Another Quick Note on the Importance We Place on Education

Yes, prepare for another short rant.

A few months back the Governor of Hawaii announced that the Hawaii Department of Education would have to cut roughly 70 MILLION dollars from its budget. Yesterday, however, the same governor of this same state announced 1.9 BILLION dollars in state spending for capital improvement projects. I checked to see if my school chosen for any of the projects. YES! Included in the handful of projects for my school is $260 THOUSAND to repair our stadium light poles. Kahuku may have to cut teachers next year, but the state is assuring us properly-functioning light poles in our stadium! Woohoo!

Priorities. Yep. Priorities.

Burdens on "The Effective Teacher" (aka cost-externalization in public education)

Here is my latest letter to the President-elect and taxpayers in Hawaii and in the U.S.

Dear Mr. Obama and Dear Fellow Taxpayers,

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but its time for a reality check about how difficult we've made it to be a teacher in public schools in America. I'm not the first to chime in on this topic and I won't be the last, but let me share my story to shed some well-needed light on the state of the profession.

I came to teaching after working as an attorney for about four years. While I tried several different positions in the legal field, I still hadn't found the job or the kind of satisfaction I'd sought when I entered law school. I did some serious soul-searching, braced for a 20K-per-year pay-cut and decided to become a teacher. I earned my Master's in Education while still working full time as an attorney. After becoming licensed in the state of Hawaii, I landed my first teaching position in 2007. I have been working in the same school for about two years now.

After almost two years in the profession, I've come to this important realization about teaching: "excellent teachers" aren't excellent because they possess some magical skills or knowledge about teaching. (NOTE: OK, there are some whose natural charisma and empathy toward young people make them especially well-suited for the classroom, but in general there is no magic behind the equation.) "Excellent" teachers are excellent because they are willing to sacrifice almost limitless amounts of time, energy, and sometimes money for their students. Many "mediocre" teachers are simply "mediocre" because they have chosen to take a stand and NOT give up time with their families, endless mental energy, and their own dollars to "subsidize" their classrooms and public education.

My question: is it really "mediocre" to stand up to the endless demands placed on teachers?

I'm not saying whether or not I'm an excellent teacher, but let me describe the demands of this job. I've worked every single weekend since the beginning of this school year, including every single 3- and 4-day weekend and our week-long fall break. I've worked three or four nights each week for the entire year. I am already planning what work-related activities I intend to do during my winter vacation. I am given one 50-minute class period daily to complete what amounts to roughly 3-4 hours of grading, planning, and other tasks. As a result, if I want to meet the most basic demands of my job, if I want to walk into my over sized classes with all my students' papers graded and lessons planned for the day, I MUST bring work home with me. LOTS of work. Now I recognize that part of this is because I am new teacher, but in a profession that is challenged to meet its recruiting/retention needs, isn't this a serious issue in itself? I'll also admit that when I do something, I want to do it right. I'm not a person to settle for a half-a$$ed job. But honestly, don't we WANT our teachers to be able to their best? Don't we want teachers to have higher than half-a$$ed standards? If a teacher can't give students useful feedback, provide meaningful classes, why even bother send young people to school? The point is that students learn, right? RIGHT??

Schools across Hawaii, including mine, face the real possibility of staff layoffs in the coming school year. If I'm lucky enough NOT to lose my job, I'll be left with my coworkers to manage a unchanged student population with even FEWER resources. Personally, I am at a tipping point. Actually, I am already beyond it. I can't maintain this pace forever.

So - what can be done? No one likes this answer, but its very simple: money. If we want our children to get a quality education, we've got to pay for it. Hawaii simply cannot afford to let its public education slip any further. We need MORE teachers. And more teachers cost MORE money. We can't expect existing teachers to bear increasing responsibility and increasing class sizes with diminishing supports and resources without breaking at some point. OK - some research (albeit HIGHLY questionable, in my opinion) shows that smaller class size doesn't always make for payoffs in student achievement. However, you simply cannot argue that grading the work of 4 classes with 20 students is the equivalent task of grading the work of 4 classes with 30 students. 4x20=80 4x30=120 Who must spend the hours to grade these extra 40 papers? The teacher! Its all about time. And time is money.

Many so-called "mediocre" teachers simply refuse to go to the extremes needed to fulfill the real needs of the students. And at a lower pay than any other profession requiring an equivalent education, can you blame them? Are they supposed to just volunteer their time out of the goodness of their hearts? Many do. But it is absolutely unacceptable that we demand that of them.

The real problem is that we simply don't care enough about our children, our future, to put our money where our mouth is and scream bloody murder for more funding for education. Simply, it is TIME to bite the bullet and pay more for our schools, even now in times of economic hardship.

One last thing, I'm NOT pleading for a pay raise here. While I do believe I deserve one, its about being realistic. As much as I'd love a pay raise, what I really want is a few more colleagues to share the workload here. I think I'm a decent teacher, but I can't stand this stress forever.

