Another One Bites the Dust

So here it is another weekend...another week come and gone. It was a busy week at work this week..two rehearsals, one definitely better than the other, and a paired lesson observation. To explain to anyone unfamiliar with the British system, lesson observations are when members of senior leadership (the headmaster, vice principals, etc) come into your lesson to watch you, see how you teach and see how the students are doing. It always makes me nervous, but it's a good progress check. Anyway, each year, during the first month of school, teachers are observed and my turn was yesterday morning. First lesson, the kids are usually still sleepy and pretty quiet. My lesson observation went well, I got almost perfect marks, so I'm quite happy with that.

Rehearsals for WWRY have picked up to twice a week now, once on Monday and once on Thursday. Monday is usually singing and choreography and Thursday is putting it all together. I can't believe it's only 9 weeks until the show comes up. Really...dear, sweet readers. Please come see my show. It's gonna rock you.

The most exciting thing in the next week--no lesson observations (for me!) and a trip to the West End to see The Lion King on Wednesday evening. Can't wait :). Next on the list to see is Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Les Mis, Mamma Mia, Billy Elliot, Matilda, Shrek...the list goes on and on. I think I need a pay raise.

Jessica C Presents...

The adventures of the Hoblet.

Another week has come and gone and I'm very happy that it's the weekend. Rehearsals for WWRY have picked up to twice/week and I'm definitely noticing the difference. My week has been really busy, but it's been a good one. The show is coming together and, in 10 short weeks, it will be going up! This is an open invitation to every single friend and family member who is reading this (along with my apparent fanbase in Germany and Poland...really?)-- if you come to my show, I will buy your ticket. And throw in a crumpet or two to sweeten the deal.

All that aside, this week coming should be exciting. Some staff & students are making another trip down to the West End to see a musical--this time we're going to The Lion King! I'm really excited, I've heard that it's one of the best performances to see. I'm also excited for rehearsals for my show and being one week closer to my mid-term holiday (I enjoy looking into the future).

Due to some very late nights throughout the week (more specific, some very early mornings because of a new-found discovery of webcam on Facebook), I was planning on having an early night last night. Around 9:30, Aran's lovely girlfriend, Plamina, texted to say that we were going out and I had an hour to get ready. So much for my early night.

We got all dressed up and headed out for some drinks and catchup. A good and incident-free night (Plamina assuming the identity of a lesbian Canadian named Louise aside) until we were making the tottering walk home. The long-legged Plamina easily climbed over a low cement median dividing the road and warned me not to fall. What do I do? Fall. Spectacularly. Cuts to the hand, both knees and the crook of my knee scraped and cut nicely open. I am a wonder. I got home, cleaned up and now walk like I have permanent swagger. Oh yeah. I'm gangster without even trying.

And that is the tale of The Hoblet.

On This Day.

It's been 10 years today since the world changed. The world changed and I'm part of the generation that has grown up in a distrustful, hateful, society. I've been taught to fear the 'others.' I've been taught to judge a person on their dress, on their religion, on their skin colour.

I talk to my students, some of whom were only 3 years old on 9/11. I look at my sister's students, who weren't even born when the world changed. They have grown up knowing nothing but the culture of fear and the backlash against those who are 'different' than themselves. I have Muslim students talk about the troubles they face at airports, dozens of teenagers who can't remember what life was like before the manhunts began for Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Well, now they are both gone, and has their legacy faltered? No, it's stronger than it ever was before.

Where has this 'war on terror' left the world? Has America defended the ideas of civil liberties, democracy, freedom and safety in the countries they invaded in hopes of 'saving' from their oppressors?

Each generation is given a new target, a new enemy to fear and to hate. Will there ever be a generation without a war, without the threat of an invisible enemy lurking in the shadow's, ready to destroy all that is good in the world? I remember where I was the moment the world changed. Hearing the news and not quite believing and definitely not understanding the impact that it would have. I watched the first coverage on the news as Iraq was invaded, I listened to the propaganda of a world-class idiot, left to run the world's most powerful nation, and I wondered how or if it would end.

