Eleven Ways to Use a Period

 

This is not usually the kind of thing I discuss publicly.

I'm going to be talking about periods. But not the punctuation kind.

If you don't want to read about periods, stop reading now please. 

Ok.

I hate having a period. In fact, I was in junior high or high school when I read a news article about how you could skip the sugar pill week of birth control pills and (magically) not have a period. That moment planted the idea in my head that I could have freedom from having a period. The thought was so liberating, and it was what I was determined to do. It wasn't until last August, however, that I was brave enough to go see a doctor about this plan.

And it worked! Well, kind of. It worked until I had chest pain and went to the emergency room and found out the birth control pills had given me a whole slew of blood clots in my lungs and earned me a night in the hospital (which, as a side note, ended up being Huntsman Cancer Institute, since the rest of University Hospital was full--and man, "The Huntsman," as a tech called it, is one nice hospital). As people keep telling me: it could have killed me.

So, I'm trying to be accepting of my period. And, to keep a long story short, this has led me to find out that there are actually a whole lot of options out there for what to do with your period. Also, for whatever reason, I'm finding this absolutely fascinating. I suddenly feel this urge to tell people (um, women) that there are more options than using pads and tampons.

So here I present to you the methods I have discovered so far that female people use to address having a period, kind of organized from less to more effort-requiring and/or invasive:

1. Period Panty

These are underwear designed with an absorbent core and a leak-proof outer shell. From what I've read, you can rely on them during the day (probably not super heavy days, though), or they can just be backup while you go about your regular routine. 

2. Pad

If you're reading this, you probably know about these. They come in a variety of formats, from short to long, thin to awful and thick, or with wings, or organic, or plastic-y and non organic (some accuse these of having carcinogens)

3. Reusable cloth pad  

Why, you ask? Users and vendors cite sustainability, eco-friendliness, lower long-term cost, as well as things like them being natural, chemical-free, and more comfortable for some people. It looks like big sellers are the Lunapad and GladRags, though there seem to be a huge number of cottage industries making these products, including Precious Star Pads, started and run by a delightful British 17-year-old girl who also makes YouTube videos reviewing feminine products and related items. She also talks unabashedly about things like her cervix (which, at her age, I didn't even know existed) and blood stains. She's really quite amazing.

4. Interlabial Pad

These are circle or petal-shaped pieces of fabric that go, well, between the labia. They add an extra layer of protection along with a pad. Did you know these exist? Now you do. You're welcome.

5. Tampon

 

I've heard that these were invented during WWI when the concept was used to stop bleeding bullet wounds. While it is true this kind of thing has been used for wounds, it looks like the concept of tampons for menstruation has existed for at least hundreds of years. According to Wikipedia, women in various cultures and during different time periods have used things like wool, papyrus, soft moss, and paper in this way.

From what I understand, tampons are the only period product that carry the risk of toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Although the disease is really rare, TSS happens because the small fibers that form a tampon can become a good place for bacteria to grow. 

6. Sea Sponge

 

I have to admit, to me, this seems like one of the odder options out there. They're what they sound like--absorbent, natural sponges. You use them like a tampon, except you rinse them and reinsert them--so it's a reusable product. Between periods you can sanitize them with things like tea tree oil or hydrogen peroxide (but not bleach or boiling). Reasons for using them are similar to other reusable products, and actually sound quite convincing once you consider them.

7. Menstrual Cup

 

These are small, well, cup, usually made of medical-grade silicone, that is worn inside the vagina where it catches fluid.

At risk of TMI, I just bought one of these. A Diva Cup. And I am amazed. First of all, because it carries no risk of TSS, these can be worn for up to twelve hours at a time--which means you deal with it when you get up and before you go to bed. That's it. Also, when it's inserted correctly, it doesn't leak. At all. Nothing. It does have a bit of a learning curve, but I don't see myself going back to using pads and tampons. Using the Diva Cup, I feel cleaner and I don't have to worry about my period during the day (or night, for that matter). Then there are some added bonuses--not having to buy disposable products, not throwing that stuff away at home or at work or at other people's houses and announcing to everyone that I'm on my period, eliminating the risk of TSS, showing my love for the planet, etc.

8. Continuous Hormonal Birth Control--the pill, ring, patch

 

Like I discussed above, you can eliminate your period by skipping the "off" week of hormonal birth control. You can do this with the pill, or with NuvaRing. I've read one source that says you can do it with the patch, too, and one source that says you can't.

It seems more and more accepted now that women might want to skip periods. I took the generic of Seasonique, called Camrese, to do this, which is designed so you have four periods a year--before, you had to get your doctor to write your prescription so you could fill it a week early each month.

