New is fun, and new can be scary

Today was actually my first day of school.  The kids come back on Monday, September 2, which is a week early by British standards.  The school calendar is a bit different than I'm used to.  Everything about the school system is very different than I'm used to.  I am learning new terms, new procedures, new traditions, and new methods of educating.

Some new terms: set = group of kids I teach, register kids = take attendance, marks = points or grades, prep = homework, maths = math (I have a hard time with that one), independent school = private school, state school = public school (they say public and private, but it doesn't refer to funding at all, so I'm still confused there), grammar school = magnet school.  

Some new procedures: Saturday is a school day, I assign homework via the school intranet, I do nearly every task online

Some new traditions: the hoop trundle (shown below) goes back to Henry VIII.  I'll know more when I see it happen.

It's a lot to take in. Luckily, I've got good teachers looking out for me. My first impression is the my head of department, Ned, is a brilliant teacher. I'm nervous, as anyone doing something really new generally is. Still, physics is physics, so once I get in the classroom I'll be fine.  Outside the classroom, though, all the little schedules, procedures, and expectations I've known are being relearned from the ground up in many ways.  

For example, I've been used to organizing everything by course (honors, AP B, AP Mechanics, etc.) and teaching people from several grade levels.  Here, everything is arranged by grade level, because the two courses (GCSE physics and A level physics) span multiple years.  Part of the GCSE curriculum is taught in year 9, some in year 10, and the rest in year 11.  At the end of year 11, they take a national exam.  Some of the kids take triple-award science, meaning I see them 3 times a week.  Others take double-award science, meaning I see them only twice a week.  I'm used to seeing all my kids every day, so this will take some adjustment.  Instead, I see more sets of kids.  I have 9 different classes, which is far more than I'm used to. Teachers here often give letter grades, but no points. At the end of a term, every student gets a full paragraph assessing his/her progress in addition to an overall letter grade. Much rides on the end of year exams and the national exams.  The exams have no multiple choice.  Multiple choice is a big thing in the USA, but not at all in the UK. I have certain times I am allowed to assign homework, as the students have specific times set aside for doing it.  However, if they don't turn it in, I can give them detention. 

Being a teacher here is a different experience in just about every imaginable way.  It's tough in some ways (I'll admit I miss the kids I know and the system I know), but it's really exciting at the same time.  This experience may allow me to grow as a teacher in ways I just couldn't without getting out of my comfort zone.  It may just force me to.  Nothing is familiar, so that's a bit scary, The knowledge that I'm facing that fear feels nice, though.

Tying my shoes was pretty confusing the first time dad showed me, too.  I'll get used to it.  

Tea solves awkwardness

"I have a tendency in life to make awkward situations even more awkward."--Mike Birbiglia

There are many reasons to love tea.  It seems to do whatever I need it to do.  It wakes me up when I need to wake up.  It calms me down when I need to calm down. Some teas can warm you up, and others can cool you down. One thing I have learned from the British is that tea fills awkward moments.  There doesn't seem to be a social situation in this country that couldn't involve tea.  It's not that they drink tea constantly, or that I've even been drinking it all that frequently here, but I am amazed at how well it facilitates conversation.

Last summer, I was at a post-exam party in London with two physics teachers (Alom and Ronan) and their A-level students.  I had found Alom literally by Googling "physics teacher London" to see what came up.  A few months later, I was helping set the table while he and Ronan prepared the food.  The minute I started to feel like I was crashing a private party, they brewed up some tea.  When you've shared tea, you're no longer a stranger.  The party involved lots of conversations all around, and after several hours, after we've exhausted our supply of conversation topics, the party wound down and the kids went home.  I figured it was time for me to go, as well, but then Ronan and Jane (his wife) bring in more tea.  The conversation flowed freely again.  There began my first friendships in what would a year later be my new home.

I applied this lesson to my classroom. I decided to put a coffee urn with just water and no coffee in the back of my room.  If my students wanted to bring in a mug and their own tea or instant coffee, I would supply the hot water and sugar, and they could always feel free to grab a cup.  It took very little effort on my part, but it relaxed several students immensely.  Before opening night of the winter student director showcase, I brought the stress balls that were my student directors and broke out the good British stuff, Whittard.  Soon enough, everyone was calmly sipping, casually talking, and naturally smiling.

But my best tea story happened in the middle of the night when four drunk girls I didn't know were on my couch.  Last year in Annapolis, at about 2am Saturday morning, I get a phone call from Jessy Sammons.  She tells me that she has been partying downtown with several friends from out of town.  She didn't drink too much, so she had gone home earlier.  Her friends, however, were more than a little drunk and needed a place to crash. Also, they needed to be picked up.  For Jessy, I do these things.  So, after talking with one of the girls, I headed downtown, was met with confused looks, reminded them that they called me, and drove them home. I'm sure there are men who have wonderful, charming things they can say when they bring home four beautiful women dressed to impress, but I am not one of those men.  All four of them sat on my couch giving me a look that beautifully combined "What now?" with "I hope you don't think there's an orgy in your future."  So, I put the kettle on and said "Would anyone like a cup of tea?  I have the good stuff from London."  To my surprise, everyone said yes.  Once I served the tea, I put out cookies from the Amish market, and that sealed the deal.  From that point on, conversation flowed freely.  Life stories were shared, jokes were told, and good times were had by all.  Everyone went to sleep with a smile.  All thanks to Whittard tea.

