A run in the Jungle

Yes, I am alive and well. The jungle run was fantastic. We started in the jungles outside of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Saturday June 3rd at 7:30 AM and finished in the dark of night at 8:00 PM. One of my team mates had to drop out due to extreme dehydration, heart arrhythmias, and slurring of words (mostly obscenities) at a check point around 5 hours. We spent the last 7 hours picking off other teams trying to make up for lost time. It was the type of run you would hope for - Leeches, blood, mud, rivers, tumbles and spills, more blood, plenty of rain, and extreme exhaustion. I’m hooked. More to follow later…

Nigel and Shirine Wed!

 
Our dear friends, Nigel and Shirine got married this weekend in Bali! The ceremony was gorgeous and the party that followed... divine! 

The Happy Newlyweds

  

Not to be outdone by daddy, Zee also sports a Batik for the wedding

  

Breakdancer in the HOUSE

  

I always love a good boogie!

  

Genius baby learns to read and make own food at 9 months!

 
Zee gets really into his bedtime reading. I caught him studying up on dietary recommendations and recipes for applesauce. After a few minutes of study he remarked, without looking up from the text, "Hey mom, I don't think I'm getting enough Vitamin A!" 

GQ Junior

 
The latest fashion for the 'under one' set this season is a striped onesie. Accessories include sockies, plastic bibs and baseball hats. 

Hey good lookin'

  

Busy, Busy, Busy

Ok all, I feel very bad because I have not had the time to update the blog. I feel like I am disappointing my readers and therefore my readership is going down and may never return. I have not provided you an update on Vanessa’s birthday or on Zee’s new found love…yep he’s discovered the mirror and he loves himself. Vanessa and Zee are doing great. I may have to have Vanessa take over for a bit but she is as crazy busy as myself.

I am swamped and I hoping to climb out of this deep trench soon. I have eighty presentations to grade and I am organizing a “speak in” tomorrow with about six speakers. They will speak on prescient issues of the 21st Century (e.g. environment, human rights, science and technology, etc). My students are beginning their last unit and I want them to get an idea of what is going on from people in the trenches and just how scary this world of ours is looking. My students will have to research a topic in a group and present their issue at the end of seven weeks. It should be an interesting. I will try to post some significant visuals soon and hopefully provide more interesting news soon…..time, time, time.

Zee and Mommy are all smiles 

New Look

You may have noticed an addition to the blog. I have included a site from www.last.fm think you will enjoy it. Basically you are able to enter a band or artist you enjoy and this site will put together a compilation of similar artists for your streaming pleasure. It is a great way for you to get some exposure to some less well known but exciting groups out there for free. Create your own radio station with songs you really want to hear. You will see the last five songs that I am listening to. If you refresh you will see new songs if I am listening at that moment. I have eclectic taste. We can even link up. My call name is Grubstaker if you want to look me up and connect. A special thanks to Mkinzer for sharing this site. Enjoy!

A Stellar Day

I love great days! Today was one of them. I had taught my students/kids about Command and Market economies but I wanted to figure out a way for them to apply this knowledge to the real world. This crazy world of globalization in which you pick up the phone to order a Dell Inspiron notebook computer from Tennessee and the person who answers the phone is located in Bangalore, India, who then sends the order to Penang, Malaysia that manages the ‘just in time’ processing orders. The microprocessor comes from the Philippines, the memory from Korea owned by a Taiwanese company, the graphics card from China…..until you get your computer assembled from parts from over 400 suppliers throughout the world in less than a week. A world in which, according to the book “The World IS Flat” by Thomas Friedman “No two countries that both have a McDonald’s have ever fought a war against each other since each got its McDonald’s. (Border skirmishes and civil wars don’t count, because McDonald’s usually served both sides”.

I ended up creating a tribunal/role play that dealt with the issues of ‘sustainable’ development and ethical trade. The scenario was a fictional multinational toy factory located in the US that was getting bad press because the factory workers located in China were striking for higher wages and better working conditions. The students were put in five groups: Toy Store executives in the US who contracted out manufacturing of their toys to factory owners in China, factory owners in China (the suppliers who manufacture the toys and hire low wage employees), the Chinese government, all rural women factory workers (who earned lower than minimum wage, worked 72 hours a week, had compulsory overtime, and lived 30 women to a room with little to no ventilation). The last group was an International Foundation for Ethical sourcing that had been hired to bring all the groups to together to resolve the issue of the factory workers striking for better wages and working conditions as well as to reduce the blowback for the company. These students acted as the mediators/judges/arbitrators. I told them they had to resolve the dispute of the factory workers on strike because the strikes were spreading throughout China and threatened the economic and political stability of China. This was all based on a real case study. I watched in amazement how the students reacted.