I was initially annoyed at the four-period feature. However, what articles and how-to sites don't tell you about this method of skipping your period is that things can get a little wonky when you do this. It is weird for your body, and there can be issues with spotting. Having an occasional period rather than trying to eliminate it completely keeps everything running more smoothly.

Birth control pills generally come with two options--the "mini pill," with the hormone progestin only, or the more common version that has both progestin and estrogen. From what I understand, the ring and patch also use the combination of two hormones.

And I had problems with both. I used a mini pill and got spotting. And then I took a pill with estrogen and got blood clots. Estrogen is associated with blood clots (though the risk is small). And birth control methods that only have progestin are more likely to cause spotting and irregular bleeding.

The end message? These methods can be safe, but in my experience, what your outcome will be isn't 100% guaranteed. All three of these methods give you enough hormones to circulate through your entire body. And the result can be a little crazy.

9. Hormonal Long-Acting Reversible Birth Control 

So, long-acting reversible birth control refers to two things: the intrauterine device (IUD)--a little plastic T that goes in the uterus--and the implant--like a flexible matchstick that goes under the skin of your arm. In the US, there are two kinds of IUD's: a copper one, and a kind that uses progestin (brand names Mirena and Skyla). We're talking about that kind. The implant also uses progestin.

These are primarily methods of birth control. The period stuff is kind of secondary. While the copper kind of IUD can increase bleeding and cramping, Mirena and Skyla usually make periods lighter and shorter. For this reason, they are sometimes used by women with trouble with heavy periods to help them out with the issue. While it hasn't been reported with Skyla, periods stop all together for a portion of women who use the Mirena. Because it works with a similar mechanism, the implant also causes periods to get lighter and shorter, and might cause them to stop all together.

10. Endometrial Ablation 

This is a procedure where the lining of the uterus is destroyed--meaning, that even when the ovaries release an egg, the endometrium isn't going to get ready for it, and isn't going to shed if that egg isn't fertilized.

There are a few different ways this procedure is done. It might be performed with an epidural or under general anesthesia, then by using heated fluid, radio waves, microwaves, an electric current, or freezing to destroy the endometrial tissue.

The procedure eliminates periods, and it also eliminates the possibility of having children in the future.

11. Hysterectomy 

This is the surgical removal of the uterus, or possibly the uterus and ovaries. This one (hopefully obviously) also means you won't be able to have kids in the future.


So there you go! Is there anything I'm missing?

Out With the Old, In With The New

Another year is at it's close. I love New Year's--I always get excited about a fresh, new start. And it seems like I usually write something about the year that is ending. 2014 hasn't been quite as adventurous in terms of picking up new hobbies or traveling. But it still had some adventures. Here's a recap. Kind of in chronological order.

• Stopped teaching full time
• Quit my grad program in Spanish Pedagogy at BYU
• Got another neice
• Paid off my car
• Went on a cruise
• Went to Disneyland
• Did some serious searching for my next step in life
• Got accepted to Neumont University
• Cut my hair short
• Attended Salt Lake Community College
• Started some fun part-time jobs (see previous posts)
• Spent time observing audiologists and occupational therapists (interesting stuff)
• Learned how to make mosaics 
• Met a nice boy
• Asked and got an ok to re-enter my grad program in Spanish Pedagogy at BYU
• For the first time in my life, got a Christmas bonus--and then three more!
• Started learning how to play the ukulele 

The Times, They Are a Changing

Wow! It's been forever since I last posted something, and looking over the last few posts, it amazes me how much things have changed during that time frame. Here's a real quick overview:

• Like I said, there have been a lot of changes in my life, some of which I've chosen, some of which I haven't. I'm no longer teaching full time, but I've found ways to keep teaching languages in rewarding ways. I teach kids French and Spanish classes (and have a fancy website--take a look)--when I have enough students. I'm definitely not a salesperson, a fact that keeps becoming more and more apparent! I also tutor: one-on-one as well as at a inpatient treatment program for teenage girls. I love working with teenagers and am glad to have the chance to again--I also work with  just a handful of students at a time, which is much less overwhelming than a classroom of 35. It's a good job.
• I'm back in school, this time at Salt Lake Community College working on prerequisites to apply to the University of Utah's occupational therapy program. My degree didn't require math and science, so I'm making up for that now. Right now has kind of turned out to be a period of self-discovery, so I just may decide on a new direction, like, tomorrow. But occupational therapy is the current plan. 
• Along with tutoring and kids language classes, I have a couple of other odd jobs, one of which is working on the website and writing the blog for my dad's vet clinic. I mentioned that I have a standard poodle, Ditto, and I've had a good time writing about him or other pet-related topics (like Salt Lake County's canine mayoral race). Take a look!