In the morning, I had to drive them back to their car.  It's 8:00, people are out jogging, and I'm walking out of my building surrounded by four beautiful women in evening wear.  As I take them to my car, one of my neighbors walking her dog stared at me as she passed.  As I started the car, I said, "Ladies, thank you for that moment.  I looked awesome just now."

Mazes, physics problems, and the direction of life

When you start a maze, no matter how large or complex, you don't wait until you can see the entire solution. You just find a place to begin, and you go.  If you hit a dead end, fine, backtrack a bit and try something else.  Eventually, you'll get there.

It seems natural when we do mazes.  Explaining that isn't usually necessary.  Physics problems work the same way, but my biggest challenge is often getting students to recognize that.  Students like knowing exactly what they're going to do the whole way from start to finish before they begin writing.  When they can't, they often freeze up.  They'll stare at the paper, waiting for it all to suddenly materialize like those hidden 3D pictures.  I've seen students start to get the shakes and tear up from the pressure.  A common conversation looks like this:
Student--"I don't know where to begin"
Me--"Where do I usually tell you to begin?"
Student--"The unknown"
Me--"Good.  Write it down."
Student--"Now what?"
Me--"What usually comes next?"
Student--"Givens"
Me--"Good.  Write them down."
Student--"I don't know what equation to use"
Me--"Where could you find ones that might work?"
Student--"The equation sheet"
Me--"Good. Find the best candidates."

And so on.  They almost always know where to start.  They ignore it, though, trying to work out all the steps in their heads.  Sometimes, my class is the first one that presents them with problems they can't see clearly all at once, and it's frustrating.  It takes practice to get used to writing down what you do know before you know where it's going to lead.  The ones that get a hang of it are the real learners. The point isn't to always know what the answer will be, or even if there will be one.  The point is to work the problem. It's really okay to mess up or get stuck along the way, but you have to be willing to start.

It's a useful lesson in many ways.  We don't know how relationships will progress, but we start them anyway.  We don't know how careers will progress, but we start them anyway.  I give the same advice to students when they fret over colleges and majors, thinking that they have to decide what they'll do with the rest of their lives.  I tell them not to think of it like that, but to just find a good place to start.  If you change your mind along the way, fine.  Sometimes changing your mind is a good way to make sure it still works.  It's a lesson I've had to remind myself because I've never been able to give good answers to questions about my future life plans.  I had to write something down for my high school and college graduations, though.  I looked up my high school year book, and I chose to say "Become a good teacher, get married, and jump into a volcano."  I am amused by my 17 year old mind.  My 21 year old mind said "Whatever I do, wherever I live, it will be because I can, not because I must."  I apparently learned a lot in college.  Several people have asked me exactly why I moved to Ely.  "It feels right" is all I can say.  Several people have asked me how long I plan to be here. "Hopefully as long as it still feels right" is all I can say.  The people that ask HOW I came to live in Ely get a much longer, more entertaining story.

Thoughts on comfort

I am a bit like a tree that has been dug up and replanted, except that I did the digging.  After pulling up my Maryland roots, I spent a good month exploring Turkey and London.  This week, finally, I started putting down roots in Ely.  I unpacked my boxes and started the process of making a home out of my room.  Basically, I made a mess.  I had one desk, one small wardrobe, and a couple drawers in my bed.  I tried organizing things, but I just didn't have enough places to put things.  I started to get frustrated looking at the mess that I had no idea how to fix as yet.  This is when the tougher reality of what I had done started to hit me for the first time.  Up until now, it had mostly been exciting things, "making my dreams come true" kind of things.  Now, I am a little embarrassed to admit that I really miss my couch. I miss my bed, I miss my TV, I miss my car, I miss my closets, I miss my desks, and I miss my apartment with the wall to wall windows. I miss my stuff.

It made me realize that I'd spent a lot of time and money on comfort.  Each one of those things feels like an investment in my comfort, and I just pitched all that comfort out the window.  Comfort and stability are wonderful things, and they're important.  From all the children I've taught, I've come to think that comfort and stability are some of the most important things they can have.  They can also be what holds us back from trying new, different, and risky things.

On the one hand, I'm proud I was able to walk away from a very comfortable situation to pursue something that feels right.  On the other hand, it will take a while to get comfortable again.  I know just where to start, though.  There are three areas that have the most impact on my comfort: my bed, my shoes, and my food.  Those are the big three.  I sleep a quarter of every day, ideally.  I am on my feet for much of the rest of everyday, and everyone has to eat.  My food will be covered soon enough, so no worries there.  I got myself one new pair of shoes yesterday, and I may get a second this weekend (I have a black pair and a brown pair, and I need a chestnut red pair).  I need to sort out my bed.  I brought over a comfy pillow, but my mattress itself is just a basic spring.  This simply will not do.  Somehow, I'm going to make this more comfortable.  Replacing it would be a waste of time, because they just don't seem to make really comfy single mattresses.

