Letters from Lisa

Child: “How close are we to being there?”
Me: “Closer than we were.” 

Sitting in the colonial schoolhouse: “This is so much better than our REAL school. No offense, Lisa.”

Upon hearing that a child’s father would take him “out to the woodshed” when he misbehaved: “Why, what happens in the woodshed?”

One boy, on seeing me in my bathingsuit: “I’m glad you’re wearing that and not a bikini. That would make you look… inappropriate.”

Overheard at dinner: “I need to have another cup of soda. I deserve it!” 

Birthday boy, upon noticing the balloons and singing waitstaff and not realizing they were approaching HIS table: “I feel sorry for the poor sucker who’s going to get that!”

Back in the hotel room negotiating over what to watch on TV: “Can we watch the Simpsons?”
Me: “Is it rated G?”
Kids: (collective mutter)
Me: “There must be something appropriate that you’d all want to watch.”
Child: “What about Bad Girls?”
(after the group has stopped hysterical-laughing)
Me: “_______, do you really watch Bad Girls?”
______: “All the time!”
Different child: “Do your parents know that?”
________: (gazing imploringly at me) “You won’t blow my cover, will you?” 

Walking down the hotel hallway with the group of boys staying in my room plus the adjoining room: “We must look so weird all walking together with just all of us and Lisa. Look at you, Lisa. You’re like the Octomom!”

No Comments »

It may be spring in some parts of the Northern Hemisphere, but in the last three days staying at Mount Hood, I’ve seen almost a foot of snow fall. It’s continuing to float down as I sit here by the window, pondering another morning of struggling through downhill runs (and even more so, sitting exposed to the elements on the lift afterwards) with the wind whipping snow and hail in my face.

The most difficult part of the day, though, was not the inclement weather - it was the several inches of freshly fallen snow - powder - on the trail. Though I can take almost any intermediate trail under typical conditions, I only ski a few times a year and I only started skiing a few years ago. This was my first time skiing on powder, so in some ways I felt like a complete beginner all over again. Almost as soon as I got started, my ski got stuck under the inches of snow and I tumbled to the ground. I then spent the next few minutes pushing myself painstakingly back up and then sliding around in frustration as I attempted to get my skis back on.

Once I was up and ready to go, I stood looking down the expanse of the trail and wondered whether I could make it down. I didn’t want to fall again. Of course, this made it even more likely that I would fall again, because with the anxiety taking the forefront, I couldn’t ski naturally using the techniques that I knew. I was extremely cautious, nervous, jerky in my movements. I got down to the bottom, finally, and wanted to head straight in for the hot chocolate and forget about the whole rest of the day. Why push it? Why risk injury, frustration, and embarrassment?

This was how I felt, too, when I first learned to ski. I could barely get the skis on without slipping, and I was terrified of crashing into a tree or tumbling down somewhere and being unable to get up. My sense of direction not being the greatest, I also worried about wandering onto a trail that was too difficult - and of course, as a beginner, most trails ARE too difficult. (I still struggle with finding my way when I’m at a new mountain, but now that I can take a wider variety of trails, this anxiety has lessened at least.)

The first few times I went skiing, I approached the activity with a sense of dread and left afterwards feeling relieved and proud for getting through it. I’d go on the green trails and feel satisfied with that, unwilling to press my luck on anything that required greater technique. Then we visited Snowbird for a ski vacation as a family, and the instructor informed me that I was on the “hardest green trail in the United States”. Once I got through that, I realized that I could take a wider variety of trails and not worry so much about getting lost. That was nice.

Each time we went, I would think to myself, “I’m glad I got through this… now I never have to do it again.” It took quite a while, and many successful runs, before I ever thought that I might want to ski for fun. Even now, I’ll choose to go when the opportunity presents itself - it’s not something I seek out on my own. I’m happy enough when I’m doing it, and happier when I’ve gotten through another successful day. Maybe someday I’ll book a ski vacation purposefully and look out the window and think, “Today looks like a great day to ski… I can’t wait to get out there.” But I doubt it.

A lot of things come naturally to me, but it’s a very useful experience to deal with learning something that doesn’t. It really helps to understand when trying to work with someone who’s struggling, to know how it feels to be stuck in the struggle. You don’t want to try because of what might happen. Maybe it isn’t exactly like skiing, where you can actually physically hurt yourself, but there are other ways to get hurt. You know you’re not a natural, and you know there are people around watching and judging you even as they’re standing by to help you when (not if) you need it. Even worse, the anxiety itself is clouding your brain and making you forget what you already know. If you happen to have a successful run, it can feel like luck - like you’ve tempted fate and you’ll get the worst of it next time. That reinforces the relief you feel about being finished, and the desire to never ever go near it again.

The only way to get through it is to stack up a pile of successes. There isn’t a substitute. You won’t feel better about your ability until you’ve experienced it again and again.

So I’m going back out on the powder today. I’ll probably fall. I’ll probably get frustrated, and I’ll definitely feel relieved when it’s over. But it’s the only way to learn how.

No Comments »

Today in science class, I was showing my 3rd graders footage of astronauts on an Apollo mission driving the lunar module. A student said, “You know what I would do if that was me? I’d crank my iPod all the way up and rock out!”

I had to break it to her that iPods were not invented yet.

She recoiled in horror. “You mean… they didn’t even have music???”

No Comments »

One of my boys came in to the science room this morning to drop off some materials for me. While we were chatting, he suddenly got a twinkle in his eye and said, “Oh, and I have a dare for you.”

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“Which would you rather do - eat a spider, or lick the science room floor?” Satisfied smug, thinking - I’ve got her now.

I quickly glanced down at the floor, still smeared yellow and pink from Friday’s prop painting session. Then I smiled back up at him, and with a matching twinkle in my eye, said,

“Well, I’ve eaten ants before. So a spider wouldn’t be so bad.”

He grimaced and started to back away. “I was just joking…”

Lesson learned: Do not try to out-gross the science teacher. Especially if she’s been to Australia. It’s like Fear Factor out on those tours. (The ants tasted like Sprite and are said to be very high in Vitamin C.)

No Comments »

Today I was supervising recess, watching the kids engage in a time honored playground tradition - picking teams. There’s no way around it - someone has to be picked last. Even if your group consists entirely of professional athletes and superstars, and you start picking one by one, you still end up with someone getting left until the end. And this being an elementary school group with a typical range of sports ability - some play competitively on the weekends and some can barely make contact with the ball, and everything in between - it’s almost inevitable that certain kids are going to get snapped up first and others left hanging until the end. We’ve all been there and remember how it feels.

I have to say, this particular group plays very fair. When I was a kid and boys and girls were expected to play on mixed teams, every boy were always picked first, unless there was a super-ultra-tomboy in the group, who would generally get picked in the middle even if she was a superior athlete. This group is more enlightened (and their teachers make sure of it). The active girls are picked right alongside the boys. There is some angling to make sure that friends end up on the same team, but with such a small group, that often can’t happen and the kids don’t make much fuss about it. The last kids to be picked are generally the ones who don’t really know the game rules, and/or don’t make much contact with the ball.

