delivering the tangibles.

2009-06-15T00:35:00.000-07:00

"You gotta stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone oughtta be"

words sometimes can slap you harder than mr. t and his knuckle rings. i just had one of those moments.

the hilarities of being an efl teacher.

2009-06-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

so this post was inspired by a fellow teacher's experience. so the first thing i tell all my students is to drop spanish at the door when they come into the class and treat english as its own separate entity. i believe this is the only real way to understand and learn a language, because otherwise during your entire english practice you will be translating from your native language to the other one, which can pose many problems, some of which i will now begin to explain.

i was going over going out to eat in the US and we began to talk about the internation cuisine available in the states. we got onto mexican cuisine (one of my personal favorites and a favorite of paisas as well), and they began listing foods: quesadilla, tacos, little donkeys...
"Wait...what? Andrés, what are little donkeys?"
"Teacher, you know, little donkeys. They eat them much with Mexican food."
"Andrés are you sure? Have you had little donkey before?"
"Yes teacher. It is my favorite food Mexican."
"Ok, I have never seen little donkey in a Mexican restaurant before."
"Really teacher? Little donkey...como burrito?"
::Busting laughter from said teacher::

in my course 12 we were talking about indirect requests, such as would you mind..., could you..., and so on. we were talking about asking for favors using indirect requests and the following conversation actually happened:
"Ok Diana. Santi has a car and you want him to drive you to class in the morning. How would you ask him?"
"Santi, would you mind riding me all the way to class?"
"Um...Diana. You can't say that in the English."
"Why, teacher? I want him to ride me."
::Busting laughter from said teacher who has the mind of a 13 year old boy::

i was talking to a coworker named rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrafa (you need to say the r like that otherwise it just isnt right) about hilarious instances in class where translations have gone horribly horribly wrong. the following is my favorite:
"Ok, you all have 25 minutes to complete the quiz. Raise your hand if you need help."
::Student raises hand::
"Yes Mauricio."
"Teacher, what verb do you need to use here?"
"I can't tell you that Mauricio. Just do the best you can."
"Ay come on teacher...blow me!" (at which point in the story said teacher from before who is listening to this story busts out laughing to the point where she starts crying)
"What, right here?" (said teacher from before starts laughing even harder)
::Puzzled look on student's face::
"Sopleme in Spanish does not mean the same in English, Mauricio. I'll explain later..."
(for the record, sopleme is like saying "give me a hint", though the literal translation is "blow me")

there are oh so many more, but i like doing things in 3s, so lets keep it at that.

the key to happiness

2009-05-29T08:24:00.000-07:00

some say the key to happiness is love. others sex. others chocolate. others model cars. ive always said the key to happiness is your surroundings, both social and physical. when im in a certain place it can affect whether im happy or not...

and guess who agrees with me this time?!?! fastcompany just did blog post about how buildings can make you happy. guess im not the only one, am i?!?!

swine flu aint got nothin on paisa fever

2009-05-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

the next 2 weeks shall bring 2 cornellians to colombia, with the arrival of alina ahorita and wes the first week of june. then comes the bro. that officially brings the "syd's paisa persuasion" count to 6, with a pending 7th in october.

the colombian tourism agency should be giving me commission.

antioquia, te quiero.

2009-05-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

after another successful and funfilled trainee weekend, i once again realize how much i love antioquia and medellin. i LOVE trainee weekends because i get to see medellin and its neighboring towns through a first-timer's eyes, and this weekend was no exception. we once again made our way up to la piedra de peñol, complete with the most breathtaking view of the country's most treasured reservoir (that also happens to supply 70% of the country's power) after a grueling hike up over 700 steps. we once again made a promise to buy a casa finca in guatapé if and when we all have money from our successful lives. and we once again ended the day with a fabulous rumba in la ruana de juana (i dont care how mañe you think it is, we ALWAYS have a good time there). and i once again woke up with a sore butt, a guayabo, and a huge love and appreciation for this country and especially this department.

and now i await the 30 days until the arrival of the bro, which shall commense the weeklong tour de antioquia. im beyond excited.

done.