Sleep well.  Eat well.  Take care of your feet.  This is where a happy life begins.

We Americans have an interesting relationship with comfort. We are obsessed with convenience, and we're good at it.  I live in a dorm again, and though it has a kitchenette down the hall, I immediately thought "but there are 3 doors in between me and that room."  So, I went on Amazon to price out the old college staple, the microwave/refrigerator combo, just for curiosity.  I discovered that it doesn't exist in the UK.  They have small refrigerators, and they have small microwaves, but they've never combined them.  Our plugs are small and efficient while the UK plugs are massive. I've visited several houses, department stores, and furniture stores, and I have not seen one lazy boy recliner.  I also have come across very few establishments with a drive-through window.

I have a lot to learn from the UK culture, but I have a feeling they can learn a lot from us, as well.

The Schneider Multinational Corporation

Last week, with a lot of help from Tommy, I requested a wire transfer from my Bank of America account to my Barclays account.  The removal of that money from my Bank of America account was immediate.  The deposit into my Barclays account has not been.  It's funny how efficient they are at taking my money away versus giving it to me.  It's in electronic limbo.  Yesterday, I received an email from Bank of America saying that I needed to call them to give additional information regarding my wire transfer.  If I didn't contact them within 2 days, the wire transfer would be canceled, and they would "buy back" the currency they'd already converted to pounds.  The kicker is that they don't give me a stellar rate of exchange.  They convert my dollars to pounds at a rate of 1.6 dollars per pound, but they'd "buy back" the currency at a rate of 1.5 dollars per pound.  Since I am transferring half of my savings overseas, this would end up costing me about $440, plus the $35 they already charged me as a wire transfer fee.  The fact that they are allowed to give horrible rates of exchange in addition to charging fees should be illegal.  But, that's something to ponder at a later date.  Right now, they demanded I contact them.

Luckily, Tommy is an awesome brother who happened to be working from home.  So, we arranged to talk over Skype while he called this 800 number (which is not free for me from overseas).  We were on hold for about 15 minutes, so this really saved me money.  Plus, we got to chat for 15 minutes.  When someone answered the call, he was at first hesitant to deal with Tommy, since he was not the account holder.  However, I realized that I could hear the call just fine over Skype, and the guy could hear me just fine, so we sorted out the info right there.  It was a great way to avoid international fees, and the call was quite clear.  The man asked me to give him information that I am 100% certain I already put into the transfer request, but whatever, now he had it.  Then, he says he needs the information emailed to him.  Yes, the information I just gave to him would not be official until I emailed him.  He also wanted me to include my phone number in the UK on the email.

To sum up, Bank of America emailed me that I had to call them, and when I called them I was told I had to email them information or it wouldn't be official.  Plus, they said to email them my phone number in the UK so they could call to verify the information once they got it.

I sent the email.  I received a call to verify.

The complexity and redundancy of this system is matched by its expense and inconvenience.

Bank of America is a big company.  They have to deal with customers that get transferred overseas temporarily, whether for corporate, military, or government jobs and want to keep their accounts open.  Do they really have no set procedure for keeping these customers?  The whole point of dealing with Bank of America is the convenience that comes from their size.  Do rich people have to deal with this?  How do people have money all over the world and actually access it?

There are many multinational corporations, but no multinational banks as far as I know.  Interstate banking was a big deal when it came about in the US.  International banking is a more difficult proposition (currency and laws are different), but I can't imagine it's impossible.  Until that beast is born, though, I'll have to figure out how to streamline this transfer process.

My class schedule

Class schedules in the UK are quite different than those to which I've been accustomed.  Every single day is different within a two week cycle.  I will no longer be teaching a level (Honors, AP B, AP C) in which there is a mix of students from different grades.  Every class I  teach is a single year group, and students within the year group are arranged by ability into different sets.  So, on Monday, I start by teaching Year 11 set 2 during 1st period (in Physics lab 2, which is my room).  I also see them on Friday during 6th period and on Saturday during 3rd period.  It's scattered all over the place. But, at least I am the only teacher that sees them.  My year 12 sets are shared, meaning that they will see me for lessons on some days and other physics teachers on other days.  We split the curriculum among us, so I am only responsible for covering specific material.  It's easier that way than overlapping.  

Overall, I see 9 sets of kids for a total of 21 lessons in a week.  Apparently, that's normal.  I seriously have no way to judge.  A few teachers had asked me in the past few weeks how many lessons I teach, and I didn't know how to answer them.  My friend in London asked if I was happy with the number of lessons I was teaching, and I didn't know what was normal.  For 13 years, I taught the same schedule everyday, and that schedule was arranged by the type of course.  Last year, I taught 4 courses (AP Physics B, AP Physics C Mechanics, AP Physics C Electricity & Magnetism, and Pre-AP Phys/Chem).  I had one class of each AP and 2 classes of Pre-AP, giving me 5 total groups of kids to teach.  Now I essentially have 4 courses again (Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, and Year 12), but 9 total groups of kids to teach.  My smallest class, year 12 set AA, has 6 students.  My largest class, year 10 set 1, has 24 students.  Most of my classes have about 21 students.  

This will definitely take some getting used to.  

