The green of Iowa, continued

In the two weeks I've been in Iowa the perfect weather (read: sun and rain) have produced quick growth in the corn and soybean fields on my parents' farm. Soon you won't be able to see down these rows of soybeans.

Green, green, as far as the eye can see.

A simple, yet fantastic day

With a high of 76 and low humidity, I actually liked spending the day pulling weeds out of the rock bed. In the evening I had dinner with Denise and Jason. They had sushi that I tried and liked. While I had an amazing steak.

After dinner I joined Phillip and Sulea.

Today - June 29 - is Phillips 29th birthday. I don't think he asked for a free drink for his golden birthday. If I had thought ahead I'd have made sure we went somewhere where they did the embarrassing birthday song.

Now back to the amazing steak. This slightly out-of-focus pic shows a terryaki sauce on top of medium rare tenderloin slices on top mashed potatoes with glazed bacon & onions on top of shitake mushrooms. Add some asparagus on the side and it was a very memorable meal!

*****

Blogging note: If you click on the picture of Jason and Denise you'll see that I didn't really cut off the right side of Jason's head. I'm not sure why it appears that way.

Change of time

I've changed the time stamp on my blog so it matches Iowa. As it was, any post after 3PM showed on the blog as the next day.

Softball

Tonight I was able to watch friends play softball. Not a big deal in most worlds, but I missed it last summer as I was home in the time between summer ball and fall ball.

Fantastic weather + time with old friends = priceless.

The farm

Despite living here for 40 years I have been awestruck by the wall of green.

In this part of the world farmers grow soybeans and corn. That accounts for the different shades of green.

In the foreground are young soybeans. The debris in between the rows is corn left over from last year. This type of "no-till" agriculture is much better on the soil. In the old days farmers would plow the corn from last year under leaving the soil exposed. Many years of erosion were destroying the land.

Corn takes out a lot from the soil so most farmers rotate: Plant corn in a field one year and soybeans the next.

Approaching storm

I wanted to see weather when I returned and I have not been disappointed.

From the road that runs in front of my parents' house I watched a storm coming from the west.
It created a clearly defined boundary and the wind picked up as the storm came.

A tribute to our easy to prepare foods

One of my simple pleasures is Hamburger Helper Beef Stroganoff. There are not many things that are easier to make that taste so good. I add some sauteed red onions and garlic, but it's still very simple.

I know many from other countries make fun of the US for our processed food but I, for one, love Hamburger Helper and I should have room to take some back at the end of the summer.

Now there's a traffic ticket!

With Cedar Rapids moving to automated ticketing this should be a warning of what can happen when the system makes mistakes. A Facebook friend in the Emirates posted this:

The key line is the 111790. That's the total fine in Dirhams. That's $30,434. Somehow the computer system screwed up and kept giving him the same ticket over and over. You'd think it would be easy to clear up... but then things are rarely that easy.

Take me out to the ballpark!

Last Wednesday (on my first full day back in the US) I took Aaron Longwell to an afternoon Kernels game. The weather was fantastic; the game not-so-much. The Kernels lost big and couldn't buy a hit.

Tenderloin Tuesday

I joined Ann and her mom for the Tic Toc's Tenderloin Tuesday (Two tenderloins for the price of one.)

The Tic Toc has fantastic appetizers. We skipped the breaded pickles and stuck with mushrooms and onion rings. I'm not sure what type of batter they use but it's pretty good.
I am providing this closer view of the tenderloins because I've learned from east/west coast friends that tenderloins are apparently a midwest delicacy.

Their loss.

We Built Sioux City

My nephew and niece-in-law visited today.  They currently live in Omaha but in a year they need to pick a place to go after Peggy completes her residency as an internist.  Near the top of the list for them is Sioux City, affectionately derisively known by those who lived there by the airport code:  SUX.

I confess I tried to dissuade them of the choice.  As a female internist she can go anywhere she wants.  In a list of cities in the country SUX would not be in the top 100.  In a list of cities in Iowa SUX would not be in the top 8 of 10.  (I think Ottumwa would score lower.)

