What I'm reading these days

Thankfully, classes are over for this semester and I don't go back until January, so I've got some time to delve into some reading of my choice.  Amazon.ca sucked me in again and forced me to buy 4 books.

The History of Mexico by Burton Kirkwood is a great book, although a little "textbooky".  It covers everything from the Mayans, Aztecs, the Conquistadors, the wars of Mexican independence, the Porfiriato, the Mexican revolution, right up to present times.  If you're looking for an interesting read, this is a good one!

I recently watched the movie "Blood Diamond" and was completely captivated by it.  I knew about blood diamonds, but I guess I was a little naive about the truth behind them.  The movie left me ashamed of having wanted a diamond ring, and more ashamed of actually wearing them.  This movie grabbed my heart, and so I wanted to learn more about Sierra Leone and the trade of blood diamonds.  (This is where Amazon.ca comes in again.....)

Blood Diamonds by Greg Campbell is the story of how diamond smuggling works, how the rebel war has destroyed Sierra Leone and how the policies of the diamond industry allowed it all to happen.  I haven't read the book yet, but I'll let you know how it is.  

A Long Way Gone - memoirs of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah is a biography recounting how the author fled attacking rebels in Sierra Leone, joined the army, was removed from fighting at age 16 by UNICEF, learned to forgive himself for the terrible acts he committed and learned to love himself once again.

The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara chronicles how the author, while living in a small rural village near Sierra Leone was attacked by rebels who cut off her hands.  She survived and is now living Toronto, Ontario attending school.  

I know these books are going to affect me in many ways, but reading the truths about mankind can only bring a better understanding of the world, and the people who inhabit it.  Even if the subject is atrocious and horrific, it has really happened, and I'm willing to open myself to it instead of turning a blind eye.  

Jammie Weekend

To be quite honest, I have nothing new to talk about. I spent the entire weekend in my pyjamas working on an essay for school. It was a good weekend to hibernate in the house - Cold, rain, hail, snow. So, unless you want to hear all about my essay on Agar, a french book by Albert Memmi, which really is a fascinating book, by the way, you'll just have to wait for another day.

I did however, discover a really easy dinner - and I have NO idea why I didn't think of doing it sooner.... I'm a tool sometimes...

I made meatballs, got sub buns, cooked the meatballs in the spaghetti sauce, poured in all into the buns, and voila! Meatballs subs. Never a need to spend 8 dollars and whatever cents at Pizza Pizza again.

I'm too old?

Wow.  I'm kind of stunned over here in Canada.  I'm too old!  I'm 4 months shy of my 40th birthday and I'm too old.  

I'm a daydreamer, and I spend a lot of my time thinking about leaving Canada for Mexico, or anywhere else for that matter, to teach.  I love the idea of France or Italy, Mexico (for obvious reasons)..  pretty much anywhere.

So I was browsing around my university's international office website looking to see what opportunities there are through different teach away organizations.  I found a whole list of them, but for the greater majority, you have to be under the age of 35.  Seriously.

I was stunned.  I don't feel 40.   Hell, I don't even look 40!  Isn't 40 the new 30?  

Reading these websites was a bit of an eye opener.  A bit of a shocker, to say the least.  

Yes, I was born in the 60's.  It was the LATE 60's though.

Physically I look pretty darned good for my age.  I need someone to put my butt and my boobs back where they were 20 years ago, but I've had 2 kids!  

Sheesh.

I've got a few grays, but they're covered up with dye.  No one would know the difference.

So I guess I don't get to use the organizations and I'll have to do the legwork on my own when the time comes.

If anyone hears of any awesome teaching jobs that aren't in Canada or the States, keep me in mind!  I promise to leave my walker at home!

A group blog it is! Bilingual couples

As I was cruising through my favourite blogs, I headed to Cancun Canuck, read her post on languages, followed the link to Fned's blog, and well, here I am!

In our home, I speak English and French, with English being my mother tongue, my son Mike speaks English and French, again with English being his mother tongue.  My husband Gerald speaks only English, as does our daughter, Meaghan.

I grew up in northern Ontario and attended a french immersion school.  This is a school for anglophone children where they are submerged in the French language.  Along about grades 2 or 3, you end up with a child who is bilingual.

I continued on in french until high school when I attended an English school.

Mike was also in french immersion until grade 5 when we moved and put him in an English school.  At this point however, he was already bilingual and we've both kept our french.

We speak to each other occasionally in french, but because Gerald and Meaghan are both English-only speakers, we continue to speak English primarily.

Now you may wonder why we didn't choose to put Meaghan in french immersion as well.  I regret the fact that we didn't.  I really wish we had.  But it boils down to the same reason we took Mike out of french.  When we moved to this house, there were no french immersion schools within walking distance.  Simple - geography.

