Coming to an End *tear

So, you know how I said I was going to try and write more often? Well, I clearly lied. Therefore, I apologize to my faithful fans for sparse blog posts. I also apologize for being pretty bad at keeping in touch with everyone! The very little free time I get, I usually just want to spend it quietly, curled up in my bed with book in hand, escaping from people. I know, I know, no excuses. But I'm doing it anyway. So sue me.

Now, I said in the last blog that I have changed my attitude, and you know what? It's actually working. Maybe it's the fact that this project will be over next Thursday, or the fact that I get to see Dan (who I haven't seen in 3 months) next Friday, but I really think I'm feeling much better about AmeriCorps. I decided to search hard for the personal benefits I am receiving from the program. I'm feeling much more confident about my academic abilities as I tutor geometry, algebra 1, and now, a little algebra 2. Also, I know that as long as I put in effort, I think I excel in many areas. Or at least I think I can pull off most of the tasks given to me. (Now, if only I could get a full-time job...) Along with confidence, I think I'm becoming much more adaptable. I'm not as scared of change. I'm not afraid that "things aren't going to work out" in the future. I try not to think about it very much anymore. Because, you know what? Nothing ever goes as planned. As my teammate Andrew (aka Jersey) said to me, so poetically "Life is like surfing. The wave will toss you all around, and keep changing, but there's no way you can stop the wave, you just need to adjust your board and body position and roll with it." Nice, Andrew, nice.

I think I've really, really enjoyed this project. Much more than expected. (I've also learned, if you go into anything with terribly low expectations, it can only get better!) The kids really are great, and thoroughly entertaining. It feels really good to help them. I get very excited when they are able to do a math problem on their own (or, not to flatter myself, when they say that I teach it better than their teacher, and they want me to be their permanent teacher. Oh, how I love that!) Victory!

I'm going to miss all the kids and fellow tutors I met. Talking to someone everyday, five days a week, really gets you attached. This will probably be the most difficult project to end. But hey, I have two more left! So who knows. New Orleans is going to be AWESOME!

Hope all is well with everyone! And don't take it too personally if I have been bad at returning phone calls/emails. I still like you!! I've just never been this busy in my life. Crazy times these AmeriCorps.

<3 anne

Blog Slacker

Yes, as you can see, I have been slacking on my blog. Part of it is because not too many exciting things have been going on around here. Work doesn't change all that much. The other part is that I haven't wanted to use my daily hour of free time to blog. I have more important things to do. Like, for example, showering. So, I am writing in response to our half hour early departure from work.

As many of you know, last weekend (the last weekend in February), I was in Seattle visiting the fam. It was wonderful being able to hang out with people who know you best. My sister also used my incredible visual talent to help with the interior paint choices. I must say, her townhouse looks fabulous.

I also realized that I vomited negativity about AmeriCorps all over my family. I have also vomited negativity all over this blog. Just all over. What a mess.

Everything I had to say was depressing. "AmeriCorps sucks. I'm lost. I won't find a job. I don't know what to do with my life." As KE$HA says, Blah Blah Blah.

So, I've decided to change my attitude. Look for the positive things about AmeriCorps. Try and form a life plan. So far it goes like this: take the GRE (I'm in learning mode now thanks to tutoring), move to Florida, find a job, love Dan, and apply for architecture school. Yup. After all these years I'm going to do it. No stopping Anne.

And, the cherry on top... Our next project is in NEW ORLEANS!!!!!!!!!!! Warm, delicious, fun, NOLA. And guess who lives only 3 hours away? Yes, Dan the Man. I will be able to apply and interview for jobs while I'm down there. The news couldn't have come at a better time. We will be working with Project Greenlight, going around the city changing lightbulbs to earth-friendly ones. So, if you see me riding a bike around New Orleans with lightbulbs in my basket, feel free to say hi. I'm thoroughly looking forward to it all. It's going to be great! Except for the whole one shower for 11 people thing... Oh, but no negativity here!

It's amazing what a weekend with family can do to the mind. I feel great. Work is going well. Today a girl told me "Thanks a lot. I really understand this better!" Music to my ears.

I hope all is well. It's stir fry time. I will try to write again sooner!

<3 anne

Tutor, tutor, tutor

You know what's crazy?? There's only one week left in February! That's what's crazy. The project has been going well. I've been tutoring many more kids and getting a few regulars now. Oh, and I can now write an essay on Animal Farm (that should be underlined but there is no option for that on my blog. I'm embarrassed.), despite never having read it. I have to admit, it's very frustrating tutoring kids who have never read the book. Now I know how teachers feel! Maybe I should have read more books in high school..... I still have no idea what happened in the end of King Lear, or The Jungle (more underlining).

