No news...

I hadn't posted in a bit so thought I'd write something. I've been enjoying the posts in our little ex-pat cyberworld, but with no movement on our end, alas, there simply hasn't been much to say. It's really frustrating to see other US citizens who applied through Buffalo later than we did, and didn't get transferred, receive their visas and land. I keep reminding myself that, given our plans, it's actually not a problem for us to be delayed, but you do hit the point where you think that, surely, they've simply lost your file.

Anyway - what's new? I just submitted almost the 50% of the book manuscript that was due by today. That's a relief. I've been working on chapter four today, but decided to take a break. Perhaps it was writing about Australia, Canada, and Great Britain having lifted their bans on gays and lesbians in the military that has me restless.

I've been busy the last few days dealing with bureaucracy of the public schools. For quite a while we debated, agonized, etc. over where to enroll our son for kindergarten. Although, with open enrollment there are, quite simply, too many choices, we had narrowed it down to a "traditional" neighborhood school, a French immersion program, and a year round school that focuses on "environmental science and community cultures." We opted for the latter, but, for a variety of reasons, decided that we should have gone with French immersion. I visited the school last week and now we're jumping through hoops to get him transferred. It's tough because we just love his current teacher, but thinking longer term we're really excited about the immersion program. Stay tuned.

I'm also starting to work on my courses for the next two terms. I juggled things so that, with these manuscript deadlines, I had a light load this term - one and a half courses. That means that next term I'm teaching three and a half. But, mostly they are things about which I'm jazzed. Namely - Social Problems with a new text, Global Problems: The Search for Equity, Peace, and Sustainability. In our Social Justice program I'm teaching Sexuality and the Law, also with a new casebook. And, I'll again do Crossing Borders II. It's a reflection-based course required of those students returning from a semester abroad. And, in the "not so jazzed but it can be fun" category is another round of Senior Seminar.

Then, I have to - yes, sometimes the lead time time kills me - start prepping for a fall course. But, I'm really looking forward to this one! It's a course for first year students where the content is really just the vehicle for getting them up to speed on "college" (i.e., skill development in critical thinking, oral presentation, etc.). We can create a course around any topic we wish because the goal is skill building, not the acquisition of a set body of knowledge. The tentative title for my course is - a take-off on part of our mission statement and clearly influenced by the Social Problems text - "Making the World a Better Place: Paths Toward Peace, Justice, and Sustainability." I want to introduce them to a potpourri of things like restorative justice, global volunteerism, co-housing, etc. We'll see... If you have an idea about something you think I should include, do tell! Really!

So, that's the latest. Not exactly immigration-related, but it's what's happening in my world. Hopefully I'll have something to report by the new year, but I'm not holding my breath.