Thursday, 29 September 2005
I always remind myself never to eat at least two hours before I do Bikram yoga. And, then this afternoon, my Aunty Jane and Uncle Ray brought over ahi poke (the equivalent of raw fish salsa) for my dad. I just had to have some. Couldn't resist. So, during yoga practice, I felt the raw fish come up a couple of times, but managed not to upchuck it. Sounds gross, and yes it is. Raw fish is ono (delicious), but not the second time around.
Other news today:
1) My brother Jay bought a new (but a couple months used) black Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. It looks like a monster truck compared to mine.
2) My Uncle Frank had to be rushed to emergency this morning after having chest pains and ended up getting an angioplasty and stint put in his heart.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
Tennis Anyone?
Wednesday, 28 September 2005
This morning in class, S, my only sixth grader, asked me if I would come and play tennis with him in the afternoon. Last week, I had noticed his tennis racket in his backpack and mentioned how one day we should play. I told him I would check with my dad, and then see if I could meet him after school.
After lunch with my uncles and dad (Uncle Gary brought over yummy Vietnamese food), I went to Kahala. I showed up on the court, with my shorts and t-shirt, sunglasses, racket and tennis balls. I noticed S and his brother, a third grader who's also in my class, hitting balls back and forth. I asked, "Okay, are we ready to play?" They both looked at me like, "Who is this woman, and is she talking to us??" I took off my sunglasses, and they said, "Oh, it's you Miss Mau!" They were both surprised I showed up.
They were terrible. Balls flying everywhere, over the fence into the field, over the fence into the basketball court, and over to the other guys' court. But, it was fun. And, it was great for S and I to connect more since he tends to be a behavior problem in his sixth grade class, and needs attention. They finally had to leave because their mom called (and they weren't actually supposed to be out. Whoops!) to tell them to come home. Hopefully, we'll get to play again soon.
This morning in class, S, my only sixth grader, asked me if I would come and play tennis with him in the afternoon. Last week, I had noticed his tennis racket in his backpack and mentioned how one day we should play. I told him I would check with my dad, and then see if I could meet him after school.
After lunch with my uncles and dad (Uncle Gary brought over yummy Vietnamese food), I went to Kahala. I showed up on the court, with my shorts and t-shirt, sunglasses, racket and tennis balls. I noticed S and his brother, a third grader who's also in my class, hitting balls back and forth. I asked, "Okay, are we ready to play?" They both looked at me like, "Who is this woman, and is she talking to us??" I took off my sunglasses, and they said, "Oh, it's you Miss Mau!" They were both surprised I showed up.
They were terrible. Balls flying everywhere, over the fence into the field, over the fence into the basketball court, and over to the other guys' court. But, it was fun. And, it was great for S and I to connect more since he tends to be a behavior problem in his sixth grade class, and needs attention. They finally had to leave because their mom called (and they weren't actually supposed to be out. Whoops!) to tell them to come home. Hopefully, we'll get to play again soon.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Free Food......I Like It!
Tuesday, 27 September 2005
Would I ever pass up free dinner?! After taking Dad to Sam's Club, I went to Kahala to meet the New Jersey girls. Together, we drove to Treetops in Manoa for a teacher union welcome dinner. Free food....Mmmmmmm. Anyone who knows me knows I like to eat!!
Would I ever pass up free dinner?! After taking Dad to Sam's Club, I went to Kahala to meet the New Jersey girls. Together, we drove to Treetops in Manoa for a teacher union welcome dinner. Free food....Mmmmmmm. Anyone who knows me knows I like to eat!!
Monday, September 26, 2005
It's All About Learning
Monday, 26 September 2005
Had a really good workshop with Diana Day, a national trainer from the Midwest/South who has been teching classroom management skills to teachers over the years, and is contracted by the district here. It's always good to learn new things and refresh old strategies. Plus we had a free lunch provided by the hotel where the workshop was held.
Thai class was very good tonight as well. We are learning tenses. It is fun to reminisce about places in Thailand as we all talk about our travels.
