Clonlara- This school has been around forever. It is based in Michigan. I know people who have enrolled in it and used their consultation services and transcript service to unschool their children through high school. Cost: $1000 for a high school student, plus a $200 registration fee.
Beach High School- Based in California. This guy, Wes Beach, seems to focus mostly on 'gifted and talented' kids who are champing at the bit to use their passions and intelligence out in the real world. He wrote a small book about it called Forging Paths which explains how he started Beach High School. Cost: $95 for each hour after the first 1/2 hour (which is just to see if his services are a good fit). $365 for short term enrollment and transcript. You don't seem to get a lot of ongoing support here. It appears that he basically takes what you've done and puts it into a transcript for you or he counsels you on what will work for a transcript, like taking on line courses or cc classes.
West River Academy - Another one in California. I don't know anything about this one except I think I've heard good things said about it in passing. You can enroll for high school or just ask them to issue a diploma after submitting evidence of high school work. However, they seem a little reluctant to do this as they will put a big disclaimer on the transcript that you didn't actually attend their school. There's a fairly long cost list. Initial fee is $325 (called family enrollment) but then they tack on other fees for transcripts, etc, though it is still pretty inexpensive in total. Here's the link for the prices.
Solimar Academy - Yet another Californian! This one seems to have evolved from the LearningSuccess folks. It's more expensive but you can get 2x a month to 1x a week phone consultation. It seems like they offer a lot of support. Cost: $2,850 for tuition, $575 enrollment fee.
North Atlantic Regional High School - seems to be more suited to kids who just wanna work through books at their own pace but generally have a college prep attitude. They do give credit for work-study and alternative coursework like video courses, self designed study, etc. The requirements for becoming a high school graduate in Maine (where NARHS is located) are rather less than the one's in my state (Virginia) so I could see whipping through this in 3 years, getting that high school diploma and then moving on with life. Cost: $495 tuition, $50 - registration fee.
Abrome - new to me site and apparently just launched this past May. Seems cool but I can't quite figure it out and it is very expensive (comparatively speaking. It's still cheaper than a private school around here!). Check out the costs here.
Alger Learning Center - this has been around for as long as Clonlara but I know little about it. Cost: $1900. Based in Washington state.
Collegeplus - this seems pricey but you get to do high school and college in one program. They give you consultations, focus on learning how to study better, give advice on taking the CLEP. Then you move on to choosing from three different on line colleges. Evangelical Christian. Tuition is confusing. They aren't really upfront about the total cost. Initial tuition is $350 and then $150 per month after that. But how many months you are enrolled and what exactly the tuition gets you is not apparent. Based in Texas.
Kolbe Academy - this is a real life Classical Catholic school which also has one of the oldest homeschooling program for Catholics (other than Seton which is the grandmother of all Catholic homeschool programs). Their high school is very traditional, rigorous and can be dry if their style is not your thing. However, I have heard that they will create a transcript for you even if you aren't enrolled or don't take their classes. You have to submit detailed information though. This could work for a Catholic teen who maybe has approached things differently. Suppose somebody has: read many books which show much reading in literature and on history, perhaps they participated in NaNoWriMo, worked their way through some of the higher Life of Fred books and did some Khan Academy for math. Maybe managed to take the CLEP for math. Perhaps they volunteered at a nature center, attended some physics workshops, read some history of science/biographies of scientists, studied Spanish at a community college, worked on 4-H projects, did some traveling. You could cobble together all this, send in proof of learning and Kolbe will, apparently, issue you a transcript. Actually, their page makes it sound like you have to be at least partially enrolled, but I personally know someone who got a transcript from Kolbe and never enrolled.
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
NARHS and other stuff
I am really thinking of enrolling Sean in NARHS or the North Atlantic Regional High School. It is a real high school up in Maine but a long time ago when the homeschooling movement began they got on board with developing official transcripts for homeschoolers. They've worked out a good system. You, the homeschooler, do your own thing but then they construct the transcript. I think Sean will like enrolling because:
1. He'll have to systematically save all his papers to use as 'evidence' of his learning. He really liked this aspect of going to school. His studies skills teacher had him get a plastic accordion folder with many slots in it. Each was labeled with a subject and he'd keep his papers organized that way. Sean loved that folder! He was like (to us, his parents), you guys should try keeping your papers in order. Bawwaaahha. Because neither Rick nor I are very good at taming the paper monster. It was a revelation to Sean that you could manage stuff like that in an orderly fashion. He even gave his folder to Rick for Father's day! So I think the idea of having to organize and then send off his papers will help him feel like this is real work.
2. They have the best log book I have ever seen for homeschool high schoolers. I actually signed Hannah up for NARS in 9th grade but then never followed through (I never followed through with anything back then! I had 4 younger children!) and it was the best thing for keeping a record of how long she spent on each subject, etc. I think having to keep a log, and again knowing it is something he has to send in at the end of the year, will help him manage his time and not feel so adrift when he doesn't the rigid structure of a brick and mortar school telling him what to do. He can look at the log and say, oh I should work on Latin now, for example.
I showed Sean the NARS website this a.m. He was mildly engaged by it (what was I expecting?), but he did engage a bit and I do think it will be a good thing to do.
I'm also having fun thinking about getting back to "fridge schooling". Only really it is kitchen wall schooling. I did this for years and it was one of the reasons I really liked Aquinas Learning in the 4th-6th grades. I'd print out their weekly memory work pages and post them on the cabinet doors every Monday. It worked great. The Schola Alta program doesn't work that way though. I tried to keep up this approach anyway on my own, but failed very early in the year. There just were too many other things going on. So I am going back to it. I'm thinking I'll have a Latin cabinet door where I will post Latin quote of the week, a Latin prayer, hymn or poem, and a paradigm of the week as well. I also plan to post the Pope's tweets on another door. I might also post other religious stuff like the gifts of the Holy Spirt, etc. Things that Becky will need to know for her confirmation prep.
Since we are doing American/modern history, I am thinking of posting poetry of that era as well.
A list of the presidents and state capitals would also be handy.
I am tweaking the expected schedule for next year. I think the kids need to rise at 7:30. That gives Sean a half hour under the lamp and Becky can snooze or read in bed before rising. At 8:00 we'll meet for reading the Gospel (Pope Francis says to read it every day!), morning prayer and then we will do copy work. The kids really need to practice their handwriting. All this could be done by 8:30 or 8:45. They can eat at any point during this time or afterwards. I am contemplating getting Presidential Penmanship. You can choose which type of penmanship you prefer, it goes with the American theme for the year and it is ready made - not something I have to cobble together. I think for the fall semester we'll do this and then if the kids want to do true commonplace books after Christmas we can switch to that or stick with this program if they like it.
Monday:
9:00 Math tutor for B and S
10:25 Becky has on line science with Kolbe
Some Monday afternoons - AHG Pi/Pa
Sean has P.T.
Tuesday:
Sean has Physics class 10:00
Becky has voice 10:30
Wednesday:
9:00 Math tutor
10:25 Becky has science on line with Kolbe
7:30 Sean has CLC
During that time B and I will work on confirmation prep.
Thursday:
Sean has American History and Literature class all a.m.
Becky and I will work on something while he's out
Pick up just before noon and then Mass at St. Tim's.
