Old Time Entertainment: “Mister Ed”

I mentioned a while ago that I love “My Favorite Husband,” an old time radio show that became the beloved 50’s TV series, “I Love Lucy.” Well, as much as I love radio, there’s one TV show that aired from 1961-1965 that I really enjoy called “Mister Ed.” Though younger than “I Love Lucy,” “Mister Ed” appears to have been filmed earlier because it’s in black and white.

The show is about a man named Wilbur, played by Alan Young, who owns a horse named Mister Ed. Unlike all horses, Mister Ed can speak. It’s implied that Wilbur keeps his horse’s gift of speech a secret, but Mister Ed doesn’t mind voicing his opinion and telling Wilbur when he’s annoyed. Mister Ed only ever talks to Wilbur. Multiple times, talking to Mister Ed has left Wilbur caught in some embarrassing situations, because it looks weird when you talk to a horse. Also, Wilbur’s neighbors, the Addison’s, often wander over to Wilbur’s house while he’s seemingly talking to himself after Mister Ed walks away. Wilbur’s house is set up so Mister Ed’s barn is connected to the house, making him a part of everything Wilbur and his wife, Carol, do and say.

Also, even if you don’t like the show, you’ll be addicted to the catchy theme song:

A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can talk a horse, of course, unless, of course, the horse, of course, is the famous Mister Ed!

Find “Mister Ed” on Hulu, YouTube, or IMBd and see what’s up with the talking horse.

The Mystery of Xolelwa

In South Africa, there were two students my teaching partner and I suspected to have a learning disability. One of these was a twelve-year-old girl named Xolelwa Jokana.

Xolelwa’s name is of isiXhosa origin. It’s pronounced beginning with a click for the letter “x.” The click sound is made by placing your tongue against the side of your top teeth and quickly swiping it down the side of your mouth. You complete pronunciation of the name with just a regular -olelwa. Like all students at Ikamvalesizwe, she most likely lived in the township outside the town of Kenton on Sea. These kids live in shacks with no running water, electricity, and probably only eat once a day; at school. I would often stand outside and watch the children play and eat at break, and I can’t say I remember seeing Xolelwa with any of the other children, so she may have been a bit of an outcast. She was built thicker then the other kids, and was quite tall for her age.

So, naturally having some difficulty pronouncing her name, I realized right away that there were days when Xolelwa simply wouldn’t speak in class. She never raised her hand, but I felt bad to call her out because she actually didn’t look like she knew what was going on. Unfortunately, South Africa does not have a special education system, so there is nothing that can be done to help these students. Her handwriting was very good, but she didn’t understand what she was writing. Her typical school day consisted of being talked at and made to copy things off a blackboard. Lecture in fifth grade is just unheard of here, because we have a much different standard for younger grades.

For Xolelwa, I think she has dyslexia, or some other word recognition deficiency. She could also have a processing disorder where she just doesn’t understand written language. To effectively help her, she would need more verbal and one-on-one instruction. A very small class would be good for her, where she can have plenty of attention from her teacher and someone to read her questions and write her responses. The sad part is that I don’t know if her parents are literate or able to speak English, or even part of her life.

Many people argue that teachers shouldn’t be involved in their student’s home lives, which is true to an extent, but knowing what goes on in their home is important to know how to teach them. Home situations contribute to depression, stress, motivation, and many other things that could be beyond a teacher’s control. I can’t judge Xolelwa for her lack of English vocabulary and reading comprehension because I don’t know enough about her. Is she stupid? Absolutely not. Does she have potential? Sure. Will she need help? Yes. Can she get the help? That’s the problem. My teaching partner is a native South African and actually lives in the township. She went to Ikamva and graduated in 2004. After a few years, she was able to go to the US for college. She’s getting a prime-time education in our country, but she will go back to South Africa when she graduates and stay there to be a special educator. That’s when students like Xolelwa will get their help.

Back to NYC

You remember when I saw “Seminar” with Alan Rickman on Broadway? Well, this summer I’ll be going back to New York City to see one of my favorite musicals of all time on the big stage: Jesus Christ Superstar!

Jesus Christ Superstar is a musical retelling of the death of Christ and the Easter story. I don’t know who is playing the characters in the version I’ll be seeing yet, and frankly I don’t really care who’s in it because I just love the play. Show stopping numbers like Superstar, Blood Money, What’s the Buzz, and I Don’t Know How to Love Him are going to be difficult for them to pull off by my standards. Unlike Seminar, I know the story, so I know what to expect and how it should be, so this will be interesting because I’ll want to see how well they recreate this classic story.

