joann renee

it's officially unofficial...

2010-04-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

What a great past year! It has most definitely been the year of MAT(t).

I'm finishing up my student teaching at Fort Vancouver High School. Monday will be my last day of teaching, although tomorrow will be busy with my Theatre II classes reader’s theatre performance of Our Town, and I'll still be spending next week at the school observing other teachers, working on my final Action Research paper and saying my farewells.

As a Drama/ Language Arts teacher, I love that my final day will be on Shakespeare's birth/death day.

On the first of May, I will graduate from George Fox University with my Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) and will henceforth accept being addressed as Mastress Joann ("Master" is too masculine and "Mistress" is too sketchy).

And on August 7th, you can call me by another name…

It’s kind of old news by now, but Matt & I are officially unofficially engaged. ☺

For all questions in the vein of, “what does UNofficially engaged mean?”, I will refer you to my unofficial fiancé’s current blog post: http://maboswell.blogspot.com/

Needless to say, we are both giddy & distracted. Finishing up my MAT work has become so much more unappealing in the last two weeks as I’d much rather (and often do) spend time planning with and dreaming about the other Matt in my life.

valentine's

2010-02-15T12:25:00.006-08:00

I'm not going to lie to you, I've always loved Valentine's Day, even though this is the first year I'v been in a romantic relationship, and he's in China, currently vacationing where internet access is sparse.

Granted, there have been many years where I've been tempted to don an all black outfit as a sign that I'm single and in mourning. But even on those years I still secretly harbored a happy place in my heart for the day that is dedicated to love.

My mother's birthday falls on Valentine's Day, so I had two options growing up: embrace the holiday of my mother's birth, or shun the cheese and, in so doing, avoid my mother's home. I'm serious. No one has truly experienced the Valentine season until they've set foot in my parent's home anytime in late January through late February. Everywhere you turn it's pink & red & hearts & wall hangings & turtle doves nesting in the Valentine's Day tree. It's a veritable Disneyland of Love. So I chose to embrace/ make a game out of jumping to slap the paper hearts hanging from the ceiling every time I walked past.

If this wasn't enough to secure my devotion to what some term a holiday created by greeting card companies, I decided it would be kind of romantic if I got my driver's license on Valentine's Day. So I did. I'm happy to say that we just celebrated our 10th anniversary.

For me, Valentine's Day represents something old school and chivalrous. It's a day when people hit the pause button on their own desires and think of ways to let the people they love know that they are loved. It's too easy for me to be busy and race from activity to activity and from one degree to the next without taking time to appreciate the billions of people living life all around me. So while it definitely feels like Single's Awareness Day, or Your Boyfriend's in China Day, it's a day when I am reminded to slow down, be grateful for the people in my life and enjoy the cinematic real-life romance happening off camera all around me. On Saturday my heart grinned as I drove past Freddie's where I saw an elderly man standing in the rain working to get a bouquet of flowers and several heart-shaped balloons into his car.

I went out after church yesterday to see a movie with my Galentine, Tracy, and there was a line that resonated with me. I think it's better left to stand alone, without my ramblings, so I'll end here: "Love is the only shocking act left."

Things I Miss About China, #3: Amusing Surprises

2010-01-21T22:04:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas we treated ourselves to massages at this really great massage salon in Xiaogan. While we were getting our massages, we were also watching what can only be described as an Italian/Korean version of every single Disney movie-length cartoon, but mainly The Lion King.

After the massages, Matt & I took a bus to Wuhan (the big city near Xiaogan). We spent our 24 hours there dining at the illustrious Aloha Cafe - where we glutted ourselves on burgers and burritos and chocolate desserts - , riding busses, riding more busses, hanging out with the amazing Ann and enjoying a long Sunday morning at Starbucks. The amusing surprise comes in a few days after we returned when I discovered that I had spent the weekend with the third longest river in the world. I noticed the river, I just didn't know it was significant. The Yangtze or (Chang Jiang) is 215 miles shorter than the Nile, 83 miles shorter than the Amazon and a mere 15 miles longer than the Mississippi/Missouri.

My last example of an "amusing surprise" in China is from my journey home. My flight from Wuhan to Beijing was bound to be a very depressing time. I was prepared to hide my face beneath my scarf and pretend to be sleeping so that no one would have to suffer through the awkwardness of sitting near a sobbing Westerner. However, I never had the time. A business man who spoke a small amount of English sat next to me and started a very rough conversation with me about the book I was reading, Jane Eyre.

It was obvious he just wanted to practice his English, and I needed a distraction, so I spent the next two hours trying to have a conversation with him. He seemed to be better at reading English than at understanding spoken English, so we took to writing on our barf bags. He wasn't a fabulous speller, but it was typically pretty easy to figure out what he meant. The best moment for me was about an hour and a half into the flight when he wrote:

"You are buttyfull."

Yep. I did my best not to burst out laughing as I wrote the correct spelling for beautiful below it. Most amusing compliment ever.

Things I Miss About China, #2: The Scents of Xiaogan

2010-01-16T22:39:00.001-08:00

Only for nostalgic reasons.

The streets always smell like ginger (used in almost every recipe it seems). All of my clothes smelled like ginger when I came home from China.

The streets also smell like scooter exhaust, dust and raw meat.

I can't quite describe the emotion I felt the first time I walked past a table of uncovered raw pig feet right on the side of a busy street. It just became normal to duck past a long line of raw linked sausages while chatting it up on the way down the street. If you look out of the windows from Matt's apartment, you can see links hanging out windows in apartments across the street. It wasn't until Christmas day that I saw a sight that would disturb most Americans, but which only added to the intrigue of the country for me: raw dog meat, hanging out to dry.

It may sound crazy, but it was kind of exciting to be among a people who seem healthy enough without obsessing about silly things like germs and sanitation.

Things I Miss About China, #1: Frogger

2010-01-10T22:38:00.000-08:00

How many of you played "Frogger" back in the day?

I didn't play it very often back then, but I played it quite frequently in China. Not at an arcade. Not a vintage gaming website on the internet. But every time I crossed the street.

I know this is a common plight for pedestrians in many countries outside of the U.S., and it's certainly true of China. The cars don't brake for dogs, adults, children, scooters, other cars or very large busses. Really, buildings are the only things that are safe. They drive inches away from each other and yet manage to avoid wrecking. It's truly astounding. When crossing a major intersection, you have to take it one lane at a time and just hang out in between the lanes while you wait for your opportunity to cross the next lane, maybe two if you're lucky.

It was exhilarating.

fancy-pants dinners & karaoke

2010-01-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

The week leading up to Christmas was quite full with all kinds of singing and schmoozing. On Tuesday the foreign language department teachers and staff (plus me) were taken out to dinner by Chairman Zhang, the president of the school. It was significant because Zhang is so happy and chummy all of the time. I can't help but smile any time I think of him. It was also significant because the food was very good and very different than I'd ever had before.

Two dishes really stand out: the baby shrimp and corn dish, which were fried (I think). Does it make me a sinner for really loving fried baby shrimp?

Next was what can only be described as crunchy corn & apple pizza with sprinkles on top. Absolutely delicious. And bizarre. But mostly delicious... until it got lukewarm. Lukewarm corn isn't any good, even with sprinkles on top.

After dinner we bundled up and headed out to the local KTV. KTVs are very popular in China. Essentially they are karaoke joints. But erase all your ideas of American karaoke bars and exchange it for cozy rooms with mirrors on the ceiling and waiters who bring tables of snacks while you and your group of 10-15 friends sing to your heart's content. Everyone joins in, even the people who seem very shy. And people don't need alcohol to really get going either. Matt & I sang a couple of duets, including the illustrious "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." I think I need to start a KTV revolution here in the states. So much better than bowling (and I love bowling)!

The next night was an even fancier shin-dig at Xiaogan Hotel where all of the foreigners in town were invited to a big dinner reception to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with the mayor and several other city officials. There were about 50 foreigners present and around 75 people there total. Matt was asked to give a speech (about 4 minutes long) about living in Xiaogan. He was the only foreigner to give a speech. The mayor loved his speech so much, that Matt's name and part of his speech made it into the local paper the next day.

Following the speeches was a dinner of more courses than I can remember. And finally, the entertainment. Some of it planned, some of it on the spot. The mayor, who seemed to be a very happy fellow, attempted to sing a Russian song with a Russian lady acapella. Afterwards Matt & I performed our rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", which was received so well that the mayor himself requested an encore of "My Heart Will Go On". This is a favorite in China, so Matt has sung it a lot already this year. I, however, had never fulfilled my eighth grade dream to sing this Titanic hit to a crowd of strangers - a dream that lost it's luster somewhere around eleventh grade, but no matter, here was my chance! So we grinned and did our best to remember all of the words as some foreigners rolled their eyes, others cheered, waved their arms in the air and took pictures, and the mayor sung along from the front row.

A dream come true.

Christmas day was filled with bliss, too. Matt cooked up a brilliant breakfast (I helped) of pancakes, maple syrup (from scratch), applesauce (also from scratch), scrambled eggs and French pressed coffee. Mmm. We spent the day with the other foreign teachers, exchanged gifts and had an incredibly memorable Christmas dance party at Karen & Jeff's apartment (they are both foreign language teachers from Cameroon - they have an adorable five-month old boy). And as Matt & I strolled back from dinner and dancing, we got to watch fireworks going off just a few streets away from us.

on returning

2009-12-31T10:55:00.001-08:00

Well, I've returned home from the East, although it doesn't feel much like home with the Shires in Wisconsin and my heart in China. What a trip! I felt very relaxed and peaceful while I was there, but the time was so full that I haven't had time to process everything yet. It felt so natural to be there. All of Matt's students and colleagues welcomed me as if I was a long lost friend (or celebrity in the case of some of the students). I think it's safe to say that this has been the most special and memorable December of my life. As long as the flights were and as frustrating as the security trying to re-enter America was and as heartrending as it was to say goodbye to Matt again, I would happily do it all over again. Many times.

I crossed the Pacific, reunited with Matt, explored Xiaogan, learned to talk a bit slower so the Chinese students (and leaders) could understand me, met all of Matt's students and colleagues, introduced Matt's roommate, Will (from Cameroon), to A Charlie Brown Christmas, learned how to use chopsticks, began to appreciate drinking hot water, became adjusted to the lack of heaters everywhere, rode an overnight train for the first time, saw all of the sights in Beijing, saw my second of the Seven Wonders of the World (the first was the Colosseum, which I didn't actually visit, just drove past, so it doesn't really count), watched LOTR, dodged traffic, squatty-pottied, learned how to make applesauce, laughed really hard a lot, schmoozed with the Chairman of the college and the mayor of Xiaogan, sang karaoke, experienced a Cameroon style Christmas dinner party, took taxis, climbed six flights of stairs at least two times a day, watched Matt in action teaching his classes, sang in front of many students and leaders of Xiaogan, slid down an enormous Alpine slide, fell in love with tangcu liji (糖醋鸡 - sweet & sour chicken), ate a lot of rice and noodles, gained a (small) appreciation for eggplant, traversed a dark and dusty attic multiple times daily, got used to being stared at and having pictures taken of me by strangers wherever I went, sent a heart-shaped Chinese lantern into the night sky with Matt and his students from the roof of his apartment, celebrated New Year's Eve (observed), stood under the mistletoe, learned several Chinese phrases, listened to fireworks everyday, and so much more.

Stay tuned for the promised blog on fancy-pants dinners and karaoke, as well as a few other thoughts. For pictures of the trip, check out my facebook in the days to come as I've run out of picture space on this blog.

Beijing

2009-12-22T06:12:00.001-08:00

Last Thursday night Matt & I boarded a high-speed overnight train to Beijing. We had "hard sleeper" tickets - which basically means a not very soft bed. We were the two bottom bunks in a room with six beds (stacked three high). It was actually fairly cozy and I slept almost the entire way there, lulled into sleep by the rocking train. Nine and a half hours later, at 7am, we stepped out into the freezing Beijing air to find our tour guide.

There's so much I could say about this trip, but a picture is worth a thousand words (or so they say), so I'll keep my writing short and post pictures to facebook after I've returned to the states.