I think that covers some of the big changes. I'll try to keep posting--like on how I'm actually making progress on a quilt (who would have thought). 

I Still Love Technology

I’ve been applying to scholarships lately. This scholarship asked me to blog about my favorite technology (hence...the blog entry). 

There are a lot kinds of technology in my life, and I can’t think of a reason I wouldn’t be glad for any one of them. I am grateful to have toilets, for example. Indoor plumbing is some major technology. So is my car, the radio I listen to, books…and about a zillion other things.  

Like a zillion. 

I have to add a little side note here. A few months ago, I went to an exhibit at The Leonardo in downtown Salt Lake on the 101 inventions that changed the world. I assume this meant the 101 inventions that most changed the world. It included things like the x-ray and the birth control pill, as well as good number of things I had never even heard of before, though they probably really have changed the whole world. And then…it included the Lego.

I do think Legos are great. In fact, here I am at Legoland.

Well, never mind. No picture. Blogger won't upload it. You'll just have to imagine me at Legoland.

Anyway, for me, choosing a most favorite technology, the Lego just isn’t one that’s hard to pass over.

If I had to choose one technology as my preferred, it would be…the internet.

Now, I do remember a time without an interweb. The first computer our family had certainly didn’t have it—though it did have a black screen with graphics in one color (green), it was controlled by arrow keys, and it ran Oregon Trail. I don’t remember doing much more on the next computer besides Math Blasters. And then things like cereal boxes and billboards started listing…websites.

Things have come a long way since dial-up noises and “you’ve got mail.” And along with developments in internet technology, I definitely enjoy things like streaming endless episodes on Netflix and music on Pandora. Though things might this might add up to be what I do most of online, however, they aren’t why I love the internet.

Though I’m going back to school full-time, I’ve taught school for the last three years. It’s actually relatively regularly that I pull up some information on Wikipedia for my students, and when I do, there is always at least one who tells me how they’re “not supposed to use Wikipedia.” And I tell them? No! Use Wikipedia! And then I can’t help but talk about the democratization of knowledge that the internet has created.

And here’s what I mean. Everyone can contribute to Wikipedia (I myself am a Wikipedia editor), and everyone can access great introductory articles on a huge range of topics in dozens of languages because of this project in knowledge, collaboration, and access. The same with YouTube: no one has to wait for a producer or TV network to pick up their content in order to get it out to the world, and the ordinary individual has the chance to pick their content for themselves. This same pattern continues all over the internet: everyone can contribute, access, and connect. Ordinary individuals have more access to collaboration and information than any time before in history. And you know what they say about knowledge. Knowledge is power.

I don’t think anything drove this point home quite like a discussion in a class I took last summer. One of the topics was technology and learning. We looked at MOOCs and Khan Academy. One weekend I was on a long drive and put on a TED Talk (speaking of access to information and collaboration)—I was going to skip over the title on my podcast playlist until I realized it related to what we were talking about in class. And I’m glad I listened, because it was really interesting. The speaker explained some amazing stuff that happened when kids in the slums of India had street-side access to a computer and internet—like how they ended up teaching themselves computer skills, English, and DNA replication.

Take a look at his talk. He’s really interesting. He’ll make you laugh and he’ll make you think.

So why do I love the internet most of all? Because the internet…the internet is practically knowledge. It’s like it’s the key to everything else. I once had a teacher who only gave open-note tests. Knowing information, he said, is not as important as knowing where to find it. And, like I tell my students, we have more access to information—and to each other—than any time, any where in history. That’s why, if I were to choose a favorite technology, the internet would be it.

Fresh

The other day, after reading what seemed like a thousand fairy tale picture books that I very wisely assigned French 3 (which has by far more students than any other level I teach), I gave my students some general feedback about what I read--things like don't forget accent marks, stay consistently in the past tense, and...please don't use Google Translate.

The last comment took up the most time of my feedback. My main piece of evidence was the massive quantities of grammar in the books they wrote that they have never in fact learned. I told them how I don't think Google Translate is evil or anything, but you need to know how it works and its limitations, and you need to consider your objectives when you choose a tool. For example, if your objective is to learn French, maybe the best tool isn't a translator that you just drop the story you wrote in English into.

(One student had this very ornately written story that I don't even think he wrote in English. I challenged him on it, and he fought back until I asked him to just tell me what a couple sentences of the book actually meant. And he couldn't.)

