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March 28, 2006
Not quite the entire story...
Well, I'm just not ready for the official post CCCC's write up, and here's why...
1. Missed my flight Saturday morning due to the fact that they stop allowing you to get your boarding pass 45 minutes prior to boarding.
2. I missed the cut off by 5 minutes.
3. Spent the next 36 hours trying to get home.
4. Finally get home at 1 a.m. Monday, with sever knee pains that require an emergency room visit (more on that one later!)
5. Luggage? Right...mine is still on the missing list, and of course, as the novice presenter I felt compelled to pack virtually all of my dress/professional clothing, which may now be lost forever, along with my travel receipts that I need to get reimbursed for the trip.
6.You know in Spanish we say "no hay mal que por bien no venga". Loose English translation: every cloud has a silver lining. My silver lining came in the form of a one night stay at the Best Western which only cost $50 a night, and kicked the Palmer House in the nalga (you can figure that one out, right?) when it came to value, comfort, and amenities! Free internet (both wireless AND high speed), free chargers for any cell phone, free coffee and bottled water, free printing, and a restaurant that provides room service at a mere 15% of your total check. I wonder how close the Best Western in Nashville is to the Opryland Hotel (where the NCTE convention will be held in November)? If it's not too far away, they can count on me as their new loyal and faithful customer!
The official write up and pics should be on later this week...si Dios quiere!
Posted by dvaldesd at 09:22 AM | Comments (1)
March 22, 2006
CCCC's
Ah...the Windy City. Chicago is probably the coolest place I have visited in a while. Tall buildings, the train (subway), eateries and coffee shops galore, people of all colors, eclectic smells and sounds...and wonderful colleagues to talk with and listen to. I am in the process of taking some snapshots, but T has shot some beauties already. As soon as I get home, I will upload them and talk about the rest of my trip. The only thing I am absolutely NOT impressed with is the Palmer House Hilton. Yes, the mighty have fallen. In addition to the hefty $169 a night, they nickel and dime you to death by charging $10 a day to access the wireless internet already set up in your room, $.50 per page if you have to print, and $4.95 per 15 minutes of Wi-Fi in the event you want to enjoy the happenings in the lobby while you do your computing. There is no mini-fridge in the room, and the prices to eat in the hotel? Well, suffice it to say that Paris is in very little danger of ever experiencing poverty. Her peeps have taken care of that. But aside from that, I am very excited about delivering my paper tomorrow, and going to see (listen to?) my colleagues break it down as well. For me, it has been a long arduous journey as a single mother of 3 wonderful daughters, but I am beginning to feel that it has been worth it.
And a very definite shout out to all of my colleagues from Syracuse University, from our beloved grad director to the wonderful M.B.S., who always takes care of us and calms us down every time we send her an S.O.S. I wish she were here. She is a Chicago native, I know we would have had a blast with her!
Look for the official review upon my return. Ciao…
Posted by dvaldesd at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2006
Archiving, Accessing, and Admitting Defeat
One of my final projects this semester is to create a document that tells about a social history that should be told (and hasn't been told a gazillion times already). Chevere! My idea was to look at how the women of Puerto Rico influenced the economy through needlework. How did sewing and crafting influence this patriarchal society and the gender roles inherent within it? How did these contributions translate into feminism, or even (pseudo) independence from husbands, boyfriends, and the male community at large? Interesante, si? Especialmente para mi como una mujer Latina. As I went to see what was available for me to work with, I discovered that my topic of interest would have to be modified to the materials that were available to me; and as you would expect this came as no surprise. Of course I don't have access to the materials that would make this project a reality. Of course the archive has many wonderful (hegemonically chosen) materials that I can work with, which they suppose will soothe the sting of discovering yet another site of exclusion. And, of course, I had (and often have) to admit defeat. Once again, I must accommodate the dominant structure that stifles my academic and scholarly growth. My suspicion is that's the way it'll always be. And, if you think that it's my responsibility to "just go and find what I need", I will thank you to come and seek me out so that we may have that conversation in person-there is much you need to learn if you believe that hype! And I'm not the only one that can teach it/preach it to you.
Posted by dvaldesd at 02:23 PM | Comments (3)
March 11, 2006
No longer the wonderful...that I used to be
Well, I guess there comes a time when we parents realize that we are indeed, just mere mortals. Apparently, according to my youngest daughter, I am no longer the wonderful mother that I used to be. You see, according to M, I spend all my time reading; I wake up-I READ. I sit in the living room, and READ. Before I go to bed (Which is usually not until 2 or 3 in the a.m. anyway) I READ. And there you have it-my fall from maternal grace. Of course, I was devastated, submerged in guilt, even contemplated the emotional scarring I must be doing to this mere slip of a 12 year old; she would not have claimed to be neglected by her mother otherwise, right? As my diva friend in crime- (the president of Sexy Phi Sexy, thank you very much), stated quite succinctly, M had broken out the guilt bazooka, and was shooting at random. And in my strong maternal way, I caved. The result? Thursday nights are henceforth for M, her older sister A, and (if she's not too busy being 18!) her eldest sister A. I was even given a schedule; the evening begins with watching the food network, then we pick a recipe and cook, eat together as a family (when did we stop doing that?), watch a movie, and then she gets to sleep with me. I need to have this kid's kind of clock. Where did she get all this extra time from? Apparently, all that reading has hindered my ability to manage my time well. Or, as M puts it "if you would listen to us Mom, you might not be so stressed out!" And here I thought I was old enough to be in charge of my own life.
Posted by dvaldesd at 11:12 AM | Comments (0)