We'll go out to lunch afterwards
Friday:
Completely free day!!!!
Amidst those other hard obligations, I need to fit Latin, Greek, and read alouds for Becky. Also, I think Becky should be doing some kind of physical activity. She didn't really like tennis - she just wasn't that good at it. She loved basketball for a while there and then really loved gymnastics for a long while, but that interest suddenly died. She's never really done dance. I'm wondering if she'd like to try some Irish Step? Or maybe just try track again.
1. He'll have to systematically save all his papers to use as 'evidence' of his learning. He really liked this aspect of going to school. His studies skills teacher had him get a plastic accordion folder with many slots in it. Each was labeled with a subject and he'd keep his papers organized that way. Sean loved that folder! He was like (to us, his parents), you guys should try keeping your papers in order. Bawwaaahha. Because neither Rick nor I are very good at taming the paper monster. It was a revelation to Sean that you could manage stuff like that in an orderly fashion. He even gave his folder to Rick for Father's day! So I think the idea of having to organize and then send off his papers will help him feel like this is real work.
2. They have the best log book I have ever seen for homeschool high schoolers. I actually signed Hannah up for NARS in 9th grade but then never followed through (I never followed through with anything back then! I had 4 younger children!) and it was the best thing for keeping a record of how long she spent on each subject, etc. I think having to keep a log, and again knowing it is something he has to send in at the end of the year, will help him manage his time and not feel so adrift when he doesn't the rigid structure of a brick and mortar school telling him what to do. He can look at the log and say, oh I should work on Latin now, for example.
I showed Sean the NARS website this a.m. He was mildly engaged by it (what was I expecting?), but he did engage a bit and I do think it will be a good thing to do.
I'm also having fun thinking about getting back to "fridge schooling". Only really it is kitchen wall schooling. I did this for years and it was one of the reasons I really liked Aquinas Learning in the 4th-6th grades. I'd print out their weekly memory work pages and post them on the cabinet doors every Monday. It worked great. The Schola Alta program doesn't work that way though. I tried to keep up this approach anyway on my own, but failed very early in the year. There just were too many other things going on. So I am going back to it. I'm thinking I'll have a Latin cabinet door where I will post Latin quote of the week, a Latin prayer, hymn or poem, and a paradigm of the week as well. I also plan to post the Pope's tweets on another door. I might also post other religious stuff like the gifts of the Holy Spirt, etc. Things that Becky will need to know for her confirmation prep.
Since we are doing American/modern history, I am thinking of posting poetry of that era as well.
A list of the presidents and state capitals would also be handy.
I am tweaking the expected schedule for next year. I think the kids need to rise at 7:30. That gives Sean a half hour under the lamp and Becky can snooze or read in bed before rising. At 8:00 we'll meet for reading the Gospel (Pope Francis says to read it every day!), morning prayer and then we will do copy work. The kids really need to practice their handwriting. All this could be done by 8:30 or 8:45. They can eat at any point during this time or afterwards. I am contemplating getting Presidential Penmanship. You can choose which type of penmanship you prefer, it goes with the American theme for the year and it is ready made - not something I have to cobble together. I think for the fall semester we'll do this and then if the kids want to do true commonplace books after Christmas we can switch to that or stick with this program if they like it.
Monday:
9:00 Math tutor for B and S
10:25 Becky has on line science with Kolbe
Some Monday afternoons - AHG Pi/Pa
Sean has P.T.
Tuesday:
Sean has Physics class 10:00
Becky has voice 10:30
Wednesday:
9:00 Math tutor
10:25 Becky has science on line with Kolbe
7:30 Sean has CLC
During that time B and I will work on confirmation prep.
Thursday:
Sean has American History and Literature class all a.m.
Becky and I will work on something while he's out
Pick up just before noon and then Mass at St. Tim's.
We'll go out to lunch afterwards
Friday:
Completely free day!!!!
Amidst those other hard obligations, I need to fit Latin, Greek, and read alouds for Becky. Also, I think Becky should be doing some kind of physical activity. She didn't really like tennis - she just wasn't that good at it. She loved basketball for a while there and then really loved gymnastics for a long while, but that interest suddenly died. She's never really done dance. I'm wondering if she'd like to try some Irish Step? Or maybe just try track again.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
The Garden Cottage Diaries - Book 25
I have had such trouble sticking with any books this week. I think I've started three at least and even though each seemed worthwhile, I just couldn't focus. But then someone mentioned this book (thank you, Karen!) and I got it on my Kindle and managed to read it through. The Garden Cottage Diaries: My Year in the Eighteenth Century by Fiona, J. Houston is a fascinating account of a Scottish woman who decided to try to live as people did back circa 1790 or so. Her whole life was kind of priming her for this adventure. She'd grown up surrounded by archeologists and historians. She'd spent her life researching Scottish history and working in museums. In fact, in her regular house, she already lived a pretty old fashion way. Think Tasha Tudor, only Scottish instead of New England. She had an old outbuilding on the grounds of her home (she usually lives in an old parsonage with lots of property out in a farming area of Scotland), that was appropriate for the time period she wanted to recreate for her experience.
The author is quite honest about the technical difficulties in going back in time like this. She couldn't engineer the exact type of fireplace used for cooking back then. So she had to compromise with an old 1860 stove that had lots of pieces missing. She had to chop her wood very small so she could constantly feed it and she couldn't roast anything because the oven didn't work. So she had to boil or stove top cook everything. This was her only source of heat and during the long dark Scottish winter she was often quite miserable, the temperature hovering around 40 degrees or so! She had to wear every article of clothing she owned and huddle near the stove to keep warm. She eventually was able to sew inside curtains for the windows that kept the draft out, which helped a little bit.
She started right before Christmas and managed to get through that winter because of the novelty of it all and how much attention her friends, historians and even media were giving her. She is honest about how she 'cheated' in several ways. For instance, well meaning friends would give her modern candles, but to truly live in the 18th C. in Scotland as a dominie's wife in a rural parish, she should be making her own candles out of tallow or making rush lights. She does do this but it is hard and time consuming. The modern candles are brighter and smell better and of course don't take the hours and hours of physical labor and patience to produce.
The author is very much an environmentalist, global-warming advocate. She already was very concerned about her environmental 'footprint.' She also is a great advocate of natural/organic foods and an anti-processed food kind of person. The whole experiment was inspired by a conversation she was having with someone, when she asserted that peasants in the 18 C ate better food than we modern counterparts. And that part she managed to prove. Much of the book revolves around obtaining, raising, preparing and cooking food. She managed to eat very healthfully, albeit, with not much variation. I never knew you could make so many dishes with just oatmeal! She had oatmeal every morning along with bannock cakes. For lunch she had broth or soup and more bannock cakes and for dinner things varied a bit more, though sometimes they didn't. She was frequently cooking for guests. She figured this more accurately reflected how much cooking would go on if a woman was also providing meals for a family instead of a single woman living on her own.
