#3: Singing

Ok, so I have lagged in my posting and it seems that interest may have also (understandably) lagged. So, I have 3 more posts in mind that will share other facets of my life here and then I will close up this shop. Today's topic: singing.

It took me a while to even think about joining a singing group. Leaving Musica Sacra was heart wrenchingly difficult and it almost felt like betrayal to join a new group. I realize this is somewhat irrational, but it was a way to cope with the loss of that amazing community.

However, my need to sing with other people soon overtook my other issues and I auditioned for a group called the International Orange Chorale. Still haven't gotten to the bottom of the name but it is a group of young singers (ages 24-35) who perform a variety of music, including work composed by singers in the group! Their mission is also to perform for free. This group definitely has a different vibe than any other I've been in (Does using the word vibe, actually qualify me as someone who lives out here?) but I do like it. It's younger, and doesn't have the publicity materials or fundraising capability of many Boston groups. But the members are certainly talented and it gets me singing.

We rehearse in San Francisco in the fifth floor of the opera house and enter in the back stage door.

It's amazing to hear and see the opera on the backstage screens as we come in. Last week there was a group of chorus members in costume for Mozart's The Magic Flute hanging around. And when we were asked to move out of our rehearsal space due to a miscommunication we ended up in a ballet studio. Crazy.

Our first concert was to perform a song composed by a former member, Jason Bush. He held a concert of work he composed at a Presbyterian church in San Francisco. These are performers of another piece warming up.

We have also performed in our director's master's thesis concert. Our winter concert is motets by Brahms, Poulenc, Durufle, Holst, and Bach and we will perform 11/30 and 12/2 in San Francisco. Anyone and everyone is welcome! I will be sending out my thoughts to Musica Sacra on 12/1 as they perform their winter concert.

So, beginning new routines...in some ways it feels good to try new things and begin to put down roots. And sometimes the routines trigger memories of all that I miss in Boston. It's a strange time as I try things out while attempting not to make comparisons. But little bits of acceptance trickle in when I'm not looking.

love to all.

Sleuth work

On a misty Friday night, Alison and I, unable to do anything else, decided to sit around my apartment swapping stories about our week, discussing our new jobs and lives here. The longer we sat, the less interested we were in going out for dinner which prompted us to decide to order pizza. Due to technical difficulties we ended up relying on, of all things, the phone book for a number. Little did we realize the joys this antiquated device would provide! One ad in particular sparked a great deal of laughter. This ad was a treasure trove of poor grammar and editing. (Tania--look sharp!) Like a Highlights magazine, "What is wrong with this picture?" we dove in looking for as many mistakes as possible. How many can you find? Winner gets a fun treat mailed from California.

I miss the Red Sox

I am determined that no matter where I live in this country, there is no fever like Red Sox fever. In Atlanta, as much as I liked the Braves (Greg Olson, Otis Nixon, and David Justice in particular) the fan presence ebbed and flowed. In the 80's the seats at Turner Field were practically free; video of the games showed entire sections were empty. As the Braves improved in the early 90's interest and tickets picked up, but come on now, these are fair weather fans. When I moved to Boston I quickly witnessed the deep sense of passion, loyalty and pain that accompanies every baseball season. And it seems to run in families, passed down like a treasured heirloom. I couldn't help but be attracted to it and wonder what makes Boston so different.

Tonight I discovered the Red Sox had won the AL East championship but I wished I had heard the buildup, on radio and t.v., at work, from my friends, at rehearsal. It's just not the same reading about the wins or even looking at pictures of them celebrating it. (Why on earth is Papelbon wearing what look to be bike shorts after the win?? Can anyone help me out here?)

I miss being in it, enveloped in it. One thing that unifies a city.
Really, it's brilliant.

Weather Woes

This morning, as my eyes fluttered open, I heard a strange noise coming from outside and peered out the window upon something for the first time since I have arrived: rain. In some ways it felt a little like when I went to college in Maine and saw snow falling outside. Although I knew it happened, I was surprised to see it just the same.

