Food From Around the World

I made Shakshuka (shak-SHOO-kah) for breakfast. This is a really yummy with a side of toast or even in a tortilla. Best part it is healthy and quick to make! Who doesn't like that!? This meal only took 20 minutes to make. 

I miss traveling and saw on a recent video how this dish is a good/cheap street food. So, I thought I'd travel the world through food today. This dish has roots in Israel, as well as parts of Africa and the Middle East. 

Ingredients needed:

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 1/3 cups chopped onion (I used frozen)
1 cup sliced bell pepper, any color is fine, (I again used frozen)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 (14.5 oz) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes, with juices (OR) 3 ½ cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp paprika
1 ¼ tsp salt
1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (I used 1 for my preference)
4 eggs

1. Heat oil in large, deep skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook until vegetables are softened and onion is translucent, approximately 5 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes, cumin, paprika, salt, and jalapenos. Simmer, uncovered, until sauce is juicy, approximately 10 minutes.
3. Use a 1/3 measuring cup to make a indentation in sauce, crack egg into indentation. Repeat with remaining eggs.
4. Cook, covered, until eggs are firm
• Runny yolks approximately 5 minutes 
• Soft-set approximately 7 minutes
• Hard approximately 9 minutes

Healthy Quick Gluten-Free Vegetarian

Deep Culture in the Elementary Classroom

 I want you to think about people who you find are highly creative in your personal life. Maybe, it's an aunt or an uncle, a close friend, whoever it maybe, just someone who you think is highly creative. If you know their background think about that and maybe the commonality of their background to other highly creative individuals. Based on Dean Simonton,a professor at the University of California-Davis, researched the following question, "What elements in a person's developmental environment (when they are kids) might contribute to the likelihood he or she will be a person of high achievement?". What he found is extraordinary, of course many factors positively influenced achievement, but one of the most significant was exposure to cultural diversity!!!!

That is absolutely amazing! Living in a circumstance where different cultures collide and mix (a melting pot) helps develop someone into a more rounded and creative individual! Who would have thought that? He continues to say that, "We believe that exposure to cultural diversity may force children (or even adults) to form new neural connections in the brain to be able to sufficiently interpret meaning in things to which they are not accustomed." We develop ways to understand what is around us. These neural connections, once developed, will always be at our disposal to assist in a myriad of ways, problem solving, language processing and more.

So, as a teacher in TESOL how can I introduce this concept to students, especially elementary-aged? Most people think, well what about holidays, food, music, dances, etc. Well these are all good and they do matter but cultural instruction is much more than that, so let's dig a bit deeper. This is a big challenge that all teachers face, there isn't just one answer. Knowing that Ireland celebrates Saint Patrick's day is important but that doesn't help foster deeper knowledge and thinking. It is also hard since age-appropriate deep culture is limited, many cultural elements are too complex for elementary-aged children.

These next few examples, are things that aren't as complex, but they can help with teaching deep culture to elementary children. They are actually the subjects I have previously talked about, Gestures, Manners, Expressiveness, and Stories from local experiences. These are some of the basics that anyone can see at a glance. These are the things that can intrigue anyone. Teaching culture in school is so important in helping everyone to become the beings they are meant to be, because I believe everyone is worth a lot more than we give ourselves or anyone credit for.

Culture and Psychology 6.06

I have talked a lot about culture and different things that go with it. But now I'm going to throw in some Psychology. I actually enjoy Psychology, I took a class on it in High School and aced it. I found it fascinating and it just made sense to me. I even debated going to school for it, but that's besides the point. The big question is, "What is culture and what does it have to do with psychology?".

Basically, Cultural Psychology unites psychologists, anthropologists, linguists, and philosophers for the common pursuit, the study of how cultural meanings and practices influence individual human psychies. 

As we know culture is much more than food, festivals, and costumes. It's the ideas and the actions that encompass the meaning of a group of people. More often than not, these ideas are inherit and automatic, guiding our everyday business of life. As people interact and engage with the culture's practices and traditions, their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors reflect what they have learned of that culture's values and beliefs. 

That is only part of the story though, culture shapes the individuals minds and actions as much as the minds and actions shape the culture. As a result, “People are active cultural agents, rather than passive recipients of cultural influences,” said social psychologist Chi-Yue Chiu, University of Illinois. “They create, apply, reproduce, transform, and transmit their cultural routines in their daily social interactions.”

