~:[CH4 - Day 90]:~ Growing Up So Fast

~:[CH4 - Day 90]:~ Growing Up So Fast

It's always fun to sit back and see how all the students grow up. Even within the span of a year, the students start to mature, grow, and see things they never thought they'd be able to do. It's satisfying. Sometimes, it's a struggle and other times, it's a slow progression to the top. A few of my athletes have shown a lot of growth and it's satisfying to know that they are headed in the right directions. I still have some that need some work, but that's why I coach. This little one is growing up way too fast as well. Seeing her try and take her first steps to now, climbing in my car and trying to drive, asking for the keys, it's amazing how quickly they grow up. It was nice to spend a little more time with the distance team after practice today at our BWW stop off. This group definitely has gelled quite well and it's great to see.

~:[CH4 - Day 89]:~ It's Prep Time

~:[CH4 - Day 89]:~ It's Prep Time

Today was a bit of a rough one, as it was busy and I was trying to get back in the swing of things. With so much to do, it was a process of trying to catch up, which I am almost there. I caught up on sleep this weekend, now I just need to catch up on work. I was able to finish my entries for two meets and also finish up transferring to my new computer. It's a bit crazy right now. I began working on my buttons for our Ragnar Relay. As you can see, we have our teams and as I make our bags for the race, I can't help but thing, will I even finish? My achilles tendon has kept me from running and I guess the only thing I can do is pray that it will be better. As the week winds down and as spring break approaches, I get more and more excited for what is ahead! While there are many things to take care of, at least I know, there is sunshine on the horizon.

~:[CH4 - Day 88]:~ The Richest Man

~:[CH4 - Day 88]:~ The Richest Man

I once wrote a poem called The Richest Man and that poem showed itself to be true today more than ever. I attended a funeral today and while I did not know this person directly, the messages delivered by those who I did know reinforced my philosophy on life. This man had a very good job, but he gave selflessly ... his time, his energy, his effort and more. He approached life not as if it was half full, but as if it was overflowing with opportunities and great moments. He approached his daily work with a smile no matter how difficult life was and he left me with with impressions that will never leave me, even though I never had the chance to meet him. One quote from the messages that I will take with me is that his approach to parenting was to love unconditionally no matter what his children did, as they will always be his children. He also told another lady that if her son happen to run away, then wait on the porch, no matter how cold it may be for him to return and to tell him how much she loves him when he returns. This view on life showed what kind of man he was as lines of people waited to say a message about this man who accepted children not of his own blood into his family, yet brought them together to make them feel as if they were. I was already in awe at the fact that the church overflowed with people and I later learned that some people could not even come inside the church, however, it is only in death do we truly find out how rich we truly were. He gave so much during his lifetime and ultimately, it made him one of the richest men around. 

~:[CH4 - Day 87]:~ Life's a Beach

~:[CH4 - Day 87]:~ Life's a Beach

It was a challenge to wake up so early in the morning after the basketball banquet, however, I did. We ran into the dance drill team on the way to their competition and we both were waiting for our late buses. To make it a bit fun, I bet Kevin that our bus would come before theirs and the loser had to do push ups. Let's just say, I didn't do any push ups. We had a pretty good meet, especially the 1600m races where they got overcasted skies which led to all PRs or season PRs. It was a nice way to start the meet. The clouds burned off and the wind rolled in which led to a little bit of a challenge, however, we still managed fairly good performances. Overall, it was a good day and by the time I got home after eating pho, it was time to just plop down on the couch and head off to dream land. 

~:[CH4 - Day 86]:~ Just Like the Other Day

~:[CH4 - Day 86]:~ Just Like the Other Day

The way these guys act, you may think it's a little strange and maybe out of character, however, they are always like this. This season was definitely a fun one and while it would have been nice to have kept playing, they made the season memorable. When you have nine seniors on a team, it's always a bit more challenging to say goodbye, but ultimately, you have to eventually. The banquet went well and was even better because I was not stressed out, trying to finish any video. There was no last minute editing here. I did have to grab a few last minute things before heading to the banquet though for the 50th ABCUSD celebration. You can check out some of my videos at the Cerritos HS booth! Unfortunately, I will be at a track meet, so I will not get to see the displays. At the end of the day, as I put everything away, I was greeting with a nice surprise, some alumnis running by. After a nice conversation, I finally finished things up and enjoyed the fact that I am free! One thing off the list and now time to move forward!

