Yep - shaking it off and moving on. I had some difficult times with one of my sisters over the past 8 months or so, and I made a move to make nice - I called her. She was as relived as I was, and It feels very good.
I try to keep all my relationships positive and honest, and there are very few people who would make me turn 180 degrees and walk in the opposite direction (I can think of only 2). We all have our reasons to react a certain way... I just don't understand why some people can't acknowledge that their behaviour is nothing more than simple human nature - and that is that. It's nothing unusual I guess, we all have our share of big disappointments when it comes to people. One thing is for sure, I don't want to turn my back on my own sister. We're good, and we will be more careful with each other's feelings.
For the spring trip to Telchac Puerto and Mérida, I am looking at flights these days and I find it pretty expensive... so I will have to go for the cheaper options and not book a direct flight. Just $100 difference is huge, because $100 goes a long way in Mexico. I should also book my Mérida hotel very soon since 5 de Mayo is on a Saturday - it will be a busy time.
In a very different way this weekend is super busy for me - I'm putting the final touch to the teacher training session that I am doing on Monday morning. I wrote many music charts today, and finished the lesson plan and process for my new piece, which is progressively built over a series a 3 classes on rhythm. Introducing notation and form, and getting students to read and write simple rhythmic partitions. I like to put an emphasis on learning theory to write music, more than to read it. One day left, and now all I need is to line-up some voice warm-up exercises, a canon, and a song with 2 or 3 parts harmony. I'm considering a beautiful traditional French 'ronde' called 'Vent Frais', and a traditional song from Ghana : Tue Tue. Looking Forwardto it!!!
I have no shortage of administrative work, but it will have to wait until late afternoon on Monday. Good to be this busy, I'm grateful for having a healthy business and to provide for my family. It doesn't only take hard work, it takes a good dose of luck, and a good sense of humour to lighten the harder times. I look at what I have built in the past 4 years, and I'm very proud. Keep moving forward!
Somewhere between Izamal and Sudzal, Yucatan.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Loving my job : )
Just realised that I will be in Merida for the '5 de Mayo' celebrations... hurray! I might be a lone observer however, since it looks like I will be the only one sticking around after the Telchac gathering. Still, Merida is a very festive city and I'm sure that I'll get busy enjoying the downtown scene. A play, a concert, the museums, and one the usual outdoor presentations of the Ballet Folklorico de Merida - a visit to the market, a pizza from my favorite casual joint and hopefully, catch the Tuesday night serenata. If I can do all that in 3 days, and see a couple of friends, and get to meet a few new business contacts, I will be satisfied. The truth is... I would stay there for a few months and I'd be fine and dandy. But no can do. Maybe in a few years...
Teaching is fantastic, I feel inspired and energised. It's a screaming reminder that I get whenever I am in the classroom : I love teaching music above all, and everything else that comes with running a business suddenly makes much more sense. There is my business self in the office, and the payoff is that I get to be my music teacher self in the classroom.
While reviewing my lesson plans, I remembered that I needed a new rhythmic piece for grades 4, 5 and 6. I could'nt find one in all my books... so I wrote one. After all, I know exactly what I need - and it came to me spontaneously, as for all the other little songs I have written so far. I ran with it and decided to use it for the very first set of classes (it's to introduce notation), and it worked very well. Best of all, the kids loved it!! I will document the whole thing (partition and teaching process), and add it to my teacher training workshop for Monday. A 3 hour workshop for grade 4, 5 and 6 teachers - which I am finalising this week. I still have a few partitions to write for the manual, but overall it's all good to go. Teaching adults is a lot of fun, and I love to give them tricks to make their job a bit easier. When it comes to teaching music, many of them are not comfortable. So I bring it back to the basics with fun activities, and most of the time it dissipates their anguish and gives them confidence. If their students can do it, they are very likely to be able as well!
And with that, my office self is busy booking the Petit Atelier team for the period from January to March. It's looking excellent! I have a new teacher for the East end, and a first gig for him too. He is a fairly well known artist on the French Toronto scene, and he teaches French and Music in the daytime. I am thrilled!!! I will be training him in December, and he will be starting in January. I am hoping that he will have a couple of days available for me in his weekly schedule, but in the meantime I'm happy to start slowly - and adding clients overtime as he gets more comfortable.