So that’s one thing I have to look forward to this summer, but also I’m seeing Coldplay in concert on their Mylo Xyloto album tour. Although this album is one of their worst selling albums ever, and the album was the worst selling album of 2011, I like many of the songs they’ve churned out. I hope they include their classic favorites as well, like Speed of Sound, Yellow, and Clocks. But also new favorites like Paradise and Charlie Brown will be something to look forward to.

I kind of love all music, but it would be really awesome if I could get to see Aurelio Voltaire or Bob Seger or Van Halen someday. Yes, I like rock and roll, and yes, I have seen the musical Rock of Ages. The movie version, not the actual show. Someday, someday.

I also wanted to let anyone who’s interested know about a blog called The Sextant Review. It’s a writing blog for young writers, preferrably those who have not yet been published. I’ve submitted two poems to them so far, only because I’m taking a poetry class this coming semester and wanted some practice critique. I could have taken another fiction writing seminar, but I didn’t want to have the same visiting professor a second time. The visitor, Jessica Anya Blau, is a very talented and accomplished writer, but she’s not challenging as a teacher. I’m all about being challenged, especially in creative writing and teaching methods, so I don’t want a teacher who will just give me a grade for being there. My class this coming semester will be with poet Elizabeth Spires, the wife of Madison Smartt Bell, who is a famed Baltimore literary figure and also teaches at my college.

Until next time!

English Teacher Pet is back!!!

Wooo, it’s been awhile! Sorry it’s taken so long to get back to this blog, but that’s what happens when you live in a foreign country and have limited Internet access and didn’t bring your computer. Well, I got back from South Africa yesterday morning, so it’s time to give a traditional South African isiXhosa greeting: Molweni, ninjani? Hello! How are you? 

Before I forget, the URL for our trip blog is http://www.gouchersouthafrica2012.blogspot.com if you want to check it out and see some pictures. I will probably put some more posts up there in the next few days.

South Africa is an absolutely amazing country. I can’t say I recommend it for tourism, at least not Grahamstown, because if you’re American, you’ll find that the day works much different then ours does. By 5pm everything is closed except the one grocery store in the town. Everything is closed on Saturdays by 1pm, and Sunday nothing is open except the grocery store. But if you just want to go there to see a developing country and immerse yourself in their culture, there is plenty to enjoy. If you want to see something different and…kind of sad, I highly recommend it.

Teaching, however, is another story. Having no prior experience with elementary school children, it was so different to go into the classroom over there. I taught fifth grade, a class of 21 students. The school was called Ikamvalesizwe Combined School, meaning it’s a K-12 school, and it was located in a large township on the border of Kenton on Sea, Eastern Cape. A township is what Americans would call a ghetto. Dirt roads, stray dogs, shacks, little black children, you name it, just to rattle off a few things. The school is considered disadvantaged; they have about 20 teachers for their 400 students, and no library or cafeteria. The kids eat food their parents come in and prepare for them, and they eat outside, as it’s an open air school, meaning only the classrooms and office are indoors. The school always smelled like a petting zoo and the kids wore tattered and ripped uniforms, but they were so happy to be there to learn from us.

Teaching them was difficult, mainly because English isn’t their first language. Some students were much better then others. Thankfully, I had a teaching partner who is a native South African who grew up right in Kenton and even went to the school. She was able to translate a lot for the kids to help them understand me and get out what I wanted.

That’s all I can think of for right now, I’m still jetlagged and behind on sleep. Knocking back alcohol on a plane is NOT a good idea. Especially if it’s red wine and Amarula.

A quick update on my life…

Hey you all, I thought I’d update anyone who reads me on what ‘s going on. First order of business, I was observed teaching this past Monday, which is always nerve-racking no matter how good of a teacher you are or how long you’ve been doing it. It’s scary. But thankfully, my professor was happy with my performance and enjoyed seeing me in the classroom. My lesson was a discussion of a short story by Sherman Alexie entitled, This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona.  A good read if you’re into short fiction. So I’m glad that’s out of the way.

Also, in a few days I’ll find out my arrangements for teaching in South Africa. I’m going to be paired with another student and we’ll be co-teaching, which is a relief for me because it’s much easier to teach with another person, especially in a foreign country. I’m going to be in charge of English and language art lessons, which will be good because it’s my major field. I’m kind of worried about how to plan my lessons because I’ll be working with fifth graders, and my area is high school. I don’t have a lot of experience with children, so it will be very new for me.

