Back in New York City & MCSM H.S. graduation

Wednesday Verena and I spent on the plane: 9:30 am departing Bogota, 3:34 pm arriving in Atlanta, Georgia, 5:40 pm leaving Atlanta, 8:28 pm arriving at JFK airport in New York City. The whole day I had been feeling rather unemotional – I mean I was happy and satisfied with my trip and that I had the opportunity to do this, but I also wasn’t sad that it’s coming to an end. Funny. I was so calm and satisfied, neither very sad (that it’s almost over) nor particularly excited (to be back in New York). Until, well, we were waiting for our backpacks at JFK and I borrowed Verena’s cell phone to call my friend Veronika about when to meet her tomorrow. And that’s when the excitement kicked in – I suddenly felt so happy to be back, to see my friends soon – it’s wonderful to be back in New York

So on Thursday, I met up with Veronika and her two kids, Maximillian and Katharina, whom I both adore, and we spent the day together – catching up about their time back in Austria and my travels in South America. I felt as if I had never left. That’s what it always feels like with true friends – no matter how often we see each other, once there’s a certain connection it’s always there

Later I met up with Peter, his brother Patrick, and his cousin Frank for a couple of drinks. It’s always fun hanging out with these guys   On the way home, I ended up falling (well, more being thrown) into a fountain, but I won’t go into details on this blog   Just that much: I was soaked and I had a lot of fun that night

On Friday, I went to the GRADUATION of Manhattan Center of Science and Mathematics H.S. (MCSM) - at 10 am at Hunter College (69th Street on the UES), and although I had planned on watching from the back, the principal asked me to come up on stage (where most of the teachers were sitting) when he welcomed everybody at the beginning. Although there were (and still are) issues between the administration and a lot of teachers, and I haven’t forgotten the protests last year after Mr. Thomas was sent to the rubber room, etc.,  I felt this wasn’t the time for me to make a point, and I simply walked up on stage and watched the ceremony from up there. It was wonderful to see my former students (who had asked me to came back for their graduation when I left MCSM, New York and the U.S. at the end of last school year) graduate. Sitting there made me look forward to teaching again But I still wouldn’t want to stay here. I still feel the same way I felt last year: it’s time for a change, time for me to move on. I’m glad I still feel the same way a year later. It’s time to move back to Europe, back to Vienna and teach there. I know it’s been 7 years since I left (summer 2002) and people keep asking me if I’ll be able to adapt to the Austrian way of life again or whether I have become too American to be happy there. Well, first of all I don’t believe I have become too American to live in Europe. (There’s this saying: “You can take the girl out of Austria, but you can’t take Austria out of the girl.” And I believe this to be true to a certain extent.) Anyway, going back to graduation. Here’s the video from the principal’s introduction – including me walking up on stage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnVyWSsL1Cc

It was wonderful to see my former students graduate and I also have to admit that it was lovely that they gave me such a warm welcome. Afterward the ceremony I got the chance to talk to some of them and their families   Memories of the 5 years at Manhattan Center kept coming back… And it was such a great finish – sort of – to my trip, one leading me back to teaching. And the good thing is that within this year of traveling I feel I got myself back, well I mean the person I like. At the end of last year I wasn’t like that. I had somehow over the years in the city and working for the DoE lost some of my positive outlook on life, some of my groundedness, some of my faith in people, etc. Last year around this time I felt I was ready to leave New York, but I wasn’t ready to go back to Europe yet. It’s not that I needed to find myself, I know who I am, what I do and what I stand for. I needed to get – in short – my happiness, my groove, or whatever you want to call it, back. And I consider myself lucky to have found it. I’m back the way I like myself   I know I’m not going to change the world, and I’m still saddened at times that I couldn’t do more and by the fact that good teachers like Mr. Thomas (since last year) and Mr. Moshos (since this year) are still in the rubber room and about other things. But this part of my life is over and sometimes no matter how hard you try, how hard you work, and how much energy you invest – sometimes (not often, but it happens), you still don’t win and things don’t work out. So I let go… For those who don’t quite understand what I’m talking about I just want to say one thing: the students at MCSM never really gave me any problems and the joy of teaching the students at MCSM (and teaching Mathematics in English) is one of the reasons why I stayed in New York for all those years. Overall, with all the good and the bad, I wouldn’t want to miss any of these 6 years, though   I learnt an awful lot, I truly enjoyed teaching in East Harlem, I made some really good friends and I guess  this is why New York has become my home - but not the one where I’ll grow old. That’s more likely going to be Vienna. But then who knows what life brings… Maybe I’ll grow old in Fiji, or in New Zealand, or somewhere else… Or in Vienna

I’ve just been letting my thoughts wander off…

PS: Later that day I bought a cell phone (prepaid) for $20. Funny isn’t it: I have traveled around the world for more than 8 months without a cell phone, but can’t really do New York without one