Okay - time to go! Teaching 5 Kindergarten classes today, and it's all about beat and rhythm. Watch out for those rhythm sticks!!!
Teaching is fantastic, I feel inspired and energised. It's a screaming reminder that I get whenever I am in the classroom : I love teaching music above all, and everything else that comes with running a business suddenly makes much more sense. There is my business self in the office, and the payoff is that I get to be my music teacher self in the classroom.
While reviewing my lesson plans, I remembered that I needed a new rhythmic piece for grades 4, 5 and 6. I could'nt find one in all my books... so I wrote one. After all, I know exactly what I need - and it came to me spontaneously, as for all the other little songs I have written so far. I ran with it and decided to use it for the very first set of classes (it's to introduce notation), and it worked very well. Best of all, the kids loved it!! I will document the whole thing (partition and teaching process), and add it to my teacher training workshop for Monday. A 3 hour workshop for grade 4, 5 and 6 teachers - which I am finalising this week. I still have a few partitions to write for the manual, but overall it's all good to go. Teaching adults is a lot of fun, and I love to give them tricks to make their job a bit easier. When it comes to teaching music, many of them are not comfortable. So I bring it back to the basics with fun activities, and most of the time it dissipates their anguish and gives them confidence. If their students can do it, they are very likely to be able as well!
And with that, my office self is busy booking the Petit Atelier team for the period from January to March. It's looking excellent! I have a new teacher for the East end, and a first gig for him too. He is a fairly well known artist on the French Toronto scene, and he teaches French and Music in the daytime. I am thrilled!!! I will be training him in December, and he will be starting in January. I am hoping that he will have a couple of days available for me in his weekly schedule, but in the meantime I'm happy to start slowly - and adding clients overtime as he gets more comfortable.
Okay - time to go! Teaching 5 Kindergarten classes today, and it's all about beat and rhythm. Watch out for those rhythm sticks!!!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Chilling now, and chilling then
Fall keeps making itself comfortable here in Toronto, cooler days and even cooler nights. Life seems well balanced these days, I'm in a groove to handle more work all around. The home front is good, lots of home cooking, good weekday routine, on top of things with the books... it seems that we're somewhat managing - but with our usual sense of looming chaos never too far. It's a fragile balance.
I have a lot of teaching lined-up for the next 8 weeks, and I am in the midst of reviewing all my lessons plans. I haven't been working in schools over the last year because of our 3 month family escapade to Mexico - I invested my efforts on making sure that our team of teachers was good and solid during our absence, and it was the right thing to do.
Although I feel little rusty when it comes to teaching, I know that it will all flow nicely. My program is looking great, and I'm very comfortable with it. It's so exciting to be teaching Orff again... a welcomed change fafter a full year of teaching Music in Early Childhood. It's interesting to teach young children of course, but with school age kids I can take things to another level, have fun with more challenging activities, dig into the theory, and sing in 2 parts harmony! Yay!
As for the trip in late April, I have made no progress in finding a paying teaching engagement in Merida. I have to send another couple of emails and try to make something happen - I hope I can. But at the same time, I have decided to chillax a bit on the planning of the next trip. I will do my best to arrange a teaching gig before I go in the spring, and whatever happens, I will just enjoy my visit to the fullest - work or not. I will still volunteer a couple of classes in Telchac, and take the opportunity to do some new Spanish material. As for the rest, it will be about the simple enjoyment of being there. It may cost a little more than I had planned, but my business growth is worth celebrating too! It's a nice candy dangling at the end of a very good school year. And I shall eat it all. No brainer.
I have a lot of teaching lined-up for the next 8 weeks, and I am in the midst of reviewing all my lessons plans. I haven't been working in schools over the last year because of our 3 month family escapade to Mexico - I invested my efforts on making sure that our team of teachers was good and solid during our absence, and it was the right thing to do.
Although I feel little rusty when it comes to teaching, I know that it will all flow nicely. My program is looking great, and I'm very comfortable with it. It's so exciting to be teaching Orff again... a welcomed change fafter a full year of teaching Music in Early Childhood. It's interesting to teach young children of course, but with school age kids I can take things to another level, have fun with more challenging activities, dig into the theory, and sing in 2 parts harmony! Yay!
