Through my window

Last week I had to introduce myself to my on-line learning community by describing my view through one of my windows. I thought this was an interesting exercise, although I must admit I took a fair amount of poetic license with it...all the things could have been true, just not all out of the same window.

As I perch in the bay window of my apartment in the morning I stare out over the field that abuts the school property. In the slight reflection I catch a glimpse of the photos that hang on my wall. Pictures of people and places that have shaped the person I am - family at home in Texas, images of Guinea in West Africa, the magical moment in the desert in Mauritania, exploring in Australia, some of the many excursions I’ve managed to take here in Turkey…Through the open window I can see and hear the sheep grazing in the field. At that moment I hear the call to prayer, which reminds me that even though it may look as if I live in the country I am actually just on the (far) outskirts of Istanbul. Part of my life takes place in the dynamic sprawling European/Asian city, the rest in the more peaceful area where the school is located. As I sit and think my eyes keep drifting to the road, and the call to prayer serves as my call to leave the window and take off for a run.

Then I added more, as people actually wanted to hear *something* about the school, after all we are in an education program.

Luckily (at least I feel that it is a good thing) I don't see the school from the window. When you are living on campus, I think that being able to have your house completely separate from the school is a definite luxury. I do look out over our creche (the preschool for on campus children) and the accompanying playground which is often filled with shrieks and laughter in the afternoon. When I do finally take off on my run I manage to circle the entire campus in about a mile. I laugh whenever I pass the elementary school for it now has a trojan horse in the playground which is taller than any of the two story wings that make up the school. Past the caged fields and the gravel soccer field/track I hit the student dormitories (very pink!) and then circle around the high school building. I marvel at the imposing entrance to the x-shaped structure and know that I'll soon be returning as the halls fill with students to teach my first math class of the day, and hope that I'll soon have the names of my 98 students sorted out before the end of the third week.