Hoy es lunes... lunes lunes lunes

Lunes. Monday.

6am....chocolate caliente....

6:30am....Pissed... the internet didn't work this morning.

7am.... Calm down Srta. Gerber... just drink another 30 oz. of cafe.....

7:24am....shit.... im late.... but first i must find earrings.....


earrings.... oh so many choices.... i forgot the backs to them and they almost fell off in my first Spanish class of the day....


9:15am.... after hanging out with 15 6yr olds... I needed more cafe.....


5pm.....avoiding homework....

7pm.... ready to work.... diet coke, water and my 4th HUGE cup of coffee for the day........ ;)

Avoiding HW

Posting here in attempts to avoid a linguistics assignment and... oh, yes... Several assignment for my 5-12 literacy class.

Nothing too exciting or new today... um... i was annoyed with one of my jobs as usual... but that is my fault to continue the position though I am quickly being drove insane.

Alright... back to the libros...

Chau... besostes a todos.

Choices

We all have to constantly make big and small choices. Some are obvious, like to brush your teeth or hair. Other choices we must make are much more difficult or seemingly impossible. Some choices we make are based on our morals and world views. Others are based on our feelings at the moment, be it lazy or energetic. Choices are something that we will always have and something that may not seem big at the moment... will in the future.

Choices to hold on. To let go. Choices to keep going. Or not go at all. Choices to see the truth... or walk blindly in ignorance or bliss. Choices to see things how they are. Or ignore it. Choices to travel. To stay grounded. To continue your education. To broaden your horizons. To meet new people. Or choices to stay the same.

It is okay to choose to be confused?

Choices is what we face day in, day out for our entire lives.




Love is knowing someone cares about you even though you are both not in direct contact at the moment.

Latinos vs. Gringos

Ok... estoy hablando de hombres. Nunca he gustado gringos. Hay algo que ellos faltan que tiene la mayoría de latinos. Bueno, anoche... salí con mi amiga a un clase de bailes Caribe... pasamos la hora aprendiendo bailar merengue, que ya sabíamos bailar. Entonces... te digo que primer los hombres que estaban allí fueron tan asqueroso que casi no lo podía aguantar. Uno tenia un oler fuerte de frijoles y el otro un oler horrible... peor que mi perro. Mi clase de baile confirmo que los gringo son horribles... porq?
Falta confianza. Falta personalidades. No saben ser un líder. No saben bailar para nada. No saben tratar un mujer. Son insoportables.

Horrible pase mi experiencia... ahhhhh... donde esta un hombre latino cuando necesito uno!! ;)

VOTE BK ON NOV. 7TH!!!

My past political efforts may pay off... two years later....

Two short years ago at this time, I was working for a man who was running for U.S. congress. Bryan Kennedy. Though we worked efortlessly to get him elected. Unfortunatly it was not his time... it was really no democrats time in the 2004 election cycle. Jim Sensenbrenner was who we was running against. An entrenched Washington Congressman... who did nothing to benefit WI's 5th district.

I was Bryan's Deputy Campaign Manager and before that the Volunteer Coordinator during the 2004 election cycle. I also know Bryan on a personal level... he was my favorite professor while pursuing my undergrad at UW-Milwaukee.... I think I had him every semester.

Anyway... unfortunatly I cannot be in the Milwaukee area this year. I may try to make it down to Milwaukee this weekend... if I can find somewhere to sleep. I want to help. If I cannot make it I will donate some money... I dont have much but the little I can give may help inform a few more voters.

So... why I am so excited about BK... he was endorsed by the Journal Sentinel... this is the first time in 24 (or is it 26) years that they have not endoresed Sensenbrenner. I agree that now is time for a change.

If you can donate money, live in WI's 5th and vote the 7th... know that BK is the right man for the job.

And for Bryan... Te mando Beijos y Muito Sorte Profe. Voce esta em meus pensamentos. Voce vai a ganar. =)

A Case of the Mondays....

It's Monday. Yuck! I need coffee. I have a full week with all of my classes this week. No holidays, conferences, nada this week.

I start a new class tomorrow night.... 5-12 Literacy.

Wednesday... I start a Caribbean dance class with LENA!! We will get to do Bachata, Merengue, Rumba and something else... I forget.

That's about all that's going on. Besides that I talked to a lot of my hispanohablante friends on MSN last night.

Ok... Paz.

Weekend in Review

Some fotos of my weekend... nothing too exciting

Driving into Downtown from NE Mpls. Yes, I was taking pictures while driving.

Minneapolis... la ciudad

Aguante Argentina! Laura and I and the Orono International Fair Friday evening.