Prior to this, there has been no precipitation of any kind since I arrived in California. At first I didn't notice, just enjoying the sunny days. But eventually some of the ramifications of this lack of rain began to become clear. For one, my car gathered a layer of dust and dirt that was quite visible. I'm not much of a carwash-er, figuring that the '98 Sentra isn't really impressing anyone anyways, but the dirt began to bother me nonetheless. Second, the constant dry air gave me a bit of a sore throat for a while. I began closing my windows at night to try to preserve any moisture from cooking in my apartment and pondered buying a humidifier. Alison, who has been here since early June tells me this was her first rain shower too and someone from work told me there hasn't been real rain since April. How strange!

This rain business is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to my weather woes here. I tell you I just can't figure it out. The first shocker came as I was unpacking my clothes and got to the two distinct parts of my wardrobe: Winter clothes and Summer clothes. Prior to now this clothing never coexisted, passing briefly in October and April. But when I arrived here in August and realized on my first trip into San Francisco that I needed a sweater and closed toed shoes I knew that those days were over. The old rituals of swapping wardrobes twice a year, hauling out the new season's clothes, rejoicing at the pieces I had forgotten but love, are over. And now, somehow, everything has to fit in my closet.

Alison, my fellow east coast refugee and I have spent hours upon hours discussing the weather and our inability to dress for it. I fear that my lack of understanding has been quite stressful at times, especially when I show up somewhere in grossly inappropriate clothing. The real challenge for me is not only the unpredictability but the extreme variation in temperature on any given day. There have been times when I arrive somewhere all bundled up only to sheepishly strip down to my tee shirt or I show up in sandals and a skirt and find myself shivering most of the day. I am learning that I need to be able to wear anything from a short sleeves to a sweater and jacket. It's sort of like being in a foreign country. I'll figure this all out, but until I do I may just look a little like an outsider.

Another start...and thanks giving

School has started! No waiting till after Labor Day round these parts, we're in full swing! Not only was last week my first week of school with kids, it was the first week of the school's existence. The Thursday before we had parent/student orientation and had almost 100% attendance. It was incredible looking out over all those faces and noticing that it was standing room only in our big hall. I was only missing two students out of 19 in my advisory group and everybody was nervous and excited. I chalk up a lot of the success of that first night to the priniciple's work developing the school because she so thoroughly involved parents and students in its creation. I think everyone there was proud of getting this thing off the ground.

Then our first day, which was remarkably smooth as we helped students get used to high school and adjust to a small school of 125 ninth graders. It's a pretty different kind of school experience. We even got a little press in the local paper.


Then on Thursday we went on an overnight trip to Stanford to kick off their high school career at a school dedicated to getting them ready for college. Thursday also happened to be my birthday and it was guaranteed to be busy all day long. It might not have been my first choice as far as birthday activities but there were some highlights. The kids in my advisory sang me happy birthday at the top of their lungs after lunch, one kid gave me chocolates and the staff had a cake and sang to me in whispers after the kids had been put in their rooms. Certainly an unusual and very memorable day.

My birthday was also filled with many phone messages, cards, gifts and expressions of love from people I love. It felt so good to have 11 messages at the end of that long day and to know that they were from all the amazing people I know from all over the country. I know this is sappy, (what do you expect?) but I just felt so lucky to have so many incredible friends and even though it's my first birthday on this coast I felt so loved and supported.

This weekend my friend Sharon, who has been living in San Diego for a few years and is moving to L.A. came up to visit. Sharon is a friend from high school, as is Alison, who lives here in Oakland so we all got to spend some time together. Sharon, by the way, is becoming famous. There was a lengthy article in the L.A. Times yesterday about her art work that will appear in a show in Santa Monica next weekend. The article is extremely complimentary and showcases her extroardinary talents. Check it out at: http://www.calendarlive.com/galleriesandmuseums/cl-ca-levy2sep02,0,3217256.story?coll=cl-art-features

In her spare time, Sharon also collaborated with Alison to make me a yellow cake with chocolate frosting. This was a favorite from when we were young and didn't let any occasion go by without this faithful dessert. (A shout out to Noelle, who we wish could have been here too!)


Then Saturday, Alison, Sharon, and my Dad and Louise and I all went out to dinner and ate fabulous food at A Cote in Rockridge. The waitress commented on our stunning off-white/green color combination.







