Creative Writing
“My mind”
Notes for scribe 5/6/11:
This is unedited untouched because these are my thoughts and actions today.
8:15 a.m.
The day began waiting outside of chardon a building that is empty, barren, no light, sort of like an “amish paradise”
A few minutes later
We journey into CH 326 where its dark, humid, sort of like a dark cave where we are traveling to find our books but cant because most of us don’t remember.
Around 8:45 a.m.
The long trek towards the office building “salon de comer” to eat breakfast is filled with chaos as mellisa, nanvan, zenaida, arlinda, ellen and everybody try to organize the new teachers amidst the chaos.
I grab a box a cheerios
We are then moved to the meeting area in the office building to begin the chat session where we get to know each other more formally. Everybody seems to have a food lag where they seem glum and sluggish.
I was given the job of timekeeper during the chat session but quickly found myself unemployed after many obstacles made it impossible to time events on the schedule.
We were then given the first of various lists that would be given for us to place our names on.
45 minutes later
We’re back to eating…nice!!! I grab another box of cheerios before somebody takes them… I had seen them first even though I saw somebody eyeing them but they were in my possession..HA HA HA! Im just kidding by the way or am I.
Man those professors in the dining area are living it up with that “Krispy Kreme” I cant wait till Tuesday when they open in Ponce.
We proceed to take out the food tables and eat all of the remaining food.
20 minutes later
We meet again and now were discussing writing prompts. Which eventually turns into a discussion about the educational system in Puerto Rico. Dear lord why do us teachers have to put up with the same chaos we experienced this morning on a daily basis. Who would want to become a teacher during these times…Me!!!
Meanwhile
Im thinking about those cheerios but the door outside the room says “No Eating Allowed”
2 minutes later
Homework for next week: something experimental “take risks, improve, get out of your comfort zone.
If being a scribe on the first day isn’t getting out of my comfort zone enough then what is. I hear your thoughts people I’m sure Ill find out soon enough.
Meanwhile
Im thinking about lunch wonder what I will eat.
“You guys must think I’m greedy”
1 minute later
We are told to start thinking about a topic for a personal writing prompt Mellisa mentions social issues I’m thinking about “obesity cause I just cant stop thinking about food”
Wow everybody looks so damn confused when should I write this personal piece for…huh…what…Friday?
Everybody is throwing assignments out there. Melissa says “Its okay to be lost”
It better be because I’m hella lost today.
We are presented the websites URL. Oh how well Zenaida and Arlinda adapt to these situations I’m amazed.
http://mwwpsummer2011.weebly.com/
I wish I was at that beach on the website feeling the breeze and chillin’ at the beach.
We are demonstrated the website but cant really see it that well…its okay because Zenaida is showing us those technology skills on full blast.
Boy I’m so hungry…my diet is officially dead and those cheerios in my backpack are in my bag mocking me with their honey goodness.
Tomorrow we’ll be in the art building and we’re going to be cutting and painting masks…nice!
Joey burps…must be the food…nice!!!
Again with more homework…nice!...Mellissa tells us look at the website because were going to use it frequently
Another member of the team tells us to begin thinking about our name and where does it come from.
Mellisa says “write anything you want” her voice is bouncing on the walls like an echo as I sit here…write!…write…write…
I wonder what people will think about this job I did scribing…everybodies going to say he is weird…its all good I am and I have learned to embrace the weirdness over time.
Mellisa gives us a pep talk about phones in the MWWP after her phone rings…is my phone on vibrate?...It is vibrating nice!!!
I hope Mellissa doesn’t get mad I’m picking on her cause I’m not.
We are then told about an Anthology…??????
Register and post our “piezas semanales” on the NWP website…
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/prin/programs/ea
Cool people can actually give us feedback in our writing…nice!
Why is everyone so serious…Maybe because it’s the first day and we have so much work ahead of us...
I wonder what I will bring for breakfast tomorrow…hummm I want sandwiches…
Dardo told me “Breakfast in the writing project es la vida..bro you are going to gain alot of weight this summer”…I respond “I see that your speaking from experience”…I’ll try my best not to.
I cant resist I must eat these cheerios…soon
Wow…the national writing project is a lot bigger than just us…
We break up with our coaches now to discuss our demos for this project boy am I nervous but I think…well I know at least in theory that I can do this.
Ariana gives us a snapshot of what the demo is, how to approach it, and addresses any concerns we have regarding it. Her ability to guide our group through this process goes smooth like butter on bread.
We discuss ideas, approaches, classes that we have done, what were comfortable doing to get an idea of what our demo we’ll be on.
Mellissa tells us to get ready to write in our journals but I have no clue what were writing yet…
Seven minutes later we begin writing…
In case your wondering what time it is its 12:25 pm…Lunchtime to me.
We are supposed to write on anything we’d like to write about…easier said than done that’s the hardest and easiest topic ever.
And then there was silence…for the first time we are writing as a group.
As I sit here on this laptop I see everyone so entranced in writing that its actually quite beautiful.
Another list is circulated this time for the book presentations…
Too many dates are going around today, but that’s cool at least the housekeeping is done for the most part today...at least I hope so.
We begin with the author’s chair and immediately the room comes to life with the energy everyone emits from the words on the page. It is nice to see everyone participating again. Its moments like these that make me enjoy being a part of this project.
Instead of talking about each one I’ll just some it up with one word: “awesome”
After the authors chair Mellissa announced that there was more “work”…she later clarified that she meant books and an overwhelming sigh of a relief came over the group.
Everyone has this face like they are hungry…I know I am…maybe I should just eat those cheerios.
Now another “additional homework” assignment is given where we’re supposed to look for pictures and things that identify us for a project we’ll be doing later.
Then goodbyes and the end of day 1.