The last part of the book has lots of recipes, but I didn't read them too closely after a while. I just never am going to need to know how to boil a whole rabbit! She lived on oatmeal (lots of it!), barley (a lot of that too), potatoes, kail (Scottish spelling), cabbage, various root vegetables, apples, berries. She already knew how to prepare game as she frequently would eat road kill (ick!). She was involved in a conservation park where they would kill off surplus deer. So they provided her with a couple of roe bucks to butcher, prepare, and cook. One of her sons is hunter and he also provided her with quail. I forget how she obtained the rabbits. She had a friend visit who is a great fisherman (or woman as the case was) who provided her with lots of trout. She also occasionally bought meat. She had poultry, so she ate eggs. She couldn't get a goat or cow, so she bought butter and cheese. However, even with all this bounty she still had to go through the 'hungry time' when the larder gave out of food but the garden had not started producing anything yet. Back in the 18C many people in that day and age developed scurvy. Since the author knew the cause of this, she remembered that she had dried some rosehips, so she made rosehip tea which is high in Vitamin C and thus avoided getting sick herself.
She also 'cheated' in that she still had to interact with her actual life at times. She is widow with two grown sons. The married son and wife had a baby early in her experimental year. She wasn't going to miss meeting her first and only grandchild! So she took the bus and visited them for a few days. She also had a dear friend pass away and her own mother in law got sick and died. So for these events she had to assume her regular life and go visit them in hospitals and help with funerals and such. She also needed to complete work on a big project she'd been involved with for a long time. So at times she had to go back to her real house and work on the computer. Knowing that her real home with heat and electricity was there made for some strong temptation on the those long dark and very uncomfortable winter nights in her little cottage, but she remained true to her purpose in that regard.
She really enjoyed spring and summer as well, once the weather was good and the days were long, but as fall came around, she really began to dread the winter. She couldn't wait until the year was over. To keep her spirits up she planned a big New Year's Eve party. Just before midnight, she ran up to her own own house, switched into a modern evening dress and greeted the new year very happy to be back in the 21st Century!
I found the book really enjoyable and fascinating. She goes into how she constructed her cottage bed (of straw), how she sewed her clothes and all kinds handicraft things she did. She had to do a lot of problem-solving. There was one thing though I never understood and I wish she had explained them. For example, how did she save food, like meat for soup, without a refrigerator? I never got that.
The life of a lower middle class person in rural Scotland was very hard. And the author wasn't even trying to emulate the life of a true peasant which must have been just miserable, punctuated by occasional treats or holidays. This book gives a realistic idea of just what it took to survive back in the "olden" days.
Two thumbs up! For more book reviews visit Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
The author is quite honest about the technical difficulties in going back in time like this. She couldn't engineer the exact type of fireplace used for cooking back then. So she had to compromise with an old 1860 stove that had lots of pieces missing. She had to chop her wood very small so she could constantly feed it and she couldn't roast anything because the oven didn't work. So she had to boil or stove top cook everything. This was her only source of heat and during the long dark Scottish winter she was often quite miserable, the temperature hovering around 40 degrees or so! She had to wear every article of clothing she owned and huddle near the stove to keep warm. She eventually was able to sew inside curtains for the windows that kept the draft out, which helped a little bit.
She started right before Christmas and managed to get through that winter because of the novelty of it all and how much attention her friends, historians and even media were giving her. She is honest about how she 'cheated' in several ways. For instance, well meaning friends would give her modern candles, but to truly live in the 18th C. in Scotland as a dominie's wife in a rural parish, she should be making her own candles out of tallow or making rush lights. She does do this but it is hard and time consuming. The modern candles are brighter and smell better and of course don't take the hours and hours of physical labor and patience to produce.
The author is very much an environmentalist, global-warming advocate. She already was very concerned about her environmental 'footprint.' She also is a great advocate of natural/organic foods and an anti-processed food kind of person. The whole experiment was inspired by a conversation she was having with someone, when she asserted that peasants in the 18 C ate better food than we modern counterparts. And that part she managed to prove. Much of the book revolves around obtaining, raising, preparing and cooking food. She managed to eat very healthfully, albeit, with not much variation. I never knew you could make so many dishes with just oatmeal! She had oatmeal every morning along with bannock cakes. For lunch she had broth or soup and more bannock cakes and for dinner things varied a bit more, though sometimes they didn't. She was frequently cooking for guests. She figured this more accurately reflected how much cooking would go on if a woman was also providing meals for a family instead of a single woman living on her own.
The last part of the book has lots of recipes, but I didn't read them too closely after a while. I just never am going to need to know how to boil a whole rabbit! She lived on oatmeal (lots of it!), barley (a lot of that too), potatoes, kail (Scottish spelling), cabbage, various root vegetables, apples, berries. She already knew how to prepare game as she frequently would eat road kill (ick!). She was involved in a conservation park where they would kill off surplus deer. So they provided her with a couple of roe bucks to butcher, prepare, and cook. One of her sons is hunter and he also provided her with quail. I forget how she obtained the rabbits. She had a friend visit who is a great fisherman (or woman as the case was) who provided her with lots of trout. She also occasionally bought meat. She had poultry, so she ate eggs. She couldn't get a goat or cow, so she bought butter and cheese. However, even with all this bounty she still had to go through the 'hungry time' when the larder gave out of food but the garden had not started producing anything yet. Back in the 18C many people in that day and age developed scurvy. Since the author knew the cause of this, she remembered that she had dried some rosehips, so she made rosehip tea which is high in Vitamin C and thus avoided getting sick herself.
She also 'cheated' in that she still had to interact with her actual life at times. She is widow with two grown sons. The married son and wife had a baby early in her experimental year. She wasn't going to miss meeting her first and only grandchild! So she took the bus and visited them for a few days. She also had a dear friend pass away and her own mother in law got sick and died. So for these events she had to assume her regular life and go visit them in hospitals and help with funerals and such. She also needed to complete work on a big project she'd been involved with for a long time. So at times she had to go back to her real house and work on the computer. Knowing that her real home with heat and electricity was there made for some strong temptation on the those long dark and very uncomfortable winter nights in her little cottage, but she remained true to her purpose in that regard.
She really enjoyed spring and summer as well, once the weather was good and the days were long, but as fall came around, she really began to dread the winter. She couldn't wait until the year was over. To keep her spirits up she planned a big New Year's Eve party. Just before midnight, she ran up to her own own house, switched into a modern evening dress and greeted the new year very happy to be back in the 21st Century!
I found the book really enjoyable and fascinating. She goes into how she constructed her cottage bed (of straw), how she sewed her clothes and all kinds handicraft things she did. She had to do a lot of problem-solving. There was one thing though I never understood and I wish she had explained them. For example, how did she save food, like meat for soup, without a refrigerator? I never got that.
The life of a lower middle class person in rural Scotland was very hard. And the author wasn't even trying to emulate the life of a true peasant which must have been just miserable, punctuated by occasional treats or holidays. This book gives a realistic idea of just what it took to survive back in the "olden" days.
Two thumbs up! For more book reviews visit Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Achey-breaky Me
Rough week. Every part of my body decided it was old and hurting this week. My eyes keep stinging and watering - maybe too much computer? Plus the issues that make me suspect cataracts continue. My GERD and my IBS both decided to flame up. My kidney stone pain came back. I was whimpering on the couch for a couple of days there. The arthritis in my hands, especially my thumbs, really flared up. I am developing a little knot on my left thumb knuckle. And my feet were killing me and the pain even shot up my right leg - maybe hamstring? Ugh. Because my GERD was so bad, I was having actual painful throat spasms, I have cut way, way down on coffee or any caffeine. That means I am really slow moving and grumpy. I have been subsisting on bananas and yogurt for breakfast and chicken and rice for other meals, except when I am just having chicken bone broth and those ak mak sesame crackers. And I've been drinking lots and lots of water. So I am feeling better. But it is taking awhile. Anyway, I probably should get to the doctor, but there was too much going on and I didn't have the energy to do that as well. We had a huge leak in our finished basement which resulted in a gaping hole. The plumber came on Thursday and fixed the leak but had to ruin the dining room wall in order to get to the leaking pipe.