One of the Mexican boys I talked to that evening... he wanted a picture of him wearing the sombrero... his older brother was sooo cute and told me... 'Estoy en Kinder y I speak en ingles todo el dia'. Que presioso.

Being confused... also apparently I look like I'm on crack... according to an unnamed friend.

Mad! I'm toooooo white now. I lost my tan. I am trying to hold out to go to the tanning beds... but I doubt I will make it much longer.

Dinner. I can cook. My colorful dinner or chicken, homemade red spicy sauce and aguacate.

New Heels. Top View. =)

New Talcos. Side View. I love new shoes.

That's my weekend... or at least some of it. Now I am cleaning ang studying. NOT FUN!!

Chau. Besos a toods.

Day & Night, Night & Day

Today is going to be interesting... I will spend the entire day at my urban school placement in Minneapolis. It in NE, an area which has gangs, extreme poverty, and a lot diversty generally associated with it.
And then I head out to the suburbs... not just first or second ring... we are talking third or fourth. My Argentine friend and I, have a booth at the International Fair in a suburban school where we teach Spanish. It should be interesting.

I will let y'all know how it goes... maybe share fotos.

Chau! & TGIF!

Falta 3 Meses Hasta Q Llegue en RD!!!

3 meses
92 dias
sol
mar
descanso
amigos
musica
comida
baile
paz

Counting the Mins. Until 9pm...

I slept for 3 hrs. It's my fault. I take procrastination to an extreme. I always have. My linguistics exam is due today... I had two weeks to do it. Last night at 8:30pm... I finally decided to sit down and do. I was majorly avoiding... most likely out of fear that I did not know what was going on. I finished it at 12:30am. Went to bed at 1:30... well, kind of. Its kind of hard to sleep after drinking a pot of really dark Dominican coffee.

I am up again. Already showered... trying to pull stuff together for tonight. Secondary Methods class. It is taking up so much time. Too much time. But I am half way done. So... Im working on that until 7:15am... when I go teach my first ronda of Spanish of the day.

At 9pm... more like 9:30 when I get home... I get to relax and not work until Monday. Tomorrow... I get to spend the entire school day in the 'worst' school in the state. The most urban, colorful, troubled. Most cringe and tell me I shout buy a bullet proof vest. There is a bad name that goes with this school. Most are scared of the place... I actually like it. I am not scared and I really don't get the off hand comments of why I will be possibly 'never' be speaking with people again because I am spending time observing in this school. Yeah... people goes as far to tell me I will be dying in this school. Whatev. I just try to take away my own experience. Others negative thoughts should not influence me.

My goal of the day... not drink soooo much coffee that I make weird sound effects and talk to myself constantly. Yes, I am now officially insane from the amount of caffeine I am drinking.

Algo bueno en la oscuridad...

Reflections... Good things in the last week have happened....

'Obsidian'... Caribou's new dark blend

50 degree day... in late October

Sun... there was sun today... it hurt my eyes but I didn't care

My Spanish classes going well... only a little blood and some tears (for real... 1st graders are dramatic & andan como locos)

Beisbol... the tight pants the latino hotties wear

Barack Obama's beautiful face

So many middle school kids saying 'Hi' when I'm too distracted to say 'hi' first

Quitting one job... and feeling a big weight come off my back

Loud music en espanol

Cute latino boy a the uni... asking me if i 'want to race' up the stairs... random

Hope I see in my grad school 'urban' school placement... yay for only colorful faces

For GWB being un pendejo y mentiroso en la tele... falta 14 dias hasta los ciudadanos votan

Mosicas mirrors that I am making

For the International Fair this Friday... Nuestra mesa sobre ARGENTINA va a ser buenisimo

Stong Democratic campaigns and candidates

Visit to the International Market on Lake/Chicago in Mpls with a pal

For one of my students not understanding what it meant to bring his dirty gym uniform home to his mom and actually going and physically putting it on to 'wear' it home to his mom. Too funny.

For my K-1 espanol class getting a major kick out of labeling themselves as 'yo' in the pictures they were drawing of their families.

For Anthony... the hot man that works at the Target I frequent

For getting paid in a few short days!! yippee.


OKKKAY.... I need to do my linguistics midterm... its due... TOMORROW. I've been avoiding it.

Chaucito srs y srtas... besotes enormes a todos

Demasiado Café y Poco Tiempo

Café. Café es como sobrevivo en este momento de la vida. Pro que? Tengo demasiado para hacer. Por que? Es mi culpa. Pensé que podía hacer todo. Pensé que podía ahorrar dinero mas rápido. Aunque estoy correcto... y tuve intenciones buenas... ahora tengo demasiadas cosas hacer. Trabajos, reuniones, clases, estudios... no paro. Quiero tener tiempo a hacer nada. Completamente nada. No tengo tiempo respirar, ni pensar. Y como que es parte de mi vida... Siempre dejo todo hasta la ultima.... y suma mas estres. Máximo tengo ocho semanas mas de la locura. El 14 de diciembre todo termina. Tengo desde esta fecha hasta el 5 de febrero descansar. Casi dos meses sin estudiar. Estoy contando los días... hasta que llego al sol.... son 94 días!