Your devoted teacher,


Lisa Rodvien

Money Talks: Thoughts on a 21st Century Economy*

Take a look at this. Really LOOK for a minute:Yes, that's right. Its a "kitty wig." For $50, you can purrrrchase a wig for your very own kitty. Just imagine! Your kitty in a lovely pink wig. The ad at kittywigs.com says

Pink is the color of fantasy. Our model, Chicken, looks like her mind is elsewhere when she wears this wig -- somewhere in a land of cotton candy and pinwheels where the air smells like sugar kisses.

Wow.

Time for a reality check. Our fellow human beings on this very same planet are starving and enduring pain and tragedy - and we could actually help. We would simply need to sign our name to a check, but instead we sign over $50 for a kitty wig. Why? To torture and irritate our pets? For our own warped amusement?

Ok, it may seem like I'm singling out kittywigs - and I am. But really I'm trying to highlight the frivolity of Western greed. There are many, many more subtle examples of this greed. Kittywigs.com is merely an extreme example that demonstrates some of the many things that our money "says" in modern times: greed, excess, frivolity. To that, I say, "Really?!?" Is that who we've become? A nation of artificial-pink cat-torturing faux hair? God, I hope not. I prefer more grounded values of honesty, loyalty, character, truth, and real beauty.

We've hit a wall in our economy. The endless growth of the past half-century has come to a stop - at least for now. We are at a crossroads. This stage in our journey will no doubt be filled with pain, but it can also be filled with hope and enormous opportunity. Let me explain how.

Earlier this evening I heard many critics on the news stations blaming unions for the impending doom of the Big Three U.S. automakers. Again I say..."really?!?" So, employees of those companies shouldn't have demanded decent wages and benefits? Who exactly are these Big Three supposed to benefit? Wouldn't the employees be about first on the list?!?? Yes, ok, we've turned into a stockholder economy, but really whose personal stake is more intimately intertwined with the success of Ford, GM, or Chrysler than those companies' OWN EMPLOYEES? No one! Just whose economy is this? Let's be honest, while stockholders may have the "ownership" interest in the companies - who actually DOES the work? The employees! The stockholders sit on their butts! They DO nothing! (Ok, well, maybe not nothing, actually, but they are probably doing something for someone else...their OWN employer perhaps).

It's time for a revolution. Its time to apply the "think before we speak" rule to our spending too, because money talks. What do we want it to say? We have so many choices! So many beautiful choices! Before we continue down the same well-worn path of the past 50 years of consumption and greed, let's consider some alternatives:

Alternative #1: We could buy yet another pair of shoes (dress/shirt/tv/gadget/phone) that will end up buried in the closet. A few cents of that purchase *might* end up in the pocket of the grossly-underpaid developing-world worker who made the shoes. The rest will end up split between some resourceful middlemen and some fat-pocketed corporate employees somewhere. In the end, will those new shoes (dress/shirt/tv/gadget/phone) really bring us happiness? Not likely. If they are really high quality shoes, we might have warm and protected feet for a few years. In that case, good. In any other case? How 'bout skip the shoes/dress/shirt/tv/gadget/phone? I mean - how many of those things do we really need? Is one more going to be "the one" to bring happiness? I seriously doubt it.

Alternative #2: We could take that same money and spend it at a local farmers' market on fresh local fruits and vegetables. Yes, the prices might seem high compared to the supermarket, but consider the benefits of fresh, local produce. Nourishment, good health, a thriving local agricultural market, and farmers who can actually make a living in their trade. Good stuff.

Alternative #3: Save your money and buy one of the fuel-efficient Fords that the company will inevitably have to get on the market ASAP if they are to make it even into the next decade. Also a nice choice. You'd be supporting employees of the "new" American automotive market, which I truly hope comes to pass, not to mention saving fuel and reducing your carbon footprint.

Alternative #4: How about dance, music, or art lessons from a local teacher? Bringing music or art into your life is its own reward. Do need to tell you how many happy hours I've spent singing or dancing or playing the ukulele? Bliss. You'd be supporting a small, local business and the livelihood of a local artist and bringing your economy close to home. No CEOs to skim off the top. Woohoo! While you're at it, go to the concert of a local band or orchestra, buy a painting from a local artist, or go crazy and try the local opera company!

Alternative #5: Buy a good book or CD - even better if you can buy directly from the artist or author. Again - you're supporting an economy that values the beautiful things in life: the written word and music.

Alternative #6: ANY local business - non-chain restaurants, cleaners, local independent hardware stores, non-chain bookstores, florists, etc. Skip WalMart. The Waltons are rich enough. And the money that the Walton family doesn't keep, they send largely to China on the stuff they purchase. And they don't pay their employees very well or give them decent benefits.

*-------*-------*

The real word here is that however you spend your money, IT TALKS. Don't let tough times be an opportunity to spend more of our money at WalMart. After all, very little of that money gets to the real workers anyway and dependence on the kind of jobs that WalMart provides in the developing world do very little to improve the lives of those workers. In fact, they may actually stifle development of more sustainable local economies.

