I went hiking Saturday morning and it was so windy I was getting blown over... And then dust and pebbles were hitting my face.

My bose headphones actually kept my hair in place and ears warm so it wasn't so bad. I didn't have time to make it to the top but I'm not sure I would have since it wasn't so pleasant...

it's spirit week at the school where i teach...

thursday is crazy hair day. i've been thinking of bleaching out a piece of hair from underneath and then coloring it purple. why not??

i might get in trouble for it.... teachers are supposed to be boring looking and plain. barf. i don't care though, because color is fun. plus, i'm boring myself lately and i need to spice it up.

i also need to start thinking about hawaii more and how much toning and working out needs to take place. i hiked yesterday, that's a start.

I have received two messages this week on estrip:

1.

Letter Of Relationship & Establishment Of Aid.
From Monica Mustapha
7 BP 46 ABIDJAN.
COTE D'IVORIE.

Dearest one,

Permit me to inform you of my desire to go into business relationship with you , after going through your profile and I prayed over it and selected your name among other names due to the nature of my proposal,which requires a reputable and trustworthy person. Someone who will be kind and sincere to me.

l am Miss Monica Mustapha, the only daughter of late Mr and Mrs Boha Mustapha. My father was a very wealthy cocoa merchant in Abidjan here, the economic capital of Ivory Coast, he was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their business meeting. My mother died on the 07th of August, 1991 and my father took me so special because l am motherless.

Before the death of my father on 29th november 2008 in a private hospital here in Abidjan, he secretly called me on his bedside,when I sat down to listen to him, he started crying, why? (1) He complained that I am too young to be managing my life with no one to take care of me,(2)That I have not finished my university education as he planned for me, he revealed to me that he has a sum of US$7.500.000.(SEVEN MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) left in a bank here in Abidjan, that he used my name as the only daughter for his next of kin in deposit of the funds.

He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was poisioned by his business associates , that l should seek for a GOD fearing foreign partner in a country of my choice where l will transfer this money and use it for proper investment purpose ,that I must finish my university education by the help of a business partner abroad,that he or she should help me obtain a resident permit in his or her country.

He also gave a standing instrution to the company that the deposit must be transferred outside this country. According to my father,the money was deposited as art works to avoid attracting attention to the deposit.

I am now ready to do all these since my father my bread winner is no more. l am honourable seeking your assistance in the following ways.

(1) To serve as my guardian in your country while I will depend on your expert advise since l am a girl of 20 years.

(2) To make arrangement for me to come over to your country in order to further my university education and to secure a residential permit for me in your country.

Moreover , l am willing to offer you 15% of the total sum as compensation for your assistance in the transfer of this deposit to your country. Furthermore, you can indicate your option towards assisting me as l believed that this project would be concluded within seven days you signify interest to assist me by contacting the bank.

Hoping to hearing from you soon. May God bless you as you extend your helping hand to the needy. Please reply me through my private e-mail address (monica.mustapha62@yahoo.com)

Best wishes
Monica Mustapha..

2.

hi how r you my email its my msn id to if you like to ad me i b hpy
you looking so sweet

hahaha! that letter.... and then the other message "you looking so sweet".

fail.

today was my monday....

the students were off today... and my patience was tried big time. by the end of the day i was worn out from all the redirection, whining, and general chaos.

i was grading some tests as the 3rd grade students were taking math pretests... i heard talking and i looked over and said, "silent."

then i noticed my mentor was laughing, and the students weren't talking. it was the speech path and her student working in the far corner. that just made me totally lose, and we both started laughing so hard!

we have to do all of this testing with students who have difficulties in reading, which requires them to read long passages and answer comprehension questions. how is this effective? we waste so much time on these assessments when we could be actually helping the students. i really have a huge issue with standardized tests. i realize students need to be assessed, but even students who excel in school sometimes struggle with testing.

i can remember feeling dumb in middle and high school because of tests like this, and i don't even think i could pass most of them because they are so heavily content based.

i feel like it is much more important to teach students critical thinking and problem solving skills. they need to learn how to express themselves clearly in writing...

my brain in kinda fried by the end of the day, but the students make it worth it. one complimented my nail polish today and suggested i do a purple rainbow theme next... how cute.

i feel so unmotivated to do anything... maybe it's the cold.

wasn't feeling well and missed a day of teaching. it's daunting how much work i have on top of teaching full time. maybe that's why i don't feel like doing anything.

plus the weekend was so unexpectedly fun, i am dreading the week.

my goals for this week and to get ahead with my school work, and also to take some yoga classes and hike.


we were at the ranch market in phx, which is a huge mexican grocery store. they also serve food... i think i ate about 5 peppers, plus a bunch of spicy food, mmmm.


my sister looks so cute in this pic.


my sis told me about when she was little and our grandfather used to send her amazing gingerbread houses that our mom wouldn't let her eat. she was allowed to keep them in her room every christmas, so she would shut the door and lick them... i laugh everyone time i think about it!


baby cuteness! fern really isn't a part of our family, but she and zooey are so cute together.


baby rollercoaster, how do they know to put their arms up?

i miss zooey, i hope so she is safe and happy wherever she is and that i will get to see her soon.

