Strong Start to the School Year

The school year has started off strong. We are implementing a number of new committees, meetings, and school-wide objectives so we have been very busy. We’ve been busy as well with our extra-curricular activities. We have taken the boy’s football team to Sofia for the CEESA Southern tournament at the Anglo American School. It went well, with the boys placing third. A number of our boys unfortunately had to pull out of the trip at the last moment and it looked like we might not have enough players to travel. Thanks to our friend Murray at AAS for accommodating us, making the trip happen. He was nice enough to set us up with some additional players from the American College in Sofia to complete our roster (and they were really solid players to boot!). I for one was very impressed with the AAS campus and faculty. They run a tight ship. Former ASF, Mexico City Director, Jim Leahy is currently in charge.

Rocio has had a great response to her Art History Club. Every Tuesday she has fifteen plus students discuss periods and pieces. Last week they went downtown to study the various architecture. It looks like their culminating trip to Spain will be a success.

Last week we returned from our trip to Berlin for the annual BerMUN at the JFK school. It was our first time participating in BerMUN and both directors and delegates were very pleased with the conference as a whole. Our students gained some valuable experience and were able to the capital of Germany at a very historic moment.

Cypriot Summer

Things have been a bit odd without Roci around. Too much time on the internet planning my classes for next year. A bit of diversion has been had. I was able to see a Champions League qualifying match between Apoel and Partizan Belgrade. Apoel won 2-0 and eventually went on to the tie-breaker versus Copenhagen.

I was invited by a former student. Being Serbian and a huge Partizan supporter, it was a real treat to go with him to the match. Needless to say they're weren't that many that made the trip from Belgrade, but those faithful few who did were among the most devote. I even saw a few I recognized from the BBC 4 program, "The Real Football Factories". You can see a few of the lovelies here for yourself in this clip. No shirts... but defiantly sport'in fanny packs.

The International School Teacher 2.0

While my beautiful wife is more than busy with her “NO Sex in the City” excursion in New York, I have dug a deep technological trench working diligently on our new venture, “The International School Teacher 2.0”. The site is through Ning.com, a social/professional network. It is our hope that TIST 2.0 becomes a widely used resource for international teachers near and far. This is the part where I include the not-so-official official press release. 

This social network was created as a forum for teachers in international schools, and educators interested in teaching abroad to convene and discuss pertinent topics, such as:

- Sharing instructional strategies

- Insights on specific international schools

- Questions and concerns about IB

- Integrating instructional technology, web 2.0

- Cross-curricular and cross-continental projects

- Job fairs and the recruitment process

- Advice about future teaching destinations and cultural adjustment

- Keeping up with old colleagues and making new contacts

We also plan on including a number of in-house resources such as live broadcasted webinars and a podcast.

Notice, you did not read bimonthly, or even biannually regarding the podcast… first things first. Oh, but we have a real cavalcade of international school circuit heavy weights lined up for the podcasts.

Have a look, sign up, reply to posts, and by all means contribute some of your vast knowledge to the site. I think if we get it up and running according to our action plan TIST 2.0 could be a real success.

 

Seminar for Art Educators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC

Rocio has just completed her weeklong seminar for Art educators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC. She absolutely relished in every minute. I’ll quote directly from Spanish, as it’s cute, “like a piggy in mud”. Needless to say, with her extensive background in Museology, she was in her element. She learned a lot and was able to make some great contacts. She’s now of to Boston and to Keane University to visit some old colleagues.

Cypriot Summer

Its been a while since our last entry. Too long. The absence of writing is indeed relative to the hectic nature of the last few months. I don't want to offend anyone, I can understand that my use of hectic, while living in Cyprus, could be be a bit insensitive, but anyone has taught knows that regardless of local and school climate, the end of the year is indeed hectic. 

Rocio is currently in Ecuador visiting family. I myself am holding down the fort with the assistance of my ever-faithful assistant, Humita. I felt that the prospect of staying at home all summer as being a good chance to get some things accomplished, writing be one of them. Only being my first summer in Cyprus, is it really staying home? I have the beach, endless hours of exercise, and the lovely 100 degree heat to remind me of my Georgia roots.  Humi wishes she had been born a chihuahua. 

I am getting ahead of myself with summer endeavors. First things first. Spring saw us returning to Istanbul and spending time with our dear friend and colleague Chuckles. We are absolutely intrigued with Istanbul. It's history and flavors are addictive. You just keep wanting to return; and we will... perhaps under a contractual situation. 

