Words and Birds and Work and Music

Scrabble Tournament!   My first job in Unalaska (besides subbing at school) was working at the Community Center.   Along with other duties, I was usually there to help run the after school programs for kids and teens.  The younger kids and older kids alternated between the gym and the "teen room," a rec room containing a big TV, Xbox games, pool, foosball, etc.   Since I am so non-athletic, my gym days were not my favorites and I would often try to trade with another staff member for the teen room.   When the kids complained that they were bored, I would try to get them to play board games rather than Xbox.   At first, they thought I was crazy but somehow we eventually built up a good sized group of kids who really got into playing Scrabble.   We had some very competitive games going, prizes for playing harder-to-use letters or creating longer words or getting a large number of points on one word.   After a while, we were holding regular tournaments and the kids were even going to the Senior Center at night to play Scrabble with the elders.   
After I left the Community Center, it kinda fell by the wayside so I was really excited when I went to the school a few weeks ago and saw some flyers advertising a tournament for this week. One of the 6th grade teachers found out about a school based Scrabble tournament program and set one up for our 5th to 8th graders.

I didn't make it to the first night of the tournament when 44 kids on 22 teams faced off! Wow! Now that's a successful event!

  
Last night I spent three hours in the school library watching the quarter-finals.   I was proud to note that many of the contestants were the same kids from my old Scrabble playing group.   :)

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend the semi finals and finals tonight but I am sure there were some interesting words being played!   Last night we had to laugh several times at the words that did not get challenged.  :)

This morning, I was getting ready for work while a  juvenile eagle was sitting on our porch railing,  looking in the window.    Ajax and Chuckie (the neighborhood stray cat) were hanging out on the porch and that eagle was twice as big as they were.  I could not get Ajax to come in the house no matter how hard I tried.  He was very interested in the bird and I think he was contemplating his chances of taking it down.  

The eagle did not budge even when I went outside and tried to shoo him off.  I left the cats sitting there and hoped for the best.  Rich went by later and said the eagle had moved to our neighbor's.
It's been a busy week.   Tuesday, I was seriously thinking about calling in to say I was not going to make it to our 8 AM staff meeting, but I got myself together and showed up about 10 minutes late to find that my coworkers had brought a ton of food and planned a little going away party for me.   It was completely unexpected since I still have a week to go and it hadn't even occurred to me that they might do something early.    Thanks, everyone!  I will miss y'all but it's not like I am going very far!

I've been staying up late to watch Letterman since one of my all time favorite bands, U2, is on his show EVERY night this week.  And their new CD came out on the 3rd so I had to get it downloaded.   Great tunes!  Now I am waiting to see if they will be on tour anywhere near where we might be next time we are down south.  :)

Meanwhile, I am loving my new job--I've learned how to download radio shows to insert into our schedule and I'm working on the upcoming membership meeting, trying to track people down to come in and pick up their auction winnings, and even got to pick a few songs to play on the radio yesterday.   I'm sure my family and friends can easily guess at least which artists I chose, if not which songs.  

We had a little snow today so I suppose winter is not quite done with us.  

Encounters

We meet the most interesting people when we travel.  Whether it's taxi cab wisdom from New York City to Victoria to Vegas or random people we are thrown into a room with, or seatmates on a plane, I just love the conversations and experiences we find ourselves in.  Sometimes it's just those weird "coincidences" that leave me smiling, like the time I struck up a conversation with a woman on a flight to Anchorage, discovering that the newborn baby in her arms was named Elle as I was traveling home from visiting my new granddaughter in Texas--named Elle. We had to double check with each other and spell their names to make sure.  To add to the fun, the woman's older daughter was named Sarah and my daughter, mom of Elle, is also named Sarah. We just shook our heads and laughed and proceeded to talk about babies.  

At a Halifax restaurant, we chatted with a very nice couple from North Jersey and learned that the woman works for Conan O'Brien. We have an open invitation to contact her for tickets next time we go to NYC.  Rich laughingly told her, "Don't make that offer unless you mean it, because Jane will definitely get in touch with you!"   (They are in my address book!)   On another plane, I sat with a couple who run a peace center in Assisi, Italy.  I was so excited!   "Oh, I am such a peacenik myself!" I exclaimed while they looked at me like I was a little off-kilter.   :)    (Yes, I have their contact information as well.)   Wouldn't it be amazing to go on a retreat in Italy?!   One day!

