Drake's Pensieve

Room 25 UNRAVELED Today

2012-01-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's ironic or sad or just true that this post should follow the previous titled "Why I LOVE My Kids", but today was bad. I usually just post the happy stuff, how great teaching is (and it is!), how much I love my kids ( and I truly, TRULY, do!), and I usually avoid writing about the bad days, but today was INcredible--I was driven to the verge of tears. And all of this in like the last hour of school, just try and imagine the following.

To set the stage, yesterday two kids, K and J, got on each other's nerves enough they ended up exchanging choice swear words about each other's families, and so got sent to the office. Also, while I was taking care of that craziness, J and V starting fooling around during the test and talking. So I'm already a bit on edge coming into today.

Then today C and V threw pretzels at a kid during lunch, so I had to figure that out and dole out consequences--it's not on my watch, but they're still my kids and I expect better. J couldn't focus in math and distracted some other kids. A is talking out of turn a lot. Then I find R with his pen light laser, which I confiscated yesterday. When I approached him about getting in my desk, he clammed up, wouldn't talk or move, and stayed out in the hallway--he refused to come back inside. So I'm trying to keep an eye on him, and my class. Back inside, K openly defied me when I asked twice for silence, so he went to the office for the second time in two days. By now I'm distraught, overwhelmed, and completely frazzled. Then I realize that C isn't in the classroom. I can't find him, and I start to freak out. Since he had gotten in trouble for the whole pretzel-throwing, I was like, what if he stormed out? So now I'm freaking out and calling for someone to watch my class, trying to find him. Turns out he's just in speech class--he forgot to tell me he was going.

So if this isn't enough, my whiteboard markers and pencils are disappearing, books from my library are missing. I got two new students this week, so besides now 29 bodies to keep track of, I've got the new people who don't know what's going on at all, and that really messes with the culture and the procedures. So all this pressing down on me, and then 10 minutes to dismissal, there is a blasted FIRE ALARM!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?! So my almost-autistic student freaks out per the usual with hands shaking and shoved down his ears and I escort him, shaking, and my entire class outside amid the chaos of dismissal procedure. NOT. A. GOOD. DAY. Not a good day.

Why I LOVE My Kids

2012-01-16T23:25:00.001-07:00

1. During Read to Self I sat in a corner reading with one of my students. In order to model appropriate expression, I read one part of the text as almost a scream, and a little too loudly for our quiet center time. As we returned to our seats, A chastised me for disturbing his and the class's quiet working environment. I quickly acknowledged him and apologized. I love it when students advocate for themselves.

2. Months ago, Student R gave me 990 x 990 on a piece of paper as a seemingly impossible math problem to solve. I returned it to him with the answer. Now that I've taught them double-digit multiplication and how to multiply with zeros, he came to me the other day and said, "Mr. Allsop, you did it wrong!" He proceeded to write me a note detailing my incorrect answer and the actual correct way to solve. He was right. I was wrong. And I was smiling the whole time because I was so proud of him.

3. "V, you wander around like .... like...." I searched for a word to describe the aimless meanderings of my student who cannot stay still. He supplied this response: "...like I got a cockroach in my pants?"

The Four Days of Classroom Library Christmas

2011-12-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

I bought a bunch of books recently at a Scholastic Book warehouse sale and more with my Scholastic bonus points. I'm going to let the kids open one present a day this week and see what books we're adding to the classroom library. They're going to flip out to see more Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the complete series of Geronimo Stilton. I probably shouldn't have splurged on books, but hey, these are my kids and I want them to read lots. I dream of a classroom library that covers my entire room, with books everywhere.

Tis the Season

2011-11-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

I know I posted like this exact same post a year ago, but I can't help it. I'm just so happy. I bought three new Christmas albums (Glee, Eclipse, and Buble). I put those on, as well as Christmas Aroma, as I decorated the house for Christmas. This is so what I needed today. I love Christmas so sO SO MUCH!! I love it so much I could marry it! :)

My roommate was laughing as I kept pulling out more coordinating ornaments for my blue and silver tree, especially the blue striped candy canes. What can I say, Christmas is my thang. :) A special shout out to Jordan, who last year got me out of my Christmas funk and helped me get this tree. Thanks, Jordan!

Well On Our Way

2011-11-02T23:40:00.001-06:00

October in Room 25

2011-11-02T23:34:00.001-06:00

I asked my librarians to "organize the library." I was thinking put all the Animorphs together, put the picture books on the same shelf, etc. A few days later I'm looking at the chapter books and I noticed that they had indeed organized the library. Can you see how? (Hint: I call it chromatic organization).

My mom sent me this great idea for a Halloween gift, fangs from Target with the saying "Have a 'fang-tastic' Halloween! - Mr. Allsop." The kids loved them. In fact, lots of kids were wearing fangs today, two days later, now that I think about it.

Things have been going well. The substitute I had a few weeks ago said my class of fourth graders was the best behaved class she had subbed for in the last ten years. She told me to give them all 1,000 college points (College points are table points they earn for great answers or being on task). I read her note to the kids, then told them "If the substitute says so, I have to do it," and added 1,000 college points to each table. The kids went ballistic. We proceeded to eat lunch in the classroom that day as a reward for their awesomeness.

The workload of a teacher is incredible in its scope and breadth, especially this year with new standards adopted by many states. Based on pure workload and stress level, I would take any week from my mission or college, transfers and finals week included, over any week so far this school year. We are asked to do so much, and then teachers who are really trying to do what's best for kids have to go above and beyond. Still, I wouldn't trade it--I can't think of a more rewarding work.

Update from Room 25

2011-09-22T22:35:00.001-06:00

1. You can now check out my classroom projects at www.donorschoose.org/mrallsop.

2. I noticed Ray wasn't doing the actions with us during vocabulary and seemed preoccupied with something in his desk. Finally I stopped and asked him to put his hands on his desk, which he did not. Note: Very few students don't do what I ask, because (a) I ask nicely and (b) they don't want to see Angry Mr. Allsop. So I walked over there a bit peeved--turns out he had unscrewed the leg of his desk, and the only thing keeping it from tumbling to the ground was his hand. Children!

3. We are progressing super nicely towards our goal of knowing all multiplication facts by Christmas. I show the kids our progress on our tracker below, and they are super invested in it. The test is 100 multiplication facts, 0-12, to be completed in 5 minutes (i.e. 7x8=, 1x12=). On the first day of school our class average was 46 out of 100. Just two weeks later, it was 59. Yay!

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Funny Fourth Grade Moments

2011-09-14T21:43:00.005-06:00

Names have been changed to protect the innocent (and embarrassed).

The Fart

So it's silent reading last week and the whole class is working on reading stamina--sustained, independent reading. It's quiet, everyone's into their book, when one of my dear students lets rip the loudest, most obvious flatulence. There are snickers all around, but I can't crack--I'm the teacher. So I raise my book up to cover my smirk and choke on my laugh. When we gathertogether again, Al asks, "Mr. Allsop, do you know who farted?", and I say, "It doesn't matter. Let's talk about what we do during reading time if there is a distraction..."

Tied to the Test

This morning we took a written response reading test. Several students finished early and had time to sit quietly at their desks and read. Apparently, Nelly had been playing with her backpack strings under her desk, because when we started to line up for art, she couldn't get up. She had tied herself to her chair and couldn't get up. I smiled and let the rest of the class walk out to art as she looked around frantically for a savior. "Help, I'm stuck in my chair!" Bless our dear classroom manager, who stopped to free her. Hilarious!

Think Before You Speak

One of our vocab words this week is thrash-v. to move about wildly. Today I asked students to think of good descriptive sentences that show the word in context.

Mr. A: Who has a good sentence with the word thrash? Nestor?.

Nestor: My little brother thrashes about when he has to take a bath.

Mr. A: Great sentence! Using descriptive vocabulary really makes our sentences more interesting and vivid. Class, can't you just picture Nestor's little brother thrashing around in the bath?

Class: Ewwww!!

Mr. A: No I mean, no, it's descriptive, no, uh... Does anyone else have a sentence?

10 Reasons I Love My iPhone

2011-09-09T22:27:00.004-06:00

1. I no longer have to memorize the Google maps page, then race out the door reciting directions in my head.

2. I actually waste less time on my computer because I can always check quickly to see if that important email has arrived.

3. I can lesson plan next to a calming pond complete with interactive goldfish.

4. When I see a book I like at Borders or a friend's house, I just barcode scan it with my Amazon app and buy it in 30 seconds.

5. I can have more than 3 alarms.

6. I Shazam like no one's business.

7. I can forward emails right when I say I'm going to, instead of forgetting to by the time I get home.

8. Jedi lightsaber duels.

9. I can Skype while I walk around my classroom.

10. At night when I'm curled up in bed reading and come across a new word, I can just grab my Dictionary app and look it up, hear the correct pronunciation, and save it.

I Love Africa!

2011-09-08T21:48:00.002-06:00

Awesome video of our work in Africa this summer. Mozambique!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhxH0yopJOc

First Week Back

2011-09-04T22:19:00.002-06:00

Facebook status Sunday, August 28, 2011 (the day before school):

So I guess it means I love my job when the night before the first day of school feels like Christmas Eve and I can't wait to fall asleep and I can't fall asleep. I get 28 precious gifts tomorrow!

The first week went really well. I am so much more comfortable in the classroom with a year under my belt--last year it took me months to loosen up with my kids. This year I'm already speaking in accents and dancing around the classroom. I've been able to be very clear about procedures and expectations (we even practiced how to put folders neatly into our backpacks so they don't get crinkled) now that I have a good idea of how I'd like my classroom to run.

I absolutely adore my now 31 students. Whew, that's a lot of kids in one room, let me tell you. It's a bit intimidating, but its incredible to me how even after a week (that's 25 hours together) I already care so deeply for these children, and I want the best for them. We've made big goals for this year, and I'm excited because I feel I have the tools this year to make sure we accomplish them. Since Africa I just feel better, happier, more in control, and that's make this potentially overwhelming week not only survivable but thrivable.

Stay tuned for more Room 25 updates!

Feels Like a Home

2011-08-17T00:57:00.004-06:00

For the first time, my apartment feels like a home. I love my living room pictures and my dining room decor. Thank you Juliann for the ideas and inspiration, thank you Lindsay for the encouragement and motivation to actually put them up!