Roci' s hard work and long hours payed off as the IB Art exhibit was a great success. Accolades were many, as the artist, their parents, and our director were overwhelming pleased. I am very proud of the work she has done in such a small amount of time. Coming in halfway to a two-year programme is not easy, but she dove right in and was able to turn the Art department around full circle. Congratulations Roci!

She is now in Quito, preparing to return to the States where she will be attending a week long symposium in NYC under the auspice of the MET, MOM, and the Whitney. 

I am here fully dedicated to my Mediterranean metamorphosis. Acclimation to a blistering hot summer takes hard work and dedication. Getting up at 7:30 while it's still only 88 degrees, two hour siestas, dinner at 11:00 at night, are all part of my regiment. I'm getting there.  After seven in the evening, one turns their back to the indoors. Television, reading, and everything is done on the terrace. I'm serenaded on a nightly basis by the neighborhood cacophony of clanging dishes and the scraping of silverware as families converse and dine in the open air. 

Three Days in Pafos

The island is so small that there are countless trips to be made that allow us to be back home by the end of the day. Our first overnight trip on the island was to a quaint village in the Paphos district. Kathikas, like many farming villages in this region, has opened their doors to tourism and, as often is the case, British retirees.



Cyprus has a well established agrotourism system where farm houses have been renovated and converted for tourism. Needless to say, they are both rustic and comfortable. Unfortunately this weekend was one of the coldest and wettest Cyprus has seen in a very long time. It even hailed. Hailed so much, it looked like an ice storm had hit. We were actually O.K. with this until the electricity failed. So, with no light, heat, or even flushing toilet we were ready to head back. The weather finally let up and we were able to see some of the countryside, some lovely beaches an extensive gorge. When we arrived the power has turned back on and we were able to enjoy reading our books to the sound of the relentless rain. 

Dogathon

Our school has a number of contacts in the community through which the students engage in service learning activities (just an academic word for community service). Unlike our previous school, this community service isn’t court appointed, it’s for FUN! And of course it should build character and instill a sense of an unselfish job well done.

The annual Dogathon is designed to bring awareness to the overwhelming number of neglected dogs on the island and one of the few establishments dedicating itself to their plight. The nice lady who runs the shelter is actually my student’s mother. Students were encouraged to raise donations towards their participation in the event. Unfortunately, not too many students participated, but those who did, put forth a great effort. Humita and I were able to raise over €130.


The most exciting part of the Dogathon… family participation, Rocio, Humi, and myself, in our matching Ecuador uniforms! She thought I was kidding when I proposed the matching attire. “No, really, were wearing them, really”.

Nicosia is not Paris. Nicosia is not even Dade County. I think Michael Vick might of have had an apartment here. I remember reading in Tim Park’s novel, Italian Neighbors, that the indifference towards canines often led to poisonings of innocent pets. Such is the case in Cyprus. Even the concept of a dog as a beloved household pet is a relatively new one. Like most agrarian societies, dogs’ importance was reduced to hunting and guarding. So, it was extremely refreshing to see so many people come out in support of needy dogs.

The race was scheduled to be a 3k. I say scheduled because it in evidently halved during the actual competition. We have been told of the general disorganized nature of Cyprus and it apparently extends itself to charitable events. None of the participants knew the exact route and upon seeing the “finish line” at around kilometer one, I told Rocio that we would be continuing for another lap. Only we were flagged (physically) into the ceremony grounds. No one actually competed the race, yet awards were presented nonetheless. Although Humi put forth a valiant effort she (we) did not place. She did however receive an award for “best head gear”. The chicken hat we bought here in Dallas made it in the suitcase. She received a medal for accomplishment. We told her it was for placing first in the race.

Scuba in Kyrenia

Our good friends Anick and Dale inited a number of people on a Scuba outing. This is something that I had always wanted to give a shot, so I was more than grateful for the opportunity. Kyrenia, hands down is the most attractive seaside village in the island. This and the fertile fields of the North were the two trophy pieces of the Turkish invasion. Oddly, Kyrenia was predominately Greek before ’74.

Anick’s friends own and operate Scuba Cyprus. The have a well worn, yet seafaring “sailess” sailboat through which they operate day-long scuba and snorkel trips complete with a Turkish Cypriot mezze lunch.

As first timers we were promised a short demo to be followed with a half hour
dive at around seven meters. As it was an all day affair, there were a number of dives for different groups at different dive sites. On these we were more than happy to grab some loose gear and snorkel around the vicinity of the boat. The water is amazingly clear. On a forty foot dive we simply followed the team from above, easily watching their every move through the crystalline depths.

Water, sun, mezze, a few beers, nice company, and very welcoming hosts, we thoroughly enjoyed our day. I have made plans with to obtain my initial PADI license through them in the spring.

See the rest of the photos here.