Tonight I was discussing this with my SUX native roommate and he brought my attention to this video:

It’s as cheesy as can be but endearing as well.  (Probably not worth watching unless you want to play “count the non-white people” game.)  I still don’t want to move back to SUX but I admire the community coming together for a video.  There are times where I think that’s more than can be said for Cedar Rapids.

School dance, 1985

I'm not sure how this picture of me ended up on the internet.

Saline solution

I've commented before that it's odd to live in a country where it is difficult to get saline solution.

Last fall I brought back the bottle in the center from Wal Mart. I spent the year trying to get more. Finally - on the last day - I found a pharmacy that sold the saline bottles used for transfusions. I asked the pharmacist why it is so hard to find. She said, "Who would buy it when you can make it for free?"

I replied, "Who would make it you can buy it for 5 Dh ($1.35)?"

I'm just happy that I don't have to use one of my 100 pounds on saline solution when I go back.

Downtown farmers market

Technically called a "farmers' market" it's really more of a flea market/festival. Live music, lots of crafts and perfect weather drew 13,000 for this morning event.

Quite possibly the best hot dog in the world

I took one bite and had to take a picture of it. Amazing!

It's also quite possible that since it's been a year since I've had a hot dog my judgement is a bit off.

Posting...

... is going to be difficult until I have a reliable internet connection.

Phone

I have a new phone number with AT&T - 319 573 9990.

I like being able to use the IPhone. My addiction is pretty close to a drug.

The weather is great but turning muggy. Still it beats the 118 in Al Ain.

I'm baaack...

Many thoughts:

• Recurring thought for the past 3 days: 293 days is too long to be gone. I'm not sure how I will remedy this in the future; Iowa in January is not a great place and spring break is too short for such a long trip.
• I will never fly British Airways again. I had heard of their bad reputation and they more than lived up to it.
• On the ride to my parents' farm I was completely blown away by the "green" of Iowa. I lived here for 40 years so I have no idea why this I find it so shocking.
• Gus loves me. I wondered if he would remember who I am. He won't leave my side and has attempted to prove his love by humping every part of my body. (Not getting him fixed two years ago is my fault.)
• A great first night: If the rest of the summer goes as well as the first night I'm gonna have a good summer.

I'm rich! I'm rich!

Travis* informed me that his father saw my name on the Great Iowa Treasure Hunt.

As I logged into their website I wondered what I'd do with my millions. Alas, it was only a $148 refund from Metropolitan insurance. (Although I don't remember ever using Metropolitan insurance...)

The money will go into my birthday party fund. It will be my last birthday at home for as long as I live abroad so I want it to be good. Given only 4 will come, $148 will go a long ways.

*****
* I originally wrote "Travis, my blood-sucking anti-worker HR friend..." but realized that would be mean. Travis is a close enough friend that I can call him a blood-sucker and he knows I mean it with love. He should not be confused with my other HR manager friend who reads the blog, Adrienne. If I can ever get Travis to come here I'm quite sure the two of them would have stories to swap.

And Travis is not really a blood-sucker or anti-worker.

London - Dubai - Chicago - ________ Rapids

In one hour we will be on the road. A friend and I are taking a taxi to Dubai. Then we will fly to London and on to Chicago on the same planes. (Total coincidence.) From Chicago I will head off to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, while Christine will go to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Here's the complete itinerary:
British Airways flight 106 Dubai to London. Depart 2:40 AM arrive 6:20 London time.
American Airlines flight 99 London to Chicago. Depart 7:55 AM arrive at 10:20 AM Central time.
American Airlines flight 5075 Chicago to Cedar Rapids. Depart 12:15 PM to 1:15 PM.

It took two years but they finally did it

I moved into my place over a year ago. Getting the water & electricity switched from the old place to the new place has proven impossible. I keep paying the bill for the apartment I am living but it is not in my name, it's still in the name of the guy who built the building.

I've spent somewhere around 2 dozen trips and a hundred hours trying to get this fixed. My electricity has been cut twice. I had to get it fixed today or I'd have no power when I came back in September and my plants (that others are watering for me) would be toast.

Today I dedicated another 3 hours to the task. I started at the main office... was directed to a branch office. The branch office directed me back to the main office. The main office said there was nothing they could do for me. If I made a payment it would go on the general account - meaning I'd be paying a part of the electric bill for everyone who lives here.