1 week in NYC – very happy & very busy :)

I had a wonderful time in New York City last week   NYC can be great and so much fun when you don´t have to work, but just meet with friends and hang out with people you like

Of course I was busy with other stuff, too, like doing my taxes, visiting my rheumatologist, checking my mail, etc. However, most of the time I spent with friends: on Monday I met up with Veronika and her two children (it was so nice and Maximillian still recognized me), and then with Verena and Dominika at ¨Zum Schneider¨. On Tuesday I had dinner with Peter and Mike, who unfortunately is still in the rubber room (and still does not know why), on Wednesday I met with Natalie, on Thursday with Veronika and her two children again, and later with Jan, and on Friday…

On FRIDAY I visited MCSM H.S., my old school in East Harlem, where I used to teach for 5 years before I resigned last August to travel around the world this year. And I must say on the one hand it was WONDERFUL to see and talk to some of my former students and colleagues, but on the other hand it was quite sad to see so many of the good teachers so unhappy. Seeing some of them almost broke my heart; it makes me sad to see how the school has changed. 6 years ago Manhattan Center was such an excellent and wonderful school; when I started working there in Sept. 2003 there were so many good, knowledgable, and enthusiastic teachers and staff – I loved teaching there!!! Unfortunately things changed – not for the better – and got worse each year after the old principal and a few good APs retired or left - and at this point, well, it´s simply sad. A lot of people seem to have given up – and I don´t blame them. But it´s still sad for me to see this. – Seeing some of my former students, though, was really nice and made me happy :)  I´m excited that I´ll be back in time for their graduation on 6/26

After school I went out with Alla, Peter, Mike T., Mike St., and Ed and we had a lot of fun - as always. It felt as if I never left the city. It felt like this with everyone I met last week - as if I was still living here and had never left (in a good way)…

On Saturday I went up to Michelle´s apartment in Washington Heights, we went for a walk in Central Park and then cooked dinner at her place and watched a DVD (Mad Money – funny).

On Sunday I met some of my closest friends in the city, Flora, Tatjana, and Christine (Veronika was sick and Sonja is still traveling), at the Pink Pony for a very long brunch – we talked about everything and laughed A LOT – as usual    :)  And again, it felt as if I had never left the city…  In the evening I took Peter out for dinner as it was so nice of him to let me stay at his place

Today I did my laundry and bought a few things that I will need on my trip in South America for the next 3 months. Then Peter and I went to ¨Zum Schneider¨ for dinner. I love the food there!

Overall, I had a really wonderful week here in NYC - happy and busy   It was great to see my friends (unfortunately there was not enough time to see all of them) and it was so wonderful to feel so at home here and I really appreciate the wonderful friends I have!

PS: VISITING NYC is sooooooooooooo much more fun than working in the city

…and missing NYC not so much a day later

So the more I think about New York City and my life there the more I do not only remember the good, but also the not so good things. Furthermore, to hear from former colleagues that the situation at my old school continues to deteriorate (and to hear who else left) makes me really sad   I don’t miss the drama there from last year! I don’t miss the feeling of disconnectedness I had in the city more than any other place. I don’t miss the huge number of garbage bags on the streets more than once a week. I don’t miss having to do my laundry at the laundromat. I don’t miss the dairy products that won’t go bad. (Remember my Piladelphia experiment!) I don’t miss the fast pace of the city. I don’t miss having a different roommate every year. I don’t miss the high rents. I don’t miss the anonymity of the city. But I do miss my old friends who are still there! Thanks to Skype however, we can still talk

Missing NYC a little bit these days…

Although I’m still happy and content with my decision to leave NYC after having lived there for the last 6 years, I must admit that ever since school started two weeks ago I think about NYC a lot! And I actually miss it! The students, my colleagues, other staff at MCSM H.S., and also some very dear friends who still live in the city. The more I think about the school, the more I think about the city and the more I miss it. It’s kind of weird not to teach, not to live in NYC anymore, not to speak English on a daily basis, not to be surrounded by my African-American, Hispanic and Asian students in East Harlem, not to stop by Veronika once a week, not to walk the streets of East Harlem and the Upper East Side, not to watch movies in English, not to go for a walk in Central Park, not to take each and every visitor up the Rockefeller Center (Top of the Rock) to enjoy my favorite view of NYC, not go to Brooklyn and walk over the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan, not to take the M15 bus to school and back home, not to go to the little French cafe on 86th Street once in while, not to spend hours at Barnes and Noble on 86th Street, not to …  - Well, almost everything I got used to and was familiar with for the last 6 years isn’t part of my life now anymore; I guess that’s what you call a culture shock – even if it’s in your own country It’s interesting to see how much we are creatures of habit.