ESL Program

Today I attended an orientation for volunteer tutors for the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. In March I will receive 18 hours of training and then be matched with an adult student who wants to learn English. We will work together, one on one, face to face, for just over one year.

I am very excited to begin this program. First of all, I am very interested in how humans learn language. I’m fascinated by children of immigrants who learn perfect accent-less English so quickly, while their parents struggle with a heavy accent. I’m so jealous of those children! If I knew what I know now, I would have certainly raised bi-lingual children! Second, since I’ve spent the last 4 years of my life seriously studying French, I know how difficult, and sometimes discouraging it is when I feel like I am making very little progress. I will be very compassionate and understanding towards my student. I know it’s not easy learning a language as an adult. I will be his or her biggest fan, cheering each and every advancement, no matter how small! Last of all, I hope this training will make me a better conversation partner for my French friends and somehow help me become a better French as a Second Language student.

Thank You Global Warming

With roughly one month left of winter, I’d like to publish these three pictures. December 29, 2006 it began to snow. Three days later Albuquerque had the most snow ever recorded. In our yard we had over 20 inches (50.8 cm.) Not one neighbor had a snow shovel for clearing the driveway. They had never needed one before! So coming from Utah, we had 3 nice ones. They cleared 7 driveways of snow several times over the New Year’s holiday. Schools were closed for a week because ABQ lacked snow plows to clear parking lots and side streets.

With the many inches of rain during the monsoons of July and August 2006 and now the plentiful snowfalls this winter, Albuquerque hopefully has come out of a period of drought.

Rollin'

Here is a fine example of an American teenage prank. In the south we called it, “Rolling.” (From a Roll of Toilet Paper) In the west they call it, “TP-ing”, short for Toilet Papering. From this picture, I can tell this job was done by girls. How can I tell? Because it is neat and nice. It’s contained on one, low tree and carefully, if not beautifully finished. If boys had been involved, the toilet rolls would have been thrown over the house, draped from the tallest tree and be a permanent part of the landscape until mother nature dissolved the paper we couldn’t reach.

I know this because I was once a teenager. I’ve ‘rolled’ many a house. At least here in New Mexico, the trees in our area are not very tall.

Do I know which of my children’s ‘friends’ did this? Not yet. But I will.

24

Every Monday night I hurry home from French class in time to see the only TV show I watch, 24. When I get there, my family is already assembled on the couch, looking tense and ready for an hour’s worth of heart pumping suspense. We are completely addicted to the adrenalin rush and coronary cliff hangers.

I heard Kiefer Sutherland on the Tonight Show tell Jay Leno that people who watch 24 have come up with a drinking game to play during the broadcast. Because it is on network TV, Jack Bauer can only say, ‘Dammit’ on air. All the other American swear words are prohibited. So Jack Bauer says, ‘Dammit’ quite a lot of the show. Imagine saving the US from nuclear disaster and only being able to say, ‘Dammit.’ So now that Kiefer knows there are people at home with shot glasses of tequila, or beer or whatever their personal preference is, poured, poised and ready to sling back when Jack cusses, he’s started making sure they are quite drunk before the hour is finished. He said sometimes he’ll say, “Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!” three times in a row, knowing full well people are throwing back shots of hard liquor while Jack is defusing a bomb or shooting a terrorist in the knee.

I love this show. I know it’s fiction. I know all the technology that he has like tracking satellites that can tell how many warm bodies are in a room in some house in California, with a complete schematic of the house, including whom it’s rented to and to what channel the tv is set, is totally non existent in real life. I am aware it’s unbelievable that his cell phone never runs out of battery and has perfect coverage anywhere he is. I know it's ridiculous his 'magic man bag,' is always loaded with the perfect tool for him to solve his current problem. As I said, I realize this is just a fictional story. But I want to believe.

I pray that there is a real Jack Bauer. I hope out there somewhere, there's a man like Jack who would do anything it took to save our country from ruin. I want believe in him.

Billy the Kid

Friday night I was chatting with French people on lycos.fr. Someone with the pseudo, ‘Billythekid’ came into the chat room. I noticed him because this was English in a room full of French names. He greeted me formally and politely. Eventually, I asked him why he chose the name of an American Outlaw for a pseudo. He told me he liked this kind of history and Billy was a legend. I asked if he would like a picture of ‘le tombeau de Billy the Kid.’ I told him I had visited the cemetery in Fort Sumner, New Mexico where he is buried. He was very surprised.

The french Billy the Kid.