Caught up with email from friends in Seattle. My Uncle Mike, Aunty Jolene's brother-in-law, in Kent suddenly passed away from heart failure while watching the Seattle Seahawks play this weekend. At least he was with family and doing what he loves, rooting for Seattle sports' teams. Just goes to show how life is so fragile. Makes me grateful for the time I am spending with my dad. As tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and Rita occur, as well as the loss of family members along the way, may we all learn to live life a little better, a little stronger, and with a lot of love. My heart goes out to the family in Seattle.
Had a really good workshop with Diana Day, a national trainer from the Midwest/South who has been teching classroom management skills to teachers over the years, and is contracted by the district here. It's always good to learn new things and refresh old strategies. Plus we had a free lunch provided by the hotel where the workshop was held.
Thai class was very good tonight as well. We are learning tenses. It is fun to reminisce about places in Thailand as we all talk about our travels.
Caught up with email from friends in Seattle. My Uncle Mike, Aunty Jolene's brother-in-law, in Kent suddenly passed away from heart failure while watching the Seattle Seahawks play this weekend. At least he was with family and doing what he loves, rooting for Seattle sports' teams. Just goes to show how life is so fragile. Makes me grateful for the time I am spending with my dad. As tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina and Rita occur, as well as the loss of family members along the way, may we all learn to live life a little better, a little stronger, and with a lot of love. My heart goes out to the family in Seattle.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
Moving Around
Sunday, 25 September 2005
Went to 8 am yoga again and had a really good workout. Went to Dad's afterwards as Bernie had to do things today. I did Dad's range of motion exercises. His shoulders are really tight, so he didn't want me to move them too far. But, I moved his arms, legs, toes, and fingers. Other ALS patients' family members and physical therapists have said that if there's anything we do, it should be the range of motion exercises daily. Much of the time, my dad's feet are swollen from lack of use, and because he sits all day, he doesn't stretch or use any of his limbs. Although it's not a cure, doing range of motion exercises will help long-term so that he is not so tight when we transfer him. He doesn't always like to do them, so I haven't been good about doing them with him. Next time, I'll have to jazz it up with some tunes or something.
Went to 8 am yoga again and had a really good workout. Went to Dad's afterwards as Bernie had to do things today. I did Dad's range of motion exercises. His shoulders are really tight, so he didn't want me to move them too far. But, I moved his arms, legs, toes, and fingers. Other ALS patients' family members and physical therapists have said that if there's anything we do, it should be the range of motion exercises daily. Much of the time, my dad's feet are swollen from lack of use, and because he sits all day, he doesn't stretch or use any of his limbs. Although it's not a cure, doing range of motion exercises will help long-term so that he is not so tight when we transfer him. He doesn't always like to do them, so I haven't been good about doing them with him. Next time, I'll have to jazz it up with some tunes or something.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
A Day of Errands and Leisure
Saturday, 24 September 2005
This morning, in yoga, I talked to a girl named Gina, who used to live in Japan and Paris before moving back here a couple of years ago because her dad had cancer and now has since passed. We were talking about Thai language because she has taken Thai before, and she told me someone else in yoga is Thai herself. Interesting. Gina had brought some of her Japanese friends to class. It helped that our instructor is bilingual because she had to translate many of the poses and directions in Japanese for them.
My friends Miya and Junji wanted to borrow my truck to get rid of tree debris from their mango tree. While the boys worked on pruning, the girls went to join Linh and her son Jordan for Hawaiian food at Ono's for lunch. Then, we went to Costco.
Vegged out the rest of the evening.
This morning, in yoga, I talked to a girl named Gina, who used to live in Japan and Paris before moving back here a couple of years ago because her dad had cancer and now has since passed. We were talking about Thai language because she has taken Thai before, and she told me someone else in yoga is Thai herself. Interesting. Gina had brought some of her Japanese friends to class. It helped that our instructor is bilingual because she had to translate many of the poses and directions in Japanese for them.
My friends Miya and Junji wanted to borrow my truck to get rid of tree debris from their mango tree. While the boys worked on pruning, the girls went to join Linh and her son Jordan for Hawaiian food at Ono's for lunch. Then, we went to Costco.
Vegged out the rest of the evening.