As part of trying to make my point about Google Translate, I showed them a video that put the lyrics of the theme song of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air into it over and over. I figured, being from the 80's, my students wouldn't be too familiar with this, so I played them the video of the actual thing first.

Boy was I wrong. I swear half of every class I showed this to sang along. Someone said that they were watching the show that morning as they got ready for school. One girl commented about how much she liked Will Smith's style in the show.

Of course. Of course they don't know how to tell time on an analog clock or have their own email addresses, but they know The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.

"You will."

Since I started teaching, I've thought about how I should write down some of the funny things that happen at work. If I'm going to start, I might as well share them.


The other day, a student told me how he has me for English next year. I looked at him, a little puzzled, and said, "I don't teach English."

"You will," he said. "You will."

***

I first heard about the artist Lorde on NPR--and, because of this, assumed her and her song "Royals" were pretty obscure. I loved the song, and I couldn't resist playing it during class the next day (even though it's not in French), prefacing it with something like, "I just found out about this new artist..." My students laughed at me right away and explained that the song had been in heavy rotation on the radio for quite awhile. I try to get my students to sing in French, and in this same class, there is a table with a couple of guys who really do sing. They sing loud and exaggerated and enjoy the humor of it (and of other situations). It's this same group of boys who, since the "Royals" day, will regularly sing the chorus of the song to me in falsetto.

A Long December...

At the end of another year, here's a quick look back on some of the things I did. During 2013, I...

• Drove around Ireland and Northern Ireland with a friend
• Picked up yoga
• Got an iPhone
• Spend the summer living in Provo
• Took a road trip to Disneyland with some friends
• Did some more work on a Master's degree
• Racked up some medical bills
• Started a new job that has definitely been a step up from the last one
• Started teaching AP French for the first time
• Got a black standard poodle puppy, Ditto (who I love!)

Loverly

I have a group of friends from elementary school, and we still get together. Our most recent hang-out happened this week, and one of us talked about bragging about having a group of friends from elementary school. I think it is brag-worthy.

I also think it's interesting to look at where we are in life (a few things have changed since third grade). So here's a figurative snapshot of where we are now:

Living in Utah: 3 of 4
Married: 2 of 4
Bachelor's degree: 4 of 4
Returned missionary: 2 of 4
Graduate degree: 1 of 4
Working in her field: 4 of 4 (Our respective fields being graphic design, fashion, international development, and foreign language education)
In or looking to transition to a new job in said field: 3 of 4
Living with parents: 2 of 4

And here's a literal snapshot:

Why? Because it's there.

This summer has been busy--after finishing the school year, I did two and a half weeks working at BYU's French Camp for high school students. As that was ending, I started the three grad classes that are taking up the bulk of my summer. I was looking forward to being a full-time student again for these eight weeks of classes. Completing nine grad credits in this amount of time, though, has also been immensely difficult. The work load and seat time is high, and I have found myself stretched and stressed.

Tonight, a friend asked me why I wanted to do grad school--the second time I've been asked this question in as many weeks. I gave the same answer tonight, the most simple one: "Because I haven't learned enough."

After, when I was driving home, I put on a podcast that turned out to be an episode of the TED Radio Hour called "To The Edge." The different segments of the podcast are posted here--interviews with a man who has walked to the North Pole, with a cave explorer whose expeditions can be over a month deep underground, a woman who has rowed alone across oceans, and a high-wire artist who crossed between the World Trade Center on a thin cable. The host kept referring to a famous interview with George Mallory. When asked why summit Mount Everest, Mallory simply answered, "Because it's there."

The podcast episode had such amazing stories: people, regular people, who have pushed themselves because for curiosity and for the joy of it. They reflected on how hard their pursuits were--and, in turn, that the harder the challenge, the greater the accomplishment of completing it. I found the stories so comforting and (though it is trite to say) inspirational. The summits and finish lines were reached, and because of that, lives were changed. Life was made better.

It's all about the niños

I've just made it home, totally exhausted, after French Fair Day. Each year, BYU hosts what I have heard rumors to be some of the largest foreign language fairs in the country for school kids. Students of Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish gather in different parts of campus to present skits, songs, and poems, compete in trivia and spelling competitions, and to speak the languages they are learning with thousands of other students from across northern Utah.

My day started at about 5:30 this morning when I got up to hurry to school so I could leave sub plans for the students who wouldn't be attending (I don't take my French I classes--they just get to stew in anticipation for next year while the rest of us take off). After that, the day was a rush of meeting times, permission forms, roll calls, bus rides, passing out handouts, reminders about schedules, digging for the right CD, final rehearsals, calls to the bus driver, and kid-rangling.

