A Secret London

Posted on March 12, 2011 by

While my trip to London might be short, I’ve attempted to amass a huge list of interesting sites to visit. I recently came across a great read highlighting unusual places to visit while in London. I’d like to share them with you.

1. Mudlarking – search the muddy shores of the Thames River for artifacts for the mere cost of 7 pounds.

2. Auto-Icon of Jeremy Bentham – radical philosopher who among other things, believed in the legalisation of homosexuality (and this was in 1800s).

3.The Grant Museum of Zoology – not to be confused with Damien Hirst’s studio, this collection contains over 60, 000 specimens, covering the whole animal kingdom.

4. The London Library – the ‘Silent Study’ is open to anyone willing to pay membership. Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Henry James were past members…

5. Hunterian Museum – collection of anatomy and pathology specimens…cool.

6. London’s First Drinking Fountain – Corner of Giltspur Street and Holburn Viaduct

7. Britain’s Smallest Police Station – Trafalgar Square

8. Bleigiessen – a bead installation in the Gibbs Building using over 140,000 glass spheres

9. Patent Sewer Ventilating Lamp – Carting Lane This was eco-ingenuity at its best.

10. Tyburn Convent – 8-12 Hyde Park Place, home to a dozen nuns who don’t leave their premises.

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A Small Cog in a Large Wheel

Posted on March 7, 2011 by

Every year for 4 years, VSB teachers gather over a weekend to mark our districts grade 4s and 7s FSAs. And those who know me, know my opinions on FSAs are like the analogy of the cog in the wheel. In theory, they seem ok (and this is a loose ok) but in practice and application, well, then it gets messy and downright wrong. The vicious cyclic motion gets me sick.

So when the opportunity arose for me to actually be one of the markers, I, at first, harrumphed and put the letter request aside. But upon reflection, I thought why not. Why not take part in the process, add some perspective to my FSA construct?

FSAs are divided into 3 main areas; Reading, Writing and Numeracy. Both Writing and Numeracy are
sub-divided into two parts. This year, teachers were grouped according to these categories and marked the same category for both grades.

I was designated to the long write of the Writing section. On Saturday, we marked the grade fours and on Sunday, the sevens.

We marked collaboratively. My group consisted of 5 others, all with varied backgrounds in the district. We were fed breakfast and lunch; snacks, juice, water, coffee and tea were available throughout the day. Breaks were unscheduled. The mood was relaxed and comfortable.

By the end of the weekend, I marked close to 100 FSAs. I read them with sincerity and care.

It’s difficult to qualify this type of writing without knowing the child and their situation. As a professional who values and honours the child’s experience, I found myself wanting to know more.

Because writing a story is damn hard. And we know the administering of FSAs vary. We know some teachers/admin follow it to a tee, while others not. Perhaps then it gets all evened out when the pile is on the table, with my eyes ready for a read. Maybe not.

I read a lot of stories. Some barely logical and others that blew my mind.

They are snapshots – a snapshot of 100 students who I knew nothing about and this saddened me.

And while I can say the weekend was excellent professional development for me, I’m still left with a weighted feeling that something just ain’t right about all this.

And so the big wheel keeps on turning…

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Edcamp Vancouver

Posted on February 21, 2011 by


Just wanted to bring to everyone’s attention a great opportunity to be part of something different – an ‘unconference’, participant-driven conversations that break through the traditional conference forum.

Join us on April 16th from 9am to 4pm at John Oliver Secondary School in Vancouver to converse and collaborate on what is important in education. It’s a call out to anyone interested in being part of authentic conversations about education.

Take a look at the website at Edcamp Vancouver and register sooner than later. We are striving to make this conference free for attendees. So please pass on the message to anyone you think might be interested.

If you are definitely interested in pitching your conversation ahead of time, let our organizing committee know when you register.

You can also follow us on Twitter @edcampvancouver. If you have any questions, use #edcampvan.

Hope to see you on April 16th.

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Top Ten Tips for Disneyland

Posted on February 18, 2011 by

1. Travel during off-peak season (if at all possible). We did and believe me, it makes a whole lot of difference. The longest I waited for a ride was 15 minutes. It still gets busy on the weekends but seriously, I just can’t imagine this place during March Break. I’d go nuts.