~:[CH4 - Day 85]:~ The Feast

~:[CH4 - Day 85]:~ The Feast

I was suppose to go eat with these two during the year, however, I found ways to flake each time. However, they cornered me this time and ... haha, jkjk. They didn't really corner me, but did finally get me to go eat. We ended up at Northern Cafe since I check in here a lot and they both wanted to give it a try. What was suppose to be a fairly regular meal quickly turned into a feast as the miscommunication led to two orders of xiao long bao plus the four other dishes we had. Regardless, we did a pretty good job on all the dishes and had packed away tons of leftovers for Emily since Polyanna wasn't going to take any. Earlier in the day, I had to pick up more food for the winners of the Vancouver grill. Since I didn't buy them dinner in Vancouver, they got a nice Olive Garden lunch today. The rest of the day was focused on editing the video for the basketball banquet. After coming home, I couldn't get myself to stay awake, so I gave in, went to sleep and started editing again after I woke up. I couldn't find clips from the Winter Rally, which made me sad, however, ultimately, I wrapped up the video and just waiting on rendering and exports before I can officially say that I am done. I did not finish the day before the banquet officially, but at least I am not editing the day of the banquet. I probably could have, had I not had my sequence settings wrong and while I would have left it, the quality was just not happening. Regardless, I am done and now, freedom!

~:[CH4 - Day 84]:~ True Selflessness

~:[CH4 - Day 84]:~ True Selflessness

My freshman once again did a wonderful job collecting for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. My three periods were able to collect a tad over $2100 dollars! Through last week, I wasn't sure exactly how we would do, but today, the freshman really came through and donated generously or gave up time to find people to support the cause. While they will not win any school prizes since we are not a fifth period, I know that they can take pleasure in knowing that they really did a lot to lend a helping hand. I will be making each period a music video since they each collected over $500! After counting all that change, I headed to practice where we got through a quick practice before I had to head over to MUN for scrip. It was a quiet day, so I was able to get some editing in while I was there. When I got home, guess what I did??? I edited some more! I kept it simple to make sure that I could finish, but I think it turned out just fine! I am going to do a final push for editing tomorrow and be done in time for the banquet allowing this stress to be lifted off my shoulders ... well, sort of! Today was definitely a great day and I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

~:[CH4 - Day 83]:~ Welcome to the C-House

~:[CH4 - Day 83]:~ Welcome to the C-House

It's always a busy day when open house is happening, as prepping for it all is a bit crazy. This year, with the banquet for basketball coming up on Friday, it became an even crazier week. Luckily, I had a lot of help from my athletes and it seemed like it was a pretty big success. We'll see if we get athletes out or if they just wrote down their names so they could get a color flier :) ... in any case, today was filled with a lot of lecturing, lots of laps around the track for intervals, and of course, a lot of generosity from my students as they made big progress today in collecting money for Pennies for Patients. While we do not have a homeroom to collect for, the MUN freshman collected over five hundred dollars TODAY alone! I was truly impressed on the work they did and am so proud to work with these generous hearts who truly have demonstrated character through their charitable giving as well as taking the time to seek out those donations for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

~:[CH4 - Day 82]:~ Truly Blessed

~:[CH4 - Day 82]:~ Truly Blessed

It was another sloth Monday as I tried to get on track and at the same time, tried to get everyone else on track. Ultimately, I finished up my lectures and then prepped everything for practice for the day. At practice, I got a few surprise visitors including Kendall and Ivan! It's always great to catch up with them and to see them back at home! Of course, I tried to delay at practice as much as possible as I knew that once I got home, it would be all editing. It ended up being almost all editing. I finalized a few things for the video transfer and then started to get to work. As of now, I have about 1/3 of the video done, so at least I am on pace, but with Open House and scrip, I may get delayed a bit this week. We'll see! I got distracted as I prepared for Ragnar Relay and also got some stuff together for my mini-vacay the weekend before. In any case, today was a great day as well because I got to spotlight one of my most inspirational friends who had her birthday today! While I have not been able to see her as much lately, I realized that I am truly blessed to have friends like her and many others around me. With friends like this, who needs anything else to make this world great?

