Second Grade

The previous post reminded me of an incident that happened when Ben was in second grade (although I'm not comparing him to the genius level of those kids). We were living in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, a suburb of Tulsa.  The school he attended had a lot of great programs, but I didn't realize how rich it was until we moved to California.

Anyway, the school had a lot to offer, but the attitude of the folks was Okie, at best.

Here's what happened.

The students in grades 3-6 competed in something called Fact Masters.  They had to complete 300 problems - 100 addition, 100 subtraction, and 100 multiplication - in 10 minutes or less, error free.  It was a huge deal.  The winners were recognized in school wide assemblies, and their pictures were in the foyer for everyone to see.

Ben wanted so much to compete, but he was only in the second grade, and it was not offered to second graders, only 3rd thru 6th graders.

So, being the proactive mom that I was, I asked the powers that be to give him an opportunity to compete.

I'll never forget his teacher's comment.  "Why are you pushing him?" she asked.  I responded with a question of my own, "Would you ask that if he were Asian?"

I didn't make a friend that day.

That was OK.

Bottom line, Ben was allowed to compete.  He loved it, and he was the youngest Fact Master ever.  Funny thing though, his picture didn't make it up in the foyer.

Again, that was OK.

This was a small town with a little newspaper.  I stopped by, shared Ben's accomplishment, and he made the headline news the next day.

A big, beautiful picture, with him missing a tooth, graced the top half of the paper.

I'm guessing the folks at his school threw a party after we left.

Genius Black Kids

Forrest forwarded an excellent email, featuring extraordinarily bright black kids, geniuses, no doubt, but it didn't come as an attachment, so I can't share it the way I received it, with their pictures.  I hope that just reading the brief snippets about each of them is enough for you to appreciate their amazing accomplishments.


10 Black Child Geniuses You Should Know

If you only watched the evening news or depended on pop culture to paint a picture of young blacks, you would probably think that the majority of black youngsters were only ambitious about sports and music, or caught up in crime and debauchery.

However, the face of black success isn’t limited to the fields that are occupied by Jay-Z, Beyonce and LeBron James. There are a multitude of young blacks who are achieving at a high level in science, math, classical music, chess and other knowledge-based areas and preparing to change society.

Stephen R. Stafford II
Stephen entered Morehouse College at the age of 11 and picked up three majors. Now 16, he is currently studying computer science and mathematics. He will likely graduate at 17.

Mabou Loiseau
By the age of 7, Loiseau spoke French, Creole, Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic and Russian. She also plays the harp, clarinet, violin, drums, guitar and piano.

Andrew Koonce
Andrew is a master violinist based out of Atlanta. He was named Concertmaster of the Georgia Music Association’s All-State Middle School Orchestra. The title goes to the most skilled musician in the section.

Autum Ashante
Raised by a single father, Autum was ridiculed by highly regarded conservatives at the age of 7 for writing a poem that highlighted the travesty of slavery. Autum never wavered and mastered languages such as Arabic, Swahili and Spanish. She scored 149 on the standard IQ test. At age 13, she was accepted into the University of Connecticut.

Imafidon family
The Imafidon family is known as the smartest family in the U.K. The youngest siblings, Peter and Paula, made history by becoming the youngest students to enroll at secondary school. Their older sister, Anne-Marie, was the youngest student to pass A-level computing at the age of 13.

Rochelle Ballantyne
At 17, Rochelle Ballantyne is one of the top chess players in the world. She is currently on the verge of becoming the first black American female to earn the title of chess master.

Ginger Howard
Ginger Howard is the youngest black American woman to become a pro golfer. Howard is competing to become the fifth black American woman to join the LPGA Tour.

Tony Hansberry II
Tony used failure as inspiration. After he didn’t place in the eighth grade science fair, Tony interned at Shands Hospital and developed a method of reducing the amount of time it takes to perform hysterectomies and potentially reducing the risk of complications after the procedure. He was honored for his contributions.

Chelsea Dock
Chelsea has been an accomplished pianist since the age of 5. Now 13, Chelsea has performed at Madison Square Garden, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Steinway Hall. She’s also an artist and straight A student.

Daquan Chisholm
Daquan created a walkie-talkie, bulletproof helmet at the age of 12. He’s currently working with Johns Hopkins University to gather funding to patent the idea.