And that's when it happened: I started to cry. "I am leaving in six hours. I will not be back until September..." I don't remember what else I said but the tears worked; a senior customer service rep rushed out and took care of me. The problem is not fixed but I think I was able to pay enough to make sure the power won't be cut while I am gone.

It's now 2PM and we really do leave in six hours and I have not put anything in the suitcases.

Student e-mail of the day

A student sent me this:

"We were really lucky to have a teacher like you. I swear until now you are the best teacher since I have joined the UAEU. I didn't want to tell you this before getting my score so that you wouldn't think that I saying this in order to give me good marks in the final."

Ann makes fun of me for allowing my teaching ego to be affected positively or negatively by student comments. I understand her point: Students here love teachers who give nearly all A's. I certainly do that but it is true that easy-but-bad teachers are liked here. (In the US not so much. I had a colleague at Hamilton that gave 18 of 21 students A's and the others B+'s. At Hamilton she was merely seen as an easy teacher who couldn't teach. She gave all A's to try to win good evaluations from her students. It didn't work.)

So Ann is right, but I'm happy to get the e-mail anyway.

Thought for the day

I know I have always had serious attachment issues.

Choosing to work in a different country was probably not smart for me.

First drink on me

I will arrive in Iowa on Tuesday afternoon. I'd like to see friends that afternoon (5ish?) and will happily go to Buschwoods. I'll buy the first drink. And maybe even a few appetizers. (If the appetizer has pork(no offense to my Muslim hosts: Your food is good, but I miss pork... I will buy it in a heartbeat.)

I'm not going to FB here to troll for friends. I'm going to hope that I have enough friends who actually read the blog that I don't have to make such a desperately plea.

Ahh, shit. In case it ends up being four friends I'll buy a pack of cards and we can play euchre.

Student e-mails

This semester I have received only a handful of e-mails. I preemptively told two classes, "I will be giving you 5 marks (percent) which is the most I'm allowed by the college to give. Please, please do not beg for more." Even with the admonition, it was students from those classes that you have read about for the past couple of days.

For my other three classes I didn't send any notice yet only received two pleas for a better grade. One was from a student with decent scores but always came late. Getting a 10/100for participation gave her a C+ when she would have otherwise had a B+. She's not happy and I don't care.

The other was a student with a solid B who was scared she was going to fail. Her e-mail plea was that I would simply pass her. Note to all students everywhere: An e-mail like that makes your teacher wonder, "Umm, do I need to back and check your tests to see if you should have a lower score?"

*****

One student I failed saw his grade and wrote, "I knew it would happen. I look forward to seeing you again next semester."

Although I enjoyed having him in class I hope he scores higher than 51% next semester.

Quote of the day - Cobert on BP

Stephen Colbert nails it:

"It's BP's well so the only person to blame is Barack Obama."

Pity AND a good parking spot?

Politico geeks are well aware of Roger Simon's writing ability. He's been oddly absent for months. The reason? He was getting his legs cut off. If such an event should happen to me, I want this guy's attitude.

Meet my new best friend

I had dinner tonight with Connie and afterwards she said she wanted a picture of me because she likes to show friends/family back in Michigan. I said, "Oh there's a great picture of us on the blog..." and I pulled up this from the Christmas party.

Connie said, "Hmm. But that doesn't look like you. Is it the beard? No, you still have a beard..." She paused, "Oh, it's because you've lost so much weight your face looks different now."

I love her!

Go USA!

I'm no expert, but I think America got lucky to get a tie against England.

170 (+ 2) students to grade

I was supposed to be done by now. I was confident I'd be done by now.

Alas, I am not done by now. I could be, but a few scores on the finals just didn't jive: A high B/low A student stored 25% on the final? Another student who had never mustered higher than 75% on a quiz/midterm scored 90% on the final.

Before I enter the final grades I want to physically look at the answer sheets and questions for these outliers. Here's a good reason why: While grading one set of tests I had the wrong answer key. I had graded about ten at that point. With the new answer key most scores weren't changed much at all. A point or two up or a point or two down. In other words, the students were purely guessing and for some it wouldn't matter which key was randomly picked to grade their tests.

