november 9, 2016 av asaole

Four Hundredth Asic- #Michelle Obama for President!

Obviously, with the result of today’s election, it is clear that anyone can become the President of the United States of America. Or maybe I should write any MAN can…?

You do not need to be a skilled politician with long experience from neither domestic nor foreign affairs.
You do not even need to be nice to others in public.
It’s not a problem if you are sexist and/or racist.
You can harrass and threat, point your finger and yell and still become the President of the United States of America.
There is just one thing we need to stress:

There is no need to apply if you’re a woman! We prefer men!

Next time: #Michelle Obama for President!

november 9, 2016 av asaole

Three hundred and ninety-ninth asic- What happens the day after tomorrow?

#Himmel, #asaole I wake up in Sweden in Europe, this morning the 9th of November 2016 and we are not yet sure who will be the President of the USA. I myself know for one thing that I am not quite as surprised as I am worried… I am worried from a global point of view! No matter what the Americans themselves put into their choice of a future president, we, the rest of the people have to deal with their choices, too… Negotiations in different global issues where efforts have been made for a better world for next generation will now be on standby for a while if Mr Trump wins the election. Some of them will be considered unnecessary to complete, where others will take a different direction. If that happens, it will be ”a giant step backwards for mankind”, so to speak.

What is even worse, is that some of the global accomplishments are demeaned by Mr Trump and his allies. For a better world, we all need a strong and supportive president of the USA who will guarantee the best not only for the Americans, but for all of us. It is not just an important election for YOU, the American people, but just as much for the rest of the world. To a large extent, WE are the People, too, although we haven’t had a chance to vote! What we have to do now, is actually better said in Swedish. Reluctantly one has to accept the situation the way it is, although surreal or not expected: ”Gilla läget!”

I know that the American Consitution has a built in system that prevents the President to receive too much power and that is a slight relief at this point in time. SO… Until we know the actual result of the election, I keep hoping that after all, every cloud has a silvery lining…

oktober 24, 2016 av asaole

The three hundred and ninetyfirst åsic- To help students understand and find connections is what teaching’s all about!

A recycled blogpost from my visit in Pitman New Jersey 2014!

For two weeks I have had the wonderful opportunity to be among students and teachers at #Pitman Middle School in #New Jersey, #USA. I have been monitoring instruction in many different classes and seen many very good examples of teaching. My main focus has been ESL-teaching and I have seen examples of that both in primary schools and in adult classes of different kinds. Some of the adult students were part of a program for parents and were taught in classes with students from many different countries. They were preparing for a test and if they’d pass the test that would help them qualify for being American citizens. Other adults I met learned language for their own good, so to speak. They had different private reasons for taking the course and were taught in a smaller group within a local college. In every one of these differents setting and with every single teacher I have noticed high quality and a good knowledge both in what an ESL student needs and also teaching and instruction in general. When in class, I can see that many of the teachers have the same idea as I have, i.e to teach through themes or concepts rather than details. Today, since it is Halloween here, I have noticed that younger kids in primary schools here learn about the local legend #The New Jersey Devil. According to the legend he was the thirteenth child of a worn out woman who didn’t want her child. She cursed him and said ”to the devil with him!” and since then he is haunting #the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. The story is told this day since this is his birthday.

All teachers and students seem very into the idea of Halloween, even if not all schools celebrate with costumes and dresses. One of the classrooms I visited today, a classroom where Spanish is the main subject, focused on the differences between Halloween and the Mexican tradition for Dia de las Muertas (the Day of the Dead). The American kids get a chance to comment on what is similar or different when they compare these two holidays. The teacher help them along the way and try to get them to precise what they mean. She asks questions like ”How do you mean?” ”What would you have thought if a loved one came back to life?” The point for the teacher is to explain that the Mexican Holiday is not at all scary or horrific, but rather a nice way of remembering your loved ones who passed away. The teacher then connects to the American people’s connections to the date 9/11 and the kids all get a chance to share the stories their parents have told them about 9/11. The idea is to show the kids that by remembering and talking about sad or scary memories, those memories get a little easier to talk about each time. Then she wraps it all up by saying THAT is what the Mexicans do when they celebrate THEIR holiday. They stick to the nice memories of a person and cherish those memories in a more happy manner, although they are dressed or disguised into skeletons etc. I was very happy to get the chance to see this lovely explanation of what the different festivities are all about. To help students understand and find connections is what teaching’s all about! I have written in Swedish about the importance of this in my tenth åsic and in my seventyeighth åsic. Thank You and Farewell #Pitman Middle School

Those of you who read Swedish are of course welcome to read other posts as well. You will find those by clicking ”På svenska” to the left on http://www.asaole.com.