To cut to the chase the students loved the lesson and although they had learned the benefits of a market economy they also gained a better understanding of the other side of market economy that is often overlooked. The issue of TNCs locating to countries of the South because wages are lower, unions are weak, and environmental standards are low and not strictly enforced. The fight to get the lowest price on goods and the highest profit margin which may have negative affects on the workers.

The students were able to see how this idea of globalization is playing out. The demands were heated, fingers were pointed, bribes were attempted, and death threats made (just like in real life) and learning happened. They could see how hard it was to maintain codes of conduct, pay fair wages, and still make everyone happen in an ever changing world and in a country that wants more multinationals to boost the economy but walks a tight rope on how the command side for fear of losing the market side to other countries.

I had several students stay after class to ask me why people stay in jobs they don’t like or in which they mistreat people. I love it when it they question. I love it when they are engaged. These students of mine who will be running businesses of their own, be leaders of countries, making policy….it’s a good thing. One of my students asked me why these workers who mistreat people just don’t leave their jobs? I asked her what she thought. Another student chimed in to help her out and said because they are paid a lot of money and if they leave the job they probably wont find a job that pays the same amount. I ask if being paid a lot is the most important thing. I see blank stares and heads start to move from side to side. "You know," I say, "I used to have a job that paid very well and I wasn't passionate about it. Now I am a teacher. Do you think I get paid a lot?" That was a no brainer. "No, Mr. Dickey we know teachers don't make a lot of money." "But do you think I'm happy?" "Yeah, you're happy and I think that is more important than making money because you feel better and don't hurt people," my normally shy student replies. "I agree with you," I tell her. " These factory owners could always quit and do economics, " she says. When I ask her what she means she tells to me they can trade online like her. She says she has made a great sum of money e-trading on the Internet. She explains that economics is all she has known. Her parents are economists and since she has been a small child economics are all they talk about at home. Even her grandmother trades online. She says the problems we discuss are often talked about at home and apply to buying stocks. Did I mention she is in the eighth grade? Another student asks me if the workers at our school are treated fairly. Another student from a class I had earlier in the day quickly reports that the workers are quite happy and said they make a fair wage….she smiles and says she has already walked around and asked them. Did I tell you I love my job!

It's Vanessa's Birthday!!

Today is Vanessa’s birthday! It is also Nyepi, a day of silence in Bali. Even though this is a Balinese tradition it is an official holiday throughout Indonesia. Vanessa’s organization decided to move the holiday to tomorrow (Friday) in order to have a three day weekend so Vanessa has to work and has a meeting in the evening as well. I made pancakes this morning for breakfast before V headed off to work. I will pick up her cake now. We will celebrate her birthday on Sunday by having brunch at one of the hotels here.

This pics you see are the effigies they burn to ward off evil spirits and V helping Zee open his gift from Grandma Dotty.

Interested in your Feedback

To all those who actually take the time to view this Blog can you provide feedback on what you like or dislike about the site. Also, could you tell me what you would like me to write about or not write about? This would be helpful. Just hit the comment button and I will receive the message.

Thanks,

DickeyBirds

Momma V and Zee

Zee and Momma cuddle and hang out. 

Our Hero

A hero is born and his name is Zee. Somehow Zee managed a trip to dreamland two nights in a row. Last night would have been the big number three but cries emanating from his room were not the normal whimpers he usually makes. Daddy responded to the 911. Daddy assessed the situation and sure enough, my boy had a wet nappy. Zee’s call was justified and I after a quick change and warm embrace I positioned him in his crib massaging his back and head. After a few minutes Zee traveled back to sleepy land. I actually thought I dreamt the whole thing until I bumped into the door on my way to my bed.

This goes out to Rachel Banken who inspires me to write because she actually checks our Blog not monthly, not weekly, but daily. Thanks Rachel. Rachel (and anyone else that is having trouble with their baby sleeping through the night) here is how V and I have done it. I think every baby is different but here is what has worked for us. We go through the normal routine of bath, calm down time (hard for Papa), story time, and then Mommy will put him down for the night after he goes to milk town. The hardest part for Mom is walking out and leaving your little cherub all alone to cry it out. It’s not easy. Sorry to say every time you go back in to check on your gift to the world you are making it harder on him because you produce that beautiful Mommy scent. That love perfume that says I’m here and will give you milk, hold you, protect you, love you, and enable you to cry more and keep Momma and Papa up all night. So now you have three people sleep deprived instead of two…and hopefully none in a short time.