As for the math tutoring, my geometry and algebra 1 skills are much improved. It helps to take notes in my classes! I'm hoping this encourages me to take the GRE after AmeriCorps. At least I'm in a math thinking mode again. It's all coming back rather easily. Unfortunately, the other day, there were no Algebra 2 tutors available in the learning center and I had to help. Well, it was more like the kids helping me. I couldn't remember how to do logs for the life of me. These freshmen in high school made me feel like an idiot! I then felt bad that I let them down and proceeded to study logs out of the textbook for the next 45 minutes. Hopefully I'll never be stuck trying to help with Algebra 2 again! Other than that, it's going great! My three math classes can be a little overwhelming at times, but they aren't unbearable. I think I like tutoring. Whoa, did I just say that??!!

This weekend I did an ISP (individual service project) at the Aerospace Museum of California with about 25 other AmeriCorps people. We set up the area for a 600 person crab dinner fundraiser. We moved aside engines and airplanes and put up tables, chairs and the whole shabang. Not too bad. I now have 26 hours out of the 80 required... It's a long arduous process. I mean, I really love working Saturdays when I just worked a 54 hour week. It's a blast. That evening I went bowling with my teammates and bowled a 117 and a 94. That was my little boost of confidence for the week. Other than that, it's been very relaxing!

This coming weekend I'm heading to Seattle to visit the fam! Jane and Vic bought a townhouse and are moving in this weekend and my parents and I are coming to help pack and paint! I can't wait to see everyone and take a much-needed break!

Have a great last week of February!

<3 anne

Today, A Kid Called Me Teacher

A week has gone by, and so far, so good. My team has been split in half, one group at Woodland High School, and one group at Pioneer High School. I am at the better of the two, Pioneer. (No bias whatsoever.)

The first day, last Tuesday, was a little shaky. I felt like the awkward girl in the baggy uniform with no clue as to what I was doing. It's called First-Day-At-A-New-Job syndrome. As the week went on, I became much more comfortable in my surroundings and assimilated suprisingly well. The team that had this project before us made us think it was going to be a nightmare. "The kids are little jerks. There's a lot of trouble at the school. The hours are so terribly long." Well, I think the kids are quite nice, they just need some focus. There's some trouble at school (today several kids were arrested for a riot held two weeks ago), but I never feel unsafe. And yes, the hours are somewhat long, we leave campus at 7:15 am, have a 45 minute commute, work at school from 8 to 5 with minimum breaks, and then take another 45 minute commute home which gives us an eta of 6 pm. It was tough the first couple days, but with 8 hours of sleep a night, it's more than bearable.

During the week I tutor all subjects, but primarily math and essay-writing. I also am an in-class tutor for three classes: two Algebra 1 and a geometry class. I definitely pay attention during note-taking time so I can actually help the kids. The classes aren't too bad, except there are some control issues. More like, lack of control of the class by the teacher. Sometimes class can be a bit stressful, but I do my best to help kids. That's all I can do.

I have to admit, this tutoring gig is much more enjoyable than expected. I'm starting to get to know the kids and tutor some of them regularly. I'm also getting to know the book Animal Farm extremely well without ever having read it. All the sophomores are writing Animal Farm essays right now and I continually have to ask them to remind me what allegory, satire, and characterization mean. I figure, I'm better help than no help.

It's dinnertime, so my hungry tummy is wanting me to go. So long!

Happy Paczki Day!!

<3 anne

On the Eve of Woodland

It's that time again. The night before a new project. Last week was transition week. It was another one of those times I wanted to quit AmeriCorps. (For all those concerned, I've come to find that everyone in this program has quitting days as well, so this is fairly normal.) Fortunately, we're all hanging in there together. We had a bunch of meetings, and we were back on campus which means: community meetings, wearing proper uniforms, room checks, the kitchen only being open from 6-7:45 am and 5-8 pm. That's always fun when you forget to pack a lunch... I tried to make a point by just eating 2 granola bars all day, but it backfired on me when I got a 2 day stomach ache. Way to go Anne. I wake up early and pack my lunch now. Lesson learned.

Our briefing and debriefing went well. We also met with another team with whom we are switching projects, and I'm not going to lie, we're all a bit nervous. The biggest challenge is going to be dealing with punk high-schoolers. This is the age (9th and 10th grade) where kids know what no means, and they use it frequently. They know they don't have to technically follow the rules. It also does not help that the kids we will be tutoring have a high chance of dropping out. In addition, I don't remember a thing about freshman and sophomore high school academics. Geometry? King Lear? I never even finished reading it in class and wrote a paper anyways. We all need to do some brushing up.

