Below is the webpage of my school. The first day of school is an orientation on Friday, August 10. So far I have had two days of training, which is going pretty well. I have met most of the teachers at the school and we seem to get along well. There are some returning retired teachers on staff in addition to some younger blood like myself. We still need two kindergarten teachers…anybody interested? I have a spare room in my place. Stay tuned, I will have a class webpage soon. Also the technology resources are amazing here, lots of oil $$$, I will have: a smartboard, projector, new computers, and all the FOSS kits I could ever want.
Pictures soon...
http://pointecoupee.rosenwald.groupfusion.net/
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Inaugural ride around the lake (and first night in my new place)
Last night was the first spent in my new place. With most of the fleas eradicated and thanks to AC I was comfortable and got some sleep. I still need to figure out a way to get rid of the pesky creatures living in the lawn outside. Any suggestions? Typically, I would be against such chemical measures but I don’t see any way around it. Now that I have settled in a bit, to my pleasant surprise, I have found my complex of apartments and town houses to occupy more than just white folk. My initial impression of the neighborhood was that is was exclusively white, but after further observation I have found it to be predominantly white but with some blacks living in the immediate area too.
My bicycle reassembled, I put it to good use riding it in ninety+ degree heat around False River, the local oxbow lake (once was a part of the Mississippi). While only glancing at the my maps, I was not completely familiar with the total distance around the lake. To my amazement, it was about twenty-five miles around, the weather making it seem that much longer. Leaving out the detail, my sweatglands have had a better workout in the last 48 hours than in the last four years, combined. I was getting a little worried about dehydration and sunburn but fortunatly I was able to refuel with some cold juice, water, and 30 spf sunscreen at a gas station along the way. The lake is mostly bordered with seasonal homes and other fancy vacation type places. I did not realize the extent of the rich white vacationer population until now. Most living on the lake have speedboats, jet skis, and pontoon boats with large platforms to have floating parties on; which seems like a popular thing to do. The far end of the lake looks to be protected and serves as habitat for the local creatures. So far I have seen: soft-shell turtles and other water turtles, White Egrets, armadillo, but no alligator yet. Coming back around the lake, the area was mostly sugar cane, white looks like a giant grass and right now is about six to eight feet in height. Also, on the near side of the lake, coming back around, are about a dozen impressive historical antebellum style homes. These houses were built in the1700’s and early 1800’s and served as Plantation owners residences. Many of them remain within the original families. The Houses are all painted white with large columned wraparound porches and elegant French style architecture. The yards are typically landscaped with enormous Live Oak and Pecan trees, both of which have broad reaching branches hung with long strands of Spanish Moss.
Later in the day I continued riding my bike around and got some strange looks while on my cruise. If people have cars here they drive them. So, biking is usually reserved for kids in neighborhoods and the very poor. Maybe that can change. Although it was Sunday, I decided to check out the school to see if anyone was setting up. To my surprise three teachers were in their classrooms and all came out together a little startled that an unfamiliar face way checking out the school at such a time. I introduced myself and we were soon walking around looking at the different classrooms and talking teacher talk. They knew where my classroom was and showed me in. As the school was once at high school, I am in what was the science lab, which is perfect. Some of the original tools, like the gas burner hook-ups, are no longer functioning but I do have a large sink, a hood for experiments, and a large worktable. The room has a projector too, and maybe a smartboard (anyone know about these?). Pictures and more details are soon to come. Stay posted.
My bicycle reassembled, I put it to good use riding it in ninety+ degree heat around False River, the local oxbow lake (once was a part of the Mississippi). While only glancing at the my maps, I was not completely familiar with the total distance around the lake. To my amazement, it was about twenty-five miles around, the weather making it seem that much longer. Leaving out the detail, my sweatglands have had a better workout in the last 48 hours than in the last four years, combined. I was getting a little worried about dehydration and sunburn but fortunatly I was able to refuel with some cold juice, water, and 30 spf sunscreen at a gas station along the way. The lake is mostly bordered with seasonal homes and other fancy vacation type places. I did not realize the extent of the rich white vacationer population until now. Most living on the lake have speedboats, jet skis, and pontoon boats with large platforms to have floating parties on; which seems like a popular thing to do. The far end of the lake looks to be protected and serves as habitat for the local creatures. So far I have seen: soft-shell turtles and other water turtles, White Egrets, armadillo, but no alligator yet. Coming back around the lake, the area was mostly sugar cane, white looks like a giant grass and right now is about six to eight feet in height. Also, on the near side of the lake, coming back around, are about a dozen impressive historical antebellum style homes. These houses were built in the1700’s and early 1800’s and served as Plantation owners residences. Many of them remain within the original families. The Houses are all painted white with large columned wraparound porches and elegant French style architecture. The yards are typically landscaped with enormous Live Oak and Pecan trees, both of which have broad reaching branches hung with long strands of Spanish Moss.
Later in the day I continued riding my bike around and got some strange looks while on my cruise. If people have cars here they drive them. So, biking is usually reserved for kids in neighborhoods and the very poor. Maybe that can change. Although it was Sunday, I decided to check out the school to see if anyone was setting up. To my surprise three teachers were in their classrooms and all came out together a little startled that an unfamiliar face way checking out the school at such a time. I introduced myself and we were soon walking around looking at the different classrooms and talking teacher talk. They knew where my classroom was and showed me in. As the school was once at high school, I am in what was the science lab, which is perfect. Some of the original tools, like the gas burner hook-ups, are no longer functioning but I do have a large sink, a hood for experiments, and a large worktable. The room has a projector too, and maybe a smartboard (anyone know about these?). Pictures and more details are soon to come. Stay posted.