In addition to that Sean is having a rough time adjusting to not being in school. It is so irrational. He complained and complained about school but now he's out he's sunk into such moodiness and his behavior has regressed. Poor Seano, damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. The trick is to keep him busy but I was feeling so low I couldn't really do it.
The week wasn't all bad though. We found out that Josh scored in the upper 2% on his IQ test! So now we need to find out what he's supposed to do with all that smartness that is bottled up inside of him.
Will came home yesterday to accompany Becky at her voice recital. They did well but not as good as when they are sitting in the family room jamming and singing together. That's so much fun.
Tonight we are going to celebrate Will's 22nd birthday a week early while he's down here. He goes back to Boston Sunday morning. Ok, I better get busy with that!
In addition to that Sean is having a rough time adjusting to not being in school. It is so irrational. He complained and complained about school but now he's out he's sunk into such moodiness and his behavior has regressed. Poor Seano, damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. The trick is to keep him busy but I was feeling so low I couldn't really do it.
The week wasn't all bad though. We found out that Josh scored in the upper 2% on his IQ test! So now we need to find out what he's supposed to do with all that smartness that is bottled up inside of him.
Will came home yesterday to accompany Becky at her voice recital. They did well but not as good as when they are sitting in the family room jamming and singing together. That's so much fun.
Tonight we are going to celebrate Will's 22nd birthday a week early while he's down here. He goes back to Boston Sunday morning. Ok, I better get busy with that!
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
What We're Up To
Just thought I'd record what's going on right now.
Becky is busy reading the Artemis Fowl series (among other books). She got an idea from her friends on google plus. She took a jar and decorated it and each time she finishes a book, she writes the title on a piece of paper and puts it in the jar. At the end of the year she'll be able to go back and see all the books she read. I had nothing to do with it! She's also getting ready for her voice recital this Friday. And she starts Theater Camp tomorrow; that's three weeks long and ends in several performances of Peter Pan. She's a mermaid. Other than those things she's been having a pretty quiet couple of weeks. She just finished her last math lesson with the math tutor yesterday morning. She won't start that up again until after Labor day, though we promised the tutor that during the last couple of weeks of August, Becky would do a little review to jump start next year's journey into Algebra. Becky's also been watching lots of Dr. Who, mostly with Rick in the evenings. She's also been helping around the house, hanging with Sean, doing a little baking and cooking, etc.
Sean was so lost yesterday. It was his first day of summer vacation and he, who is not good at transitions, was already afraid of having free time. He said, "Mom, I have that same feeling I had when we were homeschooling!" Uh oh. So I tried to explain it was just the first day and that he could plan his summer so that he had stuff to do and he wouldn't have long stretches of time, which as I expressed it, always makes him feel droopy (but really is a depression trigger). We brainstormed stuff he was going to do this summer. Then I said let's go out for the afternoon, so we went shopping, to the library and then to get ice cream. That seemed to satisfy him. He decided that I should get him up by 9 (if he isn't up earlier) and that he would shower every morning and get completely dressed so that he'd feel like he was ready for the day. That was his idea! Today he's got his physical trainer coming at noon and the speech therapist coming at 4:30. Plus, he's supposed to get a new yo-yo from Amazon today. He's excited about that. He has gotten really into yo-yoing of late. I, as a result, am learning so much about yo-yos! It is amazing! Did you know there are responsive and un-responsive yo-yos? There are looping yo-yos and 'off-string' yo-yos? Sean is teaching himself all kinds of tricks and spends lots of time practicing. He also spends a lot of time learning, talking and thinking about the new Super Smash Bros game coming out. He is really fixated on it.
Josh continues working at the marina. He gets himself up and off to work. He is very tanned. He comes home and tells us stories of rescuing people who don't know how to sail and wind up capsizing. Apparently the Potomac River isn't really the best sailing area. It is too shallow in many places so one of his jobs is to go out and rescue people who get stuck in the mud. He also mows grass, weed-whacks, takes care of trash and recycling, power washes boats, paints boats, re-rigs boats (don't know what that means) and watches the dock to make sure the boat rentals are going right. He works now with a few other guys. There's one guy who is a retired software engineer whose wife told him he needs to get out of the house, so he works at the marina just because he enjoys it. He's a character apparently. Josh really likes him. Then there are three other summer helpers, like Josh, two are about Josh's age and one is 27. They are new, so he doesn't really know them yet. Besides that Josh just comes home and stays in his room, except for meals. Hannah got him to play Ticket to Ride on Saturday night though. He's been going to the 8:00 p.m. Mass on Sunday nights at GMU and that same GMU ministry group has a meeting on Thursday nights and Josh mentioned he might start going. Josh's days off are Thursdays and Fridays.
Will is up in Boston. He's got tons going on. He just interviewed with guy who runs an experimental Bible theater in Boston and who needs a composer for a production (probably in a year and half). Will sent him some of his stuff, but he has no idea if he'll get the job. He has no real portfolio and no experience. He's got to work on developing all that. He's also decided to put on concert series. He's done this once before. The musicians play some of his music but then also play other pieces too. The musicians don't get paid much (pass the hat) but Will is pretty ingenious at finding free places. He's got a frat house at MIT willing to put on his next concert. Will goes out and buys cheese and crackers and wine from Trader Joe's and some of the other guests bring some too. He put one on a couple months ago and now he's planning one for his birthday weekend. One thing is he needs to allow more time to plan it and advertise it. It takes more planning than he thinks. He's learning as he goes. He is also very involved in his soup kitchen work and also in the MIT Catholic club (or whatever it is called). And he's also taking classes this summer! Plus he is writing music and practicing. And he's looking for a permanent part time job somewhere just to earn a little cash. He's really kind of overwhelmed himself. He's taken to asking me to call him at 6:00 a.m. so he'll be sure to get up and get going. And on top of all this, he's coming home this weekend. He's going to accompany Becky during her voice recital. Also, we will celebrate his birthday a week early, while he's here. He'll be 22 (but not until the 29th)!
Hannah is also very busy. She's working at Starbucks with Peter. She's also taking two classes at NOVA. And she is busy planning to get married. We went for a fitting for her wedding dress which is beautiful, way too expensive and the Russian lady who runs the store is scary as hell. She is going to get as much money as possible out of us. I should have gone with Hannah the first time when she got the dress. Anyway, she also got her invitations from the printer this week. Really, really pretty! I think she said she had to take a PRAXIS exam today. . . she's got all sort of things like that going on. I can't keep track of it all. She's been really helpful with Sean who really leans on her emotionally.
As for me, I am trying to wind up Aquinas Learning stuff (hopefully today), focus on my kids and the house for a change. Also, I just started volunteering for an organization that tries to prevent homelessness in our area. They put me on the communications committee which means I write stuff to help fundraising. I have two little assignments, one which is due by July 1st. I am not sure what I am doing, so it will be interesting. I am excited and shy at the same time.