Banks and phones in the UK

This week, I started settling in Ely.  I started sorting out the little things we need to make our daily lives run smoothly, bank cards and phones.  First, I got a bank account at Barclays.  More importantly, I got a bank card.  It took a couple weeks and sorting out a mailing mix up (I discovered that my mail could be delivered to one of two locations at the school), but I finally got the card.  With that bank card, I could get a phone plan set up.  The phone companies needed proof I lived in the UK.  The only form of proof they accept is a bank card.  The fact that I have an account and had to provide a passport, visa, proof of address, and proof of employment to get the bank account was not enough for the phone companies.  I had to wait until I had the card.  But now I have a card.

My phone plan works basically the same way as the US, with minor differences.  I technically just pay for the SIM card, but I had to put down a £150 deposit for it because I have no credit history in the UK.  My plan is £21 a month for unlimited talk, unlimited text, and 1GB of data.  The UK has area codes like the USA, but they are not always three digits.  Apparently, anything starting "02" is London.  Most of the rest of the country starts with "01."  All mobile numbers start with "07."  "08" is a business number, and apparently not covered in my minutes.  "09" numbers are premium numbers like the ones you use to call into shows to vote.  Still £21 is pretty good.  For an extra £10, I get to call 3 numbers in the USA, plus I get a USA number people can call to get in touch with me without it costing anyone anything.

Banking is very different.  I am assigned different codes for every method of banking (phone, online, iPhone app). To log in with my computer, I have to insert my card into a little device called a PINsentry to get a unique one-use code.  It's different, but I'm getting used to it.  Transferring my funds from my Bank of America account to my new Barclays account has been far more difficult than I was led to believe it would be.  I can log into online banking just like I always did, but to do transfers like I need to do requires that they text me a one time use code to my phone.  However, they cannot text to foreign numbers, and there is no way around the texting system.  I asked BOA just how they deal with customers that move overseas but don't want to close their American accounts (like with temporary company or military transfers).  They had no answer.  So, I had to enlist my brother for some help.  I put his phone on my account, had them text him a code, and he forwarded the code to me.  It was a complex solution, but it got the job done.

"You know what the funniest thing about Europe is? It's the little differences.  I mean, they got the same shit over there that they got here, but over there it's just a little different."--Vincent Vega

Good-byes are sometimes easier than hellos

Before moving to the UK, I had a month full of farewell lunches, dinners, and bonfires.  Many were with friends and family with whom I knew it would be difficult to part.  Some were with friends with whom I hadn't spoken in far too long.  Honestly, it was a lot more enjoyable than you might expect.  It was sad, of course, but I got to remind everyone I love just how much I love them.  Sometimes it's easier to do that when saying good bye than when saying hello.

On a side note, we never actually say "Good bye."  I mean those actual words.  They sound way too final, and a little bit creepy.  We'll come close, with a "Bye" and a "Bye Bye," but that's generally it.  Maybe it's just me, but while I refer to saying "Good bye," I'm really lying because those words never come out.  "Take care" is my preferred farewell phrase.

Parting with family and my closest friends was, of course, the most difficult.  The truth is, I didn't do it just once.  I spoke with Mom and Dad every couple days, and Tommy nearly as often.  I saw Billy nearly everyday during that last week.  With the people that really love you, it's nearly impossible to say good bye, because they're always there helping every step of the way.  They never seemed to take my departure personally, and I am not sure they even knew how afraid I was that they would.  Billy, Jen, Bryan, Brittni, and Jessy (known in my head as Clan Sammons) shared meals with me multiple times in the days leading up to my departure, threw a party for me, offered every imaginable form of help in preparing my move, and it reminded me that I was really a part of two families.  I never came out and said I needed help or that I wanted to spend every possible minute with them that I could.  They just knew it and saved me from having to ask.

Sometimes, I keep very much to myself.  I forget to call home.  I forget to make time to see Billy and Jen.  I get too busy for a hello.  When it came time for a good bye, I couldn't say it enough.  Something is backward there.

It happened with many people.  I had forgotten to say hello to so many people until I needed to say good bye.  I had to see Shawn and Erica again, and not just because I knew Dogfish Head would be involved.  I had to see Angel again.  I had to see Betsy.  I had to see Jane.  I desperately wanted to see George, but timing didn't work out there.  I called up Tracy for the first time in years.  It reminded me just how many special and wonderful people I had in my life and just how easy it was to lose touch.  Maybe good byes are easier because you generally only have to do it once.  Hellos are open-ended.  However, these good byes were different, because they brought people back into my life that I dearly missed.  I guess that's one of the unexpected benefits of moving to another chapter in life.

Many former students found me as well.  If you remember Mr. Holland's Opus, you remember the final scene when all the students he inspired and helped came back at one time to remind him of what he'd done.  That scene is designed to make teachers cry uncontrollably.  I feel like I had a small version of that.  Every former student that contacted me, joined me for lunch, and even got me going away presents made me swell with ridiculous pride.  There were people that happened to be in town from Ohio, Wisconsin, San Diego, and Australia.  I have used the line "When you earn more money than me, you can buy the meal" many times, and now I had a couple that actually held me to it now that they were well employed.  I got to see people making a positive impact on the world all over the world, and they came back to tell me that I helped make that possible.  Some graduated 10 years ago, some this year, and a few came rushing back to my classroom the day after I announced my departure on Facebook.  One was in tears.  If I ever doubt for a second that I'm doing something worthwhile, I'm reminding myself of those lunches, those coffees, those tears.  I'll think of all those wonderful people who came back to say hello one more time before they had to say good bye.

