Vacation on the Mayan Riviera

In our two weeks in Mexico over winter vacation we learned practically nothing new about the country, its culture, or its people. After many years of turning up our noses at Americans who went to Mexican resorts just to have a good time, we became those Americans! Well, not quite. We'll never stay at big, ugly expensive hotel resorts. So, even though we were in that part of Mexico called the Mayan Riviera which seems to exist to provide a vacation destination for Americans and Canadians, we explored the area a fair amount and made friends with a lot of locals.
We had a really pleasant time here. The warm Caribbean Sea and white sandy beaches saturated our senses day and night. In our second week we stayed in a nature sanctuary called Sian Ka'an. We expected to see lots of wildlife - monkeys, cats, etc. - but, it turned out there were no trails we could take into the jungle.

Casa Redonda

We had a house on a fantastic beach and about a 100 meters to the west of us was a gorgeous lagoon, home to crocodiles. What a treat to have the beach right at our doorstep! The views of the sea from from all over the house were sensational.   We were surrounded by nature - birdsong, the  wind swaying the trees, the sounds of waves ...

Casa Redonda had a very interesting architectural design. The ceilings resembled those of thatched palapas. Impressive round wooden beams were supported the sloped ceilings. There were lots of windows to take advantage of the views and also to provide light.

We were however, disappointed with the very poorly equipped kitchen. We were a long way away from restaurants and needed to prepare our meals. There were no cutting knives, no can openers, no coffee maker. There were two cooking pans - one too small and the other too big. After the fantastic kitchen we had the first week, this came as a shock.


At night we could see billions of stars and identified many constellations. A full moon rose from the sea just after sunset on our first day and that was just so beautiful.

How did we spend our days? Beach walks, reading, writing, preparing meals, getting skilled at making margaritas, and taking the occasional drive into town. Oh, and of course, visiting Maya ruins!!

Not far from us was a restaurant and the office of CESIAK - the ecological organization operating out of this biosphere. All the buildings on the property are powered by wind and solar energy. There are windmills and solar panels at various locations.

This photo was taken from a boat when we went on a boat tour across the lagoon. It was sunset as we approached the boat landing.

mangrove swamps

Sian Ka'an is part jungle, part mangrove swamp, and part savannah. The boat took us across the lagoon and then we hiked along a boardwalk built over a mangrove swamp.

 The highlight of the boat tour was floating down the river for 5 km. We used the life-vest as a float and just glided down with the current. The cool water, fresh air, and beautiful scenery made this a pretty sensational experience.

We had a daily ritual - to get up right before sunrise and walk on the beach - barefoot on the soft, white sand. That time of day, when the earth lights up and the sun begins to make its appearance is just pure magic.

We always went into the water - so warm, so delicious - and got splashed by the waves. By the time we got back to the house we were dry again.

Fruit and Vegetable Stand

 The fruit and vegetable stands in the neighborhoods were pretty decently stocked. So we were in the tropics and had high expectations when it came to produce. After all, in the US it is so hard to find fruit and vegetables that do not come from Mexico! We found lots of mangoes, bananas, papayas, and bananas. The vegetables were limited, though. Apart from poblano chilis and some squashes, we had trouble finding anything exciting. Still, it was a lot of fun shopping where the locals - mostly of Maya descent - shopped.

This is a cenote. These deep pools found in caves are common in this part of Mexico. You can get on a zipline and dive into the pool for a thrill. We found this one in Vallodolid on the way back from the famous Chichin Itza.








Okay, so we did learn a little bit about the people indigenous to that area (Quintana Roo and the Yucatan), namely the Maya. We spent Christmas Day at the most famous Maya site - Chichin Itza. Mainly we learned that the Maya built enormous stone pyramids and were amazing astronomers, keeping accurate calendars. We also learned that when they met the Toltecs they adopted the practice of human sacrifices. Much evidence of this has been found at this site.

Chichin Itza was a thriving village when the conquistadors arrived in the New World. Then at some point the Maya just abandoned the place. In addition to the big pyramid there were other important structures, like this temple.

Details on a wall

There are 96 steps leading to the top from each side, giving a total of 364. With the top platform you get a total of 365. See what I mean by "amazing astronomers"?

El Castillo

After dinner one evening Daryl and I were lying on the hammock out on the terrace enjoying the balmy evening. Suddenly we detected movement on the wall and spotted this scorpion. We didn't know what to do so we just ignored it and went inside.

