Serenity Now!

The community offering serenity

OK, we have been getting numerous cards and letters asking where we are and what we are doing. Wait . . . how can we get mail when no one knows our address? Oh, never mind, the fact of the matter is that if we don't get a blog entry up soon, we are going to lose our world-wide fan base. NO! So, here goes our June run down . . .

We actually got to the San Diego area at the end of May after spending some time with my mom in New Mexico. I was also able to meet up with Krissy, my buddy that visited us in Laos! Once in SD, we stayed in a hotel and two days later took a guest house rental. It is not too close to the university Joe is working at, but it's still a SD address! We live in a calm, traffic-free, area of dry, rolling hills . . . very serene and the site of a lovely McMansion development. What do I mean by that? Well, they are lovely similarly styled million-dollar homes. There is a park, sidewalks, and plenty of space. We do have about a 5 mile drive to the nearest store or facility, but that's what you expect in the old USA, and especially California, lots of driving! Luckily, Joe and I both have cars now, so we are mobile.

Ocean Beach Mural - giving BsAs a run for its money!

I think I forgot to mention, that we don't actually live in one of the million-dollar homes; we merely rent a guesthouse. It is bi-level with a living/kitchen area below and a bathroom/bedroom above. Very tidy . . . and furnished! Utilities are included and that is very convenient since we will be doing lots of computer work for school here. Also, the weather is magnificent! Fog in the morning, cool breezes, and warm direct sunshine in the afternoon.  We often head out on drives to the center of La Jolla or San Diego . . . even Ocean Beach, or O.B. as is is known to locals - a great place for San Digeo souvenirs!

Statue of the UCSD mascot: Tritons

I have found a city pool to swim at in Poway - my new favorite suburb of San Diego. This place is trippy! There are so many immigrants that I feel that I'm in another country (for those of you that know me, that means heaven!). I have run into Turks, Indians, Russians, Iranians, Vietnamese, Chinese, British, and more! There are  also two 99-cent stores that I regularly frequent there ;)

Joe has started gearing up for his semester this week, and he will actually start teaching on Monday. So far, he is enjoying his new status as a "Triton"  (I never knew this word existed!). Next week, I will be heading to Ukraine and Paraguay to do some teacher training projects. I am looking forward to seeing my old friends in Ukraine, getting my dose of Gapchinska art, going to the opera, and eating some delicious potato-based foods . . . Starch! Here I come! Then I'm off to Paraguay via Miami to spend three weeks in a brand new country for me. I am really looking forward to speaking Spanish again and hanging out in the Southern hemisphere.
For now, that's the June scoop. ¿Tienen preguntas? У вас вопросы?

Hurly-burly in Arizona

Pretty much since we landed in the U.S., we have been working in Arizona teaching 8-week contracts at the university. One of my Indonesian students used the word "hurly-burly" to describe her first week in the U.S. I had forgotten about that word, but I find it quite handy to describe our last 4 months of living/teaching here. Moving our life from Argentina, finding a place to live, buying a car, and  at the same timeworking in a very demanding program has left us with our tongues hanging out. And now that the Phoenix summer is creeping up on us (for those of you who don't know, temperatures have already reached 106F which is 40+C), we are heading out with my VW Jetta packed with our worldly belongings: staplers, binders, books, clothes, hole-punch, markers, and our creative ideas . . . .

We don't want it to seem like we don't love the desert . . . we do! Our Arab students (of which we had many on government-sponsored scholarships) do too as it reminds them of home. In fact, we have been living in a guesthouse in a very exclusive part of town. Our front porch looks out upon unbelievable desert flora and fauna. By the way, the pictures were taken by my $15 Leica camera (selling for $600 on Ebay) that I got at a secondhand store . . . secondhand shopping being one of my favortie U.S. hobbies :)

Although we will miss our little prairie dog friends, ground squirrels, bunnies, quail, and cacti, it's time to move on. They said, "Californy is the place you oughtta be . . ." so we loaded up the car and move to . . . San Diego. More news soon . . .

Coming up for air . . .

Coatimundi at Iguazu

Reintroduction into U.S. culture has been a challenge for us this time. We have been working at an
intensive English program which has taken up most of our time and energy. Before a full update, here are our own pics I promised from January! Glaciers, Penguins, Waterfalls, and Coatimundis!

Iguazu Falls

Penguins on Isla Martillo - Tierra del Fuego

Perito Moreno Glacier - Calafate, Patagonia