A Week in Review

It's been a hectic week with lots of events-I'll try to recap some of the highlights.

Monday-MLK Day

I had an all-day AmeriCorps training in Detroit for MLK Day. We did some form of an icebreaker/team-building exercise, then watched a live feed of Julian Bond, the Chairman of the NAACP, speak at the University of Michigan (funny how I traveled 45 minutes away from my campus to watch that on a screen!). After lunch we participated in a service project in Highland Park. We cleaned out an old office building that was being converted into a shelter for young adults aging out of the foster care system, which is a much-needed and progressive service.

Tuesday-Inauguration

There was so much excitement in the air on Tuesday for the inauguration of President Obama. By the time I got into the School of Social Work at 9am, there were already several emails circulating, congratulating our social work community on this achievement, which was a long time coming. The office shut down at noon to watch the oath and other ceremonial activities. My favorite part of the day was seeing such an incredible turnout in DC and thinking of people all over the country and the world watching at the same time, knowing that we were all brought together to witness such an extraordinary event-despite our differences. It was truly an incredible time for US history and I was happy to be with my colleagues in the School of Social Work to share in the moment.

Wednesday-Zumba, Part II

I had a busy day of work, class, planning a trip to Chicago, and of course Zumba! I had a much easier time following the instructor and I didn't stand at the back of the class, right in front of the windows. 

Thursday-Detroit Public Schools

I attended a Junior League meeting on Thursday morning when I got into Detroit. This meeting consists of representatives from local schools and organizations that work with children and youth at some level. DPS is currently in a financial crisis. They are running a deficit of millions of dollars. The superintendent was just fired. All funds except Title I funds (designated for children of low-income families) have been frozen and are not accessible. There will soon be an emergency financial manager assigned to address this crisis. And the State of Michigan is looking to take over the public schools as an option. 

During this Junior League meeting I found out that our public schools cannot afford toilet paper for the bathrooms. Teachers and administrators have begun to ask parents and community organizations for donations because Title I funds-the only funds available to the schools right now-do not cover the purchasing of toilet paper. One teacher explained how this plays out in the classrooms: A student needs to go to the bathroom, so the teacher pauses class and hands out a few sheets of toilet paper (purchased by the teacher, out of his or her own budget). Upon returning to the classroom, the teacher again pauses class and squirts some hand sanitizer into the student's hand, because oh yeah, the schools cannot purchase hand soap or paper towels either.

That afternoon, I ran to the elementary school where I started a recycling program to pick up the full containers of papers and plastic bottles. When I asked the principal if I could have some plastic bags to carry out these items, she told me they had none. No plastic bags. I had to fill cardboard boxes with the recycled materials instead. To me it is incredible that children are attending schools in the United States where toilet paper, paper towel, soap, and plastic bags are not readily available to them.

Friday-Testing in Chicago

I traveled to Chicago Thursday night so I could take the Presidential Management Fellows test on Friday. If selected as a finalist, I would attend a career fair in DC at the end of March and possibly get a federal management job for two years. It's a highly-competitive program with great benefits...wish me luck! I can't say it was my best performance and I'm glad it's over, but at least it brought me to Chicago for the weekend.

Saturday-Touring Chicago 

On Saturday I visited the Chicago Public Library. It had nine floors and an awesome Winter Garden on the top level. The ceiling was like a sun roof, made of all windows. It had tile floors and plants everywhere-an excellent place to read. Each floor had a different subject and my favorite was the Languages one. They had books on display in Polish, Spanish, Russian, and Japanese.

I met up with friends for breakfast and then visited the Art Institute of Chicago. There was a great exhibit of photographer Yousuf Karsh. He took photographs of some of the most famous people in recent history, such as Audrey Hepburn, JFK, Winston Churchill, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Ernest Hemingway. The art museum has some incredible pieces and I was happy to spend a bit of my afternoon there.

I headed back to Ann Arbor that evening and now am thinking about all the reading I have to do for tomorrow. On that note...have a great day and I'll write again soon!

So I Think I Can Dance

Tonight I attended my first session of Zumba, which is a new type of cardio-dance class that is heavily influenced by Latin American music, particularly the salsa. I consider myself a somewhat-talented athlete. When it comes to practicing yoga, playing basketball, or even picking up a tennis racket now and again, I've always enjoyed the comfort of knowing how to move, where to place my hands, and how to position my feet. Basically I feel a general sense of ease on the mat or court. 

My first Zumba workout, however, made me feel more awkward than a middle-schooler at her first dance. As I frantically reached into my memory for any recollection of the salsa lessons I took in Spain, I was shocked to realize that the instructor was not shouting out steps, counts, or other commands to ease the utter confusion I was experiencing. To make things worse, I was too far back in the room to see her steps and instead tried to copy her reflection in the mirror wall at the front of the class, which proved to be much more difficult (and confusing) than anticipated. 

After about five minutes of fumbling my steps (on a floor that was dangerously slick from the class before), I realized that my arms too were supposed to be moving, instead of just rigidly pressed against my sides. As I attempted to swing my arms in some sort rhythmic motion, the warm-up was over and I found out that our instructor adds a little hip-hop influence to her routine. Suddenly I was flailing about as if I were in a low-grade Britney Spears-wannabe music video. And during the entire class, all I could think was "Dear God, behind me is an entire wall of windows separating me from the facility's highly-trafficked waiting room and check-in counter."

Now one might have left this workout session feeling confused, disheartened, and dare I say, embarrassed. Upon reflection, I have come to terms with my current inability to accurately step salsa/hip-hop to the popular reggaeton song "Gasolina." I will admit it was a humbling experience. However, I have been blessed with skills that have allowed me to tackle even the most challenging feats (graduate school, riding the MegaBus, attending games in the Big House) with ease and it is time for a new challenge that I must work to overcome; Zumba is this challenge, my Mount Everest, if you will. It's like Hemingway said: "Nobody [does] anything quickly nor easily if it is any good." 

With those words in mind, I will strap on my shoes next Wednesday, shake out the resistance in my limbs, and flail to any reggaeton the instructor blasts at me. It will not be quick, and it will certainly not be easy, but mastering my Zumba class may be the single greatest accomplishment I can achieve during my time as a graduate student.  And to that, Hemingway, I will drink.

Trip to Spain

Emily, Kaela & me in Jerez

December 2008

Over the winter break I traveled to Spain to visit Kaela. She is teaching English for a year in Jerez de la Frontera and I was very lucky to spend over a week with her during the holidays. We first spent a half day in Madrid, where we saw beautiful Christmas lights all over the city. Then we headed down to her home city, Jerez, and spent most of the week floating from bar to café, shopping, and eating delicious foods. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the trip:

Favorite Sites:

Atlantic Ocean Shoreline

Cádiz

Kaela & Emily's Apartment

Jerez de la Frontera

Moroccan Market

Jerez

Sunset on the Atlantic Ocean

Puerto de Santa Maria

Favorite Foods:

Kaela's breakfast of choice:

Molletes y café con leche

Next best thing if crepes aren't available:

Death by Chocolate...mmm

12 grapes to welcome the New Year!

__ __ __ __ __ 

Despite all the great things I experienced during my visit, the best part of the vacation was seeing Kaela and learning about her life in Spain. Although she is missed terribly in the States, I was happy to see her thriving and content in Jerez. That said, I'm still counting down the days until she returns!

I've uploaded a slideshow of more photos if you are interested-enjoy!