Heaven Knows I'm Treading Jello

I am getting to be quite well verse in the art of sitting around my house doing nothing, well that’s to my obligations as an American citizen I was given a break in the heart pounding sitting around action in the form of jury duty, dum dum dum!!!!! However, this turned my sitting around and doing nothing from a home game into an away game. I reported to duty at the courthouse on Tuesday. When I hear, since I was reporting for the government to do my civic duty I kept saluting everyone…and I got plenty of weird looks. Sadly, this isn’t true, but I think that if I had arrived at the courthouse and walked up to the security guard and saluted saying, “Jason Moss reporting for jury duty, at your service,” I’d be the coolest person ever. Next time. While I didn’t salute they must’ve liked something about me because I was actually put on a jury…as an alternate. As an alternate I got to be witness to everything about the trial…except the deliberation. Me, and the other 2 alternates, spent the deliberation time on the computers facebooking and reading the news…but this was the day that I discovered that Mario Vargas LLosa had won the Nobel Prize for literature.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Vargas_Llosa, He is a Peruvian author and I was actually reading one of his books during my time in Peru. I have yet to finish it but my next book is to be a Spanish book, I think I’ll pick up where I left off in Travesuras de La Niña Mala or I’ll start La Ciudad y Los Perros. I am currently reading Alicia en el Pais de las Maravillas, it is an easy read because I know the story, and it’s not on the same literature level as Vargas LLosa. To read real literature in Spanish is much more challenging meaning that I will need to bring a dictionary with me every time I go to read in a park or coffee shop.

Fiddlesticks, I’ve been sidetracked…I blame the Nazis. So, I was picked for a case in the courtroom S, for Special, so says Ted, our bailiff…who seemed to leave a lot to host lectures and put them online…he he, ha ha I is funny. The trial didn’t actually start until Wedneday, where we began by being read to…dear Heyzuez was that boring. The judge read us basic instructions for being a jury…which I’m sure he’s read thousands of times before. I wish he had taken some liberties and added random words and phrases just to spice it up, like some pilots do for their speech before takeoff. “The presumption of innocence states that the defendant is innocent until the prosecution can prove him guilty, which is unlikely because I had the tie the prosecutions shoes this morning…things are looking up for the defendant,” Or something funnier. We heard all witnesses on Wednesday and then heard from the defendant on Thursday. Finally deliberations started on Thursday…ergo the one of facebook started on Thursday. Around 430 on Thursday, the judge called us all back in and told us that we had to come back Friday, I think he just really wanted to make sure that we got all of the facebooking done that we could…I must’ve known that facebook is how I communicate with my international amigos ( I really wanted to make an alliteration there…too bad, yes, I’m rambling). It was getting on lunch on Friday and we were worring how much longer we’d be stuck in the amazing luxurious couthouse in Pomona. Around 1130 we got called in and finally the verdict was read…we got out of there around 1230. I rushed over to watch my dad in a concert put on by Pomona College. I hadn’t seen one in probably ten years and it was nice being there.

Jury duty paid…and it has actually doubled my bank account in the three days that I served…gross I know. I got a lot of reading done, I raced through George Saunders’ Civilwarland In Bad Decline in three days, it was a great read but I still would like to memorize his story, I Can Speakä, I can’t get enough of that story. JD, not the scrubs guy, really messed up my work out schedule…I actually didn’t work out one of the days…a first in about a month….luckily I had done a double workout the day before…I mean I’ve already run 4 miles today and I’ll probably go to the gym later today too….why, because I have the time.

So, I still have homework that needs to be done by tomorrow. The Internet tells me that my homework will take me just about an hour. How does the Internet know how long my homework will take? Well, because my homework is to make something for a multicultural potluck. Being that I have no culture, I have decided to make something Peruvian, a culture that I am forcing my way into. I am going to make Lomo Saltado, which is quite simple…I’m not a great…lets face it, I’m a bad….cook. The dish is really just meat, veggies, french fries, and rice…I’ll find a way to make it taste not the best. Oh well, I have to stay connected with my Peruvian experiences. I have been noticing a curious thing. I walk by many meaningful objects in my room 10+ times per day. There are my flags on my way, with all their signatures, a ltter from a study right by my TV, my amazingly technologically advance cell from Cusco, and countless other things. Each day though, I focus on them longer and the memory becomes stronger than the object. This is completely nature, however, at times, I do feel as though that parts of my life are atrophying. I haven’t used my Spanish since I’ve been back, I haven’t done any teaching, and I haven’t done any community service, major staples of my life seem to be just distant memories…I suppose this is normal. My mind is always thinking of countless, and most ridiculous, metaphors for me to get a better understanding of the way things are unfolding. One example being that I’ve been off to the races but someone has put a big chunk of Jello in the middle of the track and I find myself treading Jello.

