What a month!

OK, we've all had those kinds of months, where things just don't happen they way you want them to. October was the month that our car was totaled due to some guy careening into it due to driving too fast in the rain. Karen has spent the past few weeks studying really hard for her GRE. We've had lots of condo meetings about the three big things that need to get done--soon before the main winter rains come! I'm sure there are other things that have happened in the past few weeks but I can't remember them.

But, the past few nights, Karen and I have ended our days reading a few(turning to many) strips from Calvin and Hobbes. It is my favorite comic strip of all time. When Karen came to America, she had in one of her suitcases her complete collection of Calvin and Hobbes books and we put them on a shelf for easy access whenever we need them. Just turning to a random page will turn both of us into laughing nutballs! In the 10th Anniversary book, the creator explained many of the strips and the meaning behind them. Some of the reasons were quite subversive! But anyway, reading the books have been a great way to end the past few days. Lots of laughter that makes the day drain away...Who can have a grumpy time when Calvin and Hobbes are giving out their insightful views of the world? Just look at the picture at the top again and try NOT to smile!

The Teacher Strike- Is it Justifiable?

One of the top stories in the news lately is the Kent (not far from Seattle) school district strike. My immediate thought when I first hear about it was" "What?! A strike at a time like this?" The economy is still in shambles and many are jobless. I found out later that the central issue is smaller class size. Other demands are fewer adminstrative meetings for more time with students and an increase in salary. Having been a teacher for many years, these issues are all too familiar, particularly about class size and workload.

In a family conversation about the strike and the central issue about class size, the question came up, "Is there really a difference for a teacher of a class size of 32 compared to a class of 30?" I've been thinking about this. I think it really depends on the demographics of the class and the characteristics of the 2 additional students. It also depends on the total number of classes that teacher has.

I think about the classes I myself have taught. For example, one year I had five classes of 39-40 students. I had 4 different lesson preparations and the classes were of different levels and subjects. In one particular class, I taught general science. It was a class of forty 14 year-olds. About thirty do not have a good grasp of English, two of whom can barely write their names, at least six with serious discipline problems, seven of whom want to learn but can only make it with extra help. Adding even a single student to this large mix is unthinkable. In contrast, when I was teaching in junior college, the students were more able, more mature and relatively motivated. Two hundred 17 year-olds in a lecture theater was not ideal but still doable. In my opinion though, the real learning still took place when they were in their smaller tutorial classes of 20-30 students. I had more time for out of class one-on-one help. At this level and with these category of students, was there a difference between a class of 24 and a class of 30? A definite yes!

When I was teaching, class sizes of 40 was the norm in secondary schools in Singapore (equivalent to middle and high school in the U.S.). I had expected class sizes in the U.S. to be no larger than 25 or at most 30, so it's a surprise to find out that (though I expect rare) some classes are as large as 45 in Kent. Surely it did not get this bad overnight.

If one were to claim there is no difference between a class of 32 and a class of 30, how would a class of 34 and a class of 32 compare? Or a class of 36 and 34? Or 38 and 36? You get the idea. My point is, someone allowed things to get THIS bad.

I have not verified this, but I read that the Superintendent of the Kent School District, who is a Government employee, gets paid more a year($240,000+$833 car stipend) than the Vice President($227,300) of the United States. Assuming this is true, for a salary like that, I would expect problems to be fixed before escalating to this point and in fact, Kent should be expected to progress to nothing less than a top class education system for that salary to be justifiable. It makes me wonder how else educational funds are being (mis)used. It is conceivable that, despite the economic situation, these funds could be better prioritized.

Where I come from, strikes are unheard of. The only means of protest for poor job conditions in teaching, as in most jobs, is to quit. There have been changes made over the years. Efforts were made to improve promotional opportunities and improve salaries for teachers. I think this has really made it more competitive to get into the teaching profession and, as a result, has made it possible to hire better teachers. There are also plans to reduce class sizes, starting with the elementary schools, which is reason to be optimistic about the future of education. Still, too many great teachers had to leave the vocation before the higher-ups took notice.