Rick's work has really heated up so he's been traveling a lot recently to California and New Jersey. No travel this week though.
Other stuff: my nephew got married over the weekend. Another nephew (who is a drummer and owns a studio) took an old recording that my mom made for my dad, of her singing Always. I've got it now as a download. I should put it on here, if I can. She had such a nice voice. Hannah says she sounds like Judy Garland. Last night I kept dreaming about Jackie as I fell asleep. I'd start to fall asleep and then Jackie would be there talking about something and I'd startle awake. It kept happening. Gosh, I miss my parents. I think I will go visit the cemetery soon.
Becky is busy reading the Artemis Fowl series (among other books). She got an idea from her friends on google plus. She took a jar and decorated it and each time she finishes a book, she writes the title on a piece of paper and puts it in the jar. At the end of the year she'll be able to go back and see all the books she read. I had nothing to do with it! She's also getting ready for her voice recital this Friday. And she starts Theater Camp tomorrow; that's three weeks long and ends in several performances of Peter Pan. She's a mermaid. Other than those things she's been having a pretty quiet couple of weeks. She just finished her last math lesson with the math tutor yesterday morning. She won't start that up again until after Labor day, though we promised the tutor that during the last couple of weeks of August, Becky would do a little review to jump start next year's journey into Algebra. Becky's also been watching lots of Dr. Who, mostly with Rick in the evenings. She's also been helping around the house, hanging with Sean, doing a little baking and cooking, etc.
Sean was so lost yesterday. It was his first day of summer vacation and he, who is not good at transitions, was already afraid of having free time. He said, "Mom, I have that same feeling I had when we were homeschooling!" Uh oh. So I tried to explain it was just the first day and that he could plan his summer so that he had stuff to do and he wouldn't have long stretches of time, which as I expressed it, always makes him feel droopy (but really is a depression trigger). We brainstormed stuff he was going to do this summer. Then I said let's go out for the afternoon, so we went shopping, to the library and then to get ice cream. That seemed to satisfy him. He decided that I should get him up by 9 (if he isn't up earlier) and that he would shower every morning and get completely dressed so that he'd feel like he was ready for the day. That was his idea! Today he's got his physical trainer coming at noon and the speech therapist coming at 4:30. Plus, he's supposed to get a new yo-yo from Amazon today. He's excited about that. He has gotten really into yo-yoing of late. I, as a result, am learning so much about yo-yos! It is amazing! Did you know there are responsive and un-responsive yo-yos? There are looping yo-yos and 'off-string' yo-yos? Sean is teaching himself all kinds of tricks and spends lots of time practicing. He also spends a lot of time learning, talking and thinking about the new Super Smash Bros game coming out. He is really fixated on it.
Josh continues working at the marina. He gets himself up and off to work. He is very tanned. He comes home and tells us stories of rescuing people who don't know how to sail and wind up capsizing. Apparently the Potomac River isn't really the best sailing area. It is too shallow in many places so one of his jobs is to go out and rescue people who get stuck in the mud. He also mows grass, weed-whacks, takes care of trash and recycling, power washes boats, paints boats, re-rigs boats (don't know what that means) and watches the dock to make sure the boat rentals are going right. He works now with a few other guys. There's one guy who is a retired software engineer whose wife told him he needs to get out of the house, so he works at the marina just because he enjoys it. He's a character apparently. Josh really likes him. Then there are three other summer helpers, like Josh, two are about Josh's age and one is 27. They are new, so he doesn't really know them yet. Besides that Josh just comes home and stays in his room, except for meals. Hannah got him to play Ticket to Ride on Saturday night though. He's been going to the 8:00 p.m. Mass on Sunday nights at GMU and that same GMU ministry group has a meeting on Thursday nights and Josh mentioned he might start going. Josh's days off are Thursdays and Fridays.
Will is up in Boston. He's got tons going on. He just interviewed with guy who runs an experimental Bible theater in Boston and who needs a composer for a production (probably in a year and half). Will sent him some of his stuff, but he has no idea if he'll get the job. He has no real portfolio and no experience. He's got to work on developing all that. He's also decided to put on concert series. He's done this once before. The musicians play some of his music but then also play other pieces too. The musicians don't get paid much (pass the hat) but Will is pretty ingenious at finding free places. He's got a frat house at MIT willing to put on his next concert. Will goes out and buys cheese and crackers and wine from Trader Joe's and some of the other guests bring some too. He put one on a couple months ago and now he's planning one for his birthday weekend. One thing is he needs to allow more time to plan it and advertise it. It takes more planning than he thinks. He's learning as he goes. He is also very involved in his soup kitchen work and also in the MIT Catholic club (or whatever it is called). And he's also taking classes this summer! Plus he is writing music and practicing. And he's looking for a permanent part time job somewhere just to earn a little cash. He's really kind of overwhelmed himself. He's taken to asking me to call him at 6:00 a.m. so he'll be sure to get up and get going. And on top of all this, he's coming home this weekend. He's going to accompany Becky during her voice recital. Also, we will celebrate his birthday a week early, while he's here. He'll be 22 (but not until the 29th)!
Hannah is also very busy. She's working at Starbucks with Peter. She's also taking two classes at NOVA. And she is busy planning to get married. We went for a fitting for her wedding dress which is beautiful, way too expensive and the Russian lady who runs the store is scary as hell. She is going to get as much money as possible out of us. I should have gone with Hannah the first time when she got the dress. Anyway, she also got her invitations from the printer this week. Really, really pretty! I think she said she had to take a PRAXIS exam today. . . she's got all sort of things like that going on. I can't keep track of it all. She's been really helpful with Sean who really leans on her emotionally.
As for me, I am trying to wind up Aquinas Learning stuff (hopefully today), focus on my kids and the house for a change. Also, I just started volunteering for an organization that tries to prevent homelessness in our area. They put me on the communications committee which means I write stuff to help fundraising. I have two little assignments, one which is due by July 1st. I am not sure what I am doing, so it will be interesting. I am excited and shy at the same time.
Rick's work has really heated up so he's been traveling a lot recently to California and New Jersey. No travel this week though.
Other stuff: my nephew got married over the weekend. Another nephew (who is a drummer and owns a studio) took an old recording that my mom made for my dad, of her singing Always. I've got it now as a download. I should put it on here, if I can. She had such a nice voice. Hannah says she sounds like Judy Garland. Last night I kept dreaming about Jackie as I fell asleep. I'd start to fall asleep and then Jackie would be there talking about something and I'd startle awake. It kept happening. Gosh, I miss my parents. I think I will go visit the cemetery soon.
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Getting Started with Spanish - Book 24
I've been giving myself a quick, crash course in Spanish using Getting Started with Spanish by Antonia Orto and William Linney. William Linney wrote the book Getting Started with Latin, which I like so much as a very easy, direct and fun way to get a solid introduction to Latin. Well, here, his friend Antonia uses the same exact, step by step approach and teaches Spanish. It is amazing how solid a foundation one can get just by learning one simple thing in each of the 177 short lessons.
