I haven't kept up my end of the bargain as great this past month here in the blogging world, and for that, I apologize. In between grading papers, scheduling classes, ordering books, preparing for next semester, going to interviews, going to doctor appointments, taking trainings for online courses, and juggling home with work, I keep leaving the blogging to later, tomorrow. Well, almost a month later, I'm finally blogging.
We're almost done. Two more classes and that's it. The end, finit, fin. We spend the semester dreading what's to come, complaining about what we're in, and then, before we know it, we're saying good bye. I have to say, though, that you all have made this semester a lot more manageable. You've all been great. Thank you for a great semester, and thank you for your blogs. I've enjoyed immensely reading them, and I've chuckled out loud many a times.
I hope that what we've talked about in class, in our circle-time, has enriched you in some way. I hope that you take with you, not only the writing skills we've learned, but also the life lessons we've discussed. Success is defined in many ways, and my hope is that I've given you some skills on how to be successful - as an individual, as a student, as a professional.
Au revoir, mes amis! (French for "good bye, my friends!")
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
2008 Miami Book Fair International
I just got back from MDC's Wolfson Campus, and I have to say it was one of the most personally/professionally productive afternoons I'd had in a while. I thought I'd recap my workshop and wanderings through the Book Fair. Maybe it will even entice some of you to go this weekend. :)
I ended up driving to Wolfson Campus at the last minute. There's just something relaxing about driving slowly, listening to music and daydreaming. It was wonderful. I don't normally drive over to WC, but thankfully I'm good with directions, so getting there was rather easy, much more than I expected. I found parking in the garage (9 floors!!) after a few circles and made my way to building 3, where I was to have a workshop on writing memoirs with Honor Moore. It was a fabulous workshop, and it left me feeling confident and focused in the project I'm tackling. The best part was that, with one of the exercises, I mustered up my courage and read out loud what I'd written. I was petrified - sweaty palms, thundering heartbeat, shaky voice and all. But taking that plunge was awesome - I was able to get some great insight from a professional author and from my classmates. I received advice on how to take that piece to the next level and even got some insight from would-be readers (remember what I've said about audience? It's always true no matter what you write) on what I was doing right. :) It was a rather successful workshop.
After the workshop was finished, I meandered into the street fair downstairs, scoping out the booths for our visit this weekend. I strolled by, reading signs and looking at books, and I stopped by a few booths that caught my attention, including Gulf Stream (FIU's literary magazine) where I picked up info on more workshops and submission guidelines. I also stopped by two booths selling children's books. One of those booths was headed by Santa Clause himself and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a book written by Santa and autographed by Santa for my son. At the second booth I got to chat with the author about his children's book, a story about following your own dreams, and I received some good information about writing a children's book.
As I strolled through the street fair, though, I noticed that there is something for all tastes and likes. I encourage you guys to try to make it. If you like comic books, there was an entire section on one of the streets devoted to comics and illustrating (they were advertising free illustration classes). I know some of you like to draw, and thought this would be a great experience. There are all kinds of books and booths. The Adrienne Center for the Performing Arts had a booth, too, and they were raffling free tickets for two of their upcoming shows: Cats and Annie. There are religious books and antique books, contemporary and classics, books on food and books on cars - in short, you are bound to find something in the street fair that strikes your fancy. If you have children, or little siblings, or know of any little ones, the kids section was spectacular. They had characters (I caught one of the Bernstein Bears and the Target rabbit), as well as programs with Dora and Sesame Street, to name a few. And if you're one to enjoy some international flair, the International Pavilion had a tasting of different cultures.
And let me not forget to mention the food! As soon as you step into the street fair, whether you're descending the stairs from the Metro Mover station, or you're making your way from MDC's parking garage, you will be greeted by the scent of food - from steaks to arepas to corn on the cob.
So I hope you can make it this weekend. Here's the official website, in case you want to check it out: http://www.mdc.edu/bookfair/index.htm. All the info you need is there. If you go, blog about it. Let me know what you think. I hope your experience is as pleasant as mine was.
I ended up driving to Wolfson Campus at the last minute. There's just something relaxing about driving slowly, listening to music and daydreaming. It was wonderful. I don't normally drive over to WC, but thankfully I'm good with directions, so getting there was rather easy, much more than I expected. I found parking in the garage (9 floors!!) after a few circles and made my way to building 3, where I was to have a workshop on writing memoirs with Honor Moore. It was a fabulous workshop, and it left me feeling confident and focused in the project I'm tackling. The best part was that, with one of the exercises, I mustered up my courage and read out loud what I'd written. I was petrified - sweaty palms, thundering heartbeat, shaky voice and all. But taking that plunge was awesome - I was able to get some great insight from a professional author and from my classmates. I received advice on how to take that piece to the next level and even got some insight from would-be readers (remember what I've said about audience? It's always true no matter what you write) on what I was doing right. :) It was a rather successful workshop.