Day 1 we visited:
*Starbucks!: The Forbidden City didn't open until 8:30, so we headed over to a Starbucks so we could use a non-moving bathroom that boasted Western toilets (but no toilet paper:( ) and sinks for brushing teeth and, of course, get coffee and pastries. Yum!

* Tiananmen Square: So vast! The square is enormous - because of this, the wind dominates and, let me just tell you, BRRRR!!!!! My toes and fingers, though bundled, were turned to ice moments after exiting our warm car.

* The Forbidden City: So elaborate and huge! There are 9,999.5 rooms in this city. We were frozen to the bone, and I looked like a baboushka with my scarf wrapped intricately around my head and over my nose and mouth, but it was very intriguing.

*Hutong district (with the Drum & Bell Towers): I LOVED this area!! So quaint and cozy (if it wasn't so ^*@$!#% cold). We rode in a rickshaw and then wandering the streets and popped into a few shops to look and buy chocolate (yum).

*Silk factory: Okay, so we went to two of these. It was definitely more interesting the first time.

Day 2 we visited:
*The Great Wall: Ugh!! Ridiculous. I don't know how to describe what it's like to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World, which is also the only remaining Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. None of my pictures capture the scope sufficiently. It also boasted the most ridiculously lengthed alpine slide ever.

*Jade factory: Apparently the Chinese tradition was for a man to give his bride a jade bracelet for a wedding present (she gave him a necklace with jade on it). These are your typical looking thick round bangles (bracelets) that little girls wear in America. When the salesman doing the demonstration wanted to put one on my wrist, I laughed at him and said "You'll need a much bigger bracelet - pull out the biggest one right now - I have big hands, even for an American woman." He didn't believe me and tried the biggest one in his case and then looked at me with incredulous eyes and frantically called his assistant to search for the biggest bangle in the room. They did find one that fit, which I didn't buy due to it's 2,000 dollar (yes, in U.S.) price.

*Ming Tomb: So fun. Sunday & Friday Matt & I had a private tour with a lovely young Chinese woman named Lucy, but today (Saturday) we were on a group tour. There were only six of us in the tour: Matt & I (Americans), George & Charles (recent high school graduates from South Africa - Charles is Chinese, but has grown up in South Africa) and another couple, Paulric (Irish, teaches English in Korea) and Morgy (his Mongolian girlfriend). By the time we got to the tomb, we were all in a great mood from the fantastic all-you-can-eat meal we had at the Jade factory (and eat-all-we-could we did!). We laughed almost the entire time at the tomb. Our lovely tour guide, Erin, kept telling jokes in a very dry tone and before we had time to realize she was joking, she would say, "I'm just kidding." Man, humor really is all about the timing. :)

*Silk factory #2: Luckily they had a coffee shop here, so Matt and I enjoyed espresso.

*Kung Fu show: Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. I got so many ideas for the next play I do - especially if it's a musical. They used fabric and lighting and fog machines and bubble machines like I've never seen before. Very tasteful, but fittingly extravagant. The acrobatics and kung fu in this play were simply out of this world. Matt & I were both utterly awed.

Day 3 we visited:
*The Temple of Heaven: I absolutely fell in love with this place. It was gorgeous and very peaceful and simply packed with Chinese people spending their Sunday morning playing cards and dancing and hackey-sacking and singing into microphones and playing accordions and practicing calligraphy with water on the cold stone pathways, etc. I wanted to join in all of the festivities.

*Summer Palace: It's had to say if I loved this more or the same as the Temple of Heaven. It was breath-taking. The Palace sits right by a lake, which is currently frozen, so there were people walking across it (of course we went out on the water and took pictures). There were also many wintery Willow trees (my favorite tree) and this long winding path with trees that follows the edge of the lake. So picturesque.

*Dr. Tea (a tea house): Such fun. We had a demonstration where we tried four different teas and then actually purchased some of their tea (it was so good! and I'm normally not a tea drinker).

*Pearl Market: for shopping galore, barter-style! We were very grateful for Lucy here because she didn't let anyone rip us off, I'm positive we got much better deals than we would have without her.

Then we headed to the train station, had McDonalds and got on our train back "home" to Xiaogan.
Stayed tuned for stories about fancy-pants dinners and karaoke in Xiaogan...

a shorter tale of Chinese intrigues

2009-12-21T14:36:00.000-08:00

Four more quick thoughts on my experience here in China:

1. Loogies. If you talk a walk through a city in China, it probably won't take too long before you'll hear, incredibly close behind you, the distinct sounds of someone loudly and proudly hocking a big fat loogie. No shame. Typically this is an older Chinese man or woman, not those of younger generations. They'll hock a loogie on the street corner right next to you and then wait patiently and unabashedly for the light to change so they can cross the street. As I walked through the serene paths that wind around the Temple of Heaven yesterday, I found myself watching my step closely, as I would do if I were walking through the grass of a dog park, careful not to step in anything too disturbing.

2. Door flaps. You know those big, thick plastic door flaps that hang in front of big freezers in a store? Kind of like giant flat plastic fringe? This seems to be the norm in many stores and restaurants in China. Instead of doors or as an added measure against the cold with a door. I'm not a huge fan of this. It may be novel (certainly it is), but I'm not a huge fan of getting slapped around by big, dirty, heavy plastic flaps every time I want to step into a store from out of the cold.

3. Train squattys. I already mentioned the joy of the squatty potty, and however wonderful it may be on it's own, that sentiment is greatly increased when I need to use one on a high-speed train. Matt & I took a high-speed train into Beijing for the weekend (stories to come) and the toilets were definitely not in the traditional Western style, but on a nine and a half hour trip, one must go whether they desire to or not. So I did. But trains sway when they move. And they sway a lot when they travel extra fast. And my body moves against the trains motion, while the squatty moves with the train. It was almost like playing a video game, trying to keep everything as clean as possible while dealing with uncontrollable motion. I succeeded, but not without a considerable amount of steeling my soul first.

4. Reese Witherspoon. No, I did not see her in Beijing. However, our lovely tour guide, Lucy, after spending the morning at Tianamen Square and the Forbidden City with Matt & I, took us to lunch. While we were there, she kept staring at me. This is not uncommon, so I've begun to get used to it. Eventually she told me that I reminded her of a Hollywood star. I was all ready to hear Drew Barrymore as my face' sake. But she began to describe the plot line of Legally Blonde and I realized she thought I looked like none other than Reese Witherspoon. This is a new one for me. Flattering. However, please please please somebody slap me silly if you ever catch me wearing pink from head to toe while toting a tiny dog in a matching outfit. I also had a silk factory saleswoman inform me that I have "charming big eyes." Sweet.

more thoughts on being in China

2009-12-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to more "Intriguing Cultural Ponderings with Joann."
Today we will be discussing many things that pique my musings.

*Warning: this post is neither short nor well-organized. Tough luck.
Here we go...

1. Americans are very frugal with their physical affection. Those of you who have traveled abroad know that it is a common thing to see friends and neighbors walking around with arms linked and hands held. China is no different. It is quite usual to see two people sharing a scooter or umbrella. It doesn't matter their gender or age or length of time they've known each other. These people are cozy. A few nights ago I was at a gathering with the foreign language teachers and some of the students, a Chinese student was introduced to me, Sherie. She sat down next to me and offered her hand. I took it, expected a hand shake or gentle squeeze, but she simply held onto it with both of her hands, sitting there smiling at me for a good five minutes. I also had a student walk out of one of Matt's classes with me - I was holding Matt's hand on my left, and she had her hand tucked into my right arm. Very cozy.

2. Noodles for breakfast. This is common. Think "Elf", but without the syrup and marshmallows and chocolate poptarts. Replace those with spicy sauces and ginger herbs. I did not know this was a common breakfast food until my second morning here when my lovely roommate, Ann (an English teacher from the Philippines), brought me a cup of noodles with peanut sauce and corn from a street vendor. I thanked her, but was very confused about why she brought me a savory lunch or dinner dish at 10am. When Matt arrived a few minutes later I explained the situation with a quizzical brow, and he explained how they do breakfast here. I was grateful, but they still didn't sound very good while I was in the middle of drinking my Maxwell House instant coffee (yes, that's right - 400,000 people and no Starbucks - incidentally, the instant coffee isn't all that bad - as long as it isn't Foldgers).

3. Chicken is more of an afterthought in the majority of the dishes I’ve eaten here thus far. I’m used to Panda Express or even sit-down Chinese restaurants where there’s meat and rice (or chow mein) aplenty. But when ordering the Kung Pow Chicken dish here, it’s more of a treasure hunt to locate chicken in the towering chunks of cucumber. This is not a complaint – just an observation.
*Note: I previously mentioned hot dogs in the Kung Pow Chicken here. This is true, but not at every restaurant. The place Matt normally goes refrains from hot dog indulgence.

4. I am happy to say that I am well on my way to mastering the art of chopsticks. I failed miserably at chopstick usage when in Singapore, so I was a bit worried for myself here where Western utensils are not readily found when eating out. Now that I am confident I can get some food to my mouth, I enjoying the process so much that I may start using them when eating Chinese food in America.

5. Hands down the most common reaction I get when people meet me is some variation of: "You are so beautiful." Sometimes they tell Matt instead of me. I heard about this phenomena from Matt (he gets “handsome” a lot), but was unprepared for the frequency of this sentiment. They are so open with their compliments. I was definitely taken aback the first few times people said “She is so beautiful” instead of “Hello. Nice to meet you.” The Chinese people love white skin. The whiter the better. In that regard, I am definitely gorgeous with my Scandinavian, indoor-loving skin. Sometimes they also mean that they love my clothes. They give this type of compliment to nearly every American foreigner in their midst. When I returned the compliment to one student, she giggled profusely and scampered away with her friend – she almost looked like she was going to cry (with happiness, I should think).

6. For those unaware, I have a brother who teaches in Singapore and my mother and I went to visit him and his family a little over two years ago. I have not seen a ton of similarities between Singapore and Xiaogan, except in the apartments. They are very Singapore-esque. The floors are tile and there are big open windows on both sides of the apartment. I won’t go into details, because most of you haven’t been in either a Singaporean or a Chinese apartment. Just trust me, there is nostalgia for me when I walk through the apartments here.

7. Just like Singaporean apartments, there is little in the way of controlling the air temperature with the exception of the bedrooms. Currently it’s pretty cold here, which means it’s cold everywhere. There are space heaters in smaller bedrooms, and a nice big heater in Matt’s bedroom, but the living spaces are unheated. Brrr! Especially with tiled and cement floors. The classrooms are not heated (or air conditioned when it gets hot) either. Everyone stays pretty bundled and I have found myself wishing, for possibly the first time in my life, that I had some really thick soled shoes to compensate for the cold seeping up through the floors into my feet and upward to chill my entire body. Fortunately I love the cold much more than the heat, and I can warm up after returning from classes or walking to get food.

8. Ooh! This is fun: the shower is one with the bathroom. There is a wide-open space on the far end of the bathroom with a drain in the middle, but there is no step down and the floor isn’t noticeably sloped, nor is there a shower curtain (in my apartment). So when you take a shower, everything gets wet. Entertaining to be sure. I am very grateful for the hot water – the shower is the only place in the apartments that has hot water. I cringe every time I need to wash my hands. I will not be taking warm faucet water for granted anytime soon.

9. Not surprising to people who have traveled to Asia, squatty pottys are the norm. And you must bring your own toilet paper. Luckily the apartments that the foreigners stay in have Western toilets, still, it has been an adventure. The toilet got clogged at the apartment I’m staying in, so I had to use the hole on the floor instead. Luckily that was resolved within 24 hours. I guess it was nice in a way though; I love new experiences, but I wasn’t about to use the squatty of my own accord – I had to be forced by dire necessity.

10. Ever heard the expression “It’s always New Year’s in China”? That’s probably because it doesn’t exist – but it should! Seriously, there are ALWAYS fireworks going off. My first morning here I woke to fireworks close to the apartment at 7am on a Saturday. Apparently they use them for funerals or birthdays or anniversaries or special events or mediocre events or to scare away bad spirits or just for the fun of it. I appreciate this about the Chinese. They may be restricted in many areas that Americans are not, but they can shoot off fireworks whenever they want. Lucky. I wish I could wake up at 7am every Saturday to shoot off fireworks of weekend ecstasy.