Moving In

2011-08-17T00:47:00.004-06:00

Cabin 2011

2011-08-16T23:37:00.002-06:00

Of all my trips this summer, visiting my Grandpa's cabin was the non-negotiable. It's probably my favorite place in the world. Grandpa says it is some of the most pristine, untouched wilderness in the country, and I'd agree. My friend Lindsay drove up with me from Vegas (and learned how to drive stick shift on the way) and we made quite a road trip of it.

We spent a day in Cody, seeing some of the sights, then we spent the next two days up Wind River at the cabin. We went on four-wheeler rides, explored the old mining town of Kerwin, and kept our soda in the river. Grandpa cut down some dying trees, and Lindsay and I tried our hands at wood splitting.

I was kinda bummed when we didn't see any animals the first day, especially since the people we passed on the road had all seen bears. Then the last afternoon, Lindsay and I were driving on the four-wheeler to close the gate when she starts shrieking and grabbing me--there was a moose right off the side of the road! Wow! Awesome and slightly scary. I was just super excited that we got to see an animal. All in all a very successful cabin trip.

Nature's Refrigerator

Die, Wood, Die!

Africa in My Blood

2011-08-16T18:18:00.002-06:00

I absolutely adored my time in Mozambique. Africa reminded me how blessed I am to live where I do. Africa reminded me to be thankful for the opportunities I have. Africa showed me true natural beauty and showed me a simple, yet incredibly rewarding lifestyle. Africa really helped change my outlook on life and my attitude. Africa regrounded me in what is important, and reminded me what kind of person I want to be. I will never be the same.

Now I have Africa in my blood. I can't wait to get back.

Baby Orphanage

2011-08-06T22:28:00.003-06:00

My blogging about Africa wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention the baby orphanage. I only got to go a few times, but the volunteer team goes there every morning for an hour. It is an unforgettable experience. When we first walk in, all of the toddlers are out in the yard, and when they see us, they scream and swarm all over us. They just want to be hugged, touched, held. If you sit down, they will swarm your lap, jostling for a position that puts them close to you.

Doesn't this video make you want to get on a plane to Africa right now?

You can also choose to go upstairs to visit the little babies. They are all in cribs side by side in two rooms, one for the 0 - 6 month-olds, one for the 6-12 month-olds. Sometimes we get to help feed them (always the same: oatmeal mush), but more often we just hold them. The first time I went I cried--it broke my heart to see all these babies just sitting alone in their cribs, without stimulation, without one-on-one attention. The workers are the orphanage are incredible, and very caring, but it's hard to invest a lot of time and love into when they're are so many little ones to care for.

This picture shows me trying to get Mateus (Matthew) to smile. He's a hard nut to crack--I played with him 3 days in a row, and I only got him to grin once. The other picture shows me holding, I think his name was Francisco. He's a little mischief maker, climbing into neighboring cribs and such.

The orphanage is right on the beach, so sometimes I would pick up a baby, go stand at the window looking out at the ocean, and softly sing hymns. I loved visiting the baby orphanage.

You Know You're In Mozambique When..

2011-07-26T08:20:00.001-06:00

Wow. I can't believe it. I'm already on my way back from Africa. My flight was scheduled to leave Saturday, but that would have left me alone in Mozambique for two days (the CFL workers are on vacation and the HELP team leaves on Thursday), so my flight got moved to today, Tuesday. We haven't had Internet for a week--it's out in the whole city--so I am writing to you from Johannesburg, South Africa, as I enjoy my 6-hour layover before my 15-hour flight back to the states.

Anyway, I've been writing blog posts all along, so below you'll find posts from this week we haven't had internet. Hope you enjoy them! Comment and let me know what you think! I love to get comments and know who's reading.

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During our adventures the team made the following list titled “You Know You’re In Mozambique When...”

1. You use horse tape and yarn to keep the door from falling off the chapa (van).

2. You take pictures and kids tackle you.

3. You drive more on the wrong side of the road than the right.

4. You compare driving to playing MarioKart.

5. The taillight in your truck bursts into flames.

6. The ants are bigger than capterpillars.

7. Your door is locked with four padlocks, and you can still break in.

8. You watch Lion King in 16 parts.

9. You have to bring your own toilet paper everywhere.

10. When the internet stops working, it stops working in the whole city and it stops working for weeks at a time.

FHE with the Lost Boys

2011-07-25T21:00:00.000-06:00

Tonight I had Family Home Evening with the Lost Boys.

My last night in Africa was one of the best nights ever. We went over for a barbeque at Kedesh, a boys orphanage pretty close to our house. There are around 25 boys that live there, and the orphanage is run by an American named John. They have this awesome site with a big soccer field and lots of wilderness, and a huge house with a big room upstairs that feels like a giant treehouse.

All the boys know how to cook, so while a few manned the barbeque, others fried up some onion rings, and we brought rice and sweet and sour meatballs. I feel so lucky that I speak Portuguese, because I could talk and joke and laugh with the boys—I love to learn about life in Mozambique.

After dinner we went upstairs for what could only be called an African orphanage Family Home Evening. One of older boys was MC, and with an egg beater as a microphone announced several dance groups including Balas Perdidas, New Boys, and Game Over. Two or three of the boys would get up and start dancing while the rest of us clapped and cheered. It felt like a family talent show. Then two of the boys played the guitar and sang, and we all got to sing along with their last song. Bella, the volunteer from Brazil also played and sang. Her voice is absolutely celestial—I could have sat there and listened to her all night.

There was one more song, during which I was pulled onto the dance floor to show off some of my moves, several of which generated some applause and whistling. J Much too soon we were saying goodbye, exchanging names to find each other on Facebook, and driving away for the last time. Truly these are the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. They live with just each other for brothers and John. The cook and clean for themselves, and live in a giant treehouse.

Tonight I had Family Home Evening with the Lost Boys.

*I'll add a video to this post of the boys dancing once I have reliable internet. Check back soon!

Nhamatanda Orphanage

2011-07-23T17:00:00.002-06:00

Today was perhaps my favorite day in Africa. It will be hard to find words for my experience. We spent the day at an orphanage in Nhamatanda, a village about an hour and a half outside of Beira. The orphanage is run by a pastor named Domingos, and there are 65 orphans, girls and boys ages five to eighteen. All morning I was super excited knowing I would get to go to an orphanage today and play with the kids. I could hardly wait to get there. Fortunately I had the last chapter of The Happiness Hypothesis to finish on the ride.

When we got to the orphanage, we were quickly ushered into the great room, where chairs had been set up in the front for all of the volunteers. The kids sat in neat rows on wooden benches. When we were all seated, the kids started to sing for us. The sound was amazing! It was the most beautiful music, like a call and response sort of chant, complete with harmony. I could have listened to it all day.

After that warm welcome, everyone went outside onto the veranda to start on the day’s activities. I wanted to help with sewing, so I took a group of five young men, all in their late teens, and showed them how to sew a drawstring backpack. Now that I’ve done this several times before, this time I explained much better and helped them get set up for success from the get go. Four of my five successfully completed their backpacks, and proudly showed them off. Domingo, the last one, promised to finish.

We brought lunch for everyone (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches). With the backpacks done, I started to play with the younger boys. They are so adorable! Francisco, 13, showed me how to make a cool flower out of construction paper. Then I showed him and Manuel, 16, how to make my palm frond grasshopper. To keep things lively I started a paper airplane competition. During all this I’m joking with the boys, making them smile and laugh, and completely loving life. I gave my good airplane to Edson, 13, but even so Francisco’s went farther—he’s good with paper. J

Around 2:30pm, other volunteers were getting tired, but I felt invigorated—I wanted to stay there forever. The kids were so polite, so fun, and so excited to have us there. As the afternoon wound down, we all went back into the great room for a few more songs and a prayer. The kids sounded so great. As the music filled the room and I looked at their beautiful faces, I couldn’t hold back a few tears, tears of joy or tears of sadness I don’t know—I just know that I loved these kids I’d only known a few hours and I wanted the very best for them. The pastor shared a message of hope and gratitude for our visit, and several kids spoke as well. We handed out the hygiene kits and school bags we had brought as donations to the orphanage. Then I gave lots of hugs goodbye to Franciso, Edson, Manuel, Whait, Tindai, Johnny, and Jeronimo, and we were back in the chapa (Mozambican shuttle van) on our way home.

At one point in the afternoon Edson asked me a question that I didn’t understand very well. Francisco translated for me: “Edson and I were wondering if we could come to Beira with you during our vacation [school ended on Friday].” They looked at me with wide eyes and sweet, endearing faces. I said with all the truth I could convey, “I wish you could! I would love to spend more time with you, but I’ve leaving for the United States in just a few days!” As we were walking out, I told them that even though they couldn’t come with me in person, they would come with me in my heart. They smiled and nodded. Francisco and Edson, I will not forget you. I will pray for you—that you get every opportunity you deserve, and that your life is wonderful. You will be in my heart.

first row: Edson, Johnny, me, Francisco, more kids who jumped in

second row: volunteers Mariah and Isabella adding their flair :)

Income Generation 2

2011-07-22T20:04:00.000-06:00

Besides interviewing budding entrepreneurs, I have also attended one of the Income Generation classes and sat in many meetings about how we can best achieve Care For Life’s goals of promoting self-reliance and alleviating suffering. We’ve toured a facility that makes coal stoves and also houses other small business ventures. One of the things we wanted to do is design a sort of savings program or mini-credit union that communities could implement in order to receive the advantages of joining funds, depositing money, and taking out loans.

Today was the culmination of the our efforts over the last three weeks. We selected two zones (about 30 families) in the community of Ngupa 2 to start an association. One of the zone leaders, Papa Marques, has been a great ally for us, and very excited about the program. He’s a real go-getter, and serves as a great help for CFL. For the whole morning before we got there, he was out knocking doors rounding up people for the meeting.

We were able to share our vision about what an association is, and I explained to them wat I thought were the benefits of being part of an association (which Marques then translated into dialect for me). An association is a legal group that usually has a bank account where members can deposit money and also take out loans. Because taking out loans is next to impossible here (the interest rates can be 50%), this is a pretty big deal.

The people got pretty excited about the idea, and several shared with me the business ideas they had that could be realized with a small, low-interest loan. After our discussion, Margues and Margarida wrote down the names of those people interested in joining (thirty-three!), and we even elected honorary officers until the association could be officially legalized. These people, and the members, will meet together to discuss what the association will look like, how people will borrow, and the difficult question of how to ensure people pay back their loans. When all of this is ready, I have offered some of my funds to start the association.