To honest though, I am just up to Lesson 122 or according to my Kindle 48% through the book. Since I am flying through this book (I started it about 10 days ago) I have to say I am really just learning to read simple Spanish. If I took the time I'd go back and really focus on speaking it. But while I say a few of the exercises out loud, I haven't been emphasizing that part of my study.
If you want to hear audio helps related to this book, here's your link. While I think the whole approach that Linney has developed is just pure genius in terms of making learning a language easy, the version on the Kindle has some flaws. For instance the Lessons are set up in one big chunk so it is very hard to go back and refocus on a particular lesson. Secondly, the grammar charts are way too tiny in print. I have my Kindle type set to a fairly large size because of my bad eyes, but the print in the charts is tiny! I have to use a magnifying glass to read them. Also, I can't find a glossary of all the new vocabulary words. So if I forget the meaning of a word I have to go back, chapter by chapter, searching for it. So it isn't as user friendly as it could be. It probably would be much better to get the actual book.
Anyway, now I can say things like Yo quiero leer libros in espanol!
This is a really solid way to introduce young (and old!) students to Spanish.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
To honest though, I am just up to Lesson 122 or according to my Kindle 48% through the book. Since I am flying through this book (I started it about 10 days ago) I have to say I am really just learning to read simple Spanish. If I took the time I'd go back and really focus on speaking it. But while I say a few of the exercises out loud, I haven't been emphasizing that part of my study.
If you want to hear audio helps related to this book, here's your link. While I think the whole approach that Linney has developed is just pure genius in terms of making learning a language easy, the version on the Kindle has some flaws. For instance the Lessons are set up in one big chunk so it is very hard to go back and refocus on a particular lesson. Secondly, the grammar charts are way too tiny in print. I have my Kindle type set to a fairly large size because of my bad eyes, but the print in the charts is tiny! I have to use a magnifying glass to read them. Also, I can't find a glossary of all the new vocabulary words. So if I forget the meaning of a word I have to go back, chapter by chapter, searching for it. So it isn't as user friendly as it could be. It probably would be much better to get the actual book.
Anyway, now I can say things like Yo quiero leer libros in espanol!
This is a really solid way to introduce young (and old!) students to Spanish.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Am I an Old Fogey?
I have been having trouble with my eyes for a while now. They always seem to have blurry patches or little squiggles or specks of something floating in my vision. And I can't drive at night in the rain at all. The glare just renders me blind. It's scary. I kept thinking to myself, I gotta go see the eye doctor. But I went not that long ago and got new glasses, etc. They were all worried because it was discovered that I had blind spots in my lower peripheral vision. I was sent to a specialist who basically thought I had a tumor on my pituitary gland. Except then I found out that 3 of my sisters also have this problem and it is just hereditary. But shouldn't they have noticed my cataracts? Because I looked up my symptoms on the internet and a diagnosis of cataracts fits them perfectly. I hate eye doctors. I am neurotic about things in my eyes. I'll have 10 c-sections before I'll have eye surgery! Well, that's probably an exaggeration, but that's how I feel. Guess I'll have to buck up and face the music. Anyway, this makes me feel old.
Another thing that makes me feel old:
Over the last couple of days I have gotten people mad at me when I commented on the fact that girls should dress appropriately for school (no short shorts for instance) and that college women should not let themselves get so drunk they pass out and put themselves in a position where some creepy guy can take advantage of them. People really got hot under the collar and lectured me about my double standards and how they raise their sons to be honorable (because apparently I don't) etc. etc. way out of proportion and reading things into what I said that I did not say.
Is it really crazy to say that women should dress appropriately, that is, with some sense of dignity and decorum for given situations? Should one really show up to school wearing the same thing you'd wear to a beach? Is looking sexy never inappropriate? Is showing so much skin never in poor judgment? I don't mean that men are allowed to be rude or molest women because they dress that way, but why the heck do girls try to dress that way to begin with? Because they want to be attractive and being sexy is seen as the height of attraction nowadays. One doesn't just want to have a put-together, stylish look; a look that gives authority. No, the only power now is from being sexy. Girls want to elicit a response from they guys, they want attention and respect too, but unfortunately, men being sinners and all, they often elicit the wrong response by the way they dress.
The way you dress communicates something to people around you. That's just the way it is. That's why we don't show up at a job interview in torn jeans and an old t-shirt but we do if we are joining in on a neighborhood clean-up-the-local park drive. That's why a sleek black dress and heels look great when going to an elegant dinner party but look kind of ludicrous if you are at the circus. If you want to be taken seriously, you don't walk around in clothing that leaves nothing to the imagination. And I think it is BS to say that girls aren't a little bit complicit in this.
Behave and act with dignity. Dress like you are more than an object to be desired. Dress like you think deeper than Seventeen or Cosmo. Guys too have restrictions on dress, if they want to convey some dignity. A boy who is wearing pants that are falling off him is going to convey something different than a guy who is wearing a sport coat and tie. The restrictions don't go to the same degree though and I guess that is what sticks in people's craw? That there is inequality there because there is a difference (in degree) in the way the two sexes relate to one another?
I got a petition from change.org. They wanted me to sign one to get to the bottom of bullying that purportedly happened to a young college women who had taken her life. The petition said she had made the 'choice' to be in a porn movie. And that people had bullied her by tweeting nasty things at her. Except the things that they used as examples of bullying were relatively mild or simply people showing disappointment at her actions. It looked like disapproval, not bullying to me. Isn't there a difference? If you do something that alienates the majority of people on your twitter list (or whatever it is; I don't twitter), is it bullying if they say so? By that standard the folks who decided I was a sexist ogre for thinking girls should dress appropriately and not drink themselves into stupors are bullying me. Wah! It's so unfair!
I am very sorry that this girl committed suicide. I truly, truly am. Any suicide is a great tragedy. But frankly I will bet you a lot of money that most girls who participate in porn movies at the ripe old age of 18 are probably not the most happy and stable of people to begin with. I know girls make mistakes and do stupid things. Boys too. All the time. I can be sympathetic but I feel like we've gotten to the point of enabling these mistakes and then getting our backs up if there is any whiff of disapproval for the stupid or outright sinful choices. I feel like this actually opens girls up to more exploitation, not less.
I mean there is a middle ground somewhere isn't there?
Rape is always, always wrong. But naively or recklessly putting yourself in harm's way is not too smart. Is that blaming the victim? I don't think so. Sometimes rape happens and there isn't a thing the victim can do about it. But isn't prevention important? Don't we want young women to value themselves enough that they don't open themselves up to disrespect or violence? Isn't that empowering them? Instead, insisting on their right to be stupid, to dress badly, to party excessively is pushing them into victimhood. You do not have a right to behave anyway you want and then dictate how others should respond to you. You do not have a right to do careless, dangerous things and then demand the world keep you safe. If you engage in risky behavior, you are more likely to get hurt. Period. That doesn't mean that the perpetrator who harmed you isn't at fault, but it means you didn't protect yourself the way you should have in that particular situation.
Anyway, I am just ranting. Because I suddenly feel very old.
Another thing that makes me feel old:
Over the last couple of days I have gotten people mad at me when I commented on the fact that girls should dress appropriately for school (no short shorts for instance) and that college women should not let themselves get so drunk they pass out and put themselves in a position where some creepy guy can take advantage of them. People really got hot under the collar and lectured me about my double standards and how they raise their sons to be honorable (because apparently I don't) etc. etc. way out of proportion and reading things into what I said that I did not say.