Bueno... casi son las ocho. Tengo q estudiar... y hacer mas café. Cafeína es mi droga.

Chau. Besos. Y saludos a tudos!! ;) Y están en mis pensamientos... aunque estoy tan ocupada... no dejo de pensar en mios amigos hispanohablantes... NUNCA!!

Stuck? Lost? Or Some Where in Between?

Things seem weird lately. I'm mentally lost.... perdida. Things seem rougher than normal. I think I have too much on my plate. I dont like being over whelmed. I tend to shut down. I have too much on my plate now or maybe too much of some things and not enough of others.
My problem lies in my double life. America me. Foreign me.

The America me has issues... She has long standing issues with trying to understand her environment and the people around her. In white-wealthy-mostly-suburban America. Too much insensitivity. Over consumption. Ignorance. Money. Whiteness. Purposeful blindness. It disgusts her on a daily basis. She tries to justify things she hears. People she deals with. But she sees things going wrong for so many others... when for them it is going right. She hears statements that make her cringe. And now the problem with being busy and having too much on her plate is she cannot even talk and speak to the people (and kids) that she needs to talk to. She can't. She always get too involved. It is either all or nothing. Another issue. Trying to justifying the work. The sadness. Just a few more months. The money. That's how she is currently justifying what she is doing. Can she take it much longer without loosing it?

Foreign me. She is sad. Reminiscent of better times. And times to come. Of possibly a lost dream.... but not forgotten. Of someone she cannot get out of her head. She sits dreaming of foreign lands. People that lead simpler, yet fuller lives. She wishes and wonders when her time will come. When she can go back. Be simple again. She constantly compares... which is better, worse, different. She is willing to justify almost anything or anyone from her patrias adoptivas. She tries to make America me and Foreign me work together. Make things better. Spice things up now... but she cant get her head out of the clouds can't stop thinking about Mr. 'A' She is lost in the past and in the future.... she does not live in the present when she is in America.


Perdida. Completamente perdida... trato andar con esperanza.

Don't get on my bad side... or you will be sorry!

I took the ACTFL oral Spanish exam/interview today. For my graduate program I needed to get a minimum of 'advanced low' in Spanish... upon completing the exam... which took about 45 mins.... the woman that was administoring it, said the following: 'I usually do not tell anyone what there score is after the exam, but you easily passed the neccessary level for you university'!! YAY! That made me feel good, as I have been in a slight email fight with some A** HOLES from my graduate program this week... but as anyone who knows me or who has pissed me off... or even slightly ticked me off or a friend before.... I AM A FIGHTER! I don't take shit from NO ONE. So, I don't think they were ready for me... and they tried to back me into a corner and make me take several exams in the next weeks... to cover up for an error they made. BUT it is back firing as I keep emails, papers, document things, and am basically the shiznit... so, yeah. Obviously they are going to crash a burn... not me.

I'm feelin' good... ready to pass a work free, homework filled weekend. Also, my mission is to find and buy plastic fruit. Don't ask.... well, its for my 1st graders in Spanish... talk about divertido times. ;)

Chaucito. Besotes y Saludos a todos!!

Grad School Fun... NOT!

I am working tirelessly... ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration... on an immigration unit that I would use in a 'imaginary' upper level H.S. Spanish class in the future. For some reason I decided to write everything in Spanish... well, because I think that is the proper way to approach things... but a lot more work than I anticipated. The other two people that are getting licenses in languages (one in Spanish, the other in French) are doing every thing in English. Im not sure why but whatever.
We are doing 'backwards planning'... which according to my professor is 'cutting edge'... and it is kicking my butt... most likely because I have never written an entire unit before... and I think I am trying to include too much. It is supposed to be 20 classes long.

Besides that... I need to start working on my online linguistics for language teachers class and I have to do my midterm sometime in the next week... fun time.

At least the slightly good thing is it is a long weekend... no school Thursday or Friday becuase of State Education conferences... so, I will have more than enough time to work on everything during the next week.

Living in the Present

This has been a problem my entire life. I am not one to dwell in the past or even live in the present... my mind is always in the future mind set. This has proven to be both good and bad for me. It has been good as I have goals and always am trying to work towards something. The bad part is I spend too much time thinking about the future. Planning for the future. It can be truthfully said that I really have no idea how to live in the present... even when I try. I do not know what this says about me but I think it is telling.