Of course, the experience of being picked last never does anything to change that, either.

There’s one boy who always gets picked last for teams - I can’t remember watching a game where he wasn’t picked last. He’s a kid I’ve gotten to know quite well over the past few years and yet the fact that this keeps happening surprises me. What surprises me is that he hangs in there. He’s eminently clumsy, chronically knocking things over and bumping into people, and often can’t make contact with the ball or defers to more confident, aggressive players because he really wants his team to win. He’s competitive (read: anxious about losing) and he does bristle sometimes when he’s picked last, like today when he burst out, “This is a stupid team!” after watching the most non-athletic, disconnected girl get welcomed onto a team before he was. (She later wandered away from the game, without anyone noticing she was gone.) It’s the closest I’ve ever heard him get to complaining that he is always, always picked last.

What’s amazing to me is that this kid goes out there, every day, and stands there in public, and watches everyone else get picked before he does, and takes it. He wants to be in there, with those kids, so badly that he’s willing to take it. Not always with the best grace, but guaranteed if it isn’t raining tomorrow and the group goes out there, he’ll be right there waiting to get picked, hoping maybe this time - this one time - the team captain will turn to him and pick him out of the crowd. Maybe not first. Maybe not even second. And if he’s last again, he’ll take it, because he isn’t giving up.

I didn’t do that, as a kid. I gave up. I couldn’t control the embarrassment or anger I felt about being picked last, and I was convinced that the other kids hated me and were picking me last to send me a message that I wasn’t wanted. It was a tangle of mistaken perceptions and emotional overreaction, and a compounding of teasing and rejection and insults until I finally just walked away. I actually stopped trying. I played alone at recess - for years and years. I was almost too old for recess by the time I started interacting with other kids on the playground. There had to be kids at my elementary school who stood there and endured the selection process day after day, but I didn’t notice because I couldn’t even bring myself to be a part of it at all. I didn’t participate, or even watch.

This kid stands there and opens himself up to the possibility of being picked last every single day, and because he does, he ends up on a team. And he gets to play. It makes me really proud to watch.

No Comments »

I haven’t used this recently and I’d really like to. I’m not sure what I’m going to be posting here. But stay tuned, I haven’t forgotten.

No Comments »

3:30 pm back on Eastern Time (in Bogota)

My nerves are quite frayed but I’m slowly recovering. I had to go through immigration and customs and then - most ridiculous of all - had to exit the airport and walk back in, only to find that I’m stuck dragging my suitcase around until 7. After incoherently asking for help in a few places (everyone is too busy to help) I found my way up to the 2nd floor where there are restaurants (well - is McDonald’s a restaurant?) and I called my parents from a phone booth, got some pesos, and now I’m drinking Dunkin’ Donuts. Looking around, there are a lot of people here with suitcases. I feel better already, just seeing that I am not alone. I have to admit, I got pretty panicked when I had to leave the airport and came back in and when I was told to wait for 4 hours but I had no idea where to go. There are a lot of police patrolling around. As well as some airline personnel. I am really ready to be off this roller coaster. It’s very warm and humid in the building - adding to my general feeling of misery. I’m already in the lightest clothing I own. I feel like taking 7 showers in a row.

Amazing how the Antarctic already feels so distant. And in geographical terms, it is. I’ve traveled the length of South America in the past day. Tonight I’ll travel half a continent more. It almost doesn’t feel real. I feel a bit trapped, like I’ve been here for the entire trip and never anywhere else. Of course that is just from being tired and traveling a very long way.

I can’t believe the money system here. Some of the numbers on the bills are astronomical. I have a bill in my pouch that says 20,000 pesos. I guess the currency must be very devalued. Pesos in Argentina were about 2.5-3 for the dollar.

about 4 pm I can’t believe how quickly I am running out of pages. Well, all I’ve had to do recently is write - all this waiting, waiting, waiting.

It’s too hard to shop with my bags in tow. I gave up after two bookstores and one souvenir stand. Now I’m at a pizza place having - what meal would this be considered? Lunch I suppose. I don’t even know. Afternoon tea.

It makes me sad to think about Antarctica right now. The ship was a very comfortable and safe place. You always felt there were people looking out for you. It’s corny to say it feels like a family, but it sort of does. Or barring that, a camp or school group. I really enjoyed it. I had people around when I wanted them, and time alone when I wasn’t feeling social (or well). There was always something new and beautiful to look at. I’ll really remember it fondly.

School must have begun again today. Tomorrow is Laura’s last day covering my classes for me. I’m really glad that it all worked out.

Just a little while longer until I can check in. I’m feeling better now that I have eaten some real food - not a croissant, chocolate, or bag of pretzels, but actual cooked food. It feels cooler back here as well. It’s amazing how simple things can make you feel human again.

It’s quite gray and looks like a storm is brewing outside. They must get a lot of rain here.

I am in no hurry to get up though I am done with my meal. I hate lugging my things around. I hate having so much stuff. And all things considered, I actually packed pretty light. I was able even to get my jacket inside my carry on bag. I’ll need it when we land in New York.

When I’m in airports I often look around at the people and wonder about them. What are their stories? Where are they off to? Do we have anything in common aside from being in the same place at the same time? I like to watch, and listen if I can.

The Ioffe should be in the Drake Passage now - deep in. They probably entered late last night, probably while I was arriving in Buenos Aires or transferring between airports. I am so, so thankful that I did not have these hassles with my flights coming down. I had pretty good luck. I really couldn’t have asked for better. I’m frazzled and irritated today, but I really am grateful for the way my trip worked out in general. I’m quite looking forward to getting my photos and videos sorted when I get home.

4:50 pm Man is this dragging. Maybe I need a change of scenery. I could pay the bill here and go get a coffee from somewhere else. I just feel the need to move.

a few minutes later I’m in a little cafe trying to relax and spend some time. My next stop is downstairs to check in and get this show on the road. I would like to see who else is on my flight, if there is anyone to talk to.

For my next trip I would like to travel somewhere that is English speaking. Perhaps the Canadian Arctic? Or New Zealand? It’s just so tiring to process a foreign language, esp. when you yourself are tired and stressed. It’s amazing how much my Spanish deteriorated when I got sleep deprived. And emotional as well. Plus people speak so fast. Why? What is the rush? On the ship things went at a gentle pace. I really liked that. And I liked being free of the Internet, the TV news, the input always coming in. When you are on vacation you should be focused on the moment, what is right in front of you. Not what is going on thousands of miles away.

later Finally, FINALLY checked in. Shall I count the number of security lines I’ve had to stand in? First, through immigration. Then through gate security - which was a very extensive search lasting several minutes. Then another search in the same hallway. And now, when my gate opens, yet another. I think that is just a tad excessive. It just makes me feel like this is a dangerous place. It’s such a hassle to arrive or leave here. Who would ever come willingly? I feel the same about Buenos Aires. Nothing I’ve seen or experienced would make me want to come back. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve done with South America now. I have seen more than enough of it and it’s a total hassle to be here. If I ever go back to Antarctica, I’ll go some other way! I wouldn’t want to just repeat the itinerary I just did (or an approximation of it) - I would want to see something different.

