Hope

I work at a community school. Before going there for my internship I had no idea what that meant...Teaching there requires me to be patient, understanding and always compassionate. It is different from working in any other school. The school that I work at has children who are impoverished and many have problems at home. I had a wonderful upbringing, we had money, food, clothing, shelter, a stable environment. I don't know how to relate. I am a bleeding heart and feel that I have some compassion but I will NEVER know what it is like to walk in some of these kids shoes. I find each day I learn something new about myself and about those different from me. I also find that each and every day I realize how fortunate I have been and how some are handed the short end of the stick at birth. I have fallen in love with my kids and even though some days are trying(today was one of those days) I still have hope. Hope that they will succeed, hope that I will have an impact on their life, hope that they can get out of what they are in and find happiness, hope that they will not get into trouble, hope that they will indeed have hope.

The Joys of Teaching

Hello strangers!

It seems as if I have been on hiatus for some time now and I guess I have been...
My life has been wonderful but crazy and busy! I am finally a teacher! (this is a little before the fact I guess but truly I am). I am doing my internship and it is going wonderfully. My cooperating teacher is from Chile and he is great. The thing is he thinks I am such a great teacher and wants to learn from me(if you can believe that). I just had my midterm assessment and not one bad thing was said. I have learned as a teacher you have to think on your feet and you can plan and prepare all you want but things NEVER go as planned. I feel I am doing really well and the weeks are flying by and I am learning and growing each and every day. I feel exhausted every night and pass out around 930pm. I run all day long but I know this is my calling, this is what I was meant to do, this is ME. I love being around the kids and making them laugh and having fun with them. I have also learned that to earn respect and to get them to achieve something you have to be hard and unbending sometimes. This is the easiest and the hardest job I have ever done and I never want to do anything else. The best feeling in life is making a difference in a child's life(making them laugh, making them understand something, making them love to learn). I am enjoying my little caterpillars right now;-)

Sometimes "Round Two" Is Something To Be Proud Of...

After thinking about my life a lot lately I have come to an important realization:

"In order to succeed you must fail, so that you know what not to do the next time."

I am in the last 3 weeks of my second round of University and am currently taking two Educational Psychology courses which has got me to thinking a lot about life and the paths that we take (by choice or fate)

To be honest...I was one of those so-called "bad" teenagers. One of those "hormones gone wild" types who knew everything, was angry, would not listen to anybody and I have learned most things in my short life the hard way. I have not realized and accepted this until now as I tend to blame instead of taking responsibility for how my life has unfolded thus far. Bad choices I have made in many aspects of my life have held me back, have been a struggle, but have also changed me and made me the person I am now.

I have to admit that I am happy that I never quit nor gave up and am now finishing my second degree. This is something that makes me very proud because it would have been so much easier to just let everything fall apart and take the easy way out.

I believe I have grown up a lot in the past few years and it was a necessary step to take in order to be successful in life and grow as a person. I am pleased to say that I will be graduating with Distinction(I believe that I am 2 or 3 % short to graduate with Great Distinction) awww ;'( oh well, I will take Distinction:-)

I often joke that I have been going to post-secondary school for a decade now which really isn't true. Although it did take me much longer than most to "grow up", understand myself and my wants and needs I believe that everything has happened for a reason and that I have learned so much through school and also through life experiences and travel in these past 10 years and would not change a thing.

It is pounded into our heads in our classes, student teaching, and internships that reflection is so important and necessary. I agree with this not only in career situations but also in your life. When you look at where you have been you can take pride and be happy with where you are now or where you are going in the future and that is truly what life is all about. Learning continuously, growing, changing and becoming better each time.

The only thing I wish is that my Dad could have seen this success but I am sure he knows:-)