~:[Spotlight]:~ Jennifer (Leung) Jou

~:[Spotlight]:~ Jennifer (Leung) Jou

It was way back in 1997 that first met Jennifer. It's amazing how time can fly and seem like it hasn't been too long, when in fact, it's been almost a lifetime! I've been so luck to spend so many moments with someone as incredible as Jenn who has a smile that can light up a room, the brains that will continuously challenge you, a heart that she shares with all of those around her, and is a person that you'll be lucky to find another one of in your entire lifetime. We shared some great memories in high school such as many MUN conferences included an away conference at UC Riverside, the dances, the school activities, the birthdays and more. In college, we got more opportunities to continue our friendship. I was lucky enough to have her join us to chaperone for MUN and also for cross country and have numerous other outings after we both finished school. I have gotten to see so many of the amazing things she has done, such as coordinating the lunar festival and seeing her grow her own urban garden. Jenn never ceases to amaze me. She has been there for me in the worst of times to lend a shoulder to cry on and also to celebrate in the best of times. I could not ask for a better friend who can make the most of any day and brighten up your day with her smile and maybe a few animal noises on the side. Today is a special day, because not only is she being spotlighted, we celebrate the very day she came into this world. A day we were all blessed to have come along, as this world is much more amazing with you in it. Happy birthday!

*****

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 81]:~ Ticket to Ride

~:[CH4 - Day 81]:~ Ticket to Ride

I spent most of the day prepping my titles and slideshows for the basketball video which I began working on. I already had transferred most of the video, so a lot of the work was done already. However, it was time to get to work. After doing that most of the day, I headed out to meet up with a friend in Koreatown. I grabbed a delicious bite to eat before heading out to the Grove to watch the Kingsman. It was one of the first time there was a delay for a movie for me, as we had to wait a bit before getting our seats. In any case, the movie was different than expected but all in all, ended up being pretty good. It was a great way to end a busy weekend and a nice break before a week of editing.

~:[CH4 - Day 80]:~ My Name is Jason and I'm a Danceaholic

~:[CH4 - Day 80]:~ My Name is Jason and I'm a Danceaholic

I spent the day out at Cerritos College for the second day of the California Relays. Track meets are always so long and it is quite tedious to be out there all day long. In any case, our athletes did well but the competition was pretty tough. It's good for them to face up to teams like this though so that they know what they're up against. After the meet, I headed to a friend's wedding out in LA. I was definitely late, as I missed the ceremony and was there over two hours after the reception began. However, the reception ran late in the night, so I was able to still stop by and see some of my friends. It's a little funny because I think of myself as a little introverted, however, I love to dance. I think there is something about just being able to let loose and be free when dancing that makes it an amazing feeling. When you don't think about who you are dancing with or what other people are thinking about, you can just let loose and go. Since I don't drink much, it's never liquid courage that I need, just the ability to go past the limits of my mind and know that I can't worry about being judged. I guess it's a good lesson in life that if you want to do something, go for it and see how it goes, because ultimately, if you let others hold you back, you might just be missing one of the best times of your life. Tonight, was a great night. Thanks Grace and Brian!

~:[CH4 - Day 79]:~ Records Made to Be Broken

~:[CH4 - Day 79]:~ Records Made to Be Broken

My morning focused around the UCI game, as it was a historic day. It was their first appearance in the NCAA tournament - ever. It was a back and forth game and we grabbed the lead early and Mamadou definitely left his mark on the game. Ultimately, a number of costly turnovers and mistakes led the the loss, but I am so proud of my alma mater and how much heart they displayed! They fought against one of the legendary coaches and a marquee team and did not flinch, as they faced up to them without any fear at all. With the game finished as I headed to our meet and while I was excited at some point, I had to keep myself from feeling the let down. It was great to be back in track mode without too much to worry about. While I have a lot of work to do on the video this weekend, I get to focus on this meet today and tomorrow. We had some solid performances through the day but none better than the record breaking performance of our 3200m runner who broke a 30+ year school record! What is even more amazing is that he is only a sophomore! It wasn't as late as a night as I had thought I would have, so it was nice to get home before 10pm! Tomorrow is another day at the track and it's an early call, so I better get to bed so I don't oversleep!