The next day the scorpion wasn't on the wall and we couldn't see it anywhere. Then at dusk we noticed it (or its sibling) inside the house! We panicked. Daryl mumbled something about a nest of scorpions. Where was that nest? Sri and Daryl used a plastic cup and plate to carefully move the scorpion out of the house and into the bushes. No more scorpions appeared after that!

We spent a rather fun afternoon in the town of Playa del Carmen. It's a reasonably small place, but very much a tourist town. The beaches here are as cute as the ones you see in holiday brochures. The town is vibrant and has lots and lots of fantastic restaurants. If we ever return to this area I think I'd like to be based in this delightful town.

The first thing I did as soon as we arrived in Playa del Carmen was to test the waters. Magnifique!!

 We had lunch at a very popular garden restaurant called La Cueva del Chango. With the tropical vegetation and iguanas you really feel you are in an exotic place. The food was every bit as satisfying as advertised. Sri loved the molé sauce over nopales enchiladas and I killed an excellent tomato based aztec soup. I liked the chunks of avocado thrown in.

This photo captures very well how I spent much of my days in Sian Ka'an. Despite the balmy temperatures and the sound of the sea Zadie Smith whisked me off to North London with some incredibly interesting characters. Her latest book, NW, is every bit as satisfying as we have come to expect from such an intelligent writer.
Daryl read Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon, which he particularly enjoyed having recently spent three months in Paris.

When we got tired of looking at the sea we strolled over to the lagoon. So serene, so beautiful, and what amazing sunsets. We hoped to see a crocodile make an appearance, but that didn't happen.

Can you see the trash on the beach? On our beach walks when we saw the beaches covered in litter we were mystified. We assumed it came from the locals and maybe even washed up from the surrounding resort towns. On our boat tour through the reserve our guide informed us that in fact the trash came from other countries!! Two factors - the reef and the ocean current - lead to trash from the west coast of Africa and from the coast of Europe being carried all the way to these shores. There are international efforts being made to clean up the beaches here.
Interestingly, every morning workers employed by hotels and resorts clean up the trash and seaweed on their beaches.

The Sian Ka'an Biosphere is close to the town of Tulum, famous for its Mayan ruins. The most remarkable feature of these ruins is the location - right above the sea. Just below is the best beach beach in the area. The turquoise water was just pure magic.

Tulum town - a few miles away from the sea - is also quite interesting and lively. It has very much of a local, Mexican ambience. A great assortment of restaurants and other shops liven up the main road.
The tourists stay in hotels that line the coast just south of the ruins. This part of the Maya Riviera used to have more of a hippie vibe in the past. But the area is rapidly becoming a bit like Cancun ...

Why do iguanas fascinate us? They are as common in the Tulum area as garden lizards back home.

We were sad to leave Sian Ka'an when the week was over. It really is a very special place. The infrastructure for visitors to explore the area is lacking - but, perhaps that's what makes the area all the more charming. Some day there'll be loads of tour campanies taking people to the reef on kayaks, and snorkeling tours, and four wheel drives through the jungle, etc. We were lucky to experience it before an inevitable change.

Winter Vacation 2012

We are in Puerto Moreles, Mexico, a small fishing village sandwiched between the party towns of Cancun and Playa Del Carmen. So we are enjoying laid-back days in a stunning setting.
Our condo on the beach is comfortable, spacious, and well equipped for a luxurious stay.

We can see the calm Caribbean stretching way out into the horizon. The beaches are white with fine, soft sand. No shells, though.

We watch the sun rise from our beds just after 6:00 AM. The first morning we took a walk on the beach to experience the awakening of the day. The temperature was perfect. The wind was a bit strong but it was warm and not in the least bit unpleasant. As the sun emerged more fully we dove into the sea. Wow, that was sensational.

A string of resort hotels line the beach, but they are pretty low key compared to the ones in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen.

Right near us there's a "lifestyle" resort called Desire!!


Puerto Morelos is a village and walking through its quiet, clean streets you encounter the friendly locals - mainly American and Canadian expats and Mexicans of Mayan descent.

Boats to ferry passengers to the reef

There's a fantastic craft market in the town center. Typical Mexican crafts like embroidered clothes, colorful blankets, and pottery tempt tourists.

It's a lot of fun strolling through the quiet streets of Puerto Moreles. There's a variety of restaurants, a used book store called Alma Libre, and a great cafe to get espresso drinks and people watch.


