Amedeo Modigliani

I love watching biographical movies about famous artists, even though the movies, like their lives, often end tragically. I recently saw a movie about a uniquely gifted painter Amedeo Modigliani who lived in the beginning of 20^th century and died at the young age of 35 in poverty. His life was a constant struggle. He fought with the world that refused to accept his vision of beauty and art. The movie shows his life, work, love and the tragic death. It is ironic how carelessly people treated his real talent and his work during his lifetime and how they started appreciating him after his death.  

Both my husband and I have always been big fans of winter sports. I enjoy figure skating as much as he enjoys hockey. During the Stanley Cup playoffs, my apartment turns into a sports bar and a hockey rink. I notice my two year old Leo has become passionate about hockey as well. Now, they are not only watching and cheering for the LA Kings, but also playing hockey in the living room. My son was born when the LA Kings won the Stanley Cup for the first time and my husband got so ecstatic that he wanted to name the boy Stanley. Fortunately, I didn’t agree; there is enough hockey spirit here already.                                       

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Reading Preferences

Few days ago I saw an avid reader friend of mine reading a book by John Grisham.  She was quite excited about the book and couldn’t wait to finish it.  It had an action filled and very captivating plot.  She mentioned to me that she could finish three or four books  in a week. When I mentioned that I had never read Grisham and I preferred classics, she honestly said that those books are boring.  I didn’t argue because I realized that we were reading books for different reasons.  It is an enlightening experience for me to read classics. Those books help me explore a human nature and discover new worlds. However for my friend books were chains of captivating actions.  

 

Good Teacher / Bad Teacher

I recently found out about a web site called “ratemyprofessor.com”.  To my delight, I found many pleasant comments about me as an instructor of Armenian. However, there were a couple of negative ones stating that my class was hard.  At first, I felt sad thinking that if my students weren’t happy then I was not doing a good job.  But on the second thought, was I really there to please everyone? Does a good teacher always have to make everyone happy?

The best of my childhood memories are linked to the kids' playground outside of our apartment. We spent hours building castles, playing hopscotch, or simply telling stories. Socializing with others was an important part of my childhood. I still remember my favorite toys, games and, of course, my first friends. Now, when I look at new generation, I see high tech toys taking over traditional games and, most importantly, the human interaction. Although, today's kids get a lot more information, their social life is very limited. Sometimes, they are so obsessed with the computer that they stop noticing the surroundings.

When I was single, I used to criticize those parents who would allow their kids to use their smart phones, laptops, etc. I thought this was lazy parenting. Now, I find myself in this situation. My two year old became so enchanted with the bright colored images that I hardly can take my IPhone from his hands. To be honest, sometimes I don't mind him being destructed with a gadget while I attend to my personal matters, but  I feel that this is not the right approach. Is it really necessary to expose small children to talking apps, sliding screens, and all the "charms" that digital media brings? Is there an educational value in all this?