I told the villagers gathered there that they are pioneers. This will be the first association of its kind in the community, or any of the communities where Care For Life works. As such, they’re almost surely be hiccups along the way, and obstacles to overcome. Yet they can rejoice through their experience, not only will they be blessed, but also Care For Life will learn valuable lessons and better be able to help others in the future.

Team Mozambique

2011-07-21T00:02:00.004-06:00

I can’t talk about the volunteer experience in Mozambique without talking about the team. While I’m officially here as an intern, I’ve spent a lot of time with the HELP volunteer team, and I live with them at home. The team is 10-14 people from all over who have come to Mozambique to volunteer for the month of July. You are with these people all day every day, so you become super close super quick. I love the team members. Each brings something unique to the group.

Margie is one of the team leaders, she makes sure everything goes smooth and knows what to do at the orphanages and communities. Check out her blog here with more about Mozambique (and pics of my stories and me!). Chris is the other team leader, a returned missionary that served in Mozambique, so he’s our connection to the culture and the language.

Sandy and Alice are two ladies who just stayed two weeks but were awesome—Sandy is this incredible volunteer fire fighter, triathlon runner, safari woman, and Alice saved our sewing projects with her adept needle and thread.

Wynn (pronounced Winnie) and Henry are the cutest couple, originally from Vietnam. I swear Wynn can do anything! She is a fabulous cook of Asian food, great with the kids, and can make anything from friendship bracelets to wood benches. Henry taught me to make a grasshopper from a palm frond. Definitely going to try that with my kids this year.

Sherri is another lady who comes, and she is the best at feeling—she really connects with the stories and the people. Sherri can simply see someone or hear their story and she already loves them. Read up on her version of our experience here.

Mariah and Michael Ann are college-age girls who decided to come on this adventure, and boy are we glad! Mariah is great with the young ones at the baby orphanage, and is a lot of fun to be around. Michael Ann brings energy to the group—she is incredibly enthusiastic and outgoing. She puts us all at ease and keeps us laughing.

Brandon and Meredith are brother/sister, both college-age as well. I love these two. Meredith is super nice, intelligent, and thoughtful. She always inspires us to always make the most of each moment in Mozambique. Brandon is the most prepared pre-missionary I’ve ever met. He also loves to read like few people I know—he’s devoured the book I brought along (Switch) and we’ve exchanged lists.

Isabella is a volunteer from Brazil. It’s great because she speaks Portuguese and English, she’s incredibly nice, and she is always appreciative of the beauty of Mozambique and its people. She has a beautiful singing voice, so sometimes she serenades us at night with her guitar. See some great pictures of our work on her blog here!

I have loved working with this group. Go team Mozambique!

Saturday is a Special Day

2011-07-16T23:42:00.005-06:00

I love when I get to go out with the team and work in the villages and orphanages. Today we went to an orphanage in Dondo. In truth, it's not really an orphanage anymore because the roof has a gaping hole in it, so they had to shut it down pretty much. The kids got sent to surrounding houses or other orphanages in the city. Still we had fun with the kids who were there.

My favorite was Erlan. Another volunteer made him pipe cleaner glasses "just like mine", per his request. Then I suggested a paper airplane contest. So we set about folding and coloring the best airplanes we could. When we were ready, we climbed up on the ledge to throw them as far as we could. The winner? Well, I did make an eighth grade science fair project titled "Which Paper Airplane Goes the Farthest?" :). We danced and played, and generally had a great time. I love playing with the kids.

Then to add a cherry on top of the icing on the cake, we had a bonfire/tin foil dinner night out on the beach. The moon was beautiful--it emerged soft red, huge on the horizon, and lit up our small group as it rose in the sky. We invited our Mozambican friends from Care for Life, and others our team leader Chris knew from his mission. It was so much fun! We ate tin foil dinners of meat, potatoes, and veggies with soft fresh-baked bread. One of the ladies I invited prepared some sort of incredibly juicy lemon chicken that was to die for. We sat on the beach, dipped our toes in the Indian Ocean, frolicked in the sand, and enjoyed the company of friends. Perfect end to a perfect day.

Me in Mozambique

2011-07-15T11:11:00.001-06:00

Papaya for breakfast? Yeah!

Teaching kids to sew backpacks

Teaching English

Beautiful Mozambique

2011-07-15T11:03:00.001-06:00

The Children of Mozambique

2011-07-15T10:32:00.005-06:00

Boys from the orphanage

Income Generation

2011-07-13T13:52:00.008-06:00

Care For Life's work in Mozambique is centered around the Family Preservation Program, which helps families in rural communities with health, hygiene, cleanliness, and more. One of the areas in which Care For Life works is Income Generation--working with families to plant gardens or utilize other skills to start and maintain a small business that could bring in a little bit of extra income.

Care for Life is especially interested now in creating some sort of savings and credit program for these communities, so that the people will have a place to save money and/or take out loans for these small businesses. To give you some idea, when people try and get a loan from the bank, the interest rate can be around 40%--you borrow 100 Meticais, you have to pay back 140 next month. When they try and borrow from a neighbor or friend, the interest rate is 50%. Insane! Obviously, this deters most people from getting loans. CFL would like to make low-interest loans available to budding entrepreneurs. Part of my work here this summer is to visit the communities, talk to the people, and begin to think about what this could look like.

So for the last three days, I've been visiting communities with members of the CFL team to talk with families that already have small businesses, or would be interested in starting a small business to get a little bit of extra money. Talking with these people for even a few minutes, I am amazed, shocked, and inspired.

Albertina is an elderly woman who really wants to start a banana business--buying bananas closer to downtown and bringing them to her rural community to sell

Money needed to start her business: 100 Meticais (about $3.00)

Joana is a widow who takes care of six grandchildren because most of their mothers (her daughters) died in childbirth. The only income she has is from selling wine, which brings in about 150 MT ($5) every two weeks. Every day she travels outside of the village to tend to her garden, which is the only way she is able to take care of her family. She would love to expand her offerings to include other drinks that are in greater demand.

Money needed to expand her business: 1000 MT (about $34)

Three years ago, a Care For Life worker kept pressing Jordino to create his own business. Almost as a joke, he started selling stuff out of his front yard. Now he has a thriving corner store, where he sells oil, crackers, biscuits, drinks, detergent, and other general goods.

Money to start his business: 1250 MT ($41)

And my favorite story. Torres is the neatest 14-year-old entrepreneur. He really wanted to buy a cell phone (the model he wants costs about 1200 MT, $30), so he asked his dad for some money. He went to the beach, bought some fish, and began to sell it out of his front yard. Now he's got an income of 200 MT (about $6) about every 10 days. Now he gives money to his parents sometimes to help out. He's almost got enough saved to buy his cell phone.

Money needed to start Torres' business: 300 MT ($10)

This is incredible to me. First, it's inspiring to hear these stories and others of people starting a little business from almost nothing and creating for themselves a small but significant amount of income. What's shocking is how little is needed to help them get started ($3 for Albertina to start her banana business! $10 for Torres's fish!), but so many can't because they don't have that money, and they can't afford to borrow at the outrageous interest rates available to them. Hopefully my work with Income Generation can find ways to make credit more readily available to these wonderful entrepreneurs.

Gorongosa National Park

2011-07-12T14:46:00.005-06:00

After visiting the boys orphanage, I thought to myself, "I can't go and just play in Gorongosa and go on a safari while these boys just stay here. I want to move in here, be their teacher, play with them, love them." But then I thought to myself, No, I need to experience all sides of Africa. And who I am to turn down the chance to safari in Africa? :)

So on Sunday we drove 5 hours Mario Kart style (weaving in and out of potholes) to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. It was cloudy and rainy when we got there, so our plans for a sunset drive were quickly replaced with an afternoon safari. It was so Jumangi/Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. We were in this big Safari jeep, and we had to go through a gate into the deep forest of Africa, on the hunt for wild animals. Awesome!

We saw lots of warthogs, monkeys, and a variety of antelope-esque animals I didn't even know existed. Have you heard of waterbuck or nyala? Then about halfway through I spotted what I really wanted to see off in the distance. Elephants! They were close to the road, and the matriarch even charged us at one point because she was worried about her young ones. It was awesome! My other favorite part is when we we stopped to take some pictures of several monkeys about 20 yards away, and didn't even notice the warthog burrow two feet away from the jeep. They grunted, then bolted out of their hole, but not as fast as Michael Ann jumped clear across the jeep to the other side. I've never seen anyone move so fast--I couldn't stop laughing.

Our accommodations and the food were fantastic--a little African paradise in the middle of the jungle. Then the next morning bright and early at 6am, we began safari drive #2. We had a great guide, Motinho, who really knew his stuff and took us to the some great places. The highlight of this drive was the crocodiles and the African plains. At the end we came out on this large plain, and in every direction you could see heards of bushbuck, waterbuck, impala, and more. It was incredible, and just the kind of Africa experience I was hoping for.

Gorongosa is beautiful. It's an example of the natural resources and diversity that exist in Mozambique.

Isaac in Africa

2011-07-08T14:21:00.003-06:00

As I drove out of the African village of Nhamainga this afternoon, crowded in a van full of American volunteers, I had this thought: “That was the single coolest thing I have ever done.” I had just spent two hours teaching five young African boys how to sew a drawstring backpack. It was absolutely incredible. I just sat on the ground in the community hut, and taught these amazing youngsters where to sew—most of them were already experienced at threading needles and the basic backstitch, all they lacked was materials and instruction. I can’t describe how wonderful that moment was. In an instant, I loved these kids just as much as my fourth graders. Oh, I love them!

I keep saying incredible, awesome, wonderful, but it just doesn’t do justice to the experience. I mean, I’m actually in Africa, meeting the people, hearing their stories, and giving of my time and effort to bless their lives. I’ve wanted to do this for my whole life. At the same time that it’s so completely normal that I just get in a van and go out into the field to work, it’s also completely surreal, like how could I, me, actually be living this moment as though out of a good feely movie or inspiring documentary. I love it. I love it.

That was just one of several remarkable experiences I’ve had over the last two days. On our first day out in the field, we visited a boy’s orphanage in the jungle area outside of Beira. We played soccer and volleyball with them. It was so awesome! I was talking to one of the older boys for a minute and he was telling me that a lot of the boys here actually have one or two parents, but because they didn’t have conditions to care for their child, they sent them to the orphanage. The proprietor there, an American who created this orphanage in Mozambique, pays for them to go to private school, and gives them a place to sleep and eat. The boys were so nice, and so kind. The last time they had visitors was a year ago when the Care for Life volunteers came. We only stayed two hours, but I honestly wanted to stay and just live there.

