many the miles

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

day 5: speaking english

blog challenge, day five: speaking english

i think i've always taken for granted the fact that i can hold a pencil and recite the ABCs backwards and forwards (abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz-zyxwvutsrqponmlkjihgfedcba). i've taken for granted that i know what sound a j makes (jaa-jaa-jump-jingle-jack) and that i can easily tell the difference between a k and an x and that my mom read to me every night before bed; that my dad knew the biggest words and how to spell them (e-q-u-a-n-i-m-i-t-y and l-u-m-i-n-e-s-c-e-n-t) and that i didn't have to learn a new language before understanding my own.

and that is precisely why i'm so incredibly excited to introduce my person/people/conversation from the day. i would love for you to meet my second (or third or fourth or fifth--who's counting at this point??) family. they are Congolese refugees, living in san diego, and i have the pleasure of tutoring them in english. (okay, let's not kid ourselves: it's not always pleasurable...it's usually slow and sometimes frustrating and often feels insignificant...except when Sofia recites every letter of the alphabet and spells her name and learns six new words then giggles at her accomplishment...then it's a pleasure again).

this week, sofia announced that she wanted to learn to read, and three of her kids circled around as we tried her very first words: family, mother, wife, sister, daughter. twenty-six abstract letters that she just could not memorize suddenly became real--she is a mother and a wife and a sister and a daughter. so we cheered and giggled and took three-steps-forward.

bahati asked about the world. countries and continents and what is the equator? he opened his "first encyclopedia" and stared in amazement at a page titled "earth." i had never been more thankful for mr. hinke's fourth grade science class, where i learned about the earth's core and sediment and tectonic plates. and oh my goodness, i wanted bahati to know, too.

we meet again on thursday for tutoring and giggling and dinner.

they really are becoming family. and if they're my family, you should probably know them too :)

Monday, July 12, 2010

day 4: life as hermione

blog challenge, day four: the movie i always wanted to be in

maybe i'm just saying this because i'm currently rereading hp4 (then 5, 6, and 7) and because i'm waiting in hopeful anticipation for this:

it should come as no surprise that, if given the choice, i would be hermione granger of the harry potter series. in particular, i choose harry potter and the deathly hallows (i know, i know, it's not out yet...but, if it's anything like the book, my list of reasons will still be true)

1. hermione is beautiful, smart, unashamedly nerdy, independent, awesome. who wouldn't want to be like that?

2. we have a lot in common. we both went through that horribly awkward stage of life, around age 12, with crimped hair and awkward crushes (i still have those...) and an obsession with the library and history books

3. ronald weasley is a total dream boat.

4. if you've heard me talk about hp at all, you know that book 7, page 176 is my favorite.

"...everything was quiet except for Ron and Hermione's slow, deep breathing. Harry glanced over at the dark shapes they made on the floor beside him. Ron had had a fit of gallantry and insisted that Hermione sleep on the cushions from the sofa, so that her silhouette was raised about his. Her arm curved to the floor, her fingers inches from Ron's. Harry wondered whether they had falled asleep holding hands..."

ron and hermione (me) finally get together. such good romance going on in the midst of tragedy. i love it.

5. i already have a picture at king's cross station, and i called my chemistry lab "potions," so, really, i'm 1/16 of the way there...

6. if numbers 1-5 aren't convincing enough, just rewatch the trailer...

Sunday, July 11, 2010

day 3: a loud life

blog challenge, day three (on time, with 3 minutes to spare):

"I wanted movement and not a calm course of existence. I wanted excitement and danger and the chance to sacrifice myself for my love. I felt in myself a superabundance of energy which found no outlet in our quiet life."

--Leo Tolstoy//Family Happiness

(Taken from Into the Wild)

me too.

i'm not sure exactly what to trace this insatiable desire for movement back to

even the friction that comes with movement

the tension of reality between two moving (and idealistic) parts

everything has always been possible to me

not easy, but at least accessible

ask me how guilty i've felt about that and you'll get an earful (or, an eyeful, in blogging land)

and a recap of years worth of traveling and bible studies and africa and jamaica and a sociology degree and a holy awareness of my place and my (frustrating, necessary, just, unjust, impossible) responsibility to not just exist

or, maybe it's genetic, maybe it skips a generation

like grandmother, like daughter

i want to learn a new language

and push against my own passivity

i want to do things that are difficult and frustrating for me, like teach english to a Congolese refugee family or change my diet/spending habits or try a new culture

and squeeze outside of the four white walls of a plain and predictable life

i want my life to be loud. mr tolstoy does too.

we're becoming fast friends.

day 2: my future self

i am two blogs behind (kendra and taylor have been posting left and right!)

and i am horribly indecisive (blog url/blog header/blog design??? AHH!)

let's see if i can play catch-up

tonight, blogs 2 AND 3

first, pretend today is yesterday (and thank you for your grace)

a belated blog challenge, day two:

my future self will probably live in another country.

she'll probably have a dog (an australian shepherd/border collie mix).

she'll probably never be okay with sitting still.

she probably might eventually have a husband.

she'll always be indecisive about trivial things (wall color, hair length, journal selection)

along the way, she'll think of a million reasons not to do what she's always wanted to do:

it's impractical,

it's dangerous,

it's lonely and hard,

parents and bills, academic qualifications, student loans,

and "wouldn't it be easier to just...s"

etc. etc. etc.

but, my present self wants my future self to live in another country.

to have a dog.

to do things that are scary:

(like spend a lot of money on a degree that will qualify me for work i love but probably won't pay the bills)

(like fall in love)

(like live with mobility and freedom)

(like cherish independence and nurture relationships)

(like learn to be content sitting still or moving like crazy)

when present me runs into future me on the street (tomorrow, or next saturday or june 14, 2017), future me will probably still be indecisive; she'll still want her hair just a few inches longer; she'll probably be still be running through the list of reasons not to for new scary things

(like getting one of those husband people)

(like adopting a baby)

(like applying for a totally different job)

(like being all-grown-up)

she'll need advice from her future self, too.

so, from future me to present me

(and from present/future me to present/future you):

you are stronger and more capable than you know.

do scary things, and start now.

(and, while we're at it: get that tattoo, stop eating so many cookies, you'll love that cute house you found on craigslist, you don't need that shirt, that hard phone call is always worth it, you'll be text twist champion, always paint your toenails green, and always always always say i love you)