Rachel K. Standardized Testing

I continue to be the busiest person on earth, but in a totally wonderful way.

First and foremost : GRE - CHECK. DONE. VANQUISHED!!!!

The GRE is finally over and I have a majority of my life back! WahooOOoooo! After a week of hardcore crunching for the math and verbal sections and a quickie crash course in the writing sections, I took the test. I borrowed my grandfather's trusty vehicle and drove (the hell) up to Montlake Terrace where the test was held at some strange computer testing center. It was hella sketchy. The testing people made me empty my pockets and they checked up my pant legs for CHEATING STRATEGEMS (maybe). Anyway it hadn't occurred to me to hide answers up my pant legs, so I was allowed in and took the test.

Nothing more interesting about it really, but it's over and my score was about 140 points over what I wanted it to be, which is turbo awesome. I'll have to wait and see about my essay scores, but at this point I just don't have the energy left to care. I'm done and that's all there is to it!

Having my life back, I rejoined society spent some time with the roommate, the boyfriend and my roommate's new kitten, Yogurt. Yogurt is a wonderful distraction to all the things I should be doing. I could be studying for my up-and-coming teacher exams (the WEST-E and WEST-B exams for Washington State), but there's a KITTEN now and instead I can just wiggle a string in front of her for hours and hours. And I do.

Now it's crunch time for iD Tech Camps, where I'm assistant directing all summer long. I'm in San Francisco currently for camp training at UC Berkeley and am visiting with friends Natanya and Amy (former JET members like me) while I'm down in California. I had an online meeting for admin stuff today and I feel really good about the position; I think it'll have enough responsibilities to keep me busy, but it's a job I'm very qualified for. It feels nice to be counted on once in awhile, especially because I'm waiting to hear back from my UCDS job interview and the more I have to wait, the more I assume I don't have the job and start to panic.

I just have to keep a cool head about all this. If I don't get the job, it will be crummy. I'll have to find some other source of income for next year, which won't be easy and I really don't want to have to take a bunch of steps backwards and work somewhere at a coffee shop or retail store again; but if that's what it comes to, I guess I'll have to swallow my pride. Anyway I can't do anything about it until I hear back, and I haven't heard back so that's that for now.

I've heard from one person on my craigs list ad for private tutoring, which I'm trying to fill up my Saturdays with before climbing. I figured if I charge $25 an hour I can make some quick money doing something I like doing and have a bit of experience doing! We'll see if this works out, but I am hoping to hone in on this skill that I have been practicing since I was hired at Kumon last summer.

[ooh they're playing Soulja Boy on the radio! San Francisco coffee shops have earned new respect from me]

Other than that there's still the matter of getting my UW application together since that's due in mid-September and I'd best finish up most of it as quickly as I can. I still need a second letter of recommendation, which is proving arduous since none of my RIT professors are getting back to me... boo. I will persevere! I also have to investigate where and when to take these multiple pre-requisite courses like lab science, math, US history and early child development... that might actually end up being a lot easier if I DON'T get the UCDS job, which would really be the only good thing to come out of that.

For now, I'm going back to enjoy my time in San Francisco. Today I went to the Asian Art Museum downtown and saw some beautiful government buildings and sculptures. Tomorrow -- Golden Gate Park with Amy? I should also mention that I'm staying with Natanya and her wonderful parents who have a beautiful blue home in Daly City! San Francisco does not shy away from color. I thought Seattle was crazy!

Stay tuned for the next entry:

UCDS Spells Success OR Job Rejection Leads to Jumping from Golden Gate Bridge

Rachel K. Crunch

It's crunch time.

Lately I've been feeling overwhelmed with everything that I need to finish and underwhelmed with how I've been living my life lately.

I've been bouncing around the country every two weeks for awhile now. Spending time in Los Angeles visiting my friend Tristyn and my sister, Laura with Kevin was a blast! We saw Nickelodeon studios, where my sister just finished an intern position. Then, last week I joined my family in Boston for the Emerson College graduation ceremony and saw my sister and all of her friends in the beautiful sunshine.  On June first I'm heading south to San Francisco to hang out with fellow former-JETs Amy and Natanya in the foggy city! I'm hoping to be a little bit more relaxed then than I am now since the GRE will be over by that time and I'll be studying for tests that are less pointless.

So right now I'm in the middle of my most stressful week. On Monday I flew back on a disgustingly early flight from Boston to Seattle and immediately felt under the weather. The next day I had my 3 hour teaching interview at UCDS, where I taught a quickie lesson on algebraic concepts (fancier sounding than it was in actuality) and got to know some of the 4th and 5th graders and teachers in the block. UCDS is an amazing school right off the bat. It's beautiful, well-lit, well-designed, and it looks like the Disneyland of elementary schools. It's a stark contrast to the peeling paint on the walls of the public school I volunteer at. Those kids need pencils, these kids have macbooks and smart boards (the Ferrari of chalkboards). I'm not sure how the interview went, but I can say for sure that I really liked working with the teachers (Diane, Meg and another person whose name I've forgotten). The kids were fantastic and I hope that they ask me to join their staff! I'll hear back on the first week of June for better or for worse.