Our Summer Trip to Alberta

Well we went to Alberta again this summer...seems to be a good getaway for us and is not too far to go for a vacation. The reason we went is my Dad died on July 2nd and because it fell on a long weekend it was perfect time to jet off to our fellow province. I wanted to visit my Dad's grave and I hadn't seen my relatives in a long time so this was what we did! We had such a good time. Grandma is so funny. She is really into her sports so we watched many a game while we were there. I was also lucky to see my uncle, my auntie and one of my cousins while I was down. Going to the graveyard was pretty hard on me but I wanted to take Brian there and my Grandma came with us and was really happy that we all went:-) We had a great time going out for supper, watching football and baseball, visiting and playing Yahtzee(I have played that game with my Grandma since I was really little and the only time I play it is with her so it is always a good time and Brian got in on the action being the competitive guy that he is). Due to time constraints we only spent 1 1/2 days at Grandma's house and then Brian and I decided to go back to Saskatchewan through Calgary. We booked a hotel at the Acclaim which is absolutely magnificent. Brand new, 5 star restaurant, fancy, Japanese style rooftop hot tub and lounge and wonderful decor.We spent a day at Calaway Park(an amusement park just outside of Calgary on the Trans Canada). We had a blast riding the roller coaster and log ride and many others. We went on some water pistol bumper boats and while standing in the long line Brian befriended some little boys. It was so funny because it was like the goonies...they all seemed to look like and be like characters in that movie. Brian was chummy with them and asked them if they would all gang up on me while we were out in the water and they were more than happy to oblige him. It was warm out so I didn't mind getting wet but still wasn't happy that he did this as for the duration of the time in line the kids were super excited to get me soaked and gang up on me. They were cute though and that was the highlight of my day. The funny thing was...when we got out there my bumper boat was broken and it didn't move very fast and the pistol wouldn't shoot very far. These were perfect conditions to get them wet as I would drift over and shoot them at point blank range when all of their guns shot really far over my head not getting me wet at all. Long story short...I won! Me against 4 boys (this includes Brian). They all came out wetter than I! Great times! I really showed them;-)
After a great night at the hotel and a lovely dinner we slept and then went to the casino the next day where we played Blackjack and had brunch and then headed back to Saskatchewan. It was such a nice weekend. I had a great time with Brian showing him where I was born and where I had spent all my summers growing up and was glad he got to meet my Grandma. It was fun to go on rides and do some fun stuff too! Hope we can go again next year!

Black Cat and the Mirrors

So...I have broken two big mirrors this in the past year (the last one a couple of weeks ago) and had to clean up shattered glass all over the floor. Then today I had a black cat cross my path...not only cross my path but turn and look at me deep in the eyes with it's crazy bright yellow eyes. I don't think of myself as superstitious BUT all these omens are starting to take it's toll on me... I am happy and healthy right now but am waiting for something crazy to happen to ;-)

Love love love...

Musicians sing about it
Writers write about it
Actors act it
And people live it....

"Love is the only shocking act left on the planet"(Valentine's Day movie)

Love is the only thing that can make you act crazy. Love makes you stronger, love makes you feel special, love makes you feel accepted, love makes you feel honoured, love makes you feel safe, makes you feel needed, love makes you optimistic about life and love makes you feel like you are the centre of the universe. Love is what keeps us all sane and happy.

I hope you all have found love...

Absolutely Amazing Neighbours!

NOT!
Ok so our neighbours below us in the condo have been complaining about us non stop for months now. Whether we are here or gone or quiet or loud...they have a problem. The landlord said they have a problem with everything and make a fuss constantly and it is horrible. Anyway, about 15 minutes ago the police came to my door. I started bawling as I had just received a nasty letter from them 15 minutes prior to the police raid. He was laughing because he thought he got called to a party or loud music or something but it was me sitting here at my computer in a super clean house doing absolutely nothing wrong...that is the problem. We are never doing anything wrong and they call the cops on us which a waste of the police's time and makes them look like freaks...which they definitely are. This is very reminiscent of my first apartment in Japan where they hated me and made my life a living hell because they didn't want me living there! Anyway, I am angry and hurt and sad and I hate them. I am trying to be all Buddhist about it and not get upset but it really pisses me off that we cannot win with them no matter what we do. I am sorry I vacuumed today and ended up with cops at my door. ugh neighbours
I love this condo, love the view, hate the neighbours. Oh well...we will move at some point soon.

The Price of Beauty

"It is the heart of a woman that makes her beautiful" OPRAH

Beauty is an illusion and beauty differs from country to country. In India, you drink cow urine to become beautiful, in Japan you go in a fish spa where the fish eat the dead skin off of your body, in Morocco you do a tea dance with a tray of various teas on your head. In China, they attempt to look like Barbie when genetically they could never look like her so they are aspiring to look like something they could never be. Women around the world try liposuction, tummy tucks, breast augmentation, leg lengthening, face lifts, face masks, botox, saunas, tanning beds(except in Japan where they bleach their skin because dark skin is considered ugly) The Burmese elongate their necks while African women stretch their ears. Native Americans find their hair to be the most beautiful. There are even countries where stretch marks and obesity are considered incredibly sexy. In China, women are getting plastic surgery to get their eyes changed so that they look more "American" instead of "Asian" They change the shape of thier eyes and put steel rods in their legs in order to be taller. The pressure that women feel to be beautiful and the pressure women feel to be( here in North America and in many other countries) thin and perfect is unfair and, most of the time, unrealistic. In the world, the amount of money spent to look and feel beautiful is unbelievable. The media puts so much pressure and it is unfair to all those watching it and wanting it. Women should define beauty from the inside. The beauty industry alienates the majority of women and the idea of beauty is hard to attain. Various sizes and looks should be celebrated.