After the workshop was finished, I meandered into the street fair downstairs, scoping out the booths for our visit this weekend. I strolled by, reading signs and looking at books, and I stopped by a few booths that caught my attention, including Gulf Stream (FIU's literary magazine) where I picked up info on more workshops and submission guidelines. I also stopped by two booths selling children's books. One of those booths was headed by Santa Clause himself and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to have a book written by Santa and autographed by Santa for my son. At the second booth I got to chat with the author about his children's book, a story about following your own dreams, and I received some good information about writing a children's book.
As I strolled through the street fair, though, I noticed that there is something for all tastes and likes. I encourage you guys to try to make it. If you like comic books, there was an entire section on one of the streets devoted to comics and illustrating (they were advertising free illustration classes). I know some of you like to draw, and thought this would be a great experience. There are all kinds of books and booths. The Adrienne Center for the Performing Arts had a booth, too, and they were raffling free tickets for two of their upcoming shows: Cats and Annie. There are religious books and antique books, contemporary and classics, books on food and books on cars - in short, you are bound to find something in the street fair that strikes your fancy. If you have children, or little siblings, or know of any little ones, the kids section was spectacular. They had characters (I caught one of the Bernstein Bears and the Target rabbit), as well as programs with Dora and Sesame Street, to name a few. And if you're one to enjoy some international flair, the International Pavilion had a tasting of different cultures.
And let me not forget to mention the food! As soon as you step into the street fair, whether you're descending the stairs from the Metro Mover station, or you're making your way from MDC's parking garage, you will be greeted by the scent of food - from steaks to arepas to corn on the cob.
So I hope you can make it this weekend. Here's the official website, in case you want to check it out: http://www.mdc.edu/bookfair/index.htm. All the info you need is there. If you go, blog about it. Let me know what you think. I hope your experience is as pleasant as mine was.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Let's try this out
For your next blog, try this out: proofread! I know I've made mistakes when posting (some typos because my mind goes a million times faster than my hand), but when I read what I wrote, I can see where I've made my mistakes. So do that for your next blog entry. Read what you wrote after you wrote it, and see what mistakes you've made. I've noticed a few, such as using "your" instead of "you're," or "hallowwen" instead of "halloween," etc. Practice the revision/proofreading part of writing.
Another twist - if you notice someone's made a mistake, call them on it (nicely). This will determine whether you know your grammar or not. :)
Another twist - if you notice someone's made a mistake, call them on it (nicely). This will determine whether you know your grammar or not. :)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
For my father
Do you hear the raindrops
falling on the barrel roof
or the wind whispering
secrets from another world?
Do you hear the angel’s wings
fluttering swiftly
between the drops,
drifting closer and closer
to the place we fear
to a place we seek
to an everlasting place?
I do.
I hear my father’s voice,
strong and warm as it was
before he died,
before he succumbed
to the constraints of illness,
before I knew he was old
and knew what old was.
I hear him sing
to me
to my son
to my mother.
Listen.
It’s the waterfall of dreams
flowing into a stream of
unconscious wants
slowly drifting in and out
of conscious fears –
the unknown – he’s there
in spirit, but in body
he’s ashes in a buried urn
to the left of his father
to the right of his mother
in the Cementerio de Manizales.
© 2008 Alexandra Alessandri
falling on the barrel roof
or the wind whispering
secrets from another world?
Do you hear the angel’s wings
fluttering swiftly
between the drops,
drifting closer and closer
to the place we fear
to a place we seek
to an everlasting place?
I do.
I hear my father’s voice,
strong and warm as it was
before he died,
before he succumbed
to the constraints of illness,
before I knew he was old
and knew what old was.
I hear him sing
to me
to my son
to my mother.
Listen.
It’s the waterfall of dreams
flowing into a stream of
unconscious wants
slowly drifting in and out
of conscious fears –
the unknown – he’s there
in spirit, but in body
he’s ashes in a buried urn
to the left of his father
to the right of his mother
in the Cementerio de Manizales.
© 2008 Alexandra Alessandri
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
I Voted Today!
After much anticipation, I finally got the chance to vote in the 2008 elections! I was afraid the lines were going to be unbearable, much worse than the 2-4 hour waits of early voting, but much to my surprise, I did not have to wait at all. My husband and I drove over to our polling place, with our little one, and were herded right into the sign-in desk. We went around 10:45 am, which I guess was in between the morning and lunch "rush," so within 20 minutes we were in, we voted, and we were out. Even Lukas got an "I Voted Today!" sticker (which, who knows what he did with - I hope he didn't eat it!).
Oh, and just as a PSA - Starbucks is giving out free tall coffees to anyone who votes.
So, go and vote! We are in the process of history being made (regardless of who wins) and we are a part of that history. Be proud!
Oh, and just as a PSA - Starbucks is giving out free tall coffees to anyone who votes.
