useful chinese phrase of the day

One of my students got a haircut a few days ago. It made his hair sort of stick up and out and look a bit fluffy. I told him he looked nice, but another student was laughing and said he had "airplane head."

"Fēijī Tóu"

 

 

*Pronounced "fay gee toe"

**Note: I don't suggest or condone going around calling people with fluffy hair "airplane head." 

Batsheva Dance Company - Deca Dance! dancalicious....

 

moments from "Deca Dance" by Batsheva

I loved. Loved. Loved. Loved. Deca Dance. Batsheva is a world-famous modern company from Israel, founded with the help of Martha Graham. I feel so lucky to have seen this performance today... it was incredible. 

My soul is happy.

My toes are pointing.

I need to dance, and soon.

two gems from yesterday

1. Me (to ESL class of jr. high kids): Okay, close your books, time for the quiz!
Girl: Teacher, me first! Give me my quiz first!
Me: Don't be selfish.
Girl: What's "selfish?"
Me: Only thinking about yourself!
Girl: Oh. Teacher, I don't selfish, I sell hamburgers!

2. (Practicing verbs with first grade beginning ESL kids) I asked them to show me gestures for different verbs such as "waking up," "eating," and "writing." Then I asked them to show me "reading." Easy, right? Put the sides of your open hands together and open and close your palms! But this is Taiwan, 2010... one little guy whose feet can't even reach the floor whips out one hand in front of his face and uses his other finger to scroll around his palm like he was on a Blackberry or PDA or Kindle doo-dad! Really?

10/10/10, a sunday in pictures

oohed and aahed at my precious, fast asleep in the sun

practiced yoga in my home studio

drank a blueberry banana smoothie for breakfast

cooked up my favorite fall soup... onions, garlic, red lentils, carrots, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, cilantro, curry and turmeric

read blogs, drank coffee

got a pedicure (color by OPI "Yoga-ta Get This Blue")

had some laughs with (at) Olive

drank imported hot cocoa... worth the exorbitant cost.

Also, today is my dad's birthday! Happy Birthday, Pops! Hope your day was as nice and relaxing as mine, and somehow also involved good food, cats, coffee, and toes.

Reconsider Columbus Day, October 12

Catgroove: a little friday happiness for you

coco-latte

Currently drinking:

Coconut milk in coffee. WOW! A perfect dairy-free alternative to cow's milk or cream... and it's delish! Like a coconut latte!

ESL kids say the cutest things!

Today I parted my hair a different way, and a particularly blonde streak was more obvious around my face.

A student asked me, (after conferring in Chinese with his classmates to see if anyone knew how to properly word the question and much giggling) "Teacher, did you paint your hair?"

sitting with grief

We sat together on the dark wood floor, lounging in danceresque stretches, limbs sprawled. Outside, past her balcony, the afternoon slowly lost its light and the room grew shadowy. Her home--their home--was beautiful, comfortable, with painted walls and pretty objects found on trips around the world. To the side of the living room, Japanese sliding doors opened to reveal two bedrooms. Hers was painted a soft lavender and a lamp inside was casting a hazy glow over her bed and the pictures on the walls. The other bedroom was already empty, save for a pile of boxes in the corner.

We had made plans a week ago to hang out yesterday. We are new friends, but have too much in common not to be. I found out when I was almost to her house that her roommate had died on Saturday in the hospital after a short illness. I shrank inside myself on the bus, feeling like I wanted to go home and not see her in her grief--not be touched by the tragedy. I was surprised that she still wanted to see me. I told her she didn't need to entertain me, that I would fully understand if she wanted to cancel our plans, but she said it was okay and would meet me at the subway near her home.

I felt heavy and hesitant. I'd just been expecting an afternoon at the botanical gardens, drinking tea and talking about teaching yoga to kids--sharing ideas and anecdotes. Suddenly, I was being invited into a house where now there was just one, a too-quiet house now half empty, and being asked to sit with a person in deep pain... in shock, probably. Am I good with death? Pain? With comforting someone I hardly know? Should I bring a flower? How would I act? Do I want to think about a dead person all day, in their house? I took a deep breath and realized I could choose to be uncomfortable with the situation, or I could simply sit with her--either listening to her memories of her best friend, or talking about things that are worlds away from here, to draw her attention elsewhere.

We did a little of both. It was sweet and sad. I stayed all afternoon.


It wasn't the day I'd expected, but I'm thankful that I was able to be present for her and hold the space together, remembering and honoring.