That which is striking and beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful. ~Ninon de L'Enclos
Beauty isn't worth thinking about; what's important is your mind. You don't want a fifty-dollar haircut on a fifty-cent head. ~Garrison Keillor

All of the crap I see makes me incredibly sad, I don' t know if I am just a feminist and taken a bunch of Women and Gender studies courses in University or have traveled and seen things but I do not think that it is fair that we are always expected to look a certain way and be perfect. It only makes us feel terrible about ourselves and turns us into people that judge others based on their looks and more importantly, judge ourselves. I really don't think that women will change until men change. If men want it, the women do it. The more the media shows certain types of women...the more men think that is real and want that. Either way, I think if you use your wit, brains, humour and empathy, personality you will show that you are beautiful and one by one we can change the world view of what beauty REALLY is. I think that the all of the little girls of the world should not feel this pressure... I know when I have a daughter I would die if she did not feel happy and beautiful and those of you with kids or having kids probably feel the same.

The thing is I don't know what to do but I want to do something. Women have come so far in the past 40 years and they are strong and able to run things and still looking great! Dove has a great campaign and also I worked with Girl Guides this year and they have a similar message. Anyway, you are all beautiful, smart, funny and special and I love you!

EATING GOOD...LIVING LONG!

OK my girls(and boys of course) so in order to have a whopping 72% less chance of getting cancers and other illnesses we need to eat more food that is good for us! I am really into the doctor shows as of late and have been trying to be more healthy and listening to their advice.

You are to eat:

Broccoli
Tomatoes
Kale
Spinach
Fish
Garlic
Leafy Green Lettuces
Dark Chocolate
Red Wine(in moderation of course)
Blueberries
Grapefruit
Green Tea
Walnuts


These are the BIG ones(among others). I am trying to incorporate these into my diet. I know I want to live a long, healthy life and I am sure you do too! After I got lupus my outlook on life changed. You really never ever know when illness or disease will fall upon you. It is not something for the old but something that can happen to anyone at any age. I have been fighting my illness for a few years now and a lot of it has to do with diet and what you put into your body. I am not thin by any means but I try to eat healthy foods as much as I can since I have gotten sick and it really does help:-) I don't want to lose any of you and as I am trying to be healthier now I want you all to as well as I DO NOT want to lose any of you:-) I am lucky as I LOVE all these foods so it won't be a problem to incorporate them into my life. It is so hard to think into the future until something bad happens to us but I am asking you to. I know some of you are having babies or have had babies and the health of their mother is sooooo important so cheers to being healthy and eating good!

Cheers to living a long life my friends!

I am FINALLY happy...

For years and years I chased it...now it is sitting softly on my shoulders... My friends, everything has finally happened for me and fallen into place.

“ Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own"

I am so lucky and so blessed to have found someone who makes me want to be a better person, to grow every single day and to feel entirely happy with myself for once

ZUMBA and Other News

I started a ZUMBA class tonight. It is AWESOME! It burns 1000 calories in 1 hour. It ended 35 mins ago and my face is still red and I am still sweaty even after a shower. It was absolutely exhilarating and I have not felt this good in a long time. It is a dance/aerobics class with hypnotic Latin moves, great music and lots of fun. I felt at times as if my legs would fall off. I continue to do yoga and think this is the perfect "other" in my fitness regime. I went with my friend Cara from school and we had a blast...can't wait till next week! Both of us want to go twice a week instead of just the one day.

On another note, today was the last day of the class I have been taking. Hooray for that!

My Mom just had heart surgery on Monday...just wanted to let you know it went good and she is out of the hospital and at home in Tisdale now. She is doing OK, a little sore and has to take it easy for awhile but she is alright. I am thankful for that as well :-)

Brian just had a niece and we went to see her last weekend. Her name is Piper and she is adorable. Her baptism is in a couple of days so proud uncle Bri and I will be gone for the weekend to go to that and visit with his family. Looking forward to it!

My 29th Birthday :-)

