All You Need Is A Smiling Face (and tofu)

The most alluring feature of Club Tropicana are the drinks - they are absolutely free. Starting with the sparkling white wine at the check in, the umbrellaed cocktails while you wait for the suitcases to find their way to your room, the icy sloshies by the pool, the wine with dinner, the brandy after dinner and the shots during the post dinner dancing, by the time I got to looking at what was promised to be a stunning view, my vision was simply not up to the task.

Through my blurred vision, and as the rocky surface got dangerously friendly with my cheek, a kind and smiling stranger took my hand, sat me down, found a vain and led me to that special paradise only the dangerously wasted can experience through the gentle bite of an intravenous hydration. It is impressively rare for a hotel to be so well equipped to handle its patrons' special needs - as I woke up and saw the familiar mustach of the pool's bartender I learned that all alcohol serving staff are also trained nurses, fully prepared for such situations.

The next 2 days were a dream. With a serine and unending desert surrounding the hotel, Club Tropicana looks like an especially scrumptious mirage. From the inside it feels like the world has finally ended and all the was left are very, to extremely, tipsy young people ready to welcome the apocalypse with excessive sinning.

There were two things that made the experience just shy of perfect. While I am a huge fan of the 80s vibe, apparently the 80s were not very vegan friendly, and, aside from alcohol, my diet consisted mostly of french fries and ketchup. The other thing was the unfortunate absence of a beach - the whole atmosphere was very tropical and a sea was truly missing in order to complete it.

If you are young, available, have a strong liver and low morals, Club Tropicana has a whole lot of fun and sunshine waiting just for you. If you are vegan make sure to pack your own tofu into your bag. Other than that, the best advice I can give you is to catch the next plane and leave tonight.  

Front of the Class

Have you ever heard about Tourette's Syndrome? Do you know what it means and what effects it has?

I hadn't heard about it before I watched "Front of the Class".

As a parent and as a teacher, I would definitely recommend watching this film. The plot centres around a man dealing with the challenge of Tourette's Syndrom. It shows us how it affects his life from childhood and how he manages to overcome all the obstacles at the beginning with his mother's help then thanks to his perseverance. The plot is based on a true story which follows the life of Brad Cohen.

The movie is thoroughly engaging with a light and merry music. James Wolk is brilliant in the role of Brad with an excellent imitation of the syndrome's voices and no, it is not funny or cynical. One just needs to see it in order to understand it.

I really enjoyed this moving film for the different uplifting messages we can learn from it. First of all it has a hint of optimism. Then, it gives us a different insight on handicaped or annoying children and how we can just look for the treasures that lay inside them despite all the appearances. As educators, I really think we should strive to help kids bring their inner treasures out (although it is generally very hard).

Inspiring is also the hero's struggle to fulfill his dream to become a teacher. For that  he has to overcome many hurdles and the first one is how people look at him and even his father doesn't believe in his abilities. The fact that he is not discouraged and becomes a gifted teacher is outstanding in my eyes.

"Front of the Class", the hero being whether a child or a teacher, a touching movie which depicts the hero's struggle to have a normal life, will not let you stay indifferent.

Lion is the heartbreaking and inspiring original true story of the lost little boy who found his way home twenty-five years later and is now a major film starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Rooney Mara.

Say Something!

The Dalai Lama XIVI once said: "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito."
 We are all familiar with bullying.Bullying meets us almost everywhere.  Nowadays, there is an increase in violence and bullying among children and teenagers.  One of the issues with bullying is, what should one do if one sees someone else being bullied?

Not Rocket Science

My mother and I wanted to go out to the movies together. "Let's go watch something that's worth watching at the cinema, instead of downloading at home like we always do", I said, and my mother had the perfect movie in mind; "Let's go to Hidden Figures', I think it fits perfectly to what you want." I read the synopsis and I understood that the plot revolves around NASA and mathematics... Not exactly my cup of tea.

The Sandwich feedback

I have found myself in many situations in life thinking of the best way to deliver my feedback in a way which will get the most effective result and in the most positive way. I think that the way you provide your feedback to your students as well as to your kids is crucial for their cooperation and attitude towards learning in the future.

What's Your Secret?

We all have secrets. Some are bigger, some are smaller, but they are always there.

How many of us carry a secret which we've never told anyone? Wouldn't it be great to let the secret out and unload the burden?

My Best Restaurant is at Home!

After trying  going out and enjoying different kind of restaurants, I came to the conclusion that the best food is at home. There are many reasons why. Some of them are well-known, some of them not. The first good reason is that you know what is inside what you are eating and this is very important in my eyes. The second reason is that it is a very challenging art to cook if you want to be audacious while being limited by various constraints: earthly limits, religious limits and endless inventiveness. Sometimes I feel like a scientific researcher doing experiments in a lab or like an engineer creating a new engine especially since I have some chemistry and physics background. In the same way, I sometimes feel like an artist finishing his or her work.

The Zookeeper’s Wifae – No Eye Will Remain Dry…

This is an exciting story about a couple of righteous gentiles who saved more than 300 Jews during the Holocaust. Dr. Jan Żabiński and his wife, Antonina were the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo. At the beginning of the movie they are seen very much devoted to their work and in general very good and humble people. When Germany invaded Poland, their zoo was destroyed and as a plan to save Jews they offered the Germans to make it a facility for pigs. Dr. Jan Żabiński got inside the Warsaw ghetto to take out trash in order to feed the pigs and smuggled Jews to his zoo. That way they managed to save hundreds of Jews during the war.

Spinnig around...

 

 

The latest hit among children is the "Spinner". It drives everyone crazy. Children are asking for it and teachers are asking the children not to have it. This spinner is sold as some helper for children with ADHD however we don’t really know if it’s true. As far as i can tell this little spinning device makes these children more focused on how to spin it rather than listen to the teacher in the class. They are less involved in the lesson and it is also a distraction to other children around them. As a teacher with ADD I find it very HARD to teach while the children play with the spinner in class. I hear the noise it makes and it interferes with  my thoughts while teaching. If we really want to help children with ADD/ADHD give them some Play-Doh in their hands. It is cheaper than the spinner and it can do a better job as a focusing technique in class.

 

We need to be more creative as teachers and not allow these "games" be in our class. we need tools to help children deal with their listening problems. It’s not easy but we can do it!!!

 

 

Want an Ace-fly first class!

I'm glad to introduce to you all the first class flight's services!

We can see in movies how other people fly first class, but why don’t try this privilege yourself? To enjoy the luxury and benefits with no stress on a short haul or long haul.  Indeed, it’s not cheap but there are times in life that you can allow yourself to be spoiled a little especially if there is some special occasion coming up or someone special you want to pamper…

Smart move

Do you think it’s the end of civilization? Do you think that people don't see one another ?

Are we on the way to disaster? Should we speak up and change what we don't agree with?

Prince E.A , an American spoken word artist , poet and rapper  thinks we should.