Other than that, it's crunch time for the GRE. I'm trying to cram all those principles of triangles, geometry, binomials, probability, vocabulary, grammar, and everything else into my brain. It's not fitting, and I'm pretty certain that I won't do spectacularly on the test. However, I have no plans in the near future to submit a GRE score to anyone, so I guess at this point I should just keep swimming and hope for the best.

After the GRE is over and done with, my life will be all about iD Tech Camps and preparing for the training seminar in San Francisco, which by the way is the main reason I'm going down there in the first place.

It's amazing how being busy with all the things you don't want to do makes you realize all the things you'd rather be doing. I miss going climbing and working out and drawing and studying Japanese and getting up to the market more than once every two weeks. At least I'm squeezing in lots of mad men watching while I take practice exams. Surely that's conducive to learning.

Stay tuned for the next entry:

Standardized Victory

or

You can't spell Egregious without "GRE"

Rachel K. Goal-setting

To make this entry less ridiculous, I've decided to paste an e-mail I wrote to my family about the progress I've been making in the past few weeks with regards to teaching and whatnot.

Herro family,

SO there have been some developments in the misadventures of your daughter/granddaughter/niece/nephew/surrogate/shoe elf.

Firstly, I have been trying to get my grad school/life plan/job applications all organized and together. Right now they exist in a huge time line on the dining room wall. I think it compliments the room, personally.

So here are the goals... this is easier to send in an email than to explain anyway.

Jobs etc:

I have a phone interview with UCDS on April 28th. It's a private elementary school that Mo used to attend and they hire resident teachers, who are basically assistant teachers, every year. I hope to be one of them! The job would offer me about $30k as a salary with some compensation for health benefits. It would start right after summer camp and go up until next summer, so it would be the full on elementary classroom experience. I hope they hire me because I would like to have a full time job again someday.

 Volunteer Work:

As of tomorrow, I am starting at BFD Elementary School as a volunteer for two fifth grade classrooms helping out with math work. I'll be there from 9am until 12:30pm every week day from now until the end of school in early June. They seem really great there and I know I will learn a lot about how to become a teacher if I get to work with REAL ones and with other volunteers and student teachers. It's a public school, so it's good to see the differences between those and the private school that I applied to work for next year. I love the diversity at this school so far -- it's 60% minority, making it 160% less Japanese than my last school (or some non-apocryphal %). I'll let you know how that goes when I start tomorrow!

Grad School:

So far I haven't really applied to any graduate schools. Although, I did go to a q&a a session about the masters in teaching program that they have at UW. The program is two years long: the first year is courses and classroom experience and the second year is student teaching with minimal campus time to check in with mentors and supervisors. I would come out of this program with a residency certification (allowing me to teach in WA state) and I would attain my masters after the second year of student teaching. So, that would be ideal.
The only challenge to that program (the MIT) is that I need the following to be eligible:

• 60 hours or more of classroom observation time (which is why I am doing the volunteer work). 
• 6 prerequisite courses (which I would have to complete as a non-matriculated student, online or at night at community colleges before August 2011) 
• The regular letters of recommendation, goal statement, resume, etc. for the application itself. They're allowing me to transfer my application from this year to next year for no extra cost (Huzzah!) 
• taking and passing two state certification exams; the West-E and the West-B, which are for elementary school certification.
• No GRE. God is laughing at me.

So the challenges for this program are mostly going to come down to me figuring out how to complete that many prerequisite courses within the next year! It sounds expensive and if I get the UCDS job, I'm not sure I would be up to the challenge since I would already have a full time job teaching. Though, it's something to think about and although the application for this job is due Sept 17, 2010, they allow you the rest of the year to find out if you got into the MIT program and to complete your prereq. studies between then and 2011, which is somewhat helpful.


As for other grad schools, I have a few in mind that I am going to apply for during the summertime. They have some teacher certification courses (no masters) and masters programs as well. If don't get the job with UCDS, I will look into ways to get some kind of certification while taking courses for the MIT program at UW. The downside is that I would likely have to get a part time job somewhere else to keep up with rent and study costs and food... things like that.

The Rest

Aside from all this craziness, I am trying to study for the GRE, which I will have on May 26th -- ready or not. I don't feel overly confident, but I also just want to get it over with so I can study for other things. I also need to eventually study for the WEST-E and WEST-B exams, although those will be a lot easier and less ridiculous.