Big island, here I come!


So, we are going to Hawaii. I'm pretty excited. I've always thought about going, but never had the opportunity.

My mom's friend has lived there for 20 plus years so were are going to stay with her which is awesome because we will know what the best things to see and do are from a local.



I can't wait to jump off a waterfall, paddle board, surf, see a volcano, and all of that!!!!! Yayers!

apparently asu went through some sort of online meltdown... not sure if it was a hacker or what happened. i haven't been able to access any of my course materials and complete for work for any classes since wednesday afternoon. this is blasphemy and i can't believe i am paying 5 grand this semester for a university that has a highly unsecured system as well as a poorly managed and confusing education program.

i think about 90% of the questions i have asked about my program haven't gone unanswered thus far this semester. we also take classes in a small storage room at an elementary school, when we pay facility fees for the asu campus. we don't have wifi in the classroom, and since it is an education program and we take class in a school, we are required to adhere to the school district's educator dress code...

education and technology are basically essential to the other... and our course materials are all online. none of this makes any sense. and, i'm all for dressing up, but not to spend 9 hours sitting in a children's classroom at tiny little crowded table in childrens' chairs.

graduation could not happen any sooner.

on the upside, i love my students and my mentor teacher. asu... not so much.

i can't tell my family i intend to go places out of the country.... when i tell them of my plans they freak.

well, maybe just my mother. thus far i am not "allowed" to travel to:

mexico

aruba- even though i already went, but not allowed to go back

jamaica- which is where i want to go for sb

really anyplace south of the border

asia, africa, india

i don't intend on listening to any of this... i just tend to lie about where i go. i went to mexico last summer and just didn't say anything. i have a rule about other countries, and that is, you treat it like mexico. don't wear flashy jewelry, dress more covered up, and don't carry tons of cash.

so nowww, my mother wants to go to hawaii, i think because she knows i really want to go to jamaica, and it's like a bribe trip or something. i still would rather go to jamaica... i want stamps on my passport nowwww.

a text conversation(textersation) we had today:

Momma: Just look online see if it's even possible don't say anything to Steve

Me: Mmmk

Momma: What is mmmmk

Me: It means ok. Git wit it juju(her name is Julie)

Momma: Ok means ok mmmmk is nothing
check Wensters

Me: Wensters is nothing. Check the urban dictionary yo.

Me: iPhone fail.

Momma: Websters rules right on man

Me: Word.

i love my mom, but i would rather go to jamaica.... and i have to make it to blo too. and i have to know by sunday because i like to have specific trips to look forward to.

the classroom i teach in is extremely cold... this doesn't make sense and i've mentioned it before but i seem to always forget this is the case and chose a cute outfit instead of something very warm. actually, most of my very warm clothing is leggings and sweats... which are not suitable for school.

i am calling the maintenance man tomorrow for sure. i don't understand how everyone can take it... i literally have to go home and take a bath everyday to warm up. i come home and my feet are so cold and stiff from 8 hrs of this madness.

i am wearing boots with fur tomorrow to be sure i make it through. i have been sleeping so much lately, and i think it may been due in part to the cold. i come home everyday and i am so tired... and just want to veg out.

okay... even the children(and children have no thermostat) wear their coats in.

i am determined to find something warm enough for tomorrow, like a soldier preparing for battle. i will win, victory will be granted.

the students are constantly questioning my style choices... and i won't change anything.... but they have no clue it's actually a toned down version on my normal self. presenting a teacher like appearance, requires some dilution.

kids are funny, they were talking about the black eyed peas, and i said-

"you know who the black eyed peas are"

and the student says, "YOU know who the black eyed peas are?!"

i reply, "they have been around since before you were born."

they blankly stare at me, and we begin the lesson.

i am le old.

For spring break I can:


Go to blo for 2 weeks,


Or go to Jamaica for 1 week...



Buffalo has all the people I love, and Jamaica would be so peaceful and beautiful and motivate me to eat right and workout for two months...



What to do?