Is it really crazy to say that women should dress appropriately, that is, with some sense of dignity and decorum for given situations? Should one really show up to school wearing the same thing you'd wear to a beach? Is looking sexy never inappropriate? Is showing so much skin never in poor judgment? I don't mean that men are allowed to be rude or molest women because they dress that way, but why the heck do girls try to dress that way to begin with? Because they want to be attractive and being sexy is seen as the height of attraction nowadays. One doesn't just want to have a put-together, stylish look; a look that gives authority. No, the only power now is from being sexy. Girls want to elicit a response from they guys, they want attention and respect too, but unfortunately, men being sinners and all, they often elicit the wrong response by the way they dress.
The way you dress communicates something to people around you. That's just the way it is. That's why we don't show up at a job interview in torn jeans and an old t-shirt but we do if we are joining in on a neighborhood clean-up-the-local park drive. That's why a sleek black dress and heels look great when going to an elegant dinner party but look kind of ludicrous if you are at the circus. If you want to be taken seriously, you don't walk around in clothing that leaves nothing to the imagination. And I think it is BS to say that girls aren't a little bit complicit in this.
Behave and act with dignity. Dress like you are more than an object to be desired. Dress like you think deeper than Seventeen or Cosmo. Guys too have restrictions on dress, if they want to convey some dignity. A boy who is wearing pants that are falling off him is going to convey something different than a guy who is wearing a sport coat and tie. The restrictions don't go to the same degree though and I guess that is what sticks in people's craw? That there is inequality there because there is a difference (in degree) in the way the two sexes relate to one another?
I got a petition from change.org. They wanted me to sign one to get to the bottom of bullying that purportedly happened to a young college women who had taken her life. The petition said she had made the 'choice' to be in a porn movie. And that people had bullied her by tweeting nasty things at her. Except the things that they used as examples of bullying were relatively mild or simply people showing disappointment at her actions. It looked like disapproval, not bullying to me. Isn't there a difference? If you do something that alienates the majority of people on your twitter list (or whatever it is; I don't twitter), is it bullying if they say so? By that standard the folks who decided I was a sexist ogre for thinking girls should dress appropriately and not drink themselves into stupors are bullying me. Wah! It's so unfair!
I am very sorry that this girl committed suicide. I truly, truly am. Any suicide is a great tragedy. But frankly I will bet you a lot of money that most girls who participate in porn movies at the ripe old age of 18 are probably not the most happy and stable of people to begin with. I know girls make mistakes and do stupid things. Boys too. All the time. I can be sympathetic but I feel like we've gotten to the point of enabling these mistakes and then getting our backs up if there is any whiff of disapproval for the stupid or outright sinful choices. I feel like this actually opens girls up to more exploitation, not less.
I mean there is a middle ground somewhere isn't there?
Rape is always, always wrong. But naively or recklessly putting yourself in harm's way is not too smart. Is that blaming the victim? I don't think so. Sometimes rape happens and there isn't a thing the victim can do about it. But isn't prevention important? Don't we want young women to value themselves enough that they don't open themselves up to disrespect or violence? Isn't that empowering them? Instead, insisting on their right to be stupid, to dress badly, to party excessively is pushing them into victimhood. You do not have a right to behave anyway you want and then dictate how others should respond to you. You do not have a right to do careless, dangerous things and then demand the world keep you safe. If you engage in risky behavior, you are more likely to get hurt. Period. That doesn't mean that the perpetrator who harmed you isn't at fault, but it means you didn't protect yourself the way you should have in that particular situation.
Anyway, I am just ranting. Because I suddenly feel very old.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
The Old Patagonian Express - Book 23
I have been AWOL here on this blog. I haven't been doing the internet as much. Mostly facebook and reading a couple of blogs. I haven't felt the impulse to blog and for some reason it took me a long time to get through this book, The Old Patagonian Express; by Train through the Americas by Paul Theroux. It took me a couple of weeks which is a long time for a book I found so thoroughly engrossing. But I think it was because I was savoring it so much. Theroux is a brilliant writer. The way he evokes the whole experience of travel is captivating. I could feel the train rumbling, see the landscape outside, meet the motley travelers and all the exotic, uncomfortable and surprising things he encountered. The book isn't just about traveling to exotic, off the beaten path, places. It is also about reading while traveling and pondering while traveling.
Maybe twenty years ago I read Theroux's book on riding a train through China, entitled Riding the Iron Rooster. I remember really enjoying it but thinking Theroux was a rather sour fellow. I did not think of him that way at all this time. Maybe Theroux was in a better mood this time? Maybe twenty years gave me a different perspective? This time I thought Theroux was exceptionally honest, insightful, a little self-deprecating, witty and simply a brilliant painter of images and evoker of time and space.
The book starts with a subway ride. Theroux has decided to ride trains all the way down to Patagonia, Argentina. He begins riding the subway during the morning commuter rush. But he's not a commuter, he's beginning a great voyage and leaving cold, blizzardy Boston behind. He moves through the U.S. by degrees, noting the changing people, customs, climate and landscape.
There were many things that endeared Theroux to me as he traveled. One was that read as he rode the rail, and what he read became an integral part of his journey. I do this too!!! A kindred spirit! I remember that I read Report to the Commissioner back in 1976, while curled up in a window seat that looked out over the Devonshire countryside. It was weird to be reading a novel about a New York City cop while being in such a remote and charming place. I remember reading Christ Stopped at Eboli on the long trans-atlantic flight from Rome to Washington DC. That must have been in 1983 or 84. Just two summers ago I read Penrod by Booth Tarkington while sitting in an outdoor cafe in Avila, Spain, sipping caffe and watching tourists disembark from buses in front of the Medieval city walls.
Here's what Theroux read on his trip (he seemed to be trying to read lesser known works by famous authors). The Wild Palms by Faulkner (Theroux didn't like it), Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain (he thought it was brilliant), The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Poe(very scary - too much for that particular moment when Theroux was encountering many disturbing things on his trip; later he had a chance to read it in better circumstances and really marveled at Poe's storytelling talent), The Judge and the Hangman by Friedrich Durrenmatt (I'd never heard of this guy! Must put on my to read list!), Boswell's Life of Johnson (which meshed beautifully with insights that were completely timely in Theroux's travels). I started Life of Johnson a few years ago but didn't get far. MUST READ IT!
This is a long journey and broke down pretty logically into three sections - his travels through the U.S., his travels through Central America and then his travels through South America. I initially started reading this book because I am intrigued by all things Argentine, since we have a young gentleman from that country coming to stay with us this summer. So I wanted to read about Argentina and that doesn't come until the very end of the book, but in spite of my impatience, I was completely fascinated by the whole trip.
There are some really funny moments in the book. For instance in El Salvador Theroux gets into a conversation with two young salesman. They have an absurd conversation where the two men talk about how English doesn't have as many words as Spanish. Much later on, Theroux gets to meet and spend time with Jorge Luis Borges, probably Argentina's greatest literary figure; a great writer of short stories, poems and essays) and Borges keeps saying how much better English is than Spanish in terms of word-craft. Also, in El Salvador, one of the salesman invites Theroux to go to a soccer match with him. Theroux describes the whole experience as an alien (which he was) viewing the most baffling behavior of the crowds. At one point the people in the crowd unleash a bunch of long white balloons which Theroux recognize as condoms. He remember how the WHO has recently begun giving out condoms. He doubts it will decrease the number of births but he imagines how much fun children's birthday parties will be, what with the free balloons. That is just the tiniest snippet of what is going on in this book. It is like a warehouse crammed full of impressions, reactions, musings and puzzlement. You get to work through the warehouse systematically though, from railroad station to railroad station (with some buses and a plane flight or two thrown in there).