Friday, September 23, 2005
More Wahine Volleyball
Friday, 23 September 2005
I stayed at work until 1:30 pm today (remember that I usually finish teaching at noon and only am getting paid to work 20 hours per week, even though we all know I put in way more hours than that) preparing for Monday's sub. I picked up my sunburnt dad at his friend Glenn's house since the guys took him fishing on the boat today. We caught up on Thailand and traveling and fishing. I showered dad and then took him, along with my Uncle Frank and Uncle Jimmy, to the UH vs. Loyola Marymount Wahine (For those of you that don't know, "Wahine" is Hawaiian for "Woman") volleyball game. It was a very exciting game, since both teams were pretty evenly matched up, even if LMU isn't even ranked. Uncle Jimmy and I scored some great seats courtside, and watched UH lose in 5 games. We all went to grub on some late night Chinese food at Golden Duck Restaurant. It was a great night.
I stayed at work until 1:30 pm today (remember that I usually finish teaching at noon and only am getting paid to work 20 hours per week, even though we all know I put in way more hours than that) preparing for Monday's sub. I picked up my sunburnt dad at his friend Glenn's house since the guys took him fishing on the boat today. We caught up on Thailand and traveling and fishing. I showered dad and then took him, along with my Uncle Frank and Uncle Jimmy, to the UH vs. Loyola Marymount Wahine (For those of you that don't know, "Wahine" is Hawaiian for "Woman") volleyball game. It was a very exciting game, since both teams were pretty evenly matched up, even if LMU isn't even ranked. Uncle Jimmy and I scored some great seats courtside, and watched UH lose in 5 games. We all went to grub on some late night Chinese food at Golden Duck Restaurant. It was a great night.
Monday, September 19, 2005
I'm Licensed!
I just got this email today.....Yeah!
Dear Tanya,
This is to confirm that we sent an email to the DOE on 09/19/05 indicating that you are licensed in the teaching field of Elementary Education K-6 and Special Education K-12 with the validity period from 09/13/05 through 09/12/10. Your printed initial Hawaii teaching license will be forthcoming to you. Aloha!
Dear Tanya,
This is to confirm that we sent an email to the DOE on 09/19/05 indicating that you are licensed in the teaching field of Elementary Education K-6 and Special Education K-12 with the validity period from 09/13/05 through 09/12/10. Your printed initial Hawaii teaching license will be forthcoming to you. Aloha!
He May Be Weak, But He's Still Strong
Monday, 19 September 2005
Last week, at my dad's doctor's appointment, his neurologist gave him the latest test results because he thought my dad might have a slipped disc. The MRI tests show that he does have a slipped disc in a couple of places, but my dad is still convinced that his conditions are worsening due to ALS. He gets weaker every week, and is now having more difficulty lifting the newspaper or moving his hand over the lift the paper.
We've gotten more equipment over the past couple of weeks, including the Hoyer Lift and the Easy Pivot. These will help with transferring him from the wheelchair to the bed and from one chair to another without the person having to do the manual lifting work herself. But, they're such bulky devices that are currently sitting in the driveway because their house is so small.
Tonight, we sat down to have a family meeting to discuss scheduling, since it is getting more important that someone is with my dad at all times (although he admits that he can't move anywhere by himself, so what's gonna happen?). Basic needs that we take for granted, like writing a letter and balancing your checkbook, picking your torso up after you bend down to get something, reaching for the phone or remote control, or scratching an itch on the small of your back, are all things that my dad needs help with.
My dad has a good disposition though. Everyone always comments on how positive he is. We still joke with each other, and try to keep our sense of humor about things, even though deep down we all wish this never happened.
Yet, it's all how you approach life and living from now on. It's during times like these when one comes to realize what's important in life, what your priorities are, and how important relationships are. And, although it's hard most times when I see him struggling to scoop food on his plate or trying unsuccessfully to lift his hand on his leg, my dad still tries his best to listen to other people's problems, give his two cents, and, most importantly, to laugh.
Last week, at my dad's doctor's appointment, his neurologist gave him the latest test results because he thought my dad might have a slipped disc. The MRI tests show that he does have a slipped disc in a couple of places, but my dad is still convinced that his conditions are worsening due to ALS. He gets weaker every week, and is now having more difficulty lifting the newspaper or moving his hand over the lift the paper.