Well one more year till the big 3-0! I had a wonderful birthday this year. It fell in Victoria Day of the long weekend and so I had 3 days to celebrate. May 24, 1981 is also Brian's really good friend Vince's birthday so we celebrated our 29th birthdays together. We went to Koutouki which is an awesome Greek restaurant here in Saskatoon. Brian and I ordered the Meza where they brought us samples of many, many Greek appetizers and entrees. It was really good food and a fun atmosphere. There were about 14 of us at supper. It was a lot of fun to visit and eat and Vince and I (and some of the other guys at the table who may have found the belly dancer attractive...haha) got to belly dance! I did not find it that fun or amusing as I had just walked in the door and it was pouring rain out and all I wanted was to sit for a minute and compose and drink my wine but alas I danced :-) When we were ready to leave, we both got to break a plate on the floor while yelling Opa! (a Greek tradition). After dinner we were ready to go out. We went to a piano bar downtown called Staqqato and it was great. I had a few friends and my brother come and go throughout the night and had a lot of fun visiting with them. Monday was my actual birthday and Brian and I drove to Tisdale to have a BBQ with my Mom. We brought steak, shrimp and corn and had a delicious BBQ with family and friends. It was a beautiful day out for it which was nice because it had rained for the rest of the weekend! It was a quick trip but was really nice to spend some time with Mom. It was funny because I got calls from people for my birthday but as I was gone I did not get them! I just want to thank Crystal, Jody, Angie, Amber, Ashley, Erin,Jenelle and Lucille and Carl for your calls and/or cards. I really appreciated it and I am sorry I missed you when you called! For those who I saw thank you for coming to the birthday party! Mom and Brian, thank you for the wonderful day together:-) xoxo

Jackdaw

I was very lucky this month as it was my birthday and I was spoiled! Brian bought me tickets to David Gray. I LOVE David Gray and was ecstatic to find out he was coming to Saskatoon. We were in Row C which was very close. He did a great show and it was nice to be able to dress up and go out. I have only been to about 3 concerts in my entire life and so going to live performances like this was quite thrilling for me. He played my favorite song "Jackdaw" which he also explained was an amorous bird. He seems to like singing about birds a lot actually...hmmmm, weird. Anyway, I have loved that song since I first heard it and it was one of the first songs he played so I spent the rest of the evening grinning from ear to ear. Brian enjoyed the show as well and we got to see some friends of ours at the concert as well that we hadn't seen since Mexico so all in all it was a wonderful evening.

MY SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE!

Well yesterday was my last day of student teaching and I went out with a bang. I have been incredibly busy. I went straight from writing final exams to painting Mom's cupboards and helping her with yard work to teaching every day. May flew by as I taught for 4 weeks and had the greatest time ever. I was in a Grade 5 class with my friend Cara. The kids were so funny and I am surprised that I got as attached to them as I did in such a short period of time. In addition to all of this teaching I was taking an online class...well I guess I still am. I got home last night after my last day and wrote an 8 page paper. My Friday nights in May have all been working, writing a paper and then proceeding to fall asleep around 9:30pm utterly exhausted. I have one more short paper due on Tuesday and then a final exam at the end of next week and this course will also be complete. It has been pouring rain here(record rainfall for us actually) but I still feel as if my summer has just begun yesterday sun or no sun ;-) I have more news on the "career/school" front! I was asked to sit on the interview board to interview prospective students at the university. The job goes 3-4 days and I will be paid. I think it will look alright on the resume as well...

Great News for Miss Kirstein

I have some GREAT news!

I was supposed to go to school until April 2011 and convocate May 2011. I have know figured out that I can take summer classes(they were hard to get into, I needed overrides and departmental approval, etc.) but I got into all of my post-internship classes based on my marks pre-internship. I will be busy in the next months but I will be completely done school before Christmas! I am so excited! I do a 4 week student teaching in May and while doing that I will be taking a web/online course. Then from June-August I will be taking 3 more classes. In September I will be doing my4 month internship and then I will be done school forever!

I know it is just 4 months but that is 4 months sooner to get out there and get a job and I will beat the mob of people that will be looking for positions after graduation. I am very happy. Like I said I have been having tremendous luck in 2010. I am very thankful that everything seems to be coming together for me in many departments including finances, education and love life.

Brian and I have many weddings to attend this summer and I will be going to school full time. I am a bridesmaid in July and also in August and Brian will be a groomsman in September. I am looking forward to the summer and know it will fly by as we will be busy! Brian is also having another niece which he is looking forward to. When she is born we want to go to Vancouver to meet her.

Also my really good friends Jody and Juan that live in Japan are coming this summer! I don't know when or where exactly yet but we are going to meet up with them and I cannot wait for that! I miss them dearly...

All in all, things are sure looking up!

That Infamous Travel Bug

Well after my trip to Mexico I have again been bitten by that infamous travel bug people always talk about :-) BTW, Yes I have been "bitten" by it before...

I have realized the love of my life is traveling. What don't I love about it? NOTHING. I love experiencing other cultures, climates, peoples, even the travelers diarrhea (haha). If it comes with the package I will take it!

It is hard to want to stay here and live and work. I was on a mission to get my 2nd degree and now that the end is near I want to go and see the world yet again. I have never learned so much about myself or the world as I have through my travels and I do not want these experiences to end.
I always wanted to go LIVE and WORK in other places but realize that at my age now that is probably not going to always be the best option.