For my English readers more blogposts are found by clicking ”In English” to the left on http://www.asaole.com

oktober 24, 2016 av asaole

The three hundred and ninetieth åsic- My New Favourite Tree

A recycled blogpost from my visit in Pitman New Jersey 2014! Quercus_rubra_1.jpg (582×671)

For a couple of weeks I have had the opportunity to experience a very mild and nice autumn here in Pitman, NJ. One of the days we had +28C which is not at all like the temperature for October in Sweden. In my 71st åsic(#Sjuttioförsta åseriet), I wrote about the maples in Sweden and how I used to collect the colourful leaves in the autumn. I have always loved trees and since I live in a part of Sweden where forests are a part of the nice scenery, I always find a walk in the forest very soothing if I need to relax or find new energy. I have walked along nice streets here in Pitman, where mainly tall maples and oaks give gardens their share of fallen leaves. One kind of the tree was unfamiliar to me, but I could tell from what it looked like that it had to be a maple or an oak, so I picked up a leaf and brought it with me to #Pitman Middle School, where I asked everyone I met: ”Is this a maple or an oak?”. Most people said: ”I don’t know but I think it is…” and then two people very quickly said: ”It’s an oak, no doubt!” Now I KNOW it is an oak, since I have done what most people do nowadays… I googled it… It turned out to be a red oak.

The fallen red oak leaves has the same SOUND as the fallen Swedish maple leaves when you walk through them… The other day I took a shortcut home and ended up very far away from home in an empty yard…learning that just as ”genvägar är senvägar” , shortcuts tend to be longcuts…

One good thing by taking the ”shortcut” was that I had to walk on a narrow path in a little forest, passing a railroad to get back home. The fallen leaves in a thick layer sounded like the maple leaves from my childhood and around me both squirrels and chipmunks ran about. I knew I was very close to houses, but the trees and animals made me fly away in thoughts for a while. The beauty of coloured leaves is still the same, no matter where I am. It gives me a feeling of gratefulness to see all the colours, hear the dry sound of the leaves as I walk through them. The sunrays hardly pass through to the ground and there are merely dark soil and old leaves for the squirrels to run about in. In its lack of colours, the ground already seems ready to meet the winter. In my lack of inner compass, I also seemed ready to meet the winter… Luckily I made a correct guess and soon found my way back to Broadway again…

oktober 23, 2016 av asaole

The three hundred and eighty-eighth åsic- Kids vs Adults, a comparison shows that FAQ are very different

A recycled blogpost from my visit in Pitman New Jersey 2014!

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Today I visited a few new classrooms where I haven’t been before. It was very interesting to again note that kids and adults do not ask the same kind of questions. Generally speaking I would say that kids like to know, for real, what it might be like to live in Sweden. They ask personal questions formed from their own point of view and seem happy to get an answer.

Some adults may have a real interest, too, BUT the interesting thing is that they tend to repeat each others questions. Check what adults have asked me the last week:

Are you Irish?
Is this your first time in the US?
For how long will you be here?
Have you visited other states in the USA?
When does school start in Sweden?
How many school days are there?
What subjects do you teach?
How many students are there in each class?
What kind of grades do you use in Sweden?
What American singer would be THE most famous, Elvis or Michael Jackson?

There have been a FEW more questions, but the above questions have tended to come back. Now look at the questions kids have asked:

Do you celebrate Halloween?
What cellphones brands do you have in Sweden?
What clothes do you wear in Sweden?
How far from China is Sweden?
What does the Swedish national anthem sound like?
What do the houses look like in Sweden?
How old are your daughters?
What music do you listen to in Sweden?
What famous Americans are popular in Sweden?
Are there IKEA:s all over Sweden?
What sports do you do in Sweden?
Do you eat the same food as we do?
What kind of farms are there in Sweden?
What do you grow in Sweden?
What does the trees look like in Sweden?
Does The Swedish House Mafia really come from Sweden?

Kids tend to want to know about things out of school more than the teachers do.Teachers tend to ask about school related topics. I find that most interesting. Another thing I find interesting is the way no lesson where I have been involved has been at all like the other. I have asked the kids what they wanted to know and that has lead to lessons that differed very much from each other. Being in a situation where I can choose what to share or not from what the students like to know, has thus been just like I prefer to work, i.e in a group oriented manner. I will miss this school and all the kids next week when I go home. They are all very open and welcoming and I have a great time learning more about this NJ school.

oktober 22, 2016 av asaole

The three hundred and eightyseventh åsic- A light in the dark

A recycled blogpost from my visit in Pitman New Jersey 2014!

