Clothes make the man

Ever thought about what your clothes say about you?  (I think I already know what mine say about me -- according to a friend of mine, they say that I don't have a clue how to dress!)  I read an interesting article about a Kelowna fashion instructor who has decided to wear the same dress for 180 days (that's six months).  Why? you might ask.  Well, she says that fashion trends are changing so quickly that people are constantly buying clothes to keep up (well, not me, but other people) and it is a strain on the environment and a feast of consumerism.  She decided to use the project to fundraise for an elementary school in Kelowna (I'm not sure how that works, but if you want to look into it, her name is Ingrid Ulrich).  She has chosen a versatile black dress and has said she can wear it with clothing she already has and she has also allowed herself to buy used or consignment clothes.  I'm sure she'll look great, because you really can find a lot of great stuff at Value Village!

This is my Monday post because I'm thinking after my first day of four on the floor and then the staff meeting afterwards, I will be too overwhelmed to do anything except lie on the couch and watch endless episodes of "Forensic Files"!

If you have journals for me, get them to me by Tuesday as that is the absolutely final, last day for me to make changes to report cards!

Joy, Caution and Reasonable Wishing

Words to live by.  An alumnus of Steveston-London directed me yesterday to the Stoic philosophers and I went back and reread some of what I vaguely remembered.  We think that Stoics are unfeeling, but that isn't the case.  I think their rational approach to human emotion has a lot of appeal.   It isn't the outside stimulus that is horrendous, it's our reaction to it.  I heard someone on the radio a couple of weeks ago talking about a new book that explores how the Stoic philosophy could help us in these troubled times, and I think I will search it out and read it.

I am going to a funeral on Thursday, so I won't be here for my office hours.  If you have work for me, you can leave it in the box outside the theatre door.  If you want to present something, just email me and we can figure out a time next week, if you can't come in before Thursday.  I will post a sign on the door to give everyone the heads up.

Answers to "Comments" (Thanks for commenting!)

Wow!  I have had so few "comments" to my posts that I didn't remember how to access them, or answer them!  But thanks, for commenting and for risking putting your journals on here, IH!  I stumbled on them.  If any of you choose to put your journals here, feel free, but let me know that you're doing it so I look.

I am very happy with my little Honda Fit!  It is excellent on gas and I am starting to learn what all the buttons and things do.  When I filled my tank with gas for the first time, it took me a while to figure out how to open it!  (Not mechanically inclined, off course.)  But now I know!

The quieter you become, the more you can hear

I don't know who said that, but it is true.  When I play a quiet person in the semester end role play, I always discover how much is going on that I don't notice the rest of the time.  It takes a lot of energy for me to be quiet, though, and oftentimes I can't do it.  My mouth just takes over!

I think people like Donald Trump and Sarah Palin could stand to listen a bit more and not necessarily to the people they're listening to now.  I know that Obama has not delivered on the hope and the promises he offered at the beginning of his tenure (and the reasons for that can be discussed ad infinitum), but pandering to people's fears and hatreds is a terrible way to try to lead them.  I think we can all think of past world leaders who have done that and what has happened as a result.

Here at home, in our peaceful little corner of the world, it is exam week and the end of the semester.  I would like to say to all my students from first semester, that I thoroughly enjoyed your classes and that it was a great pleasure for me to get to know you and work with you and I hope to see many of you back in the theatre in September.  (Not the grade 12's, though -- you guys just go out into the world and hit metaphorical home runs all over the place!)

David did a great job of casting the play and everyone has something fun to do!  I am looking forward to seeing the drama club work on it.  It is especially exciting to work on a new play WITH THE AUTHOR, because you can ask why things happen the way they do and really help bring their vision to life!  If you are still interested in helping backstage, just let me know and I'll add you to the list!

I have office hours in the theatre every day from 10:30 to 12:30, so if you have any work that you haven't done, drop in and give it to me.  On Tuesday, I might be late (like at about 10:45) because I altered my exam supervision slightly to help another teacher out.  But if you want to hand in your journal, you can come in and put it on my desk or come to the Legends Gym North to see me.  Have a great second semester everyone!

Bats, Bouquets and Boycotts

Is Canada "hip"?  Apparently, according to the New York Times, it just might be.  They credit the election of Justin Trudeau as evidence of our hipness, and also artists like The Weekend, or Justin Bieber or Samantha Bee and especially the coolest of all, Leonard Cohen (who I don't think would have become famous anywhere else! -- not that I don't love "Hallelujah" but he isn't a pretty man and his voice would never win those singing contests like "American Idol".  He's really CANADIAN as far as I can define it.)

There is a move to boycott the Oscars.  Spike Lee and Jada Pinkett-Smith say they won't be going.  I wonder what Chris Rock will do.  Will he still host it?  Or maybe he'll back out, too.  Or maybe he'll use it as a platform.  It does seem surprising that no actors of colour have managed to be nominated this year, but the problem is bigger than the Oscars.  The movie elite doesn't seem to make many movies that feature black actors, especially black women.  As I said, I'm not interested in the Oscars much any more, so I will not be watching.  It isn't hard for me to boycott the show -- I hate the "who are you wearing" garbage and the slobbering and then the playing the music when people are speaking.  I'd rather watch a biography of Marlon Brando or something like that or "The Philadelphia Story" or "All About Eve".