We've gotten more equipment over the past couple of weeks, including the Hoyer Lift and the Easy Pivot. These will help with transferring him from the wheelchair to the bed and from one chair to another without the person having to do the manual lifting work herself. But, they're such bulky devices that are currently sitting in the driveway because their house is so small.
Tonight, we sat down to have a family meeting to discuss scheduling, since it is getting more important that someone is with my dad at all times (although he admits that he can't move anywhere by himself, so what's gonna happen?). Basic needs that we take for granted, like writing a letter and balancing your checkbook, picking your torso up after you bend down to get something, reaching for the phone or remote control, or scratching an itch on the small of your back, are all things that my dad needs help with.
My dad has a good disposition though. Everyone always comments on how positive he is. We still joke with each other, and try to keep our sense of humor about things, even though deep down we all wish this never happened.
Yet, it's all how you approach life and living from now on. It's during times like these when one comes to realize what's important in life, what your priorities are, and how important relationships are. And, although it's hard most times when I see him struggling to scoop food on his plate or trying unsuccessfully to lift his hand on his leg, my dad still tries his best to listen to other people's problems, give his two cents, and, most importantly, to laugh.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Huskies Beat Hawai'i
Saturday, 17 September 2005
In the second night in a row, the Huskies beat Hawai'i, three games at the Stan Sheriff Center. Wahine (The Hawaiian word for "Women's") Volleyball has always been a popular spectator sport here. But the University of Washington, who ranks #2, proved to be better than UH's young team. Wearing my purple shirt, I was one of three Seattleites in our area cheering for UW among the devout UH fans.
Sometime while watching the game, I cracked my back, and that turned out to be a bad move, because it hurt like hell afterwards. For some reason I thought that my yoga this morning had healed all of my back tension, but it appears that my back is still tweaked as the shooting pain on my left side lasted throughout the rest of the evening. So, it turned out to be an evening in again with my two advil and a movie. The New Jersey girls were going out to celebrate Sarah's (another UW graduate - but from Wisconsin) birthday. Had to pass, as my back wasn't gonna let me groove anywhere.
It was a full day anyway, after spending the day with Miya, enjoying lunch, working a bit in the air-conditioned mall, and catching a chick flick matinee.
In the second night in a row, the Huskies beat Hawai'i, three games at the Stan Sheriff Center. Wahine (The Hawaiian word for "Women's") Volleyball has always been a popular spectator sport here. But the University of Washington, who ranks #2, proved to be better than UH's young team. Wearing my purple shirt, I was one of three Seattleites in our area cheering for UW among the devout UH fans.
Sometime while watching the game, I cracked my back, and that turned out to be a bad move, because it hurt like hell afterwards. For some reason I thought that my yoga this morning had healed all of my back tension, but it appears that my back is still tweaked as the shooting pain on my left side lasted throughout the rest of the evening. So, it turned out to be an evening in again with my two advil and a movie. The New Jersey girls were going out to celebrate Sarah's (another UW graduate - but from Wisconsin) birthday. Had to pass, as my back wasn't gonna let me groove anywhere.
It was a full day anyway, after spending the day with Miya, enjoying lunch, working a bit in the air-conditioned mall, and catching a chick flick matinee.
That's Just the Way DOE Works
Friday, 16 September 2005
When I first moved to Hawai'i to look for a teaching job a few months ago, everyone told me, "Oh...you'll see how backwards Hawai'i is." or "You'll be frustrated with the DOE (Department of Education)." After seeking out my own job for a month (since I wasn't getting any response from the recruiting office after my initial interview), bringing resumes to neighborhood schools, and starting my new position as an ESL teacher without any sort of orientation, training, or "Welcome to the DOE" packet, I've begun to realize people's statements ringing true. Over the past two weeks, I've had ESL district training workshops. One was on administering assessments, which by the time we had the workshop, I already had to figure out myself because you have to assess all new students within the first twenty days of school. The workshop just confirmed what I already knew and caused me more stress. Could they not have had this training BEFORE the school year started?