11. At least twice a day, me and my Wesley (aka Matt) make our way through the Princess-Bride-fire-swamp-cave-attic-thing that separates his apartment from Dorothy & Ann’s (aka mine). Let’s simply say that it’s cold, dark, coated in at least a quarter inch of dust, and I’ve seen at least two bats flitting around at night. I feel like a bold adventuress with her dashing hero as we duck under thick wires and step over dusty partial walls, our way lit solely by the light of a cell phone. Fun. Creepy. Gross. Smelly. Inspiring.

12. These people are unafraid to express themselves. They gasp and giggle and shriek and exclaim at nearly every conceivable instance. I love it. It reminds me a bit of my roommates from Ranch Village Drive in Bend – except an entire country full of them and all speaking a different language (which always makes things more exciting for me). So if I come home with more expression than I left, you will all know why. It’s very contagious.

13. Forearm-water-wing-looking-things are common attire here. The girls here wear these thin raincoat material bags, with elastic on both sides, over the forearms of their coat sleeves. Many times these are decorated with Hello Kitty or animated cats. I thought they were, bizarrely, for warmth at first, but found out today that they are to keep coat sleeves clean. Many I’ll start sporting them.

14. Related to number 5, I am now the image of America in many young Chinese students phones and cameras. I often turn around to see that there are several people unabashedly pointing cameras and phones at me. So I grin and try not to blink. There are VERY few foreigners here in Xiaogan. Matt is probably the only white man in the city of 400,000 people and I am currently one of four white females here. This does not give you all permission to follow me around like paparazzi when I’ve returned.

15. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to me that the students are impressed with my pronunciation when I repeat something they say. Of course, I have no idea what I just said, but apparently I said it very well. In the past, people have said this of me when I’m repeating Spanish or French as well. I am inspired to rekindle my French language learning upon returning home. I’ve always wanted to be fluent in a second language, but I’ve never been disciplined enough to put in the work necessary. Thank you, China, for so inspiring me.

16. Two parting words: “baby pants.” They do not joke around about bundling their children here. They look like puffy stars waddling around; arms stuck straight out and legs splayed to allow room for several inches of padding around each little thigh. Incredibly adorable. The one flaw I’ve seen with this system of protecting the young from the elements, is in their pants. Think hospital gown. The pants are made completely split at the seam from the waistband to the middle of the thighs on the backside. Sure, this allows the children to squat whenever they want to relieve themselves, but it also makes for pretty cold little tushies.

If you made it this far, please leave me a comment so I can congratulate you. Maybe I’ll even set a firework off in your name.

Xiaogan, Hubei, P.R. China

2009-12-15T02:29:00.001-08:00

I have arrived!

For those of you behind the times, I am currently in China (until December 29th). For those of you REALLY behind the times, I'm here visiting my boyfriend, Matt Boswell, who is here teaching English at a university until July.

I can't update my facebook from here due to government regulated firewalls. Nor can I upload pictures. But, blast it all, I can post a word-only blog if I want to!

My main purpose in this post will be to inform my readers of some intriguing things I've witnessed and/or experienced here in China:

1. Chinese people do not mess around in crowds. They do not queue. They do not wait their turn. They do not watch where they are walking, or at least they don't care if their path is about to collide with someone else's. They will fill the 12 inch space that you left in between yourself and the baggage claim at the airport. They will not be ashamed about these things. They will not move out of your way, no matter how many suitcases you are lugging about. But they also don't seem to mind this behavior from others. While I was baffled and a touch annoyed at the man who shoved in front of me as I was trying to get on an escalator, the Chinese man right next to me couldn't care less that someone else had cut in line. It is simply normal behavior. When exiting the airplane in Beijing, and again in Wuhan, I knew that I would have to shove my way into the aisle, because no one was going to notice my pleading eyes and anxious sighs clearly indicating my desire to leave the seat I'd been sitting in for over eleven hours.

2. When ordering Kung Pow chicken at a restaurant in China, be prepared to receive it with chunks of hot dog.

3. I am not joking about number 2.

4. Everywhere you go, be it a restaurant, a speech contest or a barber shop, they will hand you tiny plastic cups filled with hot water. We're talking 3-4 ounces of water that makes the cups lose their shape and form more to your fingers. I'll confess that the idea of drinking hot, or even warm, water does not appeal to me at all. However, I will also confess that I am falling in love with a hot cup of water on a frigid December afternoon. I probably won't make a habit out of drinking said hot water in plastic cups when I return home, but I may do so out of a respectable mug.

All for now. Tune in at some later bat-time on the same bat-channel for more updates on my Chinese adventures.

kite flying weather

2009-06-01T15:39:00.004-07:00

So this is my attempt to throw a bone for some complainers and Facebook haters out there (*ahem, Danny). Posting pics will cost me money though, so only literary things will be posted here. Without further ado:

Kite Flying Weather

by Joann Renee

I forgot myself

for a moment:

wrote in cursive

peeled daisies

blew zerberts at children

glanced up at a shop

window to see

a familiar face wearing

a dazed expression and my

sunglasses. Stop.

Rewind.

This is what

people see:

amber hair

thin eyebrows

widow’s peak

laughing lips.

It’s just packaging.

How intriguing that this

case should house

me. Minutes pass:

self-awareness fades as

shards of revelation pierce

sun-freckled skin and I

self-collapse into unbroken oblivion

reviving, with a smile and

blissful silent swears,

only when light flickers:

zebra shadows crossing

the bridge separating

your state from mine.

where have i gone?

2009-05-13T19:25:00.002-07:00

Good question.

This post is in response to my dear friend Cassie's request for a new post. I ran out of free photo space on blogger and am almost out of it on flickr. My solution was to take a blogging sabbatical and re-assess my blogging desires. During my time away, I discovered that facebook works just as well, without running out of space for my photos.

In conclusion, if you'd like to catch up on my writing and photography, become my friend on facebook and you will instantly gain access through my notes and photos. I will keep this blog open and update randomly in case the time and urge for blogging coincide again at some point in the future and I come back to reclaim my Blogging Queen title. For now, I pass the title officially forward to my sister, Beth, for safe keeping.

photograph

2009-02-19T18:42:00.000-08:00

Photograph
by Joann Renee

here gone
in out
tangible memory
sun shade
you me

darkness illuminates most
if not all
nows—the elusive yes
I exist
the present is not
lost fiction

too fast
too often
with no recognition
I’m gone

another breath
another baby cries
another angel gets it’s wings
and another me appears
with a similar song

me you
shade sun
memory tangible
out in
gone here

lock-et

2009-02-06T14:18:00.001-08:00

I stand by this title, though I can feel a surge of confusion and dis-like coming at me for it's non-conforming attitude.

Lock-et
by Joann Renee

like a clasp
love
let go

simple
easy
reset the trigger

well-oiled hinges
restore sighs
struggling

fingers grasp
lock it
release

time goes
unwieldy
cumbersome

is it callous
or practice
that brings ease

gliding so
smoothly transitioning
my heart

open close open
creating vacancies
wordlessly

turning rooms over
when it’s occupant clears
out too soon

earl grey

2009-01-28T14:54:00.002-08:00

I recently watched a movie that inspired this - well, I'd already begun it and then lost inspiration, but the movie sent me back and made me finish it. Pushy movie!

Earl Grey
by Joann Renee

fog makes me feel more
at ease with my own lack
of clarity
the city commiserates
blanketed in a deep hush
a reprieve from nagging
doubts and fruitless searches
for answers comforted
by the knowledge that nothing
can be solved tonight
I’ll bask in whatever
comfort you afford
I don’t want to see
what light will rob me of
if it’s true
ignorance is bliss
then this grey
fog is rapturous

boxer short design inspiration

2009-01-28T14:28:00.004-08:00

I wrote half of this poem and then changed gears and title to complete it. I like it, but will probably tweak it a bit more before I consider it complete.

Boxer Short Design Inspiration
by Joann Renee

they grow, morph
and fade shifting
like silhouettes playing
across the summer ceiling
over my bed at dusk
i am solid, impermeable
and still provoked
like a tomb to escape motion,
petrified over time as activity lost
purpose, reason
and appeal wondering,
as old women discuss circumcision and college
students disregard rules disturbing
the peace with cameras,
whether it’s wisdom
or foolishness to remain
stationary in a fleeting world

ps - I blurred Mr. David, not because I am offended by classic art, but for those who regularly check my blog and weren't braced for Biblical nudity before scrolling down.

i'm still here!

2009-01-24T11:59:00.003-08:00

I have many photos and stories to share...mainly of the Narnian persuasion...but it will have to wait for a skotch longer. If you really want to know what I've been so occupied with...go to CYT's website and get tickets to come see Narnia (yes! it's open! and running 'til February 1st!). And so I leave you with this picture from last night's Opening Night Party...pictured with me are Liza Hooper (Dog) and Tessa Pauls (Satyr), both fabulous.

sitting circle

2009-01-10T11:00:00.000-08:00

This needs little explanation. So I'll just get on with it then...
I've slightly adjusted this poem, the title & beginning of the last stanza, to change the emphasis from cuddling with a cute toddler to connecting with others - which was my intention initially, but it didn't come out that way with the first draft.

Sitting Circle
by Joann Renee

unaware of pressing
engagements and snowballing
to-dos
he climbs
settling in without words
waiting for, well,
who knows?

resisting the urge to dump
the new contents of my lap
I use the impulse to clear
my mind, pushing out from the center
creating a perimeter
of busy nothings unseated
while he remains

hounds kept at bay howl
dulled by the unintentional force field
working his magic
from the throne of my lap
stay with me, Donny
protect me from the rush
from too much

is this how God keeps
perspective? people
climbing constantly
into His cosmic lap,
no lapse between occupants—
it’s not practical but perhaps
that’s precisely the point

like a global trust building exercise
you climb and I’ll climb—
a circle of lap-sitters
losing details
gaining moments
reminding each other
of each other

narnia

2009-01-08T21:19:00.002-08:00

It's coming up! Mark your calendars...visit the website for details and tickets. Tomorrow night is our first act one run through and next Saturday we'll be tacking on the second act just in time to move into the theatre the day after. The fabulous Jon Jacquet fixed up a drab photo of the Pevensie's that I took and turned it into the beautiful poster that is being spread across the greater Portland metro area. Jon also designed the script that's on the official posters (not pictured below, but visible on the website mentioned above).

something’s been stealing eight pound squash from the garden

2009-01-08T21:05:00.003-08:00

For the sake of the public, I am post this. About a week ago I posted two poems almost simultaneously on facebook. The one I loved received zero comments and the one I found silly got rave reviews. Many of my faithful blog followers/family have already read and commented, but here it is for the rest of you to enjoy. It just goes to show that an artist often has a quite different view of their work than does the rest of the world. Clearly the rest of the world is wrong. :)

Something’s Been Stealing Eight Pound Squash From the Garden
by Joann Renee

New Year’s Eve
Where did you go?
The dog’s barking
Again

Porch light flashes
Flooding clarity
Across the snow-laden field

There abandoned
Like twin beacons
Side by side
Whispering consolation
Two eight pound squash

Icy ground rejects
Footprints
And the culprit escapes
Again

It can’t last, though
Bear or Coyote

Next time I’ll be ready
Over-Sized Beaver or Mischievous Neighbor

You’ll slip up—leave a clue
Sasquatch or Martian

Your days of Curcurbita Maxima
Collecting are numbered

nested, like russian dolls

2009-01-02T12:40:00.000-08:00

Nested, Like Russian Dolls
by Joann Renee

behavior echoes
deeper healing
deeper haunting
imploding ripples

the choice to ask him
to confess
to believe
spiraling backward

where desperation huddles
for value
for comfort
pursuing belonging

tainted motivations
make seeing muddled
dirty nails digging
for buried roots nested
like Russian Dolls
deep below the surface

God bless us, everyone!

