"Feels something like summertime, top down ain't nothing but time. Radio's on and you're by my side, feels something like summertime." ~bon jovi
My life sucks right now, so I don't feel like writing about it because that will just make me more depressed. But I like blogging, so I'll try to write something. I'll write about Bon Jovi's new album, Lost Highway. It's really, really good. I've been listening to it since it was released last Tuesday and I'm hooked. It's not bad at cheering me up. Jon Bon Jovi's voice is suited for country music, and he does a great job of capturing the feel of Nashville. I just hope those boys don't forget they're from New Jersey, though. :-) I'm sure they won't; they're Jersey boys for life.
Not everything about my life sucks right now, so I guess I can write about one of the good parts. Our friends the Johnsons are at their house in CO for the summer, so they have generously granted me full access to their pool. I love riding my bike over to their house and going for a swim. Today was the perfect day for it, too; it's incredibly hot here. It's nice to have the pool to myself. I do some laps, play around in the water, practice some synchro...I could live in water. I love it. On the way to their house there's one road that I have to take, Bennington Drive, that's pretty steep. It doesn't look steep, but it definitely feels steep when you're pedaling up it on your bike. Riding back home, though, is so much fun because I get to just coast down the street. I don't pedal at all, my wet skin flows through the air, and it feels like I'm flying.
I remember the last time I roller-bladed down that street. It was about a year ago. I convinced Kim to go roller-blading with me, even though she really didn't want to. When she finally agreed to go, she wanted to find her old elbow and knee pads and her wrist guards, but I laughed at her and told her she would be fine. I know Kim better than anyone else, so I should have made her put on as much padding as possible, because she's the clumsiest person I've ever met. Instead, I dragged her out on the roads after me. We were actually having a great time before we finally decided to head home. Then we got to the top of the hill on Bennington. I started down it and Kim had no choice but to follow. I soon remembered how steep it was, but by then it was too late to do anything about it. When I got close to the bottom of the hill, I threw my body off of the street and onto the grass beside me. It must have looked like a stunt fall in slow motion. My body was stretched out, my hands leading (Superman style) and my legs sprawled out behind (the roller blades surprisingly not weighing my feet down too much). I ended up slamming onto the grass chest first, knocking the wind out of me for a few seconds. I was fine, though, and no one had seen my film-worthy fall. I looked up in time to see Kim pummeling towards the bottom of the street, then watched her turn so as not to fly straight into the traffic on the road that Bennington intersected. Her body landed hard on the pavement. Her fall was much less graceful than mine. She ended up covered in scrapes and bruises, blood dripping from multiple sites on her arms and legs. After making sure she was okay and able to walk, I helped her up and we hobbled back to my house where my dad cleaned and bandaged Kim's wounds and I washed the grass and dirt stains off my body. That was the last time Kim went roller-blading with me. Sometimes when we're trying to think of something to do, I'll suggest a roller-blade. Kim will respond with her best glare, which will usually turn into laughter after my mischievous smile wins her over.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
"Well I woke up in mid-afternoon 'cause that's when it all hurts the most. I dream I never know anyone at the party and I'm always the host. If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts. You can never escape, you can only move south down the coast." ~counting crows
Oh my. These attempts to inspire participation are not going so well. Heather, I love you for responding. Congrats, you are the winner of the lyrics game!
Here are all the answers:
1. Keith Urban - Days Go By
(A great summer song.)
2. Paul McCartney - Every Night
3. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers
4. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
(One of the best songs ever.)
5. Bird York - In the Deep
(I looove this song. It's from the movie Crash.)
6. The Killers - Mr. Brightside
(One of the best pop songs ever written. I can't explain what it was like to stand in the front row at a concert, a few feet away from Brandon Flowers, and sing along with him to this song.)
7. Rascal Flatts - See Me Through
(I suppose I should be embarrassed that I have multiple Rascal Flatts albums, but I'm not; I think they're fun.)
8. Matt Pond PA - Grave's Disease
(I saw him play at UR [standing front row center, directly in front of him] and I really am surprised that he's not more famous by now because his music is beautiful.)