Kevin and I have decided to visit Laura and Tristyn in LA at the end of the month to quasi celebrate our half-anniversary. Also, it's a good excuse to get out of Seattle for a while! Then I'll be traveling to San Francisco at the very beginning of June to visit Natanya and Amy, who live there, and to go to my iD Tech camp training seminar at UC Berkeley. I'm looking forward to that since I've never really gotten to explore San Francisco! And let us not forget, I will be spending a brief few days in Boston for Laura's graduation from Emerson. Bring on the Dunkin' Donuts and the funny accents!


I have a lot of work to do when it comes to the camp this summer. I haven't even opened my handbook, and I know I have a lot to read as far as being the asst. director goes. It's hard to make that a priority when there is so much else going on, but it's always in the back of my mind. That and refreshing myself on all the programs I might have to teach if the camp doesn't always have 60+ kids and I have to relegate myself to being an actual instructor again (oh no!) Oh well, the thought of a decent salary and free breakfast, lunch and dinner compensate my worries for now.


Kumon tutoring continues and remains totally awesome.

This completes my life outline to date.

Questions or comments are welcomed and can be directed to diplobrat@gmail.com to our Life Coordinator, Rachel Sreebny.

Best Wishes,

Rachel's Brain & Friends

Rachel K. Rachelmas

As is characteristic of my blogging habits, whenever I have a real life outside of video games, blogging, and reading blogs about video games, I stop writing.

So since my last few entries a few things have happened:

• Landed myself a boyfriend
• Thanksgiving
• Festivus
• Channukah and Failed Failed™ Latkes
• Hosted Rachelmas 2K9
• Had six guests stay at the ol' abode. 
• Resigned myself to working at Starbucks for the rest of my nubile existence.
• Wrote 45 Christmas cards
• Knitted an awesome scarf of awesomeness. 

So yeah, I'm the kid who starts dating someone and gives up on writing about the inane details of their lives. Deal with it 'cause I'm not apologizing for that. He's pretty rad, he works from Microsoft so he's a PC user and I'm a Mac user and together we are the most boring Shakespearean tragedy ever not written. He's tall and we both enjoy octopuses and eating, but not octopus-eating. And that's that.

Around Thanksgiving, Natanya (my friend from Japan) came up from San Francisco for a visit in Seattle. We didn't do too much together (on account of work), but she spent a few nights and I got to meet her friends from college. It was really awesome hanging out with someone from Japan and feeling so nonchalant about the whole thing. Also she managed to watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy while staying at my apartment, which is damned impressive.

Other than that, I spent Thanksgiving with the Family Sreebny up in Matthew's Beach. There, we dined on too much food, accidentally sugarless pumpkin pie, a headless turkey cake, and all the Irish Coffees we could remember. The feasting was mighty and lengthy, the children played a youthful game of RISK (ohhh why do the wee ones always try to take over Europe!?) and I eventually tryptophan'd myself out of conversation and looked at a big book of architectural sites until it was time to drive home the old people.

Natanya left shortly after Thanksgiving and her visit was directly followed by a visit by my sister, Laura and my parents. The parents stayed in the fancy schmancy "guest suite" in the apartment complex and Laura stayed with me. I had been feeling a cold coming on for a few days, but it managed not to hit me entirely until Friday night. Zaydeh, the patron Sreebny, threw a swanky soiree for the family Sreebny and we ate fancy cheese on his couch while looking out the window at the glorious space needle. Laura and I then dashed off to our other party that night (at my place) for board game excitement! It was the first time Kevin was meeting a lot of my friends as well as Laura, so it was a really fun night despite the fact that I was basically sick.

The next day we went out to Bainbridge Island to be tourists. We drove around the water front and had a nice lunch at a local pub. It couldn't have been nicer outside, weather wise. I was sick as a very sick dog and downing sudafed and tea by the metric ton. Still, the day was totally enjoyable and as I napped in the car on the way back from the ferry, I fever dreamed happy thoughts.

When all the guests were gone, it was time for more parties and holidays. Between the two, Laura and Megan and Megan's friend Kelly and I managed to see the most spectacular version of the Nutcracker EVER. The backgrounds had been designed by Maurice Sendak and they were as animated as the dancers. Being the sickest had no effect on how glad I was to have seen the ballet.

Thanksgiving was followed by my 25th birthday, which was more memorable than I had anticipated it to be. I originally would have spent it eating a burrito (thanking God every day for the Chipotle that has opened on 3rd and Pike) and watching reruns of Jeopardy from the DVR. Thanks to my wise roommate, Megan [pictured right], dinner plans were soon made. We had tried to make reservations at a classy Japanese place called Chiso in Fremont. However, they were changing management and wouldn't be open on that Saturday. Instead, I made a reservation at Anthony's, a really fun seafood restaurant nearby the condo. We figured that would be good food for everyone since it has seafood, steak, pasta and just about everything else. Plus, free rolls.