Phenomenal, right?

Another One

I'm on a roll with "learning new things."  Today I discovered a new blog, "Very Smart Brothas." The article that caught my eye was about parenting.  Guess what, the joys and challenges of parenthood are universal.  We all want the same things for our kids, whether we're black, white or polka dot.

Anyway, I think it's worth reading.

http://verysmartbrothas.com

Also, serious kudos to Jason Collins, the NBA player who just came out.  No long ago, my attitude was way different.  Thank God, old dogs can learn, too.

Good morning to me.

Good night to you.

Making Rain

We've had a week of drizzle.  Remember, it typically only rains four days per year. We had that much last week.  Some of my colleagues and I were talking about it and I learned that the UAE uses a process called "seeding the clouds" to generate rain.  The article explaining it is below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding

Not sure I understand it, but it might explain why we had a hailstorm deep in the desert at few days ago.

Here's to learning something new everyday.

An Amazing Invention

This video clip comes from the Huffington Post, and it features a TED Talk that is truly amazing.  It's about helping a patient with ALS communicate again.

Powerful stuff.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mick-ebeling/eyewriter-ted-talk_b_3158106.html

Pink Power

Another very interesting video clip on the color pink from The Dish/Andrew Sullivan. It's two minutes.

http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/04/24/the-power-of-pink-2/

Learning Something New Everyday

I won't lie.

Even after seeing this explanation of where atoms come from, it's still pretty muddy for me, but I'm fascinated nonetheless.

It's two minutes of wonder, from the Huffington Post.

Enjoy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/23/neil-degrasse-tyson-origins-atomic-elements-bodies_n_3117063.html

Catching Up

Oh what a difference a day makes.

I've been glued to my computer, following the extraordinary events the folks in the US have lived through.

The Boston Marathon Bombs.

The fertilizer plant explosion in Texas.

I know you don't need reminders of what happened, but if I should read this entry years from now, I'll know what incredible week I was referring to, and I'll know why it will live in infamy.

Of course, the news made headlines all over the world, and I picked up several local papers to see how the events were seen through the eyes of the folks in my world. Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to read them, but it is on my list of things to do today.

On a positive note, my niece and one of her girlfriends visited Dubai, and stayed a couple of days with me.  What a treat that was!  They're off this morning, back to New York and beyond.  They gave me a view of the city from their eyes.  Our impressions were very similar.  It is space age and primitive.

It's that time of year at schools everywhere when teacher evaluations are taking place.  Yesterday we met with 17 teachers, today we're scheduled to see 20.  We have a staff of about 75 teachers, so it's a daunting task.

You know, after all that has happened recently, plain old, uneventful, ordinary days, are what I'm looking forward to.

May your world be filled with ordinary days, too.

Good night to you.

Good morning to me.

Floaters

In all of the grocery stores, big and small, there are cases displaying floating cheese.  A connoisseur of cheese, I am not.  So you may read this and think that I'm missing out on a real treat.  If that's the case, I'll wait for your endorsement, and then bravely try them out.

The other floating food is very popular, too.  I'm not sure what they're called, but they look like donut holes, and are about the size of golf balls.  I bit into one of these and nearly gagged.  They were swishy and greasy.  Not for the faint of heart.

So, I'm avoiding floating food.

Kind of reminds of the wacky food sold at the state fairs.

Anyway, isn't it funny how the presentation of food has a great impact on how much we enjoy it?

Here's hoping if you have floaters in your dining experiences, they're tasty ones.

Triple Digits

It's hot as a booger bear.

We had a week of winter, with the temperatures going down to the 50's, a while ago.

Spring?

It was a blur.

Summer?

It's here.

We're expecting 108 on Friday.

Dry heat.

Humid heat.

When you get past 100, it's just  . . .

HOT!

The zen in me is thinking cool thoughts.

The sweat dripping from my brow is getting in the way.

If, wherever you are, the temperature is less than 100, be thankful.

More soon.

My People

Yesterday was a relaxed one.  After breakfast, I walked to a nearby mall.  The concept of malls is quite different here.  You don't walk into a building with the stores opening up as you walk along the corridors.  Instead, most of the stores at this mall, open from the outside, along walkways.