I don't care how long I am there for but I really want to go again...

My top places right now:
Italy and Greece (might as well see France and England while I am there right?)
Bali (have ALWAYS wanted to go there)
Cuba or Jamaica
Australia
Mom and I are going to Las Vegas I believe as soon as I am done my internship in December(I have heard rave reviews about this crazy place)

I sure want to go(feel free to tell me where you have gone and what I should see while I am there as I am approaching school completion)

CHEERS

On This Day in History...

Considering my love for Japan and it's people, and my new goal to run a marathon I thought this was the perfect day to mention this!

On this day in history...1951 - Shigeki Tanaka won the Boston Marathon. Tanaka had survived the atomic blast at Hiroshima, Japan during World War II.

I visited Hiroshima when I was in Japan and it is something which I will never forget. It was one of those life changing experiences that people talk about and made me think differently about war, military and life in general. I saw the effects of bombing there. I saw burnt bodies, crumbled buildings and thousands upon thousands of paper cranes which are the symbol of hope and peace now for Hiroshima. It is something that reminds me of human goodness and will always make me think of my trip there. Here is what happened in Hiroshima...

In the early morning hours of August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay took off from the island of Tinian and headed north by northwest toward Japan. The bomber's primary target was the city of Hiroshima, located on the deltas of southwestern Honshu Island facing the Inland Sea. Hiroshima had a civilian population of almost 300,000 and was an important military center, containing about 43,000 soldiers.

The bomber, piloted by the commander of the 509th Composite Group, Colonel Paul Tibbets, flew at low altitude on automatic pilot before climbing to 31,000 feet as it neared the target area. At approximately 8:15 a.m. Hiroshima time the Enola Gay released "Little Boy," its 9,700-pound uranium bomb, over the city. Tibbets immediately dove away to avoid the anticipated shock wave. Forty-three seconds later, a huge explosion lit the morning sky as Little Boy detonated 1,900 feet above the city, directly over a parade field where soldiers of the Japanese Second Army were doing calisthenics. Though already eleven and a half miles away, the Enola Gay was rocked by the blast. At first, Tibbets thought he was taking flak. After a second shock wave (reflected from the ground) hit the plane, the crew looked back at Hiroshima. "The city was hidden by that awful cloud . . . boiling up, mushrooming, terrible and incredibly tall," Tibbets recalled. The yield of the explosion was later estimated at 15 kilotons (the equivalent of 15,000 tons of TNT).

On the ground moments before the blast it was a calm and sunny Monday morning. An air raid alert from earlier that morning had been called off after only a solitary aircraft was seen (the weather plane), and by 8:15 the city was alive with activity -- soldiers doing their morning calisthenics, commuters on foot or on bicycles, groups of women and children working outside to clear firebreaks. Those closest to the explosion died instantly, their bodies turned to black char. Nearby birds burst into flames in mid-air, and dry, combustible materials such as paper instantly ignited as far away as 6,400 feet from ground zero. The white light acted as a giant flashbulb, burning the dark patterns of clothing onto skin (right) and the shadows of bodies onto walls. Survivors outdoors close to the blast generally describe a literally blinding light combined with a sudden and overwhelming wave of heat. (The effects of radiation are usually not immediately apparent.) The blast wave followed almost instantly for those close-in, often knocking them from their feet. Those that were indoors were usually spared the flash burns, but flying glass from broken windows filled most rooms, and all but the very strongest structures collapsed. One boy was blown through the windows of his house and across the street as the house collapsed behind him. Within minutes 9 out of 10 people half a mile or less from ground zero were dead.

People farther from the point of detonation experienced first the flash and heat, followed seconds later by a deafening boom and the blast wave. Nearly every structure within one mile of ground zero was destroyed, and almost every building within three miles was damaged. Less than 10 percent of the buildings in the city survived without any damage, and the blast wave shattered glass in suburbs twelve miles away. The most common first reaction of those that were indoors even miles from ground zero was that their building had just suffered a direct hit by a bomb. Small ad hoc rescue parties soon began to operate, but roughly half of the city's population was dead or injured. In those areas most seriously affected virtually no one escaped serious injury. The numerous small fires that erupted simultaneously all around the city soon merged into one large firestorm, creating extremely strong winds that blew towards the center of the fire. The firestorm eventually engulfed 4.4 square miles of the city, killing anyone who had not escaped in the first minutes after the attack. One postwar study of the victims of Hiroshima found that less than 4.5 percent of survivors suffered leg fractures. Such injuries were not uncommon; it was just that most who could not walk were engulfed by the firestorm.