This was not my first French Fair experience. This was my second year with students, and I had volunteered as a helper for three years as a BYU student (in addition to one year at the Spanish Fair)--long days of listening to poetry or passing out pastries or checking passports. Even without my own students there, the French Fair days were exhausting.

Talking to my school's Chinese teacher on the bus ride back from the fair, I realized I wasn't the only one who was glad all the rehearsals, memorizing, and transportation arrangements were done for another year. My colleague had her own students to manage while she was at the Chinese fair, but had also been saddled with setting up and running the karaoke booth for the whole fair. During the bus ride, we also chatted about the exchange she's arranged for six years now between her students and a students at a school in Taiwan, as well as the video contest her students enter annually.

As we talked, I thought about the extra time she spends on these projects. If she's like me, like other foreign language teachers I know, like the BYU professors who organize the language fairs, like the college students who make it run, there isn't really anyone thanking her for doing it or noticing that she does. She doesn't get paid more for doing it all. Maybe that makes it all the more amazing that it happens.

One of those organizing BYU professors--of Spanish--sent out emails to the grad students of the department explaining how their help was expected at the language fair. "If you start to feel unmotivated, lethargic or frustrated," he wrote, "just remember, it's all about the niños!" On the bus ride today, I had a moment of such amazement about how many people had taken that to heart during the day. What an amazing thing had come together because of that: hours of preparing students, of careful organization, of listening to and encouraging these learners, of set-up and take-down--all of it fueled by not much more than some good hearts. As I was walking out of work this evening, another colleague stopped me and told me how she had overheard some of my students talking to each other in the hall about how much they had loved the French Fair. That made me want to think it's worth it.

From Pounds to Euros

Yesterday we saw a bit of Belfast in Northern Ireland. I thought about my family at Carrickfergus Castle...

...learned a bit about Northern Ireland's complicated past...

...then left Great Britain and the Pound to re-enter the Euro Zone. We spent the night at Cabra Castle. It was beautiful, but not the most pleasant night. The walls were very thin, and we got to hear most of the next door couple's raging argument at four in the morning. 

This morning, after a final look around the castle, we were off to some of Ireland's ancient sites. The "passage tombs" of Knowth and Newgrange were built before Stonehenge and Egypt's pyramids.

Our guide at Knowth, our first stop, was quite enthusiastic and friendly.

You can't walk in this site, but you can peak down the passage.

We got to Newgrange, and after our guide there told off a kid for making too much noise while standing on the gravel, Natalie dubbed him the "Newgrange Nazi." It is a spectacular place to visit, though. We got to go inside with our guide--where he was in his element. Overall, visiting the sites was an amazing experience.

After that, we drove off to the Hill of Tara. It was here the ancient high kings of Ireland were crowned. It was another cold day, but the sun was shining. It was absolutely beautiful up on the hill, walking among all the mysterious mounds and circles formed in the earth.

Easter and the Outdoors

Happy Easter! A bit belated, I guess. Saturday night, when we were still at Ashford Castle, someone from the hotel knocked on our door and gave us a great big chocolate egg for the holiday. At another point, someone came around with a little notice about setting the clocks back an hour at midnight. Seems we got in on Daylight Savings.

Sunday morning, we checked out of Ashford Castle. We were both sorry to tell it goodbye. Someday, when I'm wonderfully wealthy, I'm going to spend a week there doing everything they have to offer.

After that, I insisted we attend Mass. I read all sorts of things about Ireland and set in Ireland before we came, and a recurring theme was definitely the influence of the Catholic Church. So we had to go to mass. It was a modern building (though it was on the same grounds as the ruins of a very old church), and it was packed for Easter Sunday. The priest's sermon focused on baptism--how it was a miracle that Christ rose again, and how we partake in that, and how that is because of the promises made vicariously for you at baptism (I think that's how he went). Then he walked up and down the aisles sprinkling the congregation with holy water to remind us of our baptisms.

We next jumped in our faithful little car again and headed to Lough Key Forest Park. We were all excited about doing this (as in, we had talked about it since before we left):



When we actually got there, though, we were told we'd need at least three people. I went up to a group of three girls and asked if we could join them. They said yes, but then went in without us. We didn't do it. It was all very tragic.

We spent the night in Donegal and saw the castle there first thing this morning (well, after a giant Irish breakfast at the bed and breakfast). It turned out to be one of my favorites so far.

I wouldn't mind a room like that in my house someday.