It's almost midnight friday here. My fretting is almost over. I promised the classes that I'd have them posted by noon tomorrow. In the morning I will iron out the controversies. I don't have the brain cells left tonight.

******

WHY, WHY, WHY am I leaving on the 15th? I know the reason: Leaving a day later raised the airfare by $150 - $200. I am not ready to go. I'd happilly stay until the end of June if I had my choice. but spending 1500 Dh to change is not worth it.

Now there's a defense!

Steve (to the class): Stop looking at each other's papers. Stop cheating!

Student: But we're Arab, sir!

The class laughed hard.

Putting it in perspective

I was telling Ann about my test mistake and car expense. She said, "Imagine if this happened a few years ago. You would have been dead broke with no money to fix the car and Susan would have been apopletic."

Yep. I've been lulled into a state of bliss here that I had forgotten what life was like just a few short years ago.

My life as a dog

As I've explained before, it's a movie that has become a standard motto in my life: No matter how bad I have it I can usually find people who have it worse.

Today is no exception.

From the top: Today one co-worker tried to throw me under the bus and another was willing to help push. Why? I had volunteered to write multiple versions of an exam for 250 students. After I wrote it I begged for someone to proof read it. None of colleagues did and I made a stupid numbering error. Let's see if you can figure it out. You have multiple choice questions from 1 - 60.

At one point you see:

40.
44.
42.
43.
44.
45.

OK, so the first 44 should have been a 41. At the end of the test you see:

57.
58.
29.
60.

OK, so the 29 should have been a 59. I wrote the test and it was my mistake. If any of the five others teaching the class had bothered to proof it when I asked it would have been caught. Regardless, it's not a big problem. My colleagues chose to go to my boss and basically call me incompetent.

I showed my boss the aggregious error and his response was, "That's it? Well, first of all you should have never had to do this by yourself and second of all they played it up like a much bigger issue than it is."

(Working for my boss is very different than working for Susan.)

This evening I found out my total for fixing my car has exceeded $1500. Yippee.

Still, things could be much worse. Tonight friends are holding a wake for a colleague who just six months ago told Ann she wasn't feeling well. The ill feeling turned out to be progressive cancer. A week ago 22 English teachers were e-mailed and told they were being forceably transferred to a different collegein a different city. Because five of them said, "Hell, no we won't go" and quit another set of five were picked just last night. If any those turn it down another name will be drawn.

So, yeah, it's not been a great day but at least I'm alive, I have a job I like in a city I like. And that's better than what millions of Americans have right now and billions in other countries.

Finals e-mail of the day

Sent an hour after the final:

Hi Mr.Steven
Mr.Steven, actually, from the beginning of this semester I worked hard and studied well for Management because my goal was to get three (A)s so that I can increase my GPA so that I can get a better salary from my job and now I have got two (A)s and waiting for the thired one which is in your hand and I swear that I studied for Mangement more than 5 days And I think you saw my face, I even did not have time to shave my beard I understood the subject but the problem is that my English is poor And I think I have done good but what I'm scared about is that I don't want to mess the (A)

and now Mr.Steven please if you can do somthing to help
ANd today I wont be able to sleep if I did not get an answer or reply for this message

My reply:

First, congratulations! That's the best request I've read in my two years here. Second, I will promise you that you will get the best grade you have earned by points but if you bombed the final there's really not much I can do. I will be turning in all of the finals and they are randomly checked. If I gave an A to someone who scored poorly on the final I will lose my job.

My hope - and I'm sure it is yours - is that you didn't bomb the final. I probably won't have it graded until Thursday morning, but I will let you know when I do.

Steve

168 hours

At this moment a week from now I will be sitting on a plane in Dubai headed for home. (Assuming the British Airways strike is over.) I'm ready. In fact, if I had to leave now without packing a thing I'd be OK.

But I will be sad as I leave. Why? I will be leaving a friend who - by the time I leave - will have no other friends or family in the country.

This isn't a romantic story; he is not a "friend" requiring quote marks. He's a friend whose other friends are in Egypt and his family will spend the summer there but he will be here.

There are so many things I have had for most of my life that I had no idea I should be happy about. Having friends & family within a 300 mile radius is something I had never given a second thought.