9. Sting - Desert Rose
10. R.E.M. - Sweetness Follows
11. Counting Crows - Rain King
12. U2 - Even Better than the Real Thing
13. Kate Havnevik - New Day
14. Chess the musical - Heaven Help My Heart
(Something from Chess was bound to come up; I have so many different recordings of the show. The song that popped up this time was from the Danish touring cast. Seriously. I collect whatever recordings I can get. Chess might be my favorite musical.)
15. Joni Mitchell - Come in from the Cold
16. Anika Moa - Wrestled with your Angels
(This one is impossible; Anika Moa is a New Zealand artist and she didn't want to release this album in the U.S. She's very big in NZ, though. And this is a really great song.)
17. My Chemical Romance - The End
18. The Strokes - Red Light
(I was so happy to hear them play this when I saw them last summer. It's a great song.)
19. Sarah McLachlan - Adia
20. Daphne Rubin-Vega - 90 miles
(I wouldn't expect a non-theater fan to know this one, because DRV hasn't really been able to break into the mainstream market.)
21. U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
(The one that came up on shuffle is a live recording from a U2 concert that I went to. Bono starts it off by yelling, "America, this is your song now." That gives me chills every time I hear it.)
22. Maria Taylor - Xanax
(One of my favorite songs from 11:11.)
23. Evita the musical - Buenes Aires
24. The Weepies - Riga Girls
(aw, the Weepies. I like them.)
25. Jewel - Little Sister
(Wow, this song takes me back.)
I promised a prize to the winner, which was probably not the smartest thing to do because I didn't have one in mind. So Heather, I'm working on it. :)
Oh my. These attempts to inspire participation are not going so well. Heather, I love you for responding. Congrats, you are the winner of the lyrics game!
Here are all the answers:
1. Keith Urban - Days Go By
(A great summer song.)
2. Paul McCartney - Every Night
3. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers
4. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
(One of the best songs ever.)
5. Bird York - In the Deep
(I looove this song. It's from the movie Crash.)
6. The Killers - Mr. Brightside
(One of the best pop songs ever written. I can't explain what it was like to stand in the front row at a concert, a few feet away from Brandon Flowers, and sing along with him to this song.)
7. Rascal Flatts - See Me Through
(I suppose I should be embarrassed that I have multiple Rascal Flatts albums, but I'm not; I think they're fun.)
8. Matt Pond PA - Grave's Disease
(I saw him play at UR [standing front row center, directly in front of him] and I really am surprised that he's not more famous by now because his music is beautiful.)
9. Sting - Desert Rose
10. R.E.M. - Sweetness Follows
11. Counting Crows - Rain King
12. U2 - Even Better than the Real Thing
13. Kate Havnevik - New Day
14. Chess the musical - Heaven Help My Heart
(Something from Chess was bound to come up; I have so many different recordings of the show. The song that popped up this time was from the Danish touring cast. Seriously. I collect whatever recordings I can get. Chess might be my favorite musical.)
15. Joni Mitchell - Come in from the Cold
16. Anika Moa - Wrestled with your Angels
(This one is impossible; Anika Moa is a New Zealand artist and she didn't want to release this album in the U.S. She's very big in NZ, though. And this is a really great song.)
17. My Chemical Romance - The End
18. The Strokes - Red Light
(I was so happy to hear them play this when I saw them last summer. It's a great song.)
19. Sarah McLachlan - Adia
20. Daphne Rubin-Vega - 90 miles
(I wouldn't expect a non-theater fan to know this one, because DRV hasn't really been able to break into the mainstream market.)
21. U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
(The one that came up on shuffle is a live recording from a U2 concert that I went to. Bono starts it off by yelling, "America, this is your song now." That gives me chills every time I hear it.)
22. Maria Taylor - Xanax
(One of my favorite songs from 11:11.)
23. Evita the musical - Buenes Aires
24. The Weepies - Riga Girls
(aw, the Weepies. I like them.)
25. Jewel - Little Sister
(Wow, this song takes me back.)