Megan, Sarah [pictured left] and I got dolled up and walked over to the restaurant with Ian (Sarah's roommate) and Kevin (the kid who is dating me of his own accord, HA). The hostess took us upstairs, which was new and exciting because I had only ever been on the first floor dining area. Unfortunately, the upstairs was three times as pricey and had half the menu. Why does less choice make something classy?

With the realization that our $14 dinners were now going to be $60 (everyone knows that 14 x 3 = 60, shut up), we ordered drinks. Sadly, my brand new Washington state license was at home in my other jacket. Instead of getting a cherry coke and calling it a night, Kevin and I walked back to the condo, grabbed my ID, and returned triumphantly to our alcoholic beverages. I wasn't going to spend the evening of my 25th year sober, no sir.

The dinner was delicious and totally pleasant and we managed to pay for the bill (by which I mean that the girls in the group were completely unable to chip in and the boys paid for everything instead. I'm glad to be supporting 1940's gender stereotypes with my poverty and addiction to absinthe and cigarettes in no particular order.)

Thinking back on it, I can't think of a more memorable way to turn 25 than being carded and not having an ID, and failing to pay for my own dinner. I've come along way since the birth canal. Maybe by the time I'm 26 I'll have mastered the art of picking up after myself or flossing.

Festivus was the very next week! It was a party hosted by Kevin and his enigmatic roommate, Waseem (Canadian, works for Amazon, extraordinarily tall). It's based on the Festivus episode of Seinfeld and has traditions such as an unadorned aluminum pole (purchased at Home Depot), the airing of grievances and feats of strength. It was really fun getting to hang out with the few of Kevin's friends that I've already met and a lot of new ones. His pals are really friendly, fun types and I felt right at home with their excitement for video games, drinking at home, and celebration of things that come from TV. The airing of grievances was interesting to listen to... it started out as things like, "I hate my job" or "not getting laid" and eventually broke down into incoherent screams or multiple guys yelling out, "F*** Tom Brady!" and who can blame them? We can't all be professional athletes who marry Giselle. It's just not plausible for that to happen to more than one person. Meanwhile, the female of the friends, Madeleine and I just talked about clothing from Victoria's Secret because we have the same sweater from their catalogue. It's almost the same thing because Giselle worked for Victoria's Secret. Everything is connected. The feats of strength deviated from the hosts 'rassling' one another and turned into a very organized Street Fighter contest. I died and soon after lost interest, but the final battle was between Waseem and Kevin, which was fairly epic.

December as a month generally boiled down to the epic holiday preparations for Rachelmas 2K9, which involved Xmas cards, facebook invitations, 600 coloured lights, and a lot of baking. Not all of this happened at the same time, but every part of it was epic, as always.

A lot of people were able to show up to Rachelmas this year, though none of my coworkers from Starbücks (sad!) We had a lot of people visiting from out of town, including Natanya (again!), R2 and Ian. Ian's visit was plotted more than planned. We decided to surprise Megan with Ian's arrival by telling her that Ian couldn't come for Rachelmas. Despite some weak alibis and the fact that both Natanya and I accidentally spilled the beans about 4 times, the surprise appearance was a success. I took Ian and Natanya out to Chipotle (Thank you, Jesus) and we called for Megan to join us from work. We had Ian sit at a separate table and when Megan sat down, Ian came over and bumped into her. He apologized and walked off and Megan had the most ridiculous double take before turning purple and jumping up to hug the crap out of him. "I'm so happy you're heeeere". It was momentously joyous. Other than that I discovered that though I had bought Natanya some earrings for X-mas, she hadn't had any pierced ears. The clear next step was to go out and force her to put some holes in those lobes. And we did.

Surprise visits over and done with, R2 showed up a few hours later and so began Rachelmas 2K9. Sarah and Ian brought about 100 chocolate chip cookies, R2 baked some macaroons, Natanya baked me a magnificent cake, Megan made buffalo chicken dip, and Cheryl brought lasagna! It was an impressive feast to be sure. Natanya and I started off the party at the Marriott next door to the apartment and did some tequila shots before returning to the party and welcoming the guests with red cheeks and dizzying smiles. Huzzah!

We played celebrities and loaded questions and of course "Never have I ever" while dining on cakes, cookies, dips, pastas, and delicious drinks. Kevin's flight was delayed so he was even able to stay longer, which was great for me (drunk and obnoxious) and less wonderful for he (itching to leave, frustratingly sober). The evening came to a close with a "She Wolf" dance contest and watching inappropriate muppet-related videos on Youtube. My friends rolled me into bed and removed my socks, and another Rachelmas had come and gone.

And so I wrap up my epic blog entry and go to watch It's a Wonderful Life with the Family Sreebny.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good snowstorm.