2009-05-20T11:53:00.000-07:00

finally i finished my damn tefl certificate. and with one day left to spare before it expires.

i guess it just goes to show i really cant get anything done unless theres a fire lit under my ass. this is probably a bad thing, but ce la vie.

im kind of a nerd...

2009-05-14T21:08:00.001-07:00

i like reading and talking about technology and the environment and existential shit. i barely drink. i enjoy doing academic type projects for fun. im really into the news. i take a 3 hour nap every saturday afternoon. one of my favorite activities is food shopping. gchatting is like a hobby of mine. sometimes when im out partying with my friends i become jealous of my 85 year old roommate who is at home, snuggled up in bed with a book...

and im happier than ive ever been. so heres to finding out my true calling in life is to be ñoña.

i had to...

2009-05-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

i don't know if colombia is ready...

2009-05-06T09:40:00.000-07:00

but here comes sir david lucas malawer! i guess we'll just have to wait and see how colombia reacts to him, though this is very likely to happen seeing as even to whiteys he looks so much like him.

and now i await june 24th to july 7th.

que tan bobo

2009-05-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

But when people get scared, they sometimes say or do dumb things. That includes Vice President Joseph Biden, who said Thursday morning on the Today show that the swine flu virus could spread easily on airplanes, and that he has advised his family against traveling anywhere on mass transit. "When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft," Biden told Today host Matt Lauer. "I would not be, at this point, if they had another way of transportation, suggesting they ride the subway." (time)

just as dan quail will forever be known as the vp who couldn't spell for shit, joe biden will forever be known as the vp who should have put his foot in his mouth. (but im not going to lie i love him anyway)

so simple, yet so profound

2009-04-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

who knew that by doing away with such a simple item could conserve water and possibly help prevent your freshman 15 (or 37, as is the case with a girl from my hall freshman year)?

thats design for you baby.

fina-fuckin-ly

2009-04-28T10:08:00.000-07:00

im leaving for bogota thursday night. after 8 months in colombia i finally have the chance to go to the capital, see some more of the history of this beautiful country, and catch up with old friends.

pumped is an understatement.

why didn't i think of that?

2009-04-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

a blanket with sleeves!?¿!?¿!...officially the BEST invention i've heard of in a LONG time...

if i were still an undergrad, i would rock that shit everywhere i go...especially to the chapter house along with my nalgene and scarf.

mindfuck turned mission

2009-04-20T09:43:00.001-07:00

taso the last post was the beginning of an important realization that is slowly but surely becoming a personal mission for me. i realized, after much thought and many long conversations, that i am missing something big in my life, that something being religion. yes im jewish, but judaism to me is much more a culture and history of my family than an actual religion. because of this i realize that i have been living without religion for practically my whole life (well, techinically since i was about 9, when i realized sitting in the synogague during a wednesday hebrew school class that i didnt think god rested on the exterior, but rather inside each and every one of us), and consequentially have adopted my american cultural upbringing as my religion instead...

...and its just not working anymore (not that it ever worked in the first place). our culture is almost solely concentrated on what lies on the surface. we judge people by how they look, whether consciously or unconsciously. we judge OURSELVES based on how we think we are perceived. we can never SHOW weakness, no matter how weak we do in fact feel. we think we can tell everything about a person based on how they appear and try and manipulate other people's opinions of us by manipulating how we appear. our self esteem rises and falls depending on our weight or muscle tone or new hair style. whenever we hear an ex or crush or someone we're interested in is mackin it with someone else, instinctively our FIRST question is how we LOOK compared to that person. (how many times have your friends told you, "its ok...shes way fatter than you/shes got a big nose/she wears a moomoo/etc" to try and make you feel better?) whether we realize it or not we ALL judge based on the surface, whether it be other people or ourselves.

and i dont want it anymore. its been driving me nuts for almost my entire life, since the first time jared knee told my 7th grade boyfriend that he was dumb to be going out with me because i was fat (and of course the boyfriend told me, thinking i would find it funny...oh you silly silly boy). i never EVER saw myself as fat before that comment, and that was the beginning of the end for me. my mom would constantly tell me "if you lost 10 pounds youd feel better," but why? so that other people would stop judging me or so that i would start valuing myself higher despite other people? why did happiness (or rather, DOES happiness) revolve around our physical condition and whether or not we have a significant other? think for a second about this...whats the FIRST question you ask your friends who you havent seen for a while besides the colloquial "how you doin?"? you ask them about their love life, don't you?