Today I have had a wonderful day with my friends in Smithville. I had lots of time to marvel over the celebration of Halloween, that in a way already started with a planned ”Zombie Parade” that would take place this evening. People were dressed out as zombies and it was very interesting to note that there was no difference in age. Old or young didn’t seem to matter…

I am brought up with the thought of All Saints Day as a serious day when one go to the graveyard and put candles there to show respect for the dead. I have also many years sang in church in different choirs. The music was always very religious and filled with sorrow. Last year my daughters and I took a late walk to the graveyard when it was pitch dark outside. The darkness and the many nice lanterns made our walk exciting and solemn at the same time as it was creating a bonding that served as a platform for deep thoughts about life. We shared our viewpoints of what will happen after death and also what people we missed most of all when they had passed away. The moment in the graveyard was very far from my experience today.

I can’t wait to see what Friday will bring. Then I’m told that many kids in the neighbourhood will come to ask ”Trick or Treat”. I’m excited about it, but at the same time surprised at the fact that the Americans seem to go ”all in” for their celebration of Halloween. I met some of the ”walking dead” today and this couple made an impact on me, since they were no ten-year-olds. Scary!

oktober 22, 2016 av asaole

The three hundred and eighty-fifth åsic- ”HALF&HALF” or Completely Wrong!

A recycled blogpost from my visit in Pitman New Jersey 2014!

I don’t drink regular milk since I have a lactose intolerance. For my visit here in the US I had to make sure there would be something to replace my usual products with and today it was time to fill the fridge again. After we got back home I wanted to comment on ”milk” in general and since ”my” family here drink something that they call ”HALF&HALF” (a mixture of milk and cream as I understand it). I wanted to know what that was. So I asked…and they both laughed. I didn’t quite get what’s wrong, but i found out soon enough. They repeated what I said and I still couldn’t get it. I said it again, ”HALF&HALF”. Then they said: ”We don’t say that!” I couldn’t understand, because on the box it clearly says ”HALF&HALF” and that was what I said, over and over again. Finally I ASKED them what THEY said then… They said, too: ”HALF&HALF”, but their sound of the ”A” was as far from mine as the distance from here to Buckingham Palace! We all laughed and made fun of the different pronunciations and what would happen if you loudly would shout out in the store HERE, but with my pronunciation: ”Dear, please go and get some ”HALF&HALF”!!

My reflection is that if my friends hadn’t pointed out that we in fact used different pronunciations for the expression, I wouldn’t have noticed. I know that may seem weird to some of you, but different accents don’t ”bother” me anymore and I know my own accent is a strange mixture of different accents. A few people in school last week suggested I’ve got an Irish accent, which I enjoyed, since I have never been there… 😀

oktober 22, 2016 av asaole

The three hundred and eighty-fourth åsic- Fika as an ice-breaker is never wrong!

A recycled blogpost from my visit in Pitman New Jersey 2014!

**There are many times I have marvelled over the word fika and how it doesn’t seem to have any translation in many other languages. Today was another of those times!**

This morning at the ”Sweden Day” at the school I visit I shared the concept of FIKA and explained what it is to the members of the staff. I was surprised that so many seemed to like the idea of FIKA and that made me think of a completely different situation some years ago. I talked to an American woman, who was married to a Swedish man.

This woman had learned by being in Sweden what fika was, and her idea of it was pretty much like the one I wrote on the whiteboard today (which I share above). As we talked we realized that the two of us had talked to Americans about the concept of fika, but in different parts of the country. I have only met people on the East Coast and she had just talked to people in California about it. Both her friends and mine had to some extent started to USE the word fika in the American English. What I now hope for, is for both the actual WORD and also the CONCEPT to spread across the continent. That would be amazing!

One of the teachers who had fika with me this morning, came back to the classroom after a while and asked me how to use the word in a sentence if he wanted to invite someone for a fika. So now, let’s spread it! There are different ways to invite, depending of the situation, but in English you can say like this if you like:

Do you want some fika?
How about some fika?
Are you up to some fika?

Fika can mean just a cup of coffee or tea, or it can mean coffee+ a sandwich, or it can mean coffee+a bun, or it can mean, coffee+ bun+ cake+cookies+ tårta, which is a Swedish kind of cake with no frosting/icing, but more likely whipped cream. The funny part is that fika also can mean ALL of the mentioned categories… There are really SO many different connections to the word in Swedish that it is very difficult to explain. Instead it is necessary to see the phenomenon as something ELSE, but ”having coffee”. It is a chance to SHARE with friends. What do we share then? It is not just the COFFEE, but thoughts, ideas, gossip, memories, jokes… Having a fika with someone is paying attention to that person, having a good time together with someone for a while. That is why I want the word to spread… So please, help me ”spread the word”… 😀

TILL MINA ELEVER är här en liten ”språkruta”:

Ska vi ta en fika? Hänger du med och fikar? Kom så fikar vi! Nu skulle det sitta fint med en fika! En slät kopp (= kaffe utan något fikabröd till) fika räcker! Vi ses på fiket! Vi hinner kanske med en språngfika om vi skyndar oss? Jag har fikarast mellan nio och tio varje morgon. Men jag brukar kvällsfika vid TV:n också. Stina kör långtradare och hinner inte med så långa raster, men ibland stannar hon på ett långtradarfik.

oktober 22, 2016 av asaole

The three hundred and eighty-second åsic- Second Day in an American Teacher’s Hectic World

A recycled blogpost from my visit in Pitman New Jersey 2014!