I feel like I’ve run an ultramarathon. Only now is the end in sight.

No Comments »

waiting to board flight from Buenos Aires –> Bogota

Aerolineas Argentinas is the stupidest and most incompetent airline I think I’ve ever flown. Far worse than even American Airlines in the Caribbean. I don’t understand what their problem is. The left hand not only doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, it doesn’t even know what its fingers are doing.

What has been happening for the past few hours? Comedy central. They started to board us at Gate 13 (an hour and some minutes late to begin with). Then the flight attendant gets on the loudspeaker and says something rapid-fire. She passes by me and says it again. My comprehension totally fails me. I see other people starting to gather their things and head for the door. I do likewise. We get back to Gate 13 and are handed a white plastic strip labeled “Transito” since our tickets have already been ripped. We sit back down. We wait. People ask questions - I hover near the desk to try to overhear. From what I can gather, something set off an alarm on the plane. People start to panic about connecting flights. They’re told, not very nicely, that they can go with other airlines but of course their luggage is still on board the original aircraft. The crew exits, neat black wheelie suitcases in tow. We wait some more. I start digging into my chocolate stash. They announce that we are moving down to Gate 12, where there is a new plane parked. The crowd alights en masse and reassembles in a scraggly line at Gate 12.

The crew arrives and disappears down the ramp and behind the curtains. One lone flight attendant gets stuck on our side of the locked glass doors and can’t figure out how to open them. She tries the set around the corner. Another woman comes back down to assist, and finds it’s locked from the inside as well. They start walkie-talkie-ing and cell-phoning. People in official looking clothes stroll by in varying degrees of purposefulness. Eventually, Thing 1 and Thing 2 from our original gate appear and start their rounds of chatting on the beige phone, chatting on the walkie talkie, wandering off on missions unknown (chatting with various people in the increasingly diffuse crowd) and snapping at any passenger who asks a question that in any way resembles a complaint. I start popping chocolates like, well, candy.

The lady next to me keeps grumbling about how she had to get to the airport at 5 this morning. People stand up, sit down, wandering into the duty free shops. An official looking person in a captain’s uniform comes over and pops a little switch on the top of the door that allows it to open for the poor trapped flight attendants, then ceremoniously locks it once the stray attendant has flown. People mill about. The phone rings, but neither Frick nor Frack are at the desk to answer it.

Suddenly the captain notices a shopping bag at the desk, left unattended. He asks the 30 of us who happen to be standing around if it’s any of ours, then wanders away. A few minutes later, he’s back with a security guard, who asks the same 30 or so of us the exact same question, to which she receives the same answer. She and El Capitain exchange looks. She gingerly picks it up. Nothing explodes, so she takes it to a nearby machine and runs it through. Still no exploding. She leaves it on top of the machine as some kind of trophy to security.

Meanwhile, a blond fembot has joined Mo and Curly at the desk, ostensibly to help check us in. Right about then, a passenger decides he’s had enough, and he, his arty stubble and his ponytail all start haranguing the desk staff re: the injustice of it all. They snap back at him and threaten to remove him from the flight (oh, I’m sorry, was there a flight scheduled? I thought this was the Aimless Mucking About Room - no no, you want 12A next door) but his impassioned speech is clearly resonating with the crowd. Friends! Romans! Passengers! A mob begins to gather, with others firing out one liners or simply talking over the wanna-be Marx.

The blond fembot starts arguing back, and they drown each other out in true Jerry Springer fashion (minus the chairs) for several minutes. A couple of folks come down the ramp and open one of the doors - hey! We’re ready to board! Then another agitator starts in, joined by Karl Marx’s girlfriend who criticizes the lack of a system for calling people to board, and then it turns out that so many people’s seat numbers have changed that they need to call them up about 17 at a time so that the muddled passengers can wave their defunct boarding passes at the desk.

People start pushing and nudging and swarming around the desk. I’m out of chocolate. I’m also realizing I am hanging on by a bare thread and I really don’t feel confident in my ability to understand fast Spanish after, I don’t know, 0 hours of sleep, and someone elbows me in their quest to reach the Airline Counter of Doom and I start crying. They call the folks with the Transito passes and - wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles! - I have one. The kind people who pushed me aside now graciously push their neighbors aside so I can slide through. I’m still crying when I get to my seat. No matter - I’m on board. Slowly, and with less urgency than would have been suggested by the frenzied carrying on and aggreived faces seen out in the gate, people board.

I see the first English of the day - Welcome Aboard. Really, I don’t know that we are. I think this airline would do tons better if there weren’t all these pesky passengers milling around and demanding things. Though we are smarter than we’re given credit for - after watching the captain once, any one of us could have advised all the other airline workers how to unlock that door - because none of them knew.

Why are we listening to a techno remix of Madonna as we’re taking off. I cannot wait to get out of this country and off this misbegotten, Pythonesque (except not funny) sorry excuse for an airline.

(as if to prove it, the flight attendant just said, “Although the fasten seatbelt sign has been turned off…” Um, we’re still ascending, and the seatbelt sign is still ON.)

No Comments »

1. Thou shalt utilize the flat screen TVs to deliver timely and accurate flight information, including gate numbers. Thou shalt NOT broadcast advertisements and other inanities on endless repeat at the expense of providing information to passengers.

2. Thou shalt configure thy facility to accommodate one long line, or several shorter lines. Thou shalt NOT create three or more consecutive long lines that cause passengers undue lateness.

3. Thou shalt not route passengers through a long hallway designated as the “smoking area” en route to their gates.

4. Thou shalt not cause passengers to walk past more than one perfume or duty free shop en route to their gates. Stores shalt not take precedence over departing aircraft unless thou intendeth to convert said aircraft into mall shuttle buses.

5. Thou shalt control the climate uniformly throughout thy airport. There shalt not be distinct climactic zones requiring a change in dress.

6. Thou shalt board flights in an organized, sequential fashion, preferably by seat number or some other mechanism to speed thy process.

7. Thou shalt check the passports and travel documents of passengers approaching the aircraft. Or, thou shalt abolish such documents as unnecessary, if thou shalt not look at them.

8. Thou shalt not stock English language books unless thou dost guarantee that at least 10% of them are not crappy romance novels.

9. Thou shalt post a sign at the gate announcing the next flight leaving from it, and approximate time of departure.

10. Thou shalt not cause any passenger to wonder what drugs thou hast ingested during they airport building process.

No Comments »

3:06 am Buenos Aires local time

I really think that Jorge Newbery must be one of the stupidest airports I’ve ever been in. They made us disembark right on the runways and get on buses. In the pouring rain. Then they load the bags onto one tiny little carousel and you have to elbow people aside just to be able to see the bags. Much less get yours! Anyway, many minutes later, I was able to collect my things and find my transfer person, who drove me for nearly an hour in perfect silence as I got the Buenos Aires seedy drive-by tour. Honestly, it could have been San Jose or Lima or Quito or any other of those cities - they all start to look alike after a while. The glitzy high rise part of the city was glimpsed from above - but not far enough above - during our turbulent landing. The last 15 minutes of the flight really almost made a religious person out of me. I wish there were another way to get to and from Antarctica without having to deal with all of this in the middle.

