A U G U S T
&
S E P T E M B E R
2 0 1 2
St.Sometimes School is Back in Session
Vol 131
Pecked by Ducks Years ago, Jim came up with the phrase. Every little thing builds up to a boiling point. It makes overseas difficult.
Teaching in the Shadow of Chavez! The elections are coming up. This is the first topic of every meeting and the possibility of bloodshed looms in the future. There will be a two-week break in October. Most of the gringos will flee the country – just in case. There is finally a strong opposition to Chavez and if he loses, the word is there will be a lot of violence. No one is sure. But everyone is planning for the worst-case scenario. We’ll just have to see.
Save the Date! PHD Deadline
UNI and ISS
Galapagos
December 2013
February 2013 The job fairs come early. I will probably go to one of these.
April 2013 A tentative date.
The deadline for applying to the MSU Doctoral Program for EdTech
Not sure who will go with me. But it is a plan.
The air conditioner downstairs started to leak. The ceiling caved in. My Internet went out. My car still isn’t working. I don’t have a job for next year. The boat slip where I keep my boat is right where all the other boats go by at full speed. “NO WAKE? NO ONE CARES!” So my boat is getting destroyed.
ST.SOMETIMES
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2012
Random Experiences Here are just a few of the thoughts I have had during the past months. Living in Venezuela can
Maria Carolina Rodriguez Maria is a long story. She was a girlfriend a few years back. We have been back together recently. She is my age, has an 18 yr. old daughter, and comes originally from El Tigre. Divorced. But she is a happy person and we get along great. I broke up with her a while back because I don’t want anything serious with her.
Weather is Here, Wish you were Beautiful – Buffett Lyric
I just cannot get enough of this weather. VZ truly has some of the most beautiful weather. Always 80-‐‑90 degrees, sun rises at 5ish and sets around six. Every weekend is a boating day!
McCiarcia is My Dream come True
Every weekend in August found me on the boat. I mean every one. If I invite people out for 9am, we go out to the beaches or an island until about 3 and head back. Sometimes, it’s worth staying out later to catch a sunset like the picture to the right. Both 175 Merc motors are working for now. Keep fingers crossed.
Fresh Oysters? Out at the island area called “la Piscina” (the pool) there are always local fisherman boating around offering fresh fish, lobster, and oysters. There is also an ice cream cart guy that swims his cart between the boats. No kidding. The cart still has the wheels on it. (right) Maria, Ruben, and Mary enjoy fresh oysters from a local fisherman on the back of McCiarcia in la Piscina. Just an average day.
2
1 2
ST.SOMETIMES
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2012
Cave Diving Venezuelan Style – Breaking Every Rule in the Book! Shameful! I got a call from the local dive shop, Nancy at Bahia
your time to go through, TAKE OFF YOUR TANK and
Divers. Nancy said she was doing a special day of
pull it behind you through the choke point. After the
diving to a cave. I was interested because there are
choke point you can stash your tank in line. We’ll
some great caves around here. Most of them are huge
enjoy the cave then come back out in the same order.
underwater caverns and I have been into a lot of them
I couldn’t believe I was hearing all of this. I felt a rush
without any worries. None of them have been
of fear as I looked around not knowing the experience
dangerous – until this time.
of the others. The old guy that looked like Jaque
Nancy didn’t give the dive briefing until we got to the
Cousteau was probably fine. But I made sure Nancy
site, right near Playa Blanca (I have mentioned Playa
put Daniel (a student of mine from work) was in front
Blanca in past issues.) So the briefing went like this:
of me. I wanted to keep an eye on him. (only 20 dives and passed Rescue PADI, but still a newbee.) All I
All of us are experienced divers. We will go in one-‐‑by-‐‑
could do was trust that Nancy had done this numerous
one in specific order. The max depth is only 3meters.
times before with divers. My fear subsided but my
There is overhead and it is confined. When you get to
training was on Red Alert. Everything went fine, but
the end of the tunnel, yes tunnel, there is a choke point
when Nancy asked me in the cave “What do you
so give the person ahead of you plenty of space. There
think?” I said “We are total idiots. This is WRONG.”
is current coming in and out so time it right. When it is
One and Only Time Just a few of the rules we broke. 1.
Don’t enter dangerous situations.
6.
Keep spaced out if there is current
2.
If entering confined spaces, have
7.
Most experienced in first
the right equipment – redundant 3.
Match your experience with the
and last out 8.
dive profile
Have redundant equipment
4.
Don’t enter dangerous situations.