Meaghan will be in grade 4 next year and will begin french lessons in school.  At that point, Mike and I will both be speaking a lot more french in the house, because I want her to gain as much french, and have as much exposure to french as possible.  I guess that's my guilt speaking and me trying to make up for the mistake of not putting her in immersion from day 1.

As for Gerald.

I really think there are some people in this world who cannot learn a second language.  Seriously.  I speak 2 and am learning a third, Mike speaks 2, Meaghan is learning Spanish and French with me (even though she sometimes gets the two confused - she'll say oui or si).  Gerald...  poor Gerald can't seem to retain anything he learns in languages.  Or so he says.  The past 2 times we were in Mexico, he picked up as much Spanish as I did, but refuses to admit it.

So, maybe he's lazy.  Maybe he lacks confidence.  Could be anything.  

We are a bilingual house - or at least half the house is - but we continue to speak English predominantly.  Why?  I really think it's laziness.  It's just easier to speak the language we all understand and speak easily, instead of challenging ourselves to learn.  Maybe I should quit speaking English all together and force Gerald and Meaghan to learn a little more!

Racial healing?

Yes, Obama won and is the president elect in the States.

I'm not big on politics - Canadian or American.

I'm pleased that he won though. He's a fantastic speaker, and I really believe he's got his head in right place. He wants positive change, and he's got a lot of work to do. Repairing international relationships, the economy, the war, the list goes on. I probably would have voted him too, if I were American.

On the MSN website, like every other website today, the presidential election is on the first page. So I read it. One woman had this to say:

"It will be the beginning of racial healing in the country."

Will it? Just because the president is a black man?

I had to go back and read her statement three or four times.

Yes, I think a bright, educated, eloquent black man leading the States will be an incredible role model for young black men and boys all over the world. How couldn't he be? But I just don't see how Obama being president is going to be the beginning of racial healing.

There will always be crazy white supremacists walking the streets, there will always be holy wars, racial slurs and lines drawn in the sand between races. Do I like it? Certainly not.

I believe all races to be equal, with the only dividers being money, geography and opportunity. I am a white Canadian woman, and no better than anyone else on this planet. I don't identify myself as "white", "woman" or "Canadian". I'm a PERSON. Just like you and you and you.

I would love to see racial healing, but I don't think Obama's got the power to erase the pain and memories. It's certainly a step in the right direction, but unfortunately, I don't think there will ever be a time - at least in my lifetime - where race doesn't play a part in society at large.

Weird weather

So strangely enough, we're having really beautiful weather.  This is the weather we should have had in September and early October instead of early November.  It's warm, sunny with blue skies.  Not right now of course, because it's after 7pm, but during the day, it's been beautiful.

And to make it even sweeter, this is supposed to last throughout the week!!  Hoorah!  Finally something positive to post about!

October/November weather here in southern Ontario can be a bit on the bizarro side.  I remember a few Halloweens where I sat on the front step handing out candy, in a t-shirt while sipping a glass of wine.  But I also remember some where the poor kids had 18 layers of clothing stuffed under their costumes, making them all look like extremely fat little versions of whatever they were supposed to be.

My daughter loves Halloween, which is the exact opposite of me.  I hate it with a passion.  What's worse than sending your kids out - the same kids you nag not to eat crap all the time, to brush their teeth really, really well - and then encouraging them to fill entire pillow cases with snack crap full of sugar??  Well, I know its fun, but really - I'm not a supporter.

Anyway, at the tender age of 8, she seems to have shed her girlie-girl ways, wanting to dress up like princesses and pop stars, and decided she wanted to go out like a dead man.  

A dead man, Megs?

Yes mom, a dead man.

So we raided Ger's closet, found a shirt and tie, put her hair up in a hat, did up her face to look 'dead' and off she went with her little friends, returning only when she couldn't stuff one more halloween sized Coffee Crisp into her bag.  (The only acceptable thing about Halloween are bite-sized Coffee Crisp bars.  They make me really happy!)

What she really enjoyed though was that she didn't have to have a winter coat on over her costume, or underneath it for that matter.

I so wish this weather would stick around, but I know better.  Pretty soon we're going to pay for our "Indian summer".

The Death of Common Sense

This is one of my favourite things that gets passed along through emails. It's also something that makes me crazy because it's so true.

_________________________________________________________________

Today, we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:
* Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
* Why the early bird gets the worm;
* Life isn't always fair;* and maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are incharge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned butoverbearing regulations were set in place.

Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an Aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion!!!!!????

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault..

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust his wife, Discretion his daughter, Responsibility his son, Reason. He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

* I Know My Rights
*I Want It Now
* Someone Else Is To Blame
* I'm A Victim

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.