Finally, the last experience I’ll tell you about right now was at the House of Innocent Saints girls orphanage in Beira. They laid out some mats for us, and we sat outside on the dirt and made flowers out of construction paper and pipe cleaners. I sat with Rosa and Maria. Isaac, a little boy looking no older than 8, came and sat next to me. I asked him how old he was, and he said twelve. I was shocked. He also said he was in the third grade. He was from the boys orphanage down the street. We don’t volunteer there because there are 250 boys, and we don’t have enough supplies or manpower. As we drove away, I was overwhelmed by my feelings. This precious child, so kind and polite to me, without parents, without shoes. The thousands of other orphans in Mozambique that never get visited, that never get pipe cleaner flowers, that never get a loving hour of attention. I waved fervently at Isaac as we pulled out, and I swear I saw him wipe a tear away. I know I was wiping tears away.

If I left today, the experiences I have already had will have altered me forever. I have seen, with my own eyes, how some of the poorest people in the world live. I’ve talked to them, played with them, taught them, and loved them. I will never be the same.

Independence Day in Mozambique

2011-07-05T01:29:00.006-06:00

34 hours, 3 airports, 3 airplanes, and 2 countries later, I am in Mozambique! I arrived Monday afternoon, and Chris, the team leader was at the airport to pick me up. He told me the best way to get on Mozambique time was to stay up and go to bed at the regular time. I was super tired, but I was ready to start my Africa adventure--I can't waste a day!

So after a quick tour and shower, we went downtown in the Care for Life truck. Wow, how can I convey to you everything I took in being out in Mozambique? Well, first, I love it. I was smiling the whole time, just loving everything--the people, the palm trees, the jungle, the third worldness of it all. Second, did you know people drive on the left side of the street in Mozambique? Very disconcerting to have a semi barreling toward you on "wrong" side of the street. Third, there are no traffic lights, or any traffic rules for that matter, so everyone drives like the Knight Bus from Harry Potter. Best part is, I never felt unsafe--or maybe I was too enamoured with the landscape. So we went downtown in search of nails and some food, which we purchased at a very Americanesque grocery score called Shoprite.

A Cozinha (Kitchen)

Don't forget your mosquito net!

Soon to be my bunk bed

O banheiro (bathroom)

We had plenty to do that evening. First we went to visit a family that Chris had met (he actually taught and baptized the husband Bernardo) on his mission in Mozambique. They were super nice, and we enjoyed FHE and a legitimate Mozambican dinner with them. Rice, chicken, fries, and salad--my first Mozambican meal is a success!

We spent the rest of the evening celebrating the Fourth of July with four other Americans at a little farm on the outskirts of Beira. Chris had met them early that day volunteering at the orphanage, and they invited us over to celebrate that night. It was a total blast. We made our own homemade fireworks out of steel wool, ate Brazilian food to beyond contentedness, and played Uno. It was so much fun.

I love Mozambique!

Vegas to Africa!

2011-07-02T15:33:00.007-06:00

So the chief reason I shall resume blogging in earnest is to tell the tales of my Africa travels. I'm going to Mozambique! I leave tonight--see attached visual travel itinerary. :)

Drake Going to Mozambique FAQ

Q: Why are you going to Mozambique?

A: I've always been fascinated by this country. For a long time, I've wanted to go to Africa, and Mozambique in particular. After my mission in Brazil, I learned a lot about Mozambique because it's one of only eight countries where Portuguese is the official language. Turns out my interest in Mozambique is more longstanding then I thought--the other day I was searching through my old schoolwork is search of an essay I'd written I wanted to read to my kids and lo and behold, guess what I found? A travel brochure I'd made in sixth grade all about...you guessed it!...Mozambique! I attached it below in case you want to take a look. :)

Q: What will you be doing in Mozambique?

A: I am going to Mozambique with a non-profit foundation called Care for Life. The current plan is that I will work within an area of their organization called Income Generation. This program teaches business skills to Mozambicans so that they can become self-reliant and qualify for micro-credit. I will also be in the country the same time as a humanitarian team, so hopefully I will also get to visit orphanages and teach vocational skills occasionally as well. I will also be revitalizing my Portuguese language skills, enjoying the warm winter of the southern hemisphere, and all around enjoying my summer in Africa.

Q: How long will you be in Mozambique?

A: Four weeks, July 4 through July 31.

Q: How are you feeling about your trip to Mozambique?

A: Okay, I guess.... Are you kidding?!?! I'm so stoked--I can't believe I am actually going. It is going to be awesome, incredible, and super super rad!

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them in the comments. Africa, here I come!

Drake's Pensieve Revisited

2011-07-02T15:28:00.003-06:00

In my very first post just over two years ago, I talked about how I put off starting my blog because I didn't know where to start, and I didn't know exactly what to say.

A similar thing has happened over the last year. I've been so busy teaching and starting life in Las Vegas, I stopped blogging, and didn't start up again because I didn't know where to start. How do you capture the experiences of a whole first-year teaching, a whole first year in the real world, out on my own? I didn't know where to start and I felt intimidated.

The good news is, just like then, I'm going to start again. I'm empowered by the fact that I don't have to record everything, I don't have to feel guilty. This is my Pensieve--it is the collection of my thoughts and memories that I choose to store here.

So without further ado, I give you...Drake's Pensieve!

Failing a Test with Dignity

2011-02-18T21:53:00.003-07:00

Maybe only teachers think these are funny, but I had a good laugh.

Christmas Spirit Arrives in Vegas

2010-12-08T23:08:00.004-07:00

It took me a little longer than usual to find my Christmas spirit, but it finally came in full blast this week. My third annual Christmas party has an official date, I'm planning a Christmas elf workshop for my kids, and the apartment looks like Christmas! A special Christmas shout out to Jordan, who dragged me out of my classroom on Monday so we could buy a tree. Thanks Jordan!

I wrapped a bunch of empty boxes and a can of green beans so it would look like we have presents. :)

Drake's Devotional

2010-09-08T23:53:00.007-06:00

So I had this idea months ago, before my blog, to do little devotionals as a way to share my testimony and what I'm learning about the gospel. Funny that I should finally make the idea a reality during the busiest time of my life. Here you go. Take 3-4 minutes out of your day for Drake's Devotional. You'll feel better. :)

***************************************

Hymn: Scatter Sunshine #230 (click to get the music)

Thought: Sister Beck

To manage her time, she divides priorities into three categories—“must do,” “should do,” and “nice to do.” Personal prayer, scripture study, temple attendance, and family are on her “must do” list. “I don’t know of a woman who doesn’t have more to do than she can do,” she says, but prioritizing “eliminates guilt. I’m surprised at how many ‘nice to do’ things I can get done.”

Prayer: You

Room 25

2010-08-29T11:41:00.003-06:00

So last week I got into my classroom for the first time. Room 25 at Gragson Elementary! I was so excited. Then I started getting into the nitty-gritty, and I got scared. There was so much to do! Clean desks and walls, arrange tables, put up posters, get supplies, organize folders, lesson plan! I was very overwhelmed. I am fortunate to have a great school team, and the other teachers have been so giving of not only their time and ideas, but even their extra stuff.

Then the greatest blessing. My family, sensing my stress and overwhelmedness, decided to help, and drove all the way from South Jordan to come help in my classroom. We spent all day Saturday getting stuff ready so that I can feel ready to go on Monday. I am so incredibly grateful to them, I cannot describe it. Thank you family!

A Day In Provo, A Day in SoJo, a Day in Zion

2010-08-29T11:38:00.002-06:00

Right after the last day of TFA training, I decided to spontaneous road trip up to Utah to see friends and family. It was exactly what I needed, and so refreshing. It felt so good to be back among the people I love and adore so completely. Ah, I get sad and happy chills even now just thinking about it.

4th Grade!

2010-08-08T11:59:00.003-06:00

Three weeks into institute, the Las Vegas Valley TFA staff came out to LA to meet with the Las Vegas corps. At induction, we had been told not to expect our placement until the second week of August. Well, on this night they handed out these packets and had us all open them at the same time, because it held sensitive information regarding our placements. It felt almost like opening a mission call. I pulled out the first sheet and read, "Congratulations Drake! You are assigned to teach 4th grade. You will be teaching at Gragson Elementary School."

4th grade! I'm so happy. I couldn't have picked it better myself. That's exactly what I wanted. I don't even know my kids yet, but I already love them, and I can't wait to meet them on the first day of school.

TFA Institute 2010

2010-08-08T11:24:00.004-06:00

Wow. Talk about a whirlwind two months! I don't know that I've ever been so busy, so overwhelmed, and so excited in my life. Let me try and get you all up-to-date.

So at the end of June I packed up my life in Provo and drove down to Vegas. I was there for a week of training called induction. 50 other recent college grads from around the country joined me in Vegas, and together we made up the 2010 Las Vegas Valley Teach For America Corps. I was amazed at how quickly and completely we formed a community. In just 5 days, we all bonded together and became really good friends. We learned about the achievement gap in Nevada, and what our role would be as leaders in the movement to end educational inequality.

In what seemed like a blink, we were off to institute--the TFA teacher training boot camp in Los Angeles. Over 200 corps members from Las Vegas, LA, the Bay area, and Kansas City all came together for the most intense 5 weeks of our lives. I pulled into Loyola Marymount University on a Saturday afternoon, and got my assignment letter: Stevenson Middle School, 8th Grade English Language Arts. I was ecstatic. I get to be a teacher!

At Institute, every corps member gets a chance to teach in a real summer school classroom. We share the classroom with our collaborative, 4 teachers total that split up the two periods.

Here's a typical day at institute.

5:30am Wake up, stuff backpack with student work, and run off to breakfast

6:35am Bus for Stevenson Middle School leaves

7:30am Campus morning meeting

8:00am Summer School starts, all four teachers work together in the classroom

8:40am one of a variety of teacher training sessions

10:30am my 8th graders arrive in their second period

11:45am My Lead Teach Time! I'm in front of the classroom teaching my kids how to find theme

12:30pm School's Out!

1:00pm More, more, more sessions

4:30pm Bus leaves Stevenson

5:15pm Grab some dinner at the dining hall

6:00pm Start lesson planning for the next day, and for the next week, making handouts, posters, scripting out what you will say, making management plans, etc

11:00pm - 1:00am Get to bed at some insane hour just to do it all again tomorrow :)

It was intense, difficult, and trying work. There were days when I didn't know if I could do it. Planning how to teach writing to my kids is trickier than it sounds. Yet seeing their results on the final writing assessment made it all worth it. When a student who wrote two sentences on their diagnostic essay goes on four weeks later to write a well-composed four paragraph essay, that is a great feeling.