Friendship Mall

Friendship Mall 2

It has been a wonderful trip.  The people have been exceptionally warm and gracious.  They made it easy to feel at home here.  I wonder if I'm feeling this way because of the way they have embraced me, sort of like a long lost relative, or if in fact, everyone leaves here with this impression.

Below are some random pictures.

Local coffee shop that looks remarkably similar to Starbucks,
down to the logo and uniform.

It's pretty close to being a Starbuck's, right?

Mini stove, about two feet high, seen for sale in the grocery store.

This gadget cleans your shoes.  Although hard to see,
there are rollers that turn around when you put your foot under them
and brushes your shoes clean.
I saw this for the first time in Moscow.

I was fascinated by this scaffolding that is made of tree branches.

This is what the scaffolding looks like up close,
but these limbs are tied where they meet.
That doesn't appear to be the case on with the
ones around the large building.

This is the street my hotel is on.
Not much to look at, lots of construction,
but the hotel is nice.

I'm headed back home this afternoon.  I cut the trip short, so that I would have a couple of days off before going back to work.

I will leave here with smiles and fond memories.

Side note - I regularly read travel sites, and came across one that recommended the Scottevest.  Made for men and women, it is a vest that has 22 pockets, to store things you need while traveling.  I used it for the first time on this trip, and I was able to eliminate the large purse I usually use.  There are little tabs on most of the pockets, for suggested use.  Somehow the weight is evenly distributed and so it doesn't weigh you down.  I absolutely love this vest and highly recommend it.  I purchased mine from Amazon.

Side note 2 - In 2008, I had some raised moles removed from my neck by laser. That was so successful, I asked to have some minuscule ones removed from my face.  I was warned the laser might just aggravate the issue, but decided to do it anyway.  Well, the dark spots the laser created were much larger than the ones I was trying to get rid of.  So, the doctor was right.  I tried every medicine and remedy known to man to get rid of them, to no avail.  Medicine was even compounded for me specifically, but still no luck.  On a whim, I ordered Ambi Fade Cream from Amazon, and the results have been remarkable.  It has lightened the spots, and after about two months of use, they are almost gone, without the Michael Jackson bleached look.  What's funny is that, for those of you familiar with Ebony magazine, you might remember seeing the ads for Ambi.  I remember them from as early as about 40 years ago.  Anyway, I highly recommend this product, too.

Until next time, farewell from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Cougar?

OK.

First.

When I think of old women with young guys, Pampers come to mind.  How could you seriously consider going out with someone whose diaper you could have changed?

Yes.

I know.

Guys do it all the time and are proud when they snag a young girl.

Anyway.

It's happen to me.  Three times now.  Young guys seemingly interested.  Even after I told them I could be their momma, and had kids older than them.

Flattered?

No.  There must be ulterior motives.

Now, considering I haven't had a date since the new millennium, you'd think I'd jump at the chance.

But, no.

I'm still stuck on why?

Maybe they've got "momma issues?"

I'm holding out for a guy who knows who the Spinners, the Temptations, and Aretha are, without having to spend the next half hour trying to explain it to him.

Asking a lot?

Is that why it's taken so long?

Who knows?

In the mean time, never say never, but . . .

I don't see Pampers in my future.

Relatives . . . in Ethiopia?

I landed in Addis Ababa mid-day yesterday, but I was too tired to do any exploring.

At the airport, and here at the hotel, folks thought I was Ethiopian.  In fact, the African-Americans back in the US, look like they were transported directly from here.  The resemblance to people back home is remarkable.

Quite a difference from my Moscow experience.

The folks I've come in contact with have been friendly and kind.  They really seem to appreciate visitors to their country.

I arranged to have a guide last night, and this morning I was off to see the sights. The first stop was a beautiful church.

Bole Medhane Alem Orthodox Church

The ceiling of the church

People praying in the church

An interesting thing was seeing people outside the church, as well as in church, earnestly praying.  Religion seems to be a central part of the lives of the people. This is a majority Christian country, with about one third Muslim.  There are even Ethiopian Jews.  I noticed a grade school that was called "Jerusalem School," and thus the explanation about the Jews.  It was also noted that many have moved to Israel.