Tomorrow morning we will be having a half day of orientation and then thrown into tutoring in the afternoon. Although I am apprehensive, I'm sure once we all get adjusted, it won't be bad at all. It's going to be possibly the most mentally challenging project so far (and possibly ever). I'm going to have to think, while trying to gain respect from the kids, and simultaneously re-learning algebra 2. Challenging, yes. Am I going to be just fine? I'm pretty confident. Bring it on.

<3 anne

The End of Mecca

Photo: Dawn at the worksite

This past week was our last week in Mecca. Tear. I can't believe I'm already done with the first project. We had a teary goodbye with the homeowners while eating Costco pizza and snickerdoodles (made by me upon request) and chocolate chip cookies. I have never met such grateful, appreciative, thoughtful, selfless people. One of the women, Esmeralda, works 3 jobs, 7 days a week, and raises a 7 year old and is working on building her own home. Now that is hard work.

I hope to come back there someday to see the progress of Mecca and see the finalized neighborhood. We began roof tiling our last few days at work. Yes, I can do Spanish tile. We started with just the rafters and managed to sheet, fascia, soffit, tar paper and tile 9 roofs. I'm impressed with myself and my team. Our sponsor, the CVHC, told us in all 20 AmeriCorps groups they have had since 2000, we have been by far the hardest working. You flatter me, CVHC.

Right now, I'm back in Sacramento and it's going well. My roommate, Suzie, decorated our room with Christmas lights and magazine collages, so it's looking quite swell. A few girls on my team and I went to get haircuts yesterday from a crazy Phillipino lady who talked about getting rich the entire time she hacked at our hair. I say hacked because I have never seen anyone cut with such...style... She literally took my hair out of my ponytail (my hair was all curly from being scrunched in a ponytail all day) combed it, and just cut away at it. I can't say it's even close to my favorite haircut ever. I have more bangs but I'm not sure I'm into them, or more like, I'm not into the way she cut them. Luckily, hair grows and it'll probably look better in a couple weeks.

This week is "transition week" for all corps members so there are a bunch of other teams on campus at the moment. Back to sharing a kitchen...yuck. We have meetings all week including our project 1 debriefing and project 2 briefing. I'm just about done with our project portfolio. I was in charge of getting the team to write something about the project and lay it out. It's quite nice I have to admit. 22 pages long. Nice.

On a side note, I'm addicted to the Noisettes Wild Young Hearts album. Check it out.

Project 2 starts next week and I'm a bit apprehensive. I hear the kiddies are tough in that school district. We're all going to have to change gears. Our days will go from 7am to 6pm. It ends an hour later than our last project and we have no siesta... Talk about exhaustion! Hopefully it works out, and if it doesn't, seven weeks isn't long at all.

Alright, onto crossing off more on my to do list.

Have a great week!

Anne

To the Salton Sea!

Yes, I know, two blogs within a week's time! You're welcome. Today was just so interesting, I had to share.

So, about 15 minutes southeast of Mecca is this giant body of water, the salty Salton Sea. We figured hey, let's go check it out! So we drove to the visitor's center at the Salton Sea State and Recreation Area. We learned that the sea used to be a large whole between two fault lines that filled in with ocean thousands of years ago and left a foot of salt at the bottom when it dried up. Around 1905, the levees for the Colorado River broke and began filling in the dried up ocean hole. After everyone was like, "oh crap! it's flooding!" they decided to make bank by building resorts and marinas around the newly formed body of water. From the early 1900's to the 1960's, the Salton Sea was a huge hotspot frequented by Hollywood actors and singers such as Frank Sinatra and the Beach Boys. Unfortunately, around the 1970's the sea began to become polluted from runoff of growing urban areas and it became pretty gross. All of the resorts and marinas were shut down and abandoned, and today it's practically a ghost town with a few trailer parks around the edges.

After the visitor's center, we walked to the shoreline full of crusty, salty briny sand and dead salt-cured fish. It's such a beautiful view of the sea surrounded by mountains, until you look at your feet, or trip over a dead fish. Good times.

Then we drove to this area pictured on the front of a photography book I purchased called Bombay Beach. It was essentially a square mile of trailer homes with a dirt levee around it protecting it from the salty sea. Half of the homes were abandoned and decaying. We decided to climb the levee and walk around the shore. It was absolutely bizarre. There were remnants of old homes and some trailers, phone poles, an old crane and some old docks that were all half buried and covered in this salty briny stuff. It was really quiet and no one was around. A bit eerie I must say, but very interesting.

Then we drove to this oasis in the desert where we hiked a trail through this group of palm trees with a stream running through. It was super cool. There were walls of dried leafy palm trees and a thick canopy. So cool!

So, that was our sweet adventure. I reccommend people to wikipedia the Salton Sea. It's pretty interesting!

Tomorrow we're doing a service project for MLK day. It should be a good time! Hope everyone has a great third week of January!

<3 anne