Σάββατο 9 Μαΐου 2015
Τρίτη 7 Μαΐου 2013
CURIOSITY
Tuesday, May 7th 2013
Let me start this blog by defining a woman in one word....CURIOSITY! It's what motivated me to start writing a blog for the very first time. I didn't know what to start talking about first. So let me brainstorm a little. Mom, wife, teacher, trainer, singer, actress, painter, dancer, writer, poet, multilingual, critic, and ...the list is endless....always thirsty for knowledge and discovery.
So here's to my new world of exploration! Cheers!!!!
Motherhood.....incomplete without children, driven at wits end nearly on a daily basis but get to live through it...yep, it DOES make me stronger. I learn new things about myself through my kids everyday. I must honestly admit that their curiosity is what I feed off of and it is so enlightening to discover things at such a rapid pace and to question the world through their eyes in an attempt to explain the WORLD to them. I have never ever felt so confident about not knowing things and have never ever felt so determined to find answers to questions that they may pose or I may wonder about. I'm on this constant quest for answers to things that I never ever cared about like: why do cicadas just make noise all summer? Or why are the bees making nests in the ground. (Something they saw in the backyard), And what does an octopus eat? or how fast does a snake move? and how does it make its nest? where? and how can we cook crabs? oh the list is endless.
Now, there are times where I feel like I want to join in on the backyard discoveries or trek through the paths in the countryside to discover some new plant, flower, bug, bird etc with them AND there are times where I wish I was home doing things for ME...the woman, the wife, the cook, the housekeeper, the teacher etc. Sp, in an attempt to get away from the kids' "wants" I started a new hobby....singing at 40! I joined the village choir and learn to sing and move to different international and traditional songs which I never ever heard of. The best part is that when I started this out a few months ago I never had any experience with music or singing and have been told by my instructors that I have talent and potential as a soprano...LOL I laugh because I NEVER knew that I could sing! This new discovery is so fascinating that I feel like a baby who just learned how to walk! AT 40! I am so thrilled and so high from all this newness, that I have to brush the chip off my shoulder now. It is so rewarding to DISCOVER yourself throughout life. I am not only doing something new, but I am doing something to make me feel good after a long hard day of things I must do for others. True therapy! The funny thing is that I joined just to get out of the house and because it was the most convenient and nearby thing to do..it also fit my schedule at the end of the day twice a wekk for only one hour. And voila! New discovery...new talent..had I known this while I was living back in NY I would have followed up a career in it but living in a Greek village on a far off island is way to far to take this seriously at all. What do I do now????? not a musical, that is for sure...I think! OK you never know but tough chance. :) I just can't wait to learn something new.
My next discovery is related to research and my work. I am an English teacher in a Greek school. I was brought up and raised Greek in New York where I lived til I was 28. I learned to speak both English and Greek consecutively, picked up 7 years of Spanish and 1 year of Italian. Taught English in NY and have been struck with a dilemma regarding what language do I teach my kids and how. The school of thought I belonged to had me start speaking English to my kids nearly 90% of the time, at least to my first born, but I had to drop to none as the speech therapist advised (which I didn't absolutely comply with ) after my son experienced some difficulty with his articulation of Greek words and spoke them with an American accent. So, my second son has had less English spoken to him and he gets bits and pieces here and there, all the cartoons or films they view are in English and I try to have them exposed to lots or foreigners or tourists on the island in the summer so they get used to having the interaction in the other language. I noticed my second son has a Greek accent when speaking his English however, and at first I was worried but now I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo relaxed about it all since I realize that it will all fall into place eventually in their own time when they are ready and when they have the motivation to push them to meet this goal...ENGLISH! To be honest, I would rather have them excel in this countries language as a priority and they can pick up the English at any pace they like as long as it is always available to them without hαving me feel guilty about how much I get to speak to them on a regular basis.
Let me start this blog by defining a woman in one word....CURIOSITY! It's what motivated me to start writing a blog for the very first time. I didn't know what to start talking about first. So let me brainstorm a little. Mom, wife, teacher, trainer, singer, actress, painter, dancer, writer, poet, multilingual, critic, and ...the list is endless....always thirsty for knowledge and discovery.
So here's to my new world of exploration! Cheers!!!!
Motherhood.....incomplete without children, driven at wits end nearly on a daily basis but get to live through it...yep, it DOES make me stronger. I learn new things about myself through my kids everyday. I must honestly admit that their curiosity is what I feed off of and it is so enlightening to discover things at such a rapid pace and to question the world through their eyes in an attempt to explain the WORLD to them. I have never ever felt so confident about not knowing things and have never ever felt so determined to find answers to questions that they may pose or I may wonder about. I'm on this constant quest for answers to things that I never ever cared about like: why do cicadas just make noise all summer? Or why are the bees making nests in the ground. (Something they saw in the backyard), And what does an octopus eat? or how fast does a snake move? and how does it make its nest? where? and how can we cook crabs? oh the list is endless.
Now, there are times where I feel like I want to join in on the backyard discoveries or trek through the paths in the countryside to discover some new plant, flower, bug, bird etc with them AND there are times where I wish I was home doing things for ME...the woman, the wife, the cook, the housekeeper, the teacher etc. Sp, in an attempt to get away from the kids' "wants" I started a new hobby....singing at 40! I joined the village choir and learn to sing and move to different international and traditional songs which I never ever heard of. The best part is that when I started this out a few months ago I never had any experience with music or singing and have been told by my instructors that I have talent and potential as a soprano...LOL I laugh because I NEVER knew that I could sing! This new discovery is so fascinating that I feel like a baby who just learned how to walk! AT 40! I am so thrilled and so high from all this newness, that I have to brush the chip off my shoulder now. It is so rewarding to DISCOVER yourself throughout life. I am not only doing something new, but I am doing something to make me feel good after a long hard day of things I must do for others. True therapy! The funny thing is that I joined just to get out of the house and because it was the most convenient and nearby thing to do..it also fit my schedule at the end of the day twice a wekk for only one hour. And voila! New discovery...new talent..had I known this while I was living back in NY I would have followed up a career in it but living in a Greek village on a far off island is way to far to take this seriously at all. What do I do now????? not a musical, that is for sure...I think! OK you never know but tough chance. :) I just can't wait to learn something new.
My next discovery is related to research and my work. I am an English teacher in a Greek school. I was brought up and raised Greek in New York where I lived til I was 28. I learned to speak both English and Greek consecutively, picked up 7 years of Spanish and 1 year of Italian. Taught English in NY and have been struck with a dilemma regarding what language do I teach my kids and how. The school of thought I belonged to had me start speaking English to my kids nearly 90% of the time, at least to my first born, but I had to drop to none as the speech therapist advised (which I didn't absolutely comply with ) after my son experienced some difficulty with his articulation of Greek words and spoke them with an American accent. So, my second son has had less English spoken to him and he gets bits and pieces here and there, all the cartoons or films they view are in English and I try to have them exposed to lots or foreigners or tourists on the island in the summer so they get used to having the interaction in the other language. I noticed my second son has a Greek accent when speaking his English however, and at first I was worried but now I am sooooooooooooooooooooooo relaxed about it all since I realize that it will all fall into place eventually in their own time when they are ready and when they have the motivation to push them to meet this goal...ENGLISH! To be honest, I would rather have them excel in this countries language as a priority and they can pick up the English at any pace they like as long as it is always available to them without hαving me feel guilty about how much I get to speak to them on a regular basis.
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