Ok... back to my deep dark depths of my my head.. PAZ!

El Frio me Esta Matando...

Hace frio... no... menti... hace MUCHO frio. Ayer nevo... hoy va a nevar. La temperatura es 25 grados (4 bajo cero C).... que es la fecha?? 12 de octubre... no es el 12 de diciembre ni enero o febrero. No lo puedo agunatar. Tengo tanto frio... manana cuando recibe mis cheques... tengo que ir a comprar sueters o algo q va a protejar mi piel.

NO puedo creer este tiempo... estoy en infierno.... un frio infierno q se llama Minnesota.

:(

Oh, HELL NO!!

If I wake up tomorrow morning and there is snow on the ground I am going to freak out. Seriously. I hate snow. I hate winter. I hate cold. And the weather forcasters are saying that within 12 hours the snow will arrive. It can't be. It is way to early in the season... not even mid-October yet.
This morning there was frost on my car windows... yuck... and if tomorrow at 7am, when I head out to my car there is snow this mujer is not going to be happy.

Saludos desde el frio norte a todos... ojala el nieve no llega manana. OJALA!

My Semi-Long Weekend

Friday night I went out to ACME Comedy club for Lena's 26th birthday. It was a funny show.

Saturday and Sunday I worked at my lovely retail job. The good news is I finally finished training!! YAY! No more cassettes on tape... that's enough to make me jump up and down and do a the happy dance.

What else? Think. Think. Think.

Today, Monday is Cristobal Colon Day.... so, two of my four jobs are canceled. This morning I taught Spanish from 8-9am and then tonight, I get to go work retail. I like the retail job... I am about 95% sure that I am buying a down comforter that is worth more than $180 for only $10 tonight... which is awesome.

Alright... so, off to the bank and then to Linen & Things... ADIOS!

Paz in the Middle (and Far) East.

I'm Bad.

Last night... I skipped my grad school class. I was not prepared and just too tired to handle going. I laid down at 7pm... I was just going to watch a half hour show... Betti la Fea... en ingles.... but I fell asleep by 7:20pm and slept until this morning at 7:45am.... yeah. I slept more than 12 hours. That's how tired I was.

Today is Friday... which means I get to work.... only a few hours at the middle school. NO teaching espanol today... and tonight going to ACME Comedy club with Lena's crew to celebrate her 26th birthday. Saturday and Sunday, I work retail.

The good news... I will pretty relaxed Fri. thru. Mon. YAY!!

I hope that everyone has a great weekend!!

Chau! Paz. Y Saludos a todos.

So So Tired

I'm tried. Really really tired. Got 5 hours of sleep, now I am attempting (key word) to study and get some stuff done this morning before work. I have class tonight. I am not prepared. I might come down with something... ;) Ok.... here I go.... attempting to work and get thru the next 16 hours and then it is my semi-less-stressed weekend.

Tomorrow night, Im going out to celebrate Lena's birthday. Dinner (i think) and a going to a comedy club.

Chaucito!

Wash, Rinse and Repeat

I do not wish to live life in a wash, rinse and repeat fashion. That is not what I like.... but it seems I have found myself in a short time deep in this cycle. So many people live this way... I cannot... I really do not want to like a mudane, repetitive life.... it drives me insane... and quite frankly I do not care if I earn more money this way.

So... let me begin another day... wash, rinse, repeat....

The Long Days to Come...

So, today I worked all four of my jobs. Yes, I have four jobs... and yes, I worked at all of them today. I left home a bit before 7am and just got home at 10pm. I'm really tired and about to pass out.

I wouldn't be so peeved if I would not have had to listen to cassette tapes about the store, bedding area, and now towels (i'm mid-tape) for 4+ hours. Apparently, someone had a brillant idea that they should train new ratail employees by making them watch 3+ hours of video and then listening to 10+ hours on tape. Yes, folks... I'm not even half way done. And to make it even worse you have to take tests on the tapes after... just to make sure you know the difference between stupid stuff like specially made sheets, bed sets, etc.

I have at least four more months of this madness.... Ahhhhhhhh!

Serenity now... serenity now.... serenity now...

TGIF & Much Much More....

It's Friday. Por fin! I have had a long and exauhsting week. Got a bit overwhelmed but I am now on the rebound. The good news is I now have a weekend/weeknight job at Linens & Things.... (un hiper con cosas para la casa). Which I start tomorrow afternoon.

So... now here is the final working schedule....
Morning Spanish, Afternoon Spanish, Middle School Para and Linens & Things.

I am going to busy. Working on average more than 50 hrs a week.... and I forgot to mention that I have grad school on Tues and Thurs nights and an online class.