Then we drove to Northern Ireland. Ireland is, of course, its own country, while Northern Ireland is part of the UK. I made sure to have my passport accessible this morning as we were packing up, not sure what the boarder crossing would entail. We had quite a bit of driving today. At some point, some of the road markings started looking a little bit different, and then the GPS (in metric) started displaying odd, uneven numbers for the speed limit. And then I thought, "I think we're in the UK." And I was right.

No offense to the Irish, the British road markings are just a bit clearer. And no offense to the British, but things are expensive here.

Before stopping at a rope bridge that goes to an island and then arriving in Belfast for the night, we went to the Giant's Causeway. The story is, there were two rival giants, one in Ireland, one in Scotland. The Ireland giant, Finn MacCool, was full of bravado, and built this causeway across to Scotland daring the giant there to come fight him. The thing was, the Scottish giant was a lot bigger and meaner, and as soon as Finn saw this, he ran home and had his wife disguise him as a baby. The Scottish giant (who I guess is nameless) stormed over, saw the size of the baby, imagined the size of the father, and ran away back to Scotland, tearing up the causeway as he went.

The place has some really unique geology, formed by volcano lava cooling.

Old Things and New Experiences

Yesterday I didn't post. Instead, we got back to our bed and breakfast at about 6:30, and I crawled into bed and was asleep by 8:00. I guess I was tired.

As far as what we did, though, was see a lot of old things. We saw some old abbeys in ruins...

...just after we had seen this magnificent place, the partially-restored Portuma Castle.

I kept thinking of Pride and Prejudice while we were there. Can you even imagine the kind of lifestyle of the family who lived and entertained here?

And if you have a hard time wrapping your head around that, get a load of this. Our next stop was the gardens of Birr Castle. Just the gardens, because the castle is still a private residence. That is, THIS place:

Today we went on to our next residence: Ashford Castle. We're staying here for just a night. And here it is:

That white flag out front very modestly says "first in the world." It has been nice, that's for sure--our bags magically appeared in our room and a woman knocked on our door asking if she'd like her to turn down our beds (I was so curious about what this would entail that I wanted to say yes, but they were currently covered with bags and such, so I said no).

If nothing else, I have sure never stayed at a hotel with one of these before:

We spent a good part of the day doing some of the activities offered here at Ashford. First up was an hour of falconry. Our instructor was incredibly knowledgeable about the birds. We actually worked with hawks rather than falcons--she explained they are social rather than solitary animals like the falcons, which take months to trust you.

I was fascinated by the things our instructor told us about the hawks.

• They are trained with food. With everything she talked about, it looks like the hawk's whole motivation is maximum food for minimum expenditure of energy. They save energy in crazy ways--they don't fly or move unless they see prey, for example, and they even stand on one foot to save energy when standing.
• The hawks are hierarchical. Older hawks and female hawks are higher on the hierarchy. We took out two hawks--one for me and one for Natalie. She had us send the older one out first on the first flight because of this hierarchy.
• The hawks like to be at the physical high point of an area. In the wild, the alpha female would be at the top and force all the others to be below her. For us, we were instructed to keep our arms bent at the elbow, elbow to our side, hand in a fist, thumb up, and that the hawk would claim our thumbs because it was the high point. 
• The hawks have an excellent sense of sight. They can actually "zoom in" and can point their eyes in different directions. They also see on the ultraviolet spectrum--so can see oils on animals and trails of urine. 
• The hawks are weighed every morning, and the handlers try to keep them at their optimal flying weight. If they weigh too much, they aren't motivated to fly for a food reward, so they don't take off from your hand. If they weigh too little, they'll take off from your hand and come strait back for the food reward. About 1/4 oz. makes the difference.
• The birds weigh 1-2 pounds. The females are bigger. 
• Handlers only reward the hawks from their gloved hands. This way, they only respond to the gloves. 
• To signal them to fly, you hold your arm strait out to your side and open your fingers. You might have to swing them a bit, "like a tennis racket," said our instructor.
• To get them to come back, you put a bit of raw meat in your gloved hand and stand with your arm strait out, hand in a fist, your back (and back of your hand) to the bird. They fly in and get the food!
• The birds don't want to escape to the wild because the food is easy and consistent in captivity. 
• The handlers never reward them for going from the ground to their hand--they want them to fly, not just hang out and not expend energy on the ground. 

It was such a fascinating experience. I've definitely never done anything like it before! I was fascinated by everything about the experience. The birds' motivation, though, made me start to think about students. So much comes down to consistency and reinforcement!

