Monday, May 29, 2006

What if we lived in the country of???

So I was learning (reading whatever took my fancy on wikipedia) about Canada the other day. I then checked out the link to the name Canada and discovered this list of names that were in contention for the country. Here they are..

Albion
Albionoria — "Albion of the north"
Borealia – from 'borealis', the Latin word for 'northern'; compare with Australia
Cabotia – in honour of Italian explorer John Cabot, who explored the eastern coast of Canada for England
Colonia
Efisga — an acronym of "English, French, Irish, Scottish, German, Aboriginal"
Hochelega – an old name for Montreal
Laurentia
Mesopelagia — "land between the seas"
Norland
Superior
Tuponia — derived from 'The United Provinces of North America'
Ursalia — "place of bears"
Vesperia — "land of the evening star"
Victorialand – in honour of Queen Victoria

I think my favorite is Ursalia... ;)
Adios!

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Personality Profile

So yeah.. I was checking out my "personality type" online. I seem to be an "ENFP" or Extroverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiver. I read the stuff on it and it seems to resonate with me. If you're interested (or bored) here's a link to ENFP info

http://www.geocities.com/lifexplore/enfp.htm

(I tried to make it a link you could click on here but it didn't work)
If you know me then maybe it'll shed some light on my behaviours and attitudes. Let me know if you agree. ;)

Adios and happy trails,
Jordan

Monday, May 15, 2006

Grad Weekend Over.. speaking ahead

The weekend past is finally done,
on to new challenges now begun.

This weekend was the LCBI Grad weekend. Dinner, speeches, dressing fancy (yes i wore my shirt with buttons and pants with a belt and black shoes and socks) (no they weren't my soccer socks) (yes they were my hiking socks) (whatever)
Today (monday) the grads left this morning for a grad breakfast in Saskatoon. Tonight will be the Grad Tea. The parents are gone. It will be the Grads and the Staff. A more relaxed and informal celebration of the time spent together. The theme the students chose this year was grecian. So each department has been assigned a different group of grads and a different group of Greeks. We were given the task of reimagining the students as Greek heroes and have written a little story incorporating them all together. I'll have the more dangerous honour of reading the story while my colleagues hide behind a puppet curtain while holding masks on pencils with the students pictures on them. Yeah. It should be good.

And the public speaking/going in front of a group will continue this week as on Wednesday I'll be speaking in "Chapel." This being the mandatory time in the morning when the students all head over to the chapel (former gym) and listen to someone talk about stuff. Usually somehow connected to God. Perhaps exhorative. I'm not really that sure what the perameters for this event are; except that it's 20-25mins in duration. I jokingly said to some students the other day that the reason I waited 2 months into the job before I spoke in public was so that in the event I get fired for saying something innapropriate at least I've earned 2 months worth of wages. The thought of speaking fills me with the anicipatory excitement and dread. I'm looking forward to it and the challenge it poses. One of the challenges I face is that I get so excited when speaking and there is so much I want to say that it comes out rather fast and perhaps in ways that not everyone follows. (Many of you no doubt attest to this! ;) )

Following my appearance at Chapel, Doug, the President here, has asked me to share my thoughts at a meeting of the Admin to discuss school policy, future, what I've seen from my outside coming in perspective, etc. In clarifying more with him, it sounds like he'd also like me to facilitate a discussion amongst the team here along those lines. Again I'm not really sure what it all entails or what I am doing but I hope to do it well.

OOOh and yesterday I got to wear a robe alongside all the rest of the staff and sit on the stage for the grad ceremony. I didn't know that was part of the job. It was one of those black dealies with large billowy sleeves. And of course the different staff had different coloured sashy thingies denoting their academic levels of achievement. As we were walking in, Mr.Delainey the guy I coached for last week, was next to me and we were joking about how he was a level 9 Cleric and I was only an acolyte because I hadn't earned any sashes. I said I was level 1 with a basic turn undead spell. Then informed him that I actually wasn't a Cleric but rather a fighter hired for protection merely posing as a lower level Cleric. We were chuckling and from the front heard a loud SHHHHHHHHH so we of course turned around and told the students lined up behind us to keep it down. ;)

We finally got on stage and I tried to stay still, not fidget, nor in anyway get in trouble. All those eyes looking at me. And there were mosquitoes flying around. I'd always wait for the clapping to start and then see how many I could squish. 4 in one clapping time. There were also 37 stars decorating the basketball hoop backboard on the right. I think there were 37. They were erratically arranged and of differing sizes making it difficult, at that distance, to count with a high degree of certainty.

