.The Boy in the Moon: A Father's Search for His Disabled Son.

Today as I was driving to school, listening to NPR, they were interviewing Ian Brown, author of the memoir The Boy in the Moon about his now fifteen-year-old son, Walker, who has an extremely rare genetic mutation called cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC).  There are thought to be only a little over a hundred people around the world who have this disease.

As he was describing the mutation and the rituals they had to undergo when Walker was living with them (he now lives in a home with other children) I was eager to read more.  Brown particularly questions, and struggles with the question, of what these children (most who cannot speak/understand language, eat whole food, or be potty-trained) give to society; how do they benefit from living?  This not only comes down to a money question since it obviously takes a great deal to keep them institutionalized; it also comes down to what are these people getting out of life other than pain and suffering?  Brown asserts that his son does have days of crying, but also days of laughter.  And he described his favorite picture of his son lying with his sister, Hayley as she read a Dr. Seuss book to him aloud.  Though he can't understand, Brown said that Walker enjoyed the rhythm of the story and the attention his sister was obviously giving him; he was experiencing joy from something so simple, something many of us would take from granted.  In this way, Brown says these children and adults have plenty to teach us!

Likewise, he acknowledged the argument that these children and adults will be unable to contribute or become part of the larger society.  He asserted that they have their own societies/communities that we have to be allowed into rather than the reverse.  Though they cannot speak/understand language, it seemed from his interview they can communicate somewhat, specifically with each other.  I was amazed when he told about his wife and daughter dropping off Walker at his school after having taken him home for a few days.  He described his son seeing two girls he had become friends with and pushing his mother and sister out the door, as if to say (in Brown's words), "Get the hell out of here, I've got things to do!"

I really recommend checking out this moving story.  You can read a four-page excerpt here, and listen to the interview here.

.Who's teaching whom?.

This past week during our weekly "visit/tutoring/growth into better adults," whatever you might want to call it, during our hour of tutoring African refugees, I worked for the second time with a 29-year-old man from Congo who only has one arm (a soldier came into his home and shot him when he was 19).  The last time I worked with him he seemed very distracted and a little frustrated, but I felt much better about our second week together.  What always amazes me about these weekly classes is that as soon as the students walk in, they look for the person they worked with last, so as soon as R walked in the cafeteria he saw me, walked over, greeted me, and begin taking down the chairs for us to work at our table (we've started fist-bumping since he seems not to enjoy hand-shaking, which I like almost more!).

We sat down at a table together and I could tell he was a little worried about something.  It turned out that he had missed work because he was confused about his schedule.  I ensured him that I was sure it would be fine if he just called the place where he works and apologize.  It didn't seem to help much, but we started the night's lesson, which happened to be how to use a phone book.  I'm always amazed at how different things might seem to those who've only been here in "the good 'ol U.S. of A" for short periods of time.  A phone book is something we know from children - we know how to look up the restaurants, doctors' offices, toy stores, and yet this was something he clearly was not comfortable with.  After browsing several categories that would probably never come in handy his phone rang and he proceeded to talk to someone, courteously excusing himself from this "life skill" lesson I was trying to teach.   Before I knew it the phone had been placed near my ear and I was talking to his boss who was hurriedly rambling out his hours for the next two weeks.  I quickly jotted them down and told her that he had promised to try harder in keeping up with his hours. (But honestly, the way she was mumbling the days and times so fast I don't see how he, as an ESL speaker, could understand when I was struggling to keep up!) I don't blame him one bit!

When I gave his phone back I quickly drew boxes with the days of the week, trying desperately to draw something that looked remotely like a calendar.  He immediately turned it around to face him and said, "I like this!"  Aha! Something I could really teach him, how to keep a planner!  If that's not a "life skill," what is?  So I told him how he could mark his hours under the boxes with the days labeled at the top and even mark them off when he was done (ugh! so American - mark off the days so you'll feel like you've accomplished something).

The rest of the time was spent going over traffic signs (because he really wants to get his drivers' license) and making family trees together.  I started finding that if I didn't talk, he would just keep right on talking, telling me about his family, his life in the Congo vs. here (he loves America and American food especially) so I let him talk. He told me about one of the biggest differences he saw between America and the  Congo:"Here, war is soldier and soldier, there they come in at homes...they could come in here" and he gestured to the door.  I shuddered.  He told me how when he was 19 years old a soldier came in his home and shot him and his father - his father didn't survive.  And as if that wasn't enough, it nearly broke my heart when he said, "English is hard.  I need English friends."  He said everyone he's around speaks in another language and his mother wants to speak their language from Africa when they're home.  Then, something amazing happened...

He leaned over and asked, "Do you go to church? Man, I need to go t'church."  Technically, we're not supposed to talk about it with them - we've been warned several times not to try and "convert" them, but I was comforted knowing he was the one who asked.  I told him my husband and I do in fact go to church but that it was pretty far away from where he and his mother live.  So I told him we could come pick him up and take him to a church downtown on Saturday evening since he works on Sundays.  I just couldn't believe how serendipitous this all was.  Before he left he urged me to write down his cell number so I could call and take him to church.  I hope it all works out that we can take him, but either way, I learned so much about him and myself in that hour working with him.

I've been thinking lately how God miraculously places things in our paths so we can be prepared for them later.  I read a book when I was in college, thanks to my mother, called Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust about the genocide in Rwanda, and now I'm working with these refugees who have seen and experienced things like Immaculee, and I honestly don't know if I would have known how to approach this situation, or at least I might not have felt as connected, if I hadn't read about her experience with war coming into her home and neighbors rising up against one another.  I just feel so blessed that these students are a part of my life.