Mr. Allsop and Ms. Talbot waiting for the bus on a Friday afternoon

My co-teacher Ms. Alberti in our classroom, Room 21

So before I knew it, I was saying goodbye to my kids at Stevenson, and back in Las Vegas. I got back on August 1, and starting looking for a place to live. We got back on Sunday, then on Tuesday we started full-day sessions again to get us ready for the first day of school. We worked on our big goals, long-term plans, unit assessments, unit plans, and more. I have a whole new respect for teachers--there is so much to do, know, and plan! State standards, writing tests, setting goals, picking a theme, preparing a classroom, meeting parents and students, managing behavior, etc, etc, etc! Again, it's been hard work, and I don't have it all figured out, but I'm confident that I will. My roommate Jordan and I found a place to live, I've been hired by Clark County School District, and, ready or not, I'm a teacher!

Zion in May

2010-06-13T12:24:00.002-06:00

The second week of May I took a day excursion with several friends to Zion National Park. I love, love, love southern Utah! It was a beautiful day, and a great time.

Angel's Landing

Simple & Delicious

2010-06-13T12:04:00.004-06:00

So while I love to cook and bake, I've never really been one for recipe books. I already have a ton of recipes from my mother, and I get more from online. That said, I was at a friend's house when I saw this little Taste of Home recipe book, so I started flipping through it, and I kept saying to myself, "I'd make that," "Oh, I'd make that", "Oh, I'd definitely make that, right now!" I was so impressed I vowed right then to buy it--my very first cookbook.

Here are a few of my first adventures. My pictures don't look quite like they do in the book, but they still look delicious!

Very Berry Pie

Cream Cheese Scrambled Eggs

French Toast Supreme

The Wordle of Drake's Pensieve

2010-05-07T20:16:00.004-06:00

Wordle is a toy for generating "word clouds" from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently.

I Graduated!

2010-04-30T23:03:00.002-06:00

On Thursday, April 22, 2010, Drake Allsop became a college graduate!

BS Management, Strategy Emphasis

Portuguese Minor

Brigham Young University

Provo, Utah

Me and my cousin Juliann.

Such Handymen

2010-04-17T20:35:00.008-06:00

Tonight I had another Portuguese/Brazilian party with some friends, enjoying good ol' authentic food and dessert. On the way back, we dropped my friend Grant off at his car, but he flagged us down before we could drive off, because he'd locked his keys in the car. He didn't have a spare key, so he tried calling the police, but with little luck.

Meanwhile, my other friend Ken and I took matters into our own hands. I walked into Dillards and asked for a wire hanger, and Ken rummaged around in his truck to find some other potential tools. The driver's side window was open just a crack, so Ken fashioned a circle on the end of the wire hanger, pushed it through the crack, and maneuvered it into position over the lock. Then I reached in with another plastic hanger to push the wire hanger onto the lock. Miracle of miracles, when Ken pulled up with the wire hanger, the door unlocked! I couldn't stop laughing! It actually worked! Ken and I high-fived each other. We are such handymen!

Spring Salad

2010-04-15T20:06:00.004-06:00

Does it get better than this? Beautiful day, wonderful weather, and delicious food. Thank you, Mom!

Feijoada & Mousse de Maracujá

2010-04-11T09:49:00.009-06:00

Recently I tried my hand at a full-blown Brazilian dish: feijoada. Basically, it's beans, sausage, and pork over rice. Of course, in the authentic version, it's got assorted animal guts, but I decided to leave those out. :) I bought farofa (the yellow sprinkles) at a foreign foods to complement the meal.

I even went all out with one of the most delicious Brazilian desserts: mousse de maracujá (passion fruit mousse). Obviously it wasn't quite as picturesque as below, but it was just as tasty. I love Brazilian food!

"That's Not My Name!"

2010-04-11T09:43:00.005-06:00

On Thursday, April 1, my dance class performed an American Rumba at the Social Dance Lab. Of all the routines I've participated in, I think this one was my favorite. We look so good! Karsen said our lines were even better than his team. I love dancing so much!

3DC Premium Package

2010-03-21T13:58:00.008-06:00

If you like my dessert contest idea, let me know! Leave a comment and say what you think. And, if you're interested, I can send you an electronic copy of Drake's Delicious Dessert Contest Premium Package, free of charge, which includes:

Sample email invitations
Sample online registration form
12 dessert quotes
dessert name tag template
Award certificates
dessert rating sheet
dessert crossword puzzle

I'd be happy to answer any questions and give tips/tricks--now that I've done it once, I've learned a few things to do differently next time.

Sincerely,

Drake Allsop

3DC Chairman

Drake's Delicious Dessert Contest (3DC)

2010-03-21T12:55:00.007-06:00

This week I hosted my first ever dessert contest, and it was a smashing success. We had 14 entries, and they were amazing! I was so excited at everyone's hard work and creativity--some people went all out, and I love that!

Everyone tried each dessert, then rated each on presentation and deliciousness. I've included the winners below. The Most Delicious Dessert prize was a gift certificate for a half dozen gourmet cupcakes from Cocoa Bean Cupcake Cafe. The Best Presentation gets a picture of their dessert here on my blog, on my Facebook, and on my apartment door.

It was a lot of preparation and work, but that was half the fun for me. I loved it! I made everyone dessert name tags, and hung random dessert quotes around the room for people to read as they munched and mingled. I even themed the event with colors--brown and green. It was such an enjoyable night, so much fun.

Best Presentation: One Trick Apple Pie

Most Delicious Dessert: Mmmmm... (Ice Cream Oreo Pie)

**Note: In case you wanted to know, my dessert was Mouse de Maracujá, a frozen passion fruit mousse from Brazil. It was ranked the second most delicious dessert. :)

There Is Beauty All Around

2010-03-07T09:51:00.000-07:00

St. George Getaway

2010-03-07T09:23:00.004-07:00

Last weekend was my long awaited and much anticipated trip to St. George. My cousin Lyric and I zipped down on Friday after school to spend a few days with our Smiley grandparents. I love them and I love St. George! We went hiking Saturday morning, and though it was mainly overcast, we ended up catching the day's 10 minutes of sun while we were out. I was excited because it was a hike that Grandpa and Grandma hadn't done before, and they've done almost all the hikes in that area. It was fun to be able to explore together. We munched on crackers and cheese on our way back, my favorite hiking lunch.

Then on Sunday the weather was beautiful--sunny, 60 degrees. We went to church with my grandparents in the morning, and then just relaxed in the afternoon, until we had to say goodbye to the fun and head back to reality. It was a welcome break. Lyric and I both mentioned that on our missions, the two places we missed most were my Grandpa's cabin in Wyoming and St. George, Utah. They're still two of my favorite places on earth!

My First Mosaic

2010-02-21T10:48:00.003-07:00

Wow, I have been so artsy lately! This Friday my friend Stacey set me up with her friend Shannon and we went on one of the most creative double dates ever. First, the girls prepared us a delicious Mexican feast, complete with deep fried jalapeno peppers! Then Stacey revealed the night's activity: mosaic-making! She and Shannon had purchased a bunch of different color plates from DI, and had broken them into pieces for our artwork. Isn't that great? A lot of glass breaking, hot glue gunning, and several hours later, wa la! Here's the picture I made--can you tell what it is?

The Wonderful World of Hogwarts

2010-02-18T21:59:00.003-07:00

Again, the power of creativity. I am just such a believer that there is so much good to do in the world, so much fun to have, so much to explore and create, who needs television and video games? I don't practice this theory perfectly, but doing things like this remind me of it. This was such a great use of our no school Monday. Thank you, cousins!

Laughing Rejuvenation

2010-02-07T19:38:00.003-07:00

Also yesterday, Joy introduced me to a pretty hilarious video that had us rolling around the kitchen. I hadn't laughed that hard in forever!

That felt so good I went a searching and came across this funny video. My stomach hurt after watching it I was laughing so hard, but gosh it feels good to laugh! I think everyone should make sure to have full-out belly-aching laughing sessions at least once a week--it does a body good!

Peanut Butter Bars and Lettuce Wraps

2010-02-07T12:09:00.006-07:00

Lately I've been a bit more explorative in my baking--I'm ready for some new recipes. This week I made Peanut Butter Bars for the first time. Wow! Delicious! I took a big plate to work for everyone, and since a few people were out of town, I figured I could count on one or two left for my lunch when I came back in at noon. Nope! Nothing but crumbs left! They were an absolute hit.

Peanut Butter Bars
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter/margarine
1/2 c. peanut butter
2 eggs
2 TB milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Then for the frosting:

1/3 c. peanut butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 c. milk

Mix and spread over peanut butter bars after they have cooled.

Yesterday, together with my friend Joy, I tried my hand at lettuce wraps. With Joy's water chestnut skills and my lettuce ripping technique, we created a scrumptious lunch. Another hit!

Creativity in Action

2010-01-31T12:18:00.007-07:00

So one day last week my cousins were in town for the evening, and though we didn't really have a plan, we knew we wanted to get together and do something. Being the fount of creative ideas I am, I suggested that we all learn the mambo. When that idea failed to receive thunderous appeal, I pulled out Idea #2: Redecorate my kitchen. Now this was something my artistic cousins could get excited about--soon we were out the door racing to the craft stores before they closed in search of canvas and paint. When we returned, we couldn't decide for a long time exactly what we wanted to do, but after a while came up with the drip and flick idea that you see below. We wanted them to be a set--can you tell what the theme is?

The moral of the story? When you've got a night with friends ahead of you, and you start asking what should we do, before you default to a movie, start thinking creative. What can you do that will encourage friendship, cultivate creativity, and leave you with something to remember the evening by?

Music

2009-12-29T18:57:00.005-07:00

I love music. Music has power to edify, inspire, calm, excite, pacify, encourage; I can be as angry as I'll get out, but play a song I like and in 3 minutes and 36 seconds (give or take) I'm a renewed man. :) That's pretty amazing in my book.

Here's a bit about me and music. First, it's a select group of songs that can have the magical effect described--not just any music will do. Second, I've discovered that I usually need one of two things to like a song--a positive connection or time. Allow me to explain. While I would never probably have liked "Apologize" by One Republic on my own, my roommates in Sparks designated it as our apartment theme song, so because in my head I connect the song with those roommates I love, I also love the song. This explains why I love soundtracks--because they are connected to movies. The other thing I need to like a song is time. I've discovered that I need to hear songs several times--I rarely love a song from the first time I hear it. But as I hear it more, the song grows on me, and I often end up loving it.

