left at 6:30 this morning for a day trip to see the d day beaches of normandy. was great to get out of the city and see some greenery. learned a tonne about the history of the area, including the fact that is was settled by norsemen in the third century who also held power in england. william the conqueror was actually a norseman and stayed in france, claiming it as english territory for years, was actually buried here. french king for many years only held title to the isle de france , esentially paris. seems our canadian battles for territory have similar patterns. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX stone cottages on the hillsides were breathtaking. incredibly still standing, moss between the cracks of oddly sized stones. so well maintained. that they have been here for hundreds of years is incredible, canada is such a young country and we have such a history of demolishing to recreate that you simply dont have anything like it as a visual frame of reference. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX as though it were some act of pathetic fallacy, it rained once again all day and the temperature did not go above fifteen degrees. guess fate wanted to give us the virtual experience the soldiers faced descending on the beaches from cold ocean waters.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx as a proud canadian, i was somewhat disappointed by the fact that juno beach didnt warrant a stop on the tour.we drove by the beach and saw it from the bus (though barely, i got enlarged shots of raindrops and passengers reflections!) and i clicked just in time to get a pic of the monument erected to the canadian soldiers. not quite the grandaughter calling to her grandad moment whilst standing at the face of a cliff i had imagined but alas i paid my own respects in my own way as we went along. strange to see the beaches now. they are positively gorgeous. golden sand, lush shorelines dotted with modern cottages and opportunities to rent bikes, play tennis or have a meal. this is where the wealthy have their summer homes,and rightly so...but... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX stopped in a town called arromanches. was the sight of one of the impromptu ports that churchill planned and designed. they literally assembled pathways and transport strips from sections that were brought by separate barges. this enabled them to drive tanks, jeeps and supplies from sea to shore more efficiently. there are remnants of the structure still standing in the harbour. huge, moss covered carcasses that speak to what must have been an overwhelming physical presence at the time. the photos of the port in action are unbelievable, an incredible feat of engineering and logistics. their monstrous presence really counterbalanced the tone of the quaint seaside town, unlike omaha beach, once referred to as bloody beach because of the 9000 americans that lost their lives there, that now has no physical reminder of all that happened there. it is sumptuous uncluttered and literally velvet to the touch. had to really work hard to imagine the scene from saving private ryan where they were all climbing over corpses to make it through. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX really hoping to connect emotionally, i hit the sweet spot, so to speak, when we went to the tops of the cliffs between omaha and utah beaches, a place called pointe du hoc. here, the remnants of pillboxes and batteries (name for place where canons overlooking sea were), blasted apart by bombs from above and grenades from footsoldiers, were open for inspection. you could see the stairs leading to the holding cells, could climb into foxholes and any number of massive bunkers that litter the area. it was a major german stronghold thought to be impenetrable. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX looking into these bunkers and recalling the photos of the throngs of men who squatted there, your heart sinks. they are sitting ducks if approached from above and easy pickings for a sniper who crawled over the edge on his belly. they were so deep i could not get my head around how they could be anything but a death trap.XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX seeing the dense stone and metal blown to bits made things visceral. imagine the impact on flesh...the irony that a place with such a gorgeous panoramic view should be the sight of so much death...there were stories everywhere. i can understand how filmmakers and novelists could make their lifes work on the subject. the incredible bravery and determination required to pull off such a bold attack, in stormy weather, surrounded by hordes of fallen camarades within minutes of arrival... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX i was particularly moved by the stories of those who parachuted or flew gliders in to capture two key bridges in the area (pegasus bridge was one of them) and by the group of soldiers who scaled the cliffs at pointe du hoc. apparently they miscalculated, landed 3km down the beach from their target area and arrived 40min late, taking away the element of surprise in their attack. as they climbed up the cliff face, they were shot at and their rope ladders cut down. with each soldier down a new one took his place and the effort continued, ropes replaced with metal ladders until they finally reached the top. once there they saw movement in the bushes from a canon that was going to fire on the beach below. the men threw grenades and killed the men, preventing the attack, unprepared, a group of 100 germans were captured over the next few weeks. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX pretty incredible. am sure have got parts of it wrong and am sure its losing something in the translation but it makes you marvel at one persons ability to put an ideal and another mans freedom ahead of his own. humans are incredible creatures. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX american cemetary of 9000 or so crosses was stunning. all marble. about 6000 i believe have names. the sheer number is staggering. tried to read as many names as i could as a means of acknowleding them. many unknown soldiers there...it had to have been someones job to drag, tag and lay them to rest. so much blood on so many quiet hands. always wonder about the ones who do the cleaning up. the ones who must have had to travel to the shoreline at low tide every day to collect the debris. these too are brave acts, ones that stain the mind as deeply. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX glad i did it. a glutton for all things melancholy i was at first somewhat disappointed that the artifacts were behind glass and not always visible. the more i learned about the area itself i realized that over the centuries, blood has tainted soil and shores of most areas at one time or another and life continued over and around it. needed to remember that they died to give the life that thrives around their fallen bodies. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX am anxious to read the book suite francaise that i bought before coming about living in paris during the occupation. heard a little bit about it today on the tour. nazi flag hanging in the arc de triomphe, nazi army marcing along the champs elysee every morning...the idea! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX am tired, now go, run, read and explore more now that i have piqued your interest!share your own comments if you have more to add.