And yet another blessing that I found out today: one of the other students we've been working with went in for a meeting today at our school and got a position in the LEAP program, designed for non-English speakers to take college classes and learn English along the way.  We got an email from our professor saying he was overjoyed and that he kept saying he wouldn't have this opportunity if not for this class.

"Blessed are the poor in spirt, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth...Blessed are the pure in spirit, for they shall see God..."

.Pilgrimage to see Jane Eyre.

This Friday, I and several of my classmates from our Bronte's class ventured to the Neon theater downtown for a viewing of the new film Jane Eyre.  We had all just finished reading the book for class (some of us for the second, third, or more times) so there were several scenes not included that we definitely missed, but altogether it was a lovely movie.  The acting, musical score, costumes, and cinematography were all fabulous.  For me, the music added so much to the narrative - the string-driven songs reminded me of the score from The Village, which I also love - and I've been listening to the excerpts on iTunes, reliving scenes in my mind.  I've had photos from the film hanging in my office at school since Scott brought them home in The New York Times review of the film, so I thought I'd share some of them, and several more, here.

{Mia Wasikowska is a superb Jane and I love this somber picture of her in her cape}

{Likewise, Judi Dench is a great Mrs. Fairfax - they did a fabulous job with casting of this film!}

{Similar to the book, I had to warm to Mr. Rochester but he steals your heart at all the right times - corny, I know, but it's so true!}

{This scene is amazing!!}

(From a response for class): In Jeffrey Sconce’s article, “The Cinematic Reconstruction of Jane Eyre,” he discusses the complexities of adapting Bronte’s work to a cinematic medium.  He writes, “Bringing Jane Eyre before the cameras in the early Forties required a reading that captured the novel’s importance and identity for a contemporary audience through a narrative form familiar to them, a task perhaps better executed by a Hollywood producer than by a devoted Brontephile” (517).  I found this quote particularly interesting in regards to the most recent adaptation of Jane Eyre, particularly in considering the scenes and articulations not included in the film.  For Sconce, at least, the logic lies in the “contemporary audience” as reason for why these particular scenes were omitted.  As we’ve already briefly mentioned in class, there were several key scenes not included in the newest adaptation, including the infamous “gypsy” scene, the ending “conclusion” with Jane and Rochester as a family, and Miss Temple is almost (if not fully) non-existent.  In keeping with Sconce’s notion that these omissions can be blamed on the viewing “contemporary audience,” why would these particular scenes be the first to omit for our own contemporary viewers?

Secondly, I enjoyed the opening of Donna Marie Nudd’s article, “The Pleasure of Intersexuality: Reading Jane Eyre Television and Film Adaptations,” when she writes, “Virtually every informed audience member or reviewer will discuss whether the adaptation he or she is viewing is ‘faithful.’ But the inevitable question arises: ‘Faithful to what?’ Is Bronte’s three-volume Victorian novel a romance? a melodrama? a gothic mystery? a Christian morality tale? a feminist classic? a fictionalized autobiography?” (523).  Again, this question was particularly interesting in regards to the new Jane Eyre because the previews presented it as a “gothic mystery” (or at least that’s what I expected when watching the trailers).  So, again, considering Sconce’s “contemporary audience,” could this emphasis on the gothic elements be partly blamed on the current fascination with vampires, gothic fairy tales, and dark romance?

.Reflections on Week 2.

Week two with the refugees went really well in our intimate gathering of C group students (most advanced). We started the night with five students, and ended with four, losing one to another group for some remedial instruction on reading. First, we had them go around and say their names and where they were from using a piece of string that connected each of us in a united web. The string was a bit unruly when we were passing it around, but it actually seemed to help us all become more comfortable with each other, and there were smiles and laughs all around.

 
We then had them write short paragraphs about themselves and their goals. One that really struck me was the man that I later got to work with who said he wanted to get his degree, sustain a job, and get married and have three beautiful babies. They all willingly shared their goals with each other and were excited about hearing our goals as well. I was really struck by this especially, because I think they enjoyed the fact that we were taking part in writing with them and stating our life goals. I didn’t expect them to ask to hear ours but they seemed very eager for us to participate as well. From what I’ve already learned about these students, I was not surprised to find that each one of them placed a great deal of emphasis on their goal to continue their education, get degrees, and better their English.

After we all wrote and shared our short paragraphs we had them do a noun tense fill-in-the-blank sheet that they completed with little trouble. They went around and gave their answers orally, and when they all seemed to be getting them correct, we quickly realized they were advanced even more than we thought; we’ll have to bring more challenging exercises for some of them. We also learned through this exercise that some of them are much better when reading and writing, but are much more shy and apprehensive when speaking. That they are so advanced in either areas truly impresses me and I commend them for their efforts in learning the new language.

After we went over the noun tense sheet, we split up and did some one-on-one teaching, and this was by far my favorite part. I think that it would be best if we could continue breaking the class up in this way – having the first half devoted to learning as a group and then giving one-on-one attention to each student for the remainder of the time. I was very impressed with the man I worked with, because not only could he read, write, and speak really well, he also knew quite a bit about grammar rules. We went over nearly two pages of the college entrance exam for English together and he got almost all of them correct, even pointing out independent and dependent clauses. I was disappointed, however, to find that because of his work schedule he will be unable to attend our classes each week. He told me he had already taken the GED and had only missed 10 over the limit for the reading section. This really saddened me that he had gotten this far and done so well, only to learn that he did not pass. Likewise, I knew by then that he would not be able to come and work with us, so I’m hoping we can send along some exercises for him to work on. Also, my two students from last week were not able to come so I’m hoping they will be attendance next week.