Finally, music and me go through distinct phases. First is the acquaintance phase, where I get to know a song and see if we're going to mesh. If we do, then comes the honeymoon phase. I can't seem to get enough of the song, and I listen to it over and over, at home, in the car. Then after listening to it so much, I'm tired of the song and it it usually moves into the Christmas card phase--I still like it, but I'll listen to it only occasionally.

I've added a little music player to my blog. I'm gonna try it out. My current favorite music is by Owl City. I remember when I first heard his music I thought the lyrics were nonsensical and I didn't like any of it. His music has, however, grown on me, and I'm definitely in the honeymoon phase right now. I actually like how the lyrics are totally random--they're quite poetic if you think about it. I've laughed out loud several times hearing some of his song lyrics for the first time. Enjoy!

Christmas

2009-12-25T15:45:00.005-07:00

This was a great Christmas, as they always are. Here's me by my incredible stash. Thank you, Santa! I got more than I deserved, for sure.

The gift I was most excited for, however, was one I was giving (isn't that often the case?). Our family has the tradition of watching family home videos to pass the time in the evening before going to bed on Christmas Eve. Our videos were on little old 8mm tapes we could only play through our old camcorder which hardly worked. We would always rummage around to find the right cords, and then spend most of the night trying to find the our favorite parts. Well, somewhere I got the idea to move all of that footage onto DVD, and I knew that there was a lab at BYU to help me do that. I even created neat DVD menus and scene selections. Turns out it was a larger project than I envisioned, but the final product was really great: A 5-DVD set of 8 1/2 hours of family fun. I was giddy all week to give it to my family, and for my sister in Alaska to open her copy and have a piece of family on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Spirit

2009-12-13T17:24:00.005-07:00

You know, with projects, papers, and presentations, not to mention finals, I haven't really gotten into the Christmas spirit yet like I usually do. Today, though, was an incredible day--I'm now in the Christmas spirit. First, this morning I got in the spirit of giving by making a cream-cheese danish for my wonderful friends in Apartment 209. I put on my festive green sweater, and Dan wore my red one--everybody loved our sweaters!

Then at church I participated with the ward choir in the Christmas Program, and loved it. Things kept getting better. In preparing for my home teaching message, I came across a great little video about the Christmas spirit. It made me happy to talk about Christmas with my home teachees. Then, the greatest Christmas miracle of the day--I come home and my roommate says, Hey, there's something for you in the living room. It's a Christmas tree! My roommate and his girlfriend heard about my sadness in not having decorations this year (I forgot them all at home) and had gotten a tree and decorated it, complete with my name. I was so touched. My Christmas Spirit-o-meter was full. Merry Christmas!

Master Ethan's Poetry Night

2009-12-13T12:30:00.004-07:00

The other evening my friend organized a poetry night. The only requirement was that you bring a poem, either that you wrote or otherwise, and share it with the group. His original plan was to have it outside around a campfire, but because we didn't want to freeze, we improvised--I came up with the idea to have a crackling fire on our laptops, which we then put in the middle of the circle. To complete the illusion, occasionally I would lean forward and warm my hands in front of the screen.

It was surprisingly enjoyable. One of my favorites was when my roommate read a composition by M. Cyrus, which turned out to be the words to "Party in the U.S.A." He was so serious reading it, we all pealed over in laughter. Probably my favorite author of the night though was my friend Ellis. I asked her for some of her poems afterwards, which I've received permission to include below.

Spork
They tell me
I'm a bastard child.
What's it to them
If one night,
The washing done, my mother,
Nested with her sisters, defied
The constraints of compartmentalization
And slid to lie beside my father with a scandalous clink?
Let them scoff at my stubby tines
And incomplete curvature.
I'm proud to be a mutt.
Let those stuffy segregationists
Toss me in with the tea strainer,
The asparagus tongs,
The cracker scoop: other freaks
Who won't stack. They'll change their tune
When the chicken noodle
Soup is served.

Autumn Smolder

When the first flames
Break out in the scrub oak
I live head turned, neck craned,
Eyes devouring the mountain's
Smoldering shoulder, seized
By pyromania.
Soon I hear dulcet
Tones from the canyons, calling
To a deeper, brighter burning.

In the canyons, autumn
Spends itself in one wild conflagration,
Ignites pyres of crimson maple and blazes
Of golden aspen
That lick at the hillsides.

I breathe this fire in,
A Joan D'Arc clinging
To the stake, knowing too soon
Autumn will burn itself out,
Leaving only charred black
Branches stretched up to receive
The first white flakes
Like falling ash.

Christmas Tango & Cha Cha

2009-12-10T14:06:00.004-07:00

Twice a semester the Social Dance program puts on a dance lab, where all of the social dance students come to cha-cha, waltz, fox-trot, swing, and more. All the upper-level classes put on a performance at one of the labs--my class performed a tango and cha-cha. It was so much fun!

2009-11-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

I spent Thanksgiving at my aunt's house in Spanish Fork. Besides the most delicious turkey, potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberries, creamy orange salad, and pie, the highlight of the day was the bingo ball tournament. It's also called senior golf--where you throw two golf balls on a string at some rebar posts and try and get them to stay for points. Everyone played, and when you weren't playing we sat happily on the deck cheering on the players. I actually make it to the semifinals, but that was the extent of my dingo ballness. My uncle, the one throwing below, won the whole thing. You know, it doesn't really matter so much what you do when you're with family--just being with them is the best part.

Come to Zion, Come to Zion

2009-11-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

For me, there are few things more enjoyable than camping and hiking--exploring the great outdoors. Camping and hiking with friends, then, is just off the chart fun! The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, 8 of us zipped on down to Zion's National Park to hike Angel's Landing. It was such a blast, I absolutely loved it.

Cold cereal in cups for breakfast

I think we sang every Disney song and every song from a musical that exists. We were quite the traveling singers--other hikers even started making requests!

Winding up Walters Wiggles

The Final Ascent

All of us at the top of Angel's Landing

NODAC 2009

2009-11-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

You know you have a cool job when they pay you to go to a conference at the Disneyland Resort. The first week in November the staff in Office of First-Year Experience and I traveled to Anaheim to attend the National Orientation Directors Association Conference. It was pretty neat. We got to attend various different sessions hearing from other orientation directors about new student orientation on their campuses. We had been invited to share about our peer mentor training in a poster session (basically a grown-up's science fair). My supervisor and I worked hard to make the poster engaging and professional.

I've been to one other conference for work before, and one of the most fun things is getting to eat out. We have a fixed per diem and so we go out to eat every night--this is pretty out of the ordinary for someone who's only eaten out at at 6 restaurants in his life, 4 of which are Wendy's. We ate at ESPN Zone, Rainforest Cafe, and IHOP. Eggnog pancakes are to die for!

But of course, the best part was Disneyland! This was my second time ever going (the first time being when I was 18). As I recounted my previous experience to Bryce, it soon became apparent that I did not fully experience Disneyland on my first time. When my family went, Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and the Matterhorn were all closed. So I experienced those rides for the first time. Heather, the Assistant Dean in our office, had never been to Disneyland, so it was great showing her around for the first time. She got soaked at Splash Mountain! We were laughing so hard.

Even after experiencing all of the other rides, I think Indiana Jones is still my favorite. Yeah, Disneyland!

Teach for America 2010 Corps

2009-11-11T10:25:00.002-07:00

I made it! I'm in! I'm accepted into Teach for America! I've been accepted to teach elementary school in Las Vegas Valley! How 'bout that?!?!

Las Vegas was my second choice, and I'm ecstatic about it. It's closer to home, and also close to the southern Utah that I love. There's a strong LDS single population, and it's definitely not too cold! Elementary school was my least preferred choice, so that surprised me, but the more I think about it, the more I think I could love it--I mean, I'd get to teach all the subjects instead of just one!

This was great news, and I feel privileged to be accepted into this prestigious organization, and excited about what it could mean for me.

Here were some of my communications from yesterday. Yippee!

---------------------------------------------

Dear Drake,

I am pleased to extend you an offer to join the Teach For America 2010 corps! This offer to join Teach For America reflects your outstanding accomplishments, leadership potential, and commitment to expanding educational opportunities for children in low-income communities.

---------------------------------------------

Congratulations! We are pleased to invite you to join the 2010 Teach For America corps and are excited to assign you to teach elementary school (K through 5) in the Las Vegas Valley .

---------------------------------------------

I just wanted to reach out today and say CONGRATULATIONS on being accepted into Teach For America!!!! In our most competitive year to date, you are among a very select group of people we're extending offers to this year to become a part of our 2010 corps. I am so excited for you!

---------------------------------------------

Frisbee in 38° Farenheit

2009-10-29T23:25:00.002-06:00

Tonight was our first tournament game for BYU intramurals. You might not believe it, but I'm actually wearing five layers of clothing in this picture! Once I was running around, it actually didn't feel that bad. And get this--I scored 4 points for our team! That's 1 out of every 3 points! This is cool because I'm not really that great of a player--in fact, I probably rank in the bottom one or two in skill level. Still, tonight I was on fire or something! Afterwards when my roommate asked about it, I said, "Yeah, it was cool! People were giving me chest bumps and yelling my name from the sideline...no wonder some people like sports!"

Photoshoot 2

2009-10-27T15:43:00.003-06:00

See previous post Photoshoot

Dinner Group

2009-10-27T15:35:00.002-06:00

So this semester I decided to try again being part of a dinner group--I've had bad experiences in the past, so I was wary. It's actually been pretty nice. We take turns cooking on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and with ten of us this means you only have to cook once every two or three weeks. Often I've got things going in the evening, but they are really good about putting a portion aside for me to come get later. Even better than the food, though, is the comraderie. I just love this group of friends, and eating with them is a pleasure. A couple of weeks ago, everyone planned together to wear pink on Sunday. The idea really caught, and now we've got a weekly color tradition.

Pink Day

Green Day

The TFA Saga Continues...

