I look sick?

Since when is it OK to tell someone they look sick? I mean, I know that when I'm sick, I look sick, but why can't we just leave it at that? Why do people who hardly know me think it's OK to tell me that? Yesterday I was sick... well, I still am today. So, my students last night at my class decided that everyone needed to tell me I either looked sick or tired. Let me tell you, I got sick and tired real quick of hearing that. I think that the only time I would say something to someone was if I knew them real well. And even then, it would be something more like, "You look like you're not feeling too well." Is this a cultural thing, since everyone who's said something is Hispanic? No, I take that back, one was an African-American guy. I think the reason it bugs me so much is that I already feel like crap, and now people are telling me I look like crap, too. I know that's not necessarily what they mean, but that's how it comes across. Is all of this normal?

My Art

A couple of years ago, my friend Angela invited me to go to a pottery painting place with her one night. I wasn't particularly excited about it, but didn't want to stay home and be bored that night, so we went. I painted a plate with chili peppers on it, to go with a theme I had started in my kitchen. It turned out so well that I could hardly wait to go again. I think the next time I went was with my favorite cousin and his wife. Is that right, guys? That was also real fun.

Welp, since then, I've done quite a bit more in the whole pottery painting area. Made presents for some of you... many of you. And I've made a set of 4 plates and 4 bowls for myself. These are the bowls I made.

Check out the "zebra" on this one. Lol. Have you ever seen those poor donkeys in Tijuana that they paint like zebras? I hadn't until last summer when I spent a month down there. I went to TJ with Rosa - the pastor's wife - and she pointed them out to me. I kinda felt sorry for them, but it must not bother them too much. And apparently it's kind of a tradition - a stupid tourist tradition, but a tradition nonetheless to get your pic with one of these zebra painted donkeys while in Tijuana. Craziness. Don't ever let me pay money to get my pic on a donkey painted like a zebra. Anyhoo, that's why this one has the little zebra on it - lol!

I just wanted to show of how I spend some of my spare time. I know... I need a new hobby - lol.

Dia de Los Muertos

So, one of the fun things I do in my classroom each year is a cultural celebration of Dia de Los Muertos - or Day of the Dead. At first, all the kids think it sounds really morbid, but I explain to them that that's because of how our culture views death. In Latin America, they honor their loved ones who have passed away each year on November 1 and 2. The 1st is to remember the children who have died, and the 2nd is for everyone else.

This year, I thought I'd share some of the pics of things my students have done in class for the cultural celebration. Each class has a different project: skeletons for Spanish 2, altars for Spanish Cultures, and papel picado (latin american paper cutting art) for Spanish 1.

How do you like these? Fun, huh?