Today was a school wide party, so classes were all cancelled. It’s been a fun day so far, despite the fact that I have the worst sunburn ever.

Dogs in Bailey Chairs

Every blogger needs at least one post that’s off subject, right?

This is my dog, Sam. He’s a 7 year old cocker spaniel/ King Charles spaniel mix. He has a condition called megaesophagus. This means his esophagus muscles stopped working and the esophagus itself expanded to three times its normal size. Vets don’t know how this condition is caused, but it’s most common in larger dogs and affects a couple thousand dogs a year. Though incurable, this condition can be treated, and as long as it is treated, it’s not life threatening.

The most popular way to treat megaesophagus is use of a bailey chair. A bailey chair is a three sided box with a bar in the front open side, for the dog to rest its front paws on. The idea of the bailey chair is to use gravity to pull food down the dogs enlarged esophagus. Since dogs stand horizontally, forcing them to eat vertically is the most efficient way to make sure the dog is getting food to its stomach.

The two most important signs of megaesophagus are frequent regurgitation from food sitting in the swollen esophagus, and sudden loss of weight. Sam’s healthy weight is about 25 lbs, but he dropped to 17 lbs before he was diagnosed. We’ve been using a bailey chair with him for about two weeks now, and walking him less to help him gain weight. Also, our local vet didn’t have the resources to diagnose him, so we had to take him to UPenn Veterinary Hospital before we actually got answers. They told us about the bailey chair and also recommended we feed him a special type of kibble from Prescription Diet. Depending on how often the dog is fed, the dog may have to sit in the bailey chair for up to 30 minutes after it eats. Since Sam is a smaller dog, we feed him 3 small meals a day and he has to stay in his chair for 15 minutes each time. We built our bailey chair with a clip for his harness in the back to keep him from getting out. He’s getting better about going into the chair, but sometimes we have to force him in it. Soon he’ll learn that it means meal time, so until then it’s a bit of a wrestling match.

Update: Feb, 2103- Sam lost his battle to megaesophagus this month. Though his bailey chair worked, eventually he couldn’t swallow anything no matter what. Ultimately, megaesophagus will lead to death by pneumonia, loss of weight, dehydration, lack of nutrition, and many other reasons.

Attack of the Monster Crabs

If any of you guys are interested in silly horror, you should check out the production blog on my friend’s page, Dramaturgchick. She dramaturged a performance of an old horror film entitled Attack of the Monster Crabs that was written and produced by students at my college. The show itself made its debut yesterday evening, and I was lucky enough to reserve a ticket for opening night. If you’re interested in learning more about the show, check out Dramaturgchick!

Teaching, teaching, and traveling!

Well, I’m back and thought I’d update anyone who reads my blog on what’s up. I’m back in school and I’m super excited because I’m teaching at a public high school this semester!  And better yet…..drum roll….I’m teaching creative writing!!! Yes, it’s my first chance to take part in and/or lead a high school writing workshop, and I’m so excited! Finally, a chance to teach in an environment I went to school in, and an environment that I ultimately want to teach in on my own. Tomorrow I go to a certification conference  mandatory for Baltimore County Public School teaching internships.

Aside from that, I’ll also be doing somewhat of an ESL (English as a Second Language) class on campus for my Spanish class, where I’ll kind of be teaching, but it will be more for my benefit in improving my language ability.

Other good news, I’m going to study abroad this summer! For three weeks, I’ll be teaching in Kenton on Sea, South Africa, fifth and sixth grade students. Do I even need to tell you how exciting this is? If you’ve been reading my blogs, you know how crazy I am about teaching and how much I cannot wait for this to happen.

The students I’ll  be going abroad with and I are going to be making a blog about our trip, which I will most definitely put a link up on here once I get it, so anyone can check out my experience, my travels, and my classes, as well as hear from me personally about my experience. If anyone thinks they will definitely be interested in hearing about it, feel free to say so in the comments. I’d be glad to hear from people (cough, cough, altitudechallengedwriter)

Please comment and express your interest (or disinterest, I guess) in hearing about South Africa!