The current economic depression gives us lots of challenges. But we can also take the unique opportunities it offers us, too. Let's push the industries that want to survive this crisis to come out of it on our terms. Let's make our money say what we want it to say. The time has come.

*NOTE: Thanks to my Cultural Geography Professor, Huia Hutton, for introducing me and his other students to kittywigs.com. The thoughts expressed here regarding kittywigs are mainly a repetition of Professor Hutton's, with which I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree and feel are worth sharing!

Family Time!

It's been a whirlwind of a month with the election and the craziness at school, but back at the beginning of October, George and I had a really pleasant and relaxing visit with family: George's mom, step-dad and brother Marc. We introduced our family to some of our favorite places on the island. In addition to old haunts, we discovered a few new places thanks to a little curiosity, adventurousness, and a persuasive guidebook. I've posted all the pictures here. We hope our latest guests can come again before we depart this beautiful place we call home.

Dear Mr. Obama, Yes We Did.

[I've been neglecting my blog for a while. Life gets in the way of self-expression sometimes. As do elections. And playing the ukulele. And I promise I will post pictures of our family visit SOON! We had a great time and I will write about it soon. But this is the inspiration of the moment so here goes...]


Dear Mr. Obama,

Actually, may I call you Barack? We've never met, but you seem like a first-name kind of person. Ok, I'm going out on a limb here and I will address you as "Barack."

Dear Barack,

I am very excited that you are going to be our next president. Oddly (or not) the first-African-American-president achievement is somewhat of an after-thought for my own personal excitement. Of course, that is a remarkable thing. We talked about the magnitude of it in my social studies class today, in light the short 40 years that have passed since the civil rights movement and the short 140 years since the end of the Civil War. Its amazing (and wonderful) how much students take race for granted these days. At least out here in Hawaii, they don't seem to think of race as any sort of obstacle. Of course, you know as well as I the beautiful diversity of Hawaii.

Anyway, I heard your speech back in 2004 while I was visiting my parents in my hometown of St.Louis, Missouri. We were watching on our little kitchen TV and I watched in awe and announced to my family that I was absolutely certain that you would be the next president of the United States. I waited in anticipation for the next four years for my dream and prediction to come true. I really should have bought some of that "Obama" stock you can apparently buy. With my "earnings" I'd be able to pay off my 100K student loans...but I digress.

To the point. I am ecstatic that you will be president. Mainly because your life reminds me of my own. Even though I'm 14 years younger than you, our paths have criss-crossed and paralleled a few times. I see my life reflected in yours. Maybe you can see why.

I grew up in suburban St.Louis, Missouri where I was the minority in my neighborhood. Oddly enough, I look pretty much like your average thirty-someting, middle-class, young professional white woman. However, in my youth, I was one of a small number of white kids in my mostly black neighborhood. I remember riding the bus to school with my sister and she and I - and occasionally a few others - were the only white kids on the bus. When I arrived at school, however, the picture was different. I blended in easily with the majority-white student population. Even, there, however, I never felt like I blended in. Not because of my race, but because of my lack of wealth. My parents were not (and are not) poor, but compared to the money many of my classmates came from, I often felt unable to "keep up with the Joneses." So, I tried my hardest, often in ridiculous and unsuccessful ways, to fit in. In the meantime, my parents supported me in my academic life and I participated in school in just about every imaginable way: music, theater, sports. Graduation came and I went on to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.

In Ithaca, I studied lots of things, but I majored in music and spent every ounce of spare time singing. It was a time of major personal growth and self-discovery. After college and a very short-lived "career" in musical theater, I headed off to law school. Now here is where our paths diverge a bit. I went to Catholic University in Washington, D.C. - a wonderful school - but no Harvard. And while I was a member of our law review, I was not editor-in-chief material. (As an aside, I wish the non-legal world realized the enormous academic honor of being named editor-in-chief of a law review. Even at "little" CUA law school, the our Editor-in-Chief was an intellectual powerhouse and an absolute workhorse in our class. I can only imagine what that honor would be like at Harvard!)

Anyway, after a bit of wandering in the legal world - a clerkship in D.C. Superior Court, work for a small education law firm in D.C. helping states implement the newly-passed NCLB, I eventually concluded that traditional use of my law degree was not for me. Who knows - maybe I'll get back to that someday, but in 2004 - around the time of your first famous speech - I decided to become a teacher. I went back to school to get an M.Ed. in Multilingual/Multicultural Education. I got married to a great guy in the Army somewhere in there and got stationed your old home state. My first year out here in Hawaii, I taught ELL at Kahuku High and Intermediate School. I loved ELL, but my principal noticed my law background and now I'm teaching social studies: Hawaiian History (ha!), AP Government, and a class on Constitutional Law. Kahuku High School is worlds away from the University of Chicago, but the Equal Protection Clause of the XIVth Amendment reads the same in the Hawaiian Time Zone as it does in Central Standard. Besides, I like to think that I'm giving my students the foundation to go on to a University of Chicago someday, should they so choose.