Good byes don't have to suck.  They can actually bring people back into your life.  But they also remind you that you didn't have to wait this long to pick up the phone.

Good shows in London

The best part about being in London for two weeks is the chance to see shows.  I also checked out the London Triathlon and a couple blues bars, but the real entertainment to be had is on stage.  I've seen a good variety of shows lately, so I thought I might share what I've seen and what I thought of them.

Macbeth, by William Shakespeare
I've always enjoyed watching Shakespeare's plays live far more than reading them, and The Globe is an amazing place to watch them.  £5 is all it takes to get a ticket to stand in "the yard" right next to the stage.  The plays start with music and end with a dance.  It's quite a trip.  The intensity of emotion from Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were simply astonishing, and I even had the pleasure of seeing Billy Boyd (of Lord of the Rings and Master and Commander fame) as Banquo.  Really, there's no less expensive and more enjoyable way to spend an afternoon in London.

The Pirates of Penzance, by Gilbert & Sullivan
I've been curious for a long time to check out some of the works of Gilbert & Sullivan.  Their comic operas were really the first step toward modern musicals.  This one was hilarious.  If I were still directing musicals, I'd seriously consider doing this one.  There pirates that refuse to be ruthless, blundering cops, dancing ladies, sword fights, and a major general that brags about his smarts.  What's not to like?  The production I saw was actually just a community theater show, but even that was great.  There must be a ridiculous amount of talent here.

A Chorus Line, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and a book by James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante
I've been meaning to see this one for a long time.  I remember Mom enjoying the movie when I was young, but I didn't like musicals much then.  Honestly, I'm still more of a play man today.  This turned out to be one of my favorite musicals ever.  The story and characters were so much more interesting than most musicals, and the set up was amazingly simple.  It followed an audition for a Broadway show and basically just went right down the line introducing and exploring all the characters.  One part that truly wowed me was when the back wall became all mirrors (it did this periodically, as though in a real dance room) during a big solo.  It was like I could see the stage from the perspective of this star, and it was a chilling feeling to see the audience and the lights from that vantage point.  It was like putting an exclamation point on the statement of "This is why we want to be on stage so much."  Great show.

The Curious Incident About the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens
This was a popular book, and the National Theater of London put on a production last year that won more Olivier Awards (British version of the Tony's) than any play before it.  The production grew beyond its home in the National Theater and moved to the West End, just like War Horse did.  The play is about a teenager with asperger's who tries to find out who killed a neighbor's dog.  It's a mystery, but told from a first person perspective.  It's also a technological extravaganza with lights and projectors doing a large amount of the work of setting up scenes.  The stage itself is one big square grid that looks like a holodeck.  In the end, they actually explain a mathematical solution in a way that makes me think I really need to step up my game in the classroom.

Private Lives, by Noel Coward
I'd actually seen this play before, but I had to see a British production.  Noel Coward is a master of banter in a distinctively English way.  There are only 5 people in the play, and it's really mainly about two of them.  Elyot and Amanda are old lovers who mistakenly meet on their 2nd honeymoons 5 years after they had divorced.  They are obviously still in love, and they bicker and flirt in the most adorable way.  This is a classic show from the 1930's, and to me, it's dialog is no less hilarious today.  The last time I saw this show was in Annapolis, so suffice is to say this was quite a step up.  It's amazing what money and incredible actors can do for a show.

The Mouse Trap, by Agatha Christie
This is the longest running play in West End history.  It's a basic whodunit in classic Agatha Christie style, set in a snowed in guest house in the English countryside.  I'd been thinking of doing a Christie play sometime, and this may very well have been the one.  It's a unit set (no scene changes), and the house has lots of hidden passages.  It's a great show all around, and after the final bows, the cast actually make a request that "Now you know who done it, and we ask you to keep that secret in your hearts."  It's worth keeping the secret, because they do a fantastic job of making you suspect everyone in the house.  Great show.

The Book of Mormon, by Matt Stone, Trey Parker, and Robert Lopez
I had to see this show, and it's damn near impossible in New York.  It's having just as much success in London, but I was able to get a ticket.  I spent more on this ticket than several other shows combined, but I did not feel even a little ripped off.  This show is brilliant.  Matt Stone and Trey Parker are the South Park guys, and if you know anything about their work, you know they write intelligently vulgar comedy.  They also incorporate music into their work anyway.  Robert Lopez wrote the music for Avenue Q, a South Park-esque parody of muppets.  These three made natural partners, and how can you not have fun writing songs about missionary work?  As much of a parody as it is, it is actually not as cruel as you might expect it to be.  Then again, I'm not Mormon, so I probably shouldn't make a judgement there.  Personally, I loved it, which surprises no one.  The music is amazing, the plot and characters are actually interesting, and the material is relevant.  I laughed harder than I've laughed at any musical since Little Shop of Horrors.

