move I appreciate it.
So where was I..... oh yes. I flew into Toronto and my University pals Simon and Omar picked me up and actually made signs. I can't remember what they said but I'm sure it was funny. I finally got to watch some of a raptors game at Omar's apartment and in the morning he drove me to the airport to fly back to Thunder Bay.
Ok, I'm pretty sure that everyone who actually reads this (except Eric, and Tara) saw me during the holidays so I'll skip the stories there. Christmas is like my "happy place" though so it was so nice to be home.
Leaving was actually really hard. Saying goodbye to Em, the snow, my dog, mom and dad, and the whole rest of the family (I mean no dissresspect to anyone by my choice of order..... mom and dad I do love you more than snow). I got really used to being able to make myself understood. The flight home was a full day of travelling. Emily dropped me at the airport at about 5:30am and I didn't get back to my apartment till 11pm. Jon Fabian, who is a taxi driver in Cali that a lot of the teachers at the school call for rides, picked me up at the airport and I had to apologise to him early on for being so incredibly bad at speaking spanish. Three weeks away really put me out of the headspace but I'm getting back into it now.
I brought some Cheddar Cheese back with me and Jordan and I savoured some last night. For a guy who doesn't really like cheese that cheddar sure tasted good. I think Jordan just about died from shock from eating GOOD cheese for the first time in six months. It sounded like he had a good holiday with his family but I think it was a bit stressful for him to play family planner and tour guide. It sounded like he had to use the phrase "Did I get here before you" on several occassions when visiting a place he'd never been before.
Well, my profession is calling. I should have SOMTHING ready for the horde of 13 year olds that will be storming in the door tommorrow.
Be well,
Love Matt
Ok, it has seemed like less people have been writing me fun comments since the amount of pictures that I post has dropped so in this post you will find a picture of me giving the big “Thumbs UP”. Not terribly exciting, but you really couldn’t see that right now unless you were in Cali (or unless you have a picture of me doing the same thing, but how likely is that!)