Then, yesterday and today, we had all day workshops (mind you, I am only a half-time teacher, as are most ESL teachers in the district - I've been told I can take off a day in the future as compensation) on assessment, teaching strategies, etc. All good stuff, especially for my assistant teacher who does not come from an education background, but taught in the JET program for three years in Japan. After two days of teaching jargon and "stuff", she said to me, "Wow, I wish I had learned all of this before I went to Japan. It would have been really useful. I had to teach these professional development sessions to Japanese teachers, and I had no idea what to teach them." The stuff we're learning is good for these new assistants, who don't have to be certified to teach, even though they are responsible for teaching and tracking students' reading comprehension progress in ESL. Lots of responsiblity for someone that has no education background?!
I seem to be like an experienced veteran of sorts when it comes to discussing things like leveling books, standards, and curriculum maps.....all new things to teachers here in Hawai'i. I've been asked if I'm going to be an administrator one day....No, but I guess here I probably could be! In the newspaper, they're introducing the new standards-based report card schools will be using across the state this year for the first time. Up until now, they've been using the same report card since I was a student in the DOE here! So, instead of E's, S's, and N's, the students will now receive new letters...ME (Meets with Excellence), MP (Meets Proficiency), N (Approaches), and U (Well Below). WHAT?!? How confusing is that? And how did they get "N" and "U" from those words?! The spokesperson for the standards-based report card committee said how a lot of training of staff is needed to understand these report cards, but "additional training is being handled at the individual school level and there are no plans for a statewide effort." WHAT?! The administrator at my school doesn't even know what a standard is, let alone can he lead a meeting without his monotone voice and indecisiveness. The teachers are so confused, they don't even know how to grade and approach this!
Oh, and did I also mention that I have a New Teacher Orientation coming up? It's two weeks from now. Most schools will already be ending their first quarter of instruction, and here they will be having a welcome to the DOE, here's how you get fingerprinted (Gee, I hope they've figured out if there are criminals or not teaching with the students by now), welcome to Hawai'i (if you haven't already figured out that's where you are), and here are some classroom management tips on starting the first few weeks of school (Of course, now you'll have to use them next school year, since those first few crucial weeks have already passed). Why don't they have these things in the summer BEFORE school starts?!
Well, at least I'm on my way to getting my Hawai'i teaching license. I just got the last of my Praxis test results, and I've passed all six of the grueling tests (It's like taking your boards to see if you can practice law) ...So nearly $1000 in test fees and licensing fees later, I will be licensed to teach here. Does it give me a salary increase? Oh no. (Neither did all my hundreds of dollars of professional development credits I took in Seattle over the past five years....they don't accept those in Hawai'i anymore. They only accept credits taken in Hawai'i above and beyond your Master's. ...Grrrrr!) My license just gives me job security, so no one can take my job away. (Since 2/3 of Hawai'i teachers are teaching without their license anyway, since they can't pass the tests.)
Okay, enough said. If you're not already sensing the frustration in my voice, I've already learned in a month working for the DOE...That's just the way the DOE works.
When I first moved to Hawai'i to look for a teaching job a few months ago, everyone told me, "Oh...you'll see how backwards Hawai'i is." or "You'll be frustrated with the DOE (Department of Education)." After seeking out my own job for a month (since I wasn't getting any response from the recruiting office after my initial interview), bringing resumes to neighborhood schools, and starting my new position as an ESL teacher without any sort of orientation, training, or "Welcome to the DOE" packet, I've begun to realize people's statements ringing true. Over the past two weeks, I've had ESL district training workshops. One was on administering assessments, which by the time we had the workshop, I already had to figure out myself because you have to assess all new students within the first twenty days of school. The workshop just confirmed what I already knew and caused me more stress. Could they not have had this training BEFORE the school year started?
Then, yesterday and today, we had all day workshops (mind you, I am only a half-time teacher, as are most ESL teachers in the district - I've been told I can take off a day in the future as compensation) on assessment, teaching strategies, etc. All good stuff, especially for my assistant teacher who does not come from an education background, but taught in the JET program for three years in Japan. After two days of teaching jargon and "stuff", she said to me, "Wow, I wish I had learned all of this before I went to Japan. It would have been really useful. I had to teach these professional development sessions to Japanese teachers, and I had no idea what to teach them." The stuff we're learning is good for these new assistants, who don't have to be certified to teach, even though they are responsible for teaching and tracking students' reading comprehension progress in ESL. Lots of responsiblity for someone that has no education background?!