Without human beings, cultures wouldn't exist, and without cultures, human beings wouldn't exist. See the dilemma? We go hand in hand. What separates humans from other species is our ability to produce and sustain cultures.

Differences in Manners 6.04

This topic is going to expound upon the things we talked about in Cross-Cultural Students.

What are some habits you were taught not to do because they are considered rude? Burping, putting your elbows on the table, putting your feet on furniture, don't cough or sneeze without covering your mouth, tracking mud/dirt into the house, these are just a few of the things we are taught we shouldn't do.

Several cultures it is actually ok or even still not ok to do them. For example, in much of the Far East it is a compliment if you burp, because it is seen as a compliment to the chef and that you enjoyed your meal. In the Middle East, it is especially rude to point your feet, particularly the soles, at another person or to display them in any way. In the Philippines, giving someone a really hard handshake is a sign of aggression, it is seen as if you squeezed any other part of their body. If you remember from a previous post called Cultural Miscommunication, in China if you clear your plate it is rude for the host not to refill it. These are just some simple examples of different manners in different parts of the world.

My last post, Cross-Cultural Students, I talked about how some people feel that "Sir" and "Ma'am" is offensive when it is supposed to be respect. It comes from the words "Sire" and "Madam" as in "My lady", how are those offensive? I always feel fancy whenever, almost never have been, called that.

All of these things are just the differences in manners when it comes culture to culture. What are some manners you've been taught that vary around the world?

Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom 6.04

This topic is going to expound upon the things we talked about in Differences in Emotional Expression.

Who has heard of the debacle in the United States, mainly in the west, about being offended about getting called "Sir" or "Ma'am". It is mind boggling to me that someone would get upset about someone calling them "Sir" or "Ma'am". I used to live in the South, I lived in Georgia for two years, in fact I completed my Senior year of High School there. It is very common and it is ingrained into kids to say it to their elders as a sign of respect. I read a story about a kid that called his teacher "Ma'am" and she made the student stay for detention because she saw it as disrespectful. This can be a difficult habit to break, but more and more in today's world it is seen as offensive, but it is culture paradigm. I had a friend in Utah that was from the South, and she was in her mid-thirties, that people didn't want to talk to her because she said "sir" and "ma'am" to them while doing customer service. I feel like people need to get out more and experience more cultures.

Asian students, especially if they weren't born in American and moved later, tend to be less expressive. Of course this isn't always the case but happens more often than not. As it is for kids from the South it is ingrained in Asian students to be respectful of the teacher. Sometimes this means they won't speak up in class for fear of showing they don't know something that the teacher maybe didn't teach well enough, or they are questioning the teacher's opinion. Questioning or disagreeing with their elders is very rarely done in Asia. Some students won't even look a teacher in the eye because it would show disrespect. I am unsure why this particular thing is seen as disrespect, as long as you aren't doing it in a aggressive manner anyways.

There are many other things about other cultures that we as Americans find different that actually are a sign of respect in that culture. For example bowing, it is common to do in Asian culture and we only do it after a performance as a thank you kind of gesture. Being a teacher anywhere around the world you need to be mindful of the customs of respect that people have. Don't criticize a culture for showing respect or the likes of such, just because you don't like it. To me this will help bring a small piece of peace to the world because we are opening up communication and not misunderstanding each other.

Sedona, AZ Memorial Day Weekend 2019

For Memorial Day Weekend Mikel and I went to Sedona! We had a blast doing the different activities we planned, but we did have a few bumps along the way. Before we go into the trip I'm gonna give a little bit of history of the town and how it got its name.

This is of course how the story goes, after Theodore Carl Schnebly and his wife, Sedona, moved from Missouri and settled down. The few families in the area complained to Theodore Carl Schnebly about inconsistent mail and convinced him to establish a post office in his large home. There are various accounts to suggest that he asked the government to name the post office Schnebly Station or Red Rock Crossing, those names were denied for being too long. His brother, Dorsey Ellsworth Schnebly, suggested Theodore's wife's name, Sedona, and so it came to be on June 26, 1902.

So, lets recap my weekend day by day.