I promised a prize to the winner, which was probably not the smartest thing to do because I didn't have one in mind. So Heather, I'm working on it. :)
Friday, June 22, 2007
"Once again we've gone off track and lost all hope for coming back. It's time to restart again and try all over again." ~rooney
I highly recommend watching Conan tonight. It's a good one. Look for me in the audience (second row), although I doubt you'll see me. They don't do too many audience shots. I went to the taping and had a blast. Lauren Graham (my favorite actress; best known for portraying Lorelai on Gilmore Girls), Steve Zahn (he looked really good), and Rooney (love them) were all on the show. I'm exhausted now. Start thinking about that lyrics game.
I highly recommend watching Conan tonight. It's a good one. Look for me in the audience (second row), although I doubt you'll see me. They don't do too many audience shots. I went to the taping and had a blast. Lauren Graham (my favorite actress; best known for portraying Lorelai on Gilmore Girls), Steve Zahn (he looked really good), and Rooney (love them) were all on the show. I'm exhausted now. Start thinking about that lyrics game.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
"Do you believe in magic, in a young girl's heart? How the music can free her, whenever it starts. And it's magic, if the music is groovy, it makes you feel happy like an old-time movie. I'll tell you about the magic, and it'll free your soul, but it's like trying to tell a stranger 'bout rock and roll." ~lovin' spoonful
I'm sure this isn't going to work very well at all, but I'm going to try anyway. It's a game going around LJ. My friend Gen inspired me to try it. It requires participation; I know I have a few lurkers who don't comment, so now's the time to come out of the woodwork and participate. Here's how it goes:
Step 1. Put your playlist on random.
Step 2. Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3. Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly. NO GOOGLING.
So your job is to comment with the song title and artist of any that you know. Again, no googling/searching. Some of these are easy and some are not. I posted more than one line for most of them to make it slightly easier. Whoever gets the most wins...I'll think of a prize.
1. I'm changing lanes and talking on the phone, driving way too fast.
2. Every night I just want to go out, get out of my head. Every day I don't want to get up, get out of my bed.
3. Once there was a way to get back homeward, once there was a way to get back home.
4. So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain.
5. Thought you had all the answers to rest your heart upon. But something happens, don't see it coming, now you can't stop yourself.
6. Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine, gotta gotta be down because I want it all.
7. Before we met I was free, I never had to worry about anyone but me.
8. You do not worry, you do not try, the winter froze all of your things and you went inside.
9. I dream of rain, I dream of gardens in the desert sand. I wake in vain, I dream of love as time runs through my hand.
10. Readying to bury your father and your mother, what did you think when you lost another? I used to wonder why did you bother, distanced from one, blind to the other.
11. When I think of Heaven (deliver me in a black-winged bird) I think of flying down into a sea of pens and feathers and all other instruments of faith and sex and God in the belly of a black-winged bird.
12. Give me one more chance and you'll be satisfied, give me two more chances, you won't be denied.
13. Beautiful day, watching you as you awake, morning stars in your eyes, your hand in mine.
14. If it were love, I would give that love every second I have, and I do.
15. Back in 1957 we had to dance a foot apart, and they hawk-eyed us from the sidelines, holding their rulers without a heart.
16. Your words get me under; you're like shooting me in the heart.
17. Now come on, come all to this tragic affair, wipe off that make-up, what's in is despair.
18. Two can be complete without the rest of the world. Two can be complete without the rest of the world.
19. Adia, I do believe I failed you, Adia, I know I've let you down.
20. The guitar he could not find a purpose for, only pieces of wood he muttered. Break it up and float it to a distant shore to pursue his own good.
21. I can't believe the news today, I can't close my eyes and make it go away.
22. Afraid of an airplane, of a car swerving in the lane, of a dark cloud too low, of being swept away by an undertow.
23. To think that a man as famous as you are could love a poor little nothing like me.
24. Are your friends really your friends? Are you still waiting for the end of the day? Hey, hey, when will you learn to love what's sent from up above?
25. Hey little sister, I heard you went to Mr. so-and-so, knocking on his door again last night, said you needed it bad, you know that ain't right.
I'm sure this isn't going to work very well at all, but I'm going to try anyway. It's a game going around LJ. My friend Gen inspired me to try it. It requires participation; I know I have a few lurkers who don't comment, so now's the time to come out of the woodwork and participate. Here's how it goes:
Step 1. Put your playlist on random.
Step 2. Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3. Strike out the songs when someone guesses correctly. NO GOOGLING.