As much as my frustration level has hit a point where I really, really need to get out of this country it will be hard to leave.

Finals e-mail of the day

This student needs 75% and is getting 63%. Here's the last sentence of a lengthy plea:

"Please don not let this course to be the worst and black point in my life."

This e-mail disturbs me. First, it is borderline suicidal (which is not, in itself, a big deal because students here are masters of drama... If I said, "I'll give you an A if you can cry and produce real tears" I'm pretty sure most would walk out with an A.) Second, this was a student who actually tried. She never missed a class and never came late. She sat in the front row and took notes.

A teacher wants to believe that diligent students will understand the material. To have proof otherwise is disturbing.

Paging Rodney Dangerfield

Living and working here you get kinda used to stupid, ridiculous things that are beyond reason. Many times I've tried to logically analyze something only to be reminded by a friend where I'm living.

But this one takes the cake.

This university has hundreds of classrooms spread out over many campuses. Some rooms are small, many large and a few the size of a gymnasium. I have two classes taking an exam at the same time tomorrow. One is a class of 27 and the other is 37. One large room would be handy, right?

I have been assigned three classrooms that each seat 24. I asked to change and was told nothing was available. I went up the food chain at the registration office. "Oh, no sir, every room is occupied."

Really?

I told my boss, "No problem. At the time of the final I will find a better room (several are close by) and move my classes."

My boss replied, "You can't. Some exams start a half hour after yours. You can't move because you don't know if somebody will need the room in the middle of your final."

An additional bonus? The rooms are so small it is begging the guys to cheat, and they don't need much of an invitation on a good day.

This is bizarre even by the odd standards here. A friend asked, "Wow, who did you piss off?" And that's just it: Nobody. I have never met any of the bureacrats in the registration office. Not one, but I picture them thinking, "Oh, let's fuck with this guy..."

Or more likely, there really wasn't any malice intended. Instead they saw 64 students and said, "66 seats spread across three rooms will be fine."

And so it goes.

Finals e-mail of the day

For the next couple of days I plan to publish my favorite e-mail of the day.

A student currently at 65% in the class sent me this:

Dr. i sent this e-mail to help me to get a good grade because Dr. this is my last semester and i dont want my GPA to go less than 2.8 and if you push me to
get a B Dr. please.

Looking forward to your help Dr. Steven.

I don't think I'll be helping his 2.8 GPA.

Disorientation

This post might be linked to the one below.

After giving a last night (a Saturday) and one this morning (Sunday) I'm feeling like it's already the middle of the week.

I logged into my favorite news blogs - TPM and Taeggan Goddarg (links to the right) and wondered why they had only one post for the day.

I totally forgot it is the weekend back home.

Seeing things?

It is almost midnight. I just got home after 90 minutes of photocopying. (The joys of teaching.) As I was driving home I saw a white/western guy wearing a cowboy hat and a pirate shirt riding a horse along side the road.

I pulled over. I rubbed my eyes. It was real.

Either it was real or I'm losing it.

Possibly both.

Fall evaluations

Today - June 5 - I received my fall 2009 evaluations. There were not as funny as previous evaluations and the numbers were slightly above the college average. I'm just not used to being slightly above. I have few talents. I don't have mechanical ability, artistic ability, physical ability, singing ability, good looks or a quick wit.

The one thing I have going for me is teaching ability. I don't want to be above average. I want to be GREAT!

I don't know when I'll get this semester's evaluations (December?) but it will be interesting to see if there is a difference. I vowed and repeated the vow that I would not phone it in this semester. There's no question I went all out: Rewrote the PowerPoints for my classes. I created a voice-over "movie" of some of the chapters so students would hear my wonderful lesson at their convenience... I held extra sessions for those wanting review. Seriously, I can't think anything more I could have done.

It will be interesting to see if any of it makes a difference. I'll let you in 2 weeks - 6 months when I read them.

There's no place like home!

Like Dorothy my quest to get home may not be as easy as expected. The first leg of my trip on June 15 is on British Airways. The cabin crews have gone on strike and the flights for next week have been cancelled. For the week after they are undetermined.

I booked this trip because it was $300 less than the direct flight to Atlanta course and $400 less than the Abu Dhabi straight to Chicago flight. This is a case where trying to save money might not have been the best move.