So, go and vote! We are in the process of history being made (regardless of who wins) and we are a part of that history. Be proud!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Traditions
This chapter is, I think, one of my favorite because it allows me to travel down memory lane and remember the traditions that have existed in my life. The word tradition immediately calls images of family and rituals that are shared during holidays, as well as long-standing customs that have been passed down, albeit in modified form, throughout the generations. The beauty about it all is that since we all change, our traditions change as well. Many of us fight this change, especially is the tradition in question is a cherished one.
For example, one of the sweetest traditions that my family had was "Noche Buena," or Christmas Eve. My mom's side of the family would gather together every December 24 and cram into a small townhouse. Mind you, my mom is the eldest of 11, most of which are living in South Florida. Anyway, for Noche Buena, we would gather around and spend the evening together, listening and dancing to cumbias, vallenatos, salsas, and merengues. The adults would sit in folding chairs lined up in the recently-emptied living room (all furniture would be moved around to make room for the guests) and talk about the past. This almost always involved stories from "back home" and remembering members of the family that weren't with us at the moment or who had passed away. The teenages would hang out on the front steps of the house, chatting away about new loves, latest fads, or just how bored they were because they were there and not with their friends or at home watching TV. The little ones would run up and down the first floor of the townhouse, wearing themselves out and asking repeatedly to open the gifts that gleamed from underneath the fake Christmas tree. Then, at midnight, the kids opened their gift (and only the kids - since we were such a large family, only the kids got gifts) and soon, sleepy little ones were being hauled away by their tired parents so that they may wake up in their beds on Christmas morning to open up the gifts from Santa or el Niño Dios.
I went through all of those stages except, perhaps, the adult one. Little by little, the teenagers married and started celebrating the holidays with their spouses and children. Most of my family moved to West Palm Beach and so distance became a problem when trying to connect with different families. Today, Christmas on my mom's side of the family is composed of a quieter reunion from those "up north" (WPB). Those of us left down south get together with our more immediate families. Since my husband's family is all down here, we get together with them and my mom for an early dinner and a gift exchange, which usually ends around 9 pm, and then on the 25th, Christmas Day, we go up to WPB and spend some quiet time with my grandfather, aunts and cousins.
I miss those days - a lot. It saddens me that those days are gone and will probably not come back. Christmas Eve dinners are not the crazy, packed house they used to be, and some members, like my grandmother, are no longer with us. It saddens me that my son will not grow up having the fond memories of Christmas and New Year's Eve. At least, though, we still do the Novenas (another post altogether!) and the buñuelos and natilla.
But amidst that sadness is the excitement of the new traditions that my husband and I will create with our son. These new traditions will hopefully leave him with endless happy memories that he, one day, will pass on to his kids. Or maybe he'll look back at them like I am looking back at mine, and reminisce about old times while looking forward to new traditions.
For example, one of the sweetest traditions that my family had was "Noche Buena," or Christmas Eve. My mom's side of the family would gather together every December 24 and cram into a small townhouse. Mind you, my mom is the eldest of 11, most of which are living in South Florida. Anyway, for Noche Buena, we would gather around and spend the evening together, listening and dancing to cumbias, vallenatos, salsas, and merengues. The adults would sit in folding chairs lined up in the recently-emptied living room (all furniture would be moved around to make room for the guests) and talk about the past. This almost always involved stories from "back home" and remembering members of the family that weren't with us at the moment or who had passed away. The teenages would hang out on the front steps of the house, chatting away about new loves, latest fads, or just how bored they were because they were there and not with their friends or at home watching TV. The little ones would run up and down the first floor of the townhouse, wearing themselves out and asking repeatedly to open the gifts that gleamed from underneath the fake Christmas tree. Then, at midnight, the kids opened their gift (and only the kids - since we were such a large family, only the kids got gifts) and soon, sleepy little ones were being hauled away by their tired parents so that they may wake up in their beds on Christmas morning to open up the gifts from Santa or el Niño Dios.
I went through all of those stages except, perhaps, the adult one. Little by little, the teenagers married and started celebrating the holidays with their spouses and children. Most of my family moved to West Palm Beach and so distance became a problem when trying to connect with different families. Today, Christmas on my mom's side of the family is composed of a quieter reunion from those "up north" (WPB). Those of us left down south get together with our more immediate families. Since my husband's family is all down here, we get together with them and my mom for an early dinner and a gift exchange, which usually ends around 9 pm, and then on the 25th, Christmas Day, we go up to WPB and spend some quiet time with my grandfather, aunts and cousins.
I miss those days - a lot. It saddens me that those days are gone and will probably not come back. Christmas Eve dinners are not the crazy, packed house they used to be, and some members, like my grandmother, are no longer with us. It saddens me that my son will not grow up having the fond memories of Christmas and New Year's Eve. At least, though, we still do the Novenas (another post altogether!) and the buñuelos and natilla.
But amidst that sadness is the excitement of the new traditions that my husband and I will create with our son. These new traditions will hopefully leave him with endless happy memories that he, one day, will pass on to his kids. Or maybe he'll look back at them like I am looking back at mine, and reminisce about old times while looking forward to new traditions.
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