Though I think the goals of the Kent teacher strike are worthy, I am still unclear if the strike is a justifiable means. Is mass quitting the only other alternative to get the wheels turning in the right direction?

Dentist update

Well, I finally had my dentist appointment for my toothache. The dentist did all sorts of tests to figure out where the pain was coming from and finally discovered it--OUCH!! She felt a root canal was the best way to go since it was a tooth that had periodically bothered me through the years. Who am I to say no to two hours of drilling and picking? And now I get to have another session later this month to complete the root canal. What I can say is right now, I feel the best I have in four days and when this is done, I shouldn't have any more discomfort. But, I do get to have the pictures! I've always wanted to get a picture of me in a dentist chair. Why? Just because...

I've got a toothache!

Saturday night, while at work, my tooth started hurting a bit. I thought it was nothing, maybe just a temporary soreness due to biting on something. I took some ibuprofen and didn't think about it. Sunday night, it got worse. I couldn't get to sleep; I'd get close and then the pain in my tooth would wake me up. Monday morning, 6am, I woke up and knew I had to get some help. I called in sick and then called the dentist. They could squeeze me in at 9am--relief!! They discovered a bit of decay under an old crown. They gave me an appointment for 2pm Wednesday to get it fixed. They also gave me two prescriptions, one for Vicodin to help with the pain, and one for pennicilin, in case there were any infections. I've spent the last two days taking that medication and it really seemed the Vicodin had no real affect on me. For most of the past two days, I've gotten very little sleep and the pain in my tooth would come and go. I couldn't go to work on Tuesday since I could barely see straight at times-maybe the medication was having some sort of an effect after all? So, the past two days have been spent at home with Karen. She's been great, tending to my needs. I've spent my time sleeping whenever I can, reading two books from the library, watching some TV, and having great conversations with Karen.

I'm really looking forward to going to the dentist tomorrow. Maybe I need a root canal, maybe not. Whatever happens, I just want to be able to sleep without pain and not worry about any side effects of medication.

Thank you, Karen for all you've done the past two days!

Block Party

Tonight, Karen and I went to a neighborhood Block Party. My friend David and his family were co-hosting a block party at their home just a few miles from us. I thought it would be lots of fun to go and I'm glad we did. Karen made some delicious and spicy chicken wings and we also brought some fruit salad. When she was making the marinade for the chicken wings, even she was affected by the Jalapeno Chili Peppers! I wish I had a picture of her with her face all contorted--those things are stronger than onions and black pepper combined.


We had a great time, getting there a bit early to help set up tables and the food. There were lots of people there, from at least 8 houses in the area. Two propane grills were brought out for cooking and the tables were full of food.



The street was blocked off, allowing all the children to ride their bikes and draw with chalk on the streets without fear of cars. We met most of the people there. laughing and talking. They would ask us which house we lived in and I would tell them that we were friends of residents, but that we were also 'auditioning the neighborhood' since I know at some point we will be buying a home--maybe in this neighborhood? It reminded me of my own childhood in Salem, Oregon where kids could play in the streets without worrying about strangers, cars, or whatever, and everyone knew everyone else.




Thanks David and Susanne for inviting us!

Devil's Curry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Devil's curry (also known as curry debal in Kristang or curry devil) is a very spicy curry flavoured with candlenuts, galangal and vinegar from the Eurasian Kristang (Cristão) culinary tradition in Singapore and Malacca, Malaysia. "

My first, not so successful attempt at making some curry devil.
Way too spicy.
I could almost handle it but did not chance it on Chad.

Thank-you, Rhonda for getting my mom's recipe in the Family recipe book wedding gift and thank-you Mom, for the on-the-phone extra tips.

I did not think I could do it, but I did. I made some, just like my mom makes it. Well, perhaps not EXACTLY like my mom makes it, but close enough. And it only took two tries to get it 'close enough'!

My second attempt.