Here the hawk's coming in for a landing. I have to add that I am wearing two shirts, a sweater, a sweatshirt, and a down vest under that jacket. It's been cold!

After this, we went off to the equestrian centre. First time riding an English saddle! It was definitely different. We got some formal instruction before heading out with the guide, though--it made me want to learn more!

On The Road

Today, we mostly drove. Here is a photo to represent all that driving.

Never fear, I did not take said photo. Natalie did. While I was driving. This one happened to be taken while we were listening to an episode of The Moth podcast, which I highly recommend, by the way.

Between all this driving, we did stop and several attractions. Unfortunately, most of said attractions turned out to be closed. This resulted in a dramatic revision of our plans--we are now a full day ahead of schedule (excitingly enough), including staying at the bed and breakfast in Galway we weren't supposed to get to until tomorrow night.

We did manage to see one site, however: The Cliffs of Moher. Or, as I can hear my friend Caroline saying, "The Cliffs of Insanity!!!"

Finally, I would like to share this photo of a beautiful parking job from yesterday that I forgot to share in the last post.

Haters gonna hate, potatoes gonna potate

It was our first full day in Ireland, which we spent driving from site to site in our little black rental car:

We started out in the morning by going to get some lunch supplies at the grocery store, where I found this:

I am butter.

Our first site in Ireland was the Rock of Cashel, an old fortified church on a big hill. A rocky hill. Hence the name.

After that, we drove on to Cahir Castle, which is actually pronounced "care." Here is a picture of a medieval toilet from said castle. I am not guessing. The placards actually said that.

We did some more lovely driving to get to this pile of rocks. It is actually an ancient tomb. The placard here had an odd anecdote about a woman who lived under the shelter of these rocks in the 1800's.

Then we drove on to Limerick, checked into our bed and breakfast (much nicer than the hostel from last night, which never did warm up), and headed off to a guidebook-endorsed pub for dinner.

Almost everywhere we have parked has felt slightly illegal--in a church yard last night, in front of someone's house for the Rock of Cashel, and this parking job. I am actually rather proud of myself for parking like a European.

Maybe you can't tell. I'm parked on the curb.




We got to the pub and kind of wandered and found the restaurant part. No one was really paying attention to us, so we finally kind of asked if we could just sit down. We were told yes. This strangeness continued. Someone came to take our order, and it came after awhile. After that, we watched as the two waiters bustled around all the other tables--asking how things were, asking if the people at them would like a drink or a dessert, getting and taking the check from one table, etc., etc. Through all of this, they never even looked at us, let alone come over to talk to us. We were a pretty solitary island in the middle of all the hustling and bustling. I finished and no one cleared my plate. Natalie finished. And we sat there. And sat. And sat. After a bit, I finally asked if we could have the checks.




As we were walking back to the possibly illegally parked car, Natalie and I talked about this. I thought maybe it was because we were Americans, but Natalie pointed out there were two other tables of Americans that got great service. We thought some more, not coming to any conclusions..."Unless," Natalie said, "they thought we were a couple."


Oh the discrimination.

Ireland: Day 1 (or is it 2?)

I'm in the sitting room of an old Irish house-turned-hostel. It's finally warm in here, with the little stove going. I think I have been cold since I landed in Europe earlier today. The movie I am Legend is going. I hate that movie. This is the only place where I can get wireless, though, and it is warm. So I'll write quickly and head off to bed.

My friend Natalie and I are in Cashel, Ireland, staying in site of The Rock of Cashel, which we were supposed to visit this afternoon. Our day started at about 9:00 Sunday morning when her parents drove the two of us to the airport.

We flew to Dulles, which went fine, but then found our flight to London was delayed about an hour. The flight was long, but good...then we got to London (where, I swear, our passports were checked at least five times). There we found out we could make our connecting flight to Shannon, Ireland, but our bags would not. So we got on the next flight there--six hours later. It made for a long travel day.

This is me after a two-hour flight, a layover, a 8-hour flight, and four hours of layover. I stole a blanket from the British Airways flight, and boy was I glad I did when I had something to wrap myself up in in the cold Ireland-bound section of Heathrow.

Once we finally got to Shannon and through another round with the passports, we got our rented car! This all made me feel very grown up, and then it made me sad to find out it wouldn't be the 200-ish Euros we thought we booked, but rather towards 700-ish Euros. Plus E100 deposit for the gas. Sad.

I kept trying to psych myself up for driving on the left--visualized it and such. Even so, we put our bags in the trunk and I opened up the driver's side door and my first thought (honestly) was, "Where's the steering wheel??"

