it's been a while

So I've been busy. Mostly busy being a teacher. My school does English week every year (the week of July 4th). We fill the bulletin boards with English content (see above)  and have a bunch of contests for the students. This year I organized a film festival for the high school. It went really well, and I'm very proud of my students. I'm also very relieved that it's over. The last two weeks have been hectic and stressful and I've lost sleep wondering what to do about poor sound quality and some questionable content from the tenth grade. And now, Friday afternoon, after all the awards have been handed out and the annual picnic has been eaten, I am tired and wired, I can feel the sharp edge of a migraine lurking at my temple. I need to sleep. I need to recover and catch up. So, all this to say, hello, I'm still here, but just give me a minute. I will be back for real next week.

5 observations and Delta Rae

1. I'm tired; I haven't been sleeping well. Too much to think about and too much to do, and I'm not a great sleeper at the best of times. I feel negativity hanging over me like a cloud. It's incredible how not sleeping affects your mood.
2. The interminable renovations are taking their toll. My girls and I are soooo sick of dudes in the house. It is not possible to strip down and lie on the cool floor after school, and this is cramping the style of some people I know.
3. I'm running a decent amount, and I'm feeling pretty good. I'm running a 5K race next weekend, and then  I'm going to start a fairly intense training program for the half-marathon in October.
4. I had a weird conversation with a co-worker this week. The kind of conversation that you just know, is the result of another conversation that she had with someone else earlier. It was about me, questions about how much I spend on clothes (of all things!) and speculation on the cost of things I've worn in the past. It was very surprising to discover that people noticed or cared. I don't pay that much attention to what other people are wearing, and as for my own clothes, I have certain vanity of course (I like pretty things as well as the next person) and I'm fussy about fabrics and comfortable fits. But seriously, my husband takes longer getting dressed in the morning than I do. I am shocked that I am the object of such gossip. It's weird, and it makes me uncomfortable.
5. The kitten's cute, but still totally feral. I'm wondering if he's not too old to tame.

I discovered this song this week:

Happy Fathers Day!

My husband was out of town this weekend so our Fathers Day celebration was a little forlorn. We toasted him over our bacon and eggs on Sunday morning, and my daughter recited her poem on skype.  We always miss him when he's gone of course, but we extra missed him on Sunday.

I finally caught that wild kitten and gave him a flea bath. I think the word bedraggled was invented to describe a wet cat.

Have a great Monday!

5 observations

1. Twice a week I take a taxi to my volunteer teaching gig in Casco Viejo. Yesterday I had a particularly awesome taxi. It was shared and without air-conditioning (yes, I did arrive to my class with my shirt stuck to my back) but as you can see, it did have some impressive decoration to recommend it. One thing I like about taking taxis is seeing parts of the city I'd never see otherwise. As we drove by Parque de los Aburridos in El Chorrillo (tons of guys playing dominoes) the taxi driver was telling the front seat passenger, who was Venezuelan, about Ruben Blades. The taxi driver was an enthusiastic, passionate storyteller and it was kind of like being in a Ruben Blades song.
2. There's no hot water in our kitchen. The contracter and his plumber  keep saying it's a problem with the tap or something else that is not their fault. I want a second opinion--I'm almost certain the plumber screwed something up and is too much of a macho arse to admit it.
3. I'm teaching Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. This makes me happy.
4. My daughter is on the mathletes team. It seems incredible that she is my child. How did I produce a mathlete? I'm very proud and a little intimidated by the math problems she's doing--if she doesn't understand something I really can't help her.
5. Fiona Apple's new album is coming out this week. Possibly you're not as excited about this as I am (what's wrong with you?).

here to stay

Somehow during renovations, when we were in the apartment, this little kitten moved into our house. He's too wild to catch, and he walks around like he owns the place--he has some serious attitude and terrible manners. We don't need another cat, but he seems to think it's not up to us--as far as he's concerned, he was here first. He's a very cute (despite the fact that there is no fur on the back of his ears) and persistent squatter who needs a flea bath. I imagine he's scratched eat the rich into the wall behind the sofa. My husband is not crazy about the idea of another cat in the house, but this little dude is so punk rock I just can't resist him.

here I am!

We are living in a bit of a mess. The painters are still here and so are the carpenters. The plumber and electrician will be back tomorrow... You probably have some idea how this goes, these last details. I cannot complain though because I have this kitchen to cook our dinner in:

It's pretty isn't it? I'm very happy with how it's turned out. Life is a little hectic and I haven't gotten to cook anything too elaborate yet (honestly, it's mostly been frozen lasagne and quesadillas) but soon I will be a little free-er and then, look out!

We are back to school after a term break and I am up to my neck in lesson plans. Look for a 5 observations post on Saturday.

the bitter end of the renovation

We were cleaning out a bookcase because they are getting ready to paint when I found this book.

I want to read that again, I thought and tucked it into my handbag. Do you see the 2800 written in the corner? That's the second hand price I paid for the book in Costa Rica. Mora Books. There are many things I miss from Costa Rica, dear friends, good vibes (what they call pura vida) and a love and respect for nature that is distinctly absent here in Panama. I also miss Mora Books. I don't even know if Mora Books still exists, but I remember it with tremendous fondess (and honestly even a little bit of longing). It was (and probably is) a great bookstore. I found so many unexpected treasures, there are actually quite a few books on my bookshelf with a four-digit number scrawled on the cover. Books I read and couldn't put back into the Mora Books rotation. I used to take a bag every couple of months and trade them for new ones. Now we have a Kindle and I love it, but I bet I'd be able to find the Fionavar Tapestry books that I've had a hankering to read at Mora Books (they're not on Kindle).

So as I mentioned above they are getting ready to paint. Sort of. The renovation is at that maddening, details stage where everything seems to happen so slowly. The stage of the renovation where my husband and I wake in the darkest hours of the morning and fret. They delivered the new windows on Saturday, but could not install them. I'm not sure when they will be installed... We are supposed to be moving back in next weekend. I hope there are windows and counters. I hope...

 Looks like it will be another fretful week.