So your job is to comment with the song title and artist of any that you know. Again, no googling/searching. Some of these are easy and some are not. I posted more than one line for most of them to make it slightly easier. Whoever gets the most wins...I'll think of a prize.
1. I'm changing lanes and talking on the phone, driving way too fast.
2. Every night I just want to go out, get out of my head. Every day I don't want to get up, get out of my bed.
3. Once there was a way to get back homeward, once there was a way to get back home.
4. So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain.
5. Thought you had all the answers to rest your heart upon. But something happens, don't see it coming, now you can't stop yourself.
6. Coming out of my cage and I've been doing just fine, gotta gotta be down because I want it all.
7. Before we met I was free, I never had to worry about anyone but me.
8. You do not worry, you do not try, the winter froze all of your things and you went inside.
9. I dream of rain, I dream of gardens in the desert sand. I wake in vain, I dream of love as time runs through my hand.
10. Readying to bury your father and your mother, what did you think when you lost another? I used to wonder why did you bother, distanced from one, blind to the other.
11. When I think of Heaven (deliver me in a black-winged bird) I think of flying down into a sea of pens and feathers and all other instruments of faith and sex and God in the belly of a black-winged bird.
12. Give me one more chance and you'll be satisfied, give me two more chances, you won't be denied.
13. Beautiful day, watching you as you awake, morning stars in your eyes, your hand in mine.
14. If it were love, I would give that love every second I have, and I do.
15. Back in 1957 we had to dance a foot apart, and they hawk-eyed us from the sidelines, holding their rulers without a heart.
16. Your words get me under; you're like shooting me in the heart.
17. Now come on, come all to this tragic affair, wipe off that make-up, what's in is despair.
18. Two can be complete without the rest of the world. Two can be complete without the rest of the world.
19. Adia, I do believe I failed you, Adia, I know I've let you down.
20. The guitar he could not find a purpose for, only pieces of wood he muttered. Break it up and float it to a distant shore to pursue his own good.
21. I can't believe the news today, I can't close my eyes and make it go away.
22. Afraid of an airplane, of a car swerving in the lane, of a dark cloud too low, of being swept away by an undertow.
23. To think that a man as famous as you are could love a poor little nothing like me.
24. Are your friends really your friends? Are you still waiting for the end of the day? Hey, hey, when will you learn to love what's sent from up above?
25. Hey little sister, I heard you went to Mr. so-and-so, knocking on his door again last night, said you needed it bad, you know that ain't right.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
"Pressure, pushing down on me, pressing down on you...It's the terror of knowing what this world is about, watching some good friends screaming 'Let me out!' Tomorrow takes me higher, pressure on people, people on streets..." ~queen feat. david bowie
I haven't been in a writing mood lately. I'm not good at transition periods. I loved being in college. I know I'm going to love being a teacher and living in the city. But I hate this period in which I don't know where exactly I'll be teaching and living. I hate going to placement fairs and plastering a big, fake smile on my face as I frantically try to convince principals that I really am a good teacher. I hate coming home and listening to my mom tell me what else I need to be doing; even though I know she's just trying to help, it bugs me to no end. I just want someone to give me a job. And an apartment. I'm sick of looking at apartments that are better suited as closets. I know it will all work out, but I'm ready for that to happen.
Last weekend was a nice break. Actually, it was a fabulous break. Eleven of us stayed in a cabin in the Catskills. We hiked up Hunter Mountain one day, which was a blast. The total hike was a little over 8 miles, which isn't a big deal, so we left in the morning and assumed it would take us about half a day. We ended up getting down as it was getting dark; it took us more than twice as long as we thought it would. The "trail" we took going up cannot be called a trail in the traditional sense of the word. It was impossible to navigate; we lost the "path" multiple times. Tons of trees had fallen and they obstructed the way; we had no choice but to go over and through them. I (stupidly) wore shorts, and my legs ended up covered in cuts and scratches. The funny thing is, I loved it. I couldn't help but laugh. And when we got to the top we felt like we had really accomplished something.