“My mind”
Notes for scribe 5/6/11:
This is unedited untouched because these are my thoughts and actions today.
8:15 a.m.
The day began waiting outside of chardon a building that is empty, barren, no light, sort of like an “amish paradise”
A few minutes later
We journey into CH 326 where its dark, humid, sort of like a dark cave where we are traveling to find our books but cant because most of us don’t remember.
Around 8:45 a.m.
The long trek towards the office building “salon de comer” to eat breakfast is filled with chaos as mellisa, nanvan, zenaida, arlinda, ellen and everybody try to organize the new teachers amidst the chaos.
I grab a box a cheerios
We are then moved to the meeting area in the office building to begin the chat session where we get to know each other more formally. Everybody seems to have a food lag where they seem glum and sluggish.
I was given the job of timekeeper during the chat session but quickly found myself unemployed after many obstacles made it impossible to time events on the schedule.
We were then given the first of various lists that would be given for us to place our names on.
45 minutes later
We’re back to eating…nice!!! I grab another box of cheerios before somebody takes them… I had seen them first even though I saw somebody eyeing them but they were in my possession..HA HA HA! Im just kidding by the way or am I.
Man those professors in the dining area are living it up with that “Krispy Kreme” I cant wait till Tuesday when they open in Ponce.
We proceed to take out the food tables and eat all of the remaining food.
20 minutes later
We meet again and now were discussing writing prompts. Which eventually turns into a discussion about the educational system in Puerto Rico. Dear lord why do us teachers have to put up with the same chaos we experienced this morning on a daily basis. Who would want to become a teacher during these times…Me!!!
Meanwhile
Im thinking about those cheerios but the door outside the room says “No Eating Allowed”
2 minutes later
Homework for next week: something experimental “take risks, improve, get out of your comfort zone.
If being a scribe on the first day isn’t getting out of my comfort zone enough then what is. I hear your thoughts people I’m sure Ill find out soon enough.
Meanwhile
Im thinking about lunch wonder what I will eat.
“You guys must think I’m greedy”
1 minute later
We are told to start thinking about a topic for a personal writing prompt Mellisa mentions social issues I’m thinking about “obesity cause I just cant stop thinking about food”
Wow everybody looks so damn confused when should I write this personal piece for…huh…what…Friday?
Everybody is throwing assignments out there. Melissa says “Its okay to be lost”
It better be because I’m hella lost today.
We are presented the websites URL. Oh how well Zenaida and Arlinda adapt to these situations I’m amazed.
http://mwwpsummer2011.weebly.com/
I wish I was at that beach on the website feeling the breeze and chillin’ at the beach.
We are demonstrated the website but cant really see it that well…its okay because Zenaida is showing us those technology skills on full blast.
Boy I’m so hungry…my diet is officially dead and those cheerios in my backpack are in my bag mocking me with their honey goodness.
Tomorrow we’ll be in the art building and we’re going to be cutting and painting masks…nice!
Joey burps…must be the food…nice!!!
Again with more homework…nice!...Mellissa tells us look at the website because were going to use it frequently
Another member of the team tells us to begin thinking about our name and where does it come from.
Mellisa says “write anything you want” her voice is bouncing on the walls like an echo as I sit here…write!…write…write…
I wonder what people will think about this job I did scribing…everybodies going to say he is weird…its all good I am and I have learned to embrace the weirdness over time.
Mellisa gives us a pep talk about phones in the MWWP after her phone rings…is my phone on vibrate?...It is vibrating nice!!!
I hope Mellissa doesn’t get mad I’m picking on her cause I’m not.
We are then told about an Anthology…??????
Register and post our “piezas semanales” on the NWP website…
http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/prin/programs/ea
Cool people can actually give us feedback in our writing…nice!
Why is everyone so serious…Maybe because it’s the first day and we have so much work ahead of us...
I wonder what I will bring for breakfast tomorrow…hummm I want sandwiches…
Dardo told me “Breakfast in the writing project es la vida..bro you are going to gain alot of weight this summer”…I respond “I see that your speaking from experience”…I’ll try my best not to.
I cant resist I must eat these cheerios…soon
Wow…the national writing project is a lot bigger than just us…
We break up with our coaches now to discuss our demos for this project boy am I nervous but I think…well I know at least in theory that I can do this.
Ariana gives us a snapshot of what the demo is, how to approach it, and addresses any concerns we have regarding it. Her ability to guide our group through this process goes smooth like butter on bread.
We discuss ideas, approaches, classes that we have done, what were comfortable doing to get an idea of what our demo we’ll be on.
Mellissa tells us to get ready to write in our journals but I have no clue what were writing yet…
Seven minutes later we begin writing…
In case your wondering what time it is its 12:25 pm…Lunchtime to me.
We are supposed to write on anything we’d like to write about…easier said than done that’s the hardest and easiest topic ever.
And then there was silence…for the first time we are writing as a group.
As I sit here on this laptop I see everyone so entranced in writing that its actually quite beautiful.
Another list is circulated this time for the book presentations…
Too many dates are going around today, but that’s cool at least the housekeeping is done for the most part today...at least I hope so.
We begin with the author’s chair and immediately the room comes to life with the energy everyone emits from the words on the page. It is nice to see everyone participating again. Its moments like these that make me enjoy being a part of this project.
Instead of talking about each one I’ll just some it up with one word: “awesome”
After the authors chair Mellissa announced that there was more “work”…she later clarified that she meant books and an overwhelming sigh of a relief came over the group.
Everyone has this face like they are hungry…I know I am…maybe I should just eat those cheerios.
Now another “additional homework” assignment is given where we’re supposed to look for pictures and things that identify us for a project we’ll be doing later.
Then goodbyes and the end of day 1.