I admit it, I can be a talker on planes, under the right circumstances.   I promise I am not one of those who can't get the message that you really would prefer to sleep or read or watch a movie or do anything except talk to me.  I DO get it if you send out those signals! But if you are friendly and don't mind chatting, I am usually up for it.  Such was the case out of Denver last summer, where our seatmate was a woman named Anne who had been to the Democratic Convention filming for a movie called "Papers."    This is the story of undocumented teens who were born elsewhere but have been raised in the US.  They don't remember any other place; they consider this country their home.   However, when they turn 18, they suddenly become "illegal immigrants" who cannot go to college or get a job, sometimes cannot even get a driver's license.  Imagine how scary and confusing this must be after living in the US your whole life, maybe not even being familiar with the country from which your parents came. It is reported that 65,000 undocumented students graduate from US high schools each year. "Papers" takes a look at some of these young people and the struggles that they face as they try to figure out where they fit into our society and what the future holds for them.   Of course, immigration reform is a hot topic these days and it's a complicated one, but this is one way to put a human face on the issue and to realize that it is not so easily addressed by "rounding people up and deporting them."  The film is not yet complete but check out the website at www.papersthemovie.com for more information.    If you feel so inclined, you can make a donation to support the work of these filmmakers.  We invited Anne to come to Unalaska for her next project.   :)

Then there was a kid named Ryan who served us at the In-n-Out Burger in Fresno, California.   I refer to this encounter as "Customer Service 101."   He could have been in high school, maybe college, I'm not sure, but the point is that this was a young guy who could have written the book on customer service.   He greeted us with a big smile, he offered his assistance, he joked with me when I couldn't figure out what to order, he genuinely seemed to like working with the public and interacting with people.  He was efficient, but kind and friendly. Not only did he treat us this way, but I sat and watched him continue in the same manner with every single person in line after us.   Whether the customer was rushing, harried, rude, tending to fussy children, teenagers with attitude, old folks who couldn't hear and took forever, he was smiling, friendly, helpful and encouraging.   I swear, everyone left his line happy.  Rich wanted to offer him a job on the spot!   Honestly, I couldn't stop staring at him.   As we left, I walked over to get his name and to tell him how much we admired his attitude on the job.  He looked surprised, said "thanks" and then grinned that great grin again.   When we got home, we wrote to In-n-Out Burger to let them know what a gem of an employee they have. I don't know if they have a fabulous training program or he's just a natural, but here's to Ryan....I think his future is very bright.  We could all take a lesson from him.

Sometimes we go through our days with our heads down and our minds closed and our hearts hardened by all the negative experiences that have come our way.  We think that no one understands what we have been through or that no one else has ever felt the way we feel. We look for confirmation that the world is a mean and unforgiving place.   We don't take the time to say hello or to smile, to find out what we have in common, to give someone a little bit of encouragement, to make an invitation, to share an idea, to spread the word about something important, to go the extra mile at work.  I gripe and complain as much as the next person, maybe more (ask Rich!)   Then there are days when we connect in a way that helps us to realize that everything we say and do has an impact somewhere along the line.    I see that as a comforting thing, but also a heavy responsibility.  What do I want my impact to be?   :)

Unalaska Youth Prepare to Celebrate MLK Day AND Happy Birthday to my Mom

This coming Friday, we are having a community celebration of diversity in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.    Today, Darcel and I met with our Natural Helpers group to make posters to be displayed at the event.    

Father Michael Oleksa, a well known and well respected Alaska diversity educator, will be our guest speaker.  I have heard so many good things about him and have read one of his books, but have never had the honor to hear him in person.   

If you live in Unalaska, the event will take place at the PCR at 7 PM on Friday, Jan. 23.   We will also have a variety of cultures providing entertainment.

Isn't it interesting that our first African American President will be inaugurated the day after Martin Luther King's birthday?   I know I have written this before, but after living in segregated Georgia when I was a child, and going through the Civil Rights movement as I grew up, it is truly a day I didn't think I would ever see in my lifetime.

I watched some of the pre-inauguration activities on CNN today and felt a sense of hope and pride that we have come so far.  I know there are many obstacles on the way to solving our country's problems but we also have the opportunity to reach for the best in all of us and to work together to make a positive difference in the world.

Hard at work!

Each poster shows the unique interpretation and talent of one or more kids.

Unalaska is a very diverse community, with people from all over the world.  Our English as a Second Language Program at the school is one of the biggest in the state!

Yet most of our kids do not let language, ethnicity, color or anything else stand in the way of friendship.

Pretty impressive, huh?

What a great group of kids.   We are very proud of them!

Happy Birthday, Mom!  We hope you had a wonderful day and we send lots of love your way.

"A Christmas Carol" takes my mind off travel worries

Bad weather in Seattle has stranded planeloads of people in Anchorage for the last couple of days.   It's rainy and very windy here tonight so I am getting a little concerned about the odds of flying out tomorrow.   And even if we do make it to Anchorage, can we get out of there and on to Seattle?    We pricelined a room in Seattle and you know there are no refunds on priceline if you don't show up (doesn't look like quite the bargain then, does it?)   With connecting flights that will fall like dominoes, it's really important that we take off, and take off ON TIME, Pen Air, thank you very much!  Click on the title of this post above to see the full story at the Anchorage Daily News, and then send up lots of positive vibes that the weather and airlines will cooperate on Tuesday!  