I doubt I will go on to become President, but I am inspired to let my voice be heard in a way I never imagined before. After my husband leaves the military and we are settled somewhere a little more permanently, I can imagine myself running for public office. If not that, I will proudly continue as a public school teacher doing my part to serve America, by ensuring that the students I encounter understand the importance of their vigorous and educated participation in our democracy. Without our young people, who will pass on the democracy to future generations of Americans?

I've never met you, but maybe you can see why I can relate so well to your life. I like to think I'm the ordinary "Jane" version of your life. I really feel like you are my president. You so beautifully and eloquently put into words the feelings I have about our country and the direction we need. I'm so happy, for the first time in my life, to somehow see my face to wonderfully reflected in the face of our new president. I hear my dreams for our country in your voice. I see my own optimism for America and the world in the sincerety of the expression of your face each time you speak.

For all of this, know that you will have my complete support as proud American who has never been prouder to be part of this great nation than I've been since you became "President-Elect, Barack Hussein Obama."

Many mahalos and alohas,

Lisa Rodvien

The Challenge of Teaching Hawaiian History...to Hawaiians

Only a small fraction of my seventh-grade Hawaiian History students are native Hawaiian or even partly Hawaiian. Still, most of them spent much more of their lives in Hawaiian than I. They've been surrounded by the culture, history, the language, and the traditions. I've only had two years to catch up. One of the toughest aspects of teaching Hawaiian History is the names. I'm going to share some of them with you in order that you can appreciate. The names all can start to all sound the same. They are mostly long and they virtually all are hard to pronounce. This past week, we've discussed the following historical figures:

Kamehameha
Kekuiapoiwa
Naeole
Alapa'inui
Kekuhaupio
Keoua
Kalanikupule
Kiwalao
Keawemauhili
Keeaumoku
Kahekili
Kaiana
Nahiolea
Kukailimoku
Pele
Pai'ea
John Young
Isaac Davis
Captain James Cook
(ok, those last three aren't THAT hard)

Some of the places names include:
Kohala
Ka'u
Kauai
Nuuanu
Waialae
Maui
Lana'i
O'ahu
Moloka'i
Mokuohai
Waimanalo

A few other relevant Hawaiian words:
mamalahoe
haole
ali'i

See why my head can start to spin? I'm actually thankful for the students who politely correct my pronunciation of some of these words they know. I've mostly got the hang of Hawaiian pronunciation, but just look at a word like "Keoua" and there are too many possibilities.

Ok. Back to grading the last of my Kamehameha projects.

Efficient Teaching

I've bit off more than I can chew. I've spent a bit of Saturday and most of my Sunday grading papers and I still have a ways to go. Worse yet, I have no lessons planned for this week's classes. I'm exhausted and the week hasn't even started yet. In fact, I'm exhausted thinking about how much I have to do this week and every week after that. Its only September 7. Somehow I'll muddle through, but please send any ideas for making my job more manageable. I'm really really trying, but its easier said than done. If nothing else, keep me in your thoughts and support funding for public education! I guarantee that in a perfectly-funded world, two people would be doing my job. Not ONE.

Home Improvement: The Backyard Edition

Over the past several months, in addition to the improvements to the bathroom, we've also been working on making our backyard a nice little outdoor haven. With so much nice weather, a comfortable and pleasant outdoor spaces is worth a lot. We've got a ways to go, but there's new grass, three new trees, and a lot of other plants enhancing the space.

Two of the new Manila palm trees with ferns behind.

Plantings on the left side of the yard.

Quincy enjoys a shady spot out back.

Bathroom Remodeling: Part V

While I was traveling at the end of the summer, George got a lot of work done on the bathroom remodeling project. He got more bead board up on the walls, put the trim (framing) around the window, and built the little wall between the sinks and the toilet. The wall will have little shelves and cubbies for storage on the side facing the toilet. Just yesterday, we started putting down the floor. Its a little bit like piecing together a puzzle. We're hoping to make more progress on the floor today. We're on the homestretch!

A Whirwind Weekend in DC

I never have enough time in DC to see all the people I want to see and do all the things I want to do. Nonetheless, I think I did a pretty good job considering I was only there for 3 full days. I had a dinner with Mzzzzzz. Torrillo French, had brunch with Rachel, picnicked, went dancing at Glen Echo, watched the Olympic opening ceremonies with old pals, saw a concert in the park, had lots of time with my favorite "niece", had a nice girls' lunch, and went to the National Mall with my sis (twice!) to see the Muppets/Jim Henson exhibit and our founding documents. Whew! No wonder I'm so tired. :-) Anyway, the pics are all here.

"We The People" National Institute in Boston

This school year, I am teaching a course called We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution. I had the privilege of attending the We the People National Teacher's Institute in Boston with 50 or so teachers from across the nation. We the People is a curriculum used nationwide that is developed and funded by the Center for Civic Education. Students participating in the course study the philosophical roots of the Constitution (Locke, ancient Rome, Greece, classical Republicanism, the Magna Carta, etc.) They continue on to study the constitutional convention of 1787 and the subsequent amendments and evolution of the Constitution. The culminating project for students is a simulated congressional hearing in which students speak about and then answer challenging questions about the Constitution, its history, and their thoughts on modern interpretation.

