Llama Cottage, Mendocino

January in Sausalito

As has become a tradition, after losing my big brother for 22 years and then finding him one day in Anaheim, I go running with him every year in Sausalito. This is me having run forth and back over the Golden Gate Bridge which is one of the most beautiful and awe inspiring man made monuments in the world. We have a whole set of wonderful runs which we do every year and Al's always adding new ones and exploring the wonderful areas around Sausalito. Some of the most gorgeous views can be seen from the MPR, the Tennessee Valley, Fort Baker, the gauge run and the reservoirs on Mount Tamalpais, and simply the deck and prom through Sausalito itself. We also drive up north to Mendocino where we usually run the cliffs, the Pygmy Forest, the Jug Handle Reserve, the Van Damme Forest and the Montgomery Woods. We stay at the Llama Cottage and feed the llamas carrots. As Al is a vegetarian of sorts I usually give up my big red meat eating habits, which I learnt in Argentina, and buy all our food from the Real Food shop: fabulous fresh veggies, fruit and fish or chicken from Molly Stones. One big treat is take the ferry over to San Francisco (the CITY)to go to a show and have supper in the old downtown Tommy's Joint. I have a wonderful time every year and come home fit and ready to start the year.

Life in the Fast Freelance Lane

Well, I'd hoped to calm down at this end of the year after working non-stop since Feb.This year was my first freelance year and it was an experiment. I said I'd give myself a year and if it worked out I would not dedicate myself to one particular school again where I had begun to feel cooped up, restricted, even claustrophobic.I wanted to dedicate the rest of my teaching career to working with teachers and adolescents without having to deal with owners who want to run their place in a way which goes against my educational ideals. I also got fed up with putting out other people's fires and negative attitudes towards teenagers.
So here I am at the end of my first year and I'm going to use this space to write about my experiences as a novice freelancer.

13 th December 2006

As it's the end of the year in Argentina, I've decided to CHANGE HORSES and to start writing about " Life in the Fast Lane" which is how my life seems to have sorted itself out in Argentina, a country known to be laid back and easy going!

Nov 23rd 2006

My recommendation: Mandela's history

Sunday 19th November Getting started "On Racism"

I was intrigued to read today in the Buenos Aires Herald the article ( admittedly translated badly into English) that won the Ministry of Education /BAH competition " Journalists for a Day" where 1,500 schools took part. The article analysed the current state of Racism in Argentina today and attributed it to the thousands of poor immigrants who entered Argentina way back in the early 20th century looking for a better future for themselves and their families. Those same immigrants referred to in-country immigrants ( those poor natives who migrated from the provinces to the big cities) as "darkies" and treated them with contempt, maintaining the status quo of keeping the "niggers down".

We will read the article next class but before then I want you to post
1) your own ideas about racism, discrimination and the role of the ruling classes in Argentina today
2) the titles of any films you have seen or songs you have heard which deal with this topic
3) any news items you have read or seen this week which show racism in other parts of the world.