Well, the past 24 hours have been pure emotions.

We went out to dinner last night with Candace (and Mike, a friend of hers from work who is a friend of ours now...or shall I say...of Amy :) Anyways, Candace ended up crying through the last part of dinner because I am leaving. She and I have had such a special bond. Of course, I started crying too, and when Felicia sees me cry, she starts crying, so half a table of girls are just in tears and poor Mike just doesn't know what to do.



There is the group (minus Mike)

Today was just a whirl wind...
First off, Candace had to wait about 20 minutes outside the classroom because she was crying too much. Our friend Jacob helped her get through it (one of the guys we went out with Saturday night) Bennett, one of my two boys that I work with everyday, wasn't here today, which was a blessing/devestation. I really wish I could have said bye to him, but I probably would have been more of a wreck if I had to say bye to all three of my boys. Saying bye to Freddy was really rough. I could tell he was really upset, and he was dreading me leaving. He was back to being bye my side and acting like he didnt know how to do his work, thinking it would make me stay longer or something... I got about 50 hugs from Kainoa and Freddy. Kainoa CRIED. and was pretending that it wasnt because of me. but then he cracked. I wish I could show you these kids, but I dont want a law suit, so ask me later.

Rough rough day.
But, Hapuna beach tomorrow.

Much love.

I feel weird, like I'm going to end up living here. I LOVED living in France, loved living in Tanzania, but could never actually see myself living there. Hawaii, I feel like I belong here. Watch out mom and dad.

Without a doubt, yesterday was the most random day of this trip.

It started off by going to watch Candace (the Hawaiian ELL aid in my class) in her tennis tournament. That was all good and fun, then we went up to Hapuna beach which is one of the best beaches in Kona. Its actually in Kohala though i think. Anyways, it was beautiful and the water was great and the sand was perfect and I just had a lovely time! and didn't get burned!
Then... one of the other girls I'm with, well her teacher she is working with was doing this dance at a cultural night thing at the mormon church. well that was quite the experience... but the free food called to us. Really, this was the first time I felt like a complete outsider the entire trip. We were the only people there (most likely), out of about 600 people, that dont attend one of the 3 wards in Kona. They had this cultural night to reflect all the cultures... Samoan, Tongan, Phillipino, Mainland, Japanese, it was out of control. They each did some dances and songs and oh there was a buffet that went around the whole gym of food from each of the cultures. I'd say about 3/4 of the Mormons were islanders, and about 1/4 of the Mormons were white. And then there were the four of us girls who people just stared at. hahah. then during the last samoan song, typical looking mormon 18 or 20 year old sat in front of the stage and all the little chiildren gathered and they had pictures of Jesus they held up and told stories. I was really uncomfortable.

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was sitting there, and this guy comes and touches my arm. WHo was it? ANDREW!!!!!!!!! Andrew was the guy that sat next to me on the plane here 3 weeks ago who told me all the places to go!! He and Kaylana (the girl he was with on the plane) were there and it was SO exciting to see him.

After that, we met Candace at the bowling alley bar to do kareoke. Then she called her friends (young islanders... haha) to meet us. Then we went to Lulus. the end.
haha

Oh here is what i ate at the dinner. Dont ask me what it was

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has actually read this! Ha.
My kids realized (one of our vocab words this week!!!!) that my last day is Tuesday...
They were not pleased.
The end is near, and i'm not sure how i'm feeling about it. It will be nice to get into a routine up at school, and to see the fam first :)but, I love this place. My kids are hilarious, and I've learned a lot. My two ESL boys have completely changed my life and make me proud everyday. I only wish their teacher could take the time to see their accomplishments. Anyways, here is our last weekend... Tonight we are going out.. then tomorrow we need to do things like souveniers and beaches and those kind of things. Then, Sunday, Candace (the aid in my class who me and my girls have gotten really close with) Is having us over to her house for a bbq with her family and friends. She has been just amazing.

One of my girls took a big bite out of a boys back today. Oh dear.

We got school T-shirts today! Go Kealakehe Warriors!!!!

Tonight we went down to the pier and watched the sunset and ate shaved ice.

I have started taking tylenol PM again because poor Felicia was reporting me screaming, talking, and getting in her bed. She has a cold so she is on medicine too. Works like a charm for us. sleepy sleepy!

I want to be an ESL teacher. That's my decision. The highlight of my day is spending my time with my two boys who are still learning how to read/speak English. I love them more than anything.