Since when is 430,000 new jobs NOT great news?

Today's news sounds good: 430,000 new jobs created in May with the unemployment rate dropping. Why is this being seen as bad news? 411,000 of the new jobs are temporary census workers.

For this recovery to really take off there needs to be an increase in private sector jobs. Businesses have been reluctant to hire because, 1. The recovery is weak and they don't want to prematurely hire in case the economy goes back down, and 2. Productivity has been increasing at a stunning pace. Why hire when you can get more out of your existing workforce?

But will anyone read their pleas?

Odds & ends

Ann was spared the forced relocation, at least for now. It's quite possibly a temporary reprieve as all have been informed that they may still be moved in August. And in a year the plan is to shut down the program completely.

I am more optimistic for Ann than she is for herself. Why? She's spearheading a project that will still be here even after the remedial English program is ended. Plus, nothing here sticks to a normal time table. Culturally, deadlines are seen as vague guidelines. As a Type A personality it drives me nuts but it is the way of life here.

In the fall I hope they create a better system for deciding who will stay and who will go. I don't want to spend the year wondering if this is the last year I'll be living with Ann & Mike. (I'm not 100% self-centered as the previous statement sounds... I think creating reasonable criteria like I talked about a couple of posts down would be good for everyone.)

*****

I have no news on the car as it is being fixed. I know some of you want details on the accident. I may be up for writing about it someday but not today. Suffice to say it was declared no-fault. I don't have to pay for the other guy but since I only had liability on the car I have to pay for my own damages and the estimate is about $1200. Ugh.

Soccer

As an American I still don’t understand the rest of the world’s love of soccer. To me it is mostly a boring game with less action than baseball… and that’s saying something.

I guess part of the reason we don’t get soccer is that we don’t understand the political message the game sends: Rich or poor, everyone can play soccer. It unites countries, even those with repressive governments.

Such nationalism comes easy for Americans. We rule the world with our military, McDonalds, Microsoft, Coke and the dollar. The soccer field is the place where relatively small countries can - and often do -kick our ass.

I find this video addicting. It’s sponsored by Coke and has most every country in the World Cup in it. The political message can’t be missed and - although I understand nothing she is singing - I love the Arabic singer’s voice.

Young Boozer for Treasurer

That's not a headline from The Onion.

Young Boozer won the Republican primary for Alabama Treasurer yesterday. I'm not calling Republicans alcoholics, it's the guy's name: Young Boozer.

I would have included a picture but this is a case where the name does NOT match the face.

Al & Tipper divorcing?

Not much surprises me in the worlds of sex and politics, but the news of the Gore separation is a shocker.

As a photographer and political geek my all-time favorite picture is one I took at a Gore rally in the fall of 1999. The Vice President signed it and later Tipper gave her autograph. It still hangs on a wall at my house in the US.

In the wake of the Clinton years the Gores succeeded in projecting the image of a couple very much in love.

Fast forward to 1:26 to see the rather bizarre deep tongue swab Al gives Tipper before giving his acceptance speech at the 2000 Democratic convention. Comedian Bill Maher calls it the “Make no mistake: I fuck my wife” kiss. After Clinton’s escapades most people found the kiss reassuring. (Not me, I think Al was more upset at Clinton than the American people. Not using Clinton as an asset in the fall of 2000 likely cost him the White House.)

So today I am left wondering what Bill and Hillary are thinking of this news.

A case study in Human Resource Management

Today or tomorrow many of my friends will learn if they are being transferred against their will. So who will stay and who will go? Appropriate criteria would be:

• Teaching ability based on years of evaluations
• Seniority
• Proven flexibility (a person able to teach various courses)
• Overall job performance
• Service to the college/community (measured as part of our annual reviews)

None of the above criteria are being used. The westerners running the system here chose:

• Family situation (those with no kids go first)
• Marital status (Singles go before marrieds)
• A vague "college needs" statement which is a polite way of asking, "Do the people making the decision like you?"

What an incredible set of decision making criteria! You suck as a teacher and do nothing for the college or community? No problem if you have the right connections.

Good child-less single teachers will be transferred over some lazy colleagues who chose to pro-create.

Amazing, amazing stuff.