The next stop was the National Museum of Ethiopia.  It seemed old and run down, but to be fair, I think it was under renovation, as large portion of it were cut off from viewing.  I was there to see "Lucy."  She's believed to have lived 3.2 million years ago.

Lucy's bones

Lucy's bones 2

A plaque outside her room.

We then passed by Addis Ababa University.

Addis Ababa University

Headed up Mt. Entoto.

Going up Mt. Entoto to visit another church

Entoto Maryam Church on the mountain

Close-up of decorative window?

Next stop, Lion Zoo.  Not the best.  Sounds like one of them is protesting.

                                    

I am lion. Hear me roar!

We then went by the American Embassy.  The campus is huge and well-guarded.  I tried to get pictures, but no dice.  I didn't want to risk being detained because of photographs.

Last stop was to a nice hotel, where we had a traditional meal.  

Hotel restaurant.  The big pink coved basket is where the food is served.

Serving basket

Three different meats, spinach and potatoes on a sponge-like bread.
You break off a piece of this bread, and scoop up the other stuff.

And that was my day in the land of my people.

As always, thanks for taking this journey with me.

Smart Guys - CORRECTED

Sorry folks.  I understand you couldn't open the link.  Here it is again, this time taken directly from the Huffington Post.

Enjoy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/07/jon-stewart-george-carlin-interview_n_3032418.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

Smart Guys

Below is a video clip of Jon Stewart interviewing George Carlin in 1997.  I've always known that comedians were quick, but many are smarter than your average bears. These two are, for sure.

From the Huffington Post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=os-phOgsGHY#!

Calendars

One day last year, I was covering a class of second graders, and I asked several of them when there birthday was.  To my surprise, they didn't know.  I mentioned this to someone else, and was told it's because they follow the Islamic calendar, and the dates are fluid, not constant, like ours.

So, for instance, Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year.  Last year it began July 19th and ran through Aug 19th.  This year, Ramadan will begin July 8th and run thru August 7th.

This was further brought home when I was sitting in an office, waiting to be served, and noticed a calendar with two sets of dates.  I inquired about it, and was told it represented both the Islamic calendar and the Western calendar.  For example, April 1st for us, was March 20th on the Islamic calendar.  April 11th for us was April 1st on the Islamic one.

Very, very interesting.

I googled it and found an easy to understand explanation of the differences in the calendars and how, or why, they came to be.

It's found on WiseGeek.com.

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-the-difference-between-the-western-islamic-and-jewish-calendars.htm

I prove everyday just how much I don't know.

Here's wishing you a wonderful Saturday.

Song for Mama

This 12 year old, wrote this song for her mother, who was just diagnosed with breast cancer.

Out of the mouth of babes . . .

Hat tip to the Huffington Post.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=LD0_qaDuAAY

Miscellaneous Moscow

Thankfully the videos uploaded of the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  I've also included the video links where they can be watched on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulJVnozVtio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsbsuIdWYl8

Below are some still shots of this.

And now, another word about the "lock trees."  These locks are put there by newlyweds.  They paint and decorate them, add them to the tree, and throw the keys in the river to symbolize their lasting love.

Altogether now . . . aaaaaaaaawwwwwww.

No word on what happens if they split up.

Another "happy" church below.  The colors are so inviting.

Finally, my overall impressions of the city.

The attitude of the people I met was very pleasant.  They realize they have something the world wants to see, but they haven't made any concessions in the way they do things to accommodate that.  Hence, the wacky taxi service and the lack of info in any other language to help you to understand where you are and where you want to go.

I kinda like this though.

Although I think when they figure out how profitable tourism could be, they may change all that.

The kid who was our tour guide was the owner of this tour company.  So, it appears the younger folks better understand that this is an untapped market well worth pursuing.

Isn't that true of many young folks all over the world?

I'm glad I went.

It was well worth it.  I can't wait to compare notes with one my teachers who was also there this week with her family.


Below the first video is a look at what appeared to be very typical housing.  There were miles and miles of these complexes along the road to the airport.

This video is of single family homes in the suburbs.

Until next time . . .