Already I’ve learned so much about their cultures and I’ve been touched by their enthusiasm and joy. Even though, as we’ve been reading in Little Bee, they may have come from violent and awful situations, they smile, laugh, and tell their stories to us, excited and eager to be learning and sharing with one another.

One image that has really stayed with me this week is when we left the cafeteria where we teach – we were met by dozens of families leaving the gymnasium where some kind of basketball league was ending for the night. I watched the contrasting faces leaving the building – the African refugees excited about the new English words they had learned and can now take out with them into their workplaces and the white middle-class families toiling over the wins and loses of a youth basketball game. It really occurred to me, as it sometimes does, that in America we have very flawed perspectives and priorities. We all left the building together, but some of us would be carrying many more privileges with us, while others would be struggling and striving to make each moment and opportunity count.

.boxes of soap.

Today I presented one of my papers at the graduate symposium at my school and one of the other presenters talked about his entrepreneurial endeavors of developing his own soap company called "Society Bodycare."  As a graphic designer, he makes his own vegan soaps, and sells the uniquely packaged bars, which are wrapped in old pages from books, donating a bar for each one sold (similar to Toms shoes "one for one" campaign) to local non-profits.

I got two samples today and they have uniquely refreshing scents, and each one has a story! Just thought I would share it and urge you to check out his website and purchase a bar of soap for yourself (while providing someone else with a daily necessity).

.Spring Quarter...though the weather suggests otherwise.

I'm getting ready to start week 2 of the spring quarter and I have to say this might be the best one yet! I really like the ENG 102 class and all my students, and I had no doubt that I would enjoy "The Brontes" and "Writing and Social Activism."  Since I haven't updated in a bit I thought I would reflect about our first meeting of the Social Activism class where we pre-tested the English of about two dozen African refugees.  We'll be working with them the rest of the quarter, teaching them English, and writing a grant proposal for the program we are working with.

I first read the Writing and Social Activism emails over spring break, visiting my family, and I couldn’t wait to run downstairs and inform them of what I was going to be doing in the class; I had heard rumors that we would be meeting downtown somewhere and working with people writing grants, but I had no particulars until getting the emails about the African refugees.  At first reading, I was nervous but that emotion was instantly pushed aside by excitement, curiosity, and an eagerness to get started.  Upon arriving at the center where we would be pre-testing the English of these refugees I was again filled with nervous excitement, but it soon faded when I sat down with my first student, A* (age 52).  A’s smiling and welcoming face guided me through the testing process – rather than the other way around.  He told me about his three children, who all share his name as their middle name, and about his love for education.  Ultimately, he wants to attend school and get a job, and his eagerness to learn humbled me as a fortunate grad student with the privilege of attending school everyday.


My second student was J (age 26) who seemed quite nervous talking to me at first, but soon eased (even to the point of sitting with me until the rest of the time was up).  She came from Ghiana and has a three-year-old little girl who she says calls her “Mum,” because she learned British English in a daycare before coming to America.  She said she laughs and tells her, “No, we’re in America now. You have to call me ‘mama.’”  She, too, is very eager to learn and be in school again – she did attend college for a while, but now lives here cleaning during the day.


I was quite impressed with the speaking, reading, and listening abilities of my students; their English, in my opinion, seemed pretty advanced.  I tried to put myself in their shoes and thought if I’d only been in America for a few months I would not have been as comfortable conversing in English as they seem to be.  All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I look forward to seeing and working with both of them over the course of this quarter, as well as meeting the other students.   *I won't share their names here

Also, one of the texts we are reading for the class is Chris Cleave's NYTimes Bestseller, Little Bee.  I've only read half of it so far, but I suggest putting it on your reading list!

.Appalachian Studies Conference.

This weekend Scott and I traveled to Richmond, Kentucky for the 34th Annual Appalachian Studies Association Conference at Eastern Kentucky University!  I have to say my favorite part was being around "folks" from the mountains, hearing the familiar accent, and meeting people from our neck of the woods in Southwest Virginia.  Some of the sessions I attended were:

• Appalachian Women's Work - Perceptions of Breastfeeding Among First-Time Mothers in Appalachia; Eastern Kentucky Women Artists Working for Social Change; Appalachian Women Take It on the Road.
• Service Learning: Action, Reflection, and Renewal in the Academy through Student Engagement in the Community - Shepherd University, West Virginia (this one was extremely helpful in what I'm currently interested in with high-risk college students)
• Readings by Southern Appalachian Writers' Cooperative 
• Sexing Up Statistics With Song and Story (Serendipitously I got to help out with this one since it was being presented by my theater director from my undergrad and he was talking about a play I performed with him)
• Appalachian, Ethnicity, and Gender: An Exploratory Look at Higher Education Learning

In addition to the sessions we attended there were booths set up in the library with piles of Appalachian Studies books and materials.  We brought home a stack of newspapers and information about activism in the area.  They also had a silent auction of eclectic items from handmade jewelry to cds and tickets to bluegrass shows.  I bid several times on a t-shirt that said "Treehugger," but didn't end up winning it - I was hoping I could get it to wear home in front of my dad and brother who have already given my that distinguished title!

One particular item Scott and I are both quite excited about is a poster we bought from the Beehive Design Collective, a "swarm" of artists and activists working to translate the stories of environmental destruction from "word-to-image." We plan to get it framed and hang it over our couch. Here are some examples of their art and you can see more at their website!