David is casting his play this evening and the cast list will be up tomorrow.  I don't envy him the task -- we have a lot of talent at Steveston-London, so he has what we might call "an embarrassment of riches".  He has written in a few more characters, so that everyone gets a role, but some are larger than others.  I hope nobody is terribly disappointed, because it is going to be a fun show to perform in and I'm looking forward to seeing it.  No matter what role an actor gets, he or she needs to make a show of it.  Create a backstory for yourself and throw yourself into your role with your whole heart!

Grade 8's:  Don't forget to write your last journal -- which "show and tell" speech impressed you the most?  Explain why.

Senior Drama:  Thanks a heap to Dylan who was great as Mr. Brouwer this morning.  I'm looking forward to another class tomorrow with Mr. Swanson!

At the educational facilitators meeting, we talked about running classes outside of the timetable today.  The district is interested in helping kids "follow their passion" and still be able to remain at their home school and do a regular academic program.  Someone suggested that I run a play production class beginning at 7 and running until 8 every morning.  I wonder if that sort of thing could run.  It would include kids who were interested in acting or theatre production and would allow kids to do "drama club" as a course with credit, but not have to sacrifice a third science course or something else that interests them.  The district people have said that they will consider "anything"!  I guess it wouldn't hurt to investigate the idea.  I could run it after school, which I think would be more do-able than before school -- I think of how sleepy the kids look at 8:20 -- could they manage 7 a.m.?

Best of the best!

The Oscar nominations came out this week.  I have not seen any of the films!  I don't see as many movies as I used to.  There just never seems to be time.  And I am less likely to be drawn to a movie because of Oscar buzz.  I used to pore over the nominations and my sister and I would write lengthy letters discussing each nomination in detail -- who should win, who would win, etc.  I understand a lot of it is not just artists choosing the best artist -- a lot of people campaign for awards and a lot of it is political.  Some people are suggesting that the Oscars (and Hollywood itself) is closed to people of colour.  What do you think?  Look at the nominees.  Is that a fair judgement?

Anyhow, here are your journals for the week . . .

Grade 9/10/11/12 (D Block):  Write about the character you've been assigned for the role play.  How do you plan to portray that character?  (Provide details.)  What will be a challenge?  How is the character similar to you?  (You must be able to find something!)  Are you connected in any way to any of the other characters?  Describe how and what you will do about it.

Drama 8:  Which "show and tell" speech was most memorable to you?  Explain why.

Resolutions ticked!

So far so good on the resolution front.

I bought a car on Saturday.  I got a Honda Fit and it was gruelling to go through the purchase thing, but now it is done and I have the car and said goodbye to my little old Dodge Caravan (which was a good soldier for a while -- it's funny how you get attached to a thing and feel bad when you drive away and leave it in the parking lot of the car dealership).  I don't know why buying a car has to be so miserable.  You have to sit there and jockey for position with the salesperson and wonder if you're getting a good deal or not.  I hope I did, but I guess there's no point in thinking about it now.  What's done is done.

Everyone is talking about David Bowie's death.  Last week he released his last album and there was no news about him being sick. They've been playing his music on the radio ever since his death was announced, especially "Changes".
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes
Don't want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(Turn and face the strange)
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can't trace time
And "Ziggy Stardust".  Great stuff.  He wasn't afraid to do what he wanted and damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead.  A real artist.

I watched a short bit of the Golden Globe awards last night.  All those glamorous people either getting awards or not getting them.  I don't envy them the fame.  Not even the fortune.  But it must be nice to do great, challenging work that you think is important and worthwhile.  Well, now, to think of it . . . it is great!  I  find my work as a teacher to be great and challenging and important and worthwhile!  And the other stuff . . . shilling to get people to hire you to be in a play or movie or tv show,  schmoozing, having to get all dressed up and have people sneer at your outfit?  Well, they can have that stuff.

Lessons learned!

It's journal day!  First journal of the brand new year!

Grade 8's:  Which moral from the Aesop's plays should you learn?  Tell a little story about yourself and why that lesson is important for you to learn.

Grade 9's and 10's:  Who are you playing in the movie scenes?  What does your character want?  What obstacles does she or he face?  (Make strong choices.)  How are you similar to the character?  (You're both human beings, so you must share some qualities -- as an actor, you need to seek out these similarities.)  How are you different?  What is the dominating emotion in the scene?  Make a connection between the emotion the character feels and an emotion you have felt.

Theatre Production:  What is the theme of your sound and light show?  What are you trying to say through your show?  What problems do you anticipate in creating your show?  How will you deal with them?

Make sure you put your NAME on your journal!  There were so many without names last week.