I feel like I have multiple personalities, and last weekend I was theatrical, fun, outgoing Claire. I sang during the hike when anyone asked me to, even though usually no one else joined in (I think because they were too out of breath). We played Charades one night, and someone called it the Claire and Dina show because we were the ones who kept guessing everything (the person who guessed the correct answer got to act out the next clue, so the two of us kept going back and forth). I love Charades. And I'm good at it. Katie picked up on the fact that I get into it and am willing to act out pretty much anything, so she kept giving me really funny clues, like "Superman" (I ran around the room pretending to fly like Superman) and "Ninja" (never mind that "Ninja" is just a word and not a movie, book, TV show, play or anything). I loved just letting loose, and I didn't care about looking like an idiot. It was a good feeling. I only knew a few people on the trip before we left, but everyone was very friendly and we got along well. We built a fire outside and roasted S'mores one night, and we went on a short hike to a great waterfall on the morning of the day that we left. It was hard to come back to reality. Maybe I'll post pictures later.
Ooh, the Tonys! I forgot to talk about them! They cheered me up a whole lot. Spring Awakening won 8 Tonys (best musical, best book of a musical, best original score, best featured actor, best director, best orchestrations, best choreography, and best lighting). Billy Crudup, one of my favorite actors, won best supporting actor in a play. Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson (from Grey Gardens) won best actress and best featured actress (respectively) in a musical. Julie White's win was the one I was most excited about, though, because it was unexpected yet totally deserved. She won best actress in a play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed, in which she was absolutely amazing (that play was so underappreciated; I wish more people got to see it, because it was hilarious and relevant and smart and just wonderful). She was up against Vanessa Redgrave, Angela Lansbury, Eve Best, and Swoosie Kurtz, which is an insanely impressive list of actresses. White's acceptance speech was the best one of the night.
I haven't been in a writing mood lately. I'm not good at transition periods. I loved being in college. I know I'm going to love being a teacher and living in the city. But I hate this period in which I don't know where exactly I'll be teaching and living. I hate going to placement fairs and plastering a big, fake smile on my face as I frantically try to convince principals that I really am a good teacher. I hate coming home and listening to my mom tell me what else I need to be doing; even though I know she's just trying to help, it bugs me to no end. I just want someone to give me a job. And an apartment. I'm sick of looking at apartments that are better suited as closets. I know it will all work out, but I'm ready for that to happen.
Last weekend was a nice break. Actually, it was a fabulous break. Eleven of us stayed in a cabin in the Catskills. We hiked up Hunter Mountain one day, which was a blast. The total hike was a little over 8 miles, which isn't a big deal, so we left in the morning and assumed it would take us about half a day. We ended up getting down as it was getting dark; it took us more than twice as long as we thought it would. The "trail" we took going up cannot be called a trail in the traditional sense of the word. It was impossible to navigate; we lost the "path" multiple times. Tons of trees had fallen and they obstructed the way; we had no choice but to go over and through them. I (stupidly) wore shorts, and my legs ended up covered in cuts and scratches. The funny thing is, I loved it. I couldn't help but laugh. And when we got to the top we felt like we had really accomplished something.
I feel like I have multiple personalities, and last weekend I was theatrical, fun, outgoing Claire. I sang during the hike when anyone asked me to, even though usually no one else joined in (I think because they were too out of breath). We played Charades one night, and someone called it the Claire and Dina show because we were the ones who kept guessing everything (the person who guessed the correct answer got to act out the next clue, so the two of us kept going back and forth). I love Charades. And I'm good at it. Katie picked up on the fact that I get into it and am willing to act out pretty much anything, so she kept giving me really funny clues, like "Superman" (I ran around the room pretending to fly like Superman) and "Ninja" (never mind that "Ninja" is just a word and not a movie, book, TV show, play or anything). I loved just letting loose, and I didn't care about looking like an idiot. It was a good feeling. I only knew a few people on the trip before we left, but everyone was very friendly and we got along well. We built a fire outside and roasted S'mores one night, and we went on a short hike to a great waterfall on the morning of the day that we left. It was hard to come back to reality. Maybe I'll post pictures later.