Even after studying Constitutional Law in great depth in law school, I learned many new things at the Institute, which is designed to aid teachers with content knowledge and curriculum ideas for implementing the course. It was an intense week of study, but I have so much to take back to Hawaii and share with my students. Not to mention, the Center for Civic Education provided us with several texts to add to our classroom libraries for the course. The week consisted of lectures by leading scholars and jurists on the subject of Constitutional Law. As teachers, we also got the opportunity to try participating in mock congressional hearing ourselves.

It was awesome to spend a week among other enthusiastic teachers, each of whom brought unique knowledge and experience to the Institute. We had many thought-provoking discussions and I learned much from the vast and broad experience of my colleagues.

We didn't have a lot of time to see Boston, but we did manage to take in a few sites. I also got to see college friend, Kathy, and her adorable daughter, Meg. My roommates at the Institute and I trekked up to the North End and had a delicious Italian feast in Boston's Italian district. Yummmmmm! Here are a few of my pics from the week in Beantown.

LOST Beach

This summer, Gabe and Leo got me complete hooked on the TV series LOST. It is filmed almost completely in Hawaii, so you can visit many of the filming locations around the island. One of the frequently filmed beaches is in Hale'iwa, Hawaii on the North Shore. The beach is not popular with tourists as it is a little difficult to access and it is rocky and not the best for swimming. Still, it is beautiful and is a popular hang-out for the Hawaiian Sea Turtles. And the past few years, it has become a primary filming location for LOST.

So, seeing as we've become a family of LOST junkies, we visited this beautiful beach along with some of the LOST "set" that stands there. For the record, I am only partway through the first season. No spoilers please! :-) The rest of the pics and a mini video tour are here. Enjoy!

Hiking Madness

During our last week with Gabe and Leo in town, we took on two challenging hikes. We headed to the Southeast corner of O'ahu for both. The first hike was to Makapu'u Point. Makapu'u Point is the Eastern-most point on the island. From the Point you can actually see the islands of Moloka'i, Lana'i, and Maui on a clear day. In the winter, Makapu'u Point is also a great spot to watch the migrating great blue whales. On any day, however, there is a beautiful view of the channel, the mountains, and the valley below.
Our second hike, to the top of Koko Head Crater, was one of the most grueling hikes I've undertaken. I usually think of myself as fit and able to tackle most any physical challenge, but Koko Head reminded me that I have room for improvement! Gabe decided he didn't want to do the whole hike, so he and George headed back down mid-way. I wonder if I should have joined them!.The path to the top was no joke. In some parts, it was more of "climb" than a "hike". The whole trail is an old railway path that was formerly used by the military to hoist supplies to the top of the mountain. The old wooden railroad ties still remain and serve as steps along the path. Despite the mild heat-exhaustion I suffered, the views from the top were amazing. The top of the mountain also provided a great resting and recovery spot before undertaking the trip back down. After the hike, we grabbed lunch at one of our favorite spots, Kona Brewing Company, and headed over to Hanauma Bay to cool off with some well-earned snorkeling and swimming.

Pictures of our Koko Head hike can be seen here. Pictures from Makapu'u Point are here.

A Great End to a Great Visit with the Chessons

George and I had a great visit with the Chessons. You would too if you'd been in such nice company for two weeks straight, not to mention eating all of Yvette's delicious cooking! I hope I retained a thing or two that I can use in my own cooking.

Anyway, our last days together took the "oldest kids" (me, George, Yvette, and Jehu, Sr.) to a dinner cruise on the Ali'i Kai. We celebrated Jehu's birthday aboard the boat with dinner, drinks, and dancing.
The next day, we hit Sharks Cove and Sunset Beach one last time with the whole crew. Pics of the cruise are here, our last beach day pics are here.

The Waikiki Aquarium

A fun aspect of having visitors is that you inevitably make it to one or two places you've never been before. At the instigation of the Chessons, we visited the Waikiki Aquarium. It is different from other aquariums that I've been to (Chicago, Baltimore) in that the focus is tropical sea life. There was a whole section on coral, which is an important feature of tropical waters. The aquarium also featured many sea creatures endemic to Hawaiian waters, including the adorable - and endangered - Hawaiian Monk Seal. As usual, a picture is worth a thousand of my poorly-strung-together words. See them here.

The Rodviens and the Chessons Go Riding at Gunstock Ranch

Going horseback riding at Gunstock Ranch was one of the true highlights of our summer. Gunstock is a working cattle ranch on O'ahu's North Shore, very near my school. They offer trail rides for visitors on "retired" and working cattle-working horses. All eight of us saddled up for a trail ride through the foothills of the Ko'olau Mountains. We found spectacular views, unusual plants, remnants of the sugar plantation that preceded Gunstock, and overall fun times. For everyone (except me), this was the first time on a horse. Our group turned out to be a bunch of natural riders, however, and we made great friends with our horses. George has been day-dreaming ever since about how we can get our own horses someday. Ya know, Maryland is right up there with Kentucky in terms of being horse country! Anyway, I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking. Click here to see 'em all. Aloha!