So, these are some of the kinds of shows I like.  These past two weeks in London, I've found myself wanting to see shows more than anything else.  So, I've been indulging.

My time in Turkey

Whenever I take a trip, I tend to keep a journal.  It's really the only time I do.  It's one of the only reasons I take my laptop with me.  I don't like the extra weight, but I need a full keyboard.  Before my next trip, though, I may buy a folding bluetooth keyboard for my iPhone.  We'll see.  

I usually keep these journals to myself, but since I don't get to share my stories in person with my close friends and family now, I thought it might be nice to change it up.  Pardon any mixing of tenses below.

I intended this trip to be part of an easy summer.  Last summer, I spent the entire time wandering the British and Irish countryside and I spent a good deal of money on my wanderings.  This EF Turkey convention was going to be my way of saving money, traveling for only 2 weeks in the summer, and relaxing the rest of the summer away at home.  Oh, how plans change.  As it is, this Turkey convention is now an interlude between the craziness of moving out of the USA and the craziness of moving into the UK.  Relaxation is a challenge, but . . . challenge accepted.

Istanbul (7/9 – 7/10)

Delta airlines is pretty subpar, but it got me to Istanbul.  I successfully packed all my stuff into carry-on luggage, and it reminded me again just how quickly and efficiently I can get off the plane and through customs.  In fact, I got through so quickly that the EF representatives weren’t ready to meet me.  I was slightly worried when I saw no EF sign, but I remained calm and patient, and they showed up in a few minutes.  It did make me realize I had been relying on EF completely for my travel plans and hadn’t prepared nearly as much for this trip as others.  Normally, I spend lots of time throughout the year researching stuff to do, booking tickets way in advance, and exploring Google Earth for fun routes to walk.  However, I spent all my time and energy sorting out my move.  I am justified there, but still, I’m not used to being a dependent traveler. 

I met Cristiano (EF staff from Lucerne), Melanie (EF Toronto), and Mehmet (Tour Director from here in Turkey) at the airport and transferred to the Titanic Hotel.  Seriously, it was called “The Titanic.”  Our arrivals were staggered, and I was in the first group to arrive, so we had several hours to kill.  I couldn’t sleep on the plane (I so rarely can), so I didn’t want to do too much.  I ended up wandering down a shopping street with a couple fantastic Canadian ladies named Tannia and Lisa.  I can’t help but meet Canadians on every trip I take, and my life is happier because of it.  They had already been in country a few days, so I hung out with the two while they were shopping (and I survived, chaps!).  Actually, I made an interesting discovery that the store hid their checkout counter downstairs.  Seriously, how many places have you ever been that you had to search for where to pay, and it was nowhere near the exit?  Afterwards, we had a Turkish tea and some Turkish delights before I headed back to the hotel for a shower and a nap. 

That evening, we had a dinner cruise on the Bosphorus.  Istanbul is a city straddling two continents (map), with the Bosphorus Strait running North-South and separating the European from the Asian part of the city.  At the North end of the straight is the Black Sea, and on the South end is the Sea of Marmara, which leads down to the Mediterranean.  Istanbul was established thousands of years ago as Byzantium (later Constantinople) to control this sea traffic bottleneck.  There’s also an inlet on the European side of the Bosphorus called “The Golden Horn” because it’s deep, calm, and easy to make into one of the world’s best ports.  Istanbul has always been important because of the water it controls, and it still is.  Cruising up and down the Bosphorus, I got to see bridges spanning two continents, old palaces that are now fancy hotels, lots of homes, and every type of boat imaginable.  Plus, I got to meet more people on the trip, though I was way too tired to be good conversation.  The food was great and came in wide variety, but what sticks in my head is that there were Pringles set out as appetizers.  I don’t know why that seemed noteworthy, but I did consume many a Pringle.

The next day, we had a full walking tour of Istanbul, which I found absolutely fascinating.  We toured Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, and an old Ottoman Palace.  Hagia Sophia was, of course, my favorite.  It is huge, beautiful, and yet another testament to the engineering genius of the Romans.  So many major Roman sites are in ruins only because they were intentionally quarried or destroyed.  The Pantheon and Hagia Sophia show just what’s possible when the building remains in use.  For some reason, walking around Hagia Sophia (which means “holy wisdom”), I thought about Three Rivers Stadium.  It had nothing to do with the construction, but with the fact that the stadium was dismissed as a relic that was falling apart and needed to be replaced 30 years after it was built.  I started to think whether it was even possible anymore to build something that would still be standing 1500 years later.  Somehow, I think finances and impatience would derail any such grandiose ideas.  The Blue Mosque is the first mosque I ever entered, so I removed my shoes and hat and covered my legs to do so.  The women had to cover completely head to toe to enter, and it made me think of a quote from George Carlin, “What is this religious obsession with head gear?”  The building was impressive, though an intentional copy of Hagia Sophia, at least it looked that way.  In fact, all the large mosques of the city looked that way.  It made it quite difficult to tell them apart.  The Blue Mosque is quite plain on the outside, but it’s fantastically ornate inside.  I find that interesting.  The Basilica Cistern is another compliment to the Romans for their engineering capabilities.  It’s just a large place to store city water, but it’s so beautiful that it has been mistaken for a basilica. 