So, I’m here at my 2nd airport in Buenos Aires, in readiness for Flight #2 to Bogota. I can’t check in for at least 2 more hours. The drink machines only take exact change, which I do not have, and the kiosks that are open only sell little but chocolates, ice cream and cigarettes. (It’s really hot in the airport - so ice cream won out over chocolate.)

The dinner served on board was so indescribably awful that Diana, her seatmate and I all ate bags of pretzels instead. It was like a spam byproduct wrapped in a Twinkie. The lady next to me ate the whole thing. Which is why, I imagine, she spent the next two hours continuously yammering away in a semi-hostile tone with the guy next to her. They talked heatedly for just about the entire flight. I was getting pretty irritated but didn’t know a polite way of saying, “Shut UP, you are the only two yahoos shouting on the entire aircraft!” in Spanish.

Seems to be a torrential downpour outside. I wonder about the flights getting ready to take off. First of all, it’s absolutely bizarre to have a 3:30 am flight to anywhere. Secondly, how is there absolutely nowhere but a vending machine that sells cold drinks? That is ridiculous that you can find a place to buy cigarettes, but not water.

I have to say, I’m getting pretty tired of all this. It’s a huge hassle to have this many flights, each with its own improbably long layover. If my next flight had not been changed, I could have been at a hotel sleeping by now. I just do not think I can sleep in an airport. Besides its utter unsuitability for falling and staying asleep, I’d be too nervous about sleeping through the boarding calls or having my luggage stolen. There is one person who until just moments ago was huddled in the corner with a luggage cart parked in front of her. Asleep on the floor. I think that breaks several travel rules all at once.

The terminal’s cleared out a bit. The next Aerolineas Argentinas flight isn’t until 6:10, so perhaps it will get busier in an hour or so. I don’t mind it being quieter. I can rest (but NOT sleep).

During the hottest part of the day, it topped 100 degrees here. I certainly have gone as far to the opposite climate from Antarctica as I possibly can. Luckily it’s cooled off a bit now, but I am still rather warm.

The rain sounds absolutely torrential outside. I can’t imagine allowing flights to take off in these conditions. I hope this does not throw off the flights for the entire day. Not that I don’t have a monster layover in Bogota as backup. Wow - the board is saying that one recent flight actually did take off. There are two others that were boarding - I want to see if they will take off too.

I wonder when the breakfast places will start to open. I would love a glass of juice or water before I overdose on caffeine again. Considering I just had ice cream at 2:30 am, I’d say it’s likely that I will become completely dysregulated from the next group of flights. The timing really did not work out well. But, I would much rather sit at the airport and wait than have to race through the terminal and worry about missing the flight.

I’m tired of sitting. If I weren’t dragging all my luggage around, I’d get up and walk someplace. I hope they can check my red bag through to New York so that I don’t have to drag it through the Bogota airport as well. Then again it’s two different airlines - though when I checked my reservation on the Avianca website, the earlier flight did pop up. So maybe they cooperate or codeshare or something. The last time I went through Bogota, I was funneled right into international transfers. There was no place to pick up baggage. Maybe that will be the same this time.

4:14 am One thing I neglected to mention earlier was that we had a medical emergency on board. Nothing too major - they got on over the loudspeaker and asked if there was a doctor on board, and luckily there was. For a brief time I feared that we would have to turn back towards Ushuaia, but we pushed on. How likely is it that the medical emergency patient had been aboard the Fram? That would be sort of hilarious.

A nice cool breeze is blowing through the airport. Feels great after being so overheated. Still - I’d prefer a cold drink to prevent dehydration. And what I’d prefer even more is being able to check my suitcase. About 40 more minutes.

6:32 am This whole situation is starting to get to me. I just stood on line for over an hour to check my bag and I’ve paid the airport tax. Now I’m getting breakfast and I’m feeling like one more little thing is going to push me over the edge. The waitress asked me a question in Spanish that I didn’t understand and when I was confused, she gave her friend at the counter a nice sarcastic smile. Contrast that with the airline person who asked me if I wanted to check my bags all the way through to New York. And in a really gentle way that I appreciated. I’ve been up for 24 hours and i first have to get on a flight this morning - I’m not exactly at my sharpest or most patient. I’m trying, I really am. Who knows when I’ll even be able to check in for my next flight. But, at least 2 out of 3 will be over with.

7:45 am I take it back. Jorge Newbery is only the 2nd stupidest airport I’ve ever been in. This place is definitely first. I’m so mystified by what passes for security and service around here and to top everything off, my flight is delayed for an hour and a half. Which, in the scheme of the day, is really not bad in and of itself. What I resent is having to run down all these corridors and wait on so many lines just to be told that the flight is delayed. This airport also has some of the rudest staff at its shops. That is part of the reason I’m parked here at the gate rather than wandering around shopping now. Not that I really want to drag my carry on around anymore. I took some things out, but they were more bulky than heavy. I just didn’t want to risk putting certain things in my packed luggage on the chance that something happened to it.

I will be very glad when this is all done with. To take a real bath and get into a real bed.

I hear an airplane outside the window. Probably ours, since this gate is way out in the boondocks. But I’m sure they have to disembark the passengers and clean before we board.

No Comments »

The morning after the election, everyone straggled into school haggard and exhausted. Several kids said that they couldn’t get to sleep or were woken up by celebrating on the streets of the city outside their windows. Some were at election night parties or stayed up to watch Obama’s speech, which didn’t start until after midnight. One girl said her mother shook her awake crying, “We made history! We made history!”

I do feel a little shaken awake. I think we all do. Maybe it’s that the fog of the last eight years is beginning to lift. It had gotten so bad that I couldn’t even watch Stewart and Colbert anymore - it was just too ridiculous and depressing. It got hard to tell between a made-up punch line and actual news.

The day of the election, I went on full media blackout. I didn’t want to face the possibility that we might reward fear-mongering, prejudice-encouraging, character smearing, anti-intellectual, anti-scientific, anti-reality rhetoric. I hate what this campaign has done to John McCain, as he’s been forced to pander to the worst in people as Obama inspired the best in people. The John McCain of 2000 would have hated the John McCain of 2008.

But my vote for Barack Obama wasn’t just a vote against the past eight years or against Republicans. It was for Barack Obama. If he can run this country with anything approaching the focus, drive, cool-headedness, intellect, organization, and spirit with which he ran his campaign, I really think we are going to be in a different place. He knows what he doesn’t know - meaning that he isn’t going to be a unilateral “decider” thinking that God will guide him to the right decision regardless of the raw, obvious facts in front of him. He’s a member of the reality-based community. He’s calm and thoughtful, willing to work hard for long periods of time, perceptive to the needs and concerns and implications of what he’s dealing with, and (gasp) willing to compromise when necessary.

I’ve voted in three Presidential elections before this one, but never before was I inspired to identify with a campaign and a message the way that I was this time. Sometimes I caught myself thinking, “This is too good to be true, America’s not ready for a change like this.” And yes, it took a near-catastrophe in the economy to open people’s eyes that maybe it’s more important to have a President you can count on to react to the issues rather than the President you’d have a beer with. (Or the President who always sounds like he’s already downed a few with you before getting in front of the teleprompter.)

