Observation: When one is sitting in a coffee shop in an attempt to cure writer melancholia by getting out in the world, once should, perhaps, not listen to Rufus Wainwright singing his painfully beautiful version of Cohen’s HALLELUJAH. Or, for that matter, Johnny Cash’s aching interpretation of Trent Reznor’s HURT. _Great_ songs. Just a little sad.
So, to elevate the mood, how about a few interesting links to pursue? I am sorely behind in my Interesting Things For The Blog file, so let’s leap right in, shall we?
For example — did you know that today is International Steampunk Day? Yes, indeed — June 14th was HG Wells’s birthday and in celebration, you can follow THIS link to all kinds of steampunky goodness. Go on…you know you want to!
Okay — what’s next? On my agenda later this summer is a trip to teach in Korea. It’ll be my first time to Asia, and I’m really looking forward to it. Have a look at this astonishingly beautiful time-lapse of Seoul. With the mountains, water and city, from some angles it looks a bit like Vancouver, doesn’t it? I suspect the experience will be unique and wonderful. Can’t wait!
Also this summer I’ll be a part of Canadian Storytelling Camp. This is going to be a very cool experience — a chance to work with a group of kids who don’t often get to share in a camp setting. Most of the kids coming to the camp have some form of learning difference, typically dyslexia. As a life-long learner and long-time teacher and mentor, I have pretty strong views on how differently every person approaches learning, and what a poor job most conventional teaching situations make of addressing kids who don’t fit some mythical ‘norm’. The Storytelling Camp has, as one of its goals, to help dyslexic kids from grades 5-7 learn how to be storytellers. The camp runs from August 2-5, 2011 in Vancouver. Follow THIS link to find out more. And if you know a kid who might want to come, be sure to tell them they’ll be warmly welcomed!
And to finish — from the ‘We Live in an Astonishing World’ file, HERE is a link to some pix from the Chilean Puyehue volcano, taken earlier this month. I am particularly gobsmacked by the volcano-induced lightning.
Holy Crow.
And, can you hear it? Tom Waits has just come on, to sing LITTLE DROP OF POISON. Tough to maintain a decent bout of melancholy when we live in such an amazing world, isn’t it?
More soon…
~kc
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KC, I can't imagine you in a funk. But these are all fun and interesting places to visit on-line. You'll have to post daily about your trip to Korea. I teach 5th graders from Korea each summer all about local pioneer life.
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