Saturday:

We left at 10am and got into Sedona around 1pm. We were hungry and stopped and ate at The Hudson. (Had good food we had the Hudson Mushroom Burger, was warm not to messy was a good steak in a sandwich as my husband says, and the Chicken Caprese Sandwich, which was very juicy had good flavor enjoyed the pesto and balsamic syrup had some good size chicken pieces, the place was a very casual but classy ambience, had some amazing views of the Red Rock Country if given the chance sit outside)
We then headed up HWY 89A and hung out at the Dairy Queen for a bit while we figured out where to stay. When I initially planned this trip I planned for us to stay at a Dispersed Campground up North of Sedona, when talking with someone they suggested not too because a few days prior it snowed and they said it would be muddy and wet. We tried a few other campgrounds but they were full. At the Dairy Queen there was several stands with Native American jewelry and such and I found a Christmas Ornament. I loved the dream catcher look and it is a souvenir of our trip.

 After talking with one of the Native American ladies about trying to find a campground she told us that we should go try out the first one I had planned to see if it was even muddy anymore. So on our way there we were talking about our supplies and we realized we didn't have anything to start a fire with, no matches no lighter. We grudgingly turned around to make the 20 min trek back into town to get one. Dropped Mikel off in front of a store and drove around a few minutes then grabbed him and we were finally on our way. 

We headed to the Dispersed campground North of Sedona like I said but be warned this one is closed during the winter season and had just opened back up in April I believe. 

To get to this campground get on HWY 89A and head North towards Flagstaff. It is just north of Oak Creek Vista (it is a pulloff for pictures and such) there is a dirt road called Rd 535 on the left, there is a gate but it is usually open all along that road is where you can camp. There aren't any facilities so be aware and pick up any trash. Here is a picture of different sites for the area that have dispersed camping, all the little dots are areas you can camp along the roads, of course none of them have facilities. We were told that camping in the East of Sedona would be really windy.

 So we found a spot and decided to set up camp and by this time it is around 7pm. Mikel worked on the fire after putting up our tent (which only took like 5mins) I worked on getting our air mattress in it. So, on the tent packaging it specifically states the tent can fit one queen air mattress, so I was inclined to believe. Well this is how it turned out. 

It isn't a very flattering picture of me but you get the point. We couldn't close the door and the air mattress wasn't even blown up all the way. It was sad looking. We decided after dinner I would go to the closest Walmart (which was in Flagstaff) and grab a new and bigger tent.

We made burgers for our first night and after I got the first one on the pan I realized we didn't have a spatula! The first burger wasn't actually hard to flip quickly with my fingers but after that one was done Mikel made the fire bigger and hotter which made the next burger, which happened to be mine, stick to the pan! After some effort we got it too flip without burning ourselves. We made a quick list of things for me to grab at Walmart and I left. A tent, spatula, and more wood. Found a few other things that were handy to have like a mallet. 

So in the dark at 9pm we put up the new tent and officially had camp all set up. Shortly thereafter we went to bed and during the night it was so very cold.

Sunday:

So one of the things Sedona is known for is the energy Vortex power spots. So I found a Jeep tour (which I highly suggest doing one, any of the ones offered in the area) that was called Scenic Vortex Tour, done by Earth Wisdom Jeep Tours (if you are going to do one of their tours they were a little hard to find their location their number is 928-282-0254 they were by the Sacagawea statue. They advertised the tour as "Learn the facts, feelings and fallacies of Sedona's vortex power spots, the reasons behind the sacred site phenomena occurring here and around the world." It was a 2.5 hour very small and intimate tour. There was only 6 of us on the tour. The first Vortex we went too was Airport Vortex. They said this was a masculine energy otherwise known as a "yang". Our tour guide said that masculine energy is very energizing and really good for getting your energy moving. They are perfect for forward movement, setting intentions and increasing your resolve and stamina, she described it somewhat like drinking a double espresso, so if you've ever had that you might know what that feels like. The area of the body that I felt the energy was in my abdomen lower and back area. 

The other vortex's she didn't really tell us the name but she then took us to a feminine energy vortex or a "yin" energy because the energy is very nurturing, soft and welcoming. Yin energy can help you with inward activities such as contemplation, meditation and reflection. Mikel thought he would try his hand at balancing some rocks. And here is a beautiful cactus bloom in the area. 