This past week was both challenging and eye-opening.  Challenging, because it had come time to begin the final book for our Feminist Memoir class, and it dealt with transgender issues.  I'll admit I was close-minded about beginning my reading, and most of this can be blamed on my ignorance of the issue.  I read Jennifer (formerly James) Finney Boylan's She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders and quite literally, couldn't put it down.  I slowly learned what it means to be transgender, and for her specifically, it meant not ever truly feeling like she belonged in her own skin.  She would watch her mother iron her father's shirts, becoming frustrated when her mother would point out that she would wear shirts like these one day.  She was a young girl, trapped in a male body for much of her life, and remembers feeling this way at the early age of three.

This week was eye-opening because I learned so much about transgender issues through the story of one person.  I got to meet her on Thursday, sharing pizza and discussion, and then listening to her lecture later that day.  What amazes me the most about her story is that she lived most her life as a man haunted by the wish to be a woman. She married and had two boys before, at the age of 40, beginning the process of transitioning into a female body...and her heterosexual wife is still with her today. Her wife (named "Grace" in her book) is with her through every step of the process, and although there are times of utter frustration and heartache, they share a life together, raising two boys who equally love their "Maddie" (a term they coined as young boys, combining "mommy" and "daddy").  If their family is not a prime example of love, I'm not sure what is.  And what touched me the most about her lecture was when she pointed out that many people may feel that their relationship is "weird," but how many other relationships/marriages are filled with abuse and neglect, etc.? Yet Jennifer and Grace's love is unconditional, which is more than a lot of people can say for their own relationships (I wish I could remember exactly how she said it, because it was much more eloquent than that).

So, I wanted to share this experience with you - my own "transition," if you will - and suggest that when you go into something close-minded, you may very well come out on the other side changed, with wide eyes open, as I have this week.  It's extremely easy to judge because of ignorance and misunderstanding, but as Jennifer's Christian mother (who she says is her #1 fan) pointed out, "You can't hate someone when you've heard their story."

.the shape of water.

Yet another documentary trailer I'm sharing with you is one that I had the privilege of watching at the 10th annual "Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality Symposium" at Miami University in Oxford, Oh.   Directed by Kum Kum Bhavnani, The Shape of Water follows the lives of five different women in the nations of Israel, Senegal, India, and Brazil, tracing their activism and passion for change in their communities.

Bhavnani screened her documentary and discussed the film afterwards.  It took three years for her to raise money and complete the project and it she started considering the project to show her own students at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that though many active feminists from "developed" countries feel it is their job to go into "Third World" communities and help women, there are women within these communities who are passionate about their voices and are making changes on their own.

It was an exciting film to watch because you see women in Senegal openly talking about the problem of female genital mutilation (FGM) and its relation to both sexuality and health.  The generations of women are discussing their views, in one specific scene of the documentary, but when a man enters the room and gives his views that women should still be cut because of the African traditions, they unite as one voice telling him he's not part of the discussion; how could he possibly have an opinion when he is not a woman? In India, women are forming co-operative programs like SEVA to help them learn how to manage money and are even provided loans to start small businesses.  These were the two women communities that most interested me, but you can read more about the other women in the film here.

You can watch a trailer and clips from The Shape of Water here.

.traces of the trade.

Last night in my Feminist Memoir class, we ventured through the underground tunnels of Wright State to the Student Center and watched a documentary called, "Traces of the Trade: A Story From the Deep North."  It was a moving film about a family's journey from Rhode Island to the West Indies, Cuba, and then back to Rhode Island, tracing the journey of their slave-trading ancestors and the slave ships themselves.  The prominent DeWolf family of Rhode Island trafficked Africans from 1769 to 1820, and even owned plantations in Cuba years after the Civil War.  Katrina Browne, the producer and director of the film, was a direct decedent of the DeWolf family and since undertaking the 9-year project of making the documentary, she has been an activist and speaker, sharing the film with groups across the U.S. and critiquing the Yankee "white privilege" from which she comes.  I've included the trailer below from when it aired on PBS.  You can also visit the website here.

When we finished watching the film, Katrina Browne had us think of one word to describe our feelings after the film, and mine was "grief."  What grieved me the most was that, in the documentary, she pointed out that not only the DeWolf family could be blamed, but that the entire town profited and lived as consumers of the slave-trading family.  Even those who may not have known about the family's business as slave traders, helped and were, in turn, responsible because of their roles as citizens of the town.

Katrina also pointed out that there are more people enslaved today than ever before and that it's a problem we have to live with everyday, though most of us are not directly affected by it.  It's something that our own descendants will uncover and be grief-stricken about us.  Even though she discussed several ways to start making a small difference - buying "fair trade" goods, raising awareness about these kinds of issues, etc. - it leaves me baffled and wondering where to start.  And perhaps that's where most of us are right now, wondering where to begin "making a difference..."  Either way, it's something that we all need to be seriously considering as citizens of the world and as living parts of God's creation.

"Lord, make [us] instrument[s] of your peace. Where there is hatred, let [us] sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. Divine Master, grant that [we] may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."  (Prayer of St. Francis)

.Sex, Drugs, and...

The new MTV show, Skins, has been on my mind a lot this past week (and a topic of conversation in our household).  Because Scott and I both teach freshmen in college, and because the blatant and problematic over-sexualization of college-aged teens (and younger) is important to us, we both try to discuss these issues with our students (although Scott gets to talk to them more about how this contradicts with virtues as Christians).