This is a victory for reason, for science, for education, for balance, for civility, for diplomacy, and for civil rights. I’m thrilled to be able to share in it, and I’m thrilled to hear the kids matter-of-factly talking about our new President-Elect as though it’s perfectly natural and normal to see an African American and his family front in center as role models for our country and for the world.

No Comments »

1. How warm it was. It rarely got below freezing. The wind could certainly make it feel much colder, but the actual ambient temp. was probably warmer than what New York had.

2. The distances between the islands, the peninsula, and so on. It took many hours to get from one island to another that looked very close on a map. We traveled a huge number of nautical miles and barely got anywhere.

3. The beauty of the icebergs. I’m not normally into scenery in quite the way I became during this trip - the ice was so stark and wonderful. It was just about impossible to capture the immensity of the tabular icebergs on film, even with video.

4. How easy - and hard - it was to spot wildlife. You couldn’t go 3 ft. without stumbling over a penguin, but it was more than halfway through the trip before I saw my first whale. As we got into areas with a lot of sea ice, we started to see seals. But it wasn’t until Penguin Island, almost our last stop, before we saw them in any numbers.

5. Being welcome on the bridge at all hours of the day and night. That was a nice surprise. I overheard some really fascinating conversations on the bridge - such as Hayley commiserating with the Fram, or our Russian first mate rolling his eyes as he spoke to the Chilean station on Cape Horn.

6. Having a piano to play. That was fun!

7. Getting passport stamps at Esperanza and Bellingshausen. Very pleasant surprise, especially Bellingshausen.

8. Getting to some of our destinations at all, since the itinerary underwent many revisions over the course of the trip. I don’t think some of these little places are even on Google Earth yet. Rosamel Is. doesn’t even show up on most maps!

9. Hayley falling overboard out of the Zodiac. After realizing she wasn’t hurt, we found it hilarious - and luckily so did she.

10. The sophistication of the menu items attempted. Not that it always succeeded, but that’s OK. The meals were varied, not simple or plain at all. And there was always salad and fruit available. I definitely had not expected that!

No Comments »

almost 11 am - We’ve been off the boat for a few hrs. and I’ve been around Ushuaia - first at the internet cafe, then wandering around a bit aimlessly. I’ve nearly burst into tears several times this morning and I’m really fighting the urge to feel very sorry for myself. Trying not to think about flying too much. Or the trip for that matter. So that leaves… not much of anything. This can’t go on. I have to pull it together. It may be difficult that it’s all ending, but I have a lot waiting for me back home, too. I’ve been anticipating this trip for a long time and I had a lot of anxiety about it. I should be relieved that it’s all gone well. The flying home shouldn’t be too bad. It’s not too much longer than what it took to get down here - just more layovers. Which is actually good, because then I won’t worry about making my connections. I’ve been in all these airports before and they were fine - I don’t feel too worried about that per se. I do think I am a bit untrusting that my flights have all worked out, since one has already changed. That is the benefit of booking through a travel agent. She was able to change my flight and get knowledge of it to me. In a little while I am going to call the Adventure Life number and make sure everything is still smooth.

I have to readjust now to being on my own. For the past two weeks I’ve had a lot of company, a lot of friendly people to talk to. I’ve seen quite a few of them around town, killing time before their flights as well. A small number of people are on my flight later tonight. That’s sort of comforting. I’m feeling a bit better already now that I’m eating and having my first good coffee in many days. I had despaired of the coffee on board towards the beginning, and switched to tea. And I don’t know if I’ll stay here for lunch - maybe I should just order another cafe con crema and stay put. There really isn’t much reason to get moving again. I’m getting picked up in the parking lot at 7 to go to the airport. I have plenty of time before then. I’ll probably go back to the internet cafe for a while and perhaps read all the Bank St emails that I didn’t read the last time around. I could even try to upload some of my photos. But all in good time.

I’m thrilled, overall, with how the trip has gone. The staff on the ship did an absolutely super job, and Antarctica itself was as stark and beautiful as I’d imagined it to be. I have a very good selection of photos and video clips to share. Once I’m back home and settled, I’ll put together my own movie, like the one that James made but with my own footage. I was even thinking I could compose some background music to go with it. I’d probably have to compile all the footage first and then record the music second. I don’t anticipate doing a full-on presentation immediately upon my return. I might post a new photo every day on my computer monitor, then do the presentation when I’m really ready. We still need to finish up the solar system with Cluster B.

I’ve been thinking about the kids a lot while on board the ship. Especially b/c of one passenger in particular - Peter. Peter is maybe 11 or 12 and is clearly, clearly one of “our” kids. I felt pretty sorry for him because he was getting into so much trouble and rubbing everyone the wrong way just about from the word Go. It was interesting to watch how everyone reacted to him. Some people were pretty snippy with him, while others were quite sympathetic and felt he was acting inappropriately because of his attention problems and also the signals he was getting from the parent. I ended up spending a bit of time with him, but the staff really took him on. First Graham, then Sean. One great thing about Peter is that he stayed perpetually upbeat - no matter who spoke crossly to him, and no matter how much trouble he got into. Though of course that is a trait brought on by the attention issues - oblivousness. By the end people seemed to have made their peace about him one way or another. I kept on thinking about all the kids I know and traits that reminded me of one child or another. However, I don’t kow any child who would have had quite that effect in public. I don’t think the parent knew how to handle him in that situation. Apparently he’s been on other cruises before and does better on bigger boats where there is more action. This voyage had too many rules and boundaries, procedures to follow, people and environmental factors to be considerate of. Even some adults had difficulty with it. So what would you expect from a very immature child with attention problems?

I really marveled at some of the younger kids on the voyage. If you do this at 13, 14, even 18, what is left for you as you get older? Where do you go from here? I can’t imagine. I’m satisfied to stay at home for a while after the enormity of this experience. I can’t imagine being a kid and doing this. It’s anti-climactic to go anywhere else.

Eventually, of course, I will travel again. Probably with an Earthwatch project. I think having a project to work on makes a big difference. I came back to Ushuaia with a large number of emails from my Peru crew - wasn’t it cool to email them all back from Ushuaia!

Lucy, Josh and Abby must be back at the airport by now. Their pick up was at 11:00. They had to fly to Buenos Aires and then get a 15-hr flight back to London. I was so fortunate to meet them at the airport and hotel. They really made me feel welcome during the whole trip - less alone. Josh is 18 and about to graduate - he wants to study geography, which as far as I know isn’t even a concentration in the US anymore. Abby is 15 and at a girls’ boarding school. She has significant hearing loss, thoguh gets on pretty well. In fact the last time I saw the family, they were searching for a replacement battery for her hearing aid.

My roommate from the ship, Diana, is on my flight this evening. She is moving on to a kayaking trip in Chile - another few weeks of traveling before heading home to Canada.

I think I am going to finish my second cup of coffee (!) and get moving. Find another internet spot where I can hook up my camera and get some pictures up. It cost $6 US at the last place. That seemed overpriced but who knows - I have not checked around for other prices.