She showed different views of Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock. Talked about Coffepot Rock, Sugarloaf Mountain, Chimney Rock, and Courthouse Butte. I don't have pictures of all these formations but I'll tell you what I can. 

Cathedral Rock supposedly has a Man and a Woman (man on the left woman on the right at one point in time it was said they faced each other but now they are turned away) I don't really see it but maybe you do. Tell me if you do or don't in the comments.

The very last spot she took us was a obscure hidden trail and only two companies can go there because they don't want to wear out the trail. We had to do some simple off roading to get there and then a simple hike up but was totally worth it. Tell me if you agree. The one with the tree if you look at the branches they are twisted because of the energy here in this area.

That was our tour it was a lot of fun and learned about the area.

After our tour we went and had a couples energy/tarot reading. First I'll say this, Mikel is sceptical of this sort of thing but felt she wasn't entirely off point and I like it and feel there is some truth to it but I wouldn't put all my hopes in it kind of idea, but we were open minded. At Sedona Crystal Vortex, we had a very positive reading and we had our Auras taken. You put your hand on an sensor for electromagnetic waves and it would show your aura on the computer.

After we decided we would go get some ice cream and found a shop called P
ussyCat Gelato which was delicious. I had a Honey Lavender Bath and Spumoni Delight, Mikel had Salted Caramel and something Peanut Butter (he doesn't really remember). Would definitely go again I am not a big ice cream person (I am slightly lactose intolerant) but I enjoyed what I got it was very creamy. Then we finished off the afternoon with a little bit of shopping because I wanted to find a summer dress or something similar. We then went back to camp and hung out and had a nice big fire and roasted marshmallows. When it started to rain and eventually started to hail we put some of the stuff away so it wouldn't get wet and went to bed.

Monday:

All night it rained not very hard but a very consistent rain. We decided we would just pack up camp as quick as we could since it was still raining and would go out to eat on our way out of town. We got up and outside the tent there was ice! Thankfully it actually hadn't been cold during the night and we were nice a snuggled up anyways. We packed everything up in and I had Mikel pick a random place to eat and he picked Cafe Jose which actually ended up being delicious. I had Banana Pancakes and Mikel had the Mountain Man omelette and we shared some biscuits and gravy. It was a quaint little place the service wasn't anything worth mentioning but it was good food so it was a great stop on the way out of town.

We decided we would do Predator Zip Lines at Out of Africa! So we were literally zip lining over Lions, and Tigers and Bears, Oh My! Had a blast doing this and met some wonderful people. The one thing about doing this was it was superduper windy.

We sadly weren't able to go to Sliding Rock due to weather and having trouble on Saturday finding a place to set up camp. So, this month we will go up just to experience that and I'll tell you all about it.

Basic Notes:

Locals go to Crescent Moon Park to go fish and it has some good swimming holes 

(Jeep Tour Guide is a local and suggested this place to go)

Suggested Apps:

All Trails- it can hook up to GPS, rates the trail on how hard and gives you maps of the area 

(this works for all over the world not just Sedona; also note didn't get the chance to test this app out myself but it was suggested to me by our Jeep Tour Guide)

Personal Space Differences 6/1

When you think of personal space you usually think of a big bubble around you. That is your area and no one is supposed to enter that bubble unless you allow them too. It is our own personal force field, it is an instinct we develop to have our own space. It is our personal territory and if intruded on when unwanted we fight to get it back.

Does anyone hate crowds, like riding on the bus, or train or being at a concert? Yes, many people hate feeling closed in and intruded upon. For example claustrophobia comes to mind, the fear of small spaces.

Teaching children that everyone has personal space and to not intrude upon that space unless told otherwise is unwise and can be rude. Getting up in someone's face can be sign of aggression. Helping children work out differences and respecting each other is key.

Different cultures have a difference on how close someone is when talking. It isn't something we necessarily think about but we subconsciously observe it and follow. Americans born and raised in a city usually stand 18 to 48 inches from each other and stand in the same place while talking. The Japanese, with his smaller 10 inch intimate zine, will adjust and invade upon the American's intimate zone. Being aware of how other cultures see personal space can be helpful in adjusting to that particular culture.