2008-12-25T20:38:00.004-08:00

Here's a plateful of Christmas bliss for everyone...

Donny looks like he's about to be nabbed by the umbrella.

This is right before he punched me in the eye on his way to leap off of the car on which he was perched (into Grandma's arms...no snow angels...sorry).

Christmas smooches

I had a lot of fun taking pictures through the window. Fun reflections.

joann's remedy for cabin fever

2008-12-25T19:57:00.003-08:00

On day three of my confinement to the Shire residence, a CYT friend came over to get out of her house for awhile and we staged an impromptu photo shoot to the amusement of neighborhood children and their pets. Here's a sampling of our fun (by the way, when I wasn't behind the camera, Michelle was- and she did fabulously).

mark you calendars! narnia approaches...

2008-12-24T10:07:00.002-08:00

I am exceedingly happy to inform you that rehearsals have begun for the long awaited Narnia. I'm sure most of you have heard me, at some point, raving about the fact that I get to direct Narnia (the musical) with CYT this Winter. Well, the time is now! So go to the CYT website when you are ready to purchase tickets. We open January 23rd in Gresham at Barlow High School and run for two weekends. Don't worry, I'll be posting more on this as time goes on. This is merely the first heads-up.

Some pictures from our first rehearsal where we worked on "Deep Magic"...here are the Pevensies and the White Witch.

Aslan sorrowing for the Cruelies

Mr. & Mrs. Beaver look on, while the trees (who will be doing a bit o' tap dancing during the show) strike a pose...

post-show ennui

2008-12-22T22:13:00.003-08:00

I wrote this over a month ago, after my students performed so beautifully for Showcase (the quickest version of the third act of The Importance of Being Earnest ever!). As soon as they were done, I had this rush of emotions that I hadn't felt in years...since my last thoroughly satisfying moment on stage (or behind the scenes of something on stage). There's nothing quite like the hole in your gut after something you worked so hard on exceeds expectations and is over and done with.

Post-Show Ennui
by Joann Renee

it’s that old familiar feeling
utter satisfaction
perfect bliss
and thorough loss
so perfectly balanced
separation is imperceptible
gloriously painful
and excruciatingly brief
the bubble sits between
sternum and spine
swelling to burst
that must be why it hurts
to breathe—
trying not to crush this moment

the reason movie night died

2008-12-22T22:02:00.003-08:00

I'm so frustrated that I don't know how to indent on blogger. Argh! Anyone know html enough to help me out? Just know that "the," "pop-" and "corn" are all suppose to be indented, like stairsteps, so please see it that way in your heads while reading. Thank you kindly.

The Reason Movie Night Died
by Joann Renee

Oh, the subtext in this room!
Deafening.
Words are cumbersome
Muted by the atmosphere
Tangled in an intricate labyrinth of past,
Present and future romances
They lumber forth
In exaggerated slow motion

Pass
the
pop-
corn.

Caught in the tension
I prefer being the silent
Observer. Normally I would
Enjoy the angsty mess
But someone’s attached
Their web to my independent strand
And I’m horrified to find
My thread pulsing
Through this knotted weave.

arctic blast '08

2008-12-21T21:37:00.003-08:00

Ah...the memories it brings of Winter Storm 2004 (I want to know who gets to pick the official titles of these stormy seasons). In 2004 I was a Junior at George Fox, stuck at my mini-apartment next to Bauman. Campus was emptied. Roommates gone home. My poor little '85 Beamer was covered in a thick, impenetrable sheet of ice for a whole week. Much walking to cheap Chinese restaurants with the McGrew guys. John whining about falling on the ice. The rest of us sniggering behind our hands. Me sliding down some concrete steps on my bum. *sigh* I wonder what I will remember of Arctic Blast '08 besides it's interuption in my already tight Narnia audition/ call back/ rehearsal schedule?

Here are some scenic photos to document the times:

narnia "rehearsal number two"

2008-12-21T21:07:00.003-08:00

Due to absurd amounts of snow overnight and predictions that it would NEVER stop, we had to cancel our second Narnia rehearsal. So sad. I was really looking forward to it. However, I decided it wasn't a total bust and that I hadn't lived in snowy Bend for nothing. I put my high desert snow-driving skills to use and met up with my artistic team that doesn't live in Portland (we missed you, Tracy!) for a day of red-umbrella'ed fun downtown Vancouver.

See! There we are frolicing! (that's Chris, my assistant director/stunt choreographer and Jenna, my regular-type choreographer...Tracy, our music director, was stuck in the Gresham area).

Larry (CYT's last Professor Digory Kirke) and Creepy Statue Man joined in the festivities.

This was the runner-up blog header photo.

Lucy & Mr. Tumnus? The heel-clickin' leap...

High School Musical leapers...

it's the shires!

2008-12-21T18:45:00.003-08:00

We took advantage of the Winter Wonderland to document, simultaneously, Arctic Blast '08 and the ever-growing Shire family.

Donny was obsessed with licking his zipper. Very funny...I had some fun with the following picture:

And last, but certainly not least...

contained

2008-12-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

Contained
by Joann Renee

you see
how it escalades:
if they see
my pain,
it causes
them pain—
doubling my grief

it’s simpler
contained—
the fire still rages,
but on my terms,
my turf—
no one else loses
a home

there’s always despair

but it has constant company
in faith—
seamlessly coexisting

seven brides for seven brothers, cyt-style

2008-12-15T16:10:00.003-08:00

This is for you fellow Seven Brides for Seven Brothers lovers. Also, mark your calendars now: NARNIA!! (the musical, of course). Auditions are tomorrow for the CYT version I'll be directing out in the Gresham area (conveniently located just on the other side of the Mt. Hood pass for you Bendites). Opening night is January 23rd and runs for two weekends. More to come on that later.

Back to Seven Brides. I tried to narrow down my favorites. This is the best I could do.

Milly & Adam on their wedding night - after she's discovered he has six wild backwoodsmen brothers who live with him.

The Pontipee brothers meet Milly for the first time.

Milly's vittles are so good you have to jump over the table to get a good seat.

Teaching the boys how to go cotin'...

...and dancin'

Alice meets Gideon

The social dance...before everything gets "all busted-up"

I love this shot from "Goin' Cotin'"...Milly and the Oompa Loompas

Fingernail check before heading to the social

Benjamin kidnapping Dorcas

"They say when you marry in June..."

leland family photos

2008-12-15T16:00:00.004-08:00

A couple of weeks ago the family that won my auction from the CYT fundraiser for a photo package, redeemed their prize and we went downtown the day after Thanksgiving. We had fun and here are some of my favorites:

further up!

2008-12-15T15:42:00.001-08:00

I don't really like the title. Well, I kind of do. I love the reference to C.S. Lewis's "The Last Battle," however I'm not sure it quite suits the poem. Any alternate suggestions? Also, I'm debating with the dash between "pent" and "up" in the last line...is it suppose to be there?

Further Up!
by Joann Renee

There’s a hermit locked
Behind a ribbed cage
Seeking seclusion
Further in!
He swoons
With details
Of characters and places
Further in!
Reality crushes around
Crowding creativity
Further in!
Under cover
Of clouds
Eyes closed
Face wet
He sighs
Finally freeing
Uniformity’s captives
Further in!
Leafy green solace
Releasing pent-up brilliance

for contrary's sake

2008-12-09T15:30:00.002-08:00

This is still rough. I've been wanting to write this for over three months. I got the idea and the title all thought out, and then waited for a moment of perfect peace to pen it satisfactorily. That magical time never appeared, so I did what I could, but I'm not satisfied. Perhaps a revision will occur later on, but I couldn't neglect the idea any longer.

For Contrary’s Sake
by Joann Renee

we long
to fit,
to belong

we want
to be unique,
to stand out

we are unpredictable,
bowing to each
competing impulse
without warning—
completely dependant on which need
or insecurity
is currently most demanding

being a middle child,
the belonging
has always been strong

perhaps that’s why
the drive to forge down
less-traveled roads
is so dominant

causing a reflexive dislike
of strawberries and watermelon,
a penchant for whimsically embracing
anything sci fi,
and an unconditional,
irrevocable love of all
things cloudy—

invoking a backwards
seasonal depression,
where the mere dimple
of a sunbeam
is enough reason
to groan and pull
the covers securely over
disappointed eyes.

twilight

2008-12-09T15:21:00.003-08:00

No, this isn't about the deservedly popular Saga - at least not intentionally. I just found myself holding my breath for as long as I could, quick gasp of air, then wait again, etc. All the while thinking, "I don't want to move forward or backward, I just want to be here. Frozen in time." Of course after a while I started to get light-headed and was forced to process this emotion in a more practical manner: with my pen.

twilight
by joann renee

utterly lost
in the present
don’t leer
to the past
nor direct questions
to the future
i’m happy here
on the other side
of double-sided glass
peering, not at,
but through
myself
so please don’t remind
me of periphery
i’m holding
my breath
staring unseeing
past the clock
wishing it would take
it’s cue from my silent
too-necessary gasps
instead of from that greater
too-consistent force

i'm back

2008-12-09T15:16:00.003-08:00

It seems no matter how busy or overwhelmed I feel/am, I can't refrain from posting for too long. Two weeks was plenty. So now, not to make up for lost time, but to free up a bit of space in my brain, I'll throw a few new posts out there.

beniah mark whittaker

2008-11-23T23:10:00.003-08:00

Last Saturday, November 15th, nephew number four was born to my little bro, Tim(my) and my sis-in-law, Heather. He nearly 9 and a half pounds and cute as can be. Beth and I, along with Jack and Katie, went down to Corvallis to say hello on Monday. Now you can see for yourselves just how beautiful he is...

the twist family- christmas 2008

2008-11-23T22:57:00.003-08:00

Here's a smattering of pictures from the Twist family photo shoot last week...

david cook

2008-11-23T22:43:00.002-08:00

Last year was the first time I watched American Idol, and I was rewarded with many lovely musicians, namely Michael Johns, Carly Smithson & David Cook. David Cook won (for those of you who are completely out-of-the-loop). His new album came out this Tuesday (which is fabulous, by the way), and I thought I'd celebrate by sharing this collage from when me and the Michelles went to see the American Idol Tour in Portland this summer (yes, I am that cool).

You'll see in the first, his befuddled/amused expression as I asked him to sign my headband. Then his determined expression as he let me know that this was a first (no had asked him to sign a headband before). The last is a close-up of said signature. Enjoy (I did).

mini-free-write

2008-11-23T22:38:00.003-08:00

So this is a bit silly or depressing (or both, why not?), but we had a short free-write exercise in class Wednesday night that I thought I'd share.

wistful
by joann renee

a happy melancholy
like Sense and Sensibility
on a rainy afternoon
when everything you think
comes out poetry

baby baby baby baby
me
baby baby

the welcome mat

2008-11-23T22:30:00.002-08:00

It's not every day you get to come home to McDreamy (aka Patrick Dempsey) waiting for you on the doorstep. But, lucky me, last Thursday, my dream came true...

blog barrage...

2008-11-23T19:44:00.002-08:00

...coming your way.
(just thought i'd warn you)

algy ate all the muffins

2008-11-16T17:21:00.003-08:00

On Thursday night, my advanced acting class, Scene Study, got to finish off the night at Showcase with their 9 minute version of the third act of The Importance of Being Earnest. I'm so proud of the seven of them! Such an awesome job. I miss 'em already.

acting up showcase

2008-11-16T09:00:00.002-08:00

On Tuesday night, after ten weeks of improv and learning the 3 P's of voice and much shenanigans and rehearsals, my Acting Up class presented their 8 minute Showcase piece. There were 16 students total, and they were each in a two-person scene. For those of you who didn't already do the math, that means there were a total of eight scenes and a small finale. It was so much fun and they all grew so much over the course of ten-weeks. I'm very proud of them.

leaves!