At home I don’t teach English, but Swedish as a Second Language. This evening I had the great opportunity to visit an adult learner’s group in Spanish at a College not far from where I am. The students were all taking lessons in Spanish, but volunteered to talk to me about what the conditions are for adult learners at this level in the school system. I found our conversation most interesting and will share their viewpoint with both my students and my teaching friend at basic level of English.

Earlier today I first met with a few children with special needs. I shared with them a few thoughts on what it is like to live in a country where we have monopoly money and a” fairy-tale-like” reality with a king…

I also had a chance to contribute with Swedish words in grade six while they were taking a Spanish lesson about furniture in different rooms of a house. Then I discussed with a group of eightgraders why so many Swedes left Sweden a hundred years ago.

I then had a nice and long chat with one of the teachers who has been a resident of Pitman almost all her life, apart from a short period down south. She told me all there is to know about the little town and I was happy to learn all that first hand, rather than read about it.

On Friday a few of the teachers have planned for a Sweden day, where the students will be getting a whole lot of information about Sweden, but also try some typical Swedish activities. I will contribute with a slideshow about Sweden and explain why the Dala horse is a symbol for Sweden. The collaboration with an art teacher at this school also led to an idea where we let the kids know a little about how one can paint a typical ”kurbits”.

Tomorrow we’re off to Atlantic City, my teaching friend and I. We will study ESL as the NJ authorities wants it to be. I look forward to that very much. I don’t need anyone to rock my cradle! I am exhausted, but I’m having so much fun! Teaching is my life! ❤

september 25, 2016 av asaole

Trehundrasextiosjunde åseriet- Bokmässan, de andra bokmalarna och jag!

Det var motljus på väg mot Bokmässan och varmt och skönt ute trots att det är i slutet av September. Därför tog vi vägen genom Trädgårdsföreningens vackra park för att se på alla växter på väg mot höst- och vintervila.

Väl framme på Bokmässan var det egentligen endast två författare jag ville bevaka, nämligen Sven Wollter och Theodor Kallifatides. I övrigt var min plan att strosa runt och få någon slags överblick… Man inser snabbt att överblick är ett ord som inte riktigt går att applicera på ett sådant evenemang som Bokmässan… Man kan se ut över folkvimlet om man befinner sig på övervåningen. Därifrån kan man konstatera många saker utan problem, till exempel att penningstarka förlag har råd att skylta stort och kaxigt med påkostad dekor och därigenom locka storpublik till sin monter. Mindre förlag eller andra intressenter får i stället kämpa med näbbar och klor för att marknadsföra sig.

Jag tänker på hur en del stora aktörer kan ha råd att anställa människor som klär ut sig för att igenkänningsfaktorn ska dra bokmässebesökarna till en viss monter. Många stingflugor sågs krama små barn runt om i folkhavet…

Men jag tänker också på hur vissa besökare på eget bevåg har hittat en alldeles egen stil, som för mig som lantis också är lite extra. Jag kom till exempel i hälarna på ”My Little Pony”… med horn i pannan och allt. Kort därefter passerade jag en monter för Backateaterns dekoravdelning, där en råtta stack fram nosen… Där hade en privatperson provat råtthuvudet för att få känna hur det kan vara att klä ut sig i en dylik mundering, medan vännerna förevigade det hela på sociala medier.

Precis de där namnkunniga författarna vi tror att vi ska hitta på scener i direktinspelade radioprogram, är mycket riktigt just där… Jan Guillou fick frågor om sin senaste Hamiltonbok när jag passerade… och på ”Estraden” satt Martina Haag och la ut texten om någon slags kokbok med vackra bilder…

I en helt annan del av Bokmässan smakade döttrarna just då en jättegod ungspannkaka som Leif Mannerström hade lagat… Det finns något för alla på Bokmässan, så är det bara…

Men den längsta kö jag någonsin sett på en bokmässa var ändå till Ingemar Stenmarks signering av den nya boken…

Efter avslutat besök finns ytterligare några bevis för att man har varit där… Dels har man ont i fötterna och dels är man otroligt lättad när man kommer ut och upptäcker att det konstanta och mycket högljudda sorl man haft i öronen faktiskt inte ÄR ett utbrott av tinnitus…

Utanför väntar staden med alla dess vackra byggnader och miljöer som får oss att tänka att detta var inte det sista besöket… I stället var det ett i raden… Vi kommer tillbaka!