Posty Posty

So I've been trying to post a bit more regular like. At least more often.

Today I watched one of the Level 2 students and one of my former Level 1 students (now in Level 3) have a very interesting conversation. They were mocking white girls.

A: I am not Mexican. I am white. I don't speak Spanish.
E: You? No I am white. Mexicans are stupid. They are burros. Burritos. You know ... Donkeys.
A: They so stupid. But I am white. Don't I look beautiful Miss Mathis? You are Mexican. You are ugly.
E: I'm not Mexican.
A: Yes, you are.
E: No. I'm from Honduras!
A fit of laughter ensued.

It really brought home the institutionalized racism that these girls still face. They are seen as a servant class, instead of vibrant, funny, smart young women. I don't like being too serious or political, but it's been weighing on me a bit lately, how hard some of these kids have it.

I had another girl who came in and said, "I hate all, how you say, niggers!" I flat out told her that was a racist remark. She then told me how she and her brother had been followed home by a group of black boys who were trying to draw her brother into a fight. They only stopped when they saw a cop car. When I heard that, I asked her if they were Wilson students, but she then said they were from Jefferson (you can tell the difference by their uniforms). Jefferson is a middle school. "You mean you were followed home by a bunch of 8th graders?"

I told her that I was teased by some latinas when I was a kid, and they followed me home, but I didn't "hate all Mexicans." I think she understood what I was saying, but it drives me crazy how the racism floats both ways. It seems like everyone hates everyone else. Sigh.

Dreams of the Eye

Okay, so last night I had a weird dream. I was on the London Eye... you know, the big ferris wheel... and it fell over (something to do with terrorists, I believe). I remember seeing the ground come rushing up, and thinking oh F**K! Then suddenly I was in the Thames and swimming for it. I managed to rescue myself, but I think there were several other casualities. I think at one point, I was back on the street, helping a man with a leg wound, and sending Clare for a surgeon, because she'd know where to go. (Persuasion fans... sound familiar?)

Anyway, it wasn't as disturbing as a dream I had over the weekend, where during class, I got a sticky note from the office that said one of my ELD students had just died while car surfing. I told my class about it today, and the student seemed a little creeped out by it... I wonder why.

The dream continued to where a school counselor and I were riding in an elevator. The counselor was being way too cheery, telling something about a homily that I was supposed to say at the funeral. I was completely confused by this, as I thought she was supposed to be offering grief counseling, not light and happy advice.

On a completely different note, the rents are in a giving away mode after putting the house up for sale. Liz and I carted an exercise bike, a dresser, a bookshelf, a nightstand, and a 2 drawer set up to our apartment on Saturday. It took two trips in the truck. My mom also gave us four sacks/boxes of books that Liz went through. I think her "keep" pile was bigger than her "used bookstore" pile. Sometimes she's slightly overambitious. She's the only one I know who can balance like 25 library books at the same time... and I thought I was literate.