2009-10-25T10:12:00.003-06:00

On Tuesday I had my final interview with Teach For America. I spent the morning with 7 other applicants and 2 interviewers in a variety of activities. First, we had our sample teaching lesson--I think the theory is get the most stressful thing done first. We each had five minutes to teach some objective. I taught about fixed mindset v. growth mindset. Someone with a growth mindset believes they can cultivate their qualities and efforts through effort. Then we had a group discussion, a personal reflection, and a test of sorts. In each of these they put us in hypothetical situations a corps member might face, like long-term educational planning, or deciding how to improve attendance at a school. Then in the afternoon, we each had a personal interview--the more traditional one-on-one answer questions kind. I felt pretty good about the whole day, especially about the morning activities. I'll find out on November 10 whether or not I'm accepted. If I am, I'll find out my regional assignment and likely grade assignment as well. I really, really hope I get in--as one of the interviewers told his story as a corps member, I remember feeling a confirmation inside that this is an amazing thing to do and I could really make a difference. Now's it just waiting anxiously for two weeks 'til I find out!

The Perfect Conference Day

2009-10-04T12:26:00.003-06:00

Saturday was the perfect conference day. I went with my cousins Juliann and Jake to my aunt and uncle's in Alpine. All of us gathered comfortably around the television, notebooks and pencils ready. When President Monson started talking about temple work, suddenly I got all anxious inside, and I knew he was going to announce the temple I've been working for and waiting for for 4 years: Fortaleza, Brazil! I was overjoyed, and I cheered inside, and almost cried outside. Everything in the Brazil Fortaleza Mission was turned towards preparing the area for a temple, so that the members could enjoy those blessings. This news is a grand realization of our efforts and a reason for much rejoicing. I'm completely elated!

After the first session, we dined like royalty--homemade cinnamon rolls and fresh peaches from my favorite orchard in Washington. I ate to my heart's content. Then we went on a fall hike in between sessions and enjoyed nature and colors. I couldn't have planned a more perfect conference day.

Stewart Falls

2009-09-26T19:58:00.010-06:00

It's kind of become a tradition for me to hike Stewart Falls each fall semester. I just love seeing the beautiful colors and getting outside. Part of the tradition includes collecting colorful leaves on the way back to decorate my apartment. I just absolutely adoring hiking.

As we hiked back, we passed a small family with their two little children working their way up the trail. I commented about how beautiful a day it was for hiking, and the mother responded, "Better than cartoons, eh?" How true! Yeah, it's a little bit more work to get up and go hiking then sit in your pajamas in front of the TV, but how much more rewarding! Kudos to that mom, I want to be a parent like her!

Past the First Round!

2009-09-24T20:00:00.004-06:00

I made it to the final interview! I'm so excited! Now I've got to decide where I want to go and what grade level and subject I should teach. Any ideas?

Dear Drake,

Congratulations! It is with pleasure that I invite you to Teach For America's interview day. We enjoyed learning about you in your application and would appreciate the opportunity to meet you in person. You have advanced directly to the final interview stage and will not be participating in a phone interview. For more information about our process, please click here.

Teach For America's day-long interview is a unique opportunity to demonstrate your skills in a variety of contexts and to engage in issues related to educational inequality with a talented group of applicants. To help you prepare for your interview day, we have posted information and materials on the Applicant Center that explain what to expect, how to prepare, and what to bring with you.

Teach For America

2009-09-20T09:06:00.002-06:00

Okay, so if you don't know about this, you need to know about this, because it's going to be my life for the next two years (hopefully!). Basically, Teach For America is an organization that recruits top college graduates who want to tackle the educational gap in America by placing them in low-income areas throughout the country to teach for two years in a K-12 classroom.

Teach for America is amazing, and you should totally check out their website to learn more: http://www.teachforamerica.org/family_friends/index.htm

Friday was the first deadline, and I submitted my application. Fingers crossed! I find out next Thursday my status. We had to submit a resume and letter of intent, among other things. I thought ya'll might like to read my letter of intent.

Teach For America Letter of Intent

by Drake Allsop

Two straight hours of calculus—for most of my classmates it was the bane of their high school experience. As for me, I looked forward to it. During the first hour, as Mr. Harris explained integrals and derivatives, I would ask lots of questions to make sure I understood. Then, during the second hour, I would quickly finish my homework so that I could spend the rest of the class helping my classmates. Fellow students would call me from across the room to come explain a difficult problem, and I was eager to help them arrive at the correct answer. In the first grade, when others dreamed of being firefighters and astronauts, I couldn’t think of anything I’d rather be than a teacher. My high school calculus class reminded me what I knew even back then—I’m a teacher at heart.

Sharing what I know with others is one of my greatest joys. When the light of understanding turns on for someone I’m teaching, my own life gets a little brighter. I want to become a Teach For America corps member because I love teaching and I understand how to help others learn. In addition, I want to make a difference in the world. I have been incredibly blessed, and I feel deeply that it is my duty and privilege to give back. I am constantly praying and searching for ways in which I can serve others. Teach For America will be a powerful way for me to make a difference and give back, while doing something I love.

As a corps member my goals would be threefold: I would want to improve myself as an educator and as a person, help those I teach to progress and reach their goals, and contribute to the growth and development of the other educators I work with, especially other corps members. I plan to continue learning and improving as a teacher during my entire corps experience. I would expect to set lofty goals with my students and work diligently alongside them to achieve our aims.

As passionate as I am about teaching, I might be even more passionate about learning. I enjoy reading books, watching documentaries, visiting museums, and asking questions to better understand the world around me. I would consider myself successful if I could ignite a spark of this same passion for learning in the students I teach. Success would be when a student gets so excited about learning that they go beyond the bounds of the class material to learn something on their own. Success would be when a student I’ve taught reaches out to help a classmate struggling with a difficult concept. Success would be when my students are not only prepared for the next step in their education, but excited for it. I will see success when habits of learning and achieving become an integral part of those students I’ve had the privilege to teach.

Sunrise on Mount Timpanogos

2009-09-20T08:42:00.004-06:00

One of the things I love about college life is sometimes you just do crazy things--like hike up a dark mountainside all night so you can see the sunrise from the summit. Who does that?!

Well, 6 of my friends and I did, along with at least 100 other people last Saturday morning. The trail was hopping, I tell you! Here's a picture of us catching the first morning rays of sunshine.

So we left at 12:00am, reached the summit at 6:30am, and were back home at Park Plaza by 11:30am. You should have seen us stumble out of my car--dirty, sore, tired, and conquerors!

This picture is definitely going in my portfolio. I love the lighting and the color.

To Arches

2009-09-20T08:25:00.004-06:00

Labor Day is the only day off we get this semester besides Thanksgiving, so some friends and I decided to make good use of it. Five of us snuggled into my car, and popped down to Moab early that morning. Turns out my roommate, who is from Utah, hadn't ever been to Arches! Crazy! I think this was my fifth time hiking Delicate Arch.

We also hiked Double O Arch in the afternoon. The first O you can see behind us, the second O is underneath it, just left of my head. We really had a great time, and on the way home everyone mentioned how it seemed like we'd been together for more than just 12 hours. We packed a lot of fun into our one day off!

Wipeout

2009-09-06T10:21:00.002-06:00

I've been boating a couple times since I got back and I think my rule of thumb is don't stop until you biff. Here's some of the fun I've had.

Photoshoot

2009-08-30T22:54:00.004-06:00

So two weeks ago when my cuz Juliann flew out to DC to drive home with me, my excellent photographer cousin Ceri gave us the photoshoot of our lives! It was suprisingly enjoyable! We kept coming up with crazy ideas about representing things and themes that were important to us. I've included some of the highlights so far. Thanks, Ceri!

Hot Air Balloon Ride

2009-08-13T09:08:00.002-06:00

I want to ride in a hot air balloon some day.

The Alliance

2009-08-08T20:33:00.003-06:00

I must pay tribute to this my favorite book of all time. Last week I finally decided that I should own my favorite book, so when a barnesandnoble.com coupon came my way, I seized the day. Of course, when it got here this week I felt like it needed an inauguration, and who better for its maiden reading than me! Now the thing about this book is it's such a page turner from Chapter 1 that I've never succeeded in reading it in less than two days. Even now I just couldn't put it down! It's such a incredible, compelling story. As I read I felt supreme sorrow and disgust, confusion and mystery, and even relief and joy. The story addresses the most fundamental of human rights, the freedom to choose, to be good, and forces you to reconsider what is right, and what one can/should do to defend what is right. And it's so full of action and plot twists and plain cleverness, that it just keeps you reeling! If you haven't read this book yet, I highly recommend it to you. And here's the good news--now I've got a copy, so just ask me and you can borrow it!

Good Morning, Baltimore!

2009-08-05T15:31:00.010-06:00

This week was my long awaited excursion to Baltimore. The National Aquarium has been high on

my list of things to see ever since I arrived here. I planned out everything, and pretty much had the floor plan memorized before I arrived. We got to see the dolphin show, watch Shallow Seas in the 4-D Theater, and see Dora and Nemo! I think though, my favorite animals were the poisonous frogs. It was like an I Spy Book trying to find the different frogs in their simulated habitats. As we stood there trying to find the frogs, I started saying stuff like, "One drop of poison from this frog is enough to kill an entire frog!" just to see the facial reactions of the people behind us. Hilarious!

Anyway, we hit up Fort McHenry on the way home. That's where we held off the British navy's bombardment during the war of 1812 and where Francis Scott Key was poetically inspired to write the words that would become our national anthem. I liked it! I really love our country.

That was Baltimore. As we walked down the streets towards the Aquarium on such a beautiful day, I couldn't help myself from singing, "Good morning, Baltimore!"

Philly

2009-07-27T15:58:00.000-06:00

On Saturday I journeyed to Philadelphia with my friends from DC. We saw Christ Church, the Liberty Bell (it was cracked though, bummer), Independence Hall, and Valley Forge. It was neat to remember that incredible time when men inspired by God discussed and wrote down ideas that would mold our nation and change the shape of the world.

But when my friend asked me what place I had liked the most that day I honestly answered “the car.” I drew greatest enjoyment from the five of us packed into a car laughing together and having Disney sing-alongs. That was the reason I went—for the company, more so even than the sites. Don’t hate me, I like history, but I like people more.

P.S. When we got there I discovered my camera was out of battery. I was totally disappointed, because searching for good pictures is one of the ways I derive enjoyment from an outing. That’s also why I’m not posting pictures.

A Drake By Any Other Name

2009-07-16T17:27:00.003-06:00

I've never really had a nickname. I mean, Drake is pretty cool already. :) Thanks, Mom! Still, there are a lot of variations on my name. Let's see...

Draker, Drakey, Drakster, Mr. Drake, Drako, Drakalicious,

Cougar Drake, Dr. D, Drakito, Draké, Drakob, Drakage, D-rake

I know there's more...