2008-11-11T21:57:00.002-08:00

A couple of Saturdays back Kim, Andy, Donny & I headed out to Beaverton for a long awaited reunion with some way old family friends. Their backyard was fabulously Autumny. The epitome of the perfect Fall backyard, with the weather playing it's part by blowing colored leaves on our heads from the trees above. Donny enjoyed these new toys.

whimsically swinging

2008-11-11T21:30:00.002-08:00

My lovely sister, Beth, found this jewelry artist on etsy awhile back, and I fell head-over-heels in love with this swingin' necklace. When I wear it I get comments of, "That's an...interesting necklace." With a smattering of, "I love your necklace." But I don't care, I love her. She makes me feel swingy too.

washington resident

2008-11-10T15:19:00.002-08:00

It's like coming home. Sort of. I was born late in September of 1982 all the way up in northern Washington (Acme, WA)...just a half an hour or so shy of the Canadian border. I only lived there until I was two and a half, when we moved to Oregon where I've been ever since. But there's something so right about being back in my birth state. The Evergreen State. I love it.

With some help from my dad, I even have my Washington plates now to match my WA license and WA food handler card. Here's a bit of proof for all of you still in denial about my move (with details sufficiently smudged for all you stalkers out there;) :

dress-up

2008-11-01T15:55:00.003-07:00

From the dawn of time, older sisters have gone through at least a short season of playing dress up on their younger siblings...all the better if those younger siblings are boys and the cherry on top is if they can even convince older siblings to join in the bliss of becoming someone else. I was no exception to this rule, as you'll see below:

Those are my two brothers. And yes, Timmy (the youngest) is wearing half of a big rubber ball as a hat. Danny must've thought that one costume was good enough as he wasn't included in the following:

That outfit of Timmy's was truly my masterpiece. Hard to believe he's going to be having a baby with his wife any day now. (I'd also like to mention that these clothes were our oldest sister, Kim's, that she kept in a special box for dress-up occasions--she had to have a lot of costumes as she had four younger siblings, I only have one younger).

The other night these older sister tendencies were once again put into use as Donny came to hang out in my room as I was putting away laundry. His dad wasn't too pleased (although he did laugh considerably at these pictures). And his mom was very pleased that he still definitely looks like a boy, though he's wearing his Auntie Jo's clothing.

autumn on twenty-third

2008-10-31T14:26:00.003-07:00

Nico & I spent some of last Saturday enjoying the beautiful Autumn day on 23rd in Portland.

We also stopped by Coffee Time on 21st...I highly recommend them for their excellent coffee and creativity.

Walking back to our cars after a bit of Urban Outfitters, I found something written in the ground...and when we obliged, we found a beautiful leafy tree smiling down at us.

worst autumn ever predicted

2008-10-26T20:53:00.002-07:00

*thanks to Mark Mahaffey for giving me a head's up about this severely moderate weather coming our way*

i've been wanting to...

2008-10-22T22:59:00.002-07:00

discuss the "golden rule"
mention my thoughts on superfluous elevator buttons
bore you with how "The Freedom Writers" impacted me
scare you with "Crash"
rave some more about Donny, that irresistible little time-sucker
share some interesting facts I learned about the brain this week
put up pictures from the American Idol concert I went to in July
explain etsy and my new girl-on-a-swing necklace
gush about the CYT Showcases coming up
prep you for Narnia (the musical) show times coming up in January so that you could all come
differentiate between being a Washington and Oregon resident
show you my new-ish WA driver's license
rant about how coffee, cafe and mocha should never, EVER be spelled with a "k"
...but that I found a coffee shop (with my friend, Andy) in Vancouver that has ridiculously amazing coffee and vibe- though it breaks the dreadful "k" rule
get some U.S. Postal Service annoyances off my chest
tell you why I get inspired to write poetry or solve problems while driving and getting ready for my day
laud my stalker slash co-conspirator for the WEGE
write a humorous dirge for the things in Bend that I have no time to miss
elaborate on my incredible uncomfortable-ness with competition of any kind and my defense mechanism of corny humor when I'm stuck without an escape route in these situations
etc.

However, I'm very sleepy now. I'll try to hit some of these later. (Please vote on the top topics you'd like me to blog about later on when I've caught up on sleep and brain functionality)

pontification

2008-10-13T20:15:00.003-07:00

...and now a gift from this citizen for you citizens.

textures

2008-10-13T20:11:00.002-07:00

I loved this picture so much, I gave it it's own post.
Fly free, Seattle Tower! Fly free!

my favorite city in america

2008-10-13T19:55:00.004-07:00

(granted, I've never been to New York, Boston or Chicago, and I have an inkling I'd really appreciate those too)

As mentioned in the post below (note: if you haven't looked at it yet, go ahead and scroll down...it won't hurt, I promise...then you can scroll back up...), I spent last weekend in Seattle. On Saturday I got to frolick and pontificate with my friend, Caleb. We went to Fox together. He lives up there now, so we met up downtown and spent the day at Pike Place (not my birthplace, despite the opinions of some crazed Starbucks customers), Pike Pub and ferry-riding to Bainbridge Island. Great fun. Three cheers.

queen anne

2008-10-13T19:09:00.002-07:00

Last weekend I went to Seattle to hang out with some college and Bend friends (okay, it was one college friend and one Bend friend...though I tried to make it two friends (we missed you, Michelle!)). On Sunday I hung out with Tara at Queen Anne's hill area, near SPU, where I helped her discover some sweet homework/coffee spots. We also found a fun bookstore (where we both bought books that we know we won't get around to reading until our next break from classes). And topped off the trip with bagels at Noah's...where I fell head-over-heels in love with the pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese (I refuse to say "schmear"...dang-it!).

Before that, though, we stopped for an impromtu photo shoot in front of this really cool church. We each kept secretly hoping that the doors would pop open and parishioners flood out into the cold October sun while the other person was being photographed. Neither of us saw our dream realized. But we had fun, nonetheless. Here are a few of my favorites.

kirk and janna weatherby

2008-10-11T09:35:00.004-07:00

During the winter of 2006/07, two years ago, I was conned into trying snowboarding for the first time. The only reasons I agreed to go was to hang out with the 180 kids (the high school youth group I volunteered at in Bend for 2 1/2 years), drink hot chocolate in the lodge and because my three-time X-game gold medalist female snowboarder friend, Janna, promised to help me.

Janna & I got there a bit early and she helped me rent the correct equipment. As we were walking towards the beginners hill, Janna suddenly stopped and whispered, "Oh crap!" - or something to that effect, I can't remember exactly. I looked where she was looking, and saw a tall guy heading our direction. Janna introduced him as Kirk. He started catching up with her. It seemed they used to know one another, but he'd been in "the valley" for awhile. They started talking about her recent conversion to Christianity and how she was helping with the high school youth group.

It was probably a two-minute conversation total, but as we walked away, I thought to myself..."hmmm..." Kirk seemed intrigued. Janna was flustered more than I'd ever seen her. In my head, they seemed like a match made in heaven, though I'd just met him. Janna explained that she used to go into a shop he worked in before she was saved and he was always really nice and she was a total, um, jerk to him all the time.

So I logged away a little Janna/Kirk thought in my brain, to see if anything would ever come of it, but never said anything- my theory is that the best matchmaking is the silent kind.

I was proved correct, much to my (and Kirk & Janna's) delight. They starting dating this past late Winter and on September 13th they had one of most fun weddings I've ever been to.

To start the ceremony out, a couple of friends from Bend were going to sing some songs, but the mic kept going out, so the guitar player kept playing and everyone sang their little hearts out all over the field (it was an outdoor wedding). When Janna appeared to walk down the aisle, I've never heard so much cheering for a bride! It felt like a sporting event. But a beautiful one.

Then Kirk and Janna skipped down the aisle after being pronounced Mr. & Mrs. Weatherby. The rest of the bridal party skipped as well (with the exception of the dog, who merely jogged happily).

The wedding dinner was some amazing hot dogs. And the wedding "cake" was ice cream cones. So creative and fun!

Their first meal as a married couple. Aw.

They also had a cardboard cutout of themselves by the road (which was really handy considering the four weddings I passed on the same road on my way to their wedding). Just one more thing I've never seen at any other wedding I've ever been to.

Congratulations, Weatherbys!

the united kingdom in my purse *

2008-10-08T13:41:00.004-07:00

(* alternate title: born in the wrong country?)

If you look closely at the contents of this purse (my purse) you will note what a friend of mine noted: a barely suppressable urge to jump a plane headed for London (or anywhere else in the United Kingdom). I didn't even realize that my purse was screaming my dreams with me until one of my friends was admiring my green polka dotted purse and exclaimed something about how many books I was carrying with me, and how many of them related to England. It's true.

If you look closely, you'll see that my clutch (that's girl-speak for wallet, for you gentlemen reading) is of Trafalgar Square, complete with double-decker buses. Then there's a book by Bill Bryson about his time living in the U.K. (which, coincidentally, I purchased from a young British man working at Powell's Books...I was slightly embarrassed...I felt that an obsessed fan...not unlike the time I asked David Cook to sign my headband...but that's another story for another time). Then we find one of J.K. Rowling's famous Potter books, which I'm re-reading currently (and the J in her name stands for Joanne (she misspells it), by the way, and she's a Britian). Then the Narnia, the musical, script that I've been looking over in preparation for directing it this Winter for CYT in Gresham (C.S. Lewis, a native of England, wrote the Chronicles of Narnia that this musical is based off of). The journal, Rain and the Valley, doesn't really have to do with the U.K., but it is rainy there.

Here I am dreaming of far off lands filled with people of accents, bad teeth, tea time, argile, prep schools and so much more...

As a side note, my last name has British origins. Whittaker means "white house on a hill." And, apparently, Joann is a highly popular name over there as well. So if you look on Facebook for "Joann Whittaker," you'll come up with about 40 of me mucking about in the U.K....and then the me that's over here in America. My lovely teacher and friend, Bo, always did say that I was born in the wrong country...I can't necessarily say that I disagree...

sublimely green

2008-10-06T21:02:00.003-07:00

This couch has been in my family for more years than I've been in my family. Donny looked so perfect there in his dinosaur pjs that I had to capture the moment...

vancouver sausage festival

2008-10-05T22:09:00.002-07:00

It's true. Vancouver has a festival to celebrate sausages, or promote them, or eat them, or get rid of them, every year. This being my first year in Vancouver, it was my first year to celebrate, or promote, or eat, or get rid of sausages. Actually, in my case it was singular, not plural. Sausage. Anyway, it was entertaining and I fully intend to attend again next year.

regarding september 30th

2008-10-01T15:47:00.006-07:00

Thanks to everyone who texted, called, emailed, facebooked, mailed, Beach-ed, gifted, well-wished, etc. me yesterday. And even to those who remembered and thought of me, though didn't contact me. And EVEN to those who didn't remember until just now and are currently kicking yourself for doing none of the aforementioned, stop fretting: kicking yourself is the best birthday present I could ever ask for.

In the immortal words of me (I promise I'm not as arrogant as I sound - I'm more silly & sarcastic):
"A birthday's not a birthday until it's been poeticized."

Ergo...

Regarding September 30th
by Joann Renee

Instinctively hitting snooze
There’s a tugging
An inner alarm to remember
Something
Squinting through the dark
The elusive is found

Closing my eyes again
I will a magic moment
That feels like 26

To no avail
Drastic metamorphosis didn’t overtake
My sleeping body this year—
Same toes I wiggle
Same slightly uneven ears
Same unsightly vision
Same hopes and fears

Except for the gumption
To believe
Anything
Could happen today
26 feels very much the same
As almost-26

falling into a comma

2008-09-28T18:46:00.005-07:00

A couple of months ago I was chatting via keyboard late one night with one of my two favorite red-headed people from Idaho (hint: TOFKAG) and due to a typing slip-up (not uncommon to my inability to speak correctly after approximately 10pm) "coma" became "comma." I was inspired. And two months later I finally turned that slip-up into this:

Falling into a Comma
by Joann Renee

It’s a plight most
frequently found in those
afflicted with the combined
forces of avid reading
and obsessive compulsive
tendencies (I prefer
“thoroughly-inclined”).

What happens
you see
the victim idly swishing
a lone tea bag in two
inches of water,
glasses precariously tipped forward,
legs woven intricately,
book cradled knee to hand,
eyes weaving rapidly back
and forth.