I seem to be like an experienced veteran of sorts when it comes to discussing things like leveling books, standards, and curriculum maps.....all new things to teachers here in Hawai'i. I've been asked if I'm going to be an administrator one day....No, but I guess here I probably could be! In the newspaper, they're introducing the new standards-based report card schools will be using across the state this year for the first time. Up until now, they've been using the same report card since I was a student in the DOE here! So, instead of E's, S's, and N's, the students will now receive new letters...ME (Meets with Excellence), MP (Meets Proficiency), N (Approaches), and U (Well Below). WHAT?!? How confusing is that? And how did they get "N" and "U" from those words?! The spokesperson for the standards-based report card committee said how a lot of training of staff is needed to understand these report cards, but "additional training is being handled at the individual school level and there are no plans for a statewide effort." WHAT?! The administrator at my school doesn't even know what a standard is, let alone can he lead a meeting without his monotone voice and indecisiveness. The teachers are so confused, they don't even know how to grade and approach this!
Oh, and did I also mention that I have a New Teacher Orientation coming up? It's two weeks from now. Most schools will already be ending their first quarter of instruction, and here they will be having a welcome to the DOE, here's how you get fingerprinted (Gee, I hope they've figured out if there are criminals or not teaching with the students by now), welcome to Hawai'i (if you haven't already figured out that's where you are), and here are some classroom management tips on starting the first few weeks of school (Of course, now you'll have to use them next school year, since those first few crucial weeks have already passed). Why don't they have these things in the summer BEFORE school starts?!
Well, at least I'm on my way to getting my Hawai'i teaching license. I just got the last of my Praxis test results, and I've passed all six of the grueling tests (It's like taking your boards to see if you can practice law) ...So nearly $1000 in test fees and licensing fees later, I will be licensed to teach here. Does it give me a salary increase? Oh no. (Neither did all my hundreds of dollars of professional development credits I took in Seattle over the past five years....they don't accept those in Hawai'i anymore. They only accept credits taken in Hawai'i above and beyond your Master's. ...Grrrrr!) My license just gives me job security, so no one can take my job away. (Since 2/3 of Hawai'i teachers are teaching without their license anyway, since they can't pass the tests.)
Okay, enough said. If you're not already sensing the frustration in my voice, I've already learned in a month working for the DOE...That's just the way the DOE works.
Monday, September 12, 2005
Passat Thai Again
Monday, 12 September 2005
Tonight, I decided to sign up for an Adult Education Thai language class. It meets two evenings a week. My dad offered to pay the $40 cost so I could continue my learning Thai. Of course, when I got there, the teacher was late (which is so Thai!) and the class was predominately male (learning the language because they have or will have girlfriends or wives in Thailand...crazy I tell ya!). Besides that, there were four of us girls, me, another girl traveling to Thailand in January, another taking the class so she can converse with her Thai friends, and a Thai American girl whose first language was Thai, but she grew up speaking English.
It was 2 1/2 hours of Thai grammar, verbs, adjectives, and nouns, learning tones along the way, with the Khun Thook's dry sense of humor. It was a good class, and at least I understand and can speak a little Thai. This class will help me to learn it the correct way and practice more.
I start teaching the students in my ESLL class tomorrow. Too bad there aren't any Thai kids here in Hawai'i!
Tonight, I decided to sign up for an Adult Education Thai language class. It meets two evenings a week. My dad offered to pay the $40 cost so I could continue my learning Thai. Of course, when I got there, the teacher was late (which is so Thai!) and the class was predominately male (learning the language because they have or will have girlfriends or wives in Thailand...crazy I tell ya!). Besides that, there were four of us girls, me, another girl traveling to Thailand in January, another taking the class so she can converse with her Thai friends, and a Thai American girl whose first language was Thai, but she grew up speaking English.
It was 2 1/2 hours of Thai grammar, verbs, adjectives, and nouns, learning tones along the way, with the Khun Thook's dry sense of humor. It was a good class, and at least I understand and can speak a little Thai. This class will help me to learn it the correct way and practice more.
I start teaching the students in my ESLL class tomorrow. Too bad there aren't any Thai kids here in Hawai'i!