Ooh, the Tonys! I forgot to talk about them! They cheered me up a whole lot. Spring Awakening won 8 Tonys (best musical, best book of a musical, best original score, best featured actor, best director, best orchestrations, best choreography, and best lighting). Billy Crudup, one of my favorite actors, won best supporting actor in a play. Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson (from Grey Gardens) won best actress and best featured actress (respectively) in a musical. Julie White's win was the one I was most excited about, though, because it was unexpected yet totally deserved. She won best actress in a play for her performance in The Little Dog Laughed, in which she was absolutely amazing (that play was so underappreciated; I wish more people got to see it, because it was hilarious and relevant and smart and just wonderful). She was up against Vanessa Redgrave, Angela Lansbury, Eve Best, and Swoosie Kurtz, which is an insanely impressive list of actresses. White's acceptance speech was the best one of the night.
Friday, June 08, 2007
"Hey there Delilah, what's it like in New York City? I'm a thousand miles away but girl tonight you look so pretty, yes you do. Times Square can't shine as bright as you." ~plain white t's
I love that song. I want to learn how to play it on my guitar. It sounds pretty easy (I'm sure that statement will come back to bite me in the ass).
Pretty soon I'm heading off to Hunter Mountain (in the Catskills) for a weekend of much-needed relaxation/fun. I know I'm not currently working so it doesn't seem like I would be in dire need of a weekend getaway, but job and apartment hunting have been pretty taxing. And I need a break from my family. So I'm excited. My friend Christin organized the whole thing (her company has a house there that she's allowed to use for the weekend), and a bunch of us are driving up there this afternoon. I hope Dina has enough room in her car for all of my stuff, because it's piled up in the kitchen right now and it looks like I'm going away for at least a month. The sheets, towels, games, food, boombox, and random stuff like that take up a lot of space.
We'll get back on Sunday night, hopefully in time for me to watch the Tony Awards (I'm recording it, but watching it live is so much more fun). Tony night is one of my favorite nights of the year. Nicole is going; I'm jealous. I'll have to watch for her on TV. I've got my fingers crossed for Spring Awakening; I really think (and hope) it will win Best Musical.
Next week it's back to the grind. On Monday I have another placement fair (oh joy) and on Tuesday I'm going to a hiring fair for a specific school (it's one at which I would LOVE to teach, but unfortunately I'm sure there will be a lot of people there competing for the same position). I just want the searching to be over.
I'll leave you with the music video for "The Bitch of Living" from Spring Awakening.
I love that song. I want to learn how to play it on my guitar. It sounds pretty easy (I'm sure that statement will come back to bite me in the ass).
Pretty soon I'm heading off to Hunter Mountain (in the Catskills) for a weekend of much-needed relaxation/fun. I know I'm not currently working so it doesn't seem like I would be in dire need of a weekend getaway, but job and apartment hunting have been pretty taxing. And I need a break from my family. So I'm excited. My friend Christin organized the whole thing (her company has a house there that she's allowed to use for the weekend), and a bunch of us are driving up there this afternoon. I hope Dina has enough room in her car for all of my stuff, because it's piled up in the kitchen right now and it looks like I'm going away for at least a month. The sheets, towels, games, food, boombox, and random stuff like that take up a lot of space.
We'll get back on Sunday night, hopefully in time for me to watch the Tony Awards (I'm recording it, but watching it live is so much more fun). Tony night is one of my favorite nights of the year. Nicole is going; I'm jealous. I'll have to watch for her on TV. I've got my fingers crossed for Spring Awakening; I really think (and hope) it will win Best Musical.
Next week it's back to the grind. On Monday I have another placement fair (oh joy) and on Tuesday I'm going to a hiring fair for a specific school (it's one at which I would LOVE to teach, but unfortunately I'm sure there will be a lot of people there competing for the same position). I just want the searching to be over.
