Spicy

I have a lot to say about Dubai, but for now, I'll leave it at this:

- Saffron
- Vanilla pods
- Dried lemons
- Red peppercorns
- Arabian masala curry
- Dates

I can't wait to get home and cook!

The unexpected holiday

I'm pretty excited. In a little over one week, I'll be in...


As always, tips and suggestions are welcome.

A quick hello

I know, I haven't written in ages and many of you have been on my back about it. There've been a few things I've wanted to write but just haven't had the energy or the inspiration. Still don't. So I just thought I'd check in to say that life's pretty good and not much has changed. And hopefully I'll soon be motivated enough to write about what I really want to write about: the power of mindset.

Until then, take care, y'all.

A nine year anniversary

Nine years ago, in January of 2002, my love affair with exercise began.

I'd been rather active as a young child (I danced, played soccer, and did synchronized swimming), but at some point, it all stopped. I began loathing exercise and doing everything in my power to avoid doing it.

I went from this...

To this...

I won't go into all the painful details, but suffice it to say that body image is something I've struggled with a lot.

And it only got worse when I got to university. We've all heard of the Freshman 15... well, for me it was the Freshman 50. I was so freaked out by the number on the scale when I finally stepped on one in the middle of my 2nd year, I made the most important new year's resolution of my life right then and there: I was going to take up exercise.

And I wasn't kidding! For the next year and a half, I worked out nearly every single day. It got to the point where I was regularly spending 2.5 hours at a time sweating it out in the gym. I lost 70 lbs. I was in the best condition of my life. And more importantly, I was enjoying it. Exercise felt really good.

There are some more painful details that I'll skip over, but my relationship with exercise has been on again/off again ever since. There was a brief period a couple of years ago when I decided to devote 100% of my energy to fitness and nutrition (and I really mean 100% -- I was doing it in lieu of having a job) and I got back pretty much to where I'd been a few years before. But eventually, I had to start work again and it all began to slide away. My only saving grace was my night job as a dancer.

Enter Europe. Most people lose weight when they come to Europe. After all, this is the land of healthier food and more active lifestyles. But for me, hoofing it a couple of miles and trudging up the Underground steps as part of my daily commute weren't boosting my activity levels at all. Because of money, distance, and timing, I'd basically given up the one consistent factor keeping me happy and healthy for the previous 6 years. I went from dancing 5-7 days a week to dancing once every couple of months. I gained 30 lbs... and lost a lot of my will to do anything.

Now, I don't earn a lot of money as a TA and gym memberships in London aren't cheap. I eventually sucked it up and started dishing out £50/month for the Central YMCA, but had such a horrible experience that I demanded to be let out of my contract shortly thereafter. I danced a lot when I returned to Canada this summer, but that was destined to be short-lived. The decision I made in September to start treating myself better did result in a few dropped pounds, but something else still had to be done. Thankfully, when I moved to my new house in Camberwell, the answer came: Peckham Pulse is conveniently located right along my daily route and, thanks to the school where I'm working, I got a pretty decent rate.

I had my first workout there today. The people were friendly and the machines were pretty sweet (I can play movies from my iPod or USB stick on my personal cardio screen!), but the best part of all was how I felt when I finished: alive.

I'm not making any resolutions this year, but I am recommitting to this 9 year old relationship. Just like any relationship, it takes work to keep it going... and that work has to be done for the right reasons. The reason I first entered into it isn't the right one for me anymore. Of course I'd like to lose weight and look good and fit into my old clothes again, but that's not enough. Over the years, I've discovered something much more important. Exercise feels good. It makes me want to take life by the reins. It makes me want to climb mountains and shout out from the peaks how very happy I am to be alive.

And it's for that reason I'm going back to the gym at 11 tomorrow morning.

On being Cana-British

I've been struggling for a while now to sort out my national identity. I'm a dual citizen with 26 years of life experience in Canada, 15 months of life experience in Britain. So much of who I am has been shaped by those first 26 years, and yet I'm happily settled here and feel more and more like a local every day. I actively avoid referring to Canada as "home." I feel strongly that this is my home now, but part of me feels like a traitor because of it. And I don't really identify with the term "ex-pat" anymore. So am I Canadian or am I British? The truth is that I'm both. I am a hyphen.

British-Canadian rolls right off the tongue, but that's not what I am. That would imply that I had been born British and become Canadian. Canadian-British? Just doesn't sound right. And so, I have finally settled on my own made up term...

I am a Cana-Brit, and proud of it.