I’m watching people come & go - crossing the street, sitting down to lunch.

Lucy, Abby and Josh just popped in to say goodbye. That was really lovely. I’m getting so sad all over again! I guess they must be the 1:00 pickup, otherwise they are late!

As I was saying, I’m enjoying watching the bustle around here. Many tourists - about 100 of whom are going to be getting on the Ioffe this afternoon. Others will be getting on other vessels, or visiting the National Park.

No matter where I go over the next few days, I doubt I’ll be very much alone. I’m sure there will be others in my situation, or similar. Others will be on my flights. In transit. Staying over at the airport. Wanting to get home. I should keep my eye out for people to be near to. And I do have my phone with me if I need to use it. Last time I was in the Bogota airport, my cell didn’t work - but it might this time, and if not, I’ll have time in the airport to go online or find a phone service. I was asked if I was going to tour the city of Bogota at all - emphatically not. I do not want to leave the airport. I want to have access to information in case of any unexpected problems. I don’t want to risk it.

I can’t believe it’s gotten to this point, where I am really looking at going home. It’s so radical a difference from being on board. My time there was so relaxed and happy, no hassle at all. You left your door wide open or at least unlocked. You needed no money. You got a wake up call via the PA system and an announcement with updates or whenever you needed to be somewhere. I loved going up to the bridge to look at the radar, the charts, the weather report. I loved the hustling in and out of doors when there were icebergs or whales or anything else to be seen. I loved the honor system of listing your name for sodas or items from the minibar. I didn’t love the dark presentation room but did like the presentations within. I also loved the hours of lying in bed and listening to my audiobooks or napping the time away while in between excursions.

I did NOT miss TV or the internet whatsoever. Not even a little bit. This represented a total break from absolutely everything, and it was wonderful. Now that I’m back to “civilization” (very loosely defined) I suppose I’ll have to catch up.

And I have to say - I will not miss having to don so many layers just to go outdoors. Especially the waterproofing layers. Though in another month and a half I’ll be skiing - so clothing-wise I am quite prepared. I have a feeling I’ll be able to wear just a compression shirt and my new jacket - those shirts kept me very warm. The Polartec was actually more comfortable than insulating - but fine. I’m actually wearing it now.

later - about 5:30 pm  Having a pretty pleasant afternoon window shopping with Diana. As it gets closer to 7:00 I’m feeling more and more fluttery. I’ve slowly made the transition to being back in Ushuaia, again just in time to have everything mixed up again. I’m nervous about the flight that was changed because when I went to Avianca’s website to look at the flights again, my reservation pulled right up, but with the old flight time listed. In a way it doesn’t make a difference - what it affects is how much time I’ll spend waiting at the various airports. I really can’t worry about it. As long as I’m ON the flight, it will work. I was finally able to get into my voicemail, but it was a message from my parents saying Happy New Year, not Adventure Life or the travel agent. Still - maybe I should call Joyce just to make sure. I hope that if anything were to happen with the flights, I would have received a voicemail or email by now. Of course, something could happen at any time. I really do not want to get stuck anywhere. I really want to get home. I wish I could be a more easygoing person about these things and keep it all in good perspective. But it’s hard. I’m anxious for all to go well. I had the same anxieties coming down here. It’s very easy to let the imagination run wild.

Well, everything happens in its due time. No matter how interminable the wait might feel, the hour always arrives. Things go as planned, or not. What gets me is the unpredictability of it. All I can do is be prepared and show up. That’s it. I can’t control the airlines. I do feel fortunate in regard to everything else about this trip - my biggest fear was missing the boat, and of course that was not the case. I didn’t allow myself to consider the possibility of the boat going down or having a significant issue - and of course that could easily happen, as evidenced by the Fram’s misfortunes. What a different story THAT would have been. I feel for the people whose vacation was ruined - of course not quite as much for the people on the Explorer, which actually did warrant an evacuation into lifeboats. That is an adventure, yes, but not the adventure you’d want. Knowing how cold it could feel in the Zodiacs - and wet - I can really sympathize. How scary that must have been. Well - that is why there is travel insurance.

Honestly, everything in life involves risk. You can’t avoid it. It’s the terror of not knowing - of unpredictability.

I know I have long days and nights ahead. I’m probably dreading that more than anything else. I need to try to put on the most positive spin I can. It’s just time - it can be used well, even if I’m not where I would prefer to be. I can still make the best use of it.

One thing I haven’t thought about until just now - the fact that it’s a new year. We celebrated on board, but I was too preoccupied with my own fragility to really take notice. I really have not thought much about it. My real “new year” is in June, anyway (or September, I guess). This doesn’t feel like a new year at all, particularly since I’ve been away and I’m not yet back home.

It’s about 6 pm. We’re being picked up in an hour. Time has passed during this day in Ushuaia and it hasn’t felt too bad. (Maybe I’m jittery because I’ve been drinking so much caffeine all day. I think it’s time to lay off!) Perhaps the Ioffe has boarded its new passengers, or is getting ready to board them tomorrow.

later- We’ve boarded from Gate 4 and are just waiting to finish boarding and take off, hopefully close to on time. I was able to get my boarding pass for the next flight as well, which eliminates some anxiety, though if we take off anywhere close to our scheduled departure time, it will definitely not be an issue. It was so hot inside the airport that I had to change into my lighter pair of pants and stuff my sweatshirt and jacket into my carry on. It’s supposed to be almost 100 degrees in Buenos Aires but hopefully I’ll be out of there well before the hottest part of the day.

Seems like we’ve just about done with boarding. I’ll call my parents when I’ve gotten into the car to go to Ezeiza and again when I actually get there.

Oddly enough, there was another flight also boarding to fly to Buenos Aires at the gate right next door. We saw Jacques and one of the American families. Apparently their flight “didn’t exist” and they were on standby for several flights prior to the one they actually got on. Meanwhile, they were only finishing boarding when our flight was called. I think we may be the last flight for the evening.

There are a few other people from the Ioffe on this flight. Diana is across the aisle from me in the window seat. I’m in the aisle. I think I am going to miss traveling with people I know. It quells a lot of the anxiety to be with people who can also be vigilant, watch your bags, comment on what’s happening, plan in case something happens. It’s totally fine to go on your own, but you do it all yourself. And if some problem does occur, you are on your own to fix it. I think after this, I am going to take a break from traveling alone.

The intercom makes this horrible high pitched whine that is way louder than the person’s voice who is speaking. It’s down to a drone now - hope I can tune it out.

As we were being driven to the airport, we saw the Ioffe pulling back out. That was sort of a neat way to mentally say goodbye. They are heading off on a 10 day cruise, rather than 13 days like us. For a cruise like this, where you lose 4 whole days to the Drake Passage, I’d say get the most out of it and stay as long as is feasible. I thought my 13 days was, for me, the right amount. I would have gotten tired had we gone on any longer. (I also chose this particular cruise for the way it fit into my schedule.)

