my sistah from another mistah

I made a lot of good friends this year in Cyprus.  With my buddy Dina, I shared countless laughs, concerns about shared students, many cups of coffee, personal drama, many meals, and a great adventure in Barcelona.  She is the brains behind our Leslie Knope inspired Galentine's Day, a tradition which I will carry on.  I'm going to miss her a lot as she moves on to the next adventure, but hey, Dubai is only a short flight away;  we will have a lot of laughs in the future.

Love is love is love

My heart is breaking.  So many steps forward towards equality, and then a tragedy like this happens. As an ally, I am heartbroken for the community, and heartbroken for the victims and their families- both their blood relatives and the families they created.  As an ally, I've double-dated with same sex couples, volunteered with homeless LGBT kids, marched with the Coalition of Welcoming Churches in the Chicago Pride Parade, danced in many gay clubs, banned the "f" word from my classrooms, and done everything else I can to embrace the community.  

We will keep welcoming those who need to be unconditionally accepted.  We will keep marching. We will continue petitioning the government to protect fundamental rights.  We will continue celebrating the big and the small.  We will keep dancing.

Coffee morning hosting duties at Lakeview Presbyterian Church

Laughing and dancing with the fabulous
Dixie Lynn Cartwright at Berlin

Lin-Manuel Miranda said it best:

My wife’s the reason anything gets done
She nudges me towards promise by degrees
She is a perfect symphony of one
Our son is her most beautiful reprise.
We chase the melodies that seem to find us
Until they’re finished songs and start to play
When senseless acts of tragedy remind us
That nothing here is promised, not one day.
This show is proof that history remembers
We lived through times when hate and fear seemed stronger;
We rise and fall and light from dying embers, remembrances that hope and love last longer
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside.
I sing Vanessa’s symphony, Eliza tells her story
Now fill the world with music, love and pride.

AISC graduation 2016

One of the biggest adjustments this year was working in such a small school. From Lincoln Park HS, where we had 2400 kids 9-12 to ISP, with 1400 kids K-12, to AISC, with 220 kids K-12.  We have tiny classes, amazing teachers, and everyone wears 12 hats b/c we are such a small staff.

AISC graduation, with 18 graduates, was a very nice event.  The US Ambassador to Cyprus was the key note speaker.  With only 18 names to read, and 5 speeches, it was a short but sweet event.  And then we headed poolside for appetizers and mocktails.  Congratulations class of 2016.  

Class of 2016

Amanda's Cyprus visit

My good friend Amanda came to Cyprus for two weeks to decompress, to warm up a long chicago winter, and to visit me.  We started in Paphos, a lovely beach town in the Greek side of Cyprus.

Welcome to Pahpos

we even made time for high tea

No a bad way to spend a Saturday

In, what was described as the hippest restaurant in Paphos, which
was more like a Jetsons reject.  

After a great long weekend, I had to go back to work. Amanda headed to the Turkish side of Cyprus on her to explore.  I met her there for the second weekend of the trip.  We had a great time, met some fun people, and spent all of our time outside in the lovely Mediterranean sun.  

Great day in Kyrenia!  Boat, music, swimming, sunshine!

The Norwegians on the trip with us knew how to party.

Sunset in Kyrenia

a lot of champagne photos

Taking pictures of the bubbly is a great way to amuse oneself when dining alone in a foreign country.

Ahhh, Paris; 8 days was not enough...

Hanging out in the Tullerie Gardens with 1000s of Parisians on a warm
spring afternoon.  The ducks in the fountain choregoraphed their dives,
and we thought it was hilarious to see 3 duck butts in a row.  

Quick, possibly illegal, selfie in the Orangerie with the Monets- Mallory
carried this one off better than I did

Much better Mallory and Laura selfie- planned, timed,
focused, outside of the Tullerie Gardens

Macaroons, champagne= so French


Fashion Show at the Galleries Lafayette!!!

Fashion show- mustard yellow is in this year?

The bridge where lovers write their initials on a lock, and attach it to the bridge-
it got so heavy that the Municipality of Paris had to remove a bunch of them
to prevent a bridge collapse.  

On the roof of the Musee de Orsay, pondering life with a statue of Wisdom

I don't remember if I was on the Left Bank or the Right Bank...

La Pere Lachaise cemetery, where many famous people are buried.
It's such a peaceful place for a stroll.  

Cafe in Montemartre where Amelie worked in the movie

Montmartre

I stayed 8 nights in Paris during Spring Break.  Rather than staying in a hotel or hostal, I rented a lovely studio apartment in Montmartre, the neighborhood where basically all of the Impressionist painters lived in the early 1900s.  It is a wonderful place, full of charm and culture and great restaurants.  It was a soul-refreshing place to return to after hours dealing with tourists.

the Montmartre stop (Rue de Abbesses) is one of only 3 Metro stops with the
original Art Deco metal work

Montmartre is full of historic windmills, many of which
are now restaurants or bar, but which were used
for cement grinding through the 1950s 

France was part of the Roman Empire.  As Christianity began to spread throughout the empire, the early Christian leaders were persecuted by the polytheistic Romans (the same people who threw the Christians to the lions).  Father Denis was a leading Christian scholar in the area that would become Paris.  He was discovered by Roman leaders, and ordered for execution. The story tells that he was supposed to be marched to the top of Montmartre hill, where he would be executed.  On the way up, he was harassing his Roman guards, preaching to them and trying to get them to convert.  One guard got frustrated, and chopped off Denis' head.  Denis' body picked up his head, carried it, and continued preaching as he walked the remaining 6 miles uphill.  Now he is St Denis, patron saint of Montmartre.

Saint Denis

Sacre Couer- a very famous and beautiful church on the top of the hill

view from Sacre Couer

It wouldn't be Paris without a high fashion shoot

This restaurant was about 130 feet from my apt.  I ate there almost every day.  It was such great quality French food (steak frites, omelettes, croque Monseiur, even an outstanding hamburger), nice wait staff, great wines, and a wonderful spot for some serious people watching

the view from the bed in my lovely apt