~:[CH4 - Day 78]:~ Diversity at Its Finest

~:[CH4 - Day 78]:~ Diversity at Its Finest

It's always a great moment when you get to see your students out of their element. A lot of my students and formal students performed in the Project Diversity presentations and it was enjoyable to watch. They pieced together their presentations and showed off to the school the diversity of Cerritos. The skits were fun, entertaining and funny. It was a crazy day as I was trying to stay on top of all the games while also get ready for our meet later that day. Artesia is always a school with a lot of athletes and sure enough, they gave us a run in the boys varsity race. Ultimately, we came out winning three division and continue our progress. We have a long way to go, but we are definitely doing better than we have the past few seasons!

~:[CH4 - Day 77]:~ Hanging with the Homeboy

~:[CH4 - Day 77]:~ Hanging with the Homeboy

Today was KTSRQ day, which means grading day for me! As the students worked, I graded the day away as the classes zoomed by! Before I knew it, it was time for practice. As usual, practices on Wednesdays go by quickly. Since it was food run day, I got to hang out with this homeboy who ordered his own drink today. We took a number of wonderful selfies. In any case, it was great hanging out. After practice, I ended up going to Golden Deli. It was definitely a wonderful night full of great conversation. Loved it and worth the drive for the food, but mostly the company! 

~:[CH4 - Day 76]:~ The Son is Back

~:[CH4 - Day 76]:~ The Son is Back

It was nice getting everyone back together. We had a great night out as Thien came back to town for the week! We got together at BBQ Night and it had the perfect crowd for us, as we got into the restaurant with a large group in a good amount of time. The service was good, the food was good and we finished the night off with ice cream. It was great catching up with him and strangely, this fell on St. Patrick's Day. I dressed up from head to toe in green making sure I wouldn't get pinched. Most of the day was focused on that and I am glad that it was a pretty easy going day.

~:[CH4 - Day 75]:~ Nice to Be Back

~:[CH4 - Day 75]:~ Nice to Be Back

 Sometimes when you go somewhere too many times, you loose your appreciation for it. Well, I haven't been back to Senor Baja in a bit and I loved coming back here. I was able to enjoy what I had missed over these past months and it may have almost been a year since I've been back. In any case, It was great way to end a tiring and exhausting day. It was a tough day, as I was reminded about living life to the fullest. While it was not within my own family, hearing about people suffering through such difficult times make you appreciate what you have and makes you want to do as much as you can for them. I wish I could fix what is broken, but I guess this is a part of life that we must accept. After making through the day, it was interesting to see what potential we have in track. With new additions late in the year, I am excited to see what we'll have in May. I guess I just have to be patient.

~:[CH4 - Day 74]:~ Cheering Out Loud

~:[CH4 - Day 74]:~ Cheering Out Loud

I thought I was suppose to go watch Izzy race today, but I woke up late then realized that it was actually yesterday. I guess it was a good thing that I overslept. Since I did, I was able to take my time in getting ready to Nala's cheer competition today! It was great to see her perform! While I did not know what to expect, it was great to see her out on the floor cheering and dancing with her team! Her team ended up getting second place and it was cool to see her get her medal as she was so happy and raised it up towards us after she got it. We headed to Mrs. Bea's after the competition and had some good soul food. I enjoyed the food despite the fact that my stomach was not quite on par with how delicious the food was. The food put me to sleep and I got in a nap before trying to get a bit of work done. I also found out that UCI is going to play Louisville in Seattle. If I wasn't coaching track, I would definitely be over there. My brother is going to go, however, so I guess he'll have to cheer loud enough for the both of us. All in all, it was a relaxing, yet not productive weekend. I have a lot of work to do this week. Time to focus!

