I LOVE THE GAME!!!!!!!

Believe it or not but I am still shaking. I haven't been so excited for a long time. My first GAME ever. Los Angeles Lakers playing KNICKS. Amazing. Awesome. Incredible. Fantastic. Kobe Bryant was the hero of the event. 42 points. Score 97:92 for Lakers.

The Staple Center also full of movie stars such as Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and many others. Under one roof with me. (much better seats though)

But the best star of them all was Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Sitting there so quietly, taking notes and watching the game. I accidentally happened to be so close to him.

Kobe Bryant - life experience

And last but not least, HALL OF FAME!!

Sequoia National Park

We had a longer weekend after a while of teaching. I was determined to show my family Sequoia National Park as I found it absolutely awesome when I was there three years ago. We set off for the park on Friday morning. The journey took about 4 hours. We stopped at Bakersfield for my favourite McDonald's and then it was only a few more miles. Buckeye Tree Lodge was a motel that caught our eyes immediately. We got the keys, change clothes and rushed into the park. I really wanted to show General Sherman Tree - the largest tree of the world. Unfortunately it was foggy and very cold so we didn't enjoy it that much.

But the next day it was like a paradise compensating the day before. We went to see Sentinel tree again, then Grant Grove where the Nation's Christmas Tree is, the auto log, the tunnel log, etc. You name it, we saw it. The trees are about 2000 years old. Some of them even older, so that's why they are cold "the largest and longest living things on Earth"

WTA Tour Championship

For those who don't know, I am a big fan of tennis. Last Wednesday I had a chance to see top women players of the world playing for 3 million dollars in Staples Center in Los Angeles. We (me and Nancy) had quite nice seats and we saw Mauresmo, Pierce, Davenport, Clijsters, Schnyder that day. It was a great event. I was a little upset that Venus Williams didn't qualify for this tournament but it is a life I guess. Staples Center is a great place and guess what??? We got the tickets fo LA Lakers. NEXT WEDNESDAY I will see my first NBA game. Kobe Bryant!!!!! In person. OMG, I stil can't believe it. Need to pinch myself. Stay tuned!!!!!

My exchange partner makes me think!!

I have just decided that I will write about random things that pop up in my head. When I drive a car here (which is very often) I usually listen to the radio, in my case it is KOST 103.5 Every night there is this special program where people say something nice about someone special. The lady who hosts this event every night has a very affected and theatrical voice by the way but it is kind of nice. I always think who is special to me and who I would mention here. And it is my exchange partner Kylowna. I feel I was very lucky when I was matched with her (it worked out VERY well also for her btw). We chat almost every day online and I learn so much from it. In fact she has been changing me. Sometimes we have arguments and fights, sometimes she is driving me crazy, but geeeez, she makes me think!!!!!! She has allowed me to see my own country and "my" people through her eyes. It is so interesting. It makes you realize many things you haven't realized before. Each of us defends our own country and sometimes we are so entitled to our opinions, and because we are both stubborn personalities, it is very difficult to confess that we might have been wrong. This is another side of the whole Fulbright Program but apart from the fact that I will (hopefully) change my students' point of view of the world after I come, I will also come as a different person. This would be mostly thanks to my exchange partner. I really feel so fortunate to meet Kylowna. (And Ky I know it was a magic..)

Hollywood Sign

One of our recent trips. To get to the famous Hollywood sign as close as possible. I have learnt that it used to say HOLLYWOODLAND at first as it was a giant ad for real estate development. It arrived on the scene in 1923. The Sign was declared a Los Angeles Cultural Historical Monument in 1973. Some generous citizens and celebrities sponsor each letter every year. Some say it is the most famous sign in the world.

The trails and the weather??? Just unbeatable!!!

Trick-or-Treating

We were invited by Roin Share (a collegue from BHS) to her friends for dinner and a Trick-or-Treating afterwards. It was an amazing night. The decoration of the houses we saw was just incredible.

Halloween at BHS

First it started in the classrooms. The kids from the BHS Preschool visited us in the morning. They were cute. Some were really cracking me up. I gave them candy after they said the magic formula "Trick-or-Treat.




Even my ESL students enjoyed it. Well done Marisol.