Even after the flames had subsided, relief from the outside was slow in coming. For hours after the attack the Japanese government did not even know for sure what had happened. Radio and telegraph communications with Hiroshima had suddenly ended at 8:16 a.m., and vague reports of some sort of large explosion had begun to filter in, but the Japanese high command knew that no large-scale air raid had taken place over the city and that there were no large stores of explosives there. Eventually a Japanese staff officer was dispatched by plane to survey the city from overhead, and while he was still nearly 100 miles away from the city he began to report on a huge cloud of smoke that hung over it. The first confirmation of exactly what had happened came only sixteen hours later with the announcement of the bombing by the United States. Relief workers from outside the city eventually began to arrive and the situation stabilized somewhat. Power in undamaged areas of the city was even restored on August 7th, with limited rail service resuming the following day. Several days after the blast, however, medical staff began to recognize the first symptoms of radiation sickness among the survivors. Soon the death rate actually began to climb again as patients who had appeared to be recovering began suffering from this strange new illness. Deaths from radiation sickness did not peak until three to four weeks after the attacks and did not taper off until seven to eight weeks after the attack. Long-range health dangers associated with radiation exposure, such as an increased danger of cancer, would linger for the rest of the victims' lives, as would the psychological effects of the attack.

No one will ever know for certain how many died as a result of the attack on Hiroshima. Some 70,000 people probably died as a result of initial blast, heat, and radiation effects. This included about twenty American airmen being held as prisoners in the city. By the end of 1945, because of the lingering effects of radioactive fallout and other after effects, the Hiroshima death toll was probably over 100,000. The five-year death total may have reached or even exceeded 200,000, as cancer and other long-term effects took hold.

At 11:00 a.m., August 6 (Washington D.C. time), radio stations began playing a prepared statement from President Truman (right) informing the American public that the United States had dropped an entirely new type of bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima -- an "atomic bomb." Truman warned that if Japan still refused to surrender unconditionally, as demanded by the Potsdam Declaration of July 26, the United States would attack additional targets with equally devastating results. Two days later, on August 8, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and attacked Japanese forces in Manchuria, ending American hopes that the war would end before Russian entry into the Pacific theater. By August 9th, American aircraft were showering leaflets all over Japan informing its people that "We are in possession of the most destructive explosive ever devised by man. A single one of our newly developed atomic bombs is actually the equivalent in explosive power to what 2,000 of our giant B-29s can carry on a single mission. This awful fact is one for you to ponder and we solemnly assure you it is grimly accurate. We have just begun to to use this weapon against your homeland. If you still have any doubt, make inquiry as to what happened to Hiroshima when just one atomic bomb fell on that city." Meanwhile, Tibbets's bomber group was simply waiting for the weather to clear in order to drop its next bomb, the plutonium weapon nicknamed "Fat Man" (right) that was destined for the city of Nagasaki

THE ALL IMPORTANT PAPER CRANES!

As World War II came to a close, newly inaugurated President Truman was faced with unleashing the United States’s powerful atomic bomb, codenamed "The Manhattan Project". He quickly opted to deploy the bomb for military action. On August 6, 1945, the bomb was dropped over Hiroshima, a military base city in Japan. Unbeknownst to Truman or any of the project’s members, the bomb’s horrific power would, in addition to killing many instantly, claim lives in later years as a result of radiation sickness and forms of cancer.

One of these victims to radiation was Sadako Sasaki. In 1955, she was diagnosed with Leukemia, a cancer of the blood. This disease became so common in Japan, that in was called the "A-bomb" disease. When the Hiroshima bomb was dropped, Sadako was living only one and a half miles from the epicenter. She was initially unharmed, but the effects appeared later. The first indication of Leukemia came after Sadako collapsed in a running race during her sixth grade year.

Sadako at age 12. Photo: World Peace Project

After she had become sick, Sadako’s best friend told her that the crane, which is a sacred bird in Japan, grants a wish to someone who folds one thousand paper cranes. After hearing this, Sadako immediately began folding cranes for her one wish: to get well again. Her health gradually deteriorated and Sadako began to wish instead for world peace, that children could live safe from the effects of wars. Sadly, she did not finish. When Sadako died in October of 1955, she had folded a total of 644 cranes. Her classmates folded the remaining cranes in time for her funeral.

Although she died without finishing, Sadako’s dream did not die. After her death, several of Sadako’s friends began raising money for the creation of a national peace monument. This monument in Sadako's name, was constructed three years later in Hiroshima’s National Peace Park. The statue depicts Sadako standing on top of a granite pedestal holding a golden crane in her arms. At the base of the statue a plaque reads, “This is our cry, this is our prayer, peace in the world.” After the monument was erected, people from all over the world sent paper cranes to place on the monument for Peace Day on August 6. This tradition has continued and the paper crane has remained a symbol of peace for children around the world.