We are just about ready to pull out. I think we are waiting for another plane to clear the runway. (The drone still has not gone away!)

later - Safely, mercifully in the air. The sun is shining brightly still - in the Northern Hemisphere it would have been fully dark hours ago. I’m feeling very hungry, just realizing I never had any dinner - just a bottle of water and a bag of pretzels at the airport. I wonder if they are going to serve anything. This is only a 3 hour flight. On coming down I flew business class, so I have no idea what was done in coach. Plus, that was an early afternoon flight - while this one is landing after midnight.

We seem to be flying through the beginnings of a sunset. I like this. It’s a gentle transition away from the South. I haven’t seen it actually BE nighttime since - probably since the night before I left. I flew overnight b/w Colombia and Buenos Aires - I guess that was my last nighttime. Since then I have seen some sunsets and twilights, but no actual nights. That’s pretty neat. I’m so glad to have missed the shortest days of the year.

They are serving a meal! Very good. I was about to break into another bag of pretzels.

What if I go north next summer? Finish off a polar year? If I went, it would NOT be on a ship. I have no need to get to the Pole. Maybe just the Arctic Circle.

What am I saying? I can’t travel again for a while. I need to replenish my bank account!

No Comments »

early afternoon - I’ve spent most of the day feeling pretty ill, but now I have some pretzels in my stomach and I’m sitting outside on Deck 4 watching the waves churn and sparkle in the sunlight, and I’m feeling much better. We are supposed to round Cape Horn later this afternoon. I feel like I’ve been in stasis over the past few days, waiting to get back, mostly lying around in bed. It really is very beautiful out here. Nothing but ocean, sky, and seabirds.

I’m sad to leave. I started crying earlier. It’s going to be a long few days getting home.

about 7 pm - We got within 5 nautical miles of Cape Horn and have now turned towards entering the Beagle Channel. Dinner is at 7:45 and then I have to put my suitcases out in the hallway. They are very well organized as far as putting us onto buses and organizing our journey back to the airport.

I’m feeling much better. I replaced my patch earlier but do not think it made all that much difference. The best remedies were the pretzels, ginger ale, and standing out in the fresh air. The next best remedy was to lie on my back with the iPod on. That iPod was a really good investment on this trip, because oftentimes I did not want to risk seasickness by reading.

So we are meant to pull back into Ushuaia at 7:00 am tomorrow. I am going to check my email to ensure that my flights haven’t been further changed since the last time I was in Ushuaia, and then happily souvenir shop whiel my bags are being looked after by the ship’s company, Peregrine. I’m really thrilled about that because otherwise I would have had to stay at the airport all day.

This afternoon we were shown a slideshow recapping our voyage and featuring photos from the “best of” CD. I actually have very similar photos to many of them. There are some, particularly of flying birds, that you would have needed a special lens to get. No matter. I’m very happy with how my camera worked.

I’m very pleased with the trip overall. Living on the ship wasn’t bad except for the past few days, and that seems to be all over now. I liked the places we went and appreciated the Plans B and C that were often deployed when Plan A had to be scuttled due to rough weather or sea ice.

This afternoon we settled our bills and got our passports back. My bill was just over $300 between the equipment rental, the ship DVD, the soft drinks, email, and the single biggest expense - tipping the staff. I did $10 per day - making it $130 altogether. I had basically planned for that all along anyway.

There are two new stamps in my passport - one from Esperanza and the other from Bellingshausen.

The Final Journey - updated

Fri, Dec 21 - Boarded - entered the Drake Passage
Sat, Dec 22 - Drake Passage
Sun, Dec 23 - Drake Passage, first icebergs
Mon, Dec 24 - Deception Island, Half Moon Island
Tu, Dec 25 - Joinville Island (Madder Cliffs), Rosamel Island
Wed, Dec 26 - Devil Island, Erebus & Terror Gulf
Thurs, Dec 27 - Brown Bluff, Active Sound (Iceberg tour)
Fri, Dec 28 - Esperanza Base, Hope Bay, more icebergs
Sat, Dec 29 - King George Island (Bellingshausen Station), Penguin Island
Sun, Dec 30 - Elephant Island, Gibbs Island
Mon, Dec 31 - Drake Passage
Tu, Jan 1 - Drake Passage - Cape Horn - Beagle Channel
Wed, Jan 2 - Ushuaia - Disembark

almost midnight - I don’t feel tired at all - perhaps all that lying around in bed over the past few days has been to blame. Now the water is calm and it’s amazing how much better I feel. I don’t think the seasickness patch worked particularly well. On the other hand, a lot of it was me not eating enough and not getting fresh air.

Captured an absolutely lovely sunset and then it began to pour rain. So here I am, all cozy and shower-clean and trying not to anticipate what tomorrow will bring.

Flying will probably end up having been the hardest part, especially with layovers and anxiety about flights changing or being cancelled. Once I’m out of Ushuaia, I’ll be very eager to be at home. But there is a marathon of airlines to run through first. I do have to say that getting down here was a lot smoother and less of a hassle than I thought it might be. So I’m definitely less nervous now. Plus I know I have long layovers, so I won’t have to run to make a connection.

And I get to call home tomorrow! That will be good.

No Comments »

1. Work on the script for the show. There are several scenes that have been “in progress” for ages, and it’s time to actually finish them. I have lunch meetings scheduled with kids for every day this week in which we can work on the dialogue more, but in the interest of getting the script published and out to everyone by Friday, it’s time to move things along.
2. Get outside. I’m participating in World Run Day and I’ve chosen to run a 5K. That means I should probably spend some time running!
3. Make calls for Barack Obama. I’ve been more active in this campaign than I ever thought I would be in politics. But it’s time for a leader who can actually lead - who is intelligent, thoughtful, willing to work hard, good at picking advisers and experts, scientifically oriented, and able to connect with people both at home AND abroad.

Busy day…

No Comments »

Last fall we began a display outside the science room called the Great Wall of Questions. The original inspiration occurred when I noticed that some of my students were really laboring to articulate deep, thoughtful questions about science topics, only to have other kids in the class shoot them down, with pithy one liners like, “Duh! It’s GRAVITY of course!” Never mind that even Isaac Newton himself couldn’t give you a straight definition of what gravity actually IS. Since learning is basically asking questions, which lead to answers, which lead to more questions, I wanted to encourage questioning.

So we started tacking questions up on the wall. Pretty soon we were off the bulletin board and spread out on the walls. Kids love to ask questions! Sure, some of them are silly questions like, “How many Beanie Babies are in the world?” but others are quite serious. Some recent examples: Are all people related? What is static electricity made of? How are eggs made inside the body of an animal? I’ve been compiling all the questions (I’m kinda behind in posting at the moment, but I am going to catch up!) at http://churchillscience.edublogs.org.

Today at dismissal a former student of mine came up to me and said, “Lisa, I have a question for the wall that I really want to know, but it’s inappropriate.”

“Well, if you already know it’s inappropriate…” I began.

“Well, it’s not bad or anything, it’s just a bathroom question.” 

“Hmmm…. Well. Why don’t you tell me the question and maybe we can phrase it a different way so that we can post it.”

The question was, “Why is poop brown?”