Then like a pause
button, our friend
freezes—
their inner-narrator
has been lulled
to silence by the over-
usage of punctuation:

Does that belong there?
Or should it be after the noun?
No, I think…
Well, perhaps…
Hmm. Tricky…
Maybe if you moved the predicate…

This is why cats are indispensable
for every serious bookworm and scholar.
Were it not for Patches ankle-
rubbing, this comma
could’ve been terminal.

appetizer for whittaker feast

2008-09-23T12:21:00.003-07:00

So I've been seriously lagging on my photo editing, but it's a bit daunting to begin work on 150+ photos from a family day at the Twist lodge in Sandy. In fact, there were three very over worked cameras that day (Beth, with a Canon one step below mine; mine; and the parent's, which is one step up). Beth and I both gasped when we went to load the pictures on our computers at the end of the day to discover 200+ for her and 300+ for me (in my defense, Beth took about 75 on mine and Mama took some more). After deleting the non-essentials, I still ended up with more than 150. What can I say? We are simply a photogenic bunch (or at least snap-happy).

Here are a couple to wet your appetite for the plethora that I will be posting at a later date:

Donny & Kimmie

Behind me are Heather's knees, Timmy, Andy with Katie (Beth & Matt's second child and my only current niece), Kimmie and Uncle Jeff (my dad's brother)...and the Twist lodge itself

Helping Jack roast his sausage

Stay tuned...same bat-time, same bat-channel...
(the header picture on this blog is also from this day, actually)

for those who asked...

2008-09-18T21:04:00.006-07:00

...my Life Map for the MAT program, in the form of an epic poem (don't say I didn't warn you...it's long!)

On the First Day of School
by Joann Renee

On the first day of school, 1988
I proudly donned the dress Mama made
Saddle shoes dancing merrily to education’s door:
Kindergarten was a game I was determined to win.
Within a few months I overheard
Teacher and mother scheming to slow me down
I was too far ahead of my peers
Brightly colored tongue depressors numbering to twelve were deemed the remedy

Don’t slow me down
You can’t stifle this
Joyful nerdiness
Desperate to frolic free

On the first day of school, 1990
I was waiting by the door, hopping foot to foot
The PACE curriculum allowed me to excel
Going through each booklet as quickly as I could
Tongue depressor strategies behind me
“Homework” never actually made it home, being finished
By ending bell, and I was free
To read of Mandy’s adventures till lights out at 8:30

On the first day of school, 1992
I was only slightly trepidatious to be in Daddy’s class
Worried my friends might think I was favored
Or, worse, that my life would be turned into lesson plans
I needn’t have fretted
For the most part, school was
The same as every year prior:
Loving each class and overachieving

Don’t slow me down
You can’t stifle this
Joyful nerdiness
Desperate to frolic free

On the first day of school, 1995
I nervously eyed the junior high classrooms
But three years in Daddy’s class was enough
So I took a deep breath and stepped into seventh grade
The switch had been made completely to A-Beka books
And I mourned the loss of PACE-ing myself
Academic boredom began to set in as “showing your work”
Became the dirge sung to my previously blossoming brain

Don’t slow me down
You can’t stifle this
Joyful nerdiness
Desperate to frolic free

On the first day of school, 1997
High school beckoned and I anticipated
Kimmie’s classes—sister, ten-years my senior, soon
Inspired and exploited my theatrical love
Still academically unchallenged, my little brother,
Tutor Me Timmy, was allowed to jump
Ahead two years in math. My class. He got A’s. I got A plusses.
But Shakespeare kept my mind alive as I performed Hermia

On the first day of school, 2000
UVC was the oyster and I was its pearl
Eleven years plus kindergarten at this school boiled
Down to this: 4-point-oh, ASB vice president and ready
For more fun with my 27 classmates. Blissful
Year made poignant by straight-laced, creatively-challenged
Administration applying retribution for the artistic sins of moved-on Kimmie
To me in increasingly unjust severity

Don’t slow me down
You can’t stifle this
Joyful nerdiness
Desperate to frolic free

On the first day of school, 2001
I opened my eyes and stretched luxuriously
In the vast academic galaxies available for deep exploration
Relishing the new friends and challenges
I barely had time to be angered by assumptions
That I too, like my father, sister, brother, cousins, aunts and uncles
Would teach
After all, that’s the only thing music majors can really do

Stop telling me what to do,
What to do, what
To be, who I am—
Even if you’re right

On the first day of school, 2003
Exhausted of being categorized I expanded
My major to include theatre and writing/literature
It’s not that I didn’t agree
I would make an excellent teacher
I think
But being the fourth of five children,
I needed to define myself

Stop telling me what to do,
What to do, what
To be, who I am—
Let me reach my own conclusions

On the first day of school, 2004
Graduation was tangible and looming
Like a little black rain cloud hovering over
My Impressionistic honey tree, weighted heavily
With drops of reality I wasn’t sure I wanted to taste
Perhaps I should teach battled with No back-up plan!
I blinked and the squabble was exchanged for a mortar
Board and sighs of good-bye

Stop wondering what to do,
What to do, what
To be, who I am—
Even if you’re wrong

On the first day of school, 2005
I was shocked to find myself back in school
Well, an internship program actually
Two years spent eating, breathing, loving, sleeping
Westside Church in the high desert
Two years of high school students laughing, loving,
Failing, hurting, asking, needing, wanting
One by one encouraging, answering, challenging

On the first day of school, 2007
Devastation.
For the first time in 20 years, I wasn’t a student
Jealously watered my eyes
As I watched a young woman grade English papers at my favorite coffee shop
All my life I had classified myself in only three categories:
Single. Christian. Student.
Redefinition was suddenly imperative

Start answering the questions of
What to do, what
To be, who I am—
And be

Late spring, 2008
After a horrible night at the end
Of a twelve-month of horrible
Forging ahead after being left behind
The honey tree reappeared in clarity
Hindsight is 20/20—now I see
The email in my inbox confirmed
My conclusion

Two things I was made
To do or perish:
Create
Teach

On the first day of school, 2008
There are the obvious other
Things God intends for me:
To love, to serve, to encourage, etc.
But this is living
Driving home the first night
A perma-smile startled those
In the fast lane

Mirriam-Webster defines
A teacher as one who:
Causes to know
Accustoms to think
Imparts knowledge
Guides
Instructs by example or experience
Makes known and accepted
Provides instruction

Using my pilot-approved hindsight
To weigh the good, bad and simply revolting
Moments of my education
Formal and non
I will add to my morphing definition
That a teacher is one who:
Always encourages, and never stifles
Trusts first, unless proven guilty
Allows passion to drive each lesson
Refuses favoritism
Inspires brilliance in those who had given up
Challenges beyond the four walls of the classroom
Provides a broad world view
Thinks outside the box continually
Is willing to see their mistakes and improvise new strategies
Loves each student despite a breaking heart
Fights for idealism no matter how corny it may be

I’ve always been a hopelessly romantic optimist
With an overactive imagination—
Which is probably why when asked
What I wanted to be
When I grew up, I said
Shirley Temple,
Then a rock
Star, then to reach
The stars as an astronaut,
Then, when Jurassic Park came out,
To be a paleontologist dusting dinosaur bones

When I read what Colleen Wilcox said,
Teaching is the greatest
Act of optimism.
I smiled.

the perfect evening (alternate title: i'm my own gilmore)

2008-09-16T09:49:00.004-07:00

There's something so quaint about watching a movie in the park on an inflatable screen with a bunch of local strangers. I think it feeds, once again, my Stars Hollow craving.

I celebrated the first Friday in September with my first pumpkin spice latte of the season as I wrapped myself in blankets by a big tree to watch Princess Bride. Cult-classics should always be viewed in such settings, I believe. Everyone cheered when the six-fingered man died. They booed at appropriate places. Quoted Miracle Max. Clapped for each actor at the ending titles when it showed their pictures.

The cherry topping my Princess Bride sundae was the company (via text) of Princess Sarah, who resides in Texas. Mmmm...perfection. Well, almost...I had some serious jonesing for some Luke's Diner pie after the movie...

popeye

2008-09-16T09:38:00.002-07:00

I couldn't resist getting this onesie for Donny.

an evening with internationals (and nico)

2008-09-15T15:45:00.003-07:00

If you guessed "Sondre Lerche" when you looked at the above picture, you were right. If you draw a complete blank when you read "Sondre Lerche," it's high time you educated yourselves! Sondre wrote the soundtrack for Dan in Real Life (again, if you don't know this movie: shame on you!). That's right. He wrote almost every song used in the movie. He even makes a cameo with Regina Spektor in the final scene (they are the band performing).

I love Sondre for several reasons: I love Dan in Real Life, he's Norwegian, he has a guitarist named Kato (which is the name of one of my Norwegian relatives), he's incredibly quirky, he looks a bit like James McAvoy, he wears lego necklaces, etc.

So I was thrilled out of my little mind when I found out Sondre was going to be at the Doug Fir (a new favorite venue of mine in Portland) shortly after I moved here. I got my friend Nico excited for the concert and we attended.

His opener was a brilliant singer-songwriter from the UK named Sylvie (Lewis?). Nico and I both loved her (and wished we could shrink her to fit in our pocket). Towards the end of Sondre's set, he had Sylvie come join him on stage (he played a solo show...which I loved...the more acoustic the better, in my opinion) to perform a couple of songs from Dan in Real Life that feature a female singer with him. But he decided to tell a story about, well, Thelma & Louise...you had to be there...

We were very happy at the end of the night. Beautiful evening.

scene study

2008-09-12T11:56:00.003-07:00

On Thursday nights, I will be found in Vancouver with the following students (plus my swell sister, Kim, and probably Donny too):

Scene Study is an advanced acting class that I wrote the curriculum for (based roughly off of some concepts I learned in college). I am so excited for this class! We met last night for the first time and their "Bus Stop" improv had me giggling profusely. Showcase in nine and a half weeks should be a real blast. I'll keep you posted on that as well.

PS- if you scroll down to my post about Westside Story, you'll recognize a few of these students...in fact, I believe four or five of them were at that camp and subsequently in that production.

acting up

2008-09-12T11:44:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday nights for the next nine weeks, I'll be out in Gresham with these fantastic students (plus my wonderful TA, Janelle):

Acting Up is a beginning acting class for CYT (Christian Youth Theatre). My sister, Kim, actually wrote the curriculum for this class, and she'll be teaching a class (Character Counts) in the room next door...so I'll have help when I want it! I'm excited, but know that I'll be tremendously stretched by these 16 exuberant theatrical teens. I'll keep you posted on Showcase as it nears.

gresham's answer to the eiffel tower

2008-09-08T21:36:00.006-07:00

It's pretty common knowledge that McMenamins and I go way back. We have a solid comraderie by this point. These photos were taken at Edgefield, which is Gresham's McMenamins. Apparently they make all their hard cider here.

I went out there for a 30th birthday party duet for Laura & Rosalind (who I met on arrival to the party...we have many mutual friends, so we'd heard about each other, but never met). Below I'm pictured with Nick (in my sunglasses) and Mike (in Laura's).

Life update: It's completely unbelievable to me that this is my life. I'm really jealous of myself sometimes. Seriously. I can't count how many really quality people I've met and re-met already. For instance, the people in the post are all part of a community called Imagine that I hang with on Sundays and other special occasssions. I've run into a guy I know through a friend in college, a brilliantly hysterical writer who I know from Roseburg and my ASM (assistant manager) at Starbucks turns out to be a guy that my sister Kim used to babysit and his father took her senior photos! There's also my brilliant cohort in my MAT program - 19 of us (not including professors). All totally unique and lovely. I'm enjoying getting to know them with each class. Then there's CYT (Christian Youth Theatre) where my sister Kim is the artistic director, so I've been meeting her colleagues, as well as students - and I'll be meeting many more this week as I begin to teach two different classes (22 or more students combined). Then there's the ice cream guys, Target cashiers, old men in the park and the vintage store lady. My new Starbucks co-workers whom I really haven't gotten to know yet, but I work tomorrow for 6 hours, so hopefully that'll be changing soon. I'm incredibly busy (as I'm sure is obvious to those who've been keeping up to speed). But incredibly in my element. I'm even glowing (or so a charming stranger told me this weekend). To re-cap: I'm living with gracious family, helping my nephew jabber and walk (jabber-walk...y...hmmm, maybe that's where that came from), working at Starbucks starting tomorrow, in my third week of grad classes, starting teaching CYT classes this week and flirting with strangers who tell me I'm lovely (I guess I'd flirt with anyone who tells me I'm lovely, strangers are just more commonly known to do this). Whew! Sorry for my long-windedness. Kim & Andy are on vacation in Canada this week, so I have no one to blurt my most random thoughts to in the evenings until she returns.

toddling roommate

2008-09-08T21:28:00.002-07:00

I took Donny on an adventure a week or so ago.
He was thrilled.