Saturday, September 10, 2005
Out on the Town with New Friends
Sunday, 11 September 2005
This weekend was a busy one of impromptu "hittin' the town" with some new friends. Friday night, after working five more hours than I had to, I went to an O'ahu MDA support group meeting. This support group is different from the one the whole family usually goes to. This support group is more for the kids and families of those who have any sort of Muscular Dystrophy disease, not just ALS. It's more of a social group, and after meeting the children and families at the telethon last week, I decided to go. There was tons of potluck food and BINGO for the kids afterwards. It was great to recognize and network with more families. Jennifer, the director of the group, was entertaining a friend visiting from New York. We went out afterwards to meet her Punahou friends at a trendy bar and enjoyed some cocktails. It was great to talk to her friend, who used to travel a lot when he worked for CNN, about Southeast Asia and other places he's been.
Saturday, I went to yoga, and although it felt good, my back still hurts from a few days ago when I hurt it while lifting my dad. The pain comes and goes, but my left side is swollen, so I probably should take it easy. That night, I didn't take it so easy when the New Jersey girls (Emily, Amanda, and Kelly) called me to go out. Emily (who teaches 2nd grade at my school) was celebrating her 23rd birthday, and they were out in Waikiki. All three gals moved out to Hawai'i a month ago to start their first year teaching jobs (Amanda teaches 5th and Kelly teaches 6th) at Kahala. They are all living together in a house and enjoying the sun. They go out and party in Waikiki every weekend. So, I went to go meet them, but warned them that I don't really go out in Waikiki too often, as it's usually just military men and tourists, so I'd probably need directions. We went to a couple places, and another co-worker from Wisconsin met up with us. A few drinks and shots later, we ended the night. I dropped off one of their friends, a new teacher who just moved from Philadelphia, and I got home by 4 am. It was a long night! Next time, they told me I should show them where the local places are!
This weekend was a busy one of impromptu "hittin' the town" with some new friends. Friday night, after working five more hours than I had to, I went to an O'ahu MDA support group meeting. This support group is different from the one the whole family usually goes to. This support group is more for the kids and families of those who have any sort of Muscular Dystrophy disease, not just ALS. It's more of a social group, and after meeting the children and families at the telethon last week, I decided to go. There was tons of potluck food and BINGO for the kids afterwards. It was great to recognize and network with more families. Jennifer, the director of the group, was entertaining a friend visiting from New York. We went out afterwards to meet her Punahou friends at a trendy bar and enjoyed some cocktails. It was great to talk to her friend, who used to travel a lot when he worked for CNN, about Southeast Asia and other places he's been.
Saturday, I went to yoga, and although it felt good, my back still hurts from a few days ago when I hurt it while lifting my dad. The pain comes and goes, but my left side is swollen, so I probably should take it easy. That night, I didn't take it so easy when the New Jersey girls (Emily, Amanda, and Kelly) called me to go out. Emily (who teaches 2nd grade at my school) was celebrating her 23rd birthday, and they were out in Waikiki. All three gals moved out to Hawai'i a month ago to start their first year teaching jobs (Amanda teaches 5th and Kelly teaches 6th) at Kahala. They are all living together in a house and enjoying the sun. They go out and party in Waikiki every weekend. So, I went to go meet them, but warned them that I don't really go out in Waikiki too often, as it's usually just military men and tourists, so I'd probably need directions. We went to a couple places, and another co-worker from Wisconsin met up with us. A few drinks and shots later, we ended the night. I dropped off one of their friends, a new teacher who just moved from Philadelphia, and I got home by 4 am. It was a long night! Next time, they told me I should show them where the local places are!
Monday, September 05, 2005
The MDA Telethon
Monday, 5 September 2005
Today I spent the day in the KITV 4 studios for the MDA Telethon. I went early, around 8 am and stayed until 5 pm. There were so many volunteers that they didn't really need my help, but it was good to network with people, meet other families and clients associated with MDA, and see how the telethon works. Twenty minutes out of each hour was the local broadcast. During this time, they showed vignettes of different families, from little two-year old Ava (the daughter of a disc jockey and Kamehameha school graduate) who has the fatal spinal muscular atrophy disease, to my dad, a 58 year old coping with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gherig's disease. People thanked me for my honest testimony and many cried when they watched my dad's story. It was pretty powerful. Many came up to us after the additional live interview and wanted to offer their support of encouraging words and/or supplies from taking care of their loved ones in the past. I think Hawai'i ended up with over $330,000 in pledges for MDA today. Thank you to those out there who supported Muscular Dystrophy Association today. It helps many children, adults, and families out there who are coping with these incurable diseases, and provides hope for the future.