You know, a lot of these variations have a story, or there's certain people that call me that and I just love it. Like when I moved into my first apartment post-mish I lived with these five guys who couldn't be more different than me but that I couldn't love more, and from day one I was dubbed "Cougar Drake!" They would always say it with gusto, and it made me feel special. Ah, I love those Mesa kids! Or Mr. Drake--that's from the two most wonderful girls I know from high school, and to hear them say it just makes me happy. My amazing cousin calls me Drakito, which I believe traces back to the fact that she speaks Spanish and I served Portuguese -speaking. Draker pretty much belongs to my sister. It used to bug me when we were squabbling teenagers, but know that we're so close I actually enjoy it just fine.

I like my name. I've never met another first-name Drake, and I like it that way. It's one syllable (my dad insisted that boy names be one syllable), easy to remember, and almost impossible to mess up. It's unique, but not far-out. I'm glad to be Drake!

Dear Parking Services

2009-07-16T12:29:00.003-06:00

So last semester I buzzed up to campus one evening and parked near the Tanner Building. It was 4:56pm, but I wasn't worried at all because on-campus lots open to all parking at 4. Anyway, I get back to my car and turns out that that particular lot was enforced until 6:00pm, and I had a ticket. I wrote them the following letter:

Dear Parking Services,

Thank you for your accurate implementation of parking policies. I was indeed parked in a zone during a time slot which was not permitted.

I have abided by the parking rules during my entire residence in Provo. It was my understanding that the lot I was parked in was for faculty from 7am to 4pm, like other faculty lots. By parking there at 4:56, I felt assured in the fact I was being obedient to the parking rules. I admit I was misinformed, as this particular lot had hours extending to 6pm. Because of this citation, I have already had my “knowledge enhanced,” which is part of the mission of the University Police Department.

I am completely willing to pay the citation, as I was in the wrong. However, I believe that the sudden pang of guilt upon seeing the ticket was quite sufficient punishment. Perhaps you’ll agree that the $20.00 fine could be put to better use by staving off Ramen for a few more days, or by brightening the Friday evening of some fine young lady by asking her on a date.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Drake Allsop

I got a response back that while they couldn't repeal the citation, they would drop it to $11.00. Better even than the money I saved were the laughs my friends and I had at my letter. I can't help but think the humor might have also brightened someone's day in Parking Services.

He's a Tramp

2009-07-12T17:30:00.003-06:00

This last week I dogsat and catsat for the first time in my life. For those who don't know, I'm not a huge fan of dogs or cats, and I wasn't exactly excited about taking care of Buster and Gracie. Well, after a week of just us in the house, I have to admit, they grew on me a little bit. I kept taking pictures of them, then tried my hand at some filmmaking.

Fourth on the Mall

2009-07-06T18:57:00.002-06:00

I spent the entire day of the fourth on the national mall. We went to the parade, visited the museums, and camped out on the lawn until the fireworks.

The trip home was the craziest part. We had to wait like an hour for the metro, and we got in a train that didn't have air conditioning, and was packed full of people. It must have been 120 degrees. It felt like Brazil again!

Me & Monticello

2009-07-01T18:20:00.006-06:00

Time to tell of my Monticello adventures! On Saturday some friends and I drove to Thomas Jefferson's home outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. We spent the morning touring Monticello and the plantation. This was my favorite picture of Monticello because of the perspective added by the little boy.

After Monticello, we drove through Shenandoah National Park on our way home. Sky Line Drive is a beautiful 105-mile drive through the Appalachian Mountains. We stopped and hiked to a waterfall, then watched the sunset.

What I Don't Know

2009-06-26T13:00:00.005-06:00

You know, that last post got me thinking that even with my 8,564 days of experience, it's funny how much I don't know. There is so much I am unfamiliar with. Like today I found out that the little kid in Jackson 5 was Michael Jackson! Who knew? I sure didn't--I thought Michael Jackson was a rather odd looking white man who sings the Free Willy song. My cousin got a kick out of that when she realized I was being serious. Or the other day at Cold Stone, I wanted to grab some spoons for my friends to try my ice cream, because that's what friends do, right?, so I grabbed some from the container above the ice cream. My friend Lindsay looked at me strangely and said, "Are those used?" We laughed so hard!

Sprinkling of Spice

2009-06-26T12:47:00.007-06:00

Isn't it great that I've been on the earth for 8,564 days and yet I can still do things I've never done before? Yesterday, for the first time ever in my 23 years, I swung a geniune whip around my head and split the air with a crack! It was much more exhilarating than I imagined it would be! I found myself asking, Yikes, how much to get one of these? ($120 for a good one, I learned).

We don't have to try hard--we can do things we've never done before everyday! Walk a different way to work/school, eat something you've never tried before, meet someone you don't know, or crack a whip. No matter what it be, I personally like the sprinkling of spice doing something brand new brings to the meal of my life.

Cities I've Lived In

2009-06-22T15:00:00.006-06:00

So the other day I got the idea to write down all the places I've lived, just to see. I'm defining "lived in" as spent at least one month eating, sleeping, and going to church in that city. I was suprised to discover that I've lived in 14 cities during my lifetime! Here they are, in order of longest duration to shortest:

Everett, Washington
South Jordan, Utah
Provo, Utah
Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
Sobral, Ceará, Brazil
Ogden, Utah
Basin City, Washington
Teresina, Piauí, Brazil
Parnaíba, Piauí, Brazil
Campo Maior, Piauí, Brazil
Zillah, Washington
São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Fairfax, Virginia
Billings, Montana

A Tour of D.C.

2009-06-22T10:10:00.019-06:00

Ok! It's time to get up to date on my Washington, D.C. excursions! Always as I explore and visit the various destinations, in my mind I'm taking note of interesting facts and places so that when I come back with friends or family, I can be the best tour guide. So here's your tour of D.C from Drake!

First, we gotta get downtown, and there's no better way to get downtown then the Metro! I was kinda freaked out my first time, because I had no idea what a farecard was or how to get one, but now I'm a huge fan of the Metro.
We'll get out at the Smithsonian metro stop, and arise from the depths to greet the National Mall! Our first stop: The Castle! This is the Smithsonian headquarters, where we can get maps and a list of current events and exhibitions.

So, where to next? A multitude of musuems and gallerys line the Mall--there's something for everyone! Here on the south side of the Mall, right next to us is the Hirshorn Sculpture Musuem and Garden. I spent about 5 minutes there, but hey, I'm not much of an artsy guy.

Next to that is the most popular museum in the world: the Air and Space Museum! This one's really a "blast", with everything from the Wright's brothers first plane to the cockpit of a modern airliner. A definite D.C. must! Here's a picture I took of the Spirit of St. Louis.

If we want a Native American experience, we can keep going down Jefferson Drive to see the American Indian Musuem. It's brand new, and it's got some cool artificats and exhibits. One of the coolest things about it is the architecture. Take a look!

Before we leave the south side of the mall, I've got to take you to the Botanical Garden--it's one of my favorite places. The Conservatory is a giant greenhouse, with different rooms representing different habitats. There's a jungle room, desert room, Hawaii room, even a prehistoric ferns room! I loved this particular cactus--isn't that a beautiful shade of green?

Next, we'll take a stroll past the Capitol building, and start down Madison Drive--the north side of the mall. First, the National Gallery of Art. I was happy after about 10 minutes, but hey, some people love this stuff. My favorite thing about this museum is the outside.

All right! Now we get to go to the Museum of Natural History, one of my favorites. I've already been there three times this summer, and I still have lots to see. There's an oceans hall, a dinosaur room, gems display, and so much more! You can see two really cool IMAX 3D movies, and the latest exhibit on ants, with larger-than-life photos.

Next is the American History Museum, last of the Big Three, as I like to call them (Air and Space, National History, and American History). Just remodeled in 2008, the new museum showcases all parts of American life, from presidents to transportation to wars for freedom. My favorite exhibit is called On the Water--it tells the story of ships in creating our country and sustaining America today.

Now, we've got to get off the beaten path a little bit to see what is likely my favorite museum--the Postal Museum. I like it because it's less crowded, and very interactive. You can learn about the history of mail, from the Pony express to modern aircraft. There's one room with sheets and sheets of stamps from all over the world. Below I found some from Brazil!

Next, we've got to visit all the memorials! There's the Lincoln, Jefferson, Vietnam, Korean, Washington. Probably my favorite is the World War II Memorial. One day while I was there I got to see a service for Ohio veterans (men dressed in red). It was neat to be reminded of their sacrifice.

Another fun thing to do is see the memorials at night. One Sunday evening some friends and I visited the memorials at nightfall. Here's me at the FDR memorial.

Our tour wouldn't be complete without a stop at Arlington National Cemetery. There's a spirit of reverence there as you see the thousands of headstones representing those who fought for our country and their families.

Well, that'll be all for our tour today! There's still so much more to see in D.C., so don't let this be your last visit! We've still got a lot of exploring to do! Thanks for coming!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2009-06-19T16:24:00.007-06:00

That felt so good. I feel so relieved--now I can blog to my heart's content, about anything I want. So, whenever I start a new journal, I always begin with a few of my favorite things. It only seems appropriate that I do so now. Here they are!

Raspberries, Christmas, people, mountains, my Grandpa's cabin, Provo, missions, Old Orchard juice, snow, the gospel of Jesus Christ, books, friends, family reunions, Disney music, fall afternoons, the first day of spring, sledding, friends, my calling, teaching, love, ballroom dancing, hiking, baking cookies and dancing in the kitchen, muscials, physical exercise, Brazil, the outdoors, home videos, camping, learning, the Portuguese language, the cherry farm, walking to church, reading, friends, game nights, Christmas music, new clothes, photography, and adventures!

Drake's Pensieve

2009-06-19T16:04:00.004-06:00

Sometimes, you just have to begin. I've known for a long time that I wanted/needed a blog. I even created this blog two months ago, but have put off writing the first post. I didn't know what this blog would be--would it be a travel log, a journal of spiritual insights, a place to post my learnings, or just a jumble of random thoughts and ideas? I was reluctant, afraid, to begin, until I had everything figured out, until I could make my blog a marvel of organization and wit. Well, that point still hasn't come, but sometimes, you just need to start, and ideas flow.

So all I know is that this blog will indeed be a pensieve--a collection of assorted thoughts and ideas. A cross-section of Drake, if you will. It will be a place for me to reflect, to discover, and to learn. Behold, Drake's Pensieve!