As for the trip in late April, I have made no progress in finding a paying teaching engagement in Merida. I have to send another couple of emails and try to make something happen - I hope I can. But at the same time, I have decided to chillax a bit on the planning of the next trip. I will do my best to arrange a teaching gig before I go in the spring, and whatever happens, I will just enjoy my visit to the fullest - work or not. I will still volunteer a couple of classes in Telchac, and take the opportunity to do some new Spanish material. As for the rest, it will be about the simple enjoyment of being there. It may cost a little more than I had planned, but my business growth is worth celebrating too! It's a nice candy dangling at the end of a very good school year. And I shall eat it all. No brainer.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The Next Trip to Yucatan
It's all set and decided for a departure date of April 28, but my return date is yet to be decided. Week one is in Telchac Puerto, where my friend Jeanne-Marie will be celebrating her birthday with a group of her friends mostly from all over Canada and the States. So far we are filling up 4 houses, and looking for one more... woo hoo!
As much as I am thrilled about this, I feel thorn about my return to Telchac - which was initially meant to be for teaching, and visit Merida to develop some possible paying teaching gigs. It's very important to try hard this time around, because if I can not somehow partially finance my travels there in the future, I will not be able to go and volunteer my teaching in the village either.
So from the start, I was keen on keeping the spring trip at a low cost since I can't afford to go simply for a vacation. Now the plan has developed otherwise with the birthday celebration, and I feel that every single aspect of my trip has changed, and there is definitely a much higher price tag to it all - the flight, the transfer from Cancun to Telchac, the accommodation, and even the food. I will have to make some changes to bring some aspects back to the initial plan. Otherwise, I know that I will feel some resentment - and that's not healthy.
I have a good friend who owns and manages a business similar to mine, her area of teaching is applied arts. We have collaborated over the years, and she has been very interested in the Yucatan project for the last couple of years. She has a good connection with the Alliance Française, and has been considering some volunteer work as well. It would be nice to have someone to share the focus with, and I do need a photographer/videographer to document my work. It would also be a good thing to not be alone in the little house that will be provided to me for the teaching work. I will ask her to pursue her Alliance Française contact to hopefully develop something more in Merida.
Here in Toronto, business is still developing very nicely. I have landed two more daycare contracts in the West, and strong leads are opening-up in the East with the help of my good friend Véronique. I have given her a list of 30 daycares for a telemarketing sweep, and a bunch of them would like me to contact them for more details on our programs. If this keeps going the right way, I have 2 teachers waiting for work in the East end of Toronto. Of course, this would also mean a period of intense training to get them started. I am hoping to have at least one teacher trained and booked by February. I'll do my best!
As much as I am thrilled about this, I feel thorn about my return to Telchac - which was initially meant to be for teaching, and visit Merida to develop some possible paying teaching gigs. It's very important to try hard this time around, because if I can not somehow partially finance my travels there in the future, I will not be able to go and volunteer my teaching in the village either.
So from the start, I was keen on keeping the spring trip at a low cost since I can't afford to go simply for a vacation. Now the plan has developed otherwise with the birthday celebration, and I feel that every single aspect of my trip has changed, and there is definitely a much higher price tag to it all - the flight, the transfer from Cancun to Telchac, the accommodation, and even the food. I will have to make some changes to bring some aspects back to the initial plan. Otherwise, I know that I will feel some resentment - and that's not healthy.
I have a good friend who owns and manages a business similar to mine, her area of teaching is applied arts. We have collaborated over the years, and she has been very interested in the Yucatan project for the last couple of years. She has a good connection with the Alliance Française, and has been considering some volunteer work as well. It would be nice to have someone to share the focus with, and I do need a photographer/videographer to document my work. It would also be a good thing to not be alone in the little house that will be provided to me for the teaching work. I will ask her to pursue her Alliance Française contact to hopefully develop something more in Merida.
Here in Toronto, business is still developing very nicely. I have landed two more daycare contracts in the West, and strong leads are opening-up in the East with the help of my good friend Véronique. I have given her a list of 30 daycares for a telemarketing sweep, and a bunch of them would like me to contact them for more details on our programs. If this keeps going the right way, I have 2 teachers waiting for work in the East end of Toronto. Of course, this would also mean a period of intense training to get them started. I am hoping to have at least one teacher trained and booked by February. I'll do my best!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Tourtière - a French Canadian staple!