I have been drinking a lot of coffee. Too much infact. I get cramps/Charlie Horses in my legs almost every night around 4am. They take a long time to go away. I usually have to walk around. Maybe I have RLS... Restless leg syndrome... too bad this chica cannot go to a dr.

To get to the fun stuff.....
Since I am going to be tired of working and studying and everything I was pricing tickets to the DR (RD). Though I have a break in most of my jobs, except the reatil one from Dec. 21 to Jan 1.... I could not find anything affordale.... no way in hell am I paying more than $1000 to fly to the Caribbean. So.... I checked some dates and I purchased a ticket today... it is FINALIZED... I will be in Santo Domingo... from Jan 26 to Feb. 4.....!!! Yay!!! That is still 4 long months away... but at least I have something to look forward to.

It is also payday at two of my jobs today... money can always brighten my day!!

That's it for now... not much work today... as almost all the kids are on a field trip and I was the one that had to stay behind and supervise the kids that did not go. I am reading some Neruda... and busy being bored.

Chau! Besos! Paz!

Felicidades Betti!!!!!

Viste Bettina?!??! Yo sabia... ahora tengo una amiga licenciada!!! Que suerte. Y un dia antes de cumplir.

Felicidades nena... y ahora q te festejas TODO.

Feliz Cumpleaños tambien.


Saludos, Besos y Abrazos....

jcg

Bettina!! Suerte y Feliz Cumple....

Betti........... hice un blog para ti.... en tu honor!!

Sos una amiga re querida. Te quiero mucho. Y te mando muchisimo suerte este jueves. Estes en mis pensamientos. Se q te vas a salir bien!

Y Viernes..... FELIZ CUMPLE VIEJA!!! ;) Que todos tus deseos cumplen. Y toma una daiquiri para mi.

Happy Hump Day!

It's hump day folks... that means it is Wednesday... the middle of the 5 day work week. Which means I only have 3 more days of work and then rest. This weekend I am going to go to coffee hour at the Resource Center of the Americas and I think I will go out dancing with a friend. Beside that nothing... except working on lesson plans and my studies. I do not have a weekend job yet... so I will get to sleep in past 6am and do a lot of nothing.... I can't wait.

Unit then... Feliz Hump Day!

Coffee and an Uplifting Int'l Phone Call

I must say that coffee makes life so much better. It really does. When things look bleak and I'm feelin' down or tired I order me up a cafe mediano at Caribou or Starbucks... drink it down and I'm back and ready to take on the world.

After a phone call I'm contemplating a trip to a certain Caribbean country sooner than I was planning... which makes me happy just thinking about it. Now I just have to locate a affordable way to arrive there and things might actually work out. Learned some new news... a little sad but if things are meant to be... they will all work out with time.

Hasta la Proxima.... PAZ!

I hate the morning

Odio la mañana. Actually, I don't hate it... I just hate waking up early. If I have to get up at 6am or before, things get rough. I usually fall asleep in the shower. I warn people never talk to me until I have been up at least one and a half hours or have had several cups of coffee. Or else I am mean. I also tend to be really confused in the morning.
Now go ahead two hours... say 8am... and I really have no problem I actually have problems trying to sleep later than 8am.

So, today I had to wake-up at 6am, not a happy hour and now I am off to teach español to seven years olds... KILL ME NOW!! JK.

Chau!