We went snorkeling yesterday!!!
I have to say, i'm pretty proud of myself. I was the only one that was scared going into the experience, and by scared I mean terrified. Completely terrified. Of sharks, of cutting my foot on coral, and of fish. I do NOT like fish. and I especially do not like the idea of fish touching my feet. So, I was terrified. But all humility aside, I was the most brave out of all of us... and all my girls were completely shocked. I didn't hold on to the boogie boards.. I was out like a little dolphin swimming by myself. And I looked good. Anyways, we saw lots of cool fish. Nothing ate me, I stayed away from the coral, and yeah. it was fun. I was exhausted though from swimming for so long! A teacher from our school took us.. and after we got out he told me his friend had been in that same bay a little while ago and a little farther out than we were saw 4 shark. I was so mad. But it's a good thing he hadn't told me that before because there is no way in HECKS that I would have stepped toenail into that bay. Here is my claim to fame.

What a fun weekend we have had, and it's not over.
Furlough Friday we went to the beach, then spent some time at my second home, starbucks, and did some work on our portfolios.
Saturday was about the same. Beach in the morning, and relax/hw in the afternnoon.

Today, my amazing new friend Candace (the ESL tutor from my 1st grade class) took me and my girls out to green sands beach. First we went to the city of refuge. in the 1800s when King Kemehameha was ruling, this area in the south of the big island was a place where those who had been convicted of a crime could run to, and if they got there, they were safe from all harm, even by the king. So that was a cool history/cultural thing to experience.
Then we drove to greensands, you have to completely off road to get there (Candace drove us in her car, ya?) We stayed there for a while while Candace, her husband and her sons rode dirt bikes. Then we all drove to this bay and they cooked a wonderful dinner. Candace is so amazing. We had really great chats today and she is just wonderful.

Here are some pictures from the weekend :)
Then you can decide if I can keep my camera dad :)

i'm furious

I dont have anything too huge to write about today. Normal day, school then beach. But heres the what I wrote about in my journal today. I am in a furious rage. If you care to read it. haha.
OH but my ESL aid brought us 3 bags of fresh fruit from her freinds gardens. Oranges, tangerines, avacado and papaya.

Day 9
January 14th 2010

I learned a lot today; about the school, the island and myself. The two little boys I work with the most are both Marshallese and are both new to the school within the past four months. I have been curious about what brings people of some of the more distant islands, like the Marshall islands, and my teacher helped me to understand why. In the past, the U.S. had used islands like the Marshall Islands as a place to do nuclear testing. Still today, there are toxins in the air that are impacting the lives of the islanders. For this reason, the U.S. gives extreme priveliges and are very welcoming to these islanders because of the problems the U.S. has caused. She also explained to me that in Hawaii, the Marshallese are considered to be the “low income” culture of the island.
I can’t remember if I have mentioned this, but we have been reading lots of books about Martin Luther King Junior. And it hit me, that if my kids were alive back then, only one of my kiddos would be receiving the “good, white” education that MLK Jr fought so hard for, for all kids. I can’t imagine seeing my other 20 kids being told they aren’t allowed to do certain things, or treated like the non-white kids were. I think my kids have such a great benefit in that there are SO many cultures in their class and community. They don’t see a difference in the color of skin, at least in any negative way… they do think me and my friends are all related. They also asked me if I have ever tried a cheeseburger or if we have pizza on the mainland .
As for outside the U.S., I have seen many many schools. I have been to Africa and seen the schools there on two occasions, and sadly, I realize that schools there are going to be below-par than how we value and fund our schools in the U.S. However, what makes zero sense to me is that Hawaii is in the UNITED STATES and you would not think so based off of the school system here. Teachers are required to buy much more with their own money than the mainland schools, are given less materials and supplies, and on top of that, have 17 less full days of school becasue of Furlough Fridays (government cut back of all state employees). In addition, every Wednesday the students get out an hour early, and every other Tuesday a roving sub is in the class for two hours a day so teachers can go to a meeting. This is an average of 8 hours every other week that students in Hawaii are missing, that kids on the mainland are spending in school. 8 hours every other week adds up to 144 hours less of schooling that these kids are receiving compared to mainland kids, which is equal to 24 days, which equals one month. Kids in Hawaii are receiving a month less of schooling than kids on the mainland. That is not ok.

I finally saw WHALES!!!

Today was a half day at school, so at 130 we left with Candace. (the aid in my classroom who helps with the students learning English). She has been wanting to take us around and show us some history on the island which was awesome, and SO FUNNY. she is a hilarious lady. Anyways, we went to the place where King Kamehameha was born, saw the original statue that he was given LONNNNG time ago from England, we went to Waikaloa and saw the dolphins but the best ever... WE SAW WHALES!!! MULTIPLE TIMES!!!!!!!!!! we would just pull over on the side of the road and THERE THEY WERE! I am convinced one of them was half moon (the whale I adopted through the whale adoption project about 10 years ago) because right when i said his name and told the girls about him, this one whale started waving. it was half moon. i know it was. he heard my voice and we were reconnected. it was a magical moment.