I am going car shopping on Saturday!  I have to get a new car, but I have never shopped for a car before!  My first car was given to me by my mom -- it was my dad's car and when he died, my mom gave it to me.  I drove it for a very long time, until it was totalled by a Port Moody snow plough.  My second car was found for me by Mr. Evans (who used to teach at Steveston-London).  It was an old car, but the people hadn't driven it very much, and it lasted quite a long time.  Then when it "gave up the ghost", my husband found a car for me that an old acquaintance was selling.  The last time I had it repaired the repairman said that it was reaching the end of its life, that he wasn't sure how many more times he would be able to fix it.  Now, the "service engine soon" light has come on, so I figure it is time to find something else.   I have only owned three cars in my life (a rather long life, so I guess this is unusual).  I don't know much about cars, so I don't really know how to approach the purchase of one.  I suppose there are questions one should ask -- does the car get good gas mileage?  is it sturdy (if something hits it, will I be crushed?)  What else would you ask?  A friend of mine is going to come along and she knows more about cars, so I'm hoping she will do some of the talking.  Mr. Price has recommended a Honda Fit, and so that is what I intend to look at.  I hope it won't take too long.  I hate shopping anyway, and this is going to be torment.

Back in the saddle

We have spent the morning at school and it feels like we've never been away.

They had predicted snow this morning and it arrived in the night, but it wasn't unpleasantly inconvenient.  It looked very pretty decking out all the trees.  I wish we'd had the snow over the actual holidays and not on the first day back.  Then we could have sat cosily in our homes and watched the big flakes drift down and then run outside and make snowballs and snowmen to our hearts' content.

I was reading some material about New Year's resolutions and how hard they are to keep.  One piece of advice that seemed quite helpful was that you need to be specific with your resolution.  If you want to "get in shape", resolve to go for a walk every day after dinner, or to use the stairs and not take the elevator.  If you want to do better in a class, resolve to study that subject for half an hour every day or to replace the time you spend playing "Call of Duty" with time spent practicing equations or writing in a journal or reading or whatever you think will help you improve.

One of my resolutions was to watch "The Rules of the Game" which I had PVR'd and it turned out that I had not programmed it correctly and I only had the first half of the movie!  Aargh!  Maybe this is a reason for me to get Netflix!  (Which many of you have suggested.)  Does Netflix offer old foreign films?  How does it work?

Hasta luego!

We are back from Cuba.  We had a wonderful, inspiring time and it was great medicine for the holidays and I am so glad we went.

Here's some advice when you travel.  Have patience and accept that things will not be the same in the place you're visiting.  Isn't that why you're travelling?  To see different things?   We arrived in Cuba with open minds and open hearts and we had a marvellous time.  We met other people who complained it "wasn't like Canada".  Well, if you want Canada, stay in Canada!  It was terrifically NOT like Canada.  Now, you all know that I love Canada, but not everyone does things the way we do here, and maybe we can learn from them.

Cuba has been declared (by the UN, I think) one of the most sustainable countries in the world.  They have one of the highest literacy rates in the Americas (their literacy rates are better than the United States) and they have universal health care and post secondary education is free.   Violent crime is virtually non-existent.  In the face of the embargo, they live very frugally indeed (but not if you judge by the waste by Canadians at their all-inclusive resorts) with only 380 cars per 1,000 people (this is obviously partially because of the American embargo, which is now apparently at an end) and are excellent at repairing things and making them last.  They have outstanding support for the arts and of course, they understand that the arts play a huge role in helping their tourist economy.

It is spectacularly beautiful and there is such energy, and warmth and passion there.  The people we met were very friendly and accommodating.  Havana is breathtaking.  Of course, the buildings are dilapidated as I'm sure you've seen, but there is such grace and energy in the city that it seems like a beautiful old lady with a lovely colourful scarf, who has lots of wrinkles (and no plastic surgery) but a willingness to dance and sing all the way to her grave.  And beyond.

The embargo seems to be at an end.  We met Americans there who had flown directly from Los Angeles to Varadero (which must have been one of the first flights in over fifty years) and I imagine American money will really help many Cubans, but I hope they don't allow it to attack the fabric of their country.  It would be a shame to see a McDonalds on every corner in Havana and a "food fair" on the Malecon.  But time waits for no man.

I have made a few New Year's resolutions.  I am going to bite the bullet and get myself a new car.  Yesterday when I was out doing errands, the electrical system on my dash board shut off and I had no gauges!  No speedometer, gas gauge, even the little indicator that says whether you're in drive or reverse!  I know I need a new car, have known for some time, but the idea of car shopping is anathema to me.

I am going to blog every Monday, at least.  It is good for me to order my thoughts and philosophize a bit.

Some time over the weekend, I am going to watch "The Rules of the Game".  I PVR'd it a long time ago and haven't had time to sit down and enjoy it and this is the weekend for that!

I'm not going to resolve to lose weight or exercise more or anything like that because those resolutions don't work.  I would like to eat more healthily, and I think I will resolve to try to prepare one meatless meal a week (like for dinner, because we already eat meatless lunches and breakfasts), because that is healthy for us and the planet.  I think I will say that our meatless meal will be Thursday, because that way it is specific, which is apparently a recipe for greater resolution success.

See you Monday!  Bright-eyed and bushy tailed!