As we get deeper into fall and the weather is cooling off, I get the urge to cook homy dishes from my childhood. In this season and all throughout the winter months in Quebec, tourtière is certainly a favorite. We also have it over the Holidays, and I clearly remember smelling the cooking and looking forward to our Christmas eve feast, which always included tourtière.
It's a meat pie made mainly with ground pork and onion, and seasoned with allspice, clove, and/or nutmeg. I also remember adding the recipe to my little cookbook, as my mom was explaining each step - the same way her own mom always made it. So here is our family recipe for French Canadian Tourtière, and the crust!
French Canadian Tourtière
Filling:
In a thick pot, brown 4lb of lean ground pork, making sure to crumble it well (a potato masher works well). Add 5 big onions finely diced, and keep cooking, stirring regularly until the onions are also cooked. Add salt and pepper, allspice and/or ground clove and/or ground nutmeg - to taste (don't over season it though...). Add one large potato, peeled and diced, and enough water to almost cover the meat mixture. Stir, reduce the heat and simmer on low heat for about 4 hours, stirring regularly.
The ultimate test to know when the meat is ready is when the onions and potatoes have completely disappeared, and you can see the bottom of the pot when you push the meat sideways with a wooden spoon (no runny liquid). Taste again and add more spices if needed.
Crust:
Mix 3 cups of flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix in 1 cup of fat (butter is yummy) until you get a coarse texture, and add 1 cup of milk. Mix until you get a nice sticky dough texture. Separate into 4 balls. Roll the dough and line 2 round pie plates/pans, fill with the meat (heaping a little is nice), cover with the other rolled dough. Poke the pies with a fork of a knife to let the steam escape. Cook at 375F for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
Tourtière is delicious with pretty much any home made ketshup or sweet pickeled veggies. Also very nice with a green salad of your choice.
Enjoy!
It's a meat pie made mainly with ground pork and onion, and seasoned with allspice, clove, and/or nutmeg. I also remember adding the recipe to my little cookbook, as my mom was explaining each step - the same way her own mom always made it. So here is our family recipe for French Canadian Tourtière, and the crust!
French Canadian Tourtière
Filling:
In a thick pot, brown 4lb of lean ground pork, making sure to crumble it well (a potato masher works well). Add 5 big onions finely diced, and keep cooking, stirring regularly until the onions are also cooked. Add salt and pepper, allspice and/or ground clove and/or ground nutmeg - to taste (don't over season it though...). Add one large potato, peeled and diced, and enough water to almost cover the meat mixture. Stir, reduce the heat and simmer on low heat for about 4 hours, stirring regularly.
The ultimate test to know when the meat is ready is when the onions and potatoes have completely disappeared, and you can see the bottom of the pot when you push the meat sideways with a wooden spoon (no runny liquid). Taste again and add more spices if needed.
Crust:
Mix 3 cups of flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of salt. Mix in 1 cup of fat (butter is yummy) until you get a coarse texture, and add 1 cup of milk. Mix until you get a nice sticky dough texture. Separate into 4 balls. Roll the dough and line 2 round pie plates/pans, fill with the meat (heaping a little is nice), cover with the other rolled dough. Poke the pies with a fork of a knife to let the steam escape. Cook at 375F for about 20 minutes, or until golden.
Tourtière is delicious with pretty much any home made ketshup or sweet pickeled veggies. Also very nice with a green salad of your choice.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Mérida - en français!
I finally took the time to send out a couple of emails to scope out the possibility of teaching in Mérida in the spring, and I began with the French community. I sent 2 emails, received 2 replies... sweet! It's too early to know if it will work out, but it sure is a good start to know that some people are willing to help me out. At this time, the plan is to teach in French. There is a small French community in Mérida, and they seem pretty tight.
I also emailed Judy from Telchac Education, and let her know that my plans are firming-up for the last week of April. I am hoping to go back to the little Diego Rivera preschool, and add the Grade 1 class of the elementary school to my list since most of these kids know me from last January and February.
