Camus in Pumas

Out of the books that I read in 2016, here are my favorites:

Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein is an eye-opener to journalism, Yakuza, and the sex industry/slavery in Japan. Adelstein’s short article on Japan Vice and the Yakuza giving out candy on Halloween was what hooked me on to his writing. I found this nonfiction to be very accessible, funny, and informative.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde--I finally read this one. It took me a really long time to get past the intro about art and how it reflects life and all that jazz. It turns out to be a good old horror fantasy after all.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a contemporary classic that I finally got around to reading. It is no wonder that it is a bestseller. I have cried through many parts of that book and I still don’t find the main character to be redeemed, but I feel sorry for many of the other characters in the book.

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith is surprisingly relatable to me, a woman of color, despite written by a white male author. I liked this female character who really just didn’t care about what anyone else thinks of her. The mysteries themselves were fun as well.

I listened to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn on Audible. Great readers and a fantastic book. Knew the story from the movie but I liked a lot of the narration in the book version--especially the parts from Amy about being a strong woman and some of the extra characters.

My favorite book this entire year is probably A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I’ve never been a huge slice of life reader, but this one was just so heartwarming and funny. I listened to this on Audible as well and loved the reader. I also enjoyed the cute chapter titles.

Here are some of the ones that I could have bothered with not reading:

Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer - Whiny first person YA!

Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez - Annoying white woman saves a third world country single-handedly! Also...some weird stuff with this lady?

Honorable Mentions:

David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell - really made me think for a long time afterwards

Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - good series, good characters!

Do or do not There is no try but it’s damned if you do and damned if you don’t that’s when I just grit my teeth and go even if it ruins my teeth I clench ’em tight as fists ready to square up head lowered walls up walls down to feel the poetry and to let it flood

I make lists these days things to do things to don’t and have you ever feel your guts fill with fortitude? you can feel it like a river rising these lists they don’t pile up anymore leave them there so I can remind myself how much I’ve done already not how much I can’t do

Tagged by @depthlessperception

Name: Ting

Nickname: none officially besides random variations of my name

Gender: Female

Star Sign: Libra

Birthday: October 4

Relationship status: Single and possibly ace. Pets: <3 Deekitty

Height: 5′1 3/4′’

Favourite colour: Purple and green like Barney

Average hours of sleep: 7 is okay, but never enough

Lucky number: *shrugs* but 5s and 10s are wholesome numbers

Last thing I Googled: Fiddler on the Roof sets for inspiration on an upcoming play for my school

Number of blankets I sleep with: 1, 2, sometimes 3

Met a celebrity: I have gotten the chance to meet a few of my favorites, including Astronautalis and K. Flay. Recently I got to chat with Astro again and also met Maggie Stiefvater.

Favorite fictional character: Currently, I’m trying to be more and more like Fred from Angel every day.

Favorite books: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Gone Girl, and The Martian.

Favorite bands: The Hush Sound  Last movie I watched: Fiddler on the Roof

Last TV show I watched: Finished Daredevil and now trying to finish Angel

Last song I listened to: “Kurt Cobain” by Astronautalis

Dream trip: Eastern Europe

What I’m wearing: Pajammies

Time right now: 6:52 am lol

When did you create the blog: Embarrassingly, too many years ago

Current amount of followers: 150 some-odd

What do you post about: Writing, teaching, rants

Do you have other blogs: Yes...my blog of faves: Lostmetaphors!

When did your blog reach its peak?: I’m not quite sure it ever did but Lostmetaphors had a major post the other month about Pokemongo

Do you get asks on a daily basis: Nope...I wish!

Why did you choose your URL?: I wore pumas once and liked Camus once.

Lemonade or iced tea: Arnold Palmers all the way

Cats or dogs: Both but I can’t imagine being able to take care of a dog. I am so lazy.

Coke or Pepsi: Coke

Day or night: well...the early hours of the morning apparently

Text or call: Text. I’m one of those people who hates talking on the phone.

Makeup or au natural: Did I mention how lazy I am? I liked makeup and my sister insists on buying me expensive palettes, but I forget about them.