~:[Spotlight]:~ Kwiri Yang & Vanuatu

(PC: http://www.yachtcharters.cz/expedice-pacific-2014/)

 ~:[Spotlight]:~ Kwiri Yang & Vanuatu

I was planning to post this spotlight soon and an unfortunately disaster happens which makes this spotlight even more important. I met Kwiri at a wedding and it was amazing how personable and social she was. It was so easy to get along with her and after getting to know her, I was amazed at all that she does and all that she has accomplished. Kwiri is a prime example of how to persevere when the odds are against you, how you can prove everyone wrong and how you can burn a trail for others to follow you. When my schedule is busy, I just think about how other people are busier than I am and it keeps me going; one of those people is Kwiri. Regardless of how many hours she works, she continues to give back, she continues to be there for her friends and she gives 100% to the infinite power. Once I had to reschedule the day that she came to speak to my class and she worked with me despite her schedule and despite having a late night meeting and pretty much working a 48 hour shift or so. What's even more incredible is how she connected so well with the students and was so real with them as my students left saying, "how do you have such cool friends?" She is cool, but she is also loyal, accomplished, a great friend, a fantastic photographer, a dedicated Yelper and foodie, and much, much more. While these spotlights are suppose to be for those amazing people who deserve their spotlight, I know that Kwiri would want this to be a spotlight on her home, Vanuatu. Vanuatu suffered one of the worst cyclones in the Pacific in some time and my hope is that you can help pray for all the people on the island of Vanuatu for this amazing person Kwiri. This beautiful place is where she grew up and the country and the people of this island, especially her friends and family, deserve our thoughts, our prayers and to be in the spotlight. Thanks for doing your part by keeping Vanuatu in the spotlight.

*****

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 73]:~ Together We Zot

~:[CH4 - Day 73]:~ Together We Zot

Today was a recovery day and I knew I would need the rest with a long day ahead. While I got a lot of work done, I just got to relax most of the day. Then, it was game time. I wanted to get up close and so I got plaza tickets so I could choose a seat as close as possible. We got in early, so we got a good seat. It didn't look good early as Hawaii was hitting everything early, but ultimately, we slowly came back. It's incredible to see Mamadou, a 7' 6" monster in the paint and while he can still develop a lot, it's amazing to see someone like that in person. It's even cooler to see a former player cutting down the net after winning the conference tournament as they are going to head to the dance. I have been disappointed in the past as UC Irvine was close to making it, even in a year where they were just outside the rankings, however, it's even cooler to see your school make it with a former player. Fight on Anteaters and got get 'em. Zot zot zot! 

~:[CH4 - Day 72]:~ It's Nights Like These

~:[CH4 - Day 72]:~ It's Nights Like These

It was definitely a crazy day. After a meet yesterday, we had to try to organize ourselves for the rally, which was the day after our first league meet. The rally went well and then because of the schedule, we had a little craziness in trying to get everyone out to the bus by 1pm. Regardless, we got on the bus and headed out to Irvine. It was pretty hot when we got there, which was probably the reason why we were the only team sitting on the visitors side of the stadium. We had our canopies so it wasn't an issue at all. We brought a pretty large group to the invitational and we had a great time. In fact, it was one of my favorite track meets I've been to. We had good performances all around including the #1 mark in the 400m on the day, a #4 freshman hurdles and #5 sophomore 3200m mark in the state database as of last night, and loads of medals and PRs! It's always fun to have that experience and especially with a group who gets along and has great enthusiasm. They even had a great time picking 4x100m teams and cheering SO loud for them, even though we didn't have anyone in the race. Our team keeps growing and getting better and much of that has been in a single week, so I am excited for what is ahead. It may have been Friday the 13th and I may have gotten back after the stroke of midnight, however tonight was truly magical.