The Chessons and the Rodvien Boys Take on the Dole Plantation in Wahiawa, Hawaii

Pictures of our latest adventure are now posted here.

July 2008 Family Time

I'll write in more detail later, but I thought I'd share some pictures in the meantime. We've been having a great time hanging out, relaxing, and enjoying summer vacation with the boys and the Chessons on O'ahu. The beach has been the most frequent hangout and we'll probably be there again tomorrow enjoying some waves and sunshine. Miss you all! The latest pics are here.

A DC Visit and Cary and Kyle's Wedding

I had another great trip to Washington, D.C., which once again reminded me that I have the greatest friends a human could ask for. I am truly blessed. If only George could have come with me! I feel so much love and caring between the people that I know there that there is no doubt in my mind they are simply the finest bunch of friends! During my week, we had lots of nice meals together, silly late-night antics, touching moments watching two of our bunch tie the knot, and special time with the newest and youngest member of our little patchwork clan, Miss Claire, and her 'rents, Shelly and Andrew. The week was filled with chats to catch up on the news, playing cards, watching the Muppets, being the Muppets, making fruity cocktails, exploring new places, splashing around in the hotel pool, eating pancakes and omelettes, taking the long way home, drinking milkshakes in the country, having beers in the city, and dancing, dancing, dancing. I hardly took any pictures, due to my neglect on charging my camera's batteries, but here are a few. Rita took LOT of nice pictures, although our visits didn't exactly coincide. You can see her pics here. The sets dated 6.12.08 - 6.20.08 are her DC photos.

To think that was only the beginning of a wonderful summer! More soon, including an update on the bathroom remodeling project. :-)

My New Digs: Classroom P-15

Instead of getting all my end-of-year wrap-up tasks completed this week, I spent nearly all of my non-classtime packing and moving. I am moving classrooms from one side of my school's large campus to the other. I was sad to leave the room that contained so many memories of the start of my teaching career and and memories made with my wonderful students who helped make it home. Still, the move was necessary. As I will be teaching mainly 7th graders next year, I needed to be closer to the other intermediate grade teachers.

My new classroom will be very similar to my old one, but it is a bit nicer in a few ways. It is a bit larger and I have more bulletin board space. The location is a bit better, too. I'm closer to the computer lab, the front office, the registrar, and the cafeteria. Maybe I can actually make it to the teacher lunchroom once in a while this year! Anyway, here is a picture of my new room. I have a LONG way to go in terms of unpacking and making it home, but the new school year is nearly 2 months away, so there is time. I'm excited to think of all the things that will happen in my new room.

Little Chinook in the Sky

I see these on my commute home several days each week as I pass Wheeler Army Airfield. Cool chopper! If only I had Rita's camera. :-)

'Cause We are Living in a Material World

But I'm SO tired of it! I saw the new movie Sex and the City this weekend and while overall I really liked the movie, I was really bothered by the excessive materialism in it. A $300 pillow? BLECH!

One of the best lessons I've learned from living in Hawaii and from the students at my school is that "more" isn't always better. Its amazing how focusing on the simple beauties of life (love, family, friendship, nature, laughter, etc.) can really bring a person closer to true happiness. I love how many students at my school don't really care about fashion. For a few students, they're not into fashion because they genuinely can't afford it. Many other students, however, come from families and cultures where most of the time a t-shirt, gym shorts, and the same beat-up pair of "slippahs" (aka flip-flops) that they've worn as long as they've fit is just fine. No need for fancy hair-dos and make-up. And a beat-up backpack or bag will do the job just fine. Really, they have it better. Their wardrobes may be a little older and less fancy, but students still wear clean, functional clothes. And they are free from worry about keeping up with the latest trends. What else does anyone need? Once every year or so, I go through my closet and donate a few large grocery bags of clothes to Goodwill. Its really silly. I don't usually get new stuff because I need it. I get it because it meets some short-lived desire such as "its cute!" or "it minimizes my butt!"


So, inspired by my adopted culture and community, I am declaring "No more!" I am challenging myself to the following and I'd be happy if any of you want to join me:

As of June 1, 2008, I will no longer buy clothes. That's right: NO MORE CLOTHES! (Or bags, or jewelry, or accessories, etc.) And I will avoid accepting gifts of these. I really have enough, so I'm going to stick with what I've got. I am allowing myself a few small exceptions:

1. I will permit myself to replace any garment that is genuinely worn-out (incl. shoes, socks, "slippahs", undies, etc.)
2. I will allow myself to buy new clothes with three unspent gift certificates that I have. I plan on doing this in the near future so I can really begin my "year without clothes shopping."
3. Gifts for OTHERS: I will allow myself to buy clothes as gifts for other people, but I will avoid accepting gifts of clothing. Please support me by NOT buying me gifts of clothing. :-)
4. Precious stones: Seriously, if George (or anyone else!) is wants to buy me fancy jewelry with rubies or diamonds, I'm not passing it up. Is that hypocrisy? I don't care. :-)

Anyway, that's it. That's my challenge. Please wish me luck. I know it will be hard for this occasional shopoholic. On June 1st, I had to drag myself away from the cutest pair of shorts ever. (Yes, ever.) But really...who cares? Will those shorts bring me happiness? Can't I live without them? Yes, I can. And I will.