This leaning lighthouse was knocked over by a hurricane some years ago.

There's a new one built next to it, but this old one is supposed to amuse visitors to the town.







In addition to the warm, tropical weather we are enjoying the fruit - mangoes, papayas, pineapples, flavorful bananas, guavas, passionfruit, and other more exotic stuff.

We go shopping for produce in a neighborhood called Colonia. This area has an authentic, working class ambience with lots of fruit and vegetable stands. I got some plantains here earlier in the week which we fried up to complement our meal of tortillas, beans, guacamole, tomatilla salsa, and roasted poblano peppers.

In the evenings I make margaritas. I sought advice on the best tequila we could find and have been experimenting with different tropical fruit. Sipping these refreshing drinks on the balcony, with an amazing view and the soothing sounds of the sea is quite special.

Premi and I are having fun creating meals with the local ingredients. She has been making a lot of seafood.

Warm, freshly made tortillas are available at every store. We've been having them everyday. Daryl's complaining now, so I'm going to have to make a pasta meal tonight.

It's so easy to succumb to the peace  and beauty here and just read and relax all day. But we've forced ourselves out of our lethargy and went on a couple day trips. We spent most of a day in Playa Del Carmen - about 20 miles south of us. And of course, we spent a day visiting the famous Chichin Itza.

More about those excursions in another blog.

Vancouver Part 2

You might have noticed from the title that this is my second blog on Vancouver. I strongly recommend reading the previous entry first ... Trust me, it's the right thing to do!

This is the Museum of Anthropology on the University of British Columbia campus. We had quite an enjoyable morning here where we learned a whole lot about the Haida and other aboriginal people of the Northwest. The museum building itself is quite an experience - designed by a famous Vancouver architect called Arthur Erickson - to optimally display the museum's collection of totem poles and other incredible carvings.

Inside the museum there are about 30 totem poles. I have to say in Vancouver you see Totem poles all over the city.

Among other carvings and sculptures displayed in the Great Hall, is a canoe carved out of a single cedar tree trunk. It looked impressive.

Just outside the museum is a model Haida "village" with Haida buildings, longhouses, and more totem poles.

This modern sculpture is the museum's showpiece. It's called The Raven and the First Men and is displayed in a separate rotunda. The artist, Bill Reid, drew his inspiration from a Haida legend about the appearance of the first people on earth. The raven is coaxing the humans out of the clamshell.

This is Wreck Beach. After the museum we walked around campus in search of a pretty place to have our lunch (cherries and blueberries, of course). We saw a trailhead by a forest and got on it. Next thing we knew we were descending an endless flight of stairs. Four hundred steps later we found ourselves on an isolated clothing optional beach. A heron perched on a rock in the water stood guard while we munched our fruit. Notice the huge logs on the beach. Every beach has them. We gazed out across the peaceful bay. It felt like a whole world away from the city.

In the afternoon we returned to the downtown area and explored Chinatown. I was amazed at how shabby it was. The stores looked dull and uninviting. Not a place for lingering. The Dr. Sun Yat Sen park and garden brightened up the area, though.
I noticed a significant Asian population in Vancouver. People of many different cultures call this city home, giving it a truly cosmopolitan feel.

I saw this poem on a bus. Vancouver is special in so many ways. It was so easy to get around the city, with frequent buses, helpful drivers, and every so often, a poem to keep you going!

Two striking things about Vancouver come to mind. The people were extraordinarily friendly and goodnatured. They struck up conversations easily and were always offering to help. The other striking feature was how clean the city was. No graffiti, hardly any trash on the streets, strong recycling programs, and an acute awareness of environmental issues. Which just reminded me of a third striking feature: cycling. The downtown area had a well planned network of dedicated bicycle lanes away from car traffic. Many of the locals got around by bike.

On our last evening in Vancouver we had another memorable dinner.   Luck was on our side. We managed to get a table at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts on Granville Island. It was a Friday evening when they do a special buffet. Our three course meal was satisfying in every way. For the first course we had a selection of summer vegetables, each prepared in a uniquely inventive way. The main course was tofu in a light sauce with roast potato and steamed carrots. Two wine flights featuring superb British Columbia reds and rosés accompanied this fine meal. The dessert course was a whole experience unto itself. I could write an entire chapter on it - but I won't - lest I embarrass the person not writing this blog! Suffice it to say the dessert table heaved from the weight of around 15 utterly amazing desserts. Luckily they were all smallish - so multiple visits to the table weren't completely outrageous. In addition to the usual tarts, mousses, and cakes, there were several truffles and other chocolates. I enjoyed the crepe with flambéed peach, chantilly, and cream.