i am so comfortable i could cry. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX i have been on vacation for a week but feel like this is the first day that i have truly relaxed. left the hotel this morning. only when faced with a queen sized bed, a kitchen and a place that is already a home, did i realize that until now i still had my workaday game face on. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX as much as i told myself that,given my three week stint, i would treat this as a regular holiday with the sole difference being that it was situated in paris,it has not really worked out that way. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX when you wake up, open the curtains and are faced with sacre coeur in all its mighty grace and are chidingly greeted by a cleaning woman at your door when you wake for your morning pee at 10 am, you haul your ass out of bed and put in a good days worth of sightseeing goddammit. no lounging around watching daytime tv until oprah as you would on holidays at home. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX and so, i found myself structuring my days, assigning myself a different area of paris to explore every day. i would leave at around 10:30 and would not return to the hotel until around 5. then i would try to find something to do in the evenings every other night. you can take a girl out of a structured environment... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX now that i am here, in a real home, cloistered by other apartments, facing the interior of a tiny courtyard i do not have the pressure of paris breathing down my neck, allowing me to breathe and to sleep, read and write privately, rather than in a parisian journal in a park somewhere. i know, you hate me. oh the pressure of paris, yes, how cruel, poor thing, to carry your burden...but i am being truthful. at times i felt like a punished child sent to play outside to get some forced fresh air while the housework was being done. i just wanted to be lazy and sleep in until noon, is that so wrong XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (brief interruption, the computer i am using wonèt let me use an apostrophe or a question mark, quotation marks or the brackets i need to insert spaces in text so i apologize if itès really dense to read) XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX i have time now to digest and compose rather than spew. will try to leave travel highlights in the first couple of paragraphs for those of you interested in all things paris primarily. the rest will be the unloading of my brain after a year of insane work. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX oh yes, THE CONCERT! went to see the paris symphony last night at the théatre de chatelet (a theatre that specializes in the presentation of musicals if you can imagine!). it is a gorgeous space next to the seine with five levels of red velvet seating and gold metalwork and lamps festooning the first row of seating throughout. gold leaf adorns the wooden frame of the stage and there is a beautiful mural and chandelier on the ceiling. was a free concert which focused on film themes. the place was packed with music lovers and there was literally not an empty seat to be found. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX among the themes featured were:star wars, legends of the fall, out of africa, harry potter, indiana jones, lawrence of arabia, stargate, cyrano de bergerac and e.t. was absolutely breathtaking. was moved to tears a couple of times. was so evocative and moving. art guarantees survival, remember... the musicians themselves swayed and moved as a group as they played, impossible at times to play such rousing pieces in an impersonal way. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX french horns, oboe and percussion were particularly good. conductor was great. acknowledged soloists and had great enjoyment of music and his players. when it was over the crowd exploded, clapping as though at a soccer match, cheering for sections of the orchestra as though they were rock stars. the overwhelming applause led to not one but two encores which were played to a still full house ten minutes after the show was to be over. do these people appreciate their art or what! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX listening to the new feist album that i brought with me. great to have music part of my day again, dont own an ipod, technology like that will take me at least a couple more years to warm up to. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX going to normandy tomorrow. unfortunately the english tour caters mostly to americans so will most likely only see american cemetary, hope driver will be able to point out some canadiana along the way. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX bon soir.