100 Things/Cien Cosas

100) I love big earrings
99) Hablo español (y castellano argentino)
98) I don’t like touching or using a pencil
97) I am afraid of rabbits
96) I do not want to live in the US when I grown up… aka NOW
95) I like to wear pretty shoes even if they hurt my feet
94) I have MAJOR stomach problems… :[
93) I love working with kids… ideally those in middle school
92) I get road rage… OFTEN
91) I would prefer to live in a city with a subway system
90) Driving at night drives me crazy
89) I like reality TV
88) I own a lot of books that I have never read
87) I don’t like purchasing previously owned goods… clothes, furniture, books, YUCK!!
86) I love coffee
85) I don’t drink alcohol very often
84) Commitment scares me
83) I’m very picky when it comes to men…. Donde esta my Mulatto-Jewish-Multilingual-Educated-Stable-No-Kids-Man when I need him?
82) I am often addicted to one food at a time, i.e. pickles, carrots, eggs, etc.
81) I like to sing when I’m alone in my car
80) I need a new laptop
79) I like the color black
78) I also like the color blue
77) I enjoy making mosaic creations
76) I dream of one day having a personal home library
75) I plan to host exchange students every year once I have a family and house
74) When I have children, I do not want them to grow up in the USA
73) I like cheese
72) I do not drink Milk
71) I do not eat fish
70) I have eaten bugs on a continuous basis before… even after finding out their source
69) I love warm climates and the ocean
68) I hate cold, dark, snowy winters
67) I love wearing flip-flops
66) I like listening to very loud music
65) I have never been in love
64) I have only cried for one man en mi vida
63) I change my mind a lot
62) I love looking at maps
61) I like taking walks in big citys
60) I like to drive around aimlessly
59) I want to learn to speak Portuguese fluently… agora falou menos q mais
58) I love hardwood and tile floors
57) I don’t like cleaning
56) My best friends live in different countries
55) I only make friends with people older than myself
54) I am interested in learning more about religion though I practice none
53) I am a VERY PROUD DEMOCRAT
52) I know that violence against women is never ok (violencia domestica/familiar)
51) I always sleep with a fan on
50) I sleep with minimum 4 pillows
49) I swam competitively for more than 10 years
48) I was also on the varsity synchronized swimming team in high school
47) I have never dated a native English speaker
46) I am very independent
45) I wish to some day take a trip from Mexico City to Panama City, hitting every country on the way
44) I hate cats
43) I don’t like little dogs that bark a lot
42) I make decisions without thinking things thru. quite often
41) I am working on fixing that
40) I am fascinated by poverty and resilience
39) I would prefer to travel in a third world country than the first world one
38) I do not like museums
37) I like meeting new people
36) I’m quiet and shy when I first meet people
35) I sometime talk way too much
34) I need to be alone sometimes
33) I read my horoscope almost every day
32) I am an Aquarius… which can be used to describe my thought process, every thing I do and my personal characteristics
31) I think I was a fish in a past life
30) I have two tattoos
29) I feel that it is necessary to give back to the community, with your time
28) Sometimes I see things before they happen
27) I love traveling
26) I believe I can learn a lesson from everyone and everything that happens in my life
25) I will not work the ‘man’… i.e. corporate America
24) I like to have a tan… always
23) I rarely listen to music in English
22) Some of the people who influenced my life the most are no longer close to me, though they are still living
21) I do not like old people
20) I like to look at the stars
19) I look at people for who they are not what they do
18) I am good at keeping in touch with people
17) Liberation Theology fascinates me
16) I hope to have finish and receive two masters degrees in my life
15) Stars are my favorite shape
14) I like spicy food
13) I don’t like blondes or blue-eyed people
12) My feet smell
11) I have really small hands
10) I cannot stop thinking about someone I met this past summer
9) I dream of living in the Dominican Republic for many years
8) I like to gossip
7) I watch and read the news daily
6) Republicans scare me
5) I believe that every person can make a difference in this world
4) I often think about how unjust this world is
3) I have many dreams
2) People often trust me and tell me personal things about them that I really do not want to know
1) I am a very true and loyal friend

Para Mi Publico Hispanohablante...

Supuestamente unos amigos Argentinos y Dominicanos están leyendo mi blog... entonces tengo q escribir algo en Español (o Castellano... no discrimino).
No hay nada pasando en la vida.... bueno.... nada interesante...
Trabajo mucho... y con la locura q tengo estoy buscando mas trabajos. Ahora por la mañana y por la tarde enseno español a chicos de la primaria. Estoy muy nerviosa como q no tengo experiencia con este edad. Los niñitos son linditos. Tienen mucho energía y me vuelven casi loca. Entre mis clases de español trabajo en el mismo colegio q el año (escolar) pasado. Estoy trabajando con chicos con autismo... y no me gusta el puesto mucho... pero tengo q trabajar. Tengo este trabajar hasta el 25 de enero.
Ahora estoy buscando un trabajo para las noches cuando no tengo clase Y los fin de semanas. Este no va a ser un puesto lindo... sera un cajero o algo en una tienda o hiper grande. Pero... bueno... es algo, no?!?

Mi amiga Lena y yo estamos pensando tomar un clase de baile... de bachata o salsa... son los únicos q hay.

No voy a volver a República Dominicana tan rápido como pensé. Decidí tomar mis clases acá en vez de por internet y trabajar mucho. Voy a tratar ahorrar dinero... y tendré q tomar vacaciones en algún parte del invierno... si, no voy a estar muy triste.... porq: nieve, frió, viento y oscuridad = Srta. Gerber infeliz

Bueno... mando saludos a todos y espero q estén bien y la vida, tus estudios, trabajos y familias también anden bien.

CHAUCITO! BESOS! SUERTE! PAZ!

Viva Hugo Chavez!

Querido Presidente Chavez:

Quiero decirte gracias por sus palabras de hoy en las Naciones Unidas... alguien tenía que decir la verdad.

Sinceramente,
Srta. Gerber


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Que Será Será de Srta Gerber??

Sup my peoples?

Ok... so, things are working out... I have 3 jobs at the moment and will find a weekend job soon.