Today I spent the day in the KITV 4 studios for the MDA Telethon. I went early, around 8 am and stayed until 5 pm. There were so many volunteers that they didn't really need my help, but it was good to network with people, meet other families and clients associated with MDA, and see how the telethon works. Twenty minutes out of each hour was the local broadcast. During this time, they showed vignettes of different families, from little two-year old Ava (the daughter of a disc jockey and Kamehameha school graduate) who has the fatal spinal muscular atrophy disease, to my dad, a 58 year old coping with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gherig's disease. People thanked me for my honest testimony and many cried when they watched my dad's story. It was pretty powerful. Many came up to us after the additional live interview and wanted to offer their support of encouraging words and/or supplies from taking care of their loved ones in the past. I think Hawai'i ended up with over $330,000 in pledges for MDA today. Thank you to those out there who supported Muscular Dystrophy Association today. It helps many children, adults, and families out there who are coping with these incurable diseases, and provides hope for the future.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Support MDA and Watch the Telethon on Labor Day
Please support the Muscular Dystrophy Association and watch the annual MDA Telethon on Labor Day. If you are watching locally in Honolulu, Hawai'i, my dad and family will be there in the KITV studios filming live around 3:00 pm. Plus, they will be showing the previously taped segment of our family during the course of the show. We may be answering phones too, so you can call to donate money!
Here are the starting times and stations of major cities:
Honolulu KITV Channel 4 Starts on Sunday, 9/4 at 10 pm
Sacramento KMAX Channel 31 Starts Monday, 9/5 at 7 am
San Francisco KTVU Channel 2 Starts Monday, 9/5 at 8 am
Seattle KCPQ Channel 13 Starts Monday, 9/5 at 9 am
Madison WKOW Channel 27 Starts Monday, 9/5 at 6 am
Thank you for your continuous support. Let's find a cure for diseases like ALS!
Here are the starting times and stations of major cities:
Honolulu KITV Channel 4 Starts on Sunday, 9/4 at 10 pm
Sacramento KMAX Channel 31 Starts Monday, 9/5 at 7 am
San Francisco KTVU Channel 2 Starts Monday, 9/5 at 8 am
Seattle KCPQ Channel 13 Starts Monday, 9/5 at 9 am
Madison WKOW Channel 27 Starts Monday, 9/5 at 6 am
Thank you for your continuous support. Let's find a cure for diseases like ALS!
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Aunty Keahi's Funeral
Friday, 2 September 2005
Finished testing the older kids and will do kindergartners next week. Probably about 35 - 40 kids will be serviced by ESL. Mostly Japanese kids. Nicole helped collate all the data and scores.
Afterwards, I went to a funeral for Aunty Keahi, my late grandmother's youngest sister. We had just visited her last month, so it was good that we got to take pictures with her. She wa 89 years old. They served Hawaiian food and other local foods for lunch, then we went to the Diamond Head Mortuary and put flowers on her casket before they slid it into the wall. It was a nice service.
It's a hot day today. Makes me really lethargic and tired. Time for a nap. A good way to start off the long weekend.
Finished testing the older kids and will do kindergartners next week. Probably about 35 - 40 kids will be serviced by ESL. Mostly Japanese kids. Nicole helped collate all the data and scores.
Afterwards, I went to a funeral for Aunty Keahi, my late grandmother's youngest sister. We had just visited her last month, so it was good that we got to take pictures with her. She wa 89 years old. They served Hawaiian food and other local foods for lunch, then we went to the Diamond Head Mortuary and put flowers on her casket before they slid it into the wall. It was a nice service.
It's a hot day today. Makes me really lethargic and tired. Time for a nap. A good way to start off the long weekend.
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