It's been a super busy day, trying to get everything done before I go out of town.  I never correctly anticipate how much time it will take me, so I end up running around like a crazy person at the last minute.   Our little group of teens did a read-through of "A Christmas Carol" at the Senior Center tonight, so that was a nice little respite for me and then it was back to my office till almost 10 PM.    At this point, I just have to admit that what's not done is not getting done till January.

Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim

Anne handles the sound effects

Tiny Tim, The Ghost of Christmas Present, the Narrator, Scrooge, and the Ghost of Christmas Past

My coworkers Darcel and Donna

If you are local or can stream KUCB on the internet, the radio show will air on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.   I love all the things we get to do in a small town.  

I'm mostly packed and still have to clean up a little bit around the house before we leave it with our house/cat sitter (kinda like cleaning before the maid comes, you know, you hate to have anyone think you have a messy house, right?  Not that I am implying he's the maid...just sayin') 

We confirmed that we will be serving meals at a homeless shelter in Vegas (if we make it to Vegas...) on Christmas Day.   I asked how many people lived there because I thought we might be able to bring some unique Alaska gifts, especially if there were some kids in residence.  I didn't think I was so naive, but I was pretty shocked when I was told that there are 270 people staying there right now.    And that's only one of many shelters.   Really makes me count our blessings even more, knowing that we are safe and dry and don't have any major worries in our lives.   I imagine with the economy these days, there are increasing numbers of people who just can't make it any more, very sad to say.   Let's hope that their lives will improve soon.

Finally, Happy Hanukkah to the Kardon gang and congrats to my niece, Alana, who graduated from college in Texas!

Here's hoping the planes are flying tomorrow.   

Drive In Movie, Unalaska Style

With no movie theater in town, we have to be creative!   Our community engagement group, Alaska Kids are Our Kids (AKAOK) holds an annual event in which families work together to build a car from cardboard boxes or whatever else they choose, then haul their car to the elementary school gym for a "drive in movie."    The kids lounge in their cars while they enjoy a movie and good old  concession food like hot dogs, popcorn, and candy.   It's a great time for all and the cars get more elaborate each year!  Check out the Flintstones car, which took "best of show."  Amazing!    

Be the Change

No school here on Monday and Tuesday while the teachers have marathon parent conferences.  I don't know if that is an Alaska thing or just peculiar to Unalaska but the kids love having two days off.   Not sure how the teachers feel about two days of non-stop parent conferences.   :)  Last year, the Health teacher spearheaded the formation of a group called Natural Helpers, brought in some trainers, and enlisted the assistance of community folks.  The students are learning to help their peers with issues and problems in their lives, with adults serving as backup and mentors.   We were going to have a weekend retreat similar to last year's, but with everyone's schedules and overlapping activities, it was not feeling too workable.  Instead, we decided to have training on these two non-school days.  Honestly, I was not sure how many kids would want to give up their days off for training but we were pleasantly surprised to have 17 adolescents spend part of Monday and Tuesday with Darcel, Donna and me.

During the activities and discussion, the kids demonstrated their self awareness and their ability to feel empathy for others, while still grappling with their own difficulties in dealing with rumors and gossip and having friends with different attitudes and values than their own. We had some lively problem solving about whether it's better to confront someone who's gossiping or simply walk away and not participate.   We decided there are many ways to respond and sometimes it depends on the person and the situation....learning to be flexible and assess the circumstance at hand.   Donna told a story about a man who had lived in his home town for a long time when a new man moved in, beginning a torrent of taunts and criticism toward the first man at every opportunity.  Every time he was insulted, the first man would simply say, "no thanks."     I could see the kids light up with the recognition that there are some "gifts" we just don't have to accept;  if we can say "no thanks" to things we don't want or like, we can say "no thanks" to insults and rumors about ourselves and others.   

Someone brought up the movie "Pay it Forward," which led to a discussion about making a difference, which led to the Gandhi quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."  The students moved excitedly from individual change to systemic change, "What if we could create a gossip free/rumor free school?"   "What would that look like?"  "What can we do to make it a reality?"    It was so much fun to see them thinking about the big picture and not just about the pettiness of individual insults.   "What if we create an environment where the younger kids coming up will know what our values are?"    

We finished up our collages, which visually represented who we are and what we value. We then moved into practicing and role playing actual situations and the helping skills the students could use with their peers.    What a great group of kids!  I am very proud of them and know that they are making a difference in our school and our community.