Why I love London: Reason #42

People often compliment me on the courage and determination it must have taken to move across the ocean. I never quite know how to respond to this, because as far as I'm concerned, moving here was no act of courage at all. It actually would have been a much greater struggle for me to stay put. I moved here, quite simply, to scratch my interminably itchy feet.

I come from a long line of wanderers. You don't have to look far to see it: my family is spread far and wide, and my mother alone has lived across (and holds citizenship in) three countries. Look a little further down my family tree and you'll find explorers, pioneers, Vikings, and conquerors. You'd be hard-pressed to find a European country that isn't somehow involved in my lineage.

I'm also hugely interested in everything relating to human behaviour and the mind. I love travelling to new places because there's very little that excites me more than experiencing, for the first time, where and how a group of people live. But of course, sampling a culture for a few precious days isn't the same as becoming a part of it. Here in London, I'm perfectly placed to be involved in both the breadth and depth of anthropological observation.

Not only am I living in a new country and within easy reach of dozens more, but London itself is a pretty reasonable microcosm of the globe. With over 300 languages regularly spoken here, and nearly 30% of its population having been born outside the UK, London is one of the most multi-cultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world. It's impossible to escape the beautiful array of accents, colours, and flavours, and nearly every street and alley I step into in London feels like a different reality. It's mind-boggling just how much diversity there is here.

And that's part of what's making my next move (a much smaller one this time) so exciting. South London is even more multi-ethnic than the city centre, and among the neighbourhood pubs (Hermits Cave! What a brilliant name!) are restaurants specialising in Bengali, Nigerian, Eritrean, and countless other lesser-known cuisines from around the world. Not to mention a highly-rated Spanish tapas bar, so I can get my taste of Spain after all.

Cake: I am having you. And eating you too.

5 x 15

One of the best things about London is the assortment of neat and quirky events that are always happening around the city. Last night, I had the pleasure of attending 5 x 15 -- an evening of entertainment that features 5 speakers, each telling a 15 minute cross-section of their personal stories or areas of expertise. Somewhat reminiscent of TED talks.

The topics ranged from how to get into Oxford on blind luck, what it's like to grow up with an eccentric gay dad, the reformation of a hardened criminal, a behind-the-scenes peek into a documentary on Peter Mandelson, and the sexual nature of cars. Quite an eclectic mix of subjects, and an equally eclectic mix of personalities.

I think I was most touched by Noel 'Razor' Smith's account of how he turned to a life of crime after having been victimized and harassed by the police. He spent the majority of his adult life in prison, where he taught himself to read and write, and eventually realised he could raise more havoc by writing complaints than he could by punching out the guards. The real turning point, though, was when his son died and he wasn't allowed to attend the funeral. Despite never having done any public speaking before (except "from the witness box at the Old Bailey," he quipped), he had a captivating presence and I didn't want him to stop. Alas, the bell rang and he was cut short. Just to give you an idea of how enraptured I was, the bell apparently rang several times and I never even heard it.

To give the evening a little more texture, there was also a musical interlude. Lulu and the Lampshades were absolutely enchanting. Their creative use of instrumentation, rhythm, and melody sucked me right in.



This little number is their most popular on YouTube. I think I might have preferred some of their other songs, but I love how they've incorporated the cup game here. Their stage rendition was even better, backed by a flute, guitar, and more percussion.

This all took place at Union Chapel, a Gothic church souped up with red stage lights, candles, and strung up number cut-outs. There was even a proper trendy bar upstairs where we hung out with a diverse crowd of hip 20-somethings, middle-aged professionals, and the retired elite during the intermission. A perfectly quirky venue for a perfectly quirky evening. They run these events regularly, and I think I might be hooked.

I have a new blog!

I've finally decided to separate my personal and professional blogging. I now have a new blog for musing about all things teaching and learning. Stop by if you're interested, or simply enjoy the fact that you'll never have to endure my rants about education here ever again.

London in Autumn

From the time I was a small child, I've been told the natural order of autumn leaves is for them to first change colours, then fall to the ground. But in London, this "law" of nature is only obeyed sporadically.


The majority of trees here go directly from green to barren. At first I thought the leaves, once turned, must fall right away... but then I started noticing an abundance of fallen, dried, green leaves. It's messing with my head! And is a little bit sad too; I feel as though I'm missing out on one of the best parts of autumn.

Another of the best parts is Halloween--a holiday mentioned only cautiously and with disdain in this part of the world. Several of my English friends have speculated it's because people here still associate the festival with its controversial past. Others have noted it serves mainly as an excuse for rebellious British youth to make mischief. But I, for one, think it's a crying shame.