Today I had the pleasure of making SNOWMEN with my first graders. This was such a comical event. We are doing an author study of Jan Brett, and since a lot of her books take place in the snow, and this is Hawaii’s “winter” we decided to incorporate snow into the lessons, as they kids are always so interested in it! So, I brought in some pictures of snow from my camera of Portland and Spokane in the snow storms and the kids were just AMAZED! The results of some of the snowmen were hysterical. Arms were coming out of heads, scarves were upside down… things that kids on the mainland grow up knowing how to make these kids just haven’t experienced!

I went on a run today after school instead of going to the beach! go me!!! the humidity made it rough though. the ocean view helped. It reminded me of my runs in France.

Last night we went to a hula show at an outside bar/restaurant. It was so fun! Right on the ocean. First a band played, then 5 girls came and performed hula. They were ages 4-17 and they were phenomenal! So, i'm sitting their minding my own business and one of the little girls comes over and takes my hand and MAKES me go up on the stage. My other girls got pulled up to, and a little tiny girl and a really old man. It was quite the scene. Oh and one of our teachers that met us for happy hour. haha.

January 10th

Yesterday was pretty intense!
It was Amys birthday and so we went to Volcano national park!
Here is what we did:
1: Went to black sands beach and saw some SEA TURTLES!!!!
There were 2 of them and they were almost 3 feet long. I loved them!!!!

The rock right behind this turtle is the one I was sitting on!
He didn't call when I called him :(
Here is what the black sand beach looked like

2. Then we went to Volcano National Park.

Here is me and all the steam I ingested:
Here is me in a lava tube.

And here is the crater!
Next we went to Akaka Falls

Here we are!
Amy, Dana, Felicia, Claire and Ebay

Then we went into this tiny little town and met Mr. Ed who let us sample sooo many of his jams!
He is a retired teacher!



Then we had dinner to celebrate amys birthday at kona brew pub!

Dad. you will enjoy one....
I managed to make a huge scene at the beach today (imagine that. ME make a scene? Who would have ever thought!!) We had been laying on the beach for a while, and as I’m looking out into the ocean, I am sure I see a whale. Now, it is important to understand I have been obsessed with whales since elementary school. So naturally, I stand up and start SCREAMING and jumping up and down telling the other girls I see a whale, they too thought it was a whale for a few seconds, but in the mean time, everyone at the beach was now up on their feet and staring at me, trying to figure out what was going on, if there was a problem or what I saw. Meanwhile, Felicia, Claire and Amy are in hysterics because in fact, my “whale” is a kayaker out at sea. Humility is good for everyone I suppose! It took a while to explain to everyone on the beach that no, I wasn’t being attacked by a shark.

January 7th

Hello friends!
Today was pretty much like yesterday! I feel like I don't have a LOT to say! Other than I have 3 favorite little boys in my class. They just melt my heart. I adore them. The boys all BEGGED me to eat lunch with them but I had to do planning/meeting so i'll eat with them tomorrow.
After school we went to the beach again, and Safeway also!! Here are some pictures, sorry I dont have a lot to say! Tomorrow is Friday though so our first weekend shall be fun! Amy's birthday is Saturday! Tomorrow isnt a furlough friday though...(the hawaiian government is lacking funding soooo every other friday they dont have school.)
I took lots of pictures of my kids today but i cant post them online, so i'll show you when I get home!

Here is how cute my kids are hanging their backpacks and leaving their shoes outside!!



Much love.

Hello!
Today we are starting to get into more of a schedule. Now that we are in our final living space, it feels like we can get settled. Felicia and I are in one room, the other three are in the other. I woke up this morning COLD! which was a surprise. HAH. So, we wake up at 6, leave here about 645 and are at school til 2. Today however, the kids had a half day, so at 1 they left, and we had a teacher budget meeting until 2. After that, the five of us RUSHED home, got in our suits and screen and headed to the beach. It is at the old airport! It was soo nice. Ihave never in my life felt more relaxed. the breeze is wonderful. then we came home and made spaghetti!

At school today I got to know some of my kids a lot better. I was working with one little boy who has been in the US for 4 months and my teacher says he NEVER speaks and doesnt know much english, but he was speaking a LOT for me, and quite well... hm..... he is precious. he does fall asleep a lot though. I was waving his arms and he would NOT wake up. I eventually, no exageration had to PICK him up out of his seat andmake him stand and walk to wake up!!!

