Running, writing, and refugees

I hope that all of you are managing in the kaamos hell that has descended upon us in the last several weeks. ;)

I've been surprised at how often I've been able to get out for a run during this time. I suppose I'm fighting ruthlessly against the temptation to give over entirely to laziness. This might be the biggest challenge I've encountered in Finland: finding ways to make it through November unscathed. (LO1, 2, 4)

Another thing I've managed to do this week is write. I love to write, but, as a teacher, I rarely have time for it. Although I love to read what my students have written (as it constantly entertains and impresses me), it'd be nice to do some writing of my own once in a while.

In the summer, I started working on a short story based on some strange and unsavory characters, who allegedly did some unspeakable things in the area of Connecticut where I grew up. The division between rich and poor has always been very obvious in Connecticut, because some enormous wealth inequality exists there. Often, rich and poor live side by side and belong to the same communities. I have explored this tension in my writing before, but researching these events inspired me to do so again. (LO1)

It's also giving me a chance to explore a word and concept that is unique to northwest Connecticut: raggie. As you'll discover if you click the link, "raggie" is a word we use as a synonym for, roughly speaking, white trash (although it somehow means more than that). The word originally referred to a group of people who used to live in isolation, working the iron forges in the hills of northwestern CT. In the 80s, when these crimes were committed, a number of "raggie" descendants still lived up there, and the Duntz brothers were among them.

Today, International Club made some headway in our clothing drive project. We kind of got a surprising amount done in an hour: we worked out a rough schedule, we determined where to keep the clothes (thanks, Walter), what kind of clothes to ask for (thanks, Darius) we figured out who would make an announcement informing everyone of the drive (thanks, Jenna) and we made some progress in putting up posters (thanks Parsa, Laura and Julia). We also had some fun and a few laughs (thanks, everyone). :) (LO3, 5, 6)

In light of the events of last week, I feel even more dedicated to making this clothing drive a success. I believe that internationalism, which is at the core of all IB studies, asks us to view ourselves as citizens of the world. If we hold this to be true, then the refugees are our countrymen and women. (LO7)

On foxes and running

A number of you have yet to update your CAS diaries or to begin writing in them at all. This is a friendly reminder: CAS diaries are a must, and you should update them weekly. :)

Last week, I went running four times. This fell short of my goal, which is to run five times a week. I have found recently that this goal simply isn't feasible; I am just too busy and I expend too much energy at work to dedicate that much time to running. It's too bad, but oh well. (LO2)(LO4)

When I run, I enjoy several things about the experience. The first is the scenery. I usually head to the fortress, the harbour, to Kimpisen kenttä or into the woods behind my house.

The second is all the cool stuff I get to listen to in the process. I listen to podcasts, lectures or good music, mainly. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure that I would even exercise at all if I didn't have some sort of entertainment to distract me.

The third is, of course, the rush you get from exercising.

I've never been a skilled distance runner. Even though I have been running regularly for a few years now, I still haven't built up my endurance as much as one might expect. I'm not sure exactly how to go about improving it, but I'm also not terribly bothered by it, either. (LO1)

I had the coolest experience while running in the fortress Friday evening: foxes pop into view around here every now and again, but I've never been face-to-face with one before. As I was about to climb onto the steps heading down the hill from the fortress to the harbour, I crossed paths with a furry, red, intelligent-looking creature. It was the closest I'd ever been to a fox, and it regarded me calmly before it went on its way.

I didn't get a picture of the fox (I was glad simply to enjoy the moment rather than to desperately fumble for my phone), but I did snap some pictures of the incredible sunset this evening.

They're just snapshots, but I like them. I often tell my friends back home that I live in Skyrim. With a little more snow on the ground, these pictures would be good examples of what I mean by that. 

Let's kick its CAS

I decided that it might be useful for me to keep a CAS blog of my very own. When I have the chance, I'll be posting announcements, information about the CAS program at Lappeenrannan Lyseo, and updates on student achievements. I might even apply the learning outcomes to my own hobbies and reflect on that every once in a while. As of right now, though, this CAS coordinator will have to be signing off. She's been working her Sunday away and it's time for some much needed grub.

See you again soon!