So, we have been in Clinton all week working with student choirs, and tonight is the night of our first big public concert! I think the singers are ready and the kids are sounding great with them, and I personally am really excited to where my new purple high wasted skirt! haha
Last night we all went to an old fashioned cinema with only one theatre and we only had to pay $3 to see The Blind Side! For Makly and I it was the second viewing, and everyone else liked it alot as well! The singers were happy to see a movie that provided some insight into how American Football works, :)
I was driving in the car yesterday with Steve and we were listening to an Eric Clapton song...and he said "You know Eric Clapton?" and I said yeah, I like him, and Steve said "I know him too, he comes to my house for breakfast every morning...." And I said wait...what?!....noooo *BIG GRIN, haha Jackie, just for fun just for fun*. So our new joke is telling people that we personally know any famous person that is mentioned.
I am also loving English pronunciation jokes this week. Both Zuly and Steve have a habit of putting a "th" sound in the place of "d". Also Makly has had some interesting word mix ups too (such as "crumped" instead of "crammed") or "the older people touched me" instead of 'IT was the older people who touched me' (because of their participation)...So here's the funny statement we came up with yesterday:
"In Venezuela, we have many many different types of births ("birds"), and we have sooo many births that they are sometimes crumped ("crammed") in their natural habitat."
I think the singers have also really enjoyed having presentations in the high school this week. Thus far we have worked with mostly elementaries so it has been a nice change of pace for them I think to work with some older kids.
So anywho, our big concert tonight - I think everyone is ready and I'm excited to see the team in some high class performance action! woo!
We are also excited because we all have the day off on Saturday so the whole SOUL team gets to go out together Friday night, yay!!
Best, Jackie xoxox
January 28, 2010
January 25, 2010
I speak English. I speak Estonian. I speak Spanish. I speak Haitian. I speak Rapan.
After a little over two weeks of SOUL I am really beginning to understand what this project is all about. Living and breathing and spending nearly every waking moment together - the five of us on the team are learning quickly how to communicate in a variety of different ways - being as none of us share the same native language. I think after this project I will be quite effectively an expert at handling and diffusing misunderstandings and overcoming communication barriers.
We had a question at a presentation the other day: "How do you guys talk to each other?" And Zuly had a great answer: "We try to communicate with each other in English and we do have one language that we all share, and that is music".
It's always the little things in life. The little things make us the most happy - and it can also be the tiniest things that cause the greatest upsets. Some misunderstandings make us laugh, and others really make us think and learn to respect one another despite our differences.
Exhibit A: During a presentation Steve was explaining how he got to the US and he said he took 10 planes. Zuly was trying to help the audience understand by saying "He took 10 airplanes, you know?". Steve understood this to be Zuly correcting him during a presentation, when really she was repeating the word to the audience and not to Steve. This was a small misunderstanding that caused some hurt feelings and had to be diffused afterward. This is just an example of the small things that require careful attention to ensure that our team works well together.
Exhibit B: Misunderstandings and language barriers can also create quite the comical situation! Zuly and I were at the same host home for a couple nights last week. Peas, the little green vegetables of course have a different name in Spanish as do most things, right?! Yes, well at our host home some peas were spilled on the kitchen floor, and Richard, our host dad said "There are peas all over the kitchen floor and in my shoe!". I received the funniest looking facial expression from Zuly and later before bed she said "Jackie...what was on the kitchen floor?" and I said "peas", and again I got the funny face. So I explained "You know, the little green things we ate at dinner...?" She burst into laughter and I knew immediately, the whole time she had been thinking he said something else (Pee!) and I think everyone could understand how this could easily be mistaken! We laughed long and hard about this one.
We actually also had a long discussion about lingual and cultural barriers with our host family before the peas incident, and I used a cliche statement that describes SOUL prefectly: "NEVER a dull moment"....which should not be mistaken as anything less than spectacular! That is what I love about this job...even I, a person just about as open-minded as you can be, am learning new things every day about understanding and embracing the differences in others and appreciating them for the cultural richness they bring to new situations.
Exhibit C: Even with cultural and lingual barriers, some things know no boundaries! We were wlecomed at a pot-luck dinner in Clinton, MI by all of our host families and one of the children (there was a set of twins), either Ryan or Reece (8 years old I think, maybe 9), told a joke that everyone understood and loved!
"How do you make a tissue dance?!"
"Ya put a little boogie in it!"
*Outburst of laughter*
It just never ceases to amaze me, like I said, the small things that bring us the greatest enjoyment. :)
We are now here in Clinton for the week - right near Adrian, MI. The singers are looking forward to each spending a week with their own choir here (Zuly 6th grade, Steve 7th grade, Makly 8th grade, Teele High School). They will be teaching the kids songs from their home countries to perform at a community concert on Thursday night! And there will also be a professional photographer there to take photos of us all for the website, so that should be exciting!