"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you." - Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864)

Bathroom Remodeling: Part IV

Hello all! The bathroom is now fully functioning again as a bathroom! That doesn't mean its finished, but it does mean we're getting close. In the past month, George completed the shower and installed the tub. We've tested both out and they are great! I have no doubt I will spend many afternoons after long days at school unwinding in that heavenly tub. Here is one shot of the whole shebang (note the bead board that George has started installing on the right-hand wall). You can see a few more pictures, including the tiles that Rita installed here. For the record, while I did not install any of the shower tiles, I cut gazillions of them with our diamond-bladed tile saw. Hooray for power tools and for George who has taught me how to use them all!

Night Drives across Pineapple Fields

Once or month or so, I find myself coming home late from the North Shore. I'm usually alone, but occasionally with friends or my sweetie. Even though I'm inevitably sleepy, it is a beautiful drive and my senses awaken for the experience. I remember dreaming when I was younger about a long two-lane country highway with expansive fields that ended only to touch the sky. Now I know where those fields lie: I drive across them every day.

At night, however, the drive across the pineapple fields is a different experience. The skies in Hawaii are always clear. Even when there are a few clouds, the skies are clear. There is very rarely haze or fog. Drifting clouds only briefly obscure the infinite stars or a brilliant moon. The air is fresh and warm, yet cool. Its not like the daytime when the sun bears down intensely on everything below.

The best part of all, however, is the smells. As you first start up the fields, there is a faint smell of sea air - slightly salty, slightly fishy, but very fresh. As you drive further up, you notice the slightest hint of pineapple in the air. The smell then evolves into a faintly fermented smell. I've never smelled anything else like the faint odor of fermenting pineapples. When it mixes with the smell of upturned earth and the warm night air, it is a heavenly experience that wipes away all your worries and intoxicates your thoughts. At last, you pass the ends of the fields transformed as the fading scents roll through you mind and prepare your for a calm, peaceful sleep.

Outrigger Waikiki Sunset Cruise

Yesterday George, Jason, Tiffany, and I took a sunset cruise on a catamaran from the Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki. I can't believe we've been here nearly two years and we hadn't done this yet. It was so fun and relaxing, I'd be willing to go every weekend. Even with mere 3- to 4-ft waves outside the channel, we go completely drenched as the boat bounded up and down in the water. It was so beautiful, though. We could see Diamondhead Crater and Kokohead Crater from a totally different perspective. Some flying fish even made an appearance. They are amazing creatures. We met some really nice people on the cruise and it was great to enjoy company of friends old and new in beautiful surroundings. Next time you're in Hawaii, I highly, highly recommend a sunset cruise. We capped off the evening at our favorite Waikiki hangout, the Shorebird Restaurant, listening to great live music. More Pictures of our cruise can be found here.

Graduation Party!

I seriously have the best job in the world. I work with awesome young people who are bringing new ideas and energy to our world every day. In honor of the upcoming graduation of three of my students, George and I celebrated with the junior and senior ELL class from my school. We had a great time and the students did too. Yummy fresh garlic shrimp, music, baseball watching, interesting political discussions, a darts game involving push ups for the losing players, and delicious chocolate cake made for a pleasant evening. And in case there were any doubts, there was absolutely NO alcohol of any kind at the fiesta. :-)

Aiea Loop Trail Hike

Yesterday, George and I headed out with his platoon to explore a Hawaii trail that neither of us had hiked before. It was really beautiful. I'm always amazed at the unique plant life here in Hawaii. The elevation of the whole trail was pretty high and there were amazing views in several places. George works with a really nice bunch of guys and ladies and we had a lot of fun just tromping along and chatting along the way. Check out more pictures here.

Sweet Home Alabama

I am a pretty lucky lady. I had two weeks vacation from work and I got to spend it with three very handsome gentlemen: George, Leo, and Gabriel. I also got to make a trip to Washington, D.C. to celebrate my sister's birthday AND celebrate the birth of the darling Claire Sophia, daughter of my dear friends Shelly and Andrew. I don't know the best place to start, so I'm just going to take things in order.

First, our travels took us to George's hometown, Fairhope, Alabama. Fairhope is a small town not far from Mobile, Alabama. It has a sweet and friendly downtown area.
Fairhope also has a long public waterfront area on Eastern shore of Mobile Bay.Fairhope has a slower, more contemplative pace. I always appreciate a pace that allows me to stop and consider and enjoy my surroundings. Of course, being on vacation always helps with that too.

We spent most of our time in Fairhope riding our bikes from place to place. The four of us stayed at a little cabin we rented right on the Bay. It was a nice place to rest for the night, but it was still plenty close to George's mother's and father's houses. We easily rode around town and hardly needed a car for the whole two weeks.