On our last morning we went to the Vancouver Art Gallery, another gorgeous building. I had both good luck and bad luck on this visit. There was a special Matisse exhibition on and I just relished the works on display. These were from the private collection of the Cone sisters who had donated these works to the Boston Museum. Matisse is one of my favorite artists and I was overjoyed to see so many of his paintings (all from the 1920's). Thinking I was getting my money's worth ($20 admission fee) I eagerly went up the escalators to take in the works of BC's most famous artist, Emily Carr. Imagine my disappointment when I saw only four of her works on display! I was gobsmacked. It practically wiped out my excitement from the Matisse exhibition. C'est la vie!

Our flight back home was late in the day so we decided to have an indulgent lunch. VIJ's is open only for dinner, but they have a casual cafe next door (Rangoli) which is open for lunch, dinner, and take out. We sat out on the terrace of Rangoli and enjoyed one last gourmet meal in this city. I can safely say that the spinach paneer dish I had was thé best I'd ever eaten.

Actually, that's the fourth striking feature about this city. The food scene. It's obvious all over the city that fine dining is a high priority.

And as we zipped up our bags and headed for the Canada line, we knew we'd be talking about our gourmet food experiences for a long time.

Au revoir, Vancouver.

Oh yes, a fifth striking feature. The prevalence of French.

Vancouver Visit

I finally made it to Canada after 25 years of living in North America. I would've had a week in Montreal years ago, but I got called for a job interview a couple days before my flight and even though I got the job, I still harbor bitterness over that episode. Daryl and I chose to spend a few days in Vancouver because it was an easy flight from home, in the same time zone, and would be sufficiently interesting to give us the feeling that we were on vacation. The two hour flight provided some terrific views. This was a view of Mt. St. Helens. Before that, the snow capped cascades were clearly visible. Just before landing we had excellent views of the islands off Seattle and Vancouver.

This was our hotel - the Executive Hotel Vintage Park. We were near False Creek, close to the sea wall. The best feature of this pretty comfortable hotel was the daily wine tastings - free for guests. Every day they served wines from various British Columbia wineries.

The wines were pretty decent. I especially enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon. Sitting out on the terrace provided an enjoyable setting. In our four days in Vancouver we had outstanding weather. Warm, sunny, and comfortable enough for strolling through the various neighborhoods.

After sampling the wines on our first afternoon we strolled through the downtown area of Vancouver. There was a summer vibe in the air. Robson Square (below), outside the Vancouver Art Gallery was especially lively - with a large outdoor cafe, a tourist information booth, and a skating rink. People were sitting on the steps of the beautiful gallery building. Others just milled around. We continued our walk down to the waterfront. 

The building with the sails, vaguely reminiscent of Sydney's Opera House, is Canada Place. Cruise ship terminal, fancy hotel, convention center are all here in this glitzy building. We got our first good views of North Vancouver from here.

Most fascinating to us at the waterfront was watching seaplanes taking off and landing. This would be a pretty cool way to get to the islands.

I was amazed at how mellow this most touristic part of the city was. Again and again I was aware of how laid back this city is. Even in the peak of summer the city wasn't overrun with tourists. The locals also seemed relaxed and notably friendly. 

We did our research on restaurants before leaving home and number one on our list was VIJ's. Jamie Oliver claims it's the best restaurant in all of Canada. This Indian restaurant with a modern, avant garde menu, doesn't take reservations. It's always packed and typical wait time is an hour and a half. But they make the wait an experience too. We sat out on their attractive, atmospheric terrace with cold beer and they served us hot from the pan appetizers every so often. We struck up a conversation with a young couple who were sitting next to us. We learned from them that VIJ's wins all kinds of restaurant awards in Vancouver all the time. After our long, but enjoyable wait, we were seated inside the elegant restaurant. The menu was unlike anything we'd seen before. Daryl had some combination of vegetables and dumplings in a pomegranate curry. I had shitake mushrooms and other seasonal vegetables in a creamy sauce served with some sort of pilaf involving rice, almonds, and spices. We were totally transported to heaven. Clearly a lot of thought and creativity went into the flavors, textures, and variety. After the meal, as we sauntered across the Granville Street Bridge back to our hotel, we felt satisfied that  Day 1 had worked out so incredibly well.