Random factoid: USC really needs to get their D sorted out

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3500

What is 3500? Well, a quick google search tells me that Nokia makes a phone with the serial number of 3500, but no, that's not it. "Yes, you in the back, what do you think?" The teacher asks (hint hint, wink wink, nowhatImean?) Maybe it's the Dodge Ram 3500, available with an 8L engine which produces 310hp? A mighty beast, but no!!!! No ! NO! ño! 3500 is the amount of hours I have working with students in the last two years. That's 1700 in Salinas, 1700 in Federal Way, and another 100 in Cusco. Of course, that doesn't cover all the work I've done with students. I have coached gymnastics for years, another set of hours and not to mention all other random volunteer work with students that I've done. I consider myself quite qualified to work with students, not only because it is something I am comfortable with, but because I'm bloody good at it.

Lets put away the record books and take a look at what's going on right now. Right now, I find myself watching many movies and TV on DVD. I have read a fair amount, the best thing I've done in the past month, and I work out about 9 times a week, also a perk, but all in all, I do a lot of nothing. Nothing leads to boredom and boredom leads to a desire to spend money, however, I'm bored because I'm desempleado, ergo, no money, ergo, I can't do things that cost money, ergo, I'm bored.

I have an idea, that's advance my life plans. Dear god, can you hear me, it's me Mar...Jason, I want a shiny toy spaceship and to be a teacher. Well, to be a teacher one, me, needs their, my, certification. To get this certification one has to earn it. That is why, twice a week, I go to classes at a local private university. I spend 5 hours in two different classes, learning....nothing. These classes have been disigned for people who are completely new to education and schools. Yes, there are people who are currently observing in classrooms, have helped in their child's class, or who are subbing, but they don't truly know what it's like to be at a school, each day, working with the same students, and working within the system of a school...but I do. I'm sure that I sound quite arrogant. I find myself sitting in my class thinking that I am wasting my time. I know that these classes will lead to other and then I will be all certified, which is definitely what I want. But there has to be a better way, I can't see anything worthwhile in what I'm doing. The last thing that I did that fits with my lifestyle was saying goodbye to a student in Peru. I personally went to her house and made sure that I was able to say goodbye. Those were the days, eh? I miss having students, I miss doing something with my time, I miss doing the things that I love. It wasn't easy to figure out what I cared about in this world, but I figured it out, and now, after two straight years of doing things I love, I find myself, stagnant, stalled, and starving to find an outlet for my passions.

Random factoid: I ran a 5k last week and I got 3rd place for my age group...wow, 20-24 year olds are slow if I got 3rd.

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Restless Landscape

I don't really have much to write about...which is what I'll write about. I feel like I've stalled. Class and coaching are a chance for me to do something, class even helps my future, but I just keep applying and not hearing anything from other jobs. I feel like all the things I've done since I've left college have no impact on my current life. I am not suggesting that they weren't great experiences, they were lo mejor, it's just I am sad because my life now is not based on anything that I've done in the last 26 months.

On the bright side I am working out a lot, which is cool. Plus, I coached on Friday and it was so much fun being back with students. One of my girls only spoke Spanish and I really hope she keeps coming back because I have been researching gymnastical words in español. I won't have a full coaching schedule until octubre but I'll be doing a couple classes and a couple of private lessons...don't let me forget to call those privates tomorrow.

Random factoid: I like the look of my posts better with pictures so I'm adding one on here, it's from Peru, which I know isn't all that current.

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Worst Metaphor Ever

"If nothing is done immediately, many cohorts of students will miss their educational opportunity and sink into poverty." A quote from the final paragraphs of the book in front of me. It is a World Bank Country Study, Peruvian Education at a Crossroads: Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st Century. Written in 2001 the book has five chapters that only take up 68 pages of this 281 page book. The remaining pages are all taken up by the appendix and background notes. Por ejemplo, for the chapter that most intrigued me, the one about teachers, there was a background note last 15 to 20 pages explaining how teachers become teachers. Why this couldn't've just been part of the normal chapter I'll never know. I just finished this book not but an hour ago...and when I say "finish," I don't mean that I read every page, cover to cover. It means that I "finished," all of the chapters and only read the background notes that appealed to me...like the one about teachers.