During our stay, we were able to soak up relaxing hours at both of his parents' houses and share laughter, meals, and good times. George shared tidbits of his childhood and youth throughout our trip. He also pointed out many beautiful homes that he helped build or remodel back in his carpentry days. We made trips to the park for whiffle ball and stops at Mr. Gene's Bean's Ice Cream Shop in downtown Fairhope. We also enjoyed many episodes of Mythbusters and Cash Cab back at the cabin. We made side trips to Mobile to see the USS Alabama and also to Gulf Shores, Alabama to enjoy the beach. We also trekked to Gulf Shores for mini-golf and go-karts. On our way to the beach, we saw this guy!:
Every day was filled with so many enjoyable experiences, its hard to mention them all. I must mention, however, that George's brother Marc took me to hear Joshua Bell with the Mobile Symphony at the historic Saenger Theater in Mobile. What musical bliss! If you've never heard him play, he's more than worth every penny of the tickets. He's not just a bunch of hype - he's the real deal.

The best part of all of my experiences, however, was the company. I am very lucky to have such wonderful in-laws and such bright and funny step-sons.

DC Weekend
In the middle of our Alabama vacation, I flew to DC for a weekend. As trips to the mainland are somewhat rare, I want to see as many folks as possible. The timing of my trip was perfect. Shelly gave birth to her adorable little girl, Claire Sophia, on March 18, just a few days before my arrival. What a little angel! (who has exhausted, but elated, new parents.)In addition to spending time with my new "niece," I celebrated my sister's birthday . . . . . . and had some time to catch up with some of my DC pals. I didn't get to see everyone, but that's the nature of a 48 hour trip. I'm already looking forward to my next East Coast trip in June for Cary and Kyle's wedding. Hooray!

You can see more pictures of our trip including our Gulf Shores side trips and our run-in with an armadillo! Sadly, I forgot my digital camera so some of my pictures didn't come. I relied on the disposable cameras to capture the trip. Still, you can get a good idea of our vacation if you click here.

The New Year for Lisa and George

Hello friends! I apologize for keeping so quiet over the past weeks. We had a holiday season made lovely (and busy!) by seven visitors from the mainland. Big mahalos (thank yous) to Rachel, Mike, Rita, Becca, Duane, Alison and Matt for making the long trip to our little corner of the ocean. While I love Hawaii, it is still always hard to be away from the best friends in the world. They soften the homesickness by coming out to see us. I don't think we can fully explain how meaningful it is to have our guests.


Needless to say, I was keeping too happily busy during late December and early January to log on and blog. While I did take some pictures with our guests that can be found here, a much more complete picture of our holidays can be found by looking at Rita Shah's (photographer extraordinaire) pictures here. She took many lovely, lovely photos.

With our guests, we saw many sites, went hiking, tried surfing, enjoyed a luau, spent quality time at the beach, and last but not least shared laughs and good times at our place and around the island. We were once again awed by the amazing fireworks displays on New Years Eve. I'm not sure I'll ever want to spend December 31st anywhere else.

The fun had to come to an end, however. The Christmas lights and decorations have come down and we are back to our ordinary lives. All of our visitors, have gone back home. Luckily, my second semester at school started out surprising well. As a new teacher dealing with tough students, I still have a perpetual anxiety that permeates most everything. I am proud to say, however, that my passion for teaching has not gone unnoticed. I was nominated by my principal for a new teachers' award called "Teacher of Promise." While I did not win the state award, I was one of 5 state finalists and I earned Oahu's Windward District "Teacher of Promise" award. The encouragement has helped me feel positive about work, despite all its challenges. Do a good deed: tell a teacher - past or present - how they affected your life. The encouragement helps a lot!

For George, it has been a time of transitions at work. He's spending his free time working on remodeling our bathroom. Look for an update on that soon. Its coming along nicely, and he's laying down marble in the shower as I type!

Well, I hope this gives you a little taste of what's been going on in our lives lately. Look for more frequent updates now that the holidays are past. Have a happy New Year and as Garrison Keillor says "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch." Love and Aloha, Lisa (and George)

It was a mighty fun evening to be in Hawaii. The chatter over the Warriors had already spread from the die-hard fans to virtually every person on the island. Even signs on "TheBus" city buses flashed "Go Warriors!" in between route numbers. George and I watched the nail-biter against Washington last night from the comfort of our living room, but nearly 7% of the island population watched the game live at Aloha Stadium. The other 700,000 of us cheered from our living rooms. And with windows open, you could hear the cheering over the intermittent rain showers. When the team finally locked in its victory (in the last minute of the game), it sounded like New Year's Eve or some island-wide party.

Its not like I've been a UH fan for a long time, but I've been a quick convert. Football in Hawaii is practically religion, but the diversity on the island brings together players from many different backgrounds into a beautiful blend that makes magic on the field. With no NFL team, UH is the pinnacle of football in Polynesia and its cool that the mainland is finally taking a look at this often-forgotten team. 12-0. See you in January!