Quick Update
Well, this blog hasn't really served a noticeable purpose in my life for a while since most people I stay in touch with have contacted me via email/Facebook/other means (oh yes...the phone!) but I just wanted to write a very quick update in case there are people out there who still follow this blog :)1) Work-wise: I currently am volunteering/guest instructing for Bridges to Understanding and working full time at the University of Washington Medical Center's department of Organizational Development and Training. Our team helps do small-group consulting/team-building projects and larger continuing education projects (in the "soft-skills" category - leadership development/customer service) for all staff at the UWMC. It's a fast-paced, exciting work environment and I really enjoy being able to apply lessons I've learned from my past education/psychology experiences. I'm also taking a Training Specialist Certificate program which has helped me think about how adults learn in a broader context.
2) Dance-wise: last fall I started teaching Introduction to Lindy Hop with legendary Seattle instructor Chris Chapman at HepCat Productions, www.SeattleSwing.Com. You can check our class offerings out at the website, and there's a neat little bio here. Teaching has been fascinating on so many levels...I've realized that in the very beginning stages, the process of learning dance is very similar to learning a language (but in addition to linguistic intelligence you have to add musical and kinesthetic to the mix!). Really, though, partner dancing is essentially nonverbal communication (set to music) and the best way to learn any form of communication is to immerse oneself in it. I've thoroughly enjoyed teaching from a social, kinesthetic and musical perspective and I hope to expand to teaching children (especially those from a lower socioeconomic background for whom dance is generally a luxury). I've also done some performing and video-taping of local social dancing/events in the Seattle area, accessible on my youtube site.
3) Other: I'm still playing indoor soccer with Arena Sports; I organized a team made mostly from members of the Seattle Anti-Freeze group, which seeks to welcome people into the Seattle area (and get rid of the notion that there is a "Seattle Freeze" where people are only superficially nice). It's been a fun way to meet people I normally wouldn't come into contact with otherwise!
I'm also delving more into the realm of photography (see my flickr site here) since I acquired my first digital SLR camera last December. I've figured out a few of the settings but am looking forward to graduating to manual one of these days!
Other than that, I've been doing a few other professional/personal development activities and mostly spending time with friends/family and continuing to explore Seattle. I moved away from cap hill last summer and am enjoying the Greenlake neighborhood and spending more time in the U district. I'm likely going to start volunteering once my Training Specialist program is over and am excited to see what the future holds :) Ciao for now! | posted by Cheryl, 4/13/2009 11:15:00 AM | 0 comments |
Bridges to Understanding International Students visit Seattle - Tibetan, South African and Seattle fun!
Photo taken by Bridges mentor and teacher Carrie Darrowhttp://bridges2understandingstu
Above is a link to a blog I've been working on with the amazing KT Lhamo (from India, the Tibetan Children's Village) and Sese (from South Africa). They're here for 3 weeks as part of the Bridges to Understanding Face to Face exchange, and last weekend we had a great time creating 6 digital stories with a group of 12 international students! You can see Sese and KT's story at the blog linked above. More to come, I just had to post this now! | posted by Cheryl, 4/07/2008 05:58:00 PM | 1 comments |
Happy Holidays, Everybody!
Here's a vintage pic of my dad and aunt :) I love everyone's expressions here. Happy holidays to all! | posted by Cheryl, 12/21/2007 04:55:00 PM | 1 comments |
"The World at your Fingertips"
Hey all - Check out my India set on Flickr.com! http://www.flickr.com/photos/33346717@N00/sets/72157602815985574/
| posted by Cheryl, 11/07/2007 03:34:00 PM | 1 comments |
Safe and Sound in Dharamsala
Hello friends and family! I'm going to write a long, well thought-out post sometime soon but for now I just wanted to post a pic of myself and a classroom here at the Tibetan Children's Village in Dharamsala, India! I'm having a fantastic time helping teach and coordinate a digital storytelling workshop here. Right now the students are refining their narration and editing their images...I can't wait to post the link to the final movies! We're creating 3 digital stories this year: one about the garbage situation in Dharamsala and the TCV, another about how the students cook at the TCV, and another about a student from last year who was so inspired by our trip to interview some hermits that she has gone up on her own and created her own story throughout the last year.More soon...love to all! | posted by Cheryl, 10/19/2007 03:39:00 AM | 0 comments |
Hanging on to summer....
There is so much I could write here, but I just thought I'd post one picture that really captures the summer for me. Ajay S took this picture at Capital Hill's Volunteer Park, where I spent many late-afternoons taking short jogs and people-watching this summer. Pictured are myself and Kate Casolaro, one of my dearest friends who visited me over Labor Day all the way from Boston!
Yesterday was technically the last day of summer, but I'd like to hang on to the carefree summer spirit a little longer, and I hope by posting this picture I can make at least someone smile and feel that sticky popsicle chin, laying in the grass looking at the clouds, sleeping in on a Saturday morning once again :)
I worked harder than I've ever worked this summer, but I definitely did my share of playing as well. I slept under a tent not once but TWICE (to the San Juans as well as the Olympic Rainforest), watched 3 of my best friends say their wedding vows and dance their first dances, did my fair share of swing dancing (as always!), joined a couple soccer teams for the first time in far too long, and spent some quality time with my immediate family and our new addition: Michelle and Kevin's black lab puppy!
I'm looking forward to the fall, where I'll be going to India once again with Bridges (www.bridgesweb.org), and will continue to work arduously on expanding our program in the best way possible for all involved. I hope to write some more detailed entries soon, but this is it for now. Love to all!
Visual Update
Man, I really haven't used this blog effectively as an update on my life, thoughts, etc for a while...I thought I'd catch up today by linking to my Flickr photo account and pasting a few notable pics here. For pics of my recent Emerald City Swing dance performance, see this page.In short, life is very good in Seattle right now! Work is really coming together - at Bridges, we're revamping our website, redesigning curriculum with a focus on Global Warming for the 07-08 school year, and I'm just continuing to learn a ton and enjoy my coworkers. My dance team had a performance in mid-June that got rave reviews (mostly our all-objective friends and family, of course)...I really enjoyed working as a team and was reminded quite often of sports teams, especially when everything came together at the very end for the "big match," or performance! Speaking of sports, I've joined 2 local co-ed soccer teams for the summer and am subbing on a few more, which has just been incredibly satisfying after a brief soccer hiatus.
pictured is my coworker Tania on a recent sailing trip we took at Bridges for staff bondingIn May, I was lucky enough to witness both my siblings' graduation ceremonies - Brian graduated from NYU Law and Michelle got her Bachelor's from Whitworth College. I really loved seeing Brian's apartment in Brooklyn, and I'm so psyched that Michelle is now living in Seattle! She and Kevin are going to get a puppy in August, I can't wait to see it.
pictured are Shelly and Kev at her graduation ceremony! see my Flickr for pics of Brian as wellThis summer, I'm looking forward to spending time outside with friends, seeing 3 of my best friends get married, and helping organize a big swing dancing event in seattle called the Seattle Lindy Exchange. We're having a huge dance on Saturday, August 4th at the Naval Armory on Lake Union - you should come!
Well, this is the whirlwind update on my life as of now...I hope to post more regularly. I've been thinking more about my future goals, etc and hope to have some updates on decisions soon. Cheers!
pictured is my friend Danae and I at the Century Ballroom during a weekly Sunday night dance...photo credit goes to the illustrious Ajay Salpekar :)