That's why I was overjoyed when I was asked to carve a pumpkin with the children at school on Wednesday. I even got to roast the seeds! I was on a high from it the entire day, and I think I might buy another pumpkin and do it all again.

Ironically, despite the lack of qualities that have traditionally reminded me that this is a great season, I'm actually enjoying autumn a lot more than I have in many, many years. I've always found it difficult to enjoy the present when it serves as a constant reminder that the days are getting shorter and colder, and that soon we'll be plunged into the depths of winter (my most despised time of the year). But although my first British winter was hard on me, I think its relatively short lifespan coupled with a long, hot summer (I managed to be in India, Spain, Hawaii, England, and Canada at all the right times to maximize the heat) have made me much readier for winter this time around. We'll see how I feel about it in a month or two, but so far I'm doing ok.

In the meantime, we've arrived at our first break of the school year. I had hoped to spend this time in Italy, but unfortunately circumstances conspired against it. Instead, I'll be messing around with recipes, working on creative projects, and preparing to move. Yes, you read that right, I'm moving next month! Not to Spain, but to Camberwell--a charming area of South London only a 15 minute walk from my school. I'll be living in a lovely Victorian townhouse with four other really cool people. I think it'll be good for me.

Special Needs London

When I was little, I delighted in the gifts my parents brought home from their work conferences: pens, paperweights, bags, lanyards, stress balls, and sometimes even toys. I gleefully attended home shows where I scarfed down beer nuts while attempting to convince my parents they needed to buy me a trampoline. And I still have a framed computer-generated image of my aura that I got at a health and wellness show a few years ago. In short, I love conventions.

Today, I attended my very first career-specific exhibition. I was excited. But did Special Needs London live up to my expectations?

I'll be honest, I was looking forward to freebies of the ilk of those given to me as a child. Instead, I came home with an impressive collection of catalogues and brochures (my school will be happy), a demo CD of a literacy computer program, and a cute bookmark. I also wish there'd been more stalls offering information about SEN (special educational needs) rather than businesses trying to sell their wares.

But what about the workshops? I attended two seminars, and while they were certainly the best part of the event and succeeded in getting me thinking, I'm not sure I learned very much from them.

Narrowing the gap - practical ways to raise the achievement of vulnerable learners
There's a lot of talk in the UK about "narrowing the gap" between high and low achievers in schools, but Neil MacKay approached this topic from a different angle: narrowing the gap between a child's ability to think and their ability to present information/ideas or write them down.

Things I especially liked:
- He was clearly a skilled teacher and presenter
- He got us talking to each other, which originally I wasn't keen to do, but quite enjoyed in the end
- I learned that OFSTED considers gifted & talented students to be one of the two most vulnerable groups (yay, people are finally recognising this!)
- He talked about educating the parents about how their children learn and how they can support them, and said that by making the parents less vulnerable, their children become less vulnerable too
- He talked about how our teaching and assessment strategies can create (or eliminate) vulnerabilities in certain children

I didn't like so much that he referred to jargon and acronyms that I'm not familiar with yet and didn't spend much time talking about specific strategies. But I think most of the other attendees, who have more experience with the British education system than I do, understood what he was talking about and could see the applications. I guess I'll just have to do more research.

Not just talking: why children have behavioural, social, and emotional difficulties nowadays
This wasn't what I was expecting it to be, but was interesting in theory nonetheless. It was delivered by speech language therapist Sioban Boyce and was centred on the fact that many children growing up these days have limited exposure to normal human interaction, and therefore never develop important non-verbal communication skills. This lack of non-verbal communication ability leads to confusion and frustration that manifest themselves in behavioural, social, and emotional difficulties. Great stuff.

The trouble was that she was not a very good orator (and was visibly nervous) and she spent the entire hour basically bragging about how her work with these children has impressed people. She didn't really present us with any strategies we can use ourselves, short of sending them to do 1:1 intervention and speaking to them in ways that won't be overwhelming. I would have loved to know more about how she works with these children, not just that it works. She did happily point out, however, that she has books for sale and offers intervention courses. Based on her presentation today (essentially an infomercial that I paid £14.10 to see), I'm wary of giving her any more money for products that may not actually teach me anything.

----

In conclusion, I'm glad I went but I was a little disappointed with what I got out of the experience. I think I might possibly have been spoiled by TED talks.

I did pick up one very important bit of information, though: Angel is a really cool area for shopping. I want to go back there soon, preferably with money.