For my next teaching project in Telchac, I am hoping to get a local traditional band to come and play for the kids - sponsored by Le Petit Atelier. It's important for the kids to get these close encounters at a young age, and learn about their own regional musical culture in this developing internet environment. With this project, I am hoping to see if some children are keen to learn to play, and possibly start a little sponsorship program for children to learn music in the village. I call this the 'Victor Velasquez effect' - a wonderful and inspiring man who made a memorable impression on me. He is the main music teacher on Isla Holbox, and his oldest students are now young adults who constitute the two local bands with seemingly a fair amount of work on the small island. I believe that a community with it's own music makers is a healthy and happy community, and I am hoping to promote music making in Telchac Puerto - one student at the time - if the stars line-up properly.
Here in Toronto, things are getting very very busy on the work front between now and the Holidays... for the first time in almost a year I will be back to teaching in the classroom - with a couple of teacher trainings on the schedule. I am also launching a series of mini-concerts in the currently ongoing daycare series and afterschool music classes - the first one will feature my amazing partner in life; Tim Posgate. He is a wonderful multi-instrumentalist and a great teacher, so we are putting together a short presentation focused on string instruments, with a Halloween twist. We have 6 mini-concerts scheduled before the end of October.
So with all that on the go, I guess I should get to work!!! Okay, let's do it!
I also emailed Judy from Telchac Education, and let her know that my plans are firming-up for the last week of April. I am hoping to go back to the little Diego Rivera preschool, and add the Grade 1 class of the elementary school to my list since most of these kids know me from last January and February.
For my next teaching project in Telchac, I am hoping to get a local traditional band to come and play for the kids - sponsored by Le Petit Atelier. It's important for the kids to get these close encounters at a young age, and learn about their own regional musical culture in this developing internet environment. With this project, I am hoping to see if some children are keen to learn to play, and possibly start a little sponsorship program for children to learn music in the village. I call this the 'Victor Velasquez effect' - a wonderful and inspiring man who made a memorable impression on me. He is the main music teacher on Isla Holbox, and his oldest students are now young adults who constitute the two local bands with seemingly a fair amount of work on the small island. I believe that a community with it's own music makers is a healthy and happy community, and I am hoping to promote music making in Telchac Puerto - one student at the time - if the stars line-up properly.
Here in Toronto, things are getting very very busy on the work front between now and the Holidays... for the first time in almost a year I will be back to teaching in the classroom - with a couple of teacher trainings on the schedule. I am also launching a series of mini-concerts in the currently ongoing daycare series and afterschool music classes - the first one will feature my amazing partner in life; Tim Posgate. He is a wonderful multi-instrumentalist and a great teacher, so we are putting together a short presentation focused on string instruments, with a Halloween twist. We have 6 mini-concerts scheduled before the end of October.
So with all that on the go, I guess I should get to work!!! Okay, let's do it!
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Thanksgiving in Canada
We went to our Muskoka family cottage to celebrate yet another beautiful Thanksgiving with our extended family. The weather was unusually warm for an October day, between 24 and 28 celcius - and the trend is continuing, to everyone's delight.
The family celebration took place on Saturday this year, and we canoed across the lake to uncle Ken's cottage - it was his turn to host the event - 48 guests this year! Sunny and warm, and no wind, beautiful fall colours... Best conditions for a family paddle, and a family party! It was fun. It's the only family tradition that survived the past ten years or so for Tim's family, and it makes it very special and important for us. Important for our kids to experience these gatherings on the actual day of the celebration.
It's great to see the family grow along the years; new baby on the way, upcoming wedding, everything ever changing, as the rest of the world. But the tradition remains, and it's a beautiful thing.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my canadian friends - and hoping that you have the good fortune to share it with your loved ones. xoxo
The family celebration took place on Saturday this year, and we canoed across the lake to uncle Ken's cottage - it was his turn to host the event - 48 guests this year! Sunny and warm, and no wind, beautiful fall colours... Best conditions for a family paddle, and a family party! It was fun. It's the only family tradition that survived the past ten years or so for Tim's family, and it makes it very special and important for us. Important for our kids to experience these gatherings on the actual day of the celebration.
It's great to see the family grow along the years; new baby on the way, upcoming wedding, everything ever changing, as the rest of the world. But the tradition remains, and it's a beautiful thing.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my canadian friends - and hoping that you have the good fortune to share it with your loved ones. xoxo
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)