We were both intrigued by this article on the Huffington Post, written by Cathleen Falsani, called "MTV's Skins: Suffer the Children."  She details the controversy of the show's premise and content which, in addition to the abuse of drugs and alcohol, includes "child pornographic" scenes with "no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate sexual desire."  We watched the pilot episode together to get a better understanding of the show and gained a clear understanding of the problems from the opening scene: there's a young girl (probably 14-16 years old) who looks literally like a street-walker - torn clothes, running mascara, glazed look and all.  She's barefoot and alone, walking down a suburban middle-class street in the early hours of the morning, motioning to her brother to create a diversion so she can sneak into her house.  Her brother sees her out of the corner of his eye though his attention is lost to the fully naked middle-aged woman across the street, standing in her window - they share mischievous grins before he blasts his stereo so his sister can sneak in unnoticed.  The entirety of the episode deals with the group of friends trying to help one teen lose his virginity on the verge of his 17th birthday.  His best friend even considers letting him have his own girlfriend for the night so he won't be such a weirdo anymore.


I could go into more detail about why all this is problematic for the self-image of teens, but if you can't tell from my description from this opening scene then I suggest watching the show for yourself, if only to fully understand what today's youth is seeing as "normal behavior."  Defenders of the show argue that the same themes reside in such shows as ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager and That 70s Show*, but Skins just portrays it "as is" - more raw and realistic.  I hope the "realism" part isn't true, but I have a feeling it is.  


While, from my own students, I've heard harsh judgements of the present generation and their over-sexed identity and culture as seen through the shows I've already mentioned, as well as Teen Mom, I also hear things like, "I know I shouldn't watch it, but I do anyway..."or "It's stupid, but I think it's funny..." And when told they need to choose a TV show to evaluate and half choose Jersey Shore, I'm not sure exactly what this says about them.  Are they able to discern and make educated decisions about what is acceptable and what is unhealthy for them?  Are they able to see that though these situations are glamorized on TV, they're not the way to live? Can they see the unintentional message presented, at least as far as Skins goes, that these kids have some serious issues? I guess I'll have to wait and see what they say in their papers.


So what does this all mean?  What does it mean for those of us who are teachers and parents or future-parents?  Are these shows similar to those we used to watch as teens or has it gotten worse?  All I know is, I'm having a hard time thinking about the culture I'm going to bring a child into one day, and, like Falsani, I'm deeply concerned for the teens in today's society.  Though I don't want to sound like those people who say, "well when I was a kid..." I don't want to turn a blind eye to these issues either.


Any thoughts?
__
*I've never actually had a problem with That 70s Show, but Falsani's article made me consider it a little more.  Scott's class discussed this at length and came up some pretty good arguments as to why it could be problematic as well.  Either way, I still believe it's not as harmful as some more recent shows.

.spring must be coming soon.

I just know that spring must be coming in the near future despite the bitter cold mornings and nights we've been having (2 degrees??).  I don't mind bundling up and wearing my warm, furry boots and collection of scarves, but when you're wearing gloves and still can't feel your fingers it's just too cold.

Thinking of spring I've been checking the TOMS website and contemplating a new pair, but was sad to find out they no longer have my size in the color/style I wanted.  I love the navy classics I have now -  they're such a "spring-y" shoe, and I'm loving the new Cordones.  Here's the pair I wanted, but I suppose I'll just have to wait...

In grad school news I register for spring quarter classes soon (which is another hint that spring is right around the corner) and I'm ecstatic about my classes - although I can't believe we're presently in week 6 of 10 right now.   This quarter has flown by!  Next quarter I'll be taking "The Brontes" and "Writing as Social Activism."  I'm excited about both of them but, after falling in love with C. Bronte's Villette and Jane Eyre, I'm particularly looking forward to "The Brontes."  A fellow TA and I have already made plans to go see the new Jane Eyre movie when it comes to theaters in March! 

.four babies..four cultures.

I get in movie-watching phases and if you can't tell from my recent posts, I'm currently in one.  It can probably be blamed on the weather and the amount of required reading/other school stuff I have to do right now, which makes me guilty if I read for "pleasure" - so instead, I watch movies.  Last night's NBC comedy was a dud sadly - all of them...Community, The Office, and yes, my beloved Parks & Recreation.  Luckily, Scott and I popped into the library yesterday before I went to work and got a few movies, Babies being one of them. I've been wanting to see it since I saw the trailer, and though I thought it was just "okay," it was worth some analysis.

To let you know ahead of time there is absolutely no dialogue (except for what you hear from the "hippy" American parents - I'll explain later why this is in quotes).  The film begins with the births of each baby - one in Namibia, Mongolia, Tokyo, and San Francisco.  Although the actual birth of the Namibia baby is not shown, it leads us to believe it was all-natural.  The mother covers her belly in red clay and we hear the distant sounds of a newborn crying from the inside of a small hut.  The Mongolian baby is born in a clinic in the middle of, well, nowhere.  You watch the mother swaddle it tightly in a blanket, carry it outside, and get on the back of a motorcycle with her husband and toddler.  I'm pretty sure their tent-like house is being carted on the back of a tractor in front of them.  The Tokyo birth is extremely mysterious, but we do get a glimpse into the life of the baby later when you could swear it's being strolled through the majestic aisles of an all-American Babies R' Us.  Finally, a close shot of wires and medical equipment expands to reveal a small blond baby, which I'm kind of guessing could be in the NICU because it was absolutely covered in wires.

The reason I had "hippy" American parents in quotes is because when the American child is a little older, she accompanies her parents to a class where other parents are seated in a circle singing something to the effect of: "Our Mother Earth takes care of us..." It's quite ironic considering the birth in comparison to the others, and as you might have suspected, she's the cleanest of all the babies. Similar to the Tokyo baby she's always seen in a fresh set of clothes or in the bathtub. The Namibia baby, however, is never seen wearing diapers; instead, his mother wipes him with her knee and then cleans herself with a corncob. Needless to say, the San Francisco baby is the farthest away from "Mother Earth."