~:[CH4 - Day 71]:~ enTIErly Perfect

~:[CH4 - Day 71]:~ enTIErly Perfect

Today was "ugly" tie day for the teachers but I took it as an opportunity to wear my Spongebob Square Tie! I also found an ugly tie to wear beside it, so I would fit the theme. I made my class play a long though as they all wore ugly ties as well in class and made a fun day out of it! In any case, at lunch, I ended up roaming the quad in order to collect change for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I am glad the students are generous and they donated a few dollars here and there! I then had to get ready for our meet. It's always crazy getting ready for our first meet, but I think we did a pretty good job with it! Ultimately, we won both varsity races with the boys side coming down to the 4x400m! It was a great day and was definitely TIErrific!

~:[CH4 - Day 70]:~ Taking Over the School

~:[CH4 - Day 70]:~ Taking Over the School

One of my favorite days of the year is the imperialism game. Today is a day where history meets PE. Yes, you heard me right. It's great to see students running around campus during history as they look like they are in PE class. While I have to find a way to keep my clues where they should be, ultimately, it ended up being a successful day. My second and fourth period were eager to run around and answer questions. My third period was not as eager, but still ended up being pretty good. It also was good weather to be outside, so it was even better. It's funny how the seniors are always out when we play the game and how they still remember the lesson and some of the answers as well! After practice today, I headed to Roadrunners and lucky enough, they were holding a St. Patrick's Day celebration! While I went there for shoes, I left with a "Kiss Me I'm a Runner" mug and some other snacks for the road! To top it all off, the Clippers beat the Thunder. What a great day!

~:[CH4 - Day 69]:~ Shading to Perfection

~:[CH4 - Day 69]:~ Shading to Perfection

I collected some fabulous video outlines for my class video project. I assigned this project back in December so these students should have this project done already, however, we all know how students are. Regardless, I was impressed by some of the outlines I received and am excited to see the videos that they make. The day itself was spent watching the students make imperialism charts so that they could prep for the imperialism game tomorrow! It made for a day that I could catch up a bit on some work and my one-on-one evaluation reviews. I love the opportunity to give feedback, it's just difficult to do with over 110 freshmen. At least it's only three periods that I am doing it with! In any case, practice itself went well and I am finally getting back on track and caught up. Hopefully by the weekend, I will be able to finally breathe. Oh, that's right, I still have a banquet video to edit. Maybe not. At least I already finished up the awards for the banquet, now all I have to do is the video! Guess that means I should try to get some rest now so I can save some energy for the weekend crunch.

~:[CH4 - Day 68]:~ Back in the Habit

~:[CH4 - Day 68]:~ Back in the Habit

I was trying to get back in the habit on the first Monday back and it wasn't too difficult. The time zone change was made easier with daylight savings and it ended up being a good deal. I was trying to get readjusted and caught up with my classes and ultimately, it ended up being a great day. We got our long run in and had a good number of people make the full loop and we got a lot accomplished today. In any case, while I thought it would be a tough day to get back in the habit, ultimately, it was a smooth transition.

~:[CH4 - Day 67]:~ Losing an Hour? Gaining Two?

~:[CH4 - Day 67]:~ Losing an Hour? Gaining Two?

I lost an hour when I got back, but I was already head three, so did I actually gain two? It was an interesting transition, however, I felt as if I didn't lose anything at all which may be attributed to the change in time zones. Regardless, it was a day of relaxation. This ends my six MUN conferences in six week schedule and despite our delegates being everywhere, we did pretty well. We won delegation awards at Surf City, Santa Barbara, Berkeley and NHSMUN, at Vancouver they didn't give delegation awards but we performed very well and the sixth was our own freshman/middle school conference. Of course, while it was all fun, I was glad to have some time to sit back and not do too much. I'll get back to it tomorrow with UCI and HB sign ups, however, ultimately, I got the much needed break.