Light or dark hair: I am dark-haired.

Shorter or taller: I am short.

Intelligence or attraction: ??????

City or country: I’m a suburbanite. I like visiting the country (and working there) and I like visiting the city, but I can’t really imagine not living in some cookie cutter place.

if i could get out of bed, i would open the windows and invite in the breeze to sweep away the dust that has settled on heavy books with too hard covers weighing me down even when i try to open them with my nose still lying down, head to legs diagonal across the bed avoiding the oppressed center from years of slumber

if i could get out of bed, i would cultivate a garden and revive the dead rose bush outside is sun is photosynthesis is rain showers that renew vitamin D on my skin is good for me but too much is worse that burns me too that worries me too that without trimming the ivy to creep into the fence wrap around the gate crawl into the bed and rope me in

if i could get out of bed, i would travel and vacation backpack and camp rough it out or pamper myself self-care self-discovery self-love identify myself identify the world’s geography learn mountains grow up oceans grow under land never erodes the piranhas though they surround the raft that is my bed would my feet peep out from one end then there goes my toes

if i could get out of bed, i would meet new people go to parties find my friends family make small talk ask what’s new how are your kids how is your new job are you happy i ask are you happy are you even happy are you even present are you who you say you are your pictures show you smiling you smile now while i dream in my bed i haven’t showered for days

I’m interested in reading the latest and greatest well-researched books out there for education. Not only am I preparing for National Boards, but I feel a little out of touch with some of the theories out there and am looking for new ideas to revitalize my classroom and my pedagogy. Please recommend a book or two! I’m especially interested in classroom management, how to best incorporate 1:1 laptops, and best practices to engage students. I’m also sort of interested in teaching when you have a mental health condition. I teach high school English (mostly 9th and 11th graders, all levels of EC/ESL-inclusion and honors) so any best practices for that would be great too (I love Jim Burke’s The English Teacher’s Companion). 

I’m going to tag a few education tumblrs that I follow so I get some good recommendations--hope that doesn’t bother anyone!

@girlwithalessonplan

@teachingwithcoffee

@fineinthemorning

@edukaition

@girlcanteach

They are getting longer. Intrusive and protruding, poking into my bottom lip. Medicine men, one by one, wiggle and tug. I shrug. Spectacles, monocles, glasses and eyes, still no one can tell me why my teeth are tearing a hole inside my mouth.

We must remove them. Make an appointment with the surgeon, the good doctor. Names on cards, leagues away until my head pounds harder than my heart, which in fact is weakening.

I know what I need.

Day Six

There is a lot of pressure in the teaching industry to perform well. The key word here is perform. That’s what you’re doing when you get up in front of a bunch of kids and try to learn them a thing or two.

Everything you do is suddenly judged and evaluated and it doesn’t end in the classroom. I have to remind myself to be a model citizen whenever I’m in my school’s town. I have to psych myself up to go to the Wal-Mart there. And now that I’ve moved closer to school, I feel awkward going to places nearby wearing my shorts. Sounds a little extreme but I’m anxious that way.

When I hear comedians talk about getting laughs and attention from the audience, I’m suddenly reminded of the sinking feeling I get when I know I’ve lost authority. Like I would be in the middle of teaching and I would feel that no one is really listening to me. That confidence level lowers. But there are also times when I do get the attention of some students and sometimes maybe even most of the students and my confidence level rises. There are a few kids who are ALWAYS checked in and for those kids, the best recommendation I write for them are about how they are such great students, they can make a teacher feel good about themselves.

But I don’t know if I ever realized that teaching was such a performance-based job. Yeah, we joke about being people who don’t ever want to shut up and like being at the center of attention but recently I have been so FORCED into going from an extrovert to an introvert that I almost wonder if I am being drained/burned out just because the whole damn thing feels so fake. And I have tried being more authentic in the classroom/being open with students. Once, I think I even told some kids about my Graves Disease. But then that made me feel worse because it was like crossing some boundary and then that also felt so fake. Like I was trying too hard to make a connection.

Day Five

Day Four