I am working at the same middle school as last year... I've been roped in as a long term substitute until January 25, 2007. Before and after school I am teaching Spanish to elementary school kids (ages 7-11). It is interesting and challenging... but we will have fun.

Now... a weekend job and I will be set... I think. This chica needs to save money and buy some property on a caribbean island :) and get a new laptop as this one is going on 5 and a half years and is near death.

Ok... updates to come.

Brazil: A Spanish Speaking Country?

Um... so, last night the popular TV series on CBS, CSI:Miami had its season premier. I usually watch the show and was very interested as the show was supposedly taking place in Brazil. Well, during the course of the show they mentioned a favela and saudades.... both words in Portuguese but the rest of the time the actors on the show where saying random bits in Spanish. Yes. Apparently they speak Spanish in Brazil! Nice, right? Leave it to network television to make my country's people more stupid and use huge gross inaccuracies in a primetime show. Que bem!... I mean... Que bien!

Close Your Eyes & Make a Wish

I applied for a .75 Spanish teaching position at a Charter High School in Minneapolis yesterday. They already called me this morning and I am now waiting for the director to call back again. She sounded like she was interested in me. I really really really want the jobs. So, cross your fingers, wish and pray for me.... Srta. Gerber needs a new pair of shoes and a whole lot more. ;)

Lo que necesito son pensamientos buenas y suerte!!

Besos.

Thoughts.

My mind cannot stop racing lately… I want to do many things… NOW. I cannot wait. That has never been a personality trait of mine. Patience. I think it has to do with fear. Fear that if I do not do what I want to do right now… I might not be able to do it in the future. Fear that I will loose what I think I might be able to have.
I am fighting demons… fighting demons since age 17. When I knew in my mind that I could not grow continue on and grow old as my parents and grandparents have…. In a white, suburban, unhappy, materialistic way. It doesn’t interest me. Things. Sure, things are nice. I love my laptop, my iPod, my car, all of my things and I have of lot of them. BUT do they make me happy? Do they make me a better person? Will they complete my life? No. Hell NO! It is just a filler. And I refuse to live like this.
What I want is to live in a place where the people are genuine. Where there is visible poverty, but the people can survive day to day and just be. Just be happy. Just be happy to be alive and live one more day.
A life like this is what attracts me. What is ironic is those in this life… the one I describe often envy the life I have. The materialistic, first world, white, middle class, getting every thing I want life.
How do I know what I want? Well, in the past twenty-three years I have paid attention to what I like and what I don’t. It is not like me to deny myself. I have traveled. Talked to people. Seen the world. Lived in poverty. And realized that my future does not belong in a country whose initials are USA but in a different country… At the moment I think the Dominican Republic… at least I’d like to give it a shot. What can I lose?
This leads me to another dilemma… leaving the America, expected status quo behind and doing what I know will be right in my life. For me. I am old enough now the realize that first and foremost I must care about myself, my thoughts, by physical and mental health and my sanity. I cannot and will not work in corporate America in the cubical ghetto for the next 50 years just to have things. To have things but horrible relationships or no relationships with family or friends, to be unhappy and dwell in the things that I was never able to do. I will not do that. I will do what I want and I will not let others try to persuade me to the dark side.

Confusing I know… that thoughts that run thru my head… Sometimes I need to vent. Being an Aquarius is sometimes and curse and blessing at the same time.

Paz.

Wedding Day = Dia de la Boda

Republica Dominicana

Good Bye South America. Hello Caribbean.

So, as i turns out my little bargain hunting self got in trouble... you see I always bye my tickets to Argentina on Brazilian airlines.... because it is abour $400 dollars cheaper than buying something on an American airline.
Well.... as fate may have it.... the afformentioned 'cheap' Brazilian airline went under and I given the choice to leave South America rather immediately... or perhaps stay there for eternity as I would have to buy a new ticket on a different airline... with money that... I did not have.

So... after spending some long agonizng days with people in the telecentro at Varig.... they put me on a United flight to New York... which went thru. Washington D.C.

So, after making some quick decisions.... I am now in the Dominican Republic... renting a condo. I am tanning and studying via internet by day... and that's about it.