~:[Spotlight]:~ Janie Jin & John Chang

~:[Spotlight]:~ Janie Jin & John Chang

I guess I can lump two people in a single spotlight when they share one roof over their heads. These two are my triathlon relay teammates, well sort of. I was the weakest link and therefore ruined the whole ordeal, however, I am glad to have shared so many great moments with these two. John is my bae and while Janie has taken some of the space in his new profile picture, at least she still let's me share John on occasion. Haha, ok ok seriously though, these two are GREAT people. When you talk about people who are always great to be around, I think of these two. John is always up for a good time *wink wink* While I have not known him for as many years as I have known Janie, I still love being around him, as I always feel that every time is a good time to talk to him or be around him. I always feel that he has got my back and will be someone you can always count on. When I first met Janie, my goodness, I wondered, what is up with this girl. She still has that same smile that she had freshman year when she thought there were hamsters running Jerry's car and a pool on top of the gym, however, she has grown up so much. I love to grab a boba with her from time to time as it always seems that even when she is busy, she finds a way to make the day a great one. I love you two and I am glad to have you in my life, which is why I picked up two for this moment in the spotlight! Keep being that beautiful self of yours John and Janie, thanks for sharing.

*****

The spotlight is a column that will highlight at least one person every week who deserves all the gratitude in the world for what they do. While the individual may never make the headline news, they are the type of person that deserve their moment in the spotlight.

~:[CH4 - Day 66]:~ Oh So Proud

~:[CH4 - Day 66]:~ Oh So Proud

I've long been worried about the direction that MUN is going, not at our school, but in general. With some conferences not understanding what the purpose of a conference is. One of the reasons I enjoy NHSMUN is because it creates more of the learning experience because of its deemphasis on awards. While the growth of the conference may not have been for the better with a larger number of delegates not creating more of  a distraction than anything else, I think that the students still got the experience that I hoped for. I was proud that the students used all their research to be as confident as they were in committee, learning about their topics and the country they represented along with debating appropriately, without some of the underhanded things that some schools resort to. This group not only represented our school well in conference, but was also one of the most well-behaved and cooperative groups that I have taken to NHSMUN, which also made it a great experience. I was proud of this group even before the closing ceremonies, but was glad that all their hard work was recognized by the conference as they were awarded the Award of Excellence and the Award of Merit in Research and Preparation. We headed home and despite the worry early on, we made it home on time. It was a very nice close to another great NHSMUN conference and ended with a quick stop off to the end of Nala's birthday party. While I missed most of it, at least I got to see her before she fell asleep. 

~:[CH4 - Day 65]:~ The Last Night Here

~:[CH4 - Day 65]:~ The Last Night Here

It was our last night in New York. With commitee sessions rolling along, I grabbed lunch with a friend during the break and headed up to Levain Bakery to grab my annual lot of cookies. As usual, the kids loved it. We were able to enjoy a night at the Stardust. A few of the students ate there during the week but it didn't keep them from having a great time that evening. We ended with 40 students who headed to the social that evening. It was nice to see so many go to the social. It was the most crowded social we've been to which wasn't a surprise with as many delegates that were at the conference. While it was cold during the day, it didn't keep us from having a great time. It was definitely a great way to spend our last night of the trip.

~:[CH4 - Day 64]:~ People in High Places

~:[CH4 - Day 64]:~ People in High Places

Today the snow came down hard. As I looked out the window, my original plan to have both groups leave at the same time went down the drain and we split the groups into two. It ended up working pretty well and both groups had a pretty good mission briefing. UAE was treated very well with drinks and snacks. They got three speakers to answer their questions. Japan had a shorter briefing due to the later time, however, we still were able to get some questions in and our speaker sent some answers to questions he couldn't answer on the spot! It was amazing. During the conference, I had some time to stop off at a Japanese market and get some delicious snacks. I also ended up running into a friend after posting a little something about looking for someone to meet up for dinner. Didn't know she lived here in New York. In any case, the skies cleared and the storm went away and it ended up being a great day. 

~:[CH4 - Day 63]:~ Feeling Diplomatic

~:[CH4 - Day 63]:~ Feeling Diplomatic

It was a day of preparation. I knew that the line would be long for registration, so I headed over there a bit early. It ended up being a good choice as I beat the long lines and got everything in a fairly timely manner. I proctored two exams today, the MET exam and a BC test. It ended up working well and we finished just as we were about to go to lunch. We hit up St. Marks and it was a great day with a stop at Pomme Frites with some delicious sauces, Papaya King, and a stop at CoCos. Wow! We headed back to committee and stopped off for the rules session which probably was not necessary for our delegates, but ultimately, the meet and greet was great to go to! After a quick break, we headed to opening and the kids looked good in their sweaters. I ended up stopping at Sapporo with the chaperones before hitting up the committees. We were lucky to see our delegates in most of the committees and most of them were happy with the way things were going. We have a few slightly sick ones, but hanging on pretty well. I still have rounds of room checks to do, so hopefully security doesn't stop me again!