Later today, I saw a really nice car take a fast corner and I said to Natalie, "Woah, that driver was like, 12!" And she looked at me and said, "He wasn't driving."

Anyway, we got here, and we're ready for adventures!

Random

I've been thinking about my blog lately, and how I should add something. I just have some random bits and pieces, but here they are.

• The Church is creating a Seoul South mission. I left Korea in March 2010 just as the Seoul West and Seoul missions were being combined (changing the number of LDS missions in Korea from four to three). They told us this was in part because there were fewer new missionaries (the "boomlette" was ending) and because the missionaries that were going out were going to more diverse areas of the world. Now, this article says, because the age has changed for missionaries to go out, there are more again. Why not re-open the Seoul West mission? Who knows. 

• I am going to Ireland for two weeks this spring. A friend and I had started talking about this more than a year ago. Last summer I was in Colombia, and for the next two summers I'll be doing grad school full time. Looking at the calendar, I realized the only time I had to go was Spring Break. So that's when we're going! I'm taking a week off work in addition to that, which I feel guilty about. But I'm definitely looking forward to the trip! 

• We have Netflix, and I end up watching a fair amount of TV while I grade, work out, and that kind of thing. Recently I got kind of obsessed with the show "LA Ink," about a tattoo shop in LA (until the later seasons when all the people on it are just nasty to each other). I was just struck by how so many of the people going in to get tattoos were getting one to mark or work through something hard in their lives. It's just been an observation lately--hard things happen to all of us. 

• I've been really tempted lately to get an iPhone, but always go back to deciding it's too expensive (please see the Ireland bullet point, above) and that I can live without one for at least a bit longer. Recently I took a class on African drumming through the University of Utah's Continuing Education program, and I think if I'm not going to buy an iPhone, I could probably buy an African drum.

The Year is Dying in the Night

I love New Year's. It's one of my favorite holidays--a time to look back on what you've done and to look ahead towards a fresh, clean start. Before officially looking ahead, though, I wanted to make a quick list of some of the things 2012 brought (in no particular order):

• Survived my first year teaching and started my second
• Traveled to Canada
• Traveled to Colombia
• Started grad school
• Presented at a professional conference
• Celebrated Hanukkah
• Learned some salsa dancing
• Learned some African drumming 
• Re-did my bedroom (I'll post about this sometime)
• Got an iPod touch
• Broke the screen on my iPod touch
• Got a new nephew 
• Picked up archery 
• Got bangs

Before and After (mostly after)

I got all my work done tonight, and I promised myself some gratification if I did. I never do things like that. I always just do the fun stuff until it's suddenly midnight and I haven't even started what I need to get done. But that's a whole 'nother thing to blog about.

What I have been wanting to post about is my classroom (which is at the junior high, where I am every-other day. It is so nice to have a classroom. At the high school, I run between two floors and three different rooms--one of which has only chairs, no desks--to teach...but, that's a whole 'nother thing to blog about).

Did you know new teachers in Utah only get about $150 of state funds to do things like buy supplies and decorate their rooms with each year? And after three years of experience (because you accumulate stuff) that number goes down. Anyway, last year I by the time I bought a set of white boards, those teacher-y bulletin board boarders I thought I was supposed to have, and a couple reams of colored copy paper, there was no money left. So I cut up a calendar I had, and that, pretty much, was my classroom decoration for the year. It looked like this:

This year, I decided to suck it up and sink some money into making my room look more like I wanted it to. I'm pleased with the results.

The beautiful plant and stand (the latter made by my grandpa) until recently lived at my grandparents'. My parents took care of it over the summer while I was gone. It's a family effort. Since classes started, one student has insisted that he's afraid it's going to eat him.

The "found French" bulletin board is for students to pin up things they find in French. (Things they find outside of the classroom, I have to keep reminding them, as happy as I am that they realize how all those handouts and worksheets I've been making them are, in fact, in French.) And those are brooms from the dollar store on top of the cabinet. For broom hockey (go Canada), not so much for Quidditch as some have suggested...though, you know, you never know what will happen.

Yes, these are all flags from French-speaking countries. If you don't know which country, I challenge you to figure it out! (Imagine I said that in my teacher voice.)

Times in different French-speaking cities. This took like a million years to set up. Maybe part of that was because I wanted to synchronize the second hands.

And the rug. A lot why this started was because I wanted a story-telling rug (which I found for 30 bucks at Ikea). I learned from my professor Cherice Montgomery that even high school students enjoy coming to sit on the floor while you read to them. Boy was she right.

If you would like to see my whole list of reasons to study another language, click here to find the Word file.