до свидания (goodbye)

From Russia, With Love - Part 2

On my way out of the hotel today to resume my Moscow excursion, I picked up a map that offered free guided tours.  I registered using my phone, asked the taxi driver to take me to the starting point, and off I went on a walking tour of the Red Square area.

Remember, it's cold as a booger bear here, but walking was a terrific way to see everything up close.  The guide was a great guy, personable, warm and very informative.

The tour began in this public square, which is about two blocks from Red Square.

This church is across the street from our starting point.  It is a beautiful, bright pinkish, rose color.  We learned the history, then we went inside.  Ladies had to cover our heads, guys had to take off everything on their heads.  The rooms inside were small and sectioned off.  But most impressive was the gold that was everywhere.  Framing pictures, built into the walls, etc.  Interestingly, the church had no pews.  You are expected to stand during the service, with benches against the wall for those not able to stand for health reasons.

Like the UAE with a mosque on every corner, Moscow seems to have a church on every block.

Here's another one.

This building above is being renovated.  Look above the blue line, and below the grey area, and you'll see a tarp that is painted on the outside to look like the building.  I saw this a lot and thought it was a clever way to hide the work being done.

This is Lenin’s Mausoleum.  They could learn a thing or two about burying the dead from the Egyptians.  The pyramids are definitely cooler than this dome.

This picture and the third one down, I found online.  I couldn't capture the scope of it with my camera.  This building is across the way from the dome, and looks like a very serious office building.  It is not.  It is a fabulous mall, filled with every high-end store imaginable.  It's called the GUM.  Check it out below.

One of the last things we did was visit the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and watched the changing of the guards.  It was amazing.  I have videos, but I'm having trouble uploading them.

As the tour ended, I asked our guide for the best place to get a taxi, and he suggested I take the subway.  I did and loved it.  When I was going to purchase the ticket, a wonderful woman asked if she could help and she and her grandchild not only walked me through the process, but insisted I stay with them.  They exited one stop ahead of me.  They were a Godsend.  This subway has to be one of the cleanest, and most efficient in the world.  I'm so glad I rode it.  I felt like a local.  It cost 30 rubles to travel the same distance that cost 1500 rubles by taxi.  

As we were chatting, the guide also mentioned that he had just come back San Francisco, where he was a part of a conference at Stanford on improving relations between the US and Russia.

Small world.

I'm headed home tomorrow, for a day, and then to Ethiopia.

More soon.

From Russia, With Love

I arrived in Moscow late last night.  It was a five-hour flight, with no change in time zones.  A real treat.

When I got to the gate at the Dubai airport, there were only two passengers, including me.  By the time we boarded the plane, there were almost 500.  With the flight crew, we were at 500.  A very full flight.

Side note - Many of the passengers had two or more bags from airport shopping, in addition to their carryon.  No problem.  No questions asked.  When I flew to Kenya, there were gate agents with a scale and a gizmo to measure the size of the bags. There was a very strict carryon policy that was definitely enforced.  Now, the upside of all this, is that Kenyan flight was the most efficient I've ever been on.  We were on and off that plane in no time, and our bags were waiting for us in baggage claim.

Not so here.

It took forever to get our bags, but once in hand, I headed toward the exit, where someone asked if I needed a cab.  After we figured out where I was going, I was told it would take about an hour to get there.

Although it was dark, the landscape remind me of the Coney Island, in New York. There were lots of high rise apartment buildings, and not much else.  Austere.

Thankfully, the trip took less than an hour, and I settled into my hotel room and quickly went to sleep.

At 10:00 this morning, I was off, headed into the city to begin my Big Bus Tour.  I love these because they give you a panoramic view of the city.  I'm not sure if this service is new to this city or what, but not many people knew anything about it or where the hop on and off stops were located.

In the mean time, I asked to be dropped off at Red Square where I knew there was a bus stop somewhere near.  It was here that I feasted on the majesty of the area. The buildings are regal and "happy."  There is no other word to describe St. Basil's Cathedral.  Pictures just don't do it justice.  It is truly spectacular!

When I left Al Ain yesterday, it was 99 degrees.  It was 37 here today.  A bitter, damp, cold 37 degrees.  Gumbo weather, for sure.

Below are trees made of locks.  Super, super cool.  They lined a canal running through the city.

As always, thanks for taking this journey with me.

From Russia, with love.