This book is just one book from the stack of books I have about education in Peru in my room. Combine those with the education books I have to read for my classes then I'm doing to major learning about learnering. I am going to start coaching at BV again in the afternoon but I still I'm longing to find work for the morning/early afternoon and weekends. I would love to have a job in a school because I miss being around students all of the time, I miss the lil' scamps.

My reading is a nice way for me to stay connected to Cusco. I sit here now with the TV off and no music...ergo, no distractions. This is when my longing is the strongest. My life is so connected to Cusco that it will truly never leave my mind ( don't worry Cusco you'll always be on my mind when I am living in you again...not creepy, I promise) I am choosing not to build a bridge and get over it (here comes the garbage metaphore) but instead to build a dam and channel that energy towards making my all my decisions focused and I am able to live up to my dreams.

Random factoid: Peruvian teachers make roughly $3,000 a year

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The Teacher Becomes The Student

There are 168 hours in a week. I spend roughly 56 of those hours sleeping. I had planned to spend 10 hours each day working and a couple hours a week in school. I now spend roughly 5 hours a week in school, a start, but I still need to find a job(s). I've applied to be the guy who drives the food from the central kitchen to all of the Claremont schools, a sub in Chino, and a job at Edible Arrangements...no go. I'll keep looking because I NEEEEEEED to occupy my time with work. I need to save up money and I need to go home.

I am super glad that I've started school. I've have one class so far and it was all about ELL, it reinforced a lot of things I already knew but that's only be I've worked with my share of ELL kids. I have class on Monday too. That means I won't be super busy, but now I'll be less bored too. I am still not registered at the school but while I get all of my paper work together they let me go to class.

I miss Cusco, but I've been talking to some people. Emails from students and I've been calling friends. I also got an email from a student from Salinas and another from Federal Way. I truly love hearing my students...my life=my students. My life on track, location...still working out the bugs.

Random factoid: I just finished my cup of coffee

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Concerned Cycles

I am afraid I'll fall into traps. Traps that I always fall in when I'm living in California. Cycles of the unemployed. Traps of a generic American coming back from time abroad.

Hopefully I'll be starting school real soon, but I am still unemployed, something I would like to fix two times over. My goal to be so busy that I don't realize I'm living at home has had the opposite happen. I am not busy at all. I do what I always do when I'm home for xmas, go to Klatch and work out...both great things, but neither a footing for a worth while life, that works towards my goals. I've had some communication with my future home but have only dreamt and hoped about how to get there. Frustration is fueled by inactivity and boredom. Hope is fueled by memories and imagination. I need to find a way to live more in the realm of hope and hold on tight to memories and imagination and parry all negative activities that come with inactivity and boredom.

Random Factoid: None of the school districts around me are hiring subs.

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Transition

Let me preface this post by saying that it is not anticonsumerism or antiUS…got that Washington….get out my grill! I’ve been back in the States for almost three days. To my surprise I have not wrestled with being back as bad as I did my first trip. I hated everything my first time back…the fat people, the food and the malls…all of it. I was at the mall today and I didn’t have the urge to set it on fire. I have no problems with malls, at least not any more than I did before my trip. Here’s the thing…I have just about zero dollars…I want a lot more…I need a lot more…but without money it is quite hard to leave your house in Claremont. Even if I want to go to the village I have to sit on a bench and either stare at a storefront or a nondescript road. The only parks are super small and tucked away in weird parts of town and lack any usable seating. The colleges aren’t a bad though, so there is that option.
All places where people gather here on the raggedy edge of the Inland Empire are shopping centers. The coffee shop I went to today was right next to a target and cleanest and brightest non-shop in the area was the newly paved parking lot. Take the Claremont village, a place design for people to gather and spend some time, maybe a car show or a just a walk around but to expand the village they added stores. There is no place in the village where you can come and sit and read, without buying anything. However, you are surround by shops and soon just want to buy something. The plazas in Cusco are much bigger and are centered about just being a plaza, a place where people meet, sit, take pictures, and yes spend money. There are businesses in every plaza…but they are not businesses are not all that you notice when in a plaza, but the village isn’t the village, it becomes 21 Choices, Yogurt Land, The Grill or Rhino. (Sorry if these names don’t mean anything) I’m not declaring one better than the other, only making an observation...interesting, eh, by?

I went in for my writing sample today at ULV and it seemed easy…hopefully I didn’t mess it all up. I have my interview next Wed. which means I have nothing to do for a week…which sucks…that means I’m going to want to spend money and I have nothing. I’d rather have no time to spend money because I’m too busy working and making money. I think I applied for a subbing job in Chino but I don’t know if I’ll get it or not….

Random Factoid:The Brits don't use a Z in the word organization...they write organisation...wierd!

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