At another point, perhaps this happened in Peru or Bolivia, Theroux is riding with a few American tourists who are being rather whiny and crass. They begin to rip on the Indians who are in the process of celebrating Holy Week. Why, the Americans want to know, do they make their crucifixes so gory and bloody? Why do their statues of the Virgin look so plump and why do they dress her up with dresses and lace? It strikes the Americans as vulgar and over the top. Theroux, however, has been visiting churches all the way, and watching how the devout Indians live out their faith. He sees that it gives them joy and sustains them in their incredibly hard and undignified lives. At last he can bear to hear no more. He bursts forth with an impassioned analysis. Of course their crucifixes are bloodier. If Jesus redeemed them by suffering and dying for them, than he must have to suffer more than they do in their every day life. In the U.S. crucifixes only have a couple of bruises and perhaps a drop or two of blood, but here where the Native Indians live, he must suffer far more than that. If Mary is their beloved Queen of Heaven, she can not be starving like they are. She must be more fecund, not less. She must wear more beautiful clothing than they do, not simpler. His explanation shuts everyone up at once.
I absolutely loved the part where Theroux meets Borges. Again, I felt kinship. Borges is blind and Theroux reads him Kipling out loud. Borges says something that I have always thought! He says that Huckleberry Finn is a great book with a bad ending. Tom Sawyer enters the picture at the end and ruins the book. I have always thought that! I hate the ending of Huck Finn! If you've read Tom Sawyer and loved that character, you see him in a very different light in Huck Finn. It is a betrayal to his readers. I can not forgive Mark Twain for that.
There is so much to this book. I have barely scratched the surface here. I highly, highly recommend it.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
Maybe twenty years ago I read Theroux's book on riding a train through China, entitled Riding the Iron Rooster. I remember really enjoying it but thinking Theroux was a rather sour fellow. I did not think of him that way at all this time. Maybe Theroux was in a better mood this time? Maybe twenty years gave me a different perspective? This time I thought Theroux was exceptionally honest, insightful, a little self-deprecating, witty and simply a brilliant painter of images and evoker of time and space.
The book starts with a subway ride. Theroux has decided to ride trains all the way down to Patagonia, Argentina. He begins riding the subway during the morning commuter rush. But he's not a commuter, he's beginning a great voyage and leaving cold, blizzardy Boston behind. He moves through the U.S. by degrees, noting the changing people, customs, climate and landscape.
There were many things that endeared Theroux to me as he traveled. One was that read as he rode the rail, and what he read became an integral part of his journey. I do this too!!! A kindred spirit! I remember that I read Report to the Commissioner back in 1976, while curled up in a window seat that looked out over the Devonshire countryside. It was weird to be reading a novel about a New York City cop while being in such a remote and charming place. I remember reading Christ Stopped at Eboli on the long trans-atlantic flight from Rome to Washington DC. That must have been in 1983 or 84. Just two summers ago I read Penrod by Booth Tarkington while sitting in an outdoor cafe in Avila, Spain, sipping caffe and watching tourists disembark from buses in front of the Medieval city walls.
Here's what Theroux read on his trip (he seemed to be trying to read lesser known works by famous authors). The Wild Palms by Faulkner (Theroux didn't like it), Pudd'nhead Wilson by Mark Twain (he thought it was brilliant), The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym by Poe(very scary - too much for that particular moment when Theroux was encountering many disturbing things on his trip; later he had a chance to read it in better circumstances and really marveled at Poe's storytelling talent), The Judge and the Hangman by Friedrich Durrenmatt (I'd never heard of this guy! Must put on my to read list!), Boswell's Life of Johnson (which meshed beautifully with insights that were completely timely in Theroux's travels). I started Life of Johnson a few years ago but didn't get far. MUST READ IT!
This is a long journey and broke down pretty logically into three sections - his travels through the U.S., his travels through Central America and then his travels through South America. I initially started reading this book because I am intrigued by all things Argentine, since we have a young gentleman from that country coming to stay with us this summer. So I wanted to read about Argentina and that doesn't come until the very end of the book, but in spite of my impatience, I was completely fascinated by the whole trip.
There are some really funny moments in the book. For instance in El Salvador Theroux gets into a conversation with two young salesman. They have an absurd conversation where the two men talk about how English doesn't have as many words as Spanish. Much later on, Theroux gets to meet and spend time with Jorge Luis Borges, probably Argentina's greatest literary figure; a great writer of short stories, poems and essays) and Borges keeps saying how much better English is than Spanish in terms of word-craft. Also, in El Salvador, one of the salesman invites Theroux to go to a soccer match with him. Theroux describes the whole experience as an alien (which he was) viewing the most baffling behavior of the crowds. At one point the people in the crowd unleash a bunch of long white balloons which Theroux recognize as condoms. He remember how the WHO has recently begun giving out condoms. He doubts it will decrease the number of births but he imagines how much fun children's birthday parties will be, what with the free balloons. That is just the tiniest snippet of what is going on in this book. It is like a warehouse crammed full of impressions, reactions, musings and puzzlement. You get to work through the warehouse systematically though, from railroad station to railroad station (with some buses and a plane flight or two thrown in there).
At another point, perhaps this happened in Peru or Bolivia, Theroux is riding with a few American tourists who are being rather whiny and crass. They begin to rip on the Indians who are in the process of celebrating Holy Week. Why, the Americans want to know, do they make their crucifixes so gory and bloody? Why do their statues of the Virgin look so plump and why do they dress her up with dresses and lace? It strikes the Americans as vulgar and over the top. Theroux, however, has been visiting churches all the way, and watching how the devout Indians live out their faith. He sees that it gives them joy and sustains them in their incredibly hard and undignified lives. At last he can bear to hear no more. He bursts forth with an impassioned analysis. Of course their crucifixes are bloodier. If Jesus redeemed them by suffering and dying for them, than he must have to suffer more than they do in their every day life. In the U.S. crucifixes only have a couple of bruises and perhaps a drop or two of blood, but here where the Native Indians live, he must suffer far more than that. If Mary is their beloved Queen of Heaven, she can not be starving like they are. She must be more fecund, not less. She must wear more beautiful clothing than they do, not simpler. His explanation shuts everyone up at once.
I absolutely loved the part where Theroux meets Borges. Again, I felt kinship. Borges is blind and Theroux reads him Kipling out loud. Borges says something that I have always thought! He says that Huckleberry Finn is a great book with a bad ending. Tom Sawyer enters the picture at the end and ruins the book. I have always thought that! I hate the ending of Huck Finn! If you've read Tom Sawyer and loved that character, you see him in a very different light in Huck Finn. It is a betrayal to his readers. I can not forgive Mark Twain for that.
There is so much to this book. I have barely scratched the surface here. I highly, highly recommend it.
For more book reviews go to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.
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