He doesn't like to be inside whenever he remembers that he can be outside.

dani & kevin (part three)

2008-09-06T13:55:00.006-07:00

Here are my final pictures from Dani & Kevin's wedding (August 16, 2008). The bridal (and groomal?) party rejoices...

Beautifully foreboding skies during the ceremony (there were thunder storms the next day)...

I love this picture of Dani & her mom...

dani & kevin (part two)

2008-09-04T13:00:00.003-07:00

As promised, here are more from Dani & Kevin's wedding. I'll be adding more later today or tomorrow...the sunset was so gorgeous, I am having an absurd time trying to pick a reasonable amount of favorites to post. But I'll begin (again) with these two. The first is during the communion part of the ceremony, right after they were announced "man & wife" (yes, I'm getting in the Princess Bride mood...stay tuned if you want to know why). The second is just after the ceremony. I was trying to capture a romantic just-wed-sunset-kiss photo, but it turned out to be brother-of-the-bride-leaps-into-romantic-just-wed-sunset-kiss photo (seconds after this photo, the groom had tackled said brother to the ground).

gainfully employed

2008-08-31T14:00:00.002-07:00

I just realized that I've spent the last three August's looking for work. In fact, last August I was joking that I would never trust August again as it was the second August in a row that I spent a gregarious amount of time searching for work. My instincts were correct. Although, this August it was my own choice that I had to look for work. I mean, no one forced me to quit my job in Bend and move to the greener pastures of Vancouver, WA.

Well, I am delighted to inform you that I have finally landed myself a job. Smack dab in the center of what I would consider the Stars Hollow of Vancouver, I will be working right across the street from Esther Short Park at Starbucks. Again. Third times the charm, right?

grad student!

2008-08-29T14:49:00.005-07:00

I'm a Self-
by Joann Renee

You would not have believed
the glazed look of glee
in my emerald eyes as I
waltzed into orientation
past the food line,
past the chit-chat,
straight to my shining stack
of nine new textbooks gleaming
on the back table. It was
like Christmas morning.
Mock away, all you who dare
through mouthfuls of catered
chicken. Mock on!
I won't be swayed--
not even a jot.
I love reading a lot
lot lot lot.
It's true. I'm a self-
proclaimed Hermione, Anne Shirley and Jo
March to the core.
Bring on the banquet,
I'll feast on my books
eagerly gleaning whatever
you'll teach. My cohort
is ready for 20 months
of course work and comraderie.
It's true. I'm a self-
who needs other selves.

dani & kevin (part one)

2008-08-26T20:53:00.003-07:00

I've only just begun editing Dani & Kevin Meyer's wedding day, but here are a few teasers (Bethy, tell me if this loaded any better for you, or if it still took uber long and didn't load everything):

once again, congrats...and have a great 'moon!

jacques

2008-08-24T14:53:00.007-07:00

...the friendliest chipmunk on the planet. (yes, i did take this photo without a zoom lense, just a normal type lense...he was maybe 2 and a half inches away from the end of the camera...lovely chap)

He was mainly fond of shoulders...

...and Cheez-its.

look ma, no hands!

2008-08-23T22:02:00.005-07:00

Look what I learned how to do! Katie's almost life-size!

Seriously. How cool is this? Thanks to Heather Espana for the tutorials on getting bigger pictures on blogger.

On the hottest day of 2008, I was out at the un-air-conditioned Twist lodge, where Beth helped Jack beat the heat by buzzing his hair. He wasn't too happy about this turn of events...

...until he saw himself in the mirror! (doesn't it make you want to chant, "Ru-fi-O!"?)

Katie is learning the sultry look far too early if you ask Beth or me (or probably Matt, as well).

estrogen brigade reunion!!

2008-08-22T12:11:00.003-07:00

It's been over three and a half years, but the Hippy One traveled from Colorado and TOFKAG (the one formerly known as goth) traveled from Idaho and the Twirly One (that's me) moved from Bend to meet up with the Spikey One (who already resides in the Portland area).

Rock-locks happened.
As did many group self-portraits. We were all taking a picture on our own cameras in the following:

Hippy also found a broken horse for TOFKAG.
We found the horses father.
And posed.

We bought matching flasks at Urban Outfitters.
TOFKAG currently possesses the Flask of Power, which has a different design then the rest of ours.
One flask to rule them all...

Until next time
when rocks are once again locked
and flasks are exchanged
EB out.

westside story (and i'm not talking about the church)

2008-08-21T11:23:00.006-07:00

My first full week in Vancouver, my sister Kim spent the week at a CYT (Christian Youth Theatre. Learn that acronym as I'll be using it often and this is the last I'll define it! Bwahaha!) teen camp. They did auditions on Monday and Friday night they did an hour and a half version of Westside Story. It was simply brilliant! Amazing choreography and singing and acting. Seriously can't wait to be a part of this camp next summer...

Kimmie assigned me the task of photographing the showcase. Here are my favs:

Riff & his main gal-pal getting down with their bad selves

Maria & Tony: love at first tip-toe

"MARIA!" (that was a reference to A Walk to Remember for those brave enough to admit they've seen it or even, gasp, own it)

The balcony scene was beautifully lit

"I want to be in America." Annalise, who played Anita, did such a fabulous job

The Sharks want to be in America (ps- click on the photo and take a good look at Chino's face who, by the way, is a fantastic dancer)

"Tonight!" This is one of my favorite three pictures...

Before the rumble turns REALLY bad (and can I add that Patrick, who played Riff, sang brilliantly- and without a working mic!)

Uh-oh. That's never good.

And my favorite picture ever (I know, I'm a bit dark, but check out Tony's agony!)

Chino breaks the news to Maria that Tony killed her brother

"There's a place for us. Somewhere a place for us."
Little did they know that that place wouldn't be in this world.
Sniff.

it wouldn't be august without...

2008-08-20T11:52:00.003-07:00

THE SCANDINAVIAN FESTIVAL!!
(yes, it deserves to be in all caps)

The tom-foolery and frolicing that goes on is little short of miraculous.
Located in the heart of Junction City, there are four days of Scandinavian festivities including people dressed as Vikings and trolls, traditional garb, traditional dances, Scandinavian foods (bring on the lefse and aebleskiver!) and, this year, ride-able ice cooler chests:

A spattering of fun (the lovely woman in the top left corner is my grandma):

We had a troll of a good time!

jani & shane

2008-08-19T10:54:00.006-07:00

Wedded bliss. Ah.

About three weeks ago I had the joy of photographing Jani Summers & Shane Gutierrez's wedding out at Jani's parent's house. It was simply beautiful. One of those weddings that you walk away from feeling like you just witnessed a fairy tale unfold before your eyes. Here are some favorite pictures from the day:

Congratulations Jani & Shane!

My lovely friend Cassie assisted me at the wedding as an extra camera. She got some awesome shots too. Not sure if she's posted them or not, but her site is well worth checking out either way.

i crave crisp

2008-08-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

I Crave Crisp
by Joann Renee

By mid-August each year
every bone in
my body is aching,
creaking,
groaning with the cry:
Fall, fall, fall!

It’s been an Olympic year.
Watching Phelps win
gold after gold is
tiring.

The balance beam routine
has been long
and tedious in the execution.
I’m wavering.

The days lengthen.
We defy common sense.
Enjoy the sun.
Breathe the sun.
Chase the sun.
Go, go, go!

I’m exhausted.
I crave crisp
air and leaves,
a slower pace,
embracing sweatered friends over
steaming mugs.

She’s still on the beam.
I can’t repress
an unpatriotic chant
from swelling to startle
the room:
Fall, fall, fall, fall…

"so this is love...

2008-08-10T20:50:00.002-07:00

...mmm, Mmm, mmm, Mmm...so this is what the world calls love..."

I found my first niche (beside of course Burnside & 23rd in Portland, which have been waiting for me and needed no searching to locate): Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. It's a lush city block filled with grass and trees, a water feature for children to play in, a bell tower, an ampitheatre, a gazebo, etc. It's idyllic.

It's also surrounded by an Italian cafe with terrible coffee but great paninis, pastries and gelato. There are fun shops and a Starbucks and an apartment complex (how fun it would be to live there) and parking meters (yes, they still use coin operated parking meters). It's within walking distance of a fun, retro "cheap" theater and all of the other places I mentioned in the previous post with Erin & Hiro. And, as an added bonus, it's a mere two blocks from the I-5 entrance that brings you onto the freeway a few hundred feet from the bridge into Oregon.

As I walked through the park, the song from Sleeping Beauty filled my heart and my mouth. This is even before I rounded the corner and to my absolute bliss found a round-about! Icing on the cake. The funny thing about this round-about (for all you Bend residents) is that there are arrows painted in the round-about to show you which direction to drive.

donny the ham

2008-08-10T20:34:00.002-07:00

Living with an infant on the verge of toddler-hood has been quite entertaining. Donny's a bit of a ham and loves to fake laugh and tell long stories in gibberish. Sometimes I interpret them for him.

He didn't enjoy his bath last week. At all. I didn't know such sounds could come from a child. He sounded like a cat hissing in an alley fight, crossed with a near-demonic penguin chirp. Is it bad that I was laughing hysterically?

I randomly ran into Donny with his babysitter downtown Vancouver at Starbucks. He gave me his best cheesy grin. (In answer to questions regarding Cheesy on the Outside, I believe he may be cheesy on the inside as well.)

catching up

2008-08-10T20:20:00.002-07:00

On Monday I met up with multiple ex-roommate (we lived in three places together, sharing a room at two of those, for a grand total of 18+ months), since we now find ourselves living in the same metropolis area. We went to Stumptown, Buffalo Exchange, Powells, PF Changs and walked down to the waterfront. My favorite fortune ever from a cookie came to me at PFs: "You have great physical powers and an iron constitution." Look out world!

(you can't tell, but there's a billboard behind us that says "I <3 Burnside" -and we really do)

Then on Tuesday, ex-roommate of college (we only lived together twice, but for a grand total of 20+ months), Erin, met up with me to show me downtown Vancouver (which I'm in love with). We started at Mon Ami for crepes (not as good as Bend's crepe shop, but okay) and walked to a vintage shop where I made Erin try on ridiculous (ly fun) dresses (see below). Then we had root beer floats at The Ice Cream Renaissance (amazing! I fully recommend) where we ran into the co-owner who we know from years ago (small world). It was a hot hot hot day. But it was so much fun catching up with her and meeting her son, Hiro, who is now six months old.

Erin & Hiro at the second hand vintage shop

moving update

2008-08-10T20:09:00.002-07:00

I apologize for being so lax in updating my blog since the move. You know how it is. Well, maybe you don't. But I do. It's crazy. On August 1st I left a sunny 75 degree Bend to hit rainy weather halfway to Portland. To most people, the reaction would be that of frustration or even anger. The fact that my reaction was to roll down the windows and "woop" proves how right this move is for me.

I'm still looking for a job. Still waiting for classes to start. Still catching up with Portland friends. Still loving the opportunity to love on my nephews and niece. Still a little in denial that I've packed all my belongings into a storage unit and live in a completely different state (Vancouver, WA, baby). Still excited, happy and exhausted.

the shire

2008-07-31T14:52:00.002-07:00

It is inconceivable to me that I spent the last 3+ years sharing Bend with a residential area modeled after JRR Tolkien's Shire, and was completely oblivious to this fact! I mean, I love all things hobbit. I love their huge furry feet. I love their rollicking, good-times nature. I love their curly hair and mischievousness. I love their love of pints and singing. I love their love of twelve meals a day.