I know, I knowwww, I need to add pictures here soon - I have been having memory card issues, but they will come soon enough!
Cheers and Peace! xoxo Jackie
We had a question at a presentation the other day: "How do you guys talk to each other?" And Zuly had a great answer: "We try to communicate with each other in English and we do have one language that we all share, and that is music".
It's always the little things in life. The little things make us the most happy - and it can also be the tiniest things that cause the greatest upsets. Some misunderstandings make us laugh, and others really make us think and learn to respect one another despite our differences.
Exhibit A: During a presentation Steve was explaining how he got to the US and he said he took 10 planes. Zuly was trying to help the audience understand by saying "He took 10 airplanes, you know?". Steve understood this to be Zuly correcting him during a presentation, when really she was repeating the word to the audience and not to Steve. This was a small misunderstanding that caused some hurt feelings and had to be diffused afterward. This is just an example of the small things that require careful attention to ensure that our team works well together.
Exhibit B: Misunderstandings and language barriers can also create quite the comical situation! Zuly and I were at the same host home for a couple nights last week. Peas, the little green vegetables of course have a different name in Spanish as do most things, right?! Yes, well at our host home some peas were spilled on the kitchen floor, and Richard, our host dad said "There are peas all over the kitchen floor and in my shoe!". I received the funniest looking facial expression from Zuly and later before bed she said "Jackie...what was on the kitchen floor?" and I said "peas", and again I got the funny face. So I explained "You know, the little green things we ate at dinner...?" She burst into laughter and I knew immediately, the whole time she had been thinking he said something else (Pee!) and I think everyone could understand how this could easily be mistaken! We laughed long and hard about this one.
We actually also had a long discussion about lingual and cultural barriers with our host family before the peas incident, and I used a cliche statement that describes SOUL prefectly: "NEVER a dull moment"....which should not be mistaken as anything less than spectacular! That is what I love about this job...even I, a person just about as open-minded as you can be, am learning new things every day about understanding and embracing the differences in others and appreciating them for the cultural richness they bring to new situations.
Exhibit C: Even with cultural and lingual barriers, some things know no boundaries! We were wlecomed at a pot-luck dinner in Clinton, MI by all of our host families and one of the children (there was a set of twins), either Ryan or Reece (8 years old I think, maybe 9), told a joke that everyone understood and loved!
"How do you make a tissue dance?!"
"Ya put a little boogie in it!"
*Outburst of laughter*
It just never ceases to amaze me, like I said, the small things that bring us the greatest enjoyment. :)
We are now here in Clinton for the week - right near Adrian, MI. The singers are looking forward to each spending a week with their own choir here (Zuly 6th grade, Steve 7th grade, Makly 8th grade, Teele High School). They will be teaching the kids songs from their home countries to perform at a community concert on Thursday night! And there will also be a professional photographer there to take photos of us all for the website, so that should be exciting!
I know, I knowwww, I need to add pictures here soon - I have been having memory card issues, but they will come soon enough!
Cheers and Peace! xoxo Jackie
January 21, 2010
Elementary schools are getting fancy!
Stop number two of the tour: Williamston Elementary in Williamston, MI. This school was amazing!! The kids were awesome!! - Great audience, excellent participation, lots of good feedback, and really really good questions.
At the last school we were at, the mascot was a puppy and the kids had a BARK song (Be safe, appropriate behavior, responsibility, and kindness)! We thought that was super cute and had it stuck in our heads...UNTIL...we went to Williamston and were introduced to the appreciation clap which we are now obsessed with (two knee slaps, two claps, two snaps and two finger guns with a nice "YEEEAAAAHHHH") - I'm tellin' ya, you learn something new everyday :)
SOUL is rapidly improving everyday in every aspect - group dynamics, presentation skills, creativity, and musically as well. My part of the presentation has also gone swimmingly thus far - no complaints or horribly embarrassing life moments as of yet.
Our newest inside joke that is not an inside joke because we tell everyone, comes from Steve's song called Mitata. "Mitata" is something on Rapa Island that is a snail, but it's not a snail, but it looks like a snail...and as Connie says, it is "snail-ish". We cannot figure out the english translation for this peculiar little sea creature and so it has become a very light hearted and funny part of our presentations. And now the cool thing to do is say, "It sounds like english, but it's not english, but it's spoken just like english", or "It looks like pepsi, but it's not pepsi, but it tastes like pepsi"...and you get the idea!
My driving, that's not my driving, that seems like my driving, scared the singers a little bit today during rush hour traffic. I have Steve in the back seat shouting "my mom loves me!" and I shout back "my mom loves me too!". But of course this craziness is caused by other drivers on the road who are highly UNDER-qualified to have a valid license. :)
The singers are rehearsing at my host home right now...it's like live entertainment and/or listening to the best CD you've ever heard, all the time! I love it. They are officially like my children. I am always worrying about them, and I beam with happiness every time I watch them perform :-D
Also our host family has a son who is the master brewer at a local Michigan beer brewery, and they have one of a kind beer for us to try with dinner tonight, so that should be exciting!
