Control Freak!!!

I used to be a control freak. I suspect that's a big reason I became a teacher. Teachers must be the ultimate in control freaks. They're actually the worst kind of control freaks imagainable - they are control freaks that usually get their way! Teachers are such control freaks, they have to go to workshops and classes to be taught that kids are actually capable of doing such things as sharpening pencils, handing out papers, thinking for themselves, etc. A teacher cannot stand to allow the kids time to explore without having planned every outcome, developed an exhaustive checklist, and laid out 'roles' for each child to play in a group setting. Teachers are so used to controlling their environment they have no problem, in an informal adult setting, to going 'SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!' right in your face. Your at a party and you're being controlled? There's a teacher behind it! I've learned that control of others is wrong over the past years, so I have changed a lot as a teacher - perhaps this is why I don't feel like I fit into education circles any longer? Hmmmm.....

Now, the most poisonous combination with teacher is religious teacher. Here's where the control freak religion kind of control melds with the control freak teacher. I am convinced by reading a bit of history that religion is about control, while Jesus wasn't about that at all. I'm feeling that Christianity and education does mix, but we have to get the 'religion' out of it. We need to look closely at how Jesus treated his disciples - he gave them choices, honored their ability to choose, etc. This is an idea I'm still developing, muddling over. So I'll stop here for now.

Abby's Best

I have a confession to make. This isn't my first foray into blogging. I actually started a blog called something like abby's best. That was two upgrade/crashes ago, so I lost the website address. I haven't been able to find it, but I'm hoping it was put to a merciful death by the host site. In it, I raved in a highly sarcastic way about my current hometown, Abbotsford. I especcially ranted about how terrible the driving is here, which it is, but, what can you do?

Another thing I wanted to do was respond to the Abbotsford Time's so-called Reader's Choice Awards, which I am convinced really translates to the cheapest eats in Abbotsford awards. So I began rating the best this and the best that to eat in Abbotsford. I think I might get to that, but in a less sarcastic way here. I've experienced the worst that sarcasm can do at different times in my life and I'm convinced that it is definitely the lowest form of humor.

Anyway, the first thing I want to discuss about what is best here is where to find the best cup of coffee. This is very important, since you wouldn't believe the amount of coffee shops we have here. And, thankfully, most of the coffee places are NOT Starbuck's!! Abbotsford actually only supports three Starbuck's that I've noticed and that's enough for me. I like buying ground coffee there every now and then as a treat, but I'm eternally baffled about what to order there. I especially despise how they treat coffee sizes. I mean, really, what the hell is a "venti" anyway??? Oh, I was gonna put a youtube link here about starbucks, because there is a really funny rant about starbucks -but every other word is....not appropriate...so just go to
youtube and search for starbucks and you'll come up with the old fart from Brooklyn's rant. Don't say I didn't warn you....

So, what, you are thinking is the best coffee. Well, I'll tell you - the best cup of coffee is that Canadian tradition (with headquarters in Ohio - 'American owned' is yet another Canadian tradition) - Tim Horton's. It's actually named after a hockey player, I mean, how Canadian is that? This is the best
coffee - you also get an extra large cup for about $2 (Eat my shorts, Starbucks!) The thing is, Abbotsford is CRAZY about Tim Horton's! We have at least 5 or more Timmy's here and they are all busy. Tim Horton's is doing better than McDonalds! Also, during spring, there is a contest at Timmy's called Rrrroll up the Rim. I hardly ever win, but my staff at school keep a running tally on our staffroom white board of wins and losses.

The thing is - you could get away with eating at Tim Horton's for breakfast, lunch and dinner without doing a Supersize Me health emergency. They now have breakfast sandwiches, which probably aren't the best for you, but you could get away with a bagel or something. I don't find the 'eats' at Starbucks interesting, the baked goods tend to be dry and cardboard-y. At Tim Horton's you can get great soup and sandwiches made to order. I've heard that TH's have started leaking into the US, so US readers get ready for a Tim Horton's near you!

Colombian Food!

I turn again to food that I miss. Now for Colombia! Yes, all you North Americans! COLOMBIA with two letter O's! It's amazing how often that's misspelled even in the most reputable of newspapters. When it's the country: Colombia. When it's the province: British Columbia. OK?

Anyhoo... my yummy misses from the corner of South America.

1)Ajiaco is a chicken stew. It's served with capers, heavy cream and avocado. The best ajiaco is a matter of taste. Everybody had their own recipe and argued over what the best was. I loved being judge for any contest! Here's a picture:


2) Arroz con pollo ('chicken with rice') I had a lady clean my apartment every week or so and she would make this for me. I loved just eating it out of the pot when I got home. A simple rice dish - the rice was tinged with a bit of ketchup while cooking. I would pour hot sauce ('aji') over it.

3) The lady who cleaned also made empanadas. A sort of meat and rice pie. I loved dousing those in aji too!

4) Hot chocolate with a mild, young cheese was served regularly for breakfast. I loved this - miss it more than you can imagine!

I guess I didn't have the links like the Philly one, so I'm thinking of some places in Bogota that I especially miss, too:

- I loved the hamburgers at El Corral. They actually had green tomatoes on them and then you could order anything else you would want. I loved getting mine with guacamole on it!

- I really miss the mall called Bulevar Niza - a short walk from my apartment! I called the third floor 'my office' as a joke - I almost always went there in the afternoons and often had supper at one of the many restaurants there. I had many a 'supernacho' platter with Ruth at Todo Taco. Sometimes we would eat at Crepes and Waffles! I remember a great ice cream place too - Benny's (I think it was called). There was a theater (movies were english with spanish subtitles!) and afterwards, we could check out books and have a cappicino at OMA libros!