Well, about a month ago I spent three consecutive nights watching the trilogy (my roommates trickled in and out). On the final night, Michelle, one of my roommates and former small group girl, said something about her frequent visits to the Shire when she was in high school. Now, I know she hasn't read the books and I didn't believe she'd been to New Zealand, so I inquired further. "There's a Shire in Bend?! And you never told me?!"

I was incredulous (and the question mark/ exclamation point combo infers). How could I find out about such a thing after I've decided to move away?

So last week Michelle took me to the Shire so I could experience the bliss for myself. It was bliss. I only wish I'd known earlier...many an afternoon would have been spend chewing straw by the pond while re-reading the Silmarillon.

Thank you, Michelle! (and Tolkien...and the developers of the area, though you went bankrupt and had to stop building...and hobbits...and Malorie (you know why)...)

farewell parties

2008-07-31T12:38:00.006-07:00

The lovely Tony Hamman (She's grrrreat! -Sorry, Tony, that was bad, I know...) threw a church staff party for me last week at her house, complete with "south-of-the-border" beverages. Here's a smattering of fun:

And then on Sunday I had a party down at Drake Park. I made a few collages to prove that I really was there. (ps-these are arranged in order of arrival, not in order of favorite people...though order of arrival may say something about where I fall in their order...hmmm...intriguing...)

what i'll miss...

2008-07-27T15:54:00.004-07:00

Being caught by surprise with a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Cascades in my rearview mirror.

Sitting in the Bellatazza courtyard for entire weekends.

(Related to the previous) My baristas at Bellatazza that I’ve grown to know and love over the past three years: Marcel, Julia, Norman Goodfellow, PJ (Penelope Jo), Kirsten, Campbell, etc.

Round-a-bouts keeping my in town driving from ever becoming mundane.

Old St. Francis McMenamins (soaking pool & theatre, etc.)

The Crepe Place

Snow

Lazy summer days reading at Drake Park

My beautiful book club

And (of course) many, many, many friends…

But I’ve been thinking lately that, though I’ll miss all of these things, there are billions of niches in the world awaiting my discovery and adoration. There will be more breathtaking views—different than in Bend, but worth discovering. More downtown courtyards that will inspire my most creative and introspective moments. More baristas that will earn my love and gratitude (and, yes, sass). Perhaps even other transportational whimsicalities that will keep me smiling.

Moving on is sad—it’s true. There are always good things left behind. But there are so many more adventures and havens to be discovered! More places that need a Joann (though they don’t know it yet!). More places that Joann needs (though she’s not yet aware of it).

I’m so excited to turn discovery mode back on as I embark on another chapter of my life. After all, who knows what may lurk just around (the river) Bend?

in case you're wondering...

2008-07-24T10:45:00.005-07:00

...what I looked like as a six month old, my mom posted a new blog (thanks, Mama!). You have to scroll down a bit, but it's there.

I think I may begin to understand why my older sisters wanted to bite my arms (and sometimes still do) and had to stifle their urges by running to their room to bite pillows instead (I don't think they still do this, but I suppose it's possible).

a smattering

2008-07-19T14:26:00.007-07:00

Here are some recent-ish photos.

I went with Beth to Old Navy and decided that Katie needed to try one of their straw hats on...

Sunset from my back deck a few weeks ago...

My favorite Fourth of July picture. Annalisa loves fireworks.

I got to take photos at my church's annual baptisms at the park. Here's Jude & Melissa enjoying the water...

...and my favorite three shots from the evening...

Two of my favorite recent high schoolers, Brad & Andrea...

Andrea also plays the accordian & mandolin and has the best fashion sense ever, not to mention a gorgeous smile (Brad is one lucky dude)...

for those in bend...

2008-07-16T11:06:00.000-07:00

pluto will always be a planet in my heart

2008-07-12T12:40:00.002-07:00

When I was in second grade I had to write a creative story about "Planet X" -- in other words, the as yet to be discovered tenth planet in our solar system. I really got into it. My Planet X was really cool. Everyone walked on their hands and broke out into song and dance and the sky was purple. I was also married to Wesley Crusher (the Enterprise helped my explorer spaceship- that's how we met).

Anyway, all that to say, the whole concept of Planet X hinged on Planet IX (aka Pluto) being a planet.

I feel like my whole childhood was a lie. This is way worse than Santa Claus not being real. I refuse to believe it.

So I wrote the following poem in tribute to that little planetary oddball. I wrote the poem with nine stanzas, the first letter of each stanza represents the first letter of our nine planets (or eight and a toid, depending on your opionion), beginning with “M”, for Mercury, and ending with “P”, for Pluto.

Pluto Will Always Be A Planet In My Heart
by Joann Renee

Mercury. It always begins easily
lilting off the tongue in concentric circles
away from the sun.

Very rarely do children loathe these rocket-like lessons
that tear the tops off
of tree-house imagination.

Early on, we all begin to develop
at least one form of nerdiness, an unexplainable passion
for math or comic books or words or,

My personal favorite, science fiction—
which tumbles about the unexplored regions of outer space,
launching off of what we know to what we don’t.

Just a few years ago though, some scientists got together
to add an oid to Pluto’s classification,
putting an end to the final P of acronyms across the globe.

Shaken only begins to describe the horror
that gripped the hearts of children and space lovers
that stupid day.

Using examples of snowflakes,
we were taught
that everyone is intricately and beautifully unique,

Now we learn that our favorite universal underdog
is too unique to fit in with his planetary peers
and has been officially demoted.

Perhaps someday those scientoids will recant,
but it won’t matter, because
Pluto will always be a planet in my heart.

if i were an amelie character...

2008-07-06T11:47:00.002-07:00

I’ve been contemplating lately what random facts would be used to describe me if I were a character in a movie written by Guillaume Laurant, the French dialogue writer for Amelie and Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles (A Very Long Engagement). He has a brilliant way of writing to include the most bizarre habits of his characters—the type of things they do that make them completely unique from the rest of the population.

Here are some of the quirky descriptors of a few of his characters: a man who loves to carry bubble wrap around with him to pop, a dog who farts in his sleep, a woman who (upon hearing the dog fart) smiles and says to herself (in French, of course) Doggy farts gladden my heart, a woman who plays the tuba because it sounds like a distress call, a man who collects discarded pictures at photo booths, a man obsessed with raking his gravel drive, and a man who talks to the vegetables in the stand he works at.

As I’ve been contemplating, here are some of the things he might say about me:

tip-toes down steep declines
names inanimate objects
purposefully makes a mess so she’ll have something to do later
takes funny phrases out of context in a conversation and pretends that they were used as a greeting to other people
accidentally combines words and puts the wrong vowels into words when she’s been up too late

What quirks would he describe you with?

nephew number four

2008-07-02T22:26:00.003-07:00

...and we're all hoping his photogenic talents come from his mother. (Sorry, Timmy...you know it's true).

Towards the end of Donny's birthday party (see post below), Heather, Timmy and I snuck outside to get a "prego photo shoot" (I know how much you love that term, Heather). It was fun, but due to Timmy being Timmy, it took at least a half an hour to get a non-goofy shot (but it was worth the time it took).

Which one's pregnant? You be the judge:

Not quite sure what was going on here, but it looks funny...

This was Timmy's idea. He wanted it to look like one body with two heads. Mission accomplished, plus the appearance of an absurdly long beard...

Finally! (note: Timmy's not looking at the camera)

And my favorite three:

donny's one!

2008-07-02T22:15:00.003-07:00

here's proof:

Donny chillin' in his new ball pit...

Cousin Jack devouring a hot dog...

Cousin Katie with Great Grandma Kjosness...

Megan (my lovely cousin) thinks Timmy looks a bit like Tumnus...

The remains of Donny's first birthday monster cake as Jack prepares to dive into his own monster (he refused to eat the face, so we had to turn it around, I didn't tell him that it's really not much more humane (monstane?) to eat the back of the head)...

it's a dangerous thing, stepping outside your front door

2008-06-27T11:43:00.003-07:00

For those who haven't heard through the grapevine or directly from this grape, I am moving back to Portland the beginning of August (that's only 34 days away!).

There are multiple reasons for this move (including, but not limited to):

I miss the rain
My nephews & niece beckon
As do my lovely sisters
Did I mention my parents are moving to the Portland area as well?
Oh! And I'll be closer to both brothers, too. Though I still probably won't see Danny that often even with the airport right at hand.
Powells Books & Buffalo Exchange & waterfront
Big bridges
Live music
The irresistible possibility of directing Narnia for CYT in January
Old high school & college chums
And I'm going back to school

I found out Wednesday that I am officially accepted to George Fox University's MAT (Masters of Arts in Teaching program). Classes start late August. It's the night program, so I can work full time (classes are only one night a week plus every third or so Saturday). I'll be going for Secondary Education (that means high school & middle school) for Language Arts (that's English) and Drama. It's a 20 month program with student teaching beginning November of 2009. I'll be taking classes at the Portland campus, not Newberg.

I don't have a job yet. Still looking. Not sure where I'll live yet (hopefully I won't have to crash at my sister's for too long). My last day of work at Westside Church is July 31st, which is also when I move out of the Ranch Village house.

There are still many unknowns, but I'm thrilled. It finally feels real now that I've taken a load of stuff to storage in Vancouver and have been accepted to grad school.

So, Bend buddies, if I seem distant or out of it, it's because I am (sorry!). I've got a lot going on in my head and transitioning is always an emotional, whimsical and stressful time for me. Know that I love you all and forgive me in advance for being completely unpredictable in moods. Send me an email or a text and I'd love to hang out before July's out.

And, Portland pals, begin clearing your calendars for being my friend beginning in August.

Further up and further in...

farewell barton

2008-06-26T10:13:00.000-07:00

Farewell Barton
by Joann Renee

It doesn’t have to be significant,
There are some things you never forget.
Somehow your heart registers that
This is a moment worth remembering.
Like now, knowing
Ten years, twenty, forty—
A lifetime from now

I’ll feel the light breeze prickling
Goose bumps on my sun burnt arms,
Taste the lingering wine
On my lips and tongue,
Hear the exact timbre of the neighbors’ voices
Drifting over the fence,
See the lightest burnt amber highlighting
The silhouetted still-snowcapped Cascades,
Letting the last words you wrote
Play over and over in my mind,
Reverberating down to my painted toes—

A night that I’m so alone
I sense a supernatural companionship
With the first star I see tonight,
And loneliness manages to elude me
As I learn,
This is a moment worth remembering.

sandcastles and sarah

2008-06-23T14:03:00.003-07:00

Two weekends ago I went on one final adventure with Sarah before we both moved (me to Portland from Bend and her to Texas from Portland--almost like we're playing tag). Friday night we watched Goonies to prepare. Saturday we went to the great Oregon coast sandcastle competition near Astoria. Here we frolicked and walked rapidly along the beach where the car race is filmed in Goonies (and where they are when found by their families, also where the three rocks are that are seen from the hillside of the "restaurant").

Here are some of the many elaborate (and not-so-elaborate) sandcastles we saw:

(my favorite is the top middle-- man-eating whale. So macabre.)

And, of course, no coast trip is complete without a photoshoot...

And Sarah...

For those unfortunate enough not to know Sarah, she is the shore to my sea. Macaroni to my cheese. Chocolate cookie orbs to my double stuffing. Business to my sock. Etc.

She was my next door neighbor in our Freshman dorm (Penn2Hot4U!) who, though repulsive in her country music phase of life, was the life of the party. She definitely fed my mischievous side, as I did hers. She then proceeded to date a couple of the guys that I hung out with, so we remained in contact. At the end of our Junior year, she & I rescued each other from the rest of our Juniors Abroad group in Italy & Switzerlant. Our kindred spirits were finally seared permanently together when we decided to take a spontaneous road trip to Disneyland just after graduation.

Yesterday was her birthday. So, Sarah, happy birthday. Happy trails. And Foux du Fafa.