I will be here until Aug. 31... unless American airlines.... decides to cut all of their service to the Caribbean... then... well... I will most likely be floating aroung in an intertube trying to make it to Florida.... or at least attempting to find the American coast guards. :)

Kosher McDonalds & More

Yesterday my brother, Jeff came to spend the day with me in Buenos Aires. We did not have anything specific planned. In the morning we went to La Boca, a somewhat rundown neighborhood with colorful houses. After that we went back to my hostel and drank Mate (Argentina tea). After that we went to eat pizza for lunch.
A series of two quests started after lunch.... 1) to go to Palermo Viejo... so, some famous park and 2) to find the only Kosher McDonalds in the world outside Isreal. We were successful in both quests... Quest number one turned out to be a waste of time as we found the park after much walking and it was extreamely dissapointing.... but we did see a very large Islamic Culture center (from the outside) while walking around... and my brother was convinced it was some sort of cult... as a sign was posted that one could ´inscribe´ to the center on Tues and Thurs at 2pm. This was all before we found the sign that said Islamic Culture Center.
After that began the quest for the Kosher McDonalds.... You may not beaware but Buenos Aires has the second largest Jewish population in the world out side of Isreal... just New York City is infront of it. But... lucky Argentine is the ONLY place in the world with a Kosher McDonalds outside of Isreal. I guess that must mean that Argentine Orthodox Jews enjoy McDonalds more so than the US Orthodox Jews... which is quite surprising... Any way... After asking some employees at a non-Kosher...i.e REGULAR McDonalds... where the Kosher McDonalds was.... which involved them giving us weird looks and telling us... there was a lot of Jewish people in a neighborhood called Once... we went online to search the WWW.... This was much easier and I was able to locate the subway/metro stop and shopping mall it was located in. So... we transfered several trains.... got to the mall and happened upon a McDonalds on the ground floor... there were no Kosher signs... and people wearing yamikas (sp?)... so, we walked around the modern shopping mall some more until we located the food court.... which on onside had a KOSHER McDonalds... and on the opposite end had a REGULAR McDonalds... we took out out cameras snapped some pictures... and looked around for the large Orthodox Jew population that were supposed to be eating Big Macs and McTastys... without cheese of course and they were no where to be seen... what a disapointment!!! So.... at least we have pics of us in front of it... and it was a fun trip to find it though we did not eat there as... we wanted desert and they only had icecream at the Non-Kosher McDonalds...
After that.... we did nothing... walked around a bit and then my brother went back to the bus station to catch a 10:15pm bus and I went back to my awful, very loud, hot hostel.

Buenos Aires... not so fun??

I am staying at a ###### hostel at the moment and doing nothing but sleeping and stuff for my online classes. It isnt exactly ###### I am just not happy with my rooming situation... I have to sleep on the top bunk and this Korean girl who speaks no Spanish or English sleeps below me.... but thats not the fun part of the story....
The Korean locked me into the room yesterday.... since there is only one key and no one can communicate with her.... she and everyone else are a bit at wits end. The lock on the door is an old fashion lock... you need a skeleton key to unlock it from the inside and outside of the room.... I was locked in last night... around 10pm... I attempted to go to bed at 9pm, because I have a cold or flu or something.... but then I was woken up by some 70 yr old lady who just checked in (not exactly youth hostel material) and was trying to get in to the room. I was locked in the inside of the room.... she on the outside and the Korean girl was no where to be found.... once they got the door onlocked... which took a lot of pounding, kicking, yelling and pure frusturation.... I yelled at the old lady, yelled at the dude at the front desk.... and then went storming back up to the room climbed in to the bed and preceed to tell the old lady that when the Korean girl comes back... tell her to bring the key to the front desk as I do not wish to be woken up or locked in the room again.... I think she was terrified. I guess, in my cold-ful-half-sleeping-half-awake state of mind...I was a little bit... um... mean. So, I heard the lady try to tell the girl to talk to the people at the front desk... and I think someone must have mimed to her what not to as this morning she did things the correct way with the key.
To make the rooming situation even FUNNER the old lady (who I had yelled at) had to sleep on the other top bunk.
OH.... did I mention the owners of the hostel must have just got central heating (a VERY rare concept here) and must not really know how to operate it... as it is about 90 degrees in the hostel and my dorm room has no windows or fan.... and then think of me being trapped... l mean... locked in the room... left to die.... ok... I let the drama over come me.

Another complaint after being in Uruguay for a week... and now being back in Argentina. Uruguay just passed a law that there is NO smoking aloud in ANY public place... it was really nice... not I get back to Argentina and have this awful cold/flu/madness going on and there is smoke, cigarettes and more smoke every where... I think I may be dying!

Ok... enough drama... I am going to bed... My brother is coming to Bs.As. tomorrow to meet me... and I have to wake up, shower and get to the bus station all before 9am. I live a rought life!

Paz.

URUGUAY!!

I have been in Montevideo, Uruguay for almost the last week. I have not really been doing anything.... besides going out and hanging out with cool people from around the world. Montevideo is a pretty boring city... but it is almost the same as Argentina... so, I do not really mind. It is more expensive than Argentina but every where cannot be super cheap.
Tomorrow I am going back to Buenos Aires.