We started Day 2 on Granville Island. We stumbled upon the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. We noticed their bakery was open and decided to have breakfast there. Turned out to be a most memorable breakfast. The coffee was strong and hot. I had an almond croissant which was so unbelievably light, flaky, and not too sweet. Daryl had a healthy scone studded with seeds and nuts and it was also superb.

We spent the morning wandering through picturesque Granville Island. Loved the views of downtown across False Creek. We truly felt far away from home poking into the shops and arts and crafts galleries displaying Canadian and Northwest native products. Out in the park the totem poles, conifers, and canada geese were further reminders that we were in Canada.

Most prominent on Granville Island is the produce market. Colorful, huge, and vibrant. All the fruit and vegetables in season available in vast quantities. Cherries, blueberries, and raspberries were at their peak. We bought a huge bag of each for our lunch. There were also numerous little restaurants and other specialty food stalls (cheeses, olives, breads, etc.) We sat outside beside the little harbor and ate our sweet, juicy cherries and blueberries. Fringing the water across from us were attractive restaurants and hotels.

We spent the afternoon walking along the seawall promenade in Stanley Park. We saw this iconic northwest "sculpture"just as we entered the park. It's called an Inukshuk and was used by the Inuits as a navigational tool. Entering the park you feel like you've entered the wilderness - in some sense. The park is so big and heavily forested with various pines. Along the promenade you look out to English Bay. Then as you go around Prospect Point you get a terrific view of the Lions Gate Bridge. Now you face the Burrard Inlet and the mountains and skyscrapers of North Vancouver look back at you.

Other highlights of Stanley Park were two lakes - Beaver Lake and the Lost Lagoon Lake.

See that hump in the middle? It's a Beaver lodge. Behind it we saw a beautiful great blue heron.

We started Day 3 in Gastown, where we had a so-so breakfast at a place called Brioche, which did not have any of its namesake. Sigh! The gas powered clock is this neighborhood's most famous sight. On the hour it releases steam and makes a steam engine type noise.

It was a perfect summer day and we decided to head out to North Vancouver.

The views from the ferry we took to get across Burrard Inlet were quite sensational. Vancouver has such an incredible setting that every photo you take of the city is going to look great. Cape Town is similar with its setting at the foot of dramatic mountains beside the sea.

In North Vancouver we stocked up on cherries and blueberries at the lovely London Quay Market, then took a bus to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. We'd been on some pretty memorable suspension bridges in Costa Rica so this park didn't knock our socks off. It was incredibly crowded. Even though the scenery made us feel like we were in the wilderness, the crowds reminded us that the city was close. I have to say the place had a Disneyfied feel to it. Still, it was pretty remarkable to be immersed in a rainforest, trekking beside sheer cliffs, with views of mountain peaks, appearing above the lanky conifers.

After Capilano we hopped on a bus to Grouse Mountain. In the winter Vancouverites come out here for the day to ski or snowboard. In midsummer the main purpose of going up this mountain is to take in the views of downtown Vancouver. We got on a gondola, along with 90 others and were lifted 4000 feet up. Then we got on a chairlift to get to the actual summit of this mountain. Since it was a cloudless day we had great views of the city and the water around it. Downtown, across the Burrard Inlet was a bit hazy, but it all looked beautiful anyway. We were disappointed at the lack of hiking trails at the top. 

However, we did get to meet a local. I got to see grizzly bears at a sanctuary up in Grouse Mountain.

Before leaving the mountain we had a beer at a café. Sitting on the terrace we had an excellent view of Burrard Inlet and downtown.

For dinner that evening we had a decent wood fired pizza in Gastown. Back at the hotel we relaxed in the jacuzzi, which was on the terrace of the 9th floor. We could see the sails of boats in False Creek between gleaming skyscrapers. The water was a bit too hot for summer so a five minute soak was all we could handle. But it did cap off a pretty pleasant day.

I'll call this part one of the Vancouver trip. Part 2 should appear in the very near future.

Another School Year Over ...

It’s been well over a month since the school year ended and it’s about time I got my act together and wrote a reflection about the year. Hmmm, that word “reflection” sounds a bit pretentious, not to mention ambitious considering my lethargic state of mind. Now before you start passing judgement on what a lazy sod I am for taking such a godawfully long time to get around to jotting down a few lame words, let me assure you that I have been very occupied these last few weeks. But more on that in a different entry. Before the 2011/2012 year completely disappears into the nethersphere of my memory I want to capture what still lingers in my mind.