That’s where Daddy comes in. We are the cleaners/jackals (see the movie Le Femme Nikita) in this scenario and it sucks. Mom is depleted. She pumps early in the AM, goes to work, stresses and finds time to breast feed in between meetings, sometimes eats, and then comes home to her little miracle at night and plays, caresses, loves, and then pumps late at night before going to be. She forgets what sleeping more than two hours feels like. She wonders what day it is. Anyway, she calls in Daddy to take care of business. That’s what we Daddy’s do. Instead of sweet smellin’ Mommy coming to the rescue baby is caressed by Daddy. Here’s how I think Zee would see it - “Wait, why is Daddy here? He has no organic milk farm. He has a much different body odor and is much more hirsute than Momma. He tosses me around, makes me spew up my food, and creates red rashes all over my body from his unshaven face blowing air into my naked stomach that makes me giggle. I know he is cool and I feel safe, but crap, if only I had a bit of that Mommy perfume to sniff I could fall to sleep. I need my fix. Well, it looks like the milk truck may have left the station tonight and I’m stuck with Daddy. Ugggh, I’m tired…..whoaa, I’m sleeping like a baby.”

Put your man in charge of your baby tonight. Let baby cry for no more than ten minutes the first time then have him come and rub the baby’s back (Zee like to sleep on his stomach – I wouldn’t recommend this in the first six months due to SIDS). Zee likes to get up on all fours and bang his head against the mattress. I apply gentle pressure to hold his head down and caress the back of his head and back. I then leave the room. If he starts to cry I will time it for about 5 minutes. Then go back in and massage him again. I don’t pick him and I don’t talk to him (I did pick him up, talk to him and sing to him at first but I wouldn’t recommend it because it didn’t help). If your man is like me he will want to run in at the sound of even the slightest whimper….DONT DO IT! Let the little guy whimper and cry a bit (five -10 minutes) to see if he will adjust himself. If baby keeps crying just repeat the above routine. It is well worth it for the both of you. I have been sleeping in another room so Vanessa doesn’t even know what is going on. If she did she would come to Zee’s aid. Last night after V put him to bed he didn’t stop crying so V went back in to talk with Zee to let him know it was ok. I had to kick her out and remind her that she had violated the code. Yep, it’s a code alright and it’s an understanding Daddy and son have in the same way you and baby bond through breast feeding. I do recognize when Zee needs me though. Last night his cry was louder and I knew something was up. Sure enough he needed a nappy change and went back to sleep. A baby will generally cry for a reason. At first it is due to the routine and having Momma there but I think after they understand how nice it is to sleep through the night the baby wakes up for different reasons…mainly because he is cold, needs a baby change, or sick.

It only took me one night to get Zee on track. I woke up maybe twice. The first time was about 30 minutes and the second time it was an hour. That is 1.5 hours of sleep which is nothing. Your man may be a zombie for the first few days but he’ll be glad he did it for the three of you. I hope this helps you Rachel. Let us know what happens and thanks for reading our blog.

Miracles never cease…

Daddy was on duty again last night and something very strange occurred - Something very extraordinary. Our little Zee actually slept through the entire night. Vanessa laid Zee in the crib without his normal before bed boob suck on Mommy’s au natural milk farm and walked out. I had been to the store and returned to hear my little man crying but did not go in. He finally calmed down and dozed off. We had ordered in and ate a nice Indian dinner and then settled down to watch a film called The Constant Gardener. We kept the baby monitor close by and waited to hear something from our little buddy….but the monitor remained silent. Vanessa went in to check on him and found him on his tummy breathing softly. We finished the movie without any interruptions and I settled in for a long night while Vanessa hit the sack.

Since I am on spring break and don’t have to work I am on Zee duty. My responsibility is to get Zee off the Mommy milk train so she can finally get a decent night sleep. Last night, Saturday apparently went well as I let Zee cry for three minutes, and then picked him up for a few minutes, set him down and let him cry another five minutes…and so on until he finally slept. He woke twice and this process went on for 30 minutes and then 45 minutes. I even felt rested when I woke up and placed Zee in the bed with Mommy and headed out before 0545.

I opened my book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and read while waiting for the baby monitor to let out a squawk…and read, and read. I had just started the book and I was already on page 67. I looked at my watch and noticed it was already 11:00 PM. I ran and checked on little buddy and found him purring. Nice! This wasn’t normal. He should have already woken up. I went to sleep in an adjacent room with the baby monitor next to my head and dozed off. I woke up in a panic at 0300 and ran to Zees room. There he was. Face down breathing gently. Thanks goodness! I went back to sleep and didn’t awake until 0530 which is sleepin’ in over here in Muslim land.

Let’s see what tonight holds.