~:[CH4 - Day 62]:~ Winter Wonderland?

~:[CH4 - Day 62]:~ Winter Wonderland?

All the snow that fell earlier in the week made today's tour of Central Park feel like a winter wonderland. Although, around the city, it began to turn into mush, in the park, it was still quite beautiful. Our tour through the park lasted 2.25 hours and it ended up being enjoyable with the group staying fairly close behind. The only problem ... my camera ran out of batteries even though I charged it the night before, or so I thought. In any case, I borrowed a battery for a few more group shots but didn't get as many pictures on this day as I normally would. We ended up at the MET and I was able to cruise through a good number of the galleries while I was there. We ended the night with a dinner at Carnegi Deli (at least the chaperones did) and then a stop off at the Gershwin where I saw Wicked again for the 25+ time! It still was incredible. The coolest part about it was that we had a few alumni join us, allowing us to catch up. With a quick stop at the Halal cart, the day was complete and now it's time to start committee tomorrow.

~:[CH4 - Day 61]:~ Feeling United

~:[CH4 - Day 61]:~ Feeling United

We had another early morning as we headed to the UN. This year's group did a good job in staying up with us and we navigated through the stations fairly well. We ended up at the UN and their procedures are a little crazy, holding us outside until about 9:10 with our tour being at 9:30. Eventually, we got into the building on on with our tour. Our tour guide in our group wasn't too detailed and seemed a little distracted, but the other two groups got good tours. The renovated building is fabulous! After the UN, we grabbed a bit to eat at Grand Central. All was pretty good except for one lady who might have been homeless who walked a route in the area. We had a char on the end of our table, but there was still room for her to walk behind. She yelled at us twice and not knowing what she was saying, we just looked at her with one of our chaperones scooting in just as she pulled the chair away from under her. Luckily she stood up at the time and did not fall despite the intense moment. In any case, we ended up being alright and headed to the American Museum of Natural History. It was a great day in the museum and I enjoyed being perched under the whale in the best room in the museum! One of our alumni visited us at the museum and it was cool to catch up! After grabbing some food, we had an early night in and the kids caught up on their homework and some much needed sleep as with all our delays, it was put back some of the sleep that they should have had at the beginning. I think they'll be back on track after today. It feels so much later than it is, but definitely a day when fatigue reigns supreme. 

~:[CH4 - Day 60]:~ Snow Day

~:[CH4 - Day 60]:~ Snow Day

We woke up early in the morning after a late night and we were exhausted. As we headed to Battery Park, the waters were frozen. I've never seen it like that and I was worried that we weren't going to be able to get out. Despite leaving a half hour later than I thought we were going to, we headed out and had a great morning at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was a bit cold though so most of the group decided to stay below deck but missed out on some picture opportunities. We headed to the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, which was cool to visit. To see something for the first time cannot be matched and it was definitely an awe inspiring experience. I can't believe how large the space was and to think that we were in the area where the buildings collapse was amazing to think of. Definitely a place where I would suggest you spend 3-4 hours. We headed to Little Italy to grab lunch and it was oh so good! I had the black linguini seafood past and it was delicious! We walked around SoHo a bit and missed out on most of Chinatown this time around mainly due to the weather. After gathering everyone together, we stopped off to a snowy Washington Square Park and then headed back to the hotel for dinner and some time to relax, which was definitely needed. I enjoyed the downtime before a GREAT ice skating experience. First, it was not crowded at all due to the weather and we even met someone from the Real Housewives of New York who was ice skating at the time. After a long day, we stopped off for a quick snack before heading back, but all in all, despite the fatigue, today ended up being a great day!