The amount of paper cranes I saw there was incredible. It shows that most people in our world want peace. I hope when I am a teacher ( in a few short months!) I can do this activity with my students.


Shigeki Tanaka lived through this horrific event that killed so many Japanese and he went on to win a marathon only a few years later. Here is a congratulations to him and all the others that were affected by this event.

Omedetou Tanaka san!

"Running" out of Clever Titles

While looking at recent photos of myself I have finally come to the realization that I have gotten bigger and bigger and am very uncomfortable in my own skin now. I want nothing more than to lose weight and have more energy. My energy as of late has been almost non-existent. I have signed up and paid for a running clinic which starts next week. It runs for 8 weeks and then we run a short marathon at the end of the program! I have never been a runner, do not know how to properly run and am really looking forward to taking part in this. I hope it is something that I will continue doing and that will be beneficial to my health in the long run(pun intended). I will keep you posted on my progress ;-)

On another note, I am almost done finals and have decided to go to school full time all summer so that I am finished school immediately following my fall internship. I am having a problem as I need overrides for 3 out of the 4 classes that I need so keep your fingers crossed that I can get into them and finish early!

In a couple of weeks I start my student teaching at ST. Dominic School here in Saskatoon for 4 weeks. I will be teaching Grade 5...should be great.

Apology Accepted?

Realizing that I seem to be coming less and less technologically savvy I am feeling quite embarassed and also frustrated. It took me about 2 hours to get these pictures on my blog about the trip to Mexico. I know many are sideways and few are lined up correctly. I apologize for this. As my boyfriend is a computer programmer it is even more embarassing. Ummmm I'm thinking I will need some lessons! Hope you can enjoy the pictures and the post anyway!

Dos Cerveza Por Favor

We made it back from our 8 day trip to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. It was so beautiful there and I had the greatest time! I went to Thailand about 4 years ago and have not been to a tropical place since so the beach and the beautiful balmy weather was a welcome change after a long Canadian winter.

We arrived at our resort (Barcelo Maya Beach) in the early evening on March 31st. I highly recommend the Barcelo Resort which has 5 resorts in 1 and was beautiful. There was lots to do there and we were close to many tourist destinations. We spent the first night and the entire next day wandering around the resort, walking on the beach, sitting at the swim up bar and soaking up the sun.

Our second full day there we went on a day trip to Xcaret. This I also highly recommend if you are ever in that area. It was an ecopark with exotic animals and plant life. We went snorkeling, watched the dolphins and giant sea turtles, went on a ride on a revolving tower and ended the day with a spectacular 2 hour performance about the entire history of the Mayan people...definitely one of the most memorable moments of the trip.

The next day Angie and the rest of the wedding crew were all there and we all took an afternoon trip into Playa del Carmen which was the closest city to us. We spent time shopping on 5th avenue, bought some dresses and souvenirs and enjoyed the ocean view. That night Brian and I had reservations at a fancy French restaurant. It was delicious and the restaurant itself was out of this world. I will never forget that experience. We quickly ran after dinner to get on a pub crawl with the wedding party. We went to Carlos and Charlies, Senor Frogs and Coco Bongo. At C and C's the male waiters put on a dance performance for us, Senor Frogs was the most unique bar I have ever seen and Coco Bongo had an amazing show and we got to watch from up high instead of being crammed on the floor with everyone. It was so much fun, all the drinks you could have and couldn't have asked to experience it with better people. The only bad thing that happened was that we lost Brian's camera that night at Coco Bongo's. I was pretty devastated as we had some great pictures that can never be replaced.

The next day was the wedding day! Angie looked absolutely beautiful(and Brad handsome). I was a bridesmaid along with her two sisters Amber and Jolee and her friend Tammy. What a great bunch of girls to spend the day with! After the ceremony we enjoyed cocktails, a steak and lobster dinner, speeches and dancing. I acted as MC for the wedding and Brian was DJ. It was a small, intimate wedding and I am so happy I got to take part in their special day.

The day after the wedding Angie and Brad had booked a Catamaran. Everything started out good and then all of a sudden I was seasick. Brian and Angie and Tammy and others also got very ill. Brian and I ended up throwing up and taking Gravol and I passed out from the medication and couldn't eat the steak and lobster that was made for us :-( We were literally green. I guess being pirates is not our "calling" ;-) We went snorkeling in the ocean but because the waves were so big that day it was not fun and did not help with the nausea. Once we made it back to dry land I felt perfectly fine and after a nap enjoyed the nightly theatre performance at our resort. The final day Brian and I went to Xplor which is an adventure park with Zip lining, Amphibious vehicles, river swimming and river rafting. It was a lot of fun but tiring. The zip lining was much higher up and scarier than I had anticipated but I got through it unscathed. We got back and went to an awesome Japanese restaurant for our last night. The cook was funny and the food was delicious. We then went for a drink with Angie and the crew and said our goodbyes.

