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...