Now I can think of different ways to phrase this one so that the word “poop” is not used. However, generally I post the question along with a relevant image, and… yeah, maybe we won’t be posting this one.

No Comments »

I feel like a stranger here, even though this site’s got my name right in the URL.

Basically, I’ve been working. Pretty much non-stop. It’s work in the best, most fulfilling sense - on any given day I have a different opinion about which of my job descriptions is my favorite. The reason is probably that I am the type of person who MUST be doing many different things in order to feel challenged and entertained. Parent conference day was Thursday, and after sitting the entire day in front of my computer - even though we had a steady stream of visitors and various interruptions - I understood why I will never, and could never, hold an office job. I just couldn’t look at the computer anymore. I wanted to get up and go do something.

What’s been taking up large chunks of my time is this year’s musical theater production. I probably should have predicted this, given how many kids told me at the end of last year that they were going to join, but we had an absolutely massive sign-up for the play, the largest enrollment that I’ve ever had (or, to be honest, that I could handle!) Combining onstage and backstage, we have literally half the student body participating. Why so much interest? My (admittedly biased) guess is that, aside from my most committed actors who join year after year regardless of what the show is, it was the perfect storm of storywriting, swordfighting, and social networking.

Storywriting - because we’re constructing the story and the script, and the premise caught the imagination of many kids who aren’t interested in traditional musicals. I gave kids some options as far as characters, but ended up going based on who chose Good, Evil, or Traitor. (Many of the boys who signed up wanted to be traitors! They were totally enthusiastic about betrayal. Should we all be worried?) We’ve had to flesh out the plot a LOT due to the number of actors onstage, which means that it’s gotten more and more complex as time has gone on. I’m struggling to keep our run-time below an hour, which I think is the maximum that most audiences can tolerate a live show without an intermission (and despite repeated lobbying from certain Monty Python and the Holy Grail fans who want to insert an intermission, we are NOT doing that). I’ve had to promise kids that if we can’t use their story ideas in the live version, we can always film “deleted scenes” for the eventual DVD recording. We may even have to do an alternate ending in which the bad guys win, since I’ve been subjected to repeated, heated pleas and threats about the fact that in all of my plays, I throw the victory over to the ‘boring good guys’ in the end. I’ve also been chastised about the need to include a lot of comedy and sarcasm. I don’t think any editor would be this demanding…

Of course, from the perspective of someone who spent all last summer working on developing our writing program, I’m delighted with this state of affairs. I can’t think of a better way to teach about dialogue, character development, setting, plot, and general story development than actually working on all of the above with the kids.

Swordfighting is pretty straightforward - I know my group, and they love a good fight, so I am going to give them several, albeit sanitized-for-their-protection. (Actual exchange between myself and one of my lead actors: “Do I fight the King?” “Yes.” “Can I cut his head off?” “No.”)

Social Networking - There’s always a core group of students who join theater because they love acting and singing. Some years, when I’ve had groups of 20-25 students onstage, this is the constituency I got. But other years, like this one, I’ve gotten additional members who are primarily joining because they want to spend the time with their friends and think that this will be something fun to try together. I don’t discourage this, so long as it doesn’t lead to kids joining who really don’t want to act or sing at all (which occasionally happens - but when it does it’s usually because their parents, not their friends, have talked them into it). It’s nice to have a mix of motives, actually, because the ones joining for social reasons usually don’t mind when the spotlight doesn’t fall on them much. If I had 60 actors all clambering to be the leads, I’d have to disappoint a lot of them!

In any case, this particular year, kids did an amazing job of recruiting their friends. It doesn’t hurt that many of them saw their buddies in the show last year (which also featured the first two ingredients, storywriting and swordfighting) and that they’ve spent a lot of time with me in class and on field trips, so there’s a comfort level that lowers the barrier for more participation.

I don’t think I could ever turn anyone away, no matter how crazy the level of enrollment got. When I was in high school, both the marching band and the chorus accepted absolutely everyone who wanted to join, no matter their level of experience or “talent”. The result was always impressive - there is a huge advantage in numbers, even if it creates inconveniences at times. Plus, there is no truly fair way to select among applicants without feelings being hurt or potentially talented folks being eliminated because they are too young or inexperienced. Besides, this is SCHOOL, not Broadway. It’s supposed to be a teaching and learning experience! Everyone has to start somewhere, and absolute beginners often have the greatest level of drive and enthusiasm and are the most likely to be good sports about doing whatever’s asked of them.

So I’m thrilled, and a little scared, about this production. Thrilled because it’s a great opportunity. Scared because we need a bigger stage!

No Comments »

Click here to support me in my race for the cure for breast cancer!

I last participated in this race several years ago and it is really overdue that I participate again.

No Comments »

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to express my outrage at the recent comments made by Michael “Savage”, a radio host on Talk Radio Networks, targeting young children with autism and their families. We live in a society and age in which there are plenty of legitimate grievances and issues about which to express one’s anger; there is no need to blast the innocent and defenseless and to spread misinformation about medical and educational issues.

I am a teacher, learning specialist, and adjunct professor. I have worked with autistic children and their families; I have never once encountered a child whose problems could be fixed by verbal abuse such as Savage advocates. Telling a nonverbal three year old, who barely responds to his own name, that he is a “brat” and to “cut the act out” accomplishes nothing. There is no act involved. These children are not brats. Their parents are not lax. In many cases they have spent thousands of dollars (in some cases, hundreds of thousands) of their own money on lawyers, medical treatments, and private schools in a desperate effort to get their children help. Furthermore, I have never met any parent eager to convince me that a child is more disabled than s/he actually is.

While I advocate free speech (I am an educator, after all) I don’t see any reason why companies such as yours would choose willingly to financially support an individual whose hatred for innocent children and families and prejudice towards people in general is so evident. Is this the sort of message that your company endorses?

Finally, I would not underestimate the power and determination of the autistic community. These people have fought long and hard for their children and, in the case of autistic adults, for themselves. They are not about to stand by while they are slandered and verbally abused on national radio, or in the mainstream media as a result of these comments.

I urge you to take immediate action and pull your financial support from Talk Radio Networks and The Savage Nation Radio Show in response to these hateful comments.

Sincerely,
Lisa Fischler

For a list of Savage’s sponsors, visit this page on the Autism Self Advocacy Network.

No Comments »

New Year’s Eve! about 7:45 new Argentina time - We switched over to daylight savings.

It got a bit rocky last night as we entered the Drake Passage. We have breakfast at 8, and then I don’t know what’s planned for the day. I anticipate taking things VERY easy today. We are sailing right into a 20-knot headwind.

about 7 pm I’ve been a bit miserable today from the rockiness of the boat as well as my stomach feeling rather weak. I do not think this patch is working all that well. I did get to one presentation in the morning and then saw the DVD of the trip in the afternoon. Otherwise I’ve been in bed. I listened to a good part of the History of Rome, two astronomy lectures, and the whole of the Persuasion recording. I read maybe one chapter of The Crystal Desert as well. I have to admit I am feeling tired of all this and it is not comforting to think that we have a whole second day and night of it. Of course, it could even be still worse. I have a feeling this New Year’s Eve is going to be spent very quietly.

No Comments »