was a patch of sunlight yesterday so i went to les jardins luxembourg. love them. sat and watched kids float boats, listened to the fountains, read my book wearing my new scarf that officially makes me an honourary frenchwoman! had to buy one. it is freezing-not even reaching 20 most days and is overcast and windy. didn't even bring jeans and only brought a light jacket as an afterthought!

stood outside the park hyatt for about an hour today with hordes of others (including international paparazzi) to see eva longoria and her beau. only ended up seeing her bridal party but was directly next to the window of the van they got into. was able to hear the conversation of the bridesmaids! they are wearing red by the way.

am going to the symphony. they are doing a tribute to film scores. should be great. tried to see some jazz last night but they were going to make me pay for a meal to listen! watched prison break in french instead. they also have y&r and an equivalent of ugly betty. survivor and big brother spin offs also exist! am learning more about the french from their tv than their grand palais!

gotta run, my time is running out!

p.s. worked up the courage to eat alone in a place i have been eyeing all week. yeah me! had a salad with warm chevre, nuts, honey and tomato. was great!

new haunts!

was another cold and wet day in paris. spent the morning and afternoon exploring le marais. i finally found all of the parisiens! was nice to be away from throngs of tourists and in a winding neighbourhood with galleries, gorgeous hidden 16th century courtyards and great boutiques (bought a lot of gifts today...)

one find in particular was la musee carnavalate. was absolutely breathtaking. gardens with sculptured greenery, gorgeous flowers and a yellow walled courtyard with amazing statues. will have to bring a book next time and spend about an hour there.

also went to one of the first major squares in paris, les vages, again, will be my new hangout if the weather ever permits an afternoon reading on the grass!

also found a fantastic church which was built for the first batch of jesuits to stay in paris. had old world charm, dirtied walls, deeply coloured frescoes, wood and a portrait of christ as a young boy with joseph, was called st paul-st louis

gotta run , my session is ending!

i did it!

i did it! i sang in a jazz club in paris. in montmartre no less. on rue lepic! (famous hangout of van gogh, picasso etc). was one of those famed caves where the music is played in a basement and the walls are covered in stones to look like a cave.

when i saw the advertisement in pariscope for the event i was a bit suspect. my neighbourhood is the sexed up (and not in an attractive way) part of town where peep shows and x rated theatres abound. knew i would be stumbling home late and heavily endowed as i am, i have been getting a lot of comments while walking in the area in daylight.

anyway, the place was called autour midi...minuit. nice restaurant upstairs and nice, completely non-sketchy basement. was one of the first to arrive and as usual, band was late starting by about 45 minutes. when did get on stage was a trio. pianist was earnest guy, very similar to carrie bradshaw's gay bespectacled friend (stanley?). bass player was very frainche, lanky, long hair, unframed specs, loved him almost instantly. turns out the deal was that they would play a set and then open things up for musicians in the crowd to join in. very much like it is at the Rex in Toronto. my heart skipped a beat. could not believe that an opportunity had presented itself so early in my trip to sing. didn't have my camera or my music with me. probably what made it happen in the first place. no expectations, right?

so when the time comes i approach the pianist and give him my top three suggestions, he leaps at the suggestion of lullaby of birdland. excited, i grab a pen and record the lyrics as i am notorious for forgetting them. the room starts to fill up and a lot of music school kids show up as well as some seasoned musicians who have since left the intense scene for day jobs.

just like in toronto, jazz jams and vocalists don't mix. even though i was the first on the list, i didn't end up going on until about an hour into the jam. the music was great. one group of twenty somethings were great. the pianist was five foot nothing but played like he was carving and shaping the melody from the keys like a sculptor. he almost stood as he played, scatting aloud as he played, his fingers ahead of his ideas. was quite incredible to watch. the chemistry between players throughout the evening was also amazing. one of the only times you see affection and open admiration among men. would look at each other and smile when were grooving collectively and would nod approvingly after a buddy did a wicked solo.

