Because Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, I take the day off work. The American ambassdor to the UK has organized a Thanksgiving Day service at St. Paul's Cathedral for all the Americans who live in London. Of course, I'm running late. When I step off the tube, the Cathedral looms gloriously in front of me. It's bigger and more beautiful than I ever imagined. Since the American embassy in Mumbai was just bombed, security here is very tight. The police have blocked off all entrances to the Cathedral except two, and they have to filter everyone through those massive doorways. Needless to say, the line winds all through the courtyard. As I approach I see, with appreciation, that police are checking everyone's bags as they enter. The Cathedral was built during the Baroque period, ... read more

The Senior Leadership Team, SLT, (basically the administration) has been making a big deal about this Academic Review Day business. Basically, no classes are being held today. Students are scheduled to a fifteen-minute appointment with their Personalized Learning Tutor, and that's the only time they have to be at school today. For the appointment, students are to arrive in full uniform with their parents/caregivers to discuss their grades, behavior, goals, and overall progress in school. Almost every teacher has a Personalized Learning Tutor Group (PL Group), and they have to "interview" every student in their group. I temporarily had a PL Group when another teacher was out due to surgury. Now, thank God she's back, I won't have to meet with anyone. This will be an easy day! I, along with two young girls who are ... read more

Traveling makes me feel so alive! I'm reminded that life has so much to offer. There's so much to do, so many places to visit and books to read. I take the Eurostar train from London to Paris. It's about a four-hour journey, and I sit next to a Turkish guy who teaches me some basic phrases in Turkish. He's kind of nerdy. He sees that I'm reading Obama's book, so we talk a little about American politics and history. (Why is it that everyone knows about America, but America doesn't know about anyone else?) Elizabeth, a college friend who lives with her fiancee just outside of Paris, picks me up from the station and impresses me with her aggressive Parisian driving. We go out to have drinks with a couple of her friends. Even though ... read more

Imagine This I'm on my way to see another West End musical, a new one, called Imagine This. The night is cold, but refreshing, and the streets are packed with shoppers and people who are glad for a weekend. I stop at a bookstore to browse. (Bookstores are addicting, I tell you! I could spend HOURS!) I walk out of the bookstore with Barack Obama's second book, The Audacity of Hope, which is the number one bestseller in the UK right now. I feel proud of my president-elect and curious about some more of his ideas. I read while I wait for the show to start. Imagine This is set in 1942 in Polish ghetto. The openning song is happy, celebrating the bounties of life and an everyday people's simple pleasures. The song ends with gunshots, ... read more

Dinner and New Friends I'm eating at a dimly-lit restaurant off of Kensington High Street in the heart of a London shopping district. I had bought a ticket to hear Kim Eng, Ekhart Tolle's partner, speak at 7:30. I got off the tube right at 7:30, and I swear to you, the venue where she's speaking doesn't freakin' exist! I walked around for an hour before I finally stopped in at this restaurant. The man behind the bar is very friendly with me. We chat about where I'm from, homesickness, my difficulties with my job, and how much he loves his job. After I finish my meal, he gets down his bottle of Jack Daniels and two small glasses. "It's on me," he says, handing me a glass of the finest Tennessee whiskey. "Cheers." We ... read more