This past academic year undoubtedly ranks in the top 5 of all my teaching years. It was one of those years that reminded me why I chose this demanding and often thankless profession. 

My third grade students were all so sweet, so adorable, and so respectful. They loved me on the first day of school. Previous years’ kids and parents had raved about me and so these new kids entered my class with super high expectations. I found this a bit scary. I didn’t want to disappoint them, but at the same time I wanted to establish a disciplined environment right from the start. It all went well in the end. The kids were eager to please and receptive to my requirements.

A year like this one makes me feel immensely grateful to be in a career that brings such joy and satisfaction. Way back when I was a college student and worked at various dull summer jobs I knew I had to be in a profession that I found challenging, and that allowed me to be creative. Teaching at an elementary school satisfied those needs in the early years, but I needed more challenge. More stimulation. This led me to writing – novels, blogs, etc. But, I digress …

The last day of school is always a strange day for me. Usually, the weeks leading up to the last day are incredibly busy, leaving no time to prepare myself for the termination of relationships I had developed over a period of nine months. I find it weird to spend months nurturing a bond with kids and then to abruptly say goodbye to them. For the three summer months they are completely out of my life. Then a new school year begins and they move on, to new adults in their care. A brand new set of kids burrow into my heart and the old kids fade away. All of this feels so unnatural.

Anyway, it was certainly a terrific year. The last month of school was especially enjoyable. A third grade tradition at our school is to put on a play performance, a musical, for parents and other classes. This requires a lot of practice and rehearsals. The kids always enjoy doing this and it’s a fun way to bring the year to a close. This year’s kids exhibited far more enthusiasm than I ever remember. They eagerly learned their lines and very quickly perfected the dance moves. The kids with the lead roles worked really hard on their solo songs. Putting on a play like this that involves the whole class and a range of skills, is indeed a most enjoyable way to differentiate instruction. The kids with strong academic skills found great joy in challenging themselves to excel in different ways, like singing complex melodies in tune. Quieter kids who fade into the background during normal school days were taking leadership roles, offering valuable suggestions for improvement, and helping other kids hone their performances. It was a fantastic way to get the whole group working together, and taking pride in the finished product.

On the last day of school I asked the kids to write me a letter describing what makes them unique. I said, “In my new book I’d like to use one of you as a character. Tell me about yourself and give me reasons why I should use you. What makes you unique?”

Well, even though it was the last day of school, the kids got silent and wrote for close to an hour. 

I’m looking through these letters now and am utterly struck by how every single one of them is different. It was gratifying to see that they could all write, not just reasonably decent subject/verb/object sentences. But sentences with interesting content, providing the most salient details about them.

Here’s a sample:

I like to do drawings. When I grow up I want to be an artist.

What makes me special is that I can move my thumbs off the bones.

I enjoy reading, archery, and basketball. I like inventing new names for dives and basketball shots.

I am different from other people because I was born a month early. I had to stay in hospital for weeks. I would not eat, but it wasn’t that bad.

I love to swim. I want to be a lifeguard. I like surfboarding.

I like to go outside to write about nature and play “wet my fence”. I love helping my mom with chores, especially washing the bathrooms.

What makes me special is that I love school. I don’t play video games or anything like that like most kids. In my free time I like to read. I love writing and I think I am good at it.

I don’t like wearing pink and cute stuff. I usually play violent video games while girls brush their hair. I am an adventurous gal.

There are four things that make my name unusual.

My favorite team in the NFL is the Chicago Bulls. I was born in Chicago. I love swimming in the deep end.

One thing that makes me special is that I know how to be helpful.

When I grow up I want to be a golfer, singer, and dancer.

I love to travel to places. I love museums, and I have an interest in math.

I am special because I like to swim, I love animals, and I like to play hard songs on the piano.

What makes me special is that I was born in Switzerland. I can ride tandem with my dad on a surfboard.

I like to daydream while I am at school. When I grow up I want to be a scientist and study marine life.

I want to be an actress and a writer. I like making up stories for everything. I even make up stories for games.

I am unique because I love homework, absolutely, positively love math, and I love going to school. There isn’t a better place I could be at.

I can do a 360 on my bike and I can climb trees that are really high.

Away from the kids for over a month now, I smile as I think about their beauty and innocence. Is it human nature to remember the good stuff and forget the many challenges, annoyances, and irritations we, teachers, deal with daily?