I don't have toooo much to say today. But yeah! Here are some pictures:

Me struggling to make it from the ocean back to my towel. thanks for capturing that claire:
Some of us at old airport beach:
Me hugging a palm tree:
Me and Felicia on Ali'i drive beach:
This was our first day in Kona, but I just got it from Claire's camera:
Much love,
Em

January 5rd 2010

Aloha.
We just got back from COSTCO! So strange, and they don't have pirates booty, my food staple. the lady told me it didnt have any sort of popularity on the islands.

Highlights of today?
1)We got to our new house. Basically, the set up is that we are in the re-done basement of a familys house (our landlord) he and his wife live upstairs with their kids, and down here there are two apartment type things! We have two bedrooms, and two bathrooms which is way better than our last one. 5 girls in one bathroom would have been a struggle for the month! The man also owns a house a few doors down the street which has a pool for us. yay. Oh, and when we got here he dissapeared into his garden and came back with a thing of bananas. He has banana and papaya trees. haha really? The kitchen situation is funny. it's outside!! the best way i can explain it is an open garage, without a garage door! There is a man staying in the apartment next to us who I just met. He is from Victoria BC and his daughter is doing his multicultural ed practicum right now too!

2) I met my kids-they are beautiful. I thought I had a white kid, but her name is Nakita.. and well, she isn't! Most of them have INTENSE names that I keep trying to pronounce :) Lots of Phillipeno kids, Hawaiian kids, and surprisingly about 4 kids in my class are Hispanic, which I didn't expect!

3) Every day is beautiful. Everywhere I look is the ocean. From about 5-7 the sun is just BEAUTIFUL beyond belief.

Things to get used to?
1) I miss my first graders a LOT.
2) A bird was in my classroom for a while.
3) Schools are very different here. Will take some time to get used to.
4) Bugs. Bugs. Bugs.

much love. here are some pictures for today if you want!

The sky tonight on our drive home from costco!
Our Kitchen

The bananas off the tree!
Our new ride. (i'm taking the picture)This is the parking lot at school for staff. um yes thats the ocean. and yes thats a surfboard.

A bit blurry, forgot to turn the sunset setting on, but there is a tease.
much love,
em

Hello!
Today was a wonderful day full of surprises.
We are locals by day (up until 2 pm) and tourists by night!!
I was worried about being white here, will all the sterotypes, and it's been so interesting being both a "local" at the school, and a tourist in town.
At school, everyone is SO welcoming to us. So warm and inviting and just the greatest. In town, we are looked at as tourists...
Today was our first day at school, it was an early morning (left here at 7) and got home at about 3. We THOUGHT we were going to walk home for an "adventure" (3 or 4 miles) but one of the teachers insisted on giving us a ride home. They are so kind.
When we enter my classroom, we take our shoes off. Today there were no kids, so I got to know my teacher pretty well and see curriculum and how the class is set up. My class haThe staff also had a luncheon which was so fun! GREAT PINEAPPLE! There are 1000 kids at this elementary school and over 45 full time teachers. Not like my little WTV!
Oh, and here is a look at what the campus looks like at Kealakehe Elem.

This above, is what the campus is like. lots of seperate buildings, palm trees, BRIGHT flowers, and of course, the ocean EVERYwhere you look. we are about 3 miles up the hill and so you can just see so much.

After we got home, we jumped into our swimsuits (put plennnnty of SPF 50 on!!) and headed to the beach. We stayed there for a while then headed down the road for some dinner!

Below, is a picture I took during DINNER.
love you all. take care.
em

January 3rd 2010

ALoha!!!
I am sitting on a bed in Kona, with 4 fans on. I got in at about 5pm and it was 80 degrees!!
First let me tell you about my plane ride from Maui to Kona. I sat next to this Hawaiian couple and they spent the whole flight telling me the good places to go, and how to pronounce things and everything. They both had names that I would butcher if I tried to spell for you, but they were wonderful!
Our taxi man for the month is named Nel. He is legit. Surprisingly, not, I am the most outgoing of my group so they sent me to find Nel. So I found some of his fellow taxi freinds and they called him for me.
Mom- Nel was really impressed that I said my Tutu lived on Oahu.
The four of us girls who are here (Claire doesn't get in for another hour) went and took a walk around the town and went to Taco Bell for dinner. We were all SO hungry and tired from a day of travels and that sounded easiest. But look! It was a cultural experience!!

Then we went to the market (the "grocery store" for all of you non Baylises.) It's an interesting thing being here not as a tourist, but living semi like the locals, buying groceries and stuff. I think I will like it a lot better this way, yes we will do some touristy activities, but the schools are our main focus. We start tomorrow, no kids will be there but we are going to go meet our teachers and stuff and then explore the island in the afternoon!
More to come, but here is a picture of Felicia and I!
Mahalo!