9.
5.
Keep plenty of space if you are
10. Don’t do this dive!
confined
3
Follow your intuition and training
ST.SOMETIMES
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2012
September – Boring! “Parilla” means grill There is a long story about sneaking in the dead of night in a boat to rescue this grill from the Willett’s house. But suffice it to say, Steve and Leslie let me have this $1,000 gas grill as part of the boat purchase. I ended up relying on Quini (our director’s assistant and resident Goddess) and Nelson (the Master of everything maintenance and father of 8) to get the grill all the way over to my apartment from the Willetts.
Roaming the Classes I truly enjoy this job. Not only do I get to teach all of the age groups, but I have time between classes to go into other classrooms and team teach or integrate technology. With a full course load, this isn’t easy. But with a great tech team, I can focus on Ed Tech.
Learning to Skate in Venezuela A few of us ventured over to the teachers EVAC [Eastern Venezuelan Association of Colleges] conference in Maturin. This is what we witnessed at the mall. I love the little pinguinos (penguins in Español) the new skaters use to lean on.
Carew – The Newest Judd Born this summer, in late June, little Carew was in the States at the time. But he came down with Matt and Stacy. Every once in a while I get kicked out of the extra classroom (while fixing something) because Stacy has to “pump” a few extra bottles. 4
2 1
ST.SOMETIMES
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2012
“You aren’t Coming Back Next Year” On a Monday morning, in the middle of school-‐‑wide
Have you ever been fired from a Job eight months
standardized testing that I am in charge of, my
before you hit the door? It’s weird. It’s interesting. It’s
principal called me into the office.
cool if you are leaving on good terms with your boss-‐‑ and I am for sure. Basically, Mike says this is the best
“You aren’t coming back next year” were his exact
position to be in. I get a great referral from him and I
words that he said with a grin. I’m not kidding – an ear
can help him find my replacement. After four years of
to ear grin! I don’t know why I even bothered to have
working in an international school, it is very similar to
a conversation with him. It went nowhere. His words
what Directors go through. Time to go. Know early,
just left me empty. I couldn’t believe it.
plan early, move on after you transition your
For three whole days, I just walked around in a daze –
replacement.
waiting for my director to call me in. That’s all I cared
Job Fairs! This will be my fifth one. Maybe I can land a
about. Three days later it was better. We (the three of
great job before going to a job fair? I won’t hold my
us-‐‑me, director, principal) had a long discussion. I was
breath. In fact, I will plan for the worst and hope for
out of emotion. It was all gone. No more energy. It
the best. There are two job fairs close together. The ISS
took three days just to get over the way the news was
one is my first choice. San Francisco in February? My
delivered. But that talk with my director, who I’d
school contract supports post contract job hunting so I
follow anywhere, was all it took – even though the
can be gone for that week.
principal was in on this conversation. I know they are looking for more of a “geeky” ,“director” kind of techie
The job hunt starts right away. TIEONLINE, ISS, UNI,
– someone with more network experience. I just had to
JOYJOBS, SEARCH, and AASSA all require paperwork
hear it from the right person.
and payments – after deciding which is the sharpest tool in the toolbox. I certainly will start with updating
The job fairs are starting in November. The teaching
TIE and ISS. Then it is time to update my personal
couples are the first to be hired. It might be a long wait
video.
for me. So the first thing I did was … cancel my most important plans. Alex will not be coming down here.
The fun doesn’t stop there. The fact that I am leaving in June of 2013 means I have to sell a boat and a car. Of all
Alex is Joey and Danica’s son. We had all discussed,
the crap timing! The local currency is taking a nose -‐‑
started to make plans for, and decided, that Alex
dive and it might affect my selling power.
would come down to Venezuela and live with me for a quarter of school. This was going to be my first
It’s time to start giving things away. Now I only have a
planned dependent, ever. (not including psycho
few months left to secure my legacy at work.
girlfriends or a random Tucker Event). However, the
Everything needs to be ready for the next person to
minute after my plans were changed at school, I knew
succeed. But even though I have to plan for plane
that Alex couldn’t come down. It would be too
tickets, find a job, sell a boat/car, let friends know, see
difficult. The job fairs are at the same time he would be
local places I have put off til now, and all that …I still
down here. It’s hard to explain, but why bring Alex
have to do my job as if everything is “normal”. I have
into a shit storm? I wouldn’t do that to him or his
to put 120% into this job, right up to the point I am on
family! (or my own blood family for that matter)
the plane!
5