2. Take advantage of the Fast Pass system. Appoint someone in your group to be the one who takes care of getting them. Fast Passes allow you speedy entry into popular rides.

3. Wear comfortable shoes – not flip flops, sandals or high heels (seriously, I saw a lady with a pair on…she wasn’t smiling). If you are going to doll your kid up in full princess garb, don’t subject her to plastic dress up shoes….those girls sure looked cute but they were hobbling like old ladies.

4. Choose a hotel outside of the resort. They are cheaper, they have swimming pools, they are clean and they are half the rate than Disneyland Resorts. Splurge on meals instead.

5. Choose a hotel offering a complimentary breakfast, like the Best Western (which is only 5 minutes from the entry point). Eat up on carbs and proteins. They offer everything buffet-style so stock up on bagels and fruit and enjoy a snack later on. Your stomach and wallet will be thankful.

6. If your child is 5 or under, bring a stroller. Our boy is a sturdy, active kid and by Day 3, the stroller was a saving grace to keep our boy well-tempered. We basically used it from 9am to 11pm and our kid held up as a result.

7. Take a break during the day. Go back to your hotel, have a swim or snooze. It will be well worth it.

8. Go to the shows – they are very well done and entertaining.

9. Be flexible with each other. Just because you don’t want to ride on Space Mountain, shouldn’t mean everyone else doesn’t either. If someone in your party wants to go back to the hotel room and rest and you still want to speed ahead, then make arrangements so both of you can be happy. Our family did a pretty amazing job recognizing what each other wanted and it made a world of difference.

10. Allow for the suspension of disbelief. Be a kid again and enjoy the delight.

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Disneyland – There and Back Again

Posted on February 17, 2011 by

I surprised myself and actually enjoyed our time in Disneyland. The lines were short; the sun strong. I’m petrified of heights but somehow stomached ‘The Tower of Terror’ and ‘California Screamin’. Very strange.
Three days of powering through Disneyland definitely made for some sound sleeps. My feet ached by day 3 and we were smart enough to stroller Ziyan around the last day. Too bad it wasn’t me.

Two other things surprised me. The number of very overweight families and the total lack of paper and plastic recycling in Disneyland. But really, should I be surprised?

Despite these upsetting sights, Disneyland was a pleasure. I’m still trying to figure out what I enjoyed the most. I’ll let you know.

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Build it with Love – Tyee’s Dance and Silent Auction

Posted on February 2, 2011 by

I’ve been part of the fundraising committee for my son’s school to raise $60,000 to build a new playground.

This Saturday, Feb. 5th, we are hosting a Dance and Silent Auction at the Ukraine Hall in Strathcona, Vancouver.

You can go to our site to see some of the items available – Build it with Love

Lots of folks have already generously donated and bought tickets. I am offering 4 free tix to the first 4 people to leave a comment. If you already bought a ticket, just think of someone else who you would like to invite. The more the merrier.

Thanks for your support. It will be a great evening!

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100th Birthday of Our Home – You’ve Come a Long Way

Posted on January 23, 2011 by

When you take on an old house as a home, you have to accept a lifetime of work….and depending on your skill level, money. Floorboards creak, doors might not close, cracks resurface, slopes form.

As our home nears its 100th birthday, I do sometimes walk out into our lane, turn to take a look at the big picture and marvel. When we first purchased it, previous owners stripped it of its character, owing to some 70s grant to modernize; MDF boards covered our wooden spindles, tiles over wooden floors and aluminium framed our windows.

Yes, ghastly.

Our interior walls, painted in high gloss peach and robin’s egg blue, had years of grease caked on it from a ventless kitchen, our back porch was literally coming apart and our furnace was blowing smoke.

It had potential…cough…cough. In all honestly, with the climbing real estate market at the time, Taz and I knew better than to walk away. We just had to make it work.

And now seven years later, I think we have.

Yes, there are many, many things still to do. Our landscaping efforts are on hold due to the looming possibility of new drain tiles and our bedroom looks worse than it did when we bought the house.

And then, there is the ongoing quest for art…our walls are a bit bare.

But I’m glad I live in a home that has history. I see too many historical buildings in Vancouver torn down due to neglect and the city’s lack of balls in dealing with wayward landlords.

I’m glad we toughed it out.

Happy 100th!

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