And so, now I embark on week two of school and work on settling in some more. I am still tired from last week and hope I can continue to muster the strength for getting everything done. But I also feel lucky. To know wonderful souls and enjoy time with them, whether by phone, email or in person. This move has been ok because of my community that is still present even though I am far away. Maybe I am still high on yellow cake with chocolate frosting but I just feel pretty grateful. Love to all.

Second week, Second weekend

Ok, I'm a dork. And apparently so are the rest of my new coworkers. We decided to take a picture of ourselves in the ropes course gear during our retreat last week. What can I say?

Last week was week two of training, which included more large group introductions to project based learning and assessments. On Thursday the staff from my school went on an overnight retreat to Sonoma. We stayed at a retreat center and ate great organic food while doing activities that would help us work together more effectively. We have to work so closely to create the first year of the school that it's pretty important that we be able to do this well. So we did a variety of activities, one being this ropes course. My partner and I fell from one of the high elements very quickly, which was hard for me and I got to do some good reflecting about dealing with outcomes I don't like and being ok with them anyway. It was a good but long week ending with this trip. All thoughtful, all exhausting.

On Friday night and Saturday morning I got to see Marian and Mark, friends from Bates. On Saturday we checked out the Lake Merritt Farmers market and Marian gave it the a-ok.

The farmers market was really lovely--it was busy, sunny and there were samples at every table. The fruit was succulent and Marian and I were particularly taken by the small, sweet grapes. I spent Sunday afternoon with my Dad and Louise in Campbell. Louise and I went shopping for things I need in my apartment and my Dad and I looked at some old pictures together. It is bizzare just stopping by their house and we all commented on it Sunday. Where are the suitcases? Such a major shift.

So, those are all the practical updates.

I wrote in an email today, (and this was a serious realization,) that I feel busy all the time even though I am not actually busy all of the time. I think it's because I am internally busy soaking up new information and contending with all the little things like getting around town or finding my shoes. I guess this is what moves are like. This weekend I have a goal of getting things hung on the walls. I am eager to feel like this is really my home and I think that would help. OK, a final picture for this post: me and my Dad. I found this on Sunday and brought it back with me. It's one of my favorites.

Introductions

Whew! One week down. Finishing the first week of staff orientation feels like a serious accomplishment. Plus I have been negotiating with the boxes and clutter in my apartment. I have no pictures of anything work related but here's an update.

5 days total. 3 of them with homework assignments. 2 days comprised of an intense project and strict time deadlines with 4 people I just met. 46 other people to meet and talk to who are all new to the organization and, luckily, 2 days with only the 10 staff members I will be working closely with. All of this equals exhaustion. For those of you who don't have the particulars, I am working for a charter school that is 1 of 4 run by a non profit organization called Envision Schools. I fell in love with this organization upon my first read through of their website and when I interviewed in June, they hired me. The school that I am working at, in Hayward, is about to embark on it's first year; as Bob Weintraub, my old headmaster would say, it's first voyage. When I first learned this, a part of me couldn't believe the irony. Last year, two colleagues and I started a brand new special education program at Brookline High School, a feat that nearly drove us to the grave. Starting something brand new takes an enormous amount of energy and, while exciting, can take over your life. So, when I heard I'd be having a "first year" again with ONLY 9th GRADERS I had a bit of a hard time. However, I am now starting to feel that contagious excitement about all the possibilities of this place and I know that much of the getting ready has already been done. The staff and the principal I will be working with are great so I am looking ahead with a little more optimism.

Getting my apartment ready hit the back burner until the weekend. The place is still not ready to be photographed but Tania convinced me to put up one of my favorite windows.

And a view from another window.

Here are some shots of the neighborhood I took on a bike ride around town. This one is a Lutheran church down the street. Such different architecture!

Other streets...

I live in a part of Oakland called Lake Merritt. The lake is about a 20 minute walk away and there are a few streets of shops that I have frequented off one end of the lake.

Although I am enjoying the neighborhood, I am far from settled and I look forward to coming home to an apartment that is free of boxes. I feel like I teeter between the excitement of being here and all it's newness and the longing for a little familiarity. I think I am mostly in what Rebecca reminded me the other day is called the honeymoom period of moving somewhere. Everything is new and exciting and fullfilling. Over time this gives way to homesickness and eventually adjustment to the new place. Even before Rebecca reminded me of this phenomenon, I had been noticing my fear that sadness was lurking around the corner. I am trying to be balanced about everything, but really if everyone I know would like to visit in the next three months I would be ok with that. I am a very accomodating hostess!

