Wednesday, September 14, 2016

It's the big things...

Some things that have me very worried and upset at the moment:
  • not knowing where my "Solidarity" tax is going
  • not being able to find out where the money donated and (forcefully) collected for the earthquake is going (Agustín had a homework assignment yesterday to find out where the funds are going and it was HARD to find out. I found some information on a Chinese(?) news blog, and then an article that came out last weekend stating that some of that money ($120 million) went to pay off State debts that had nothing to do with the earthquake. I don't like knowing that most of the money was probably stolen/pilfered...).
  • being told that I am "corresponsible" for the earthquake. I don't understand how a common citizen of this world can possibly be considered responsible for a devastating 7.8 earthquake.
  • knowing that in a few weeks I need to go to Guayaquil to teach a training course. The topic is Collaborative and Cooperative Learning and the Flipped Classroom. Mostly I'm not looking forward to being away from my family and to the plane trip. I think I will like the heat though.
  • having to make phone calls. I hate it. It gives me anxiety. I don't know why or when this started, but it's real, people. And I don't really mean phone calls to my friends/family (although I DO put those off, but they don't give me real anxiety), I mean to strangers/companies. 
  • the fact that Ecuador is letting Julian Assange stay in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, as long as he doesn't "reveal" anything about the country. Seems like they knew what they were doing all along, and that the plea bargain they struck with him was simply because the country is trying to cover something up.

I'm sure there is more but this is enough for today. Just some things I need to get off my chest before I can go on...

I'll be better in the future about adding pictures... I promise!

It's the little things...

Small things that are making me happy right now:

  • getting a chance to open Facebook or Pinterest and scroll with no purpose for a few minutes
  • my first sip of coffee in the morning
  • the color of my new coffee mug:
  • the selection of colors of my new felt tip markers:


  • seeing the kids stumble groggily out of their bedroom in the morning
  • doing the crossword puzzle of El Diario "expreso"
  • my kindle (although that's more of a big thing - man do I LOVE my kindle!)
  • daydreaming about working on Project Life and opening all my new goodies
  • jelly beans
  • a teacher colleague you haven't seen in a while who is SO happy to see you she gives you a huge hug and practically cries!