Also, as you might have suspected, the Namibia and Mongolia babies are the most independent.  From his first days lying on a small bed in their one-room tent, the Mongolian baby is visited by a rooster, and the cat is often seen lying with him.  Later when he is bathing in a small tub, a cow comes over to the doorway and starts drinking from it. What tickled me was, it didn't phase him one bit.  When he finally starts crawling, he's found wearing only a shirt and shoes, sitting with goats and cows, not a bit afraid - and they seem quite content with his company as well.  The Namibia baby is similar because he is surrounded by dogs and plays with their mouths and paws; it's so interesting how gentle the animals are even though the babies roughly pet them and.  The Tokyo baby encounters nature when she is taken to a zoo. Eyeing the tigers and monkeys she screams and cries.  Because the Mongolian and Namibian babies were so independent, they seemed mostly content with their surroundings (although I'm sure there was some scene-cutting; all babies cry and wine) while the Tokyo baby throws an all-out fit because she's frustrated with her toys.  When the Mongolian baby is stepped on by a friendly goat, he simply sits up and pats it on the back.  The San Francisco baby, on the other hand, takes a spill in the park and her mother coos over her.

It was fascinating to watch, and even though a full-length film documenting four babies' first year in different parts of the world might sound like a good nap movie, you can't help but laugh and adore their little personalties.  While some mothers might disagree with the way the four babies are portrayed - and I'm sure the documentary writers have taken liberties with the scenes they've included - they serve as small symbols of the cultures from which they were born while presenting the effects of living close to or detached from nature.

.movie "must-see-soon" list.

In my last post I expressed my (tearful) love for Mother and Child, a heart-wrenching film about three women touched by adoption.  I also suggest The King's Speech;  Scott and I went to see it this past weekend at an adorable little theater downtown.  They served Boston Stoker coffee, mixed drinks, and of course popcorn, and we felt like we had been to the old historic theater in Staunton, VA when we were dating.  Here are some other films I have on my "must-see-soon" list:

{Bridesmaids - Scott just showed this to me today...I love Kristen Wiig and Mya Rudolph...enough said}

{Made in Dagenham - women striking about sexual discrimination and unequal pay in the 60s}

{Blue Valentine - I will always have a soft spot for Ryan Gosling. This is the second film playing at the little theater downtown right now.  We might just have to go see it too...}

{Poetry - I know I'm going to love this movie for the adorable woman alone.  She reminds me of my English advisor in my undergrad}

{The Other Woman}

{Rabbit Hole}

{Africa Cats}

{I know I will be seeing these next two with my husband because these are on his list: Even the Rain and Of Gods and Men}

And finally, my 8-year-old self would have been so excited to see this next one, Tornado Alley.  Yes, I was a huge dork and my life dream was to be a tornado chaser...

.mother and child.

It's almost 3:00 am and I'm lying on my couch with ear-buds in so as not to wake my sweet husband who has to get up early tomorrow.  It's just me and the cats and my swollen, red eyes.  Yes, I've been crying like a baby because I've been watching Mother and Child.  I had heard an NPR interview with the director, Rodrigo Garcia, over the summer and made a mental note to watch it.  I'm sorry it's taken me this long.  The ice storm is heading our way so I stopped at the library after work and found it.  Needless to say, though I'll not enjoy the headache and baggy eyes tomorrow, it was by far one of the best films I've seen in quite a while.  If you get the chance and see it in the movie store, or like me, chance upon it at the library, take it home and watch it with a box of Kleenex's close by.

.embrace the winter weather.

So Scott and I managed to stay away from all fast-food restaurants until today - which I guess we can say is the new week - when we tried out a Popeye's.  But we did make it a whole week eating our farmer's market food, so maybe we could just say that we were just awarding our good behavior with some guilty-pleasure fried chicken.

While I've been reading lots of negative comments on Facebook about the snowy, icy, and frigid weather, I have to say that I've not been one to complain about it just yet.  I might not like having to trek in the snow to catch my shuttle for school or having to wear snow boots and then change into flats or heels for teaching, I don't mind getting to come home to our warm apartment, curl up on the couch with blankets, and read or watch TV - which by the way, if no one has noticed, Parks & Recreation has returned for its second season on NBC after being bumped in the Fall thanks to Outsourced - boo!  So Thursday nights allow for a wonderful night of TV viewing in the McDaniel household with Community, The Office, and P and R, and I don't even feel guilty for sitting in front of the TV that long because it is snowy and icy out.

But today was perhaps the first day I realized I'm, in fact, secretly looking forward to spring's arrival and I'm hoping to try out some new things on our small balcony.  Jenna Woginrich is a farm writer/blogger from New York who has written books about the pleasure of the homemade and beginning farming.  Scott and I hope to have a farm sometime in the future so we perked up when we heard her story on NPR's The Splendid Table today.  She was explaining the surprisingly easy lifestyle of raising hens in urban areas - I couldn't believe that people actually have hen coops outside their New York apartments!  Now while I'm not planning on going out and purchasing a small hen and pre-made hen coop as a project this summer (I think our balcony is too small unfortunately) I love the idea of having one soon - so it will just have to wait for now. You can see some of the pre-made coops here.  I do, however, want to start an herb garden and perhaps a couple of tomato plants.  My only concern is that our balcony gets too hot, because it was difficult keeping the plants we had last year watered enough.  So I suppose I will have to do some research before tackling this little project.  And I know that some herbs can be grown inside but we have no more room!