Hagia Sophia

Blue Mosque

Izmir (7/11)

This was a long day of traveling with a stop off in Troy.  Troy was incredible to walk around.  It’s the oldest city I’d ever explored, and certainly the most legendary.  Some of the oldest sections of the wall are mud brick, with straw coming out of it.  I hadn’t realized that the importance of Troy was that it controlled the entrance to the Dardanelles, which is the South link between the Sea of Marmara to the Mediterranean.  It’s all about geography.  The story of Helen is wonderful and romantic, but the Greeks did not need any other motivation than the control of the Dardanelles to attempt to conquer Troy.  Gallipoli is a place nearby that is the location of a major battle of World War 1, also fought to control that seaway that the Trojans once did.  It was one of the first major battles to involve troops from Australia and New Zealand.  They ultimately lost, but they fought so bravely that the opposing general (Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern country of Turkey) set up a memorial to those soldiers that is still there today.  On a lighter note, the Trojan horse from the movie “Troy” is also right there.  “Troy” wasn’t filmed in Turkey, but the producers decided to give the horse to Turkey as a gift.  That’s right, they gave it as a gift.  And the Turks took it. 

On a side note, we had a fabulous hotel, called Swissotel.  I felt quite pampered here.  EF made me feel quite important, and it does make me sad that I won’t be working with them in the near future.  I liked my long term plan of organizing student trips every year, traveling with my points in the summer, and eventually perhaps even getting to be a veteran like Steph Risius.  Life in Britain will give me plenty of opportunities to travel, but I do like taking students abroad.  It’s been one of my favorite things I’ve done as a teacher.

Kusadasi (7/12-7/13)

After our 2-hour conference involving some great discussion on how to improve EF, we drove a good deal more on 7/12, stopping to explore the ruins of Pergamum, which is perched on the top of a huge hill.  We actually had to take a cable car up to the top, which was a nice experience.  The ruins of Pergamum were more intact than Troy, and there are remains of a great Parthenon-like temple.  Being around such old stuff is always inspiring to me, and it’s making me realize just how historical and complex the relationship between Greeks and Persians/Turks is.  We got to Hotel Kumar in Kusadasi, which is a port city that attracts many huge cruise ships.  This has been my favorite hotel so far.  The room wasn’t nearly as fancy, but I had a balcony overlooking the Aegean Sea.  The views of the sunset from my room were spectacular.

Ephesus was even more intact than Pergamum, and it was far more crowded.  However, Mehmet is a great TD and got us there right as it opened to avoid the worst of the crowds.  The library of Ephesus was incredibly intact, and it made a great backdrop for our group shot.  The theatre was also quite intact, both from the Greek days and the later Roman days.  Later, we went to a carpet maker, which was interesting, but the first demo/sales pitch of the trip.  I can skip those.  Our lunch was in a great place that felt like just a large kitchen with a patio.  I discovered that Turkey does have decent beer, called Efes Dark.  I was getting tired of the pilsner.  Lastly, we did some wine tasting (I bought Bias), and we returned to the hotel to take full advantage of the facilities.

I went down to swim in the Aegean, but the saltiness and choppiness of the water made that dip a relatively short one.  I headed up to the pool to relax in the water (and oh, was it relaxing) and lounge in a chair.  I don’t normally take beach vacations.  Really, the only ones I’ve taken have been those with family.  I find exploring cities and wandering around to find beautiful vistas to be quite relaxing, but it’s nice to be reminded that lying down in the sun can be nice from time to time.  I have been doing plenty of exploring in Turkey, so I was quite ready for a break.  It reminds me of how relaxed I was taking a break from very long walks with my backpack by chilling on the beaches in Brighton and Nantucket.  Both times, I just needed to rest, and there is no better place to get rest than next to the ocean on a warm, sunny day.

Library of Ephesus

Pamukkale (7/14)

Pumakkale is a formation of natural travertines (pools) formed by spring water flowing over a hill, eroding some of it, evaporating, and leaving calcium deposits that turn the entire place bright white.  That part is gorgeous, but the water flow is far below what it used to be for some reason, and very few of the travertines are actually full of water.  It was a bit disappointing, as this was the sight I was looking most forward to seeing besides Hagia Sophia.  The national park there diverts the remaining water to each section in turn so it doesn’t degrade.  Still, I was able to find my rock.  I got a good chunk showing several layers of calcium deposits with the porous underlying rock as well.  It will make a good addition to my collection.

Our hotel was a step down from Kusadasi, but it was comfortable enough for me to sleep quite comfortably.  I missed out on the pool and massages that everyone is raving about, but apparently I was more tired than I thought and my body decided to shut down.  I had a wonderful dinner and drinks following.  I talked to a farmer from Saskatchewan named Ron who was very knowledgeable.  It was a fascinating talk about wheat, corn, canola, farm equipment, and Monsanto.  I also spoke with a couple from Manitoba named Grant and Kelly who are quite happy to have the Winnipeg Jets back, but they’re actually bigger NFL fans than anything.