Friday, July 27, 2007
hopping house fleas
After drifting across the slow brown expanse of Mississippi in an old flat bed ferry I finally touched ground in the place I was set to end up, New Roads, Louisiana. My drive was notably expedited because I needed to get to the city hall and have my utilities turned on before the doors were locked on this Friday afternoon. Fortunately my toyota truck did a flawless job of moving me over four thousand miles across the country, and not in the straightest of lines I might add, as I visited a friend in Northern Minnesota canoe country before heading due south. The last 26 hours of my tour on down the Mississippi was not what I would call a pleasurable experience, as I figured that I could rest for a total of four of those hours if I were sure to make it on time.
At the city hall, and after completing much paperwork and laying down an overly sufficient sum of money, the office clerk pointed me in the direction of my new residence. It turns out my place neighbors the public library; is about four blocks from the school where I will be working in one direction and two blocks from the town's main street in the other. As I can see, the location is the best part about where I will be laying my head. Pulling in, to the small brick complex with lush tropical types of landscaping, I was very optimistic of what was to come. Opening the door, the place appeared clean, with a nice new fake wood floor and a fresh coat of white paint. It was spacious with two bedrooms and bathrooms (one for a roommate or guests) and the living room opened up with two narrow french doors to a cute square green back yard, with a sufficiently sturdy and tall fence (in anticipation on Mabel's arrival). I unlocked and smoothly opened one door before stepping out and making closer observations, checking for any garden potential. There was not a lot to see, so I casually walked back in, shutting the door behind. Something did not feel quite comfortable. My leg hair seemed to be tingling and starting to itch. Casually looking down at my flip flops I saw what looked like to be very small ants crawling all over my feet and inching rapidly up my calves. Quickly reopening the door and stepping back out onto the porch, I attempted to efficiently brush them off, and then more franticly brushed, aggressively slapping and flicking my lower legs. They were now hopping as if miniature water droplets on a smoking hot griddle, and seeming more bloodthirsty than any flea I had ever seen. After considerable effort, I imagine to have swatted at least 75 fleas off each leg. As it turned out, they were mostly congregated on the back porch, under the overhang where it was totally dry.
I left as soon as I couldn’t see any more black specks burrowing down in my leg hair. Walking back out the front door I came to realize that in my flea frenzy, I didn’t even realize the weather had changed from clear, sunny and humid, to honestly, the thickest downpour I have ever had to navigate. By the time I made it back to my truck, which was about 30 seconds of running, I felt like a defeated wet dog.
Fortunately the precipitation only stuck around for the less of an hour before clearing back up. And so it was a little cooler for the remainder of the late afternoon. The rest of the day consisted of: purchasing aerosol bug foggers, learning how to use the jack and spare tire on my truck (weighted down truck+large pot holes= easy flat tires), finding a dead frog plastered to the inside of my tire rim, and finding a place to stay tonight that was not infested with any type of pest. I also learned that I am living on the white side of the train tracks, literally.
Tomorrow will include sweeping up flea carcasses (let’s hope for a 100% kill) and barganing for cheap furniture at a local flea market, how ironic.
At the city hall, and after completing much paperwork and laying down an overly sufficient sum of money, the office clerk pointed me in the direction of my new residence. It turns out my place neighbors the public library; is about four blocks from the school where I will be working in one direction and two blocks from the town's main street in the other. As I can see, the location is the best part about where I will be laying my head. Pulling in, to the small brick complex with lush tropical types of landscaping, I was very optimistic of what was to come. Opening the door, the place appeared clean, with a nice new fake wood floor and a fresh coat of white paint. It was spacious with two bedrooms and bathrooms (one for a roommate or guests) and the living room opened up with two narrow french doors to a cute square green back yard, with a sufficiently sturdy and tall fence (in anticipation on Mabel's arrival). I unlocked and smoothly opened one door before stepping out and making closer observations, checking for any garden potential. There was not a lot to see, so I casually walked back in, shutting the door behind. Something did not feel quite comfortable. My leg hair seemed to be tingling and starting to itch. Casually looking down at my flip flops I saw what looked like to be very small ants crawling all over my feet and inching rapidly up my calves. Quickly reopening the door and stepping back out onto the porch, I attempted to efficiently brush them off, and then more franticly brushed, aggressively slapping and flicking my lower legs. They were now hopping as if miniature water droplets on a smoking hot griddle, and seeming more bloodthirsty than any flea I had ever seen. After considerable effort, I imagine to have swatted at least 75 fleas off each leg. As it turned out, they were mostly congregated on the back porch, under the overhang where it was totally dry.
I left as soon as I couldn’t see any more black specks burrowing down in my leg hair. Walking back out the front door I came to realize that in my flea frenzy, I didn’t even realize the weather had changed from clear, sunny and humid, to honestly, the thickest downpour I have ever had to navigate. By the time I made it back to my truck, which was about 30 seconds of running, I felt like a defeated wet dog.
Fortunately the precipitation only stuck around for the less of an hour before clearing back up. And so it was a little cooler for the remainder of the late afternoon. The rest of the day consisted of: purchasing aerosol bug foggers, learning how to use the jack and spare tire on my truck (weighted down truck+large pot holes= easy flat tires), finding a dead frog plastered to the inside of my tire rim, and finding a place to stay tonight that was not infested with any type of pest. I also learned that I am living on the white side of the train tracks, literally.
Tomorrow will include sweeping up flea carcasses (let’s hope for a 100% kill) and barganing for cheap furniture at a local flea market, how ironic.
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