the room was reverent, really knowledgeable, clapped after solos! the only other singer was a skinny, fried haired, granolaesque woman who was tone deaf but did a very personally meaningful rendition of summertime. she was up there when i went to go up and the host suggested she play some harmonica on my tune and i almost died! as it was the bassist didn't know the tune and the key that i told them to play was a bit higher than normal. thank god i played stupid when she asked me what key we were in. she didn't end up playing after all, we were all grooving so well i don't think she had enough experience to know what to do with herself. had a great time. i was in good form and sang well. was confident, looked at the audience, experimented a little bit and had a great, repeat the line three times ending.

when it was over, drummer said 'bravo' and piano player said 'great stuff' the people sitting near the front nodded and smiled, an old guy winked, the people sitting next to me said 'tu as une belle voix'. was extrememly satisfying but once i got started i wanted more!...

it has been overcast every day since i arrived and has rained every day. there was a downpour yesterday so i ended up going to see a movie in le marais. was oceans 13. gratefully was in english with french subtitles. not a great film but it looked great and the non sequitors between clooney and pitt were great.

went to the centre pompidou today. was raining again! is a great space with some great work. i am not a great fan of modern art but i want to like it so i thought i would give it a try. great sculptures outside on the water, great views of the city. was a fantastic exhibit made of wood with glass bottles, a velvet cape and glowing light inside. the upper permieter of the piece read 'art is a guarantee for sanity'. have decided that it is my new mantra and want to have t shirts made in honour of it. will have to write a song about it.

one exhibit by annette messager was fantastic. really pushed the boundaries and said something new. first part was a series of stuffed oversized cut up body parts in sacs on pulleys that randomly would rise and fall. there was a room of stuffed animals whose limbs were mixed up or missing, also on pulleys that were in cirque like orientations and moved in odd ways. was like watching stuffed animals come to life, they had a strange life though...another room was filled with a red satin sheet. under the sheet was a village. the cloth billowed from another room. the fabric would billow from wind artificially produced creating an effect of the fabric seeming to pour and spill over the city.made you want to move away to prevent it from reaching you. when was at its peak, black skeletons of odd creatures came down to the ground on pulleys. fantastic. yet another room had black looking dust bunnies, about 50 of them, suspended on thin thread blowing in the air like frozen birds.

was caught in rain shower on the way out and ruined my shoes, developed a tonne of blisters, walked for miles for a shoe store to buy flipflops to save me. when bought them and got brief reprieve, rained again and plastic toe thong thing generated new set of blisters!

had quiet night with friends.

off to read my edition of 'le monde'

a tout a l'heure!

la vie a paris!

paris, je t'aime!

it just doesn't get any better than this. my hostel is at the foot of montmartre and from my fifth floor room, my french doors open up to a framed view of sacre coeur in all of its glory. it's positively luminous and practically hums with energy. its a fantastic grounding point every morning, reminding me of just where i am.

spent my first day wandering the familiar streets of montmartre and saying hello to fave spots, carousel near les abbesses, cafe fourmi, great accessories shops, fantastic paperie. was so exhausted that after a trip to the local grocery store (the produce is incredible, i am in love with the tomatoes and eat them like fruit!) i settled into bed and devoured my edition of pariscope (the equivalent of now magazine here.)

yesterday i went to the marche puces. it's about six blocks of open air markets where everything from sneakers to vintage night dresses are sold. was a great vibe. got a flair for the ethnic part of paris that has eluded me on other trips. noticed that the further out you go on the subway line the more multicultural the residents that live there are. true of toronto too, i've noticed.

was followed by an armenian guy for about a block. really creepy, i stopped, he stopped, tried to lose him for a good five minutes or so. bought two fantastic purses for 10 euro each! was surprised at how familiar so much of the merchandise was. tacky seems to be a universal language. bob marley paraphenalia featured prominently as did stalls of hoochie mama bar tops made of stretch fabric.

was about to give up when turned onto rue roisiers and came across a woman selling fantastic one of a kind jewellery. magpie that i am i spent about half an hour drooling over her wares. she was the female equivalent of johnny depp in his captain jack role. she had dyed black hair, cleopatra black eyes, silver bangles and smoked a cigarette determinedly throughout my visit. by the end of my encounter, i'd spent my entire splurge budget! ah well, it was worth it!