im victim to it to, but ive gotten to a point where the surface has become obsolete. ive trimmed down and started relationships these past few months, but those didnt make me happy. when im happy im happy for reasons that exist in a different realm from those things, and ive decided i want to explore those. this next chapter of my life is going to focus on finding my religion (its probably better put spirituality, but i really do mean religion) rather than trying to find myself apart from my cultural religion that i have so unconsciously adopted.

so here i go.

mindfuck

2009-04-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

ive never really believed in astrology, though linds and i did have fun with her astrology book during our summer together in the ith. but today, as i was just shooting the shit with google before going to bed as i usually do, i put in my rising sign (as linds and i figured out that summer) and started reading some stuff.

it scared the shit out of me how dead on some of the things it said about my personality. things that i have never outright told anyone, nor have i had the courage to admit even to myself.

i have never felt so existentially naked before. i may have a new interest to keep me occupied for a while.

our honeymoon

2009-04-12T19:07:00.001-07:00

julie and i were joking the whole time that this was like our honeymoon, and honestly it was. we ate, slept, relaxed, bickered and stayed side by side the whole time, just like any other honeymooning couple. it was, for lack of a more powerful word, perfect.

this whole experience was incredible. it was insane being able to share this culture and this life with one of the most important people in my life. she got to see my spanish in action, my new self esteem that seems to escape me when im in the states, the relationships i have built here and the family i have been adopted by. it all helped me realized where ive come from the the potential for where im going.

now back to the real world.

t minus 4 days...

2009-03-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

until julie gets to medallo! im already at the point where im having daydreams while walking down the street of julie being next to me and telling myself "in 4 days she will be doing just this..." and ive already bought the bus tickets and reserved the taxi and found the flower stand where im going to buy flowers for when i pick her up...

yes, i am heterosexually in love with her and im not ashamed to admit it.

the thing i will miss the most...

2009-03-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

is probably the cafe con leche from juan valdez. no one makes it quite like juanny.

pity party much?

2009-03-20T10:06:00.000-07:00

The Millers said they used to have lavish dinners about once a week, but they don't know if they will be able to do that again anytime soon.
"We used to travel a few times a year, take vacations, and now that just doesn't seem like a possibility," Ellen Miller said. "... Couple that with the way the economy is going, each of our businesses are also on the downside. The income coming in last year wasn't where it was even without Madoff." (cnn)

im sorry that you lost a lot of your money due to madoff's selfishness, but i am not going to pity you because now instead of taking multiple vacations a year you can only take one more two and you can only go out to an extravagant meal once every 2 weeks instead of once every week. and to this nino guy, as much as what youre doing is nice, of ALL people who need a nice meal i dont think these people are the most deserving. im not saying you all didnt work hard for your money, but there are people in WAY more dire situations than yourselves so complaining to cnn about your tales of woe (and cnn ACTUALLY publishing it) really is not getting you any sympathy points here. how bout giving a free meal to the people who have just lost their homes due to foreclosure which is most likely due to the selfishness of those bankers and such who lost their money (well, actually, OUR money) in the madoff scheme?

im big for live and let live but im sorry cnn you should NOT be encouraging these people to feel so bad for themselves when the rest of the nation is suffering 3942304 times more. i try and defend my country a lot saying that we're not that selfish and that money isnt the only thing we think about, but when articles like this come out it makes it really fucking hard to do that.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh me da RABIAAAAAAAAA.

ok im done venting now.

another one drinks the paisa kool aid

2009-03-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

i may or may not have convinced another cornellian to come live the paisa dream this summer. hopefully that makes 2 for this summer and more to come...

i dont know why but the younger generation seems to listen to me and think im way cooler than i actually am. i really hope i dont disappoint.

my mentor.