Crazy Writer from Hell: 1.5 Year Reunion

This morning, I drove to my neighborhood Starbucks to reunite with someone extremely close to me and one of the most influential people in my life. No, I don’t mean a lover or a family member, I mean my high school creative writing teacher, better known as the Crazy Writer from Hell. I parked next to her grey Mazda and saw her through the window, same as I remembered, short cropped grey hair, dark mascara, little blue sweater, and an expression of  utter seriousness. It was picture perfect.

She and I sat at a table near the front of the restaurant, and first argued about who was buying the drinks.

“I have a Starbucks Card; I’m treating you,” she said.

“That’s not necessary, I can buy my own.”

“You’re in college, no you can’t.” She sent me to the front when the line died down. Even after a year and a half of not seeing her, she can still command me on what to do. So I bought myself a cinnamon bun and a gingerbread latte and then sat down to catch up with one of my favorite people in the world.

She asked me how school was going, and I told her it was very good, that I had declared a creative writing and education major, and I worked as a tour guide. At that she brought up the fact that she now worked as a tour guide at an art museum since she retired from teaching this past June. I asked how she liked it, and she said once she got away from my school, she was very happy. But she did say it was very sad to leave.

“I had to give away all of my posters and books. I loved all those books. I gave most of them to the school library, others to friends. I wanted to keep them all, but I have nowhere to put them.” She had about 300 books shelved in her classroom. When I had her class, we had to read one book every ten days and write about it.

As the conversation went on, she asked me what my school was like. I asked her if she’d ever heard of it.

“Of course I’ve heard of your school. I applied there in 1965 and they rejected me!”

After that, she asked me about my creative writing classes. I told her they were really good and I enjoyed them very much, that I was taught by some very accomplished writers. I told her about the writing style of the professor I’ll be having this coming semester, describing it as “autobiographical fiction.” She responded with:

“Hah, figures. Everyone writes like that. Don’t have enough balls to write some real fiction!” She proceeded to tell me that when I’m near graduation, I should do writing exercises for a business she started in tutoring students on writing college application essays. That’s still two years away, but when the time comes, I’ll definitely be working alongside her.

She went on to tell me about different ways I could escape my obnoxious roommate of this year, from sleeping outside to buying a key to my friends’ suite from a locksmith, to stealing my roommate’s key and locking her out. I thought that last one was a bit drastic, not to mention the public safety officers at my school would come and let her in anyway.

Seeing her brought about a million emotions to my head. One hour to catch up on each other’s life and then we went our separate ways, and it will probably be at least another year before I see her again. But, as little memory to her, she made me another bracelet. This one has brown kaleidoscope beads threaded with yellow thread around a corded frame. She claimed that there are a lot of benefits to being retired.

“You can just sit and watch TV and make jewelry and take classes at colleges formerly way out of your league and see people who remember you but you don’t remember them and you try to sound cool even though you’re scrambling through your memory trying to find their name. It’s a great time!”

Already, I miss her again. I think about everything she taught me and I can’t help but get teary. I hear about her past students reflecting on everything she made them do that they hated her for at the time, but now appreciate more than anything. That is what makes a true teacher.

Writing Ideas

I think I come up with ideas for writing and short stories in the strangest ways. More often then not, I’ll be doing some mundane chore, like washing the dishes, and suddenly I’ll get my “story face,” and then my siblings and my parents know not to bother me because I’ll be shut away in my room with my notebook and computer. I usually free write a story idea by hand in my notebook and then if I like it enough, I’ll type it out.

When I’m at school, there’s a long driveway I have to walk up and down to get to and from the stables after my horseback riding class. I got my most recent story idea while I was walking back to my dorm near the end of the semester. I got another idea just this afternoon when I was walking my cocker spaniel on this frozen-over field at the end of my street. The outer suburbs of Philadelphia is probably the best place to live and write. We have very intense seasonal changes, extremely cold winters, extremely hot summers, and snow. I love the winter and fall months because of how colorful it gets and how the people look.

My college offers a creative writing grant that I’m planning to take advantage of this summer, where I could go anywhere I want to and write. It’s a way of immersing oneself into the setting and culture of stories. I really would like to travel to the West Coast, probably Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, or Idaho and stay on a dude ranch to write about life in the mountain country and horse people. Or maybe if I want to do something cheaper I’ll go to Port Carbon, a small old coal country in central Pennsylvania to stay with my grandparents and write about life and setting there. My grandparents have lived in the same house for almost sixty years and have all kinds of stories they can tell me about that I could fictionalize. I’m very excited to gather more information about my writing ideas and see what I can do with my creative writing major.