This entry is very all-over-the-place I realize, but I am just trying to highlight all of the most exciting parts of the past couple days.
Today at Williamston, we all felt like celebrities. The kids and their parents all wanted to take pictures of us and with us and they wanted our autographs! It was so cute - and people think famous people get sick of that....I don't know about that! I think I could get used to it, hehe
I am missing my friends of course - my roomates - and driving past MSU's campus this morning seeing people on their way to class kind of made me miss college! And of course, I miss you mom and dad and CHARLIEEEEEEE (and Kiki and Bob I guess)!
I got teary eyed today like a mother would - as the singers were performing at an all-school assembly this morning a 5th grade boy came up to the stage to borrow the microphone - and announced in front of the whole school, and to Makly in particular that he and his classmates raised over $1,000 for Haiti disaster relief. It was so sweet - Thank you Williamston Elementary!! As SOUL has become like a little family now - we all appreciate the thoughtfulness very much.
I have a head-ache now - I think from hunger/tired...these loooooooong days will take some more getting used to, but I will gladly get used to them, because I LOVE THIS JOB!
Tata for now.
Cheers! Jackie
January 19, 2010
And so our journey begins!
So the SOUL team officially began touring Friday and now we are on the road, currently in Eaton Rapids, MI. We had a great day of presentations today and one young lady raised her hand and provided us with a quote that truly fulfills the mission of SOUL. During a question and answer session she raised her hand and said "Even though you guys are from all different countries, you still have really good music."
(From left to right: Teele, Zuly, "Rachel", Makly, and Steve!)
It's really nice to see the SOUL team have fun with what they do, and make an impact on American kids better than any teacher ever could! We are loving our host families and they have been absolutely wonderful to us - they make us feel right at home :)
My host family this time is also Makly's family and they have two dogs that I especially love!
Below are the handsome Duke and lovely Beatrix!!
Tomorrow we are off to Williamston, MI and now that the group is into the performing and presenting groove, and I myself am starting to get used to my new schedule - I will be able to update more often with funny stories and details about all of our lovely adventures!
Peace. Love. SOUL.
~Jackie :)
January 5, 2010
The team meets at last!
After months of anticipation I have finally met my team for the coming months, the members of SOUL 2010...Zuleika, Teele, Makly and Steve. The first day we met was this past Sunday, January 3 - and I am more excited than ever to begin the tour. The five of us have already begun to bond !
The four singers have begun rehearsing songs in the past two days and now have basically learned two songs from each country. I feel so privileged to be surrounded by such talented people...this music is amazing and beautiful, and like nothing I've EVER heard! It is incredible how quickly four perfect strangers can mesh so quickly and perfectly.
As a tour manager I have been focusing on helping the team members get to know each other better and figure out the best way for us all to communicate as we will be spending every second of every day with one another for the next five and a half months. It sounds like a scary thought spending that much time with anyone, but after meeting this team and spending the last few days together I am excited for the tour and confident that it will be just fine :)
January 4 we spent much of the day at the University of Michigan's Dearborn campus participating in "Operation Adventure". This is a program designed to aid in team building and we all had a blast with it. We discovered Steve's amazing strength in lifting us each over him while balancing on a five inch board; the benefits of Makly's long limbs as he rock climbed to the top of a wall blind folded at record speed; Teele and Zuleikas high intelligence as they helped all of us to figure out a complicated calculator exercise; and some talent of my own in pretty successfully delivering clear instructions to a group of people, none of whom share the same first language.
For the next two weeks we will all be rehearsing and doing everything we can to adequately prepare for our five month road trip. Hearing this group and learning about these wonderful people leaves me with high, high expectations for SOUL 2010. You never know...we may just become the next household name...
tata for now...Jackie
As a tour manager I have been focusing on helping the team members get to know each other better and figure out the best way for us all to communicate as we will be spending every second of every day with one another for the next five and a half months. It sounds like a scary thought spending that much time with anyone, but after meeting this team and spending the last few days together I am excited for the tour and confident that it will be just fine :)
January 4 we spent much of the day at the University of Michigan's Dearborn campus participating in "Operation Adventure". This is a program designed to aid in team building and we all had a blast with it. We discovered Steve's amazing strength in lifting us each over him while balancing on a five inch board; the benefits of Makly's long limbs as he rock climbed to the top of a wall blind folded at record speed; Teele and Zuleikas high intelligence as they helped all of us to figure out a complicated calculator exercise; and some talent of my own in pretty successfully delivering clear instructions to a group of people, none of whom share the same first language.
For the next two weeks we will all be rehearsing and doing everything we can to adequately prepare for our five month road trip. Hearing this group and learning about these wonderful people leaves me with high, high expectations for SOUL 2010. You never know...we may just become the next household name...
tata for now...Jackie
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