2009-03-12T12:00:00.000-07:00

sheila danko has changed my life in a big way. it is because of her that i finished my college education the way i did, that i joined aiesec, that i went to the business as an agent for world benefit conference in october 06, that i developed a passion for social innovation and design, and ultimately the reason i have the knowledge and passion that i do today. i sent her a copy of an article yesterday with a letter of thanks and praise, because every once in a while its nice to hear that youve influenced someone:

hey sheila!!!!
i hope all is well in the tundra that is ithaca these days! im doing really well down here in medellin teaching english and im SO glad i made the decision to come here. a lot of things in my life and plans have changed because of it, but one thing that just hasnt changed is my passion for social innovation and cradle to cradle design :)

for my conversation class i found this article that i IMMEDIATELY thought youd be interested in if you havent already read it: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/09/plastic.bottle.boat/index.html i hope you enjoy it as much as my class and i are! tomorrow im actually doing the entire lesson on cradle to cradle design and showing a video by bill mcdonough on youtube!

honestly sheila, the more time i spend out of college living my life the more i realize that you are one of the people that has influenced my life more than you will ever realize. every decision i am making has its roots back to DEA 111 and dancing mind/thinking heart. with your passion and ability to explain things i have been able to figure out where my strengths fit into the world and what i want to do with them. i hope we keep in touch sheila. i want to know about the awesome work youre doing and keep you updated on where my life goes.

whenever you get a chance (i know you dont have much time) just let me know how youre doing :) maybe we can even set up a phone date! hope all is well and hope to hear from you soon :)

besos desde colombia
syd

and this is what she wrote back:

Sydney Dear,
I do appreciate your notes and updates, though I don’t always express it. You have no idea how much your words and enthusiasm for change means to me. To know that I was a part of your development is most gratifying, especially in a field where teaching is relegated to lower status than research. I hope to stay in touch always. Nothing means more to an educator than to watch a former student grow and pass on their enthusiasm for learning and commitment to change. Your energy astounds me.

Thanks for the article!! Please, always make sure I have an email for you. I am going to be redesigning 111 in a major way and would love to run the critical ideas by you.

Fondly,
Sheila

the wheels have been a'turnin in that old brain of mine around cradle to cradle design. ill let you know what pops out.

letter from the boss

2009-03-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Sydney,

It looks like things are going quite well for you so far according to these evaluations. There were quite positive overall with students being happy with your methodology. Congratulations and continued success!

Best regards,

looks like im doing something right :)

2009-03-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

after an hour convo with senor maas, a quick yet insightful chat with mariana, and an hour's worth of rereading blog entries from the past year complete with nostalgic (and not so nostalgic) montage, i have come to a realization...

my goal for this year was to "trim the fat", in which i would cleanse myself of all toxic relationships, and thats exactly what i did. as difficult as it was i was able to let go of people in my life that at one point made me happy and fulfilled me in so many ways because i realized that they no longer played that role in my life and had in fact become more of a burden than a blessing. they changed, i changed, and the changes just made us no longer compatible.

not only did i cleanse myself of those toxic relationships, but i also strengthened the ones that still fulfill me and created new ones that are fulfilling me in completely new ways. ive finally learned to NOT be ashamed of how i feel and how people affect me and to allow myself to be...well myself. ive finally learned how to be truthful not only with myself, but with others around me even though it may make me vulnerable and seem weak. im finally walking the talk ive been talking for oh so long and finding people who appreciate that about me rather than resent me for it.

so the realization i have come to is the following: i. am. happy.

and i say about fuckin time.

billy must be so proud...

2009-03-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

in 2002 bill mcdonough and michael braungart, 2 former granola-y hippies (well, more braungart than mcdonough) published cradle to cradle, a revolutionary new book that shows how products and services, rather than having a cradle to grave lifecycle, could have a cradle to cradle one where the raw materials and services do not become degraded overtime, but rather become raw food for either the same product cycle or another product's cycle.

this is what he was talking about.

happy thought.

2009-03-06T19:50:00.001-08:00

so today mari and i were reserving movie tickets online, but in order to do so she had to type in her password to her online account. you know what her password is? sydney. it made me smile from ear to ear.