I'll leave you with the music video for "The Bitch of Living" from Spring Awakening.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
"I don't know you, but I want you all the more for that." ~glen hansard & marketa irglova
The career fair that I mentioned before sucked. It was three hours of wandering around a huge ballroom full of rows and rows of tables where principals/school reps sat. All the teachers (there were tons of us) walked around the room and stood in line behind the tables to talk to the school reps. When you got to the front of a line, you'd have a mini-interview with the principal. The room was so loud, though, that you had to shout across the table at each other. And you had a whole line of people breathing down your neck waiting to "interview" for the same job. That is not an ideal interview situation to say the least, and I'm not even good at normal interviews where you can actually hear the person to whom you're speaking and don't have to worry about the crowd of people standing behind you. I spoke to a whole bunch of principals, most of whom said they'd email me once they decided if they wanted a follow-up interview and/or a demonstration lesson. I'm pretty sure I won't hear back from any of them. I'm still trying to set up some interviews on my own, but it's hard. English teachers are not in high demand. I know I'm guaranteed a job somewhere in the city, which is a comfort, but I'd love for it to be at a school that I like.
Today (actually, I guess it's yesterday by now) I went into the city and Nicole and I looked at a bunch of apartments. None of them were any good. We got to hang out for awhile, though, and we went to see the movie Once, so that made it a pretty fun day. The movie is fantastic; it's the best movie I've seen all year. It has a 97% on rottentomatoes.com (which is unheard of), it won this year's Sundance Audience Award, and it's been getting rave reviews all over the place, so you don't just have to take my word for it. It really is a beautiful film. The music will break your heart. It gave me chills throughout most of the movie. I liked being able to recognize much of the setting; it's an Irish film that takes place in Dublin. A lot of it was filmed on Grafton Street, where I spent a good deal of time last week. I can't say enough good things about the movie; just go see it. There are some video and audio clips and reviews here.
I saw a few other movies over the weekend. One night Kim and I went to see the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which wasn't fabulous. I still found it entertaining, though. I would find a video of Johnny Depp reading the phone book entertaining. I liked Keith Richards' cameo. We also saw Knocked Up, which was hilarious (yet also touching). I loved it. Katherine Heigl gave a very good performance, and Paul Rudd, one of my favorite actors, stood out in his supporting role. Go see it if you need a good laugh.
Hopefully this week I'll put photos from my trip to London, Edinburgh, and Dublin in an actual online album. I have tons.
The career fair that I mentioned before sucked. It was three hours of wandering around a huge ballroom full of rows and rows of tables where principals/school reps sat. All the teachers (there were tons of us) walked around the room and stood in line behind the tables to talk to the school reps. When you got to the front of a line, you'd have a mini-interview with the principal. The room was so loud, though, that you had to shout across the table at each other. And you had a whole line of people breathing down your neck waiting to "interview" for the same job. That is not an ideal interview situation to say the least, and I'm not even good at normal interviews where you can actually hear the person to whom you're speaking and don't have to worry about the crowd of people standing behind you. I spoke to a whole bunch of principals, most of whom said they'd email me once they decided if they wanted a follow-up interview and/or a demonstration lesson. I'm pretty sure I won't hear back from any of them. I'm still trying to set up some interviews on my own, but it's hard. English teachers are not in high demand. I know I'm guaranteed a job somewhere in the city, which is a comfort, but I'd love for it to be at a school that I like.
Today (actually, I guess it's yesterday by now) I went into the city and Nicole and I looked at a bunch of apartments. None of them were any good. We got to hang out for awhile, though, and we went to see the movie Once, so that made it a pretty fun day. The movie is fantastic; it's the best movie I've seen all year. It has a 97% on rottentomatoes.com (which is unheard of), it won this year's Sundance Audience Award, and it's been getting rave reviews all over the place, so you don't just have to take my word for it. It really is a beautiful film. The music will break your heart. It gave me chills throughout most of the movie. I liked being able to recognize much of the setting; it's an Irish film that takes place in Dublin. A lot of it was filmed on Grafton Street, where I spent a good deal of time last week. I can't say enough good things about the movie; just go see it. There are some video and audio clips and reviews here.
I saw a few other movies over the weekend. One night Kim and I went to see the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which wasn't fabulous. I still found it entertaining, though. I would find a video of Johnny Depp reading the phone book entertaining. I liked Keith Richards' cameo. We also saw Knocked Up, which was hilarious (yet also touching). I loved it. Katherine Heigl gave a very good performance, and Paul Rudd, one of my favorite actors, stood out in his supporting role. Go see it if you need a good laugh.
Hopefully this week I'll put photos from my trip to London, Edinburgh, and Dublin in an actual online album. I have tons.
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