So, with this, I must get back to reading the book we are discussing tomorrow. Love to everyone.

Movin' on in

On Friday, my Dad and Louise came up to Oakland to help me get the place ready for my belongings to arrive. My Dad, always prepared, brought a special chair for his back so he could take a break.

After much anguishing about the apartment hunt, I decided to go with one that my friend Alison had seen and was offered to me last Wednesday. This enabled me to get it ready and bring up furniture I have had stored at their house all before the movers arrive. Which is tomorrow. I haven't seen my belongings in about 2 1/2 weeks so I am excited about this. However, receiving my belongings isn't all I get to do tomorrow. I also get to have my first official day at work. What? you say. School in the beginning of August? Well, not school exactly but I am embarking on three weeks of training/planning before the actual start of school. No dull moments yet.

Final trip reflections

Alright, so before I move on to the updates about my real life, I need to wrap up a few things about the trip.

• Driving across the country is a great experience that I highly recommend. I have a totally new appreciation for how geographically, culturally and even liguistically diverse the country is. It sometimes makes we want to break out in horribly cheesy patriotic songs. Seeing brief snapshots of places in the rural areas to the cities was inspiring. I have a deeper bond with this place I live and I wouldn't trade that for anything.
  
  
• Travelling with someone who can make you laugh is invaluable. No matter how grumpy, anxious or exhausted I was, Katharine cracked me up. Once she made me laugh by pointing out that one of her antics would have made me laugh three days earlier when I still thought she was charming. When we realized that I became rather unweildy when I got hungry or missed a meal, Katharine looked at me sideways and annouced officially, "Three squares a day for you. No matter what we have to do to make it happen so you don't turn into Voldemort." Katharine helped me to pull out of my funks and laugh at myself, which in turn allowed me to be open to all the wonderful things the trip had to offer.
  
  
• I've said it over and over, but I think that something unexpected that I learned is that what's outside the window during the long drives is as much a part of the sightseeing as walking around different cities. Watching and appreciating the landscape was moving. Katharine and I often had very different experiences with what we were watching (I was hearing Hayden's "The Heavens are Telling the Glory of God..." while Katharine was pondering poverty cross culturally during our rainstorm.) And that is great. The scenery outside can prompt almost any kind of realization and allow one to lay out an issue and truly wrestle with it. And when that gets too tiring there's bound to be a trusty motel 6 around the corner.
  
  
• This road trip served an important purpose for me in this exact moment in my life. It provided a transition between Boston and California. Had I hopped on a plane after my teary goodbye and ended up in San Jose that afternoon, my system would have undergone a huge shock and I would have felt thrust into the stresses on this end. Instead I was able to spend several days journeying through the country before this life change, thinking about it and being fully distracted from it. Laughter and awe were two of the most powerful forces during my days and I needed that. I needed a separate trip to focus on, to enjoy and to help me believe that I was really, truly going to end up in California after all of the work and painful goodbyes that made it happen.
  
  
  

There is a final word I must say about our third beloved companion on the trip.

RIP TomTom

You served your fellow travelers well, never giving up when they veered off course, yelling incessantly when they took a bathroom break, recovering from heat stroke and refusing to complain when you were stuffed under the seat or in the glove compartment at every rest stop. There were signs something was wrong, such as when you tried to send us to the post office and we ended up in someone's yard or when you begged us to "turn around immediately" in the desert. It was all too much in the end and if you were half as tired as we were, we understand why you refused to turn on during our last day on the way to the airport. Your elusive menus and inability to recognize attractions such as the Grand Canyon or Graceland were quirks that we will miss dearly. You kept us on the course and we will search for the perfect fuzzy tennis shoes before we lay you to rest. Goodbye TomTom.

Final stats:

Distance covered: 4,152 miles
Number of GPS devices working by the end of the trip: 0
Plants alive at the end of the trip: 2/2 (!)
Number of chain restaurants eaten at: 4 (all local, mind you)
Number of Harry Potter books finished: 1
Number of times tears were shed due to laughing too hard: 3
Number of times we listened to "Jackson" by Johnny Cash: 8
Meals with vegetables in them: 4

All in all, a success.