So to those of you have begun complaining about the winter weather, embrace the coziness of the indoors and join me in making spring plans - it'll be here before you know it!

.what's in a name?.

This week in my Feminist Memoir class, we devoted most of our time to writing with prompts and examples from other memoirs.  It was comforting therapy for the week I was having so far (which turned out fine in the end), and I really enjoyed having to sit down and write, getting to share and hear others' stories.

One of the prompts made us first list all the verifiable facts about our name - how it's spelled, what it means, who else shares it, how we get it, etc. - and the second part required us to take the "creative leap" and make connections, writing about our names from the "inside out."  I enjoyed it so much I had my own Eng 101 students do in class yesterday and I can't wait to read them when I get their midterm portfolios on Monday.  Here's what I came up with! (Try it - it's fun!)

My name is Jade. J-A-D-E.  Most often when I tell people they call me Jane or Jada.  But it's Jade like the color, the stone, the Chinese buffet down the street.  Mom got it from an 80's movie she adored when her and Dad were dating, but I can never think of the title*.  The theme song was "Endless Love" - and that's their song too.  For the longest time our car tags said JDE-ISRL for my name and brother, Israel's and people thought we were Jewish. I'll never forget being stopped in a drive-thru when we were on vacation and having someone ask if it stood for Judea-Israel.  But it's just Jade. J-A-D-E.
*I've since figured out (by asking Mom) that the movie is in fact called, "Endless Love" also...

I love my name, 
but I hate having to introduce myself. 
I've almost come to the conclusion 
that a green-colored name badge would be a good hint.  


"Hi, my name is Jade."  
"Hello Jane" - 
it always goes the same way.  


I'm left wondering whether I should rudely interrupt 
and spell it out - J-A-D-E, not J-A-N-E! 
Other times I make the mistake 
of putting the emphasis on the "duh" sound 
and people mistake it for Jada.  


Most times I let it slide, 
hoping they'll eventually figure it out, 
but other times I do interrupt with a proud correction 
of the name given to me by two love-struck parents-to-be, 
who heard the name in their favorite 80's movie.

.no more nuggets.

So as bad as I feel admitting this, over the course of the holiday season (both Thanksgiving and Christmas) Scott and I consumed (at least) two of the new 50 piece McNugget meals by ourselves.  Yes, as I said, I'm not too proud to admit this.  For some reason we were both craving the crunchy, guilty pleasure meat that is the McNugget.  It was also quite enticing knowing that we could feed ourselves (for both lunch and a snack later) on less than $12 which included the 50 pieces, two large fries (oh yes, the delicious steaming, salty fries of McD's) and two large drinks.  Now, before everyone starts thinking horrible thoughts about us, we were mostly snacking on them en route from Ohio to Virginia during the holidays, but there was also one day we ventured to the McDonald's down the street from our apartment (in the cold and snow) and stood in line to get the lovely 50-piece box (and I swear to you, a couple beside us were in disbelief that we could be waiting for the meal-deal.  I could just about bet that they were hoping we had friends somewhere waiting to share them.  But just for spite, we sat down right in the "restaurant" and dug into the box together).

Now, we had both already heard the many criticisms of the "all white meat" promises from commercials and so on, but nothing had stopped us in our eating tracks until we read this article from The Huffington Post.  The article claims that McNuggets, along with other food items from McDonald's, contain only half of the "all white meat" they claim.  The rest can pretty much be summed up in 13-plus letter words that you've probably never heard of, but can be better understood by saying "non-food ingredients."

Needless to say, Scott and I have taken a vow to never consume (if at all humanly possible) the oh-so-delicious-but-quite-hazardous Chicken McNuggets.  Since reading this article we've not dawned the doors of a McD's (not even for a Frappe), and have made an attempt to stop eating at fast food chains altogether.  I'm sure it will be hard considering our busy schedules (and love for fast food), but we're in this together and we're taking it one day at a time.  Today, we went to the Farmer's Market and purchased some fruit, veggies, and trail mixes for snacking in the hopes that we can deter our appetites from dollar menus and super-sized thoughts, and I'm going to work hard to stay away from the snack machines at school (even though  they call my name during my night classes).

So wish us luck and happy eating!

.a litany to honor women.

Last night, after dinner with friends, they showed us a copy of their Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals.  Scott and I both thumbed through the book, and as I was browsing the contents one of the prayers caught my eye; it was a litany to honor women.  Since we don't have a copy of our own (yet), I came home and Googled it, and found it on "being ryan byrd"'s blog.  This prayer really touched and spoke to me, and so I wanted to share it with you today.   

A Litany to Honor Women

We walk in the company of the women who have gone before, mothers of the faith both named and unnamed,
testifying with ferocity and faith to the spirit of wisdom and healing.
they are the judges, the prophets, the martyrs, the warriors, poets, lovers and saints who are near to us in the shadow of awareness, in the crevices of memory, in the landscape of our dreams.

We walk in the company of Deborah,
who judged the israelites with authority and strength.

We walk in the company of Esther,
who used here position as queen to ensure the welfare of her people.

We walk in the company of your whose names have been lost and silenced,
who kept and cradled the wisdom of the ages.

We walk in the company of the woman with the flow of blood,
who audaciously sought her healing and release.

We walk in the company of Mary Magdalene,
who wept at the empty tomb until the risen christ appeared.

We walk in the company of Phoebe,
who led an early church in the empire of rome.

We walk in the company of Perpetua of Carthage,
who witness in the third century led to her martyrdom.