Also on Saturday I had a visit from an old co-worker from CMU (Canadian Mennonite University). Dan Horne works in Admissions at CMU (well until next week when he's done and moving on to a position as Associate Pastor at a church in Manitoba somewhere). We hung out a few times during my CMU days when I was in town. Which was fairly sporadic when you work for a program called Outtatown. Anyhoo.. we had certain things in common back then that facilitated an easier connection then with other staff. Proximity in age. The fact that he's was also from BC (Yarrow), drinks yerba mate, and actually knew some people I knew (Papa Theo). So it was good to see him. We drank yerba mate for the afternoon and waxed philosophically on life and it's intricacies.

Things discussed with Dan Horne:
-soon he will also have a CMU retirement coffee cup.
-the changing nature of culture and the church.
-Pajarito, the yerba brand of choice.
-ADD, ENFP's, and other found similarities.

Things to discuss when next I meet with Dan Horne:
-how does he feel if/when people pronounce his last name "horny"?

Got to go... maybe should plan.. stuff
Adios, adieu, fare thee well,
Jordan

ps today I filled out a census form. 92 years from now people will be able to discover that for a period of time I lived by myself in Outlook. I'm ok with that being known.

Monday, May 08, 2006

Substitue Soccer Coach

So in about an hour I'll be leading a soccer practice for a group of 4-6 year olds. 4-6 year olds!! The regular coach is a teacher at the school here and has a hockey practice. So I'll be leading 20 minutes of drills and a 10 minute scrimmage. It's bound to be an adventure!

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Unexpected Nocturnal Adventures

So the other night a few students decided to go walkabout without permission. We found out when their vehicle got stuck in mud and they couldn't get it out. We found out after when their vehicle got stuck in mud and they couldn't get it out nor could the people who went off to help them find them. So around 10:30pm we got in a school van and went to get them. A student who knows the area came along to guide us. We drove for a little ways when the student informed us that if they got stuck up ahead we should probably not drive too much further or we too could become stuck. So we stopped. My coworker stayed in the van while the student and I left the pools of luminosity given by the headlights. We continued our trek in the night on foot.

Now I hasten to add at this point that just before that knock on the door summoned my to our evening's perambulations I had just brushed my teeth and was about to turn off the light and turn in. This thought came to my head as the student and I were becoming quite chilled by the moisture laden wind. Reports indicated that there was a high probability of snow that night. As we found out later; they were right.

Lurching onward with my headlamp and guide's directions we slid along the muddy goat track that passed for a road. We passed the three poles that hold aloft the electric wires before they crossing the river. These, I was told, are the three poles from which the hang-out location gets the name "Three Poles." Perhaps none-too-creative but very descriptive. As the air cut the warmth from my exposed flesh I wondered if ever we would arrive at out destination... we did. To the discovery that they were not there.

On the way back we came across an amazing sight. The light of my headlamp was luminating beads of water draped all upon a small plant on the path. It's many beads of light contrasted with the darkness all around. It is very difficult to describe the appearance of this beauteous phenomenon. Too bad I don't have a camera. ;) It pays to look around for the amazing at all times.

Now at this time you may be wondering where the other students were. The ones we came out to find.

They were chillily walking back towards the school. After a further series of cell phone calls and driving hither and thither we came upon them and transported them back to their awaiting showers and respective beds.

Thus ends that night's unexpected nocturnal adventure.

Monday, May 01, 2006

First Canoe of the Season

Yeah so better late then never. Yesterday I got on the water again. We arranged a little canoeing day and 15 students signed up. Only 4 showed up. So with the other teacher and myself that made 6 people. Which was fine with me as the day was quite windy and therefore more about just being on the water, driving there, checking out the trailer and supplies, etc. We went to the Broderick resevoir, about 5-10 minutes drive. It took us 45mins to go across the lake, and 10 to get back. The sun was out (of course, it rained this morning but that's the first time in weeks.. seriously! How do things grow out here?) and with the strong wind we had some nice chop out on the lake, a few white caps, and some decent size waves. On the way back you could feel when we caught a couple and rode them for a little bit.

I was hoping to do some stroke instruction and play some games to build skills but alas it didn't happen. Maybe next time. Hopefully we'll have a larger turn out then too. Once we've done a couple trips on the resevoir then we'll start doing a couple river trips down the river Saskatchewan.. (and it's a hey ho hi ho coming down the... whatever)

Someone left a Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits cd in the computer room. So I liberated it while I find the owner (who I've now found.. I'll return it once I've listened to it all). Oh Niel Diamond. So.. Neil Diamond. Despite the negative Neil Diamond atmosphere out there I still think that guy can rock! ;)

As for reading I just finished reading Wilderness Man: The Strange Story of Grey Owl by Lovat Dickson. Sweet amazingness. If you are unfamiliar with the story you may want to check it out. Via website, book, whatever. A couple years back I think Pierce Brosnan was in a Grey Owl movie. I haven't seen it but now would be interested in it. Maybe a movie night?

For now?
The grass is green
and the trees are beginning to grow leaves,
which leaves me pleased.

Fare thee well,
Jordan