We made it home and I couldn't help but be sad. I can hardly wait to start planning another trip! It was nice to be with friends and spend some time away with Brian. It was nice to experience something different than what I am used to and I enjoyed absolutely every second of it and will never forget it...

Viva Mexico!

Well we are jetting off to the Mayan Riviera in about 36 hours. We are so excited! I am busy packing right now. Tomorrow is my last day of school and I have got all of my work for the year completed before the trip! Can't wait to get into my bathing suit and get in the ocean! I will blog as soon as I get back with lots of pictures. Can't wait to be in my first wedding ever...my best friend Angie is getting married on the beach April 5th at 4pm"-) I am also MC so got my speech packed up and ready to go too. Planning on snorkeling, going zip-lining, swimming, maybe parasailing, going on a day trip on a catamaran with the wedding party and much, much more. Talk to you in about 10 days!

Our Housewarming Party

We hosted a small housewarming party this weekend. It was nice to have friends over, play games, eat and drink. I had such a good time!

Good changes...good times

Well Brian quit his job, started a new one which he is very happy at. He is still doing computer programming, just at a different place now. He moved out of his basement suite and into my condo and we have decorated and made it feel like home. This is a slideshow of his Farewell Party for his old job, of our new entertainment stand and table we got, Team Canada Playoffs and St. Patricks Day/ Our Anniversary. Enjoy!!!!

BREAKING NEWSFLASH

To add to bad times Brian has just informed me that we are watching "The Informant". I freaking love Matt Damon. Guess I'll be okay after all my friends ;-)

A bit o' a slump

So I got food poisoning..first time in my life. Violently ill and not fun at all. Lasted longer than expected I might add. Also, been experiencing some sort of slump in all aspects of my life. Been crying a lot. I missed seeing my Grandpa this weekend while I was in his city, missed my Mom's Easter dinner this weekend and generally just dealing with feeling of guilt over these two things. Other than my malaise I am looking forward to my tropical getaway happening 9 sleeps from now. It is much needed and deserved...

Busy Busy and More....Busy

HI EVERYONE! I did not die or fall off the face of the earth. I have been so busy with school, family matters and Brian moving in with me that I haven't had time for blogging. I am busy with Girl Guides Canada being a liason which is my job I am doing now, busy with school projects and assignments which are crazy and hectic right now(How many lesson plans can one create? seriously?) Just want to send a quick hello to everyone:-) Miss and love you all! I wish I had more exciting things to report...
In 5 weeks I am a bridesmaid at my best friend(Angie)'s wedding in Mexico and am really looking forward to that trip and promise to blog about it!
Love ya

BIG NEWS!!!!!

I have some big news! Brian and I have decided to move in together! We are both nervous and excited about it. He has never lived with anyone and I lived with someone many, many years ago and so it is VERY new to both of us at this moment. I am looking forward to waking up to his smiling face every morning:-)

I have a 2 bedroom condo( and as such )have more room at my place than he does right now so he will be moving in here. We were talking about getting a new house but as I am a student right now and have no money coming in it would be pretty difficult to make that happen. We are getting a great deal on this place so it is the perfect time to rent here and save up for the future. I am very happy and optimistic about this decision and taking this big step in my (our) lives. I am VERY tired of "come and go roommates" as I am turning 29 in a few months and want to settle down and have my own place and not have to live with random people anymore.

I hope everything goes well and am sure that it will. I will keep you posted and send pictures once he gets all moved in and we have the house looking nice:-) We both want a dog but can't have one in this condo...guess that will have to wait and we will have to just enjoy his puppy calendars instead;-)
Hope you are all well. Miss you

Babies and Boyfriends and Blogs

My friend Erin just had her baby! A girl named Sydney Rae, I would like to say congratulations and love the name! You and Devon will be excellent parents and I am so excited to see all 3 of you!

On a side note:My boyfriend Brian has a great blog(much fancier than mine as he is a computer programmer). A couple of days ago he made me a "Panda Gallery" using Flickr. Pandas are my new favorite animal. Thought I would give you all the link so you could take a peek.

www.briandanchilla.com

Love you and miss you all

INNER BEAUTY

Autumn
Beautiful leaves
Yellows, oranges, reds
Falling slowly
Seductively
Onto the street.
It reminds me of
a girl undressing
The leaves falling
Revealing...
the ugliness of the naked branches.


This is my poem for all the people that have eating disorders. 15% of women have, have had or will form an eating disorder in their lifetime. Free yourself from the stereotypes, the media and all things that are unattainable. Beauty comes in so many different forms and inner beauty is by far the most important.