Spain

In the summer of 2007 I had the opportunity to visit Spain with a friend.  This trip was full of beautiful beaches, stunning architecture, and wonderful food.  Here are some highlights.

Royal Palace, Madrid

Plaza Mayor, Madrid

Day trip to the medieval city of Toledo

Toledo (I loved the city wall and all of the winding alleys)

The Mesquita, Cordoba

Plaza de Espana, Seville

Seville Cathedral, Seville

The Alcazar, Seville

Costa del Sol, Marbella

The famous Rock of Gibraltar.  You can see the coast of Morocco from Gibraltar!

The Alhambra, Granada (the main reason I wanted to visit Spain)

Bull fight, Valencia (I wanted to see one because they feature so prominently in The Sun Also Rises by Hemingway but it was absolutely brutal)

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece)

Park Guell, Barcelona (designed by Gaudi)

Columbus Monument, Barcelona

La Rambla, Barcelona (a pedestrian street with lots of cafes and markets)

Of course I had to make a stop at the Hard Rock Cafe in Barcelona!  It's tradition!

I absolutely fell in love with all of the Moorish architecture in Spain.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I hope to be able to return someday.

African Safari

Canadian Rockies

London

Alpine Europe

Germany

The Fault in Our Stars

Whenever I see several of my students with the same book I'm always intrigued because, much to my dismay, my students do not usually like to read.  Since many of them have been reading The Fault In Our Stars lately, I decided to read it to find out what was so appealing.  (This is why I read the Twilight series.)  Frankly, I like any book that interests my reluctant readers but this book is amazing.  I loved it and, more importantly, so did my students.  Just the other day one them said, "Miss Johnson I was preparing myself for something to happen all through the book so when something else happened, I cried and cried."  Conversations with students about books make me happy!  Last night I went to the first screening of the film adaptation of this book (my students were so jealous).  Briefly, the story is about a teenage girl who meets, and then falls in love with, a boy at a cancer support group.  Incidentally, the theater was full of teenage girls who absolutely loved the movie!  I did, too!  In my opinion, this movie is exceptionally well cast.  Every actor seems to embody the character he or she portrays.  Both of the leads, Shailene Woodley (Hazel) and Ansel Elgort (Augustus), give authentic and emotional performances as the star-crossed lovers and their chemistry is palpable (the teenage girls in the theater were very taken with Elgort, practically swooning every time he grinned on screen).  Laura Dern is perfect as Hazel's mother, wanting to live in the moment but terrified of the future.  I also enjoyed Willem Dafoe's portrayal of the reclusive author they visit in Amsterdam.  The scene where Van Houten plays Swedish hip-hop music for the couple is hilarious.  Speaking of Amsterdam, the scenes there are absolutely beautiful.  It is not hard to believe Hazel falling in love with Gus in such a setting (their romantic dinner was almost exactly as I pictured it while reading).  I especially enjoyed the scenes at the Anne Frank house (the teenage girls clapped during the kiss just like the visitors do).  I believe that the screenplay definitely does justice to the best-selling book and fans will not be disappointed with this adaptation.  I highly recommend this movie (bring tissues).

Note:  I really love seeing new movies on opening night.  There is an energy and excitement in the audience that you can feel and it was especially fun with all of the teenage girls clapping and cheering.  Seeing all of those teenage girls waiting for their rides outside the theater was also very amusing.

Hello & Goodbye

Yesterday was the Farewell Assembly at Hunter High School.  I had to say goodbye to the 2013-2014 Student Body Officers.  It was really hard for me (much harder than I expected) and I cried through much of the assembly.  They have been such an incredible group and we have had an amazing year together.  I will miss them.

Yesterday the 2014-2015 Student Body Officers took the oath of office during the assembly.  It was really fun for me to watch them on stage because they are so excited.  I have had a chance to work with them a little bit and they are already wonderful.  I'm looking forward to getting to know them better and I can't wait to see what they accomplish next year!

Yesterday was bittersweet!

Maleficent

Saturday afternoon I went to see the movie Maleficent, a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale from the perspective of the villain.  In this version, Maleficent curses the baby Aurora because she has been betrayed by her father, King Stefan. It is an interesting interpretation which will, I am sure, have feminists debating a woman's loss of power at the hands of a jealous man for years (the scene where Stefan violates her by taking her wings is disturbing to watch, to say the least).  Maleficent lives in an enchanted world filled with fantastical creatures and much of it is computer generated.  Granted, all fairy tales use some sort of magic or enchantment so we willingly suspend our disbelief, but I found it difficult to immerse myself in Maleficent's world because the CGI is so sloppy in my opinion.  The pixies, especially, seem fake, particularly when they speak.  Many of the live action performances are very stilted.  Every time Sharlto Copley (King Stefan) speaks it seems as if he uses a different accent and I grew weary of Elle Fanning (the teenage Aurora) and her wide-eyed grin.  However, I absolutely loved this movie for one reason and one reason only:  Angelina Jolie!  I believe that Angelina Jolie is Maleficent:  misunderstood as a rebellious teenager,  betrayed by someone she loves who abandons her, castigated for shocking behavior, and redeemed by the love of a child.  Her performance is brilliant and you literally cannot take your eyes off her.  The scene where Maleficent weeps after discovering the loss of her wings is raw, emotional, and extremely powerful.  You thoroughly understand the transformation which follows.  As a villain, Jolie is very still and her cold stare is definitely unnerving.  Her powerful voice at the christening scene (as well as the green smoke emanating from her fingertips) is truly frightening.  As much as I loved her evil side, it is in Maleficent's redemption where Jolie shines.  There is an incredibly touching scene with the toddler Aurora (played by Jolie's real life daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt) where you can literally see the cruelty evaporating from her face.  Her developing relationship with Aurora is very affecting, especially in the scene where Maleficent sees the effect of her curse.  Even though this is not a great movie, I believe it is worth seeing for Angelina Jolie's tour de force performance.

Germany

In the summer of 2008 I was able to go on a historical tour of Germany.  I majored in history in college (I have a double major in history and English) so this was an amazing trip.  Here are some highlights.

"Checkpoint Charlie" in Berlin (used for crossing from West Berlin to East Berlin during the Cold War)

Some pictures from the East Gallery of the Berlin Wall (all that remains of the wall)

Reichstag, Berlin

Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin

Sans Souci, Frederick the Great's private retreat, Potsdam

Me at Sans Souci, Potsdam

Cecilienhof (site of the Potsdam Conference between Chamberlain, Truman, and Stalin at the end of World War II), Potsdam

Zwinger Palace (completely rebuilt after the Allied bombings in 1945), Dresden

Nymphenburg Palace, Bavaria

Marienplatz, Munich

Glockenspiel, Munich

Another view of the Marienplatz, Munich

One of the many illustrated houses (I believe this is Hansel and Gretl), Oberammergau (where the world famous Passion Play is staged every ten years)

Neuschwanstein Castle (the inspiration for Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle), Bavaria

Another view of Neuschwanstein, Bavaria

Main gate to the concentration camp Dachau, near Munich ("Arbeit Macht Frei" means "Work Makes You Free")  A very somber place to visit but I'm glad I did.

I fell in love with the city of Berlin because it is such an up-and-coming place for the youth of Europe.  Very hip and artistic!  My hotel was on Kurferstendamm Street (or Ku'damm as they say in Berlin) which had some incredible night life!  I loved wandering around (my favorite thing to do when I travel is to walk for hours and get lost in a city).  I would definitely love to visit Berlin again!

African Safari

Canadian Rockies

London

Alpine Europe