next, i meandered along windy pathways where beautiful antique furniture from around the world was displayed. at the end of a densely packed corridor i heard cabaret music coming from a restaurant. a more than middle aged woman with a black bouffant and red lips was belting out folk tunes to a packed to the guills tourist crowd. smiled to myself thinking how odd a context it must be for such a song to inhabit now.

after five hours of walking i came back to my room and watched super nanny, france's version on tv and napped. later i met up with a friend who took me to a canadian bar along the seine. was incredible, they even served poutine! the waiters walked around with ottawa senators shirts and hockey jerseys and several patrons had flags or had painted maple leafs on their cheeks. have been speaking french exclusively (and loving every minute of it!) so felt like was cheating in a way to be around so much english. was incredible to be sipping a pint while watching notre dame glow in the background, shadows from the bateau mouche casting wonderful images on the gorgeous homes across the water.

spent the morning at le cimitere montmartre. love going to graveyards here. the monuments are spectacular and act as signposts of the times. love to feel a bit of the person's spirit as reflected in the choice of artwork or an amusing epitaph.

sang the flower duet to myself as i stood in front of delibes' tomb. love that song, one of my all time favourites. then went to the tomb of alexandre dumas. fantastic novelist. is a marble relief of his body lying down. flowers had been placed in his crossed arms. wrote a wonderful passage that sat on the ceiling above his reclined body. really emananted a powerful energy.

on my way to pay my respects to berlioz, who i never did find, i was struck by a simple stone, modern and grey that had a black and white photograph at the centre of two names(annick and pierre fafeur). the photo looked to have been taken in the 30's. the two of them were arm in arm, eating icecream and walking down a boulevard, they were absolutely beaming with happiness. i stopped in my tracks, moved by the story that instantly came to mind. instantly saddened that no matter who i might find in the future, i'll never have a photo of us together during a time like that, where the world was in front of you and you were playfully lost in each other. there's a song in there i'm sure.

on the way back, went to sit in sacre coeur. wanted to be moved by the interior as much as i am by the exterior. found that its expanse and polished glowing splendour left me a bit distant from the soulfullness i like to feel in places of worship. the reds were too red, the purples almost neon, christ himself, tall and imposing was almost too handsome.

am off to the canadian embassy for a fete. going to the centre pompidou tomorrow.

photos will have to wait, forgot the chord that would let me upload them, zut alors!

a tout a l'heure.

inner nerd wins equivalent of miss universe pageant

found out yesterday that an action research proposal that i developed was accepted!

action research is a form of research conducted by teachers with their own students in their own classrooms. it's a fantastic model that makes the research dynamic and immediately relevant.

since i was a kid i have always loved to conduct research, love coming up with a thesis and the whole process of being immersed in piles of books and sheets with highlighted headings and asterisks.

really developed a taste for it in university where i was a research assistant for one of my professors in the field of experimental psychology for a couple of years. loved reading the abstracts,helping come up with methodology and trying to parse out what was really contributing to the behaviours observed.

i have so many opportunities to develop and test theories in the day to day workings of my job that i almost feel guilty. it's an experimental psychologist's wet dream. there's no greater feeling than when the garbled features of a struggling students written work start to take shape and an underlying pattern reveals itself.

don't know why but a big part of the activities i pursue (music, writing, teaching) are connected to an urgency i have to leave something behind to live beyond me when i go. i want to be part feel like i have contributed something to the culture in which i've lived.

now do you see why i need a vacation? i'm one of those people who thinks all the time, whose analytical half of the brain never shuts off. that's why i was so excited to have the opportunity to bring the formal structure of research that i loved so much in my university life, back into my current classroom situation. always regretted having to close the door on that aspect of my education. gave it up because i felt that i needed to roll up my sleeves and do some field work to balance out my notion of what learning was and how the mind worked. instinctively knew that i needed to inform theory with practice.

given the fact that i am completely burnt out from my travails this year and am already stressed at the composition of the group of kids and parents that i'll have to contend with in september,the timing couldn't be better.

realize that these ramblings won't resonate with most of you but they are the thoughts that are kicking around my noggin in between attempts to prepare for my trip, my trip that seems surreal! more on that tomorrow!