Food day

It is a really good day in World Geography room 305. Today is food day....the students have been working hard on the Map a Meal project and are bringing in food today from the project. So we are going to be eating lots of food from South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. So far we have had excellent noodles, rice balls, dumplings, and potatoes. I can't wait to try what everyone has brought. It is getting towards the end of the year and this is an excellent way to begin winding down. I think the students also learned a valuable lesson about procrastination when the website they needed to use for the project went down the night before the project was due. Hopefully in the future they will not wait until the last minute to work on a major project.

If I could go anywhere in the world on vacation right now I think I would go some where in Southeast Asia....like...Thailand or Cambodia. I would like to see the temples and statuary from the Angkorian Empire. I usually want to go to Europe but I think Southeast Asia is so beautiful and mysterious. It is so lush and green. I think so much of it has not been touched by the human need to make things bigger, faster, and better. I would also like to explore China..... One of these days I will go but until then I will continue to dream.

Skydiving!

This school year has gone by really fast. We are currently getting ready for a religion seminar on Tuesday. We are going to have representatives from Islam, Judaism, Catholicism, Episcopalian, Buddhism, and Hinduism. I think it is going to be a great opportunity for all the students to learn about the different religions. The students have already about holy books, hierarchy, religious places, and holidays of the different religions, however, this seminar will give them the opportunity to ask questions of the different representatives.

As for things happening outside of school........

This past weekend I went skydiving for the very first time. It was such an adrenaline rush that I can't wait to go back and do it again. Next time I go though I think I will go solo instead of tandem. (Tandem is when you are harnessed to an experienced jumper) The weird thing is that I was more nervous before I got on the plane then at any other time. Once I was on the plane and we were in the air it was rather relaxing. Then the next thing I know they are opening the door and I am hoovering 10,000 plus feet above the ground ready to plunge into.......nothing......it was the most exhilarating experience. When we jumped out of the plane we began tumbling head over heels through the air and all I remember thinking is oh my gosh what am I doing.....this is so awesome. Then before you knew it we were just gliding through the air under a huge parachute. It was a very serene silence. It was so beautiful and calming. I can't wait to go back. As soon as I figure out how to upload my video of my jump I will. Here is a link to my video: http://www.edb.utexas.edu/culture/RachelHollrahSkyDiving.3gp

Africa Mask Project

This has been a good week for me. The students have begun to study Southwest Asia and have the Africa Masks due. So far they have begun to present them and they are all very creative. Each student had to create a mask based on a tribe and country that they selected. The masks were had to have traditional African qualities and represent something the tribe would have actually found important. They had to use geometric shapes and have the overall spirit and purpose reflected in the mask. We are going to finish up the masks tomorrow and begun Southwest Asia next week. We are hopefuly going to cover water and oil resources in the region and how it influences the region.

This is the time of year that Texas starts to experience spring and the grass and trees begin to turn green. It is also the time of year that the famous blue bonnets and indian paintbrush begin to appear. You will see people stop on the side of the road and lay in the blue bonnets to take pictures. These are beautil blue flowers that grow wild throughout the state.