Reality check

Women's Winner of 5KM

The three of us arrive at the zoo for a 5km race. The race consists of about 500 runners and we know most of them. Today the elite runners from Indonesia will be competing for some good cash and prizes the likes of plane tickets to Singapore and Bali. You also get a nice wicking T-shirt for entering the race. Our other running partner, Barb, is in charge of the overall scoring of the race and she has been up until 0300. She looks stressed. We wave hello and leave her. We warm up and try to get a good sweat going. It’s time to line up at the start.

The announcer gives us no warning. He suddenly raises the starting gun as if trying to target a small bird among a flock and fires. Bang! The crowd disperses in a wild frenzy as the slow runners in the front make it difficult for the faster ones to get by. People trip and fall, touch and bump, hop and push, until the pack thins out. I am feeling pretty good as I jet out. I pass some friends and shout their names. A 5km race is fast and pretty much an all out sprint. I feel someone close behind me breathing intensely. He sounds like he is hyperventilating. I speed up to lose him. I get annoyed when I feel someone is breathing down my neck. The breathing continues.

As it turns out the heavy breather is a good friend of mine. He is tailing me and using me as his pacer. He and I both ran the Singapore marathon together in December. When I passed out in Singapore after crossing the finish line I actually requested his help. Since he too had passed out the year before running the same marathon I knew that he could at least let Vanessa know I would be ok as the ambulance rushed me off in a delirious and vomitus state hooked up to an IV. He and I are always neck and neck on runs. I beat him the last time. I know he wants bragging rights. One thing I might add is that he is also 51 years old. He is currently training for the Comrades race in South Africa - A grueling run of 90 Km with a cut off time of 12 hours.

As we both run stride for stride my lungs start to fill heavy and my breathing becomes labored. His breathing is also throwing me off. I realize I am starting to hit my wall. I pass a 15 year old girl who is a fasty and student at my school. It feels good to pass her but I wonder if I can keep it up. I beat her last week but can I pull another repeat. At 2.5 km I start to fade and she swiftly passes me. I can still see the back of my friends head a bit ahead as sweat drips down my nose. My lungs aren’t processing the air fast enough to catch up. My legs begin to sense the need for more oxygen. I fight to keep them turning over at a respectable pace. I run up to another high school student from my school and encourage him onward. “Let’s go,” I mumble. He gradually moves ahead of me. I begin to question myself. Maybe it’s because I have a terminal illness. Maybe I need to make an appointment for an MRI. Why are these people passing me? Am I sick? Is it age? A combination of the two? A sign on the side of the path states there is 1 km left until the finish. This last bit will be a cruel incline that will make me wish I were back in my Momma’s womb. I battle the burn in my chest and legs as I play cat and mouse with the high school student. I overtake him and then he gets ahead of me. There is one last prominence leading to the finish line. The student makes his move and I encourage him to sprint on. My fuel gauge teeters on empty - a few fumes remain. With 15 yards remaining in the race I notice the student’s breathing is labored and he struggling to maintain the sprint. I rally some energy to kick it in. I am the cat and I he is the mouse. I eat the mouse before the finish line.

The 15 year old girl is at the finish line and about to faint. There is blood running from her knee. As I watch the blood ooze from her wound I recognize that not only did she fall on the course but she still managed to get back up and kick my slow sorry ass. I like this girl. She wants to cry but I remind her that she should be smiling because she is done. She fights back the tears trying to catch her breath. As I walk her to the aid station I realize that I have been outrun by a 15 year old girl and 51 year old man. I am just glad the lions didn’t get out today because I would have been eaten alive.

Barb, Andy and Rob later ask me how I could let a 51 year old beat me.

Grieving

A student of mine stops by after school and asks me if I have ever been emotionally depressed. I relay a few middle school stories and ask him what is going on. He tells me that he had a teacher in Singapore who had really helped him when he was a new student there. He said the teacher then suddenly died one day. Instead of going to the funeral he decided to avoid “going and placing flowers on the grave”. He nearly starts to cry. “I wish I would have gone to the funeral,” Mr. Dickey, “but I didn’t. I didn’t really have a chance to grieve. That teacher was really important to me. I became really depressed because I held my feelings in.” I ask him what he has learned from his experience. “What will you do now if something happens to someone you care about?” I ask him. “I will grieve Mr. Dickey,” he says. “I want to let others know about my story.” I think your teacher would be proud of you I tell him. Your teacher taught you a valuable lesson and it appears you have learned it well. “Yes, I want to use this in a speech for English. Do you think it will be good Mr. Dickey?” he asks hesitantly. “As long as you are real and genuine like you have been with me it will be amazing I tell him.” He thanks me and heads out the door. I love my job.