Travertines of Pamukkale

Antalya (7/15)

We woke up at 7:00 on 7/15, and it really felt like sleeping in.  It’s fun how these tours put me right back into a school-year sleep schedule.  It was a long bus ride to Antalya, so we got there around lunchtime, and we had a seafood-heavy meal that everyone raved about.  As someone that really doesn’t like seafood, I must say I enjoyed the meal.  It wasn’t my favorite, but it’s nice to enjoy stuff I don’t normally enjoy.  The food has been pretty good on this tour, though I still see so clearly how unhealthy my general food choices are.  Still, I feel like having prepared meals, or even the buffet set ups we’ve generally had here, gets more variety onto my plate than normal.  I also think I’m eating less than normal.  I don’t have a scale to see if that’s the case, but it feels like it.

Upon checking into the hotel, a group of us went down to the hotel’s section of the beach.  Even though the hotel wasn’t on the water, it owned and operated a section of the beach.  Apparently, that’s how it worked with all the hotels there.  We took a hotel shuttle down to the beach, and I got a chance to swim in the Mediterranean for the first time in my life.  It was glorious water and a rocky beach.  I used to adore swimming as a kid, and every now and then (like when I’m in the Med on a sunny day), I remember just how great the water can be. 

When we got back, I received an email from EB Cargo asking me to fill out a form that would have been far easier to sort out before I started traveling.  Still, I was quite pleased by the business center at our Best Western.  I was able to print out the form (of course they didn’t have an electronic version), fill it out, take it to the front desk, and fax it away.  After all that was sorted, I went out for a drink in Old Town Antalya with a few folks.  I was tempted to keep to myself that night, but Abby Schiavello said to me that she received great advice before college to never turn down an invitation to anything social.  I need to take that advice more often.  I was afraid I would feel old and in the way of the younger folks, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Eventually, 6 of us found a spot by the water to grab a drink and share a shishum (a flavored thing that is smoked via a huge bong).  There are few places it doesn’t seem odd to have a gigantic bong in front of me, and Turkey is one of those places.  The conversation went very well, with smiles and laughs all around.  It’s a nice reminder to me that sometimes it’s well worth forcing myself to go out. 

Jack, Justin, and the shishum

Cappadocia (7/16-7/17)

Cappadocia is a beautiful region of inner Turkey that has absolutely stunning landscapes.  There are rock formations that look like sand dunes but are actually solidified volcanic ash.  Into these formations, people have carved homes, churches, and monasteries.  It’s difficult to tell how old they are, as aging a carving is not like aging other structures.  Some go back to the earliest civilizations, while others date to the first and second centuries AD when Christians were looking for a good place to hide out.  Some of them are actually still inhabited.  It’s fascinating.  The place looks like Tattooine.  The hotel was right next to some good hiking, and I partook happily.  The second day was a full one, with tours of the stone churches and dwellings in the morning, a tour of a pottery-making house in the afternoon (at which I was blown away by the beauty of the wine pots), a visit to a Hamam (Turkish bath) before dinner, and a whirling dervish and folk dancing show at night.  Besides my visit to Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, this felt like the most classically Turkish day.  The Hamam was definitely worth a visit, but I’m not dying to visit it again.  It’s really a scrubbing down and bathing, but in a group setting with men and by men.  I found it interesting, but not really relaxing or even beneficial.  Still, when in Turkey, do as the Turks do. 

That night, some of us decided to enjoy a couple bottles of wine by the pool.  It ended up being one of my favorite memories of the trip.  The winos included: me (the supplier of one bottle) Barb (an ageless beauty of an art teacher that had the admirable quality of laughing at most of my jokes), Kelly (a beautiful social worker that hikes mountains, run/swims triathlons, and leaps tall buildings in a single bound.  Barb’s daughter.), and the aforementioned majestic Manitobans Grant and Kelly.  The hotel (actually called Tourist Hotel) posted a policy of confiscating any alcohol not purchased from the hotel bar.  So, we all channeled our inner teenager and found ways to sneak wine bottles, glasses, and openers down to the pool area after closing.  We succeeded, and killed both bottles under the stars.  There was much rejoicing.

Solidified ash with homes carved into the bottom

A rock apartment building

Istanbul (7/18)

Before heading back to Istanbul, we toured some interesting underground habitations that struck me as quite an interesting way to escape from one’s enemy.  There were large structures (pots, gates, etc.) that had to be made or carved while inside the city as there was no opening large enough to fit them through.  There were narrow passages ending in entrances that could be blocked by large, rolling stone gates.  Above the gates in the passages, there were holes through which spears could be thrust from above by the defenders.  It was quite ingenious.  I’m not sure how long they could survive down there, or how difficult it was to block off all the town’s air vents, but it was certainly the most well-defended cave I’ve ever seen.

With our last day in Istanbul, we made it down to the Spice Market, which is to say I walked through, got annoyed with salesmen again, and sat outside reading my Kindle and enjoying the view of New Mosque.  When we headed back to the hotel and had our farewell dinner.  Lots of good byes, lots of hugs, lots of exchanging of emails.  

Then, everyone went home, and I emigrated to England.