Saddam Hussein is dead, Bin Laden is dead. Yet it doesn't take a genius to know that it doesn't matter if they lived or died. Their legacy, those loyal to them both, would still carry on. And so, because of this, the war still rages. I had friends deployed overseas and, for months on end, would hate reading the headlines about dead soldiers, fearing that they would be among them. I try to understand their drive, their passion for their job, and I am worried by the racism and prejudice that I hear. I know I don't understand what it is like--I will never understand and will never appreciate the realities of living in a combat zone. But should our soldiers be trained to hate? Is it right to teach them to hate all of the 'others' that are 'over there' and see them all as one in the same? I mean no offence to anyone reading this. I fully support the bravery of those willing to sacrifice themselves in the line of duty. It is the war, the unjust and illegal war, that I do not support.

What will happen in the world from now on? Will our advancements in technology finally bring about the peace and liberties for all? Definitely not. I believe that it will be used for more weapons of destruction, weapons of terror and death. Human beings are fragile things. But the cruelty and evil in mankind is one of the strongest forces in the world.

Will there ever be a generation that is brought into the world and not force-fed the prejudices, the fears and hates of their predecessors? It is a cruel thing, to teach the innocent that they ought to fear 'them' and create this constant state of fear and mistrust. My thoughts this morning are on those missing loved ones, on those still fighting in this war, and on the generations to come who will be drafted into this war without a choice. Whether it be 'them' or 'us', I dislike thinking about all of the hatred that will be driven into the minds and hearts of those who will grow up in a world knowing no other way.

It is 10 years ago on this day that the world changed and, in a single morning, history was changed forevermore.

Back At It

My brain still feels like it should be on holiday. It's been almost a month since I've been on here, and I wish that I was still able to say 'I have ___ many days of summer holiday left.' Oh well. Back at it, back to school and back to routine.

But, before I bother with all that boring stuff, the best part should come first. My birthday trip to Norway! It was awesome. I landed on Tuesday night and, because of workers doing renovations at Sarah & Kristian's, I decided to go into work with Sarah on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. For those of you who know my sister, she is a teacher as well. You're thinking, oh, not such a big deal, it would just be like going into school and following the same routine. Yeah, definitely not the case. I teach high school. Sarah teaches elementary school. A reception (Kindergarten) class, to be more specific. In the 3 days I spent in the classroom, it made me absolutely certain and sure that I am where I am meant to be--a high school classroom. Sure, I don't get as many hugs from adorable little children who always want to be cuddled or have their hands held as they walk across the playground to recess, but I am thankfully glad I don't have to wipe runny noses in my job. Something I never want to do again. All in all, the kids were really cute and I had lots of fun...but only as a visitor.

On the Thursday of my visit, the 25th, Sarah & Kristian took me out to celebrate my birthday with a wonderful dinner at a restaurant downtown. They gave me a beautiful jewellery box when we got home :). On Saturday, we went to Sidsel & Jon Einar's for a family dinner, where I squared off with the aquavit again. After supper, Sarah, Kristian & I went back to there place for some drinks and Wii with Per and Martin. We headed downtown to Cardinal, the pub that is 24+, so I was finally able to get in without having to walk in between two tall people and hope they don't notice me. Turned out to be a late night, but a fun night :).

On Sunday, Sarah & Kristian took me to my first live football (soccer) match! Despite getting distracted and missing important parts of the game (like the only goal being scored), I had lots of fun. I can start to see why people get a little nuts for football over here.

The rest of my visit involved coffee with Michelle & Jesper, my favourite Norwegian baby, lots of lefse, walks around the lake (including an embarrassing incident with me getting scared by ducks), and visiting with Kristian's family, including taking his parent's St Bernard puppy for a walk along the beach. I wasn't incredibly excited to come back to England, but it helped that my suitcase was weighed down with lots of lefse until I go back. I was given some beautiful gifts for my birthday and I'm starting to think my Norwegian birthday celebration should become a yearly tradition!

So, it's now back to school and back to the routine. I will admit that, tiring though this week may have been, it is 10x better than the start I had last year. Even though I hardly slept at all the night before school started, I'm much happier and much more sane, for a better word. It's been a long week, rehearsals for the musical started again and have now picked up to twice/week, and I'm glad it's the weekend. It definitely helped to finish the week of with a great big glass of wine with Nikki. Next week brings a lesson observation by a school governor, getting back into WWRY full-swing and trying to stay sane through it all.

Here we go week 2!