We walk in the company of St. Christian the astonishing,
who resisted death with persistence and wonder.

We walk in the company of Julian of Norwich,
who wed imagination and theology, proclaiming "all shall be well".

We walk in the company of Sojourner Truth,
who stood against oppression, righteously declaring in 1852, "ain't i a woman!"

We walk in the company of the Argentine mothers of the Plaza de Mayo,
who turned their grief to strength, standing together to remember "the disappeared" children of war with a holy indignation.

We walk in the company of Alice Walker,
who named the lavender hue of womanly strength.

We walk in the company of you mothers of the faith,
who teach us to resist evil with boldness, to lead with wisdom, and to heal.

Amen.

I spy...a bumper sticker

I saw this delightful bumper sticker last night and it made me very happy:



"Too bad all the people fit to run the world are too busy teaching school."

An Update...Finally!

I was reminded by a friend that I needed to update my blog.  The truth is, it's been on my mind, but I've been extremely busy with classes starting back, teaching English and guitar lessons, and lazying about the apartment with Scott after all the busy Christmas festivities (and yes, this was a priority!).

Since my last post, Scott and I celebrated our one-year anniversary together, and I have to say, I can't believe it's been a year already!  "2010" seems to have flown by, and our first year of marriage was 12 months of laughing, learning to live in the same space, traveling, and growing as a couple!  We've had so much fun together and I love knowing that at the end of the day I get to come home to him (and our two cats of course).

We had a little scare with our sweet Sammy - who has now become quite a diva, I'm afraid.  He started squatting different places in the apartment and acting irritated when he urinated.  As we had suspected, when we took him to the Emergency Vet Hospital they said he had a serious urinary tract blockage.  Nearly 6 overnight stays at the vet and $800 later, we had him back in our apartment with a new, strict diet and a newly-acquired sensitive disposition.  His blockage had been our fault, (apparently!) for making him suffer long rides in the car traveling from OH to VA.  Needless to say, we won't be taking them home with us anymore and all our traveling will be less stressful for us and the cats.  So no real complaints here, except that he now pouts and meows if we're not paying him enough attention (especially Scott!)

The new quarter of classes started a couple weeks ago and I'm taking "Feminist Memoir" and "Virginia Woolf/Elizabeth Bowen." For the memoir class we will get to meet and have lunch with one of the authors and we'll be writing our own feminist memoirs - which I've been so excited about I already started!  Right now I'm having fun writing with no inhibitions, but I know when it comes time to turn it in, some of it will change and be deleted.  It's interesting to think about as we are reading other women's memoirs - they're so courageous in revealing all their personal secrets with complete strangers.  Our class discussions have been both analytic and therapeutic as we discuss the different literary elements of the memoirs, as well as our own differences and similarities with the narrators.

It's equally interesting to be reading these feminist memoirs for class, in addition to the collection of stories Scott got me for Christmas called, Jesus Girls: True Stories of Growing Up Female and Evangelical.   The book had been recommended to me sometime ago by a friend here in Ohio.  There are so many complexities and issues that arise when you grow up "female and evangelical," and it's been interesting to be able to hear echoes of my childhood in the voices of these women - nights spent at prayer meetings, AWANA, church politics, etc.  And it's not necessarily a glorification of that kind of childhood, either - it's very much a critique and critical reflection, which I love!  Similar to the feminist memoirs we're reading in class, the authors push you to reflect and ponder your own personal experiences.

I'm equally excited about the Woolf/Bowen class, but we've only had one meeting because of snow.   I'd never previously heard about Elizabeth Bowen in any of my Lit. classes, but I've enjoyed reading her novels based in London during WWII.

Along with my literary studies, I am a part of a small team of grad students researching developmental reading and writing students and trying to develop a new curriculum that would help them to be better prepared for success in college.  It has been an eye-opening experience as I'm learning so many pedagogical theories - it can be quite overwhelming at times wondering what kind of teacher you want to be.  Just when you have it figured out in a neat purposeful statement, you read something else that leaves you stumped! But I'm thankful for this opportunity to learn so much about developmental students and classes.  It would quite a challenge to be able to teach one someday and I'm hoping I get the chance.

Well that's what's been going in my life lately!  I'm afraid I won't be as faithful about updating as I was this time last year, but hopefully I can update every now and then.

.winter weather brings winter reading.

[love this pic (kotaku)]

If you're like me, a snow day is a perfect day for cuddling up under a warm blanket with coffee or hot chocolate and a nice stack of books.  I'm hoping for many snow days this year to do just that!  In an older post I dreamed of a pleasure-reading spree over Christmas break, but alas (!) it has not come to pass because of reading for a research class and trying to get ahead for my two winter quarter classes; although, reading Elizabeth Bowen, Virginia Woolf, and feminist memoirs is pretty much pleasure-reading material anyway!

But for those of you who suspect a bad winter with lots of snow days in your near future, what better way to prepare than by taking suggestions from all the compiled best-books-of-2010 lists on NPRBooks? The complete list (from cookbooks to teen reads) can be found here, and my favorite list (Indie booksellers picks) is here (which includes a book that I'm suggesting to everyone who asks - The Tower, The Zoo, and the Tortoise).

Stay warm and happy reading!

.our first Christmas as mr. & mrs.

Well I've not been very good about posting lately but I thought I would post some pictures of our Christmas decorations!

 {our tree topper from Target - the "M" is from our wedding cake topper - so glad we could incorporate something to remember our wedding day!}

 {"Merry Christmas" garlands I made out of old Christmas cards}

 {the advent wreath we made at church}

 {our "mantel"}